A HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE COMPRISING A WALL AND A METHOD FOR PRODUCING A WALL OF A HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE OR OF A COMPONENT FOR A HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE

Abstract

 A household appliance (1) comprises a a front wall (7.1, 11.1) having an outer surface which a user is facing when operating the household appliance (1) and an inner surface which is directed towards the interior (5) of the household appliance (1). The front wall (7.1, 11.1) is at least partially made of light-transmissive material, preferably of a glass sheet. According to the invention, the front wall (7.1, 11.1) comprises at least one first portion or first area (7.1f, 11.1b) of said light-transmissive material that is non-tranparaent or that at most enables a blurred, an unclear or bleary view through the light-transmissive material.
Further disclosed is a method for producing a front wall (7.1) of a household appliance (1) or a front wall (11.1) of a component (11) for a household appliance (1), which component front wall (11) being adapted to define a household appliance wall.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of household appliances having a front wall. The invention also relates to a method for producing a front wall, of a household appliance or a front wall of a component for a household appliance, which component front wall being adapted to define a household appliance wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Household appliances for e.g. preparing or preserving food or for treating items like dishes, laundry, etc. are well known in prior art. Such appliances have at least one side, in particular a front side, a user is facing when using or operating the appliance. The side comprises a wall with an outer surface which is directed towards the user, and an inner surface which is directed towards the interior of the household appliance, i.e. outer and inner surfaces are arranged at the wall on opposite sides. The wall is, at least partially, made of light-transmissive material, it may consist of or may comprise a glass sheet or a sheet of heat resistant or, respectively, chemically stable light-transmissive plastic.

[0003] Currently known household appliances, notably ovens particularly for the use in domestic home, e. g. as described in WO 2016/128372 A1, are using glass components for designing a door and/or for a control panel. Such glass components, which may be substantially glass sheets, comprise flat and specular surfaces which are regularly soiled and smeared by the user during the operation of the household appliance, what is exceedingly occurring with oven doors when the user is preparing a meal and loading the oven chamber with opening the oven door. Due to the specific type of soil which may comprise grease, the cleaning is laborious for a user who wants to receive a cleaning result with surfaces free of streaks. Some users are bothered already by minor soiling like fingerprints. In addition, specular surfaces are unfavourable with respect to scratch resistance, since such kind of defect impairs the visual impression.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a household appliance as described above, but with characteristics of concealing minor soiling, in particular fingerprints. It is also an object to provide a method for producing a front wall for such a household appliance. Further, an improved behavior in terms of scratch resistance shall be effected.

[0005] These and other problems are solved by a household appliance comprising a front wall according to independent claim 1 and/or by a method for producing a front wall of a household appliance or a front wall of a component for a household appliance wall according to independent claim 10.

[0006] Preferred embodiments may be taken from the dependent claims, and, beyond that, from the following description, in particular comprising various embodiments as covered and described in the annexed claims.

[0007] According to an aspect, a household appliance comprising a front wall, is disclosed. Said front wall comprises an outer surface which a user is facing when using or operating the household appliance and an inner surface which is directed towards the interior of the household appliance, e. g. an oven cavity, a cooling or dishwashing compartment or a washing drum. The front wall is at least partially made of light-transmissive material, preferably wherein said light-transmissive material consists of or comprises a glass sheet.

[0008] The terms "light-transmissive" and "nontransparent" according to the present invention are both differentiated from "opaque" that shall be understood as completely light-tight with no light being able to pass through. Respectively, "light-transmissive material" and "nontransparent" shall comprise all kinds of material enabling light to pass through, at least to a small extent. As used herein, "light-transmissive" (or also "translucent") comprises also transparent material that allows an essentially clear view through the light-transmissive material, whereas "nontransparent" is any light-transmissive material that covers the entire range of translucent material, starting from material that allows no clear view through it or at most a blurred view through it of an object located behind it to light-transmissive material that does not even allow to recognize any contours of an obeject located behind it.

