Handle with a decorative strip for an oven door and bonding method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a handle (10) for an oven, comprising: an elongated plastic gripping element (18) having a flat, planar front wall (11); a first adapter (12) and a second adapter (14), each extending in substantially the same shape adjacent to opposite ends on a rear side of the gripping element (18); and a decorative strip (19) arranged along the entire length of the rear side of the front wall (11 ). The oven further comprising a bonding arrangement (30) is provided between the decorative strip (19) and the front wall (11) such that the decorative strip (19) is secured to the front wall (11 ).

Description

[0001] HANDLE WITH A DECORATIVE STRIP FOR AN OVEN DOOR AND BONDING METHOD THEREOF

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention relates to a handle, mounted on the outer panel of an oven door structured as a panel, having a decorative strip on its front side, and also to a bonding method for said handle.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Handles used in household oven doors are generally made of metal, plastic, or a combination thereof. These handles must be heat-resistant and enable users to open and close the oven door safely and comfortably. A built-in oven door handle is a grip used for opening and closing the door of a built-in oven compartment. Such ovens are known for being placed inside a kitchen countertop or cabinet, offering an aesthetic and functional design. While the handle plays a functional role in opening the oven door and placing or removing dishes, the design and material of built-in oven door handles may vary. They are generally made of durable materials such as metal or stainless steel. These handles can be designed with an aesthetic that matches the exterior design of the oven and can be harmonized with kitchen decor. They may have a single arm or, in some models, arms on both sides. The primary function of the built-in oven door handle is to open and close the oven door safely. It is easy to use and helps you place or remove your dishes inside the oven. It also prevents the oven door from becoming overheated, ensuring safe use.

[0006] DE102016206352 discloses a handle for a household cooking appliance door. The handle comprises at least one handle neck that can be placed between the door and the handle element. The handle neck has an engagement section arranged to engage in a shape-fitting manner with a first counter-engagement section of the handle element. There is also at least one handle bolt that can be placed between the door and the handle element and can be tightly attached to the door. This bolt has an engagement section, which is arranged to engage in a shape-fitting manner with a second counter-engagement section of the handle element. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The object of the invention is to provide a handle for an oven at a low cost, exhibits high resistance when operating in a hot environment, and simultaneously offers a high level of visual variety.

[0008] In order to achieve the aforementioned object, the invention relates to a handle for an oven comprising an elongated plastic gripping element having a flat, planar front wall, a first adapter and a second adapter each extending in substantially the same shape near opposite ends on a rear side of the gripping element, and a decorative strip arranged along the entire length of the rear side of the front wall, wherein a bonding arrangement is provided between the decorative strip and the front wall such that the decorative strip is secured to the front wall. By directly bonding the decorative strip to the front face, the handle is completed. As a result, various handle variants suitable for use on an oven door can be easily obtained with different strip structures, especially strips that are rigid and flat.

[0009] Preferably, a pad in the form of double-sided tape that is activated by pressure and an adjacent silicone bead are provided in the bonding arrangement. When installing the decorative strip onto the gripping element, the combined use of the double-sided tape with a silicone bead supplies sufficient flexibility to create the pressure needed to activate the adhesive, and once the silicone has cured, it forms a nondestructive, unbreakable bond exhibiting high heat resistance.

[0010] Preferably, a flat, planar seat is provided in the front wall so that the pad rests on it. In this way, the adhesive layer on the pad — e.g., acrylic foam — covers a larger application area. The pad is placed onto a flat surface and is strongly bonded to the gripping element. Hence, the pad can be used as a connecting element by contacting the decorative strip, from the corresponding portion of the outward-facing adhesive layer.

[0011] Preferably, a protrusion formed outwardly, aligned respectively with the first adapter and second adapter, is located at the opposite ends of the front wall. The protrusion extends outwardly from the front wall of the rigid plastic gripping piece. It supports the corresponding rear side of the decorative strip at its ends on the front wall in the assembled position. The corresponding faces of the first and second adapters are flat and rest on the external panel of the door. Preferably, a fastening element passes through the external panel of the door, enters the mounting portion of the adapters, and secures the handle to the oven door. Preferably, the bonding arrangement is located between the two protrusions on the front wall, and the thickness of the bonding arrangement in the assembled state is adjusted to be equal to the extension distance of the protrusion from the front wall. In this arrangement, when the decorative strip covers the front wall, it is supported by the protrusions and is also connected to the handle by way of the bonding arrangement.

