Provided is a combination valve unit having an improved structure and capable of performing both a pressure relief function for cooling and a pressure relief function for dehumidification. In addition, disclosed is a vehicle heat pump system capable of improving dehumidification performance by actively controlling the refrigerant flow distribution. The combination valve unit serves as a refrigerant throttling means in a vehicle heat pump system, and forms the inlet for a cooling pressure relief unit for performing indoor cooling and the inlet for a dehumidification pressure relief unit for performing indoor dehumidification, respectively.

Provided is a combination valve unit having an improved structure and capable of performing both a pressure relief function for cooling and a pressure relief function for dehumidification. In addition, disclosed is a vehicle heat pump system capable of improving dehumidification performance by actively controlling the refrigerant flow distribution. The combination valve unit serves as a refrigerant throttling means in a vehicle heat pump system, and forms the inlet for a cooling pressure relief unit for performing indoor cooling and the inlet for a dehumidification pressure relief unit for performing indoor dehumidification, respectively.

A heat exchanger module includes a skin condenser and a skin evaporator. The skin condenser includes an inner condenser plate, an outer condenser plate coupled to the inner condenser plate and a condenser tube channel formed on one of the inner condenser plate and/or the outer condenser plate. The evaporator includes an inner evaporator plate, an outer evaporator plate coupled to the inner evaporator plate, and an evaporator tube channel formed on one of the inner evaporator plate and/or the outer evaporator plate. The heat exchanger also includes an insulation layer extending between the inner condenser plate and the inner evaporator plate. Each of the plates that form the skin condenser and/or evaporator can be formed from different materials and/or have different material thicknesses to reduce heat transfer through the insulation layer from the condenser to the evaporator while also promoting heat transfer through natural convection with surrounding air.

A refrigeration appliance, in particular a domestic refrigeration appliance, has at least one refrigeration compartment for accommodating refrigerated goods and a refrigerant circuit. The refrigerant circuit has a condenser, an evaporator for cooling the refrigeration compartment, the evaporator being thermally coupled to the at least one refrigeration compartment and connected to the condenser, a dryer, which is arranged between the condenser and the evaporator, and a valve device, which is connected by an intermediate capillary tube to the dryer and by a throttle capillary tube to the evaporator.

A refrigeration appliance, in particular a domestic refrigeration appliance, has at least one refrigeration compartment for accommodating refrigerated goods and a refrigerant circuit. The refrigerant circuit has a condenser, an evaporator for cooling the refrigeration compartment, the evaporator being thermally coupled to the at least one refrigeration compartment and connected to the condenser, a dryer, which is arranged between the condenser and the evaporator, and a valve device, which is connected by an intermediate capillary tube to the dryer and by a throttle capillary tube to the evaporator.

A refrigerator includes: a compressor; a condenser; a hot pipe; at least one capillary tube; at least one evaporator; a valve device including: an input port connected to the condenser; a first port connected to one end of the hot pipe; a second port connected to an other end; and at least one output port connected to the at least one capillary tube; and a controller configured to: control the valve device to operate in the first mode by connecting one of the first port and the second port to the input port and connecting an other one to the output port; control the valve device to operate in the second mode, by closing one of the first port and the second port and connecting an other one to the output port; and control the valve device to operate in the third mode, by closing all the first port and the second port.

A refrigerator includes: a compressor; a condenser; a hot pipe; at least one capillary tube; at least one evaporator; a valve device including: an input port connected to the condenser; a first port connected to one end of the hot pipe; a second port connected to an other end; and at least one output port connected to the at least one capillary tube; and a controller configured to: control the valve device to operate in the first mode by connecting one of the first port and the second port to the input port and connecting an other one to the output port; control the valve device to operate in the second mode, by closing one of the first port and the second port and connecting an other one to the output port; and control the valve device to operate in the third mode, by closing all the first port and the second port.

A refrigerating system may include a compressor configured to compress a non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant, a condenser configured to condense the compressed non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant, a three-way valve configured to branch the non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant condensed by the condenser, a first evaporator configured to supply cold air to a first interior space, a second evaporator configured to supply cold air to a second interior space at a temperature higher than at a temperature of the first interior space, and a capillary tube configured to expand the non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant branched by the three-way valve and supply the expanded non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant to at least one of the first evaporator or the second evaporator. With such features, a high-efficiency refrigerating system to which the non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant is applied may be implemented.

A refrigerating system may include a compressor configured to compress a non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant, a condenser configured to condense the compressed non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant, a three-way valve configured to branch the non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant condensed by the condenser, a first evaporator configured to supply cold air to a first interior space, a second evaporator configured to supply cold air to a second interior space at a temperature higher than at a temperature of the first interior space, and a capillary tube configured to expand the non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant branched by the three-way valve and supply the expanded non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant to at least one of the first evaporator or the second evaporator. With such features, a high-efficiency refrigerating system to which the non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant is applied may be implemented.

Disclosed and described herein are example refrigeration units having an interior conditioned space and a refrigeration circuit charged with a refrigerant, such as an A3 refrigerant. The refrigeration circuit includes a compressor-condenser assembly that is thermally isolated from an ambient environment of the conditioned space. An air plenum structure may thermally isolate the compressor-condenser assembly from the ambient environment of the conditioned space and direct heated rejection from refrigeration system. In an operational configuration in which the refrigeration system is installed in a structure, the compressor-condenser assembly may be thermally isolated from the ambient environment of the conditioned space via at least a portion of the structure, such as by positioning the compressor-condenser assembly on an exterior wall of the structure and coupling the compressor-condenser with the refrigeration circuit and conditioned space through the wall.