EP1058072A1

EP1058072A1 - Handle for electrical appliance door, in particular for refrigerator

Info

Publication number: EP1058072A1
Application number: EP99203778A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Silvano Fumagalli
Original assignee: Candy SpA
Current assignee: Candy SpA
Priority date: 1999-06-03
Filing date: 1999-11-12
Publication date: 2000-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 2019-11-12
Also published as: ITMI990355U1; ITMI990355V0; IT246763Y1; EP1058072B1; ES2237034T3; DE69923293D1; DE69923293T2

Abstract

Handle for electrical appliance door, in particular for refrigerator, characterized in that it comprises a fastening bracket (20) that is connectable with said electrical appliance door (5), a handle (40), a handle base (10) that connects said handle (40) with said bracket (20), being said bracket (20), said handle (40) and said handle base (10) separate but assemblable, so that said handle can be taken apart during the packing stage in order to facilitate the transport of said electrical appliance, and it can be reassembled during the stage of installation of said electrical appliance.

Description

The present invention refers to a handle for electrical appliance door, in particular for refrigerator.
In the sector of electrical appliances, refrigerators with doors having handles that are projecting from the profile of the same doors are known.
That is also fruit of a current aesthetic trend that privileges the use of shapes characterized by rounded surfaces, with gripping zones (handles) in evidence which contribute to the general aesthetics.
The presence of parts, in this case handles, which project from the outline of the electrical appliance, creates problems with packing, thus determining an increase in the volume of packing and a consequent increase in costs.
Some new types of refrigerators use handles that are inserted in the same electrical appliance in a compact way and have two operational conditions: a first condition in which the handle is maintained in a position that is as near as possible to the door of the refrigerator, so as to reduce the volume during the packing and the following transport of the electrical appliance; a second condition of utilisation, in which the handle protrudes from the refrigerator in order to allow easy grip.
However, the presence of the projecting handle, although near the refrigerator, is still an element determining an increase in the volume of the package and a consequent increase in costs.
In view of the state of the art described, object of the present invention is to provide a handle for an electrical appliance door, in particular for refrigerator, that, although adequately projecting out of the body of the electrical appliance so as to guarantee an effective grip, allows a more comfortable and protective packing of the electrical appliance during transport.
According with the present invention, such object is attained by a handle for electrical appliance door, in particular for refrigerator, characterized in that it comprises a fastening bracket that is connectable to said electrical appliance door, a handle, a handle base that connects said handle to said bracket, said bracket, said handle and said handle base being separate but easily assemblable so that said handle can be taken apart in the packing stage in order to facilitate the transport of said electrical appliance, and it can be easily re-assembled in the stage of installation of said electrical appliance.
Owing to the present invention it is possible to provide a handle for an electrical appliance door, in particular for refrigerator, that has a simple structure made up of separate but easy to assemble pieces, so that the handle can be taken apart from the refrigerator door during packing in order to allow a more comfortable packing and a better protection of the electrical appliance during transport, and it can be easily re-assembled during the installation of the refrigerator in conditions of use.
The characteristics and the advantages of the present invention will be made evident by the following detailed description of an embodiment, illustrated as a non limiting example in the enclosed drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows, in section according to a horizontal plane passing through the line I-I of Figure 4, a handle according to the present invention;
Figure 2 shows, in axonometry, a base for handle according to the present invention;
Figure 3 shows, in axonometry, a fastening bracket for handle according to the present invention;
Figure 4 shows a side view of the handle according to the present invention.
In the attached figures, and in particular in figure 1, there is shown a handle 1 for refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present invention. Such handle is made up of three separate pieces: a fastening bracket 20, a handle base 10, a handle 40.
In Figure 1, a refrigerator door is indicated by 5, on a side edge 2 of which the fastening bracket 20 of the handle 1 is mounted. This bracket 20, shown in greater detail in Figure 3, is provided with curved tabs 30 on a first side, that are suitable to allow the side hooking to a peripheral part 200 of the side edge 2 of the refrigerator door 5 and it is provided with holes 24 located on the central body 22 of the same bracket 20, that are suitable to complete the fastening of the bracket 20 on the side edge 2 of the refrigerator door 5 by means of appropriate screws 25 that engage in both said holes 24, as well as in corresponding holes 50 of the side edge 2 of the refrigerator door 5.
In addition, said bracket 20 comprises on a second side, opposite to the first one, a curved tab 21 and, on the aforesaid first side, a folded portion 23, that is perpendicular to the central body 22 of said bracket 20, which is comprised between the two curved tabs 30, but turned in the opposite sense, and is provided with holes 26.
The handle base 10, shown in greater detail in Figure 2, is superimposed and fixed to said bracket 20. Such handle base 10 is made up of a body 100 substantially of rectangular shape, that has a curved part 18 on a first side, which is comprised between two terminal tabs 101 and is connected to them by means of small sides tabs 180, opposite to each other. Such central body 100 is provided, in zones near its opposite ends, with pierced housings 15, extending across the central body 100, that allow the fastening of the handle base 10 to the bracket 20 by means of appropriate screws 19 suitable to engage both in the holes 26 of the refolded portion 23 of the bracket 20, as well as in said pierced housings 15. In addition, for esthetical needs, the heads of the screws 19 are laterally covered by an extension 110 of the side of the body 100 opposite to the curved part 18. The fastening of the handle base 10 to the bracket 20 is completed by the hook engagement of the curved part 18 in a cavity comprised between a curved part 21 of the bracket 20 and a curved part 51 of the refrigerator door 5. The ends 103 of the body 100 are curved for aesthetic needs.
The end tabs 101 of the handle base 10 terminate, in a peripheral part of theirs, with curved portions 11 suitable to house the handle 40 and provided with appropriate holes 13, that allow the fastening of the handle 40 to the handle base 20 by means of screws 14 that engage in said holes 13, as well as in corresponding holes 16 of the handle 40 (Figure 1). This handle 40, shown in Figure 4, is made up of a central body 4 with cylindrical shape and oval base and it has, for aesthetic need, an oblique end 41. It must be noticed that the heads of the screws 14 are turned toward the door of the refrigerator, in order to be substantially hidden from the sight of the user.

