Home appliance having movable handle

• US 10,145,163 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, Moonho
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Kimberley S
• Application Number:
  US15/152,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20160333624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4257 Details of the loading door
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4259 Arrangements of locking or security/safety devices for doors, e.g. door latches, switch to stop operation when door is open
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/42 Safety arrangements, e.g. for stopping rotation of the receptacle upon opening of the casing door
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 13/1207 with tension springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 11/54 for doors
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/023 Mounting of doors, e.g. hinges, counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/024 Handles

Abstract

A home appliance includes a cabinet. The home appliance further includes a door that defines a penetration hole that is located in a front surface of the door. The home appliance further includes a handle. The home appliance further includes a handle link that is configured to rotate about a handle link rotating shaft that is located inside the door, wherein a portion of the handle link is exposed outside the door through the penetration hole and a length of the portion of the handle link varies based on an opening angle of the door. The home appliance further includes a link that is configured to convert a rotation motion of the door into a rotation of the handle link and that is configured to guide rotation of the door based on the handle link being restrained by having a variable length.

Claims

1. A home appliance comprising:

a cabinet that defines a chamber that is configured to receive an object;

a door that is located at a front side of the cabinet, that is configured to open or close the chamber by rotating about a door rotating shaft, and that defines a penetration hole that is located in a front surface of the door;

a handle that is located on the front surface of the door and that is configured to be gripped by a user during opening or closing the door;

a handle link that is configured to rotate about a handle link rotating shaft that is located inside the door, wherein a portion of the handle link is exposed outside the door through the penetration hole and a length of the portion of the handle link varies based on an opening angle of the door; and

a link that is configured to convert a rotation motion of the door into a rotation of the handle link, that is configured to guide rotation of the door based on the rotation of the handle link being restrained by having a variable length based on a user'"'"'s hand being located between the handle link and a front surface of the door, that includes a link rod that is connected to the handle link and includes a damper rod that is rotatably connected to the link rotating shaft, and that includes a link elastic member (i) that is configured to guide rotation of the door by a length that the elastic member is configured to extend based on rotation of the handle link being restrained and (ii) that is located between the link rod and the damper rod.

2. The home appliance according to claim 1, wherein:

the link is configured to rotate about a link rotating shaft based on the door rotating, and

the link rotating shaft is located eccentrically to the door rotating shaft.

3. The home appliance according to claim 2, wherein an end of the link is rotatably connected to the handle link.

4. The home appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a screen that is located inside the penetration hole and that is configured to move upward or downward while being in contact with the handle link during rotation of the handle link.

5. The home appliance according to claim 4, wherein the link is configured to elastically support the screen.

6. The home appliance according to claim 4, wherein the screen includes:

a screen body that is configured to cover a gap between the penetration hole and the handle link;

a roller that is configured to contact a lower surface of the handle link on a top of the screen body by rotating; and

a screen elastic member that is configured to elastically support the screen body from the link.

7. The home appliance according to claim 1, wherein the handle includes:

a handle grip portion that extends in a left-right direction and that is spaced apart from the front surface of the door; and

a handle support portion that extends from opposite ends of the handle grip portion toward the door,

wherein the handle support portion and the handle link are coupled to each other.

8. The home appliance according to claim 7, wherein a damper is located between the handle support portion and the link.

9. The home appliance according to claim 8, wherein the damper includes:

a damper housing, wherein the handle support portion is configured to receive the damper housing; and

a damper shaft that extends from the damper housing, wherein the link is configured to support the damper shaft.

10. The home appliance according to claim 7, wherein the handle support portion includes a decoration portion that is configured to contact the door and that includes a rubber pad.

11. The home appliance according to claim 10, wherein the rubber pad includes a lower end that is coupled to a lower end of the decoration portion.

12. A home appliance comprising:

a cabinet that defines a chamber that is configured to receive an object;

a door that is configured to open or close the chamber by rotating about a door rotating shaft and that defines a penetration hole that is located in a front surface of the door;

a handle that is located on the front surface of the door, that is configured to be gripped by a user during opening or closing the door, and that includes;

a handle grip portion that extends in a left-right direction and that is spaced apart from the front surface of the door; and

a handle support portion that extends from opposite ends of the handle grip portion toward the door,

wherein the handle support portion and the handle link are coupled to each other;

a handle link that is configured to rotate about a handle link rotating shaft that is located inside the door, wherein a portion of the handle link is exposed outside the door through the penetration hole and a length of the portion of the handle link varies based on an opening angle of the door;

a link that is configured to convert a rotation motion of the door into a rotation motion of the handle link and that includes a link elastic member that is configured to stretch in a direction in which the rotation motion of the door or the rotation motion of the handle link is limited based on the rotation motion of the door or the rotation motion of the handle link being stationary; and

a damper that is located between the handle support portion and the link and that includes;

a damper housing, wherein the handle support portion is configured to receive the damper housing; and

a damper shaft that extends from the damper housing, wherein the link is configured to support the damper shaft.

13. The home appliance according to claim 12, wherein a length of the link is variable based on the elastic member being configured to stretch in a longitudinal direction of the elastic member.

14. A home appliance comprising:

a cabinet that defines a chamber that is configured to receive an object;

a door that is configured to open or close the chamber by rotating about a door rotating shaft and that defines a penetration hole that is located in a front surface of the door;

a handle that is located on the front surface of the door and that is configured to be gripped by a user during opening or closing the door;

a handle link that is configured to rotate about a handle link rotating shaft that is located inside the door, wherein a portion of the handle link is exposed outside the door through the penetration hole and a length of the portion of the handle link varies based on an opening angle of the door;

a link that is configured to convert a rotation motion of the door into a rotation motion of the handle link; and

a screen that is located inside the penetration hole, that is configured to move upward or downward while being in contact with the handle link during rotation of the handle link, and that includes;

a screen body that is configured to cover a gap between the penetration hole and the handle link;

a roller that is configured to contact a lower surface of the handle link on a top of the screen body by rotating; and

a screen elastic member that is configured to elastically support the screen body from the link.

15. The home appliance according to claim 14, wherein the screen is configured to contact a lower portion of the handle link.

16. The home appliance according to claim 15, wherein the screen is configured to block a gap defined by the penetration hole and the handle link based on the screen moving up or down in response to rotation of the handle, wherein a size of the gap varies as the handle link rotates.