JP2002303473A - Central control system of refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize reduction of production cost in a facility installed with a plurality of refrigerators, while enhancing the flexibility of extension and transfer of slave refrigerators, by decreasing the number of electric components on the control board of the slave refrigerator. SOLUTION: The central control system of refrigerator comprises a master refrigerator A provided with a central control board (a), and slave refrigerators B1, B1,... provided with terminal control boards b1, b2,... wherein the central control board (a) of the master refrigerator A is interconnected with the terminal control boards b1, b2,... of the slave refrigerators B1, B2,... through a home telephone line.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a system for centrally controlling a plurality of refrigerators by using a refrigerator defined as a master unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a control unit of an electric system for performing a cooling control, a defrosting control, an ice making control and the like in a refrigerator usually includes a control board board in which various electric components are mounted on a wiring board. Usually, a microprocessor is mounted on the control board board, and the various controls are executed based on a program stored in a storage device.

Therefore, a conventional refrigerator having a general configuration has portability since each of the refrigerators has a built-in control board board. However, once the refrigerator is installed at a fixed position, it is rarely moved. Yes, it is usually used permanently in place. Refrigerators are installed in each room in hotels, inns and the like, and in general households, there is a tendency that refrigerators are installed in each room in accordance with recent changes in the form of families and the size of houses.

[0004] Incidentally, in the above-described control of the refrigerator, the control cycle is extremely coarse.
For example, in the cooling control, the control function operates when the inside of the refrigerator becomes equal to or lower than the set temperature. However, in many time zones during operation, the temperature decreases slowly, so that the control function operates for a very short time. However, a refrigerator configured as a single unit must include a control board board on which electric components such as an expensive microprocessor are mounted, regardless of the operation frequency of the control function, and this has hindered a reduction in production cost.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems. In particular, when a plurality of refrigerators are installed at a plurality of locations in a single building, a refrigerator as a master unit is required. The control function is shared by the refrigerator serving as the slave unit,
By reducing expensive electric components such as microprocessors from the control board board of the refrigerator as a slave unit, the production cost of the refrigerator as a slave unit is reduced, and the flexibility of expansion and relocation of the refrigerator as a slave unit is realized. To improve.
Further, when the refrigerator serving as the master unit has a communication function, the function of the refrigerator serving as the slave unit can be improved while the production cost is maintained because the function of the refrigerator serving as the slave unit can be used. To do.

[0006]

The present invention comprises a master refrigerator having a central control board board and a slave refrigerator having a terminal control board board. A first system in which the terminal control board board of the slave unit refrigerator is connected to each other by home wiring;

[0007] In the first system, a second system in which home wiring is configured by laying signal lines;

[0008] In the first system, a third system in which home wiring is configured using a power line,

In the first to third systems, the central control board board of the master refrigerator is provided with a communication function connectable to the information communication network, thereby enabling information communication with the slave refrigerator outside the home. The problem is solved by the fourth system.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention shown in the drawings will be described below in detail. FIG. 1 shows an outline of the entire system of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral A denotes a refrigerator serving as a master unit (hereinafter referred to as a master unit refrigerator).
Usually, it is juxtaposed with a system kitchen. In the case of a commercial facility such as a hotel or an inn, a kitchen or the like is suitable as an installation place. The master refrigerator incorporates a central control board board a on which electric components for realizing various controls described later are mounted, and the central control board board can be connected to an information communication network IN such as the Internet. Is configured.

.., B1, B2,... Are refrigerators as slave units (hereinafter referred to as slave unit refrigerators). In commercial facilities like, each guest room is targeted. The terminal refrigerator boards B1, B2,... Have terminal control board boards b1, b2,.

Central control board board a of the main unit refrigerator A
And terminal control board boards b of the refrigerators B1, B2,.
Are connected to each other by home wiring so that information can be exchanged. For the home wiring, a signal line as a dedicated line may be used, or a home network (echo net) using a power line may be used.

Next, a centralized control board board a and a child refrigerator B1.
Terminal control board board b1 built in B2 ...
The configuration of b2 ... will be described in detail. FIG. 1 schematically shows the main configuration of each control board board. Reference numeral 1 denotes a central processing unit (CPU), which controls the entire central control board board a. Reference numeral 2 denotes an input unit, and various signals generated in the main unit refrigerator A, for example, information on a temperature detected by a temperature sensor of each unit in the refrigerator, information on defrosting, information on ice making, information on opening and closing of a door, and the like. Input by an electric signal.

