US1858906A - Refrigerator door - Google Patents

Description

May 17, 19.32. I I w. G. SEEGER 1,858,906

' REFRIGERATOR DooR Filed Dec. 14. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 17, 1932. w. e. SEEGER 1,358,906

' REFRIGERATOR boon 7 Filed Dec. 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 17, 1932 UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE" v WALTER G. SEEGER, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO .SEEGER REFRIGERATOR COMPANY, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA REFRIGERATOR DOOR Application filed December 14, 1927. Serial No. 239,944.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a door so constructed as to give a strong body or frame portion which supports outer and inner enameled faces and this frame is adapted to form an insulation beplates are held firmly tothe frame and the frame to the plates. Further, insulation is adapted to be supported between the plates in a manner so as to provide an eflicient insulating medium in the door of the refrigerator. Refrigerator doors not only must form an insulating medium for the refrigerator to close the openings of the same, but must be so constructed as to be of a substantial nature to withstand the use to which they are subjected and it is a feature of the invention to provide a simple construction with smooth and readily cleansible inner and outer surfaces.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a means of attaching the body frame of the door and the insulating material thereof rigidly with the covering plates for the same. I provide a means of adjusting the connection of these parts and attaching the same together.

These objects, and details of the invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates my refrigerator door looking at the inside thereofand a portion of which is broken away.

Figure 2 is a cross section of my refrigera tor door on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective of a detail portion of my refrigerator door.

Figure 4: is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail of one corner. ,of my refrigerator door showing a particular con- 'struction.

Figure 6 is a detail of a corner showing another construction of my door.-

Figure 7 illustrates an inner view of antogether with other features other form of-my door,a portion of the inner facing of which is broken away.

Figure 8 is a plan view of a corner detail of a form of my door.

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of F1gure'8. Figure 10 illustrates one form of connecting means for the frame of my door.

Figure 11 is another form of connection for my door, showing a detail of a corner thereof.

Figure 12 is a section on the line 12-12 of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a perspective of the connection used in the construction illustrated in Figures 11 and 12.

My refrigerator door A is formed with an insulating body frame B made up of members 10 and 11 which are adapted to be mitered together at the corners in a suitable manner. The frame B is made of wood or other nonmetallic insulating material and the members 10 and 11 are provided with rabbeted edges 12 of the ordinary nature which are adapted to fit in the door frame opening of a refrigerator.

The members 10 and 11 may be secured at their mitered corners by suitable stapling members 13 which are driven into the wood across the mitered joint in a manner to hold the members 10 and 11 rigidly connected together. In this manner the frame B is made up in a rectangular nature of the right size to provide the frame B for the body of the door A.

My door A is provided with an outer face plate 15 which is formed of metal or other suitable material and is enameled to provide a smooth outer surface which may be readily cleansed. The face plate 15 is formed with an inturned marginal edge 16 about the same. This inturned edge forms a reinforcing and stiffening means about the plate 15 to strengthen the plate and to provide the necessary rigidity to the same.

The face plate 15 is provided with cleats 18 which are formed with an offset flange portion 19 adapted to be welded to the inner surface of the plate 15 to rigidly attach the cleat 18 projecting from the inner surface the face plates as to provide acleat for each corner of the plate and door. It is also obvious that only two of these cleats may be employed for each door and face plate 15, and when only two are used then 1t is preferred that they be placed at the corners of the door A, opposite to the hinges G; the hinges 0 when attached to the door A being adapted to engage the frame B to hold the same rigidly to the face plate 15. Nevertheless, if it is preferred, as many of the cleats 18 as are desirable can be used in attaching the frame B to the face plate 15. The frame B is made up in its entirety before it is placed within the face plate 15. After the frame B is made up a sheet of insulating material 24 is placed over the inner surface of the face plate 15 and then the frame B is placed against the same. The reinforcing edge 16 extends about the frame B and the frame is held by means of the cleats 18 rigidly attached to the face plate 15, by clinching the tongues 20 over in opposite directions as illustrated in Figures 1, 5 and 6, to rigidly attach the frame B within and to the face plate 15. In attaching the frame B the same is adapt 'ed to be held tightly against the plate 15 while the tongues 20 are clinched over. The hinges C also assist in holding the frame B to the plate 15 as the screws attaching the hinges penetrate into the frame through the face plate 15.

The lock D also assists in holding the frame B within the plate 15 by virtue of the fact that the screws that hold the lock in place extend through the plates 15 and into the frame B.

Within the frame B I place suitable insu lating material E in a manner so as to provide the necessary insulation to the center of the door A. This insulation is bounded by the frame B which forms the necessary rigidity to the door A. By this construction the major portion of the body of the door may be made of a very good and substantial insulating material which ordinarily is not of a strong fibrous nature such as the frame B.

The frame B is provided with a recess 26 which extends about the frame and which is adapted to provide a receiving recess for the inner door plate 28 so as to receive the inturned flanges 29 of the same in a manner so that suitable screws 30 may extend through the frame B and the flange 29 to hold the plate 28 rigidly connected to the frame B and in a manner to conceal the insulation E within the same.

