US2348645A

US2348645A - Refrigerator construction

Info

Publication number: US2348645A
Application number: US397803A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles R Quinn
Original assignee: Philco Ford Corp
Current assignee: Space Systems Loral LLC
Priority date: 1941-06-12
Filing date: 1941-06-12
Publication date: 1944-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 1961-05-09

Description

May 9, 1944.

c. R. QUINN REFRIGERATOR CONSTRUCTION Fild June 12, 1941 I Ira/@1027;

kam'aja Patented May 9, 1944 REFRIGERATOR- CONSTRUCTION Charles R. Quinn, Roslyn Park, Pa., assignor to Phiico Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a. corporation of Pennsylvani Application June 12,1941, Serial No. 397,803

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-9) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in refrigerator cabinet construction,v

and more particularly to the breakerstrip construction employed to close the spaces or openings at the front of the cabinet between the inner and outer shells thereof.

Accordingly, theprincipal object of the present invention is to provide in a refrigerator cabinet a breakerstrip assembly embodying novel means for fastening the breakerstrips to the cabinet outer shell.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator breakerstrip assembly as set forth, wherein the novel outer edge fastening means serves also to provide an attractive trim piece about the front of the refrigerator cabinet.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a breakerstrip fastening means of the character described, together with means for securing it to the outer shell constructed and arranged so that the breakerstrip, which is held in place by fastening means, serves in turn to prevent displacement of the means which secures the fastening means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a breakerstrip assembly and fastening .means of the type described which is comparetively easy to install and inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects of the invention and the features and details of the construction and arrangement thereof are hereinafter fully set forth and described and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a refrigerator embodying the breakerstrip construction and assembly of the present inventiomthe refrigerator door being open to better illustrate the same.

Figure 21s an enlarged view in section taken along line 2-2, and line 2a-2a, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an'enlarged view in section taken on line 3-3, Figure 1; and Figure 4 is an enlarged view in section of a strip member made in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now more parti'cularly to the drawing, reference character R designates generally a domestic refrigerator of the mechanical type comprising an outer metal shell S and an inner metal shell or.lining L, the interior of which provides the, usual food storage compartment open at the front.

In the present instance, S of the refrigerator cabinet the outer metal shell may be formed of a single piece of sheet metal material of generally U-shape, to provide the outer top and side walls of a refrigerator. The front edge portion of the shell S preferably is bent inwardly at right angles to the remainder of the sheet as shown at I, then is bent back upon itself as at 2 and then again bent as at 3 reversely upon itself inwardly,

in a direction parallel to the first bent portion l to provide, peripherally of the front of the shell, an inturned edge of triple thickness extending continuously about the top and side thereof. The last bent'edge portion 3' of the shell S preferably is ofgreater length than the bent portions l and 2 so that it extends inwardly beyond the latter, as shown in the drawing, to form an inwardly projecting flange which provides, in conjunction with the bent portions I and 2, a recessed seat 4 extending continuously about the top and sides of the front of the shell S.

The food liner L has its front edge portions formed to provide a flange portion 5 peripherally of the food compartment front opening, and the said liner is positioned slightly rearwardly of the plane of the front of the shell S with itsflange 5 extending generally in the direction of, but spaced apart from, the flange edge portion 3 of the said outer shell S. The space between the shell S and lining L is filled with suitable insulating material, and said lining and shell are supported in spaced relation, as aforesaid, by means of bracket'members t and I located, respectively,

at suitable points about the front edges of the shell and lining and secured together by screws or the like 8.

scribed, fox-example, in the copending application of Theodore W.-Rundel1, Serial No. 397,972, filed June 13, 1914, now Patent No. 2,331,845.

The refrigerator is provided with the usual door D for closing the front access opening to the food storage compartment and this door and its gasket (not shown) are constructed and arranged so that said door overlies the entire front of the refrigerator cabinet, from side to side and to the top of the outer shell thereof, with its gasket positioned to impinge or seat upon the inwardly bent front edge portion I of said shell. The refrigerator may also be provided with a shelflined inner door D as shown.

