Vacuum Insulation Body Module With Segmented Polyurethane Casing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerated vehicle body manufacturing methods using overmolding for vacuum insulation panels face challenges in controlling homogeneity and density of the protective envelope, leading to macroscopic defects and significant material waste, which hinders improved thermal insulation properties.
Innovation Solution
A body module design featuring a central core that houses vacuum insulation elements, with pre-manufactured support plates and covers made of controlled, expanded polyurethane, allowing for optimized sizing and integration of tie-downs without damaging the insulation, and enabling easier recycling of waste materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If overmolding process is used to create protective casing around vacuum insulation panel, then thermal insulation properties are improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to difficulty in controlling homogeneity and density of overmolded polyurethane
Solution Approach 1:
The protective casing is divided into two separate components: a pre-manufactured support plate and a cover. Both components are manufactured independently with controlled polyurethane foam, then assembled around the vacuum insulation panel. This segmentation eliminates the difficulty of controlling foam expansion and density in a single overmolding process, as each component can be manufactured separately with precise quality control.
Solution Approach 2:
The support plate and cover are pre-manufactured as separate components before assembly. The polyurethane foam is expanded and controlled during separate manufacturing processes, allowing for quality verification before final assembly. This preliminary action prevents the quality control issues that arise when attempting to overmold the entire protective casing in one operation.
2Reliability
If overmolding process is used to create protective casing, then thermal insulation is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to difficulty in achieving homogeneous polyurethane expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The protective casing is segmented into a support plate and a cover, each manufactured separately. This division simplifies the manufacturing process by allowing each component to be produced using standard, well-controlled foam expansion techniques, rather than attempting a complex single-step overmolding of the entire assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The support plate and cover are manufactured in advance as separate components with controlled polyurethane expansion. This preliminary manufacturing approach reduces overall manufacturing complexity by breaking down the complex overmolding process into simpler, more controllable steps that can be verified for quality before final assembly.
3Reliability
If peripheral strips of material with large width are provided to allow polyurethane expansion during overmolding, then thermal insulation is improved, but material waste increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The protective casing is divided into a support plate and a cover, each manufactured as separate components. This segmentation allows for optimized material usage in each component, reducing the need for excessive peripheral material that would be required in a single overmolding process. The separated manufacturing approach minimizes material waste while maintaining adequate expansion space for polyurethane foam in each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The design enables easier recycling of waste materials generated during manufacturing. By using pre-manufactured components rather than a single overmolding process, the waste material from each component can be more easily separated, collected, and recycled, reducing overall material loss.
4Reliability
If overmolding process is used, then protective casing is formed, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to macroscopic defects such as pores on surface and air bubbles in thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The protective casing is divided into a support plate and a cover, each manufactured separately. This segmentation allows for better control of polyurethane foam expansion in each component, reducing the formation of macroscopic defects such as surface pores and internal air bubbles that commonly occur in single-step overmolding processes. Each component can be manufactured with optimized parameters to ensure high surface quality and internal integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support plate and cover are manufactured in advance as separate components, allowing for quality verification before assembly. This preliminary manufacturing approach enables detection and correction of potential defects before final assembly, ensuring high surface quality and minimal internal defects in the completed protective casing.
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 design enhances thermal insulation properties while reducing manufacturing waste and improving the quality of the material edges, allowing for better control over the thermal performance and reducing the risk of damage to vacuum insulation elements during machining.
Implementation Method 1
at least one vacuum insulation element provided with a core and a membrane for encapsulating said core
Implementation Method 2
pre-manufactured support plates and covers made of controlled, expanded polyurethane
Data Source
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AI summary
The body module for a refrigerated vehicle, in particular for a road goods transport vehicle, comprises: - at least one vacuum insulation element 32 provided with a core and an encapsulation membrane for said core, - a central core 34 delimiting at least one housing 36 which passes through the thickness of the core and within which said vacuum insulation element 32 is disposed, - a support plate 38 on which the central core 34 and said vacuum insulation element 32 are fixed, and - a cover 40 covering said vacuum insulation element 32 and at least part of the central core 34, the cover being fixed at least on the central core, - the cover 40 and the support plate 38 being disposed on either side of the central core 34 and said vacuum insulation element 32.