Spring retainer strip for attaching a liner and gasket to a refrigerator door

Claim 1

A spring retainer strip for releasably securing a liner and a gasket to a refrigerator door panel said door panel having a plurality of apertures which require blind-bore installation and removal, said spring strip comprising a generally rectangular body portion with a length which is substantially equal to the length of the gasket to be secured and a width substantially less than the gasket width; a plurality of spring fingers spaced along and extending from one side face of the body portion, said fingers being adapted to be registered with and received in the apertures of the refrigerator door panel as well as in corresponding apertures in the liner, the apertures in the panel and liner have the same general spacing arrangement as said fingers, each of said fingers having a first segment extending generally outwardly from the body portion and a second segment extending at least partially in the direction of said body portion, each of the fingers and said body portion being positively positionable in either of a first or a second position by the spring fingers coacting with the door panel and the apertures therein, in said first position the fingers retaining the liner against lateral movement while the body portion is spaced from said liner by a distance greater than the thickness of the gasket permitting positioning adjustments of the gasket, in said second position said body portion and said second segment cooperating to clamping engage the liner and the gasket to the refrigerator door panel; and means engageable from the side face of the body portion opposite to said first side face which permits said spring retainer strip to be moved from said second position to said first position to be released to permit gasket and liner removal, replacement and adjustment.

Claim 9

A method of attaching a liner and resilient gasket to a refrigerator door comprising the steps of providing a refrigerator door with a plurality of spaced apertures about the periphery of its one side; providing a refrigerator door liner with a plurality of apertures which have a similar spacing arrangement to the arrangement of apertures in the door; providing a resilient gasket of sufficient length to extend generally about the periphery of said one side; providing a plurality of spring retainer strips each of which extends substantially the length or width of the refrigerator door and each having a plurality of spring fingers spaced in accordance with the spacing of the apertures in the one side of the door; positioning the liner on the refrigerator door so that the respective apertures are generally aligned; positioning the spring retainer strips so the spring fingers project through the holes in the liner and the refrigerator door such that the spring retainer strips are in a first staging position positively positioned by the spring fingers coacting with the door and the operations therein; aligning the gasket around the periphery of said one side such that a portion thereof underlies the spring retainer strips; moving the spring retainer strips to a second staging position wherein the gasket and liner are resiliently, but positively, retained about the outer periphery of said one side of the refrigerator door.

Claim 10

A method of attaching a liner and resilient gasket to a refrigerator door comprising the steps of providing a refrigerator door with a plurality of spaced apertures about the periphery of its one side; providing a refrigerator door liner with a plurality of apertures which have a similar spacing arrangement to the arrangement of apertures in the door; providing a resilient gasket of sufficient length to extend generally about the periphery of said one side; providing a plurality of spring retainer strips each of which extends substantially the length or width of the refrigerator door and each having a plurality of spring fingers spaced in accordance with the spacing of the apertures in the one side of the door; positioning the liner on the refrigerator door so that the respective apertures are generally aligned; positioning the spring retainer strips so the spring fingers project through the holes in the liner and the refrigerator door such that the spring retainer strips are in a first staging position positively positioned by the spring fingers coacting with the door and the operations therein; aligning the gasket around the periphery of said one side such that a portion thereof underlies the spring retainer strips; moving the spring retainer strips to a second staging position wherein the gasket and liner are resiliently, but positively, retained about the outer periphery of said one side of the refrigerator door.