WO2010076199A2

WO2010076199A2 - A cooling device comprising a door handle

Info

Publication number: WO2010076199A2
Application number: PCT/EP2009/067225
Authority: WO
Inventors: Seyhan Ceyhan; Ahmet Ziya Demir; Derya Erturk
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2008-12-30
Filing date: 2009-12-15
Publication date: 2010-07-08
Anticipated expiration: 2011-06-30
Also published as: WO2010076199A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cooling device (1) comprising a body (2), a door (3) which allows access to the cooling compartment, and a handle (4), the standing position of which can be changed from horizontal to vertical or from vertical to horizontal and thus, which can be used as desired.

Description

A COOLING DEVICE COMPRISING A DOOR HANDLE

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device comprising a door handle, the position of which can be changed on the door.

[0002] In cooling devices, for example in refrigerators, doors, which allow access to the inside of the cooling device and which separate the cooling compartment from the outer environment, are located. The said doors are opened and closed by means of a handle. Nowadays, users feel the need of personalizing the products they use in accordance with their tastes and needs. Users make choices about the colour and texture of the cooling device door, and about the door handle type and the handle colour. For example, some users prefer a door handle extending in the vertical direction, and some users prefer a door handle extending in the horizontal direction. Since this situation causes different material and product stocks to be kept, the cost for the producer increases. Similarly, since the user is required to change the door when he/she desires to change the direction wherein the door handle of the cooling device extends, this situation causes high cost.

[0003] In the state of the art United States of America Patent Document No

US20080244869, a door handle used in refrigerators is described. The said door handle has a modular structure and the components are connected to each other by means of the recesses located on their surfaces. Furthermore, decorations that emit light are mounted into the recesses located between the door handle elements and thus, the visual feature of the refrigerator is improved.

[0004] In the state of the art United States Patent Document No US2008295291 , the assembly of a door handle, extending in the vertical direction along the refrigerator door, onto the refrigerator door is described.

[0005] In the state of the art German Patent Document No DE19751310, a door handle is described, which is attached in the horizontal position on the refrigerator door, and one end of which is fixed to the door from the vertical side surface of the door, and the other end of which is fixed to the door through the vertical middle axis of the door. [0006] The aim of the present invention is the realization of a cooling device, wherein the handle, located on the door, can be used vertically or horizontally in accordance with the user request.

[0007] The cooling device realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is explicated in the claims.

[0008] The cooling device comprises a body, at least one door which allows access to the cooling compartment, and a handle which provides the door to be opened and closed, and which can be used in the vertical or horizontal position in accordance with the user request and which has a gripping portion, a fixing member and a connection member.

[0009] At one end of the gripping portion located in the cooling device of the present invention, one or more recesses which provide the gripping portion to join with the connection member, and at the other end, at least one pin which provides the gripping portion to join with the fixing member and which gives the gripping portion the rotating feature, are situated.

[0010] At its end mounted to the recess, the connection member, located in the cooling device of the present invention, comprises a protrusion which is structured such that it can enter into the recess.

[0011] The fixing member, located in the cooling device of the present invention, comprises at least one hole, which provides the connection to the front surface of the door by means of the connection elements being passed therethrough, at its one end, and at least one housing, which provides the fixing member to join with the gripping portion, at its other end. The said housing has flexible walls in order that the pin can be easily inserted therein. The pin and the housing are snap-fittingly connected to each other.

[0012] The cooling device realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

[0013] Figure 1 - is the perspective view of a cooling device.

[0014] Figure 2 - is the perspective view of a door when the handle is in the vertical position.

[0015] Figure 3 - is the perspective view of a door when the handle is in the horizontal position. [0016] Figure 4 - is the perspective view of a handle.

[0017] Figure 5 - is the perspective view of a gripping portion.

[0018] Figure 6 - is the perspective view of the gripping portion with a connection member. [0019] Figure 7 - is the schematic view of the gripping portion with a fixing member. [0020] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Cooling device

2. Body

3. Door

4. Handle

5. Gripping portion

6. Fixing member

7. Connection member

8. , 108. Recess

9. 109. Hole

10. Pin

11. Protrusion

12. Housing

[0021] A cooling device (1) comprises a body (2), at least one door (3) which allows access to the cooling compartment, and at least one handle (4) which is mounted onto the door (3), which provides the door (3) to be opened and closed, and which can be mounted onto the door (3) both in the horizontal and in the vertical positions.

[0022] The handle (4) comprises

• at least one gripping portion (5) which is held by the user while opening and closing the door (3) and which comprises at least two recesses (8, 108),

• at least one fixing member (6), which is fastened to the door (3) from one side and to the other side of which, one end of the gripping portion (5) is mounted such that the gripping portion (5) will be able to rotate around the point it is mounted to, and

• at least one connection member (7) which is fastened to the door (3) from one end, and the other end of which is seated into one of the recesses (8, 108) and is dismounted from the recess (8) it is mounted to and mounted into the other recess (108) when the position of the handle (4) on the door (3) will be changed (Figure 4).

[0023] Depending on the recess (8, 108) the connection member (7) is mounted to, the handle (4) is assembled onto the door (3) in two different positions.

