Hinge conduit casing

Abstract

A hinge conduit casing is provided for protecting and concealing service conduits passing from a refrigerator frame to a door mounted pivotally thereto. The casing comprises a pocket and an angular guide slidably engageable into the pocket. The pocket is affixed to the frame and the angular guide is mounted to the door. The angular guide has a pivot end mounted pivotally to the door and a receiving end insertable into the pocket. When the door is opened at an angle relative to the frame, the receiving end of the angular guide remains, at least in part, in the pocket to conceal and protect the service conduits passing therethrough.

1 . A casing for housing at least one service conduit passing from a frame to a door pivotally mounted to the frame of a household appliance, the casing comprising: 
 (a) a pocket having a top wall, a bottom wall, and two side walls disposed therebetween, said top, bottom, and side walls defining a front pocket opening and a rear pocket opening; and    (b) an angular guide insertable into the front pocket opening and slidably engageable with the pocket;    wherein the pocket is insertable into the frame and the angular guide is insertable into the door;    wherein the angular guide has a first section with a first longitudinal axis and a second section with a second longitudinal axis, the second section extending from the first section; the second longitudinal axis extending from the first longitudinal axis at an angle greater than 90°; and    the first section terminating in a pivot end having a pivot end opening and the second section terminating in a receiving end having a receiving end opening, wherein when the receiving end of the angular guide is disposed in the pocket and the door is opened, the receiving end of the angular guide remains in the pocket.    
     
     
         2 . The casing of  claim 1 , wherein the door is opened at an angle less than 180°.  
     
     
         3 . The casing of  claim 1 , wherein the door is opened at an angle less than 120°.  
     
     
         4 . The casing of  claim 1 , wherein the angular guide does not contact the walls of the pocket when the door is open or closed.  
     
     
         5 . The casing of  claim 1 , wherein the pocket further comprises a rear wall positioned opposite the front pocket opening, said rear wall having a rear wall opening.  
     
     
         6 . The casing of  claim 1 , wherein a lip extends outwardly from the top, bottom, and side walls of the pocket around the front pocket opening.  
     
     
         7 . The casing of  claim 1 , wherein the first section of the angular guide is substantially cylindrical and the second section of the angular guide is a substantially trapezoidal prism.  
     
     
         8 . The casing of  claim 1 , wherein the service conduit passes from the frame through the pocket, through the angular guide to the door.  
     
     
         9 . A casing for housing at least one service conduit, the casing comprising: 
 (a) a pocket assembly comprising 
 (i) a pocket having a top wall, a bottom wall, and two side walls disposed therebetween, said top, bottom, and side walls defining a front pocket opening and a rear pocket opening; and  
 (ii) a frame with a frame opening for receiving the pocket; and  
   (b) an angular guide assembly comprising 
 (i) a pivot base; and  
 (ii) an angular guide mounted pivotally on said pivot base, the angular guide being insertable into the front pocket opening and receivable into the pocket;  
   wherein the angular guide has a first section with a first longitudinal axis and a second section with a second longitudinal axis, the second section extending from the first section; the second longitudinal axis extending from the first longitudinal axis at an angle greater than 90°;    the first section terminating in a pivot end having a pivot end opening and the second section terminating in a receiving end having a receiving end opening, wherein when the receiving end of the angular guide is disposed in the pocket and the pivot base is pivoted away from the frame, the receiving end of the angular guide remains in the pocket.    
     
     
         10 . The casing of  claim 9 , wherein the pivot base comprises a recess for receiving the angular guide.  
     
     
         11 . The casing of  claim 9 , wherein the pivot base is pivoted away from the frame at an angle less than 180°.  
     
     
         12 . The casing of  claim 9 , wherein the pivot base is pivoted away from the frame at an angle less than 120°.  
     
     
         13 . The casing of  claim 9 , wherein the pocket is mounted to the frame with a pocket mount.  
     
     
         14 . The casing of  claim 9 , wherein the pocket optionally has a rear wall positioned opposite the front pocket opening, said rear wall having a rear wall opening.  
     
     
         15 . The casing of  claim 9 , wherein a lip extends outwardly from the top, bottom, and side walls of the pocket around the front pocket opening.  
     
     
         16 . The casing of  claim 15 , wherein when the pocket is inserted into the frame opening, the lip contacts the frame.  
     
     
         17 . The casing of  claim 9 , wherein the first section of the angular guide is substantially cylindrical and the second section of the angular guide is a substantially trapezoidal prism.  
     
     
         18 . The casing of  claim 9 , wherein the angular guide further comprises a pin portion extending downwardly from the pivot end.  
     
     
         19 . The casing of  claim 18 , wherein the pin portion is secured to the pivot base such that the angular guide can pivot freely about the pivot end.  
     
