US2263071A - Refrigerator construction - Google Patents

Description

, L. H. DARBYSHIRE REFRIGERA'IORl CONSTRUCTION V 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 20, 1938 III 5i 'T i I ll I i Il -REFRIGERATOR CONSTRUCTION v 1 Filed July 2o, 1938 o All'igrzrepresentsa side elevationof 'Xshown in Fig. A1:

Patented 1941"` l i er This invention relates to cabinet construe--` tion and more particularly to insulated 'cabinets' of the type used for domestic refrigerators.. 4This invention has particular reference to 'means for attaching an inner lining to an outer wall memv ber fox-.forming an insulated wall oi; door of the cabinet.

It is an object ofgthis invention'to -provide" a novel and cheaper form yof cabinet construction.

l It is another-object of this inventionv topmevide a refrigerator casing which is self-supportl ing .having no internal 'frame for supporting eithenthe casing 'or lining.

n is another object of 'this .mvenuenteiprevide e refrigerator cabinet which wm be made up of as few partsgas possible thus eliminating e several steps inthe assemblyof thecabinet.

. vIt is another object .of this-invention to provide a refrigerator casing which may be shaped from. a single metal plate if desired. f

It isranother vobject of this invention to provide a refrigerator lining unit which may be j etteenedmreeuy te me refrigerator easing wanlout any separate frame support and which may -be installed through the front of the cabinet fning a door opening1 'line 4--4 of F18. `1:

broken away'. of the cabinet shown in Figs. 1

" Fig'. 4 represents la vsection taken along the' Fig. 5 represents anenlarged view lof 'the core ner of the'cabinet illustrated in Fig. -1 partially broken away to more clearly indicate the relation of the parts;

Fig; 6 represents a'-sect ion line --Bof Fig. 5; Fig. 'l represents an enlarged view of the corner of the dooiviewedv from the back side of the door; and Y .Fig. 8 represents a top plan View of the refrigerator door partially broken away to indicate the relation of. the parts.

In all vi ws of the attached drawings chine'compartment 2I'and provisionv compartment 25. v The casing 2l carries a provision comwithout any connections to be made fromthe -rear of the refrigerator.

It is another obiectof this invention to provides novel means for attaching a refrigerator lining tothe casing in which ,the throat lining ofthe cabinet acts as athermal break between the lining and casing. v

It is another object'oi this invention to provide a door for closing a refrigerator cabinet comprising two metal plates which maybe supported from each other 4without a separate frame member.

\ n is another object of use invention te previde a refrigeratorl cabinet whichwill have-an increased capacity for any given sise of cabinet;4

a back panel 38. -These panels maybe fastenedy partment door 2l through which access is had to the provision compartment 25 defined by the lining 28. The cabinet may be supported upon a base Il of any` desired construction and has mounted in the machine compartment the ma- `Ichine supports 32 to which suitable condensing 'machinery may be fastened. .Y

I .have shown the refrigerator casing to Ibe made up of two side panels 34, a top panel 36 and together in any suitable manner such as by weld-f.

ing; The casing also has a partitionpanel 40 which separates the machine compartment from the provision compartment. Ifso desired all of `It is another object of `this invention'to provide a refrigerator door in which -a portion of the means holding the inner and outer panels of they door act as a thermal vbreak between 'the two panels.' v j Other obiects and adxmintages of this invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following speciilcation and the attached drawings of which there are three sheets and in' which:

Fig. l represents a front elevation of a refrig erator involvingv my invention;

vthe cabinet the panels may, be shaped from one integral sheet of metal. Thetop panel Bia-nd the side panels 3| are bent to form flanges extending over a portion of the front and back of the cabinetas indicated at 42. The outside of the cabinet will be'given some suitable finish such as porcelain or enamel.

F13. 3 represents a top' plan view, partially .55

The front portion of the machine compartment 24 may be covered with a suitable door u or that portion of the casing may be formed integrally with the side panels and may be shaped to simulatethe appearance' of a 'doorsV The front flange 42 of the-casing panelshas an' inturned iiangel It formed along ali four sides of the door opening. This flange is adapted to erate with a flange carried on the tank'lining n which will be described later.V f

In this particular embodiment of my hurentaken along the numbers ave been used to indicate the same parts shown. As shownin Figs. 1 and 2, the refrigerator consists gen rally of a casing 20de-v 2 2l and enclosing a mation I have provided an opening in the back wall of the cabinet. .This opening lato-provide for` the insertion of an evaporator into the tank lining from the rear ofthe refrigerator.

Y the roll Il has an outturned flange l2 formed on the forward side thereof. This'fiange 52 is arranged to be in alignment with the flange II on the casing when the lining is installed within the casing. Before the lining is inserted into the casing, suitable insulating material 5I will be installed around the inside of the casing. vThe tank will of course'have an opening 29 in its rear wall to cooperate with the opening 39 in the casing.

Y For the purpose rigidly to the casing 20, I have provided four turnbuckles "56 for engaging lugs I8 at each corner of the door opening of the casing and lugs III at each corner of the tank lining 28. The lugs il and It are formed of metal strips 62 which are bent double to form the lug and then bent at right angles to fit over the flanges I6 and $2. These metal strips 62 may be fastened to the flanges by spot welding.' Each of the lugs 58 and 6l has a hole il punched in it which is adapted a portion of the flanges and l2 or the holes 6I may be punched directly in the flanges.

