KR20200074643A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator which comprises: a cabinet which has a storage space; a door which is rotatably engaged with the cabinet to open/close the storage space; a barrier which is horizontally placed inside the cabinet and divides the storage space into a plurality of storage compartments including a first storage compartment; compartment temperature sensors which are respectively placed in each storage compartment to detect the temperature of each storage compartment; a cooling module which includes a compressor which compresses a refrigerant, evaporators which are respectively placed in each storage compartment, evaporator fans which are respectively placed in each storage compartment, and a transfer valve which is placed between a condenser and the evaporators based on the flowing direction of the refrigerant, and allows the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser to flow towards one of the plurality of evaporators; and a control unit which controls the turning on/off operation of each of the evaporator fans and the opening/closing operation of the transfer valve based on the temperature information of each storage compartment detected by the compartment temperature sensors. The present invention aims to provide a refrigerator which can secure control reliability.

Description

Refrigerator {Refrigerator}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Generally, a refrigerator is a household appliance that can store an object such as food at a low temperature in a storage room provided in a cabinet. Since the storage chamber is surrounded by an insulating wall, the interior of the storage chamber may be maintained at a temperature lower than the external temperature.

The storage compartment may be divided into a refrigerating compartment or a freezing compartment according to the temperature band of the storage compartment. And, depending on the type or condition of the food can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

In recent years, refrigerators (hereinafter referred to as "functional refrigerators") have been developed that can store items such as cosmetics and wine in addition to food.

In the case of a wine refrigerator for storing wine, the interior space is divided into a plurality of storage rooms by a barrier.

In addition, the plurality of storage rooms may be set to different temperatures, respectively.

For example, the temperature of the storage chamber at the lower side may be set lower than the storage chamber at the upper side.

In addition, the plurality of storage rooms may be cooled sequentially.

For example, if cooling of the upper storage chamber is progressed, and the temperature condition of the upper storage chamber is satisfied, cooling of the lower storage chamber may proceed.

In addition, the refrigeration function may be turned on in some storage rooms, and the refrigeration function may be turned off in some other storage rooms.

In such a case, it is necessary to more reliably cut off the space between each storage compartment in a state where the refrigerator door is closed.

In detail, in a state in which the refrigerator door is closed, it is necessary to prevent the cooling air in the upper storage chamber from flowing into the lower storage chamber, so that the temperature in the upper storage chamber rises, and the temperature in the lower storage chamber decreases.

In addition, in a state in which a plurality of storage rooms are provided, when one of the evaporators and one evaporator fan cools the plurality of storage rooms at one time, and when the simultaneous cooling logic is applied, a problem in that the compressor is not turned off occurs, so that the compressor The reliability may be lowered, and the performance of the compressor may be lowered.

Korea Patent Publication 10-2018-0105929'Refrigerator'

The present invention has been proposed to solve the above-described conventional problems, and in a state in which a plurality of storage rooms are provided, the storage chamber disposed on the upper side is preferentially intensively cooled, and a sequential cooling operation is performed from the upper side to the lower side, thereby cooling performance. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of improving the reliability and securing control reliability through simplification of an algorithm.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention is presented to achieve the above object, a cabinet having a storage space, a door rotatably coupled to the cabinet to open and close the storage space, and the inside of the cabinet Horizontally arranged in, a barrier that divides the storage space into a plurality of storage rooms including a first storage room, a high temperature sensor individually provided for each storage room to sense the temperature of each storage room, and a compressor for compressing refrigerant And, the evaporator separately provided in each storage chamber, the evaporator fan provided separately for each storage chamber, and provided between the condenser and the evaporator based on the flow direction of the refrigerant, the refrigerant passing through the condenser is a plurality of Cooling module including a switching valve for flowing to any one of the evaporator, and on the basis of the temperature information of each storage chamber detected by the temperature sensor inside, the on and off operation of each evaporator fan and the opening and closing operation of the switching valve It includes a control unit to control.

When it is determined that the temperature of the first storage chamber is unsatisfactory, the control unit controls the switching valve so that the refrigerant flowing into the switching valve is supplied to the evaporator side of the first storage chamber, and the evaporator fan of the first storage chamber is operated. Control.

The control unit controls the switching valve and the evaporator fan to preferentially cool the storage chamber located at the upper side among the plurality of storage chambers, and when the temperature conditions of the storage chamber located at the upper side are satisfied, the storage chamber located at the lower side is cooled. The switching valve and the evaporator fan are controlled.

The controller controls the evaporator fan to be off after operating the evaporator fan for a set time.

The control unit operates the evaporator fan until the temperature condition of the first storage room is satisfied, and then turns it off.

When the operation of the evaporator fan ends, the changeover valve is also closed, and the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator disposed in the same storage chamber as the evaporator fan is restricted.

When the cooling operation of at least one of the plurality of storage rooms is finished, the control unit determines whether the temperature conditions of all the storage rooms are satisfied, and when the temperature conditions of all the storage rooms are satisfied, turns off all the evaporator fans. (off), and all the switching valves in a closed state (close), the additional operation of the compressor for a reference time, and then terminated.

