Refrigeration Control System in Combined Refrigeration Appliances

Abstract

A refrigeration control system in combined refrigeration appliances of the type comprising: a refrigerating compartment; a freezing compartment; a compressor; an evaporator; a refrigerating compartment fan and a freezing compartment fan; and a control means to activate and deactivate the compressor and both the refrigerating compartment fan and the freezing compartment fan as a function of the activation and deactivation temperatures detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor and the freezing compartment temperature sensor. The control means is operatively associated with the refrigerating compartment fan to selectively and periodically adjust the speed of the latter, so that the temperature of the refrigerating compartment reaches a deactivation value of the refrigerating compartment fan at the same time in which the temperature of the freezing compartment reaches a deactivation value of both the freezing compartment fan and the compressor.

1 . A refrigeration control system in combined refrigeration appliances of the type comprising: a refrigerating compartment provided with at least one refrigerating compartment temperature sensor; a freezing compartment provided with a freezing compartment temperature sensor; a compressors; an evaporator; a refrigerating compartment fan and a freezing compartment fan to produce respective forced air flows through the evaporator and through the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, respectively,—and a control means to activate and deactivate the compressor and the refrigerating compartment fan and freezing compartment fan as a function of the activation and deactivation temperatures detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor and the freezing compartment temperature sensor, wherein the control means is operatively associated with the refrigerating compartment fan to selectively and periodically adjust the speed of the latter, so that the temperature of the refrigerating compartment detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor reaches a deactivation value of the refrigerating compartment fan at the same time in which the temperature of the freezing compartment detected by the freezing compartment temperature sensor reaches a deactivation value of both the freezing compartment fan and the compressor, said selective and periodic adjustment of the speed of the refrigerating compartment fan occurring whenever the ratio between the cooling detected in the refrigerating compartment and measured from the activation temperature and the maximum cooling defined between the activation and deactivation temperatures of the refrigerating compartment fan differs by an absolute value higher than a determined balance value from the ratio between the cooling in the freezing compartment measured from the activation temperature and the maximum cooling defined between the activations and deactivation temperatures of the freezing compartment fan.  
   
   
       2 . The refrigeration control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the balance value between the cooling ratios detected in the refrigerating and freezing compartments is defined by a variation from about 5% to about 20% between said ratios.  
   
   
       3 . The refrigeration control system according to  claim 2 , wherein the speed of the refrigerating compartment fan is increased when the cooling ratio in the refrigerating compartment is more than about 5% to about 20% lower than the cooling ratio in the freezing compartment and also when the relation between the cooling ratio of the refrigerating compartment and the cooling ratio of the freezing compartment is negative.  
   
   
       4 . The refrigeration control system according to  claim 2 , wherein the speed of the refrigerating compartment fan is reduced when the cooling ratio in the refrigerating compartment is more than about 5% to about 20% higher than the cooling ratio in the freezing compartment.  
   
   
       5 . The refrigeration control system according to  claim 3 , wherein the periodic adjustments in the speed of the refrigerating compartment fan are effected by speed variations representing a percentage of the nominal speed of the refrigerating compartment fan.  
   
   
       6 . The refrigeration control system according to  claim 5 , wherein the speed variation percentage in each speed variation is of about 10%.  
   
   
       7 . The refrigeration control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control means compares the cooling ratios of both the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment at each period of about one to five minutes, in order to detect the need for adjusting the speed of the refrigerating compartment fan.  
   
   
       8 . The refrigeration control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control means instructs the refrigerating compartment fan to operate with an initial speed that is equal to the last operating speed when the deactivation temperature of the refrigerating compartment fan in the refrigerating compartment has been reached.  
   
   
       9 . The refrigeration control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control means activates the refrigerating compartment fan, even with the compressor being deactivated, when the temperature sensed in the interior of the refrigerating compartment reaches a predetermined temperature limit value higher than the activation temperature of the refrigerating compartment fan.  
   
   
       10 . The refrigeration control system according to  claim 9 , wherein the control means reduces the deactivation temperature of the refrigerating compartment during at least one operating cycle of the latter, whenever it is activated for at least two consecutive times, with the temperature of the refrigerating compartment being situated between the activation temperature of the refrigerating compartment fan and the predetermined limit value.  
   
   
       11 . The refrigeration control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control means is operationally and selectively conducted by the user to operate in a “vacation mode”, according to which the activation temperatures and the deactivation temperatures of both the refrigerating compartment fan and the freezing compartment fan are raised to a less cold condition and the speeds of both the refrigerating compartment fan and the freezing compartment fan are set to constant and reduced values.  
   
   
       12 . The refrigeration control system according to  claim 11 , wherein the “vacation mode” is maintained by the control means until the occurrence of one of the actions of the user deactivating said mode in an electronic control panel of the refrigeration appliance and of opening any one of the two doors of the cabinet.  
   
   
       13 . The refrigeration control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control means is operationally and selectively conducted by the user instructing an electronic control panel of the refrigerating appliance to work in a “party mode”, according to which the activation and deactivation temperatures of the refrigerating compartment fan are reduced to a cooler condition; the activation and deactivation temperatures of the freezing compartment fan are kept in the operational condition originally selected by the user for the refrigeration appliance,—the speed of the refrigerating compartment fan is set to a maximum value; and the speed of the freezing compartment fan is maintained in a constant and reduced value.  
   
   
       14 . The refrigeration control system according to  claim 13 , wherein the “party mode” is maintained by a predetermined period, at the end of which the refrigeration appliance returns to the operating mode prior to the activation of the “party mode”.