US 11,732,948 B2Granted

Method for controlling refrigerator to alternately cool two storage compartments

AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.

InventorsSeunguk Ahn, Kyunghun Cha, Sunam Chae

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Abstract

A method for controlling a refrigerator comprises: as a first refrigeration cycle for refrigeration of a first storage chamber is operated, operating a compressor and operating a first cold air supply; when the first refrigeration cycle has been operated for a first run time, converting to a second refrigeration cycle for refrigeration of a second storage chamber, and operating a second cold air supply; and if the second refrigeration cycle has been operated for a second run time, stopping the second refrigeration cycle. A first reference time is determined using a representative value obtained based on the temperature of the first storage chamber during a single run cycle, which includes a previous first refrigeration cycle and a previous second refrigeration cycle. A second reference time period is determined using a representative value obtained on the basis of the temperature of the second storage chamber during the single run cycle.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for controlling a refrigerator, the refrigerator including a compressor that compresses refrigerant, a first evaporator that receives refrigerant from the compressor to generate cold air for cooling a first storage compartment, a first cold air supply device that supplies cold air to the first storage compartment, a second evaporator that receives refrigerant from the compressor and generates cold air for cooling a second storage compartment, a second cold air supply device that supplies cold air to the second storage compartment, a valve that selectively opens one of a first refrigerant passage connecting the compressor and the first evaporator to allow the refrigerant to flow and a second refrigerant passage connecting the compressor and the second evaporator to allow the refrigerant to flow, and the refrigerator being configured to alternately cool the first storage compartment and the second storage compartment, the method comprising:

operating a current first cooling cycle to cool the first storage compartment to operate the compressor and operating the first cold air supply device for the first storage compartment;
switching to a current second cooling cycle to cool the second storage compartment to operate the compressor and operating the second cold air supply device after the current first cooling cycle is operated for a first operation time;
and
stopping the current second cooling cycle when the current second cooling cycle is operated for a second operation time;
determining the first operation time using a first representative value, which is based on a temperature of the first storage compartment during a previous operation cycle, the previous operation cycle including a previous first cooling cycle and a previous second cooling cycle;
and
determining the second operation time using a second representative value, which is based on a temperature of the second storage compartment during the previous operation cycle.

4 more elements

A method for controlling a refrigerator, comprising:

operating a current first cooling cycle to cool a first storage compartment via a compressor operating at a first cooling power for a first operation time;
after the first operation time, operating a current second cooling cycle to cool a second storage compartment via the compressor operating at a second cooling power for a second operating time
determining the first cooling power of the compressor in the current first cooling cycle using a first representative value, which is based on a temperature of the first storage compartment during a previous operation cycle including a previous first cooling cycle and a previous second cooling cycle, and
determining the second cooling power of the compressor in the current second cooling cycle using a second representative value, which is based on a temperature of the second storage compartment during the previous operation cycle.

1 more element

A method for controlling a refrigerator, comprising:

storing temperature data of a previous first cooling cycle that cooled a first compartment and a previous second cooling cycle that cooled a second compartment, the stored temperature data including a temperature of the first compartment and a temperature of the second compartment;
operating a current first cooling cycle to cool the first compartment by operating a compressor at a current first cooling power and a first evaporator;
after a current first operation time, switching a flow of refrigerant from the compressor to a second evaporator by operating a valve;
after the current first operation time, operating a current second cooling cycle for a current second operating time to cool the second compartment by operating the compressor at a current second cooling power and the second evaporator;
and
determining at least one of the current first cooling power, the current second cooling power, the current first operating time, or the current second operating time based on a comparison between a predetermined value and the stored temperature data.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/265,311Filed 1 Aug 2019
Priority: KR 10-2018-00904612 Aug 2018
Published: US 2021/0302092 A130 Sep 2021
Granted: 22 Aug 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

F25D 11/022
With cooling compartments at different temperatures: with two or more evaporators
F25B 5/02
Compression machines, plants or systems, with several evaporator circuits, e.g. for varying refrigerating capacity: arranged in parallel
F25B 49/02
Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices: for compression type machines, plants or systems
F25B 49/022
For compression type machines, plants or systems: compressor control arrangements