When the outside temperature is less than the reference temperature, the controller ends or skips the additional operation.

The control unit ends the additional operation when a preset additional time elapses after the additional operation starts.

The control unit, when the compressor is turned on, when the temperature conditions of the plurality of storage rooms are all satisfied, the refrigerator to turn off the compressor.

The control unit turns on the compressor when the temperature condition of at least one of the plurality of storage chambers enters a dissatisfied state while the compressor is turned off.

The switching valve is provided with one inlet and a plurality of outlets, and the plurality of outlets are respectively connected to different storage rooms, and the controller discharges refrigerant introduced through the inlet into any one of the plurality of outlets. It controls the switching valve.

The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention has the following effects.

First, in a state in which a plurality of storage chambers are provided, the storage chambers disposed on the upper side are preferentially intensively cooled, and a sequential cooling operation is performed from the upper side to the lower side, thereby improving the cooling performance and controlling reliability through simplification of the algorithm. Can be secured.

In addition, a gasket for sealing between the inner surfaces of the barrier is provided, so that the flow of air and cold air between the upper storage chamber and the lower storage chamber of the barrier can be reliably blocked.

In addition, the flow of air and cold air is blocked between the upper storage chamber and the lower storage chamber, so that the upper and lower storage chambers have a high internal temperature once, so that the higher internal temperature is maintained.

In addition, while maintaining the internal temperature for a long time, the driving time of the compressor is reduced, there is an advantage that the power consumption is lowered.

1 is a front view showing a state in which the door of the refrigerator according to the present invention is opened.
2 is a view showing a freezing cycle of the refrigerator according to the present invention.
3 to 6 are flowcharts illustrating a control method of a refrigerator according to various embodiments of the present invention.
7 is a timing diagram showing the state of the evaporator fan, compressor, and switching valve for each situation of the refrigerator according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In the following description, a case where the refrigerator of the present invention is a wine refrigerator for storing wine is described as an example, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

1 is a front view showing a state in which the door of the refrigerator according to the present invention is opened. And, Figure 2 is a view showing the freezing cycle of the refrigerator according to the present invention.

The wine refrigerator according to the present invention includes a cabinet 10 having a storage space and a door 20 rotatably coupled to the cabinet 10 to open and close the storage space.

In addition, the inside of the cabinet 10 is provided with a flat plate shape, and at least one barrier 14, 15 spaced apart in the vertical direction is installed. The barriers 14 and 15 divide the storage space into a plurality of storage rooms 11, 12 and 13. The storage chambers 11, 12 and 13 are arranged in the vertical direction. The storage chambers 11, 12 and 13 may include a first storage chamber 11 and a second storage chamber 12. For example, the first storage chamber 11 may be located at the top end. Also, the second storage chamber 12 may be located under the first storage chamber 11. In this case, a first barrier 14 may be provided between the first storage chamber 11 and the second storage chamber 12.

As another example, a second storage chamber 12 may be provided below the first storage chamber 11, and a third storage chamber 13 may be provided below the second storage chamber 12. In this case, a first barrier 14 is provided between the first storage chamber 11 and the second storage chamber 12, and a second barrier 15 is provided between the second storage chamber 12 and the third storage chamber 13. ) May be provided.

In addition, four or more storage rooms may be provided. And three or more barriers may be provided.

As a modified example, the barrier may be formed in a vertical direction, and the storage space may be divided in a horizontal direction.

In addition, when the door 20 is closed, the gasket may further include a seal between the barriers 14 and 15 and the inner surface of the door 20. For example, the gasket may be coupled to the front ends of the barriers 14 and 15 facing the door 20.

In addition, in the state in which the door 20 is closed, at least a portion of the front end of the gasket may contact the inner surface of the door 20.

In addition, the gasket is formed of a rigid resin at the rear end combined with the front ends of the barriers 14 and 15, and the front end contacting the inner surface of the door 20 with the door 20 closed is flexible ( flexibility).

With the configuration of the gasket, cold air flow between the barriers 14 and 15 and the door 20 may be blocked while the door 20 is closed. Accordingly, cold air flow between the storage rooms 11, 12, and 13 may be blocked while the door 20 is closed.

In the present embodiment, the door 20 may be provided individually for each storage room 11, 12, 13.

As another example, the door 20 is not provided for each storage room 11, 12, 13, and one door 20 may open a plurality of storage rooms 11, 12, 13. That is, when the door 20 is opened, the entire storage compartments 11, 12 and 13 are opened, and when the door 20 is closed, the entire storage compartments 11, 12 and 13 may be blocked from the outside.

Meanwhile, the storage chambers 11, 12, and 13 may function as a refrigerating chamber storing wine and the like while maintaining a temperature set by a user.

In addition, a wine rack 17 for supporting a wine bottle may be provided in the storage rooms 11, 12 and 13. For example, a plurality of wine racks 17 may be arranged spaced apart in the vertical direction within the storage chambers 11, 12, and 13. In addition, the wine rack 17 may be formed of a wooden material.

On the other hand, the storage chamber (11,12,13), a high temperature sensor (171,172,173) for detecting the temperature inside the high temperature is provided separately.

