Attachment arrangement for vacuum insulated door

Abstract

A refrigerator includes an insulated cabinet structure and a cooling system. A door assembly includes a perimeter structure that is movably mounted to the insulated cabinet structure and an outer door that is movably mounted to the perimeter structure whereby the outer door can be moved between open and closed positions relative to the perimeter structure when the perimeter structure is in its closed position The outer door may comprise a vacuum insulated structure including porous core material disposed in a cavity of the outer door.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 an insulated cabinet structure defining a refrigerated interior space having an access opening that permits user access to the refrigerated interior space;   a cooling system that is configured to cool the refrigerated interior space;   a door assembly that selectively closes off at least a portion of the access opening;   wherein the door assembly includes a perimeter structure that is movably mounted to the insulated cabinet structure for movement between open and closed positions, the perimeter structure defining an outer perimeter and a door opening through a central portion of the perimeter structure to provide access to the refrigerated interior space when the perimeter structure is in a closed position, wherein the perimeter structure includes an outer wrapper and an inner liner that is secured to the outer wrapper to define a ring-shaped cavity extending around the perimeter structure between the outer perimeter of the structure and the door opening, and wherein the ring-shaped cavity is filled with closed-cell foam insulation to form a rigid structure, wherein the perimeter structure includes oppositely facing inner and outer surfaces defining a first thickness;   wherein the door assembly further includes at least one shelf supported by the perimeter structure, and wherein the at least one shelf has an upwardly opening U-shape in cross section to support jugs of milk thereon, the at least one shelf having a front side including an outwardly facing front surface and a rear side including an inwardly facing rear surface, the front surface and the rear surface defining a shelf width, wherein the shelf width is less than the first thickness of the perimeter structure, and wherein the at least one shelf is disposed in the door opening;   wherein the door assembly further includes a vacuum insulated outer door that is movably mounted to the perimeter structure whereby the outer door can be moved between open and closed positions relative to the perimeter structure when the perimeter structure is in its closed position to selectively close off at least a portion of the door opening without moving the at least one shelf, wherein the vacuum insulated outer door includes inner and outer layers that are spaced apart to define a cavity, and wherein the cavity defines a vacuum, and wherein the inner and outer layers have outer surfaces defining a second thickness, and wherein the first thickness is significantly greater than the second thickness.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the front surface of the at least one shelf is offset inwardly from the outer surface of the perimeter structure.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the rear side of the at least one shelf does not protrude beyond the inner surface of the perimeter structure.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the rear surface of the at least one shelf is flush with the inner surface of the perimeter structure.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the vacuum insulated outer door includes an outer surface that is coplanar with the outer surface of the perimeter structure when the vacuum insulated outer door is in the closed position relative to the perimeter structure.   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the vacuum insulated outer door includes a planar inner surface and a planar outer surface such that the second thickness is constant.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the front surface of the at least one shelf is offset inwardly from the outer surface of the perimeter structure a distance equal to the second thickness.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the door opening through the perimeter structure is quadrilateral, and wherein the outer door has a quadrilateral perimeter that is smaller than the quadrilateral door opening and the vacuum insulated door is disposed inside the door opening.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the perimeter structure includes a first handle extending between upper and lower edges of the perimeter structure whereby a length of the first handle is equal to a height of the perimeter structure, and the vacuum insulated outer door includes a second handle extending between upper and lower edges of the vacuum insulated outer door whereby a length of the second handle is equal to a height of the vacuum insulated outer door.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first handle includes upper and lower end portions that extend parallel to, and abut, the outer surface of the perimeter structure, and a curved central portion that is spaced apart from the outer surface of the perimeter structure.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the at least one shelf extends horizontally across the door opening.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the at least one shelf defines opposite ends that are fixed to the perimeter structure.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the perimeter structure defines a ring-shaped inner side face that sealingly engages the insulated cabinet structure around the access opening, and a ring-shaped outer side face; and   wherein the outer door sealingly engages the outer side face around the door opening.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the outer layer of the outer door comprises sheet metal, and the inner layer of the outer door comprises a polymer liner having a perimeter that is secured to a perimeter of the sheet metal of the outer layer.   
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the outer door includes a core panel disposed between the sheet metal outer layer and the polymer liner, wherein the core panel comprises porous core material disposed inside an airtight sheet of material forming an envelope.   
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the core panel is adhesively bonded to at least one of the sheet metal and the polymer liner.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the sheet metal is sealingly connected to the polymer liner to define an airtight vacuum cavity therebetween, and including porous core material disposed between the sheet metal and the polymer liner.   
     
     
         18 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 an insulated cabinet structure defining a refrigerated interior space having an access opening that permits user access to the refrigerated interior space;   a door assembly that selectively closes off at least a portion of the access opening;   wherein the door assembly includes a perimeter structure that is movably mounted to the insulated cabinet structure for movement between open and closed positions, the perimeter structure defining a first outer perimeter and a door opening through a central portion of the perimeter structure, wherein the door opening is significantly smaller than the access opening, wherein the perimeter structure includes an outer wrapper and an inner liner that is secured to the outer wrapper to define a ring-shaped cavity extending around the perimeter structure between the outer perimeter of the structure and the door opening, and wherein the ring-shaped cavity is filled with closed-cell foam insulation, wherein the outer wrapper and inner liner of the perimeter structure define a thickness;   wherein the door assembly further includes at least one shelf supported by the perimeter structure, wherein the at least one shelf is disposed in the door opening, and wherein the shelf has a width that is less than the thickness of the perimeter structure;   wherein the door assembly further includes a vacuum insulated outer door that is movably mounted to the perimeter structure whereby the outer door can be moved between open and closed positions relative to the perimeter structure when the perimeter structure is in its closed position to selectively close off at least a portion of the door opening, wherein the vacuum insulated outer door defines a second perimeter that is significantly smaller than the first perimeter.   
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the perimeter structure defines a first vertical outer side face that is coplanar with a second vertical outer side face of the vacuum insulated outer door when the vacuum insulated outer door is in the closed position relative to the perimeter structure.   
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the perimeter structure includes a handle on the first vertical outer side face;   the vacuum insulated outer door includes a handle on the second vertical outer side face.