KR20170024907A

KR20170024907A - Refrigerator and method for the same

Info

Publication number: KR20170024907A
Application number: KR1020150120498A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 이슬기; 김병현; 김은정; 장해춘; 류은혜
Original assignee: 조선대학교산학협력단; 엘지전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2015-08-26
Filing date: 2015-08-26
Publication date: 2017-03-08

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a control method thereof. More specifically, according to the refrigerator, when ripening and storing kimchi, the kimchi is ripened by enabling a ripening period in accordance with seasons and controlling a temperature, and proliferation of lactobacillus can be smooth to maintain the proliferated lactobacillus. Therefore, taste and nutrition of kimchi can be preserved for a long time, and a ripening progress process can be checked by a user for reliability of a product and convenience of the user to be significantly improved.

Description

Refrigerator and method of controlling same

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a control method thereof, and more particularly to a refrigerator and a control method thereof in which kimchi is matured and a kimchi is maintained in a constant taste.

The refrigerator is provided with a refrigerant circulation system as means for supplying cold air to the inside of the refrigerator.

Generally, a refrigerant circulation system includes a compressor for compressing refrigerant, a condenser for flowing high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor, an expansion valve for expanding the refrigerant passing through the condenser to a low temperature and a low pressure, And an evaporator that exchanges heat with air.

The air cooled by heat exchange with the evaporator flows into the cooler. The compressor and the condenser are mounted in a machine room provided in the rear of the refrigerator. In the case of a cooling device, a fan is mounted on one side of the condenser to allow heat exchange between the condenser and the room air. Therefore, the room air forced to flow by the blowing fan makes contact with the condenser and performs heat exchange.

Such a refrigerator supplies different cold air to a space inside a refrigerator provided with a plurality of chambers, so that foods having different storage conditions can be stored in the respective chambers.

In particular, it is important to store kimchi in the case of kimchi, but it is necessary to create and preserve the environment so that the kimchi is aged rather than simply stored.

Accordingly, the conventional refrigerator has been subdividing the degree of ripening of kimchi into a storage device over a high temperature aging period and a temperature aging period as in KR 19970080335A.

However, it is difficult for consumers to know how to judge the temperature of kimchi and how to age it. The temperature range of kimchi ripening affects the quality of kimchi. Especially, when kimchi is ripened or deteriorated at high temperature, And the like.

Kimchi is a typical lactobacillus food, and its taste and influence are greatly changed as the lactic acid bacteria in kimchi grow and decrease. Therefore, there is a need for a way to maximize the lactic acid bacteria that can taste Kimchi and preserve it.

The present invention relates to a method for controlling the fermentation of lactic acid bacteria by controlling the fermentation period of the kimchi according to the season so as to keep the fermented lactic acid bacterium while preserving the taste of the kimchi so that the kimchi maintains a constant taste A refrigerator and a control method thereof are provided.

The refrigerator of the present invention comprises a storage room for aging the kimchi, a temperature sensor installed in the storage room for sensing the temperature, an outside temperature sensor for sensing the outside temperature, a fan for providing cold air to the storage room, A mode selecting unit for setting a kimchi mode, and a control unit for determining a season corresponding to a temperature measured by the outside air temperature sensor when the kimchi mode is set by the mode selecting unit, The fan is controlled to supply cool air during the first maturing period so as to reach a set temperature for kimchi maturation from different initial temperatures, and during the second maturation period in which the kimchi of the storage room is set differently according to the season, Controlling the pan and the heater so that the set temperature is maintained so as to be aged in the fermentation broth, A control unit for supplying cool air for storage.

A control method for a refrigerator according to the present invention includes a step of setting a kimchi mode corresponding to an input of a mode selection unit, a step of measuring an outside temperature to determine a season, and setting a stepwise period for kimchi fermentation according to a season, Supplying cold air to a storage room during a first fermentation period so as to reach a set temperature for kimchi fermentation from a different initial temperature depending on the season and during a second fermentation period set differently according to the season, Controlling the fan and the heater of the storage room so as to be aged at a set temperature so as to maintain the preset temperature; and supplying cool air to the storage room to maintain the taste of the kimchi after the second maturation period, And keeping the taste to be maintained.

The refrigerator and its control method of the present invention can control the temperature while varying the ripening period of the kimchi according to the season in order to aged and store the kimchi so that the lactic acid bacteria in the kimchi can be proliferated and the proliferated lactic acid bacteria can be maintained, The taste and nutrition of the product can be preserved for a long time, and the user can confirm the progress of the aging process, so that the reliability of the product and the user's convenience are greatly improved.

1 is a view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram for explaining a space for aging a kimchi of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram briefly showing a main configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a graph showing control temperatures according to the kimchi ripening and storage according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a graph showing a temperature change according to the ripening of kimchi according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an exemplary view showing a control panel in which a kimchi ripening step of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention is displayed.
7 is a flowchart illustrating a control method for the kimchi ripening of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a diagram referred to explain the change of kimchi in the kimchi ripening of the refrigerator of the present invention.
Fig. 9 is a diagram referred to explain the change of lactic acid bacteria and acidity in the ripening of kimchi according to the present invention.
Fig. 10 is a diagram referred to explain the change of lactic acid bacteria in the ripening of kimchi according to the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a change in taste according to the kimchi ripening step of the refrigerator of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the change in taste according to the storing step of the kimchi of the refrigerator of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention, and the manner of achieving them, will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. To fully disclose the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

1 is a view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention has a rough outer appearance formed by a case forming a plurality of chambers and a door opening and closing the chambers.

