JP2013228062A - Method of manufacturing heat insulation/buffer material, method of manufacturing heat insulating box body, heat insulation/buffer material, heat insulating box body, and refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To form a heat insulating box body capable of securing beauty and convenience with good yields even when assembly fitting accuracy is low, without using a complicated manufacturing apparatus or manufacturing steps.SOLUTION: A method includes: a heat insulating box body assembly step of forming a heat insulating board combination box body 15 by combining heat insulating boards, fitting the heat insulating board combination box body 15 into an outer box 4, and assembling an heat insulating box body 17 before thermoforming by fitting an inner box 16 or an inner box board component 27 into the heat insulating board combination box body 15; and a thermoforming step of forming an heat insulating box body 10A having an irregular shape on an inner box inner surface by performing thermoforming by pressing an irregular shape of a heating die 28 against a heat insulation/buffer material surface of the inner box inner surface having a thickness allowing the thermoforming of the surface by using a method of manufacturing a heat insulation/buffer material of an embodiment 1.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a heat insulation / buffer material for heat insulation and / or cushioning, a method for producing a heat insulation box using the heat insulation / buffer material, and a heat insulation / buffer material produced by the method for producing heat insulation / buffer material. The present invention relates to a heat insulating box manufactured by a manufacturing method and a refrigerator using a heat insulating / buffer material or a heat insulating box.

  In recent years, demands for dimensional accuracy and appearance quality of a heat insulating box constituting a refrigerator are increasing in refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator-freezers in addition to requirements for functional performance such as cooling performance and energy saving performance. In addition, a manufacturing method that meets the above-described requirements is required, and in particular, in the manufacture of a heat-insulating box, the yield is reduced and the tact time cannot be shortened.

  First, the heat insulation box will be described.

  The heat insulation box forms an outer shape and an inner shape with the inner box and the outer box. A foamable heat insulating material (for example, urethane foam) is disposed in a space formed between the inner box and the outer box. The outer box is made of a metal plate having a thickness of about 1 mm, the inner box is made of resin with a good appearance, and the metal outer box and the resin inner box itself do not have sufficient strength and heat insulation. . For this reason, in the heat insulation box, the strength and heat insulation necessary for the exterior of the refrigerator are given by the urethane foam filled in the space between the inner box and the outer box.

  Next, manufacture of a heat insulation box is demonstrated.

The heat insulating box is formed by fitting the inner box and the outer box together. Insulated foam is often formed by injecting urethane foam into the space between the inner box and the outer box, and filling the space with the foamed urethane. The urethane foam is injected into this space, then foamed and filled into the space. At this time, the foaming pressure of urethane is a high foaming pressure of 0.1 kg / cm ² or more. As described above, the inner box and the outer box have a thickness of about 1 mm, and it is difficult to withstand the foaming pressure of urethane foam.

  For this reason, urethane foam is injected into the space between the inner box and the outer box in a state where the inner box and the outer box are attached to a mold (jig) having a strength capable of withstanding the foaming pressure of the urethane foam. The method is adopted. The mold has a configuration in which the inner box and the outer box can be combined (or disassembled) so that the inner box and the outer box have the shape of a heat insulating box.

  At the time of injecting the urethane foam, the blending ratio of the material, the filling pressure, the temperature, the injection amount, and the like are controlled so that the urethane foam filled in the space has the above-described strength and heat insulating properties.

  However, injection of urethane foam requires a heavy metal mold, and it is necessary to maintain the foaming pressure with the metal mold until the urethane foam is cured. For this reason, the holding time of about 3 minutes was needed with respect to one metal mold | die for forming a heat insulation box. However, in order to cope with a complicated shape and an increase in size, stability is required for the shape, so it is necessary to lengthen the holding time, and tact reduction is an urgent issue.

  When it is necessary to manufacture a large number of refrigerators, the manufacturing capacity is often increased by arranging a large number of molds and continuously conveying the molds. The continuous conveyance of the mold has many problems such as the weight of the mold becomes a problem and the operation cannot be sufficiently performed.

  Further, since the inner surface of the inner box of the heat insulating box is directly touched and handled by the end user, aesthetics and convenience are emphasized. For this reason, there is a need for a shelf surface with complex curves and a smooth surface with a beautiful appearance. In order to improve aesthetics and convenience, the inner shape of the inner box is complicated, and the shape of the inner mold that supports it when urethane is injected is also complicated. In the case of using a plurality of molds, complicated measurement and maintenance are required in order to align the shape of the inner mold in exactly the same way as the inner shape of the inner box, leading to deterioration in productivity.

  Here, in the conventional manufacturing method of a heat insulation box, the case where urethane foam is injected into the space formed between the inner box and the outer box will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 13A and FIG. 13B are perspective views of parts of a conventional refrigerator. FIG. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing an outline of a conventional refrigerator.

  There are two production methods for the heat insulating box of the refrigerator.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 (a), 13 (b), and 14, the heat insulating box 100 of the household refrigerator mainly injects urethane raw material into the space 105 between the inner box 103 and the outer box 104. Thus, the heat insulating box 100 of the refrigerator is produced.

  When a urethane raw material is injected between the inner box 103 and the outer box 104 to form a heat insulating box, the inner box 103 serves as a user handling surface, and thus aesthetics and usability are emphasized. Usually, after the inner box 103 using a molding means such as injection molding, vacuum molding, blow molding or the like is manufactured and combined with the outer box 104 made of an iron plate, the outer mold 106 and the inner mold as shown in FIG. The combined inner box 103 and outer box 104 are inserted into a mold 108 having 107, and polyurethane is injected into the gap 105 between the outer box 104 and the inner box 103.

