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US 11,867,451 B2Granted
Flexible passthrough insulation for vis
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsGiulia Marinello, Rafael D. Nunes, Sanjesh Kumar Pathak, Manoj T. Sambrekar, Arpit Vijay
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator includes an insulated cabinet having a sidewall with a passthrough opening through the sidewall. A resilient insulating member is disposed in the passthrough opening. The resilient insulating member includes flaps that form an airtight seal between the resilient insulating member and the passthrough opening. At least one utility line extends through an aperture in the resilient insulating member. The utility line may comprise fluid conduit, electrical line, or the like that operably connect one or more components through the sidewall of the cabinet.
Claims20
A refrigerator comprising:
- a vacuum insulated cabinet having a food storage space and an enlarged access opening permitting items to be placed in the food storage space and removed from the food storage space, the vacuum insulated cabinet including a sidewall having an inner liner on an inner side, an outer wrapper on an outer side, and a transverse wall extending between the inner and outer sides to form a passthrough opening, the transverse wall having a transverse passthrough surface extending around and facing the passthrough opening, wherein the transverse passthrough surface includes a first portion defining a first internal dimension, and a second portion defining a second internal dimension, wherein the first dimension is not equal to the second dimension, the transverse passthrough surface including a step surface extending between the first and second portions of the transverse passthrough surface, wherein the inner liner, the outer liner, and the transverse wall form an airtight vacuum space;
- porous filler material disposed in the airtight vacuum space;
- a resilient insulating member comprising a resilient material, wherein the resilient insulating member is disposed in the passthrough opening, the resilient insulating member including a plurality of outwardly-projecting flexible flaps engaging the transverse passthrough surface of the passthrough opening and forming an airtight seal between the resilient insulating member and the transverse passthrough surface of the passthrough opening, the resilient insulating member further including an aperture extending through the resilient insulating member, and a surface abutting the step surface of the transverse passthrough surface;
- an evaporator assembly disposed inside of the sidewall;
- a condenser assembly disposed outside of the sidewall;
- at least one fluid conduit having an inner end fluidly connected to the evaporator assembly and extending through the aperture of the resilient insulating member, the fluid conduit having an outer end fluidly connected to the condenser assembly.
3 more elements
A refrigerator comprising:
- a vacuum insulated cabinet having a food storage space and an enlarged access opening permitting items to be placed in the food storage space and removed from the food storage space, the vacuum insulated cabinet including a sidewall having an inner liner on an inner side, an outer wrapper on an outer side, and a transverse wall extending between the inner and outer sides to form a passthrough opening, the transverse wall having a transverse passthrough surface extending around and facing the passthrough opening, wherein the inner liner, the outer liner, and the transverse wall form an airtight vacuum space;
- porous filler material disposed in the airtight vacuum space;
- a resilient insulating member comprising a resilient material, wherein the resilient insulating member is disposed in the passthrough opening, the resilient insulating member including a plurality of outwardly-projecting flexible flaps engaging the transverse passthrough surface of the passthrough opening and forming an airtight seal between the resilient insulating member and the transverse passthrough surface of the passthrough opening, the resilient insulating member further including an aperture extending through the resilient insulating member;
- an evaporator assembly disposed inside of the sidewall;
- a condenser assembly disposed outside of the sidewall;
- at least one fluid conduit having an inner end fluidly connected to the evaporator assembly and extending through the aperture of the resilient insulating member, the fluid conduit having an outer end fluidly connected to the condenser assembly;
- and wherein the transverse passthrough surface of the passthrough opening includes a first portion having a first dimension, a second portion having a second dimension, and an annular step surface extending between the first and second portions;
- and
- the resilient insulating member includes a first portion including a first plurality of outwardly-projecting flexible flaps engaging the first portion of the passthrough surface, and a second portion including a second plurality of outwardly-projecting flexible flaps engaging the second portion of the passthrough surface.
6 more elements
A refrigerator comprising:
- a vacuum insulated cabinet having a food storage space and an enlarged access opening permitting items to be placed in the food storage space and removed from the food storage space, the vacuum insulated cabinet including a sidewall having an inner liner on an inner side of the sidewall, and an outer wrapper on an outer side of the sidewall, the sidewall including a vacuum cavity between the inner liner and the outer wrapper, the sidewall further including a passthrough surface that is transverse to the inner and outer sides and forming a passthrough opening through the sidewall, the passthrough opening having an inner portion extending between the inner liner and the outer wrapper, wherein the inner portion of the passthrough opening is formed by an inner wall that extends between the inner liner and the outer wrapper, and wherein the inner wall separates the inner portion of the passthrough opening from the vacuum cavity, and wherein at least a selected one of the inner and outer sides of the sidewall defines a plane and includes a protrusion formed by an outer wall that projects outwardly away from the plane and away from the vacuum cavity in a first direction, the outer wall extending around an outer portion of the passthrough opening, the outer wall having a tubular configuration with oppositely-facing inner and outer surfaces, wherein the inner surface of the outer wall extends around the outer portion of the passthrough opening and faces inwardly towards the outer portion of the passthrough opening, and wherein the outer surface of the outer wall is disposed on an outer side of the plane that is opposite the vacuum cavity;
- porous filler material disposed in the vacuum space;
- a resilient insulating member comprising a resilient material, wherein the resilient insulating member includes an inner portion disposed on an inner side of the plane in the inner portion of the passthrough opening, and an outer portion disposed on an outer side of the plane in the outer portion of the passthrough opening the resilient insulating member including at least one outwardly-projecting flexible flap engaging an inner surface of the inner sidewall, and at least one outwardly-projecting flexible flap engaging the inner surface of the outer wall and forming an airtight seal between the resilient insulating member and the inner surface of the inner wall and the inner surface of the outer wall when the resilient insulating member is installed in the passthrough opening, the resilient insulating member further including an aperture extending through the resilient insulating member;
- an evaporator assembly disposed inside of the sidewall;
- a condenser assembly disposed outside of the sidewall;
- and
- at least one conduit having an inner end fluidly connected to the evaporator assembly and extending through the aperture of the resilient insulating member, the fluid conduit having an outer end fluidly connected to the condenser assembly.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.