Multi-evaporator refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigeration system for a refrigerator having a freezer compartment, a fresh food compartment, an icemaker in the fresh food compartment includes distinct freezer, fresh food and icemaker evaporators and associated valving operating in conjunction with a common compressor and condenser in order to effectively regulate temperatures in specified zones of the refrigerator throughout various operational modes including at least a freezer cooling mode, a fresh food cooling mode and an ice harvesting mode. The icemaker can be serially linked with the fresh food evaporator during cooling of the fresh food compartment, while being also being selectively isolated for the ice harvesting mode.

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet within which is defined a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment;   an icemaker mounted in the fresh food compartment;   a refrigeration system including:
 a compressor connected to an intake line, said compressor being adapted to establish a flow of refrigerant through the refrigeration system; 
 a condenser in fluid communication with the compressor through an outlet line; 
 a freezer evaporator for cooling the freezer compartment, said freezer evaporator being adapted to be placed in fluid communication with the condenser through a first supply line and to the intake line through a first return line; 
 a fresh food evaporator for cooling the fresh food compartment, said fresh food evaporator being adapted to be placed in fluid communication with the condenser through a second supply line and to the intake line through a second return line; 
 an icemaker evaporator provided in the fresh food compartment for cooling the icemaker, said icemaker evaporator also being adapted to be placed in fluid communication with the condenser through the second supply line and to the intake line through a third return line; and 
 a bypass line interconnecting the outlet line and the icemaker evaporator; and 
   a controller operatively coupled to the refrigeration system for selectively operating the refrigeration system in a freezer cooling mode, a fresh food cooling mode and an ice harvesting mode wherein: in the freezer cooling mode, refrigerant is directed from the compressor and through the condenser to the freezer evaporator before returning to the compressor through the first return line and the intake line, while bypassing the fresh food evaporator and the icemaker evaporator; in the fresh food cooling mode, refrigerant is directed from the compressor and through the condenser to the fresh food evaporator before returning to the compressor through the second return line and the intake line, while bypassing the freezer evaporator; and in the ice harvesting mode, hot gas from the compressor is directed to the icemaker evaporator through the bypass line before returning to the compressor through the third return line and the intake line, while bypassing the condenser, the freezer evaporator and the fresh food evaporator.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising: a first valve interposed in the outlet line between the compressor and the condenser. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the first valve constitutes a two-way valve having a first operational position permitting flow between the compressor and the condenser and a second operational position permitting flow between the compressor and the bypass line. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , further comprising: a second valve interposed between the condenser and the freezer evaporator, said second valve being connected to the freezer evaporator through a first supply line and to the fresh food evaporator through a second supply line. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , wherein the second valve constitutes a three-way valve having a first operational position permitting flow between the condenser and the freezer evaporator, a second operational position permitting flow between the condenser and the fresh food evaporator, and a third, closed position. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , further comprising: a third valve interposed between the icemaker evaporator and the third return line. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 6 , wherein the third valve is also interposed between the icemaker evaporator and the fresh food evaporator. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 6 , wherein the third valve constitutes a two-way valve having a first operational position directing flow from the icemaker evaporator to the fresh food evaporator and a second operational position directing flow from the icemaker evaporator to the intake line through the third return line. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , further comprising: a fourth valve provided in the first return line, said fourth valve constituting a one-way check valve. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising: a one-way check valve provided in the first return line, between the freezer evaporator and the intake line. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the icemaker evaporator and the fresh food evaporator are serially arranged such that, in the fresh food mode, refrigerant flows through each of the icemaker evaporator and the fresh food evaporator. 
     
     
         12 . A method of operating a refrigeration system of a refrigerator, including a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, and an icemaker in the fresh food compartment, in a freezer cooling mode, a fresh food cooling mode and an ice harvesting mode comprising:
 when in the freezer cooling mode, refrigerant is directed from a compressor and through a condenser to a freezer evaporator before returning through a first return line to an intake line of the compressor, while bypassing a fresh food evaporator and an icemaker evaporator;   when in the fresh food cooling mode, refrigerant is directed from the compressor and through the condenser to the fresh food evaporator before returning to the compressor through a second return line and the intake line, while bypassing the freezer evaporator; and   when in the ice harvesting mode, hot gas from the compressor is directed to the icemaker evaporator through a bypass line, extending from between the compressor and condenser to the icemaker evaporator, before returning to the compressor through a third return line and the intake line, while bypassing the condenser, the freezer evaporator and the fresh food evaporator.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising, when in the freezer cooling mode, operating a valve to permit flow between the condenser and the freezer evaporator while preventing flow between the condenser and each of the icemaker evaporator and the fresh food evaporator. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising, when in the fresh food cooling mode, operating a valve to permit flow between the condenser and the fresh food evaporator while preventing flow between the condenser and the freezer evaporator. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising, when in the fresh food cooling mode, also permitting flow between the condenser and the icemaker evaporator. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein, when in the fresh food cooling mode, directing flow from the condenser serially through the icemaker evaporator and the fresh food evaporator. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising, when in the ice harvesting mode, operating a valve between the icemaker evaporator and the fresh food evaporator to direct flow from the icemaker evaporator directly back to the intake line while avoiding the fresh food evaporator. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: blocking flow from the icemaker evaporator to the freezer evaporator, through a check valve disposed in the first return line, during the ice harvesting mode. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 when in each of the freezer cooling and fresh food cooling modes, operating a first valve, located between the compressor and the condenser, to direct refrigerant flow from the compressor to the condenser; and   controlling a second valve, located between the condenser and each of the freezer and fresh food evaporators, to be in: a first operational position permitting flow between the condenser and the freezer evaporator through a first supply line, while preventing flow to each of the fresh food and icemaker evaporators, in the freezer cooling mode; a second operational position permitting flow between the condenser and the fresh food evaporator through a second supply line, while preventing flow to the freezer evaporator, in the fresh food cooling mode; and a third, closed position to prevent flow through each of the first and second supply lines when the refrigerator is in neither of the freezer nor fresh food cooling modes.