CN114440518A

CN114440518A - Refrigerator and control method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN114440518A
Application number: CN202011193681.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李珂; 梁星; 曹永�; 陈庆
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: 2020-10-30
Filing date: 2020-10-30
Publication date: 2022-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 2040-10-30
Also published as: CN114440518B

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator and a control method thereof, wherein a storage chamber and an air channel communicated with the storage chamber are formed in the refrigerator, a plurality of heat storage devices are arranged in the air channel, each heat storage device is controlled to be opened to exchange heat with air flow flowing through the air channel, and the control method comprises the following steps: acquiring the starting and stopping state of a refrigerating system for refrigerating the storage chamber; and adjusting the opening and closing states of the plurality of heat storage devices according to the starting and stopping states of the refrigeration system so as to adjust the temperature of the storage compartment by using the plurality of heat storage devices. The refrigerator provided by the invention can be combined with a plurality of heat storage devices by utilizing a refrigeration system, so that the temperature of the storage compartment is regulated together. According to the invention, by improving the temperature adjusting method of the refrigerator, the temperature adjusting process is optimized, the temperature control effect of the storage chamber is improved, and the intelligent degree of the refrigerator is favorably improved.

Description

Refrigerator and control method thereof

Technical Field

The invention relates to a refrigeration technology, in particular to a refrigerator and a control method thereof.

Background

A refrigerator is an apparatus capable of realizing low-temperature storage. In the daily production and life of people, the storage conditions of some articles are severe, when people store the articles in the storage compartment of the refrigerator, the temperature of the storage compartment needs to be strictly controlled, if the temperature of the air supply flow is too low, the articles can be frozen or frostbitten, and if the temperature fluctuation of the storage compartment is large, the articles can be deteriorated.

In the prior art, part of refrigerators can only adjust the temperature of a storage chamber by adjusting the operating parameters of a refrigeration system, the adjusting process is complex, the temperature control effect is poor, and excessive energy consumption is easily generated.

Therefore, how to improve the temperature adjusting method of the refrigerator becomes a technical problem to be solved urgently by those skilled in the art.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a control method thereof which at least partially solve the above problems.

A further object of the present invention is to improve the temperature regulation method of the refrigerator, optimize the regulation process, and improve the temperature control effect.

It is still a further object of the present invention to improve the overall temperature regulating capability of the thermal storage device.

Another further object of the present invention is to reduce the energy consumption of the refrigerator.

Still another further object of the present invention is to simplify the control logic of the refrigerator and to improve the operation efficiency.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method of a refrigerator in which a storage compartment and an air duct communicating with the storage compartment are formed, a plurality of heat storage devices are provided in the air duct, each of the heat storage devices is controlled to be opened to exchange heat with an air flow flowing through the air duct, and the control method includes: acquiring the starting and stopping state of a refrigerating system for refrigerating the storage chamber; and adjusting the opening and closing states of the plurality of heat storage devices according to the starting and stopping states of the refrigeration system so as to adjust the temperature of the storage compartment by using the plurality of heat storage devices.

Optionally, the start-stop state of the refrigeration system comprises a start-up state; the air duct is provided with an air outlet and conveys air supply airflow to the storage compartment through the air outlet, and the plurality of heat storage devices comprise first heat storage devices positioned at the upstream of the air outlet; and when the refrigeration system is in the starting state, the step of adjusting the opening and closing states of the first heat storage device comprises the following steps: acquiring the temperature of the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet; judging whether the temperature of the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet is lower than a preset first air outlet temperature threshold value or not; if so, the first heat storage device is opened to release heat to the air flow flowing through the air outlet by using the first heat storage device.

Optionally, an air supply fan for promoting the formation of air supply flow is arranged in the air duct; and under the condition that the temperature of the air flow flowing through the air outlet is lower than a preset first air outlet temperature threshold value, the control method further comprises the following steps: the running speed of the air supply fan is reduced.

