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US-12617179-B2 - Super insulating nano-spheres for appliance insulation and method for creating a super insulating nano-sphere material

US12617179B2US 12617179 B2US12617179 B2US 12617179B2US-12617179-B2

Abstract

An insulating structure for an appliance includes an outer layer and an inner layer, wherein an insulating cavity is defined therebetween. A plurality of hollow nano-spheres are disposed within the insulating cavity, wherein each of the hollow nano-spheres includes a diameter in the range of from approximately 50 nanometers to approximately 1000 nanometers and has a wall that defines the internal space, and wherein the wall of each hollow nano-sphere has a thickness that is in a range of from approximately 0.5 nanometers to approximately 100 nanometers. A fill material is disposed in the insulating cavity and wherein the fill material is disposed in the space defined between the plurality of hollow nano-spheres, and wherein the fill material includes at least one of powdered silica, granulated silica, other silica material, aerogel and insulating gas.

Inventors

  • LAKSHYA J. DEKA
  • RAMEET SINGH GREWAL
  • Andrea Olivani

Assignees

  • WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20240917

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . An insulating material for an appliance insulating structure, the insulating material comprising: a plurality of hollow nano-spheres, wherein each hollow nano-sphere of the plurality of hollow nano-spheres has a wall that defines an internal space that defines an internal diameter; and a fill material disposed within an interstitial space defined between the plurality of hollow nano-spheres, wherein the plurality of hollow nano-spheres define a plurality of nano-sphere formations, wherein each nano-sphere formation of the plurality of nano-sphere formations includes connected nano-spheres defining porous spaces between the connected nano-spheres.
  2. 2 . The insulating material of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of hollow nano-spheres include a range from approximately 1% to approximately 50% of the entire volume of insulating material.
  3. 3 . The insulating material of claim 1 , wherein the fill material includes at least one of powdered silica, granulated silica, fumed silica, other silica material, nano aerogel powder, perlite, rice husk ash, diatomaceous earth and insulating gas.
  4. 4 . The insulating material of claim 1 , wherein the internal space of each hollow nano-sphere defines an internal pressure of less than approximately 10 millibar.
  5. 5 . The insulating material of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of hollow nano-spheres are made from nano-particles of the fill material.
  6. 6 . The insulating material of claim 5 , wherein the nano-particles are made from at least one of soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, fumed silica, precipitated silica, and powder aerogel.
  7. 7 . The insulating material of claim 5 , wherein the nano-particles are made from an opacifier.
  8. 8 . The insulating material of claim 1 , wherein the internal space includes an insulating gas that includes at least carbon dioxide.
  9. 9 . An insulating material for an appliance insulating structure, the insulating material comprising: a plurality of hollow nano-spheres, wherein each hollow nano-sphere of the plurality of hollow nano-spheres includes a wall that defines an internal space, wherein a coating is applied to exterior surfaces of the plurality of hollow nano-spheres, wherein the coating maintains the exterior surfaces of each hollow nano-sphere to be separated from the remaining hollow nano-spheres of the plurality of hollow nano-spheres; and a fill material disposed within an interstitial space defined between the plurality of hollow nano-spheres, wherein the fill material includes at least one of perlite and a silica-based material, wherein the plurality of hollow nano-spheres define a plurality of nano-sphere formations, wherein each nano-sphere formation of the plurality of nano-sphere formations includes accumulations of connected nano-spheres defining porous spaces between the accumulations of the connected nano-spheres, wherein the connected nano-spheres of each nano-sphere formation are connected at the coating of each hollow nano-sphere of the nano-sphere formation.
  10. 10 . The insulating material of claim 9 , wherein the internal space includes an insulating gas that is contained within each hollow nano-sphere, wherein the insulating gas includes at least carbon dioxide.
  11. 11 . The insulating material of claim 9 , wherein the internal space of each hollow nano-sphere defines an internal pressure of approximately 10 millibar.
  12. 12 . The insulating material of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of hollow nano-spheres are made from nano-particles of the fill material.
  13. 13 . The insulating material of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of hollow nano-spheres include a range from approximately 1% to approximately 50% of the entire volume of insulating material.
  14. 14 . The insulating material of claim 13 , wherein the nano-particles are made from at least one of soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, fumed silica, precipitated silica, and powder aerogel.
  15. 15 . The insulating material of claim 9 , wherein the accumulations of the connected nano-spheres includes strands of connected nano-spheres.
  16. 16 . An insulating material for an appliance insulating structure, the insulating material comprising: a plurality of hollow nano-spheres, wherein each hollow nano-sphere of the plurality of hollow nano-spheres has a wall that defines an internal space, and wherein the plurality of hollow nano-spheres define a plurality of nano-sphere formations, wherein each nano-sphere formation of the plurality of nano-sphere formations includes connected agglomerates of nano-spheres defining porous spaces between the connected agglomerates of nano-spheres; and a fill material mixed with the plurality of hollow nano-spheres, wherein the fill material is disposed in an interstitial space defined between the plurality of hollow nano-spheres.
