KR20100062187A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A refrigerator is provided to reduce power consumption by checking the full of ice without transmitting light at a light transmitter. CONSTITUTION: A refrigerator comprises: an ice bank which stores ice; an ice maker(190) which includes an optical transmitter(233) and a light receiver(234) which transmit and receive a light in order to detect whether the ice bank is full of ice or not; and a controller(310) which decides the ice bank is full if the level of the optical signal which the light receiver receives is larger than a first-level with not transmitting light at the optical transmitter.

Description

Refrigerator {Refrigerator}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having an ice maker capable of detecting the ice at all times and reducing power consumption.

Generally, a refrigerator is a device used for storing food fresh for a long time, and includes a freezer compartment for freezing food, a freezer compartment for cold storage of plants, and a freezing cycle for cooling the freezer compartment and refrigerator compartment. The operation control is performed by the controller.

Unlike in the past, the refrigerator is not only a space for food, but also a family room where the family members are gathering and talking and solving the food. In addition, quantitative and qualitative functional changes are required for all family members to use easily.

In the refrigerator, an ice maker for freezing ice and an ice bank for storing ice discharged from the ice maker are used. Various efforts have been made to increase user convenience and to secure product stability for the ice maker and the ice bank.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having an ice maker that can detect the ice at any time and reduce the power consumption.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, an ice bank including an ice bank for storing ice, and an optical transmitter and a light receiver for transmitting and receiving a predetermined light to detect whether the ice bank is full. And a control unit for determining that the light signal level is greater than or equal to the first level when no light is transmitted from the optical transmitter, and that the light is high.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, upon detecting whether the ice bank is full, when the light signal is received at the light receiving unit at a level higher than or equal to the first level when no light is transmitted from the optical transmitter, it is determined whether the ice is full. It can be detected from time to time. Further, by determining that the optical transmitter is full ice without transmitting light, the power consumption is reduced, and the durability of the circuit element of the optical transmitter is also improved.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings will be described the present invention in more detail.

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

Referring to the drawings, the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention includes a case 110 having an inner space divided into a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment, a freezer compartment 120 that shields the freezer compartment, and a refrigerating compartment, although not shown. A schematic appearance is formed by the shielded refrigerator door 140.

Further, the front surface of the freezing chamber door 120 and the refrigerating chamber door 140 is further provided with a door handle 121 protruding forward, so that the user can easily grip and rotate the freezing chamber door 120 and the refrigerating chamber door 140. Make it work.

On the other hand, the front of the refrigerator compartment door 140 may be further provided with a home bar 180, which is a convenient means for allowing a user to take out a storage such as a beverage contained therein without opening the refrigerator compartment door 140.

In addition, the front side of the freezer door 120 may be provided with a dispenser 160 which is a convenient means for allowing the user to easily take out ice or drinking water without opening the freezer door 120, and such a dispenser 160. An upper side of the control panel 200 may be further provided to control the driving operation of the refrigerator 1 and to show a state of the refrigerator 1 being operated on the screen.

In the drawing, the dispenser 160 is illustrated as being disposed on the front surface of the freezing chamber door 120, but is not limited thereto, and may be disposed on the front surface of the refrigerating chamber door 140.

Meanwhile, an ice maker 190 for ice-making water supplied using cold air in the freezer compartment and an ice bank mounted inside the freezer compartment (not shown) are included in the freezer compartment (not shown). 195 may be further provided. In addition, although not shown in the figure, an ice chute (not shown) may be further provided to guide the ice contained in the ice bank 195 to fall into the dispenser 160. The ice maker 190 will be described later with reference to FIG. 3.

The control panel 200 may include an input unit 220 including a plurality of buttons, and a display unit 230 for displaying a control screen and an operation state.

The display unit 230 displays information such as a control screen, an operation state, and a temperature inside the refrigerator. For example, the display unit 230 may display a service type of the dispenser (eg, ice, water, flake ice), a set temperature of the freezer compartment, and a set temperature of the refrigerator compartment.

The display unit 230 may be implemented in various ways, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), and the like. In addition, the display unit 230 may be implemented as a touch screen capable of performing the function of the input unit 220.

