Claims:We Claim:

1. A door switch assembly (10) for a home appliance (1), a door switch (12) adapted to be located in said door switch assembly (10), said home appliance (1) comprising at least an inner shell (14) and said door switch assembly (10) is aligned and affixed to an opening (16) in said inner shell (14) of said home appliance (1),
Characterized in that
- said door switch assembly (10) having a recessed portion (18) and lip portion (20);
- multiple ribs (22) located in said recessed portion (18) in a manner such that said door switch (12) is rigidly located in said door switch assembly (10); and
- a hole (24) provided adjacent to at least one rib (22) of said multiple ribs (22), said hole (24) adapted to channel wires connected to said door switch (12)

2. The door switch assembly (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the operative configuration of the door switch (12) and the door switch assembly (10), at least a portion of said door switch (12) passes through said opening (16) in said inner shell (14) and is located in said door switch assembly (10).

3. The door switch assembly (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein in the operative configuration of the door switch (12) and door switch assembly (10), said door switch (12) is located in the recessed portion (18) of said door switch assembly (10).

4. The door switch assembly (10) as claimed in claim 3, wherein in the operative configuration of said door switch (12) and door switch assembly (10) is aligned to said opening (16) and said door switch (12) is located in said recessed portion (18) in a manner such that said multiple ribs (22) engage with at least some portion of the door switch (12).

5. The door switch assembly (10) as claimed in claim 3, wherein in the operative configuration of said door switch (12) and the door switch assembly (10), said multiple ribs (22) engage with at least some portion of door switch (12) in a manner such that the electrical contacts (26) of said door switch (12) are oriented towards said hole (24) of said door switch assembly (10).

6. The door switch assembly (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the operative configuration of said door switch (12) and the door switch assembly (10), said lip portion (20) of said door switch assembly (10) is affixed to said inner shell (14) by means of an adhesive foam tape (28).
, Description:The following specification describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:

Field of the invention
[0001] This disclosure relates to a home appliance. More particularly, the invention is related to a door switch assembly for a home appliance.

Background of the invention
[0002] A door switch can be defined as a device which illuminates the storage space of a home appliance. As known in the state of the art the door switch is in electric contact with an illuminating means such as a light bulb, led lights and the like. The illuminating means is normally located in the storage space of the home appliance. The location of the door switch could vary based on the model of the home appliance. In the specific context of this disclosure we will be focused the refrigerator as a home appliance.

[0003] As known in the state of the art, the door switch is a rocker type switch. The rocker mechanism of the door switch is pressed by a corresponding stationary bump that is provided on the refrigerator door. While only the rocker mechanism of the door switch is visible to a user of the refrigerator, the actually mechanism, the electrical contacts of the door switch and the wires connected to the electrical contacts is hidden within the inner shell or the inner liner of the refrigerator. The internal parts and mechanisms of the door switch is usually housed in a door switch assembly. One such switch assembly is disclosed in the prior art mentioned below.

[0004] US5155460 discloses a plunger-operated switch assembly, useful for sensing the presence of a movable object such as a door or window, in which a magnetic reed contact is actuated by a magnet in the form of a disk-like roller plunger, or by a smaller magnet carried in the center of a roller plunger. The roller plunger is located in a cavity defined by a housing and projects through an aperture in a face plate including a flange by which the housing can be mounted recessed in a desired location. The magnetic reed contact is held alongside the cavity containing the roller plunger, so that the housing can be compact.

[0005] Also known in the state of art is a door switch assembly 100 as seen in figure 1a. The door switch assembly 100 as seen in figure 1a, discloses a cup type assembly 102 with a cover 104. The cover 104 of this cup type assembly 102 fits within the grooves 106 provided on the cup type assembly 102. The cover 104 is further provided with a stepped hole 108. The base 110 of the rocker type door switch 112 as seen in figure 1b sits in the stepped hole 108 and the switching mechanism and the electrical contacts are located in the cup type assembly 102. However the cup type assembly 102 does not provide any rigidity in terms of holding the door switch 112 in position. While mounting or fitting this type of door switch 112 assembly to the refrigerator, the entire assembly is aligned along the hole that is provided in the inner shell or the liner of the refrigerator. In such type of a mechanism there is also a possibility that the cover 104 may be fitted the other way around which completely changes the orientation of the door switch assembly 100 and the wires that contact the electrical connectors of the door switch 112.

