Vacuum insulation material, refrigerator, and method for manufacturing vacuum insulation material

Abstract

To make vacuum insulation materials thinner and improve their insulation properties. [Solution] The vacuum insulation material comprises a core material and an outer packaging material that houses the core material while maintaining a reduced pressure state inside. The core material is constructed by laminating two or more bundle members that are thinner than the thickness of the core material. The bundle member has a thin member fixing structure which consists of a plurality of thin members that are thinner than the thickness of the bundle member and a member or part that has a higher thermal conductivity than the thin members, and which makes the plurality of thin members into a single bundle member in the thickness direction. The thin member fixing structure provided on the bundle member located on one side of the core material among the plurality of laminated bundle members and the thin member fixing structure provided on the bundle member located on the other side of the core material among the plurality of laminated bundle members are provided at separate positions in the thickness direction or the surface direction of the core material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a vacuum heat insulating material, a refrigerator, and a method for manufacturing the vacuum heat insulating material.

Background Art

[0002] Vacuum heat insulating materials used in various devices and equipment that require heat insulation are required to be thin and have high heat insulation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, conventional vacuum heat insulating materials have room for improvement in terms of thinning and improving heat insulation properties.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vacuum heat insulating material that is thinned and has improved heat insulation properties, a refrigerator using this vacuum heat insulating material, and a method for manufacturing this vacuum heat insulating material.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vacuum insulation material according to the embodiment comprises a core material and an outer packaging material that houses the core material while maintaining a reduced pressure state inside. The core material is constructed by laminating two or more bundle members that are thinner than the thickness of the core material. The bundle member has a plurality of thin members that are thinner than the thickness of the bundle member, and a thin member fixing structure that is made of a member or part with a higher thermal conductivity than the thin members, and that makes the plurality of thin members into a single bundle member in the thickness direction. The thin member fixing structure provided on the bundle member located on one side of the core material among the plurality of laminated bundle members and the thin member fixing structure provided on the bundle member located on the other side of the core material among the plurality of laminated bundle members are provided at separate positions in the thickness direction or the surface direction of the core material.

[0007] The refrigerator according to this embodiment comprises a storage chamber and the vacuum insulation material provided around the storage chamber.

[0008] A method for manufacturing a vacuum insulation material according to an embodiment comprises: a thin member lamination step of laminating a plurality of thin members; a thin member fixing step of fixing a plurality of thin members in the thickness direction of the thin members by providing a thin member fixing structure which is a member or part with higher thermal conductivity than the thin members, thereby forming a bundle member; and a bundle member lamination step of laminating two or more bundle members to form a core material, wherein the thin member fixing structure provided on the bundle member located on one side of the core material and the thin member fixing structure provided on the bundle member located on the other side of the core material are separated in the thickness direction or surface direction of the core material. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the first vacuum insulation material equipped with the first core material. [Figure 2] Figure 2(A) is a cross-sectional view along the line X2A-X2A in Figure 1, and Figure 2(B) is a cross-sectional view along the line X2B-X2B in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X3-X3 in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figures 4(A) and 4(B) are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating an example of the procedure for providing the first thin member fixing structure and the second thin member fixing structure to the first bundle member and the second bundle member. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the X5 portion of Figure 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the first vacuum insulation material equipped with the second core material. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the first vacuum insulation material equipped with a third core material. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the first vacuum insulation material equipped with the fourth core material. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the first vacuum insulation material equipped with the fifth core material. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing the first vacuum insulation material equipped with the sixth core material. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the first vacuum insulation material equipped with the seventh core material. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view along the line X12-X12 in Figure 11. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing the first vacuum insulation material equipped with the eighth core material. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing the second vacuum insulation material equipped with the ninth core material. [Figure 15] Figure 15 shows an example of the procedure for inserting auxiliary material into the second vacuum insulation material, where (A) shows the first and second bundle members in an open state, (B) shows the state in which the auxiliary material is inserted, and (C) shows the state after the auxiliary material has been inserted. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram showing the second vacuum insulation material equipped with the tenth core material. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram showing the second vacuum insulation material equipped with the 11th core material. [Figure 18] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram showing the third vacuum insulation material equipped with the twelfth core material. [Figure 19]FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the manufacturing process of the third vacuum insulation material, (A) shows the state where a through-hole is formed in the 12th core material, (B) shows the state where the 12th core material is accommodated in the outer wrapping material, and (C) is a diagram showing the state where a groove is formed after depressurization. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the separated thin members constituting the 12th core material. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the structure of the comparative example core material, and (A) to (C) are diagrams corresponding to (A) to (C) of FIG. 19 respectively. [Figure 22] It is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the inner distance and the outer distance of the third vacuum insulation material and the comparative example vacuum insulation material, (A) is a diagram showing an enlarged view of the X22A part in FIG. 19(C), and (B) is a diagram showing an enlarged view of the X22B part in FIG. 21(C). [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of applying the fourth vacuum insulation material including the 13th core material to the first refrigerator, and is a diagram showing it excluding the outer wrapping material. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a diagram showing the second bundling member excluding the first bundling member with respect to the diagram of FIG. 23. [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of applying the fourth vacuum insulation material including the 14th core material to the first refrigerator, and is a diagram showing it excluding the outer wrapping material. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a diagram showing the second bundling member excluding the first bundling member with respect to the diagram of FIG. 25. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a diagram showing an example of applying the fifth vacuum insulation material including the 15th core material to the second refrigerator, and is a diagram showing it excluding the outer wrapping material. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a diagram showing the second bundling member excluding the first bundling member with respect to the diagram of FIG. 27. [Figure 29] FIG. 29 is a diagram showing an example of applying the fifth vacuum insulation material including the 16th core material to the second refrigerator, and is a diagram showing it excluding the outer wrapping material. [Figure 30] FIG. 30 is a diagram showing the second bundling member excluding the first bundling member with respect to the diagram of FIG. 29. [Figure 31] FIG. 31 is a flowchart showing an example of the manufacturing method of the vacuum insulation material. [Figure 32]Figure 32 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the first vacuum insulation material equipped with the 17th core material. [Figure 33] This is a modified example of Figure 19, and is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which a through-hole has been formed in the 12th core material. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Multiple embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions may be omitted. Furthermore, in the following description, the designations "1st," "2nd," etc., and "(A)," "(B)," etc., are merely for convenience to distinguish each component and do not imply any order or superiority or inferiority of the components.

[0011] (First vacuum insulation material) The first vacuum insulation material 1 and its modified forms will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 13. The first vacuum insulation material 1 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate, or a plate with some corners of a rectangle cut diagonally. In the example in Figure 1, the first vacuum insulation material 1 is formed in the shape of a rectangle. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the first vacuum insulation material 1 comprises an outer packaging material 20 and a first core material 301. The first core material 301 is an example of a core material. In Figure 1, the outer packaging material 20 is shown by a dashed line.

[0012] The outer packaging material 20 is a component that houses the first core material 301 while maintaining a reduced pressure inside, and has gas barrier properties. The outer packaging material 20 is an airtight sheet in which gas permeability is eliminated or reduced by, for example, depositing metal or metal oxide onto one or more layers of resin film. The first vacuum insulation material 1 is constructed by housing the first core material 301 inside the outer packaging material 20, and then reducing the pressure inside the outer packaging material 20 together with the first core material 301 to a near-vacuum pressure and sealing it. The first vacuum insulation material 1 may contain a skeletal member that forms the backbone inside the outer packaging material 20 in order to reduce crushing in the thickness direction.

