Maytag Corporation

Greg A Scorpil

Richard Allan Kirchner

Chad Jonathan Rotter

Steven G Herndon

David Allen Stauffer

Forrest F Wing

John J Pink

James M Grace

Jeffrey Michael O'Halloran

Raymond J Chekal

Brian S Guptill

Jack J Standefer

A refrigerator includes French-style doors and a rotating mullion. The rotating mullion is mounted to one of the French-style doors through first and second hinge members. Each of the first and second hinge members include first and second hinge elements having corresponding cam members. The cam members include multiple lobes and extend about hinge pins that define an axis of rotation for the mullion. The multiple lobes actually define first and second detent positions for the rotating mullion. A spring biases the first cam member against the second cam member so that the rotating mullion is positively maintained in either the first or second position. The mullion is formed from mating halves, each including a portion of an integrally formed pin element. The pin element travels within a guide element to automatically rotate the mullion between the first and second positions during use.

Refrigerator incorporating french doors with rotating mullion bar

Refrigerator with upper French style doors

A wheeled leveling device is provided that includes a cabinet bracket, a wheel assembly, and an adjustment screw. The cabinet bracket includes a pair of slots that include detent portions. The wheel assembly includes a roller rotatably secured to a wheel assembly bracket. A pair of rockers secured to the wheel assembly bracket slide into and engage with the slots of the cabinet bracket. The rockers pivot about the detent portions of the slots such that the wheel assembly does not disengage. The adjustment screw passes through a hole in the cabinet bracket and a hole in the wheel assembly bracket and engages with a threaded fastener secured to the wheel assembly bracket. Turning the adjustment screw causes the wheel assembly to pivot about the detent portions of the slots of the cabinet bracket, thereby raising or lowering the roller and hence altering the height of the appliance.

System and method for leveling an appliance

Growing community of inventors

Tipton, IA, United States of America

Greg A Scorpil