Operation control method of refrigerator

Abstract

An operation control method of a refrigerator including a main body defining a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment, an evaporator cooling the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment, a heater defrosting the evaporator, and a plurality of blowing fans respectively corresponding to the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment. The method includes setting a heater operation temperature less than a control temperature of the refrigerating compartment; measuring a temperature of air surrounding the refrigerator; measuring an inside temperature of the refrigerating compartment; and operating the heater and the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment when the measured temperature of the surrounding air is less than a set reference surrounding air temperature and the measured inside temperature is less than the heater operation temperature.

1 . An operation control method of a refrigerator including a main body defining a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment, an evaporator cooling the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment, a heater defrosting the evaporator, and a plurality of blowing fans respectively corresponding to the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment, the operation control method comprising: 
 setting a heater operation temperature less than a control temperature of the refrigerating compartment;    measuring a temperature of air surrounding the refrigerator;    measuring an inside temperature of the refrigerating compartment; and    operating the heater and the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment when the measured temperature of the surrounding air is less than a set reference surrounding air temperature and the measured inside temperature is less than the heater operation temperature.    
     
     
         2 . The operation control method according to  claim 1 , wherein the operating of the heater and the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment comprises operating the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment at the same time that the heater starts to be operated.  
     
     
         3 . The operation control method according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 setting a heater stop temperature; and    stopping an operation of the heater when the measured inside temperature reaches the heater stop temperature.    
     
     
         4 . The operation control method according to  claim 1 , wherein the operating of the heater and the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment comprises: 
 operating the heater;    setting a heater stop temperature;    measuring a temperature of the evaporator;    stopping the operating of the heater when the measured temperature of the evaporator reaches the set heater stop temperature; and    operating the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment.    
     
     
         5 . The operation control method according to  claim 1 , wherein the operating of the heater and the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment comprises: 
 operating the heater for a set heater operation time;    stopping the operation of the heater after the heater operation time has elapsed; and    operating the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment.    
     
     
         6 . The operation control method according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerator further comprises a plurality of the freezing compartments and the refrigerating compartments, and a plurality of the evaporators and the heaters respectively corresponding to the freezing compartments and refrigerating compartments.  
     
     
         7 . An operation control method of a refrigerator including a main body defining a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment, an evaporator cooling the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment, blowing fans respectively corresponding to the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment, and a compressor compressing a refrigerant supplied to the evaporator, the operation control method comprising: 
 setting a first fan control temperature greater than a control temperature of the refrigerating compartment;    measuring a temperature of air surrounding the refrigerator;    measuring an inside temperature of the refrigerating compartment; and    performing a cooling operation comprising maintaining operation of the compressor and operating the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment when the measured temperature of the surrounding air is less than a set reference surrounding air temperature and the measured inside temperature of the refrigerating compartment is equal to or greater than the first fan control temperature.    
     
     
         8 . The operation control method according to  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 setting a second fan control temperature less than the control temperature of the refrigerating compartment; and    performing the cooling operation comprising maintaining the operation of the compressor and operating the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment when the measured temperature of the surrounding air is equal to or higher than the reference surrounding air temperature and the measured inside temperature of the refrigerating compartment is equal to or greater than the second fan control temperature.    
     
     
         9 . The operation control method according to  claim 8 , wherein the refrigerator further comprises a plurality of the freezing compartments and the refrigerating compartments, and a plurality of the evaporators and the heaters respectively corresponding to the freezing compartments and refrigerating compartments.  
     
     
         10 . An operation control method of a refrigerator including a main body defining a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment, an evaporator cooling the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment, a heater defrosting the evaporator, a plurality of blowing fans respectively corresponding to the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment, and a compressor compressing a refrigerant supplied to the evaporator, the operation control method comprising: 
 setting a first fan control temperature greater than a control temperature of the refrigerating compartment;    setting a heater operation temperature less than the control temperature of the refrigerating compartment;    measuring a temperature of air surrounding the refrigerator;    measuring an inside temperature of the refrigerating compartment;    performing a cooling operation comprising maintaining operation of the compressor and operating the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment when the measured temperature of the surrounding air is less than a set reference surrounding air temperature and the measured inside temperature of the refrigerating compartment is equal to or greater than the first fan control temperature; and    heating the refrigerating compartment comprising operating the heater and the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment when the measured temperature of the surrounding air is less than the reference surrounding air temperature and the measured inside temperature is less than the heater operation temperature after the operation of the compressor is stopped.    
     
     
         11 . The operation control method according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 setting a second fan control temperature less than the control temperature of the refrigerating compartment; and    performing the cooling operation comprising maintaining the operation of the compressor and operating the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment when the measured temperature of the surrounding air is equal to or greater than the reference surrounding air temperature and the measured inside temperature of the refrigerating compartment is equal to or greater than the second fan control temperature.    
     
     
         12 . The operation control method according to  claim 10 , wherein the operating of the heater and the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment comprises operating the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment at the same time that the heater starts to be operated.  
     
     
         13 . The operation control method according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 setting a heater stop temperature greater than the control temperature of the refrigerating compartment; and    stopping the operation of the heater when the measured inside temperature reaches the heater stop temperature.    
     
     
         14 . The operation control method according to  claim 10 , wherein the operating of the heater and the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment comprises: 
 operating the heater;    setting a heater stop temperature;    measuring a temperature of the evaporator;    stopping the operation of the heater when the measured temperature of the evaporator reaches the set heater stop temperature; and    operating the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment.    
     
     
         15 . The operation control method according to  claim 10 , wherein the operating of the heater and the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment comprises: 
 operating the heater for a set heater operation time;    stopping the operation of the heater after the heater operation time has elapsed; and    operating the blowing fan corresponding to the refrigerating compartment.    
     
     
         16 . The operation control method according to  claim 10 , wherein the refrigerator further comprises a plurality of the freezing compartments and the refrigerating compartments, and a plurality of the evaporators and the heaters respectively corresponding to the freezing compartments and refrigerating compartments.  
     
     
         17 . An operation control method of a refrigerator including a refrigerating compartment, an evaporator cooling the refrigerating compartment, and a heater defrosting the evaporator, the operation control method comprising: 
 operating the heater according to a temperature of air surrounding the refrigerator and/or an inside temperature of the refrigerating compartment.    
     
     
         18 . The operation control method according to  claim 17 , wherein the operating the heater comprises operating the heater when a temperature of the surrounding air is less than a reference surrounding air temperature.  
     
     
         19 . The operation control method according to  claim 18 , wherein the operating the heater further comprises operating the heater when the inside temperature is less than a heater operation temperature.  
     
     
         20 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a refrigerating compartment;    an evaporator cooling the refrigerating compartment;    a heater defrosting the evaporator; and    a controller to operate the heater according to a temperature of air surrounding the refrigerator and/or an inside temperature of the refrigerating compartment.