Door hinge and foot assembly

Abstract

A household appliance, such as a refrigerator, has a body with a cooling compartment, a door that restricts and permits access to the cooling compartment, a foot assembly connected to the body, and an electrical connector support for supporting electronic components of the household appliance. The foot assembly includes at least one of anti-tilt feet for supporting the appliance and / or wheels for facilitating movement of the appliance. The electrical connector support includes a frame base portion connected to the foot assembly, a door sensor support attached to the frame base portion, and a door sensor configured to sense whether the door is in an open position or a closed position relative to the body. At least one component of the door sensor is attached to the door sensor support.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a door hinge and a foot assembly having integrated electronic components for use at the bottom of a household appliance (such as a refrigerator, freezer, and similar devices). Background Art

[0002] Household appliances increasingly include a greater number of electronic components, particularly those related to user interaction, such as user interfaces, door sensors, cameras, lighting systems, alarm systems, and display screens. In some cases, it is desirable to house these electronic components within or attach them to the door of the appliance. In these cases, the wiring for these electronic components typically extends from the body of the household appliance through the door hinge to the door. It is desirable for the electronic components (including the wiring) to be adequately supported by the household appliance. Additionally, it is desirable for the assembly to be easily connectable and disconnectable during the assembly, disassembly, and maintenance of the household appliance. Summary of the Invention

[0003] A simplified summary of the present disclosure is presented below to provide a basic understanding of some example aspects described in the detailed description.

[0004] According to one aspect, there is provided a household appliance such as a refrigerator, the household appliance having: a body having a cooling compartment; a door that restricts and permits access to the cooling compartment; a foot assembly connected to the body; and an electrical connector support for supporting electronic components of the household appliance. The foot assembly includes at least one of anti-tilt feet for supporting the appliance and / or wheels for facilitating movement of the appliance. The electrical connector support includes: a frame base portion connected to the foot assembly; a door sensor support attached to the frame base portion; and a door sensor configured to sense whether the door is in an open position or a closed position relative to the body. At least one component of the door sensor is attached to the door sensor support.

[0005] At least one component of the door sensor may be configured to interact with an additional component of the door sensor attached to the door. At least one component of the door sensor may be an electronic reed switch. The door sensor support may include a receiving space for receiving and holding the electronic reed switch in a fixed position adjacent to the frame base portion.

[0006] The household appliance may further include electric wires that extend between the body and the interior of the door. The electrical connection support may further include wire guides for holding and guiding the electric wires between the body and the interior of the door. The electric wires extend between an electronic controller included in or attached to the body and a user interface included on the door, wherein the user interface enables a user to adjust the temperature of the cooling compartment.

[0007] The foot assembly may include a connecting leg that is connected to the household appliance. The foot assembly may include the wheel that is configured to contact a surface and roll on the surface to adjust the position of the appliance relative to the surface. The wheel may be rotatably received and held within a wheel receiving space of the foot assembly.

[0008] The frame base portion of the electrical connection support may include connecting arms that extend downwardly from the frame base portion and are configured to removably connect the frame base portion to the foot assembly. For example, the connecting arms may extend downwardly from the frame base portion into the wheel receiving space of the foot assembly to connect the frame base portion to the foot assembly. The frame base portion may include a wheel cover portion that extends at a certain height to accommodate and cover the wheel.

[0009] The household appliance may further include a hinge plate that is connected to the body of the household appliance. A hinge shaft may be connected to the hinge plate and pivotally connected to the door of the household appliance such that the door can pivot between an open position and a closed position relative to the hinge shaft. The hinge shaft may be received within an opening of the hinge plate. The hinge shaft may include a hollow through passage such that electric wires can extend from the body of the household appliance through the passage into the door of the household appliance.

[0010] The household appliance may further include a cover that is connected to the foot assembly, wherein the cover encloses at least one component of the frame base portion, the door sensor support, and the door sensor.

[0011] In another embodiment, a household appliance includes: a body having a cooling compartment; a door that restricts and permits access to the cooling compartment; electronic components on the door; and a door hinge and foot assembly for coupling the door to the body. The door hinge and foot assembly includes a hinge plate that is connected to the body of the household appliance and includes a hinge shaft that is pivotally connected to the door of the household appliance such that the door can pivot between an open position and a closed position relative to the cooling compartment. The foot assembly is connected to the body and includes at least one of anti-tip feet for supporting the appliance and / or wheels for facilitating movement of the household appliance. An electrical connector support is coupled to the foot assembly to support the electronic components on the door. The electrical connector support includes: a frame base portion that is connected to the foot assembly; and a wire guide for holding and guiding wires that extend between an electronic controller contained within or attached to the body and a user interface contained within the door. The user interface enables a user to adjust the temperature of the cooling compartment.

