US 8,556,359 B1Granted

Refrigerator door locking assembly

OwnerKire Gorgievskiinventor

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Abstract

A refrigerator door locking assembly is provided for selectively locking and unlocking refrigerator and freezer doors. The assembly includes a cabinet having a perimeter wall. An outer edge of the perimeter wall defines an open face into the cabinet. A first door is pivotally coupled to the cabinet selectively covering the open face. A conduit extends through the perimeter wall of the cabinet. The conduit has an upper end and a lower end. A first slit extends through the outer edge of the perimeter wall into the conduit. A first hook is coupled to the door and is inserted through the first slit into the conduit when the first door is in a closed position covering the open face. A rod is coupled to the cabinet and positioned in the conduit. The rod selectively engages the first hook whereby the first door is held in the closed position.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A door locking assembly comprising:

a cabinet having a perimeter wall, an outer edge of said perimeter wall defining an open face;
a first door pivotally coupled to said cabinet, said first door selectively covering said open face;
a conduit extending through said perimeter wall of said cabinet, said conduit having an upper end and a lower end;
a first slit extending through said outer edge of said perimeter wall, said first slit extending into said conduit;
a first hook coupled to said door, said first hook being inserted through said first slit and into said conduit when said first door is in a closed position covering said open face;
and
a rod coupled to said cabinet, said rod being positioned in said conduit, said rod selectively engaging said first hook whereby said first door is held in said closed position, a pair of spaced arms coupled to and extending substantially perpendicular from said rod, said arms being pivotally coupled to said cabinet in said conduit to define an axis of rotation whereby said rod is rotatable within said conduit offset from said axis of rotation, said rod having an upper end extending outwardly through said cabinet such that said rod is manually rotatable by said upper end to selectively lock and unlock said first door relative to said cabinet.

4 more elements

A door locking assembly comprising:

a cabinet having a perimeter wall, an outer edge of said perimeter wall defining an open face;
an interior wall extending through said cabinet, said interior wall dividing said open face into an upper portion and a lower portion;
a first door pivotally coupled to said cabinet, said first door selectively covering said upper portion of said open face;
a second door pivotally coupled to said cabinet, said second door selectively covering said lower portion of said open face;
a conduit extending through said perimeter wall of said cabinet, said conduit having an upper end and a lower end, said lower end being positioned adjacent to said lower portion of said open face;
a first slit extending through said outer edge of said perimeter wall, said first slit extending into said conduit adjacent to said upper portion of said open face;
a second slit extending through said outer edge of said perimeter wall, said second slit extending into said conduit adjacent to said lower portion of said open face;
a first hook coupled to said first door, said first hook being inserted through said first slit and into said conduit when said first door is in a closed position covering said upper portion of said open face;
a second hook coupled to said second door, said second hook being inserted through said second slit and into said conduit when said second door is in a closed position covering said lower portion of said open face;
and
a rod coupled to said cabinet, said rod being positioned in said conduit, said rod selectively engaging said first hook and said second hook whereby each of said first door and said second door are held in said closed position, a pair of spaced arms coupled to and extending substantially perpendicular from said rod, said arms being pivotally coupled to said cabinet in said conduit to define an axis of rotation whereby said rod is rotatable within said conduit offset from said axis of rotation, said rod having an upper end extending outwardly through said cabinet such that said rod is manually rotatable by said upper end to selectively lock and unlock said first door and said second door relative to said cabinet.

8 more elements

A door locking assembly comprising:

a cabinet having a perimeter wall, an outer edge of said perimeter wall defining an open face;
an interior wall extending through said cabinet, said interior wall dividing said open face into an upper portion and a lower portion;
a first door pivotally coupled to said cabinet, said first door selectively covering said upper portion of said open face;
a second door pivotally coupled to said cabinet, said second door selectively covering said lower portion of said open face;
a conduit extending through said perimeter wall of said cabinet, said conduit having an upper end and a lower end, said lower end being positioned adjacent to said lower portion of said open face;
a first slit extending through said outer edge of said perimeter wall, said first slit extending into said conduit adjacent to said upper portion of said open face;
a second slit extending through said outer edge of said perimeter wall, said second slit extending into said conduit adjacent to said lower portion of said open face;
a first hook coupled to said first door, said first hook being inserted through said first slit and into said conduit when said first door is in a closed position covering said upper portion of said open face;
a second hook coupled to said second door, said second hook being inserted through said second slit and into said conduit when said second door is in a closed position covering said lower portion of said open face;
a rod coupled to said cabinet, said rod being positioned in said conduit, said rod selectively engaging said first hook and said second hook whereby each of said first door and said second door are held in said closed position, said rod having an upper end extending outwardly through an arcuate slot in said perimeter wall of said cabinet;
a pair of aligned recesses positioned in opposite ends of said conduit;
and
a pair of spaced arms coupled to and extending substantially perpendicular from said rod, said arms being pivotally coupled to said cabinet in said conduit to define an axis of rotation whereby said rod is rotatable within said conduit offset from said axis of rotation, each of said spaced arms being L-shaped, a distal end of each of said arms being positioned in an associated one of said recesses, said upper end of said rod extending outwardly through said cabinet such that said rod is manually rotatable by said upper end to selectively lock and unlock said first door and said second door relative to said cabinet.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.