US2751106A - Refrigerator cabinet - Google Patents

Description

June 19, 1956 M 1 SCHRADER REFRIGERATOR CABINET Filed Nov. 18. 1950 INVENTOR. MILFOIZD J. CHRHDEE REFRIGERATOR CABINET Milford J. Schrader, Greenville, Mich., assignor to Gibson Refrigerator Company, Greenville, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application November 18, 1950, Serial No. 196,506

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-9) This invention relates to refrigerator cabinets. More particularly it relates to throat moldings and the means of securing such throat moldings to the inner and outer walls of refrigerator cabinets around the access openings thereto.

One of the primary problems facing refrigerator cabinet engineers has been the diiiiculty of holding the edge of the throat molding adjacent the inner shell in snug engagement therewith. An object of this invention is to provide in a refrigerator cabinet a throat molding with an edge which will snugly tit against the inner shell, due to a constant angular pull resulting from the novel structure and the securing means embodied therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive throat molding with an excellent appearance for spanning the space between the outer and inner shells.

Still another object of the invention is to provide in a refrigerator cabinet an organization of inner and outer shell ilanges, throat molding, and positive securing means which by eliminating gaps along the edge of the throat molding will prevent escape of insulation from the space between the inner and outer shells.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a refrigerator cabinet a throat molding which can be easily and quickly applied to the refrigerator cabinet on a production line.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator cabinet illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing the door open and the left and lower segments of the throat molding removed to disclose the flanges of the inner and outer shells and the insulation therebetween;

Figure 2 is an elevational View of the under side of the left segment of the throat molding, such as would be applied to the cabinet shown in Figure l, and having spring clips attached thereto;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the under side of throat molding segment covering the exposed insulation and flanges of the bottom of the refrigerator cabinet shown in Figure l;

' Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on a horizontal plane substantially along the lines 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a clip, such as is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention, to secure the throat molding snugly against the inner shell flange; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a spring clip, such as is shown in the preferred embodiment, for securing the throat molding to the outer shell flange.

Figure l of the drawings shows a refrigerator such as is used in homes. It comprises a cabinet 11 which is cooled by conventional refrigerating means, such as a compressor-condenser-expander refrigeration system or ares Patent O ice an absorption refrigeration system. The cabinet is closed by a door 12 having a peripheral gasket 13 for minimizing the circulation of air between the interior of the cabinet 11 and the ambient atmosphere.

Refrigerator cabinet 11 in the preferred embodiment consists of an outer shell 14 with an inturned peripheral flange 15 incorporating a double fold 16 to give it strength. This is best shown in Figure 3. Spaced from the outer shell 14 is an inner shell 17 with a substantially rectangular horizontal cross section and having top, side and bottom walls such as side wall 18. Around the access opening the liner 17 has an outturned flange 19, the edge 20 of which is spaced apart from the edge 21 of outer shell liange 15. To give strength to the inner shell the walls 18 may be otfset adjacent the flange 19. Offset 22 is an example of this conventional means of strengthening a refrigerator inner shell. Inner shell 17 is supported within outer shell 14 by conventional means such as corner gussets 23 and diagonal members 24 which may be spot welded to outer shell 14 or secured thereto by other conventional means. Insulation 25 fills the space existing between shells 14 and 17. Fiberglass, rock wool, and specially treated wool ber are well known means of insulating the refrigerator cabinet.

This invention may be used in connection with any conventional insulation but is especially advantageous for use in connection with wood fiber insulation. Such insulation is generally finely ground and is blown under pressure into the space between the shells. This insulation generally requires some sealing means other than the throat molding to prevent the tine particles of the insulation from sifting through gaps between the throat molding and flanges 15 and 19. It has been discovered that the novel throat molding, which in the preferred embodiment consists of segments 26, 27, 28 and 29, when secured to the cabinet iianges as herein disclosed, engages the flanges so closely that sifting is substantially eliminated, and the wood fiber insulation is sealed within the space between the shells by means of the throat molding segments alone.

A segment 27 of the preferred embodiment of my throat molding is best shown in Figure 4. It is preferably manufactured by the injection molding process and may be made from a thermoplastic, such as ethyl cellulose or a high impact modified polystyrene. These ma terials permit the manufacture of a throat molding having surfaces with a high luster. Likewise, throat moldings made from these or similar materials have low hygroscopic and heat conductive characteristics and are relatively inexpensive to manufacture by the injection molding process.

Throat molding segment 27 has a front wall 30 which is substantially in a plane of the access opening to refrigerator cabinet 11. In the preferred embodiment, a bead 31 is formed along the edge of the throat molding adjacent flange 15. This bead 31 overlies the inner marginal edge 32 of the double fold 16. Throat molding segment 27 curves rearwardly from front wall 30 and terminates in a position adjacent oiiset 22 of liner side wall 18 and conceals the offset and inturned ilange 19. Lugs or ribs 33 are integrally formed with the throat molding segment 27 and are spaced along the length of the segment, as is best shown in Figure 2. These lugs project angularly from the rear surface of the throat molding segment.

