U.S. patent application number 16/909662 was filed with the patent office on 2021-12-23 for concealed handle and air conditioning device with the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to NEW WIDETECH INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.. The applicant listed for this patent is NEW WIDETECH INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Ming-Tsung CHIU.
Application Number | 20210396399 16/909662 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004938332 |
Filed Date | 2021-12-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210396399 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHIU; Ming-Tsung |
December 23, 2021 |
CONCEALED HANDLE AND AIR CONDITIONING DEVICE WITH THE SAME
Abstract
An air conditioning device, which may be a dehumidifier or a
movable air conditioner, has a main body and at least one concealed
handle. Each concealed handle has a case, a cover, and a moving
structure. The case has a finger accommodating space and a finger
inserting opening communicating with each other. The movable cover
is movably mounted in the finger inserting space in the case of the
concealed handle, and thus the user's fingers can push to move the
cover and then insert into the finger accommodating space to
conveniently move or lift the main body. When not in use, the cover
is pushed back by a resilient element of the moving structure, and
then the cover is disposed in the finger inserting opening to cover
the finger accommodating space, which enhances the aesthetic appeal
and avoids dirt accumulation in the finger accommodating space.
Inventors: |
CHIU; Ming-Tsung; (New
Taipei City, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
NEW WIDETECH INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. |
New Taipei City |
|
TW |
|
|
Assignee: |
NEW WIDETECH INDUSTRIES CO.,
LTD.
New Taipei City
TW
|
Family ID: |
1000004938332 |
Appl. No.: |
16/909662 |
Filed: |
June 23, 2020 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 2221/12 20130101;
F24F 13/20 20130101; F24F 1/04 20130101; F24F 1/0358 20190201 |
International
Class: |
F24F 1/04 20060101
F24F001/04; F24F 13/20 20060101 F24F013/20 |
Claims
1. A concealed handle comprising: a case having an end panel; a
surrounding panel formed on a side surface of the end panel, and
surrounding the end panel to form a finger accommodating space; and
a finger inserting opening communicating with the finger
accommodating space; and an abutting flange protruding out of an
edge of the finger inserting opening; a cover disposed in the
finger inserting opening and being movable toward the end panel in
the finger accommodating space; two opposite surfaces of the cover
respectively being a cover inner surface and a cover outer surface;
and a moving structure mounted between the cover and the end panel
of the case and having at least one resilient element pushing the
cover away from the end panel.
2. The concealed handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the moving
structure further comprises multiple case limiting segments formed
on the surrounding panel; and multiple cover limiting segments
formed on the cover; wherein the at least one resilient element
pushes the cover away from the end panel till the cover limiting
segments respectively abut the case limiting segments.
3. The concealed handle as claimed in claim 2, wherein each one of
the case limiting segments is an elongated hole; the case limiting
segments are respectively disposed on two opposites sides of the
surrounding panel and extend toward the end panel; and the cover
limiting segments are respectively movably mounted in the case
limiting segments.
4. The concealed handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least
one resilient element of the moving structure is a compression
spring, and two ends of the at least one resilient element
respectively abut the end panel of the case and the cover inner
surface of the cover.
5. The concealed handle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least
one resilient element of the moving structure is a compression
spring, and two ends of the at least one resilient element
respectively abut the end panel of the case and the cover inner
surface of the cover.
6. The concealed handle as claimed in claim 4, wherein multiple
hook segments are formed on the cover inner surface of the cover,
and the hook segments engage with the end, which abuts the cover
inner surface, of the at least one resilient element.
7. The concealed handle as claimed in claim 5, wherein multiple
hook segments are formed on the cover inner surface of the cover,
and the hook segments engage with the end, which abuts the cover
inner surface, of the at least one resilient element.
8. The concealed handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein multiple
cover limiting walls protrude out of the cover inner surface of the
cover, and the cover limiting walls are disposed on a periphery of
the cover inner surface.
9. The concealed handle as claimed in claim 7, wherein multiple
cover limiting walls protrude out of the cover inner surface of the
cover, and the cover limiting walls are disposed on a periphery of
the cover inner surface.
10. The concealed handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover
outer surface of the cover is aligned with a surface, which is away
from the end panel, of the abutting flange of the case.
