Processing of core material in a vacuum insulated structure

Abstract

A filling system for a vacuum insulated structure includes a powder processor configured to load an internal cavity of the vacuum insulated structure with a heated and at least partially degassed vacuum insulation material. The powder processor includes a hopper with inner and outer hopper walls. The inner hopper wall includes an air permeable surface. A heater is positioned in a space defined between the inner and outer hopper walls. A feed screw is positioned along an inside edge of the inner hopper wall. A vacuum port is positioned on the outer hopper wall. An aperture exit is positioned at a bottom of the hopper. At least one evacuator is coupled to the vacuum port of the powder processor. The at least one evacuator is configured to couple to a vacuum port of the vacuum insulated structure and apply a vacuum to the internal cavity of the vacuum insulated structure.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.