Thermally insulated door assembly and method

• US 9,797,650 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Sanders, Joseph F., Waller, Timothy G., McAleer, Matthew K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Anabel
• Application Number:
  US14/522,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20150198366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 362 92
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/001 Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0434 Glass or transparent panels
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66376 comprising lighting means
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 7/00 Special arrangements or measures in connection with doors or windows arrangements against burglary at the edges of the wings E06B5/113 ; screening or similar protective devices E06B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0044 Household appliances, e.g. washing machines or vacuum cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/04 Preventing the formation of frost or condensate
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/02 Details of doors or covers not otherwise covered
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/00 Lighting arrangements in general F21

Abstract

A thermally insulated door assembly includes first and second panes of light transmissive material, a light assembly, and a heat sink. The first pane and the second pane are spaced apart from each other by a separation gap to define an interior chamber. The light assembly is in the interior chamber between the first pane and the second pane, and is configured to generate light within the interior chamber. The heat sink is disposed within the interior chamber and coupled with the light assembly and an inwardly facing surface of the first pane. The heat sink is configured to conduct thermal energy generated by the light assembly onto an inwardly facing surface of the first pane and into the interior chamber such that the inwardly facing surface of the first pane and the interior chamber are heated by the light assembly.

Claims

1. A thermally insulated door assembly comprising:

an outer first pane of light transmissive material having an outwardly facing surface and an opposite inwardly facing surface;

a second pane of light transmissive material having an outwardly facing surface and an opposite inwardly facing surface, the outwardly facing surface of the second pane facing the inwardly facing surface of the first pane, the first pane and the second pane spaced apart from each other by a separation gap to define an interior chamber;

a third pane of light transmissive material having an inwardly surface and an opposite outwardly facing surface, the outwardly facing surface of the third pane facing and spaced apart from the inwardly facing surface of the second pane such that another interior chamber is defined between the second pane and the third pane;

a light assembly disposed within the interior chamber between the first pane and the second pane, the light assembly configured to generate light within the interior chamber; and

a heat sink disposed within the interior chamber and coupled with the light assembly and the inwardly facing surface of the first pane, wherein the heat sink is configured to conduct thermal energy generated by the light assembly onto the inwardly facing surface of the first pane and into the interior chamber such that the inwardly facing surface of the first pane and the interior chamber are heated by the light assembly.

2. The door assembly of claim 1, wherein the first pane and the second pane provide viewing of product stored in a refrigerated housing to which the door assembly is coupled and that provides access to the product in the refrigerated housing, and wherein the inwardly facing surface of the first pane and the interior chamber between the first pane and the second pane are heated by the light assembly to prevent condensation on the first pane.

3. The door assembly of claim 1, wherein the heat sink includes one or more reflective surfaces that reflect the light generated by the light assembly away from at least one of the interior chamber between the first and second panes or the outwardly facing surface of the second pane.

4. The door assembly of claim 1, wherein the light assembly comprises one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) that generate the thermal energy and the light.

5. The door assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first pane and the second pane is a glass pane.

6. The door assembly of claim 1, wherein the first pane and the second pane each extends between opposite upper and lower edges along a first direction and between opposite side edges along a second direction that is transverse to the first direction, and further comprising a door frame extending along and coupled with the upper and lower edges and the side edges of the first and second pane.

7. The door assembly of claim 6, further comprising one or more conductive bodies extending through the first pane and coupled with both the heat sink and the door frame, wherein the one or more conductive bodies are configured to transfer at least a portion of the thermal energy generated by the light assembly to the door frame in order to heat the door frame.

