KR20210049548A - Refrigerator and method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, a refrigerator may comprise: a storage compartment for kimchi ripening; a temperature sensor installed in the storage compartment to sense the temperature inside the refrigerator; an outside temperature sensor which detects the outside temperature; a heater which heats the air in the storage compartment for kimchi ripening; and a control unit which turns on the heater when the outside temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature in a kimchi ripening mode and the inside temperature is below a first reference temperature, generates a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal for controlling the amount of power supplied to the heater, controls supply power of the heater according to the PWM signal, and turns off the heater when the inside temperature of the refrigerator is equal to or higher than a second reference temperature.

Description

Refrigerator and its control method {REFRIGERATOR AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME}

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

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

In general, a refrigerant circulation system includes a compressor that compresses a refrigerant, a condenser through which high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows, and an expansion valve in which the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser expands to low temperature and low pressure, and the refrigerant that has passed through the expansion valve flows. It consists of an evaporator that exchanges heat with air.

The air cooled by heat exchange with the evaporator flows into the cooler. In addition, the compressor and the condenser are installed in a machine room provided at the rear of the refrigerator. In the case of a cooling device, a fan is mounted on one side of the condenser in order to exchange heat between the condenser and the indoor air. Accordingly, indoor air forcedly flowed by the blower fan contacts the condenser for heat exchange.

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

In particular, in the case of kimchi, it is also important to store kimchi, but since there are cases where freshly prepared kimchi is put in, it is necessary to create an environment so that the kimchi is aged and to preserve it, rather than simply storing it.

[0003] A refrigerator including a heater that heats the air in the storage room for kimchi aging and a control method thereof are disclosed in Korean Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2018-0047464.

In the above patent, the heater operates and generates heat during kimchi maturation, thereby heating the cold air of the refrigerator so that the storage room is maintained at a target temperature set for kimchi maturation.

Specifically, in the kimchi ripening mode in the refrigerator, the storage compartment is controlled to be maintained within a predetermined temperature range including the target temperature. The controller of the refrigerator turns on the heater and raises the temperature of the storage chamber when the interior temperature of the storage compartment is lower than the lower limit temperature of the predetermined temperature range, and turns off the heater when the interior temperature reaches the upper limit temperature of the predetermined temperature range.

However, even if the internal temperature of the storage chamber reaches the above-mentioned normal temperature and the heater is turned off, the internal temperature of the storage chamber exceeds the upper limit of the predetermined temperature range due to the latent heat of the heater and further increases.

In this case, the ripening temperature of kimchi stored in the kimchi container in the storage room changes, and accordingly, it may adversely affect the maintenance of kimchi taste.

In other words, the temperature range during kimchi ripening affects the quality of kimchi, and there is a problem in that the taste of kimchi is not preserved, such as the kimchi resting or deteriorating especially during high temperature ripening.

Unexamined Patent Publication 10-2018-0047464

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that does not generate latent heat during kimchi ripening and a control method therefor.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of storing food in an optimum temperature range and a control method thereof.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator capable of maintaining the inside temperature within a kimchi aging temperature range and a control method thereof.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a storage room for kimchi ripening; A temperature sensor installed in the storage room to sense a temperature inside the storage room; An outside temperature sensor for sensing the outside temperature; A heater for heating the air in the storage room for kimchi maturation; And when the outside temperature in the kimchi ripening mode is lower than a predetermined temperature and the inside temperature is less than the first reference temperature, the heater is turned on, and a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal is generated to control the amount of power supplied to the heater. And a controller configured to control the supply power of the heater according to the PWM signal, and to turn off the heater when the interior temperature is equal to or higher than a second reference temperature.

The controller may start a timer when the heater is turned on, and may turn off the heater when the timer expires.

The first reference temperature may be a lower limit temperature of the kimchi aging temperature range.

The second reference temperature may be an upper limit temperature of the kimchi aging temperature range.

The control unit may increase the duty cycle of the PWM signal as the outside temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature in the kimchi ripening mode.

The control unit may change the duty cycle of the PWM signal when the inside temperature of the container reaches a third reference temperature that is higher than the first reference temperature and lower than the second reference temperature.

The control unit may reduce the duty cycle of the PWM signal when the interior temperature reaches the third reference temperature.

The control unit may set the duty cycle of the PWM control signal to 50% or more when the outside temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature by more than a threshold temperature range.

