Refrigerator and control method thereof

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet having a storage space; a barrier to divide the storage space into a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment, filled with a heat insulator, and having a depression part formed on one side surface thereof; an evaporator accommodated in a part of the depression part; a blowing unit accommodated in another part of the depression part corresponding to a upper side of the evaporator; a barrier cover to shield the depression part by covering one side surface of the barrier. The depression part includes an evaporator accommodating part to accommodate the evaporator, a blowing unit accommodating part configured to accommodate the blowing unit, and a cold air passage extended from the blowing unit accommodating part to allow the cold air to be guided into the freezing compartment and to refrigerating compartment. The blowing unit accommodating part is depressed greater than the evaporator accommodating part.

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet having a storage space;   a barrier configured to divide the storage space into a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment, filled with a heat insulator, and having a depression part formed on one side surface thereof;   an evaporator accommodated in a part of the depression part;   a blowing unit accommodated in another part of the depression part corresponding to a upper side of the evaporator;   a barrier cover configured to shield the depression part by covering one side surface of the barrier,   wherein the depression part includes   an evaporator accommodating part configured to accommodate the evaporator,   a blowing unit accommodating part configured to accommodate the blowing unit, and   a cold air passage extended from the blowing unit accommodating part to allow the cold air to be guided into the freezing compartment and to refrigerating compartment, and   the blowing unit accommodating part is depressed greater than the evaporator accommodating part.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the blowing unit includes
 a motor,   a blowing fan coupled to the motor, and   a shroud configured to accommodate the blowing fan and to guide suction and discharge of air.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the shroud includes an orifice formed therein to guide the cold air rising from the evaporator to the blowing fan, and
 the surface of the shroud, on which the orifice is formed, is spaced from the depressed surface of the blowing fan accommodating part.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the motor and the shroud are fixed to the barrier cover. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the shroud includes an outlet having a width formed to be correspond to a width of the cold air passage 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the blowing fan includes a centrifugal fan. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the blowing fan includes a turbo fan. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator and the cold air passage are located to be closer to the freezing compartment, and the heat insulator is filled within a part opposite to the depression part. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein the heat insulator formed in a part opposite to the evaporator accommodating part and the clod air passage has a thickness thicker than that of the heat insulator formed in a part opposite to the blowing unit accommodating part. 
     
     
         10 . A method for controlling a refrigerator, the refrigerator including a cabinet having a storage space, a barrier configured to divide the storage space into a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment, and including a depression part formed therein and having a cold air passage, a compressor to compress a refrigerant, an evaporator accommodated in a part of the depression part and configured to generate cold air, a blowing unit accommodated in another part of the depression part and configured to force the cold air generated by the evaporator to flow into the cold air passage, and a damper provided in an end of the cold air passage to control supply of cold air into the refrigerating compartment, the method comprising:
 opening the damper and operating the blowing unit when it is determined at least that a temperature of the refrigerating compartment is in an unsatisfied state.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising operating the compressor when it is determined at least that a temperature of the freezing compartment is in an unsatisfied state. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising operating the compressor even when the temperature of the freezing compartment is in a satisfied state. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining that the temperatures of the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment are respectively in unsatisfied states when T R >Ta+dT and T F >Tb+dT.
 (T R : detected temperature of the refrigerating compartment,   Ta: setting temperature of the refrigerating compartment,   dT: set differential,   T F : detected temperature of the freezing compartment,   Tb: setting temperature of the freezing compartment)   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising stopping respective supplies of cold air into the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment when T R ≦Ta−dT and T F ≦Tb−dT. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising closing the damper when it is determined that the temperature of the refrigerating compartment is in a satisfied state, and the temperature of the freezing compartment is only in an unsatisfied state.