KR102548251B1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet in which a storage compartment is formed; a first door connected to the cabinet to open and close at least a portion of the storage compartment; a chiller room provided in the first door; a temperature sensor for sensing an internal temperature of the chiller room; an ice-making chamber provided in the first door to produce ice; an ice-making compartment door connected to the first door to open and close the ice-making compartment; a lighting unit provided on a front surface of the ice-making chamber door; a second door connected to the first door and opening and closing the front portion of the first door; and a controller that controls the lighting unit to display a set color based on the internal temperature of the chiller room.

Description

Refrigerator {Refrigerator}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

A refrigerator is a home appliance for storing food at a low temperature for a long period of time.

Recently, a refrigerator in which an ice maker is mounted on a door in order to increase a storage capacity in the refrigerator and a double door structure is applied to minimize loss of cold air when the door is opened has been released.

Referring to the refrigerator disclosed in Prior Publication Patent No. 10-2014-0103500, the refrigerating compartment door that opens and closes the refrigerating compartment is made of a pair of pivoting doors, and one of the pair of pivoting doors pivots in the same direction. It consists of a first door and a second door that are opened. The first door selectively opens and closes the front opening of the refrigerating compartment, and the second door is rotatably connected to the front of the first door and selectively opens and closes the storage space or opening formed in the first door.

A storage member such as a door basket may be provided on the first door, a front surface of the first door may be opened, and a second door may open and close the opened front surface of the first door. According to this structure, frequently used food or beverage containers can be stored in the first door. Accordingly, since only the second door is opened while the first door is closed, food or containers that are frequently taken out can be taken out, and thus, leakage of cold air from the refrigerating chamber can be minimized.

As such, the pivoting door on either side may have a door-in-door structure in which two doors having the same rotational direction for opening are overlapped in the front-back direction, and for example, the first door has an ice-making The device may be provided and a dispenser capable of dispensing ice or water may be independently provided at the second door. In this case, an ice making room accommodating an ice maker and a chiller room provided for making drinks or water cold in a short time may be provided in the first door.

In the above structure, the front of the chiller room is opened so that food can be taken out by the user, and the ice making compartment door is separately provided for insulation of the inside of the ice making compartment.

However, the double door structure as described above has the following problems.

First, since the ice-making compartment door for opening and closing the ice-making compartment is used only for opening and closing the ice-making compartment, the usability of the ice-making compartment door is reduced accordingly.

Second, when the second door is opened in a double door structure, the front-opened chiller room is visible at the lower part of the first door, while the ice-making chamber door that shields the ice-making chamber is located at the upper part. Compared to the lower part of the first door, the upper part may feel stuffy.

Third, in the double door structure, when the first door is opened for a long time, a buzzer may sound to notify the opening of the first door. However, in the case of hearing-impaired people who cannot hear the sound, it is difficult to recognize the opening of the door because they cannot hear the sound caused by the buzzer.

The present invention has been proposed to improve the problems of the prior art presented above.

In a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, a lighting unit is provided on the front of an ice-making compartment door that opens and closes an ice-making compartment provided in a first door, and an interior of a chiller room provided in the first door. A temperature sensor for detecting temperature is provided so that the lighting unit can be displayed in various colors according to the internal temperature of the chiller room.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, a lighting unit is installed on the front of the ice-making compartment door for opening and closing the ice-making compartment provided in the first door, and a door open detection unit for detecting the opening of the second door is provided. Depending on the elapsed time of opening the second door, the lighting unit may be displayed in various colors.

The refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention having the above structure has the following effects.

First, when the second door is opened, light of various colors is emitted from the lighting unit provided in the ice-making chamber door according to the internal temperature of the chiller room or the elapsed time of opening the second door, so that the user can control the opening of the second door. This maintained time can be grasped intuitively.

Second, when the second door is opened for a long time, the light emitted from the lighting unit prompts the user to quickly close the second door, thereby reducing power consumption of the refrigerator.