[0012] Preferably, the gripping element has a uniform cross section. In this arrangement, the handle’s elongated gripping element can be fixed to the oven door transversely, for example at the top. Thus, a gripping area that runs along the door and is easy to hold is provided.

[0013] Preferably, the bonding arrangement comprises a central pad and, adjacent thereto, respectively a first silicone bead and a second silicone bead extending to both sides. Thus, the decorative panel, by means of pressure applied onto the pad, flexes and spreads the silicone on the front wall, thereby eliminating the need for an additional installation step.

[0014] Preferably, the bonding arrangement includes a first pad and a second pad provided adjacent to the free ends of the first silicone bead and second silicone bead. In this arrangement, by providing multiple points of supported, controlled flexion during the installation of the decorative strip, the silicone bead between them is distributed evenly, producing a homogeneous installation bond with heat resistance (e.g., up to 90°C).

[0015] Preferably, the central pad is made longer than the first and second pads. In this arrangement, an extended flexible bonding area is obtained in the region of the gripping element that shows the greatest deflection, thus compensating for any differential deformations that may arise from differing heat transfer coefficients of the decorative strip and the plastic gripping element. This prevents the decorative strip from coming loose.

[0016] Preferably, the decorative strip is made wider than the gripping element. In this arrangement, when the decorative strip is mounted onto the gripping element, it covers the periphery of the gripping element, preventing it from being visible from the outside.

[0017] Preferably, the gripping element features an M-like cross section that supports the bonding arrangement at its center and encloses it from the outer periphery. Accordingly, the deformation caused by the heat that reaches the handle from the door during cooking is distributed in the transverse direction, and the outer periphery opens outward without damaging the bonding arrangement. Furthermore, the M-like cross section provides a band- like support surface in the middle portion of the gripping element for installing the decorative strip.

[0018] Preferably, the gripping element has a basin-like form such that the outer periphery extends outwardly and contacts the rear side of the decorative strip along its entire length. This basinlike form serves as a seat for the bonding arrangement and supports the decorative strip from its rear side along the entire outer periphery.

[0019] Preferably, the front wall of the gripping element contains multiple ribs arranged in a diagonal row over its entire length. This arrangement increases the thermal stress resistance of the handle during cooking mode and reduces deformation. Thus, the decorative strip is prevented from detaching as a result of stresses caused by deformation in the handle body.

[0020] Preferably, the decorative strip is made of a material selected from the group consisting of flat and planar glass, ceramic, aluminum, steel, or any combination thereof. In these types of rigid and thermally resistant materials, direct bonding onto the front wall of the plastic gripping element is possible. During use, there is no issue of the decorative panel detaching from the front wall under thermal stresses caused by heat and steam coming from the oven door. Various designs such as brushed patterns, different geometric shapes, or coatings can be applied on the front face of the decorative strip.

[0021] A preferred embodiment of the invention is a mounting method for a handle for an oven as described above. The method includes the steps of adhering double-sided tape pads onto the front wall of the gripping element and applying a silicone bead between the pads a d pressing the rear wall of the decorative strip onto the bonding arrangement to secure it to the gripping element.

[0022] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a built-in oven showing an exemplary embodiment of a handle according to the invention.

[0024] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the door of the built-in oven shown in Figure 1 .

[0025] Figure 3 is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the handle according to the invention.

[0026] Figure 4 is a top and front view of the handle shown in Figure 3.

[0027] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the handle shown in Figure 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] In this detailed description, the subject development of the invention is described by references to examples merely to better explain the subject matter, without imposing any limitation.

