EP3250867A1

EP3250867A1 - A refrigerator comprising a temperature sensor

Info

Publication number: EP3250867A1
Application number: EP16704144.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Yusuf KUYUMCU; Ismail MAVI; Ahmet Ihsan Yuce
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2015-01-30
Filing date: 2016-01-28
Publication date: 2017-12-06
Also published as: WO2016120386A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator (1) comprising a cabin (2) wherein the foodstuffs to be cooled are placed; at least one transmitter (3) that sends sound waves onto the air circulating inside the cabin (2); at least one receiver (4) that receives the sound waves sent by the transmitter (3) and a control unit (9) that calculates the mean temperature of the air through which the sound waves moves by measuring the time period that elapses until the sound waves sent by the transmitter (3) reach the receiver (4).

Description

A REFRIGERATOR COMPRISING A TEMPERATURE SENSOR

The present invention relates to a refrigerator comprising a temperature sensor.
In refrigerators, the operation of the compressor is controlled according to the data received from the temperature sensor disposed in the cabin wherein the foodstuffs are placed and thus the temperature of the cabin is adjusted. In order to maintain the freshness of the foodstuffs for a long time, the temperature of the cabin interior must be always kept at ideal values. The foodstuffs being placed on the shelves in different manners creates an inhomogeneous temperature distribution in the cabin and causes the actual temperature value of the cabin to be measured erroneously and the cabin to be cooled excessively or insufficiently. Therefore, the storage lives of the foodstuffs in the cabin shorten, which causes customer dissatisfaction. Moreover, that the temperature sensors in the cabin are blocked by the foodstuffs or the food recipients causes operational errors such as the delayed detection of the temperature variation.
In the state of the art Netherlands Patent Application No. NL9202016, a system is disclosed wherein the temperature distribution of the cabin is determined by means of the ultrasonic transducers disposed in two opposite rows in a refrigeration chamber.
The aim of the present invention is the realization of a refrigerator the cooling performance of which is not affected by different loading conditions.
The refrigerator realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof comprises a cabin wherein the foodstuffs to be cooled are placed; at least one transmitter that sends sound waves onto the air circulating in the cabin; at least one receiver that receives the sound waves sent by the transmitter; a control unit that calculates the mean temperature of the air through which the sound waves moves by measuring the time period that elapses until the sound waves sent by the transmitter reach the receiver, and a channel that extends on any wall of the cabin and wherein the cabin air fills and the at least one transmitter and the at least one receiver are placed. The sound waves sent by the transmitter moves through the air filling into the channel and having a variable temperature distribution and reaches the receiver. The speed of the sound waves reaching the receiver is measured by the control unit and thus the mean temperature of the air of the cabin volume wherein the channel opens is determined. According to the determined temperature value, the operational status of the cooling elements such as compressor, fan, etc. that provides the cooling of the cabin is controlled.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the channel opens into the compartments separated from each other by at least one shelf whereon the foodstuffs are placed. By means of the channel extending along the shelves, the mean temperatures of different compartments are measured and the temperature variation occurring in any compartment can be detected.
In an embodiment of the present invention, one receiver and one transmitter are oppositely disposed in the channel, each at one end of the channel. The sound waves passes the channel from end to end and thus the mean temperature of the cabin volume wherein the channel opens can be measured by a single temperature sensor composed of the receiver and the transmitter.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a sensor composed of the receiver and the transmitter is disposed at one end of the channel and a reflector that reflects the sound waves emitted by the transmitter towards the receiver is disposed at the other end. Since the sound waves reflected from the reflector covers a longer distance in the channel, the temperature sensor can be carried out more precisely.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the light sources providing the illumination of the compartments are disposed in the channel. Thus, it is not needed to create an additional channel for disposing the receiver and the transmitter, thereby providing an easy and cost-effective production.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the channel is closed with a lid that has openings providing air flow into the channel. Thus, errors that may occur due to the sound waves sent by the transmitter being blocked by external obstacles are avoided.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the receiver and the transmitter are an ultrasonic sensor pair.
By means of the present invention, operational errors that may occur due to the temperature sensors disposed in the cabin performing measurement at a single point are eliminated and user errors originating from excessive loading are prevented.
The refrigerator realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:
Figure 1 – is the perspective view of the refrigerator related to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 – is the perspective view of the refrigerator related to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 – is the perspective view of the refrigerator related to another embodiment of the present invention.
The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

Refrigerator
Cabin
Transmitter
Receiver
Reflector
Channel
Shelf
Compartment
Control unit
Light source

