Patent Application
20160320121
The present invention relates to a method and a device for controlling a freezing phase in a single-control combined refrigeration appliance, and to a related refrigeration appliance.
A single-control combined refrigeration appliance is provided with at least one refrigerator compartment (also commonly called “fresh” compartment, with a normal internal temperature of approx. +4° C.) and at least one freezer compartment for freezing food and preserving frozen food; it is also provided with a single refrigeration circuit with a single compressor; it has a temperature sensor detecting only the temperature in the refrigerator compartment only, and not that in the freezer compartment, and an evaporator temperature sensor, which is used for controlling the defrosting operation; it is provided with a fan adapted to blow cold air into the refrigerator compartment from the freezer compartment when the temperature in the refrigerator compartment exceeds a threshold. It is to be understood, therefore, that the field of application of the invention refers to such a refrigeration appliance.
A method for controlling such a single-control combined refrigerator is known wherein activation of the compressor occurs following a cold request generated by the refrigerator compartment when the temperature in the refrigerator compartment exceeds a threshold. The temperature in the freezer compartment is not detected, and therefore it does not affect the compressor on/off control.
A drawback of this method is that it is not effective in executing the process of freezing foods or other substances that are inserted into the freezer compartment at room temperature. Since there is no direct control of the temperature in the freezer compartment, this process cannot be optimized, resulting in a time-consuming, energy-consuming or incomplete freezing process.
A method and a device for controlling a freezing phase in a single-control combined refrigeration appliance, and a related refrigeration appliance that can overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks are disclosed.
The method and device provide, in single-control combined refrigerators, a cycle called “super freezer”, which speeds up the cooling of foods inserted in the freezer compartment. Said cycle can be activated by the user via a user interface.
Said cycle may also take into account the temperature reduction requests coming from the refrigerator compartment. It may also take into account the fact that in both compartments the temperature can be lower than a given threshold.
The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling a freezing phase in a refrigeration appliance of the single-control combined type, said refrigeration appliance comprising at least one refrigerator compartment, at least one freezer compartment, a single compressor, a temperature sensor detecting only the temperature in the refrigerator compartment, a temperature sensor detecting the temperature of the evaporator of the refrigeration circuit, a fan, the method being characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a freezing phase in a single-control combined type refrigeration appliance comprises activating said freezing phase, including turning on a compressor and monitoring only a refrigerator temperature of a refrigerator compartment and a evaporator temperature of an evaporator associated with the refrigerator and a freezer. During the freezing phase, if the refrigerator temperature is greater than a predetermined upper refrigerator threshold, a fan associated with the refrigerator compartment is turned on until said refrigerator temperature is lower than a predetermined lower refrigerator threshold. Further, if the evaporator temperature is less than a predetermined lower evaporator threshold, the fan is turned on until the evaporator temperature is above a predetermined upper evaporator threshold. If the refrigerator temperature is lower than a predetermined minimum refrigerator temperature, the compressor is turned off. The method further includes deactivating said freezing phase after a given time has elapsed following said activation.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a device for controlling a freezing phase in a single-control combined type refrigeration appliance includes a refrigerator compartment, a freezer compartment, an evaporator associated with the refrigerator and the freezer, a compressor associated with the evaporator, a refrigerator temperature sensor detecting only a refrigerator temperature within the refrigerator compartment, an evaporator temperature sensor detecting an evaporator temperature of the evaporator, a fan in fluidic communication between the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment, and a controller implementing a freezing phase in the refrigeration appliance. The freezing phase includes turning on the compressor and monitoring only a refrigerator temperature of a refrigerator compartment and a evaporator temperature of an evaporator associated with the refrigerator and a freezer. If the refrigerator temperature is greater than a predetermined upper refrigerator threshold, the controller turns on a fan associated with the refrigerator compartment until said refrigerator temperature is lower than a predetermined lower refrigerator threshold. The controller deactivates said freezing phase after a given time has elapsed following said activation.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable medium comprises a recorded program and program coding means implementing a freezing phase in the refrigeration appliance when executed on a computer. The freezing phase includes turning on a compressor and monitoring only a refrigerator temperature of a refrigerator compartment and a evaporator temperature of an evaporator associated with the refrigerator and a freezer. If the refrigerator to temperature is greater than a predetermined upper refrigerator threshold, a fan associated with the refrigerator compartment is turned on until said refrigerator temperature is lower than a predetermined lower refrigerator threshold. If the evaporator temperature is less than a predetermined lower evaporator threshold, said fan is turned on until the evaporator temperature is above a predetermined upper evaporator threshold. If the refrigerator temperature is lower than a predetermined minimum refrigerator temperature, said compressor is turned off. Said freezing phase is deactivated after a given time has elapsed following said activation.
