Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator and an operating method thereof are disclosed. The refrigerator includes a refrigerator body having a storage chamber defined therein, a refrigeration cycle device for cooling the storage chamber, a thawing box mounted in the storage chamber, the thawing box having a plurality of air jet holes formed therethrough, a thawing heater mounted in the thawing box for heating a stored object in the thawing box, and a blower mounted at the thawing box for introducing cool air from the storage chamber into the thawing box through the air jet holes such that the stored object is cooled by the air and discharging the air out of the thawing box. The thawing box, the thawing heater, and the blower perform not only a thawing function but also a rapid cooling function, thereby manufacturing the refrigerator in a simple structure at low costs and improving spatial utilization of the storage chamber.

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a refrigerator body having a storage chamber defined therein;   a refrigeration cycle device for cooling the storage chamber;   a thawing box mounted in the storage chamber, the thawing box having a plurality of air jet holes formed therethrough;   a thawing heater mounted in the thawing box for heating a stored object in the thawing box; and   a blower mounted at the thawing box for introducing cool air from the storage chamber into the thawing box through the air jet holes such that the stored object is cooled by the air and discharging the air out of the thawing box.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a manipulation unit for allowing a user to input a thawing mode; and   a controller for controlling the thawing heater and the blower according to the manipulation of the manipulation unit.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the stored object, wherein   the controller controls the thawing heater to be turned off when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a heater off temperature, and controls the thawing heater to be turned on when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is equal to or less than a heater on temperature.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller alternately controls the thawing heater to be turned on/off and the blower to be turned on/off when a thawing mode is input through the manipulation unit. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller alternately controls the blower to be turned on and the thawing heater to be turned on/off when a thawing mode is input through the manipulation unit. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 5 , wherein the controller controls the blower such that a rotation rate of the blower when the thawing heater is turned off is higher than a rotation rate of the blower when the thawing heater is turned on. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the blower to be driven when a rapid cooling thawing mode is input through the manipulation unit. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the thawing box comprises:
 a box body, open at a front thereof, having a plurality of air jet holes formed through at least one selected from a group consisting of an upper side plate, a lower side plate, a left side plate, and a right side plate of the box body, and having a blower installation part formed at a rear side plate of the box body; and   a thawing door for opening and closing the front of the box body, the thawing door being provided with a plurality of air jet holes.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , wherein the thawing box further comprises a thawing shelf mounted in the box body such that the thawing shelf is spaced apart from the thawing heater, the thawing shelf being provided with a plurality of air jet holes. 
     
     
         10 . An operating method of a refrigerator, comprising:
 a thawing step of turning on a thawing heater mounted in a thawing box having a plurality of air jet holes formed therethrough to heat an interior of the thawing box when a thawing command is input; and   a chilling step of turning off the thawing heater upon completion of the thawing step and driving a blower mounted at the thawing box such that cool air in a storage chamber is supplied into the thawing box through the air jet holes.   
     
     
         11 . The operating method according to  claim 10 , wherein the chilling step is performed when a temperature of the storage object sensed during the execution of the thawing step is equal to or greater than a heater off temperature. 
     
     
         12 . The operating method according to  claim 11 , wherein the chilling step is completed when a temperature of the stored object sensed during the execution of the chilling step is equal to or less than a heater on temperature, and the blower is stopped. 
     
     
         13 . The operating method according to  claim 12 , wherein the thawing step and the chilling step are repeated after the blower is stopped. 
     
     
         14 . The operating method according to  claim 13 , wherein the thawing step and the chilling step are alternately repeated for a predetermined thawing time. 
     
     
         15 . An operating method of a refrigerator, comprising:
 a thawing step of driving a blower mounted in a thawing box having a plurality of air jet holes formed therethrough to spray cool air from a storage chamber into the thawing box and turning on a thawing heater mounted in the thawing box when a thawing command is input; and   a chilling step of turning off the thawing heater upon completion of the thawing step.   
     
     
         16 . The operating method according to  claim 15 , wherein
 the blower is driven at a first rotation rate at the thawing step, and   the blower is driven at a second rotation rate higher than the first rotation rate at the chilling step.   
     
     
         17 . The operating method according to  claim 15 , wherein the chilling step is performed when a temperature of the storage object sensed during the execution of the thawing step is equal to or greater than a heater off temperature. 
     
     
         18 . The operating method according to  claim 17 , wherein
 the chilling step is completed when a temperature of the stored object sensed during the execution of the chilling step is equal to or less than a heater on temperature, and   the thawing step and the chilling step are repeated.   
     
     
         19 . The operating method according to  claim 18 , wherein the thawing step and the chilling step are performed for a predetermined thawing time.