MXPA00011957A

MXPA00011957A - Refrigerator control method.

Info

Publication number: MXPA00011957A
Application number: MXPA00011957A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Deok Jeon Yong
Original assignee: Daewoo Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2000-10-18
Filing date: 2000-12-04
Publication date: 2002-05-23
Also published as: TR200003724A2; TW509777B; CN1163716C; KR20020030528A; CN1357737A; KR100389815B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a refrigerator based on exterior light level, door open duration, compartment interior temperature increase and fast mode selection. According to the method, the refrigerator is operated in a day/night mode, an overload day/night mode, a fast freezing day/night mode, a fast refrigerating day/night mode by controlling rotational speeds of a first, second and third fans. The day/night modes are selected based on an exterior level and the overload day/night modes are selected based on door open duration and interior temperature increase and the fast freezing/refrigerating day/night modes are selected by user. In each mode, the rotational speeds of the fans are controlled in a predetermined way, thereby operating the refrigerator optimally.

Description

METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF A REFRIGERATOR Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator; and, more particularly, to a method for controlling the operation thereof.

Background of the Invention As is well known, a refrigerator performs functions of cooling and freezing through a cooling system thereof. Usually, the cooling system includes three essential elements, namely an evaporator, a compressor and a condenser. In operation, the compressor compresses a refrigerant gas at low temperature and low pressure from the evaporator in a high temperature and high pressure refrigerant gas and the condenser condenses the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant gas from the compressor to a refrigerant liquid. high temperature and high pressure. The high-temperature, high-pressure coolant is exchanged for a low-temperature, low-pressure coolant through an expansion valve, and then flows into the evaporator. The low temperature and low pressure coolant absorbs heat from the air around the evaporator, cooling the air in this way. In order to efficiently cool the air to thereby increase the cooling efficiency, one or two evaporator fans and a condenser fan are usually used in the refrigerator. In a refrigerator that has freezer and refrigerator compartments, which use only one evaporator fan, the operating speeds of the evaporator fan are determined based on the internal temperatures of the refrigerator compartment, considering that the refrigerator that uses two fans of Separate evaporator for the freezer and refrigerator compartments, the rotational speeds of the evaporator fans are determined independently by the internal temperatures of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment. However, such refrigerators have a disadvantage of generating annoying noises from the fans and the compressor, especially during night time. In addition, when an internal temperature of the refrigerator is increased to an undesirable level, it is difficult to quickly return it to a desired level.