Claims

Handle for electrical appliance door, in particular for refrigerator, characterized in that it comprises a fastening bracket (20) that is connectable with said electrical appliance door (5), a handle (40), a handle base (10) that connects said handle (40) with said bracket (20), said bracket (20), said handle (40) and said handle base (10) being separate but easily assemblable so that said handle can be taken apart during the packing stage in order to facilitate the transport of said electrical appliance, and it can be easily re-assembled during the stage of installation of said electrical appliance.
Handle for electrical appliance door according to claim 1, characterised in that said fastening bracket (20) is connectable with said electrical appliance door (5) by hook engagement (30, 200) and first fastening screws (25), said handle base (10) is laterally superimposable and fixable to said bracket (20), in order to hide said first screws (25), by means of hook engagement (18, 21) and second fastening screws (19) with heads turned towards the back part of the electrical appliance and laterally hidden by means of a lateral extension (110) of said handle base (10), and said handle (40) is superimposable and fixable to said handle base (10) by means of third fastening screws (14) with heads turned towards the electrical appliance.
Handle for electrical appliance door according to claim 2, characterised in that said fastening bracket (20) comprises a central body (22) provided with curved tabs (30) extending from a first side of said central body (22) and hookable to a peripheral part (200) of a side edge (2) of the refrigerator door (5) and in addition provided with holes (24) for the passage of said first screws (25) insertable in corresponding holes (50) predisposed in said door.
Handle for electrical appliance door according to claim 3, characterised in that said handle base (10) comprises a central body (100), substantially of rectangular shape, provided with a curved part (18) extending from a first side of said central body (100) and suitable to engage in a cavity comprised between a curved part (51) of the edge (2) of said electrical appliance door (5) and a curved tab (21) extending from a second side, opposite to the first one, of said central body (22) of said bracket (20), and in addition provided with pierced housings (15), in zones near the opposite ends of said central body (100), extending across said central body (100) so that said second screws (19) can engage both in said pierced housings (15) as well as in holes (26) located on a refolded portion (23) of said first side of said central body (22) of said bracket (20), being said refolded portion (23) made in a way perpendicular to said central body (22) and comprised between said curved tabs (30), and being said extension (110) a lateral extension of said central body (100).
Handle for electrical appliance door according to claim 4, characterised in that said central body (100) of said handle base (10) is provided with terminal tabs (101) with curved peripheral portions (11) that are suitable to house a central body (4) of said handle (40) and provided with respective holes (13) suitable to receive said third screws (14) engageable in corresponding holes (16) of said central body (4) of said handle (40).