ITTO20090193A1 - METHOD OF OPERATION FOR A DOMESTIC REFRIGERANT EQUIPMENT AND TO A DOMESTIC REFRIGERANT APPARATUS THAT REALIZES THIS METHOD. - Google Patents

Description

â € œMETHOD OF OPERATION FOR A DOMESTIC REFRIGERANT APPARATUS AND A DOMESTIC REFRIGERANT APPARATUS THAT REALIZES THIS METHODâ €

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to an operating method for a domestic refrigerating apparatus and to a domestic refrigerating apparatus which carries out this method.

It should be noted that the term domestic refrigerating apparatus is intended to indicate in this description and in the subsequent claims, those refrigeration appliances comprising a first compartment typically cooled to a temperature between 0 ° C and 12 ° C (commonly called compartment refrigerator) and a second compartment typically cooled to a lower temperature between â € “12 ° C and â €“ 35 ° C (commonly called the freezer compartment).

More specifically, the present invention is aimed at those refrigeration apparatuses commonly known as no-frost, in which the cooling of the foodstuffs in the two cells is guaranteed by cold air conveyed by a forced ventilation system; the circulating air is cooled by an evaporation exchanger, or evaporator, by means of heat exchange with a colder refrigerant which circulates inside a refrigeration circuit comprising at least one compressor, a condenser and an expansion valve.

A frost-free domestic refrigeration apparatus, as just described, typically has an operating noise mainly determined by two components: the compressor and the fan of the forced ventilation system; between the two the noise generated by the compressor is certainly more influential (in terms of the noise perceived in the environment in which the apparatus is placed), since the fan is placed inside the apparatus, in correspondence with the ducts that bring the cold air into circulation in the two compartments.

The compressor, in fact, during the normal functioning of the apparatus comes into operation every time it is necessary to produce cold air to maintain the pre-set temperature inside the cells: from tests carried out the frequency of intervention of the compressor, in an apparatus refrigerant placed in an environment at 25 ° C and with the access doors to the cold rooms closed, it is approximately estimated in thirty minutes of consecutive operation every hour.

It is therefore easy to understand how the frequent activation of the compressor is a source of disturbance, in particular in all those situations in which it is necessary to reduce the sources of noise, such as during the night.

At the state of the art some solutions have been devised, such as the one described in the patent KR2001-0081331 in the name of SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD in which in order to reduce the noise of the apparatus in pre-established periods of time it is planned to vary the operating parameters of the compressor, adjusting its intervention with a timer or a brightness sensor.

However, this solution does not prove to be optimal, as the compressor intervention, although operating at a lower speed, is still necessary to keep the compartments at a predetermined operating temperature, and therefore if the need for silence is practically total (think of the case of a refrigeration unit placed in a one-room or two-room apartment, which is close to the bed).

The present invention aims to solve these and other drawbacks of the systems of the prior art by means of an operating method for a domestic refrigerating apparatus according to claim 1.

The present invention also relates to a domestic refrigerating apparatus which carries out this method.

The idea behind the present invention is to use the freezer compartment (i.e. the one with the lowest temperature between it and the refrigerator compartment) as a tank from which to draw cold air which is conveyed into the refrigerator compartment (at a higher temperature) to in order to keep it at a predetermined temperature, for example constant, by keeping the compressor deactivated, after having brought the freezer compartment to a temperature lower than that of normal operation, a situation that does not affect the conservation quality of the food present in this compartment.

In this way it is advantageously possible to keep the compressor off for a long period of time, approximately from three to eight consecutive hours, avoiding the generation of noise connected to the operation of the compressor.

Further advantageous characteristics are the subject of the attached claims, which are intended as an integral part of the present text.

These characteristics and further advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the description of an embodiment thereof shown in the attached drawings, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, in which:

fig. 1 illustrates a domestic refrigerating apparatus; fig. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of the method of the present invention;

fig. 3 illustrates the temporal trend of the temperatures in the refrigerator compartment and in the freezer compartment in an operating cycle according to the present invention.

In fig. 1 shows a refrigerating apparatus 1 of the no-frost type, described above; it comprises a refrigerator compartment 2 and a freezer compartment 3, in fluid communication with the evaporator 4 of the refrigeration circuit and a fan 5; the air put into circulation by the fan 5 touches the evaporator 4 and cools, and is then introduced into the freezer compartment 3 to cool it, from where it then passes through the ducting 6 into the refrigerator compartment 2, to cool and remove humidity also to this too; in this case circulation can be guaranteed by a second fan 12 placed at the end of the channel 6; however, it should be noted right now that fan 12 is optional, in the sense that it may not even be provided.

