US2644882A - Illuminated handle for refrigerated cabinet doors - Google Patents

Description

Patented `Iuly 7, 1953 ILLUMINATED HANDLE FOR REFRIGER- ATKED CABINET DOORS? John J. Voda, Evansville, Ind., assignor to Inter' national Harvester Company, a corporation of NewA Jersey Applicationoctober 28, 1950, Serial No. 192,747

This invention relates generally to illuminating devicesand more particularly to illuminating de-v freezer cabinet is positioned in a dark room or p basement. The horizontal type freezer cabinet, commonly termed freezer chest, is usually provided ywith a horizontally disposed door which pivots upwardly in order to allow access to the storage compartment. rSince the packages of food in many'instances will be stacked to the very top edge of the food storage compartment, it has'been found that a desirable location for an illuminating lamp is in the door. In this arrangement, the lamplwill not be covered or dainagedby the food packages and will illuminate the interior of the cabinet regardless of how high the food packages are stackedy. Y

An Vobject of the present invention is to provide a cabinet with illuminating means which will not be covered or damaged by articles stored in the cabinet.

Another object of the invention is to position a lamp'on the door of a cabinet which will illuminate the interior of the'cabinet when the door is open. f

A further object of the invention is to provide a cabinet door with a hollow handle having a lamp secured therein, whereby the handle serves as a shieldand reflector for the lamp.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cabinet with an illuminating device whichyis easily installed, requires few parts and can be easily reached for servicing.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a horizontal type refrigerated cabinet in which the invention -is incorporated.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of thedoor handle and illuminating means taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. I

Z Claims. (Cl. 24U- 4) Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the lhandle and illuminating means taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.v

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description of the invention, a freezer chest is represented generally by reference number I0. The cabinet I0 comprises a decorative or outer shell II mounted upon a, base I2. Spaced within the outer shell is an inner liner I3, the walls of which enclose a food storage compartment `I4 having an open top which provides access thereto. Insulating material I5 fills the space between the outer shell II and inner liner I3 in order to reduceheat transfer therebetween. An evaporator coil 44 is wrapped around the inner liner I3 and secured thereto by clamp member 45. Refrigr erant is passed through evaporator coil 44 which cools the walls of the inner liner I3 and maintains the temperature of the food storage com-A partment I4 at approximately 0 F. y

A door I6 is secured to the back ofthe cabinet by hinges I9. Door I E comprises an inner door panel l1 secured to an outer door pan I8 with insulation I9 therebetween. A rubber gasket 20 is positioned around thel periphery of the door which seals around the food compartmentvl4 when the door I6 is horizontally disposed. A handle 2| is secured to the front edge 48 of. the door I6. yIn opening the door I6, the operator may grasp the lower edge 22 of the handle and swing the door upwardly until it reaches a sub'- stantially vertical position. With the door in this position, the operator will have easy access to the food storagecompartment I4 and may reach therein and remove any item therefrom. The l' handle 2i maybe provided with latching means, if needed, and the door may be equipped with counterbalancing means. f

The handle 2I is substantially rectangularly I mounting screws extend and vsecure the handlel 2| to the front edge 48 of ther door I6.

A horizontally disposed rib 4l is formed on thek back side of front portion 23 which extends between rib portion 28 and side 25.v The rib 41 is provided with a circular shaped slot 46 into which a rubber encased electric lamp socket 33 is secured. The socket -33 is provided with an annular groove 34 bordered on each side by annular rib 35 and annular rib 36. The annular groove 34 iits into circular slot 46 and the annular ribs 35 and 36 grip the rib 41 and hold the socket 33 securely in place.

An electric cord 31 supplies current to the socket 33 and an elongated electric lamp 38 fits in said socket and extends vertically between rib 28 and side 25. A slot 43 is provided in the upper portion of rib 28 through which the cord 31 passes and is connected to an electric switch 39. The electric switch is one of the many types on the market today which has a spring pressed plunger 40 for making and breaking the circuit or, if desired, may be a mercury switch which is operated by the movement of the door. The switch is secured to the handle 2I- by screws 4I with the plunger 40 extending toward the cabinet I0. An electric cord 42 connects the switch 39 to a suitable electric supply source.

