FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to a gasket assembly for a refrigerator, and more specifically, to a gasket assembly for sealing a drawer of a refrigerator.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

A gasket having an internal magnet is often used to create attraction between a gasket profile and a steel cabinet face. Drawer slides are also used to pull a drawer and gasket toward the cabinet face when closing the drawer. While a total magnetic force due to attraction can be high, the local, incremental force on the gasket is low. This low force per length inhibits the gasket's ability to overcome local variations from flatness or straightness. Further, the drawer slide closing force is greatest when the drawer is further away from the cabinet, and reduces as the drawer approaches the closed position. This limits the gaskets ability to conform and overcome variation in order to provide an optimum seal to the cabinet. Thus, there is need to provide an improved seal between an externally accessed storage drawer, typically a freezer drawer, and a refrigeration cabinet structure in a refrigerator appliance.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator includes a cabinet structure with a front surface and a storage compartment with an access opening surrounded by the front surface. A drawer assembly includes a drawer front for selectively closing the access opening. The drawer front includes a recessed channel disposed around a periphery of an inner surface of the drawer front. A gasket assembly is mounted to the drawer front at the recessed channel for sealing engagement with the front surface of the cabinet structure when the drawer front closes the access opening. The gasket assembly includes an elongated body of co-extruded material including a base portion with a mounting portion extending outwardly from a first side of the base portion and received in the recessed channel of the drawer front. A contact lobe outwardly extends from a second side of the base portion for sealing engagement with the front surface of the cabinet structure. The contact lobe includes a body portion having first and second ends that are operably coupled to the second side of the base portion at spaced-apart attachment locations and form, therewith, an interior cavity containing a plurality of compressible chambers. The body portion of the contact lobe is comprised of a first material having an outer surface with a pair of longitudinally extending spaced-apart ribs comprised of a second material that is less rigid than the first material. The spaced-apart ribs extend outwardly from the outer surface of the body portion of the contact lobe.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a gasket assembly includes a base portion having opposed first and second sides. A mounting portion extends outwardly from the first side of the base portion. A contact lobe outwardly extends from the second side of the base portion and includes a body portion with an interior cavity. The body portion of the contact lobe is comprised of a first material having an outer surface with a plurality of spaced-apart ribs comprised of a second material extending outwardly from the outer surface of the body portion of the contact lobe.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator includes a cabinet structure having a textured front surface and a freezer compartment with an access opening that opens into the freezer compartment. A drawer assembly includes a drawer front for selectively closing the access opening. A gasket assembly is mounted to an inner surface of the drawer front. The gasket assembly includes a contact lobe having a body portion comprised of a more rigid material. The body portion further includes an outer surface with at least one rib outwardly extending therefrom. The at least one rib is comprised of a less rigid material relative to the more rigid material of the body portion of the contact lobe and includes a hardness of less than 1 unit on the Shore 00 hardness scale.

These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present disclosure will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.

