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EP-4053479-B1 - REFRIGERATOR

EP4053479B1EP 4053479 B1EP4053479 B1EP 4053479B1EP-4053479-B1

Inventors

  • SEONG, GISEOK
  • KIM, KYUNGSEOK
  • KIM, KYEONGYUN
  • AHN, Seunguk
  • CHUNG, MYUNGJIN

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20181219

Claims (14)

  1. A refrigerator comprising: a main body (9) including at least one wine chamber (W1, W2) and a freezing chamber (F); a compressor (1) to compress refrigerant; a condenser (2) to condense the refrigerant compressed in the compressor (1); a freezing chamber evaporator (8) to cool the freezing chamber (F); a freezing chamber fan (84) to circulate cool air of the freezing chamber (F) to the freezing chamber evaporator (8); a defrosting heater (88) to defrost the freezing chamber evaporator (8); a wine chamber evaporator (6) to cool the at least one wine chamber (W1, W2); a wine chamber fan (64) to circulate cool air of the at least one wine chamber (W1, W2) in the wine chamber and to the wine chamber evaporator (6); a path switching device (10) to guide the refrigerant condensed in the condenser (2) to the freezing chamber evaporator (8) in a freezing chamber mode and to guide the refrigerant condensed in the condenser (2) to the wine chamber evaporator (6) in a wine chamber mode; characterized by a controller (220) configured to turn on the defrosting heater (88) to perform a freezing chamber defrosting mode (E) for defrosting the freezing chamber evaporator (8), to control the path switching device (10) to the wine chamber mode and to drive the compressor (1) and the wine chamber fan (64) while a temperature condition of the at least one wine chamber (W1, W2) is dissatisfied when the temperature condition of the at least one wine chamber (W1, W2) is dissatisfied in the freezing chamber defrosting mode (E), wherein the controller (220) is further configured to perform an alternate cooling mode for alternately cooling the wine chamber and the freezing chamber after terminating the freezing chamber defrosting mode.
  2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein in the alternate cooling mode, the controller (220) is configured to alternately perform: a wine chamber cooling mode (G1) for driving the wine chamber fan (64) and controlling the path switching device (10) to the wine chamber mode while stopping the freezing chamber fan (84), and a freezing chamber cooling mode (G2) for driving the freezing chamber fan (84) and controlling the path switching device (10) to the freezing chamber mode while stopping the wine chamber fan (64).
  3. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the controller (220) is configured to first start the wine chamber cooling mode (G1) when a set waiting time has elapsed after terminating the freezing chamber defrosting mode (E).
  4. The refrigerator of claim 2 or 3, wherein the controller (220) is configured to perform the wine chamber cooling mode (G1) and the freezing chamber mode (G2) for a same set time.
  5. The refrigerator of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the controller (220) is configured to terminate the alternate cooling mode (G) when a temperature condition of the freezing chamber (F) is satisfied in the alternate cooling mode (G).
  6. The refrigerator of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the controller (220) is configured to terminate the freezing chamber defrosting mode (E) if a defrosting releasing condition is satisfied in the middle of the freezing chamber defrosting mode (E), wherein the defrosting releasing condition includes: a case in which a temperature of the freezing chamber evaporator sensed is equal to or greater than a defrosting termination set temperature; or a case in which a defrosting termination set time has elapsed after the freezing chamber defrosting mode (E).
  7. The refrigerator of the claim 6, wherein the controller (220) is configured to turn off the defrosting heater (88) when the defrosting releasing condition is satisfied, and wherein the controller (220) is configured to perform the alternate cooling mode (G) when a set waiting time (T3) has elapsed after the defrosting heater (88) is turned off.
  8. The refrigerator of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the controller (220) is configured to terminate a defrosting operation when the alternate cooling mode (G) terminates, and then cool the refrigerator according to the temperature of the wine chamber (W1, W2) and the temperature of the freezing chamber (F).
  9. The refrigerator of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the path switching device (10) is configured to regulate the refrigerant flowing through the wine chamber evaporators (6) and the freezing chamber evaporator (8), and operate in a wine chamber mode in which the refrigerant condensed in the condenser (2) is guided to the wine chamber evaporator or in a freezing chamber mode in which the refrigerant condensed in the condenser (2) is guided to the freezing chamber evaporator.
  10. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the controller (220) is configured to perform: a freezing chamber additional cooling mode (A) for cooling the freezing chamber (F) before performing the freezing chamber defrosting mode (E), and/or a wine chamber additional defrosting mode (B) for defrosting the wine chamber before performing the freezing chamber defrosting mode (E).
  11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the controller (220) is configured to perform the freezing chamber additional cooling mode (A), and wherein the freezing chamber additional cooling mode (A) includes: performing a first mode (A1) for driving the compressor (1), driving the freezing chamber fan (84), driving the wine chamber fan (64), and controlling the path switching device (10) to the freezing chamber mode, and performing a second mode (A2) for closing the path switching device (10) when an additional set time has elapsed after the freezing chamber additional cooling mode (A) starts or when a temperature condition of the freezing chamber (F) is satisfied, in the freezing chamber additional cooling mode (A).
  12. The refrigerator of claim 10 or 11, wherein the controller (220) is configured to perform the wine chamber additional defrosting mode (B) for additionally driving the wine chamber fan (64) after stopping the compressor (1) and the freezing chamber fan (84).
  13. The refrigerator of any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the controller (220) is configured to: drive the compressor (1), drive the wine chamber fan (64), and control the path switching device (10) to the wine chamber mode to perform a wine chamber pre-cool mode (C); and stop the wine chamber fan (64) in the wine chamber pre-cool mode (C), drive the freezing chamber fan (84), and control the path switching device (10) to the freezing chamber mode to perform a freezing chamber pre-cool mode (D), wherein the freezing chamber defrosting mode (E) starts after terminating the freezing chamber pre-cool mode (D).
  14. The refrigerator of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the controller (220) is configured to cool the at least one wine chamber (W1, W2) according to the temperature of the at least one wine chamber (W1, W2) while the defrosting heater (88) is turned on to defrost the freezing chamber evaporator (8), and/or wherein the controller (220) is configured to perform a natural defrosting mode for naturally defrosting the wine chamber evaporator (6) by the cool air of the at least one wine chamber (W1, W2) before performing the freezing chamber defrosting mode (E).