[0012] The electrical connector support further includes: a door sensor support attached to the frame base portion; and a door sensor configured to sense whether the door is in an open position or a closed position relative to the body. At least one component of the door sensor is attached to the door sensor support. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The above aspects and other aspects of the present disclosure are better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a four-door refrigerator;

[0015] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a perspective detail view of the top of the lower left refrigerator door of the refrigerator of

[0016] Figure 3 is Figure 1 a first perspective view of the door hinge and foot assembly of the refrigerator of

[0017] Figure 4 is Figure 1 a second perspective view of the door hinge and foot assembly of the refrigerator of

[0018] Figure 5 is Figure 3 and Figure 4 a perspective view of the foot base and hinge plate of the door hinge and foot assembly of

[0019] Figure 6 is Figure 3 and Figure 4Front perspective view of the electrical connector support of the door hinge and foot assembly;

[0020] Figure 7 is Figure 3 and Figure 4 Rear perspective view of the electrical connector support of the door hinge and foot assembly;

[0021] Figure 8 is Figure 1 Perspective view of the door hinge and foot assembly with a cover of the refrigerator;

[0022] Figure 9 is Figure 8 Rear perspective view of the cover shown; and

[0023] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the electronic components of the refrigerator 1. Detailed Description

[0024] Reference Figure 1 , there is shown an example household appliance 1 in the form of a four-door refrigerator having a first door 10, a second door 20, a third door 30, and a fourth door 40 that limit and permit access to respective cooling compartments. Although the following detailed description relates to a household refrigerator, the present invention may be implemented by a refrigeration appliance other than a household refrigerator. The refrigerator body 50 houses a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, and a variable temperature compartment. In one embodiment, when viewed from the front of the refrigerator 10 as shown in Figure 1 , the variable temperature compartment is included in the lower left portion of the refrigerator body 50 and is accessible via the first door 10. The freezer compartment is included in the lower right portion of the refrigerator body 50 and is accessible via the second door 20. In an alternative embodiment, the variable temperature compartment may be included in the lower right and accessible via the second door 20, and the freezer compartment may be included in the lower left and accessible via the first door 10. The fresh food compartment is included in the upper portion of the refrigerator body 50 and is accessible via both the third door 30 and the fourth door 40, which are French doors that together span the entire lateral distance of the entrance to the fresh food compartment. As depicted, the third door 30 includes a water / ice dispenser 35. The doors 10, 20, 30, 40 are connected to hinges to rotate from a closed position (shown) to an open position (not shown) to selectively permit access to their respective compartments, as is known in the art. It should be understood that other configurations may be envisioned, for example, a top-mounted refrigerator (i.e., the fresh food compartment is vertically disposed below the freezer compartment), a side-by-side refrigerator (i.e., the fresh food compartment is disposed adjacent to the freezer compartment laterally), etc.

[0025] The fresh food compartment is used to minimize spoilage of the food stored therein. The fresh food compartment achieves this by maintaining the temperature in the fresh food compartment at a low temperature that is generally above 0 °C so as not to freeze the food in the fresh food compartment. It is contemplated that the low temperature is preferably between 0 °C and 10 °C, more preferably between 0 °C and 5 °C and even more preferably between 0.25 °C and 4.5 °C.

[0026] The freezer compartment is used to freeze and / or maintain the food stored therein under freezing conditions. For this purpose, the freezer compartment is in thermal communication with a freezer evaporator (not shown) that removes thermal energy from the freezer compartment to maintain the temperature therein at 0 °C or less during operation of the refrigerator, preferably between 0 °C and -50 °C, more preferably between 0 °C and -30 °C and even more preferably between 0 °C and -20 °C.

[0027] The VCZ compartment provides a user-adjustable storage area whose temperature can be maintained at the temperature associated with the fresh food compartment or the temperature of the freezer compartment (or any temperature therebetween). That is, the temperature maintained in the VCZ compartment is adjustable to accommodate a variety of foods to be stored therein.

