Patent Publication Number: US-6655765-B2

Title: Refrigerator door opener

Description:
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/744,913 filed Apr. 20, 2001, now abandoned. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention generally relates to a refrigerator and, more particularly, to a trigger mechanism built in a door handle assembly for forcibly opening a door a predetermined distance against magnetic attraction used to keep the door shut. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     A refrigerator commercially available in the market nowadays is provided with a plurality of doors, at least one of which is hingedly supported at one side thereof for swinging between opened and closed positions about a hinge. This hingedly supported door is generally provided with one or more storage shelves fixedly or removably fitted to an interior surface of the hingedly supported door for accommodating bottles, cans and/or canisters. In addition, each of the doors has a magnetic gasket fitted thereto so that when a respective door is in position to close an opening leading into an associated refrigerator compartment, a substantially gas-tight seal can be created between the respective door and a front edge of the refrigerator to avoid any possible leakage of chilled air from an interior of a refrigerator housing to an exterior thereof. As is well known to those skilled in the art, the magnetic gasket is of a design in which a permanent magnet is embedded to develop a magnetic force of attraction by which the respective door can be kept shut. 
     It has been experienced that in opening the hingedly supported door a relatively large amount of pulling force is necessary to overcome the magnetic force of attraction developed by the magnetic gasket between the door and the front edge of the refrigerator housing. This is particularly true where a substantial weight is imposed on the storage shelves by placement of filled bottles, cans and canisters. imposed on the storage shelves by placement of filled bottles, cans and canisters. Considering that the hingedly supported door is installed at a top region of the refrigerator, selective opening and closure of the door so loaded with the filled bottles, cans and canisters on the shelves is indeed a laborious job for a short user. 
     When it comes to a drawing door, the drawing door generally carries a storage container for accommodating perishables and/or any other food material therein. However, the deeper the storage container, the heavier the entire assembly thereof, and therefore a relatively large amount of pulling force is required to draw the drawing door from a closed position towards an open position. 
     In order to minimize a force required to open the drawing door, Japanese Laid-open Utility Model Publication No. 7-41377, published Jul. 21, 1995, discloses a door trigger mechanism comprising a generally elongated operating member movably concealed behind a door handle and having each of its opposite ends formed with a trigger arm. The trigger arms on the opposite ends of the operating member are engaged in one of creases in the magnetic gasket so that when the operating member is pulled forward during manipulation of the door handle, the trigger arms are moved forwardly in a direction away from a peripheral edge of the refrigerator housing to forcibly compress the magnetic gasket to thereby create gaps between the magnetic gasket and the peripheral edge of the refrigerator housing, thereby making it easy to open the drawing door. 
     The idea suggested in the above mentioned publication is applicable where the magnetic gasket is of a cross-sectional shape similar to a bellows having a plurality of creases extending over an entire periphery of the magnetic gasket so that the magnetic gasket can be inwardly compressed when the trigger arms are moved forwardly. However, since the trigger arms are engaged in one of the creases in the magnetic gasket in touch with the magnetic gasket, frequent use of the operating member would result in damage to the magnetic gasket. Once the magnetic gasket is damaged locally, a gas-tight seal will no longer be established between the peripheral edge of the refrigerator housing and the magnetic gasket. 
     On the other hand, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 61-79976, published Apr. 23, 1986, discloses a refrigerator door hingedly supported by a hinge axis to a refrigerator housing, and a handle movably fitted to a portion of the refrigerator door opposite to the hinge axis. The handle is movably carried by the door by virtue of an elongated operating bar connected at one end hingedly to the hinge axis of the door and at an opposite end to the handle. A trigger protuberance is fixedly mounted on a generally intermediate portion of the operating bar so as to protrude towards a peripheral edge of the refrigerator housing. This door trigger mechanism is so designed that when the handle is pushed, the trigger protuberance is brought into abutment with the peripheral edge of the refrigerator housing to forcibly separate a magnetic gasket, fast with the door, from the peripheral edge of the refrigerator housing. 
     However, according to the above mentioned patent publication, once the magnetic gasket, fast with the door, has been forcibly separated a distance from the peripheral edge of the refrigerator housing by the action of the trigger protuberance, a user has to pull the handle forward to open the refrigerator door. This means that the user has to perform two successive steps of pushing the handle to create a slight gap between the door and the refrigerator housing, and then grasping the handle to pull the latter to thereby open the door. This is indeed a complicated procedure. 
     A refrigerator door trigger mechanism employing a solenoid unit and an associated electric switch is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 1-222187, published Sep. 5, 1989, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-9341, first published Sep. 5, 1989 under Laid-open Patent Publication No. 1-222186. While use of an electrically operated trigger mechanism appears to be sophisticated, not only does the trigger mechanism require electricity accompanied by increase of electric power consumption of a refrigerator as a whole, but use of the electrically operated trigger mechanism tends to result in an increase of costs for manufacture of the refrigerator. In addition, this requires a complicated operating procedure of activating the switch to energize the solenoid unit, and then pulling a handle forward to open a door. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is intended to provide a door trigger mechanism built in a door handle assembly for forcibly opening a door a predetermined distance against magnetic force of attraction developed between a magnetic gasket, fast with the door, and a peripheral open edge of a refrigerator housing to keep the door shut. 
     To this end, one aspect of the present invention provides a refrigerator which comprises a thermally insulated housing opening forwardly at a front surface thereof; a door for selectively opening and closing the opening of the thermally insulated housing; a magnetic gasket positioned between the door and the thermally insulated housing and fitted to a portion of the door which is engageable with an open edge of the thermally insulated housing; a pivotally supported handle connected to the door for movement between opened and closed positions for opening and closing the door, respectively; and a trigger member drivingly coupled with the handle for movement between projected and retracted positions. With this structure, the trigger member is moved from the retracted position towards the projected position, as the handle is pivoted from the closed position towards the opened position, to abut the open edge to thereby physically release a contact between the magnetic gasket and the open edge. The trigger member is spaced a distance from an abutment face of the open edge of the thermally insulated housing so long as the handle is held in the closed position, but temporarily brought into engagement with the abutment face of the thermally insulated housing as the handle is pivoted from the closed position towards the opened position to open the door. 
     According to the present invention, a simple pull of the refrigerator door in an attempt to open the door is accompanied by movement of the trigger member from the retracted position towards the projected position, and subsequent opening of the refrigerator door. Accordingly, no extra complicated procedure is required such as observed in prior art trigger mechanisms. 
     Preferably, the trigger member is positioned within an area encompassed by a length of the handle to allow the trigger mechanism to be compactly assembled. 
     The concept of the present invention is equally applicable to one or more drawing doors employed in a refrigerator with or without a hingedly supported door. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will become readily understood from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerator according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 with a door handle of a hingedly supported door assembly held in closed and opened positions, respectively, which portion is viewed from a bottom of the refrigerator; 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of that portion of the refrigerator of FIG. 1, showing the door handle of the hingedly supported door; 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the door handle shown in FIG. 5; 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 are fragmentary side sectional views, on an enlarged scale, showing a drawing door in the refrigerator of FIG. 1 with the door handle held in closed and opened positions, respectively; 
     FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the door handle of the drawing door shown in FIGS. 7 and 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of a refrigerator according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view of, on an enlarged scale, a portion of the refrigerator of FIG. 10 with a door handle of a hingedly supported door assembly held in a closed position; 
     FIG. 12 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the portion of the refrigerator showing the door handle shown in FIG. 11; 
     FIGS. 13 and 14 are fragmentary side sectional views, on an enlarged scale, showing a drawing door in the refrigerator of FIG. 10 with a door handle held in closed and opened positions, respectively; 
     FIG. 15 is an exploded view of the door handle of the drawing door shown in FIGS. 13 and 14; 
     FIG. 16 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a refrigerator according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing only an upper portion of the refrigerator; 
     FIG. 17 is a schematic side sectional view of a portion of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 16; 
     FIG. 18 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a refrigerator according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 19 is a front elevational view of a refrigerator according to a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 20 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a refrigerator according to a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 21 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a refrigerator according to a seventh preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIGS. 22 and 23 are front elevational views of refrigerators according to eighth and ninth preferred embodiments of the present invention, respectively; 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, various preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is, however, to be noted that throughout the accompanying drawings like parts are designated by like reference numerals. 
