Refrigerator and control method thereof

Abstract

A refrigerator and a control method thereof, the refrigerator having a freezing chamber in which a detachable automatic ice-making unit, a blow-out port, and a flash freezing line are provided, the automatic ice-making unit having an ice-making tray and a driving motor to rotate the ice-making tray, the blow-out port allowing gas passing through an evaporator to flow toward the ice-making tray, the flash freezing line being installed in a detachable state to a detached area when the automatic ice-making unit is detached; the flash freezing line including a housing, an insertion port provided on the housing and opposite to the blow-out port, or having the ice-making line with the blow-out port inserted into the insertion port such that the blow-out port is located inside the housing, a cooling fan provided inside the housing to increase a flow rate of the gas flowing into the housing from the blow-out port and discharge the gas, and an air outlet provided on the housing to allow the gas discharged from the cooling fan to flow toward an outside of the housing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator with an automatic ice-making unit and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In a conventional refrigerator equipped with an automatic ice-making unit, the automatic ice-making unit includes an ice-making tray and a drive motor for rotating the ice-making tray. In such an automatic ice-making unit, after ice is made, the drive motor rotates the ice-making tray so that its upper surface faces downward, causing the generated ice to fall into a storage container provided below for storage.

[0003] In refrigerators equipped with such automatic ice-making units, a solution has been proposed in which the automatic ice-making unit can be removed from the refrigerator (for example, see Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-105419). In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, the automatic ice-making unit can be removed, for example, in winter when ice is less needed, so that the area where the automatic ice-making unit is removed can be effectively used as a frozen storage area.

[0004] However, because the air outlet is configured so that the cold air passing through the evaporator flows around the ice tray, there may be a problem of insufficient cold air supply to the larger storage area where the storage container is located below the ice tray. This results in an inability to efficiently cool the area where the automatic ice making unit is removed and to fully utilize it as a frozen storage area, thus preventing sufficient rapid freezing.

[0005] Therefore, the need for an improved refrigerator and a control method thereof is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the Invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a control method thereof, which can efficiently cool the area in the freezer compartment from which the automatic ice-making unit is removed, can reliably increase the effectively used frozen storage area, and can reliably achieve rapid freezing.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a refrigerator comprising a freezer compartment, wherein the freezer compartment is provided with: a detachable automatic ice-making unit comprising an ice-making dish and a driving motor for rotating the ice-making dish; a blow-out port, which allows the gas passing through the evaporator to flow out to the ice-making dish; and a rapid freezing pipeline, which is detachably installed in the removed area when the automatic ice-making unit is removed; the rapid freezing pipeline comprises: a shell, an insertion port, which is provided on the shell and opposite to the blow-out port, or an ice-making pipeline having the blow-out port is inserted into the insertion port so that the blow-out port is located in the shell, a cooling fan, which is provided in the shell to increase the flow rate of the gas flowing into the shell from the blow-out port and discharge the gas, and an air outlet, which is provided on the shell to allow the gas discharged from the cooling fan to flow out to the outside of the shell.

[0008] In this way, a cooling fan included in the housing of the rapid freezing circuit increases the flow rate of the gas flowing out of the air outlet after passing through the evaporator, thereby supplying this gas into the freezer compartment through the air outlet of the housing. This effectively cools the area in the freezer compartment where the automatic ice making unit is removed, reliably increasing the effectively usable frozen storage area and enabling reliable rapid freezing.

[0009] Furthermore, the exhaust direction of the cooling fan is downward and forms an angle of not less than 15 degrees and not more than 45 degrees with respect to the direction in which the gas flows out from the blowout port.

[0010] In this way, since the exhaust direction of the cooling fan is at an angle of more than 15 degrees and less than 45 degrees relative to the blowing direction of the blow-out port and is directed downward, cold air can be supplied to a larger storage area including the interior of the storage container arranged on the lower side of the blow-out port, thereby reliably and efficiently cooling the area in the freezer room where the automatic ice-making unit is removed.

