WO2004109045A1

WO2004109045A1 - Lock for a refrigerator cabinet

Info

Publication number: WO2004109045A1
Application number: PCT/BR2004/000086
Authority: WO
Inventors: Estevão Marino ESPÍNDOLA
Original assignee: Multibrás S.A. Eletrodomésticos
Priority date: 2003-06-09
Filing date: 2004-06-08
Publication date: 2004-12-16
Also published as: BR0302212A

Abstract

A lock for a refrigerator cabinet, or other piece of furniture frontally closed by two doors (11) which use a common intermediary hinge (20), to be selectively secured in one of the two hole assemblies (15) provided in laterally opposite portions of the cabinet (10) and each corresponding to an opening direction selected for both doors (11). According to the invention, the lock is defined by a basic plate (31) which is seated and affixed in the hole assembly (15) opposite to that for the fixation of the intermediary hinge (20); a lock mechanism (33) incorporated to the basic plate (31) and provided with a latch (34), which is displaced between inoperative and operative positions by actuation of a key (40); and a lock plate (35) affixed to each one of the doors (11) and which is configured to be retained by the latch (34), when the latter is displaced to the operative position.

Description

LOCK FOR A REFRIGERATOR CABINET Field of the Invention

The present invention refers to a lock to be applied to the cabinet of a combined refrigerator, or to other cabinets which are frontally closed by two vertically aligned doors, each defining the front access to a respective internal compartment of the cabinet. The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, directed to a lock for the cabinets of combined refrigerators presenting a refrigerating compartment, disposed below or above a freezing compartment and which is separated from the latter by a dividing wall, to whose front face is mounted an intermediary hinge, which serves simultaneously the two cabinet doors designed to have a reversible opening direction, in order to comply with the type of operation desired by the user. Prior Art There are known from the art the locks individually mounted to each cabinet door, but which do not present reversibility of the opening direction, thus not complying with the objects of the present invention, which refers to the doors designed to have a reversible opening direction. There are also known the constructions in which there is provided only one lock secured in the median region of the dividing wall of the cabinet, so as to actuate, simultaneously, in the middle of the adjacent end edges of the two cabinet doors, allowing said doors to have their opening direction reversed, without this requiring any constructive or assembly alteration in the single lock.

While the construction above allows for the reversion of the opening direction of both doors, the single median lock requires the design of both the cabinet and the doors to include the provision of the lock, which cannot be removed according to the user's will. The cabinet and the doors must be designed and constructed considering the existence or inexistence of the single median lock. After the acquisition of the product, it is no more possible for the user to install or remove said lock according to his/her interests . Besides the limitation of versatility mentioned above, the known single median locks require a special hole assembly and are incorporated to the plastic form of the cabinet, generally impairing the esthetics of the combined refrigerators in which they are provided. Objects of the Invention By reason of the disadvantages mentioned above and related to the known constructions, it is a generic object of the present invention to provide a reversible lock for the cabinets of combined refrigerators or other pieces of furniture, frontally closed by two vertically aligned doors which use a common intermediary hinge, said lock being secured to the cabinet without requiring any hole assembly other than that provided in the project for the fixation of the intermediary hinge, independently of the opening direction to be imparted to the doors, allowing the lock to be easily reversed jointly with the doors and to be removed or applied after the product has been acquired by the user. It is a further object of the invention to provide a reversible lock as mentioned above, which is practically irrelevant to the aesthetic appearance of the cabinet to which it is applied. Summary of the Invention Aiming at reaching the objects defined above, the invention proposes a lock to be applied to a cabinet of a combined refrigerator, or to other cabinets of the type frontally closed by two vertically aligned doors that use a common intermediary hinge, to be selectively secured in one of two hole assemblies provided in laterally opposite portions of the cabinet and each corresponding to an opening direction selected for both doors.

According to the invention, the lock comprises a basic plate which is seated and affixed in the hole assembly provided in the cabinet portion opposite to the portion to which the intermediary hinge will be affixed. The basic plate incorporates a lock mechanism provided with a latch to be displaced by actuation of a key. The lock is completed by a lock plate, which is affixed to each of the doors and configured to be retained by the latch, hindering the opening of the doors when the latch is displaced to an operative position after the closing of the door. With the constructive arrangement mentioned above, the basic plate of the lock and the lock plates can be respectively and easily affixed to the structure of the cabinet and to the doors on the side opposite to that onto which the intermediary hinge is mounted, using the hole assembly already provided in the project of both the cabinet and the doors, in order to allow changing the opening direction of said doors, and which hole assembly is usually covered by finishing parts. Since it is able to substitute the finishing parts of the hole assemblies provided in both the cabinet and the doors or be replaced by said finishing parts, the present lock can be mounted at any time without requiring any constructive modification in the cabinet or in the doors. Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will be described below, with reference to the enclosed drawings, given by way of example of one of the possible embodiments of the invention and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of part of the cabinet of a combined refrigerator, not presenting the front doors and having a dividing wall, separating the superposed freezing and refrigerating compartments and in which hole assemblies are provided for the selective fixation of an intermediary hinge and finishing parts;

Figure 2 is a partial front view of the cabinet, illustrating the left end region of the dividing wall and, in an exploded condition, the adjacent end portions of the upper and lower doors and the component parts of the lock, when in the open position; Figure 3 is a view similar to that of figure 2, but illustrating the door and the lock in the mounted and closed positions; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the lock illustrated in figure 3 when mounted to the illustrated combined cabinet, but not presenting the upper door and with the lock being in the closed position, hindering the opening of the lower door. Detailed Description of the Invention

As previously mentioned, the present lock is applied to a cabinet 10 of a combined refrigerator or another piece of furniture, which is closed by two vertically aligned doors 11, each defining the access to a respective internal compartment of the cabinet 10. In the illustrated case, an upper freezing compartment 12 is provided over a refrigerating compartment 13 and separated from the latter by a dividing wall 14. The two vertically aligned doors 11 use a common intermediary hinge 20 to be selectively secured in one of two hole assemblies 15 provided in laterally opposite portions of the cabinet 10, each position corresponding to an opening direction selected for both doors 11.

