EP2413075B1 - Réfrigérateur et procédé pour son contrôle - Google Patents

Réfrigérateur et procédé pour son contrôle Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2413075B1
EP2413075B1 EP11175667.2A EP11175667A EP2413075B1 EP 2413075 B1 EP2413075 B1 EP 2413075B1 EP 11175667 A EP11175667 A EP 11175667A EP 2413075 B1 EP2413075 B1 EP 2413075B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
light
evaporator
refrigerator
frost
receiving unit
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.)
Active
Application number
EP11175667.2A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP2413075A2 (fr
EP2413075A3 (fr
Inventor
Yongjoo Park
Yonghwan Eom
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
LG Electronics Inc
Original Assignee
LG Electronics Inc
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from KR1020100073368A external-priority patent/KR101678437B1/ko
Priority claimed from KR1020100073369A external-priority patent/KR20120011522A/ko
Application filed by LG Electronics Inc filed Critical LG Electronics Inc
Publication of EP2413075A2 publication Critical patent/EP2413075A2/fr
Publication of EP2413075A3 publication Critical patent/EP2413075A3/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2413075B1 publication Critical patent/EP2413075B1/fr
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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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
    • F25D21/00—Defrosting; Preventing frosting; Removing condensed or defrost water
    • F25D21/02—Detecting the presence of frost or condensate
    • 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
    • F25D21/00—Defrosting; Preventing frosting; Removing condensed or defrost water
    • F25D21/002—Defroster control
    • F25D21/006—Defroster control with electronic control circuits
    • 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
    • F25D21/00—Defrosting; Preventing frosting; Removing condensed or defrost water
    • F25D21/06—Removing frost
    • F25D21/08—Removing frost by electric heating

