Back to results
US 4,186,945 AGranted
Transition sleeve for a cabinet or the like
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorThomas M. Hahn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorThomas M. Hahn
Estimating the term…
A transition sleeve for a double wall structure such as a refrigerator cabinet used to pass tubing or the like through juxtaposed apertures formed therein. The sleeve includes a unitary tubular body of relatively rigid material having a plurality of radially extending integral locking tabs at one end thereof for securing to one of the refrigerator walls through a complementary apertured opening. The tabs have camming faces formed thereon to facilitate rotation about the opening after being inserted therethrough. On a radially extending plane offset from the locking tabs are a plurality of equiangularly disposed stop pads which positively locate the rotational position of the sleeve on the wall. The longitudinal ends of the body include annular flanges which are flared outwardly to sealingly engage the walls perimetrically of the apertures on the cavity side thereof. The tubing is sealed to the core of the sleeve by the use of gum or the like.
In combination a refrigerator cabinet having insulation contained in a cavity formed by first and second walls of said cabinet, the walls having juxtaposed openings therein through which tubing or the like may pass with the opening in the first wall having a plurality of notches and a transition sleeve, said sleeve comprising:
A method of securing a unitary relatively rigid tubular sleeve member having a first and second end each with an annular flange and said first end having radially extending locking tabs to a double-walled insulated structure such as a refrigerator cabinet comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.