REFRIGERATOR

• US 20170030619A1
• Filed: 06/03/2016
• Published: 02/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Hosan
• Granted Patent: US 10,627,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/0403 for the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/0409 for the evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/0411 for the expansion valve or capillary tube
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/061 the capacity of the first system being different from the second
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/2501 Bypass valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/2507 Flow-diverting valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/20 Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves expansion valves F25B41/31
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 47/022 hot gas defrosting
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 5/04 arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 6/02 arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 7/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with cascade operation, i.e. with two or more circuits, the heat from the condenser of one circuit being absorbed by the evaporator of the next circuit F25B9/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/022 with two or more evaporators
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0417 with particular circuits for the same heat exchange medium, e.g. with the heat exchange medium flowing through sections having different heat exchange capacities or for heating/cooling the heat exchange medium at different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0477 the conduits being bent in a serpentine or zig-zag
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/325 Fins with openings

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a first refrigeration cycle unit that is configured to circulate a first refrigerant and that includes a first compressor, a first condenser, a first expansion device, and a first evaporator, a second refrigeration cycle unit that is configured to circulate a second refrigerant and that includes a second compressor, a second condenser, a second expansion device, and a second evaporator, a first valve unit installed at an outlet side of the first compressor, and a first hot gas path configured to extend from the first valve unit to the second evaporator and configured to supply the first refrigerant to the second evaporator.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a first refrigeration cycle unit that is configured to circulate a first refrigerant and that includes a first compressor, a first condenser, a first expansion device, and a first evaporator;

a second refrigeration cycle unit that is configured to circulate a second refrigerant and that includes a second compressor, a second condenser, a second expansion device, and a second evaporator;

a first valve unit installed at an outlet side of the first compressor; and

a first hot gas path configured to extend from the first valve unit to the second evaporator and configured to supply the first refrigerant to the second evaporator.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second evaporator comprises:

a first pipe configured to guide flow of the first refrigerant;

a second pipe that is configured to guide flow of the second refrigerant and that is configured to connect to the first hot gas path; and

a fin coupled to the first pipe and the second pipe.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first valve unit includes a three-way valve with one inlet part and two outlet parts.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first evaporator is a refrigerator compartment evaporator and the second evaporator is a freezer compartment evaporator.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a third evaporator which is provided in the second refrigeration cycle unit.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, further comprising a second hot gas path configured to supply the second refrigerant to the third evaporator.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, further comprising:

a second valve unit disposed at an outlet side of the second condenser; and

a third valve unit disposed at an outlet side of the second valve unit and connected to an inlet side pipe of the third evaporator.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the second hot gas path is connected to the second valve unit and is configured to extend to the third evaporator.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 7, further comprising a bypass path that is configured to allow the first refrigerant to bypass the third evaporator, and that is configured to extend to an outlet side of the third evaporator from the third valve unit.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the second valve unit includes a four-way valve, and the third valve unit includes a three-way valve.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a first evaporation fan provided on one side of the first evaporator is configured to defrost the first evaporator.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 6, further comprising a second valve unit disposed at an outlet side of the second condenser, and that is configured to connect to the second hot gas path.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, further comprising a bypass path that is configured to extend to an outlet side of the third evaporator from the second valve unit,

wherein the second hot gas path is configured to extend to the bypass path from the third evaporator.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the first hot gas path is configured to extend to the third evaporator from the first valve unit, and is configured to extend to the second evaporator from the third evaporator.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the first hot gas path is configured to extend to an outlet side pipe of the first condenser from the second evaporator.

16. A refrigerator comprising:

a first refrigeration cycle unit that is configured to circulate a first refrigerant and that includes a first compressor, a first condenser, a first expansion device, and a first evaporator;

a second refrigeration cycle unit that is configured to circulate a second refrigerant and that includes a second compressor, a second condenser, a second expansion device, and a second evaporator;

a first valve unit installed at an outlet side of the first compressor; and

a first hot gas path configured to extend to the second evaporator from the first valve unit,

wherein the second evaporator comprises;

a first pipe configured to guide flow of the first refrigerant; and

a second pipe that is configured to guide flow of the second refrigerant and that is configured to connect to the first hot gas path.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the first valve unit is configured to allow the first refrigerant to flow to the second evaporator, and defrost the second evaporator, wherein the first refrigerant is configured to pass through the second evaporator to the first evaporator.

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

a third evaporator provided in the second refrigeration cycle unit;

a second hot gas path configured to supply the second refrigerant to the third evaporator; and

a second valve unit disposed at an outlet side of the second condenser.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 18, wherein the second valve unit is configured to allow the second refrigerant that passed through the second condenser to be supplied to the third evaporator through the second hot gas path, and the second refrigerant that passed through the third evaporator is evaporated at the second evaporator.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 18, wherein the first valve unit is configured to allow the first refrigerant to flow to the third evaporator and the second evaporator, and defrost the third and second evaporators in order, and the first refrigerant passes through the second evaporator and then flow to the first evaporator.