US 12,331,982 B2
Method for controlling refrigerator
Seokjun Yun, Seoul (KR); Hyoungkeun Lim, Seoul (KR); Junghun Lee, Seoul (KR); and Hoyoun Lee, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
Appl. No. 17/433,958
Filed by LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
PCT Filed Feb. 13, 2020, PCT No. PCT/KR2020/002073
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 25, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/175827, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 3, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2019-0024247 (KR), filed on Feb. 28, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0170685 A1, Jun. 2, 2022
Int. Cl. F25D 29/00 (2006.01); F25D 11/02 (2006.01); F25D 17/06 (2006.01)
CPC F25D 11/025 (2013.01) [F25D 11/022 (2013.01); F25D 17/062 (2013.01); F25D 29/00 (2013.01); F25D 2317/061 (2013.01); F25D 2600/02 (2013.01); F25D 2600/06 (2013.01); F25D 2700/02 (2013.01); F25D 2700/122 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A refrigerator comprising:
a refrigerating compartment;
a freezing compartment that is partitioned from the refrigerating compartment;
a deep freezing compartment accommodated in the freezing compartment and partitioned from the freezing compartment, a temperature of the deep freezing compartment being lower than a temperature of the freezing compartment;
a thermoelectric module to cool the deep freezing compartment to a temperature less than that of the freezing compartment;
a refrigerating compartment evaporator to cool the refrigerating compartment;
a heat sink connected in parallel to the refrigerating compartment evaporator and in which refrigerant flows;
a freezing compartment evaporator in parallel to the refrigerating compartment evaporator and connected in series with the heat sink to a discharge side of the heat sink such that refrigerant passing through the heat sink flows into the freezing compartment evaporator;
a freezing compartment fan to blow air within the freezing compartment to forcibly flow; and
a controller configured to:
determine a temperature within the deep freezing compartment,
determine a temperature within the freezing compartment,
control driving of the freezing compartment fan, and
wherein the thermoelectric module includes:
a thermoelectric element having a heat absorption surface and a heat dissipation surface;
a cold sink connected to the heat absorption surface and exposed to the deep freezing compartment;
a deep freezing compartment fan provided in front of the cold sink to circulate cold air inside the deep freezing compartment,
wherein the heat sink is in contact with the heat dissipation surface of the thermoelectric element,
wherein the controller is configured to perform a cold air sagging prevention operation in which the freezing compartment fan is repeatedly driven and stopped in response to two conditions being met:
(i) the temperature of the freezing compartment is in a satisfactory temperature range and thereby the freezing compartment fan is stopped; and
(ii) a deep freezing compartment cooling operation is performed in an unsatisfactory temperature region of the deep freezing compartment.