11. The concealed handle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cover
outer surface of the cover is aligned with a surface, which is away
from the end panel, of the abutting flange of the case when the
cover limiting segments respectively abut the case limiting
segments.
12. The concealed handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
abutting flange of the case surrounds the edge of the finger
inserting opening and forms a loop.
13. The concealed handle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the
abutting flange of the case surrounds the edge of the finger
inserting opening and forms a loop.
14. The concealed handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the case
further comprises a main body engaging segment protruding out of an
outer surface of the surrounding panel, and spaced apart from the
abutting flange.
15. The concealed handle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the case
further comprises a main body engaging segment protruding out of an
outer surface of the surrounding panel, and spaced apart from the
abutting flange.
16. An air conditioning device comprising: a main body having at
least one handle mounting hole formed on at least one side wall of
the main body; at least one concealed handle as claimed in claim 1
and mounted in the at least one handle mounting hole on the at
least one side wall of the main body; a surface, which is towards
the end panel, of the abutting flange of the case of the at least
one concealed handle abutting an opening edge of the at least one
handle mounting hole.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a concealed handle and an
air conditioning device with the same, especially to a concealed
handle on an outer casing for conveniently moving an air
conditioning device such as a dehumidifier or a movable air
conditioner.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
[0002] For conveniently moving a heavy home appliance such as a
dehumidifier or a movable air conditioner, an outer casing of the
home appliance is usually installed with a handle for a user to
conveniently move the home appliance. An ordinary handle is usually
pivotally connected to the outer casing of the home appliance and
is for hanging up. However, the hanging type handle is obviously
exposed out of the outer casing, which may affect the aesthetic
appeal of the home appliance. Therefore, the home appliance which
has special design in its appearance is usually installed with a
concealed handle to replace the exposed hanging type handle.
[0003] The concealed handle is usually installed on a side wall of
the home appliance. There is a recess concaved in the outer casing
toward the home appliance for the user's fingers to insert in. When
the user wants to move or lift the home appliance, he can insert
his fingers into the recess to conveniently apply force to move or
lift the home appliance.
[0004] However, the concealed handle needs to be wide and deep
enough for the fingers to insert, but the width and the depth make
the concealed handle obvious in sight, which still affects the
aesthetic appeal. Besides, the inside of the recess is also easy to
accumulate dirt, which not only further affects the aesthetic
appeal, but also causes hygienic problems.
[0005] As a result, the conventional concealed handle needs to be
improved.
[0006] To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides
a concealed handle and an air conditioning device with the same to
mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The main objective of the present invention is to provide a
concealed handle and an air conditioning device with the same that
can enhance the aesthetic appeal and can solve the problem of dirt
accumulation.
[0008] The concealed handle has a case, a cover, and a moving
structure. The case has an end panel, a surrounding panel, and an
abutting flange. The surrounding panel is formed on a side surface
of the end panel, and surrounds the end panel to form a finger
accommodating space and a finger inserting opening communicating
with the finger accommodating space. The abutting flange protrudes
out of an edge of the finger inserting opening. The cover is
disposed in the finger inserting opening and is movable toward the
end panel in the finger accommodating space. Two opposite surfaces
of the cover are respectively a cover inner surface and a cover
outer surface. The moving structure is mounted between the cover
and the end panel of the case. The moving structure has at least
one resilient element pushing the cover away from the end
panel.
[0009] The air conditioning device comprises a main body and at
least one concealed handle mentioned above. The main body has at
least one handle mounting hole formed on at least one side wall of
the main body. The at least one concealed handle is mounted in the
at least one handle mounting hole on the at least one side wall of
the main body. A surface, which is towards the end panel, of the
abutting flange of the case of the at least one concealed handle
abuts an opening edge of the at least one handle mounting hole.
[0010] Since the movable cover is movably mounted in the finger
inserting space in the case of the concealed handle, the user's
fingers can push to move the cover and then insert into the finger
accommodating space to conveniently move or lift the main body.
