Abstract: A refrigerator cabinet construction is disclosed where a breaker strip interconnects an exterior cabinet shell with an interior liner. The exterior cabinet shell has an open side and a shell edge flange. The interior liner is to fit within the exterior cabinet shell and has a liner flange extending outwardly of said liner. The breaker strip includes an exterior wall with first and second ended flanges. The breaker strip includes a first interior wall and a second interior wall projecting inwardly from said exterior wall to define a first channel. The first interior wall has a first flange co-extending with the first end flange of the exterior wall to define a shell receiving channel, wherein the shell edge flange is inserted into the shell receiving channel. A third interior wall is connected to second exterior wall and coextends with the second end flange of the exterior wall to define a liner receiving channel into which the liner flange extends.

Abstract: A refrigerator cabinet has an outer metallic shell into which is inserted a one-piece plastic interior liner having a fresh food compartment separated by a mullion wall from the freezer compartment. The mullion wall is part of the interior liner. A metallic reinforcing mullion strap extends between side walls of the exterior cabinet shell to reinforce the side walls and prevent buckling. The mullion strap extends through an open space between the fresh food compartment and freezer compartment on the interior liner. The mullion strap does not touch the interior liner and is surrounded by thermally insulating foam whereby heat loss through the mullion strap from the refrigerator compartment is reduced.

Abstract: A refrigerator cabinet has a food storage compartment bounded by front facing vertical and horizontal walls. A pair of French doors are pivotally mounted to the refrigerator cabinet to close the open front of the refrigerator. In the closed position the doors have vertically extending confronting walls which include an intermediate sealing gasket extending along a major vertical portion of the confronting walls which are adapted to sealingly engage against each other to form a vertically extending seal. Upper and lower corner sealing gasket members are respectively positioned above and below the intermediate sealing gasket members and adjacent a corresponding horizontal wall of the cabinet. Each of the corner sealing gasket members has a first sealing surface adjacent the intermediate sealing gasket member to complete the vertical seal between the confronting walls of the doors when the doors are in a closed position.

Abstract: A refrigerator has French doors with vertically extending confronting side walls. At least one of the confronting side walls has a movable sealing gasketing member adapted to sealingly engage the other confronting side wall when the doors are in a closed position. The doors move between an open position and into the closed position through a temporary intermediate partially closed position. In the partially closed position the doors extend over the refrigerator compartment with temporary non-sealing vertically extending portions of the confronting side walls of the doors spaced apart from one another a predetermined gap distance. A first set of magnets are positioned in the doors at least along the temporary non-sealing vertically extending portions of the confronting side walls.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement in the operation of a domestic refrigerator. The improvement comprises the addition of a mullion heater to heat an exterior surface by the passage of warm refrigerant through a tube mounted on the interior surface opposing the exterior surface. The tube is embedded in a malleable mastic substance of substantial thermal mass which is capable of maintaining the temperature of the exterior surface above the dew point of the surrounding air during periods when no warm refrigerant is passing through the tube.

Abstract: A novel refrigerator door liner construction and sealing gasket provides an improvement in the insulating value of a refrigerator door in the area immediately adjacent the gasket. The door liner is arranged to have a raised abutment adjacent a flat sealing portion of the gasket. The door liner almost abuts an adjacent surface of a refrigerator cabinet liner when the door is closed so as to effectively form a labyrinth seal with the gasket sealing portion between the door liner and the cabinet liner. The labyrinth seal provided between the door liner and refrigerator cabinet liner reduces the heat stress on the gasket and improves the overall efficiency of the refrigerator.