초록 ▼

Sealing structure for preventing air flow across exposed metal portions of a center rail assembly in a refrigeration apparatus. The air flow preventing seals include sealing pads mounted to the side edges of a divider wall received in channels in the cabinet liner for preventing air flow through a f

Sealing structure for preventing air flow across exposed metal portions of a center rail assembly in a refrigeration apparatus. The air flow preventing seals include sealing pads mounted to the side edges of a divider wall received in channels in the cabinet liner for preventing air flow through a front end of the channel. A second air flow preventing seal is provided in the form of a rope extending about each of the opposite ends of a center rail bracket received in inwardly opening roll-formed flange channels defined by the metal outer shell. The third air flow preventing seal is provided in the form of a sealing strip compressed between the front face of the center rail bracket and the rear face of an overlying cover so as to isolate hinge mounting portions at opposite ends of the center rail mounting bracket. The different seals cooperate with each other in preventing undesirable air flow from one compartment to another across metal surfaces in heat transfer association with the outer metal shell.

대표청구항 ▼

1. In a refrigerator cabinet assembly having a sheet metal outer shell which defines a transverse flange terminating in a channel generally parallel with said flange and opening transversely inwardly, a liner having sidewalls and an end wall defining an open-ended storage space, said sidewalls termi

1. In a refrigerator cabinet assembly having a sheet metal outer shell which defines a transverse flange terminating in a channel generally parallel with said flange and opening transversely inwardly, a liner having sidewalls and an end wall defining an open-ended storage space, said sidewalls terminating with a transverse outwardly turned peripheral flange continuous around its perimeter except for a pair of notches, said flange being received in said channel to support said liner in said shell and to define a wall space, and insulation essentially filling said wall space, the improvement comprising: support means on said liner sidewall adjacent said notches; a generally rectangular compartment separator received in said support means and dividing said storage space into an above-freezing compartment and a below-freezing compartment, said separator spaced from said liner sidewalls defining a horizontal passage forwardly along the sidewalls of said liner; a center rail bracket spanning opposite sides of said wall space along the front edge of said channel adjacent one of said liner flange notches, wherein said notch, one end of said bracket and said channel form a duct between said above-freezing compartment and said below-freezing compartment; a center rail cover overlying said center rail bracket defining a generally horizontal chamber therewith, wherein at least a portion of said cover is metal, said passage, said chamber, and said duct being interconnected and in fluid communication with said above-freezing compartment and said below-freezing compartment; and seal means to prevent air currents across or along any portion of said duct or said chamber. 2. The refrigerator cabinet assembly of claim 1 wherein said seal means comprises rope means disposed in said duct which is essentially impermeable to air and covers the transverse area of said duct, and strip means disposed in said chamber in sealing contact between said center rail bracket and said center rail cover and extending continuously from one corner of said center rail cover to the diagonally opposite corner of said center rail cover. 3. The refrigerator cabinet assembly of claim 2 further including pad means disposed in said passage which is essentially impermeable to air and covers the transverse area of said passage. 4. The refrigerator cabinet assembly of claim 3 wherein said pad means has a length substantially less than that of said passage and is disposed adjacent said center rail bracket. 5. The refrigerator cabinet assembly of claim 2 wherein said rope means embraces an end portion of said center rail bracket in said duct. 6. The refrigerator cabinet assembly of claim 2 wherein said center rail bracket defines opposite offset end portions and said strip means extends between said end portions. 7. In a refrigerator cabinet having a liner defining sidewalls and a separator wall having opposite side edge portions and a transverse edge portion between said side edge portions, said liner sidewall defining opposite aligned support channels receiving said separator wall side edge portions, the spacing between the bottoms of the channels being greater than the width of said separator wall between said side edge portions, the improvement comprising: a pair of insulating pads, each having a length less than that of said channels; and means for mounting said pads one each to said opposite separator wall edge portions adjacent said transverse edge portion to be sealingly compressed between said side edge portions and said liner sidewalls in said channels to completely block the transverse area therebetween and thereby preclude air flow through said channels to said transverse edge portion. 8. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 7 wherein each said means for mounting said pads comprises adhesive tape means. 9. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 7 wherein each said means for mounting said pads comprises adhesive tape means secured to one end of the pad and to said side edge portion of said separator wall within said channel. 10. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 7 wherein each said means for mounting said pads comprises adhesive tape formed of a synthetic resin. 11. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 7 wherein each said means for mounting said pads comprises adhesive tape extending the height of said support channel. 12. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 7 wherein each said means for mounting said pads comprises adhesive tape having a portion captured between said pad and said liner sidewall in said support channel. 13. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 7 further including a transverse bracket extending along said transverse edge portion of said separator wall and outwardly beyond the opposite side edge portion, said pads defining ends abutting said bracket. 14. In a refrigeration cabinet having a shell provided with opposite inturned flange portions defining opposed roll-formed channels, a liner within said shell defining an internal cabinet space and having outturned edge flange portions received in said channels, and a divider wall extending across the cabinet space to divide the space into adjacent compartments, said divider wall defining a front edge portion, the improvement comprising: a center rail bracket extending across said front edge portion of said divider wall and having opposite ends received in said roll-formed channels of said shell inturned flange portions, each said liner outturned flange portions being provided with a gap through which one of said ends of said bracket extends; and sealing means in each said channel for preventing air flow through said gap and channel past the said bracket end received in said channel. 15. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 14 wherein each said sealing means comprises a rope seal. 16. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 14 wherein each said sealing means comprises an elongated seal element having opposite ends extending beyond said liner outturned flange gap at opposite edges of said bracket end. 17. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 14 wherein each said sealing means comprises an elongated seal element having opposite ends extending beyond said liner outturned flange gap at opposite edges of said bracket end and a midportion compressed sealingly between said bracket end and a portion of said inturned shell flange at the outer end of said channel. 18. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 14 wherein each said sealing means comprises means compressed sealingly between said bracket end and a portion of said inturned shell flange at the outer end of said channel. 19. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 14 further including threaded securing means extending through each said shell flange and mounting bracket end associated therewith. 20. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 14 wherein said bracket ends have a height substantially equal to the height of said gap. 21. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 14 wherein said bracket ends have a height substantially equal to the height of said divider wall. 22. In a refrigeration cabinet having a liner defining an internal cabinet space, and a divider wall dividing the cabinet space into adjacent compartments, the improvement comprising: a bracket extending along an edge of said divider wall and having end portions secured to said cabinet; a bracket cover fitted to said divider wall edge and enclosing said bracket; and elongated sealing means extending longitudinally between diagonally opposite portions of said bracket at said end portions and transversely sealingly between said bracket and cover for preventing intercompartment air flow between said bracket and cover, said sealing means having a width transversely to the longitudinal extent of the bracket substantially less than the corresponding dimension of the bracket whereby the sealing means occupies only a small portion of the space between the cover and bracket. 23. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 22 wherein said sealing means comprises a strip of polyfoam tape. 24. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 22 wherein said cover is provided with a metal insert. 25. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 22 wherein said bracket has a height less than the height of said divider wall. 26. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 22 wherein said bracket has a height less than the height of said divider wall and an insulation member having a height similar to that of said bracket is disposed between said bracket and divider wall. 27. The refrigeration cabinet of claim 22 wherein said divider wall is provided with a top panel and a bottom panel and said cover extends between said top panel and said bottom panel. 28. In a refrigerator structure having a cabinet defining a refrigeration space and a front access opening to said space, and a horizontal divider wall extending across said space and defining a front edge thereof, the improvement comprising: a bracket having opposite ends secured to said cabinet at opposite sides of said access opening to overlie said divider wall front edge; a first hinge support on a top portion of said bracket adjacent one of said opposite ends thereof; a second hinge support on a bottom portion of said bracket adjacent the opposite end thereof; a cover overlying said bracket and defining a space therebetween; and sealing means providing a seal between said bracket and cover for preventing air flow between said hinge supports through said space. 29. The refrigerator structure of claim 28 wherein said sealing means comprises a narrow flexible strip of sealing material. 30. The refrigerator cabinet structure of claim 28 wherein said sealing means comprises polyfoam tape. 31. The refrigerator cabinet structure of claim 28 wherein said sealing means extends longitudinally across said bracket and has one end portion subjacent said first hinge support and an opposite end portion superjacent said second hinge support. 32. The refrigerator cabinet structure of claim 28 wherein said bracket includes offset end portions and said sealing means abuts said end portions. 33. In a refrigerator cabinet assembly having a sheet metal outer shell which defines a transverse flange terminating in a roll-formed channel generally parallel with said flange and opening transversely inwardly, a synthetic resin liner having sidewalls and an end wall defining an open-ended storage space, said sidewalls terminating with a transverse outwardly turned front flange continuous around its perimeter except for a pair of notches, said flange being received in said roll-formed channel to support said liner in said shell and to define a wall space, and insulation essentially filling said wall space, the improvement comprising: opposite aligned horizontal support channels formed in said liner sidewalls adjacent said notches; a generally rectangular compartment separator wall received in said horizontal support channels and dividing said storage space into an above-freezing compartment and a below-freezing compartment, said separator spaced from said liner sidewalls defining a horizontal passage forwardly along said liner sidewalls; a center rail bracket spanning opposite sides of said wall space along the front edge of said roll-formed channel and extending through one of said liner flange notches, wherein said notch, one end of said bracket and said roll-formed channel form a duct between said above-freezing compartment and said below-freezing compartment; a center rail cover overlying said center rail bracket defining a generally horizontal chamber therewith, wherein at least a portion of said cover is metal, said passage, said chamber, and said duct being interconnected and in fluid communication with said above-freezing compartment and said below-freezing compartment; and a system of seals to prevent air currents across or along any portion of said duct or said chamber, said system comprising a flexible foam pad disposed in said passage adjacent said bracket wherein said pad is essentially impermeable to air and covers the transverse area of said passage, a flexible rope seal disposed in said duct wherein said rope seal is essentially impermeable to air and covers the transverse area of said duct, and a sealing strip disposed in said chamber in sealing contact between said center rail bracket and said center rail cover wherein said sealing strip is a polyfoam tape and extends continuously from one corner of said center rail cover to the diagonally opposite corner of said center rail cover.