     First Embodiment (FIGS.  1  to  9 ) 
     A refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 to  9  and is generally identified by  1  in FIGS. 1 and 2. The refrigerator  1  comprises a generally rectangular box-like, thermally insulated upright housing  5  including an outer housing component  2  opening forwardly, an inner housing component  3  similarly opening forwardly and accommodated within the outer housing component  2 , and an adiabatic material  4  filled in a space delimited between the outer and inner housing components  2  and  3 , adiabatic partition walls  6 ,  7  and  8  dividing an interior of the refrigerator housing  5  into four compartments each having a front opening, and four doors  9 ,  10 ,  11  and  12  for selectively opening and closing respective compartments. 
     The outer housing component  2  of the housing  5  has a front edge formed with a flange  2   a  and, similarly, the inner housing component  3  has a front edge formed with a flange  3   a . In an assembled condition of the refrigerator housing  5 , the flange  2   a  integral with the front edge of the outer housing component  2  is overlapped with the flange  3   a  integral with the front edge of the inner housing component  3 , made of a synthetic resin, to thereby define an open edge. 
     Each of the adiabatic partition walls  6  to  8  has a front face provided with a partition brim  13  made of metal. Each partition brim  13  has a thickness L 1  which is greater than a wall thickness L 2  of the refrigerator housing  5 . Also, each partition brim  13  may be made of a synthetic resin, in which case it is effective to any possible leakage of chilled air from a corresponding compartment via thermal conduction. 
     Reference numeral  14  represents a magnetic gasket in which a flexible magnet  14   b  is embedded. This magnetic gasket  14  has a rectangular configuration and is fitted to each of the doors  9 ,  10 ,  11  and  12  so that the magnetic gasket  14  can be magnetically attracted to the open edge to thereby avoid any possible leakage of chilled air. 
     Reference numeral  15  represents a compressor disposed beneath the refrigerator housing  5 . A cooler  16  is positioned above the compressor  15  and a blower  17  for forcibly circulating chilled air into each of the compartments is also positioned above the cooler  16 . Reference numeral  18  represents a damper for guiding the chilled air, circulated by the blower  17 , into a refrigerating compartment. Temperature inside the refrigerator housing  5  is so controlled that the four compartments inside the refrigerator housing  5  can define a refrigerating compartment, a freezer/refrigerating selectable compartment, a freezer compartment and a vegetable compartment, respectively, in order from a top of the refrigerator housing  5 . In any event, the refrigerator itself may be of any known construction. 
     Each of the doors  9  to  12  is used to selectively open and close an associated compartment in the refrigerator housing  5 . Topmost door  9  has top and bottom right corner areas, as viewed in FIG. 1, connected to the refrigerator housing  5  by virtue of coaxially aligned hinges  19  for selectively opening and closing the front opening leading to the refrigerating compartment. This topmost door  9  has a stack of shelves  20  arranged one above the other on an inside surface thereof facing towards the refrigerating compartment for accommodating bottles, cans, canisters and eggs. 
     Each of the remaining doors  10 ,  11  and  12  is a drawing door that can be moved between a forwardly drawn, open position and a rearwardly retracted, closed position along guide rails (not shown), and that includes a corresponding storage container  21 ,  22  or  23  fitted thereto while opening upwardly. As far as depth and capacity are concerned, the storage container  21  fitted to uppermost drawing door  10  has the smallest of all of the storage containers. 
     The uppermost drawing door  10  is held at a, height L above a support surface, for example, a kitchen floor which is not greater than 1 meter. This particular height L being not greater than 1 meter is considered optimum for most Japanese women to remove or place food material into the storage container  21  without being interfered with by the other drawing doors  11  and  12 , where the refrigerating compartment is defined at a top of the refrigerator housing  5 . 
     Reference numeral  24  represents a hinged handle having a grip  25  extending substantially horizontally below a lower portion of hingedly supported door  9  opposite to lowermost hinge  19 . A portion of the hinged handle  24  is formed integrally with a trigger piece  26  made of a synthetic resin and engageable with the partition brim  13  that forms a part of the open edge of the refrigerator housing  5 . This trigger piece  26  is positioned on a lower face of a lower decorative plate  9   a  of the hingedly supported door  9  and at a location adjacent and outside one corner of the rectangular magnetic gasket  14 . Positioning of the trigger piece  26  outside the corner of the rectangular magnetic gasket  14  is particularly advantageous in avoiding a possibility of a gas-tight seal being impaired. 
