Vacuum heat-insulating material

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for forming a concave-convex shape in vacuum insulators require molds in a vacuum chamber, increasing costs, complicating the chamber, reducing productivity, and potentially damaging the gas barrier layer, leading to decreased thermal insulation performance.

Innovation Solution

A vacuum insulator with a core member and a concave-convex film, where the concave-convex shape is formed on the packaging member without using molds, by laminating the concave-convex film on the core member and sealing it within a packaging member, allowing for pressure reduction to form the concave-convex shape without additional processing steps.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a vacuum insulator is sealed by pressure reduction, then thermal insulation performance is improved, but the packaging member becomes very rigid and is easily damaged when bending or shaping is attempted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal insulation performanceVSAvoidpackaging member durability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming concave-convex shapes on the packaging member surface before vacuum sealing. This allows the packaging to accommodate bending requirements in advance, preventing damage when the vacuum-insulated product is later bent or shaped. The concave-convex structure is created on the packaging film before it undergoes vacuum insulation treatment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Shape

If bending is performed on a vacuum insulator, then three-dimensional shaping is achieved, but the core member density increases and thermal insulation performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethree-dimensional shapeVSAvoidthermal insulation performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming concave-convex shapes on the packaging member surface before vacuum sealing. This allows the packaging to accommodate bending requirements in advance, preventing damage when the vacuum-insulated product is later bent or shaped. The concave-convex structure is created on the packaging film before it undergoes vacuum insulation treatment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by creating localized concave-convex structures only in specific regions where bending will occur. This localized structuring allows bending to be accommodated in specific areas without affecting the overall density or thermal insulation performance of the core member in non-bent regions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Shape

If molds with concave-convex shape are used in vacuum chamber, then concave-convex shape is formed on packaging member, but vacuum chamber size increases and cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconcave-convex shape formationVSAvoidvacuum chamber complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies taking out by removing the molds from the vacuum chamber entirely. Instead of using complex molded structures inside the vacuum chamber, the concave-convex shapes are pre-formed on the packaging member itself before sealing. This extraction of the molding operation from the vacuum chamber simplifies the chamber design and reduces costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming concave-convex shapes on the packaging member surface before vacuum sealing. This allows the packaging to accommodate bending requirements in advance, preventing damage when the vacuum-insulated product is later bent or shaped. The concave-convex structure is created on the packaging film before it undergoes vacuum insulation treatment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If concave-convex shape is formed by pressure reduction sealing with molds, then thermal insulation performance is maintained, but productivity deteriorates due to additional processing time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal insulation performanceVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies merging by combining the concave-convex shape formation process with the vacuum sealing process. Instead of separately molding the packaging and then vacuum sealing it, the packaging is vacuum-sealed in its flat state, and the concave-convex shapes are formed by the pressure differential during or after sealing. This integration eliminates additional processing steps and improves productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming concave-convex shapes on the packaging member surface before vacuum sealing. This allows the packaging to accommodate bending requirements in advance, preventing damage when the vacuum-insulated product is later bent or shaped. The concave-convex structure is created on the packaging film before it undergoes vacuum insulation treatment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 reduces costs, maintains thermal insulation performance, and prevents productivity deterioration by eliminating the need for molds and additional processing, while ensuring the gas barrier properties are not compromised.

Implementation Method 1

a packaging member (4) covering the core member (2), and sealed by pressure reduction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVacuum: Vacuum

Implementation Method 2

the packaging member (4) is sealed by pressure reduction to form a concave-convex shape corresponding to the concave-convex shape of the concave-convex film (1) on a surface of the packaging member (4)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure differential: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP2980467B1Vacuum heat-insulating material
Publication Date: 2019.07.03 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP2980467B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~2
  • EP2980467B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP2980467B1 patent drawingFigure 6(a)~7

AI summary

A vacuum insulator includes: a core member (2) obtained by laminating a fiber material; a concave-convex film (1) in which a concave-convex shape is formed; and a packaging member (4) covering the concave-convex film (1) laminated on the core member (2), and sealed by pressure reduction to form a concave-convex shape (3) corresponding to the concave-convex shape of the concave-convex film (1) on a surface of the packaging member (4).