US2198838A - Refrigerator door structure - Google Patents

Description

April 30, 1940.

F. D. PELTIER I 2, 8

REFRIGERATOR noon STRUCTURE Filed May 2, 193a FRANK 0.. Paula: 5

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 30, 1940 I UNITED STATES 2,198,838 REFRIGERATOR DOOR STRUCTURE Frank D. Peltier, Indianapolis, Ind., assig'nor, by

mesne assignments, to Company, Philadelphia,

Delaware Philco .Refrigerator Pas a corporation of Application Maya 1938, Serial No. 205,467 .3 Claims. (01. 20--35) This invention relates to improvements in the structure of refrigerators, and more particularly to the structure of a closure or door for refrigerators of domestic type.

5 An object of the invention is to provide an improved refrigerator door of a so-called flat. type,

no part of which projectswithin the refrigeratorv chamber, the door being of metallic sheet con? struction wherein the sheets are enameled or otherwise treated to give a pleasing appearance to the finished door as well as to facilitate surface cleaning thereof, and outer facing sheets orpanels and heat-insulating material therebetween, the sheets being assembled together in an improved manner, through insulating gaskets arranged to preclude conductive heat-transfer between thesheets.

Another object is found in the provision in a refrigeratordoor construction as above indicated,

) of heat-insulating gaskets which serve to airseal the refrigerator at the door opening upon closure of the door, the gaskets further being assembled to the'door in a manner to provide thereby, heat-insulating spacing of the door sheets.

A further object is to provide an improved form of sealing gasket for refrigerator doors of the type noted, the gasket being comprised of a resilient, hollowed bead structure engageable with the cabinet door jamb 'upon closure of the door, and a resilient shank portion adapted for assembly engagement with spaced flanges on the inner panels of the door, the shank serving in cooperation with securing elements, to connect the inner panels in the assembly of the door.

Other objects and advantages providedby the improved door construction will appear readily from the following description and from the accompanying drawing, in which:.

Fig.- 1. is a fragmentary, transverse section of a refrigerator structure embodying the features of the invention; Fig. 2 is a reduced plan view of a refrigerator door constructed according to the present invention, the view thereof being directed toward the inner side of the door; Fig. 3 is a plan .view of the door similar to that of Fig. 2, but the view thereof in this instance beingdirected toward the outer side of the inner sheets ,of the door whereby to illustrate the manner of connecting the inner sheets by the gasket and securing elements; Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary transverse section of the door, as viewed from line 4-4 in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary section thereof, as viewed from line 5-5 in Fig. 3..

the door comprising inner Referring to the drawing by suitable reference characters, there'is shown a portion of a refrigerator cabinet, the cabinet structure including inner sheathing plates l0 and outer plates II wliichenclose suitable insulating material It. 5 The plates are connected at the cabinet opening l3 which gives access to the cabinet chamber 54, by breaker strips l5 which may be of heatinsulating material. The cabinet is provided at the door opening l3, with a door or closure struco ture l6 suitably hinged thereto (not shown), the door being of the so-called flat type and comprised of an outer face sheathing or panel I! of metallic sheet material, an inner face sheathing or panel I8 and a panel strip l9 around the inner edge portion of the door, the latter panels being formed from suitable sheet material. All of the panels may be enameled or similarly treated for the sake of appearance and also to facilitate surface cleaning thereof. It is to be 3 notedthat no part of the door projectswithin the cabinet opening I 3, while the inner panel 13 is alone directly exposed to the chamber 14.

In the construction and assembly of the door, the peripheral end portion'20 of outer sheathing I1 is inturned as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and further the marginal edge of the inturned portion is formed to provide a flange 2! which. is directed inwardly of the door structure. The

panel strip I9 is arranged so that its outer marginal portion 22 overlies in parallel adjacence, the flange 2!! The edge of marginal portion 22 is formed to, provide a flange 23 directed toward the flange 2|. Seated between the flange Zl and marginal portion 22 is a flanged base 24 of 5 a heat-insulating gasket 25 which may be formed from flexible rubber or other similar material. The gasket base 24 serves tomaintain the described spacing of the panel strip margin 22 from the outer sheathing plate flange 2|, in the assembly connection of these e ements effected preferably by screws'26. Extendingfrom the gasket base 24 and formed integrally therewith, is a head 21 which overlaps theflanged edge 23 of facing strip the surface of the strip marginal portion 22. The gasket preferably is of one-piece construction, extending peripherally about the door as shown in Fig. 2, the curved head 27 of which overlies the heads 28 of the panel fastening screws 26 so as to, conceal them. The gasket base 24 interposed between the flange 2!. of sheathing I! and the marginal portion 22 of strip l9 serves to maintain the spacing of these portions, to preclude heat-conduction therebel9 and .is curved'inwardly over 5 tween. The-only metallic, heat-conductive con-' tact of the flange 2| and marginal portion 22 is through the assembly screws, but the heat-conductive capacity thereof issmall and hence for practical purposes, negligible. 3 It is to be noted that by reason. of the engagement of the flanged portion.of gasket base 24 with the flange 23 on the edge of marginal portion, 22, the gasket is' effectively retained in assembly with the door structure.

