CN114576903A

CN114576903A - Method for controlling refrigerator

Info

Publication number: CN114576903A
Application number: CN202111368885.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 朴圭睦
Original assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Current assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Priority date: 2020-11-30
Filing date: 2021-11-18
Publication date: 2022-06-03
Also published as: KR102412061B1; KR20220076017A; EP4006455A1; US20220170678A1

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for controlling a refrigerator, which comprises the following steps: detecting an external temperature by an external temperature sensor configured to detect an ambient temperature of the refrigerator; performing a winter operation when an external temperature detected by an external temperature sensor is equal to or less than a set temperature; and determining to perform a normal operation when the temperature detected by the external temperature sensor is higher than a set temperature, wherein the compressor is operated at a higher cooling power than in the normal operation during the winter operation.

Description

Method for controlling refrigerator

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method of controlling a refrigerator.

Background

In general, a refrigerator is a home appliance for storing food at a low temperature in an internal storage space shielded by a refrigerator door, and is configured to store the stored food in an optimum state by cooling the inside of the storage space using cold air generated by heat exchange with a refrigerant circulating through a refrigeration cycle.

Such a refrigerator is gradually expanding and multi-functional according to the changing trend of dietary life and high-quality products, and a refrigerator having optimal performance in various use environments is being developed.

In particular, refrigerators for securing storage performance and reducing power consumption in a low-temperature environment are being developed for use environments where the temperature varies greatly with seasons.

As a representative example, korean patent laid-open publication No. 10-2004-0085324 discloses a refrigerator and a method of controlling the same for increasing or decreasing an on/off temperature of a compressor based on a reference temperature by a user manipulating a season select button according to an external temperature, and increasing or decreasing a defrosting operation period based on the reference value according to temperature and humidity characteristics corresponding to the season.

However, in the related art, the operation of the refrigerator is adjusted only by a direct manipulation of a user, which not only causes inconvenience in use but also has a problem of no substantial driving change without a user manipulation, and thus, it is impossible to achieve desired performance.

Further, the refrigerator, which controls the temperature of the refrigerating chamber based on the temperature of the refrigerating chamber without a separate damper, has a problem in that it is impossible to solve dissatisfaction with the temperature of the refrigerating chamber in the case of a low external temperature such as winter season even by such an operation.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of one embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a refrigerator and a method of controlling the same for securing cooling performance of a freezing chamber even when an external temperature is low.

One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a refrigerator and a method of controlling the same for achieving satisfactory temperatures of a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber by adjusting operations of a compressor, a freezing chamber fan, and a condenser fan according to an external temperature.

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a refrigerator and a method of controlling the same for effectively performing operations of a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber according to an external temperature in the refrigerator, the refrigerator including an evaporator and a fan without a damper.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of controlling a refrigerator including: a cabinet in which a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber are formed; a refrigerating compartment temperature sensor included in the refrigerating compartment; an evaporator included in the freezing chamber; a freezing chamber fan included in the freezing chamber and configured to supply cool air to the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber; a compressor controlled with variable cooling power; a condenser connected to the compressor; a condenser fan configured to cool the condenser; and a controller configured to control the compressor, the freezing compartment fan, and the condenser fan to maintain the refrigerating compartment at a target control temperature according to the temperature detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor, the method including: detecting an external temperature by an external temperature sensor configured to detect an ambient temperature of the refrigerator; performing a winter operation when the external temperature detected by the external temperature sensor is equal to or less than a set temperature; and determining a normal operation to be performed when the temperature detected by the external temperature sensor is higher than the set temperature, wherein the compressor is operated at a higher cooling power than in the normal operation during the winter operation.

The set temperature for determining the winter operation and the normal operation may be 18 ℃.

The freezing chamber fan may be turned on when a set time elapses after the compressor is turned on during the winter operation.

The freezing chamber fan may be operated at a speed lower than a rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan during the normal operation.

By driving the freezing chamber fan, cool air may be simultaneously supplied to the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber.

The condenser fan and the freezing chamber fan may start to operate sequentially.

