Passage switching valve and refrigerator having the same

Abstract

A passage switching valve for maintaining a plurality of outlet ports to be opened and for uniformly distributing a fluid to the outlet ports and a refrigerator employing the same are disclosed. The passage switching valve includes a housing having an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports, an opening and closing member for opening and closing the outlet ports, and a driving device for operating the opening and closing member. The outlet ports are provided in a lower position than the inlet port. A collecting portion is formed by providing a recess in the bottom portion of the housing such that a fluid can be collected and the outlet ports are formed in the collecting portion.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2006-0030165, filed Apr. 3, 2006, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a passage switching valve and a refrigerator employing the same, and more particularly, to a passage switching valve for uniformly distributing a fluid to a plurality of outlet ports and a refrigerator employing the same.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, a passage switching valve is commonly used for changing or opening and closing a refrigerant passage in a refrigerator or an air conditioner. For example, the passage switching valve may be used when refrigerant is selectively supplied to any one of evaporators or is supplied to all evaporators in a refrigerator including a plurality of the evaporators.

A passage switching valve employed in a refrigerator is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 2004-4063 (published on Jan. 13, 2004). The passage switching valve includes a sealed case and a valve seat plate coupled with the lower side of the sealed case. The valve seat plate includes an inlet port, through which a refrigerant is introduced, formed in one side thereof and first and second outlet ports, through which the refrigerant is discharged, formed in the other side thereof. Valve bodies are installed to be rotated by a step motor in the first and second outlet ports to open and close the outlet ports. Thus, the passage switching valve opens any or all of the two outlet ports or closes all of the two outlet ports by the rotation of the valve body.

However, in the passage switching valve, when the first and second outlet ports are opened so that the refrigerant flows to the two outlet ports, since the refrigerant is concentrated more to one of the outlet ports than the other, the refrigerant is not uniformly distributed to the outlet ports. This is because the height of the inlet port is similar to the height of the two outlet ports so that some of the liquid refrigerant is concentrated more to one side than the other while flowing from the inlet port to the outlet ports along the inner surface of the valve seat plate.

In the case where the passage switching valve is even slightly inclined when the passage switching valve is mounted, difference in height between the outlet ports is generated so that the problem may become serious.

Thus, in order to cause the refrigerant to uniformly flow to the first and second outlet ports, the first and second outlet ports are alternately opened and closed for a predetermined time period so that the mean flow rate of the refrigerant that flows to the first and second outlet ports are equal to each other. However, in such a method, since the step motor is to be continuously operated in order to alternately open and close the first and second outlet ports, energy loss is large and the lifespan of the step motor may be shortened.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an aspect of the invention is to provide a passage switching valve for maintaining a plurality of outlet ports to be opened and for uniformly distributing a fluid to the outlet ports and a refrigerator employing the same.

In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a passage switching valve including a housing having an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports, an opening and closing member for opening and closing the outlet port, and a driving device for operating the opening and closing member, wherein the outlet ports are provided in a lower position than the inlet port.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the housing includes a collecting portion formed by providing a recess in the valve plate to collect a fluid, and the outlet ports are formed in the collecting portion.

Additionally, the opening and closing member comprises a closing part entering the collecting portion to closely contact and be spaced apart from the outlet ports according to the rotation, and the driving device comprises a step motor for rotating the opening and closing member forwardly and reversely.

Moreover, the opening and closing member has an approximate cone shape, and the closing part protruded from the outer surface of the opening and closing member to closely contact the inner surface of the collecting portion and having a length in the rotation direction longer than a distance between the outlet ports and a vertical width greater than a diameter of the outlet ports.

The outlet ports are formed at the same height and are arranged near to each other.

The inner wall of the housing is inclined such that the fluid flows down from the inlet port to the outlet ports.

The housing includes a casing having an opened lower side, and a valve plate for closing the opened lower side of the casing, wherein the inlet port and the outlet ports are formed in the valve plate.