Clips 34, best shown in Figure 6, are pressed onto the lugs. Clip 34 is made from a high carbon steel and has a U portion 3S which may be pressed on the lugs. Spurs 36, struck therefrom, prevent easy disengagement of clips 34 from lugs 33. A curved arm 37 extends outwardly from one side of clip 34. The elbow 38 of this curved arm touches the inner surface of throat molding segment 29 before the throat molding is attached to the shell iiange. The throat molding segment 29 may be engaged with shell ilange 15 by pushing the edge 21 of ange 15 between elbow 38 of clip 34 and the adjacent inner surface of the front wall 30 of throat molding segment 27. When so engaged, curved arm 37 is under tension and elbow 38 will press against flange 15.

A second series of lugs or ribs 39 are located in spaced apart relationship along the inner surface of throat molding segment 27, as best shown in Figure 2. These tabs project angularly from the inner surface of throat molding segment 27 and have attached thereto clips 40. These clips are of generally W-shaped configuration. One U- shaped portion 41 has spurs 42 which engage lugs 39 in much the same manner as clips 35 engage lugs 33. The other U-shaped portion terminates in a hook 43. Hook 43 is formed for the purpose of gripping the rear of liange 19 of inner shell 18.

Once the outer shell side of throat molding segment 27 is engaged with outer shell flange 15, the inner shell side may be readily secured to ilange 19. Hook 43 of each clip 40 will rest against the forward face of flange 19. By lightly striking throat molding segment 27 with a rubber mallet or the palm of the hand at a point substantially opposite lug 39, the protruding arm 44 of clip 40 will flex suficiently to permit hook 43 to pass behind flange 19 and grip the rear surface thereof. Lug 39 and hook 43 cooperate to pull throat molding segment 27 angularly inwardly so that the edge 45 of throat molding segment 27 will snugly engage oiset 22 of the inner shell Wall 18. Arm 44 of clip 40 is under tension and thereby continually pulls edge 45 and odset 22 together. This continuous force angularly disposed with respect to both front wall 30 and liner side wall 18 prevents gaps between edge 45 and liner 18 and overcomes a problem long existing in the refrigeration industry.

The throat molding segments in the preferred embodiment are applied in the following sequence: lower segment 28 is first engaged with the inner and outer shell flanges, then side segments 27 and 29 are engaged with their respective inner and outer shell anges. Beads 46, integrally formed with throat molding segments 27 and 29, overlie the upwardly extending end portions 47 of throat molding segment 28. Lastly, throat molding segment 26 is engaged with its respective inner and outer shell iianges. Integrally formed beads 48 overlie the upper ends 49 of segments 27 and 29. This is best illustrated in Figure 4.

A series of projections 50 are spaced along the edge of each throat molding segment adjacent offset 22 in liner 18. These projections S serve as indicators and each projection is aligned with a tab 39 to which clips 40 are attached for securing the throat molding to the flange of the inner shell. When it is desired to remove the throat molding, clips 40 may be located by means of projections S0. The segments such as segment 29 may then be flexed by inserting a curved iiat thin bar and pressing the end of the bar against arm 44 of clip 40 until hook 43 springs forward of ange 19. Once all of the clips 40 are disengaged from the liner ange, segment 29 may be readily disengaged from shell flange by pulling away from the iange 15 and in the same plane as the ange.

It Will be apparent that numerous alternatives of the invention will occur to the persons skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the vinvention is to be limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A refrigerator cabinet comprising inner and outer shells connected together in spaced apart relation, said shells being open at the front to define an access opening to the cabinet, said shells having opposed flanges extending substantially at right angles to said shells, and a throat molding extending between said shells at a side of the access opening and overlying the space between and having a projection angularly disposed to and overlying the flange of said inner shell, a plurality of resilient clips attached to said throat molding rearwardly thereof and engaging the flanges on said shells, one of said clips being attached to said projection and being formed to compress within the space between said projection and the adjacent iiange and to flex to hook in positive snap on engagement with said inner shell flange, said last mentioned clip being generally of W-shaped configuration, one of the U-shaped arms ofsaid clip being fastened to the throat molding and the other U-shaped arm of said clip receiving said flange on said inner shell.

2. A refrigerator cabinet comprising inner and outer shells connected together in spaced apart relation, said shells being open at the front to define an access opening to the cabinet, said shells having opposed anges eX- tending substantially at right angles to said shells, and a throat molding extending between said shells at a side of the access opening and overlying the space between and having a projection angularly disposed to and overlying the ange of said inner shell, a plurality of resilient clips attached to said throat molding rearwardly thereof and engaging the flanges on said shells, one of said clips being attached to said projection and being formed to compress within the space between said projection and the adjacent flange and to ex to hook in positive snap on engagement with said inner shell flange, said last mentioned clip being generally of W-shaped configuration, one U-shaped arm of said clip being provided with a struck out tongue engaging said projection by frictional engagement therewith.

References Cited in the e of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sulcek Mar. 4, 1952

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