Abstract:
A refrigerator includes cabinet shell including a pair of laterally spaced, upright side walls and a top wall, each of which includes a respective forward portion. A face frame, integrally formed from a single, bent material sheet, is mounted to the forward portion of each of the opposing side and top walls. The face frame includes top, bottom and opposing side frame members, along with a mullion member that extends between either the top and bottom frame members or the opposing side frame members, depending upon desired refrigerator configuration. The mullion member establishes first and second openings that lead into first and second refrigerated compartments or the refrigerator.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a unitary face frame for a refrigerator cabinet. 
         [0003]    2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    In constructing an appliance cabinet, particularly a refrigerator cabinet, it is highly desirable to simplify the overall assembly of the cabinet to reduce manufacturing costs, yet it is imperative that the cabinet be structurally sound in order to counteract loads exerted thereon during use of the appliance. Mainly due to cost efficiencies and flexibility in workmanship, it has been commonplace to utilize sheet metal in the forming of most refrigerator cabinets in the market today. Since sheet metal is relatively thin and rather high loads are often placed on the cabinet, particularly by the opening and closing of a weighted down refrigerator door, a fair amount of effort has been applied in this art to provide reinforcement for such a refrigerator cabinet. Of course, an additional concern is the ease of assembly of the cabinet as a whole. 
         [0005]    With this in mind, it has heretofore been proposed to form the sides and top of a refrigerator cabinet shell out of a single piece of bent sheet metal and then attach rear and bottom walls. Thereafter, the shell is structurally reinforced in an attempt to avoid deformation during use. Such known reinforcing arrangements generally take the form of either providing multiple, individually secured reinforcement members or individual members formed into a reinforcing frame which is then positioned at a front opening of the cabinet shell. At least the sides of the shell are attached to the frame to integrate the overall assembly. To perform this assembly operation, either various holes are provided in both the cabinet shell and the reinforcement members which must be aligned to receive mechanical fasteners or systematic welding operations are performed. In either case, these connections are designed to perform the sole function of interconnecting the shell to the reinforcement structure. 
         [0006]    Constructing and mounting the reinforcing frame has proven to be a time consuming and costly manufacturing step. Forming individual frame members, joining the frame members to form an overall frame, and mounting the frame to the cabinet shell add a considerable amount of time to the manufacturing process. Likewise, forming the frame members and then fastening the frame members to the cabinet individually is also a labor intensive process. 
         [0007]    Based on the above, there exists a need for a simplified reinforcing frame for a refrigerator cabinet. More specifically, there exists a need for a unitary face frame that is integrally formed from a single sheet of material and then fastened to an outer cabinet shell of a refrigerator. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention is directed to a unitary face frame for a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes an outer cabinet shell having a pair of laterally spaced, upright side walls and a top wall, each of which includes a respective forward portion. First and second liners are arranged adjacent one another in the cabinet shell and define corresponding first and second refrigerated compartments. 
         [0009]    In accordance with the invention, the face frame is integrally formed from a single material sheet and then mounted to the outer cabinet shell at the forward portion of each of the opposing side and top walls. The face frame includes top, bottom and opposing side frame members, along with a mullion member that extends between either the top and bottom frame members or the opposing side frame members, depending upon desired refrigerator configuration. The mullion member establishes first and second openings that lead into the first and second refrigerated compartments respectively. 
         [0010]    Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is an upper right perspective view of a built-in refrigerator incorporating a unitary face frame constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the built-in refrigerator of  FIG. 1  illustrating the unitary face frame; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is an elevational view of the unitary face frame shown prior to a final forming process; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is an upper right perspective rear view of the unitary face frame of  FIG. 3  following the final forming process. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0015]    With initial reference to  FIG. 1 , a refrigerator constructed in accordance with the present invention is generally indicated at  2 . Refrigerator  2  is shown to include a freezer door  6  having an associated handle  7  and a fresh food door  10  having an associated handle  11 . In the embodiment shown, refrigerator  2  is of the recessed type such that, essentially, only freezer and fresh food doors  6  and  10  project forward of a wall  15 . The remainder of refrigerator  2  is recessed within wall  15  in a manner similar to a plurality of surrounding cabinets generally indicated at  18 - 23 . Refrigerator  2  also includes a plurality of peripheral trim pieces  28 - 30 . In accordance with the most preferred embodiment of the invention, trim pieces  28 - 30  are formed of aluminum. However, other materials, such as plastic, could also be utilized. Finally, it should be noted that refrigerator  2  is preferably designed with main components of a refrigeration system positioned behind an access panel  32  arranged directly above trim piece  29  as clearly shown in this figure. 