The first chamber 11 is opened and closed by a door provided on each of the right and left sides. At this time, the first chamber 11 is opened by the left door and the right door to constitute one chamber, but a left and right private room may be provided in some cases. The door of the first chamber 11 is rotatably connected to the case.

The second chamber 12 and the third chamber 13 provided at the lower portion of the first chamber 11 are configured to slide forward and rearward to be opened and closed, At this time, the arrangement of the first to third chambers 11, 12, and 13 and the configuration of the door are not limited to the drawings.

On the door of the first chamber 11, a control panel 18 is provided. The control panel 18 is provided with an input unit (not shown) including at least one button for setting the operation of the refrigerator 1 and a display unit (not shown) for displaying the current operation mode and operation state of the refrigerator.

The input unit may be implemented by a mechanical button or a touch button of an electrostatic / static pressure type so as to receive various operation commands from a user. At this time, the input unit is provided with a mode selection unit for setting the kimchi mode.

The display unit is a light emitting unit such as an LED, an LCD, or an organic EL, and displays status information or failure information of the refrigerator 1 in a visualized form. The control panel 18 may include a lamp (not shown) that lights up and blinks to indicate the state of the refrigerator 1 and may include an acoustic outputting means (not shown) for outputting sound such as a buzzer or a speaker, .

The second chamber (12) or the third chamber (13) slides toward the inside of the case and seals the inner space when being housed. When the second chamber (12) or the third chamber (13) Thereby opening the inner space of the main body 13.

The refrigerator (1) performs a circulation cycle in which the refrigerant circulates along the refrigerant pipe, compresses, expands, evaporates, and is condensed, while performing heat exchange with ambient air by the phase change of the refrigerant during the circulation cycle, (Not shown) for expanding the refrigerant, a heat exchanger (not shown) serving as an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant, and a condenser for condensing the refrigerant. (Not shown) for circulating the heat-exchanged air, and a fan for flowing the heat-exchanged air.

Also, the refrigerator 1 includes a plurality of temperature sensors, and measures the temperatures of the first to third chambers 11, 12, and 13 as well as the room temperature.

The refrigerator (1) controls the cooling system on the basis of the set operation mode and the measured temperature to form an environment for storing foodstuffs accommodated in the respective rooms.

2 is a diagram for explaining a space for aging a kimchi of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figs. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the second chamber 12 is composed of a storage room for aging and storing the kimchi.

A plurality of kimchi containers (50) (51 to 54) are housed in the second chamber (12), which is a storage room. At this time, the number of the kimchi cylinders 50 is only one example, and the number is not limited to the figures.

A heater 19 for adjusting the temperature of the second chamber 12 is provided in the lower portion of the second chamber 12 and below the stored kimchi cylinder 50 for aging the kimchi. The heat exchanged cool air is also supplied through a fan (not shown).

The heater 19 operates when the kimchi is aged to generate heat so that the cool air of the refrigerator 1 is heated so that the second chamber 12 is maintained at the temperature set for kimchi ripening.

The second chamber 12 is provided with a second temperature sensor (not shown). The second temperature sensor measures the temperature of the second chamber 12, which is a storage room.

3 is a block diagram illustrating a main configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3, the refrigerator 1 includes an input unit 140, a display unit 150, a temperature sensing unit 120, a data unit 160, a compressor 131, heaters 132 and 19, A controller 133 for controlling the operation of the refrigerator 1, and a controller 110 for controlling the entire operation of the refrigerator 1.

The temperature sensing unit 120 includes a plurality of temperature sensors for measuring the temperature of the inside and the outside of the refrigerator 1 and inputs the measured temperature to the control unit 110.

The temperature sensing unit 120 includes a first temperature sensor 121 for measuring the temperature of the first chamber 11, a second temperature sensor 122 for sensing the temperature of the second chamber 12, And a third temperature sensor 123 for measuring the temperature of the second temperature sensor 123. And an outdoor temperature sensor 124 for measuring the temperature of the outside and outside air of the refrigerator 1. [

The temperature sensing unit 120 may further include a defrost sensor that detects the surface temperature of the evaporator to determine whether or not to perform another operation, and a description thereof will be omitted below.

In addition to the temperature sensor, the refrigerator 1 includes a plurality of sensors such as a pressure sensor and a sensor for detecting the rotational speed of the fan, but a description thereof will be omitted below.

Particularly, the second temperature sensor 122 measures the temperature of the second chamber 12, which is a storage chamber, and inputs the measured temperature to the control unit 110, so that the controller 110 controls the temperature of the second chamber 12, (12). &Lt; / RTI >

The outdoor temperature sensor 124 measures the temperature of the air flowing from the outside of the refrigerator 1. At this time, the controller 110 determines the season according to the temperature measured from the outside temperature sensor 124, and sets the temperature and the period for the kimchi maturation according to the season.

The data unit 160 stores temperature data measured and input from the temperature sensing unit 120 and control data for controlling the operation of the compressor 131, the heater 132, and the fan 133 is stored. In the data unit 160, setting data for the temperature and temperature for each step set for the maturing and storing of kimchi is stored, and reference data according to the temperature control is stored.

