Pull and plate assembly

Abstract

A pull and plate assembly is described that serves as a handle for a drawer or cabinet and a backing plate for attachment of the pull to the drawer or cabinet while facilitating the concealment of preexisting holes created by attachment of prior pulls to the cabinet or drawer surface as well as wear and tear damage caused by use of prior pulls when opening and closing the drawer or cabinet.

1 . A pull and protective backing plate assembly attachable to a repository for use as a handle to open and close the repository, the assembly comprising:
 a pull comprising at least two posts, wherein each post comprises attachment means for connection to a surface; and   a protective backing plate to conceal and prevent damage to an exterior surface of a movable barrier of a repository, wherein the protective backing plate comprises a shape corresponding generally to a shape of the pull but wherein the protective backing plate is wider and longer than the pull,   wherein the protective backing plate is attachable to the exterior surface of the movable barrier of the repository, and wherein the pull is attached to the protective backing plate.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the repository is a cabinet and the movable barrier is a cabinet door attached to the cabinet. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the repository is a drawer and the movable barrier is a drawer front attached to the drawer. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the pull comprises a generally L-shaped handle portion. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises the protective backing plate or the exterior surface of the movable barrier. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the protective backing plate comprises two segments permanently connected in a substantially perpendicular orientation. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the at least two posts comprise a first post and a second post, wherein the first post and second post are permanently attached to a bottom surface of the handle portion. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the first post is permanently attached to the bottom surface approximately adjacent to a first end of the handle portion. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the second post is permanently attached to the bottom surface approximately adjacent to a second end of the handle portion. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the pull is attached to the protective backing plate by at least one fastener. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the pull is permanently attached to the protective backing plate. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the shape of the protective backing plate is generally L-shaped so as to be capable of covering and concealing damage to the exterior surface of the movable barrier. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the damage to the exterior surface of the movable barrier comprises: (i) one or more existing holes in the exterior surface of the movable barrier, wherein the existing holes were created by the attachment of a prior handle hardware to the exterior surface of the movable barrier, and (ii) damage generally adjacent to the existing holes. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the protective backing plate comprises two backing plate segments permanently connected in a substantially perpendicular orientation, wherein the pull comprises two pull segments permanently connected to one another in a substantially perpendicular orientation, and wherein each backing plate segment is wider and longer than its corresponding pull segment. 
     
     
         15 . A pull and protective backing plate assembly attachable to a repository for use as a handle to open and close a movable barrier of the repository and to cover and conceal damage to the exterior surface of the movable barrier, the assembly comprising:
 a pull comprising at least two posts, wherein each post comprises attachment means for connection to a surface; and   a protective backing plate comprising a shape corresponding generally to a shape of the pull, wherein the protective backing plate is attachable to an exterior surface of a movable barrier of a repository, and wherein the pull is attached to the protective backing plate;   wherein the protective backing plate is generally L-shaped and is wider and longer than the pull so as to be capable of covering and concealing damage to the exterior surface of the movable barrier;   wherein the surface comprises the protective backing plate or the exterior surface of the movable barrier;   wherein the repository is a cabinet or a drawer and the movable barrier is correspondingly a cabinet door attached to the cabinet or a drawer front attached to the drawer;   wherein the damage to the exterior surface of the movable barrier comprises: (i) one or more existing holes in the exterior surface of the movable barrier, wherein the existing holes were created by the attachment of a prior handle hardware to the exterior surface of the movable barrier, and (ii) damage generally adjacent to the existing holes.   
     
     
         16 . A method for covering and concealing existing holes created by the attachment of a prior handle hardware to an exterior surface of a movable barrier of a repository, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) placing a protective backing plate against an exterior surface of a movable barrier of a repository, wherein the movable barrier can be manipulated to open and close the repository, and wherein the protective backing plate is positioned against the exterior surface so as to cover and conceal existing holes in the movable barrier created by the attachment of a prior handle hardware to the exterior surface;   (b) aligning at least two posts of a pull over a set of apertures defined by the protective backing plate, wherein the number and location of the apertures correspond to the number and location of the at least two posts of the pull, and wherein the pull and protective backing plate together comprise an assembly, wherein the protective backing plate is wider and longer than the pull; and   (c) attaching the assembly to the exterior surface of the movable barrier by use of one or more fasteners extending from and through an interior surface of the movable barrier to the exterior surface of the movable barrier so as to securely engage the assembly to the exterior surface of the movable barrier.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the repository is a cabinet or a drawer and the movable barrier is correspondingly a cabinet door attached to the cabinet or a drawer front attached to the drawer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the protective backing plate comprises two segments that join in a substantially perpendicular orientation so that the protective backing plate is generally L-shaped, and wherein the protective backing plate is sized so as to be capable of covering and concealing the existing holes in the movable barrier whether the movable barrier is a cabinet door or a drawer front and whether the existing holes are located through the movable barrier in either a generally vertical or generally horizontal orientation relative to one another. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein step (a) of the method further covers and conceals other damage to the exterior surface of the movable barrier generally adjacent to the existing holes. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the assembly is installed on the exterior surface of the movable barrier so that a corner of the generally L-shaped protective backing plate is oriented in a position selected from the group consisting of the following positions relative to the installed assembly: top left, top right, bottom left, and bottom right.