[0009] According to the present invention, the wall comprises at least a first portion or a first area of a light-transmissive material that is nontransparent or enables at most a blurred, an unclear or a bleary view through the light-transmissive material. This may be understood as the first portion or first area comprising a region or regions extending two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally causing light to be partially reflected and/or absorbed and/or scattered.

[0010] Such a nontransparent first wall portion or area or blurred, unclear or bleary view through the first wall portion or area may be effected by this first portion or area being translucent in its entirety, i. e. all over its cross section. The at least first portion or first area of the wall may be frosted, in particular the first portion or area is made of or comprises frosted material, e. g. frosted glass or any other type of diffuse transmissive material.

[0011] Differently from providing an entirely translucent or frosted wall, another embodiment of the invention may comprise a layer which causes light scattering which layer may be arranged at whichever cross section position of the wall. Such a layer may also be a contact surface of two abutting layers of a laminated wall construction.

[0012] A particular preferred embodiment of the invention is defined by a wall which comprises a matted or satin-finished surface or a surface which is covered by a matted or satin-finished layer. Advantageously, said surface is the outer surface of the wall. In that case, the matted or satin-finished structure results in a slightly coarse condition of the outer surface. With such coarse surface structure, not only soiling will be concealed to some extent, this effect is also somewhat gained with small scratches. Thus, visual advantages are obtained with said matted or satin-finished surface.

[0013] It should be noted that a combination of the use of completely translucent material and surface treatment or coverage, as described hereinbefore, may be considered as well.

[0014] The matted or satin-finished surface may be obtained by means of a mechanical treatment, in particular by a sandblasting, sanding or scratching of the surface. Using that type of surface treatment, a partial or zonal matting or frosting may be realized by using masks or the like covering zones which shall not be treated, respectively.

[0015] However, the inventors of the present invention identified that mechanically treated surfaces shows only a reduced effect with respect to soiling concealing. Rather, touching e. g. sandblasted surfaces with wetted fingers reduces the matting effect, what was found unfavourable.

[0016] An even more preferred solution, in particular with more improved concealing effect, was identified with using a chemical treatment, in particular etching the surface. Particularly in the case of a glass surface, an etching by means of hydrofluoric acid may be favourable.

[0017] Besides improved soiling concealing charactereistics and reduced sctratch sensitivity, another advantage of providing a translucent portion or area in the wall, or of providing a matted or satin-finished surface of the wall, was identified to be a clouding the view onto items and areas arranged behind the wall. Naturally, in the case of an oven, the user is interested in a well-identifiable food arranged inside a cooking cavity through a transparent oven door. However, when having a clear-transparent window in the oven door, the cavity behind the door is constantly visible and a fastidious user has to clean it extraordinarily. A somewhat clouded view through the door window, obtained by the invention, may help to reduce cleaning efforts. Especially in the switched-off state of the oven, i. e. when a cavity illumination means is switched off as well, such clouding of the view may be to a high extent, while it may be reduced, and food inside the cavity may be better visible, when the illumination means is switched on. Yet another embodiment may even provide a highly clouded oven door window, in particular when the oven is equipped with a camera monitoring the oven cavity, so that clear-transparency of the oven door is not needed.

[0018] In excess of the hereinbefore mentioned clouding the view into a treatment chamber or cavity of the household appliance, the user, and even more the manufacturer of the household appliance, may be interested in completely covering items or areas behind the wall. Particularly technical equipment of the household appliance, usually also arranged behind appliance walls, should be kept away from the user's view. In order to provide such opacity, coupled with all the aforementioned advantages, a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention proposes, the household appliance to comprise an outer surface of the wall to be matted or satin-finished or to be covered by a matted or satin-finished layer, and, in addition, the inner surface of the wall to be coated with a nontransparent layer, in particular a colour coat, or to be laminated with a nontransparent foil, e. g. with an adhesive film.

