Vacuum insulated door structure and method for the creation thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10697697-B2
Application number	US-201715842176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2017
Priority date	Apr 2, 2012
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A vacuum insulated door structure includes a first wall having a first edge and a barrier layer, a second wall having a second barrier layer and a second edge coupled to the first wall member proximate the first perimetrical edge. The second wall includes at least four inner side walls and a back wall that defines a second wall offset. At least one tubular member extends between the first wall member and the second wall offset, wherein an inner conduit surface of the tubular member provides fluid communication between the first wall outer facing surface and the second wall outer facing surface. A cavity insulation material is disposed within a cavity volume defined between the first and second walls, wherein the cavity volume is hermetically sealed, and wherein the cavity volume includes an at least partial vacuum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for creating an integral vacuum insulated door structure comprising steps of:
providing a first wall member having a first perimetrical edge, a barrier layer, a first inner facing surface, and a first outer facing surface, wherein the first wall member includes an offset sidewall defining a first wall opening distal from at least a portion of the first perimetrical edge, and wherein the offset sidewall extends from the first wall opening to a first back wall, wherein the offset sidewall and the first back wall include a first wall offset;
providing a second wall member having a second inner facing surface, a second outer facing surface, and a second perimetrical edge disposed proximate the first perimetrical edge, wherein the second wall member comprises an inner sidewall defining a second wall opening distal from at least a portion of the second perimetrical edge, a second barrier layer, and wherein the inner sidewall extends from the second wall opening toward a second back wall, wherein the inner sidewall and the second back wall define a second wall offset;
providing a tubular member having an inner conduit surface and an outer conduit surface, the tubular member extending between the first wall offset and the second wall offset, and wherein the inner conduit surface provides a fluid communication between the first outer facing surface and the second outer facing surface;
disposing a cavity insulation material within a cavity volume defined by the first inner facing surface of the first wall member, the second inner facing surface of the second wall member, and the outer conduit surface;
sealing the cavity volume; and
extracting gas from the cavity volume via at least one port disposed on the first wall member proximate a port opening defined by the first wall member, wherein the cavity volume is configured to maintain an at least partial vacuum within the cavity volume.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum insulated door structure includes a module receptacle at least partially defined by the first wall offset and in communication with the inner conduit surface, wherein the module receptacle is configured to receive a cooling module, and wherein the barrier layer and the second barrier layer each include at least one of a barrier film and a heat sealing layer.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
providing a metal clad covering having an interior surface; and
disposing the metal clad covering to at least a portion of an exterior of the vacuum insulated door structure such that the interior surface of the metal clad covering is proximate the vacuum insulated door structure.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of disposing the cavity insulation material within the cavity volume includes injecting polyurethane foam into the cavity volume via the at least one port after the first and second wall members and the tubular member have been sealed together, wherein the at least one port includes at least one injection port through which the polyurethane foam is injected, and wherein the at least one port includes at least one vacuum port through which the gas is extracted from the cavity volume.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising the step of:
providing the cooling module;
disposing the cooling module within the module receptacle, wherein the cooling module is configured to be in fluid communication with the inner conduit surface,
providing a cooling loop in fluid communication with the cooling module, wherein the cooling loop includes an evaporator and a coolant fluid; and
disposing polyurethane foam within at least a portion of the module receptacle about the cooling module.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the cooling module includes an ice maker and dispenser and a water dispenser, wherein the ice and water dispensers are in fluid communication with the inner conduit surface and the second wall offset.

7. A method for creating an integral vacuum insulated door structure comprising steps of:
attaching a first wall member to a second wall member at an outer sidewall, wherein the first wall member has a first wall offset and the second wall member has a second wall offset that aligns with the first wall offset;
attaching a tubular member to the first and second wall members at the first wall offset and the second wall offset, wherein a barrier layer is disposed on an inner facing surface of the first wall member, an inward facing surface of the second wall member and each of the first and second wall offsets and an outer conduit surface of the tubular member;
disposing a cavity insulation material within a cavity volume defined by the inner facing surface of the first wall member, the inward facing surface of the second wall member, and the outer conduit surface; and
sealing the cavity volume.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising a step of:
extracting gas from the cavity volume via at least one port wherein the cavity volume is configured to maintain an at least partial vacuum within the cavity volume to define a vacuum insulated structure.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one port is disposed on one of the first and second wall members.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising steps of:
providing a metal clad covering having an interior surface; and
disposing the metal clad covering to at least a portion of an exterior of the vacuum insulated door structure such that the interior surface of the metal clad covering is proximate the vacuum insulated door structure.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the cavity insulation material is polyurethane foam.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first wall offset includes a module receptacle that is in communication with an inner conduit surface of the tubular member.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the module receptacle is configured to receive a cooling module.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising steps of:
providing the cooling module;
disposing the cooling module within the module receptacle, wherein the cooling module is configured to be in fluid communication with the inner conduit surface,
providing a cooling loop in fluid communication with the cooling module, wherein the cooling loop includes an evaporator and a coolant fluid; and
disposing polyurethane foam within at least a portion of the module receptacle about the cooling module.

15. A method for creating an integral vacuum insulated structure comprising steps of:
forming a door structure having first and second wall members that are connected at an outer sidewall, a first wall offset of the first wall member and a second wall offset of the second wall member that aligns with the first wall offset, and a tubular member that extends between the first and second wall members at the first and second wall offsets, respectively;
disposing a cavity insulation material within a cavity volume defined by any inner facing surface of the first wall member, an inward facing surface of the second wall member, and an outer conduit surface of the tubular member, wherein a barrier layer is disposed on the inner facing surface of the first wall member, the inward facing surface of the second wall member and the outer conduit surface of the tubular member;
sealing the cavity volume; and
extracting gas from the cavity volume via at least one port wherein the cavity volume is configured to maintain an at least partial vacuum within the cavity volume to define a vacuum insulated door structure.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising steps of:
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Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Cur Nihat
• Wu Guolian

Classifications

• F25D23/063 Primary

  formed by an assembly of panels · CPC title

• B23P15/26

  heat exchangers {or the like (making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02)} · CPC title

• Y10T29/49616

  Structural member making · CPC title

• Y10T428/231

  Filled with gas other than air; or under vacuum · CPC title

• Y10T29/49359

  Cooling apparatus making, e.g., air conditioner, refrigerator · CPC title