JP3026319B2 - Refrigerator refrigerator control device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is, defrost control the smell of the refrigerator (hereinafter abbreviated as refrigerator) Te, to minimize internal temperature rise during defrosting, be to eliminate the impact on the food
The present invention relates to a refrigerator-freezer control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A refrigerator-freezer control device operates a fan motor, a compressor, and an electric damper so as to control a freezing room, a refrigerator room, and a vegetable room of a refrigerator at a set temperature. . Further, by supplying electricity to the defrost heater, the frost adhering to the cooler is removed, and is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-53707 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-63153.

Hereinafter, a conventional refrigerator-freezer control device will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a conventional refrigerator-freezer control device, and FIG. 8 shows a configuration of a conventional refrigerator-freezer. Reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator main body, an outer box 2 and an inner box 3, and a urethane foam insulating material 4 formed in a gap between the two.
, And three doors 5, 6, and 7 are arranged in the front opening. The doors 5, 6, 7 are provided corresponding to the openings of the freezer compartment 8, the refrigerator compartment 9, and the vegetable compartment 10 of the refrigerator body 1, respectively.

[0004] The bottom plate 11 of the freezer compartment 8 and the top plate 12 of the refrigerator compartment 9
A cooling device 13 and a cooling fan 14 behind the cooling device 13 are provided in the partition wall surrounded by. Further, ventilation paths 15 and 16 for introducing the cooling air from the cooler 13 into each chamber are formed in the back of the freezing room 8 and the refrigerator room 9. 17 is a compressor. Reference numeral 18 denotes a freezer compartment door switch that operates by opening and closing the door 5 of the freezer compartment 8, 19 denotes a freezer compartment temperature sensor, and 20 denotes a defrost heater that removes frost adhering to the cooler 13.

[0005] Further, reference numeral 21 denotes a refrigerator internal temperature detecting means for electrically converting the output of the freezer compartment temperature sensor 19 and outputting the converted output.
Reference numeral 22 denotes a compressor operation time integration timer for integrating the operation time of the compressor.

Reference numeral 23 denotes cooling control means. The cooling control means 23 performs cooling control, and turns on the compressor 17 and the cooling fan 14 when the output of the in-chamber temperature detecting means 21 reaches the reference value of the first reference circuit 24, and the second reference When the reference value of the circuit 25 is reached, the compressor 17 and the cooling fan 14 are turned off for the time set by the timer 26 when the compressor operating time integration timer 22 reaches the set time and outputs a defrosting start signal. ON, and then outputs a defrosting execution signal to the defrosting control means 27.

Here, the timer 26 outputs a predetermined time when the compressor operation time integration timer 22 reaches the set time and the internal temperature reaches the reference value of the second reference circuit. When the defrosting execution signal is input, the defrosting control unit 27 turns on the defrosting heater until the defrosting end detection unit 28 is input, and removes frost from the cooler 13.

When the defrosting is completed, the defrosting control means 27 outputs a defrosting control end signal to the cooling control means 23, and the cooling control means 23 resumes the cooling control.

The operation of the refrigerator-freezer control device configured as described above will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, the in-compartment temperature detecting means 22 detects the temperature of the freezer compartment and compares it with the reference value of the first reference circuit 24 (step 101). If the temperature is low, the compressor 17 and the cooling fan 14 are turned off in step 103. If the temperature is high, it is determined in step 104 whether the compressor 17 is ON. If the temperature is OFF, the flow returns to step 101. If it is ON, the process proceeds to step 106.

If the temperature is high in step 101, the compressor 17 and the cooling fan 14 are turned on in step 105.
Then, in step 106, the compressor operation time accumulation timer 22 accumulates the operation time of the compressor. Next, in step 107, it is determined whether the integration time of the compressor operation time integration timer 22 has reached a set time. If the set time has not come, the process returns to step 101, and if the set time has come, in step 108, the accumulation of the compressor operation time accumulation timer 22 is stopped and the contents are initialized, and the internal temperature is set to the second reference circuit. 25
The compressor 17 and the cooling fan 14 are turned on for a time set by the timer 26 in step 109, and the compressor 17 and the cooling fan 14 are turned on in step 110. Turn off. This is because the inside of the refrigerator rises due to defrosting, so the inside of the refrigerator is cooled down beforehand from a normal temperature (hereinafter referred to as precool).
That's why.