     Reference numerals  27  and  28  represent support brackets. The support bracket  27  is used for connecting the hinged handle  24  to the hingedly supported door  9  for pivotal movement in a plane substantially perpendicular to the hingedly supported door  9  between opened and closed positions. This support bracket  27  is rigidly secured by virtue of a plurality of set screws  29  to the decorative plate  9   a  concealing a lower surface of the trigger piece  26 , and includes a lug  30  protruding forwardly from the hingedly supported door  9 . On the other hand, the support bracket  28  is rigidly secured by virtue of a plurality of set screws  29  to a front surface of the hingedly supported door  9  and has a lug  31  formed integrally therewith by bending so as to protrude in a direction conforming to a direction of protrusion of the lug  30  in a face-to-face relationship with the lug  30 . 
     The hinged handle  24  includes a hinge pin  32  extending across a thickness of the hinged handle  24  with its opposite ends connected respectively to the mutually confronting lugs  30  and  31 . Accordingly, the hinged handle  24  can pivot between an opened and closed position about this hinge pin  32 . The grip  25  of the hinged handle  24  and the trigger piece  26  are held in such a positional relationship that the trigger piece  26  can occupy a position opposite to the hinge, i.e., on one side of the hinge pin  32  remote from the grip  25 . An elastic member  33  such as, for example, a coiled spring is loosely mounted on the hinge pin  32  to urge the hinged handle  24  in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3 to assume the closed position unless a pulling force is applied to the hinged handle  24 . Thus, it will readily be seen that when the hinged handle  24  is pulled forwardly, the hinged handle  24  pivots counterclockwise about the hinge pin  32  as viewed in FIG. 3 against a biasing force of the elastic member  33 . It is to be noted that so long as the hinged handle  24  is manipulated, i.e., held in the closed position as shown in FIG. 3, the trigger piece  26  is spaced a distance from the partition brim  13  and is therefore out of contact with the partition brim  13 . 
     The hinged handle  24  is made of a material mixed with an antimicrobial agent to render the hinged handle  24  to have an antimicrobial characteristic, and the grip  25  has at least a front surface knurled to provide surface irregularities effective to avoid slippage. 
     Reference numeral  34  represents a pivot handle mounted on each of the drawing doors  10 ,  11  and  12 . This handle  34  is positioned adjacent a top middle portion of an associated drawing door  10 ,  11  or  12 . The drawing door  10  (as well as any of the other drawing doors  11  and  12 , although all of the drawing doors  10  to  12  have a varying height) has a decorative plate  35  fixedly mounted on an upper edge thereof. This decorative plate  35  has a portion thereof formed with a cavity  36  recessed downwardly thereof as viewed in FIGS. 7 and 8, and a trigger piece  37  is disposed within the cavity  36  for sliding movement between retracted and projected positions, as shown respectively in FIGS. 7 and 8, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the drawing door  10  and also to an associated partition brim  13 . A portion of a front panel  10   a  of the drawing door  10  is formed with a recess  38  for accommodating the slidable trigger piece  37 . 
     The pivot handle  34  has an upper portion pivotally supported within the recess  38  and is formed integrally with a presser face  39  for pressing the slidable trigger piece  37  from the retracted position towards the projected position in response to movement of the pivot handle  34  from a closed position, as shown in FIG. 7, towards an opened position, as shown in FIG.  8 . The pivot handle  34  is also formed intergrally with a pull face  40  for returning the slidable trigger piece  37  from the projected position towards the retracted position in response to movement of the pivot handle from the opened position towards the closed position as biased by an elastic member  42  such as, for example, a coiled spring. The slidable trigger piece  37  is formed with a projection  41  selectively engageable with the presser face  39  and the pull face  40 . The elastic member  42  used to urge the pivot handle  34  normally towards the closed position is mounted on the pivot handle  34  and, for this purpose has one end engaged with the projection  41  and an opposite end engaged in the recess  38 . 
     With the slidable trigger piece  37  held in the retracted position as shown in FIG. 8, the slidable trigger piece  37  is spaced a slight distance from an adjacent partition brim  13 . Reference numeral  43  represents a cover plate overhanging the slidable trigger piece  37  and also overlaying a front top area of the pivot handle  34 . The slidable trigger piece  37  is positioned within an area encompassed by a length L 3  of the pivot handle  34  as measured in a direction widthwise of the refrigerator housing  5  so that a trigger mechanism can be compactly assembled. 
