CN112503828B

CN112503828B - Refrigerator and method for detecting and processing refrigeration fault of refrigerator

Info

Publication number: CN112503828B
Application number: CN201910871557.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李孟成; 朱小兵; 曹东强; 李伟; 王晶
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-09-16
Filing date: 2019-09-16
Publication date: 2022-04-29
Anticipated expiration: 2039-09-16
Also published as: CN112503828A

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator and a method for detecting and processing refrigeration faults of the refrigerator. The refrigerator to be detected comprises a box body, a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber, wherein the box body comprises a freezing chamber positioned at the lower part and at least one storage chamber positioned above the freezing chamber, and the temperature of the storage chamber is higher than that of the freezing chamber; and a heating device for heating the fault part when the refrigerator has refrigeration fault. The method comprises the following steps: detecting the temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature variation trend of the storage chamber; determining the refrigerating fault position of the refrigerator according to the temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature variation trend of the storage chamber; and starting the corresponding heating device according to the refrigeration fault part for treatment. The invention can comprehensively and accurately detect and pertinently process refrigeration faults of freezing fan blade frosting, storage chamber return air inlet freezing, evaporator frost blocking, water outlet ice blocking and the like of the refrigerator, and ensure the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator.

Description

Refrigerator and method for detecting and processing refrigeration fault of refrigerator

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of refrigeration equipment, in particular to a refrigerator and a method for detecting and processing refrigeration faults of the refrigerator.

Background

For an air-cooled refrigerator provided with a bottom-mounted refrigeration system (namely, a refrigeration chamber with an evaporator horizontally arranged at the bottom of a freezing chamber), due to the structural particularity, in the refrigeration process, besides common faults such as frost blockage of the evaporator, ice blockage of a water outlet and the like, faults such as blade frosting of a refrigeration fan, icing of a return air inlet and the like can also occur. When the faults occur, the temperature of the storage chamber of the refrigerator can be seriously influenced, and the fresh-keeping effect of the stored food materials is further influenced. Therefore, there is a need for a method for automatically detecting and handling a refrigeration fault of a refrigerator with a bottom-mounted refrigeration system, so as to ensure the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator and avoid the problem of food material fresh-keeping effect deterioration.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a method capable of automatically detecting a refrigeration fault of a refrigerator and adopting corresponding fault treatment measures so as to ensure the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator and avoid the problem of deterioration of the food material preservation effect.

In particular, the present invention provides a method for detecting and processing a refrigeration fault of a refrigerator, the refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet including a freezing chamber at a lower portion and at least one storage chamber above the freezing chamber, the storage chamber having a temperature higher than that of the freezing chamber;

and

the heating device is used for heating a fault part when the refrigerator has refrigeration fault;

the method comprises the following steps:

detecting the temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature variation trend of the storage chamber;

determining the refrigerating fault position of the refrigerator according to the temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature variation trend of the storage chamber;

and starting the corresponding heating device according to the refrigeration fault part for treatment.

Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises:

an evaporator located at a bottom of the freezing chamber and separated from the freezing chamber; and

a refrigerating fan located at the downstream of the air flow relative to the evaporator for supplying the air heat-exchanged by the evaporator to the freezing chamber and the storage chamber;

detecting the temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature variation trend of the storage chamber; the step of determining the refrigerating fault part of the refrigerator based on the temperature change trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature change trend of the storage chamber includes:

periodically acquiring the temperature of the freezing chamber and the temperature of the storage chamber;

determining whether the temperature of the freezing chamber and the temperature of the storage chamber continuously rise within a first preset time period according to the temperature of the freezing chamber and the temperature of the storage chamber acquired within the first preset time period before the current moment;

if so, acquiring the current opening and closing states of a door body of the freezing chamber and a door body of the storage chamber;

and if the door body of the freezing chamber and the door body of the storage chamber are both in a closed state, determining that the part of the refrigerator with the refrigeration fault is a refrigeration fan.

Optionally, if the temperature of the freezing chamber or the temperature of the storage chamber does not continuously increase within the first predetermined time period, or the door body of the freezing chamber or the door body of the storage chamber is currently in an open state, before the corresponding heating device is started to process according to the refrigeration failure location, the method further includes:

acquiring the current actual rotating speed and the set operating rotating speed of the refrigerating fan;

calculating the ratio of the current actual rotating speed of the refrigerating fan to the set operating rotating speed;

judging whether the ratio is less than or equal to a preset ratio threshold value;

if so, determining the part of the refrigerator with the refrigeration fault as a refrigeration fan.

Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises a water pan structure disposed below the evaporator;

the heating device comprises a first heating wire arranged on the evaporator and a second heating wire arranged on the water pan structure;

the method comprises the following steps of starting a corresponding heating device according to a refrigeration fault part for processing, wherein the steps comprise:

when the part of the refrigerator with the refrigeration fault is determined to be a refrigeration fan, waiting for the next defrosting program to start;

after a defrosting program is started, the first heating wire and the second heating wire are electrified to operate so as to defrost the evaporator and the blades of the refrigerating fan;

when the temperature of the evaporator reaches a preset defrosting ending temperature, ending the defrosting program, and powering off the first heating wire and the second heating wire;

and starting the refrigerating fan immediately after the defrosting program is finished.

Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises:

the storage chamber air return opening is positioned at the outer side of the bottom of the freezing chamber and used for guiding the return air of the storage chamber back to the evaporator;

obtaining the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber and the temperature change rate of the storage chamber in a second preset time period according to the temperature of the freezing chamber and the temperature of the storage chamber obtained in the second preset time period before the current moment;

under the condition that the set temperature of the storage chamber is determined to be kept unchanged in a second preset time period, judging whether the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber in the second preset time period is within a preset fluctuation range and the temperature change rate of the storage chamber is within a preset rising change rate range;

and if the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber is in a preset fluctuation range and the temperature change rate of the storage chamber is in a preset rising change rate range in the second preset time period, determining that the part of the refrigerator with the refrigeration fault is a storage chamber air return opening.

Optionally, if the fluctuation of the temperature of the freezing chamber in the second predetermined time period exceeds the preset fluctuation range or the temperature change rate of the storage chamber in the second predetermined time period is outside the preset rising change rate range, before the corresponding heating device is started to process according to the part with refrigeration fault, the method further comprises:

acquiring the temperature of an air return port of a storage room;

judging whether the temperatures of the air return inlets of the storage rooms acquired within a third preset time period before the current moment are all 0 ℃;

if so, determining the part of the refrigerator with refrigeration fault as a storage chamber air return opening.

the heating device comprises a first heating wire arranged on the evaporator, a second heating wire arranged on the water pan structure and a third heating wire arranged at a position close to the air return opening of the storage chamber;

when the part of the refrigerator with the refrigeration fault is determined to be a storage chamber air return opening, waiting for the next defrosting program to start;

after the defrosting program is started, the first heating wire, the second heating wire and the third heating wire are electrified to operate;

and when the temperature of the evaporator reaches a preset defrosting ending temperature, ending the defrosting program, and powering off the first heating wire, the second heating wire and the third heating wire.

Optionally, before the corresponding heating device is started to process according to the refrigeration fault position, the method further comprises the following steps:

periodically acquiring the temperature of the evaporator;

calculating the temperature variation of the freezing chamber in a fourth preset time period according to the temperature of the freezing chamber acquired in the fourth preset time period before the current time, and calculating the temperature variation of the evaporator in the fourth preset time period according to the temperature of the evaporator acquired in the fourth preset time period before the current time;

comparing the temperature variation of the freezing chamber in the fourth preset time period with the preset rising amount range, and comparing the temperature variation of the evaporator in the fourth preset time period with the preset falling amount range;

and if the temperature variation of the freezing chamber in the fourth preset time period is in the preset rising amount range and the temperature variation of the evaporator in the fourth preset time period is in the preset falling amount range, determining that the part of the refrigerator with the refrigeration fault is the evaporator.

