KR20180007580A - Refrigerator and method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and to a controlling method for the refrigerator. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator comprises: a cabinet which has a storage room; a door which opens or closes the storage room; an ice making room which is provided in the storage room or the door, and includes an ice making assembly for making and storing ice cubes; an evaporator which is placed at one side of the storage room in order to generate cool air; a cool air inflow path which connects a space where the evaporator is placed with the ice making room, and where the cool air generated by the evaporator moves; a blowing fan which is placed at one side of the cool air inflow path in order to supply the cool air generated by the evaporator to the ice making room through the cool air inflow path; a temperature sensor which is placed at one side of the storage room in order to measure the temperature of the storage room; and a control unit which controls cool air supply by the blowing fan based on at least one between the number of cycle operations of the blowing fan and the temperature of the storage room. Therefore, the refrigerator and the controlling method for the refrigerator can prevent decrease in the cooling speed and the cooling efficiency of an ice making room and a storage room by preferentially considering the temperature distribution in the storage room when supplying cool air to an ice making device placed in a refrigerator.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator,

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a control method for the refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having an ice-making function for making and storing ice and a control method for such a refrigerator.

The refrigerator is a household appliance that allows food to be stored at low temperature in an internal storage room that is opened and closed by a door. To this end, the refrigerator uses the cool air generated through heat exchange with the circulating refrigerant according to the refrigeration cycle to cool the inside of the storage compartment, thereby storing the stored food in an optimal state.

Generally, the storage compartment of a refrigerator is composed of a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment. A storage member such as a shelf, a drawer, or a basket is provided inside the freezing compartment and the freezing compartment. The refrigerator is classified into various types according to the arrangement of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber and the type of the door for opening and closing the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber.

In recent years, the refrigerator has been made larger and multifunctional in accordance with the change of the eating habits and the trend of the higher quality of the product. In particular, a refrigerator having a structure and a convenience device for performing various additional functions in addition to a basic storage function of the refrigerator has been introduced in consideration of the convenience of the user.

One of such convenience devices is an ice maker. The ice maker is a device for generating and storing ice by freezing water by using cold air in the refrigerator. A refrigerator having such an ice maker may be provided with a dispenser for taking out the produced ice to the outside. The ice maker and the dispenser may be provided on the door of the refrigerator for convenience of use or efficient use of the storage space.

According to the related art, the ice maker generates ice using cool air generated through an evaporator disposed at one side of the storage room of the refrigerator. The cold air generated by the evaporator is basically used for cooling the storage room, that is, the refrigerator room or the freezer compartment. However, when ice is to be generated by using the ice maker, a part of the cool air to be used for cooling the storage compartment is introduced into the duct through the blowing fan provided at one side of the evaporator, and is transferred to the bank system.

Conventionally, a temperature sensor is provided in an ice maker for driving a blowing fan. That is, when the temperature in the ice maker measured through the temperature sensor is higher than the temperature for generating ice, the blower fan is driven and cool air flows into the ice maker. As described above, there is a problem that the cooling efficiency of the storage compartment is lowered because the blowing fan is driven depending on the temperature in the ice maker irrespective of the temperature of the storage compartment. For example, if the temperature of the ice maker is high in a situation where the temperature of the freezer chamber is high and the cold air is preferentially supplied to the freezer compartment, the cool air generated by the evaporator is not supplied to the freezer compartment. As a result, conventionally, the cooling fan and the cooling efficiency of the storage compartment are lowered because the blowing fan is driven without considering the temperature distribution of the storage compartment.

In addition, according to the related art, various sensors other than the temperature sensor are mounted in the ice maker. For example, a freezing sensor for checking whether ice is fully stored in the ice storage portion or an ice-making sensor for checking whether or not water supplied in the ice tray is frozen is mounted in the ice-making device. As a result of the mounting of a large number of sensors in the ice maker, the manufacturing cost of the refrigerator having the ice maker is increased and power consumption for driving various sensors is increased.

The present invention provides a refrigerator and a control method of a refrigerator which can prevent the cooling rate and the cooling efficiency of the ice making chamber and the storage chamber from being lowered by preferentially considering the temperature distribution of the storage chamber when supplying cold air to the ice maker provided in the refrigerator The purpose.

