Refrigerator and method for controlling the same

Details Refrigerator and method for controlling the same Refrigerator and method for controlling the same

2001-01-03

2002-07-16

Tanner, Harry B. (Department: 3744)

Refrigeration

Automatic control

Of external fluid or means

C062S408000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06418739

ABSTRACT:

CLAIM OF PRIORITY
This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 from my applications entitled Refrigerator And Control Method Thereof filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office on Feb. 9, 2000 and there duly assigned Ser. No. 2000-6040 and filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office on Oct. 5, 2000 and there duly assigned Ser. No. 2000-58578.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a method for controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 1
which is a side sectional view of a refrigerator, the refrigerator is comprised of a main body
1
formed with a fresh food compartment
3
and a freezer compartment
5
, and doors
7
and
9
installed in front of the main body
1
, opening and closing the fresh food compartment
3
and the freezer compartment
5
. In the rear lower part of the main body
1
is provided a component chamber
30
accommodating therein a compressor
31
compressing a refrigerant and a condenser (not shown).
In the rear of the freezer component
5
are provided an evaporator
15
generating cool air by means of the refrigerant from the compressor
31
and an evaporator accommodating part
10
accommodating the evaporator
15
therein.
The evaporator accommodating part
10
includes a rear cover
11
and a front cover
13
. The rear cover
11
is spaced from the rear wall of the freezer compartment
5
at a predetermined interval and the front cover
13
is spaced from the rear cover
11
at a predetermined interval, having cool air discharge holes. On the rear lower part of the rear cover
11
is provided a supporter
12
supporting the evaporator
15
. Above the upper part of the evaporator
15
is installed a fan
17
blowing the cool air generated from the evaporator
15
into the freezer compartment
5
.
In the rear of the inner wall of the main body
1
are provided a cool air duct
40
and a cool air circulation duct
43
. The cool air duct
40
includes a cool air path
41
guiding the cool air generated from the evaporator
15
into the fresh food compartment
3
, and the cool air circulation duct
43
guides the air passing through the fresh food compartment
3
toward the evaporator
15
. The cool air duct
40
extends toward the rear wall of the fresh food compartment
3
from the evaporator accommodating part
10
positioned in the rear of the freezer compartment
5
, and the cool air circulation duct
43
extends toward the evaporator
15
from the rear lower part of the fresh food compartment
3
.
In the cool air duct
40
is installed a damper
150
opening and closing the cool air path
41
so as to control an inner temperature of the fresh food compartment
3
. In the fresh food compartment
3
is installed a temperature sensor
20
sensing the inner temperature of the fresh food compartment
3
. In the main body
1
is provided a controller (not shown) controlling an operation of the damper
150
so as to allow the damper
150
to open and close the cool air path
41
according to the inner temperature of the fresh food compartment
3
, the temperature being sensed by the temperature sensor
20
.
FIG. 2
is a sectional view taken along line—of
FIG. 1
, showing the conventional damper
150
. As shown therein, the conventional cool air duct
40
is comprised of a cool air hole communicating with the cool air path
41
. The conventional damper
150
is comprised of a damper plate
151
opening and closing the cool air hole
42
, and a driving means
153
installed in one end of the damper plate
151
, adjusting opening and closing of the damper plate
151
. The driving means
153
is comprised of a solenoid having a plunger (not shown). Between the damper plate
151
and the driving means
143
is provided an elastic plate
154
. One end of the elastic plate
154
is installed in the damper plate
151
and the other end thereof is installed in the plunger (not shown).
When the refrigerator starts to operate, the temperature sensor
20
senses an inner temperature of the fresh food compartment
3
. If the sensed inner temperature of the fresh food compartment
3
is higher than a predetermined temperature, the controller drives the driving means
153
to wholly open the cool air path
41
. If the cool air path
41
is entirely opened, the cool air generated from the evaporator
15
is supplied into the fresh food compartment
3
through the cool air path
41
, to thereby decrease the inner temperature of the fresh food compartment
3
so as not to exceed the predetermined temperature.
If the sensed inner temperature of the fresh food compartment
3
is not higher than the predetermined temperature, the controller activates the driving means
153
to wholly close the cool air path
41
. If the cool air path
41
is entirely closed, the cool air from the evaporator
15
cannot be supplied into the fresh food compartment
3
, to thereby allow the inner temperature thereof not to be lower than the predetermined temperature.
In the conventional refrigerator, the damper plate is structured simply to wholly open and close the cool air path of the cool air duct, so that it is difficult to appropriately adjust the amount of the cool air supplied into the cooling chamber according to the inner temperature of the cooling chamber, thereby being unable to effectively control the inner temperature of the cooling chamber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made keeping in mind the above-described problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of efficiently controlling an inner temperature of a cooling chamber, and a method for controlling the temperature.
This and other objects of the present invention may be achieved by a provision of a refrigerator comprising a main body formed with at least one cooling chamber and an evaporator, and a cool air duct forming a cool air path guiding cool air from the evaporator into the cooling chamber, further comprising a damper plate rotatably installed in the cool air duct, opening and closing the cool air path; a damper driving motor rotating the damper plate; a temperature sensor sensing an inner temperature of the cooling chamber; and a controller controlling the damper driving motor so as to open and close the damper plate, based on an open degree of the damper plate predetermined according to the inner temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.
The damper driving motor is installed outside the cool air duct, and the damper plate is of substantially rectangular and planar shape, corresponding to a sectional shape of the cool air duct, and it is installed inside the cool air path, and is rotatably coupled to a rotational shaft of the damper driving motor.
The refrigerator further comprises a damper rotation sensing part having a magnet coupled to a rotational shaft of the damper driving motor, generating a rotation signal, and a damper rotation speed sensor installed adjacent to the rotational shaft, sensing the rotation speed of the rotational shaft of the damper driving motor by means of the rotation signal from the magnet.
The damper rotation sensing part senses the open degree of the damper plate by means of the rotation speed detected by the rotation speed sensor and rotation time of the damper driving motor.
The controller controls the damper driving motor so as to allow the damper plate to have an open degree appropriate for the sensed inner temperature, by comparing the open degree of the damper plate sensed by the damper rotation sensing part and the predetermined open degree of the damper plate.
The controller controls the rotation time of the damper driving motor so as to adjust the open degree of the damper plate.
According to another aspect of the present invention, this and other objects may be achieved by a provision of a method for controlling a refrigerator comprising a main body formed with at least one cooling chamber and an evaporator, a cool air duct formin

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Refrigerator and method for controlling the same does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Refrigerator and method for controlling the same, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Refrigerator and method for controlling the same will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2844972