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to refrigerators, and more particularly, to a refrigerator which can measure an amount of frost on an evaporator in real time and determine a frost removing time; and a method for controlling the same.
  • the refrigerator is an appliance for storing goods at a low temperature for long time fresh storage of food, wherein the goods are stored in a frozen state or a refrigerated state depending on a state of the goods intended to store.
  • Cold air to be supplied to the refrigerator is produced by heat exchange of refrigerant which is kept supplied to the refrigerator as a cycle of compression-condensation-expansion-evaporation is performed repeatedly, and provided to an inside of the refrigerator uniformly by convection, enabling to store the food in the refrigerator at a desired temperature.
  • refrigerators there are general type refrigerators, side by side door type refrigerators, and bottom freezer type refrigerators depending on a structure of a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber.
  • the general type refrigerator has a structure in which the freezing chamber is positioned on an upper side and the refrigerating chamber is positioned on a lower side, and the side by side door type refrigerator has a structure in which the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber are arranged side by side in a left to right direction.
  • the bottom freezer type refrigerator is a type currently used in the U.S.A. and the Europe mostly, and has the refrigerating chamber greater than the freezing chamber positioned on the upper side while the freezing chamber is positioned on the lower side.
  • the refrigerator is provided with a body having at least one storage space for low temperature storage of food and a door rotatably mounted to the body for selective opening/closing of the storage space.
  • the storage space of the refrigerator is partitioned into the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber, and, in rear of the storage space, there are an evaporator for making heat exchange with air in the storage space to produce cold air, and a fan for introducing the air from the storage space to the evaporator, and blowing the cold air having heat exchanged thus to the storage space, again.
  • the evaporator in the cycle makes heat exchange between the air circulating in the storage space and the refrigerant, to form condensed water on a surface thereof in a process of making heat exchange with the air which circulates the storage space because a surface temperature of the evaporator is lower than a room temperature.
  • the frost removal time predicted with reference to the door open time and the operation times of the storage space has a problem in that, in actual conditions of use of the refrigerator, the frost removal heater comes into operation at a time no frost removal is required actually, or the frost removal heater does not come into operation even if the frost removal is required.
  • the related prior art concerning with the refrigerators and its defrosting can be found for example in the following documents: EP0066862A1 , GB2143945A , JP2010060177A , US2005/189493A1 , WO84/01019A1 , US4593533A and WO83/00211A1 .
  • the optical sensor can be arranged over or under the evaporator.
  • the optical sensor can be arranged such that the evaporator is positioned between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit.
  • control unit can put the frost removal heater into operation only if the quantity of the light received at the light receiving unit is smaller than a reference value.
  • the light emitting unit of the optical sensor can include an infrared light emitting diode.
  • the bracket has a channel shaped section.
  • control unit can put the frost removal heater into operation only if the quantity of the light received at the light receiving unit is smaller than a reference value.
  • the step (b) can include the step of receiving a light reflected at the evaporator.
  • the frost removal can be performed if the quantity of the light passed thus is smaller than a reference value.
  • a refrigerator 1 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is applicable to all refrigerators of various types (For an example, a general type, a side by side door type, or a bottom freezer type), the refrigerator 1 will be described taking the side by side door type refrigerator having a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber positioned side by side in a left to right direction to be opened/closed by respective doors selectively as an example.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a side by side door type refrigerator in a case a first door 20 and a second door 30 are mounted to the body 10 for opening/closing a left side storage space and a right side storage space, respectively.
  • the refrigerator 1 can further include a dispenser 21 provided to the door 20 or 30 for dispensing purified water or ice to an outside of the refrigerator directly, and a home bar 31 for placing or storage of a certain amount of food or food containers therein, conveniently.
  • At least one basket 33 and one storage box 32 can be mounted.
  • the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber 40 have a plurality of shelves 41 provided to inside spaces thereof for placing the food or the food container thereon, thereby partitioning the inside spaces of the freezing chamber and refrigerating chamber 40 into a plurality of tiers to form a plurality of storage spaces. And, the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber 40 can have drawers 42 for holding food, such as vegetable and fruit.
  • the refrigerator stores not only the vegetable and the fruit, but also meat, fish, various food materials and cooked food, and since the body 10 has the plurality of storage spaces with the shelves and the drawers, the food can be stored separately for each kind of food.
  • a cold air producing chamber (No reference numeral is given) having the evaporator 60 placed therein for making heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air in the storage space.
  • the cold air producing chamber has a fan 50 for discharging the cold air produced by the evaporator 60 to the storage space 40, the frost removal heater 70 for removing frost from the evaporator 60, and a drain portion 80 under the frost removal heater 70 for collecting water of the frost.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a control unit in a refrigerator in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • FIGS. 4 to 7 illustrate schematic views showing mounting positions of an optical sensor in a refrigerator in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention respectively
  • FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate graphs for describing a method for determining a frost removing time in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • the evaporator 60 in the cycle of the refrigerator 1 makes heat exchange between the air circulating the storage space and the refrigerant, and since the surface temperature of the evaporator 60 is lower than the room temperature, the condensed water is formed on the surface of the evaporator 60 in a heat exchange process with the air which circulates the storage space.
  • the condensed water freezes on the surface of the evaporator 60 into the frost, and if the frost accumulates on the surface of the evaporator 60, a problem causes in that heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator 60 becomes poor.
  • the frost removal heater 70 is mounted to one side of the evaporator 60, for removing the frost from the surface of the evaporator 60 by operating the frost removal heater 70.
  • the frost is formed on the evaporator 60, the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator 60 becomes poor. And, it is important to detect an amount of the frost on the evaporator 60 in real time to determine an accurate frost removal time for reducing power consumption caused by unnecessary frost removal operation and a number of temperature rise times of the storage space.
  • the control unit 200 can put the frost removing heater 70 into operation.
  • the light emitting unit 110 of the optical sensor 100 can be a light source for emitting a light of an infrared wavelength or an ultrasonic wavelength, preferably, can include an infrared light emitting diode.
  • the evaporator 60 includes a refrigerant tube 61 for the refrigerant to flow therethrough and a plurality of fins 62 in contact with the refrigerant tube for increasing a heat exchange area.
  • the optical sensor can be mounted over the evaporator 60. That is, both the light emitting unit 110 and the light receiving unit 120 can be arranged at positions spaced predetermined distances away from a top of the evaporator 60, respectively.
  • the optical sensor 100 senses the quantity of the light which is directed to evaporator, reflected at the frost F on the evaporator, and received at the light receiving unit 120, and the control unit 200 determines a frost removing time with reference to the quantity of light received at the light receiving unit 120, and puts the frost removing heater 70 into operation.
  • the optical sensor 100 can be arranged under the evaporator 60. That is, both the light emitting unit 110 and the light receiving unit 120 can be arranged at positions spaced predetermined distances away from a bottom of the evaporator 60, respectively.
  • the optical sensor 100 can be arranged such that the evaporator 60 is positioned between the light emitting unit 110 and the light receiving unit 120.
  • the light emitting unit 110 is arranged over the evaporator 60, and the light receiving unit 120 is arranged under the evaporator, or vice versa.
  • the light emitting unit 110 is arranged in front of the evaporator 60, and the light receiving unit 120 is arranged in rear of the evaporator, or vice versa.
  • the control unit 200 can put the frost removing heater 70 into operation.
  • the body structure can be applicable in a case the evaporator 60 is arranged between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit of the optical sensor, and the body can have a channel shaped section, actually.
  • the control unit can operate the frost removal heater in a case the quantity of the light received at the light receiving unit is smaller than the reference value.
  • the method for controlling a refrigerator includes the steps of (a) directing a light to an evaporator (S102), (b) receiving the light passed through the evaporator (S103), and performing frost removal with reference to a quantity of the light received thus (S104 and S105).
  • Power consumption caused by unnecessary frost removal can be reduced, and a number of temperature rise times of the storage space can be reduced.

