KR100907499B1 - Showcase and method for correcting time of showcase thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention implements the controller as a low-cost controller that does not use a real-time clock (RTC) in a refrigeration / refrigeration show case, and accurately provides current time information necessary for real-time defrosting or late night operation or power saving operation. The present invention relates to a showcase apparatus for freezing / refrigerating, which is provided in a conventional showcase apparatus including a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, an expansion valve, a temperature sensor, and a memory. Time information providing means located remotely and providing time information to the show case apparatus in real time; A timer for generating time information; By receiving the time information in real time through communication with the time information providing means, and having a control means for correcting the time of the timer in real time using the provided time information, defrosting operation by the controller using a low-cost timer Can provide accurate time information for

Show case, real time time correction, RTC, timer, communication

Description

Showcase device and method for correcting time of showcase device}

The present invention implements the controller as a low-cost controller that does not use a real-time clock (RTC) in a refrigeration / refrigeration show case, and accurately provides current time information necessary for real-time defrosting or late night operation or power saving operation. It is a technology related to a showcase for freezing / refrigerating.

In general, the showcase for freezing / refrigeration is to maintain the cooling and freezing while displaying the product so that the ice cream and meat can be seen from the outside, this is made by the cooling circuit, the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerant circuit, The evaporator maintains the temperature while absorbing heat inside the freezer compartment as it exchanges heat.

That is, a low temperature is obtained by heat exchange between the evaporator heat and the outside temperature of the evaporator. At this time, frost is trapped on the surface of the evaporator by the difference between the heat of the evaporator and the outside temperature. The defrosting operation is performed to remove the frost for a time, and the defrosting operation removes the frost generated on the surface of the evaporator.

Here, the defrosting operation time during the defrosting operation control is set in real time by a user or non-real time with a fixed periodicity by a program or the like, and when a predetermined condition such as the defrosting time during the control operation, the defrosting operation is performed immediately.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional show case apparatus including such a defrosting operation, and includes a compressor 11, a condenser 12, an expansion valve 13, an evaporator 14, and a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature inside a refrigerator ( 16), memory 17, controller 15, and RTC 18 providing real time information.

Looking at the operation method of the show case device, the controller 15, which performs the controller function, draws out the basic operation control cycle stored in the memory 7 to control the overall operation of the show case, and when the defrosting operation is started during operation, the RTC The defrosting operation is controlled using the real time current time information provided by (18).

Here, the real-time time information is necessary in real time for real time defrosting operation, late night operation, or power saving operation. For this purpose, the controller 15 receives a real time time using RTC, and is used for defrosting operation, late night operation, or power saving operation. It was.

However, such a conventional showcase device has a disadvantage in that an expensive RTC is used to obtain real-time information for defrosting, driving at night, or saving power.

In particular, since the RTC is implemented in a one-to-one correspondence for each controller (controller), when a large number of showcases using expensive RTCs are installed in a single store, the design cost increases proportionally.

Accordingly, the present invention has been proposed in order to solve various problems occurring in the conventional showcase apparatus as described above.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to implement a controller as a low-cost controller that does not use a real-time clock (RTC) in the refrigeration / refrigeration show case, it is necessary for real-time defrosting operation, midnight operation or power saving operation The present invention provides a show case apparatus and a time correcting method of the show case apparatus so that the current time information can be accurately provided.

Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to implement a show case device using a low-cost controller that does not use an RTC, thereby reducing the cost of implementing the show case device and the show case device It is to provide a time correction method.

Another problem to be solved by the present invention is a showcase device and its showcase, which allow a user to remotely correct a time of each controller by using a personal computer (PC) remotely and by using a wireless or wired communication method. It is to provide a time correction method of the device.

"Show case device" according to the present invention for solving the above problems,

In a conventional show case apparatus having a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, an expansion valve, a temperature sensor, and a memory,

Time information providing means located remote from the show case apparatus and providing real time time information to the show case apparatus periodically;

A timer for generating time information;

And a control means for receiving time information in real time through communication with the time information providing means, and correcting the time of the timer in real time using the provided time information.

The control means,

A communication interface for receiving real time information through communication with the time information providing means;

And controlling a driving of the show case apparatus, and correcting a timer time with real time information received through the communication interface unit.

The controller,

A temperature detection module for processing the temperature value detected by the temperature sensor;

A communication module for performing data communication with the communication interface unit;

A control module for controlling the operation according to the detected temperature processed by the temperature detection module, and controlling the storage of the real-time time information and the correction of the time information transmitted through the communication module;

An information storage module connected to the control module to store the real time information in a memory;

And a time correction module for correcting the time of the timer with real time information stored in the memory according to the control of the control module.

The communication interface unit may perform data communication using any one of the time information providing means and a wired or wireless communication.

