KR20000056842A - Refrigerator and Control Method Thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A refrigerator and a method for controlling the same are provided to automatically control the temperature of freezing chamber according to the ambient air, thereby reducing the complexity of directly controlling, and maintain the temperature of the freezing chamber at an appropriate level, thereby minimizing spoilage of food. CONSTITUTION: A method for controlling a refrigerator having a main body forming at least one freezing chamber includes the steps of setting the temperature of the freezing chamber controlled based on the ambient air, sensing the temperature of the surrounding the main body, and selecting the control temperature of the freezing chamber based on the sensed temperature.

Description

Refrigerator and Control Method Thereof

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a control method thereof, comprising: an outdoor temperature sensor for sensing the periphery of a main body, and a table storage unit for storing a temperature table in which an adjustment temperature of a cooling chamber is preset according to the level of the outdoor temperature It relates to a refrigerator and a control method thereof.

The general refrigerator has a rectangular cylindrical body forming a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment, and a freezer compartment door and a refrigerating compartment door which are provided at front openings of the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment to rotate the refrigerating compartment and the refrigerating compartment.

4 is a control block diagram of a conventional refrigerator. As shown in the figure, a conventional refrigerator includes a control unit 101 made of a microcomputer, a key input unit 103 attached to a front panel of the refrigerator, and a temperature of a freezer compartment for sensing a temperature of a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment. The temperature sensor 105 and the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 107, the freezer compartment evaporator temperature sensor 109 and the refrigerator compartment evaporator temperature sensor 111 which detect the temperature of the refrigerator compartment evaporator and the freezer compartment evaporator, and the temperature for selecting the control temperature of the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment. The control panel 113 and a power input unit 115 for inputting power from the outside are provided.

The refrigerator further includes a compressor 117 for compressing a refrigerant when an operation mode is input from the key input unit 103, a freezer compartment evaporator 119 and a refrigerator compartment evaporator 121 for generating cold air by the refrigerant compressed from the compressor, A freezer compartment fan 123 and a refrigerating compartment fan 125 for supplying cold air from each evaporator to the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, and a freezer evaporator defrost heater 127 and a refrigerating chamber evaporator defrost heater 129 for defrosting each evaporator are provided.

Herein, when the power is input from the power input unit, the controller 101 supplies power to the device, and starts the operation of the refrigerator based on the operation mode input from the key input unit 103. When the temperature detected by the freezer compartment temperature sensor 103 and the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 105 is outside a predetermined setting range, the controller 101 stops the operation of the compressor 117 to supply cold air to the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment. The defrosting of the evaporator is performed by operating the defrost heaters 127 and 129.

In addition, the controller 101 adjusts the temperature of the freezer compartment and the refrigerating chamber according to the control temperature input through the temperature control panel 113 to maintain the internal temperature of each cooling chamber at a temperature selected by the user.

In summer, when the temperature of the outside air rises, the user sets the temperature of the cooling room to a relatively low temperature to lower the temperature of the cooling room, thereby preventing the storage items stored in the cooling room from being deteriorated by the temperature of the outside air. In winter, when the temperature of the outside air falls, it is possible to reduce unnecessary power consumption by setting the temperature of the cooling chamber relatively higher than the temperature of the summer. In this way, the user adjusts and controls the temperature of the cooling chamber according to the season.

By the way, in the conventional refrigerator, there is a problem that the user selects and adjusts the temperature whenever the season changes, and the control temperature of the cooling chamber set at the initial stage by forgetting to control the temperature of the cooling chamber according to the season is determined. Since it is used as it is until the end of life, there is a problem in that it does not exhibit the performance of the appropriate cooling chamber according to the season. In other words, if the temperature of the cooling room adjusted in winter and spring and autumn is used as it is during summer, when the temperature rises rapidly, there is a risk of deterioration of the storage items stored in the refrigerator, and the temperature of the cooling room controlled in summer during winter. If used, it may cause unnecessary power waste.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a method of controlling the same in which the user can automatically adjust the temperature of the cooling chamber according to the outside temperature without the user having to adjust the temperature of the cooling chamber according to the season and the outside temperature in consideration of these conventional problems. To provide.

1 is a control block diagram of a refrigerator according to the present invention;

2 is a temperature table showing an embodiment of a table storage unit according to the present invention;

3 is a control flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator according to the temperature table of FIG.

4 is a control block diagram of a conventional refrigerator.

* Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings

1 control unit 3 key input unit

5: Freezer compartment temperature sensor 7: Refrigerator compartment temperature sensor

9 freezer evaporator temperature sensor 11 freezer evaporator temperature sensor

13: outside temperature sensor 15: power input unit

17 Compressor 19 Freezer Evaporator

21: refrigerator compartment evaporator 23: freezer compartment fan

25: refrigerator compartment fan 27: freezer chamber heater

29: actual refrigerator heater 31: table storage unit

33: display unit I: winter

Ⅱ: Summer Ⅲ: Spring / Autumn

The object is, according to the present invention, a refrigerator having a main body to form at least one cooling chamber, the outside air temperature sensor for sensing the periphery of the main body; A table storage unit configured to store a temperature table which presets an adjustment temperature of the cooling chamber according to the level of the outside temperature; And a control unit for controlling a predetermined load according to an adjustment temperature of the freezing compartment and the cooling chamber corresponding to the outside temperature sensed by the outside air temperature sensor.

The apparatus may further include a temperature controller configured to set a temperature of the cooling chamber by a user, wherein the controller is configured to perform control based on an input through the temperature controller in preference to selection of a control temperature based on the outside air temperature. desirable.

In addition, it is effective to include a display unit for displaying at least one of the outside temperature and the control temperature, the load is a refrigerant compression compressor, an evaporator for generating cold air, and the cool air generated in the evaporator blows the cooling chamber At least one of a blowing fan and a defrost heater to defrost the evaporator.

On the other hand, according to another object of the present invention, a control method of a refrigerator having a main body to form at least one cooling chamber, comprising the steps of: setting the temperature of the cooling chamber adjusted according to the outside air temperature; An outdoor temperature sensing step of sensing a temperature around the main body; It is also achieved by the control method of the refrigerator comprising the step of selecting the control temperature of the cooling chamber based on the temperature sensed in the outside air temperature detection step.

Here, in the control temperature selection step, when the control temperature of the cooling chamber is set by the user, it is preferable to adjust the temperature of the cooling chamber based on the control temperature based on the outside air temperature.

In addition, it is effective to include the step of displaying the outside temperature and the control temperature.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a control block diagram of a refrigerator according to the present invention. As shown in this figure, the refrigerator includes a control unit 1 made of a microcomputer, a key input unit 3 attached to a front panel of the refrigerator and inputting a command from the outside, and a freezer compartment temperature sensor for sensing a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment temperature. (5) and the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor (7), the refrigerator compartment evaporator temperature sensor (9) and the refrigerator compartment evaporator temperature sensor (11) for detecting the temperature of the refrigerator compartment evaporator and the freezer compartment evaporator, and the ambient temperature sensor (13) for detecting the temperature around the main body. And a table storage unit for storing a temperature table in which the control temperature of the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment is preset according to the level of the outside temperature detected by the power input unit 15 and the outside temperature sensor 13 through which power is input from the outside ( 31), a load controlled according to an adjustment temperature of the cooling chamber corresponding to the outside temperature sensed by the outside temperature sensor 13, and a display unit 33 for displaying at least one of the outside temperature and the adjusting temperature. .

Here, the load is a compressor 17 for compressing a refrigerant when an operation command is input from the key input unit 3, and a freezer compartment evaporator 19 and a refrigerator compartment evaporator 21 which generate cold air by the refrigerant compressed from the compressor 17. ), A freezer compartment fan 23 and a refrigerator compartment fan 25 for supplying the cold air from each evaporator to the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, and a freezer evaporator defrost heater 27 and a refrigerating chamber evaporator defrost heater 29 for defrosting each evaporator. At least one or more.

The control unit 1 starts the operation of the refrigerator based on the operation mode input from the key input unit 3. The controller 10 stops the operation of the compressor 17 when the temperature detected by the freezer compartment temperature sensor 5 and the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 7 is outside a predetermined setting range, thereby stopping the supply of cold air to the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment. The defrost heaters 27 and 29 are operated to defrost the evaporator.

Then, the control unit 1 adjusts the internal temperature of the freezer compartment and the freezer compartment by selecting the control temperature of the refrigerating compartment and the freezer compartment which are stored in the table storage unit 31 in advance according to the temperature around the main body sensed by the outside air temperature sensor 13. The controller 1 displays one of the outside temperature and the adjustment temperature on the display unit 33.

