US2347090A - Refrigerating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

E. D. DRAKE 2,347,090

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 18, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet Vl a.. :.-MNN ...NWM .w

IN VEN TOR. EAP; D. DPKM April 18, 1944.

HT TOP/v51 K April 1& 1944- E. D. DRjxKE 2,347,090

REFRIGERATING 'APPARATUS Filed sept. 18. 1942 2 sheets-sheep 2 .f6 INVENTOR. EAP; .17. .DPAme-f BY K' Q'rTaJP/YEY Patented Apr. 18, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT.v OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Earl D. Drake, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Maryland Application September 18, 1942, Serial No. 458,827

(c1. zo-Y-ssl Z Claims.

l having inner and outer panels in spaced apart relation whereby the outer panel in? rigidly reinforced and stiiened to support the weight of the door without buckling or twisting, and the inner panel is mounted in free oating relation thereto.

It is another object of the present inventionto provide an improved door construction in which the desired rigidity is obtained by use of cross straps or braces.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a door construction having adjustment means for aligning the door in sealing arrangement with a wall of a cabinet to prevent air entering through the opening to a compartment in the cabinet closed by the door.

The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sideeview of a refrigerator cabinet embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a refrigerator door embodying the present invention with parts broken away and parts shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged cross sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1; e

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged cross sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a strap used in the present invention.

Shown in the drawing is a refrigerator cabinet i5.- The cabinet has a food storage compartment refrigerated by a suitable refrigerating apparatus of which the condensing unit is mounted in a machine compartment insulated from the food storage compartment, and to which access is had through door or panel l1.

Access to the food storage compartment is had through door 20 mounted by hlnges 22 to a side wall of the cabinet. The door is provided with a rubber gasket 24 adapted to seal against the front wall of the cabinet immediately adjacent to and about the opening to the food storage compartment to prevent air entering the compartment.

The door comprises an outer panel or shell 28 of sheet metal and an 4inner panel 21 spaced from the outer panel for the insertion of heat insulation material 29 therebetween. The inner panel 21 is preferably formed of Bakelite," Micarta, or otherI plastic or compositional material having a low heat conductivity.

The outer panel 26 is of pan like conformation having top and side walls 30, and bottom wall 322.

The top, sides and bottom walls are bent inwardlyv to form a peripheral ledge 34 about the door. The metal is extended from the ledge 34 to form a second ledge 36 in parallel continuation below the ledge 34. Secured by weld, or the like, to the ledge 36 is a frame 31 extending about the door and -serves as' a box-'like reinforcement frame structure. The inner marginal edge of the frame is bent at right angles to form a rearwardly extending flange 39.

Secured adjacent to each of the upper corners Vof the door to the frame member 31 by their ends 4I are straps 40. The straps are crossed to extend diagonally across the door and are secured at their opposite ends to the bottom wall 32 of the outer panel. The straps are formed of relatively thin metal having the end 4I offset to provide a shoulder 42. The opposite end isdoubled over to be secured by weld, as at 44, to the main portion of the strap forming a triangular shaped loop 45. Formed in the base 46 of the loop 45 is an opening through which extends an internally threaded nipple 41 having an enlarged base or head portion 49 resting flush on the base 46., The nipple is fixedly secured in the strap by indentations 50 formed in the sides of the triangular loop 45 to project over the head portion 49 to prevent withdrawal or undue axial movement of the nipple. Turning or rotation of the nipple is prevented by forming the portion 49 rectangular so as to engage the upwardly extending sides of the loop.

Openings are formed in the bottom wall 32 of I the door in which are pressed cup shaped members 52 having an opening 54 formed in the bottom thereof. Extending through opening 54 to thread in a nipple 41 is a screw 56 having an enlarged head 51 adapted to lie in the cup 52. The cups are positioned adjacent opposite ends o1' the bottom wall of the door to permit anchorage of a respective strap thereto by a screw 56. The rotation of each screw increases or decreases, depending upon the direction or rotation, the tautness of each strap to provide the correct tension for correcting any warping or buckling tendency of the outer panel.

The opposite end 4| of each strap is secured by bolt and nut 59 to therear side of the frame to draw the strap taut the shoulder 42 serves to direct the force against the frame and prevent shearing of the end 4i on the bolt, or the cutting of the bolt by the strap.

'I'he door gasket 24 is secured to the door by means of an integrally formed tongue 60 adapted to lie upon the frame 31. The tongue is secured to the frame by strip 62 attached by screws 63 to the frame. The tongue G10 is formed with an enlarged end portion 65 against which is held the inner door panel 21 by the portion 61 of the gasket which extends around and over the marginal edge portion of the inner door panel. The gasket 24 also seats upon the ledge 34. By this arrangement the inner door panel is mounted in a iloating relation.

In the mounting of the door to the cabinet the gasket 24 should seal tightly against the face of the cabinet about the opening to the food storage compartment. Should, for example, it be found that the left hand corner of the door be away from the cabinet to prevent a tight seal, the threading of the screw 56 in the opposite diagonal corner, the right hand corner, will increase the tautness of the strap to ilex inwardly the corner of the outer panel suiliciently to move the gasket against the face of the cabinet. Likewise, should the door seal too tightly against the cabinet along one portion to prevent another portion from sealing, arotation of the screw in the opposite direction will eii'ect sumcient decrease in the tautness of the straps to relieve the undue stresses on the panel. Each strap may be individually tightened or loosened relative to the requirement of the panel. Y

By the use of cross straps, relatively thin sheet material may be used in the forming of the outer panel. 'I'he cross-bracing reinforces the panel against buckling, twisting or warping. By the individual adjustability of each strap the panel may be flexed to align the door gasket with the face surface of the cabinet, and by the tension of the strap upon the screw so as to draw the head in frictional contact with the cup to prevent undue rotation of the screw, the panel is held in the ilxed rigid position thereafter. The adjustment screws are so located in the bottom wall of the door so as to permit easy access thereto, and at the same time are so hidden from view as not to interfere or detract from the external appearance of the cabinet.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention and that form described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A door of the class described comprising inner and outer panels with heat insulation therebetween, said outer panel formed of relatively thin sheet material of pan-like conformation including top, side and bottom walls bent inwardly to form a peripheral ledge about the door, a frame secured to said ledge and extending about said door to stiten the outer panel, straps extending diagonally across said door within said insulation, one end of each strap iixedly secured to said frame and their opposite ends having individual adjustable means for securement to a wall of said outer panel, each of said adjustable means independently operable to tighten a respective strap sufciently to stiflen said outer panel into a fixed rigid position.

2. A door of the class described comprising inner and outer panels with heat insulation therebetween, said outer panel formed of relatively thin sheet material having sides directed toward the inner panel, a frame secured to said sides to stiffen said outer panel, straps extending diagonally across said door within said insulation, one end of each strap fxedly secured to said frame member, separate means for securing each of the opposite ends of said straps to one of said inwardly directed sides of said outer panel, each ci said means being individually and independently adjustable to tighten its respective strap suiiiciently to stiften said outer panel into a. xed rigid position.

' EARL D. DRAKE.

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