Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6546597
-
Patent Number
6,546,597
-
Date Filed
Monday, November 19, 200122 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, April 15, 200321 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 016 436
- 016 430
- 016 412
- 016 415
- 016 419
- 016 420
- 016 443
- 016 444
- 016 DIG 12
- 016 DIG 18
- 016 DIG 19
- 016 DIG 5
- 312 405
- 312 244
- 312 3215
- 049 460
- 074 543
- 074 548
- 074 5585
- 411 378
- 411 424
- 248 22214
- 248 251
- 403 245
- 403 246
- 403 362
- 403 4081
-
International Classifications
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Abstract
A hollow full grip gas assist appliance handle for use in a household refrigerator has a hollow full grip portion comprising a thermal plastic material that is a 10-40% glass filled homopolymer polypropylene. The distal ends of the hollow grip portion are solid thermoplastic material which encases a metal insert that is adapted to be secured to a side panel of the refrigerator door. The hollow appliance handle provides a solid feel or touch handle along it's full grip portion with solid distal end portions subject to little bending movement due to the metal inserts permitting the door handle to be firmly attached to the side panels of the refrigerator door.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates a hollow appliance handle and in particular relates to a full grip gas assist refrigerator door handle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There has been a preference among consumers for handles of household refrigerators that have a soft feel or touch. In the past the soft touch was achieved to some degree by the use of multi-component assemblies including soft inserts.
More recently “soft touch” refrigerator handles have been manufactured by injection molding of a relatively thick covering of an elastomer around a channel-shaped metal reinforcement member that extends the length of the door handle. This handle is expensive to manufacture and requires a relatively large amount of elastomer molded around the metal reinforcement member to provide the “soft” touch or feel.
Even more recently, handles for household refrigerators have been developed comprising a hollow tubular metal core having an outer coating of thermoplastic surrounding the tubular metal to reduce the amount of elastomer or thermoplastic coating. However, the tubular metal provides a reinforcement that extends the length of the refrigerator handle and still provides a soft feel.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved hollow handle assembly for household refrigerators that does not require a metal stiffener or tubular member extending along its full length.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such an improved handle assembly which provides a full grip solid feel to the user while providing rigid connection at its distal ends to the refrigerator.
It is still another object to provide such an improved handle assembly which is simple in construction and has a solid feel in application along its central full grip portion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a full grip door handle that has a hollow grip portion with two distal end portions which are preferably a solid material and encase a metal insert. The metal insert reinforces the distal end portions of the handle to permit for the securement of the handle relative to an appliance and limit bending movement relative thereto at the distal end portions. The hollow full grip portion of the door handle comprises a solid feel non-bending thermoplastic material and has no tubing or metal reinforcement extending along it's length between the two distal closed end portions.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided an appliance comprising a cabinet and a door mounted to provide access to the interior of the cabinet. The door includes a front panel and a rear panel joined by elongated side panels. The appliance includes an elongate handle comprising two thermoplastic distal closed end portions extending from a full grip portion. The grip portion consists of a thin walled, hollow and molded thermoplastic material. The two distal closed end portions each have a first surface that is in abutment with the door front panel to position the full grip portion overlapping and spaced from the door front panel. Each of the two distal end portions has a second surface substantially orthogonal to the first surface attached to and abutting one of the door side panels. The appliance has metal inserts each encased in a respective one of the distal end portions for reinforcing the handle. Each of the inserts has a first member that extends substantially parallel to the one door side panel and a second member that projects into the distal end portion from the first member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a bottom mount refrigerator appliance showing two full grip door handles;
FIG. 2
is a perspective view of upper cabinet door handle;
FIG. 3
is an end view of the handle of
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 4
is a side view of the handle of
FIG. 2
showing an insert in broken lines;
FIGS. 5 and 6
are sectional views through
FIG. 4
taken at sections
5
—
5
and
6
—
6
;
FIG. 7
is a perspective view of one of the metal inserts in the handle of FIG.
