Patent Publication Number: US-9408464-B2

Title: Assembly kit and door assembly for appliance

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates generally to appliance doors, and more particularly to assembly kits for coupling appliance doors and decorative door panels together as well as the resulting door assemblies. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Traditional appliance doors have a factory-installed exterior cover that is made from high grade sheet steel, such as stainless steel, or from corrosion-protected sheet steel. More recently, appliances have been integrated into kitchen furniture or installed adjacent thereto. In many cases, it is desirable for the appearance of the appliances to match, for example, the kitchen cabinets or other furniture. Accordingly, decorative door panels can be coupled to the doors. 
     Typically, a decorative door panel is subsequently joined to the door of an appliance after the appliance is installed in its intended place of use. An objective during installation of such a decorative door panel is to achieve flush and level alignment with the kitchen furniture adjacent thereto. With integrated appliances, the length and/or width of the decorative door panel is generally a few centimeters longer and/or wider than the appliance door since the decorative door panel must cover both the appliance door as well as the opening for the space in which the appliance is installed. 
     Current mechanisms for decorative door panel adjustment require a great deal of time and effort. For instance, existing mechanisms typically utilize turnscrew posts to provide vertical lift to decorative door panels. Such mechanisms are difficult to access, not easily operated, and fail to achieve precise decorative panel adjustment. 
     Accordingly, an assembly kit that allows for more efficient and precise decorative door panel adjustment would be desirable. Additionally, a door assembly incorporating such an assembly kit would be particularly useful. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Aspects and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the disclosure. 
     In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, an assembly kit for coupling an appliance door and a decorative door panel together is provided. The assembly kit includes a first bracket connectable to the appliance door, and a second bracket connectable to the decorative door panel. The assembly kit further includes a first spacer positionable between the first bracket and the second bracket, the first spacer movable to adjust a gap between the first bracket and the second bracket along a first axis. The assembly kit further includes a second spacer positionable between the first bracket and the second bracket, the second spacer movable to adjust a gap between the first bracket and the second bracket along a second axis different from the first axis. The assembly kit further includes a fastener operable to couple the first bracket and the second bracket together. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, a door assembly for an appliance is provided. The door assembly includes an appliance door, the appliance door comprising an inner surface, and outer surface, and an edge surface extending between the inner surface and the outer surface. The door assembly further includes a decorative door panel, the decorative door panel comprising an inner surface, and outer surface, and an edge surface extending between the inner surface and the outer surface. The door assembly further includes an assembly kit coupling the appliance door and the decorative door panel together, the appliance door including a first bracket connected to the appliance door and a second bracket connected to the decorative door panel. The assembly kit further includes a first spacer positioned between the first bracket and the second bracket, the first spacer movable to adjust a gap between the first bracket and the second bracket along a first axis. The assembly kit further includes a second spacer positioned between the first bracket and the second bracket, the second spacer movable to adjust a gap between the first bracket and the second bracket along a second axis different from the first axis. The assembly kit further includes a fastener coupling the first bracket and the second bracket together. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A full and enabling disclosure, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a consumer appliance, in this case a refrigerator, integrated with a plurality of cabinets in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of a refrigerator appliance, shown without decorative door panels for illustrative purposes, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective exploded view of various components of a plurality of assembly kits and an appliance door in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of an assembly kit coupling an appliance door and a decorative door panel together in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates the door assembly of  FIG. 4  without the appliance door for illustrative purposes; 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective view the door assembly of  FIG. 4  without the appliance door for illustrative purposes; and 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a plurality of assembly kits coupling an appliance door and a decorative door panel together in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
       FIG. 1  depicts a consumer appliance  10 , in this embodiment in the form of a refrigerator, which may incorporate one or more assembly kits in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated that the term “consumer appliance” or “appliance” are used in a generic sense herein to encompass any manner of household appliance having one or more manually operated doors that provide access to internal compartments. Conventional consumer appliances include, for example, refrigerators, freezers, ovens, washing machines, dryers, ranges, and so forth. For illustrative purposes, the present invention is described herein as a refrigerator embodiment of a consumer appliance  10 . In this regard, the term “refrigerator” is also used in a generic sense herein to encompass any manner of refrigeration appliance, such as a freezer, refrigerator/freezer combination, and any style or model of conventional refrigerator. In the illustrated embodiment, refrigerator  10  is a flush-mounted refrigerator wherein the front of the refrigerator  10  lies essentially flush with the front of adjacent cabinetry  12 , as is well understood by those skilled in the art. 
     As illustrated, an appliance  10  may include one or more door assemblies  14 . In the embodiment shown, the refrigerator includes two door assemblies  14 , each of which opens relative to a casing of the refrigerator along a hinge side  16  of that door assembly  14 . 
     Each door assembly  14  may include a decorative door panel  20  and an appliance door  22  (see  FIG. 2 ). As discussed in detail herein, the decorative door panel  20  and appliance door  22  may be coupled together by one or more assembly kits. Each assembly kit may advantageously facilitate efficient and precise adjustment of the decorative door panel  20  relative to the appliance door  22 , such as along at least two axes. 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of an appliance  10 , in this case again a refrigerator. In this view, the decorative door panels  20  have been removed from the appliance doors  22  for illustrative purposes. It should be appreciated that the appliance of  FIG. 2  is for illustrative purposes only and that the present invention is not limited to any particular type, style, or configuration of appliance. 