[0011] Furthermore, the refrigerator also includes: a controller for controlling the automatic ice-making unit and the rapid freezing pipeline, and an ice-making connector for being connected to the unit-side connector of the automatic ice-making unit in a detachable state, the rapid freezing pipeline includes a pipeline-side connector for being connected to the ice-making connector in a detachable state, and the controller controls so that when the rapid freezing pipeline is installed in the area where the automatic ice-making unit is removed and the pipeline-side connector is connected to the ice-making connector, power is supplied to the fan motor of the cooling fan via the ice-making connector and the pipeline-side connector connected to each other.

[0012] In this manner, by using the pipe-side connector that is detachable from the ice-making connector for supplying power to the automatic ice-making unit, power can be reliably supplied to the fan motor of the cooling fan.

[0013] Furthermore, the wiring connected to the pipeline side connector is equipped with a diode for preventing reverse polarity.

[0014] When the pipeline connector is connected to the ice-making connector, the polarity of the connectors may be reversed. If power is applied with the connectors connected with reverse polarity, the cooling fan's fan motor may rotate in reverse. In the present invention, a diode for preventing reverse polarity allows current to flow when the connectors are properly connected, preventing current from flowing when the polarity of the connectors is reversed. This diode for preventing reverse polarity ensures that the cooling fan always operates properly.

[0015] Furthermore, the refrigerator is provided with a partition plate located on the upper side of the automatic ice-making unit, and a sliding support portion is formed on the partition plate. Both ends of the base of the automatic ice-making unit are slidably inserted into the space surrounded by the sliding support portion and the partition plate.

[0016] Furthermore, the automatic ice-making unit slides backward under the guidance of the sliding support portion until it is locked with the refrigerator at a set position. At this time, the unit-side connector on the automatic ice-making unit is connected to the ice-making connector fixed on the refrigerator.

[0017] Furthermore, the insertion port is provided on the rear side of the shell, and the air outlet is provided on the front side, and the air outlet is in a mesh shape.

[0018] To achieve the above object, the present invention further provides a refrigerator control method, comprising:

[0019] Step S2: Determine whether the front door of the freezer compartment is open;

[0020] Step S4: If the front door is open, determine whether the unit-side connector is connected to the ice-making connector;

[0021] Step S6: When it is determined that the unit-side connector is connected to the ice-making connector, a control process for making ice using the automatic ice-making unit is performed;

[0022] Step S8: determining whether a signal for starting rapid freezing according to a switch operation by the user is received;

[0023] Step S10: If it is determined that a signal for starting rapid freezing has been received, power is supplied to the fan motor, and the fan motor rotates in the forward direction to operate the cooling fan.

[0024] Furthermore, the control method further includes:

[0025] Step S12: determining whether a signal for shutting down the rapid freezing process according to a switch operation by the user is received;

[0026] Step S14: If it is determined that a signal for shutting down the rapid freezing has been received, the power supply to the fan motor is stopped, so that the rotation of the fan motor stops and the operation of the cooling fan is stopped;

[0027] Step S16: Determine whether the front door is open. If not, repeat steps S8 to S14; if so, return to step S4 and repeat the subsequent steps.

[0028] Furthermore, the step S10 also includes changing to a standby state if it is determined that no signal for starting rapid freezing is received.

[0029] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the refrigerator and the control method thereof can efficiently cool the area in the freezer compartment from which the automatic ice-making unit is removed, can reliably increase the effectively used frozen storage area, and can reliably implement rapid freezing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 It is a side sectional view of the installation structure of the rapid freezing pipeline in the refrigerator of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 The front and side view of the rapid freezing pipeline as seen by arrow AA.

[0032] Figure 3 It is a side sectional view of the installation structure of the automatic ice-making unit in the refrigerator of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a circuit diagram of the wiring connected to the pipe-side connector and equipped with a diode to prevent reverse polarity.

