Hollow appliance handle
AssigneeCamco, Incorporated
InventorsSamir Atalla, Wilfred Wong, James Matthew Yates, Nedo Banicevic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hollow full grip gas assist appliance handle for use in a household refrigerator has a hollow full grip portion comprising a thermal plastic material that is a 10-40% glass filled homopolymer polypropylene. The distal ends of the hollow grip portion are solid thermoplastic material which encases a metal insert that is adapted to be secured to a side panel of the refrigerator door. The hollow appliance handle provides a solid feel or touch handle along it's full grip portion with solid distal end portions subject to little bending movement due to the metal inserts permitting the door handle to be firmly attached to the side panels of the refrigerator door.
Claims20
An appliance comprising:
- a cabinet and a door mounted to provide access to the interior of the cabinet, the door including a front panel and a rear panel joined by elongated side panels;
- an elongate handle comprising two thermoplastic distal closed end portions extending from a full grip portion, the full grip portion consisting of a thin walled, hollow and molded thermoplastic material, the two distal closed end portions each having a first surface that is positioned in abutment with the door front panel to position the full grip portion overlapping and spaced from the door front panel, and each of the two distal end portions having a second surface substantially orthogonal to the first surface attached to and abutting one of the door side panels;
- and,
- metal inserts each encased in a respective one of the distal end portions for reinforcing the handle, and each of the inserts having a first member that extends substantially parallel to the one door side panel and a second member that projects into the distal end portion from the first member.
A handle for a refrigerator having cabinet and a door mounted to provide access to the interior of the cabinet, the door including a front panel and a rear panel joined by elongated side panels;
- the handle comprising:
- an elongate handle comprising two distal closed end portions extending from a hollow full grip portion, the hollow full grip portion consisting of a hollow and molded thermoplastic material, the two distal closed end portions each having a first surface that is in abutment with the door front panel to position the full grip portion overlapping and spaced from the door front panel, and each of the two distal end portions having a second surface substantially orthogonal to the first surface, attached to and abutting one of the door side panels;
- and,
- metal inserts each encased in a respective one of the distal end portions for reinforcing the handle, and each of the inserts having a first member that extends substantially parallel to the one door side panel and a second member that projects into the distal end portion from the first member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.