GB2143020A

GB2143020A - Door for a refrigerator, freezer or similar appliance

Info

Publication number: GB2143020A
Application number: GB08414157A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adelio Macecchini; Romano Radice
Original assignee: Philips Gloeilampenfabrieken NV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 1983-06-07
Filing date: 1984-06-04
Publication date: 1985-01-30
Also published as: FR2547400B3; ES279664Y; SE8402987D0; GB8414157D0; DE8416404U1; FR2547400A1; ES279664U; SE8402987L; IT8322047V0; GB2143020B

Abstract

A quadrilateral door (1) for a refrigerator, freezer or the like, comprises a sheet of metal provided at each side with a strip portion having a first part (5) and a second part (6) which are bent at a right angle to each other, the first part (5) of each strip portion forming a sidewall of the door. At each corner (K) of the door, the first part (5) of one of the two relevant strip portions is provided with at least one lateral tab (7) which is bent at a right angle with respect to that first part (5) and which fits into a corresponding depression (9) in the first part of the other of said strip portions. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Door for a refrigerator, freezer or similar appliance This invention relates to a composite quadrilateral door for a refrigerator, freezer or the like, comprising a sheet of metal provided at each side with a strip portion having a first part and a second part which are bent at a right angle to each other, the first part of each strip portion forming a side wall of the door.

With particular but not exclusive reference to the domestic refrigeration sector, it is noted that the most widespread type of door comprises an outer square or rectangular sheet of metal provided at each side with a strip portion, each portion having a first and a second part, bent at a right angle to each other, and which first part forms a right angle with the front wall of said sheet of metal, the back wall of the door usually made of plastics material and insulation disposed between the front wall and the back wall. The outer front sheet of metal of a well known door is shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing. It comprises a central flat front wall A and at each side two consecutive portions B, C disposed at a right angle to each other, and of which parts B forms the side wall D and which part B is also bent at a right angle to the front wall A.Each of said parts is formed from four sections indicated by By,2,3,4 and Cm,2,3,4. At the four corners E, the sections C1, C3 of the side wall Dare superposed on the sections C2, C4, in positions corresponding with extension edges F of these latter. The sections C1,2,3,4 are connected together by welding at said edges F. At the four corners, there remain gaps E which are closed by a known welding technique, namely plasma-arc or TIG welding. The execution of this type of welding requires particular expertise, it being a delicate and difficult operation, and is therefore carried out by highly specialised personnel, unless a high proportion of rejects can be tolerated.It should be also noted that plasma-arc welding equipment is particularly costly, and that in addition this method cannot be used to produce doors from metal sheets provided with a surface coating, as this latter would melt or be damaged at the welding temperature.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a door, particularly for refrigerators, freezers and similar domestic appliances, which is of simple construction, has no gaps at its corners, and therefore avoids the use of plasma-arc welding, with the drawbacks and limits related thereto.

According to the invention, the composite quadrilateral door is characterized in that at each corner of the door, the first part of one of the two relevant strip portions is provided with at least one lateral tab which is bent at a right angle with respect to that first part and which fits into a corresponding depression in the first part of the other of said strip portions.

This leaves no gaps at the corners which require sealing bythewell known plasma-are welding technique.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from the rear side of a conventional door; Figure 2 shows the blank of a corner zone of the door according to the invention; Figure 3 is a pespective view of the corner zone of Figure 2 after bending, is in finished form; Figure 4 is a view taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

In Figures 2 to 4, the reference numeral 1 indicates overall the door component constructed in accordance with the invention and essentially corresponding to the conventional component shown in perspective back side view of Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. The door 1, which is rectangular, is obtained by cutting and bending a metal sheet, and comprises a flat front part 2 constituting the door face and is corresponding to part A of Figure 1, and at each side a strip portion (5, 6), which comprises a first part 5 and a second part 6. On bending at 900 along the bending lines 3 and 4 shown by dashed lines in Figure 2, a perimetral side wall is obtained, which is formed by first part 5 lying between the bending lines 3 and 4 and forming a right angle with the front part 2.Second part 6 is parallel to the flat front part 2 and forms partly the back wall of the door.

All parts 5 and the parts 6 form the channelshaped perimetral side wall of the door. In particular, two of the first parts 5, for example the lower first part shown in Figure 3 and the upper opposing first part, not shown, comprise at their ends lateral tabs 7 which at their base have a width equal to the width of the part 5, then taper over a portion 7A, and then continue with parallel sides until they again taper at 7B when close to their free end. Holes 8 are provided in the tabs 7. In the adjacent part 5, i.e. in that part which extends towards the same corner K, depressions 9 are provided of the same form as that of the tabs 7 and of such a depth that when the tab is inserted into the depression 9 (see Figure 4), the outer surface of the tab is aligned with the surface of that part 5 which contains the depression 9.In the depression 9 there is provided a hole 10 aligned with the hole 8. The holes serve for securing the tab 7 to the depression 9 of part 5 by means of known tools.

As an alternative to this, instead of two holes punched out before the bending operation, a single hole can be provided through the double thickness of the sheet of metal in order to provide greater rigidity in the corner area, namely in proximity to the increased mechanical stressing where the hinge is situated.

Second parts 6 of the strip portions have Zchamfers and of those parts 6 of the strip portions, which have first parts 5 provided with depressions, the Z-chamfers terminate in a notch 12.

As can be seen from Figures 3 and 4, the second parts 6 which converge to the same corner K are superposed over a certain zone, at which, if required, a weld spot can be provided to stabilise the connection between the converging parts 6, or alternatively mechanical connections using screws or rivets can be made. The zone where the weld spot can be provided is shown by light dashed lines in Figure 3.

The tab 7 is bent at a right angle along the corner K (see Figure 2), and fits into the depression 9 so that the corner K, in which previously known designs required plasma-arc welding, is free from gaps, i.e. is closed, so as not to require any further action.

The described component is constructed as follows: A blank having the contour defined by the full lines of Figure 2 is cut from the sheet of metal. It is then bent along the dashed lines 3, 4 and K so that the various parts and portions assume the relative positions shown in Figure 3, in which as stated the tabs 7 (of which four are provided) are housed in the corresponding depressions 9 of the adjacent first parts 5, and the second parts 6 are partly superposed at each corner zone (see dashed part of Figure 3).

This method provides a door which, even without spot welds, which can in any case be made in hidden positions, is of sufficient rigidity and can be used without further machining in order to form the door of the refrigerator or the like by well known methods, and utilizing the corner holes 8 and 10 provided at the corner for applying the hinges.

Claims

1. A composite quadrilateral door for a refrigerator, freezer or the like, comprising a sheet of metal provided at each side with a strip portion having a first part and a second part which are bent at a right angle to each other, the first part of each portion forming a side wall of the door, characterized in that at each corner of the door, the first part of one of the two relevant portions is provided with at least one lateral tab which is bent at a right angle with respect to that first part and which fits into a corresponding depression in the first part of the order of said portions.

2. A door as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the ends of first part of each of two strip portions which are situated opposite each other are provided with lateral tabs and the ends of the first part of each of the other two strip portions are provided with corresponding depressions.

3. A composite quadrilateral door substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.