[0013] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the first core material 301 is constructed by laminating two or more bundle members. In this embodiment, the first core material 301 is constructed by laminating a first bundle member 401 and a second bundle member 402. The first core material 301 may also be constructed by laminating three or more bundle members. The first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 are thinner than the thickness of the first core material 301. The first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 each have a thickness of half or less the thickness of the first vacuum insulation material 1. In this embodiment, the thickness dimensions of the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 are set to half that of the first core material 301. That is, the thickness dimensions of the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 are set to be equal. Note that the thickness dimensions of the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 may be different.

[0014] The first bundle member 401 has a plurality of thin members 41 and a first thin member fixing structure 421. The second bundle member 402 has a plurality of thin members 41 and a second thin member fixing structure 422. The first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are examples of thin member fixing structures. The thin members 41 are members that are even thinner than the thickness of the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, in this case, they are formed in the form of so-called thin plates or sheets that have enough flexibility to be bent. The thin members 41 can be made of, for example, a nonwoven fabric of resin fibers, but are not limited to this. The thin members 41 can also be made of nonwoven fabrics such as glass fibers or cellulose fibers. Furthermore, the thin members 41 are not limited to nonwoven fabrics, but may also be, for example, a porous film having a large number of holes inside, or a three-dimensional spring structure having a three-dimensional mesh structure inside.

[0015] The first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 each form a bundle of multiple thin members 41 in the thickness direction. That is, the first thin member fixing structure 421 is provided in the thickness direction of the first bundle member 401 and has the function of restricting the relative movement of the multiple thin members 41 constituting the first bundle member 401. Similarly, the second thin member fixing structure 422 is provided in the thickness direction of the second bundle member 402 and has the function of restricting the relative movement of the multiple thin members 41 constituting the second bundle member 402. The first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 can be made of the same material. The first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are made of a material with a higher thermal conductivity than the thin members 41, that is, a material with lower thermal insulation properties.

[0016] The first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 can be made of a string-like member with elasticity. In this case, the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 can be made of a string-like member of natural fiber, for example. A string of natural fiber has better elasticity than a string of synthetic resin fiber, but has higher thermal conductivity. The first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are, for example, shown in Figure 4(A), passed through the thickness direction of a plurality of thin members 41, and both ends are tied and connected, for example, on the outer surface side of the thin members 41, thereby bundling the plurality of thin members 41 together so that they do not move relative to each other. As a result, the first thin member fixing structure 421 bundles the plurality of thin members 41 together to form a single first bundle member 401, and the second thin member fixing structure 422 bundles the plurality of thin members 41 together to form a single second bundle member 402.

[0017] The first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 each have one or more first thin member fixing structures 421 and 422. In Figure 1, the first thin member fixing structure 421 is shown as a black-filled ellipse, and the second thin member fixing structure 422 is shown as a dashed ellipse. For example, the first bundle member 401 is located on one side of the first core material 301, and the second bundle member 402 is located on the other side of the first core material 301.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are provided at separate positions in the planar direction of the first core material 301. That is, the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are provided at positions where they do not directly contact each other. When the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 each have a plurality of first thin member fixing structures 421 and second thin member fixing structures 422, all of the first thin member fixing structures 421 and all of the second thin member fixing structures 422 are provided at positions where they do not directly contact each other. In this case, the first thin member fixing structures 421 and the second thin member fixing structures 422 are provided near the four corners of the first core material 301. The first thin member fixing structures 421 and the second thin member fixing structures 422 provided near the corners are arranged along the short side of the first core material 301.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 are stacked, and their interface surfaces are in contact with each other. In contrast, as also shown in Figure 1, the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 do not overlap in the planar direction of the first vacuum insulation material 1. Thus, the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are provided in positions where they do not directly contact each other.

[0020] The thin member fixing structures provided on each bundle member have different planar distances from a reference position relative to a predetermined position of the core material when the bundle members are stacked. The first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 have different planar distances from a reference position relative to a predetermined position of the first core material 301 when the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 are stacked.

[0021] In other words, as shown in Figure 5, one corner of the first core material 301 is set as the reference position (0,0). When viewed in a coordinate system where the short side of the first core material 301 is the X direction and the long side of the first core material 301 is the Y direction, the coordinates (X1, Y1) of the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the coordinates (X2, Y2) of the second thin member fixing structure 422 are different. For this reason, the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are offset from each other in the planar direction of the first core material 301. In this embodiment, when the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 are stacked, the distances from the long side of the first core material 301 to the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are different. Therefore, the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 do not overlap in the planar direction of the first core material 301.

[0022] Furthermore, the first core material 301 is configured such that the positional relationship between the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 is point-symmetric or line-symmetric. As shown in Figure 1, the short-side center of the first core material 301 is defined as the short-side center J1, the long-side center as the long-side center as J2, and the center in both the short-side and long-side directions as center O. In the example in Figure 1, the positional relationship between the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 is line-symmetric with respect to the long-side center J2 and point-symmetric with respect to center O. That is, if the first bundle member 401 is rotated 180° around the long-side center J2, the first thin member fixing structure 421 will overlap with the second thin member fixing structure 422. Also, if the first bundle member 401 is rotated 180° around center O as the pivot point, the first thin member fixing structure 421 will overlap with the second thin member fixing structure 422.

[0023] Thus, the first vacuum insulation material 1 comprises an outer packaging material 20 and a first core material 301. The outer packaging material 20 houses the first core material 301 while maintaining a reduced pressure inside. The first core material 301 is constructed by laminating two or more bundle members, in this case a first bundle member 401 and a second bundle member 402, which are thinner than the thickness of the first core material 301.

[0024] The first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 each have a thin member 41 and either a first thin member fixing structure 421 or a second thin member fixing structure 422. The first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are each composed of a material or part with a higher thermal conductivity than the thin member 41, and multiple thin members 41 are combined into a single bundle member, i.e., the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, in the thickness direction.

[0025] The first thin member fixing structure 421 is a thin member fixing structure provided on the first bundle member 401 located on one side of the first core material 301, which is part of a stack of bundle members. The second thin member fixing structure 422 is a thin member fixing structure provided on the second bundle member 402 located on the other side of the first core material 301, which is part of a stack of bundle members. The first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are provided at separate positions in the planar direction of the first core material 301, that is, at positions where they do not directly contact each other.

[0026] According to this, the first thin member fixing structure 421 allows multiple thin members 41 to be bundled together into a single bundled member, in this case, the first bundled member 401. Similarly, the second thin member fixing structure 422 allows multiple thin members 41 to be bundled together into a single bundled member, in this case, the second bundled member 402. This makes it possible to suppress the shifting of multiple thin members 41 during the manufacturing of the first vacuum insulation material 1, thereby improving the manufacturability of the first vacuum insulation material 1.

[0027] Furthermore, since the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are provided at positions separated in the planar direction of the first core material 301, that is, at positions where they do not directly contact each other, it is possible to suppress the transfer of heat from one surface of the first vacuum insulation material 1 to the other by traveling through the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422. As a result, so-called heat leakage in the portions of the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 can be suppressed, and as a result, the thermal insulation performance and productivity of the first vacuum insulation material 1 can be improved.

[0028] The first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are located at different distances in the plane direction from the long side of the first core material 301 when the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 are stacked. In this case, the first thin member fixing structure 421 provided on the first bundle member 401 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 provided on the second bundle member 402 are located at different distances in the plane direction from a reference position (0,0) with respect to a predetermined position on the first core material 301 when the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 are stacked. This ensures that the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are positioned so as not to come into contact with each other, thereby more reliably suppressing heat leaks caused by contact between the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422.

