Supports: cabinet structure – With movable components – Having foot-operated means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-14
2001-12-11
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3624)
Supports: cabinet structure
With movable components
Having foot-operated means
C312S319100, C049S274000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328392
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a foot pedal door opener device for a reach-in cabinet having a door hinged on a first side of the housing opposite the opener and open on a second side of the housing having the door opener, thereby swinging outward. The foot pedal door opener device allows a user to open the door while their hands are full, and thereby enter and access the interior of the cabinet with a minimum of effort and inconvenience.
2. Description of Related Art
Foot pedal door opener devices for various types of cabinets, such as, for example, refrigerators, freezers, and the like are well known in the art. An example of a known pedal operated door opener device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,012,837 to Morrissey, Jr., which uses a single foot pedal mounted within a compartment below the storage area and door of the cabinet. However, because the foot pedal is mounted within the compartment, an opening in a front region of the compartment is required so that the foot pedal may be placed within the compartment. As such, the foot pedal is difficult to retrofit to existing cabinets. Additionally, the space necessary to house the foot pedal may not be available in the existing cabinet. Furthermore, because the operating rod of the Morrissey door opener does not contact the door of the cabinet but rather pushes against a contact member attached to the bottom of the cabinet door, a significant amount of hardware and assembly is required, thereby increasing the time and cost associated with installing the door opener.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,904,823 to Perrill describes a cabinet door opening means that uses a pedal to open the cabinet door. The door opening means requires the construction of compartments that extend in a vertical direction of the cabinet to house the opening means, which increases manufacturing costs as well as compromises the integrity of the cabinet structure. When the pedal of the door opening means is depressed, a slide opening rod within the vertical compartment raises a slide which opens the cabinet door.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,508 to Tillman discloses a foot pedal operated door opener for a cabinet having a horizontal pivot rod requiring a mounting bracket for each end of the pivot rod that is mounted to the cabinet. A foot pedal at an end of the pivot rod is offset from the opening of the door. Therefore, the foot pedal of the opener must be actuated from behind the door, which requires a user to walk along the side of the cabinet and depress the pedal to open the door. The user must then walk around to the front of the cabinet to access the interior of the cabinet.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,416 to Rainey et al. shows a foot pedal door opener device designed to be used with a two-door cabinet. In operation, the door opener device is used in a cross over fashion to open alternating doors. In other words, when the left pedal is actuated, the right cabinet door opens and when the right pedal is actuated, the left door opens. Further, the dual pedal nature of the door opener renders the device incompatible with cabinets having anything other than a two-door configuration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a foot pedal door opener device for use with a reach-in commercial cabinet such that a user can walk up to the front of the cabinet, depress the foot pedal and have the door open without the need for the user to move out of the way of the door or grab the handle. The configuration of the invention is accomplished with a simple, cost effective, and durable structure. The foot pedal door opener device of the invention includes a mounting bracket and retaining clip that allow the foot pedal to be mounted in a desired position for a left or right side opening door.
The mounting bracket has at least two holes in a top portion of the bracket body to retrofit or mount the bracket to an outer surface of the cabinet. The retaining clip has an oblong aperture in a vertical portion of the clip that is configured to be aligned with either one of the holes of the bracket body. A connector, such as, for example, a screw or the like, passes through the oblong aperture of the clip and the corresponding hole of the bracket body over which the clip is aligned and penetrates the outer surface of the cabinet to secure the retaining clip to the bracket body and the mounting bracket to the cabinet.
If the retaining clip is mounted to the left side of the mounting bracket, then the pedal is mounted to the right side of the mounting bracket to form a left side foot pedal door opener. Likewise, if the retaining clip is mounted to the right side of the mounting bracket, then the pedal is mounted to the left side of the mounting bracket to form a right side pedal door opener.
The pedal includes an inclined portion having a tread portion extending substantially horizontal from a bottom end of the inclined portion and an actuating portion extending substantially vertical from a top end of the inclined portion. The actuating portion includes an engaging head provided at a distal end of the actuating portion to contact and open the cabinet door. The inclined portion of the pedal has a pair of flanges engaged by a rotating member that connects the pedal to the mounting bracket such that when a user depresses the tread portion of the pedal, the pedal rotates toward the user around the rotating member, whereby the engaging head of the actuating portion of the pedal pushes the cabinet door open.
REFERENCES:
patent: 921020 (1909-05-01), Spencer
patent: 1174136 (1916-03-01), Filger
patent: 1244910 (1917-10-01), Smith
patent: 1671222 (1928-05-01), Brady
patent: 1882536 (1932-10-01), Weinheimer
patent: 2021914 (1935-11-01), Goulooze
patent: 2124349 (1938-07-01), Herbster
patent: 2689776 (1954-09-01), Cline
patent: 2904823 (1959-09-01), Perrill
patent: 3012837 (1961-12-01), Morrissey, Jr.
patent: 3364621 (1968-01-01), Erickson
patent: 4911508 (1990-03-01), Tillman
patent: 5193863 (1993-03-01), McBain
patent: 5540012 (1996-07-01), Clegg
patent: 5622416 (1997-04-01), Rainey et al.
patent: 5975662 (1999-11-01), Weber
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Cuomo Peter M.
Hoshizaki America Inc.
Tran Hanh V.
LandOfFree
Foot pedal door opener device for a reach-in cabinet and... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Foot pedal door opener device for a reach-in cabinet and..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Foot pedal door opener device for a reach-in cabinet and... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2587240