Door handle assembly

Abstract: A door handle device has a structure for maximizing an effect for protecting the handle device from damage and even if the handle device should be damaged, lower repairing costs are required. A door handle comprising a handle base (11) which fits into a cut-out (4) formed in the front face (2) of a door (1) to define a depression therein. A handle body (16) with a cover (17) thereon fits over the handle base (11). One part of the handle body (16) is directly attached to the door (2) with a fixture (7) at the point of contact.

Description: The present invention relates to an improved door handle assembly, for instance, for use on a refrigerator. A handle assembly for a door is known from JP 3217780 and comprises a handle base which fits into a cut-out formed in the front face of a door to form a depression therein, and a handle body having a cover attached thereto, the handle body fitted over said handle base and attached to the door with a fixture. A refrigerator door handle is disclosed in published Japanese Patent Application No. 7-37873 (F25D23/02) and comprises a handle base which closes a cut-out part formed as a depression in the front surface of the door and a handle holding section which combines an inner handle member fixed to the handle base and an outer handle member which covers the inner handle member and which serves also as a decorative cover, these inner and outer handle members being approximately elliptical shape. In this prior art door handle, both ends of the inner and outer handle members are provided with a pair of projections which fit in the aforesaid depression and together form a continuous curved section. However, the handle base and the handle members are connected to fixtures so when the handle members deteriorate due to changes in ambient temperature, corrosion caused by cleaning with a cleanser or other cleaning agent, or other causes or if the handle member are broken during use when opening the refrigerator door, then the handle base may also be damaged. Repair would be relatively easy if such damage required replacement of only the handle member. However, the handle base is in close contact with the heat insulating material or the like in the door, so it is an integral part of the door. This causes a major problem because any damage to the handle base requires the entire door be replaced instead of just the damaged handle member thereby adding to repair costs. It is an object of the present invention to solve this problem, to maximise the durability of a door handle and also to reduce repair costs should the door handle be damaged. A handle assembly for a door according to the present invention is characterised in that part of the handle body abuts the front face of the door, said part being directly attached to the front face of the door at the point of contact by the fixture, and another part of the handle body abuts the handle base. Preferably a projecting section is provided on the handle body or the handle base and a recession which is provided on the handle base or the handle body in a position matched to the projecting section. In one embodiment, a recess is formed in a door mounting surface of the handle body between an end of the handle body and the mounting fixture. An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a door incorporating a handle assembly in accordance with one aspect of the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the door shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a longitudinal side view of the handle assembly shown in Figure 1; Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Figures 1-3 a door which is fitted with a heat insulating material such as polyurethane foam. A cut-out extends between front surface 2, side surface 3 and on one side of the door. Mounting holes 5, are provided in the front surface 2 of the door adjacent the top and bottom of the cut-out 4 and positioning holes 6 are provided above and below the top and bottom mounting holes 5. Before injecting the polyurethane foam into the door 1, positioning projections 9 provided on mounting sections 8 of fixing members 7 are located in the positioning holes 6 to loosely attach for preliminary installation, the generally U-shaped fixing members 7 to the inner surface of the door 1. At the same time, a tapped hole 10 provided in the mounting sections 8 is aligned with the aforesaid mounting holes 5. A handle base 11 fits over the cut-out 4 and is shaped to form a depression 12 in the front surface 2 of the door 1. The handle assembly 15 of the present invention comprises handle base 11, handle body 16 and cover 17 attached thereto. The handle body 16 and the handle base 11 are made of polypropylene; the body cover 17 is composed of ABS resin. Thus the handle base 11 and the handle body 16 are made of a durable material which is not suited for plating whereas the body cover 17 made of ABS resin can be plated. As a result, the strength of the handle 15 can be increased without sacrificing its appearance. Edge 18 of the handle base 11 is designed to cooperate with the edge of the cut-out 4 and includes fitting sections 19. The edge 18 of the handle base 11 also has recesses 20 which receive projections 22 formed on the handle body 16 in positions matching the positions of the projections 20. The portions of the handle body 16 which are located above and below the upper projection 22 respectively contact the front surface 2 of the door 1 at the top and bottom of the handle base 11, the handle body 16 being connected to the fixing members 7 by means of screws 21 via the front surface 2. As an alternative, the recesses 20 may be provided in the handle body 16 and the projections 22 may be provided on the handle base 11. The mounting holes 5 have diameters which are sufficiently large for the threaded sections of the screws 21 to be inserted with an allowance. Thus, in the structure illustrated in Figures 1-3 the handle body 16 is held on the handle base 11 by the fixing members 7 which hold the projections 22 in the recesses 20. This means that the handle base 11 and the handle body 16 are not bound together so if the handle body 16 should break, the handle base 11 will not be damaged. As shown in Figure 3, the junction surface of the door 1 and the handle body 16 is no longer flush with the junction surface of the handle body 16 and the handle base 11, that is, the root of the projections 22 meaning that they are on different planes. Thus, if a crack occurs between the handle body 16 and the door 1, it will be prevented from reaching the handle base 11, or a crack in the handle base 11 can be prevented from reaching the handle body 16. From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the handle device is provided with: a handle base which closes a cut-out formed in the front face of a door and which forms a depression in the front face of the door; a handle body which is provided over the handle base; and a body cover which covers the handle body and which is attached thereto; wherein a part of the handle body abuts against the handle base and other part thereof is contacted with the front face of the door, and the handle body is directly attached to the door with a fixture at the contacted part. This enables the handle device to be firmly fixed to the door and even if the handle body should be damaged, the handle base will not be affected, thus permitting lower repairing costs.

Claims: A handle assembly for a door comprising a handle base (11) which fits into a cut-out (4) formed in the front face (2) of a door (1) to form a depression therein, and a handle body (16) having a cover (17) attached thereto, the handle body fitted over said handle base (11), and attached to the door with a fixture (21) characterised in that part of the handle body (16) abuts the front face of the door, said part being directly attached to the front face (2) of the door at the point of contact, by the fixture (21), and another part of the handle body (16) abuts the handle base (11). A handle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a projecting section (22) is provided on said handle body (16) or said handle base (11) and a recess (20) is provided on said handle base (11) or said handle body (16) in a position matched to said projecting section (22). A handle assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the handle body (16) includes a recess therein to receive said fixture (21). A handle assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the handle base (11) and handle body (16) are made of the same material, and the body cover (17) is made of a material suitable for plating. A handle assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the handle body cover (17) is mounted so that it can move lengthwise with respect to the handle body (16). A handle assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein a junction surface of said handle body (16) and said handle base (11) and a junction surface of said handle body (16) and said door (1) are formed on different planes.

Inventors: ONAI SHINYA, SATO KENJI, ONAI, SHINYA, SATO, KENJI
Applicants: SANYO ELECTRIC CO, SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: F25D23
IPC codes: F25D23, E05B1, A47B95