The urethane raw material becomes foamed polyurethane having high heat insulation while foaming inside the mold 108. At this time, since a high foaming pressure of polyurethane exceeding 0.1 kg / cm ² is generated, a force exceeding 2 t / surface is applied to the surface of the mold when forming a surface of a large refrigerator having a length of 2 m and a width of 1 m. .

  In order to counter this force, a heavy metal mold 108 is required. As described above, the inner surface of the inner box 103 is a user-handling surface, and has a complicated uneven shape such as requiring a shelf holder 102. In order to cope with this, the inner mold 107 of the mold 108 also needs to have a complicated uneven shape in which the uneven shape of the inner surface of the inner box 103 is reversed. Since a force exceeding 2 t / plane is applied to the surface of the mold, it is necessary that the complicated uneven shape of the inner mold 107 of the mold 108 is precisely matched with the complicated uneven shape of the inner surface of the inner box 103. There is.

  However, in order to process the shape of the heavy inner mold 108, a large-scale processing apparatus is required, and it is difficult to maintain a small dimensional variation with time.

  Further, in normal production, there are a plurality of molds 108, and it is necessary to eliminate individual differences in dimensions between the molds, but it is impossible to completely eliminate individual differences. For this reason, the heat insulation box 100 of the completed refrigerator is distorted, and a trouble occurs in which a urethane material leaks due to a gap formed at the joint between the inner box 103 and the outer box 104. When the inner shape of the inner box 103 is simple, the above trouble is solved. However, if the inner shape of the inner box 103 is simple, the usability of the inner box 103 serving as a user handling surface is also impaired.

  Therefore, a method for forming the heat insulating box 100 by combining a plurality of foamed urethane boards is effective as a manufacturing method that does not use the mold 108. The heat insulation box 100 of the refrigerator can be configured by combining flat plate-like parts.

  As described above, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of assembling a urethane foam board to form a heat insulating box.

  However, if the mating accuracy is poor when multiple insulation boards are combined, the box may be tilted or twisted, the location of the shelves may be displaced, and a gap may be opened in the corner. There was a problem that did not improve.

  In order to increase the fitting accuracy, there is a case where a metal having a complicated bend is arranged at the end of the board, but there are problems such as an increase in weight and a decrease in yield.

  Similarly, even if the size of the board used for assembly changes, the box body may be tilted or twisted, the location of the shelf board may be displaced, and a gap may be opened in the corner, which does not improve the yield. was there.

  When a foaming heat insulating material is used as a structural material as it is, even if it is cut with high accuracy, the shape varies depending on the standing time due to temperature fluctuation and residual stress after board production. In order to cope with this, an assembly-type refrigerator often has a sandwich structure in which the board itself is sandwiched between thin metal plates.

  However, the weight of the heat insulation board is heavy, making it difficult to perform assembly work, and the inside of the refrigerator cabinet becomes metal, and there is a problem that a surface like the inner surface of a domestic refrigerator cannot be formed.

  There is also a method of making a board with a foam surface material for weight reduction and aesthetics, but there is no method for improving the fitting accuracy, and the present situation is that it can only be used for an assembled cold box application.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a laminated structure in which a heat insulating panel includes an internal heat insulating material layer and an exterior material layer laminated on both side surfaces thereof, and the exterior material layer is formed of a foam face material. For the internal heat insulating material layer, a lightweight and excellent heat insulating material such as urethane foam may be used, and the thickness T may be arbitrarily set according to the required heat insulating property. As the foam face material, a plastic foam sheet is used. Examples of the plastic include polyolefin phenol resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyurethane, and vinyl chloride.

Japanese Patent No. 4631544 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-2281

  In the conventional method for manufacturing a heat insulation box, when injecting urethane foam into the space 105 formed between the inner box 103 and the outer box 104, the inner surface of the inner box 103 is removed from the inner surface of the inner box 103 and the inner surface of the inner box 103 is eliminated. When the shape is simplified to be flat, a shelf surface having a complicated curve and a smooth surface with a beautiful appearance are required, but the beauty and convenience of the inner box 103 cannot be ensured.

  The above is a case where the heat insulating box 100 is formed by injecting and foaming urethane material into the space 8 formed by the inner box 103 and the outer box 104. The heat insulating box body of the refrigerator is a plate-like heat insulating board. Can also be produced. In this case, a heavy metal mold 108 is not required at the assembly, which is more advantageous.

  However, in the manufacturing method of the heat insulation box by the above conventional assembly, a structure in which a foamed urethane board is sandwiched between metal bodies as in Patent Document 1 is taken, and the inner surface of the refrigerator is a metal body. You can't make resin aesthetics like the inside.

  In addition, when forming a heat insulation box with a combination of heat insulation boards, since a processing error component of the heat insulation board and an error component at the time of assembly are added, compared to the heat insulation box 100 produced using the mold 108 that has been raised, Dimensional accuracy deteriorates. In particular, when a heat insulating board is made of a foam surface material, there is no method for improving the fitting accuracy, and there is a case where a box cannot be formed.

  FIG. 16 is a schematic view showing an example of manufacturing a conventional refrigerator by combining heat insulating boards.

