Vacuum insulation material, and manufacturing method for same

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vacuum insulation materials experience a decrease in heat insulation property when bent due to fiber orientation changes and peripheral length differences, leading to wrinkle formation and increased thermal conduction.

Innovation Solution

A vacuum insulation material with a core material comprising a fiber sheet having convex protrusions on one surface, vacuum-sealed with an outer covering material, which maintains fiber orientation parallel to the sheet surface, preventing wrinkle formation and enhancing heat insulation even in a bent state.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If protrusions are formed on the vacuum insulation material to facilitate bending into three-dimensional shapes, then the adaptability to curved surfaces is improved, but the heat insulation property deteriorates due to fiber orientation changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to curved surfacesVSAvoidheat insulation property
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by forming convex protrusions on the fiber sheet before vacuum sealing. These pre-formed protrusions create air gaps that prevent fiber compression and orientation changes during subsequent bending, thereby maintaining heat insulation properties while enabling three-dimensional shaping.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by creating convex protrusions at specific locations on the fiber sheet surface. These localized protrusions provide targeted air gaps where needed for bending flexibility, while other areas maintain their original flat structure for optimal thermal insulation, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and insulation performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If the vacuum insulation material is bent to fit non-planar objects, then the adaptability to non-planar surfaces is improved, but wrinkles are generated on the outer covering material and core material, causing fiber orientation to shift toward the thickness direction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to non-planar surfacesVSAvoidfiber orientation control
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The convex protrusions are formed in advance on the fiber sheet before vacuum sealing. These pre-formed structures create air gaps that act as spacers, preventing the fiber sheet from compressing and wrinkling during bending operations, thereby maintaining precise fiber orientation perpendicular to the sheet surface even when adapted to non-planar objects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If deep and large wrinkles are generated on the core material during bending, then the adaptability to curved surfaces is improved, but thermal conduction increases as fiber directions become closer to the thickness direction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to curved surfacesVSAvoidthermal conduction
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces convex protrusions at specific locations on the fiber sheet to create localized air gaps. These air gaps prevent deep wrinkle formation during bending, thereby preventing fiber compression and maintaining fiber orientation perpendicular to the sheet surface. This local structural modification reduces thermal conduction paths while still allowing the material to conform to curved surfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 effectively prevents large wrinkle formation and maintains high heat insulation properties in a bent state by reducing contact area and friction between the core and outer covering materials, thereby improving thermal conductivity and reliability.

Implementation Method 1

a core material including a fiber sheet and having a plurality of convex protrusions formed on one surface is vacuum-sealed with an outer covering material

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVacuum: Vacuum

Data Source

PatentEP2631524B1Vacuum insulation material, and manufacturing method for same
Publication Date: 2019.08.07 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP2631524B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2631524B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP2631524B1 patent drawingFigure 6~8

AI summary

For the purpose of obtaining a micro-step driving control apparatus for a stepping motor in which torque fluctuations caused by the influence of detent torque can be reduced without performing preliminary driving, the apparatus is comprised of a phase difference estimator for calculating, based on detected current of the motor and a command value, an estimated phase difference between the command value and the current; a low-speed motor rotational angle estimator for calculating, based on the detected current and a micro-step driving signal, an estimated motor rotational angle θMEL at a low speed rotation; a high-speed motor rotational angle estimator for calculating, based on the estimated phase difference and the command value, an estimated motor rotational angle θMEH at a high speed rotation; an addition unit for calculating, based on the command value, an estimated motor rotational angle θME by mixing the estimated motor rotational angles θMEL and θMEH at an appropriate rate; a detent torque estimator for calculating, based on the estimated motor rotational angle θME, estimated detent torque; and a compensation signal generator for generating a compensation signal based on the estimated detent torque and the estimated motor rotational angle θME.