Supports: cabinet structure – Spaced insulated wall – Refrigerator cabinet
Patent
1995-03-10
1997-09-30
Cuomo, Peter M.
Supports: cabinet structure
Spaced insulated wall
Refrigerator cabinet
312400, 312401, 220467, A47B 9600
Patent
active
056719914
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to temperature-controlled cabinets, particularly refrigerators (fridges), freezers, fridge-freezers and drinks coolers (chillers).
In freezers, for example, it is common to have an outer shell of sheet steel and an inner container of aluminium sheet, between which a layer of foamed polyurethane is injected. The polyurethane acts both as thermal insulation, and as a structural part, since it bonds to the outer shell and to the inner container.
In order to reduce the emission of CFC's during injection and setting of the foamed polyurethane, efforts have recently been made to use alternative polyurethane foams. For example, the blowing agent used in the polyurethane foam has been changed from R11 to pentene.
A problem exists with these alternative foams, however, in that the insulative properties thereof tend to be inferior to those of conventionally used foams. This, therefore, means that refrigerators/freezers using the alternative foams tend to be less efficient, and consume more electrical power, in use. This deficiency in thermal insulation could be compensated for by increased thickness of the substitute foam. However, this leads to greater difficulties in other respects because of the need to accommodate the additional thickness of foam within the cabinet. Thus one is faced with a dilemma of either reduced internal load capacity or increased overall size of cabinet. Neither of these solutions would be attractive to a consumer. In the latter instance one must also take account of the need to accommodate such cabinets between standard sized units used in modern kitchen designs.
From the point of view of the manufacturing industry alteration of the overall dimensions of the cabinet has even more serious implications due to increased material coats, re-design of tooling to handle and assemble the cabinets, not to mention also the need to re-design and produce a totally new packaging for the products using such larger cabinets.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the aforementioned problems.
It is a further object of the present invention to improve the electrical efficiency of refrigerators (fridges), freezers, fridge freezers and drinks coolers (chillers).
Another object of this invention is to provide a cabinet of satisfactory thermal efficiency which can be handled during assembly and packaged without radical re-design of production line, thereby enabling use of existing machinery and packaging.
Yet other objects of at least some embodiments of the present invention include: to provide a visually more appealing cabinet; and to provide a cabinet with enhanced advertising space. This latter object is particularly applicable to cabinets made for commercial use.
Accordingly, in a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a cabinet within which a controllable stable temperature may be maintained, the cabinet including an inner container and an outer shell, a thermally insulating material being sandwiched therebetween, wherein at least a portion of a front of the outer shell comprises a panel which is displaced outwardly from the rest of the front of the outer shell.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a cabinet within which a controllable stable temperature may be maintained the cabinet including an inner container having sides of substantially rectangular shape and an outer shell having sides of substantially rectangular shape, a thermally insulating material being sandwiched therebetween, wherein at least a portion of a front of the outer shell comprises a panel which is displaced outwardly from and substantially parallel with the rest of the front.
At least a portion of at least one side of the outer shell may comprise a further panel which is displaced outwardly from the rest of the at least one side.
The cabinet may be adapted to be used as a refrigerator, freezer, drinks cooler or as an oven by fitment of appropriate control equipment.
The cabinet may be of a chest or front-opening type. In
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Allred David E.
Cuomo Peter M.
Ferguson Jr. Gerald J.
Norfrost Limited
Safran David S.
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