Improvements to a refrigerator that uses a phase change material as a thermal store

A refrigerated cabinet, which may have a door 2 or may have an open front, uses a cold thermal store so as to be able to better cope with the high cooling loads. This is particularly useful for display cabinets intended for commercial premises or shops which have doors that may be used frequently. The refrigerator has a first evaporator 10 through which a refrigerant flows to cool the chamber 6 holding items, such as beverages. A phase change material acting as a thermal store 12 is cooled by second evaporator through which refrigerant flows. The phase change material may be water that is cooled to form ice. The refrigerator may include an air fan 7a to circulate cooled air past the thermal store 12 which may be provide within a duct 7. A controller can alter the flow of refrigerant to the first and second evaporators, preferably using valve means, 8, 9a, 9b depending on the cooling load on the refrigerator. The controller may use temperature sensors 17, 18. The second evaporator operates along with the first when the refrigerator is subject to a relatively low cooling load so that the thermal store can be cooled. During high cooling load, a previously cooled thermal store can provide additional cooling and the controller may preferentially operate the first evaporator. A previously cooled thermal store may also allow reduced energy consumption from the refrigerator system and condenser 3, 4, 5.