Patent Application
20250003671
The disclosure relates to a refrigerator and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a refrigerator including a main body formed by folding an insulating panel and a method of manufacturing the same.
In general, a refrigerator, an appliance for keeping food fresh, includes a main body having a storage compartment, a cold air supply device for supplying cold air to the storage compartment, and a door for opening and closing the storage compartment.
Typically, the main body of a refrigerator is manufactured by foaming and curing a foaming liquid between an inner case injection-molded of resin and an outer case made of metal disposed on an outside of the inner case.
Such a method has the inconvenience of molding, transporting, and storing the inner and outer cases separately, and the difficulty of foaming work due to the complex shape of the inner case. In addition, there are manufacturing restriction in freely changing the size, shape, and material of the main body.
One aspect of the present disclosure provides a simple and easy method of manufacturing a refrigerator and a refrigerator manufactured thereby.
One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a main body of a refrigerator by folding an insulation panel and a refrigerator manufactured thereby.
One aspect of the present disclosure provides a refrigerator with improved insulation performance in a refrigerator in which insulation panels are folded or assembled (combined).
Technical tasks to be achieved in this document are not limited to the technical tasks mentioned above, and other technical tasks not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a refrigerator may include an insulation panel including an inner shell, an outer shell, and insulation between the inner shell and the outer shell, wherein the insulation panel has a cutout portion forming a cutout groove in the insulation panel, and the insulation panel is folded about the cutout groove so that the insulation panel forms a main wall; a rear wall coupled to a rear side of the main wall, so that the rear wall and the main wall together form a main body having a storage room; a door to open and close the storage room; and an evaporator to cool the storage room.
The cutout groove may be formed through a portion of the inner shell and a portion of the insulation.
Insulation between the inner shell and the outer shell of a first portion of the insulation panel and insulation between the inner shell and the outer shell of a second portion of the insulation panel that are folded about the cutout groove may be bonded together.
The inner shell of a first portion of the insulation panel and the inner shell of a second portion of the insulation panel that are folded about the cutout groove may be bonded together.
The outer shell of a first portion of the insulation panel and the outer shell of a second portion of the insulation panel that are folded about the cutout groove may be integrally formed.
A first cut surface of a first portion of the insulation panel may form a first portion of the cutout groove and a second cut surface of a second portion of the insulation panel may form a second portion of the cutout groove, and the first portion and the second portion may be folded about the cutout groove.
The first cut surface may include a first inner shell cut surface on the inner shell of the first portion of the insulation panel, and a first insulation cut surface on the insulation between the inner shell and the outer shell of the first portion of the insulation panel, and the second cut surface may include a second inner shell cut surface on the inner shell of the second portion of the insulation panel, and a second insulation cut surface on the insulation between the inner shell and the outer shell of the second portion of the insulation panel, and the first inner shell cut surface and the second inner shell cut surface may be bonded, and the first insulation cut surface and the second insulation cut surface may be bonded.
The outer shell may include a side portion forming at least one of an upper side, a lower side, a left side, and a right side of the main body, a front portion forming at least a portion of a front edge of the main body, and a rear portion coupled to the rear wall.
The outer shell may be formed of a metallic material, and the inner shell may be formed of a non-woven material.
The insulation may be a polyurethane foam.
The refrigerator may further include a liner coupled to an inner side of the folded insulation panel and formed of a resin material.
Each of the outer shell and the inner shell may be formed of a metallic material.
A guide coupling hole may be formed in the inner shell so that a shelf guide for supporting a shelf is couplable to the inner shell by the guide coupling hole.
The refrigerator may further include a machine room unit coupled to a lower side of the main body and including a compressor and a condenser.
A refrigerant pipe connecting the machine room unit and the evaporator may be on the rear wall.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing a refrigerator includes transferring an inner shell and an outer shell, forming an insulation by injecting and curing a foaming liquid between the inner shell and the outer shell, cutting the insulation panel including the inner shell, the outer shell, and the insulation to a predetermined length, forming at least one cutout groove by cutting out a portion of the insulation panel, and folding the insulation panel about the at least one cutout groove.