The input unit 140 is provided in the control panel 18 described above and inputs data including the operation mode of the refrigerator 1. [ The input unit 140 may include at least one button or touch input means.

For example, the input unit 140 is provided with a lock button for performing a key-lock function to limit input by the user, and a temperature setting button for setting a true temperature. Further, the input unit 140 is provided with a mode selection unit (not shown) for setting the kimchi mode.

The output unit is provided in the control panel 18 and includes a display unit 150 for displaying the operation state and the operation state of the refrigerator 1 by a combination of images, characters, special characters, etc., and a buzzer Lt; / RTI > Also, a lamp is provided in the output unit, and the operation state can be displayed through the lighting of the lamp, the lighting color, and the blinking control.

The display unit 150 displays the actual temperature and the operation state, and in particular, shows the proceeding state of the second chamber 12, which is the storage room, according to the kimchi ripening process and the storage condition. .

The control unit 110 analyzes and controls the operation state of the refrigerator 1 based on information collected through various sensors provided therein. The control unit 110 sets the operation of the refrigerator 1 in response to the data input from the input unit 140 and outputs the operation state through the output unit 150. The control unit 110 controls each room state of the refrigerator to be output through the output unit 150, and controls the rooms differently according to the data input through the input unit 140.

When the mode selection unit 141 is input, the control unit 110 sets the kimchi mode. When the kimchi mode is set, the control unit 110 determines the season based on the outside temperature sensed by the outside temperature sensor 124 of the temperature sensing unit 120, and according to the control temperature, And the temperature of each chamber is controlled accordingly. At this time, since the initial temperature of the kimchi is different according to the season and the fermentation speed of the kimchi is different according to the season, the control unit 110 sets the period required for aging differently according to the season, Are set differently. In particular, the control unit 110 controls the temperature of the storage room so that the kimchi is aged at a predetermined set temperature of the ripening process.

The control unit 110 controls the actual temperatures corresponding to the temperatures measured by the first, second, and third room temperature sensors 121 to 123. Particularly, the controller 110 controls the temperature of the second chamber 12, which is measured by the second chamber temperature sensor 122, based on the temperature of the second chamber 12, ), And controls the temperature of the kimchi cask to be maintained at a constant temperature.

The control unit 110 controls the compressor 131, the fan 133, and the heaters 132 and 19 by applying a control command to the driving unit 130 according to the stepwise period and the control temperature that are set differently according to the season . At this time, the controller 110 controls the rotation speed of the fan 133 to adjust the cool air supplied thereto, and operates the heater 133 to adjust the temperature of the coolant.

In particular, the control unit 110 controls the fan 133 and the heater 132 to control the temperature of the second chamber 12, which is the storage room, by supplying cool air or heating the air through the heater according to the maturing step of the kimchi.

Also, the control unit 110 causes the display unit 150 to output the aging process of the kimchi over time.

The driving unit 130 controls the operation of the compressor 131, the heaters 132 and 19, and the fan 133 in response to a control command of the controller 110. At this time, the driving unit 130 may include a compressor driving unit, a heater driving unit, and a fan driving unit, respectively. In addition, the driving unit 130 may include an inverter (not shown) and an inverter driving unit (not shown) for controlling the compressor and the fan.

The compressor 131 compresses the refrigerant, circulates the refrigerant in the refrigerator 1, controls the refrigerant temperature by controlling the refrigerant, and the heaters 132 and 19 reach the set temperature for aging the kimchi And the fan 133 is installed in a heat exchanger (not shown) so that the cool air generated by the heat exchange of the refrigerant is discharged to each of the first to third chambers 11 to 13. At this time, the fan 133 may be provided in the first to third chambers 11 to 13, respectively.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing control temperatures according to the kimchi ripening and storage according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 110 controls the temperature of the second chamber 12, that is, the storage room in which the kimchi cylinder 50 is installed. In this case, the first chamber or the third chamber may be used as a storage room, and the same can be controlled.

The control unit 110 divides the steps of the fermentation of the kimchi so that the temperature of the kimchi drum 50 provided in the second chamber 12 is lower than the preset temperature by the temperature measured by the second room temperature sensor 122 The temperature of the second chamber 12 which is the storage room is controlled.

The second section D2 is a first maturation period for preparing kimchi ripening. The third section D3 is a second maturation period during which kimchi fermentation occurs. The fourth and fifth sections D4 and D5 are storage periods. The fifth section D5 is a section for storing the aged kimchi for a long time. At this time, the second to fourth sections D2 to D4 are set to be variable in accordance with the season determined by the outside air temperature sensor 124. [

When the kimchi mode is set through the mode selection unit 141 at the first time T1, the first maturation period of the second section D2 is started. Since the initial temperature of the kimchi is different from the initial temperature of the kimchi to be aged according to the season when the initial temperature of the kimchi put in the kimchi jar is the normal temperature, the temperature of the kimchi jar 50 is set to the set temperature And the period until the third temperature TP3 is reached is set. Therefore, the first ripening period is set differently according to the season.