The flow rate of the air flow coming from the freezer compartment 3 and directed to the refrigerator compartment is regulated by means of an on-off valve 8 placed in the duct 6 (commonly called by technicians in the sector with the name of `` damper ''), shown here in the form simpler, like a shutter that intercepts the light from ducting 6.

The position of the shut-off valve 8 can vary according to the construction needs, it can generally be placed in any point of the duct 6 that carries the air from the freezer compartment to the refrigerator compartment: for example in the case in which the fan 12 If it is absent, the shut-off valve is mounted in its place, ie in the part of the ducting closest to the refrigerator compartment.

The forced circulation of the air is designed so that as it exits the refrigerator compartment 2 it returns to the freezer compartment 3 through a further return duct (not shown for reasons of clarity) which connects the refrigerator compartment with fluid. freezer, so as to be cooled again by evaporator 4 and restart a new cycle.

Obviously, an on-off valve can also be provided on the air return duct, however the characteristics of this return duct and its on-off valve are not important in order to understand the present invention, as they can vary according to the construction requirements. .

Evaporator 4 is part of the refrigeration circuit, of a type known per se, and also comprising a compressor 9, a lamination valve 10 and a condenser 11 and the connecting pipes between these (indicated by the dash-point line in the figure ).

Again in fig. 1 you can see the shelves 13 commonly provided in the compartments 2 and 3, the closing doors 14 and 15 of the latter, and two temperature sensors 17 and 18 located respectively in the refrigerator compartment 2 and in the freezer compartment 3, suitable for detecting the air temperature, respectively Tfe Tc, in the latter.

The fans 5 and 12 and the shut-off valve 8 are each driven by a relative electric motor (not shown) controlled by a control unit (also not shown) which receives the temperature data detected by the sensors 17 and 18 and controls the operation of the refrigeration cycle, for example by controlling the operation of compressor 9.

Obviously, in all generality, the presence of an additional compartment does not affect the method of operation of the apparatus.

During the normal operating cycle, the control unit receives the temperatures Tfe Tcr detected by sensors 17 and 18 respectively and consequently controls the compressor 9, the fans 5 and 12 (where present) and the shut-off valve 8 so as to maintain the temperatures in the two compartments 2 and 3 within predetermined values: typically in the refrigerator compartment 2 the average temperature can be set between 2 ° C and 12 ° C, while in the freezer compartment 3 the average temperature can be set between -18 ° C and -26 ° C with an oscillation, in both compartments, of an amplitude of about 4 ° C around the average value set.

More in detail, during a normal operating cycle, if the sensors 17 and 18 detect a temperature increase in the refrigerator or freezer compartment, the compressor 9 is activated, the fans 5 and 12 are also activated and it is opened (in completely or partially) the on-off valve 8, in order to cool the freezer compartment 3 and to choke the flow of cold air directed from this towards the refrigerator compartment 2, thus regulating its temperature.

In this regard, it should be noted that during the normal operating cycle the fans 5 and 12 are activated and the shut-off valve 8 is brought to the opening condition of the duct 6 only when the compressor 9 is in operation; when the latter is deactivated the fans 5 and 12 are deactivated and the on-off valve 8 closes the duct 6.

The method of operation according to the present invention is based on the execution of at least the following steps:

b) deactivate compressor 9;

c) take a flow of cold air from the freezer compartment 2 and direct it into the refrigerator compartment 3 so as to keep the temperature of the latter within predetermined minimum threshold values Tfmine maximum TfMAX,

and in which the deactivation time interval of the compressor 9 is such that the temperature in the freezer compartment does not rise beyond a pre-established threshold value Ts.

In this way it is possible to regulate the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 2 by drawing cold air from the freezer compartment, without using the compressor, and therefore making the operation of the refrigeration apparatus extremely silent.

Obviously, taking a flow of cold air from the freezer compartment 3 implies that its temperature rises; in this case it will be possible to establish a maximum threshold temperature beyond which compressor 9 intervenes and silent operation is considered terminated.

