Refrigerator Vacuum Insulation Structure for Thin-Wall Heat Blocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators require thick insulating materials to achieve effective heat insulation, which increases the size of the appliance, contradicting the trend of making refrigerators more compact while maintaining a larger storage volume.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design that incorporates a vacuum space between the inner and outer cases, sealed with a sealing unit comprising a blocking member, filling member, and reinforcing member to maintain a vacuum state and reduce heat transfer, thereby enhancing heat insulation without the need for thick insulating materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If thick insulating material is used to achieve effective heat insulation, then heat insulation performance is improved, but the refrigerator size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the insulating medium from atmospheric pressure (conventional foam materials) to vacuum state, fundamentally altering the heat transfer mechanism. This parameter change eliminates gas molecules that conduct heat, achieving superior insulation with reduced thickness. The vacuum space (130) between inner case (110) and outer case (120) demonstrates this principle by replacing solid/foam insulation with a vacuum barrier.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the gas molecules from the insulating space between inner and outer cases, creating a vacuum environment. By removing the heat-conducting medium (air/gas) from the insulation layer, the system achieves better thermal isolation without requiring thick solid insulation materials. The vacuum pump and sealing unit work together to extract and maintain this vacuum state.
2Loss of energy
If thick insulating material is used to achieve effective heat insulation, then heat insulation performance is improved, but the wall thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the insulating medium from atmospheric pressure (conventional foam materials) to vacuum state, fundamentally altering the heat transfer mechanism. This parameter change eliminates gas molecules that conduct heat, achieving superior insulation with reduced thickness. The vacuum space (130) between inner case (110) and outer case (120) demonstrates this principle by replacing solid/foam insulation with a vacuum barrier.
3Loss of energy
If vacuum space is introduced to improve heat insulation and reduce size, then heat insulation performance improves and refrigerator size decreases, but sealing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is segmented into distinct functional components: sealing unit (200) with blocking member (210) for front sealing, side sealing portions for lateral edges, and coupling portions (311, 312) for structural integration. This segmentation allows each component to address specific sealing challenges independently, making the complex vacuum sealing task manageable through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing unit acts as an intermediary component between the inner case (110) and outer case (120), providing the necessary barrier to maintain vacuum while allowing thermal isolation. The blocking member (210) and filling member (220) work together as intermediary elements that seal the vacuum space without requiring direct contact between inner and outer cases, thus maintaining structural integrity while achieving sealing.
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 vacuum space significantly improves heat insulation, allowing for a more compact refrigerator design while maintaining the same storage space, and minimizes heat transfer between the inner and outer cases, outperforming traditional insulating materials in efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum space provided between the inner case and the outer case sealed to maintain a vacuum state for heat insulating between the inner case and the outer case
Data Source
AI summary
The refrigerator includes a body having a storage space for storing a predetermined storage object, wherein the body includes an inner case having the storage space, an outer case having an inside surface spaced a predetermined gap from an inside surface of the inner case to house the inner case, a vacuum space provided between the inner case and the outer case enclosed to maintain a vacuum state for heat insulating between the inner case and the outer case, and a sealing unit for sealing a front of the vacuum space formed between a front of the inner case and a front of the outer case and reducing a heat transfer rate between the inner case and the outer case.