Optionally, the step of starting the corresponding heating device to process according to the refrigeration fault location further includes:

when the part of the refrigerator with refrigeration fault is determined to be the evaporator, starting a defrosting program to electrify the first heating wire and the second heating wire to operate so as to defrost the evaporator;

and when the temperature of the evaporator reaches a preset defrosting ending temperature, ending the defrosting program, and powering off the first heating wire and the second heating wire.

Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises a drain port disposed below the evaporator and at a lowest point of the water-receiving tray structure;

before the corresponding heating device is started to process according to the refrigeration fault position, the method further comprises the following steps:

after each defrosting process is finished, detecting the temperature of the water outlet;

judging whether the temperature of the water outlet is less than or equal to 0 ℃;

if yes, determining the part of the refrigerator with the refrigeration fault as a water outlet.

when the part of the refrigerator with the refrigeration fault is determined to be a water outlet, waiting for the next defrosting program to start;

after the defrosting program is started, the first heating wire and the second heating wire are electrified to operate;

when the temperature of the evaporator reaches a preset defrosting ending temperature, ending the defrosting program, and powering off the first heating wire;

and keeping the second heating wire energized to run until the compressor of the refrigerator starts to refrigerate, and powering off the second heating wire.

Another aspect of the present invention also provides a refrigerator including:

a temperature sensing device comprising:

a first temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the freezing chamber; and

a second temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the storage chamber;

the heating device is used for heating a fault part when the refrigerator has refrigeration fault; and

the controller is respectively connected with the temperature detection device and the heating device and is used for obtaining the temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature variation trend of the storage chamber according to the temperature detected by the temperature detection device; determining the refrigerating fault position of the refrigerator according to the temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature variation trend of the storage chamber; and starting the corresponding heating device to process according to the refrigeration fault part.

Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises:

an evaporator located at a bottom of the freezing chamber and separated from the freezing chamber;

the water receiving tray structure is arranged below the evaporator;

the storage chamber air return opening is positioned at the outer side of the bottom of the freezing chamber and used for guiding the return air of the storage chamber back to the evaporator; the water outlet is arranged below the evaporator and is positioned at the lowest point of the water receiving disc structure;

the temperature detection device further includes:

a third temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the evaporator;

the fourth temperature sensor is used for detecting the temperature of the air return opening of the storage chamber; and

a fifth temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the drain opening;

the heating device includes:

the first heating wire is arranged on the evaporator;

the second heating wire is arranged on the water receiving disc structure; and

the third heating wire is arranged at the position close to the air return opening of the storage chamber;

the controller is further configured to:

obtaining the temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber, the temperature variation trend of the storage chamber and the temperature variation trend of the evaporator according to the temperature detected by the temperature detection device; determining the refrigerating fault position of the refrigerator according to the temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber, the temperature variation trend of the storage chamber, the temperature variation trend of the evaporator, the temperature of the air return inlet of the storage chamber and the temperature of the water outlet; and correspondingly starting the first heating wire and the second heating wire or the first heating wire, the second heating wire and the third heating wire according to the position and the type of the refrigeration fault for processing, wherein the position of the refrigeration fault comprises at least one of a refrigeration fan, a storage chamber air return opening, an evaporator and a water outlet.

In the method for detecting and processing the refrigeration fault of the refrigerator, the part of the refrigerator with the refrigeration fault is determined by detecting the temperature change trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature change trend of the storage chamber, and then the corresponding heating device is started to process according to the part with the refrigeration fault. Specifically, under the condition that the door bodies of the freezing chamber and the storage chamber are confirmed to be in the closed state, if the temperature of the freezing chamber and the temperature of the storage chamber continuously rise within a first preset time period, the part with the refrigeration fault can be determined to be a refrigeration fan, and then after a defrosting program is started, a first heating wire arranged on an evaporator and a second heating wire arranged on a water receiving disc structure are electrified and operated, and the refrigeration fan is immediately started after the defrosting program is ended so as to thoroughly defrost the fan blades. In addition, under the condition that the set temperature of the storage chamber is kept unchanged within a second preset time period, if the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber is within a preset fluctuation range and the temperature change rate of the storage chamber is within a preset rising change rate range within the second preset time period, the part with the refrigeration fault can be determined to be a storage chamber air return opening, and then after a defrosting program is started, a first heating wire arranged on the evaporator, a second heating wire arranged on the water receiving disc structure and a third heating wire arranged at the position close to the storage chamber air return opening are electrified and operated together, so that the defrosting of the evaporator is realized, and meanwhile, the ice melting of the refrigerating air return opening is realized. Through the mode, the refrigeration fault of the refrigerator can be accurately detected and effectively processed, the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator is guaranteed, and the food material preservation effect is prevented from being degraded.

Furthermore, the method can also detect the temperature change trend of the evaporator, determine whether the refrigerator has the evaporator frost blocking fault according to the temperature change trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature change trend of the evaporator, and start a defrosting program when the evaporator frost blocking fault occurs, so that the first heating wire and the second heating wire are electrified to defrost the evaporator. The method can also detect the temperature of the water outlet after the defrosting program is finished every time, determine whether the refrigerator has the water outlet ice blockage fault according to the temperature of the water outlet, simultaneously electrify the first heating wire and the second heating wire in the defrosting program executing process when the water outlet ice blockage fault occurs, and continuously electrify the second heating wire to work until the refrigerator is powered off when the refrigerator starts to refrigerate after the defrosting program is finished, thereby effectively melting ice on the water outlet. Therefore, the scheme of the invention can realize more comprehensive and accurate detection and targeted treatment on the refrigeration fault of the refrigerator, and ensure the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator.

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Some specific embodiments of the invention will be described in detail hereinafter, by way of illustration and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in the drawings identify the same or similar elements or components. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a flowchart of a method of detecting and processing a cooling malfunction of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a schematic front view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 3;

fig. 5 is a schematic connection diagram of an electric control part of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 6 is a flowchart of a method for detecting and processing a cooling malfunction of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more apparent, the present application is described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

For an air-cooled refrigerator with a bottom-mounted refrigeration system, during the refrigeration process, a frost blocking fault (such as frosting, frost blocking, icing, ice blocking and the like) may occur at one or more parts, so that the refrigerator cannot be normally refrigerated, and a scheme capable of automatically detecting and effectively processing the refrigeration fault of the refrigerator is urgently needed.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of a refrigerator 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator 10 may generally include a cabinet 110, a temperature detecting device 120, a heating device 130, and a controller 140. The cabinet 110 includes a freezing chamber 111 at a lower portion and at least one storage chamber 112 above the freezing chamber 111. The storage chamber 112 has a temperature higher than that of the freezing chamber 111. The storage chamber 112 may include a refrigerating chamber and/or a temperature changing chamber. The temperature detecting device 120 includes a first temperature sensor 121 for detecting the temperature of the freezing compartment 111 and a second temperature sensor 122 for detecting the temperature of the storage compartment 112. The heating device 130 is used to heat a faulty portion when a cooling failure occurs in the refrigerator 10. The controller 140 is connected to the temperature detecting device 120 and the heating device 130, respectively, for performing a method of detecting and processing a cooling failure of the refrigerator 10. Specifically, the controller 140 obtains a temperature variation trend of the freezing compartment 111 and a temperature variation trend of the storage compartment 112 according to the temperature detected by the temperature detecting device 120, determines a location of the refrigerator 10 where a refrigeration failure occurs according to the temperature variation trend of the freezing compartment 111 and the temperature variation trend of the storage compartment 112, and activates the corresponding heating device 130 for processing according to the location of the refrigeration failure. It should be noted that fig. 1 only schematically illustrates the connection relationship between the components, and does not limit the actual positional relationship between the components. The embodiment can realize accurate detection and effective processing of the refrigeration fault of the refrigerator, guarantee the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator, and avoid the deterioration of the food material preservation effect.