The heater may be installed in the lower portion (BOTTOM) of the storage room.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for controlling a refrigerator may include turning on a heater in a storage room for kimchi aging when the outside temperature of the refrigerator is lower than a predetermined temperature and the inside temperature of the refrigerator is less than a first reference temperature in a kimchi aging mode; Generating a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal for controlling an amount of power supplied to the heater; Controlling the power supply of the heater according to the PWM signal; And turning off the heater when the interior temperature is equal to or higher than the second reference temperature.

The refrigerator control method may further include starting a timer when the heater is turned on and turning off the heater when the timer expires.

Generating the PWM signal may include increasing a duty cycle of the PWM signal as the outside temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature in the kimchi ripening mode.

The refrigerator control method may further include changing a duty cycle of the PWM signal when the interior temperature is higher than the first reference temperature and reaches a third reference temperature lower than the second reference temperature.

Changing the duty cycle of the PWM signal may include reducing the duty cycle of the PWM signal when the interior temperature reaches the third reference temperature.

Generating the PWM signal may include setting a duty cycle of the PWM control signal to 50% or more when the outside temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature by a threshold temperature range or more.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator that does not generate latent heat during kimchi ripening and a control method thereof can be provided.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, food can be stored in an optimum temperature range.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to maintain the inside temperature within the kimchi aging temperature range.

1 is a diagram illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining a space for aging kimchi in a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a diagram showing a PWM signal according to the prior art and the present invention.
5 illustrates a method of operating a heater according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail together with the drawings. However, the present invention cannot be said to be limited to the exemplary embodiments in which the spirit of the present invention is presented, and other degenerate inventions or other embodiments included within the scope of the present invention can be easily implemented by adding, changing, or deleting other elements. Can be suggested.

Meanwhile, the present invention may be capable of various other embodiments in addition to the above-described embodiments. Hereinafter, an electric kettle according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

Another embodiment of the present invention is different from the above-described embodiment in the structure of the handle. In addition, structures other than the structure of the handle are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted for the same configuration, and the same reference numerals will be used. And it should be noted in advance that components not shown are also the same as those of the above-described embodiment.

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

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention has a schematic appearance formed by a case defining an internal space divided into a plurality of rooms and a door opening and closing each room.

The first chamber 11 is opened and closed by doors provided on the left and right sides, respectively. In this case, the first chamber 11 is opened by the left door and the right door to form a single chamber, but in some cases, individual rooms may be provided for each of the left and right sides. The door of the first chamber 11 is rotatably connected to the case.

[0019] The second chamber 12 and the third chamber 13 provided in the lower portion of the first chamber 11 are configured to be slid back and forth to be opened and closed to accommodate food therein. At this time, it is specified that the arrangement of the first to third chambers 11, 12, and 13 and the configuration of the door are not limited to the drawings as an example.

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

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

The display unit is a light-emitting body in the form of LED, LCD, and organic EL, and visualizes and displays status information or failure information of the refrigerator 1. In addition, the control panel 18 may include a lamp (not shown) that lights up and flashes to indicate the state of the refrigerator 1, and a sound output means for outputting sound such as a buzzer or a speaker. Can be provided.

The second chamber 12 or the third chamber 13 slides toward the inside of the case and seals the inner space when it is received, and when it is pulled out of the case, the second chamber 12 or the third chamber is Open the inner space of (13).

The refrigerator 1 performs refrigeration or refrigeration while forming a circulation cycle in which the refrigerant circulates along the refrigerant pipe and compresses, expands, evaporates, and condenses, while heat exchange with the surrounding air is achieved by the phase change of the refrigerant during the circulation cycle process. For this purpose, a compressor (not shown) to compress the refrigerant, an expansion valve (not shown) to expand the refrigerant, a heat exchanger (not shown) that acts as an evaporator to evaporate the refrigerant, and a condenser to condense the refrigerant. A heat exchanger (not shown) and a fan for flowing heat-exchanged air are provided.

In addition, the refrigerator 1 includes a plurality of temperature sensors to measure the indoor temperature as well as the temperatures of the first to third chambers 11, 12, and 13, respectively.

The refrigerator 1 controls the cooling system based on the set operation mode and the measured temperature to form an environment for preserving foods accommodated in each room.

2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating a space for aging kimchi in a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

2A and 2B, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the second chamber 12 and the third chamber 13 may be driven in the kimchi aging mode.

2A and 2B, spaces for aging and storing kimchi are formed in the second chamber 12 and the third chamber 13, respectively. One or more containers (not shown) may be accommodated in the inner spaces of the second chamber 12 and the third chamber 13. Food products such as kimchi and vegetables may be stored in the container.

