Refrigerator door assembly with stylized substantially all glass front

• US 5,111,618 A
• Filed: 03/12/1991
• Issued: 05/12/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Anthony Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ardco, Inc. (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Kostos, Jeffrey, Artwohl, Paul, Rolek, Matthew, Kaspar, Melvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): REDMAN, JERRY E
• Application Number:
  US07/668,135
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 49/401, 49/402, 49/400, 49/478, 49/501, 49/504, 49/DIG. 1, 52/208, 52/397, 52/398, 52/788, 52/789, 52/790, 52/821, 156/100
• US Class Current: 49/501
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/043 Doors, covers A47F3/0434 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/123 with a torsion bar
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/202 for display cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/5427 the panes mounted flush with the surrounding frame or with the surrounding panes E06B3/5436 takes precedence; supporting structures for curtain walls E04B2/885
• 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: F25D 2400/18 Aesthetic features
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 49/01 Thermal breaks for frames

Abstract

A multi-pane insulated glass door assembly in which the forward pane of the glass unit extends outwardly a greater distance than the panes rearwardly thereof and is supported by an outer metal frame having a relatively narrow forwardly extending perimeter portion adjacent the peripheral edge of the forward glass pane so as to provide the door with a modernistic, substantially all glass front appearance. In one embodiment, the outer metal frame has a rear portion extending inwardly behind the forward glass pane and a moulding is interposed between the forwardly extending perimeter portion of the metal frame and the peripheral edge of the forward glass pane to provide a finished appearance. A dark ink is affixed to an inside peripheral face of the forward glass pane for masking the peripheral components of the door assembly from sight through the forward glass pane from the front side thereof. In another embodiment, each door has a non-metallic, lightweight outer molded trim portion which encapsulates the outer support frame and the periphery of the glass unit and which has insulating qualities that tends to prevent heat transfer between warm and cold sides of the door.

Claims

1. A refrigerator door assembly comprising a cabinet frame for mounting adjacent an opening of a refrigerator cabinet, an insulated glass door comprising an insulated glass unit having a plurality of glass panes disposed in side-by-side relation and including a forward pane and at least one pane disposed rearwardly of said forward pane, a spacer interposed between said panes for maintaining said panes in parallel relation with an air space therebetween, said spacer including vertical spacer elements disposed adjacent opposite sides of said glass panes and top and bottom spacer elements connected to said vertical spacer elements and disposed adjacent top and bottom ends of said glass panes, said spacer elements each having an inner peripheral edge disposed inwardly from a respective outer peripheral edge of said forward glass pane, an outer structural door support frame about the periphery of said glass unit, said structural support frame including vertical frame support elements disposed adjacent opposite sides of said door and top and bottom frame support elements disposed adjacent top and bottom ends of said door and rigidly connected to said vertical frame support elements for supporting the weight of said glass unit, said vertical frame support elements being disposed outwardly of said vertical spacer elements and said top and bottom structural frame support elements being disposed outwardly of said top and bottom spacer elements, means supporting said structural support frame and hence the glass unit supported thereby for movement relative to said cabinet frame, said forward glass pane being larger in size than said rearwardly disposed pane and extending outwardly substantially to the outer perimeter of said door, said structural support frame having at least a portion located rearwardly of a peripheral portion of said forward glass pane and being without any portion which extends in overlapping relation to a forward side of said forward pane a distance greater than the distance said rearwardly located structural support frame portion is disposed inwardly from an outer peripheral edge of said forward glass pane, and masking means about a peripheral portion of said forward glass pane and extending inwardly at least a distance corresponding to the inner peripheral edge of said spacer elements for preventing viewing of said spacer elements and the portion of said structural support frame located rearwardly of said forward glass pane through said forward glass pane from a front side thereof while permitting unobstructed viewing of an interior of the refrigerator cabinet within which said door assembly is mounted.

2. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 1 including sealant means associated with said glass panes and spacer for sealing said air space, and said masking means prevents viewing of said sealant means through said forward glass pane from a front side thereof.

3. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 1 including adhesive means between the said door support frame and an outer peripheral portion of said glass unit, and said masking means prevents viewing of said adhesive means through said forward glass pane from a front side thereof.

4. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 1 including an intermediate pane disposed between said forward and rearwardly disposed panes, and said outer door support frame is disposed outwardly of the peripheral edges of said intermediate and rearwardly disposed panes and rearwardly of an outer peripheral portion of said forward pane.

5. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 1 in which said masking means is a silk screen coating affixed to an outer peripheral portion of said forward glass pane.

6. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 5 in which said silk screen is affixed to a rear face of said forward glass pane.

7. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 1 including a relatively narrow perimeter frame portion extending forwardly of said door support frame in adjacent relation to an outer peripheral edge of said forward glass pane.

8. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 7 in which said narrow perimeter frame portion is an integral part of said door support frame.

9. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 7 including a molding interposed between said narrow perimeter frame portion and the outer peripheral edge of forward pane.

10. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 9 in which said molding has a forward end extending over a front side of said narrow perimeter frame portion of said door frame and a front side of said forward glass pane.

11. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 7 in which said door support frame has a portion extending rearwardly to a location adjacent an outer peripheral edge of said rearwardly disposed pane.

12. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 1 in which said cabinet frame and door support frame are made of metal.

13. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 1 including a molded non-metallic outer trim portion surrounding said outer frame and the periphery of said glass unit.

14. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 13 in which said trim portion is molded of structural polyurethane foam.

15. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 13 in which said trim portion is molded of thermal setting PVC plastic.

16. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 13 in which said outer frame extends outwardly beyond the periphery of said forward glass pane, and said trim portion encapsulates said outer frame.

17. The refrigerator door assembly of claim 1 in which said forward glass pane has a conductive coating on an inner surface thereof, bus bars mounted on said forward glass pane on opposite sides of said conductive coating for connection to an electrical source, and said bus bars being disposed between said spacer and said forward glass pane.