Vacuum adiabatic body and refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11428456-B2
Application number	US-201916979250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2019
Priority date	Jun 27, 2018
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

An vacuum adiabatic body includes a heat exchange pipeline and a sealing assembly. The heat exchange pipeline includes at least two pipelines which pass through a first plate and a second plate to allow a refrigerant to move between inner and outer spaces. The sealing assembly allows the heat exchange pipeline to pass through the first plate and the second plate without contacting a vacuum space provided between the first and second plates.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
at least one main body having at least one storage space configured to store items and formed using a vacuum adiabatic body;
a door configured to open or close the main body;
a machine room having a compressor to compress a refrigerant and a condenser configured to condense the compressed refrigerant;
an expansion device configured to expand the condensed refrigerant;
an evaporator configured to evaporate the expanded refrigerant to dissipate heat; and
a heat exchange pipeline having an outlet pipe and an inlet pipe at least partially bonded to the outlet pipe, wherein refrigerant flows toward the evaporator through the inlet pipe and evaporated refrigerant flows through the outlet pipe;
wherein the vacuum adiabatic body of the main body includes:
a first plate configured to define at least a portion of a wall for the first space,
a second plate configured to define at least a portion of a wall for the second space,
third space provided between the first and second plates that is configured to have a temperature between a temperature of the first space and a temperature of the second space and is configured to be sealed to form a vacuum space,
a support configured to maintain a distance between the first and second plates,
a heat resistance sheet configured to reduce a heat transfer amount between the first plate and the second plate, and
an opening through which the heat exchange pipeline passes between the first space and the second space,
wherein at least a portion of the heat exchange pipeline is provided in a fourth space filled with an adiabatic material, the fourth space has a volume less than that of the third space, and an area in which the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are heat-exchanged with each other in the fourth space is greater than an area in which the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are heat-exchanged with each other in the third space.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the adiabatic material filling the fourth space is provided adjacent to the opening to prevent cold air within the first space from leaking into the second space through the opening.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the adiabatic material has a thermal conductivity greater than a thermal conductivity of the third space
to prevent conductive heat from being transferred through the adiabatic material.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a pipeline adiabatic case defines the fourth space and is configured to thermally insulate a portion of the heat exchange pipeline that is provided in the fourth space.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein the pipeline adiabatic case is provided at an outer surface of the second plate.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein the pipeline adiabatic case is provided in the machine room.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a partition wall configured to partition the main body to define at least two storage spaces, wherein the heat exchange pipeline is provided in the partition wall.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a sealing assembly configured to allow the heat exchange pipeline to pass through the opening of the vacuum adiabatic body without contacting the third space,
wherein the sealing assembly includes:
a conductive resistance sheet passing through the vacuum adiabatic body between the first plate and the second plate so as to be at least partially exposed to the third space, the conductive resistance sheet being configured to seal the third space; and
a block configured to be inserted into the opening at a position between the conductive resistance sheet and the heat exchange pipeline.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are provided adjacent to each other in the first space or the second space at a position that is adjacent to the opening.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal direction of a portion of the heat exchange pipeline in the fourth space extends in a plane parallel to the second plate.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the heat exchange pipeline in the fourth space is arranged in a spiral.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust port configured to discharge a gas within the third space.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jung Wonyeong
• Kim Daewoong
• Nam Hyeunsik
• Youn Deokhyun

Classifications

• F25D2201/14

  using subatmospheric pressure · CPC title

• F25D23/087

  Sealing strips · CPC title

• F25D23/065 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D23/085

  Breaking strips · CPC title

• F16L59/065

  using vacuum (F16L59/075 takes precedence) · CPC title