Cooling furniture comprising at least two thermally separate compartments

Abstract

An item of cooling furniture includes two thermally separate compartments which are associated with respective evaporators. An expansion valve and evaporators are connected in series in a refrigerant circuit. The adjustment valve permits adjustment between different discrete flow coefficients.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
   
   
       12 . An item of refrigeration equipment comprising:
 at least two evaporators;   at least two compartments thermally separate from one another, each of the compartments being operatively associated with one of the evaporators; and   an expansion valve, the expansion valve and the evaporators being arranged one after the other in series in a refrigerant circuit through which refrigerant flows and the expansion valve being operable to set at least two states having different nontransient flow coefficients.   
   
   
       13 . The item of refrigeration equipment as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the flow coefficient of the expansion valve is adjustable steplessly. 
   
   
       14 . The item of refrigeration equipment as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the expansion valve is switchable between discrete values of the flow coefficient. 
   
   
       15 . The item of refrigeration equipment as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the expansion valve includes two parallel line sections and a blocking element for blocking one of the two line sections in one of the two states. 
   
   
       16 . The item of refrigeration equipment as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the expansion valve is operable to set a third state, the third state being a state that is non-permeable for the refrigerant. 
   
   
       17 . The item of refrigeration equipment as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the evaporators are configured on a common support. 
   
   
       18 . The item of refrigeration equipment as claimed in  claim 12  and further comprising a reservoir in the refrigerant circuit located downstream of a condenser and operable to accommodate and/or temporarily store liquid refrigerant. 
   
   
       19 . The item of refrigeration equipment as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein each of the thermally separate compartments is associated with a temperature sensor, each temperature sensor being connected to an evaluation circuit for signaling a refrigeration requirement that forms part of a temperature regulator. 
   
   
       20 . A method for operating an item of refrigeration equipment, the method comprising:
 detecting a refrigeration requirement in the compartments of the item of refrigeration equipment; and   controlling, as a function of the item of refrigeration requirement, the supply of liquid refrigerant to evaporators associated with the compartments for generation of refrigeration and connected in series, wherein the control of the supply of refrigerant is effected by setting at least two states with different nontransient flow coefficients in a controllable expansion valve, the status being selected as a function of which of the compartments of the item of refrigeration requirement is detected.   
   
   
       21 . The method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein, when detecting a refrigeration requirement in a compartment whose evaporator is a relatively long distance from the expansion valve, a high flow coefficient of the expansion valve is set and, when detecting a refrigeration requirement in a compartment whose evaporator is close to the expansion valve, a low flow coefficient of the expansion valve is set. 
   
   
       22 . The method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein, if a refrigeration requirement exists in none of the compartments of the item of refrigeration equipment, the expansion valve is held closed.