GAS BARRIER FOR VACUUM INSULATION
A gas barrier for a vacuum insulated structure of a refrigerator is provided. The gas barrier includes a plastic trim breaker; a metal outer panel a metal inner panel and insulation between the outer and inner metal panels. The gas barrier for a vacuum insulated structure further includes a PVD metal coating applied to the an inside surface of the plastic trim breaker to provide a barrier layer to the plastic trim breaker, wherein the PVD coating on the inside of the plastic trim breaker contacts the inner and outer metal outer panels to prevent heat or gas from entering the insulated structure and decreasing the effectiveness of the insulation over time.
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This application relates to a panel or cabinet for refrigeration. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a barrier layer of aluminum or another suitable barrier layer for an interior surface of three-dimensional, shaped (3D) vacuum structure or to provide a barrier layer for a thermal breaker between a metal outer cabinet and a metal inner liner or panel.
BACKGROUNDVarious types of insulated cabinet and insulated door structures have been developed for refrigerators, freezers, and other such appliances. Insulated appliance door and cabinet structures may include polyurethane foam, polystyrene or other insulating material that is positioned between an outer door skin or wrapper and an inner door liner. However, known insulated appliance structures may suffer from various drawbacks.
Vacuum panels provide superior insulation properties over traditional polyurethane (PU) foam. In order to maintain the vacuum inside the panel, the enclosure of the panel must contain a barrier material to prevent gas from entering the panel and losing vacuum inside the panel over time. When considering a vacuum insulated structure, the walls of the structure must have a barrier layer to prevent gas(es) from entering the structure. Plastics do not typically have good barrier properties, while metals typically do have good barrier properties. Vacuum panels traditionally use aluminum foil or a metalized film to provide barrier properties. However, a foil or film is difficult to match to a 3D shape. Another method is to use ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) or other polymeric material barriers that can be co-extruded or laminated with (High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS). This sheet can then be thermoformed into a part such as a door or cabinet liner. The drawback is that this is limited to thermoforming. If a more complex part, such as one that is made by injection molding, is desired, these solutions do not work.
SUMMARYAn aspect of the present disclosure is to use Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) to create a thin layer of aluminum or other barrier material on a part, often a shaped and structured three-dimensional part. One application is to apply it on the internal side of the plastic door liner (
Another application is to apply a thermal breaker between a metal outer cabinet and a metal inner liner. A cabinet with metal walls will provide good barrier properties, but it will also conduct heat around the flange. A solution to the heat bridge is to use a plastic breaker strip to provide a barrier to the heat conduction. However, this plastic breaker strip does not have good vapor (gas) barrier properties and will allow gas to accumulate in the vacuum structure and reduce insulation performance over time. A barrier layer of metal can be applied to the interior surface of the breaker strip to give the breaker strip good barrier performance. By being on the inside surface, the PVD barrier layer typically will not be visible to consumers. The thickness of the barrier layer is quite thin, from approximately 0.001 mm to about 0.015 mm and it will not transfer heat into the cabinet as much as a thicker material such as the wall.
An aspect of the present disclosure is generally directed toward a gas barrier for a vacuum insulated structure or liner of a refrigerator, the gas barrier for the gas insulated structure of a refrigerator includes a plastic trim breaker; a metal outer panel; a metal inner panel; insulation between the outer and inner metal panels; and a PVD metal coating applied to the an inside surface of the plastic trim breaker to provide a barrier layer to the plastic trim breaker. The PVD coating on the inside of the plastic trim breaker abuts the outside surfaces of the inner and outer metal outer panels to prevent gasses from entering the insulated structure and decreasing the effectiveness of the insulation over time.
Another application is to provide a 3D vacuum insulated refrigerator structure. The 3D refrigerator liner includes an interior 3D liner having an internal side facing to the interior of the refrigerator structural component, such as a door or wall, and a visible side which is visible to a consumer viewing the inside of the refrigerator; and a metal coating applied by PVD to the internal side of the interior 3D liner to form a barrier layer on the interior panel; wherein the barrier layer prevents gas from permeating easily through the 3D liner.
Another application is to provide a refrigerator including a plastic trim breaker; a 3D liner; a wrapper which surrounds the liner; a back plate secured to the back of the 3D liner. Insulation is provided between the 3D liner and the wrapper, and a PVD metal coating applied to the an inside surface of the plastic trim breaker to provide a barrier layer to the plastic trim breaker, wherein a portion of the barrier layer abuts at least a portion of both the 3D liner and wrapper and contacts at least a portion of the plastic trim breaker that contacts the 3D liner and wrapper, to prevent heat from entering the structure.
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present disclosure will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the disclosure, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustration, there are shown in the drawings, certain embodiment(s) which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the disclosure is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. Drawings are not necessary to scale. Certain features may be exaggerated in scale or shown in schematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness.
It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the particular description below, as many variations of the present disclosure may be made and still fall within the scope of the appended claims. It is also to be understood that the terminology employed is for the purpose of describing present disclosure, and is not intended to be limiting in any manner.
