The present invention relates to a home appliance having a body in cabinet form; a lateral panel of the body; a one-piece base tab at the bottom part of the lateral panel; and a hinge plate connected to the base tab.

In home appliances like cooling device and oven embodied in cabinet form, hinges are utilized connected to the cabinet body from the bottom and top of the door. The hinge plates provide the connection between the lateral panels of the home appliances and the hinges. The connection between the hinge plates and the lateral panel is provided by means of methods like welding, using connection member and riveting.

In the utility model CN202048744, a home appliance connection structure is illustrated. Said home appliance connection structure comprises a lower border strip, a hinge plate fixedly connected with the lower border strip, a side plate which is fixed with the hinge plate, and a lower hinge which is fixed to the lower border strip, the hinge plate and the side plate. In the home appliance connecting structure and the home appliance provided by the utility model, the hinge plate and the side plate are riveted and assembled through rivets, and the lower border strip, the hinge plate and the side plate are fixed with the lower hinge through the rivets so that the assembling process is simple, and the cost is relatively low.

In the patent application US5408725, a hinge assembly for the door of a home appliance; comprises a hinge plate that is secured to a cabinet by passing a plurality of fasteners through the hinge plate. The hinge plate includes a load bearing surface supporting a pivot pin defining a pivot axis for the door.

US 2009/179539 A1 discloses a refrigerator according to the preamble of claim 1, having a hinge plate which is coupled to a refrigerator cabinet by way of a coupling plate, whereas the coupling plate includes holes for use with fasteners. D1 also discloses that the coupling may be made in various other manners such as for example by adhesives, welding, snap fit or interference fit.

US 2011/030410 A1 discloses a household appliance having a door to which a decorative plate is attached.

The present invention relates to a novel hinge plate, in order to eliminate the abovementioned problems and to bring new advantages to the related technical field.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a hinge plate where the production cost and the assembly duration are decreased and where the fixation and centering performance is improved during the assembly of the door to the body of the home appliance.

In order to realize said object and the objects which are to be deducted from the detailed description below, the present invention is a home appliance having a body in cabinet form; a lateral panel of the body; a one-piece base tab at the bottom part of the lateral panel; and a hinge plate connected to the base tab. Accordingly, said home appliance is characterized by comprising at least one assembly gap configured so as to connect the hinge plate and the base tab horizontally by means of the snap-fit method, said assembly gap provided in the region where the base tab and the hinge plate are connected; said home appliance also comprising at least one connection tab disposed within the assembly gap.

According to the present invention, the assembly gap is provided on the hinge plate, and the connection tab is provided on the base tab so as to correspond to the assembly gap. Thus, the connection of the hinge plate to the lateral panel is provided. According to the present invention, the base tab comprises a housing whereon the connection tab is embodied and the hinge plate comprises a housing passage opening through which the housing passes. Thus, the strength of the region where the connection tab is provided is improved, and assembly is facilitated.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hinge plate comprises an assembly latch whereon the assembly gap is provided. Thus, a resilience is obtained while the assembly latch, is passing to the assembly gap of the connection tab.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, two channels are provided on both sides of the assembly latch, and two lateral edges are provided such that the housing is disposed to the channels. Thus, a rigid structure of the housing is provided.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hinge plate comprises a base and an assembly wall coinciding with the lateral panel at the continuation of the base. Thus, the strength of the hinge plate is improved.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the housing Passage opening is embodied at the region where the base of the hinge plate and the assembly wall are intersecting. Thus, the housing and the assembly latch is aligned with ease.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hinge plate comprises a base and an assembly wall coinciding with the lateral panel at the continuation of the base. Thus, the strength of the hinge plate is improved.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the housing passage opening is embodied at the region where the base of the hinge plate and the assembly wall are intersecting. Thus, the housing and the assembly latch is aligned with ease.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the body is a heat-insulated body and the home appliance is a cooling device.

