EP1756494A1 - Temperature control system in a refrigeration appliance - Google Patents
Temperature control system in a refrigeration applianceInfo
- Publication number
- EP1756494A1 EP1756494A1 EP05736439A EP05736439A EP1756494A1 EP 1756494 A1 EP1756494 A1 EP 1756494A1 EP 05736439 A EP05736439 A EP 05736439A EP 05736439 A EP05736439 A EP 05736439A EP 1756494 A1 EP1756494 A1 EP 1756494A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- compressor
- temperature
- activation
- control system
- control means
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D29/00—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B2600/00—Control issues
- F25B2600/02—Compressor control
- F25B2600/025—Compressor control by controlling speed
- F25B2600/0251—Compressor control by controlling speed with on-off operation
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2400/00—General features of, or devices for refrigerators, cold rooms, ice-boxes, or for cooling or freezing apparatus not covered by any other subclass
- F25D2400/36—Visual displays
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2700/00—Means for sensing or measuring; Sensors therefor
- F25D2700/02—Sensors detecting door opening
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2700/00—Means for sensing or measuring; Sensors therefor
- F25D2700/14—Sensors measuring the temperature outside the refrigerator or freezer
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y02B40/00—Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
Definitions
- the present invention refers to a system for providing the automatic control of the operational temperature in a refrigeration appliance of the type which comprises a cabinet defining at least one refrigerating compartment closed by a door, a compressor, and a control means to activate and deactivate the compressor as a function of the temperature reigning in the interior of the refrigerating compartment.
- the present invention is applicable to the domestic refrigeration appliances defined by a refrigerator or a freezer, in which the refrigerating compartment, as generically denominated herein, has a respective setting device, generally in the form of a knob, which allows the user to modify the operational conditions of the appliance, altering the activation and deactivation temperatures of the compressor to cooler or less cool values, from a medium nominal operational value.
- the control means is operatively associated with means to detect the current temperature in the refrigerating compartment and to verify whether it is in the same level or above the activation temperature of the compressor, when the latter is then activated.
- the control means provides the deactivation of the latter.
- Such variations in the weather or in the ambient temperature require the user to adjust the setting device accordingly, so that the latter leads the control means to operate the refrigeration appliance in cooler or less cool conditions, as a function of the time of the year in which the appliance is working. While the user can manually set the activation and deactivation temperatures of the compressor so as to better adjust the internal temperature of the refrigerating compartment to the ambient conditions reigning in a determined time of the year, such operation requires attention from the user, who must effectively participate to produce this setting of the operational temperature conditions of the refrigeration appliance .
- the door opening pattern of said compartment Another aspect which is considered prejudicial to keep an adequate temperature inside the refrigerating compartment is the door opening pattern of said compartment.
- the usage pattern the consumer applies to the refrigeration appliance is also a relevant parameter to adjust the positioning of the setting device.
- the known systems do not allow the user to interfere voluntarily and selectively in the control means in order to modify the operational conditions of the refrigeration appliance, these operational conditions being maintained during the automatic operation of the compressor, according to the activation and deactivation temperatures that are set by the user in the setting device.
- a temperature control system for a refrigeration appliance of the type which comprises a cabinet defining at least one refrigerating compartment closed by a door; a compressor; and a control means to activate and deactivate a compressor when the interior of the refrigerating compartment reaches activation and deactivation temperatures, respectively.
- control system comprises an ambient temperature sensor and an open door sensor which are operatively connected to the control means designed to adjust the activation and deactivation temperatures of the compressor as a function of the ambient temperature external to the cabinet and the door opening pattern, in order to minimize the temperature variations of the food stored in the refrigerating compartment of the refrigeration appliance.
- control means to periodically and automatically adjust the activation and deactivation temperatures of the compressor when the ambient temperature sensor and the open door sensor detect, respectively, the simultaneous occurrence of an ambient temperature deviation out of a predetermined range of acceptable operational temperatures and a deviation out of the door opening pattern in relation to a predetermined pattern within a certain time period.
- the control means will adjust the activation and deactivation temperatures of the compressor to a less cool condition.
- the control means will keep the refrigeration appliance working in a condition corresponding to a default position defined by the electronic control, within an adjusting range available to the user in the setting device.
- the control means will provide the automatic setting of the activation and deactivation temperatures of the compressor for the refrigerating compartment to operate in a cooler condition.
