EP3122961B1

EP3122961B1 - Refrigeration appliance handle mechanism with natural opening effect

Info

Publication number: EP3122961B1
Application number: EP14714251.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kadir Ridvan Celik; Faik Emre Ozyuksel; Mehmet Ercan KAYMAK
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2014-03-28
Filing date: 2014-03-28
Publication date: 2020-11-11
Anticipated expiration: 2034-03-28
Also published as: WO2015144238A1; EP3122961A1

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigeration appliance handle mechanism and more particularly to such a handle mechanism effective in opening a refrigeration appliance's door by way of applying a minimal amount of force and by a natural hand movement.
When a refrigeration appliance door is closed, a vacuum effect occurs due to the suction created when the warm air outside the refrigeration appliance moves inside. After the door is closed, the warm air contracts as it cools, and thus creates a vacuum in the refrigeration appliance. To this end, users may face difficulty in opening the door as a result of the created vacuum.
A prior art publication in the technical field of the present invention may be referred to as WO2009062921 ; disclosing two lean members disposed oppositely one on the door and the other on the cabin of the refrigeration appliance. A pusher then exerts a pushing force by moving in the gap therebetween such that the distance thereinbetween gradually gets narrower in the movement direction of the pusher. When the pusher moves from the top downwards in the gap between the lean members, it pushes both of the lean members to effect opening of the door.
Prior art document US 2011 241512 A1 discloses a door handle of a refrigerator in which a rotary handle grip is rotated during opening movement by a user, thus moving a pusher (impact imparting means) towards the refrigerator cabin for assisting the opening of the door. The rotary handle grip comprises an extension that is in its resting position oriented at right angles with respect to the translation direction of the pusher and slides during operation along a sliding surface of the pusher which is perpendicular to said translation direction.
Prior art document CN 202083169 discloses a door handle of a refrigerator in which a part of a toothed gear wheel is rotated during opening movement by a user and thus moves a pusher by meshing with a rack thereof.
Prior art document KR 19990020194U discloses a door handle of a refrigerator in which a rotary handle grip is rotated during opening movement by a user, thus moving a pusher towards the refrigerator cabin for assisting the opening of the door. The rotary handle grip comprises an extension that is in its resting position oriented parallel with respect to the translation direction of the pusher and slides during operation along a sliding surface of the pusher which is slanted away from the refrigeration cabin.
The present invention on the other hand provides a handle mechanism which requires a minimal amount of force for effecting opening of the refrigeration appliance door. Further, a natural finger movement of the user during gripping of the handle mechanism makes it unnecessary to apply a particular retracting force and facilitate the opening of the cabin door. The mechanical structure of the mechanism therefore ensures that the handle transfers the applied force to a contact point in a manner to enable a smooth and convenient opening effect.
The present invention provides a refrigeration appliance handle mechanism, which is defined by the characterizing features as defined in Claim 1.
Primary object of the present invention is to provide a refrigeration appliance handle mechanism by means of which the vacuum effect can be overcome with a minimal amount of force.
The present invention proposes a refrigeration appliance having a refrigeration cabin, a cabin door and a handle assembly having an impact imparting means with an end portion movable in the direction of said refrigeration cabin to effect separation of the cabin door therefrom.
A rotary handle grip longitudinally extends behind a handle body such that a user reaching for the handle body grips instead the rotary handle grip. The handle body being fixedly attached to the cabin door, the rotary handle grip is rotatable relative to the handle body and the rotational movement thereof drives said impact imparting means. The impact imparting means is driven by the rotation of the rotary handle grip relative to the handle body, simultaneously rotating a rotary cam's shaft, which in turn moves the impact imparting means.
The rotary handle grip is disposed within an open-sided handling cavity within the cabin door. The rotary handle grip is pivotally connected to a handle casing that is fixedly attached to the cabin door. The handle casing therefore pivotally supports said rotary handle grip.
Said rotary cam has an eccentric shaft and the shaft's rotation also rotates the extended end portion of the rotary cam bearing against the impact imparting means. An impact imparting means spring is provided to take the impact imparting means to its original position back after opening of the cabin door.
Accompanying drawings are given solely for the purpose of exemplifying a refrigeration appliance handle mechanism whose advantages over prior art were outlined above and will be explained in brief hereinafter.
The drawings are not meant to delimit the scope of protection as identified in the claims nor should they be referred to alone in an effort to interpret the scope identified in said claims without recourse to the technical disclosure in the description of the present invention.

Fig. 1 demonstrates a general perspective view of the refrigeration appliance having the handle mechanism according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 demonstrates a general perspective view of the refrigeration appliance showing the interior volume of the appliance according to the present invention.
Fig. 3 demonstrates a general perspective view of the handle assembly in which the handle body and the handle grip are disposed according to the present invention.
Fig. 4 demonstrates a general perspective view of the refrigeration appliance in which the non-active position of the impact imparting means is visible according to the present invention.
Fig. 5 demonstrates a perspective view of the handle assembly together with the rotary cam and the impact imparting means according to the present invention.
Fig. 6 demonstrates a perspective bottom view of the handle assembly while the impact imparting means is in its original position according to the present invention.
Fig. 7 demonstrates a perspective bottom view of the handle assembly while the impact imparting means is driven according to the present invention.
Fig. 8 demonstrates a perspective view of the disassembled components of the handle assembly according to the present invention.
Fig. 9 demonstrates a perspective bottom view of the disassembled components of the handle assembly according to the present invention.
Fig. 10 demonstrates another perspective bottom view of the disassembled components of the handle assembly according to the present invention.