Since the second chamber 12 and the third chamber 13 are isolated from each other by the barrier 30, the lower portion of the second chamber 12 and the upper portion of the third chamber 13 are formed by the barrier 30. do.

A first heater 41 capable of raising the internal temperature of the second chamber 12 is provided on the lower portion of the second chamber 12, that is, on the upper surface of the barrier, for kimchi ripening.

In addition, a second heater 42 capable of increasing the internal temperature of the third chamber 13 is provided in the lower portion of the third chamber 13, that is, on the lower surface of the inside of the refrigerator for kimchi ripening. In addition, optionally, a third heater 43 capable of increasing the internal temperature of the third chamber 13 may be provided on the upper surface of the third chamber 13, that is, on the upper surface of the barrier, for kimchi ripening.

Accordingly, the second heater 42 and the third heater 43 may be provided at the lower and upper portions of the third chamber 13.

The first heater 41 is turned on and generates heat during kimchi maturation, thereby heating the cold air of the refrigerator 1 so that the temperature of the second chamber 12 is maintained at a temperature set for kimchi maturation. In addition, a second temperature sensor (not shown) is provided in the second chamber 12. The second temperature sensor measures the temperature of the second chamber 12, which is a storage chamber.

Similarly, the second heater 42 and the third heater 43 are turned on and generate heat during kimchi maturation, thereby heating the cold air of the refrigerator 1 so that the temperature of the third chamber 13 is set for kimchi maturation. Keep it within the aging temperature range. In addition, a third temperature sensor (not shown) is provided in the third chamber 12. The third temperature sensor measures the temperature of the third chamber 13, which is a storage chamber.

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

3, the refrigerator 1 includes an input unit 140, an output unit 150, a temperature sensing unit 120, a compressor 131, a heater 132, a fan 133, and a refrigerator 1 ) And a control unit 110 that controls the overall operation.

The temperature sensing unit 120 measures temperatures inside and outside the refrigerator 1 including a plurality of temperature sensors and inputs them to the control unit 110.

The temperature sensing unit 120 includes a first temperature sensor 121 that measures the temperature of the first chamber 11, a second temperature sensor 122 that detects the temperature of the second chamber 12, and the third chamber 13. ) And a third temperature sensor 123 that measures the temperature. In addition, it includes an outside temperature sensor 124 that measures the temperature of the outside and outside of the refrigerator 1.

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

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

The second temperature sensor 122 measures the temperature of the second chamber 12 and inputs it to the control unit 110, so that the control unit 110 stores the kimchi in the second chamber 12 based on the set temperature. Performs temperature control for.

The third temperature sensor 123 measures the temperature of the third room 13 and inputs it to the control unit 110, so that the control unit 110 can store the kimchi in the third room 13 based on the set temperature. Performs temperature control for.

In addition, the outside temperature sensor 124 measures the temperature of air introduced from the outside of the refrigerator 1. At this time, the control unit 110 determines the season in response to the temperature measured by the outside temperature sensor 124, and sets the temperature for kimchi aging and the step period accordingly.

The input unit 140 allows a user to select an operation mode of the refrigerator 1 or a plurality of rooms. The input unit 140 may be configured with at least one button or touch input means.

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

The output unit 150 includes a display unit that displays the operation state and operation state of the refrigerator 1 in a combination of images, texts, and special characters, and a speaker that outputs a warning sound or sound effect according to the operation. In addition, a lamp is provided in the output unit so that the operation status can be displayed through the lighting, lighting color, and blink control of the lamp.

The display unit displays the temperature and operation status of each room, and in particular, displays the kimchi aging process in the storage room, which is the 2nd room 12 and the 3rd room 13, and the progress status according to the storage status. Can be displayed.

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

When the kimchi aging mode is selected for a predetermined thread by the mode selection unit, the control unit 110 controls the inside temperature of the corresponding thread to be maintained within the kimchi aging temperature range. In the kimchi ripening mode, the control unit 110 determines the season based on the outside temperature detected by the outside temperature sensor 124 of the temperature sensing unit 120, and accordingly determines the control temperature and phase period for kimchi ripening. It is set differently according to, and the temperature of each room is controlled accordingly.

At this time, since the initial temperature of kimchi is different according to the season and the maturation rate of kimchi is different according to the season, the control unit 110 sets the period required for aging differently according to the season, and the control temperature is controlled according to the maturation stage of the kimchi. Is set differently to control. In particular, the control unit 110 controls the temperature of each room so that kimchi is aged at a specific set temperature during the aging process. The controller 110 controls the temperature of each room in response to the temperature measured from the first, second, and third room temperature sensors 121 to 123.

