Refrigerator and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9440203-B2
Application number	US-201414189341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2014
Priority date	Feb 28, 2013
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerator including: a carbonated water tank in which carbonated water is stored; a water tank supplying filtered water to the carbonated water tank; a carbon dioxide cylinder supplying carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank; and a controller, if the water level of carbonated water sensed by a water level sensor is less than or equal to a predetermined minimum water level, supplying the filtered water to the carbonated water tank, and if supply of the filtered water is completed, supplying the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank so as to produce the carbonated water. If it is expected that the storage amount of the carbonated water is reduced or the user won't use the carbonated water for a while, carbonated water is automatically produced so that the user is not required to wait while the carbonate water is produced.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a carbonated water tank in which carbonated water is storable;
a water level sensor configured to sense a water level of carbonated water in the carbonated water tank;
a water tank in which water is storable;
a carbon dioxide cylinder in which carbon dioxide is storable; and
a controller configured to:
supply water from the water tank to the carbonated water tank, if the water level sensed by the water level sensor is below a predetermined minimum water level, and
supply carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide cylinder to the carbonated water tank, if the water level sensed by the water level sensor is above a predetermined maximum water level,
wherein, if the carbonated water is discharged, the controller controls the water level sensor to sense the water level of the carbonated water in the carbonated water tank.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a dispenser discharging the carbonated water,
wherein, if the carbonated water is discharged through the dispenser, the controller calculates an accumulated discharge time at which all the carbonated water is discharged since the carbonated water has been produced.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein, if the accumulated discharge time is greater than or equal to a predetermined maximum accumulated discharge time, the controller produces the carbonated water.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein, if the carbonated water is not discharged, the controller calculates a discharge waiting time since the carbonated water has been discharged, and if the discharge waiting time is greater than or equal to a predetermined maximum discharge waiting time and the accumulated discharge time is greater than or equal to a predetermined maximum accumulated discharge time, the controller produces the carbonated water.

5. A refrigerator comprising:
a carbonated water tank in which carbonated water is storable;
a water level sensor configured to sense a water level of carbonated water in the carbonated water tank;
a water tank in which water is storable;
a carbon dioxide cylinder in which carbon dioxide is storable; and
a controller configured to:
supply water from the water tank to the carbonated water tank, if the water level sensed by the water level sensor is below a predetermined minimum water level, and
supply carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide cylinder to the carbonated water tank, if the water level sensed by the water level sensor is above a predetermined maximum water level.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , further comprising a dispenser discharging the carbonated water,
wherein, if the carbonated water is discharged through the dispenser, the controller calculates an accumulated discharge time at which all the carbonated water is discharged since the carbonated water has been produced, and if the accumulated discharge time is greater than or equal to a predetermined maximum accumulated discharge time, the controller produces the carbonated water.

7. A refrigerator comprising:
a carbonated water tank in which carbonated water is storable;
a water level sensor configured to sense a water level of carbonated water in the carbonated water tank;
a water tank in which water is storable;
a carbon dioxide cylinder in which carbon dioxide is storable;
an input unit configured to receive a user input for producing the carbonated water from a user; and
a controller configured to:
supply water from the water tank to the carbonated water tank, if the user input for producing the carbonated water is input through the input unit, and
supply carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide cylinder to the carbonated water tank, if the water level sensed by the water level sensor is above a predetermined maximum water level.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein, if the carbonated water production activation instruction is input from the user, the controller determines whether carbonated water production is being performed when the carbonated water production activation instruction is input, and if it is determined that carbonated water production is being performed when the carbonated water production activation instruction is input, the controller restarts production of carbonated water being performed.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Sung Ho
• Ko Kyung Tae
• Kim Jung Yeob
• Jeong Seong Wook

Classifications

• F25D2400/361

  Interactive visual displays · CPC title

• B67D1/0871

  Level gauges for beverage storage containers (level indicators in general G01F) · CPC title

• A23L2/00

  Non-alcoholic beverages; Dry compositions or concentrates therefor (soup concentrates A23L23/10); Preparation or treatment thereof (preparation of non-alcoholic beverages by removal of alcohol C12H3/00) · CPC title

• A23L2/54

  Mixing with gases · CPC title

• B67D1/0057

  Carbonators · CPC title