Mounted in the top portion of the food storage compartment of the refrigerator is the usual evaporator (not visible) which, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, is relatively shallow and extends substantially entirely across the top portion of the front of the cabinet. Overlying One suitable construction and arrangement of such parts is disclosed andde the front of the evaporator there is provided a closure panel P of suitable thermal insulating material, which serves to seal the front of the evaporator against the circulation of air about its exterior top and sides, as well as interiorly thereof. The topand side marginal portions 9 of the panel P may extend outwardly over the lining flange (to which it may be secured by screws Ill) and into the recessed seat portion 6 of the outer shell S, thereby providing a thermal breakerstrip between the lining L and the outer shell S in the portions of the refrigerator cabinet immediately adjacent and surrounding the evaporator therein (see Figure 2). The panel member P may be constructed and arranged, for example, as shown and described in the copending application of Donald E. Bailey, Serial No. 397,792..fl1ed June 12, 1941, now Patent No. 2,301,020.

On the other hand, the space between the lining L and outer shell S in the front of. the refrigerator cabinet below the level of the bottom of the evaporator and panel P may be closed or bridged by means ofbreakerstrips H, and these breakerstrips are constructed and arranged so that their outer edges reside in the recessed seat kl of said outer shell, while their inner edge portions outwardly overlie the flange 5 of said lining, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing.

The inner edge of the breakerstrips l l may be detachably secured to the flange 5 of the lining L by means of suitable snap fasteners or the like l2, for example, in accordance with the invention shownand described in the copending application of Theodore W. Rundell, Serial No. 371,945, filed December 27, 1940, now Patent No. 2,313,671. 021 the other hand, the outer edge of the breakerstrips may be fastened in the recessed seat 4 of the outer shell by means of a strip G3 which constitutes a novel feature of the present invention and serves both to hold said outer breakerstrip edge in the seat 4 and to provide an attractive trim piece about the front of the refrigerator cabinet at the junction of the breakerstrips H, panel P and the front edge portion of the outer shell s.

According to the present invention, the trim strip 13 extendscontinuously about the top and sides of the front of the cabinet outer shell S, and this strip 83 is generally shaped to conform to the contour of the recessed seat portion .8 of said shell in which it is disposed. More particu larly, the trim. strip 03 includes head portions M and 85 which extend in opposite directions,

parallel to the plane of the front of the outer shell S, with the portio l4 overlying the front surface of the inner edge of the bent portion 5 of said shell S, and the portion i5 extending inwardly in spaced parallel relation with respect to the inturned flange edge portion 3 thereof so as to overlie the front surface of the outer edge portion of the breakerstrips H or panel P, as may be the case. I addition, the strip is includes a shank portion I6 which extends rearwardly between the adjacent edges of the doubled portions l and 2 of the shell and the breakerstrip II or panel, as the case may be, to the forward surface of the flange edge portion 3, and a tail portion 51 which extends across the said flange edge portion 3 in a directicln inwardly of the refrigerator and behind the outer edges of the breakerstrips and panel P. 'The strip l3 may be held in position in the seat plurality of U-shaped resilient clips 18 which are engaged over the tail portion ll of said strip I3 and the flange edge portion 3 of said shell, at a plurality of suitably spaced points around the sides and top of the cabinet. In addition, the clips I8 preferably are each provided with a forwardly extending lip l9 which extends forwardly between the bent portions I and 2 of the shell and the inner edges of the breakerstrip H so that the latter serve to hold said clips against displacement.

Thus it will be seen that the strip 13, and particularly its inwardly extending head portion l5, forms, in conjunction with recessed seat I of the outer shell S, an inwardly facing groove or recess which extends continuously about the sides and top of said shell and provides a channel to receive and retain in position the outer edges of the panel member P and the breakerstrips II.