In step 111, the defrost heater 2
0 is turned on, and the defrost heater 20 is turned on until the end of the defrost is detected by the defrost end detecting means 29 (step 112). When the process is completed, the defrost heater 20 is turned off in step 113, and the process returns to step 101.

[0013]

However, in the above configuration, since the heat capacity of the defrost heater is always constant, when the outside air temperature is low, the defrosting time becomes longer,
For example, when the amount of food in the refrigerator is small, the temperature rise of the food becomes large. In addition, there is a problem that the power is increased if there are many foods in the refrigerator.

[0014] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to perform fine defrosting by calculating an optimal heat capacity of a defrost heater according to the outside air temperature and the heat load of food in a freezer compartment. An object of the present invention is to provide a control device for a freezer-refrigerator that can be used.

[0015]

According to the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator-freezer control apparatus according to the present invention, comprising: a refrigerator capable of freezing or chilling and storing food ;
When the operation time of the compressor reaches the set time
A compressor operation time integrating timer for outputting a signal, and the temperature drop rate detection means for detecting the temperature was lowered in the course of Tokoro scheduled,
An arithmetic unit for calculating the heat capacity of the defrost heater based on the reduced temperature detected is detected by the outside air temperature detection means the outside air temperature by the temperature drop detecting means, according to the heat capacity of the calculated defrosting heater by the arithmetical unit, Defrost
And defrost heater capacity control means for controlling the thermal capacity of the heater, the cooling control means for driving the compressors and the cooling fan,
And defrost termination detection means for outputting a defrosting completion signal if the temperature of the controlled energization of the defrost heater condenser detected plant <br/> constant temperature, defrost ending the defrosting by the output of the defrosting completion detecting means Control means for detecting the temperature drop
Stage is after the signal input from the compressor operation time integration timer.
And when the internal temperature reaches the set temperature,
This is a configuration for starting the degree detection .

[0016]

According to the present invention, with the above-described structure, the temperature drop detecting means is provided after the signal is inputted from the compressor operating time integrating timer.
Te and-compartment temperature detecting the amount of thermal load of the food in the refrigerator from the set temperature drop rate of Jo Tokoro time after the time of reaching the temperature and the outside air temperature, since the arithmetic unit performing a logic operation, the outside air The heat capacity of the defrost heater according to the temperature and the heat load is determined.
Therefore, based on the operation amount obtained as described above, the heat capacity of the defrost heater is controlled by the defrost heater heat capacity control means, and the defrost control means controls the defrost heater to perform defrosting in the refrigerator. defrosting according to the amount of heat load of the food of the inner can be performed, the temperature rise of and food by the heat capacity shortage of the defrost heater, too large a heat capacity of the defrost heater can be prevented increasing electricity by Rukoto.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a control device for a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. A detailed description of the same parts as in the related art will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control device of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a configuration of the refrigerator. FIG. 3A is a graph showing a membership function of a fuzzy variable with respect to a temperature drop after a predetermined time after the temperature in the refrigerator reaches the set temperature in the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a graph showing a membership function of a fuzzy variable with respect to an outside air temperature in an example, FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an operation in the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a fuzzy inference procedure in the embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 29 denotes an outside air temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the place where the refrigerator is installed.
Reference numeral 30 denotes an outside air temperature detecting means for electrically converting the output of the outside air temperature sensor 29 and outputting the result.

Reference numeral 31 denotes a temperature drop detecting means, which is connected to the outputs of the internal temperature detecting means 21, the compressor operating time integration timer 22, the second reference circuit 25, and the cooling time setting timer 32. The output of the detecting means 31 is connected to a fuzzy inference processor 33. In this temperature drop detecting means 31, the compressor operation time integration timer 22 reaches the set time, and the temperature in the refrigerator becomes equal to the reference value of the second reference circuit 25 (set temperature).
The temperature inside the refrigerator when the inside of the refrigerator is cooled for a time set by the cooling time setting timer 32 after the temperature reaches the temperature is detected.
Reference numeral 34 denotes a memory device that stores a control rule based on an empirical rule for obtaining the heat capacity of the defrost heater. In this embodiment, the arithmetic unit is composed of a fuzzy inference processor 33 and a memory device 34.

