Refrigerator and control method thereof

Abstract

A refrigerator, the temperature of the inside of which is uniformly controlled, and a control method thereof. The direction of an air flow in a storage chamber is periodically changed so as to uniformly distribute cool air in the storage chamber by interchanging roles of suction and discharge holes in various manners under various conditions, thereby preventing local supercooling and thus uniformly maintaining the internal temperature of the storage chamber.

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a storage chamber;   an evaporator to cool air in the storage chamber;   a first opening to suck the air in the storage chamber;   a second opening to discharge the air cooled by the evaporator to the inside of the storage chamber;   a fan provided with blades, which are driven at a first angle and a second angle; and   a control unit to adjust the direction of a flow of the air by driving the fan at the first angle so that the air in the storage chamber is sucked through the first opening and is then discharged to the inside of the storage chamber through the second opening and by driving the fan at the second angle so that the air in the storage chamber is sucked through the second opening and is then discharged to the inside of the storage chamber through the first opening.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the first angle and the second angle are blade angles having reverse delta values. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the control unit drives the fan at the first angle or the second angle so as to periodically change the direction of the air flow. 
     
     
         4 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a storage chamber;   an evaporator to cool air in the storage chamber;   a first opening to suck the air in the storage chamber;   a second opening to discharge the air cooled by the evaporator to the inside of the storage chamber;   first and second fans to respectively generate flows of the air in opposite directions; and   a control unit to adjust the direction of the air flow by driving the first fan so that the air in the storage chamber is sucked through the first opening and is then discharged to the inside of the storage chamber through the second opening and by driving the second fan so that the air in the storage chamber is sucked through the second opening and is then discharged to the inside of the storage chamber through the first opening.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , wherein the first fan and the second fan have blade angles having reverse values. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 5 , wherein the control unit drives the first and second fans so as to periodically change the direction of the air flow. 
     
     
         7 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a storage chamber;   an evaporator to cool air in the storage chamber;   a pair of first openings to suck the air in the storage chamber;   a pair of second openings to discharge the air cooled by the evaporator to the inside of the storage chamber;   first and second ducts respectively connecting the pair of first openings and the pair of second openings to form air channels in the storage chamber;   first and second dampers installed in the first and second ducts to permit or block the air flow toward one of the first and second ducts; and   a control unit to adjust the direction of the air flow by controlling the first and second dampers so that the air flows toward one of the first and second ducts.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the first and second dampers are installed at an intersection between the first and second ducts. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , wherein the control unit drives the first and second dampers so as to periodically change the direction of the air flow. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , further comprising a third duct at which the first duct and the second duct meet,
 wherein the evaporator and a fan are installed in the third duct.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the pair of first openings and the pair of second openings are respectively installed at upper and lower portions of the rear surface of the storage chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the pair of first openings and the pair of second openings are respectively installed at both side surfaces of the storage chamber. 
     
     
         13 . A control method of a refrigerator, which has a storage chamber, a first opening to suck the air in the storage chamber, a second opening to discharge the air to the inside of the storage chamber, and a fan provided with blades, the angle of which is varied, to generate a flow of the air, comprising:
 driving the fan at a first angle of the blades so that the air in the storage chamber is sucked through the first opening and is then discharged to the inside of the storage chamber through the second opening;   judging whether or not a designated time has elapsed; and   driving the fan at a second angle of the blades so that the air in the storage chamber is sucked through the second opening and is then discharged to the inside of the storage chamber through the first opening, upon judging that the designated time has elapsed.   
     
     
         14 . The control method according to  claim 13 , wherein the driving of the fan at the first angle of the blades and the driving of the fan at the second angle of the blades are periodically alternated so as to uniformly distribute the air flow throughout the overall space of the storage chamber. 
     
     
         15 . A control method of a refrigerator, which has a storage chamber, a first opening to suck the air in the storage chamber, a second opening to discharge the air to the inside of the storage chamber, and first and second fans to respectively generate flows of the air in opposite directions, comprising:
 driving the first fan so that the air in the storage chamber is sucked through the first opening and is then discharged to the inside of the storage chamber through the second opening;   judging whether or not a designated time has elapsed; and   driving the second fan so that the air in the storage chamber is sucked through the second opening and is then discharged to the inside of the storage chamber through the first opening, upon judging that the designated time has elapsed.   
     
     
         16 . The control method according to  claim 15 , wherein the driving of the first fan and the driving of the second fan are periodically alternated so as to uniformly distribute the air flow throughout the overall space of the storage chamber. 
     
     
         17 . A control method of a refrigerator, which has a storage chamber, a pair of first openings to suck the air in the storage chamber, a pair of second openings to discharge the air to the inside of the storage chamber, first and second ducts respectively connecting the pair of first openings and the pair of second openings to form air channels in the storage chamber, and first and second dampers installed in the first and second ducts to permit or block the air flow toward one of the first and second ducts, comprising:
 driving the first and second dampers so that the air flows toward one of the first and second ducts;   judging whether or not a designated time has elapsed; and   driving the first and second dampers so that the air flows toward the other one of the first and second ducts, upon judging that the designated time has elapsed.   
     
     
         18 . The control method according to  claim 17 , wherein the driving of the first and second dampers so that the air flows toward one of the first and second ducts and the driving of the first and second dampers so that the air flows toward the other one of the first and second ducts are periodically alternated so as to uniformly distribute the air flow throughout the overall space of the storage chamber.