The following numerals are used in this detailed description:

1. Refrigeration appliance
2. Refrigeration cabin
3. Cabin door
4. Handle assembly
5. Partition wall
6. Handle casing
7. Casing upper connection means
8. Casing lower connection means
9. Handle body
10. Rotary handle grip
11. Handle grip upper connection slot
12. Handle grip lower connection slot
13. Rotary cam
14. Impact imparting means
15. Impact imparting means spring
16. Impact imparting means slot
17. Slot cover
18. Rotary cam axis

The door opening mechanism of the present invention provides that a substantially limited amount of force can enable opening of the cabin door (3) of a refrigeration appliance (1) facilitated by a natural finger movement of the users during gripping of the handle mechanism as explained hereinafter.
The present invention in brief relates to a refrigeration appliance (1) having a refrigeration cabin (2) for storing food items to be cooled, a cabin door (3) mounted to the refrigeration cabin (2) to provide access thereinto and a door opening mechanism with a handle assembly (4) attached to said cabin door (3) for opening the same.
The handle assembly (4) of the invention comprises an impact imparting means (14) having an extended end bearing against a surface portion within the interior of the refrigeration cabin (2). Said surface portion may be arranged as the outer surface of a partition wall (5) within the refrigeration cabin (2), separating therein different storage divisions of the refrigeration appliance (1) from each other. Displacement of said impact imparting means (14) in the direction to the partition wall (5) outer surface in response to actuation of said door opening mechanism, thereby effects separation of the cabin door (3) from the refrigeration cabin (2), to be conventionally opening around the opening axis thereof.
The impact imparting means (14) is movably guided in an impact imparting means slot (16) along its longitudinal direction. It is therefore displaceable within a region defined by said impact imparting means slot (16), operable in a linearly restricted displacement zone. A rotary cam (13) is provided with an extended end portion which is rotatable so as to displace the impact imparting means (14) in the direction of the partition wall (5) outer surface, i.e. in parallel with the surface normal thereof. The rotary cam (13) has an eccentric shaft by the rotational movement of which said extended end portion moves the impact imparting means (14) out of the impact imparting means slot (16) in a linear manner.
An impact imparting means spring (15) is extended as a leaf spring between a first raised edge portion of the impact imparting means (14) and a wall portion within the impact imparting means slot (16), said wall portion being disposed at the side of the impact imparting means' (14) end portion in the direction of the refrigeration cabin (2) so that the impact imparting means (14) is taken to its original position back after opening of the cabin door.
The rotary cam's (13) shaft in accordance with the present invention is driven by a rotary handle grip (10) pivotally connected to a handle casing (6) by handle grip upper and lower connection slots (11 and 12) at two opposite ends, the handle casing (6) pivotally supporting the rotary handle grip (10) by the casing upper and lower connection means (7, 8).
According to the invention, the rotary handle grip (10) can be rotated a certain limited amount upon which the rotary cam's (13) shaft is rotated and in turn the impact imparting means (14) is moved. The rotary handle grip (10) extends behind a handle body (9) fixedly attached to the cabin door (3). The rotary handle grip (10) is disposed behind the handle body (9) within an inner handling cavity and is as such not normally directly visible to the users. This provides the effect that a given user inserting his/her fingers into the handling cavity behind the fixed handle body (9) naturally grips the rotary handle grip (10) instead of the handle body (9). It is to be noted that the user can make a particular effort to try to insert his/her fingers into the narrow opening extending in between the handle body (10) and the rotary handle grip (10) but in this case, the impart impact means (14) will not move against the partition wall (5) and the cabin door (3) will be opened directly by the force applied by the user by way of retracting the handle body (9). On the other hand, a user inserting his/her fingers in the handling cavity will naturally reach behind the rotary handle grip (10) and by way of retracting the same, will cause movement of the rotary handle grip (10) relative to the fixed handle body (9), which in turn provides that the impact imparting means (14) is displaced by the rotary cam (13).
In a nutshell, the present invention proposes a refrigeration appliance (1) having a refrigeration cabin (2) enclosing the interior volume of the refrigeration appliance (1) for preserving food items to be cooled, a cabin door (3) mounted to the refrigeration cabin (2) to provide access thereinto, a handle assembly (4) attached to the cabin door (3) for opening the same, the handle assembly (4) being operably coupled to an impact imparting means (14) having an end movable in the direction of the refrigeration cabin (2) to effect separation of the cabin door (3) therefrom.
A rotary handle grip (10) extending behind a handle body (9) that is fixedly attached to the cabin door (3), is disposed so as to be rotatable a certain limited amount relative to the handle body (9), upon which the impact imparting means (14) is movable in the direction of the refrigeration cabin (2) to effect separation of the cabin door (3) therefrom. Therefore a user reaching for the handle body (9) that is visible to him/her will grip the rotary handle grip (10) and a natural and convenient opening effect will be provided.
In an embodiment of the invention, the rotary handle grip (10) is disposed within an open inner handling cavity delimited by the outer surface of the cabin door (3). This cavity helps the users to intuitively reach behind the handle body (9).
In a further embodiment of the invention, the rotary handle grip (10) is pivotally connected to a handle casing (6) that is secured to the cabin door (3) and pivotally supporting the rotary handle grip (10). Rotation of the rotary handle grip (10) relative to the handle body (9) drives a rotary cam's (13) shaft such that the impact imparting means (14) is movable. Said rotary cam (13) is provided with an extended end portion which is rotatable so as to displace the impact imparting means (14) in the direction of the refrigeration cabin (2).
In a still further embodiment of the invention, the rotary handle grip (10) is pivotally connected to the handle casing (6) by handle grip upper and lower connection slots (11 and 12) at two opposite ends and the handle casing (6) pivotally supports the rotary handle grip (10) by means of casing upper and lower connection means (7, 8).
According to the invention, the rotary cam (13) has an eccentric shaft by the rotational movement of which the extended end portion thereof moves the impact imparting means (14) out of an impact imparting means slot (16) in a linear manner.
In a yet still further embodiment of the invention, an impact imparting means spring (15) is extended between a raised edge portion of the impact imparting means (14) and a wall portion within the impact imparting means slot (16), the wall portion being disposed at the side of the impact imparting means' (14) end portion in the direction of the refrigeration cabin (2) so that the impact imparting means (14) is taken to its original position back after opening of the cabin door (3). The impact imparting means spring (15) is preferably a leaf spring.
In a yet still further embodiment of the invention, the impact imparting means (14) is movably guided in the impact imparting means slot (16) along its longitudinal direction so as to be operable in a linearly restricted displacement zone.
The advantageous effect obtained by the opening mechanism of the present invention lies in the application of a limited amount of force by the natural hand movement upon which the impact imparting means (14) automatically provides smooth and convenient opening of the cabin door (3).