The condenser fan may be turned on when a set time elapses after the compressor is turned on during winter operation.

The condenser fan may be operated at a speed lower than a rotational speed of the condenser fan during the normal operation.

The set time may be a time taken for the compressor to reach the high cooling power after being driven.

The set time may be within 60 seconds after the compressor is driven.

The compressor, the freezing compartment fan, and the condenser fan may be turned off when the temperature of the refrigerating compartment in the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor is satisfactory.

The compressor, the freezing compartment fan and the condenser fan may be turned off at the same time.

The compressor may be configured as an inverter compressor or a linear compressor and operate at a variable frequency according to a load.

The compressor may be operated at a higher frequency during the winter operation than in the normal operation.

The compressor may be operated at a frequency of 50Hz during the winter operation and may be operated at a frequency of 30Hz during the normal operation.

The external temperature sensor may be disposed at one side of the cabinet, and may measure an ambient temperature outside the refrigerator.

The external temperature sensor may be mounted on a hinge cover for shielding a hinge rotatably connecting the cabinet and the door.

During the normal operation, when the temperature of the refrigerating chamber detected by the refrigerating chamber temperature sensor is satisfactory, the compressor and the condenser fan may be first turned off, and the freezing chamber fan may not be turned off until a set time elapses after being operated.

In another aspect, a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a cabinet in which a refrigerating chamber, a freezing chamber, and a machine chamber are formed; an evaporator included in the freezing chamber; a freezing chamber fan included in the freezing chamber and configured to force an air flow to cool the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber; a compressor included in the machine room and controlled at a variable cooling power; a condenser included in the machine room; a condenser fan that is included in the machine room and dissipates heat of the condenser; a refrigerating compartment temperature sensor configured to detect an internal temperature of the refrigerating compartment; an external temperature sensor disposed at one side of the cabinet and configured to detect an ambient temperature at which the refrigerator is installed; and a controller configured to control operations of the compressor, the freezing compartment fan, and the condenser fan according to a temperature detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor to maintain the refrigerating compartment at a control temperature, wherein the controller performs a winter operation when the temperature detected by the external temperature sensor is equal to or less than a set temperature, selects and performs a normal operation when the detected temperature is higher than the set temperature, operates the compressor at a higher cooling power than that of the compressor during the normal operation during the winter operation, and turns on the freezing compartment fan when a set time elapses after the compressor is turned on.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a flow of control signals of the refrigerator.

Fig. 3 is a flowchart sequentially showing a method of controlling a refrigerator.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments in which the spirit of the present disclosure is presented, and other degenerate ideas or other embodiments included in the scope of the present disclosure may be easily presented by addition, change, deletion, or the like of other elements.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a flow of control signals of the refrigerator.

As shown in the drawings, the external appearance of the refrigerator 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be formed of a cabinet 10 forming a storage space and a door 20 for opening and closing an open front of the storage space.

The cabinet 10 may include a partition 11. The partition 11 may divide the storage space into upper and lower portions, the upper storage space 12 may be formed above the partition 11, and the lower storage space 13 may be formed below the partition 11.

The upper storage space 12 may maintain a freezing temperature for storing frozen food items, and thus may be referred to as a freezing chamber 12. The lower storage space 13 may maintain a refrigerating temperature for storing refrigerated foods, and thus may be referred to as a refrigerating chamber 13. Needless to say, the arrangement of the refrigerating chamber 13 and the freezing chamber 12 may also be changed according to the form of the refrigerator 1.

The door 20 may be rotatably installed on the cabinet 10, and may include an upper door 21 for opening and closing the upper storage space 12 and a lower door 22 for opening and closing the lower storage space 13. The upper door 21 may also be referred to as a freezing chamber door 21, and the lower door 22 may also be referred to as a refrigerating chamber door 22.

The grill fan 121 may be disposed at a rear side of the freezing chamber 12. The grill fan 121 may form a space including the evaporator 17 constituting the refrigeration cycle. The grill fan 121 may be formed in a plate shape, and may form a rear surface of the freezing chamber 12. The grill fan 121 may include a freezing chamber outlet for spraying cool air generated by the evaporator 17 to the freezing chamber 12.