  As shown in FIG. 16, in a conventional extension, a heat insulating board combination box 110 is formed by a combination of heat insulating boards, and the inner box 103 and the outer box 104 are bonded together. In particular, there are many places where the shelf holder 102 of the inner box 103 and the heat insulation board box shelf support 111 of the heat insulation board combination box 110 cannot be fitted to each other, and many defective products are generated. It was difficult to commercialize. When the heat insulation board box shelf support 111 is not made, the inner box shelf support 102 and the heat insulation board box shelf support 111 can be easily fitted, but there is a cavity in the inner box shelf support 102. Therefore, the strength of the inner box shelf cradle 102 is weakened, and the shelf cradle 102 of the inner box 103 is damaged when a shelf is placed on the inner box shelf cradle 102 and a heavy load is placed on the shelf. There is a fear.

  In patent document 2, although the heat insulation panel is comprised from the laminated structure of an internal heat insulation material layer and an exterior material layer, the shelf inner surface with a complicated curve, and the smooth inner surface of a good inner box with good aesthetics are obtained by thermal transfer. There is no disclosure about.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and without using a complicated manufacturing apparatus or manufacturing process, a method for manufacturing a heat insulating and cushioning material that can ensure aesthetics and convenience, and using this, for assembly. Insulated box material that can be molded with good yield even if fitting accuracy is low, heat insulation / buffer material manufactured by heat insulation / buffer material manufacturing method, heat insulation box manufacturing method Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator using the heat insulation box and the heat insulation / buffer material or the heat insulation box.

  The method for producing a heat insulating / buffer material according to the present invention is to heat-mold the heat insulating / buffer material by pressing the uneven shape of the mold temperature controlled so as to produce a rough surface and a smooth surface. This achieves the above object.

  Preferably, the heat insulation / buffer material in the method for producing a heat insulation / buffer material of the present invention is a foamed thermoplastic material having a thickness capable of thermoforming the surface into an uneven shape.

  The method for producing a heat insulation box of the present invention includes a heat insulation box assembly process for assembling a heat insulation box before thermoforming by fitting a bottomed or bottomless inner box into the outer box, and the heat insulation and buffering of the present invention. By using the material manufacturing method, the inner surface of the inner box has a thickness that can be thermoformed, and the inner surface of the inner box is unevenly formed by pressing the uneven shape of the mold against the heat insulating / buffer material surface of the inner surface of the inner box. And a thermoforming step for forming a heat-insulating box having a shape, whereby the above object is achieved.

  Preferably, the heat insulating box assembly step in the method for manufacturing a heat insulating box of the present invention includes forming a box by combining heat insulating boards, fitting the box into the outer box, and The heat insulation box before thermoforming is assembled by fitting in the box.

  The heat insulation / buffer material of the present invention has a foaming ratio lower than the foaming ratio of the foamed material of the thermoplastic material on the surface of the concavo-convex formation layer of the heat insulation / buffer material produced by the method for producing the heat insulation / buffer material of the present invention. The above-mentioned object is achieved by this.

  The heat insulating box of the present invention is a heat insulating box manufactured by the method for manufacturing a heat insulating box of the present invention, the heat insulating box having a laminated structure, and the heat insulating layer of the heat insulating board and the inner box. It has at least both layers of an uneven | corrugated formation layer, The said objective is achieved by it.

  The refrigerator of the present invention is such that the heat insulation / buffer material of the present invention is used on the inner surface of the refrigerator, or the heat insulation box of the present invention is used, thereby achieving the above object. .

  With the above configuration, the operation of the present invention will be described below.

  In the present invention, the heat-insulating / buffer material is thermoformed by pressing the uneven shape of the mold and the uneven shape of the mold temperature controlled so as to produce a smooth surface. The manufacturing method of the heat insulation box body of the present invention using this, the heat insulation box body assembly process of assembling the heat insulation box body before thermoforming by fitting the bottomed or bottomless inner box in the outer box, By using the method for manufacturing a heat insulating / buffer material, the inner surface of the inner box having a thickness capable of thermoforming the surface is pressed against the surface of the heat insulating / buffer material on the inner surface of the inner box to perform thermoforming. And a thermoforming step of forming a heat insulating box having an uneven shape on the inner surface of the box.

  As a result, the heat-insulating and shock-absorbing material is thermoformed by pressing the uneven surface of the mold and the uneven surface of the mold temperature controlled so as to produce a smooth surface. It is possible to ensure aesthetics and convenience without using a process. In addition, because the surface of the inner box has a thickness that can be thermoformed, it is thermoformed by pressing the concave / convex shape of the mold against the surface of the heat insulation / buffer material on the inner surface of the inner box. Since there is an effect of filling the gap, it is possible to mold the heat insulating box with a high yield even when the fitting accuracy is low in assembly.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since the surface unevenness shape and the unevenness shape of the mold whose temperature is controlled so as to produce a smooth surface are pressed against the surface to thermally mold the heat insulating / buffer material, a complicated manufacturing apparatus In addition, the aesthetics and convenience can be secured without using a manufacturing process, and the heat insulating box can be molded with a high yield even if the fitting accuracy is low in assembly.

It is a perspective view which shows typically the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the AA line longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows typically the heat insulation box body before and behind thermoforming in the refrigerator of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the principal part structural example of the heat molding apparatus in the refrigerator manufacturing apparatus of this Embodiment 1. It is a schematic diagram which shows the specific example in the case of manufacturing the heat insulation box of Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows a heat insulation board manufacturing apparatus typically. It is a top view of plate-shaped heat insulation box components. It is a top view which shows typically the outline of the six heat insulation box components for assembling the heat insulation board combination box. It is a perspective view which shows typically the state which installed the heat insulation box in the refrigerator manufacturing apparatus which adhere | attaches an outer box on a heat insulation board combination box. It is a perspective view which shows typically an heat insulation box and the inner box board component attached to this. It is a perspective view which shows the inner box for thermoforming typically. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other principal part structural example of the thermoforming apparatus in the refrigerator manufacturing apparatus of this Embodiment 2. It is a cross-section figure of a refrigerator panel. (A) And (b) is a perspective view of each component of the conventional refrigerator. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the outline of the conventional refrigerator typically. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows typically the state which set the heat insulation box in the metal mold | die with an outer mold | type and an inner mold | type. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example in the case of manufacturing the conventional refrigerator combining a heat insulation board.