         [0016]    Although refrigerator  2  can take various forms,  FIG. 2  represents, in exploded view form, the main cabinet components of a side-by-side model for refrigerator  2 . As illustrated, refrigerator  2  includes a front frame  40  which, as will be detailed more fully below, is formed from a single sheet of material. Refrigerator  2  also includes a freezer compartment box  55  defined by interconnected side, bottom, top and back panels  57 - 61 . In a similar fashion, a fresh food compartment box  65  is formed from side, bottom, top and back panels  67 - 71 . As freezer compartment box  55  and fresh food compartment box  65  are preferably formed as separate units, they are integrated into an overall refrigerator cabinet assembly by front frame  40  and an outer shell as defined by side walls  80  and  81 , a back wall  82  which is preferably defined by four separate panels  82   a - 82   d , a bottom wall  83 , a top cover member  84  and a front cover member  85 . As will be detailed more fully below, front frame  40  is adapted to be attached to forward portions (not separately labeled) of each side wall  80 ,  81  such that, front frame  40 , freezer compartment box  55 , fresh food compartment box  65 , side walls  80  and  81 , back wall  82 , bottom wall  83 , top cover member  84  and front cover member  85  are all integrated together. Also provided about openings (not separately labeled) defined by front frame  40  are associated peripheral breaker elements  90  and  91  that snap-fittingly engage with front frame  40 , freezer compartment box  55  and fresh food compartment box  65  to define corresponding freezer and fresh food compartments. 
         [0017]    For the sake of simplicity, the various components of a conventional refrigeration circuit have not been shown. However, with this configuration of refrigerator  2 , the various compressor, condenser, evaporator and the like components are preferably supported upon top panel  60  of freezer compartment box  55 , as well as top cover member  84 . In accordance with the most preferred embodiment of the invention, the evaporator is supported above freezer compartment box  55  while the compressor and condenser are located above fresh food compartment box  65 , with each of these components being accessible upon removing access panel  32 . 
         [0018]    In accordance with the invention, front frame  40  includes top, bottom and opposing side frame members  110 - 113  along with a mullion member  117  that collectively define first and second openings  128  and  129 . In the embodiment shown, opening  128  corresponds to freezer compartment box  55  and opening  129  corresponds to fresh food compartment box  65 . Important in connection with the present invention, as best shown in  FIG. 3 , front frame  40  is integrally formed from a single sheet of material. Preferably, front frame  40  is formed by a stamping process such that openings  128  and  129  are stamped out of a single sheet of material such as, for example, aluminum. 
         [0019]    In further accordance with the invention, in addition to establishing openings  128  and  129 , the stamping process creates a plurality of outer edge portions  140 - 143  that correspond to top, bottom and opposing side frame members  110 - 113  respectively. Outer edge portions  140 - 143  are provided with a plurality of openings, one of which is indicated at  144 , which, as will be discussed more fully below, are employed when connecting front frame  40  to the remainder of refrigerator  2 . In addition to outer edge portions  140 - 143 , front frame  40  also includes first and second plurality of inner edge portions  145 - 148  and  153 - 156 . Inner edge portions  145 - 148  and  153 - 156  extend about and define openings  128  and  129  respectively. 
         [0020]    Following the stamping process, front frame  40  undergoes a forming process during which outer edge portions  140 - 143  and first and second pluralities of inner edge portions  145 - 148  and  153 - 156  are folded or bent so as to define an outer peripheral U-shaped channel  161 , as well as a U-shaped mullion channel  164 , both of which open rearwardly as represented in  FIG. 4 . Outer peripheral channel  161  and mullion channel  164  are open at rear portions thereof so as to receive outer edge portions of freezer compartment box  55  and fresh food compartment box  65 , as well as peripheral breaker elements  90  and  91  respectively. 
         [0021]    In accordance with the most preferred form of the invention, peripheral frame  40  is provided with a plurality of corner or stiffening brackets  184 - 187  that are respectively arranged at an intersection (not separately labeled) of top and bottom frame members  110  and  111  with opposing side frame members  112  and  113 . Each stiffening bracket  184 - 187  is generally L-shaped having first and second leg portions, indicated at  190  and  191  for bracket  184 , which extend onto top frame member  110  and side frame member  113  respectively. Of course, the remaining stiffening brackets  185 - 187  include corresponding leg portions that extend onto top or bottom frame members  110 ,  111 , as well as a respective side frame member  112 ,  113 . In any case, stiffening brackets  184 - 187  are preferably fixedly mounted to front frame  40  through respective double-sided adhesive pads  195 - 198 . Once in place, stiffening brackets  184 - 187  provide additional stiffening to front frame  40  so as to minimize racking forces which may occur during shipment. 
         [0022]    Based on the above, it should be readily apparent that front frame  40 , constructed in accordance with the present invention, provides for a simple, cost effective method of manufacture that removes many previously required steps to join top, bottom, opposing side frames and mullion members. By removing unnecessary steps in a manufacturing process, the present invention reduces costs and complexity associated with the construction of refrigerator  2  thereby providing the manufacturer with a competitive advantage. 
         [0023]    Although described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be readily understood that various changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For instance, while shown in connection with a built-in refrigerator, front frame  40  could also be employed in other side-by-side models, as well as top mount, bottom mount and French door style refrigerators. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims.