U.S. patent application number 14/518671 was filed with the patent office on 2015-02-05 for method and apparatus for insulating a refrigeration appliance.
The applicant listed for this patent is General Electric Company. Invention is credited to Kenneth Joseph Hanley, Martin Christopher Severance.
Application Number | 20150035425 14/518671 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47218286 |
Filed Date | 2015-02-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150035425 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hanley; Kenneth Joseph ; et
al. |
February 5, 2015 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INSULATING A REFRIGERATION APPLIANCE
Abstract
A method of insulating a refrigeration appliance. The
refrigeration appliance includes a case, a liner, and a five-sided,
box like vacuum panel. The liner is formed to be inserted into the
case forming a chamber between the liner and the case. The five
sides of the vacuum panel define a cavity. The method includes in
one embodiment, positioning the five-sided vacuum panel in the
chamber between the case and the liner, injecting foam into the
chamber, and curing the foam to attach the live sided vacuum panel
to the case and the liner.
Inventors: |
Hanley; Kenneth Joseph;
(Louisville, KY) ; Severance; Martin Christopher;
(Louisville, KY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
General Electric Company |
Schenectady |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
47218286 |
Appl. No.: |
14/518671 |
Filed: |
October 20, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13116352 |
May 26, 2011 |
8881398 |
|
|
14518671 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/401 ;
428/34.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 2201/14 20130101;
Y10T 29/49359 20150115; B29C 44/065 20130101; B29L 2031/7622
20130101; Y10T 29/49904 20150115; F25D 23/062 20130101; B29C
44/1228 20130101; Y10T 29/49629 20150115; F16L 59/065 20130101;
F25D 23/064 20130101; Y10T 428/13 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/401 ;
428/34.1 |
International
Class: |
F16L 59/065 20060101
F16L059/065; F25D 23/06 20060101 F25D023/06 |
Claims
1. A vacuum panel comprising: a barrier envelope; an insulative
core material positioned inside the barrier envelope; and four side
portions and a back portion defining a cavity, said four side
portions and said back portion formed by said harrier envelope and
said insulative core material.
2. A vacuum panel in accordance with claim 1, wherein said barrier
envelope comprises at least one of a metalized plastic and
alternating layers of at least one plastic material layer and at
least one metal layer.
3. A vacuum panel in accordance with claim 2, wherein said plastic
material layer comprises at least one of a polystyrene composition,
a polypropylene composition, and a polyethylene terephthalate
composition.
4. A vacuum panel in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
insulative core material comprises at least one of fiberglass, an
open-cell foam, and an insulative powder.
5. A vacuum panel in accordance with claim 1, wherein a pressure
within said vacuum panel is below atmospheric pressure.
6. A vacuum panel in accordance with claim 5, wherein said pressure
within said vacuum panel is about 100 millibars or less.
7. A vacuum panel in accordance with claim 5, wherein said pressure
within said vacuum panel is about 10 millibars or less.
8. An appliance, comprising: a case; a five-sided, box like vacuum
panel positioned in said case, said five-sided vacuum panel having
a cavity defined by the five sides of said vacuum panel; a liner
positioned in said cavity of said five-sided vacuum panel; a first
layer of insulative foam between a first surface of said five-sided
vacuum panel and said case; and a second layer of insulative foam
between a second, opposite surface of said five-sided vacuum panel
and said liner.
9. An appliance in accordance with claim 8, wherein said appliance
is a refrigerator, as freezer, a combination refrigerator-freezer,
or a cooler.
10. An appliance in accordance with claim 8, wherein said
five-sided vacuum panel comprises: a barrier envelope; an
insulative core material positioned inside the barrier envelope;
and four side portions and a back portion defining said cavity,
said four side portions and said hack portion formed by said
barrier envelope and said insulative core material.
11. An appliance in accordance with claim 8, wherein said first
layer of insulative foam and said second layer of insulative foam
is the same insulative foam.
12. An appliance in accordance with claim 8, wherein said first
layer of insulative foam and said second layer of insulative foam
each comprise a different insulative foam.