Each of the storage chambers 11, 12, and 13 is cooled by a cooling module.

The cooling module includes a compressor 110 for compressing the refrigerant, a condenser 120 for condensing the gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 110 into a liquid state, and evaporating the refrigerant discharged from the condenser 120 It may include a plurality of evaporators (151,152,153) to generate cold air.

The evaporators 151, 152 and 153 may be formed on the back surfaces of the storage chambers 11, 12 and 13, respectively.

Defrost sensors 1811, 182 and 183 may be installed in the evaporators 151, 152 and 153.

In addition, the cooling module further includes a plurality of evaporator fans 161, 162, and 163 that supply cold air generated by the evaporators 151, 152, 153 into the storage chambers 11, 12, 13. The evaporator fan (161,162,163) is provided for each of the storage chambers (11,12,13).

That is, the storage chamber (11,12,13) is provided with evaporator (151,152,153) and evaporator fan (161,162,163), respectively.

In addition, the cooling module, based on the flow direction of the refrigerant, is provided between the condenser 120 and the evaporator (151,152,153), the refrigerant passing through the condenser (120) any of the plurality of evaporators (151,152,153) It may further include a switching valve 140 to flow to one side.

For example, a plurality of switching valves 140 may be provided. The switching valve 140 may be provided as many as each storage chamber (11, 12, 13). The switching valve 140 may individually control the flow of refrigerant flowing to each storage chamber (11, 12, 13).

As another example, the switching valve 140 is provided with one inlet and a plurality of outlets, and the plurality of outlets may be connected to evaporators 151, 152 and 153 provided in different storage chambers, respectively. In addition, the controller, which will be described later, may control the switching valve 140 to discharge the refrigerant flowing through the inlet to any one selected from the plurality of outlets.

The inlet or each outlet of the switching valve 140 may be provided with an actuator that opens a flow path when an open signal is input from the control unit and blocks a flow path through which a closed signal is input from the control unit.

In addition, the refrigerator according to the present invention, based on the temperature information of each storage chamber (11,12,13) detected by the in-house temperature sensor (171,172,173), the on (on), on (off) of each evaporator fan (161,162,163) off) and a control unit for controlling the opening and closing operation of the switching valve 140.

Referring to FIG. 2, the control unit may control the switching valve 140 so that the refrigerant flowing into the switching valve 140 is discharged only in the A direction for cooling operation of the first storage chamber 11 located at the upper side. . In addition, the control unit may control the switching valve 140 so that the refrigerant flowing into the switching valve 140 is discharged only in the B direction for the cooling operation of the second storage chamber 12 located in the middle. Further, the control unit may control the switching valve 140 so that the refrigerant flowing into the switching valve 140 is discharged only in the C direction for the cooling operation of the third storage chamber 13 located in the middle.

In addition, the refrigerator of the present invention may further include a high temperature temperature sensor 190 that detects high temperature and provides high temperature information to the controller.

On the other hand, when a plurality of storage chambers 11, 12, and 13 are formed in the interior by the barriers 14, 15 as described above, each storage chamber 11, 12, 13 may have a different interior temperature.

For example, the inside temperature of the lower storage chambers 12 and 13 may be set lower than the inside temperature of the upper storage chamber 11.

In addition, the plurality of storage chambers 11, 12, and 13 may be sequentially cooled, respectively.

For example, if cooling of the upper storage chamber 11 is performed first, and the temperature condition of the upper storage chamber 11 is satisfied, cooling of the lower storage chambers 12 and 13 may be sequentially performed.

In addition, the refrigeration function may be turned on for some of the plurality of storage rooms 11, 12, and 13, and the refrigeration function may be turned off for the other some storage rooms.

For example, the refrigeration function of the upper storage compartment 11 may be in an off state, and the refrigeration function of the lower storage compartments 12 and 13 may be in an on state.

Meanwhile, the control unit controls the compressor 110, the switching valve 140, and the evaporator fan 161,162,163 based on the temperature information sensed by the temperature sensors 171, 172, 173, 190 and time information detected by a timer.

First, when it is determined that the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 is unsatisfactory, the control unit switches the refrigerant so that the refrigerant flowing into the switching valve 140 is supplied to the evaporator 151 side of the first storage chamber 11. The valve 140 is controlled, and the evaporator fan 161 of the first storage chamber 11 is controlled to operate.

In addition, if it is determined that the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is unsatisfactory, the control unit switches the refrigerant so that the refrigerant flowing into the switching valve 140 is supplied to the evaporator 152 side of the second storage chamber 12. The valve 140 is controlled, and the evaporator fan 162 of the second storage chamber 12 is controlled to operate.

In addition, when it is determined that the temperature of the third storage chamber 13 is unsatisfactory, the control unit switches the refrigerant so that the refrigerant flowing into the switching valve 140 is supplied to the evaporator 153 side of the third storage chamber 13. The valve 140 is controlled, and the evaporator fan 163 of the third storage chamber 13 is controlled to operate.

