Refrigerator and method of controlling the same
A refrigerator includes a carbonated water tank in which carbonated water is stored; a water level sensor sensing a water level of carbonated water stored in the carbonated water tank; a water tank supplying filtered water to the carbonated water tank; a carbon dioxide cylinder supplying carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank; and a controller, if the water level of carbonated water sensed by the water level sensor is less than or equal to a predetermined minimum water level, supplying the filtered water to the carbonated water tank, and if supply of the filtered water is completed, supplying the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank so as to produce the carbonated water. If the carbonated water is discharged, the controller controls the water level sensor to sense the water lever of the carbonated water stored in the carbonated water tank.
1. A refrigerator comprising:
a carbonated water tank to store carbonated water;
a water tank to store water
a carbon dioxide cylinder to store carbon dioxide;
a carbon dioxide supply valve configured to control flow of the carbon dioxide supplied to the carbonated water tank from the carbon dioxide cylinder; and
a controller to supply the water to the carbonated water tank from the water tank and after the supplying of the water is completed, to open the carbon dioxide supply valve in order to supply the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank,
wherein the controller opens the carbon dioxide supply valve to resupply the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank when an amount of the carbonated water discharged from the carbonated water tank reaches a predetermined amount.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein if a carbonated water discharge instruction is input, the carbonated water is discharged by pressure of carbon dioxide in the carbonated water tank.
3. The refrigerator of claim 2 ,
wherein the controller opens the carbon dioxide supply valve for about 0.5 seconds to about 1.5 seconds with respect to the carbonated water tank so as to resupply the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank.
4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control panel configured to receive operating instructions from a user, the control panel including inputs to select a degree of concentration of carbonation of the carbonated water,
wherein the controller opens the carbon dioxide supply valve based on the operating instructions.
5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the inputs to select the degree of concentration of carbonation of the carbonated water include at least two levels of concentration of carbonation of the carbonated water.
6. A refrigerator comprising:
a carbonated water tank to store carbonated water;
a water tank to store water;
a carbon dioxide cylinder to store carbon dioxide;
a carbon dioxide supply valve to control flow of the carbon dioxide supplied to the carbonated water tank; and
a controller to supply water to supply the carbonated water tank from the water tank and after the supplying of the water is completed, to open the carbon dioxide supply valve in order to supply the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water,
wherein the controller, if determined that pressure of carbon dioxide in the carbonated water tank is below a predetermined reference pressure, reopens the carbon dioxide supply valve to resupply the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank.
7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the controller supplies the carbon dioxide for about 0.5 seconds to about 1.5 seconds to the carbonated water tank so as to resupply the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank.
8. The refrigerator of claim 6 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor to sense temperature of the carbonated water stored in the carbonated water tank,
wherein the controller, if the temperature of the carbonated water sensed by the temperature sensor is equal to or below a predetermined reference temperature, reopens the carbon dioxide supply valve to resupply the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank.
9. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the controller, if discharge time duration of the carbonated water after the carbonated water is produced is above a first reference time duration, reopens the carbon dioxide supply valve to resupply the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank.
10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the controller reopens again the carbon dioxide supply valve to resupply the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank if discharge time duration of the carbonated water after the dioxide is resupplied is above the first reference time duration.
11. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the controller, if time duration elapsed after the carbonated water is produced is above a second reference time duration, reopens the carbon dioxide supply valve to resupply the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank.
12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the controller reopens again the carbon dioxide supply valve to resupply the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank if time duration elapsed after the carbon dioxide is resupplied is above the second reference time.
13. A method of controlling a refrigerator producing and storing carbonated water, the method comprising:
opening a water supply valve to supply water to the carbonated water tank;
opening a carbon dioxide supply valve to supply carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank if supply of the water is completed; and
reopening a carbon dioxide supply valve to resupply the carbon dioxide if pressure of carbon dioxide in the carbonated water tank below a reference pressure.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the reopening of the carbon dioxide supply valve comprises supplying the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank for about 0.5 seconds to about 1.5 seconds.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the reopening of the carbon dioxide supply valve comprises
sensing temperature of the carbonated water stored in the carbonated water tank; and
if the sensed temperature of the carbonated water is equal to or below a predetermined reference temperature, reopening the carbon dioxide supply valve to resupply the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the reopening the carbon dioxide supply valve comprises:
in response to discharge of the carbonated water, calculating discharge time duration of the carbonated water after carbonated water is produced;
and if the discharge time is above a first reference time duration, reopening the carbon dioxide supply valve to resupply the carbonated water to the carbonated water tank.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the reopening of the carbon dioxide supply valve further comprises:
if discharge time duration of the carbonated water after the resupplying of the carbon dioxide is above the first reference time duration, reopening again the carbon dioxide supply valve to resupply the carbonated water to the carbonated water tank.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the reopening of the carbon dioxide supply valve comprises:
if time duration elapsed after the carbonated water is produced is above a second reference time duration, reopening the carbon dioxide supply valve to resupply the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the reopening of the carbon dioxide supply valve further comprises:
reopening again the carbon dioxide supply valve to resupply the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank if time duration elapsed after the carbon dioxide is resupplied is above the second reference time duration.
20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the supplying of the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank comprises repeating discharge of carbon dioxide from the carbonated water tank and supply of carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the discharging of carbon dioxide from the carbonated water tank comprises opening an exhaust valve configured to discharge carbon dioxide inside of the carbonated water tank for about 0.5 seconds to about 5 seconds.
22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the supplying of carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank comprises:
opening a carbon dioxide supply valve configured to open and close a carbon dioxide supply flow path to supply carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide cylinder to the carbonated water tank for about 0.5 seconds to about 10 seconds.
23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the repeating of discharge and supply of carbon dioxide comprises repeating discharge and supply of carbon dioxide one time to 10 times.
24. A refrigerator comprising:
a carbonated water tank to store carbonated water;
a water tank to store water;
a carbon dioxide cylinder to store carbon dioxide;
a carbon dioxide supply valve to control supply of the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank;
an exhaust valve to control discharge of the carbon dioxide stored in the carbonated water tank; and
a controller to supply the water to the carbonated water tank from the water tank and if after the supplying of the water is completed, to open the carbon dioxide supply valve in order to supply the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank,
wherein the controller, if a rapid production instruction is input, repeats discharging of the carbon dioxide from the carbonated water tank and supplying of the carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank.
25. The refrigerator of claim 24 , wherein the rapid production instruction is input through an additional production instruction input unit.
26. The refrigerator of claim 25 , further comprising:
an exhaust valve to discharge carbon dioxide inside of the carbonated water tank; and
a supply valve to open and close a carbon dioxide supply flow path that is configured to supply carbon dioxide to the carbonated water tank from the carbon dioxide cylinder,
wherein the controller repeats the opening/closing of the exhaust valve and the opening/closing of the carbon dioxide supply valve.
27. The refrigerator of claim 26 , wherein the controller opens the carbon dioxide supply valve in a state that the exhaust valve is closed.
28. The refrigerator of claim 27 , wherein the controller opens the exhaust valve for about 0.5 seconds to about 5 seconds.
29. The refrigerator of claim 27 , wherein the controller opens the carbon dioxide supply valve for about 0.5 seconds to about 10 seconds.
30. The refrigerator of claim 27 , wherein the controller repeats the opening/closing of the exhaust valve and the opening/closing of the carbon dioxide supply valve one time to 10 times.