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  • 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)
  • Defrosting Systems (AREA)

Claims (14)

  1. Réfrigérateur (1) comprenant :
    un corps (10) ayant au moins un espace de stockage (40) pour un stockage à basse température ;
    un compresseur (90) dans le corps (10) pour comprimer un fluide frigorigène ;
    un évaporateur (60) pour réaliser un échange de chaleur avec le fluide frigorigène du compresseur (90) et de l'air dans l'espace de stockage (40), l'évaporateur (60) comprenant un tube de fluide frigorigène (61) ayant des sections qui sont agencées horizontalement et une pluralité d'ailettes (62) agencées dans une direction verticale en contact avec le tube de fluide frigorigène (61) ;
    un élément chauffant d'élimination de givre (70) pour éliminer du givre (F) de l'évaporateur (60) ;
    un capteur optique (100) ayant une unité d'émission de lumière (110) pour orienter une lumière vers l'évaporateur (60) et une unité de réception de lumière (120) pour recevoir la lumière de l'unité d'émission de lumière (110) ;
    un support (130) qui raccorde le capteur optique (100) à l'évaporateur (60) ; et une unité de commande (200) pour commander un fonctionnement de l'élément chauffant d'élimination de givre (70) en référence à une quantité de la lumière reçue au niveau de l'unité de réception de lumière (120),
    dans lequel le support (130) comprend :
    un corps (131) qui s'étend dans une direction verticale de l'évaporateur (60) et a une pluralité de fentes (132) dans lesquelles le tube de fluide frigorigène (61) de l'évaporateur (60) est positionné, dans lequel la pluralité de fentes (132) sont espacées dans une direction verticale et reçoivent des sections différentes du tube de fluide frigorigène (61) qui sont séparées les unes des autres dans la direction verticale, et chaque fente (132) a une ouverture de côté et présente une élasticité et la pluralité de fentes (132) sont montées amovibles sur le tube de fluide frigorigène (61), et
    une portion de montage (133), qui est fléchie vers l'intérieur depuis une extrémité ou les deux extrémités du corps (131), sur laquelle l'unité d'émission de lumière (110) et l'unité de réception de lumière (120) sont montées dans une orientation dans laquelle le capteur optique (100) est face à l'évaporateur (60), la portion de montage (133) étant disposée de manière à ce qu'une distance (d) entre le capteur optique (100) et l'évaporateur (60) soit conservée de façon fixe.
  2. Réfrigérateur (1) selon la revendication 1, dans lequel le capteur optique (100) est agencé sur ou sous l'évaporateur (60).
  3. Réfrigérateur (1) selon la revendication 2, dans lequel l'unité de commande (200) met l'élément chauffant d'élimination de givre (70) en fonctionnement uniquement si la quantité de la lumière reçue au niveau de l'unité de réception de lumière (120) est la même ou est supérieure à une valeur de référence.
  4. Réfrigérateur (1) selon la revendication 1, dans lequel le capteur optique (100) est agencé de sorte que l'évaporateur (60) soit positionné entre l'unité d'émission de lumière (110) et l'unité de réception de lumière (120).
  5. Réfrigérateur (1) selon la revendication 4, dans lequel l'unité de commande (200) met l'élément chauffant d'élimination de givre (70) en fonctionnement uniquement si la quantité de la lumière reçue au niveau de l'unité de réception de lumière (120) est la même ou est inférieure à une valeur de référence.
  6. Réfrigérateur (1) selon la revendication 1, dans lequel l'unité d'émission de lumière (110) du capteur optique (100) comporte une diode électroluminescente infrarouge.
  7. Réfrigérateur (1) selon la revendication 1, dans lequel l'unité de commande (200) est configurée pour déterminer un temps d'élimination de givre en référence à la quantité de lumière reçue au niveau de l'unité de réception de lumière (120) et mettre l'élément chauffant d'élimination de givre (70) en fonctionnement conformément au temps d'élimination de givre déterminé.
  8. Réfrigérateur (1) selon la revendication 1, dans lequel l'unité de commande (200) met l'élément chauffant d'élimination de givre (70) en fonctionnement uniquement si la quantité de la lumière reçue au niveau de l'unité de réception de lumière (120) est supérieure à une valeur de référence.
  9. Réfrigérateur (1) selon la revendication 1, dans lequel la portion de montage (133) comprend des portions de montage (133) qui sont fléchies vers l'intérieur depuis les deux extrémités du corps (131) pour monter l'unité d'émission de lumière (110) et l'unité de réception de lumière (120),
    dans lequel le corps (131) a une extrémité avec l'unité d'émission de lumière (110) montée sur celle-ci et l'autre extrémité avec l'unité de réception de lumière montée sur celle-ci (120).
  10. Réfrigérateur (1) selon la revendication 9, dans lequel l'unité de commande (200) met l'élément chauffant d'élimination de givre (70) en fonctionnement uniquement si la quantité de la lumière reçue au niveau de l'unité de réception de lumière (120) est la même ou est inférieure à une valeur de référence.
  11. Procédé de commande d'un réfrigérateur (1) selon la revendication 1, comprenant les étapes de :
    (a) orientation d'une lumière vers l'évaporateur (60) ;
    (b) réception de la lumière de l'évaporateur (60) ; et
    (c) élimination de givre (F) conformément à une quantité de la lumière reçue.
  12. Procédé selon la revendication 11, dans lequel l'étape (a) comporte l'étape d'orientation d'une lumière avec une diode électroluminescente infrarouge.
  13. Procédé selon la revendication 11, dans lequel l'étape (b) comporte l'étape de réception d'une lumière réfléchie au niveau de l'évaporateur (60) et
    l'étape (c) comporte l'étape d'élimination du givre (F) qui est réalisée si la quantité de la lumière ainsi réfléchie est la même ou est supérieure à une valeur de référence.
  14. Procédé selon la revendication 11, dans lequel l'étape (b) comporte l'étape de réception d'une lumière qui est passée à travers l'évaporateur (60) et l'étape (c) comporte l'étape d'élimination du givre (F) qui est réalisée si la quantité de la lumière ainsi passée est la même ou est inférieure à une valeur de référence.
EP11175667.2A 2010-07-29 2011-07-27 Réfrigérateur et procédé pour son contrôle Active EP2413075B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
KR1020100073368A KR101678437B1 (ko) 2010-07-29 2010-07-29 냉장고
KR1020100073369A KR20120011522A (ko) 2010-07-29 2010-07-29 냉장고 및 이의 제어방법

