KR20240028142A - Insulation material for refrigerator and refrigerator comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an insulating material for a refrigerator with improved thermal insulation used in parts around a gasket and a refrigerator including the same. The insulation material for a refrigerator according to the present invention contains, by weight, 75 to 95 wt% of thermoplastic resin, 20 wt% or less of filler, 5 wt% or less of blowing agent, and 1 wt% or less of color pigment. , the foaming agent has a diameter of 1 to 200㎛, more than 50% of the volume is hollow, and the thermal conductivity is 0.0001 to 0.05W/m·K.

Description

Insulating material for refrigerators and refrigerators containing the same {INSULATION MATERIAL FOR REFRIGERATOR AND REFRIGERATOR COMPRISING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to an insulating material for refrigerators and a refrigerator containing the same, and more specifically, to a gasket (gasket) mounted on the door or body of the refrigerator to preserve cold air inside the refrigerator and insulate it by blocking the cold inside and the outside room temperature air. Gasket) relates to refrigerator insulation used in surrounding parts and refrigerators containing the same.

A refrigerator is a device that keeps food fresh by having a main body with a storage compartment and a cold air supply system that supplies cold air to the storage compartment. The storage room includes a refrigerating room in which food is kept refrigerated and kept at approximately 0 to 5°C and a freezer in which food is kept frozen and maintained at approximately 0 to -30°C. Generally, the front of the storage compartment is open for food entry and exit, and the open front of the storage compartment is opened and closed by a door.

The refrigerator maintains a low temperature in the storage compartment through the following operating method. First, refrigerant gas is sucked in from the compressor and compressed. The refrigerant gas, which is compressed and whose temperature has risen, is cooled and liquefied as it passes through the condenser. The liquefied refrigerant is vaporized as it is sprayed into the evaporator, and is cooled by absorbing the heat in the storage compartment as vaporization heat. The vaporized refrigerant gas is sucked back into the compressor and cools the storage compartment through the series of processes described above.

When the temperature inside the refrigerator's storage compartment increases, the storage compartment is maintained at a low temperature through the operation of the compressor and condenser as described above. The operating rates of the compressor and condenser are directly related to the power consumption of the refrigerator, and in order to reduce the power consumption of the refrigerator, it is important to reduce the operating rate of the compressor and condenser by minimizing the temperature rise in the storage room.

The attached Figure 3 is a diagram expressing the factors that cause an increase in temperature within the refrigerator storage compartment and the percentage of energy lost by the refrigerator to maintain the storage compartment at a low temperature for each element. Referring to Figure 3, the energy loss related to the refrigerator wall insulation is 52%, the energy loss to the door gasket and its surrounding plastic parts area is 30%, the energy loss to the defrost heater is 6%, and the energy loss to the fan motor is 6%. The energy loss to the motor is 6% and the loss to the external heater is 6%. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize energy loss to the gasket and its surrounding plastic parts area. In particular, although heat sealing is achieved by convection in the gasket, heat transfer to the gasket and surrounding plastic parts occurs through heat conduction. In order to minimize heat loss, it is necessary to minimize the thermal conductivity of the gasket and surrounding plastic parts.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention seeks to provide an insulating material for refrigerators with improved thermal insulation used in parts around gaskets and a refrigerator including the same.

The insulation material for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention contains, in weight percent, 75 to 95 wt% of thermoplastic resin, 20 wt% or less of filler, 5 wt% or less of blowing agent, and 1 wt% of color pigment. It includes the following, and the foaming agent has a diameter of 1 to 200㎛, more than 50% of the volume is a hollow structure, and a thermal conductivity of 0.0001 to 0.05W/m·K.

Additionally, in the insulation material for a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the thermoplastic resin may include at least one of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), ABS alloy, HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene sheets), and HIPS alloy.

Additionally, in the insulation material for a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the thermoplastic resin may have a heat distortion temperature of 50 to 200°C.

In addition, the insulation material for a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention has a diameter of the filler of 1 to 100㎛, more than 50% of the volume is a hollow or porous structure, and a thermal conductivity of 0.0001 to 0.2 W/m·K. It can be.

