KR102639611B1 - A refrigerator comprising a vacuum space - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a vacuum space, and more specifically, to a refrigerator that can improve the insulation function of the refrigerator by forming a vacuum space between the outer case and the inner case constituting the main body.
A refrigerator having a vacuum space portion of the present invention includes a main body having a storage space in which a predetermined storage material can be accommodated, wherein the main body includes an inner case in which the storage space is formed inside; an outer case that accommodates the inner case and is spaced apart from the inner case at a predetermined distance; a vacuum space provided between the inner case and the outer case, the inside of which is sealed and maintained in a vacuum state to perform an insulation function between the inner case and the outer case; a first support plate provided on one of the surfaces of the inner case and the outer case facing each other; It is characterized in that it includes a plurality of spacers fixed to the first support plate and supporting the inner case and the outer case to maintain the gap between the inner case and the outer case.

Description

{A refrigerator comprising a vacuum space}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a vacuum space, and more specifically, to a refrigerator that can improve the insulation function of the refrigerator by forming a vacuum space between the outer case and the inner case constituting the main body.

A refrigerator is an electrical product that uses a refrigerant cycle to maintain the temperature of the storage room at above or below zero, allowing stored items to be refrigerated or frozen.

Looking at the general configuration of a refrigerator, it includes a main body in which a storage space for storing items is formed, and a door that is rotatably or slideably disposed on the main body to open and close the storage space.

In the case of the main body, it includes an inner case in which a storage space is formed and an outer case in which the inner case is accommodated, and an insulating material is disposed between the inner case and the outer case.

This insulating material prevents the temperature in the storage space from being influenced by the external temperature.

Urethane foam is widely used as the insulating material, and liquid urethane is injected into the space between the inner case and the outer case to foam mold.

However, in order to realize the insulation effect using an insulation material, the thickness of the insulation material must be secured to a certain extent, which means that the insulation material becomes thicker. Naturally, the wall thickness between the inner case and the outer case becomes thicker, so the size of the refrigerator increases accordingly. It becomes bigger.

However, recently, with the trend toward compactness of refrigerators, the need for a structure that can increase the internal storage space while reducing the external size has emerged.

US Patent Publication US2000882 (1935.05.07.)

The present invention was devised to solve the above-described conventional problems, and its purpose is to provide a refrigerator that can increase the insulation effect by forming a vacuum space between the inner case and the outer case, while also achieving compactness of the external volume. there is.

In addition, it is intended to provide a refrigerator with a support structure that can maintain the gap between the inner case and the outer case without being deformed by external shock while forming a vacuum space between the inner case and the outer case.

A refrigerator equipped with a vacuum space part of the present invention for achieving the above object includes a main body having a storage space in which a predetermined storage material can be accommodated, wherein the main body has an inner case in which the storage space is formed on the inside. and; an outer case that accommodates the inner case and is spaced apart from the inner case at a predetermined distance; a vacuum space provided between the inner case and the outer case, the inside of which is sealed and maintained in a vacuum state to perform an insulation function between the inner case and the outer case; a first support plate provided on one of the surfaces of the inner case and the outer case facing each other; It is characterized in that it includes a plurality of spacers fixed to the first support plate and supporting the inner case and the outer case to maintain the gap between the inner case and the outer case.

The main body preferably further includes a second support plate provided on one of the opposing surfaces of the inner case and the outer case and disposed to face the first support plate.

The second support plate preferably includes a plurality of grooves formed on its inner surface so that ends of the plurality of spaces are inserted.

It is preferable that the plurality of spacers are arranged in a plurality of rows up and down and left and right.

It is preferable that the ends of the plurality of spacers have a convex curved shape.

It is preferable that the plurality of grooves of the second support plate have a concave curved shape corresponding to the shape of the plurality of spacers.

The spacer, first support plate, and second support plate are preferably made of any one of metal, ceramic, and reinforced plastic.

In addition, the main body preferably further includes a metal coating portion for blocking radiant heat transfer on at least one side of the outer surface of the first support plate and the inner surface of the second support plate.

