Refrigerator and operation control method thereof

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a refrigerator. In a refrigeration cycle including a channel switching valve to selectively supply a refrigerant to a first evaporator side and/or a second evaporator side and hot pipes, a hot pipe on a freezing chamber side and a hot pipe on a refrigerating chamber are disposed upstream and downstream of the channel switching valve, respectively to reduce unbalance in amounts of the refrigerant and in the amounts of generated heat.

1 . A refrigerator comprising a compressor, a condenser, a first circulation channel to cool a refrigerating chamber, a second circulation channel to cool a freezing chamber, and a channel switching valve to perform switching between the circulation channels, wherein
 a first hot pipe on a freezing chamber side; a second hot pipe on a refrigerating chamber side,   wherein the first hot pipe is connected to the condenser and an inlet of the channel switching valve, and the second hot pipe is connected to an outlet of the channel switching valve.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the second circulation channel is connected to another outlet of the channel switching valve, and   the second circulation channel is connected to the compressor via a second expansion device and a second evaporator on the freezing chamber side.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the first circulation channel is connected to a second evaporator on the freezing chamber side and the compressor via the second hot pipe, a first expansion device, a first evaporator on the refrigerating chamber side, and a third expansion device in a series. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the first circulation channel is connected to a first evaporator on the refrigerating chamber side and the compressor via the second hot pipe and a first expansion device. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the channel switching valve comprises a three-way valve having one inlet connected to an outlet of the first hot pipe and two outlets connected respectively to the first circulation channel and the second circulation channel. 
     
     
         6 . A refrigerator comprising a compressor, a condenser, a hot pipe, and a controller to control a first operation mode to cool a refrigerating chamber and a second operation mode to cool a freezing chamber, wherein
 the hot pipe comprises a first hot pipe on a freezing chamber side and a second hot pipe on a refrigerating chamber side, and   the controller controls a refrigerant channel such that a refrigerant discharged from the condenser cools the freezing chamber via the first hot pipe and returns to the compressor during an operation in the second operation mode.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller controls a refrigerant channel such that the refrigerant flows to the first hot pipe and the second hot pipe during an operation in the first operation mode. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller controls a refrigerant channel such that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser cools the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber via the first hot pipe and the second hot pipe and returns to the compressor during an operation in the first operation mode. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller controls a refrigerant channel such that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser cools the refrigerating chamber via the first hot pipe and the second hot pipe and returns to the compressor during an operation in the first operation mode. 
     
     
         10 . An operation control method of a refrigerator comprising a compressor, a condenser, a first hot pipe on a freezing chamber side, a second hot pipe on a refrigerating chamber side, a refrigerating chamber, and a freezing chamber, comprising:
 determining whether the refrigerating chamber or the freezing chamber is to be cooled; and   controlling a refrigerant discharged from the condenser to cool the freezing chamber via the first hot pipe upon determining that the freezing chamber is to be cooled.   
     
     
         11 . The operation control method according to  claim 10 , further comprising controlling the refrigerant discharged from the condenser to cool the refrigerating chamber via the first hot pipe and the second hot pipe upon determining that the refrigerating chamber is to be cooled. 
     
     
         12 . The operation control method according to  claim 11 , further comprising controlling the refrigerant to cool the freezing chamber, after cooling the refrigerating chamber, and return to the compressor. 
     
     
         13 . The operation control method according to  claim 11 , further comprising controlling the refrigerant to return to the compressor after cooling the refrigerating chamber.