Door gasket assembly for a refrigerated appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11768029-B2
Application number	US-202117506380-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2021
Priority date	Mar 7, 2019
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance includes an icemaker that is selectively closeable by a door. An outer gasket is positioned about an edge of the door and a sealing gasket is positioned around a center portion of the door inside the outer gasket. A plurality of protrusions extend from a rim of the icemaker. A liner is aligned with and spaced apart from the rim. A first gasket and a second gasket are positioned between the rim and the liner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator appliance comprising: an icemaker selectively closeable by a door, wherein an outer gasket is positioned about an edge of the door and a sealing gasket is positioned around a center portion of the door inside the outer gasket; a plurality of protrusions extending from a rim of the icemaker, wherein a liner is aligned with and spaced apart from the rim; and a first gasket and a second gasket positioned between the rim and the liner.

2. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the center portion is one of generally square and generally rectangular.

3. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the outer gasket has a linear connection portion and a non-linear contact portion.

4. The refrigerator appliance of claim 3 , wherein the non-linear contact portion is generally curved such that an outer edge of the non-linear contact portion is compressed when the non-linear contact portion contacts a rim of the liner.

5. The refrigerator appliance of claim 3 , further comprising:
an anchor coupled to an end of the linear connection portion.

6. The refrigerator appliance of claim 3 , further comprising:
a first end positioned parallel to a second end, wherein a central portion of the outer gasket forms the non-linear contact portion.

7. The refrigerator appliance of claim 6 , wherein the first and second ends of the outer gasket include first and second feet, respectively.

8. The refrigerator appliance of claim 7 , wherein the first and second feet extend outwardly from and substantially perpendicular to the first and second ends, respectively.

9. The refrigerator appliance of claim 6 , wherein the non-linear contact portion is curved such that the central portion is compressed when the non-linear contact portion contacts a rim of the liner.

10. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a channel including first and second extensions, wherein the first and second extensions extend parallel to an inner surface of an inner panel of the door.

11. A refrigerator appliance comprising:
an icemaker defining an opening;
an icemaker door configured to selectively close the icemaker, wherein the icemaker defines an outer channel and an inner channel, and wherein the outer channel is spaced from the inner channel by a protrusion, and further wherein the protrusion at least partially defines the inner channel and the outer channel;
a first gasket positioned within the outer channel and a second gasket positioned within the inner channel;
a liner positioned substantially flush with the icemaker, wherein an edge of the liner encloses the outer channel and the inner channel; and
an outer gasket positioned about a periphery of an inner surface of the icemaker door.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the icemaker door includes an inner portion configured to be received by the opening, and further wherein a sealing gasket is positioned about the inner portion.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the sealing gasket abuts the liner proximate the inner channel and the second gasket.

14. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the icemaker door includes an inner wall and an outer wall, and further wherein at least one of the inner wall and the outer wall defines a slot.

15. An icemaker comprising:
an icemaker box selectively closeable by a door, wherein the door includes an inner wall and an outer wall, the inner wall at least partially defining a slot;
a box rim of the icemaker box defining first and second channels having open ends, wherein a first gasket is positioned within the first channel and a second gasket is positioned within the second channel; and
an outer gasket positioned about a periphery of the door, wherein the outer gasket includes a contact portion and a connecting portion, the connecting portion at least partially received by the slot, wherein the inner wall includes first and second extensions proximate the slot, and further wherein first and second ends of the outer gasket are positioned within the slot and at least partially covered by the first and second extensions, respectively.

16. The icemaker of claim 15 , wherein the contact portion is generally curvilinear, and further wherein the contact portion is compressed between the inner wall and the icemaker box when the door is closed.

17. The icemaker of claim 15 , wherein the first end of the outer gasket includes an angled portion, and further wherein the angled portion extends from the connecting portion and abuts the inner wall.

18. The icemaker of claim 15 , wherein the outer gasket includes an angled connecting portion defining a space, and further wherein the inner wall is at least partially received by the space.

19. The icemaker of claim 15 , wherein the first and second ends of the outer gasket are received by the slot and a central portion of the outer gasket defines the contact portion.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Aranda Jose R
• Brown Alexa N
• Karl Jackson Felipe
• Kosek Dakota E
• Kulkarni Rishikesh Vinayak
• Pickles E C
• Sanchez Antonio
• Spletzer Richard A

Classifications

• F25D23/087 Primary

  Sealing strips · CPC title

• F25C1/24

  for refrigerators, e.g. freezing trays · CPC title

• F25D11/02

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• F25D2201/12

  using an insulating packing material · CPC title