Magnetic latch - movable ice receptacle
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorWilliam John Linstromberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cabinet having a storage compartment with an access opening, a door movable about a main axis for exposing and closing the opening, a secondary access opening in this door of smaller extent and having its own door, hinges for each of said doors asymmetrical with and non-parallel to each other and a movable receptacle in the compartment mounted for movement forwardly and rearwardly of the compartment and with means interconnecting the receptacle and the secondary closure member for movement of the receptacle when either of the access doors are opened but with the movement of the receptacle being less when the main access door is opened.
Claims15
A cabinet apparatus, comprising:
- means forming a storage compartment having an access opening;
- a main closure member movable about a main axis for exposing and closing said opening, said main closure member having a secondary access opening therein to said compartment;
- a secondary closure member mounted on said main closure member and movable about a second axis for exposing and closing said secondary opening;
- a receptacle in said compartment;
- means mounting said receptacle for movement outwardly relative to said compartment thereby projecting partially from said compartment through said access openings when either of said openings is exposed;
- and
- interconnecting means interconnecting said receptacle and said secondary closure member for effecting movement of said receptacle when either of said access doors are opened, said interconnecting means effectively breaking the connection of said receptacle to said secondary closure member after a relatively shorter movement of said receptacle on movement of said main closure member about said main closure member axis.
In a cabinet apparatus including means forming a storage compartment having an access opening, a main closure member movable about a first axis for exposing and closing said opening, a secondary closure member mounted to said main closure member and movable about a second axis for exposing and closing a secondary access opening, a receptacle in said compartment, and means for mounting said receptacle for movement outwardly of said compartment through said access openings, the improvement comprising:
- elongated magnetic interconnecting means comprising an elongated magnet and an elongated magnetic armature for connecting said receptacle and said secondary closure for concurrent movement as incident movement of said secondary closure about said second axis while releasing said interconnection of said receptacle and said secondary closure upon a relatively shorter movement of said receptacle as incident opening movement of said main closure about said first axis.
In a cabinet apparatus including a first closure member movable about a first axis and a second closure member mounted to said first closure for movement about a second axis and a receptacle movably mounted within said cabinet adjacent said second closure for access therethrough, an improved interconnecting means comprising:
- a first elongated magnetic interconnecting member carried by said second closure member and
- a second elongated magnetic interconnecting member carried by said receptacle, said first and second members comprising a magnet and a magnetic armature and being arranged to engage each other during movement of said second closure about said second axis and to disengage as incident initial opening motion of said first closure about said first access.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.