Refrigerator with a system for restoring a set temperature after power cutoff
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorNobuhisa Otani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for restoring a set temperature in a refrigerator after power has been cut off. The refrigerator includes a compartment for which plural set temperatures can be selected. The refrigerator is provided with a temperature detecting device for detecting an interior temperature of the compartment, a power restoration detecting device for detecting the restoration of power after a power cutoff occurs, and a microcomputer. The microcomputer determines the appropriate set temperature when power is restored in response to receiving a temperature detection signal from the temperature detecting device. The microcomputer stores the determined set temperature and controls the temperature in the compartment in accordance therewith.
Claims12
A refrigerator including a compartment for which plural set temperatures can be selected comprising:
- temperature detecting means for detecting an interior temperature of the compartment and generating a temperature detection signal corresponding to the detected interior temperature;
- power restoration detecting means for detecting power restoration after a power cutoff has occurred and generating a power restoration signal;
- set temperature decision means for deciding, when the power restoration signal is generated upon restoration of power after a cutoff, the set temperature for the compartment based upon the temperature detection signal received from the temperature detecting means and generating a temperature decision signal indicating the set temperature decided upon;
- memory means for storing a temperature set value corresponding to the temperature decision signal and generating a setting signal corresponding to the temperature set value;
- and
- temperature control means for controlling the interior temperature of the compartment in accordance with the setting signal and the temperature detection signal.
A controller for a refrigerator including a compartment for which plural set temperatures can be selected respectively, comprising:
- temperature detecting means for detecting an interior temperature of the compartment and generating a temperature detection signal corresponding to the detected temperature;
- power restoration detecting means for detecting power restoration after a power cutoff has occurred and generating a power restoration signal;
- microcomputer means for deciding the set temperature for the compartment in accordance with the temperature detecting signal when receiving the power restoration signal and storing the set temperature decided thereby, the interior temperature of the compartment being controlled by the microcomputer means in accordance with the set temperature stored therein.
A method for restoring a set temperature in a refrigerator after power has been cut off, the refrigerator including a compartment for which plural set temperatures can be selected, comprising the steps of:
- determining when power has been restored after a power cutoff;
- detecting the interior temperature of the compartment;
- when said determining step determines that power has been restored, comparing the detected temperature in the compartment with at least one prescribed temperature and selecting a set temperature for the compartment in accordance with the comparison;
- storing the set temperature;
- and
- controlling the interior temperature of the compartment in accordance with the set temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.