Alternatively, the step of adjusting the open-closed state of the first heat storage device after opening the first heat storage device further includes: acquiring the temperature of the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet; judging whether the temperature of the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet is higher than a preset second air outlet temperature threshold value, wherein the second air outlet temperature threshold value is larger than the first air outlet temperature threshold value; if so, the first thermal storage device is turned off.

Optionally, the start-stop state of the refrigeration system comprises a shutdown state; the air duct is provided with an air return opening, and the return air flow flowing through the storage compartment flows into the air duct through the air return opening; the plurality of heat storage devices include a second heat storage device disposed near the return air inlet; and the step of adjusting the open-closed state of the second heat storage device in the stopped state includes: acquiring the temperature of return air flow flowing through a return air inlet; judging whether the temperature of the return air flow flowing through the return air inlet is higher than a preset return air temperature threshold value or not; if so, the second heat storage device is opened so as to utilize the second heat storage device to absorb the heat of the return air flow flowing through the return air inlet.

Optionally, the air duct has an air outlet, and the air duct conveys the supply airflow to the storage compartment through the air outlet, and the plurality of heat storage devices includes a first heat storage device located upstream of the air outlet; and the step of adjusting the open-closed state of the first heat storage device after opening the second heat storage device includes: detecting a switching signal of the storage compartment to determine whether the storage compartment is opened; if the storage chamber is opened, the first heat storage device is opened so as to absorb the heat of the airflow flowing through the air outlet by using the first heat storage device.

Optionally, an air supply fan for promoting the formation of return air flow is also arranged in the air duct; when the refrigeration system is in the shutdown state, the control method further includes, before the step of adjusting the open-closed state of the second heat storage device: and controlling the air supply fan to operate according to the preset lowest operation speed.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a refrigerator having a storage compartment and an air duct communicating with the storage compartment formed therein, further comprising: the heat storage devices are arranged in the air channel, and each heat storage device is used for being controlled to be opened so as to exchange heat with the air flow flowing through the air channel; a processor and a memory, the memory having stored therein a control program for implementing the control method according to any one of the above when the control program is executed by the processor.

Optionally, the air duct is provided with an air outlet and an air return opening, the air duct conveys air supply airflow to the storage chamber through the air outlet, and the air return airflow flowing through the storage chamber flows into the air duct through the air return opening; the air duct is also provided with a first concave cavity positioned at the upstream of the air outlet and a second concave cavity arranged close to the air return inlet; the plurality of heat storage devices include: the first heat storage device is arranged in the first concave cavity; and the second heat storage device is arranged in the second cavity.

Optionally, each thermal storage device comprises: the box body is internally provided with a heat storage cavity for containing heat storage materials; the cover body is arranged on the box body and is used for controlled movement to open the heat storage cavity so as to allow the air flow flowing through the heat storage device to exchange heat with the heat storage material; and the driving mechanism is arranged on the box body and is used for driving the cover body to move.

The refrigerator and the control method thereof are characterized in that a storage chamber and an air channel communicated with the storage chamber are formed in the refrigerator, a plurality of heat storage devices are arranged in the air channel, and each heat storage device is controlled to be opened to exchange heat with air flow flowing through the air channel. The refrigerator can utilize the combination of the refrigeration system and the plurality of heat storage devices to jointly regulate the temperature of the storage chamber by acquiring the starting and stopping states of the refrigeration system for refrigerating the storage chamber and regulating the opening and closing states of the plurality of heat storage devices according to the starting and stopping states of the refrigeration system. According to the invention, by improving the temperature adjusting method of the refrigerator, the temperature adjusting process is optimized, the temperature control effect of the storage chamber is improved, and the intelligent degree of the refrigerator is favorably improved.

Furthermore, according to the refrigerator and the control method thereof, the plurality of heat storage devices are arranged in the air duct, and the opening and closing states of the plurality of heat storage devices are adjusted according to the starting and stopping states of the refrigeration system, so that the plurality of heat storage devices can be selected to be in the opening and closing states according to actual conditions, and the whole temperature adjusting capacity of the heat storage devices is improved.

