Abstract:
A refrigerator handle assembly includes a base plate which is initially attached to the face of the refrigerator, such as through the use of screws or the like. The base plate includes tapered surfaces, preferably at longitudinally spaced positions. Once the base plate is secured, a portion of the handle is placed over the base plate and slid relative to the base plate whereupon the tapered surfaces coact with structure on the handle such that an interference fit is developed to draw the handle tight to the face of the door. With the handle in this position, one or more mechanical fasteners are driven into a body portion of the handle from a back side of the door.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a mounting arrangement for a handle on a refrigerator.  
           [0003]    2. Discussion of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    Conventional handle arrangements for refrigerators are formed from multiple pieces, including a handle frame and a handle piece having a gripping portion. Such a handle is typically mounted to a refrigerator cabinet utilizing screws which extend through the handle piece and frame, clamping the overall handle to a panel of the refrigerator cabinet. Once the handle is in place, a cover is inserted over the screw, with the cover extending only over the area of the screws or along substantially the entire length of the handle. In general, this known handle mounting arrangement is rather hard to assemble and often results in witness lines that take away from the overall aesthetics of the refrigerator.  
           [0005]    In certain refrigerators, gas assist handles are employed in an attempt to simplify the construction and assembly, while also improving the aesthetics. Such handle arrangements are also considered advantageous given their characteristic soft feel. Regardless, there still exists a need in the art for an improved refrigerator handle mounting arrangement preferably, but certainly not limited to, mounting a gas assist handle to a refrigerator in a manner which provides a tight, aesthetically appealing and easily assembled overall arrangement.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention pertains to the mounting of a handle to a door face of a refrigerator. In accordance with the most preferred form of the invention, a base piece is initially attached to the face of the refrigerator, such as through the use of screws or the like. The base piece includes tapered surfaces, preferably at longitudinally spaced positions. Once the base piece is secured, a portion of a handle is placed over the base piece and slid relative to the base whereupon the tapered surfaces coact with structure of the handle such that an interference fit is developed to keep the handle tight to the door panel. With the handle in this position, one or more mechanical fasteners are driven into a body portion of the handle from a back side of the door panel. With this arrangement, all of the mechanical fasteners are hidden and witness lines, corresponding to those associated with conventional handle mounting arrangements, are avoided.  
           [0007]    Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is upper front perspective view of a refrigerator cabinet incorporating a refrigerator door handle arrangement constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the handle arrangement of FIG. 1;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the mounting structure for the handle arrangement of FIGS. 1 and 2;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of another portion of the mounting structure for the handle arrangement of the invention; and  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an upper rear portion of the refrigerator door illustrating additional mounting structure for the overall handle arrangement.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0013]    With initial reference to FIG. 1, the handle arrangement  1  of the invention is shown mounted to a refrigerator cabinet which is generally indicated at  2 . Although handle arrangement  1  can be applied to various different types and styles of refrigerators, as shown, refrigerator cabinet  2  includes a cabinet shell  5  formed from side panels  9  and  10  which are interconnected by a top panel  12 . Preferably, cabinet shell  5  is formed from bending a single piece of sheet metal in a manner known in the art. As illustrated, refrigerator cabinet  2  constitutes a side-by-side refrigerator having a fresh food compartment door  15  which is arranged laterally juxtaposed a freezer door  18 . Extending laterally across cabinet shell  5 , below fresh food and freezer doors  15  and  18  is a kickplate  20 . Aside from the aspects which will be described more fully below, the basic construction and operation of refrigerator cabinet  2  is known in the art, does not form part of the present invention and therefore will not be discussed further herein.  
         [0014]    Fresh food door  15  includes an outer vertical edge portion  21  which is pivotally attached to cabinet shell  5  through upper hinge  23  and a lower hinge  24 . In accordance with the present invention, fresh food door  15  includes an upper inner edge portion  28  and an offset lower inner edge portion  30 . Therefore, upper and lower inner edge portions  28  and  30  are laterally spaced and extend in vertically offset planes or axes. In a generally similar manner, freezer door  18  includes an outer edge portion  38  which is pivoted at upper hinge  40  and lower hinge  42  for movement relative to cabinet shell  5 . In addition, freezer door  18  includes an upper inner edge portion  45  which is offset from a lower inner edge portion  47 . Again, the exact construction of refrigerator  2  can vary greatly without departing from the invention.  
         [0015]    As opposed to a more conventional side-by-side refrigerator wherein inner edge portions of fresh food and freezer doors would be spaced by a vertical, single axis gap, fresh food and freezer doors  15  and  18  in accordance with refrigerator  2  are spaced in a central zone of refrigerator cabinet  2  by a gap  52  that includes a first vertical component between upper inner edge portions  28  and  45 , a lateral component between inner edge portions  28  and  47  and a second vertical component between lower inner edge portions  30  and  47 . Therefore, fresh food door  15  is wider in an upper portion thereof than in a lower portion. Correspondingly, freezer door  18  is wider in a lower portion than in an upper portion. As will become more fully evident below, fresh food and freezer doors  15  and  18  conceal fresh food and freezer compartments of refrigerator cabinet  2  which also have varying width upper and lower sections in accordance with the present invention. In any event, further details of this basic structure of refrigerator  2  is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,447 which is incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0016]    The present invention is actually directed to the mounting of handles  60  and  61  for fresh food and freezer doors  15  and  18  respectively. Although the particular handle configuration can vary in accordance with the present invention, it is the particular mounting arrangement for one or more handles, such as handles  60  and  61 , to which the present invention is particularly directed. As shown, each handle  60 ,  61  includes a first, elongated end portion  65 , a second end portion  66 , and an intermediate portion  67  interconnecting the first and second end portions  65  and  66 . At this point, it should be understood that the exact configuration of handles  60  and  61  merely represents a preferred arrangement and various handle designs could be readily employed without departing from the invention.  
         [0017]    Reference will now be made to FIGS.  2 - 5  in describing the preferred mounting of handle  61  in accordance with the present invention and it is to be understood that handle  60  is constructed and mounted in a corresponding manner. With initial reference to FIG. 2, a base plate  75  is initially mounted to lower inner edge portion  47  of freezer door  18 . In accordance with the most preferred embodiment of the invention, base plate  75  includes first, second and third spaced mounting sections  80 - 82  which are joined by elongated connecting sections  85  and  86 . First and second mounting sections  80  and  81  are substantially, identically constructed such that the preferred construction of second mounting section  81  will now be described in detail with particular reference to FIG. 3 and is to be understood that corresponding structure exists with respect to first mounting section  80 .  
         [0018]    As shown in FIG. 3, second mounting section  81  includes a central recessed zone  90  within which is defined an elongated through slot  92 . Through slot  92  is adapted to receive a mechanical fastener  95 , such as a sheet metal screw, for use in attaching base plate  75  to freezer door  18 . Extending beyond the lateral dimensions of connecting sections  85  and  86 , second mounting section  81  is provided with side flanges  101  and  102 . Each side flange  101 ,  102  includes a diverging portion  105  leading from connecting section  86 , as well as a sidewall portion  106 . As clearly shown in this figure in viewing sidewall  106 , each side flange  101 ,  102  preferably tapers from adjacent a downwardly extending wall  110  towards diverging portion  105 . With this arrangement, each side flange  101  and  102  defines a tapering undercut for base plate  75  which is adapted to coact with a respective elongated tab portion  118 ,  119  formed at a predetermined location along first end portion  65  of handle  61 . As clearly shown, each elongated tab portion  118 ,  119  preferably defines a wedge surface  121  which is adapted to coact with a respective side flange  101 ,  102  as will be detailed more fully below. At this point, it again should be realized that corresponding structure exists for both base plate  75  and second end portion  66  of handle  61  at first mounting section  80 .  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 illustrates the preferred construction of third mounting section  82  and the interaction with first end portion  65 . Preferably, base plate  75  terminates in a raised projection  130  that is shown to be rounded. Projection  130  is generally flat and spaced from a recess  131  having a hole (not labeled) therein which is adapted to receive a mechanical fastener such as screw  133  in order to establish another connection location between base plate  75  and freezer door  18 . On the other hand, the terminal end of first end portion  65  of handle  61  is provided with an internal, arcuate ledge  135  which is adapted to slip under raised projection  130  upon mounting of handle  61  as will be detailed more fully below.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 illustrates a preferred construction of the rear portion of freezer door  18 , prior to attaching an inner door liner thereto. As shown, door  18  preferably includes a molded plastic cap  140  that has a rear, in-turn flange  144  formed with a pair of spaced, countersunk holes  146  and  147 . In general, holes  146  and  147  are adapted to receive mechanical fasteners such as screws (not shown) which extend through door  18  and are threadably received within second end portion  66  of handle  61 . More specifically, with the mounting arrangement of the present invention, base plate  75  is initially attached to lower edge portion  47  of freezer door  18  by mechanical fasteners as fully described above. In the most preferred embodiment of the invention, base plate  75  is molded of plastic. However, base plate  75  could be formed of metal. After base plate  75  is secured to lower inner edge portion  47 , handle  61  is arranged with first end portion  65  extending above base plate  75  such that ledge  135  is spaced from raised projection  130  and second edge portion  66  is spaced from holes  146  and  147  in the manner generally shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0021]    In this position, first end portion  65  of handle  61  can be completely laid over base plate  75  so as to extend about and substantially cover base plate  75 . Thereafter, the entire handle  61  is shifted or slid relative to base plate  75 , whereupon elongated tab portions  118  and  119  slip under side flanges  101  and  102  at each of first and second mounting sections  80  and  81 , while internal ledge  135  slips under raised projection  130  at third mounting section  82 . Due to the tapering of at least each sidewall  106  of side flanges  101  and  102 , as handle  61  is shifted in this manner, handle  61  is drawn against door  18 . That is, base plate  75  and handle member  61  include mating surfaces which coact along tapered portions thereof to draw handle  61  to the front side of door  18  upon shifting of handle  61  relative to base plate  75 . This interaction can occur simply due to tapering of each sidewall  106  at mounting sections  80  and  81 . In addition, a similar tapering could be employed at the interconnection between raised projection  130  and ledge  135  to perform a similar wedging function. In any event, handle  61  is shifted relative to door  18  and base plate  75  until a notch  160  formed in second end portion  66  abuts door cap  140 , with the shifting being further limited due to the presence of walls  100 , in order to properly align second end portion  66  with holes  146  and  147  to receive respective mechanical fasteners from the backside of door  18 . In the most preferred embodiment, base plate  75  actually tapers as clearly shown in referring to at least FIGS. 3 and 4. A similar configuration is preferably provided for elongated first end portion  65  of handle  61 . This overall tapering arrangement simply makes it easier to slide handle  61 , as discussed above, during the mounting process without causing any potential interference problems.  
         [0022]    With this handle mounting arrangement, handle  61  can be advantageously formed of plastic, preferably with a cushioned intermediate section  67  preferably being created through a gas assist operation during molding for gripping purposes, and a tight, aesthetically appealing, as well as easily assembled, overall handle arrangement is defined. In any event, although described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that various changes and/or modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, in general, the invention is only intended to be limited in accordance with scope of the following claims.