Food strorage apparatus and method for controlling the same

Abstract

A food storage apparatus to sterilize bacteria living in food and a method of controlling the same. The method includes starting an ordered fermentation (maturing) operation in response to a user's input including setting of a target degree of fermentation, detecting a present degree of fermentation of food stored in a storage container, and applying electric energy to the food stored in the storage container if the present degree of fermentation of the food reaches the target degree of fermentation set by the user, to sterilize fermentation fungi, and consequently, to restrict further fermentation of the food.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0016947, filed on Feb. 21, 2006, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, Korean Application No. 10-2006-0016948, filed Feb. 21, 2006 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office and Korean Application No. 10-2006-0016949, filed on Feb. 21, 2006 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to a food storage apparatus and a method of controlling the same, and, more particularly, to a food storage apparatus to store food in a fresh state for a long period, and a method of controlling the same.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]Food storage apparatuses store food in a fresh state for a long period. A representative example of a food storage apparatus is a refrigerator. Recently, refrigerators have been ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]It is an aspect of the invention to provide a food storage apparatus and a method of controlling the same, which can appropriately maintain the degree of fermentation of food stored therein at a desired level by generating a sterilizing power corresponding to the degree of fermentation of the food in association with the sterilization of bacteria living in the food.

[0010]It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a food storage apparatus and a method of controlling the same, which can prevent excessive fermentation (maturing) of food by restricting propagation of bacteria such as lactobacillus or lactic acid bacteria participating in the fermentation of food.

[0011]It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a food storage apparatus and a method of controlling the same, which can prevent secondary contamination by aerobic bacteria that may be generated when food is taken out of a storage container and exposed to the outside.

[0012]It is still another aspect of the present invention to provide a food storage apparatus and a method of controlling the same, which can ensure sterilization of raw food prior to being processed, thereby achieving sanitary food manufacture.

[0037]The method may further comprise: performing a safety mode preventing the electric energy from being applied to the food stored in the storage container if a door of the food storage apparatus is opened during the ordered fermentation operation.

Problems solved by technology

In particular, fermented food may be excessively fermented (matured) during a storage period thereof because the propagation speed of lactobacillus, etc. can increase due to a variation of surrounding environment.

Also, if a storage container is frequently opened to take out some of the fermented food stored therein, the fermented food may suffer from secondary contamination by aerobic bacteria as it is exposed to the air.

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