The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 03, 2024
Filed:
Oct. 26, 2022
Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US);
Nancy Alanis, Monterrey, MX;
Kapil Ayyawar, Milpitas, CA (US);
Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US);
Abstract
A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet, a first door, a second door, a mullion, and a lock. The cabinet defines an internal cavity. The first and second doors are configured to transition between open and closed positions. The mullion is secured to an edge of the first door and is configured to transition between active and inactive positions. In the active position the mullion is configured to span a gap between the first and second doors. In the inactive position the mullion is retracted away from an edge of the first door. The lock is configured to, in response to the first door transitioning to the respective open position, activate and lock the mullion in the inactive position. The lock is configured to, in response to the first door transitioning to the respective closed position, deactivate and unlock the mullion such that mullion transitions to the active position.