Supercooling apparatus, refrigerator, and control method thereof

Abstract

A refrigerator for storing a beverage at an optimal temperature to stably supercool the beverage and maintain the beverage in a supercooled state, and that can rapidly produce a supercooled beverage while maintaining the supercooled state of the beverage. A supercooling apparatus of the refrigerator includes a storage to which chilled air is supplied from a chilled air supply unit, a supercooling compartment positioned in the storage and refrigerated by the chilled air to indirectly refrigerate an object therein, a hole formed at one side of the supercooling compartment to allow flow of the chilled air into and from the supercooling compartment, and a damper to open or close the hole. The object is directly or indirectly refrigerated in the supercooling compartment according to user's selection by opening or closing the damper.

1 . A supercooling apparatus, comprising: 
 a storage to which chilled air is supplied from a chilled air supply unit;    a supercooling compartment positioned in the storage, and refrigerated by the chilled air to refrigerate an object therein;    a hole formed at one side of the supercooling compartment to allow flow of the chilled air into and from the inside of the supercooling compartment; and    a damper to open or close the hole,    wherein the object in the supercooling compartment is directly or indirectly refrigerated selectively by the damper opening or closing the hole.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor positioned inside the supercooling compartment to detect an inner temperature of the supercooling compartment.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a controller to operate the supercooling compartment in any one of a direct refrigeration mode, an indirect refrigeration mode and a refrigeration stop mode by controlling the damper and the chilled air supply unit based on a temperature information provided by the temperature sensor  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the supercooling compartment is formed of a material to accumulate cold heat to maintain a constant temperature.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the chilled air supply unit comprises an evaporator to generate the chilled air, and a fan to blow the chilled air generated by the evaporator to the storage.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the evaporator is any one of an evaporator for a freezing compartment, an evaporator for a refrigerating compartment, and an independent evaporator.  
   
   
       7 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a body having a freezing compartment defined therein;    a storage defined independently of the freezing compartment in the body;    a supercooling compartment positioned in the storage to indirectly refrigerate an object therein;    a chilled air supply unit to supply chilled air from the freezing compartment to the storage;    a hole formed at one side of the supercooling compartment to allow flow of the chilled air into and from the inside of the supercooling compartment; and    a damper to open or close the hole,    wherein the object in the supercooling compartment is directly or indirectly refrigerated selectively by the damper opening or closing the hole.    
   
   
       8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , further comprising a temperature sensor positioned inside the supercooling compartment to detect an inner temperature of the supercooling compartment.  
   
   
       9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , further comprising a controller to operate the supercooling compartment in any one of a direct refrigeration mode, an indirect refrigeration mode and a refrigeration stop mode by controlling the damper and the chilled air supply unit based on a temperature information provided by the temperature sensor.  
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the supercooling compartment is formed of a material to accumulate cold heat to maintain a constant temperature.  
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , further comprising a duct to guide the chilled air from the freezing compartment to the storage.  
   
   
       12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein the chilled air supply unit comprises an opening and closing member to open or close the duct, and a fan to blow the chilled air from the freezing compartment to the storage.  
   
   
       13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the supercooling compartment comprises a case to define a space in which the object is preserved, and a cover to open or close an opening of the case.  
   
   
       14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 13 , wherein the hole and the damper are provided on the cover.  
   
   
       15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 13 , wherein the supercooling compartment further comprises a fixing member to fix the cover to one side within the storage.  
   
   
       16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , wherein the cover slides on the opening of the case, and is disengaged from or engaged with the case when the cover is withdrawn from or pushed into the case.  
   
   
       17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16 , wherein the supercooling compartment further comprises a sealing member provided around a lower end of the cover or on an inner surface of the opening of the case to seal the opening of the case when the cover is slidably engaged with the case.  
   
   
       18 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16 , wherein the opening of the case is provided at one end with a groove in which one end of the cover slidably fits, and the cover is provided at the other end with a step corresponding to the groove of the case such that the case is closed when the cover is slidably engaged with the case.  
   
   
       19 . A refrigerator, comprising: 
 a body having a freezing compartment defined therein;    a storage defined independently of the freezing compartment in the body;    a chilled air supply unit to supply chilled air from the freezing compartment to the storage;    a supercooling compartment positioned in the storage, and refrigerated by the chilled air supplied from the chilled air supply unit to refrigerate an object therein;    a temperature sensor positioned inside the supercooling compartment to detect an inner temperature of the supercooling compartment; and    a controller to control the chilled air supply unit based on a temperature information provided by the temperature sensor,    wherein the refrigerator maintains a supercooled state of the object by reducing a range of temperature variation within the supercooling compartment via control of the chilled air supplied from the chilled air supply unit.    
   
   
       20 . The refrigerator according to  claim 19 , wherein the supercooling compartment is formed of a material to accumulate cold heat to maintain a constant temperature.  
   
   
       21 . The refrigerator according to  claim 19 , wherein the chilled air supply unit comprises an evaporator to generate the chilled air, and a fan to blow the chilled air generated by the evaporator to the storage.  
   
   
       22 . The refrigerator according to  claim 21 , wherein the evaporator comprises any one of an evaporator for a freezing compartment, an evaporator for a refrigerating compartment, and an independent evaporator.  
   
   
       23 . The refrigerator according to  claim 19 , further comprising a duct to guide the chilled air from the freezing compartment to the storage.  
   
   
       24 . The refrigerator according to  claim 23 , wherein the chilled air supply unit comprises an opening and closing member to open or close the duct, and a fan to blow the chilled air from the freezing compartment to the storage.  
   
   
       25 . The refrigerator according to  claim 19 , wherein the supercooling compartment comprises a case to define a space in which the object is preserved, and a cover to open or close an opening of the case.  
   
   
       26 . A method for controlling a refrigerator, comprising: 
 A) detecting a temperature T in a supercooling compartment;    B) comparing the temperature T with at least one of a first preset temperature Tset 1  set as a temperature of starting indirect refrigeration of an object after direct refrigeration, and with a second preset temperature Tset 2  set as a target temperature; and    C) controlling a chilled air supply unit acting to supply chilled air to a storage in which the supercooling compartment is provided, and a damper acting to adjust flow of the chilled air from the storage to the supercooling compartment according to the temperature T in the supercooling compartment, such that the direct refrigeration or the indirect refrigeration of the object within the supercooling compartment is selectively performed.    
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein, if it is determined at the comparing operation B) that the temperature T is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature Tset 1 , the controlling operation C) is performed to operate the chilled air supply unit while opening the damper.  
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein, if it is determined at the comparing operation B) that the temperature T is in the range of Tset 1 ˜Tset 2 , the controlling operation C) is performed to operate the chilled air supply unit while closing the damper.  
   
   
       29 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein, if it is determined at the comparing operation B) that the temperature T is less than the second preset temperature Tset 2 , the controlling operation C) is performed to stop the chilled air supply unit while closing the damper.