Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet configured to form a storage space, a temperature adjusting device configured to cool the storage space, a fan configured to blow air heat-exchanged with the temperature adjusting device to the storage space, a heating device configured to heat the storage space, and a controller configured to control the fan and the heating device, in which the controller starts a humidity care mode which drives the fan if a door that opens and closes the storage space is in a closed state, the temperature adjusting device is not operated, and the heating device is off.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet configured to form a storage space;   a door that opens and closes the storage space;   a refrigeration system to cool the storage space, the refrigeration system including a fan that blows air between the refrigeration system and the storage space; and   a controller configured to control the fan,   wherein the controller drives the fan to increase humidity in the storage space when the door is closed and the refrigeration system is not operated to cool the storage space.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a heater to heat the storage space,   wherein the controller drives the fan to increase humidity in the storage space when the door is closed, the refrigeration system is not operated to cool the storage space, and the heater is in a power off state.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a damper that is configured to be opened and closed to adjust air flowing into the storage space,   wherein the controller drives the fan for a predetermined time and opens the damper to increase humidity in the storage space when the door is closed and the refrigeration system is not operated to cool the storage space.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the controller pauses driving the fan to increase humidity in the storage space when the door is opened or the refrigeration system is operated to cool the storage space, or a heater is in a power-on state to heat the storage space. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein the controller, after pausing the driving of the fan to increase humidity in the storage space, resumes driving the fan to increase humidity in the storage space when the door is closed, the refrigeration system is not operated to cool the storage space, and the heating device is in a power-off state. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the storage space is a first storage space, the refrigeration system is a first refrigeration system, and the fan is a first fan,   wherein the first storage space is associated with a first target temperature,   wherein the cabinet further includes a second storage space that is partitioned from the first storage space and associated with a second target temperature that is lower than the first target temperature,   wherein the refrigerator further comprises a second refrigeration system which cools the second storage space, the second refrigeration system including a second fan that blows air between the second refrigeration system and the second storage space, and   wherein the controller delays driving the first fan to increase humidity in the first storage space when the second refrigeration system is being defrosted.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the controller delays driving the fan to increase humidity in the storage space when the humidity of the refrigeration space is equal to or greater than a set humidity level. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the controller stops driving the fan to increase humidity in the storage space when the humidity of the refrigeration space is equal to or greater than a set humidity level. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the refrigeration space is partitioned into a first space and a second space,   wherein the fan blows air into the first space and the second space, and   wherein the refrigerator further comprises:
 a first damper that is opened and closed to adjust a flow of air from the refrigeration system into the first space; and 
 a second damper that is opened and closed to adjust a flow of air from the refrigeration system into the second space. 
   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 open the first damper and close the second damper during a first portion of a time period when driving the fan to increase humidity in the storage space; and   close the first damper and open the second damper during a second portion of the time period when driving the fan to increase humidity in the storage space,   wherein a target temperature of the first space is higher than a target temperature of the second space, and   wherein the controller further closes the first damper and opens the second damper during the second portion of the time period when driving the fan to increase humidity in the storage space even when a temperature in the first space is outside at a target range associated with the target temperature of the first space.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 determine that the refrigeration system is not operated to cool the storage chamber when refrigerant stops flowing to an evaporator of the refrigeration system; and   delay driving the fan to increase humidity in the storage space until after a set time has elapsed after refrigerant stops flowing to the evaporator of the refrigeration system.   
     
     
         12 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet configured to form a refrigeration space;   a door that opens and closes the refrigeration space;   a refrigeration system configured to cool the refrigeration space, the refrigeration system including a fan that blows air from the refrigeration system to the refrigeration space; and   a controller configured to control the fan,   wherein the controller, when controlling the fan, is configured to:
 drive the fan to blow a first volume of air when the refrigeration system is operated to cool the refrigeration space; and 
 drive, when the door is closed and the refrigeration system is not operated to cool the refrigeration space, the fan to blow a second volume of air to increase humidity in the refrigeration space, 
   wherein the first air volume is greater than the second air volume.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , wherein the controller pauses driving the fan to blow the second volume of air when the door is opened or the refrigeration system is operated to cool the refrigeration space. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the controller resumes driving the fan to blow the second volume of air when the door is closed and the refrigeration system is not operated to cool the refrigeration space. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a heater configured to heat the refrigeration space,   wherein the controller does not drive the fan when the heater is operated to heat the refrigeration space.   
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the refrigeration space is a first refrigeration space, the refrigeration system is a first refrigeration system, and the fan is a first fan,   the cabinet further forms a second refrigeration space,   the refrigerator further comprises:
 a second refrigeration system which cools the second refrigeration space, the second refrigeration system including a second fan which blows air from the second refrigeration system to the second refrigeration space, and 
   wherein the controller deactivates the first fan or blocks air blown by the first fan when the second refrigeration system is being defrosted.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , wherein the controller further:
 delays driving the fan to blow the second volume of air, while the door is closed and the refrigeration system is not operated to cool the refrigeration space, when humidity of the refrigeration space is equal to or greater than a set humidity level, and   turns off the fan, while the door is closed and the refrigeration system is not operated to cool the refrigeration space, when humidity of the refrigeration space increases to be equal to or greater than the set humidity level.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , wherein the controller, when driving the fan to blow the second volume of air to increase humidity in the refrigeration space during a time period, is further to intermittently turn the fan off and on during the time period. 
     
     
         19 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet that forms a space;   a compressor to circulate refrigerant to an evaporator; and   a fan that blows air from the evaporator to the space; and   a controller to:
 activate the compressor and the fan when a temperature in the refrigeration space is more a first threshold temperature, and 
 activate the fan and not the compressor when the temperature in the refrigeration space is equal to or less than the first threshold temperature and is greater than or equal to a second threshold temperature that is less than the first threshold temperature. 
   
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator of  claim 19 , further comprising a heater to heat the refrigeration space,
 wherein the controller activates the heater and deactivates the fan and the compressor when the temperature in the refrigeration space is less than the second threshold temperature.