Patent ID: 6375291
Filing Date: 2002-04-23
Classification: E05B,E05C,F25D,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
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.