Refrigeration – With indicator or tester – Position or extent of motion of movable element
Reexamination Certificate
2003-04-07
2004-05-04
Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
With indicator or tester
Position or extent of motion of movable element
C062S231000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06729147
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a compressor of a refrigerator, and particularly, to an apparatus and a method for controlling operation of a compressor in a refrigerator which are able to control the driving of refrigerator compressor by detecting whether there is an error in the compressor of the refrigerator.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, a refrigerator uses a vapor compression refrigeration method that freezes by repeating vaporization and condensation of a refrigerant which can be evaporated easily under a pressure similar to atmospheric pressure. Also, freon gas is widely used as the refrigerant used in the refrigerator. However, since the freon gas is one of elements destructing ozone layer, new substituting solvents are under development and R600a refrigerant is one of the new solvents. The R600a refrigerant is an environment-friendly refrigerant having 0 ozone depletion potential and 0 global warming potential, and has advantages such that injection amount is less than that of conventional refrigerant, cost for changing existing equipment and machines is less than that of conventional refrigerant, and noise generation can be reduced. Brief construction of the general refrigerator will be described with reference to FIG.
1
.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram showing a brief construction of the general refrigerator.
As shown therein, the refrigerator comprises: a power source unit
100
for supplying power source; a cooling chamber
110
for storing foods in low temperature; a freezing chamber
120
for storing foods in frozen status; refrigerator doors
200
installed on front surfaces of the cooling chamber
110
and the freezing chamber
120
and used when a user stores the foods or draws the stored foods; a temperature sensing unit
700
for sensing inner temperatures of the cooling chamber
110
and the freezing chamber
120
using a temperatures sensor
10
; a micro computer
600
for outputting a control signal based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensing unit
700
and based on the predetermined temperature by the user; a compressor
400
for generating refrigerant; and a driving unit
500
for supplying or blocking the power source to the compressor
400
in order to control a fan motor
300
and the compressor
400
based on the control signal outputted from the microcomputer
600
.
FIG. 2
is an operational flow chart illustrating a method for controlling operation of the compressor in the refrigerator according to the conventional art.
As shown therein, the operation controlling method according to the conventional art comprises: a step of sensing inner temperatures in the cooling chamber
110
and the freezing chamber
120
when the user selects operational mode of the refrigerator (S
20
); a step of comparing the inner temperatures of the cooling chamber
110
and the freezing chamber
120
sensed by the temperature sensing unit
700
to the predetermined temperature by the user (S
21
); a step of supplying power source to the compressor
400
in order to drive the compressor
400
when the inner temperatures of the cooling chamber
110
and the freezing chamber
120
are higher than the predetermined temperature (S
22
); and a step of blocking the power source supplied to the compressor
400
in order to suspend the driving of compressor
400
when the inner temperatures of the cooling chamber
110
and the freezing chamber
120
are lower than the predetermined temperature (S
23
).
The operation controlling method for the compressor of refrigerator according to the conventional art will be described in detail as follows. When the user selects the operational mode of the refrigerator, the temperature sensing unit
700
senses the inner temperatures of the cooling chamber
110
and the freezing chamber
120
and outputs the sensed temperature information to the microcomputer
600
. Herein, the temperature sensing unit
700
senses the temperatures of the cooling chamber
110
and the freezing chamber
120
continuously, and outputs the changed temperature information to the microcomputer
600
whenever the sensed temperature is changed (S
20
).
The microcomputer
600
outputs a control signal to the driving unit
500
based on the temperatures sensed by the temperature sensing unit
700
and the predetermined temperature. Herein, when the temperatures sensed by the temperature sensing unit
700
is higher than the predetermined temperature, a first control signal for supplying the power source to the compressor
400
is outputted, and when the temperatures sensed by the temperature sensing unit
700
are lowered than the predetermined temperature, a second control signal for blocking the power source supplied to the compressor
400
is outputted (S
21
).
The driving unit
500
supplies or blocks the power source to the compressor
400
based on the first and second control signals outputted from the microcomputer
600
in order to control the compressor
400
. Herein, the driving unit
500
receives the first control signal and supplies the power source
100
to the compressor
400
in order to drive the compressor continuously (S
22
). On the other hand, the driving unit
500
receives the second control signal and blocks the power source supplied to the compressor
400
in order to suspend the compressor
400
.
Therefore, the method for controlling operation of the compressor in the refrigerator according to the conventional art outputs the control signal based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensing unit
700
and the predetermined temperature, and therefore, the driving unit
500
controls the operation of compressor
400
based on the control signal of the microcomputer
600
. As a result, the inner temperatures of the cooling chamber
110
and the freezing chamber
120
can be maintained to be lower than the predetermined temperature always. Generally, the compressor of the refrigerator is operated with turning on/off period of 0.1~10 times per hour based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensing unit
700
and the predetermined temperature.
As described above, when the refrigerator doors are closed, the compressor
400
is operated with the turning on/off period. However, even if the refrigerant is leaked when the refrigerator doors
200
are closed, the compressor
400
is operated with the turning on/off period, and thereby, the refrigerant may be exploded due to electric spark generated when the electric devices in the refrigerator are turned on/off.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for controlling operation of compressor in a refrigerator which are able to prevent an explosion due to leakage of refrigerant by controlling power source supplied to electric devices in the refrigerator based on operating time of the compressor, when refrigerator doors are closed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for controlling operation of a compressor in a refrigerator which are able to prevent an explosion due to leakage of refrigerant by controlling power source supplied to electric devices in the refrigerator based on inner temperature of the refrigerator when operating time of the compressor has passed a predetermined time.
To achieve the objects of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a method for controlling operation of a compressor in a refrigerator according to the present invention comprising: a step of supplying power source to a compressor in order to drive the compressor; a step of sensing opened/closed status of refrigerator doors continuously when the power source is supplied to the compressor; a step of comparing operating time of the compressor to a predetermined time when the refrigerator door is closed; and a step of blocking power source supplied to the compressor in order to suspend the operation of the compressor, when the operating time of the compressor is passed the p
Ali Mohammad M.
Fleshner & Kim LLP
LG Electronics Inc.
Tapolcai William E.
LandOfFree
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