Refrigerator and controlling method for the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11549740-B2
Application number	US-201816965273-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2018
Priority date	Feb 26, 2018
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

There is disclosed a controlling method for a refrigerator comprising: a first defrosting step of performing defrosting for an evaporator, the first defrosting step which ends when the temperature of the evaporator reaches a first temperature; a pressure difference sensing step of measuring a difference between the pressure in a first through-hole arranged between an inlet hole for drawing air from a storage compartment and the evaporator and the pressure in a second through-hole arranged between an outlet hole for discharging air towards the storage compartment and the evaporator by using one differential pressure sensor; and a second defrosting step of performing additional defrosting for the evaporator when the measured pressure difference is a preset pressure or more.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control method for a refrigerator comprising:
determining whether a defrosting start condition for an evaporator is satisfied;
a first defrosting step of performing defrosting for the evaporator, the first defrosting step which ends when a temperature of the evaporator reaches a first temperature;
a pressure difference sensing step of measuring a difference between a pressure in a first through-hole arranged between an inlet hole for drawing air from a storage compartment and the evaporator and a pressure in a second through-hole arranged between an outlet hole for discharging air towards the storage compartment and the evaporator by using a single differential pressure sensor; and
a second defrosting step of performing additional defrosting for the evaporator when the measured pressure difference is larger than a preset pressure,
wherein the defrosting start condition is set in consideration of a driving time of a compressor and an open time of a door.

2. The control method of claim 1 , further comprising:
an operation step of driving a compressor to cool the storage compartment when the measured pressure difference is the preset pressure or less.

3. The control method of claim 2 , wherein the operation step is performed after the second defrosting step is completed, when the measured pressure difference is the preset pressure.

4. The control method of claim 2 , wherein the operation step further comprises driving a fan to supply air heat-exchanged with the evaporator to the storage compartment.

5. The control method of claim 1 , further comprising driving a heater to heat the evaporator in the first defrosting step and the second defrosting step.

6. The control method of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature is lower than a second temperature reached by the evaporator in the second defrosting step.

7. The control method of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature is equal to a second temperature reached by the evaporator in the second defrosting step.

8. The control method of claim 1 , further comprising:
a step of driving a fan to supply air heat-exchanged in the evaporator to the storage compartment, the fan driving step arranged between the first defrosting step and the pressure difference sensing step.

9. The control method of claim 8 , wherein the pressure difference sensing step is performed after the fan driving step is performed for a specific time period.

10. The control method of claim 8 , wherein the fan driving step is performed in a preset time period after the first defrosting step is completed.

11. The control method of claim 1 , wherein in the first defrosting step and the second defrosting step, a fan to supply air heat-exchanged in the evaporator to the storage compartment is not driven.

12. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet in which a storage compartment is provided;
a door to open and close the storage compartment;
a case in which an evaporator is provided, the case comprising an inlet hole formed to draw air from the storage compartment and an outlet hole formed to discharge air into the storage compartment;
a fan provided to generate flow of air that is drawn via the inlet hole and discharged via the outlet hole;
a single differential pressure sensor provided in the case; and
a controller configured to determine whether to perform defrosting for the evaporator according to a pressure difference sensed by the differential pressure sensor, wherein the controller is configured to determine a defrosting start condition for the evaporator and the defrosting start condition is set in consideration of a driving time of a compressor and an open time of a door.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , further comprising:
a heater provided to heat the evaporator.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to: operate the heater to perform a defrosting of the evaporator and end the operation of the heater when a temperature of the evaporator reaches a first temperature; determine the pressure difference sensed by the differential pressure sensor; and operate the heater to perform an additional defrosting of the evaporator when the determined pressure difference is larger than a preset pressure.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , further comprising a compressor, wherein the controller is configured to drive the compressor to cool the storage compartment when the measured pressure difference is the preset pressure or less.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to drive the fan to supply air heat-exchanged with the evaporator to the storage compartment when the storage compartment is cooled.

17. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to measure the pressure difference after a defrosting of the evaporator by the heater is performed.

18. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the differential pressure sensor comprises,
a first through-hole arranged between the evaporator and the inlet hole;
a second through-hole arranged between the evaporator and the outlet hole; and a body provided to connect with the first through-hole and the second through-hole, and
an electronic circuit configured to sense a difference between a pressure of air penetrating the first through-hole and a pressure of air penetrating the second through-hole.

19. The refrigerator of claim 18 , wherein the body includes:
a first pipe having the first through-hole formed therein and a second pipe having the second through-hole formed therein; and
a connection member provided to connect the first pipe and the second pipe, wherein the electronic circuit is provided in the connection member.

20. The refrigerator of claim 19 , wherein the first pipe and the second pipe are arranged to have the evaporator there between.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Sungwook
• Park Kyongbae
• Choi Sangbok
• Cho Yunsu

Classifications

• F25D21/006 Primary

  with electronic control circuits · CPC title

• F25B2700/19

  Pressures · CPC title

• F25D17/06

  by forced circulation · CPC title

• F25D2700/12

  Sensors measuring the inside temperature · CPC title

• F25D2700/02

  Sensors detecting door opening · CPC title