Adaptive defrost control and method
First Claim
1. A control mechanism for use with a refrigeration circuit having at least one heat exchanger upon which frost may accumulate, said frost being removed by supplying heat energy to melt the frost during a defrost cycle which comprisesa defrost time accumulator to ascertain the elapsed time during a defrost cycle,timing means for controlling the time interval between defrost cycles including a clock which emits periodic pulses and a counter for initiating a defrost cycle when a predetermined number of pulses have been emitted by the clock, andrate of control means for adjusting the timing means to vary the time interval between defrost cycles as a function of the elapsed time of the previous defrost cycle ascertained by the defrost time accumulator, said rate control means being connected to the defrost time accumulator and acting based upon the length of the previous defrost cycle stored in the accumulator to vary the pulse emission rate of the clock.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and a method for determining the appropriate time-to-initiate a defrost cycle in conjunction with a refrigeration circuit having a heat exchanger upon which frost may accumulate. The elapsed time period from a previous defrost cycle is used to adjust the time between defrost cycles such that the time period between defrost cycles is varied as a funtion of the length of the previous defrost cycle.
75 Citations
3 Claims
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1. A control mechanism for use with a refrigeration circuit having at least one heat exchanger upon which frost may accumulate, said frost being removed by supplying heat energy to melt the frost during a defrost cycle which comprises
a defrost time accumulator to ascertain the elapsed time during a defrost cycle, timing means for controlling the time interval between defrost cycles including a clock which emits periodic pulses and a counter for initiating a defrost cycle when a predetermined number of pulses have been emitted by the clock, and rate of control means for adjusting the timing means to vary the time interval between defrost cycles as a function of the elapsed time of the previous defrost cycle ascertained by the defrost time accumulator, said rate control means being connected to the defrost time accumulator and acting based upon the length of the previous defrost cycle stored in the accumulator to vary the pulse emission rate of the clock.
Specification