WO2019223962A1

WO2019223962A1 - A refrigerator having a food defrosting compartment

Info

Publication number: WO2019223962A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/060940
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aydin Celik; Aytac Timucin ONCUL; Alper Soysal
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2018-05-21
Filing date: 2019-04-29
Publication date: 2019-11-28

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator in which frozen food products can be rapidly defrosted. The refrigerator of the invention comprises at least one control unit adapted to control at least one of the parameters of operation duration or operating power of at least one heater group according to at least one of the type, size or weight properties of the food product placed in the at least one chamber.

Description

A REFRIGERATOR HAVING A FOOD DEFROSTING COMPARTMENT

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a food defrosting compartment adapted in particular to defrost therein frozen food products.

Refrigerators are appliances enabling food products to stay consumable for a long time. Activities of microorganisms dwelling on food products slow down in the cold environment in a refrigerator, thereby enabling food products to stay fresh for extended durations. Shelf life of some food products are shorter compared to others. For instance, meat products spoil very quickly even when they are stored in a refrigerator. Such products are stored by being frozen when it is desired to prolong their shelf life. Microorganism activity is minimized, or even completely halted in such temperatures. Meat products can thus be stored for a long time without spoiling. In general, frozen meat products require being defrosted to be consumable. Microorganisms may become highly active during defrosting. Such a food product may lead to food poisoning events.

State of the art United States patent document no. US7644590 mentions a refrigerator comprising a cabinet capable of rapid defrosting.

State of the art Japanese patent document no. JP2002372358 mentions a refrigerator comprising a chamber capable of freezing and defrosting.

State of the art refrigerators operate independently of the type and the size of the food product desired to be defrosted.

None of the state of the art documents include a solution such as the one in the present invention.

The aim of the present invention is to realize a refrigerator in which frozen food products can be rapidly defrosted.

Another aim of the present invention is to realize a refrigerator operating in varying manners according to the type and the size of the food product desired to be defrosted.

The refrigerator in which in particular frozen food products can be rapidly defrosted, comprises in its most basic form

at least one chamber suitable for placing the materials desired to be defrosted therein,
at least one heater group enabling heating the interior of the chamber, each of which comprises at least one heater, and
at least one control unit adapted to control at least one of the parameters including operation duration or operating power of at least one heater group, according to at least one of the type, size or weight properties of the food product placed in at least one chamber.

The refrigerator in which in particular frozen food products can be rapidly defrosted, comprises in its most basic form at least one chamber suitable for placing the material desired to be defrosted therein. Interior of the chamber can be heated by means of at least one heater. The refrigerator of the invention further comprises at least one control unit adapted to control at least one of the parameters including operation duration or operating power of the heater, according to at least one of the type or size properties of the food product placed in the chamber.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the refrigerator of the invention comprises a plurality of heater groups with each of which comprising at least one heater, enabling various regions of the chamber to be heated separately. The control unit is capable of separately controlling each one of the heater groups. For example, one heater group may be disposed above the chamber, one heater group on one side of the chamber, one heater group on the other side of the chamber and another heater group below the chamber. The control unit is capable activating only the heater groups on the sides or only the upper and lower heater groups or only the upper heater group. The above-mentioned heater groups are given for a better understanding of the invention. The control unit may activate the heater groups in any given combination. The heater groups may comprise a plurality of heaters. Thus, the control unit can easily change the operating power of any heater group. The control unit preferably drives the heater groups by means of a driver circuit. Even when a heater group has only one single heater, the control unit can change the operating power of said heater group by means of said driver circuit.

In an embodiment of the invention, the refrigerator of the invention comprises at least one user interface enabling a user to input at least one of the settings including the type of material desired to be defrosted, the amount, thickness, length of the material, which ones of the heater groups are to be activated, which heater group is to be activated with which power settings, and the like. The control unit is capable of applying different defrosting regimes for different materials according to these information received from the user. For example, in order to defrost a given material, the lower heater group may be activated for 10 minutes, followed by turning the lower heater group off and activating the other heater groups. As another example, the user can enable activation of only the upper heater group for 10 minutes. These regimes are solely given with the purpose of exemplification, and the combinations of the heater groups to be activated, their operating powers and operation durations may vary according to the material desired to be defrosted. The user interface may further comprise a display to inform the user which heater groups are operating and/or being adjusted.