13. An appliance in accordance with claim 11, wherein said
insulative foam is selected from the group consisting of
polyurethane foams and polystyrene foams.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional of the U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/116,352, filed May 26, 2011, which is
hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The field of the invention relates generally to thermally
insulated refrigeration appliance structures, and more particularly
to refrigeration appliance structures having a five-sided, box-like
vacuum panel.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] It is usual to insulate some appliances from the surrounding
environment. For example, in a refrigerator, freezer, oven/range or
dishwasher, an internal compartment of the appliance is typically
insulated to minimize thermal heat transfer between the compartment
and the surrounding environment. The particular type of insulation
utilized can actually vary. In refrigerators, for example, it is
known to inject a foam insulation into a cavity formed between an
outer case of the refrigerator and a liner that defines one or more
internal food storage compartments. Once the foamed insulation
cures, a solid insulation barrier is provided which not only
thermally insulates each internal compartment but also adds
structural integrity to the overall cabinet assembly.
[0006] Another type of thermal insulation that has been used in
appliances and other cabinet structures are insulation panels. In
general, such panels are pre-formed into desired shapes and, in the
case of a refrigerator, positioned between inner wails of the outer
case and the liner. Typically, each panel is defined by first and
second liner sheets which are sealed together about their edges and
between wind is arranged a low thermal conductive insulation
material, for example, fiberglass. To increase thermal insulation
properties, the interiors of such panels can be evacuated prior to
insertion of the panels into the case. The case and the vacuum
panels are constructed separately and then assembled to form the
overall appliance structure.
[0007] The use of vacuum panels can enhance the thermal insulation
properties of cabinet structures over foam insulation. However,
known vacuum panels typically do not extend into the corners of the
cabinet which create areas that cause temperature gradients and
heat leaking through the insulation chamber of the appliance.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In one embodiment, a method of insulating a refrigeration
appliance is provided. The refrigeration appliance includes a case,
a liner, and as five-sided, box like vacuum panel. The liner is
formed to be inserted into the case forming a chamber between the
liner and the case. The five sides of the vacuum panel define a
cavity. The method includes positioning the five-sided vacuum panel
in the chamber between the case and the liner, injecting foam into
the chamber, and curing the foam to attach the five sided vacuum
panel to the case and the liner.
[0009] In another embodiment, a method of insulating a
refrigeration appliance is provided. The refrigeration appliance
includes a case, a liner, and a five-sided, box like vacuum panel.
The liner is formed to be inserted into the case forming as chamber
between the liner and the case. The five sides of the vacuum panel
define a cavity. The method includes positioning the five-sided
vacuum panel in the case, injecting foam between an outer surface
of the five-sided vacuum panel and an inner surface of the case,
and curing the foam to attach the five sided vacuum panel to the
case. The method also includes, inserting the liner into the cavity
of the five-sided vacuum panel, injecting foam between an inner
surface of the five-sided vacuum panel and an outer surface of the
liner, and curing the foam to attach the five-sided vacuum panel to
the liner.
[0010] In another embodiment, a method of insulating a
refrigeration appliance is provided. The refrigeration appliance
includes a case, a liner, and a five-sided, box like vacuum panel.
The liner is formed to be inserted into the case forming a chamber
between the liner and the case. The five sides of the vacuum panel
define a cavity. The method includes positioning the five-sided
vacuum panel over the outer surface of the liner, injecting foam
between an inner surface of the five-sided vacuum panel and an
outer surface of the liner, and curing the foam to attach the
five-sided vacuum panel to the liner. The method also includes
positioning the case over the five-sided vacuum panel, injecting
foam between an outer surface of the five-sided vacuum panel and an
inner surface of the case, and curing the foam to attach the
five-sided vacuum panel to the case.
[0011] In another embodiment, a vacuum panel is provided. The
vacuum panel includes a barrier envelope an insulative core
material positioned inside the barrier envelope, and four side
portions and a back portion defining a cavity. The four side
portions and the back portion are formed by the barrier envelope
and the insulative core material.
[0012] In another embodiment, an appliance is provided. The
appliance includes a case, and, a five-sided, box like vacuum panel
positioned in the case. The five-sided vacuum panel having a cavity
defined by the five sides of said vacuum panel. The appliance also
includes a liner positioned in said cavity of said five-sided
vacuum panel, a first layer of insulative foam between a first
surface of said five-sided vacuum panel and said case, and a second
layer of insulative foam between a second, opposite surface of said
five-sided vacuum panel and said liner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a refrigeration appliance
cabinet in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view through line 2-2 in FIG.
