# US 10,869,589 B2 · Dish treating appliance door assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,869,589 B2 - Document ID: US10869589B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/692,273 - Filed: 2017-08-31 - Published: 2019-02-28 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-31 - Assignees: Whirlpool Corporation - Applicants: Whirlpool Corporation - Inventors: James W. Kendall; Darryl C. Bodine - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10869589B2 ## CPC - A47L 15/4257: {Details of the loading door} - A47L 15/4259: {Arrangements of locking or security/safety devices for doors, e.g. door latches, switch to stop operation when door is open} - A47L 15/4261: {Connections of the door to the casing, e.g. door hinges} - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) ## Abstract A dish treating appliance for treating dishes including a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber having an access opening and a door moveable between opened and closed positions to selectively open and close the access opening that includes a front panel and a handle assembly mounted to the front door panel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dish treating appliance for treating dishes, comprising: a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber with an access opening; a door movable between an opened position and a closed position to selectively open and close the access opening, the door comprising: a front door panel defining a forwardmost face panel with a face opening defined by a periphery within the forwardmost face panel, opposing side edges extending rearwardly from the forwardmost face panel, and an open top edge; and a handle assembly mounted to the front door panel and having a hand panel received in the periphery within the forwardmost face panel and a top cap closing the open top edge, the hand panel accessible through the face opening when the handle assembly is mounted to the front door panel, the hand panel and top cap being unitarily formed to close both the open top edge and the face opening when the handle assembly is mounted to the front door panel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The dish treating appliance of claim 1, further comprising a pocket handle housing integrally formed with the hand panel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The dish treating appliance of claim 2, further comprising a handle cap receivable within the pocket handle housing, the handle cap forming a cup shape and defining a pocket handle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The dish treating appliance of claim 3 wherein the pocket handle is accessible through the face opening. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The dish treating appliance of claim 3 wherein the pocket handle is centered in the face opening. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The dish treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the hand panel and the face opening are flush when the handle assembly is mounted to the front door panel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The dish treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the front door panel is one of stainless steel, painted steel, or surface coated stainless steel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The dish treating appliance of claim 7 wherein the handle assembly is plastic. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The dish treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the hand panel further comprises a lip engaging an outside surface of the face opening. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The dish treating appliance of claim 9 wherein the lip further comprises an adhesive for engaging an inside surface of the face opening. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The dish treating appliance of claim 1, further comprising a front control surface integrally formed with one of a front of the hand panel or the top cap. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The dish treating appliance of claim 11 wherein the front control surface is accessible through the face opening. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The dish treating appliance of claim 1, further comprising a swinging spacer for mounting the handle assembly to the front door panel. ### Claim 14 A door assembly for a dishwasher, comprising: a front door panel defining a face panel, defining a flat front panel with a face opening defined in the flat front panel, opposing side edges extending rearwardly from the face panel, and an open top edge; a single component, integrally formed handle assembly mounted to the front door panel and having an integral body including a hand panel and a top cap, the hand panel closing the face opening and the top cap closing the open top edge, the hand panel is accessible through the face opening when the single component, integrally formed handle assembly is mounted to the front door panel; and a control surface including a user interface integrated on the hand panel and accessible through the face opening or provided on the top cap. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The door assembly of claim 14 wherein the hand panel further comprises a pocket handle housing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The door assembly of claim 15 wherein the pocket handle housing is accessible through the face opening and includes the control surface located therein. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The door assembly of claim 14 wherein the front door panel is stainless steel and the single component, integrally formed handle assembly is plastic. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) A method of forming the dishwasher door assembly of claim 14, the method comprising assembling the single component, integrally formed handle assembly having an integral body comprising the hand panel and the top cap, with the front door panel having the face panel, the face opening, and the opposing side edges extending rearwardly from the face panel and the open top edge, wherein the hand panel is accessible through the face opening when the single component, integrally formed handle assembly is mounted to the front door panel to form the dishwasher door assembly. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The door assembly of claim 14 wherein the integral body includes a uniform construction.