Vacuum adiabatic body and refrigerator

• US 10,941,974 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2016
• Issued: 03/09/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jung, Wonyeong, Youn, Deokhyun, Kim, Daewoong
• Primary Examiner(s): Teitelbaum, David J
• Application Number:
  US15/749,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20180231298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 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 23/02 Doors; Covers F25D23/08 takes precedence locks or fastenings E05B65/0042
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/062 defining a cabinet
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/085 Breaking strips
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/087 Sealing strips

Abstract

A vacuum adiabatic body includes a first plate defining at least one portion of a wall of a first space; a second plate defining at least one portion of a wall of a second space having a different temperature from the first space; a seal that seals the first plate and the second plate to provide a third space that has a temperature between the temperature of the first space and the temperature of the second space and is in a vacuum state; a support to maintain the third space; an exhaust port through which a gas in the third space is exhausted; a peripheral adiabatic material, as a previously formed separate molded product, fixed to an edge of the third space; and a gasket having at least one portion fixed to the peripheral adiabatic material to provide a boundary between the first space and the second space.

Claims

1. A vacuum adiabatic body comprising:

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

a second plate defining at least a 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 temperature and the second temperature and is in a vacuum state;

a support that supports the first and second plates and is provided in the third space;

an exhaust port through which a gas in the third space is exhausted;

a peripheral adiabatic mold fixed to an edge of the first plate and second plate; and

a gasket having at least a portion fixed to the peripheral adiabatic mold and provided adjacent to the first plate,

wherein the peripheral adiabatic mold includes a first peripheral adiabatic mold and a second peripheral adiabatic mold as two different molds separated from each other, and

wherein the first plate comprises a first surface facing the first space and a second surface facing the third space, wherein the peripheral adiabatic mold faces the first surface.

2. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, further including:

a conductive resistance sheet that connects the first plate to the second plate and is capable of resisting thermal conduction flowing from the second plate to the first plate; and

a side frame fastened to the second plate and the conductive resistance sheet and forming at least one outer wall of the third space,

wherein the peripheral adiabatic mold is held to at least one of the first plate, the second plate, and the side frame, so that a position of the peripheral adiabatic mold is fixed.

3. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, further including a side frame adiabatic mold inserted into a groove formed in the peripheral adiabatic mold, to increase a contact force of the peripheral adiabatic mold with a side frame,

wherein the side frame adiabatic mold is disposed between the second plate and the peripheral adiabatic mold.

4. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral adiabatic mold is made of EPS or EPDM.

5. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the peripheral adiabatic mold is equal to or greater than a height of the third space, and is equal to or smaller than twice of the height of the third space.

6. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, further including a conductive resistance sheet that connects the first plate to the second plate and is capable of resisting heat transfer from the second plate to the first plate,

wherein the peripheral adiabatic mold covers the conductive resistance sheet to perform heat insulation.

7. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 6, wherein the gasket covers the peripheral adiabatic mold on top of the conductive resistance sheet.

8. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, wherein the first peripheral adiabatic mold and the second peripheral adiabatic mold slide between the first plate and the second plate in opposite direction and contact each other at two different spots.

9. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 8, further including a bracket formed by bending an edge portion of the second plate to fix the peripheral adiabatic mold.

10. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, further including a hinge fixed to the peripheral adiabatic mold.

11. A vacuum adiabatic body comprising:

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

a second plate defining at least a 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 temperature and the second temperature and is in a vacuum state;

a support that supports the first and second plates and is provided in the third space;

an exhaust port through which a gas in the third space is exhausted;

a peripheral adiabatic mold, fixed to an edge of the first plate and second plates;

at least one conductive resistance sheet having a curved surface thinner than each of the first and second plates to resist heat conduction flowing from the second plate to the first plate; and

a side frame fastened to the second plate and the conductive resistance sheet and forming at least one outer wall of the third space,

wherein the peripheral adiabatic mold is held to at least one of the first plate, the second plate, and the side frame, so that a position of the peripheral adiabatic mold is fixed,

wherein a vacuum degree of the third space is equal to or greater than 1.8×

10<sup>−

6</sup> Torr and equal to or smaller than 4.5×

10<sup>−

3</sup> Torr.

12. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 11, wherein the peripheral adiabatic mold covers the conductive resistance sheet.

13. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 11, further including at least one radiation resistance sheet having a plate shape inside the third space or as a porous material to resist radiation heat transfer between the second plate and the first plate inside the third space.

14. The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 11, wherein the seal includes a welding part.

15. A refrigerator comprising:

a main body including an internal space in which goods are stored; and

a door provided to open and close the main body,

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 transfer heat,

wherein the door includes a vacuum adiabatic body,

wherein the vacuum adiabatic body includes;

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

a second plate defining at least a portion of a second side of the wall adjacent to an external space having a second temperature different from 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 maintaining the vacuum space;

a conductive resistance sheet capable of resisting heat conduction flowing from the second plate to the first plate to decrease a heat transfer amount between the first plate and the second plate;

an exhaust port through which a gas in the vacuum space is exhausted; and

a peripheral adiabatic mold fixed to an edge of the first plate and second plate,

wherein the refrigerator further includes a hinge rotatably supporting the main body and the door, and

wherein a hinge shaft of the hinge is fastened to the main body, and at least a portion of the hinge is fastened to the peripheral adiabatic mold,

wherein the peripheral adiabatic mold includes a first peripheral adiabatic mold and a second peripheral adiabatic mold as two different molds separated from each other, and

the first peripheral adiabatic mold and the second peripheral adiabatic mold slide between the first plate and the second plate in opposite direction and contact each other at two different spots.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15, further including a gasket fixed to the peripheral adiabatic mold and provided adjacent to the first plate, wherein the gasket covers the conductive resistance sheet.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 15, further including a side frame adiabatic mold inserted into a groove formed in the peripheral adiabatic mold to increase a contact force of the peripheral adiabatic mold with a side frame, wherein the side frame adiabatic mold is disposed between the second plate and the peripheral adiabatic mold.