US 5,209,073 AGranted

Cooling device and method with multiple cooled chambers and multiple expansion means

AssigneeFisher & Paykel Limited

InventorsDavid A. Thomas, Ian C. McGill

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Abstract

A cooling device having a refrigeration chamber (1) and a freezer chamber (3), a refrigeration plant having an evaporator (15) and condenser (18), a compressor (16) and air flow passageways (5, 8, 11) for conducting air flow across the evaporator and through the refrigerator and freezer. Capillaries of different size (19, 20) control the flow of refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator to control the temperature of the evaporator. A pressure device (36) produces the air flow through the passageways to the refrigerator and freezer. Motorized valves (30, 31) are operated by temperature sensors within the refrigerator and freezer to control the flow of air therethrough. A variable temperature compartment (4) may be provided and connected to the airflow passages, with a flow control valve (32) for maintaining a temperature therein set by the user.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A cooling device comprising:

at least two chambers selectively maintained at different temperatures;
a refrigeration plant including an evaporator and a condenser containing refrigerant;
an evaporator air flow passageway for conducting air flow across said evaporator;
separate air flow passageways through said at least two chambers and connected to said evaporator airflow passageway;
separate valve means in each separate air flow passageway for controlling the flow of air through said at least two chambers;
temperature sensing means within at least one of said chambers;
at least two refrigerant flow control means in said refrigerator plant between said condenser and said evaporator and having different flow capacities;
evaporator temperature control means in said refrigerant plant for controlling flow of refrigerant through at least one of said at least two flow control means;
pressure means for producing flow of air through said air flow passageways;
and
selection means for controlling said separate valve means to control air flow through said chambers in response to said temperature sensing means, to operate said evaporator temperature control means, and to operate said pressure means.

8 more elements

A method of controlling the temperatures of at least two chambers of a cooling device including;

a refrigeration plant including an evaporator and a condenser containing refrigerant;
at least two refrigerant flow control means between said condenser and said evaporator, said refrigerant flow control means having different flow capacities to control the temperature of said evaporator, and a refrigerant conduit having one end connected to said evaporator and another end connected to the inlet of a compressor, the compressor having an outlet connected to an inlet of said condenser, said conduit being thermally connected by a heat exchanger to at least one of said at least two refrigerant flow control means;
evaporator temperature control means to direct refrigerant flow selectively through said at least two refrigerant flow control means;
an evaporator air flow passageway across said evaporator;
separate air flow passageways through said at least two chambers, said separate air flow passageways being connected to said evaporator air flow passageway, at least one of said separate air flow passageways directly connecting at least one of said at least two chambers to another of said at least two chambers;
separate valve means in each of said separate air flow passageways;
temperature sensing means within at least one of said chambers;
and selection means for controlling said separate valve means to control flow in said chambers in response to said temperature sensing means, operating said evaporator temperature control means, and operating a pressure means operatively connected to said air flow passageways;
the method comprising:
sensing the temperature within at least one of said chambers;
controlling said separate valve means to control flow of air through said chambers in response to said temperatures within at least one of said chambers;
operating said evaporator temperature control means for directing refrigerant through at least one of said refrigerant flow control means;
and
operating said pressure means for moving air through said air flow passageways.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.