Refrigerator

Abstract

Refrigerator ( 1 ) comprising: a self-supporting cabinet ( 2 ) which has a thermal-insulating structure and is internally provided with at least one, thermal-insulated storage cavity ( 3 ) adapted to accommodate perishable foodstuff; an electrically-operated cooling system ( 7 ) which is at least partially accommodated inside the self-supporting cabinet ( 2 ) and is adapted to cool down the inside of said at least one storage cavity ( 3 ); and an electrically-operated air-circulation assembly ( 8 ) adapted to circulate the air in closed loop inside said storage cavity ( 3 ) of the self-supporting cabinet ( 2 ), and which comprises: a platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) which is discrete from the self-supporting cabinet ( 2 ) and is rigidly attached to a rear wall ( 18 ) of said storage cavity ( 3 ); an air channel ( 16 ) that extends inside, or is at least partially delimited by, said platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) and directly communicates, at the ends, with the inside of said storage cavity ( 3 ); an electrically-operated air-blowing device ( 15 ) which is placed along the air channel ( 16 ) and is adapted to generate/produce an airflow (f) that circulates in closed loop along the air channel ( 16 ) and the storage cavity ( 3, 4 ); and a main decorative panel ( 17 ) which is discrete from said platelike air-guide member ( 14 ), and is placed over an exposed front face of the platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) so as to at least partially hide/conceal the platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) inside the storage cavity ( 3 ).

1 . Refrigerator ( 1 ) comprising: a self-supporting cabinet ( 2 ) which has a thermal-insulating structure and is internally provided with at least one, thermal-insulated storage cavity ( 3 ) adapted to accommodate perishable foodstuff; an electrically-operated cooling system ( 7 ) which is at least partially accommodated inside the self-supporting cabinet ( 2 ) and is adapted to cool down the inside of said at least one storage cavity ( 3 ); and an electrically-operated air-circulation assembly ( 8 ) adapted to circulate the air in closed loop inside said storage cavity ( 3 ) of the self-supporting cabinet ( 2 );
 the refrigerator ( 1 ) being characterized in that said air-circulation assembly ( 8 ) comprises: a platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) which is discrete from the self-supporting cabinet ( 2 ) and is rigidly attached to a wall ( 18 ) of said storage cavity ( 3 ); an air channel ( 16 ) that extends inside, or is at least partially delimited by, said platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) and directly communicates, at the ends, with the inside of said storage cavity ( 3 ); an electrically-operated air-blowing device ( 15 ) which is placed along the air channel ( 16 ) and is adapted to generate/produce an airflow (f) that circulates in closed loop along the air channel ( 16 ) and the storage cavity ( 3 ,  4 ); and a main decorative panel ( 17 ) which is discrete from said platelike air-guide member ( 14 ), and is placed over an exposed front face of the platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) so as to at least partially hide/conceal the platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) inside the storage cavity ( 3 ).   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein said platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) is attached to the rear wall ( 18 ) of said storage cavity ( 3 ) preferably in detachable manner. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein said main decorative panel ( 17 ) is attached to said platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) in detachable manner. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein said main decorative panel ( 17 ) is attached to the exposed front face of said platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) via one or more pieces or stripes of double-sided adhesive tape ( 22 ), and/or via one or more snap-on fasteners ( 24 ,  125 ) adapted to couple with the platelike air-guide member ( 14 ). 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the exposed surface of said main decorative panel ( 17 ) has logo/s, graphic symbol/s, aesthetical patterns and/or writings preferably laser marked. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the exposed front face of said platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) is vertically divided into an upper and a lower sectors complementary to one another, and at least the upper sector of said exposed front face is substantially completely cover by said main decorative panel ( 17 ). 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to any one of the preceding  claim 1 , wherein said main decorative panel ( 17 ) is dimensioned to substantially completely cover the exposed front face of said platelike air-guide member ( 14 ). 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to any one of the preceding  claim 1 , wherein said platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) is substantially rectangular in shape. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein said main decorative panel ( 17 ) includes a metal sheet ( 23 ) or a glass sheet ( 123 ) or a ceramic plate/tile. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 9 , wherein a front face of said metal sheet ( 23 ) is polished or frosted. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 9 , wherein said metal sheet ( 23 ) is made of steel. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 9 , wherein said glass sheet ( 123 ) has bevelled or rounded edges and/or the thickness of the glass sheet ( 123 ) ranges between 1 and 20 millimetres. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein a front face and/or a rear face of said glass sheet ( 123 ) is frosted or satinated. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein said glass sheet ( 123 ) is made of transparent glass and has an opaque and/or light-reflective rear face preferably enamelled. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein said glass sheet ( 123 ) is directly attached to the rear wall ( 18 ) of said storage cavity ( 3 ) and is adapted to hold the platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) in abutment against the rear wall ( 18 ) of said storage cavity ( 3 ). 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , wherein said glass sheet ( 123 ) is directly attached to the rear wall ( 18 ) of said storage cavity ( 3 ) via a number of protruding snap-on fasteners ( 125 ) which are firmly fixed to the rear face of the glass sheet ( 123 ) preferably by gluing or by pieces of double-sided adhesive tape. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16 , wherein at least one of said protruding snap-on fasteners ( 125 ) engages in pass-through manner said platelike air-guide member ( 14 ). 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , wherein said glass sheet ( 123 ) is attached to the rear wall ( 18 ) of said storage cavity ( 3 ) via a number of protruding centering fittings ( 126 ) which are arranged along the perimeter edge of the glass sheet ( 123 ) and cooperate with the perimeter edge of the platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) so as to centre the glass sheet ( 123 ) over the exposed front face of the same platelike air-guide member ( 14 ). 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the exposed front face of said platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) is provided with a pass-through air-vent ( 200 ) forming the air-inlet or air-outlet mouth of said air channel ( 16 ). 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator according to  claim 19 , wherein said air-circulation assembly ( 8 ) additionally comprises an auxiliary supporting frame ( 223 ) which is located onto the exposed front face of the platelike air-guide member ( 14 ), at said pass-through air-vent ( 200 ); the main decorative panel ( 17 ) being placed over said supporting frame ( 223 ) so as to remain suspended above the pass-through air-vent ( 200 ), spaced from and substantially parallel to the exposed front face of said platelike air-guide member ( 14 ), and being shaped/dimensioned to hide/conceal both said supporting frame ( 223 ) and said pass-through air-vent ( 200 ). 
     