[0034] Figure 5 It is a control block diagram of a control system for a rapid freezing pipeline of a refrigerator of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 6 The present invention is a flowchart of a control process of a rapid freezing process of a refrigerator, wherein the automatic ice-making unit is removed and a rapid freezing pipeline is installed, and the pipeline side connector is connected to the ice-making connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0037] (refrigerator)

[0038] Figure 1 It is a side cross-sectional view of the installation structure of the rapid freezing pipeline 20 in the refrigerator 2 of the present invention. Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 The arrow AA in FIG. 2 shows a front side view of the rapid freezing pipeline 20 . Figure 3 1 is a side sectional view of the installation structure of the automatic ice-making unit 50 in the refrigerator 2 of the present invention.

[0039] First reference Figures 1 to 3 To illustrate the outline of the refrigerator 2 of the present invention. Figure 1 and Figure 3 , the freezer compartment 4 of the refrigerator 2 and the cooling flow path 10 provided at the rear thereof are shown. A refrigerator compartment (not shown) is provided above the freezer compartment 4.

[0040] An evaporator 12 and a refrigerator-side fan 14 are disposed within the cooling flow path 10. The evaporator 12 forms part of a cooling cycle mechanism through which the refrigerant flows. In the cooling cycle, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 6 flows through the condenser, capillary tube, and the like, and then flows into the evaporator 12. The refrigerant, which has flowed through the heat exchange tubes of the evaporator 12, then returns to the suction side of the compressor 6.

[0041] By operating refrigerator-side fan 14, the gas within cooling flow path 10 flows upward from bottom to top and passes through evaporator 12. The gas is cooled as it passes between the heat exchange tubes of evaporator 12. The cooled gas flows into freezer compartment 4 through outlet 16A of ice-making pipe 16. Although other openings exist for the gas that has passed through evaporator 12 to flow into freezer compartment 4, only outlet 16A of ice-making pipe 16 is shown here.

[0042] In the refrigerator 2 according to this embodiment, Figure 3 As shown, the automatic ice making unit 50 is provided in the freezing chamber 4. Figure 1 、 Figure 2 As shown, after the automatic ice-making unit 50 is removed, the rapid freezing pipe 20 can be installed in the freezer compartment 4 instead. For example, since ice consumption is high in the summer, the automatic ice-making unit 50 is installed in the refrigerator 2 to make ice. On the other hand, since ice consumption is low in the winter, the automatic ice-making unit 50 can be removed and the empty space can be used as a frozen storage area in the freezer compartment 4.

[0043] (Automatic ice making unit)

[0044] First, refer to Figure 3 The following describes the installation structure of the automatic ice-making unit 50 in the freezer compartment 4. The automatic ice-making unit 50 includes a resin ice tray 52 and a drive unit 54 having a drive motor 54A that rotates the ice tray 52. ​​The ice-making pipe 16, which extends from the cooling flow path 10 of the refrigerator 2 to the front, is located behind the ice tray 52, and the air outlet 16A of the ice-making pipe 16 opens toward the ice tray 52.

[0045] After passing through evaporator 12, the air flows into ice-making pipe 16 under the force of refrigerator-side fan 14, flows within ice-making pipe 16, and then flows out of outlet 16A into freezer compartment 4. The air flows out of outlet 16A with a slight spread, roughly horizontally centered. In this way, the air flowing out of outlet 16A flows from back to front along the top, sides, and bottom of ice tray 52. ​​This flow of cold air cools the water stored in each cell of ice tray 52, freezing it.

[0046] When freezing the water in each compartment to make ice, controller 60, part of the control system of refrigerator 2, supplies power to drive motor 54A of drive unit 54, rotating ice tray 52 so that its upper surface, originally facing upward, now faces downward. During rotation, a portion of ice tray 52 comes into contact with refrigerator 2. Further rotation of ice tray 52 twists it, causing the ice to separate from the compartments. The ice then falls and is collected in storage container 44 located below ice tray 52.

