Abstract:
A method of assembling a cabinet and an apparatus assembled according to the method are provided. The cabinet includes a shell with internal walls, a first compartment liner and a second compartment liner configured to be housed within the shell. The first compartment liner includes a first liner face and defines a first compartment. The second compartment liner includes a second liner face and defines a second compartment. The method includes the steps of positioning a pair of elongate supports between the first compartment liner and the second compartment liner such that the first liner face and the second liner face are adjacent one another and spaced apart.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/155,577, filed Feb. 26, 2009, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing a cabinet structure and an apparatus manufactured using such a method and, more particularly, a method of spacing apart compartment liners in a cabinet structure using a set of supports and an apparatus manufactured using such a method. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A cabinet structure, such as a refrigerator, is often incorporated with insulating layers in order to create one or more temperature-controlled spaces. Forming insulating layers that are qualitatively uniform throughout is difficult because the insulating material must be distributed about the interior components within the cabinet structure. Moreover, the formation of insulating layers can also cause defects in the cabinet structure, such as deformations to the shell. Thus, there is a need for improved methods of forming insulating layers in a cabinet structure. 
     SUMMARY 
     The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some example aspects described in the detailed description. 
     In one example aspect, a cabinet includes a shell, a first compartment liner, a second compartment liner and a pair of elongate supports. The first compartment liner defines a first compartment and includes a first liner face. The second compartment liner defines a second compartment and includes a second liner face. The first and second compartment liners are housed within the shell. The first compartment liner and the second compartment liner are mounted within the shell with the first liner face and the second liner face adjacent one another. The first and second liner faces are spaced apart by the pair of elongate supports located therebetween. 
     In another example aspect, the elongate supports are arranged at substantially opposite and peripheral locations between the first and second liner faces so as to define an internal gap between the elongate supports. 
     In yet another example aspect, the elongate supports extend in fore and aft directions with respect to the cabinet. 
     In yet another example aspect, at least one of the elongate supports includes a first channel extending therethrough and configured to establish fluid communication between the first compartment and the second compartment. 
     In yet another example aspect, a cross-sectional area of the first channel becomes gradually larger in a direction of fluid flow. 
     In yet another example aspect, at least one of the elongate supports includes a second channel extending therethrough and configured to establish fluid communication between the first compartment and the second compartment. 
     In yet another example aspect, a first direction of fluid flow in the first channel and a second direction of fluid flow in the second channel are opposite one another. 
     In yet another example aspect, the elongate supports are made from expanded polystyrene foam. 
     In yet another example aspect, the shell includes interior walls. The first compartment liner and the second compartment liner are dimensioned and positioned within the shell to form at least an external gap between the interior walls and the first and second compartment liners. The external gap and the internal gap are substantially filled with foam. 
     In yet another example aspect, the elongate supports are substantially engulfed in foam. 
     In yet another example aspect, the foam is made from polyurethane insulating foam. 
     In yet another example aspect, the elongate supports include a left-hand side support and a right-hand side support that substantially mirror one another. 
     In yet another example aspect, the first liner face and the second liner face include a first protruding area and a second protruding area respectively. Each of the elongate supports includes a first contact surface and a second contact surface. The first contact surface includes a first recess portion configured to mate with a first section on a perimeter of the first protruding area. The second contact surface includes a second recess portion configured to mate with a second section on a perimeter of the second protruding area. 
     In yet another example aspect, the first recess portion and the first section are shaped such that movement of the first compartment liner relative to the elongate supports is configured to be restricted along both fore and aft directions, and the second recess portion and the second section are shaped such that movement of the second compartment relative to the elongate supports is configured to be restricted along only one of the fore and aft directions. 
     In yet another example aspect, the first compartment liner is configured to be positioned above the second compartment liner inside the shell. 
     In yet another example aspect, a cross-sectional area of the elongate supports along a transverse plane gradually tapers from the first contact surface to the second contact surface. 
     In yet another example aspect, a method of assembling a cabinet is provided. The cabinet includes a shell with interior walls, a first compartment liner and a second compartment liner housed within the shell. The first compartment liner includes a first liner face and defines a first compartment. The second compartment liner includes a second liner face and defines a second compartment. The method including the steps of positioning a pair of elongate supports between the first compartment liner and the second compartment liner such that the first liner face and the second liner face are adjacent one another and spaced apart. 
     In yet another example aspect, the elongate supports are arranged at substantially opposite and peripheral locations between the first and second liner faces so as to define an internal gap between the elongate supports. 