1 is an external perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the refrigerator;
Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line II of Figure 1;
4 is a perspective view showing a door-in-door structure in a state in which an outer door is opened;
5 is an exploded perspective view of the door-in-door structure;
6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 5;
7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 5 according to another embodiment;
8 is a system block diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a lighting unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a lighting unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a lighting unit according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is an external perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of the refrigerator, and FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line II of FIG. 1 .

1 to 3, a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet 11 having a refrigerating compartment 114 and a freezing compartment 115 therein, and a front surface of the refrigerating compartment 114. A pair of refrigerating compartment doors 20 rotatably connected and freezing compartment doors 12 and 13 opening and closing the freezing compartment 115 may be included.

In detail, the cabinet 11 includes an inner case 111 forming the refrigerating compartment 114 and the freezing compartment 115, an outer case 112 surrounding the outer side of the inner case 111, and the inner case 111) and an insulator 113 filled between the outer case 112 may be included.

In addition, a cold air duct 18 including a supply duct 181 and a recovery duct 182 is disposed between the inner case 111 and the outer case 112, and the cold air duct 18 is the heat insulating material ( 113) can be surrounded by In addition, an evaporation chamber 116 in which an evaporator is placed may be formed at the rear of the freezing chamber 115 . Further, a machine room 117 in which a part of a refrigerating cycle including a compressor, a condenser, and a condensation fan is accommodated is formed at a lower rear side of the cabinet 11 .

In addition, the inlet end of the supply duct 181 communicates with the cold air hole 111c formed on the side surface of the inner case 111 corresponding to the evaporation chamber, and the outlet end of the supply duct 181 communicates with the inner case 181. It communicates with the cold air supply hole 111a formed on the side surface of (111). The inlet end of the recovery duct 182 communicates with the cold air recovery hole 111b formed on the side surface of the inner case 111, and the outlet end of the recovery duct 182 communicates with the side surface of the inner case 111 corresponding to the freezing chamber 115. It communicates with the cold air hole 111d formed in.

In addition, the freezing chamber door may include a first freezing chamber door 12 and a second freezing chamber door 13 . That is, the freezing chamber 115 is partitioned into a plurality of regions in the vertical direction, and the plurality of freezing chambers 115 can be opened and closed by the plurality of freezing chamber doors 12 and 13 . However, it goes without saying that a single freezing chamber and a single freezing chamber door may be formed. Also, the freezer compartment door may be of a drawer type. However, the freezer compartment door may also be formed of a pair of pivoting doors similarly to the refrigerating compartment door.

In addition, the pair of refrigerating compartment doors 20 may be rotatably connected about a vertical axis by hinge assemblies 40 at left and right edges of the front portion of the cabinet 11 . In addition, any one or all of the pair of refrigerating compartment doors 20 may include an inner door 22, a housing 23 coupled to a rear surface of the inner door 22, and a front surface of the inner door 22. It may include an outer door 21 provided in. Here, the inner door 22 may be defined as a first door, and the outer door 21 may be defined as a second door.

Although the drawing shows that only one of the pair of refrigerating compartment doors 20 is composed of the inner door 22 and the outer door 21, the opposite door may also be made of the same inner door and outer door structure. .

In detail, the inner door 22 is rotatably connected to the left or right edge of the front portion of the cabinet 11 and selectively opens and closes a portion of the front portion of the refrigerating compartment 114 . An ice-making chamber 201 and a chiller room 202 are respectively formed inside the housing 23 , and the ice-making chamber 201 may be located above the chiller room 202 . In addition, an ice maker 24 for producing ice and an ice bin 25 for storing ice may be accommodated in the ice making compartment 201 . The ice bin 25 is placed below the ice maker 24 to receive and store ice falling from the ice maker 24 .

