US2758741A - Spaced wall cabinet structure - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 14, 1956 o. v. sAUNDl-:Rs

SPACED WALL CABINET STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 28, 1955 INVENTOR. Orson V. rSaunders His Attorney United States Patent O sPA'cED WALL CABnsET STRUCTURE Orson V. Saunders, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application July 28, 1953, Serial No. 370,740

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-15) This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to the support of an inner food storage compartment forming liner in a refrigerator cabinet.

An object of my invention is to provide a means for securing the inner food storage compartment forming liner in a refrigerator cabinet which securing means is of simple design and is readily assembled.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for spacing and supporting the front edge portion of a metal food compartment liner member from the front edge portion of a metal outer shell or housing member of a refrigerator cabinet which supporting means is slidable into interlocking engagement with one of the members to reduce to a minimum the time required to assemble parts of the cabinet together.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel support for a metal food compartment liner member from the outer metal shell member of a refrigerator cabinet which in addition to retaining the front edges of the members in spaced apart relation minimizes conduction of heat from one of the members to the other.

A still further and more specic object of my invention is to slidably interlock one edge portion of a nonmetallic rigid breaker strip to the front edge portion of a metal cabinet outer wall forming member and to secure the other edge of the breaker strip to the edge portion of the metal food compartment liner of a refrigerator cabinet whereby the breaker strip forms the sole means of supporting the liner from the cabinet outer Walls and is located in such a position as to be concealed by a trim molding bridging the gap between front edge portions of the liner and the cabinet outer walls and forming the throat of the food compartment access opening.

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.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a refrigerator cabinet embodying my invention with the food storage compartment door shown in open position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l with the inner food compartment forming liner supported from the cabinet outer shell in accordance with my invention;

Figure 3 is a broken view of the liner supporting breaker strip having mounting clips thereon and is taken in the direction of the arrow 3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the breaker strip of the present structure in a position relative to the cabinet outer shell ready to be slid into locked engagement therewith; and

Figure 5 is a view .similar to Figure 4 showing the breaker strip slid into interlocked engagement with an aperture in the outer shell.

In Figure l of the drawings the reference numeral 10 designatesan .insulate-d refrigerator cabinet of the houseice hold type having a liner therein forming walls of a food storage compartment and which liner is adapted to be supported in the cabinet in a novel manner according to the present invention. Cabinet 10 comprises a metal shell or housing 11 which forms the outer top and side Wall members thereof. An outer back wall and other walls may be welded or otherwise suitably secured to shell or housing l1 to complete the outer structure of cabinet 10. The front of cabinet 10 is open and a metal liner 12 is inserted into the cabinet shell or housing 11 through the open front thereof and provides a member forming walls of a food storage compartment 14 within the cabinet. Liner 12 is spaced from shell 11 and insulating maten'al 16 of any suitable or desirable form, but, preferably bagged or packaged, is disposed in the space between these wall members (see Figure 2). Liner 12 is provided with a forwardly facing access opening and has its edge portions about this opening spaced from forward edge portions of shell or wall member 11. The gap between the forward edge portion of wall members 11 and 12 is closed in a manner to be presently described. A closed refrigerating system (not shown) is associated with the refrigerator 10 for cooling the interior of food storage compartment 14, This refiregating system may include a refrigerant translating device usually mounted in a machine compartment, provided by walls of shell 11 depending below the bottom wall of food compartment 14, having an open front normally closed by a closure member 17. The closed refrigerating system also comprises or includes refrigerant conduits extending from the refrigerant translating device to a refrigerant evaporator 18 disposed in the upper part of compartment 14 for cooling the same. The construction of evaporator 18 forms no part of the present invention and is shown in Figure l as a component part of the refrigerator 10. A plurality of vertical spaced apart horizontally disposed shelves 19 are mounted within compartment 14 for supporting food products therein. An insulated door structure 21, shown in open position in Figure l and omitted from Figure 2, is hingedly mounted at the front of cabinet 10 for closing the access opening of food storage compartment 14.