- the control means will keep the compressor working in the condition corresponding to the default position of the manual adjusting range of activation and deactivation temperatures of the compressor that are available to the user.
- Figure 1 is a schematic median vertical sectional view of a refrigeration appliance with the present temperature control system; and Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operating steps of the control means in the different operational conditions.
- the invention is directed to a temperature control system for a refrigeration appliance of the type which comprises a cabinet 10 defining at least one refrigerating compartment RC closed by a generally front door 11.
- the refrigeration appliance further comprises a refrigerating circuit which is illustrated only by the part defined by a compressor 20 operatively associated with a control means 30 provided with a timer 31 and which is constructed in any known adequate manner to activate and deactivate the compressor 20 when the interior of the refrigerating compartment RC reaches activation and deactivation temperatures which are respectively detected by a temperature sensor 40 positioned inside the refrigerating compartment RC so as to sense the air temperature reigning inside the latter.
- the temperature sensor 40 is also operatively associated with the control means 30 to inform the latter when the air temperature inside the refrigerating compartment RC reaches any of the activation and deactivation values of the compressor 20, said activation and deactivation temperatures being determined in different operational ranges of the refrigeration appliance according to a scale containing different operational temperature ranges which are associated with the different operational conditions of the refrigeration appliance.
- the refrigeration appliance could be of the type comprising two or more refrigerating compartments RC, one defining for example a refrigerating compartment and the other a freezing compartment, which are designed to operate through independent controls operatively associated with respective air temperature sensors inside the compartment .
- the temperature control system comprises an ambient temperature sensor 50 and an open door sensor 60 which are operatively connected to the control means 30 to continuously inform the latter about the ambient temperature of the installation place of the refrigeration appliance and about the opening pattern of the door 11 of the refrigerating compartment RC.
- the constructive arrangement cited above allows the ambient temperature sensor 50 to continuously inform the control means 30 of the ambient temperature external to the refrigeration appliance, while the open door sensor 60 continuously informs the control means 30 of the summation of the times in which the door 11 remains open in a determined time interval, after which the control means 30 verifies whether the ambient temperature is below, within or above an acceptable and predetermined operational temperature range, and whether the summation of the times during which the door 11 remained open in said time interval is within a certain predetermined time pattern.
- the time periods in which the control means 30 verifies the ambient temperature and the door opening pattern through the ambient temperature sensor 50 and the open door sensor 60 respectively vary according to the design of the control system, being of about 30 minutes, for example.
- the control means 30 verifies whether it is necessary to adjust the activation and deactivation temperatures of the compressor 20 as a function of the ambient temperature external to the cabinet 10 and of the usage pattern of the door 11 within the time interval immediately before, said temperature setting being accomplished, if necessary, automatically without the user having to verify voluntarily said ambient temperature and door opening pattern parameters to manually adjust an usual operational temperature setting device available in a refrigerating compartment RC of said appliances.
- the ambient temperature sensor 50 can be constructed in any adequate form known in the art, and the open door sensor 60 that can also be constructed in different forms, as long as it indicates to the control means 30 the occurrence of the opening and closing operations of the door 11 so that the control means 30, aided by the timer 31, can count the time periods in which the door remained open during each temperature setting time interval of the refrigeration appliance.
- the open door sensor 60 can have for example, the form of a switch activated by the door 11 itself.
- the control means 30 is constructed to maintain the refrigeration appliance operating within a range of activation and deactivation temperatures of the compressor corresponding to an intermediate operational range within a range of activation and deactivation temperatures of the compressor which are previously determined during project of the appliance.
- the control means 30 will not effect any alteration in the activation or deactivation temperatures ranges of the compressor 20, even though these parameters present a deviation in relation to the nominal values that are acceptable and considered adequate so that the compressor continues to operate with the activation and deactivation temperatures corresponding to the intermediary range of activation and deactivation temperatures of the scale of operational temperatures of the refrigeration appliance.
- the control means 30 Upon occurring a simultaneous deviation out of the ambient temperature and door opening pattern parameters, the control means 30 will provide a respective adjustment of the activation and deactivation temperatures of the compressor 20 to an immediately subsequent temperature range above or below said scale of activation and deactivation temperature ranges of the compressor 20 previously determined during project of the refrigeration appliance.
