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US 2012/0058292 A1Published application
Vacuum Insulation Panel
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorAlan Feinerman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vacuum insulation panel (VIP) in an example comprises first and second walls and a plurality of tensile elements. The first and second walls are structurally coupled to allow formation of a vacuum cavity between the first and second walls. The plurality of tensile elements structurally supports the first and second walls against external pressure contemporaneous with tension on the plurality of tensile elements. The plurality of tensile elements is located in the vacuum cavity between the first and second walls.
Claims2
1-25. (canceled)
A vacuum insulation panel (VIP), comprising:
- first and second walls that are structurally coupled to allow formation of a vacuum cavity between the first and second walls, wherein the first wall comprises a first plurality of pillars aligned in a first general direction, wherein the second wall comprises a second plurality of pillars aligned in a second general direction;
- a first plurality of tensile elements that comprises fibers;
- a second plurality of tensile elements that comprises fibers, wherein the second plurality of tensile elements directly touches only the second plurality of pillars and the first plurality of tensile elements, wherein the first plurality of tensile elements directly touches only the first plurality of pillars and the second plurality of tensile elements, wherein the first plurality of tensile elements comprises a first plurality of thermally insulating filaments and the second plurality of tensile elements comprises a second plurality of thermally insulating filaments at an intermediate location between the first and second walls;
- a plurality of interlocking pairs of supports, wherein a first pair of the interlocking pairs of supports comprises a first support structurally coupled with the first wall and a second support structurally coupled with the second wall;
- and
- wherein a heat flow path proceeds in succession from the first wall and along the first support, a thermally insulating filament of the first plurality of thermally insulating filaments, a thermally insulating filament of the second plurality of thermally insulating filaments, and the second support to the second wall;
- wherein the first and second pluralities of tensile elements serve to structurally support the first and second walls against external pressure contemporaneous with tension on the first and second pluralities of tensile elements, wherein the first and second pluralities of tensile elements and the first and second pluralities of pillars are located in the vacuum cavity between the first and second walls.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.