US2720334A - Breaker strip - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 11, 1955 LA MAR s. COOPER 2,720,334

BREAKER STRIP Filed April 24, 1952 INVENTOR.

96a mam 5. 26001301 ds t t 6 BREAKER STRIP La Mar S. Cooper, Amana, lowa, assignor to Amana iKefr-igeration, Inc., Amalia, Iowa, at corporation of owa Application April 24, 1952, Serial No. 284,172

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-15) This invention relates to a wall construction for refrigerators or freezer cabinets, and specifically to a novel and improved breaker strip assembly.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide a breaker strip construction wherein the metal inside liner of the refrigerator and the outer metal case are rigidly and firmly held, yet are properly spaced apart and are entirely out of metal-to-metal contact with each other, in order to minimize heat transmission through the cabinet wall, yet hold the metal parts so firmly that the structure has adequate mechanical strength.

A still further object is the provision of a breaker strip construction employing a formed plastic strip as the exposed member. Such a structure is advantageous in producing a cabinet wherein heat conductivity is reduced to a minimum. At the same time, quick and easy cleaning of the cabinet is facilitated, due to the absence of exposed screw heads or other fastening devices along the exposed surfaces of the breaker strip.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of a breaker strip assembly comprising a pair of coacting members consisting of an, exposed, relatively yieldable member and a concealed rigid structural member, wherein the structural member serves not only as a means for holding the case and'line'r'of the cabinet in properly assembled relation, but serves as the sole mounting means for the exposed member of the assembly.

The foregoing objects are accomplished by providing a sheet metal refrigeration cabinet having a rigid sheet of nonmetallic structural material extending directly be tween adjacent flanges of the exterior metal case and the interior metal liner of the cabinet, with beveled surfaces on the opposite edges of the strip forming opposed locking grooves in which a formed plastic strip is mounted. The plastic strip entirely conceals the structural strip, and conceals the screws by which it is fastened to the metal. The plastic is secured in place by a pair of acute angled flanges or hooks fitting into opposed grooves between the nonmetallic structural member and the metal flanges to which it is attached.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of a refrigerator cabinet at the junction between the door opening and door; showing the improved breaker strip contemplated by this invention; and

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the breaker strip parts prior to final assembly, showing the rigid parts in assembled relation, but with the plastic strip utilized in the assembly shown apart therefrom to better illustrate the preset bowed formation of this strip.

The wall of the refrigerator cabinet illustrated comprises an exterior metal case and an interior metal liner 11, with insulating material 12 in the space between the inner and outer walls. The sheet metal of the case 10 is flanged inwardly at 13 around the door opening and a reverse flange 14 may be provided to give additional strength and rigidity to the structure. The inner metal liner 11 is also flanged around the door opening at 16.

The breaker strip assembly in which the novelty of the present invention resides comprises a concealed flat, nonmetallic structural member 17 and an exposed face strip consisting of a plastic strip 22. The interior structural member 17 is preferably formed of a thin strip of rigid material having considerable physical strength, and having low thermal conductivity. A material such as Masonite (tempered Presdwood) is ideal for the purpose. The strip 17 is preferably secured to the flanges 13 and 16 by screws 18 and 19, respectively. The inner and outer edges of the flat strip 17 are undercut by beveled surfaces 20 and 21, and are spaced slightly from the plane of the outside surface of the case 10 and from the inside surface of the liner 11 so as to provide a V-shaped locking groove at the forward or outer edge of the strip, and a similar but opposed V-shaped locking groove. at the inner edge thereof.

The grooves formed by the surfaces 20 and 21 serve as mounting means for a plastic strip 22 which, in its assembled position, includes a substantially flat central portion 23 having an acute angle, reverse bend or thick 24 seated in the .V-shaped groove at the bevel 20', and a comparatively long leg or flame portion 25 terminating in an enlarged beveled hook 26 seated in the Vshaped groove at the bevel 21. The parts are so dimensioned and proportioned. that the outer surface of the reverse bend 24 lies substantially flush with the exterior surface of the refrigerator case 10, while the exposed surface of' the flange portion 25 of the strip lies in a plane substantially flush with the inner surface of the liner 11. Similarly, the relatively wide, flat, central portion 23 of the strip lies closely parallel to but slightly spaced from the inner tapered surface 27 of the door 28.

In the preferred form of the invention, the strip 22 is formed of plastic and the space within the Walls of the strip 22 is filled with Fiberglas or other relatively soft and pliable insulating material 29.

The breaker stripis assembled by fastening the flat nonmetallic member 17 between the flanges 13 and 16 by the screws 18 and 19 or other convenient means, after which the insulation 29 may be put in place and the strip 22 applied by engaging its reverse hook 26 in the V-shaped notch at the bevel 21 and then pulling the breaker strip 23 to engage the reverse hook 24 in the V-shaped notch 20. This is accomplished by deflection of the breaker strip at the radius 30.

It will be noted that this assembly is facilitated by forming the flanged portion 25 of the strip 22 with a preset shape as shown in Figure 2, so that the strip tends to draw the hooks 24 and 26 together with suilicient resiliency to hold the strip firmly in assembled relation on the strip 17. The convex bow in the portion of the strip 23 is provided in the preset shape of the strip 22 so that when the strip is in the strained position as assembled this portion 23 will be flat.

When assembled, it will be apparent that a cabinet having the breaker strip assembly of this disclosure is possessed of important advantages as to strength, efficiency and cleanliness, since the metallic portions of the cabinet are segregated from each other in such a way as to prevent substantial heat transmission between cleaner; more attractive assembly than heretofore known in the art, and at the same time accomplishes these advantages without sacrifice of physical strength or thermal efliciency, and without increasing manufacturing costs.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is: i

1. In a cabinet having an exterior metallic case and an interior metallic liner spaced apart from each other and separated by a relatively thick layer of thermal insulating material, a breaker strip assembly comprising a concealed structural member and an exposed face strip; the concealed structural member consisting of a relatively wide flat piece of rigid, nonmetallic material having one of its edges secured along an inturned flange on the outer metallic case of the cabinet and its inner edge secured along an outwardly turned flange on the interior metallic liner thereof; said piece having its opposite edges undercut and coacting with the flanges of said exterior case and interior liner to provide a pair of opposed grooves at the junctionsbetween the structural member and said liner and case: in combination with an exposed face member mounted upon and surrounding said structural member; the exposed face member comprising a plastic extrusion having one relatively shortwall portion lying flush with and in substantial alignment with the interior liner of the cabinet and having an outwardly turned hook portion at thefree edge thereof in engagement with the groove at the junction between said liner and the aforementioned structural member; said extrusion having a reverse bend and a relatively wide thin wall portion extending outwardly toward the exterior case of the cabinet and terminating in a short inwardly extending hook engaged and seated in the groove between said exterior metallic case and the concealed structural member; the last mentioned wall of the extrusion being normally bowed, whereby the opposed hook portions of said extrusion are tensioned toward each other to resiliently engage the undercut portions of said nonmetallic concealed structural member and hold said extrusion attached thereto.

2. In a cabinet having an exterior metallic case and an interior metallic liner spaced apart from each other a and separated by a relatively thick layer of thermal insulating material, a breaker strip assembly comprising a concealed structural member and an exposed face strip; the concealed structural member consisting of a relatively wide flat piece of rigid, nonmetallic material having one of its edges secured along an inturned flange on the outer metallic case of the cabinet and its inner edge secured along an outwardly turned flange on the interior metallic liner thereof; said piece having its opposite edges undercut and coacting with the flanges of said exterior case and interior liner to provide a pair of opposed grooves at the junctions between the structural member and said liner and case: in combination with an exposed face member mounted upon and surrounding said structural member; the exposed face member comprising a substantially thermally non-conductive plastic extrusion having one relatively short wall portion lying flush with and insubstantial alignment with the interior liner of the cabinet and having an outwardly turned hook portion at the free edge thereof in engagement with the groove at the junction between said liner and the aforementioned structural member; said extrusion having a reverse bend, and a relatively wide thin wall portion extending outwardly toward the exterior case of the cabinet and terminating in a short inwardly extending hook engaged and seated in the groove between said exteriormetallic ease and the concealed structural member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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