- the automatic temperature control system object of this invention could be constructed in two forms. In the first form, the activation and deactivation of the function are accomplished through a push button, for example located close to a user's interface 70 provided in an adequate location in the refrigeration appliance, generally in the external front region of the latter, as schematically illustrated in figure 1.
- the user determines whether to use or not the function.
- the activation and deactivation of the function are inherent to the control means 30, and in this case the user does not produce any action to activate this function.
- Figure 2 illustrates the procedures or operating steps of the control means 30 during the operation of the appliance as a function of the parameters received from the ambient temperature sensor 50 and from the open door sensor 60 to execute, when required, an adjustment in the activation and deactivation temperatures of the compressor 20.
- the references in alphabetic characters are those reproduced below with the respective meanings :
- Time_Counter - Elapsed time counter (timer)
- RC a and FC a Pattern temperature settings for the refrigerating and freezing compartments (warmer than the default value)
- RC b and FC b Pattern temperature settings for the refrigerating and freezing compartments (cooler than the default value)
- the present control system is started from conditions of the control means 30 which are set to adjust the temperatures of both the refrigerating compartment RC and the freezing compartment FC (if existent) to the respective default values, the timer 31 being adjusted to zero and the summation of the open door accumulated time in the temperature setting time interval being also zeroed.
- the control means 30 verifies whether the door 11 of any of the compartments is open. If door 11 is open, the control means 30, by means of the timer 31, sums up the time periods in which the door 11 remains open, using this information to verify whether the open door accumulated time is higher than or equal to the time period TP defined for the automatic adjustment of the temperature ranges. In case this relation does not occur, the control means 30 returns the system to the step of checking the opening condition of any of the doors 11.
- the control means 30 checks whether the ambient temperature is lower than or equal to the lower ambient temperature pattern and also whether the open door accumulated time is lower than the open door accumulated time which defines the low and high usage patterns of the product . In case the conditions described above are checked by the control means 30, the latter promotes the adjustment of the temperature of the refrigerating compartment to a temperature pattern which is warmer than the default temperature, returning the system to the start, so as to accomplish a new verification at the end of a new predetermined time interval .
- the control means 30 will check whether the ambient temperature is superior or equal to the higher ambient temperature pattern, and whether the open door accumulated time is higher than the open door time pattern. In case this new operational situation occurs, the control means 30 adjusts the temperature of the refrigerating compartment under control to a temperature value cooler than the default temperature, returning the system to the start of the checking process so as to effect a new checking at the end of said predetermined time interval.
- control means 30 will keep the temperature of the refrigerating compartment in the default value, returning the control system to the start in order to accomplish a new verification at the end of a new setting time interval predetermined during project.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
BR0402012-0A BRPI0402012A (en) | 2004-05-04 | 2004-05-04 | Temperature control system in a refrigeration appliance |
PCT/BR2005/000067 WO2005106364A1 (en) | 2004-05-04 | 2005-04-29 | Temperature control system in a refrigeration appliance |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1756494A1 true EP1756494A1 (en) | 2007-02-28 |
Family
ID=36838565
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP05736439A Withdrawn EP1756494A1 (en) | 2004-05-04 | 2005-04-29 | Temperature control system in a refrigeration appliance |
Country Status (6)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20080115516A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1756494A1 (en) |
AR (1) | AR049040A1 (en) |
BR (1) | BRPI0402012A (en) |
MX (1) | MXPA06012912A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2005106364A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9459029B2 (en) * | 2009-01-19 | 2016-10-04 | Fujikoki Corporation | Valve controller, valve controlling method, refrigeration and cold storage system, device and method for controlling the system |
EP3800407A1 (en) * | 2010-03-15 | 2021-04-07 | Klatu Networks, Inc. | Method for monitoring, inferring state of health, and optimizing efficiency of refrigeration systems and corresponding system |