The grill fan 121 may include a freezing chamber fan 19. The freezing chamber fan 19 may be used to supply and circulate cold air to and from the freezing chamber 12 and the refrigerating chamber 13, may be disposed above the evaporator 17, and may be disposed in a space defined by the grill fan 121. Needless to say, the cool air may be circulated to the refrigerating chamber 13 and the freezing chamber 12 by driving the freezing chamber fan 19.

In detail, a freezing chamber return duct 122 formed to connect a front side of a lower surface of the freezing chamber 12 to a space in which the evaporator 17 is accommodated may be provided inside the barrier 11. Accordingly, the air in the freezing chamber 12 can be recovered to the evaporator 17 through the freezing chamber return duct 122.

A refrigerating compartment supply duct 131 may be provided, which is formed to connect a lower surface of the space accommodating the evaporator 17 to the refrigerating compartment 13. The refrigerating compartment supply duct 131 may extend downward along a rear wall of the refrigerating compartment 13 and may include a refrigerating compartment outlet formed to spray cool air to the refrigerating compartment 13. Accordingly, the cool air generated by the evaporator 17 may be supplied to the refrigerating chamber 13 through the refrigerating chamber supply duct 131.

A refrigerating compartment return duct 132 formed to connect the front side of the upper surface of the refrigerating compartment 13 to the space accommodating the evaporator 17 may be provided inside the partition 11. Accordingly, the air inside the refrigerating compartment 13 may be recovered to the evaporator 17 through the refrigerating compartment return duct 132.

The refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32 may be provided inside the refrigerating compartment 13. Accordingly, the freezing chamber fan 19 may be driven according to the temperature detected by the refrigerating chamber temperature sensor 32, and cool air may be supplied to both the refrigerating chamber 13 and the freezing chamber 12 by one freezing chamber fan 19.

In detail, when the temperature detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32 is lower than the set target control temperature, the freezing compartment fan 19 may be driven. By driving the freezing chamber fan 19, air of the freezing chamber 12 may be introduced into the evaporator 17 through the freezing chamber return duct 122, and the air cooled while passing through the evaporator 17 may be sprayed through the freezing chamber outlet to cool the freezing chamber 12.

When the freezing chamber fan 19 is driven, some of the cool air passing through the evaporator 17 may be supplied to the refrigerating chamber 13 through the refrigerating chamber supply duct 131. The air cooling the refrigerating compartment 13 may be recovered to the refrigerating compartment 13 through the refrigerating compartment return duct 132.

The freezing compartment fan 19 may be operated until the temperature detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32 reaches a set target control temperature or temperature range. When the refrigerating chamber 13 is cooled by the circulation of cool air due to the operation of the freezing chamber fan 19, the freezing chamber 12 may also be cooled. That is, until the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13 is lowered to the target control temperature, the refrigerating compartment 13 may also be continuously cooled.

The freezing chamber 12 is not only used less frequently than the refrigerating chamber 13 but also kept at a relatively low temperature by direct cooling of the evaporator 17, resulting in less food damage, and therefore the refrigerating chamber 13 and the freezing chamber 12 can be kept at a predetermined temperature using the refrigerating chamber temperature sensor 32 inside the refrigerating chamber 13.

Such a structure may be relatively simple and may have a compact configuration because one freezing chamber fan 19 and one refrigerating chamber temperature sensor 32 are used to adjust the temperatures of the refrigerating chamber 13 and the freezing chamber 12 without a damper for adjusting the supply of cooling energy.

The machine room 14 may be provided in the cabinet 10. The machine room 14 may be disposed in a corner between the rear surface and the lower surface of the cabinet 10, and may form an independent space therein, which is separated from the machine room 14.