Additionally, a plurality of perforations may be formed inside the edge of the first support plate between the plurality of spacers.

In addition, the first support plate includes an edge portion, a perforation portion formed in a portion surrounded by a plurality of spacers disposed along the edge portion, and a plurality of first support plates connecting the plurality of spacers in the perforation portion in a first direction. It may include a rib and a plurality of second ribs formed to intersect the plurality of first ribs and connecting the plurality of spacers in the perforation portion in a second direction.

Here, the first support plate may further include a plurality of reinforcing ribs connecting the plurality of spacers between the first rib and the second rib.

According to the above-described refrigerator of the present invention, a vacuum space rather than a normal insulating material is formed between the inner case and the outer case, and this vacuum space provides an insulating effect that suppresses heat transfer between the inner case and the outer case.

Since the insulation effect in a vacuum state is significantly better than that of conventional insulation materials, the refrigerator according to the present invention has the advantage of superior insulation compared to conventional refrigerators.

Meanwhile, in the case of the vacuum space, insulation is achieved as long as the vacuum state is maintained regardless of the thickness (gap between the inner case and the outer case), but in the case of ordinary insulation materials, the thickness of the insulation material must be thickened to increase the insulation effect. An increase in thickness leads to an increase in the size of the refrigerator.

Therefore, compared to a conventional refrigerator, the refrigerator according to the present invention can reduce the size of the external case while maintaining the same storage space, contributing to compactness of the refrigerator.

And, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, a vacuum space is formed between the inner case and the outer case, and the gap between the inner case and the outer case can be maintained without being deformed by external impact.

By providing a structure that can easily assemble the inner case and outer case forming the vacuum space and the support parts therebetween, workability is improved.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of a refrigerator according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is a partially cut-away perspective view showing the inner case, the outer case and the support parts therebetween in the refrigerator according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing assembling the first support plate and spacer and the second support plate in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the first support plate, the spacer, and the second support plate in FIG. 3 assembled.
Figure 5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the first support plate.
Figure 6 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the first support plate.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 shows an example of a refrigerator according to the present invention. Figure 2 is a partially cut-away perspective view showing the inner case, the outer case and the supporting parts therebetween in the refrigerator according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator according to the present invention includes a main body 1 in which a storage compartment is formed, a first door 4 rotatably provided on the left side of the main body 1, and the main body 1. It includes a second door (5) rotatably provided on the right side.

Here, the first door 4 functions to open and close the freezer compartment of the storage compartment, and the second door 5 functions to open and close the refrigerator compartment of the storage compartment, but the present invention is not limited to refrigerators with this structure.

That is, the refrigerator in FIG. 1 is a so-called side-by-side type refrigerator in which the freezer compartment is placed on the left and the refrigerator compartment is placed on the right, but the refrigerator of the present invention is of all types regardless of how the refrigerator compartment and freezer compartment are arranged. It can be applied to refrigerators. In addition, of course, it can be applied to a refrigerator equipped with only a refrigerator or freezer, or a refrigerator that further includes a separate cooling chamber in addition to the refrigerator and freezer.

Looking at the structure of the main body 1, it includes an internal case 110 in which the storage space is formed inside; an outer case 120 that accommodates the inner case and is spaced apart from the inner case at a predetermined distance; a vacuum space portion 130 provided between the inner case and the outer case, the inside of which is sealed and maintained in a vacuum state to perform an insulating function between the inner case and the outer case; a first support plate 160 provided on one of the opposing surfaces of the inner case 110 and the outer case 120; It includes a plurality of spacers 150 fixed to the first support plate and supporting the inner case 110 and the outer case 120 to maintain the gap.

The outer case 120 and the inner case 110 are arranged to be spaced apart from each other, and no separate insulating material is placed in this space, but is maintained in a vacuum state to provide insulation.

That is, a vacuum space 130 is formed between the outer case 120 and the inner case 110, so that the medium that mediates heat transfer between the inner case 110 and the outer case 120 is removed. maintain

By doing so, it is possible to prevent heat from hot air outside the outer case 120 from being transferred to the inner case 110 and its interior.