In order to prolong the period of silent operation (i.e. with the compressor off) of the apparatus, it is planned to carry out, preliminarily to step b) above, a step a), consisting in bringing the temperature of the freezer compartment 2 to a value Tinf lower than the Tcn of normal operation; this is made possible by the fact that a decrease in the temperature in the freezer compartment 3, below that of normal operation Tcn, does not cause damage to the foodstuffs contained therein, and allows the freezer compartment 3 to cool for quite a long time the Air directed to the refrigerator compartment 2 before the temperature rise inside it requires a new intervention of the compressor 9.

In this case, step a) is carried out by making compressor 9 operate for a longer period of time than normal: for example, if in normal operation it is activated for approximately thirty minutes, in this case it can be operated continuously for a period preferably variable between sixty and one hundred and eighty minutes, and in any case in such a way that the temperature in the freezer compartment falls below the normal operating value Tcn (typically è ̈ Tcn = -18 ° C), for example up to a value Tinf variable between -23 ° C and -26 ° C, therefore from five to eight degrees centigrade lower than the Tcn temperature.

In this regard, it should be noted that step a) can be carried out using either the operating time of the compressor or the temperature reached in the freezer compartment as a control quantity: these quantities are proportional to each other, in the sense that the longer the continuous running time of the compressor, the lower the temperature reached in the freezer compartment. For the purposes of the present invention, both solutions can be adopted to carry out step a), i.e. it is possible to choose whether to operate the compressor for a predetermined period of time or, alternatively, to make it work until it is detected that the a temperature threshold in the freezer compartment.

After carrying out step a), regardless of the control value used (time or temperature in the freezer compartment), the compressor 9 is deactivated, starting the silent operation of the apparatus 1: in this situation the sensors 17 and 18 detect at predetermined time intervals (or continuously) the temperature Tfe Tc of the two compartments 2 and 3, transmitting the detected data to the control unit.

In the hypothesis that the doors 14 and 15 remain closed, the two compartments 2 and 3, thanks to the seals present and their insulation, will remain at optimal temperatures for a certain period of time.

However, following the heat exchange with the surrounding environment of apparatus 1, the temperatures in the two compartments 2 and 3 tend to rise.

In particular, after a certain time has elapsed, the temperature Tf in the refrigerator compartment 2 will rise above a set threshold value TfMAX (for example TfMAX = 5 ° C); the temperature Tc in the freezer compartment 3 on the other hand, having been brought in step a) much below the normal operating value (up to the Tinf value), will remain for a long time at a value lower than a predetermined threshold Tsup value, which can be chosen as equal to the normal operating Tcn value (for example Tsup = Tcn = -18 ° C).

When the control unit detects the exceeding of the predetermined threshold temperature TfMAX in the refrigerator compartment 2, it commands the opening of the shut-off valve 8 and activates the fan 5 and (if present) also the fan 12, so as to carry out step c ), taking a flow of cold air from the freezer compartment 3 directing it to the compartment with the highest temperature, i.e. the refrigerator compartment 2, until the latter re-establishes a predetermined temperature, for example equal to the lower threshold value Tfmin, without the compressor help, which is kept deactivated.

Step c) can be carried out several times, at least until the temperature inside the freezer compartment 3 remains below the preset maximum threshold value Tsupp.

In this regard, it should be noted that step c) can be carried out continuously or by means of a certain number of repetitions; in the first case, the shut-off valve 8 always remains at least partially open, and the fans 5 and 12 (if present) are activated (possibly at a variable number of revolutions) based on the temperature values detected in the refrigerator compartment: if the temperature is raises the fan is activated and eventually the valve 8 opens a larger section of the duct 6 (in order to let a greater flow of cold air through) to lower the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 2; when the temperature in the latter is optimal, the fan will be deactivated (or, equivalently, its number of revolutions reduced to a minimum), but the interception valve 6 will remain open.

Alternatively, preferably, step c) is carried out by repeating the steps of opening the valve 8, activating the fan 5 and / or 12, until the threshold temperature Tfmin in the refrigerator compartment is reached, which results in the deactivation of the fan and the closure of valve 8 when the temperature in the refrigerator compartment has reached a predetermined value.

In any case, when the sensor 18 detects that the temperature inside the freezer compartment 3 has reached or exceeded a maximum threshold value (Tcâ ‰ ¥ Tsup), the silent operating cycle is considered to be finished and the compressor 9 is activated again. .

