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(11) | EP 2 110 475 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Electric household appliance |
| (57) An electric household appliance has a substantially parallelepiped-shaped casing
(2) having a substantially horizontal top wall (6) defined by a panel (7) of plastic
material, and by two cover films (14, 15) applied to a top face (9) and a bottom face
(10), respectively, of the panel (7).
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[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to an electric household appliance of the type comprising a substantially parallelepiped-shaped casing having a top wall normally used by the user as a supporting and/or work surface.
[0003] The top walls of known electric household appliances of the above type are normally of two types.
[0004] A first is made of molded plastic material, is of relatively low rigidity, and therefore has obvious structural limitations as a supporting and/or work surface.
[0005] The second type comprises a fiberboard central panel; and a plastic outer rim normally made in two parts which are fitted about the central panel in respective operations and using respective assembly tools.
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric household appliance designed to eliminate the above drawbacks, and which is cheap and easy to produce.
[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided an electric household appliance as claimed in the accompanying Claims.
[0008] A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a schematic view in perspective of a preferred embodiment of the electric household appliance according to the present invention;
Figure 2 shows a cross section of part of the electric household appliance in Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows an exploded view in perspective of the Figure 2 part.
[0009] Number 1 in Figure 1 indicates as a whole an electric household appliance defined, in the example shown, by a washing machine comprising a substantially parallelepiped-shaped casing 2, in turn comprising a substantially vertical front wall 3 and a substantially vertical rear wall 4 parallel to each other, two substantially vertical lateral walls 5 perpendicular to walls 3 and 4, and a substantially horizontal top wall 6 perpendicular to walls 3, 4 and 5.
[0010] As shown in Figure 2, wall 6 comprises a panel 7, which is substantially cup-shaped with its concavity facing downwards, is made of molded, preferably injection-molded, plastic, and in turn comprises a flat central portion 8 bounded vertically by a substantially horizontal top face 9 and a substantially horizontal bottom face 10 parallel to each other; and an annular lateral edge 11 which extends about portion 8, is connected to portion 8 with a given radius of curvature, and is formed in one piece with portion 8.
[0011] Portion 8 has a top cavity 12 and an opposite bottom cavity 13, which are substantially rectangular and open outwards at top face 9 and bottom face 10 respectively.
[0012] Cavities 12 and 13 respectively house a top cover film 14 and a bottom cover film 15, which are substantially as thick as the depth of respective cavities 12, 13, and therefore substantially coplanar with respective faces 9, 10.
[0013] In a variation not shown, cavities 12, 13 are eliminated, and films 14, 15 are applied directly to faces 9, 10.
[0014] Films 14, 15 may be applied directly to panel 7 when molding panel 7, or may be glued to panel 7 later.
[0015] Films 14, 15 provide for a relatively high degree of rigidity of wall 6, thus reducing the weight and thickness of panel 7, while at the same time increasing the space available inside casing 2.
1. An electric household appliance comprising a substantially parallelepiped-shaped casing
(2) having a substantially horizontal top wall (6) comprising a panel (7) of plastic
material; and characterized in that the top wall (6) also comprises a top cover film (14) and a bottom cover film (15)
applied to a top face (9) and a bottom face (10), respectively, of said panel (7).
2. An electric household appliance as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the panel (7) comprises
a substantially flat central portion (8) bounded by said top face and said bottom
face (9, 10); and an annular lateral edge (11) which extends about the central portion
(8), is connected to the central portion (8), and is formed in one piece with the
central portion (8).
3. An electric household appliance as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the panel (7)
has a top cavity (12) and a bottom cavity (13) for housing the top cover film (14)
and bottom cover film (15) respectively; the top and bottom cover films (14, 15) being
substantially coplanar with the respective top and bottom faces (9, 10).
4. An electric household appliance as claimed in any one of the foregoing Claims, wherein
the bottom cover film (15) is made of fireproof material.
5. An electric household appliance as claimed in any one of the foregoing Claims, wherein
the top cover film (14) is made of metal.
6. An electric household appliance as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the
top cover film (14) is made of a thermoplastic material.
7. An electric household appliance as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the
top cover film (14) is made of a thermosetting resin.
8. An electric household appliance as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the
top cover film (14) is made of a composite material.
9. An electric household appliance as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the
top cover film (14) is a laminate comprising at least two layers.
10. An electric household appliance as claimed in any one of the foregoing Claims, wherein
the top and bottom cover films (14, 15) are glued to said panel (7).
11. An electric household appliance as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9, wherein the
top and bottom cover films (14, 15) are applied to said panel (7) when molding the
panel (7).