[0019] The wall, preferably, comprises at least one second portion or second area enabling a clear view through the light-transmissive material. The phrase "enabling a clear view" in this context means, light can pass through the wall, i. e. through the second portion or second area, without any reflection, absorption or scattering. Besides the hereinbefore mentioned interest of the user to have a clear look onto food to be prepared in an oven cavity, the user conveniently appreciates a clear understanding of signals or other type of information, provided by a control board of the household appliance. Said second portion or second area may be limpid or clear-transparent and may be of or may comprise glass material.

[0020] In another specific embodiment the wall comprises a marking, lettering or labelling which is defined by the at least one second portion or area being in contrast with the at least one first portion or area. This may comprehend both alternatives, the marking, lettering or labelling, defining the information to be provided to the user, capturing the first portion or area, and the background for the information being characterized by the second portion or area - the first alternative -, or contrariwise, defining the second option and being the preferred one because of a clearer visibility to the user.

[0021] The invention may also cover a household appliance comprising a door closing a treatment compartment, like an oven cavity, a cooling compartment, a dishwashing chamber or a washing drum, or the like, which door comprises a door wall zone enabling the user to look into the interior of the treatment compartment, wherein the door wall, in particular the door wall zone, comprises said translucent or frosted sections, markings, labellings or letterings. A specifically preferred embodiment, however, provides such a household appliance with said door wall zone being clear-transparent and framed by a frame-like lateral face, which is matted or satin-frosted on its outside surface and preferably has a colour print on the door wall rear side. In addition, or alternatively, the invention may cover also a household appliance comprising a control panel with a casing, the casing having a casing wall which comprises at least one section which is made of translucent or frosted material or which comprises a matted or satin-finished surface, and which also comprises at least one limpid or clear-transparent portion or area, what may be a window or a display area, and/or at least one limpid or clear-transparent visual zone for an indicating light or optical signal and/or at least one clear-transparent zone together with at least one translucent marking, labelling and/or lettering.

[0022] Regarding the method for producing a front wall of a household appliance or a front wall of a component for a household appliance wall, which component wall being adapted to define a household appliance wall, which wall, i. e. household appliance wall or component wall, respectively, at least partially being made of light-transmissive material, wherein said light-transmissive material preferably consits of or comprises a glass sheet, the inventive solution provides according to independent claim 10 a process step during which the front wall is provided with at least a first portion or first area that is nontransparent or at most enables a blurred, an unclear or bleary view through said light-transmissive material arranged at or defining the first portion or first area. This may be understood as the wall being provided with a first portion or a first area comprising a region or regions extending two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally, in which region(s) the light is partially reflected and/or absorbed and/or scattered when passing through.

[0023] A preferred method is characterized by a first portion or a first area which receives a matted or satin-finished surface or a surface which is covered by a matted or satin-finished layer. Advantageously, the method is applied to the outer surface of the wall. In that case, said process step, wherever this method is applied, results in a slightly coarse condition of the outer surface, thus, ending up in said matted or satin-finished structure. With such coarse surface structure, not only specific soiling will be concealed to some extent, this effect is also somewhat gained with small scratches.

[0024] The surface of the wall, preferably its outer surface, may be matted, frosted or satin-finished by means of a mechanical treatment, in particular by a sandblasting, sanding or scratching of the surface. Using that type of surface treatment, a partial or zonal matting or frosting may be realized by using masks or the like covering zones which shall not be treated, respectively. A more preferred solution, in particular with even more improved soiling concealing effect, was identified with using a chemical treatment, in particular etching the surface. Particularly in the case of a glass surface, an etching by means of hydrofluoric acid may be favourable.

[0025] In a further preferred method, the wall is provided with at least one second portion or second area enabling a clear view through the light-transmissive material. The phrase "enabling a clear view" in this context means, light can pass through the wall, i. e. through the second portion or second area, without any reflection, absorption or scattering. Said second portion or second area may be limpid or clear-transparent and may be of or may comprise glass material. The at least one second portion or second area is made in contrast with the at least one first portion or first area. A preferred method for implementing a distinction of the first portion or first area from the second portion or second area is serigraphy or a similar technique using a pattern in order to have e. g. an etching medium applied to the surface in order to define the first portion or first area, or to keep such etching medium away from the surface in order to define the second portion or second area.