It should be noted that in optimal conditions, i.e. when the apparatus 1 is placed in an environment at about 10 ° C and if the doors 14 and 15 are not open, set the threshold values as follows:

Tinf = -24 ° C

Tsup = -18 ° C

Tfmin = 0 ° C

TfMAX = 4 ° C

it is possible to keep the compressor 9 deactivated for periods of time up to about eight consecutive hours, with a substantial improvement compared to the solutions of the prior art, in which the compressor, although at reduced speeds, still started operating with a higher frequency .

Even in the worst operating conditions, i.e. when the ambient temperature is 35 ° C, it has been found that it is possible to keep the compressor off in this way for periods of time exceeding three consecutive hours, with a marked improvement. towards state-of-the-art systems.

Obviously, multiple openings of the door 15 of the freezer compartment 3 can heavily influence the operating time with the compressor off, however, silent operation at night is often desirable, in which typically the frequency of access to the compartments of the apparatus 1 is relatively low (if at all), and therefore the behavior of a refrigerator that implements this method is judged satisfactory.

The flow diagram of the operation according to the present invention is shown in fig. 2: the operating cycle begins with a first phase of activation of the compressor, which is kept activated for a predetermined time (TIMER END condition) or until the temperature in the freezer compartment Tc decreases until it is substantially equal to the threshold temperature Tinf ( condition Tc = Tinf), after which compressor 9 is deactivated and shut-off valve 8 closes.

The temperature Tf in refrigerator compartment 2 is then detected: as long as it remains below the maximum threshold TfMAX no action is taken.

When the temperature Tfsi rises above the maximum threshold value TfMAX, the temperature Tc in the freezer compartment 3 is checked: if this is lower than the upper threshold value Tsup, the shut-off valve 8 is opened and fan 5 or fan 12 is activated (where present ) in order to make a flow of cold air flow from the freezer compartment 3 to the refrigerator compartment 2, until the temperature in the refrigerator compartment Tf is equal to the lower threshold value Tfmin, in correspondence with which the on-off valve 8 is closed and fan (s) 5 and 12 are deactivated.

If, on the other hand, after the temperature Tfsi is raised above the maximum threshold value TfMAX, it is verified that the temperature Tc in the freezer compartment 3 is greater than the upper threshold value Tsup, then the cycle is considered concluded and compressor 9 is activated, open the on-off valve 8 and activate the fans 5 and 12 to restore the temperatures of the normal operating cycle.

An advantageous variant provides that the threshold temperatures set for the refrigerator compartment 2 are equal to each other, ie that Tfmins is equal to TfMAX.

In this case, operation is in any case similar to that previously described, except that the temperature in the refrigerator compartment will be kept substantially always around a single predetermined value, equal to Tfmin = TfMAX.

In this regard, it should be noted that in this variant there is also a change in the temperature thresholds in the refrigerator compartment during continuous operation of the compressor of phase a): in normal operation, as mentioned above, the cooling of the the refrigerator compartment is controlled in such a way that its temperature fluctuates in an interval having an amplitude of about 4 ° C around a settable average value; in this variant of the method, on the other hand, during phase a) the temperature of the refrigerator compartment is already set on the value Tfmin = TfMAX, i.e. on the temperature threshold value to be maintained during the subsequent phase c), so as to which at the beginning of this last phase the temperature in the refrigerator compartment has already reached the value that must then be maintained during operation with the compressor off.

The achievement and maintenance of this temperature value Tfmin = TfMAX in the refrigerator compartment is obtained by operating the fans 5 and / or 12 and opening and closing the interception valve 8, so as to send a variable cold air flow into the refrigerator compartment, in order to bring it and keep it at the desired temperature Tfmin = TfMAX.

It is important to underline that the solution provided by this variant allows to extend the period of operation in which the compressor remains deactivated and cold air is drawn from the freezer compartment, in fact the more the instantaneous temperature inside the refrigerator compartment is kept constant, the less thermal energy must be used to keep the average temperature constant and therefore the longer the compressor deactivation time will last.

This solution is shown in fig. 3, where the time (in hours) on the abscissas and the temperature on the ordinates can be noted; the upper curve bundle C1 illustrates the temperature trend in various points inside the refrigerator compartment 2, while the lower curve bundle C2 illustrates the temperature trend at various points inside the freezer compartment 3 .

