Ice maker cabinet door construction
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsWalter C. Barnard, Kenneth J. Dahlstrom
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A door construction for a cabinet such as an ice maker cabinet. The door includes a panel which is reinforced by a framework, with a portion of the door being clamped between a portion of the framework and a support rail. Hinge pins are provided on the cabinet and the door is supported on the pins solely by the rails at opposite sides of the door in the selective positioning of the door in both open and closed positions. The door is adapted for facilitated installation and removal for facilitated servicing of the ice maker. The door manipulating handle is effectively connected to the mounting rails through the clamped door portion. A front decorative panel is secured to the door by side trim elements sandwiched between the side rails and the inner door panel.
Claims19
A door construction comprising:
- a door panel having turned edge portions;
- an L-shaped inner reinforcing member having one leg juxtaposed to an inner surface of one of said edge portions and having a second leg juxtaposed to an inner surface of an adjacent edge portion;
- an outer door mounting rail juxtaposed to an outer surface of said one of said edge portions;
- a handle for manipulating the door juxtaposed to said adjacent edge portion;
- and
- securing means securing the mounting rail and handle to said reinforcing member with said one edge portion retained between said mounting rail and said reinforcing member and said adjacent edge portion retained between said handle and said reinforcing member whereby said handle is effectively structurally mounted to said rail.
In a housing having a cabinet provided with a portion defining an opening for providing access to the interior of the cabinet, and a door for selectively closing said opening, the improvement comprising:
- a pair of opposed pivot pins on the cabinet at opposite sides of the opening;
- means defining a pair of rearwardly opening slots in the door at opposite sides thereof for receiving one each said pivot pins;
- a U-shaped frame structure having a transverse upper handle portion and opposite depending leg portions;
- mounting rails removably carried exteriorly on opposite sides of the door on said leg portions, each of said rails defining a recess, the recesses defining support surfaces engaging said pivot pins for supporting the door for movement between a closed position across said opening and an open position wherein said door extends forwardly from said opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.