Power-off state display apparatus of refrigerator and method thereof

• US 20020166329A1
• Filed: 05/07/2002
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yu, Dong-Kug
• Granted Patent: US 6,883,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/125
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/04 Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/10 Preserving with acids; Acid fermentation
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/00 Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices

Abstract

In an apparatus and a method for displaying a power-off state of a refrigerator having plural chambers when a user turns off at least one of plural chambers installed to the refrigerator, a power-off state display apparatus of a refrigerator includes a signal generating unit for generating a power-off signal when a user turns off at least one of plural chambers installed to a refrigerator; and a display unit for displaying a power-off state after receiving the power-off signal.

Claims

1. A power-off state display apparatus of a refrigerator, comprising:

a signal generating unit for generating a power-off signal when a user turns off at least one of plural chambers installed to a refrigerator; and

a display unit for displaying a power-off state by receiving the power-off signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit for outputting the power-off signal or a control signal to display a preset kimchi fermentation time.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit outputs only the power-off signal to the display unit when the power-off signal is inputted or outputs only the control signal to the display unit when the power-off signal is not inputted.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the display unit displays a power-off state after receiving the power-off signal or displays the preset kimchi fermentation time after receiving the control signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal generating unit generates the power-off signal when the user pushes a power button for turning off power of a chamber for a certain time.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the certain time is three seconds.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit consists of light diodes.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit is a 7-segment display.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit displays “

OFF”

characters after receiving the power-off signal.

10. A power-off state display apparatus of a refrigerator, comprising:

a signal generating unit for generating a power-off signal to display a power-off state of a pertinent chamber when a user turns off power of at least one of plural chambers installed to a refrigerator;

a control unit for outputting the power-off signal or a control signal to display a preset kimchi fermentation time; and

a display unit for displaying a power-off state by receiving the power-off signal or displaying the preset kimchi fermentation time by receiving the control signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the signal generating unit generates the power-off signal when the user pushes a power button for turning off power of a pertinent chamber for a certain time.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the certain time is three seconds.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit outputs only a power-off signal to the display unit when the power-off signal is inputted or outputs only the control signal to the display unit when the power-off signal is not inputted.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the display unit consists of light diodes.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the display unit is a 7-segment display.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the display unit displays “

OFF”

characters after receiving the power-off signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each display unit installed to each of the chambers in a power-on state displays a preset kimchi fermentation time.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the power-off signal is generated when a user pushes a power button of a certain chamber for three seconds.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the display unit, which is installed to the refrigerator and displays the kimchi fermentation time, displays “

OFF”

characters in the power-off state displaying step.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the display unit is a 7-segment display.

17. A power-off state display method of a refrigerator, comprising:

generating a power-off signal to display a power-off state of a pertinent chamber when power of at least one of plural chambers installed to a refrigerator is off; and

displaying the power-off state through a display unit after receiving the power-off signal.

22. A display unit, comprising:

a signal generating unit for generating a character signal according to a user'"'"'s request; and

a 7-segment display for receiving the character signal and displaying characters.