Forming at least one cutout groove may include cutting out a portion of the inner shell and a portion of the insulation.
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may further include forming a main wall by coupling a liner to an inner side of the insulation panel.
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may further include forming a main body by coupling a rear wall to a rear side of a main wall.
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may further include placing an evaporator in a storage room formed in the main body and coupling a machine room unit including a compressor and a condenser to the main body.
According to the present disclosure, the method of manufacturing a refrigerator may be simplified and facilitated.
According to the present disclosure, the main body of a refrigerator may be easily manufactured using a method of folding insulation panels.
According to the present disclosure, the insulation performance of a refrigerator by folding or assembling (combining) insulation panels may be improved.
The effects that can be obtained from the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be apparent to those of skilled in the art from the following description.
Various embodiments of the present document and terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the corresponding embodiments.
In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components.
The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or a plurality of the items unless clearly indicated otherwise in a related context.
In this document, phrases, such as “A or B”, “at least one of A and B”, “at least one of A or B,” “A, B or C,” “at least one of A, B and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C”, may include any one or all possible combinations of items listed together in the corresponding phrase among the phrases.
As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of associated listed items.
Terms such as “1st”, “2nd”, “first”, or “second” may be used simply to distinguish a component from other components, without limiting the component in other aspects (e.g., importance or order).
Further, as used in the disclosure, the terms “front”, “rear”, “top”, “bottom”, “side”, “left”, “right”, “upper”, “lower”, and the like are defined with reference to the drawings, and are not intended to limit the shape and position of each component.
It will be understood that when the terms “includes,” “comprises,” “including,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, figures, steps, operations, components, members, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, figures, steps, operations, components, members, or combinations thereof.
It will be understood that when a certain component is referred to as being “connected to”, “coupled to”, “supported by” or “in contact with” another component, it can be directly or indirectly connected to, coupled to, supported by, or in contact with the other component. When a component is indirectly connected to, coupled to, supported by, or in contact with another component, it may be connected to, coupled to, supported by, or in contact with the other component through a third component.
It will also be understood that when a component is referred to as being “on” or “over” another component, it can be directly on the other component or intervening components may also be present.
A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a main body.
The main body may include an insulation.
The insulation may insulate inside of a storage room from outside of the storage room to maintain inside temperature of the storage room at appropriate temperature without being influenced by an external environment of the storage room. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the insulation may include a foaming insulation such as a polyurethane foam.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the insulation may include a vacuum insulation in addition to a foaming insulation, or may be configured only with a vacuum insulation instead of a forming insulation.
The storage room may store a variety of items, such as foods, medicines, cosmetics, and the like, and the storage room may be formed to be open on at least one side for storing or removing items.
The refrigerator may include one or more storage rooms. In a case in which two or more storage rooms are formed in the refrigerator, the respective storage rooms may have different purposes of use, and may be maintained at different temperature. To this end, the storage rooms may be partitioned by a partition wall including an insulation.
The storage room may be maintained within an appropriate temperature range according to a purpose of use, and include a “refrigerating room”, a “freezing room”, and a “temperature conversion room” according to purposes of use and/or temperature ranges. The refrigerating room may be maintained at appropriate temperature to keep food refrigerating, and the freezing room may be maintained at appropriate temperature to keep food frozen. The “refrigerating” may be keeping food cold without freezing the food, and for example, the refrigerating room may be maintained within a range of 0 degrees Celsius to 7 degrees Celsius. The “freezing” may be freezing food or keeping food frozen, and for example, the freezing room may be maintained within a range of −20 degrees Celsius to −1 degrees Celsius. The temperature conversion room may be used as any one of a refrigerating room or a freezing room according to or regardless of a user's selection.
The storage room may also be called various other terms, such as “vegetable room”, “freshness room”, “cooling room”, and “ice-making room”, in addition to “refrigerating room”, “freezing room”, and “temperature conversion room”, and the terms, such as “refrigerating room”, “freezing room”, “temperature conversion room”, etc., as used below need to be understood to represent storage rooms having the corresponding purposes of use and the corresponding temperature ranges.