The control unit controls the switching valve 140 and the evaporator fans 161, 162, 163 such that the storage chamber 11 positioned at a relatively upper side among the plurality of storage chambers 11, 12, 13 is preferentially cooled, and positioned at the upper side. When the temperature condition of the storage chamber 11 is satisfied, the switching valve 140 and the evaporator fans 162 and 163 are controlled to be cooled in the storage chambers 12 and 13 located below.

For example, when the internal temperature of the first storage compartment 11 located at the upper side, the second storage compartment 12 positioned at the middle, and the third storage compartment 13 located at the lower side is in an unsatisfactory state, the control unit may perform the first storage compartment. (11) is preferentially cooled, and the second storage chamber 12 and the third storage chamber 13 are sequentially cooled.

As another example, when the internal temperature of the first storage chamber 11 located at the upper side and the third storage chamber 13 located at the lower side is in an unsatisfactory state, the control unit first cools the first storage chamber 11 and third The storage chamber 13 is cooled.

As another example, when the inside temperature of the second storage chamber 12 located in the middle and the third storage chamber 13 located in the lower side is in an unsatisfactory state, the control unit first cools the second storage chamber 12, and 3 Cool the storage room (13).

In general, cold chills go from top to bottom. Therefore, it is more advantageous to preferentially cool the upper storage chamber 11 to lower and maintain the internal temperature.

In the case of the present invention, the first storage chamber 11 is intensively cooled (independent cooling), and when the cooling of the first storage chamber 11 is completed, the second storage chamber 12 is intensively cooled (independent cooling). Therefore, the cooling performance can be improved, and control reliability can be secured by simplifying the algorithm.

On the other hand, unlike the present invention, when the simultaneous cooling logic is applied, a problem that the compressor is not turned off may occur, resulting in a decrease in reliability of the compressor and a problem in that the performance of the compressor is lowered.

In addition, the controller may control the evaporator fan to be off after operating the evaporator fan for a set time.

For example, when cooling of the first storage chamber 11, the controller operates the evaporator fan 161 for a preset time (about 20 minutes), and when the set time (about 20 minutes) elapses, The evaporator fan 161 may be turned off.

In addition, the controller may operate the evaporator fan until the temperature condition of the storage room is satisfied, and then turn it off.

For example, when the cooling of the first storage chamber 11 is performed, the control unit operates the evaporator fan 161 until the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 decreases by a preset input temperature, and the first storage chamber 11 When the temperature of) reaches the set temperature, the evaporator fan 161 may be turned off.

In addition, when the operation of the evaporator fan is finished as described above, the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator disposed in the same storage chamber as the evaporator fan may be restricted while the switching valve is also closed.

For example, when the operation of the evaporator fan 161 installed in the first storage chamber 11 ends, the control unit switches the switching valve 140 so that refrigerant is not supplied to the evaporator 151 of the first storage chamber 11. By controlling, the flow of refrigerant in the A direction (see Fig. 2) is blocked.

As another example, when the operation of the evaporator fan 162 installed in the second storage chamber 12 ends, the control unit switches the switching valve 140 so that refrigerant is not supplied to the evaporator 152 of the second storage chamber 12. By controlling, the flow of refrigerant in the B direction (see FIG. 2) is blocked.

As another example, when the operation of the evaporator fan 163 installed in the third storage chamber 13 ends, the control unit prevents the refrigerant from being supplied to the evaporator 153 of the third storage chamber 13, the switching valve 140 Control, to block the flow of refrigerant in the C direction (see Fig. 2).

In addition, when the cooling operation (11, 12, 13) of at least one of the plurality of storage rooms (11, 12, 13) ends, the control unit satisfies the temperature conditions of all the storage rooms (11, 12, 13). It is determined whether the state, and if the temperature conditions of all the storage chambers (11,12,13) are satisfied, all the evaporator fans (161,162,163) are turned off (off), and all the switching valves (140) are closed (closed) In, after the additional operation of the compressor 110 for a reference time, it ends.

In a state in which all the switching valves 140 are closed, the flow of the refrigerant flowing into the switching valves 140 is blocked in the A direction, the B direction, and the C direction. Therefore, the supply of refrigerant to all evaporators 151, 152 and 183 is blocked.

In addition, when the outside temperature detected by the high temperature sensor 190 is lower than the reference temperature, the controller may terminate or omit the additional operation.

For example, when the outside temperature detected by the high temperature sensor 190 is less than 12.5°C, the controller may terminate or omit the additional operation.

In addition, when the preset additional time elapses after the additional operation starts, the control unit may terminate the additional operation.

For example, the controller may terminate the additional operation when 60 seconds have elapsed after the additional operation starts.

In addition, when the compressor 110 is turned on, and the temperature conditions of the plurality of storage rooms 11, 12, and 13 are all satisfied, the compressor 110 may be turned off.

In addition, when the compressor is turned off, and the temperature condition of at least one of the storage chambers 11, 12, 13 of the plurality of storage chambers 11, 12, 13 enters a dissatisfied state, the control unit is turned on ( on).

