Refrigerator

Abstract

Refrigerator (1) comprising an outer casing (2) which has a thermal-insulating structure and is internally provided with a first (3) and a second (4) storage cavities that are thermal-insulated to one another and to the outside and each of which is adapted to accommodate perishable foodstuff; and an electrically-operated, cooling system (5) which is at least partially accommodated inside the outer casing (2) and is structured/adapted to cool down the inside of both said first (3) and said second (4) storage cavities; the first storage cavity (3) being additionally divided into a first (13) and a second (12) compartments that are both adapted to accommodate perishable foodstuff and directly communicate to one another; the cooling system (5) being adapted to circulate, in closed loop inside said first storage cavity (3), a flow of cold air (f) that crosses in sequence said first (13) and said second (12) compartment so as to cool down in sequence the same compartments (12, 13), and comprising an electrically-operated, heat-pump assembly (20) which is provided with a first evaporator (21) that cools down the first storage cavity (3), with a second evaporator (22) that cools down the second storage cavity (4), and with an electrically-operated flow di verier (44) which is located upstream of said first (21) and said second (22) evaporators and is adapted to selectively an alternatively channel the refrigerant towards the inlet of the first evaporator (21) or towards the inlet of the second evaporator (22).

1 . Refrigerator ( 1 ) comprising an outer casing ( 2 ) which has a thermal-insulating structure and is internally provided with a first ( 3 ) and a second ( 4 ) storage cavities that are thermal-insulated to one another and to the outside and each of which is adapted to accommodate perishable foodstuff; and an electrically-operated, cooling system ( 5 ) which is at least partially accommodated inside the outer casing ( 2 ) and is structured/adapted to cool down the inside of both said first ( 3 ) and said second ( 4 ) storage cavities;
 the refrigerator ( 1 ) being characterized in that the first storage cavity ( 3 ) is additionally divided into a first ( 13 ) and a second ( 12 ) compartments that are both adapted to accommodate perishable foodstuff and directly communicate to one another; and in that the cooling system ( 5 ) is adapted to circulate, in closed loop inside said first storage cavity ( 3 ), a flow (f) of cold air that crosses in sequence said first ( 13 ) and said second ( 12 ) compartment so as to cool down in sequence the same compartments ( 12 ,  13 ), and additionally comprises an electrically-operated, heat-pump assembly ( 20 ) which is provided with a first evaporator ( 21 ) that cools down the first storage cavity ( 3 ), with a second evaporator ( 22 ) that cools down the second storage cavity ( 4 ), and with an electrically-operated flow diverter ( 44 ) which is located upstream of said first ( 21 ) and said second ( 22 ) evaporators and is adapted to selectively an alternatively channel the refrigerant towards the inlet of the first evaporator ( 21 ) or towards the inlet of the second evaporator ( 22 ).   
     
     
         2 . Refrigerator according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said first compartment ( 13 ) is arranged underneath said second compartment ( 12 ). 
     
     
         3 . Refrigerator according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said cooling system ( 5 ) additionally comprises: a first air-circulating duct ( 24 ) which extends behind a wall of said first storage cavity ( 3 ) and communicates with the first storage cavity ( 3 ) via a first ( 26 ) and a second ( 25 ) air-vent openings that are aligned, respectively, with the first compartment ( 13 ) and with the second compartment ( 12 ) of said first storage cavity ( 3 ); and a first electrically-operated air-circulating device ( 27 ) which is adapted to circulate the air in closed loop along said first air-circulating duct ( 24 ) and the adjacent first storage cavity ( 3 ); the first evaporator ( 21 ) of said heat-pump assembly ( 20 ) being located inside said first air-circulating duct ( 24 ) so as to cool down the air that flows along the first air-circulating duct ( 24 ). 
     
     
         4 . Refrigerator according to  claim 3 , characterized in that said first electrically-operated air-circulating device ( 27 ) is located inside said first air-circulating duct ( 24 ), and/or in that said first ( 26 ) and said second ( 25 ) air-vent openings are located roughly at both ends of said first air-circulating duct ( 24 ). 
     