The time information providing means may include a personal computer, and the personal computer performs data communication in any one of wireless communication or wired communication to all connected show case apparatuses to simultaneously provide time information in real time. It is characterized by.

The "time correction method of the show case device" according to the present invention for solving the above problems,

In the show case device consisting of a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, an expansion valve, a temperature sensor, a memory, a communication interface, a timer, a controller, and a remotely provided time information providing method,

Attempting to connect with the time information providing means after performing initialization;

Receiving real-time time information periodically when a connection is made with the time information providing means;

Correcting the time of the timer based on the received time information.

The time correction method of the show case device,

When the late night operation, the power saving operation or the defrost operation is started while controlling the operation, the method may further include controlling the operation based on the time information provided by the timer.

According to the present invention described above, there is an advantage that can accurately provide the time information for the defrosting operation, late night operation or power saving operation to the controller of the show case even using a low-cost timer.

In addition, since it can provide accurate time information for defrosting operation, late night operation or power saving operation control even using a low-cost timer instead of expensive RTC, there is an advantage of reducing the cost of implementing the show case device. .

Hereinafter, described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of the present invention. If it is determined that the detailed description of the known function or configuration related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a show case apparatus according to the present invention, which includes a compressor 11, a condenser 12, an expansion valve 13, an evaporator 14, a temperature sensor 16, a memory 17, The show case apparatus includes a time show providing unit 200 which implements a single show case unit 100 using the communication interface 110, the controller 120, and the timer 130, and provides real time time information. Implement The time information providing means 200 is preferably implemented by a general personal computer (PC). In the above, the communication interface 110, the controller 120, and the timer 130 form one control means 150.

In the drawings, components having the same reference numerals and names as those in FIG. 1 are the same as those in FIG. 1, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In FIG. 2, reference numerals 300 and 400 represent second and third showcase parts, and substantially only three show cases are not implemented in one store, and FIG. 2 is only one embodiment. Here, the time information providing means 200 performs data communication with a plurality of show case units installed in a single store to provide real time time information periodically. The time information providing means 200 provides based on the standard time of the world standard. Such a reference time may be provided through the Internet or through a GPS, and the like, and a detailed description of the reference time is omitted since it is a well-known technology. The time information providing means 200 performs data communication in any one of wireless communication or wired communication to all connected show case units, thereby simultaneously providing time information in real time.

The timer 130 provides time information for the defrosting operation, the late night driving, or the power saving operation, and the control means 150 including the communication interface 110, the controller 120, and the timer 130 includes the time information. The time information is provided in real time through communication with the providing means 200, and the time of the timer 130 is corrected in real time using the same.

The communication interface 110 receives the real-time time information through the wireless communication or the wired communication with the time information providing means 200 and provides it to the controller 120, and the controller 120 controls the operation of the show case unit. However, the time of the timer 130 is corrected by the real time information provided through the communication interface 110. Operation here includes general control operation, defrost operation, late night operation and power saving operation.

As shown in FIG. 3, the controller 120 includes a temperature detection module 121 for processing a temperature value detected by the temperature sensor 16; A communication module (122) for performing data communication with the communication interface (110); A control module 123 for controlling the operation according to the detected temperature processed by the temperature detection module 121 and controlling the storage of the real time time information transmitted through the communication module 122 and the correction of the time information; An information storage module 124 connected to the control module 123 to store the real time information in a memory 17; And a time correction module 125 for correcting the time of the timer 130 with real time information stored in the memory 17 under the control of the control module 123.

The show case apparatus according to the present invention configured as described above performs general operation control, defrost operation control, late night operation control, and power saving operation control in the same manner as the conventional show case apparatus, and provides time information providing means 200 in real time. Access is provided with time information (standard time) in real time, by using this to change the time of the timer 130.

That is, after the initialization is made, the controller 120 connects to the communication interface 110 through the communication module 122 and attempts to connect with the time information providing means 200. The time information is provided by the connection attempt. When a connection is made with the means 200, a reference time is requested.

The time information providing means 200 performs a wired communication or a wireless communication in real time based on a reference time when a request for real time time information is generated from the controller 120 of the control means 150 implemented in the connected show case unit 100. It provides to the controller 120 by using. Here, the wired communication may use various known wired communication, but it is preferable to use the RS 485 method. Wireless communication may also use a variety of known and known wireless communication (near field communication, Bluetooth, Zigbee communication, RF wireless communication, etc.).

Although the foregoing has been described as attempting to access the time information providing means 200 from the control means 150 and requesting real time time information, the present invention is not limited thereto, and conversely, the time information providing means 200 is provided. Attempts to access the control means 150 periodically to provide time information in real time. Therefore, it is to be understood in advance that a process of first attempting a connection or requesting provision of real-time time information is not an important element specifying the present invention.

