US2564943A - Insulation seal for refrigerated cabinets - Google Patents

Description

' Aug. 21, 1951 Filed June 25. 1948 1. M. wHERRY 52,564,943 INSULATION SEAL FOR REFRIGERATED" CABINETS *A 2 sheets-sheet 1 Aug 21 1951 M. WHERRY 2,564,943

INSULATION SEAL FOR REFRIGERATED CABINETS Filed June 23, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 2l', 1951 INSULATION SEAL FOR REFRIGERATED CABINETS Isaac M. Wherry, Evansville, Ind., assigner to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application June 23, 1948, Serial No. 34,803

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to cabinet sealing consl-ructions, but more particularly to constructions for sealing the insulation medium disposed between the inner and outer walls of a refrigerator cabinet.

Constructions heretofore proposed for sealing the insulation between the inner and outer walls in a metal refrigerator cabinet have been directed primarily to providing a break in the heat iniiow path between the low inside temperature of the cooled compartment and the higher ambient temperature outside the cabinet, and, although the necessity for maintaining the insulation in the space between the cabinet walls free from moisture has long been recognized, still no suitable construction has .been provided for accomplishing this objective. Furthermore, no such construction has been proposed that is suitable for accomplishing the two-fold objective of Iproviding an insulating break, and, at the same time, preventing the insulating material from becoming wet by breathing or from leakage of moisture into the insulating space between the walls.

It is a principal object of this invention therefore, to provide an improved seal construction for a metal refrigerator cabinet that, in addition to providing a heat conducting break between the walls, also prevents the ingress of moisture into the insulating material disposed between the inner and outer walls of the cabinet.

Another important object is to provide a simplified seal construction between the inner and outer walls of a refrigerator cabinet that is highly suitable for receiving and retaining fastening means, forced thereinto from outside the inner or ouler walls, without interrupting or breaking the 'seal that such construction provides for preventing ingress of moisture into the insulation space between said walls.

A further object is to provide a seal conslruction which employs a rigid member of low heat conducting material, positioned in the space above the insulating material and between the inner and outer Walls of a refrigerator cabinet, that is provided wi h channel-like passages in the exterior surfaces thereof which are sealed withA a moisture sealing compound.

The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the disclosure is more fully made, in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, when read in conjuncion with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front sectional view of a refrigerated milk cooler cabinet in which the invention has been incorporated.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end sectional view of a refrigerated milk cooler cabinet in which the invention has been incorporated.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view-with the layer of sealing compound omittedof a portion of a refrigerated cabinet provided with the invention.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the end section (shown in the circle in Fig. 3) of a refrigerated cabinet to which a scuff plate has been added.

Fig. "I is an end sectional view showing one modification of the invention. y

Although the construction as illustrated is shown as used with a top opening refrigerated milk cooler cabinet, it should be understood that it may likewise be readily adapted for use with any type of refrigerated cabinet employing a top opening.

In the preferred embodiment shown a refrigerator cabinet, indicated generally by the numeral III, comprises an outer shell I I having vertical walls I2 and a bottom I3, and an inner shell Il spaced from the outer shell and likewise having vertical walls I5 and a bottom I6. Cooling coils I6*I ailixed to the wall of the inner shell may be connected to conventional refrigeration apparatus (not shown). Positioned in the space between the outer and inner shell is the cabinet insulation Il which may be composed of any of the conventional materials normally employed for such purposes.

In accordance with the teachings of this invention a rigid beam-like member I8 of low heat conducting material is adapted for positioning on top of the insulation Il and between the inner and outer shells I4 and II, respectively, of the cabinet. Said member I8 may be fabricated as a unitary rectangular member to extend completely about the side and end walls of the inner shell Il, or it may be fabricated from separate pieces co-extensive with each respective wall and with the individual sections closely abutting one another at the corners thereof, without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodimeri*J illustrated indicates this member as comprising individual sections adjacent each wall, and abutting one another at the corner thereof. Although wood is preferable for this member, because of its ability to receive and retain screws or nail fastening means driven therein, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific use of wood for this purpose.

The member I8 is provided with horizontally extending channels I9 and 20 which are routed,

respectively, in the outer and inner faces of the member I8. Said channels I9 and 20 are spaced from the bottom surface 2I of the member i8, for reasons which will presently be apparent. In addition, the member I8 is also provided with a plurality of vertically extending riser channellike passages 22 and 23, routed, respectively, on the outer and inner faces of said member. Said vertical channels extend from the top surfaces 24 and 25 respectively, of the horizontally extending channels I9 and 20, to the top surface 26 of the member I8, and are disposed at intervals spaced along the vertical outer and inner faces of the member I8. Although it is preferable, for reasons which will presently beapparent, to have the vertical riser channels 22 and 23 disposed opposite one another on the outer and inner faces of the member I8 it should be understood that this invention is not limited to a construction that utilizes that specific disposition of riser channels.

In adapting this invention to a top-opening refrigerator cabinet the outer and inner vshells I I and I4 are assembled in conventional fashion. one within the other. Next the insulated material I1 is positioned in the space between said shells and then the member I8 is positioned in tight-fitting relationship in the space between said inner and outer shells, and, at the same time, pressed against the top surface of the insulating material I'I. Suitable fastening means, such as the fiat-headed nails 21, may be employed to iixedly secure the member I8 placed in position between the inner and outer shells. The member I8, when so positioned, is preferably spaced slightly below the upper marginal edgesof the vertical walls I2 and I5, of said outer and inner shells, and is adapted to lie in a substantially horizontal plane.

