Insulation system for a cooking appliance incorporating a plurality of microsphere sheets

• US 10,386,077 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Millett, Frederick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Hai
• Application Number:
  US15/484,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20170219217A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4209 Insulation arrangements, e.g. for sound damping or heat insulation
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 39/00 Application of procedures in order to connect objects or parts, e.g. coating with sheet metal otherwise than by plating joining mitred profiles B21D53/745; riveting B21J; uniting components by forging or pressing to form integral members B21K25/00; welding B23K; press-fitting, force-fitting, or shrinking in general B23P11/00, B21D19/00; by adhesives F16B11/00 ; Connections as such F16L, F16B; Tube expanders
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/00 Machines for simply fitting together or separating metal parts or objects, or metal and non-metal parts, whether or not involving some deformation connecting metal parts or objects by metal-working procedures B21J, B23K; Tools or devices therefor so far as not provided for in other classes hand tools in general B25
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/101 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/026 Porous
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/028 Hollow fillers; Syntactic material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/304 Insulating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/20 comprising silicone rubber
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2509/00 Household appliances
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2509/10 Refrigerators or refrigerating equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/20 using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/283 comprising polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/34 Elements and arrangements for heat storage or insulation
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2201/12 using an insulating packing material
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2201/1282 with reflective foils
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

An appliance includes an outer shell and an inner shell, wherein the outer shell and the inner shell are engaged to define an insulating cavity therebetween, and wherein the inner shell includes an inner surface that defines an interior cavity. An insulation member includes a plurality of layers, each layer of the plurality of layers including an insulative sheet defining first and second surfaces and a plurality of microspheres at least partially disposed within the insulative sheet, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of microspheres extends outward from each of the first and second surfaces to define a plurality of protrusions, and wherein the engagement of two adjacent layers of the plurality of layers causes a portion of the plurality of protrusions to engage and define a plurality of insulating air pockets between the adjacent layers.

Claims

1. An appliance comprising:

an outer shell;

an inner shell, wherein the outer shell and the inner shell are engaged to define an insulating cavity therebetween, and wherein the inner shell includes an inner surface that defines an interior cavity; and

an insulation member disposed within the insulating cavity, and having a plurality of layers, each layer of the plurality of layers including an insulative sheet defining first and second surfaces and a plurality of microspheres at least partially disposed within the insulative sheet, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of micro spheres extends outward from each of the first and second surfaces to define a plurality of protrusions, and wherein engagement of two adjacent layers of the plurality of layers causes a portion of the pluralities of protrusions of the respective two adjacent layers to engage and define a plurality of insulating air pockets between the adjacent layer, and wherein the insulative sheet is a silicone sheet.

2. The appliance of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of microspheres includes a microsphere thickness and the insulative sheet has a material thickness, wherein the material thickness is less than the microsphere thickness, and wherein each microsphere defines first and second sets of microsphere protrusions that extend from the first and second surfaces, respectively.

3. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the plurality of microspheres are glass microspheres.

4. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the plurality of microspheres are positioned in an irregular pattern within the insulative sheet.

5. The appliance of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of layers is an extruded layer of silicone and glass microspheres.

6. The appliance of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of microspheres are hollow glass microspheres having an outer wall that defines an interior microsphere cavity.

7. The appliance of claim 6, wherein an insulating gas is disposed within the interior microsphere cavity.