The first fermentation period (the second section D2) is a preparation stage for fermentation of kimchi, but the fermentation of kimchi proceeds during the fermentation period. The higher the temperature, the faster the ripening of kimchi becomes and the lower the temperature, the slower it is. Therefore, not only the initial temperature of kimchi varies with the season, but also the ripening speed of kimchi is different. So that the ripening of the kimchi can be facilitated.

The controller 110 controls the compressor 131 and the fan 133 such that cool air of the second temperature TP2 is supplied to the second chamber 12 during the first maturing period. The second temperature TP2 is preferably set to about -1.5 degrees as the target temperature in the second section D2. As the target temperature of the second chamber (12) is set to the second temperature (TP2), cool air is supplied to the second chamber, and the temperature of the kimchi started at the normal temperature is decreased by the cold air. Accordingly, at the end of the first maturation period, the temperature of the kimchi reaches the third temperature (TP3) which is the set temperature for kimchi fermentation.

When the first aging period (second period D2) set according to the season has elapsed, the second aging period of the third period D3 begins. The control unit 110 changes the target temperature for the second chamber 12 to the third temperature TP3 at the second time T2 at which the first maturing period has elapsed for a set period according to the season.

At this time, the third temperature TP3 is set to about 6 to 7 degrees in consideration of the temperature to be activated depending on the kind of the lactic acid bacteria. It is preferable to set the temperature to 6.5, which is particularly effective to inhibit the growth of lactobacillus and the activation of luchonostoke in kimchi lactic acid bacteria.

The control unit 110 applies a control command to the driving unit 130 to supply the cool air so that the temperature of the second chamber 12 becomes the third temperature TP3 or to operate the heaters 19 and 133, Heat it.

The third temperature TP3 is a set temperature for kimchi fermentation and the second chamber 12 is set to the third temperature TP3 as the internal temperature of the kimchi cylinder 50 put in the second chamber, So that the temperature of the kimchi of the kimchi cylinder 50 provided in the second chamber can be maintained at the third temperature TP3.

During the second fermentation period of the third section (D3), the lactic acid bacteria of the kimchi are proliferated to allow the kimchi to be aged. Since the degree of maturation of kimchi at the time of completion of the first ripening period differs depending on the season, the second ripening period is also set differently according to the season.

When the second aging period of the third section D3 is finished, a storage period for storing the kimchi is started at the third time T3. In the fourth section D4 and the fifth section D5, the first temperature TP1 is controlled so that the lactic acid bacteria generated during the second aging period of the third section D3 can be maintained for a long time.

At this time, by supplying cold air of a first temperature TP1 which is lower than the second maturation period, the kimchi of the third temperature TP3 is cooled and the first temperature is maintained. Also, cool air of a seventh temperature (TP7) lower than the first temperature (TP1) is periodically supplied at predetermined time intervals to keep the taste of the aged kimchi.

In the case where the first to fourth kimchi cylinders 51 to 54 are provided in the second chamber 12 which is the storage room, the kimchi contained in the four kimchi cylinders are consumed sequentially instead of being consumed once, The temperature is set to the first temperature (TP1) during the storage period so that the taste of the kimchi is maintained until the kimchi of the last fourth kimchi cylinder (54) is consumed from the kimchi of the cylinder (51).

At this time, the control unit 110 sets the first temperature TP1 as the basic target temperature for maintaining the taste of the kimchi in the fourth and fifth intervals D4 and D5 for storage, And cool air of a seventh temperature (TP7) of low temperature is supplied to the second chamber (12). For example, the first temperature (TP1) is maintained at about -1.8 degrees, and the cool air of -7 degrees is supplied at a predetermined time interval in order to prevent the proliferation of lactic acid bacteria having sour taste while maintaining the proliferated lactic acid bacteria.

The control unit 110 displays a notification indicating that the kimchi ripening is completed through the display unit 150 as the kimchi is ripened in the fourth section D4.

The control unit 110 sets the interval including the first maturation period of the second section D2 to the second maturation period of the third section D3 and the storage period of the fourth section D4 to the total fermentation period (D11). The control unit 110 sets the first aging period and the second aging period of the second section D2 and the third section D3 differently according to the season so that the total aging period D11 also varies depending on the season . At this time, it is preferable that the controller 110 sets the total aging period D11 within a range of at least 36 hours and 150 hours according to the season, but it is set to be 84 hours in summer, 97 hours in spring and 147 hours in winter Do. At this time, the storage period of the fourth section D4 is set to be the same, the fifth section D5 is set to be the same as the fourth section, and is maintained until the kimchi mode is released.

At this time, in order to control the temperature of the second chamber to reach the target temperature, the controller 110 may supply cool air having a temperature lower than the target temperature so that the temperature of the second chamber is maintained at the control temperature. Especially, since the main purpose of the temperature of the inside of the kimchi is to reach the target temperature, the temperature of the second room may be higher or lower than the temperature of the kimchi.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a temperature change according to the ripening of kimchi according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As described above with reference to FIG. 4, when the temperature control for the second chamber is performed, the temperature change of the kimchi is as shown in FIG.

During the first maturation period (D21), the initial temperature of the kimchi is different from the fourth to sixth temperatures (TP4 to TP6) according to the season.

The control unit 110 controls the second chamber 12 by supplying cool air of the second temperature TP2 during the first maturing period when the kimchi ripening starts from the fourth to sixth temperatures TP4 to TP6, As a result, the temperature of the kimchi decreases at the initial temperature.

