Encapsulation system for a thermal bridge breaker-to-metal liner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing structural cabinets for appliances face challenges in creating a hermetic seal between dissimilar materials, such as metallic and plastic components, which leads to inefficient heat transfer and potential thermal bridging, especially in varying temperature environments.
Innovation Solution
A multi-component thermal encapsulation material is used to form a hermetic seal between a metallic inner liner, a plastic trim breaker, and an outer wrapper, allowing for the creation of a vacuum-insulated structure by curing within channels to minimize direct contact and accommodate differential thermal expansion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a hermetic seal is created between dissimilar materials (metallic and plastic components), then thermal transfer is reduced and insulation is improved, but the complexity of achieving a reliable seal increases due to differential thermal expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a multi-component encapsulation material system comprising a metallic inner liner, a plastic trim breaker, and an outer wrapper. This composite structure addresses the thermal bridging issue by combining materials with different thermal properties while managing their differential expansion through the encapsulation material that bonds them together, thereby reducing thermal transfer without requiring overly complex sealing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The encapsulation material acts as an intermediary between the metallic inner liner and the outer wrapper, facilitating a hermetic seal while accommodating the differential thermal expansion between dissimilar materials. This mediator material enables thermal isolation without directly connecting the metallic and plastic components in a way that would create thermal bridges.
2Loss of energy
If direct contact between dissimilar materials is minimized to reduce thermal bridging, then thermal performance is improved, but the structural stability and hermetic sealing become more difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulation system is segmented into distinct functional zones: the metallic inner liner provides thermal isolation, the plastic trim breaker provides structural support and channel formation, and the outer wrapper provides environmental protection. This segmentation allows each material to perform its primary function while being bonded through the encapsulation material, achieving both thermal performance and hermetic sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material properties to different parts of the encapsulation system. The encapsulation material has specific adhesive properties to bond dissimilar materials, flexible properties to accommodate thermal expansion, and sealing properties to create hermetic barriers. This localized optimization of material properties achieves reliable hermetic seals while minimizing thermal bridging.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a multi-component encapsulation material is used to accommodate differential thermal expansion, then adaptability to temperature variations is improved, but the manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulation material is designed with specific physical and chemical parameters that enable it to accommodate differential thermal expansion. The material's composition is optimized to provide flexibility and adhesion across a range of temperatures, allowing the structure to expand and contract without compromising the hermetic seal or structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-component encapsulation material itself is a composite system that leverages the properties of different materials to achieve thermal expansion accommodation. By combining materials with complementary properties, the system achieves adaptability to temperature variations while maintaining a relatively streamlined manufacturing process where the encapsulation material is applied to bond the pre-fabricated components.
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
The solution provides a sturdy hermetic seal that maintains insulation and reduces thermal transfer between dissimilar materials, enabling the generation of a partial vacuum and enhancing thermal performance in appliances.
Implementation Method 1
The thermal encapsulation material is cured within the wrapper and liner channels to define a hermetic seal between the trim breaker and the outer wrapper and the inner liner
Implementation Method 2
An insulation material disposed within an insulating cavity is defined between the outer wrapper, the inner liner and the trim breaker
Data Source
AI summary
An appliance includes an outer wrapper, an inner liner, a trim breaker having a wrapper channel that receives a wrapper edge of the outer wrapper and a liner channel that receives a liner edge of the inner liner, and an insulation material disposed within an insulating cavity defined therebetween. A multi-component thermal encapsulation material defines pre-mix, application and sealing states. The pre-mix state is defined by the distinct components of the thermal encapsulation material being separated from one another, the application state defined by the distinct components combined together into an uncured state of the thermal encapsulation material, and the sealing state defined by the thermal encapsulation material disposed within the wrapper and liner channels and surrounding the wrapper and liner edges, respectively, in the sealing state that defines a hermetic seal between the trim breaker and the outer wrapper and the inner liner.