Household appliance with a toe-kick cover part

Abstract

A household appliance contains a housing; a storage compartment defined by the housing; a bottom compartment attached to the housing; at least one toe-kick cover part for covering at least a side of the bottom compartment; at least one fastening member having a flexing arm for securing the toe-kick cover part to the bottom compartment; and at least one fixation portion for engaging with the fastening member. The flexing arm is configured to allow the fastening member to disengage with the fixation portion only when an external force is applied to the flexing arm. The household appliance further contains at least one shielding member for covering at least a part of the flexing arm, and at least one access cut-out configured on the shielding member for providing an access to the flexing arm from outside.

1 . A household appliance, comprising:
 a housing;   a storage compartment defined by said housing;   a bottom compartment attached to said housing;   at least one toe-kick cover part covering at least a side of said bottom compartment;   at least one fastening member having a flexing arm securing said at least one toe-kick cover part to said bottom compartment;   at least one fixation portion for engaging with said at least one fastening member, wherein said flexing arm is configured to allow said at least one fastening member to disengage with said at least one fixation portion only when an external force is applied to said flexing arm; and   at least one shielding member for covering at least a part of said flexing arm, said at least one shielding member having at least one access cut-out formed therein and providing an access to said flexing arm from outside.   
     
     
         2 . The household appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one access cut-out is configured to be positioned in a substantially middle region of said at least one shielding member. 
     
     
         3 . The household appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said at least one shielding member is one of at least two shielding members; and   said at least one access cut-out is provided between two of said shielding members.   
     
     
         4 . The household appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein said flexing arm has at least one notch with a form fitting into at least a part of said at least one access cut-out. 
     
     
         5 . The household appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said at least one fixation portion has a grabbing surface; and   said flexing arm has a fitting surface configured thereon for engaging with said grabbing surface of said at least one fixation portion.   
     
     
         6 . The household appliance according to  claim 5 , wherein said fitting surface is a surface defining a recess or a surface of a protrusion. 
     
     
         7 . The household appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one fixation portion is in a form of a frame. 
     
     
         8 . The household appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one shielding member is configured to be positioned on said at least one fixation portion. 
     
     
         9 . The household appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one shielding member is configured to be positioned on a body of said at least one toe-kick cover part. 
     
     
         10 . The household appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one fastening member is configured to be disposed on said at least one toe kick-cover part, and wherein said at least one fixation portion is configured to be disposed on a side of said bottom compartment. 
     
     
         11 . The household appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of said at least one toe-kick cover part is in a form of a component housing part. 
     
     
         12 . The household appliance according to  claim 11 , further comprising an openable toe-kick cover part, wherein said component housing part is covered by said openable toe-kick cover part. 
     
     
         13 . The household appliance according to  claim 11 , wherein said at least one shielding member is configured to be positioned on a body of said component housing part. 
     
     
         14 . The household appliance according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one guiding aid for assisting to align said at least one fastening member with said at least one fixation portion. 
     
     
         15 . The household appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the household appliance is a cooling appliance. 
     
     
         16 . The household appliance according to  claim 11 , wherein said component housing part is a water filter housing part which houses a water filter element. 
     
     
         17 . The household appliance according to  claim 12 , wherein said openable toe-kick cover part is a slidably removable, a slidably insertable or a hingeable toe-kick cover part. 
     
     
         18 . The household appliance according to  claim 15 , wherein the household appliance is a refrigerator.