As can be seen during normal operation, an operating cycle is activated comprising the steps of the method of the present invention: during phase a) described above the compressor is activated for a period of time approximately equal to 80 minutes, during which the temperature in the freezer compartment it drops from an initial value (at steady state, in normal operation) of about -18 ° C up to the Tinf value of about -25 ° C as shown by the trend of the C2 curve bundle. In this period of time, the temperature value of the refrigerator compartment also drops from an initial higher value and stabilizes around the TfMAX value of approximately 4 ° C, as shown by the trend of the beam of curves C1, and in accordance with the above discussed.

When these values are reached, step b) of the method described above is carried out and the compressor is deactivated and the on-off valve is closed.

Subsequently, for a period of about four hours, the temperature in the refrigerator compartment is kept substantially constant, being (Tfmin = TfMAX) equal to approximately 5 ° C through the implementation of method step c), or by taking flow rates cold air from the freezer compartment, the temperature of which, as shown by the trend of the beam of curves C2, rises, until it reaches the threshold value Tsup in correspondence with which step c) ends and normal operation of the refrigeration apparatus.

It should be noted that the temperature Tinf can generally be any temperature lower than Tcn even if the best results are obtained when this is set at a value between three and ten degrees centigrade below the temperature Tcn, in particular six degrees centigrade.

More specifically, the Tfmin threshold value varies between 0 ° C and 2 ° C, the TfMAX threshold value varies between 4 ° C and 6 ° C, the Tsup threshold value varies between -20 ° C and -16 ° C, and the threshold Tinfvaria between -24 ° C and -30 ° C, since the normal operating temperature of the freezer compartment is approximately equal to -18 ° C.

As regards the command that the user sets to start the operation method discussed up to now, three different conditions may occur, respectively coinciding with manual, semi-automatic and automatic operation.

In the first case (manual control) the user sets the start instant of the method (coinciding with the start of phase a)) by simply pressing a button specifically suited for the purpose.

In the second case (semi-automatic operation) the user sets a time interval after which he wishes the device to start operating silently; for example, the user may want the refrigeration apparatus to start operating silently after four hours, which coincides, as we have seen, with the fact that the compressor must remain off after the selected time interval; in this case, the control unit of the refrigeration apparatus includes a timer, and commands the execution of phase a) at a time prior to that chosen by the user, so that this ends at the end of the € ™ selected time interval. It should be noted that this operation is particularly usable when the continuous operating time of the compressor is used as a control quantity for phase a) instead of the temperature reached in the freezer compartment.

In the third case (automatic operation) the user sets a time at which he wants to start silent operation (i.e. phases b) and c)): in this case the control unit is equipped with a clock or a timer suitable for the purpose and commands the execution of phase a) so that this ends at the time chosen by the user. Also in this case it is preferable to use the compressor operating time as the control quantity for phase a) rather than the temperature reached in the freezer compartment.

The object of the present invention is also a refrigeration apparatus 1 of the type shown and described on the occasion of fig. 1 which carries out the method of the present invention.

As a variant, it should be noted that in the refrigeration apparatus 1, instead of the shelves 13, drawers or compartments can be provided equivalently, as well as the interception valve 8 can be of any type (for example butterfly, sector or similar) , as long as it is suitable for intercepting the duct 6, to allow the regulation of the air flow that passes through it.

The duct 6 in turn can be arranged in a different way from what is illustrated, for example by connecting different points of the compartments 2 and 3, without thereby departing from the scope and purposes of the present invention.

The shut-off valve 8 can then be placed in any point of the ducting 6, for example also in a position adjacent to the refrigerator compartment.

The fans 5 and 12 can then be arranged differently from what is shown, and as already said, the fan 12 can also not be provided.