  Embodiments 1 and 2 of a heat insulation / buffer material manufacturing method of the present invention, a heat insulation box manufacturing method using the same, a heat insulating / buffer material and a heat insulating box manufactured using these, and a refrigerator using them Will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, each thickness, length, etc. of the structural member in each figure are not limited to the structure to illustrate from a viewpoint on drawing preparation.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, since the refrigerator 5 of the first embodiment is a refrigerator mainly used in a general household, a shelf 6 and a shelf cradle 7 are formed therein. Here, illustration of refrigeration cycle components such as an evaporator and a compressor, and electrical components such as a control board are omitted.

  FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line AA schematically showing the heat insulating box body before and after thermoforming in the refrigerator 5 of FIG.

  In FIG. 2, the heat insulation box 1 before thermoforming of the first embodiment is made of a material having a thickness capable of thermoforming the inner surface of the inner box material 2a before thermoforming, such as an inner box shelf cradle before thermoforming. It is formed in a simple flat shape without forming an uneven shape. The surface of the thick inner box material 2a capable of thermoforming does not have to be a smooth surface, although it has an aesthetic appearance before thermoforming.

  After assembling the inner box material 2a and the outer box 4 so that a space 3 (another member may be provided in the space 3) is formed between them, the inner mold of the heat mold having an uneven shape is inserted. Inner box material that is inserted into the recess of the box material 2a, and the inner mold material has a concave and convex shape (shelf holder, etc.) on the inner surface of the inner box material 2a. A heat insulating box 1A having 2 can be formed. In this case, the inner mold size of the thermal mold is smaller than the inner surface size of the inner box material 2a so that insertion or extraction is easy.

  In addition, while inserting the inner mold of the heat mold having the concavo-convex shape into the recess of the inner box material 2a and injecting urethane foam into the space 3 with the outer mold fixed around the heat insulating box 1 It is also conceivable to form the heat insulating box 1A having the inner box material 2 with the inner surface of the concave / convex shape by thermally transferring the inner concave / convex shape (shelf holder, etc.) to the inner surface of the inner box material 2a. Thus, in the case of thermoforming with a single integrated mold, a trace of dragging on the inner surface of the concavo-convex is made when the inner mold of the hot mold is extracted.

  The case where the inner mold of the heat mold having the concavo-convex shape is inserted into the concave portion of the inner box material 2a to thermally transfer the concavo-convex shape (shelf holder, etc.) will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a main part of a heat molding apparatus in the refrigerator manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the heat insulating box 1 is placed at a predetermined position of the heat molding apparatus 11 with the concave surface of the thick inner box material 2a facing upward, and heated to the concave inner surface of the thick inner box material 2a. The heating inner mold 12 of the molding apparatus 11 is inserted and pressed while applying heat. Thereby, it becomes possible to thermo-form to a predetermined uneven | corrugated shape, melting the inner-box material 2a with the thickness which can be thermo-molded. In this case, the predetermined uneven shape is thermally transferred to the bottom surface of the recess of the inner box material 2a.

  Further, after raising the heating inner mold 12 of the heat molding apparatus 11 by a predetermined amount, the heating inner mold 12 is driven left and right and front and rear by a predetermined amount, and the uneven shape of the heating inner mold 12 is formed on the concave side surface of the thick inner box material 2a. Press. Thereby, it becomes possible to heat-mold to a predetermined uneven | corrugated shape, melt | dissolving the side surface of the thick inner box material 2a which can be thermoformed. As a result, a predetermined uneven shape such as a shelf cradle for shelf installation can be formed in the inner box material 2a (side surface and bottom surface), and a smooth surface can be formed in the predetermined uneven shape.

  The thermoforming apparatus 11 has a thickness capable of thermoforming by moving the two inner heating molds 12 heated by the heater block 13 in at least one of the up / down direction, the left / right direction, and the front / rear direction using the operating shaft 14. Into the concave inner box material 2a, the heating inner mold 12 having a predetermined concave and convex shape is inserted, and the predetermined concave and convex shape is pressed by a necessary amount, and heat is gradually applied to the thick inner box material 2a that can be thermoformed. Then, the surface of the inner box material 2a is dissolved and deformed into a predetermined uneven shape and transferred.

  Specifically, as an example of the material of the inner box material 2a having a thickness that can be thermoformed, a foam material of thermoplastic plastic such as foamed polyethylene, foamed thermoplastic urethane, foamed polystyrene, or foamed polypropylene is preferable. In the case of a material having a large foaming ratio of the foamed material (containing many gas components with respect to the raw thermoplastic material), the temperature at the time of thermoforming can be lowered and the pressing force can be reduced.

  However, the surface resin layer (layer of the inner box material 2a) produced by thermoforming becomes thin, and scratches can be made even with a weak force with a claw, or the inner shelf has a finished shelf holder. There are also problems such as softness and cushioning. When the foaming ratio of the foam material is low, the resin layer on the surface made by thermoforming will be thick, the nails will not scratch with a weak force, and the finished shelf cradle will have sufficient rigidity However, it is necessary to increase the temperature during thermoforming and increase the pressing force.

