Refrigerator and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10544972-B2
Application number	US-201615573152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2016
Priority date	May 11, 2015
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator and a method for controlling the same. The present disclosure provides a method for controlling the same, the method including an initial driving step of driving a compressor according to a rotation per minute (RPM) at which the compressor is driven in a previous cycle, an RPM adjusting step of increasing the RPM when an operation rate is larger than a first setting value, decreasing the RPM when the operation rate is smaller than the second setting value, and maintaining the RPM when the operation rate is between the first setting value and the second setting value, in consideration of the operation rate of the previous cycle, and a driving step of driving the compressor according to the adjusted RPM, wherein the first setting value is larger than the second setting value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a compressor having a rotation per minute (RPM) which is variably adjustable by adjusting a frequency;
an evaporator configured to receive a refrigerant compressed by the compressor after being condensed and expanded, and to exchange heat with air in a storage space;
a thermostat configured to switch on or off depending on a temperature of the storage space cooled by the evaporator; and
a compressor printed circuit board (PCB) configured to drive the compressor according to an ON or OFF state of the thermostat,
wherein the compressor PCB comprises:
a thermostat recognition unit connected to the thermostat to receive an ON or OFF signal of the thermostat; and
a microcomputer configured to integrate and store an operation time and a stop time of the compressor during a cycle from a first time point at which the compressor starts operating to a second time point at which the compressor restarts operating after having stopped between the first time point and the second time point, and calculate an operation rate, and
wherein the microcomputer is connected to the thermostat recognition unit to calculate the operation rate according to an ON or OFF signal of the thermostat recognition unit, and adjust the frequency of the compressor based on the calculated operation rate.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the thermostat recognition unit comprises a pulse conversion circuit connected to the thermostat to convert a sinusoidal signal of the thermostat into a pulse signal when the thermostat is switched on.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the thermostat recognition unit comprises a photo coupler connected to the thermostat to transfer the ON or OFF signal of the thermostat to the microcomputer in an insulated state.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the microcomputer is configured to initialize the operation rate when electric power is initially supplied to the refrigerator or is resupplied to the refrigerator after the refrigerator is switched off, and is configured to supply a middle frequency signal to the compressor to operate the compressor in a middle speed operation.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the microcomputer is configured to, when electric power is initially supplied to the refrigerator or is resupplied to the refrigerator after the refrigerator is switched off, maintain an OFF state of the compressor for a set delay time, and then start operating the compressor in the middle speed operation.

6. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the middle speed operation, which is performed when electric power is initially supplied to the refrigerator or is resupplied to the refrigerator after the refrigerator is switched off, is continuously performed for a set period of time.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the microcomputer is configured to perform a control such that the frequency of the compressor is maintained to be equal to a frequency of a previous cycle or is increased or decreased from the frequency of the previous cycle in stages, based on the operation rate.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the microcomputer is configured to maintain the frequency of the compressor to be equal to a frequency of a previous cycle when the operation rate is within a set range, and increase or decrease the frequency of the compressor by one stage from the frequency of the previous cycle when the operation rate is not less than or not more than the set range.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the microcomputer is configured to control the compressor to be operated in any one of a high speed operation in which the frequency of the compressor is highest, a low speed operation in which the frequency of the compressor is lowest, and a middle speed operation in which the frequency of the compressor is between the frequency of the high speed operation and the frequency of the low speed operation.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the operation rate is obtained by dividing, by the operation time of the compressor, an integrated time of the operation time and stop time of the compressor in a plurality of previous cycles.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the microcomputer is configured to increase the frequency of the compressor being operated by one stage when a time for which the compressor is continuously operated exceeds a set time.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the evaporator is formed to define an accommodation space.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the evaporator is accommodated in a body, and
wherein the body comprises:
a freezing chamber formed by bending the evaporator, and providing an independent space in the body; and
a refrigerating chamber defining an outer space of the evaporator and located below the evaporator.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the thermostat is mounted on a lower surface of the evaporator.

15. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein a manipulation member connected to the thermostat is provided in the body, and
wherein the manipulation member is configured to adjust an ON or OFF distance of the thermostat according to a manipulation of the manipulation member so as to adjust a cooling power in the refrigerator.

16. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the accommodation space comprises the storage space.

17. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the thermostat comprises:
a refrigerant tube filled with a refrigerant expanded depending on a temperature;
a fixing bracket configured to fix one end of the refrigerant tube such that the one end is in contact with the evaporator;
a bellows communicating with the refrigerant tube and having an elastic member accommodated therein; and
a switch switched on or off by the bellows.

18. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the compressor PCB comprises:
a noise filter configured to remove noise in input electric power;
a power supply unit configured to convert input alternating current (AC) electric power into direct current (DC) electric power and supply the converted DC electric power; and
a compressor operation unit configured to drive the compressor according to the electric power of the power supply unit and the frequency determined by the microcomputer for inverter driving.

19. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the compressor PCB is provided inside a machine room in which the compressor is provided.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Hwang Gwinan
• Koo Junhyo
• Song Sanghyun
• Lee Inguk
• Hwang Taehwan

Classifications

• F25B2700/2104

  of an indoor room or compartment · CPC title

• F25D29/00

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• F25D2700/12

  Sensors measuring the inside temperature · CPC title

• F25B2600/0253

  with variable speed · CPC title

• F25D11/00

  Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators · CPC title