The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include at least one door configured to open or close the open side of the storage room. The respective doors may be provided to open and close one or more storage rooms, or a single door may be provided to open and close a plurality of storage rooms. The door may be rotatably or slidably mounted on the front of the main body.
The door may seal the storage room in a closed state. The door may include an insulation, like the main body, to insulate the storage room in the closed state.
According to an embodiment, the door may include an outer door plate forming the front surface of the door, an inner door plate forming the rear surface of the door and facing the storage room, an upper cap, a lower cap, and a door insulation provided therein.
A gasket may be provided on the edge of the inner door plate to seal the storage room by coming into close contact with the front surface of the main body when the door is closed. The inner door plate may include a dyke that protrudes rearward to allow a door basket for storing items to be fitted.
According to an embodiment, the door may include a door body and a front panel that is detachably coupled to the front of the door body and forms the front surface of the door. The door body may include an outer door plate that forms the front surface of the door body, an inner door plate that forms the rear surface of the door body and faces the storage room, an upper cap, a lower cap, and a door insulator provided therein.
The refrigerator may be classified as French Door Type, Side-by-side Type, Bottom Mounted Freezer (BMF), Top Mounted Freezer (TMF), or One Door Refrigerator depending on the arrangement of the doors and the storage rooms.
The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a cold air supply device for supplying cold air to the storage room.
The cold air supply device may include a machine, an apparatus, an electronic device, and/or a combination system thereof, capable of generating cold air and guiding the cold air to cool the storage room.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the cold air supply device may generate cold air through a cooling cycle including compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation processes of refrigerants. To this end, the cold air supply device may include a cooling cycle device having a compressor, a condenser, an expander, and an evaporator to drive the cooling cycle. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the cold air supply device may include a semiconductor such as a thermoelectric element. The thermoelectric element may cool the storage room by heating and cooling actions through the Peltier effect.
The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a machine room where at least some components belonging to the cold air supply device are installed.
The machine room may be partitioned and insulated from the storage room to prevent heat generated from the components installed in the machine room from being transferred to the storage room. To dissipate heat from the components installed inside the machine room, the machine room may communicate with outside of the main body.
The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a dispenser provided on the door to provide water and/or ice. The dispenser may be provided on the door to allow access by the user without opening the door.
The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include an ice-making device that produces ice. The ice-making device may include an ice-making tray that stores water, an ice-moving device that separates ice from the ice-making tray, and an ice-bucket that stores ice generated in the ice-making tray.
The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a controller for controlling the refrigerator.
The controller may include a memory for storing and/or memorizing data and/or programs for controlling the refrigerator, and a processor for outputting control signals for controlling the cold air supply device, etc. according to the programs and/or data memorized in the memory.
The memory may store or record various information, data, commands, programs, and the like necessary for operations of the refrigerator. The memory may store temporary data generated while generating control signals for controlling components included in the refrigerator. The memory may include at least one of volatile memory and non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof.
The processor may control the overall operation of the refrigerator. The processor may control the components of the refrigerator by executing programs stored in memory. The processor may include a separate neural processing unit (NPU) that performs an operation of an artificial intelligence (AI) model. In addition, the processor may include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processor (GPU), and the like. The processor may generate a control signal to control the operation of the cold air supply device. For example, the processor may receive temperature information of the storage room from a temperature sensor, and generate a cooling control signal for controlling an operation of the cold air supply device based on the temperature information of the storage room.
Furthermore, the processor may process a user input of a user interface and control an operation of the user interface according to the programs and/or data memorized/stored in the memory. The user interface may be provided using an input interface and an output interface. The processor may receive the user input from the user interface. In addition, the processor may transmit a display control signal and image data for displaying an image on the user interface to the user interface in response to the user input.
The processor and memory may be provided integrally or may be provided separately. The processor may include one or more processors. For example, the processor may include a main processor and at least one sub-processor. The memory may include one or more memories.
