JP2014142121A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator capable of intermittently performing a compressor ON or OFF operation by detecting an abnormal state.SOLUTION: A refrigerator comprises: a first microcomputer controlling driving, stopping, and rotational speed changing of a compressor; a temperature sensor detecting temperatures of a plurality of stockrooms; door opening/closing detection means for detecting open/closed states of doors of the respective stockrooms; and a second microcomputer reading states detected by the temperature sensor and the door opening/closing detection means, and controlling constituent elements including an internal circulation fan motor. If the states of the respective doors detected by the door opening/closing detection means are open states for time equal to or longer than predetermined time, the compressor is controlled to intermittently operate for predetermined time.

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

  In the refrigerator, the refrigeration cycle is composed of an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, a refrigerant pipe, and the like, and the cold air generated in the refrigeration cycle is delivered to each storage room by a blower fan. The temperature and amount of cold air to be controlled are controlled by temperature sensors and electric dampers provided in each storage room so that the stored food and drinking water are cooled and stabilized at the set temperature of each storage room. .

  For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-145041 (Patent Document 1) discloses a refrigerator that uses a variable compressor, a variable airflow fan, and the like to control the storage room to a supercooled state.

JP 2009-145041 A

  In a refrigerator, it is necessary to keep the temperature constant rapidly and continuously so that each storage room is made uniform at each set temperature.

  That is, it is most important to keep the temperature of each storage room constant regardless of the use state and the use environment. However, on the other hand, in the case of an abnormality such as when the door is continuously opened, the door open / closed state detection means detects the door open state and gives a warning, but the control when the door is opened continuously is stored in each storage. The compressor is continuously driven and controlled so that the room temperature becomes the set temperature. In general, cooling promoting devices such as blower fans are stopped for the purpose of reducing driving noise.

  Since the compressor is controlled at a high rotational speed, the power loss of the power supply filter circuit section in each drive element and this control board increases, and the temperature of the components of each drive element and power supply filter circuit section and the temperature of the compressor become high. . However, since the blower fan for blowing cool air is stopped, the temperature of each storage chamber is unlikely to drop.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of intermittently energizing / stopping a compressor by detecting an abnormal state.

  As described in the claims, the present invention includes, as an example, a first microcomputer that controls the drive, stop, and rotation speed of a compressor, and a temperature sensor that detects temperatures of a plurality of storage chambers, respectively. And a door open / close detecting means for detecting the open / closed state of each door of the plurality of storage chambers, and a state detected by the temperature sensor and the door open / close detecting means, and a control including a fan motor for circulation in the warehouse And a second microcomputer that performs the operation, and the compressor is intermittently operated for a predetermined time when each of the doors detected by the door opening / closing detection means is open for a predetermined time or more. .

  According to the present invention, the compressor can be intermittently energized / stopped by detecting the abnormal state.

It is a front view of the refrigerator which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is XX sectional drawing of the refrigerator shown in FIG. It is an enlarged structure figure of the control apparatus of a refrigerator. It is a control block diagram of the control apparatus which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart of the control block shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and includes various modifications and application examples within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

  First, the basic structure of the refrigerator will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 includes a refrigerator compartment door 2, an ice making compartment door 3, a freezer compartment door 4, a freezer compartment door 5, a vegetable compartment door 6, and an operation display unit 14 that open and close each storage compartment as viewed from the front. I have.

  An electric compressor 8 driven by, for example, a three-phase AC motor is provided at the lower back of the refrigerator 1, a cold air circulation fan motor 11 that circulates the cold air in the refrigerator 1, and the refrigerator 1 A door switch 15 for detecting the open / closed state of each door is provided in the front side clearance portion. It comprises a control device 10 that drives and controls the electric compressor 8 and the cold air circulation fan motor 11, an indoor temperature sensor 16 that detects the temperature of each storage room, and a refrigeration cycle element.

  As is well known, the refrigeration cycle element includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, a refrigerant pipe, and the like, and these components are mainly installed on the back side and the side of the refrigerator 1. .