  In the case of foamed polyethylene or foamed polypropylene, it was easy to balance thermoformability and the finished surface when the foaming ratio was 20 to 40 times. □ In the case of foamed polyethylene of 1 m (1 m square per side) with a thickness of 50 mm and an expansion ratio of 20 times, when the heating temperature is 150 degrees Celsius, when molding at a rate of 5 mm per second, 50 kg Power was needed. When the heating temperature is 200 degrees Celsius, processing can be performed with a load of 30 kg. At 250 degrees Celsius, the shape changes as soon as the mold touches the foamed material, so that processing can be performed with a load of 0 kg, but dissolution is too early and only a surface with some unevenness can be produced. Similar results can be obtained with expanded polypropylene, but when the temperature is set to 250 degrees Celsius, the material surface begins to burn and turns yellow. This result is an example, and the workability greatly varies depending on the type of material forming the foam material, the size of the bubbles in the foam material, the structure of the bubbles, and the like.

  Moreover, although foamed polyethylene and foamed polypropylene are inferior to foamed urethane, they have heat insulation properties. For this reason, the part melt | dissolved with the heat applied at the time of thermoforming is limited to the surface. The surface has a feature that the skin layer has a hardness lower than the foaming ratio of the base material and the foamed structure remains inside.

  In short, in the method of manufacturing the heat insulating / buffer material, the heat insulating / buffer material is thermoformed by pressing the uneven shape of the mold whose temperature is controlled so as to produce a rough surface and a smooth surface. This heat insulating / buffer material is a foamed thermoplastic material having a thickness capable of thermoforming the surface into a concavo-convex shape. In this heat insulating / buffer material, a skin layer having an expansion ratio lower than the expansion ratio of the foamed material of the thermoplastic material is formed on the surface of the unevenness forming layer of the heat insulating / buffer material as described above.

  On the other hand, as a manufacturing method of the heat insulation box 1A, a heat insulation box assembly process of assembling the heat insulation box 1 before thermoforming by fitting a bottomed or bottomless inner box (inner box material 2a) into the outer box 4 And a mold (heated inner mold 12) on the inner surface of the inner box (inner box material 2a) with a thickness capable of thermoforming the surface using the above-described method for manufacturing the heat insulating / buffer material. A heat forming step of forming a heat insulating box 1A having a concavo-convex shape on the inner surface of the inner box (inner box material 2) by pressing the concavo-convex shape.

  According to the first embodiment, in the heat insulating box 1, the heating inner mold 12 of a thermo mold having a concavo-convex shape is inserted into the concave portion of the inner box material 2a having a thickness that allows the inner surface to be thermoformed. Insulating box body having an uneven shape (shelf holder, etc.) on the inner surface of inner box material 2 by pressing and transferring the inner uneven shape (shelf holder, etc.) to the inner surface of inner box material 2a. 1A can be formed.

  As a result, shelves with complex curves and a smooth inner surface with a beautiful appearance can be obtained, and aesthetics and convenience are ensured without the use of complicated manufacturing equipment and processes. Even if the fitting accuracy is low in assembly, the heat insulating box can be thermoformed with a high yield.

  In addition, in this Embodiment 1, although the said heat insulation and buffer material was used for the inner surface of a warehouse, or the refrigerator in which the said heat insulation box 1A was used was demonstrated, it is not restricted to this, The said heat insulation and buffer material Or the said heat insulation box 1A can also be used for an air conditioner, an air cleaner, an air conditioner, etc.

(Embodiment 2)
In the second embodiment, a case will be described in which a heat insulating board combination box is provided between an inner box 2 made of a material having a thickness capable of thermoforming the inner surface and a metal outer box 4.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example in the case of manufacturing a heat insulating box according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the combination of heat insulating boards in the method for manufacturing a heat insulating box of the second embodiment, a heat insulating board combination box 15 is formed, and a metal outer box 4 is covered and bonded thereto.

  Next, the inner box 16 of the bottomed box made of a thick material that can be thermoformed is inserted into the inside of the heat insulating board combination box 15 to which the outer box 4 is bonded, and is attached with an adhesive and thermoformed. The front heat insulation box 17 is made.

  Subsequently, a predetermined concavo-convex shape is transferred to the inner surface of the box (inner box 16) made of a material having a thickness that can be thermoformed by the thermo mold of the thermoforming apparatus 11. In this case, since a complicated shape of the inner surface of the inner box 16 is formed by thermoforming, a large allowable range of fitting error can be obtained. The small gap in the box that is produced during assembly has the effect of closing the gap when the material melted during thermoforming goes around the gap. For this reason, the tolerance | permissible_range of an error becomes still wider.

  A series of flows in the case of forming the heat insulation box by assembling is as follows.

  FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the heat insulation board manufacturing apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 5, first, a heat insulation board is produced.

  As a material for the heat insulating board, urethane foam is preferable because of its heat insulating property. A method called sandwich molding is preferable for manufacturing the heat insulating board. The foamed urethane 20 is sandwiched between the upper cover 18 and the lower cover 19 made of film or paper on the top, bottom, left and right. That is, the urethane foam 20 is poured out from the nozzle 21 between the upper cover 18 and the lower cover 19 and is passed between the supporting plate materials 22 facing each other at a predetermined interval, thereby producing a heat insulating board.

  In this case, the urethane foam 20 is foamed to become a heat insulating material 20a, and generates a high foaming pressure. Therefore, it is necessary to support the opposing surface of the film or paper from above and below with the support plate material 22. When it is desired to mass-produce the heat insulating boards continuously, the upper and lower support plate materials 22 may be conveyed (not shown) in a conveyor manner.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view of a plate-like heat insulating box part.