The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a processor and a memory for controlling all the components included in the refrigerator, and may include a plurality of processors and a plurality of memories for individually controlling the components of the refrigerator. For example, the refrigerator may include a processor and a memory for controlling the operation of the cold air supply device according to an output of the temperature sensor. In addition, the refrigerator may be separately equipped with a processor and a memory for controlling the operation of the user interface according to the user input.
A communication module may communicate with external devices, such as servers, mobile devices, and other home appliances via a nearby access point (AP). The AP may connect a local area network (LAN) to which a refrigerator or a user device is connected to a wide area network (WAN) to which a server is connected. The refrigerator or the user device may be connected to the server via the WAN.
The input interface may include keys, a touch screen, a microphone, and the like. The input interface may receive the user input and pass the received user input to the processor.
The output interface may include a display, a speaker, and the like. The output interface may output various notifications, messages, information, and the like generated by the processor.
Hereinafter, various embodiments according to the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The cold air supply device may include a cooling cycle device having a compressor 26, a condenser 27, an expander (not shown), and an evaporator 24.
The evaporator 24 may be disposed within the storage room 20. An evaporator cover 23 may be coupled to an inner surface of the storage room 20 to cover the evaporator 24. The storage room 20 may be divided into a cooling space in which the evaporator 24 is disposed to generate cold air by the evaporator cover 23, and a storage space in which items are stored. Cold air discharge holes 23a may be formed in the evaporator cover 23 to guide cold air from the cooling space to the storage space.
The refrigerator 1 may include the compressor 26, the condenser 27, and a machine room unit 25 including a machine room housing 29. The compressor 26 and the condenser 27 may be arranged in the machine room housing 29. The machine room unit 25 may further include a blowing fan 28 provided to dissipate heat generated from the condenser 27. As shown in the drawings, the machine room unit 25 may be coupled to a lower side of the main body 10. Alternatively, however, the machine room unit 25 may be coupled to another side of the main body 10, such as an upper or rear side of the main body 10.
Shelves (not shown) for supporting food and a storage container 21 for accommodating food may be provided in the storage room 20.
The door 30 may be rotatably coupled to the main body 10. The door 30 may be rotatably coupled to the main body 10 by a hinge 33. The door 30 may be provided with a door shelf 31 for storing food. A door gasket 32 may be provided on a back side of the door 30 to come into close contact with a front edge of the main body 10 when the door 30 is closed. The door gasket 32 may be made of a rubber material. The storage room 20 may be sealed by the door gasket 32 coming in close contact with the front edge of the main body 10.
The main body 10 may include a main wall 11 and a rear wall 16 coupled to a rear side of the main wall 11. In other words, a combination of the main wall 11 and the rear wall 16 may form the main body with the storage room 20 therein. The main body 10 may also be referred to as a cabinet. The main wall 11 may have a rectangular frame shape open to the front and rear thereof. That is, the main wall 11 may include a left wall 12, a lower wall 13, a right wall 14, and an upper wall 15. The rear wall 16 may be coupled to the rear side of the main wall 11 to cover a rear opening of the main wall 11.
The main wall 11 and the rear wall 16 may be joined by various joining methods. For example, a surface of the main wall 11 and a surface of the rear wall 16 may be bonded together by means of an adhesive. Alternatively, the main wall 11 and the rear wall 16 may be coupled by a separate fastener (not shown), such as a screw. Alternatively, the main wall 11 and the rear wall 16 may be formed with a fit coupling such that the main wall 11 and the rear wall 16 may be fitted together.
The rear wall 16 may include an insulation to insulate the storage room 20. A refrigerant pipe 17 connecting the evaporator 24 and the machine room unit 25 may be installed on the rear wall 16. The refrigerant pipe 17 may guide a refrigerant to flow between the evaporator 25 and the machine room unit 25. At least a portion of the refrigerant pipe 17 may be embedded in the insulation of the rear wall 16.
