Vacuum insulation body

Abstract

A vacuum insulation body comprising at least one vacuum-tight covering that surrounds at least one evacuated region, wherein one or more core materials are arranged in the evacuated region, and wherein the vacuum-tight covering has at least one evacuation opening that is provided with at least one valve having at least one valve disk that opens the evacuation opening in the opened state and that releases the evacuation opening in the closed state, with means for a vacuum-tight sealing of the evacuation opening being arranged outside the sealing region of the valve disk.

Claims

1. A vacuum insulation body comprising at least one vacuum-tight covering that surrounds at least one evacuated region, wherein one or more core materials are arranged in the evacuated region, characterized in that the vacuum-tight covering has at least one evacuation opening that is provided with at least one valve having a valve disk that opens the evacuation opening in the opened state and that releases the evacuation opening in the closed state, with means for a vacuum-tight sealing of the evacuation opening being arranged outside the sealing region of the valve disk.

2. The vacuum insulation body in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the means for the vacuum-tight sealing are formed by one or more plastic layers; and/or in that the vacuum-tight sealing is configured such that the gas introduction rate through the evacuation opening is in the range 10.sup.810.sup.6 mbar*l/s in the state with a vacuum-tight seal.

3. The vacuum insulation body in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the plastic is a polyolefin.

4. The vacuum insulation body in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the valve disk cooperates in the closed state of the valve with a valve seat whose sealing material has a Shore hardness 80 Shore.

5. The vacuum insulation body in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the valve disk has at least one magnetic material that is arranged such that it can cooperate with at least one external magnet.

6. The vacuum insulation body in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the valve disk and/or the valve seat that cooperates with the valve disk with a closed valve has/have at least one centering aid.

7. The vacuum insulation body in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the valve disk and/or the valve seat that cooperates with the valve disk with a closed valve is/are totally or partially elastic.

8. The vacuum insulation body of claim 7, wherein the valve disk and/or the valve seat has/have at least one flat seal, that seals the valve.

9. The vacuum insulation body in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the valve seals without a vacuum-tight sealing in the closed state such that the gas introduction rate through the valve is in the range 10.sup.510.sup.3 mbar*l/s.

10. The vacuum insulation body in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the means for the vacuum-tight sealing are formed in part or in full by one or more high barrier films.

11. The vacuum insulation body in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the vacuum insulation body has at least one stable area element that forms the valve seat of the valve disk, on the one hand, and that serves as a support for the step of the vacuum-tight sealing, on the other hand.

12. The vacuum insulation body in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that the area element is configured such that the valve terminates flush with the sections surrounding the valve and forms a planar surface overall in the closed state.

13. An arrangement comprising at least one vacuum insulation body in accordance with claim 1 and at least one suction cup that is placed onto the evacuation opening of the vacuum insulation body, wherein the suction cup lies sealingly on the vacuum insulation body in the region around the evacuation opening, and wherein the suction cup has at least one region in a vacuum in which at least one lifting element is arranged to open the valve such that the interior of the vacuum insulation body can be evacuated, with the lifting element or another element being suitable to close the valve again after the evacuation process has taken place.

14. The arrangement of claim 13, wherein the lifting element is designed as an electromagnet.

15. A method of evacuating one or more vacuum insulation bodies in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that at least one suction cup is placed onto the vacuum insulation body for the purpose of evacuating the vacuum insulation body, the suction cup sealing the region around the valve disk and having at least one lifting element, and with the valve disk being raised for the purpose of evacuation and with the evacuation opening thus being opened, and with the valve disk again being lowered onto the evacuation opening after the evacuation.

16. The method in accordance with claim 15, characterized in that the valve disk is moved by at least one electromagnet of the suction cup.

17. The method in accordance with claim 15, characterized in that the evacuation process of the vacuum insulation body runs sequentially at one or more suction cups; and in that the evacuation opening of the vacuum insulation body is closed by the valve disk on the transfer of the vacuum insulation body between the evacuation stations or between two evacuation processes.

18. The method in accordance with claim 15, characterized in that the vacuum-tight sealing takes place after the last evacuation process, with the vacuum-tight sealing.

19. A thermally insulated container, having at least one temperature-controlled inner space and having at least one wall at least regionally surrounding the temperature-controlled, inner space, wherein at least one vacuum insulation body in accordance with claim 1 is located between the temperature-controlled inner space and the wall.

