US2891834A

US2891834A - Refrigerator door

Info

Publication number: US2891834A
Application number: US601669A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lawrence C Lake
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-08-02
Filing date: 1956-08-02
Publication date: 1959-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 1976-06-23

Description

June 23, 1959 C. LAKE 2,891,834

' REFRIGERATOR DOOR Filed Aug. 2, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet i a/ Fig. 3

Lawrence 6. Lake INVENTOR.

June 23, 1959 c. LAKE 2,891,334

- REFRIGERATOR DOOR Filed Aug. 2, 1956. v 2 SheetsSheet 2 Fig.2

Lawrence 6. Lake IN VEN TOR.

BY MM 19% United States Patent REFRIGERATOR DOOR Lawrence C. Lake, Kenmore, N.Y.

Application August 2, 1956, Serial No. 601,669

2 Claims. (Cl. 312-307 This invention relates to refrigerator casings and more particularly to a refrigerator door.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator casing with a novel door construction facilitating very rapid and easy access to the interior of the casing and avoiding the necessity for having space in a room reserved for the door swing as is the instance in presently available refrigerators.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a structurally simplified, practical cabinet for a refrigerator wherein the doors lift and lower respectively in order to have access to the interior of the refrigerator.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the doors constituting a part of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing there is shown a refrigerator which includes a casing or cabinet 12 constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. The casing has a back wall 14, a front wall 16, a top wall 18, bottom wall and two side walls 22 and '24 respectively. These walls are of double thickness, with the wall thicknesses being spaced to provide a pocket in which insulation is disposed. The lower part of the casing need not be insulated inasmuch as it accommodates the refrigeration mechanism, including a motor, compressor and controls carried by a horizontal panel 26. The condenser 28 is located on the exterior of the casing as is customary at the present time, and the evaporator 30 is disposed in the casing, above a tray 32. Conventional accessories such as an automatic defrosting device, etc., may be provided, if so desired.

Side walls

22 and 24 have forwardly extending, approximately semi-circular

arcuate parts

36 and 38 on the sides of the frontal opening 40 of the refrigerator casing. An upper track formed of a pair of identical rails 44 and 46 is fastened to the side walls including the projecting

parts

36 and 38 thereof. These rails forming the upper track for upper door 50 are arcuate and extend inwardly to approximately the back wall of the casing, where there is located a stop 52 in order to limit the inward motion of the door in its track. In crosssection, each rail 46 and 44 is angular, including a flange 54 that fits flush against the surface of one wall and an inwardly extending flange 56 that is at right angles to 2,891,834 Patented June 23, .1959

ice

flange 54 and on which the group of rollers on a side of the door 50 is seated. Y

The door 50 has a double thickness in order to hold insulation 60 captive therein, this insulation being fiber glass or other standard insulative lightweight material. The outer thickness 62 of the door and the inner thickness 64 extend beyond the side edge wall 66' (Figure 4) so that the channel 68 may nest therein. This channel has parallel sides, between which the group of rollers 70 are mounted for rotation on individual spindles. The inwardly protruding flange 56 of track 44 (Figure '4) enters the channel 68 and forms a seat on which. the group of rollers 70 are disposed.

The lower door 78 is arcuate in cross-section and is adapted to travel on lower track 80 consisting of a pair of

rails

81 and 82 that are attached to the side walls '22 and 24 of the cabinet in a manner similar to the attachment of the upper track to the same side walls. The two tracks have confronting ends which, when opposed as shown in Figure 2, form one continuous track of almost circular form. Door 78 is limited in its inward travel by means of a stop 83 which is fixed at the inner extremity of one or both of the rails of track 80. In addition, the door 78 has on its side edges groups of

rollers

86 and 87 which are mounted for travel on the inwardly directed flanges 88 and 89 of the

rails

82 and 81. In all respects, the upper and lower doors are the same, as are the tracks on which they are operative.

When the doors are in the fully closed position, -the upper and side edges thereof are sealed by means of resilient gaskets 90, the lower door having gaskets91 functioning in the same manner. The confronting ends of the two doors when in the closed position are sealed by coming into firm contact with the transverse resilient seal 93, as rubber or plastic, the latter being fixed to either one or both of the doors.