The machine room 14 may include a compressor 15 and a condenser 16 constituting a refrigeration cycle. The machine room 14 may be at least partially connected to the outside, and thus the compressor 15 may be cooled by outside air and the condenser 16 may exchange heat. To this end, a condenser fan 18 may be further provided within the machine compartment 14. By driving the condenser fan 18, air can be smoothly circulated between the inside and the outside of the machine room 14, and heat dissipation of the condenser 16 and cooling of the compressor 15 can be more effectively performed.

The compressor 15 may be configured to control the operating rate differently depending on the load. For example, the compressor 15 may be configured as an inverter compressor or a linear compressor, and the cooling power may be adjusted by varying the frequency of the motor according to the load.

The refrigerator 1 may include an external temperature sensor 31 for detecting a high external temperature of the refrigerator 1, i.e., an ambient temperature. The external temperature sensor 31 may be arranged to detect a high external temperature. The external temperature sensor 31 may be provided at one side of the cabinet 10. For example, the external temperature sensor 31 may be mounted on a hinge cover for shielding a hinge connecting the cabinet 10 and the door 20.

An external temperature sensor 31 and a refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32 may be connected to the controller 30. The controller 30 may be connected to the compressor 15, the condenser fan 18, and the freezing chamber fan 19, and may control the operation of the refrigerator 1.

The external temperature sensor 31 may detect an ambient temperature of the refrigerator and may adjust the operation of the refrigerator 1.

In particular, when the ambient temperature of a place where the refrigerator 1 is installed is equal to or less than a set temperature (e.g., 18 ℃), such as in winter, the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13 may not be greatly different from the ambient temperature, and thus the target control temperature may be quickly reached when the refrigerating compartment 13 is cooled. In detail, since the ambient temperature is low, the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 13 may reach the target control temperature as compared to the freezing chamber 12, and thus the freezing chamber 12 may not be sufficiently cooled. That is, before the freezing chamber 12 is sufficiently cooled, the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 13 may reach the target control temperature to stop the driving of the compressor 15, and thus there is a problem in that the storage performance is lowered due to the insufficient cooling of the freezing chamber 12. For example, when the freezing chamber 12 is not sufficiently cooled due to a low ambient temperature and the temperature of the freezing chamber 12 is equal to or greater than-12 ℃, in the case where a dairy product such as ice cream is stored in the freezing chamber 12, the storage quality may be degraded.

To overcome this problem, the controller 30 may detect the temperature input by the external temperature sensor 31 and may control the operation of the compressor 15, and needless to say, the controller 30 may control the operation of the refrigerator 1 to maintain the optimum temperature of the freezing chamber 12.

Hereinafter, the operation of the refrigerator 1 configured as above will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown, power may be supplied to the refrigerator 1 for the operation of the refrigerator 1S 110.

After supplying power to the refrigerator 1, the controller 30 may determine whether to perform the winter operation 200 or the normal operation 300 according to the external temperature detected by the external temperature sensor 31.

In detail, the controller 30 may first detect an ambient temperature of the refrigerator 1, i.e., an external temperature detected by the external temperature sensor 31, in order to determine the winter operation 200 and the normal operation 300. The controller 30 may determine whether the ambient temperature detected by the external temperature sensor 31 is equal to or less than a set temperature. The set temperature may be a reference temperature for determining whether to perform the winter operation 200, and may be set to a low temperature or a temperature range affecting the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13. The set temperature may be set to a temperature that can recognize the current state as the winter state due to a low ambient temperature, and may be, for example, 18 ℃. Winter operation 200 may also be referred to as low ambient temperature operation.

That is, the controller 30 may determine that the winter operation 200 is to be performed when the external temperature detected by the external temperature sensor 31 is equal to or less than 18 ℃ as the set temperature, and may determine that the normal operation 300 is to be performed otherwise S120.

When detecting the ambient temperature of the refrigerator 1 and then determining that the winter operation 200 is to be performed, the controller 30 may first determine the internal temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13 through the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32. That is, to cool the refrigerating compartment 13, the controller 30 may determine whether the temperature inside the refrigerating compartment 13 is equal to or less than a set target control temperature.