Accordingly, the embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for detecting and handling a refrigeration fault of the refrigerator 10, which may be performed by the controller 140. Fig. 2 shows a flowchart of a method for detecting and processing a cooling fault of the refrigerator 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 2, the method includes the following steps S202 to S206.

In step S202, the temperature variation tendency of the freezing chamber 111 and the temperature variation tendency of the storage chamber 112 are detected.

In step S204, a portion of the refrigerator 10 where a cooling failure occurs is determined according to the temperature variation tendency of the freezing compartment 111 and the temperature variation tendency of the storage compartment 112.

Step S206, the corresponding heating device 130 is activated according to the location of the refrigeration failure for processing.

The following describes a structure of the refrigerator 10 and a method for detecting and processing a refrigeration fault of the refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic front view of the refrigerator 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a schematic side view of the refrigerator 10 shown in fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of connection of electric control components of the refrigerator 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 3 to 5, the refrigerator 10 is equipped with a bottom-mounted refrigeration system. The cabinet of the refrigerator 10 includes a freezing chamber 111 at a lower portion and at least one storage chamber 112 (a refrigerating chamber and/or a temperature-changing chamber) above the freezing chamber 111. The freezing chamber 111 has a door 114, and the door 114 is provided with a first door switch 116. Each storage chamber 112 has a door 115, and a second door switch 117 is provided on the door 115. The first door switch 116 and the second door switch 117 are both connected to the controller 140. The refrigerator 10 may further include an evaporator 150 located at the bottom of the freezing chamber 111 and spaced apart from the freezing chamber 111. Specifically, the evaporator 150 may be separated from the freezing chamber 111 by an evaporator cover 160, a space below the evaporator cover 160 is not referred to as a refrigerating chamber 113, and the evaporator 150 is disposed across the refrigerating chamber 113. The refrigerator 10 may further include a cooling fan 170 located downstream with respect to the evaporator 150 in an air flow for supplying air heat-exchanged by the evaporator 150 to the freezing chamber 111 and the storage chamber 112 and promoting circulation of the air flow between the freezing chamber 111 and the cooling chamber 113 and between the storage chamber 112 and the cooling chamber 113. The cooling fan 170 is connected to the controller 140 so as to be operated under the control of the controller 140. The evaporator shroud 160 is provided with a freezing return air inlet 161 for communicating the freezing chamber 111 and the refrigerating chamber 113, and return air from the freezing chamber 111 enters the evaporator 150 through the freezing return air inlet 161.

During the operation of the refrigerator 10, the cold and humid air from the freezing chamber 111 directly flows to the cooling fan 170 without passing through the evaporator 150 due to the gap between the evaporator cover 160 and the evaporator 150, or the cold and humid air from the freezing chamber 111 directly flows to the cooling fan 170 due to poor sealing of the periphery of the evaporator cover 160, which may cause the blades of the cooling fan 170 to frost, resulting in a decrease in the air volume or no air, and a reduction in the cooling effect.

For the fault detection of the frost formation of the cooling fan blade, in one embodiment, the steps S202 and S204 may be further implemented as the following steps S211 to S214.

In step S211, the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 and the temperature of the storage chamber 112 are periodically acquired.

In this step, the temperatures of the freezing chamber 111 and the storage chamber 112 can be obtained by the first temperature sensor 121 and the second temperature sensor 122, respectively, and sent to the controller 140 for failure determination. The time interval for acquiring the temperature can be set according to the actual application requirement, such as 1 hour, half an hour, and the like, which is not limited by the invention.

In step S212, it is determined whether the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 and the temperature of the storage chamber 112 continuously increase in the first predetermined time period according to the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 and the temperature of the storage chamber 112 acquired in the first predetermined time period before the current time.

The length of the first predetermined period of time may be set according to factors such as a cooling characteristic of the refrigerator and a required fault response time. Preferably, the length of the first predetermined time period can be set within 4-6h, so that the change trend of the temperature can be fully reflected, and the food material is not deteriorated due to failure in timely determination and treatment.

In step S213, if the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 and the temperature of the storage chamber 112 both continuously increase within the first predetermined time period, the current opening and closing states of the door 114 of the freezing chamber 111 and the door 115 of the storage chamber 112 are obtained.

In this step, the current opening and closing states of door 114 of freezing chamber 111 and door 115 of storage chamber 112 may be obtained by obtaining signals of first door switch 116 of freezing chamber 111 and second door switch 117 of storage chamber 112.

In step S214, if the door 114 of the freezing compartment 111 and the door 115 of the storage compartment 112 are both in the closed state, it is determined that the portion of the refrigerator 10 where the refrigeration failure occurs is the refrigeration fan 170.

It should be noted that the order of step S212 and step S213 may be interchanged, and the execution order of the two does not affect the scheme of the present invention.

Further, the temperature increase rate of the freezing chamber 111 and the temperature increase rate of the storage chamber 112 within the first predetermined period of time may also be calculated in step S212. If the temperature rising rate of the freezing chamber 111 and the temperature rising rate of the storage chamber 112 fall within a preset range (e.g., 2-6 deg.c/h), the subsequent steps are continued. Thus, the accuracy of the refrigeration fault detection is further improved.

Because current refrigerator all is provided with temperature sensor in freezer and storeroom usually in order to monitor the temperature variation, consequently, this embodiment can utilize existing temperature sensing part to detect the temperature variation trend of freezer and storeroom under the condition that need not to increase new sensing part, and then judges whether the refrigeration fan takes place the blade fault of frosting in view of the above to when the accurate detection of the refrigeration fault of realization to the refrigerator, saved and detected the cost.

In addition, considering that the existence of frost on the cooling fan 170 may seriously affect the rotation speed of the fan when the blade of the cooling fan 170 is frosted, if the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 or the temperature of the storage chamber 112 does not continuously increase within the first predetermined time period, or the door 114 of the freezing chamber 111 or the door 115 of the storage chamber 112 is currently in an open state, and it is not possible to confirm whether the blade frosting fault occurs in the cooling fan 170, in another embodiment of the present invention, the method for detecting and processing the cooling fault of the refrigerator 10 may further perform auxiliary detection through the following steps S215 to S218 before step S206.

In step S215, the current actual rotation speed and the set operation rotation speed of the cooling fan 170 are obtained.

In this step, optionally, the current actual rotation speed of the cooling fan 170 may be obtained through a rotation speed detection device, such as a rotation speed sensor (not shown in fig. 2 and 3) disposed on the cooling fan 170. The set operation rotation speed refers to a set rotation speed carried by the controller 140 when sending an operation instruction to the cooling fan 170, and is generally a rotation speed of the cooling fan in a normal operation state.

In step S216, the ratio of the current actual rotational speed of the cooling fan 170 to the set operating rotational speed is calculated.

In step S217, it is determined whether the ratio of the current actual rotational speed of the cooling fan 170 to the set operating rotational speed is less than or equal to a preset ratio threshold.

In step S218, if yes, it is determined that the portion of the refrigerator 10 where the cooling failure occurs is the cooling fan 170.

The preset ratio threshold mentioned here may be set in a range of 0.7 to 0.9, for example, the preset ratio threshold is set to 0.8. When the ratio of the current actual rotation speed of the refrigeration fan 170 to the set operation rotation speed is less than or equal to the preset ratio threshold, it indicates that the current actual rotation speed of the refrigeration fan 170 is significantly lower than the commanded rotation speed of the controller 140, and the blades of the refrigeration fan 170 are heavily frosted. The blade frosting fault of the refrigerating fan is detected in an auxiliary mode by monitoring the rotating speed of the refrigerating fan, and the accuracy of detection of the refrigerating fault of the refrigerator is further improved.

