JP7182040B2 - Vacuum Insulated Enclosures and Refrigerators - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a vacuum insulation housing used for a refrigerator or the like.

In recent years, the movement to promote energy saving as a countermeasure against global warming, which is a global environmental problem, has become active, and the performance evolution of heat insulation technology is expected. Conventionally, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, this type of heat insulation technology is based on a vacuum insulation panel 34 provided in the space inside the door frame 30 and a panel 34 provided in contact with the side of the door frame 30. A technique has been proposed in which a structure having a reinforcing member 35 is provided to improve the heat insulation performance. The vacuum heat insulation panel 34 refers to a structure in which heat insulation performance is improved by evacuating the inside of a plate-shaped container (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2013-119966 A

However, in the above-described conventional structure, the door frame 30 has a structure in which the vacuum insulation panel 34 and the reinforcing member 35 provided in contact with the side surface of the door frame 30 are provided in the internal space. Since the heat insulating property is configured independently from the vacuum heat insulating panel 34, there is a problem that the heat insulating performance deteriorates and the door frame 30 warps due to the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the refrigerator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum heat-insulated housing (door body) that is capable of solving the above-mentioned conventional problems and that can achieve both heat insulation performance and rigidity such as warp deformation caused by the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the door. .

In order to solve the conventional problems described above, the vacuum insulation housing of the present invention includes an outer panel, an inner panel, and a vacuum insulator disposed between the outer panel and the inner panel, wherein the vacuum insulator is , the vacuum insulator has a core material and a reinforcing member inside, wherein the core material is an open-cell urethane foam molded product, and the vacuum insulator has a structure in which the inside is vacuum-sealed with a sealing member and a base member. It is what I did.

As a result, even if there is a temperature difference between the inner and outer surfaces of the vacuum insulated case (door), the vacuum insulated case (door) can be body) can be suppressed.

The vacuum insulation housing (door) of the present invention prevents warpage deformation of the vacuum insulation housing (door) even if there is a temperature difference between the inner and outer surfaces of the vacuum insulation housing (door) while improving the heat insulation performance. Since warp deformation can be suppressed, it is possible to provide a vacuum heat-insulating housing that guarantees warp deformation for a long period of time with a simple structure and that also has improved heat-insulating performance.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator equipped with a vacuum insulation housing according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerating compartment door provided with a vacuum insulation housing according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Sectional view of a refrigerating compartment door provided with a vacuum insulation housing according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention Enlarged cross-sectional view of part A in FIG. 3 in Embodiment 1 of the present invention FIG. 1 is an exploded view of parts of a refrigerating compartment door according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Enlarged cross-sectional view of portion B in FIG. 5 in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Cross-sectional view of the vacuum insulator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Enlarged cross-sectional view of part C in FIG. 7 in Embodiment 1 of the present invention 1 is an exploded view of parts of a vacuum insulator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Enlarged cross-sectional view of part D in FIG. 9 in Embodiment 1 of the present invention FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a core material and a reinforcing member of a vacuum insulation housing according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; A perspective view of a core material and an adsorption member of a vacuum insulation housing according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the environmental temperature and the adsorption speed of the adsorption member arranged on the core material of the vacuum insulation housing according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram of a foaming mold for a core material of a vacuum insulation housing according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. An exploded view of a foaming mold for a core material of a vacuum insulation housing according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Exploded view of conventional vacuum insulation housing Cross-sectional view of a conventional vacuum insulation housing

A first invention comprises an outer plate, an inner plate, and a vacuum insulator disposed between the outer plate and the inner plate, the vacuum insulator having a core material and a reinforcing member inside, The core material is a foam molded product of open-cell foamed urethane, and the vacuum insulator has a structure in which the inside is vacuum-sealed with a sealing member and a base member. By arranging it in a vacuum-sealed space, bending rigidity is improved, and warp deformation caused by heat shrinkage due to the difference in environmental temperature between the inner and outer surfaces of the vacuum insulation housing can be suppressed.

According to a second invention, in the first invention, the core material and the reinforcing member are integrally formed, so that the reinforcing member is integrally molded with the open-cell urethane foam of the core material to provide bending rigidity. is improved, it is possible to further suppress warp deformation caused by thermal contraction due to the difference in environmental temperature between the inner and outer surfaces of the vacuum insulation housing.