The present invention also provides a refrigerator and a refrigerator which can reduce the manufacturing cost and power consumption of a refrigerator by normally performing driving of a blowing fan for supplying cold air to an ice maker without using a temperature sensor or an oblique sensor mounted on a conventional ice maker, And to provide a control method of the control device.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects and advantages of the present invention which are not mentioned can be understood by the following description and more clearly understood by the embodiments of the present invention. It will also be readily apparent that the objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

As described above, in the past, when the cold air is supplied to the ice making device, the blowing fan is driven only depending on the temperature in the ice making device without considering the temperature distribution of the storage room, that is, the refrigerating room or the freezing room. Accordingly, there is a problem that the cooling rate and the cooling efficiency of the storage compartment are lowered by supplying some cool air to the ice maker even in a situation where cool air is to be supplied to the storage compartment preferentially.

In order to solve this problem, in the present invention, the average temperature inside the storage compartment is measured while the blowing fan for supplying cold air to the ice making chamber is driven, and the on duty of the blowing fan is adjusted according to the measured average temperature . That is, in the present invention, the driving period of the blower fan is controlled depending on the temperature inside the storage chamber, not the temperature inside the ice maker. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the cooling rate and the cooling efficiency of the ice making chamber and the storage chamber while efficiently supplying cold air to the ice making chamber.

Further, in the present invention, it is determined whether or not the water supplied to the ice tray is frozen based on the number of times of cycle operation of the blowing fan for supplying cold air to the ice making chamber. That is, in the present invention, when the blowing fan performs the cycle operation a predetermined number of times, it recognizes that the water supplied to the ice tray is changed into ice and performs the ice-making or stops the blowing fan.

The refrigerator according to the present invention having the above-described structure can perform the ice making operation performed by the conventional ice maker without the temperature sensor or the concealment sensor provided in the conventional ice maker.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator including a cabinet in which a storage room is formed, a door for opening and closing the storage room, an ice making chamber provided in the storage room or the door and including an ice making assembly for making and storing ice, A cool air inflow passage connecting the space in which the evaporator is disposed and the ice making chamber, and a cool air generated by the evaporator, the cool air inflow passage being disposed at one side of the cool air inflow passage, A cooling fan disposed at one side of the storage compartment for supplying cool air to the ice making chamber through the cool air inflow passage, a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the storage compartment, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the storage compartment, And a control unit for controlling supply of cold air by the blowing fan based on the detected temperature.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a refrigerator, comprising the steps of: driving a blowing fan according to a preset driving cycle to supply cool air generated by an evaporator provided at one side of a storage room to an ice making chamber; Adjusting an on duty of the blowing fan by comparing the average temperature with a previous average temperature, comparing the number of cycles of the blowing fan with a preset reference frequency, And determining whether ice has been stored in the ice tray of the assembly.

According to the present invention, when cooling air is supplied to the ice maker provided in the refrigerator, the cooling rate and the cooling efficiency of the ice making chamber and the storage chamber can be prevented from being lowered by preferentially considering the temperature distribution in the storage chamber.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost and power consumption of the refrigerator by normally performing the driving of the blowing fan for supplying cold air to the ice maker without using the temperature sensor or the oblique sensor mounted on the conventional ice maker .

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator in which a refrigerator compartment door is opened according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
3 is a perspective view of a refrigerator compartment door according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a perspective view of a refrigerator compartment door in a state where an ice maker assembly is removed according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is an exploded perspective view of an icemaker assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a front view of an icemaker assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view illustrating a flow of cool air between an ice-making chamber and an evaporator region according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a control signal flow of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
9 is a flowchart of a method of controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a flowchart of a method of controlling a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, which are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same or similar elements.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. And FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator in which a refrigerator compartment door is opened according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2, a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet 10 having an outer shape of a refrigerator 1 and having a storage compartment therein, And doors (11, 15) connected thereto.