The inner margin of the strip I9 is formed to provide a flanged edge 3| which is turned inwardly of thedoor assembly, The inner panel|8 is provided with a similarly inturned flange 32 along the margin 33 thereof, the flange being of angulate formproviding a surface 344 of bevel aspect, for a purpose later appearing. In the assembly relation of the inner panels I8 and l9,

the respective flanges 3| and 32 are spaced as shown in Fig. 4, and cooperate in forming a recess for the reception of a shank portion 35 of a resilient gasket 36'formed of rubber or other suitable heat-insulating material. It will be noted (Fig. 5) that the freeends 31 of the flanges 3| and 32 are flared in-the direction shown, this for a purpose which will later appear.

Formed as an integralpart of the sh'ank 35 is a resilient bead structure 38 which comprises a hollow, substantially cylindrical portion 39 and a hollow, substantially rectangular portion 40 projecting laterally of the portion 39 and upper panel flanges 3| and 32 are provided with registerfurther by reason of the flared ends 31 of the ing apertures. 42 in each of which is seated a flanged washer '43 formed of a suitable heatinsulating material, as rubber. A bolt 4| is projected' through the' washers and a bolt-receiving aperture in the gasket shank 35, the bolt head 45 engaging one ofthe washers while the threaded end 46 of the bolt which projects beyond the opposite washer, is provided with a securing nut 41 and washer 48, It is preferred to form the gasket shank 35 in a manner to provide hollowed portions or closed chambers 49 of any desired.

section, as substantially rectangular in the present example, the chambers preferably extending throughout the length of the gasket. These chambers serve to increase the resiliency and compressibility of the shank, so that in-the assembly of the panels l8 and IS the shank disposed between the panel flanges 3| and 32 may be compressed to a considerable de ee. and

flanges'3l and 32, the end 50 of the gasket shank 35 will become outwardlyflared as the shank is H compressed between the-flanges; This serves in cooperation with thepanel securing bolts 4|,to retain the gasketin assembly with the door.

' The gasket shank 35 and washers 43 being of a heat-insulating materiaLserve to prevent heatconduction between the inner panels Wand l9, since by. reason thereof there. is no contact be tween the flanges 3| and 32, nor between the flanges and the securing bolts II, the latter by pears in Fig. 4. Moreover, the gasket a plurality of chambers therein,

bead portion engaging one -the margin of one of curing means extending through said flanges ant reason of the flanged washers 33 as clearly apshank 35 being of resilient construction and interposed'between-the panel flanges 3| and 32, serves to accommodate or absorb slight irregularities in the size or shape of the panel l8 and/or. as may occur in the manufacture thereof.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the. gasket beads 39 and 40 are positioned to engage and overlap the margin of the cabinet door opening and. the

breaker strips l5 upon closure of the door, the.

resiliency of the beads by reason of their chamberedconstruction, permitting compression thereof between the cabinet and door to eifect a positive air-seal of the with the insulated washers 43 at each bolt 4|,

serve effectively to heat-insulate the inner panel l8 which is directly exposed to the refrigerator chamber M, from the panel strip l9, and from the outer panel I! through the insulating gasket From the foregoing, it will appear that the door panels l1, l8 and I9 are assembled in a manner to prevent heat-conduction between them, thus effecting a'heat insulateddoor structure, while the gasket 36 provides anefiective air-seal of the door at the cabinet opening when the door is in closed position. In the ass mbly of the door, the space enclosed by .the pels is filled by a heat-insulating material 5| f any suitable type, which further heat-insulates the door.

Having described a preferred embodiment of the invention, the elements of which may be altered or modified within the scope of the invention, I now claim-what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States.

I claim: J

1. In combination, a pair of sheet-like; members having relatively spaced margins, flanges on said margins disposed in substantially parallel adjacence, a resilient gasket comprising a-portion seated between said flanges anda bowl portion projecting beyond the sheet members and having I said bead engaging one otsaid flanges'and the margin of one of said sheet members, and means projecting through said flanges and gasket'portion therebetween, for securement thereof in assembly.

2. In combination, a'p'airof panels having relatively spaced margins, flanges on said marglm .disposed in substantially parallel adjacence, a

resilient gasket structure comprising a chambered portion seated between said flanges and a bead portion projecting beyond said panels, saic of said'flanges am said panels, and panel segasket portion therebetween. 3. In a door structure of the type described, a1

outer metallic panel, inner metallic panels space from said outer panel, means connecting said out er panel to one of said inner panels, the oppose margins of said inner panels being 'relativel spaced and provided with flanges, and means con necting said inner panels through said flange. saidmeans including a heat-insulating gasket t a resilient, chambered construction, interpose 3 between said flanges andsecuring means extent ing through said flanges and gaskets FRANK n. ram-ma.

door at the cabinet opening. Moreover, the gasket shank 35 together

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