Two-step door opening combination
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsShao Ying Nong, Tingting Yu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A two-step pocket handle latch mechanism for an oven is provided. A door is operable between open and closed positions with respect to an open front portion of an oven cavity defined by an oven housing. A pocket handle defines a recess extending into the side of the door opposite a pivotal connection of the door to the oven housing. A latch is controllable by a grip portion within the recess of the pocket handle, between a lower, locked position in which the latch prevents opening of the door, and a raised, unlocked position in which the latch allows the opening of the door.
Claims7
An oven having a two-step door opening mechanism, comprising:
- an oven housing defining an oven cavity having bottom, top, and side walls, and an open front portion;
- and
- a door, operable between open and closed positions with respect to the open front portion of the oven cavity, the door including
- a pocket handle defining a recess extending into the side of the door opposite a pivotal connection of the door to the oven housing, and
- a latch, controllable by a grip portion within the recess of the pocket handle, between a lower, locked position in which the latch prevents opening of the door, and a raised, unlocked position in which the latch allows the opening of the door, wherein the latch includes a locking post provided within the interior of the door, the locking post being nested between front and back panels of the door, and a locking pin protruding downwardly from a lower end of the locking post, the locking post being movable within and relative to the door, such that the locking post is vertically slidable within and relative to the door between the lower, locked position and the raised, unlocked position,
- wherein the oven housing further comprises a control panel area on the front face of the oven below the door, the control panel area extending forwards from the open front portion of the oven cavity,
- wherein the control panel area defines a pin receptacle sized and located to allow the locking pin to pass downward into the control panel area when the door is in the closed position.
A method for operation of a two-step pocket handle latch mechanism, comprising:
- performing a first step to open a door to an oven, the first step including utilizing a latch, controllable by a grip portion within a recess of a pocket handle extending into the side of the door opposite a pivotal connection of the door to an oven housing, to move the latch between a lower, locked position in which the latch prevents opening of the door, and a raised, unlocked position in which the latch allows the opening of the door, wherein the latch includes a locking post provided within the interior of the door, the locking post being nested between front and back panels of the door, and a locking pin protruding downwardly from a lower end of the locking post, the locking post being movable within and relative to the door, such that the locking post is vertically slidable within and relative to the door between the lower, locked position and the raised, unlocked position, wherein the oven housing further comprises a control panel area on the front face of the oven below the door, the control panel area extending forwards from the open front portion of the oven cavity, and wherein the control panel area defines a pin receptacle sized and located to allow the locking pin to pass downward into the control panel area when the door is in the closed position;
- and
- performing a second step to open the door to the oven, the second step including pulling the door open, using the pocket handle, while the latch is in the raised, unlocked position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.