The temperature of the kimchi reaches the third temperature TP3 which is the set temperature for ripening of kimchi at the time of the end of the first ripening period D21 and during the second ripening period D22, And controls the temperature to maintain the third temperature (TP3).

As the temperature of the kimchi is maintained at the third temperature (TP3), lactic acid bacteria in the kimchi also proliferate as the fermentation of the kimchi proceeds. At this time, Leuconostoc sp. Of lactic acid bacteria of Kimchi is increased. The third temperature (TP3) is a temperature that inhibits the proliferation of lactobacillus that activates the leukocyte stock for the tangy taste of kimchi and gives off sour taste.

When the second aging period D22 is completed, the controller 110 supplies cold air to the second chamber so as to cool the second chamber to reach the first temperature TP1 for storage, The first temperature TP1 is maintained. So that the temperature of the kimchi decreases at the third temperature TP3 and reaches the first temperature TP1. At this time, the controller 110 supplies cool air of a seventh temperature TP7 lower than the first temperature TP1 to the second chamber 12 at a predetermined time interval to maintain the taste of the kimchi.

The kimchi contained in the kimchi jar is stored in the second chamber 12, which is a storage chamber, and is changed in a manner similar to the temperature of the second chamber.

During the storage period (D23), the ripening of the kimchi is completed and the number of the increased number of the lactic acid bacteria is maintained, so that the taste of the kimchi is kept constant . Therefore, the produced Leuconostoc lactic acid bacteria are retained and inhibit the production of sour taste lactobacillus (Lactobasillus sp.) Among the lactic acid bacteria.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary view showing a control panel in which a kimchi ripening step of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention is displayed.

As shown in FIG. 6, the control panel 18 is provided with a plurality of buttons of the input unit 140, and a display unit 150 is provided. The display unit 150 displays the temperature and the operation mode for the first to third chambers 11 to 13 and displays the aging progress status of the kimchi, respectively.

The state information 151 of the first room, the state information 152 of the second room and the state information 153 of the third room are separately displayed in the upper panel, the middle panel and the lower panel in the control panel 18, An operating state 154, and a lock setting 155 are displayed. It is possible to display the status information and input data as the buttons or the touch panel are operated. For example, if the lock key is selected in the lock setting 155, the input through the control panel is locked and the input is ignored and the existing setting is maintained even if the button is pressed until the lock is released. Also, a mode selection unit may be provided.

In the second room status information 152, a kimchi mode (taste kimchi) 157, a rice / grains storage mode, and a vegetable / fruit storage mode may be set according to the type of food to be fed into the second room 12 , And the storage temperature can be set to one of weak, medium, and strong. Whereby cold air of a different temperature is supplied to the second chamber.

In particular, when the kimchi mode is set, as described above, the control unit 110 performs temperature control differently according to the fermentation stages according to the kimchi mode. In particular, lactic acid bacteria of the kimchi are increased through the second fermentation, I suppress lactic acid bacteria and keep the pre - produced lactic acid bacteria so that the taste of kimchi is maintained. At this time, as the fermentation of the kimchi proceeds, the fermentation process is indicated by the indicator 156. Further, when the fermentation is completed, the control panel 18 displays the completion of cooking (158).

7 is a flowchart illustrating a control method for the kimchi ripening of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 7, each room mode of the refrigerator is set through the input unit 140. Each mode can be set according to the type of food to be put into each room. The kimchi mode is set in the second chamber according to the input of the mode selection unit 141 when the kimchi cylinder containing the kimchi is inserted into the second chamber.

When the kimchi mode is set, the controller 110 measures the temperature of the outside of the refrigerator through the outside temperature sensor 124 of the temperature sensing unit 120. The control unit 110 determines the season according to the temperature measured and inputted by the outside temperature sensor 124 in step S320, and sets a step-by-step period and a temperature for kimchi maturation in step S330.

The outside temperature measured at this time is the room temperature at which the refrigerator is installed. As the kimchi of the kimchi cistern is placed in the kimchi cistern, it is judged that the temperature of the kimchi is similar to the room temperature. It is divided into spring / autumn, summer, and winter. The temperature of summer is high, so that the ripening of Kimchi rises rapidly and it progresses slowly in winter. That is, not only the initial temperature of the kimchi is different depending on the season but also the ripening speed is also different according to the season, so that the period for the ripening is differently set correspondingly. Therefore, the controller 110 divides the aging step into the first aging period, the second aging period, and the storage period, and sets the lengths of the respective periods differently according to the season, and controls the temperature of the aging differently .

When the kimchi mode is set, the control unit 110 outputs the information of the set mode, the process of kimchi fermentation, and the progress status through the display unit 150 as the fermentation of the kimchi proceeds (S340).

Since the initial temperature of the kimchi is different according to the season, the control unit 110 starts the first fermentation of the kimchi (S350). The control unit 110 causes the temperature of the kimchi to reach the set temperature for secondary aging, i.e., the third temperature TP3, at the initial temperature (fourth to sixth temperatures TP4 to TP6) through the first aging . At this time, cool air of the second temperature (TP2) is supplied until the set temperature for secondary aging (third temperature (TP3)) is reached. Since the initial temperature of the kimchi is different, the first aging period .