With continued reference to fig. 3 to 5, the refrigerator 10 further includes a water-receiving tray structure 180 disposed below the evaporator 150, wherein the water-receiving tray structure 180 is gradually recessed toward the center, and is configured to receive defrosting water falling from the evaporator 150. The drip tray structure 180 may be a drip tray separately disposed within the refrigeration compartment 113 or may be directly formed from the bottom wall of the refrigeration compartment 113. The heating means 130 may include a first heating wire 131 provided on the evaporator 150, and a second heating wire 132 provided on the water tray structure 180. The evaporator 150 may further be provided with a third temperature sensor 123 for detecting the temperature of the evaporator 150. The temperature of the evaporator 150 herein may refer to a surface temperature or a center temperature of the evaporator 150, etc., depending on the location where the third temperature sensor 123 is disposed.

In an embodiment of the present invention, when it is determined that the portion of the refrigerator 10 where the cooling failure occurs is the cooling fan 170, the step S206 may be further implemented as the following steps S221 to S224.

And step S221, waiting for the next defrosting program to start.

The next starting of the defrosting program mentioned herein may refer to the conventional automatic starting of the defrosting program after the refrigerator is operated for a predetermined time or the door of the refrigerator is opened and closed for a predetermined number of times, or may refer to the active starting of the defrosting program by the controller 140.

In step S222, after the defrosting process is started, the first heating wire 131 and the second heating wire 132 are simultaneously powered on to defrost the blades of the evaporator 150 and the cooling fan 170.

By activating the second heating wire 132 for auxiliary heating at the same time as the first heating wire 131 is activated, the frost on the blades of the cooling fan 170 starts to melt under the high temperature air while defrosting the evaporator 150.

In step S223, when the temperature of the evaporator 150 reaches a preset defrosting end temperature, the defrosting process is ended, and the first and

second heating wires

131 and 132 are de-energized.

In this step, the temperature of the evaporator 150 may be monitored by the third temperature sensor 123. The defrosting end temperature may be set to a range of 2 to 8 ℃, for example, 7 ℃.

In step S224, the cooling fan 170 is started immediately after the defrosting process is finished.

The refrigeration fan is started immediately after the defrosting program is finished, so that the blades of the refrigeration fan are defrosted again through high-temperature air by utilizing the time interval between the defrosting completion and the compressor starting for refrigeration, and the frost on the blades of the refrigeration fan is ensured to be cleaned up.

As shown in fig. 3 to 5, the refrigerator 10 may further include a return air duct 190 having an upper end communicating with the storage chamber 112 and a lower end formed with a storage chamber return air opening 191. The storage chamber air return opening 191 is positioned at the outer side of the bottom of the freezing chamber 111 and is communicated with the refrigerating chamber 113. The return air of the storage compartment 112 is introduced back to the cooling compartment 113 through the storage compartment return air opening 191 via the return air duct 190 and enters the evaporator 150 to be heat-exchanged.

During the operation of the refrigerator 10, if the door of the storage chamber 112 (typically, a refrigerating chamber) is not closed, or if a large amount of moist and hot food materials are put into the storage chamber 112 (typically, a refrigerating chamber), moist and hot air enters the storage chamber air return opening 191 through the air return duct 190. Since the storage chamber return air opening 191 is located at the outer side of the bottom of the freezing chamber 111, the hot and humid air may be frosted at the storage chamber return air opening 191 under the influence of the low temperature of the freezing chamber. After the defrosting procedure is started every time, if the frost at the storage chamber air return opening 191 is not completely melted, the storage chamber air return opening 191 will be frosted again when the refrigerator 10 is cooled again after defrosting, and finally the storage chamber air return opening 191 is frozen. When the freezing amount of the storage chamber air return opening 191 is small, the air return amount is not obviously influenced, and when the freezing amount is large, the air return amount of the storage chamber 112 is reduced, so that the refrigeration effect is reduced, the temperature of the storage chamber 112 is slowly increased, but the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 is not obviously influenced.

For the fault detection of the icing of the storage room air return opening, in one embodiment, the steps S202 and S204 may be further implemented as the following steps S231 to S234.

In step S231, the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 and the temperature of the storage chamber 112 are periodically acquired.

In step S232, the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber 111 and the temperature change rate of the storage chamber 112 in the second predetermined time period are obtained according to the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 and the temperature of the storage chamber 112 acquired in the second predetermined time period before the current time.

The length of the second predetermined period of time may be the same as or different from the length of the first predetermined period of time. Preferably, the length of the second predetermined period of time may be set within 4-8h, so that the trend of the temperature change can be sufficiently reflected.

In this step, the difference between the highest value and the lowest value of the temperature of the freezing compartment 111 acquired in the second predetermined period of time may be used as the temperature fluctuation data of the freezing compartment 111. The rate of change of the temperature of the storage chamber 112 may be obtained by a ratio of a difference between the temperature of the storage chamber 112 at the end time of the second predetermined period of time and the temperature of the storage chamber 112 at the start time to the length of the second predetermined period of time.

In step S233, in the case where it is determined that the set temperature of the storage chamber 112 remains unchanged for the second predetermined period of time, it is determined whether the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber 111 is within the preset fluctuation range and the temperature change rate of the storage chamber 112 is within the preset rising change rate range within the second predetermined period of time.

In this step, the set temperature of the storage chamber 112 may be determined by the controller 140 by reading a temperature setting signal (e.g., input by a user or automatically set) of the storage chamber 112. The preset fluctuation range may be determined according to factors such as a requirement for accuracy of fault detection and sensing accuracy of the temperature sensor, and may be set to [ -1 ℃, +1 ℃ ], [ -0.5 ℃, +0.5 ℃ ], for example, and the present invention is not particularly limited. The predetermined range of the rising rate may be set to, for example, 0.1 to 1.0 ℃/h, which is related to factors such as the cooling capacity of the refrigerator, and may be different for different refrigerators.

It should be noted that, in the actual operation, the execution sequence between the operation of determining that the set temperature of the storage chamber 112 is kept constant for the second predetermined period of time, the operation of determining whether the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber 111 is within the preset fluctuation range within the second predetermined period of time, and the operation of determining whether the temperature change rate of the storage chamber 112 is within the preset rising change rate range may be arbitrarily interchanged without affecting the present invention.

In step S234, if the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber 111 is within the preset fluctuation range and the temperature change rate of the storage chamber 112 is within the preset rising change rate range within the second predetermined time period, it is determined that the portion of the refrigerator 10 where the refrigeration failure occurs is the storage chamber air return opening 191.

When the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber 111 within the second predetermined period of time is within the preset fluctuation range, it may be considered that the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 is substantially maintained. At this time, if the temperature change rate of the storage chamber 112 within the second predetermined time period is within the preset increasing change rate range, that is, the temperature of the storage chamber 112 shows a slow increasing trend, it can be determined that the storage chamber air return opening 191 is frozen.

The temperature change trend of present temperature sensing part to freezer and storeroom can be utilized to this embodiment and detected, and then judge whether the storeroom return air inlet takes place the trouble of freezing from this, has saved the detection cost.

In addition, it is considered that the temperature at the storage chamber return air opening 191 will be always maintained at 0 ℃ when the storage chamber return air opening 191 freezes. Therefore, if the fluctuation of the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 in the second predetermined time period is beyond the preset fluctuation range or the temperature change rate of the storage chamber 112 in the second predetermined time period is outside the preset rising change rate range, and it is not possible to confirm whether the freezing fault occurs in the storage chamber air return opening 191, in another embodiment of the present invention, the method for detecting and processing the freezing fault of the refrigerator 10 may further perform auxiliary detection through the following steps S235 to S237 before step S206.

