Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10041716-B2
Application number	US-201515030038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2015
Priority date	Jun 19, 2014
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a main body including a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment, a machine room defined in a lower portion of the main body and in which a base is disposed, a compressor placed on the base to compress a refrigerant, a condenser placed on the base, the condenser being disposed at one side of the compressor, a valve device into which the refrigerant condensed in the condenser is introduced, the valve device including a plurality of discharge parts for discharging the refrigerant, a plurality of expansion devices connected to the plurality of discharge parts, and a plurality of evaporators including a first evaporator and a second evaporator which are connected to the plurality of expansion devices. The valve device is disposed inclined at a set angle toward one discharge part of the plurality of discharge parts with respect to a virtual line that is perpendicular to the base.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body comprising a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment;
a machine room defined in a lower portion of the main body and in which a base is disposed;
a plurality of compressors placed on the base to compress a refrigerant, the plurality of compressors including a first compressor and a second compressor, the second compressor provided at a low pressure side and the first compressor configured to further compress the refrigerant compressed in the second compressor;
a condenser placed on the base and disposed at one side of the compressor;
a valve device into which the refrigerant condensed in the condenser is introduced, the valve device comprising a plurality of discharge parts including a first discharge part, a second discharge part, and a third discharge part to discharging the refrigerant;
a plurality of expansion devices connected to the plurality of discharge parts, the plurality of expansion devices including a first expansion device connected to the first discharge part, a second expansion device connected to the second discharge part, and a third expansion device connected to the third discharge part; and
a plurality of evaporators comprising a first evaporator connected to the first and the third expansion devices and a second evaporator connected to the second expansion device,
wherein the valve device is disposed inclined at a predetermined angle from the first discharge part towards the second discharge part with respect to a virtual line that is perpendicular to the base such that the second discharge part has a height less than that of the first discharge part with respect to the base.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the first evaporator is configured to cool the refrigerating compartment, and
the second evaporator is configured to cool the freezing compartment.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined angle ranges from about 0° to about 20°.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the second expansion device has a diameter greater than that of the first expansion device.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the third expansion device has a diameter greater than that of the second expansion device.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a value obtained by dividing the sum of diameters of the first and third expansion devices by a diameter of the second expansion device ranges from about 1.89 to about 2.07.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein, when the first expansion device has a diameter of about 0.67 mm, and the second expansion device has a diameter of about 0.75 mm, the third expansion device has a diameter ranging from about 0.75 mm to about 0.85 mm.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein, when the first expansion device has a diameter of about 0.70 mm, and the second expansion device has a diameter of about 0.75 mm, the third expansion device has a diameter ranging from about 0.75 mm to about 0.85 mm.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein, when each of the first and second expansion devices has a diameter of about 0.75 mm, the third expansion device has a diameter ranging from about 0.75 mm to about 0.80 mm.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first inlet temperature sensor detecting an inlet temperature of the first evaporator;
a first outlet temperature sensor detecting an outlet temperature of the first evaporator;
a second inlet temperature sensor detecting an inlet temperature of the second evaporator; and
a second outlet temperature sensor detecting an outlet temperature of the second evaporator.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , further comprising a control unit for recognizing whether refrigerant concentration into the first or second evaporator occurs based on a ratio of a difference between the temperatures detected by the first inlet temperature sensor and the first outlet temperature sensor to a difference between the temperatures detected by the second inlet temperature sensor and the second outlet temperature sensor.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of expansion devices comprises a capillary tube.

13. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body comprising a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment;
a machine room defined in a lower portion of the main body and in which a base is disposed;
a compressor placed on the base to compress a refrigerant;
a condenser placed on the base and disposed at one side of the compressor;
a valve device disposed inclined in a predetermined direction with respect to the base, the valve device comprising the valve device including a plurality of discharge parts including a first discharge part, a second discharge part, and a third discharge part to discharge the refrigerant;
first, second, and third capillary tubes, the first and third capillary tubes connected to the first discharge part and the third discharge part of the plurality of discharge parts;
the second capillary tube connected to the second discharge part of the plurality of discharge parts;
an evaporator for the refrigerating compartment, which is connected to the first and the third capillary tubes; and
an evaporator for the freezing compartment, which is connected to the second capillary tube,
wherein the first capillary tube has a diameter less than that of the second capillary tube; and
the third capillary tube has a diameter greater than that of the second capillary tube, and
the valve device is inclined at a predetermined angle from the first discharge part towards the second discharge part with respect to a virtual line that is perpendicular to the base such that the second discharge part has a height less than that of the first discharge part with respect to the base.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein a value obtained by dividing the sum of diameters of the first and third capillary tubes by a diameter of the second capillary tube ranges from about 1.89 to about 2.07.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Sangbong
• Lim Hyoungkeun
• Chung Myungjin

Classifications

• F25B5/02

  arranged in parallel · CPC title

• F25D11/022 Primary

  with two or more evaporators · CPC title

• F25B2700/21174

  of the refrigerant at the inlet of the evaporator · CPC title

• F25B2500/01

  Geometry problems, e.g. for reducing size · CPC title

• F16K11/00

  Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves · CPC title