Patent ID: 8528352

Claim:
A defrost timer for a refrigerator comprising: a circuit board; a first terminal located on the circuit board and coupled to one position of an alternative current source; a second terminal located on the circuit board and coupled to a heater of the refrigerator; a third terminal located on the circuit board and coupled to other position of the alternative current source; a fourth terminal located on the circuit board and coupled to a compressor of the refrigerator; a switching unit selectively coupled between the first terminal and the fourth terminal; a first AC line provided on the circuit board coupling the first terminal and the switching unit; a second AC line provided on the circuit board coupling the second terminal and the switching unit; a third AC line provided on the circuit board coupling the third terminal and the switching unit; and a fourth AC line provided on the circuit board coupling the fourth terminal and the switching unit, a CPU for controlling the switching unit; and a flash memory for storing data outputted from the CPU, wherein the CPU is configured to: write periodically a value reflecting a running time of the compressor into the flash memory, and control the switching unit and turn off the compressor when the value reaches a predetermined threshold, and wherein the distance between the third AC line and the fourth AC line is at least 5 mm.