  Next, a hole-like process or an end face notch process is performed on the manufactured heat insulation board to produce a plate-shaped heat insulation box component 23 as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view schematically showing the outline of the six heat insulating box parts for assembling the heat insulating board combination box 15.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the plate-like parts necessary for forming the heat insulating box of the refrigerator are board parts 23 a to 23 f as six board-like heat insulating box parts 23. By combining the end face sides of the board components 23a to 23f, it is possible to form the heat insulation board combination box 15 of the refrigerator.

  For the combination of the board parts 23a to 23f, fastening means such as adhesion, caulking, and bolt fixing are taken. When wiring and piping are required, wiring and piping are laid in the state of the heat insulating board combination box 15.

  Note that the notches around the board parts 23a to 23f of the six heat insulating boxes shown in FIG. 7 are expressed in the same shape for convenience, but this notch is an end face when the board parts 23a to 23f are combined. It is an unevenness for inserting each other. The board components 23a and 23b are side walls, the board component 23c is a back wall at the back of the box, and the board components 23d to 23f are a top plate, an intermediate plate, and a bottom plate, respectively. The heat insulation board combination box 15 can be assembled by these board parts 23a-23f.

  Subsequently, the outer box 4 is attached to the heat insulating board combination box 15.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which the heat insulating box 10 is installed in a refrigerator manufacturing apparatus that covers and attaches the outer box 4 to the heat insulating board combination box 15.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in order to easily attach the outer box 4 to the heat insulating board combination box 15, it is effective to bond the heat insulating board combination box 15 and the outer box 4 with an adhesive. In order to take a large strain that cannot be allowed even by thermoforming, it is effective to use the bonding jig 24 at the time of bonding. As the adhesive, a material that melts by heat and exhibits an adhesive force simultaneously with curing when cooled is preferable. In general, such adhesives are commercially available as hot melt adhesives.

  Here, the HM adhesive sheet 26 in the form of a hot melt adhesive is sandwiched between the heat insulating board combination box 15 and the outer box 4, and the outer box 4 that is the outer wall of the heat insulating box 10 is attached to the bonding jig 24. At the same time sandwiched by both sides and upper side by the heating plate 25, it is pressed down.

  Subsequently, the outer box 4 is heated by the heating plate 25, the HM adhesive sheet 26 inside the outer box 4 is melted, and when the heat insulating box 10 is released from the bonding jig 24, it is naturally cooled and bonded. Is completed. If this bonding method is employed, large strains can be removed and bonded simultaneously. When it is necessary to remove distortion more precisely, the HM adhesive sheet 26 may be cooled when the heat insulating box 10 is fixed by the bonding jig 24.

  Next, the inner box 16 for thermoforming is attached to the heat insulating box 10.

  FIG. 9 is a perspective view schematically showing the heat insulation box 10 and the inner box board component attached to the heat insulation box 10. FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing the inner box 16 for thermoforming.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, an adhesive is effective for attaching the inner box 16 made of a thick material that can be thermoformed to the heat insulating box 10. A bottomed inner box 16 made of a thick material that can be thermoformed and adapted to the size of the inside of the recess in the heat insulation board combination box 15 of the heat insulation box 10 made of the heat insulation board is formed into a heat insulation board combination box. 15 may be inserted into the recesses 15 and attached with an adhesive, but it is better to attach the board-shaped inner box board component 27 to each side surface inside the heat insulating board combination box 15 of the heat insulating box 10. Workability is good. A bottomless inner box is constituted by four inner box board parts 27 on the upper, lower, left and right walls.

  In thermoforming, the shape of the material is adjusted while being melted by heat, so that even if a slight amount of gaps are opened, the dissolved material wraps around and fills the gaps. An acceptable degree to fill this gap is defined as a fitting error. If the fitting error is about 3 mm, the assembling error of the board-shaped inner box board component 27 can be allowed up to 3 mm. In the case of foamed polyethylene of 40 times foaming thickness of 50 mm, when the finished dimension after thermoforming is 20 mm, it has been confirmed that the gap is closed even if the gap is 5 mm.

  Next, thermoforming is performed on the board-shaped inner box board component 27.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating another configuration example of a main part of the heat molding apparatus in the refrigerator manufacturing apparatus according to the second embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 11, a heat-insulating box 10A having four board-like inner box board parts 27 mounted as upper, lower, left and right walls is installed in a heat molding apparatus 11A, and an inner box board part 27 made of a thick material. By pressing the surface of the inner box board component 27 with heat by the single-surface heating die 28, the inner box board component 27 having a thickness that can be thermoformed can be melt-molded into a predetermined uneven shape. The surface of the inner box board component 27 can be formed with uneven portions such as a shelf cradle for shelf installation by a single surface heating die 28 to create a smooth surface.

  The heating molding device 11A presses the required amount against the surface of the inner box board component 27, which is a thick material that can be thermoformed, by moving the operating shaft 13 up and down the heating die 28 for single surface heated by the heater block 29. The surface is gradually dissolved while applying heat to a thick material that can be thermoformed. Thermoforming may be carried out with one integrated mold, but using two heating molds 28 that are movable in the left-right direction, the two heating molds 28 are moved to open to the left and right, A predetermined uneven shape is thermoformed on the surface of each inner box board component 27. Similarly, by using two heating dies 28 that are movable in the front-rear direction, the two heating dies 28 are moved back and forth so that a predetermined uneven shape is heated on the surface of the inner box board component 27 in the front-rear direction. Mold. Further, if necessary, when the inner box 16 is used, a predetermined uneven shape can be thermoformed on the bottom surface of the inner box 16 with a single die integrated with the bottom surface of the inner box 16. .