     In yet another example aspect, the method further includes the step of positioning the first compartment liner and the second compartment liner within the shell such that at least one external gap is formed between the compartment liners and the interior walls. 
     In yet another example aspect, the method further includes the step of channeling a flow of foam into the cabinet so as to substantially fill the internal gap and the external gap where the flow of foam in the internal gap is substantially separated from the flow of foam in the external gap by the elongate supports. 
     In yet another example aspect, the method further includes the steps of fastening the elongate supports to one of the first outer face of first compartment liner and the second outer face of the second compartment liner, and inserting the first compartment liner and the second compartment liner alternately into the shell. 
     In yet another example aspect, the method further includes the step of positioning the elongate supports in fore and aft directions with respect to the cabinet. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other aspects are better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an example cabinet structure in which an example set of elongate supports can be inserted; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of a shell of the cabinet structure with a first compartment liner and a second compartment liner mounted therein; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the first compartment liner and the second compartment liner separated by the elongate supports; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of the first compartment liner with the elongate supports fastened thereto; 
         FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of the second compartment liner; 
         FIG. 6A  is a top perspective view of the right-hand side elongate support; 
         FIG. 6B  is a bottom perspective view of the right-hand side elongate support; 
         FIG. 7A  is a cross-sectional view across a first channel in the elongate support; 
         FIG. 7B  is a cross-sectional view across a second channel in the elongate support; and 
         FIG. 8  shows examples of flows of insulating material with respect to the second compartment liner. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Examples will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which example embodiments are shown. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. However, aspects may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an example embodiment of a cabinet  10  constructed using the method described herein is shown. While the cabinet  10  shown in  FIG. 1  is an appliance and, more specifically, a refrigerator, the cabinet  10  can also be any other cabinet-like structure that may provide storage space and may include a temperature-controlled environment, such as a freezer, an ice container, a vending machine etc. In the present embodiment, the refrigerator is of a bottom-mount type with doors, and includes a first compartment  12  (e.g., a fresh-food compartment) above a second compartment  14  (e.g., a freezer compartment), an ice dispenser  16 , an ice chamber  18  and an ice chute  20 . However, refrigerators with other types of configuration for the freezer compartment, such as top-mount or side-by-side mount, are also contemplated. The compartments  12 ,  14  are separated by a mullion section  22  and are defined by compartment liners  24 ,  26  which are inserted into a shell  28  of the refrigerator. 
     Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the first compartment  12  is defined by a first compartment liner  24  while the second compartment  14  is defined by a second compartment liner  26 . As shown, the first and second compartment liners  24 ,  26  are separately molded components but may, for example, be parts of a single molded component. The compartment liners  24 ,  26  are dimensioned and positioned such that, when inserted within the shell  28 , certain external gaps  30  that are to be filled with insulating material, such as foam, exist between an interior wall  32  of the shell  28  and a side of the compartment liner  24  or  26 . Depending on the arrangement of the compartment liner  24  or  26 , the external gaps  30  may be formed at the top, bottom or side of the compartment liner  24  or  26 . As shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , the first compartment liner  24  and the second compartment liner  26  are also spaced apart from one another inside the shell  28  by placing a set of beam-like, elongate supports or inserts  34  between the two compartment liners  24 ,  26  thus forming the mullion section  22  ( FIG. 1 ). While the present embodiment includes two elongate supports  34 , it may be possible to use three or more elongate supports to space the compartment liners  24 ,  26  apart. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4-5 , the first compartment liner  24  includes a first liner face  36  and the second compartment liner  26  includes a second liner face  38 . The first liner face  36  and the second liner face  38  may be substantially similar in dimensions as in the present embodiment. The first liner face  36  and the second liner face  38  are arranged to be adjacent and face one another when the compartment liners  24 ,  26  are arranged inside the shell  28 . The elongate supports  34  thereby create an internal gap  40  between the compartment liners  24 ,  26  that is to be filled with insulating material to become the mullion section  22 . The orientation of the internal and external gaps  40 ,  30  may differ depending on the arrangement of the compartment liners  24 ,  26 . For example, the internal gap  40  would be oriented horizontally if the compartment liners  24 ,  26  are arranged in a top-and-bottom fashion. The internal gap  40  would be oriented vertically if the compartment liners  24 ,  26  are arranged in a side-by-side fashion. The external gaps  30  may be vertical and/or horizontal depending on where the external gaps  30  are created by the arrangement of the compartment liners  24 ,  26  relative to the shell  28 . For example, it may be possible to place a compartment liner  24  or  26  in the shell  28  so close to the interior wall  32  that no gap exists therebetween. In this embodiment where the cabinet  10  adopts a top-and-bottom arrangement of the compartment liners  24 ,  26 , the internal gap  40  is oriented horizontally while the external gaps  30  are formed vertically and horizontally around the exterior of the compartment liners  24 ,  26 . 
