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[0001] This application is a continuation, under 35 U.S.C. § 120, of copending international application No. PCT/EP02/09512, filed Aug. 26, 2002, which designated the United States; this application also claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of German patent application No. 101 42 510.4, filed Aug. 30, 2001; the prior applications are herewith incorporated by reference in their entirety.
[0002] The present invention relates to a foam-filled hollow body, in particular a refrigerating appliance housing, and a method for preventing the foam from discharging through an opening of a wall of a hollow body to be foam-filled.
[0003] The housings of refrigerating appliances are usually constructed from an outer wall and an inner wall delimiting a cool room inside the refrigerating appliance, which enclose a cavity between them, which is filled with thermally insulating foam during manufacture of the refrigerating appliance. In the process the material, which is to form the foam, is injected in a dense, more or less fluent state into the cavity, and the foaming takes place at least to a large extent by forming of bubbles in the material, if the latter is located in the cavity. At the same time the quantity of material to be used is to be metered out such that the material fills the cavity in the foam-filled state, without leaving cavities free of foam. Inside the cavity the foam is therefore under a certain excess pressure and is inclined to escape through openings in the outer or inner wall. It is important to prevent the foam from escaping, on the one hand because subsequent removal of escaping foam from the surface of the walls of the refrigerating appliance is both time-intensive and cost-intensive, and on the other hand because when foam escapes it can no longer be guaranteed that the injected quantity of material is sufficient to fill out the cavity without actually leaving any gaps.
[0004] On the other hand a certain number of openings of the housing is needed in both the outer and the inner wall for e.g. a door hinge, telescopic rails for drawers, etc. disposed in the interior to be mounted thereon.
[0005] All these openings must be closed before foaming takes place. In the case of openings, which are provided for mounting a door hinge, it is known on the other hand to dispose a destructible material layer between the opening and a section of the wall surrounding it on the one hand, and a stiffening part, which has a hole overlapping the opening, which overlaps the opening during foaming of the hollow body, and after foaming to remove the destructible material layer in the region of the opening to attached a fastening element in the opening. Since the destructible material layer cannot in general be welded, a weld connection is made for attaching the stiffening part to the wall at a distance from the destructible material layer.
[0006] A problem with this particular method of operation is that the stiffening part and the destructible material layer have to be installed in a very early stage of mounting the housing on the wall, and that, if the destructible layer is off-center as a result of the manual steps between mounting and foaming, it can no longer securely prevent foam from escaping.
[0007] This problem can be avoided by the destructible layer being attached in its own work procedure, though this is again associated with increased costs.
[0008] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a foam-filled hollow body and a method for preventing foam from discharging through an opening of a hollow body to be foam-filled that overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices and methods of this general type, which offers effective security against foam from discharging with minimal work effort, as well as a hollow body suitable for carrying out the method.
[0009] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method for preventing foam from discharging through an opening of a wall of a hollow body to be foam-filled. The method includes applying a destructible material layer between a reinforcing layer having a hole formed therein overlapping the opening and a section of the wall surrounding the opening and the opening of the hollow body. At least one connection is made between the section of the wall and the reinforcing layer without substantial heating of the wall or of the reinforcing layer at a distance from the opening. The distance is smaller than a longest dimension of the destructible material layer. Subsequently the hollow body is filled with foam and the destructible material layer is removed in an area of the opening.
[0010] By the connection being made between the wall section and the reinforcing part without substantial heating of the wall and of the reinforcing part, that is, without heating which might damage the destructible layer, the possibility is created of placing the connection so near the opening of the wall that the connection itself can contribute to holding the destructible layer during mounting of the hollow body in place. The distance of the connection from the opening may be no greater than the longest dimension of the destructible layer. The destructible material layer is also attached in the same working procedure, in which the reinforcing part is affixed to the wall. Not that the destructible layer is necessarily prevented from being offset; but it is prevented from being offset so much so that the opening is freed up.
[0011] The distance of the connection from the opening is preferably small, and such that the connection extends through the destructible layer. In this way the layer is secured against any offsetting.
[0012] The connection is preferably made by driving a connecting body in the vicinity of the destructible layer. Because the connection is made by material deformation, there is no essential heating, and therefore only minor restrictions are featured in the choice of material for the destructible layer.
[0013] The destructible layer can be formed of any flat material, which is more easily destroyed than the wall or the reinforcing part itself when the material layer in the vicinity of the opening is removed. Materials are preferably of minimal strength, such as paper, plastic film or metallic foil, in particular aluminum foil, which can be penetrated without need of a special tool, at best with a work piece to be mounted in the opening.
[0014] The connection through material deformation can be e.g. a rivet or clinch connection.
[0015] A preferred, if not exclusive, application of the method is foam-filling refrigerating appliance housings, in particular at openings, in which load-bearing components, such as components making up a door hinge, are to be mounted.
[0016] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a foam-filled hollow body. The hollow body contains a wall having an opening formed therein, a reinforcing part having a hole formed therein and disposed with the hole overlapping the opening of the wall, and a destructible layer disposed between the wall and the reinforcing part. The wall and the reinforcing part are connected to each other by a connection made without substantial heating of the wall and/or of the reinforcing part. The distance of the connection from the opening being small enough that an uncovering of the opening by contact of the destructible layer with the connection is excluded.
[0017] Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
[0018] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a foam-filled hollow body and a method for preventing foam from discharging through an opening of a hollow body to be foam-filled, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
[0019] The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
[0020]
[0021]
[0022]
[0023]
[0024]
[0025] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to
[0026] Hinges
[0027]
[0028] In a horizontal section
[0029]
[0030]
[0031] These three parts are, as shown in
[0032] This connection method is also described as clinching.
[0033] In
[0034] Other options of connecting the wall
[0035] After the wall
[0036] As soon as the foam
[0037] In the examples described here it has always assumed that the connecting body