IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,330,373
Granted Patent B2
US 10,330,373 · App. 15/375,308 · Granted Jun 25, 2019

Refrigerator

Inventors: Wonyeong Jung (Seoul, KR); Deokhyun Youn (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
F25D23/062F25D2201/1282F25D2201/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,330,373
App. No.
15/375,308
Granted
Jun 25, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is disclosed a refrigerator including a vacuum space formed between an outer case and an inner case to improve an insulation function thereof, which includes an inner case that defines an exterior appearance of a storage space, an outer case spaced apart a predetermined distance from the inner case, a vacuum space provided between the inner case and the outer case, with being maintained vacuum, to insulate the inner case from the outer case, a plurality of spacers for supporting the inner case and the outer case space that are spaced apart from each other, and a radiation blocking film provided in the vacuum space, spaced apart from the inner case and the outer case.

Claims (39)

1. An appliance having a case, the case comprising:

an inner case that defines a storage space;

an outer case spaced apart from the inner case, the outer case and the inner case defining, between the outer case and the inner case, a vacuum space that is maintained at a vacuum pressure and that is configured to insulate the inner case from the outer case;

spacers that are spaced apart from each other and that maintain the vacuum space between the inner case and the outer case;

a radiation blocking film provided in the vacuum space and spaced apart from the inner case and the outer case, the radiation blocking film comprising one or more through-holes; and

one or more distance keeping members provided to one or more of the spacers, each of the one or more distance keeping members having an outer circumference larger than a circumference of a corresponding through-hole of the one or more through-holes and supporting the radiation blocking film by an end surface of the distance keeping member.

2. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the radiation blocking film comprises an aluminum thin film.

3. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the radiation blocking film is 0.05 mm-0.30 mm.

4. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein radiation blocking films are provided in the vacuum space and are spaced apart from each other and from the inner case and the outer case.

5. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the spacers pass through the one or more through-holes in the radiation blocking film.

6. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more distance keeping members are positioned at the one or more of the spacers.

7. The appliance according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a first support plate provided at a surface of the inner case that faces the outer case; and

a second support plate provided at a surface of the outer case that faces the first support plate,

wherein the spacers is fixed to at least one of the first support plate and the second support plate.

8. The appliance according to claim 7 , wherein the one or more distance keeping members are positioned at the one or more of the spacers to maintain a distance between the first support plate and the radiation blocking film and a distance between the radiation blocking film and the second support plate.

9. The appliance according to claim 8 , wherein the one or more distance keeping members are inclined to reduce a contact area with at least one of the first support plate and the second support plate.

10. The appliance according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first support plate and the second support plate comprises holes defining empty spaces between adjacent spacers.

11. The appliance according to claim 10 , wherein a reinforcing rib is provided in a hole to connect the spacers with each other.

12. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more distance keeping members has a predetermined height and is provided at an outer circumference of the one or more of the spacers.

13. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more distance keeping members are connected with each other by a connection rib to define a set of distance keeping members.

14. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein two radiation blocking films are provided, and

the one or more distance keeping members are arranged between the two radiation blocking films.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more distance keeping members comprises an inclined inner surface, and each of the one or more distance keeping members is coupled to an outer circumferential surface of each of the one or more spacers, respectively.

16. An appliance having a case, the case comprising:

an inner case that defines a storage space;

an outer case spaced apart from the inner case, the outer case and the inner case defining, between the outer case and the inner case, a vacuum space that is maintained at a vacuum pressure and that is configured to insulate the inner case from the outer case;

spacers that are spaced apart from each other and that maintain the vacuum space between the inner case and the outer case;

a radiation blocking film provided in the vacuum space and spaced apart from the inner case and the outer case, the radiation blocking film comprising one or more through-holes; and

a first distance keeping member provided to one or more of the spacers, the first distance keeping member having an outer circumference larger than a circumference of a corresponding through-hole of the one or more through-holes;

a second distance keeping member provided to one or more of the spacers, the second distance keeping member having an outer circumference larger than a circumference of a corresponding through-hole of the one or more through-holes,

wherein the radiation blocking film is supported between the first distance keeping member and the second distance keeping member.

17. The appliance according to claim 16 , wherein the radiation blocking film is supported by end surfaces of the first and second distance keeping member.

18. The appliance according to claim 16 , further comprising:

a first support plate provided at a surface of the inner case that faces the outer case; and

a second support plate provided at a surface of the outer case that faces the first support plate,

wherein the spacers are fixed to at least one of the first support plate and the second support plate.

19. The appliance according to claim 18 , wherein the first distance keeping member and the second distance keeping member are concurrently provided to a specific spacer of the spacers.

20. The appliance according to claim 19 , wherein the first distance keeping member is positioned at a distance from the first support plate and the second keeping member is positioned at a distance from the second support plate, thereby the radiation blocking film being maintained a distance between the first support plate and the second support plate.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2016
From: JUNG, WONYEONG; YOUN, DEOKHYUN
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 040709/0370 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2011-0113413 · Nov 2, 2011 · national
KR 10-2011-0113414 · Nov 2, 2011 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 13654551 · Oct 18, 2012
Related Publication 20170089634A1 · Mar 30, 2017