Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12487022-B2
Application number	US-202118021520-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2021
Priority date	Aug 19, 2020
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a first storage compartment, a cavity, a heat source, a cold source, a water molecule freezing preventing device, and a controller configured to control an output of at least one of the heat source, the cold source, or the water molecule freezing preventing device. The controller is configured to perform a first operation step to operate based on the first set temperature for a cooling operation, a second operation step to operate based on a second set temperature for a heating operation, and a third operation step to operate based on a third set temperature for the cooling operation, where the second set temperature is higher than 0° C., and the third set temperature is equal to the first set temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
a first storage compartment to store goods; a cavity disposed inside the first storage compartment; a heat source to supply heating air to the cavity; a cold source to supply cooling air to the cavity; a water molecule freezing preventing device to prevent freezing of water contained in the goods; and a controller configured to control an output of at least one of the heat source, the cold source, or the water molecule freezing preventing device, wherein the controller is configured to perform: a first operation based on a first set temperature for a first cooling operation of the first storage compartment, a second operation based on a second set temperature for a heating operation of the first storage compartment, and a third operation based on a third set temperature for a second cooling operation of the first storage compartment, wherein the second set temperature is higher than 0° C., and the third set temperature is equal to the first set temperature, wherein the controller is configured to: sequentially decrease a temperature of the goods to the first set temperature in the first operation step, sequentially increase the temperature of the goods to the second set temperature in the second operation step, sequentially decrease a temperature of the goods to the third set temperature in the third operation step, wherein the controller is configured to control a period of the second operation step to be longer than a period of the first operation step, and control a period of the third operation step to be longer than the period of the second operation step.

2 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the cold source includes:
an evaporator to perform heat exchange using a refrigerant compressed by a compressor, and a fan to supply cooling air generated by the heat exchange at the evaporator to the first storage compartment.

3 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the cold source includes
a thermoelectric element, and a fan to supply cooling air generated by heat exchange a heat absorption surface of the thermoelectric element to the first storage compartment.

4 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to change an operation mode of the first storage compartment, and
the operation mode includes at least one of a refrigerating operation mode, a supercooling operation mode, or a thawing mode.

5 . The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein a set temperature of the first storage compartment in the refrigerating operation mode is higher than a set temperature of the first storage compartment in the supercooling operation mode.

6 . The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein a set temperature of the first storage compartment in the refrigerating operation mode is lower than a set temperature of the first storage compartment in the thawing operation mode.

7 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , comprising a second storage compartment disposed outside the first storage compartment.

8 . The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein a set temperature of the second storage compartment is higher than the first set temperature for the first cooling operation of the first storage compartment and the third set temperature for the second cooling operation of the first storage compartment.

9 . The refrigerator of claim 7 , comprising a third storage compartment,
wherein a set temperature for the third storage compartment is lower than the first set temperature for cooling operation of the first storage compartment and the third set temperature for the second cooling operation of the first storage compartment.

10 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control an output of the water molecule freezing preventing device during execution of the second operation to be greater than an output of the water molecule freezing preventing device during execution of the first operation.

11 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control an output of the water molecule freezing preventing device during execution of the third operation to be equal to or greater than an output the water molecule freezing preventing device during execution of the first operation.

12 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to perform a fourth operation based on a fourth set temperature for another heating operation of the first storage compartment.

13 . The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the fourth set temperature is higher than 0° C.

14 . The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to control the fourth set temperature to be higher than the second set temperature when a time interval from a time when an operation start condition of the second operation is satisfied to a time when an operation end condition of the second operations is satisfied exceeds a predetermined range.

15 . The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to control the fourth set temperature to be equal to the second set temperature when a time interval from a time when an operation start condition of the second operation is satisfied to a time when an operation end condition of the second operation is satisfied is within a predetermined range.

16 . The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to control the fourth set temperature to be lower than the second set temperature when a time interval from a time when an operation start condition of the second operation is satisfied to a time when an operation end condition of the second operation is satisfied is less than a predetermined range.

17 . The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to control the fourth set temperature to be higher than the second set temperature when a temperature of the first storage compartment exceeds a predetermined range from a time when an operation start condition of the second operation is satisfied to a time when an operation end condition of the second operation is satisfied.

18 . The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to control the fourth set temperature to be equal to the second set temperature when a temperature of the first storage compartment is within a predetermined range from a time when an operation start condition of the second operation is satisfied to a time when an operation end condition of the second operation is satisfied.

19 . The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to control the fourth set temperature to be lower than the second set temperature when a temperature of the first storage compartment less than a predetermined range from a time when an operation start condition of the second operation is satisfied to a time when an operation end condition of the second operation is satisfied.

20 . A refrigerator comprising:
a first storage compartment to store goods; a cavity disposed inside the first storage compartment; a heat source to supply heating air to the cavity; a cold source to supply cooling air to the cavity; a water molecule freezing preventing device to prevent freezing of water contained in the goods; and a controller configured to control an output of at least one of the heat source, the cold source, or the water molecule freezing preventing device, wherein the controller is configured to perform: a first operation based on a first set temperature for a first cooling operation of the first storage compartment,

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Choi Heungsik

Classifications

• F25D2400/02

  Refrigerators including a heater · CPC title

• F25D31/005 Primary

  Combined cooling and heating devices · CPC title

• F25D17/06

  by forced circulation · CPC title

• A23B2/80

  Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling · CPC title

• A23B2/60

  by treatment with electric currents without heating effect · CPC title