For example, the first aging period D21 may be set to 9 hours in winter, 14 hours in spring and autumn, and 18 hours in summer. Since the initial temperature of the kimchi is different, the time required for the temperature to fall to the target set temperature is different, and the aging of the kimchi proceeds during the first fermentation period. The initial temperature is set at 25 degrees in summer (TP6) and 10 degrees in winter (TP4).

When the first fermentation period is completed, the controller 110 changes the temperature of the second chamber, which is a storage room, to perform secondary fermentation for lactic acid bacteria multiplication (S360). The control unit 110 controls the second chamber, which is the storage room, to be maintained at the third temperature TP3, which is the set temperature for kimchi ripening. The second fermentation increases the lactic acid bacteria of Leuconostoc sp., Which tastes of Kimchi. At this time, the third temperature (TP3), which is the set temperature, is the temperature which is set so as to activate the luukono stock and inhibit the proliferation of the lactobacillus.

The second ripening period can be set to 117 hours in winter, 62 hours in spring / autumn and 45 hours in summer, respectively. In the case of summer, since the primary fermentation starts at a high temperature, it is set considering that the fermentation of kimchi rapidly proceeds in a short time. That is, the second aging period is also set differently according to the season.

The control unit 110 outputs the progress status of secondary aging through the display unit 150. [

When the secondary fermentation is completed, the controller 110 maintains the increased lactic acid bacteria and stores the fermented lactic acid bacteria in order to inhibit the growth of the fermented lactic acid bacteria (S370).

At this time, to maintain the lactobacillus lactic acid bacteria and to suppress the proliferation of lactobacillus lactic acid bacteria, the cooler is controlled to be kept at the first temperature (TP1) and maintained at a predetermined time interval to maintain the taste of the kimchi. For example, the controller 110 maintains the flavor of the kimchi by supplying cool air of -7 degrees at predetermined time intervals while maintaining the temperature at -1.8 degrees during the storage period.

Upon reaching the storage period, the control unit 110 outputs the progress status according to the storage through the display unit 150. In addition, when the storage period starts and a predetermined time elapses, the controller 110 causes the display unit 150 to output a notification indicating that the cooking is finished (S380).

When the completion of cooking (158) is displayed on the display unit 150, the user judges that the kimchi ripening is completed and the kimchi is ready to eat.

The control unit 110 maintains the storage state even after the completion of the cooking, so that the taste of the kimchi is maintained until the kimchi of the plurality of kimchi containers is exhausted. The storage state is maintained until the kimchi mode is released.

Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the change of kimchi in the kimchi ripening of the refrigerator of the present invention, and Fig. 9 is a diagram referred to explain the change of lactic acid bacteria and acidity in the kimchi ripening of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 9A, the number of lactic acid bacteria varies with time and temperature during the fermentation of kimchi. At this time, the kind of lactic acid bacteria is Leuconostoc sp.

The number of lactic acid bacteria increased with temperature from 6 to 7 degrees, and it was found that the number of lactic acid bacteria increased in particular at 6.5 degrees.

In addition, the number of lactic acid bacteria increases with time in the state of 6.5 degrees, and after reaching the peak at about 117 hours (A1), it decreases again.

As shown in the temperature graph (S1) and the time graph (S2), the secondary aging temperature corresponding to the change of the lactic acid bacterium was maintained at 6.5, which is liable to increase the leuconostyle flux, while the second aging period was set to 117 hours do. The second ripening period is set to 117 hours in the winter when the ripening progresses slowly, and about 45 hours in the summer.

During the storage period, the kimchi is cooled to reduce the temperature so that the increased lactic acid bacteria are retained.

As a result of measuring acidity, which is one of criteria for evaluating the taste of kimchi, as shown in Fig. 8B and Fig. 9B, the acidity graphs of temperature and time (S4) On the basis of 117 hours (A2), the acidity is measured from about 0.47 to 0.48.

Generally, the acidity which is the standard of delicious kimchi is about 0.6 to 0.8. In the present invention, the kimchi is aged for a period of 117 hours at 6.5 ° C. so that the acidity after proliferation of the lactic acid bacteria through secondary aging is about 0.47 as shown in FIG. 117 hours is the winter standard.

During the storage period, the acidity will continue to change, increasing by about 0.1 per month. During the storage period after the second aging, the acidity of the kimchi is increased, and since the kimchi can not be consumed all at once, the acidity of the kimchi stored during the consumption of the four kimchi containers is increased.

Accordingly, when the kimchi of the last kimchi cask is exhausted, the acidity of the kimchi is controlled to be 0.45 to 0.5 at the time of entering the storage stage after the second aging so that the acidity reaches 0.8. For example, assuming that about 4 months are consumed to consume 4 kg of 10 kg of kimchi, the kimchi should be aged considering the acidity enough to taste the kimchi, To be consumed. At this time, according to the characteristics of the user, it is possible to change the timing of completion of the cooking by setting preferences of the less-familiar kimchi and schnitt kimchi.

Therefore, when the kimchi mode is set in the refrigerator 1, the set temperature during the second fermentation period is 6.5 degrees, and the fermentation is performed for 45 to 117 hours according to the season.

Fig. 10 is a diagram referred to explain the change of lactic acid bacteria in the ripening of kimchi according to the present invention.

