Encapsulation system for a vacuum insulated structure using an elastic adhesive and barrier coating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10473217-B2
Application number	US-201716306723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2017
Priority date	Feb 14, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

An appliance includes an outer wrapper, an inner liner, a trim breaker having a channel that receives at least one of a wrapper edge of the outer wrapper and a liner edge of the inner liner and a composite encapsulation system including a base elastic adhesive and an outer barrier coating. The base elastic adhesive and the outer barrier coating define a structural adhesive that hermetically seals an insulation cavity defined between the outer wrapper and the inner liner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An appliance comprising:
an outer wrapper;
an inner liner;
a trim breaker having a channel that receives at least one of a wrapper edge of the outer wrapper and a liner edge of the inner liner;
a composite encapsulation system including a base elastic adhesive and an outer barrier coating, wherein the base elastic adhesive and the outer barrier coating define a structural adhesive that seals an insulation cavity defined between the outer wrapper and the inner liner.

2. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the channel includes a wrapper channel that receives the wrapper edge and a separate liner channel that receives the liner edge.

3. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the outer barrier coating is a spray-type coating.

4. The appliance of claim 3 , wherein the spray-type coating is applied after the base elastic adhesive defines a cured state.

5. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the base elastic adhesive is a polyurethane adhesive having cross-linked urethane polymers.

6. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the inner liner and the outer wrapper are metallic and the trim breaker is plastic.

7. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the insulation cavity defines an at least partial vacuum.

8. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the outer barrier coating is a non-metal coating.

9. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the outer barrier coating is a metallic coating.

10. The appliance of claim 9 , wherein the metallic coating is applied through physical vapor deposition.

11. The appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
an insulation material disposed within the insulation cavity.

12. The appliance of claim 11 , wherein the insulation material at least partially engages the base elastic adhesive.

13. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the outer barrier coating is disposed at least at an outside surface of the outer wrapper and an inside surface of the inner liner.

14. A method for forming an insulating cabinet for an appliance, the method comprising steps of:
delivering an adhesive base in an uncured state into a channel of a trim breaker;
disposing a wrapper edge of an outer wrapper into the channel so that the adhesive base in the uncured state surrounds both sides of the wrapper edge within the channel;
disposing a liner edge of an inner liner into the channel so that the adhesive base in the uncured state surrounds both sides of the liner edge within the channel;
disposing a barrier coating over the adhesive base, wherein the barrier coating covers the adhesive base and engages the outer wrapper and inner liner at the trim breaker; and
curing the barrier coating to define a two-part encapsulation system having the adhesive base that defines a structural component and the barrier coating that defines a sealing component.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of disposing the barrier coating over the adhesive base includes first curing the adhesive base to define a cured structural adhesive.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the barrier coating is a spray-type coating that is applied after the adhesive base defines a cured state.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the barrier coating is applied using physical vapor deposition.

18. A method for forming an insulating cabinet for an appliance, the method comprising steps of:
delivering an elastic adhesive base in an uncured state into a wrapper channel and a liner channel of a trim breaker;
disposing a wrapper edge of an outer wrapper into the wrapper channel so that the elastic adhesive base in the uncured state surrounds both sides of the wrapper edge within the wrapper channel;
disposing a liner edge of an inner liner into the liner channel so that the elastic adhesive base in the uncured state surrounds both sides of the liner edge within the liner channel;
curing the elastic adhesive base to define a structural elastic adhesive base;
disposing a barrier coating over the structural elastic adhesive base, wherein the barrier coating extends from an outer edge of the trim breaker to an outside surface of the outer wrapper and also extends from an inner edge of the trim breaker to an inside surface of the inner liner;
curing the barrier coating to define a two-part encapsulation system having the structural elastic adhesive base that defines a structural component and the barrier coating in a cured state that defines a sealing component;
disposing an insulation material within an insulation cavity defined between the inner liner and the outer wrapper; and
expressing gas from the insulation cavity and the insulation material defined within the insulation cavity to define an at least partial vacuum within the insulation cavity, wherein the structural elastic adhesive base permits at least partial movement of the inner liner and the outer wrapper while maintaining a seal between the inner liner and the trim breaker and between the outer wrapper and the trim breaker.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the insulation cavity defines an at least partial vacuum.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the barrier coating is applied using physical vapor deposition.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Deka Lakshya J
• Liu Hua

Classifications

• F25D2201/14

  using subatmospheric pressure · CPC title

• F16J15/02

  between relatively-stationary surfaces (F16J15/46, F16J15/48 take precedence) · CPC title

• F25D23/02

  Doors; Covers (F25D23/08 takes precedence {locks or fastenings E05B65/0042}) · CPC title

• F25D2400/04

  Refrigerators with a horizontal mullion · CPC title

• F16J15/022 Primary

  characterised by structure or material · CPC title