US 9,435,579 B1 · Insulated door assembly

Abstract

A door for a refrigerator appliance is pivotally connected by a hinge. The door includes a polygonal shell having corners and defining at least part of a cavity therein and a hinge bearing mounted to the polygonal shell adjacent one of the corners. The hinge bearing extends into the cavity and defines a generally cylindrical passage to receive and journal a hinge pin of the refrigerator appliance. A reinforcement tube is secured to the hinge bearing and extends a distance within the cavity. The reinforcement tube includes a sidewall that defines a hollow interior, and at least one hole extends through the sidewall to provide communication between the cavity and the hollow interior. Insulation is foamed in place that substantially fills the cavity including the corner, and the insulation penetrates into the hollow interior of the reinforcement tube via the at least one hole.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A door for a refrigerator appliance that is pivotally connected by a hinge, the door comprising:

a polygonal shell having corners and defining at least part of a cavity therein, wherein a distance between an opposed pair of said corners define a height of said door;
a hinge bearing mounted to the polygonal shell adjacent one of said corners, the hinge bearing extending into the cavity and defining a generally cylindrical passage to receive and journal a hinge pin of said refrigerator appliance;
a reinforcement tube comprising a first end secured to the hinge bearing and a second end extending a distance within the cavity that is less than half of the height of said door so that the second end is upstanding and spaced away from the hinge bearing, the reinforcement tube comprising a sidewall that defines a hollow interior and at least one hole extending through the sidewall to provide communication between the cavity and the hollow interior;
and
insulation foamed in place that substantially fills said cavity including said corner, wherein the insulation penetrates into the hollow interior of the reinforcement tube via said at least one hole.

2 more elements

A door for a refrigerator appliance that is pivotally connected by a hinge, the door comprising:

an exterior panel;
an end panel connected to the exterior panel, and a corner being defined at an intersection of the exterior panel and end panel;
an inner liner connected to the exterior panel and spaced therefrom to define a cavity;
a hinge bearing mounted to the end panel adjacent said corner and defining a generally cylindrical passage to receive and journal a hinge pin of said refrigerator appliance, wherein the cylindrical passage is open at an outer end exterior of the end panel and substantially closed at an inner end;
a reinforcement tube comprising a first end secured to the inner end of the hinge bearing and a second end extending a distance within the cavity such that the second end is spaced away from the hinge bearing, the reinforcement tube comprising a sidewall defined between the first and second ends that defines a hollow interior and at least one hole extending through the sidewall to provide communication between the cavity and the hollow interior, and the second end defining an end hole providing further communication between the cavity and the hollow interior;
and
insulation foamed in place filling said cavity including said corner, wherein the insulation penetrates into the hollow interior of the reinforcement tube via said at least one hole and via the end hole of the second end.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Insulated door assembly

Life of this patent

Insulated door assembly

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18