Refrigeration appliance having parallel evaporators and operating method therefor

US11959682B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• BSH Hausgeräte GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Lars Mack · Sontheim, DE
• Hans Ihle · Giengen an der Brenz, DE
• Achim Paulduro · Albeck, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 27, 2020
• Grant date: Apr 16, 2024
• Expiry date: Apr 17, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02B40/00
• WIPO field: Thermal processes and apparatus
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A refrigeration appliance includes at least one warm storage compartment and one cold storage compartment and a refrigeration device having at least two mutually parallel evaporators connected in series with a compressor, a condenser, and a shut-off valve between the condenser and evaporators in a refrigerant circuit so that each evaporator cools one storage compartment. An operating method for the refrigeration appliance includes the steps a) deciding whether a need for cooling has newly occurred in the warm storage compartment, and, if so, b) operating the compressor while the shut-off valve is closed to cause refrigerant to back up in the condenser, c) opening the shut-off valve and supplying the evaporator of the warm storage compartment with the backed up refrigerant. In step b) the mass flow rate through the compressor is estimated and the time for performing step c) is determined by using the estimated mass flow rate.