[0047] The refrigerator 2 is provided with a partition plate 40 located above the automatic ice making unit 50. The partition plate 40 is formed with a sliding support portion 42. The sliding support portion 42 extends in the front-to-back direction at the left and right ends of the automatic ice making unit 50 in the width direction. The sliding support portion 42 is L-shaped in its longitudinal direction (refer to FIG. Figure 2 Both ends of the base of the automatic ice making unit 50 are slidably inserted into the space enclosed by the L-shaped sliding support portion 42 and the upper partition plate 40 .

[0048] Open the front door of the freezer compartment 4 of the refrigerator 2, place the two ends of the base of the automatic ice-making unit 50 into the space enclosed by the L-shaped sliding support 42 and the partition 40, and then tuck the automatic ice-making unit 50 to the rear. The automatic ice-making unit 50 can then be installed in the freezer compartment 4. In this way, the automatic ice-making unit 50 slides backward under the guidance of the sliding support 42 until it finally locks with the refrigerator 2 at the set position.

[0049] When the automatic ice-making unit 50 slides backward and reaches the set position, the unit-side connector 56 fixed to the automatic ice-making unit 50 is connected to the ice-making connector 18 fixed to the refrigerator 2. For example, the unit-side connector 56 has a male pin and the ice-making connector 18 has a female pin. Alternatively, the unit-side connector 56 may have a female pin and the ice-making connector 18 may have a male pin.

[0050] Unit-side connector 56 is electrically connected to drive motor 54A of drive unit 54, and ice-making connector 18 is electrically connected to a power supply unit controlled by controller 60. Thus, power from the power supply unit is supplied to drive motor 54A via ice-making connector 18 and unit-side connector 56, which are connected to each other, based on a control signal from controller 60. Thus, operating drive motor 54A rotates ice tray 52.

[0051] To remove the automatic ice-making unit 50 from the freezer compartment 4, the front door covering the freezer compartment 4 of the refrigerator 2 is opened, the buckle securing the automatic ice-making unit 50 is released, and the automatic ice-making unit 50 is pulled forward. At this point, the unit-side connector 56 is disconnected from the ice-making connector 18. The automatic ice-making unit 50 then slides forward under the guidance of the slide support 42, allowing it to be easily removed from the freezer compartment 4.

[0052] As described above, the automatic ice-making unit 50 is detachably mounted to the freezer compartment 4 of the refrigerator 2 , and the unit-side connector 56 of the automatic ice-making unit 50 is detachably connected to the ice-making connector 18 .

[0053] (Rapid freezing pipeline)

[0054] Next, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The installation structure of the rapid freezing pipe 20 in the freezing chamber 4 is described below. The rapid freezing pipe 20 includes a housing 22 having a space for gas flow. A plate-shaped sliding seat 22A extends to the left and right sides of the housing 22. Figure 2 As shown, the left and right ends of the sliding seat 22A are slidably inserted into the space enclosed by the L-shaped sliding support 42 and the upper partition plate 40. This allows the rapid freezing pipe 20 to slide back and forth under the guidance of the sliding support 42. Consequently, the rapid freezing pipe 20 can be installed in and removed from the freezer compartment 4 using the same method as the automatic ice making unit 50.

[0055] An insertion port 24 is provided on the rear surface of the housing 22. The ice-making pipe 16 of the refrigerator 2 is inserted into the housing 22 through the insertion port 24. Thus, the air outlet 16A of the ice-making pipe 16 is located within the housing 22. Thus, gas passing through the evaporator 12 flows into the housing 22 through the ice-making pipe 16.

[0056] However, this configuration is not limiting. For example, the ice-making pipe 16 may protrude less forward from the cooling flow path 10 than shown. In this case, the ice-making pipe 16 may not be inserted into the housing 22, but rather the outlet 16A of the ice-making pipe 16 may be located behind the rear surface of the housing 22. By arranging the insertion opening 24 and the outlet 16A opposite each other in this manner, gas passing through the evaporator 12 can flow into the housing 22.

