US 6,375,291 B1Granted

Doorhandle device for refrigerator

AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

InventorsJeong-Man Nam, Cha-Soo Yoon

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Abstract

A door handle device for a refrigerator enables the refrigerator door to be easily opened and makes transporting and storage of the refrigerator easier and more efficient. The door handle device includes upper and lower operating levers respectively mounted on the top and bottom surfaces of the door. A vertically disposed door handle is connected at opposite ends to the respective operating levers. Upper and lower supporting mechanisms, provided respectively on the top and bottom surfaces of the door, rotatably support the operating levers. The ends of each of the operating levers are located on opposite sides of the center line Y—Y of the associated lever so that a rotating moment is applied to the operating lever when the associated door is opened. Each operating lever includes two members and a connecting arrangement for the lever members which permits the door handle to be repositioned to a location adjacent to the refrigerator door so as to decrease the effective depth of the refrigerator.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A refrigerator comprising a cabinet having an open front and including storage compartments therein, a plurality of doors pivotably mounted on the cabinet by hinges affixed to front corners of the cabinet, and a door handle device secured to each of the doors,

each said door handle device comprising:
upper and lower operating levers respectively mounted on top and bottom surfaces of the associated door, said levers each including a first end in contact with a front surface of the cabinet and a second end extending forwardly from the door;
a vertically extending door handle having opposite ends connected to the second ends of the operating levers;
and
upper and lower supporting means, respectively disposed at the top and bottom surfaces of the door, for rotatably supporting the operating levers,
the upper supporting means comprising a receiving hole formed in the top surface of the door and having a shaft-accommodating portion therein for rotatably supporting the upper operating lever;
an elastic member mounted at an outer peripheral part of the shaft-accommodating portion so as to exert a restoring force to the upper operating lever;
and a connecting shaft extending through the upper operating lever and fitted to the shaft-accommodating portion.

5 more elements

A refrigerator comprising a cabinet having a front opening defined, in part, by upper and lower front surfaces of the cabinet and including storage compartments therein, a door pivotably mounted on the cabinet for, when closed, closing off the front opening of the cabinet, and a door handle device secured to said door, said door handle device comprising:

an upper operating lever mounted on a top surface of the door and including a first end in contact with said upper front surface of said cabinet and a second end extending outwardly from the door;
a lower operating lever mounted on a bottom surface of the door and including a first end in contact with said upper front surface of said cabinet and a second end extending outwardly from the door;
a vertically extending door handle having opposite ends connected to the second ends of said upper and lower operating levers;
and
upper and lower supporting means, disposed respectively at the top and bottom surfaces of the door, for rotatably supporting said upper and lower operating levers such that an opening force exerted on said handle causes rotation of said operating levers so that the first ends thereof exert a force on the upper and lower front surfaces of the cabinet to facilitate opening of the door,
the upper supporting means comprising a receiving hole formed in the top surface of the door and having a shaft-accommodating portion therein for rotatably supporting the upper operating lever;
an elastic member mounted at an outer peripheral part of the shaft-accommodating portion so as to exert a restoring force to the upper operating lever;
and a connecting shaft extending through the upper operating lever and fitted to the shaft-accommodating portion.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.