Refrigerator and method for controlling a refrigerator

• US 10,386,113 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2018
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Yonghyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Ma, Kun Kai
• Application Number:
  US15/862,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20180195793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/102 with resistance
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/126 Water cooler
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/122 the refrigerator is characterised by a water tank for the water/ice dispenser

Abstract

A refrigerator that may include a cabinet to define a storage space, a door to open and close the storage space, a dispenser provided in the door to dispense hot water, a hot water tank through which water flows so as to heat water introduced into the door, a heater provided in the door to heat the hot water tank, a water inflow passage through which water is supplied to the hot water tank, a water discharge passage guiding hot water discharged from the hot water tank to the dispenser, a flow rate sensor provided in the water inflow passage to measure a flow rate of water flowing through the water inflow passage, a water inflow valve provided in the water inflow passage to adjust a flow of water in the water inflow passage, a water discharge valve provided in the water outlet passage, an input provided in the door to input a temperature of the hot water to be dispensed and a hot water dispensing command, and a controller to control the water inflow valve and the water discharge valve.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising:

a cabinet to define a storage space;

a door to open and close the storage space;

a dispenser provided in the door to dispense hot water;

a hot water tank through which water flows to heat water introduced into the door;

a heater provided in the door to heat the hot water tank;

a water inflow passage through which water is supplied to the hot water tank;

a water discharge passage to guide hot water discharged from the hot water tank to the dispenser;

a water inflow valve provided in the water inflow passage to adjust a flow of water in the water inflow passage;

a water discharge valve provided in the water outlet passage;

an input provided to input a temperature of the hot water to be dispensed and a hot water dispensing command; and

a controller to control the water inflow valve and the water discharge valve, wherein the controller turns off the water inflow valve and the water discharge valve in a hot water dispensing standby state and turns on the water inflow valve and the water discharge valve in a hot water dispensing process, and wherein, when the hot water dispensing is finished, the controller turns off the water discharge valve after turning off the water inflow valve.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the controller turns on the water inflow valve to dispense the hot water after the water discharge valve is turned on.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising:

a first flow rate sensor provided in the water inflow passage to measure a flow rate of water flowing through the water inflow passage; and

a pressure reducing valve provided in the door to reduce a pressure of the water flowing through the water inflow passage, wherein the first flow rate sensor is disposed in a passage between the pressure reducing valve and the hot water tank so that water passing through the pressure reducing valve passes through the first flow rate sensor.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the water inflow valve is disposed in a passage between the pressure reducing valve and the hot water tank in the water inflow passage.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising:

a first flow rate sensor provided in the water inflow passage to measure a flow rate of water flowing through the water inflow passage; and

a flow rate adjustment valve provided in the water inflow passage to adjust a flow rate of water introduced into the hot water tank, wherein the controller controls the flow rate adjustment valve on a basis of the flow rate detected by the first flow rate sensor.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5, further comprising:

a water inflow temperature sensor to detect a temperature of water flowing through the water inflow passage; and

a water discharge temperature sensor to detect a temperature of water flowing through the water discharge passage, wherein the controller controls the flow rate adjustment valve on a basis of the temperature detected by the water inflow temperature sensor, the flow rate detected by the first flow rate sensor, the temperature detected by the water discharge temperature sensor, and a set target temperature.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the hot water tank is made of a magnetic material, and the heater is provided as a coil, which is manufactured by winding a coil, and disposed to face the hot water tank at an outside of the hot water tank so as to heat water flowing in the hot water tank.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein a purified-water passage through which purified water to be dispensed from the dispenser flows, is provided in the door, and the water inflow passage is branched from the purified-water passage.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8, further comprising a second flow rate sensor provided in the cabinet to detect a flow rate of water flowing through the purified-water passage.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the door comprises:

a purified-water passage through which purified water to be dispensed from the dispenser flows;

a purified-water valve to control discharge of the purified water from the purified-water passage; and

a dispensing passage to discharge the purified water, and wherein the water discharge passage has a diameter less than a diameter of the dispensing passage.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the hot water tank is disposed below the dispenser, and at least a portion of the water discharge passage extends upward from the hot water tank to the dispenser.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the controller determines whether preheating is necessary when a hot water dispensing command is input through the input and operates the heater to preheat the water within the hot water tank in a state in which the water inflow valve and the water discharge valve are closed when it is determined that the preheating is necessary.

13. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the input is provided in the door.

14. A method for controlling a refrigerator, the method comprising:

inputting a hot water dispensing command;

turning on a water inflow valve disposed at an inlet-side of a hot water tank and a water discharge valve disposed at an outlet-side of the hot water tank, by a controller;

determining, by the controller, whether dispensing of hot water is completed; and

turning off the water discharge valve after the water inflow valve is turned off when the dispensing of the hot water is completed, by the controller.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the controller turns on the water inflow valve after the water discharge valve is turned on so as to dispense the hot water.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising controlling, via the controller, a flow rate adjustment valve provided in a water inflow passage to adjust a flow rate of water introduced into the hot water tank on a basis of a flow rate detected by a flow rate sensor.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising controlling, via the controller, a pressure reducing valve to reduce a pressure of the water flowing through a water inflow passage, wherein a flow rate sensor is disposed in a passage between the pressure reducing valve and the hot water tank so that water passing through the pressure reducing valve passes through the flow rate sensor.

18. A refrigerator, comprising:

a cabinet to define a storage space;

a door to open and close the storage space;

a dispenser provided in the door to dispense hot water;

a hot water tank through which water flows to heat water introduced into the door;

a heater provided in the door to heat the hot water tank;

a water inflow passage through which water is supplied to the hot water tank;

a water discharge passage to guide hot water discharged from the hot water tank to the dispenser;

a water inflow valve provided in the water inflow passage to adjust a flow of water in the water inflow passage;

a water discharge valve provided in the water outlet passage;

an input provided to input a temperature of the hot water to be dispensed and a hot water dispensing command; and

a controller to control the water inflow valve and the water discharge valve, wherein the controller turns off the water inflow valve and the water discharge valve in a hot water dispensing standby state and turns on the water inflow valve and the water discharge valve in a hot water dispensing process, and wherein the controller determines whether preheating is necessary when a hot water dispensing command is input through the input and operates the heater to preheat the water within the hot water tank in a state in which the water inflow valve and the water discharge valve are closed when it is determined that the preheating is necessary.