A third invention is based on the first or second invention, wherein the reinforcing member uses a material that undergoes less change due to heat shrinkage than the core material. Since the material is also less susceptible to heat shrinkage, it is possible to reliably suppress warp deformation caused by heat shrinkage due to the difference in environmental temperature between the inner and outer surfaces of the vacuum insulation housing.

According to a fourth invention, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, the base member is formed by laminating thermoplastic resins of different materials, and is formed into a free shape by vacuum forming or the like. It is possible to prevent gas such as water and air from entering from the outside after vacuum sealing, and the degree of vacuum can be maintained, so that the heat insulating performance can be maintained for a long time.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the sealing member is laminated by laminating both sides of an aluminum foil with a resin film, so that water and water from the outside after vacuum sealing can be prevented. Since the infiltration of gas such as air can be prevented and the degree of vacuum can be maintained, the insulation performance can be maintained for a long period of time.

In a sixth invention, in any one of the first to sixth inventions, by providing an adsorption member inside the vacuum heat insulator, water generated from the inside after vacuum sealing, or water entering from the outside Since it absorbs gases such as air and does not deteriorate the degree of vacuum, it is possible to maintain heat insulation performance for a long period of time.

A seventh aspect of the invention is a refrigerator comprising the vacuum insulation housing according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, and can provide a highly reliable refrigerator that suppresses heat insulation performance and appearance deformation.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in all the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding parts, and redundant description may be omitted. Further, in all the drawings, constituent elements for explaining the present invention are extracted and illustrated, and illustration of other constituent elements may be omitted. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited by the following embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator equipped with a vacuum insulation housing according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator compartment door equipped with a vacuum insulation housing according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerating compartment door provided with a vacuum insulation casing according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part A in FIG. 3, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the B portion of FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum insulator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the C portion of FIG. 7, and FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion D in FIG. 9, and FIG. 11 is a diagram of the core material and reinforcing member of the vacuum insulation housing according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a perspective view.

In FIG. 1, a refrigerator 1 is composed of a refrigerator body 2 forming an appearance, a refrigerator compartment door 3, an ice making compartment door 4, a vegetable compartment door 5, and a freezer compartment door 6. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the refrigerating compartment door 3 is constructed by arranging an outer plate 3a and an inner plate 3c.

Next, the configuration of the refrigerator compartment door 3 will be described. 3 to 5, the refrigerator compartment door 3 includes an outer plate 3a, an inner plate 3c, and a vacuum insulator 3b arranged inside the outer plate 3a and the inner plate 3c. A gasket 3d for sealing the inside and outside of the refrigerator 1 is provided on the periphery of the refrigerator compartment door 3. - 特許庁

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the inner plate 3c of the refrigerating chamber door 3 is integrally formed by injection molding an inner plate chamber interior 15 and an inner plate outer peripheral portion 14 forming the side portion of the refrigerating chamber door 3. ing.

The inner plate 3c has an uneven thickness structure in which the thickness T2 of the outer peripheral portion outside the refrigerating chamber is larger than the thickness T1 inside the refrigerator inside the refrigerating chamber. Specifically, with respect to the recess 13 for fixing the anchor portion 12 of the gasket 3d, the inner plate outer peripheral portion 14 outside the refrigerating compartment is thicker than the thickness T1 of the inner plate cabinet interior 15 inside the refrigerator compartment of the inner plate 3c. The thickness T2 is increased.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the vacuum heat insulator 3b of the refrigerating compartment door 3, which is a vacuum heat insulating case, has a core material 3bc and a reinforcing member 3bca inside, and the inside is defined by a sealing member 3ba and a base member 3bd. It has a vacuum-sealed structure.

The core member 3bc and the reinforcing member 3bca are integrally formed. Specifically, the reinforcing member 3bca arranged in the vacuum insulator 3b is set in the foaming mold in advance when the open-cell urethane, which is the core material 3bc, is foam-molded in the foaming mold. , and an open-cell urethane.