The fuzzy inference processor 33 calculates the amount of heat load in the refrigerator which can be detected by the temperature drop degree detecting means 31 and the outside air temperature detecting means 30 based on the control rules taken out of the memory device 34 based on a fuzzy logic operation. The heat capacity of the defrost heater is calculated.

As shown in FIG. 6, the detection of the heat load in the refrigerator is carried out as shown in FIG. 6 when the already-cooled heat load in the refrigerator is small, the temperature drop in the refrigerator after cooling for a predetermined time from the reference value of the second reference circuit 25. When the heat load of the inside of the refrigerator already cooled is large, the degree of decrease in the temperature of the refrigerator after cooling for a predetermined time from the reference value of the second reference circuit 25 decreases. When the outside air temperature is low, the degree of decrease in the inside temperature is large, and when the outside air temperature is high, the degree of decrease in the inside temperature is small.

Reference numeral 35 denotes a fuzzy inference processor 33.
The output of the defrost heater heat capacity control means 35 for controlling the heat capacity of the defrost heater calculated by the above is connected to the defrost control means 27. Numeral 36 denotes a cooling control means for performing a cooling control. When an output of the in-chamber temperature detecting means 21 becomes a reference value of the first reference circuit 24, the compressor 17 and the cooling fan 14 are turned on. When the reference value of 25 is reached, the compressor 17 and the cooling fan 14 are turned off for the operation time of the cooling time setting means 32 when the compressor operation time integration timer 22 reaches the set time and outputs a defrosting start signal. ON, and then outputs a defrosting execution signal to the defrosting control means 27.

When the defrosting execution signal is input, the defrosting control means 27 turns on the defrosting heater with the heat capacity of the defrosting heater controlled by the defrosting control means 27 until the defrosting end detecting means 28 is input. Remove the frost on 13

The operation of the control device for a refrigerator-freezer constructed as described above will be described below with reference to FIGS.

Here, steps 101 to 108
The operation up to this point is the same as the operation of the control device of the conventional refrigerator-freezer. If it is determined in step 107 that the integration time of the compressor operation time integration timer 22 is the set time, the process proceeds to step 10.
The compressor 17 and the cooling fan 14 are turned on until the internal temperature reaches the reference value of the second reference circuit 25 at 8 to cool the internal space.

When the internal temperature reaches the reference value of the second reference circuit 25, the routine proceeds to step 114, where the cooling time setting timer 32 operates, and it is determined whether or not the time set by the cooling time setting timer 32 has been reached. Then, when the set time comes, in step 115, the temperature drop is calculated and output by the temperature drop detecting means. In step 116, the outside air temperature is detected by the outside air temperature detecting means 30.

Then, the temperature drop calculated by the temperature drop detecting means 31 and the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detecting means 30 are input to the fuzzy inference processor 33. The fuzzy inference processor 33 takes out the control rules stored in the memory device 34 in advance, calculates the heat capacity of the defrost heater by fuzzy inference, and controls the heat capacity of the defrost heater by the defrost heater heat capacity control means 35 (step 117). . Then, similarly to the operation of the conventional refrigerator-freezer control device, step 110 is executed.
To turn off the compressor 17 and the cooling fan 14.

Then, at step 111, the defrost heater 2
0 is turned on, and the defrost heater 20 is turned on until the end of the defrost is detected by the defrost end detecting means 29 (step 112). When the process is completed, the defrost heater 20 is turned off in step 113, and the process returns to step 101.

Here, the fuzzy inference for finding the optimal heat capacity of the defrost heater of the cooler is executed based on the following control rules.

First, in order to obtain the heat capacity of the defrost heater, the following nine control rules are employed in the embodiment. For example, Rule 1: If the temperature drop is small and the outside air temperature is low, set the heat capacity of the defrost heater to a medium level. Rule 2: If the temperature drop is moderate and the outside air temperature is low, increase the heat capacity of the defrost heater.

... Rule 5: If the temperature drop is medium and the outside air temperature is medium, set the heat capacity of the defrost heater to medium.