     The refrigerator may include a fresh food storage compartment and a freezer storage compartment, with the compartments arranged side-by-side and contained within an outer case. Appliance doors  22 , in this case a freezer door and a fresh food door, close access openings to the freezer storage compartment and fresh food storage compartment. Each door  22  may be mounted by a top hinge  24  and a bottom hinge to rotate about its outer vertical edge between an open position and a closed position (illustrated). 
     The freezer storage compartment may include an automatic ice maker, and a dispenser  26  may be provided in the freezer door  22  such that ice and/or chilled water can be dispensed without opening the freezer door  22 . The doors  22  may be opened by handles  28 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 3 through 7 , an appliance door  22  may include an inner surface  32 , an outer surface  34  generally opposing the inner surface  32 , and an edge surface  36  extending between and connecting the inner surface  32  and the outer surface  34 . Similarly, a decorative door panel  20  may include an inner surface  42 , an outer surface  44  generally opposing the inner surface  42 , and an edge surface  46  extending between and connecting the inner surface  42  and the outer surface  44 . 
     Further, each door assembly  14  may generally extend along and define a vertical axis V, a horizontal axis H, and a transverse axis T. The axes V, H, T may be defined generally orthogonal to each other, as illustrated. 
     Referring still to  FIGS. 3 through 7 , embodiments of a door assembly  14  for an appliance are illustrated. Each door assembly  14  includes an appliance door  22 , a decorative door panel  20 , and one or more assembly kits  50 . Each assembly kit  50  may couple an appliance door  22  and a decorative door panel  20  together. Further, as stated, each assembly kit  50  may advantageously facilitate efficient and precise adjustment of the decorative door panel  20  relative to the appliance door  22 , such as along at least two axes. 
     An assembly kit  50  in accordance with the present disclosure may include a first bracket  60  connectable to the appliance door  22 . In exemplary embodiments as illustrated, the first bracket  60  is connectable to the edge surface  36  of the appliance door  22 . The first bracket  60  may include, for example, a connection plate  62  for connection to the appliance door  22 . Bore holes  64  may be defined in the connection plate  62 , through which mechanical fasteners  66 , such as screws, rivets, bolts, etc., may be extended to connect the connection plate  62  to the appliance door  22 . 
     First bracket  60  may additionally include a spacer flange  68 . The spacer flange  68  may extend generally perpendicular to the connection plate  62 . The connection plate  62  and spacer flange  68  may be connected, integrally or otherwise. 
     An assembly kit  50  in accordance with the present disclosure may further include a second bracket  70  connectable to the decorative door panel  20 . In exemplary embodiments as illustrated, the second bracket  70  is connectable to the inner surface  42  of the decorative door panel  20 . The second bracket  70  may include, for example, a connection plate  72  for connection to the decorative door panel  20 . Bore holes  74  may be defined in the connection plate  72 , through which mechanical fasteners  76  may be extended to connect the connection plate  72  to the appliance door  22 . 
     Second bracket  70  may additionally include a first spacer flange  78 . The first spacer flange  78  may extend generally perpendicular to the connection plate  72 . Second bracket  70  may further include a second spacer flange  80 . The second spacer flange  80  may extend generally parallel to the connection plate  72 . The first spacer flange  78  and second spacer flange  80  may be connected, integrally or otherwise, to the connection plate  72 . 
     In some embodiments, as illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 7 , an assembly kit  50  in accordance with the present disclosure may facilitate adjustment of the decorative door panel  20  along two axes relative to the appliance door  22 . In these embodiments, the only brackets required are the first and second brackets  60 ,  70 . Such assembly kits  50  may be utilized, for example, adjacent to the hinge side  16  of an appliance door  22 . In other embodiments, as illustrated in  FIGS. 3 through 7 , an assembly kit  50  in accordance with the present disclosure may facilitate adjustment of the decorative door panel  20  along three axes relative to the appliance door  22 . Such assembly kits  50  may he utilized, for example, adjacent the side of an appliance door that is opposite of the hinge side  16 . In these embodiments, an assembly kit  50  may further include a third bracket  90 . 
     Third bracket  90  may be connectable to the appliance door  22 . In exemplary embodiments as illustrated, the third bracket  90  is connectable to the edge surface  36  of the appliance door  22 , such as in an orientation perpendicular to that of the first bracket  60 . The third bracket  90  may include, for example, a connection plate  92  for connection to the appliance door  22 . Bore holes  94  may be defined in the connection plate  92 , through which mechanical fasteners  96 , such as screws, rivets, bolts, etc., may be extended to connect the connection plate  92  to the appliance door  22 . 
     Further, the second bracket  70 , in particular in embodiments in which a third bracket  90  is utilized, may include a third spacer flange  82 . The third spacer flange  82  may extend generally perpendicular to the connection plate  72  and the first spacer flange  78 . The third spacer flange  82  may be connected, integrally or otherwise, to the connection plate  72 . 
