Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DECORATIVE DOOR FOR COOLER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates generally to coolers for storing and
refrigerating beverages and food
items and, more particularly, to an illuminated and insulated decorative door
for such a cooler.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Coolers are typically used in retail establishments to display
beverages or other food
items that require refrigeration. Such coolers typically feature doors with at
least one window
that permit viewing of the beverages and/or food items being sold. The door is
hinged and may
be opened to retrieve the beverage or food item out of the cooler. The door
typically seals when
closed to insulate the refrigerated interior of the cooler. It is desirable
for the front of such
coolers to be decorative so as to attract attention and advertise the
beverages and/or food items
contained in the cooler.
[0004] The present invention offers an insulated decorative door for a cooler
featuring a window
having a design that is side-lit so as to be illuminated in an attractive
fashion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an embodiment of the cooler door
of the invention;
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[0006] Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the cooler door of Fig. 1;
[0007] Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cooler door of Figs. 1 and 2;
[0008] Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the cooler door of Figs. 1-3 taken along
line 4-4 of Fig. 1;
[0009] Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of circled portion A of Fig. 4;
[0010] Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the cooler door of Fig. 1 taken along
line 6-6 of Fig. 1:
[0011] Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of circled portion B of Fig. 6;
[0012] Fig. 8 is a front elevational view of the door frame of the cooler door
of Figs. 1-7;
[0013] Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the cooler door of Fig. 8 taken along
line 9-9 of Fig. 8;
[0014] Fig. 10 is a front elevational view of the interior transparent panel
of the cooler door of
Figs. 1-7;
[0015] Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the interior glass of Fig. 10 taken
along line 11-11 of Fig.
10;
[0016] Fig. 12 is an enlarged view of circled portion C of Fig. 11;
Fig. 13
[0017] Fig. 13 is a rear elevational view of a section of the insulation
bridge of the cooler door of
Figs. 1-7;
[0018] Fig. 14 is a sectional view of the insulation bridge of Fig. 13 taken
along line 14-14 of
Fig. 13;
[0019] Fig. 15 is a rear elevational view of the door gasket of the cooler
door of Figs. 1-7;
[0020] Fig. 16 is a sectional view of the door gasket of Fig. 15 taken along
line 16-16 of Fig. 15;
[0021] Fig. 17 is a perspective view of a cooler equipped with the decorative
door of Figs. 1-3.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0022] A cooler door constructed in accordance with the present invention is
indicated in general
at 20 in Fig. 1. The door features an outer protective transparent panel 22
(which may or may
not be decorative). In addition, as illustrated in Figs. 1-3, the door
features a left door post 24a, a
right door post 24b, a top end cap 26a and a bottom end cap 26b. As
illustrated in Fig. 2, the left
door post 24a features a handle 28 for opening. The left and right door posts
and top end and
bottom end caps may be constructed from plastic, aluminum or other materials.
[0023] As illustrated in Figs. 4-7, the door features three layers of
transparent panels in addition
to the outer protective transparent panel 22. More specifically, the door
features an interior
transparent panel 32, outer surface transparent panel 34 and inner surface
transparent panel 36.
The space between interior transparent pane132 and outer surface transparent
pane134, indicated
at 38 in Figs. 5 and 7, and the space between interior transparent panel 32
and inner surface
transparent panel 36, indicated at 42 in Figs. 5 and 7, are vacuum insulated.
The transparent
panels 22, 32, 34 and 36 may be constructed from acrylic, glass or any other
transparent material.
[0024] A frame, indicated at 44 in Figs. 5, 7 and 8, and indicated in general
at 44 in Fig. 9,
features a circumferential slot 46 (Fig. 9) that holds the interior
transparent panel 32
circumferentially by its edges. As illustrated in Fig. 9, the frame also
includes a chamber 50 that
travels the circumference or perimeter of the frame and that houses multiple
light-emitting
diodes (LEDs) as illustrated at 52 in Figs. 5 and 7. As a result, the LEDs 52
run along the top
and bottom and both sides of the frame 44. The LEDs receive power via electric
cord 54 of Figs.
1-3. In addition, as illustrated in Fig. 9, the frame includes a passage 54
that travels the
circumference or perimeter of the frame. This passage is filled with molecular
mesh, indicated at
56 in Figs. 5 and 7, to provide insulation to interior transparent panel 32.
While LEDs are
illustrated and described herein, alternative light sources may be used. In
addition, alternative
insulation materials known in the art may be substituted for the molecular
mesh 56. Frame 44
may be constructed from aluminum, plastic or a variety of other materials,
preferably providing
low levels of heat transfer.
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[0025] As illustrated in Fig. 5, outer surface transparent panel 34 is secured
against frame 44 by
inwardly protruding portions 57 of left and right door posts 24a and 24b, as
well as outer
protective transparent panel 22 and inwardly protruding portions 59 of top end
and bottom end
caps 26a and 26b (Fig. 7).
[0026] As illustrated in Figs. 10-12, the interior transparent panel or sheet
32 features a V-
shaped channel 58 formed or etched therein that forms a decoration that
illuminates when lit
from the side by the LEDs 52 of Figs. 5 and 7. As an example only, the angle
of the channel
(indicated at 62 in Fig. 12) may be approximately 90 . Alternative channel
shapes may be used,
as long as the channel catches the light produced by LEDs 52 of Figs. 5 and 7
as they travel
through the interior sheet 32. In addition, while a bottle shape is
illustrated as the decoration in
Fig. 10, the decorative shape may obviously take other shapes and could
optionally include text.
[0027] As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7, an insulation bridge 66 travels around
the periphery of
inner surface transparent pane136 and is secured to top and bottom caps 26a
and 26b by pins 68
(as illustrated in Fig. 7) and to right and left door posts 24a and 24b by
pins 72 (as illustrated in
Fig. 5). An enlarged view of a section of the insulation bridge is illustrated
in Fig. 13, while a
sectional view of the bridge is illustrated in Fig. 14, where the bridge is
indicated in general at
66. Pins 68 and 72, of Figs. 7 and 5, respectively, pass through openings 74
of Figs. 13 and 14.
As illustrated in Figs, 13 and 14, the insulation bridge features a channel 76
and a transparent
panel engagement portion 78. As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7, the transparent
panel engagement
portion 78 engages the inner surface transparent panel 36 and secures the
periphery of the inner
surface transparent panel to frame 44. The function of channe176 will be
explained below. The
insulation bridge is preferably constructed of rubber, plastic or another type
of insulating
material that is at least semi-rigid.
[0028] As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7, a door gasket 82 is secured to the
channel 76 of the
insulation bridge 66 via studs 84 so as to run around the periphery of the
door inner surface. An
enlarged view of the gasket is provided in Fig. 15, while Fig. 16 provides a
sectional view of the
gasket. The gasket is preferably formed of rubber and seals the interior space
of coolers
equipped with the door when the door is closed.
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[0029] As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the right door post 24b features
cylindrical opening 86
passing longitudinally there through. The opening 86 receives a rod, bar or
other means for
mounting the door to the front side edge of a cooler in a hinged fashion, as
illustrated for cooler
90 in Fig. 17. More specifically, with reference to Fig. 17, the cooler 90
includes a housing 92
that encloses and houses a refrigerated space for beverages or food items. The
housing features
an open front so that the beverages or food items may be removed from the
interior of the cooler.
Decorative door 20 is mounted in a hinged fashion to cover the open front of
the cooler housing.
[0030] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and
described, it will
be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be
made therein
without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is
defined by the appended
claims.