Step S235, the temperature of the air return opening 191 of the storage chamber is obtained.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, a fourth temperature sensor 124 may be provided at the storage compartment air return opening 191 of the refrigerator 10, and the fourth temperature sensor 124 is connected to the controller 140. The temperature at the reservoir return air opening 191 is collected by the fourth temperature sensor 124 and sent to the controller 140. In this step, the temperature at the air return opening 191 of the storage chamber may be obtained periodically or aperiodically.

In step S236, it is determined whether the temperatures at the storage room air return openings 191 acquired within the third predetermined time period before the current time are all 0 ℃.

In this step, the temperature data at the air return opening 191 of the storage room in the third predetermined period of time should include the temperatures obtained at least twice. Preferably, the third predetermined period of time is equal to or greater than the defrosting cycle of the refrigerator 10 such that the third predetermined period of time contains at least the temperature data at the storage compartment air return 191 before and after defrosting.

In step S237, if yes, it is determined that the portion of the refrigerator 10 where the cooling failure occurs is the storage compartment return air opening 191.

If the temperature of the air return opening 191 of the storage chamber obtained for a plurality of times in the third preset time period is always kept at 0 ℃, the icing phenomenon at the air return opening 191 of the storage chamber is indicated. The freezing fault of the air return opening of the storage chamber is detected in an auxiliary mode by monitoring the temperature at the air return opening of the storage chamber, and the accuracy of detection of the refrigeration fault of the refrigerator is further improved.

With continued reference to fig. 3 to 5, the heating device 130 may further include a third heating wire 133 disposed adjacent to the storage compartment air return 191 and connected to the controller 140 for being activated under the control of the controller 140 to heat the storage compartment air return 191. Preferably, the third heating wire 133 may be disposed below the storage chamber return air opening 191, e.g., on the bottom wall of the cooling chamber 113 below the storage chamber return air opening 191 and adjacent to the storage chamber return air opening 191.

Further, in an embodiment of the present invention, when it is determined that the portion of the refrigerator 10 where the cooling failure occurs is the storage compartment air return opening 191, the step S206 may be further implemented as the following steps S241 to S243.

And step S241, waiting for the next defrosting program to start.

In step S242, after the defrosting procedure is started, the first heater wire 131, the second heater wire 132 and the third heater wire 133 are simultaneously powered on to melt ice in the storage room air return opening 191 through the third heater wire 133 while defrosting the evaporator 150.

In step S243, when the temperature of the evaporator 150 reaches a preset defrosting end temperature, the defrosting process is ended, and the first, second, and

third heating wires

131, 132, and 133 are de-energized.

In this step, the temperature monitoring of the evaporator 150 and the setting of the defrosting end temperature are as described above.

The third heating wire 133 arranged below the air return opening 191 of the storage chamber is started to melt ice on the air return opening 191 of the storage chamber in a targeted manner during the running of a defrosting program, so that the fault treatment efficiency is improved, and the ice formed at the air return opening 191 of the storage chamber can be completely melted.

During the operation of the refrigerator 10, if hot and humid food materials are put into the freezing chamber 111 or the door of the freezing chamber 111 is not closed tightly, cold and humid air will be frosted on the evaporator 150 seriously, which eventually causes the evaporator 150 to be frosted and blocked, so that the return air (hot and humid air) led back to the evaporator 150 cannot exchange heat with the evaporator 150 sufficiently to generate enough cold to be output to the freezing chamber 111, and the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 rises obviously.

With respect to the detection of the evaporator frost-blocking fault, in one embodiment, after the detection of the blade frost-formation fault of the cooling fan 170 and/or the storage compartment return air inlet icing fault, the method for detecting and processing the cooling fault of the refrigerator 10 may further detect the evaporator fault through the following steps S251 to S254 before step S206.

In step S251, the temperature of the evaporator 150 is periodically measured.

The temperature of the evaporator 150 is acquired by the third temperature sensor 123 in this step, and the acquired temperature is sent to the controller 140.

In step S252, the temperature variation of the freezing chamber 111 in the fourth predetermined time period is calculated according to the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 acquired in the fourth predetermined time period before the current time, and the temperature variation of the evaporator 150 in the fourth predetermined time period is calculated according to the temperature of the evaporator 150 acquired in the fourth predetermined time period before the current time.

Here, the temperature change amount refers to a difference between the temperature acquired at the end time of the fourth predetermined period and the temperature acquired at the start time. The length of the fourth predetermined period of time may be the same as or different from the length of the first predetermined period of time. Preferably, the length of the fourth predetermined period of time may be set within 4-6h, so that the trend of the temperature change can be sufficiently reflected.

In step S253, the temperature variation of the freezing chamber 111 in the fourth predetermined period is compared with the preset rise range, and the temperature variation of the evaporator 150 in the fourth predetermined period is compared with the preset fall range.

The preset rise range and the preset fall range mentioned herein may be set according to specific performance parameters of the refrigerator to be tested. Typically, when the length of the fourth predetermined period of time is 4-6 hours, the preset range of the rise amount with respect to the temperature of the freezing chamber may be set to 2-6 ℃, meaning that the temperature of the freezing chamber rises 2-6 ℃ in 4-6 hours. Similarly, the preset drop amount range associated with the evaporator temperature may be set to-15 ℃ to-5 ℃, meaning that the evaporator temperature drops by 5 to 15 ℃ within 4 to 6 hours.

In step S254, if the temperature variation of the freezing chamber 111 in the fourth predetermined period is within the preset increasing amount range and the temperature variation of the evaporator 150 in the fourth predetermined period is within the preset decreasing amount range, it is determined that the portion of the refrigerator 10 where the refrigeration failure occurs is the evaporator 150.

Because the temperature sensors are arranged in the freezing chamber and on the evaporator of the existing refrigerator to monitor the temperature change, the temperature change trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature change trend of the evaporator can be detected by utilizing the existing temperature sensing parts under the condition that new sensing parts are not needed to be added, and then whether the frost blockage fault occurs to the evaporator is judged, so that the detection cost is saved while the accurate detection of the refrigeration fault of the refrigerator is realized.

Further, in an embodiment of the present invention, when it is determined that the portion of the refrigerator 10 where the cooling failure occurs is the evaporator 150, the step S206 may further include the following steps S261 to S262.

In step S261, a defrosting process is started to electrically operate the first and

second heating wires

131 and 132 to defrost the evaporator 150.

In step S262, when the temperature of the evaporator 150 reaches a preset defrosting end temperature, the defrosting process is ended, and the first and

second heating wires

131 and 132 are de-energized.

When the evaporator is determined to have a frost blocking fault, a defrosting program is actively started, and the evaporator is defrosted in time by using the first heating wire and the second heating wire, so that the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator is ensured, and the food material is prevented from being degraded or deteriorated.

With continued reference to fig. 3-5, the refrigerator 10 may also include a drain 181 disposed below the evaporator 150 and at the lowest point of the drip tray structure 180. A press cabin 118 is formed behind the cooling chamber 113, and an evaporation pan 200 may be further disposed in the press cabin 118. The drain pipe 182 may connect the drain port 181 to the evaporation pan 200. For example, the drain pipe 182 may extend obliquely downward from the drain port 181 to the evaporation pan 200 to drain the condensed water or the defrosted water of the evaporator 150 toward the evaporation pan 200. A fifth temperature sensor 125 for detecting the temperature of the drain port 181 may be further provided at a position adjacent to the drain port 181. The fifth temperature sensor 125 is connected to the controller 140 to perform temperature collection in response to a command of the controller 140 and transmit collected temperature data to the controller 140.

