Ardco, Inc.

Melvin C Kaspar

Paul J Artwohl

Jeffery T Kostos

Matthew Rolek

Gerald J Bockwinkel

Francis M Niekrasz

Richard A Mamelson

David Robinson

Jeffrey Kostos

A commercial refrigerated display case includes mullions for slideably receiving removable ballast drawers from the sides of the mullions for quickly and easily servicing fluorescent ballasts.

Refrigerated display cabinets with improved mullion assembly

A multi-pane insulated glass door assembly in which the forward pane of the glass unit extends outwardly a greater distance than the panes rearwardly thereof and is supported by an outer metal frame having a relatively narrow forwardly extending perimeter portion adjacent the peripheral edge of the forward glass pane so as to provide the door with a modernistic, substantially all glass front appearance. In one embodiment, the outer metal frame has a rear portion extending inwardly behind the forward glass pane and a molding is interposed between the forwardly extending perimeter portion of the metal frame and the peripheral edge of the forward glass pane to provide a finished appearance. A dark ink is affixed to an inside peripheral face of the forward glass pane for masking the peripheral components of the door assembly from sight through the forward glass pane from the front side thereof. In another embodiment, each door has a non-metallic, lightweight outer molded trim portion which encapsulates the outer support frame and the periphery of the glass unit and which has insulating qualities that tends to prevent heat transfer between warm and cold sides of the door.

Refrigerator door assembly with stylized substantially all glass front

A device for automatically holding a refrigerator door releasably in a fully open position relative to a refrigerated display cabinet. The device includes an elongated spring arm connected pivotally to a frame member of the cabinet and formed with an elongated slot which receives a pin connected to a frame member of the door. The pin slides in the slot and causes the arm to pivot outwardly as the door is swung open. As the door approaches its fully open position, the pin cams past detent lugs in the slot and then engages the lugs to prevent the door from closing unless the door is swung closed with sufficient force to cause the pin to cam reversely past the detent lugs.

Door hold-open device

A vent plate is attached to the bottom frame member of a door mounting frame of the insulated door assembly of a refrigerator unit. The vent plate includes passages which enable ambient air to be drawn into the cabinet of the refrigerator unit at a controlled location in order to avoid frost build up.

Refrigerator door assembly with venting system

A gas spring is connected between a cabinet and a lift-top lid and releasably holds the lid upwardly in a fully open position with respect to the cabinet. Gravity automatically pivots a safety latch into latching relation with the cylinder of the gas spring as the lid approaches its fully open position. If the gas spring loses pressure, the latch operably engages the cylinder to mechanically hold the lid in its fully open position and to prevent the lid from falling toward its closed position.

Safety latch for the lid of a lift-top cabinet

A multi-pane insulated glass door assembly in which the forward pane of the glass unit extends outwardly a greater distance than the panes rearwardly thereof and is supported by an outer metal frame having a relatively narrow forwardly extending perimeter portion adjacent the peripheral edge of the forward glass pane so as to provide the door with a modernistic, substantially all glass front appearance. In one embodiment, the outer metal frame has a rear portion extending inwardly behind the forward glass pane and a moulding is interposed between the forwardly extending perimeter portion of the metal frame and the peripheral edge of the forward glass pane to provide a finished appearance. A dark ink is affixed to an inside peripheral face of the forward glass pane for masking the peripheral components of the door assembly from sight through the forward glass pane from the front side thereof. In another embodiment, each door has a non-metallic, lightweight outer molded trim portion which encapsulates the outer support frame and the periphery of the glass unit and which has insulating qualities that tends to prevent heat transfer between warm and cold sides of the door.

A multi-pane insulated glass door assembly in which the forward pane of the glass unit extends outwardly a greater distance than the panes rearwardly thereof and is supported by an outer metal frame having a relatively narrow forwardly extending perimeter portion adjacent the peripheral edge of the forward glass pane so as to provide the door with a modernistic, substantially all glass front appearance. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer metal frame has a rear portion extending inwardly behind the forward glass pane and a moulding is interposed between the forwardly extending perimeter portion of the metal frame and the peripheral edge of the forward glass pane to provide a finished appearance. A dark ink is affixed to an inside peripheral face of the forward glass pane for masking the peripheral components of the door assembly from sight through the forward glass pane from the front side thereof.

