IP Library Granted Patent US 8,905,503
Granted Patent B2
US 8,905,503 · App. 13/408,333 · Granted Dec 9, 2014

Refrigerator appliance with a divider support

Inventors: Ratnakar Sahasrabudhe (Louisville, KY); Roger Shawn Nelson (Louisville, KY); Bagawathkumar Chellappan (Louisville, KY); Madan Gopal Reddy Pathapati (Louisville, KY)
Assignee: General Electric Company
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,905,503
App. No.
13/408,333
Granted
Dec 9, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A refrigerator appliance is provided with a bracket disposed within a cavity defined by a cabinet of the appliance. The bracket supports a divider disposed within a chamber defined by the cabinet and configured for receipt of food articles. The divider extends from a top wall of the chamber into the chamber.

Claims (23)

1. A refrigerator appliance comprising:

a cabinet extending between a front and a back, said cabinet defining a chamber for receipt of food articles, said cabinet also defining an opening positioned adjacent the front of said cabinet, the opening permitting access to the chamber, said cabinet also defining a cavity disposed above said chamber;

a bracket disposed within the cavity, said bracket mounted to said cabinet such that said bracket extends from said cabinet into the cavity, said bracket having an insert that protrudes into said chamber and defines a recess; and

a divider disposed within the chamber, said divider mounted to said bracket such that said divider extends downwardly from a top surface of the chamber into said chamber, said divider defining a tab positioned adjacent a top of said divider, the tab of said divider being received by the recess of said bracket.

2. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein said the cavity of said cabinet is at least partially filled with insulating foam.

3. The appliance of claim 2 , wherein said bracket is at least partially disposed within the insulating foam such that the insulating foam assists said bracket in supporting said divider.

4. The appliance of claim 3 , wherein said bracket has a plurality of projections positioned adjacent a distal end of said bracket, the plurality of projections disposed within the insulating foam and configured for assisting in supporting said divider.

5. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein said chamber is a freezer chamber and said cabinet also defines a fresh food chamber positioned above said freezer chamber such that said cavity is disposed between the fresh food chamber and the freezer chamber.

6. The appliance of claim 5 , wherein said cabinet includes a mullion positioned between the fresh food chamber and the freezer chamber adjacent the front of said cabinet, and said bracket extends between a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of said bracket being mounted to the mullion and the distal end of said bracket being disposed within the cavity such that said bracket is cantilevered from the mullion into the cavity.

7. The appliance of claim 1 , further comprising an ice maker and a storage basket, wherein said divider divides said chamber into a first portion and a second portion, said ice maker received within the first portion of the chamber and said storage basket received within the second portion of the chamber.

8. The appliance of claim I, further comprising a pair of storage baskets, wherein said divider divides said chamber into a first portion and a second portion, a particular one of said pair of storage baskets received within the first portion of the chamber, a remaining one of said pair of storage baskets received within the second portion of the chamber.

9. The appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a horizontal support that extends from said divider to a sidewall of the chamber, said horizontal support assisting in bracing said divider within the chamber.

10. A refrigerator appliance comprising:

a cabinet defining a fresh food chamber for receipt of fresh food articles, said cabinet also defining a freezer chamber for receipt of frozen food articles, the freezer chamber positioned below the fresh food chamber, said cabinet further defining a cavity disposed between the fresh food chamber and the freezer chamber;

a bracket disposed within the cavity, said bracket mounted to said cabinet such that said bracket extends from said cabinet into the cavity, said bracket having an insert that protrudes into said freezer chamber, the insert defining a recess; and

a divider disposed within the freezer chamber, said divider mounted to said bracket such that said divider extends downwardly from a top surface of the freezer chamber into said freezer chamber, said divider defining a tab positioned adjacent a top of said divider, the tab of said divider being received by the recess of said bracket.

11. The appliance of claim 10 , wherein said the cavity of said cabinet is at least partially filled with insulating foam.

12. The appliance of claim 11 , wherein said bracket is at least partially disposed within the insulating foam such that the insulating foam assists said bracket in supporting said divider.

13. The appliance of claim 12 , wherein said bracket has a plurality of projections positioned adjacent a distal end of said bracket, the plurality of projections disposed within the insulating foam such that the plurality of projections assists said bracket in supporting said divider.

14. The appliance of claim 10 , wherein said cabinet includes a mullion positioned between the fresh food chamber and the freezer chamber adjacent a front of said cabinet, said bracket also extending between a first end and a second end, the first end of said bracket being mounted to the mullion and the second end of said bracket being disposed within the cavity such that said bracket is cantilevered from the mullion into the cavity.

15. The appliance of claim 10 , further comprising an ice maker and a storage basket, wherein said divider divides the freezer chamber into a first portion and a second portion, said ice maker received within the first portion of the freezer chamber and said storage basket received within the second portion of the freezer chamber.

16. The appliance of claim 10 , further comprising a pair of storage baskets, wherein said divider divides said freezer chamber into a first portion and a second portion, a particular one of said pair of storage baskets received within the first portion of the freezer chamber, a remaining one of said pair of storage baskets received within the second portion of the freezer chamber.

17. The appliance of claim 10 , further comprising a horizontal support that extends from said divider to a sidewall of the freezer chamber, said horizontal support assisting in bracing said divider within the freezer chamber.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 13, 2016
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: HAIER US APPLIANCE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 038969/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 29, 2012
From: SAHASRABUDHE, RATNAKAR; NELSON, ROGER SHAWN; CHELLAPPAN, BAGAWATHKUMAR; PATHAPATI, MADAN GOPAL REDDY
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 027783/0512 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130219946A1 · Aug 29, 2013