Furthermore, the refrigerator and the control method thereof of the invention are characterized in that the plurality of heat storage devices comprise a first heat storage device and a second heat storage device, when the refrigeration system is in a starting state, when the temperature of the air flow flowing through the air outlet is low, the first heat storage device is opened, the first heat storage device can be utilized to release heat to the air flow flowing through the air outlet, so that part of cold energy in the air flow can be temporarily stored in the first heat storage device, when the refrigeration system is in a stopping state, and when the temperature of the return air flow flowing through the return air inlet is high, the second heat storage device is opened, the second heat storage device can be utilized to absorb the heat of the return air flow flowing through the return air inlet. By using the method, the refrigerator can reduce energy consumption.

Furthermore, the refrigerator and the control method thereof can pertinently adjust the opening and closing states of the plurality of heat storage devices only according to the starting and stopping states of the refrigeration system, which is beneficial to simplifying the control logic of the refrigerator and improving the operation efficiency.

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 block diagram of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a duct cover of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is another schematic view of an air duct cover plate of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a schematic view of a heat storage device of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5 is another schematic view of the heat storage device of the refrigerator shown in fig. 4;

fig. 6 is a schematic view of another perspective of the heat storage device of the refrigerator shown in fig. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a cartridge and a driving mechanism of the heat storage device of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 6;

fig. 8 is a schematic view of a cover of the heat storage device of the refrigerator shown in fig. 6;

fig. 9 is a schematic view of a control method of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 10 is a control flowchart of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 11 is another control flowchart of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a refrigerator 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator 10 may generally include a cabinet, and a plurality of heat storage devices 200, a refrigeration system, a processor 130, and a memory 140 disposed in the cabinet.

The refrigerator 10 may be of a direct-cooling type, an air-cooling type, or any other type. The following embodiments will describe the refrigerator 10 and the control method thereof in detail by taking the air-cooled refrigerator 10 as an example, and those skilled in the art should be fully capable of expanding the refrigerator 10 for other types based on the understanding of the following embodiments, and will not be exemplified herein.

The refrigeration system may be a compression refrigeration system. The refrigeration system may include a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device, and an evaporator. When the refrigerating system is in a starting state, under the action of the compressor, the refrigerant is subjected to heat release condensation when flowing through the condenser, and is subjected to heat absorption evaporation when flowing through the evaporator. The refrigerating system can utilize the refrigerant to absorb heat in the evaporator to generate phase change so as to supply cold for the storage compartment. In some embodiments, the refrigeration system may also be provided with a solenoid valve for adjusting the flow direction, flow rate and/or flow rate of the refrigerant.

The interior of the box body can be formed with a storage chamber and an air duct communicated with the storage chamber. The number and the temperature area of the storage chambers can be set at will according to actual needs. In this embodiment, the storage compartment may be one, and the storage compartment may be a refrigerating compartment.

The air duct is provided with an air outlet and an air return opening 120, the air duct conveys air supply airflow to the storage chamber through the air outlet, and the air return airflow flowing through the storage chamber flows into the air duct through the air return opening 120. That is, the air duct is communicated with the storage compartment through the air outlet and the air return opening 120, respectively. The positions and the number of the air outlets and the air return inlets 120 can be set according to actual needs. Since the installation methods of the air outlet and the air return opening 120 are well known to those skilled in the art, they are not described herein in detail.

The refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment may further include a supply fan disposed in the duct for inducing supply airflow and return airflow. The blower fan may be disposed in the machine room 150 shown in fig. 2. The airflow passage 160 shown in fig. 2 shows the flow area of the supply airflow. The air outlet may be opened on the air flow passage 160. The air duct conveys air supply airflow to the storage chamber through the air outlet. The supply air flow may refer to the heat exchange air flow through the evaporator. The heat exchange air stream is reduced in temperature by exchanging heat with the evaporator as it flows through the evaporator. The air supply fan is also used for promoting the return air flow flowing through the storage chamber to flow into the air channel and then return to the evaporator, thereby forming air flow circulation. The operation speed of the air supply fan can be preset with a plurality of gears, for example, the operation speed can comprise a preset minimum operation speed, a preset maximum operation speed and a preset middle-gear operation speed between the minimum operation speed and the maximum operation speed.

