US4740042A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Appliance door having stiffened inner panel with shelves and method of forming
Assignee: General Electric Co
•
Filing: 1987-03-02
•
Granted: 1988-04-26
•
Expires: 2007-03-02
Abstract
Abstract A refrigerator door has its plastic inner panel, which has a plurality of container supporting shelves extending therefrom, stiffened through forming integral vertical stringers adjacent each other across substantially the entire width of the surface of the inner panel between the shelves. Gussets extend from one end of each of the integral stringers into one of the upper and lower surfaces of each adjacent shelf. The integral stringers are V-shaped or U-shaped in cross section. The gussets are V-shaped when the integral stringers are V-shaped and may be V-shaped or U-shaped when the integral stringers are U-shaped. The integral stringers stiffen the entire door without adding material and control the stiffness through the cross sectional moment of inertia of each of the integral stringers. When there is a lack of space beneath the bottom shelf, the gussets cannot be employed, but a shadow line is used to increase the moment of inertia. The integral stringers have an aesthetic pattern in either the V-shaped or U-shaped configuration.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard A. Stich
- 👤 Walter E. Lewis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 05:19
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25D; F25D23/00; F25D23/02; F25D23/04; F25D2400/00; F25D2400/04; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S108/00; Y10S108/901
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
131 words
An appliance door including: an outer panel; an inner panel connected to said outer panel; and said inner panel including: a plurality of substantially horizontal shelves having an upper surface and a lower surface spaced from each other; a substantially vertical surface extending between at least each two adjacent of said shelves; a plurality of integral stringers of the same configuration adjacent each other and extending between at least two adjacent of said shelves in said substantially vertical surface extending therebetween; and gusset means extending from one end of each of said integral stringers, said gusset means being in one of said upper and lower surfaces of at least one of said two adjacent shelves to add rigidity to said one shelf, each of said gusset means having the same configuration.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
131 words
An appliance door including: an outer panel; an inner panel connected to said outer panel; and said inner panel including: a plurality of substantially horizontal shelves having an upper surface and a lower surface spaced from each other; a substantially vertical surface extending between at least each two adjacent of said shelves; a plurality of integral stringers of the same configuration adjacent each other and extending between at least two adjacent of said shelves in said substantially vertical surface extending therebetween; and gusset means extending from one end of each of said integral stringers, said gusset means being in one of said upper and lower surfaces of at least one of said two adjacent shelves to add rigidity to said one shelf, each of said gusset means having the same configuration.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The door according to claim 1 in which each of said gusset means is in said upper surface of said shelf.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The door according to claim 2 in which each of said gusset means is the same configuration as each of said integral stringers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The door according to claim 3 in which each of said integral stringers has a substantially V-shaped configuration.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The door according to claim 3 in which each of said integral stringers has a substantially U-shaped configuration.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The door according to claim 2 in which each of said integral stringers has a substantially U-shaped configuration and each of said gusset means has a substantially V-shaped configuration.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The door according to claim 1 in which each of said gusset means is in said lower surface of said shelf.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The door according to claim 7 in which each of said gusset means is the same configuration as each of said integral stringers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
The door according to claim 8 in which each of said integral stringers has a substantially V-shaped configuration.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The door according to claim 8 in which each of said integral stringers has a substantially U-shaped configuration.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
The door according to claim 7 in which each of said integral stringers has a substantially U-shaped configuration and each of said gusset means has a substantially V-shaped configuration.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The door according to claim 1 in which each of said gusset means is the same configuration as each of said integral stringers.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The door according to claim 12 in which each of said integral stringers has a substantially V-shaped configuration.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The door according to claim 12 in which each of said integral stringers has a substantially U-shaped configuration.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The door according to claim 1 in which each of said integral stringers has a substantially U-shaped configuration and each of said gusset means has a substantially V-shaped configuration.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of forming an inner panel of an appliance door including: forming a plurality of substantially horizontal shelves integral with the inner panel; forming a plurality of integral stringers of the same configuration adjacent each other in a surface of the inner panel extending between at least two adjacent of the shelves for substantially the entire width of the shelves to increase the stiffness of the surface of the inner panel; and forming gusset means of the same configuration in one of the upper and lower surfaces of at least one of the two adjacent shelves with each of the gusset means extending from one end of each of the integral stringers to add rigidity to the shelf having the gusset means.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of forming an inner panel of an appliance door including: forming a plurality of substantially horizontal shelves integral with the inner panel; forming a plurality of integral stringers of the same configuration adjacent each other in a surface of the inner panel extending between at least two adjacent of the shelves for substantially the entire width of the shelves to increase the stiffness of the surface of the inner panel; and forming gusset means of the same configuration in one of the upper and lower surfaces of at least one of the two adjacent shelves with each of the gusset means extending from one end of each of the integral stringers to add rigidity to the shelf having the gusset means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method according to claim 16 including forming the integral stringers and the gusset means of the same configuration. PG,23
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 17 including forming each of the integral stringers and the gusset means in a substantially V-shaped configuration.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 17 including forming each of the integral stringers and the gusset means in a substantially U-shaped configuration.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method according to claim 16 including: forming each of the integral stringers in a substantially U-shaped configuration; and forming each of the gusset means in a substantially V-shaped configuration.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
CA631401A
Cited
US1069204A
Cited
US1269197A
Cited
US1518668A
Cited
US1686831A
Cited
US2144945A
Cited
US2533431A
Cited
US2706140A
Cited
US2746828A
Cited
US2903315A
Cited
US3024942A
Cited
US3154215A
Cited
US3405666A
Cited
US3719157A
Cited
US3780903A
Cited
US4103857A
Cited
US4183491A
Cited
US4361368A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-04-26 | 1991-10-26 | 1992-04-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-04-26 | 1995-10-26 | 1996-04-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-04-26 | 1999-10-26 | 2000-04-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |