Refrigerator cabinet with enhanced access zone

Details Refrigerator cabinet with enhanced access zone Refrigerator cabinet with enhanced access zone

1999-11-15

2001-01-16

Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3636)

Supports: cabinet structure

Spaced insulated wall

Refrigerator cabinet

C312S283000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06174035

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a refrigerator cabinet having an enlarged open frontal zone in order to enhance access to within a compartment of the refrigerator cabinet.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Various different types of refrigerators are available on the market today. For example, a common type of refrigerator is generally referred to as a top mount style which incorporates an upper freezer compartment separated from a lower fresh food compartment by a mullion area. Each of the compartments in a top mount refrigerator can be accessed by pivoting a door which is hinged about a generally vertical axis at one side edge portion of a cabinet of the refrigerator. The cabinet of the refrigerator includes side panels which have substantially equal fore-toaft associated dimensions such that the open frontal zone associated with each of the compartments of the refrigerator generally extends in a single vertical plane. In order to seal the opening, the associated door is generally constituted by a planar member.
Although such a conventional refrigerator arrangement is considered to provide ample access to within the respective compartments in order to store or retrieve food items chilled with the refrigerator, there is still a need in the art for a refrigerator which includes an enlarged open frontal zone in order to enhance the accessibility of food items stored in the refrigerator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A refrigerator cabinet assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention includes a cabinet shell having first and second laterally spaced side panels, a top panel interconnecting upper end portions of the side panels and an open frontal zone permitting access to within a food storage compartment defined within the cabinet shell. The side panels of the cabinet shell have different associated depth dimensions such that the open zone includes a frontal facing portion and a sideward facing portion. A door includes a first frontal edge portion which is hingedly connected adjacent one of the side panels and a second frontal edge portion which leads to a side edge portion of the door. The side edge portion wraps around the front of the refrigerator and generally defines an extension of the second side panel.
With this configuration, the open frontal zone of the refrigerator is enlarged as compared to more conventional refrigerators such that enhanced access to within the food storage compartment is provided. More specifically, the side edge portion of the door is angled with respect to a front surface thereof such that when the door is opened, the size of the access opening created into the food storage compartment is larger than an opening which would be created when pivoting a conventional refrigerator door through a corresponding angle.


REFERENCES:
patent: D. 86878 (1932-05-01), Dohner
patent: 778390 (1904-12-01), Wheeler
patent: 1026264 (1912-05-01), Hokanson
patent: 2347985 (1944-05-01), Beersman
patent: 2480004 (1949-08-01), Reeves
patent: 2728624 (1955-12-01), Caruso
patent: 3133427 (1964-05-01), Petkwitz
patent: 5147122 (1992-09-01), Short
patent: 5661914 (1997-09-01), Millet

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