US3243855A

US3243855A - Cold space door

Info

Publication number: US3243855A
Application number: US436402A
Authority: US
Inventors: Irving S Houvener; Albert J Palfey
Original assignee: Dow Chemical Co
Current assignee: Dow Chemical Co
Priority date: 1965-02-08
Filing date: 1965-02-08
Publication date: 1966-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 1983-04-05

Description

April 1966 1. s. HOUVENER ETAL 3,243,855

COLD SPACE DOOR Filed Feb. 8, 1965 m 0 S v/ r J w 5 w m I m w O 2 M 2 I WNW 5 4 )12 United States Patent Office 3. .85 COLD SPACE DOOR 4 Irving S. Houvener, Houghtoir Lake, and Albert J. Palfey, Midland, Mich, assi'gnor's to The Dow Chemical Com pany, Midland, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb, 8, 1965, SenNo. 436,402 4 Claims. (CI. -35) This application is a continuationdn-part of copending application Serial No. 250,836 filed January 11, 1963, now abandoned.

This invention relates to an improvement in cold space doors, of the insulated type, such as used on refrigerators, walk-in cold storage rooms, and the like.

A cold space door, of the type with which this invention is concerned, is subjected tostra-ins caused by a temperature differential resulting from temperature differences between theinner and outer panels of the door. Such a temperature differential can cause warpage resulting in leaks and/ or damage or the doorsuch as by crackiiig, especially where the temperature differential is quite severe, thus rendering the door inefficient, or inoperative.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cold space door which will not be warped or damaged by temperature differential between the and outer shell of the door.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cold space door which counteracts temperature differential to which the door is exposed, by allowing unrestrained relative expansion and contraction between the door inner and outer shells.

Still another object is to provide a cold space door wherein assemblage may be effected without use of fastening means, or welding. v V

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

Briefly, the cold space door of the present invention solves the problem of counter-acting temperature dif-' ferential, by allowing unrestrained expansion, or contraction, of the door inner and outer shells relative to each other. This is accomplished by arranging the peripheral edge of the door outer shell so that it overlaps the peripheral edge of the door inner shell in a manner which allows relative sliding movement therebetween. A rigid insulating material is disposed in and substantially fills the space between the inner and outer door shells to position the inner shell and outer shell in spaced relationship, with the inner shell in sliding contact with the peripheral edge of the outer shell. A sheet of flexible insulation is positioned in a compressed state bet-ween the rigid insulating material, and the periphery of the inner shell to forcibly urge the inner shell in sliding engagement with the outer shell. Among the other features of the door is the manner of assembly wherein no fastening means, or welding, is required.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the acoompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation view of a cold space door embodying the principles of the invention; and

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged section view generally as seen along line 22 in FIG. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing, numeral 6 identifies a door illustrative of an embodiment of the invention which door is mounted by hinges 8, to enclose an opening 10 of a cold storage room defined in part by an insulated wall -12. A bar-type lock, including a bar or latch '14,

ing-10, all as is well known to those skilled in the art.

The door 6 includes an outer shell 20 secured to a door frame 22 the peripheral edge of which bent, or spun over on assembly, to provide an inwardly extending flat surface24, and a dished inner shell 26 formed to provide, a flange portion having a flat peripheral surface 28 a por tion of which is in sliding engagementwith the outer shell sunface 24. An overlapping relationship is thus provided at the peripheral regions of the shells which affords sliding contact therebetween. The material of the inner shell maybe plastic or metal sheet. In certain installations, the frame 22 may be omitted and the outer shell may be bent over to provide the overlapping peripheral edge as required for sliding engagement with the inner shell.

Insulating material 30 preferably made of a plastic foam which is quite rigid, such as polystyrene, or polyethylene, is positioned between the outer shell 20 and inner shell 26 and substantially fills the space ther'ebetween to maintain the

shells

20 and 26 in spaced relationship and the peripheral edge of surface 24 of the inner shell 26 in sliding contact with thev periperal edge or surface 28 of the outer shell 20. A sheet of flexible insulation 32, which is easily compressible and has elastic recovery, which may be made of rubber, or equivalent, is arranged in a compressed state between the insulating material 30, and the outer portion or the inner shell 26. The insulating material 30 forcibly urges the flat peripheral edge or surface 24 of the inner shell '26 in sliding engagement with the flat peripheral edge or surface 24 of the outer shell 20.

