US2166628A

US2166628A - Refrigeration apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2166628A
Application number: US663423A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gregg F Forsthoefel
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1933-03-29
Filing date: 1933-03-29
Publication date: 1939-07-18
Anticipated expiration: 1956-07-18

Description

July 18, 1939- G. F. FoRsTHOEFEL 2,166,628

REFRIGERATI ON APPARATUS Filed March 29, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l WITNEssE INVENTOR GREGGF RaRsTHoEF-L BY @jam ATTORNEY July 18, 1939- G. F. FoRsTHol-:FEL 2,155,528

REFRIGERAT ION APPARATUS Filed March 29, 1953 2 sheets-sheet 2 f n, F1512.

J2 9 v`/5 l k* J l Figi.

n lNvENToR E GREG@ /FRs'rHoEFL-L Y l y ll a4/01.4

ATTORNEY 'Patented July 1s, 1939 REFmGEaATroN APPARATUS Gregg F. Forsthocfel, Springfield, Mass., assigner to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, cf Pennsylvania Application March 29,

3 Claims.

My invention relates to the construction and method of assembling a cabinet, and specifically both to the provision of a thermal seal for connecting adjacent edges of inner and outer walls o! a cabinet construction and to a method of assembling the seal with respect to a cabinet.

My invention relates more particularly to a breaker strip or thermal seal for connecting inner andv outer walls of a refrigerator cabinet and the like, about the door opening thereof, the thermal seal or breaker strip construction preferably comprising an inner or anchor member connected to an outer or facing member, the outer or facing member preferably being made of non-hygroscopic material having low conductivity for heat. The inner or anchor member is connected to a flange provided on the inner wall and bounding the door opening with an autogenous joint consisting preferably of rubber formedl between the ange and the inner edge of the facing member, and the facing member overlaps and has its outer edge bearing against a flange formed on the outer wall and bounding the door opening, a space being provided between the anchor member and' the outer edge of the facing member to permit the entry therebetween of the latter iiange. In assembling the cabinet, the thermal seal is connected to the inner Wall and the latter is inserted in the outer wall in such a manner that'the flange on the outer wall enters the space formed between the anchor member and the outer edge of the facing member of the thermal seal, an inclined face provided on the anchor member and bounding said space edge of the outer Wall flange to assure tight overlapping engagement of the facing member with the latter flange.

The inner cabinet Wall, with the thermal seal assembled thereon, is then disposed with relation to the outer cabinet wall in such a manner that the anchor and facing members, particularly the facing member, engage the outer wall, means being provided for forcing the inner wall inember of the cabinet with the seal assembled thereon in such a direction that the anchor member of the seal is forced tightly against the outer wall facing member engaging the latter tightly.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to 50 provide an eifectiverand inexpensive thermal seal between spaced-apart Wall members of a cabinet, such as a refrigerator cabinet.

It is another object of my invention to provide a thermal seal for connecting spaced-apart wall members of a cabinet in which no fastening at one side preferably bearing against the inner East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation 1933, Serial No. 663,423

means extend through exposed parts of the seal.

It is still another object of my invention tov provide a novel and inexpensive method of assembling such a seal on a cabinet.

These and other objects are effected by my invention, as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in accordance with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional View of a cabinet construction showing one side thereof and part of the back, front and door illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view taken on a horizontal section of the cabinet, the heat insulation being deleted yfor the sake of clearness, and,

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on a vertical section of the cabinet parallel to the door opening.

Referring now to the drawings for a detailed description of my invention, numeral I designates a refrigerator cabinet comprising generally an outer wall' 2, an inner wall or food liner 3 and heat insulation generay designated at i between the

walls

2 and 3. The

Walls

2 and 3 are provided with a door opening 5, and a suit- Y able door 5 is provided for closing the opening 5.

The cabinet I more specifically comprises a one piece outer shell I5 which forms Vertical side walls il and a vertical front Wall I8 in which the door opening 5 is formed. The edges of the front wall i8 are provided with inwardly extending flanges I9 at the door opening 5, the flat front portions 2I of the shell I6 forming marginal areas surrounding the door opening 5.

The cabinet I further comprises a bottom plate 22, and a top plate 23 which form, with the food liner 3 and insulation 4, an insulated food compartment 24 for supporting objects to be cooled. An opening 25 is provided in the food line 3 and top plate 4 for the insertion of a cooling unit (not shown). A back plate 26 is fastened to the outer shell I6 by bolts 2l and forms the rear vertical wall of the cabinet I. The outer shell I6 and back plate 26 extend above the top plate 23 and form a machinery compartment 2'I. A top 28 is provided for the machinery compartment 2l.

