Unknown

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and/or freezer unit which has at least one control or regulation unit or which is or can be connected thereto, wherein at least one component of the unit can be directly or indirectly controlled or regulated by means of the control or regulation unit, wherein the control or regulation unit or a communication unit connected or connectable thereto has at least one receiving device by means of which at least one signal can be received from an external transmitter unit, said signal being correlated with least to one property of the energy required for operating the unit. In accordance with the invention, the control or regulation unit is configured such that it interrupts the operation of the named component in dependence on the signal received by the receiving device for the purpose of shedding the load of the refrigerator and/or freezer unit at times.

1 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit which has at least one control or regulation unit or which is or can be connected thereto, wherein at least one component of the unit can be directly or indirectly controlled or regulated by the control or regulation unit, the control or regulation unit or a communication unit connected or connectable thereto has at least one receiving device which at least one signal can be received from an external transmitter unit, said signal being correlated with at least one property of the energy required for operating the unit, and the control or regulation unit is configured such that it suppresses the operation of the named component at times in dependence on the signal received by the receiving device for load shedding of the refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit. 
     
     
         2 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the component is at least one fan, at least one compressor and/or at least one defrost heater of an evaporator of the refrigerant circuit of the unit. 
     
     
         3 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the control or regulation unit and/or the communication unit is formed by an external component or the control or regulation unit and/or the communication unit form/forms an element of at least one component of the refrigerator and/or freezer unit, in particular of the unit electronics. 
     
     
         4 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein means are provided by which the state in which the operation of the at least one component is suppressed can be ended at the user side; and/or means are provided by which the function of the suppressing of the operation of the component can be activated and/or deactivated on the user side. 
     
     
         5 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the control or regulation unit is configured such that the suppression of the operation of the at least one component is carried out by the setting of at least one disable bit or disable flag. 
     
     
         6 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein control or regulation unit is configured such that it ends the state in which the operation of the component is suppressed when a signal is received on the part of the receiver unit that a load shedding is no longer necessary, with the control or regulation unit being able to be configured such that the named ending of the state takes place by resetting the disable bit or disable flag. 
     
     
         7 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein unit has means by which the position of a temperature regulator for regulating the temperature in the cooled inner space is set to the hottest desired temperature value or is adjusted by an offset value in the state of the suppression of the operation of the at least one component and/or by which the fan stopping time is extended or shortened by a specific amount. 
     
     
         8 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein means are provided which are configured such that the state in which the operation of the at least one component is suppressed by these means is terminated at the end of a certain time period. 
     
     
         9 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein means are provided which are configured such that they prevent a repeat suppression of the operation of the at least one component for a specific time period from the point in time onward at which the suppression of the operation of the at least one component is ended. 
     
     
         10 . A system comprising a refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the system includes at least one transmitter unit by which the named signal can be communicated to the receiving device. 
     
     
         11 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the control or regulation unit and/or the communication unit is formed by an external component or the control or regulation unit and/or the communication unit form/forms an element of at least one component of the refrigerator and/or freezer unit, in particular of the unit electronics. 
     
     
         12 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein means are provided by which the state in which the operation of the at least one component is suppressed can be ended at the user side; and/or means are provided by which the function of the suppressing of the operation of the component can be activated and/or deactivated on the user side. 
     
     
         13 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein means are provided by which the state in which the operation of the at least one component is suppressed can be ended at the user side; and/or means are provided by which the function of the suppressing of the operation of the component can be activated and/or deactivated on the user side. 
     
     
         14 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein means are provided by which the state in which the operation of the at least one component is suppressed can be ended at the user side; and/or means are provided by which the function of the suppressing of the operation of the component can be activated and/or deactivated on the user side. 
     
     
         15 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the control or regulation unit is configured such that the suppression of the operation of the at least one component is carried out by the setting of at least one disable bit or disable flag. 
     
     
         16 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the control or regulation unit is configured such that the suppression of the operation of the at least one component is carried out by the setting of at least one disable bit or disable flag. 
     
     
         17 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the control or regulation unit is configured such that the suppression of the operation of the at least one component is carried out by the setting of at least one disable bit or disable flag. 
     
     
         18 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the control or regulation unit is configured such that the suppression of the operation of the at least one component is carried out by the setting of at least one disable bit or disable flag. 
     
     
         19 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the control or regulation unit is configured such that the suppression of the operation of the at least one component is carried out by the setting of at least one disable bit or disable flag. 
     
     
         20 . A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein the control or regulation unit is configured such that the suppression of the operation of the at least one component is carried out by the setting of at least one disable bit or disable flag.