Vacuum insulation structures with multiple insulators
A refrigerator cabinet is provided. The refrigerator cabinet includes an inner liner and an external wrapper. The inner liner is positioned within the external wrapper such that a gap is defined between the external wrapper and inner liner. A first insulator is positioned within the gap, and a second insulator is positioned within the gap. A pressure within the gap is below about 1000 Pa.
1. A cabinet for a refrigerator, comprising:
a wrapper;
a liner disposed within the wrapper and defining a gap between the liner and the wrapper;
a trim breaker coupled to the wrapper and the liner;
a first insulator disposed within the gap;
a second insulator disposed within the gap and segregated from the first insulator; and
a filter disposed within the gap and positioned between the first insulator and the second insulator.
2. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the filter is coupled to the wrapper and the liner.
3. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the filter comprises a ceramic material configured to minimize mixing of the first insulator and the second insulator.
4. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the first insulator includes glass fibers.
5. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the second insulator includes inorganic spheres.
6. The cabinet of claim 5 , wherein the inorganic spheres are comprised of at least one of glass and ceramic.
7. The cabinet of claim 5 , wherein the inorganic spheres are sealed and have a gas pressure within the spheres of between about 0.1 atm and about 1.0 atm.
8. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the filter prevents mixing of the first and second insulators such that the first and second insulators remain segregated.
9. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the first insulator has a higher insulating property than the second insulator.
10. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first insulator and the second insulator includes organic spheres including polystyrene, polythiophenes, polyethylene, rubber, and/or combinations thereof.
11. The cabinet of claim 10 , wherein the organic spheres have an average outer diameter ranging from about 50 nm to about 300 μm.
12. The cabinet of claim 10 , wherein the organic spheres are sealed and have a gas pressure within the spheres of between about 0.1 atm and about 1.0 atm.
13. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the first and second insulators are filled with a single gas (e.g., H 2 , O 2 , N 2 , noble gases, volatile organic compounds, CO 2 , SO, SO 2 ).
14. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein a packing factor of the first and second insulators within the gap is greater than about 60%, greater than about 65%, or greater than about 70%.