[0026] The method according to the invention may also comprise an integration of a marking, a lettering or a labelling into the wall. This may be obtained by the at least one second portion or area being contrasted to the at least one first portion or area. This contrasting may comprehend both alternatives, i. e. the marking, lettering or labelling, defining the information to be provided to the user, capturing the first portion or area, and the background for the information being characterized by the second portion or area - the first alternative -, or contrariwise, defining the second option.

[0027] A specifically preferred method comprises the following process steps

a. a first surface of the wall, preferably a glass sheet, is provided with a cover coat, covering the first surface but leaving open a surface zone or surface zones allocated to the at least first portion or first area of the wall, the process step in particular using serigraphy,

b. the first surface or the wall is put into or passed through an etching bath,

c. the first surface or the wall is purified.

[0028] Preferably, at least one third portion or third area on a second surface of the wall, arranged on an opposite side to the first surface, is provided with a nontransparent layer, in particular a colour coat or is laminated with a nontransparent foil, e. g. an adhesive film. In the case of colour coat printing serigraphy may be a favourable technique. In order to obtain permanent coating, a process step of burning-in may finalize the treatment of the second surface. The at least one third portion or third area may be arranged superposed with the first potion or first area.

[0029] It shall be noted, that the steps given above do not necessarily have to be carried out in the given order. The provided steps may be carried out in any other suitable order. However, the order as given above may apply for particular variants of the method.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the drawings from which further features, embodiments and advantages may be taken, and in which:

FIG 1

illustrates an example schematic view of a domestic oven;

FIG 2

illustrates a schematic sectional view of an oven door of the oven of FIG 1;

FIG 3

illustrates a schematic front view of a control panel of the oven of FIG 1; and

FIG 4

illustrates a detail view of FIG 1, illustrating a marking with a logo.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] The present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments are shown. However, this invention should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Throughout the following description similar reference numerals have been used to denote similar elements, parts, items or features, when applicable. It is noted, that the figures may not be true to scale with respect to each other.

[0032] FIG 1 shows a schematic illustration of a domestic oven. The oven 1 comprises an oven base body 3 with an oven cavity 5 which is adapted to receive food to be cooked and/or baked. The oven 1 further comprises an oven door 7 which closes the oven cavity 5 from a front side of the oven 1 and can be opened by pivoting downwardly around a horizontal axis A in order to place the food into the oven cavity 5 and closed in order to obtain a closed oven cavity 5. In order to handle the oven door 7 for opening and closing, a door handle 9 is arranged in a horizontal direction on a top side of the oven door 7.

[0033] The oven 1 further comprises a control panel 11, also arranged on the front side of the oven 1 and above the oven door 7. Oven door 7 and control panel 11 are arranged in flush alignment of their outer surfaces, thus jointly building a front wall of the oven 1. The control panel 11 comprises a display and control window 13 including a main switch 15 and an electronic control and display unit 17 for displaying graphical information and receiving user inputs. Both main switch 15 and electronic control and display unit 17 are formed as touch control elements.

[0034] The oven door 7 is shown in FIG 2 in closer detail in a cross-sectional view. The oven door 7 comprises a frame or any other structural element, for example a door bar and a set of door columns which may border the oven door 7 circumferentially. The frame or set of door bars / door columns (not shown) may build the supporting structural element of the oven door 7 by means of which the oven door 7 is attached to the base body 3 of the oven 1. The oven door 7 further comprises at least a first and a second door wall element 7.1 and 7.2, in the illustrated example building an outer door glass 7.1 (facing a user in front of the oven 1) and an inner door glass 7.2 (facing the oven cavity 5). According to FIG 2, also a third door wall element, an intermediate door glass 7.3, is comprised in order to increase heat insolation characteristics of the oven door 7. A door cover 19 is arranged on a top side of the door glasses 7.1, 7.2, 7.3.

