Refrigerator and method of controlling the same

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a main body having a storage compartment, a door provided at the main body, a refrigerating portion which refrigerates the storage compartment using a compressor, a condenser, a depressurizer and an evaporator which are connected with a refrigerant pipe, and a heat transfer portion having a first flow passage portion which is disposed adjacent to the refrigerant pipe of the refrigerating portion and receives heat from the refrigerant pipe, and a second flow passage portion which is disposed at a front surface of the main body with which the door comes in contact and to which heat of the first flow passage portion is transferred. As a first cycle for refrigerating the storage compartment and a second cycle for providing heat to the front surface of the main body are provided separately preventing a decrease in refrigerating capability and an increase in power consumption.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body having a storage compartment;   a door provided at the main body and configured to close and open the storage compartment;   a refrigerating portion configured to refrigerate the storage compartment, the refrigerating portion comprising a compressor and a condenser which are connected with a refrigerant pipe; and   a heat transfer portion having a first flow passage portion which is disposed adjacent to the refrigerant pipe of the refrigerating portion and receives heat from the refrigerant pipe, and a second flow passage portion which is disposed at a front surface of the main body and to which heat of the first flow passage portion is transferred.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 a first refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant pipe of the refrigerating portion,   a second refrigerant circulates in the first flow passage portion and the second flow passage portion of the heat transfer portion, and   the first refrigerant and the second refrigerant are spatially separated.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the first flow passage portion is disposed at a lower portion of the main body and is disposed asymmetrically to the second flow passage portion which is disposed at the lower portion of the main body. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising a joining member configured to join the first flow passage portion of the heat transfer portion and the refrigerant pipe. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the first flow passage portion of the heat transfer portion and the refrigerant pipe are formed in a double pipe structure. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 , wherein the first flow passage portion of the heat transfer portion is disposed in an inner portion of the refrigerant pipe. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the first flow passage portion of the heat transfer portion has a circular or groove-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the first flow passage portion of the heat transfer portion comprises a body and a groove portion formed at an outer portion of the body. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 , wherein a length of the double pipe is determined based on a temperature of the front surface of the main body. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant pipe adjacent to the first flow passage portion is disposed between the compressor and the condenser. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerating portion further comprises a depressurizer which is connected with the refrigerant pipe, and the refrigerant pipe adjacent to the first flow passage portion is disposed between the condenser and the depressurizer. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a humidity detector configured to detect indoor humidity; and   a controller configured to control a number of revolutions of the compressor based on the detected humidity.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a humidity detector configured to detect indoor humidity;   a fan configured to radiate heat of the condenser; and   a controller configured to control an electric voltage of the fan based on the detected humidity.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a humidity detector configured to detect indoor humidity;   a valve configured to adjust heat transfer of the heat transfer portion; and   a controller configured to control a duty cycle of the valve based on the detected humidity.   
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a humidity detector configured to detect indoor humidity;   a temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the front surface of the main body;   a valve configured to adjust heat transfer of the heat transfer portion; and   a controller configured to control an opening of the valve based on the detected humidity and temperature.   
     
     
         16 . A method of controlling a refrigerator including a main body having a storage compartment, the method comprising:
 detecting indoor humidity; and   adjusting a temperature of a refrigerant pipe based on the detected humidity,   wherein the adjusting of the temperature of the refrigerant pipe comprises adjusting a temperature of a first flow passage portion of a heat transfer portion disposed adjacent to the refrigerant pipe and adjusting a temperature of a second flow passage portion of the heat transfer portion disposed at a front surface of the main body by adjusting the temperature of the first flow passage portion.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the adjusting of the temperature of the refrigerant pipe based on the detected humidity comprises increasing a temperature of the refrigerant discharged from a compressor disposed in the main body by increasing the number of revolutions of the compressor when the detected humidity is greater than a reference humidity. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the adjusting of the temperature of the refrigerant pipe based on the detected humidity comprises decreasing an electric voltage of a fan configured to radiate heat of a condenser disposed in the main body when the detected humidity is greater than a reference humidity. 
     