The main wall 11 may include at least one insulation panel 40. Although
The insulation panel 40 may include an inner shell 50, an outer shell 60, and an insulation 70 (see
A liner 90, which will be described later, may be coupled to the inner shell 50. The outer shell 60 may form an exterior of the main body 10. The outer shell 60 may form the top, bottom, left, and right surfaces of the main body 10. In addition, a portion (or a first portion) 62 of the outer shell 60 may form the front edge of the main body 10.
The insulation panel 40 may include a first portion 41A, a second portion 41B, a third portion 41C, and a fourth portion 41D. Portions adjacent to each other among the first portion 41A, the second portion 41B, the third portion 41C, and the fourth portion 41D may be folded. The first portion 41A, the second portion 41B, the third portion 41C, and the fourth portion 41D may be integrally formed.
According to an embodiment, the first portion 41A may form the left wall 12 of the main wall 11. The second portion 41B may form the lower wall 13 of the main wall 11. The third portion 41C may form the right wall 14 of the main wall 11. The fourth portion 41D may form the upper wall 15 of the main wall 11.
The main wall 11 may include the liner 90 coupled to an inner side of the insulation panel 40 in a folded state. The liner 90 may be coupled to the inner shell 50. The liner 90 may be attached to the inner shell 50 by means of an adhesive. Alternatively, the liner 90 may be coupled to the inner shell 50 by means of a separate fastener, such as a screw. The liner 90 may include one or more shelf guides 91 for supporting the shelf or the storage container 21. The shelf guides 91 may be formed to protrude towards the storage room 20. The liner 90 may be injection molded from a resin material.
Hereinafter, a structure, forming method, and folding method of the insulation panel 40 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail.
As shown in
The inner shell 50 may be formed of a non-woven material to provide flexibility, workability, and thermal insulation properties. The outer shell 60 may be formed of a metallic material to have an aesthetic effect, e.g. shiny, hard, or the like.
The insulation panel 40 may be continuously formed by a continuous foam sandwich panel forming process. More particularly, the inner shell 50 and the outer shell 60 may be transported to a foaming device via a double belt, and a foaming liquid may be injected between the inner shell 50 and the outer shell 60 through the foaming device. The foaming liquid injected between the inner shell 50 and the outer shell 60 may be cured to form the insulation panel 40. The insulation panel 40 may be cut to a predetermined length by a cutting process.
The outer shell 60 may include side portions 61 forming upper, lower, left, and right sides of the main body 10. As shown in
As shown in
The at least one cutout grooves 45A, 45B, and 45C may be formed by cutting out a portion of the inner shell 50 and a portion of the insulation 70. The depth of the at least one cutout grooves 45A, 45B, and 45C may be substantially equal to the sum of a thickness of the inner shell 50 and a thickness of the insulation 70. The at least one cutout grooves 45A, 45B, and 45C may be formed longitudinally in a width direction of the insulation panel 40. The cross-section of at least one of the cutout grooves 45A, 45B, and 45C may be substantially V-shaped, and an opening angle thereof may be substantially 90 degrees. The insulation panel 40 may be divided into the first portion 41A, the second portion 41B, the third portion 41C, and the fourth portion 41D, which are described above, 41D, based on at least one of cutout grooves 45A, 45B, and 45C.
Longitudinally opposite ends of the insulation panel 40 may be cut to form cutout ends 46A and 46B.
The insulation panel 40 may be folded about at least one of cutout grooves 45A, 45B, and 45C. In the present embodiment, three cutout grooves 45A, 45B, and 45C are formed in the insulation panel 40, so that the insulation panel 40 may be folded three times.
As such, the insulation panel 40 may be folded easily and smoothly due to the respective cutout groove formed on one side of the insulation panel 40. Furthermore, this may prevent the shape of the insulation panel 40 from being deformed or damaged when the insulation panel 40 is folded.
With reference to
The insulation panel 40 may include the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B disposed on opposite sides of the cutout groove 45A. The first portion 41A and the second portion 41B may be folded about the cutout groove 45A. With the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B unfolded, the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B may be substantially parallel. With the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B folded, the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B may be substantially perpendicular.