Inside the cabinet 10, a storage chamber for storing food is formed. The storage chamber includes a freezing chamber (102) and a freezing chamber (104) located below the freezing chamber (102). The refrigerator compartment 102 and the freezer compartment are separated from each other by a barrier 103.

The refrigerator 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a bottom freeze type refrigerator in which a refrigerating chamber 102 is disposed in an upper portion of a freezing chamber 102. However, the configuration and control method of the present invention described below can be applied to all refrigerators having a door arrangement structure different from that of the bottom freeze type. For example, the configuration and control method of the present invention may be applied to a top mount type in which a freezing chamber is disposed at an upper portion and a refrigerating chamber is disposed at a lower portion, or a side-by-side type in which a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber are disposed in left- It can also be applied to refrigerators.

Referring to the drawings again, the cabinet 10 is connected to a refrigerating compartment door 11 for opening and closing the refrigerating compartment 102 and a freezing compartment door 15 for opening and closing the freezing compartment 104, respectively. The refrigerator compartment door 11 is rotatably connected to the left and right sides of the cabinet 10 and includes a plurality of doors that can independently open and close the opened front of the refrigerator compartment. Further, the freezing chamber door 15 includes a plurality of doors arranged vertically and slidable forward and backward, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 1, the refrigerator compartment door 11 is provided with a dispenser 20 for taking out water or ice. The dispenser 20 may be provided in either the left door or the right door. A support member (22) capable of placing a bowl or a cup is disposed under the dispenser (20). As shown in FIG. 2, an ice making assembly 113 for generating and storing ice may be provided in the ice making chamber formed inside the refrigerating chamber door 11.

2, a cool air inlet 122 for introducing cool air generated through an evaporator (not shown) into the ice making chamber, and a cool air inlet 122 for passing the heat exchanged air in the ice making chamber to the evaporator And a cool air outlet 124 for the cool air. The cold air inlet port 122 and the cold air outlet port 124 are formed in such a manner that they can communicate with the cold air inflow path 106 and the cold air outflow path 108 in the closed state of the cold room door 11, respectively.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a refrigerator door in a state where an ice maker assembly is removed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 and 4, the refrigerator compartment door includes an outer case 111 forming a front outer appearance and a door liner 112 being coupled to the outer case 111. As shown in FIG. The door liner 112 forms the back surface of the refrigerator door, and particularly forms the ice making chamber 120. In the ice making chamber 120, an ice making assembly 200 for generating and storing ice is disposed.

The ice-making chamber door 130 is rotatably connected to the door liner 112 by a white paper 139. The ice making chamber 120 can be opened and closed by the ice making chamber door 130. One side of the ice making chamber door 130 is provided with a handle 140 for operating the opening and closing of the ice making chamber door 130. The door liner 112 is provided with a handle receiving portion 128 for receiving a part of the handle 114 and holding the ice making chamber door 130 in a closed state.

On the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment door, a door liner 112 is recessed to form an ice making chamber 120 capable of accommodating the ice maker assembly 200. The ice making chamber 120 may be opened and closed by the ice making chamber door 130 which is open at the front and is insulated.

The ice making assembly 200 includes an ice storage unit 300 for storing the generated ice. A cool air duct (290) for guiding cool air introduced through a cool air inlet (not shown) into the ice making chamber (120) is provided at an upper portion of the ice making assembly (200).

Referring to FIG. 4, a connector 125 for supplying power to the icemaker assembly 200 is provided on the upper side of the ice making chamber 120. When the icemaker assembly 200 is received in the ice making chamber 120 as shown in FIG. 2, the connector 125 and the icemaker assembly 200 are connected to supply power to the icemaker assembly 200 through the connector 125. A water supply pipe 126 for supplying water to the ice making assembly 200 is provided on the upper side of the ice making chamber 120.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inner wall 114 of the ice making chamber 120 is provided with a cool air inlet 122 for introducing the cool air generated through the evaporator (not shown) into the ice making chamber and the air exchanged in the ice making chamber to the evaporator And a cool air outlet 124 for delivering the cool air. The cold air inlet port 122 and the cold air outlet port 124 are formed in such a manner that they can communicate with the cold air inflow path 106 and the cold air outflow path 108 in the closed state of the cold room door 11, respectively. 4, the cool air inlet 122 is disposed at the upper portion and the cool air outlet 124 is disposed at the lower portion. However, the positions of the cool air inlet 122 and the cool air outlet 124 may be reversed. In the lower side of the ice making chamber 120, an opening 127 and an ice duct 150 for discharging the ice stored in the ice storage 300 are disposed.