Additionally, in the insulation material for a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the interior of the hollow or porous structure of the filler may be filled with an insulating material having a thermal conductivity of 0.03 W/m·K or less.

In addition, the insulation material for a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention may have a filling rate of the insulation material inside the filler of 10 to 60%.

Additionally, in the insulation material for a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the hollow or porous structure of the filler may be in a vacuum state.

Additionally, the insulation material for a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention may include an air insulation layer.

Additionally, the insulation material for a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention may have a thermal conductivity of 0.14 W/m·K or less.

Additionally, the insulation material for a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention may have an impact strength of 10 kgf.cm/cm or more.

A refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a main body forming a storage compartment; a door provided to open and close the storage compartment; a gasket disposed between the main body and the door; and insulation parts for a refrigerator disposed around the gasket.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the insulation parts for the refrigerator contain 75 to 95 wt% of thermoplastic resin, 20 wt% or less of filler, 5 wt% or less of blowing agent, and color pigment. ) Contains 1 wt% or less, the foaming agent has a diameter of 1 to 200 ㎛, more than 50% of the volume is a hollow structure, and the thermal conductivity may be 0.0001 to 0.05 W/m·K.

Additionally, in the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the thermoplastic resin may include at least one of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), ABS alloy, HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene sheets), and HIPS alloy.

Additionally, in the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the heat distortion temperature of the thermoplastic resin may be 50 to 200°C.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the filler may have a diameter of 1 to 100㎛, more than 50% of the volume may have a hollow or porous structure, and thermal conductivity may be 0.0001 to 0.2 W/m·K. there is.

Additionally, in the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the interior of the hollow or porous structure of the filler may be filled with an insulating material having a thermal conductivity of 0.03 W/m·K or less.

Additionally, in the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the filling rate of the insulating material in the filler may be 10 to 60%.

Additionally, in the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the hollow or porous structure of the filler may be in a vacuum state.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the insulating part for the refrigerator may include an air insulating layer.

Additionally, in the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the thermal insulation parts for the refrigerator may have a thermal conductivity of 0.14 W/m·K or less.

Additionally, in the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the insulation parts for the refrigerator may have an impact strength of 10 kgf.cm/cm or more.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an insulating material for a refrigerator with improved thermal insulation used in parts around a gasket and a refrigerator including the same.

However, the effects that can be achieved by the insulation material for refrigerators according to the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be found in the technical field to which the present invention belongs from the description below. It will be clearly understandable to those with knowledge.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing a refrigerator gasket and its surrounding parts.
Figure 2 is a diagram showing the heat flow of a refrigerator.
Figure 3 is a diagram expressing the factors that cause an increase in temperature within the refrigerator storage compartment and the percentage of energy lost by the refrigerator to maintain the storage compartment at a low temperature for each element.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of an open refrigerator.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following examples are presented to sufficiently convey the idea of the present invention to those skilled in the art. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented herein and may be embodied in other forms. In order to clarify the present invention, the drawings may omit illustrations of parts unrelated to the description and may slightly exaggerate the sizes of components to aid understanding.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to “include” a certain element, this means that it may further include other elements rather than excluding other elements, unless specifically stated to the contrary.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly makes an exception.

As mentioned above, since most of domestic energy fuel consumption is dependent on imports, there is a need to develop efficient energy saving technologies. Therefore, in order to block heat transfer from the outside or prevent internal heat from being released to the outside, it is necessary to develop an insulating material for parts around the gasket and a refrigerator including the same.

To this end, as shown in FIG. 4, a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a main body forming a storage compartment; a door provided to open and close the storage compartment; a gasket disposed between the main body and the door; and insulation parts for a refrigerator disposed around the gasket. In addition, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a gasket is installed on the door and body of the refrigerator to prevent cold air generated from the evaporator from being lost to the outside of the refrigerator, and a liner made of plastic material and a panel door are installed around the gasket. The gasket, surrounding liner, and panel door are installed between the refrigerator door and the cabinet to prevent cold air leakage, provide a smooth and convenient fastening function for the door, and provide a sealing function to preserve cold air in the refrigerator and prevent leakage. In other words, it is necessary for the gasket and surrounding parts to maintain an airtight state between the door and the main body of the refrigerator to block cold air leakage from the inside of the refrigerator to the outside and to improve the insulation function to block heat transfer from the outside to the inside of the refrigerator. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an insulating material that can be used in plastic parts such as liners around gaskets and panel doors.