In addition, a cool air inlet 511 and a cool air outlet 522 are formed on the side surface of the housing 23 . In detail, when the inner door 22 is closed, the cold air inlet 511 and the cold air outlet 522 are formed in the cold air supply hole 111a and the cold air recovery hole 111b formed in the inner case 111, respectively. communicate

In addition, the outer door 21 is rotatably coupled to the front surface of the inner door 22 . In detail, the rotation axis of the outer door 21 is formed at a position adjacent to the rotation axis of the inner door 22, so that rotation directions for opening or closing are the same.

Also, a dispenser 30 for dispensing water and ice is mounted on the front of the outer door 21 . In detail, the dispenser 30 largely consists of a front casing 31, a rear casing 32, and a discharge duct 33, and at least a portion of a water ejection button, an ice funnel, and a duct cap or All may be further included.

More specifically, the front casing 31 is inserted into the dispenser mounting hole formed in the outer door 21 and fixed to the outer door 21 . In addition, the front casing 31 is recessed backward by a predetermined depth, so that a container for receiving water or ice may be accommodated. Also, the rear casing 32 may be fixed to the outer door 21 in a form coupled to the rear side of the front casing 31 . Also, a dispenser liner 211 (see FIG. 4 ) may protrude from the rear surface of the outer door 21 corresponding to the dispenser 30 . An insulating material may be foamed and filled between the rear casing 32 and the dispenser liner 211 .

In addition, the inlet end of the discharge duct 33 has an ice outlet formed at the bottom of the ice making chamber 201 in a state in which the outer door 21 is in close contact with the inner door 22, that is, in a closed state. 207a: see Fig. 5). Also, an ice funnel is rotatably connected to the outlet end of the discharge duct 33, and the outlet end of the ice funnel communicates with an opening formed at an upper end of the front casing 31 so as to flow out of the dispenser 30. Exposed.

In addition, the outlet end of the discharge duct 33 is selectively opened and closed by the duct cap, and the duct cap is rotatably installed inside the dispenser 30 . When the outlet end of the discharge duct 33 is opened by rotating the duct cap 38 , the ice stored in the ice bin 25 is discharged to the outside of the dispenser 30 .

4 is a perspective view showing a door-in-door structure with an outer door opened, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the door-in-door structure.

4 and 5 , the outer door 21 and the inner door 22 may be rotatably coupled to the cabinet 11 by the hinge assembly 40 .

In detail, the hinge assembly 40 is an inner door hinge unit 41 connecting the upper surface of the cabinet 11 and the inner door 22, and connecting the inner door 22 and the outer door 21 An outer door hinge unit 42 may be included. In addition, the hinge assembly 40 is installed on the bottom surface as well as the upper surface of the inner door 22 and the outer door 21. That is, a pair of inner door hinge units 41 and a pair of outer door hinge units 42 are mounted on the upper and lower surfaces of the inner door 22 and the outer door 21, respectively.

In addition, as shown, when the outer door 21 is opened, the inlet end of the discharge duct 33 is exposed to the outside, and the dispenser liner 211 extends from the rear surface of the outer door 21 to the rear. , and an inlet end of the discharge duct 33 may be formed on an upper surface of the dispenser liner 211 .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4 , the front surface of the inner door 22 is opened, and the housing 23 is mounted on the rear surface of the inner door 22 . And, a sealing member 210 is wrapped around the rear surface of the outer door 21 . In addition, the sealing member 210 is in close contact with the edge of the front opening of the inner door 22 in a closed state of the outer door 21 to prevent leakage of cold air supplied into the housing 23. configured to block.

In detail, the housing 23 may include an inner housing 231 and an outer housing 232 coupled to the rear of the inner housing 231 . A duct assembly (not shown) for moving cold air is installed on an outer side surface of the inner housing 231, and the duct assembly is covered by the outer housing 232 to block external exposure. However, the cool air inlet and the cool air outlet of the duct assembly may pass through the side surface of the outer housing 232 and be exposed to the outside.

