Refrigerator door frame with insulated mullion

Abstract

A refrigerator door assembly having a door mounting frame with at least one mullion that includes a primary metallic structural frame member, a plastic insulating plate positioned adjacent a rear side of the primary structural frame member, a channel shaped frame member having forwardly directed legs engageable with the insulating plate, and fasteners interconnecting the first and channel shaped frame members with the insulating plate interposed therebetween. A magnetically attractable sealing plate is mounted forwardly on the mullion for defining a stop and sealing surface for the swinging ends of pivotably mounted doors. The mullion includes an insulating and sealing plate retaining assembly which supports the sealing plate in thermally isolated relation to the frame members and defines air insulating spaces adjacent the primary structural frame member. The illustrated insulating and sealing plate retaining assembly includes a plastic channel shaped member having a front wall disposed in closely adjacent relation to a front side of the primary structural frame member and side walls extending in rearwardly directed fashion therefrom. The insulating plate between the channel shaped and primary frame members is releasably engageable with the rearwardly extending side walls for completely encapsulating the primary structural frame member. Various metallic accessory items are supportable on the mullion in substantially thermally isolated relation to the primary structural frame member.