256.5 256.6

Qualifications.

Duration of projects.

Information concerning the Research
Associate Program.

AUTHORITY: The provisions of this Part 256 issued under 27 Stat. 395, 31 Stat. 1039; 20 U.S.C. 91.

SOURCE: The provisions of this Part 256 appear at 32 F.R. 10252, July 12, 1967, unless otherwise noted.

§ 256.1 Introduction.

This Part states policies and procedures concerning the Research Associate Program at the National Bureau of Standards. In the exercise of its functions as a major scientific agency of the Federal Government, the National Bureau of Standards may make its facilities available to persons other than Bureau employees to work with NBS scientists and engineers in collaborative research aimed at furthering the Nation's scientific, industrial, and economic growth. Such cooperative programs may be sponsored by professional, technical, or industrial organizations or associations. Such participants, when so sponsored, are designated "Research Associates". § 256.2 The Research Associate Program. The Bureau provides its facilities, scientific competence, and technical supervision for defined scientific or technical research by a Research Associate when such research is complementary to and compatible with scientific or technical research being performed or to be undertaken by NBS under its statutory mission and authority. The Sponsors pay the salaries of their Research Associates and Sponsor-furnished technical assistants and secretaries of the Research Associates, if any, their travel costs, and other related expenses. Additionally, Sponsors reimburse NBS for the cost of research equipment, services, or materials obtained for the Research Associate.

Each candidate selected to serve as a Research Associate must be determined to be scientifically qualified by the Sponsor and by the NBS, and found by NBS to be of good moral character and to possess suitable personal qualities. § 256.5 Duration of projects.

The work of a Research Associate is generally conducted on a full-time basis. Typically, Research Associates are in residence at NBS for 6 to 18 months; longer-term programs may be carried on by a succession of Research Associates. Agreements provide for cancellation by any of the parties.

As used in this standard, unless the context specifically states otherwise:

(a) The term "act" means Public Law 930, 84th Congress, 2d Session, H. R. 11969.

(b) The term "device" means the mechanism or the means provided for enabling the doors of household refrigerators to be opened from the inside.

(c) The term "effective date" means the date under the provisions of the act after which all household refrigerators manufactured and introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce must comply with this standard. This date is October 30, 1958.

(d) The term "household refrigerator" means a cabinet or any part of a cabinet designed for the storage of food at temperatures above 32° F., having a source of refrigeration and intended for household use.

(e) The term "opened" as applied to a refrigerator door means to effect release of the latching mechanism so that a trapped child would have to apply little or no further effort in order to escape.

(f) The term "shelving" means any shelf, basket, drawer, or baffle which can be readily removed from the refrigerator without the use of tools.

§ 260.2 Scope and application.

This standard shall apply to devices furnished with household refrigerators manufactured and introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce after the effective date which enable such refrigerators to be opened from the inside. The requirements of this standard shall apply to household refrigerators in their normal operating position only. The releasing feature(s) of the device shall be accessible from all spaces which (a) are bounded by interior walls or shelving, (b) are directly accessible when the exterior hinged door(s) is (are) opened, and (c) have a minimum dimension of 8 inches or more and a volume of two cubic feet or more either with all shelving in place or as the result of the removal or the rearrangement of any or all of the shelving. § 260.3 General requirements.

Household refrigerators shall be equipped with a device enabling the doors thereof to be opened easily from the inside, either by the application of an outwardly directed force to the inside of

the door, or by the rotation of a knob similar to a conventional doorknob. The device shall not render the refrigerator unsatisfactory for the preservation of food under any or all normal conditions of use.

§ 260.4 Detailed requirements.

(a) Releasing forces. As determined by the tests called for in § 260.5, the device (1) shall permit the refrigerator door to be opened on the application of a force equivalent to one which, if directed perpendicularly to the plane of the door and applied anywhere along the latch edge of the inside of the closed door, shall not exceed 15 pounds, (2) shall permit the refrigerator door to be opened on the application of clockwise or counterclockwise turning moment of not more than 5 in.-lb. to a knob on the door through an angle of rotation of 45° (±15°) in either direction, or (3) shall function automatically to permit the door to be opened with a force of 15 pounds or less applied as described in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph whenever space(s) exist or is (are) created with dimensions and volumes. exceeding the dimensions and volumes imposed by § 260.2.

(b) Description and location of knob(s). The knob(s) shall resemble a conventional doorknob in shape and size, and shall be mounted near the latch side of the door extending into the cabinet at least 14 inch beyond any inner door surface within a six-inch radius of the knob center. The knob(s) shall be mounted in such a manner that there is a minimum of 3/4 inch clearance between the inner periphery of the knob (s) and adjacent inner door surfaces. The knob(s) shall be located so as to provide the accessibility required by § 260.2.

(c) Wear. The device shall comply with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section after 300,000 cycles of operation of the door as determined by the tests called for in § 260.5.

(d) Protection against adverse effects from spillage, cleaning, defrosting, and condensation. Devices shall be designed so that spillage of foods or beverages, cleaning or defrosting in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations, or normal condensation will not so adversely affect the operation of the device as to result in its failure to meet the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section, as determined by the tests called for in § 260.5.

