Consumer appliance and powered handle assembly

Abstract

A consumer appliance and handle assembly are provided herein. The consumer appliance may include a cabinet, an appliance door, a first power line, an appliance handle, a second power line, a first electrical connector, and a second electrical connector. The appliance door may include a panel body defining a door cavity. The appliance handle may be mounted to the appliance door. The appliance handle may include a handle body and an endcap. The second power line may be positioned within the handle body. The first electrical connector may include a first conductive body mounted to the panel body in conductive communication with the first power line. The second electrical connector may include a second conductive body mounted to the endcap in conductive communication with the second power line. The second conductive body may be in separable conductive communication with the first conductive body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A consumer appliance comprising:
 a cabinet defining an internal chamber;   an appliance door movably attached to the cabinet to selectively restrict access to the internal chamber, the appliance door comprising a panel body defining a door cavity, the panel body comprising an external panel surface directed away from the door cavity and an internal panel surface directed toward the door cavity;   a first power line positioned within the door cavity;   an appliance handle mounted to the appliance door, the appliance handle comprising
 a handle body extending between a first handle end and a second handle end, and 
 an endcap positioned on the first handle end or the second handle end; 
   a second power line positioned within the handle body, the second power line extending between a pair of line ends;   a first electrical connector comprising a first conductive body mounted to the panel body in conductive communication with the first power line; and   a second electrical connector comprising a second conductive body mounted to the endcap in conductive communication with the second power line, the second conductive body being in separable conductive communication with the first conductive body.   
     
     
         2 . The consumer appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the endcap defines a cap cavity, and wherein the first conductive body comprises an anchor bolt extending from the door cavity to the cap cavity. 
     
     
         3 . The consumer appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the second conductive body comprises a conductive bushing positioned in contact about the first conductive body within the cap cavity. 
     
     
         4 . The consumer appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the endcap comprises
 an insulated support body positioned on the panel body, and   an outer shell enclosing the insulated support body.   
     
     
         5 . The consumer appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the endcap is a first endcap positioned between the first handle end and the panel body, wherein the appliance handle further comprises
 a second endcap positioned between the second handle end and the panel body.   
     
     
         6 . The consumer appliance of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a third power line positioned within the door cavity;   a third electrical connector comprising a third conductive body mounted to the panel body in conductive communication with the third power line; and   a fourth electrical connector comprising a fourth conductive body mounted to the first endcap in conductive communication with the second power line, the second power line being positioned in communication between the fourth conductive body and the second conductive body, the fourth conductive body being in separable conductive communication with the third conductive body such that an electrical path is formed in sequence from the first power line, the first electrical connector, the second electrical connector, the second power line, the fourth electrical connector, the third electrical connector, and the third power line.   
     
     
         7 . The consumer appliance of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a third power line positioned within the door cavity;   a third electrical connector comprising a third conductive body mounted to the panel body in conductive communication with the third power line; and   a fourth electrical connector comprising a fourth conductive body mounted to the second endcap in conductive communication with the second power line, the second power line being positioned in communication between the fourth conductive body and the second conductive body, opposite the second conductive body, the fourth conductive body being in separable conductive communication with the third conductive body such that an electrical path is formed in sequence from the first power line, the first electrical connector, the second electrical connector, the second power line, the fourth electrical connector, the third electrical connector, and the third power line.   
     
     
         8 . The consumer appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first electrical connector is a first multi-pin serial bus, and wherein the second electrical connector is a second multi-pin serial bus that is complementary to the first multi-pin serial bus. 
     
     
         9 . The consumer appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the second electrical connector comprises a spring-loaded contact pin in selective contact with the first conductive body. 
     
     
         10 . The consumer appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising an electrical component mounted to the appliance handle in conductive communication with the second power line between the pair of line ends of the second power line. 
     
     
         11 . A consumer appliance comprising:
 a cabinet defining an internal chamber;   an appliance door movably attached to the cabinet to selectively move between an open position permitting access to the internal chamber and a closed position restricting access to the internal chamber, the appliance door comprising a panel body defining a door cavity, the panel body comprising an external panel surface directed away from the door cavity and an internal panel surface directed toward the door cavity;   a first power line positioned within the door cavity;   an appliance handle mounted to the appliance door, the appliance handle comprising
 a handle body extending between a first handle end and a second handle end, and 
 an endcap positioned on the first handle end or the second handle end, the endcap comprising an insulated support body positioned on the panel body and an outer shell enclosing the insulated support body; 
   a second power line positioned within the handle body, the second power line extending between a pair of line ends;   a first electrical connector comprising a first conductive body mounted to the panel body in conductive communication with the first power line;   a second electrical connector comprising a second conductive body mounted to the endcap in conductive communication with the second power line, the second conductive body being in separable conductive communication with the first conductive body; and   an electrical component mounted to the appliance handle in conductive communication with the second power line between the pair of line ends of the second power line.   
     
     
         12 . The consumer appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the endcap defines a cap cavity, and wherein the first conductive body comprises an anchor stud extending from the door cavity to the cap cavity. 
     
     
         13 . The consumer appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the second conductive body comprises a conductive bushing positioned in contact about the first conductive body within the cap cavity. 
     
     
         14 . The consumer appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the outer shell defines a sleeve within which a portion of the handle body is received. 
     
     
         15 . The consumer appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the endcap is a first endcap positioned between the first handle end and the panel body, wherein the appliance handle further comprises
 a second endcap positioned between the second handle end and the panel body.   
     
     
         16 . The consumer appliance of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a third power line positioned within the door cavity;   a third electrical connector comprising a third conductive body mounted to the panel body in conductive communication with the third power line; and   a fourth electrical connector comprising a fourth conductive body mounted to the first endcap in conductive communication with the second power line, the second power line being positioned in communication between the fourth conductive body and the second conductive body, the fourth conductive body being in separable conductive communication with the third conductive body such that an electrical path is formed in sequence from the first power line, the first electrical connector, the second electrical connector, the second power line, the fourth electrical connector, the third electrical connector, and the third power line.   
     
     
         17 . The consumer appliance of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a third power line positioned within the door cavity;   a third electrical connector comprising a third conductive body mounted to the panel body in conductive communication with the third power line; and   a fourth electrical connector comprising a fourth conductive body mounted to the second endcap in conductive communication with the second power line, the second power line being positioned in communication between the fourth conductive body and the second conductive body, opposite the second conductive body, the fourth conductive body being in separable conductive communication with the third conductive body such that an electrical path is formed in sequence from the first power line, the first electrical connector, the second electrical connector, the second power line, the fourth electrical connector, the third electrical connector, and the third power line.   
     
     
         18 . The consumer appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the first electrical connector is a first multi-pin serial bus, and wherein the second electrical connector is a second multi-pin serial bus that is complementary to the first multi-pin serial bus. 
     
     
         19 . The consumer appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the second electrical connector comprises a spring-loaded contact pin in selective contact with the first conductive body. 
     
     
         20 . An appliance handle mountable to an appliance door, the appliance handle comprising:
 a handle body extending between a first handle end and a second handle end; and   an endcap positioned on the first handle end or the second handle end, the endcap comprising   an insulated support body positioned on the panel body, and   an outer shell enclosing the insulated support body.