Anti-rolling icebox gasket for refrigerator swing doors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11828526-B2
Application number	US-202217959361-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2022
Priority date	Mar 12, 2018
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A gasket is positioned on an icebox within a refrigerator appliance. The gasket includes a first lateral edge spaced apart from a second lateral edge. The first lateral edge has a first height and the second lateral edge has a second height. The first height is greater than the second height. A longitudinal edge extends between and is integrally formed with the first and second lateral edges. The longitudinal edge tapers from the first height to the second height. The second lateral edge is positioned proximate a hinge assembly of an appliance door.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An icebox within a refrigerator appliance, the icebox comprising:
a gasket assembly having tapered edges, the gasket assembly comprising:
a first edge having a first thickness;
a second edge having a second thickness, wherein the tapered edges extend between the first edge and the second edge;
a gasket; and
a guide comprising a poka yoke feature, wherein the gasket couples with the guide via the poka yoke feature, wherein the gasket defines a plurality of wells configured to respectively receive a plurality of connection posts, respectively, wherein the plurality of connection posts are formed by the guide.

2. The icebox of claim 1 , wherein a difference in a thickness of the first edge and the second edge is defined by the gasket.

3. The icebox of claim 1 , wherein a difference in a thickness of the first edge and the second edge is defined by the guide.

4. The icebox of claim 1 , wherein the poka yoke feature of the guide comprises a plurality of snaps.

5. The icebox of claim 1 , defining a first opening, wherein the gasket assembly outwardly extends from a periphery of the first opening.

6. The icebox of claim 1 , further comprising:
a front portion defining a surface with a slope, wherein the gasket assembly is coupled with the front portion at the surface having the slope.

7. The icebox of claim 6 , wherein the icebox is configured to be coupled with an interior of an operable door.

8. The icebox of claim 7 , wherein the gasket assembly outwardly extends from the surface at varying heights to define a periphery of the gasket assembly that is configured to be oblique to the surface when the door is in an open position, and wherein the periphery of the gasket assembly is configured to be substantially parallel to the surface when the door is in a closed position.

9. An icebox for a refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cover defining a first opening, wherein a periphery of the first opening is coupled with a gasket assembly comprising:
a first edge having a first thickness relative to the cover;
a second edge having a second thickness relative to the cover, the first thickness being different than the second thickness;
at least one edge having a tapered configuration, the at least one edge extending between the first edge and the second edge;
a gasket; and
a guide, wherein the guide extends between the gasket and the periphery of the first opening, and wherein the guide couples to the gasket and the periphery of the first opening via a poka yoke feature, wherein a difference in the first thickness of the first edge and the second thickness of the second edge is defined by the guide.

10. The icebox of claim 9 , wherein the cover comprises:
a front portion, the first opening being defined on the front portion; and
a body portion.

11. The icebox of claim 10 , wherein the front portion further defines a first sloped surface.

12. The icebox of claim 11 , wherein front portion is configured to interface with an air duct of the refrigerator appliance, the air duct defining a second sloped surface that is complementary to the first sloped surface.

13. The icebox of claim 12 , wherein the front portion is configured to interface with the air duct when a door of the refrigerator appliance is moved to a closed position.

14. The icebox of claim 13 , wherein the gasket assembly is prevented from rolling at least partially by the at least one edge having the tapered configuration when the door is moved to the closed position.

15. The icebox of claim 14 , wherein the gasket assembly is prevented from rolling at least partially by the poka yoke feature.

16. A refrigerator appliance comprising:
an icebox comprising:
a cover coupled with a gasket assembly, the gasket assembly comprising:
a gasket having a tapered configuration with respect to the cover; and
a guide, wherein the guide couples with the gasket and the cover via a poka yoke feature such that the guide extends between the gasket and the cover wherein the tapered configuration of the gasket relative to the cover is defined by the guide;

a door movable between an open position and a closed position; and
an air duct, wherein the gasket interfaces with the air duct when the door is moved to the closed position.

17. The refrigerator appliance of claim 16 , wherein the cover further comprises:
a front portion sloping downwardly toward the refrigerator appliance, wherein the front portion defines a first opening.

18. The refrigerator appliance of claim 17 , wherein the air duct defines:
a sloped surface complementary of the front portion when the door is moved to the closed position; and
a second opening complementary of the first opening when the door is moved to the closed position.

19. The refrigerator appliance of claim 18 , wherein the tapered configuration of the gasket is configured to interface with a periphery of the second opening when the door is moved to the closed position.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Khekale Ishan Subhash

Classifications

• F25D23/087 Primary

  Sealing strips · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• F25C5/22 Primary

  particularly adapted for household refrigerators · CPC title

• F25D21/04

  Preventing the formation of frost or condensate · CPC title

• F25D2201/00

  Insulation · CPC title