Method for constructing a refrigerator appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9505150-B2
Application number	US-201314091384-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2013
Priority date	Nov 27, 2013
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A method for constructing a refrigerator appliance is provided. The method includes mounting a plurality of interior components of the refrigerator appliance to a mold body, applying a liner material to the mold body and removing an inner liner of the refrigerator appliance from the mold body. The method can assist with limiting mounting of components of the refrigerator appliance to the inner liner after formation of the inner liner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for constructing a refrigerator appliance, comprising:
providing a mold body and a plurality of interior components;
mounting the plurality of interior components to the mold body;
applying a liner material to the mold body and to at least one of the plurality of interior components after said step of mounting, wherein the liner material is hardened to form an inner liner of the refrigerator appliance whereby the plurality of interior components are mounted to or positioned within the inner liner; and
removing the inner liner of the refrigerator appliance with the plurality of interior components connected thereto from the mold body after said step of applying.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mold body comprises a fresh food portion and a freezer portion.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mold body comprises aluminum or plastic foam.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of interior components comprises a duct, a light fixture, a temperature sensor, a drain conduit, a refrigerant conduit or a control panel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of applying comprises spraying the liner material onto the mold body.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the liner material comprises polyurethane.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising mounting an outer casing the inner liner after said step of removing.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the liner material comprises polyurethane and the outer casing comprises steel.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising injecting insulation between the inner liner and the outer casing after said step of mounting.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the insulation comprises polyurethane foam.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of applying comprises applying the liner material to the mold body such that the liner material substantially covers at least one interior component of the plurality of interior components on the mold body.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the liner material comprises a mold release agent.

13. A method for constructing a refrigerator appliance, comprising:
providing a plurality of interior components and a mold body, the plurality of interior components including at least one of an air duct, a light fixture, a temperature sensor, a drain conduit, a refrigerant conduit and a control panel, the mold body having a fresh food chamber mold portion and a freezer chamber mold portion;
mounting the plurality of interior components to the mold body, respective ones of the plurality of interior components mounted to each of the fresh food chamber mold portion and the freezer chamber mold portion;
applying a liner material to the mold body and to at least one of plurality of interior components after said step of mounting, wherein the liner material is hardened to form an inner liner of the refrigerator appliance whereby the plurality of interior components are mounted to or positioned within the inner liner; and
removing the inner liner of the refrigerator appliance with the plurality of interior components mounted thereon from the mold body after said step of applying.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said step of applying comprises spraying the liner material onto the mold body.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the liner material comprises polyurethane and a mold-release agent.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising mounting an outer casing to the inner liner after said step of removing.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the liner material comprises polyurethane and the outer casing comprises steel.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising injecting insulation between the inner liner and the outer casing after said step of mounting.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein said step of applying comprises applying the liner material to the mold body such that the liner material substantially covers at least one interior component of the plurality of interior components on the mold body.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the mold body comprises aluminum or plastic foam.

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Cook Todd Duncan

Classifications

• B29L2031/7622

  Refrigerators · CPC title

• B29K2105/04

  cellular or porous · CPC title

• B29L2009/00

  Layered products · CPC title

• F25D23/064 Primary

  formed by moulding, e.g. moulding in situ · CPC title

• Y10T29/49359

  Cooling apparatus making, e.g., air conditioner, refrigerator · CPC title