[0057] A cooling fan 28 is provided within the housing 22. Air flowing into the housing 22 from the air outlet 16A of the ice-making pipe 16 is drawn by the fan and discharged through the air outlet. Cooling fan 28 increases the flow rate of the incoming air before it is discharged. Cooling fan 28 includes a fan motor 28A that rotates an impeller. Cooling fan 28 is electrically connected to a pipe-side connector 30 secured to the housing 22. This pipe-side connector 30 is connectable to the ice-making connector 18. This allows fan motor 28A to receive power from the power supply of refrigerator 2, similar to the automatic ice-making unit 50.

[0058] The front side of the housing 22 is provided with an air outlet 26 for the air exhausted from the cooling fan 28 to flow outside the housing 22. In this embodiment, the air outlet 26 is formed by a mesh of narrow components. This allows the air that has passed through the evaporator 12 to flow into the housing 22 through the air outlet 16A. The air is then accelerated by the cooling fan 28 and blown out of the air outlet 26 to the outside of the housing 22. This allows for more efficient cooling of the freezer compartment 4 and rapid freezing.

[0059] Furthermore, the rapid freezing pipe 20 can be installed in the area of ​​the freezer compartment 4 where the automatic ice-making unit 50 has been removed, following the same procedure as described above. Specifically, the front door of the freezer compartment 4 covering the refrigerator 2 is opened, and the ends of the sliding seat 22A of the rapid freezing pipe 20 are placed into the space enclosed by the L-shaped sliding support 42 and the partition 40, with the rapid freezing pipe 20 tucked behind. In this manner, the rapid freezing pipe 20 slides rearwardly, guided by the sliding support 42, and ultimately engages with the refrigerator 2 at the set position. At this point, the ice-making pipe 16 is inserted into the interior of the housing 22 via the insertion port 24.

[0060] When the rapid freezing pipe 20 slides backward and reaches the set position, the pipe side connector 30 fixed to the rapid freezing pipe 20 is connected to the ice making connector 18 fixed to the side of the refrigerator 2. The pipe side connector 30 has the same pin shape as the unit side connector 56 of the automatic ice making unit 50.

[0061] Thus, power from the power supply is supplied to the fan motor 28A of the cooling fan 28 via the ice making connector 18 and the pipe-side connector 30 connected to each other based on a control signal from the controller 60 , thereby operating the cooling fan 28 .

[0062] When removing the quick freezing pipe 20 installed in the freezer compartment 4 to the outside, open the front door covering the freezer compartment 4 of the refrigerator 2, release the buckle securing the quick freezing pipe 20, and pull the quick freezing pipe 20 forward. At this time, the pipe-side connector 30 is disconnected from the ice-making connector 18. In this way, the quick freezing pipe 20 slides forward under the guidance of the sliding support 42, and the quick freezing pipe 20 can be easily taken out of the freezer compartment 4.

[0063] As described above, the refrigerator 2 of the present invention is provided in the freezer compartment 4 with: a detachable automatic ice-making unit 50 having an ice-making dish 52 and a drive motor 54A for rotating the ice-making dish 52; an air outlet 16A for allowing gas passing through the evaporator 12 to flow toward the ice-making dish 52; and a rapid freezing pipe 20 that is detachably mounted in the removed area when the automatic ice-making unit 50 is removed. The rapid freezing pipe 20 includes: a housing 22; an insertion port 24 provided on the housing 22 and facing the air outlet 16A, or an ice-making pipe 16 having the air outlet 16A is inserted into the insertion port 24 so that the air outlet 16A is located in the housing 22; a cooling fan 28 provided in the housing 22 and increasing the flow rate of gas flowing into the housing 22 from the air outlet 16A and exhausting the gas; and an air outlet 26 provided on the housing 22 for allowing the gas exhausted from the cooling fan 28 to flow to the outside of the housing 22.

