Vacuum assisted and heated auger feeder for achieving higher packing efficiency of powder insulation materials in vacuum insulated structures
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsAbhay Naik, Ashish Nigam
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An auger feeder includes a hopper having an inner hopper wall and an outer hopper wall where the inner hopper wall includes an air permeable surface. A space is positioned between the inner and outer hopper walls. A heater is coupled to an outside edge of the inner hopper wall or a n outside edge of the outer hopper wall while a feed screw is positioned along an inside edge of the inner hopper wall. The auger feeder additionally includes an evacuator coupled to a vacuum port that is positioned in the outer hopper wall. The auger feeder also includes an aperture exit positioned at a bottom of the inner and outer hopper walls.
Claims20
An auger feeder comprising:
- a hopper having an inner hopper wall and an outer hopper wall coupled with and spaced from the inner hopper wall to define a space therebetween, wherein the inner hopper wall includes an air permeable surface;
- a heater coupled to the hopper for heating contents of the hopper;
- a feed screw positioned along an inside edge of the inner hopper wall;
- an evacuator coupled to a vacuum port positioned in the outer hopper wall;
- and
- an aperture exit positioned at a bottom of the inner and outer hopper walls.
A method for drying and loading a filler insulation material into a vacuum insulated structure, the method comprising:
- loading the filler insulation material to a hopper having an inner hopper wall and an outer hopper wall spaced from the inner hopper wall to define a space therebetween;
- mixing the filler insulation material with a feed screw disposed in the hopper;
- heating the filler insulation material via a heater coupled with the hopper;
- applying a first vacuum to the filler insulation material via an evacuator coupled to a vacuum port positioned on the outer hopper wall;
- and
- loading the filler insulation material into the vacuum insulated structure through an aperture exit positioned at a bottom of the inner and outer hopper walls.
An apparatus for drying and loading a filler insulation material into a vacuum insulated structure comprising:
- a hopper having an inner hopper wall and an outer hopper wall coupled with and spaced from the inner hopper wall defining a space therebetween, wherein the inner hopper wall includes an air permeable surface;
- a heater coupled to an outside edge of the inner hopper wall or an outside edge of the outer hopper wall;
- an evacuator coupled to a vacuum port positioned in the outer hopper wall;
- and
- an aperture exit positioned at a bottom of the inner and outer hopper walls.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.