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  Formed door for refrigeratorsUSPTO Application #: 20060028105Title: Formed door for refrigerators Abstract: A door for a refrigerated appliance is provided which includes an outer metal panel having a generally rectangular front surface area lying generally in a first plane. Top, left, right and bottom side surface areas are formed as extensions from the front surface area, and are connected thereto via radiused bends to orient said side surface areas in planes approximately 90 degrees from the plane of the front surface area. The side areas are formed without seams or other discontinuations between any of the front or side surface areas. Flanges may extend from each of the top, left, right and bottom sides, the flanges being oriented generally in a plane approximately parallel to the plane of the front surface area. Adjacent flanges have overlapping areas which are secured together with metal fastening elements. The side surface areas may be joined at bends having radii in the range of 6-20 mm. (end of abstract)
Agent: Whirlpool Patents Company - Md 0750 - St. Joseph, MI, US Inventors: Kenneth J. Rasche, Kevin R. Leatherwood, Guy E. Garrisson, Garett L. Strandemo, Anthony D. Hamilton, Deron M. Drach, Jon M. Anthony USPTO Applicaton #: 20060028105 - Class: 312405000 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060028105. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] Refrigeration appliances, such as refrigerators and freezers typically have doors which can be opened to allow a user to access a refrigerated compartment in the interior of the appliance. In order to assist in maintaining the compartment in a refrigerated state, the doors are usually insulated. In many instances refrigeration appliance doors are formed of a sheet metal material that is bent or drawn into a shape in which the door is provided with a thickness to accommodate the insulation material, among other things. As such, the door has a front surface area, and top, left, right and bottom side surface areas formed from sheet metal material. [0002] In order to form the top, bottom, right and left side surface areas in metal sheets, it has been required that a seam or discontinuity must be provided between at least some of the adjacent side surface areas. Such a seam or discontinuity visually detracts from the appearance of the appliance. While plastic appliance door constructions have been able, through melting and molding operations not available when working with metal, for example see U.S. Pat. No. 6,630,097, to form seamless corners, until now, metal door constructions have required seams or other discontinuities at the corners. [0003] In some cases, the seam or discontinuity is caused by having terminal edges of the surface areas abut one another after being bent into shape, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,703, which require the extra step of welding (FIG. 14) of the two terminal edges if the seam or discontinuity is to be rendered visually pleasing, or to avoid a leakage point for foam insulation. In other cases, the seam or discontinuity is caused by having folds in the sheet metal material interposed between the two side surface areas, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,593. With the use of such folds, the seam or discontinuity between the adjacent side surface areas is visible, and generally must be covered with some type of trim material in order to provide a visually pleasing appearance to the appliance. [0004] It would be an improvement in the art if an arrangement were provided for forming corners for a metal door for a refrigeration appliance in which the side surface areas were joined together without a seam or discontinuity in order to avoid the drawbacks mentioned above. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art in that a refrigerated appliance is provided with a door which comprises an outer metal panel having a generally rectangular front surface area lying generally in a first plane, top, left, right and bottom side surface areas formed as extensions from the front surface area, and connected thereto via radiused bends to orient the side surface areas in planes approximately 90 degrees from the plane of the front surface area, without seams or other discontinuities between any of the front or side surface areas. [0006] In an embodiment, flanges extend from each of the top, left, right and bottom sides, the flanges being oriented generally in a plane approximately parallel to the plane of the front surface area, adjacent flanges having overlapping areas which are secured together with fastening elements. [0007] In an embodiment, adjacent ones of each of the side surface areas are joined at bends having radii in the range of 6-20 mm. [0008] In an embodiment, including flanges extending from said side surface areas approximately parallel to the first plane, a plastic door liner is engaged with the flanges, and a foamed-in-place insulation material is adhered between the liner and an inner surface of the outer metal panel. [0009] In an embodiment, the front surface has an outwardly convex shape, and in other embodiments, the front surface has a planar shape. [0010] In an embodiment, the side surface areas are joined to the front surface area at bends having a radius in the range of 6-20 mm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING [0011] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a refrigerator with a door embodying the principles of the present invention. [0012] FIG. 2 is a partial rear elevational view of the door front panel of FIG. 1 with the flanges removed for clarity. [0013] FIG. 3 is a partial rear elevational view of the door front panel of FIG. 1. [0014] FIG. 4 is side sectional view of the complete door of FIG. 1. [0015] FIG. 5 is a partial rear elevational view of bottom corner of the front door panel of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT [0016] The present invention is directed to a door for a refrigeration appliance, such as a refrigerator, freezer, ice maker, or a combination appliance having both a refrigerated (fresh food) compartment and a freezer (frozen food) compartment. Throughout this specification, the terms refrigerator or refrigeration appliance will be used to encompass all such devices. [0017] A refrigerator is shown generally at 20 in FIG. 1. In the embodiment illustrated, there are two side-by-side doors 22, 24 which are hinged to a cabinet of the refrigerator for providing access to a refrigeration and a freezer compartment respectively, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,825 incorporated herein by reference. Also shown in the freezer door 24 is a recess 26 for providing chilled water and ice. Other types of refrigeration appliances are contemplated, such as refrigerator/freezer combination appliances having a top mounted or a bottom mounted freezer compartment(U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,732,014 and 5,357,769, incorporated herein by reference), a single door refrigerator appliance (U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,854, incorporated herein by reference) or a single door freezer appliance. Other numbers and arrangements of doors are also contemplated (See U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,498, incorporated herein by reference). [0018] As seen in FIG. 1, each door 22, 24 has a front, generally rectangular, surface area 28 formed from an outer metal panel 29, which front surface area lies generally in a first plane, here shown to be a substantially vertical plane. In some refrigeration appliances, such as chest freezers, the front surface area 28 of the door 20 may lie in a generally horizontal plane. In other refrigeration appliances, such as ice machines, the door 20 may be oriented in a plane at an angle between vertical and horizontal. [0019] The front surface area 28 of the door 20 may be generally planar in shape, or may have a generally outwardly convex shape, as shown in FIG. 1. That is, a portion of the surface area 28 may be at a different elevation relative to the plane of the surface area than other portions, even though the entire surface area lies generally in the plane. For example, the front surface area 28 may be slightly rounded or bulging, or the front surface area may have a stepped or bevelled surface configuration. Typically there are also handles 30 of some type provided on the door 20 to assist in the opening of the door. [0020] The front surface area 28 of the door 20 is formed from the sheet metal panel 29, typically a form of steel such as carbon steel or stainless steel. The surface of the sheet metal panel 29 may be smooth or may have a texture applied to it. It may be brushed or painted, or have some other appearance enhancing treatment applied to it. In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of the sheet metal panel 29 is less than 0.040 inches (0.1 mm) and most preferred, is less than 0.030 inches (0.076 mm) in order to reduce weight and cost. Sufficient strength is provided to the door as described below. Continue reading... Full patent description for Formed door for refrigerators Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Formed door for refrigerators patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. 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