Defrosting controller for refrigeration systems

• US 5,046,324 A
• Filed: 06/20/1990
• Issued: 09/10/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishida, Yoshihisa, Ohya, Satoshi, Otoh, Tadao, Ishiguro, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tanner, Harry B.
• Application Number:
  US07/541,886
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 62/154, 62/155, 62/156, 62/234, 62/140
• US Class Current: 62/155
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2117 of an evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21172 at the inlet
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21173 at the outlet
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/006 with electronic control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2500/04 Calculation of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/10 Sensors measuring the temperature of the evaporator

Abstract

A defrosting controller for use with a refrigeration system determines calculating a frost melting period from the measurements of the evaporator temperature during defrosting by means of an evaporator temperature sensor, establishes a refrigerating operation rate which is the ratio of the period of the frost melting process to the (total) open period of an electronic motor-driven valve during the refrigeration, and then decides whether the next defrosting operation is to be skipped or not.

Claims

1. A defrosting controller for refrigeration systems, comprising:

a compressor;

a condenser;

an evaporator;

an electronic motor-driven valve for regulating the flow rate of the refrigerant to be supplied to the evaporator;

an evaporator temeperature sensor provided for detecting the temperature of the evaporator; and

a controller for providing control signals for controlling the electronic motor-driven valve based on the measurement with the evaporator temperature sensor and providing defrosting signals as needed,

wherein the controller has a decision means for deciding whether the next defrosting operation be skipped or not, based on the refrigerating operation rate determined by the frost melting period measured with the evaporator temperature sensor during defrosting and by the ratio of the (total) period of the electronic motor-driven valve open in a refrigeration period to the refrigeration period.

2. A defrosting controller for refrigeration systems, as recited in claim 1, wherein said decision means has means for comparing said refrigeration operation rate and said frost melting period with respective reference values and for skipping generating the defrosting signal for the next defrosting operation if they are equal to or less than the reference values.