Method for preparing a densified insulation material for use in appliance insulated structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11052579-B2
Application number	US-201514961934-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2015
Priority date	Dec 8, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A method for forming a vacuum insulated structure using a prepared core material includes preparing a powder insulation material defining a bulk density, pre-densifying the powder insulation material to form a pre-densified insulation base, crushing the pre-densified insulation base into granular core insulation to define a core density of the granular core insulation, disposing the granular core insulation having the core density into an insulating cavity defined within an insulating structure and expressing gas from the interior cavity of the insulating structure to further densify the granular core insulation to define a target density. The granular core insulation defines the target density disposed within the insulating structure defines the vacuum insulation structure, wherein the target density defines a density in the range of from approximately 80 grams per liter to approximately 350 grams per liter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming a vacuum insulated structure using a prepared core material, the method comprising steps of:
preparing a powder insulation material defining a bulk density;
pre-densifying the powder insulation material using a roller compactor to form a pre-densified insulation base;
crushing the pre-densified insulation base into core insulation, using a crushing apparatus having a plurality of crushing rollers, to define a core density of the core insulation, wherein during the pre-densifying and crushing steps, particles of the powder insulation material are adhered together to form the pre-densified insulation base and the core insulation;
disposing the core insulation having the core density into an insulating cavity defined within an insulating structure, wherein the core density of the core insulation is greater than the bulk density of the powder insulation material; and
expressing gas from an interior cavity of the insulating structure to further densify the core insulation to define a target density, wherein the core insulation defining the target density disposed within the insulating structure defines the vacuum insulated structure, wherein the target density defines a density in a range of from approximately 80 grams per liter to approximately 350 grams per liter, wherein:
the target density is greater than the core density;
the core insulation is in a form of a granular core insulation;
a binder is added to the granular core insulation; and
the binder coats a majority of an outer surface of granules of the granular core insulation and increases a compressive strength of each granule of the granular core insulation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the insulating structure includes the interior cavity and an insulation inlet and a vacuum outlet, the insulation inlet and the vacuum outlet defining communication between the interior cavity and an exterior of the insulating structure.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
disposing an additive within the core insulation, wherein the additive includes at least one of insulating gas, insulating fibers, insulating spheres and binders.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of preparing the powder insulation material includes blending together a plurality of insulating components, where the plurality of insulating components include at least one of silica powder, aerogel powder, insulating fibers, insulating spheres, perlite, rice husk ash, diatomaceous earth and opacifiers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum insulated structure is an appliance cabinet.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the appliance cabinet includes an inner liner and an outer wrapper and the insulating cavity is defined between the inner liner and the outer wrapper.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum insulated structure is a vacuum insulated panel.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bulk density is defined by a density within a range of from approximately 30 grams per liter to approximately 150 grams per liter.

9. A method for forming a vacuum insulated appliance cabinet using a prepared core material, the method comprising steps of:
preparing a pre-densified insulation base using a roller compactor;
crushing the pre-densified insulation base into core insulation, using a crushing device having a plurality of crushing rollers, to define a core density of the core insulation, wherein the pre-densified insulation base and the core insulation includes powder insulating particles that are adhered together during the preparing and crushing steps;
providing an appliance structure having an outer wrapper and an inner liner, the outer wrapper and the inner liner defining an insulating cavity therebetween;
disposing the core insulation having the core density into the insulating cavity;
sealing the insulating cavity of the appliance structure to contain the core insulation therein; and
expressing at least a portion of a gas from within the insulating cavity to form a vacuum insulated structure, wherein:
the core insulation is in a form of a granular core insulation;
a binder is added to the granular core insulation; and
the binder coats a majority of an outer surface of granules of the granular core insulation and increases a compressive strength of each granule of the granular core insulation, wherein the granular core insulation is a flowable material.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the core density of the core insulation is equivalent to a target density for the vacuum insulated structure, wherein the step of expressing at least a portion of the gas is substantially free of compression of the core insulation.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of expressing at least a portion of the gas further densifies the core insulation to be compressed from the core density to a target density, wherein the target density is different than the core density.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the core insulation is in the form of the granular core insulation, and wherein the appliance structure is metal.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of preparing the pre-densified insulation base includes pre-densifying a powder insulation material into the pre-densified insulation base, and wherein pre-densifying the powder insulation material is performed by the roller compactor.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of preparing the pre-densified insulation base includes blending together a plurality of insulating components, where the insulating components include at least one of silica powder, aerogel powder, insulating fibers, insulating spheres, perlite, rice husk ash, diatomaceous earth and opacifiers to form the pre-densified insulation base.

15. A method of preparing a core material for installation into an insulated structure, the method comprising steps of:
blending a plurality of insulating components to form a powder insulation material having a bulk density, wherein the insulating components include at least one of silica powder, aerogel powder, insulating fibers, insulating spheres, perlite, rice husk ash, diatomaceous earth and at least one opacifier;
pre-densifying the powder insulation material using a roller compactor to form a pre-densified insulation base; and
crushing the pre-densified insulation base using a separate roller compactor to define a core insulation having a core density, wherein the core density is different than the bulk density and the core density is in a range of from approximately 80 grams per liter to approximately 350 grams per liter, wherein:
the core density of the core insulation is greater than the bulk density of the powder insulation material;
the core insulation is in a form of a granular core insulation;
the pre-densified insulation base, the core insulation and the granular core insulation includes particles of the powder insulation material that are adhered together during the preparing and crushing steps;
a binder is added to the granular core insulation; and
the binder coats granules of the granular core insulation and increases a compressive strength of each granule of the granular core insulation.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the bulk density is defined by a density within a range of from approximately 30 grams per liter to approximately 150 grams per liter.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising steps of:
disposing the core insulation into an interior cavity of the insulated structure;
sealing the insulated structure; and
expressing gas from the interior cavity

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Deka Lakshya J
• Naik Abhay

Classifications

• B01F27/953

  using only helical stirrers · CPC title

• B29L2031/7622

  Refrigerators · CPC title

• B29K2995/0015

  Insulating · CPC title

• B29K2509/00

  Use of inorganic materials not provided for in groups {B29K2503/00 - B29K2507/00,} as filler · CPC title

• B29K2105/251

  Particles, powder or granules (expandable particles B29K2105/046) · CPC title