To this end, the insulation material for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention contains, in weight percent, 75 to 95 wt% of thermoplastic resin, 20 wt% or less of filler, 5 wt% or less of blowing agent, and color pigment. ) Contains less than 1wt%.

Hereinafter, the specific composition of the refrigerator insulation material and their control conditions will be described in detail.

Thermoplastic resin: 75~95wt%

Thermoplastic resin is a soft material suitable for injection molding, and is included in an amount of 75 wt% or more to ensure ease of injection and durability of plastic parts around the gasket. On the other hand, if the content exceeds 95wt%, there is a problem of deterioration of insulation properties. Accordingly, in the present invention, the thermoplastic resin is added at 75 to 95 wt%.

In the insulation material for a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the thermoplastic resin may include at least one of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), ABS alloy, HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene sheets), and HIPS alloy. Here, the ABS alloy may be an alloy resin of ABS and polypropylene, an alloy resin of ABS and polyethylene, or an alloy resin of ABS and polyethylene terephthalate. Additionally, HIPS alloy may be an alloy resin of HIPS and polypropylene, an alloy resin of HIPS and polyethylene, or an alloy resin of HIPS and polyethylene terephthalate.

Additionally, in the insulation material for a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the thermoplastic resin may have a heat distortion temperature of 50 to 200°C. If the heat distortion temperature of the thermoplastic resin is less than 50°C, there is a problem that the plastic part easily undergoes heat deformation, and if the heat distortion temperature exceeds 200°C, injection molding is not easy.

Filler: 20wt% or less

In the present invention, the filler has a thermal conductivity of 0.0001 to 0.2 W/m·K, and is an important component for improving insulation by lowering the thermal conductivity of the refrigerator insulation material. Accordingly, in the present invention, the filler has a diameter of 1 to 100㎛, more than 50% of the volume has a hollow or porous structure, and is added in an amount of 20wt% or less. However, if the filler exceeds 20wt%, there is a risk that mechanical properties may deteriorate and durability may be inferior. Considering this, it is preferable that the upper limit of the filler in the present invention is limited to 20wt%.

In the insulation material for a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the filler may have a diameter of 1 to 100 μm, and more than 50% of the volume may have a hollow or porous structure. In this specification, “hollow” is interpreted as an outer portion forming a closed pore inside. The hollow outer portion may be made of silica, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

According to the present invention, in order to increase the insulation of the cavity, the cavity may be filled with an insulating material with low thermal conductivity. According to one example, the hollow may be filled with an insulating material having a thermal conductivity of 0.03 W/m·K or less. For the purpose of sufficiently lowering the thermal conductivity, the insulating material may be filled at a filling rate of 10 to 60%. In this specification, “filling rate” is interpreted as converting the volume of the insulating material into a percentage relative to the total volume of the cavity. Since a higher filling rate is more advantageous in terms of thermal insulation, the lower limit of the filling rate may be preferably 20%, and more preferably 30%. However, if the filling rate is high, there is a risk that mechanical properties such as tensile strength may decrease, so the upper limit of the filling rate may preferably be 50%.

Additionally, in order to increase the insulation of the hollow, the hollow may be in a vacuum state. In the present invention, a vacuum state means a complete vacuum state or a partial vacuum state, and it is desirable to increase the vacuum degree to lower thermal conductivity. Accordingly, the partial vacuum state is preferably in the high vacuum section (10 ^-4 Torr to 10 ^-7 Torr) to the extremely high vacuum section (10 ^-10 Torr or less).

On the other hand, when the above-mentioned insulating material is in a liquid or solid state, parts other than the area filled with the insulating material can be treated in a vacuum state by using a vacuum pump or the like. In this case, there is an advantage in that the manufacturing cost can be reduced compared to increasing the vacuum degree, while also lowering the thermal conductivity.

Additionally, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the filler may have a porous structure. As used herein, “porous structure” is interpreted as a structure containing one or more closed pores. Examples of materials having a porous structure include porous ceramic materials, but are not necessarily limited thereto.