The input unit 220 may include a plurality of operation buttons. For example, the input unit 220 may include a dispenser setting button (not shown) for setting a service type of the dispenser (ice ice, water, crushed ice, etc.) and a freezer temperature setting button (not shown) for setting a freezer temperature. And, it may include a refrigerator compartment temperature setting button (not shown) for setting the freezer compartment temperature. The input unit 220 may be implemented as a touch screen that can also perform the function of the display unit 230.

Meanwhile, the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the double door type illustrated in the drawings, but the one door type, the sliding door type, and the curtain door type. Irrespective of its form, such as a (Curtain Door Type), as described later, it is sufficient that the ice maker 190 including the light transmitter and the light receiver is disposed inside the freezer compartment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the door of the refrigerator of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the freezing chamber 155 is disposed inside the freezing chamber door 120, and the refrigerating chamber 157 is disposed inside the refrigerating chamber door 140.

In the upper portion of the freezer compartment 155, an ice maker 190 for ice-making water supplied using cold air in the freezer compartment 155, and an ice bank mounted inside a freezer compartment (not shown) so that the ice iced in the ice maker is iced and contained. 195 is disposed. In addition, although not shown in the drawing, an ice chute (not shown) for guiding the ice contained in the ice bank 195 to fall to the dispenser 160 may be further disposed.

3 is a view illustrating the ice maker of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the ice maker 190 includes an ice making tray 212 for containing water for ice making and making a predetermined shape of ice, a water supply unit 213 for supplying water to the ice making tray 212, And a slider 214 provided to slide the iced ice into the ice bank 190, and a heater (not shown) for separating the iced ice from the ice making tray 212.

The ice making tray 212 may be fastened to the freezing compartment 155 of the refrigerator by the fastening part 212a.

In addition, the ice maker 190 is axially coupled with an ice maker 216 for operating the ejector 217 and an electric motor (not shown) provided in the ice maker 216 and completely iced in the ice maker tray 212. It further comprises an ejector 217 for taking out the ice bank (195).

The ice making tray 212 has a semi-cylindrical shape, and a partition protrusion 212b is formed on the inner surface of the ice making tray 212 at predetermined intervals so that ice can be separated out.

The ejector 217 also includes an axis 217a formed to cross the center of the ice making tray 212 and a plurality of ejector pins 217b formed on the side of the axis 217a of the ejector 217. do.

Here, each ejector pin 217a is located between the partition protrusions 212b of the ice making tray 212, respectively.

The ejector pin 217a is a means for taking the manufactured ice out into the ice bank 195. For example, the ice moved by the ejector pin 217a is placed on the slider 214 and then slides along the surface of the slider 214 to fall into the ice bank 195.

On the other hand, although not shown in the drawing, a heater (not shown) is attached to the bottom of the ice making tray 212, raises the temperature of the ice making tray 212, melts the ice stuck on the surface of the ice making tray 212, It serves to separate from the ice tray 212. The separated ice is discharged to the ice bank 195 in the ejector 217.

Meanwhile, the ice maker 190 detects whether the ice bank 195 located at the lower portion of the ice bank 195 is full of ice before separating the ice from the ice making tray 212 (hereinafter, referred to as 'foam detection'). It may further include an optical transmitter 233 and the optical receiver 234.

The light transmitter 233 and the light receiver 234 are disposed under the ice maker 190, and may transmit and receive predetermined light in the ice bank 195 using an infrared sensor or a light emitting diode (LED). .

For example, when an infrared sensor type is used, an infrared transmitter 233 and an infrared receiver 234 are provided below the ice maker 190, respectively. If not full, the infrared receiver 234 receives a high level signal, and when full, receives a low level signal. As a result, the controller 310 determines whether or not the ice is full. On the other hand, one or more infrared receiver 234 may be used, it is shown as two in the figure.

A more detailed description of whether or not to use the light transmitter 233 and the light receiver 234 to determine whether or not it is full will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

Meanwhile, the light transmitter 233 and the light receiver 234 may be implemented in a structure embedded in the lower case 219 of the ice maker 190 in order to protect the device from moisture, frost and the like caused by ice.

The signal received from the light receiving unit 234 is input to the control unit 310, and when it is full, the control unit 310 controls the operation of the ice making drive unit 216 so that ice is no longer transferred to the ice bank 195. Do not take out.