Rule 9: If the temperature drop is large and the outside air temperature is high, set the heat capacity of the defrost heater to a medium level. And so on.

This is because when the degree of temperature drop is small, the heat load of the pre-cooling is large and the temperature rise in the refrigerator during defrosting is small, so that the heat capacity of the defrost heater may be small.

If the outside air temperature is low, the defrosting time is prolonged and the temperature inside the refrigerator increases, so that the heat capacity of the defrosting heater must be increased. It is a rule obtained from such experience. Therefore, the language rule is a control rule that determines the heat capacity of the defrost heater in the optimal defrost control of the cooler, which is obtained from a large number of experimental data by the inventor, and indicates the relationship between the degree of temperature drop and the outside air temperature. And (Table 1).

[0036]

[Table 1]

Table 1 is a table showing the relationship between the control rules. The temperature drop T is set in three stages in the horizontal direction (LT = small, MT = low).
Medium, ST = large), and the outside air temperature A is arranged in three stages (LA = high, MA = medium, SA = low) in the vertical direction, and each of the above-mentioned temperature drop degree and outside air temperature is classified. At the intersection, the heat capacity of the optimal defrost heater corresponding to the temperature drop and the outside air temperature is set in four stages (VLP = large, LP =
(Slightly large, MP = medium, SP = short).

When the language rules are stored in the memory device 31 of FIG. 1, they are stored according to the following rule. The number of control rules employed in this embodiment is nine. Rule 1: IF T is ST and A is SA THEN P is MP. Rule 2: IF T is MT and A is SA THEN P is SP. ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Rule 5: IF T is MT and A is MA THEN P is MP. Rule 9: IF T is LT and A is LA THEN P is MP. The rules of the control rule 1, rule 2 and rule 9 are as follows: temperature drop T, outside air temperature A Since the heat capacity P of the defrosting heater is determined stepwise as shown in (Table 1), when fine control is to be performed, the actual measurement in the middle of each step of the temperature drop T and the outside air temperature A is required. For the degree of temperature drop and the outside air temperature, it is necessary to calculate the degree to which the antecedent part (IF part) of the control rule is satisfied, and to estimate the heat capacity of the defrost heater according to the degree. Therefore, in this embodiment, the degree is calculated using a membership function of a fuzzy variable with respect to the temperature drop T and the outside air temperature A.

FIG. 3A shows the membership function μST of the fuzzy variables ST, MT and LT with respect to the temperature drop T.
(T), μMT (t), and μLT (t). FIG. 3B shows a fuzzy variable S with respect to the outside air temperature A.
A, MA, LA membership functions μSA (a), μM
A (a) and μLA (a) are shown. The fuzzy inference executed by the fuzzy inference processor 33 performs a fuzzy logic operation using control rules 1, rules 2,..., Rule 9 and the membership functions of FIGS. Do.

The procedure of fuzzy inference which is step 117 in FIG. 4 will be described below with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

In step 120, the fuzzy inference processor 33 uses the membership function of the temperature drop degree t0 and the outside air temperature a0 using the membership function of the fuzzy variable with respect to the temperature drop degree t0 and the outside air temperature a0 (M in the figure).
Value and display). In step 121, the degree to which the membership value of the fuzzy variable for the obtained temperature drop degree t0 and the outside air temperature a0 satisfies the antecedent part of each of the nine rules is calculated by the synthesis method as described below. .

In the drawing, α is a fuzzy variable for the degree of temperature drop, and β is a fuzzy variable for the outside air temperature.

[0043]

(Equation 1)

[0044]

(Equation 2)

... (Equation 1) indicates that the above-mentioned t0 is a region ST with respect to the temperature drop T.
And that the a0 falls in the area SA with respect to the outside air temperature A is satisfied by the smaller ratio between the ratio of t0 entering LT and the ratio of a0 entering LS;
In other words, the antecedent part of Rule 1 indicates that the rule is satisfied at the rate of h1. Similarly, in the case of Rule 2 of (Equation 2),
The antecedents indicate that they are satisfied at the rate of h2.