  In addition, when thermoforming with one integrated mold, the shape of the inner box can be made by a single operation, so workability is good. However, there may be traces that are dragged when pressed against the inner surface of the cabinet, which is the user handling surface.

  As a countermeasure, as described above, each surface may be processed with an individual heating die 28. That is, in order to perform individual thermoforming for each surface, the single surface heating die 28 may be moved in the direction of the arrow on the left and right axis 29. By doing so, there is no trace of dragging as in the case of thermoforming with a single integrated mold, but it is necessary to perform a plurality of operations. For this reason, it is used properly according to the function required for the product.

  In the above description, the inner box board component 27 is affixed to the inner surface of the inner box after the heat insulation box 10 is made. However, a plate-like inner box board component 27 may be affixed before the heat insulation board is assembled. The cross-sectional structure of the completed heat insulating box or the cross-sectional structure of the refrigerator panel using the heat-insulating box body is as shown in FIG. 12, the outer box material 30 such as an iron plate, the adhesive layer 31, the film and paper 32, the polyurethane foam 33, the film and paper. 34, an adhesive layer 35, and an inner box (thermoforming material layer 36). The thermoforming material layer 36 is obtained by transferring the concavo-convex shape to the inner box board component 27 in the above.

  The thickness of each layer is 0.5-2 mm for the outer box material 30 such as an iron plate, 0.05-1 mm for the adhesive layer 31, 0.1-0.5 mm for the film and paper 32, 20-80 mm for the foamed polyurethane 33, The film and paper 34 are 0.1 to 0.5 mm, the adhesive layer 35 is 0.05 to 1 mm, and the inner box (thermoforming material layer 36) is 5 to 100 mm.

  In short, the cross-sectional structure of the heat insulating box or the cross-sectional structure of the refrigerator panel using the same is bonded to the first outer layer, the heat insulating layer, and the concavo-convex forming layer that can bond the metal exterior (outer box 4) and the heat insulating layer. A second adhesive layer that can be formed is provided, and four layers of an adhesive layer, a heat insulating layer, an adhesive layer, and an unevenness forming layer are provided in this order.

  The above-described laminated cross-sectional structure is not limited to the above-described heat insulating box 10A, but can be used for other members such as a door. If the refrigerator manufactured by this method is to change the shape of the shelf and the thickness of the thermoforming material layer 36 remains about 10 mm, a small heating tool such as a soldering iron can be used to The position can be finely adjusted.

  When a thick skin layer exceeding 500 μm is formed on the outermost surface of the thermoforming material layer 36, a small heating tool such as a soldering iron should be used if the inside of the refrigerator is damaged during use of the refrigerator. By using it, there is an advantage that the surface can be slightly dissolved by heat and repairs can be made to make the scratches inconspicuous.

  As described above, the inner box material 2a, the inner box board component 27, the inner box 16 and the like before thermoforming are formed of a material whose shape can be changed by heating as an unevenness forming layer. A thermoplastic resin foam such as propylene, foamed polyethylene, foamed ethylene vinyl alcohol, and foamed urea resin is preferred. In the adhesive layer, the unevenness forming layer and the heat insulating board are bonded in advance. Adhesives that do not generate gas components after bonding are good, and hot melt adhesives are suitable. As the heat insulation board, hard foamed urethane with high heat insulation is used, but if heat insulation is more important, it may be used together with a vacuum pack or the like. The adhesive layer is used for bonding the heat insulating board and the metal plate. However, the adhesive layer does not need to be bonded in the board state, and is preferably an adhesive that does not generate a gas component after bonding, and a hot melt adhesive sheet is suitable. A metal plate forms the outermost shell of a refrigerator, and has a role which maintains the intensity | strength when eight boards are combined. Usually, it is an iron plate bending product.

  Here, a foam material of a thermoplastic material that can be further thermoformed will be described.

Examples of materials that can be thermoformed when actually manufacturing a refrigerator include bead-expanded polypropylene (PP) having an expansion ratio of 15 times or more and bead-expanded polyethylene (PE) having an expansion ratio of 15 times or more. In this case, thermoforming can be performed at 70 g / cm ² or less. Also, it can be thermoformed at 250 degrees Celsius or less.

  Above all, bead foamed polypropylene (PP) with a foaming ratio of 15 times or more has a hard surface after thermoforming, and can obtain a glossy surface, which is durable against foods (soy sauce, sauces and vinegar). is there. As a result, it is possible to obtain a smooth inner surface having a concavo-convex shape such as a shelf pedestal having a complicated curve and a glossy appearance.

  In addition, although it is a material that can be thermoformed, materials that are difficult to use due to high compression pressure during thermal compression include (1) foamed polypropylene (PP) made by extrusion foam molding, and (2) extrusion foam molding. There are foamed polyethylene (PP) made, (3) foamed polyethylene vinyl ether (EVA) made by extrusion foam molding, (4) polystyrene foam (PS), (5) thermoplastic foamed polyurethane (PU), and the like.

  The above are the materials actually tested. Generally, any material called thermoplasticity (that can be injection-molded) can be thermoformed.

  Incidentally, as a material that cannot be thermoformed, (1) phenol resin (so-called bakelite), which does not change even at 400 degrees Celsius. Further, (2) thermosetting foamed polyurethane is burnt at 300 degrees Celsius or higher.

  These are the materials actually tested. Also, a material in which a filler such as a thermosetting material or glass fiber is mixed cannot be molded.

