Whirlpool Corporation

Andrea Olivani

Lakshya J Deka

Rameet Singh Grewal

Paul B Allard

Jerry M Visin

Mohamed Alshourbagy

Carolina Biotti

Ian Osborn

Andrew Michael Tenbarge

Claudio Civanelli

Abhay Naik

Nihat O Cur

Douglas David Leclear

Michele Wilcox

John J Vonderhaar

Ermanno Buzzi

Raffaele Paganini

Diptesh Mukherjee

Lorenzo Bianchi

Enrica Monticelli

Matteo Parnisari

Tiemen T Van Dillen

Gaetano Paviglianiti

Deepak Gupta

Abhishek S Awachat

Vishal Jaywantrao Patil

Amit Kumar

Matteo Vanelli

Uday Mathur

Anil Ananda Kute

Vincenzo Sammartano

Giorgio Sabatin

Dennis Ilare

Alessandro Mansutti

Niccoló Beretta

Muhammad Khizar

Giorgio Sabatini

Niccolo Beretta

Marcin Nieslony

Alessandro Tartaglione

Fabrizio Andreatti

Mehmet Ali Acar

Matteo Luciano Vanelli

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.

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

A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet that defines first and second compartments. A fan assembly is configured to direct cooled air from a cooling assembly into the first and second compartments. The fan assembly includes a housing that defines an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet. The first outlet is in communication with the first compartment, and the second outlet is in communication with the second compartment. A fan is positioned within the housing and is configured to direct the cooled air from the inlet toward the first and second outlets. A damper assembly is configured to selectively obstruct one of the first outlet and the second outlet.

Cooling assembly for refrigerator appliance

A refrigerator appliance includes a rear wall, side walls, a bottom wall, and partitions. The side walls are secured to and extend from the rear wall toward a front side of the refrigerator. The bottom wall is secured to the side walls along a bottom end of the rear wall. The side walls and the bottom wall define a cavity below the bottom wall and define an opening to the cavity along the front side of the refrigerator. The rear wall and the bottom wall define a machine compartment. An exterior surface of the rear wall defines an inlet to and an outlet from the machine compartment. A first partition extends outward from the exterior surface and is disposed between the inlet and the outlet. A second partition extends from a bottom of the first partition. The partitions are configured to segregate airflows between the inlet and outlet.

Refrigerator appliance

An insulation structure for an appliance includes a cabinet having an outer wrapper and an inner liner, with an insulating cavity defined therebetween. A plurality of hollow insulating organic/inorganic spheres is disposed within the insulating cavity, wherein a secondary insulating volume is defined between the plurality of hollow insulating organic/inorganic spheres and an interior surface of the cabinet. The interior surface of the cabinet defines the insulating cavity. An insulating fill material is disposed within the secondary insulating volume, wherein the insulating fill material and the plurality of hollow insulating organic/inorganic spheres define a substantially uniform insulating material.

Insulation structure for an appliance having a uniformly mixed multi-component insulation material, and a method for even distribution of material combinations therein

A three-dimensional (3D) vacuum insulation panel (VIP) and a folding approach to create the 3D VIP from a two-dimensional (2D) VIP of non-uniform thickness for a refrigerator, a refrigerator freezer or a non-appliance, are disclosed. The folding approach includes placing a VIP main panel and a plurality of VIP wall panels on an outer film, where one or more panels are of a greater thickness than other VIP panels; placing an inner film on top of the VIP main and wall panels and sealing the films together. The inner film is longer than the outer film and this allows the films and the VIP wall panels to be folded into a finished panel, wherein the longer inner film allows for folding without causing tears or micro-cracks in the film that would adversely affect the insulation properties of the three-dimensional (3D) VIP.

3D vacuum panel and a folding approach to create the 3D vacuum panel from a 2D vacuum panel of non-uniform thickness

An insulation structure for an appliance includes a first vacuum insulated structure having a top and downward sides extending from the top and defining a lower connection surface. A second vacuum insulated structure having a bottom and upward sides extending from the bottom and defining an upper connection surface, and an intermediate insulation structure having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the top surface engages the lower connection surface of the first vacuum insulated structure to define the first insulated interior, wherein the bottom surface engages the upper connection surface of the second vacuum insulated structure to define the second insulated interior, and wherein the intermediate insulation structure includes an appliance utility path within which at least one utility for the appliance is disposed.

Split hybrid insulation structure for an appliance

A three-dimensional (3D) vacuum insulation panel (VIP) and a folding approach to create the 3D VIP from a two-dimensional (2D) VIP of non-uniform thickness for a refrigerator, a refrigerator freezer or a non-appliance, are disclosed. The folding approach includes placing a VIP main panel and a plurality of VIP wall panels on an outer film, where one or more panels are of a greater thickness than other VIP panels; placing an inner film on top of the VIP main and wall panels and sealing the films together. The inner film is longer than the outer film and this allows the films and the VIP wall panels to be folded into a finished panel, wherein the longer inner film allows for fording without causing tears or micro-cracks in the film that would adversely affect the insulation properties of the three-dimensional (3D) VIP.

A method of making a cabinet for refrigerators and the like. The method includes forming a liner and a wrapper. The method further includes providing a vacuum insulated core that includes a filler material disposed inside a substantially impermeable envelope that is evacuated to form a vacuum inside of the envelope. The vacuum insulated core includes a first wall and a second wall extending transversely relative to the first wall. The core is adhesively secured to the wrapper, and the liner is adhesively secured to the core. The wrapper and the liner are sealed together at the peripheries thereof.

Adhesively secured vacuum insulated panels for refrigerators

Growing community of inventors

Cassinetta, Italy

Andrea Olivani