Self-diagnosing apparatus for refrigerator

• US 6,553,774 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2000
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Osamu, Ishio, Haruyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai, William E.
• Application Number:
  US09/508,115
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 621/26, 621/27, 621/25, 621/29, 621/30, 340/585
• US Class Current: 62/126
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/005 of safety devices F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/02 Sensors detecting door opening
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24042 Signature analysis, compare recorded with current data, if error then alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24053 Diagnostic of controlled machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24054 Self diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24086 Expert system, guidance operator, locate fault and indicate how to repair

Abstract

To provide a self-diagnosing apparatus for a refrigerator which self-diagnoses an operation condition and advises a user of an appropriate improvement action if there is an abnormal. First, a detector such as an internal temperature sensor detects a plurality of condition-indicative quantities with respect to the refrigerator, and the condition-indicative quantities are stored in a memory part for a predetermined period. A diagnostic device such as a diagnosis calculation value judging part compares the condition-indicative quantities or a diagnosis calculation value which is calculated based on the condition-indicative quantities with a predetermined threshold value, and judges whether the operation condition of the refrigerator is normal or abnormal based on a result of the comparison. At this stage, if the condition-indicative quantities covering the predetermined past period which are stored in the memory are used as the condition-indicative quantities for the diagnosis, it is possible to accurately diagnose without influence of a condition-indicative quantity which suddenly appears. When it is judged that there is an abnormal condition as a result of the diagnosis, an improvement action which is preliminary determined for the abnormal condition is selected. The selected action is displayed visually or as a sound by an outputting device such as a sound emitter. Where a re-diagnosis is executed after a predetermined time since the abovementioned diagnosis and the outputting device output the improvement action based on a result of the re-diagnosis, it is possible to diagnose with an enhanced reliability.

Claims

1. A self-diagnosing apparatus for a refrigerator which self-diagnoses an operation condition of the refrigerator, comprising:

detecting means which detect a plurality of condition-indicative quantities with respect to said refrigerator;

threshold value memory means which stores two steps of threshold value, a first of which is threshold value with respect to abnormality of operation condition and a second of which is threshold value with respect to abnormality caused by a breakdown of a machine;

action data memory means which stores data of an improvement action to correct a breakdown and data of advice as to a way of using a machine in order to avoid abnormality of operation condition;

diagnosis means which compares said condition-indicative quantities or a diagnosis calculation value which is calculated based on said condition-indicative quantities with said first threshold value and with said second threshold value, judges whether an operation condition of said refrigerator is normal or abnormal and whether the machine itself is normal or abnormal, and selects an improvement action in said action data memory means for a diagnosed abnormal mechanical breakdown and selects advice as to a way of using a machine in said action data memory means for a diagnosed abnormal operation condition; and

an outputting means which provides at least one of a visual and an auditory display, outputs the data of the usage method-related advice mode selected by said diagnosis means and retrieved from said data memory part.

2. A self-diagnosing apparatus for a refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising memory means for storing said condition-indicative quantities which are detected by said detecting means for a predetermined period,

wherein said diagnosis means diagnoses based on said condition-inclusive quantities covering said predetermined period which are stored in said memory means.

3. A self-diagnosing apparatus for a refrigerator of any one of claim 1, wherein said outputting means may provide a visual and/or auditory display.

4. The self-diagnosing apparatus for a refrigerator of claim 1, wherein a second diagnosis is informed to a user when abnormality is detected at the time of a first diagnosis.

5. The self-diagnosing apparatus for a refrigerator of claim 2, wherein a second diagnosis is informed to a user when abnormality is detected at the time of a first diagnosis.

6. The self-diagnosing apparatus for a refrigerator of claim 3, wherein a second diagnosis is informed to a user when abnormality is detected at the time of a first diagnosis.