4
.
FIG. 8
is a perspective view of the lower cabinet handle;
FIG. 9
is an end view of the handle of
FIG. 8
; and,
FIG. 10
is a perspective view of a covering cap.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In
FIG. 1
, a bottom mount refrigerator
10
has a cabinet
12
with an upper fresh food compartment closed by door
14
mounted to the cabinet
12
. The refrigerator
10
has a lower freezer compartment closed by door or drawer
16
mounted to the cabinet
12
. The doors
14
and
16
provide access to the interior of the cabinet
12
. The doors
14
and
16
each include a front panel
18
and a rear panel (not shown) joined by elongated side panels
20
.
Attached to a side panel
20
of door
14
is handle
22
and to a top side panel
20
of door
16
is a handle
60
. Handles
22
and
60
are constructed in accordance with the present invention.
The handles
22
and
60
are now described and like features for each of these handles will have the same numeral designation.
Door handle
22
comprises a grip portion
24
which is made of a thin walled hollow and molded thermoplastic material
26
. Extending along the length of the grip portion
24
is a hollow passageway
28
. The thin walled thermoplastic material
26
comprises a 10-40% glass filled homopolymer polypropylene. During the manufacture of the handle
22
, the homopolymer polypropylene is blow molded into a die and the gas pressure is utilized to force the thermoplastic material against the mold until it cures forming a solid inflexible door grip.
The grip portion
24
is shown to be spaced from and overlapping a front panel
18
of a door
14
. By having the grip portion
24
spaced from the door panel
18
, a user may insert the fingers completely around the door portion or the grip and the grip is thus considered to be a full grip.
The elongated curved handle
22
has two thermoplastic distal closed end portions
30
which extend from the full grip portion
24
. The distal end portions
30
are preferably a solid thermoplastic material and in this instance a homopolymer polypropylene. The two distal closed end portions
30
have a first surface
32
that abuts the door front panel
18
so as to position the full grip portion
24
in the spaced apart overlapping relationship from the door front panel
18
. The two distal end portions
30
further have a second surface
34
which is substantially orthogonal to the first surface
32
and is adapted to abut one of the side panels
18
of the door
14
.
The distal end portions
30
each have mounting apertures
36
passing through the second surface
34
. Threaded fasteners
33
pass through apertures
36
into one of the side panel
18
so to firmly attach the distal end portions
30
to the door side panel
18
.
To reinforce the attachment of the full grip handle
24
to the side panels
18
of the door
14
, the handle further includes metal inserts
40
each of which is encased in a respective one of the distal end portions
30
so as to reinforce the handle. The distal end portions
30
are molded so that thermoplastic surrounds the metal inserts
40
completely. Each of the metal inserts
40
has a first member
42
that extends substantially parallel to the one door side panel
18
and a second member
44
that projects into the distal end portion
30
from the first member
42
. The second member
44
of the insert
40
projects into the distal end portions
30
spaced from and angled substantially parallel to the first surface
32
of the distal end portion
30
. The second member
44
of the insert
40
has openings
46
spaced along it's length through which the molded thermoplastic flows during the handle formation. The second member
44
of the insert
40
has an outer curvature corresponding to the outside surface
50
of the distal end portion
32
.
The freezer handle
60
is substantially similar to that of the refrigerator door handle
22
. However, the freezer handle has the difference that the distal end portions
30
include a molded curved flange
62
that is adapted to extend around the corner
64
of the front door panel
18
and one of the side door panels
20
.
FIG. 10
shows a cap member
70
having two tongues
72
and a forward clip
74
which are adapted to be inserted into corresponding apertures
76
in the distal end portions so as to lock the cap
70
against the distal end portion
30
of the freezer door
60
so as to cover the fastening or fasteners.
Certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail. From a reading of this disclosure, obvious modifications will be evident to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention disclosed or from the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. An appliance comprising:a cabinet and a door mounted to provide access to the interior of the cabinet, the door including a front panel and a rear panel joined by elongated side panels; an elongate handle comprising two thermoplastic distal closed end portions extending from a full grip portion, the full grip portion consisting of a thin walled, hollow and molded thermoplastic material, the two distal closed end portions each having a first surface that is positioned in abutment with the door front panel to position the full grip portion overlapping and spaced from the door front panel, and each of the two distal end portions having a second surface substantially orthogonal to the first surface attached to and abutting one of the door side panels; and, metal inserts each encased in a respective one of the distal end portions for reinforcing the handle, and each of the inserts having a first member that extends substantially parallel to the one door side panel and a second member that projects into the distal end portion from the first member.
- 2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the second member of the insert projects into the distal end portion spaced from, and at an angle substantially parallel to, the first surface of the distal end portion.
- 3. The appliance of claim 2 wherein the second member of the insert has openings spaced along its length through which the molded thermoplastic material flows during handle formation.
- 4. The appliance of claim 3 wherein the distal end portions are solid.
- 5. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the second member of the insert has a curvature relative to the first surface of the distal end portion.
- 6. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the distal end portions are molded about both the first and second members of the metal insert to fully encase the metal insert.
- 7. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the distal end portions include a molded curved flange adapted to extend around a corner between the door front panel and the one door side panel.
- 8. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the distal end portions each have mounting apertures passing therethrough and through the first member of the insert and fasteners pass through the mounting apertures to attach the distal end portions to the one door side panel.
- 9. The appliance of claim 8 further including a cap member mounted to an outer surface of the distal end portion adjacent the one door side panel.
- 10. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic material is a 10-40% glass filled homopolymer polypropylene.
- 11. A handle for a refrigerator having cabinet and a door mounted to provide access to the interior of the cabinet, the door including a front panel and a rear panel joined by elongated side panels; the handle comprising:an elongate handle comprising two distal closed end portions extending from a hollow full grip portion, the hollow full grip portion consisting of a hollow and molded thermoplastic material, the two distal closed end portions each having a first surface that is in abutment with the door front panel to position the full grip portion overlapping and spaced from the door front panel, and each of the two distal end portions having a second surface substantially orthogonal to the first surface, attached to and abutting one of the door side panels; and, metal inserts each encased in a respective one of the distal end portions for reinforcing the handle, and each of the inserts having a first member that extends substantially parallel to the one door side panel and a second member that projects into the distal end portion from the first member.
- 12. The appliance of claim 11 wherein the second member of the insert projects into the distal end portion spaced from, and at an angle substantially parallel to, the first surface of the distal end portion.
- 13. The appliance of claim 12 wherein the second member of the insert has openings spaced along its length through which the molded thermoplastic material flows during handle formation.
- 14. The appliance of claim 13 wherein the distal end portions are solid.
- 15. The appliance of claim 11 wherein the second member of the insert has a curvature relative to the first surface of the distal end portion.
- 16. The appliance of claim 11 wherein the distal end portions are molded about both the first and second members of the metal insert to fully encase the metal insert.
- 17. The appliance of claim 11 wherein the distal end portions include a molded curved flange adapted to extend around a corner between the door front panel and the one door side panel.
- 18. The appliance of claim 11 wherein the distal end portions each have mounting apertures passing therethrough and through the first member of the insert and fasteners pass through the mounting apertures to attach the distal end portions to the one door side panel.
- 19. The appliance of claim 18 further including a cap member mounted to an outer surface of the distal end portion adjacent the one door side panel.
- 20. The appliance of claim 11 wherein the thermoplastic material is a 10-40% glass filled homopolymer polypropylene.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2349800 |
Jun 2001 |
CA |
|
US Referenced Citations (13)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2637056 |
Mar 1990 |
FR |
2000-97549 |
Apr 2000 |
JP |
2201-30291 |
Feb 2001 |
JP |
2002-5561 |
Jan 2002 |
JP |