Patent Description:
In modern life, refrigerators are applied more and more widely, and almost become requisite household electrical appliance. The refrigerator is such an apparatus that it stores various food in a refrigerated state or a frozen state for a period of time in a preserved manner.

As technologies develop, functions of refrigerators become richer and richer, and the volume of refrigerators becomes bigger and bigger, so that doors of refrigerators become bigger. Meanwhile, due to the negative pressure in the refrigerator and a magnetic force between door seals of the door, a large force usually needs to be applied on the handle on the door of the refrigerator to directly open the door, which causes the difficulty in opening the door.

D1 (<CIT>) disclosed an opening device having a fastening plate for assembly to the door, a push member, and a handle for moving the push member at least between a closed position and an open position closing and opening the door respectively; the handle being hingeable selectively to the fastening plate about two separate hinge axes.

D2 (<CIT>) disclosed a handle unit which is designed to be pivoted relative to the appliance closure element about a handle pivot axis arranged at least substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal extension direction of the handle unit at least in order to trigger the opening aid unit.

D3 (<CIT>) disclosed an opening device, which is fitted to the door, and has a handle hinged about a first axis, a pusher connected to the handle and for detaching the door from the main body, and a member for emitting an acoustic signal; the acoustic signal being emitted by operation of the opening device.

An object of the present invention is to provide an assist handle and a refrigerator having the same. The assist handle employs a lever structure, the user may open the door of the refrigerator by pulling the handle bar with a small amplitude, and the lever structure may achieve an effect of opening the door of the refrigerator in a force-saving manner.

The present invention provides an assist handle as presented in claim <NUM>.

As optional embodiments of the present invention, the assist handle is conform to any of the claims <NUM> to <NUM>.

The present invention further provides a refrigerator as presented in claim <NUM>.

As compared with the prior art, the present invention provides the assist handle and a refrigerator; the assist structure of the assist handle employs a plurality of levers and links which are pivoted to one another; the assist structure, on the one hand, lengthens a moment arm acting on the push rod and achieves the force-saving effect; on the other hand, in the case that the handle bar is long, the distance by which the user pulls the handle bar is made small, and the phenomenon that the user needs to pull the handle bar with a large force is avoided. In addition, the structure that the handle bar is set as a plurality of interlinked handle portions helps achieve a better force-saving effect.

The present invention will be described in detail in conjunction with embodiments shown in the figures. However, these embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention. Structural, methodological or functional variations made by those having ordinary skill in the art according to these embodiments are all included in the extent of protection of the present invention.

<FIG> is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator having an assist handle in an embodiment of the present invention. <FIG> is an enlarged schematic view of a region A in <FIG>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, a refrigerator <NUM> comprises a door <NUM> and a cabinet <NUM>. The door <NUM> is pivoted to the cabinet <NUM> and may be opened or closed relative to the cabinet <NUM>. The cabinet <NUM> comprises a plurality of compartments for storing items.

A front side of the door <NUM> is provided with a handle bar <NUM>, an assist structure is disposed at a top end of the handle bar <NUM>, the assist structure is located between the front side of the door <NUM> and the top end of the handle bar <NUM>, and the top end of the handle bar <NUM> is close to the top of the refrigerator <NUM>. The assist handle comprises a first lever <NUM>, a first rotation shaft <NUM>, a link <NUM>, a second lever <NUM> and a second rotation shaft <NUM>, wherein the first lever <NUM> is disposed at the top end of the handle bar <NUM>, and preferably, the first lever <NUM> is integrally formed with the handle bar <NUM>; an upper end of the first lever <NUM> is pivoted to the first rotation shaft <NUM>; the second lever <NUM> is arranged opposite to the first lever <NUM>, and the second lever <NUM> is pivoted to the second rotation shaft <NUM>; wherein, both ends of the link <NUM> are pivoted to a lower end of the first lever <NUM> and a lower end of the second lever <NUM> respectively.

When the user pulls the handle bar <NUM> outwards, the handle bar <NUM> and the first lever <NUM> pivot together around the first rotation shaft <NUM>. At this time, the handle bar <NUM> is lifted relative to the door <NUM>, the first lever <NUM> drives the link <NUM> to move linearly, and the link <NUM> drives the second lever <NUM> to pivot around the second rotation shaft <NUM> so that the upper end of the second lever <NUM> pushes against a front end of a push rod <NUM> of the assist handle to enable the push rod <NUM> to move along a guide groove <NUM>, and a distal end of the push rod <NUM> pushes against the cabinet <NUM>, thereby opening and the door <NUM> relative to the cabinet <NUM>. The guide groove <NUM> runs through the door <NUM>, and the push rod <NUM> is inserted in the guide groove <NUM>.