The refrigerator (1) comprises a cabin (2) wherein the foodstuffs to be cooled are placed; at least one transmitter (3) that sends sound waves onto the air circulating inside the cabin (2); at least one receiver (4) that receives the sound waves sent by the transmitter (3) and a control unit (9) that calculates the mean temperature of the air through which the sound waves moves by measuring the time period that elapses until the sound waves sent by the transmitter (3) reach the receiver (4). Depending on the inhomogeneous temperature distribution of the cabin (2), the sound waves emitted by the transmitter (3) moves through the portions of the air at different temperatures until they reach the receiver (4). Since the speed of the sound waves changes in the air streams at different temperatures, the time period that elapses until the sound waves sent by the transmitter (3) reach the receiver (4) varies. The control unit (9) calculates the temperature values corresponding to different time periods and thus determines the mean temperature of the cabin (2). According to the determined cabin (2) temperature, the operational status of the cooling elements such as compressor, fan, etc. is controlled.
The refrigerator (1) of the present invention comprises a channel (6) that is arranged on any wall of the cabin (2) and wherein the at least one receiver (4) and the at least one transmitter (3) are disposed and wherein the sound waves sent by the transmitter (3) move inside until they reach the receiver (4). The channel (6) is shaped as a groove wherein the air circulating inside the cabin (2) fills. The sound waves sent by the transmitter (3) move through the air filling into the channel (6) and having a variable temperature distribution corresponding to the different regions of the cabin (2) and reaches the receiver (4). The speed of the sound waves moving through the channel (6) is measured by the control unit (9) and thus the mean temperature of the air filling the cabin region wherein the channel (6) opens is determined. Since the measurement is performed on the air filling into the channel (6), the cabin (2) temperature can be accurately calculated independently from different loading conditions.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator (1) comprises at least one shelf (7) whereon the foodstuffs are placed, at least two compartments (8) that are separated by the shelf (7) and the channel (6) that extends along at least one compartment (8). The mean temperatures of the compartments (8) can be measured with the air between the shelves (7) at different temperatures filling into the channel (6) and by means of the receiver (4) -transmitter (3) pairs related to separate compartments (8), the temperature variation in any compartment (8) can be quickly detected.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a receiver (4) is disposed at one of the channel (6) and a transmitter (3) at the other end. The sound waves sent by the transmitter (3) move all along the channel (6) and reach the receiver (4) and thus the mean temperature of all the compartments (8) extending along the channel (6) can be determined by means of a single sensor pair.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the receiver (4) and the transmitter (3) are disposed at one end of the channel (6) and a reflector (5) that reflects the sound waves emitted by the transmitter (3) towards the receiver (4) is disposed at the other end. With the reflector (5) reflecting the incoming sound waves towards the receiver (4) located at the other end, the distance the sound waves cover inside the channel (6) is doubled and the temperature can be measured more precisely.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator (1) comprises at least one light source (10) that provides the illumination of the cabin (2) and the channel (6) wherein the light source (10) is disposed. The light sources (10) are disposed into the channel (6) that extends along the compartments (8) on the rear wall. Since the temperature measurement and the illumination are performed inside the channel (6), it is not needed to create a separate housing on the wall for the light sources (10), thus providing ease of production.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator (1) comprises a lid that covers the channel (6) and that has openings enabling the air in the cabin (2) to reach into the channel (6). On the lid, openings in form of holes or a grill are arranged between every two shelves (7) or between the shelf (7) and the cabin (2) ceiling. The air inside each compartment (8) fills into the channel (6) by means of these openings. By means of the lid, errors that may occur due to external materials such as foodstuffs and food recipients blocking the channel (6) are eliminated.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the receiver (4) and the transmitter (3) are an ultrasonic sensor pair.
By means of the present invention, temperatures variations inside the cabin (2) are enabled to be quickly and accurately detected independently from the loading conditions. Thus, the thermodynamic performance of the refrigerator (1) is improved.

Claims

A refrigerator (1) comprising a cabin (2) wherein the foodstuffs to be cooled are placed; at least one transmitter (3) that sends sound waves onto the air circulating inside the cabin (2); at least one receiver (4) that receives the sound waves sent by the transmitter (3) and a control unit (9) that calculates the mean temperature of the air through which the sound waves moves by measuring the time period that elapses until the sound waves sent by the transmitter (3) reach the receiver (4), characterized by a channel (6) that is arranged on any wall of the cabin (2) and wherein the at least one receiver (4) and the at least one transmitter (3) are disposed and wherein the sound waves sent by the transmitter (3) move inside until they reach the receiver (4).
A refrigerator (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by at least one shelf (7) whereon the foodstuffs are placed, at least two compartments (8) that are separated by the shelf (7) and the channel (6) that extends along at least one compartment (8).
A refrigerator (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the channel (6) at one end of which a receiver (4) is disposed and at the other end of which a transmitter (3) is disposed.
A refrigerator (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the channel (6) at one end of which the receiver (4) and the transmitter (3) are disposed and at the other end of which a reflector (5) that reflects the sound waves emitted by the transmitter (3) towards the receiver (4) is disposed.
A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by at least one light source (10) that provides the illumination of the cabin (2) and the channel (6) wherein the light source (10) is disposed.
A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by a lid that covers the channel (6) and that has more than one opening enabling the air in the cabin (2) to reach into the channel (6).
A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the receiver (4) and the transmitter (3) that are an ultrasonic sensor pair.