US 11,939,801 B2
Hinge bracket
Ian Pavnick, Michigan City, IN (US); Ryan M. Post, Coloma, MI (US); Michael S. Richards, St. Joseph, MI (US); and Chad J. Rotter, Saugatuck, MI (US)
Assigned to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed by WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed on Jun. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/355,474.
Application 17/355,474 is a division of application No. 16/418,308, filed on May 21, 2019, granted, now 11,072,956.
Prior Publication US 2021/0355727 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. F25D 23/02 (2006.01); E05D 7/081 (2006.01); E05D 7/12 (2006.01); E05D 11/06 (2006.01)
CPC E05D 11/06 (2013.01) [E05D 7/081 (2013.01); E05D 7/12 (2013.01); F25D 23/028 (2013.01); E05Y 2900/31 (2013.01); F25D 2323/024 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An appliance, comprising:
a wrapper having inner and outer surfaces, a wrapper receiving aperture and an access aperture disposed therethrough;
an anchor plate positioned against the inner surface of the wrapper, the anchor plate including a retention member and a stop, the stop extending perpendicularly from the anchor plate, wherein the retention member includes a body portion and an arm extending upwardly from the body portion through the access aperture of the wrapper, wherein the arm further includes a slot disposed therethrough that is accessible from the outer surface of the wrapper, and further wherein the anchor plate defines a first receiving aperture that is aligned with the wrapper receiving aperture;
a hinge plate positioned against the outer surface of the wrapper, the hinge plate including a hinge arm and a protrusion, the protrusion extending from an edge of the hinge plate opposite the hinge arm, wherein the hinge plate defines a second receiving aperture aligned with the first receiving aperture when the protrusion is received by the slot defined by the arm of the retention member to couple the hinge plate with the anchor plate; and
a locking arm rotatable between an unlocked position and a locked position, the locking arm comprising:
a first portion received through the first and second receiving apertures and the wrapper receiving aperture, the first portion including an inner edge having a tab extending outwardly therefrom; and
a second portion spaced-apart from the first portion and positioned parallel and co-planar with the first portion to define a channel therebetween, wherein the second portion includes an inner edge having a tab extending outwardly therefrom, such that the tab of the second portion and the tab of the first portion extend towards one another into the channel, and further wherein the second portion is configured to abut the stop of the anchor plate when the locking arm is in the locked position.