JP2006322656A - Control method for internal fan - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent locking of an internal fan due to icing even when water vapor intrudes during defrosting of a refrigerator. <P>SOLUTION: When a temperature sensor or the like detects defrosting completion, and energization to a first heater is stopped, melted sherbet like frost is accumulated in a drain pan, and therefore, a draining timer starts counting, and energization to a second heater is started. After a preset time, the energization to the second heater is stopped. By this, the sherbet like frost accumulated in the drain pan is melted by heating of the second heater, and drained from a drain passage before it freezes again. An internal fan delay timer is a timer for delaying operation of the internal fan until a cooler is sufficiently cooled. For example, it starts counting when the draining timer stops, and it stops after passage of a predetermined time (the time it takes for the cooler to be sufficiently cooled) to allow operation of the internal fan. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator, a freezer, and a method for controlling an internal fan during a defrost period of a refrigerator.

  As a control method of the internal fan during the defrost period of a refrigerator, a freezer, and a refrigerator-freezer, there exist some which were described in (patent document 1), for example.

  In this control method, as shown in FIG. 4, after the required time has elapsed since the start of the defrosting operation, the internal fan is temporarily operated for the required time.

Specifically, the defrosting operation after the start, after a lapse of a period of T ₁ after detecting the defrosting completion, the compressor is deenergized to the heater for defrosting to resume operation, the refrigerator While the fan temporary operation timer counts, the internal fan is temporarily operated for T ₃ . In this way, blowing the melted water adhering to the inside of the air channel portion facing the blade or blades of the internal fan during defrosting operation, melted water is cooled restarting operation (period the compressor is operated in FIG. 4, T ₂₎ It is intended to avoid the situation where the internal fan becomes unable to rotate due to re-freezing.
JP-A-8-285441

  However, in the above control method, the molten water adhering to the blades of the internal fan during defrosting can be removed, but the water vapor that has entered the fan motor during defrosting cannot be removed.

That is, at the time of defrosting, the melted frost becomes water vapor and diffuses into the warehouse, and also enters the fan motor of the fan in the warehouse. Therefore, the water vapor that has entered the inside thereof are rapidly cooled by the cooler during operation of the stop period after temporarily moving the internal fan (period in FIG. 4, T _2), a motor stator and a rotor There is a problem that freezes and locks. As a result, when the internal fan locks in this manner, there is a problem that the internal cooling cannot be performed.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to prevent the internal fan from being locked due to freezing even when water vapor during defrosting enters.

  In order to solve the above problem, a method of rotating the internal fan at a low speed during the defrosting period is adopted.

  By adopting such a method, the motor does not freeze because it rotates even if it is cooled during the defrost period. At this time, the motor is rotated at a low speed so that the temperature in the cabinet does not rise by reducing the amount of air blown.

  This configuration can solve the problem that the cooling operation cannot be performed after the defrosting by configuring as described above.

  The best mode of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, this type of refrigerator has a structure in which an internal fan 3 is provided between a cool air outlet 1 and a cooler 2 in the refrigerator.

  The blower outlet 1 is provided in the upper part of the interior, the suction port 4 is provided in the lower part thereof, and the cooler 2 is disposed in the cool air passage 5 in which the blower outlet 1 and the suction port 4 communicate with each other. Yes. By setting it as such a structure, the cold air cooled with the cooler 2 is blown in from the blower outlet 1 in the store | warehouse | chamber, and the blown-out cold air circulates in the store | chamber and sucks it from the suction inlet 4. FIG. Then, the sucked cold air is cooled again by the cooler 2 and blown out from the outlet 1 for cooling.

  Although not shown, the cooler 2 is connected to a compressor and a condenser, and forms a refrigeration cycle.

  The cooler 2 is provided with first and second defrosting heaters 6 and 7 as shown in FIG. The 1st heater 6 is provided along the side part of the cooler 2, and is for melting the frost adhering to the cooler 2 directly.

  On the other hand, the second heater 2 is provided below the cooler 2 and is disposed so as to be located above the drainage tray 8. The second heater 7 is for preventing re-freezing in the drain pan 8 after defrosting.

  Although not shown, the internal fan 3 is connected to a control circuit so that the rotation speed can be controlled. For this reason, it is preferable to use, for example, a DC motor that can easily control the rotational speed as the fan motor.

