Importance

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Abstract

A refrigerator cabinet has an outer metallic shell into which is inserted a one-piece plastic interior liner having a fresh food compartment separated by a mullion wall from the freezer compartment. The mullion wall is part of the interior liner. A metallic reinforcing mullion strap extends between side walls of the exterior cabinet shell to reinforce the side walls and prevent buckling. The mullion strap extends through an open space between the fresh food compartment and freezer compartment on the interior liner. The mullion strap does not touch the interior liner and is surrounded by thermally insulating foam whereby heat loss through the mullion strap from the refrigerator compartment is reduced. Further, the mullion wall of the interior liner is covered by a plastic mullion cap which protects the mullion wall of the interior liner from stresses associated with door closure and includes a decorative mullion cover in which a heater is provided to compensate for sweating associate with heat loss through the mullion cap to ambient. By using a plastic mullion cap, heat loss is significantly less than using a metal mullion bar directly exposed to ambient.

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First Claim