US 12,281,838 B2
Refrigerator appliance
Luiz Afranio Alves Ferreira, Joinville (BR); Marcel Bögger Lessa, Joinville (BR); and Gustavo Spezzia, Joinville (BR)
Assigned to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed by WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed on Jun. 7, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/330,796.
Prior Publication US 2024/0410640 A1, Dec. 12, 2024
Int. Cl. F25D 23/02 (2006.01)
CPC F25D 23/028 (2013.01) 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
9. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet defining an air inlet and an air outlet;
a door (i) movably secured to the cabinet and (ii) configured to transition between open and closed positions; and
a divider plate (i) movably secured to the door, (ii) configured to advance away from the door to transition to a first position, and (iii) configured to retract toward the door to transition to a second position, wherein (a) in response to closing the door, the divider plate advances away from the door, transitions to the first position, and engages the cabinet to separate the air inlet from the air outlet and (b) in response to opening the door, the divider plate retracts toward the door, transitions to the second position, and provides clearance within a space that is defined between the door and the cabinet when the door is in the open position.