A plurality of spacers that maintain the gap between the inner case 110 and the outer case 120 in order to maintain the shape of the vacuum space portion 130 between the inner case 110 and the outer case 120 (spacer) 150 is placed. A plurality of such spacers 150 are arranged and supported to maintain the gap between the inner case 110 and the outer case 120.

The plurality of spacers 150 must be fixed between the inner case 110 and the outer case 120. As a structure for fixing this, the plurality of spacers 150 are connected to the first support plate 160. is placed in

The first support plate 160 may be provided to contact one of the opposing surfaces of the inner case 110 and the outer case 120.

In FIG. 2, the first support plate 160 is arranged to contact the outer surface of the inner case 110, but the first support plate 160 may be arranged to contact the inner surface of the outer case 120.

The main body 1 further includes a second support plate 170 provided on one of the opposing surfaces of the inner case 110 and the outer case 120 and disposed to face the first support plate. desirable.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the second support plate 170 is arranged to contact the inner surface of the external case 120, and the plurality of spacers 150 are fixed to the first support plate 160 to It is supported to maintain the gap between the first support plate 160 and the second support plate 170.

Since the first support plate 160 is in contact with the outer surface of the inner case 110 and the second support plate 170 is in contact with the inner surface of the outer case 120, the plurality of spacers 150 are Ultimately, it supports maintaining the gap between the inner case 110 and the outer case 120.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the first support plate 160 and the second support plate 170 are disposed at a predetermined distance, but as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of spacers 150 are integrally fixed. Only the first support plate 160 may be provided between the inner case 110 and the outer case 120.

In this case, when the second support plate 170 is not present, the ends of the plurality of spacers 150 will be arranged to directly contact the inner surface of the external case 120.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 1, the inner case 110, the outer case 120, and the spacer 150 are shown with the first support plate 160 and the second support plate 170 omitted for convenience.

Going back to the case where the second support plate 170 is also provided, the second support plate 170 includes a plurality of grooves 175 formed on its inner surface so that the ends of the plurality of spaces 150 are inserted. desirable.

The plurality of grooves 175 formed in the second support plate 170 are connected to the spacers 150 when the second support plate 170 is stacked on the plurality of spaces 150 integrally formed in the first support plate 160. Ensure that the relative position is fixed.

Since the inner case 110 and the outer case 120 forming the main body 1 must form a vacuum space 130 between them, for example, the inner case forming one side of the main body 1 ( 110) and the outer case 120 should be formed as one piece to have a size corresponding to the size of one side.

On the other hand, the first support plate 160 and the second support plate 170 produce units with a predetermined size smaller than the inner case 110 and the outer case 120, and then the first support plate 160 and the second support plate 170 are produced. A plurality of sets of 2 support plates 170 assembled together with the spacer 150 in between can be manufactured and assembled by inserting them between the inner case 110 and the outer case 120.

Of course, the first support plate 160 and the second support plate 170 may be manufactured to the same size as the inner case 110 and the outer case 120 and then assembled.

FIG. 2 shows only a portion of the inner case 110 and the outer case 120 in a laminated structure to illustrate the assembly structure.

Next, the structure and assembly method of the first support plate, spacer, and second support plate will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the first support plate, the spacer, and the second support plate assembled, and Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the first support plate, the spacer, and the second support plate assembled.

As shown, the plurality of spacers 150 are preferably arranged in a plurality of rows up and down and left and right.

The plurality of spacers 150 integrally formed and disposed on the first support plate 160 are arranged in rows in the up-down and left-right directions, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

By arranging the plurality of spacers 150 in a plurality of rows, not only is design and molding easy, but also assembly work is easy, and the strength to withstand vacuum pressure or external shock within the vacuum space 130 after assembly is increased. It can get bigger.

Also, it is preferable that the ends of the plurality of spacers 150 have a convex curved shape.

