US2642630A - Refrigerator door contruction - Google Patents

Description

June 23, 1953 A. PHILIPP REFRIGERATOR DOOR CONSTRUCTION INVENTOR. Lewes/v05 H PHIL/PP Filed 001;. 24, 1947 Patented June 23, 1953 REFRIGERATOR noon consfrntiorroiv Lawrence A. Philip! i Mic assiznor to .Nush Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a

corporation of Maryland Application October .24, 1941, Serial No. 781,956 mm. (0.1.

This .invention relates generally to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to refri erator cabinet doors.

It is an object. of the Present invention to Provide an improved refrigerator cabinet door construction, reducing heat leakage therethrough into the cabinet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerant cabinet door of the above mentioned character which is inexpensive to manufacture.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

7 In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator cabinet, embodying features of the present invention;

Fig. '2 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view of the cabinet door, taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, elevational view, partly broken away and in section of the refrigerator door; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. '2 of a modification .of the invention.

In the drawings, there is shown a refrigerator cabinet, designated generally by the numeral 20. The front of the cabinet. 20 is closed by a door 22 which may extend substantially from top to bottom of the cabinet. This door 22 may be hinged, as to 24-, to one side of the cabinet. Any suitable type of refrigerating system may be used, such as, the refrigerating system shown in my patent No. 2,361,792, issued October 31, 1944.

The door 22 comprises, in general, an outer or front panel 26 and an inner or rear panel 28. These panels 26, 28 are arranged and attached together, forming a shell in which heat insulation 30 is preferably provided to reduce heat seepage through the door. The door outer panel 26 is made of sheet metal, preferably steel and is dish-like in shape having a top 32, bottom 34 and sides 36. Extending along the rear edges of the door panel 26 is an inturned reinforcing flange 38 preferably having a forwardly directed, bent flange portion 40 for additionally reinforcing the panel 26. The inner panel 28 is a flat metallic sheet which is preferably made of a light weight material, such as aluminum.

In order to reduce heat transfer or heat conduction between the outer panel 26 and the inner panel 28, I make the inner panel 28 of a reduced size with respect to its perimeter; arrange the panel with itsouter peripheral edge, as at Ill,

' spaced inwardly ofthe outer .paneldlan e 38 and connect or attach the panels'together by a plurality of spaced apart extensions or clip fasteners 42. "To-reduce further, conduction or transfer of heat between the door-panels 2.6,, 28,, the clips 42 are madeof a low heat conducting material, preferably stainless steel. A number of these clips .42, widely spaced apart. dependin upon the size of. the door, suitably attach the panels .26. 2.8 ogether with negligible. heat conduction therebetween.

A asket 46 is attached t the enter surfac of v th flan e 3.8 to s al the joint b tween the doo a d fro t fac of the cabinet. asket 4,6 has a Sea in or a tachment base 48 which i held between the door flange 38 and a retaineror c mp 50. The retainer flimsy-be an an le member having one leg thereof seating the seal base 48 and the other leg secured flat against the door panel flange portion 40 by screws .52. Outer end portions of the clips 42 seat on the r ar l of the seal retainer :50 and may be secured to the fr nt panel flan 3.8 Qgethfh-{W th the -.ol'arnp .50 by screws 53.. The gasket 46 has a resilient bumper or .di placeable Portion .54 and an integral, laterally extendinglip 5.5.- 1'.Ih.is gasket overlies and eonceals'theclips and the spaces between the outer peripheraledge ofzthe rear panel 28 and the flange portion of the door outer panel 26, 50. The clips 42 are bent to form inwardly facing spring sockets 56 on their inner ends to receive outer marginal portions of the inner panel 28. These sockets 56 are covered by the gasket lip which has a downturned inner edge portion 51, engaging the outer surface of the panel 28 just inwardly of the lips. A retainer bead 58 is'provided on the inner panel 28, extending along and adjacent the edges of the panel to engage frictionally in the clip sockets 56.

