KR20180107573A - Refrigerator and method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control method of a refrigerator. The control method of a refrigerator of the present invention comprises: a step of switching to a first cooling cycle for cooling of a first storage chamber to operate a compressor and operating a first cooling medium supply means for the first storage chamber; a step of determining whether a start condition of a second cooling cycle for cooling a second storage chamber is satisfied; a step in which a cold air supply means is turned off and a second cold air supply means is turned on after a first cooling cycle start condition is satisfied; a step of determining whether a start condition of the first cold air supply means is satisfied during operation of the second cooling cycle; and a step in which the first cold air supply means is turned on when the start condition of the first cold air supply means is satisfied.

Description

A refrigerator and a control method thereof

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a control method thereof.

A refrigerator is a household appliance that stores food at low temperatures, so that the storage room is always kept at a constant low temperature.

At present, in the case of a household refrigerator, the storage room is maintained at a temperature within an upper limit range and a lower limit range based on a set temperature. That is, when the storage room temperature rises to the upper limit temperature, the refrigeration cycle is driven to cool the storage compartment, and when the storage compartment temperature reaches the lower limit temperature, the refrigerator is controlled by stopping the refrigeration cycle.

Recently, a refrigerator having an evaporator in each of a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment has been developed. Such a refrigerator allows the refrigerant to flow to one evaporator of each of the refrigerating chamber and the refrigerating chamber, and then causes the refrigerant to flow to the other evaporator.

A control method of a refrigerator is disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1576686 (registered on Dec. 20, 2014), which is a prior art document.

In the control method of the refrigerator disclosed in the prior art, after the refrigerator compartment valve and the freezer compartment fan are operated to cool the refrigerator compartment, the freezer compartment valve and the freezer compartment fan are operated to cool the freezer compartment.

Then, after completion of cooling of the freezing chamber, the compressor is stopped. In this state, the freezing chamber fan is rotated to lower the temperature of the freezing chamber by using the latent heat of evaporation.

However, in the case of the prior art, the temperature of the freezing chamber can be lowered while the compressor is stopped, but the temperature of the freezing chamber can not be lowered.

Generally, the freshness of the food stored in the refrigerating compartment is higher as the variation of the temperature of the refrigerating compartment is smaller. If the freshness of the food is high, the storage period of the food may be increased.

However, in the case of the prior art, in the stopped state of the compressor, the temperature of the refrigerating chamber continuously increases until the compressor is operated again for cooling the cooling chamber. When the compressor is operated again, the temperature of the refrigerating chamber is lowered, . Therefore, there is a problem that freshness of the foodstuff stored in the refrigerating compartment is deteriorated.

The object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and its control method which are controlled such that the temperature change of the storage compartment is reduced in order to improve the freshness of the object to be stored.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a control method thereof that can reduce the operating time of the compressor to reduce power consumption.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a method of controlling a refrigerator of the present invention is characterized in that, while a second cooling cycle for a second storage chamber is operating, it is determined whether or not a start condition of a first cooling- And when the start condition of the first cool air supply means is satisfied, the first cool air supply means can be turned on.

The control method of the refrigerator of the present invention can determine whether or not the stop condition of the first cold air supply means is satisfied in the state that the first cold air supply means is turned on and the stop condition of the first cold air supply means is If it is satisfied, the first cold air supply means can be turned off.

The control method of a refrigerator of the present invention may maintain the temperature of the first storage chamber within a first reference temperature and a second reference temperature higher than the first reference temperature during operation of the first cooling cycle.

Wherein during the second cooling cycle, the temperature of the first storage chamber is maintained within a range between an ON reference temperature and an OFF reference temperature, which is a temperature within the first reference temperature and the second reference temperature range, 1 operation of the cold air supply means can be controlled.

In a control method of a refrigerator according to the present invention, in a state in which the second cooling cycle is operated, in a state in which the first cold air supply means is turned on or the first cold air supply means is turned on, It is possible to determine whether or not the control end condition of the first cold air supply means is satisfied. The control unit may terminate the control of the first cold air supply unit when the control end condition of the first cold air supply unit is satisfied.

According to the present invention, the refrigerator compartment fan may be turned on and off while the refrigeration cycle is operating. Accordingly, the temperature of the refrigerating compartment can be maintained within a range narrower than the range width between the reference temperature of the first refrigerating chamber and the reference temperature of the second refrigerating chamber within the range between the reference temperature of the first refrigerating chamber and the reference temperature of the second refrigerating chamber.