Generally, Kimchi is lactic acid, ethanol, carbonic acid gas and so on. Kimchi is acidified by the lactic acid and becomes ripe kimchi. In addition, the growth of aerobic bacteria weak in acidity is suppressed, lactic acid bacteria strong in acidity are continuously increased, and the taste of kimchi becomes more and more, and it becomes a steaming kimchi. In the latter period of time, the yeast grows on the surface of kimchi and consumes the generated organic acid. Therefore, harmful microorganisms grow in the acid and secrete the enzyme, resulting in unpleasant bitter taste and lower quality of kimchi.

Therefore, the control unit 110 controls the temperature of the second chamber, which is the storage room, to be maintained in the state of the enemy fingernail, in accordance with the step, and controls the kimchi to be aged by setting the step-by-step period differently according to the season.

There are various microorganisms involved in kimchi fermentation process. Among them, there are Ryukono stock, which is a typical lactic acid bacterium, which gives a carbonic acid sensation and makes kimchi delicious, and lactobacillus which produces sour taste.

The present invention controls the temperature and time so that Ryukono stock, which is a lactic acid bacterium having a proper taste and taste, can be best grown in a delicious Kimchi so that the Kimchi can be aged and maintained as long as possible.

Ryukono stock is mainly developed at the early stage of fermentation of kimchi, removing residual oxygen, producing carbon dioxide, and giving the carbonic acid, which gives off the cool taste of kimchi, and gives a proper sour taste.

On the other hand, Lactobacillus appears after kimchi ripening and proliferates rapidly and grows at high temperature and high temperature. In addition, lactic acid production is strong, but Kimchi does not give the carbonic acid.

As shown in FIG. 10, according to time, the Lukocosto lactic acid bacteria proliferate like the first graph S11 and the Lactobacillus lactic acid bacteria proliferate like the second graph S12.

At this time, Ryukono stock proliferate at the early stage of ripening of kimchi and proliferate at the first point (P1) and then decrease, and Lactobacillus grows later than Ryukono stock and maximally grows at the second point (P1).

At this time, leuconostosis starts to proliferate at a lower temperature than that of Lactobacillus, and proliferates at an early stage, and Lactobacillus grows at a high temperature, so that the number reaches its maximum after a lapse of time. Therefore, the kimchi is matured at a low temperature, and the fermentation of the kimchi is completed and stored before the activation of the lactobacillus, so that the lactobacillus growth is suppressed while maintaining the liquorostack, thereby maintaining the taste of the kimchi.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a change in taste according to the kimchi ripening step of the refrigerator of the present invention.

The change of acidity according to the ripening stage of kimchi is explained as follows. As shown in Figs. 11A and 11B, the storage room of the refrigerator is controlled to the second temperature TP1 during the first maturation period D21 to supply cool air, and the initial temperature of the different kimchi, And decreases during the period D21. The acidity of kimchi is about 0.24.

The temperature of the kimchi reaches the third temperature (TP3), i.e., 6.5 degrees, which is the set temperature, at the point of time when the first aging period (D21) ends and the second aging starts, and the control unit (110) Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > (TP3) < / RTI > The controller 110 controls the heater and the fan to maintain the third temperature higher than the second temperature. At this time, the acidity is about 0.28, which is lower than 0.3.

During the second fermentation period (D22), the acidity increases to complete the second fermentation, and at the time of entering the storage period, the acidity is measured between 0.4 and 0.5. It is determined that the fermentation of the kimchi has been completed based on the time when the acidity is about 0.47, and the control unit 110 controls the display unit 150 to output the completion of the cooking. And temperature control for storage.

As described above, the range of acidity (B) in the standard of the delicious kimchi is 0.6 to 0.8, and the acidity is increased by 0.1 per month during the storage period, so that the user can eat the delicious kimchi until the end, 0.5 indicates completion of cooking.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the change in taste according to the storing step of the kimchi of the refrigerator of the present invention.

12A and 12B, during the storage period D23, the control unit 110 controls the storage room of the refrigerator to the first temperature TP1 while cooling the refrigerator of the lower temperature TP7 at a predetermined time interval Keep the kimchi in a stable manner.

At this time, as described above, the acidity increases from 0.47 to 0.8 for about 12 weeks even at a low temperature. That is, the acidity is increased by 0.1 in about one month. As a result, the acidity of the kimchi can be maintained within the acidity range (B) of the delicious kimchi, so that the kimchi contained in the plurality of kimchi containers can be maintained in a delicious state until the end.

As described above, according to the present invention, the first fermentation at different temperatures depending on the season, and the second fermentation of kimchi at 6.5 degrees, the fermentation of the lactic acid bacteria is increased so that the second fermentation is terminated And then stored, so that the kimchi taste can be maintained.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. It is therefore to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and the equivalents thereof are included in the scope of the present invention Should be interpreted.