In addition, when the cooling operation of the first storage chamber 11 is finished, the control unit does not immediately turn off the evaporator fan 161 in a state in which refrigerant flow into the evaporator 151 disposed in the first storage chamber 11 is blocked. , By operating the evaporator fan 161 until the evaporator temperature detected by the defrost sensor 181 reaches a target temperature (about 4°C), natural defrost can be performed.

In addition, when the cooling operation of the second storage chamber 12 is finished, the control unit does not immediately turn off the evaporator fan 162 in a state in which refrigerant flow into the evaporator 152 disposed in the second storage chamber 12 is blocked. , The evaporator fan 162 may be additionally operated until the evaporator temperature detected by the defrost sensor 182 reaches the target temperature (about 4°C) to perform natural defrosting.

In addition, when the cooling operation of the third storage chamber 13 is ended, the control unit does not immediately turn off the evaporator fan 163 in a state in which refrigerant flow into the evaporator 153 disposed in the third storage chamber 13 is blocked. , The evaporator fan 163 may be additionally operated until the evaporator temperature detected by the defrost sensor 183 reaches the target temperature (about 4°C) to perform natural defrost.

3 to 6 are flowcharts illustrating a control method of a refrigerator according to various embodiments of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a control method of a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

First, referring to FIG. 3, the inside temperature sensors 171, 172, and 173 sense the temperature of the storage rooms 11, 12, 13 in real time, and the controller determines whether the inside temperature is satisfactory (S101).

At this time, the compressor 110 and the evaporator fans 161, 162, and 163 are turned off.

Thereafter, when the temperature of at least one of the storage chambers 11, 12, and 13 enters an unsatisfactory state, the controller 110 turns on the compressor 110 (S102).

Then, the storage chamber located at the uppermost side is cooled first.

First, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 is satisfied (S103).

If the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 is satisfied, it is determined whether the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is satisfied (S106).

On the other hand, if the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 is unsatisfactory, the control unit turns on the evaporator fan 161 installed in the first storage chamber 11 (S104).

Then, intensive cooling of the first storage chamber 11 proceeds.

Thereafter, when the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 enters a satisfactory state, the control unit turns off the evaporator fan 161 installed in the first storage chamber 11 (S105).

Then, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is satisfied (S106).

If the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is satisfactory, it is determined whether the temperature of the third storage chamber 13 is satisfactory (S109).

On the other hand, if the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is unsatisfactory, the control unit turns on the evaporator fan 162 installed in the second storage chamber 12 (S107).

Then, intensive cooling of the second storage chamber 12 proceeds.

Thereafter, when the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 enters a satisfactory state, the control unit turns off the evaporator fan 162 installed in the second storage chamber 12 (S108).

Then, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the third storage chamber 13 is satisfied (S109).

If the temperature of the third storage chamber 13 is satisfactory, it is determined whether the temperatures of all the storage chambers 11, 12 and 13 are satisfactory (S112).

On the other hand, if the temperature of the third storage chamber 12 is unsatisfactory, the control unit turns on the evaporator fan 163 installed in the third storage chamber 13 (S110).

Then, intensive cooling of the third storage chamber 13 proceeds.

Thereafter, when the temperature of the third storage chamber 13 enters a satisfactory state, the control unit turns off the evaporator fan 163 installed in the third storage chamber 13 (S111).

Then, it is determined whether the temperatures of all the storage rooms 11, 12, and 13 are satisfied. (S112)

If the temperatures of all the storage rooms 11, 12 and 13 are satisfied, the controller ends the operation of the compressor 110. (S113)

Then, the temperature sensor 171, 172, 173 detects the temperature of the storage chambers 11, 12, 13 in real time, and the controller returns to step S101 to determine whether the temperature inside the storage is satisfactory.

On the other hand, in step S112, if it is determined that the inside temperature of at least one of the storage rooms 11, 12, 13 is unsatisfactory, the process returns to step S103 to determine whether the temperature of the first storage room 11 is satisfactory. .

On the other hand, referring to Figure 4, the high temperature sensor (171,172,173) detects the temperature of the storage room (11,12,13) in real time, the control unit determines whether the high temperature inside the satisfaction state (S101).

At this time, the compressor 110 and the evaporator fans 161, 162, and 163 are in an off state, and the switching valves 140 are closed in all outlets in the A, B, and C directions (see FIG. 2). .

Thereafter, when the temperature of at least one of the storage chambers 11, 12, and 13 enters an unsatisfactory state, the controller 110 turns on the compressor 110 (S102).

Then, the storage chamber located at the uppermost side is cooled first.

First, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 is satisfied (S103).

If the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 is satisfied, it is determined whether the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is satisfied (S106).

On the other hand, when the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 is unsatisfactory, the control unit turns on the evaporator fan 161 installed in the first storage chamber 11, and the refrigerant flowing into the switching valve 140 is in the A direction. (See FIG. 2) to control the switching valve 140 to be supplied. (S1041)

Then, intensive cooling of the first storage chamber 11 proceeds.

Thereafter, when the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 enters a satisfactory state, the control unit turns off the evaporator fan 161 installed in the first storage chamber 11, and the refrigerant flowing into the switching valve 140 The switching valve 140 is controlled so as not to be supplied in the A direction (see FIG. 2). (S1051)

Then, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is satisfied (S106).

