Refrigerator door hinge

Abstract

The door-mounted water and ice cube dispenser of a refrigerator is supplied with chilled water and electrical power by a water conveying conduit and a plurality of electrical conductors which together pass through a hollow pintle and socket portion of a lower hinge assembly pivotally supporting the refrigerator door. To facilitate removal of the door from the associated refrigerator cabinet, the lower end of the conduit is connected to an end of a chilled water supply line by a union type coupling, the lower ends of the conductors being connected to a plug engageable with an associated power supplying socket fixed to the refrigerator cabinet. The conduit and conductors extend upwardly from the lower hinge assembly to the dispenser location via the interior of an elongated, rigid, tubelike member that isolates the conduit and conductors from any thermal insulating material or other obstructions filling the interior volume of the door. The tubelike member, by permitting unimpeded movement of the conduit and conductors contained therein, precludes localized twisting and untwisting of the conduit and conductors at any specific point along their respective lengths to preclude fatigue breaks of the conduit or conductors resulting from repeated opening and closing of the door.