초록 ▼

A refrigerator cabinet assembly includes a shell formed by opposed, upright side walls and a top wall, all of which have in-turned front and rear face portions with each of the front face portions terminating in a return flange defining a liner receiving cavity opening forwardly of the shell. Each l

A refrigerator cabinet assembly includes a shell formed by opposed, upright side walls and a top wall, all of which have in-turned front and rear face portions with each of the front face portions terminating in a return flange defining a liner receiving cavity opening forwardly of the shell. Each liner receiving cavity is spaced inwardly of a respective side and top wall such that a channel, which is readily accessible from within the shell, is defined. A rear wall is interconnected to the side and top walls by being arranged between and forced to intimately contact a pair of spaced layers defining the rear face portions of each of these walls. A plurality of reinforcement members, including a pair of upper corner plates and a pair of side reinforcement bars adapted to be arranged in the channel, as well as upper and lower crossbars in one preferred embodiment that interconnect the side reinforcement members, are attached to the shell, along with a mullion plate and a faceplate. Since the return flanges open forwardly of the shell, a liner can be front loaded therein in a quick and easy fashion with an inwardly extending flange provided on the liner projecting into the liner receiving cavity. The side reinforcement members and their associated brackets are provided with structure defining hinge locations for both refrigerator door hinges, as well as one hinge for a freezer compartment, to assure proper alignment and spacing of the hinges.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A method of assembling a refrigerator cabinet comprising:creating a cabinet shell by bending a single sheet of material to form side walls interconnected by a top wall;forming front face portions by in-turning front edge portions of the side and top walls;creating return flanges, i

[ We claim:] [1.] A method of assembling a refrigerator cabinet comprising:creating a cabinet shell by bending a single sheet of material to form side walls interconnected by a top wall;forming front face portions by in-turning front edge portions of the side and top walls;creating return flanges, inwardly of the front face portions, that define at least one liner receiving cavity that opens forwardly of said cabinet and which are spaced from the side and top walls by a channel extending about a front periphery of the cabinet behind the front face portions;inserting a plurality of reinforcement members within said channel; andsecuring the plurality of reinforcement members within the channel.