In addition, one or a plurality of door baskets 205 may be mounted on the rear surface of the outer housing 232 . Also, a portion of the housing 23 corresponding to the rear surface of the chiller room 202 is opened, and the opened portion of the housing 23 can be selectively opened and closed by the chiller room cover 208 . A side end of the chiller room cover 208 may be rotatably connected to the housing 23 .

Also, as described above, the inside of the inner housing 231 may be partitioned into an upper ice-making chamber 201 and a lower chiller room 202 by the partition wall 207 . The open front of the ice making chamber 201 may be selectively opened and closed by the ice making chamber door 206 .

The ice making chamber door 206 may be rotatably hinged to a side edge of the opening of the inner housing 231 . In addition, a handle part 209 including a latch structure is provided at a side edge opposite to the hinge axis of the ice-making compartment door 206, so that the rear surface of the ice-making compartment door 206 is the front surface of the ice-making compartment 201. It can be made to adhere strongly to the edge. Further, in order to prevent leakage of cold air, a sealing member may be wrapped around a rear edge of the ice-making compartment door 206 or a front edge of the ice-making compartment 201 contacting the rear edge of the ice-making compartment door 206 .

In addition, a lighting unit 50 emitting light according to an internal temperature of the chiller room 202 or an elapsed opening time of the outer door 21 may be installed in front of the ice making chamber door 206 . The lighting unit 50 may be mounted in a recessed part recessed from the front side of the outer door 21 to the rear side. The lighting unit 50 may adjust the brightness or color of light based on at least one of an internal temperature of the chiller room 202 and an elapsed opening time of the outer door 21 . The structure and operating method of the lighting unit 50 will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings below.

Meanwhile, an ice outlet 207a may be formed at an approximate central point of the partition wall 207 . In detail, the ice outlet 207a may be formed in the central portion of the partition wall 207 and may be formed closer to the front end of the partition wall 207 than the rear end. Then, the inclination angle of the discharge duct 33 that comes into close contact with the ice outlet 207a may be reduced, and as a result, the width of the dispenser 30 in the front-rear direction may be reduced. The inclination angle of the discharge duct 33 means an angle between a vertical plane and the discharge duct 33, and when the ice outlet 207a is located closer to the front end of the partition wall 207, The discharge duct 39 is inclined almost vertically.

In detail, when the outer door 21 is closed, the dispenser 30 is accommodated in the chiller room 202 . In addition, since the volume of the chiller room 202 increases as the thickness of the dispenser 30 decreases, it can be said that the smaller the inclination angle of the discharge duct 39 is, the more advantageous it is.

In addition, a communication hole 207b may be formed in the partition wall 207 so that the ice making chamber 201 and the chiller room 202 fluidly communicate with each other. The communication hole 207b may be formed at a point spaced apart from a left or right edge of the ice outlet 207a by a predetermined interval.

Although not shown, a damper is installed in the communication hole 207b to adjust the amount of cold air supplied to the chiller room 202 . In addition, a temperature sensor is mounted on one side of the inside of the chiller room 202, and when it is determined that the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is less than a set temperature, the controller of the refrigerator operates the damper to close the communication hole 207b. can be controlled to close. In addition, when it is determined that the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than the set temperature, the control unit of the refrigerator may operate the lighting unit 50 to change the brightness or color of light.

In addition, a door open detection unit for detecting an elapsed opening time of the outer door 21 may be installed on one side of the rear surface of the outer door 21 . The door open detection unit may detect how much the open state of the outer door 21 is maintained. When it is determined that the open time of the outer door 21 detected by the door open detector is equal to or longer than a set time, the control unit of the refrigerator may operate the lighting unit 50 to change the brightness or color of light. .

Hereinafter, a structure of a lighting unit according to various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 5 according to another embodiment.

First, referring to FIG. 6 , the ice-making compartment door 206 includes a front surface 206a where the lighting unit 50 is installed, a door liner 206c corresponding to the rear surface of the ice-making compartment door 206, and the front surface. A heat insulating material 206b disposed in a space between 206a and the door liner 206c may be included.

