Patent ID: 11971209
Assignee: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  B | IPC B  F

Claim 0:
1. A vacuum insulated structure comprising:
a filling system that includes a powder processor, the powder processor including:
a hopper having an inner hopper wall and an outer hopper wall wherein the inner hopper wall includes an air permeable surface;
a heater positioned in a space defined between the inner and outer hopper walls;
a feed screw positioned along an inside edge of the inner hopper wall;
an evacuator coupled to a vacuum port positioned in the outer hopper wall; and

an aperture exit positioned at a bottom of the hopper;
a shell including a liner and a wrapper, wherein an internal cavity is defined between the liner and the wrapper;
at least one gas permeable feature disposed in the internal cavity configured to help apply a vacuum; and
a loading port operably coupled to the shell, wherein the powder processor loads the shell with a heated and at least partially degassed vacuum insulation material through the loading port while the vacuum is applied to the shell through the at least one gas permeable feature.