In an embodiment of the invention, the refrigerator of the invention comprises at least one weight sensor to measure the weight of the material placed in the chamber. In this embodiment, the control unit may apply different defrosting regimes for materials with different weights, according to the weight value detected by the weight sensor. For example, the heater groups may be operated for a longer duration if the material desired to be defrosted weighs 1 kilogram, or they may be operated for a shorter duration if the material weighs 500 grams. The user interface may further comprise a display to inform the user which heater groups are operating and/or being adjusted.

In an embodiment of the invention, the refrigerator of the invention comprises at least one level sensor enabling measuring the thickness of the material placed in the chamber. Said level sensor may be an infrared or ultrasound proximity sensor. For example, said proximity sensor may be placed on the upper wall of the chamber so as to face the lower wall. As the height of the chamber is known, the thickness of the material placed in the chamber can be calculated from the variation of the value read by the proximity sensor. In an example of this embodiment, desired heating groups may be operated with a lower power for a longer duration for defrosting thicker materials, and they may be operated for a shorter duration with higher power for thinner materials.

In an embodiment of the invention, the control unit is capable of calculating the surface area of the material placed in the chamber. In this embodiment, the surface area may be calculated by using a plurality of weight sensors. Said weight sensors are placed so as to form a pattern, and the control unit can thus calculate the surface area of the material according to the output values given by the weight sensors. A plurality of level sensors may also be utilized in this embodiment. Said level sensors also are placed so as to form a pattern, and the control unit can thus calculate the surface area of the material according to the output values given by the level sensors. Also, a camera may be utilized in this embodiment. The control unit may calculate the surface area of the material by processing the images provided by the camera. Camera usage enables the most accurate surface area calculation among the above-given examples. However, measurement of a desired precision can be obtained by changing the number and the arrangement of the other sensors.

In an embodiment of the invention, the control unit determines the operation regime of the heating groups by evaluating one of, a plurality of, or all of the parameters including type, weight, thickness or surface area of the material placed in the chamber. The materials desired to be defrosted in the chamber are thus optimally defrosted, avoiding redundant time and energy consumption. The operation regime term refers to one of, a plurality of, or all of the parameters including which heater groups are to be activated with which power amount, when and for how long.

Claims

A refrigerator in which in particular frozen food products can be rapidly defrosted, comprising

- at least one chamber suitable for placing the materials desired to be defrosted therein,

- at least one heater group enabling heating the interior of the chamber, each of which comprises at least one heater, characterized by

- at least one control unit adapted to control at least one of the parameters including operation duration or operating power of at least one heater group, according to at least one of the type, size or weight properties of the food product placed in the at least one chamber.
A refrigerator according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of heater groups each of which having at least one heater, enabling various regions of the chamber to be heated separately.
A refrigerator according to claim 2, comprising the control unit adapted to separately control each one of the heater groups.
A refrigerator according to claim 3, comprising at least one user interface for a user to input at least one of the settings including the type of the material to be defrosted, amount, thickness, length of the material, which ones of the heater groups are to be activated, which heater group is to be activated with which power settings, and the like.
A refrigerator according to claim 3, comprising at least one weight sensor to measure the weight of the material placed in the chamber.
A refrigerator according to claim 3, comprising at least one level sensor enabling measuring the thickness of the material placed in the chamber.
A refrigerator according to claim 5, comprising a plurality of weight sensors placed so as to form a pattern in order to be able to calculate the surface area of the material placed in the chamber.
A refrigerator according to claim 7, comprising a control unit adapted to calculate the surface area of the material desired to be defrosted according to output values given by the weight sensors.
A refrigerator according to claim 6, comprising a plurality of level sensors placed so as to form a pattern in order to be able to calculate the surface area of the material placed in the chamber.
A refrigerator according to claim 9, comprising a control unit adapted to calculate the surface area of the material desired to be defrosted according to output values given by the level sensors.
A refrigerator according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a control unit adapted to control one of, a plurality of or all of the parameters including which heater groups are to be activated with which power amount, when and for how long, by evaluating one of, a plurality of or all of the parameters including at least the preferences of the user, and the type, weight, thickness and surface area of the material used in the chamber.