When the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13 detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32 is lower than the target control temperature, the controller 30 may determine that it is not necessary to cool the refrigerating compartment 13, and may perform operation S120 again. In contrast, when the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13 detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32 is higher than the target control temperature, the controller 30 may determine that the refrigerating compartment 13 needs to be cooled [ S210 ].

The controller 30 may turn on the compressor 15 when the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13 detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32 is higher than the target control temperature and the controller 30 determines that the refrigerating compartment 13 needs to be cooled.

In this case, the compressor 15 may be operated to generate a cooling power higher than that of the compressor 15 set by the normal operation 300. For example, when the compressor 15 is operated at a motor rotation frequency of 30Hz during the normal operation 300, the compressor 15 may be operated at a higher frequency of 50Hz during the winter operation 200 to output a higher output at the same temperature.

That is, when the controller 30 instructs the operation of the compressor 15 for the winter operation, the compressor 15 may be driven at a higher frequency than the normal operation 300 to generate a high cooling power S220.

The controller 30 may not drive the freezing chamber fan 19 and/or the condenser fan 18 at the same time as the start of driving the compressor 15, but may maintain the state in which the compressor 15 is separately operated at the set frequency for the set time. That is, the controller 30 may delay the driving of the freezing chamber fan 19 and/or the condenser fan 18 until a set time elapses after the compressor 15 starts to be driven.

In a state where the ambient temperature is low, for example, in winter, the refrigerating compartment 13 may quickly reach the target control temperature, and particularly, in a state where the compressor 15 is operated to generate high cooling power, the refrigerating compartment 13 may quickly reach the target control temperature, and thus there may be a problem in that the freezing compartment 12 is not sufficiently cooled.

For example, the set time may be 60 seconds. The current state may be changed to a state in which the compressor 15 can generate the target cooling power within about 60 seconds from the driving of the compressor 15, and in this case, the cool air may be simultaneously supplied to the refrigerating chamber 13 and the freezing chamber 12S 230.

When it is determined that the set time elapses after the compressor 15 is turned on, the controller 30 may start driving the freezing chamber fan 19. Cold air may be supplied to the refrigerating chamber 13 and the freezing chamber 12 by driving the freezing chamber fan 19, and the refrigerating chamber 13 and the freezing chamber 12 may be cooled simultaneously.

In this case, the controller 30 may operate the freezing chamber fan 19 at a speed lower than the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan 19 during the normal operation 300. When the freezing chamber fan 19 is rapidly rotated in a state where the compressor 15 is operated at a high cooling power, cool air may be rapidly supplied to the refrigerating chamber 13 and the freezing chamber 12. In a state where the ambient temperature is low, the period of time during which the freezing compartment 12 reaches the target control temperature may be longer than the period of time during which the refrigerating compartment 13 reaches the target control temperature, and thus the speed of the freezing compartment fan 19 may be reduced to generate high cooling power for a long time, and the refrigerating compartment 13 and the freezing compartment 12 may be operated at respective satisfactory temperatures [ S240 ].

When it is determined that the set time elapses after the compressor 15 is turned on, the controller 30 may start driving the condenser fan 18. In this case, the driving of the condenser fan 18 and the freezing chamber fan 19 may be performed simultaneously or sequentially.

The controller 30 may operate the condenser fan 18 at a lower speed than the rotational speed of the condenser fan 18 during normal operation 300. In a state where the ambient temperature is low, the temperature inside the machine room 14 may also decrease to degrade the refrigerant cycle performance of the condenser 16. Therefore, in order to increase the ambient temperature of the condenser 16, the controller 30 may start driving the condenser fan 18 when a set time elapses after the compressor 15 is turned on, and may operate the condenser fan 18 at a low rotation speed S250.

The refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32 may continuously detect the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13. When it is determined that the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13 detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32 does not reach the target control temperature or the target control temperature range, the controller 30 may continuously operate the compressor 15, the freezing compartment fan 19, and the condenser fan 18S 260.

When it is determined that the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13 detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32 reaches the target control temperature or the target control temperature range, the compressor 15, the freezing compartment fan 19, and the condenser fan 18 may be turned off and may be stopped.