4 is a view schematically illustrating the configuration of the refrigerator of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the refrigerator 1 includes a compressor 112, a condenser 116 for condensing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 112, and a refrigerant condensed by the condenser 116 to be evaporated. The refrigerator compartment evaporator 122 and the freezer compartment evaporator 124 disposed in the refrigerating compartment (not shown) and the refrigerant condensed in the condenser 116 are stored in the refrigerator compartment evaporator 122 or the freezer compartment evaporator 124. A three-way valve 130 to supply to the refrigerator, a refrigerating chamber expansion valve 132 for expanding the refrigerant supplied to the refrigerating chamber evaporator 122, and a freezing chamber expansion valve 134 for expanding the refrigerant supplied to the freezing chamber evaporator 124; Include.

In addition, the refrigerator 1 may further include a gas-liquid separator (not shown) in which the refrigerant passing through the evaporators 122 and 124 is separated into a liquid and a gas.

In addition, the refrigerator 1 includes a refrigerator compartment fan 142 and a freezer compartment fan that suck cold air that has passed through the refrigerator compartment evaporator 122 and the freezer compartment evaporator 124 and blow it into a refrigerator compartment (not shown) and a freezer compartment (not shown), respectively. 144 may be further included.

In addition, the compressor driving unit 113 for driving the compressor 112, the refrigerator compartment fan 142 and the refrigerator compartment fan drive unit 143 and the freezer compartment fan drive unit 145 for driving the freezer compartment 144 may be further included.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the inside of the refrigerator illustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the refrigerator of FIG. 5 includes an ice maker 190, an ice bank 195, and a controller 310. In addition, the refrigerator of FIG. 3 further includes an optical transmitter 233, an optical receiver 234, a heater 330, and a heater driver 332. In addition, the refrigerator of FIG. 3 further includes an input unit 220, a display unit 230, and a temperature sensor 320. In addition, the refrigerator of FIG. 3 further includes a compressor driver 113, a refrigerator compartment fan 142, a refrigerator compartment fan driver 143, a freezer compartment fan 144, and a freezer compartment fan driver 145.

For the description of the compressor 112, the refrigerating compartment fan 142, the freezing compartment fan 144, the input unit 220, the display unit 230, and the like, refer to the above description.

Meanwhile, although the light transmitter 233 and the light receiver 234 are shown separately from the ice maker 190, the light transmitter 233 and the light receiver 234 may be included in the ice maker 190 as shown in FIG. 3. .

The controller 310 determines that the light signal level is higher than the first level when the light signal is received by the light transmitter 233 when the light signal is received by the light receiver 234.

In addition, the controller 310 may determine that the light is received by the light receiver 234 for a predetermined number of times or more during a predetermined time while light is not transmitted from the light transmitter 233. have.

In addition, the controller 310 determines that the light signal level is less than the second level when the light signal is received by the optical transmitter 233 when the optical signal level is less than the second level. In this case, the second level is preferably higher than the above-described first level.

In addition, the controller 310 may determine that the light is received by the optical receiver 234 a predetermined number of times or less after a predetermined number of times when the light is transmitted from the optical transmitter 233 a predetermined number of times. .

In addition, the control unit 310, the difference between the level of the optical signal received by the optical receiver 234 in the section in which light is transmitted, and the level of the optical signal received in the optical receiver 234 in the section in which light is not transmitted. When it is less than the predetermined level difference, it is determined that it is full ice. Here, the predetermined level difference may be a difference between the above-described second level and the first level.

As such, the controller 310 may determine whether the ice bank 195 is full even when the light transmitter 233 does not transmit any light, and thus may detect whether or not the ice is full. In addition, by determining that the optical transmitter 233 is full ice without transmitting light, power consumption is reduced, and durability of the circuit element of the optical transmitter 233 is also improved.

To ice the ice in the ice tray 212, the heater 330 in the ice maker 190 is controlled to operate. Specifically, the heater 332 is controlled to control the heater 330 to operate.

The controller 310 may control the ice maker 216 to operate so that the ejector 217 in the ice maker 190 operates after the heater 330 is turned on. This is a control operation for smoothly taking out ice into the ice bank 195.

