Movable or removable closures – Closure seal; e.g. – striker gasket or weatherstrip – Anchored in channel or slot in closure or portal frame
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-08
2003-03-04
Redman, Jerry (Department: 3634)
Movable or removable closures
Closure seal; e.g., striker gasket or weatherstrip
Anchored in channel or slot in closure or portal frame
Reexamination Certificate
active
06526698
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a refrigerator and, more particularly, to a door gasket mounting structure for a refrigerator that allows the door liner of the refrigerator to be easily formed and facilitates the insertion of the door gasket into the mounting structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As well known to those skilled in the art, the interior of a refrigerator is divided into a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment by means of a barrier. Such freezer and fresh food compartments are selectively opened and closed by means of compartment doors. Gaskets made of soft synthetic resin or rubber are respectively mounted along the inner peripheral portions of the compartment doors. Such gaskets are constructed to prevent cold air in the compartments from leaking out of the compartments while the compartment doors are closed.
FIG. 1
is a cross section showing a state where a general gasket is mounted to a conventional door gasket mounting structure formed on the inside surface of a refrigerator door. As illustrated in the drawing, the general gasket
10
comprises a magnet holding compartment
12
, three vacant compartments
14
a
,
14
b
and
14
c
and an engagement projection
16
.
The magnet holding compartment
12
holds a magnet (not shown) in its interior and is capable of adhering to the front portion of the main body of the refrigerator. The vacant compartments
14
a
,
14
b
and
14
c
are positioned between the interior and exterior of the refrigerator while the magnet holding compartment is brought into contact with the front portion of the main body of the refrigerator. The vacant compartments
14
a
,
14
b
and
14
c
function to insulate the interior of the refrigerator from the exterior of the refrigerator.
The engagement projection
16
is formed on the outer surfaces of the vacant compartments
14
b
and
14
c
, and is engaged with the engagement groove (will be described) of the door liner (will be described). The engagement projection
16
has an anchor portion
16
a that is rearward projected at a certain inclined angle from its outer end. The engagement projection
16
serves to prevent the gasket
10
inserted into the engagement groove from being removed.
The door liner
20
forming the inner surface of the door may be made of synthetic resin such as Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene resin (ABS). The door liner
20
has a structure for mounting the above-described gasket
10
to the door. As illustrated in the drawing, the engagement groove
22
, into which the engagement projection
16
of the gasket
10
is inserted, is formed on the door liner
20
. The engagement groove
22
is bilaterally symmetrically formed on the door liner
20
. The engagement groove
22
has a relatively narrow entrance throat so as to prevent the inserted engagement projection
16
from being undesirably removed out of the engagement groove
22
. Accordingly, two laterally projected portions
21
a
and
21
b
are formed in the entrance portion of the engagement groove
22
. The anchor portion
16
a
of the engagement projection
16
is brought into contact with the laterally projected portions
21
a
and
21
b
when the engagement projection
16
is inserted into the engagement groove
22
of the door liner
20
, thereby preventing the gasket
10
from being removed out of the engagement groove
22
.
However, the conventional gasket mounting structure causes a shortcoming in which the door liner
20
becomes complicated in construction. In other words, since the two laterally projected portions
21
a
and
21
b
are bilaterally symmetrically formed on both sides of the engagement groove
22
, the door liner
20
may be inferiorly formed.
The door liner
20
is fabricated in such a way that synthetic resin in the form of a plate is sucked into a mold by means of vacuum while pressure is exerted on the synthetic resin. In such a case, it is difficult to form the laterally projected portions
21
a
and
21
b
properly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a gasket mounting structure for a refrigerator that allows the door liner of the refrigerator to be easily formed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a gasket mounting structure for a refrigerator that facilitates the insertion of the door gasket into the mounting structure.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a door gasket mounting structure for a refrigerator, comprising: an engagement groove for accommodating the engagement portion of a door gasket, the engagement groove being formed along the peripheral portion of a door liner; and a laterally projected portion for holding the engagement portion of the door gasket while the door gasket has been inserted into the engagement groove, the laterally projected portion being formed on one of either side of an entrance portion of the engagement groove.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the laterally projected portion comprises a plurality of laterally projected portion parts, the laterally projected portion parts being alternately formed on both sides of the entrance portion of the engagement groove.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3226367 (1965-12-01), Monti
patent: 3289352 (1966-12-01), Heilweeil et al.
patent: 3378957 (1968-04-01), Frehse
patent: 4617759 (1986-10-01), Pasqualini et al.
patent: 6227634 (2001-05-01), Cittadini et al.
Kim Han-Hyo
Park Jong-Woon
Fleshner & Kim LLP
Redman Jerry
LandOfFree
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