According to the present invention, in order to increase the insulation of the porous structure, the inside of the porous structure may be filled with an insulating material with low thermal conductivity. According to one example, the inside of the porous structure may be filled with an insulating material with a thermal conductivity of 0.03 W/m·K or less. For the purpose of sufficiently lowering the thermal conductivity, the insulating material may be filled at a filling rate of 10 to 60%. Since a higher filling rate is more advantageous in terms of thermal insulation, the lower limit of the filling rate may be preferably 20%, and more preferably 30%. However, if the filling rate is high, there is a risk that mechanical properties such as tensile strength may decrease, so the upper limit of the filling rate may preferably be 50%.

Additionally, in order to increase the thermal insulation of the porous structure, the interior of the porous structure may be in a vacuum state. In the present invention, a vacuum state means a complete vacuum state or a partial vacuum state, and it is desirable to increase the vacuum degree to lower thermal conductivity. Accordingly, the partial vacuum state is preferably in the high vacuum section (10 ^-4 Torr to 10 ^-7 Torr) to the extremely high vacuum section (10 ^-10 Torr or less).

On the other hand, when the above-mentioned insulating material is in a liquid or solid state, parts other than the area filled with the insulating material can be treated in a vacuum state by using a vacuum pump or the like. In this case, there is an advantage in that the manufacturing cost can be reduced compared to increasing the vacuum degree, while also lowering the thermal conductivity.

Foaming agent: 5wt% or less

In the present invention, the foaming agent has a thermal conductivity of 0.0001 to 0.05 W/m·K, and is an important component in improving thermal insulation by lowering the thermal conductivity of the refrigerator insulation material. Accordingly, in the present invention, the foaming agent has a diameter of 1 to 200㎛, more than 50% of the volume is hollow, and uniform foaming is possible by adding less than 5wt%. However, if the foaming agent exceeds 5 wt%, there is a risk that mechanical properties will deteriorate and durability may be inferior. Considering this, it is preferable that the upper limit of the foaming agent in the present invention is limited to 5wt%. Accordingly, the foaming agent can chemically or physically form an air insulation layer.

The insulating material for a refrigerator according to the present invention may further include a coloring pigment of 1 wt% or less in addition to the above composition. The coloring pigment may be applied within a range commonly used in the relevant technical field, and other additives may be further included.

In addition, the insulation material for a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention may have a thermal conductivity of 0.14 W/m·K or less and an impact strength of 10 kgf.cm/cm or more. As the content of filler and foaming agent increases, the thermal conductivity decreases, but the impact strength also decreases, so the present inventors proposed that the impact strength is 10 kgf.cm/cm while satisfying the low thermal conductivity. It is significant that a desirable composition and conditions that satisfy the above were invented.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail through examples. However, it should be noted that the following examples are only for illustrating and explaining the present invention in more detail, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. This is because the scope of rights of the present invention is determined by matters stated in the patent claims and matters reasonably inferred therefrom.

{Example}

According to the composition shown in Table 1 below, a thermoplastic resin, filler, foaming agent, and color pigment were mixed to prepare an insulation material for a refrigerator according to the present invention. Here, the thermoplastic resin is manufactured by extrusion or injection of ABS, ABS alloy, HIPS, HIPS alloy, etc. with a heat distortion temperature of 50 ~ 200℃, and the filler has a diameter of 1 ~ 100㎛, and more than 50% of the volume is hollow or hollow. It has a porous structure and a thermal conductivity of 0.0001~0.2 W/m·K. The foaming agent has a diameter of 1~200㎛, more than 50% of the volume is hollow, and a thermal conductivity of 0.0001~0.05W/m· K was used.

type wt% Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Comparative Example 1 thermoplastic resin
(ABS, ABS alloy, HIPS, HIPS alloy, etc.) 80 84 93 94 99 filler 19 10 5 0 0 blowing agent 0 5 One 5 0 coloring pigments, etc. 1 or less 1 or less 1 or less 1 or less 1 or less Thermal conductivity (W/mK) 0.14 0.09 0.13 0.10 0.22 Impact strength (kgf/cm ² ) 10 10 18 15 23

According to Table 1, Examples 1 to 4, which satisfy all of 75 to 95 wt% of thermoplastic resin, 20 wt% or less of filler, 5 wt% or less of foaming agent, and 1 wt% or less of coloring pigment, have a thermal conductivity of 0.14 W/mK and an impact strength of 0.14 W/mK. While it was more than 10 kgf.cm/cm, Comparative Example 1, which did not contain any filler or foaming agent, was confirmed to have a thermal conductivity of 0.22W/mK. Therefore, it was found that the present invention exhibited superior thermal conductivity compared to the comparative example and could improve the insulation of a refrigerator by using it in plastic parts around the gasket.