Insulated refrigerator door assembly with substantially all glass front

A refrigerator cabinet light fixture assembly comprising an elongated base with an electrical socket at each end thereof, an elongated bulb supported between the sockets, and a clear plastic tubular sleeve concentrically supported about the bulb for defining an air insulating space therebetween. A plurality of stabilizing members are mounted on the base member intermediate the ends of the tubular sleeve for engaging the tubular sleeve and preventing relative movement between the sleeve and bulb for enabling the sleeve to protect the bulb from damaging impact of forces striking the exterior of the sleeve. The stabilizing members each have a base fixed to the light fixture base member and an outwardly extending sleeve engaging arm mounted for pivotal movement between an operative tubular sleeve engaging and retaining position and a retracted position out of engagement with the tubular sleeve for permitting removal of the sleeve and bulb from the fixture.

Refrigerator light assembly with bulb insulating and protective sleeve

A multi-pane insulated glass door assembly in which the forward pane of the glass unit extends outwardly a greater than the panes rearwardly thereof and is supported by an outer metal frame having a relatively narrow forwardly extending perimeter portion adjacent the peripheral edge of the forward glass pane so as to provide the door with a modernistic, substantially all glass front appearance. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer metal frame has a rear portion extending inwardly behind the forward glass pane and a moulding is interposed between the forwardly extending perimeter portion of the metal frame and the peripheral edge of the forward glass pane to provide a finished appearance. A dark ink is affixed to an inside peripheral face of the forward glass pane for masking the peripheral components of the door assembly from sight through the forward glass pane from the front side thereof.

A door assembly describing a stationary frame having doors mounted therein for relative translational movement. Each door includes a self-closing mechanism comprising a flexible tubular member affixed at one end to the frame and a follower secured to the other end of the tubular member for loose positioning in an active position adjacent a side of the door for urging the door in a closed position, and a self-opening means comprising a similar flexible tubular member affixed at one end to the frame and a follower secured to the other for loose positioning in an active position adjacent an opposite side of the door for urging the door to a fully open position. The self-closing and self-opening mechanisms both are adapted to be deactivated as an incident to positioning the door to respective locations within the mounting frame. The illustrated frame includes two telescopic inner fitting frame members that are adapted for mounting on variable thickness cabinet walls and which provide an inherent thermal barrier between the cabinet wall and the doors of the assembly.

Sliding door assembly

A hold-open mechanism is disclosed which is particularly suitable for use on a self-closing door assembly for a refrigerated display cabinet. The hold-open mechanism includes a stop plate carried by the hinged door, and a hold-open spring mounted on the door frame which supports the door. In one embodiment, the hold-open spring is selectively positionable so as to accommodate normal swinging movement of the door in one position, and is adapted to releasably engage and retain the stop plate on the door in a second position so that the door is maintained opened. In another embodiment, the hold-open mechanism automatically operates to releasably retain the door in its fully opened position whenever the door is moved to that position.

Hold-open mechanism for refrigerated display cabinet having cooperating

A rectangular glass panel refrigerator door is provided with a mitered frame construction. The door frame has two vertical side frame members and two horizontal cross frame members. Each frame member is generally channel-shaped and has a front wall, an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall which together form a substantially U-shaped channel. The end of each frame member is angled at 45 degrees to form a miter joint with another frame member perpendicular thereto. A right angle corner brace is provided at each miter joint and has one leg lying along the inner wall of the horizontal cross frame member and another leg lying along the inner wall of the vertical frame member. Projecting outwardly from the inner wall of the vertical side frame member is a lug having a threaded aperture therein. A screw is disposed within the outer wall of the horizontal cross frame member with the screw head bearing against the outer wall and with the screw shank extending between the sidewalls of the vertical side frame member and threadingly engaged in the threaded aperture of the lug extending from the inner sidewall of the vertical side frame member. A nut is threadingly engaged on the screw shank and bears against the first leg of the corner member so that the two frame members forming a mi joint are maintained in the miter joint configuration and are prevented from moving relative to one another. A torsion bar hinge assembly is provided with the torsion bar held against rotation at one point in the vertical side frame member by a set screw.

Growing community of inventors

LaGrange Park, IL, United States of America

Melvin C Kaspar