JPH04184059A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent food from decaying because of a faulty defrosting temperature detection means by providing a control means which raises an alarm with an alarm means if the time of a defrosting timer is shorter than a set time when the defrosting temperature detection means detect a high temperature after power is supplied to a defrosting heater. CONSTITUTION:When an operation timer 15 counts a specified time, a compressor 9 is turned OFF while a defrosting heater 10 is turned ON so as to advance the count of a defrosting timer 19. Then, the temperature of a defrosting temperature detection means is checked for and if the detected temperature is judged to be too high, the defrosting heater 10 is turned OFF so as to proceed with the next step where a count value of the defrosting timer 19 (power feed time of the defrosting heater 10) is read. If the detected value is longer than a preset timer (1 second for example), the operation is turned in cooling operation. When the time is shorter, it will be output to an alarm means 17. Therefore, when the power feed time of the defrosting heater 10 is extremely short, the defrosting temperature detection means 11 can be judged to be faulty, which makes it possible to inform the operator of the operational failure by means of an alarm means, such as a buzzer or an LED.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to operational control in a refrigerator, particularly defrosting control.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In recent years, regarding the operational control of household refrigerators, particularly defrosting control, there has been a configuration as shown in the NR-D35A released by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. in April 1988. The configuration will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator main body, which is a forced draft type refrigerator in which air cooled by a cooler 4 stored in a cooling chamber 8 configured in a partition wall 2 is circulated by a blower 5 to a freezing chamber 6 and a refrigerating chamber 7. Reference numeral 8 denotes an internal temperature detecting means consisting of a thermistor or the like which detects the temperature of the freezer compartment 6 and sends a control signal to the compressor 9. Further, the cooler 4 is provided with a defrosting heater 10 that melts frost formed by heat exchange. 11 detects the temperature of the cooler 4, and when the defrost heater 10 is energized, determines that the temperature of the cooler 4 has risen to a predetermined temperature or higher and the frost has melted, and stops energizing the defrost heater 10. This is a defrosting temperature detection means consisting of a thermistor or the like.

Next, the control circuit will be explained. Reference numeral 12 denotes a control means composed of a microcomputer or the like, and an internal temperature detection means 8 and a defrosting temperature detection means 11 are connected to its input terminal. The output terminal has a drive means 13 for moving the compressor 9 and a drive means 1 for energizing the defrosting heater 10.
4 is connected. The control means 12 includes the compressor 9
There is a driving timer 15 that adds up the time the car is driving.

The operation of this configuration will be explained with reference to FIG. 4.

First, in step 200, input data from the chamber temperature detection means 8 is compared with preset temperature data. If it is determined in step 200 that the input temperature data is high, the process proceeds to step 201 and the compressor 9
0 is output from the control means 12 to turn ON. Next, the process proceeds to step 202 and the integration timer of the operation timer 15 is made to count.

If it is determined in step 200 that the input temperature data is low, the process proceeds to step 203, where the control means 12 outputs an output to turn off the compressor 9. Steps 203 and 202 both proceed to step 204 to check the count status of the driving timer 15.

If the operation timer 15 has not finished counting yet in step 204, the process returns to step 200 and the above operation is repeated until the operation timer 15 finishes counting.

That is, based on the power of the control means 12, the drive means 13 operates or stops the compressor 9 to keep the temperature of the freezer compartment 6 and the refrigerator compartment 7 at an appropriate level. When the timer 15 has finished counting the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step 205. In step 205, the control means 12 outputs an output to turn off the compressor 9, and in step 206, the control means 12 outputs an output to turn on the defrosting heater 10.
Then, the process proceeds to step 207, where the temperature of the defrosting temperature detection means 11 is checked, and if the temperature is lower than the preset temperature data, the process returns to step 205 and the defrosting heater 10 is energized. Make it continue. or,
If the temperature of the defrosting temperature detection means 11 is high in step 207, the process proceeds to step 208.

In step 208, the control means 12 outputs an output to turn off the defrosting heater 10. Thereafter, the process returns to step 200 and begins the cooling action. That is, when the operating time of the compressor 9 is counted down by the operating timer 15 for a predetermined period of time, the defrosting heater 1 is activated.
0 is energized and the - attached to the cooler 4 is removed, and when the defrosting temperature detecting means 11 becomes higher than a predetermined temperature, it is determined that the defrosting is not complete! Going into use04, problems that can be easily solved by the inventionHowever, 1. In such a configuration, if the defrost temperature detection means 11 consisting of a thermistor or the like is defective and constantly detects a high temperature, the cumulative operation time of the compressor 9 reaches a predetermined time and the defrost heater 10 is de-energized. Even when the defrosting and defrosting operation starts, the defrosting temperature detecting means 11 detects that the temperature is high and immediately stops supplying electricity to the defrosting heater 1o. Therefore, when the defrosting temperature detecting means 11 is defective, the cooler Since the frost in the refrigerator 4 goes on to the next cooling action without being melted, the heat exchange efficiency deteriorates and eventually a large amount of frost forms in the refrigerator 4, causing the food in the refrigerator to spoil. There was a problem that the