Therefore, during the operation of the refrigeration cycle, the temperature variation width of the refrigerating compartment can be reduced compared with the case where the refrigerating compartment fan is not operated. Thus, the freshness of the stored articles stored in the refrigerating compartment can be improved and the storage period can be increased .

In addition, according to the present invention, since the refrigerating compartment fan can be rotated while the refrigeration cycle is stopped, the time of the temperature of the refrigerating compartment is delayed to the first refrigerator compartment reference temperature or the first freezer compartment reference temperature. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied before the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied, thereby reducing the power consumption of the compressor.

In addition, since it is possible to reduce the possibility that the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied before the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied, the compressor can be normally turned off after the refrigeration cycle is stopped. Therefore, the off time of the compressor can be secured, and the power consumption of the compressor can be reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
2 is a block diagram of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a view showing a temperature change of a storage room and an operation of a refrigerating compartment fan according to a control method of a refrigerator of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. It should be noted that, in adding reference numerals to the constituent elements of the drawings, the same constituent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals even though they are shown in different drawings. In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the difference that the embodiments of the present invention are not conclusive.

In describing the components of the embodiment of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are intended to distinguish the constituent elements from other constituent elements, and the terms do not limit the nature, order or order of the constituent elements. When a component is described as being "connected", "coupled", or "connected" to another component, the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, Quot; may be "connected," "coupled," or "connected. &Quot;

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2, a refrigerator 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet 10 in which a freezing chamber 111 and a refrigerating chamber 112 are formed, (Not shown) for opening and closing the freezing chamber 111 and the refrigerating chamber 112, respectively.

The freezer compartment 111 and the refrigerating compartment 112 may be partitioned in the lateral direction or the vertical direction within the cabinet 10 by the partition wall 113.

The refrigerator 1 includes a compressor 21, a condenser 22, an expansion member 23 and a freezer-applied evaporator 24 (or a "first storage-room evaporator") for cooling the freezer compartment 111 And a refrigerating chamber evaporator 25 (or a "second storage room evaporator") for cooling the refrigerating chamber 112 can be further included.

The refrigerator 1 may include a switching valve 26 for allowing the refrigerant flowing through the expansion member 23 to flow to either the freezer compartment evaporator 24 or the refrigerator compartment evaporator 26.

The state in which the switching valve 26 operates so that the refrigerant flows to the freezer chamber evaporator 24 may be referred to as the first state of the switching valve 26 in the present invention. The state in which the switching valve 26 operates so that the refrigerant flows to the refrigerating chamber evaporator 25 may be referred to as the second state of the switching valve 26. [ The switching valve 26 may be, for example, a three way valve.

The refrigerator 1 includes a freezer compartment fan 28 (referred to as a "first blower fan") for blowing air to the freezer compartment evaporator 24, a first motor for rotating the freezer compartment fan 28, A refrigerator compartment fan 29 (referred to as a "second fan") for blowing air to the refrigerator compartment evaporator 25 and a second motor 30 for rotating the refrigerator compartment fan 29 ).

In the present invention, a series of cycles in which the refrigerant flows in the compressor 21, the condenser 22, the expansion member 23 and the freezer chamber evaporator 24 is referred to as a "refrigeration cycle" The series of cycles in which the condenser 22, the expansion member 23, and the refrigerating chamber evaporator 25 are caused to flow is referred to as a "refrigeration cycle ".

In addition, the freezer compartment fan 28 may be rotated during a refrigeration cycle operation, and the refrigerator compartment fan 29 may be rotated during a refrigeration cycle operation. At this time, the compressor (21) is continuously operated during the operation of each of the refrigeration cycle and the refrigeration cycle.

The first expansion member 23 is disposed between the switching valve 26 and the freezer compartment evaporator 24 and the first expansion member 23 is disposed between the switching valve 26 and the freezer compartment evaporator 24. However, And a second expansion member may be provided between the switching valve 26 and the evaporator 25 for the refrigerator compartment.

As another example, when the switching valve 26 is not used, a first valve is provided on the inlet side of the freezer compartment evaporator 24, and a second valve is provided on the inlet side of the refrigerator compartment evaporator 25 . During the operation of the refrigeration cycle, the first valve may be turned on, the second valve may be turned off, and the first valve may be turned off and the second valve may be turned on during the operation of the refrigeration cycle.