To mount the panel P and breakerstrips II in the refrigerator cabinet, the strip I3, which extends entirely about the sides and top of the shell S, is fastened in the recessed seat 4 of said shell only in top and upper side portions thereof immediately surrounding the evaporator by means of several of the resilient clips l8 as aforesaid, with the lower side portions of the strip l3 below the level of the bottom of the evaporator left free and unattached from the adjacent lower side portions of the shell. With the top and upper side portions of the strip 13 thus fastened to the upper portion of the shell, the opposite side edge portions of the panel P are inserted between the said strip portions i5 and I1 at a point where the strip is has been left free from attachment to the opposite sides of the shell (below the evaporator), and the panel P, thus positioned, may be slid upwardly into its proper position across the front of the evaporator, with the entire length of its outer marginal edge inserted and retained in the shell seat 4 behind the said strip l3 as previously described.

With panel member 1? secured in place, the

' lower side portions of the strip l3 are secured to the adjacent side portions of the shell by the resilient clips 18 as aforesaid, and the breakerstrips H may then be mounted in place. This may be accomplished by first inserting the outer edges of the brealrerstrips into time channel formed by the strip portions I 5 and I1, after which the inner edges of said breakerstrips Il may be secured to the flange 5 of the inner shell or lining L, for example, by means of the snap fasteners l2 previously mentioned.

After the panel P and breakerstrips II have been installed in the refrigerator cabinet as aforesaid, the joints between the ends of thebreakerstrips GI and,between the latter and the lower edge of the said panel P may be connected and concealed from view by means of suitable cabinet, and for providing an attractive trim portion 6 of the outer shell S by means of a piece about the front oi the said cabinet. Too, the fastening and trim means of the present inasap panel such as the member P but, obviously, mayv be employed in the same manner and to equal advantage in refrigerators wherein breakerstrips, such as i I, extend entirely about the front of the cabinet, for example, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the aforesaid Rundell Patent No. 2,313,671. While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been herein illustrated and including a head portion overlying at least the adjacent edge front surface portions of said breakerstrip and another portion extending rearwardly between the breakerstrip and outer shell and inwardly along the edge portion of the latter, and clips engaging over said other portion of vthe strip and the edge portion of the outer shell to retain said strip in position.

2. A refrigerator cabinet construction comprising inner and outer shells provided with a door opening, said outer shell having an edge portion the shells with the outer edge of saidbreakeb' described, it is not intended that said invention be limited to such disclosure but that changes and modifications can be made and incorporated therein within the scope of the annexed claims.

I claim: 1. A refrigerator cabinet constructioncomprising inner and outer shells provided with'a door opening, said outer shell having an edge portion bent toward the inner shell peripherally 6f the door opening and the edge portion of the outer shell forming with said, outer shell a recessed seat, a breaker-strip closing the space between the shells with the outer edge of saidbreaker strip extending into the recessed seat of the outer shell, means detachably securing the inner edge of the breakerstrip to the edge P rtion of the inbent toward the inner shell peripherally of the door opening and the edge portion of the outer shellforming with said outer shell a recessed seat, a breakerstrip closing the space between strip extending into the recessed seat of the outer shell, means detachably securing the inner edge of the breakerstrip to the edge portion of the inner shell, means for fastening the outer edge of the breakerstrip to the outer shell com prising a strip disposed in the recessed seat ner shell. means ,for'fastening the outer edge of a the breakerstrip to the outer shell comprising a strip disposed in the recessed seat thereof and thereof and including a head portion overlying at least the adjacent edge front surface portions of said breakerstrip and another portion extending rearwardly between the breakerstrip and outer shell and inwardly along the edge portion of the latter, and clips engaging 'over said other portion of the strip and the edge portion of the outer shell'to retain said strip in position, said clips having a portion thereof arranged for engagement with said outer. edge of the breakerstrips thereby to retain the clips against displacement.

CHARLES R. QUINN.