In the modification of Fig. 4, the door comprises in general, a dish-like outer panel 60 and an inner panel 62 which may be like the panels of the above described door. A rubber gasket 84, attached to an inturned flange 66 of the outer panel, has a bumper portion 68 provided with a laterally extending lip 69 which overlaps 2. marginal portion of the inner panel 62 entirely therearound as in the previously described door. A reinforcing, inturned flange portion 10 of the casing preferably extends entirely around the door and to this flange portion is secured an angle retainer 1| for the rubber gasket 64. One leg of the retainer H may be secured to the flange portion 10 by screws 12 or by other suitable securing or attaching means and the other leg of the angle S-shaped clips 18.

retainer member seats'flat against the outer surface of the seal base, as at 14. As in the previously described door, the inner door panel 62 of the modification has an outer peripheral edge 15 spaced inwardly from the flange portion to decrease heat transfer between the panels. To attach the inner panel 62 to the outer panel 60, I provide a plurality of extension or connect-- ing members 16. These connecting members 16 are spaced along the outer peripheral edge of the inner panel 62 and are attached thereto byfasteners or clips 18. Asshown in Fig.-- 4, the. clips 18 are S-shaped presenting oppositely facing sockets for respectively receiving marginal edge portions of the panel 62 and. of the connecting members 16.

connecting members 16 are made of a low heat clips 18 are also preferably made of a low heat conducting metal, such as stainless steel. These -olips 18 are also made of a spring or resilient ''stainless steel so that marginal portions of the panel 62 and the connecting members will be frictionally held thereby in the sockets of the Preferably, retainer beads 80 and 82 are provided respectively on the panel 62 and on the connecting member 16 to engage in theclip sockets to aid frictionally in attachment of the parts together.

of the clip extensions or connecting members seat against the outer leg of the gasket retainer H and are attached, together with the gasket retainer H, to the outer panel flange 66. To this 'end, the connecting members 16, retainer "1|, gasket base 14 and outer panel flange 66 'may be provided withaligning apertures to recei-ve spring fasteners '84. 1

From the foregoing description it will be noted that I have provided animproved refrigerator Y door construction of a character to decrease heat transfer between outer and inner attached together door panels. By attaching peripherally spaced inner and outer door panels together by -bridging or connecting 'members'spaced around the door panels only negligible heat conduction *via the narrow, widely spaced connectors is possible. In addition, I have provided a refrigerator To decrease further conduction of heat between the panels fill, 62 the Outer end portions a from the scope of the appended claim.

I claim-r A refrigerator cabinet door construction comprising, afdoor casing having an inturned flange formedwitha'reinforcing portion bent to extend forwardly,"a rear panel spaced rearwardly of said flange having- 2 n edge spaced inwardly from conducting material, such as plastic,'and the said flange reinforcing portion to decrease heat conduction therebetween, a door seal having a base seating on'said flange, an angle clamp having one leg seating on said base'and'the other leg parallel with andfsecured to. said reinforcing portion to secure the seal to :theflange a plate having an end'portion seating on said .leg and an opposite end portionunderlying said panel,

means attaching said first end portion, leg, base and flange together, resilient means forming a socket on the opposite end portion of said plate to receive an edge portion of said panel, means on said panel withinsaid-socket and tensioning the socket forming means, and a rubber extenslon on said seal having a free side extending over said socket forming means. 7

LAWRENCE; A. PHILIPP.

, References Cited in themed this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number I, Name I Date 1,940,655 Wallace et al. Dec. 19, 1933 1,985,286 Forsthoefel Dec. 25, 1934 2,169,198 Schweller Aug..8, 1939 2,206,717 v Dodge July 2, 1940 2,242,335 Yoxsimer May 20,1941 2,276,742 Schmidt Mar. 17, 1942 2,296,024 Drake Sept. 15, .1942 2,309,001 Nave et al. Jan. 19,1943

2,366,894 Ellsworth Jan. 9, 1945

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