     It is to be noted that the pivot handle  34  and its associated component parts including the slidable trigger piece  37 , which has been described in association with the drawing door  10  is equally employed in each of the remaining drawing doors  11  and  12 . 
     Hereinafter, respective operations of the handles employed in the refrigerator according to the present invention will be described. 
     The hinged handle  24  has the grip  25  of a design that permits a user&#39;s hand to easily grip the hinged handle  24  from any of three directions, top, bottom and non-fixed portion, and is capable of opening the hingedly supported door  9 . When the hinged handle  24  is pivoted counterclockwise about the hinge pin  32  when the hingedly supported door  9  is desired to be opened, the trigger piece  26  moves a slight distance and is then brought into contact with partition brim  13 . Then, the hingedly supported door  9  is pivoted clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 2, about the hinge pins  19 . Further opening of the hingedly supported door  9  can be achieved when the user opens the hingedly supported door  9  in the clockwise direction. 
     More specifically, since the trigger piece  26  can move freely during pivoting of the hinged handle  24 , it can be moved by application of a light force thereto. When this manipulation is continued, the trigger piece  26  is temporarily brought into contact with partition brim  13  to partially separate the magnetic gasket, rigid with the hingedly supported door  9 , from the open edge and, therefrom further opening of the hingedly supported door  9  can be achieved with a slight force and without being affected by magnetic force of attraction developed between the magnetic gasket  14  and a front of partition brim  13 . Release of the user&#39;s hand from the grip  25  of the handle  24  results in the handle  24  being returned to an initial position by effect of a biasing force of the elastic member  33 . 
     When food material is desired to be removed from one of the storage containers, for example, storage container  21 , associated drawing door  10  has to be pulled forwardly. For this purpose, the user must insert his or her hand into the recess  38  to position fingers between the pivot handle  34  and a bottom of the recess  38 , and then pull the pivot handle  34  forwardly to allow the pivot handle  34  to be angularly moved or pivoted from closed position towards an opened position. This pivot of the pivot handle  34  towards the opened position results in contact of the presser face  39  with the projection  41  and, therefore, further pivot of the pivot handle  34  towards the opened position is accompanied by sliding movement of the trigger piece  37  from the retracted position towards the projected position. 
     As a result of abutment of the trigger piece  37  with partition brim  13 , the magnetic gasket rigid with the drawing door  10 , then held in tight contact with partition brim  13  via magnetic force of attraction, is separated a distance away from partition brim  13  so that further movement of the drawing door  10  towards the opened position can be achieved by application of a light pulling force thereto. It is to be noted that after the magnetic gasket  14  has been forcibly separated from partition brim  13  by action of the trigger piece  37 , pulling of the drawing door  10  to make access to the storage container  21  can be carried out smoothly in a manner generally performed with that of a conventional refrigerator. As a matter of design, release of the hand from the pivot handle  34  results in automatic return of the pivot handle  34  to the closed position by effect of a biasing force of the elastic member  42 , with the trigger piece  37  consequently brought back to the retracted position by engagement between the pull face  40  and the projection  41  and, therefore, when the drawing door  10  once opened is to be closed, a simple push is sufficient and the trigger piece  37  does not abut partition brim  13  when the drawing door  10  is thus closed. 
     In the structure described above, since the pivot handle  34  for each of the drawing doors  10  to  12  is positioned intermediate of a width of an associated drawing door, there is no possibility that a force a user applies to any of the drawing doors will be biased. Also, since the trigger piece  37  is arranged within a dimension of the pivot handle  34 , there is no possibility that the user will feel a sense of incongruity at any location on the handle  34 , which would otherwise occur when the trigger piece  37  is brought into abutment with partition brim  13 . 
     Also, since material for the hinged handle  24  is mixed with an antimicrobial agent to render the handle  24  to have an antimicrobial characteristic, the handle  24 , which tends to be contaminated through contact with a user&#39;s hand, can advantageously be kept sanitary and clean. In addition, formation of the knurling on the grip  25  of the handle to provide fine surface irregularities is effective to avoid any possible slippage of a user&#39;s hand grasping the handle  24  to thereby improve operability. 
