Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10330351-B2
Application number	US-201615545576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2016
Priority date	Jan 23, 2015
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a first compressor configured to compress first refrigerant, a first condenser configured to condense the compressed first refrigerant, a first expansion valve configured to reduce a temperature and a pressure of the condensed first refrigerant, a first evaporator configured to evaporate the first refrigerant having passed through the first expansion valve, a second compressor configured to compress second refrigerant, a second condenser configured to condense the compressed second refrigerant, a second expansion valve configured to reduce a temperature and a pressure of the condensed second refrigerant, a second evaporator configured to evaporate the second refrigerant having passed through the second expansion valve, a first heat exchanger arranged after and connected to the first expansion valve, and a second heat exchanger arranged after and connected to the second expansion valve. The first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are configured to exchange heat with each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a first compressor configured to compress first refrigerant;
a first condenser configured to condense the first refrigerant compressed by the first compressor;
a first expansion valve configured to reduce a temperature and a pressure of the first refrigerant condensed by the first condenser;
a first evaporator configured to evaporate the first refrigerant having passed through the first expansion valve;
a second compressor configured to compress second refrigerant;
a second condenser configured to condense the second refrigerant compressed by the second compressor;
a second expansion valve configured to reduce a temperature and a pressure of the second refrigerant condensed by the second condenser;
a second evaporator configured to evaporate the second refrigerant having passed through the second expansion valve;
a first heat exchanger arranged after and connected to the first expansion valve; and
a second heat exchanger arranged after and connected to the second expansion valve,
wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are configured to exchange heat with each other,
wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to evaporate the first refrigerant, and
wherein the second heat exchanger is configured to reduce the temperature of the second refrigerant based on the first heat exchanger evaporating the first refrigerant.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to absorb heat from the second heat exchanger.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the first evaporator is configured to receive the first refrigerant that has passed through the first heat exchanger and been guided to the first evaporator.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a third expansion valve arranged after the second heat exchanger and before the second evaporator.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein the third expansion valve is configured to receive the second refrigerant that has passed through the second heat exchanger and been guided to the third expansion valve, and
wherein the third expansion valve is configured to reduce the temperature and the pressure of the second refrigerant.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the first refrigerant compressed by the first compressor is different from the second refrigerant compressed by the second compressor.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the first compressor is a refrigerating compartment compressor configured to compress the first refrigerant and to supply cold air into a refrigerating compartment, and
wherein the second compressor is a freezing compartment compressor configured to compress the second refrigerant and to supply cold air into a freezing compartment.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the first compressor is configured to compress the first refrigerant to a predetermined pressure, and
wherein the second compressor is configured to compress the second refrigerant to the predetermined pressure.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the first condenser is configured to condense the first refrigerant to a preset pressure, and
wherein the second condenser is configured to condense the second refrigerant to the preset pressure.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second compressors are connected to each other, and
wherein the first compressor is configured to receive the second refrigerant compressed by the second compressor and to additionally compress the received second refrigerant.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the first condenser and the second condenser are a single condenser.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein a valve is arranged after the single condenser and configured to divide refrigerant into the first expansion valve and the second expansion valve.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein the first compressor is configured to receive the first refrigerant that has passed through the first evaporator and been guided to the first compressor, and
wherein the second compressor is configured to receive the second refrigerant that has passed through the second evaporator and been guided to the second compressor.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the second compressor is configured to compress the second refrigerant to a higher pressure than the first compressor.

15. A refrigerator comprising:
a first compressor configured to receive refrigerant and to compress the refrigerant;
a second compressor connected to the first compressor and configured to compress the refrigerant and supply the refrigerant to the first compressor;
a condenser configured to condense the refrigerant compressed by the first compressor;
a valve arranged after the condenser and configured to divide the refrigerant into first refrigerant and second refrigerant;
a first expansion valve configured to receive the first refrigerant from the valve and to reduce a temperature and a pressure of the first refrigerant;
a first evaporator configured to evaporate the first refrigerant having passed through the first expansion valve;
a second expansion valve configured to receive the second refrigerant and to reduce a temperature and a pressure of the second refrigerant;
a second evaporator configured to evaporate the second refrigerant having passed through the second expansion valve;
a first heat exchanger arranged after and connected to the first expansion valve;
a second heat exchanger arranged after and connected to the second expansion valve; and
a third expansion valve arranged after the second heat exchanger and before the second evaporator,
wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are configured to exchange heat with each other.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the first compressor is configured to receive the first refrigerant from the first heat exchanger and the second refrigerant from the second compressor.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to absorb heat from the second heat exchanger.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to evaporate the first refrigerant, and
wherein the second heat exchanger is configured to reduce the temperature of the second refrigerant based on the first heat exchanger evaporating the first refrigerant.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the third expansion valve is configured to receive the second refrigerant from the second heat exchanger and to reduce the temperature and the pressure of the second refrigerant.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Kyeongyun
• Chae Sunam
• Kim Kyungseok

Classifications

• F25B6/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with several condenser circuits · CPC title

• F25B2600/112

  of evaporator fans · CPC title

• F25B49/022

  Compressor control arrangements · CPC title

• F25B5/00 Primary

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with several evaporator circuits, e.g. for varying refrigerating capacity (with cascade operation F25B7/00) · CPC title

• F25B6/04 Primary

  arranged in series · CPC title