[0029] The first vacuum insulation material 1 is configured such that the positional relationship between the first thin member fixing structure 421, which is provided on the first bundle member 401 located on one side of the first core material 301, and the second thin member fixing structure 422, which is provided on the second bundle member 402 located on the other side of the first core material 301, is symmetrical with respect to a line or point. This allows the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 to be constructed from common parts. In other words, the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 can be manufactured using the same manufacturing equipment. Therefore, compared to manufacturing the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 separately, the manufacturing effort and cost can be reduced, as can the storage costs of the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402.

[0030] The first vacuum insulation material 1 may include, for example, a second core material 302 as shown in Figure 6. The second core material 302 is an example of a core material. The arrangement of the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 in the second core material 302 differs from that of the first core material 301. The first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 of the second core material 302 are line-symmetric with respect to the short-side center J1 and point-symmetric with respect to the center O. That is, if the first bundle member 401 is rotated 180° around the short-side center J1, the first thin member fixing structure 421 will overlap with the second thin member fixing structure 422. Also, if the first bundle member 401 is rotated 180° around the center O as a pivot point, the first thin member fixing structure 421 will overlap with the second thin member fixing structure 422.

[0031] The first vacuum insulation material 1 may include, for example, a third core material 303 as shown in Figure 7. The third core material 303 is an example of a core material. The arrangement of the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 in the third core material 303 differs from that of the first core material 301 and the second core material 302. The first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 of the third core material 303 are symmetrical with respect to both the short side center J1 and the long side center J2. That is, if the first bundle member 401 is rotated 180° around the short side center J1, the first thin member fixing structure 421 will overlap with the second thin member fixing structure 422. Also, if the first bundle member 401 is rotated 180° around the long side center J2, the first thin member fixing structure 421 will overlap with the second thin member fixing structure 422.

[0032] The first vacuum insulation material 1 may include, for example, a fourth core material 304 as shown in Figure 8. The fourth core material 304 is an example of a core material. In the fourth core material 304, the arrangement of the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 differs from that of the first core material 301 to the third core material 303 described above. In this case, the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422, which are provided near the corners of the fourth core material 304, are each arranged along the longitudinal direction of the fourth core material 304.

[0033] The first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 of the fourth core material 304 are symmetrical with respect to both the short-side center J1 and the long-side center J2. That is, if the fourth core material 304 is rotated 180° around the short-side center J1, the first thin member fixing structure 421 will overlap with the second thin member fixing structure 422. Also, if the first bundle member 401 or the second bundle member 402 is rotated 180° around the long-side center J2, the first thin member fixing structure 421 will overlap with the second thin member fixing structure 422.

[0034] The first vacuum insulation material 1 may include, for example, a fifth core material 305 as shown in Figure 9. The fifth core material 305 is an example of a core material. The arrangement of the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 in the fifth core material 305 differs from that of the first core material 301 to the fourth core material 304 described above. The first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422, which are provided near the corners of the fifth core material 305, are each arranged along the longitudinal direction of the fifth core material 305.

[0035] The positional relationship between the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 of the fifth core material 305 is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal center J2 and point-symmetrical with respect to the center O. That is, when the first bundle member 401 is rotated 180° around the longitudinal center J2, the first thin member fixing structure 421 overlaps with the second thin member fixing structure 422. Also, when the first bundle member 401 is rotated 180° around the center O as a pivot point, the first thin member fixing structure 421 overlaps with the second thin member fixing structure 422.

[0036] The first vacuum insulation material 1 may include, for example, the sixth core material 306 shown in Figure 10. The sixth core material 306 is an example of a core material. The arrangement of the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 in the sixth core material 306 differs from that of the first core material 301 to the fifth core material 305 described above. In the sixth core material 306, either the first thin member fixing structure 421 or the second thin member fixing structure 422 is provided at the four corners of the sixth core material 306 and between the two corners and near the short side center J1.

[0037] The positional relationship between the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 of the sixth core material 306 is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal center J2 and point-symmetrical with respect to the center O. That is, in the example of Figure 10, if the first bundle member 401 is rotated 180° around the longitudinal center J2, the first thin member fixing structure 421 will overlap with the second thin member fixing structure 422. Also, if the first bundle member 401 is rotated 180° around the center O as a pivot point, the first thin member fixing structure 421 will overlap with the second thin member fixing structure 422.

[0038] The first vacuum insulation material 1 may include, for example, a seventh core material 307 as shown in Figure 11. The seventh core material 307 is an example of a core material. The seventh core material 307 has a first thin member welding portion 431 and a second thin member welding portion 432. The first thin member welding portion 431 and the second thin member welding portion 432 are examples of thin member fixing structures. The first thin member welding portion 431 and the second thin member welding portion 432 are provided on the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, respectively. The first thin member welding portion 431 and the second thin member welding portion 432 are formed by welding thin members 41 that constitute the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, respectively. The first thin member welding portion 431 and the second thin member welding portion 432 are provided in the thickness direction of the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, for example, by welding the end faces of the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402. As a result, the first thin member welding portion 431 and the second thin member welding portion 432 restrict the relative movement of the thin members 41 that constitute the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, respectively.

[0039] The first thin member welded portion 431 and the second thin member welded portion 432 have higher thermal conductivity than the thin member 41 alone that is not welded. This is because the first thin member welded portion 431 and the second thin member welded portion 432 are formed by welding a part of a nonwoven fabric of resin fibers, for example, so the fibers fuse together through welding and the air layer within the fabric is reduced. Since air has a lower thermal conductivity than resin, a smaller air layer allows heat to be transferred more efficiently, and as a result, the thermal conductivity of the first thin member welded portion 431 and the second thin member welded portion 432 increases.

[0040] The first thin member welding portion 431 and the second thin member welding portion 432 are provided on the edges of the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, respectively. In the example shown in Figure 11, one or two of the first thin member welding portions 431 and the second thin member welding portions 432 are provided on the short edges of the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, respectively. In this case, the positional relationship between the first thin member welding portion 431 and the second thin member welding portion 432 is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal center J2 and point-symmetrical with respect to the center O. That is, if the first bundle member 401 is rotated 180° around the longitudinal center J2, the first thin member welding portion 431 will overlap with the second thin member welding portion 432. Furthermore, when the first bundle member 401 is rotated 180° around the center O as a pivot point, the first thin member welded portion 431 overlaps with the second thin member welded portion 432.

[0041] The first vacuum insulation material 1 may include, for example, the eighth core material 308 shown in Figure 13. The eighth core material 308 is an example of a core material. The eighth core material 308, like the seventh core material 307, also has a first thin member welding portion 431 and a second thin member welding portion 432. The first thin member welding portion 431 and the second thin member welding portion 432 are provided on one short side of the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, and on the long side located on the opposite side of the long center J2 from the short side. In this case, the positional relationship between the first thin member welding portion 431 and the second thin member welding portion 432 of the eighth core material 308 is symmetrical with respect to the long center J2 and point-symmetrical with respect to the center O. In other words, when the first bundle member 401 is rotated 180° around the longitudinal center J2, the first thin member welded portion 431 overlaps with the second thin member welded portion 432. Also, when the first bundle member 401 is rotated 180° around the center O as a pivot point, the first thin member welded portion 431 overlaps with the second thin member welded portion 432.