In accordance with the present invention I provide means for supporting the liner or food compartment wall forming member 12 in spaced relation to and solely from the front portion of the cabinet outer wall or shell member 11 which means has a novel sliding interlocking engagement with one of the wall members. Referring now to Figure 2 of the drawings it will be noted that the outer metal shell or wall member 11 has portions adjacent its forward edge bent so as to provide a box-like in cross section structure about the access opening of compartment 14. This box-like structure is formed by bending front edge portion of shell 11 laterally inward toward liner 12, as at 23, thence back upon itself, as at 24, to provide a part 26 abutting and extending along the shell 11, and is thereafter bent inwardly of shell 11 to form a flange or edge portion 27. The box-like structure formed by the bent portions 23, 24, 26 and 27 of outer wall or shell member 11 is provided with a groove or channel extending around and facing the access opening of food compartment 14. The box-like structure serves to increase the structural strength of the front p0rtion of cabinet 10. Liner or compartment forming wall member 12 has an edge portion about its front opening bent as at 28 and 29 to strengthen the same about the access opening of compartment 14. The edge portion or ange 29 on liner member 12 is spaced from the edge portion or flange 27 on shell or wall member 11. Edge portion or llange 29 on liner member 12 is providedfwith a plurality of spaced apart tapped holes for receiving screws as will be presently described. Flange `or front edge portion 27 of shell wall member 11 is provided with a plurality of substantially keyhole shaped apertures suitably spaced apart around the compartment 14. These apertures have portions of varying width such for eX- ample as the wide part 31 and the narrower part 32 (see Figures 4 and 5) for a purpose to be presently described. In order to support the front edge portion of liner member 12 from the front edge portion of shell or housing 11 in spaced apart relation to one another and to prevent conduction of fheat between these members I ernploy a nonmetallic breaker strip 36 which bridges the gap between `the edges of the `wall members. Breaker strip 36 is preferably formed of thick rigid heat insulating material of any suitable form or composition as is well known in the art. In order that breaker strip 36 may extend entirely around the throat of the access opening of compartment 14 it is preferably composed of at least four pieces. A plurality of suitable spaced apart holes 37 are provided in a piece of the breaker strip 36 along and adjacent one edge portion thereof. A plurality of spaced apart rigid metal clips 38 are stationarily mounted on breaker strip 36 by rivets or the like 39 extended through suitable 'holes provided in clips 38 and spaced apart holes provided along and adjacent to the other or opposite edge of the breaker strip 36. These clips 38 each include a first projection or hook-like portion 41 bent therefrom .by slitti-ng the clip as at 42 and bending the material intermediate the slits as shown. The end of each clip 38, oposite the end thereof secured to breaker strip 36, is reduced in size and is bent as at 43 to provide a second projection or hook-like portion 44 thereon. It will be noted, by reference to Figure 2 of the drawings, that the wall part of the first hook-like projection 41 extends over and tits against the inner .surface of .the ange or outer .edge portion 27 on wall member or shell 11 and that the body -part of clip 38, hav-ing the slit 42 therein, extends over and fits against the outermost surface of flange 27. A portion of each of .the clips 38 thus embraces the ilange 27 or the edge .of the edge portion of `outer shell or wall member 11. The second hook-like projection 44 on clips 38 normally extends through the narrower part y32 of the keyhole shaped apertures and engages the inner surface .of ange 27 while a portion of the clips 38, intermediate the two hook-like projections thereon, fits or bears against the outermost surface of flange 27 as shown in Figure A2. A screw 46 is passed through .each of .the holes 37 in breaker strip 36 and is threaded into the tapped holes provided -at the edge portion of flange l29 .on liner member 12. This locking engagement .of the plurality of clips 38 with the outer edge portion or ange 27 on wall member l1'1 together with the screws 46, locking the breaker strip 36 to the edge portion or flange 29 of liner member 12, firmly supports the weight of liner 12 ,and food .products stored in compartment 14 from the outer cabinet shell or housing member 11. Breaker strip 36 also maintains the .edge portions of the wall members 11 `and 12 in spaced apart relation .to one another for after strip 36 is secured as described, about the four sides of the access opening of compartment 14, there can be no shifting of the hner member relative to the outer cabinet wall member or shell.

In order to conceal the tied together front edge portions of liner 12 and shell 11 4and the tieing or supporting breaker strip 36 I secure a trim or molding strip to the front portion of cabinet 10 so as to provide a neat in appearance exposed throat about the access opening of food storage compartment `14. This trim strip, indicated by the reference character 51 (see Figures l and 2), is nonmetallic and may be formed of molded plastic material as is now common and well known-in the art. Trim or finish strip S1 is provided with a channel 52 along its outer edge whic'h is fitted over an edge part of Wall or shell member y11 at the point where the part 24 of shell 11 is bent back over the part 23 thereof. The other or opposite edge of trim strip S1 is flanged inwardly as at 53 and provided with a beaded inner edge 54. The beaded edge 54 of trim strip 51 is located under a part of a leaf spring 57 to retain the ange 53 on strip 51 in abutment with the bent part 2S of liner 12 and to lock the trim strip upon cabinet 10. Springs 57 are locked to the breaker strip 36 by being located under the head of screws 46. i

