Structural stanchion for a cabinet of an appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10215471-B2
Application number	US-201615051142-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2016
Priority date	Dec 28, 2015
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

An appliance includes a cabinet having first and second sidewalls and an interior mullion extending therebetween, wherein the first and second sidewalls and the interior mullion define a plurality of interior compartments. First and second stanchions define vertical structural members of the first and second sidewalls, respectively. The first stanchion includes a first medial flange that extends partially into the interior mullion. The first medial flange defines a first hinge attachment point, and a distal end of the first medial flange is positioned proximate a first hinge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An appliance comprising:
a cabinet having first and second sidewalls and an interior mullion extending therebetween, wherein the first and second sidewalls and the interior mullion define a plurality of interior compartments;
first and second stanchions that define vertical structural members of the first and second sidewalls, respectively, wherein the first stanchion includes a first medial flange that extends partially into the interior mullion, wherein the first medial flange defines a first hinge attachment point, and wherein a distal end of the first medial flange is positioned proximate a first hinge, and wherein the first medial flange is integrally formed with the first stanchion and is free of direct contact with the second stanchion; and
an exterior cabinet member that extends over at least a portion of the first stanchion and at least a portion of the second stanchion, wherein an outward portion of the exterior cabinet member includes a contact surface, wherein a heat loop is at least partially disposed in an interstitial space defined by a folded portion of the exterior cabinet member, the heat loop being in thermal communication with the contact surface, and wherein the first and second stanchions and the folded portion of the exterior cabinet member cooperatively define a plurality of slots wherein each of the plurality of slots define insulation injection ports through which insulation is injected into at least a portion of the interstitial space, wherein the slots of the folded portion are aligned with the slots of the first and second stanchions.

2. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first and second stanchions include top flanges that engage a top panel of the cabinet, wherein the top flange of the first stanchion defines a first upper hinge support that supports a first upper hinge, wherein the first upper hinge is vertically aligned with the first hinge and the first hinge attachment point.

3. The appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second medial flange of the second stanchion, wherein the second medial flange extends partially into the interior mullion, wherein the second medial flange defines a second hinge attachment point, and wherein an outer end of the second medial flange is positioned proximate a second hinge, and wherein the distal end of the first medial flange is free of direct engagement with the outer end of the second medial flange.

4. The appliance of claim 3 , wherein the first and second medial flanges are integral with the first and second stanchions, respectively.

5. The appliance of claim 3 , wherein the cabinet includes a mullion cover that extends between the first and second stanchions, and wherein the mullion cover directly engages and conceals the first and second medial flanges, wherein the mullion cover is free of interior structural members between the first and second medial flanges.

6. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first and second stanchions extend from a base of the cabinet to a top panel of the cabinet, wherein a leveling mechanism of the cabinet is disposed proximate the base at bottom ends of the first and second stanchions.

7. The appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one operable panel that selectively engages the contact surface to define a closed position of the at least one operable panel, wherein an outer surface of a mullion cover of the interior mullion defines a portion of the contact surface.

8. An appliance comprising:
a first sidewall having a first hinge attached to a first stanchion;
a second sidewall having a second hinge attached to a second stanchion;
an interior mullion extending between the first and second stanchions, wherein first and second medial flanges of the first and second stanchions, respectively, extend into the interior mullion and support the first and second hinges;
a mullion cover extending along the interior mullion between the first and second medial flanges;
a heat loop that is in thermal communication with an outer surface of the mullion cover; and
an exterior cabinet member that extends over at least a portion of the first stanchion and at least a portion of the second stanchion, wherein an outward portion of the exterior cabinet member includes a contact surface, wherein the heat loop is in thermal communication with the contact surface, wherein the first and second medial flanges engage an inner surface of the mullion cover and are positioned at the contact surface, and wherein the first and second stanchions are offset from the contact surface to define an interstitial space within a folded, portion of the exterior cabinet member, wherein:
the mullion cover conceals the first and second medial flanges from view;
the first and second medial flanges extend to respective distal ends, wherein the distal ends terminate at the first and second hinges, respectively, and wherein the first and second medial flanges are laterally offset from the respective first and second stanchions and are free of direct engagement with one another and with an interior liner of the first and second sidewalls; and
the mullion cover is free of direct interior structural reinforcement members between the distal ends of the first and second medial flanges.

9. The appliance of claim 8 , wherein the interior mullion includes an interior mullion volume that is defined by the mullion cover, and wherein the interior mullion volume is at least partially filled with insulation that at least partially engages an inner surface of the mullion cover.

10. The appliance of claim 9 , wherein the heat loop extends through at least a portion of the interior mullion volume.

11. The appliance of claim 10 , further comprising:
at least one operable panel that selectively engages the contact surface to define a closed position of the at least one operable panel, wherein the outer surface of the mullion cover defines a portion of the contact surface.

12. The appliance of claim 10 , wherein the heat loop includes a mullion loop that extends from proximate one of the first and second stanchions and extends substantially across a length of the mullion cover proximate the inner surface of the mullion cover.

13. The appliance of claim 10 , wherein the heat loop includes a single mullion loop.

14. The appliance of claim 12 , wherein the mullion cover includes a support portion that supports a section of the mullion loop.

15. The appliance of claim 14 , wherein the support portion includes an upper loop support and a lower loop support, wherein the upper loop support engages a top section of the mullion loop and wherein the lower loop support engages a bottom section of the mullion loop.

16. The appliance of claim 14 , wherein the support portion is integrally formed with the mullion cover.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Grimm Brian
• Papke Jeremiah S
• Ramm Axel Julio
• Szczech Gerald S
• Thomaz Geraldo Luiz
• Wesbrook Scott M

Classifications

• F25D21/04 Primary

  Preventing the formation of frost or condensate · CPC title

• F25D2323/0011

  Means for leveling refrigerators · CPC title

• F25D23/063

  formed by an assembly of panels · CPC title

• F25D2400/04

  Refrigerators with a horizontal mullion · CPC title

• F25D2323/021

  French doors · CPC title