US9004369B2 (en) * | 2010-03-24 | 2015-04-14 | Whirlpool Corporation | Systems and methods for multi-sense control algorithm for atomizers in refrigerators |
GB2486660B (en) * | 2010-12-21 | 2016-08-24 | Chop-Cloc (Scotland) Ltd | Improvements in or relating to temperature-independent control of a thermostatically-controllable cooling and/or heating appliance |
CN102176146B (en) * | 2011-01-30 | 2012-09-19 | 江苏省精创电气股份有限公司 | Cabinet adaptive energy-saving control method |
KR102169953B1 (en) * | 2014-02-07 | 2020-10-26 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Artificial Intelligence Refrigerator and Controlling Method for the same |
EP2933589A1 (en) * | 2014-04-14 | 2015-10-21 | Whirlpool Corporation | A method for controlling a refrigerating unit |
KR102412061B1 (en) * | 2020-11-30 | 2022-06-23 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Refrigerator and control method thereof |
CN113154757B (en) * | 2021-04-29 | 2022-07-12 | 青岛海容商用冷链股份有限公司 | Refrigerator and temperature control method thereof |
CN114353424B (en) * | 2021-12-22 | 2022-12-27 | 珠海格力电器股份有限公司 | Pre-shutdown control method and device and refrigeration equipment |
Family Cites Families (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR1543666A (en) * | 1966-10-26 | 1900-01-01 | Method for temperature regulation of refrigerating or similar apparatus | |
KR930011902B1 (en) * | 1991-04-03 | 1993-12-22 | 삼성전자 주식회사 | Cleaning apparatus for glass substrate |
KR0129507B1 (en) * | 1993-08-09 | 1998-04-08 | 김광호 | Tamper control method of a refrigerator |
KR0138049B1 (en) * | 1994-03-31 | 1998-07-01 | 김광호 | Control method of compressor running velocity for a refrigerator |
CA2160338C (en) * | 1994-10-13 | 2003-09-23 | Kenneth W. Oden | Electronic refrigeration control system |
KR100191499B1 (en) * | 1994-11-17 | 1999-06-15 | 윤종용 | Operation control apparatus of a refrigerator and method thereof |
IT1301875B1 (en) * | 1998-07-29 | 2000-07-07 | Whirlpool Co | SELF-ADAPTIVE CONTROL FOR THE REGULATION OF REFRIGERATORS AND FREEZERS |
SE513258C2 (en) * | 1998-11-05 | 2000-08-07 | Electrolux Ab | Method and apparatus for controlling a temperature in a cabinet |
EP1030147B1 (en) * | 1999-02-19 | 2004-04-07 | Ranco Incorporated of Delaware | Controller and method for controlling the temperature in a refrigerator |
TR200103799T2 (en) * | 1999-06-04 | 2002-06-21 | Arçeli̇k Anoni̇m Şi̇rketi̇ | Refrigerator working in economical mode. |
US6233957B1 (en) * | 1999-06-07 | 2001-05-22 | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. | Vehicular air conditioner |
US20020095269A1 (en) * | 2001-01-17 | 2002-07-18 | Francesco Natalini | System for monitoring and servicing appliances |
KR100442276B1 (en) * | 2002-07-24 | 2004-07-30 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Method for controlling compressor in refrigerator |
EP1524484A1 (en) * | 2003-10-16 | 2005-04-20 | Whirlpool Corporation | Refrigerator |
KR20060110687A (en) * | 2005-04-21 | 2006-10-25 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Method of controlling refrigerator |
-
2004
- 2004-05-04 BR BR0402012-0A patent/BRPI0402012A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
-
2005
- 2005-04-29 US US11/568,655 patent/US20080115516A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2005-04-29 MX MXPA06012912A patent/MXPA06012912A/en unknown
- 2005-04-29 EP EP05736439A patent/EP1756494A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2005-04-29 WO PCT/BR2005/000067 patent/WO2005106364A1/en active Application Filing
- 2005-05-02 AR ARP050101735A patent/AR049040A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See references of WO2005106364A1 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
MXPA06012912A (en) | 2007-04-30 |
US20080115516A1 (en) | 2008-05-22 |
WO2005106364A1 (en) | 2005-11-10 |
BRPI0402012A (en) | 2005-12-20 |
AR049040A1 (en) | 2006-06-21 |
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Legal Events
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PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
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17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20061106 |
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AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): DE ES FR GB IT PL |
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RBV | Designated contracting states (corrected) |
Designated state(s): DE ES FR GB IT PL |
|
RIN1 | Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected) |
Inventor name: SCHMID, ALEXANDRE CURY Inventor name: MEZAVILA, MOACYR, MARANGONE Inventor name: PIMENTEL, FABIO RIBEIRO |
|
DAX | Request for extension of the european patent (deleted) | ||
RBV | Designated contracting states (corrected) |
Designated state(s): DE ES FR GB IT PL |
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17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20110502 |
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STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN |
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18D | Application deemed to be withdrawn |
Effective date: 20110913 |