When the user does not push the cover, the cover is pushed back by
the resilient element, and then the cover is disposed in the finger
inserting opening to cover the finger accommodating space. As such,
the finger accommodating space of the concealed handle is hidden
behind the cover and is not exposed (the recess on the outer casing
of the concealed handle is not exposed), which enhances the
aesthetic appeal of the main body. Further, the cover also prevents
dirt from entering the finger accommodating space from the finger
inserting opening, which avoids dirt accumulation in the finger
accommodating space.
[0011] Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the
invention will become more apparent from the following detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air conditioning device
in accordance with the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a partial exploded perspective view of the air
conditioning device in FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a concealed handle in
accordance with the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a partial exploded perspective view of the
concealed handle in
[0016] FIG. 3;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a front view in partial section of the concealed
handle in FIG. 3;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of the air conditioning
device in FIG. 1, showing the concealed handle;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a side view in partial section of the concealed
handle in FIG. 3; and
[0020] FIGS. 8 and 9 are side views in partial section of the
concealed handle in FIG. 3 showing the movement of a cover.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an air conditioning device
in accordance with the present invention comprises a main body A
and two concealed handles B (only one of the two concealed handles
B is shown in the figures due to the schematic angle). In a
preferred embodiment, the concealed handle B is installed on an air
conditioning device, but it is not limited thereto. The concealed
handle B also may be installed on other type of devices. In a
preferred embodiment, the air conditioning device of the present
invention is a dehumidifier, but it is not limited thereto. The air
conditioning device may be various kinds of home appliances for
cooling down the indoor temperature (air conditioner), heating the
indoor temperature (heater) or filtering air (air purifier) to
enhance the indoor comfort.
[0022] Two opposite side walls of the main body A are respectively
formed with a handle mounting hole A1 (only one of the two handle
mounting holes A1 is shown in the figures due to the schematic
angle). The two concealed handles B are respectively mounted in the
two handle mounting holes A1 on the two side walls of the main body
A. In another preferred embodiment, the main body A also can be
implemented with only one handle mounting hole A1 and only one
concealed handle B.
[0023] With referenced to FIGS. 2 to 5, each concealed handle B has
a case 10, a cover 20, and a moving structure.
[0024] The case 10 has an end panel 11, a surrounding panel 12, and
an abutting flange 13. The surrounding panel 12 is formed on a side
surface of the end panel 11, and the surrounding panel 12 surrounds
the end panel 11 to form a finger accommodating space 121 and a
finger inserting opening 122 communicating with each other. The
abutting flange 13 protrudes out of an edge of the finger inserting
opening 122. The abutting flange 13 preferably surrounds the edge
of the finger inserting opening 122 and forms a loop. A surface,
which is towards the end panel 11, of the abutting flange 13 is
defined as a main body abutting surface 131, and the main body
abutting surface 131 abuts an opening edge of the handle mounting
hole A1.
[0025] In a preferred embodiment, a main body engaging segment 124
protrudes out of an outer surface of the surrounding panel 12. The
main body engaging segment 124 and the abutting flange 13 are
spaced apart from each other. An annular flange A2 protrudes from
an edge of an inner opening (the opening adjacent to the inner side
of the main body A) of the handle mounting hole A1 as shown in FIG.
6. The annular flange A2 annularly abuts an outer surface of the
surrounding panel 12. The abutting flange 13 and the main body
engaging segment 124 clamps the annular flange A2, thereby fixing
the concealed handle B on the main body A.
[0026] The cover 20 is disposed in the finger inserting opening 122
and is movable toward the end panel 11 in the finger accommodating
space 121. Two opposite surfaces of the cover 20 are respectively a
cover inner surface 21 and a cover outer surface 22. The cover
outer surface 22 is preferably aligned with an outer appearance
surface 132, which is away from the end panel 11, of the abutting
flange 13 of the case 10. In a preferred embodiment, multiple cover
limiting walls 23 and multiple hook segments 24 protrude from the
cover inner surface 21 of the cover 20. The cover limiting wall 23
is disposed on a periphery of the cover inner surface 21.
[0027] With referenced to FIGS. 5 and 7, the moving structure is
mounted between the cover 20 and the end panel 11 of the case 10,
and has two resilient elements 32. The resilient elements 32 push
the cover 20 away from the end panel 11. In a preferred embodiment,
the moving structure further has multiple case limiting segments
123 and multiple cover limiting segments 31.