Claims (15)

CLAIMS 1. Method of operation of a domestic refrigeration apparatus (1), of the type comprising at least a first (2) and a second (3) compartment for foodstuffs, and a refrigerating circuit for cooling said compartments (2,3) , in which the refrigeration circuit includes at least one compressor (9) and the compartments are kept at different temperatures, the first compartment (2) being at a higher temperature, the so-called refrigerator compartment (2) and the second compartment (3) at a higher temperature. lower, so-called freezer compartment (2), characterized in that it includes at least the following steps: b) deactivate the compressor (9) for an interval of time; c) take a flow of cold air from the freezer compartment (2) and direct it into the refrigerator compartment (3) so as to maintain the temperature of the latter within a temperature range defined by a first and a second threshold value (Tfmin, TfMAX), and in which said deactivation time interval of the compressor (9) is such that the temperature in the freezer compartment does not exceed a third predetermined threshold value (Tsup). 2. Method according to claim 1, in which step a) is carried out preliminarily to step b) to bring the temperature of the freezer compartment (2) to a fourth threshold value (Tinf) lower than that (Tcn) of normal operation. Method according to claim 2, wherein the normal operating temperature value (Tcn) of the freezer compartment (2) substantially coincides with said third threshold value (Tsup). 4. Method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the fourth threshold value (Tinf) is lower than the normal operating temperature (Tcn) of the freezer compartment Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, in which said first and second threshold values (Tfmin, TfMAX) of temperature in the refrigerator compartment are substantially coincident with each other. 6. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, in which step c) is repeated several times to take a flow of cold air from the freezer compartment (2) and direct it into the refrigerator compartment (3) so as to maintain the temperature of the latter within a temperature interval defined by a first and a second threshold value (Tfmin, TfMAX). 7. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of - activate the compressor (9), keeping it activated until the temperature in the freezer compartment (Tc) reaches said fourth threshold value (Tinf) or for a predetermined time interval - deactivate the compressor (9) - prevent the passage of air between the refrigerator compartment (2) and the freezer compartment (3) - measure the temperature (Tf) in the refrigerator compartment (2) - compare this temperature value (Tf) detected in the refrigerator compartment (2) with said second threshold value (TfMAX) - if the temperature value (Tf) exceeds the value threshold (TfMAX), measure the temperature (Tc) in the freezer compartment (3) and compare it with said third threshold value (Tsup), if the temperature value (Tc) in the freezer compartment (3) is lower than the said third threshold value (Tsup): put the refrigerator compartment (2) and the freezer compartment (3) in fluid communication, so as to transfer a flow of cold air from the second to the first, cooling the latter up to that the measured temperature does not reach said first threshold value (Tfmin) or until the temperature (Tc) of the freezer compartment does not exceed the threshold value (Tsup) - if the temperature value (Tf) exceeds the maximum threshold value (TfMAX), measure the temperature (Tc) in the freezer compartment (3) and compare it with said third threshold value (Tsup), if the temperature value (Tc ) in the freezer compartment (3) is higher than the third threshold value (Tsup): activate the compressor (9). 8. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said fourth threshold value (Tinf) is lower than that (Tcn) of normal operation by a value comprised between three and ten degrees centigrade, in particular six degrees centigrade. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, in which the first threshold value (Tfmin) varies between 0 ° C and 2 ° C, the second threshold value (TfMAX) varies between 4 ° C and 6 ° C, the third threshold value (Tsup) varies between -20 ° C and -16 ° C, the fourth threshold value (Tinf) varies between -24 ° C and -30 ° C and the normal operating temperature of the freezer compartment is about -18 ° C. 10. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, in which the duration of step a) is established as a function of a control quantity, such as the temperature inside the freezer compartment or a time interval. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the first threshold value (Tfmin) is equal to the second threshold value (TfMAX). Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, in which during step a) the temperature of the refrigerator compartment is brought to a value substantially equal to that of the first threshold value (Tfmin). 13. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, in which the activation of step a) of the method is controlled by the user. 14. Method according to one or more of claims 1 to 12, in which the activation of step a) of the method is controlled by a control unit of the refrigeration apparatus according to an instant of activation of step b) chosen by a user, so that step a) ends concurrently with the activation of step b). 15. Refrigeration apparatus (1) of the type comprising a first refrigerator compartment (2) and a second freezer compartment (3), in which at least the freezer compartment (3) is in fluid communication with an evaporator (4) of a refrigeration circuit comprising at least a compressor (9), a lamination valve (10) and a condenser (11), and in which a forced circulation of air cooled by the evaporator is generated in the freezer compartment (2) by at least one fan ( 5), said refrigerator compartment and said freezer compartment being in fluid communication by means of a channel (6) intercepted by an interception valve (8), so that the refrigerator compartment is cooled by an air flow taken from the freezer compartment characterized by the fact of carrying out the method according to one or more of claims 1 to 14.