1: refrigerator 11, 12, 13: first to third rooms
18: control panel 19, 132: heater
50, 51 to 54:
110: control unit 120: temperature sensing unit
122: second room temperature sensor 124: outdoor temperature sensor
130: driving part 131: compressor
133: Fan 140: Input
141: mode selection unit 150:
156: Indicator 158: Cooking completed

Claims

Storage room for kimchi fermentation;
A temperature sensor installed in the storage room for sensing a temperature;
An outside temperature sensor for detecting an outside temperature;
A fan for providing cold air to the storage room;
A heater for heating air in the storage room for kimchi ripening;
A mode selecting unit for setting a kimchi mode; And
Wherein the temperature of the kimchi is varied from an initial temperature of the kimchi that varies according to the season to a set temperature for kimchi fermentation when the kimchi mode is set by the mode selection unit, And the temperature of the kimchi of the storage room is controlled so that the kimchi of the storage room is aged at the set temperature during the second fermentation period which is set differently according to the season, And a control unit for supplying cool air to the kimchi for storage during a storage period when the fermentation is complete.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit sets the set temperature within a range of 6 to 7 degrees considering the kind of lactic acid bacteria of the kimchi, the number of the lactic acid bacteria, and the acidity of the kimchi when the kimchi is aged.

3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the controller sets the set temperature to 6.5 degrees so as to proliferate the leuko-stock in kimchi lactic acid bacteria and inhibit the proliferation of lactobacillus.

3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the controller sets the set temperature such that an acidity of the kimchi becomes 0.4 to 0.5 at the time when the second maturation period is completed and the storage period starts, and controls the second maturation period to be variable. .

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the controller sets the first maturing period and the second maturing period differently according to the determined season.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the controller sets the second aging period within a range of 15 hours to 120 hours.

The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the controller sets the second maturation period to 117 hours in winter, 62 hours in spring and autumn, and 45 hours in summer in response to the determined season.

5. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the control unit sets the first maturation period differently according to the determined season so that the temperature of the kimchi reaches the set temperature at the end of the first maturation period.

5. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the controller sets the first maturation period to 9 hours in winter, 14 hours in spring and autumn, and 18 hours in summer.

6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the control unit sets the sum of the first and second aging periods within a range of 15 hours to 129 hours.

6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the control unit sets the storage period to at least 21 hours.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the controller sets different control temperatures of the storage room during the first maturing period, the second maturing period, and the storage period,
Controlling the temperature to be lower than the second aging period during the first aging period,
Wherein the control unit controls the storage room at a temperature lower than the first maturation period during the storage period.

13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the controller controls the fan to discharge cold air of -1.5 degrees into the storage room during the first aging period,
Wherein the fan is controlled so that the temperature of the storage room is maintained at -1.8 degrees during the storage period and the cool air of -7 degrees is periodically supplied at a predetermined time interval.

The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a display unit for displaying a progress state of kimchi ripening,
Wherein the control unit outputs a notification indicating completion of cooking through the display unit when the second maturation period is finished and the storage period is started.

15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the control unit displays the aging state of the kimchi through the display unit as the first aging period, the second aging period, and the storage period progress.

15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the display unit outputs an aging state of the kimchi to an indicator.

Setting a kimchi mode corresponding to an input of a mode selection unit;
Determining a season by measuring an outside temperature and setting a step-by-step period for kimchi fermentation according to the season;
Supplying cold air to the storage room during the first fermentation period so that the temperature of the kimchi reaches a set temperature for kimchi fermentation from a different initial temperature depending on the season;
Controlling the fan and the heater of the storage room to maintain the preset temperature so that the kimchi of the storage room is aged at the set temperature during a second maturation period that is set differently according to the season; And
And a step of supplying cool air to the storage room to maintain the taste of the kimchi after the second aging period, and storing the kimchi during the storage period to maintain the taste of the kimchi.

18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the preset temperature is set in a range of 6 to 7 in consideration of the number of lactic acid bacteria produced in the course of the fermentation of kimchi and the acidity of kimchi at the completion of fermentation.

19. The method of claim 18,
A control method for a refrigerator as set forth in claim 1, wherein the set temperature is set to 6.5 degrees so as to inhibit the growth of lactobacillus and proliferate the leucono stock in kimchi lactic acid bacteria.

18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the first aging period and the second aging period are varied and set in accordance with the determined season in consideration of the initial temperature and the aging speed which are different depending on the season.

21. The method of claim 20,
Wherein the second aging period is set within a range of 15 hours to 120 hours according to the determined season.

21. The method of claim 20,
Wherein the second aging period is set to 117 hours in winter, 62 hours in spring and autumn, and 45 hours in summer according to the determined season.

21. The method of claim 20,
Wherein the first maturation period is set to 9 hours in winter, 14 hours in spring and autumn, and 18 hours in summer according to the determined season.

21. The method of claim 20,
And the sum of the first aging period and the second aging period is set to be from 15 hours to 129 hours.

18. The method of claim 17,
The control temperature of the storage room for the first aging period, the second aging period and the storage period is set differently,
And controls so that cool air having a temperature lower than the second maturation period is supplied during the first maturation period and cool air having a temperature lower than the first maturation period is supplied to the storage chamber during the storage period Control method.

26. The method of claim 25,
Controlling the cooling air to be discharged to the storage room during the first aging period,
Wherein the controller controls the temperature of the storage room to be maintained at -1.8 degrees during the storage period and controls the supply of cold air of -7 degrees at predetermined intervals.

18. The method of claim 17,
Further comprising the step of indicating the aging process of the kimchi as the first aging period, the second aging period, and the storage period elapse during the setting of the kimchi mode.

18. The method of claim 17,
Further comprising the step of outputting a notification informing the completion of the cooking process when the second maturation period is completed and the storage step is entered.