The front surface 206a of the ice-making compartment door may include a recessed portion 206d recessed backward. The lighting unit 50 is mounted on the depression 206d. At this time, the lighting unit 50 may include a light emitting unit 51 and a window 52.

In detail, the light emitting part 51 may be accommodated at the innermost side of the recessed part 206d. In addition, the window 52 may be mounted so as to lie on the same line as the front surface 206a of the ice making chamber door in a state of shielding the light emitting part 51 . That is, it can be seen that the window 52 shields the depression 206d.

In more detail, the light emitting part 51 may include a light emitting element 512 and a diffusion part 511 . The light emitting element 512 generates light of a predetermined color, and the diffusion part 511 serves to diffuse the light generated from the light emitting element 512 . Although not clearly shown in FIG. 6 , the light emitting element 512 may be connected to a separate printed circuit board.

Also, since the window 52 is made of a transparent material, light generated from the light emitting device 512 can be emitted to the outside through the window 52 . Accordingly, when the outer door 21 is opened, the user can see the light emitted through the window 52 .

In FIG. 6 , the light emitting part 51 of the lighting part 50 and the window 52 are both mounted on the recessed part 206d formed on the front surface 206a of the ice making chamber door. Alternatively, however, the window 52 may be mounted on the ice-making chamber door 206, and the light emitting part 51 may be mounted inside the ice-making chamber. In this case, the window 52 may be installed to pass through the ice-making compartment door 206 and be exposed to the front and rear surfaces of the ice-making compartment door, and the light emitting part 51 may be mounted on one side inside the ice-making compartment. Accordingly, light generated from the light emitting unit inside the ice making chamber may be emitted to the outside through the window.

Meanwhile, the lighting unit 50 may include the window 52 and the light emitting unit 51 as described above, but may be configured as a separate display unit.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the lighting unit 50 may be implemented as a single display unit 50 and mounted on a recess 206d formed on the front surface 206a of the ice making compartment door 206 .

In detail, the display unit 50 may include a display unit for displaying the operating state of the refrigerator or the internal temperature of the refrigerator, and an input unit for controlling the operating state or internal temperature of the refrigerator. In addition, a part of the display unit emits light of a set color when the outer door 21 is opened, and thereafter, the color of the light emitted according to the temperature of the chiller room 202 or the opening time of the outer door 21 can be changed.

Hereinafter, a method of operating a lighting unit according to various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

8 is a system block diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a control method of a lighting unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the refrigerator 10 may include at least some or all of a lighting unit 50, a temperature sensor 60, a door open detection unit 70, and a control unit 80.

In detail, the lighting unit 50 controls the brightness of light based on at least one of the internal temperature of the chiller room 202 and the open elapsed time of the outer door 21 (hereinafter, referred to as “door open time”). Or you can adjust the color. For example, when the outer door 21 is opened, the lighting unit 50 is controlled to emit light of a color set by the controller 80, and the internal temperature of the chiller room 202 or the door opening time. Depending on the brightness or color of the emitted light may be changed.

In addition, the temperature sensor 60 detects the internal temperature of the chiller room 202 and provides the detected temperature to the control unit 80 . For example, when the opening of the outer door 21 is detected, the temperature sensor 60 may be controlled by the controller 80 to detect the internal temperature of the chiller room 202 .

In addition, the door open detection unit 70 detects an elapsed time of opening of the outer door 21 . The door open detection unit 70 may include a known reed switch or proximity sensor for detecting the opening or closing of the outer door 21 . The door open time detected by the door open detector 70 is provided to the controller 80 .

Also, the control unit 80 controls the operation of the lighting unit 50, the temperature sensor 60, and the door open detection unit 70. The control unit 80 may control the operation of the lighting unit 50 based on information provided from at least one of the temperature sensor 60 and the door open detection unit 70 . That is, the control unit 80 may adjust the brightness or color of the light of the lighting unit 50 based on at least one of the temperature of the chiller room 202 and the door opening time.

