Entrance refrigerator and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021207870-A1
Application number	US-202016886264-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 28, 2020
Priority date	Jan 2, 2020
Publication date	Jul 8, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An entrance refrigerator includes a heater turned on in a warming mode. In a structure in which a refrigerating cycle including a compressor, an evaporator, and an evaporator fan, as a cold air supply assembly, is provided, the heater may be disposed at a front of the evaporator fan, and in a structure in which a thermoelectric module including a thermoelectric element, a cold sink, and a heat absorption fan is provided, the heater may be disposed at a front of the heat absorption fan.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An entrance refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet, including:
a first surface having a first opening exposed to a first space;
a second surface having a second opening exposed to a second space; and
a storage space,
wherein the cabinet is configured to be embedded in an outer wall partitioning the first space and the second space;
a partition plate partitioning the storage space into a storage compartment at a front of the storage space and a cold air generating compartment at a rear of the storage space; a first door configured to selectively open and close the first opening; a second door configured to selectively open and close the second opening; a cold air supply assembly configured to supply cold air to the storage space, the cold air supply assembling including:
a heat absorption part positioned at the cold air generating compartment and configured to absorb heat from the storage compartment; and
a heat dissipation part positioned outside the cabinet to dissipate the heat transferred from the heat absorption part; and
a first heater mounted in the cold air generating compartment adjacent to the heat absorption part.

2 . The entrance refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the heat absorption part includes:
an evaporator configured to evaporate a refrigerant by absorbing heat from cold air of the storage compartment; and an evaporator fan disposed adjacent to the evaporator.

3 . The entrance refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the heat dissipation part includes:
a main condenser configured to condense the refrigerant by dissipating heat to outside of the cabinet; and a condenser fan disposed adjacent to the main condenser.

4 . The entrance refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the cold air supply assembly further includes a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant introduced from the evaporator and discharge the compressed refrigerant to the condenser.

5 . The entrance refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the main condenser is connected to the compressor at an outlet side of the compressor.

6 . The entrance refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second heater configured to remove frost from the heat absorption part; and a controller configured to control the first heater and the second heater.

7 . The entrance refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to turn on the first heater in a warming mode.

8 . The entrance refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to turn on the first heater and the second heater in a warming mode.

9 . The entrance refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to simultaneously turn off the first heater and the second heater when the warming mode terminates.

10 . The entrance refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to turn off the second heater and then turn off the first heater when the warming mode terminates.

11 . A method of controlling an entrance refrigerator, the entrance refrigerator including:
a cabinet embedded in an outer wall partitioning a first space and a second space, the cabinet including:
a first surface having a first opening exposed to the first space;
a second surface having a second opening exposed to the second space; and
a storage space,
a partition plate partitioning the storage space into a storage compartment at a front of the storage space and a cold air generating compartment at a rear of the storage space; a first door configured to selectively open and close the first opening; a second door configured to selectively open and close the second opening; a cold air supply assembly configured to supply cold air to the storage space, the cold air supply assembling including:
a heat absorption part positioned at the cold air generating compartment and configured to absorb heat from the storage compartment; and
a heat dissipation part positioned outside the cabinet to dissipate the heat transferred from the heat absorption part;
a first heater mounted in the cold air generating compartment adjacent to the heat absorption part; a second heater mounted on the heat absorption part and configured to remove frost or ice formed on the heat absorption part; a temperature sensor configured to detect an internal temperature of the storage compartment; and a controller configured to control operation of the cold air supply assembly, the first heater and the second heater, the method comprising: stopping, by the controller, an operation of the cold air supply module and starting a warming mode; turning on, by the controller, the first heater; and turning off, by the controller, the first heater when a temperature of the storage compartment detected from the temperature sensor reaches a preset temperature.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the cold air supply assembly further includes a compressor,
wherein the heat absorption part includes:
an evaporator; and
an evaporator fan, and
wherein the method further comprises stopping, by the controller, driving of the compressor and maintaining, by the controller, the evaporator fan in an ON state in the warming mode.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the heat dissipation part includes:
a condenser connected to the compressor at an outlet side of the compressor; and a condenser fan disposed adjacent to the condenser, and wherein the method further comprises:
compressing, by the compressor, a refrigerant; and
condensing, by the condenser, the compressed refrigerant by dissipating heat from the refrigerant to outside of the cabinet.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising simultaneously turning on, by the controller, the first heater and the second heater in the warming mode.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising turning on, by the controller, the first heater and the second heater when the temperature of the storage compartment drops to below a lower limit temperature of warming.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising simultaneously turning off, by the controller, the first heater and the second heater when the temperature of the storage compartment reaches a preset temperature,
wherein the preset temperature is higher than the lower limit temperature of warming.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising turning off, by the controller, the second heater when the temperature of the storage compartment reaches a middle temperature lower than the preset temperature and higher than the lower limit temperature of warming.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising turning off, by the controller, the first heater when the temperature of the storage compartment reaches the preset temperature.

19 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising setting, by the controller, a heating control temperature of the first heater to be higher than a heating control temperature of the second heater.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising turning off the first heater, by the controller, when a temperature of the first heater exceeds the heating control temperature of the first heater in a state in which the temperature of the storage compartment is lower than the preset temperature.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Oh Minkyu
• Kim Daewoong
• Kwon Boan
• Lee Won Jin
• Yeo In Sun
• Seo Ki Yeal
• No Yanghwan

Classifications

• F25D29/00

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• F25D17/067

  Evaporator fan units · CPC title

• F25D2317/068

  characterised by the fans · CPC title

• F25D21/002

  Defroster control · CPC title

• F25D23/10 Primary

  Arrangements for mounting in particular locations, e.g. for built-in type, for corner type · CPC title