     
         19 . A method of controlling a refrigerator including a main body having a storage compartment, the method comprising:
 detecting indoor humidity; and   adjusting a temperature of a front surface of the main body based on the detected humidity,   wherein the adjusting of the temperature of the front surface of the main body comprises adjusting a valve which blocks heat from being supplied from a first flow passage portion of a heat transfer portion disposed adjacent to a refrigerant pipe to a second flow passage portion of a heat transfer portion disposed at the front surface of the main body.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the adjusting of the valve comprises controlling a duty cycle of the valve based on the detected humidity. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the controlling of the valve comprises:
 detecting a temperature of the front surface of the main body;   identifying a dew-point temperature which corresponds to the detected humidity;   determining whether the detected temperature is less than the identified dew-point temperature; and   opening the valve when the detected temperature is less than the identified dew-point temperature.   
     
     
         22 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body having a storage compartment;   a door provided at the main body and configured to close and open the storage compartment;   a refrigerating portion configured to refrigerate the storage compartment, comprising a compressor and a condenser which are connected by a refrigerant pipe; and   a heat transfer portion which is disposed adjacent to the refrigerant pipe connected to the condenser, receives heat from the refrigerant pipe, and transfers the received heat to the front surface of the main body.   
     
     
         23 . The refrigerator of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 a humidity detector configured to detect humidity of an outside of the main body; and   a controller configured to increase a number of revolutions of the compressor when the detected humidity is greater than a reference humidity.   
     
     
         24 . The refrigerator of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 a humidity detector configured to detect humidity of an outside of the main body;   a fan disposed adjacent to the condenser; and   a controller configured to decrease an electric voltage of the fan when the detected humidity is greater than a reference humidity.   
     
     
         25 . The refrigerator of  claim 22 , wherein the heat transfer portion further comprises a valve configured to prevent heat from being transferred to the front surface of the main body. 
     
     
         26 . The refrigerator of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 a humidity detector configured to detect humidity of an outside of the main body; and   a controller configured to adjust a duty cycle of the valve based on the detected humidity.   
     
     
         27 . The refrigerator of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 a humidity detector configured to detect humidity of an outside of the main body;   a temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the front surface of the main body; and   a controller configured to identify a dew-point temperature at the detected humidity and to control an opening of the valve based on the identified dew-point temperature and the detected temperature.   
     
     
         28 . The refrigerator of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 a humidity detector configured to detect humidity of an outside of the main body;   a fan disposed adjacent to the condenser; and   a controller configured to control at least one of a number of revolutions of the compressor and an electric voltage of the fan when the detected humidity is greater than a reference humidity.   
     
     
         29 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body having a storage compartment;   a compressor to compress refrigerant which moves through a refrigerant pipe;   a condenser to condense the refrigerant which has been compressed by the compressor;   a fan to cool the condenser and to radiate heat of the condenser;   a heat transfer portion disposed in an inner portion of a front surface of the main body to receive heat from the refrigerant pipe and to transfer heat to a contact portion of the front surface of the main body; and   a controller configured to control an operation of at least one of the compressor and the fan to control a temperature of the refrigerant moving through the refrigerant pipe so as to maintain a desired temperature of the front surface of the main body.   
     
     
         30 . The refrigerator of  claim 29 , wherein the heat transfer portion comprises a flow passage comprising:
 a first flow passage portion which receives heat from the adjacent refrigerant pipe and is disposed between the condenser and a depressurizer or between the condenser and compressor; and   a second flow passage portion disposed adjacent to the front surface of the main body and to receive heat from the first flow passage portion.   
     
     
         31 . The refrigerator of  claim 29 , wherein the desired temperature of the front surface of the main body is determined using a look-up table stored in a storage based on a detected humidity of an indoor space where the refrigerator is disposed.