Specifically, referring to FIG. 9 , in steps S901 and S903 , the control unit 80 detects the opening of the outer door 21 and displays the lighting unit 50 in a first color. For example, the user may open the outer door 21 to take out water or beverage stored in the chiller room 202 . In this case, the first color may be white, but is not limited thereto.

In step S905, the control unit 80 displays the lighting unit 50 in a first color and simultaneously detects the internal temperature of the chiller room 202. For example, when the outer door 21 is opened, warm air from the outside is introduced into the chiller room 202, so the internal temperature of the chiller room 202 may increase. That is, the controller 80 can detect how much the internal temperature of the chiller room 202 increases.

Next, in step S907, the controller 80 determines whether or not the sensed chiller room temperature reaches the first reference temperature T1. Here, the first reference temperature T1 may be calculated from Equation 1 below.

Here, To is the outside air temperature value, and Ta is the temperature value of the chiller room detected when the outer door is initially opened. As an example, when the outside air temperature is about 24°C and the chiller room temperature detected when the outer door is initially opened is about 2°C, the first reference temperature T1 may be about 13°C.

When the sensed chiller room temperature reaches the first reference temperature T1, in step S909, the controller 80 controls the lighting unit 50 to display a second color. In this case, the second color may be blue, but is not limited thereto.

If the sensed chiller room temperature does not reach the first reference temperature T1, the lighting unit 50 may continue to emit light of the first color.

Next, in step S911, the controller 80 determines whether the currently sensed chiller room temperature reaches the second reference temperature T2. Here, the second reference temperature T2 may be calculated from Equation 2 below.

Here, To is the outside air temperature value, and Ta is the temperature value of the chiller room detected when the outer door is initially opened. As an example, when the outside air temperature is about 24°C and the chiller room temperature detected when the outer door is initially opened is about 2°C, the second reference temperature T2 may be about 18.5°C.

Meanwhile, if the sensed chiller room temperature does not reach the second reference temperature T2, in step S913, the controller 80 controls the lighting unit 50 to display in a third color. In this case, the third color may be green, but is not limited thereto.

Finally, in step S915, the control unit 80 determines whether the currently sensed chiller room temperature reaches the outdoor temperature To.

Then, when the currently sensed chiller room temperature reaches the outside air temperature To, in step S917, the controller 80 controls the lighting unit 50 to display a fourth color. That is, the control unit 80 controls the lighting unit 50 to display the fourth color when the currently sensed chiller room temperature becomes equal to the outside air temperature To. In this case, the fourth color may be red, but is not limited thereto.

According to the present embodiment, the control unit may display the lighting unit in order of a first color, a second color, a third color, and a fourth color according to the detected temperature of the chiller room. And, of course, the first to fourth colors may be set by a user's manipulation.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 9, a method of controlling the lighting unit using the two reference temperatures T1 and T2 is described, but is not limited thereto. For example, the reference temperature may consist of three or more, and each reference temperature may be defined as a temperature higher than the sensed chiller room temperature by a predetermined temperature (eg, about 5° C.).

For example, when the temperature of the chiller room sensed when the outer door is initially opened is about 2°C, the first reference temperature may be about 7°C, which is about 5°C higher than the detected temperature of the chiller room. The second reference temperature may be about 12 °C higher than the first reference temperature by about 5 °C, and the third reference temperature may be about 17 °C higher by about 5 °C than the second reference temperature. As such, the reference temperature may be sequentially increased by a predetermined temperature.

According to the configuration of the present invention, when the opening of the outer door continues for a long time, it is possible to notify the user to quickly close the door through light emitted from the lighting unit.

10 is a flowchart showing a method for controlling a lighting unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

In the second embodiment, a method for differently displaying the color of the lighting unit according to the door open time is described.

