Method of making a folded vacuum insulated structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9874394-B2
Application number	US-201514635313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2015
Priority date	Apr 2, 2012
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

A vacuum insulated cabinet structure includes panels having sheet metal outer side walls and polymer inner side walls. The polymer inner side walls are heat-sealed to a layer of polymer material laminated to a flat sheet metal blank to form vacuum cavities. The blank is then bent along fold lines to form a cabinet structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating a vacuum insulated cabinet structure, the method comprising:
providing a first sheet of material, the first sheet comprising a metal layer and a thermoplastic polymer material, wherein the metal layer has sufficient stiffness to form a self-supporting freestanding cabinet structure when deformed;
providing a second sheet of material, the second sheet comprising a barrier layer capable of maintaining a vacuum;
positioning porous filler material between the first and second sheets;
sealing the first and second sheets together around the porous filler material to form an airtight space containing the porous filler material.

2. The method of claim 1 , including:
providing a vacuum in the airtight space; and
bending the first sheet of material to form a vacuum insulated cabinet structure.

3. A method of fabricating a vacuum insulated cabinet structure, the method comprising:
providing a first sheet of material, the first sheet comprising a metal layer and a thermoplastic polymer material on a first side of the first sheet, wherein the metal layer has sufficient stiffness to form a self-supporting freestanding cabinet structure when deformed;
providing a second sheet of material, the second sheet comprising a barrier layer capable of maintaining a vacuum;
providing a plurality of pouches having porous filler material disposed in the pouches;
positioning the pouches between the first and second sheets;
sealing the first and second sheets together to form a seal line that extends around the pouches to form an airtight space containing the pouches;
providing a vacuum in the airtight space;
bending the first sheet of material to form a vacuum insulated cabinet structure.

4. A method of fabricating a vacuum insulated cabinet structure, the method comprising:
providing a first sheet of material, the first sheet comprising a metal layer and a thermoplastic polymer material on a first side of the first sheet, wherein the metal layer has sufficient stiffness to form a self-supporting freestanding cabinet structure when deformed;
providing a second sheet of material, the second sheet comprising a barrier layer capable of maintaining a vacuum;
positioning porous filler material between the first and second sheets;
sealing the first and second sheets together around the porous filler material to form an airtight space containing the porous filler material;
providing a vacuum in the airtight space;
bending the first sheet of material to form a vacuum insulated cabinet structure.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the first and second sheets are sealed together in a vacuum chamber.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the first and second sheets are sealed together utilizing a heat sealing process that includes heating at least one of the first and second sheets of material to form a seal line that extends around the porous filler material.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the second sheet comprises at least first and second layers, the first layer comprising thermoplastic material, the second layer comprising polymer material that forms a barrier with respect to at least one of oxygen, nitrogen, and water vapor; and
the porous filler material is disposed in a plurality of pouches that are positioned between the first and second sheets prior to sealing the first and second sheets together.

8. The method of claim 4 , including:
thermoforming the second sheet of material to define a retaining structure that includes a generally planar central sidewall portion having a perimeter, and edge sidewall portions extending transversely from the perimeter, the retain structure further including a peripheral edge flange including outwardly from the edge sidewall portions.

9. The method of claim 8 , including:
positioning the peripheral edge flange in contact with the thermoplastic polymer material of the first sheet; and
heat-sealing the peripheral edge flange to the thermoplastic polymer material.

10. The method of claim 6 , including:
forming a second airtight space between the first and second sheets of material, wherein at least one seal line extends between the two airtight spaces;
bending the first sheet of material in an area between the two airtight spaces.

11. The method of claim 10 , including:
forming a third air-tight space between the first and second sheets of material;
bending the first sheet of material to a structure define at least three generally planar sidewalls.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the three panel sidewalls define spaced apart upright sidewalk and a horizontal upper wall extending between the side walls; and including:
forming a floor structure that extends between and interconnects the upright sidewalls;
securing a rear panel to the upright sidewalls, the horizontal upper wall, and the floor structure to form a primary cabinet structure that defines a forwardly-opening compartment.

13. The method of claim 12 , including:
forming a polymer liner;
positioning the polymer liner in the compartment; and
providing a thermosetting foam insulating material between the polymer liner and the primary cabinet structure.

14. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the vacuum insulated cabinet structure comprises an insulated refrigerator cabinet structure.

15. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the metal layer comprises low carbon steel; and
the thermoplastic polymer material is laminated to the metal layer.

16. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
providing a vacuum in the airtight space includes positioning the first and second sheets of material and the porous filler material in a vacuum chamber prior to sealing the first and second sheets together.

17. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
providing a vacuum comprising forming a vacuum in the airtight space occurs prior to bending the first sheet of material to form a vacuum insulated cabinet structure.

18. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the porous filler material is disposed in a plurality of individual pouches that are positioned on the first side of the first sheet prior to sealing the first and second sheets together.

19. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the first sheet of material forms an outer cabinet skin blank, the blank including an elongated portion having a generally rectangular perimeter with elongated side edges and end edges extending between the side edges, the blank defining a plurality of bend lines extending between the side edges to define a plurality of generally planar panel regions; and
bending the cabinet skin blank along the bend lines to form a vacuum insulated cabinet structure having upright outer sidewalls and a transverse wall extending between the outer sidewalls.

20. The method of claim 4 , including:
movably mounting a door to the vacuum insulated cabinet structure; and
connecting an electrically powered cooling system to the vacuum insulated cabinet structure to cool an interior space thereof.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Cur Nihat
• Ramm Axel Julio
• Wu Guolian
• Kendall James

Classifications

• Y10T428/231

  Filled with gas other than air; or under vacuum · CPC title

• Y10T156/1051

  by folding · CPC title

• Y10T29/49879

  Spaced wall tube or receptacle · CPC title

• Y10T29/49616

  Structural member making · CPC title

• Y10T29/49359

  Cooling apparatus making, e.g., air conditioner, refrigerator · CPC title