KR100663649B1 - Refrigerator and control method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator and a method for controlling the refrigerator are provided to recognize the operation atmosphere in an ice cutter by detecting the temperature in the ice cutter. A refrigerator includes an ice cutter(16), a temperature detection section(20), and a control section(70). The ice cutter cuts an ice provided from an ice making section. The temperature detection section is provided in the ice cutter to measure the temperature in the ice cutter. The control section operates the ice cutter if the temperature in the ice cutter is below a predetermined operation temperature on the basis of the temperature measured by the temperature detection section. The control section stops the ice cutter in operation if the operation temperature exceeds a predetermined stop temperature on the basis of the temperature measured by the temperature detection section. The refrigerator includes an alarm display section, and the control section displays an alarm on the alarm display section if the operation temperature exceeds the stop temperature.

Description

Refrigerator and its control method {REFRIGERATOR AND CONTROL METHOD USING THE SAME}

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to the present invention;

2 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG.

3 is a perspective view of the ice making unit and the ice cutting unit region shown in FIG.

4 is a cross-sectional view of the ice cutting unit according to the present invention,

5 is a control block diagram according to the present invention;

6 is a control flowchart according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

 1: refrigerator 2: refrigerator

 10 freezer 11: ice-making chamber

 13: ice cutting part 14: ice making part

 15: ice transfer unit 16: ice cutter

 20: temperature sensing unit 30: ice storage container

 31: lever 38: first discharge portion

 50: dispenser 60: alarm display

 62: selection button portion 63: ice cutting button

 64: setting button 70: control unit

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator for controlling the operation of the ice machine according to the measured temperature of the temperature sensing unit.

A refrigerator is a device for storing various foods freshly by using the heat exchanged air from the evaporator of the freezing cycle. The refrigerator stores foods below freezing temperatures such as meat and fish, and foods above freezing temperatures such as fruits and vegetables. Refrigerating room for storing the compartment is provided.

The freezer is provided with an ice maker for making ice of a predetermined size by receiving water from an external water supply device, and an ice storage unit for storing ice iced from the ice maker is provided in the lower part of the ice maker.

Meanwhile, in the conventional refrigerators, only ice cubes and pieces of ice can be supplied, but there is a need for supplying various ice such as powdered ice in the refrigerator so as to make food such as red bean shaved ice. For this purpose, the existing ice machine can be installed in a refrigerator.

However, in the conventional ice machine, when a user inputs an ice making operation to the ice making button, the ice making machine operates regardless of the presence or absence of ice in the ice making machine.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a method of controlling the same, by measuring the temperature in the ice machine and grasping the operating environment in the ice machine, thereby preventing unnecessary operation.

According to the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a freezing compartment and an ice making unit provided in the freezing chamber, comprising: an ice cutter for ice-creaming ice provided from the ice making unit; A temperature sensing unit provided at the ice machine to measure a temperature in the ice machine; When the temperature in the ice machine is less than a predetermined operating temperature based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensing unit, it is achieved by a refrigerator including a control unit for operating the ice machine.

Here, the control unit may control to stop the ice machine in operation when the operating temperature exceeds a predetermined stop temperature based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensing unit.

The display apparatus may further include an alarm display unit, and the controller may display an alarm on the alarm display unit when the stop temperature is exceeded.

The ice making unit may include a first discharge part through which ice is discharged to the ice maker, and a second discharge part through which ice or flake ice generated by the ice maker is discharged.

Here, the temperature sensing unit may include an infrared sensor.

According to the present invention, there is provided a control method of a refrigerator having a freezing compartment and an ice making unit provided in the freezing compartment, the method comprising: ice-creaming ice provided from the ice making unit; Measuring the temperature in the ice machine; It is also achieved by the control method of the refrigerator comprising measuring the temperature in the ice machine to operate the ice machine when the temperature in the ice machine is below a predetermined operating temperature.

Here, the method may include measuring the temperature in the ice machine to stop the ice machine in operation when the temperature in the ice machine exceeds a predetermined stop temperature.

Here, the method may further include a step of informing an alarm message or an alarm sound when the temperature in the ice machine exceeds the stop temperature.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings for a side by side type refrigerator as an embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a refrigerator according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an ice making unit and an ice cutting unit region shown in FIG. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the ice cutting unit according to the present invention, Figure 5 is a control block diagram according to the present invention, Figure 6 is a control flow diagram according to the present invention.