[0064] In the refrigerator 2 according to this embodiment, a cooling fan 28 disposed within the housing 22 of the rapid freezing circuit 20 increases the flow rate of the gas flowing out of the air outlet 16A after passing through the evaporator 12, thereby supplying the gas into the freezer compartment 4 through the air outlet 26 of the housing 22. This effectively cools the area within the freezer compartment 4 where the automatic ice-making unit 50 is removed, reliably increasing the effectively usable frozen storage area and enabling reliable rapid freezing.

[0065] In particular, the refrigerator 2 involved in this embodiment includes: a controller 60 for controlling the automatic ice-making unit 50 and the rapid freezing pipe 20, and an ice-making connector 18 for being connected to the unit-side connector 56 of the automatic ice-making unit 50 in a detachable state; the rapid freezing pipe 20 includes a pipe-side connector 30 for being connected to the ice-making connector 18 in a detachable state; the controller 60 controls so that when the rapid freezing pipe 20 is installed in the area where the automatic ice-making unit 50 is removed and the pipe-side connector 30 is connected to the ice-making connector 18, power is supplied to the fan motor 28A of the cooling fan 28 via the ice-making connector 18 and the pipe-side connector 30 that are connected to each other.

[0066] As described above, in the present embodiment, by using the pipe-side connector 30 detachable from the ice-making connector 18 for supplying power to the automatic ice-making unit 50 , power can be reliably supplied to the fan motor 28A of the cooling fan 28 .

[0067] (Gas flow from the blast freezing line)

[0068] In the rapid freezing line 20, the exhaust direction of the cooling fan 28 is different from the direction in which the gas flows out from the blow-out port 16A of the substantially horizontal ice-making line 16. Figure 1 As shown, the direction is downward and forms an angle within a range of 15 degrees to 45 degrees relative to the outflow direction of the gas from the blowout port 16A ( Figure 1 θ = 15 to 45 degrees). This allows cold air to be supplied to a larger storage area, including the interior of storage container 44 provided below air outlet 16A. This allows the area within freezer compartment 4 from which automatic ice-making unit 50 has been removed to be cooled reliably and efficiently.

[0069] (Wiring connected to the pipe side connector)

[0070] Figure 4 This is a circuit diagram of wiring 32 connected to a line-side connector 30, equipped with a diode 34 to prevent reverse polarity. When the line-side connector 30, fixed to the rapid freezing line 20, is connected to the ice-making connector 18, fixed to the refrigerator 2, the polarity of the connector may be reversed. If power is applied with the connector polarity reversed, the fan motor 28A of the cooling fan 28 may reverse. To address this issue, in this embodiment, the wiring 32 is equipped with a diode 34 to prevent reverse polarity. The diode 34 is installed in series with the fan motor 28A.

[0071] The diode 34 for preventing reverse polarity allows current to flow when the connector is correctly connected, but prevents current from flowing when the connector is connected with reverse polarity.

[0072] (Control of rapid freezing pipeline)

[0073] Figure 5 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a control system of the rapid freezing circuit 20 according to the present invention. Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the control process of the rapid freezing process implemented by connecting the pipe side connector 30 to the ice making connector 18. Figure 5 and Figure 6 A control system and a control method for controlling the rapid freezing line 20 will be described.

[0074] <Control system for controlling cooling mechanism>

[0075] Controller 60 forms part of the control device of refrigerator 2 and controls compressor 6 and refrigerator-side fan 14, which cool freezer compartment 4 and refrigerator compartment 4. Furthermore, when unit-side connector 56 is connected to ice-making connector 18, controller 60 controls drive motor 54A of automatic ice-making unit 50. On the other hand, when line-side connector 30 is connected to ice-making connector 18, controller 60 controls fan motor 28A of blast chilling line 20.

[0076] Controller 60 can determine whether unit-side connector 56 is connected to ice-making connector 18. Whether unit-side connector 56 is connected to ice-making connector 18 can be determined by any method, such as sending a detection signal from a detection terminal or detecting a change in resistance between terminals.

