Vacuum adiabatic body and refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11788784-B2
Application number	US-202017619906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2020
Priority date	Jul 9, 2019
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

Provided is a vacuum adiabatic body. The vacuum adiabatic body includes a cover assembly configured to cover the conductive resistance sheet. The cover assembly includes an inner cover configured to protect an inside, an outer cover configured to protect an outside, and a front cover configured to a front side, and at least one of the inner cover or the outer cover extends toward the other end of at least one of the first plate or the second plate. According to the embodiments, an edge and a side surface of the vacuum adiabatic body may be protected together.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vacuum adiabatic body comprising:
a first plate;
a second plate;
a sheet configured to seal the first plate and the second plate so as to provide a vacuum space; and
a cover assembly configured to cover the sheet,
wherein
the cover assembly includes an inner cover provided at an inner side of the vacuum adiabatic body, an outer cover provided at an outer side of the vacuum adiabatic body, and a front cover provided at a front side of the vacuum adiabatic body, and
at least one of the inner cover or the outer cover extends along a corresponding one of the first plate or the second plate.

2. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the inner cover or the outer cover extends up to an end of the corresponding one of the first plate or the second plate.

3. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
an inner protection cover made of a resin material and provided in the inner cover; or
an outer protection cover made of a resin material and provided in the outer cover.

4. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the inner protection cover or the outer protection cover is spaced a predetermined distance from the corresponding one of the first plate or the second plate.

5. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a support provided in the vacuum space, the support contacting on an inner surface of the corresponding one of the first plate or the second plate; and
a rib provided in a space between the at least one of the inner protection cover or the outer protection cover and the corresponding one of the first plate or the second plate, the rib being provided at a position that is not aligned with the support.

6. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the outer protection cover or the inner protection cover has a thickness thicker than that of the corresponding one of the first plate or the second plate.

7. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 3 , wherein the inner protection cover includes:
a shoulder provided on the front cover; and
an inner protection cover extension provided on the inner cover.

8. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 3 , wherein the outer protection cover includes:
a shoulder provided on the front cover; and
an outer protection cover extension provided on the outer cover.

9. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
an inner arm made of a metal material, which is provided in the inner cover; or
an outer arm made of a metal material, which is provided in the outer cover.

10. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body having an opening with respect to an accommodation space; and
a door configured to open and close the opening of the main body,
wherein the main body includes a vacuum adiabatic body,
wherein the vacuum adiabatic body includes:
an inner plate configured to define at least a portion of the accommodation space;
an outer plate configured to define at least a portion of an exterior wall of the main body;
a sheet configured to seal the inner plate and the outer plate so as to provide a vacuum space between the inner plate and the outer plate;
a support plate having a lattice shape provided to maintain the vacuum space; and
a cover assembly configured to cover the sheet,

wherein the cover assembly includes:
an inner cover connected to the inner plate and extending toward a rear of the main body so as to cover an outer surface of the inner plate;
an outer cover connected to the outer plate and extending toward the rear of the main body so as to cover an outer surface of the outer plate; and
a front cover provided at a front side of the sheet to protect the sheet from being damaged, the front cover including a nonmetal material to thermally insulate the sheet, and

wherein the inner cover further includes a first shoulder extending along an outer surface of the front cover, the outer cover further includes a second shoulder extending along the outer surface of the front cover, and each of the first shoulder and the second shoulder includes a metal material.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the first shoulder and the second shoulder are spaced apart from each other so that heat transfer between the inner plate and the outer plate is reduced.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , further comprising a heater provided in the cover assembly to reduce generation of dew on at least one of the front cover or the outer cover,
wherein the heater is positioned closer to the outer cover than the inner cover.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein the shoulder of the outer cover extends toward the sheet so that heat supplied from the heater is transferred to the sheet.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein the heater includes at least one of a heating element or a hot line carrying a heated fluid.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein the outer cover is positioned to cover the sheet or overlap the sheet so that heat supplied from the heater is transferred from the outer cover to the sheet.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the outer cover further extends toward the rear of the main body so that a first point at which the outer cover has a lowest surface temperature is spaced a predetermined distance from a second point at which the outer cover and the sheet meet or overlap each other.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the shoulder of the outer cover extends adjacent to an edge of the sheet.

18. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body having an opening with respect to an accommodation space; and
a door configured to open and close the opening of the main body,
wherein the main body includes a vacuum adiabatic body,
wherein the vacuum adiabatic body includes:
an inner plate configured to define at least a portion of the accommodation space;
an outer plate configured to define at least a portion of an exterior wall; and
a sheet configured to seal the inner plate and the outer plate so as to define a vacuum space; and

wherein the refrigerator further comprises:
an outer cover connected to the outer plate;
an inner cover connected to the inner plate,
a front cover that connects the outer cover with the inner cover, the front cover being provided at an outer side of the sheet to protect the sheet; and
a cover adiabatic material provided in a space defined by the outer cover, the inner cover and the front cover, the cover adiabatic material being coupled to the front cover.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 18 , wherein the inner cover extends to the rear of the accommodation space.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 19 , wherein the inner cover includes an inner protection cover, and a component is mounted on the inner protection cover.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jung Wonyeong
• Youn Deokhyun
• Kim Daewoong

Classifications

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• F25D23/066 Primary

  Liners · CPC title

• F25D2201/14

  using subatmospheric pressure · CPC title

• F25D11/00 Primary

  Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators · CPC title

• F25D23/085 Primary

  Breaking strips · CPC title