Foam rail door

• US 5,363,611 A
• Filed: 03/12/1992
• Issued: 11/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: New Anthony Inc (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Anthony Manufacturing Corporation.
• Inventors: Crown, Charles F., Richardson, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COGGINS, WYNN WOOD
• Application Number:
  US07/849,900
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 52/790, 52/309.4, 52/656.1, 52/656.4, 52/656.9, 52/171, 52/208, 52/788, 49/501, 49/504, 49/386, 49/402, 49/DIG. 2, 49/
• US Class Current: 312/116
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/043 Doors, covers A47F3/0434 takes precedence
• 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: 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

Abstract

A refrigerator door construction is disclosed which includes door rail elements formed from a foamed polymeric substance. At least one substantially transparent panel is supported, retained by and sealed in the door rail. Connection elements are provided for connecting the door rail elements. At least one hinge is provided for allowing pivotal movement of the door about an axis. The foam rail element may also form one or more spacer elements between adjacent panels so that separate, discrete spacer bars may be eliminated.

Claims

1. A door for a refrigeration unit comprising:

door rail elements formed from a foamed polymeric substance;

at least one substantially transparent panel having sides and a front portion supported, retained by and sealed in the door rail elements such that no substantial portion of a door rail element on at least one side of the panel overlaps a front portion of the panel;

a connector for the door rail elements; and

at least one hinge for allowing pivotal movement of the door about an axis.

2. The refrigerator door of claim 1 wherein the door rail elements are formed from a foamed polyvinyl chloride.

3. The refrigerator door of claim 2 wherein the door rail elements include a skin having a hardness greater than a hardness of the door rail element.

4. The refrigerator door of claim 2 further comprising a front panel extending over a portion of a door rail element and wherein the door rail element further includes a tip for protecting the edge of the front panel.

5. The refrigerator door of claim 1 further including a glazing strip engaged at a rear portion of the door rail element and having a tip on the glazing strip for contacting a rear panel of the refrigerator door.

6. The refrigerator door of claim 2 further including wherein the connecting means includes a corner connecting assembly, wherein the corner connecting assembly includes a corner piece having two elements extending at right angles with respect to one another and a bar extending in a groove in one rail element for sandwiching a portion of the rail element between the bar and one side of the corner piece.

18. The door of claim 1 wherein at least one of the door rail elements is free of any metallic support structure in at least part of the door rail element.

19. The door of claim 1 wherein the door rail elements formed from the foamed polymeric substance are extruded foam rail elements.

20. The door of claim 19 wherein at least one of the door rail elements includes a co-extruded portion having a hardness softer than a hardness of the door rail element.

21. The door of claim 1 wherein at least one door rail element includes means for accepting sealant for forming a bond between the door rail element and the glass unit through the sealant.

22. The door of claim 21 wherein the sealant accepting means is a groove in the door rail element.

23. The door of claim 4 wherein the tip is co-extruded with the door rail element and wherein the door rail element and the tip have respective hardnesses and wherein the hardness of the tip is less than the hardness of the door rail element.

24. The door of claim 5 wherein the tip on the glazing strip is co-extruded and wherein the glazing strip and the tip have respective hardnesses and wherein the hardness of the tip is less than the hardness of the glazing strip.

7. A door for a refrigeration unit comprising:

door rail elements formed from a foamed polymeric substance being free of any metallic support structure in at least part of at least one of the door rail elements;

a plurality of substantially transparent panels supported, retained and sealed in the door rail elements, wherein a forward panel extends wider than the remaining panels in the plurality of panels such that the door rail elements are positioned entirely behind the forward panel;

a connector for the door rail elements; and

at least one hinge for allowing pivotal movement of the door about an axis.

8. The refrigerator door of claim 7 wherein the door rail elements are formed from a foamed polyvinyl chloride.

9. The refrigerator door of claim 7 further comprising an edge protector strip mounted to a forward facing surface of the door rail elements for protecting a side edge of the forward panel.

10. The refrigerator door of claim 7 further comprising a glazing strip having a soft tip for contacting and sealing a rear glazing panel in the plurality of transparency panels.

25. The door of claim 7 wherein the only metallic structural support in the door rail elements for the transparent panels are corner connecting elements for connecting adjacent door rail elements and means for mounting the door for swinging movement in a surrounding frame.

11. A method of assembling a door for a refrigeration unit having door rail elements and a plurality of transparent panels supported, retained by and sealed in the door rail and connectors for the door rail elements, the method comprising the steps of:

placing the plurality of glazing panels face down to expose a rearwardly facing surface of a forward panel in the plurality of glazing panels;

assembling the door rail elements to form a substantially rigid door frame;

placing the door rail adjacent the rear facing surface of the forward glazing panel so that the forward facing portion of the door rail element facing the forward glazing panel and the forward glazing panel are out of contact and so as to surround the outer perimeters of the remaining glazing panels;

placing a sealant between the glazing panels and the door rail elements; and

joining a glazing strip with the door rail elements to support the glazing panels from behind the glazing panels.

12. A door for a refrigeration unit comprising:

door rail elements formed from a foamed polymeric substance wherein the door rail elements extend longitudinally and the door rail elements include a pair of bars extending longitudinally along at least a part of the corresponding door rail element;

at least one substantially transparent panel supported, retained by and sealed in the door frame;

at least one hinge for allowing pivotal movement of the door about an axis; and

connector elements for the door rail elements including an internal corner piece, an internal anchor bar and an external strap wherein one side of the corner piece is placed in a slot in a door rail element for sandwiching the pair of bars on the door rail element between the corner piece and the anchor bar.

26. The door of claim 12 wherein one door element includes a groove below the slot for defining the pair of bars and wherein the anchor is positioned in the groove and the one side of the corner piece is placed in the slot and the anchor and the corner piece are fastened together with fasteners to fix the corner piece to the respective rail element.

13. A door for a refrigeration unit comprising:

a plurality of panels including a forward panel;

a door rail element for supporting the plurality of panels such that substantially no part of the door rail of at least one door rail element overlaps the forward panel wherein the door rail element includes at least one spacer element extending from the door rail element into a space between adjacent panels of the plurality of panels and wherein the spacer element is part of the door rail element; and

at least one hinge for allowing pivotal movement of the door about an axis.

14. The door of claim 13 wherein the door rail element is formed from a foamed polymeric substance.

15. The door of claim 14 wherein the polymeric substance is polyvinyl chloride.

16. The door of claim 13 wherein the spacer element is bonded to the adjacent glazing panels by a sealing compound.

17. The door of claim 13 wherein the spacer element includes a non-uniform surface for engaging a complimentary surface on the door rail element.