US2513043A - Refrigerator door - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 21, 1943 INVENTOR. 154/71 E. A/UFZ/A/ZJ EF f' wzzm w E. E. NOFZINGER June 27, 1950 REFRIGERATOR DOOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 21, 1943 IN VEN TOR.

Patented June 27, 1950 REFRIGERATOR DOOR Earl E. Nofzinger, Greenviile, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Gibson Refrigerator Company, Greenville, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application August 21, 1943, Serial No. 499,473

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to refrigerators and more particularly to the doors of refrigerator cabinets.

Heretofore refrigerator doors have been fabricated principall from wood or metal, mostly the latter. Recently plastic materials have been employed to some extent as panels for refrigerator doors, but their use has been limited because of the many new problems involved in their fabrication.

Accordingly, the principal object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator door of novel construction which can be fabricated conveniently from a minimum number of piece of plastic material.

Another object is to provide a door formed of plastic material of simple and economical construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator door having a peripheral edge thereof formed to provide a seat for a gasket of sealing material.

These objects will more fully appear in the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerator cabinet with the door thereof in open position;

' Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the door taken on substantially the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line 3-3 of Figure 1 but showing the door in closed position;

Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary cross-sectional views similar to Figures 2 and 3 respectively but showing a modified form of the invention; and Figure 6 is a fragmentary pictorial view of one lower corner of the door, parts being broken away to disclose the construction thereof.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, and more particularly to Figures 1 to 3 and 6 thereof, the invention is shown as embodied in a door for a household refrigerator cabinet. The cabinet is of generally conventional construction. The cabinet III has a main food storage compartment II in which an evaporator 2 and a plurality of shelves 3 are mounted.

Hinged to one side of the cabinet is a door H. The door is composed of an outer panel l5 and an inner panel l6. Both panels are relatively thin sheets of plastic material formed to proper shape in suitable molds. The outer panel is a one piece structure. It comprises a front wall side walls l8, and a top wall |8a extending rearwardly therefrom. The side walls l8 and the top wall |8a merge into the front wall in smooth curves of relatively large radii, as shown in Figure 3. The rearward portion of the side walls and top wall extend substantially perpendicular to the front wall H.

The inner panel I6 is substantially flat throughout practically its entire extent. About its entire perimeter is a relatively shallow recess I9 of angular cross-section. The recess is formed by an angularly outwardly extending portion 20 and a marginal flange 2| extending perpendicular to the main portion of the panel Hi. The flange 2| is continuous and extends about the entire perimeter of the door.

The inner panel I6 is formed to telescope within the side walls and top wall of the outer panel and to fit relatively snugly therein, as shown best in Figure 3. When so telescoped within the outer panel the flange 2| on the inner panel is arranged in parallel juxtaposed relation to the marginal edges of the side walls ll! of the outer panel.

'The flange 2| and the rear edges of the side walls l8 and top wall |8a are fastened together by any suitable means, such as cement.

The bottom wall 22 of the door is formed by a thin strip of metal or plastic. The bottom wall 22 has an upstanding portion 22a which overlies the outer face of panel l5. The portion 22a is suitably ornamented to enhance its appearance. The bottom wall is secured in part to the door by a reversel bent flange 25 overlying th flange 2| on the inner panel IS. The bottom wall 22 is also secured to a transverse frame member 23 of wood or other suitable material secured to the door.

A gasket 24 for sealing the space between the inner panel l6 and the front wall of the cabinet proper is mounted in the recess IS in the inner panel. The gasket is a hollow tube, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3, and preferably is formed of rubber. The gasket is shaped as shown in Figure -2, so that it fits within the angular recess l9. Adjacent the outer side of the gasket 24 is a narrow flange 24a which closely parallels the adjacent wall of the main body of the gasket for a purpose which will appear presently. Preferably the gasket is formed in one piece and extends about the entire perimeter of the door.

The gasket is held in place within the recess is by means of a narrow channel-shaped trim strip 26. The strip 26 is formed of some ornamental material, preferably plated and polished metal, so as to stiffen and reinforce the edges of the door. One side wall of the strip 26 lies in to maintain itself in proper position.

The gasket 24 at the bottom of the door is maintained in position by the reversely bent outwardly extending portion 25 of the bottom wall 22. The latter engages the gasket and flange 2| in the same manner as the trim strip 26. v

The door is hinged to the cabinet by means of a suitable hinge. One leaf 2' of the latter is attached to the cabinet by bolts orscrews, not shown. The other leaf 2'! or the hinge overlies a portion of the adjacent side wall 18 of the door and extends through an opening 29 in the outer panel 01' the door. The outer leaf 21 is secured to the door by screws Ill passing through the inner panel as indicated in Figure 3. Incidentally, the gasket 24 overlies the heads of the screws 30. d

The modification of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5 is somewhat similar to that previously described. The door comprises an outer panel 50 having side, top and bottom walls 5| extending around the perimeter of the outer panel and generally perpendicular to the main portion thereof. The walls 5i are joined to the ,i'ront wall by smooth curves of relatively large radii. In this form of the invention the side wall 5| extends around the entire perimeter of the door.

An inner panel 52 is telescoped within the outer panel 5| in much the same manner as in the previous embodiment oi the invention. The panel 52 is provided about its entire perimeter -with a groove or recess 53 of rectangular channel-shaped con-figuration. The outer side wall I5 of the recess parallels the rear edge of the sidewall 5| of the outer panel. The two panels are cemented together where they contact each.

other.

A gasket 56 for sealing the space between the door and the main part of the cabinet is mounted in the recess 53. The gasket is of generally the same construction as gasket 24 but its base is of rectangular shape so as to flt within the recess 53. Along the outer side of the gask t is a flange 51 spaced from the adjacent portion of D the main body of the gasket.

The gasket is held in place by a, channel shaped ornamental trim strip 58. The strip overlies the flange 51 and a portion of the outer surface of the side wall 5| and is crimped into place.

The door is hinged to the cabinet proper by a leaf hinge 59 having one angularly shaped leaf extending through an opening in the outer panel and secured to the inner panel by screws Ill. The other leaf is secured to the main body of the cabinet by suitable bolts or screws. not shown.

It will be seen from theforegoing that the construction of the door described is such as to permit the door to be made of molded plastic material. The door is formed in but two pieces, one of which telescopes within the other with their perimetral edges in juxtaposition so that they can be cemented together. The formation of the recess about the perimeter of the doorcauses the flange about the perimeter of the door to extend in the same direction as the free extremities of the side walls of the outer panel so that they are readily accessible for cementing together. In addition-,- the recess provides for a gasket of relatively great thickness without unduly increasing the distance between the door and cabinet when the door is closed. The increased thickness of the gasket provides for great flexibility and the relatively small gap between the door and cabinet substantially reduces heat leakage through the gap.

It will be evident that the invention is susceptible of use in cabinets other than refrigerator cabinets Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the appended claim.

I claim:

A cabinet door having a marginal recess formed in its inner face, the laterally outer side of said recess being defined by a door flange extending perpendicular to' the plane of the door, a resilient gasket in saidrecess, said gasket comprising a main body portion and a gasket flange spaced therefrom, said gasket flange 'being juxtaposed to said door flange, and an ornamental channel member overlying the free edges of said flanges. the legs of said channel member engaging the respective flanges to hold the same together.

EARL E. NOFZINGER.

REFERENCES CITED' The following references are of record in the Great Britain Mar. 5. i940

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