• In Figure 1, the perspective view of a cooling device with the subject matter hinge plate is given.
• In Figure 2a, a cross sectional view of the lateral panel the hinge plate is connected thereto is given.
• In Figure 2b, a general view of the dismantled form of the subject matter hinge plate is given.
• In Figure 3a, a general view of the subject matter hinge plate is given, where the subject matter hinge plate is assembled to the lateral panel.
• In Figure 3b, a cross sectional view of the subject matter hinge plate is given, where the subject matter hinge plate is assembled to the lateral panel.

• 10 Cooling device
• 11 Body
• 12 Lateral panel
• 121 Base tab
• 122 Housing
• 123 Lateral edge
• 124 Connection tab
• 125 Lateral bent part
• 126 Opening
• 20 Hinge plate
• 21 Base
• 211 Assembly latch
• 212 Housing passage opening
• 213 Channel
• 214 Assembly gap
• 22 Assembly wall
• 23 Lateral wall
• 231 Tab

In this detailed description, the subject matter of the invention is explained with references to examples without forming any restrictive effect in order to make the subject more understandable.

In the detailed description below, the subject matter of the invention is described to be applied on a body (11) of a cooling device (10).

In Figure 1, the representative view where a hinge plate (20) is assembled onto a lateral panel (12) on the body (11) of the cooling device (10) is given. A hinge plate (20) is assembled horizontally with respect to the lateral panel (12).

In Figure 2a, the lateral panel (12) comprises a base tab (121); and two housings (122) provided on the base tab (121). The housings (122) comprise two each lateral edges (123) and one each inclined connection tab (124) provided in the middle sides thereof.

In Figure 2b, the dismantled view of the hinge plate (20) on the lateral panel (12) is given. The hinge plate (20) comprises a base (21); a lateral wall (23) having a tab (231) extending in a horizontal manner on the base (21); and an assembly wall (22) embodied so as to overlap with the lateral panel (12). The hinge plate (20) is cut in hypotenuse form on the side thereof corresponding to the assembly wall (22); and the hinge plate (20) has a form similar to a trapezoid. Two assembly latches (211) are embodied from the base (21) towards the assembly wall (22) such that there is a certain distance in between, and there are channels (213) on the lateral sides of the assembly latches (211). There is an assembly gap (214) in the middle of the assembly latches (211). In the place where the assembly wall (22) and the base (21) are joining, one each housing passage opening (212) is embodied at the continuation of the assembly latches (211). The housing passage openings (212) are extending on the assembly wall (22) at a height where the housings (122) will enter.

In Figure 3a, a vertical lateral bent part (125) of the lateral panel (12) and a vertical opening (126) is illustrated formed on the lateral bent part (125). A gap (not illustrated in the figure) is formed wherein the hinge plate (20) can be placed at the point where the base tab (121) of the lateral panel (12) and the vertical lateral bent part (125) will join.

In Figure 3a and Figure 3b, the assembled form of the hinge plate (20) on the lateral panel (12) is illustrated. The housing (122) is passing through the housing passage opening (212) such that the assembly wall (22) of the hinge plate (20) is coinciding with the lateral panel (12), and the lateral edges (123) of the housing (122) are placed into the channels (213). The connection tab (124) of the housing (122) is placed into the assembly gap (214). Thus, the hinge plate (20) is locked with the lateral panel (12). While the hinge plate (20) is in assembled state, the lateral tab (231), provided on the lateral wall (23), is placed to the gap at the bottom part of the lateral bent part (125) of the lateral panel (12). The connection between the hinge plate (20) and the lateral panel (12) is in snap-fit form.

The protection scope of the present invention is set forth in the annexed claims and can not be restricted to the illustrative disclosures given above, under the detailed description. It is because a person skilled in the relevant art can obviously produce similar embodiments under the light of the foregoing disclosures, without departing from the scope of the present invention, defined in the claims.