GB810102A - Refrigerator door and method of assembling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

810,102. Refrigerators. PHILCO CORPORATION S. A. March 27, 1956 [Sept. 13, 1955], No. 9592/56. Class 29 In a refrigerator having an outer shell provided with an inturned flange and a liner secured to the flange, a gasket being interposed, the side peripheral edges of the liner are resiliently secured to the flange and means are provided for holding the top and bottom of the liner to said flange and for restraining relative movement therebetween unless derived from differential expansion of the shell and liner. As shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, the liner 3, which is dished and formed with shelves 4, 5, is provided with peripheral slots 14 parallel to the edges. Resilient clips 20 take through these slots, holes in the flange 22 of gasket 8, and holes 21 in the inturned flange 6 of the outer shell 2. At the corners, the liner has, instead of slots, large holes 18 for the clips. These arrangements permit differential expansion of the liner and shell, the clips moving in the slots 14 or holes 18. At the top, screws 26 secure bars 23 in place, the screws passing through the slots 14, the gasket and holes 21, to clamp the parts in place but yet allowing yielding of the connections. A short clamping bar 28 is mounted at the bottom of the door. To asemble the door, the shell, liner, and gasket are first connected by clips 20 and then bars 23, 28 are lightly secured by screws 26. The door is then twisted, if necessary, about a vertical axis, so that it is complementary to the cabinet front and the screws 26 are tightened up to hold this twist. Even so, the connections still accommodate the stresses due to thermal expansion. The gasket 8 covers all the connecting parts. In a modification, Fig. 6 (not shown), a screw rigidly connects the central top parts of the liner and shell to provide a point of reference, the construction being otherwise the same as that described above. In a further modification, Figs. 7 and 8, a flat inner liner 40 and a shell 41 with an interposed gasket 43 are clamped together at one side by screws 45. At the bottom there is an attachment 47 of which screws 50 pass through slots 52 in in liner and hold a bracket 49 against its underside, the bracket having a tongue 53 received in an aperture 48 in the shell 41. Screws 50 pass through clearance holes in the shell. Tongue 53 thus permits vertical movement of the liner but prevents horizontal movement. A similar arrangement 46 opposite screws 45 permits horizontal movement but prevents vertical movement. To assemble the door, the liner and shell are connected as by clips 55 and screws 45 are tightened. Screws 50 are then lightly applied and the desired twist is given, the screws 50 then being screwed home. The device 47 can be substituted for the bar 28 in the first embodiment. The bar 28 may replace the device 47 in the construction of Figs. 7 and 8.