1 to 4, the ice making chamber 120 and the icemaker assembly 200 are shown as being provided in the refrigerator chamber door 11. However, in another embodiment, the ice making chamber 120 and the ice- (200) may be provided in the freezer compartment door or in the refrigerator compartment (102).

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of an ice maker assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a front view of an ice maker assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 and 6, the ice making assembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an ice tray 210 for defining a space in which ice is generated and supporting the generated ice, And a gear box 224 for transmitting the power of the driving source 220 to the ice tray 210. The ice tray 210 is provided with an ice tray 210,

The ice tray 210 is provided with a rotation axis 212 for providing a rotation center of the ice tray 210. The rotating shaft 212 may be coupled to the gear box 224 through the ice tray 210. When the driving source 220 is operated, rotational force is transmitted to the rotating shaft 212 through the gear box 224. When the rotation shaft 212 is rotated, the ice tray 210 rotates in a predetermined direction and the ice in the ice tray 210 drops to the ice storage part 300 by the rotation of the ice tray 210. The rotation axis 212 includes a first end 212a coupled to the gear box 224 and a second end 212b defining an opposite end of the first end 212a.

The ice tray 210 includes an ice producing unit 210a in which water is supplied to generate ice. The ice generating part 210a may have a downward concave shape so that ice can be stably supported.

The icemaker assembly 200 also includes a cover 230 covering the ice tray 210 to prevent water from overflowing when the ice tray 210 is supplied with water, and water to be supplied from the water tray to the ice tray 210 And a guide portion 240 for guiding the guide portion.

The ice making assembly 200 also includes a support mechanism 250 having a seat 215 on which the ice tray 210 is seated. The support mechanism 250 includes a first support portion 252 and a second support portion 260 coupled with the first support portion 252.

The first support portion 252 is seated in the ice making chamber 120 and connected to the driving motor 280. An opening 253 through which the ice discharged from the ice storage part 300 passes is formed on the bottom surface of the first support part 252.

The ice making assembly 200 also includes an ice storage unit 300 for storing ice separated from the ice tray 210. The ice storage part 300 is seated on the first support part 252. When the ice storage unit 300 is mounted on the first support unit 252, the drive motor 280 is connected to the ice storage unit 300. In this embodiment, the state in which the ice storage unit 300 is seated in the first support unit 252 means that the ice storage unit 300 is accommodated in the ice making chamber 120.

A bank coupling portion 285 which is rotated by the driving force of the driving motor 280 is disposed on one side of the driving motor 280. The bank coupling unit 285 is coupled to the ice storage unit 300 and configured to rotate a crushing member (not shown) provided in the ice storage unit 300.

The ice-making assembly 200 also includes a full-range sensor 270 for checking whether ice is filled in the ice storage unit 300. The ice-making sensor 270 is mounted on the second supporting portion 260 at a position spaced apart from the ice tray 210. The ice-making sensor 270 is located below the ice tray 210.

The full-range sensor 270 includes a transmitting unit 271 for transmitting a signal of a specific wavelength (for example, an infrared signal) and a receiving unit 272 for receiving a signal transmitted from the transmitting unit 271. The transmitting unit 271 and the receiving unit 272 are located in the inner space of the ice storage unit 300 in a state where the ice storage unit 300 is seated on the first support unit 252. When the ice storage unit 300 is full of ice, the signal transmitted from the transmission unit 271 is blocked by ice and can not reach the reception unit 272. If the signal is not received by the receiving unit 272, it can be determined that the ice storage unit 300 is full of ice.