[0028] Now referring Figure 1 and Figure 2 FIGS. 13A and 13B, the upper surface 11 of the first door 10 includes a handle 12 for opening the door 10. Similarly, the upper surface 21 of the second door 20 includes a handle 22 for opening the door 20. The first door 10 further includes at least one electronic component that is operated using electricity, such as any one or all of a user interface, a door sensor, a camera, a lighting system, an alarm system, and / or a display screen. In one embodiment, the at least one electronic component is a user interface 16 that enables a user to control the temperature setting of the variable control compartment. As shown, the user interface 16 may be located on the upper surface 11, or alternatively may be located at another part of the first door 10 (such as a side panel or the front of the door). As discussed in more detail below, in order to control the temperature setting of the variable control compartment, the user interface 16 is connected to the controller 55 of the refrigerator 1 via conductive wires 163, 164. Preferably, both wires 163, 164 supply power to the user interface and further provide electronic communication to the control system of the refrigerator via digital and / or analog signals. The wire 163 extends from the door 10 through the door hinge and foot assembly 100 system to the refrigerator body 50, and the door hinge and foot assembly is connected to the lower end of the refrigerator body 50.

[0029] Now referring Figures 3 to 4 FIG. 14, the door hinge and foot assembly 100 includes at least one component of a foot base 110, an electrical connector support 120, a door hinge plate 130, a hinge shaft 140, and a door sensor 150, all of which are discussed in more detail below.Figures 3 to 4 Shows the components of the door hinge and the foot assembly 100 that are secured at a location to the front bottom exterior of the refrigerator 1 to pivotally support the first door 10 on the refrigerator body 50. The foot base 110 is fixed to the chassis and is separate from or independent of the door hinge plate 130. The hinge shaft 140 is secured to the door hinge plate 130 in a removable manner (e.g., via fasteners) or preferably in a non-removable manner (e.g., via welding) and is further fixed to the chassis as a single unit.

[0030] Now referring Figure 5 , the foot base 110 includes anti-tilt feet 113 and wheels 115. In the illustrated example, the foot base 110 is generally configured in the shape of an L (including a support leg 111 and a connecting leg 112), but other geometries are conceivable. The anti-tilt feet 113 are mounted to the lower left side of the support leg 111 and are used to support the refrigerator 1 by resting on a surface. The anti-tilt feet 113 prevent the refrigerator 1 from tipping forward and are height adjustable such that the height of the left front side of the refrigerator 1 can be adjusted relative to the ground support surface on which the refrigerator 1 rests. The anti-tilt feet 113 can be used in combination with other height adjustable feet (not shown) of the refrigerator 1 to level the refrigerator 1. The support leg 111 also includes a wheel receiving space 114 on its right side, which is generally configured as a rectangular opening having a circular edge extending through the support leg 111. As depicted, the wheel receiving space 114 receives the wheel 115, which can roll along the surface on which the anti-tilt feet 113 rest. Thus, this wheel 115 makes it easy to move the refrigerator 1 relative to the surface. The connecting leg 112 has fastener holes 117 such that fasteners can connect the foot base 110 to the body 50 of the refrigerator 1, as discussed in more detail below.

[0031] Continuing Figure 5 , the door hinge plate 130 includes a first vertically oriented leg 131 and a second horizontally oriented leg 132 that are connected to each other at a substantially right angle. Preferably, the door hinge plate 130 is a single body including both the vertically oriented leg 131 and the horizontally oriented leg 132. However, the legs 131, 132 can also be separate components attached together. The first leg 131 includes fastener holes 134 that are shaped to receive fasteners that can secure the hinge plate 130 to the body 50 of the refrigerator 1 at a location to pivotally support the first door 10. The front edge of the second leg 132 includes an opening 135 that is configured to receive the hinge shaft 140, as discussed in more detail below. The hinge shaft 140 is pivotally received within a complementary structure on the bottom of the door 10 such that the door can pivotally rotate relative to the refrigerator body 50. It is also contemplated that the hinge shaft 140 can be integrally formed with the hinge plate 130 or can be removably secured (such as by fasteners) or non-removably secured (such as by welding).