     The elongate supports  34  may be fastened to one of the first and second liner faces  36 ,  38  through means known in the art such as glue, screws, etc. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the elongate supports  34  may be positioned so as to oppose one another at substantially peripheral locations between the first and second liner faces  36 ,  38 . Moreover, the elongate supports  34  may be dimensioned so as to extend substantially across an entire side of the liner face  36 ,  38 . Such a configuration would allow the elongate supports  34  to act as a boundary between the external gap  30  and internal gap  40  when the first compartment liner  24  and the second compartment liner  26  are inserted within the shell  28 . The elongate supports  34  may be fastened to extend in fore and aft directions with respect to the cabinet  10  in that the elongate supports  34  extend longitudinally between a door and the rear of the cabinet  10  as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the pair of elongate supports  34  may substantially mirror one another so as to include a left-hand side version and a right-hand side version. As shown in  FIGS. 6A-6B , each of the elongate supports  34  includes a first contact surface  42  that may be configured to contact the first liner face  36  and a second contact surface  44  that may be configured to contact the second liner face  38 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the first liner face  36  may include a first protruding area  50  and each of the first contact surfaces  42  may include a first recess portion  48  that corresponds partially in shape to a perimeter of the first protruding area  50  such that the first protruding area  50  may mate with or be keyed with the first recess portion  48 . For example, the first protruding area  50  may have a substantially rectangular shape, and each of the left-hand first recess portion  48  and the right-hand recess portion  48  may be shaped to mate with a portion of the first protruding area  50 , for example, a side of the first protruding area  50  and its two adjacent corners. Once the first protruding area  50  and the first recess portions  48  reach a mated or keyed position, the elongate supports  34  are prevented from moving in fore and aft directions with respect to the first compartment liner  24 . The edges and corners of the first protruding area  50  and the first recess portion  48  may have certain angled and/or rounded configurations to allow the elongate supports  34  to become securely positioned with respect to the first liner face  36  in a sliding fashion with ease. 
     Once the elongate supports  34  are fastened to the first compartment liner  24 , the first compartment liner  24  may be inserted into the shell  28 . The shell  28  may include securing means well known in the art, such as flanges, rails, hooks, tabs or the like, to allow the first compartment  24  to be secured to the shell  28 . 
     The second contact surface  44  and the second compartment liner  26  show an alternative manner in which a compartment liner can contact a contact surface. As shown in  FIGS. 4-5  and  6 B, the second contact surface  44  may include a second recess portion  52  that allows the second compartment liner  26  to be movable with respect to the elongate supports  34  in a mated position. Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 6B , the second recess portion  52  may be open-ended on one longitudinal end such that a second protruding area  54  on the second liner face  38  that is substantially rectangular in shape may slide in and out of the second recess portion  52  in order to move in and out of a mated or keyed position. Thus, when inserting the second compartment liner  26  in the shell  28 , the elongate supports  34 , which are already fastened to the first compartment liner  24 , can be approached in one of the fore and aft directions by the second compartment liner  26 . The shell  28  may include securing means well known in the art, such as rails, flanges, hooks, tabs or the like, to allow the second compartment  14  to be mounted inside the shell  28 . The second contact surface  44  may or may not need to be fastened to the second compartment liner  26 . 
     While the present embodiment is shown to have protruding areas on the liner faces and recess portions on the contact surface of the elongate supports, it is noted that, instead, the protruding area may be provided on the contact surface and that liner face may be provided with the recess portion. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 6A-6B , the elongate supports  34  may be provided with means to allow fluid communication between the compartments  12 ,  14 . The elongate supports  34  may include a first channel  56  extending through the elongate support  34  from the first contact surface  42  to the second contact surface  44 . The first channel  56  allows fluid communication between the first compartment  12  and the second compartment  14 . In this manner, as shown in the assembled states of  FIGS. 3-5 , a first stream of air in one temperature-controlled environment in the first compartment  12  may be allowed to move to another temperature-controlled environment in the second compartment  14  or vice versa. For example, the first channel  56  may serve as a return air duct and be used to allow the warmer air in the fresh-food compartment to be cooled by re-circulating the air to an evaporator in the freezer compartment in order to be sent back to the fresh-food compartment. As shown in  FIG. 7A , the first channel  56  may become gradually wider from the second contact surface  44  to the first contact surface  42  and an opening  58  on the first contact surface  42  may be designed to be as large as possible. Such a configuration is intended to minimize the air resistance for the return air by gradually increasing the cross-sectional area in the direction of air flow. In addition to the first channel  56 , the elongate supports  34  may also include a second channel  60 , as shown in  FIGS. 6A-6B  and  7 B, similarly extending through the elongate support  34  from the first contact surface  42  to the second contact surface  44 . The second channel  60  may be provided to allow a second stream of air from one temperature-controlled environment in the first compartment  12  to move to another temperature-controlled environment in the second compartment  14 . For example, the second channel  60  may direct cold air from the freezer compartment to a limited portion of the fresh-food compartment, such as a drawer providing a temperature-controlled environment that is distinct from the temperature-controlled environment of the fresh-food compartment. Thus, the direction of air flow through the first and second channels  56 ,  60  need not be the same. The second channel  60  may be narrower than the first channel  56  and thus may only allow a smaller volume of air flow to travel therethrough. The compartments  12 ,  14  may include an air-circulating means, such as a fan, to generate movements of air in a desired manner. 
