Refrigeration – Automatic control – Of external fluid or means
Patent
1996-01-19
1998-07-14
Bennett, Henry A.
Refrigeration
Automatic control
Of external fluid or means
62408, 236 51, F25D 1704
Patent
active
057786941
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cooling air supply control apparatus of a refrigerator and a control method thereof, which can adjust the amount and discharge direction of cooling air in order to stably maintain a desired temperature in the refrigerator regardless of opening and/or closing of a door thereof and the existence of high temperature food in the refrigerator.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Generally, the temperature in a conventional refrigerator is detected by a temperature sensor disposed at a predetermined position therein, and if the detected temperature in the refrigerator is above a reference temperature pre-established in a microcomputer, a compressor therein is driven, and at the same time, a damper is opened, thereby causing the cooling air to be discharged through a plurality of discharge ports arranged in a refrigerating chamber, freezing chamber, vegetable chamber or the like, so that the temperature therein can be lowered.
Meanwhile, if the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is lower than the reference temperature, driving of the compressor is caused to stop, and at the same time, the damper is closed, thereby preventing the temperature in the refrigerating chamber, freezing chamber, vegetable chamber or the like from being excessively lowered.
As a prior art, Japanese laid open utility model No. Sho 63-10392 published on Aug. 13, 1990, discloses a cooling air circulation apparatus, where the cooling air is discharged at a stretch toward top sides of the respective chambers from air holes formed at a front side of a blowing apparatus.
Part of the cooling air discharged through the air holes is conducted down to a front area of a door from a top area of the door, and the same time, is conducted into the refrigerating chamber or vegetable chamber through air holes provided in front of the refrigerating chamber and vegetable chamber.
Furthermore, part of the cooling air is conducted down through a gap formed between a food shelf and a lower side of the inner door, and part of the cooling air is discharged toward an inner upper area of the chamber and conducted down through a gap formed between frost formed behind the food shelf.
An opening for re-circulating the cooling air whose temperature has been increased by absorbing heat from the food stored in the chamber is formed at a rear portion of a floor unit in the refrigerating chamber.
However, in the conventional refrigerator thus constructed, there is a problem in that because a predetermined amount of the cooling air is discharged in a predetermined direction regardless of temperature changes in the refrigerating chamber, freezing chamber or in the vegetable chamber, the temperature in the chambers cannot be maintained at a constant level, thereby causing a degradation of the degree of freshness of the food disposed at an area where the cooling air is not smoothly circulated, and at the same time, lots of time is consumed in order to maintain at a predetermined level an overall temperature in the chambers when hot food is placed thereinto, thereby causing an increase of electric power consumption.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is disclosed to solve the aforementioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a cooling air supply control apparatus of a refrigerator and a control method thereof by which an eccentric damper for adjusting a discharge amount and discharge direction of the cooling air is controllably driven to thereby cause the cooling air to be partially discharged or discharged to the left or right side or maintenance of the temperature in the chambers at a predetermined constant level, and at the same time, the overall temperatures in all the chambers are maintained constant within a shortest possible time by concentratively cooling an area where the hot food is placed even though the hot food is put into the chambers, to thereby reduce the power consumption and temperature variation rate in the chambers.
It is another objec
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Bennett Henry A.
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Tinker Susanne C.
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