The controller 310 may control to turn off the heater 330 when the ice in the ice bank 195 is determined to be full of ice. In addition, the operation of the ejector 217 in the ice maker 190 may be controlled to stop.

On the other hand, the control unit 310 controls to drive the compressor 112 according to the signal for the freezer compartment target temperature or the freezer compartment target temperature from the input unit 220. The compressor 112 in operation compresses the refrigerant as described above, and performs heat exchange in the evaporators 122 and 124 via the condenser 116 and the expansion valves 132 and 134.

The controller 310 directly controls the compressor driver 113 and the fan driver 143 or 145, as shown in the figure, to control the on / off operation of the compressor 112 and the fan 142 or 144. By controlling, finally, the compressor 112 and the fan 142 or 144 can be controlled.

The compressor drive unit 113, the refrigerator compartment fan drive unit 143, and the freezer compartment fan drive unit 145 each use a compressor motor (not shown), a refrigerator compartment fan motor (not shown), and a freezer compartment fan motor (not shown), respectively. Each motor (not shown) is operated at a target rotational speed under the control of the controller 310. When such an electric motor is a three-phase electric motor, it may be controlled by a switching operation in an inverter (not shown), or may be controlled at a constant speed by using an AC power source as it is. Herein, each motor (not shown) may be any one of an induction motor, a BLDC (Blush less DC) motor, a synchronous reluctance motor (synRM) motor, and the like.

On the other hand, as described above, the controller 310 can control the overall operation of the refrigerant cycle in accordance with the set temperature from the input unit 220. For example, in addition to the compressor driver 113, the refrigerator compartment fan driver 143, and the freezer compartment fan driver 145, the three-way valve 130, the refrigerator compartment expansion valve 132, and the freezer compartment expansion valve 134 may be further controlled. Can be. In addition, the operation of the condenser 116 can also be controlled.

On the other hand, the temperature detector 320 may detect the temperature in the refrigerator. For example, it is possible to detect the temperature of the freezer compartment, the temperature of the refrigerating compartment, and the like, and also the temperature of each of the rooms of the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment. Accordingly, a plurality of temperature sensing unit 320 may be disposed in the refrigerator. The sensed temperature in the refrigerator is input to the controller 310 and used for the control operation for the target temperature operation.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, evaporators 122 and 124 are used in the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, respectively, and thus, respective fans 142 and 144 and the driving units 143 and 145 are used. However, the evaporators common to the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment are different. (Not shown) is used, and a common fan (not shown), a common driving unit (not shown), and a common defrost heater may be used. In this case, a damper (not shown) may be installed between the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, and the fan (not shown) may forcibly blow cold air generated by one evaporator to be supplied to the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment.

6 is a view referred to explain an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, first, FIG. 6 (a) shows the level of the optical signal transmitted from the optical transmitter 233. FIG. An optical signal having a predetermined level L1 is transmitted in the first interval Ton, and an optical signal is not transmitted in the second interval Ton. The predetermined level L1 may be a voltage level of the optical signal.

Meanwhile, the first section and the second section may be repeated. In the embodiment of the present invention, by sensing the ice using a section in which the optical signal is not transmitted, such as the second section, power consumption is reduced, and the elements help to improve durability.

Next, FIG. 6 (b) shows the level of the optical signal received by the optical receiver 234. The first section Ton and the second section Toff in FIG. 6B are sections in which the optical signal is transmitted and not transmitted in the optical transmitter 233 as in FIG. 6A.

In particular, FIG. 6B illustrates all of the conditions determined by the controller 310 to be full ice.

Specifically, in the second section Toff, when the optical signal level received by the optical receiver 234 is greater than or equal to the first level L _R1 , the controller 310 determines that it is full ice. Although there is no optical signal transmitted from the optical transmitter 233, due to the full ice in the ice bank 195, external light reflection occurs, so that the optical signal level received by the optical transmitter 233 is zero. It is at least one level L _R1 . In the embodiment of the present invention, the full moon detection is performed using the same.

In addition, in the second period Toff, when an optical signal that is equal to or greater than the first level L _R1 is received a predetermined number or more times, the controller 310 determines that it is full ice. Here, the predetermined number of times may be set differently according to the length of the second section Toff.

