Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes a refrigerator includes a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, a condensing unit configured to pass the compressed refrigerant and a first heat exchanger unit and a second heat exchanger unit where each of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit are configured to provide heat exchange as the refrigerant passes therethrough. When a defrosting mode is performed for one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit, the refrigerant compressed at the compressor unit is supplied to the one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit, and then the refrigerant is supplied to the other one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit after the refrigerant is passed through an expansion valve.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant;   a condensing unit configured to pass the compressed refrigerant; and   a first heat exchanger unit and a second heat exchanger unit, each of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit being configured to provide heat exchange as the refrigerant passes therethrough,   wherein the refrigerator is configured such that, when a defrosting mode is performed for one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit, the refrigerant compressed at the compressor unit is supplied to the one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit, and then the refrigerant is supplied to the other one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit after the refrigerant is passed through an expansion valve.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, when the defrosting mode is performed for the first heat exchanger unit, heat is supplied to the first heat exchanger unit by the refrigerant and cold is supplied to the second heat exchanger. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, when the defrosting mode is performed for the second heat exchanger unit, heat is supplied to the second heat exchanger unit by the refrigerant and the cold is supplied to the first heat exchanger. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, when the defrosting mode is performed, the refrigerant passes through an expansion valve between the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, when the defrosting mode is performed, the one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit becomes a high temperature part having a relatively high temperature, and the other one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit becomes a low temperature part having a relatively low temperature. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, when the defrosting mode is performed, the refrigerant which does not pass through the condensing unit passes through the one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, in a cold supply mode of the first heat exchanger unit, the refrigerant passing through the condensing unit is introduced to the first heat exchanger unit after passing through the expansion valve. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, in the cold supply mode of the second heat exchanger unit, the refrigerant passing through the condensing unit is introduced to the second heat exchanger unit after passing through the expansion valve. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, in the cold supply mode, the refrigerant is introduced to one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit, selectively, after the refrigerant passes through the condensing unit. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger unit is provided for supplying the cold to a refrigerating chamber, and the second heat exchanger unit is provided for supplying the cold to a freezing chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the compressor unit includes:
 a first compressor unit configured to supply the refrigerant to the first heat exchanger unit in the cold supply mode, and   a second compressor unit configured to supply the refrigerant to the second heat exchanger unit.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein, in the defrosting mode of the first heat exchanger unit, the second compressor unit supplies the refrigerant to the first heat exchanger unit and then to the second heat exchanger unit. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein, in the defrosting mode of the second heat exchanger unit, the first compressor unit supplies the refrigerant to the second heat exchanger unit and then to the first heat exchanger unit. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second heat exchanger unit includes a cold accumulation unit having a phase change material placed therein. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the cold accumulation unit is provided to supplement the cold to a freezing chamber or a refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator. 
     
     
         16 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a compressor configured to compress refrigerant;   a condensing unit configured to pass the compressed refrigerant; and   a first heat exchanger unit and a second heat exchanger unit, each of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit being configured to provide heat exchange as the refrigerant passes therethrough,   wherein the refrigerator is configured such that, when a defrosting mode is performed for one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit, refrigerant having a relatively high temperature is supplied to the one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit and refrigerant having a relatively low temperature is supplied to the other one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising a storage chamber,
 wherein cold is supplied to the storage chamber through the first heat exchanger unit or the second heat exchanger unit to which the refrigerant having the relatively low temperature is supplied.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein, when one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit requires defrosting relative to the other one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit, the refrigerant moves from the compressor unit to the one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second refrigerator unit prior to moving to the other one of the first heat exchanger unit and the second refrigerator unit. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the defrosting of the first heat exchanger unit or the second heat exchanger unit is performed by the refrigerant compressed at the compressor unit. 
     
     
         20 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a compressor configured to compress refrigerant;   a condensing unit configured to pass the compressed refrigerant; and   a first heat exchanger unit and a second heat exchanger unit, each of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit being configured to provide heat exchange as the refrigerant passes therethrough,   wherein the refrigerator is configured such that a flow direction of the refrigerant through each of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit during a cold supply mode is the same direction as a flow direction of the refrigerant through each of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit during a defrosting mode.