1.
[0015] FIG. 3. is flow chart of a method of making a refrigeration
appliance in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view through line 2-2 in FIG. 1
partially assembled.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] A method of insulating a refrigeration appliance using a
five-sided vacuum panel and a dual foaming process is described
below in detail. The dual foaming process includes, in one
embodiment, injecting foam between the five-sided vacuum panel and
the case of the appliance, curing the foam, and then injecting foam
between the five-sided vacuum panel and the liner of the appliance.
In another embodiment, the foam injection sequence is reversed. The
five-sided vacuum panel extends into the corners of the cabinet and
prevents heat leaks at the corners of the appliance. The five-sided
vacuum panel may be utilized in the cabinet of a refrigeration
appliance and also in the door of a refrigeration appliance. In
addition, it should be understood that a refrigeration appliance
apparatus may be a refrigerator, a freezer, and a combination
refrigerator-freezer appliance.
[0018] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a
refrigeration appliance cabinet 10, and FIG. 2 is a cross sectional
view through line 2-2. Refrigeration appliance cabinet 10, in an
exemplary embodiment, includes a case 12 and a liner 14 that is
inserted into case 12. Liner 14 is sized so that when inserted into
case 12 sides 16 of liner 14 and sides 18 of case 12 are spaced
apart forming a chamber 20. A five-sided vacuum panel 22 is
positioned in chamber 20. A layer 24 of foam is injected between
the five-sided vacuum panel 22 and case 12 to attach five-sided
vacuum panel 22 to case 12. In addition, a layer 26 of foam is
injected between the five sided panel 22 and liner 14 to attach
five-sided vacuum panel 22 to liner 14. Foam layers 24 and 26
provide structural integrity to cabinet 10, and provide insulation
in combination with five-sided vacuum panel 22. Suitable foams used
to make foam layers 24 and 26 may include, but are not limited to,
polyurethane foams and polystyrene foams.
[0019] Five-sided vacuum panel 22 has four side portions 30 and a
back portion 32 that forms a box-like structure. Five-sided vacuum
panel 22 includes a barrier envelope 34 and an insulative core
material 36 positioned inside barrier envelope 34. insulative core
material 16 and barrier envelope 34 forms side portions 30 and back
portion 32 of five sided vacuum panel 22. The four side portions 30
and back portion 32 defines a cavity 37 in vacuum panel 22.
[0020] Barrier envelope 34 is made of a material that is
substantially impermeable to atmospheric gases, for example,
nitrogen and oxygen. Suitable materials that may be used include,
but are not limited to, metalized plastic films, thermoplastic
films, and plastic laminates. For example, the metalized plastic
may be a metalized polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a metalized
polypropylene, a metalized polystyrene, and the like. The
thermoplastic film may be a bi-axially oriented polypropylene film,
a polystyrene film, a PET film, and the like. In addition, the
plastic laminates may include at least one metal layer 38 and at
least one plastic layer 40, where metal layers 38 and plastic
layers 40 alternate. Metal layers 38 may be a ferrous material and
a non-ferrous material. In one embodiment, metal oxide layers may
be used for one or more of metal layers 38 to reduce thermal
bridging on the outside of the vacuum panel 22 by reducing the
thermal conductivity of barrier envelope 34.
[0021] In one embodiment, barrier envelope 34 has a thickness of
not greater than about 200 .mu.m, and in another embodiment not
greater than about 120 .mu.m. The thickness of barrier envelope 34
may have an influence of thermal bridging of vacuum panel 22. A
lower thickness may reduce thermal bridging, and enhance the
performance of vacuum insulation panel 22. However, a sufficient
thickness of barrier envelope 34 facilitates maintaining structural
integrity and maintaining a reduced pressure within barrier
envelope 34. In one embodiment, barrier envelope 34 is at least
about 60 .mu.m in thickness, and in another embodiment, at least
about 70 .mu.m.
[0022] Insulative core material 36 may be any material that has a
relatively low thermal conductivity. Suitable materials include,
but are not limited to, thermally insulative fibers, insulative
powder, and open celled foams, for example, polyurethane and
polystyrene foams. In one embodiment, the insulative core material
36 includes pores having an average pore size of not greater than
about 100 nm, and in another embodiment, the pores of the
insulative core material 36 are at least smaller than the mean free
path of air or another gas contained within barrier envelope 34.