     
         20 . A conduit casing for a door pivotally mounted to a frame comprising: 
 (a) a pocket mounted on the frame, the pocket having a top wall, a bottom wall, and two side walls disposed therebetween, said top, bottom, and side walls defining a front pocket opening and a rear pocket opening; and    (b) an angular guide assembly mounted on the door, the angular guide assembly comprising: 
 (i) a pivot base; and  
 (ii) an angular guide pivotally mounted on said pivot base, the angular guide being insertable into the front pocket opening and receivable into the pocket;  
   wherein the frame has a frame opening for receiving the pocket;    wherein the angular guide has a first section with a first longitudinal axis and a second section with a second longitudinal axis, the second section extending from the first section; the second longitudinal axis extending from the first longitudinal axis at an angle greater than 90°;    the first section terminating in a pivot end having a pivot end opening and the second section terminating in a receiving end having a receiving end opening, wherein when the receiving end of the angular guide is disposed in the pocket and the door is opened, the receiving end of the angular guide remains in the pocket.    
     
     
         21 . The conduit casing of  claim 20 , wherein the pivot base comprises a recess for receiving the angular guide.  
     
     
         22 . The conduit casing of  claim 20 , wherein the door is opened at an angle less than 180°.  
     
     
         23 . The conduit casing of  claim 20 , wherein the door is opened at an angle less than 120°.  
     
     
         24 . The conduit casing of  claim 20 , wherein the angular guide does not contact the walls of the pocket when the door is open or closed.  
     
     
         25 . The conduit casing of  claim 20 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the first section of the angular guide is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame when the door is open or closed.  
     
     
         26 . The conduit casing of  claim 20 , wherein the pocket is mounted to the frame with a pocket mount.  
     
     
         27 . The conduit casing of  claim 20 , wherein the pocket optionally has a rear wall positioned opposite the front pocket opening, said rear wall having a rear wall opening.  
     
     
         28 . The conduit casing of  claim 20 , wherein a lip extends outwardly from the top, bottom, and side walls of the pocket around the front pocket opening.  
     
     
         29 . The conduit casing of  claim 28 , wherein when the pocket is inserted into the frame opening, the lip contacts the frame.  
     
     
         30 . The conduit casing of  claim 20 , wherein the angular guide assembly is mounted to the door with an angular guide mounting bracket.  
     
     
         31 . The conduit casing of  claim 20 , wherein the first section of the angular guide is substantially cylindrical and the second section of the angular guide is a substantially trapezoidal prism.  
     
     
         32 . The conduit casing of  claim 20 , wherein the angular guide further comprises a pin portion extending downwardly from the pivot end.  
     
     
         33 . The conduit casing of  claim 32 , wherein the pin portion is secured to the pivot base such that the angular guide can pivot freely about the pivot end.  
     
     
         34 . The conduit casing of  claim 33 , wherein the pin portion is inserted into the recess of the pivot base.  
     
     
         35 . A method for protecting and concealing one or more service conduits passing from a frame to a door pivotally mounted to the frame, the method comprising: 
 (a) mounting a pocket on the frame, the pocket having a top wall, a bottom wall, and two side walls disposed therebetween, said top, bottom, and side walls defining a front pocket opening and a rear pocket opening; and    (b) mounting an angular guide assembly on the door, the angular guide assembly comprising: 
 (i) a pivot base; and  
 (ii) an angular guide pivotally mounted on the pivot base, the angular guide being insertable into the front pocket opening and receivable into the pocket;  
   wherein the angular guide has a first section with a first longitudinal axis and a second section with a second longitudinal axis, the second section extending from the first section; the second longitudinal axis extending from the first longitudinal axis at an angle greater than 90°;    the first section terminating in a pivot end having a pivot end opening and the second section terminating in a receiving end having a receiving end opening, wherein when the receiving end of the angular guide is disposed in the pocket and the door is opened, the receiving end of the angular guide remains in the pocket.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the pivot base comprises a recess for receiving the angular guide.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the door is opened at an angle less than 180°.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the door is opened at an angle less than 120°.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the angular guide does not contact the walls of the pocket when the door is open or closed.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the first section of the angular guide is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame when the door is open or closed.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the pocket is mounted to the frame with a pocket mount.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the pocket optionally has a rear wall positioned opposite the front pocket opening, said rear wall having a rear wall opening.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein a lip extends outwardly from the top, bottom, and side walls of the pocket around the front pocket opening.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein when the pocket is inserted into the frame opening, the lip contacts the frame.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the angular guide assembly is mounted to the door with an angular guide mounting bracket.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the first section of the angular guide is substantially cylindrical and the second section of the angular guide is a substantially trapezoidal prism.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the angular guide further comprises a pin portion extending downwardly from the pivot end.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the pin portion is secured to the pivot base such that the angular guide can pivot freely about the pivot end.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the pin portion is inserted into the recess of the pivot base.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more service conduits pass from the frame through the pocket, through the angular guide, to the door.