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and aims to prevent food in the refrigerator from spoiling due to a defect in the defrosting temperature detection means such as a thermistor. In order to solve the above problem, the refrigerator of the present invention counts the time since the defrosting heater is energized, boils it for a predetermined period of time, and when the defrosting temperature detecting means detects that the temperature is high, the refrigerator starts operating. In order to alert the person in charge, temperature detection means is installed in the freezer compartment, the refrigerator compartment, and a temperature detection means that adjusts the temperature of the freezer compartment to 4* and stops the operation of the compressor of the refrigeration cycle, and a device is attached to the cooler of the refrigeration cycle to prevent frost. a defrosting heater for melting; a defrosting temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the cooler and stopping energization of the defrosting heater when the temperature of the cooler becomes high in the defrosting heater; and energizing the defrosting heater. The defrosting timer includes a defrosting timer that counts time and an alarm unit that issues an alarm for abnormality in the refrigerator, and in the control that integrates the operating time of the compressor and energizes the defrosting heater after integrating the operating time for a predetermined time, the defrosting heater If the time of the defrosting timer is shorter than the set time when the defrosting temperature detecting means becomes high after energization, the warning means does not issue an alarm.The present invention has the above-described configuration. When the compressor integrates the predetermined time and the defrosting heater is energized, the counter is operated at the same time to measure the energizing time of the defrosting heater. When the temperature of the defrost temperature detection means becomes higher than the setting, the power supply to the defrost heater is stopped and the time on the counter is read. If it is shorter than the setting, it is determined that the defrost temperature detection means is defective and an alarm is issued. make someone a person. Therefore, since the user notices an abnormality in the refrigerator and repairs it, the refrigerator can be repaired before the food spoils.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In addition, the same reference numerals are used for the same configuration as before.
A detailed explanation thereof will be omitted and only different parts will be described.

A door portion 16 of the refrigerator body 1 is provided with an alarm means 17 including a buzzer, an LED, and the like.

Next, the control circuit will be explained. Reference numeral 18 is a control means such as a microcomputer, and includes an operation timer 15 for counting the operating time of the compressor 9 and a defrosting timer 19 for counting the energization time of the defrosting heater 10. Control means 1
The temperature detecting means 8 and the defrosting temperature detecting means 11 are input to 8, and the driving means 13, 14 and the alarm means 17 are connected to the output.

In this configuration, the operation will be described with reference to FIG. 1. Note that steps 200 to 204 are the same as in the conventional example and will therefore be omitted. When the operation timer 15 counts a predetermined period of time in step 204, the process proceeds to step 100.

In step 100, the compressor 9 is turned off and step 1
Turn on the defrosting heater 10 in step 01. Next step 10
Step 2 advances the counter of the defrost timer 19.

Next, in step 103, the temperature of the defrosting temperature detection means 11 is checked, and if the temperature is low, the process returns to step 100. If it is determined in step 103 that the temperature is high, the process proceeds to step 104, where the defrosting heater 10 is turned off and the process proceeds to the next step.

At step 105, read the counter value of the defrost timer 19 (i.e. the energization time of the defrost heater 10), and if it is shorter than the set time (for example, 1 second), proceed to step 106. If so, step 2
It advances to 00 and becomes a cooling effect.

Also, if the time is short in step 105, step 10
Proceed to step 6 to output to the alarm means 17.

Therefore, the energization time of the defrosting heater 10 can be notified to the user, and food spoilage can be prevented.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, frost remains in the cooler due to poor defrosting, and the heat exchange efficiency decreases due to the subsequent cooling action, which gradually becomes uncool and causes food in the refrigerator to spoil. By alerting the user to a problem in advance, the user can request or carry out repairs, and food spoilage can be prevented.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a flowchart of a refrigerator showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a control circuit diagram of the same refrigerator, Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same refrigerator, and Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a refrigerator showing a conventional example. FIG. 5 is a control circuit diagram of the refrigerator, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the refrigerator. 1...Refrigerator, 4...Year cooler, 6...Freezer, 7
... Refrigerator room, 8... Compressor, 9... Temperature detection means, 1o... Defrost heater, 11... Defrost temperature detection means, 17... Alarm means, 18... Control means, 19...
・Defrost timer. Fig. 1 tI' Mouse I"")t

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A freezing compartment, a refrigerator compartment, a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the freezing compartment and stopping the operation of a compressor of a refrigeration cycle, and a defrosting unit for melting frost on a cooler of a refrigeration cycle. a heater; a defrosting temperature detection means that detects the temperature of the cooler and stops energizing the defrosting heater when the temperature of the cooler becomes high in the defrosting heater; and counting the energizing time of the defrosting heater. a defrosting timer for energizing the defrosting heater; and an alarming means for warning an abnormality in the refrigerator; A refrigerator comprising control means for causing the alarm means to issue an alarm if the time of the defrost timer when the defrost temperature detection means becomes high is shorter than the set time.