Maytag Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation

Forrest F Wing

Thomas Edward Gose

Michael J Eveland

Eugene H Schuchert

Todd E Kniffen

James M Grace

Dean A Martin

Ravi Kumar Sawhney

Timothy Mark Nugent

Douglas A Pohl

John Frank Zinni

Troy Michael Anderson

Garnett S Helming

John J Pink

David J Olberding

Eric S Svenby

Greg A Scorpil

Ron Haltmeyer

Gene Schuchert

Bart Schuchert

A handle assembly for mounting to a door of a refrigerator includes a main body member having first and second end portions separated by an intermediate portion. Each of the first and second end portions includes a cavity adapted to receive an end insert formed of soft material. Each of the end inserts includes an attachment member. The handle is mounted to a front face of the door through interengagment of the attachment members and base members provided on the door without scratching the surface of the door.

Handle assembly for a refrigerator

A method of assembling allows a refrigerator handle to be selectively mounted to a front face portion or a side edge of a refrigerator door. The handle includes first and second ends separated by an intermediate portion, wherein each of the handle ends includes a recessed section. Each of the recessed sections includes a mounting arrangement formed therein, which is adapted to receive either a bracket for mounting the handle to the side edge of the door or a clip for mounting the handle to the front face portion of the door. The method includes selectively attaching the handle to the front face of the door through the clip, or to the side edge with the mounting bracket.

Method of assembling a handle to a selective one of a front face and a side edge of a refrigerator door

A handle assembly for mounting to a door of an appliance includes a main body member having first and second end portions separated by an intermediate portion. Each of the first and second end portions includes a cavity adapted to receive an end insert formed of soft material. Each of the end inserts includes an attachment member. The handle is mounted to a front face of the door through interengagment of the attachment members and base members provided on the door without scratching the surface of the door.

Handle assembly for a domestic appliance

A repositionable rail system for a refrigerator includes first and second rails, each rail having a plurality of spaced-apart apertures. A crossbar has first and second ends adapted to fit within respective apertures on the first and second rails. After inserting the crossbar into the apertures, the crossbar is rotated to a fixed angled position. A half-width shelf having a hook is adapted to removably supported, in a cantilevered manner, by the crossbar. The half-width shelf can be slid along the crossbar for repositioning within the refrigerator cabinet, or may be placed alongside another half-width shelf on a crossbar, or replaced with a full width shelf mounted on the first and second rails in a corresponding, cantilevered manner.

Refrigerator rail system for removably supported side-sliding shelves

A handle assembly is provided for a refrigerator door including a side edge defined by an upper inner edge portion and a lower inner edge portion which are offset by a lateral portion, front and back sides, and an opening between the front and back sides at the lateral portion. The handle assembly includes a handle having a first end leading to a second end through a gripping portion. The second end is provided with in-turned portion having a projection. The handle assembly also includes an attachment member fixed to the front side of the door and a cap positioned in the opening of the door. When assembled, the first end of the handle is secured to the attachment member and the projection extends into a socket formed in the cap.

Refrigerator handle mounting arrangement having pin and cavity interlock

A bidirectional slide lock includes a first clip and a second clip that are slid and locked together. The first clip has a longitudinal axis, a pair of pawls, and a pair of flanges. The second clip has a longitudinal axis, a pair of pawl stops, and a pair of clip flanges. Both pair of flanges retentively engaging one another to hold the clips together to prevent movement away from one another. The pawls engage the pawl stops to hold clips against longitudinal movement. The bidirectional slide lock also has springs biasing the pawls toward the second clip so as to retain pawls in retentive engagement with the pawl stops. The method of use includes moving the first and second clips longitudinally relative to one another so that the flanges move into retentive engagement and cause each of the pawl ends to engage one of the pawl stops.

Bidirectional slide lock and method of using same

A handle assembly for mounting to a door of an appliance includes a main body member having first and second end portions separated by an intermediate portion. Each of the first and second end portions includes a cavity adapted to receive an end insert formed of soft material. Each of the end inserts includes an attaching member. The handle is mounted to a front face of the door through interengagment of the attachment members and base members provided on the door without scratching the surface of the door.

A refrigerator includes a universal shelf assembly that can be mounted in either a stationary configuration or a sliding configuration. The shelf assembly includes a shelf unit having a base portion surrounded by a peripheral frame. The peripheral frame includes front, rear and opposing side frame members that include a mounting boss and a locating tab. When mounted in the stationary configuration, the shelf unit is mounted directly to a support unit through the mounting boss and locating tab. Conversely, when mounted in the sliding configuration, the shelf unit is mounted indirectly to a support unit. Arranged between the support unit and the shelf unit are glide members. The glide members include structure that cooperates with the mounting boss and locating tab that both secure the shelf unit and enable the shelf unit to shift relative to the support unit.

Universal shelf module for a refrigerator

An extending vertical wall secures to the rear edge of a shelf assembly inside a refrigerator compartment. The vertical wall comprises a vertical panel with two downwardly protruding legs. The legs removably reside within sockets included in the rear edge of the refrigerator shelf assembly. When the vertical wall is attached to the refrigerator shelf assembly, the vertical wall prevents items placed on the shelf from toppling off the back edge of the shelf assembly. At the user's discretion, the vertical wall may be quickly and easily removed from the shelf assembly. In an alternative embodiment, the wall is a formed retainer having an inserted U-shape such that the legs are received in the shelf sockets.

Growing community of inventors

Des Moines, IA, United States of America

Forrest F Wing