Method of assembling a display case door

• US 6,260,255 B1
• Filed: 03/03/1999
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anthony Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Anthony Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Richardson, Richard J., Crown, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Echols, P. W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cozart, Jermie E.
• Application Number:
  US09/262,125
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 294/58, 495/01, 495/05, 495/06, 49D/IG.2, 527/861.1, 527/861.3
• US Class Current: 29/458
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0434 Glass or transparent panels
• 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: Y10S 49/02 Plastic frame components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49885 with coating before or during assembling

Abstract

A refrigerator door is described for a refrigerated display case. The door includes a glass unit having first and second spaced apart glass panels where the first panel has a forward facing surface and the second panel has a rearward facing surface. A spacer element extends between the first and second glass panels. The door relevant includes an external perimeter wall extending from front to back from a point adjacent the edge of the forward glass panel to a point adjacent the rearward glass panel. A second frame element wall extends between the first and second spaced apart glass panels and extends externally out of the spaced apart glass panels to the perimeter wall. The door rail element also includes a rear wall portion extending inwardly toward the center of the door from the perimeter wall and over a portion of the rearward facing surface of the second glass panel.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a refrigerator door, the method comprising the steps of:

assembling a glass unit including first and second glass panels separated by at least one spacer assembly;

applying sealant between the first and second glass panels and to the at least one spacer assembly;

applying at least one frame rail element having a groove for accepting a glass panel to at least one side of the glass unit;

pressing part of the at least one frame rail element to a peripheral edge of the first glass panel; and

inserting the second glass panel into the groove so that the second glass panel is approximately centered in the groove relative to the sides of the groove.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of applying a sealant into the groove.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assembling a glass unit includes the step of applying a cushion strip to one of the glass panels.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of assembling a glass unit includes the step of placing a spacer assembly between the cushion strip and an adjacent glass panel.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assembling a glass unit includes the step of assembling a glass unit having first, second and intermediate glass panels and further includes the step of applying a cushion and seal strip to the intermediate glass panel, and the step of placing a spacer assembly between the seal strip and one of the first and second glass panels, and wherein the step of applying a sealant includes the step of applying a sealant between the first and second glass panels and in contact with the seal strip and spacer assembly.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of pressing part of at least one frame element includes the step of pressing projections on at least one frame element into a sealant between the first and second glass panels.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assembling a glass unit includes the step of placing a first surface of the first glass panel facing downward on a support surface, further comprising the step of joining adjacent pairs of frame rail elements, and wherein the step of applying at least one frame rail element includes the step of inserting parts of the adjacent pairs of frame rail elements between the first and second glass panels while guiding the groove about an edge of the second glass panel.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of assembling two sets of adjacent pairs of frame rail elements, each pair of frame elements having respective free ends, and joining the sets of frame rail elements to form a rectangular frame about the sides of the glass unit and at least partly between the first and second glass panels.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of applying a sealant into a groove in each frame rail element.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of joining includes the step of fastening at least one frame rail element to a corner key.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of joining includes the step of positioning each frame rail element so that a portion of the second glass panel is inserted into a groove in each frame rail element.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of applying a door gasket strip to each frame rail element.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the steps of assembling and joining include the steps of fastening ends of adjacent frame rail elements to corner keys.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of fastening a plate into a door rail element.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of applying an insert in the frame rail element so as to be adjacent the first glass panel after the door is assembled.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assembling a glass unit includes the step of placing the first glass panel on a support surface, placing the first spacer assembly on the first glass panel, placing an intermediate glass panel on the spacer assembly, placing a second spacer assembly on the intermediate glass panel and placing the second glass panel on the second spacer assembly, and wherein the step of applying sealant includes the step of applying sealant about the first spacer assembly, the intermediate glass panel and the second spacer assembly.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of applying sealant to the groove and positioning a frame rail element so that an edge of the second glass panel is inserted into the groove.

18. A method of manufacturing a refrigerator door, the method comprising the steps of:

assembling a glass unit including first, second and intermediate glass panels, so that the first and intermediate glass panels are adjacent each other and so that the second and intermediate glass panels are adjacent each other and so that the first and intermediate glass panels are separated by a first spacer assembly and the second and intermediate glass panels are separated by a second spacer assembly;

applying a sealant between the first and second glass panels so as to seal the space between the first and second glass panels adjacent the first spacer assembly and the second spacer assembly;

pressing first, second, third and fourth frame rail elements into the sealant and fastening at least one corner key to adjacent frame rail elements; and

positioning at least one frame rail element so as to approximately center at least one portion of the second glass panel into a groove in the frame rail element.