[0006] Another issue with the door switch assembly known in the prior arts is that since the door switch is not rigidly held in position, this would lead to unintentional movement of the door switch. The movement of the door switch would result in the stationary bump on the refrigerator door not contacting the door switch thus resulting in the illuminating means being continuously on, resulting in wastage of electricity.

Brief description of the invention:
[0007] It is an object of the invention to provide a door switch assembly for a home appliance which overcomes the challenges mentioned above.

[0008] The objects are solved by the door switch assembly for a household appliance having the features according to claim 1.

[0009] The invention relates to a door switch assembly for a home appliance. A door switch is adapted to be located in the door switch assembly. A home appliance comprises at least an inner shell and the door switch assembly is aligned and affixed to an opening in the inner shell of the home appliance.

[0010] One feature of the invention is that the door switch assembly has a recessed portion and lip portion. Multiple ribs are located in the recessed portion in a manner such that the door switch is rigidly located in the door switch assembly and a hole is provided adjacent to at least one rib of the multiple ribs. The hole is adapted to channel wires connected to the door switch.

[0011] Another feature of the invention is that in the operative configuration of the door switch and the door switch assembly, at least a portion of the door switch passes through the opening in the inner shell and is located in the door switch assembly.

[0012] Another feature of the invention is that in the operative configuration of the door switch and door switch assembly, the door switch is located in the recessed portion of the door switch assembly.

[0013] Another feature of the invention is that in the operative configuration of the door switch and door switch assembly is aligned to the opening and the door switch is located in the recessed portion in a manner such that the multiple ribs engage with at least some portion of the door switch.

[0014] Another feature of the invention is that in the operative configuration of the door switch and the door switch assembly, the multiple ribs engage with at least some portion of door switch in a manner such that the electrical contacts of said door switch are oriented towards the hole of said door switch assembly.

[0015] Another features of the invention is that in the operative configuration of the door switch and the door switch assembly, the lip portion of the door switch assembly is affixed to the inner shell by means of an adhesive foam tape.

[0016] The advantages of the door switch assembly in accordance with the features mentioned above can be summarized as follows. The door switch assembly as claimed provides a single part assembly which results in reducing the cost manufacturing for two parts. Another advantage is that there is no need to have any stepped type construction within the inner shell of the refrigerator. This reduces complexity of the use of any thermoforming and foaming tool. This also reduces the overall maintenance cost for the door switch.

[0017] Other advantages of the door switch assembly in accordance with the features of the door switch assembly is that the multiple ribs that are in contact with at least a port of the door switch ensure that the door switch is tightly and rigidly held in position. Thus not allowing any unintentional movement of the door switch. Further the multiple ribs also ensure that that door switch only be installed in one orientation only. Thus providing a poka-yoke for the door switch assembly, leading to the fact that even if an operators tries to assemble the door switch in an incorrect orientation, the multiple ribs will interfere with the orientation and thus not allowing such assembly.

Brief description of the accompanying drawings
An embodiment of the disclosure is described with reference to the following accompanying drawings;
[0018] Figure 1a and figure 1b illustrates a door switch assembly known in the prior art;
[0019] Figure 2 illustrates a home appliance in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] Figure 3a and Figure 3b illustrates a door switch assembly in accordance with the present invention; and
[0021] Figure 4 illustrates the door switch assembly in accordance with the present invention being affixed to the home appliance or refrigerator.

Detailed description of the embodiments
[0022] Figure 2 illustrates a home appliance in accordance with this invention. For the specific focus of this invention the home appliance is a refrigerator. For the purpose of understanding the invention in greater details here are some definitions that will be discussed in this detailed description. The words home appliance or refrigerator for the purpose of this disclosure have the same meaning. The words operative configuration means the configuration of the home appliance in which the home appliance is actually being used. Thus in this specific case in the operative configuration the refrigerator is placed vertically or in a standing position. The inner shell of the home appliance is also known as the inner liner in the state of the art. The inner shell or inner liner of the refrigerator is that part of the refrigerator which is normally provided with numerous slots or place holders for placing different kinds of racks or boxes for storing items.