In this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The present disclosure is generally directed toward a 3D vacuum insulated appliance structural component.
For purposes of description herein, The terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “left,” “right” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the disclosure as oriented in
Barrier layer 56, which may be aluminum, is formed by a PVD process. The barrier layer 56 typically has a thickness of from about 0001 mm to about 0.015 mm.
Although the above description has described and illustrated various aspects of the present disclosure, the various aspects are merely exemplary by nature and are not to be construed as limiting of the inventive concept. Rather, the inventive concept of the disclosed present disclosure is defined by the claimed subject matter.
Claims
1. A vacuum insulated structural component of a refrigerator with a gas barrier comprising:
- a plastic trim breaker;
- a metal outer panel;
- a metal inner panel;
- insulation between the outer and inner metal panels; and
- a physical vapor deposited metal coating applied to an inside surface of the plastic trim breaker to provide a barrier layer to the plastic trim breaker,
- wherein the physical vapor deposited coating on the inside of the plastic trim breaker has a thickness of at least about 0.015 mm and abuts or is adjacent to surfaces of the inner and outer metal panels to prevent heat or gas from entering the insulated structure between the inner and outer metal panels.
2. The vacuum insulated structural component of a refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising a cabinet seal surrounded by the insulation, the outer and inner metal panels and the barrier layer on the inside of the plastic trim breaker.
3. The vacuum insulated structural component of a refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising a flange extending inwardly from at least one of the outer and inner metal panels toward the other of the outer and inner metal panels.
4. The vacuum insulated structural component of a refrigerator of claim 3, further comprising a flange extending from each of the outer and inner metal panels.
5. The vacuum insulated structural component of a refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the flanges generally extend in a direction toward each other.
6. The vacuum insulated structural component of a refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the barrier layer substantially prevents heat from entering the structure between the flanges.
7. The vacuum insulated structural component of a refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the barrier layer prevents the space between the inner and outer metal panels from conducting heat or gas.
8. The vacuum insulated structural component of a refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the insulation is formed from the group consisting of fumed silica, fiberglass, precipitated silica, glass microspheres or open cell polyurethane foam.
9. The vacuum insulated structural component of a refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the barrier layer is formed of aluminum or other barrier material and the vacuum insulated structural component is a wall of the refrigerator or a door of a compartment of the refrigerator and wherein an interior of the door comprises recessed dyke walls.
10. A three-dimensional vacuum insulated refrigerator liner, the three-dimensional refrigerator liner comprising:
- an interior three-dimensional liner having an internal side facing toward the interior of the refrigerator structure and a visible side which is visible to a consumer viewing the inside of the refrigerator; and
- a metal coating applied by physical vapor deposition to the internal side or the visual side of the interior three-dimensional liner to form a barrier layer on the interior panel;
- wherein the barrier layer prevents gas from permeating easily through the three-dimensional liner.
11. The vacuum insulated three-dimensional refrigerator liner of claim 10, wherein the three-dimensional interior liner is constructed of HIPS or another high impact liner material.
12. The vacuum insulated three-dimensional refrigerator liner of claim 10, wherein the liner is part of a refrigerator door.
13. The vacuum insulated three-dimensional refrigerator liner of claim 10, wherein the three-dimensional liner is part of a refrigerator cabinet.
14. The vacuum insulated three-dimensional refrigerator liner of claim 10, wherein the three-dimensional refrigerator liner is part of an under counter refrigerator.
15. The vacuum insulated three-dimensional refrigerator liner of claim 10, wherein the barrier layer is formed of aluminum or other barrier material.
16. The vacuum insulated three-dimensional refrigerator liner of claim 10, wherein the interior liner comprises bosses to provide attachment to the three-dimensional interior liner.
17. The vacuum insulated three-dimensional refrigerator liner of claim 10, wherein the three-dimensional interior liner has ribs to provide enhanced strength to the three-dimensional interior liner.
18. A refrigerator, the refrigerator comprising:
- a plastic trim breaker;
- a three-dimensional liner;
- a wrapper which surrounds the liner;
- a back plate secured to the back of the three-dimensional liner;
- insulation between the three-dimensional liner and the wrapper, and
- a physical vapor deposition metal coating applied to the inside surface of the plastic trim breaker to provide a barrier layer to the plastic trim breaker,
- wherein a portion of the barrier layer contacts a portion of both the three-dimensional liner and wrapper to prevent heat or gas from entering the interior of the refrigerator restructure.
19. The refrigerator of claim 18, wherein the barrier layer is formed of aluminum.
20. The refrigerator of claim 18, wherein the trim breaker includes recesses to receive the inner three-dimensional liner and the wrapper.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 2, 2015
Publication Date: Sep 8, 2016
Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION (Benton Harbor, MI)
Inventors: PAUL B. ALLARD (COLOMA, MI), CAMILLE KITE (FRANKLIN, WI)
Application Number: 14/634,936