# US 11,029,077 B2 · Method for rapid encapsulation of a corner gap defined within a corner of a door panel for an appliance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,029,077 B2 - Document ID: US11029077B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/308,965 - Filed: 2017-02-28 - Published: 2019-10-31 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-28 - Assignees: Whirlpool Corporation - Applicants: Whirlpool Corporation - Inventors: Paul B. Allard; Gustavo Frattini; Hua Liu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029077B2 ## CPC - F16B 11/006: {by gluing (gluing of plastics material B29C65/48)} - F25D 23/02: Doors; Covers (F25D23/08 takes precedence {locks or fastenings E05B65/0042}) - A47L 15/4251: {Details of the casing (insulation arrangements A47L15/4209; collecting leaked water in the casing for preventing water damage A47L15/4212)} - B32B 3/02: characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions {(non-uniform thickness B32B3/263)} - B32B 3/04: characterised by {at least one} layer folded at the edge, e.g. over another layer {; characterised by at least one layer enveloping or enclosing a material} - B32B 3/08: characterised by added members at particular parts {(layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B3/14, B32B3/18)} - B32B 7/08: by mechanical means - B32B 7/12: using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties - B32B 15/046: {of foam} - B32B 15/082: comprising vinyl resins; comprising acrylic resins - B32B 15/10: of wood - B32B 21/14: comprising wood board or veneer - B32B 37/12: characterised by using adhesives - F16L 59/065: using vacuum (F16L59/075 takes precedence) - B32B 2307/7244: Oxygen barrier - B32B 2307/7246: Water vapor barrier - B32B 2509/10: Refrigerators or refrigerating equipment - F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D) - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM - F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL ## Abstract A method of forming an insulated door panel includes folding side flanges of a metallic sheet to define side edges of a structural outer panel that extend from a front panel. A gap is defined between each set of adjacent side edges. Interior blocks are secured to an interior of the structural outer panel proximate each gap to define adhesive cavities. Exterior blocks are positioned at an exterior surface of the structural outer panel at each gap to further define the adhesive cavities. An adhesive is disposed within each adhesive cavity and is contained therein by the interior and exterior blocks. The adhesive is cured to a solid sealing member that adheres the interior blocks to the interior surface of the structural outer panel to form a sealed structural panel. The exterior blocks are removed and each solid sealing member defines a hermetic seal at each gap. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An insulated door panel for an appliance, the insulated door panel comprising: a structural outer panel having a singular metallic sheet that includes folded side edges that extend from a front panel, wherein a corner seam is defined between each set of adjacent side edges; interior blocks that are fixedly attached to an interior surface of the structural outer panel, wherein each interior block is directly attached to adjacent side edges of the folded side edges and positioned to at least partially form an adhesive cavity with the structural outer panel and within spaces defined by each corner seam; a solid sealing member defined within each adhesive cavity, wherein the solid sealing member is a cured adhesive; and a back panel attached at least to the folded side edges of the structural outer panel, wherein an insulating cavity is defined between the back panel, the structural outer panel, and the interior blocks. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The insulated door panel of claim 1, wherein the interior blocks are made of a polymer-based material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The insulated door panel of claim 1, wherein the interior blocks include at least polyvinyl chloride. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The insulated door panel of claim 1, wherein the cured adhesive is an encapsulating adhesive. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The insulated door panel of claim 1, wherein the cured adhesive is a silicone-based adhesive. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The insulated door panel of claim 1, wherein the cured adhesive is an epoxy-based adhesive. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The insulated door panel of claim 1, wherein the cured adhesive is a composite encapsulating material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The insulated door panel of claim 1, wherein an insulating material is disposed within the insulating cavity. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The insulated door panel of claim 1, wherein the insulating cavity defines an at least partial vacuum. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The insulated door panel of claim 1, wherein the interior blocks are adhered to the interior surface of the structural outer panel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The insulated door panel of claim 1, wherein the interior blocks at least partially include polybutylene terephthalate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The insulated door panel of claim 1, wherein the interior blocks are attached to the back panel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The insulated door panel of claim 1, wherein an exterior surface of the structural outer panel and a portion of the solid sealing member within the corner seam defines a continuous external surface that extends through each of the folded side edges. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The insulated door panel of claim 1, wherein the back panel is metallic. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A method of forming an insulated door panel for the appliance of claim 1, the method comprising steps of: folding side flanges of a metallic sheet to define side edges of the structural outer panel, wherein the side edges extend from the front panel and wherein a gap is defined between each set of adjacent side edges; securing interior blocks to an interior surface of the structural outer panel and proximate each respective gap to define an adhesive cavity at each respective gap; positioning exterior blocks at an exterior surface of the structural outer panel and at each respective gap to further define the adhesive cavity at each respective gap; disposing an adhesive within each adhesive cavity, wherein the adhesive substantially fills each gap and is contained in the adhesive cavities by the interior and exterior blocks; curing the adhesive to the solid sealing member within each adhesive cavity that adheres the respective interior block to the interior surface of the structural outer panel to form a sealed structural panel; removing the exterior blocks from the exterior surface of the structural outer panel, wherein each solid sealing member defines one of the respective gaps; and disposing the back panel onto the side edges of the structural outer panel, wherein the back panel, the structural outer panel, and the solid sealing member define the insulating cavity therein. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the exterior blocks are operated by a mechanical assembly that engages each exterior block to the exterior surface of the structural outer panel and removes the exterior blocks after the adhesive is cured to define the solid sealing member within each adhesive cavity. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the exterior blocks are adapted to be reused for forming multiple sealed structural panels. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the interior blocks remain adhered to the structural outer panel after the adhesive is cured. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A method for forming a vacuum insulated structure for the appliance of claim 1, the method comprising steps of: folding a metallic sheet to form the structural outer panel that includes a plurality of side edges and a gap between each set of adjacent side edges; disposing the interior blocks proximate the interior surface of the structural outer panel to define respective adhesive cavities; disposing a temporary exterior dam at each gap, wherein each gap is positioned within one of the adhesive cavities; disposing an adhesive within each adhesive cavity; curing the adhesive to define the cured adhesive that occupies each gap within each respective adhesive cavity; and removing each temporary exterior dam from an exterior surface of the structural outer panel, wherein the cured adhesive hermetically seals each gap. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein each interior block engages the interior surface of the structural outer panel at two adjacent side edges of the plurality of side edges. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the temporary exterior dams are operated by a mechanical assembly that engages each temporary exterior dam to the exterior surface of the structural outer panel and removes the temporary exterior dam after the adhesive is cured to define the cured adhesive.