As shown in the enlarged circle in FIG. 4, the ends of the spacers 150 are formed in a convex curved shape, so that when assembled, the ends of each spacer 150 are in the groove 175 formed in the second support plate 170. Because it is easily seated, assembly work can be much easier.

In addition, it is more preferable that the plurality of grooves 175 of the second support plate 170 have a concave curved shape corresponding to the shape of the plurality of spacers 150.

The plurality of grooves 175 of the second support plate 170 are formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the plurality of spacers 150, so that not only is positioning easy during assembly, but the second support plate 170 remains intact even after assembly. It can be fixed so that it does not move in a direction parallel to its surface.

The spacer 150, the first support plate 160, and the second support plate 170 may be made of any one of metal, ceramic, and reinforced plastic.

The spacer 150 is provided in the vacuum space 130 between the inner case 110 and the outer case 120, and the first support plate 160 and the second support plate 170 are provided in the inner case 110. and the external case 120, respectively.

Therefore, heat transfer from the outside of the outer case 120 to the inside of the inner case 110 must be minimized, and external heat can be conducted through the second support plate 170, the spacer 150, and the first support plate 160. You can.

Therefore, the spacer 150, the first support plate 160, and the second support plate 170 provided to contact between the inner case 110 and the outer case 120 are each made of metal or ceramic, which are materials with low thermal conductivity. , it is preferable that it is made of any one of reinforced plastics.

Among these, it is better to manufacture the spacer, etc. from a material with low thermal conductivity but excellent strength, so it would be more preferable to manufacture it with ceramic or reinforced plastic rather than metal, which has excellent strength but relatively high thermal conductivity.

Meanwhile, the main body 1 may further include a metal coating portion for blocking radiant heat transfer on at least one of the outer surface of the first support plate 160 and the inner surface of the second support plate 170.

Although not shown in the drawing, the metal coating portion is coated with metal on at least one side of the outer surface of the first support plate 160 and the inner surface of the second support plate 170, and is used to form the inner case 110 and the outer case ( 120) Minimize heat transfer by radiation between

Since metal has excellent properties in blocking radiative heat transfer, it is generally coated with metal to minimize radiative heat transfer even though it has relatively high thermal conductivity.

In order to minimize radiant heat transfer, it would be desirable for the metal coating to be provided on both the outer surface of the first support plate 160 and the inner surface of the second support plate 170.

Hereinafter, two other embodiments of the first support plate will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

First, Figure 5 shows a first support plate 260 in which a plurality of spacers 150 are integrally formed and arranged according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

The difference between this embodiment and the first support plate 160 according to the first embodiment described above is that the first support plate 260 has a plurality of perforations 262 between the plurality of spacers 150 on the inner edge of the first support plate 260. was formed.

The reason for forming the plurality of perforations 262 in the first support plate 260 in this way is that fine atoms are formed on the surface of the first support plate 260 by vacuum pressure in the first support plate 260 within the vacuum space 130. Or, it is to prevent the outgassing phenomenon in which molecules protrude.

In other words, by reducing the surface area of the first support plate 260, the material itself that can cause outgassing is reduced.

Of course, by forming the plurality of perforations 262 in the first support plate 260, not only can the material cost of forming the first support plate be reduced, but its weight can also be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 5, since the plurality of spacers 150 are arranged in a plurality of rows up and down and left and right, the four vertices of the plurality of perforations 262 are adjacent to the four spacers 150. It consists of a rectangular shape positioned so as to

Of course, the shape of the perforated portion 262 is not limited to this rectangular shape, and may be formed in other shapes such as hexagon, octagon, or oval.

However, the plurality of perforations 262 are designed so that the first support plate 160 has sufficient strength to support the spacers 150 without interfering with them in consideration of the positions where the plurality of spacers 150 are disposed. will have to be formed.

In addition, the plurality of perforations 262 formed in the first support plate 160 are arranged inside the edge portion 261 of the first support plate 160.

A first rib 263 connecting the two spacers 150 in the horizontal direction and a second rib 264 connecting the two spacers 150 in the vertical direction are formed between the plurality of perforations 262. there is.

As shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of spacers 150 are disposed at a point where the first rib 263 and the second rib 264 intersect or where the two ribs intersect the edge portion 261. desirable.

The edge portion 261 of the first support plate 160 is preferably formed to have a width greater than the width of the first rib 263 and the second rib 264.

This is because this edge portion 261 forms the overall skeleton of the first support plate 160 and provides basic strength.

Also, the second support plate 170 shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 may be formed with a plurality of perforations like the first support plate 260 shown in FIG. 5 .

In this case, it is preferable that the second support plate 170 has the same shape as the first support plate 260. Of course, the plurality of grooves 175 described above may be formed in the second support plate 170.

Finally, Figure 6 shows a first support plate 360 in which a plurality of spacers 150 are integrally formed and arranged according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

The difference between this embodiment and the first support plate 260 according to the second embodiment described above is that the first support plate 360 is located inside the perforated portion 362 surrounded by a plurality of ribs 363 and 364. It further includes a reinforcing rib 365 connecting two or more spacers 150.

That is, in the third embodiment, the first support plate 360 includes an edge portion 361, a perforation portion 362 formed in a portion surrounded by a plurality of spacers 150 disposed along the edge portion, and the fabric. A plurality of first ribs 363 connecting the plurality of spacers in a first direction in the hole, and a plurality of first ribs 363 connecting the plurality of spacers in the perforation part in a second direction and formed to intersect the plurality of first ribs It may include a second rib 364, and may further include a plurality of reinforcing ribs 365 connecting the plurality of spacers between the first rib and the second rib.

For convenience, in the third embodiment, the perforation portion 362, unlike the perforation portion 262 in the second embodiment, is a rectangular shape formed in a portion surrounded by a plurality of spacers 150 disposed along the edge portion 361. It refers to a portion and is defined as a rectangular portion formed by an imaginary outline excluding the ribs 363, 364, and 365.

However, it will be understood that the first support plate 360 of the third embodiment has the same shape as the first support plate 260 of the second embodiment except for the reinforcing ribs 365.

This reinforcing rib 365 may be formed to connect two spacers arranged diagonally among the plurality of spacers 150. Therefore, the two reinforcing ribs 365 are formed to cross each other in the middle portion.

In addition, if the plurality of spacers 150 are of a shape capable of reinforcing the strength of the first support plate 360 formed integrally, they are connected in a direction parallel to the first rib 363 or the second rib 364. Of course, it can be done in other forms.

Since the above-described first support plates 160, 260, 360 and the second support plate 170 are formed as one piece regardless of their shape, it is preferable that they are manufactured by molding them all at once within a mold manufactured in a predetermined shape.

According to the refrigerator according to the present invention, it is very easy to assemble the refrigerator by inserting a plurality of spacers into the vacuum space between the inner case and the outer case, and it can have a structure that can sufficiently withstand vacuum pressure.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and those skilled in the art will be able to understand the invention appropriately within the scope described in the claims of the present invention. Change will be possible.

1: Body 4, 5: Door
110: Inner case (first embodiment) 120: Outer case
130: vacuum space 150: spacer
160: first support plate 170: second support plate
175: groove 260: first support plate (second embodiment)
261: edge portion 262: perforation portion
360: First support plate (third embodiment) 361: Edge portion
362: perforation 363: first rib
364: Second rib 365: Reinforcement rib

Claims (19)