When the user pulls the handle bar <NUM> outwards, the first lever <NUM>, the link <NUM> and the second lever <NUM> pivoted to one another, on the one hand, extend the force arm acting on the push rod <NUM>, and achieve a force-saving effect; on the other hand, in the case that the handle bar <NUM> is long (for example, the handle bar on the door of a side-by-side refrigerator), the pivotal design of the first lever <NUM>, the link <NUM> and the second lever <NUM> allows the user to pull the handle bar by a smaller distance and avoid a phenomenon that the user needs to pull the handle bar with a large force; that is, the assist handle of the present invention is adapted for a refrigerator with a large door <NUM>, such as a side-by-side refrigerator.

In the present invention, a side of the door <NUM> close to the user is defined as "a front side", and the other side away from the user is defined as "a rear side"; ends of the first lever <NUM> and the second lever <NUM> close to the top of the refrigerator <NUM> are defined "upper ends", and ends close to a ground plane where the refrigerator <NUM> is placed are defined as "lower ends"; an end of the push rod <NUM> close to the user is defined as a front end, and the end far away from the user is defined as a distal end.

Further referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the assist handle further comprises a base <NUM> which is configured as a box with an open end, and the open end of the box is engaged with the front side of the door <NUM>. The base <NUM> has an upper side wall, the upper side wall is perpendicular to the door <NUM>, the first rotation shaft <NUM> is disposed on a lower surface of the upper side wall, and the lower surface faces the bottom of the refrigerator <NUM>; the second rotation shaft <NUM> is disposed on a surface of the front side of the door <NUM>; the first rotation shaft <NUM>, the second rotation shaft21, the first lever <NUM>, the second lever <NUM> and the link <NUM> are respectively received in an internal space of the base <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, the link <NUM> is parallel and close to the lower side wall of the base <NUM>, and the lower side wall is opposite to the upper side wall. The first lever <NUM> and the second lever <NUM> are respectively vertically pivoted to both ends of the link <NUM>, so that the first lever <NUM>, the link <NUM> and the second lever <NUM> form a U shape accommodated in the internal space of the base <NUM>. Both ends of the link <NUM> are each provided with a first pivot structure, the lower end of the first lever <NUM> and the lower end of the second lever <NUM> are respectively provided with a second pivot structure, the first pivot structure is for example one of a pivot hole and a pivot shaft, the second pivot structure is for example the other of the pivot hole and the pivot shaft.

In addition, the lower side wall of the base <NUM> is provided with an escape hole corresponding to the handle bar <NUM>, and the handle bar <NUM> extends out of the escape hole and is located outside the base <NUM>, wherein the lower side wall is opposite to the upper side wall.

Furthermore, the push rod <NUM> comprises a first rod body <NUM> and a second rod body <NUM>. The first rod body <NUM> and the second rod body <NUM> are connected to each other by an elastic member <NUM>. The elastic member <NUM> is for example a spring. The first rod body <NUM> is provided with a first post, the second rod body <NUM> is provided with a second post, and the first post is opposite to the second post. Both ends of the spring are respectively sleeved on the first post and the second post, wherein the upper end of the second lever <NUM> abuts against a proximal end of the first rod body <NUM>. Preferably, the second lever <NUM> has a protrusion which abuts against the proximal end of the first rod body <NUM>. In other embodiments of the present invention, the elastic member may further be a metal elastic piece, elastic silicone, etc..

In addition, the push rod <NUM> is inserted in the guide groove <NUM>, and the proximal end of the first rod body <NUM> extends out of the guide groove <NUM> and protrudes from the surface of the front side of the door <NUM>, thereby facilitating the protrusion at the upper end of the second lever <NUM> to push against the first rod body <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, the elastic member <NUM> provides an elastic force to return the handle bar <NUM>. Specifically, the handle bar <NUM> is pulled to raise the handle bar <NUM> relative to the door <NUM>. The handle bar <NUM> drives the first lever <NUM> to rotate counterclockwise around the first rotation shaft <NUM>, the first lever <NUM> drives the link <NUM> to move forward horizontally and linearly, the link <NUM> drives the second lever <NUM> to rotate counterclockwise around the second rotation shaft <NUM> so that the protrusion at the upper end of the second rotation shaft <NUM> pushes against the first rod body <NUM>, the first rod body <NUM> compresses the elastic member <NUM>, the elastic member <NUM> pushes against the second rod body <NUM>, and the distal end of the second rod body <NUM> pushes against the cabinet <NUM> so that the door <NUM> is opened; after the door <NUM> is opened, the distal end of the second rod body <NUM> abuts against the cabinet <NUM>, the force acting upon the handle bar <NUM> is removed, the elastic member <NUM> is no longer compressed by the first rod body <NUM> and returns from a compressed state to an extended state to provide an elastic force, the elastic force acts on the first rod body <NUM>, the first rod body <NUM> pushes the second lever <NUM> so that the second lever <NUM> rotates clockwise around the second rotation shaft <NUM>, the second lever <NUM> drives the link <NUM> to move horizontally and linearly backward, and the link <NUM> drives the first lever <NUM> to rotate clockwise around the first rotation shaft <NUM>, whereupon the handle bar <NUM> returns along with the rotation of the first lever <NUM>.