After securely positioning the member I8 a moisture sealing compound 28, of a bituminous material or a material having similar properties, is poured thereover and allowed to flow through the riser channels 22 and 23 to the horizontally extending channels I9 and 20. Upon setting, this compound effectively seals the insulation material and the space between the outer and inner shells against the entrance of moisture. Finally, a layer of the sealing compound 28 is spread over the top surface 26 of the member I8 to further seal this member against the passage of moisture therethrough and into the insulation space between the shells.

In order to improve the appearance of the exposed top surface of the inner and outer shells and the area there between, after pouring the layer of sealing compound thereover, a scui plate 29, fashioned generally as a U-shaped channel, may be positioned to straddle the inner and outer shells, as indicated in Fig. 6. A thermalinsulating gasket-like mat 38, of rubber, or some suitable equivalent material, is inserted between the scuif plate and said outer and inner shells in order to avoid direct thermal contact between said plate and the shells. Screw fastening means 3, or the like, may be employed to retain the scuff plate securely fixed in position.

In Fig. 7 there is illustrated a modification of the specific embodiment of the vertical riser channels 22 and 23. In this modified embodiment the vertical riser channels 238L and 22a are angularly disposed instead of risng perpendicularly from the top surfaces of the horizontal channels I9 and 20.

It will be readily appreciated that, in addition 4 to providing a highly effective and simplified seal construction, this invention also offers a.

radically distinct advantage in that many types 1 of fastening or securing means may be driven into the member I8, for afiixment of accessories or the like to the exterior of the cabinet, without interrupting or breaking the seal construction to prevent the entrance of moisture into the insulating material or into the insulation space between the shells.

Although only preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated, and described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator w-all construction having inner and outer walls forming an insulating chamber, a heat insulating material and a cooling ele- -ment within said chamber, a rigid low-heat conducting member fixedly positioned between said walls and spaced from the marginal edges thereof, said member having channel-like passages some of which are disposed horizontally and spaced from the marginal edges of said member and others vertically in opposite faces thereof with the vertical passages extending from said horizontal passages to the upper marginal edges of said member, means comprising sealing compound in said passages and on the upper surface of said rigid -member and overlying said vertical passages for sealing the insulating chamber, and covering means including a low-heat conducting resilient gasket-like member positioned over the upper marginal edges of said inner and outer walls and a. channel-like exterior member superposed thereover and xedly secured to said walls.

2. A refrigerator wall construction having inner and outer walls forming an insulating chamber, a heat insulating materialand a cooling element Within said chamber, a rigidlow-heat conducting and non-metallic member fixedly positioned between said walls and spaced from the marginal edges thereof, said member being provided with channel-like passages in the vertical faces thereof and adjacent said walls, means comprising sealing compound in said passages and a layer-like quantity of said material on the upper surface of said member that lls the space between said surface and the marginal edges of the walls for sealing the insulating chamber, and wall covering means including a low-heat conducting resilient gasket-like member positioned over the upper marginal edges of said inner and outer walls and a U-shaped exterior member superposed thereover and xedly secured to said walls by fastening means that penetrate through said latter member and the gasket and one wall and are imbedded in said rigid member between the walls. Y

3. A wall sealing construction for a. refrigerator of the top-opening type, comprising: inner and outer wall members spaced apart and forming an insulating chamber therebetween; the upper marginal edges of said wall members being disposed in the same horizontal plane; heat insulating material in said chamber; a rigid, nonmeta-llic and low-heat conducting member xedly positioned between said wall members; said member being horizontally extending and vertically spaced equi-distant from the upper marginal edge of each of said Wall members and having opposite vertical faces thereof positioned in close fitting relationship, respectively, with said inner and outer wall members; said rigid member having a plurality of channels routed in opposite vertical faces thereof with some of the channels horizontally disposed and vertically spaced from the bottom face of said member, and others vertically disposed and longitudinally spaced from one another and having the vertical channels extending from said horizontal channels to the upper face of said member; and means comprising sealing compound in said channels and a. layer-like quantity of said material on the upper surface of said member and overlying said vertical channels for sealing the insulation chamber.

4. A refrigerator wall construction having inner and outer walls forming an insulating chamber, a heat insulating material and a, cooling element within said chamber, a rigid low-heat conducting member xedly positioned between said walls and spacedfrom tlie marginal edges thereof, said member having channel-like passages some of which are disposed horizontally and spaced from the margin-a1 edges of said member and others vertically in opposite faces thereof with the vertical passages extending from said horizontal passages to the upper marginal edges oi' said member, means comprising sealing compound in said passages for sealing the insulating chamber, and covering means including a lowheat conducting resilient gasket-like member positioned over the upper marginal edges of said inner and outer walls and a channel-like exterior member superposed thereover and fixedly secured to said walls.

ISAAC M. WHERRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 21,524 Gramelspacher Aug. 6, 1940 138,569 Luks May 6, 1873 1,119,968 St. Vraim Le Sieur Dec. 8, 1914 1,381,693 Bauerle June 14, 1921 1,803,544 Brown May 5, 1931 1,901,556 Gottschalk Mar. 14, 1933 1,908,248 Hull May 9, 1933 1,989,158 Seeger et al. Jan.` 29, 1935 2,062,747 Gelstharp Dec. 1, 1936 2,146,971 McIlwraith et al. Feb. 14, 1939 2,273,948 Forslund Feb. 24, 1942 2,427,048 Ganzer Sept. 9, 1947

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