Edge-lit door for refrigerator unit

• US 9,801,474 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2015
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: True Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: True Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Trulaske, Sr., Steven Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Troy, Daniel J
• Assistant Examiner(s): AYRES, TIMOTHY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US14/861,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20160095450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 312116, 312405
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 11/10 Arrangements of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/001 Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/005 with glass panels
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/043 Doors, covers A47F3/0434 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0434 Glass or transparent panels
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0044 Household appliances, e.g. washing machines or vacuum cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/305 for refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/00 Lighting arrangements in general F21

Abstract

A door for a refrigeration unit having a transparent panel assembly having an outer transparent panel and an inner transparent panel. The outer transparent panel has an outer side, an inner side, and top, bottom, left, and right edges and the inner transparent panel has an outer side, an inner side and top, bottom, left, and right edges. A decorative design is applied to the inner side of the outer transparent panel. A population of light sources are positioned on the top, bottom, left and/or right edges of the outer transparent panel and are capable of emitting light into the outer transparent panel, such that the decorative design is capable of being illuminated by the population of light sources.

Claims

1. A door for a refrigeration unit comprising:

a transparent panel assembly comprising an outer transparent panel and an inner transparent panel, the outer transparent panel having an outer side, an inner side, and top, bottom, left, and right edges and the inner transparent panel having an outer side, an inner side, and top, bottom, left, and right edges, wherein a first decorative design is applied to the inner side of the inner transparent panel;

a rectangular door shell;

a perimeter channel located in the door shell, the perimeter channel having a front wall, a rear wall, and a perimeter wall, wherein the transparent panel assembly is retained within the perimeter channel;

a front spacers between the front wall of the perimeter channel and the outer side of the outer transparent panel;

a first population of light sources positioned on at least one of the top, bottom, left or right edges of the inner transparent panel capable of emitting light into the inner transparent panel;

a spacer bar proximate the top, bottom, left, and right edges of the outer and inner transparent panels, the spacer bar connecting the inner sides of the outer and inner transparent panels; and

a population of light source retention members contacting the first population of light sources, wherein the population of light source retention members include a population of chamfered fingers adapted to be inserted a depth into the spacer bar of the transparent panel assembly;

wherein the first decorative design is capable of being illuminated by the first population of light sources.

2. The door of claim 1, further comprising:

a second decorative design applied to the inner side of the outer transparent panel; and

a second population of light sources positioned on at least one of the top, bottom, left or right edges of the outer transparent panel capable of emitting light into the outer transparent panel;

wherein the second decorative design on the outer transparent panel is capable of being illuminated by the second population of light sources on the outer transparent panel.

3. The door of claim 1, further comprising a rear spacer between the rear wall of the perimeter channel and the outer side of the inner transparent panel.

4. The door of claim 1, wherein the perimeter channel is formed by:

a population of primary panel retention members attached to the rectangular door shell, each of the population of primary panel retention members having a first wall portion and a second wall portion extending substantially perpendicular to the first wall portion, wherein the first wall portions form the front wall of the perimeter channel and the second wall portions form the perimeter wall; and

a population of secondary panel retention members attached to the population of primary panel retention members, each of the population of secondary panel retention members having a first wall portion, wherein the first wall portions of the secondary panel retention members form the rear wall of the perimeter channel.

5. The door of claim 4, wherein each of the population of primary panel retention members further comprise a ribbed receiving channel and each of the population of secondary panel retention members further comprise a barbed portion, wherein the ribbed receiving channels of the primary panel retention members are adapted to receive the barbed portions of the secondary panel retention members.

6. The door of claim 1, wherein each of the population of light source retention members further comprise a stop adapted to contact at least one of the top, bottom, left or right edge of the outer or inner transparent panels for controlling the depth of insertion of the population of chamfered fingers.

7. The door of claim 6, further comprising a population of springs contacting the population of light source retention members and the perimeter wall of the perimeter channel, wherein the population of springs provides a spring force to maintain the population of light sources in contact with at least one of the top, bottom, left or right edges of the outer or inner transparent panels.

8. The door of claim 1, wherein the decorative design is applied by a printing process.

9. The door claim 8, wherein the decorative design is formed of ultraviolet (UV) curable ink.

10. The door of claim 9, wherein the decorative design comprises a layer of primer applied to the inner side of the inner transparent panel and a layer of ink applied to the layer of primer.

11. The door of claim 1, wherein the decorative design is applied by a silk-screening processing using ceramic frit.

12. The door of claim 1, wherein the decorative design is applied by a digital printing process using thermally cured ceramic ink.

13. The door of claim 2, wherein the first and second population of light sources are capable of emitting a single color of light.

14. The door of claim 2, wherein the first and second population of light sources are capable of emitting multiple colors of light.

15. The door of claim 2, wherein a first subset of the first population of light sources is capable of emitting a first color of light and wherein a second subset of the second population of light sources is capable of emitting a second color of light.

16. The door of claim 1, wherein the first population of light sources are positioned on the top edge of the inner transparent panels.

17. The door of claim 1, wherein the first population of light sources are positioned on the bottom edge of the inner transparent panels.

18. The door of claim 1, wherein the first population of light sources are positioned on the left edge of the inner transparent panels.

19. The door of claim 1, wherein the first population of light sources are positioned on the right edge of the inner transparent panels.