The controller 30 may return to operation S120 and may compare the ambient temperature of the refrigerator 1 with the set temperature to determine whether to perform the winter operation 200S 270.

In operation S120, when the temperature detected by the external temperature sensor 31 is higher than 18 ℃ which is the set temperature, the controller 30 may sufficiently cool the refrigerating compartment 13 and the freezing compartment 12 without performing the winter operation 200, and may perform the normal operation 300.

In detail, when it is determined that the normal operation is to be performed, the controller 30 may determine the temperature inside the refrigerating compartment 13 through the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32. That is, in order to cool the refrigerating compartment 13, the controller 30 may determine whether the temperature inside the refrigerating compartment 13 is equal to or less than a set target control temperature.

When the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13 detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32 is lower than the target control temperature, the controller 30 may determine that it is not necessary to cool the refrigerating compartment 13 and may perform operation S120 again. In contrast, when the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13 detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32 is higher than the target control temperature, the controller 30 may determine that the refrigerating compartment 13 needs to be cooled [ S310 ].

In this case, the compressor 15 may be operated to generate a normal cooling power smaller than the cooling power of the compressor 15 set in the winter operation 200. For example, during normal operation 300, the compressor 15 may be operated at a motor rotational frequency of 30 Hz. Accordingly, the compressor 15 may be operated at a low cooling power as compared to the winter operation 200S 320.

The controller 30 may start driving the freezing chamber fan 19. By driving the freezing chamber fan 19, cool air may be supplied to the refrigerating chamber 13 and the freezing chamber 12, and the refrigerating chamber 13 and the freezing chamber 12 may be cooled simultaneously.

In this case, the controller 30 may operate the freezing chamber fan 19 at a normal speed higher than the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan 19 during the winter operation 200. Accordingly, the freezing chamber fan 19 may be operated at a high speed S330.

The controller 30 may begin driving the condenser fan 18. In this case, the driving of the condenser fan 18 and the driving of the compressor 15 and the freezing chamber fan 19 may be performed simultaneously. The controller 30 may operate the condenser fan 18 at a normal speed that is higher than the rotational speed of the condenser fan 18 during the winter operation 200. Accordingly, the condenser fan 18 can be operated at a high speed S340.

During a general operation of the refrigerator 1, the frequency of the compressor 15 and the operations of the freezing chamber fan 19 and the condenser fan 18 may be set to an operation specification. When the ambient temperature is higher than the set temperature, the normal operation 300 may take longer to cool the refrigerating chamber 13 than the winter operation during the operation for cooling the refrigerator 1, and thus may provide a time for sufficiently cooling the freezing chamber 12 to-12 ℃ or less.

Needless to say, the compressor 15 may be operated at a variable frequency according to a load during the normal operation 300, based on the type of the compressor 15.

The refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32 may continuously detect the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13. When it is determined that the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13 detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32 does not reach the target control temperature or the target control temperature range, the controller 30 may continuously operate the compressor 15, the freezing compartment fan 19, and the condenser fan 18[ S350 ].

When it is determined that the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13 detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 32 reaches the target control temperature or the target control temperature range, the compressor 15 and the condenser fan 18 may be turned off and may be stopped [ S360 ].

In operation S360, the evaporator 17 may provide latent heat for a set time in a state where the compressor 15 and the condenser fan 18 are turned off. Accordingly, in a state where the compressor 15 and the condenser fan 18 are turned off, the freezing chamber fan 19 may also be operated to further cool the freezing chamber 12 and the refrigerating chamber 13. The set time may be, for example, 60 seconds S370.

In a state where the compressor 15 and the condenser fan 18 are stopped from operating, the refrigerating chamber 13 and the freezing chamber 12 may also be further cooled while the freezing chamber fan 19 is operated for a set time, and the freezing chamber fan 19 may be turned off after the set time elapses. The power consumption can be reduced by further driving the freezing chamber fan 19.

After turning off the freezing compartment fan 19, the controller 30 may return to operation S120, and may compare the ambient temperature of the refrigerator 1 with the set temperature to determine whether to perform the winter operation 200S 380.

