Ice maker having a refrigerant preheating unit and controlling method of the same

Abstract

An ice maker having a refrigerant preheating unit and a control method thereof are disclosed. The ice maker having a refrigerant preheating unit according to one aspect of the present invention and a control method thereof may include: a compressor for compressing a refrigerant; a condenser for condensing a refrigerant discharged from a discharge end of the compressor; an expansion unit for expanding a refrigerant condensed in the condenser; an ice-making evaporator for evaporating a refrigerant expanded in the expansion unit to make ice; a refrigerant flow path unit for guiding a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to a suction end of the compressor through the condenser, the expansion unit and the ice-making evaporator; an ice-removing refrigerant flow path unit for guiding a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to the ice-making evaporator; a refrigerant preheating unit for causing a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to be re-suctioned into the compressor before passing through the condenser; and a control unit for controlling the refrigerant preheating unit.

1 . An ice maker having a refrigerant preheating unit, comprising:
 a compressor for compressing a refrigerant;   a condenser for condensing a refrigerant discharged from a discharge end of the compressor;   an expansion unit for expanding a refrigerant condensed in the condenser;   an ice-making evaporator for evaporating a refrigerant expanded in the expansion unit to make ice;   a refrigerant flow path unit for guiding a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to a suction end of the compressor through the condenser, the expansion unit and the ice-making evaporator;   an ice-removing refrigerant flow path unit for guiding a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to the ice-making evaporator;   a refrigerant preheating unit for causing a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to be re-suctioned into the compressor before passing through the condenser; and   a control unit for controlling the refrigerant preheating unit.   
     
     
         2 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant preheating unit comprises:
 a bypass flow path which is branched from a discharge end of the compressor and is connected to a suction end of the compressor;   a bypass opening/closing valve for opening/closing the bypass flow path; and   a sensor for measuring the temperature of the external environment.   
     
     
         3 . The ice maker of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor measures the temperature of the outside air or the temperature of purified water. 
     
     
         4 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cold-water evaporator for cooling purified water with a refrigerant expanded in the expansion unit.   
     
     
         5 . The ice maker of  claim 4 , wherein the refrigerant flow path unit comprises:
 an ice-making refrigerant flow path for guiding a refrigerant that has passed through the condenser to the ice-making evaporator;   a cold-water refrigerant flow path for guiding a refrigerant that has passed through the condenser to the cold-water evaporator; and   a multi-directional valve for guiding a refrigerant that has passed through the condenser to at least any one of the ice-making refrigerant flow path and the cold-water refrigerant flow path.   
     
     
         6 . The ice maker of  claim 5 , wherein the expansion unit comprises:
 an ice-making expansion valve which is provided on the ice-making refrigerant flow path and expands a refrigerant directed to the ice-making evaporator; and   a cold-water expansion valve which is provided on the cold-water refrigerant flow path and expands a refrigerant directed to the cold-water evaporator.   
     
     
         7 . The ice maker of  claim 5 , wherein the ice-removing refrigerant flow path unit is provided to branch from the multi-directional valve and guides a refrigerant to the ice-making evaporator. 
     
     
         8 . The ice maker of  claim 2 , wherein before ice is made in the ice-making evaporator, if the idle time of the compressor is greater than a preset time, and the temperature of the external environment measured by the sensor is below a preset temperature, the control unit opens the bypass opening/closing valve for a set period of time to control a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to circulate to a suction end of the compressor through the bypass flow path. 
     
     
         9 . The ice maker of  claim 2 , wherein when ice is being made or ice making is completed in the ice-making evaporator, if the temperature of the external environment measured by the sensor is below a preset temperature, the control unit opens the bypass opening/closing valve for a set period of time to control a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to circulate to a suction end of the compressor through the bypass flow path. 
     
     
         10 . The ice maker  claim 8 , wherein the preset temperature is 13 to 18° C. 
     
     
         11 . A method for controlling the ice maker having a refrigerant preheating unit according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 an environmental temperature measuring step for measuring the temperature of an outside air environment;   a low-temperature environment determining step for determining whether the temperature measured in the environmental temperature measuring step is lower than a preset temperature;   a preheating time calculating step for calculating a refrigerant preheating time at a corresponding temperature when the environmental temperature determined in the low-temperature environment determining step is a low-temperature environment that is lower than a preset temperature; and   a refrigerant preheating step for circulating a refrigerant through the bypass flow path of a refrigerant preheating unit through the compressor during the time calculated in the preheating time calculating step.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a compressor idle time measuring step which is performed before the preheating time calculating step, and counts an elapsed time after the compressor has stopped operating; and   an idle time determining step for determining whether the idle time of the compressor counted in the compressor idle time measuring step exceeds a set reference time,   wherein the preheating time calculating step is performed when the idle time of the compressor determined in the idle time determining step exceeds a set reference time.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein after the refrigerant preheating step,
 an ice-making step for making ice by using an ice-making evaporator after the preheating of a refrigerant is completed through a refrigerant preheating step; and   an ice-removing step for removing ice that has been made in the ice-making step are performed.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein before the preheating time calculating step,
 an ice-making step for making ice by using an ice making evaporator is performed, and   wherein the refrigerant preheating step is performed after the ice-making step.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the preset temperature is 13 to 18° C.