The plates 15 and' 28 are covered with enamel having a heavy enameled outer surface to provide a smooth glass-like finish to the outside and the inside of the door A. The plates 15 and 28 form the major area of the outside and inside of the door so that only the rabbeted'portion 12 of the frame B is exposed. Thus the door A is formed with a smooth outer and inner surface which can be cleansed very readily and yet beingfprovided with a substantial insulating body. The frame with the plates 15 and 28 form a solid door adapted to withstand heavy duty yet having a comparatively light weight construction.

The door A may be made in the construction as illustrated in Figures 7 to 13, inclusive, and in the construction illustrated in Figure 7 the frame B is adapted to be sup ported to the front outer plate 15 by the adjustable locking means F. The adjustable locking means F is formed with a strap ortion 32 which has its end portions 33 weiiied to the inner surface of the plate 15, while the center portion is raised from the plate and provided with a slot 34. A bolt portion 35 having a head portion 36, together with a cleat strap 37 and an adjusting nut 38 is adapted to engage the strap 32 in a manner to lock the frame B as illustrated in section in Figure 9 to the plate 15.

The head portion 36 enters the slot 34 and is turned sufliciently to lock the head under the strap 32. The bolt 35 extends through an opening in the frame B and the cleat strap 37 is pinched down against the mitered corners of the frame B to adjustably hold the frame B tightly within and to the plate 15.

I have also illustrated the adjustable holder G for the frame B which is illustrated in Figures 11 to 13, inclusive. In this form of the holding means for the frame B' the bolt 40 is formed with a hook 41 which engages the opening 42 of the connector 43 and the bolt 40 carries the attaching cleat strap 37 together with the securing nut 38. The connector 43 is welded to the inner surface of the plate 15, as illustrated in Figure 12. By means of this adjustable connector G the frame B is adjustably and rigidly secured to the inner surface of the late 15.

These holders F and G? for the frame B are similar in function and are adapted to provide a means of rigidly securing the frame B within the outer plate 15 and also providing a means of tightening the frame B within the plate 15, should the material of the frame B shrink in use and thus overcome any rattling within the door A.

The inside plate 28 is secured within the annular groove or recess 26 in the same manner as it is held in the construction illustrated in Figure 2. Thus the door A is made in a substantial manner with the frame B secured rigidly to the inside of the front plate 15 and the inside plate 28 adapted to be rigidly secured to the frame B. Obviously the door A in either of the constructions illustrated may be taken apart if it ever becomes necessary to do so and new insulating material placed therein, or the door frame B adjusted within the same, and this is a material advantage with the construction of my door A. It is also a material advantage to provide a means of making the door A wherein the frame B can be made up of the desired shape and nature so as to be readily placed within the outer plate 15 and also permitting the inner plate 28 to be readily attached thereto.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principles of operation and construction of my door and while I have illustrated a formation particularly preferred in so far as I know at this time, yet I desire to have it understood that the same is only illustrative of a means of carrying out my invention and that the same may be applied to other uses and carried out by other means within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A door including, an outer and an inner enameled plate, said outer plate having an. annular reinforcing edge formed thereabout, an insulating flame having each side thereof of integral construction, and means for securing the inner plate with its edges extending into said frame.

2. A refrigerator door comprising, inner and outer enameled smooth surfaced plates, an insulating frame having each side thereof of integral construction interposed between said plates, means for securing said frame to one of said plates, and means for receiving and concealing the annular edge of the other of said plates Within said frame.

3. A refrigerator door comprising, inner and outer enameled sheet metal plates, said outer plate having an annular beaded edge, cleats welded to the inner surface of said outer plate, an insulating frame, said cleats being adapted to secure said frame to said outer plate, insulating material within said frame, and means for securing said inner plate to said frame to conceal said insulating material between said inner and outer plates.

4. A door having inner and outer enameled plates, an insulating frame having a rabbeted edge adapted to fit withinsaid outer plate,

means secured to. said outer plate adapted to adjustably lock said frame to said outer plate, anda receiving groove in said frame adapted torcceive the entire outer edge of,

said inner plate to conceal the same and means to secure the same to said frame.

5. A door comprising, an outer plate, cleats secured to the inner surface of said outer plate, an insulating frame supported by said cleats, insulating material supported within said frame, and an innerplate having its outer edge embedded within said frame adapted to conceal said insulating material.

6. A door including, inner and outer enameled faces, insulating means interposed between said faces to hold said faces separated one from the other, means within said insulating means for holding the same rigidly attached to one of said plates, and means for securing the other of said plates to said in.- sulating means.

7. A door including, inner and outer enameled faces, an insulating means interposed between said faces to hold said faces sep arated one from another, connecting means for holding one of said faces to said insulating means, and means for securing the other of said faces to said insulation to conceal said connecting means.

WALTER Gr. SEEGER.

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