Patent · US Expired

Refrigerator door assembly with thermal break frame

US4831780A · kind A · utility

60Cited by
5References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJul 7, 1987
Grant dateMay 23, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 7, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S49/01
  • WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

A refrigerator door assembly having a thermally efficient door mounting frame which includes a forward structural frame member mounted within the opening of a refrigerator cabinet for providing an attractive finished appearance for the frame, a separate rear structural frame member for establishing a door closure sealing surface against which doors of the assembly close and which may be made of less expensive and/or less heat conductive material than the forward structural frame member, and a flexible plastic barrier sheet interposed between the forward and rear structural members for thermally insulating the structural members from each other. Stitch like connections are formed from adjacent connecting flanges of the forward and rear structural members for rigidly coupling the structural members together without substantial contact therebetween. Various magnetically attractable sealing strip arrangements are disclosed that are adapted for use in low temperature refrigeration units without condensation or frost build up.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.