KR101852823B1 - Anti-due prediction control of refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control method capable of predicting a dew condensation phenomenon that may occur according to a change in ambient environment of a refrigerator and minimizing the generation of dew by controlling a heater. Measuring the outside temperature and humidity, setting the basic operation rate of the heater based on the measured outside temperature and humidity, and determining whether the door is opened. If the door is opened, measuring the time until the door is opened and closed, and further weighting the operation rate of the heater based on the measured door opening time.

Description

2. Description of the Related Art [0002] Anti-due prediction control of refrigerator [0003]

The present invention relates to a control method capable of predicting a dew condensation phenomenon that may occur according to a change in the ambient environment of a refrigerator and minimizing dew generation through adjustment of a heater.

Generally, a refrigerator is a device that puts food into a freezer or a fridge and keeps it fresh for a long time. To this end, the refrigerator cools the storage compartment such as the freezer compartment or the refrigerating compartment by using the refrigerant generated by heat exchange with the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle. Therefore, the inside of the storage compartment of the refrigerator is usually maintained at a lower temperature than the outside.

The freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment are provided inside a cabinet constituting a refrigerator body and are selectively opened and closed by a freezing compartment door and a refrigerating compartment door, respectively. The temperature inside the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment is lower than the temperature of the outside air, so that dew may occur depending on the temperature difference between the inside and the outside of the refrigerator near the portion where the door comes in contact with the front surface of the cabinet.

In order to prevent the dew from forming on the outer surface of the refrigerator, a heater is provided at a portion where dew is easily generated and heated. For example, when the two doors are closed in a refrigerator that opens and closes one storage room with two doors, the heater (dew condensation preventing device) generates dew on the front surface of the opening and closing member that closes the gap between two adjacent doors Especially necessary to prevent that.

In addition, the refrigerator may be provided with a dispenser on the door of the refrigerator to supply cold water or water to the refrigerator. An ice maker that supplies ice to water is provided inside the refrigerator compartment or freezer compartment or on its doors.

As described above, in the conventional heater (anti-dew condensation preventing device) for preventing the dew from being formed on the portion where the refrigerator cabinet and the door are brought into contact, a heater using a heat pump, an electric heater or hot air can be used. In any form if the temperature can be increased. A heater according to a temporary example of the present invention has a heat pump as an example and is shown in FIG. A hot line 30 connected to the refrigerant flow pipe 31 is provided at a position where the refrigerator cabinet 50 and the door 60 are in contact with each other and is branched from the condenser 80. The refrigerant heat radiation from the hot line 30 The dew formed on the front surface of the refrigerator in which the refrigerator cabinet 50 and the door 60 are in contact with each other can be removed.

2 shows a heater, which includes a hot line 30, a refrigerant flow pipe 31, a compressor 70, a condenser 80, an evaporator 100, and the like. The refrigerant in the high temperature and high pressure state pressurized in the compressor 70 undergoes heat exchange in the condenser 80 and is changed into the liquid state at the room temperature and high pressure while the phase change refrigerant flows along the hot line 30 branched to the condenser 80 The heat of the refrigerant is transferred to the front of the refrigerator through the hot line 30 to evaporate the dew that is formed at a portion where the refrigerator cabinet 50 and the door 60 are in contact with each other.

The refrigerant which has flowed through the hot line 30 and evaporated in the area where the refrigerator cabinet 50 and the door 60 are in contact with each other as described above flows into the expansion valve 90 and flows into the low- The refrigerant is introduced into the evaporator 100, and then the refrigerant is discharged into the refrigerator while being heat-exchanged in the evaporator 100.

In recent years, an invention has been proposed to prevent dew formation at a portion where the refrigerator cabinet and the door are brought into contact with each other by using a thermosyphon system that allows the high heat of the compressor 70 itself to flow along a hot line installed on the front of the refrigerator cabinet exist.

There are various kinds of ways to increase the efficiency of the heater and the detailed explanation is omitted.

As described above, a conventional heater for preventing dew formation is a technique of increasing or decreasing the output of a heater for preventing dew formation depending on the temperature and the relative humidity of a room. However, since the output of the heater is determined based on only the temperature and the relative humidity of the room even though the dew is generated due to the change in the surrounding environment such as the opening and closing of the door and the open time of the door, .

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem [8] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a control method of a refrigerator which can prevent a sudden dew from being formed by adjusting the operation rate of a heater after anticipating the occurrence of dew, And the like.

A control method of a refrigerator including a cabinet, a heater and a door, the method comprising the steps of: measuring temperature or humidity outside the cabinet to solve the above-mentioned problems; Determining a basic operation rate of the heater according to the measured temperature or humidity; Measuring a time when the door is opened and closed when the door is opened; And a heater operation rate adjusting step of adjusting a basic operation rate of the heater according to a time when the door is opened.

