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Refrigerating device and refrigeratorRelated Patent Categories: Refrigeration, Automatic Control, Refrigeration Producer, Of Or By Evaporation ZoneRefrigerating device and refrigerator description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060218952, Refrigerating device and refrigerator. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerating device provided with a plurality of heat absorbing means which function in different temperature zones, and a refrigerator provided with this refrigerating device. [0002] As a refrigerating device provided with a plurality of heat absorbing means which function in different temperature zones, there is known, for example, a refrigerator having: heat absorbing means for refrigerating; and heat absorbing means for freezing which functions at a temperature lower than that of the heat absorbing means for refrigerating. The respective heat absorbing means are operated to perform a freezing operation and a refrigerating operation. However, in such refrigerator, a refrigerant pools in a heat sink of the heat absorbing means for freezing, for example, during the freezing operation. Thereafter, in a case where the refrigerating operation is performed, there is a problem that an amount of the refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle becomes unstable. [0003] In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-221556, it is disclosed that a refrigerant recovering operation is performed as a method of precisely controlling an amount of a refrigerant to be circulated in the refrigeration cycle and reducing a refrigerant behavior delay in a refrigerator provided with the above-described heat absorbing means for refrigerating and heat absorbing means for freezing. In the operation, a compressor is operated while interrupting inflow of the refrigerant into the heat absorbing means for freezing after the freezing operation ends. Moreover, a fan for a radiator is operated, the refrigerant from the heat absorbing means for freezing is recovered, and the recovered refrigerant is sent to the radiator to condense. [0004] However, the above-described conventional refrigerating device has a problem that during the refrigerant recovering operation, the fan for the radiator needs to be operated in order to allow the refrigerant sent to the radiator to condense, and power consumption and refrigerating device operation noise increase in some case. There is also a problem that the refrigerant cannot condense in the radiator in the refrigerating device having a supercritical pressure in a high-pressure-side circuit. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerating device capable of efficiently performing a refrigerant recovering operation even in a case where the device includes a plurality of heat absorbing means functioning in different temperature zones, and a refrigerator including this refrigerating device. [0006] In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerating device provided with a refrigeration cycle including: a compressor; a radiator connected to a discharge side of the compressor; first pressure reducing means connected to an outlet side of the radiator; a gas-liquid separator connected to an outlet side of the first pressure reducing means; first heat absorbing means through which a liquid refrigerant from the gas-liquid separator flows and which includes second pressure reducing means and a first heat sink; and second heat absorbing means disposed in parallel with the first heat absorbing means and including third pressure reducing means and a second heat sink, refrigerant pipes of the first and second heat absorbing means on the outlet side being combined and connected to a suction side of the compressor, the second heat absorbing means functioning in a temperature zone lower than that of the first heat absorbing means, a first cooling operation to operate the first heat absorbing means and a second cooling operation to operate the second heat absorbing means being switchable to each other, the refrigerating device comprising: control means for performing a refrigerant recovering operation to stop circulation of the refrigerant into the second heat absorbing means, operate the compressor, recover the refrigerant stored in the second heat sink, and store the refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator in a state in which circulation of the refrigerant into the first heat absorbing means is stopped after the second cooling operation is completed. [0007] In the invention of a second aspect, the refrigerating device of the first aspect further comprises: blowing means for sending air to the second heat sink, and the blowing means is operated during the refrigerant recovering operation. [0008] In the invention of a third aspect, in the refrigerating device of the first or second aspect, the compressor has an intermediate pressure section, and the refrigerating device further comprises: a refrigerant pipe capable of introducing a gas refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separator into the intermediate pressure section. [0009] In the invention of a fourth aspect, in the refrigerating device of any one of the first to third aspects, a high-pressure side of the refrigeration cycle is operated with a supercritical pressure. [0010] In the invention of a fifth aspect, in the refrigerating device of any one of the first to fourth aspects, the refrigerant recovered from the second heat sink is stored in the gas-liquid separator in a case where the high-pressure side of the refrigeration cycle is operated with the supercritical pressure, and the refrigerant recovered from the second heat sink is stored in the gas-liquid separator and/or the radiator in a case where the high-pressure side of the refrigeration cycle is not operated with the