According to the related art, a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature inside the ice making chamber 120 is mounted on the sensor mounting portion 245 of the ice making assembly 200. However, the ice making assembly 200 according to the present invention does not include a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature inside the ice making chamber 120. The driving of the blowing fan for introducing the cool air based on the temperature inside the ice making chamber 120, which is measured by the temperature sensor mounted inside the ice making assembly 200, is controlled. However, according to the present invention, since the driving of the blowing fan is controlled based on the internal temperature of the storage chamber, not the internal temperature of the ice making chamber 120, the temperature sensor need not be mounted inside the ice making assembly 200.

According to the related art, an ice-making sensor for measuring the temperature of the ice tray 210 is installed on the ice tray 210 of the ice-making assembly 200 to check the state of water contained in the ice tray 210, As shown in FIG. However, the ice-making assembly 200 according to the present invention does not include such an obscuration sensor. The present invention counts the number of times of periodic operation of the blowing fan and determines whether or not ice is generated in the ice tray 210 based on the number of cycle operations as described later, no need.

7 is a partial perspective view illustrating the flow of cool air between the ice making chamber and the evaporator region according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 shows a barrier 103 separating the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment. That is, the refrigerator compartment may be disposed on the upper portion of the barrier 103, and the freezer compartment may be disposed on the lower portion thereof. A grill pan (61) for partitioning the heat exchange space is disposed in the lower freezing chamber. An evaporator (60) is provided inside the heat exchange space defined by the grill pan (61). In addition, a temperature sensor 63 for measuring the temperature inside the freezing compartment is disposed at one side of the grill pan 61. Hereinafter, the evaporator 60 and the temperature sensor 63 are disposed at one side of the freezing chamber, respectively. However, the evaporator 60 and the temperature sensor 63 may be disposed at one side of the freezing chamber .

A blowing fan 62 for supplying the cool air generated by the evaporator 60 to the ice making chamber 120 is provided at one side of the grill fan 61. When the blowing fan 62 is driven, the cool air generated by the evaporator 60 moves along the cool air inflow passage 106 and is supplied to the ice making chamber 120 through the cool air inflow port 122. The air that flows in the ice making chamber 120 and is heat-exchanged moves along the cool air outflow passage 108 through the cool air outlets 124 and is recovered to the evaporator 60.

Hereinafter, a method of controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a control signal flow of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a method of controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The control unit 81 drives the blowing fan 62 according to a predetermined driving cycle to supply the cold air generated by the evaporator provided at one side of the storage room to the ice making chamber (902).

In one embodiment of the present invention, the blowing fan 62 is periodically turned on and off according to a predetermined driving period. Here, the driving cycle is composed of on duty, which is the time when the blowing fan 62 is driven, and off duty, which is the time when the blowing fan 62 is stopped. For example, when the driving period of the blowing fan 62 is 10 minutes, on-duty can be set to 6 minutes and off-duty to 4 minutes, respectively. In this case, the blowing fan 62 is driven for 6 minutes and then stopped for 4 minutes, and such driving and stopping can be repeated every 10 minutes. If the driving and stopping operations are performed for a total of 30 minutes, the driving period of the blowing fan 62 is 10 minutes, and the number of times of the cycle operation is three times.

The control unit 81 drives the blowing fan 62 in accordance with the preset driving cycles, i.e., on-duty and off-duty. In accordance with the control of the control unit 81, the blowing fan 62 performs the periodic operation, and the cooling air is supplied to the ice making chamber by the blowing fan 62 in the on duty interval.

Next, the control unit 81 measures the average temperature of the storage room during the driving period (904). For example, when the driving period is set to 10 minutes, the control unit 81 sets the temperature in the storage room (for example, the freezer compartment) where the blowing fan 62 is located for a period of 10 minutes to drive the blowing fan 62, ), And the average temperature of the storage chamber during the driving period can be calculated based on the measured temperature. The average temperature may be measured according to a predetermined time interval (e.g., 10 seconds), or may be measured at the time when one drive cycle is completed (e.g., after 10 minutes has elapsed).

Next, the controller 81 compares the measured average temperature and the previous average temperature to adjust the on-duty of the blower fan (906). Here, the previous average temperature means the average temperature in the storage room measured during the driving period immediately before the current driving cycle. That is, the controller 81 compares the average temperature measured during the current driving period with the average temperature measured during the previous driving period, i.e., the previous average temperature.