In the kimchi ripening mode, the controller 110 is based on the temperature of the second chamber 12 or the third chamber 13 measured by the second chamber temperature sensor 122 or the third chamber temperature sensor 123, The inside temperature of the 2 chamber 12 or the 3rd chamber 13 is calculated, and the inside temperature is controlled to maintain the kimchi aging temperature range.

The controller 110 may supply cool air when the outside temperature is higher than the upper limit temperature of the kimchi aging temperature range, and may heat air through a heater when the outside air temperature is lower than the lower limit temperature of the kimchi aging temperature range.

Hereinafter, in the kimchi aging mode, the control unit 110 will describe an operation of controlling the inside temperature of each chamber to maintain the kimchi aging temperature range.

The control unit 110 determines whether the outside temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature T1 and the inside temperature is less than or equal to the first reference temperature. The predetermined temperature T1 may be, for example, a target temperature for aging kimchi. The first reference temperature may be a lower limit of the kimchi aging temperature range.

When the outside temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature T1 and the interior temperature of the chamber is less than or equal to the first reference temperature, the controller 110 turns on the heater of the corresponding chamber. Simultaneously or immediately after this, the control unit 110 starts a timer.

The controller 110 controls the amount of power supplied to the heater by generating a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal after turning on the heater.

The PWM signal is shown in FIG. 4.

PWM is a method of reducing the average power delivered by an electrical signal. The average value of the voltage (current) supplied to the load is controlled by turning the switch on and off at a fast rate. The longer the period in which the switch is in the ON state compared to the off period, the higher the total power supplied to the load.

The controller 110 may control the amount of power delivered to the heater by adjusting the duty cycle of the PWM signal for controlling the power of the heater. When driving the heater in the kimchi ripening mode, the control unit 110 determines the duty cycle of the PWM signal driving the heater to reduce the amount of power supplied to the heater.

Duty cycle refers to the ratio of the'on' time to a certain interval or'period' by the term duty cycle. A low duty cycle corresponds to low power because the power is off most of the time. In general, duty cycle is expressed as a percentage, and if it reaches 100%, it means that the switch is fully turned on.

If the PWM signal is half on and half off, it has a 50% duty cycle. If the PWM signal spends more time in the on state than in the off state, the duty cycle is less than 50%, and if the PWM signal takes more time in the off state than in the on state, the duty cycle is greater than 50%.

Since the heater is supplied with a predetermined amount of power by the PWM signal, it receives an amount of power smaller than the amount of power supplied by the power supply unit. The heating value of the heater is supplied with the amount of power based on the PWM signal signal, not the amount of power supplied from the power supply. Accordingly, since the heater receives an amount of power smaller than the amount of power supplied from the power supply unit, the heater emits less heat than the heater of a conventional refrigerator.

In the upper part of FIG. 4, a change in the internal temperature according to the heater operation of the existing refrigerator is shown, and in the lower part, the change in the internal temperature according to the heater operation of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. As shown in FIG. 4, the internal temperature of the refrigerator according to the heater operation of the refrigerator according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention increases slowly than the internal temperature of the refrigerator according to the heater operation of the existing refrigerator. It takes longer to reach the upper limit of the kimchi aging temperature range than in conventional refrigerators.

As described above, according to the present invention, the amount of heat generated by the heater is controlled according to the PWM signal, so that the amount of heat generated is slowly increased compared to that of a conventional refrigerator.

In addition, since the heater generally operates in a manner of heating the heating element, even when the heater is turned off, heat remains in the heated heating element. When the heater is operated with high power as in a conventional refrigerator, the heating element is also heated to a high temperature, so the heat remaining in the heated heating element after the heater is turned off may also be high.

Therefore, in a conventional refrigerator, even if the heater is turned off after the inside temperature reaches the upper limit of the kimchi aging temperature range, there is a problem in that the inside temperature of the container rises beyond the upper limit of the kimchi aging temperature range due to the heat remaining in the heating element of the heater.

On the other hand, in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the heater is operated with lower power than the conventional refrigeration, and accordingly, the heat remaining in the heated heating element after the heater is turned off may also be at a low temperature.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, since the heater is supplied with a smaller amount of power than in the existing refrigerator, the inside temperature does not exceed or slightly exceeds the upper limit of the kimchi aging temperature range due to the heat remaining in the heating element of the heater after the heater is turned off. I can.

