Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020224962-A1
Application number	US-201916725166-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 23, 2019
Priority date	Jan 10, 2019
Publication date	Jul 16, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet configured to be formed with a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber, a first door configured to open and close the first storage chamber, a second door configured to open and close the second storage chamber, a first cooler and a heater configured to adjust the temperature of the first storage chamber, a second cooler configured to adjust a temperature of the second storage chamber, and a controller configured to perform a general operation of the first storage chamber in preference to door load response operation of the second storage chamber, of the general operation of adjusting the temperature of the first storage chamber and the door load response operation of the second storage chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet providing a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber; a door configured to open and close the second storage chamber; a first heat exchanger configured to cool the first storage chamber; a second heat exchanger configured to cool the second storage chamber; and a controller configured to manage the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger such that the second heat exchanger is operated to cool the second storage chamber during a set time period after the door is opened based on: (1) a temperature of the second storage chamber being greater than a set temperature associated with the second storage chamber, and (2) the first heat exchanger not being operated.

2 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a refrigerant valve configured to selectively guide refrigerant to at least one of the first heat exchanger or to the second heat exchanger, wherein the controller is configured to control the refrigerant valve to guide refrigerant to the first heat exchanger when operating the first heat exchanger, and to control the refrigerant valve to guide refrigerant to the second heat exchanger when operating the second heat exchanger.

3 . The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to control the refrigerant valve to guide refrigerant to the first heat exchanger and not to the second heat exchanger during the set time period when a temperature of the first storage chamber is greater than a set temperature associated with the first storage chamber.

4 . The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to control the refrigerant valve to guide refrigerant to the second heat exchanger and not to the first heat exchanger during the set time period based on determining that operation of the first heat exchanger causes the temperature of the first storage chamber to be lowered to be equal to or less than the set temperature associated with the first storage chamber.

5 . The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to control the refrigerant valve to stop guiding refrigerant to the second heat exchanger after the set time period.

6 . The refrigerator of claim 3 , further comprising a compressor to circulate refrigerant via the refrigerant valve to the at least one of the first heat exchanger or to the second heat exchanger, and
wherein the controller, when controlling the refrigerant valve to guide refrigerant to the second heat exchanger, is configured to turn off the compressor when the temperature of the second storage chamber is equal to or less than the set temperature for the second storage chamber.

7 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a partition to partition the first storage chamber into a first space and a second space,
wherein the controller operates the first heat exchanger and not the second heat exchanger during the set time period when a temperature of the first space is greater than a set temperature for the first space or a temperature for the second space is greater than a set temperature for the second space.

8 . The refrigerator of claim 2 , further comprising:
a heater configured to heat the first storage chamber, wherein the controller is further configured to operate the second heat exchanger and not the first heat exchanger during the set time period and to operate the heater to heat the first storage chamber during the set time period when the temperature in the first storage chamber is less than a low set temperature for the first storage chamber.

9 . The refrigerator of claim 8 , further comprising a partition that partitions the first storage chamber into a first space and a second space,
wherein the heater includes a first heater to heat the first space and a second heater to heat the second space, and wherein the controller operates the second heat exchanger during the set time period when activating the first heater based on a temperature of the first space being less than a first low set temperature and activating the second heater based on a temperature of the second space being less than a second low threshold temperature.

10 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller operates the second heat exchanger based on determining that the temperature of the second storage chamber is greater than the threshold temperature associated with the second storage chamber during the set time period after the door is opened and when an outside temperature of the refrigerator is within a set range.

11 . The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the controller operates the second heat exchanger based on determining that the outside temperature is in a range of 18° C. to 34° C. and the temperature of the second storage chamber is greater than the set temperature associated with the second storage chamber during a first set time of approximately 2 minutes 30 seconds to 3 minutes 30 seconds after the door is opened, and wherein the controller continues to operate the second heat exchanger based on determining that the outside temperature is in the range of 18° C. to 34° C. and the temperature of the second storage chamber is 4° C. or more greater than the set temperature for the second storage chamber during a second set time of approximately 9 minutes to 11 minutes after the door is opened.

12 . The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
cease operating the second heat exchanger and operate the first heat exchanger to cool the first storage chamber during the set time period when a temperature of the first storage chamber increases to be greater than a set temperature for the first storage chamber, and cease operating the first heat exchanger and resume operating the second heat exchanger when the temperature of the first storage chamber is reduced to be equal to or less than the set temperature for the first storage chamber during the set time period.

13 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller manages the first storage chamber to operate as one of a refrigeration chamber or a specialized storage chamber to receive a particular type of good, and
the controller further manages the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger such that: when the first storage chamber operates as the specialized storage chamber, the controller operates the first heat exchanger and not the second heat exchanger during the set time period when a temperature of the first storage chamber is greater than a set temperature for the first storage chamber, and when the first storage chamber is operated as the refrigeration chamber, the controller operates the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger simultaneously during the set time period when the temperature of the first storage chamber is greater than the set temperature for the first storage chamber.

14 . The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the particular type of good includes wine.

15 . The refrigerator of claim 13 , further comprising a door configured to open and close the first storage chamber,
wherein the controller further manages the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger such that when the first storage chamber is operated as the refrigeration chamber, the controller operates the first heat exchanger and not the second heat exchanger during a time period after the door to the first storage chamber is opened.

16 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a set temperature for the first storage chamber is greater than the set temperature for the second storage chamb

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Jeongwon
• Seong Giseok
• Chung Myungjin
• Kim Kyungseok
• Suh Yonghun

Classifications

• F25D23/069

  Cooling space dividing partitions · CPC title

• F25D29/00 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• F25D11/022 Primary

  with two or more evaporators · CPC title

• F25B5/02

  arranged in parallel · CPC title

• F25D2400/02

  Refrigerators including a heater · CPC title