Reference numeral 3 denotes an output unit, which outputs a control signal generated by the control unit 4 to a compressor, an air conditioner in a refrigerator, an ice maker,
It is sent to a defroster etc. to maintain the expected function of the refrigerator. Reference numeral 5 denotes a program storage unit, which is a cooling control program, a defrost control program,
An ice making control program and the like are stored, read out by the central processing unit 1 as appropriate, and a control signal that is program-processed based on a signal input from the input unit 2 is output from the control unit 4.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a storage unit which stores the cooling status, ice making status, defrosting status, etc. of the master refrigerator A and the slave refrigerators B1, B2,.
It is read from the central processing unit. Reference numeral 7 denotes an I / O interface for exchanging information with the child device refrigerators B1, B2,. Reference numeral 8 denotes a communication unit controlled by the central processing unit 1, which is connected to an information communication network IN such as the Internet, for example, so that information can be exchanged between a manufacturer and a user of the refrigerator. I do.

Next, the terminal control board boards b1, b2,... Of the slave refrigerators B1, B2,. The exchange of information with the main unit refrigerator A is performed.

The centralized refrigerator control system of the present invention is configured as described above, and its operation will be described below. As shown in FIG. 1, master refrigerator A and slave refrigerators B1, B2,...
Are connected so that information can be exchanged by a signal line or a light line, and the operation of each refrigerator is continued, the main unit refrigerator A starts time-division control processing as shown in FIG. That is, first, the main unit refrigerator A takes in information such as a cooling state, a defrosting state, and an ice making state in its own refrigerator from the input unit 2 and performs a program process based on the information. If it is determined that there is, the required time is temporarily stored in the storage unit 6, the control unit 4 is operated to output a control signal via the output unit 3, and the defrosting operation is started.

Next, the master refrigerator A accesses the slave refrigerator B1 via the I / O interface 7.11.
The signal input to the input unit 9 of the slave unit refrigerator is received, and the cooling state, the defrosting state, the ice making state, and the like in the refrigerator of the slave unit refrigerator B1 are determined by program processing, and the result is temporarily stored in the storage unit 6.
And a control signal required from the control unit 4 via the I / O interface 7/11.
Control output is sent from 0.

In this manner, a plurality of slave refrigerators are sequentially accessed from the master refrigerator, and the refrigerators in the refrigerator are accessed. Control is periodically and individually performed while transmitting and receiving the information, thereby controlling the entire system. Then, when the storage of the specific refrigerator is taken out of the parent refrigerator and the child refrigerator, and the door is opened and closed, the parent refrigerator A detects this, and as shown in FIG. Is made. That is, in the figure, for example, the opening / closing of the door of the slave unit refrigerator Bn-3 is detected while the slave unit refrigerator B1 is being controlled during the time-division control processing period, and an interrupt signal is generated to generate a slave signal. Machine refrigerator B
This indicates that the control of the child refrigerator Bn-3 is started immediately after the control 1, and after this control is completed, the time-division control processing is continued in a predetermined order.

As described above, according to the refrigerator centralized control system of the present invention, the master refrigerator and the slave refrigerator are connected to each other by the in-home wiring so that information can be exchanged. By connecting to the Internet IN, for example, various information transmitted by the seller of the refrigerator can be received not only by the master refrigerator but also by the slave refrigerator, and image information, text information, or voice information can be obtained.

[0021]

As described above in detail, according to the refrigerator centralized control system of the present invention, the microprocessor and various control programs are mounted only on the master refrigerator, and the control of the slave refrigerator depends on the master refrigerator. With such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the number of particularly expensive electric components from the terminal control board board of the child device refrigerator. Therefore, it can be provided as a low-cost system to facilities such as hotels and inns where a large number of relatively small refrigerators are installed, and high economic effects can be obtained.

Further, according to the system of the present invention, it is possible to add a new refrigerator for a slave unit. For example, a refrigerator for a slave unit is arranged in a new house or an additional guest room of a commercial facility, and wiring in the house is performed. It can be operated only by connection work to the main unit and simple change of the control program of the main unit refrigerator. Further, it is possible to provide a highly flexible system such that the change of the connection of the home wiring and the change of the control program of the master unit refrigerator enable the movement of the slave unit refrigerator from room to room.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of an entire system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a control board board of the system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a control mode in the system of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a control mode in the system of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A: Refrigerator a: Central control board board B1, B2: Refrigerator b1, b2: Terminal control board board NT: Home Wiring IN Information communication network 1 Central processing unit (CPU) 2 Input unit 3 Output unit 4 Control unit 5 Program storage unit 6 Storage unit 7 I / O interface 8 Communication unit 9 ... Input unit 10 Output unit 11 I / O interface

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A master refrigerator including a central control board board and a slave refrigerator including a terminal control board board, wherein a central control board board of the master refrigerator and a terminal control board board of the slave refrigerator are provided. Centralized control system for refrigerators, characterized by being connected to each other by in-home wiring. 2. The refrigerator centralized control system according to claim 1, wherein the in-home wiring is constituted by laying signal lines. 3. The centralized refrigerator control system according to claim 1, wherein the in-home wiring is configured using a power line. 4. A central control board board of the main unit refrigerator having a communication function connectable to an information communication network, thereby enabling information communication with the sub unit refrigerator outside the home. 4. The refrigerator centralized control system according to claim 3.