Mullion guide element for a refrigerator appliance
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsWilliam Jeremy Leachman, Matthew William Davis, Jonathan Charles Crosby
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet defining a chamber. The refrigerator appliance may include a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet for accessing the chamber. The refrigerator appliance may include an articulating mullion rotatable coupled to the door. The articulating mullion may include a body. The refrigerator appliance may include a mullion guide element adjustably attached to the body. The mullion guide element may be vertically movable relative to the body to ensure proper engagement between the mullion guide element and the cabinet.
Claims16
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a cabinet defining a chamber;
- a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet for accessing the chamber;
- an articulating mullion rotatably coupled to the door, the articulating mullion comprising a body comprising a complementary threaded portion;
- and
- a mullion guide element adjustably attached to the body, the mullion guide element defining a height adjustment axis, the mullion guide element comprising a threaded portion and an engagement portion, the threaded portion positioned below the engagement portion along the height adjustment axis,
- wherein the threaded portion of the mullion guide element and the complementary threaded portion of the body are in threaded engagement,
- wherein mullion guide element is vertically moveable relative to the body via the threaded engagement between the threaded portion of the mullion guide element and the complementary threaded portion of the body, and
- wherein the engagement portion is rotatable about an axis independent to the height adjustment axis to adjust a vertical position of the mullion guide element relative to the body.
A refrigerator appliance comprising;
- a cabinet defining a chamber, the cabinet comprising a front frame, the front frame defining a groove;
- a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet and rotatable between an open position and a closed position to selectively permit access to the chamber;
- an articulating mullion rotatably coupled to the door between a first position and a second position to selectively seal the chamber, the articulating mullion comprising a body extending between a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion of the body comprising a complementary threaded portion;
- and
- a mullion guide element adjustably attached to the top portion of the body, the mullion guide element defining a height adjustment axis, the mullion guide element comprising a threaded portion and an engagement portion, the threaded portion positioned below the engagement portion along the height adjustment axis,
- wherein the threaded portion of the mullion guide element and the complementary threaded portion of the top portion of the body are in threaded engagement,
- wherein the mullion guide element is vertically moveable relative to the top portion of the body via the threaded engagement between the threaded portion of the mullion guide element and the complementary threaded portion of the top portion of the body, and
- wherein the engagement portion is rotatable about an axis independent to the height adjustment axis to adjust a vertical position of the mullion guide element relative to the body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.