20. The door of claim 1, wherein the door is rotatably mounted to a cabinet comprising a storage compartment and refrigeration system components capable of refrigerating the storage compartment.

21. A door for a refrigeration unit comprising:

a rectangular door shell;

a perimeter channel located in the door shell, the perimeter channel having a front wall, a rear wall, and a perimeter wall;

a transparent panel assembly retained within the perimeter channel, the transparent panel assembly comprising;

an outer transparent panel having an outer side, an inner side, and top, bottom, left, and right edges;

an inner transparent panel having an outer side, an inner side, and top, bottom, left, and right edges; and

a spacer bar proximate the top, bottom, left, and right edges of the outer and inner transparent panels, the spacer bar connecting the inner sides of the outer and inner transparent panels;

a population of light sources positioned on at least one of the top, bottom, left or right edges of the outer or inner transparent panels capable of emitting light into the outer or inner transparent panels; and

a population of light source retention members contacting the population of light sources, wherein the light source retention members comprise a population of chamfered fingers adapted to be inserted a depth into the spacer bar of the transparent panel assembly.

22. A refrigeration unit comprising:

a cabinet having a storage compartment and refrigeration system components capable of refrigerating the storage compartment; and

a door mounted to the cabinet, the door comprising;

a rectangular door shell;

a perimeter channel located in the door shell, the perimeter channel having a front wall, a rear wall, and a perimeter wall;

a transparent panel assembly retained within the perimeter channel, the transparent panel assembly comprising;

an outer transparent panel having an outer side, an inner side, and top, bottom, left, and right edges;

an inner transparent panel having an outer side, an inner side, and top, bottom, left, and right edges; and

a spacer bar proximate the top, bottom, left, and right edges of the outer and inner transparent panels, the spacer bar connecting the inner sides of the outer and inner transparent panels;

a population of light sources positioned on at least one of the top, bottom, left or right edges of the outer or inner transparent panels capable of emitting light into the outer or inner transparent panels; and

a population of light source retention members contacting the population of light sources, wherein the population of light source retention members further comprise a population of chamfered fingers adapted to be inserted a depth into the spacer bar of the transparent panel assembly.

23. The refrigeration unit of claim 22, further comprising a first decorative design applied to the inner side of the outer transparent panel.

24. The refrigeration unit of claim 23, further comprising a second decorative design applied to the inner side of the inner transparent panel.

25. The refrigeration unit of claim 22, further comprising a first decorative design applied to the inner side of the outer transparent panel and a second decorative design applied to the inner side of the inner transparent panel.

26. The refrigeration unit of claim 23, further comprising a front spacer between the front wall of the perimeter channel and the outer side of the outer transparent panel.

27. The refrigeration unit of claim 23, further comprising a rear spacer between the rear wall of the perimeter channel and the outer side of the inner transparent panel.

28. The refrigeration unit of claim 23, wherein the perimeter channel is formed by:

a population of primary panel retention members attached to the rectangular door shell, each of the population of primary panel retention members having a first wall portion and a second wall portion extending substantially perpendicular to the first wall portion, wherein the first wall portions form the front wall of the perimeter channel and the second wall portions form the perimeter wall;

a population of secondary panel retention members attached to the population of primary panel retention members, each of the population of secondary panel retention members having a first wall portion, wherein the first wall portions of the secondary panel retention members form the rear wall of the perimeter channel.

29. The refrigeration unit of claim 28, wherein each of the population of primary panel retention members further comprise a ribbed receiving channel and each of the population of secondary panel retention members further comprise a barbed portion, wherein the ribbed receiving channels of the primary panel retention members are adapted to receive the barbed portions of the secondary panel retention members.

30. The refrigeration unit of claim 22, wherein each of the population of light source retention members further comprise a stop adapted to contact at least one of the top, bottom, left or right edge of the outer or inner transparent panels for controlling the depth of insertion of the population of chamfered fingers.

31. The refrigeration unit of claim 30, wherein the population of springs comprise leaf springs.

32. The refrigeration unit of claim 23, wherein the first decorative design is applied by a printing process.

33. The refrigeration unit of claim 32, wherein the first decorative design is formed of ultraviolet (UV) curable ink.

34. The refrigeration unit of claim 33, wherein the first decorative design comprises a layer of primer applied to the inner side of the outer or inner transparent panel and a layer of ink applied to the layer of primer.

35. The refrigeration unit of claim 23, wherein the first decorative design is applied by a silk-screening processing using formed of ceramic frit.

36. The refrigeration unit of claim 23, wherein the first decorative design is applied by a digital printing process using thermally cured ceramic ink.

37. The refrigeration unit of claim 22, wherein the population of light sources are capable of emitting a single color of light.

38. The refrigeration unit of claim 22, wherein the population of light sources are capable of emitting multiple colors of light.

39. The refrigeration unit of claim 22, wherein a first subset of the population of light sources is capable of emitting a first color of light and wherein a second subset of the population of light sources is capable of emitting a second color of light.

40. The refrigeration unit of claim 22, wherein the population of light sources are positioned on the top edge of the outer or inner transparent panels.

41. The refrigeration unit of claim 22, wherein the population of light sources are positioned on the bottom edge of the outer or inner transparent panels.

42. The refrigeration unit of claim 22, wherein the population of light sources are positioned on the left edge of the outer or inner transparent panels.

43. The refrigeration unit of claim 22, wherein the population of light sources are positioned on the right edge of the outer or inner transparent panels.