Vacuum Insulation Panel Sealing with Powder Filter

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for producing vacuum insulating bodies (VIPs) face challenges in preventing contamination of sealing seams by powder-like filling materials during the evacuation process, leading to potential dust leakage and unsound sealing.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a vacuum-tight film and a flat filter material that is impermeable to powder, where the filter is connected to the film in a way that prevents powder leakage, allowing filling under high pressure and subsequent vacuum sealing to ensure a dust-tight closure, using a filling element and self-sealing filter materials to maintain integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If powder is filled into the bag under gravitational force via a filling tube, then the filling process is simple, but contamination of sealing areas with powder occurs leading to unsound sealing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilling process simplicityVSAvoidsealing quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-attaching the filter material to the bag opening before the filling process. This filter material serves as a preventive measure that stops powder particles from reaching the sealing areas before contamination can occur, thus maintaining sealing quality while keeping the filling process simple

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The filter material acts as an intermediary element between the filling tube and the sealing areas. It allows the filling process to proceed smoothly while blocking powder particles, thus mediating between the need for simple filling and the requirement for contamination-free sealing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a filter material is attached to prevent powder contamination, then sealing quality improves, but the production process requires greater effort and cannot be completely automated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing qualityVSAvoidproduction process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The filter material is pre-attached to the bag opening in a simple manner before filling, which maintains high sealing quality while avoiding complex production steps. The preliminary attachment is designed to be straightforward and compatible with automated processes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The filter material is designed to be self-retaining through its attachment to the bag opening, eliminating the need for additional complex securing mechanisms or manual adjustments during the filling process, thus reducing overall production complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If the filling tube is withdrawn after filling, then the filling process is complete, but powder contamination of sealing areas occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilling efficiencyVSAvoidsealing area cleanliness
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The filter material serves as a permanent intermediary that remains in place during and after filling. It allows the filling tube to be withdrawn efficiently while continuously blocking powder particles from reaching the sealing areas, thus maintaining both productivity and manufacturing precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The filter material is pre-positioned to protect sealing areas before any filling occurs. This preliminary protection ensures that when the filling tube is withdrawn, no powder contamination can occur, maintaining sealing area cleanliness without compromising filling efficiency

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 method effectively prevents powder contamination during the sealing process, ensuring a completely dust-tight and air-tight vacuum insulation panel with reduced thermal conductivity and extended gas pressure stability.

Implementation Method 1

a flat filter material that is permeable to air but not permeable to a powder-like filling material

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFiltration: Filter (physical)

Implementation Method 2

The composite comprising the film or film connection and the flat filter material and also the filling material located in the receiving space as a whole is brought to a pressure that is considerably lower than the ambient pressure

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVacuum: Vacuum

Implementation Method 3

a desired amount of powder-like filling material is filled into the receiving space through the filling element, preferably under a filling pressure that is higher than the ambient pressure

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure-driven flow: Pressure Gradient

Implementation Method 4

the vacuum-tight film or film connection is firmly sealed completely around the edges in such a way that this connecting edge is not permeable to air, and thus the receiving space as a whole is sealed in an air-tight manner

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVacuum sealing: Vacuum

Data Source

PatentUS10006581B2Method for producing a vacuum insulating body
Publication Date: 2018.06.26 VA-Q-TEC THERMAL SOLUTIONS GMBH

AI summary

A method is for producing a vacuum insulating body (vacuum insulation panel; VIP) made of a vacuum-tight foil or foil connection and a flat filter material, in particular a single-layer or multi-layer non-woven material, which is air-permeable but is not permeable for a powdered filling material.