General Electric Company

Benson T Taylor, Jr

Ralph G Hawkins

John Keith Besore

Samuel J Woolley

Robert L Werkmeister

Kenneth R Bratcher

A method of assembling a refrigerator having an outer metal casing, an inner plastic liner and foamed-in-place thermal insulation between the casing and liner bonding them together including a high stress area in the liner that can cause the liner to crack due to a difference in expansion and contraction relative to the outer metal casing. The method comprises forming the metal casing, vacuum forming the liner from plastic material, placing at least one elongated slot open at one end and closed at the opposite end in the liner located in the high stress area, placing the liner inside the casing in spaced relationship thereto, and foaming the space between the casing and liner to bond them together.

Method of assembling a refrigerator

A mounting socket installed in a compartment having spaced apart side walls with socket muonting holes and the side walls are spaced apart a greater distance at the front of the compartment relative to the back of the compartment. The socket is adapted to receive a horizontally extending support device and has a body with a first open end, a closed second end and an intermediate section therebetween. The body has an internal cavity extending along its central axis from the first end to the second end. The cavity has a horizontally oriented first portion adapted to receive a horizontally extending support device and has a first stop located in the intermediate section and a horizontally oriented second portion adapted to receive the horizontally extending support device and has a second stop located in the intermediate section with the second stop being spaced from the open end a distance less than the first stop. The first portion is the final resting position for the support device when the socket is mounted in the side wall at the back of the compartment and the second portion is the final resting place for the support device when the socket is mounted in the side wall at the front of the compartment.

Mounting socket

A method of reinforcing a structural assembly having an elongated panel with spaced front and rear thin metal walls. One of the panel walls is lanced to form a tang transverse to the elongated panel and attached at one end to the wall and having its opposite end free. One of the panel walls is also lanced to form a resilient tang spaced from the transverse tang and longitudinal to the elongated panel which tang is attached at one end to the wall and its opposite end is free. Both tangs are bent away from their respective walls. A reinforcing member is formed having a length slightly less than the distance between the spaced tangs and a thickness slightly less than the distance between the front and rear walls of the panel. The reinforcing member is properly located in the space between the front and rear walls of the panel by sliding it over the longitudinal tang to abut the transverse tang whereupon the resilient longitudinal tang will spring back and engage the bottom end of the reinforcing member so that the reinforcing member is captured between the tangs. A structural member such as the center hinge pin assembly of a two door refrigerator is secured to the reinforcing member through one wall of the elongated panel.

Method of reinforcing a structural assembly

An improved vacuum forming process for forming a deep drawn plastic article with a flange in an area of high forming stresses wherein a mold mounted on a base forms the shape of the article. A sheet of hot plastic material is placed over the mold and a vacuum is drawn to form the plastic sheet into the shape of the mold to form the article. The improvement is forming a character in the mold portion that forms the flange in the area of the high forming stress, said character having dimensions such that properly heated plastic sheet material will be imprinted with a predetermined clarity during the molding operation. A heated sheet of plastic material is placed over the mold and a vacuum is drawn to draw the plastic material around the mold including the mold portion that forms the flange in an area of high forming stresses. The plastic material is then solidified and removed from the mold. The flange is visually inspected to determine if the imprinted character has the predetermined clarity. If it does, the plastic material was heated to the proper temperature for the molding operation. If it does not, it means that the plastic material was not heated to the proper temperature and the area will be subjected to stress cracking and therefore the article is defective and should be discarded.

Vacuum forming process for articles having high forming stresses

A latch assembly in a cabinet having a front opening with a door movably mounted to the cabinet for selectively closing the opening. There is a latch secured to the door and projecting from the rear surface of the door and a mounting member attached to the cabinet having a latch receiving strike plate and a resilient finger. The mounting member is pivotally mounted at one end thereof to a rigid cabinet member with the resilient finger abutting the cabinet and biased in a direction away from the door in its closed position. The latch and mounting member strike plate cooperate to tightly retain the door in its closed position by the biasing effect of the resilient finger. The mounting member is secured against pivotal movement thereof when the latch and mounting member strike plate cooperate to tightly retain the door in its closed position.

Door latch and method of assembly

A microwave oven door aligning assembly is provided and includes a centering prong rigidly mounted on the door of the oven and projecting beyond the inside surface of the door. A clip is mounted to the oven behind the front face of the oven cavity and the clip has an opening in alignment with an opening in the front face. A centering prong receiving receptacle having a rigid square body portion is removably inserted into the clip opening and secured to the clip. The receptacle has a square opening to receive the centering prong which opening is offset from the center of the receptacle such that two opposite sides of the opening are equal distance from the center and the other two opposite sides of the opening are of unequal distance from the center. With this arrangement the receptacle may be rotatably installed to assure proper parallel alignment of the door relative to the top and bottom cabinet walls by cooperation between the centering prong and the receptacle.

Microwave oven door aligning assembly

A liquid level indicator device for providing a visual indication of the level of liquid within a movably mounted tank, disclosed as a dishwasher door mounted rinse aid liquid dispenser tank, in which the dispenser tank is alternately positioned in either the vertical or horizontal position by the opening and closing of the door. The liquid level indicator includes a tank wall mounted indicator housing defining a viewing chamber into which is passed a small quantity of liquid when the tank is in the vertical or door closed position if the level is above a predetermined level and a portion of which liquid is retained within the viewing chamber as the tank moves to the door open position to enable viewing of the liquid through a sight window provided. The capture and retention of liquid within the viewing chamber is carried out by means of a catch cup mounted beneath the sight window, with clearance spaces allowing entrance of liquid when the dispenser tank is in the vertical position, but the orientation of the catch cup preventing escape of the liquid as the dispenser tank is moved to the horizontal position and the liquid retreats from the tank wall to which the indicator housing is mounted. The vividness of the visual impression created by the presence of the liquid in the viewing chamber is enhanced by the use of high contrast treatment of the bottom surface of the catch cup within which the liquid is retained.

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Floyd's Knobs, IN, United States of America

Benson T Taylor, Jr