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

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.

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; anda 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; anda 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; anda 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; anda 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; anda 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.