Display case door

• US 6,318,027 B1
• Filed: 03/03/1998
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anthony Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Anthony C. New
• Inventors: Richardson, Richard J., Crown, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Strimbu, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US09/034,548
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 495/04, 49D/IG.2, 527/861.1, 527/861.3
• US Class Current: 49/504
• 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 for a refrigerated display case 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. A door rail element includes an external perimeter wall extending from a point adjacent the edge of the first glass panel to a point adjacent the second glass panel. The door rail element also includes a portion which extends within the space between the first and second spaced apart glass panels and a portion which extends externally of the spaced apart glass panels to the perimeter wall. The door rail element further 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. In one aspect, one or more of the door rail elements may be formed from a composite, for example, resin and glass fibers. A method of assembling the door is also disclosed, which may include assembling the glass unit and applying a sealant between the first and second glass panels.

Claims

1. A composite refrigerator door for a refrigerated display case, the door comprising:

a first glass panel having an edge;

a second glass panel spaced apart from the first glass panel and having an edge;

at least one spacer element separating the first and second glass panels;

at least one door rail element formed from a composition of glass fiber mats and rovings and a thermosetting plastic, the door rail element having a front and a back and wherein the door rail element includes a perimeter wall extending from a point adjacent the edge of the first glass panel to a point adjacent the edge of the second glass panel, and a panel-separating frame element having a first portion extending between the first and second glass panels and a second portion extending externally of the first and second glass panels to the perimeter wall, and a rear wall portion extending inwardly toward a center of the door from the perimeter wall and over a portion of a rearward surface of the second glass panel;

a hinge element extending into the first portion of the panel-separating frame element for allowing opening and closing of the door; and

a handle supported by the door for moving the door.

2. The refrigerator door of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second glass panels have a width dimension and height dimension and wherein the door includes a third glass panel having width and height dimensions and at least one of the width and height dimensions of the third glass panel is smaller than a corresponding one of said width and height dimensions of one of the first and second glass panels.

3. The refrigerator door of claim 2 wherein the at least one door rail element is pultruded and wherein the panel-separating frame element includes a fully enclosed hollow frame element extending inwardly of the edges of the first and second glass panels and positioned outwardly of a peripheral edge of the third glass panel.

4. The refrigerator door of claim 3 wherein the hollow frame element is defined by at least four walls at least three adjacent ones of which are joined at right angles.

5. The refrigerator door of claim 3 further comprising a sealant between the panel separating frame element and the third glass panel, and projections on the panel separating frame element extending into the sealant to inter-engage the sealant and the projections.

6. The refrigerator door of claim 5 wherein the projections further include protrusions.

7. The refrigerator door of claim 6 wherein the panel separating frame element and the rear wall portion define a groove for receiving the second glass panel.

8. The refrigerator door of claim 7 further comprising sealant in the groove.

9. The refrigerator door of claim 3 wherein the door rail element has mitered ends.

10. The refrigerator door of claim 9 wherein said at least one door rail element comprises four said door rail elements connected by corner keys to form a rectangular frame.

11. The refrigerator door of claim 3 further comprising a resilient insert positioned between the perimeter wall and the edge of the first glass panel.

12. The refrigerator door of claim 11 wherein the resilient insert is retained by a pocket formed in the door rail element.

13. The refrigerator door of claim 3 further comprising a resilient strip between the third glass panel and a spacer separating the third glass panel and the second glass panel.

14. A composite refrigerator door for a refrigerated display case, the door comprising:

a glass unit including first and second spaced apart glass panels;

a spacer element separating the first and second glass panels;

at least one door rail element formed from a composition of glass fiber mats and rovings and a thermosetting plastic, the door rail element including a perimeter wall extending from a point adjacent an edge of the first glass panel to a point adjacent an edge of the second glass panel, and a panel-separating frame element extending between the first and second spaced apart glass panels and extending externally from the spaced apart glass panels to the perimeter wall, and wherein the panel-separating frame element includes at least one engagement point for engaging sealant, and wherein the rail element further includes a rear wall portion extending inwardly toward a center of the door from the perimeter wall and over a portion of a rearward surface of the second glass panel and a perimeter insert adjacent the first wall for contacting the first glass panel and a second insert on the rear wall portion for contacting the rearward surface of the second glass panel and a gasket seal strip for sealing the door against an opening of the display case;

a hinge element extending into a portion of the panel-separating frame element for allowing opening and closing of the door; and

a handle supported by the door for moving the door.

15. The door of claim 14 wherein the glass unit further comprises a third glass panel between the first and second glass panels.

16. The door of claim 14 wherein the sealant engagement point is a projection extending between the glass panels.

17. The door of claim 16 wherein the projection includes ridges for engaging the sealant.

18. The door of claim 16 further comprising a second projection for engaging the sealant.