     
         21 . The refrigerator according to  claim 19 , wherein the main decorative panel ( 17 ) is attached directly over the exposed front face of said platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) and preferably has a cut-out portion ( 220 ) which is aligned with said pass-through air-vent ( 200 ) so as to allow free passage of air. 
     
     
         22 . The refrigerator according to  claim 21 , wherein said air-circulation assembly ( 8 ) additionally comprises: an auxiliary supporting frame ( 223 ) which is located onto the exposed front face of the platelike air-guide member ( 14 ), at said pass-through air-vent ( 200 ); and a second decorative panel ( 224 ) which is placed over said supporting frame ( 223 ) so as to remain suspended above the pass-through air-vent ( 200 ), spaced from and substantially parallel to the exposed front face of said platelike air-guide member ( 14 ); said second decorative panel ( 224 ) being shaped/dimensioned to hide/conceal both said supporting frame ( 223 ) and said pass-through air-vent ( 200 ). 
     
     
         23 . The refrigerator according to  claim 20 , wherein said auxiliary supporting frame ( 223 ) is attached to the platelike air-guide member ( 14 ) in detachable manner. 
     
     
         24 . The refrigerator according to  claim 22 , wherein said second decorative panel ( 224 ) is attached to the said auxiliary supporting frame ( 223 ) via one or more pieces or stripes of double-sided adhesive tape ( 227 ), and/or via one or more snap-on fasteners. 
     
     
         25 . The refrigerator according to  claim 22 , wherein said second decorative panel ( 224 ) is shaped/dimensioned so as to substantially copy or over approximate the shape of the cut-out portion ( 220 ) of said main decorative panel ( 17 ). 
     
     
         26 . The refrigerator according to  claim 22 , wherein said second decorative panel ( 224 ) is structured so as to appear aesthetically substantially identical to the main decorative panel ( 17 ) or to aesthetically recall the main decorative panel ( 17 ). 
     
     
         27 . The refrigerator according to  claim 22 , wherein the exposed surface of said second decorative panel ( 224 ) has logo/s, graphic symbol/s, aesthetical patterns and/or writings preferably laser marked. 
     
     
         28 . The refrigerator according to  claim 22 , wherein said second decorative panel ( 224 ) includes a metal sheet ( 228 ) or a glass sheet. 
     
     
         29 . The refrigerator according to any one of the preceding  claim 1 , wherein the electrically-operated cooling system ( 7 ) comprises a heat-pump assembly which is provided with at least one low-pressure heat exchanger ( 12 ) that cools down the inside of said storage cavity ( 3 ). 
     
     
         30 . The refrigerator according to  claim 29 , wherein the low-pressure heat exchanger ( 12 ) is located along said air channel ( 16 ).