During the operation of the refrigerator 10, when the cooling fan 170 is operated, hot and humid air outside the refrigerator 10 enters the evaporator 150 through the drain port 181 via the drain pipe 182 located at the side of the compressor compartment 118, and freezes at the bottom of the evaporator 150. In the defrosting process of the refrigerator 10, ice formed at the bottom of the evaporator 150 falls onto the drain opening 181 to block the drain opening 181, so that when the refrigerator 10 is cooled for a certain period of time and then defrosted again, defrosted water cannot flow out of the drain opening 181, and the defrosted water is accumulated between the evaporator 150 and the drain opening 181. Thus, when the refrigerator 10 is cooled again, the accumulated defrosted water is formed into ice cubes having a relatively large size, and the length and width of the ice cubes are equal to the size of the evaporator 150, thereby causing an ice blockage phenomenon. Under the condition, the conventional defrosting procedure can not completely melt the ice blocks, so that the ice blocks continue to grow up to form a vicious circle, and the refrigerating effect is influenced.

With respect to the detection of the water outlet ice-clogging fault, in one embodiment, after the detection of the blade frost fault of the cooling fan and/or the storage compartment air return inlet icing fault is performed, the method for detecting and processing the cooling fault of the refrigerator 10 may further detect the water outlet fault through the following steps S271 to S273 before step S206.

In step S271, the temperature of the drain port 181 is detected after each defrosting process is completed.

In this step, the temperature of the drain port 181 may be acquired by the fifth temperature sensor 125, and the acquired temperature may be transmitted to the controller 140.

In step S272, it is judged whether or not the temperature of the drain port 181 is 0 ℃ or lower.

In step S273, the location where the refrigerator 10 has a cooling failure is determined to be the drain port 181.

If the temperature of the water outlet 181 is still not higher than 0 ℃ after defrosting of the refrigerator 10 each time, it indicates that ice is not melted at the water outlet 181 all the time, and the water outlet 181 is blocked by ice.

The fault of the water outlet is detected by monitoring the temperature of the water outlet, the ice blockage phenomenon of the water outlet is found in time, and the accuracy and the timeliness of the detection of the refrigeration fault of the refrigerator are further improved.

Further, in an embodiment of the present invention, when it is determined that the portion of the refrigerator 10 where the cooling failure occurs is the drain opening 181, the step S206 may further include the following steps S281 to S284.

And step S281, waiting for the next defrosting program to start.

In step S282, after the defrosting process is started, the first heater wire 131 and the second heater wire 132 are energized to heat the evaporator 150 and the drain port 181 at the same time.

In step S283, when the temperature of the evaporator 150 reaches a preset defrosting end temperature, the defrosting process is ended, and the first heating wire 131 is powered off.

Here, the temperature monitoring of the evaporator 150 and the setting of the defrosting end temperature are as described above.

In step S284, the second heating wire 132 is kept powered on until the second heating wire 132 is powered off when the compressor of the refrigerator 10 starts to cool.

After the defrosting program is finished, the second heating wire is continuously electrified to work, and the power is cut off and the work is stopped until the refrigerator starts to refrigerate, so that under the condition that the work of a refrigerating system of the refrigerator is not influenced, the heating time of the water outlet is prolonged, ice blocks at the water outlet can be completely melted, and the problem of ice blockage of the water outlet is solved.

Having described the structure of the refrigerator 10 and the various implementation manners of the method for detecting and processing the refrigeration fault of the refrigerator 10 according to the embodiments of the present invention, the structure of the refrigerator 10 and the implementation processes of the method for detecting and processing the refrigeration fault of the refrigerator 10 according to the present invention will be described in detail by specific embodiments.

In one embodiment, still referring to fig. 1, 3-5, the refrigerator 10 may include a cabinet 110, a temperature detecting device 120, a heating device 130, and a controller 140. The controller 140 is connected to the temperature detecting device 120 and the heating device 130, respectively. The cabinet 110 includes a freezing chamber 111 at a lower portion and at least one storage chamber 112 (a refrigerating chamber and/or a temperature-changing chamber) above the freezing chamber 111. The storage chamber 112 has a temperature higher than that of the freezing chamber 111. The refrigerator 10 further includes an evaporator 150 located at the bottom of the freezing chamber 111 and partitioned from the freezing chamber 111; a cooling fan 170 located downstream of the evaporator 150 in an air flow for supplying air heat-exchanged by the evaporator 150 to the freezing chamber 111 and the storage chamber 112; a water pan structure 180 disposed below the evaporator 150; a storage compartment return air opening 191 located outside the bottom of the freezing compartment 111 for introducing return air of the storage compartment 112 back into the evaporator 150; and a drain port 181 disposed below the evaporator 150 and located at the lowest point of the drain pan structure 180. The temperature detecting device 120 includes a first temperature sensor 121 for detecting the temperature of the freezing compartment 111, a second temperature sensor 122 for detecting the temperature of the storage compartment 112, a third temperature sensor 123 for detecting the temperature of the evaporator 150, a fourth temperature sensor 124 for detecting the temperature of the storage compartment air return opening 191, and a fifth temperature sensor 125 for detecting the temperature of the drain opening 181. The heating means 130 includes a first heating wire 131 provided on the evaporator 150, a second heating wire 132 provided on the water tray structure 180, and a third heating wire 133 provided at a position adjacent to the storage chamber return air opening 191. The controller 140 obtains the trend of temperature change of the freezing chamber 111, the trend of temperature change of the storage chamber 112, and the trend of temperature change of the evaporator 150 according to the temperature detected by the temperature detecting device 120, further determines the location of the refrigerator 10 where the refrigeration failure occurs according to the trend of temperature change of the freezing chamber 111, the trend of temperature change of the storage chamber 112, the trend of temperature change of the evaporator 150, and the temperature of the storage chamber return air opening 191 and the temperature of the drain opening 181 detected by the temperature detecting device 120, and accordingly activates the first heating wire 131 and the second heating wire 132, or the first heating wire 131, the second heating wire 132, and the third heating wire 133 according to the location of the refrigeration failure for processing. Wherein the portion having the refrigeration trouble includes at least one of the refrigeration fan 170, the storage compartment return air opening 191, the evaporator 150, and the drain opening 181.

Fig. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a method for detecting and handling a cooling fault of the refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 to be tested has the structural components shown in fig. 3 and 4 and the connection relationship of the electric control components shown in fig. 5. The first predetermined period of time, the second predetermined period of time and the fourth predetermined period of time are all equal in length. Referring to fig. 6, the method may include at least the following steps S601 to S637. It should be noted that the step numbers do not represent the execution sequence of the steps, but the logical sequence between the steps shall control.

In step S601, the temperature of the freezing chamber 111, the temperature of the storage chamber 112, the temperature of the evaporator 150, and the temperature of the storage chamber return air opening 191 are periodically acquired.

In this step, the temperature data are acquired by the first temperature sensor 121, the second temperature sensor 122, the third temperature sensor 123, and the fourth temperature sensor 124, respectively. The temperature data may be acquired simultaneously or may be acquired separately at an appropriate time.

Step S602, determining whether the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber 111 in the first predetermined time period is within a preset fluctuation range according to the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 acquired in the first predetermined time period before the current time. If not, the process goes to step S603, step S624 and step S619. If yes, go to step S615.

In the present embodiment, the first predetermined period of time is set to 4 to 6 hours, and the preset fluctuation range is set to [ -0.5 ℃, +0.5 ℃ ]. When the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber 111 is within [ -0.5 ℃, +0.5 ℃ ] within 4 to 6 hours, it is considered that the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 is not changed.

Step S603, determining whether the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 continuously rises within a first predetermined time period according to the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 acquired within the first predetermined time period before the current time. If yes, go to step S604, otherwise go to step S607.

Preferably, the temperature rise rate of the freezing chamber 111 is within 2-6 deg.C/h.

Step S604, determining whether the temperature of the storage chamber 112 continuously rises within a first predetermined time period according to the temperature of the storage chamber 112 acquired within the first predetermined time period before the current time, if so, executing step S605.

Preferably, the temperature rise rate of the storage chamber 112 is within 2-6 deg.C/h.

