Door/drawer panel adjustment mechanism for an appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9752817-B2
Application number	US-201514973952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A panel adjustment mechanism for an appliance includes an adjustment bracket having a first lateral adjustment mechanism extending from a first side of the adjustment bracket. A vertical adjustment mechanism extends from a second side of the adjustment bracket. A door panel abutment surface is positioned perpendicular to the first and second sides of the panel adjustment bracket. A bracket housing defines an adjustment region and includes first and second flanges, wherein the first lateral adjustment mechanism extends through a lateral adjustment slot defined in the first flange, wherein the vertical adjustment mechanism extends through a vertical adjustment slot defined within the second flange, wherein the operation of at least one of the lateral adjustment mechanism and the vertical adjustment mechanism moves the panel adjustment bracket between a plurality of positions within the adjustment region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerated appliance comprising:
an appliance cabinet defining at least one interior compartment;
a drawer having a drawer panel coupled to the appliance cabinet and slidably operable between a closed position, wherein the drawer panel engages a surface of the appliance cabinet and an open position; and
left and right panel adjustment mechanisms coupled to the drawer panel, wherein the left and right panel adjustment mechanisms position the drawer panel in an aligned position relative to the appliance cabinet, each of the left and right panel adjustment mechanisms comprising:
a panel adjustment bracket having first and second lateral adjustment mechanisms extending from a first side of the panel adjustment bracket, a vertical adjustment mechanism extending from a second side of the panel adjustment bracket and a drawer panel abutment surface, wherein the drawer panel abutment surface is positioned perpendicular to the first and second sides of the panel adjustment bracket and is in engagement with the drawer panel; and
a bracket housing having first and second flanges that at least partially define an adjustment region, wherein the first and second lateral adjustment mechanisms extends through the first flange and the vertical adjustment mechanism extends through the second flange, and wherein operation of at least one of the first lateral adjustment mechanism, the second lateral adjustment mechanism and the vertical adjustment mechanism moves the panel adjustment bracket between a plurality of positions within the adjustment region, wherein:

the panel adjustment brackets of each of the left and right panel adjustment mechanisms, respectively, are separately and independently operable to define lateral and rotational movement within the respective bracket housing and along a single plane, wherein the lateral and rotational movement is achieved at least through cooperative operation of each of the first and second lateral adjustment mechanisms of each panel adjustment bracket.

2. The refrigerated appliance of claim 1 , wherein the panel adjustment bracket includes a locking mechanism that extends from a third side of the panel adjustment bracket, wherein the third side is oriented perpendicular with the first and second sides of the panel adjustment bracket, and wherein the locking mechanism engages a third flange of the bracket housing that is substantially parallel with the third side of the panel adjustment bracket, wherein the locking mechanism is operable between an adjustment position, wherein the panel adjustment bracket is adjustable through operation of the vertical and first and second lateral adjustment mechanisms, and a locked position, wherein the vertical and first and second lateral adjustment mechanisms are substantially inoperable.

3. The refrigerated appliance of claim 1 , wherein each of the vertical adjustment mechanism and the first and second lateral adjustment mechanisms are defined by a threaded aperture, a central axis defined within the panel adjustment bracket and a cooperating screw that rotationally engages the threaded aperture along the central axis, wherein the cooperating screw extends through a respective flange of the bracket housing and is engaged therein such that the cooperating screw is free of lateral movement relative to the respective flange of the bracket housing and is rotationally operable within the respective flange of the bracket housing, wherein rotational operation of the cooperating screw adjusts the panel adjustment bracket relative to the respective flange.

4. The refrigerated appliance of claim 3 , wherein the respective flange of the bracket housing defines a slot that receives the cooperating screw, wherein the cooperating screw includes a screw head defining an axially securing slot, wherein the respective flange of the bracket housing at the slot is received by the axially securing slot of the cooperating screw, wherein the cooperating screw is rotationally operable within the slot and laterally slidable along a path of the slot, and is free of movement in a direction perpendicular to the path of the slot.

5. An appliance comprising:
an appliance cabinet defining at least one interior compartment;
a door panel coupled to the appliance cabinet and operable between open and closed positions; and
a panel adjustment mechanism selectively coupled to the door panel, the panel adjustment mechanism operating to position the door panel in an aligned position relative to the appliance cabinet, the panel adjustment mechanism comprising:
an adjustment bracket engaged with the door panel and having a plurality of directional adjustment mechanisms, and wherein the adjustment bracket includes a door panel engagement surface that receives the door panel; and
a bracket housing engaged with the appliance cabinet and defining an adjustment region that receives the adjustment bracket, wherein the plurality of directional adjustment mechanisms of the adjustment bracket engage the bracket housing, and wherein operation of at least one of the plurality of directional adjustment mechanisms operates the adjustment bracket within the bracket housing to position the door panel engagement surface and the door panel in the aligned position, and wherein the plurality of directional adjustment mechanisms includes first and second lateral adjustment mechanisms that are positioned parallel with one another, and wherein operation of the first and second lateral adjustment mechanisms is adapted to move the adjustment bracket linearly and rotationally through a single plane when the door panel engagement surface is disengaged from the door panel.

6. The appliance of claim 5 , wherein the adjustment bracket is a block defining a plurality of sides, wherein the plurality of directional adjustment mechanisms include the first and second lateral adjustment mechanisms extending from a first side of the block, a vertical adjustment mechanism extending from a second side of the block and oriented perpendicular to the first and second lateral adjustment mechanisms.

7. The appliance of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of directional adjustment mechanisms includes a locking mechanism that extends from a third side of the block, wherein the locking mechanism is oriented perpendicular to the first and second lateral adjustment mechanisms and the vertical adjustment mechanism.

8. The appliance of claim 6 , wherein the door panel engagement surface is oriented substantially perpendicular to the first and second sides of the block.

9. The appliance of claim 6 , wherein the vertical adjustment mechanism and the first and second lateral adjustment mechanisms are threaded pins extending outward from the block and wherein corresponding nuts engage each of the threaded pins to selectively position each of the threaded pins relative to the bracket housing, and wherein rotation of each corresponding nut adjusts the position of the block relative to the bracket housing.

10. The appliance of claim 6 , wherein the vertical adjustment mechanism and the first and second lateral adjustment mechanisms are cooperating screws and corresponding threaded apertures defined within the block, wherein rotation of any one of the cooperating screws operates the block relative to the bracket housing.

11. The appliance of claim 10 , wherein the bracket housing defines slots that respectively engage each of the cooperating screws, wherein each corresponding cooperating screw includes a screw head defining an axially securing slot, wherein a portion of the bracket housing proximate a respective slot is received by the axially securing slot of the corresponding cooperating screw, wherein engagement of

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Richards Michael S
• Wadke Rahul
• Wittes Joshua J

Classifications

• F25D25/025

  Drawers · CPC title

• F25D2323/024

  Door hinges · CPC title

• F25D2500/02

  Geometry problems · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• A47B88/956

  for enabling adjustment of the front panel · CPC title