Whirlpool Corporation

Kyle Edward Laine

Frank W Klitzing

A slide assembly for a drawer inside a refrigerator employs both side and central rollers which control both horizontal and vertical movement of the drawer through a first set of rollers employed at front and rear portions at each side of the drawer to control vertical movement within side tracks while the drawer is moved between an extended position and a retracted position. A second set of rollers is mounted along axes which are arranged 90 degrees relative to the first set of rollers and underneath the drawer. This second set of rollers control side-by-side movement of the drawer as it is opened and closed. In one embodiment, the second set of rollers is mounted in a refrigerated compartment and travel within a track or guideway mounted on the bottom of the drawer.

Slide assembly for refrigerator storage drawer

An appliance includes a machine compartment accessible from the exterior of the machine compartment. The machine compartment comprises at least a two components and a water line tube. The water line tube comprises at least three substantially straight sections and at least two formed bends in the tube. The tube is at least partially elastically rigid. The substantially straight sections and the formed bends allow the tube to move as if the tube was a linkage with the formed bends acting as constrained pivot points. The first tube end is fluidically attached to the first component. The second tube end is fluidically attached to the second component. At least one of the first component and the second component is at least partially removable from the machine compartment while the tube is fluidically connected to both the first component and the second component.

Growing community of inventors

Newburgh, IN, United States of America

Kyle Edward Laine