An insulated cabinet wall structure for a refrigeration apparatus includes an outer wall defining an inner surface and a plastic liner defining an outer surface. A laminated film is adhered to the liner sheet outer surface, the film comprising in laminated sequence an inner adhesive film layer for adhering to the liner sheet outer surface, a film of high elongation material, an additional adhesive film layer, and an outer barrier film layer. A foamed-in-place insulation is firmly bonded to the outer wall inner surface and the laminated film barrier film layer, the barrier film layer both preventing stress cracking of the liner and diffusion of insulation foam blowing agents from the insulation to the liner sheet.

A protective cabinet has four upright and hollow polygonal-section posts formed of a fiber-reinforced polyester and spaced at corners of a rectangle. Four respective upright walls between the posts each have a rigid and rectangular inner panel, a rigid outer panel identical and parallel to the inner panel, an annular rim joining the outer edges together and projecting annularly inward past the inner panel, and a mass of insulating material between the panels and within the rim. The rim engages at its outer face between two respective posts and the panels have parallel and spaced outer edges. Respective rigid equipment-supporting channels lie inward of the inner panel against the rim on its inner face opposite each respective post. Fasteners such as screws or rivets secure the channels through the rims to the respective posts, thereby also securing the respective wall to the respective posts. The rigid channels distribute force evenly between the fasteners and the posts and walls they are securing together and they are constructed with appropriate holes and other formations so that equipment can be mounted on them.

A water-blown polyurethane foam is provided between two substrates in foamed-in-place applications such as cooling containers. The water-blown polyurethane foam is made dimensionally stable at low densities by adding lithium salts of a 2 to 24 carbon atom carboxylic acid to the polyol component. The dimensional stability of the foam at the low densities further results in raw material savings.

A water heater construction including an inner tank for containing water surrounded in spaced apart relationship by an outer shell. A sleeve of insulation material, such as fiberglass mat is located in the annular space between the inner tank and outer sleeve and extends from proximate the bottom end of the water heater construction upwardly longitudinally thereof a distance less than the entire height of the water heater construction such that the top edge of the insulation sleeve is a distance below the top end of the water heater construction. The top edge of the insulation sleeve includes an annular cuff which is of a radial thickness greater than the radial thickness of the rest of the insulation sleeve such that the cuff is compressed between the interior wall surface of the outer shell and exterior wall surface of the inner tank. An expanded foam thermal insulation material fills the annular space above the cuff of the insulation mat. A method of making the water heater construction includes the steps of locating a sleeve of insulation material around the exterior wall surface of the inner tank extending from proximate the bottom end of the inner tank and extending upwardly longitudinally thereof a predetermined distance less than the full length of the inner tank, folding the top end of the insulation sleeve back over itself to form an annular cuff at the top end of the sleeve, and positioning the outer shell concentrically over the inner tank whereupon the annular cuff is compressed between the interior wall surface of the outer shell and exterior wall surface of the inner tank. The annular space above the annular cuff of the sleeve is then filled with an expandable foam insulation material which is allowed to foam in situ.

According to the invention, a support/heat shield is provided for mounting an ice maker from the plastic liner on the inside of a refrigeration apparatus. The invention contemplates mounting the support/heat shield on the liner at the juncture of a first, horizontal wall, and a second vertical wall, depending from the first wall. The support/heat shield, in its simplest state, has third and fourth flat walls, at right angles to each other, with wall surfaces for situation facially against the first and second liner walls. The fourth wall is attached to the first liner wall and the third wall to the second liner wall. The icemaker is attached to the third wall of the support/heat shield.