Method For Manufacturing Vacuum Insulation Panels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016116100-A1
Application number	US-201414889287-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 7, 2014
Priority date	May 7, 2013
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing vacuum insulation panels with a fiber core, comprising the steps of: providing a core blank of fibers, compressing the core blank to a predetermined final thickness for forming the core, evacuating a foil sleeve enclosing the core up to a pressure of ≦1 mbar, and sealing the foil sleeve. The method according to the invention is characterized by the fact that, in the compression step, the core blank is arranged between two cover elements and is mechanically compressed therebetween, that the core is kept under compression pressure until the foil sleeve is sealed, and that the compression step is performed at the place of manufacture at room temperature without thermal impact. Thus, a method for manufacturing vacuum insulation panels with a fiber core can be improved such that it can be performed with reduced energy requirement and yet the insulating effect of the vacuum insulation panels does not suffer therefrom.

First claim

1 . A method for manufacturing vacuum insulation panels ( 1 ; 1 ′) with a core ( 3 ) of fibers, comprising the steps of:
providing a core blank of fibers,
compressing the core blank to a predetermined thickness for forming the core ( 3 ),
evacuating a foil sleeve ( 2 ; 2 ′) enclosing the core ( 3 ) up to a pressure of ≦1 mbar, and
sealing the foil sleeve ( 2 ; 2 ′),
characterized in that
in the compression step the core blank is arranged between two cover elements and is mechanically compressed therebetween,
the mechanical compression of the core ( 3 ) is maintained until the foil sleeve ( 2 ; 2 ′) is sealed, and
the compression step is performed at the place of manufacture at room temperature without thermal impact.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the foil sleeve ( 2 ) is formed of a metal foil, preferably a stainless steel foil, and that the core blank is enclosed with the foil sleeve ( 2 ) prior to the compression step, wherein foil sections ( 2 a , 2 b ) thereof serve as the two cover elements.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the foil sleeve ( 2 ′) is formed of a composite plastic foil, wherein, prior to the compression step, two support plates ( 4 ) serving as cover elements are additionally arranged at the large faces of the core blank, and wherein the support plates ( 4 ) are formed of a pressure-resistant material not degassing under vacuum, in particular of metal or of a plastic material, particularly preferred HDPE, polyamide, PVC, or polypropylene.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the fibers do not comprise any binder disintegrating in vacuum, in particular no organic binder.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the fibers are organic fibers of a thermoplastic material, preferably of polyethylene, polyamide, or polypropylene.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the fibers are inorganic fibers, preferably mineral wool, in particular glass wool or rock wool, or textile glass fibers.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , characterized in that the providing of the core blank comprises the drying of the inorganic fibers of the core blank up to a residual moisture of <0.1%.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , characterized in that the step of drying is performed at a temperature ranging at least 200 K below the softening temperature of the fibers.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the providing of the core blank comprises the providing of a felt web of fibers, the cutting of the felt web to a predetermined finished size, and possibly a stacking of a plurality of cut felt web sections.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the providing of the core blank comprises the providing of a plurality of felt webs of fibers, the stacking of the plurality of felt webs one upon each other, and the cutting of the felt web stack to a predetermined finished size.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the step of the evacuating of the core ( 3 ) enclosed with a foil sleeve ( 2 ; 2 ′) is performed up to a pressure of ≦0.05 mbar, in particular ≦0.01 mbar.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that in the step of compression the core ( 3 ) is compressed to a density of between 150 kg/m 3 and 350 kg/m 3 , in particular approx. 250 kg/m 3 .

13 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the mineral wool comprises fibers with a fiber yarn count corresponding to a micronaire of less than or equal to 20 l/min and in particular a micronaire of less than or equal to 15 l/min.

14 . The method according to claim 9 , characterized in that the felt web comprises a weight per unit area of between 800 g/m 2 and 2500 g/m 2 prior to the step of drying.

Assignees

• Saint Gobain Isover

Inventors

• Thiery Julien
• Passon Ulrich
• Gerhards Wolf

Classifications

• B32B37/142

  Laminating of sheets, panels or inserts, e.g. stiffeners, by wrapping in at least one outer layer, or inserting into a preformed pocket · CPC title

• B32B27/32

  comprising polyolefins {(comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30)} · CPC title

• B32B37/0007

  involving treatment or provisions in order to avoid deformation or air inclusion, e.g. to improve surface quality · CPC title

• B32B27/302

  comprising aromatic vinyl (co)polymers, e.g. styrenic (co)polymers · CPC title

• B32B2307/31

  Heat sealable · CPC title