In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides a refrigerator including a plurality of compartments, a plurality of evaporators for refrigerating the respective compartments, and a passage switching valve for controlling the supply of a refrigerant to the evaporators. The passage switching valve includes a housing having an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports, an opening and closing member for opening and closing the outlet ports, and a driving device for operating the opening and closing member, wherein the outlet ports are disposed in a lower position than the inlet port.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a refrigerating unit of a refrigerator employing a passage switching valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating a passage switching valve according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an inlet port and first and second outlet ports of the passage switching valve according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A to 4D are sectional views taken along the line IV-IV′ in FIG. 2, which illustrate the opening and closing states of the first and second outlet ports;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an opening and closing member of the passage switching valve according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating a passage switching valve according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an opening and closing member of the passage switching valve according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view illustrating a passage switching valve according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigerator employing a passage switching valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a first compartment 1 and a second compartment 2 partitioned from each other, and a refrigerating unit for refrigerating the first and second compartments 1 and 2.

The refrigerating unit includes a first evaporator 3 and a second evaporator 4 for refrigerating the first and second compartments 1 and 2, respectively, a compressor 5 for compressing a refrigerant passing through the evaporators 3 and 4, a condenser 6 for condensing the refrigerant passing through the compressor 5, and a passage switching valve 20 for converting refrigerating passages such that the refrigerant passing through the condenser 6 is supplied to any one or all of the first and second evaporators 3 and 4. The refrigerating unit further includes a first capillary tube 9 installed in a first pipe 7 between the passage switching valve 20 and the first evaporator 3 and a second capillary tube 10 installed in a second pipe 8 between the passage switching valve 20 and the second evaporator 4.

The refrigerating unit supplies the refrigerant to any one or all of the first and second evaporators 3 and 4 using the passage switching valve 20 so that any one or all of the compartments 1 and 2 may be refrigerated.

FIG. 2 illustrates the passage switching valve according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The passage switching valve 20 includes a cylindrical casing 21 having an opened lower side and a housing having a valve plate 22 coupled with the opened lower side of the casing 21. Thus, a sealed passage switching space 23 is formed in the housing. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4A, the valve plate 22 has an inlet port 25, formed in one side, through which the refrigerant is introduced into the passage switching space 23, and first and second outlet ports 26 and 27, formed in the other side, through which the refrigerant is discharged. The first and second outlet ports 26 and 27 are respectively connected to first and second pipes 7 and 8 for guiding the refrigerant to the first and second evaporators 3 and 4.

The passage switching valve 20 includes an opening and closing member 30 installed to rotate so that at least one of the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27 is opened or closed by the rotation of the opening and closing member 30, a step motor 40 for rotating the opening and closing member 30 forward and reverse, and a driving gear 51 and a driven gear 52 installed in the passage switching space 23 to reduce the rotation speed of the step motor 40 and to transmit the rotation force of the step motor 40 to the opening and closing member 30.

The step motor 40 includes a rotor 41 installed to rotate in the casing 21 and a coil assembly 42 installed outside the casing 21. An upper side of a shaft 43 for supporting the rotor 41 is supported, to rotate, by the casing 21a and the lower side of the shaft 43 is supported, to rotate, by the valve plate 22. The step motor 40 rotates the rotor 41 to operate the opening and closing member 30 when electric power is applied to the coil assembly 42 by a refrigerator controller (not shown).

The driving gear 51 is coupled with the shaft 43 of the step motor 40 and the driven gear 52 is integrally formed with the opening and closing member 30 for opening and closing the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27. The opening and closing member 30 integrally formed with the driven gear is supported, to rotate, by a shaft 29 fixed to the valve plate 22. The driving gear 51 is smaller than the driven gear 52. This is to reduce the rotation speed of the opening and closing member 30.

Inside the valve plate 22 where the opening and closing member 30 is installed, as shown in FIG. 2, a collecting portion 60 is formed by providing a recess in the valve plate 22 such that a refrigerant liquid in the passage switching space 23 is collected. The first and second outlet ports 26 and 27 are formed in the collecting portion 60. Furthermore, it is preferable that the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27 are disposed in a lower position than the inlet port 25 such that the refrigerant can easily flow from the inlet port 25 to the outlet ports 26 and 27. However, as long as the outlet ports 26 and 27 are positioned to receive refrigerant from the collecting portion 60, which may be disposed in a position higher than the inlet port 25, the outlet ports 26 and 27 also may be disposed in a position higher than the inlet port 25.

Moreover, the refrigerant liquid is collected in the collecting portion 60 and flows to the outlet ports 26 and 27 so that the refrigerant can be uniformly distributed into the outlet ports 26 and 27.

The collecting portion 60 has a cone-shape such that the refrigerant is easily collected, and the opening and closing member 30 installed in the collecting portion 60, as shown in FIG. 5, has a cone-shape.

