Apparatus and method for controlling refrigerating cycle of refrigerator
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsJin Su Park, Jun Heon Kim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a refrigerator using a evaporator, and particularly in an apparatus and a method for controlling a refrigerating cycle of a refrigerator which is capable of easily switching a three-way stepping motor valve, by adjusting a flow of a refrigerant in a refrigerating cycle by using a three-way stepping motor valve, noise occurred in the conventional valve switching can be reduced, a power consumption of a three-way stepping motor valve can be reduced.
Claims20
In a refrigerating apparatus supplying cold air to a food storage chamber by constructing a refrigerating cycle, an apparatus for controlling a refrigerating cycle of the refrigerating apparatus, comprising:
- a microcomputer configured for outputting a control signal;
- a compressor configured for receiving the control signal and compressing a refrigerant;
- a three-way stepping motor valve configured for receiving the control signal and selectively passing or shutting the refrigerant discharged from the compressor according to the control signal into each of a plurality of refrigerant pipes;
- and
- a plurality of evaporators each separately configured for being supplied the refrigerant from a respective refrigerant pipe and supplying cold air to a food storage chamber.
An apparatus for controlling a refrigerating cycle of a refrigerator, comprising:
- a microcomputer configured for outputting a control signal;
- a compressor configured for receiving the control signal and compressing a refrigerant;
- a condenser configured for receiving and condensing the refrigerant compressed in the compressor;
- a first expansion valve configured for receiving the refrigerant and reducing a pressure of the refrigerant;
- a n-direction stepping motor valve having inlet and outlet ports and configured for receiving the refrigerant from the first expansion valve and selectively shutting or passing the refrigerant to a plurality of refrigerant pipes according to the control signal;
- a plurality of second expansion valves configured for receiving and reducing the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the n-direction stepping motor valve;
- and
- a plurality of evaporators configured for being supplied the refrigerant discharged from a respective second expansion valve and supplying cold air to a food storage chamber.
An apparatus for controlling a refrigerating cycle of a refrigerator, comprising:
- a microcomputer configured for outputting a control signal;
- a compressor configured for receiving the control signal and compressing a refrigerant;
- a condenser configured for condensing the refrigerant compressed in the compressor;
- a first expansion valve configured for receiving and reducing the pressure of the refrigerant condensed in the condenser;
- a n-direction stepping motor valve having inlet and outlet ports and configured for receiving the control signal and refrigerant and selectively shutting or passing the refrigerant according to the control signal into each of a plurality of refrigerant pipes;
- and
- a plurality of evaporators configured for being supplied the refrigerant discharged from a respective refrigerant pipe and supplying cold air to a food storage chamber.
An apparatus for controlling a refrigerating cycle of a refrigerator, comprising:
- a compressor configured for compressing a refrigerant;
- a three-way stepping motor valve configured for selectively opening and shutting refrigerant pipes connected to a freezing chamber and a chilling chamber in order to selectively supply the refrigerant compressed in the compressor to each of the freezing chamber and the chilling chamber through a respective refrigerant pipe;
- a counter configured for counting an early refrigerating time according to an early operation of the compressor;
- and
- a microcomputer configured for switching the three-way stepping motor valve on the basis of the counted early refrigerating time.
In a method for controlling a refrigerating cycle of a refrigerator by being supplied a refrigerant compressed in a compressor and evaporating the refrigerant, a method for controlling a refrigerating cycle of a refrigerator, comprising:
- selectively opening and shutting each of a plurality of refrigerant pipes connected to a freezing chamber and a chilling chamber in order to selectively supply a refrigerant compressed in a compressor to either or both of the freezing chamber and the chilling chamber through the refrigerant pipes;
- counting an early refrigerating time according to an early operation of the compressor;
- determining whether the early refrigerating time exceeds a prescribed time;
- and
- selectively opening and shutting each of the refrigerant pipes connected to the freezing chamber and the chilling chamber, respectively, when the early refrigerating time exceeds the prescribed time.
An apparatus for controlling a refrigerating cycle of a refrigerator, comprising:
- a microcomputer configured to output a control signal;
- and
- a valve for controlling refrigerant flow, the valve receiving the control signal from the microcomputer, comprising:
- a valve housing comprising an inlet section with at least one port and an outlet section with at least one port, wherein the valve housing comprises a total of at least 3 ports;
- and
- a valve shaft rotatably disposed within the valve housing and configured to control a refrigerant flow from any combination of ports in the inlet section to any combination of ports in the outlet section in accordance with the control signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.