On the other hand, in the first section Ton, when the optical signal level received by the light receiving unit 234 is less than or equal to the second level L _R2 , the controller 310 determines that it is full ice. Although the optical signal level transmitted from the optical transmitter 233 is at a predetermined level L1, due to the full ice in the ice bank 195, the optical signal transmitted from the optical transmitter 233 is transmitted to the optical transmitter 233. Will not reach. Therefore, when the optical signal level received by the optical transmitter 233 is equal to or less than the second level L _R2 , the controller 310 determines that it is full ice.

In addition, in a state in which the optical signal is transmitted a predetermined number of times in the first section Ton, when the optical signal having the second level L _R2 or less is received a predetermined number of times, the controller 310 determines that it is full ice. Although shown three times in the figure, various designs are possible.

Meanwhile, the difference between the optical signal level received in the first section Ton and the optical signal level received in the second section Toff is a predetermined level difference, that is, the first level L _R1 and the second level L _R2 . When the difference is less than or equal to, the controller 310 may determine that the ice is full. Based on the above description, it is possible to determine whether or not to use the difference between the first level (L _R1 ) and the second level (L _R2 ).

As described above, even when only the level received by the optical receiver 234 in the state that the optical signal is not transmitted, it is possible to perform the determination of the ice, it is possible to determine the ice at any time, reducing power consumption, and durability of the device It can be improved.

While the above has been shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, it is usually in the technical field to which the invention belongs without departing from the spirit of the invention claimed in the claims. Various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical spirit or the prospect of the present invention.

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

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the door of the refrigerator of FIG. 1.

3 is a view illustrating the ice maker of FIG. 2.

4 is a view schematically illustrating the configuration of the refrigerator of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the inside of the refrigerator illustrated in FIG. 1.

6 is a view referred to explain an embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols on main parts of the drawings>

1 ....... Refrigerator 160 ..... Dispenser

190 ..... Ice maker 195 ..... Ice Bank

216 ..... Ice making drive 220 ..... Input part

230 ..... Display 233 ..... Optical transmitter

234 ..... Optical receiver 310 ..... Control part

330 ..... Heater 332 ..... Heater drive

Claims (12)

Ice banks for storing ice; An ice maker including an optical transmitter and a light receiver for transmitting and receiving a predetermined light to detect whether the ice bank is full; And And a controller configured to determine that the light is received when the light signal level received by the light receiver is equal to or greater than a first level while the light is not transmitted by the light transmitter. The method of claim 1, The control unit, And the optical signal having the first level or more being received for more than a predetermined number of times for a predetermined time while the light is not transmitted from the optical transmitter, and determines that the light is full. The method of claim 1, The control unit, And when the optical signal level received by the optical receiver is less than or equal to the second level higher than the first level while the light is transmitted from the optical transmitter, the refrigerator is determined to be full. The method of claim 3, The control unit, And the optical signal having the second level or less being received by the optical receiver for the predetermined number of times while the light is transmitted the predetermined number of times by the optical transmitter. The method of claim 4, wherein The control unit, And a section in which the light is transmitted and a section in which the light is not transmitted are repeated. The method of claim 5, The control unit, If the difference between the level of the optical signal received in the light receiving section and the level of the optical signal received in the light receiving section in the section in which the light is transmitted is less than a predetermined level difference is determined to be full ice. Refrigerator, characterized in that. The method of claim 1, The control unit, And determining that the light is not full at the state where the light is not transmitted by the optical transmitter, so that the light transmitter is no longer transmitting the light until the full ice is released. The method of claim 1, The ice maker, An ice making tray containing water to be frozen; And And a heater operable to ice the ice produced in the ice making tray. The method of claim 8, The ice maker, An ejector for extracting the ice decanted from the ice tray into the ice bank; And And an ice making driver for driving the ejector. 10. The method of claim 9, The control unit, And a refrigerator control unit configured to control the ice making driving unit to drive the ejector after the heater is turned on. The method of claim 8, The control unit, And controlling the heater to turn off the heater when the ice bank is determined to be full ice. The method of claim 1, The optical transmitter, A refrigerator comprising an infrared sensor or a light emitting diode, and is embedded in a lower case of the ice maker.

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