In detail, referring to FIG. 10 , in steps S1001 and S1003 , the controller 80 detects the opening of the outer door 21 and displays the lighting unit 50 in a first color.

In step S1005, the control unit 80 displays the lighting unit 50 in a first color and simultaneously counts the door opening time. That is, the controller 80 can detect how much time has passed while the outer door 21 is open.

Next, in step S1007, the control unit 80 determines whether the detected door open time reaches a first reference time. For example, the first reference time may be about 30 seconds, but is not limited thereto.

When the detected door open time reaches the first reference time, in step S1009, the controller 80 controls the lighting unit 50 to display a second color. In this case, the second color may be blue, but is not limited thereto.

If the detected door open time does not reach the first reference time, the lighting unit 50 may continue to emit light of the first color.

Next, in step S1011, the control unit 80 determines whether or not the detected door open time reaches a second reference time. For example, the second reference time may be about 45 seconds, but is not limited thereto.

Similarly, when the detected door open time reaches the second reference time, in step S1013, the controller 80 controls the lighting unit 50 to display in a third color. In this case, the third color may be green, but is not limited thereto.

If the detected door open time does not reach the second reference time, the lighting unit 50 may continue to emit light of the second color.

Finally, in step S1015, the control unit 80 determines whether the detected door open time reaches a third reference time. For example, the third reference time may be about 60 seconds, but is not limited thereto.

When the door open time reaches the third reference time, in step S1017, the controller 80 controls the lighting unit 50 to display a fourth color. In this case, the fourth color may be red, but is not limited thereto.

According to the present embodiment, the control unit may display the lighting unit in order of a first color, a second color, a third color, and a fourth color according to an elapsed time of opening the outer door. And, of course, the first to fourth colors may be set by a user's manipulation.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 10, a method of controlling the lighting unit using three reference times is described, but is not limited thereto. For example, the reference time may consist of 2 or 4 or more.

11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a lighting unit according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

In the third embodiment, a method for differently displaying the color of the lighting unit according to the door open time or the temperature of the chiller room is described. The third embodiment can be understood as a combination of the above-described first and second embodiments.

In detail, referring to FIG. 11 , in steps S1101 and S1103, the control unit 80 detects the opening of the outer door 21 and displays the lighting unit 50 in a first color.

In step S1105, the control unit 80 counts the opening time of the outer door 21 and senses the temperature of the chiller room 202 at the same time.

Next, in step S1107, the controller 80 determines whether the detected door open time reaches the first reference time or the detected chiller room temperature reaches the first reference temperature. Here, the first reference time may be about 30 seconds, and the first reference temperature may be calculated through Equation 1 above.

When the detected door open time reaches the first reference time or the detected chiller room temperature reaches the first reference temperature, in step S1109, the control unit 80 displays the lighting unit 50 in a second color. Control.

If the sensed door open time does not reach the first reference time and the sensed chiller room temperature does not reach the first reference temperature, the lighting unit 50 will continuously emit light of the first color. can

Next, in step S1111, the controller 80 determines whether the detected door open time reaches the second reference time or the detected chiller room temperature reaches the second reference temperature. Here, the second reference time may be about 45 seconds, and the second reference temperature may be calculated through Equation 2 above.

When the detected door open time reaches the second reference time or the detected chiller room temperature reaches the second reference temperature, in step S1113, the control unit 80 displays the lighting unit 50 in a third color. Control.

If the sensed door open time does not reach the second reference time and the sensed chiller room temperature does not reach the second reference temperature, the lighting unit 50 will continuously emit light of the second color. can

Finally, in step S1115, the control unit 80 determines whether the sensed door open time reaches the third reference time or the sensed chiller room temperature reaches the outside air temperature. Here, the third reference time may be about 60 seconds.

When the detected door open time reaches the third reference time or the detected chiller room temperature reaches the outside air temperature, in step S1117, the control unit 80 controls the lighting unit 50 to display in a fourth color. .