     
         5 . Refrigerator according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the first evaporator ( 21 ) of said heat-pump assembly ( 20 ) is located inside the first air-circulating duct ( 24 ) immediately upstream of the first air-vent opening ( 26 ), so as to cool down the air that flows along the first air-circulating duct ( 24 ) immediately before said air passes into the first compartment ( 13 ) of said first storage cavity ( 3 ). 
     
     
         6 . Refrigerator according to  claim 3 , characterized in that said first air-circulating duct ( 24 ) additionally has, upstream of the first air-vent opening ( 26 ), a third air-vent opening ( 70 ) that directly communicates with the second compartment ( 12 ) spaced apart from said second air-vent opening ( 25 ); said third air-vent opening ( 70 ) being dimensioned to allow a minority portion (f a ) of the air that flows along the first air-circulating duct ( 24 ) to directly flow into the second compartment ( 12 ) bypassing the first compartment ( 13 ). 
     
     
         7 . Refrigerator according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the first evaporator ( 21 ) of said heat-pump assembly ( 20 ) is accommodated inside the first air-circulating duct ( 24 ) so as to be crossed by the whole air flowing inside the first air-circulating duct ( 24 ). 
     
     
         8 . Refrigerator according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the second evaporator ( 22 ) of said heat-pump assembly ( 20 ) is located directly inside the second storage cavity ( 4 ). 
     
     
         9 . Refrigerator according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the cooling system ( 5 ) additionally comprises: a second air-circulating duct ( 30 ) which extends behind a wall of said second storage cavity ( 4 ) and communicates with the second storage cavity ( 4 ) via at least two air-vent openings ( 31 ,  32 ); and a second electrically-operated air-circulating device ( 33 ) which is adapted to circulate the air in closed loop along said second air-circulating duct ( 30 ) and the adjacent second storage cavity ( 4 ); the second evaporator ( 22 ) of said heat-pump assembly ( 20 ) being located inside said second air-circulating duct ( 30 ) so as to cool down the air that flows along the second air-circulating duct ( 30 ). 
     
     
         10 . Refrigerator according to  claim 9 , characterized in that said second electrically-operated air-circulating device ( 33 ) is located inside said second air-circulating duct ( 30 ), and/or in that said two air-vent openings ( 31 ,  32 ) are located roughly at both ends of said second air-circulating duct ( 30 ). 
     
     
         11 . Refrigerator according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said heat-pump assembly ( 20 ) additionally comprises, between the electrically-operated flow diverter ( 44 ) and each of said first ( 21 ) and second ( 22 ) evaporators, a respective refrigerant expansion device ( 45 ,  46 ) that causes the rapid expansion of the refrigerant directed towards the corresponding first ( 21 ) or second ( 22 ) evaporator. 
     
     
         12 . Refrigerator according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said heat-pump assembly ( 20 ) additionally comprises an electrically-operated compressor ( 40 ) which is adapted to compress the gaseous-state refrigerant for supplying at its outlet/delivery a flow of high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant; the outlets of said first ( 21 ) and said second ( 22 ) evaporators communicating with the inlet/suction of said compressor ( 40 ). 
     
     
         13 . Refrigerator according to  claim 12 , characterized in that said heat-pump assembly ( 20 ) additionally comprises at least one refrigerant accumulator ( 48 ) which is interposed between the outlet of said first ( 21 ) and/or said second ( 22 ) evaporators and the inlet/suction of said compressor ( 40 ), and is adapted to accumulate the exceeding low-pressure refrigerant. 
     
     
         14 . Refrigerator according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said heat-pump assembly ( 20 ) additionally comprises a backflow prevention device ( 47 ) which is located immediately downstream of the second evaporator ( 22 ) and is oriented so as to prevent the low-pressure refrigerant arriving from the outlet of the first evaporator ( 21 ) to flow towards the second evaporator ( 22 ). 
     
     
         15 . Refrigerator according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the electrically-operated, cooling system ( 5 ) is adapted to keep the inside of the first compartment ( 13 ) of said first storage cavity ( 3 ) at a given first target temperature ranging between −8° C. and +5° C., and the inside of the second compartment ( 12 ) of said first storage cavity ( 3 ) at a given second target temperature ranging between +2° C. and +8° C.