Refrigerator cabinet construction

Abstract

A support arrangement in a refrigerator having a hinged door to attach a hinge pin assembly to the cabinet outer case and to secure the outer case to a mullion. The outer case has a U-shaped portion, one leg of which has two spaced openings to receive fastener elements and the other leg has a slot located between the openings. The mullion has an edge abutting the edge of the outer U-shaped portion and also has an opening to receive a fastener element. A cross piece support member spans the abutment area and is inserted in the U-shaped portion. A first end of the cross piece support member has two openings to receive fastener elements and these openings are in alignment with the two spaced openings in the U-shaped portion. The first end also has a detent tang dimensioned and located to snap into the slot in the U-shaped portion to thereby retain the cross piece support member in its proper position relative to the fastener element openings. The second or opposite end of the cross piece support member has an opening to receive a fastener element which is in alignment with an opening in the mullion and there is a fastener element through both openings to secure the cross piece support member to the mullion. A hinge pin assembly abuts the outer case and fastener elements secure the hinge pin assembly, the case, and the cross piece support member together by passing through the openings in the U-shaped portion of the case and into the openings of the first end of the cross piece support member.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.