Gemtron Corporation

Donnelly Technology, Inc.

Schott Gemtron Corporation

Gemtrom Corporation

Craig S Bienick

Howard C Daley

Bob Herrmann

Howard Daley

Robert S Herrmann

Edmund J Kane

Gregory T Wolters

Greg Miedema

Vincent L Ramik

Gary Reames

Lloyd Kaper

Kevin Bird

Ole Carl Buesing

Greg Wolters

Bret L Buxton

Robert Herrmann

The luminaires of the present disclosure provide a slim profile and simple construction for use in a variety of lighting applications. A circuit board can have a plurality of light sources thereon, and a lens can at least partially encapsulate the circuit board to protect and electrically insulate the circuit board. When used, for example, in a lighted shelf application, power can be provided to the luminaire through shelf brackets along the side of the shelf panel.

Modular luminaires for appliance lighting

The insulated glass unit (IGU) of the present disclosure includes two or more glass panels that are spaced apart in a parallel arrangement. The panes define an interior space that is filled with air or other suitable gas, a fluid or liquid, or a vacuum. The IGU is encapsulated to provide a water-tight seal to prevent or minimize water or particles from migrating into the interior space, or to prevent or minimize heat loss. A spacer with a desiccant can be in the interior space. To preserve the structural integrity of the glass panels during encapsulation, a second spacer is placed between the glass panes. The second spacer can be T-shaped so that a narrowed body portion fits between the glass panes. The second spacer can also have a groove therein for storing adhesive and/or desiccant.

Encapsulated insulated glass unit

A shelf is defined by a tempered glass panel bonded to opposing flanges of a pair of metal shelf brackets carrying hooks for connection to and adjustment along vertical trackways in refrigerator compartments. Adhesive constitutes the sole means for maintaining the shelf substantially rigidly united. Each shelf bracket includes at least one abutment surface for engaging an edge of the shelf panel or a handgrip member carried thereby to assure perfect alignment between the components during curing of the adhesive. Each shelf bracket is defined by a shelf arm and a flange with the flanges having pockets housing the adhesive. The shelf arms may additionally include uppermost projections for engaging side edges of the shelf panel and/or at least one additional flange, such that side edge portions of the shelf panel can be housed between the pair of vertically spaced longitudinally offset flanges of each shelf bracket.

Refrigerator shelf

A refrigerated display cabinet door includes inner and outer polygonal annular frames each formed as a single substantially homogenous polymeric/copolymeric injection molded member. An insulated glass unit is bonded to the inner and outer frames which are forcefully held together by a periphery snap fastening mechanism which avoids conventional use of clamps, vises or the like during adhesive cure/set-up. Conventional pivot pins carried by the display door are uniquely guided into pivot pin openings through guiding and locating members which can be snap-secured in openings of a frame in a display case.

Refrigerated display case door

A structural panel, such as an appliance door, includes first and second frame members each having inner and outer peripheral edges with the inner peripheral edges each defining an opening. At least one of the frames is constructed from synthetic polymeric/copolymeric material. A glass panel has an outer peripheral edge in sandwiched relationship with at least one annular member inner peripheral edge thereby closing the opening thereof, and the two frames are secured together. A second glass panel can be associated with the other frame to close the opening therein, and the glass panels can be in spaced parallel relationship to each other. Alternatively, one of the glass panels can be of a concavo/convex relationship, particularly when the structural panel is a washing machine door.

Appliance doors

An illuminated shelf includes a tempered transparent glass panel having edges each housed in a slot of a housing defining a chamber through which and/or in which light is generated to illuminate the transparent panel. Each housing is preferably snap-secured together to access the chamber interior for purposes of replacement and/or repair. Each housing can be totally or partially encapsulated and the encapsulation includes conductors which are operative in any position of vertical adjustment or sliding adjustment of the shelf.

Illuminated shelf

A shelf assembly includes a shelf adapter bracket defined by a U-shaped shelf bracket member in legs of which are vertically disposed opposing slideways into which open a plurality of vertically spaced slots. A shelf includes a pair of shelf support brackets each having a pin which move in the slideways and seats in the slots to effect selective vertical adjustment of an associated shelf. The shelf adapter bracket has hooks for engaging in slots of conventional refrigerator trackways. The shelf includes lateral stabilizing ribs, a lubricity block, and a stop nose which engages a stop in a bight wall of the shelf bracket member to prevent inadvertent/accidental downward shelf movement.

Vertically adjustable shelves and refrigerator compartment housing the same

A washer door or lid as defined by a tempered glass panel bordered by an open frame-like encapsulation of one-piece injection molded polymeric/copolymeric synthetic plastic material. The latter material is preferably acrylonitrile/styrene/acrylate polymer blended with mica glass beads at a ratio of substantially 70%-30% to 90%-10% by weight, but preferably 80%-20% by weight. Further specifics of the washer lid include a relatively thick inner periphery of the encapsulation which securely grips and reinforces an outer peripheral edge of the tempered glass panel, a rigid outer peripheral skirt, an indiscrete handle, a reinforced hand corder for a switch actuator and opposite rear corners carrying hinges for securing the washer lid to an associated washer opening.

Washer door or lid defined by a tempered glass panel bordered by an open frame-like encapsulation of one-piece injection molded polymeric/copolymeric synthetic plastic material

The shelf as defined by a shelf grating formed of a plurality of first and second groups of wires disposed normal to each other and having ends thereof encapsulated by an injection molded, continuous open encapsulation, rim or border. Preferably, each of four border portions of the border each encapsulate substantially the entirety of one of the wires of the two groups to afford rigidity to the wire shelf. The border includes a Class 'A' upper surface between peripheral outboard and inboard parting lines or lines of flash which provides a high degree of aesthetics to the shelf when viewed from above.

Encapsulated wire shelf

A peripherally encapsulated product, such as an oven door outer shell, is molded in accordance with this invention by placing a piece of glass between mold clamping portions of relatively movable closed bodies when the latter are in an open position. Preferably both bodies are heated and thermosetting polymeric material (SMC or BMC) is placed upon selected areas of one of the mold bodies within and about an area corresponding to an annular mold cavity and outboard of a peripheral edge of a piece of glass. The glass is clamped between mold clamping portions of the mold bodies which are then progressively closed creating compression forces which extrude the thermosetting polymeric material into the annular cavity and into complete encapsulation of the continuous peripheral edge of the piece of glass. The handle can be integrally molded during the molding process.

Door

A shelf for a refrigerator compartment includes a tempered glass panel to front and rear edges of which are injection molded or adhesively bonded front and rear border members. Side edges of the tempered glass panel are thereby exposed enhancing conductivity within the refrigerator compartment.

Refrigerator compartment housing vertically adjustable shelves, each formed from a piece of tempered glass to which is injection molded a frame in the form of front and rear border members

Growing community of inventors

Jenison, MI, United States of America

Craig S Bienick