(e) Devices which permit door to be opened as a result of forces or turning moments applied to movable components inside the refrigerator. Those components of a device upon which the safety features of the device depend shall not break, crack, permanently deform, nor show other visible damage when subjected to forces and moments called for in the tests under § 260.5(c). The requirements of paragraph (a) of this section shall be satisfied after the device has been subjected to the tests under § 260.5(c).

(f) Power supply. The device shall operate in accordance with the requirements of this standard with the electric, gas, or other fuel supply either on or off. § 260.5

Tests.

It is the intent of this standard that where tests are not specified, the general and detailed requirements shall be checked by inspection, simple measurement, and by consideration of pertinent standard commercial practices. Compliance with requirements of § 260.4 (a), (c), (d), and (e) shall be checked with the aid of the following tests:

(a) Test for releasing force on door. The force measurements shall be made by means of a force gage with a calibrated accuracy within ±0.3 pound when measuring a force of 15 pounds. The dial of the gage shall be graduated with finest divisions not exceeding 0.2 pound, and the full-scale range shall not exceed 30 pounds. Measurements shall be made at three points on the door near the inside latch edge-one point near the top of the interior space created by removal of all shelving, one point near the bottom, and one point midway between these two points. The requirements of § 260.4 (a) (1) shall be satisfied.

(b) Test for knob torque. The measurement of the turning moment required to operate the knob release shall be made with a torque gage adapted for attachment to the knob or knob shaft. The gage shall have a calibrated accuracy within ±0.10 in.-lb. when measuring a moment of 5 in.-lb. The finest graduations on the dial of the gage shall correspond to a moment increment not greater than 0.10 in.-lb., and the fullscale range shall not exceed 10 in.-lb. in each direction from the null reading. The turning moment shall be applied so as to rotate the knob the full amount required for release, in both a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction. The

angle of rotation required for release shall be checked by means of an angle gage adapted to measure the angle of rotation about the longitudinal axis of the knob shaft. The gage shall have a calibrated accuracy within ±1° at an angle of 45°, and the finest divisions shall not exceed 1°. The requirements of § 260.4 (a) (2) shall be satisfied.

(c) Tests for strength of device components which affect the safety features of the device. These tests shall apply only to devices which permit the door to be opened as a result of forces or turning moments applied to movable components inside the refrigerator.

A turning moment of 20 in.-lb. shall be applied for 50 successive operations in a clockwise direction, followed by 50 successive similar operations in a counterclockwise direction, to components designed to permit the door to be opened as a result of the application of a turning moment to them. The turning moment shall be applied to the outer periphery of the component provided. The gage used for registering the moment applied shall have a calibrated accuracy within ±0.4 in.-lb. when measuring a moment of 20 in.-lb. The finest graduations on the dial of the gage shall correspond to a moment increment not greater than 0.4 in-lb. and the full scale range of the gage shall not exceed 40 in.-lb. in each direction from the null reading. The turning moment applied in each operation shall be applied for a period of time sufficient for the component to come to rest after completing the extent of movement for which designed. A pushing force of 20 pounds shall be applied for 50 successive operations, followed, if applicable, by 50 successive similar operations with a pulling force, to components designed to permit the door to be opened as a result of the application of a force to them. Areas which may be, in service, subjected to pushing or pulling forces which create maximum stresses, as for example, points on the outer periphery of components designed to transmit a turning moment, or unsupported portions of members or areas designed for transmitting a force, shall be subjected to test. The gage used for registering the force applied shall have a calibrated accuracy within ±0.4 pound when measuring a force of 20 pounds. The finest graduations on the dial of the gage shall correspond to a force not in excess of 0.4 pound and the full-scale range shall not exceed 40 pounds.

Upon being subjected to the tests in this paragraph, no device component on which the safety features of the device depend shall break, crack, permanently deform, or show other visible damage. The device must satisfy the requirements of § 260.4 (a) after being subjected to the tests in this paragraph.

(d) Simulated use test. Tests shall be conducted on the completely assembled refrigerator in its normal operating position to determine that the release device complies with the requirements of § 260.4 during and after 300,000 cycles of door operation, and following exposure to spillage of foods and beverages, to cleaning and defrosting in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations, and to condensation. The equipment provided for operating the door shall open the door sufficiently on each cycle to assure a complete cycle of operation for the latch mechanism.

§ 260.6 Provision for changes in the

standard.

Section 5 of the act provides for the possibility of changes in the commercial standard first established pursu

ant to section 3 of the act and allows a period of one year and ninety days for compliance with such changes after they are published. Any person wishing to propose a change in this commercial standard shall submit to the Director, National Bureau of Standards, United States Department of Commerce, Washington 25, D. C., the proposed change. Before a change is recommended, the Director, National Bureau of Standards, shall secure advice and consultation from public or private sources including particularly the household refrigerator manufacturing industry and the Children's Bureau of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and shall then forward such proposal with his recommendation to the Secretary of Commerce for such action as the Secretary deems appropriate.