As shown in these drawings, the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention receives the ice stored in the freezer compartment 10, the ice maker 14 provided in the freezer compartment 10, and the ice maker 14 to make powdered ice. The ice cutting part 13 is included. Here, the ice-breaking unit 13 of the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention is an ice machine 16 for ice ice and a temperature sensing unit 20 provided in the ice machine 16 to measure the temperature in the ice machine 16. ). In addition, the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention includes a control unit 70 for controlling the operation of the ice machine 16 based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensing unit 20.

In the refrigerator 1 of the present invention, the refrigerating chamber 2 and the freezing chamber 10 partitioned by an intermediate partition are formed left and right. The front openings of the refrigerating chamber 2 and the freezing chamber 10 are provided with a refrigerating chamber door 3 and a freezing chamber door 6 for opening and closing each refrigerating chamber 2 and the freezing chamber 10. Inside the refrigerating chamber door 3 and the freezing chamber door 6, storage guides 5 for storing food such as beverages are arranged up and down at predetermined intervals. In the refrigerator compartment 2, the some shelf 4 which divides the inside of the refrigerator compartment 2 into several space so that food may be stored easily is provided.

The freezing chamber 10 has an ice making chamber 11 provided with an ice making device for making ice at an upper portion thereof, and a storage drawer (not shown) for storing food is disposed above and below the freezing chamber 10. The front surface of the freezing chamber door 6 is provided with a dispenser unit 50 for receiving ice iced from the ice making chamber 11 and drinking water from the outside. The dispenser unit 50 is provided with a water dispenser 51 for supplying drinking water, and an ice dispenser 52 for supplying ice iced in the ice making chamber 11, and will be described later on the dispenser unit 50. An alarm having a selection button portion 62 including a plurality of buttons such as a binning button 63 and a setting button 64, a display 61 on which a warning message is displayed, and a buzzer (not shown) indicating a warning sound. The display unit 60 is included.

An ice making tray 12 is provided in the ice making chamber 11 to receive water from an external water supply device (not shown), and an ice making tray which stores ice iced from the ice making tray 12 in the lower part of the ice making tray 12. The ice part 14 is provided. In addition, an ice making motor (not shown) for rotating the ice tray 12 to ice the iced ice from the ice tray 12 is provided at one side of the ice tray 12 in the longitudinal direction. Attached to the lower part is an ice detector 21 for measuring the amount of ice contained in the ice making unit 14.

2 to 4, the ice making unit 14 includes an ice storage container 30 and a guide case 42 in which ice iced from the ice making tray 12 is stored, and accommodated in the ice making unit 14. Ice conveying unit 15 for transporting the ice, the first discharge portion 38 for supplying ice cubes to the ice cutting unit 13 by the ice conveying unit 15, and the ice blade or rotary blade 36 to be described later And a second discharge portion 39 for discharging crushed or crushed ice by the fixed blade 35. In addition, the ice cutting unit 13 includes an ice machine 16 which receives the ice cubes transferred by the ice transfer unit 15 from the first discharging unit 38 to make powdered ice, and the ice cutting unit 13 includes: As an example of the present invention, the apparatus further includes a temperature sensing unit 20 for sensing a temperature in the ice machine 16.

The ice making unit 14 includes an ice storage container 30 and a guide case 42. The ice storage container 30 stores the ice frozen in the ice tray 12. Ice iced from the ice tray 12 may vary depending on the shape of the ice tray 12. For example, it may be iced in an ice cube of almost rectangular parallelepiped shape, or may be iced in the shape of a sphere. One side of the ice storage container 30 is formed with an opening 40 for discharging ice cubes stored in the ice making tray 12 to the outside.

The opening 40 is formed at one side of the ice storage container 30 and may be provided in various shapes and sizes. Opening 40 is an example of the present invention, may be provided in a semi-circular shape. However, the opening 40 may be provided in various shapes such as a quadrangle.

On the other hand, one side of the opening 40 is further provided with a guide cylinder 41 to guide the ice in the ice storage container 30 to the opening 40, the guide cylinder 41 has a variety of sizes and shapes. The guide cylinder 41 is preferably provided corresponding to the shape and size of the opening 40.