The refrigerator 1 includes a freezer compartment temperature sensor 41 for sensing the temperature of the freezer compartment 111, a refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 42 for sensing the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 112, (Refrigeration cycle and refrigeration cycle) based on the temperature sensed by the input target temperature and the temperature sensors 41 and 42. The input unit 43 can input a target temperature (or a desired temperature) And a control unit 50 for controlling the refrigeration cycle (including the refrigeration cycle).

In this specification, a temperature lower than the target temperature of the freezing chamber 111 is referred to as a first freezing chamber reference temperature (or a third reference temperature), and a temperature higher than the target temperature of the freezing chamber 111 is referred to as a second freezing chamber reference temperature The fourth reference temperature). A range between the first freezing chamber reference temperature and the second freezing chamber reference temperature may be called a freezing room set temperature range.

The target temperature of the freezing chamber 111 may be an average temperature of the first freezing chamber reference temperature and the second freezing chamber reference temperature.

In the present specification, a temperature lower than the target temperature of the refrigerating chamber 112 is referred to as a first refrigerating chamber reference temperature (or a first reference temperature), and a temperature higher than the target temperature of the refrigerating chamber 112 is referred to as a second refrigerating chamber reference temperature (Second reference temperature). A range between the reference temperature of the first refrigerating chamber and the reference temperature of the second refrigerating chamber may be referred to as a refrigerating chamber set temperature range.

The target temperature of the refrigerating chamber 112 may be an average temperature of the first refrigerating chamber reference temperature and the second refrigerating chamber reference temperature, although not limited thereto.

In the present invention, the user can set the target temperatures of the freezing chamber 111 and the refrigerating chamber 112, respectively.

The control unit 50 may control the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 112 to be maintained within the preset temperature range.

The refrigerator 1 may further include an evaporator temperature sensor 44 for sensing the temperature of the refrigerator compartment evaporator 25. [

The evaporator temperature sensor 44 may sense the temperature of the refrigerator compartment evaporator 25 during the defrosting process of the refrigerator compartment evaporator 25, for example. The control unit 50 may determine whether the defrosting is complete based on the temperature sensed by the evaporator temperature sensor 44.

For example, the temperature at which defrosting is completed can be referred to as a defrost reference temperature, and the defrost reference temperature can be set to a sub-zero temperature. The defrost reference temperature may be set to, for example, minus 2 degrees.

In the present invention, if the refrigeration cycle is stopped after the refrigeration cycle is operated, the refrigeration cycle may be operated. When the refrigeration cycle is stopped, the compressor 21 may be stopped for a predetermined time or while satisfying a specific condition.

The controller 50 activates the refrigeration cycle if the detected temperature of the refrigerating chamber 112 is equal to or higher than the reference temperature of the second refrigerating chamber 112 The refrigeration cycle may be stopped if the temperature of the refrigerating compartment is below the reference refrigeration compartment temperature (satisfying the refrigeration cycle start condition or the refrigeration cycle stop condition).

When the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 sensed when the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 112 is higher than the reference temperature of the first refrigerating chamber is lower than the first freezing chamber reference temperature during the operation of the refrigeration cycle, (Refrigerating cycle stop condition is satisfied). In the present invention, the satisfaction of the start condition of the refrigeration cycle may take precedence over the satisfaction of the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle.

That is, if the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied before the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied during the operation of the refrigeration cycle, the refrigeration cycle is stopped and the refrigeration cycle can be started.

Hereinafter, a control method of the refrigerator of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a temperature change of a storage room and operation of a refrigerating compartment fan according to a method of controlling the refrigerator of the present invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the refrigerator 1 is powered on (S1). When the power of the refrigerator 1 is turned on, the refrigerator 1 operates to cool the freezing chamber 111 or the refrigerating chamber 112.

Hereinafter, a method of controlling the refrigerator when the freezing chamber 111 is cooled after the refrigerating chamber 112 is cooled will be described.

In order to cool the refrigerating chamber 112, the controller 50 turns on the compressor 21 and rotates the refrigerating compartment fan 29 (S2). Then, the switching valve 26 is switched to the first state so that the refrigerant flows to the refrigerator-use evaporator 25 (S2).

When the refrigeration cycle is operated, the freezer compartment fan 28 remains stationary.

Then, the refrigerant passing through the condenser 22 after being compressed by the compressor 21 flows to the refrigerating machine evaporator 25 through the switching valve 26. The refrigerant evaporated while flowing through the refrigerating chamber evaporator (25) flows into the compressor (21) again.

