Refrigerator and control method thereof

Abstract

According to the present disclosure, after a load operation is performed by satisfying a start condition of the load operation, the load operation is terminated when a compartment temperature of a storage compartment satisfies a termination condition when a door is opened or when a temperature change in the storage compartment satisfies the termination condition. Accordingly, excessive power consumption during the load operation may be prevented, and thus power consumption may be improved.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A control method of a refrigerator, the method comprising:
 a temperature measurement step of measuring a temperature in a storage compartment;   a door open confirmation step of confirming whether a door is open;   a start condition determination step of determining whether or not a start condition for a load operation is satisfied based on the temperature in the storage compartment;   a performing operation step of performing the load operation in response to the start condition of the load operation being satisfied;   a termination condition determination step of determining whether or not a termination condition of the load operation is satisfied based on the temperature in the storage compartment; and   an operation termination step of terminating the load operation in response to the termination condition of the load operation being satisfied,   wherein the termination condition of the load operation is determined to be satisfied based on the temperature in the storage compartment reaching a set lowest temperature (LNT).   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the set lowest temperature (LNT) is a temperature lower than a lower limit notch temperature (NT−diff) set based on a set notch temperature (NT). 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein based on the load operation starting in a dissatisfaction region where the temperature in the storage compartment is higher than an upper limit notch temperature (NT+diff) set based on a set notch temperature (NT), the termination condition of the load operation includes a condition in which the temperature in the storage compartment is in a satisfaction region between the upper limit notch temperature (NT+diff) and a lower limit notch temperature (NT−diff) set based on the set notch temperature (NT). 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein based on the load operation starting in a dissatisfaction region where the temperature in the storage compartment is higher than an upper limit notch temperature (NT+diff) set based on a set notch temperature (NT), the termination condition of the load operation includes a condition in which the temperature in the storage compartment falls below the temperature in the storage compartment at the start of the load operation. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein based on the load operation starting in a dissatisfaction region where the temperature in the storage compartment is higher than an upper limit notch temperature (NT+diff) set based on a set notch temperature (NT), the termination condition of the load operation includes a condition determined by a temperature change amount (ΔT) which decreases per unit time in the storage compartment. 
     
     
         26 . A control method of a refrigerator, the method comprising:
 a temperature measurement step of measuring a temperature in a storage compartment;   a door open confirmation step of confirming whether a door is open;   a start condition determination step of determining whether or not a start condition for a load operation is satisfied based on the temperature in the storage compartment;   a performing operation step of performing the load operation in response to the start condition of the load operation being satisfied;   a termination condition determination step of determining whether or not a termination condition of the load operation is satisfied based on the temperature in the storage compartment; and   an operation termination step of terminating the load operation in response to the termination condition of the load operation being satisfied,   wherein the termination condition of the load operation is determined to be satisfied based on the temperature in the storage compartment being checked during the load operation, and the checked temperature is lower than the temperature in the storage compartment checked at the start of the load operation.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the checking of the temperature in the storage compartment in the termination condition of the load operation is performed based on a set elapsed time having elapsed since the load operation started. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the start condition of the load operation is determined to be satisfied based on the temperature in the storage compartment rising to exceed an input condition temperature (Δt) during a set time, and
 wherein the set elapsed time for the termination of the load operation is shorter than the set time for the start condition of the load operation. 
 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein based on the load operation starting in a dissatisfaction region where the temperature in the storage compartment is higher than an upper limit notch temperature (NT+diff) set based on a set notch temperature (NT), the termination condition of the load operation includes a condition in which the temperature in the storage compartment is in a satisfaction region between the upper limit notch temperature (NT+diff) and a lower limit notch temperature (NT−diff) set based on the set notch temperature (NT). 
     
     
         30 . A control method of a refrigerator, the method comprising:
 a temperature measurement step of measuring a temperature in a storage compartment;   a door open confirmation step of confirming whether a door is open;   a start condition determination step of determining whether or not a start condition for a load operation is satisfied based on the temperature in the storage compartment;   a performing operation step of performing the load operation in response to the start condition of the load operation being satisfied;   a termination condition determination step of determining whether or not a termination condition of the load operation is satisfied based on the temperature in the storage compartment; and   an operation termination step of terminating the load operation in response to the termination condition of the load operation being satisfied,   wherein the temperature change amount (ΔT) per unit time of the temperature in the storage compartment is measured during the load operation, and the termination condition of the load operation is controlled to be changed according to the temperature change amount (ΔT) per unit time.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the temperature change amount (ΔT) per unit time is measured based on the temperature in the storage compartment reaching an upper limit notch temperature (NT+diff) set based on a set notch temperature (NT). 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the termination condition of the load operation includes a case where a termination time of the load operation is reached,
 wherein, as the temperature change amount (ΔT) per unit time becomes greater, the termination time of the load operation is controlled to be shortened, and as the temperature change amount (ΔT) per unit time becomes smaller, the termination time of the load operation is controlled to be longer.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the termination condition of the load operation includes a case where a termination temperature of the load operation is reached,
 wherein, as the temperature change amount (ΔT) per unit time becomes greater, the termination temperature of the load operation is controlled to be higher, and as the temperature change amount (ΔT) per unit time becomes smaller, the termination temperature of the load operation is controlled to be lower.