As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the core material 3bc of the vacuum insulator 3b includes a reinforcing member 3bca integrally foam-molded and an adsorption member 3bb. It has a configuration in which a trace of a member positioning pin is provided. Specifically, the reinforcing members 3bca are arranged in pairs on the left and right sides of the inner side of the chamber, which is the inner plate 3c side, in the longitudinal direction of the core member 3bc. Further, the reinforcing member 3bca is formed in a curved surface along the convex portion 10 from the plane portion of the core material 3bc inside the chamber. A flange portion 11 is formed by bending a flange portion 11 at the end portion of the reinforcing member 3bca in the short direction, and the flange portion 11 is arranged to extend so as to bite into the inside of the core member 3bc.

Further, in the core material 3bc in the vacuum insulator 3b, a plurality of suction member concave portions 3bcb for accommodating the suction members 3bb are formed on the outer plate 3a side. The adsorption member concave portion 3bcb is provided for positioning and quantity control of the adsorption member 3bb during vacuum sealing assembly work of the vacuum insulator 3b.

Moreover, in order to facilitate the positioning of the reinforcing member 3bca in the urethane foam mold during the foam molding of the core material 3bc, the reinforcing member positioning pin marks 3bcc are provided.

The reinforcing member 3bca is made of a material that undergoes less change due to heat shrinkage than the core material 3bc, such as a metallic sheet metal.

The base member 3bd is formed by laminating different materials of thermoplastic resin.

The seal member 3ba is formed by laminating aluminum foil on both sides with resin films.

The operation and effects of the vacuum heat insulating housing constructed as described above will be described below.

First, the "warping phenomenon" of the refrigerator compartment door 3 will be described. The insulation structure of the refrigerator compartment door 3 and the gasket 3d insulate heat from the inside and outside of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator body 2, and the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment is cooled to a predetermined temperature by the temperature control of the refrigeration system.

Here, in order to simply explain the "warp phenomenon", especially when the temperature is high in the summer, thermal expansion occurs due to the outside air temperature of 30 to 40°C outside the refrigerator compartment, and the room temperature inside the refrigerator compartment is about 0 to 10°C. When the temperature is controlled within the range of °C and heat shrinkage occurs, the refrigerating compartment door 3 exerts a force that causes "warping" so that the outside of the compartment swells.

However, in the present embodiment, the inner plate 3c has an uneven thickness structure in which the thickness T2 of the outer peripheral portion on the outside of the refrigerator compartment is larger than the thickness T1 on the inside of the refrigerator compartment. Specifically, with respect to the recess 13 for fixing the anchor portion 12 of the gasket 3d, the inner plate outer peripheral portion 14 outside the refrigerating compartment is thicker than the thickness T1 of the inner plate cabinet interior 15 inside the refrigerator compartment of the inner plate 3c. Since the wall thickness T2 is increased, the thermal contraction of the inside of the inner plate 3c can be reduced, and the thermal contraction occurring inside and outside the refrigerating chamber can be alleviated, so that the entire refrigerating chamber door 3 can be prevented from being warped. .

Further, in the present embodiment, the vacuum insulator 3b of the refrigerating compartment door 3, which is a vacuum insulated casing, includes a core material 3bc and a reinforcing member 3bca inside, and the inside is evacuated by a sealing member 3ba and a base member 3bd. Since the structure is closed, the bending rigidity of the vacuum insulator 3b is improved, and the interior is vacuum-sealed to increase the rigidity. The occurrence of warpage of the entire door 3 can be suppressed.

Further, when the core material 3bc is formed, the reinforcing member 3bca is integrally molded at the same time as the open-cell urethane foam is formed, so that the core material 3bc and the reinforcing member 3bca are integrally formed, and the bending rigidity of the vacuum insulator 3b is further improved. Thus, the entire refrigerating compartment door 3 can be prevented from being warped.

In addition, since the reinforcing member 3bca is made of a material that undergoes less heat shrinkage than the core material 3bc, such as a metallic sheet metal, the bending rigidity of the vacuum insulator 3b is more reliably improved, and the refrigerating compartment door 3 Overall warping can be suppressed.

Further, the base member 3bd constituting the vacuum insulator 3b is formed by laminating thermoplastic resins of different materials and has gas barrier properties against water, air, etc., so that it can be formed into a free shape by vacuum forming or the like. In addition, gas such as water and air can be prevented from entering from the outside after vacuum sealing, and the degree of vacuum can be maintained, so that heat insulating performance can be maintained for a long period of time.

