Refrigerator and defrosting method thereof

Abstract

A refrigerator according to the present invention includes a compressor compressing a coolant, a condenser condensing the coolant compressed in the compressor, an expander through which the coolant condensed in the condenser passes, an evaporator evaporating the coolant expanded in the expander and cooling an inside of the refrigerator, a defroster defrosting the evaporator, a coolant adjusting valve adjusting the coolant flowing from the condenser to the evaporator, and a controller driving the compressor and turning on the defroster after closing the coolant adjusting valve. The refrigerator may minimize power consumed for defrosting and the defrosting time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a compressor compressing a coolant;   a condenser condensing the coolant compressed in the compressor;   an expander through which the coolant condensed in the condenser passes;   an evaporator evaporating the coolant expanded in the expander and cooling an inside of the refrigerator;   a defroster defrosting the evaporator;   a coolant adjusting valve adjusting the coolant flowing from the condenser to the evaporator; and   a controller driving the compressor and turning on the defroster after closing the coolant adjusting valve.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising an evaporator fan blowing in-refrigerator air to the evaporator, wherein the controller drives the evaporator fan while the compressor is driven and the coolant adjusting valve is closed. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the controller turns on the defroster when a preset time passes after the compressor is stopped. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the controller stops the compressor when a preset pump-down time passes after the coolant adjusting valve is closed. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , further comprising an evaporator fan blowing in-refrigerator air to the evaporator, wherein the controller drives the evaporator fan while the compressor is driven, and the coolant adjusting valve is closed, and additionally drives the evaporator fan during the preset time. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the controller opens the coolant adjusting valve while driving the compressor to cool the inside of the refrigerator. 
     
     
         7 . A defrosting method of a refrigerator, the defrosting method comprising:
 a pump-down step of driving a compressor and preventing a coolant from flowing to an evaporator; and   a defrosting step of defrosting the evaporator after the pump-down step.   
     
     
         8 . The defrosting method of  claim 7 , wherein the pump-down step closes a coolant adjusting valve provided between a condenser and the evaporator. 
     
     
         9 . The defrosting method of  claim 8 , further comprising a coolant adjusting valve open step of opening the coolant adjusting valve after the defrosting step. 
     
     
         10 . The defrosting method of  claim 7 , wherein the pump-down step stops the compressor after driving the compressor during a preset pump-down time. 
     
     
         11 . The defrosting method of  claim 7 , wherein the pump-down step drives an evaporator fan that blows in-refrigerator air to the evaporator. 
     
     
         12 . The defrosting method of  claim 11 , further comprising an evaporator fan additional driving step of additionally driving the evaporator fan during a preset time after the pump-down step, wherein the defrosting step is performed after the evaporator fan additional driving step. 
     
     
         13 . The defrosting method of  claim 12 , wherein the evaporator fan additional driving step is performed shorter than the pump-down step. 
     
     
         14 . A defrosting method of a refrigerator, the defrosting method comprising:
 an in-refrigerator cooling step of cooling an inside of the refrigerator by driving a compressor;   a pump-down step of driving the compressor and preventing a coolant from flowing to an evaporator after the in-refrigerator cooling step; and   a defrosting step of defrosting the evaporator after the pump-down step.   
     
     
         15 . The defrosting method of  claim 14 , wherein the in-refrigerator cooling step is performed longer than the pump-down step. 
     
     
         16 . The defrosting method of  claim 14 , wherein the pump-down step closes a coolant adjusting valve provided between a condenser and the evaporator. 
     
     
         17 . The defrosting method of  claim 16 , further comprising a coolant adjusting valve open step of opening the coolant adjusting valve after the defrosting step. 
     
     
         18 . The defrosting method of  claim 14 , wherein the pump-down step stops the compressor after driving the compressor during a preset pump-down time. 
     
     
         19 . The defrosting method of  claim 14 , wherein the pump-down step drives an evaporator fan that blows in-refrigerator air to the evaporator. 
     
     
         20 . The defrosting method of  claim 19 , further comprising an evaporator fan additional driving step of additionally driving the evaporator fan during a preset time after the pump-down step, wherein the defrosting step is performed after the evaporator fan additional driving step. 
     
     
         21 . The defrosting method of  claim 12 , wherein the evaporator fan additional driving step is performed shorter than the pump-down step.