Brief Description of the Invention Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for controlling the operation of a refrigerator, which is capable of rapidly returning to a high internal temperature of the refrigerator at a pre-set target temperature initially by selectively controlling the rotational speeds0 of the fans for a freezer compartment, a refrigerator compartment and the condenser. According to the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling an operation of a refrigerator having a compartment with a door, a mode regulation unit, a door detecting unit for detecting whether the compartment door is open or not, a temperature regulating unit for pre-regulating a compartment target temperature, and a temperature sensor for detecting an internal compartment temperature, comprising the steps of: (a) if the mode regulator unit is activated, operating the compartment in a fast mode; (b) if the door remains open for a period equal to or greater than the preset time, or once the difference between the internal temperature and the target temperature is equal to or greater than a predetermined temperature, operates the compartment in an overload mode; (c) when the compartment is not operated in the fast mode or overload mode, operate the compartment in a normal mode; and (d) if the mode regulator unit is operated while the compartment is in overload mode, convert the operation mode of the compartment from overload mode to fast mode.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a diagram of schematic block of a control device for controlling the operation of a refrigerator in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 2 presents a flow chart illustrating the operation of the control device shown in Figure 1.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Modes With reference to Figure 1, a schematic block diagram of a control device 100 for controlling the operation of a refrigerator having a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment according to the present invention is shown. . The control device 100 includes a fast mode regulator unit 102, a temperature regulator unit 104; first and second temperature sensors 106 and 107; first and second door sensor units 108 and 109; a light level detecting unit 110; freezer and cooling compartment fans 112 and 114; a condenser fan 116; first, second and third fan drive units 118, 120, 122 for driving the fans 112, 114, 116, respectively; and a control unit 124 for determining the modes of operation and controlling the operation of the refrigerator based thereon. The rapid mode regulator unit 102 is used by the user to independently regulate the refrigerator and freezer compartments of the refrigerator in a rapid mode. When the fast mode regulator unit 102 is activated by the user, the "on" signal is output to the control unit 124, thereby operating the corresponding compartment in the fast mode. The temperature regulating unit 104 is used to independently pre-regulate the desired temperatures of the freezer and refrigerator compartments. The user manipulates the temperature regulating unit 104 to preset the desired target temperatures of the freezer and refrigerator compartments. The first and second temperature sensors 106 and 107 are respectively installed inside the freezer and refrigerator compartments and serve to detect the internal temperatures thereof. The first and second door sensor units 108 and 109 respectively detect whether the doors of the freezer and refrigerator compartments are open or closed. The light level detecting unit 110 detects a level of ambient illumination of the refrigerator and emits the detected light level towards the control unit 124. The first, second and third fan drive units 118, 120 and 122 apply predetermined voltages to their corresponding fans 112, 114, 116 in response to the respective modes of operation of the control unit 124, thereby driving the fans 112, 114, 116. In accordance with the present invention, the freezer and refrigerator compartments of the refrigerator are operated independently in a day / normal mode, a day / fast mode, a day / overload mode, a night / normal mode, a night / fast mode and a night / overload mode. The operation mode of a compartment is determined by the control unit 124 as one of the day / fast and day / overload modes if a light level is detected by the light level detecting unit 110 which is equal to or greater than a reference light level, for example, 8 LUX, and one of the modes night / normal, night / fast and night / overload if it is otherwise. A compartment is regulated to have day or night / overload mode depending on the detected light level once the difference between an internal temperature and the compartment target temperature is equal to or greater than a predetermined temperature deviation level, for example, five degrees centigrade, for that compartment. In addition, both compartments are placed in a day or night / overload mode, depending also on the detected light level, if a door in one of the compartments remains open for a period longer than a preset door opening time, for example, 30 seconds . Quick mode cancels overload mode. In other words, when a compartment is in overload mode, the mode is switched to quick mode if the fast mode for that compartment is operated through the speed regulator unit 102. In addition, the cancellation conditions described above , which come into effect for a compartment, are ignored if that compartment is in fast mode. A compartment is operated in the normal mode in case of no cancellation conditions or fast mode. Table 1 shows the illustrative voltage levels applied to the fans 112, 114, 116 by the fan drive units 118-122 according to the operating modes determined by the control unit 124. Table 1 As shown in Table 1, the respective compartments are operated independently in the daytime modes, ie the day / normal mode, the day / overload mode, the day / fast mode or one of the time modes nightly, that is, night / normal mode, night / overload mode, night / fast mode, depending on the level of light detected. It is noted that if one compartment is in a day mode, the other is also in a day mode. Similarly, if one is in a night mode, the other is also in a night mode. When the refrigerator is in a day mode, the condenser fan 116 operates at a high speed (10 V). In a night mode, it rotates at a low speed (8 V). When the compartment is in night / normal, night / overload or night / fast mode, the corresponding fan rotates at a low (8 V), medium (10 V), or high speed respectively (14 V) respectively. When a compartment is in day / normal mode, the corresponding fan operates at an average speed (10 V). When a compartment is in day / overload or day / fast mode, the fan operates at a high speed (14 V). For example, when the freezer and refrigerator compartments are in the day / normal and day / fast modes, respectively, the fan drive units 118, 120, 122 apply 10 V, 14 v 10 to their corresponding fans 112, 114, 116, respectively. And when the freezer and refrigerator compartments are in the night / over charge and night / normal modes, respectively, the fan drive units 118, 120, 122 provide 10 V, 8 V, 8 V to their corresponding fans 112, 114 , 116 respectively. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the operating noises of the refrigerator produced during the night. The method for controlling the operation of the refrigerator according to the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, since the freezer and refrigerator compartments are operated basically independently of one another as described above, the operation of the refrigerator will be described for one compartment. When energy is applied to the refrigerator from the inactive or off state, each compartment is initially operated in a predetermined mode, ie the day / normal mode (step S200); and the control unit 124 checks whether an initial operating time (ti) of the diurnal / normal mode is less than the predetermined initial operating time (U, for example 4 hours (step S202). ) is equal to 4 hours, the process proceeds to step S204, although it returns to step S200 if it is otherwise.In step S204, the control unit 124 determines whether the fast mode regulator unit 102 is operated for the If so, the process proceeds to step S206. Otherwise, it goes to step S210.In step S206, the compartment is operated in the day / fast or night / fast mode depending on the detected light level. by the light level detecting unit 110, and then the process advances to step S208.In step S208, the control unit 124 determines whether the completion condition of the fast mode has been satisfied: If not, the process returns to step S206, but goes to step S210 if so. The fast mode of the freezer compartment is terminated when the operation time thereof is equal to an operating time of the preset freezer fast mode, for example, 150 minutes. The operating time of the fast mode of the preset freezer can be comprised of two parts. In this case, for example, the freezer compartment is operated in the fast mode for 90 minutes and then in the normal mode for 60 minutes. The quick mode of the refrigerator compartment is terminated when the operation time of the refrigerator compartment is added to the preset refrigerator operating time, for example, 40 minutes, or the difference between the internal temperature of the refrigerator compartment detected by the temperature sensor 107 and the pre-set target temperature becomes a pre-set temperature difference, for example, 7 ° C. In step s210, the control unit 124 checks whether or not overload conditions have occurred. As described above, the overload conditions are determined for the compartment, if one of the compartments remains open more than, for example, 30 seconds or the internal temperature of the compartment increases beyond the pre-set target temperature of the same in more. of, for example, 5 ° C. If the overload conditions come into effect, the process advances to step S212; or step S218 otherwise. In step S212, the compartment is operated in day / over charging mode or night / overload mode depending on the detected light level, and then the process advances to step S214. In step S214, the control unit 124 determines whether the termination conditions of the overload mode were satisfied. Otherwise, the process goes to step S216, but if they were satisfied, the process advances to step S218. The overload envelope mode is terminated when the operation time of the same is equal to a preset overload mode operation time, for example, to 20 minutes, or the internal temperature (T) of the compartment is less than or equal to at the pre-set target temperature (T ") of the compartment In step S216, the control unit 124 determines whether the fast mode unit 102 has been activated for the compartment or not.If it is activated, the process advances to the stage S206, but otherwise, returns to the stage In step S218, the compartment is operated in day / normal mode or night / normal mode depending on the level of light detected.The entire process is repeated from step S204 until energy is turned off (S220). Although the above preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to the refrigerator having two compartments, it should be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention This can be applied in the same way to a refrigerator that has one or more than three compartments; and other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A method for controlling the operation of a refrigerator having a compartment, a mode regulator unit, a door detecting unit for detecting whether a compartment door is open or not, a temperature detecting unit for presetting a temperature of objective of the compartment, and a temperature sensor for detecting an internal temperature of the compartment, comprising the steps of: (a) if the mode regulating unit is activated, operate the compartment in a fast mode; (b) if the door remains open for a period equal to or greater than a pre-set time, or once the difference between the internal temperature and the target temperature is equal to or greater than a predetermined temperature, operate the compartment in a over charge; (c) when the compartment is not operated in the quick mode or in the overload mode, operate the compartment in a normal mode; and (d) if the mode regulator unit is operated while the compartment is in the overload mode, convert the operating mode of the compartment from the overload mode to the fast mode. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the refrigerator further has another compartment and another door detecting unit for detecting a door of said other compartment whether or not it is open; and wherein the compartment recited in claim 1 is operated in the overload mode if the door of the other compartment remains open for a period equal to or greater than a predetermined time. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the fast mode is terminated after the operation in the fast mode for a preset period, or if the difference between the internal temperature of the compartment and the target temperature is equal to one. default temperature difference. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that unless the mode regulator is activated, it is operated in overload mode for a predetermined period or until the internal temperature of the compartment is equal to the preset temperature. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the refrigerator further has a light sensor for detecting a level of light outside the refrigerator; and wherein if the detected light level is equal to or greater than a preset light level, the compartment is operated in one of a diurnal / fast mode, a day / overload mode and a day / normal mode; and without the detected light level being lower than the preset light level, the compartment is operated in a night / fast mode, a night / overload mode and a night / normal mode. 6. The method of compliance with the claim 5, characterized in that the refrigerator further has an evaporator fan for the compartment and a condenser fan, the evaporator fan rotating at a low speed, a medium speed and a high speed and the condenser fan rotating at a low speed or at high speed, and where the evaporator fan rotates at high, medium or low speed when the compartment is in the night / fast, night / overload or night / normal mode, respectively, and the condenser fan It rotates at low speed when the compartment is in one of the modes of night / fast, night / overload and night / normal. 7. The method of compliance with the claim 6, characterized in that the evaporator fan rotates at night speed when the compartment is in day / fast or day / overload mode and at low speed when the compartment is in day / normal mode; and the condenser fan rotates at high speed when the compartment is in day / fast, day / overload and day / normal mode. 8. A refrigerator operated by using the method of claim 1. 9. A refrigerator operated by using the method of claim 2.