The controller 110 turns on the heater in the kimchi ripening mode and turns off the heater when the inside temperature reaches the second reference temperature. The second reference temperature may be an upper limit temperature of the kimchi aging temperature range.

In addition, the control unit 110 may change the duty cycle of the PWM signal for controlling the amount of power supplied to the heater when the interior temperature reaches a third reference temperature, for example, a target temperature higher than the first reference temperature and lower than the second reference temperature. have.

Specifically, the controller 110 turns on the heater when the interior temperature is lower than the first reference temperature, and controls the amount of power supplied to the heater using a PWM signal. When the inside temperature rises from the first reference temperature and reaches the third reference temperature, the controller 110 may change the duty cycle of the PWM signal.

For example, the control unit 110 may reduce the duty cycle of the PWM signal from 70% to 50%. Accordingly, the controller 110 may reduce the duty cycle of the PWM signal when the interior temperature reaches the third reference temperature, thereby reducing the amount of power supplied to the heater. Accordingly, when the interior temperature reaches the first reference temperature to the third reference temperature, the control unit 110 can generate a PWM signal having a first duty cycle until the interior temperature becomes a third reference temperature from the first reference temperature. have. In addition, the control unit 110 may generate a PWM signal having a second duty cycle until the interior temperature becomes the second reference temperature from the third reference temperature.

The driving unit 130 controls the operation of the compressor 131, the heater 132, and the fan 133 in response to a control command from the control unit 110. In this case, the driving unit 130 may be provided with a compressor driving unit, a heater driving unit, and a fan driving unit, respectively. In addition, the driving unit 130 may include an inverter (not shown) and an inverter driving unit (not shown) for controlling a compressor and a fan.

The compressor 131 compresses the refrigerant to circulate the refrigerant in the refrigerator 1 and controls the temperature of the discharged cold air by controlling the refrigerant, and the heater 132 is a second chamber to reach a set temperature for kimchi ripening. The air is heated, and the fan 133 is provided in a heat exchanger (not shown) so that cold air due to heat exchange of the refrigerant is discharged to each of the first to third chambers 11 to 13. In this case, the fans 133 may be provided in the first to third chambers 11 to 13, respectively.

Hereinafter, a method of operating a heater according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 5, first, the controller 110 determines whether the outside temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature T1 in step S301. The predetermined temperature T1 may be, for example, a target temperature for aging kimchi.

If the outside temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature, the control unit 110 determines whether the interior temperature of the chamber is less than or equal to the first reference temperature in step S303. The first reference temperature may be a lower limit of the kimchi aging temperature range. The kimchi aging temperature range may be determined in a certain range up and down based on the target temperature for kimchi aging.

If the outside temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature T1 and the interior temperature is less than or equal to the first reference temperature, the controller 110 turns on the heater of the corresponding chamber in step S305. Subsequently, the control unit 110 starts a timer in step S307.

The controller 110 may control the amount of power delivered to the heater by adjusting the duty cycle of the PWM signal for controlling the power of the heater.

When driving the heater in the kimchi ripening mode, the control unit 110 determines the duty cycle of the PWM signal driving the heater to reduce the amount of power supplied to the heater. The control unit 110 determines a duty cycle of the PWM signal in step S309. According to an embodiment, the controller 110 may set the duty cycle of the PWM signal to be larger as the outside temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature.

Subsequently, the control unit controls the heater power by generating a PWM signal for controlling the amount of power supplied to the heater according to the determined duty cycle of the PWM signal in step S311.

Subsequently, in step S313, the controller 110 turns on the heater in the kimchi ripening mode and then determines whether the temperature in the chamber reaches the second reference temperature. The second reference temperature may be an upper limit temperature of the kimchi aging temperature range.

The controller 110 determines whether the timer expires in step S313 if the interior temperature does not reach the second reference temperature. When the timer expires in step S315, the controller 110 turns off the heater in step S315.

In other words, after turning on the heater in the kimchi ripening mode, the controller 110 turns off the heater when the timer expires even if the inside temperature does not reach the second reference temperature.

If the timer has not expired in step S315, the controller 110 returns to step S309 and continuously controls the amount of power supplied to the heater.

Thereafter, in step S313, the controller 110 turns off the heater in step S315 when the temperature inside the chamber reaches the second reference temperature in the kimchi ripening mode.

On the other hand, although not shown in FIG. 5, after turning on the heater, the controller 110 controls the amount of power supplied to the heater when the interior temperature reaches a third reference temperature lower than the second reference temperature, e.g., a target temperature. You can change the duty cycle of the signal.