If the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is satisfactory, it is determined whether the temperature of the third storage chamber 13 is satisfactory (S109).

On the other hand, if the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is unsatisfactory, the control unit turns on the evaporator fan 162 installed in the second storage chamber 12, and the refrigerant flowing into the switching valve 140 is in the B direction. (See FIG. 2) to control the switching valve 140 to be supplied. (S1071)

Then, intensive cooling of the second storage chamber 12 proceeds.

Then, when the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 enters a satisfactory state, the control unit turns off the evaporator fan 162 installed in the second storage chamber 12, and the refrigerant flowing into the switching valve 140 The switching valve 140 is controlled so as not to be supplied in the B direction (see FIG. 2). (S1081)

Then, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the third storage chamber 13 is satisfied (S109).

If the temperature of the third storage chamber 13 is satisfactory, it is determined whether the temperatures of all the storage chambers 11, 12 and 13 are satisfactory (S112).

On the other hand, if the temperature of the third storage chamber 12 is unsatisfactory, the control unit turns on the evaporator fan 163 installed in the third storage chamber 13, and the refrigerant flowing into the switching valve 140 in the C direction. (See FIG. 2) to control the switching valve 140 to be supplied. (S1101)

Then, intensive cooling of the third storage chamber 13 proceeds.

Then, when the temperature of the third storage chamber 13 enters a satisfactory state, the control unit turns off the evaporator fan 163 installed in the third storage chamber 13, and the refrigerant flowing into the switching valve 140 The switching valve 140 is controlled so as not to be supplied in the C direction (see FIG. 2). (S1111)

Then, it is determined whether the temperatures of all the storage rooms 11, 12, and 13 are satisfied. (S112)

If the temperatures of all the storage rooms 11, 12 and 13 are satisfied, the controller ends the operation of the compressor 110. (S113)

Then, the temperature sensor 171, 172, 173 detects the temperature of the storage chambers 11, 12, 13 in real time, and the controller returns to step S101 to determine whether the temperature inside the storage is satisfactory.

On the other hand, in step S112, if it is determined that the inside temperature of at least one of the storage rooms 11, 12, 13 is unsatisfactory, the process returns to step S103 to determine whether the temperature of the first storage room 11 is satisfactory. .

On the other hand, referring to Figure 5, the high temperature sensor (171,172,173) detects the temperature of the storage room (11,12,13) in real time, the control unit determines whether the temperature inside the room is satisfactory (S101).

At this time, the compressor 110 and the evaporator fans 161, 162, and 163 are turned off.

Thereafter, when the temperature of at least one of the storage chambers 11, 12, and 13 enters an unsatisfactory state, the controller 110 turns on the compressor 110 (S102).

Then, the storage chamber located at the uppermost side is cooled first.

First, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 is satisfied (S103).

If the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 is satisfied, it is determined whether the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is satisfied (S106).

On the other hand, if the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 is unsatisfactory, the control unit turns on the evaporator fan 161 installed in the first storage chamber 11 (S104).

Then, intensive cooling of the first storage chamber 11 proceeds.

Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the concentrated cooling time (operation time of the evaporator fan) in the first storage chamber 11 has elapsed (S1042).

Then, when the concentrated cooling time of the first storage chamber 11 passes the first set time, the control unit turns off the evaporator fan 161 installed in the first storage chamber 11 (S105).

Then, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is satisfied (S106).

If the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is satisfactory, it is determined whether the temperature of the third storage chamber 13 is satisfactory (S109).

On the other hand, if the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is unsatisfactory, the control unit turns on the evaporator fan 162 installed in the second storage chamber 12 (S107).

Then, intensive cooling of the second storage chamber 12 proceeds.

Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the concentrated cooling time (operation time of the evaporator fan) in the second storage chamber 12 has passed the second set time. (S1072)

Then, when the centralized cooling time of the second storage chamber 12 has passed the second preset time, the control unit turns off the evaporator fan 162 installed in the second storage chamber 12 (S108).

Then, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the third storage chamber 13 is satisfied (S109).

If the temperature of the third storage chamber 13 is satisfactory, it is determined whether the temperatures of all the storage chambers 11, 12 and 13 are satisfactory (S112).

On the other hand, if the temperature of the third storage chamber 12 is unsatisfactory, the control unit turns on the evaporator fan 163 installed in the third storage chamber 13 (S110).

Then, intensive cooling of the third storage chamber 13 proceeds.

Thereafter, when the temperature of the third storage chamber 13 enters a satisfactory state, the control unit turns off the evaporator fan 163 installed in the third storage chamber 13 (S111).

Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the centralized cooling time of the third storage chamber 13 (operation time of the evaporator fan) has passed the third preset time (S1102).

Then, when the centralized cooling time of the third storage chamber 13 passes the third preset time, the control unit turns off the evaporator fan 163 installed in the third storage chamber 13 (S111).

