Refrigerator and control method thereof

Abstract

A refrigerator comprising a main body which is formed with three or more storage compartments and a cooling unit having a plurality of evaporators corresponding to the respective storage compartments, the cooling unit comprising a refrigerant supply pipe to supply a refrigerant to the plurality of evaporators; a plurality of refrigerant branch pipes which are branched from the refrigerant supply pipe to mount the evaporators thereto, and to at least one of which the plurality of evaporators are connected in series; and a refrigerant connection pipe to connect an outlet of one of the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes and an inlet of the other one of the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes.

1 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a main body comprising three storage compartments; and    a cooling unit having a plurality of evaporators respectively corresponding to the storage compartments,    the cooling unit comprising: 
 a refrigerant supply pipe to supply a refrigerant to the evaporators,  
 a plurality of refrigerant branch pipes which are branched from the refrigerant supply pipe to connect the evaporators thereto, and to at least one of the refrigerant branch pipes the plurality of evaporators are connected in series; and  
 a refrigerant connection pipe to connect an outlet of one of the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes and an inlet of another one of the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes.  
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit comprises a multi-way valve which is provided between the refrigerant supply pipe and the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes to open and close the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes.  
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes comprise a first refrigerant branch pipe and a second refrigerant branch pipe, and 
 the multi-way valve opens and closes the first refrigerant branch pipe and the second refrigerant branch pipe.    
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of evaporators comprises a first evaporator which is mounted to the first refrigerant branch pipe, a second evaporator which is mounted to the second refrigerant branch pipe, and a third evaporator which is connected in series with at least one of the first evaporator and the second evaporator.  
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , further comprising a fourth storage compartment and a fourth evaporator, wherein 
 the third evaporator is connected in series with the first evaporator, and the fourth evaporator is connected in series with the second evaporator.    
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , wherein the cooling unit further comprises: 
 a compressor which is connected to an outlet of the second refrigerant branch pipe to compress the refrigerant;    a condenser which is provided between the compressor and the multi-way valve;    a first capillary tube which is provided between the first evaporator and the multi-way valve; and    a second capillary tube which is provided between the second evaporator and the multi-way valve.    
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the cooling unit further comprises an auxiliary capillary tube which is provided in the refrigerant connection pipe.  
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 3 , wherein the cooling unit further comprises: 
 a plurality of defrosting heaters which respectively defrost the evaporators; and    a controller which controls the multi-way valve to close the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes before the defrosting heaters defrost the evaporators.    
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , wherein the cooling unit further comprises a compressor connected to an outlet of the second refrigerant branch pipe to compress the refrigerant and the controller controls the multi-way valve to open the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes for a predetermined pause time before the compressor compresses the refrigerant in a state in which the defrosting heaters stop operating.  
     
     
         10 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a main body comprising three storage compartments; and    a cooling unit having a plurality of evaporators respectively corresponding to the storage compartments,    the cooling unit comprising: 
 a refrigerant supply pipe to supply a refrigerant to the evaporators,  
 a plurality of refrigerant branch pipes which are branched from the refrigerant supply pipe to connect the evaporators thereto,  
 a multi-way valve which is provided to open and close the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes in a branch area where the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes are branched from the refrigerant supply pipe;  
 a plurality of defrosting heaters which are provided to respectively defrost the evaporators; and  
 a controller which controls the multi-way valve to close the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes before the defrosting heaters operate.  
   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 10 , further comprising a compressor to compress the refrigerant, wherein the controller controls the multi-way valve to open the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes for a predetermined pause time before the compressor compresses the refrigerant in a state in which the defrosting heaters stop operating.  
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of evaporators are serially mounted to at least one of the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes.  
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 10 , further comprising a refrigerant connection pipe which connects an outlet of one of the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes and an inlet of another one of the plurality of refrigerant branch pipes.  
     
     
         14 . A method of controlling a refrigerator having a main body which is formed with three storage compartments, three evaporators respectively corresponding to the storage compartments and a defrosting heater to defrost the evaporators, comprising: 
 branching a plurality of refrigerant branch pipes from a refrigerant supply pipe which supplies a refrigerant to the evaporators;    connecting one of the evaporators to a respective one of the branched refrigerant pipes;    closing the plurality of branched refrigerant pipes; and    defrosting the storage compartments with the defrosting heater after the closing of the branched refrigerant pipes.    
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 stopping the defrosting of the storage compartments;    opening the plurality of branched refrigerant pipes for a predetermined pause time after the stopping of the defrosting; and    operating a compressor of the refrigerator after the opening of the branched refrigerant pipes.    
     
     
         16 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 first and second storage compartments;    first and second evaporators respectively corresponding to the first and second storage compartments; and    a first pipe to supply a refrigerant from the first evaporator to the second evaporator.    
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16 , wherein the first and second evaporators are in series.  
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16 , further comprising a second pipe to supply the refrigerant to inlets of the evaporators, wherein the first pipe supplies the refrigerant from an outlet of the first evaporator to the inlet of the second evaporator.  
     
     
         19 . A method of cooling first and second storage compartments of a refrigerator comprising: 
 providing first and second evaporators respectively corresponding to the first and second storage compartments; and    supplying a refrigerant from the first evaporator to the second evaporator.