     Furthermore, since by allowing the trigger pieces  26  and  27  to abut associated partition brims  13  an abutment position of a dimension longer than a thickness of the refrigerator housing  5  can be secured, a simple adjustment can be achieved as compared with adjustment of abutment with an outer casing. It is to be noted that although in the foregoing embodiment the trigger piece is not held in abutment with a wall pressure of the refrigerator housing, there should be no problem even if it is held in abutment therewith. 
     It is to be noted that the term “open edge” hereinbefore and hereinafter used, and also used in the appended claims, is intended to mean any of the front and partition brims. 
     Second Embodiment (FIGS.  10  to  15 ) 
     Referring now to FIGS. 10 to  15 , reference numeral  44  represents a covering provided on a portion of hinged handle  24  opposite to hinge A so as to cover a region extending from hinge A to an extension face  45  of a portion of the handle  24  opposite to grip  25 . A gap between the covering  44  and one end of the extension face  45  is of a value L 4  which is preferably as small as possible. 
     However, since when hingedly supported door  9  is to be opened, this extension face  45  moves in a direction closely towards the door and counter to a direction of movement of the grip  25  of the handle  24 , there is no possibility of a user&#39;s hand being jammed. 
     Drawing door  10  has a storage container which is smaller, but lighter than respective storage containers of any of drawing doors  11  and  12  and, therefore, handle  47  associated therewith is of any known pull-type structure, whereas only drawing doors  11  and  12  are provided with a pivotable grip handle  46  as will be described hereinafter. 
     The drawing door  11  (as well as drawing door  12 , although these drawing doors  11  and  12  have a varying height) has a decorative plate  48  fixedly mounted on an upper edge thereof. This decorative plate  48  has a portion thereof formed with a cavity  49  recessed downwardly as viewed in FIG. 15, and a slidable trigger piece  50  is disposed within the cavity  49  for sliding movement between retracted and projected positions, as shown respectively in FIGS. 13 and 14, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the drawing door  11  and also to associated partition brim  13 . A portion of front panel  11   a  of the drawing door  11  is formed with a recess  51  for accommodating the slidable trigger piece  50 . 
     The pivot handle  46  has an upper portion pivotally supported within the recess  51  by virtue of a pivot pin  52  mounted on the decorative plate  48  so as to straddle the recess  51 . The slidable trigger piece  50  is formed with pins  53  protruding laterally outwardly from one end thereof, and is operatively coupled with the handle  46  with the pins  53  received in respective engagement grooves  54 . An elastic member  55  such as, for example, a coil spring has its opposite ends held in contact with the handle  46  and a bottom of the recess  51  to urge the handle  46  normally towards the closed position as shown in FIG. 13, and hence to urge the slidable trigger piece  50  towards the retracted position. With the slidable trigger piece  50  so positioned at the retracted position as shown in FIG. 13, one end of the slidable trigger piece  50  remote from the handle  46  is spaced a slight distance from an associated partition brim  13 . 
     Reference numeral  56  represents a covering mounted on the decorative plate  48  so as to overhang the slidable trigger piece  50  and also to cover a top front portion of the handle  46 . As with the foregoing embodiment, the slidable trigger piece  50  is positioned within an area encompassed by length L 3  of the pivot handle  46  as measured in a direction widthwise of the refrigerator housing  5 . Since the covering  56  is used to cover that end portion of the handle  46  in the hingedly supported door  9 , there is no possibility that a user&#39;s hand will be jammed by that end portion of the handle. 
     Also, since uppermost drawing door  10  is provided with a storage container that is shallower and lighter than respective storage containers of the other drawing doors  11  and  12 , it can be opened with a slight force even though the handle is not designed to be of a movable type, and elimination of use of a movable handle makes it possible to reduce cost. 
     It is to be noted that the handles  24  and  46  employed in the second embodiment of the present invention bring about effects and advantages similar to those discussed in connection with the foregoing embodiment of the present invention. 