In step 122, the heat capacity of the defrost heater at the temperature drop t0 and the outside air temperature a0 is obtained by the membership function of the execution part of the control rule as follows. The heat capacity pt0 of the defrost heater is calculated as a weighted average value of the ratios h1, h2,... H9 of the antecedents of the respective control rules using a height method which is one of the single point methods. ).

[0047]

(Equation 3)

As a result, the heat capacity pt0 of the defrost heater is obtained.
Is found. Therefore, in this embodiment, since the lowered temperature and the outside air temperature are used as the control parameters, fine control is possible. Further, since the control rules are based on human empirical rules, it is possible to perform defrost control of the cooler with the optimal heat capacity of the defrost heater.

[0049]

As described above, the present invention relates to a refrigerator which can freeze or refrigerate food and store it .
A compressor operation time integrating timer integrates the operation time of the compressor OPERATION time to output a signal when reaches the set time, the temperature drop rate detection means for detecting the temperature was lowered in the course of Tokoro scheduled outside air A calculating device for calculating the heat capacity of the defrost heater based on the outside air temperature detected by the temperature detecting device and the reduced temperature detected by the temperature drop detecting device , and defrosting according to the heat capacity of the defrost heater calculated by the calculating device.
And defrost heater capacity control means for controlling the thermal capacity of the heater, the cooling control means for driving the compressors and the cooling fan,
And defrost termination detection means for outputting a defrosting completion signal if the temperature of the controlled energization of the defrost heater condenser detected plant <br/> constant temperature, defrost control to end the defrosting by the output of the defrost termination detection means Means for detecting the degree of temperature drop
After the signal is input from the compressor operation time integration timer.
And when the internal temperature reaches the set temperature,
Since the heat capacity of the defrost heater according to the heat load amount is required because the detection of the heat load is started, the optimal heat capacity of the defrost heater according to the heat load amount of the food in the refrigerator is used to perform fine defrosting. I can do it. Further, it is possible to prevent the defrosting time from being prolonged at a low outside air temperature and increasing the power when the load in the refrigerator is large.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control device of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a refrigerator-freezer according to the embodiment.

3A is a graph showing a membership function of a fuzzy variable with respect to a temperature drop in the embodiment; FIG. 3B is a graph showing a membership function of a fuzzy variable with respect to an outside air temperature in the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation in the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining a procedure of fuzzy inference in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between a degree of temperature drop and an internal load in the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a conventional refrigerator-freezer control device.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a conventional refrigerator-freezer.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an operation in a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 Cooler 14 Cooling fan 17 Compressor 19 Freezer compartment temperature sensor 20 Defrost heater 21 Internal temperature detection means 22 Compressor operation time integration timer 23 Cooling control means 27 Defrost control means 28 Defrost end detection means 29 Outside air temperature sensor 30 Outside air temperature Detecting means 31 Temperature drop detecting means 33 Fuzzy inference processor 34 Memory device 35 Defrost heater heat capacity control means 36 Cooling control means

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Shigeru Mori 3-22 Takaidahondori, Higashiosaka-shi, Osaka Matsushita Refrigerator Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-61-15062 (JP, A) JP-A Sho 61-213467 (JP, A) JP-A-4-283384 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F25D 21/08

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A frozen or refrigerated food, in refrigerators that can be stored, the compressor operation time integrating timer for outputting a signal when reached to the integrated set is operation time period of operating time of the compressors, a temperature drop detecting means for detecting the temperature was lowered in the course of Tokoro scheduled, the heat capacity of the defrost heater based on the reduced temperature detected by the outside air temperature and detected by the outside air temperature detecting means and the temperature drop detecting means A defrost heater heat capacity control means for controlling the heat capacity of the defrost heater according to the heat capacity of the defrost heater calculated by the calculation apparatus; a cooling control means for driving the compressor and the cooling fan; and a defrost heater. of
Controls the energization and detects the temperature of the cooler.
A defrosting end detecting means for outputting a defrosting end signal;
Defrosting is ended by the output of the defrosting end detecting means.
Control means, and the temperature drop detecting means includes
After the signal is input from the compressor operation time integration timer,
Detection of temperature drop when the internal temperature reaches the set temperature
The control device for a refrigerator-freezer characterized by starting the following .