Then, it is determined whether the temperatures of all the storage rooms 11, 12, and 13 are satisfied. (S112)

If the temperatures of all the storage rooms 11, 12 and 13 are satisfied, the controller ends the operation of the compressor 110. (S113)

Then, the temperature sensor 171, 172, 173 detects the temperature of the storage chambers 11, 12, 13 in real time, and the controller returns to step S101 to determine whether the temperature inside the storage is satisfactory.

On the other hand, in step S112, if it is determined that the inside temperature of at least one of the storage rooms 11, 12, 13 is unsatisfactory, the process returns to step S103 to determine whether the temperature of the first storage room 11 is satisfactory. .

On the other hand, referring to FIG. 6, the temperature sensor 171, 172, 173 of the high temperature sensor senses the temperature of the storage chambers 11, 12, 13 in real time, and the control unit determines whether the temperature of the high temperature room is satisfied (S101).

At this time, the compressor 110 and the evaporator fans 161, 162, and 163 are turned off.

Thereafter, when the temperature of at least one of the storage chambers 11, 12, and 13 enters an unsatisfactory state, the controller 110 turns on the compressor 110 (S102).

Then, the storage chamber located at the uppermost side is cooled first.

First, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 is satisfied (S103).

If the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 is satisfied, it is determined whether the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is satisfied (S106).

On the other hand, if the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 is unsatisfactory, the control unit turns on the evaporator fan 161 installed in the first storage chamber 11 (S104).

Then, intensive cooling of the first storage chamber 11 proceeds.

Thereafter, when the temperature of the first storage chamber 11 enters a satisfactory state, the control unit turns off the evaporator fan 161 installed in the first storage chamber 11 (S105).

Then, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is satisfied (S106).

If the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is satisfactory, it is determined whether the temperatures of all the storage chambers 11, 12 and 13 are satisfactory (S112).

On the other hand, if the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 is unsatisfactory, the control unit turns on the evaporator fan 162 installed in the second storage chamber 12 (S107).

Then, intensive cooling of the second storage chamber 12 proceeds.

Thereafter, when the temperature of the second storage chamber 12 enters a satisfactory state, the control unit turns off the evaporator fan 162 installed in the second storage chamber 12 (S108).

Then, it is determined whether the temperatures of all the storage rooms 11, 12, and 13 are satisfied. (S112)

Thereafter, when the temperatures of all the storage rooms 11, 12, and 13 are satisfied, the control unit maintains the operation of the compressor 110 for a predetermined additional time, or whether the outside temperature is lower than the reference temperature (about 12.5°C). It is determined whether or not. (S1121)

Then, in a state in which all the evaporator fans 161, 162, and 163 are turned off, if it is determined that the compressor 110 has completed the additional operation for an additional time, or if the outside temperature is determined to be lower than the reference temperature (about 12.5°C), the control unit Ends the operation of the compressor 110. (S113)

Then, the temperature sensor 171, 172, 173 detects the temperature of the storage chambers 11, 12, 13 in real time, and the controller returns to step S101 to determine whether the temperature inside the storage is satisfactory.

On the other hand, in step S112, if it is determined that the inside temperature of at least one of the storage rooms 11, 12, 13 is unsatisfactory, the process returns to step S103 to determine whether the temperature of the first storage room 11 is satisfactory. .

7 is a timing diagram showing the state of the evaporator fan, compressor, and switching valve for each situation of the refrigerator according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, all the outlets of the switching valves 140 are in a state where the interior temperatures of the first storage rooms (rooms 1 and 11), the second storage rooms (rooms 2 and 12), and the third storage rooms (rooms 3 and 13) are all satisfied. Keep all closed, all evaporator fans (fan1,161), (fan2,162), (fan3,163) remain off (off), compressor (comp, 110) also off ( off).

Then, when the temperature of the first storage room (room 1, 11) is switched to the unsatisfactory state, the compressor (comp, 110) is turned on. Then, the evaporator fan (fan1,161) of the first storage chamber is turned on, and the A-direction (see FIG. 2) of the switching valve 140 connected to the evaporator 151 of the first storage chamber is opened.

Therefore, the compressed refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator 151 of the first storage chamber, and the cold air generated in the evaporator 151 is supplied to the first storage chamber 11 through the evaporator fans fan1,161, Intensive cooling of the storage rooms (rooms 1 and 11) proceeds.

Then, when the cooling operation of the first storage room (room 1, 11) is finished, the evaporator fan (fan1,161) of the first storage room is turned off, and the switching valve 140 connected to the evaporator 151 of the first storage room The exit in direction A (see Fig. 2) is closed.

In addition, when the cooling operation of the first storage rooms (rooms 1 and 11) ends, when the temperature of the second storage rooms (rooms 2 and 12) is unsatisfactory, the evaporator fan (fan2,162) of the second storage room is turned on (on ), the outlet in the B direction (see FIG. 2) of the switching valve 140 connected to the evaporator 152 of the second storage chamber is opened.

Therefore, the compressed refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator 152 of the second storage chamber, and the cold air generated in the evaporator 152 is supplied to the second storage chamber 12 through the evaporator fans (fan2,162), the second Intensive cooling of the storage chamber 12 proceeds.