Thereafter, in steps S1119 and S1121, the control unit 80 may turn off the lighting unit 50 when detecting that the outer door 21 is closed.

Within the scope of the basic technical idea of the present invention, many other modifications are possible to those skilled in the art, and the scope of the present invention should be interpreted based on the appended claims. .

Claims (16)

a cabinet in which a refrigerating and freezing compartment is formed;
a first door rotatably connected to the front of the cabinet to open and close the refrigerating compartment;
a chiller room provided inside the first door and opened forward;
a temperature sensor for sensing an internal temperature of the chiller room;
an ice chamber provided inside the first door, open forward, and positioned above the chiller room to generate ice;
an ice-making compartment door rotatably connected to a front surface of the first door to open and close the ice-making compartment;
a lighting unit provided on a front surface of the ice-making chamber door;
a second door rotatably connected to the front of the first door to open and close the front of the first door; and
A refrigerator comprising a control unit controlling the lighting unit to display a set color based on an internal temperature of the chiller room. According to claim 1,
Further comprising a door open detection unit for detecting the opening of the second door,
The controller controls the lighting unit to display a first color when the second door is opened. According to claim 2,
The controller controls the lighting unit to display in a first color and to detect an internal temperature of the chiller room when the second door is opened. According to claim 3,
The control unit controls the lighting unit to change the first color to a second color and display the detected internal temperature of the chiller room when it reaches a first reference temperature T1. According to claim 4,
The first reference temperature (T1) is,

is calculated from
Wherein To is an outside air temperature value, and Ta is a temperature value of a chiller room detected when the second door is initially opened. According to claim 4,
The controller controls the lighting unit to change the second color to a third color and display the detected internal temperature of the chiller room when it reaches the second reference temperature T2. According to claim 6,
The second reference temperature (T2) is,

is calculated from
Wherein To is an outside air temperature value, and Ta is a temperature value of a chiller room detected when the second door is initially opened. According to claim 6,
Wherein the control unit controls the lighting unit to change and display a fourth color from a third color when the sensed internal temperature of the chiller room reaches an outside air temperature. According to claim 8,
The controller turns off the lighting unit when the second door is closed. According to claim 1,
the lighting unit,
a light emitting part accommodated in a recess that is recessed from the front side of the ice compartment door to the rear;
A refrigerator comprising a window mounted on the recessed portion to shield the light emitting portion. According to claim 1,
the lighting unit,
a light emitting unit mounted on one side of the inside of the ice making chamber;
A refrigerator comprising a window installed to penetrate from the front to the back of the ice-making chamber door. a cabinet in which a refrigerating and freezing compartment is formed;
a first door rotatably connected to the front of the cabinet to open and close the refrigerating compartment;
a chiller room provided inside the first door and opened forward;
an ice chamber provided inside the first door, open forward, and positioned above the chiller room to generate ice;
an ice-making compartment door rotatably connected to a front surface of the first door to open and close the ice-making compartment;
a lighting unit provided on a front surface of the ice-making chamber door;
a second door rotatably connected to the front of the first door to open and close the front of the first door;
a door open detector detecting an open of the second door; and
A refrigerator comprising a controller that controls the lighting unit to display a set color based on an elapsed time of opening the second door. According to claim 12,
The controller controls the lighting unit to display a first color when the second door is opened. According to claim 13,
Wherein the controller is configured to display the lighting unit in a first color when the second door is opened and to count an elapsed time for opening the second door. 15. The method of claim 14,
The control unit,
When the opening elapsed time reaches a first reference time, changing the lighting unit from a first color to a second color;
When the opening elapsed time reaches a second reference time, the lighting unit is changed from a second color to a third color;
A refrigerator that changes the lighting unit from a third color to a fourth color when the elapsed opening time reaches a third reference time. According to claim 15,
The controller turns off the lighting unit when the second door is closed.

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