Inner case;
an external case spaced apart from the internal case;
a vacuum space provided between the inner case and the outer case and having a thickness in a direction between the inner case and the outer case; and
It includes a first support plate including a portion extending in a direction different from the thickness direction of the vacuum space portion,
The first support plate is provided as a unit of a predetermined size, the unit is provided in at least two pieces, and the unit is extended to have a normal line in the same direction as the normal line of the inner case or the normal line of the outer case. According to claim 1,
The inner case or the outer case,
At least a portion extends in a direction in which the first support plate extends, and at least another portion extends in a direction different from the direction in which the first support plate extends,
A refrigerator wherein the at least two units include a unit extending in a direction in which the first support plate extends and a unit extending in a direction different from the direction in which the first support plate extends. According to claim 1,
The first support plate is provided by assembling at least two units or supporting each other. According to claim 1,
The refrigerator, wherein the unit is smaller than at least one of the inner case and the outer case. According to claim 1,
A refrigerator in which at least two of the units are inserted between the inner case and the outer case. According to claim 1,
A refrigerator in which at least two of the units are assembled between the inner case and the outer case. inner case;
an outer case spaced apart from the inner case;
a vacuum space provided between the inner case and the outer case and having a thickness in a direction between the inner case and the outer case;
a first support plate including a portion extending in a direction different from the thickness direction of the vacuum space portion; and
It includes a second support plate including a portion extending in a direction different from the thickness direction of the vacuum space portion,
The first support plate is disposed near the inner case to support the inner case, and the second support plate is disposed near the outer case to support the outer case, or
The second support plate is provided as a unit of a predetermined size, the unit is provided in at least two pieces, and the at least two units are arranged to face the first support plate. According to claim 7,
The refrigerator, wherein the second support plate is smaller than at least one of the inner case and the outer case. According to claim 7,
The second support plate is provided by assembling the at least two units or supporting each other. inner case;
an outer case spaced apart from the inner case;
a vacuum space provided between the inner case and the outer case and having a thickness in a direction between the inner case and the outer case;
a first support plate including a portion extending in a direction different from the thickness direction of the vacuum space portion; and
It includes a spacer including a portion extending in the thickness direction of the vacuum space portion,
The first support plate is provided as a unit of a predetermined size, and the unit is provided in at least two pieces,
At least two of the units are each assembled with the spacer to provide at least two sets, or
A refrigerator wherein the unit includes a portion provided as a plane with a predetermined thickness, and the spacer includes a portion extending in a thickness direction of the unit. According to claim 10,
The first support plate is a refrigerator in which at least two units support each other. According to claim 10,
The refrigerator, wherein the unit is smaller than at least one of the inner case and the outer case. According to claim 10,
A refrigerator provided so that the at least two sets support each other. According to claim 10,
Refrigerator in which at least two sets are placed on the same plane. inner case;
an outer case spaced apart from the inner case;
a vacuum space provided between the inner case and the outer case and having a thickness in a direction between the inner case and the outer case; and
It includes a first support plate including a portion extending in a direction different from the thickness direction of the vacuum space portion,
The first support plate is provided as a unit of a predetermined size, and the unit is provided in at least two pieces,
The inner case or the outer case,
It has a predetermined thickness in the thickness direction of the vacuum space portion and includes a surface extending in a direction different from the thickness direction,
The unit includes a portion having a predetermined thickness in the thickness direction of the vacuum space portion and includes a surface extending in a direction different from the thickness direction,
The direction in which the unit extends includes the same portion as the direction in which the inner case or the outer case extends, or
The surface of the unit includes a portion disposed to face the surface of the inner case or the surface of the outer case, or
A refrigerator wherein the surface of the unit includes a portion that is parallel to the surface of the inner case or the surface of the outer case. According to claim 15,
The refrigerator, wherein the unit is smaller than at least one of the inner case and the outer case. inner case;
an outer case spaced apart from the inner case;
a vacuum space provided between the inner case and the outer case and having a thickness in a direction between the inner case and the outer case;
a first support plate including a portion extending in a direction different from the thickness direction of the vacuum space portion; and
It includes a spacer including a portion extending in the thickness direction of the vacuum space portion,
The first support plate is provided as a unit of a predetermined size, and the unit is provided in at least two pieces,
A refrigerator in which, after the unit is manufactured, at least two of the units are assembled on the spacer and disposed between the inner case and the outer case. According to claim 17,
The spacer is a refrigerator formed in a shape that protrudes from one surface of the first support plate. According to claim 17,
The spacer is provided integrally with the first support plate.