     The elongate supports  34  are formed through molding and can be made of material distinct from or similar to foam such as expanded polystyrene foam. The cross sectional area of the elongate supports  34  along a transverse plane may be tapered in order to facilitate removal of the elongate support  34  from a mold although other shapes may also provide such capabilities. 
     Expanded polystyrene foam (EPF), sometimes referred to using the misnomer trademark “Styrofoam™”, is a plastic material composed of individual detached cells of low density polystyrene. EPF can be made by expanding polystyrene beads with a hot gas and bonding the beads together under pressure in a block or shape mold. EPF can be molded into a variety of shapes and offers thermal insulation, strength with low weight, and coverage with few heat loss paths. Instead of EPF, different types of materials that offer desired characteristics such as low thermal conductivity or ease of molding, such as other types of cellular plastics, may also be used to make the elongate supports  34 . 
     Once the compartment liners  24 ,  26  are secured inside the shell  28 , the cabinet  10  may be provided with a molten flow of foam to permeate and fill the internal gap  40  between the compartment liners  24 ,  26  and external gaps  30  around the compartment liners  24 ,  26  and thereby form insulating layers as shown in  FIG. 8 . The foam may be of various types of material known in the art as offering qualities, such as low thermal conductivity, lightness of weight, moldability, etc., and may be polyurethane insulating foam, expanded polystyrene foam, or the like. While not illustrated in the figures, the shell  28  may be temporarily provided with panels or molds for directing the flow of foam and for determining a final shape of the foam. The supply of foam may originate from various parts of the cabinet  10 , such as the front or rear of the cabinet  10 . In the present embodiment, the flow of foam is supplied from the rear of the cabinet  10  to fill the internal gap  40  between the compartment liners  24 ,  26  and the external gaps  30  to the sides of the compartment liners  24 ,  26 . The flow of foam for filling the internal gap  40  and the external gaps  30  may be provided separately, for example, through a flow F 1  for the internal gap  40  and a flow F 2  for the external gaps  30 . The elongate supports  34  may become engulfed in foam when the internal gap  40  is filled. Moreover, the gaps between the first compartment liner  24  and the top interior wall of the shell  28  and between the second compartment liner  26  and the bottom interior wall of the shell  28  may be filled by additional flows of foam. The presence of the elongate supports  34  acts as a boundary between the internal gap  40  and the external gaps  30  such that the flows of foam for the distinct gaps  30 ,  40  are substantially kept apart. The elongate supports  34  thus help form a more uniform distribution of insulating material within the gaps  30 ,  40 . The mullion section  22  formed at the internal gap  40  can become more energy efficient and, as a result, may be able to reduce heat exchange that may arise from a heat gradient between the temperature-controlled environments of the compartments. Moreover, the elongate supports  34  can also help channel the flow of foam F 1 , F 2  toward a desired direction depending on how the elongate supports  34  are arranged. For example, if the elongate supports  34  are arranged in fore and aft directions, the flow of foam F 1 , F 2  can be channeled from the rear toward the front of the cabinet  10  or vice versa and the foam is less likely to flow in undesired directions. 
     Furthermore, the elongate supports  34  limit the extent of shrinkage of the foam in the mullion section  22  from propagating to the external gaps. The shrinkage which occurs during the curing of the foam can form concavities or sinks on the shell  28  that can make the appearance of the cabinet  10  unattractive. The elongate supports  34  can limit the curing of the foam in the internal gap  40  or mullion section  22  from further spreading to external gaps  30  near the mullion section  22 . 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.