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US 12,607,288 B2Granted
Insulated structures and methods of making the same
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorDevidas Balu Raskar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An insulated structure includes a plurality of walls and a cavity defined by the plurality of walls. A core material is disposed within the cavity. The core material includes particles with a diameter that is in a range of 80-1600 μm. The core material disposed within the cavity can have a density in a range of greater than 350 kg/m3 to 600 kg/m3. Methods of manufacturing the insulated structure also disclosed.
Claims16
A method of producing an insulated structure, the method comprising:
- introducing a raw material into a feed hopper;
- compacting the raw material with at least one roller;
- directing the raw material that has been compacted to a crusher;
- directing the raw material that has been compacted to a granulator;
- collecting the raw material that has been compacted and exposed to both the crusher and the granulator as a core material precursor;
- filtering the core material precursor with a filter member, wherein the filter member comprises a pore size that is approximately 80 μm such that particles that are 80 μm and less pass through the filter member;
- and
- depositing a portion of the core material precursor that remains within a cavity of the insulated structure, wherein the cavity of the insulated structure is defined by a plurality of walls, and wherein a pressure within the cavity is less than 100 Pascal.
5 more elements
A method of producing an insulated structure, the method comprising:
- introducing a raw material into a feed hopper;
- compacting the raw material with at least one roller;
- directing the raw material that has been compacted to a crusher;
- directing the raw material that has been compacted to a granulator;
- collecting the raw material that has been compacted and exposed to both the crusher and the granulator as a core material precursor;
- filtering the core material precursor with a filter member to remove particulates smaller than 80 μm, wherein a portion of the core material precursor that remains on the filter member represents a core material for use in the insulated structure;
- depositing the core material within a cavity of the insulated structure, wherein the cavity of the insulated structure is defined by a plurality of walls;
- evacuating at least a portion of gaseous components within the cavity of the insulated structure;
- and
- sealing the cavity of the insulated structure from an environment such that gaseous components from the environment do not enter into the cavity, wherein a pressure within the cavity is less than 100 Pascal following the steps of evacuating at least a portion of gaseous components within the cavity of the insulated structure and sealing the cavity of the insulated structure from the environment such that gaseous components from the environment do not enter into the cavity.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.