Patent ID: 7080485

Claim:
A gasket ( 1 ) for providing a seal between a refrigerator furniture unit and a refrigerator door formed by an outer door member ( 30 ) and an inner door member ( 31 ), and a second seal between the outer door member ( 30 ) and the inner door member ( 31 ), said gasket comprising: a profile made of a substantially rigid plastic and having a bellows seal portion ( 20 ), which is made of a substantially soft plastic relative to said profile and adapted to form the seal between the outer door member and the furniture unit ( 32 ), the profile and the bellows seal portion being joined together as a single piece, said profile including a base ( 3 ) formed with a substantially C-shaped cross-section defined by two substantially horizontal sections, one upper ( 2 ) and one lower ( 4 ), and by one of a vertical section and an oblique section ( 7 ), said vertical or oblique section ( 7 ) including an elastically deformable elbow piece ( 8 ), which is made of a soft material relative to said profile and formed by coextrusion with the base ( 3 ) and the lower horizontal section ( 4 ) of the C-shaped cross-section, the elbow piece ( 8 ) forming a hinge for allowing elastic splaying of said lower horizontal section ( 4 ) with respect to the upper horizontal section ( 2 ) of said C-shaped cross-section, said C-shaped cross section for receiving by snap-engagement an edge of said inner door member ( 31 ) inside ( 19 ) the C-shaped cross-section, the gasket for forming the second seal between said outer door member ( 30 ) and the inner door member underneath said C-shaped cross-section, wherein said lower horizontal section ( 4 ) of said base ( 3 ) includes a projection ( 24 ) formed of said substantially rigid plastic for interfacing with an entire perimeter of said inner door member and extending towards said upper horizontal section ( 2 ) for engaging operationally with a corresponding grooved seat ( 25 ) formed on said inner door member ( 31 ) and for mutually positioning said profile with respect to said inner door member to facilitate automated assembly thereto, said lower horizontal section ( 4 ) having opposing first and second end portions, wherein the projection ( 24 ) is formed at the first end portion of the lower horizontal section ( 4 ) proximate the elbow piece ( 8 ), and the second end portion of the lower horizontal section ( 4 ) includes a mid-section ( 26 ) extending from the projection ( 24 ) obliquely downwards ( 26 ) away from said upper horizontal section and an edge portion ( 27 ) extending upwards towards said upper horizontal section ( 2 ), wherein said second end portion enables said elastic splaying of said lower horizontal section ( 4 ) automatically during assembly of said gasket to said inner door member ( 31 ).