[0029] In Figure 1 , a perspective view is shown of a built-in oven with an exemplary embodiment of a handle (10) according to the invention mounted thereon. The built-in oven comprises a housing (1 ) surrounding a cooking cavity and a door (20) hinged to said housing (1 ). Along the top front side of the housing (1 ), a front panel (2) extends horizontally with controls and adjustment knobs. The door (20) is formed of panels. A front panel (22) of the door (20) has a flat structure, with a window that provides visual access to the cooking cavity. A handle (10) having a flat profile is mounted on the front panel (22) of the door (20). Figure 2 shows the door (20) in a perspective view by itself. The handle (10) is located near and parallel to the upper edge of the front panel (22) and carries, on its front side facing outward, a decorative strip (19) parallel to the door’s (20) front panel (22). The decorative strip (19) is formed by cutting from a flat, rectangular metal sheet. The handle (10) is mounted on the front panel (22) by a first adapter (12) and a second adapter (14) provided near the handle’s opposite ends. The adapters (12, 14) are in the form of rectangular prisms with a flat surface facing the front panel (22). The top portion (24) of the front panel (22), adjacent to the upper edge of the door (20), has sequential openings through which exhaust air passes during cooking.

[0030] In Figure 3, the handle (10) mounted on the door (20) is shown in an exploded view. The handle (10) includes a one-piece injection-molded plastic gripping element (18) and a decorative strip (19) mounted on a flat front wall (11) of said gripping element (18). The decorative strip (19) is a flat, thin, planar piece formed of brushed steel, aluminum, plastic, or another rigid material. The outer periphery (16) of the front wall (11 ) of the gripping element (18) rises outward at an angle, forming a basin-like shape inside. The outer periphery (16) of the front wall (11) is a narrow rectangular structure sized slightly smaller than the outer edges of the decorative strip (19). Thus, when the decorative strip (19) is pushed toward the front wall (11 ), it does not fully contact the interior portion forming the basin but is supported by contacting the outer periphery (16). The first adapter (12) and the second adapter (14), which has a matching shape, are in the form of rectangular prisms and are mounted on the front panel (22) of the door (20) by a screw (3) passing through a hole (not shown) at the rear end. The first adapter (12) and second adapter (14) are integrally formed with the gripping element (18). A protrusion (13) extends on the front wall (11 ) of each of the first and second adapters (12, 14), aligned with the outer periphery (16) on the same axis. Each protrusion (13) extends forward from the corresponding first or second adapter (12, 14) and has a flat front face. Thus, when the decorative strip (19) is placed on the gripping element (18), the protrusions (13) contact the decorative strip (19) from the inside at its two ends, serving as supports. The front wall (11) has flat, strip-shaped seats (17) arranged in a row. These seats (17) are spaced apart and aligned. Between the seats (17), ribs (15) extend diagonally and project outward from the front wall (11 ).

[0031] A bonding arrangement (30) is comprising a first pad (32), a center pad (36), and a second pad (33), all in the form of double-sided adhesive tape placed on the corresponding seats (17). Between these pads run a first silicone bead (34) and a second silicone bead (35), each extending in a wave-like shape. The length of the center pad (36) is set greater than the total length of the first and second pads (32, 33). The thickness of the components of the bonding arrangement (30) is slightly greater than the basin depth of the front wall’s (11 ) outer periphery (16). As a result, the bonding arrangement (30) projects outward from the outer periphery (16). The bonding arrangement (30), composed of the first pad (32), center pad (36), second pad (33), and the first silicone bead (34) and second silicone bead (35) extending between them, runs continuously along the center of the front wall (11) of the gripping element (18), aligned on the same axis.

[0032] Figure 4 shows the handle (10) in a top and front view in the assembled state. The rear side edges of the decorative strip (19) adjoin the outer periphery (16). Because of these dimensions, when the decorative strip (19) is pushed toward the front wall (11 ) for bonding, pressure is exerted from its rear side onto the bonding arrangement (30), activating it.

[0033] Since the bonding arrangement (30) initially adheres to the front wall (11) of the gripping element (18), it is supported by the front wall (11 ) when pressure is applied. Figure 5 is a cross section of the handle (10), illustrating this situation clearly. By flexing, the pads (32, 33, 36) cause the rear side of the decorative strip (19) to contact the silicone beads (34, 35). Once the silicone beads (34, 35) have cured, they produce a bond that secures the decorative strip (19) to the front wall (11 ).

[0034] The gripping piece (18) is made of injection-molded plastic and extends along its length with a cross section resembling a sideways M, having rounded corners. In this arrangement, the legs of the M facing the decorative strip (19) extend outwardly at an angle, contacting the rear surface of the decorative strip (19). The raised shape in the center of the front wall (11 ) is flattened where the decorative strip (19) makes contact, forming a middle wall. This middle wall contains the seats (17) supporting the bonding arrangement (30) from the center toward the decorative strip (19).

