Insulated door assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11414918-B2
Application number	US-202117216900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2021
Priority date	Dec 17, 2019
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A vacuum insulated door for an appliance includes an outer wrapper that defines an evacuation port. An inner liner is coupled to the outer wrapper defining an insulating cavity therebetween. A base is coupled to the outer wrapper adjacent to the evacuation port. A servicing tube has a connecting end and a servicing end. The servicing tube is in fluid communication with the insulating cavity via the evacuation port. The connecting end is coupled to the base. A handle has first and second ends coupled to the outer wrapper and a center portion therebetween spaced-apart from the outer wrapper. The first end is coupled to the outer wrapper proximate the evacuation port. The servicing tube extends along an inner surface of the handle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An insulated appliance door assembly, comprising:
an outer wrapper;
an inner wrapper coupled to the outer wrapper, wherein the outer wrapper and the inner wrapper define an interior insulating cavity; and
a handle assembly coupled to the outer wrapper, wherein the handle assembly includes:
an evacuation port in fluid communication with the interior insulating cavity;
a servicing tube in fluid communication with the evacuation port; and
a handle, wherein one end of the handle is coupled to the outer wrapper proximate to the evacuation port.

2. The insulated appliance door assembly of claim 1 , wherein the servicing tube includes a connecting end and a servicing end, wherein the connecting end is disposed proximate to the evacuation port and the servicing end is spaced from an exterior surface of the outer wrapper.

3. The insulated appliance door assembly of claim 1 , wherein the handle assembly further includes an evacuation port assembly in fluid communication with the evacuation port, wherein the evacuation port assembly is coupled to the outer wrapper.

4. The insulated appliance door assembly of claim 3 , wherein the evacuation port assembly includes a base within the interior insulating cavity and a connector coupled to the base, wherein the servicing tube is coupled to the connector.

5. The insulated appliance door assembly of claim 1 , wherein a channel is defined in an inner surface of the handle, and wherein the servicing tube extends into the channel and along the inner surface.

6. The insulated appliance door assembly of claim 1 , wherein an evacuation path is defined from the interior insulating cavity, through the evacuation port, and through the servicing tube to express air from the interior insulating cavity.

7. The insulated appliance door assembly of claim 1 , wherein the servicing tube extends at an angle from the outer wrapper along a slope of the handle.

8. An appliance door assembly, comprising:
a structural wrapper defining an interior cavity, wherein the structural wrapper defines an evacuation port in fluid communication with the interior cavity; and
a handle assembly coupled to the structural wrapper proximate to the evacuation port, wherein the handle assembly includes:
a servicing tube in fluid communication with the evacuation port, wherein gas from the interior cavity is selectively expressed through the servicing tube; and
a handle that at least partially conceals the servicing tube.

9. The appliance door assembly of claim 8 , wherein the handle assembly further includes an evacuation port assembly coupled to the structural wrapper proximate to the evacuation port, wherein the servicing tube is coupled to the evacuation port assembly.

10. The appliance door assembly of claim 9 , wherein the evacuation port assembly includes a base coupled to a connector.

11. The appliance door assembly of claim 10 , wherein the base is disposed proximate to an interior surface of the structural wrapper and the connector is disposed proximate to an exterior surface of the structural wrapper.

12. The appliance door assembly of claim 10 , wherein an attachment point between an end of the handle and the structural wrapper is disposed adjacent to the evacuation port assembly.

13. The appliance door assembly of claim 9 , wherein the servicing tube is brazed to a base of the evacuation port assembly.

14. The appliance door assembly of claim 8 , wherein an acute angle is defined between the servicing tube and an exterior surface of the structural wrapper.

15. The appliance door assembly of claim 8 , wherein an evacuation path is defined by the servicing tube to selectively express air from the interior cavity.

16. An insulated structure, comprising:
a structural wrapper defining an insulating cavity, wherein the structural wrapper defines an evacuation port in fluid communication with the insulating cavity;
an evacuation port assembly coupled to the structural wrapper proximate to the evacuation port;
a servicing tube coupled to the evacuation port assembly, wherein the servicing tube is in fluid communication with the insulating cavity; and
a handle coupled to the structural wrapper proximate to the evacuation port and disposed proximate to the servicing tube.

17. The insulated structure of claim 16 , wherein the evacuation port assembly further includes a base coupled to a connector.

18. The insulated structure of claim 17 , wherein the servicing tube has a connecting end and a servicing end, wherein the connecting end is coupled to the connector.

19. The insulated structure of claim 18 , wherein the servicing end is spaced from an exterior surface of the structural wrapper.

20. The insulated structure of claim 16 , wherein a portion of the handle extends away from an exterior surface of the structural wrapper at an acute angle, and wherein the servicing tube extends from the exterior surface of the structural wrapper at a corresponding acute angle.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Ekshinge Sunil S

Classifications

• E06B3/2632 Primary

  with arrangements reducing the heat transmission, other than an interruption in a metal section · CPC title

• E05F11/54

  for doors · CPC title

• F25D17/047

  Pressure equalising devices · CPC title

• E06B3/70

  Door leaves (wing frames E06B3/04) · CPC title

• F24C15/02

  Doors specially adapted for stoves or ranges · CPC title