US 11,143,447 B2Granted

Refrigerator

AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.

InventorsGiseok Seong, Kyungseok Kim, Kyeongyun Kim, Seunguk Ahn, Myungjin Chung

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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.

Claims20

Dependent claims

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 valve 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 and to control the valve to the freezing chamber mode to perform a freezing chamber defrosting mode for defrosting the freezing chamber evaporator, and
control the valve 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,
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 valve 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 valve to the freezing chamber mode while stopping the wine chamber fan, in the alternate cooling mode,
wherein the controller drives the compressor during the alternate cooling mode.

13 more elements

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 valve 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 and to control the valve to the freezing chamber mode to perform a freezing chamber defrosting mode for defrosting the freezing chamber evaporator, and
control the valve 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,
wherein the controller is configured to:
drive the compressor and the wine chamber fan, and control the valve to the wine chamber mode to perform a wine chamber pre-cool mode;
terminate the wine chamber pre-cool mode and stop the wine chamber fan when a first set time has elapsed after the wine chamber pre-cool mode starts;
drive the freezing chamber fan, and control the valve to the freezing chamber mode to perform a freezing chamber pre-cool mode;
and
terminate 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, the second set time being greater than the first set time, and
wherein the freezing chamber defrosting mode starts after terminating the freezing chamber pre-cool mode.

17 more elements

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 valve 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 and to control the valve to the freezing chamber mode to perform a freezing chamber defrosting mode for defrosting the freezing chamber evaporator, and
control the valve 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,
wherein the controller is configured to:
perform 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 valve to the freezing chamber mode, and
performing a second mode for closing the valve 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,
drive the compressor, drive the wine chamber fan, and control the valve to the wine chamber mode to perform a wine chamber pre-cool mode;
stop the wine chamber fan in the wine chamber pre-cool mode, drive the freezing chamber fan, and control the valve 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.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/222,443Filed 17 Dec 2018
Priority: KR 10-2017-017505619 Dec 2017
Published: US 2019/0186803 A120 Jun 2019
Granted: 12 Oct 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

F25D 11/022
With cooling compartments at different temperatures: with two or more evaporators
F25B 13/00
Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle
F25B 49/02
Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices: for compression type machines, plants or systems
F25D 17/065
In household refrigerators: with compartments at different temperatures