With the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B folded, an insulation 70A of the first portion 41A and an insulation 70B of the second portion 41B may be adjacent to or in contact with each other. With the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B folded, the insulation 70A of the first portion 41A and the insulation 70B of the second portion 41B may be bonded to each other by an adhesive.
With the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B folded, an inner shell 50A of the first portion 41A and an inner shell 50B of the second portion 41B may be adjacent to or in contact with each other. With the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B folded, the inner shell 50A of the first portion 41A and the inner shell 50B of the second portion 41B may be bonded to each other by an adhesive.
The cutout groove 45A may not be formed in the outer shell 60 of the insulation panel 40. Accordingly, when the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B are folded, the outer shell 60 of the first portion 41A and the outer shell 60 of the second portion 41B may be integrally formed.
As such, when the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B are folded, no layer other than an air insulation layer or an adhesive layer may be formed between the insulation 70A of the first portion 41A and the insulation 70B of the second portion 41B. In other words, when the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B are folded, no portion of the inner shell 50 may be interposed between the insulation 70A of the first portion 41A and the insulation 70B of the second portion 41B. Since the air insulation layer or the adhesive layer has a lower thermal conductivity than the inner shell, the insulation performance of the insulation panel 40 may be improved and heat from the outside may be prevented from entering the storage room 20.
When the adhesive layer is formed between the insulation 70A of the first portion 41A and the insulation 70B of the second portion 41B in a state in which the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B are folded, the adhesive layer may be provided only on a portion of a surface where the insulation 70A of the first portion 41A and the insulation 70B of the second portion 41B are in contact. For example, the adhesive layer may be formed only on an edge portion of the surface where the insulation 70A of the first portion 41A and the insulation 70B of the second portion 41B are in contact, and an airtight air insulation layer may be formed on the remaining portion.
As described above, since the air insulation layer or the adhesive layer has the lower thermal conductivity than the inner shell, the heat leakage according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be minimized compared to the case where the inner shell is interposed between the insulation 70A of the first portion 41A and the insulation 70B of the second portion 41B, thereby preventing condensation due to heat leakage. More particularly, the first portion 41A may include a first cut surface 80A forming a portion of the cutout groove 45A. The second portion 41B may include a second cut surface 80B forming another portion of the cutout groove 45A. The first cut surface 80A and the second cut surface 80B may be formed by cutting the insulation panel 40. In a state where the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B are unfolded, the first cut surface 80A and the second cut surface 80B may be arranged substantially perpendicular to each other. In a state where the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B are folded, the first cut surface 80A and the second cut surface 80B may be located substantially on the same plane.
With the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B unfolded, the adhesive may be applied to at least one of the first cut surface 80A and the second cut surface 80B.
Alternatively, the first cut surface 80A and the second cut surface 80B may be joined by mechanical or physical combining by simply folding without adhesive.
With the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B folded, the first cut surface 80A and the second cut surface 80B may be adjacent to or in contact with each other. With the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B folded, the air insulation layer may be formed between the first cut surface 80A and the second cut surface 80B. With the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B folded, the first cut surface 80A and the second cut surface 80B may be bonded to each other using an adhesive.
More particularly, the first cut surface 80A may include a first inner shell cut surface 81A formed on the inner shell 50A of the first portion 41A. The first cut surface 80A may include a first insulation cut surface 82A formed on the insulation 70A of the first portion 41A.
The second cut surface 80B may include a second inner shell cut surface 81B formed on the inner shell 50B of the second portion 41B. The second cut surface 80B may include a second insulation cut surface 82B formed on the insulation 70B of the second portion 41B.
With the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B folded, the first inner shell cut surface 81A and the second inner shell cut surface 81B may be adjacent to or in contact with each other. With the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B folded, the first inner shell cut surface 81A and the second inner shell cut surface 81B may be bonded to each other by an adhesive.
With the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B folded, the first insulation cut surface 82A and the second insulation cut surface 82B may be adjacent to or in contact with each other. With the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B folded, the first insulation cut surface 82A and the second insulation cut surface 82B may be bonded to each other by an adhesive.
