Refrigerator door corner construction
US6209265A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 30, 1999 |
| Grant date | Apr 3, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 30, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF25D2323/024
- WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
The present invention relates to a door for a refrigerator appliance having reinforcing corner brackets that structurally complete the corners of the door. The corner brackets are located at the door corners of the vertical and horizontal side walls of the outer door skin. The brackets structurally replace and reinforce the horizontal side wall immediately adjacent the vertical side wall with a thicker, stronger material, such as, metal or steel, so that loading normally transferred to the outer door skin through the horizontal side wall at this corner location is instead transferred directly to the brackets mounted in the door. The horizontal side wall at the corner adjacent the vertical side wall has a cut-out or an open section. The brackets each have an opening positioned at the cut-out section. The opening is adapted to receive a hinge pin or closure cap. The door has an elongate supporting strut in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube engaging the brackets to reinforce the corners. The strut extends adjacent the one vertical side wall for supporting the corner brackets within the door to reinforce the door. Reinforcement brackets and tubes are located on each side of the doo…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.