The air exchanged with the refrigerating chamber evaporator 25 is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 112. Accordingly, the temperature of the freezing chamber 112 is lowered while the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 is raised.

During the operation of the refrigeration cycle, the controller 50 determines whether the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied (S3). That is, the controller 50 determines whether or not the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied.

For example, the control unit 50 determines that the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied when the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 112 becomes lower than the reference temperature of the first refrigerating chamber.

If it is determined in step S3 that the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied, the controller 50 activates the refrigeration cycle.

For example, the control unit 50 switches the switching valve 26 to the second state so that refrigerant can flow into the freezer-applied evaporator 24 (S4). Even if the refrigeration cycle is switched to the refrigeration cycle, the compressor 21 is continuously operated without being stopped.

Then, the control unit 50 rotates the freezer compartment fan 28 and stops the refrigerator compartment fan 29 (S5).

After the refrigeration cycle starts, the controller 50 determines whether the start condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied (S6).

For example, the control unit 50 may determine that the start condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied when the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 112 is equal to or higher than the on-reference temperature N + a.

The ON reference temperature N + a may be set to a temperature higher than a preset target temperature N and lower than the second refrigerator compartment reference temperature, for example.

If it is determined in step S6 that the start condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied, the controller 50 rotates the refrigerating compartment fan 29 (step S7).

That is, in the present embodiment, the refrigerator compartment fan 29 may be turned on while the refrigeration cycle is operating. Accordingly, the refrigerator compartment fan 29 and the freezer compartment fan 28 operate together during a certain period during which the refrigeration cycle operates.

When the refrigerator compartment fan 29 is rotated, air is cooled by the latent heat of evaporation remaining in the refrigerator compartment evaporator 25, and the cooled air is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 112 to lower the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 112 .

That is, when the refrigerator compartment fan 29 rotates, the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 112 can be retarded.

During the rotation of the refrigerating compartment fan 29, the controller 50 may determine whether the stop condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied (S8).

For example, the control unit 50 may determine that the stop condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied when the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 112 is lower than the off reference temperature N-b.

If it is determined in step S8 that the stop condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied, the controller 50 stops the refrigerating compartment fan 29 (step S9).

For example, the off reference temperature N-b may be lower than a preset target temperature N and may be set to a temperature higher than the first refrigerator compartment reference temperature.

Therefore, the temperature range between the on reference temperature and the off reference temperature is smaller than the refrigerating room set temperature range.

The temperature of the refrigerating chamber 112 may be changed within the on reference temperature and the off reference temperature when the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is turned on and off during the operation of the refrigeration cycle as in the present invention. Therefore, the temperature variation width of the refrigerating chamber 112 can be reduced compared with the case where the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is not operated.

In the present invention, the value a may be set to be smaller than the value b. If the value of a is close to the reference temperature of the second refrigerating chamber, the refrigerating cycle may start immediately after the refrigerating cycle is normally operated without the compressor being turned off.

On the other hand, even if the b value is close to the first refrigerator compartment reference temperature, the refrigeration cycle can be maintained in a stopped state, so that no change in cycle occurs and the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 112 can be maintained at a low temperature .

Then, the control unit 50 can determine whether the control end condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied (S10).

The control termination condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 can be determined to be satisfied when the temperature sensed by the evaporator temperature sensor 44 reaches the control termination reference temperature. The control termination reference temperature may be equal to the defrost reference temperature, for example.

When the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is rotated while the refrigeration cycle is stopped, the air in the refrigerating compartment 112 is exchanged with the refrigerating compartment evaporator 25, and the temperature of the refrigerating compartment evaporator 25 is raised.

At this time, when the temperature of the refrigerator-use evaporator 25 rises and becomes equal to or higher than the defrost reference temperature, the surface of the refrigerator-use evaporator 25 melts. If the gender is melted, the phenomenon of gumminess will occur and this will lead to a phenomenon that the defrosting process will not be completed in the future.

Accordingly, in the present invention, the refrigerator fan 29 is intermittently turned on during the operation of the refrigeration cycle, and when the temperature sensed by the evaporator temperature sensor 44 reaches the control termination reference temperature, The control of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is terminated.

At this time, although step 10 is described as being performed after step S9, it may alternatively be performed between step S7 and step S8.