20. The thermally insulated container in accordance with claim 19, characterized in that no further thermal insulation is present between the inner space and the wall except for the vacuum insulation body.

Description

(1) Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. There are shown:

(2) FIG. 1: a sectional view through a vacuum insulation body in accordance with the invention in the region of the evacuation opening;

(3) FIG. 2: a sectional view in accordance with FIG. 1 with a suction cup placed on;

(4) FIG. 3: a sectional view through the evacuation opening with an inserted valve disk; and

(5) FIG. 4: a sectional view through the vacuum insulation body in the region of the evacuation opening with a suction cup placed on.

(6) FIG. 1 shows a vacuum insulation body in accordance with the present invention with the reference symbol 10.

(7) The vacuum insulation body 10 comprises a core material such as perlite that serves as a support material for the evacuated state. This core material is surrounded by a vacuum-tight covering, preferably by a high barrier film 20, that prevents gas from entering into the vacuum insulation body to an unpermittedly high degree. The reference symbol can form a double-side film patch.

(8) Reference numeral 30 marks an opening in the film material of the vacuum insulation body, i.e. the evacuation opening. The so-called sorption pump, i.e. an arrangement of a primary flow distributor 32 and a gas-absorbing material such as zeolite 34, is located below the evacuation opening within the vacuum insulation body.

(9) The flow distributor has the task of configuring the flow within the vacuum insulation body during the evacuation process such that as many regions as possible can be uniformly evacuated or to convey the flow toward the evacuation opening. The zeolite 34 has the task of adsorbing molecules such as water.

(10) The film material 20 is a double-sided film patch of this sorption pump 36 and can, as stated, be designed as a high barrier film. It can be the same, film material as the actual vacuum-tight covering of the vacuum insulation body or also a different film.

(11) Reference numeral 22 marks a sheet metal part of the sorption pump that is located, as can be seen from FIG. 1, below, i.e. directed toward the inside, in the vacuum insulation body. A flat seal that provides the sealing with a closed valve disk is marked by reference numeral 40. The valve disk is marked by reference numeral 50 and its iron core by reference numeral 60. A film patch 70 that is sealed by the film patch 20 of the sorption pump 36 for the purpose of the final sealing is located at the upper side of the valve disk 50.

(12) The valve disk 50 is movable to and fro between two different positions. In the position shown in accordance with FIG. 1, it opens the evacuation opening so that an evacuation process can be carried out.

(13) The state of the evacuation results from FIG. 2. In this state, the suction pump 100 is placed onto the film 20 or outwardly on the vacuum insulation body.

(14) It is achieved via seals or via at least one peripheral seal 110 (e.g. an O ring seal) that the suction cup seals the region around the evacuation opening 30.

(15) Heated (optionally permanently heated) means for the final sealing with integrated compensation material are marked by reference numeral 130 and are required when the evacuation process is ended. Reference numeral 140 marks an electromagnet of the suction cup 100 that is actuated to open and close the valve disk 50. In the state shown here, the valve disk 50 is in the open state.

(16) Reference numeral 150 generally marks the opener to open the valve disk. Reference numeral 160 marks the vacuum connector and the vacuum leadthrough with integrated lines is marked by 170.

(17) FIG. 3 shows the valve disk 50 in the closed state.

(18) As can be seen from FIG. 3, the sheet metal part 22 has a recess, i.e. is deep drawn, in the region of the valve disk, i.e. in the valve seat, so that the valve disk only insignificantly projects over the upper side of the sorption pump in the closed state. The valve disk can consist of plastic, for example, or can have a plastic cover 51 of e.g. 2 mm thickness and has a centering pin 52 at the center that ensures that the valve disk 50 is correctly inserted. Reference numeral 24 marks a seal in the region of the valve seat that can e.g. have a height of 1 mm.

(19) Reference numeral 30 marks an iron core that is actuated by the electromagnet of the sorption pump 100.

(20) The overhang of the valve cover over the upper side of the vacuum insulation body is marked by L and amounts to 1.5 mm, for example.

(21) The regions that are of particular importance with respect to crease formation during sealing are circled.

(22) Finally, FIG. 4 shows the valve disk 50 in the open state with the suction cup 100 and the upper region of the vacuum insulation body.

(23) Parts that are the same or have the same function are provided with the same reference numerals in all Figures.