  In short, the method of manufacturing the heat insulating box 10A of the second embodiment forms the heat insulating board combination box 15 by combining the heat insulating boards, and fits the heat insulating board combination box 15 into the outer box 4 and the inner box 16. Alternatively, the inner box board component 27 is fitted into the heat insulating board combination box 15 to assemble the heat insulating box body 17 before thermoforming, and the method for manufacturing the heat insulating / buffer material of the first embodiment is used. A heat insulating box 10A having an uneven shape on the inner surface of the inner box is formed by pressing the uneven shape of the heating mold 28 against the surface of the heat insulating / buffer material on the inner surface of the inner box, which has a thickness capable of thermoforming the surface. And a thermoforming process. This heat insulating box has a laminated structure, and has at least both layers of a heat insulating layer of the heat insulating board and an unevenness forming layer of the inner box.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, a shelf having a complicated curve is provided in order to provide the heat insulation board combination box between the inner box made of a material having a thickness capable of thermoforming the inner surface and the metal outer box. It is possible to obtain a smooth inner surface of the inner case with uneven shapes such as a cradle and good aesthetics, ensuring aesthetics and convenience without using complicated manufacturing equipment and manufacturing processes as before, and assembling Even if the fitting accuracy is low, the heat insulating box can be molded with a high yield.

  As a result, it is possible to easily manufacture an assembling type refrigerator having a complicated uneven shape on the inner surface without using a heavy metal mold or jig as in the prior art.

  In addition, in this Embodiment 2, although the said heat insulation / buffer material was used for the surface in a store | warehouse | chamber, or the refrigerator in which the said heat insulation box 10A was used was demonstrated, not only this but the said heat insulation / buffer material And the said heat insulation box 10A can also be used for an air conditioner, an air cleaner, an air conditioner etc. besides a refrigerator.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was illustrated using preferable Embodiment 1, 2 of this invention, this invention should not be limited and limited to this Embodiment 1,2. It is understood that the scope of the present invention should be construed only by the claims. It is understood that those skilled in the art can implement an equivalent range based on the description of the present invention and the common general technical knowledge, from the description of specific preferred embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention. Patents, patent applications, and documents cited herein should be incorporated by reference in their entirety, as if the contents themselves were specifically described herein. Understood.

  The present invention relates to a method for producing a heat insulation / buffer material, a method for producing a heat insulation box using the same, a heat insulation / buffer material produced by a method for producing a heat insulation / buffer material, and a heat insulation produced by a method for producing a heat insulation box. In the field of refrigerators that use boxes and heat insulation / buffer materials or heat insulation boxes, it is possible to obtain a shelf holder with a complex curve and a smooth inner box with beautiful aesthetics. The aesthetics and convenience can be ensured without using a complicated manufacturing apparatus or manufacturing process, and the heat insulating box can be thermoformed with a high yield even if the fitting accuracy is low in assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heat insulation box before thermoforming 1A Heat insulation box 2 Inner box material 2a Inner box material before thermoforming 3 Space 4 Outer box 5 Refrigerator 6 Shelf 7 Shelf cradle 10, 10A Heat insulation box 11, 11A Heating molding device 12 Heated inner mold 13 Heater block 14 Operating shaft 15 Heat insulation board combination box 16 Inner box 17 Heat insulation box body before thermoforming 18 Upper cover 19 Lower cover 20 Urethane foam 20a Heat insulation material 21 Nozzle 22 Support plate material 23 Plate-like heat insulation box Body parts 23a to 23f Board parts 24 Adhesive jig 25 Heating plate 26 HM adhesive sheet 27 Inner box board part 28 Single-sided heating type 29 Left and right axis 30 Outer box material 31 Adhesive layer 32 Film / paper 33 Foam polyurethane 34 Film / paper 35 Adhesive layer 36 Thermoforming material layer of inner box

Claims (7)

  A method for manufacturing a heat insulating and cushioning material, in which a heat insulating and cushioning material is thermoformed by pressing the concave and convex shape of a mold whose temperature is controlled so as to produce a rough surface and a smooth surface.   2. The method for manufacturing a heat insulation / buffer material according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulation / buffer material is a foamed material of a thermoplastic material having a thickness capable of thermoforming the surface into an uneven shape. A heat insulation box assembly process for assembling a heat insulation box body before thermoforming by fitting a bottomed or bottomless inner box in the outer box;
By using the method for manufacturing a heat insulating / buffer material according to claim 1 or 2, the surface of the inner box having a thickness capable of thermoforming the surface is pressed against the surface of the heat insulating / buffer material on the inner surface of the inner box. A heat-insulating box manufacturing method comprising forming a heat-insulating box having an uneven shape on the inner surface of the inner box by thermoforming.   In the heat insulating box assembly process, a heat insulating board is combined to form a box, the box is fitted into the outer box, and the inner box is fitted into the box to form a heat insulating box before thermoforming. The manufacturing method of the heat insulation box of Claim 3 which assembles.   A skin layer having a foaming ratio lower than the foaming ratio of the foamed material of the thermoplastic material is formed on the surface of the unevenness forming layer of the heat insulating / buffering material manufactured by the method for manufacturing a heat insulating / buffering material according to claim 1. Heat insulation and cushioning material.   A heat insulation box produced by the method for producing a heat insulation box according to claim 4, wherein the heat insulation box has a laminated structure, and at least both of the heat insulation layer of the heat insulation board and the unevenness formation layer of the inner box. Insulated box with layers.   The refrigerator in which the heat insulation and the buffer material of Claim 5 are used for the surface in a store | warehouse | chamber, or the heat insulation box of Claim 6 is used.