     Third Embodiment (FIGS.  16  and  17 ) 
     Referring now to FIGS. 16 and 17, hinged handle  24  is pivotally connected to a bottom left corner of hingedly supported door  9  remote from a hinge with its grip  25  extending upright in a direction conforming to a longitudinal direction of refrigerator housing  5 . Accordingly, dimension B of the handle  24  having the grip  25  as measured in a direction widthwise of the hingedly supported door  9  can be minimized, thereby making it difficult for a user and his or her clothing to be caught thereby. Also, during use, the handle  24  moves to push a portion of the refrigerator housing  5  and, accordingly, a force necessary to selectively open and close the hingedly supported door  9  can advantageously be minimized. 
     Fourth Embodiment (FIG.  18 ) 
     In a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention, refrigerator housing  5  has drawing doors  57  and  58  juxtaposed in a side-by-side relationship and positioned at a location generally intermediate a height of the refrigerator housing  5 . Although not shown, these drawing doors  57  and  58  include respective storage containers. As viewed in FIG. 18, the left drawing door  57  has the handle  34  positioned at a top middle portion thereof and the right drawing door  58  has handle  34  positioned at a bottom middle portion. While the handle  34  of the left drawing door  57 , when pulled to pivot, moves forwardly and upwardly, the handle  34  of the right drawing door  58  is, when pulled to pivot, moved forwardly and downwardly. 
     While structure and operation of these handles  34  of the left and right drawing doors  57  and  58  are substantially identical with each other and are not therefore reiterated, it should be noted that operability of each of the handles  34  will not be adversely affected by a specific layout of these handles. 
     Fifth Embodiment (FIG.  19 ) 
     In a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 19, uppermost drawing door  10  has handle  46  positioned at a bottom middle portion thereof, whereas intermediate drawing door  11  has handle  46  positioned at a top middle portion thereof so as to confront the handle  46  in the uppermost drawing door  10 . Accordingly, the handle  46  of the uppermost drawing door  10 , although substantially identical in structure with handle  46  of the intermediate drawing door  11 , is reversed relative to the handle  46  of the intermediate drawing door  11  and, therefore, while the handle  46  of the intermediate drawing door  11 , when pulled to pivot, moves forwardly and upwardly, the handle  46  of the uppermost drawing door  10  is, when pulled to pivot, moved forwardly and downwardly. 
     While structure and operation of these handles  46  of the drawing doors  10  and  11  are substantially identical with each other and are not therefore reiterated for the sake of brevity, it should be noted that operability of each of the handles  46  will not be adversely affected by a specific layout of these handles. 
     Sixth Embodiment (FIG.  20 ) 
     In a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 20, a concept of the present invention is applied to a refrigerator of the type employing a casement door assembly including left and right swing doors  59  and  60  each hingedly supported by a respective pair of upper and lower hinge pins  61  and  62 . 
     Left swing door  59  has a bottom right corner provided with handle  24 , whereas right swing door  60  has a bottom left corner provided with handle  24 . These handles  24  associated respectively with the swing doors  59  and  60  include respective trigger pieces which are arranged symmetrically so as to be engageable with partition brim  13 , and are arranged with their grips  25  extending generally horizontally in a direction widthwise of refrigerator housing  5 . Also, although not shown, a magnetic gasket is at this time held in sealing contact with three sides of the refrigerator housing. 
     Pivot handles can be applied even to the casement door assembly as discussed with reference to FIG.  20 . In addition, the pivot handles  20  applied to the casement door assembly can be tailored and designed aesthetically to provide a refrigerator having appealing features. 
     Seventh Embodiment (FIG.  21 ) 
     Even in a seventh preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 21, a concept of the present invention is applied to a refrigerator of the type employing a casement door assembly similar to that used in the sixth embodiment and including left and right swing doors  59  and  60 , each hingedly supported by a respective pair of upper and lower hinge pins  61  and  62 . 
     The left swing door  59  has a bottom right corner provided with handle  24  with its grip  25  oriented upright in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of refrigerator housing  5 , whereas the right swing door  60  has a bottom left corner provided with handle  24  with its grip  25  oriented upright in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the refrigerator housing  5  and parallel with the grip  25  of the handle  24  in the left swing door  59 . Although not shown, a magnetic gasket is at this time held in sealing contact with three sides of the refrigerator housing. 
