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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021323200-A1
Application number	US-202117361907-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 29, 2021
Priority date	Dec 8, 2015
Publication date	Oct 21, 2021
Grant date	—

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:
roller compacting a powder insulation material to form a pre-densified insulation base; roller crushing the pre-densified insulation base into a core insulation material defined by core density of adhered granules of the powder insulation material; disposing the adhered granules of the core insulation material into a cavity defined within an insulating structure; and expressing gas from the cavity of the insulating structure to further densify the core insulation material to define a target density, wherein the core insulation material defining the target density disposed within the insulating structure defines the vacuum insulated structure.

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

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
disposing an additive within the cavity of the insulating structure, wherein the additive includes an insulating gas.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the insulating gas includes at least one of argon, neon, carbon dioxide, xenon, and krypton.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the powder insulation material is formed by 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 at least one opacifier.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum insulated structure is an appliance cabinet having an outer wrapper and an inner liner.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the outer wrapper and the inner liner are metallic.

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

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the target density defines a density in a range of from approximately 80 grams per liter to approximately 350 grams per liter.

10 . A method for forming a vacuum insulated appliance cabinet using a prepared core material, the method comprising steps of:
roller compacting a pre-densified insulation base; roller crushing the pre-densified insulation base into adhered granules of a core insulation material, to define a core density of the core insulation material, wherein the pre-densified insulation base and the core insulation material includes powder insulating particles that are adhered together during the preparing and crushing steps; disposing the core insulation material into a cavity of an insulating structure having an outer wrapper and an inner liner; disposing an insulating gas into the cavity; sealing the cavity of the insulating structure to contain the core insulation material therein; and expressing at least a portion of the insulating gas from within the insulating structure to form a vacuum insulated structure.

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

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of expressing at least a portion of the insulating gas further densifies the core insulation material to be compressed from the core density to a target density, wherein the target density is different than the core density.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the outer wrapper is metal.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the pre-densified insulation base is a mixture of 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 an opacifier.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the pre-densified insulation base combined in a blending operation in a blending apparatus having an intensifier mechanism for performing the blending operation.

16 . 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; crushing the pre-densified insulation base using a separate roller compactor to further densify the powder insulation material and to define adhered granules of a granular core insulation having a core density, wherein the adhered granules are adhered particles of the powder insulation material; and coating the adhered granules of the granular core insulation with a binder to increase a compressive strength of the adhered granules and to define the granular core insulation to be a flowable material.

17 . The method of claim 16 , 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.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the core density defines a density in a range of from approximately 80 grams per liter to approximately 350 grams per liter.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the binder used in coating the adhered granules includes at least one of cellulose, wax, polyethylene glycol, gelatin, starch, polyvinyl alcohol, polymethacrylate, graphite and sodium silicate.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the granular core insulation is mixed with an additive, wherein the additive includes at least one of insulating glass spheres and additional amounts of the powder insulation material, pearlite, rice husk ash, diatomaceous earth, at least one binder, at least one opacifier and glass fiber.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Naik Abhay
• Deka Lakshya J

Classifications

• B01F27/953

  using only helical stirrers · CPC title

• B29K2105/04

  cellular or porous · CPC title

• B29K2995/0063

  Density · CPC title

• B29C70/58

  comprising fillers only {, e.g. particles, powder, beads, flakes, spheres (B29C70/025 takes precedence, agglomerating hollow spheres to produce synthetic foam B29C70/66; compounding ingredients per se C08K)} · CPC title

• B29K2509/00

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