For example, when the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 112 does not reach the off reference temperature while the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is rotating, the temperature sensed by the evaporator temperature sensor 44 reaches the control end reference temperature The control unit 50 may stop the refrigerator compartment fan 29 and terminate the control of the refrigerating compartment fan 29. [

In the present invention, the termination of the control of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 means that the refrigerator compartment fan 29 is not turned on during the operation of the refrigeration cycle.

If it is determined in step S10 that the control termination condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied, the control unit 50 may determine whether the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied (S11). That is, the controller 50 may determine whether the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 is lower than a first freezing chamber reference temperature.

If it is determined in step S11 that the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied, the control unit 50 turns off the compressor 21 to prevent damage to the compressor 21 (S12). On the other hand, if the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle is not satisfied, the process returns to step S5.

In a state where the compressor 21 is off, the controller 50 can determine whether the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied (S13).

As a result of the determination in step S13, if it is determined that the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied, the refrigeration cycle is started (step S12).

Meanwhile, when the refrigeration cycle is in operation and the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is being rotated, if the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied, the refrigeration cycle is stopped and the compressor 21 is turned off. At this time, in the case of the present invention, the refrigerating compartment fan 29 being rotated can be continuously rotated even when the compressor 21 is off.

The refrigerating compartment fan 29 may be turned off when the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 112 reaches the off-reference temperature. When the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 112 is equal to or higher than the on-reference temperature, the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is turned on again unless the compressor 12 is turned off and the control termination condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is not satisfied .

Alternatively, if the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is stopped once while the compressor 21 is off, the control of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 may be terminated even if the control termination condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is not satisfied .

Also, if the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied while the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle is not satisfied while the refrigeration cycle is being operated, the refrigeration cycle can be started immediately without the compressor 21 being turned off. In this case, since the compressor 21 is continuously operated, the power consumption is increased.

However, according to the present invention, since the refrigerator compartment fan 29 can be rotated in the state where the refrigeration cycle is stopped, the time when the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 112 reaches the second refrigerator compartment reference temperature or the first freezer compartment reference temperature . Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied before the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied, thereby reducing the power consumption of the compressor (21).

In addition, since the possibility that the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied before the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied can be reduced, the compressor 21 can be normally turned off after the refrigeration cycle is stopped. Therefore, the off time of the compressor (21) can be secured and the power consumption of the compressor (21) can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, when the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 112 is lower than the off reference temperature Nb, it is determined that the stop condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied. Alternatively, the operating time of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 It is possible to determine whether or not the stop condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied.

For example, when the start time of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied and the operation time of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 reaches the reference time after the rotation of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 starts, Can be stopped.

At this time, the reference time may be set to be constant regardless of the number of times of opening of the refrigerating compartment fan 29, or may be set larger as the number of times of opening of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 increases.

For example, when the refrigerator compartment fan 29 is turned on a second time than the reference time (first reference time) for determining the stoppage time when the refrigerator compartment fan 29 is turned on once, (Second reference time) may be set longer.

This is because the latent heat of evaporation of the refrigerator compartment evaporator 25 becomes smaller as the time during which the refrigeration cycle is turned off increases the time required for lowering the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 112.

In the above-described embodiment, when the temperature detected by the evaporator temperature sensor reaches the control termination reference temperature, it is determined that the control termination condition of the refrigerating compartment fan is satisfied. Alternatively, on the basis of the number of times the refrigerator compartment fan is turned on, It is possible to determine whether or not the control end condition of "

For example, when the accumulated number of times of opening of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 reaches twice, the controller 50 controls the refrigerating compartment fan 29 to be controlled at a time point when the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is turned on for a second time, It can be determined that the termination condition is satisfied.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

The present embodiment is the same as the first embodiment in other parts except that there is a difference in the criterion for judging whether or not the state of the switching valve and the stopping condition of the refrigerating compartment fan are satisfied. Therefore, only the characteristic parts of the present embodiment will be described below.

Referring to FIG. 5, power of the refrigerator 1 is turned on (S1). When the power of the refrigerator 1 is turned on, the refrigerator 1 operates to cool the freezing chamber 111 or the refrigerating chamber 112.

Hereinafter, a method of controlling the refrigerator when the freezing chamber 111 is cooled after the freezing chamber 112 is cooled will be described.

In order to cool the refrigerating chamber 112, the controller 50 turns on the compressor 21 and rotates the refrigerating compartment fan 29 (S2). Then, the switching valve 26 is switched to the first state so that the refrigerant flows to the refrigerator-use evaporator 25 (S2). When the refrigeration cycle is operated, the freezer compartment fan 28 remains stationary.

