Modular Vacuum Insulation Housing for Refrigeration Appliances
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling and freezer designs face challenges in achieving optimal thermal insulation and efficient component placement, particularly with the integration of electrical and refrigerant lines, which can lead to issues like condensation and aesthetic concerns with line layout.
Innovation Solution
A modular device housing design utilizing full vacuum insulation for select modules, combined with conventional insulation in other areas, allows for efficient thermal management and flexible component placement, including the integration of electrical and refrigerant lines within the insulation to minimize excess lengths and condensation risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If full vacuum insulation is used for all device housing modules, then thermal insulation efficiency is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device housing is divided into multiple modules, with only select modules (such as side walls and rear wall) using full vacuum insulation, while other modules (such as ceiling and bottom) use conventional insulation materials like PU foam. This segmentation allows the patent to achieve improved thermal insulation where most needed while avoiding the high complexity and cost of applying vacuum insulation to all modules.
Solution Approach 2:
Different insulation solutions are applied to different locations of the device housing based on thermal requirements. Full vacuum insulation is applied to vertical walls where thermal loss is most significant, while conventional insulation is used for horizontal surfaces. This local differentiation optimizes the balance between thermal performance and manufacturing complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If electrical lines and refrigerant lines extend in the floor area, then component placement flexibility is improved, but condensation issues and aesthetic concerns worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Electrical lines and refrigerant lines are extracted from the floor area and routed through dedicated channels within the insulation structure. This removes the harmful effect of lines being exposed in the floor area where they would be susceptible to condensation, while still maintaining placement flexibility through the insulated pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical and refrigerant lines are nested within the insulation structure itself, specifically within channels formed in the PU foam insulation. This nesting protects the lines from condensation while allowing flexible routing throughout the device housing.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple flat insulating bodies are used for each surface, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but assembly complexity and thermal bridges worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple flat insulating bodies (side walls, rear wall, ceiling, and bottom) are merged into a single integrated three-dimensional vacuum insulation module. This eliminates the need for separate assembly of multiple components, reducing assembly complexity and eliminating thermal bridges that would exist at the joints between separate insulating bodies.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulation structure transitions from two-dimensional flat panels to a three-dimensional integrated module. This dimensional change allows the insulation to wrap around corners and form continuous thermal barriers without requiring multiple separate pieces, thereby simplifying assembly while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
4Loss of energy
If vacuum insulation is used, then thermal insulation efficiency is improved, but integration of electrical and refrigerant lines becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Dedicated channels and pathways are created within the vacuum insulation structure to serve as intermediaries for electrical and refrigerant lines. These channels allow lines to pass through the vacuum insulation without compromising its integrity, thus maintaining thermal efficiency while enabling line integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum insulation incorporates flexible sealing elements and thin film barriers that can accommodate the passage of electrical and refrigerant lines while maintaining the vacuum seal. This flexibility allows line integration without sacrificing the thermal insulation performance of the vacuum structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances thermal insulation efficiency, reduces condensation issues, and allows for more flexible and aesthetically pleasing component layout within the freezer, while accommodating various device sizes and configurations.
Implementation Method 1
at least one module of the device housing is designed with a full vacuum insulation or consists of a full vacuum insulation
Implementation Method 2
thermal insulation to keep the entry of heat from the environment in the cooled interior as low as possible
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The present invention relates to a cooling and/or freezing appliance with an appliance housing (10, 50, 60) in which a cooled interior is located, wherein the appliance housing (10, 50, 60) is modular in design and that a module (10, 60) of the appliance housing (10, 50, 60) is designed with or consists of full vacuum insulation.