[0042] (Second vacuum insulation material) The second vacuum insulation material 2 and its modified form will be described with reference to Figures 14 to 17. The second vacuum insulation material 2 comprises an outer packaging material 20, a ninth core material 309, and an auxiliary material 50. The ninth core material 309 has a first bundle member fixing structure 441 in addition to the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422. In Figures 14, 16, and 17, the first bundle member fixing structure 441 is depicted as a solid ellipse. The example in Figure 14 is an example having one first bundle member fixing structure 441. In the ninth core material 309, the arrangement of the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 may be as shown in Figures 6 to 10. Furthermore, the ninth core material 309 may have, in place of the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422, the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 together with the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422, as shown in Figure 11 or Figure 13.

[0043] The first bundle member fixing structure 441 is an example of a bundle member fixing structure. The first bundle member fixing structure 441 fixes a plurality of stacked bundle members to each other. In this case, the first bundle member fixing structure 441 restricts the mutual movement of the stacked first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402. The first bundle member fixing structure 441 also restricts the movement of the auxiliary material 50 in at least one direction. The first bundle member fixing structure 441 is made of a material or part with a higher thermal conductivity than the thin member 41. In this embodiment, the first bundle member fixing structure 441 can be made of the same material as the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422, for example, a string-like material made of natural fibers.

[0044] The first bundle member fixing structure 441 is provided to penetrate the thickness direction of the ninth core material 309 through a plurality of stacked bundle members, in this case, the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402. As shown in Figure 15, the first bundle member fixing structure 441 is connected, for example, by tying together on the outside of either one of the faces of the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, thereby bundling the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 so that they do not move relative to each other.

[0045] The ninth core material 309 is formed in an elongated shape in one direction, in this case, rectangular. The first bundle member fixing structure 441 is provided, for example, near one end of the ninth core material 309 in the longitudinal direction, and on the line of the short center J1, as shown in Figure 14. In this embodiment, near one end of the ninth core material 309 in the longitudinal direction means, for example, within the region on one end side of one of the three divisions obtained by dividing the ninth core material 309 in the longitudinal direction.

[0046] The first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 are bound together by the first bundle member fixing structure 441. Therefore, as shown in Figure 15(B), the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 cannot move away from each other in the area where the first bundle member fixing structure 441 is provided, but they can move away from each other in the area where the first bundle member fixing structure 441 is not provided. In other words, the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 can be opened in the area where the first bundle member fixing structure 441 is not provided, as shown in Figure 15(B). For this reason, the first bundle member fixing structure 441, as a bundle member fixing structure, is configured to accept the insertion of the auxiliary material 50 from the short side of the ninth core material 309, for example, from the left side of the page in Figure 14 in the direction indicated by the white arrow.

[0047] The auxiliary material 50 is, for example, a so-called getter material or moisture absorber that has the function of adsorbing at least one or both of moisture or gas. The auxiliary material 50 is constructed by housing a moisture or gas adsorbing member in a breathable bag or box that is permeable to water vapor or gas. As shown in Figure 15(C), the auxiliary material 50 is provided sandwiched between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402.

[0048] When placing the auxiliary material 50 between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, the worker first opens the gap between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 as shown in Figures 15(A) and (B). Since the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 are bound together by the first bundle member fixing structure 441, the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 open with the first bundle member fixing structure 441 as the pivot point. Then, as shown in Figure 15(B), the worker inserts the auxiliary material 50 between the opened first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402. At this time, the auxiliary material 50 is prevented from being inserted further by the first bundle member fixing structure 441. Thus, the position of the auxiliary material 50 is defined by the first thin member fixing structure 421. Then, as shown in Figure 15(C), the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 are closed, and the auxiliary material 50 is placed inside the ninth core material 309.

[0049] The second vacuum insulation material 2 further comprises an auxiliary material 50 and a first bundle member fixing structure 441. The first bundle member fixing structure 441 functions as a bundle member fixing structure, binding together a plurality of stacked bundle members, in this case the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, and restricting their movement from each other. This makes it possible to suppress the movement between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, that is, the displacement of the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, during the manufacturing of the second vacuum insulation material 2, thereby improving the manufacturability of the second vacuum insulation material 2.

[0050] The second vacuum insulation material 2 further comprises an auxiliary material 50. The auxiliary material 50 has the ability to adsorb moisture or gas and is provided between the stacked bundle members, in this case between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402. The first bundle member fixing structure 441 further has the function of defining the position of the auxiliary material 50 between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402.

[0051] According to this, the position of the auxiliary material 50 can be determined during the manufacturing of the second vacuum insulation material 2, thereby further improving the productivity of the second vacuum insulation material 2.

[0052] Furthermore, the ninth core material 309 is formed in an elongated shape that is long in one direction. The first bundle member fixing structure 441, which serves as a bundle member fixing structure, is provided near the longitudinal end of the ninth core material 309 and is configured to accept the insertion of the auxiliary material 50 from the short side of the ninth core material 309. That is, on the short side of the ninth core material 309, in this case the left side of the page in Figure 14, the auxiliary material 50 can be inserted between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 by opening the first bundle member 401 or the second bundle member 402 as shown in Figures 15(A) to (B). Further insertion of the auxiliary material 50 is restricted by the first bundle member fixing structure 441, and it is positioned in a predetermined location between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, as shown in Figure 15(C).

[0053] According to this, during the manufacturing of the second vacuum insulation material 2, the worker can easily insert the auxiliary material 50 by opening the first bundle member 401 or the second bundle member 402 at the longitudinal end. This simplifies the insertion of the auxiliary material 50, thereby improving the efficiency of the manufacturing process and reducing working time.

[0054] The second vacuum insulation material 2 may include a tenth core material 310, as shown in Figure 16. The tenth core material 310 has two additional first bundle member fixing structures 441, in addition to the first bundle member fixing structure 441 of the ninth core material 309. That is, the tenth core material 310 has three first bundle member fixing structures 441. One of the three first bundle member fixing structures 441 is provided, similar to the ninth core material 309, for example, slightly to one side with respect to the longitudinal direction of the tenth core material 310 and on the line of the short side center J1.

[0055] Furthermore, two of the three first bundle member fixing structures 441 are located on the insertion side of the auxiliary material 50, that is, on the opposite side from the longitudinal center J2, and are positioned on either side of the short-side center J1, compared to the other first bundle member fixing structure 441. This allows the three first bundle member fixing structures 441 to define positions in three directions with respect to the insertion direction of the auxiliary material 50: the insertion direction, and a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction. In other words, when a worker inserts the auxiliary material 50 between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, the auxiliary material 50 is restricted from further insertion, i.e., movement to the right side of the page in Figure 16, by the first bundle member fixing structure 441 located on the short-side center J1, while the movement of the tenth core material 310 in the short-side direction, i.e., movement in the vertical direction of the page in Figure 16, is restricted by the remaining two first bundle member fixing structures 441. As a result, the auxiliary member 50 is positioned with high precision between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402.

[0056] The second vacuum insulation material 2 may include an eleventh core material 311, as shown in Figure 17. The eleventh core material 311 is also formed in a long, rectangular shape, meaning it is elongated in one direction. The eleventh core material 311 has three first bundle member fixing structures 441 as bundle member fixing structures. The first bundle member fixing structures 441 are provided near the center of the longitudinal direction of the eleventh core material 311. Near the center of the longitudinal direction of the eleventh core material 311 means, for example, within the central region of the eleventh core material 311 when it is divided into three parts in the longitudinal direction. In this case, one of the three first bundle member fixing structures 441 is provided, for example, on the longitudinal center J2.