Also, as the measured humidity or temperature rises, the basic operation rate may increase stepwise.

On the other hand, as the measured humidity or temperature increases, the basic operation rate can be continuously increased.

Wherein the step of determining the basic operation rate of the heater includes the steps of: checking whether the measured humidity is included in the first humidity range; And maintaining the basic operation rate of the heater at X when the measured humidity is included in the first humidity range.

Determining whether the measured humidity is included in the second humidity range when the measured humidity is not included in the first humidity range; And maintaining the basic operation rate of the heater at an operation rate Y smaller than the operation rate X when the measured humidity is included in the second humidity section.

Confirming whether the measured humidity is included in the third humidity range when the measured humidity is not included in the second humidity range; And maintaining the basic operation rate of the heater at an operation rate Z smaller than the operation rate Y when the measured humidity is included in the third humidity range.

Wherein the step of determining the basic operation rate of the heater includes the steps of: checking whether the measured temperature is included in a first temperature interval; And maintaining the basic operation rate of the heater at X1 when the measured temperature is included in the first temperature interval.

Determining whether the measured temperature is included in a second temperature interval when the measured temperature is not included in the first temperature interval; And maintaining the basic operation rate of the heater at an operation rate Y1 smaller than the operation rate X1 when the measured temperature is included in the second temperature interval.

Determining whether the measured temperature is included in a third temperature interval when the measured temperature is not included in the second temperature interval; And maintaining the basic operation rate of the heater at the operation rate Z1 smaller than the operation rate Y1 when the measured temperature is included in the third temperature interval.

The heater operation rate adjustment step may weight the basic operation rate according to the time when the door is opened.

As the door is opened for a longer period of time, the weight may gradually increase.

As the door is opened for a longer period of time, the weight may continuously increase.

The method may further include measuring time from a time when the door is closed, and returning to the basic operation rate when the measured time reaches a predetermined time.

The present invention has the effect of minimizing the power consumption required for operating the heater as well as preventing sudden dew formation by predicting the occurrence of dew and controlling the operation rate of the heater when the ambient environment changes.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a conceptual view of a refrigerant cycle of a heater according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an overall flow diagram illustrating a control method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a detailed algorithm for the basic operation rate determination step of the method of controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a graph showing a correlation between the humidity and the basic operation rate.
6 is a detailed algorithm for controlling the heater operation rate in the method of controlling the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a graph showing a time when the door is opened and an adjusted heater operation rate.
FIG. 8 is a view illustrating the role of a control unit in a method of controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the control method described below is only for explaining the embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and the same reference numerals used throughout the specification indicate the same components.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a refrigerator, including: measuring temperature and humidity outside the refrigerator (S100); setting a basic operation rate (S200) for operating the heater based on the measured temperature and humidity; (S300) of determining whether or not the door is opened (S400), measuring a time when the door is kept opened, and adjusting the operation rate of the heater based on the basic operation rate based on the time when the door is kept opened (S500).

The outside temperature and humidity measurement of the refrigerator is to understand the dew point. The dew point is the temperature at which the air is saturated and the water vapor condenses when the temperature is gradually cooled under a certain pressure. The dew point can be grasped so that it is possible to grasp when the dew formed in the portion where the cabinet 50 and the door 60 are in contact with each other. When the dew point is detected, the time and the amount of heat to be transferred to the hot line 30 can be determined.

In the case of the heater 10 (see FIG. 8), not only the heat pump shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 can be used but also a heat line capable of controlling the temperature using electricity can be used. In the case of an embodiment of the present invention, an electric heater capable of adjusting the ON / OFF of the heater more freely and instantaneously will be described.

The step of setting the basic operation rate (S200) is a step of setting the degree of operation of the heater 10 based on the measured external temperature or humidity. The operation rate corresponds to dividing the operation time of the heater by the operation cycle of the heater. That is, in the case of the present invention, the time at which the heater 10 is operated (the total heater ON time) is divided by the sum of the time at which the heater 10 is operated and the time at which the heater 10 is not operated (total heater ON time + total heater OFF time) Corresponds to the operation rate.

The temperature and humidity outside the refrigerator may be the temperature sensor 14 and the humidity sensor 15. Referring to FIG. 8, a method of controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a control unit 1 for controlling a refrigerator. The controller 1 controls the temperature sensor 14 and the humidity sensor 15 to collect temperature and humidity data and temporarily store the temperature and humidity data in the memory unit 12. The data stored in the memory unit 12 is used to determine the basic operation rate of the heater 10 later. The temperature sensor 14 and the humidity sensor 15 may be installed outside the cabinet 50 and collect data at all times to determine the operation rate of the heater 10. In addition to the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor, it is irrelevant whether it is installed at any position if the external temperature and humidity can be measured.

