Method and apparatus for assembling in an automated manner a sealing profile on an inner door for refrigerators

Method for assembling in an automated manner on an inner door a profile (1) made of substantially rigid plastic, for refrigerator furniture units and the like provided with door and an inner door (31), having a seal which is made of substantially soft plastic and forms a sealed closure between the door and the furniture, the profile and the seal portion being joined together or integral as a single piece produced by means of coextrusion of two materials having a different rigidity, said profile having a base (3) formed with a substantially C-shaped cross-section defined by two substantially horizontal sections, i.e. an upper section (2) and lower section (4), and by a substantially vertical or oblique section (7), said cross-section being elastically splayable as a result of an elbow piece (8) made of soft material and formed by means of coextrusion on the cross-section itself, this elbow piece therefore acting as a hinge for allowing elastic splaying of said section (4) of said C-shaped cross-section so as to receive by means of snap-engagement the edge of said inner door (31) inside (19) the cross-section itself, characterized in that it comprises the stages of:

• a) providing said profile (1) in the form of a frame welded at the corners, b) stably resting said frame on a support (10), c) gripping said section (4) along all the sides of said frame using engaging means (12) so as to perform said elastic splaying, d) retaining said sections (4) in the splayed position, e) positioning said inner door (31) on said sections (2) of said profile base, f) releasing said sections so as to allow the elastic return of the profile base onto the edge of the inner door, g) extracting inner door and profile thus assembled from said support.