[0035] As particularly shown in or indicated with FIGs 1 and 3, both outer door glass 7.1 and control panel 11 comprise first areas with matted or frosted outer surfaces (indicated in FIGs 1 and 3 by dots) and second areas with outer surfaces which are without any matting, rather, these second areas are of clear-transparent structure, thus enabling a user to look through the glass material. Similar to the outer door glass 7.1, also the casing or outer wall 11.1 of the control panel 11 is made of a glass material. Glass surfaces as such are usually soiling sensitive with respect to touches, i. e. fingermarks, etc., in particular when the oven is operated while preparing the meal. In order to conceal such fingerprints to some extent, the outer glass surfaces of the outer door glass 7.1 and control panel 11 are matted or frosted, in particular in those areas where touches usually take place.

[0036] In the specific example the matted or frosted surface is implemented by means of etching technology, e. g. using hydrofluoric acid. With such type of surface treatment, the outer surface receives a slightly coarse character, while untreated surfaces are more planar or mirror-like. Other technologies for implementing the matted structure may be used as well, in particular mechanical treatment such like sandblasting, sanding or scratching. In order to separate areas to receive etching treatment from the other areas, screen printing or serigraphy technology is used. The manufacturing process is as follows.

[0037] In a first process step a covering coat is printed on those areas of the outer surfaces of the outer door glass 7.1 and the control panel 11, which shall not receive a matted structure. Serigraphy is used for this printing. Thereafter, the outer surfaces of the outer door glass 7.1 and the control panel 11 run through an etching bath. All areas not covered by the covering coat are etched and receive a matted structure. In a third step the outer surfaces run through a purification bath in order to remove etchant and covering coat.

[0038] With reference to FIG 1, the outer door glass 7.1 is now described more specifically. As already described hereinbefore, the outer door glass 7.1 is defining, together with the front wall or outer wall 11.1 of the control panel 11, a front wall of the oven 1. The outer surface of the outer door glass 7.1 is subdivided substantially into two zones, a central window zone 7.1w and a frame zone 7.1f defining the window zone 7.1w periphally. The window zone 7.1w is clear-transparent and allows the user to look into the interior of the oven in order to monitor the food arranged in the oven cavity 5 during the cooking or baking process. The peripheral frame zone 7.1f is arranged outlying the access area of the oven cavity 5, thereby not limiting the insight to the oven cavity 5 but covering the oven cavity frame. Since the area behind the frame zone 7.1f shall be hidden from the user's view, the outer surface of the frame zone 7.1f has a matted structure. Moreover, in order to further receive an opaque condition, the inner surface of the frame zone 7.1f, arranged opposite to the outer surface and, from user's position, on the rear side of the outer door glass 7.1, is colour printed to the same extent as the matted surface on the forefront.

[0039] Further more specifically, and with reference to FIG 3, the control panel 11 is now described. Also the outer wall 11.1 of the control panel 11 is substantially subdivided into two zones, the display and control window 13 and a basic zone 11.1b. The display and control window 13 is arranged at the outer wall 11.1 centrally in horizontal direction and at the top in vertical direction. Similar as with the outer door glass 7.1 as described above, the two zones differ from each other with respect to the outer surface structure. While the display and control window 13 is clear-transparent, the basic zone 11.1b has a matted outer surface, again, received by the etching process as already described. The basic zone 11.1b is also equipped with a colour print on the rear side in order to fully hide the technical equipment arranged behind the outer wall 11.1. Also the display and control window 13 has a rear colour-printing, however, a central area 13c is relieved from colour-printing, since this central area 13c uncovers the user's view to the electronic control and display unit 17. The colour-printed area of the display and control window 13 places the main switch 15. In order to illuminate the operational state (ON or OFF) of the oven 1, an illumination means (not shown), e. g. an LED, may illuminate a respective marking which is designed by a symbol received by means of clear-transparency (non-matting) and no colour-printing or alternatively or additionally by using on the rear side a semitransparent foil or lacquer and/or a mirror film. Besides the main switch and its respective ON/OFF symbol, other symbols for e. g. operational status indications may be arranged in the display and control window 13, preferably next to the ON/OFF symbol.