2 is a temperature table showing an embodiment of a table storage unit according to the present invention. As shown, in the temperature table, the case where the outside air temperature around the main body detected by the outside air temperature sensor 13 is detected at 19 ° C. or lower is set to winter (I), and when the outside air temperature is 28 ° C. or higher, In (II), when the outside air temperature is between 20 ° C and 27 ° C, it is set to spring / autumn season (III), and the appropriate adjustment temperature of the seasonal freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment is input.

Setting the temperature table stored in the table storage unit 31 can be set in a number of ways, it can be more specifically partitioned the control temperature of the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment according to the outside temperature, but the control flow is almost similar Therefore, it will be described below based on the temperature table shown in FIG.

3 is a control flowchart of a refrigerator according to the temperature table of FIG. 2. As shown in this figure, when the operation mode is input through the key input unit 3, the refrigerator starts operation of the refrigerator (S1). When the operation mode is input from the key input unit 3 and the operation of the refrigerator is started (S1), the outside temperature sensor 13 detects the outside air temperature around the main body (S2). The controller 1 determines whether the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 13 corresponds to a temperature corresponding to winter time (S3). If the outside temperature is determined to be the temperature corresponding to the winter (I), the temperature of the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment is controlled according to the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment control temperature stored in the temperature table according to the temperature (S4, S5).

On the other hand, if the outside air temperature detected by the outside temperature sensor 13 is not the winter temperature (S3), the controller 1 determines whether the temperature corresponding to the summer (II) (S6). If it is determined that the outside temperature detected by the control unit 1 corresponds to the summer temperature, the freezer and refrigerator compartment temperature corresponding to the summer temperature stored in the temperature table are selected (S7), and the temperature of the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment according to the temperature. Adjust (S8). In addition, the controller 1 determines that the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 13 is the temperature corresponding to the winter season, the temperature corresponding to the summer season, or the spring / autumn season (III) temperature, and selects the corresponding adjustment temperature. By controlling the temperature of the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment (S9). By repeating this loop, the temperature of the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment can be adjusted automatically.

In the foregoing and embodiments, the refrigerator has been described in which the user removes the temperature control unit for manually adjusting the temperature and automatically adjusts the temperature of the cooling chamber according to the temperature of the outside air, but the user manually adjusts the temperature. By providing both the outside air temperature sensor and the temperature of the cooling chamber can be automatically adjusted according to the outside temperature, as well as the temperature of the cooling chamber can be manually adjusted according to the user's request.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to automatically adjust the temperature of the cooling chamber in accordance with the temperature of the outside air to reduce the hassle of the user to directly control the temperature, can always maintain the appropriate temperature of the cooling chamber Provided are a refrigerator and a method of controlling the same, which can minimize deterioration of food contained in a cooling chamber and reduce unnecessary power waste caused by excessive cooling.

Claims (7)

A refrigerator having a main body which forms at least one cooling chamber, An outside temperature sensor for sensing the periphery of the main body; A table storage unit configured to store a temperature table which presets an adjustment temperature of the cooling chamber according to the level of the outside temperature; And a controller configured to control a predetermined load according to an adjustment temperature of the freezing chamber and the cooling chamber corresponding to the outside temperature detected by the outside temperature sensor. The method of claim 1, And a temperature controller for setting a temperature of the cooling chamber by a user, wherein the controller is configured to perform control based on an input through the temperature controller in preference to selection of a control temperature based on the outside air temperature. Refrigerator. The method of claim 1, And a display unit displaying at least one of the outside temperature and the adjustment temperature. The method of claim 1, The load includes a refrigerator comprising at least one of a refrigerant compressor, an evaporator for generating cold air, a blowing fan for blowing cold air generated in the evaporator to the cooling chamber, and a defrost heater for defrosting the evaporator. . In the control method of the refrigerator having a body to form at least one cooling chamber, Setting a temperature of the cooling chamber which is adjusted according to the outside temperature; An outdoor temperature sensing step of sensing a temperature around the main body; And selecting an adjustment temperature of the cooling chamber based on the temperature sensed in the outdoor air temperature sensing step. The method of claim 5, In the control temperature selection step, when the control temperature of the cooling chamber is set by the user, the control method of the refrigerator, characterized in that for controlling the temperature of the cooling chamber based on the control temperature based on the outside air temperature. The method of claim 6, And displaying the outside temperature and the adjustment temperature.