[0023] Figure 2 illustrates a home appliance 1 which is a refrigerator. The home appliance as seen is a two door refrigerator. The refrigerator 1 has as outer shell 11 and an inner shell 14. Depending on the type of refrigerator i.e one door, two door, three door the inner shell 14 would be designed accordingly to contain one compartment corresponding to each door. With reference to figure 2, the inner shell 14 is provided with two compartments. Since there are two independently openable doors it is necessary that each of the two compartments are illuminated individually when either one of the door of the refrigerator 1 is opened. A door switch mechanism is used to illuminate the compartment in the refrigerator 1. Since each door of the two door refrigerator can be independently opened, hence there is requirement to have independent door switch mechanism for each compartment. Thus the inner shell 14 of the refrigerator 1 are provided with one hole 16 in each compartment to accommodate the door switch mechanism.

[0024] The door switch mechanism includes a door switch assembly 10 and a door switch 12. The door switch assembly 10 is characterized such that the door switch assembly has a recessed portion 18 and lip portion 20. Multiple ribs 22 are located in the recessed portion 18 in a manner such that the door switch 12 is rigidly located in door switch assembly 10 and a hole 24 is provided adjacent to at least one rib 22 of the multiple ribs 22. The hole 24 is adapted to channel wires connected to the door switch 12.

[0025] Figure 4 illustrates door switch assembly in accordance with the present invention being affixed to the home appliance or refrigerator. The home appliance 1 comprises an inner shell 14 and the door switch assembly 10 is aligned and affixed to an opening 16 in the inner shell 14. In the operative configuration of the door switch 12 and the door switch assembly 10, at least a portion of the door switch 12 passes through the opening 16 in the inner shell 14 and is located in the door switch assembly 10.

[0026] In the operative configuration of the door switch 12 and door switch assembly 10, the door switch 12 is located in the recessed portion 18 of the door switch assembly 10. The door switch 12 is located in the recessed portion 18 in a manner such that the multiple ribs 22 engage with at least some portion of the door switch 12. When the door switch 12 engages with the multiple ribs 22 the electrical contacts 26 of the door switch 12 are oriented towards the hole 24 of the door switch assembly.

[0027] The assembly of the door switch assembly 10 and the door switch 12 in accordance with the present invention can be explained as follows. While assembling an operator first passed a portion of the door switch 12 into the opening 16 of the inner shell 14. An adhesive foam tape 28 is affixed onto the lip portion 20 of the door switch assembly 10. The adhesive foam tape 28 is a double sided tape. A first side of the double sided adhesive foam tape is affixed to the lip portion 20 of the door switch assembly. A set of wires are then passed through the hole 24 in the door switch assembly. A wiring harness is fitted onto the wires. The wire harness is then fitted to the electrical contacts 26 of the door switch 12. Once the electrical contacts are established the operator removes the second side of the adhesive foam tape 28 and presses the door switch assembly 10 against the inner shell 14 of the refrigerator 1. During this assembly the presence of the multiple ribs 22 ensures that the door switch 12 can be assembled only in one way.

[0028] This is one advantage of the door switch assembly 10 of the present invention, that the door switch 12 can be assembled only in one direction. If the operator tries to assembly the door switch in another orientation the multiple ribs 22 will interfere the positioning of the door switch. Another advantage of the door switch assembly 10 is that there no additional cover or step required in the inner shell 14 of the refrigerator. This reduces cost and complexity of manufacturing. Since there are no additional process required by using the door switch assembly 10, this increases the life of the thermoforming and foaming tools.

[0029] It should be understood that embodiments explained in the description above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of this disclosure. Many such embodiments and other modifications and changes in the embodiment explained in the description are envisaged. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.

List of Reference Signs
1 home appliance
10 door switch assembly
12 door switch
14 inner shell of the home appliance
16 opening in the inner shell
18 recessed portion of the door switch assembly
20 lip portion of the door switch assembly
22 multiple ribs in the door switch assembly
24 hole is the door switch assembly