It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a method and a device for controlling a freezing phase in a single-control combined refrigeration appliance, and a related refrigeration appliance, as set out in the claims, which are an integral part of the present description.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an example of embodiment thereof and from the annexed drawings, which are only supplied by way of non-limiting example, wherein:
In the drawings, the same reference numerals and letters identify the same items or components.
A method for controlling a freezing phase in a single-control refrigeration appliance is such that it creates a freezing cycle, which may be called a “super-freezer” cycle, aimed at speeding up the process of lowering the temperature of food placed in the freezer compartment, e.g. from room temperature to a target temperature of −18° C., for example.
With reference to
A possible request for a temperature reduction from the refrigerator compartment, also referred to as Cold Request, is then preferably monitored for (
The “super-freezer” freezing cycle may have a predetermined duration, e.g. 24 h. The cycle checks that said duration is not exceeded (t>24 h); if it is, the cycle will end (End SF) automatically. Otherwise, the cycle will continue.
Afterwards, the fan is turned off (Fz fan=off), so that no cooling air will circulate from the freezer compartment to the refrigerator compartment.
The state of the fan normally depends on the request for a temperature reduction in the refrigerator compartment.
At this point the cycle may check again that its duration has not been exceeded (t>24 h), in which case the cycle will end (End SF) automatically. Otherwise, the cycle will continue. In addition (as shown in
The cycle will go on for the predetermined duration on condition that the temperature of the evaporator Tevap does not fall below a lower threshold T1 (NO result of the “Tevap<T1 ?” test) instead, if the temperature of the evaporator Tevap falls below a lower threshold (Tevap<T1), then the fan will be turned on (Fz fan=on) and air will be circulated from the freezer to the refrigerator in order to prevent the evaporator from operating at an excessively low temperature, as this would cause the generation of excessive frost on the evaporator. In this case, the cycle may afterwards check (
If Tfg<T3, it means that the refrigeration appliance is in a condition wherein it is advantageous to not accumulate any additional cold neither in the refrigerator compartment nor in the freezer compartment, and hence the compressor will be turned off (Cps=off); otherwise, it will remain on.
Then, when the temperature of the evaporator Tevap exceeds a threshold T2>T1 (Tevap>T2), the fan will be turned off (returning to Fz fan=off).
Otherwise, the cycle will continue for its maximum duration (t>24 h), after which it will end (End SF) automatically and the compressor will be turned off.
In summary, the steps of the method of the invention are the following:
In a non-limiting sense, some possible values of the temperature thresholds may be as follows:
One example of embodiment of the device of the invention comprises a circuit that implements the steps of the method, which circuit is inserted into a single-control combined refrigeration appliance comprising the above-defined elements.
Said circuit may comprise per se known elements as described above, and also a computer program comprising coding means for implementing one or more steps of the method when said program is executed by a computer. It is therefore understood that the protection scope extends to said computer program as well as to computer-readable means that comprise a recorded message, said computer-readable means comprising program coding means for implementing one or more steps of the method when said program is executed by a computer.
The above-described example of embodiment may be subject to variations without departing from the protection scope of the present invention, including all equivalent designs known to a man skilled in the art.
The elements and features illustrated herein may be combined together without however departing from the protection scope of the present invention.
The advantages deriving from the application of the present invention are apparent.
It substantially speeds up the cooling of the foods inserted in the freezer compartment in a simple and low-cost manner.
From the above description, those skilled in the art will be able to produce the object of the invention without introducing any further construction details.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| TO2013A001095 | Dec 2013 | IT | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2014/067062 | 12/18/2014 | WO | 00 |