[0057] Furthermore, the remaining two of the three first bundle member fixing structures 441 are arranged along the short-side center J1, with the long-side center J2 in between. The 11th core member 311 is configured to accept the insertion of the auxiliary material 50 from the long side of the 11th core member 311, for example, from the bottom of the page in Figure 17 in the direction indicated by the white arrow. That is, the auxiliary material 50 can be inserted between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 from the long side of the 11th core member 311, i.e., the bottom of the page in Figure 17, by opening the first bundle member 401 or the second bundle member 402 on the long side of the 11th core member 311, in this case the bottom side of the page in Figure 17. Furthermore, the auxiliary material 50 is restricted from further insertion by the first bundle member fixing structure 441 located on the longitudinal center J2 of the three first bundle member fixing structures 441, and its movement in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, i.e., in the longitudinal direction of the 11th core material 311, is restricted by the remaining two first bundle member fixing structures 441. Thus, the auxiliary material 50 is restricted from moving in three directions by the three first bundle member fixing structures 441: the insertion direction (in this case, the direction upward in the plane of the paper in Figure 17), and the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction.

[0058] According to this, during the manufacturing of the second vacuum insulation material 2, the worker can easily insert the auxiliary material 50 by opening the first bundle member 401 or the second bundle member 402 from the long side of the eleventh core material 311. This also simplifies the insertion of the auxiliary material 50, thereby improving the efficiency of the manufacturing process and reducing working time.

[0059] (Third vacuum insulation material) Next, the third vacuum insulation material 3 and comparative examples will be described with reference to Figures 18 to 22. Figures 21 and 22(B) are comparative examples of the third vacuum insulation material 3. The comparative example in Figure 21 will be referred to as comparative example vacuum insulation material 9. The third vacuum insulation material 3 comprises an outer packaging material 20, a twelfth core material 312, and a groove 60. Although not shown in Figures 18 and 19, the third vacuum insulation material 3 may also include a first bundle member fixing structure 441 and an auxiliary material 50.

[0060] The third vacuum insulation material 3 is provided with, for example, two grooves 60. As shown in Figure 19(C), the grooves 60 are formed in a recessed shape in the thickness direction of the twelfth core material 312, that is, in the thickness direction of the third vacuum insulation material 3. The twelfth core material 312 can also be formed in a rectangular shape that is elongated in one direction, similar to the core materials described above. As shown in Figure 18, for example, the grooves 60 extend longitudinally from one edge to the other edge of the third vacuum insulation material 3.

[0061] In this case, the thin member 41 constituting the 12th core material 312 includes a first thin member 411 that forms the bottom 61 of the groove 60 and a second thin member 412 that forms the side 62 of the groove 60. The groove 60 is formed when the laminated second thin member 412 is laminated onto the first thin member 411. As shown in Figure 19(C), the groove 60 opens toward one side of the third vacuum insulation material 3.

[0062] As shown in Figure 22(A), the multiple second thin members 412 form grooves 60 of a predetermined width by leaving a predetermined interval W in the planar direction of the 12th core material 312. The predetermined interval W decreases from the surface side of the 12th core material 312 toward the bottom 61 side of the groove 60. As a result, the groove 60 is formed such that the width W of the groove 60 narrows from the surface side of the 12th core material 312 toward the center in the thickness direction. In the case of the 12th core material 312, the side portion 62 of the groove 60 is inclined in a direction in which the width of the groove 60 narrows from the surface side of the 12th core material 312 toward the bottom 61 side of the groove 60. The side portion 62 of the groove 60 may be formed in a step shape, for example. Structures such as pipes and cables are placed inside the groove 60.

[0063] The manufacturing method for the third vacuum insulation material 3 having the twelfth core material 312 is as follows. First, as shown in Figure 19(A), a part of the thin member 41 is cut from the twelfth core material 312 to form a through portion 45 in the twelfth core material 312. Figure 20 shows the thin members 41 of the first bundle member 401 constituting the twelfth core material 312 separated from each other. The through portion 45 is formed in at least a part of the thin member 41 constituting the twelfth core material 312, penetrating the thin member 41. The through portion 45 is formed by a hole or notch that penetrates the thin member 41. The groove portion 60 is formed in the part where the through portions 45 of the laminated thin members 41 overlap.

[0064] The 12th core material 312, with the through-hole 45 formed therein, is housed within the outer packaging material 20, as shown in Figure 19(B). Then, as shown in Figure 19(C), the outer packaging material 20 is tightly sealed around the periphery, and the internal pressure is reduced. As a result, the outer packaging material 20 adheres tightly to the 12th core material 312 along the shape of the through-hole 45, forming the groove 60 shown in Figure 19(C). In this way, the third vacuum insulation material 3 having the groove 60 is manufactured.

[0065] Thus, the third vacuum insulation material 3 further includes grooves 60 that are recessed in the thickness direction of the twelfth core material 312. The thin members 41 constituting the twelfth core material 312 include a first thin member 411 that forms the bottom 61 of the groove 60 and a plurality of second thin members 412 that form the sides 62 of the groove 60. The groove 60 is formed when the second thin members 412 are laminated on the first thin member 411. That is, at least a portion of the thin members 41 constituting the twelfth core material 312 has a through portion 45 that penetrates the thin member 41. The groove 60 is formed in the portion where the through portions 45 of the laminated thin members 41 overlap. With this, for example, compared to forming the groove by pressing the twelfth core material 312, it is possible to reliably form a groove 60 of the desired shape.

[0066] Here, since the groove 60 is formed by hollowing out a part of the 12th core material 312, the thickness of the groove 60 tends to be thinner than other parts. Furthermore, refrigerant pipes that become relatively hot are sometimes placed in the groove 60. In this case, the area near the bottom 61 of the groove 60 is heated by the heat of the refrigerant pipes. If the first thin member fixing structure 421 or the second thin member fixing structure 422 is provided in a position that overlaps with the bottom 61 of the groove 60, the heat from the refrigerant pipes, etc., is easily transferred to the first thin member fixing structure 421 or the second thin member fixing structure 422.

[0067] Therefore, the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are provided in positions different from the groove 60. In other words, the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are provided on both sides of the groove 60, avoiding the groove 60. This prevents further deterioration of the thermal insulation performance in the groove 60 by providing the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422, which have inferior thermal insulation properties to the 12th core material 312, while avoiding the groove 60. It also effectively prevents heat emitted from structures within the groove 60 from being transmitted to the outside of the third vacuum insulation material 3 via the first thin member fixing structure 421 or the second thin member fixing structure 422. In this embodiment, the penetration portion 45 is provided in the first bundle member 401 and not in the second bundle member 402, but it may be provided in the second bundle member 402.

[0068] In the 12th core material 312, the first thin member fixing structure 421 includes a groove-interval thin member fixing structure 421a and an outer thin member fixing structure 421b. The groove-interval thin member fixing structure 421a and the outer thin member fixing structure 421b are each thin member fixing structures. The groove-interval thin member fixing structure 421a is a thin member fixing structure provided between adjacent grooves 60 in the planar direction of the 12th core material 312. The outer thin member fixing structure 421b is a thin member fixing structure provided on the outer edge side of the 12th core material 312 with respect to each groove 60.