In some further embodiments, an air duct cover plate 100 may be further disposed in the box body and disposed at the rear side of the storage compartment. Here, the "rear side" is with respect to an actual use state of the refrigerator 10. Both the air outlet and the air return opening 120 can be formed on the air duct cover plate 100. Fig. 2 is a schematic view of an air duct cover 100 of the refrigerator 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 3 is another schematic view of the air duct cover 100 of the refrigerator 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of the side of the air duct cover 100 facing away from the storage compartment, and fig. 3 shows a schematic view of the side of the air duct cover 100 facing towards the storage compartment.

The duct is also formed with a first cavity 130 upstream of the outlet and a second cavity 140 located adjacent the return air opening 120. The first and second

concave cavities

130 and 140 may be formed to be recessed from an inner wall surface of the air duct toward an outer side of the air duct in a thickness direction of the air duct. The first and

second cavities

130 and 140 may generally define a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped receiving space. In this embodiment, the term "upstream" refers to the flow path of the blowing air flow, and the first cavity 130 is located upstream of the outlet, which means that the blowing air flow passes through the first cavity 130 and then passes through the outlet. The second cavity 140 may be disposed above the return air opening 120. Both the first cavity 130 and the second cavity 140 may be formed on the duct cover 100.

The plurality of thermal storage devices may include a first thermal storage device and a second thermal storage device. The first thermal storage device may be disposed within the first cavity 130. A second thermal storage device may be disposed within the second cavity 140. That is, the first heat storage device may be located upstream of the air outlet. The second thermal storage device may be disposed near the return air opening 120.

In this embodiment, there may be two air outlets, and correspondingly, there may be two first cavities 130, and each first cavity 130 may be disposed corresponding to one air outlet, and there may be two first heat storage devices disposed in one first cavity 130. The number of the return air opening 120 may be one, and the number of the second cavity 140 and the second thermal storage device may be one.

The volume of the first cavity 130 may be slightly larger than that of the first thermal storage device, and the volume of the second cavity 140 may be slightly larger than that of the second thermal storage device, so that sufficient installation space and open-close space are reserved for the thermal storage device 200, so as to ensure that the thermal storage device 200 can be opened and closed, and interference in the opening and closing processes of the thermal storage device 200 is reduced or avoided. When the thermal storage device 200 is mounted in the first cavity 130 and the second cavity 140, the thermal storage device 200 is placed to a depth that ensures that the reciprocating movement of the cover 220 of the thermal storage device 200 is not interfered with, while also ensuring that the thermal storage device 200 does not block the air passage.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a heat storage device 200 of the refrigerator 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the thermal storage device 200 in a closed state. Fig. 5 is another schematic view of the thermal storage device 200 of the refrigerator 10 shown in fig. 4. Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the thermal storage device 200 in an open state.

Each thermal storage device 200 may include a case 210, a cover 220, and a driving mechanism 230. Wherein the interior of the cartridge body 210 defines a thermal storage chamber 215 for receiving a thermal storage material. The case 210 may have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having an opening. The cover 220 is provided on the case 210 for controlled movement to open the heat storage chamber 215, thereby allowing the air flow passing through the heat storage device 200 to exchange heat with the heat storage material. The cover 220 may be disposed at the opening of the case 210 to close the heat accumulation cavity 215.

In the present embodiment, the movement of the lid 220 is controlled to open and close the thermal storage device 200. The open-closed state of the thermal storage device 200 actually means the open-closed state of the thermal storage chamber 215, and the open-closed state of the thermal storage device 200 determines whether or not the thermal storage material can exchange heat with the air flow flowing therethrough. When the cover 220 completely covers the opening of the case 210, the heat storage chamber 215 is in the closed state, the heat storage device 200 is in the closed state, and the heat storage material cannot exchange heat with the air flow passing therethrough. When the cover 220 is controlled to move to open the opening of the case 210, the thermal storage chamber 215 is in an open state, the thermal storage device 200 is in an open state, and the thermal storage material can exchange heat with the air flow passing therethrough.