[0024] At its end wherein no recesses (8, 108) are situated, the gripping portion (5) comprises a pin (10) which provides it to be mounted to the fixing member (6) (Figure 5 and Figure 7). When the gripping portion (5) is rotated around the pin (10) after the pin (10) is mounted to the fixing member (6), the direction of the handle (4) on the door (3) is changed. For example, the handle (4) can change to the vertical position from the horizontal position.

[0025] The fixing member (6) comprises at least one hole (9) at its end wherefrom it is fastened to the door (3), and at least one housing (12), wherein the pin (10) is seated, at its end wherefrom it is connected to the gripping portion (5). The fixing member (6) is fastened to the front surface of the door (3) by means of the connection elements being passed through the hole (9). Since spaces are situated at the lower and upper sides of the housing (12) walls (D), the walls (D) can stretch and thus, the pin (10) is snap-fittingly seated into the housing (12). Thus, the pin (10) is provided to rotate in the housing (12) (Figure 7).

[0026] The connection member (7) comprises at least one hole (109) at its end wherefrom it is fastened to the door (3), and at least one protrusion (11), which is seated into the recess (8, 108), at its end wherefrom it is connected to the gripping portion (5). By the fixing of the connection elements, which are passed through the hole (109), to the door (3), the connection member (7) is fastened to one of the door (3) side surfaces. As a result of the changed position of the gripping portion (5), the door (3) side surface, whereto the connection member (7) is mounted, changes.

[0027] By changing the positions of the gripping portion (5) and the connection member (7), the handle (4) can be positioned in the vertical (Figure 2) and horizontal (Figure 3) directions. For example, when the handle (4) is in the vertical position, the fixing member (6) is assembled to the front surface of the door (3) and the connection member (7) is assembled to the side surface of the door (3) (Figure 2). When the handle (4) is desired to be brought to the horizontal position; first of all, the connection element, which connects the connection member (7) to the door (3), is dismounted and thus, one end of the connection member (7) is freed (Figure 6). Then, the connection member (7) is dismounted from the recess (8) by being slid along the recess (8). After the connection member (7) is dismounted, the gripping portion (5) is brought to the horizontal position by being rotated around the axis of the pin (10). In this position, the gripping portion (5) is fixed to the connection member (7) by the protrusion (11) being inserted into the recess (108). Furthermore, the connection member (7) is connected to the lower surface of the door (3) by means of the connection elements passing through the hole (109) (Figure 3). In an embodiment of the present invention, the gripping portion (5) is shaped as an almost quadrangular rod. The pin (10) is located on one of the side surfaces of the gripping portion (5) in a position that is close to one of its ends. The recesses (8, 108) are positioned in the gripping portion (5) part that is close to its other end, onto the two opposite side surfaces of it whereon the pin (10) is not situated. When the gripping portion (5) and the fixing member (6), mounted to the pin (10), are brought together, they form an L-shape. The connection member (7) is also L-shaped. Since the fixing member (6) is mounted to the front surface of the door (3), the fixing member (6) provides the gripping portion (5) to remain distant from the front surface of the door (3). The gripping portion (5) is rotated 360° around the axis of the fixing member (6) on a plane parallel to the door (3) surface. When the gripping portion (5) is brought to the position that is parallel to the door (3) surface in the vertical position, the L-shaped connection member (7) is mounted to the recess (8). When the handle (4) is desired to be brought to a horizontal position, which is parallel to the door (3) front surface, from the vertical position, the connection member (7) is dismounted from the recess (8) it is mounted to and mounted to the other recess (108) on the opposite surface. The circumstance of the handle (4) wherein the connection member (7) is mounted to the recess (8) is mirror symmetric to its circumstance wherein the connection member (7) is mounted to the other recess (108).

[0029] In an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises more than one door (3) and at least one rotatable door handle (4) on each door (3) (Figure 1).

[0030] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed above and an expert in the technique can easily introduce different embodiments. These should be considered within the scope of the protection postulated by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cooling device (1) comprising a body (2), at least one door (3) which allows access to the cooling compartment, and at least one handle (4) which is mounted onto the door (3) and which provides the door (3) to be opened and closed, characterized by the handle (4) that has

- at least one gripping portion (5) which is held by the user while opening and closing the door (3) and which comprises at least two recesses (8, 108),

- at least one fixing member (6), which is fastened to the door (3) from one side and to the other side of which, one end of the gripping portion (5) is mounted such that the gripping portion (5) will be able to rotate around the point it is mounted to, and

- at least one connection member (7) which is fastened to the door (3) from one end, and the other end of which is seated into one of the recesses (8, 108) and is dismounted from the recess (8) it is mounted in and mounted into the other recess (108) when the position of the handle (4) on the door (3) will be changed.

2. A cooling device (1), characterized by the handle (4), which is assembled onto the door (3) in two different positions depending on the recess (8, 108) the connection member (7) is mounted to.

3. A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the connection member (7) which has at least one protrusion (11), seated into the recess (8, 108), at its end wherefrom it is connected to the gripping portion (5).

4. A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by the gripping portion (5) which comprises a pin (10), providing it to be mounted to the fixing member (6), at its end wherein no recesses (8, 108) are situated.

5. A cooling device (1) as in Claim 4, characterized by the fixing member (6) which comprises at least one housing (12), wherein the pin (10) is seated, at its end wherefrom it is connected to the gripping portion (5).

6. A cooling device (1) as in Claim 5, characterized by the pin (10) which is snap-fittingly mounted to the housing (12).