  The refrigerator is also provided with a drain timer and an internal fan delay timer. The draining timer controls the energization time to the second heater 7.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when defrosting completion is detected by, for example, a temperature sensor and energization of the first heater 6 is stopped, melted sherbet-like frost is accumulated in the drain pan 8. Therefore, the draining timer starts counting and starts energizing the second heater 7. Then, the time is up for a preset time and the energization of the second heater 7 is stopped. By doing so, the sherbet-like frost accumulated in the drainage tray by the heating of the second heater 7 is melted and drained from the drainage channel 9 before re-freezing.

  The internal fan delay timer is a timer for delaying the operation of the internal fan 3 until the cooler 2 is sufficiently cooled. For example, the count is started when the drainage timer expires, and a predetermined time (the time when the cooler is sufficiently cooled) is reached. After the elapse of time, the time is up and the operation of the internal fan 3 is permitted. By doing so, warm air before the cooler 2 after defrosting is cooled is prevented from entering the cabinet.

  This embodiment is configured as described above, and a method for controlling the internal fan 3 of the present invention will be described based on the timing chart shown in FIG.

That is, when the compressor is turned “off” and the first and second defrosting heaters 6 and 7 are turned “on” and the defrosting period starts, as shown in “A” in FIG. 2, the defrosting operation is performed. Control is performed so that the internal fan 3 is continuously rotated at a low speed until the end of the operation. Here, the rotation speed is, for example, about 50 RPM with almost no air flow. When performing such control, since the internal fan 3 is constantly rotated at a low speed, also the water vapor in the defrosting may enter the even when the period T ₂ to the compressor during defrosting is activated The rotor cannot be frozen, and the internal fan can return to normal rotation after the defrosting operation is completed.

  However, it is conceivable that warm air is blown out into the cabinet, although only slightly, during the operation period of both heaters 6 and 7 during defrosting.

Further, as the following method, time or draining timer draining timer is activated from the time T ₁ of the during operation to the defrosting operation ends, the internal fan 3 low speed, such as "B" and "C" of Fig It is also possible to perform control. With such control, when the internal fan 3 is rotated at a low speed from the start point of operation of the draining timer, for example, the first heater 6 is stopped as compared with the case of “A” as shown in FIG. The warm air that blows into the cabinet can be reduced.

Further, as another method, as shown in “D” of FIG. 2, the internal fan 3 is controlled to rotate at a low speed during a period T ₂ from the operation of the delay timer of the internal fan 3 to the completion of the defrosting operation. be able to. When such control is performed, since the first and second heaters 6 and 7 are turned off, the blowing of warm air into the cabinet can be minimized.

  Further, as indicated by “E” in FIG. 2, the internal fan 3 can be controlled to rotate at a low speed from the time when the delay timer of the internal fan 3 is in operation until the completion of the defrosting operation. When such control is performed, there is a risk of freezing as the compressor is activated and the cooler starts cooling before the internal fan 3 is rotated at a low speed as shown in FIG. If it is rotated at a low speed, the first and second heaters 6 and 7 are stopped, so that the temperature rise in the refrigerator can be hardly caused. Therefore, for example, the risk of freezing can be avoided if the temperature sensor is used to rotate before reaching the freezing temperature.

  Thus, by rotating the internal fan 3 at a low speed during the defrosting period, freezing of the internal fan 3 can be avoided and the internal fan can be operated after the defrosting is completed.

  In addition, since the internal fan 3 is rotated during the defrosting period in this way, the molten water that is about to adhere to the inside of the wind tunnel where the blades and blades of the internal fan 3 during the defrosting operation faces is blown off. Freezing can also be avoided.

  In addition, although embodiment demonstrated the refrigerator, it is clear that it can apply also to the freezer and refrigerator refrigerator which have the same structure.

  Further, it is obvious that the control method of the present invention can be applied to the case where the internal fan 3 is provided between the suction port 4 and the cooler 2 as shown in FIG.

Sectional drawing of the principal part of embodiment Action explanatory diagram of the embodiment Sectional drawing which shows the other aspect of embodiment Action explanatory diagram of conventional example

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outlet 2 Cooler 3 Inside fan 4 Suction port

Claims (1)

  When defrosting of the cooler is started, the defroster of the refrigerator, the freezer and the cooler in the refrigerator or the cooler in the cooler, or the cooler in the refrigerator provided between the suction port and the cooler is started. A control method of the internal fan that rotates at low speed during the period.

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