Vacuum Insulation Panel Structure for Uniform Thickness and Easier Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum insulation members face challenges in maintaining a uniform insulation thickness, requiring costly and time-consuming preprocessing of glass fiber cores, leading to increased costs and reduced productivity, while also experiencing heat transmission issues due to metal-laminated layers and crease-related defective attachments.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum insulation member with a core formed as a structured shape, supported by a synthetic resin material, and filled with micro-porous powder filler, which reduces the need for glass fiber preprocessing, maintains a lower internal vacuum degree, and prevents crease formation, using a film with a metal or inorganic deposition layer for gas impermeability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If glass fiber is used as the core material, then excellent initial insulation performance is achieved, but preprocessing processes (hot pressing or needle punching) are required to reduce volume, increasing cost and time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the core material from compressed glass fiber to expanded polystyrene beads. The beads are initially in a loose, low-density state during fabrication, eliminating the need for compression preprocessing. After vacuum sealing, the beads maintain their expanded state to provide insulation, thus resolving the contradiction between performance and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses inexpensive polystyrene beads that can be easily handled and disposed of if necessary, replacing expensive and difficult-to-handle glass fiber. The beads provide sufficient insulation performance without requiring complex preprocessing equipment or processes, thereby improving fabrication efficiency while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If glass fiber is used as the core, then a relatively high vacuum degree must be maintained, requiring much equipment, time and efforts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the core material properties from glass fiber (which requires high vacuum to prevent moisture absorption and maintain insulation) to hydrophobic polystyrene beads that can tolerate lower vacuum degrees. This parameter change in material selection reduces the required vacuum level from high to moderate, simplifying equipment requirements while maintaining reliable insulation performance.
3Ease of manufacture
If the vacuum insulation member is fabricated with non-uniform thickness, then fabrication flexibility is improved, but uniform insulation thickness cannot be obtained, increasing overall wall thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible plastic film envelope that can be easily formed into uniform thickness panels through conventional molding techniques. The envelope is fabricated with precise thickness control, and the internal polystyrene beads conform to the envelope's uniform geometry, ensuring uniform insulation thickness throughout the panel while maintaining fabrication flexibility.
4Reliability
If the envelope surface is creased after fabrication, then vacuum sealing is achieved, but defective attachment (bonding) problems arise when bonded to objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs vacuum sealing and envelope formation in a predetermined sequence before final assembly and bonding operations. The envelope is sealed and evacuated first, then mounted and bonded to the refrigerator structure in a controlled manner. This preliminary action ensures that the envelope maintains its shape and surface integrity, preventing crease-related bonding defects while achieving proper vacuum 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
This configuration simplifies the fabrication process, reduces costs, maintains a uniform insulation thickness, and enhances the lifespan of the vacuum insulation member by lowering the required vacuum equipment and time, while preventing heat transmission and crease-related bonding defects.
Implementation Method 1
a core formed as a structure for maintaining a certain shape and disposed at an inner side of the envelope to support the envelope
Implementation Method 2
a filler formed as powder having micro pores and filled at the inner side of the envelope
Implementation Method 3
a film with a metal or inorganic deposition layer for gas impermeability
Implementation Method 4
a vacuum insulation member is a sort of insulator decompresses an internal s pace into a vacuum state to thus use the characteristics of low thermal conductivity of vacuum
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a vacuum insulation member, a refrigerator having a vacuum insulation member, and a method for fabricating a vacuum insulation member. The vacuum insulation member includes: an envelope having gas impermeability and having a certain decompressed space therein; a core formed as a structure for maintaining a certain shape and disposed at an inner side of the envelope to support the envelope; and a filler formed as powder having micro pores and filled at the inner side of the envelope. The use of a glass fiber core can be avoided, an internal vacuum degree can be easily maintained, and a life span can be lengthened.