[0069] Here, as shown in Figure 22, of the boundaries between the bottom 61 of the groove 60 and the sides 62 on both sides of the bottom 61, the boundary on the side of the short-side center J1 is defined as the inner boundary 631, and the boundary on the opposite side of the short-side center J1 is defined as the outer boundary 632. When the bundle member is viewed in the plane direction, the distance from the groove-interlocking thin member fixing structure 421a to the inner boundary 631 is defined as the plane distance from the groove-interlocking thin member fixing structure 421a to the bottom 61 of the groove 60, and is referred to as the inner distance Li. The distance from the outer thin member fixing structure 421b to the outer boundary 632 is defined as the plane distance from the outer thin member fixing structure 421b to the bottom 61 of the groove 60, and is referred to as the outer distance Lo. In the comparative example vacuum insulation material 9, as shown in Figure 22(B), the inner distance Li is set to be smaller than the outer distance Lo. In contrast, in the third vacuum insulation material 3, as shown in Figure 22(A), the inner distance Li is set to be larger than the outer distance Lo.

[0070] Comparative example vacuum insulation material 9 is manufactured using comparative example core material 319 shown in Figure 21(A). As shown in Figure 21(A), the comparative example core material 319 has an inner distance Li set to be smaller than the outer distance Lo in the state before depressurization. When this comparative example core material 319 is placed in the outer packaging material 20 and depressurized, as shown in Figure 21(C), the side portion 62 of the groove portion 60 contracts inward in the thickness direction of the comparative example core material 319, so the angle of the side portion 62 with respect to the bottom portion 61 tends to approach a right angle. When the angle of the inner side portion 62 of the groove portion 60 becomes close to a right angle, there is a high possibility that the outer packaging material 20 will be damaged by that corner.

[0071] Furthermore, the shrinkage of the core material causes the two groove-intervening thin member fixing structures 421a to be pulled away from each other, generating tension, which makes the comparative example vacuum insulation material 9 more prone to bending overall. When the comparative example vacuum insulation material 9 bends overall, it can lead to a decrease in aesthetic appeal, such as the curvature of the insulation wall to which the comparative example vacuum insulation material 9 is attached.

[0072] Therefore, as shown in Figure 22(A), the third vacuum insulation material 3 has an inner distance Li set to be greater than the outer distance Lo. The third vacuum insulation material 3 is manufactured using the 12th core material 312 shown in Figure 19(A). As shown in Figure 19(A), the 12th core material 312 has an inner distance Li set to be greater than the outer distance Lo even before depressurization. In this case, even when the 12th core material 312 is housed in the outer packaging material 20 and depressurized, as shown in Figure 19(C), the angle of the side portion 62 with respect to the bottom portion 61 becomes relatively gentle because the inner distance Li is greater than the outer distance Lo. This prevents the outer packaging material 20 from being damaged by the corners of the groove portion 60. Furthermore, even if the shrinkage of the 12th core material 312 pulls the two inter-groove thin member fixing structures 421a away from each other, a certain amount of tension is absorbed between the inter-groove thin member fixing structures 421a and the inner boundary portion 631, thereby suppressing the overall curvature of the third vacuum insulation material 3.

[0073] Furthermore, multiple second thin members 412 form grooves 60 with a predetermined width W by leaving a predetermined interval W in the planar direction of the 12th core material 312. The predetermined interval W decreases from the surface side of the 12th core material 312 toward the bottom 61 side of the groove 60. This allows the width W of the groove 60 to widen toward the opening side. As a result, it is possible to easily place structures such as pipes and cables within the groove 60.

[0074] (Fourth vacuum insulation material and refrigerator) Next, the fourth vacuum insulation material 4 and the first refrigerator 701 equipped with the fourth vacuum insulation material 4 will be described with reference to Figures 23 and 24. The fourth vacuum insulation material 4 is provided, for example, on the left and right sides of the first refrigerator 701 and constitutes the insulated wall portion of the first refrigerator 701. The fourth vacuum insulation material 4 comprises an outer packaging material, a 13th core material 313, and an auxiliary material 50. For the sake of simplicity, the outer packaging material is not shown in Figures 23 and 24. The 13th core material 313 is constructed by laminating the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402.

[0075] The first refrigerator 701 is equipped with storage compartments, for example, from top to bottom, a refrigerator compartment 71, a freezer compartment 72, and a vegetable compartment 73. The refrigerator compartment 71 and the vegetable compartment 73 are first storage compartments in the refrigeration temperature range. The vegetable compartment 73 is a storage compartment with a higher temperature than the refrigerator compartment 71. The freezer compartment 72 is a second storage compartment in the freezing temperature range. The freezer compartment 72 and the storage compartments in the refrigeration temperature range are separated by an insulating partition 74. That is, the partition 74 separates the first storage compartments 71 and 73 from the second storage compartment 72. The fourth vacuum insulation material 4 is provided around the first storage compartments 71 and 73, the second storage compartment 72, and the partition 74.

[0076] Figure 23 shows the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 superimposed on the outside of the first refrigerator 701. In Figure 23, the first thin member fixing structure 421 provided on the first bundle member 401 is shown as a solid black line, the second thin member fixing structure 422 provided on the second bundle member 402 is shown as a dashed line, and the second bundle member fixing structure 442 provided on the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 is shown as a solid line. The second bundle member fixing structure 442 is an example of a bundle member fixing structure.

[0077] Figure 24 shows the second bundle member 402 from the outside of the first refrigerator 701. In Figure 24, the second thin member fixing structure 422 provided on the second bundle member 402 is shown as a solid black color, and the second bundle member fixing structure 442 provided on the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 is shown as a solid line. An auxiliary member 50 is provided between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402. The second bundle member fixing structure 442 does not necessarily have the function of defining the position of the auxiliary member 50.

[0078] As shown in Figures 23 and 24, the 13th core material 313 is formed in a shape in which one corner of a rectangular shape that is long in one direction is cut diagonally. The 13th core material 313 has a notch 32. The notch 32 is formed in a shape in which one corner of the rectangular shape is cut diagonally, that is, a cut shape. The notch 32 is located between one side of the core material that is along the longitudinal direction, i.e., the long side, and one side that is along the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, i.e., the short side. That is, since the notch 32 is inclined diagonally with respect to the long side and short side of the 13th core material 313, it can also be called an inclined part. With respect to one end 321 of the sides of the notch 32, the second bundle member fixing structure 442 is provided closer to the end 321 than the first thin member fixing structure 421.

[0079] The first thin member fixing structure 421, the second thin member fixing structure 422, and the second bundle member fixing structure 442 are provided in positions that do not overlap with the freezer compartment 72 and the partition 74. In this case, the first thin member fixing structure 421, the second thin member fixing structure 422, and the second bundle member fixing structure 442 are provided in positions that overlap with the refrigerator compartment 71 or the vegetable compartment 73. The auxiliary material 50 is also provided in a position that does not overlap with the freezer compartment 72 and the partition 74, that is, in a position that overlaps with the refrigerator compartment 71 or the vegetable compartment 73. In the example shown in Figures 23 and 24, the second bundle member fixing structure 442 and the auxiliary material 50 are provided in an area that overlaps with the vegetable compartment 73.

[0080] Thus, the fourth vacuum insulation material 4 is provided on the surrounding wall of the first refrigerator 701. The first refrigerator 701 has, internally, a refrigerator compartment 71 and a vegetable compartment 73 which are storage rooms in the refrigerated temperature range, a freezer compartment 72 which is a storage room in the freezing temperature range, and a partition 74 that separates the refrigerator compartment 71 and the freezer compartment 72. It is equipped with a second bundle member fixing structure 442 as a bundle member fixing structure. The second bundle member fixing structure 442 is provided in a position that overlaps with the refrigerator compartment 71 or the vegetable compartment 73 which are storage rooms in the refrigerated temperature range. That is, the second bundle member fixing structure 442 is provided in a position that does not overlap with the freezer compartment 72 which is a storage room in the freezing temperature range and the partition 74. This makes it possible to suppress heat leakage to the freezer compartment 72 which is at a lower temperature.

