Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ENERGY EFFICIENT REFRIGER~TOR SEAL AND MEI~OD
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BACKGROUND OF T~E INVENTION:
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1. Technical Field:
. The present invention relates generally to thermally insulated containers, and more
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particularly to an apparatus and method for affixing a magnetic seal gasket to a therrnally
S insulated container.
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~` 2. Discussiom
Thermally insulated containers have many applications, including refrigerators and
- freezers. These containers are usually constructed of a box-shaped cabinet and a door
-- for covering an opening of said cabinet and thereby enclosing an interior volume which
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10 is thermaliy insulated from the exterior of the container. 'The door is generally releasably
sealed to the edges of the cabinet by a magnetic seal and gasket assembly affixed to the -
door of the container. The magnet in the seal gasket assembly attracts an outer metal
' shell of the cabinet when the door is in a closed position, thus forming a releasable
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~ magnetic seal between the door and the cabinet.
;`` lS With reference to the drawings, releasable magnetic seals according to the prior
art are shown in figures I and 3. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, a magnetic seal
indicated generally at 10 is affixed to a box-shaped cabinet 12 and forms a releasable
j' magnetic seal with a door 14 of the thermally insu]ated container. Cabinet 12 and door
,~ 14 are each similarly constructed of a metal outer shell 16 and 1~ and a hard plastic
20 inner liner 20 and 22, as weli as insulation 24 and 26 which is placed in a gap between
them.
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. . - . Magnetic seal 10 is formed of a retainer 28 and a flexible seal gasket 30. Retainer
28 has outer side walls 32 and 34? retaining lips 36 and 38, plateaus 40 and 42, inner side
walls 44 and 46, retainer flanges 48 and 50, and a U-shaped channel 52. Outer side walls
32 and 34 cooperate with retaining lips 36 and 38 to form a first and second channel for
5 accepting inner liner 20 and gripping outer shell 16 respectively. Seal gasket 30 is formed
with a base 54, side walls 56 and 58, outwardly ]aterally extending flanges 60 and 62,
flexible webs 64 and 66, a sleeve 68 for closing a magnet 70, a post 74, and a dart 72.
`' Seal gasket 30 rests on retainer 28, with its flanges 60 and 62 in contact with plateaus 40
. ~ and 42 formed on retainer 28. Seal gasket 30 is held in place by dart 72 which extends
within channel 52 and engages retainer flanges 48 and 50. Flexible webs 64 and 66 allow
.~ sleeve 68 and 70 to move in a transverse direction, and post 74 supports sleeve 58 and
magnet 70 from impacts of door 14. Magnet 70 attracts outer shell 18 of door 14 when
it is in a closed position, and thus forms a releasable magnetic seal between cabinet 12
and door 14.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, magnetic seal 76 is formed similar to
~, magnetic seal 10. Identical reference numerals indicate similar elements. Seal gasket
78 is constructed almost identically to seal gasket 30. Retainer 80 has a base 82; inner
side walls 84 and 86; plateaus 88 and 90; anchoring ribs 92; a dead air space 94 which
~- is defined by side wall 32, retaining lip 36, and an end wall 95; and dead air spaces 96
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`?~:: 20 and 98.
~1 It is desirable that the thermally insulated container allow as little heat transfer
as possible between the interior volume and the exterior of the container. A
,~j . refrigeration system incorporating a more insulated container will generally be more
energy efficient. However, magnetic seals of the prior art have generally allowed heat
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to flow from the exterior into the interior of the container. As a result, it is therefore
desirable to provide a magnetic seal which will reduce heat flow between the interior
volume and the exterior of the container.
SUMMARY OF T~E INVENTION:
The present invention provides a magnetic seal for releasably sealing the door and
box-shaped cabinet of a thermally insulated container together. The magnetic seal
consists of a retainer which defines a first planar surface and is affixed to either the
cabinet or the door, a seal gasket which encloses a magnet and defines a second planar
surface, and tape which includes a layer of thermally insulating material having adhesive
.~ 10 on both sides thereof which is placed between the retainer and seal gasket so that the
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adhesive affixes the seal gasket to the retainer. The layer of thermally insulating material
reduces heat transfer between an interior volume and an exterior of the thermally ;
insulated container.
