Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11480382-B2
Application number	US-201916725071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2019
Priority date	Jan 10, 2019
Publication date	Oct 25, 2022
Grant date	Oct 25, 2022

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet configured to form a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber, a first evaporator configured to cool the first storage chamber, a first fan configured to circulate air in the first storage chamber to the first evaporator and the first storage chamber, a second evaporator configured to cool the second storage chamber, a compressor configured to be connected to the first evaporator and the second evaporator, a second fan configured to circulate air in the second storage chamber to the second evaporator and the second storage chamber; a refrigerant valve configured to guide refrigerant to the first evaporator or the second evaporator, and a controller configured to perform a plurality of modes sequentially to defrost the second evaporator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet having a first storage chamber having a first target storage temperature and a second storage chamber having a second target storage temperature lower than the first target storage chamber;
a first evaporator configured to cool the first storage chamber;
a first fan configured to circulate air between the first storage chamber and the first evaporator;
a second evaporator configured to cool the second storage chamber;
a compressor connected to the first evaporator and the second evaporator;
a second fan configured to circulate air between the second storage chamber and the second evaporator;
a refrigerant valve configured to guide refrigerant to at least one of the first evaporator or the second evaporator;
a heater configured to heat the second evaporator; and
a controller configured to control the first fan, the second fan, the compressor, the refrigerant valve, and the heater,
wherein when a defrost condition is satisfied while a cooling operation of the second storage chamber is performed, the controller delays a defrost operation of the second evaporator and firstly performs a first operation, a second operation and a third operation, prior to turning on the heater of the second evaporator:
(1) the first operation to firstly cool the second storage chamber, wherein the controller turns on the compressor and the second fan, and controls the refrigerant valve so that the refrigerant is supplied to the second evaporator when performing the first operation;
(2) the second operation to secondly cool the first storage chamber and to further cool the second storage chamber after completing the first operation; and
(3) the third operation to further cool the second storage chamber after completing the second operation, and
wherein the controller turns on the heater to defrost the second evaporator and performs the defrost operation of the second evaporator after completing the third operation.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller sequentially performs the first operation, the second operation, the third operation, and turns on the heater based on determining that a temperature of the second evaporator is below a threshold temperature or that at least a set length of time has passed since the second evaporator was previously defrosted.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller initiates the first operation based on determining that a defrost condition to defrost the second evaporator is satisfied while cooling the second storage chamber,
wherein the defrost condition is satisfied when a compressor on-accumulation time reaches a reference accumulation time, and
wherein the controller, when performing the first operation, turns on the compressor, turns on the second fan, and controls the refrigerant valve so that the refrigerant is supplied to the second evaporator.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller, during a portion of the second operation, performs a first process in which the compressor, the first fan, and the second fan are turned on while the refrigerant valve is controlled to supply the refrigerant to the second evaporator to cool the second storage chamber while defrosting the first evaporator.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 ,
wherein the second operation further includes:
a second process in which the compressor and the first fan are turned on while the refrigerant valve is controlled to supply the refrigerant to the first evaporator to cool the first storage chamber and not to supply the refrigerant to the second evaporator;
a third process in which the compressor and the second fan are turned on and the first fan is turned off while the refrigerant valve is controlled to supply the refrigerant to the second evaporator to cool the second storage chamber; and
a fourth process performed after the third process and in which the compressor and the second fan are turned on and the first fan is turned off while the refrigerant valve is controlled to supply the refrigerant to the second evaporator to further cool the second storage chamber.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 ,
wherein the controller, during the second operation, performs the second process to cool the first storage chamber before performing the third process to cool the second storage chamber.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 ,
wherein the controller ends the second process when a temperature in the first storage chamber is below a set temperature or after the compressor has been turned on for a first set time while the refrigerant valve is supplying refrigerant to the first evaporator.

8. The refrigerator of claim 5 ,
wherein the controller performs the first process after performing the third process.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 ,
wherein the controller initiates the first process based on determining that the third process has been performed for a set time, or a temperature of the first storage chamber is lowered to a target temperature or less.

10. The refrigerator of claim 5 ,
wherein when performing the first process, the controller controls at least one damper when turning on the first fan to allow air circulation between the first evaporator and at least one space in the first storage chamber.

11. The refrigerator of claim 5 ,
wherein the controller performs the fourth process after performing the first process,
wherein after the fourth process is ended, the controller performs the third operation such that the controller keeps the second fan turned on when the compressor is turned off.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , further comprising a partition configured to partition the first storage chamber into a first space and a second space,
wherein the controller is configured to end the third process and performs the first process when a set time has elapsed after the second process ends, or temperatures in the first and second spaces are both less than respective set temperatures.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , further comprising:
a first storage chamber heater provided in the first storage chamber and configured to heat the first space and the second space, the first storage chamber heater including a first heater and a second heater,
wherein the controller is further to turn on the first heater to perform a first heating mode when the temperature of the first space is less than the set temperatures or the controller is further to turn on the second heater to perform a second heating mode when the temperature of the second space is less than a corresponding one of the set temperatures,
wherein when the first and the second heating modes are performed during the first process, the first process is ended.

14. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a partition configured to partition the first storage chamber into a first space and a second space;
a first heater configured to heat the first space; and
a second heater configured to heat the second space,
wherein the controller turns on at least one of the first heater or the second heater when a temperature of the first storage chamber is less than a lower set temperature when the heater is turned on.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein when the heater is turned on,
the controller turns on the compressor and controls the refrigerant valve so that refrigerant is supplied to the first evaporator when the temperature in the first storage chamber is greater than an upper set temperature for the first storage chamber, and
the controller turns on the compressor and controls the refrigerant valve so that refrige

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Seong Giseok
• Park Jeongwon
• Chung Myungjin
• Kim Kyungseok
• Han Tackwon
• Kim Jinho
• Suh Yonghun

Classifications

• F25D21/008

  by timer · CPC title

• F25D2323/02

  Details of doors or covers not otherwise covered · CPC title

• F25D21/08

  by electric heating · CPC title

• Y02B30/70

  Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating · CPC title

• F25D31/005

  Combined cooling and heating devices · CPC title