A method for forming an insulative member includes forming a wrapper for an insulating structure, the wrapper defining an insulating cavity. A predetermined amount of an insulating media is disposed into the insulating cavity, the insulating media having a pre-compaction density. The insulating media is modified to define a desired insulation density by applying a positive compression to and generating a negative compression within the insulating media during a simultaneous compression phase. At least the simultaneous compression phase is operated until the insulating media reaches a desired insulation density, the desired insulation density being greater than the pre-compaction density. The insulating cavity is sealed to maintain the desired insulation density of the insulation media within the insulating cavity to form the insulating structure.

An insulated containing apparatus is provided. The insulated containing apparatus includes a container. The container includes a base, a sidewall extending from the base and a lid. The sidewall includes an upper edge forming an entrance into the container. The lid is hingedly attached to a portion of the upper edge. An armrest cover includes an elongated bendable body having a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is secured to the container. The elongated body is sized to wrap around an armrest of a couch and the distal end fits underneath a cushion of the couch, thereby connecting to the couch.

A vacuum heat insulating body includes core material and outer packing material that vacuum-seals core material. Core material includes first heat insulating core material and second heat insulating core material having ventilation characteristics. Moreover, first heat insulating core material has ventilation resistance greater than the ventilation resistance of second heat insulating core material. First heat insulating core material is configured with an open-cell resin, and second heat insulating core material is configured with a fiber material or a powder material having ventilation resistance smaller than the ventilation resistance of the open-cell resin.

A refrigeration appliance has a refrigerator compartment container and an ice container for providing ice. The refrigerator compartment container delimits a refrigerator compartment. A receiving niche for receiving the ice container is formed in an exterior of the refrigerator compartment container. The receiving niche has an opening to the refrigerator compartment, wherein an opening of the ice container and the opening of the receiving niche are aligned flush with one another. The ice container has a container outer wall, a container inner wall and a thermal insulation, which is arranged between the container inner wall and the container outer wall.

An insulation compaction device includes an insulating structure of an appliance and has an insulating media disposed within an insulating cavity. An operable piston selectively engages the insulating structure and operates to define a selected cavity volume of the insulating cavity and a selected insulation density of the insulating media. A valve is attached to the insulating structure and in a passive state releases gas from the insulating cavity to the exterior during operation of the operable piston. Selective operation of a pump mechanism places the valve in an active state to extract gas from the insulating cavity and define a cavity pressure of the insulating cavity that is less than an equalized pressure. The operable piston and the pump mechanism are at least one of sequentially and simultaneously operable to define a selected piston chamber environment defined by the selected cavity volume and the cavity pressure.