[0028] The case limiting segments 123 are formed on the surrounding
panel 12, and each one of the case limiting segments 123 is
preferably an elongated hole. The case limiting segments 123 are
respectively mounted on two opposite sides of the surrounding panel
12. One of two ends of the case limiting segment 123 is adjacent to
the abutting flange 13, and the other end of the case limiting
segment 123 linearly extends toward the end panel 11.
[0029] The cover limiting segment 31s are formed on the cover 20,
and each one of the cover limiting segments 31 preferably protrudes
out of the cover inner surface 21 of the cover 20 to form a pin. An
outer end of the cover limiting segment 31 protrudes out of a side
of cover 20 and is mounted through the case limiting segment
123.
[0030] The resilient element 32 pushes the cover 20 toward the end
panel 11, until the cover limiting segment 31 abuts the end, which
is adjacent to the abutting flange 13, of the case limiting segment
123. As such, the case limiting segments 123 and the cover limiting
segments 31 can limit the movement range of the cover 20.
Therefore, the resilient element 32 can push the cover 20 exactly
to the finger inserting opening 122, thereby preventing the cover
20 from protruding out of or retracting into the finger inserting
opening 122.
[0031] Besides, the cover limiting segment 31 is mounted through
the case limiting segment 123, thereby preventing the cover
limiting segment 31 from easily separating from the case limiting
segment 123 during the movement of the cover 20.
[0032] With referenced to FIG. 6, furthermore, the annular flange
A2 of the main body A forms multiple recesses A21, which correspond
to the case limiting segments 123 and the cover limiting segments
31. The cover limiting segment 31 is movable into the recess A21 to
increase the movement distance of the cover 20.
[0033] In another preferred embodiment, the cover limiting segment
31 is not limited to be mounted through the case limiting segment
123. For example, the case limiting segment 123 may be a protrusion
and is mounted in the cover limiting segment 31. The shapes of the
cover limiting segment 31 and the case limiting segment 123 are not
limited thereto, as long as the cover limiting segments 31
correspond to the case limiting segments 123 respectively in
position, and the cover limiting segments 31 and the case limiting
segments 123 can abut each other to limit the movement range of the
cover 20 when the resilient element 32 pushes the cover 20 away
from the end panel 11.
[0034] With referenced to FIGS. 8 and 9, in a preferred embodiment,
the resilient element 32 is a compression spring, and two ends of
the resilient element 32 respectively abut the end panel 11 of the
case 10 and the cover inner surface 21 of the cover 20. An end,
which abuts the cover inner surface 21, of the resilient element 32
engages with the hook segment 24 of the cover 20, such that the end
of the resilient element 32 is fixed on the cover 20, thereby
facilitating mounting of the resilient element 32 inside the case
10.
[0035] In another preferred embodiment, the moving structure may be
implemented without the case limiting segments 123 and the cover
limiting segments 31, as long as the moving structure can be
connected to the cover 20 and make the cover 20 stay at the finger
inserting opening 122. For example, the hook segment 24 of the
cover 20 is connected to the resilient element 32, which prevents
the cover 20 from protruding out of the finger inserting opening
122.
[0036] When a user wants to move the present invention, his fingers
can easily push the cover 20 toward the end panel 11 of the case
10, and thus the user's fingers can insert into the finger
accommodating space 121 to conveniently move the present invention.
When the cover 20 moves relative to the case 10, the cover limiting
wall 23 abuts an inner surface of the surrounding panel 12 to
prevent the cover 20 from flipping and getting stuck in the finger
accommodating space 121 during the movement. When the user stops
pushing the cover 20, the cover 20 is pushed back by the resilient
element 32 to the finger inserting opening 122 to cover and hide
the finger accommodating space 121.
[0037] To sum up, the moveable cover 20 in the finger inserting
opening 122 of the case 10 of the concealed handle B not only
enhances the aesthetic appeal of the main body A, but also prevents
dirt from entering the finger accommodating space 121 from the
finger inserting opening 122.
[0038] Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the
present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description,
together with details of the structure and features of the
invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made
in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and
arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the
full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in
which the appended claims are expressed.
* * * * *