Refrigeration – Automatic control – Refrigeration producer
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-22
2003-12-09
Tanner, Harry B. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Automatic control
Refrigeration producer
C062S131000, C062S161000, C062S199000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06658878
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 application entitled MULTI-ROOM REFRIGERATOR AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office on Mar. 26, 2001 and there duly assigned Serial No. 2001-15724 and my application entitled MULTI-ROOM REFRIGERATOR AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office on May 29, 2001 and there duly assigned Serial No. 2001-29743.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a multi-compartment type refrigerator and method for controlling the same, and more particularly to a multi-compartment type refrigerator and method for controlling the same, which is capable of appropriately controlling the starting of a compressor, thereby stabilizing the refrigeration cycle of the multi-compartment type refrigerator and saving the required energy of the multi-compartment type refrigerator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, in a multi-compartment type refrigerator, the entire storage compartment is partitioned into a plurality of storage compartments, a plurality of evaporators are each positioned in each of the storage compartments to refrigerate the storage compartment, and a single compressor is connected to the evaporators via a branched refrigerant conduit to supply refrigerant. In particular, the above-described construction can be applied to a specially designed refrigerator in which the refrigerant conduits of evaporators are positioned in the vicinity of the walls of the storage compartments and the storage compartments are refrigerated by the evaporators via the walls of the storage compartments.
In such a multi-compartment type refrigerator, the temperatures of the storage compartments are detected by a plurality of temperature sensors each positioned in each of the storage compartments, temperature information detected in the storage compartments are transmitted to a control unit for controlling the operation of the multi-compartment type refrigerator, and the starting of the compressor is controlled on the basis of the temperature information. Additionally, a plurality of opening/closing valves, which are selectively opened or closed by the control signal of the control unit, are positioned on a refrigerant conduit connected to the evaporators, and control the supply of refrigerant from the compressor to the evaporators.
Accordingly, in the conventional multi-compartment type refrigerator, the rise of the temperature of each of the storage compartments over a preset reference temperature is sensed by the temperature sensor, and the refrigeration of the storage compartment is performed by the control of the control unit in such a way that the refrigerant conduit connected to the corresponding storage compartment is opened by controlling the opening/closing valve and the compressor is started.
However, the conventional multi-compartment type refrigerator is controlled in such a way that the compressor is stopped if all the temperatures of the storage compartments rise over the reference temperature, while the compressor is immediately started when at least one of the temperatures of the storage compartments rises over the reference temperature, so the compressor is frequently started and stopped, thereby causing the instability of the refrigeration cycle and the loss of energy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a multi-compartment type refrigerator and method for controlling the same, in which the starting of a compressor is controlled on the basis of the temperature of a single storage compartment that has a relatively great refrigeration load, thereby stabilizing the refrigeration cycle of the multi-compartment type refrigerator by preventing the compressor from being frequently started and stopped, and saving required energy by reducing the operation time of the compressor.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a multi-compartment type refrigerator, comprising a plurality of storage compartments; a plurality of evaporators each positioned in each of the storage compartments, respectively; a compressor for supplying refrigerant to the evaporators through a branched refrigerant conduit; a plurality of opening/closing valves each positioned on a refrigerant conduit upstream of each of the evaporators for selectively controlling supply of refrigerant to the evaporators; reference compartment defining means for defining as a reference storage compartment one of the storage compartments that has a relatively great load; and control means for controlling starting of the compressor depending on a change of a temperature of the reference storage compartment.
Preferably, the reference compartment defining means is a selection switch that is capable of previously defining one of the storage compartments as the reference storage compartment.
Preferably, the reference compartment defining means compares accumulated opening times of the opening/closing valves with each other and defines one of the storage compartments, which has a relatively great accumulated opening time, as the reference storage compartment, after independently refrigerating the storage compartments for a predetermined time.
Additionally, the present invention provides a method for controlling a multi-compartment type refrigerator, the multi-compartment type refrigerator having a plurality of storage compartments each provided with a temperature sensor for sensing temperatures of the storage compartments, a plurality of evaporators for each refrigerating each of the storage compartments, a compressor for supplying refrigerant to the evaporators via a branched refrigerant conduit, and a plurality of opening/closing valves positioned on a refrigerant conduit upstream of the evaporators for controlling supply of refrigerant to the evaporators, comprising the steps of defining as a reference storage compartment one of the storage compartments that has a relatively great refrigeration load (a reference compartment defining step); and controlling starting of the compressor on a temperature of the reference storage compartment selected in the reference compartment defining step (a reference compartment control step).
Preferably, the reference compartment defining step is defining the reference storage compartment by a user's selection through manipulation of a selection switch.
Preferably, the reference compartment defining step comprises the steps of controlling an opening/closing valve, concerning a storage compartment desired to be refrigerated, to be opened and the compressor to be started, when one of the storage compartments is desired to be refrigerated (an independent control step); accumulating opening times of the opening/closing valves for a predetermined time for which the independent control step is performed; and defining as the reference storage compartment a single storage compartment concerning an opening/closing valve that has a longest accumulated opening time, by comparing accumulated opening times of the opening/closing valves with one another.
The reference compartment defining step comprises the steps of controlling an opening/closing valve, concerning a storage compartment desired to be refrigerated, to be opened and the compressor to be started, when one of the storage compartments is desired to be refrigerated (an independent control step); accumulating times, for which temperatures of the storage compartments are kept over the reference temperature, for a predetermined time for which the independent control step is performed; and defining as the reference storage compartment a single storage compartment that is kept over the reference temperature for a relatively long time, by comparing accumulated times for which temperatures of the storage compartments are ke
Kim Cheol-Hee
Lee Hee-Soo
Shim Yong-Bo
Bushnell , Esq. Robert E.
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Tanner Harry B.
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