When the cover 220 is controlled to move to open the heat storage chamber 215, the heat storage material in the heat storage chamber 215 may come into contact with the air flow passing through the heat storage device 200 through the opening, thereby achieving heat exchange. The driving mechanism 230 may be disposed on the box 210 for driving the cover 220 to move. The direction of the arrow in fig. 5 shows the direction of movement of the cover 220. The driving mechanism 230 may drive the cover 220 to reciprocate in the direction of the arrow shown in fig. 2 to open or close the heat accumulation chamber 215.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of another perspective of the thermal storage device 200 of the refrigerator 10 shown in fig. 5.

In this embodiment, the driving mechanism 230 may be disposed on the box 210 for driving the cover 220 to move. The driving mechanism 230 may include a motor 231 and a transmission member 232. The motor 231 may be provided on a sidewall of the cassette body 210, for example, may be provided on sidewalls located at both lateral sides of the cassette body 210. The transmission member 232 may be a gear (e.g., a spur gear) and is in transmission connection with an output shaft of the motor 231. The cover 220 is correspondingly formed with a rack 225 engaged with the gear. The motor 231 drives the transmission member 232 to rotate through the output shaft, thereby indirectly driving the cover 220 to move.

In this embodiment, two driving mechanisms 230 may be symmetrically disposed on two sidewalls of the box 210. Accordingly, two racks 225 may be correspondingly formed on the cover 220, and each rack 225 is engaged with one driving mechanism 230.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view of the cassette 210 and the driving mechanism 230 of the thermal storage device 200 of the refrigerator 10 shown in fig. 6. A groove may be formed at a portion of the case 210 contacting the cover 220. The number of grooves may be three, as shown in fig. 7, and the first groove 211, the second groove 212, and the third groove 213, respectively. A permanent magnet may be disposed within each recess.

Fig. 8 is a schematic view of the cover 220 of the heat storage device 200 of the refrigerator 10 shown in fig. 6. A magnetic sensor may be provided at a portion of the cover 220 contacting the case 210. The number of the magnetic sensing elements may be three, as shown in fig. 8, which are a first element 221, a second element 222, and a third element 223, respectively. In the process that the cover 220 moves in the direction of the arrow shown in fig. 4 to open the heat storage chamber 215, when the cover 220 moves to a position where the heat storage chamber 215 is completely opened, the moving distance of the cover 220 reaches a maximum value, and at this time, the first element 221 contacts the permanent magnet located in the first recess 211, and the second element 222 contacts the permanent magnet located in the second recess 212, and the refrigerator 10 may send a signal for instructing the motor 231 to stop operating. When the heat storage cavity 215 needs to be closed, the motor 231 can drive the cover 220 to move reversely. In the process that the cover 220 is moved reversely in the direction of the arrow shown in fig. 4 to close the heat storage chamber 215, when the cover 220 is moved to a position to completely close the heat storage chamber 215, the cover 220 is restored to the initial position, and the third element 223 is in contact with the permanent magnet located in the third groove 213, the refrigerator 10 may send a signal for instructing the motor 231 to stop operating.

Both the cover 220 and the case 210 may be made of a heat insulating material. When the thermal storage device 200 is closed, the thermal storage material does not exchange heat with the airflow outside the thermal storage device 200.

The heat storage material of the present embodiment is a solid material. The type of the heat storage material may be selected according to the actual temperature change range of the storage compartment, and for example, the heat storage material may be one or more of fatty acids, high molecular compounds, polyols, layered perovskite, and the like. The heat storage material is always kept in a solid state when exchanging heat (absorbing and/or releasing heat) with the air flow flowing through, so that the corrosion of the box body caused by the leakage of the heat storage material can be reduced or avoided.