As described above, the disclosed embodiments have been described with reference to the attached drawings and tables. A person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention can be practiced in forms different from the disclosed embodiments without changing the technical idea or essential features of the present invention. The disclosed embodiments are illustrative and should not be construed as limiting.

10: body
20: door
21: Door liner
30: gasket
40: Panel door
50: Plate door
60: Liner

Claims (21)

In weight percent, it contains 75 to 95 wt% of thermoplastic resin, 20 wt% or less of filler, 5 wt% or less of blowing agent, and 1 wt% or less of color pigment,
The foaming agent has a diameter of 1 to 200㎛, more than 50% of the volume has a hollow structure, and a thermal conductivity of 0.0001 to 0.05W/m·K. An insulation material for a refrigerator. In claim 1,
The thermoplastic resin is an insulation material for a refrigerator including at least one of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), ABS alloy, HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene sheets), and HIPS alloy. In claim 1,
The thermoplastic resin is an insulation material for a refrigerator having a heat distortion temperature of 50 to 200°C. In claim 1,
The filler has a diameter of 1 to 100㎛, more than 50% of the volume has a hollow or porous structure, and a thermal conductivity of 0.0001 to 0.2 W/m·K, an insulation material for refrigerators. In claim 4,
An insulation material for a refrigerator, wherein the interior of the hollow or porous structure of the filler is filled with an insulating material with a thermal conductivity of 0.03 W/m·K or less. In claim 5,
An insulating material for a refrigerator, wherein the filling rate of the insulating material is 10 to 60%. In claim 4,
An insulation material for a refrigerator, wherein the hollow or porous structure of the filler is in a vacuum state. In claim 1,
The insulation material for a refrigerator includes an air insulation layer. In claim 1,
The refrigerator insulation material has a thermal conductivity of 0.14 W/m·K or less. In claim 1
The refrigerator insulation material has an impact strength of 10 kgf.cm/cm or more. a main body forming a storage compartment;
a door provided to open and close the storage compartment;
a gasket disposed between the main body and the door; and
A refrigerator including an insulating part for a refrigerator disposed around the gasket. In claim 11,
The insulation parts for the refrigerator include 75 to 95 wt% of thermoplastic resin, 20 wt% or less of filler, 5 wt% or less of blowing agent, and 1 wt% or less of color pigment,
The foaming agent has a diameter of 1 to 200㎛, more than 50% of the volume has a hollow structure, and a thermal conductivity of 0.0001 to 0.05W/m·K, a refrigerator. In claim 12,
The thermoplastic resin includes at least one of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), ABS alloy, High Impact Polystyrene sheets (HIPS), and HIPS alloy. In claim 12,
The thermoplastic resin has a heat distortion temperature of 50 to 200°C. In claim 12,
The filler has a diameter of 1 to 100㎛, more than 50% of the volume has a hollow or porous structure, and a thermal conductivity of 0.0001 to 0.2 W/m·K, a refrigerator. In claim 15,
A refrigerator in which the interior of the hollow or porous structure of the filler is filled with an insulating material with a thermal conductivity of 0.03 W/m·K or less. In claim 16,
A refrigerator wherein the filling rate of the insulating material is 10 to 60%. In claim 15,
A refrigerator in which the hollow or porous structure of the filler is in a vacuum state. In claim 11,
A refrigerator, wherein the insulation part for the refrigerator includes an air insulation layer. In claim 11,
The insulation parts for the refrigerator have a thermal conductivity of 0.14 W/m·K or less. In claim 11,
The insulation parts for the refrigerator have an impact strength of 10 kgf.cm/cm or more.