Drawer gasket seal assembly
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorChad J. Rotter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drawer assembly of a refrigerator includes a gasket assembly having a base portion with opposed first and second sides. A mounting portion extends outwardly from the first side of the base portion, and a contact lobe outwardly extends from the second side of the base portion. The contact lobe includes a body portion comprised of a first material having an outer surface with one or more ribs comprised of a second material that is less rigid than the first material. The one or more ribs extend outwardly from the outer surface of the body portion of the contact lobe and are configured to seal against a textured front surface of a cabinet structure of the refrigerator.
Claims18
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet structure having a front surface and a storage compartment having an access opening surrounded by the front surface;
- a drawer assembly having a drawer front for selectively closing the access opening, wherein the drawer front includes a recessed channel disposed around a periphery of an inner surface of the drawer front;
- and
- a gasket assembly mounted to the drawer front at the recessed channel for sealing engagement with the front surface of the cabinet structure when the drawer front closes the access opening, wherein the gasket assembly includes an elongated body of co-extruded material including a base portion having a mounting portion extending outwardly from a first side of the base portion and received in the recessed channel of the drawer front, a contact lobe outwardly extending from a second side of the base portion for sealing engagement with the front surface of the cabinet structure, wherein the contact lobe includes a body portion having first and second ends operably coupled to the second side of the base portion at spaced-apart attachment locations and forming therewith an interior cavity containing a plurality of compressible chambers, and further wherein the body portion of the contact lobe is comprised of a first material having an outer surface with a pair of longitudinally extending spaced-apart ribs comprised of a second material that is less rigid than the first material extending outwardly from the outer surface of the body portion of the contact lobe.
A gasket assembly, comprising:
- a base portion having opposed first and second sides;
- a mounting portion extending outwardly from the first side of the base portion;
- and
- a contact lobe outwardly extending from the second side of the base portion and having a body portion with an interior cavity, and further wherein the body portion of the contact lobe is comprised of a first material having an outer surface with a pair of longitudinally extending spaced-apart ribs comprised of a second material that is less rigid than the first material extending outwardly from the outer surface of the body portion of the contact lobe, and further wherein the second material includes a hardness of less than 1 unit on the Shore 00 hardness scale.
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet structure having a textured front surface and a freezer compartment having an access opening that opens into the freezer compartment;
- a drawer assembly having a drawer front for selectively closing the access opening;
- and
- a gasket assembly mounted to an inner surface of the drawer front, wherein the gasket assembly includes a contact lobe having a body portion comprised of a more rigid material, wherein the body portion further includes an outer surface with at least one rib outwardly extending therefrom, wherein the at least one rib is comprised of a less rigid material relative to the more rigid material of the body portion of the contact lobe an having a hardness of less than 1 unit on the Shore 00 hardness scale.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.