Description

BACKGROUND 1.Field of the Disclosure The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having a plurality of evaporators for cooling a plurality of storage chambers. 2. Discussion of the Related Art A refrigerator is a device for cooling or storing objects to be cooled (hereinafter, referred to as food) at a low temperature to prevent food from spoiling or going sour, or preserve medicines and cosmetics. The refrigerator includes a main body having at least one storage chamber formed therein and a freezing cycle device for cooling the storage chamber. The main body may include a plurality of storage chambers having different temperature ranges. In recent years, refrigerators for storing foods, which need to be stored at a constant temperature, such as wine, have gradually increased. Korean patent registration No. 10-0889966 B1 (published on March 24, 2009) discloses a wine refrigerator capable of refrigerating wine. The wine refrigerator disclosed in Korean patent registration No. 10-0889966 B1 (published on March 24, 2009) includes a wine storage space in which wine is received, a freezing system for cooling air inside of the wine storage space, a heater for partially heating the air inside of the wine storage space, an evaporator temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the evaporator of the freezing system, and a controller for controlling operation of the freezing system and the heater. Since circulated air is generated in the wine refrigerator by the heater, the internal temperature of the wine refrigerator may be maintained in an optimal temperature range. In addition, in such a wine refrigerator, a first wine chamber evaporator, a second wine chamber evaporator and a freezing chamber evaporator respectively perform evaporation in an upper, middle and lower layers of the wine storage space, thereby separately performing temperature control. However, the above-described wine refrigerator may store wine and food having a storage temperature close to that of wine, but cannot suitably store food having a lower storage temperature than wine, such as meat, together with wine. Other prior art refrigerators are known from JP H11 304344 A, JP 2002 062026 A and JP 2000 258028 A. JP 2000 258028 A discloses a refrigerator comprising: a main body including at least one wine chamber and a freezing chamber; a compressor to compress refrigerant; a condenser to condense the refrigerant compressed in the compressor; a freezing chamber evaporator to cool the freezing chamber; a freezing chamber fan to circulate cool air of the freezing chamber to the freezing chamber evaporator; a defrosting heater to defrost the freezing chamber evaporator; a wine chamber evaporator to cool the at least one wine chamber; a wine chamber fan to circulate cool air of the at least one wine chamber in the wine chamber and to the wine chamber evaporator; a path switching device to guide the refrigerant condensed in the condenser to the freezing chamber evaporator in a freezing chamber mode and to guide the refrigerant condensed in the condenser to the wine chamber evaporator in a wine chamber mode; and a controller configured to turn on the defrosting heaters to perform a freezing chamber defrosting mode for defrosting the freezing chamber evaporator and a refrigerating chamber defrosting mode for defrosting the refrigerating chamber evaporator, wherein the controller is further configured to perform an alternate cooling mode for alternately cooling the wine chamber and the freezing chamber. SUMMARY An object of the present disclosure is to provide a refrigerator capable of maintaining a wine chamber at a constant temperature as much as possible. The object is solved by the features of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments are given in the dependent claims. To achieve the above objects, there is provided a refrigerator including a compressor configured to compress refrigerant, a condenser configured to condense the refrigerant compressed in the compressor, a freezing chamber evaporator configured to cool a freezing chamber, a freezing chamber fan configured to circulate cool air of the freezing chamber to the freezing chamber and the freezing chamber evaporator, a defrosting heater configured to defrost the freezing chamber evaporator, a wine chamber evaporator configured to cool a wine chamber, a wine chamber fan configured to circulate cool air of the wine chamber to the wine chamber and the wine chamber evaporator, a path switching device configured to guide the refrigerant condensed in the condenser to the freezing chamber evaporator in a freezing chamber mode and to guide the refrigerant condensed in the condenser to the wine chamber evaporator in a wine chamber mode, and a controller configured to turn on the defrosting heater to perform a freezing chamber defrosting mode for defrosting the freezing chamber evaporator, to control the path switching device to the wine chamber m