  The refrigerator 1 has a urethane foam heat insulating material and a vacuum heat insulating material as a casing between a steel plate outer box and a resin inner box. Inside the inner box, a plurality of storage rooms are formed in the order of the refrigerator compartment 17, the ice making room 18a, the quick freezing room 18b, the freezing room 19, and the vegetable room 20 from the top.

  Among these storage rooms, the refrigeration room 17 and the vegetable room 20 are storage rooms in a refrigeration temperature zone, and the ice making room 18a, the quick freezing room 18b, and the freezing room 19 have a freezing temperature zone of 0 ° C. or less (for example, about This is a storage room at a temperature range of −20 ° C. to −18 ° C.

  A storage room door that opens and closes the front opening of each storage room is provided on the front surface of the refrigerator 1. The refrigerator compartment door 2 opens and closes the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 17, the ice making compartment door 3 opens and closes the front opening of the ice making compartment 18a, and the quick freezing compartment door 4 opens and closes the front opening of the quick freezing compartment 18b. The freezer compartment door 5 is a door that opens and closes the front opening of the freezer compartment 19, and the vegetable compartment door 6 is a door that opens and closes the front opening of the vegetable compartment 20.

  The refrigerator compartment door 2 is constituted by a double door with double doors (French door), and the other doors 3 to 6 are constituted by drawer type doors. In addition, an operation display unit 14 including a display lamp, a liquid crystal panel, and operation switches is provided on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment door 2.

  A door switch for detecting the opening / closing of each storage room door is provided on the front side of the gap portion that insulates each storage room, and the cold room door switch 15a detects the open / close state of the cold room door 2 The freezer compartment door switch 15b is a means for detecting the open / close state of the ice compartment door 3, the quick freeze compartment door 4 and the freezer compartment door 5, and the vegetable compartment door switch 15c is the open / close state of the vegetable compartment door 6. It is a means for detecting.

  The refrigerator load includes, for example, a cold air circulation fan motor 11 for circulating cold air in the cabinet, an electric damper 12 for passing, blocking or adjusting the cold air, and interior lighting for brightening the interior. There are 13 etc.

  The control device 10 for controlling the driving of the electric compressor 8 and the cold air circulation fan motor 11 for circulating the cold air to the storage rooms 17 to 20 of the refrigerator is housed in a housing portion 9 formed at the upper back of the refrigerator 1. It is installed in a space surrounded by an iron plate.

  Such a refrigerator 1 has a well-known configuration, and the description of the operation and the like is omitted here.

  Next, an abnormality determination of the refrigerator and a control method of the electric compressor 8 and the cold-air circulation fan motor 11 at the time of abnormality, a control device used for the same, and the like will be described below as an embodiment of the present invention.

  Next, the configuration of the control device 10, the control contents of the control block, and the like will be described with reference to FIGS. The control device 10 includes power control devices mounted on a substrate, logic control devices such as microcomputers, constant power supply devices, other electrical elements, and the like.

  The control device 10 is equipped with an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) that constitutes an inverter circuit for driving the electric compressor 8 and a drive circuit unit 32 including this driver and the like. Since this inverter circuit, driver, etc. have a known configuration, description thereof is omitted. Therefore, the drive circuit unit 32 functions as a controlled AC power source that drives the electric compressor 8 from a DC power source described later.

  An electric compressor control device 31 that adjusts the drive, stop, and rotation speed of the electric compressor 8 via the drive circuit portion 32 is disposed near the drive circuit portion 32. The drive circuit unit 32 is connected by a control signal line. The electric compressor control device 31 mainly includes a logical operation chip such as a microcomputer, and controls the energization timing and energization time of the drive circuit unit 32.

  As a control power source for the drive circuit unit 32 and the electric compressor control device 31, a constant voltage power source that is not insulated from a commercial power source is generally used.

  In addition, the control device 10 includes a first microcomputer and a second microcomputer, the signal of the temperature sensor 16 installed in each of the storage chambers 17 to 20 of the refrigerator 1, and the outside air temperature installed outside the refrigerator 1. Detection function for detecting signals from the sensors 21 and the respective storage compartment door switches 15, driving function for cooling air circulation fan motor 11 for circulating cold air, control function for stopping and controlling the rotational speed, setting function for the rotational speed of the electric compressor 8, etc. The inside control device 34 has a function as a high-level control device that performs integrated control of the refrigerator 1 as a whole. Note that the internal control device 34 can have various functions in addition to the functions described above.