8. A method for heating a thermally insulated door assembly, the method comprising:

positioning a heat sink in an interior chamber of the door assembly between an outer first pane of light transmissive material and a second pane of light transmissive material, the first pane having an outwardly facing surface and an opposite inwardly facing surface, the second pane having an outwardly facing surface and an opposite inwardly facing surface, the outwardly facing surface of the second pane facing the inwardly facing surface of the first pane, the first pane and the second pane spaced apart from each other by a separation gap to define the interior chamber in which the heat sink is positioned, the door assembly also including a thirdpane of light transmissive material having an inwardly surface and an opposite outwardly facing surface, the outwardly facing surface of the third pane facing and spaced apart from the inwardly facing surface of the second pane such that another interior chamber is defined between the second pane and the third pane; and

coupling a light assembly with the heat sink in the interior chamber of the door assembly, the light assembly coupled with the heat sink to generate light in the interior chamber of the door assembly and to generate thermal energy,

wherein the heat sink is positioned in the interior chamber such that the heat sink is coupled with the inwardly facing surface of the first pane such that the heat sink conducts the thermal energy generated by the light assembly onto the inwardly facing surface of the first pane and into the interior chamber in order to heat the inwardly facing surface of the first pane and the interior chamber.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first pane and the second pane provide viewing of product stored in a refrigerated housing to which the door assembly is coupled and that provides access to the product in the refrigerated housing, and

wherein the heat sink is positioned in the interior chamber so that the inwardly facing surface of the first pane and the interior chamber between the first pane and the second pane are heated by the light assembly to prevent condensation on the first pane.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the heat sink includes one or more reflective surfaces and the heat sink is positioned such that the one or more reflective surfaces reflect the light generated by the light assembly away from at least one of the interior chamber between the first and second panes or the outwardly facing surface of the second pane.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first pane and the second pane each extends between opposite upper and lower edges along a first direction and between opposite side edges along a second direction that is transverse to the first direction, and further comprising coupling a door frame with the upper and lower edges and the side edges of the first and second pane.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising coupling one or more conductive bodies with the heat sink and the door frame such that the one or more conductive bodies extend through the first pane in order to transfer at least a portion of the thermal energy generated by the light assembly to the door frame and heat the door frame.

13. A door assembly comprising:

an outer glass pane having an exterior surface and an opposite interior surface;

an interior glass pane having an outwardly facing surface and an opposite inwardly facing surface, the interior glass pane spaced apart from the outer glass pane by a separation gap to define a first interior chamber, the outwardly facing surface of the interior glass pane facing the interior surface of the outer glass pane;

an inner glass pane having an outwardly facing surface and an opposite interior surface, the inner glass pane spaced apart from the interior glass pane by a separation gap to define a second interior chamber, the outwardly facing surface of the inner glass pane facing the inwardly facing surface of the interior glass pane;

a light assembly disposed in the first interior chamber between the outer glass pane and the interior glass pane, the light assembly configured to generate light and thermal energy; and

a heat sink disposed in the first interior chamber between the outer glass pane and the interior glass pane, wherein the heat sink prevents condensation on the outer glass pane by conducting at least some of the thermal energy generated by the light assembly to the interior surface of the outer glass pane to heat the interior surface of the outer glass pane.

14. The door assembly of claim 13, wherein the heat sink is coupled with the interior surface of the outer glass pane.

15. The door assembly of claim 13, wherein the heat sink extends from the interior surface of the outer glass pane to the inwardly facing surface of the interior glass pane.

16. The door assembly of claim 13, wherein the heat sink includes one or more reflective surfaces that reflect the light generated by the light assembly away from at least one of the outwardly facing surface of the interior glass pane or the first interior chamber.

17. The door assembly of claim 13, wherein the heat sink includes a lateral elongated portion and a transverse elongated portion coupled with each other and extending along different directions, the lateral elongated portion coupled with and extending along the interior surface of the outer glass pane, the transverse elongated portion extending from the interior surface of the outer glass pane to the outwardly facing surface of the interior glass pane.

18. The door assembly of claim 17, wherein the lateral elongated portion of the heat sink thermally conducts the thermal energy generated by the light assembly to the interior surface of the outer glass pane to heat the interior surface of the outer glass pane.

19. The door assembly of claim 17, wherein the transverse elongated portion of the heat sink reflects the light generated by the light assembly away from the first interior chamber.