The cone-shaped outer circumference of the opening and closing member 30, as shown in FIG. 5, is spaced apart from the inner wall of the collecting portion 60 and is provided with a closing part 32 closely contacting and being separated from the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27 to open and close the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27 according to the rotation of the opening and closing member 30. The closing part 32, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 5, protrudes from the outer surface of the opening and closing member 30 to closely contact the inner wall of the collecting portion 60, and has a length in the rotation direction longer than the distance between the outlet ports 26 and 27. Moreover, the closing part 32 has a vertical width greater than a diameter of the outlet ports 26 and 27. This is for the closing part 32 to close at least one of the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27 or to open all of the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27.

The shape of the collecting portion 60 may be formed with various shapes and sizes and furthermore may be disposed in a position higher than the inlet port. Additionally, the collecting portion 60 may not be formed in the valve plate 22 at all, and in this case, the valve plate 22 would have a flat surface and the outlet ports 26 and 27 would be formed on the flat surface of the valve plate 22 with the corresponding closing part 32 similar to the structure described above. And in this case, since the outlet ports are provided on the bottom portion of the passage switching space 23, the refrigerant may be distributed uniformly.

Thus, in the passage switching valve 20, as shown in FIG. 4A, the closing part 32 closes the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27 in the initial state to block the refrigerant flowing to the outlet ports 26 and 27, and as shown in FIG. 4B, the opening and closing member 30 rotates such that the closing part 32 opens the first outlet port 26 and closes the second outlet port 27 to make the refrigerant flow only to the first outlet port 26. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 4C, the opening and closing member 30 rotates such that the closing part 32 opens all of the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27 so that the refrigerant flows to the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27, and as shown in FIG. 4D, the opening and closing member 30 rotates such that the closing part 32 closes the first outlet port 26 and opens the second outlet port 27 so that the refrigerant flows only to the second outlet port 27.

In this preferred embodiment, the outlet ports 26 and 27 are positioned lower than the inlet port 25, as shown in FIG. 4C, when all of the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27 are opened, the refrigerant liquid flowing along the inner wall of the valve plate 22 may be guided to the outlet ports 26 and 27. Thus, according to the present invention, the refrigerant can be uniformly distributed into the outlet ports 26 and 27 while maintaining the step motor 40 in a stopped state when the outlet ports 26 and 27 are opened.

Particularly, according to the present invention, since the refrigerant liquid is collected in the collecting portion 60 and flows to the outlet ports 26 and 27 again, the refrigerant can be distributed into the outlet ports 26 and 27 more uniformly. In order to uniformly distribute the refrigerant, preferably, the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27 are formed near to each other at the same height.

Meanwhile, although in the above-mentioned preferred embodiments, the passage switching valve 20 having two outlet ports has been described, the passage switching valve is not limited to this structure. The passage switching valve according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention may have three or more outlet ports to be employed in a collecting portion including three or more evaporators. In other words, three or more outlet ports may be formed in the collecting portion to be opened and closed by the opening and closing member.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a passage switching valve according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, a cylindrical collecting portion 600 is formed in the valve plate 22, and a plurality of outlet ports 260 and 270 is at the bottom of the collecting portion 600. An opening and closing member 300 has a cylindrical shape, and in the lower side of the opening member 300, as shown in FIG. 7, in order to open and close the outlet ports 260 and 270, a closing part 310 closely contacting the bottom of the collecting portion 600 and a spacer 320 spaced apart from the bottom of the collecting portion 600 are provided. Other components are identical to those in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, since the outlet ports 260 and 270 are lower than the inlet port 25 and the refrigerant liquid discharged through the outlet ports 260 and 270 is collected in the collecting portion 600, the refrigerant can be uniformly distributed into the outlet ports 260 and 270.

FIG. 8 illustrates a passage switching valve according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the third preferred embodiment of the present invention, the inner wall 220 of the valve plate 22 is inclined at a predetermined angle θ such that the refrigerant easily flows down from the inlet port 25 to the outlet ports 26 and 27. Other components are identical to those in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. Thus, in the third preferred embodiment of the present invention, since the refrigerant liquid flowing from the inlet port 25 to the outlet ports 26 and 27 is easily collected into the collecting portion 60, the refrigerant can be distributed more uniformly.

