Wall panel for an appliance
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsJulia B. Burke, Daniel Chow, Daniel V. Clements, Rebecca M. Goesling, Mark W. Schulz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator includes a cabinet with a plurality of walls and a compartment area for storing food within the cabinet. A door is configured to seal the compartment area. A refrigeration component is disposed within the cabinet. A wall panel is positioned within the cabinet and includes a three-dimensional molded surface with non-uniformly spaced peaks and valleys and a lighting structure. The wall panel extends from a lower end of the compartment area to an upper end of the compartment area. The wall panel separates the compartment area from the refrigeration component and is coextensive with one of the plurality of walls of the cabinet.
Claims20
A refrigerator, comprising:
- a cabinet including a back wall partially defining a compartment;
- a door operably coupled to the cabinet and configured to seal the compartment;
- a plurality of wall panels operably coupled to the cabinet, wherein each wall panel of the plurality of wall panels includes a first side and a second side, wherein at least one wall panel of the plurality of wall panels is disposed adjacent to the back wall and includes a three-dimensional design on the first side thereof, the three-dimensional design including a wave pattern;
- an air vent disposed on the back wall of the cabinet to move air within the compartment;
- and
- a lighting structure operably coupled to the at least one wall panel of the plurality of wall panels and configured to direct light through the at least one wall panel such that the light from the lighting structure exits the at least one wall panel via the three-dimensional design to provide the light to the compartment.
A refrigeration appliance, comprising:
- a cabinet including a plurality of walls defining a compartment;
- a door operably coupled to the cabinet configured to seal the compartment;
- a plurality of wall panels operably coupled to the cabinet, wherein each wall panel of the plurality of wall panels includes a first side facing the compartment and a second side facing the cabinet, and wherein the first side of at least one wall panel of the plurality of wall panels includes a three-dimensional design and the second side is a flat surface;
- and
- a lighting structure operably coupled to an edge of the at least one wall panel of the plurality of wall panels, wherein the lighting structure is configured to direct light through the three-dimensional design of the first side of the at least one wall panel to provide the light to the compartment.
An appliance, comprising:
- a cabinet defining a compartment;
- a door operably coupled to the cabinet configured to seal the compartment;
- a wall panel assembly operably coupled to the cabinet within the compartment, wherein the wall panel assembly includes:
- a plurality of wall panels operably coupled to the cabinet, wherein each of the plurality of wall panels includes a first side facing the compartment and a second side facing the cabinet;
- and
- a lighting structure configured to light the compartment;
- and
- a three-dimensional pattern on the first side of at least one wall panel of the plurality of wall panels, wherein the lighting structure is configured to direct the light through the at least one wall panel such that the light from the lighting structure exits the at least one wall panel via the three-dimensional pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.