<FIG> is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator having an assist handle in another embodiment of the present invention; <FIG> is an enlarged schematic view of a region B in <FIG>. The same reference numerals in <FIG> and <FIG> as those in <FIG> and <FIG> represent similar elements having similar functions, which will not be detailed any more.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, another embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator <NUM>, which is different from the refrigerator <NUM> in that the handle bar <NUM>' of the refrigerator <NUM> is a longer rod body comprising a first handle portion <NUM> and a second handle portion <NUM>, and a bottom end of the first handle portion <NUM> and a top end of the second handle portion <NUM> are connected by a connecting structure. The connecting structure comprises a first connector <NUM>, a second connector <NUM>, a fixed seat <NUM>, a sliding groove <NUM>, a lifting rod <NUM> and a lifting shaft <NUM>, wherein the fixed seat <NUM> is disposed between the handle bar <NUM>' and the door <NUM>, and the sliding groove <NUM> is provided in the interior of the fixed seat <NUM>. In the present embodiment, the sliding groove <NUM> is a through hole running through front and rear sides of the fixed seat <NUM>. The lifting rod <NUM> is received in the sliding groove <NUM>, a proximal end of the lifting rod <NUM> is provided the lifting shaft <NUM>, the lifting hole at the distal end of the first connector <NUM> and the lifting hole at the distal end of the second connector <NUM> are respectively pivoted to the lifting shaft <NUM>, and the first connector <NUM> and the second connector <NUM> pivoted on the on the lifting shaft <NUM> are arranged in a V shape. In other embodiments of the present invention, another lifting hole is provided at the proximal end of the lifting rod, and the mutual pivoting of the first connector, the second connector and the lifting rod is achieved by running another independent lifting shaft through the lifting hole at distal end of the first connector, the lifting hole at the distal end of the second connector and the lifting hole at the proximal end of the lifting rod.

In addition, the proximal end of the first connector <NUM> is connected to the bottom end of the first handle portion <NUM>, and the proximal end of the second connector <NUM> is connected to the top end of the second handle portion <NUM>.

In the refrigerator <NUM>, when the user pulls one of the first handle <NUM> and the second handle <NUM>, the first handle portion <NUM> and the second handle portion <NUM> are simultaneously pulled. That is, when the user pulls the first handle portion <NUM>, the first handle portion <NUM> is lifted toward the front side of the door <NUM>, and the first connector <NUM> at the bottom end of the first handle portion <NUM> is driven to lift toward the front side of the door <NUM>, the first connector <NUM> drives the lifting rod <NUM> to move along the sliding groove <NUM> toward the proximal end of the sliding groove <NUM>, and at the same time, the second connector <NUM> at the top end of the second handle portion <NUM> is lifted toward the front side of the door <NUM>, and thereby the second handle portion <NUM> is driven to lift toward the front side of the door <NUM> to realize the linkage of the first handle portion <NUM> and the second handle portion <NUM>. When the lifting rod <NUM> moves along the sliding groove <NUM> toward the proximal end of the sliding groove <NUM>, an angle between the first connector <NUM> and the second connector <NUM> becomes larger.

The above connecting structure connects the first handle portion <NUM> with the second handle portion <NUM>, so that the first handle portion <NUM> and the second handle portion <NUM> are linked with each other. The user only needs to pull one of the first handle portion <NUM> and the second handle portion <NUM> with a small force so that the other of the first handle portion <NUM> and the second handle portion <NUM> is pulled together simultaneously. The connecting structure is particularly suitable for a side-by-side refrigerator with a long handle bar.

