Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes: a cabinet defining a first storage space, a door including a drawer part that defines a second storage space inside the first storage space and a door part that is mounted on a front surface of the drawer part to open and close the second storage space, a door gasket sealing a gap between the cabinet and the door, a draw-out motor configured to provide a driving force for a drawing out operation of the door, and a controller configured to control the draw-out motor. The controller is configured to count a number of rotations of the draw-out motor for a set period of time based on the draw-out motor being started for opening of the door according to received input, and stop and re-operate, based on a draw-out distance of the door being shorter than a set distance, the draw-out motor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet defining a first storage space;   a door including (i) a drawer part that defines a second storage space inside the first storage space and (ii) a door part that is mounted on a front surface of the drawer part to open and close the second storage space;   a door gasket made of an elastically deformable material and provided along a periphery of the door part to seal, based on the door being closed, a gap between the cabinet and the door;   a draw-out motor configured to provide a driving force for a drawing out operation of the door;   a detector configured to detect an open/close state of the door;   a manipulation part configured to receive user input to control an operation of the draw-out motor; and   a controller configured to control the draw-out motor,   wherein the controller is configured to:
 count a number of rotations of the draw-out motor for a set period of time based on the draw-out motor being started for opening of the door according to the received input of the manipulation part, and 
 stop and re-operate, based on a draw-out distance of the door being shorter than a set distance, the draw-out motor. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to re-operate the draw-out motor in a direction in which the door is drawn out after the draw-out motor is stopped. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to re-operate the draw-out motor to (i) rotate in a reverse direction in which the door is drawn in and (ii) rotate, based on the draw-out motor being stopped, in a forward direction in which the door is drawn out. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to re-operate the draw-out motor repeatedly a plurality of times. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the draw-out distance is calculated based on a frequency generator (FG) detection signal of the draw-out motor. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 , wherein the detector is configured to detect a completion of the drawing out operation of the door. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the set distance is set to a distance extendable while the door gasket is in contact with the cabinet. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the door gasket includes:
 a gasket fixing portion fixed to a rear surface of the door part;   a close-contact portion contacting a front surface of the cabinet and including a magnet; and   a connection portion that is configured to connect the gasket fixing portion to the close-contact portion and that extends based on the open/close state of the door,   wherein the front surface of the cabinet is made of a steel material or includes a magnetic material.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein the set distance is set to a maximum distance through which the door gasket is able to extend while the close-contact portion is attached to the cabinet. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the set distance is within a range of 20 mm to 30 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the set period of time is a period of time until the door gasket is completely separated from the cabinet in a state in which the door that was opened is closed. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to output, based on the door not being opened after the draw-out motor is re-operated, a door opening failure signal. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising a display or a speaker, wherein the controller is configured to output, based on the door not being opened within the set period of time, a door opening failure through the display or the speaker. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to reversely rotate, based on the door not being opened within the set period of time, the draw-out motor to close the door. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the draw-out motor is provided on a bottom of the cabinet, and
 wherein the drawer part includes a draw-out rack that is coupled to a pinion rotated by the draw-out motor on a bottom thereof.   
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein an output of the draw-out motor is smaller than a value for overcoming a maximum negative pressure based on the door being opened. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the second storage space that is opened and closed by the door is a freezing space. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a drive device provided inside the door part; and   a lifting device provided inside the drawer part and configured to be connected to the drive device based on the door part and the drawer part being coupled to lift the drawer part.   
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a lift detection device configured to detect a completion of a lifting and lowering operation of the lifting device,   wherein the draw-out motor is configured to be driven based on the lifting device being lowered.   
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , wherein the door is drawn out to a distance where a front space inside the drawer part in which the lifting device is disposed is completely exposed, and a rear end of the drawer part is positioned inside the first storage space.