Trim piece cover for a refrigerator door

Abstract

A trim piece cover member for a refrigerator door is snap-fittingly secured to and extends along substantially an entire length of a trim piece to hide a plurality of mechanical fasteners. The trim piece includes a channel that extends longitudinally along an outer exposed surface. The channel includes a base portion, as well as first and second opposing side portions. The plurality of mechanical fasteners extend through the base portion and into the refrigerator door. The cover includes a generally planer surface portion from which extend first and second side walls that terminate in corresponding tab members which are snap-fittingly received in recesses of the channel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an upper left perspective view of a built-in side-by-side refrigerator incorporating a trim cover constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of an upper corner portion of a fresh food compartment door of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 illustrating a door trim piece and trim cover of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the trim piece and trim cover of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With initial reference to both FIGS. 1 and 2, a refrigerator, generally indicated at 2, includes a cabinet 4 having a liner 6 that defines a fresh food compartment 8. Refrigerator 2 also includes another liner (not shown) that defines a freezer compartment 11. In the embodiment shown, refrigerator 2 is a built-in model which is recessed into a wall adjacent cabinetry 13 that includes a plurality of cabinet doors 15-20. Refrigerator 2 includes a fresh food compartment door 30 pivotally mounted to cabinet 4, as well as a freezer compartment door 31 having arranged thereon a dispenser 34. In addition to fresh food and freezer compartment doors 30 and 31, refrigerator 2 also includes an upper, mechanical compartment door 37 behind which are arranged various components of a refrigeration system (not shown). With this construction, refrigerator 2 constitutes a side-by-side model. However, it should be understood that the present invention can also be incorporated into other models, such as top mount, bottom mount and French-Style door units.

In accordance with the invention, fresh food compartment door 30 includes a top edge portion 45, a bottom edge portion 46 and opposing side edge portions 47 and 48 that define an inner surface portion 50 and an outer surface portion 51. Edge portions 45-48 are covered by a plurality of trim pieces, two of which are indicated at 57 and 58 located on top edge portion 45 and side edge portion 47 respectively. Preferably, fresh food compartment door 30 also includes at least two additional trim pieces (not shown) provided on bottom edge portion 46 and side edge portion 48 to establish a finished or seamless appearance for refrigerator 2. In addition to providing a more finished appearance, trim pieces 57 and 58 also provide structure for retaining an outer, decorative panel 60 extending along outer surface portion 51 of fresh food compartment door 30. Outer decorative panel 60 preferably matches corresponding cabinet doors 15-20. However, other types of panels could also be employed. Fresh food compartment door 30 further includes a handle 64 which, as will be discussed more fully below, is integrally formed with trim piece 58. At this point, it should be understood that freezer compartment door 31 is similarly constructed and includes top, bottom and opposing side edge portions (not labeled) provided with corresponding trim pieces (also not labeled) and a handle 68.

In further accordance with the invention, trim piece 58 includes a first end portion 88 that extends to a second end portion 89 through an intermediate portion 90. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, trim piece 58 includes first and second outer exposed surfaces 93 and 94, with second outer exposed surface 94 including a curved section 97 that leads to handle 64. First and second outer exposed surfaces 93 and 94 are separated by a channel 100 that extends longitudinally along and substantially an entire length of side edge portion 47. In addition to channel 100, trim piece 58 includes a retainer member 106 that extends outward from second outer exposed surface 94 and is provided with a spacer element 108 which defines a flange 110. Flange 110 extends over and retains outer decorative panel 60 against outer surface portion 51 of fresh food compartment door 30. Finally, trim piece 58 is shown to include an extrusion 113 that projects from retainer member 106. Extrusion 113 establishes a cavity structure that receives post, a mechanical fastener or the like (not shown) that extends downward from trim piece 57.

In still further accordance with the invention, channel 100 preferably includes a base portion 140 having first and second side walls 142 and 143, each of which has a corresponding recess 146 and 147. A plurality of mechanical fasteners, two of which are indicated at 154 and 155, extend through base portion 140 into opposing side edge portion 47 to secure trim piece 58 to fresh food compartment door 30. In order to provide a more finished appearance for refrigerator 2, a cover 160 is positioned within channel 100 to hide mechanical fasteners 154 and 155.

In accordance with the most preferred form of the invention, cover 160 includes an outer, generally planar surface 170 and first and second side members 172 and 173. First and second side members 172 and 173 extend generally perpendicularly from outer surface 170 and terminate in corresponding deflectable tab members 178 and 179. With this construction, once trim piece 58 is secured to side edge portion 47 of fresh food compartment door 30, cover 160 is positioned at channel 100. At this point, a slight pressure is applied to cover 160, causing tab members 178 and 179 to snap-fittingly engage into respective ones of recesses 146 and 147, thereby securing cover 160 to trim piece 58, with surface 120 of cover 160 being preferably flush with surfaces 93 and 94. In this manner, refrigerator 2 is provided with a readily mounted aesthetic cover that hides mechanical fasteners employed in securing a trim piece to an outer exposed edge of fresh food compartment door 30. Again, similar structure is preferably employed about fresh food compartment door 30, as well as freezer compartment door 31.

Although described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be readily understood that various changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For instance, while the present invention is shown employed in connection with a trim piece that defines a handle for the refrigerator door, it should be understood that the handle could be formed as a separate piece or attached to the outer decorative panel and not necessarily formed as part of the trim piece. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet;a liner arranged within the cabinet defining a refrigerated compartment;a door pivotally mounted relative to the cabinet for selectively closing, at least in part, the refrigerated compartment, said door including top, bottom and opposing side edge portions that collectively define an inner surface portion and an outer surface portion;a trim piece substantially entirely covering at least one of the opposing side edge portions of the door, said trim piece including an outer, exposed surface;a plurality of mechanical fasteners extending through the outer, exposed surface into the at least one of the opposing side edge portions to retain the trim piece on the door; anda cover snap-fittingly secured to and extending along substantially an entire length of the trim piece to cover the plurality of mechanical fasteners.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the trim piece includes a channel that extends longitudinally along substantially an entire length of the outer, exposed surface, said cover being nested in the channel.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the channel includes a base portion having first and second side walls, each of said first and second side walls including a recess.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the cover includes an outer surface and first and second side members, each of said first and second side members extending substantially perpendicularly from the outer surface and terminate in corresponding tab members.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein each tab member snap-fittingly engages with a respective recess to snap-fittingly retain the cover on the trim piece.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the trim piece is integrally formed with a door handle for the refrigerator.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator constituted a side-by-side model.

8. A method of securing a trim piece to an outer, peripheral edge portion of a refrigerator door having top, bottom and opposing side edge portions comprising: positioning a plurality of trim pieces against corresponding ones of each of the top, bottom and opposing side edge portions of the door, at least one of the plurality of trim pieces including a channel having a base portion;securing the at least one trim piece to one of the opposing side edge portions with mechanical fasteners, with said mechanical fasteners extending through the base portion and into the door; andhiding the mechanical fasteners with a cover snap-fittingly secured in the channel, said cover extending substantially an entire length of the one of the opposing side edge portions.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: snap-fitting the cover into the channel formed in the trim piece.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the cover includes first and second tab members that snap-fit into corresponding recesses formed in the channel.