[0032] Now referring to Figures 6 to 7 , the electrical connector support 120 includes a frame base portion 121 that forms the body of the support 120. A plurality of connecting arms 122 extend downwardly from the frame base portion 121, and the plurality of connecting arms are designed to be received by and connected to the foot base 110 to removably secure the electrical connector support 120 to the foot base. The connecting arms 122 preferably have locking protrusions 122a and are configured to be elastically flexible. In this regard, the connecting arms 122 can be bent such that the locking protrusions 122a can slide past the foot base 110 and then be bent back to their original position, so that the locking protrusions 122a are locked under the foot base 110. At least one connecting arm is configured to be received and secured within the wheel receiving space 114. In the illustrated example, four of the five connecting arms 122 are configured to be received and secured within the wheel receiving space 114, while the fifth arm 122 is secured to the right edge of the support leg 111. Various other mounting positions of the connecting arms 122 are contemplated on the foot base 110. The wheel cover portion 129 is a sub - portion of the frame base portion 121 and is shaped to receive in a covering relationship that portion of the wheel 115 that extends upwardly below the electrical connector support 120 and outside of the wheel receiving space 114.

[0033] The door sensor support 123 extends in an upward direction along the frame base portion 121 from the right rear (when viewed Figure 6 ). The door sensor support 123 is configured to support at least a first portion of the door sensor 150. In one example, the door sensor is an electronic reed switch 151 configured to operate by an applied magnetic field (see Figures 3 to 4), but other types of sensors (pushbutton switches, plunger switches, capacitive sensors, optical sensors, etc.) can be envisioned. In the case where an electronic reed switch 151 is used, the rear portion of the door sensor support 123 is preferably configured to rest directly against the body 50 of the refrigerator in a position adjacent to the magnet, which is secured to the bottom of the door 10 when the door 10 is in the closed position. Thus, when the door 10 is in the closed position, the magnet secured to the lower side of the door 10 will activate or deactivate the electronic reed switch 151 depending on its specific design to thereby provide an electronic indication that the door 10 is closed. The door sensor support 123 includes a receiving space 124 for receiving the door sensor 150. The door sensor support 123 further includes a structure for securing the door sensor 150 to the door sensor support in a fixed position, such as a pair of connecting arms 125 and a pair of mounting rods 126. The door sensor 150 is shaped to fit within the receiving space 124 and is secured by the connecting arms 125 when the mounting rods 126 are inserted through holes in the door sensor 150. With the door sensor 150 in place, the door sensor can be used to detect whether the door 10 is open or closed relative to the refrigerator body 50, as discussed in more detail below. It is envisioned that the door sensor support 123 can be appropriately designed to accommodate the specific needs of the type of door sensor 150 utilized.

[0034] Now refer to Figures 3 to 4, as discussed above, the user interface 16 of the door 10 is connected to the digital and / or analog electronic controller 55 of the refrigerator 1 via conductive wires 163, 164. The wire 163 extends through the door 10, optionally permanently installed in the insulating foam of the door, and exits the bottom of the door through the internal hollow passage 141 extending through the hinge shaft 140. Since it is common for the refrigerator door to be removable, the hinge shaft 140 may include an open slot extending through one side thereof, the open slot extending the entire vertical height of the hinge shaft 140 such that the wire 163 can pass through the open slot into the passage 141 when the door 10 is removed from or installed onto the hinge shaft 140. Preferably, the open slot of the hinge shaft 140 is aligned with the forward opening 135 in the hinge plate 130. Additionally, the wire 163 of the door 10 is preferably connected to a connector terminal 161, which itself is removably connected to a connector terminal 162 extending from the front edge of the refrigerator body 50. The connector terminal 162 is connected to the controller 55 via a wire 164 located within the refrigerator body 50. Preferably, the connector terminal 162 is supported outside the refrigerator body 50 by a connector guide 127 on an electrical connector support 120. Optionally, the electrical connector support 120 further includes at least one wire guide 128 to removably receive and guide the wire 163 between the hinge shaft 140 and the connector terminal 161. The wire guide 128 helps to hold the wire 163 in place to reduce its movement while allowing, for example, the cover 170 (see Figures 8 to 9 ) to be easily secured over the door hinge and the remainder of the foot assembly 100 during the assembly and / or use of the refrigerator 1 without having to move the wire 163. In a similar manner, the connector guide 127 helps to hold the connector terminals 161, 162 and the wire 164 in place to reduce their movement. Although the illustrated connector guide 127 indirectly holds the connector terminal 161 when it is coupled to the connector terminal 162, it is contemplated that a connector guide 127 or another separate guide may be provided to directly hold the connector terminal 161.

