US3038319A - Heated refrigerator door seal - Google Patents

Description

June 12, 1962 K. K. IKESLING 3,038,319

' HEATED REFRIGERATOR DOOR SEAL Filed Feb. 26, 1958 Keith K Kes/fng. fi g z I His A t'rorney United States Patent iiice 3,038,319 Patented June 12, 1962 tors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 26, 1953, Ser. No. 717,672 3 Claims. (Cl. 62-275) This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to a refrigerator door seal having a strip heater incorporated therein for preventing the condensation of moisture on the door seal and the surfaces adja cent the door seal.

It is an object of this invention to provide a strip heater which may be repaired or replaced without removing the usual breaker strip at the front edge of the refrigerator cabinet.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a simple single strip heater arrangement which will not only prevent sweating of the door jamb but will also prevent sweating of the door itself as well as the sealing strip.

More particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a sealing strip for a refrigerator door wherein a strip heater is incorporated in the door seal so as to extend around the entire edge of the door opening.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a household refrigerator incorporating the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the relationship between the strip heater and the door seal in one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of a modified type of door seal;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing still another modification;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevational view with parts broken away illustrating the arrangement of the strip heater preparatory to mitering one corner of a door seal; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary plan view with parts broken away showing the mitered corner of a door seal.

Referring now to the drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown, reference numeral 10 designates a conventional refrigerator cabinet having a door 12 provided for closing the front opening of the cabinet. As shown in FIGURE 2, the cabinet 10 includes the usual inner liner 11 and insulation material 13 in the space between the inner and outer walls of the cabinet. The door 12 includes the usual inner panel 15 and insulation material '17 between the inner and outer walls of the door. An extruded rubber-like door seal 14 is carried by the door in the conventional manner and is arranged to seal the door opening when the door is in its closed position. For purposes of illustration, FIG- URE 2 shows a door seal of the type which is held in place by means of a door seal clamping bracket 16 whereas the door seal could be held in place in any other well-known manner.

The seal 14 incorporates a strip heater 18 which extends the full length of the seal and serves to maintain the door seal heated at all times so as not only to prevent condensation of moisture on that portion of the door seal exposed to the room air but also to prevent the accumulation of moisture on the door and cabinet surfaces 20 and 22 respectively which are located adjacent the door seal. It will be noted that the strip heater 18 shown in FIGURE 2 is mounted in a pocket 24 provided directly in the door seal 14 whereby the strip heater is at all times in intimate thermal exchange relationship with the material forming the door seal. The heater 18 is connected in the usual manner to a conventional power source which has not been shown. The door seal serves to conduct a portion of the heat to the surfaces 20 and 22 contacted by the door seal and thereby prevent the exposed surfaces 20 and 22 from becoming cold enough to cause moisture in the room air to condense thereon.

By virtue of the above described arrangement it is apparent that the single strip heater 18 is supported directly by the door seal without the need for extra mounting clips and the like and is effective to heat not only the exposed door seal surface but also the surfaces 20 and 22.

FIGURE 3 of the drawing shows a slightly modified door seal arrangement wherein the strip heater 18 is mounted in a pocket 32 formed directly in the sealing strip 34. It will be noted that the pocket 32 is open to the outside so as to facilitate insertion and removal of the heater strip 18 after the sealing strip has been attached to the refrigerator door. It will also be noted that the pocket 32 is so arranged that when the door is closed the sealing strip is pressed into firm engagement with the strip heater 18.

FIGURE 4 of the drawings shows still another arrangement wherein the strip heater 18 is placed directly within the bulb cavity 40 of a conventional sealing strip 42. The strip heater 18 in each of the embodiments illustrated herein includes a metallic heater core 44 and an insulating sheath 46 as best shown in FIGURE 4. Strip heaters of this type are now well known and need no further description.

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate how it is possible to miter the corners of sealing strips having strip heaters incorporated therein as shown in FIGURE 4 for example. As best shown in FIGURE 5, the sealing strip 42 is provided with an elongated slot 50 at the point where it is desired to form a mitered corner. The first step in mitering the strip would be to pull a portion 54 of the strip heater '18 out through the slot 50 so as not to interfere with cutting the main body of the sealing strip along the line 52 and then to out along the dotted lines 52. After the strip has been out along the lines 52 it can be bent into the form shown in FIGURE 6 and the meeting edges can be vulcanized to one another as at 56 or otherwise bonded together in accordance with well-known practice. After the corner has been properly vulcanized or bonded together the excess loop material 54 would of course be pulled back into the interior of the bulb portion of the seal.

In each of the above described arrangements it will be observed that the strip heater 18 is arranged in direct thermal exchange relationship with some portion of the sealing strip so as to cause the sealing strip to become heated and to conduct heat to those surfaces of the refrigerator which need to be heated so as to prevent moisture from the room air condensing on these surfaces.

The refrigerator shown in FIGURE 1 is intended to represent a conventional refrigerator wherein a conventional refrigerant system including a refrigerant evaporator 60 is arranged for cooling the interior of the usual food compartment of the refrigerator and wherein liquid refrigerant is adapted to be supplied to the evaporator by means of conventional refrigerant liquefying apparatus 62 mounted in the lower portion of the cabinet 10 in the usual manner.

While the forms of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a refrigerator, a cabinet member having an insulated food storage compartment provided with an opening in one wall thereof, said cabinet including a metallic door jamb member, a metallic door member for closing said opening, refrigerating apparatus including an evaporator for cooling said compartment, a sealing strip carried by one of said members for sealing said door opening and arranged to contact both said door jamb member and said door member in the closed position of said door member, and a strip heater carried by said sealing strip for heating said sealing strip and the adjacent metallic surfaces on said cabinet member and said door member so as to prevent condensation of moisture thereon.

2. In combination a refrigerator cabinet including an outer metallic shell member, an inner shell member, insulation between said inner and outer shell members; said cabinet having an access opening therein; a door for closing said access opening; said door comprising an outer metallic panel, an inner panel, insulation between said panels; an extruded sealing strip arranged between said door and said cabinet and in physical contact with said door and said cabinet throughout substantially the entire length of said sealing strip when said door is in the closed position for preventing the escape of air between said cabinet and said door when said door is in closed position; and astrip heater carried by said sealing strip arranged to heat said sealing strip and the adjacent metallic surfaces on said cabinet member and said door member.

3. In a refrigerator, a cabinet member having an insulated food storage compartment provided with an opening in one wall thereof, said cabinet including a door jamb member wherein one.. portion of the door jamb member is exposed to the relatively cold air in said food storage compartment and another portion of said door jamb member is exposed to the relatively warm outside air, a door member for closing said opening, refrigerating apparatus including an evaporator for cooling said compartment, a sealing strip carried by one of said members and abutting both of said members in the closed position of said door member for sealing said door opening, and a strip heater carried by said sealing strip for heating said sealing strip, said door jamb member and portions of said door member adjacent said sealing strip so as to prevent condensation of moisture thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,135,091 Newill Nov. 1, 1938 2,420,240 Haggerty May 6, 1 947 2,497,998 Lee Feb. 21, 1950 2,507,895 Foxtow May 16, 1950 2,607,091 Dodge Aug. 19, 1952 2,644,605 Palmer July 7, 1953 2,690,650 Pichler Oct. 5, 1954 2,719,907 Combs Oct. 4, 1955 2,811,406 Moore Oct. 29, 1957 2,824,209 Leipold Feb. 18, 1958 2,858,408 Barroero Oct. 28, 1958 2,867,862 Squire Jan. 13, 1959

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