Refrigerator
US7437888B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 22, 2006 |
| Grant date | Oct 21, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 27, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF25B2600/2511
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A refrigerator having a valve to distribute a refrigerant to a plurality of storage compartments. The valve includes a step motor, a valve plate having at least one inlet and a plurality of outlets, and an opening/closing member rotatably coupled to the valve plate to open or close the plurality of outlets in accordance with a rotating motion thereof. In particular, the opening/closing member has one or more recesses, which are indented from the circumference of the opening/closing member by a predetermined distance, to always open only one of the plurality of outlets. With the above-described configuration, the refrigerator can reduce material costs, and can achieve not only simplified valve control, but also accurate control in temperatures of the plurality of storage compartments.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.