Maytag Corporation

Robert A Christenson

Jose G Avendano

Sheldon Wayne Mandel

John Phillip Myers

Richard James Miller

Scott Robert Voll

Edward Everett Crompton, Iii

John C Rue, Sr

Michael A Mohrfeld

Robert M Riley

Douglas A Heims

Walter I Disbennett

Graham Carter Stevens

Jeffery C Christensen

A refrigerator handle assembly includes a main handle member, upper and lower extensions, and a base member. The main handle member is formed with an elongated upper cleat over which the upper extension snaps, an intermediate gripping portion, and a lower connecting portion including a cantilevered finger beneath which the base member extends. Each of the upper and lower portions of the main handle member is formed with slots which receive projections provided on the upper and lower extensions respectively. Detents provided on the upper and lower extensions are received beneath respective portions of the cleat and the base member in order to snap-fittingly interconnect the upper and lower extensions. The lower extension actually extends around both the terminal end of the main handle member and the base, while the upper extension extends about the elongated cleat. A tab formed on the cleat projects through a cut-out formed in the second extension.

Refrigerator handle assembly

A refrigerator cabinet assembly includes a shell formed by opposed, upright side walls and a top wall, all of which have in-turned front and rear face portions with each of the front face portions terminating in a return flange defining a liner receiving cavity opening forwardly of the shell. Each liner receiving cavity is spaced inwardly of a respective side and top wall such that a channel, which is readily accessible from within the shell, is defined. A rear wall is interconnected to the side and top walls by being arranged between and forced to intimately contact a pair of spaced layers defining the rear face portions of each of these walls. A plurality of reinforcement members, including a pair of upper corner plates and a pair of side reinforcement bars adapted to be arranged in the channel, as well as upper and lower crossbars in one preferred embodiment that interconnect the side reinforcement members, are attached to the shell, along with a mullion plate and a faceplate. Since the return flanges open forwardly of the shell, a liner can be front loaded therein in a quick and easy fashion with an inwardly extending flange provided on the liner projecting into the liner receiving cavity. The side reinforcement members and their associated brackets are provided with structure defining hinge locations for both refrigerator door hinges, as well as one hinge for a freezer compartment, to assure proper alignment and spacing of the hinges.

Refrigerator cabinet and method of assembling the same

Method of assembling a refrigerator cabinet

A bin for a cabinet is supported by an upper supporting structure for movement between a first position wherein the bin is recessed within the cabinet and a second position wherein the bin is shifted relative to the upper supporting structure in order to access a storage zone of the bin. As the bin is shifted to the second position, at least one projection provided on the bottom of the bin engages a lower supporting structure to relieve stresses on the upper supporting structure. In the preferred embodiment, the bin is mounted in a refrigerator cabinet and a floor of a cabinet liner defines the lower supporting structure. The upper supporting structure is secured to sides of the liner and further engages a ledge integrally formed with the liner. In addition, the bin preferably slides and pivots downwardly upon shifting to the second position in order to maximize the access opening to the storage zone.

Storage bin supporting system

Growing community of inventors

Wataga, IL, United States of America

Robert A Christenson