  The first microcomputer controls the driving, stopping, and variable rotation speed of the electric compressor 8 through a driving element for driving a compressor mounted on the refrigerator. The second microcomputer performs the control including the internal circulation fan motor 11 by reading the state detected by the temperature sensor 16 and the door opening / closing detection means (door switch 15).

  Here, control power sources such as power to the temperature sensor 16 and the door switch 15, power to the cool air circulation fan motor 11, and power to the internal control device 34 are generally insulated from commercial power. Use a constant voltage power supply.

  Similarly, the electric compressor control device 31 and the internal control device 34 have a circuit configuration that is electrically insulated from each other. For example, the internal control device 34 is connected via an insulated communication circuit 33 using a photocoupler or the like. Output the rotational speed command of the electric compressor 8 to the electric compressor control device 31. By this rotational speed command, the electric compressor control device 31 operates so as to control the rotational speed of the electric compressor 8 by controlling the energization timing and energization time of the drive circuit section 32.

  Further, the non-insulated constant voltage power source for driving the electric compressor control device 31 and the internal control device and the insulated constant voltage power source are respectively supplied from the switching power source unit 35 including a DC-DC converter or the like. ing.

  An AC power source for driving the electric compressor 8 is provided in the drive circuit unit 32 with a high voltage obtained by converting an AC voltage of a commercial power source into a DC voltage by a converter circuit 38 including a diode bridge 36 and an electrolytic capacitor 37. It can be obtained by converting to alternating current controlled by the inverter circuit. These generate drive power for the electric compressor 8 as a power control device.

  In the converter circuit 38, harmonics are generated when an AC voltage is converted into a DC voltage. A harmonic wave is a sine wave having a frequency that is an integer multiple of twice or more that of a commercial power supply frequency of 50 Hz or 60 Hz. If the harmonic component is large, the sine wave of the commercial power supply It becomes a distorted power supply. Therefore, the harmonic suppression circuit which consists of the reactor 39 for harmonic suppression etc. is mounted. Therefore, the harmonic suppression circuit, the converter circuit 38, and the like function as an AC-DC converter that converts an AC power supply of a commercial power supply into a DC power supply.

  In the present embodiment, door switches 15 that are open / closed state detecting means for detecting opening / closing of the respective storage compartment doors are arranged on the door sides on the front surface of the refrigerator 1. Each door switch 15 uses a semiconductor using a magnetic detection element, for example, and can detect opening and closing by a magnet installed on each door side. In addition to this, it is possible to use a switch that mechanically energizes and shuts off depending on the open / closed state of the door.

  In this embodiment, in order to detect the open state of each storage room door, the open state is detected by the door switch and an abnormality is judged. However, the temperature sensor 16 provided in each of the storage rooms 17 to 20 and the refrigerator 1 are outside. It is also possible to use a method of estimating the open state from the temperature rise value of the outside air temperature sensor 21 provided.

  For example, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 16 provided in each of the storage chambers 17 to 20 is predetermined with respect to the set temperature of each of the storage chambers 17 to 20 for each temperature zone detected by the outside air temperature sensor 21. When the rate of increase is reached, it can be determined that the door is continuously open.

  Therefore, the open / closed state detection means of each storage room door is detected by means such as a magnetic detection element that actually detects the open / close of each storage room door, or a thermistor such as each storage room temperature sensor and the refrigerator 1 outside air temperature sensor. Means for detecting the open state of each storage room door by calculating from the temperature is included.

  Next, the control method of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an operation flowchart showing the entire door opening abnormality determination control during refrigerator operation. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an operation timing chart showing the entire door opening abnormality determination control during refrigerator operation.

  The operation flowchart shown in FIG. 5 is executed by the internal control device 34, and is executed in a predetermined procedure by a microcomputer mounted therein.

