Built-in refrigerator with a translucent door

Abstract

A built-in refrigerator contains a housing door that is transparent in at least one portion of its surface area. The housing door is not necessarily lined with a decorative door. The refrigerator makes it possible for goods that need cooled or temperature-controlled storage to be displayed in an esthetically pleasing form that can easily be adapted to the configuration and decor of a room in which the appliance is to be set up.

1 - 6 . (canceled)  
   
   
       7 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a heat-insulating housing defining an interior storage space;    a door for closing the housing and the interior storage space, the door comprising: 
 a translucent panel including an outer panel and an inner panel spaced apart from one another and providing a heat insulating barrier;  
 a first profile portion disposed adjacent an outer perimeter of the glass panel and having a substantially rectangular frame shape with an inner leg defining an open central region exposing the glass panel;  
 a second profile portion having a C-shaped cross-section with the open side facing internally toward the insulating glass panel; and  
 a handle mounted on the door.  
   
   
   
       8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the first profile portion is made from a metal material.  
   
   
       9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , wherein the first and second profile portions are made from an aluminum material.  
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the first profile portion is made from a wood material.  
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the second profile portion is made from a metal material.  
   
   
       12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the second profile portion is interchangeable with other second profile portions having substantially similar dimensions but being made from different materials to provide a selected surface finish.  
   
   
       13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the first profile portion at least partially defines a hollow interior region within the first profile portion.  
   
   
       14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the first profile portion has a substantially C-shaped cross-section opening in a rearwardly direction toward the housing when the door is closed.  
   
   
       15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the glass panel extends outwardly behind the first profile portion and engages the second profile portion.  
   
   
       16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , wherein the first profile portion has a substantially C-shaped cross-section with the open side facing in a rearwardly direction toward the housing when the door is closed, a hollow interior region disposed within the first profile portion and being defined by the first profile portion and the translucent panel.  
   
   
       17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , further comprising a magnetic seal connected to the translucent panel for engaging the housing.  
   
   
       18 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , wherein the first profile portion and the translucent panel are at least partially disposed within the second profile portion.  
   
   
       19 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , further comprising an internal profile portion at least partially disposed within both the first and second profile portions, the internal profile portion including a tongue engaging an outer edge of the translucent panel.  
   
   
       20 . The refrigerator according to  claim 19 , wherein the internal profile portion is made from a plastic material.  
   
   
       21 . The refrigerator according to  claim 19 , wherein the translucent panel extends beyond the inner leg of the first profile portion in an outwardly direction toward the second profile portion.  
   
   
       22 . The refrigerator according to  claim 19 , further comprising a magnetic seal connected to the internal profile portion for engaging the housing.  
   
   
       23 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the handle is connected to the first profile portion  
   
   
       24 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the inner and outer panels of the translucent panel are made from glass.  
   
   
       25 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the inner and outer panels of the translucent panel are made from a see-through plastic material.