In addition, since the sealing member 3ba constituting the vacuum insulator 3b is laminated by laminating both sides of an ultra-thin aluminum foil with a resin film, it has a gas barrier property against water, air, etc. Since it is possible to prevent the intrusion of gas such as , air, etc. and maintain the degree of vacuum, the heat insulation performance can be maintained for a long time.

Further, the adsorption member 3bb housed in the vacuum insulator 3b adsorbs water, air, etc., generated inside the vacuum insulation housing, or water, air, etc., entering from the outside, so that after vacuum sealing, It absorbs gases such as water and air that are generated from the inside or that enter from the outside and does not deteriorate the degree of vacuum, so the heat insulating performance can be maintained for a long time.

Further, the adsorption member concave portion 3bcb of the core material 3bc provided in the vacuum insulator 3b is provided for positioning and quantity control during the vacuum sealing assembly work of the vacuum insulator 3b.

The reinforcing member positioning pin marks 3bcc are for facilitating positioning when setting the reinforcing member 3bca in a urethane foaming mold during foam molding of the core material 3bc.

The adsorption member concave portion 3bcb of the core material 3bc provided in the vacuum insulator 3b and the reinforcing member positioning pin mark 3bcc for facilitating positioning when setting the reinforcing member 3bca in the urethane foam mold are both assembled. It is possible to ensure timely work efficiency and manufacturing without shortages.

In addition, since the adsorption member 3bb adsorbs water or air generated inside the vacuum insulator 3b or water or air entering from the outside, the degree of vacuum of the vacuum insulator 3b can be maintained for a long period of time. Insulation performance can be maintained for a long period of time.

note that. In this embodiment, the refrigerating compartment door 3 is used for explanation, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to the ice making compartment door 4, the vegetable compartment door 5, the freezer compartment door 6, and the like.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a core material and an adsorption member that constitute the vacuum insulator of the vacuum insulation housing according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and FIG. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the environmental temperature of the adsorption|suction member arrange|positioned in the heat insulator, and adsorption speed. The same reference numerals are assigned to the same components as in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In FIG. 12, an adsorption member 3bb is arranged on the outer plate 3a side (high temperature side) inside the vacuum insulator 3b. Specifically, adsorption member concave portions 3bcb for accommodating the adsorption members 3bb are provided at a plurality of locations on the outer plate 3a side (high temperature side) of the core material 3bc in the vacuum insulator 3b. The suction member concave portion 3bcb is provided for positioning and quantity control of the suction member 3bb during vacuum sealing assembly work of the vacuum insulator 3b.

The core material 3bc is made of open-cell urethane foam, which is a porous structure. When the core material 3bc is formed, the open-cell urethane foam is simultaneously formed with the adsorption member recessed part 3bcb for accommodating the adsorption member 3bb. be.

Also, the adsorption member 3bb adsorbs water, air, etc., generated inside the vacuum insulator 3b, or water, air, etc., entering from the outside.

FIG. 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the environmental temperature of the adsorption member and the adsorption speed, showing that the higher the temperature, the faster the adsorption speed.

The operation and effects of the vacuum heat insulating housing constructed as described above will be described below.

The adsorption member 3bb arranged on the core material 3bc in the vacuum insulator 3b is arranged on the outer plate 3a side (high temperature side) of the core material 3bc. The speed can be increased, the degree of vacuum in the vacuum insulator 3b can be maintained for a long period of time while the refrigerator is assembled and the refrigerator is in operation, and the reliability of the refrigerator can be improved.

The core material 3bc is made of open-cell urethane foam, which is a porous structure. When the core material 3bc is formed, the open-cell urethane foam is simultaneously formed with the adsorption member recessed part 3bcb for accommodating the adsorption member 3bb. Therefore, it is possible to easily arrange the adsorption member 3bb and to prevent shortage of parts during the assembly process.

Further, by storing the adsorption member 3bb in the adsorption member concave portion 3bcb, it is possible to improve the assemblability of the refrigerating compartment door 3 without causing unevenness between the core member 3bc and the outer plate 3a.

