Method and device for controlling a freezing phase in a single-control combined refrigeration appliance, and related refrigeration appliance

Abstract

A method for controlling a freezing phase in a single-control combined type refrigeration appliance comprises activating said freezing phase, including turning on a compressor and monitoring only a refrigerator temperature of a refrigerator compartment and a evaporator temperature of an evaporator associated with the refrigerator and a freezer. During the freezing phase, if the refrigerator temperature is greater than a predetermined upper refrigerator threshold, a fan associated with the refrigerator compartment is turned on until said refrigerator temperature is lower than a predetermined lower refrigerator threshold. Further, if the evaporator temperature is less than a predetermined lower evaporator threshold, the fan is turned on until the evaporator temperature is above a predetermined upper evaporator threshold. If the refrigerator temperature is lower than a predetermined minimum refrigerator temperature, the compressor is turned off. The method further includes deactivating said freezing phase after a given time has elapsed following said activation.

1 . A method for controlling a freezing phase in a single-control combined type refrigeration appliance comprising:
 activating said freezing phase, including:
 monitoring only a refrigerator temperature of a refrigerator compartment and a evaporator temperature of an evaporator associated with the refrigerator and a freezer; 
 turning on a compressor; 
 if the refrigerator temperature is greater than a predetermined upper refrigerator threshold, turning on a fan associated with the refrigerator compartment until said refrigerator temperature is lower than a predetermined lower refrigerator threshold; 
 if the evaporator temperature is less than a predetermined lower evaporator threshold, turning on said fan 
 until the evaporator temperature is above a predetermined upper evaporator threshold; 
 if the refrigerator temperature is lower than a predetermined minimum refrigerator temperature, turning off said compressor; and 
 deactivating said freezing phase after a given time has elapsed following said activation. 
   
     
     
         2 . The control method of  claim 1 , wherein, after said step of turning on the compressor, if the refrigerator temperature is lower than the predetermined minimum refrigerator temperature, said fan is turned off. 
     
     
         3 . A device for controlling a freezing phase in a single-control combined type refrigeration appliance comprising:
 a refrigerator compartment;   a freezer compartment;   an evaporator associated with the refrigerator and the freezer;   a compressor associated with the evaporator;   a refrigerator temperature sensor, detecting only a refrigerator temperature within the refrigerator compartment;   an evaporator temperature sensor, detecting an evaporator temperature of the evaporator;   a fan in fluidic communication between the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment; and   a controller implementing a freezing phase in the refrigeration appliance, including:
 monitoring only a refrigerator temperature of a refrigerator compartment and a evaporator temperature of an evaporator associated with the refrigerator and a freezer; 
 turning on the compressor; 
 if the refrigerator temperature is greater than a predetermined upper refrigerator threshold, turning on a fan associated with the refrigerator compartment until said refrigerator temperature is lower than a predetermined lower refrigerator threshold; and 
 deactivating said freezing phase after a given time has elapsed following said activation. 
   
     
     
         4 . A single-control combined type refrigeration appliance, comprising a device as claimed in  claim 3 . 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A computer-readable medium comprising:
 a recorded program and program coding means implementing a freezing phase in the refrigeration appliance when executed on a computer, the freezing phase including:
 monitoring only a refrigerator temperature of a refrigerator compartment and a evaporator temperature of an evaporator associated with the refrigerator and a freezer; 
 turning on a compressor; 
 if the refrigerator temperature is greater than a predetermined upper refrigerator threshold, turning on a fan associated with the refrigerator compartment until said refrigerator temperature is lower than a predetermined lower refrigerator threshold; 
 if the evaporator temperature is less than a predetermined lower evaporator threshold, turning on said fan until the evaporator temperature is above a predetermined upper evaporator threshold; 
 if the refrigerator temperature is lower than a predetermined minimum refrigerator temperature, turning off said compressor; and 
 deactivating said freezing phase after a given time has elapsed following said activation. 
   
     
     
         7 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the upper refrigerator threshold is greater than the lower refrigerator threshold, which is greater than the minimum refrigerator temperature, which is greater than the upper evaporator threshold, which is greater than the lower evaporator threshold. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the upper refrigeration threshold is greater than the lower refrigeration threshold. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the freezing phase further includes, if the evaporator temperature is less than a predetermined lower evaporator threshold, turning on said fan until the evaporator temperature is above a predetermined upper evaporator threshold. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the upper refrigeration threshold is greater than the lower refrigeration threshold, which is greater than the upper evaporator threshold, which is greater than the lower evaporator threshold. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the freezing phase further includes, if the refrigerator temperature is lower than a predetermined minimum refrigerator temperature, turning off said compressor. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the predetermine minimum refrigerator temperature is less than the lower refrigerator threshold. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the freezing phase further includes, when the compressor is turned on, if the refrigerator temperature is lower than the predetermined minimum refrigerator temperature, said fan is turned off. 
     
     
         14 . The computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the freezing phase further includes, after turning on the compressor, if the refrigerator temperature is lower than the predetermined minimum refrigerator temperature, said fan is turned off. 
     
     
         15 . The computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the upper refrigerator threshold is greater than the lower refrigerator threshold, which is greater than the minimum refrigerator temperature, which is greater than the upper evaporator threshold, which is greater than the lower evaporator threshold.