The heat storage material has a phase-change temperature, and when the temperature of the airflow flowing through the heat storage material is lower than the phase-change temperature of the heat storage material, the heat storage material can release the heat absorbed by the heat storage material, so that the heating of the airflow flowing through the heat storage material is realized; when the temperature of the air flow flowing through the heat storage material is higher than the phase change temperature of the heat storage material, the heat storage material can absorb the heat of the air flow flowing through the heat storage material, so that the temperature of the air flow can be properly reduced, and the temperature regulation effect is achieved. The phase transition temperature of the thermal storage material is determined by the type of the material, and it should be noted that the term "phase transition" herein does not mean that the actual form of the thermal storage material changes, and when the phase transition of the thermal storage material occurs, although the phase transition is always maintained in a solid state, the characteristic parameters of microscopic layers, such as the spacing between molecules in the thermal storage material, change.

The phase change temperature of the thermal storage material inside the first thermal storage device may be the same as or different from the phase change temperature of the thermal storage material inside the second thermal storage device. In this embodiment, the phase transition temperature of the heat storage material in each of the first heat storage device and the second heat storage device may be any value within a range of-3 to 0 ℃.

The processor 330 and the memory 340 may form a control device, which may be disposed within the housing. Wherein the memory 340 stores a control program 341, and the control program 341 is used to implement the control method of the refrigerator 10 according to any one of the following embodiments when the control program 341 is executed by the processor 330. The processor 330 may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or a digital processing unit (DSP), etc. The memory 340 is used for storing programs executed by the processor 330. The memory 340 may be any medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory 340 may also be a combination of various memories 340. Since the control program 341, when executed by the processor 330, implements each process of the following method embodiments and can achieve the same technical effect, the details are not repeated herein to avoid repetition.

Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a control method of the refrigerator 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The control method may generally include:

and step S902, acquiring the starting and stopping state of the refrigerating system for refrigerating the storage compartment. The start-stop state of the refrigeration system may include a start-up state and a shut-down state.

Under the starting state, the refrigerating system can produce cold energy for the storage chamber. The refrigerant is heat-absorbed and evaporated while passing through the evaporator, so that the temperature of the evaporator is lowered. Under the effect of the air supply fan, the air supply airflow which flows through the evaporator and exchanges heat with the evaporator can convey the cold energy to the storage chamber through the air outlet of the air channel. When the refrigerating system is in a shutdown state, the refrigerating system does not produce cold for the storage chamber any more. In this embodiment, when the refrigeration system enters the start state, the air supply fan can be started up synchronously. When the refrigeration system enters a shutdown state, the air supply fan can continue to operate.

Step S904, adjusting the open/close states of the plurality of heat storage devices 200 according to the start/stop state of the refrigeration system, so as to adjust the temperature of the storage compartment using the plurality of heat storage devices 200.

When the thermal storage device 200 is in the open state, the thermal storage material inside the thermal storage device 200 can exchange heat with the airflow flowing through the thermal storage device 200, for example, when the temperature of the airflow flowing through the thermal storage device 200 is low, the thermal storage material inside the thermal storage device 200 releases the heat previously absorbed to the airflow flowing through the thermal storage device 200, and when the temperature of the airflow flowing through the thermal storage device 200 is high, the thermal storage material inside the thermal storage device 200 can absorb the heat of the airflow flowing through the thermal storage device 200, thereby reducing the temperature of the airflow by utilizing the heat absorption effect.

Using the above method, the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment can be combined with a plurality of heat storage devices 200 using a refrigeration system, thereby collectively adjusting the temperature of the storage compartments. In the embodiment, by improving the temperature adjusting method of the refrigerator 10, the temperature adjusting process is optimized, the temperature control effect of the storage chamber is improved, and the reduction of the energy consumption of the refrigerator 10 is facilitated.

By arranging the plurality of heat storage devices 200 in the air duct and adjusting the open-close states of the plurality of heat storage devices 200 according to the start-stop state of the refrigeration system, the plurality of heat storage devices 200 can select the open-close states according to actual conditions, and the overall temperature adjustment capability of the heat storage devices 200 can be improved.

