Refrigerator with a vacuum-insulated structure supported by a structural support with a baseplate welded to the vacuum-insulated structure

Inventors: Paul Bennett Allard (Coloma, MI); Vishal Brahmanand Chauhan (Palghar, IN); Narendra Ashok Kapure (Pune, IN); Rahul Sadanand Kumbhare (Gadchiroli, IN); Abinash Sarma (Tinsukia, IN)

Assignee: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION

F25D23/006 F25D23/003 F25D23/062 F25D23/00 F25D23/063 F25D2201/14

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12669280
App. No.: 18/524,873
Granted: Jun 30, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A refrigerator including: (a) a vacuum-insulated structure including (i) an inner liner defining a refrigeration compartment or a freezer compartment, (ii) an outer wrapper at least partially enveloping the inner liner, the outer wrapper including a bottom wall disposed beneath the inner liner, the bottom wall presenting a bottom surface that faces downward; (b) a baseplate that is horizontally oriented and welded to the bottom surface of the bottom wall; (c) side panels coupled to the baseplate, extending downward from the baseplate, and structurally supporting the vacuum-insulated structure; and (d) a cross-member attached to the side panels.

Claims (23)

1 . A refrigerator comprising:

a vacuum-insulated structure comprising (i) an inner liner defining a refrigeration compartment or a freezer compartment, and (ii) an outer wrapper at least partially enveloping the inner liner, the outer wrapper comprising a bottom wall disposed beneath the inner liner, the bottom wall presenting a bottom surface that faces downward;

a baseplate that is horizontally oriented and welded to the bottom surface of the bottom wall of the outer wrapper, the baseplate comprising (i) lips that extend downward relative to a top surface of the baseplate, one of the lips disposed at each of two lateral sides of the baseplate, (ii) clinch studs disposed laterally inward of the lips and proximate the lips, the clinch studs extending downward from a bottom surface of the baseplate, and (iii) tabs disposed laterally inward of and facing the lips, the tabs extending downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate;

a pair of side panels that oppose each other extending downward from the baseplate, each of the pair of side panels disposed at a different one of the two lateral sides of the baseplate and each of the pair of side panels comprising (i) a top wall disposed under the baseplate at the lateral side of the baseplate, (ii) an outer side wall extending downward from the top wall and facing the lip of the baseplate also disposed at the lateral side of the baseplate, and (iii) an inner side wall extending downward from the top wall inward of the outer side wall and facing the tabs of the baseplate also disposed at the lateral side of the baseplate, such that the side panel is sandwiched between the lip of the baseplate disposed at the lateral side of the baseplate and the tabs of the baseplate, and

fasteners extending through apertures that are aligned through the lip of the baseplate, the outer side walls of the pair of side panels, the inner side walls of the pair of side panels, and the tabs of the baseplate to fasten the pair of side panels to the baseplate,

wherein, the pair of side panels at least partially bear a weight of the vacuum-insulated structure.

2 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

at both of the two lateral sides of the baseplate, at least one of the tabs is disposed forward of the clinch studs, and at least one of the tabs is disposed rearward of the clinch studs.

3 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

the lip of the baseplate disposed at the lateral side of the baseplate comprises an inward facing surface, and the inward facing surface contacts the outer side wall of the side panel also disposed at the lateral side.

4 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

each of the tabs of the baseplate at the same lateral side of the baseplate as the side panel comprises an outward facing surface that contacts the inner side wall of the side panel.

5 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

each of the pair of side panels further comprises side panel tabs extending inward from and flush with the top wall, each side panel tab comprising an aperture receiving a different one of the clinch studs of the baseplate.

6 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

each of the pair of side panels further comprises (i) a forward wall extending laterally between the outer side wall and the inner side wall and (ii) a rear wall disposed rearward of the forward wall and extending laterally between the outer side wall and the inner side wall, and

a space separates the forward wall from the rear wall and the outer side wall from the inner side wall.

7 . The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising:

a cross-member that is fastened to both of the pair of side panels.

8 . The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising:

wheel assemblies, at least one of which is attached to each of the pair of side panels.

9 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

the baseplate and at least one of the pair of side panels at least partially define a machine room of the refrigerator.