As such, the refrigerator 1 may determine the winter operation 200 and the normal operation 300 according to the ambient temperature, and may continuously operate according to the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13.

The refrigerator and the control method thereof according to the embodiment may have the following effects.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to determine a winter operation for maintaining a temperature suitable for food storage in a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber even in a winter season having a low ambient temperature and a normal operation by detecting an ambient temperature through an external temperature sensor, and to advantageously ensure cooling performance by performing the winter operation in the case of having a low ambient temperature.

In particular, in a refrigerator that supplies cold air to both a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber using one evaporator and one freezing chamber fan and controls driving of a compressor and a freezing chamber fan using a refrigerating chamber temperature sensor, the freezing chamber can be effectively cooled in a short time, in which a satisfactory temperature of the refrigerating chamber is achieved using a high cooling power of the compressor during winter operation while overcoming a problem in terms of an unsatisfactory temperature of the freezing chamber due to a low ambient temperature when the freezing chamber is cooled based on the temperature of the refrigerating chamber.

During the winter operation, until a set time elapses after the compressor is driven, the evaporator and the freezing chamber fan adjacent thereto may be stopped, and the evaporator and the freezing chamber fan may be operated after the set time elapses, and thus, cool air may be supplied to the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber to more effectively cool the freezing chamber in a short time.

The freezer compartment fan may be rotated at a lower speed than normal operation, and therefore, the time taken to achieve a satisfactory temperature of the fresh food compartment may be delayed by reducing the flow rate of cool air introduced into the compressor to further cool the freezer compartment.

When a set time elapses after the compressor is driven, the condenser fan may be operated, and the condenser fan may be rotated at a lower rotation speed than in a normal operation, and thus, by increasing the temperature of the condenser, the refrigerant may be efficiently circulated even in a low temperature environment.

Even in winter season in which a satisfactory freezer compartment temperature cannot be obtained due to its structure, the freezer compartment can be maintained at an appropriate temperature by winter season operation by sensing the ambient temperature, thereby improving storage performance.

In particular, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a refrigerator that ensures excellent cooling performance of both a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber using a minimum structure, and ensures cooling performance of the freezing chamber even in winter.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a refrigerator, the refrigerator comprising: a cabinet in which a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber are formed; a refrigerating compartment temperature sensor included in the refrigerating compartment; an evaporator included in the freezing chamber; a freezing chamber fan included in the freezing chamber and configured to supply cool air to the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber; a compressor controlled with variable cooling power; a condenser connected to the compressor; a condenser fan configured to cool the condenser; and a controller configured to control the compressor, the freezing compartment fan, and the condenser fan to maintain the refrigerating compartment at a target control temperature according to the temperature detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor, the method including:

detecting an external temperature by an external temperature sensor configured to detect an ambient temperature of the refrigerator;

performing a winter operation when the external temperature detected by the external temperature sensor is equal to or less than a set temperature; and

performing a normal operation when the temperature detected by the external temperature sensor is higher than the set temperature,

wherein during the winter operation, the compressor is operated at a higher cooling power than in the normal operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set temperature for determining the winter operation and the normal operation is 18 ℃.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the freezing compartment fan is turned on when a set time elapses after the compressor is turned on during the winter operation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein during the winter operation, the freezer fan operates at a lower speed than a rotational speed of the freezer fan during the normal operation.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the condenser fan is turned on when the set time elapses after the compressor is turned on during the winter operation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein during the winter operation, the condenser fan is operated at a lower speed than a rotational speed of the condenser fan during the normal operation.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the set time is a time it takes for the compressor to reach the high cooling power after being driven.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the compressor, the freezer fan, and the condenser fan are turned off when the temperature of the refrigeration compartment detected by the refrigeration compartment temperature sensor reaches the target control temperature during the winter operation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressor is configured as an inverter compressor or a linear compressor and operates at a variable frequency depending on a load.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the compressor operates at a higher frequency during the winter operation than during the normal operation.