In the illustrated embodiment, the hole assemblies 15 for the fixation of the intermediary hinge 20 are provided in respective laterally opposite portions of a front face of the cabinet 10, in a region located exactly between the lower edge of the upper door 11 and the upper edge of the lower door 11. The two hole assemblies 15 of the illustrated embodiment comprise, each one, a pair of holes slightly spaced from each other and which are disposed according to the longitudinal axis of the front face of the dividing wall 14, said hole assemblies 15 being associated, inside the structure of the cabinet 10, with threaded elements for receiving fixation screws (not illustrated) .

As better illustrated in figures 2, 3 and 4, the present lock 30 comprises a basic plate 31 which is seated and secured in the hole assembly 15 provided in the portion of the cabinet 10 opposite to that whereto the intermediary hinge 20 is affixed. The basic plate 31 of the lock 30 is provided with holes 31a which are disposed in such a way as to allow the passage of fixation screws 32 to be coupled to the cabinet 10 through the respective hole assembly 15. The basic plate 31 of the lock 30 incorporates a lock mechanism 33 provided with a latch 34, which is displaced between inoperative and operative positions by actuation of a key 40 manipulated by the user. As illustrated in figures 3 and 4, the lock mechanism 33 is disposed so that the key can be introduced laterally into the cabinet 10, with its axis lying in a direction parallel to the plane of the front face of the cabinet 10 and to the adjacent end edges of the two superposed doors 11. In the constructive arrangement illustrated for the lock mechanism 33, the latch 34 is displaced between its inoperative and operative positions on a plane parallel to the front face of the cabinet 10, the displacement of the latch 34 being preferably linear and according to a direction transversal to the articulation axis of the doors 11.

When the key 40 is moved by the user, the latch 34 is selectively displaced between the inoperative position, illustrated in figure 2, in which it remains lodged inside the lock mechanism 33, and the operative position, illustrated in figures 3 and 4, in which it is projected outwardly from the lock mechanism 33. The present lock 30 further comprises a lock plate 35, affixed to each of the doors 11 and which is configured to be retained by the latch 34 when the latter is displaced to the operative position illustrated in figures 3 and 4, after the doors 11 have been closed. In this condition, the doors 11 are prevented from being angularly displaced to the open position.

In the illustrated construction, each lock plate 35 comprises a base 35a, to be seated and affixed against an end edge of a respective edge 11, as well as a rod 35b projecting from the base 35a toward the cabinet 10 and incorporating an end step 36 to be retained by the latch 34 when the latter is conducted to the operative position illustrated in figures 3 and 4, after both doors 11 have been closed. For allowing the lock plates 35 to present the same design, independently of the fact of being mounted to the upper door or to the lower door, the end step 36 has portions projecting upwardly and downwardly from the base 35a of the lock plate 35.

The basic plate 31, the lock mechanism 33, the latch 34 and the lock plates 35 can be constructed in any material, provided it is adequate and sufficiently resistant to assure the correct and safe operation of the lock 30.

While only one possible embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated, it should be understood that changes in the form and arrangement of the components could be made, without departing from the constructive concept defined in the appended claims .

Claims

1. A lock for a refrigerator cabinet, or other piece of furniture frontally closed by two vertically aligned doors (11) which use a common intermediary hinge (20) , to be selectively secured in one of the two hole assemblies (15) provided in laterally opposite portions of the cabinet (10) and each corresponding to an opening direction selected for both doors (11), characterized in that it comprises a basic plate (31) seated and affixed in the hole assembly (15) provided in the portion of the cabinet (10) opposite to that for the fixation of the intermediary hinge (20) ; a lock mechanism (33) incorporated to the basic plate (31) and provided with a latch (34), which is displaced between inoperative and operative positions by actuation of a key (40); and a lock plate (35) , affixed to each one of the doors (11) and which is configured to be retained by the latch (34), when the latter is displaced to an operative position, after the closing of the doors (11) , hindering the opening of the latter.

2. The lock as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the hole assemblies (15) for the fixation of both the intermediary hinge (20) and the basic plate (31) are provided in respective laterally opposite portions of a front face of the cabinet (10) .

3. The lock as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that the latch (34) is displaced between its inoperative and operative positions in a plane parallel to the front face of the cabinet (10) .

4. The lock as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that the latch (34) is displaced linearly between its inoperative and operative positions, according to a direction transversal to the articulation axis of the doors (11) .

5. The lock as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the lock plates (35) each comprise a base (35a), which is seated and affixed against an end edge of a respective door (11), as well as a rod (35b) projecting from the base (35a) towards the cabinet (10) and incorporating an end step (36) to be retained by the latch (34) .