Patent ID: 7520141
Filing Date: 2009-04-21
Classification: F25B,F25D

Abstract:
1. A refrigerator, comprising a housing defining at least one cooling compartment; a compressor for compressing a refrigerant; a condenser; a refrigerant header; and an evaporator, the compressor, the condenser, the refrigerant header, and the evaporator together defining a circulation header path along which a refrigerant is circulated with the compressor being upstream of the condenser, the condenser being upstream of the refrigerant header, and the refrigerant header being upstream of the evaporator, and the refrigerant header having: an inlet, a first outlet, and a collecting sieve forming a first header path, the collecting sieve being disposed between the inlet and the first outlet of the refrigerant header for intercepting from a stream of a refrigerant being circulated in the refrigerator any impurities that exceed an intercept size; a secondary line, the secondary line and the inlet forming a second header path, a header exit communicated with the evaporator, and a directional valve communicated with the first outlet and the secondary line, the directional valve being operable in one state and in another state, the directional valve, in its one state, receiving from the first outlet a refrigerant stream that has traveled along the first header path, and, in its another state, receiving from the secondary outlet a refrigerant stream that has traveled along the second header path, and the directional valve being communicated with the header exit, in the one state of the directional valve, for the passage of a refrigerant stream received by the directional valve from the first header path from the directional valve to the header exit, and being communicated with the header exit, in the another state of the directional valve, for the passage of a refrigerant stream received by the directional valve from the second header path from the directional valve to the header exit, the refrigerant header being operable to handle a refrigerant stream having certain impurities of a predetermined size such that, when the directional valve guides a refrigerant stream having such certain impurities of a predetermined size along the second header path, a separation of such certain impurities of a predetermined size in the refrigerant stream from other portions of the refrigerant stream is effected during passage of the refrigerant stream from the inlet to the secondary line and only these other portions of the refrigerant stream enter the secondary line while the certain impurities of a predetermined size are disentrained from the refrigerant stream and do not enter the secondary line, and the refrigerant header being operable in the one state of the directional valve to guide a refrigerant stream having such certain impurities of a predetermined size through the first header path such that the refrigerant stream with such certain impurities of a predetermined size successively flows through the inlet, thereafter through the collecting sieve whereat impurities exceeding the intercept size that may be present in the refrigerant stream are intercepted, thereafter through the first outlet, and thereafter through the directional valve to the header exit without such refrigerant stream passing through the secondary line and the refrigerator being operable, in the another state of the directional valve, to guide a refrigerant stream with such certain impurities of a predetermined size through the second header path such that the refrigerant stream successively flows through the inlet, thereafter through the secondary line, and thereafter through the directional valve to the header exit without such refrigerant stream passing through either one of the collecting sieve and the first outlet.