Home appliance having a housing with a sealing member and refrigerator having the sealing member

Abstract

A home appliance contains a housing which surrounds an internal space. The housing has an outer side wall facing outside, an inner side wall spaced apart from the outer side wall, a thermal insulation material which fills a spacing between the side walls, and a front flange connected to the inner side wall from one side and to the outer side wall from the other side. An external sealing member is provided on a connection region of the housing where the front flange connects to the inner side wall, so as to provide a barrier to the thermal insulation material.

1 . A home appliance, comprising:
 a housing surrounding an internal space and having an outer side wall facing outside, an inner side wall spaced apart from said outer side wall, a thermal insulation material filling a spacing between said inner side wall and said outer side wall, a front flange connected to said inner side wall from a first side and to said outer side wall from a second side, and a connection region; and   an external sealing member disposed on said connection region of said housing where said front flange connects to said inner side wall, so as to provide a barrier to said thermal insulation material.   
     
     
         2 . The home appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein said connection region is disposed on an inner side of the housing where said thermal insulation material fills said spacing between said inner side wall and said outer side wall. 
     
     
         3 . The home appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein said external sealing member is configured to connect to said front flange from one side and to said inner side wall from an other side. 
     
     
         4 . The home appliance according to  claim 3 , wherein said external sealing member has an inner connection channel which receives a first connection end of said front flange extending towards said connection region. 
     
     
         5 . The home appliance according to  claim 4 , wherein said first connection end has an L-shaped cross-section and wherein said external sealing member is configured to surround at least a part of said first connection end. 
     
     
         6 . The home appliance according to  claim 4 , wherein said inner side wall has a receiving section which faces said first connection end and receives at least a part of said external sealing member. 
     
     
         7 . The home appliance according to  claim 6 , wherein said receiving section has a U-shaped cross-section which tightens said sealing member. 
     
     
         8 . The home appliance according to  claim 6 , wherein said inner side wall has an abutting wall which abuts to a part of said first connection end, when said first connection end is connected to said receiving section by means of said external sealing member. 
     
     
         9 . The home appliance according to  claim 6 , wherein said external sealing member has at least one flexible sealing flap disposed on a side of said external sealing member facing a flat side wall of said receiving section. 
     
     
         10 . The home appliance according to  claim 9 , wherein said at least one flexible sealing flap is one of a plurality of flexible sealing flaps configured on said external sealing member so as to extend longitudinally. 
     
     
         11 . The home appliance according to  claim 10 , wherein an angle formed between respective ones of said flexible sealing flaps and a side of said external sealing member where said flexible sealing flaps are configured, is at a maximum of 70°. 
     
     
         12 . The home appliance according to  claims 11 , wherein said external sealing member has two said flexible sealing flaps spaced apart from each other in such a way that one of them is not overlapping with another one, when the angle is 0°. 
     
     
         13 . The home appliance according to  claim 9 , wherein said at least one flexible sealing flap has a cross-section tapering towards a free end of said at least one flexible sealing flap. 
     
     
         14 . The home appliance according to  claim 4 , wherein said external sealing member has a longitudinal groove formed therein on an opposite side to said inner connection channel. 
     
     
         15 . The home appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the home appliance is a cooling device. 
     
     
         16 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a housing surrounding an internal space and having an outer side wall facing outside, an inner side wall spaced apart from said outer side wall, a thermal insulation material filling a spacing between said inner side wall and said outer side wall, a front flange connected to said inner side wall from a first side and to said outer side wall from a second side, and a connection region; and   an external sealing member disposed on said connection region of said housing where said front flange connects to said inner side wall, so as to provide a barrier to said thermal insulation material.