When the door I6 is in the horizontal or closed position as shown in Fig. 3, the plunger 40 will contact the outer shell II and be forced inwardly which opens the switch contacts and breaks the circuit to the lamp 38. As the door I6 is swung upwardly to open position as shown in Fig. l, the plunger 40 will clear the outer shell II and the spring pressed plunger will automatically move outwardly. The switch contacts will be closed and the circuit to lamp 38 will be completed.

A substantial portion of handle 2l extends below theinner door panel I1. Lamp 38 is positioned in relation to the door so that it also extends below the inner door panel I1. The rear side of the handle 2I is polished to a high luster or painted a light color in order that it will act as a reector and direct the rays of light from electric lamp 38 into the food storage compartment I4. Since the front portion 23 of handle I2| extends below lamp 38, it willv also act as a shield for protecting the lamp 38 and for preventing the light rays emitted by the lamp from striking the operators eyes.

FromV the foregoing it will be apparent that an illuminating device is provided which automatically illuminates the food storage compartment I4 when the door I6 is opened. The structure requires few parts and is economical since the door handle 2I is utilized to act as a shield and reflector for the bulb,38 which eliminates the necessity for a separate shield and refiector. The food storage compartment I4 can be completely filled with food and still be adequately illuminated by the electriclamp 38. With the lamp 38 and switch 39 positioned in the handle 2|, access to both is provided when the door I6 is open, which provides a structure which is easy to assemble and can be easily reached for servicing.

In the illustrated embodiment, the illuminating device is shown incorporated in a freezer chest. Since the device is applicable to receptacles of Various kinds, it is not intended that it be limited to use with a freezerv chest. It is to be understood that numerous changes and modications may be made in the form, construction and arrangements of elements embodying my invention, and therefore, the forms thereof shown in the drawings and described above are intended to be illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the Vfollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a door pivotally secured to a refrigerated cabinet, a handle having a curved front wall and a first end wall and a second end wall which extend substantially perpendicular to said front wall, strengthening ribs formed on the rear side of said front portion between said end walls, a mounting rib extending between said first end wall and one of said strengthening ribs, said mounting rib being provided with a slot, an electric socket having a groove therein which is received by said slot, an elongated lamp secured in said socket and positioned between said first end wall and said strengthening ribs, and a mounting plate fastened to said front portion between said strengthening ribs, said handle being secured by said mounting plate to the front edge of said door with said lamp and front portion extending past the inner surface of said door, said handle acting as a shield and reflector whereby the rays of light'from the lamp are directed into the interior of the cabinet.

2. In combination'with a` door pivotally secured to a refrigerated cabinet, a handle having a curved front wall anda first end wall and a second end wall which extend substantially perpendicular to said front wall, strengthening ribs formed on the rear side of said front portion between said end walls, a mounting rib extending between said first end wall and one of said strengthening ribs, said mounting rib being provided with a slot, an electric socket having a groove therein which is received -by said slot, an elongated lamp secured in said socket and positioned between said first end wall and. said strengthening ribs, a mounting plate fastened to said front portion betweensaid strengthening ribs, said handle being secured by said mounting plate. to the front edge of said door with said lamp and front portion extending past the inner surface of said door, said handle acting as a shield and reflector whereby the rays of light from the lamp are directed into the interior of the cabinet, and an electric switch fastened to the rear side of said'front portion which closes a circuit to said lamp when the door is opened and opens said circuit when the door is closed.

JOHN J. VODA.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,189,592 Lutz July 4, 1916 2,258,541 Cressaty Oct. 7, 1941 2,400,974 Berman May 28, 1946 2,468,640 Santilli Apr. 26, 1949 2,554,603 Terlinde May 29, 1951

Images