US 5,349,832 AGranted

Mullion bar assembly with enhanced heat transfer barrier characteristics

AssigneeMaytag Corporation

InventorsThomas M. Johnson, John C. Ellingwood

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Abstract

A mullion bar assembly having enhanced heat transfer barrier characteristics is disclosed wherein the liners defining the freezer and the fresh food compartments define non-magnetic gasket sealing surfaces against which the magnetic door gaskets seal. Since the liners are typically made of plastic material, permanent magnets are disposed behind the liners so as to attract the magnetic gasket seals into sealing contact with their respective non-magnetic sealing surfaces. The non-magnetic sealing surfaces are spaced apart and the mullion bar is located between them such that it extends between opposite sides of the refrigerator cabinet and only between the spaced apart, non-magnetic sealing surfaces. No part of the mullion bar is exposed to either the freezer compartment or the fresh food compartment. Since the mullion bar extends only between the spaced apart sealing surfaces, the door gaskets prevent any exposure of the mullion bar to the compartment interiors, thereby preventing any direct heat transfer between the ambient atmosphere and the respective compartments via the mullion bar.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A mullion bar assembly having enhanced heat transfer barrier characteristics for a refrigerator cabinet having a cabinet with opposite sides defining an interior space, interior wall means to divide the interior space into at least two chambers and movable door means to selectively open or close each of the at least two chambers, comprising:

a) first and second non-magnetic means operatively associated with the interior wall means and defining first and second, spaced apart non-magnetic sealing surfaces;
b) magnetic gasket sealing means located on the movable door means such that, when the door means close the at least two chambers, the magnetic gasket sealing means contact the first and second, spaced apart non-magnetic sealing surfaces;
c) spaced apart magnets located on the first and second non-magnetic means so as to attract the magnetic gasket sealing means and urge the gasket sealing means into sealing contact with the nonmagnetic sealing surfaces;
and,
d) a mullion bar spaced from the magnets and extending between opposite sides of the refrigerator cabinet, the mullion bar located so as to extend between the first and second spaced apart non-magnetic sealing surfaces and out of contact with the magnetic gasket sealing means such that the mullion bar is out of direct heat transfer relationship with the at least two chambers when the door means are closed.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.