Refrigerator with forced-ventilation evaporator

Abstract

A refrigerator having a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator connected in a refrigerant circuit, with the evaporator being forced-ventilated by a fan with adjustable power, the refrigerator including a control unit configured to regulate the power of the fan in inverse proportion to a thermal load of the refrigerator.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
   
   
       9 . A refrigerator having a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator connected in a refrigerant circuit, with the evaporator being forced-ventilated by a fan with adjustable power, the refrigerator comprising a control unit configured to regulate the power of the fan in inverse proportion to a thermal load of the refrigerator. 
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 9  wherein the control unit is configured to determine time elapsed since the refrigerator was switched on and to determine on the basis of the elapsed time since the refrigerator was switched on whether a high thermal load is present or a high thermal load is not present. 
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 9  wherein the control unit is configured to control the fan based on the thermal load of the refrigerator only during a first period of operation of the compressor after the switching on the refrigeration device. 
   
   
       12 . The refrigeration device according to  claim 9  wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether a high thermal load is present or a high thermal load is not present based on the temperature of a storage compartment. 
   
   
       13 . The refrigeration device according to  claim 9  and further comprising an outside temperature sensor and wherein the control unit is configured determine whether a high thermal load is present or a high thermal load is not present based on the temperature detected by the outside temperature sensor. 
   
   
       14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 9  wherein the control unit is configured to estimate a temperature of the compressor and to determine whether a high thermal load is present or a high thermal load is not present based on the estimated compressor temperature. 
   
   
       15 . The refrigeration device according to  claim 9  wherein the compressor is operated intermittently and the regulated power is at least one of a power averaged over an operating phase and a part of an operating phase of the compressor. 
   
   
       16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 9  wherein the control unit is configured to regulate the power of the fan by on and off sampling of the fan when the compressor is running.