The guide case 42 is provided at one side of the opening 40 of the ice storage container 30 and the guide unit 19 provided in the ice cube 16 or the freezing chamber door 6 discharged through the opening 40. ) Is provided with a first discharge portion 38 and a second discharge portion 39. The guide case 42 has a lever 31 for supplying and blocking ice cubes to the first discharge portion 38 and an ice lever 33 for supplying and blocking ice cubes and ice cubes to the second discharge portion 39. Is provided. The guide case 42 may be provided surrounding the side of the opening 40 except for the first discharge part 38 and the second discharge part 39 provided below. In the case described above, the ice cube passing through the opening 40 is discharged to a portion other than the first discharge portion 38 and the second discharge portion 39 at the lower portion, or the fixed blade 35 provided on the opening portion 40 side. And pieces of ice generated by the rotary blade 36 can be prevented from being scattered and discharged to other parts.

The first discharge portion 38 is formed on the lower surface of the guide case 42 is provided to guide the ice cubes passing through the opening 40 to the ice machine 16. Here, the position of the first discharge portion 38 is not fixed, of course, can be changed as necessary.

The second discharge portion 39 is formed on the lower surface of the guide case 42 in the same manner as the first discharge portion 38 described above, the ice cube passing through the opening 40, the rotary blade 36 and the fixed blade The crushed ice crushed by 35 is guided to the guide unit 19 provided in the freezing chamber door 6. Here, the position of the second discharge portion 39 is not fixed as in the same manner as the first discharge portion 38, and of course, can be skipped as necessary.

The ice transfer unit 15 includes an ice transfer motor 17 provided in the ice storage container 30 and a rotating body 18 for pushing the ice in the ice storage container 30 toward the opening 40.

The ice transfer motor 17 transmits a driving force to the rotating body 18 to transfer the ice cubes in the ice storage container 30 toward the opening 40. The ice transfer motor 17 may be provided anywhere in the ice storage container 30, and the ice transfer motor 17 is provided on the opposite side of the opening 40 of the ice storage container 30 as one example of the present invention.

The rotating body 18 is provided in the shape of a spiral blade and rotates to push the ice cubes in the ice storage container 30 toward the opening 40. Here, the spiral wing shape of the rotating body 18 may be formed to have a spiral surface, it may be provided in a coil shape wound in a spiral shape. In addition to the spiral wing shape described above, the rotating body 18 may be provided in various other shapes capable of conveying ice cubes.

The lever 31 and the ice lever 33 are provided between the opening 40, the first discharge portion 38 and the second discharge portion 39 in the guide case 42. The discharge section 39 is divided and opened and closed. The lever 31 guides the ice cubes in the ice storage container 30 to the ice cutter 16, and the ice lever 33 is a guide portion 19 provided in the freezer door 6 to selectively remove the ice cubes or the ice cubes. To discharge. One end of the lever 31 and the ice lever 33 are rotatably coupled to the ice storage container 30 and rotated by the lever driver 32 and the ice lever driver 34. 2 may be provided to open and close the discharge portion (39).

The lever driving unit 32 and the ice lever driving unit 34 allow the lever 31 and the ice lever 33 to rotate about one end to open and close the first discharge unit 38 and the second discharge unit 39. There is no restriction on the type of the lever driving unit 32 and the ice lever driving unit 34, for example, it may be provided as a valve such as a solenoid.

The ice cutter 13 is an ice machine 16 for ice-creaming ice cubes supplied from the first discharge unit 38 of the ice maker 14 with powdered ice, and a temperature sensing unit for sensing a temperature in the ice machine 16. And 20.

Ice grinder 16 is provided to receive ice cubes stored in the ice storage container 30 to ice the powder ice. The ice grinder 16 has a fixed case (not shown), a rotating case (not shown) that receives and rotates ice cubes in the fixed case, and a blade (not shown) which contacts with the ice cubes accommodated in the rotating case while grinding with ice. ) Is provided. The rotation case of the ice machine 16 rotates by receiving the power generated by the driving unit (not shown) from the power transmission unit (not shown). As an ice machine 16, as an example of the present invention, a temperature sensing unit 20 for measuring the temperature in the ice machine 16 is provided.

The temperature sensing unit 20 is provided in the ice machine 16 to measure the temperature in the ice machine 16. The temperature detector 20 is provided to detect a predetermined temperature and transmit a signal to the controller 70 to be described later. The temperature sensing unit 20 is an example of the present invention, an infrared sensor is used.