[0077] <Control of Rapid Freezing Process>

[0078] exist Figure 6 In the control flow shown, when the front door covering the freezer compartment 4 of the refrigerator 2 is opened, a control process is performed to confirm whether the unit side connector 56 is attached to the ice making connector 18. Figure 6 In the process, it is first determined whether the front door is open (step S2). If it is determined that the front door is not open (No), the determination process is repeated. If it is determined that the front door is open (Yes) in the determination of step S2, it is next determined whether the unit-side connector 56 is connected to the ice-making connector 18 (step S4).

[0079] In this determination, if it is discriminated that the unit side connector 56 is connected to the ice making connector 18 (Yes), a control process for making ice using the automatic ice making unit 50 is performed (Step S6). Then, when the front door is opened (Step S2), a determination of whether the unit side connector 56 is connected to the ice making connector 18 is performed (Step S4).

[0080] In the determination of Step S4, if it is discriminated that the unit side connector 56 is not connected to the ice making connector 18 (No), it is assumed that the line side connector 30 is connected to the ice making connector 18, and a control process for operating / stopping the cooling fan 28 is performed.

[0081] First, a determination is made as to whether a signal to start the turbo cooling according to the switch operation of the user is received (Step S8). In this determination, if it is discriminated that the signal to start the turbo cooling is not received (No), the standby state is assumed. That is, the fan motor 28A continues to be in the stopped state. In the determination of Step S8, if it is discriminated that the signal to start the turbo cooling is received (Yes), the fan motor 28A is next supplied with power, and the fan motor 28A is rotated in the forward direction to operate the cooling fan 28 (Step S10). Assuming a case where the unit side connector 56 is not connected to the ice making connector 18, even if the control process to supply the power is performed, actually no electric current flows to the fan motor 28A, and the cooling fan 28 is not operated.

[0082] Next, a determination is made as to whether a signal to stop the turbo cooling according to the switch operation of the user is received (Step S12). In this determination, if it is discriminated that the signal to stop the turbo cooling is not received (No), the standby state is assumed. That is, the fan motor 28A continues to be in the rotated state, and the turbo cooling is continued. In the determination of Step S12, if it is discriminated that the signal to stop the turbo cooling is received (Yes), the supply of the power to the fan motor 28A is stopped, and the rotation of the fan motor 28A is stopped to stop the operation of the cooling fan 28 (Step S14).

[0083] Then, a determination is made as to whether the front door is opened (Step S16). In this determination, if it is discriminated that the front door is not opened (No), the control process for operating / stopping the cooling fan 28 shown in Steps S8 to S14 is repeated. In the determination of Step S16, if it is discriminated that the front door is opened (Yes), the process returns to Step S4, and the determination of whether the unit side connector 56 is connected to the ice making connector 18 is performed again, and the above control process is repeated.

[0084] In the above control processing, the control of the operation / stop of the cooling fan 28 is performed based on the signal to turn on / off the rapid cooling according to the switch operation of the user, but is not limited thereto. For example, a scheme can be considered in which the controller 60 sends a signal to turn on / off the rapid cooling based on the measurement data of a temperature sensor provided in the refrigerating chamber 4, preferably a temperature sensor provided in the area in which the storage container 44 is disposed, and controls the operation / stop of the cooling fan 28 based on the signal to turn on / off the rapid cooling. At this time, the control of the cooling fan 28 is preferably performed in association with the control of the compressor 6 and the refrigerator-side fan 14.

[0085] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application but not limit the present application. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present application can be modified or equivalently replaced, without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present application.