Claims

A refrigeration appliance (1) having
- a refrigeration cabin (2) enclosing an interior volume of the refrigeration appliance (1) for preserving food items to be cooled,

- a cabin door (3) mounted to the refrigeration cabin (2) to provide access thereinto,

- a handle assembly (4) attached to the cabin door (3) for opening the same, the handle assembly (4) being operably coupled to an impact imparting means (14) having an end movable in the direction of the refrigeration cabin (2) to effect separation of the cabin door (3) therefrom,

- a rotary handle grip (10) extending behind a handle body (9) that is fixedly attached to the cabin door (3), is disposed so as to be rotatable a certain limited amount relative to the handle body (9) upon which the impact imparting means (14) is movable in the direction of the refrigeration cabin (2) to effect separation of the cabin door (3) therefrom,
wherein
- rotation of the rotary handle grip (10) relative to the handle body (9) drives a rotary cam's (13) shaft such that the impact imparting means (14) is movable,

- the rotary cam (13) is provided with an extended end portion which is rotatable so as to displace the impact imparting means (14) in the direction of the refrigeration cabin (2),

- the extended end portion of the cam (13) slides on a contact surface of the impact imparting means (14) during rotation,

- the rotary cam (13) has an eccentric shaft by the rotational movement of which the extended end portion moves the impact imparting means (14) out of an impact imparting means slot (16) in a linear manner, characterized in that

- the radius from the rotation axis (18) of the rotary cam's (13) shaft to the extended end portion of the cam (13) is disposed perpendicular to the movement direction of the impact imparting means (14) when the cam (13) is in its resting position, and

- said contact surface of the impact imparting means (14) is slanted towards the refrigeration cabin (2) when seen from its contact point to the cam (13) that is assumed when the cam is in its resting position.
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in Claim 1, characterized in that the rotary handle grip (10) is disposed within an open inner handling cavity delimited by the outer surface of the cabin door (3).
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rotary handle grip (10) is pivotally connected to a handle casing (6) that is secured to the cabin door (3) and pivotally supporting the rotary handle grip (10).
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in Claim 3, characterized in that the rotary handle grip (10) is pivotally connected to the handle casing (6) by handle grip upper and lower connection slots (11 and 12) at two opposite ends.
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in Claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the handle casing (6) pivotally supports the rotary handle grip (10) by means of casing upper and lower connection means (7, 8).
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in any one of preceding claims, characterized in that an impact imparting means spring (15) is extended between a raised edge portion of the impact imparting means (14) and a wall portion within said impact imparting means slot (16), the wall portion being disposed at the side of the impact imparting means' (14) end portion in the direction of the refrigeration cabin (2) so that the impact imparting means (14) is taken to its original position back after opening of the cabin door (3).
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in Claim 6, characterized in that the impact imparting means spring (15) is a leaf spring.
A refrigeration appliance (1) as in any one of preceding claims, characterized in that the impact imparting means (14) is movably guided in the impact imparting means slot (16) along its longitudinal direction so as to be operable in a linearly restricted displacement zone.