[0040] FIG 4 illustrates another example for making use of the invention. This figure shows a detail view of a marking, or more specifically a logo 21, designed by means of the contrast between areas with matted or frosted surface and areas with clear-transparent surfaces. The logo 21, which in the example illustration is designed as a simple rhombus, is arranged in the centre of a bottom portion of the frame zone 7.1f and comprises a clear-transparent outer outline and a left hand half section of the rhombus, while the right hand half section is characterized by a matted or frosted surface. In that, the contrast between these two differently structured surfaces defines the marking. A full-faced colour-printing on the rear side of the outer door glass 7.1 increases the contrastive effect.

[0041] The skilled person will understand that any embodiment hereinbefore described in the description is covered and comprised by the subject matter covered by the annexed claims. The embodiments, features and combination of features as described herein in connection with the invention, as well as the combination of features as given in the annexed claims, but also any combination of features as mentioned and described in connection with the embodiments shall be considered as being disclosed herein, at least, however, shall be considered to be derivable by the skilled person. In particular, each feature and each combination of features in the embodiments as described herein may for example be claimed in a different combination, in particular different claim category, at least because the skilled person will recognize that each and every combination of the features mentioned herein is suitable for contributing to solving the underlying problem. Further, each feature and each combination of features in the claims and used in the description may be used and claimed independently from the respective claimed subject matter, independently from claim dependencies and back-references, and independently from the claim category in which the feature is claimed. For example in an arbitrary combination selected from one or more claims, one or more embodiments as set forth hereinbefore and/or from the annexed figures may be envisaged.

List of reference numerals

[0042] 

1

oven

3

base body

5

oven cavity

7

oven door

7.1, 7.2, 7.3

door glasses

7.1f

frame zone

7.1w

window zone

8.1

outer surface

8.2

inner surface

9

door handle

11

control panel

11.1

outer wall of control panel

11.1b

basic zone

13

display and control window

13c

central area

15

main switch

17

control and display unit

19

door cover

21

logo

A

horizontal axis

Claims

1. A household appliance (1) comprising a front wall (7.1, 11.1) having an outer surface (8.1) which a user is facing when operating the household appliance (1) and an inner surface (8.2) being directed towards the interior (5) of the household appliance (1), the front wall (7.1, 11.1) at least partially being made of light-transmissive material, preferably wherein the front wall (7.1, 11.1) consists of or comprises a glass sheet, wherein at least a first portion or first area (7.1f, 11.1b) of said light-transmissive material is nontransparent or enables at most a blurred, an unclear or bleary view through the light-transmissive material.

2. The household appliance (1) of claim 1, wherein the at least one first portion or first area (7.1f, 11.1b) of the front wall (7.1, 11.1) is translucent or frosted, in particular comprising frosted glass or diffuse transmissive material.

3. The household appliance (1) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one first portion or first area (7.1f, 11.1b) of the front wall (7.1, 11.1) comprises

- a matted or satin-finished surface (8.1, 8.2), or

- a surface (8.1, 8.2) which is covered by a matted or satin-finished layer.

4. The household appliance (1) of any of claims 1 to 3,
wherein the front wall (7.1, 11.1) consists of a glass pane and the outer surface (8.1) of the front wall (7.1, 11.1) comprises said at least one first portion or first area (7.1f, 11.1b) that is matted or satin-finished.

5. The household appliance (1) of claim 3 or 4, wherein the matted or satin-finished surface (8.1, 8.2) is produced by means of

- preferably a chemical treatment, preferably by etching, in particular with the aid of hydrofluoric acid; or

- a mechanical treatment, in particular by means of sandblasting, sanding or scratching.

