WO2008080936A1

WO2008080936A1 - A household appliance

Info

Publication number: WO2008080936A1
Application number: PCT/EP2007/064567
Authority: WO
Inventors: Osman Vardar; Burak Ozpolat; Solen Ozkan; Can Ayhan
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2006-12-29
Filing date: 2007-12-27
Publication date: 2008-07-10

Abstract

The present invention relates to a household appliance (1) comprising a handle (4) that is concealed inside the handle housing (5) by a single movement of the user, providing the door (3) to be locked also.

Description

A HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE

[0001] The present invention relates to a household appliance comprising a handle that provides facility of usage.

[0002] The household appliances, for example refrigerators, dishwashers and ovens comprise a handle that is used for opening, closing the doors. The door of the household appliance is opened by holding the handle and accessing inside the body of the household appliance e.g. for performing processes such as checking the food that is cooking in the oven, removing an object from the refrigerator etc. The handles are generally designed to form a protrusion on the door taking into account the esthetic concerns. The handles thus designed result in the product to occupy more space when packaged for transport and the transport costs to increase.

[0003] Another problem encountered in household appliances is the difficulty in locking the doors practically by the user for safety purposes, for example against the uncontrolled access of children.

[0004] In the state of the art Korean Patent Application No KR2004-0100754, a refrigerator that comprises a handle is explained wherein the door handle is folded to be contained in a recess to occupy less space during transport.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to design a household appliance comprising a handle that occupies less space during transport.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to design a household appliance comprising a handle that can be locked practically during daily usage.

[0007] The household appliance designed to fulfill the object of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises a handle that is secured by a locking mechanism having a spring, a locking extension and a retainer inside the handle housing. While the handle is pushed inside the handle housing, simultaneously a pin on the door is seated in a pin slot on the body providing the door to be locked. Consequently, the user can both conceal the handle and lock the door with a single movement. While the handle is concealed in the handle housing, it is also locked at the same time. [0008] With the present invention, a solution is presented that fulfills the need of the user to lock the door of the household appliance for safety purposes and at the same time eliminates the problem of reducing the packaging volume encountered during transport for the producer. [0009] The household appliance designed to fulfill the objective of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where: [0010] Figure 1 D is the perspective view of a household appliance when the handle is in the first position.

[0011] Figure 2 D is the cross-section view when the handle is in the first position. [0012] Figure 3 D is the perspective view of a household appliance when the handle is in the second position. [0013] Figure 4 D is the cross-section view when the handle is in the second position. [0014] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Household appliance

2. Body

3. Door

4. Handle

5. Handle housing

6. Spring

7. Extension

8. Retainer

9. Pin slot

10. Pin

11. Lock latch

[0015] The household appliance (1) of the present invention comprises a body (2), a door (3) allowing access into the body (2), a handle (4) used in opening, closing the door (3) and a handle housing (5) disposed on the door (3) wherein the handle (4) is inserted inside to be concealed when not in use.

[0016] The handle (4) is held in two different positions. In the first position, the handle (4) is at least partially out of the handle housing (5) forming a protrusion on the body (2) and is held to be used for opening the door (3). In the second position, while the handle (4) is locked by pushing inside the handle housing (5) to be concealed, it also provides the door (3) to be locked.

[0017] The household appliance (1) furthermore comprises a spring (6) disposed inside the handle housing (5), that pushes the handle (4) towards the first position by applying force, an extension (7) situated on the handle (4), extending inside the handle housing (5), a lock latch (11) and a retainer (8) inside which the lock latch (11) is seated providing to secure the extension (7) at different positions.

[0018] When the handle (4) is in the first position, that is to say in use, it is pushed outwards from the handle housing (5) by the spring (6). When the handle (4) is desired to be bring to the second position, the user applies force on the handle (4) for inserting into the handle housing (5). In this position, the lock latch (11) engages with the retainer (8) and applies a force greater than the force applied by the spring (6) thereby maintaining the handle (4) to stay inside the handle housing (5).

[0019] The household appliance (1) furthermore comprises a pin slot (9) situated on the body (2) and a pin (10) disposed on the door (3), that is pushed by the extension (7) to be sat in the pin slot (9), providing the door (3) to be locked to the body (2).

[0020] When the handle (4) is in the first position, which is in use, the extension (7) does not apply force on the pin (10). The pin (10) is in the free position and the door (3) can be opened by the user. When the handle (4) is bring to the second position, while the handle (4) is locked by being seated in the handle housing (5), the pin (10) that is pushed by the extension (7) is inserted into the pin slot (9) providing the door (3) to be locked to the body (2).

[0021] In the household appliance (1) of the present invention, both the handle (4) is concealed and the door (3) is locked at the same time. The extension (7) that maintains the handle (4) to be locked to the handle housing (5), simultaneously pushes the pin (10) also providing the door (3) to be locked.

Claims

1. A household appliance (1) comprising a body (2), a door (3) allowing access inside the body (2), a handle (4) used in opening, closing the door (3) and a handle housing (5) disposed on the door (3) wherein the handle (4) is inserted inside to be concealed when not in use, and characterized by a handle (4) that - In the first position, is at least partially out of the handle housing (5) forming a protrusion on the body (2) and - In the second position, is locked by pushing inside the handle housing (5) to be concealed, providing the door (3) to be locked also.

2. A household appliance (1) as in Claim 1 , characterized by a spring (6) disposed inside the handle housing (5), that pushes the handle (4) towards the first position by applying force, an extension (7) situated on the handle (4), extending inside the handle housing (5), a lock latch (11) and a retainer (8) inside which the lock latch (11) is seated providing to secure the extension (7) at different positions.

3. A household appliance (1) as in Claim 2, characterized by a pin slot (9) situated on the body (2) and a pin (10) situated on the door (3), that is pushed by the extension (7), providing the door (3) to be locked to the body (2) by sat in the pin slot (9).