In addition, since the adsorption member 3bb adsorbs water, air, etc., generated inside the vacuum insulator 3b, or water, air, etc., entering from the outside, heat insulation can be achieved by maintaining the degree of vacuum in the vacuum insulator 3b for a long period of time. Performance can be maintained for a long time.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 14 is a configuration diagram of a foaming mold for the core material of the vacuum insulation casing according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention, and FIG. It is a division|segmentation block diagram. The same components as those in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The open-cell foaming mold 7 for open-cell foamed urethane will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 14, the open-cell foaming mold 7 for open-cell foamed urethane has a vertically split structure of a foaming-molding upper mold 7a and a foaming-molding lower mold 7b.

Further, as shown in FIG. 15, the foam-molding upper mold 7a and the foam-molding lower mold 7b are further divided into a plurality of structures. Specifically, the portion of the foam molding upper mold 7a that forms the suction member concave portion 3bcb is the upper split mold 7ab, and the mating surface is the split mold line. In addition, the foam molding lower mold 7b is divided into lower surface split molds 7ba (four surfaces) having respective side portions, and the portions corresponding to the corners of the core material 3bc are divided diagonally (hypotenside) as mating surfaces. line.

With the above configuration, the gas generated during foam molding of open-cell urethane can be easily released, and the alignment of the foam molding upper mold 7a and the foam molding lower mold 7b has the effect of releasing the gas, so the surface shape of the molded product can be improved. It is possible to mold a foamed molded product that does not have insufficient thickness due to poor gas release.

In addition, the foam molding upper mold 7a has a plurality of divided structures, and the gas generated during the foam molding of open-cell urethane can be easily released, so that the surface shape of the molded product does not have a lack of thickness due to poor gas escape. can be molded.

In addition, since the lower mold 7b for foam molding has a multi-split structure to facilitate the escape of gas generated during foam molding of open-cell urethane, the surface shape of the molded product does not suffer from lack of thickness due to poor gas escape. can be molded.

In addition, the surface of the open-cell urethane molded product has a split mold structure that allows the gas generated during foam molding of the open-cell urethane to escape easily, so burrs are generated at the split parts where the gas is released. Therefore, it is possible to mold a foamed molded product that does not have a lack of thickness due to poor gas release in the surface shape of the molded product.

As described above, the vacuum insulation housing of the present invention can be applied not only to refrigerators but also to insulation structures such as automobiles, heat-pump water heaters, electric water heaters, rice cookers, bathtubs, and outer walls and roofs of houses.

1 Refrigerator 2 Refrigerator Main Body 3 Refrigerator Door (Vacuum Insulation Case)
3a Outer plate 3b Vacuum insulator 3ba Sealing member 3bb Adsorption member 3bc Core material 3bca Reinforcement member 3bcb Adsorption member concave portion 3bcc Reinforcement plate positioning pin mark 3bd Base member 3c Inner plate 3d Gasket 4 Ice making compartment door 5 Vegetable compartment door 6 Freezing compartment Door 7 Open-cell foam molding mold 7a Foam molding upper mold 7ab Upper surface split mold 7b Foam molding lower mold 7ba Lower surface split mold 10 Protruding part 11 Flange part 12 Anchor part 13 Recessed part 14 Inner plate outer peripheral part 15 Inside of inner plate warehouse

Claims (7)

an outer plate, an inner plate, and a vacuum insulator disposed between the outer plate and the inner plate;
The vacuum insulator has a core material and a reinforcing member inside, and the core material is a foam molded product of open-cell urethane foam,
The vacuum insulator has a structure in which the interior is vacuum-sealed by a sealing member and a base member. Formed vacuum insulated enclosure. 2. The vacuum insulation casing according to claim 1, wherein said core member and said reinforcing member are integrally constructed. 3. The vacuum insulation housing according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member is made of a material that undergoes less change due to heat shrinkage than the core material. 4. The vacuum insulation housing according to claim 1, wherein the base member is formed by laminating different materials of thermoplastic resin. 5. The vacuum insulation casing according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member is a laminate obtained by laminating both sides of an aluminum foil with a resin film. 6. The vacuum heat insulating housing according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an adsorption member inside said vacuum heat insulator. A refrigerator comprising the vacuum insulation housing according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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