When real-time time information is provided from the time information providing means 200, the communication module 122 receives it and provides it to the control module 123, and the control module 123 received through the information storage module 124. Real time information is stored in the memory 17. Thereafter, the time correction module 125 corrects the current time of the timer 13. Through this process, even using a low-cost timer 130 can provide the same time information as the reference time.

Meanwhile, the controller 120 corrects the time of the timer 130 in real time through the above process, and it is determined that the defrosting operation, the late night operation, or the power saving operation should be started by a predetermined condition during the operation. If so, the operation is accurately performed based on the time information provided by the timer 130. Here, the time correction method of the timer 130 may also adopt a known timer time correction method as it is, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a time correction method of the show case apparatus according to the present invention, where S represents a step.

As shown in the figure, attempting to connect with the time information providing means after performing initialization (S101 to S103); Waiting for a connection if no connection is made with the time information providing means (S105); Receiving time information in real time when a connection is made with the time information providing means (S107); Compensating the time of the timer based on the provided time information (S109), and when a specific operation (for example, defrost operation, late night operation, power saving operation) is started while controlling the operation, the time provided by the timer Controlling the operation based on the information (S111 ~ S115) is made.

The time correction method of the show case apparatus according to the present invention as described above shows a control process performed by the control module 123 of the controller 120, and as shown in step S101, a new power supply is applied to the operation of the reset switch. When the system is reset, the initialization is performed.

After performing the initialization, in step S103, a connection is attempted with a remote PC, that is, time information providing means. If the connection is not made immediately, the process moves to step S105, waits for a predetermined time, and then tries to connect again. If the connection is established, the flow advances to step S107 to receive time information in real time. The real time information received here becomes the reference time.

When receiving the real time information, go to step S109 to correct the time of the timer 130 using the time correction module 125 as a reference time.

The time correction of the timer is performed periodically or in real time, and the control module 123 checks whether a specific driving time is determined based on the predetermined criteria as in step S113 while controlling the driving of the show case as in step S111, and performs a specific operation. If it is a time point, the process moves to step S115 and the operation is performed based on the time information provided by the timer. The specific driving may include defrosting, power saving driving, and late-night driving. The method of determining a specific driving time or performing a specific driving may include determining a specific driving time or controlling a specific driving in a general showcase apparatus. The same is done.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described specific preferred embodiments, and various modifications can be made by any person having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention claimed in the claims. Of course, such changes will fall within the scope of the claims.

The present invention described above can not only correct the time of the timer in real time in the show case apparatus, but also can be applied to any system that is installed remotely and controls the operation with time information using the timer.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional show case apparatus;

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a show case apparatus according to the present invention.

3 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the controller of FIG. 2;

Figure 4 is a flow chart showing a time correction method of the show case apparatus according to the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100... First show case part

110... Communication interface

120... Controller

121... Temperature detection module

122... Communication module

123... Control module

124... Information storage module

125... Time correction module

130... timer

200... Time information providing means (personal computer (PC))

300, 400... Second and third show case parts

Claims (7)

In a conventional show case apparatus having a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, an expansion valve, a temperature sensor, and a memory, Time information providing means located remote from the show case apparatus and providing real time time information to the show case apparatus periodically; A timer for generating time information; And a control means for receiving time information in real time through communication with the time information providing means, and for correcting the time of the timer in real time using the provided time information. The method of claim 1, wherein the control means, A communication interface for receiving real time information through communication with the time information providing means; And a controller for controlling the operation of the show case apparatus, and correcting the time of the timer with real-time time information provided through the communication interface unit. The method of claim 2, wherein the controller, A temperature detection module for processing the temperature value detected by the temperature sensor; A communication module for performing data communication with the communication interface unit; A control module for controlling the operation according to the detected temperature processed by the temperature detection module, and controlling the storage of the real-time time information and the correction of the time information transmitted through the communication module; An information storage module connected to the control module to store the real time information in a memory; And a time correction module for correcting the time of the timer with real time information stored in the memory according to the control of the control module. The show case apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the communication interface unit performs data communication by any one of a communication method such as the time information providing means and wired communication or wireless communication. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the time information providing means comprises a personal computer, and the time information providing means performs data communication in any one of wireless communication or wired communication to all connected show case apparatuses in real time. Show case device characterized in that to provide time information at the same time. In the show case device consisting of a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, an expansion valve, a temperature sensor, a memory, a communication interface, a timer, a controller, and a remotely provided time information providing method, Attempting to connect with the time information providing means after performing initialization; Receiving real-time time information periodically when a connection is made with the time information providing means; And correcting the time of the timer based on the received time information. The time correcting method of the show case apparatus according to claim 6, When the specific operation (defrost operation, late night operation, power saving operation) is started while controlling the operation, the time of the show case device further comprising the step of controlling the specific operation based on the time information provided by the timer Calibration method.

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