In an embodiment of the present invention, adjusting the on-duty of the blower fan 906 may include increasing the on-duty when the measured average temperature is greater than the previous average temperature. Adjusting the on-duty of the blower fan 906 may also include decreasing the on-duty when the measured average temperature is less than the previous average temperature.

For example, if the average temperature is increased above the previous average temperature in step 906, this means that the temperature of the storage room (e.g., the freezer compartment) where the evaporator generating the cool air is located is increased. In this case, since the temperature of the cold air supplied to the ice-making chamber is increased, it is necessary to increase the cold air supply amount to the ice-making chamber. Accordingly, the control unit 81 can increase the on-duty of 6 minutes set within the driving cycle set to 10 minutes to 8 minutes. Accordingly, the off duty will be reduced from 4 minutes to 2 minutes.

If the average temperature is lower than the previous average temperature in step 906, this means that the temperature of the storage room (e.g., the freezer compartment) where the evaporator generating the cool air is disposed is lowered. In this case, since the temperature of the cold air supplied to the ice-making chamber is lowered, the amount of cold air supplied to the ice-making chamber may be reduced. Accordingly, the control unit 81 can reduce the on-duty of 6 minutes set within the driving cycle set to 10 minutes to 5 minutes. Accordingly, the off duty will be increased from 4 minutes to 5 minutes.

In the present invention, the driving cycles of the air blowing fan 62, that is, on-duty and off-duty, are adjusted based on the average temperature in the storage chamber as in step 906. That is, in the present invention, when the control unit 81 controls the driving of the blowing fan 62, the temperature in the storage room is preferentially taken into consideration, not the temperature inside the ice making chamber, as in the prior art.

By such control, the cooling rate and cooling efficiency in the ice making chamber and the inside of the storage chamber can be increased. For example, according to the present invention, the driving time (on duty) of the blowing fan 62 is reduced when the temperature inside the storage chamber in which the evaporator is disposed becomes low. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent an excessive amount of cool air from being supplied to the ice making chamber, thereby increasing the cooling rate and cooling efficiency of the storage chamber. Further, according to the present invention, since the on-duty is increased as the temperature of the cool air is increased, a larger amount of cool air flows into the ice-making chamber. As a result, the cooling can be performed more quickly and efficiently even in the ice making chamber.

Also, as in the step 906, the temperature cycle of the blowing fan 62 is adjusted based on the average temperature in the storage chamber, so that it is not necessary to provide a temperature sensor in the ice-making chamber as in the conventional case. Accordingly, the manufacturing cost and power consumption of the refrigerator including the ice making chamber can be reduced.

Referring again to FIG. 9, the control unit 81 compares the number of cycles of the blowing fan 62 with a preset reference frequency to determine whether ice is stored in the ice tray of the ice-making assembly (908).

As described above, the number of cycle operations means the number of times that the blowing fan 62 is repeatedly operated according to the preset drive cycle. For example, if the blowing fan 62 is driven for 30 minutes while the blowing fan 62 is driven for 10 minutes, the number of cycles of the blowing fan 62 will be three times.

The control unit 81 compares the number of cycle operation times measured in this manner with a preset reference frequency. If the air blowing fan 62 has been operated for a predetermined number of times, for example, four times, for 40 minutes, the controller 81 determines that ice is stored in the ice tray of the ice making assembly and drives the blowing fan 62 It can be stopped. That is, in the present invention, when the blowing fan 62 is driven for a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined time, the water in the ice tray is regarded as being changed into ice and the driving of the blowing fan 62 is stopped. The number of cycles of operation of the blowing fan 62 in which the water in the ice tray can be changed into ice, that is, the reference number, can be determined experimentally. For example, if it is necessary to perform the cycle operation of the blowing fan 62 for a total of 5 times from the time when the water is introduced into the ice tray to the ice, the reference number may be set to 5.