[0035] The foot base 110 is attached to the refrigerator body 50 via fasteners (such as screws or bolts, not shown) inserted into the fastener holes 117. As Figures 3 to 4As shown, the foot base 110 can be secured to the bottom surface of the refrigerator body 50. Alternatively, the foot base can be coupled to the front bottom surface of the refrigerator body 50. The electrical connector support 120 is received and attached to the foot base 110 by the connecting arm 122 and connected to the foot base. The hinge plate 130 (such as a screw or bolt, not shown) is secured to the refrigerator body via a fastener inserted into the fastener hole 134 of the hinge plate 130. The hinge shaft 140 is removably or non-removably received within the opening 135 in the hinge plate 130. The door sensor 150 is received within the receiving space 124 of the door sensor support 123, and the wire 153 extends from the reed switch 151 to the connector terminal 154, which is detachably connected to the mating terminal 156 that extends out from the front edge of the refrigerator body 50. The connector terminal 156 is connected to the controller 55 via the wire 155 located within the refrigerator body 50. Either or both of the connector terminals 154, 156 can be held in place by the connector guide 129 on the electrical connector support 120.

[0036] Now referring to Figures 8 to 9 , with all components of the door hinge and foot assembly 100 in place and secured to the refrigerator body 50, the cover 170 can be placed over the door hinge and foot assembly 100 to protect and cover some or all of the components of the door hinge and foot assembly. Preferably, the cover 170 has a form-fit shape that closely matches the shape of the components it covers. The cover 170 includes a hollow inner receiving space 171 that receives many components of the door hinge and foot assembly 100. The cover 170 is inserted over the front edge of the foot base 110 and covers the first leg 111 of the foot base as well as the electrical connector support 120 and the components attached thereto. The cover 170 includes mounting tabs 172 for receiving fasteners to secure the cover 170 to the body 50 and bent arms 173 for securing the cover to the door hinge and foot assembly 100. The cover 170 also includes a slot 174 that is generally aligned with the hinge shaft 140 to accommodate the wire 163 that extends from the hinge shaft 140 to the electrical connector support 120. The cover 170 preferably also covers the door sensor 150 (such as the reed switch 151) and is made of a dielectric and magnetic field-transparent material.

[0037] Finally, now referring to Figure 10, this figure schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of the connections between the electrical components of the refrigerator 1. The electronic components of the door 10 (such as the user interface 16) and the second part of the door sensor 150 (for example, the magnet 152) are contained within the door 10 or otherwise attached to the door. It should be understood that the magnet 152 can be a simple magnet, i.e., non-electronic. Alternatively, in the case of using a different type of door sensor system, the second part of the door sensor 150 can be any other suitable type of door sensor component. The connector terminals 161, 162 and the first part of the door sensor, such as the reed switch 151 and the associated connector terminals 154, 156, are connected to and supported by the door hinge and foot assembly 100. The refrigerator main controller 55 and the cooling system 18 (which provides cooling for at least the variable temperature compartments to adjust the temperature therein based on user input via the user interface 16) are contained within (or otherwise attached to) the refrigerator body 50. The wire 163 extends from the user interface 16 through the door 10 to the connector terminal 161 supported by the door hinge and foot assembly 100. The connector terminal 161 is connected to the connector terminal 162 also supported by the door hinge and foot assembly 100. The wire 164 extends into the refrigerator body 50 when it is electrically connected to the controller 55. The wire 19 connects the controller 55 to the cooling system 18. The reed switch 151 is attached to the wires 153, which extend into the refrigerator body 50 when they are connected to the refrigerator main controller 55. The reed switch 151 is configured as known in the art such that when the door 10 is closed, the magnet 152 contained therein is detected by the reed switch 151, thereby causing a signal indicating that the door 10 is closed to be sent to the controller 55 via the wire 153. If such a signal is not sent, the controller 55 is configured to assume that the door 10 is open and can be configured to provide a signal or message indicating that the door 10 is open to the user. Although the terms "signal" and "send" are used above, it should be understood that the door sensor 150 (i.e., the reed switch 151) can be an analog component that provides sensor input (such as an open or off connection (i.e., a switch), resistance, capacitance, etc.) to the controller 55, and the controller 55 can interpret the sensor input to thereby determine whether the door 10 is open or closed.