The plurality of thermal storage devices 200 may include a first thermal storage device located upstream of the air outlet. When the refrigerating system is in a starting state, the temperature of the air supply airflow is low and even reaches below 0 ℃, the temperature of the air supply airflow directly influences the temperature of the storage chamber, and the low temperature of the air supply airflow directly leads to the frostbite of the articles near the air outlet in the storage chamber, so that the refrigerating system is particularly not beneficial to the storage of the articles with high water content. In this embodiment, in view of the above, the temperature of the blowing air flow can be appropriately lowered by utilizing the heat release action of the first heat storage device.

In the step S904, when the refrigeration system is in the start-up state, the step of adjusting the open/close state of the first heat storage device may include: and acquiring the temperature of the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet, judging whether the temperature of the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet is lower than a preset first air outlet temperature threshold value, and if so, opening the first heat storage device to release heat to the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet by using the first heat storage device. At the moment, the heat storage material in the first heat storage device performs forced convection heat exchange with the air supply flow to release phase change latent heat, so that the temperature of the air supply flow flowing through the air outlet is increased. In this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 may be provided with an air outlet temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the air flow flowing through the air outlet, and the air outlet temperature sensor is disposed at the air outlet.

The first outlet air temperature threshold may be set according to the phase transition temperature of the heat storage material inside the first heat storage device, and may be, for example, equal to or lower than the phase transition temperature of the heat storage material inside the first heat storage device. In some embodiments, the difference between the first outlet air temperature threshold and the phase transition temperature of the heat storage material inside the first heat storage device may be between 0 ℃ and 2 ℃. In this embodiment, the phase transition temperature of the heat storage material in the first heat storage device may be any value within the range of-3 to 0 ℃. The first outlet air temperature threshold value can also be any value within the range of-3 to 0 ℃.

The first air outlet temperature threshold of the embodiment is set according to the phase change temperature of the heat storage material in the first heat storage device, and when the temperature of the air flow flowing through the air outlet is lower than the first air outlet temperature threshold, the temperature display of the air flow is also lower than the phase change temperature of the heat storage material in the first heat storage device, so that the temperature of the air flow does not need to be compared with the phase change temperature of the heat storage material.

A compartment temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the storage compartment may be provided in the refrigerator 10, and the compartment temperature sensor may be provided in the storage compartment. In this embodiment, the triggering condition for starting the refrigeration system may be that the temperature of the compartment temperature sensor is greater than the temperature of the starting point corresponding to the preset gear. The preset gear can refer to a room temperature gear preset by a user, and each preset gear corresponds to a respective shutdown point temperature and a respective startup point temperature. When the refrigeration system is in a starting state, if the temperature detected by the room temperature sensor is reduced to be less than or equal to the temperature of a shutdown point corresponding to the preset gear, the refrigeration system can be controlled to be switched to a shutdown state, for example, the compressor can be controlled to stop running, or the electromagnetic valve is controlled to switch a passage.

When the refrigeration system is in a starting state, under the condition that the temperature of the air flow flowing through the air outlet is lower than a preset first air outlet temperature threshold value, the control method may further include: the running speed of the air supply fan is reduced. Under the condition that the temperature of the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet is lower, the running speed of the air supply fan is reduced, and the cold quantity supplied to the storage chamber can be reduced, so that the articles close to the air outlet are prevented from being directly blown by cold air with lower temperature for a long time. In this embodiment, the operation speed of the air supply fan may be reduced before the first heat storage device is turned on, and for example, the operation speed of the air supply fan may be shifted down by one gear.

In other optional embodiments, if the first outlet air temperature threshold is less than 0 ℃, the operation speed of the air supply fan may be reduced when the temperature of the air supply flow flowing through the air outlet is less than 0 ℃.

