Vacuum insulated refrigerator cabinet and method for assessing thermal conductivity thereof
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsDavid Kirby, Luigi Martinella, Giorgio Giudici
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vacuum insulated refrigerator cabinet comprises an evacuation system for evacuating an insulation space of the cabinet when pressure inside such space is higher than a predetermined value. The cabinet presents sensor means comprising a temperature sensor and a heater both located within the insulation space and a control system for activating the heater according to a predetermined heating cycle and for receiving a signal from the temperature sensor, such control system being able to provide the evacuation system with a signal related to the insulation level within the insulation space.
Claims7
A vacuum insulated refrigerator cabinet comprising an evacuation system for evacuating an insulation space of the cabinet when pressure inside such space is higher than a predetermined value, said system including sensor means comprising a temperature sensor and a heater both located in a portion of the evacuation system and a control system for activating the heater according to a predetermined heating cycle and for receiving a signal from the temperature sensor, such control system being able to provide the evacuation system with a signal related to the insulation level within the insulation space.
Method for assessing the thermal conductivity of an insulation space of a vacuum insulated refrigerator cabinet, wherein such method comprises the steps of providing a predetermined amount of heat inside the insulation space, and measuring temperature in the proximity of the zone where heat has been provided in order to have an indication on how temperature decreases in such zone, the faster being the decrease vs. time, the higher being thermal conductivity of the insulation space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.