In the present invention, the air blowing fan 62 is driven and stopped by a preset reference number of times as in step 908, which replaces the function of the conventional concealing sensor. In other words, conventionally, the temperature of the ice tray is measured by means of the ice-cube sensor to determine whether water in the ice tray has turned into ice. In the present invention, the water in the ice tray is turned into ice only by the number of cycles of the blowing fan 62 Or not. Therefore, the ice-making assembly according to the present invention does not need to be provided with an ice-making sensor provided in a conventional ice-making assembly. Accordingly, the manufacturing cost and power consumption of the refrigerator including the ice making chamber can be reduced.

Although not shown in FIG. 9, the method of controlling a refrigerator according to the present invention further includes increasing the on-duty to a predetermined maximum range when the blowing fan 62 starts to be driven for the first time after the defrosting operation of the refrigerator is completed . Further, the method of controlling a refrigerator according to the present invention may further include stopping the driving of the blowing fan when the refrigerator performs the defrosting operation.

10 is a flowchart of a method of controlling a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, the controller 81 controls the ice tray to supply water to the ice tray through the water supply pipe (1002). Then, the controller 81 determines whether the initial temperature of the storage room where the evaporator is located is below the reference temperature (1004). If the initial temperature exceeds the reference temperature, the control unit 81 stops driving the blowing fan 62 (1006). The fact that the initial temperature of the storage chamber exceeds the reference temperature means that the temperature of the cool air generated by the evaporator is higher than the reference temperature. Since the cold air at such a high temperature is not suitable for making ice, the control unit 81 stops driving the blower fan 62 until the temperature of the storage chamber becomes sufficiently low.

If the initial temperature is lower than the reference temperature, the controller 81 determines whether the defrost operation of the refrigerator is being performed (1008). If the defrosting operation of the refrigerator is being performed, the control unit 81 stops driving the blowing fan 62. Generally, while the defrosting operation is performed in the refrigerator, the generation of cold air by the evaporator is stopped. Therefore, while the defrosting operation of the refrigerator is in progress, the control unit 81 stops the driving of the blowing fan 62 and controls the high temperature air not to flow into the ice making chamber.

If the controller 81 determines that the defrosting operation of the refrigerator is not performed, the controller 81 determines whether the initial operation of the blowing fan 62 is completed (operation 1010). If the initial drive of the blowing fan 62 is not completed after the completion of the defrosting operation, the controller 81 increases the on duty of the blowing fan 62 to a preset maximum range to drive the blowing fan 62 1012).

For example, when the driving cycle of the blowing fan 62 is set to 10 minutes and the on duty is set to 6 minutes, the control unit 81 increases the on duty of the blowing fan 62 to a predetermined maximum range, 62). As described above, while the defrosting operation is being performed, the inflow of cold air into the ice-making chamber is also stopped. Accordingly, in the present invention, when the blowing fan 62 is driven for the first time after the completion of the defrosting operation, the on-duty of the blowing fan 62 is increased to the maximum range to supply the maximum amount of cool air to the ice-

If the initial driving of the blowing fan 62 is completed after the completion of the defrosting operation at step 1010, the control unit 81 checks whether the driving cycle of the blowing fan 62 has elapsed (1014). If it is determined that the driving cycle of the blowing fan 62, for example, 10 minutes has not elapsed, the control unit 81 continues driving the blowing fan 62 in accordance with the driving cycle (1016).

If it is determined in step 1014 that the driving cycle of the blowing fan 62 has elapsed, the control unit 81 determines whether the number of cycles of the blowing fan 62 has reached a predetermined reference number (step 1018 ). The controller 81 determines that the average temperature of the storage room measured during the driving period of the blowing fan 62 is lower than the average temperature of the storage room measured during the previous driving period, The on-duty is adjusted 1020 according to the comparison result, and the blowing fan 62 is driven according to the adjusted driving cycle (1016). For example, the control unit 81 may increase the on-duty when the average temperature is higher than the previous average temperature and decrease the on-duty when the average temperature is lower than the previous average temperature.

If it is determined in step 1018 that the number of cycles of the blowing fan 62 has reached the predetermined reference number, the controller 81 determines that the water supplied to the ice tray has been changed to ice and the blower fan 62 (1022). After stopping the blowing fan 62, the controller 81 may rotate the ice tray as necessary to freeze the ice in the ice tray to the ice storage unit (1024). If the ice storage portion is confirmed to be full ice by the ice-full sensor, the ice 1024 may not be made. When the ice tray 1024 is completed, water supply to the ice tray is performed again (1002).

