US2857191A

US2857191A - Closure fastener

Info

Publication number: US2857191A
Application number: US501909A
Authority: US
Inventors: Reinhardt E Buchholtz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-04-18
Filing date: 1955-04-18
Publication date: 1958-10-21
Anticipated expiration: 1975-10-21

Description

Oct. 21, 1958 R. E. BUcHHoLTz cLosURE FASTENER Filed April 18, 1955 1N V EN TOR.

United States Patent "ce CLOSURE FASTENER Reinhardt E. Buchholtz, Spokane, Wash. Application April 18, 1955, Serial No. 501,909

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-17) This invention relates to fasteners which are more especially intended for the doorsA of kitchen cabinets such as the cabinet of a refrigerator and the like, and has for its object the provision of a catch or fastener which will serve adequately to releasably fasten a refrigerator door and yet which will be adapted to release the door in response to a predetermined opening pressure applied to the door instead of its fastener actuating handle.

Periodically one learns of a child becoming trapped within a refrigerator or discarded cabinet, and it is therefore one object of this invention to provide a closure fastener which will open in response to pressure on the door and therefore preclude the possibility of a child becoming trapped within the cabinet.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a door closure or fastener which is manufactured with a minimum number of parts which may be assembled with facility, and is therefore very practical as well as economical for sale in a highly competitive market.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts,

Figure lis a fragmentary horizontal cross section taken through the door post and a portion of a door of a refrigerator, and showing the closure fastener constituting the subject matter ofthe present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section upon a slightly enlarged scale and taken substantially at the planes of line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 showing a modified species of the invention; and

Figure 4 is a further modied species of the invention shown in a fragmentary horizontal cross sectional view.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, I disclose a cabinet indicated in general by the numeral 10, which is here seen to be of the refrigerator type, and includes a door post 11 and a swingable door 12. It will be seen that the refrigerator is shown to be of the type normally fabricated from sheet metal and generally provided with an enamel coating, and, as seen, is conventionally manufactured with double walls, the space between the walls being provided for insulation material. The cabinet is provided with the customary front opening and the door 12 is made to fit against the perimetrical portions of the cabinet wall about the opening.

The cabinet 11 has secured thereto a catch pin 13 which in Figures l, 2, and 4 is seen to be provided at its outer end with a cylindrical portion 14 disposed on a vertical axis, whereas that species disclosed in Figure 3 is provided with a cylindrical roller- 15 also disposed on a vertical axis. Since the roller 15 and portions 14 are cylindrical, they provide constant cam surfaces on their peripheries, the purpose of which will be subsequently described. y

The fastener comprises a yoke 16 which has a flat portion 17 intermediate its length, adapted to be secured to the door 12 as by spot welding 18 or rivets 19. From the flat portion 17, arms 20 extend at right angles to the plane of the door 12, and in Figures l, 2, and 3, these arms are seen to be substantially parallel, while in Figure 4 the arms 20a diverge toward their outer ends. At their outer ends, the arms are provided with gripping dogs 21 which are adapted to cooperate with the catch pin 13 to releasably fasten the door 12 i'n covering relation to the 'opening of the cabinet 11.

It will be noted in the drawings that the dogs of FiguresA 1, 2, and 4 are provided with cylindrical rollers 22, the peripheral faces of which constitute cam surfaces cooperable with the peripheral cam surfaces of the elements 14, while Figure 3 discloses angular gripping dogs having cam faces 23 adapted to cooperate with the roller 15 of catch pin 13. The arms 20 are resilient and are normally flexed inwardly so that their normal tension causes the dogs 21 to grip the catch pins 13 and fasten the door, and t-he springing or flexing of the arms 20 is sutliciently stiff to maintain the door 12 in the closed position for all normal opening pressures, but in the event a child becomes trapped within the cabinet 11, pressure on the door will cause the arms 20 to flex outwardly, thus releasing the fastener and permitting the door to hinge open.

To preclude the necessity of one applying unnecessary pressures to open the door 12, I provide a means of flexing the arms 20 to a releasing position. This means is seen to be a spreader bar 24 which may be pivoted on a vertical axis as at 25 and has rollers 26 bearing against the arms 20 or merely employs the blunted and arcuate ends of the spreader bar 24 as seen in Figure 3.

In Figure 4, the spreader bar 24 is seen to be disposed on a plane parallel to the plane of the door 12 and is not pivotally supported but is rigidly carried by a connecting link 26a which is subsequently secured to the handle 27. The handle 27 is preferably pivoted at 28 to the door 12. In the species disclosed in Figures l, 2, and 3, the connecting link 26a is pivotally connected at 29 to the spreader bar and at its opposed end is pivotally connected at 30 to the handle 27.

It will thus be seen that manual manipulation of t-he handle 27 by pulling thereon, as if to open the door 12, will cause the spreader bars 24 to shift and flex the arms 20 to spread the gripping dogs 21 and permit the door to open easily.

Compression spring 31 is seen to be disposed between the door 12 and the spreader bar 24, so that the spreader bar is normally urged to a position wherein the arms 20 are released to flex inwardly.

In Figure 4 is will be seen that the arms 20a diverge from the portion 17, and the spreader bar 24 shifting inwardly between the arms and bearing against the diverging arms, causes them to spread and release the dogs 21.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A fastener for a cabinet door, said fastener comprising a resilient yoke having a flat portion intermediate its length secured to said door and having arms which diverge from said flat portion and project away from the plane of said door; said arms having means on their outer ends for releasably gripping a catch pin; a spreader bar disposed intermediate said arms and parallel to the plane of said door to spread said arms when moved inwardly toward said door; a connecting link rigidly anchored to said spreader bar and adapted for Patented ct. 21, 1958i' rectilinear` movement to shift said spreaderb'ar. toward tion `of said handle; arid a mpression s'pring disposed 5 ifnermediare i saidspreader bar fadjsad-"doorinormlly biasing said spreader bar away therefrom.

Y. JvRferences Citedifin the `Tile of vthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Weaver June 9, 1885 Hammer L. Aug. 15, 1939 Freidag et a1. May 16, 1950