Maytag Corporation

Amana Refrigeration, Inc.

Other

James M Grace

Forrest F Wing

Eugene H Schuchert

Dean A Martin

Jeffrey L Prunty

Douglas A Pohl

Ronald E Haltmeyer

Toni L Vandarakis

Greg A Scorpil

Roger C Miersen

Matthew W Allison

Louis D Montuoro

A method of assembling a refrigerator cabinet assembly including creating a shell by bending a single sheet of material to form side walls interconnected by a top wall, forming front face portions by in-turning front edge portions of the side and top walls, creating a flange assembly including at least a front flange which leads to a return flange that extends to a rear flange, and inserting first and second reinforcing members behind the rear flange so as to be arranged at spaced locations against the rear flange and one of the side walls. The reinforcing members function to increase the structural integrity of the shell while including tab structure for mounting and/or shell deformation preventing purposes.

Method of assembling a refrigerator cabinet

A refrigerator cabinet assembly includes a shell formed from a pre-painted material having first and second laterally spaced upstanding side walls which are interconnected by a top wall, with each of the first and second side and top walls including a front edge portion leading to a flange assembly defining a liner receiving cavity. The flange assembly includes a front flange leading to a return flange that extends to a rear flange and terminates in a bent flange. The cabinet assembly further includes a plurality of corner and stanchion reinforcing members secured behind respective return flange sections. The reinforcing members function to increase the structural integrity of the shell while including tab structure for mounting and/or shell deformation preventing purposes.

Localized reinforcement system for refrigerator cabinet

A side-by-side refrigerator includes fresh food and freezer compartments, each having upper and lower sections which vary in width and volume. Doors, each having corresponding upper and lower sections that vary in width, are provided to selectively seal the fresh food and freezer compartments respectively. Each door includes an outer lateral portion pivotally mounted to the side-by-side refrigerator about a substantially vertical axis and an inner lateral portion defined by laterally offset sections that form the varying width portions. In accordance with the invention, a door brace member is provided at the laterally offset sections. The door brace member includes first and second substantially vertical portions interconnected by a lateral portion that is shaped to conform to and reinforce the laterally offset sections of the door to increase the overall structural integrity of the door.

Door brace for a refrigerator cabinet assembly having varying width compartment 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

A cam adjustment apparatus facilitates vertical adjustment of an appliance door. The apparatus includes a support bracket which is arranged to support the appliance door on an appliance, and a cam which abuts the support bracket so that, as the cam is moved, the vertical position of the appliance door is adjusted. The support bracket has a pair of holes for receiving a corresponding pair of fasteners in order to fasten the support bracket to the appliance. The holes are elongated to accommodate movement of the support bracket as the cam is moved.

Cam for vertical adjustment of appliance doors

The device of the invention includes an elongate shaft having a shaft first end spaced from a shaft second end, with the shaft first end having a hand member, the hand member having a plurality of finger members extending therefrom, with outlet ports extending from the hand member in fluid communication with a reservoir, such that the reservoir permits pumping of fluid through the elongate shaft and subsequently through the outlet ports. The invention is arranged to further include a secondary conduit in fluid communication with a secondary reservoir, that in turn pumps fluid through the secondary conduit and through the hand member, with the hand member having finger members, each of the finger members including a secondary outlet port, and each secondary outlet port in fluid communication with the secondary conduit. The device further includes a drive motor having a flexible crank shaft to permit oscillation of rod members, with each of the rod members extending through an individual of the fingers to effect oscillation of the individual fingers for enhanced massaging action.

Lotion applicator and massage device

A refrigerator door hinge including a bracket connected to and extending forwardly from the face of the cabinet on the side to which the door opens. The bracket includes an upper horizontal plate supporting the door, and a lower horizontal plate with a threaded aperture which captures a threaded post of a foot. The bottom of the foot has a pad and during installation, the foot is rotated to lower the foot until the pad contacts the floor thereby providing adjustable height hinge support directly to the floor.

Refrigerator door hinge

A vertical sliding door for a compartment within the main door of a refrigerator. A frame is positioned adjacent the front of the door liner and has opposing vertical U-shaped channels. The sliding door includes a cover portion having laterally extending vertical runners that are slidably engaged in the respective channels. Each of the runners has a pair of notches into which glide members are snapped. Each of the glide member has a mid portion boss that extends laterally beyond the runner edge to provide a smooth bearing surface for engagement with the U-shaped channel. In the open position, at least one of the glide member bosses is received in a detent to hold the compartment door open.

Vertical sliding chiller compartment door

An ice barrier for a selective ice cube and crushed ice dispenser having a crusher section including a crusher arm mounted to a horizontal shaft axially rotatable in either direction, and a stationary crusher arm mounted to one side of the shaft. When the shaft is driven in one direction, ice pieces fed to the crusher section are caught and crushed between the rotating and stationary crusher arms. However, when the shaft is driven in the opposite direction, ice pieces escape down the side of the shaft opposite the stationary crusher arm thereby avoiding being crushed. The ice barrier is frictionally coupled for rotation with the shaft between a first position in the whole ice piece path and a second position out of the path. Accordingly, the ice barrier blocks the whole ice piece path when the crusher is operated in the ice crushing mode.

Growing community of inventors

Elberon, IA, United States of America

James M Grace