[0081] The fourth vacuum insulation material 4 may include a 14th core material 314, as shown in Figures 25 and 26. Figure 25 is a diagram showing the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 superimposed on the outside of the first refrigerator 701. In Figure 25, the first thin member fixing structure 421 provided on the first bundle member 401 is shown as a solid black color, the second thin member fixing structure 422 provided on the second bundle member 402 is shown as a dashed line, and the first bundle member fixing structure 441 and the second bundle member fixing structure 442 provided on the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 are shown as solid lines.

[0082] Figure 26 shows the second bundle member 402 from the outside of the first refrigerator 701. In Figure 26, the second thin member fixing structure 422 provided on the second bundle member 402 is shown as a solid black color, and the first bundle member fixing structure 441 and the second bundle member fixing structure 442 provided on the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 are shown as solid lines. An auxiliary material 50 is provided between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402. The 14th core material 314 further includes a first bundle member fixing structure 441 for defining the position of the auxiliary material 50, in addition to the second bundle member fixing structure 442. In this case, the position of the auxiliary material 50 inserted between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 is defined by the first bundle member fixing structure 441. The straight line connecting the first bundle member fixing structure 441 and the second bundle member fixing structure 442 slopes downward from the rear to the front of the first refrigerator 701.

[0083] Next, the fifth vacuum insulation material 5 and the second refrigerator 702 equipped with the fifth vacuum insulation material 5 will be described with reference to Figures 27 and 28. The fifth vacuum insulation material 5 comprises a 15th core material 315 and an outer packaging material. For the sake of simplicity, the outer packaging material is not shown in Figures 27 and 28. The 15th core material 315 is constructed by laminating a first bundle member 401 and a second bundle member 402.

[0084] The second refrigerator 702 includes, for example, a refrigerator compartment 71, a vegetable compartment 73, and a freezer compartment 72, arranged from top to bottom. In this case, the refrigerator compartment 71 and the vegetable compartment 73 are connected. The vegetable compartment 73 and the freezer compartment 72 are separated by a heat-insulating partition 74. The 15th core material 315 includes a first thin member fixing structure 421, a second thin member fixing structure 422, a first bundle member fixing structure 441, a second bundle member fixing structure 442, and an auxiliary material 50. The first bundle member fixing structure 441 is an example of a second restraining structure and has the function of defining the position of the auxiliary material 50. The first bundle member fixing structure 441 and the second bundle member fixing structure 442 are provided in positions corresponding to the vegetable compartment 73, avoiding the position corresponding to the freezer compartment 72. This also provides the same effects as the first refrigerator 701 and the fourth vacuum insulation material 4 described above.

[0085] The fifth vacuum insulation material 5 may include a 16th core material 316, as shown in Figures 29 and 30. The 16th core material 316 further includes three first bundle member fixing structures 441. Each of the three first bundle member fixing structures 441 has the function of defining the position of the auxiliary material 50. The three first bundle member fixing structures 441 can define the position of the auxiliary material 50 in three directions: the insertion direction, the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, and so on. In this case, the worker peels back the first bundle member 401 or the second bundle member 402 and inserts the auxiliary material 50 between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402. The three first bundle member fixing structures 441 then define the position of the auxiliary material 50 in three directions: the insertion direction, the vertical direction, and so on. This also provides the same effects as the first refrigerator 701 and the fourth vacuum insulation material 4 described above. Furthermore, the three first bundle member fixing structures 441 allow for even more precise positioning of the auxiliary members 50.

[0086] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing vacuum insulation material will be described with reference to Figure 31. The method for manufacturing vacuum insulation material shown in Figure 31 comprises a thin member lamination step S11, a thin member fixing step S12, a bundle member lamination step S13, a bundle member fixing step S14, an auxiliary material placement step S15, and a reduced pressure sealing step S16. In this embodiment, the methods for manufacturing vacuum insulation material are executed in order from steps S11 to S16.

[0087] Step S11, the thin member lamination process, is a process of laminating multiple thin members 41, as shown in Figure 4, for example. Step S12, the thin member fixing process, is a process of fixing multiple thin members 41 in the thickness direction of the thin members 41 by providing thin member fixing structures 421 and 422 which are members or parts with higher thermal conductivity than the thin members 41, as shown in Figure 4(B), for example, to form a single bundle of thin members 401 and 402.

[0088] Step S13, the bundle member lamination process, is a process of laminating two or more bundle members 401, 402 to form a core material, as shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), for example. Looking at the first core material 301 shown in Figure 2, the bundle member lamination process is a process of laminating two or more bundle members 401, 402 such that the thin member fixing structure 421 provided on the bundle member 401 located on one side of the first core material 301 and the thin member fixing structure 422 provided on the bundle member 402 located on the other side of the first core material 301 are separated in the thickness direction or surface direction of the first core material 301.

[0089] Step S14, the bundle member fixing step, as shown in Figure 14, involves providing a bundle member fixing structure 441 to a plurality of stacked bundle members 401 and 402 at a position away from the end of the ninth core material 309, and fixing them in the thickness direction of the thin member 41.

[0090] Step S15, the auxiliary material placement step, is a step in which an auxiliary material 50 having the ability to adsorb moisture or gas is placed between the stacked bundle members 401 and 402, and between the end of the core material 309 and the bundle member fixing structure 441 in the planar direction of the core material 309, as shown in Figures 14 and 15. In this case, the end of the core material 309 in the planar direction refers to the short side on the left side of the paper among the four sides of the core material 309 in Figure 14.

[0091] Then, the depressurization and sealing step S16 is a process in which the core material manufactured through steps S11 to S15 is placed inside the outer packaging material 20, and the inside of the outer packaging material 20 is depressurized to a near-vacuum pressure together with the core material and sealed. This produces a vacuum insulation material. According to the above-described method for manufacturing vacuum insulation material, it is possible to manufacture a vacuum insulation material that is thinner and has improved insulation properties.

[0092] In each of the above embodiments, the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 may be provided at positions separated in the thickness direction of the core material, for example, as shown in Figure 32. That is, the vacuum insulation material 1 shown in Figure 1, for example, can be configured as shown in Figure 32. Note that in Figure 32, the thin members constituting the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402 are not shown. In the example of Figure 32, the vacuum insulation material 1 includes, for example, a 17th core material 317. The 17th core material 317 is constructed by sandwiching an intermediate member 403 between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402.

[0093] The intermediate member 403 is, for example, a sheet-like material with a lower thermal conductivity than the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422. The intermediate member 403 can be, for example, a single thin member, a bundled member formed by laminating multiple thin members similar to the first bundled member 401 and the second bundled member 402, or a sheet-like material made of a different material from the thin members. In the example in Figure 32, the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are positioned to overlap in the planar direction of the 17th core material 317, and are separated in the thickness direction of the 17th core material 317 by the intermediate member 403.

[0094] In this way, by providing an intermediate member 403 between the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, even if the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422 are provided at the same position in the planar direction, the intermediate member 403 is interposed in the thickness direction, so they are provided at a position where they do not directly contact each other. This makes it possible to suppress so-called heat leaks in the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422. The intermediate member 403 can be composed of multiple thin members, similar to the first bundle member 401 and the second bundle member 402, and does not necessarily have a fixing structure for fixing the thin members. If the intermediate member 403 has a fixing structure, it is preferable that the fixing structure of the intermediate member 403 be provided at a position where it does not directly contact the first thin member fixing structure 421 and the second thin member fixing structure 422.

