US20030001471A1

US20030001471A1 - Door bracket

Info

Publication number: US20030001471A1
Application number: US09/896,114
Authority: US
Inventors: William Libby; Dianne Libby
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-07-02
Filing date: 2001-07-02
Publication date: 2003-01-02

Abstract

A refrigerator door mounted on a main body for pivotal movement about a vertical axis at one side is opened by the foot of a user by a bracket on the door wherein the bracket is coupled to the door at a bottom corner of the door remote from the pivot axis and wherein the bracket provides an attachment plate bonded to the door edge and an abutment element which is arched outwardly and downwardly from the front face of the door such that the element can be engaged and pulled by the user's foot when the hands are otherwise engaged.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a door bracket, more specifically, the bracket is arranged to allow an individual to open the door with their foot.

BACKGROUND

Conventional refrigerators have a handle on a door which is arranged to be engaged by a persons hand for opening and closing the door. A person who has their hands full with food or the like cannot open the door.

SUMMARY

The present invention is a bracket which is coupled to a bottom end of a refrigerator door so that a person can open the door with their foot such that the door can be opened when their hands are full.

According to the present invention there is provided a container comprising;

a main body which is arranged to store items;

a door on the main body mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis at one side which allows the door to be opened and closed sideways;

and a bracket on the door for use in opening the door;

wherein the bracket is coupled to the door at a bottom corner of the door remote from the pivot axis and wherein the bracket provides an abutment element which is arranged to project from the door such that the element can be engaged by a person's foot.

Preferably the bracket has an attachment portion which is attached to the bottom edge of the door with the abutment element attached to the attachment portion so as to project outwardly therefrom.

Preferably the abutment element is shaped such that it curves forwardly and downwardly from the attachment portion.

In one arrangement, the attachment portion forms a horizontal plate attached to a horizontal bottom edge of the door and the abutment element extends downwardly and forwardly therefrom.

In another arrangement, the attachment portion forms a horizontal plate attached to the horizontal bottom edge of the door and a vertical plate extending upwardly from the horizontal plate along a front face of the door to a top edge spaced upwardly from the bottom edge and the abutment element extends downwardly and forwardly from the top edge.

Preferably the abutment element is arched.

Preferably the container is a refrigerator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present invention: [0015]
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the present invention on a refrigerator. [0016]
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the present invention on a refrigerator. [0017]
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the present invention. [0018]
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of the present invention.[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a refrigerator [0020] 1 which has a main body 3 for storing food and the like and a door 5 on the main body. The main body is rectangular in shape having a first side 7, a second side 9, a front 11, a back 13, a top 15 and a bottom 17. The sides are vertical and parallel and are connected by the back which extends perpendicularly to the sides from a respective end. The front is generally open in that the door is located at the front for closing the interior of the refrigerator. The door is connected to the main body at the second side when a hinged side 19 of the door is located. On an opposite side of the door is a handle side 21 which is arranged to opened for access to the interior of the refrigerator. A handle 23 is coupled to a front side 25 of the door which faces outwardly. At a bottom end 27 of the door adjacent the bottom of the main body is a bracket 29. The bracket is arranged to allow a person to open the refrigerator door by using their foot such that the door can be opened when the persons hands are occupied by holding food or the like which is to be put into the refrigerator. The bracket can be used for a conventional cabinet door and the like.
The bracket, as best shown in FIG. 3, is coupled to the bottom end of the door at a [0021] first portion 31 of the bracket. The bracket is a flat rectangular plate which has a two portions which are described below. The first portion has a generally flat portion 33 which faces upwardly and engages the bottom end of the door and has an inner end 35 which ends flush with the inner side of the door such that when the door is closed the bracket does not interfere with the seal of the door. The first portion extends forwardly to a curved portion 37 which curves outwardly and downwardly from the front side of the door. The curved portion has a rounded end 39 which is arranged at a downward angle so that the end can be engaged by a top of a persons foot so that the door can be opened. The bracket is located at the first side of the door at a bottom corner. The bracket also has a front side 41 which is ridged so that the bracket can be engaged thereon for closing the door. The bracket can be used for a conventional cabinet door and the like.
In operating the bracket a person, whose hands are full, used their foot to engage the rounded end of the bracket. The person then pulls rearwards on the bracket which opens the door. The bracket can then be engaged on the front side wherein the person uses their foot to push on the bracket closing the door. [0022]
In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the bracket is located slightly up along the front side of the door. An [0023] arm 45 extends upwardly along the front side of the door from the first portion at a right angle therefrom such that the curved portion is located at the top end of the arm, the curved portion extends forwardly and downwardly therefrom such that the rounded end of the curved portion is located adjacent to the bottom end of the door. The alternative embodiment is used in applications where the bracket is mounted on a door which is close to the ground and space is needed in order for a person to get their foot to the rounded end for opening. The bracket can be used for a conventional cabinet door and the like.
While one embodiment of the present invention has been described in the foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention. The invention is to be considered limited solely by the scope of the appended claims. [0024]

Claims

1. A container comprising;

a main body which is arranged to store items;

and a bracket on the door for use in opening the door;

2. The container according to claim 1 wherein the bracket has an attachment portion which is attached to the bottom edge of the door with the abutment element attached to the attachment portion so as to project outwardly therefrom.

3. The container according to claim 2 wherein the abutment element is shaped such that it curves forwardly and downwardly from the attachment portion.

4. The container according to claim 2 wherein the attachment portion forms a horizontal plate attached to a horizontal bottom edge of the door and the abutment element extends downwardly and forwardly therefrom.

5. The container according to claim 2 wherein the attachment portion forms a vertical plate extending upwardly along a front face of the door to a top edge spaced upwardly from the bottom edge and the abutment element extends downwardly and forwardly from the top edge.

6. The container according to claim 2 wherein the attachment portion forms a horizontal plate attached to the horizontal bottom edge of the door and a vertical plate extending upwardly from the horizontal plate along a front face of the door to a top edge spaced upwardly from the bottom edge and the abutment element extends downwardly and forwardly from the top edge.

7. The container according to claim 1 wherein the abutment element is arched.

8. The container according to claim 1 which is a refrigerator.