DOOR FRAME CONSTRUCTION

• US 3,612,821 A
• Filed: 11/16/1970
• Issued: 10/12/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michael E. Stromquist
• Original Assignee: Michael E. Stromquist
• Inventors: Stromquist, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truhe, J. V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Albritton, C. L.
• Application Number:
  US05/089,880
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 219/213,214,218 62/248,275 312/236 49/70
• US Class Current: 219/218
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 1/16 Hollow frames
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/04 Preventing the formation of frost or condensate
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/02 Doors; Covers F25D23/08 takes precedence locks or fastenings E05B65/0042

Abstract

A door mounting frame structure for a refrigerated cabinet. Each elongated frame member has a longitudinal groove for receipt of a heater wire. A cover plate covers the heater wire groove and provides a surface for contact with a door-mounted gasket. One longitudinal edge of the cover plate is held in place by a longitudinal cover-plate-receiving groove formed in the frame member. The other longitudinal cover plate edge is secured by the covering head of a retainer strip. The strip has a foot portion adapted to be removably inserted in a longitudinal groove formed in the frame member.

Claims

1. In a refrigerator door mounting frame, the frame structure comprising:

an elongated frame member defining a face, said frame member having first and second longitudinal end portions;

a longitudinal cover-plate-retaining slot formed adjacent the first end portion;

at least one longitudinal heater-element-receiving groove formed in the face intermediate the end portions and adapted to have a heating element inserted therein;

a longitudinal retainer-strip-receiving groove formed in the face further removed from the first end portion than is the heater-element-receiving groove;

an elongated cover plate having one longitudinal end portion disposed in the cover-plate-retaining slot and another, opposite, longitudinal end portion positioned adjacent the retainer-strip-receiving groove; and

an elongated retainer strip having a foot portion releasably insertable in holding relation into the retainer-stripreceiving groove; and

a head portion integral with and having a greater transverse dimension than the foot portion, whereby the head portion engages and releasably holds the adjacent cover plate end portion when the retainer strip is inserted into the receiving groove.

2. The frame structure of claim 1 wherein said retainer-strip-receiving groove has a plurality of opposed, longitudinal, inward directed projections.

3. The frame structure of claim 2 wherein the foot portion of said retainer strip has at least one pair of opposed, longitudinal projections adapted to firmly but removably engage said retainer-strip-receiving groove projections in the inserted position.

4. The frame structure of claim 2 wherein the foot portion of said retainer strip has a plurality of pairs of opposed, longitudinal projections adapted to firmly but removably engage said receiving groove projections in the inserted position.

5. The frame structure of claim 2 wherein the axis of said retainer-strip-receiving groove is substantially perpendicular to the face defined by said elongated frame member.

6. The frame structure of claim 1 wherein the axis of said retainer-strip-receiving groove forms an acute angle with the face defined by said elongated frame member.

7. The frame structure of claim 6 wherein said elongated retainer strip head portion has a greater transverse dimension on the side of said receiving groove closest to said cover plate end portion than on the side of said receiving groove further removed from said cover plate end portion.

8. A mullion structure for a heated door mounting frame for a refrigerated cabinet comprising:

an elongated frame member defining a face, said frame member having first and second longitudinal end portions;

first and second longitudinal cover-plate-retaining slots formed adjacent said first and second longitudinal frame member end portions;

at least one longitudinal heater-element-receiving grooves formed in the face intermediate the frame member end portions;

a longitudinal retainer-strip-receiving groove formed in the face intermediate the frame member end portions;

first and second elongated cover plates, each cover plate having one longitudinal edge disposed in one of said cover-plate-retaining slots and its other longitudinal edge disposed adjacent the edge of said retainer-strip-receiving groove nearest its respective cover-plate-retaining slot; and

an elongated retainer strip having a foot portion releasably insertable in holding relation into the retainer-strip-receiving groove, and a head portion integral with and having a greater transverse dimension than the foot portion, whereby the head portion engages and releasably holds the adjacent cover plate end portions when the retainer strip is inserted into the receiving groove.

9. The mullioN structure of claim 8 further comprising:

a first elongated flange extending rearward from said first frame member end portion;

a second elongated flange extending rearward from said second frame member end portion;

a third longitudinal cover plate retainer slot formed in said first flange;

a second longitudinal retainer-strip-receiving groove formed in said second flange;

an elongated backplate having first and second longitudinal edges, one longitudinal edge disposed in said third cover plate retainer slot, the other longitudinal edge disposed adjacent said second retainer-strip-receiving groove; and

a second elongated retainer strip having a foot portion releasably insertable in holding relation into the retainer-strip-receiving groove, and a head portion integral with and having a greater transverse dimension than the foot portion, whereby the head portion engages and releasably holds the adjacent backplate end portion when the retainer strip is inserted into the receiving groove.