Refrigerator with an assisted door opener

A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the refrigerator appliance comprising:

• a cabinet defining a food storage chamber, the food storage chamber extending between a front portion and a back portion along the transverse direction, the front portion of the food storage chamber defining an opening for receipt of food items;
• a door positioned at the front portion of the food storage chamber and movable between a closed position and an open position to selectively sealingly enclose the food storage chamber in the closed position and provide access to the food storage chamber in the open position;
• a door opener attached to the cabinet, the door opener comprising
• a casing fixedly mounted to the cabinet,
• a push rod extending through the casing towards the door and movable relative to the casing between a retracted position and an extended position to motivate the door toward the open position, and
• a position sensor attached to the cabinet to detect a position of the push rod relative to the casing;
• and
• a controller in operable communication with the door opener and configured to direct an opener operation, the opener operation comprising
• receiving an opening prompt for the door opener,
• directing the push rod forward at a first extension speed in response to the received opening prompt,
• detecting the push rod at a first threshold between the retracted position and the extended position,
• directing the push rod forward at a second extension speed in response to detecting the push rod at the first threshold, the second extension speed being less than the first extension speed,
• directing the push rod rearward at a first retraction speed following directing the push rod forward at the second extension speed,
• detecting the push rod at a second threshold between the extended position and the retracted position while directing the push rod rearward,
• detecting the push rod at a third threshold,
• halting the push rod in response to detecting the third threshold, and
• directing the push rod forward at a third extension speed following halting the push rod, wherein the third extension speed is less than the second extension speed.