Refrigerator and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12098876-B2
Application number	US-202217570108-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2022
Priority date	Dec 28, 2020
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

A refrigerator including a main body having a storage chamber and a cold air supply device configured to supply cold air to the storage chamber, wherein the cold air supply device includes a compressor, a condenser configured to condense a refrigerant compressed by the compressor, a flow path switching valve connected to the condenser, a first capillary tube and a second capillary tube connected to the flow path switching valve, respectively, the second capillary tube arranged in parallel with the first capillary tube, and a cluster pipe arranged between the flow path switching valve and the first capillary tube to further condensate the refrigerant pass therethrough. The flow path switching valve is configured to selectively allow the refrigerant received from the condenser to flow into the first capillary tube or the second capillary tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body having a storage chamber; and
a cold air supply device configured to supply cold air to the storage chamber,
wherein the cold air supply device comprises:
a compressor;
a condenser configured to condense a refrigerant compressed by the compressor;
a first flow path switching valve connected to the condenser;
a second flow path switching valve connected to the first flow path switching valve;
a cluster pipe connected to the first flow path switching valve and the second flow path switching valve, respectively, to further condensate the refrigerant pass therethrough;
a first capillary tube connected to the second flow path switching valve;
a second capillary tube connected to the first flow path switching valve;
a third capillary tube connected to the second flow path switching valve, the third capillary tube arranged in parallel with the first capillary tube; and

wherein the first flow path switching valve is configured to selectively allow the refrigerant received from the condenser to flow into the cluster pipe or the second capillary tube, and
the second flow path switching valve is configured to selectively allow the refrigerant received from the cluster pipe to flow into the first capillary tube or the third capillary tube.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor configured to detect an external temperature which is an indoor temperature outside the refrigerator; and
a controller configured to control the cold air supply device based on the external temperature detected by the temperature sensor so that the controller controls the first flow path switching valve to selectively allow the refrigerant received from the condenser to flow into the cluster pipe or the second capillary tube.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein
in response to determining that the detected external temperature is higher than or equal to a set temperature, the controller is configured to control the cold air supply device to operate in a high temperature mode in which the refrigerant received from the condenser flows through the cluster pipe; and
in response to determining that the detected external temperature is lower than the set temperature, the controller is configured to control the cold air supply device to operate in a low temperature mode in which the refrigerant received from the condenser bypasses the cluster pipe, and flows through the second capillary tube.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the cold air supply device further comprises a heat dissipation fan configured to increase a heat dissipation efficiency of the condenser, and
wherein the controller, in the low temperature mode, controls the heat dissipation fan to be driven at a revolutions per minute (RPM) lower than a RPM in the high temperature mode.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the cold air supply device further comprises an evaporator connected to the first capillary tube and to the second capillary tube to evaporate the refrigerant received from the first capillary tube or the second capillary tube.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the storage chamber includes a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber, and the evaporator includes a first evaporator disposed in the refrigerating chamber and a second evaporator disposed in the freezing chamber.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the first capillary tube and the second capillary tube are connected to the first evaporator, and the third capillary tube is connected to the second evaporator.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the cold air supply device further comprises a fourth capillary tube connected to the first flow path switching valve and in parallel with the second capillary tube and the cluster pipe so that the refrigerant received from the condenser is selectively flows into the second capillary tube, the cluster pipe or the fourth capillary tube, and
the second capillary tube is connected to the first evaporator, and the fourth capillary tube is connected to the second evaporator.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor configured to detect an external temperature which is an indoor temperature outside the refrigerator; and
a controller configured to control the first flow path switching valve and the second flow path switching valve based on the external temperature detected by the temperature sensor to selectively allow the refrigerant received from the condenser to flow into the first capillary tube, the second capillary tube, third capillary tube, or the fourth capillary tube.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein in response to determining that the detected external temperature is higher than or equal to a first high set temperature, the controller controls the cold air supply device to operate in a first high temperature mode in which the refrigerant flows through the cluster pipe and then flows through the first capillary tube and the first evaporator, and
wherein in response to determining that the detected external temperature is higher than or equal to a second high set temperature, the controller controls the cold air supply device to operate in a second high temperature mode in which the refrigerant passes through the cluster pipe and then flows through the third capillary tube and the second evaporator.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 ,
wherein in response to determining that the detected external temperature is lower than a first low set temperature, the controller controls the cold air supply device to operate in a first low temperature mode in which the refrigerant bypasses the cluster pipe and flows through the second capillary tube and the first evaporator, and
wherein in response to determining that the detected external temperature is lower than a second low set temperature, the controller controls the cold air supply device to operate in a second low temperature mode in which the refrigerant bypasses the cluster pipe and flows through the fourth capillary tube and the second evaporator.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the first evaporator and the second evaporator are connected in series to each other such that cooling of the refrigerating chamber is selectively performed.

13. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the first evaporator and the second evaporator are connected in parallel with each other such that cooling of the freezing chamber and cooling of the refrigerating chamber are independently performed.

14. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the second capillary tube has a length longer than a length of the first capillary tube, and the fourth capillary tube has a length longer than a length of the third capillary tube.

15. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the second capillary tube has a length longer than a length of the first capillary tube.

16. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a hot pipe arranged between the condenser and the flow path switching valve.

17. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a hot pipe arranged between the condenser and the second flow path switching valve.

18. A method of controlling a refrigerator having a condenser, a first flow path switching valve connected to the condenser, a second flow path switching valve connected to the first flow path switching valve, a cluster pipe connected to the first flow path switching valve and the second flow path switching valve, respectively, a first capillary tube connected to the second flow path switching

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoon Wonjae
• Seo Kookjeong
• Yoo Sucheol
• Choi Kyunghoon

Classifications

• F25D19/00

  Arrangement or mounting of refrigeration units with respect to devices {or objects to be refrigerated, e.g. infrared detectors} · CPC title

• F25D2700/12

  Sensors measuring the inside temperature · CPC title

• F25D2700/14

  Sensors measuring the temperature outside the refrigerator or freezer · CPC title

• F25D17/065

  with compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25B2600/2511

  Evaporator distribution valves · CPC title