Refrigerator and control method thereof

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a storage compartment, an evaporator configured to cool the air in the storage compartment, a first heater provided in the vicinity of the evaporator, a tray provided to accommodate water, a refrigerant pipe provided in contact with the tray and configured to cool the tray, a second heater provided in the vicinity of the refrigerant pipe, a compressor configured to supply a compressed refrigerant to at least one of the evaporator or the refrigerant pipe, and a processor configured to start an operation of the second heater after starting an operation of the first heater, and configured to start an operation of the compressor after stopping the operation of the first heater and the second heater. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent ice from being agglomerated caused by the defrosting operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 an evaporator;   a first heater provided in a vicinity of the evaporator;   a tray;   a refrigerant pipe configured to cool the tray;   a second heater provided in a vicinity of the refrigerant pipe;   a compressor configured to supply a refrigerant to at least one of the evaporator or the refrigerant pipe; and   a processor configured to:
 start an operation of the second heater after starting an operation of the first heater, and 
 start an operation of the compressor in response to stopping the operation of the first heater and the second heater. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to start the operation of the second heater upon stopping the operation of the first heater. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , therein the processor is further configured to start the operation of the second heater in response to a first time being elapsed after the starting of the operation of the first heater. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to substantially simultaneously stop the operation of the first heater and the operation of the second heater. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to stop the operation of the second heater after stopping the operation of the first heater. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to stop the operation of the first heater within a predetermined time after stopping the operation of the second heater. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the evaporator,   wherein the processor is further configured to stop the operation of the first heater based on the temperature of the evaporator being equal to or greater than a first reference temperature.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the tray,   wherein the processor is further configured to stop the operation of the second heater based on the temperature of the tray being equal to or greater than a second reference temperature.   
     
     
         9 . A control method of a refrigerator comprising:
 starting an operation of a compressor to supply a refrigerant to an evaporator and a refrigerant pipe, where the refrigerant pipe configured to cool a tray;   starting an operation of a first heater provided in a vicinity of the evaporator in response to stopping the operation of the compressor;   starting an operation of a second heater provided in a vicinity of the refrigerant pipe after the starting of the operation of the first heater; and   starting the operation of the compressor in response to stopping the operation of the first heater and the second heater.   
     
     
         10 . The control method of  claim 9 , wherein the starting of the operation of the second heater comprises starting the operation of the second heater upon stopping the operation of the first heater. 
     
     
         11 . The control method of  claim 9 , wherein the starting of the operation of the second heater comprises starting the operation of the second heater in response to a first time being elapsed after the starting of the operation of the first heater, 
     
     
         12 . The control method of  claim 9 , wherein the stopping of the operation of the first heater and the second heater comprises substantially simultaneously stopping the operation of the first heater and the operation of the second heater. 
     
     
         13 . The control method of  claim 9 , wherein the stopping of the operation of the first heater and the second heater comprises stopping the operation of the second heater after stopping the operation of the first heater. 
     
     
         14 . The control method of  claim 9 , wherein the stopping of the operation of the first heater and the second heater comprises stopping the operation of the first heater within a predetermined time after stopping the operation of the second heater. 
     
     
         15 . The control method of  claim 9 . wherein the stopping of the operation of the first heater and the second heater comprises:
 stopping the operation of the first heater based on a temperature of the evaporator being equal to or greater than a first reference temperature, and   stopping the operation of the second heater based on a temperature of the tray being equal to or greater than a second reference temperature.   
     
     
         16 . A refrigerator comprising:
 an evaporator;   a first heater provided in a vicinity of the evaporator;   a refrigerant pipe provided in contact with a tray;   a second heater provided in a vicinity of the refrigerant pipe;   a compressor configured to supply a refrigerant to at least one of the evaporator or the refrigerant pipe; and   a processor configured to:
 operate the first heater to heat the evaporator, 
 operate the second heater to heat the refrigerant pipe, 
 stop the operation of the second heater after stopping the operation of the first heater, and 
 operate the compressor in response to stopping the operation of the second heater, 
   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to start the operation of the second heater after the stopping of the operation of the first heater. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to start the operation of the second heater in response to a first time being elapsed after the starting of the operation of the first heater.  19 , The refrigerator of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a first temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the evaporator,   wherein the processor is further configured to stop the operation of the first heater based on the temperature of the evaporator being equal to or greater than a first reference temperature.   
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a second temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the tray,   wherein the processor is further configured to stop the operation of the second heater based on the temperature of the tray being equal to or greater than a second reference temperature.