REFRIGERATOR DRAWER HAVING FRENCH DOORS
A refrigerator appliance having a cabinet that includes a freezer chamber. A freezer drawer is slidably received within the cabinet. A pair of freezer doors is mounted at the front of the freezer drawer. The doors facilitate improved access to food items stored within the freezer chamber by providing quicker access to frequently used items, increased visibility to items stored in compartments on the doors, and reduced energy losses.
1 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cabinet defining a fresh food chamber for receipt of fresh food articles and a freezer chamber for receipt of frozen food articles, the freezer chamber being positioned below the fresh food chamber, and wherein the freezer chamber extends between a top portion and a bottom portion along the vertical direction, a first side portion and a second side portion along the lateral direction, and a front portion and a back portion along the transverse direction;
a freezer drawer slidably mounted within the freezer chamber such that the freezer drawer is disposed within the freezer chamber when the freezer drawer is in a closed position and is at least partially disposed outside the freezer chamber when the freezer drawer is in an open position, the closed position and the open position being separated from each other along the transverse direction, the freezer drawer defining a storage compartment;
a frame positioned at the front portion of the freezer drawer and an insulating dyke extending from the frame along the transverse direction, the frame and insulating dyke defining a recess separated in the transverse direction from the storage compartment of the freezer drawer by a divider panel, wherein a width of the recess is defined by a width of the insulating dyke plus a width of the frame;
a pair of freezer doors rotatably connected with the frame, wherein each freezer door is rotatably mounted at a front portion of the freezer drawer, each freezer door having an open position and a closed position to permit selective access to the freezer drawer; and
a storage bin positioned in the recess when at least one of the pair of freezer doors is in the closed position.
2 . (canceled)
3 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the frame defines a pair of vertically extending notches along each lateral side of the frame, and each freezer door includes a vertically extending side that is rotatably connected with the frame at one of the vertically extending notches such that each freezer door is rotatable within a plane that includes both the lateral and transverse directions.
4 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the recess is configured for complementary receipt of the pair of freezer doors in the closed position.
5 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of storage bins supported on one or more of the pair of freezer doors, wherein each storage bin is received into the recess of the frame when the freezer doors are in the closed position.
6 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 4 , wherein the frame defines at least one opening between the recess of the frame and a compartment of the freezer drawer.
7 . (canceled)
8 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 6 , further comprising a mullion dividing the at least one opening into a pair of openings, the mullion further providing a sealing surface for receipt of the pair of freezer drawers.
9 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a handle attached to the frame.
10 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a handle attached to one or more of the pair of freezer doors.
11 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 10 , wherein the handle is a pocket handle, and the frame defines a recessed portion that provides access to the pocket handle.
12 . A drawer assembly for a refrigerator appliance comprising:
a freezer drawer slidably mounted within a freezer chamber such that the freezer drawer is disposed within the freezer chamber when the freezer drawer is in a closed position and is at least partially disposed outside the freezer chamber when the freezer drawer is in an open position, the closed position and the open position being separated from each other along a transverse direction, the freezer drawer defining a storage compartment;
a pair of freezer doors, wherein each freezer door is rotatably mounted at a front portion of the freezer drawer, each freezer door having an open position and a closed position to permit selective access to the freezer drawer;
a frame positioned at the front portion of the freezer drawer and an insulating dyke extending from the frame along the transverse direction, wherein each of the pair of freezer doors are rotatably connected with the frame, the frame and insulating dyke defining a recess separated in the transverse direction from the storage compartment of the freezer drawer by a divider panel, wherein a width of the recess is defined by a width of the insulating dyke plus a width of the frame; and
a storage bin positioned in the recess when at least one of the pair of freezer doors is in the closed position.
13 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , wherein each freezer door includes a vertically extending side that is rotatably connected with the frame such that each freezer door is rotatable within a plane that includes both the lateral and transverse directions.
14 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , wherein the recess is configured for complementary receipt of the pair of freezer doors in the closed position.
15 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of storage bins supported on one or more of the pair of freezer doors, wherein each storage bin is received into the recess of the frame when the freezer doors are in the closed position.
16 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 14 , wherein the frame defines at least one opening between the recess of the frame and a compartment of the freezer drawer.
17 . (canceled)
18 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 16 , further comprising a mullion dividing the at least one opening into a pair of openings, the mullion further providing a sealing surface for receipt of the pair of freezer drawers.
19 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , further comprising a handle attached to the frame.
20 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , further comprising a handle attached to each of the pair of freezer doors.
21 . (canceled)
22 . (canceled)