According to the above explained preferred embodiment of the passage switching valve, since a plurality of outlet ports is positioned lower than the inlet port such that the refrigerant liquid flows to the outlet ports and is collected, the refrigerant is uniformly distributed into the outlet ports.

Moreover, according to the above explained preferred embodiment, since the collecting portion is provided at a place lower than the inlet port and the outlet ports are provided in the collecting portion so that the fluid in the passage switching valve is collected in the collecting portion and is distributed into the outlet ports again, the refrigerant is uniformly distributed into the outlet ports. Furthermore, since the collecting portion has a cone-shape, the fluid is guided to the outlet ports.

Since the refrigerant can be uniformly distributed even when the opening and closing member is maintained stopped in a state of opening the outlet ports, the motor can be controlled more simply than the conventional art so that the lifespan of the motor can be prolonged.

Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A passage switching valve comprising:

a housing having an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports;

an opening and closing member for opening and closing the outlet ports; and

a driving device for operating the opening and closing member;

wherein the outlet ports are provided in a lower position than the inlet port.

2. The passage switching valve according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a collecting portion formed by providing a recess in the direction lower than the inlet port to collect a fluid, and the outlet ports are formed in the collecting portion.

3. The passage switching valve according to claim 2, wherein the opening and closing member comprises a closing part entering the collecting portion to closely contact and be spaced apart from the outlet ports according to the rotation, and

the driving device comprises a step motor for rotating the opening and closing member forwardly and reversely.

4. The passage switching valve according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the inner wall of the housing is inclined such that the fluid flows down from the inlet port to the outlet ports.

5. The refrigerator comprising:

a plurality of compartments;

a plurality of evaporators for refrigerating the respective compartments; and

a passage switching valve for controlling the supply of a refrigerant to the evaporators;

wherein the passage switching valve comprises: a housing having an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports; an opening and closing member for opening and closing the outlet ports; and a driving device for operating the opening and closing member,

wherein the outlet ports are provided in a lower position than the inlet port.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the housing comprises a collecting portion formed by providing a recess in the direction lower than the inlet port to collect a fluid, and the outlet ports are formed in the collecting portion.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the opening and closing member comprises a closing part entering the collecting portion to closely contact and be spaced apart from the outlet ports according to the rotation, and

the driving device comprises a step motor for rotating the opening and closing member forwardly and reversely.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the refrigerator has an approximate cone shape, and

the closing part protruded from the outer surface of the opening and closing member to closely contact the inner surface of the collecting portion and having a length in the rotation direction longer than a distance between the outlet ports and a vertical width greater than a diameter of the outlet ports.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the housing comprises:

a casing having an opened lower side; and

a valve plate for closing the opened lower side of the casing, wherein the inlet port and the outlet ports are formed in the valve plate.

10. A passage switching valve comprising:

a housing having an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports;

an opening and closing member for opening and closing the outlet ports; and

a driving device for operating the opening and closing member;

wherein the housing comprises a collecting portion for collecting a refrigerant, and the outlet ports are formed in the collecting portion.

11. The passage switching valve according to claim 10, wherein the outlet ports are provided in a lower position than the inlet port.

12. The passage switching valve according to claim 11, wherein the opening and closing member comprises a closing part entering the collecting portion to closely contact and be spaced apart from the outlet ports according to the rotation, and

the driving device comprises a step motor for rotating the opening and closing member forwardly and reversely.

13. The passage switching valve according to claim 10, wherein the collecting portion is formed as a cone shape.

14. The passage switching valve according to claim 10, wherein the collecting portion is formed as a cylindrical shape.

15. The passage switching valve according to claim 10, wherein the collecting portion is formed by providing a recess in the bottom portion of the housing.

16. The passage switching valve according to claim 10, wherein the opening and closing member is capable of selectively opens and closes the plurality of outlet ports.

17. The passage switching valve according to claim 16, wherein the opening and closing member is capable of either opening or closing all of the plurality of outlet ports.

18. The passage switching valve according to claim 10, wherein the bottom portion of the housing is inclined.

19. The passage switching valve according to claim 18, wherein the opening and closing part comprises of a closing part for closing the outlet ports.

20. The passage switching valve according to claim 19, wherein the closing part has a length in the rotational direction to be greater than the distance between the outlet ports.

21. The passage switching valve according to claim 20, wherein the closing part has a width that is greater than the diameter of the outlet ports.