In order to lill the space between the flanges .'52 and I6 andalso to give the turnbuckles 56 something to pull against, I have provided separating strips it along each side of the door '"fopening. As shown in Fig. 4f these separating strips have notches 'Il and 12 cut along their edges adapted to receive the flanges 4I and l2, respectively. Each separating strip il may be shaped to hold arubber .gasket 'i4 between itself and' the front edge of the tank roll il. This gasket 1l assures a tightseal between the separating strip and the tankl lining. Separating strips il will -preferably be'made of some heat insulating Amaterial such as wood or Bakelite and will be given a waterproof :Ilnish of pleasing appearance,

vIt will be noted from an inspection of Fig; 5 that the separating strips Il extendonly -along ,nach side of thetanxuning il musleavmg'an open space at each corner of the tank lining. This open space is purposely left to allow for the installation and tightening ofthe turnbuckles of holding the tank lining zap the gusset plate This return nange Il is in turn bent out along each side to form a flange It the function of which corresponds to the function of the iiange of the refrigerator casing. 'I'he door lining I2 hasan outturned flange Il corresponding in means of turnbuckles Il in much the same man-- ner as the tank lining 28 is held to the casing 2l.

For this purpose, I have provided the metal strips 92 at each corner of the inner panel 82 and the gusset plates 94 at each corner of the outer panel. The strips 92 are bent double in the'center to form the lugs 98 and are welded onto the flange 8B. 'I'he gusset plate 94 is bent double to form the lug- 98 and is welded to the return flange Il of the outer panel between the return'ilange 84 and the outside of the panel. I have provided the flanges 93 on the edge of each gusset plate which are adapted to t over the flanges 8i of the outer panel. 'Ihe anges Il thus automatically locate the correct position for to be welded to the return flange 8l. l

- The lugs Si and 9B have holesl |00 punched in them which are engaged by the turnbuckles Al.. As in the connectionvbetween the tank lining and fthe cabinet, the inner and outer panels of the door are separated by separating strips |02 which engage the flanges 8B on the outer panel of the flanges 88 on the inner panel. The two panels may be drawn together against the opposite sides of the separating strips |02 by tightening the turnbuckles SI, and the open lspaces at each the back of the-,cabinet open for fastening the i 'rae drn :or closing the completely around the back side of the panel z5' n govlsioncoinpartmentismade up of an outerpanel DI and an erator without increasing its general dimensions, u

I have provided a door which is curved outwardly as shown at iM. This obviously Pallows the shelves llt to be given a curved shape at their forward edge for increasing their effective area..

In order to provide this curved door the inner panel l2 must be curved outwardly to be concenf tric with the outer panel l0'. Thus, the inner panel 82 has a horizontal portion |06 at the, top and bottom thereof which portion connects the curved portion of the panel with the flange Il which Vis maintained in a vertical plane in order'- tobe in augment with the flange 86 of the outerv panel. It should be noted that the nat portion IIB at the bottom of the panel 82 forms a convenient shelf which may be used while rearranging the contents of the provision compartment.

'I'he return .nge 84 of the outer panel may carry a channel. member It! completely around the door for the purpose of holding a flexible gasket III.

the return flange Il and the gasketl Hl may be' The channel IDI may be welded to snapped linto the channel Ill. This gasket forms a seal between the door' and the refrigerator with the above detaus of cnnstrncunn in mind it will be apparent that the refrigerator embodying my invention may be easily and cheaply. as-

sembled. The. casing and tank lining may be j made up each as a unit atno more expense than is now required for those parts of the refrigerator and may then be assembled by merely engaging the thermal separating strips and the turnbuckles with the lugs provided on the casy I 2,263,071 f t lng and tank uning and then tightening the turnbuckles.' I have thus eliminated the work necessary to install a frame within the casing and acting as' a thermal break between the two members; The -only metallic contact between the casing and the tank lining is through the four turnbuckles and since the connection between the turnbuokles and the lugs on the casing is va line contact there will be very little area for heat leakage into the tank lining. The same insulating properties are present in the door construction which I have shown. v

` While I have i described my invention with some detail I do not intend to be limited to the yparticular embodiment described but reserve the y said lining, turnbucklesengaging the lugs on said the work necessary'to fasten the casing and tank ing at vthe corners thereof -said turnbuckles being casing and said lining for drawing them together, insulating stripsengaging the ilanges on said casing and said lining along each side of said door opening and flexible insulating plugs adapted to be snapped into engagement with the ange on said casing and the flange on said linaccessible for manipulation only through the openings closed byv said flexible plugs.

2. A refrigerator door construction comprisright to make such changes in equivalent structure as will fall'within the purview of theattached claims.

I claim:

1. A casing dening a-door opening, a lining in spaced relation to said casing, an inturnedflange on said casing around said door opening, an outturned flange on said lining around said door opening, lugs having strips fastened to each corner of said ange on said casing, lugs having strips fastened to each corner o f said flange on inner panel having a 'flange around its edge turned towards said outer panel. `a ange along each side of the return flange on said outer panel, a gusset plate. fastened to each corner` of said return flange on said outer panel, said gusset plate having a portion bent up to .form a lug, another lug having strips fastened along each corner of the iiange on said inner panel, rigid inouter panel and the lugs on said inner panel adapted to draw said'panels into engagement with said insulating strips and flexible insulating plugs removably fastened between the flange' on said inner panel and the anges on the return iange on said outer panelat the corners thereof,

said fastening means being'accessible when said flexible plugs are removed.

Y LEONARD H; DAr'tBYSI-IIRE.y

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