Specifically, when the internal temperature of the chamber rises from the first reference temperature and reaches the third reference temperature, the controller 110 may change the duty cycle of the PWM signal. For example, the control unit 110 may reduce the duty cycle of the PWM signal from 70% to 50%. Accordingly, the controller 110 may reduce the duty cycle of the PWM signal when the interior temperature reaches the third reference temperature, thereby further reducing the amount of power supplied to the heater.

Meanwhile, according to another embodiment, the controller 110 may determine the duty cycle of the PWM control signal based on the outside temperature. In the kimchi ripening mode, when the outside temperature of the refrigerator is lower than the predetermined temperature T1, the heater is turned on. The control unit 110 increases the duty cycle of the PWM signal as the outside temperature becomes lower than a predetermined temperature.

For example, when the outside air temperature of the refrigerator is significantly lower than the predetermined temperature T1, for example, when the outside air temperature of the refrigerator is lower than the predetermined temperature T1 by more than a critical temperature range (e.g., 5°C), the inside temperature of the refrigerator is caused by the outside temperature. Because it is greatly affected, the control unit 110 may set the duty cycle of the PWM control signal to 50% or more. Alternatively, when the outside temperature of the refrigerator is slightly lower than the predetermined temperature T1, the inside temperature of the refrigerator is hardly affected by the outside temperature. Therefore, the duty cycle of the PWM control signal can be set lower than 50%.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but may be manufactured in various different forms. It will be understood that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative and non-limiting in all respects.

110: control unit 120: temperature sensing unit
130: drive unit 140: input unit
150: output

Claims (17)

Storage room for kimchi ripening;
A temperature sensor installed in the storage room to sense a temperature inside the storage room;
An outside temperature sensor for sensing the outside temperature;
A heater for heating the air in the storage room for kimchi maturation; And
In the kimchi ripening mode, when the outside temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature and the inside temperature is less than the first reference temperature, the heater is turned on, and a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal is generated to control the amount of power supplied to the heater, and the PWM And a controller configured to control the supply power of the heater according to a signal, and to turn off the heater when the interior temperature is higher than a second reference temperature. The method of claim 1,
The controller starts a timer when the heater is turned on, and turns off the heater when the timer expires. The method of claim 1,
The first reference temperature is a refrigerator that is a lower limit temperature of a kimchi aging temperature range. The method of claim 1,
The second reference temperature is the upper limit temperature of the kimchi aging temperature range. The method of claim 1,
The control unit increases the duty cycle of the PWM signal as the outside temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature in the kimchi ripening mode. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the controller changes the duty cycle of the PWM signal when the inside temperature of the refrigerator reaches a third reference temperature that is higher than the first reference temperature and lower than the second reference temperature. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the control unit decreases the duty cycle of the PWM signal when the interior temperature reaches the third reference temperature. The method of claim 1,
The controller sets the duty cycle of the PWM control signal to 50% or more when the outside temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature by a threshold temperature range or more. The method of claim 1,
The heater is a refrigerator installed in a lower portion (BOTTOM) of the storage room. Turning on a heater in a storage room for kimchi aging when the outside temperature of the refrigerator is lower than a predetermined temperature and the interior temperature of the refrigerator is less than the first reference temperature in the kimchi aging mode;
Generating a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal for controlling an amount of power supplied to the heater;
Controlling the power supply of the heater according to the PWM signal; And
And turning off the heater when the interior temperature is greater than or equal to a second reference temperature. The method of claim 10,
Starting a timer when the heater is turned on, and turning off the heater when the timer expires. The method of claim 10,
The first reference temperature is the lower limit temperature of the kimchi aging temperature range. The method of claim 10,
The second reference temperature is an upper limit temperature of a kimchi aging temperature range. The method of claim 10,
The generating of the PWM signal includes increasing a duty cycle of the PWM signal as the outside temperature becomes lower than a predetermined temperature in the kimchi ripening mode. The refrigerator control method of claim 10, further comprising changing a duty cycle of the PWM signal when the interior temperature is higher than the first reference temperature and reaches a third reference temperature lower than the second reference temperature. The method of claim 15, wherein changing the duty cycle of the PWM signal comprises reducing the duty cycle of the PWM signal when the interior temperature reaches the third reference temperature. The method of claim 10,
The generating of the PWM signal includes setting a duty cycle of the PWM control signal to 50% or more when the outside temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature by a threshold temperature range or more.

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