As described above, in the present invention, the average temperature inside the storage chamber is measured while the blowing fan for supplying cold air to the ice making chamber is driven, and the on duty of the blowing fan is adjusted according to the measured average temperature. That is, in the present invention, the driving period of the blowing fan is controlled depending on the temperature inside the storage chamber, not the temperature inside the ice-making chamber. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the cooling rate and the cooling efficiency of the ice making chamber and the storage chamber while efficiently supplying cold air to the ice making chamber.

Further, in the present invention, it is determined whether or not the water supplied to the ice tray is frozen based on the number of times of cycle operation of the blowing fan for supplying cold air to the ice making chamber. That is, in the present invention, when the blowing fan performs the cycle operation a predetermined number of times, it recognizes that the water supplied to the ice tray is changed into ice and performs the ice-making or stops the blowing fan.

The refrigerator according to the present invention having the above-described structure can perform the ice making operation performed by the conventional ice maker without the temperature sensor or the concealment sensor provided in the conventional ice maker.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, But the present invention is not limited thereto.

Claims (10)

A cabinet in which a storage chamber is formed;
A door that opens and closes the storage room;
An ice making chamber provided in the storage room or the door and including an ice making assembly for making and storing ice;
An evaporator provided at one side of the storage chamber to generate cool air;
A cold air inflow passage connecting the space in which the evaporator is disposed and the ice making chamber to move cool air generated by the evaporator;
A blowing fan disposed on one side of the cool air inflow passage and supplying cool air generated by the evaporator to the ice making chamber through the cool air inflow passage;
A temperature sensor disposed at one side of the storage chamber for measuring a temperature of the storage chamber; And
And a control unit for controlling supply of cold air by the blowing fan based on at least one of the number of cycles of the blowing fan and the temperature of the storage chamber
Refrigerator.
The method according to claim 1,
The control unit
Wherein when the blowing fan is driven, an average temperature of the inside of the storage compartment is measured during the driving period of the blowing fan, and when the average temperature is higher than the previous average temperature, the ON duty of the blowing fan is increased, Is decreased from the previous average temperature
Refrigerator.
The method according to claim 1,
The control unit
If it is determined that ice is stored in the ice tray of the ice making assembly and the drive of the blowing fan is stopped when the number of cycles of the blowing fan reaches a preset reference number
Refrigerator.
The method according to claim 1,
The control unit
When the blowing fan first starts driving after the defrosting operation of the refrigerator is completed, the on-duty of the blowing fan is increased to a predetermined maximum range
Refrigerator.
The method according to claim 1,
The control unit
When the refrigerator performs the defrosting operation, the driving of the blowing fan is stopped
Refrigerator.
Driving the blowing fan according to a preset driving cycle to supply cool air generated by an evaporator provided at one side of the storage chamber to the ice making chamber;
Measuring an average temperature of the storage chamber during the driving period;
Adjusting an on duty of the blower fan by comparing the average temperature and the previous average temperature; And
And comparing the number of times of periodic operation of the blowing fan with a preset reference number to determine whether or not ice is stored in the ice tray of the ice making assembly
Control method of refrigerator.
The method according to claim 6,
The step of controlling on-duty of the blowing fan
Increasing the on-duty when the average temperature is higher than the previous average temperature; And
Decreasing the on-duty when the average temperature is less than the previous average temperature
Control method of refrigerator.
The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the step of determining whether ice is stored in the ice tray of the ice making assembly
Determining that ice is stored in the ice tray of the ice making assembly and stopping the driving of the blowing fan when the number of cycles of the blowing fan reaches a preset reference number
Control method of refrigerator.
The method according to claim 6,
And increasing the on duty to a predetermined maximum range when the blowing fan first starts driving after the defrosting operation of the refrigerator is completed
Control method of refrigerator.
The method according to claim 6,
And stopping the driving of the blowing fan when the refrigerator performs the defrosting operation
Control method of refrigerator.

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