US 11,668,130 B2
Refrigerator with push-to-open door opener
Tanner Davis Gunn, Louisville, KY (US); and Michael Goodman Schroeder, Louisville, KY (US)
Assigned to Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc., Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed by Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc., Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed on Dec. 8, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/115,141.
Prior Publication US 2022/0178194 A1, Jun. 9, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. E05F 15/00 (2015.01); E05F 15/73 (2015.01); E05F 15/622 (2015.01); F25D 23/02 (2006.01)
CPC E05F 15/73 (2015.01) [E05F 15/622 (2015.01); F25D 23/028 (2013.01); E05Y 2201/434 (2013.01); E05Y 2201/474 (2013.01); E05Y 2201/70 (2013.01); E05Y 2201/702 (2013.01); E05Y 2201/71 (2013.01); E05Y 2400/856 (2013.01); E05Y 2900/31 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cabinet defining a food storage chamber, the food storage chamber extending between a front portion and a back portion along the transverse direction, the front portion of the food storage chamber defining an opening for receipt of food items;
a door positioned at the front portion of the food storage chamber and movable between a closed position and an open position to selectively sealingly enclose the food storage chamber in the closed position and provide access to the food storage chamber in the open position;
a door opener positioned in the cabinet, the door opener comprising a casing, a housing, a biasing element extending between the housing and the casing, the biasing element configured to bias the housing and the finger towards the front portion of the cabinet, a gear box, a sliding nut movable relative to the gear box, a finger extending through the gear box towards the door, the finger movable with the sliding nut, and a sensor, the finger positioned in contact with an inner surface of the door when the door is in the closed position and the door opener is in a zero position, wherein the sensor is configured to detect movement of the door opener from the zero position of the door opener.