Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Yoshimasa Horio

Fuminori Takami

Katsunori Horii

Hisakazu Sakai

Terutsugu Segawa

Junichi Kurita

Shinya Kojima

Noriyuki Miyaji

Mitoko Ishita

Tadashi Adachi

Toshiaki Mamemoto

Toshio Kobayashi

Shuhei Sugimoto

Kazuya Nakanishi

Tarou Yamaguchi

Hiroki Hamano

Shinya Nagahata

Masaaki Tanaka

Shin'ichi Horii

Kouichi Nishimura

Ayuko Miyasaka

A refrigerator includes: a compressor; an evaporator; a main condenser; a dew-prevention pipe; a bypass provided in parallel with a first channel from the main condenser to the dew-prevention pipe, and connected with the evaporator; a switching section provided on a downstream side of the main condenser, in which the switching section opens and closes the first channel, and a second channel from the main condenser to the bypass; and a control section. When defrosting the evaporator, the control section operates in such a manner that a refrigerant staying in the evaporator, the dew-prevention pipe, and the bypass is collected in the main condenser by closing the first channel and the second channel during an operation of the compressor, and thereafter, a high-pressure refrigerant collected in the main condenser is supplied to the evaporator through the bypass by stopping the compressor and opening the second channel.

Refrigerator and operation method of the same

A refrigerator includes: (i) a compressor; (ii) a condenser; (iii) a decompressor; (iv) an evaporator; (v) a first pipe that connects the compressor, the condenser, the decompressor, and the evaporator, and that circulates a refrigerant therein; (vi) a second pipe that causes the refrigerant to circulate from the condenser to the evaporator; and (vii) a switching valve that switches flow of the refrigerant in the first pipe to the second pipe. A method for controlling the refrigerator includes: conducting a normal cooling operation in which a refrigerant is caused to circulate through a compressor, a condenser, decompressor, and an evaporator; and conducting a defrosting operation in which the refrigerant is caused to circulate through the compressor, the condenser, and the evaporator, excluding the decompressor.

Refrigerator and method for controlling the same

A method for defrosting an evaporator, includes: (i) closing an outlet part that serves as a refrigerant outlet of the evaporator; (ii) closing an inlet part that serves as a refrigerant inlet of the evaporator; (iii) connecting the outlet part and the inlet part to one another; (iv) heating the evaporator. An evaporator, includes: an inlet part that serves as a refrigerant inlet; a first switching valve that is placed in the inlet part; an outlet part that serves as a refrigerant outlet; a second switching valve that is placed in the outlet part; a bypass pathway that connected the inlet part and the outlet part to one another; a horizontal pipe that is communicated with the inlet part; and a vertical pipe that connects the horizontal pipe and the outlet part to one another. A cooling apparatus can include the evaporator.

Evaporators, methods for defrosting an evaporator, and cooling apparatuses using the evaporator

The present invention provides a refrigerator with improved refrigerator box strength and high heat insulating performance, which is configured such that external deformation due to entry of air into a vacuum heat insulating material, the entry of air being caused by aging degradation, is prevented. The present invention includes: a heat-insulated box including an inner casing and an outer casing, in which space between the inner casing and the outer casing is filled with a foamed heat insulating material; and a vacuum heat insulating material disposed in at least a side wall of the heat-insulated box together with the foamed heat insulating material, the vacuum heat insulating material including an outer skin material, the outer skin material including at least a core material and being decompression-sealed. The vacuum heat insulating material includes a gas adsorbent. Since the vacuum heat insulating material including the gas adsorbent is included in the side wall, which tends to be greatly distorted among the heat insulating walls of the refrigerator, the rigidity of the side wall is improved and aging degradation of the vacuum heat insulating material is suppressed. As a result, the rigidity of the heat-insulated box can be maintained for a long term, and external deformation of the outer casing of the body can be prevented.

Refrigerator and vacuum heat insulating material for use in refrigerator

Growing community of inventors

Shiga, Japan

Yoshimasa Horio