Whirlpool Corporation

Walter H Schentrup

George W Sisk

John P Keil

Glenn E Katterhenry

A resinous plastic breaker strip for a built-in refrigerator/freezer provides a substantially seamless front face therefor. The breaker strip includes a front portion defining a front face and a rearwardly extending sidewall portion fitted to the liner. A number of spacers partially secure a liner to a rigid frame that extends around the door openings. In-situ formed urethane foam provides the remainder of the rigidity and strength to the cabinet. The breaker strip front portion is spaced forwardly of the frame member. An elongated magnet is disposed between the breaker strip and the frame to magnetically attract the door gasket magnet. In a preferred embodiment an odd number of alternating magnet poles are aligned with the axis of elongation of the magnets and the poles of the stationary cabinet magnet are opposite those of the door gasket magnet. The seamless breaker strip provides a non-metallic door sealing surface which reduces heat transfer and condensation on the outer front face of the cabinet.

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Perry Township, IN, United States of America

Walter H Schentrup