Anti-fog refrigeration door and method of making the same
First Claim
1. A refrigeration door having an outer surface and adapted to be mounted on a refrigerating compartment, said door comprising:
- an insulating glass unit, comprising;
a first sheet of glass;
a second sheet of glass;
a first sealant assembly disposed around the periphery of said first sheet of glass and said second sheet of glass for maintaining said first sheet and said second sheet in spaced-apart relationship from each other;
a first low emissivity coating adjacent a surface of said first sheet or said second sheet of glass; and
an anti-fog or anti-frost coating adjacent a surface of at least one of said sheets of glass; and
a frame secured around the periphery of said insulating glass unit,wherein the surface having the anti-fog or anti-frost coating thereon is treated, prior to application of the anti-fog or anti-frost coating, with a solution comprising a first silane, and said anti-fog or anti-frost coating comprises a second silane, which second silane is different than the first silane,and said door has a U value substantially equal to or less than 0.2 BTU/hr-sq ft-F or an emissivity substantially equal to or less than 0.04.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The energy-free refrigeration door of the present application provides a way to control condensation when the door of a refrigeration unit is opened by providing thermal insulation to the door with glass panels which have a low emissivity coating. The door includes a door frame housing and an insulating glass unit comprising inner, middle and outer sheets of glass. A first sealant assembly disposed around the periphery of the inner and middle sheets of glass forms a first chamber between the inner and middle sheets of glass. A second sealant assembly disposed around the periphery of the middle and outer sheets of glass forms a second chamber between the middle and outer sheets of glass. A gas, such as krypton, air, or argon is held in the first and second chambers. The outer sheet of glass and inner sheet of glass each have an unexposed surface that faces the middle sheet of glass. A low emissivity coating is disposed on the unexposed surfaces of the inner and outer sheets of glass so that the glass door as a whole avoids formation of condensation on the outer surface of the outer sheet of the glass door, without the application of electricity to heat the door, while also providing the desired evaporation rate of condensation from the inner side of the inner sheet of the glass door. An anti-fog or anti-frost coating is included on a surface of one of the sheets of glass.
-
Citations
78 Claims
-
1. A refrigeration door having an outer surface and adapted to be mounted on a refrigerating compartment, said door comprising:
-
an insulating glass unit, comprising; a first sheet of glass; a second sheet of glass; a first sealant assembly disposed around the periphery of said first sheet of glass and said second sheet of glass for maintaining said first sheet and said second sheet in spaced-apart relationship from each other; a first low emissivity coating adjacent a surface of said first sheet or said second sheet of glass; and an anti-fog or anti-frost coating adjacent a surface of at least one of said sheets of glass; and a frame secured around the periphery of said insulating glass unit, wherein the surface having the anti-fog or anti-frost coating thereon is treated, prior to application of the anti-fog or anti-frost coating, with a solution comprising a first silane, and said anti-fog or anti-frost coating comprises a second silane, which second silane is different than the first silane, and said door has a U value substantially equal to or less than 0.2 BTU/hr-sq ft-F or an emissivity substantially equal to or less than 0.04. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
43. A method of manufacturing a refrigeration door component having an outer surface, said method comprising the steps of:
-
providing a first sheet of glass; providing a second sheet of glass; providing a first low emissivity coating adjacent a surface of said first sheet of glass or said second sheet of glass; disposing a first sealant assembly around the periphery of said first sheet of glass and said second sheet of glass to maintain said first sheet and said second sheet in spaced-apart relationship from each other; and providing an anti-fog or anti-frost coating adjacent a surface of at least one of said sheets of glass, wherein the surface having the anti-fog or anti-frost coating thereon is treated, prior to application of the anti-fog or anti-frost coating, with a solution comprising a first silane, and wherein said anti-fog or anti-frost coating comprises a second silane, which second silane is different than the first silane; said first sheet of glass, said second sheet of glass, and said first sealant assembly forming an insulating glass unit wherein the formation of condensation on the outer surface of the refrigeration door component is substantially prevented without application of electricity for heating the door component, and wherein said refrigeration door component has a U value substantially equal to or less than 0.2 BTU/hr-sq ft-F or an emissivity substantially equal to or less than 0.04. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
-
-
59. A substantially transparent insulating glass unit door having an outer surface and being for use with a refrigerating compartment residing in an exterior environment and having an interior refrigerating compartment;
- said insulating glass unit door comprising;
a first sheet of glass; a second sheet of glass; a first sealant assembly disposed around the periphery of said first sheet of glass and said second sheet of glass for maintaining said first sheet and said second sheet in spaced-apart relationship from each other; a first low emissivity coating adjacent a surface of said first sheet or said second sheet of glass; an anti-fog or anti-frost coating adjacent a surface of at least one of said sheets of glass, wherein the surface having the anti-fog or anti-frost coating thereon is treated, prior to application of the anti-fog or anti-frost coating, with solution comprising a first silane, and wherein said anti-fog or anti-frost coating comprises a second silane, which second silane is different than the first silane; and said first sheet of glass, said second sheet of glass, and said first sealant assembly providing the insulating glass unit with a U value substantially equal to or less than 0.2 BTU/hr-sq ft-F or an emissivity substantially equal to or less than 0.04 effective to substantially prevent the formation of condensation on the outer surface without the application of electricity to heat the outer surface of the insulating glass unit when the interior temperature of the refrigerating compartment is substantially equal to or less than zero degrees Fahrenheit;
the temperature of the exterior environment is substantially equal to or greater than seventy degrees Fahrenheit; and
the humidity in the exterior environment is substantially equal to or greater than sixty percent. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
- said insulating glass unit door comprising;
-
70. A refrigeration unit including an insulated enclosure defining a compartment, a cooling system, and a door adapted to be mounted on an opening of said compartment, said door having an outer surface and comprising:
-
a first sheet of glass; a second sheet of glass; a first sealant assembly disposed around the periphery of said first sheet of glass and said second sheet of glass for maintaining said first sheet and said second sheet in spaced-apart relationship from each other; a first low emissivity coating adjacent the a surface of said first or said second sheet of glass; said first sheet, second sheet, first sealant assembly, and said first low emissivity coating forming an insulating glass unit wherein the formation of condensation on the outer surface of the door is substantially prevented without the application of electricity for heating said first surface; an anti-fog or anti-frost coating adjacent a surface of at least one of said sheets of glass; and
wherein the surface having the anti-fog or anti-frost coating thereon is treated, prior to application of the anti-fog or anti-frost coating, with a solution comprising a first silane, and wherein said anti-fog or anti-frost coating comprises a second silane, which second silane is different than the first silane; anda frame secured around the periphery of said insulating glass unit, and wherein said door has a U value substantially equal to or less than 0.2 BTU/hr-sq ft-F or an emissivity substantially equal to or less than 0.04. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78)
-
Specification