Step S605, acquiring current opening and closing states of door 114 of freezing chamber 111 and door 115 of storage chamber 112, determining whether door 114 of freezing chamber 111 and door 115 of storage chamber 112 are both in a closed state, if yes, executing step S606.

In this step, the current opening and closing states of door 114 of freezing chamber 111 and door 115 of storage chamber 112 are obtained by acquiring signals of first door switch 116 of freezing chamber 111 and second door switch 117 of storage chamber 112.

In step S606, it is determined that the portion of the refrigerator 10 where the cooling failure occurs is the cooling fan 170, and the process proceeds to step S611.

In step S607, the current actual rotation speed and the set operation rotation speed of the cooling fan 170 are acquired.

In this step, the current actual rotation speed of the cooling fan 170 is obtained by a rotation speed sensor provided on the cooling fan 170. The set operation rotation speed refers to a set rotation speed carried when the controller 140 sends an operation instruction to the cooling fan 170.

In step S608, a ratio of the current actual rotational speed of the cooling fan 170 to the set operating rotational speed is calculated.

In step S609, it is determined whether the ratio of the current actual rotational speed of the cooling fan 170 to the set operating rotational speed is less than or equal to a preset ratio threshold. If yes, go to step S610.

In the present embodiment, the predetermined ratio threshold is set to 0.8.

In step S610, the portion of the refrigerator 10 where the cooling failure occurs is determined as the cooling fan 170, and the process proceeds to step S611.

Step S611, waiting for the next defrosting procedure to start.

In step S612, after the defrosting process is started, the first heating wire 131 and the second heating wire 132 are simultaneously powered on to defrost the blades of the evaporator 150 and the cooling fan 170.

In step S613, when the temperature of the evaporator 150 reaches a preset defrosting end temperature, the defrosting process is ended, and the first and

second heating wires

131 and 132 are de-energized.

In the present embodiment, the temperature of the evaporator 150 is monitored by the third temperature sensor 123. The defrosting end temperature was set to 7 ℃.

In step S614, the cooling fan 170 is started immediately after the defrosting process is finished, so that the blades of the cooling fan 170 are defrosted again by the high-temperature air by using the time interval between the defrosting completion and the compressor start for cooling.

In step S615, it is determined whether the set temperature of the storage chamber 112 remains unchanged for a first predetermined period of time. If yes, go to step S616.

In this step, the set temperature of the storage chamber 112 may be determined by the controller 140 by reading a temperature setting signal (e.g., input by a user or automatically set) of the storage chamber 112.

In step S616, the temperature change rate of the storage chamber 112 in the first predetermined time period is calculated according to the temperature of the storage chamber 112 acquired in the first predetermined time period before the current time.

The rate of change of the temperature of the storage chamber 112 may be obtained by a ratio of a difference between the temperature of the storage chamber 112 at the end time of the first predetermined period of time and the temperature of the storage chamber 112 at the start time to the length of the first predetermined period of time.

In step S617, it is determined whether the temperature change rate of the storage chamber 112 within the first predetermined period of time is within a preset rising change rate range. If yes, go to step S618.

In this embodiment, the range of the predetermined rate of change of rise in relation to the temperature of the storage chamber is set to 0.1 to 0.5 ℃/h. When the rate of change of the temperature of the storage chamber 112 falls within the preset rising rate range, it can be considered that the temperature of the storage chamber 112 has a slow rising tendency.

In step S618, the portion of the refrigerator 10 where the cooling failure occurs is determined to be the storage compartment air return opening 191, and the process proceeds to step S621.

In step S619, it is determined whether the temperatures at the storage room return air opening 191 acquired in the third predetermined time period before the current time are all 0 ℃. If yes, go to step S620.

In this step, the temperature data at the storage room air return opening 191 during the third predetermined period of time should include the temperatures obtained at least twice, and the third predetermined period of time is equal to or greater than the defrosting cycle of the refrigerator 10, so that the temperature data at the storage room air return opening 191 before and after defrosting is included during the third predetermined period of time.

In step S620, the portion of the refrigerator 10 where the refrigeration failure occurs is determined to be the storage chamber return air opening 191, and the process proceeds to step S621.

And step S621, waiting for the next defrosting program to start.

In step S622, after the defrosting procedure is started, the first heating wire 131, the second heating wire 132 and the third heating wire 133 are simultaneously powered on, so that the storage room air return opening 191 is defrosted by the third heating wire 133 while the evaporator 150 is defrosted.

Step S623, when the temperature of the evaporator 150 reaches a preset defrosting end temperature, ending the defrosting process, and cutting off the first, second, and

third heating wires

131, 132, and 133.

In step S624, the temperature variation of the freezing chamber 111 in the first predetermined time period is calculated according to the temperature of the freezing chamber 111 acquired in the first predetermined time period before the current time.

In this embodiment, the temperature change amount in the first predetermined period is a difference between the temperature acquired at the end time and the temperature acquired at the start time of the first predetermined period.

Step S625, comparing the temperature variation of the freezing chamber 111 in the first predetermined time period with the preset rise range, and determining whether the temperature variation of the freezing chamber 111 in the first predetermined time period is within the preset rise range. If yes, go to step S626.

The predetermined rise range is set to 2-6 deg.c in this embodiment.

In step S626, the temperature variation of the evaporator 150 in the first predetermined period is calculated according to the temperature of the evaporator 150 acquired in the first predetermined period before the current time.

Step S627, comparing the temperature variation of the evaporator 150 in the first predetermined time period with a preset decreasing amount range, and determining whether the temperature variation of the evaporator 150 in the first predetermined time period is within the preset decreasing amount range. If yes, go to step S628.

The predetermined reduction range in this example is set to-15 ℃ to-5 ℃.

In step S628, it is determined that the portion of the refrigerator 10 where the cooling failure occurs is the evaporator 150, and the process proceeds to step S629.

In step S629, a defrosting process is started to energize the first and

second heating wires

131 and 132 to defrost the evaporator 150.

In step S630, when the temperature of the evaporator 150 reaches a preset defrosting end temperature, the defrosting process is ended, and the first and

second heating wires

131 and 132 are de-energized.

In step S631, the temperature of the drain port 181 is detected after each defrosting process is completed.

In this step, the temperature of the drain port 181 is acquired by the fifth temperature sensor 125, and the acquired temperature is transmitted to the controller 140.

In step S632, it is determined whether the temperature of the drain port 181 is less than or equal to 0 ℃, and if so, step S633 is performed.

In step S633, the location of the refrigerator 10 where the cooling failure has occurred is determined as the drain port 181, and the process proceeds to step S634.

And step S634, waiting for the next defrosting program to start.

In step S635, after the defrosting process is started, the first heater wire 131 and the second heater wire 132 are powered on to heat the evaporator 150 and the drain 181 at the same time.

In step S636, when the temperature of the evaporator 150 reaches a preset defrosting end temperature, the defrosting process is ended, and the first heating wire 131 is powered off.

In step S637, the second heating wire 132 is kept powered on until the second heating wire 132 is powered off when the compressor of the refrigerator 10 is started to cool.

It should be noted that step S603, step S624, and step S619 may be executed in parallel, or may be executed according to a preset priority order, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present invention. The step S631 and the step S601 are not in sequence, and the step S631 may be executed after the defrosting process is finished each time.

The embodiment comprehensively and accurately detects refrigeration faults such as frost formation of a freezing fan blade, icing of a storage chamber air return inlet, frost blockage of an evaporator, ice blockage of a water outlet and the like of the refrigerator, can find the refrigeration faults of the refrigerator in time, and effectively processes the faults by starting a corresponding heating device, so that the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator is ensured.

In addition, after the refrigerator 10 is powered on and before the refrigeration fault is detected and processed, all the electric control components in the refrigerator 10 can be self-checked to ensure that all the electric control components are in a normal operation state, so that the detection of the refrigeration fault is prevented from being interfered.