In the present embodiment, a longitudinal section of the lifting rod <NUM> is a T-shaped structure, the structure of the sliding groove <NUM> is adapted to the structure of the lifting rod <NUM>, and the lifting shaft <NUM> is provided at a proximal end of the T-shaped structure, and a width of the proximal end of the T-shaped structure is greater than the width of its distal end.

Further referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the refrigerator <NUM> employs an assist structure similar to that in the refrigerator <NUM>. Reference may be made to the depictions of the refrigerator <NUM> for the assist structure. The difference lies in that the refrigerator <NUM> uses a pair of assist structures, namely, two assist structures. The pair of assist structures are respectively distributed at opposed top and bottom ends of the handle bar <NUM>', that is, one assist structure is provided at the top end of the first handle portion <NUM>, close to the top of the refrigerator <NUM>; the other assist structure is disposed at the bottom end of the second handle portion <NUM>, close to the ground plane where the refrigerator <NUM> is placed.

It should be noted that the longer handle bar <NUM>' in the refrigerator <NUM> is provided as the first handle portion <NUM> and the second handle portion <NUM> that may be linked with each other, the pair of assist structures are employed, and the pair of assist structures are provided at the top end of the first handle portion <NUM> and the bottom end of the second handle portion <NUM>, respectively. The user can open the door <NUM> of the refrigerator <NUM> by only applying a force that can lift one handle portion of the handle bar <NUM>'. Hence, the assist structure and the interlinked first handle potion <NUM> and second handle portion <NUM> may jointly achieve a better force-saving effect.

In addition, in the refrigerator <NUM>, the handle bar <NUM>' is divided into two handle portions (the first handle portion <NUM> and the second handle portion <NUM>), but the handle bar is not limited to this. In other embodiments of the present invention, the longer handle bar may be divided into a plurality of handle portions according to actual needs, and the plurality of handle portions are connected to one another through the above connecting structure, so that the plurality of handle portions are connected with one another by the above connecting structure so as to interlink with one another.

In summary, the present invention provides the assist handle and a refrigerator; the assist structure of the assist handle employs a plurality of levers and links which are pivoted to one another; the assist structure, on the one hand, lengthens a moment arm acting on the push rod and achieves the force-saving effect; on the other hand, in the case that the handle bar is long, the distance by which the user pulls the handle bar is small, and the phenomenon that the user needs to pull the handle bar with a large force is avoided. In addition, the structure that the handle bar is set as a plurality of interlinked handle portions helps achieve a better force-saving effect.

Claim 1:
An assist handle disposed on a front side of a door (<NUM>) of a refrigerator (<NUM>), wherein the assist handle comprises:
a handle bar (<NUM>,<NUM>') disposed on the front side of the door (<NUM>); and
an assist structure disposed between the handle bar (<NUM>,<NUM>') and the door (<NUM>), the assist structure comprises:
a first lever (<NUM>), a lower end of the first lever (<NUM>) is connected to a top end of the handle bar (<NUM>,<NUM>');
a first rotation shaft (<NUM>) pivoted to the first lever (<NUM>);
a second lever (<NUM>) opposed to the first lever (<NUM>);
a second rotation shaft (<NUM>) pivoted to the second lever (<NUM>); and
a link (<NUM>) disposed between the first lever (<NUM>) and the second lever (<NUM>), both ends of the link (<NUM>) being pivoted to the first lever (<NUM>) and the second lever (<NUM>), respectively;
wherein the handle bar (<NUM>,<NUM>') is pulled, and the handle bar (<NUM>,<NUM>') drives the first lever (<NUM>) to rotate about the first rotation shaft (<NUM>); the first lever (<NUM>) drives the link (<NUM>) to move linearly; the link (<NUM>) drives the second lever (<NUM>) to rotate about the second rotation shaft (<NUM>);
characterized in that the assist handle further comprises a connecting structure, the handle bar (<NUM>,<NUM>') comprises a first handle portion (<NUM>) and a second handle portion (<NUM>), and the connecting structure is connected with a bottom end of the first handle portion (<NUM>) and a top end of the second handle portion (<NUM>);
wherein the connecting structure comprises a first connector (<NUM>) and a second connector (<NUM>), a proximal end of the first connector (<NUM>) is connected with the bottom end of the first handle portion (<NUM>), a proximal end of the second connector (<NUM>) is connected with the top end of the second handle portion (<NUM>), wherein a distal end of the first connector (<NUM>) and a distal end of the second connector (<NUM>) overlap so that the first connector (<NUM>) and the second connector (<NUM>) form a V-shaped structure.