[0038] The present invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments described above. Modifications and changes will occur to others upon reading and understanding this specification. The exemplary embodiments incorporating one or more aspects of the present invention are intended to include all such modifications and changes as long as they are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An appliance, comprising: a body having a cooling compartment; a door that restricts and permits access to the cooling compartment; a foot assembly connected to the body and including at least one of anti-tilt feet for supporting the appliance and / or wheels for facilitating movement of the home appliance; and an electrical connector support coupled to the foot assembly to support electronic components of the home appliance, the electrical connector support including: a frame base portion connected to the foot assembly; a door sensor support attached to the frame base portion; and a door sensor configured to sense whether the door is in an open position or a closed position relative to the body, wherein at least one component of the door sensor is attached to the door sensor support.

2. The home appliance according to claim 1, wherein the door sensor includes an electronic reed switch.

3. The home appliance according to claim 2, wherein the door sensor support includes a receiving space for receiving and holding the electronic reed switch in a fixed position adjacent to the frame base portion.

4. The home appliance according to claim 1, further comprising wires that extend between the interior of the body and the door.

5. The home appliance according to claim 4, wherein the electrical connector support further includes wire guides for holding and guiding the wires between the interior of the body and the door.

6. The home appliance according to claim 4, wherein the wires extend between an electronic controller contained within or attached to the body and a user interface contained on the door, wherein, the user interface enables a user to adjust the temperature of the cooling compartment.

7. The home appliance according to claim 1, wherein the frame base portion further comprises: connecting arms that extend downward from the frame base portion and are configured to removably connect the frame base portion to the foot assembly.

8. The home appliance according to claim 1, wherein the foot assembly includes a connecting leg that connects to the home appliance.

9. The home appliance according to claim 1, wherein, the foot assembly includes the wheels configured to contact a surface and roll thereon to adjust the position of the appliance relative to the surface, and the wheels are rotatably held within a wheel receiving space of the foot assembly.

10. The home appliance according to claim 9, wherein the electrical connector support further comprises: connecting arms that extend downward from the frame base portion into the wheel receiving space of the foot assembly to connect the frame base portion to the foot assembly.

11. The home appliance according to claim 9, wherein the frame base portion includes a wheel cover portion that extends at a certain height to accommodate and cover the wheels.

12. The home appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a hinge plate connected to the body of the home appliance.

13. The household appliance according to claim 12, further comprising a hinge shaft that is connected to the hinge plate and pivotally connected to the door of the household appliance such that the door is pivotable relative to the hinge shaft between an open position and a closed position.

14. The household appliance according to claim 13, wherein, the hinge shaft is received within an opening of the hinge plate.

15. The household appliance according to claim 13, wherein the hinge shaft includes a hollow through-passage such that electrical wires can extend from the body of the household appliance through the passage into the door of the household appliance.

16. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a cover that is connected to the foot assembly, wherein, the cover encloses at least one of the frame base portion, the door sensor support, and the door sensor.

17. At least one component of the door sensor of the household appliance according to claim 1 is configured to interact with an additional component of the door sensor that is attached to the door.

18. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein, the household appliance is a refrigerator.

19. A household appliance, comprising: a body having a cooling compartment; a door that restricts and permits access to the cooling compartment; electronic components on the door; and a door hinge and a foot assembly for coupling the door to the body, the door hinge and the foot assembly including: a hinge plate that is connected to the body of the household appliance and includes a hinge shaft that is pivotally connected to the door of the household appliance such that the door is pivotable relative to the cooling compartment between an open position and a closed position; a foot assembly that is connected to the body and includes at least one of anti-tilt feet for supporting the appliance and / or wheels for facilitating movement of the household appliance; and an electrical connector support that is coupled to the foot assembly to support the electronic components on the door, the electrical connector support including: a frame base portion that is connected to the foot assembly; and a wire guide for holding and guiding electrical wires that extend between an electronic controller contained within or attached to the body and a user interface contained within the door, wherein the user interface enables a user to adjust the temperature of the cooling compartment.

20. The household appliance according to claim 19, wherein, the electrical connector support further includes: a door sensor support that is attached to the frame base portion; and a door sensor that is configured to sense whether the door is in an open position or a closed position relative to the body, wherein at least one component of the door sensor is attached to the door sensor support.

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