You can set the basic operation rate based on temperature only, you can set it based on humidity only, or you can set it using both temperature and humidity. The reason for setting the basic operation rate is to operate the heater 10 with a minimum amount of energy that can remove dew depending on the measured humidity or temperature. The basic operating rate can be determined experimentally according to humidity or temperature.

The step of setting the basic operation rate (S200) will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 shows a method of setting the basic operation rate of the heater 10 based on the humidity. However, even if the temperature is used as a reference, the basic operation rate of the heater 10 is set through the algorithm shown in FIG.

First, a step S210 is performed to determine the interval in which the measured humidity exists. The reference humidity A and the reference humidity A set by the control unit 1 or the user are stored in the memory unit 12 (the reference humidity A is an arbitrary value higher than the reference humidity B, The control section 1 defines the humidity range measured by the humidity sensor 15 or the like, and the humidity range of the humidity sensor 15 is defined as the second humidity range, Is greater than or equal to the reference humidity A stored in the memory unit 12. [ If the measured humidity is greater than or equal to the reference humidity A (in the first humidity range), set the basic operating rate to any value X.

If the measured humidity is less than the reference humidity A and is greater than or equal to B (corresponding to the second humidity interval), set the basic operation rate to an arbitrary value Y. At this time, the basic operation rate Y is smaller than the basic operation rate X. When the humidity is high, the heater 10 must be operated so that the basic operation rate is higher, so that dew does not occur.

If the measured humidity is less than B (corresponding to the third humidity interval), the basic operating rate is set to any value Z. At this time, the basic operation rate Z is smaller than the basic operation rate Y. [

The basic basic operation rates X, Y and Z are preset values stored in the memory unit 12 and the control unit 1 stores the data acquired from the temperature sensor 14 and the humidity sensor 15 in the memory unit 12 The basic operation rate is set by comparing with the stored reference humidity.

The basic operation rate of the heater may be determined by determining whether the measured humidity is included in the specific humidity range as in the setting of the basic operation rate. However, the basic operation rate of the heater may be continuously changed according to the measured humidity It may be set. If the basic operation ratio of the heater is continuously changed in accordance with the measured humidity, it is possible to cope with the external change more precisely.

5 is a graph showing that the basic operation ratio of the heater is set according to the measured humidity. FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating the contents of FIG. 4 so as to be understood at a glance.

The basic operation rate is set not only by the humidity but also by the temperature. The final basic operation rate setting can be determined only by humidity, temperature alone, or both humidity and temperature.

When setting the basic operation rate in consideration of both humidity and temperature, it is possible to improve the accuracy by comparing the respective basic operation rates according to humidity and temperature. In addition, the basic operation rate can be set first by the temperature and can be calibrated in detail using the humidity data.

When the basic operation rate setting of the heater is completed, it is determined whether the door is opened (S300). In the case of a refrigerator, it is essential to open the door when inserting and removing refrigerated objects. As the amount of the object to be refrigerated is increased, the opening time of the door becomes longer. The longer the door is opened, the more moisture and warm air penetrates into the cabinet 50. Therefore, the probability of dew on the joint surface between the cabinet 50 and the door 60 increases.

There are various factors that can change the ambient environment in the refrigerator. In the embodiment of the present invention, when warm air enters the cabinet 50 when the door is opened and closed, the operation of the heater 10 is controlled according to the opening time of the door Method.

Step S300 of determining whether the door is opened is a step for knowing a starting point for calculating the time when the door 60 is opened later. Whether or not the door 60 is opened can be judged by using the door sensor 13 or the like. The door sensor 13 may be provided in the door 60 of the refrigerator and the data obtained by the door sensor is temporarily stored in the memory unit 12 through the control unit 1. [ When it is detected that the door 60 is opened through the door sensor 13, the time until the door 60 is closed is measured (S400). The time data in which the door is opened is temporarily stored in the memory unit 12, and the process proceeds to step S500 of adjusting the heater operation rate based on the data.

FIG. 6 shows an algorithm for adjusting the heater operation rate according to the time when the door is opened. In the case of the door closed step (S410) shown in FIG. 6, it is a step included in the door open holding time measurement step (S400). To measure the time when the door is opened, the door must be opened and then closed.

When the door is closed (S410) and the door is opened (S400), the basic operation rate determined in the basic operation rate determination step (S200) is adjusted based on the measured time. First, it is determined whether the measured time is included in the interval (S520). The control unit 1 determines whether or not the time measured by the door sensor 13 is equal to or larger than the predetermined time period (?>?) Stored in the memory unit 12 . When the measured time is equal to or greater than?, The heater 10 is operated by adding the largest weight T1 to the basic operation rate.

When the measured time is smaller than? And equal to or larger than?, The heater 10 is operated by adding the second weighting value T2 to the basic operation rate. The second weight T2 corresponds to a value smaller than the largest weight T1.