     As shown, the first bracket  60  and optional third bracket  90  may thus be connected to the appliance door  22 , and the second bracket  70  may thus be connected to the decorative door panel  20 . As further illustrated in  FIGS. 3 through 7 , various movable spacers may be included in an assembly kit  50 . The spacers may be positionable between the brackets and movable to adjust gaps between the brackets, thus resulting in adjustment of the decorative door panel  20  along at least two axes. 
     For example and as shown, assembly kit  50  may include a first spacer  100 . The first spacer  100  may be positionable between the first bracket  60  and the second bracket  70 , and may further be movable to adjust a gap between the first bracket  60  and the second bracket  70  along a first axis, such as along the vertical axis V as illustrated. For example, as illustrated, the first spacer  100  may be positionable between the connection plate  62  and the first spacer flange  78 . 
     In exemplary embodiments as illustrated, the first spacer  100  may be a first set screw. In these embodiments, for example, the first spacer  100  may be threadably movable through the second bracket  70 , such as through the first spacer flange  78  thereof. The first spacer  100  may further contact and press against the first bracket  60 , such as the connection plate  62  thereof, to provide a gap between the first bracket  60  and second bracket  70  along a first axis. In alternative embodiments, the first spacer  100  may, for example, be a shim or another component for providing an adjustable gap between the first bracket  60  and second bracket  70 . 
     Further, assembly kit  50  may include a second spacer  102 . The second spacer  102  may be positionable between the first bracket  60  and the second bracket  70 , and may further be movable to adjust a gap between the first bracket  60  and the second bracket  70  along a second axis different from the first axis, such as along the transverse axis T as illustrated. For example, as illustrated, the second spacer  102  may be positionable between the spacer flange  68  and the second spacer flange  80 . 
     In exemplary embodiments as illustrated, the second spacer  102  may be a second set screw. In these embodiments, for example, the second spacer  102  may be threadably movable through the first bracket  60 , such as through the spacer flange  68  thereof. The second spacer  102  may further contact and press against the second bracket  70 , such as the second spacer flange  80  thereof, to provide a gap between the first bracket  60  and second bracket  70  along a second axis. In alternative embodiments, the second spacer  102  may, for example, be a shim or another component for providing an adjustable gap between the first bracket  60  and second bracket  70 . 
     Still further, assembly kit  50  may include a third spacer  104 . The third spacer  104  may be positionable between the third bracket  90  and the second bracket  70 , and may further be movable to adjust a gap between the third bracket  90  and the second bracket  70  along a third axis different from the first axis and second axis, such as along the vertical axis H as illustrated. For example, as illustrated, the third spacer  104  may be positionable between the connection plate  92  and the third spacer flange  82 . 
     In exemplary embodiments as illustrated, the third spacer  104  may be a third set screw. In these embodiments, for example, the third spacer  104  may be threadably movable through the second bracket  70 , such as through the third spacer flange  82  thereof The third spacer  104  may further contact and press against the third bracket  90 , such as the connection plate  92  thereof, to provide a gap between the third bracket  90  and second bracket  70  along a third axis. In alternative embodiments, the third spacer  104  may, for example, be a shim or another component for providing an adjustable gap between the third bracket  90  and second bracket  70 . 
     It should be noted that in exemplary embodiments, the axes, such as axes V, H and T, are generally orthogonal to each other. Accordingly, each of the first, second and third axes may be generally perpendicular to the other two axes. 
     Accordingly, first, second and optional third spacers  100 ,  102 ,  104  may be positioned between the various respective brackets as discussed above. Movement of the spacers  100 ,  102 ,  104  may adjust gaps between the brackets along various axes, which may advantageously facilitate efficient and precise adjustment of the decorative door panel  20  relative to the appliance door  22 . 
     An assembly kit  50  may further include one or more fasteners  110 . Fasteners  110  may be operable to couple the first bracket  60  and second bracket  70  together. Further, fasteners  110  may be operable to couple the second bracket  70  and third bracket  90  together. Such coupling may thus couple the appliance door  22  and decorative door panel  20  together to form a door assembly  14 . Fasteners  110  are generally mechanical fasteners, such as screws as illustrated. In exemplary embodiments, screws having oversized washer-type flat heads may be utilized. 
     Fasteners  110  may extend through fastener bore holes  112  defined in the respective brackets  60 ,  70 ,  90  to couple these brackets together. For example, as illustrated, fastener bore holes  112  may be defined in the first bracket  60  and second bracket  70 , such as in the connection plate  62  and first spacer flange  78  thereof Fastener bore holes  112  may additionally be defined in the third bracket  90  and second bracket  70 , such as in the connection plate  92  and third spacer flange  82  thereof Fasteners  110  may extend through these bore holes  112  to couple the respective brackets together, as illustrated. Notably, when the fasteners  110  couple the brackets together, thus coupling the appliance door  22  and decorative door panel  20  together to form a door assembly  14 , the spacers  100 ,  102 ,  104  prevent the fasteners  100  from closing the gaps between the brackets, such that the two- or three-axis adjustment of the decorative door panel  20  is advantageously maintained. 
     This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.