Assembly The breaker strip 36, as shown in Figure 3 having the spaced apart metal clips 38 thereon, is, after the insulating material 16 and liner 12 respectively have been placed into the cabinet shell or housing 11, moved into a cooperative position with the outer edge portion or ange 27 on the cabinet outer wall member. Clips 38 are moved toward the apertures in flange 27 until at least an end part of the hook-like projection or finger 41 slides over the edge portion .of flange 27. Further movement of breaker strip 36 and consequently the clips 38 toward member 11 then causes the projections 41 to overlap and fully ,embrace the edge portion 27 of member 11. At this time vthe second hook-like .projections or ngers 44 are brought in to alignment with the wider part 31 of the apertures in ange 27. Breaker strip 36 is then swung laterally to cause the second hook-like projections on clips 38 Vto be inserted into or passed through the wider part 31 of the apertures as is shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. In order to now rigidly lock the clips 38 and consequently breaker strip 36 .to the outer shell or wall member 11 the :breaker strip is moved in a direction paralleling the .edge of flange 27 to cause the second hooklike projections or fingers 44 to slide into the narrowest part 32 of the apertures as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. This brings the holes 37 in strip 36 into alignment with the tapped holes in the edge portion or flange 29 yof liner lmember 12 whereafter the leaf springs 57 are placed under theheads of screws 46 .and these screws are then passed through the holes 37 and threaded into the ltapped holes to rmly secure the springs 57 in place and to rigidly lock the ybreaker strip 36 in bridging position relative yto members 11 and 12 to span the gap between the outer edges thereof and to support liner 12 from member 11. Thereafter channel 52 on the trim or throat forming strips r51 `is placed into overlapping engagement with l,the edge portion of Imember 11 and its beaded edge S4 of ange 53 thereon is pushed beneath a bent part of springs 5,7 so as to snap these strips 51 in place upon the vfront portion of cabinet 1G for providing the neat in appearance throat for the food compartment access opening.

By providing a Abreaker strip between wall members of a refrigerator cabinet for supporting one member from the :other at least one edge of which strip is slidably interloked in place in apertures as described and herein illustrated I not only greatly facilitate assembly of refrigerator cabinets but also reduce such assembling operation to a minimum of time. This is accomplished 4by the fact that the sliding interlock of the breaker strip with the cabinet outer shell simultaneously locks the same thereto at a plurality of points along the front portion thereof. :It should be apparent from the foregoing that my invention provides a novel yattaching means for supporting a ,metal liner in an outer metal shell of a Vrefrigerator cabinet which is of simple construction and offers no obstruction to the mounting of a decorative lor trim strip member :to the front portion of Vthe Vcabinet which forms the throat ofthe lfood `storage compartment access opening.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that .other Vforms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a refrigerator cabinet of the type having inner and outer wall members with insulation therebetween and having edges of the members spaced apart at an opening providing access to a compartment in the cabinet, means for rigidly supporting the edges of said members in said spaced apart relation, said means comprising an aperture adjacent the edge of one of said wall members and a breaker strip having a metal clip secured thereto adjacent one edge portion thereof adapted to be interlocked with the edge of said one wall member, said aperture being of varying width and elongated in the direction of extension of the edge of said one wall member, said clip having a first hook-like projection thereon adjacent said one edge portion of the breaker strip and a second hook like projection thereon spaced outwardly from said rst hook-like projection, the free end of both of said hooklike projections on said clip being directed in the same direction laterally away from said one edge portion of said strip, the free end of said second hook-like projection being insertable into the widest part of said aperture to locate the free end of said iirst hook-like projection in a position to receive said edge of said one wall member therebeneath, said breaker strip together with said clip thereon being movable lengthwise along the edge of said one wall member in a direction paralleling the elongation of said aperture, after insertion of said second hook-like projection into the aperture, to shift said second hook-like projection on said clip into a narrower part of said aperture and to cause a substantial portion of said rst hook-like projection to overlappingly engage and embrace said edge of said one wall member for locking said breaker strip thereto against lateral movement therefrom, and said means also comprising fastening elements securing the other edge portion of said breaker strip to the edge of the other of said wall members.

2. In a refrigerator cabinet of the type having inner and outer metal wall members with insulation therebetween and having edges of the wall members spaced apart at an opening providing access to a compartment in the cabinet, means for rigidly supporting the edges of said metal wall members in said spaced apart relation, said means comprising keyhole shaped apertures adjacent the edge of said outer metal wall member and a rigid nonmetallic breaker strip having a plurality of metal clips secured thereto in spaced apart relation along one edge portion thereof adapted to be interlocked with the edge of said outer metal wall member, said keyhole shaped apertures being elongated in the direction of extension of the edge of said outer metal wall member, said clips each having a first hook-like projection thereon adjacent said one edge portion of said breaker strip and a second hooklike projection spaced outwardly from said iirst hooklike projection, the free end of both of said hook-like projections on each of said clips being directed in the same direction laterally away from said one edge portion of said strip, the free end of said second hook-like projection on said clips being insertable into the widest part of said keyhole shaped apertures to locate the free end of said first hook-like projection on said clips in a position to receive said edge of said outer metal wall meniber therebeneath, said breaker strip together with said clips thereon being movable lengthwise along the edge of said outer metal wall member in a direction paralleling the elongation of said keyhole shaped apertures, after insertion of the second hook-like projection on said clips into the apertures, to shift the second hook-like projection on said clips into the narrower part of said keyhole shaped apertures and to cause a substantial portion of said first hook-like projection on each clip to overlappingly engage and embrace said edge of said outer metal wall member for locking said breaker strip thereto against lateral movement therefrom, and said means also comprising fastening elements Securing the other edge portion of said rigid breaker strip to the edge of the other of said metal Wall members,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,705,454 Griths Mar. 12, 1929 2,261,882 Howard Nov. 4, 1941 2,296,024 Drake Sept. 15, 1942 2,484,584 Petkwitz Oct. 1l, 1949 2,644,607 Hinkel July 7, 1953

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