Description A COOLING DEVICE

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device comprising a door opening mechanism that provides the door to be opened easily.

[0002] In the interior of devices like the refrigerator, freezer etc., a vacuum is created due to the circulation of air during the cooling cycle. When the door is desired to be opened, sometimes the user may face difficulty in opening the door due to the created vacuum and the magnetic effect of the door gasket. In the state of the art, door handles that transfer the first motion to separate the door from the body by overcoming the mentioned vacuum and the magnetic forces, operating on the principle of levers are used. These door handles are moved by pushing forwards or pulling backwards by means of rotating about an axis. The part that the user pushes or pulls called the handle forms the long arm of the lever; the part that pushes the body, making the door ajar forms the short arm of the lever. The pusher element that forms the short arm pushes the body, providing the door to make its first movement to open by means of the force applied to the handle by the user. Since the state of the art handles operate by the force applied in a single direction by being pushed or pulled by the user, the door will open with difficulty in various cases, for example when the user wants to open the door by pulling the handle when the hands are full or when children desire to open the door by pulling the handle at a level above their heads.

[0003] In the patent document no. EP0891542, a freezer is explained wherein a longer opening-closing arm that is used for the holding grip to open the door and the other shorter holding grip when activated, the opening-closing arm movably attached to and pressing on the body and the opening-closing arm assembled together with its body to the door.

[0004] In the patent application no. WO2005057106, a door opener mechanism is described which comprises a pinion which is connected to the handle and a rack which is actuated by the pinion as it is rotating about the pivot and has appropriate teeth dimensions and pitch to cooperate with the pinion by which the body and the door are separated by pushing the rack towards the body.

[0005] In the patent application no. WO2004104332, the door handle element that moves by pulling the grip and pushes the body to open the door, said handle element comprises locking means providing locking in various positions and at least one magnetic element.

[0006] The aim of the present invention is the realization of a cooling device comprising a door opening mechanism that provides the door to separate from the body by pulling or pushing the handle as per the desire of the user.

[0007] The cooling device realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is explicated in the attached claims.

[0008] The cooling device of the present invention, comprises a door opening mechanism that opens the door easily by overcoming the vacuum created particularly as soon as the door is closed in the interior space and the magnetic force of the door gasket, and provides the door to be separated from the body when the user either pushes or pulls the handle.

[0009] The door opening mechanism comprises two pushers and when the handle is pulled one of these pushers, when the handle is pushed the other one moves from the door towards the body, pushing the body and providing the door to be opened.

[0010] The pushers in the door opening mechanism are activated by two cams, connected to the handle, making a rotational movement around an axis when the handle is pushed or pulled and each one activating one of the pushers by getting into contact thereof.

[0011] The cooling device realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

[0012] Rgure 1 - is the perspective view of a cooling device comprising a handle and a door opening mechanism.

[0013] Rgure 2 - is the schematic view of a handle and a door opening mechanism when the door is in the closed position.

[0014] Rgure 3 - is the schematic view of a door opening mechanism in the position when the door is opened by pulling the handle.

[0015] Rgure 4 - is the schematic view of a door opening mechanism in the position when the door is opened by pushing the handle.

[0016] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Cooling device

2. Body

3. Door

4. Handle

5. Door opening mechanism

6. Activator

7. , 107. Pusher

8. , 108. Cam

[0017] The cooling device (1) ,for example a refrigerator or a freezer, comprises a body (2) wherein the foodstuff and beverages to be cooled are stored, a door Q) for accessing inside the body (2), a handle (4) attached to the door (3) that provides to open the door (3), and a door opening mechanism (5) that enables the door (3) to be separated from the body (2), pressing on the body (2) by showing the same effect when the user either pulls or pushes the handle (4).

[0018] The door opening mechanism (5) comprises an activator (6) attached to the handle (4), that makes a rotational movement around an axis when the handle (4) is pushed or pulled, two pushers (7, 107) providing the door Q) and the body (2) to be separated from each other by moving from the door Q) towards the body (2) during the rotation of the activator (6) around its axis, one of them applying pressure on the body (2) by moving forwards when the handle (4) is pulled, the other applying pressure on the body (2) by moving forwards when the handle (4) is pushed.

[0019] While the activator (6) rotates around its axis, it is shifted aside by contacting the pushers (J, 107) and provides the pushers (J, 107) to open the door (3) by pressing on the body (2).

[0020] The activator (6) rotates around an axis when the handle (4) is pushed or pulled by the user and activates only one of the pushers (J, 107) by contacting and making a sliding motion on the side thereof.

[0021] The activator (6) comprises a first cam (8) that contacts the first pusher (J) when the handle (4) starts to be pulled, and as the handle (4) is continued to be pulled, provides activation of the first pusher (J) by making a sliding motion on the side thereof by its curvilinear shaped side, enabling the door Q) to be opened by the first pusher (J) which presses on the body (2), and when the handle is pushed, losing contact with the first pusher (J) and a second cam (108) that contacts the second pusher (107) when the handle (4) starts to be pushed, and as the handle (4) is continued to be pushed, provides activation of the second pusher (107) by making a sliding motion on the side thereof by its curvilinear shaped side, enabling the door (3) to be opened by the second pusher (107) which presses on the body (2),and when the handle is pulled, losing contact with the second pusher (107).

[0022] The door opening mechanism (5) is mounted on the edge wherein the cooling device (1) door (3) joins the body (2) by being engaged with the handle (4). The handle (4) is mounted in the vertical direction such that it can move in the upwards or downwards direction when the handle (4) is preferably pulled or pushed. The first pusher (J) that provides the door Q) to be opened by pushing the body (2) when the

handle (4) is pulled is situated higher up with respect to the rotation axis of the activator (6), and the second pusher (107) ) that provides the door Q) to be opened by pushing the body (2) when the handle (4) is pulled is lower down with respect to the rotation axis of the activator (6) (Figure 2, 3, 4). In this embodiment, the first cam (8) that shifts aside the first pusher (J) by contacting is higher up with respect to the rotation axis of the activator (6), and the second cam (108) that shifts aside the second pusher (107) by contacting is lower down with respect to the rotation axis of the activator (6).

[0023] While the handle (4) rotates around its axis by the pulling or pushing of the handle (4), it activates the first pusher (J) that is situated higher up providing this pusher (J) to push the body (2) if it is pulled, activates the second pusher (107) that is situated lower down providing this pusher (107) to push the body (2) if it is pushed. When the body (2) is pushed by the door opening mechanism (5), it is sufficient for the door (3) to be open enough to get free of the vacuum and the magnetic effect of the gasket.

[0024] By means of the present invention, the door (3) is easily separated from the body (2) by pushing or pulling the handle (4) with the door opening mechanism (5). A user with hands full who prefers to open the door Q) by pushing the handle (4) instead of pulling the handle (4) or children who can't pull but can easily push the handgrip dbove the head-level can do so with ease.