Refrigerator door assembly with thermal insulated door mounting frame

• US 5,035,085 A
• Filed: 01/27/1989
• Issued: 07/30/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ardco Holdings, Inc. (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ardco, Inc. (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Watson, Allen, Mamelson, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Gerald A.
• Application Number:
  US07/303,445
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 49/504, 49/478, 62/248
• US Class Current: 49/504
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/043 Doors, covers A47F3/0434 takes precedence

Abstract

A refrigerator door assembly having a door mounting cabinet frame which has a thermally efficient composite design comprising a non-metallic pultrusion-formed structural frame member and an outer metallic trim panel mountable on the structural frame member for providing the desired finished appearance, which may be made consistent with conventional commercial refrigerator and freezer door assemblies. The door mounting frame includes a mullion which also includes a pultrusion formed non-metallic structural element. A rigid plastic molding assembly encompasses the rear and sides of the structural frame members and define air insulating spaces about the frame members. The pultrusion formed frame members permit thermal insulated mounting of metallic accessories by ultrasonic welding methods.

Claims

1. In a refrigerator cabinet having a wall formed with an opening, a refrigerator door assembly mountable in said wall opening, said refrigerator door assembly comprising

a door mounting frame,

at least one insulated door comprising a plurality of glass panels mounted on said frame,

said door mounting frame including an L-shaped structural frame member having a side wall positionable adjacent the periphery of said wall opening and a transverse wall extending from said frame member side wall into said opening for defining a stop for said door,

said transverse wall including a central portion in a plane parallel to said wall opening and said portions extending forwardly and rearwardly of said central portion in an H-shape cross-sectional configuration for defining a forwardly opening recess on a forward side of said central portion and a rearwardly opening recess on a rear side of said central portion,

rigid plastic molding means surrounding rear and opposite sides of said frame member and enclosing said rearwardly opening recess for defining an air insulating space on the rearward side of said frame member central portion, and

a sealing plate mounted on a forward side of said transverse wall for defining a sealing surface against which said door closes and for enclosing said forwardly opening recess to define an air insulating space immediately adjacent a rear side of said sealing plate.

2. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 1 in which said door is pivotally mounted on said frame.

3. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 2 in which said molding means includes an L-shaped molding that encompasses an outer side of said frame member side wall and a rear side of said frame member transverse wall.

4. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 3 in which said L-shaped molding is releasably engageable with said frame member.

5. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 3 in which said frame member side wall is formed with outwardly opening recesses which are enclosed by said L-shaped molding to define dead air insulating spaces.

6. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 3 in which said molding means includes a wireway molding mounted on the rear side of said L-shaped molding for defining a wireway for electrical wires and a further insulating space rearwardly of said structural frame member, and means for securing said wireway molding in mounted position.

7. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 6 in which said wireway molding is channel shaped with forwardly directed legs in abutting relation to the rear side of said L-shaped molding.

8. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 7 in which said frame member transverse wall is formed with a rearwardly opening longitudinally extending channel, and said means for securing said wireway molding in mounted position on said L-shaped molding includes studs having heads retained in said frame member channel and extending rearwardly through said L-shaped molding and wireway molding.

9. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 8 in which said studs have elongated heads which are positionable into said frame member channel and twisted into locking positions.

10. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 1 including a trim panel having a side wall overlying an inner side of said frame member side wall and a front wall overlying a front end of said frame member side wall and a portion of said cabinet wall immediately adjacent said opening for providing the desired finished appearance for said door mounting frame.

11. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 10 in which said trim panel front wall has a rearwardly extending mounting flange in locking engagement with said frame member.

12. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 11 in which said frame member side wall has a locking flange adapted for interlocking engagement with said trim panel locking flange.

13. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 11 in which said frame member and trim panel side walls define an air insulating space therebetween.

14. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 13 in which the inner side of said frame member side wall is formed with inwardly directed mounting flanges for maintaining said trim panel side wall in predetermined spaced relation to said frame member.

15. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 1 including a plurality of doors mounted on said door mounting frame, and said door mounting frame including at least one mullion extending between top and bottom sides of said frame and against which said doors close.

16. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 15 in which said mullion frame member is formed with a forwardly directed recess, and a sealing plate enclosing said mullion frame member forwardly opening recess for defining an air insulating space immediately adjacent a rear side of said sealing plate.

17. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 15 in which said mullion frame member is H-shaped so as to define recesses on forward and rear sides thereof, said sealing plate enclosing said front recess for defining an air insulating space immediately adjacent the rear side of said sealing plate, and molding means encompassing the rear side of said mullion frame member and enclosing said recess on the rear side thereof for defining a further air insulating space.

18. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 15 in which said mullion frame member is made of a pultrusion formed fiberglass reinforced material.

19. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 15 in which said mullion includes rigid plastic molding means surrounding rear and opposite sides of said mullion frame member.

20. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 19 in which said mullion molding means and mullion frame member define air insulating spaces adjacent rear and opposed sides of said mullion frame member.

21. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 19 in which said mullion molding means includes a rear molding encompassing the rear side of said mullion frame member and side moldings encompassing respective sides of said mullion frame member.

22. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 21 in which said mullion molding means and mullion frame member define air insulating spaces adjacent rear and opposed sides of said mullion frame member.

23. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 1 in which said molding means and frame member define air insulating spaces adjacent opposed sides of said frame member.

24. In the refrigerator cabinet of claim 1 in which said structural frame member is made of pultrusion formed fiberglass reinforced thermoplastic material and said trim panel is made of metal.

25. A refrigerator door assembly mountable in an opening in the wall of a refrigerator cabinet comprising a door mounting frame, at least one insulated door mounted on said frame, said door mounting frame including a non-metallic structural frame member having a side wall positionable adjacent the periphery of said wall opening, a trim panel having a side wall overlying an inner side of said frame member side wall and a front wall overlying a front end of said frame member side wall and a portion of said cabinet wall immediately adjacent said opening for providing the desired finished appearance for said door mounting frame, said frame member having a transverse wall defining a stop for said door, a sealing plate mounted on a front side of said transverse wall, said door having a sealing gasket mounted on an outer periphery thereof for engaging said sealing plate when the door is in a closed position, rigid plastic molding means surrounding rear and opposite sides of said frame member including a side molding encompassing a side of said frame member transverse wall and forming an air insulating space therebetween, and said side molding including a forwardly extending resilient gasket for creating a further seal between said door and door mounting frame when said door is in a closed position.

26. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 25 in which said resilient gasket of said side molding has an annular cross sectional configuration and extends forwardly beyond the plane of said ceiling plate.

27. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 26 in which said side molding resilient gasket engages at said door on a cold side of said door mounted sealing gasket when the door is in a closed position for preventing communication of cold air to said door mounted sealing gasket.

28. A refrigerator door assembly mountable within the opening in the wall of a refrigerator cabinet comprising

a door mounting frame having an outer peripheral portion mountable within said cabinet opening,

a plurality of insulated doors mounted for pivotal movement on said frame,

said frame including at least one mullion extending between top and bottom sides thereof and against which said door close,

said mullion including a structural frame member having a generally H-shaped cross section which includes a central wall parallel to said wall opening and side walls extending forwardly and rearwardly of said central wall for defining forwardly and rearwardly opening recesses extending substantially across the entire forward and rear sides thereof respectively,

a sealing plate mounted on a forward side of said mullion structural frame member for defining a sealing and stop surface against which said doors close and for enclosing said forwardly opening recess for defining an air insulating space immediately adjacent the rear side of said sealing plate, and

rigid plastic molding means surrounding rear and opposite sides of said frame member and for enclosing said rearwardly opening recess for defining an air insulating space immediately adjacent a rear side of said central wall.

29. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 28 in which said mullion frame member is made of a pultrusion formed fiberglass reinforced thermoplastic material.

30. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 28 in which said molding defines insulating air spaces adjacent opposite sides of said mullion frame member.

31. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 28 in which said structural frame member is non-metallic.

32. A refrigerator door assembly mountable in an opening in the wall of a refrigerator cabinet comprising a door mounting frame, at least one insulated door mounted on said frame, said door mounting frame including an L-shaped structural frame member having a side wall positionable adjacent the periphery of said wall opening and a transverse wall extending from said frame member side wall into said opening for defining a stop for said door, rigid plastic molding means surrounding rear and opposite sides of said frame member, said molding means including an L-shaped molding having a first portion interposed between said wall an outer side of said frame member side wall and a second portion encompassing a rear side of said frame member transverse wall, said frame member side and transverse walls being formed with an outwardly and rearwardly opening recesses extending into said side and transverse walls respectively at least one-half the thickness of said frame member side and transverse walls, said L-shaped molding covering said outwardly and rearwardly opening recesses to define dead air insulating spaces therebetween, a trim panel having a side wall overlying an inner side of said frame member side wall and a front wall overlying a front end of said frame member side wall and a portion of said cabinet wall immediately adjacent said opening for providing the desired finished appearance for said door mounting frame, said frame member transverse wall further being formed with a forwardly opening recess, and a sealing plate enclosing said forward opening recess to define an air insulating space adjacent the rear side of said sealing plates.