It is clear to those skilled in the art that the specific working processes of the above-described systems, apparatuses and units may refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and for the sake of brevity, further description is omitted here.

In addition, the functional units in the embodiments of the present invention may be physically independent of each other, two or more functional units may be integrated together, or all the functional units may be integrated in one processing unit. The integrated functional units may be implemented in the form of hardware, or in the form of software or firmware.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that: the integrated functional units, if implemented in software and sold or used as a stand-alone product, may be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solution of the present invention may be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes instructions for causing a computing device (e.g., a personal computer, a server, or a network device) to execute all or part of the steps of the method according to the embodiments of the present invention when the instructions are executed. And the aforementioned storage medium includes: u disk, removable hard disk, Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), magnetic or optical disk, and other various media capable of storing program code.

Alternatively, all or part of the steps of implementing the foregoing method embodiments may be implemented by hardware (such as a computing device, e.g., a personal computer, a server, or a network device) associated with program instructions, which may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when the program instructions are executed by a processor of the computing device, the computing device executes all or part of the steps of the method according to the embodiments of the present invention.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, and not to limit the same; while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that: the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments can be modified or some or all of the technical features can be equivalently replaced within the spirit and principle of the present invention; such modifications or substitutions do not depart from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of detecting and handling a refrigeration fault of a refrigerator, the refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet including a freezing compartment at a lower portion and at least one storage compartment above the freezing compartment, the storage compartment having a temperature higher than that of the freezing compartment;

and

characterized in that the method comprises:

detecting a temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber and a temperature variation trend of the storage chamber;

determining a refrigerating fault position of the refrigerator according to the temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature variation trend of the storage chamber;

and starting a corresponding heating device according to the refrigeration fault part for treatment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein,

the refrigerator further includes:

a cooling fan located downstream of the evaporator in an air flow for supplying the air heat-exchanged by the evaporator to the freezing chamber and the storage chamber;

the temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature variation trend of the storage chamber are detected; the step of determining the refrigerating fault part of the refrigerator according to the temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature variation trend of the storage chamber comprises the following steps:

determining whether the temperature of the freezing chamber and the temperature of the storage chamber continuously rise in a first predetermined time period according to the temperature of the freezing chamber and the temperature of the storage chamber acquired in the first predetermined time period before the current moment;

if so, acquiring the current opening and closing states of the door body of the freezing chamber and the door body of the storage chamber;

3. The method of claim 2, wherein,

if the temperature of the freezing chamber or the temperature of the storage chamber does not continuously rise within the first predetermined time period, or the door body of the freezing chamber or the door body of the storage chamber is currently in an open state, before starting the corresponding heating device according to the refrigeration fault part for processing, the method further comprises:

and if so, determining the part of the refrigerator with the refrigeration fault as a refrigeration fan.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein,

the refrigerator also comprises a water receiving tray structure arranged below the evaporator;

the step of starting the corresponding heating device to process according to the refrigeration fault part comprises the following steps:

after the defrosting program is started, electrifying the first heating wire and the second heating wire to operate so as to defrost the evaporator and the blades of the refrigerating fan;

5. The method of claim 1, wherein,

the refrigerator further includes:

a storage compartment return air inlet located outside the bottom of the freezer compartment for directing return air from the storage compartment back into the evaporator;

obtaining the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber and the temperature change rate of the storage chamber in a second preset time period according to the temperature of the freezing chamber and the temperature of the storage chamber acquired in the second preset time period before the current time;

under the condition that the set temperature of the storage chamber is determined to be kept unchanged in the second preset time period, judging whether the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber in the second preset time period is within a preset fluctuation range and the temperature change rate of the storage chamber is within a preset rising change rate range;

and if the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber is within the preset fluctuation range and the temperature change rate of the storage chamber is within the preset rising change rate range in the second preset time period, determining that the part of the refrigerator with the refrigeration fault is a storage chamber air return opening.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein,

if the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber in the second predetermined time period exceeds the preset fluctuation range or the temperature change rate of the storage chamber in the second predetermined time period is out of the preset rising change rate range, before starting the corresponding heating device according to the refrigeration fault part for processing, the method further comprises the following steps:

acquiring the temperature of an air return port of the storage room;

judging whether the temperatures of the air return inlets of the storage rooms, which are acquired within a third preset time period before the current moment, are all 0 ℃;

if so, determining that the part of the refrigerator with the refrigeration fault is a storage chamber air return opening.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein,

the heating device comprises a first heating wire arranged on the evaporator, a second heating wire arranged on the water pan structure and a third heating wire arranged at a position adjacent to the air return opening of the storage chamber;

after the defrosting program is started, electrifying the first heating wire, the second heating wire and the third heating wire to operate;

8. The method of claim 4 or 7,

periodically acquiring the temperature of the evaporator;

comparing the temperature variation of the freezing chamber in the fourth preset time period with a preset rising amount range, and comparing the temperature variation of the evaporator in the fourth preset time period with a preset falling amount range;

and if the temperature variation of the freezing chamber in the fourth preset time period is within the preset increasing amount range and the temperature variation of the evaporator in the fourth preset time period is within the preset decreasing amount range, determining that the part of the refrigerator with the refrigeration fault is the evaporator.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein,

the step of starting the corresponding heating device to process according to the refrigeration fault part further comprises the following steps:

when the part of the refrigerator with the refrigeration fault is determined to be an evaporator, starting the defrosting program to electrify the first heating wire and the second heating wire to operate so as to defrost the evaporator;

10. The method of claim 4 or 7,

the refrigerator also comprises a water outlet which is arranged below the evaporator and is positioned at the lowest point of the water pan structure;

after each defrosting procedure is finished, detecting the temperature of the water outlet;

if so, determining that the part of the refrigerator with the refrigeration fault is a water outlet.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein,

after the defrosting program is started, electrifying the first heating wire and the second heating wire to operate;

and keeping the second heating wire energized to run until the second heating wire is powered off when a compressor of the refrigerator starts to refrigerate.

12. A refrigerator, comprising:

a temperature sensing device comprising:

a second temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the storage chamber;

the controller is respectively connected with the temperature detection device and the heating device and is used for obtaining the temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature variation trend of the storage chamber according to the temperature detected by the temperature detection device; determining a refrigerating fault position of the refrigerator according to the temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber and the temperature variation trend of the storage chamber; and starting a corresponding heating device to process according to the refrigeration fault part.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12, wherein,

the refrigerator further includes:

the water receiving tray structure is arranged below the evaporator;

a storage compartment return air inlet located outside the bottom of the freezer compartment for directing return air from the storage compartment back into the evaporator; and

the water outlet is arranged below the evaporator and is positioned at the lowest point of the water receiving disc structure;

the temperature detection device further includes:

a third temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the evaporator;

a fourth temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the air return opening of the storage chamber; and

a fifth temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the drain opening;

the heating device includes:

a first heater wire disposed on the evaporator;

the second heating wire is arranged on the water pan structure; and

a third heating wire arranged at a position adjacent to the air return opening of the storage chamber;

the controller is further configured to:

obtaining a temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber, a temperature variation trend of the storage chamber and a temperature variation trend of the evaporator according to the temperature detected by the temperature detection device;

determining a refrigerating fault position of the refrigerator according to the temperature variation trend of the freezing chamber, the temperature variation trend of the storage chamber and the temperature variation trend of the evaporator, and the temperature of the air return inlet of the storage chamber and the temperature of the water outlet;

and correspondingly starting the first heating wire and the second heating wire or the first heating wire, the second heating wire and the third heating wire according to the refrigeration fault part for processing, wherein the refrigeration fault part comprises at least one of a refrigeration fan, a storeroom air return opening, an evaporator and a water outlet.