Refrigerator/freezer thermal breaker

Abstract

An efficient thermal breaker system for a refrigerator cabinet comprises a cabinet case with an opening and a cabinet liner separated from the cabinet case by thermal insulation. The thermal breaker system comprises a thermal breaker strip disposed between the cabinet case and the liner around the opening and a connecting corner piece affixed at a corner of the opening such that open space between neighboring end portions of thermal breaker strips is covered by the connecting corner piece with some overlapped portions. The thermal breaker system effectively prevents air leakage to the open space between the cabinet case and the liner around the opening.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A thermal breaker system for a refrigerator cabinet having a cabinet case with a door opening framed by a front panel of the cabinet case and a liner disposed inside the cabinet case and separated from the cabinet case by insulation, the thermal breaker system comprising: 
 a thermal breaker track having one or more corners and two or more sides, a first side of which is defined by the front panel and a second side of which is defined by the liner;    a thermal breaker strip mounted on the thermal breaker track such that the thermal breaker strip separates the first side from the second side and covers space between the first and the second side; and    a connecting corner piece mounted at a first corner of the thermal breaker track over the mounted thermal breaker strip such that part of the connecting corner piece overlaps with part of the mounted thermal breaker strip so as to cover space between the front panel and the liner around the first corner.    
     
     
         2 . The thermal breaker system of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the thermal breaker track has four corners and four elongated parts in turn.    
     
     
         3 . The thermal breaker system of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the thermal breaker track has a bridge member connecting the first side and the second side near the first corner.    
     
     
         4 . The thermal breaker system of  claim 3 , 
 wherein the bridge member has an opening where the connecting corner piece is fastened.    
     
     
         5 . The thermal breaker system of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the thermal breaker strip has a first leg, which forms a first recess with a main body of the thermal breaker strip, and a second leg, which forms a second recess with the main body.    
     
     
         6 . The thermal breaker system of  claim 5 , 
 wherein the breaker track has a first breaker supporting part on the front panel side and a second breaker supporting part on the liner side    the first breaker supporting part being inserted in the first recess; and    the second breaker supporting part being inserted in the second recess.    
     
     
         7 . The thermal breaker system of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the connecting corner piece has a fastening part to fasten the connecting corner piece on the thermal breaker track.    
     
     
         8 . The thermal breaker system of  claim 7 , 
 wherein the fastening part has a saw-toothed part to latch the connecting corner piece.    
     
     
         9 . The thermal breaker system of  claim 4 , 
 wherein the connecting corner piece has a fastening part to fasten the connecting corner piece by inserting the fastening part into the opening on the bridge member.    
     
     
         10 . The thermal breaker system of  claim 9 , 
 wherein the fastening part has a saw-toothed part to operate as a ratchet mechanism with an edge of the opening on the bridge member.    
     
     
         11 . The thermal breaker system of  claim 1 , 
 wherein surfaces of the overlapped parts of the connecting corner piece and the mounted thermal breaker strip are smoothed so that air leakage between the surfaces is prevented.    
     
     
         12 . The thermal breaker system of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the overlapped parts of the connecting corner piece and the mounted thermal breaker strip are so thin that surface transition from the connecting corner piece to the thermal breaker strip is smooth.    
     
     
         13 . A refrigerator cabinet comprising: 
 a cabinet case with a front opening framed by a front panel of the case;    a door hingedly connected to the case cabinet, the door swinging over the front opening to cover the front opening;    a looped gasket mounted on a back side of the door facing the front opening, the looped gasket being pressed against the front panel;    a liner disposed inside the cabinet case, the liner being separated from the cabinet case by insulation;    a thermal breaker track having one or more corners and two or more sides, a first side of which is defined by the front panel and a second side of which is defined by the liner;    a thermal breaker strip mounted on the thermal breaker track such that the thermal breaker strip separates the first side from the second side and covers space between the first and the second side; and    a connecting corner piece mounted at a first corner of the thermal breaker track over the mounted thermal breaker strip such that part of the connecting corner piece overlaps with part of the mounted thermal breaker strip so as to cover space between the front panel and the liner around the first corner.    
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator cabinet of  claim 13 , 
 wherein the thermal breaker track has four corners and four elongated parts in turn.    
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator cabinet of  claim 13 , 
 wherein the thermal breaker track has a bridge member connecting the first side and the second side near the first corner.    
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator cabinet of  claim 13 , 
 wherein the thermal breaker strip has a first leg, which forms a first recess with a main body of the thermal breaker strip, and a second leg, which forms a second recess with the main body.    
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator cabinet of  claim 13 , 
 wherein the connecting corner piece has a fastening part to fasten the connecting corner piece on the thermal breaker track.    
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator cabinet of  claim 15 , 
 wherein the bridge member has an opening; and    wherein the connecting corner piece has a fastening part to fasten the connecting corner piece by inserting the fastening part into the opening on the bridge member.    
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator cabinet of  claim 18 , 
 wherein the fastening part has a saw-toothed part to operate as a ratchet mechanism with an edge of the opening on the bridge member    
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator cabinet of  claim 13 , 
 wherein surfaces of the overlapped parts of the connecting corner piece and the mounted thermal breaker strip are smoothed so that air leakage between the surfaces is prevented.    
     
     
         21 . A connecting corner piece for a thermal breaker system including a first and a second thermal breaker strips and a receiving portion for the connecting corner piece, the connecting corner piece comprising: 
 a main body being shaped to accord a thermal breaker track between the first and the second thermal breaker strips, the main body comprising a first overlap portion which overlaps with a part of the first thermal breaker strip and a second overlap portion which overlaps with a part of the second thermal breaker strip; and    a fastening part being formed to engage with the receiving portion, the fastening part including a saw-toothed portion, the saw-toothed portion being mounted on an expanding-and-contracting porting of the fasting part such that the fastening part is latched in the receiving portion.