Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Disparate treatment of article subsequent to working,... – Effecting temperature change
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-01
2001-04-03
Ortiz, Angela (Department: 1732)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Disparate treatment of article subsequent to working,...
Effecting temperature change
C264S252000, C264S271100, C264SDIG007
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210618
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore it has been conventional to provide a support frame for receiving and retaining a panel of glass as part of a wall or door assembly. Such a support frame includes an integrally formed body of uniform cross section defining a generally inwardly opening channel as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,888 in the name of Laurence B. Hanson which granted on Apr. 10, 1990. Screws are inserted through an opening in one side wall of the channel and are threaded into an opening in a second side wall of the channel to draw the two side walls into gripping contact with the glass panel, thus providing a relatively unitized and rigid supporting frame.
Typical also of a frame of this type is such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,363,390 in the name of Jameson Crane granted on Jan. 16, 1968. The frame member in this case is extruded and is folded around a peripheral edge of an associated panel with a screw uniting a single corner of the frame.
More recently it has become conventional to insert a panel in a mold, isolate a peripheral edge portion of the panel and injection mold a polymeric/copolymeric frame about the edge of the panel. Such frames are utilized as front and rear windshields for automobiles or other glass panels for vehicles or buildings, as is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,420 granted on Sep. 22, 1986 to Charles E. Grawey et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,185 granted on Dec. 2, 1986 to Bernard Monnet.
Such injection molded encapsulation is now conventional in shelving, particular for refrigerators, as is evidenced by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,273,354; 5,362,145; 5,403,084; 5,429,433; 5,441,338 and 5,454,638 issued respectively on Dec. 28, 1993; Nov. 8, 1994; Apr. 4, 1995; Jul. 4, 1995; Aug. 15, 1995 and Oct. 3, 1995, all assigned to the assignee of the present application.
Typically, such shelves are manufactured in an injection mold of the type disclosed in pending application Ser. No. 08/303,200 filed on Sep. 8, 1994 in the names of Max Meier et al. In the latter disclosure a glass plate or panel has its peripheral edge located in a peripheral cavity into which highly pressurized plastic material is injected and, upon subsequent cooling, the edge of the panel is bounded by a polymeric frame or encapsulation which, since intended for use as a refrigerator shelf, has also integrally unitized thereto opposite metallic shelf brackets. A cook top is manufactured similarly in pending application Ser. No. 08/890,651 filed on Jul. 9, 1997.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In keeping with the forgoing, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel and unobvious method of manufacturing a peripherally encapsulated unit, such as a refrigerator shelf, a range oven door, a microwave oven door, a cook top, a hob top, a “touch” control panel or the like. Preferably, an injection mold is provided which defines a peripheral cavity in which can be injection molded a frame or encapsulation having an inwardly opening preferably continuous channel. At the completion of the injection molding of the frame, the cavity is at least partially opened, and a panel, such as a Ceran® or glass panel, is moved into the mold into alignment with a channel of the still hot injected frame or encapsulation. A peripheral edge of the panel is maintained in alignment with the channel of the encapsulation as the latter cools. The cooling of the encapsulation or injection molded frame results in the shrinkage thereof which brings the channel into progressive intimate embracing relationship to a peripheral edge of the glass or Ceran® panel eventually resulting in a unitized peripherally encapsulated unit which can, for example constitute a cook top, a door for a range oven, a “touch” control panel for an oven, range or the like wherein the Ceran®/glass panel includes so-called “touch” circuitry, or similar structures. One major advantage of the aforesaid method is that during the molding thereof, the panel need not be inserted into the mold and subject to heat and pressure which is highly undesirable, particularly in such applications as “touch” control panel circuitry, the electronics of which can be adversely effected under relatively high molding temperatures. Thus, no matter the material from which the “insert” member might be made, it is subject to less pressure and temperature than heretofore noted and only the peripheral edge thereof is briefly subject to elevated temperature as the encapsulation/frame cools and shrinks into conformity with the periphery of the insert. Thus, relatively close tolerances can be maintained at high production output and at minimum deterioration, as might not otherwise occur under elevated injection molding temperatures and pressures.
With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
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Bienick Craig
Bird Kevin
Daley Howard
Herrmann Bob
Kaper Lloyd
Diller, Ramik & Wight PC
Gemtron Corporation
Ortiz Angela
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