[0095] Furthermore, the core material having the groove 60 shown in Figure 19, etc., can be configured as shown in Figure 33, for example. In the example in Figure 33, the 12th core material 312 is housed in the outer packaging material and before the inside of the outer packaging material is depressurized, the width of the groove 60 decreases from the surface side to the bottom 61 side, for example, the side surface of the through portion 45 is formed to be an inclined surface or a stepped shape. That is, when the 12th core material 312 is formed by cutting out a part of the thin member 41 to form the through portion 45, the width of the through portion 45 is formed to decrease from the surface side to the bottom 61 side. With this, the shape of the groove 60 is roughly formed by the through portion 45 before the vacuum insulation material is depressurized, making it easier to shape the groove 60 into the desired shape after depressurization.

[0096] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1...1st vacuum insulation material, vacuum insulation material, 2...2nd vacuum insulation material, vacuum insulation material, 3...3rd vacuum insulation material, vacuum insulation material, 4...4th vacuum insulation material, vacuum insulation material, 5...5th vacuum insulation material, vacuum insulation material, 20...outer packaging material, 301...1st core material, core material, 302...2nd core material, core material, 303...3rd core material, core material, 304...4th core material, core material, 305...5th core material, core material, 306...6th core material, core material, 307... 7th core material, core material, 308...8th core material, core material, 309...9th core material, core material, 310...10th core material, core material, 311...11th core material, core material, 312...12th core material, core material, 313...13th core material, core material, 314...14th core material, core material, 315...15th core material, core material, 316...16th core material, core material, 317...17th core material, core material, 32...notch, 321...one end, 401...1st bundle member, bundle member, 402...Second bundle member, bundle member, 41...Thin member, 411...First thin member, thin member, 412...Second thin member, thin member, 421...First thin member fixing structure, thin member fixing structure, 421a...Vault thin member fixing structure, thin member fixing structure, 421b...Outer thin member fixing structure, thin member fixing structure, 422...Second thin member fixing structure, thin member fixing structure, 431...First thin member welding part, thin member fixing structure, 432 ...Second thin member welding section, thin member fixing structure, 441...First bundle member fixing structure, bundle member fixing structure, 442...Second bundle member fixing structure bundle, bundle member fixing structure, 50...Auxiliary material, 60...Groove section, 61...Bottom section, 62...Side section, 631...Inner boundary section, 632...Outer boundary section, 701...First refrigerator, refrigerator, 702...Second refrigerator, refrigerator, 71, 73...First storage chamber, 72...Second storage chamber, 74...Partition section

Claims

1. It comprises a core material and an outer packaging material that houses the core material while maintaining a reduced pressure state inside, The core material is constructed by laminating two or more bundle members that are thinner than the thickness of the core material. The aforementioned bundle member is Multiple thin members that are thinner than the thickness of the aforementioned bundle member, The thin member fixing structure is composed of a member or part with a higher thermal conductivity than the thin member, and comprises multiple thin members that form a single bundle member in the thickness direction. The thin member fixing structure provided on the bundle member located on one side of the core material among the stacked bundle members, and the thin member fixing structure provided on the bundle member located on the other side of the core material among the stacked bundle members, are provided at separate positions in the thickness direction or surface direction of the core material. Vacuum insulation material.

2. The core material is formed in an elongated shape that is long in one direction, The thin member fixing structure provided on each of the bundle members is such that, when each of the bundle members is stacked, the distance in the planar direction from the long side of the core material is different. The vacuum insulation material according to claim 1.

3. The positional relationship between the thin member fixing structure provided on the bundle member located on one side of the core material and the thin member fixing structure provided on the bundle member located on the other side of the core material is configured to be symmetrical with respect to a line or point. The vacuum insulation material according to claim 1.

4. The core material further comprises a groove that is recessed in the thickness direction, The thin members constituting the core material include a first thin member that forms the bottom of the groove and a plurality of second thin members that form the sides of the groove. The groove is formed when the second thin member is laminated onto the first thin member. The vacuum insulation material according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned thin member fixing structure is A groove-filled thin member fixing structure is provided between adjacent grooves in the planar direction of the core material, Includes an outer thin member fixing structure provided on the outer edge side of the core material for each of the grooves, In the bundle member, the distance in the planar direction from the inter-groove thin member fixing structure adjacent to the groove to the bottom of the groove is set to be greater than the distance in the planar direction from the outer thin member fixing structure adjacent to the groove to the bottom of the groove. The vacuum insulation material according to claim 4.

6. Multiple of the second thin members are arranged so that the grooves are formed at predetermined intervals in the planar direction of the core material, The predetermined interval decreases from the surface side of the core material toward the bottom side of the groove. The vacuum insulation material according to claim 4.

7. An auxiliary material having the ability to adsorb moisture or gas, provided between the stacked bundle members, The present invention further comprises a bundle member fixing structure that secures a plurality of stacked bundle members to each other and restricts the movement of the auxiliary member in at least one direction. The vacuum insulation material according to claim 1.

8. The core material further comprises a groove that is recessed in the thickness direction, The thin member fixing structure is provided at a position different from the groove. The vacuum insulation material according to claim 7.

9. The core material is formed in an elongated shape that is long in one direction, The bundle member fixing structure is configured to accept the insertion of the auxiliary material from the long side of the core material. The vacuum insulation material according to claim 7.

10. The core material is formed in an elongated shape that is long in one direction, The bundle member fixing structure is provided near the longitudinal end of the core material and is configured to accept the insertion of the auxiliary material from the shorter side of the core material. The vacuum insulation material according to claim 7.

11. The core material is formed in an elongated shape in one direction and has a notch formed in a rectangular shape with one corner cut out at an angle. The notch is positioned between one side of the core material along the longitudinal direction and one side along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. With respect to one end of the notch, the bundle member fixing structure is provided closer to that end than the thin member fixing structure. The vacuum insulation material according to claim 7.

12. Storage room and A vacuum insulation material according to any one of claims 1 to 11 is provided around the storage chamber, A refrigerator equipped with [a specific feature].

13. The first storage room is in the refrigerated temperature zone, The second storage room is in the freezing temperature zone, A partition separating the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber, The invention comprises a vacuum insulation material according to claim 7 provided around the first storage chamber, the second storage chamber, and the partition, The bundle member fixing structure is provided in a position that overlaps with the first storage chamber or the partition. refrigerator.

14. A thin member lamination process in which multiple thin members are laminated, A thin member fixing step involves providing a thin member fixing structure which is a member or part with higher thermal conductivity than the thin member, and fixing the thin member in the thickness direction to form a bundle of multiple thin members into a single member; A step of stacking two or more bundle members to form a core material, comprising stacking two or more bundle members such that the thin member fixing structure provided on one side of the core material and the thin member fixing structure provided on the other side of the core material are separated in the thickness direction or surface direction of the core material, With the core material housed in the outer packaging material, a vacuum sealing step is performed to reduce the pressure inside the outer packaging material and seal the outer packaging material. A method for manufacturing vacuum insulation material.

15. Prior to the vacuum sealing step, the method further includes a bundle member fixing step in which a bundle member fixing structure is provided on a plurality of stacked bundle members at a position away from the end of the core material and fixed in the thickness direction of the thin member. A method for manufacturing a vacuum insulation material according to claim 14.

16. Prior to the vacuum sealing step, the method further comprises an auxiliary material placement step in which an auxiliary material having the ability to adsorb moisture or gas is placed between the stacked bundle members and between the end and the bundle member fixing structure in the planar direction of the core material. A method for manufacturing a vacuum insulation material according to claim 15.

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