When the measured time is smaller than?, The heater 10 is operated by adding the smallest weight T3 to the basic operation rate. The smallest weight T3 corresponds to a value smaller than the second weight T2.

That is, the smaller the opening time of the door 60, the smaller the weight added to the basic operation rate determined in the basic operation rate determination step S200. This is because the warm and humid air infiltrated from the outside is reduced as the door 60 is opened for a shorter period of time, so that even if the basic operation rate of the heater 10 is lowered, the dew of the portion where the cabinet 50 and the door 60 The occurrence can be prevented.

In step S530 of adding a weight to the basic operation rate according to the opening time of the door 60, a step S540 is performed to measure how much time has passed on the basis of the closing time of the door.

When the door 60 is closed and flows for a certain period of time, the temperature inside the cabinet 50 returns to the state before the door 60 is opened, so that it is unnecessary to assign a weight to the basic operation rate. Accordingly, after the door 60 is closed and the predetermined time has elapsed, the heater 10 is returned to the basic operation rate (S550).

Fig. 7 corresponds to a graphical representation of the algorithm of Fig. The weight added to the basic operation rate changes step by step according to the time when the door 60 is opened. If the time at which the door 60 is opened is smaller than?, The basic operation rate is added to the T3 weight. If the time is less than?, The basic operation rate is added to the T2 weight. .

6 and 7 show examples in which the basic operation rate is weighted according to the humidity, but the basic operation rate may be weighted according to the temperature. Even when the temperature is used as a reference, the basic operation rate can be weighted in the order as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG.

It is possible to determine whether the measured time is included in a specific time period as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and to set the basic operation rate to a weight. However, the basic operation rate . That is, the measured time and the magnitude of the weight can be set to be proportional to each other. If the weights are continuously changed in correspondence with the measured time, the operation rate of the heater can be controlled more accurately and the energy can be used more efficiently.

Even when the weight is set based on the temperature, the weight can be continuously changed in association with the measured time.

The present invention may be embodied in various forms without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

10: Heater
30: Hotline
31: Refrigerant flow pipe
50: Cabinet
60: Door
70: Compressor
80: condenser
90: Expansion valve
100: Evaporator

Claims (13)

1. A control method for a refrigerator including a cabinet, a door, and a heater provided at a portion where the cabinet and the door are in contact with each other,
Measuring humidity or temperature outside the cabinet;
Determining a basic operation rate of the heater according to the measured humidity or temperature;
Measuring a time when the door is open; And
And adjusting a basic operation rate of the heater according to a time when the door is open to prevent generation of dew on a portion where the cabinet and the door are in contact with each other,
In the basic operation rate determination step, the basic operation rate is determined to be larger as the measured humidity or temperature is higher,
Wherein the weighting value that becomes larger as the door is opened for a longer period of time in the heater operation rate adjustment step is added to the basic operation rate. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the basic operation rate rises stepwise as the measured humidity or temperature rises. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the basic operation rate rises continuously as the measured humidity or temperature rises. delete The method according to claim 1,
And the weight is increased stepwise as the door is opened for a longer period of time. The method according to claim 1,
And the weight is continuously increased as the door is opened for a longer period of time. The method according to claim 1,
Measuring a time from when the door is closed; And
And returning to the basic operation rate when the measured time reaches a predetermined time. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the basic operation rate determination step comprises:
Confirming that the measured humidity is included in the first humidity range; And
And maintaining the basic operation rate of the heater at X when the measured humidity is included in the first humidity range. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the basic operation rate determination step comprises:
Confirming whether the measured humidity is included in the second humidity interval when the measured humidity is not included in the first humidity interval; And
And maintaining the basic operation rate of the heater at an operation rate Y smaller than the operation rate X when the measured humidity is included in the second humidity range. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the basic operation rate determination step comprises:
If the measured humidity is not included in the second humidity range, checking whether the measured humidity is included in the third humidity range; And
And maintaining the basic operation rate of the heater at an operation rate Z smaller than the operation rate Y when the measured humidity is included in the third humidity range. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the basic operation rate determination step comprises:
Confirming that the measured temperature is included in a first temperature interval; And
And maintaining the basic operation rate of the heater at X1 when the measured temperature is included in the first temperature interval. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the basic operation rate determination step comprises:
Determining whether the measured temperature is included in a second temperature interval if the measured temperature is not included in the first temperature interval; And
And maintaining the basic operation rate of the heater at an operation rate Y1 smaller than the operation rate X1 when the measured temperature is included in the second temperature range. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the basic operation rate determination step comprises:
Determining whether the measured temperature is included in a third temperature interval when the measured temperature is not included in the second temperature interval; And
And maintaining the basic operation rate of the heater at the operation rate Z1 smaller than the operation rate Y1 when the measured temperature is included in the third temperature interval.

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