Glass refrigerator door structure
First Claim
1. A refrigerator door structure comprising:
- an outside glass panel and an inside glass panel;
a spacer disposed between said glass panels, said spacer extending peripherally adjacent peripheral edges of said panels;
elongated structures disposed between said glass panels, said elongated structures extending peripherally adjacent said peripheral edges of said panels and peripherally about an outer periphery of said spacer;
sealant disposed between said panels, said sealant holding together said panels, said spacer and said elongated structures; and
a door frame extending peripherally about said elongated structures, said door frame being directly engaged to said elongated structures.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A glass refrigerator door structure constructed with two or more glass panels and having a peripheral door frame extending around the sides of the door structure and at the inside of the door without covering the outside glass surface of the door. Sealant is used to bond the glass panels to peripheral spacers separating the panels and to pipe-like structures which extend peripherally around the sides of the door structure. The door frame is connected to the pipe-like structures by a peripheral extension from the frame which engages elongated slots in the pipe-like structures. As such, mechanical fasteners such as nuts, bolts or screws are not needed for the purpose of holding the refrigerator door structure together.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A refrigerator door structure comprising:
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an outside glass panel and an inside glass panel; a spacer disposed between said glass panels, said spacer extending peripherally adjacent peripheral edges of said panels; elongated structures disposed between said glass panels, said elongated structures extending peripherally adjacent said peripheral edges of said panels and peripherally about an outer periphery of said spacer; sealant disposed between said panels, said sealant holding together said panels, said spacer and said elongated structures; and a door frame extending peripherally about said elongated structures, said door frame being directly engaged to said elongated structures. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
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2. A refrigerator door structure comprising:
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an outside glass panel and an inside glass panel; a hollow spacer disposed between said glass panels, said spacer extending peripherally adjacent peripheral edges of said panels; pipe-like structures disposed between said glass panels, said pipe-like structures extending peripherally adjacent said peripheral edges of said panels; sealant disposed between said panels, said sealant holding together said panels, said spacer and said pipe-like structures; and a door frame extending peripherally about said pipe-like structures, said door frame being engaged to said pipe-like structures, said pipe-like structures having elongated slots therein, and said door frame having a peripheral extension engaging said elongated slots.
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7. A refrigerator door structure comprising:
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an outside glass panel and an inside glass panel; a hollow spacer disposed between said glass panels, said spacer extending peripheral adjacent peripheral edges of said panels; pipe-like structures disposed between said glass panels, said pipe-like structures extending peripherally adjacent said peripheral edges of said panels; sealant disposed between said panels, said sealant holding together said panels, said spacer and said pipe-like structures; a door frame extending peripherally about said pipe-like structures, said door frame being engaged to said pipe-like structures; and wires disposed in said sealant said pipe-like structures.
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8. A refrigerator door structure comprising:
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an outside glass panel, a middle glass panel and an inside glass panel; a spacer disposed between said outside and middle glass panels; a spacer disposed between said middle and inside glass panels; elongated structures disposed between said inside and outside panels and extending peripherally adjacent peripheral edges of said inside and outside panels and peripherally about outer peripheries of said spacers; sealant disposed between said inside and outside panels, said sealant holding together said spacers, said elongated structures and said inside, middle and .Iadd.outside panels; and a door frame extending peripherally about said peripheral edges of said inside and outside panels without covering an outside surface of said .Iaddend.outside panel, said door frame being directly engaged to said structures. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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9. A refrigerator door structures comprising:
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an outside glass panel, a middle glass panel and an inside glass panel; a hollow spacer disposed between said outside and middle glass panels; a hollow spacer disposed between said middle and inside glass panels; structures disposed between said inside and outside panels and extending peripherally adjacent peripheral edges of said inside and outside panels; sealant disposed between said inside and outside panels, said sealant holding together said spacers, said structures and said inside, middle and outside panels; and a door frame extending peripherally about said structures, said door frame being engaged to said structures, said structures having elongated slots therein, said door frame having a peripheral extension engaging said elongated slots.
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14. A refrigerator door structure comprising:
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an outside glass panel, a middle glass panel and an inside glass panel; a hollow spacer disposed between said outside and middle glass panels; a hollow spacer disposed between said middle and inside glass panels; structures disposed between said inside and outside panels and extending peripherally adjacent peripheral edges of said inside and outside panels; sealant disposed between said inside and outside panels, said sealant holding together said spacers, said structures and said inside, middle and outside panels; a door frame extending peripherally about said structures, said door frame being engaged to said structures; and wires disposed in said sealant adjacent said structures.
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15. A refrigerator door structure comprising:
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an outside glass panel and an inside glass panel; a hollow spacer disposed between said glass panels, said spacer extending peripheral adjacent peripheral edges of said panels; pipe-like structures disposed between said glass panels, each of said pipe-like structures having elongated slots therein and being disposed adjacent one of said peripheral edges of said panels; sealant disposed between said panels, said sealant holding together said panels, spacer and pipe-like structures; and a door frame extending peripherally about said peripheral .Iadd.edges of said panels, said door frame having a peripheral .Iaddend.extension engaging said elongated slots. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A swing door assembly, comprising:
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first and second door panels spaced apart by a first distance in a first direction substantially perpendicular to at least one of said door panels to provide a space therebetween, said panels having panel edges; a structural member positioned between said panels proximate said edges, said structural member defining a maximum cross-sectional dimension, said maximum cross-sectional dimension being substantially less than said first distance; and swinging means for mounting said panels for swinging movement. .Iaddend..Iadd.22. The assembly of claim 21 wherein said structural member defines a rod receiving opening and said swinging means includes a torque rod received in said opening. .Iaddend..Iadd.23. The assembly of claim 21 wherein said structural member includes side portions, each side portion facing a respective panel, and portions which converge toward one another. .Iaddend..Iadd.24. The assembly of claim 21 further comprising at least one spacer disposed substantially adjacent to said structural member and - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. space the panels apart. .Iaddend..Iadd.41. A refrigerator display door comprising:
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an outside glass panel and an inside glass panel; a hollow spacer disposed between said glass panels for maintaining the glass panels in spaced apart relation; structural members disposed between the glass panels; resilient members between the structural members and the panels, the resilient members being insulators to reduce heat transfer between said panels; a door frame extending around the peripheral edges of the glass panels, said door frame being directly engaged to the structural members; at least one hinge engaging at least one of the structural members for allowing the display door to swing; and a flexible sealant disposed between the panels and between the panels and the structural members, said flexible sealant holding the panels, the spacers, and the structural members together. .Iaddend..Iadd.42. The display door of claim 41 wherein the door frame engages the peripheral edges of the glass panels and covers an exposed surface of the inside glass panel. .Iaddend..Iadd.43. The display door of claim 42 further comprising neoprene insulators disposed between the spacers and the respective glass panels. .Iaddend.
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Specification