As such, when the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B are folded, no layer other than the air insulation layer or the adhesive layer may be formed between the first cut surface 80A and the second cut surface 80B. In other words, when the first portion 41A and the second portion 41B are folded, no portion of the inner shell 50 may be intervened between the first cut surface 80A and the second cut surface 80B. As a result, the insulation performance of the insulation panel 40 may be improved and heat from the outside may be prevented from entering the storage room 20.
Referring to
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the insulation panel 40 may be continuously formed using a continuous foam sandwich panel forming process.
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may include providing the inner shell 50 and the outer shell 60. The inner shell 50 may be formed of a non-woven material and the outer shell 60 may be formed of a metallic material. The shell 60 may be formed by an extrusion method.
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may include transferring the inner shell 50 and the outer shell 60 (S10). The inner shell 50 and the outer shell 60 may be transferred to a foaming device using a double conveyor belt.
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may include forming the shapes of the inner shell 50 and the outer shell 60 during the transfer of the inner shell 50 and the outer shell 60. For example, the shape of the outer shell 60 may be formed during the transfer of the inner shell 50 and the outer shell 60 such that the outer shell 60 includes the side portion 61, the front portion 62, and the rear portion 63 (see
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may include forming the insulation 70 by injecting and curing a foaming liquid between the inner shell 50 and the outer shell 60 (S20). With the insulation 70 formed between the inner shell 50 and the outer shell 60, the insulation panel 40 may then be formed.
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may include cutting the continuous insulation panel 40 to a predetermined length by a cutting process (S30).
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may include forming the at least one cutout groove 45A, 45B, and 45C on one side of the insulation panel 40 by cutting out a portion of the insulation panel 40 (S40). The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may include cutting out longitudinally opposite ends of the insulation panel 40 to form a pair of cutout ends 46A and 46B. Forming the at least one cutout groove 45A, 45B, and 45C and forming the pair of cutout ends 46A and 46B may be performed in the same process.
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may include folding the insulation panel 40 about the at least one cutout groove 45A, 45B, and 45C (S50). The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may include applying an adhesive to at least one cut surface and the at least one cutout end before folding the insulation panel 40 about the at least one cutout groove 45A, 45B, and 45C.
Applying the adhesive to the at least one cut surface may include applying the adhesive to a portion of the at least one cut surface. For example, applying the adhesive to the at least one cut surface may include applying the adhesive to the edge portion of the at least one cut surface.
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may include coupling the liner 90 (see
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may include coupling the rear wall 16 to the rear side of the main wall 11 (S70). The main wall 11 and the rear wall 16 may be coupled to form the main body 10.
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may include placing the evaporator 24 in the storage room 20 of the main body 10 and coupling the machine room unit 25 to the main body 10 (S80).
With reference to
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator includes coupling a liner 290 to the inner shell 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D of the insulation panel 40 before folding the insulation panel 40 about at least one of the cutout grooves 45A, 45B, and 45C (see S50 in
The insulation panel 40 may include a plurality of portions divided by at least one of the cutout grooves 45A, 45B, and 45C. The insulation panel 40 may include the first portion 41A, the second portion 41B, the third portion 41C and the fourth portion 41D divided by the cutout grooves 45A, 45B, and 45C.
The liner 290 may include a first partial liner 290A, a second partial liner 290B, a third partial liner 290C, and a fourth partial liner 290D, which are coupled to the inner shell 50A of the first portion 41A, the inner shell 50B of the second portion 41B, the inner shell 50C of the third portion 41C, and the inner shell 50D of the fourth portion 41D, respectively.
The partial liners 290A, 290B, 290C, and 290D may be injection molded from a resin material, and may include shelf guides 291 protruding to guide the shelves of the storage container.
