Supports: cabinet structure – With movable components – Having foot-operated means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-11
2001-08-07
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3636)
Supports: cabinet structure
With movable components
Having foot-operated means
C280S291000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270175
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator foot door opener and more particularly pertains to a new foot door opener attachment for a refrigerator for easily and conveniently opening the door of a refrigerator with little effort.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of refrigerator foot door opener is known in the prior art. More specifically, refrigerator foot door opener heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,012,837; U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,863; U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,416; U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,508; U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,661; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 243,447.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new foot door opener attachment for a refrigerator. The inventive device includes a mounting bracket being adapted to securely attach to a side wall of the refrigerator near where the door to the refrigerator can be opened; and also includes a spring-loaded lever being pivotally mounted at a central portion thereof to the mounting bracket and having a second end, a first end, and a spring member being securely attached to the mounting bracket and to the first end to bias the first end of the spring-loaded lever out of contact with the door of the refrigerator; and further includes a foot support member being securely mounted to the second end of the spring-loaded lever; and also includes a door opening member securely attached to the first end of the spring-loaded lever.
In these respects, the foot door opener attachment for a refrigerator according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of easily and conveniently opening the door of a refrigerator with little effort.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of refrigerator foot door opener now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new foot door opener attachment for a refrigerator construction wherein the same can be utilized for easily and conveniently opening the door of a refrigerator with little effort.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new foot door opener attachment for a refrigerator which has many of the advantages of the refrigerator foot door opener mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new foot door opener attachment for a refrigerator which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art refrigerator foot door opener, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a mounting bracket being adapted to securely attach to a side wall of the refrigerator near where the door to the refrigerator can be opened; and also includes a spring-loaded lever being pivotally mounted at a central portion thereof to the mounting bracket and having a second end, a first end, and a spring member being securely attached to the mounting bracket and to the first end to bias the first end of the spring-loaded lever out of contact with the door of the refrigerator; and further includes a foot support member being securely mounted to the second end of the spring-loaded lever; and also includes a door opening member securely attached to the first end of the spring-loaded lever.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new foot door opener attachment for a refrigerator which has many of the advantages of the refrigerator foot door opener mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new foot door opener attachment for a refrigerator which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art refrigerator foot door opener, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new foot door opener attachment for a refrigerator which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new foot door opener attachment for a refrigerator which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new foot door opener attachment for a refrigerator which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such foot door opener attachment for a refrigerator economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new foot door opener attachment for a refrigerator which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new foot door opener attachment for a refrigerator for easily and conveniently opening the door of a refrigerator with little effort.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new foot door opener attachment for a refrigerator which includes a mounting bracket being adapted to securely attach to a side wall of the refrigerator near where the door to the refrigerator can be opened; and also includes a spring-loaded lever being pivotally mounted at a central portion thereof to the mounting bracket and having a second end, a first end, and a spring member being securely attached to the mounting bracket and to the first end to bias the first end of the spring-loaded lever out of contact with the door of the refrigerator; and further in
Cuomo Peter M.
Fisher Michael J.
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