Refrigerator door assembly

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet having a frontal opening. A door assembly is pivotally mounted across the frontal opening of the cabinet to provide access to food items stored therein. The door assembly includes a door pan having a front face portion, as well as a top panel portion, a bottom panel portion and opposing side panel portions that establish a plurality of corners. A bracket is affixed each of the plurality of corners to provide support for the door pan, with each bracket being clinched at a plurality of locations to secure the bracket in place. By affixing the bracket through clinching, the need for a subsequent finishing step is eliminated.

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet including first and second laterally spaced upstanding side walls interconnected by a top wall forming a frontal opening; and   a refrigerator door assembly pivotally mounted relative to the cabinet across the frontal opening, said refrigerator door assembly including:
 a door pan including a front face portion, as well as a top panel portion, a bottom panel portion and opposing side panel portions that establish a plurality of corners, at least one of said plurality of corners defining a hinge corner having a hinge opening; and 
 a plurality of corner brackets, each of said plurality of corner brackets being provided at a respective one of the plurality of corners and including a first leg portion that extends along one of the top panel portion and the bottom panel portion and a second leg portion that extends along a respective one of the opposing side panel portions, wherein said plurality of corner brackets are located in the plurality of corners with each of said plurality of corner brackets being mechanically clinched to the door pan. 
   
   
   
       2 . A refrigerator door assembly comprising:
 a door pan including a front face portion, as well as a top panel portion, a bottom panel portion and opposing side panel portions that establish a plurality of corners, at least one of said plurality of corners defining a hinge corner having a hinge opening; and   a plurality of corner brackets, each of said plurality of corner brackets being provided at a respective one of the plurality of corners and including a first leg portion that extends along one of the top panel portion and the bottom panel portion and a second leg portion that extends along a respective one of the opposing side panel portions, wherein said plurality of corner brackets are located in the plurality of corners with each of said plurality of corner brackets being mechanically clinched to the door pan.   
   
   
       3 . The refrigerator door assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the opposing side panel portions includes a tab. 
   
   
       4 . The refrigerator door assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the tab defines a tab member that is folded so as to be substantially co-planar with the top panel portion. 
   
   
       5 . The refrigerator door assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the opposing side panel portions includes an in-turned flange that forms a side rear face portion, said side rear face portion being substantially parallel to the front face portion. 
   
   
       6 . The refrigerator assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the side rear face portion includes a tab element, said tab element being folded so as to be substantially co-planar with the top panel portion and positioned adjacent the flange. 
   
   
       7 . The refrigerator door assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the tab member and tab element are spaced from the top panel portion defining a slot. 
   
   
       8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the top panel portion and bottom panel portion each include respective in-turned flanges that form upper and lower rear face portions that are substantially co-planar to the front face portion. 
   
   
       9 . The refrigerator assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the first leg portion of each of the plurality of corner brackets includes a first in-turned section that extends along the front face portion and a second in-turned section that extends along one of the upper and lower rear face portions. 
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator door assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the second leg portion includes an in-turned section that extends along one of the side rear face portions, each of the plurality of corner brackets being clinched to the door assembly through the at least one of the first and second leg portions. 
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator door assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the second leg portion includes a first segment substantially parallel to the first leg portion that leads to an angled segment, said angled segment extending to a third segment that is substantially parallel to the first segment and connects with the first in-turned section of the first leg portion. 
   
   
       12 . The refrigerator door assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of corner brackets is mechanically clinched along one of the first and second leg portions. 
   
   
       13 . The refrigerator door assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the first leg portion includes an opening adapted to align with the hinge assembly. 
   
   
       14 . A method of forming a refrigerator door assembly comprising:
 folding a metal sheet to form a door pan including a front face portion, a top panel portion, a bottom panel portion and opposing side panel portions that define a plurality of corners;   forming a flange along at least one of the opposing side panel portions, said flange being substantially co-planar with the top panel portion, said top panel portion and said flange collectively defining a hinge opening at one of the plurality of corners;   clinching a plurality of corner brackets to the door pan at respective ones of said plurality of corners, each of the plurality of corner brackets including a first leg portion that extends along one of the top panel portion and bottom panel portion and a second leg portion that extends along a respective one of the opposing side panel portions.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: pre-painting the door pan prior to clinching the plurality of corner brackets. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of corner brackets is clinched along one of the first and second leg portions. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: spacing the flange from the top panel portion to form a slot. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: forming an opening in the first leg portion, said opening being adapted to align with the hinge opening.