Whirlpool Corporation

Daniel Chow

Julia B Burke

Todd Joseph Tunzi

Daniel V Clements

Mark W Schulz

Juan F Flores

Patrick J Schiavone

Christopher A Gregory

Rebecca M Goesling

Jason W Tippetts

Rex D Wilson

Wesley Mendez

Sergio Moreno

Fabian Taboada

Abhay Naik

Lynne F Hunter

Alberto Regio Gomes

Douglas A Pohl

Giulia Marinello

Michael Todd Moore

A refrigerator includes a cabinet with a plurality of walls and a compartment area for storing food within the cabinet. A door is configured to seal the compartment area. A refrigeration component is disposed within the cabinet. A wall panel is positioned within the cabinet and includes a three-dimensional molded surface with non-uniformly spaced peaks and valleys and a lighting structure. The wall panel extends from a lower end of the compartment area to an upper end of the compartment area. The wall panel separates the compartment area from the refrigeration component and is coextensive with one of the plurality of walls of the cabinet.

Wall panel for an appliance

A refrigerator cabinet including a first shelf defining a U-shape, wherein the U-shape is off-center so that a first side of the U-shape is wider than the an opposite, second side of the U-shape, a second U-shaped shelf having left, right and back portions located in a horizontal fashion above the first shelf, and a mounting structure for supporting the first and second U-shaped shelves.

U-shaped tuck shelf

Handle

A wall panel for an appliance is disclosed. The wall panel includes a substantially planar surface disposed within the interior of an appliance and extending the full height and width of an appliance wall. The wall panel may be disposed between the appliance cabinet structure and the internal storage structures, such as shelves, drawers and the like, to create a fully integrated appearance. In addition, the wall panel may serve to hide refrigeration components such as air vents, internal refrigeration coils, or water lines. In some cases, the surface of the wall panel is a three-dimensional molded pattern to provide structure and create a perception of greater depth within a compartment of the appliance. In other cases, the wall panel is a lighted panel that activates when a user interacts with the appliance.

A refrigerator includes a vacuum insulated cabinet and a surround lighting feature. The vacuum insulated cabinet includes a liner disposed within a wrapper, which are interconnected by a thermal bridge to form a vacuum cavity therebetween. A wall covering assembly includes a top wall disposed adjacent to and spaced-apart from a top wall of the liner. The wall covering assembly also includes a rear wall disposed adjacent to and spaced-apart from a rear wall of the liner. In assembly, the liner and the wall covering assembly cooperate to define a refrigerator compartment. A cavity is formed between liner and the wall covering assembly. A surround lighting assembly is disposed around an opening into the refrigerator compartment and is powered by a wiring system concealed by the wall covering assembly.

Refrigerator with surround illumination feature

A modular component fixing system for an appliance including a refrigerating appliance having an inner liner defining a plurality of modular attachment slots, each having an upturned flange defining an angular recess. Each modular attachment slots includes a downwardly angled channel in communication with the angular recess. Each of a plurality of modular components includes an abutment surface and a supporting flange extending from the abutment surface at a predetermined angle, the predetermined angle of the supporting flange being substantially similar to a recess angle define by the angular recess, wherein each modular component is configured to be removably engaged with any one of the plurality of modular attachment slots by inserting the supporting flange into a corresponding angular recess of the one of the plurality of modular attachment slots such that the abutment surface is substantially flush with an interior surface of the inner liner.

Universal fixing system for a range of modular refrigerator components

Refrigerator

A refrigerator cabinet including a plurality of U-shaped shelves is provided. Each of the plurality of U-shaped shelves includes left, right and back portions located in a horizontal fashion with one shelf above another. A mounting structure is provided for supporting the U-shaped shelves; and a removable shelf is located within one or more of the U-shaped shelves. In addition, a tuck shelf is mounted in at least one of the plurality of U-shaped shelves, the tuck shelf being disposed either against at least a back portion of the at least one U-shaped shelf or between the removable shelf and a portion of the at least one U-shaped shelf that is closest to a user of the refrigerator.

A height-adjustable shelving system for an appliance includes an appliance having a plurality of walls that define an interior cavity. The appliance has an electrical system that extends into at least one of the walls of the appliance. A shelf is selectively disposed within the cavity and includes a lighting fixture. A shelf support system in communication with the electrical system includes at least one rotatable body operable between a plurality of support positions, the at least one rotatable body removably receiving and supporting the shelf, wherein each of the support positions of the rotatable body corresponds to a different shelf height. The removable engagement between the shelf and the rotatable body in any of the plurality of support positions places the lighting fixture in communication with the electrical system.

Shelf height adjusting flippers having an integrated electrical contact

Growing community of inventors

St. Joseph, MI, United States of America

Daniel Chow