Insulative core material 36 is lightweight and has a bulk density
in one embodiment, of not greater than about 0.50 g/cm3 and in
another embodiment, not greater than about 0.25 g/cm3.
[0023] Suitable insulative powders may include, but are not limited
to, metal oxides, for example, silica (SiO2), aluminosilicates,
siliceous minerals, perlite, alumina (Al2O2), and fumed alumina.
Also, insulative powders may be a nanoporous metal oxide, for
example, silica in the form of fumed silica and silica aerogel.
Suitable insulative fibrous material that may be used in vacuum
panel 22 include, but are not limited to, carbon fibers, glass
fibers, metal fibers, polyethylene fibers, polyester fibers, and
other known polymer fibers. The air in vacuum panel 22 is evacuated
to reduce the pressure within vacuum panel 22 to below atmospheric
pressure. In one embodiment the pressure in vacuum panel 22 is
reduced to about 100 millibars or less, and in another embodiment,
the pressure in vacuum panel 22 is reduced to about 10 millibars or
less.
[0024] Referring also to FIG. 3, refrigeration appliance cabinet 10
is insulated utilizing five-sided vacuum panel 22 and a dual
foaming process. Particularly, a method 48 of insulating
refrigeration appliance cabinet 10 includes the steps of inserting
50 five-sided vacuum panel 22 into case 12, then injecting 52 foam
between five-sided vacuum panel 22 and case 12, and curing 54 the
foam to form foam layer 24 and to attach five-sided vacuum panel 22
to case 12 as shown in FIG. 4. Method 48 also includes the steps of
inserting 56 liner 14 into cavity 37 of five-sided vacuum panel 22,
then injecting 58 foam between liner 14 and five-sided vacuum panel
22, and curing 60 the foam to form foam layer 26 and to attach
five-sided vacuum panel 22 to liner 14 as shown in FIG. 2.
[0025] The foam is injected between case 12 and five-sided vacuum
panel 22 with a lance inserted in he area between case 12 and
five-sided vacuum panel 22. The lance is inserted from the bottom
of case 12. In other embodiments, the lance is inserted through
self sealing holes in liner 14 and/or bye-sided vacuum panel 22.
While spraying the foam, the lance is slowly removed from the area
between case 12 and five-sided vacuum panel 22 permitting the foam
to expand and fill the area between case 12 and five-sided vacuum
panel 22. This foam spraying procedure is also used to inject
between liner 14 and five-sided vacuum panel 22. During foam
injection between liner 14 and five-sided vacuum panel 22, the foam
also flows into the joint where liner 14 is attached to case 12 to
provide for foam insulation in the attachment area.
[0026] In another embodiment, refrigeration appliance cabinet 10 is
made by changing the order of the steps described above.
Specifically, refrigeration appliance cabinet 10 is made by the
steps of inserting 56 liner 14 into cavity 37 of five-sided vacuum
panel 22, injecting 58 foam between liner 14 and five-sided vacuum
panel 22, and curing 60 the foam to form foam layer 26 and to
attach five-sided vacuum panel 22 to liner 14. The method also
includes inserting 50 five-sided vacuum panel 22 into case 12,
injecting 52 foam between five-sided vacuum panel 22 and case 12,
and curing 54 the foam to form foam layer 24 and to attach
five-sided vacuum panel 22 to case 12.
[0027] Method 48 and five-sided vacuum panel 22, described above,
provide for reducing heat leak issues in refrigeration appliances,
especially at the corners of the refrigeration appliances.
Particularly, five-sided vacuum panel 22 extends into the corners
of the refrigeration cabinet and prevents heat leaks at the corners
of the refrigeration appliance. In addition, method 48 and
five-sided vacuum panel 22 provide for simplified manufacturing of
refrigeration appliances which reduces the time needed to make
refrigeration appliances, and removes the need for known vacuum
panel standoffs.
[0028] This written description uses examples to disclose the
invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person
skilled in the art to practice the invention, including, making and
using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated
methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the
claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled
in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope
of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ
from the literal language of the claims, or if they include
equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from
the literal language of the claims.
* * * * *