  17. 17 . The insulating material of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of hollow nano-spheres are made from nano-particles of the fill material.
  18. 18 . The insulating material of claim 17 , wherein the nano-particles include at least one of soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, fumed silica, ceramic, precipitated silica, and powder aerogel.
  19. 19 . The insulating material of claim 16 , wherein the fill material includes an insulating gas and the insulating gas includes at least one of carbon dioxide, neon, krypton and xenon.
  20. 20 . The insulating material of claim 16 , wherein the fill material includes at least one of powdered silica, granulated silica, fumed silica, other silica material, nano aerogel powder, perlite, rice husk ash, diatomaceous earth and insulating gas.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/455,038 filed Aug. 24, 2023, now U.S. Pat. No. 12,134,260, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/564,278 filed Dec. 29, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,787,151, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/852,672 filed Apr. 20, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,247,432, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/126,097 filed Sep. 10, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,661,527, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/961,929 filed Dec. 8, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,105,928, all of which are entitled SUPER INSULATING NANO-SPHERES FOR APPLIANCE INSULATION AND METHOD FOR CREATING A SUPER INSULATING NANO-SPHERE MATERIAL, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND This device is in the field of insulating materials for appliances, specifically, insulating for appliances including hollow glass nano-spheres for providing super insulating properties to the appliance. SUMMARY In at least one aspect, an insulating structure for an appliance includes an outer layer and an inner layer, wherein an insulating cavity is defined therebetween. A plurality of hollow nano-spheres are disposed within the insulating cavity, wherein each of the hollow nano-spheres includes a diameter in the range of from approximately 50 nanometers to approximately 1000 nanometers and has a wall that defines the internal space, and wherein the wall of each hollow nano-sphere has a thickness that is in a range of from approximately 0.5 nanometers to approximately 100 nanometers. A fill material is disposed in the insulating cavity and wherein the fill material is disposed in the space defined between the plurality of hollow nano-spheres, and wherein the fill material includes at least one of powdered silica, granulated silica, other silica material, nano aerogel powder, pearlite, rice husk ash, diatomaceous earth and insulating gas. In at least another aspect, a method for forming an insulating material for an appliance includes providing a glass material separated into nano-sized particles, projecting a blowing agent through a flame, wherein the nano-sized particles are fed through the flame with the blowing agent, wherein the blowing agent decomposes and releases a heated gas, wherein the heated gas causes the nano-sized particles to expand into corresponding hollow nano-spheres and disposing the hollow nano-spheres into an insulating cavity of an insulating structure of an appliance. In at least another aspect, a method for forming an insulating material includes providing a glass material formed into a plurality of nano-sized particles having a diameter in a range of from approximately 50 nanometers to approximately 300 nanometers and projecting a blowing agent through a flame. The nano-sized particles are fed through the flame with the blowing agent, wherein the blowing agent decomposes and releases a heated gas, wherein the heated gas causes the nano-sized particles to expand into corresponding hollow nano-spheres, and wherein the nano-particles within the blowing agent are positioned in an agglomerated pattern, wherein expansion of the nano-sized particles in the agglomerated pattern results in the hollow nano-spheres defining a plurality of connected hollow nano-sphere formations. These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present device will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerating appliance incorporating an aspect of the super insulating nano-sphere material; FIG. 2 is a partial cross section of a wall portion of the appliance of FIG. 1 illustrating an enlarged section of the insulating material within the insulating cavity; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an aspect of a super insulating microsphere; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an insulating material incorporating a plurality of super insulating nano-spheres set within a fill material; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art glass microsphere; FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a prior art insulating material incorporating the prior art glass microspheres; FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an aspect of the super insulating nano-spheres configured in connected strands of hollow nano-spheres; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an aspect of the super insulating nano-sphere material having the connected strands of hollow nano-spheres set within a fill material; FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a mechanism for forming super insulating nano-spheres into the connected strands of hollow nano-spheres; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a mechanism for forming individual super insulating nano-spheres; FIG