Patent ID: 9086233
Filing Date: 2015-07-21
Classification: F25B,F25D

Abstract:
1. A method of controlling a refrigerator, the refrigerator including a main body having a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber, a freezing chamber evaporator installed to cool the freezing chamber, a refrigerating chamber evaporator installed to cool the refrigerating chamber, and a refrigerant control valve for controlling refrigerant flow into the freezing chamber evaporator and the refrigerating chamber evaporator, the method comprising: opening the refrigerant control valve and allowing refrigerant to flow into at least one of the freezing chamber evaporator or the refrigerating chamber evaporator; when a freezing chamber evaporator opening integration time of the refrigerant control valve is greater than a first freezing defrost setting time, operating the refrigerator in a freezing chamber evaporator defrost mode; when a temperature sensed by a freezing defrost sensor is greater than a freezing return setting temperature after operation in the freezing chamber evaporator defrost mode has begun, terminating operation in the freezing chamber evaporator defrost mode of the refrigerator; after terminating operation in the freezing chamber evaporator defrost mode and in response to another freezing chamber evaporator opening integration time of the refrigerant control valve being greater than a second freezing defrost setting time, operating the refrigerator in the freezing chamber evaporator defrost mode, wherein the first freezing defrost setting time is set to be less than the second freezing defrost setting time, wherein operating the refrigerator in a freezing chamber evaporator defrost mode comprises turning off a compressor and turning on a freezing defrost heater for defrosting the freezing chamber evaporator, and wherein terminating operation in the freezing chamber evaporator defrost mode comprises turning off the freezing defrost heater, wherein the freezing return setting temperature is selected, from a plurality of freezing return setting temperatures, based on an ambient temperature, and wherein the selected freezing return setting temperature is compared with the temperature sensed by the freezing defrost sensor; and forcibly terminating operation in the freezing chamber evaporator mode by turning off the freezing defrost heater at an end of a freezing defrost delay time when the temperature sensed by the freezing defrost sensor does not become higher than the freezing return setting temperature within the freezing defrost delay time.