  This flowchart has shown the example which detects all door opening abnormalities from the time of the power supply of a refrigerator being turned on. That is, this flowchart is controlled by an event interrupt triggered by any one of the storage room doors of the refrigerator 1 being opened after the power is turned on.

  In this embodiment, an example controlled by event interruption is shown. In FIG. 5, when the power source of the refrigerator main body 1 is turned on in step 1 (hereinafter, step is expressed as “S”), the following flow is executed. When the power is turned on in step 1, normal cooling control is executed. First, in S2, the voltage signal from the magnet provided in each storage room door 2-6 of the refrigerator 1 and the magnetic sensor provided in the refrigerator front side clearance part 15 becomes an open / close state signal of each storage room door in the control device. It is converted, and it is detected whether the doors of the respective storage chamber doors 2 to 6 are open or closed.

  Next, it progresses to S3 and detects whether the state of each storeroom door 2-6 is a closed state or an open state. In this step, the process proceeds to S4 when all the target doors on which the door open / close state detecting means is mounted are opened. In the present embodiment, the doors that are the targets of the door open / close state detecting means are the refrigerator compartment door 2 detected by the refrigerator compartment door switch 15a, the ice making compartment door 3 detected by the freezer compartment door switch 15b, The freezer compartment door 4, the freezer compartment door 5, and the vegetable compartment door 6 detected by the vegetable compartment door switch 15c are the target doors.

  If all the doors are opened in S3, the process proceeds to S4. In S4, counting is started inside the control device from the time when all the doors are opened. When the count integrated value becomes abnormal T1 [s], the process shifts to S5 and the control shifts from the normal cooling operation to the abnormal cooling operation. The count integrated value T1 can be arbitrarily set in a data storage medium such as an EEPROM. For example, when T1 is set to 1 min, the count integration is started from the time when all the doors are opened, and when the integrated value ≧ 1 min is established, the process shifts to S5 and shifts to the abnormal cooling operation control. If the integrated value <1 min, the process returns to S2 and the normal cooling operation is performed.

  Next, in S5, the cold-air circulation fan motor 11 is operated. In general, when any of the storage room doors is open, the cold-air circulation fan motor 11 is often stopped in order to reduce noise and avoid abnormal frosting on the cooler. In the present embodiment, the cold air is delivered to each of the storage chambers 17 to 20 by driving the cold air circulation fan motor 11 by using a low-temperature refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle.

  That is, when it is determined that the cold air has sufficiently spread to the storage chamber by the operation of the fan motor 11 for circulating cold air, and the temperature of each of the storage chambers 17 to 20 is equal to or lower than a predetermined set temperature, S2 Returning to normal cooling operation.

  Further, if it is determined in S6 that the temperature of each of the storage chambers 17 to 20 is equal to or higher than a predetermined set temperature, the process proceeds to S7 and the electric compressor 8 is set to intermittent operation control. And the drive of the fan motor 11 for cold air circulation performed by S5 is continued, and cold air is delivered to each store room 17-20 using the low temperature refrigerant | coolant in a refrigerating cycle.

  The intermittent operation control of the electric compressor 8 is performed at a predetermined rotation speed and time. Since the intermittent rotation speed varies depending on the refrigeration cycle load, the fixed rotation speed or energization times T2 and T3 must be determined in advance from the temperature rise values of the compressor drive circuit 32 and the harmonic suppression reactor 39 on the control board. . Alternatively, the temperature of the compressor drive circuit 32 or the harmonic reactor 39 itself may be detected, and control at a high rotational speed may be performed. In this case, the stop time T3 of the electric compressor 8 is set to the minimum off time, and the minimum stop time T3 can be changed linearly in relation to the detected temperature. The operation time T2 is invalid and the operation time is determined by the detected temperature. In this embodiment, the temperature detection is not performed, and the rise in the component temperature on the control board is limited.

  In the present embodiment, the drive rotation speed of the electric compressor 8 is set to an arbitrary rotation speed, and the energization times T2 and T3 are determined from the temperature increase rate of the compressor drive circuit 32 or the harmonic reactor 39. When the temperature rise value due to T2 is Z1, and the temperature drop value due to T3 is Z2, the times of T2 and T3 are selected so that the relationship between Z1 and Z2 (Z1 / Z2) is 100% or less. In this control example, control is performed with intermittent times T2 and T3 based on a fixed rotational speed, but the intermittent means is not limited to this.