During the operation of the refrigeration cycle, the controller 50 determines whether the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied (S3). That is, the controller 50 determines whether or not the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied.

For example, the control unit 50 determines that the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied when the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 112 becomes lower than the reference temperature of the first refrigerating chamber.

If it is determined in step S3 that the refrigeration cycle start condition is satisfied, the controller 50 stops the refrigerator compartment fan 29 (S21).

Then, the control unit 50 may determine whether the set time has elapsed from the time when the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is determined to be satisfied (S22).

If it is determined in step S22 that the set time has elapsed since the start condition of the refrigeration cycle was determined to be satisfied, the control unit 50 controls the switching of the refrigerant to the freezer- The valve 26 is switched to the second state (S23). Also, the controller 50 rotates the freezer compartment fan 28 (S23).

In this embodiment, even if the refrigerating cycle start condition is satisfied, the switching valve 26 does not immediately perform the switching operation but performs the switching operation after the set time has elapsed. Therefore, the refrigerant can flow to the refrigerator compartment evaporator 25 when the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is stopped.

The temperature of the refrigerating compartment 112 does not drop because the air does not flow to the refrigerating compartment evaporator 25 while the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is stopped. However, the latent heat of evaporation of the refrigerating compartment evaporator 25 may be large have.

After the refrigeration cycle starts, the controller 50 determines whether the start condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied (S24).

For example, the control unit 50 determines that the start condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied when the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 112 is equal to or higher than the on-reference temperature N + a.

If it is determined in step S24 that the start condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied, the controller 50 rotates the refrigerating compartment fan 29 (step S25).

When the refrigerating compartment fan 29 rotates, the latent heat of evaporation remaining in the refrigerating compartment evaporator 25 cools the air to lower the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 112. That is, when the refrigerator compartment fan 29 rotates, the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 112 can be retarded.

During the rotation of the refrigerating compartment fan 29, the controller 50 can determine whether the stop condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied.

In this embodiment, for example, the controller 50 may determine whether the operation time of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 has passed the reference time (S26).

If it is determined in step S26 that the stop condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied, the controller 50 stops the refrigerating compartment fan 29 (S27).

As another example, the determination method in step S26 may use the determination method in step S8 of the first embodiment. That is, when the temperature of the refrigerating compartment reaches the off-reference temperature, it can be determined that the stop condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied.

Next, the control unit 50 can determine whether the control end condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied (S28). The method of determining whether or not the control end condition is satisfied in the present embodiment is the same as the determination method in step S10 of the first embodiment, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

If it is determined in step S28 that the control termination condition of the refrigerating compartment fan 29 is satisfied, the controller 50 may determine whether the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied (S29).

If it is determined in step S29 that the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied, the control unit 50 turns off the compressor 21 to prevent the compressor 21 from being damaged (S30). On the other hand, if the stop condition of the refrigeration cycle is not satisfied, the process returns to step S23.

In a state where the compressor 21 is off, the controller 50 may determine whether the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied (S31).

As a result of the determination in step S31, if it is determined that the start condition of the refrigeration cycle is satisfied, the refrigeration cycle starts (step S32).

Steps S28 to S32 in this embodiment are the same as steps S10 to S14 in the first embodiment.

In the present specification, the refrigerator compartment may be referred to as a first storage compartment, and the freezer compartment may be referred to as a second storage compartment. The refrigeration cycle may be referred to as a first cooling cycle for the first storage chamber, and the refrigeration cycle may be referred to as a second cooling cycle for the second storage chamber. In addition, the refrigerator compartment fan may be referred to as a first refrigerator compartment for the first storage compartment, and the freezer compartment fan may be referred to as a second refrigerator compartment for the second storage compartment.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a refrigerator has been described that constitutes two cooling cycles by using one compressor and two evaporators. In contrast, in the control method for reducing the temperature variation width of the storage chamber of the present invention, It should be noted that the present invention can also be applied to refrigerators constituting two cooling cycles using two evaporators. In this case, the cold air supply means may include a fan (refrigerating compartment fan and freezer compartment fan) for blowing air to a compressor (refrigerator compartment compressor and refrigerator compartment compressor) and an evaporator (a freezer compartment evaporator and a refrigerator compartment evaporator).