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2413075A2 EP2413075A2 (fr) 2012-02-01
EP2413075A3 EP2413075A3 (fr) 2016-11-23
EP2413075B1 true EP2413075B1 (fr) 2021-02-17

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP11175667.2A Active EP2413075B1 (fr) 2010-07-29 2011-07-27 Réfrigérateur et procédé pour son contrôle

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US (1) US20120023974A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP2413075B1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9657983B2 (en) * 2013-08-26 2017-05-23 Sinjin Enertec Co., Ltd. Apparatus for defrosting evaporator in refrigeration system using infrared emitting diode sensor
US9459038B1 (en) * 2015-03-04 2016-10-04 Robert Michael Read System for defrost termination
KR102292004B1 (ko) * 2017-04-11 2021-08-23 엘지전자 주식회사 냉장고
CN112050541B (zh) * 2020-09-04 2021-08-24 珠海格力电器股份有限公司 一种制冷机组、化霜控制方法和装置

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US3745786A (en) * 1971-12-01 1973-07-17 Whirlpool Co Refrigeration apparatus
US4593533A (en) * 1974-12-05 1986-06-10 Alsenz Richard H Method and apparatus for detecting and controlling the formation of ice or frost
US4232528A (en) * 1978-03-16 1980-11-11 Emerson Electric Co. Frost detector
US4409795A (en) * 1981-04-03 1983-10-18 Russell Coil Company Demand defrost system
DE3175212D1 (en) * 1981-06-26 1986-10-02 Richard H Alsenz Refrigerator defrost control
WO1984001019A1 (fr) * 1982-08-27 1984-03-15 Richard H Alsenz Appareil optique ameliore de degivrage
GB2143945B (en) * 1983-07-26 1986-11-19 Agriculture Fisheries And Food Frost sensor
US4860551A (en) * 1987-12-29 1989-08-29 Whirlpool Corporation Frost sensor for an appliance
US7337621B2 (en) * 2004-01-07 2008-03-04 Bbc Enterprises, Inc. Optical frost sensor
KR100986350B1 (ko) * 2007-12-12 2010-10-08 현대자동차주식회사 차량용 에어컨의 응축수 가이드유닛
JP5197244B2 (ja) * 2008-09-02 2013-05-15 三菱電機株式会社 冷凍サイクル装置、冷凍装置及び空気調和装置

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US20120023974A1 (en) 2012-02-02
EP2413075A2 (fr) 2012-02-01
EP2413075A3 (fr) 2016-11-23

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