Then, when the cooling operation of the second storage room (room2,12) is finished, the evaporator fan (fan2,162) of the second storage room is turned off, and the switching valve 140 connected to the evaporator 152 of the second storage room The exit in direction B (see Fig. 2) is closed.

In addition, when the cooling operation of the second storage rooms (rooms 2 and 12) ends, when the temperature of the third storage rooms (rooms 3 and 13) is unsatisfactory, the evaporator fan (fan3,163) of the third storage room is turned on (on ), the outlet in the C direction (see FIG. 2) of the switching valve 140 connected to the evaporator 153 in the third storage room is opened.

Therefore, the compressed refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator 153 in the third storage chamber, and the cold air generated in the evaporator 153 is supplied to the third storage chamber 13 through the evaporator fans fan3,163, and the third Intensive cooling of the storage chamber 13 proceeds.

Thereafter, when the cooling operation of the third storage rooms (rooms 3 and 13) ends, the evaporator fan (fan3,163) of the third storage room is turned off, and the switching valve 140 connected to the evaporator 153 of the third storage room The exit in the C direction (see Fig. 2) is closed.

Then, all the evaporator fans (fan1,161), (fan2,162), (fan3,163) is turned off (off), and all outlets of the switching valve 140 are closed (all close), the compressor 110 The additional operation, which maintains operation for an additional period of time, can optionally proceed.

And, in the standby mode, all the outlets of the switching valve 140 remain all closed, and all the evaporator fans (fan1,161), (fan2,162), (fan3,163) are off. And the compressor (comp, 110) remains off.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present invention, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may make various modifications and variations without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention.

Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical spirit of the present invention, but to explain, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments.

The scope of protection of the present invention should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical spirits within the equivalent range should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (15)

A cabinet having a storage space;
A door rotatably coupled to the cabinet to open and close the storage space;
A barrier disposed horizontally inside the cabinet to partition the storage space into a plurality of storage rooms including a first storage room;
A high temperature sensor individually provided for each storage chamber to sense the temperature of each storage chamber;
A compressor for compressing a refrigerant, an evaporator individually provided in each storage chamber, an evaporator fan separately provided in each storage chamber, and provided between the condenser and the evaporator based on the flow direction of the refrigerant, passing through the condenser A cooling module including a switching valve that flows one refrigerant to one of the plurality of evaporators;
A refrigerator including a control unit for controlling on/off operation of each evaporator fan and opening/closing operation of the switching valve based on temperature information of each storage room sensed by the internal temperature sensor.
According to claim 1,
When the controller determines that the temperature of the first storage room is unsatisfactory,
Control the switching valve so that the refrigerant flowing into the switching valve is supplied to the evaporator side of the first storage chamber,
A refrigerator controlling the evaporator fan of the first storage room to operate.
According to claim 2,
The control unit controls the switching valve and the evaporator fan to preferentially cool the storage chamber located at the upper side among the plurality of storage chambers,
When the temperature condition of the storage chamber located at the upper side is satisfied, the refrigerator controlling the switching valve and the evaporator fan to cool the storage chamber located at the lower side.
According to claim 2,
The control unit, after operating the evaporator fan for a set time, the refrigerator to control the evaporator fan off (off).
According to claim 2,
The control unit operates the evaporator fan until the temperature condition of the first storage room is satisfied, and then turns off the refrigerator.
The method of claim 4 or 5,
When the operation of the evaporator fan is finished, the switching valve is also closed, and the refrigerant flow to the evaporator disposed in the same storage chamber as the evaporator fan is restricted.
According to claim 2,
When the cooling operation of at least one of the plurality of storage rooms is finished, the controller determines whether or not the temperature conditions of all the storage rooms are satisfied,
If the temperature conditions of all the storage rooms are satisfied, all the evaporator fans are turned off and all the switching valves are closed, and the refrigerator is terminated after the additional operation of the compressor is performed for a reference time.
The method of claim 7,
The control unit, if the outside temperature is below the reference temperature, the refrigerator to end or skip the additional operation.
The method of claim 7,
The control unit, after the start of the additional operation, when the preset additional time elapses, the refrigerator to terminate the additional operation.
According to claim 1,
The control unit, when the compressor is turned on, when the temperature conditions of the plurality of storage rooms are all satisfied, the refrigerator to turn off the compressor.
According to claim 1,
The controller is a refrigerator that turns on the compressor when the temperature condition of at least one of the plurality of storage rooms enters an unsatisfactory state in a state in which the compressor is turned off.
According to claim 1,
The switching valve is provided with one inlet and a plurality of outlets, the plurality of outlets being respectively connected to different storage rooms,
The control unit is a refrigerator that controls the switching valve to discharge the refrigerant introduced through the inlet to any one of the plurality of outlets.
According to claim 1,
The first storage room is disposed on the top side,
The refrigerator includes a third storage chamber positioned below the first storage chamber, and a second storage chamber positioned between the first storage chamber and the third storage chamber.
According to claim 1,
The door is a refrigerator that simultaneously opens and closes the plurality of storage rooms.
According to claim 1,
A refrigerator further comprising a high temperature sensor that senses the outside temperature of the refrigerator.

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