The upper door will remain closed by the pull of gravity and will remain open in the same manner. The upper track is sufiiciently long so that a major portion of the door is pushed over center, whereby the weight of the door will hold it against the stop 52. It will remain in the closed position in the same manner, but to assure a tight seal,

latches

98 and 99 are carried by the upper door. door and are identical to the

latches

98 and 99. The

latches

100 and 102 hold the lower door in the closed position, it being opened by the pull of gravity. In Figure 3 the

latches

100 and 102 are illustrated in detail. They consist of a pair of

push rods

104 and 106 which are slidable in

sleeves

108 and 110, the latter being in communication with receptacle 114 that is recessed in the door. The push rods are passed through apertures in the side edges of the door and are adapted to be projected into

pockets

116 and 118 that are formed in the

side walls

22 and 32 in the region of the tracks for the doors. A single spring 122 is seated between blocks 124 and 125 that are attached to the inner ends of the push rods, whereby the spring constantly biases the push rods outwardly so as to be engaged in the

pockets

116 and 118. Therefore, when the doors are pulled into the closed position, the latches snap into the locked position.

In order to have access to the upper part or the lower part of the refrigerator, the respective doors may be opened. This will expose the trays and any objects supported by the trays.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and

Latches

100 and 102 are carried by the lower equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a refrigerator casing the combination of a front wall having an opening, back, side and top and bottom walls, said side walls having portions which project forwardly from the plane of the front wall, the side walls including the projecting portions thereof having means to accommodate trays thereon, an upper circularly curved track carried by said side walls, a door having a curvature similar to the curvature of said upper track, means mounting said door for sliding movement on said track so as to close at least a part of said opening in said front wall, stop for said door to limit the extent of travel thereof, a latch carried by said door to hold said door in a closed position, a second circulraly curved track carried by said side walls and having an end confronting an end of said first mentioned track, a second door having a curvature similar to the curvature of said second track and mounted for movement thereon, a latch carried by said second door in order to hold said door in the closed position, a stop for said second door to limit the extent of travel thereof, said upper track being of a sufficient length that a major portion of said door is disposed forwardly of a transverse plane along the ver tical diameter of said track when said door is in the closed position and rearwardly of said plane when in an open position whereby said door may be held in the closed and opened positions by gravity, said second track being of a sufficient length that a major portion of said second door is disposed forwardly of said plane when said door is in the closed position and approximately half the door is rearwardly of said plane when said door is in the open position whereby said door will be opened by gravity when its latch is released.

2. In a refrigerator casing, the combination of a front wall having an opening, a pair of side walls having por tions projecting forwardly from the plane of said front wall, a pair of arcuate tracks provided on the respective side walls including their forwardly projecting portions,

upper and lower doors of an arcuate cross-section movable in respective upper and lower portions of said tracks between an open position wherein the doors are retracted into said casing and a closed position wherein the doors are in abutment to form a closure for the opening in said front wall, means for latching said doors in their closed position, and means for stopping the doors in their open position, said tracks being of sufiicient length whereby a major portion of the upper door is disposed forwardly of a transverse plane along the vertical diameter of the tracks when closed and rearwardly of said plane when open to selectively retain the upper door in the open and closed positions by gravity and whereby a major portion of the lower door is disposed forwardly of said plane when closed and approximately a half thereof is disposed rearwardly of said plane when open to cause opening of the lower door by gravity when the latching means are released.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 108,559 Boyce Feb. 22, 1938 111,363 Maxwell Jan. 31, 1871 166,043 Volkland July 27, 1875 539,227 Lutes May 14, 1895 636,491 Cohen Nov. 7, 1899 933,570 Ludeman Sept. 7, 1909 1,078,795 Meinel Nov. 18, 1913 1,829,256 Benziger Oct. 27, 1931 2,076,835 Young Apr. 13, 1937 2,148,983 Grubb Feb. 28, 1939 2,235,454 Koropchak Mar. 18, 1941 2,288,482 Plohberger June 30, 1942 2,408,460 Van Doren Oct. 1, 1946 2,534,488 Weber Dec. 19, 1950 2,562,057 Norberg et al. July 24, 1951 2,606,652 Jaquette Aug. 12, 1952 2,624,650 Perales Jan. 6, 1953 2,737,781 Gelfand et al. Mar. 13, 1956