Patent Application
20070199958
None.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to appliances, articles or vessels that have handles which are pivotable and, more particularly, to a mechanism for retaining a handle in a fixed position which would otherwise pivot freely.
2. Description of Related Art
Various known appliances, articles and vessels have handles that are designed to pivot between two or more positions. Kitchen appliances such as electric or non-electric tea kettles, as well as suitcases and briefcases, and a variety or other devices or articles, have pivotable handles that are conveniently moveable so that various tasks and functions can be carried out when the handle would otherwise obstruct or prevent such tasks. Kitchen appliances and vessels such as tea kettles and pots have pivoting handles that are positioned on the top of the vessel and centered with respect to mass so that the vessel may be lifted. It is sometimes that case that a lid or other access means are located near the handle in such a way that it is necessary or desirable to pivot the handle out of the way of the lid or access means. A handle that is designed to pivot to one side or the other, but for which a center position is otherwise desired for normal use, is usually oriented so that gravity would cause the handle to pivot and fall from the center position. This can be countered by having a simple frictional fit in the hinge portion of the handle-to-vessel connection, but is subject to wear and failure and/or requires two handed operation to re-orient the handle. A complex latching mechanism would also require two-handed operation and would add cost. When a vessel such as a tea kettle is hot, it is desirable to keep the handle away from the vessel (i.e., in the upright, centered position), and to have it remain there so as to minimize transfer of heat from the vessel interior to the handle for safety and comfort reasons.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a handle retention mechanism for a pivoting handle that is designed to retain a handle in an upright position and to easily and conveniently be re-positioned, preferably with one-handed operation. It is a further object of the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art as discussed above.
These and other objects are achieved by the present invention.
According to the present invention, a handle retention mechanism for a generally u-shaped handle attached to a vessel is formed by a hinge pin connected to each of the handle ends, wherein each pin is received in a bracket mounted to the vessel in a manner that allows each pin to be retained in a first position in the bracket permitting rotation, and a second position in the bracket prohibiting rotation, wherein a spring biases the handle into the second position and is designed for one-handed actuation to the first position for rotation.
Referring to
In accordance with the present invention, a handle (18) having two ends (20, 22) is pivotally attached to the kettle (10). A hinge assembly (24, 26) is located on each end (20, 22). Each hinge assembly (24, 26) is identical and, thus, reference in this description will be made to only one.
A hinge assembly (24), identical to the other hinge assembly (26), has a mounting flange (28) for mounting to the kettle (10). A pair of rivets (30, 32) or fastener holes is provided for mounting. A bracket portion (34) extends from the flange (28) at an angle so that the bracket portion (34) extends generally vertically. A hinge-hole (36) is provided that has a wide diameter section (38) and a non-circular, narrow diameter section (40).
Each handle end (20, 22) has a hinge flange (40) extending therefrom that is attached to a non-circular axle (42) and axle cap (44). Preferably the axle (42) is shaped in cross-section with one or more flat surfaces (46, 48) that correspond to flat surfaces (50, 52) in the hinge-hole (36). Other suitable geometries may be used, so long as the axle (42) when received in the narrow diameter section (40) is prevented from rotating.
The handle end hinge assemblies (24, 26) are inserted into the bracket portion (34) such that the axle (42) extends through the hole (36) and is retained therein by the cap (44) that has a larger diameter than the largest diameter of the hole (36).
A spring (54) is attached to the bracket portion (34) via bosses (56, 58) and has an indented middle portion (60). The spring (54) is sized or configured so that it overlaps a portion of the wide diameter section (38) of the hole (36). This interferes with the axle (42) when the axle (42) is positioned in the wide diameter section (38), thereby biasing the axle (42) upward so that at least part of its flat surfaces (46, 48) engage the hole flat surfaces (50, 52). In this position, the axle (42) is prevented from rotating relative to the hole (36), and thus the entire handle (18) is prevented from moving relative to the kettle (10). Thus, the handle (10) is biased upwardly into a non-rotation position.
In use, when the handle (10) is vertically aligned, i.e., in the non-rotation position, as shown in
While the preferred embodiment is herein described, variation can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the novel features of the handle retention and pivot mechanisms are not limited to use with a kettle, and may be used with a variety of articles and devices.