These and other various advantages and features of the present invention will
15 become apparent from the following description and claims, in conjunction vith the
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-= appended drawings: ~;
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a magnetic seal gasket according to the prior
~ art;
`~ 20 Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention;
` Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an additional embodiment of a magnetic seal
` gasket according to the prior art; and
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Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the present
invention.
- DEIAILED DESCRIPTION OF T~E PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:
The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in
5 nature, and is in no way intended to limit the invention, or its application or uses.
With reference to the drawings, the novel releasable magnetic seals according to
the present invention are shown in Figures 2 and 4. In the drawings, identical reference
!` numerals are used to indicate similar elements. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2,
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a magnetic seal shown generally at 100 is affixed to a cabinet 102, and forms a releasable
10 magnetic seal with a door 104 of the thermally insulated container. Magnetic seal 100
may alternatively be affixed to door 104, thereby forming a releasable magnetic seal with
`. cabinet 102.
`~ Cabinet 102 and door 104 are each similarly formed of an outer shell 106 and 108
ii and an inner liner 110 and 112, as well as insulation 114 and 116 placed in a gap
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; ~ 15 therebetween. Outer shells 106 and 108 are preferably formed of metal, and inner liners
' 110 and 112 are preferably made of hard plastic.
Magnetic seal 100 is preferably formed of a hard plastic retainer 118 and a fJexib]e
plastic seal gasket 120. Retainer 118 extends longitudinally along an edge of cabinet 102
and is formed in cross-section wilh transversely extending outer side walls 122 and 124,
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2U retaining lips 126 and 128 extending substantially parallel to side walls 122 and 124,
laterally extending plateaus 130 and 132, inner side walls 134 and 136 each extending
transversely, and a retainer base 138 which extends laterally and defines a first planar
` surface. Outer side wall 124 cooperates with retaining lip 128 to form a first channel for
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; ~ accepting and gripping outer shell 106. Outer side wall 122 cooperates retaining lip 126
to form a second channel for receiving and gripping inner liner 110.
Seal gasket 120 extends longitl~dinally and is formed in cross-section of a gasket
- base 140 extending laterally, side walls 142 and 144 extending transversely from the ends
of base 140, ollt~vardly laterally extending f1anges 146 and 148, flexible webs 150 and lS2,
a sleeve 154 enclosing a magnet 156, and a post 158. Flexible webs 150 and 152 extend
from sleeve 154 to flanges 146 and 148 respectively, and i2110w sleeve 154 and magnet 156
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to move a transverse direction for absorbing impacts of door 104 against seal 100. Post
- 158 supports sleeve 154 and magnet 156 from collapsing excessively under impacts hy ;
. 10 door 104. Magnet 156 is attracted to outer shell 10~3 of door ]04 when it is in a closed
'i position, thereby forming a releasable magnet seal between cabinet 102 and door 104. ~:
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~` Seal gasket ]20 is held in place and affixed to retainer 118 by tape 160 which
includes a layer of thermally insulating material and has an adhesive on both sides
~i ~ thereof. Tape 160 may preferably be made of closed cell foam. Tape 160 is placed
5 between, and adheres to, the first and second planar surfaces defined by retainer base
.i 138 and gasket base 140 respectively.
.' . Because tape 160 includes a layer of thermally insulating material, tape 160
~ provides insulation for reducing heat transfer between an interior volume of the thermally
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insulated container and an exterior of the container. As a result, the novel magnetic seal
?~ 20 of the present invention improves heat transfer insulation characteristics which increase
the efficiency of the refrigerator or freezer. In addition, the present invention improves
the ease of assembly of the magnetic seal.
An alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 4~ in which
seal gasket 162 is formed substantially similar IO seal gaskel 120. Retainer 164 is ;~.
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constructed with a base 166, inner side walls 168 and 170, plateaus 172 and 174,` anchoring ribs 17S, an end wall 178, and dead air spaces 180, 182 and 184.
~; It should be understood that an unlimited number of configurations of the present
invention can be realized. The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely
~ 5 exemplary embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily
;` recognize from the discussion and from the accompanying drawings and claims that
various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and
.- scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims.
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