Refrigerator door epaulet

Abstract

A refrigerator door has an outer door panel having an outer skin with rearwardly extending peripheral vertical and horizontal side walls. Four corners are located between adjacent horizontal and vertical side walls. An inner door liner is secured to the outer door panel to define a cavity between the inner liner and the sheet. Cut-out sections are formed in the horizontal side walls adjacent the corners to define exposed edges extending along the vertical side wall, the horizontal side wall and outer skin of the door. A reinforcing corner bracket is positioned within the cavity adjacent each cut-out section assuming normal loading forces associated with the door. Epaulet covers extend over the cut-out sections and the exposed edges. The epaulet covers each have a flange depending therefrom and adapted to overlay an outside surface portion of the outer door skin and the vertical side wall. The epaulet covers have a plurality of ribs extending therefrom adjacent the flange for engaging the inside of the outer door skin and the vertical side wall. The epaulet cover has fasteners comprising an extension and hook shaped end that pass through slotted apertures in the corner bracket permitting the hook shaped surface to engage a rear side of the corner bracket. The slotted apertures are sized larger than the fasteners to permit lateral movement of each epaulet cover relative to its corresponding corner bracket as the epaulet cover is secured over the at least one exposed edge.