Vacuum Insulation Body

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vacuum insulation body comprising a vacuum-tight casing which surrounds an evacuated region, wherein a core material is arranged in the evacuated region, wherein the casing includes an opening for filling the casing with the core material, which is covered by a vacuum-tight cover film, wherein the casing is folded inwards in the edge region protruding towards the opening, so that the opening is reduced in size, and subsequently again is folded outwards, wherein the region folded outwards and a region of the cover film are vacuum-tightly connected with each other all around.

Claims

1. A vacuum insulation body comprising a vacuum-tight casing which surrounds an evacuated region, wherein a core material is arranged in the evacuated region, characterized in that the casing includes an opening for filling the casing with the core material, which is covered by a vacuum-tight cover film, wherein the casing is folded inwards in the edge region protruding towards the opening, so that the opening is reduced in size, and subsequently again is folded outwards, wherein the region folded to the outside and a region of the cover film are vacuum-tightly connected with each other all around.

2. A vacuum insulation body comprising a vacuum-tight casing which surrounds an evacuated region, wherein a core material is arranged in the evacuated region, characterized in that the casing includes an opening for filling the casing with the core material, which is covered by a vacuum-tight cover film, wherein in the edge region protruding towards the opening the casing is provided with an auxiliary structure on which the edge region rests such that the edge region forms a flat surface, and wherein the edge region with its flat surface and a region of the cover film are vacuum-tightly connected with each other all around.

3. The vacuum insulation body according to claim 1, wherein in the edge region protruding towards the opening the casing is provided with an auxiliary structure on which the edge region rests such that the edge region forms a flat surface, and wherein the edge region with its flat surface and a region of the cover film are vacuum-tightly connected with each other all around.

4. The vacuum insulation body according to claim 1, characterized in that the casing and/or the cover film partly or completely is formed as high-barrier film.

5. The vacuum insulation body according to claim 1, characterized in that the casing and/or the cover film partly or completely consists of an aluminum compound foil.

6. The vacuum insulation body according to claim 1, characterized in that the casing is present as bag and/or that the surface area of the casing is larger than the surface area of an enveloping body or an enveloping body portion against which the casing rests.

7. The vacuum insulation body according to claim 1, characterized in that the folded region folded to the outside has a flat surface.

8. The vacuum insulation body according to claim 1, characterized in that an auxiliary structure is provided, around which the edge region of the casing is folded to the outside.

9. The vacuum insulation body according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening of the casing is arranged in a main surface of the vacuum insulation body.

10. A heat-insulated container, preferably a refrigerator and/or freezer with a tempered and preferably cooled interior space and with at least one wall at least partly surrounding the tempered and preferably cooled interior space, characterized in that between the tempered and preferably cooled interior space and the wall a vacuum insulation body according to claim 1 is located.

11. A method for manufacturing a vacuum insulation body according to claim 1.

12. A method for filling a vacuum insulation body, in particular a vacuum insulation body according to claim 1, with a powdery core material, in particular with pearlite, characterized in that filling is performed without the core material being fluidized.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that before filling the vacuum insulation body with the core material, the core material is compressed by pressurization or by settlement.

14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that filling of the vacuum insulation body with the core material is effected through a main surface of the vacuum insulation body.

Description

[0058] FIG. 1 shows a refrigerator and/or freezer with reference numeral 10, for example a chest refrigerator and/or freezer, which includes a cooled interior space 12. In the representation of FIG. 1 the chest refrigerator and/or freezer is shown upside down, so that the open side of the inner container lies at the bottom.

[0059] The cooled interior space 12 is defined by an inner container 20, the outside of the chest by an outer shell 30. Between the two elements a cover frame 40 is located, which connects the inner container 20 and the outer shell 30 with each other. These elements together form an enveloping body whose interior space at least partly is filled by a vacuum insulation body.

[0060] The vacuum insulation body comprises a high-barrier film 100, which extends on the inside of the inner container, of the cover frame and of the outer shell, and which includes a filling opening 110 lying at the top according to FIG. 1.

[0061] The casing or the vacuum insulation body is formed as three-dimensional structure.

[0062] In the region of the filling opening 110 the high-barrier film is folded to the inside with the portion 101, so that a taper of the filling opening is obtained. This is adjoined by a connecting piece 102, which after being angled again connects the outwardly folded region 103 with the region 101.

[0063] The region 103 forms the outwardly folded region of the casing, which can be formed as film bag. In general, the edge region of the casing thus is formed by a structure U-shaped in cross-section, which consists of the portions 101, 102 and 103, wherein the portion 103 forms the end portion of the casing and is formed flat and preferably horizontal.

[0064] Reference numeral 200 designates a film patch, i.e. a cover film which likewise is formed flat and which is dimensioned such that it completely covers the opening 110. With its edge region the cover film 200 rests on the outwardly folded portions 103, namely circumferentially, so that after sealing a vacuum-tightly closed region is present within the vacuum insulation body.

[0065] As can be taken from FIG. 1, the U-shaped edge or end portion of the casing encloses an auxiliary structure 300, which results in said U-shaped structure of the end region of the casing 100.

[0066] It thus is possible that all welds which connect the two films, i.e. the casing 100 on the one hand and the cover film 200 on the other hand, lie in one plane. This ensures a reliable and safe manufacture of the sealing seam between the casing and the cover, which both can be designed as high-barrier film.

[0067] Thus, the auxiliary contour 300 quasi serves as counter welding frame during the sealing operation.

[0068] Reference numeral S designates the common sealing plane between the casing and the cover.

[0069] Reference numeral 400 designates the packing within the vacuum insulation body, which for example can be designed as pearlite.

[0070] In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the filling opening is the entire surface (lying at the top according to FIG. 1) of the vacuum insulation body, which faces the bottom side of the chest refrigerator or freezer. Thus, this is a main surface of the vacuum insulation body, through which the powder packing is drained into the insulation body, which results in a particularly easy filling operation. In principle, other surfaces of the vacuum insulation body also are suitable as filling opening, such as for example side faces or surfaces arranged on the back.

[0071] When the auxiliary contour is removed and vacuum is applied, the state shown in FIG. 2 is obtained. It can be seen here that the film folding of the casing in the sealing region consists of an inwardly folded region 101, the connecting region 102 and the outwardly folded region 103, wherein the latter is connected via the sealing seam and with the cover film, respectively. As shown in FIG. 2, the non-flat film part thus is folded back below the welding seam and this backward fold rests against the welding seam.