The food liner 3 comprises a rive-sided shell l having flanges 29 turned toward each other at the door opening 5. An aperture 3l is provided in each flange 29 for a purpose hereinafter described.

The flanges I9 and 2D of

wall members

2 and 3 respectively are spaced apart at the door opening 5, as best shown in Fig. 1, and a thermal seal generally designated at 8 connects the wall members. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the thermal seal 8 comprises a wooden inner or anchor member 9 having a wedgeshaped portion II at one edge, an outer or facing member I2, preferablya flat strip of nonhygro scopic material such as a resinous condensate product, is fastened to the anchor member 9 at one side thereof, adjacent to the wedge side II, by means of cement as shown at I3. The facing member I2 extends as far as the wedge-shaped portion II of the anchor member 9, as shown at I4, and extends past the .anchor member 9 at the edge opposite to the wedge-shaped edge II, as shown at I5.

The cabinet I is manufactured and assembled in the following manner: The outer shell I6 is stamped with its door opening 5 and anges I9 surrounding the door opening, and is bent to form the front wall I8 and side walls I1. The bottom plate 22 is then preferably welded to the outer t, shell I6 as shown at 32. Blocks of solid insulation 33 are disposed on the plate 22 as shown in Fig. 3.

The thermal seal 8 is assembled on the food liner 3. The inner or anchor member 9 is fastened to the flange 29 by means of a wood screw 34 which pass through apertures 3| in the flange 29, the wedge II being at the edge of the securing member 9 opposite to the edge which is held to the ange 29.4 The outer or facing member I2 is, cemented to the -securing member 9 in a manner hereinbefore set forth. A joint 35 is formed between the end I5 of the strip I2 and the aange 2s of therood nner 3, which joint is made moisture-proof by the application of rubber 35 or the like in a molten state, after which it is allowed to harden and form an autogenous joint.

The food liner 3, with the thermal seal 9 assembled thereon is then disposed in the outer shell I6 either through the back thereof as shown in Fig. 2, or it may be inserted through the top, and `finally rests on` the rigid insulation 33.

Loose insulation 39 is packed between the side ange I9 of the outer shell I8, while the strip I2 contacts tightly the other side of the ange I9, thus forming a moisture resistant joint. It will be noted that the eect of the wedge II engaging the inner side of the flange I9 is to cause the outer edge of the facing member strip I2 to overlap and tightly engage the outer face of .the ange I9, for, in assembling, the tendency would be for the wedge action to tilt the thermal seal so as .to obtain tight engagement of the facing member with the outer face of the ange.

Block insulation 39 is disposed on the top of the food liner 3 and the top plate 23 is fastened by welding (not shown) to the outer shell I9. Strips 4I of heat insulating' material connect the food liner 3 and the top plate 23 at the cooling unit opening 25. Legs 42 vand the top 28 are added to complete the assembly.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided a novel and inexpensive cabinet construction and method of assembling the same, including a thermal seal. As is well known, if moisture enters the insulation of a heat insulated cabinet, its heat restivity is materially decreased. It will be apparent, that by dispensing with mechanical connections between the exposed parts of the seal and the interior thereof and by providing an autogenous joint between the food liner and the breaker strip at the point where condensation of moisture is most likely to occur because of the difference in temperatures at this point, that the possibility of moisture entering the space between the outer shell and the food liner, and thereby affecting the insulation of the cabinet, is materially decreased.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that itis not so limited, but is susceptible of Aouter walls having flanges bounding a door opening, a thermal seal connected to the flange ofthe inner wall member and including a facing member having a sealed connection with respect to the flange on the inner wall member, said thermal seal having a wedge portion provided thereon for engagement with the flange of the outer wall member to cause the facing member of the seal to tightly engage said latter flange.

2. In a refrigerator cabinet including inner and outer walls having inner and outer flanges, respectively, bounding the door opening, breaker strip means providing a connection between the flanges, the breaker strip means including an anchor( member secured to a facing member, the outer edge portion of the anchor member being formed with a surface diverging from the facing member and toward the outer edge to provideI outer edge portion of the anchor member being formed with a surface diverging from the facing member and toward the outer edge to provide entry space for the outer flange, and means for 'connecting the breaker strip means to the inner flange, said diverging surface of the anchor member bearing against the inner side of the outer flange to assure engagement of the facing member against the outer side thereof, said facing member being formed of a material which is substantially nonhygroscopic and has low conductivity for heat and said anchor member being formed of wood.

GREGG F. FORSTHOEFEL'.