The control unit 70 is provided to control the operation of the ice machine 16 based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensing unit 20. In addition, the controller 70 controls to operate the ice machine 16 when the temperature measured by the temperature sensing unit 20 is less than or equal to a predetermined operating temperature, and the temperature measured by the temperature sensing unit 20 is controlled. When the predetermined stop temperature is exceeded, the control of the ice machine 16 in operation is stopped. When the temperature measured by the temperature sensing unit 20 exceeds the stop temperature, the controller 70 controls the alarm display unit 60 to inform the user of a warning message and a warning sound for stopping the operation of the ice machine 16. do.

Looking at the operation of the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention by such a configuration as follows.

First, the user presses the setting button 64 in the selection button unit 62 to input the setting temperature range measured by the temperature sensing unit 20. As an example of the present invention, the set temperature range is preferably -8 ° C to -20 ° C.

When the user needs powdered ice to make food such as red bean shaved ice, press the ice button 63 on the selection button portion 62.

When the ice button 63 is pressed, it is determined whether the ice transfer unit 15 that transfers ice cubes in the ice storage container 30 is operated (S10).

When it is determined that the ice transfer unit 15 is in operation, it is determined whether the lever 31 for guiding ice to the first discharge unit 38 is operated (S20).

)가 설정온도(

)와 같거나 낮은지 판단한다(S30).The temperature sensing unit 20 in the ice machine 16 measures the temperature in the ice machine 16 (

) Is the set temperature (

It is determined whether or not equal to or lower than (S30).

)가 설정온도(

)와 같거나 낮을 경우, 빙삭기 (16)내의 얼음이 공급된 것으로 판단하여 제어부(70)는 빙삭기(16)를 작동시키도록 제어한다(S40).Temperature in ice machine 16 (

) Is the set temperature (

When it is equal to or lower than), it is determined that the ice in the ice machine 16 is supplied, and the control unit 70 controls to operate the ice machine 16 (S40).

)가 설정온도(

)를 초과할 경우, 빙삭기(16) 내에 얼음이 없는 것으로 판단하고, 빙삭기(16)가 작동 중인지 판단한다(S50).However, the temperature in ice cutter 16 (

) Is the set temperature (

If it is exceeded, it is determined that there is no ice in the ice machine 16, it is determined whether the ice machine 16 is in operation (S50).

If the ice machine 16 is in operation, the control unit 70 controls to stop the ice machine 16 (S60).

If the ice machine 16 is not in operation, it ends. At this time, when the temperature in the ice machine 16 exceeds the set temperature, the control unit 70 notifies the alarm display unit 60 of a warning message or a warning sound to prevent the user from inputting the ice cutting button 63 to the ice machine. (16) is prevented from unnecessary operation.

Thus, when the temperature measured by the temperature sensing unit in the ice machine exceeds a predetermined temperature, it is determined that there is no ice in the ice machine, and the ice machine can be controlled to not operate to prevent unnecessary operation of the ice machine.

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator and a method of controlling the same, by sensing a temperature in an ice machine and grasping the operating environment in the ice machine, thereby preventing unnecessary waste machine operation and preventing waste of power. .

Claims (8)

A refrigerator having a freezing compartment and an ice making unit provided in the freezing compartment, An ice cutter for ice-creaming the ice provided from the ice making unit; A temperature sensing unit provided at the ice machine to measure a temperature in the ice machine; And a controller for operating the ice machine when the temperature in the ice machine is less than a predetermined operating temperature based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensing unit. The method of claim 1, And the control unit controls to stop the ice machine in operation when the operating temperature exceeds a predetermined stop temperature based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensing unit. The method of claim 2, Further comprising an alarm display, And the controller displays an alarm on the alarm display unit when the stop temperature is exceeded. The method of claim 1, The ice maker comprises a first discharge part for discharging ice to the ice machine and a second discharge part for discharging ice or flake ice generated in the ice maker. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And the temperature sensing unit comprises an infrared sensor. In the control method of the refrigerator having a freezer compartment and an ice making unit provided in the freezer compartment, Ice-creaming the ice from the ice making unit; Measuring the temperature in the ice machine; And measuring the temperature in the ice machine to operate the ice machine when the temperature in the ice machine is below a predetermined operating temperature. The method of claim 6, Measuring the temperature in the ice machine and stopping the ice machine in operation when the temperature in the ice machine exceeds a predetermined stop temperature. The method of claim 7, wherein The control method of the refrigerator further comprising the step of informing the alarm message or the alarm sound when the temperature in the ice machine exceeds the stop temperature.

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