Appliance and a handle assembly for an appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9366471-B2
Application number	US-201314068289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2013
Priority date	Oct 31, 2013
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A handle assembly for mounting to a door of an appliance includes a tubular main body and an insert received within the tubular main body. A pin is disposed within a passage of the insert. A distal end of the pin engages a projection. The insert, pin and bracket can assist with mounting the tubular main body to the appliance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An appliance defining a vertical direction and a transverse direction, the vertical and transverse directions being perpendicular to each other, the appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
a door mounted to the cabinet, the door having an outer panel;
a handle assembly mounted to the door, the handle assembly comprising
a tubular main body extending between a first end portion and a second end portion, the first and second end portions of the tubular main body spaced apart from each other along the vertical direction, the first and second end portions of the tubular main body positioned at the outer panel of the door, the tubular main body defining an opening at the first end portion of the tubular main body;
an insert received within the tubular main body at the first end portion of the tubular main body, the insert having a mounting surface positioned at the opening of the tubular main body, the mounting surface positioned proximate the outer panel of the door, the insert defining a channel that extends inwardly from the mounting surface of the insert, the insert also defining a passage that extends from the channel of the insert along the vertical direction;
a pin slidably disposed within the passage of the insert, the pin having a distal end;
a biasing mechanism urging the distal end of the pin towards the channel of the insert; and
a bracket mounted to the door, the bracket having a projection that defines a hole, the projection disposed within the channel of the insert, the distal end of the pin at least partially positioned within the hole of the projection.

2. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the pin defines an angled leading edge that faces the mounting surface of the insert.

3. The appliance of claim 2 , wherein the angled leading edge of the pin engages the projection when the projection is inserted into the channel such that the pin moves into the passage until biasing mechanism urges the distal end of the pin into hole of the projection.

4. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the passage extends between a top portion and a bottom portion along the vertical direction, the channel extending between a front portion and a back portion along the transverse direction, the top portion of passage positioned above the channel along the vertical direction, the bottom portion of the passage positioned at the channel such that the bottom portion of the passage is disposed between the front and back portions of the channel along the transverse direction.

5. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein a central axis of the passage and the vertical direction define an angle α therebetween, the angle α being greater than five degrees and less than fifteen degrees.

6. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the biasing mechanism comprises a spring positioned within the passage and extending between the insert and the pin.

7. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the insert defines an access hole that extends to the channel of the insert, an exit of the access hole positioned at the distal end of the pin.

8. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the bracket comprises a back plate, the back plate positioned at a back surface of the outer panel, the projection extending from the back plate through the outer panel of the door to the channel of the insert.

9. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the tubular main body comprises stainless steel and the insert comprises a plastic.

10. A handle assembly for an appliance, the handle assembly defining a vertical direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical and transverse directions being perpendicular to each other, the handle assembly comprising:
a tubular main body that extends between a first end portion and a second end portion, the first and second end portions of the tubular main body spaced apart from each other along the vertical direction, the tubular main body defining an opening at the first end portion of the tubular main body;
an insert received within the tubular main body at the first end portion of the tubular main body, the insert having a mounting surface positioned at the opening of the tubular main body, the insert defining a channel that extends inwardly from the mounting surface of the insert, the insert also defining a passage that extends from the channel of the insert along the vertical direction;
a pin disposed within the passage of the insert, the pin movable between a first position and a second position within the passage, the pin having a distal end positioned in the channel of the passage when the pin is in the second position;
a biasing mechanism urging the pin towards the second position;
a bracket having a projection, the projection disposed within the channel of the insert, the distal end of the pin engaging the projection within the channel of the insert.

11. The handle assembly of claim 10 , wherein the passage extends between a top portion and a bottom portion along the vertical direction, the channel extending between a front portion and a back portion along the transverse direction, the top portion of the passage positioned above the channel along the vertical direction, the bottom portion of the passage positioned at the channel such that the bottom portion of the passage is disposed between the front and back portions of the channel along the transverse direction.

12. The handle assembly of claim 10 , wherein a central axis of the passage and the vertical direction define an angle α therebetween, the angle α being greater than five degrees and less than fifteen degrees.

13. The handle assembly of claim 10 , wherein the pin defines an angled leading edge that faces the mounting surface of the insert.

14. The handle assembly of claim 10 , wherein the biasing mechanism comprises a spring positioned within the passage and extending between the insert and the pin.

15. The handle assembly of claim 10 , wherein the insert defines an access hole that extends to the channel of the insert, an exit of the access hole positioned at the distal end of the pin.

16. The handle assembly of claim 10 , wherein the tubular main body comprises stainless steel and the insert comprises a plastic.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Allen Brian Dean

Classifications

• E05B65/0042

  For refrigerators or cold rooms (E05B17/0075 takes precedence; magnetic E05C19/16) · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• E05B1/0015

  Knobs or handles which do not operate the bolt or lock, e.g. non-movable; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• Y10T16/458

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• A47B2220/0047

  Handles · CPC title