초록 ▼

The present invention relates to a door for a refrigerator appliance having reinforcing corner brackets that structurally complete the corners of the door. The corner brackets are located at the door corners of the vertical and horizontal side walls of the outer door skin. The brackets structurally

The present invention relates to a door for a refrigerator appliance having reinforcing corner brackets that structurally complete the corners of the door. The corner brackets are located at the door corners of the vertical and horizontal side walls of the outer door skin. The brackets structurally replace and reinforce the horizontal side wall immediately adjacent the vertical side wall with a thicker, stronger material, such as, metal or steel, so that loading normally transferred to the outer door skin through the horizontal side wall at this corner location is instead transferred directly to the brackets mounted in the door. The horizontal side wall at the corner adjacent the vertical side wall has a cut-out or an open section. The brackets each have an opening positioned at the cut-out section. The opening is adapted to receive a hinge pin or closure cap. The door has an elongate supporting strut in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube engaging the brackets to reinforce the corners. The strut extends adjacent the one vertical side wall for supporting the corner brackets within the door to reinforce the door. Reinforcement brackets and tubes are located on each side of the door.

대표청구항 ▼

[What is claimed is:] [1.]outer door panel having an outer skin sheet with rearwardly extending peripheral vertical and horizontal side walls, a plurality of corners positioned between adjacent horizontal and vertical side walls, and each of the peripheral vertical and horizontal side walls having a

[What is claimed is:] [1.]outer door panel having an outer skin sheet with rearwardly extending peripheral vertical and horizontal side walls, a plurality of corners positioned between adjacent horizontal and vertical side walls, and each of the peripheral vertical and horizontal side walls having an inside surface portion adjacent the corners;an inner door liner secured to the outer door panel spaced from the sheet to define a cavity between the inner liner and the sheet;reinforcing corner brackets positioned within the cavity adjacent at least two opposed corners located at ends of one of the vertical side walls, the corner brackets each extending within the cavity along the inside surface portions of the horizontal and vertical side walls adjacent the vertically opposed corners to reinforce the corners, and each of reinforcing corner brackets secured to at least one of the horizontal and vertical side walls; and,an elongate supporting strut having opposing ends engaging the reinforcing corner brackets, the supporting strut extending adjacent the one vertical side wall for supporting the corner brackets within the door to reinforce the door.