supercritical pressure. [0011] In the invention of a sixth aspect, in the refrigerating device of the fifth aspect, the blowing means for sending air to the radiator is disposed close to the radiator, and the blowing means is operated at a time when the refrigerant recovered from the second heat sink is stored in the radiator. [0012] In a seventh aspect, there is provided a refrigerating device provided with a refrigeration cycle including: a compressor; a radiator connected to a discharge side of the compressor; first pressure reducing means connected to an outlet side of the radiator; a gas-liquid separator connected to an outlet side of the first pressure reducing means; first heat absorbing means through which a liquid refrigerant from the gas-liquid separator flows and which includes second pressure reducing means and a first heat sink; and second heat absorbing means disposed in parallel with the first heat absorbing means and including third pressure reducing means and a second heat sink, refrigerant pipes of the first and second heat absorbing means on the outlet side being combined and connected to a suction side of the compressor, wherein the second heat absorbing means functions in a temperature zone lower than that of the first heat absorbing means, a first cooling operation to operate the first heat absorbing means and a second cooling operation to operate the second heat absorbing means are switchable to each other, the refrigerating device permitting circulation of the refrigerant into the first heat absorbing means, stopping circulation of the refrigerant into the second heat absorbing means, and operating the compressor at a frequency higher than that of the first or second cooling operation before starting the first cooling operation. [0013] In an eighth aspect, there is provided a refrigerating device provided with a refrigeration cycle including: a compressor; a radiator connected to a discharge side of the compressor; first pressure reducing means connected to an outlet side of the radiator; a gas-liquid separator connected to an outlet side of the first pressure reducing means; first heat absorbing means through which a liquid refrigerant from the gas-liquid separator flows and which includes second pressure reducing means and a first heat sink; and second heat absorbing means disposed in parallel with the first heat absorbing means and including third pressure reducing means and a second heat sink, refrigerant pipes of the first and second heat absorbing means on the outlet side being combined and connected to a suction side of the compressor, wherein the second heat absorbing means functions in a temperature zone lower than that of the first heat absorbing means, a first cooling operation to operate the first heat absorbing means and a second cooling operation to operate the second heat absorbing means are switchable to each other, the refrigerating device operating a refrigerant recovering operation of permitting circulation of the refrigerant into the first heat absorbing means, stopping circulation of the refrigerant into the second heat absorbing means, operating the compressor at a frequency higher than that of the first or second cooling operation, recovering the refrigerant stored in the second heat sink, and sending the refrigerant to the gas-liquid separator to store the refrigerant before starting the first cooling operation. [0014] In the invention of a ninth aspect, the refrigerating device of the seventh or eighth aspect further comprises: blowing means for sending air to the second heat sink, and the blowing means is operated in a case where the compressor is operated at the high frequency. [0015] In the invention of a tenth aspect, in the refrigerating device of any one of the first to ninth aspects, carbon dioxide is used as the refrigerant. [0016] In an eleventh aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator comprises: a refrigerating device in any one of the first to tenth aspects. [0017] In a twelfth aspect of the present invention, the refrigerator of the eleventh aspect further comprises: a refrigerating chamber; and a freezing chamber operated at a temperature lower than that of the refrigerating chamber, the refrigerating chamber is cooled by the first heat absorbing means, and the freezing chamber is cooled by the second heat absorbing means. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0018] FIG. 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram showing a refrigerating device in one embodiment of the present invention; [0019] FIG. 2 is an enthalpy and pressure graph of a refrigeration cycle of the refrigerating device in the embodiment of the present invention; [0020] FIG. 3 is an enthalpy and pressure graph of a supercritical refrigeration cycle of the refrigerating device in the embodiment of the present invention; [0021] FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing a first control method in the refrigerating device of the embodiment of the present invention; Continue reading about Refrigerating device and refrigerator... Full patent description for Refrigerating device and refrigerator Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Refrigerating device and refrigerator patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Refrigerating device and refrigerator or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Rotary air damper with shutoff bypass Next Patent Application: Control valve for variable displacement compressor Industry Class: Refrigeration ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Refrigerating device and refrigerator patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.24476 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Software: Finance , AI , Databases , Development , Document , Navigation , Error 174 |
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