6. The household appliance (1) of any of claims 3 to 5,
wherein

- the outer surface (8.1) is matted or satin-finished or is covered by a matted or satin-finished layer, and

- the inner surface (8.2) is coated with a nontransparent layer, in particular a colour coat, or laminated with a nontransparent foil, e. g. an adhesive film.

7. The household appliance (1) of any of claims 1 to 6,
wherein the wall (7.1, 11.1) comprises at least one second portion or second area (7.1w, 13) enabling a clear view through the light-transmissive material, the second portion or second area (7.1w, 13) in particular being limpid or clear-transparent, the second portion or second area (7.1w, 13) preferably comprising glass.

8. The household appliance (1) of claim 7, wherein the wall (7.1, 11.1) comprises a marking, lettering or labelling, defined by the at least one second area being in contrast with the at least one first area.

9. The household appliance (1) of any of the claims 1 to 8,
wherein a front side of the household appliance (1) comprises a door (7) closing a treatment compartment (5), the door (7) having a door wall (7.1) comprising a zone (7.1w) enabling a user to look into the interior of the treatment compartment (5) through the door wall zone (7.1w), wherein the door wall zone (7.1w) is completely translucent or frosted or the door wall (7.1), in particular the door wall zone(7.1w), comprises translucent or frosted sections, markings, labellings or letterings.

10. The household appliance (1) of any of the claims 1 to 9,
wherein the front wall (7.1, 11.1) comprises a control panel (11) comprising a casing, the casing having a wall (11.1) which comprises

- at least one section being made of translucent or frosted material or comprising a matted or satin-finished surface, and

- at least one limpid or clear-transparent area, in particular a window or a display area (13), and/or at least one limpid or clear-transparent visual zone for an indicating light or optical signal and/or at least one clear-transparent zone and at least one translucent marking, labelling or lettering.

11. A method for producing a front wall (7.1) of a household appliance (1) or a front wall (11.1) of a component (11) for a household appliance (1), which component wall (11.1) being adapted to define a household appliance wall, the wall (7.1, 11.1) at least partially being made of light-transmissive material, said light-transmissive material preferably consisting of or comprising a glass sheet, wherein the method comprises a process step during which the wall (7.1, 11.1) is provided with at least a first portion or first area (7.1f, 11.1b) that is nontransparent or at most enables a blurred, an unclear or bleary view through the light-transmissive material.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first portion or first area (7.1f, 11.1b) is provided with a matted or satin-finished surface or a surface which is covered by a matted or satin-finished layer.

13. The method of claim 11 or 12, wherein a surface, preferably an outer surface (8.1), of the wall (7.1, 11.1), preferably of a glass sheet, is matted or satin-finished by means of

- a mechanical treatment, the surface in particular being sandblasted, sanded or scratched, or

- a chemical treatment, the surface in particular being etched.

14. The method of any of claims 11 to 13 , wherein the wall (7.1, 11.1) is provided with at least one second portion or second area (7.1w, 13) enabling a clear view through the light-transmissive material, the second portion or second area (7.1w, 13) in particular being limpid or clear-transparent, the at least one second portion or second area (7.1w, 13) being made in contrast with the at least one first portion or first area (7.1f, 11.1b), wherein distinguishing the first portion or first area (7.1f, 11.1b) from the second portion or second area (7.1w, 13) in particular being generated using serigraphy.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein marking (21), labelling or lettering is integrated in the wall (7.1).

16. The method of any of claims 11 to 15, comprising the following process steps

a) a first surface of the wall (7.1, 11.1), preferably a glass sheet, is provided with a cover coat, covering the first surface but leaving open a surface zone or surface zones allocated to the at least first portion or first area (7.1f, 11.1b) of the wall, the process step in particular using serigraphy,

b) the first surface (7.1, 11.1) or the wall is put into or passed through an etching bath,

c) the first surface (7.1, 11.1) or the wall is purified,

d) preferably at least one third portion or third area on a second surface of the wall, arranged on opposite side to the first surface, is provided with a nontransparent layer, in particular a colour coat, or is laminated with a nontransparent foil, e. g. an adhesive film.

Drawing