Encapsulation system for a thermal bridge breaker-to-metal liner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12055344-B2
Application number	US-202217835018-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2022
Priority date	Oct 3, 2016
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

An appliance includes an outer wrapper, an inner liner, a trim breaker having a wrapper channel that receives a wrapper edge of the outer wrapper and a liner channel that receives a liner edge of the inner liner, and an insulation material disposed within an insulating cavity defined therebetween. A multi-component thermal encapsulation material defines pre-mix, application and sealing states. The pre-mix state is defined by the distinct components of the thermal encapsulation material being separated from one another, the application state defined by the distinct components combined together into an uncured state of the thermal encapsulation material, and the sealing state defined by the thermal encapsulation material disposed within the wrapper and liner channels and surrounding the wrapper and liner edges, respectively, in the sealing state that defines a hermetic seal between the trim breaker and the outer wrapper and the inner liner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming an insulating cabinet for an appliance, the method comprising steps of:
disposing distinct components of a thermal encapsulation material into respective dispensing chambers to define a pre-mix state of the thermal encapsulation material;
delivering the distinct components of the thermal encapsulation material from the respective dispensing chambers to a mixing chamber;
mixing the distinct components in the mixing chamber to define an application state of the thermal encapsulation material;
delivering the thermal encapsulation material in the application state to a liner channel and a wrapper channel of a trim breaker;
disposing a wrapper edge of an outer wrapper into the wrapper channel so that the thermal encapsulation material surrounds both sides of the wrapper edge within the wrapper channel, wherein a plurality of wrapper protrusions of the wrapper edge engage at least one sidewall of the wrapper channel to center the wrapper edge within the wrapper channel;
disposing a liner edge of an inner liner into the liner channel so that the thermal encapsulation material surrounds both sides of the liner edge within the liner channel;
curing the thermal encapsulation material within the wrapper and liner channels to define a sealing state of the thermal encapsulation material, wherein the thermal encapsulation material in the sealing state defines a seal between the inner liner and the trim breaker and between the outer wrapper and the trim breaker.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermal encapsulation material includes first and second components that are disposed within respective first and second dispensing chambers when in the pre-mix state.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of disposing the liner edge within the liner channel includes centering the liner edge within the liner channel using a plurality of liner protrusions that engage at least one sidewall of the liner channel.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein engagement of the plurality of liner protrusions with the liner channel centers the liner edge within the liner channel such that the thermal encapsulation material engages both sides of the liner edge.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of liner protrusions are liner dimples that extend outward from opposing surfaces of the inner liner, wherein a portion of the plurality of liner protrusions extend outward from a first liner surface and extend inward into a second liner surface.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein engagement of the plurality of wrapper protrusions with the wrapper channel centers the wrapper edge within the wrapper channel such that the thermal encapsulation material engages both sides of the wrapper edge.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wrapper protrusions are wrapper dimples that extend outward from opposing surfaces of the outer wrapper, wherein a portion of the plurality of wrapper protrusions extend outward from a first wrapper surface and extend inward into a second wrapper surface.

8. A method for forming an insulating cabinet for an appliance, the method comprising steps of:
disposing a first component and a second component of a thermal encapsulation material into respective first and second dispensing chambers to define a pre-mix state of the thermal encapsulation material;
delivering the first and second components of the thermal encapsulation material from the respective first and second dispensing chambers to a mixing chamber;
activating the thermal encapsulation material by combining the first and second components within the mixing chamber to generate a chemical reaction that defines an application state of the thermal encapsulation material;
disposing the thermal encapsulation material in the application state into a liner channel and a wrapper channel of a trim breaker;
positioning a portion of an inner liner within the thermal encapsulation material in the liner channel;
positioning a portion of an outer wrapper within the thermal encapsulation material in the wrapper channel, wherein the inner liner and the outer wrapper each includes positioning features that at least partially engage the liner channel and the wrapper channel, respectively; and
curing the thermal encapsulation material around the portions of the inner liner and the outer wrapper within the liner and wrapper channels, respectively, wherein the cured thermal encapsulation material defines a sealing state of the thermal encapsulation material that is characterized by a seal between the inner liner and the trim breaker and between the outer wrapper and the trim breaker.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the positioning features are adapted to centrally align the inner liner within the liner channel and centrally align the outer wrapper within the wrapper channel.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising steps of:
disposing an insulation material within an insulating cavity defined between the inner liner and the outer wrapper; and
expressing gas from the insulating cavity and the insulation material defined within the insulating cavity to define an at least partial vacuum within the insulating cavity, wherein the thermal encapsulation material in the sealing state permits at least partial elastic movement of the inner liner and the outer wrapper within the liner and wrapper channels, respectively, while maintaining a hermetic seal between the inner liner and the trim breaker and between the outer wrapper and the trim breaker.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the thermal encapsulation material is a thermosetting polymer.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the positioning features are defined within the respective surfaces of the inner liner and the outer wrapper.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the positioning features are dimples that are pressed into each of the inner liner and the outer wrapper.

14. A method for forming an insulating cabinet for an appliance, the method comprising steps of:
disposing a plurality of components of a thermal encapsulation material into respective dispensing chambers to define a pre-mix state of the thermal encapsulation material;
delivering the plurality of components of the thermal encapsulation material from the respective dispensing chambers to a mixing chamber;
activating the thermal encapsulation material by combining the plurality of components within the mixing chamber to generate a chemical reaction that defines an application state of the thermal encapsulation material;
disposing the thermal encapsulation material in the application state into a liner channel and a wrapper channel of a trim breaker;
positioning a portion of an inner liner within the thermal encapsulation material in the liner channel, wherein a plurality of liner protrusions of a liner edge of the inner liner engage at least one sidewall of the liner channel to center the liner edge within the liner channel;
positioning a portion of an outer wrapper within the thermal encapsulation material in the wrapper channel; and
curing the thermal encapsulation material around the portions of the inner liner and the outer wrapper within the liner and wrapper channels, respectively, wherein the cured thermal encapsulation material defines a sealing state of the thermal encapsulation material that is characterized by a seal between the inner liner and the trim breaker and between the outer wrapper and the trim breaker.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the thermal encapsulation material includes first and second components that are disposed within respective first and second dispensin

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Allard Paul B
• Deka Lakshya J
• Frattini Gustavo
• Hunter Lynne F
• Liu Hua
• Naik Abhay
• Vasko Eric J
• Visin Jerry M

Classifications

• F25D23/085

  Breaking strips · CPC title

• F25D2201/14

  using subatmospheric pressure · CPC title

• F25D23/082 Primary

  Strips · CPC title

• F25D23/062 Primary

  defining a cabinet · CPC title