21: compressor 22: condenser
24: freezing room evaporator 25: refrigerator room evaporator
28: Freezer fan 29: Refrigerator fan
50:

Claims (17)

Switching to a first cooling cycle for cooling the first storage chamber to operate the compressor and operating the first cold supply means for the first storage chamber;
Determining whether a start condition of a second cooling cycle for cooling the second storage chamber is satisfied;
After the first cooling cycle start condition is satisfied, the first cold air supply means is turned off and the second cold air supply means is turned on;
Determining, during operation of the second cooling cycle, whether a start condition of the first cool air supply means is satisfied; And
And when the start condition of the first cool air supply means is satisfied, turning on the first cool air supply means. The method according to claim 1,
Determining whether a stop condition of the first cool air supply unit is satisfied when the first cool air supply unit is turned on; And
And stopping the first cold air supply means when the stop condition of the first cold air supply means is satisfied. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The temperature of the first storage chamber may be maintained within a first reference temperature and a second reference temperature range higher than the first reference temperature,
And when the start condition of the first cold air supply means is satisfied, the temperature of the first storage chamber is equal to or higher than the ON reference temperature which is the temperature between the first reference temperature and the first reference temperature. The method of claim 3,
Wherein when the stop condition of the first cool air supply means is satisfied, the temperature of the first storage chamber is equal to or lower than the off reference temperature which is the temperature between the on reference temperature and the first reference temperature. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the on reference temperature is higher than a predetermined target temperature of the first storage room,
Wherein the off reference temperature is lower than the target temperature of the first storage chamber. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the difference between the on reference temperature and the target temperature is set to be lower than the difference between the off reference temperature and the target temperature. The method of claim 3,
Wherein when the stop condition of the first cold air supply means is satisfied, the operation time of the first cold air supply means reaches the reference time. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the set time is set longer as the number of times of turning on the first cold air supply means is increased. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
During the second cooling cycle,
The control unit determines whether or not the control termination condition of the first cold air supply unit is satisfied, while the first cold air supply unit is in an on state or in a state in which the first cold air supply unit is turned on after being turned on,
And the control unit terminates the control of the first cold air supply unit when the control end condition of the first cold air supply unit is satisfied. 10. The method of claim 9,
When the temperature of the evaporator for the first storage room reaches the control termination reference temperature or when the cumulative temperature of the first cool air supply means reaches the reference number of times One way is to control the refrigerator. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the cold air supply means is a fan for supplying cool air to the evaporator. The method according to claim 1,
During operation of the second cooling cycle, in a state in which the first cold air supply means is turned on,
Wherein when the stop condition of the second cooling cycle is satisfied, the compressor and the second cold air supply unit are turned off, and the first cold air supply unit is maintained in the on state. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein when the stop condition of the first cold air supply means is satisfied after the compressor is turned off, the first cold air supply means is stopped. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein when the start condition of the first cool air supply means is satisfied again after the first cool air supply means is turned off, the first cool air supply means is turned on again. The method according to claim 1,
When the start condition of the second cooling cycle is satisfied, the first cold air supply means is turned off,
Wherein the control unit allows the refrigerant to flow into the evaporator for the second storage room by the switching valve and turns on the second cold air supply unit when the first cold air supply unit is turned off and the set time has elapsed. compressor;
A condenser for condensing the refrigerant discharged from the compressor;
A freezer-use evaporator and a refrigerator-use evaporator which branch at an outlet side of the condenser;
A switching valve for allowing the refrigerant to flow to one of the freezer compartment evaporator and the refrigerating compartment evaporator;
A freezer compartment fan for allowing air to flow to the freezer compartment evaporator;
A refrigerator compartment fan for allowing air to flow to the refrigerator compartment evaporator; And
And a control unit for controlling the switching valve and each fan,
In the refrigeration cycle operation, the control unit causes the refrigerant to flow to the refrigerating chamber evaporator by the switching valve,
In the refrigeration cycle operation, the control unit causes the refrigerant to flow to the freezer compartment evaporator by the switching valve and causes the freezer compartment fan to rotate,
In the refrigeration cycle operation process, the controller determines whether the start condition of the stopped refrigerator compartment fan is satisfied, and rotates the refrigerator compartment fan when the start condition of the refrigerator compartment fan is satisfied. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the controller determines whether the stop condition of the refrigerator compartment fan is satisfied during the rotation of the refrigerator compartment fan and stops the refrigerator compartment fan when the stop condition of the refrigerator compartment fan is satisfied.

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