The method of joining the partial liners 290A, 290B, 290C, and 290D to the inner shells 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D of the insulation panel 40, respectively, before folding the insulation panel 40 about the at least one perforation 45A, 45B, and 45C, as described above, may be easier to assemble the liner 290 than the method of joining the liner to the inner surface (or inner shell) of the insulation panel after the insulation panel has been folded about the at least one cutout groove (S60 in
With reference to
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may include coupling a liner 390 to the inner shell 50 of the insulation panel 40 before cutting off a portion of the insulation panel 40 to form the at least one cutout groove 45A, 45B, and 45C on one side of the insulation panel 40 (S40 in
To couple the liner 390 to the inner shell 50 of the insulation panel 40, a foaming liquid may be foamed between the inner shell 50 of the insulation panel 40 and the liner 390. The inner shell 50 of the insulation panel 40 and the liner 390 may be bonded by the adhesive force of the foaming liquid. The liner 390 may be injection molded from a resin material. The liner 390 may include shelf guides 391 protruding to guide the shelves or the storage containers.
The method described above may not only allow the liner 390 to be coupled to the inner shell 50 of the insulation panel 40, but may also provide an additional insulation 392 between the inner shell 50 of the insulation panel 40 and the liner 390, thereby increasing the insulation performance and rigidity of the main body 10.
With reference to
In contrast to the forgoing embodiments, both an inner shell 450 and the outer shell 60 of the insulation panel 440 may be formed of a metallic material.
As such, when the inner shell 450 is formed of a metallic material, the inner shell 450 may not have a separate liner coupled thereto. This is because the inner shell 450 is sufficiently rigid when formed from the metallic material, and therefore joining the liner to the inner shell may unnecessarily increase the thickness of the wall. However, in the absence of a liner, shelf guides 452 may be provided separately to guide the shelves or the storage containers, and the shelf guides 452 may be attached to the inner shell 450 formed of a metallic material.
To this end, guide coupling holes 451 may be formed in the inner shell 450 made of a metallic material to allow the shelf guides 452 to be coupled thereto.
More particularly, the insulation panel 440 may include a plurality of portions divided by at least one of the cutout grooves 45A, 45B, and 45C. The plurality of portions may include a first portion 441A, a second portion 441B, a third portion 441C, and a fourth portion 441D. The first portion 441A, the second portion 441B, the third portion 441C, and the fourth portion 441D may include inner shells 450A, 450B, 450C, and 450D, respectively, made of a metallic material.
The method of manufacturing the refrigerator may include injecting and curing a foam liquid between the inner shell 50 and the outer shell 60 to form the insulation panel 40 (S30 in
Forming the guide coupling holes 451 to allow the shelf guides 452 to be coupled to the inner shell 450 made of a metallic material may be performed before the insulation panel 40 is folded about at least one of the cutout grooves 45A, 45B, and 45C (S50 in
Forming the guide coupling hole 451 to allow the shelf guides 452 to be coupled to the inner shell 450 made of a metallic material may be performed in the same process as forming the at least one cutout groove 45A, 45B, and 45C and forming the pair of cutout ends 46A and 46B.
In contrast to the foregoing embodiments, the main wall 11 may include two or more insulation panels. For example, as shown in
The first insulation panel 540A may include a plurality of portions 541A and 541B folded about the cutout groove. The second insulation panel 540B may include a plurality of portions 541C and 541D folded about the cutout groove.
A pair of cutout ends 546A and 546B of the first insulation panel 540A and a pair of cutout ends 546C and 546D of the second insulation panel 540B may be bonded together.
However, it is not necessary for the plurality of insulation panels to each include a plurality of portions, and it is possible for only one of the plurality of insulation panels to include a plurality of portions. For example, one insulation panel of the plurality of insulation panels may be folded twice to form a substantially U-shape, and the remaining insulation panel, i.e., the other insulation panel, may be formed as a flat shape.
While the present disclosure has been particularly described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood by those of skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2023-0083808 | Jun 2023 | KR | national |
| 10-2023-0107284 | Aug 2023 | KR | national |
This is a continuation application, under 35 U.S.C. § 111 (a), of International Application PCT/KR2024/005508, filed Apr. 24, 2024, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2023-0083808, filed Jun. 28, 2023 and 10-2023-0107284, filed Aug. 16, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/KR2024/005508 | Apr 2024 | WO |
| Child | 18652465 | US |