  Next, in S7, the driving of the electric compressor 8 by the time T2 and the stop of the electric compressor 8 by the time T3 are defined as one cycle, and the driving and stopping intermittent control of the electric compressor 8 is performed, and the number of intermittents n is integrated. .

  Next, in S8, if the number of intermittent integrations n is N or more, the number of intermittent integrations is initialized, and then the process returns to S2 and shifts to normal control. When the intermittent integration number n is less than N, the routine returns to S5 and the cooling operation is continued.

  By this control, it is possible to reduce the temperature rise of the compressor drive circuit 32 and the harmonic reactor 39 on the control board. In other words, the derating of the control device 10 is ensured, and the refrigerator 1 is in an abnormal state. Cooling control of each storage room can be performed.

  As described above, the first microcomputer that controls the drive, stop, and rotation speed of the compressor, the temperature sensor that detects the temperatures of the plurality of storage chambers, and the opening and closing of the doors of the plurality of storage chambers. Door opening / closing detection means for detecting each state; and a second microcomputer for reading the state detected by the temperature sensor and the door opening / closing detection means and performing control including a fan motor for circulation in the cabinet, When each of the doors detected by the door opening / closing detection means is open for a predetermined time or more, the compressor is intermittently operated for a predetermined time. Further, when the temperature state of each of the storage chambers detected by the temperature sensor tends to increase and becomes equal to or higher than a preset temperature increase value, the compressor is intermittently operated for a predetermined time.

  That is, the electric compressor 8 is not continuously controlled at the time of an abnormality such as the full opening of the storage chamber doors 2 to 6, and the power control device and / or the control device performs the intermittent control to repeat energization and stop. Can be used below the derating temperature of each control device / control device, and the cooling control of each storage room can be performed continuously at the time of this abnormality. .

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Refrigerator main body, 2 ... Refrigeration room door, 3 ... Ice making room door, 4 ... Rapid freezing room door, 5 ... Freezing room door, 6 ... Vegetable room door, 8. ..Electric compressor, 10 ... control device, 11 ... cooling air circulation fan motor, 14 ... operation display unit, 15a ... refrigeration room door switch, 15b ... freezer compartment door switch, 15c ... Vegetable room door switch, 16 ... Temperature sensor, 17 ... Refrigerator room, 18a ... Ice-making room, 18b ... Quick freeze room, 19 ... Freezer room, 20 ... Vegetable room 31 ... Electric compressor control device, 32 ... Drive circuit unit, 34 ... Inside control device, 35 ... Switching power supply, 36 ... Diode bridge, 37 ... Electrolytic capacitor, 39 Harmonic suppression reactor

Claims (4)

A first microcomputer that controls the drive, stop, and rotation speed of the compressor, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of each of the plurality of storage rooms, and an open / closed state of each door of the plurality of storage rooms A door opening / closing detection means, and a second microcomputer that performs a control including a fan motor for circulation in a warehouse, reading a state detected by the temperature sensor and the door opening / closing detection means,
The refrigerator characterized in that the compressor is intermittently operated for a predetermined time when each of the doors detected by the door open / close detection means is open for a predetermined time or more. A first microcomputer that controls the drive, stop, and rotation speed of the compressor, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of each of the plurality of storage rooms, and an open / closed state of each door of the plurality of storage rooms A door opening / closing detection means, and a second microcomputer that performs a control including a fan motor for circulation in a warehouse, reading a state detected by the temperature sensor and the door opening / closing detection means,
The refrigerator characterized in that the compressor is intermittently operated for a predetermined time when the temperature state of each of the storage chambers detected by the temperature sensor tends to increase and becomes equal to or higher than a preset temperature increase value.   The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising an outside air temperature sensor for detecting an outside air temperature of the refrigerator, wherein the preset temperature is varied according to a detection value of the outside air temperature sensor.   The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the compressor is in the intermittent operation, the internal circulation fan motor is continuously operated.