Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019186803-A1
Application number	US-201816222443-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 17, 2018
Priority date	Dec 19, 2017
Publication date	Jun 20, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refrigerator including a compressor, a condenser, a freezing chamber evaporator, a freezing chamber fan, a defrosting heater, a wine chamber evaporator, a wine chamber fan, a path switching device configured to guide the refrigerant condensed in the condenser to the freezing chamber evaporator in a freezing chamber mode and to guide the refrigerant condensed in the condenser to the wine chamber evaporator in a wine chamber mode, and a controller configured to turn on the defrosting heater to perform a freezing chamber defrosting mode for defrosting the freezing chamber evaporator, to control the path switching device to the wine chamber mode while the temperature of the wine chamber is dissatisfied when the temperature of the wine chamber is dissatisfied in the freezing chamber defrosting mode, and to drive the wine chamber fan.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
a main body including a wine chamber and a freezing chamber; a compressor to compress refrigerant; a condenser to condense the refrigerant compressed in the compressor; a freezing chamber evaporator to cool the freezing chamber; a freezing chamber fan to circulate cool air of the freezing chamber in the freezing chamber and to the freezing chamber evaporator; a defrosting heater to defrost the freezing chamber evaporator; a wine chamber evaporator to cool the wine chamber; a wine chamber fan to circulate cool air of the wine chamber in the wine chamber and to the wine chamber evaporator; a path switching device to guide the refrigerant condensed in the condenser to the freezing chamber evaporator in a freezing chamber mode and to guide the refrigerant condensed in the condenser to the wine chamber evaporator in a wine chamber mode; and a controller to turn on the defrosting heater to perform a freezing chamber defrosting mode for defrosting the freezing chamber evaporator, to control the path switching device to the wine chamber mode and drive the compressor and the wine chamber fan while a temperature of the wine chamber is dissatisfied when the temperature of the wine chamber is dissatisfied in the freezing chamber defrosting mode.

2 . The refrigerator of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller: drives the compressor, drives the wine chamber fan, and controls the path switching device to the wine chamber mode to perform a wine chamber pre-cool mode; stops the wine chamber fan in the wine chamber pre-cool mode, drives the freezing chamber fan, and controls the path switching device to the freezing chamber mode to perform a freezing chamber pre-cool mode, wherein the freezing chamber defrosting mode starts after terminating the freezing chamber pre-cool mode.

3 . The refrigerator of claim 2 ,
wherein the controller terminates the wine chamber pre-cool mode when a first set time has elapsed after the wine chamber pre-cool mode starts, terminates the freezing chamber pre-cool mode when a second set time has elapsed after the freezing chamber pre-cool mode starts or when a temperature of the freezing chamber is lower than a target temperature of the freezing chamber by a set temperature, and wherein the second set time is greater than the first set time.

4 . The refrigerator of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller performs an alternate cooling mode for alternately cooling the wine chamber and the freezing chamber after terminating the freezing chamber defrosting mode, wherein the controller alternately performs a wine chamber cooling mode for driving the wine chamber fan and controlling the path switching device to the wine chamber mode while stopping the freezing chamber fan and a freezing chamber cooling mode for driving the freezing chamber fan and controlling the path switching device to the cooling chamber mode while stopping the wine chamber fan, in the alternate cooling mode, wherein the controller drives the compressor during the alternate cooling mode.

5 . The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the controller first starts the wine chamber cooling mode when a set waiting time has elapsed after terminating the freezing chamber defrosting mode.

6 . The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the controller performs the wine chamber cooling mode and the freezing chamber mode for a same set time.

7 . The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the controller terminates the alternate cooling mode when a temperature of the freezing chamber is satisfied during the alternate cooling mode.

8 . The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the controller:
performs a freezing chamber additional cooling mode for additionally cooling the freezing chamber when a defrosting condition of the freezing chamber evaporator is satisfied, wherein performing the freezing chamber additional cooling mode includes performing a first mode for driving the compressor, driving the freezing chamber fan, driving the wine chamber fan, and controlling the path switching device to the freezing chamber mode, and performing a second mode for closing the path switching device when an additional set time has elapsed after the freezing chamber additional cooling mode starts or when a temperature of the freezing chamber is satisfied, in the freezing chamber additional cooling mode.

9 . The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the controller performing the second mode performs a pump-down for continuously driving the compressor such that the refrigerant remaining in the freezing chamber evaporator is sucked into the compressor and accumulated between the compressor and the path switching device.

10 . The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the controller stops the compressor and the freezing chamber fan when a pump-down set time has elapsed after the second mode.

11 . The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the controller performing the second mode continuously drives the wine chamber fan.

12 . The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the controller performs a wine chamber additional defrosting mode for additionally driving the wine chamber fan after stopping the compressor and the freezing chamber fan.

13 . The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the controller terminates the wine chamber additional defrosting mode when a temperature of the wine chamber corresponds to a natural defrosting termination temperature or when a set additional driving time has elapsed after the wine chamber additional defrosting mode starts.

14 . The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the controller starts the wine chamber pre-cool mode when a set stopping time has elapsed after the wine chamber additional defrosting mode terminates.

15 . The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the controller performs a pump-down for continuously driving the compressor such that the refrigerant remaining in the freezing chamber evaporator is sucked into the compressor and accumulated between the compressor and the path switching device when a temperature of the freezing chamber is lower than a target temperature during the freezing chamber pre-cool mode or when the second set time has elapsed after the freezing chamber pre-cool mode has started.

16 . The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the controller terminates the freezing chamber pre-cool mode after performing pump-down during a pump-down set time.

17 . The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the controller starts the freezing chamber defrosting mode when a set stopping time has elapsed after the freezing chamber pre-cool mode terminates.

18 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller performs the defrosting of the freezing chamber evaporator when a defrosting condition is met determined by at least one of a set defrosting period, an added-up operation time of the compressor and a temperature of the freezing chamber evaporator.

19 . The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the controller sequentially performs a freezing chamber additional cooling mode, a wine chamber additional defrosting mode, a wine chamber pre-cool mode, the freezing chamber defrosting mode and an alternate cooling mode.

20 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the wine chamber evaporator is connected to the freezing chamber evaporator in parallel.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Seong Giseok
• Kim Kyungseok
• Kim Kyeongyun
• Ahn Seunguk
• Chung Myungjin

Classifications

• F25B13/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) · CPC title

• F25D23/003

  for cooling refrigerating machinery · CPC title

• F25D21/08

  by electric heating · CPC title

• F25D29/00 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• F25B49/02

  for compression type machines, plants or systems · CPC title