Refrigerator Vacuum Insulation Panel Design to Reduce Wall Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators face challenges in maximizing storage capacity while maintaining effective insulation performance, as thick insulating walls required for efficient energy use reduce internal space.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a vacuum insulation panel with a core material and envelope material, along with a foam material that foams between the inner and outer casings, to create a thin insulating wall that enhances insulation efficiency and storage capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a thick insulating wall is used to maintain insulation performance, then thermal loss is reduced, but storage capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating wall uses a composite structure combining vacuum insulation panel (VIP) with foam material. The VIP provides superior insulation performance with much thinner thickness compared to conventional foam alone, allowing the overall wall thickness to be reduced while maintaining or improving insulation effectiveness. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by achieving better thermal performance without proportionally increasing wall thickness, thereby preserving storage capacity.
2Volume of moving object
If a vacuum insulation panel is used to reduce wall thickness, then storage capacity is increased, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating wall is segmented into distinct functional layers: a vacuum insulation panel layer and a foam material layer. This segmentation allows each layer to be manufactured and prepared separately with optimized specifications, then assembled together. The VIP can be manufactured as a standardized panel with vacuum core and sealed envelope, while the foam material is injected into remaining spaces. This modular segmentation simplifies the overall manufacturing process compared to creating a single complex thick-wall structure.
3Length of stationary object
If foam material thickness is reduced to 5-10 mm, then wall thickness is minimized, but insulation performance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating wall applies local quality by using different insulation mechanisms in different regions and layers. The vacuum insulation panel provides high-performance insulation with minimal thickness due to the vacuum barrier effect, while the thin foam material layer (5-10 mm) provides additional insulation and structural support. This localized optimization allows the wall to achieve minimal overall thickness while maintaining superior insulation performance, as each layer contributes its specific insulating properties where needed.
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 configuration allows for a sleeker refrigerator design with increased storage capacity while maintaining excellent insulation performance, reducing thermal loss and energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
an insulating wall formed between an inner casing and an outer casing, and a vacuum insulation panel provided in the insulating wall
Implementation Method 2
a vacuum insulation panel having excellent insulation performance
Implementation Method 3
a foam material formed by foaming in the space between the inner casing and the outer casing
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a refrigerator including an ultrathin wall-type insulating wall of which the thickness is made to be thin so as to increase the capacity of a storage chamber, while maintaining heat-insulating performance. A vacuum insulating material, provided inside the insulating wall, is provided so as to come into contact with an outer chamber such that the length between the outer chamber and an inner chamber is reduced. In addition, a foam material, which is formed by being foamed between the inner chamber and the outer chamber and is provided between the vacuum insulating material and the inner chamber, is formed to have a thin thickness so as to reduce the total thickness of the insulating wall, thereby increasing the capacity of the storage chamber and enabling the refrigerator to have a slim design so as to improve the aesthetics of the refrigerator.