Refrigerator door trim handles and mounting strip

Claim 2

A door trim handle assembly for domestic applicances comprising, an elongated channel-shaped mounting strip and a coextensive handle member, said mounting strip having a platelike base wall and first and second opposed legs extending forwardly from each side of said base wall forming a pocket therebetween, said first leg having a resilient flange formed on its end being reversely bent inwardly and rearwardly so as to be substantially parallel with said first leg, said resilient flange free end being spaced from said base wall a defined distance, said first leg forming an angle slightly less than ninety degrees with said base wall wheReby the forward portion of said resilient flange provides an inwardly facing shoulder extending laterally inwardly beyond the free end of said resilient flange, said second leg located generally perpendicularly to said base wall and including an inturned arm formed on its forward end and being substantially parallel to said base wall to form a recess with said base wall, said inturned arm having its free end folded back upon itself and spaced above said base wall by a distance substantially equal to said defined distance, said handle member having a generally Jshaped configuration comprising a back wall for interlocked engagement with said mounting strip, a bottom wall joined to one edge of said back wall and extending substantially right angularly thereto, and a front wall joined to the front edge of said bottom wall and extending generally parallel to said back wall, said back wall having a thickness substantially equal to said defined distance and being spaced from said front wall by a distance sufficient for an operator''s fingers to be received therebetween, the said one edge of said back wall having a plurality of lanced projections lying in the plane of said back wall and extending slightly beyond the surface of said bottom wall, said handle member being disposed between said opposed legs and locked in said pocket by means of the free edge of said back wall fitting into said recess, said lanced projections being sprung into the space of said defined distance between said resilient flange free end and said base wall by being cammed over the extension of said first leg shoulder, said resilient flange having sufficient flexure whereby said first leg shoulder presses against said handle bottom wall forwardly of the lanced projections of said back wall to spring biasingly lock said handle member within said mounting strip pocket.

Claim 3

The door trim handle assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said handle member includes a pair of J-shaped end caps provided for attachment to the ends of said handle member walls, each of said end caps positioned for positive engagement with the adjacent ends of said mounting strip and said handle member walls whereby said handle member is retained against endwise sliding movement relative to said mounting strip.

Claim 4

In combination, walls forming a refrigerator cabinet having an opening therein, and a pair of doors arranged side-by-side and adapted to close said opening, said doors having respective elongated edge surfaces disposed adjacent each other when said doors close said opening, each said door including an outer panel member forming an outer face thereof, an improved trim handle assembly on each of said doors adjacent said edge surfaces and substantially coextensive therewith, each said trim handle assembly comprising, an elongated channel-shaped mounting strip and a handle member, said mounting strip having a plate-like base wall and first and second opposed legs extending forwardly from each side of said base wall forming a U-shaped pocket therebetween, means for securing said base wall to the outer face of its associated door adjacent its elongated edge, said first leg having a resilient flange formed on its end being reversely bent inwardly and rearwardly so as to be substantially parallel with said first leg, said resilient flange free end being spaced from said base wall a defined distance, said first leg forming an acute angle of the order of eighty seven degrees with said base wall whereby the forward portion of said resilient flange provides an inwardly facing shoulder extending laterally inwardly beyond the free end of said resilient flange, said second leg located substantially ninety degrees to said base wall and including an inturned arm formed on its outward end and being substantially parallel to said base wall to form a recess with said base wall, said inturned arm having its free end folded back upon itself and spaced above said base wall by a distance substantially equal to said defined distance, said haNdle member including an elongated J-shaped trim portion of uniform section and a pair of upper and lower end caps, said elongated trim portion being substantially coextensive with said mounting strip and having a back wall for interlocked engagement with said mounting strip, a bottom wall joined to one edge of said back wall and extending substantially right angularly thereto, and a front wall joined to the front edge of said bottom wall and extending generally parallel to said back wall, said back wall having a thickness substantially equal to said defined distance and being spaced from said front wall by a distance sufficient for an operator''s fingers to be received therebetween, the said one edge of said back wall having a plurality of lanced projections lying in the plane of said back wall and extending slightly beyond the surface of said bottom wall, said handle member being disposed between said opposed legs and locked in said pocket by means of the free edge of said back wall fitting into said recess, said lanced projections being sprung into the space of said defined distance between said resilient flange free end and said base wall by being cammed over the extension of said first leg shoulder, said resilient flange having sufficient flexure whereby said first leg shoulder presses against said handle bottom wall forwardly of said back wall lanced projections to spring biasingly lock said handle member within said mounting strip U-shaped pocket, each of said upper and lower end caps having a J-shaped configuration formed with a channel therein conforming with the cross section of said elongated J-shaped trim portion and said mounting strip, the ends of said elongated J-shaped trim portion walls and the ends of said mounting strip being received in said end cap channels, and means for fixedly securing said end caps to said elongated trim portion whereby said handle member is retained against endwise sliding movement relative to said mounting strip.

Claim 5

In combination, walls forming a refrigerator cabinet having an opening therein, and a pair of doors arranged side-by-side and adapted to close said opening, said doors having respective elongated edge surfaces disposed adjacent each other when said doors close said opening, each said door including an outer panel member forming an outer face thereof, an improved trim handle assembly on each of said doors adjacent said edge surfaces and substantially coextensive therewith, each said trim handle assembly comprising, an elongated channel-shaped mounting strip and a handle member, said mounting strip having a plate-like base wall and first and second opposed legs extending forwardly from each side of said base wall forming a U-shaped pocket therebetween, means for securing said base wall to the outer face of its associated door adjacent its elongated edge, said first leg having a resilient flange formed on its end being reversely bent inwardly and rearwardly so as to be substantially parallel with said first leg, said resilient flange free end being spaced from said base wall a defined distance, said first leg forming an acute angle of the order of eighty seven degrees with said base wall whereby the forward portion of said resilient flange provides an inwardly facing shoulder extending laterally inwardly beyond the free end of said resilient flange, said second leg located substantially ninety degrees to said base wall and including an inturned arm formed on its outward end and being substantially parallel to said base wall to form a recess with said base wall, said inturned arm having its free end folded back upon itself and spaced above said base wall by a distance substantially equal to said defined distance, said haNdle member including an elongated J-shaped trim portion of uniform section and a pair of upper and lower end caps, said elongated trim portion being substantially coextensive with said mounting strip and having a back wall for interlocked engagement with said mounting strip, a bottom wall joined to one edge of said back wall and extending substantially right angularly thereto, and a front wall joined to the front edge of said bottom wall and extending generally parallel to said back wall, said back wall having a thickness substantially equal to said defined distance and being spaced from said front wall by a distance sufficient for an operator''s fingers to be received therebetween, the said one edge of said back wall having a plurality of lanced projections lying in the plane of said back wall and extending slightly beyond the surface of said bottom wall, said handle member being disposed between said opposed legs and locked in said pocket by means of the free edge of said back wall fitting into said recess, said lanced projections being sprung into the space of said defined distance between said resilient flange free end and said base wall by being cammed over the extension of said first leg shoulder, said resilient flange having sufficient flexure whereby said first leg shoulder presses against said handle bottom wall forwardly of said back wall lanced projections to spring biasingly lock said handle member within said mounting strip U-shaped pocket, each of said upper and lower end caps having a J-shaped configuration formed with a channel therein conforming with the cross section of said elongated J-shaped trim portion and said mounting strip, the ends of said elongated J-shaped trim portion walls and the ends of said mounting strip being received in said end cap channels, and means for fixedly securing said end caps to said elongated trim portion whereby said handle member is retained against endwise sliding movement relative to said mounting strip.