US 7,008,032 B2Granted

Refrigerator incorporating french doors with rotating mullion bar

AssigneeMaytag Corporation

InventorsRaymond J. Chekal, Richard Allan Kirchner, Jeffrey Michael O'Halloran, Chad Jonathan Rotter, Greg A. Scorpil, Jack J. Standefer, David Allen Stauffer

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Abstract

A refrigerator includes French-style doors and a rotating mullion. The rotating mullion is mounted to one of the French-style doors through first and second hinge members. Each of the first and second hinge members include first and second hinge elements having corresponding cam members. The cam members include multiple lobes and extend about hinge pins that define an axis of rotation for the mullion. The multiple lobes actually define first and second detent positions for the rotating mullion. A spring biases the first cam member against the second cam member so that the rotating mullion is positively maintained in either the first or second position. The mullion is formed from mating halves, each including a portion of an integrally formed pin element. The pin element travels within a guide element to automatically rotate the mullion between the first and second positions during use.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet shell including a first compartment and a second compartment, each of said first and second compartments including a respective opening for receiving items to be refrigerated;
first and second French-style doors pivotally mounted to the cabinet shell about the opening of the first compartment;
first and second gaskets arranged between the first and second doors and the cabinet shell for sealing the opening of the first compartment;
at least one guide element mounted to one of upper and lower portions of the first compartment;
a mullion bar pivotally mounted to the first door, said mullion bar including first and second, interconnected members;
first and second hinge members, each of said first and second hinge members including first and second hinge elements, said first hinge element including a first cam member and a hinge pin defining a hinge axis, said second hinge element including a second cam member and a hinge pin receiver, each of said first and second hinge elements being mounted to a respective one of the first door and the mullion bar, with the hinge pin extending into the hinge pin receiver and the first and second cam members being nested together;
a spring biasing the first and second hinge elements into engagement;
and
at least one guide member provided on at least one of upper and lower portions of the mullion bar, said at least one guide member being adapted to engage the at least one guide element during opening and closing of the first door to cause relative rotating and translating motions between the first and second cam members against a biasing force of the spring and forced rotation of the mullion bar about the hinge axis relative to the first door.

6 more elements

A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet shell including a first compartment and a second compartment, each of said first and second compartments including a respective opening for receiving items to be refrigerated;
first and second French-style doors pivotally mounted to the cabinet shell about the opening of the first compartment;
at least one guide element mounted to one of upper and lower portions of the first compartment;
a mullion bar pivotally mounted to the first door;
first and second hinge members, each of said first and second hinge members including first and second hinge elements, said first hinge element including a first cam member and a hinge pin defining a hinge axis, said second hinge element including a second cam member and a hinge pin receiver, each of said first and second hinge elements being mounted to a respective one of the first door and the mullion bar, with the hinge pin extending into the hinge pin receiver and the first and second cam members being nested together;
a spring biasing the first and second hinge elements into engagement;
and
at least one guide member provided on at least one of upper and lower portions of the mullion bar, said at least one guide member being adapted to engage the at least one guide element during opening and closing of the first door to cause relative rotating and translating motions between the first and second cam members against a biasing force of the spring and forced rotation of the mullion bar about the hinge axis relative to the first door.

5 more elements

A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet shell including a first compartment and a second compartment, each of said first and second compartments including a respective opening for receiving items to be refrigerated;
first and second French-style doors pivotally mounted to the cabinet shell about the opening of the first compartment;
at least one guide element mounted to one of upper and lower portions of the first compartment;
a mullion bar pivotally mounted to the first door, said mullion bar including first and second, interconnected members;
first and second hinge members, each of said first and second hinge members including first and second hinge elements, wherein the first hinge element includes a base portion, a first cam member projecting from the base portion and a hinge pin defining a hinge axis, said second hinge element including a second cam member and a hinge pin receiver, each of said first and second hinge elements being mounted to a respective one of the first door and the mullion bar, with the hinge pin extending into the hinge pin receiver and the first and second cam members being nested together;
and
at least one guide member provided on at least one of upper and lower portions of the mullion bar, said at least one guide member being adapted to engage the at least one guide element during opening and closing of the first door to cause forced rotation of the mullion bar about the hinge axis relative to the first door.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.