Patent ID: 8801124

Claim:
A refrigerator, comprising: a cabinet having a storage compartment; a door rotatably coupled to the cabinet to selectively close an access opening in a front surface of the cabinet; a handle provided on the door; a button provided on the handle; a lever having a first end thereof coupled to the button; a link having a first end thereof coupled to a second end of the lever; a release pin coupled to a second end of the link, wherein the lever, the link and the release pin are provided in the door, and wherein the release pin is depressed in response to depression of the button, via the lever and the link; a casing in which the link is received within the door; and at least one bearing that rotatably supports the link in the casing, wherein the lever comprises: a slide provided within the handle, wherein a first end of the slide contacts the button; a protrusion that extends outward from a second end of the slide; a spring positioned between the second end of the slide and a lower inner surface of the handle, surrounding the protrusion, wherein the spring is configured to restore an initial position of the button; a horizontal extension extending horizontally outward from the slide and out of the handle; and a vertical extension extending vertically outward from the horizontal extension, wherein the first end of the link is coupled to a distal end of the vertical extension.