Glass refrigerator door structure

• US 5,097,642 A
• Filed: 09/20/1990
• Issued: 03/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1990
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Anthony C. New
• Original Assignee: Anthony Manufacturing Corporation.
• Inventors: Richardson, Richard J., Downing, Bennie R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Jr., Richard E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COGGINS, WYNN WOOD
• Application Number:
  US07/585,602
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 52/171, 52/172, 52/475
• US Class Current: 52/171.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/043 Doors, covers A47F3/0434 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/6621 with special provisions for fitting in window frames or to adjacent units; Separate edge protecting strips E06B3/66347 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66352 with separate sealing strips between the panes and the spacer
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66366 specially adapted for units comprising more than two panes or for attaching intermediate sheets
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details

Abstract

A glass refrigerator door structure constructed with two or more glass panels and having a peripheral door frame extending around the sides of the door structure and at the inside of the door without covering the outside glass surface of the door. Sealant is used to bond the glass panels to peripheral spacers separating the panels and to pipe-like structures which extend peripherally around the sides of the door structure. The door frame is connected to the pipe-like structures by a peripheral extension from the frame which engages elongated slots in the pipe-like structures. As such, mechanical fasteners such as nuts, bolts or screws are not needed for the purpose of holding the refrigerator door structure together.

Claims

1. A refrigerator door structure comprising:

an outside glass panel and an inside glass panel;

a spacer disposed between said glass panels, said spacer extending peripherally adjacent peripheral edges of said panels;

elongated structures disposed between said glass panels, said elongated structures extending peripherally adjacent said peripheral edges of said panels and peripherally about an outer periphery of said spacer;

sealant disposed between said panels, said sealant holding together said panels, said spacer and said elongated structures; and

a door frame extending peripherally about said elongated structures, said door frame being directly engaged to said elongated structures.

3. The refrigerator door structure of claim 1 wherein said door frame about said peripheral edges of said panels and covers a peripheral inside surface of said inside panel.

4. The refrigerator door structure of claim 1 wherein said spacer is filled with a desiccant.

5. The refrigerator door structure of claim 1 further comprising rubber insulators disposed between said spacer and said panels and between said structures and said panels.

6. The refrigerator door structure of claim 1 wherein said sealant is a thermal setting sealant.

2. A refrigerator door structure comprising:

an outside glass panel and an inside glass panel;

a hollow spacer disposed between said glass panels, said spacer extending peripherally adjacent peripheral edges of said panels;

pipe-like structures disposed between said glass panels, said pipe-like structures extending peripherally adjacent said peripheral edges of said panels;

sealant disposed between said panels, said sealant holding together said panels, said spacer and said pipe-like structures; and

a door frame extending peripherally about said pipe-like structures, said door frame being engaged to said pipe-like structures, said pipe-like structures having elongated slots therein, and said door frame having a peripheral extension engaging said elongated slots.

7. A refrigerator door structure comprising:

an outside glass panel and an inside glass panel;

a hollow spacer disposed between said glass panels, said spacer extending peripheral adjacent peripheral edges of said panels;

pipe-like structures disposed between said glass panels, said pipe-like structures extending peripherally adjacent said peripheral edges of said panels;

sealant disposed between said panels, said sealant holding together said panels, said spacer and said pipe-like structures;

a door frame extending peripherally about said pipe-like structures, said door frame being engaged to said pipe-like structures; and

wires disposed in said sealant adjacent said pipe-like structures.

8. A refrigerator door structure comprising:

an outside glass panel, a middle glass panel and an inside glass panel;

a spacer disposed between said outside and middle glass panels;

a spacer disposed between said middle and inside glass panels;

elongated structures disposed between said inside and outside panels and extending peripherally adjacent peripheral edges of said inside and outside panels and peripherally about outer peripheries of said spacers;

sealant disposed between said inside and outside panels, said sealant holding together said spacers, said elongated structures and said inside, middle and outside panel, said door frame being directly engaged to said structures.

10. The refrigerator door structure of claim 8 wherein said door frame abuts said peripheral edges of said inside and outside panels and covers a peripheral inside surface of said inside panel.

11. The refrigerator door structure of claim 8 wherein said spacers are filled with a desiccant.

12. The refrigerator door structure of claim 8 further comprising rubber insulators disposed between said spacers and said panels and between said structures and said inside and outside panels.

13. The refrigerator door structure of claim 8 wherein said sealant is a thermal setting sealant.

9. A refrigerator door structures comprising:

an outside glass panel, a middle glass panel and an inside glass panel;

a hollow spacer disposed between said outside and middle glass panels;

a hollow spacer disposed between said middle and inside glass panels;

structures disposed between said inside and outside panels and extending peripherally adjacent peripheral edges of said inside and outside panels;

sealant disposed between said inside and outside panels, said sealant holding together said spacers, said structures and said inside, middle and outside panels; and

a door frame extending peripherally about said structures, said door frame being engaged to said structures, said structures having elongated slots therein, said door frame having a peripheral extension engaging said elongated slots.

14. A refrigerator door structure comprising:

an outside glass panel, a middle glass panel and an inside glass panel;

a hollow spacer disposed between said outside and middle glass panels;

a hollow spacer disposed between said middle and inside glass panels;

structures disposed between said inside and outside panels and extending peripherally adjacent peripheral edges of said inside and outside panels;

sealant disposed between said inside and outside panels, said sealant holding together said spacers, said structures and said inside, middle and outside panels;

a door frame extending peripherally about said structures, said door frame being engaged to said structures; and

wires disposed in said sealant adjacent said structures.

15. A refrigerator door structure comprising:

an outside glass panel and an inside glass panel;

a hollow spacer disposed between said glass panels, said spacer extending peripheral adjacent peripheral edges of said panels;

pipe-like structures disposed between said glass panels, each of said pipe-like structures having elongated slots therein and being disposed adjacent one of said peripheral edges of said panels;

sealant disposed between said panels, said sealant holding together said panels, spacer and pipe-like structures; and

a door frame extending peripherally about said peripheral extension engaging said elongated slots.

16. The refrigerator door structure of claim 15 wherein said door frame abuts said peripheral edges of said panels and covers a peripheral inside surface of said inside panel.

17. The refrigerator door structure of claim 15 wherein said hollow spacer is filled with a desiccant.

18. The refrigerator door structure of claim 15 further comprising rubber insulators disposed between said spacer and said panels and between said pipe-like structures and said panels.

19. The refrigerator door structure of claim 15 wherein said sealant is a thermal setting sealant.

20. The refrigerator door structure of claim 15 wherein said panels have painted peripheral borders extending peripherally around said panels adjacent said peripheral edges of said panels.