Insulated cabinet and method of construction

Abstract

An improved insulated cabinet, such as a refrigerator or freezer cabinet, is constructed by first manfuacturing a rigid structural frame to close tolerances and then loosely attaching the remaining components of the outer shell of the cabinet by mechanical connections which permit some relative movement between the main frame and the other outer shell components. The outer shell, with an innershell positioned within it in spaced relationship to define an insulating cavity, is then placed in a jig which positions precisely the components of the outer shell in their desired final relationship. The loose connections between the outer shell components permit them to be shifted by the contacting surfaces of the jig into the precise relative positions desired, and while the outer shell components are so supported by the jig, a hardenable insulating material is introduced into the cavity, where, upon hardening, it fixes the outer shell components and the inner shell in their desired positions relative to each other. Any convenient form of mechanically interconnecting the outer shell components which permits relative movement can be utilized, such as deforming or crimping contacting surfaces, utilizing self-tapping screws and combinations of these connections.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.