     Pivot handles can be applied even to the casement door assembly as discussed with reference to FIG.  21 . In addition, the pivot handles applied to the casement door assembly can be tailored and designed aesthetically to provide a refrigerator having appealing features. In addition, since dimension B of each of the handles  24 , having the respective grips  25 , as measured in a direction widthwise of hingedly supported door  9  can be minimized, it is possible to minimize a possibility of a user and his or her clothing being caught thereby. 
     Eighth Embodiment (FIG.  22 ) 
     Referring to FIG. 22 showing an eighth preferred embodiment of the present invention, reference numerals  63 ,  64  and  65  represent respective drawing doors each movable between a forwardly drawn, open position and a rearwardly retracted, closed position along guide rails (not shown), and each including a corresponding storage container (not shown) fitted thereto while opening upwardly. As far as depth and capacity are concerned, the storage container fitted to intermediate drawing door  64  has the smallest of all of the storage containers, i.e., similar to storage container  21  of FIG.  2 . The storage container associated with uppermost drawing door  63  is used as a crispy container for accommodating vegetables, the storage container associated with the intermediate drawing door  64  is used as a multi-purpose container, and the storage container associated with lowermost drawing door  65  is used as a freezer container. 
     Since the intermediate drawing door  64  has the storage container which is of the smallest size as compared with the storage containers associated with the uppermost and lowermost drawing doors  63  and  65 , and is therefore light-weight, handle  66  associated therewith is of any known pull-type structure, whereas only the drawing doors  63  and  65  are provided with pivotable grip handles  46 . 
     It is to be noted that the multi-purpose storage container associated with the intermediate drawing door  64  may be cooled to a temperature generally intermediate freezing and refrigerating temperatures, and may therefore be used to accommodate perishables such as fishes and/or meats, or may be designed so as to be cooled to any desired temperature between the freezing and refrigerating temperatures via a provision of a specially designed damper (not shown) so that the intermediate storage container can be used as desired to provide a food storage space. 
     In this structure described with reference to FIG. 22, since the light-weight storage container of a shallow depth, as compared with the storage containers associated with the drawing doors  63  and  65 , is fitted to the intermediate drawing door  64 , it can be opened with a slight force even though its associated handle is not designed to be of a movable type, and elimination of use of a movable handle makes it possible to reduce cost. It is pointed out that in view of health care being considered to be important in recent years, a design has been made in which a crispy container, which is most often accessed, is preferentially placed at a level of the refrigerator at which a user can gain an entire perspective of the crispy container without being forced to bow and, therefore, the layout of the drawing doors according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 22, in which the drawing door of the smallest height is placed at a portion of refrigerator housing  5  that is generally intermediate a height thereof, is effective to increase utility of the refrigerator embodying the present invention. 
     Ninth Embodiment (FIG.  23 ) 
     In FIG. 23, reference numerals  67  and  68  represent right and left drawing doors, respectively, which are positioned between uppermost drawing door  63  and the lowermost drawing door  65 . Each of the right and left drawing doors  67  and  68  is movable between a forwardly drawn, open position and a rearwardly retracted, closed position along guide rails (not shown), and each includes a corresponding storage container (not shown) fitted thereto while opening upwardly. As far as depth and capacity are concerned, the respective storage containers fitted to the right and left drawing doors  67  and  68  are small as compared with storage containers associated with the uppermost and lowermost drawing doors  63  and  65  (see the storage container  21  of FIG. 2 for a depth of the storage containers fitted to drawing doors  67  and  68 ). In this illustrated embodiment, the storage container associated with the right drawing door  67  is used as a multi-purpose container, whereas the storage container associated with the left drawing door  68  is used as an icing chamber. Since as compared with any of the drawing doors  63  and  65 , each of the drawing doors  67  and  68  has a respective storage container having a relatively small depth and a relatively small width, and is therefore light-weight, any of the drawing doors  67  and  68  can be opened with a sufficiently small force even though no movable handle is employed, thereby making it possible to reduce cost. 
     In addition, in view of health care being considered important in recent years, a design has been made in which a crispy container, which is most often accessed, is preferentially placed at a level of the refrigerator at which a user can gain an entire perspective of the crispy container without being forced to bow and, therefore, the layout of the drawing doors according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 23, in which the drawing door of the smallest height is placed at a portion of the refrigerator housing  5  that is generally intermediate a height thereof is effective to increase utility of the refrigerator embodying the present invention. 
     Although the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications are apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims, unless they depart therefrom.