Claims

1. A refrigerator having a freezer compartment, characterized in that: The freezing chamber is provided with: A detachable automatic ice-making unit having an ice-making tray and a drive motor for rotating the ice-making tray. a blow-out port for allowing the gas having passed through the evaporator to flow toward the ice making tray, and a rapid freezing pipeline, which is detachably installed in the removed area when the automatic ice-making unit is removed; The rapid freezing pipeline comprises: case, An insertion port is provided on the housing and is opposite to the blow-out port, or an ice-making pipe having the blow-out port is inserted into the insertion port so that the blow-out port is located inside the housing, a cooling fan disposed in the housing to increase the flow rate of the gas flowing into the housing from the blow-out port and to discharge the gas; and An air outlet is provided on the housing to allow the air exhausted from the cooling fan to flow out of the housing.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The exhaust direction of the cooling fan is downward and forms an angle of not less than 15 degrees and not more than 45 degrees with respect to the direction in which the air flows out from the air outlet.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: It includes: a controller for controlling the automatic ice making unit and the rapid freezing pipeline, and an ice-making connector for detachably connecting to the unit-side connector of the automatic ice-making unit; The rapid freezing pipeline includes a pipeline side connector for being detachably connected to the ice making connector. The controller controls so that power is supplied to the fan motor of the cooling fan via the ice-making connector and the pipe-side connector connected to each other in a state where the rapid freezing pipe is installed in the area where the automatic ice-making unit is removed and the pipe-side connector is connected to the ice-making connector.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that The wiring connected to the pipeline-side connector is equipped with a diode to prevent reverse polarity.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that The refrigerator is provided with a partition plate located on the upper side of the automatic ice-making unit, and a sliding support portion is formed on the partition plate. Both ends of the base of the automatic ice-making unit are slidably inserted into the space surrounded by the sliding support portion and the partition plate.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that The automatic ice-making unit slides backward under the guidance of the sliding support portion until it is locked with the refrigerator at a set position. At this time, the unit-side connector on the automatic ice-making unit is connected to the ice-making connector fixed on the refrigerator.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that The sliding support portion extends in the front-rear direction and is L-shaped in its longitudinal direction. Both ends of the base of the automatic ice-making unit are slidably inserted into a space surrounded by the L-shaped sliding support portion and the upper partition plate.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that The housing is provided with a plate-shaped sliding seat, and the left and right end portions of the sliding seat are slidably inserted into a space surrounded by the L-shaped sliding support portion and the upper partition plate.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein: The unit-side connector is electrically connected to the drive motor, and the ice-making connector is electrically connected to a power supply controlled by the controller.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that When removing the automatic ice-making unit from the freezer compartment to the outside, the front door covering the freezer compartment is opened, the buckle securing the automatic ice-making unit is released, the automatic ice-making unit is pulled forward to disconnect the unit-side connector from the ice-making connector, and the automatic ice-making unit is slid forward under the guidance of the sliding support portion.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The insertion port is arranged on the rear side of the shell, and the air outlet is arranged on the front side, and the air outlet is in a mesh shape.

12. A refrigerator control method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: include: Step S2: Determine whether the front door of the freezer compartment is open; Step S4: If the front door is open, determine whether the unit-side connector is connected to the ice-making connector; Step S6: When it is determined that the unit-side connector is connected to the ice-making connector, a control process for making ice using the automatic ice-making unit is performed; Step S8: determining whether a signal for starting rapid freezing according to a switch operation by the user is received; Step S10: If it is determined that a signal for starting rapid freezing has been received, power is supplied to the fan motor, and the fan motor rotates in the forward direction to operate the cooling fan.

13. The refrigerator control method according to claim 12, characterized in that: The control method further includes: Step S12: determining whether a signal for shutting down the rapid freezing process according to a switch operation by the user is received; Step S14: If it is determined that a signal for shutting down the rapid freezing has been received, the power supply to the fan motor is stopped, so that the rotation of the fan motor stops and the operation of the cooling fan is stopped; Step S16: Determine whether the front door is open. If not, repeat steps S8 to S14; if so, return to step S4 and repeat the subsequent steps.

14. The refrigerator control method according to claim 12, wherein: The step S10 further includes changing to a standby state if it is determined that no signal for starting rapid freezing is received.

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