[0035] The rear wall of the gripping element (18), facing inward, also curves toward the decorative strip (19). When hot exhaust air is blown from the oven door (20), especially the upper portion (24), toward the handle (10), thermal stresses occur in the handle (10). In this situation, the gripping element (18) and the decorative strip (19) move relative to one another by different amounts. Due to the special wave-like cross-sectional geometry of the gripping element (18), it deforms along its outer periphery (16) behind the decorative strip (19) without affecting the bonding arrangement (30), thus avoiding any damage to the bonding arrangement (30). Also, because the outer edges of the gripping element (18) extend on an angle and curve inward, they form an ergonomic gripping pocket.

[0036] REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0037] 1 Housing

[0038] 2 Front panel

[0039] 3 Screw

[0040] 10 Handle

[0041] 11 Front wall

[0042] 12 First adapter

[0043] 13 Protrusion

[0044] 14 Second adapter

[0045] 15 Rib

[0046] 16 Outer periphery

[0047] 17 Seat

[0048] 18 Gripping element

[0049] 19 Decorative strip

[0050] 20 Door

[0051] 22 Front panel

[0052] 24 Upper portion

[0053] 30 Bonding arrangement

[0054] 32 First pad

[0055] 33 Second pad

[0056] 34 First silicone bead

[0057] 35 Second silicone bead

[0058] 36 Center pad

Claims

CLAIMS1. A handle (10) for an oven, comprising: an elongated plastic gripping element (18) having a flat, planar front wall (11); a first adapter (12) and a second adapter (14), each extending in substantially the same shape adjacent to opposite ends on a rear side of the gripping element (18); and a decorative strip (19) arranged along the entire length of the rear side of the front wall (11); characterized in that a bonding arrangement (30) is provided between the decorative strip (19) and the front wall (11 ) such that the decorative strip (19) is secured to the front wall (11 ).

2. A handle according to Claim 1 , wherein the bonding arrangement (30) is having a pad (32, 33, 36) in the form of double-sided tape that is activated by pressure for bonding, and a silicone bead (34, 35) adjacent thereto.

3. A handle according to Claim 2, wherein the pad (32, 34) rests on a flat and planar seat (17) provided on the front wall (11 ).

4. A handle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the front wall (11 ) is having, at its opposite ends, a protrusion (13) formed outwardly aligned respectively with the first adapter (12) and second adapter (14).

5. A handle according to Claim 4, wherein the bonding arrangement (30) is provided between the two protrusions (13), and the thickness of the bonding arrangement (30) in the assembled state is adjusted to match the distance by which the protrusions (13) extend outward from the front wall (11 ).

6. A handle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gripping element (18) has a uniform cross section.

7. A handle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bonding arrangement (30) comprises a center pad (36) and, adjacent thereto, respectively a first silicone bead (34) and a second silicone bead (35) extending to both sides.

8. A handle according to Claim 7, wherein the bonding arrangement (30) is having a first pad (32) and a second pad (33) provided adjacent to the free ends of the first silicone bead (34) and the second silicone bead (35), respectively.

9. A handle according to Claim 8, wherein the center pad (36) is configured to be longer than the first and second pads (32, 33).

10. A handle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the decorative strip (19) is made wider than the gripping element (18).

11. A handle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gripping element(18) has an M-like cross section, supporting the bonding arrangement (30) at its center and enclosing it from the outer periphery (16).

12. A handle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer periphery (16) of the gripping element (18) extends outwardly and forms a basin shape that contacts the rear side of the decorative strip (19) along its entire length.

13. A handle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the front wall (11) of the gripping element (18) contains multiple ribs (15) arranged diagonally over its entire length.

14. A handle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the decorative strip(19) is made of a material selected from the group consisting of flat and planar glass, ceramic, aluminum, steel, or combinations thereof.

15. A handle mounting method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of adhering double-sided tape pads (32, 33, 36) onto the front wall (11) of the gripping element (18) and applying a silicone bead (34, 35) between the pads (32, 33, 36) and pressing the rear wall of the decorative strip (19) onto the bonding arrangement (30) to secure it to the gripping element (18).

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