An adhesive substance is applied to the surfaces of the insulating material 30, or to the surfaces with which the insulating material will contact upon assembly, whereby the door will be maintained in assembled condition, with the

surfaces

24 and 28 in sliding engagement. A door sealing means 34 is provided between the periphery of the door 6 and the opening 10, which sealing means may be affixed to either the door, or the door opening, and which may be a rubber gasket, or a magnetic type of seal, as sometimes used in cold space door installations.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the door 6 will allow unrestrained expansion or contraction of the inner shell 26, and outer shell 20 due to temperature differential, without danger of warpage or damage of the door, since the shells are positioned for relative sliding movement by virtue of the engagement of

surfaces

24 and 28. The compressible insulation .32 allows for relative movement of the shells due to temperature differential. It will also be noted that the door 6 may be assembled without the use of fastening means, or welding. Attention is directed to the fact that the peripheral edge of the inner shell 26 is spaced from the enclosing portion of the outer shell 20, so that it is free to expand without contacting or abutting the outer shell. This is an important feature of construction, since it avoids any strain placed upon the shells due to dimensional change as a result of temperature differential.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the door 6 will satisfy all of the objectives set forth hereinbefore.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efliciently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the ac- Patented Apr. 5', 1966- companying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Now that the invention has been described, what is claimed as new. and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A door construction comprising in combination, an inner shell and an outer shell, said .outer shell having formed about its periphery an overlapping engagement with said inner shell to provide a slidable contact surface between said shells, a rigid insulating material positioned between said inner and outer shells and a sheet of flexible insulation which is easily compressible and has elastic recovery arranged in a compressed state between said rigid insulating material and the outer edge portion of said inner shell whereby the door will be maintained in assembled condition and said inner shell shall be in sliding engagement with said outer shell at said slidable contact surface.

2. A'door construction comprising in combination, a dished inner shell having a flanged portion with a flat peripheral surface, an outer shellhaving a bent peripheral surface which overlaps said flat peripheral surface of said flange to retain said inner shell Within said outer shell and to provide a slidable contact surface for said inner shell for allowing said inner shell to freely move relative to said outer shell, a rigid insulating material positioned between said inner and outer shells and a sheet of flexible insulation which is easily compressible and has elastic recovery arranged in a compressed state between said rigid insulating material and the periphery of said inner shell whereby the door .will be maintained in assembled condition and said inner shell shall be in sliding engagement with said outer shell at said slidable contact surface.

3. A door construction comprising in combination, an

inner shell and an outer shell, said outer shell having formed about its periphery an overlapping engagement with said inner shell to provide a slidable contact surface between said shells, a rigid insulating material positioned between said inner and outer shells and a sheet of flexible insulation which is easily compressible and has elastic recovery arranged in a compressed state between said rigid insulating material and the outer edge portion of said inner shell whereby the door Will be maintained in assembled condition and said inner shell shall be in sliding engagement with said outer shell at said slidable contact surface to counteract temperature differential, by allowing unrestrained expansion, or contraction, of the inner and outer shells relative to each other.

4. A door construction'comprising in combination, a dished inner shell having a flanged portion with a fiat peripheral surface, an outer shell having a bent peripheral surface which overlaps said flat peripheral surface of said flange to retain said inner shell within said outer shell and to provide a slidable contact surface for said inner shell for allowing said inner shell to freely move relative to said outer shell, a rigid insulating material positioned between said inner and outer shells and a sheet of flexible insulation which is easily compressible and has elastic recovery arranged in a compressed state between said rigid insulating material and the periphery of said inner shell whereby the door will be maintained in assembled condition and said inner shell shall be in sliding engagement with said outer shell at said slidable contact surface to counteract temperature differential, by allowing unrestrained expansion, or contraction, of the inner and outer shells relative to each other.

References Cited by the Examiner V UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,622,754 12/1952 Eagels'. 2,878,534 3/1959 Josaitis 20-35 3,078,003 2/1963 Kesling 20-35 REINA'LDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

HARRISON R. MOSE'LEY, Examiner.

Claims

1. A DOOR CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, AN INNER SHELL AND AN OUTER SHELL, SAID OUTER SHELL HAVING FORMED ABOUT ITS PERIPHERY AN OVERLAPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID INNER SHELL TO PROVIDE A SLIDABLE CONTACT SURFACE BETWEEN SAID SHELL, A RIGID INSULATING MATERIAL POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER SHELLS AND A SHEET OF FLEXIBLE INSULATION WHICH IS EASILY COMPRESSIBLE AND HAS ELASTIC RECOVERY ARRANGED IN A COMPRESSED STATE BETWEEN SAID RIGID INSULATING MATERIAL AND THE OUTER EDGE PORTION OF SAID INNER SHELL WHEREBY THE DOOR WITH BE MAINTAINED IN ASSEMBLED CONDITION AND SAID INNER SHELL SHALL BE IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OUTER SHELL AT SAID SLIDABLE CONTACT SURFACE.