Refrigeration – Automatic control – Refrigeration producer
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-12
2001-04-17
McDermott, Corrine (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Automatic control
Refrigeration producer
C062S231000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216478
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation speed change system and method for a refrigerator, and more particularly to, in the driving of a compressor of an inverter refrigerator an operation speed of which is variable, an operation speed change system and method for a refrigerator that improves power consumption of the refrigerator by varying an operation frequency of the refrigerator by sensing the change of a temperature inside the refrigerator in accordance with various conditions such as a fast mode selection by a user, the temperature change outside the refrigerator and the closing/opening of the refrigerator.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
FIG. 1
is a schematic diagram of a general refrigerator. As shown therein, the refrigerator includes a compressor
13
supplying a gaseous refrigerant with high temperature and pressure, an evaporator
11
cooling down a freezer
20
and a cold-storage room
30
through a heat exchange with peripheral units by evaporating the refrigerant supplied from the compressor
13
which becomes a liquid state at low temperature and pressure while passing through a condenser (not shown) and a capillary (not shown), a damper
12
controlling a temperature inside the cold-storage room
30
by supplying or excluding cool air come from the freezer
20
to the cold-storage room
30
, and a freeze fan motor
10
driving a freeze fan
14
which forcibly sends the cool air to the freezer
20
as the process of cool air circulation.
Now, the operation of the refrigerator will be described with reference to FIG.
1
.
When power is supplied, the compressor
13
compresses the gaseous refrigerant to have high temperature and pressure and the compressed refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator
11
through the condenser and the capillary. The evaporator
11
evaporates the refrigerant which has become the liquid state with low temperature and pressure while passing through the condenser and the capillary from the compressor
13
, thereby supplying the refrigerant to the freezer
20
and the cold-storage room
30
through the heat exchange with the peripheral units to cool down the interior of the refrigerator.
The damper
12
controls the temperature of the cold-storage room
30
by supplying or excluding the cool air provided from the freezer
20
, and the freeze fan motor
10
drives the freeze fan
14
to supply the cool air produced from the evaporator
11
to the freezer
20
, whereby the cool air circulation occurs. In addition, in the driving of the compressor, an operation frequency is uniformly fixed (generally, fixed at 60 Hz) and when the temperature inside the refrigerator becomes higher than a predetermined temperature, the compressor starts operating and then suspends its operation when reaching the predetermined temperature.
In the conventional art, however, there is problem in that since the operation frequency of the compressor is uniformly fixed, generally, at 60 Hz, it is impossible to achieve a flexible operation of the compressor in accordance with the change of the interior conditions of the refrigerator.
For instance, when food is placed in the refrigerator by opening a door thereof and when the temperature inside the refrigerator increases because the load of the food is large, the temperature inside the refrigerator must be decreased to an appropriate level by rapidly driving the compressor. However, since the operation frequency is fixed, it is difficult to cope with the temperature change within the limited time, which results in a loss of its freshness. Contrarily, although the food with a small load is placed in the refrigerator, the compressor is driven with the operation frequency which is higher than an actually required frequency, whereby an energy is unnecessarily consumed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an operation speed change system and method for an inverter refrigerator which obviates the problems and disadvantages in the conventional art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an operation speed change system and method for an inverter refrigerator that maintains freshness of food and improves power consumption of the refrigerator by flexibly changing an operation frequency of a compressor when driving the compressor.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided an operation speed change system for an inverter refrigerator which includes: a power sensing means for sensing an input of power in an initial state; a mode selection sensing means for sensing a mode selection of the user; a circumferential temperature sensing means for sensing a temperature in the vicinity of the refrigerator; a temperature comparing means for determining whether the temperature sensed by the circumferential temperature sensing means is higher than a previously set temperature; a door opening sensing means for sensing the door opening of the refrigerator; an interior temperature sensing means for sensing a temperature inside the refrigerator; a time lapse determining means for measuring the predetermined time elapsed from a referential point of time when the door opening is sensed by the door opening sensing means; a frequency setting means for setting a frequency in accordance with outputs from the power sensing means, the mode selection sensing means, the temperature comparing means, the door opening sensing means, the interior temperature sensing means and the time lapse determining means; and a compressor driving means for driving a motor at the frequency determined by the frequency setting means and outputting a signal to the time lapse determining means for the referential point of time.
Also, to achieve the object of the present invention, there is provided an operation speed change method for an inverter refrigerator which includes the following steps: (a) determining whether a current temperature inside the refrigerator is greater than a maximum value of a previously set temperature range of a freezer; (b) determining whether or not it is an initial power input when the current temperature inside the refrigerator is greater than the maximum value of the previously set temperature range of the freezer; (c) performing a high-speed operation when it is determined to be the initial power input or determining whether a fast mode is selected when it is not determined to the initial power input; (d) performing the highspeed operation when the fast mode is inputted or determining whether a peripheral temperature is higher than a predetermined set temperature if the fast mode is not selected; (e) performing the high-speed operation when the peripheral temperature is higher than the predetermined set temperature, or determining whether there was a door opening when the peripheral temperature is lower than the predetermined set temperature; and (f) operating at a predetermined referential frequency when there was no door opening and then returning to step (a), or sensing a temperature inside the refrigerator at predetermined time intervals when there was the door opening, thereby increasing a predetermined frequency by one step until the temperature inside the refrigerator becomes below the maximum value of the previously set temperature range of the freezer when the sensed temperature inside the refrigerator is above the maximum value thereof, or suspending the driving of a compressor when the sensed temperature inside the refrigerator is below the maximum value thereof, wherein step (f) includes: (g) determining whether a predetermined time has elapsed when it is determined there was the door opening in step (e); (h) determining whether the current temperature inside the freezer is greater than the maximum value the previously set temperature range of the freezer; (i) operating at a predetermined referential frequency (a low-speed operation) and then returning to step (a), when it is determined in steps (g),(h
Fleshner & Kim LLP
Jiang Chen-Wen
LG Electronics Inc.
McDermott Corrine
LandOfFree
Operation speed change system and method for refrigerator does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Operation speed change system and method for refrigerator, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Operation speed change system and method for refrigerator will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2457366