Vaccum adiabatic body and refrigerator

• US 10,788,257 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2016
• Issued: 09/29/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jung, Wonyeong, Youn, Deokhyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Trpisovsky, Joseph F
• Application Number:
  US15/749,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20180224194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 59/065 using vacuum F16L59/075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 19/006 Thermal coupling structure or interface
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2201/14 using subatmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/062 defining a cabinet
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/063 formed by an assembly of panels
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/064 formed by moulding, e.g. moulding in situ
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/082 Strips

Abstract

A vacuum adiabatic body includes: a first plate member; a second plate member; a sealing part sealing the first plate member and the second plate member to provide a third space; a supporting unit maintaining the third space; a heat resistance unit for decreasing a heat transfer amount between the first plate member and the second plate member; and an exhaust port through which a gas in the third space is exhausted. The second plate member may include a front part and a side part having a different extending direction from the front part, and the side part defines at least one portion of a wall for the third space. Accordingly, the formation of dew may be prevented on a front part of a product and a vacuum adiabatic body having a stable structure may be provided.

Claims

1. A vacuum adiabatic body comprising:

a first plate defining at least one portion of a first side of a wall adjacent to a first space having a first temperature;

a second plate defining at least one portion of a second side of the wall adjacent to a second space having a second temperature different than the first temperature;

a seal that seals the first plate and the second plate to provide a third space that has a third temperature between the first and second temperatures and is in a vacuum state;

a support provided in the third space to maintain a gap in the third space;

a thermal insulator that reduces heat transfer between the first plate and the second plate; and

an exhaust port through which a gas in the third space is ejected,

wherein the second plate includes a front portion provided at a front side of the vacuum adiabatic body and a side portion provided at a lateral side of the vacuum adiabatic body, the front portion extending in a first direction and the side portion extending in a second direction different than the first direction, and

wherein the side portion of the second plate defines all of a third side of the wall adjacent the third space.

2. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, wherein the side portion extends from the front portion and is bent with respect to the front portion.

3. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, wherein the front portion includes an exposed exterior surface.

4. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, further comprising a side frame provided at a distal end of the first plate, the side frame being connected to the side portion of the second plate.

5. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 4, wherein the side frame and the side portion are welded to each other.

6. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 4, wherein the seal includes a first joint, and a distal end of the side frame is connected to a distal end of the second plate at the first joint.

7. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, wherein the side portion is provided at a distal end of the second plate.

8. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, further comprising a conductive resistance sheet having a first end connected to the first plate and a second end connected the side frame and configured to resist heat conduction along the wall adjacent the third space.

9. A vacuum adiabatic body comprising:

a first plate defining at least one portion of a first side of a wall adjacent to a first space having a first temperature;

a second plate defining at least one portion of a second side of the wall adjacent to a second space having a second temperature different from the first temperature;

a seal that seals the first plate and the second plate to provide a third space that has a third temperature between the first and second temperatures and is in a vacuum state;

a support provided in the third space to maintain a gap in the third space;

a thermal insulator that reduces heat transfer between the first plate and the second plate; and

an exhaust port through which a gas in the third space is ejected,

wherein the thermal insulator includes a conductive resistance sheet that resists surface heat conduction along the wall adjacent the third space, and

wherein a first end of the conductive resistance sheet is connected to the first plate, a second end of the conductive resistance sheet is connected to a first end of a side frame, and a second end of the side frame is connected to an end of the second plate,

wherein a portion of the side frame defines at least one portion of the first side of the wall adjacent to the first space having the first temperature.

10. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 9, wherein a vacuum pressure of the third space is equal to or greater than 1.8×

10<sup>−

6</sup> Torr and equal to or smaller than 2.65×

10<sup>−

1</sup> Torr.

11. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 9, wherein the thermal insulator includes at least one radiation resistance sheet provided in a plate shape inside the third space or includes a porous material that resists radiation heat transfer between the second plate and the first plate inside the third space.

12. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 9, wherein the first and second plates are configured for heat transfer such that solid conduction heat transfer is greater than radiation heat transfer, and the radiation heat transfer is greater than gas conduction heat transfer.

13. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the conductive resistance sheet is provided between a distal end of the second plate and a distal end of the first plate.

14. A refrigerator comprising:

a main body provided with an internal space to accommodate storage goods; and

a door provided to open and close the main body from an external space,

wherein, in order to supply a refrigerant into the main body, the refrigerator includes;

a compressor that compresses the refrigerant;

a condenser that condenses the compressed refrigerant;

an expander that expands the condensed refrigerant; and

an evaporator that evaporates the expanded refrigerant to take heat,

wherein at least one of the main body or the door includes a vacuum adiabatic body,

wherein the vacuum adiabatic body includes;

a first plate defining at least one portion of a first side of a wall adjacent to the internal space having a first temperature;

a second plate defining at least one portion of a second side of the wall adjacent to the external space having a second temperature different than the first temperature;

a seal that seals the first plate and the second plate to provide a vacuum space that has a third temperature between the first temperature of the internal space and the second temperature of the external space and is in a vacuum state;

a support provided in the vacuum space to maintain a gap in the vacuum space;

a thermal insulator that reduces heat transfer between the first plate and the second plate; and

an exhaust port through which a gas in the vacuum space is ejected,

wherein heat transfer along an outer wall of the vacuum space caused by contact with cold air is transferred to an edge joint of the second plate,

wherein the second plate includes;

a front portion to provide a front face of the door; and

a side portion that extends from the front portion in a different direction than the front portion,

wherein heat transfer along the outer wall of the vacuum space caused by contact with cold air is conducted to the side portion of the second plate,

wherein the heat transfer along the outer wall of the vacuum space caused by contact with cold air is directly conducted to the edge joint of the door without passing through the front portion of the second plate.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14, further comprising a side frame provided at a distal end region of the first plate, the side frame being connected to the second plate.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15, comprising a conductive resistance sheet having a first end connected to the first plate and a second end connected to the side frame, and configured to resist surface heat conduction along the wall adjacent the vacuum space.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 15, wherein the edge joint of the second plate is provided at a side of the refrigerator.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the edge joint is provided at the side portion of the second plate.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the edge joint of the second plate is at an end of the second plate.