Refrigerator door construction and method of assembly

In a refrigerator door construction having a rigid inner surface panel, an inner door liner and a gasket to be retained to said panel, improved retaining means comprising:

• means defining an opening in said panel;
• and
• a rigid retainer having a locking tab extending through said opening and defining a first retaining portion underlying said panel adjacent said opening in a first, partially installed position and means cooperating with said first retaining portion for disposing a first clamping portion of said retainer in slightly spaced relationship to said panel for receiving a portion of said door liner between said retainer and said panel and disposing a second clamping portion of said retainer in slightly spaced relationship to said panel for receiving a portion of said gasket between said retainer and said panel adjacent said opening in a second, fully installed position wherein said retainer is disposed in a closer spaced relationship to said panel wherein said retainer forcibly clamps each of said door liner and gasket to said panel.

In a refrigerator door construction having an inner door flange and a door liner including a peripheral edge portion extending along said door flange, an improved retaining means comprising:

• means defining a plurality of slots in said door flange adjacent said liner edge portion, said slots having a length extending in a direction generally parallel to said liner edge portion;
• and
• a retainer strip having a portion overlying and extending along said liner edge portion, said retainer strip further including a plurality of locking tabs each of which extends through a respective one of said slots, at least one of said locking tabs including a cam surface for engaging an edge portion of the slot and camming said retainer downward toward said door flange upon movement of said retainer along a line generally parallel to said liner edge portion toward a fully installed position, and at least one of said locking tabs including stop means for loosely retaining said retainer in a partially installed position.