Household refrigerator with improved circuit
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsMartin C. Severance, Stephen Searl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A household refrigerator includes a refrigerant circuit having a compressor, a condenser receiving refrigerant from the compressor and a phase separator receiving refrigerant from the condenser. The liquid refrigerant containing portion of the phase separator is connected to the inlet of the freezer evaporator, the outlet of which is connected to the compressor. The vapor refrigerant containing portion of the phase separator is connected to the compressor. The fresh food evaporator is connected to the phase separator to receive liquid refrigerant from the phase separator and to return vapor refrigerant to the phase separator.
Claims17
A refrigerator comprising:
- compressor means;
- condenser means connected to receive refrigerant discharged from said compressor means;
- a refrigerant phase separator connected to receive refrigerant discharged from said condenser means and including a receptacle for accumulating liquid phase refrigerant in its lower portion and vapor phase refrigerant in its upper portion;
- a fresh food compartment, a fresh food evaporator for refrigerating said fresh food compartment, said fresh food evaporator being connected to said phase separator to receive liquid phase refrigerant from said phase separator and to discharge vapor phase refrigerant back to said phase separator;
- a freezer compartment, a freezer evaporator for refrigerating said freezer compartment and connected to receive liquid phase refrigerant from said phase separator and to discharge vapor phase refrigerant to said compressor means;
- and
- means connecting said upper portion of said phase separator with said compressor means for conducting vapor phase refrigerant from said phase separator to said compressor means.
A refrigerator as set forth in claim I wherein said refrigerant phase separator has a normal operating liquid refrigerant level located intermediate its upper and lower ends and further comprising:
- first conduit means connected to said phase separator well below the normal operating liquid refrigerant level for transfer of liquid refrigerant to said freezer evaporator;
- second conduit means connected to said phase separator between the normal operating liquid refrigerant level and the connection of said first conduit for transfer of refrigerant to said fresh food evaporator and;
- third conduit means connected to said phase separator above the normal liquid refrigerant level for transfer of refrigerant to said compressor means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.