Display case door assembly with tempered glass vacuum panel

• US 10,385,610 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anthony Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Anthony Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Artwohl, Paul J., Nicholson, Jeffery W., Rolek, Matthew, Sandnes, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Loney, Donald J
• Application Number:
  US15/429,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20170245660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/001 Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/002 Devices for protection against sunlight or theft
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/005 with glass panels
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0434 Glass or transparent panels
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/803 with vacuum spaces included in the slab
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/0081 for transmitting energy, e.g. electrical cable routing
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/061 with cams or helical tracks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/31 for refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2003/66338 of glass
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2003/6638 with coatings
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/6612 Evacuated glazing units
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/6617 one of the panes being larger than another
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66304 Discrete spacing elements, e.g. for evacuated glazing units
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66309 Section members positioned at the edges of the glazing unit
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66333 of unusual substances, e.g. wood or other fibrous materials, glass or other transparent materials
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66357 Soldered connections or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/67339 Working the edges of already assembled units
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/677 Evacuating or filling the gap between the panes ; Equilibration of inside and outside pressure; Preventing condensation in the gap between the panes by means of spacing elements E06B3/663; Cleaning the gap between the panes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/249 Glazing, e.g. vacuum glazing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 80/22 Glazing, e.g. vaccum glazing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/231 : Filled with gas other than air; or under vacuum

Abstract

A display case door assembly for a temperature-controlled storage device includes an opening into the temperature-controlled storage device and a vacuum panel mounted within the opening. The vacuum panel includes a first vacuum pane of tempered glass, a second vacuum pane of tempered glass, and an evacuated gap between the first and second vacuum panes. The evacuated gap has a predetermined thickness within which a vacuum is drawn, thereby providing a thermal insulation effect for the vacuum panel. The vacuum panel further includes a plurality of spacers disposed within the evacuated gap and configured to maintain the predetermined thickness of the evacuated gap when the vacuum is drawn therein.

Claims

1. A vacuum-insulated refrigerated display case door, comprising:

a hinge rail comprising a channel portion and a hinge receiving portion, the hinge receiving portion defining two openings configured to receive hinge pins for mounting the door to a refrigerated display case;

a vacuum-insulated glass (VIG) panel assembly having a front surface arranged to face away from a refrigerated display case with the door mounted, and a rear surface arranged to face into the refrigerated display case with the door mounted, the VIG panel assembly comprising two panes of tempered glass bounding a sealed evacuated space between the panes, one of the two panes of glass comprising a low emissivity layer, a first edge of the VIG panel assembly disposed within the channel portion of the hinge rail;

a handle secured to the VIG panel assembly arranged to extend away from the refrigerated display case with the door mounted;

edge guards coupled to each of a second edge, a third edge, and a fourth edge of the VIG panel assembly, wherein one of the edge guards comprises a wiper configured to seal the door when the door is in a closed position; and

an anti-condensate coating at the rear surface of the VIG panel assembly,

wherein the VIG panel assembly comprises a vacuum port at the rear surface of the VIG panel assembly, and wherein the VIG panel assembly is arranged in the hinge rail such that the vacuum port is exposed to the inside of the refrigerated display case with the door mounted and the door in the closed position.

2. The door of claim 1, wherein an adhesive is disposed between the first edge of the VIG panel and the channel portion of the hinge rail.

3. The door of claim 1, wherein the handle has an arched shape.

4. The door of claim 1, wherein the handle comprises aluminum.

5. The door of claim 1, wherein the hinge rail comprises extruded aluminum.

6. The door of claim 1, wherein the edge guards are substantially transparent.

7. The door of claim 1, wherein the edge guards are bonded to respective ones of the second, third, and fourth edges of the VIG panel assembly.

8. The door of claim 1, wherein the VIG panel assembly comprises a plurality of spacers disposed between the panes and defining a spacing between adjacent spacers of between 20 mm and 80 mm.

9. The door of claim 1, wherein the handle is secured to the VIG panel assembly by an adhesive bond.

19. The door of claim 1, wherein the VIG panel assembly is arranged in the hinge rail such that the vacuum port is positioned proximate a corner formed between either the first edge and the second edge or the third edge and the second edge, wherein the second edge forms a top edge of the door.

10. A refrigerated display case comprising:

a frame; and

a first vacuum-insulated door and a second vacuum-insulated door mounted to the frame, each of the first vacuum-insulated door and the second vacuum-insulated door comprising;

a hinge rail comprising a channel portion and a hinge receiving portion, the hinge receiving portion defining two openings configured to receive hinge pins for mounting the door to the frame;

a vacuum-insulated glass (VIG) panel assembly having a front surface arranged to face away from a refrigerated display case with the door mounted, and a rear surface arranged to face into the refrigerated display case with the door mounted, the VIG panel assembly comprising two panes of tempered glass bounding a sealed evacuated space between the panes, one of the two panes of glass comprising a low emissivity layer, a first edge of the VIG panel assembly disposed within the channel portion of the hinge rail;

a handle secured to the VIG panel assembly arranged to extend away from the refrigerated display case with the door mounted;

edge guards coupled to each of a second edge, a third edge, and a fourth edge of the VIG panel assembly, wherein one of the edge guards comprises a wiper configured to seal the door when the door is in a closed position; and

an anti-condensate coating at the rear surface of the VIG panel assembly,

wherein the VIG panel assembly of the first vacuum-insulated door comprises a vacuum port at the rear surface of the VIG panel assembly, and wherein the VIG panel assembly is arranged in the hinge rail such that the vacuum port is exposed to the inside of the refrigerated display case with the first vacuum-insulated door in the closed position.

11. The refrigerated display case of claim 10, wherein the wiper of the first vacuum-insulated door cooperates with the wiper of the second vacuum-insulated door to seal the refrigerated display case when both the first vacuum-insulated door and the second vacuum-insulated door are in the closed position.

12. The refrigerated display case of claim 10, wherein an adhesive is disposed between the first edge of the VIG panel and the channel portion of the hinge rail.

13. The refrigerated display case of claim 10, wherein the handle has an arched shape.

14. The refrigerated display case of claim 10, wherein the handle comprises aluminum.

15. The refrigerated display case of claim 10, wherein the hinge rail comprises extruded aluminum.

16. The refrigerated display case of claim 10, wherein the edge guards are substantially transparent.

17. The refrigerated display case of claim 10, wherein the edge guards are bonded to respective ones of the second, third, and fourth edges of the VIG panel assembly.

18. The refrigerated display case of claim 10, wherein the VIG panel assembly comprises a plurality of spacers disposed between the panes and defining a spacing between adjacent spacers of between 20 mm and 80 mm.

20. The refrigerated display case of claim 10, wherein the VIG panel assembly of the first vacuum-insulated door is arranged in the hinge rail such that the vacuum port is positioned proximate a corner formed between either the first edge and the second edge or the third edge and the second edge, wherein the second edge forms a top edge of the first vacuum-insulated door.