The step of adjusting the open-closed state of the first heat storage device after opening the first heat storage device may further include: and acquiring the temperature of the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet, judging whether the temperature of the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet is higher than a preset second air-out temperature threshold value, wherein the second air-out temperature threshold value is larger than the first air-out temperature threshold value, and if so, closing the first heat storage device. The second outlet air temperature threshold may be any value within the range of 0-1 ℃, for example, may be 0.5 ℃. When the temperature of the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet is higher than the preset second air outlet temperature threshold value, the temperature of the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet is proper, the articles stored in the storage chamber cannot be frozen or frostbitten, and the first heat storage device is closed at the moment.

The plurality of thermal storage devices 200 may include a second thermal storage device disposed near the return air opening 120. The second thermal storage device may be turned on simultaneously with the first thermal storage device or turned off simultaneously when the refrigeration system is in an on state. When the first heat storage device and the second heat storage device are opened simultaneously, sudden temperature drop or sudden temperature rise of the storage chamber can be reduced or avoided, so that the storage chamber is favorably kept in a good temperature condition, and the fresh-keeping effect is improved; next, the thermal storage device 200 releases the heat absorbed previously, and balances the temperature of the thermal storage material, thereby maintaining the heat absorption and release capabilities of the thermal storage device 200 to the maximum extent.

When the refrigerating system is in a shutdown state, the refrigerating system does not provide cold for the storage room any more, the temperature of the storage room can be increased by heat release of articles in the storage room, heat leakage of a door seal, opening of a door by a user to take and place the articles, and the like, so that the temperature of the storage room is fluctuated, and the articles (such as fresh food) stored in the storage room can be deteriorated. In this embodiment, in view of the above, the temperature of the storage compartment can be appropriately reduced by the heat absorption action of the second heat storage device and/or the first heat storage device.

In the above step S904, when the refrigeration system is in the shutdown state, the step of adjusting the open-closed state of the second heat storage device may include: the temperature of the return air flow flowing through the return air inlet 120 is obtained, whether the temperature of the return air flow is higher than a preset return air temperature threshold value or not is judged, and if yes, the second heat storage device is opened so as to absorb the heat of the return air flow flowing through the return air inlet 120 by utilizing the second heat storage device. The return air temperature threshold value may be set in accordance with the phase change temperature of the heat storage material inside the second heat storage device. The return air temperature threshold is greater than the phase transition temperature of the heat storage material in the second heat storage device, and the difference between the return air temperature threshold and the phase transition temperature of the heat storage material in the second heat storage device may be any value within a range of 0 to 5 ℃, for example, may be 5 ℃. In this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 may be provided with a return air temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the return air flow flowing through the return air inlet 120, and disposed at the return air inlet 120.

When the refrigeration system is in the shutdown state, the control method further includes, before the step of adjusting the open-closed state of the second heat storage device: and controlling the air supply fan to operate according to the preset lowest operation speed. In this embodiment, when the refrigeration system is switched from the start-up state to the shutdown state, the air supply fan may continue to operate at the preset minimum operating speed, for example, the refrigerator 10 may utilize the air supply fan to cause the formed airflow to circularly perform the defrosting step.

After the step of controlling the air supply fan to operate at the preset minimum operating speed, the control method may further include: the temperature of the evaporator is detected, and the step of adjusting the open-closed state of the second heat storage device is performed in a case where the temperature of the evaporator is higher than a preset defrosting temperature threshold. In this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 may further include a defrosting sensor disposed on the evaporator to detect a temperature of the evaporator. In the case where the temperature of the evaporator is higher than the preset defrosting temperature threshold, it indicates that the refrigerator 10 may exit the defrosting step. If the temperature of the evaporator is not higher than the preset defrosting temperature threshold value, the air supply fan can be controlled to continuously operate according to the preset lowest operation speed, and the temperature of the evaporator is continuously detected.

In the step of adjusting the open/closed state of the second heat storage device, if the temperature of the return air flow passing through the return air inlet 120 is not higher than the preset return air temperature threshold value, the second heat storage device may not be opened. If the temperature of the return air flow flowing through the return air inlet 120 is higher than the preset return air temperature threshold value, the air supply fan can be controlled to continue to operate at the preset minimum operating speed when the second heat storage device is opened.

When the refrigerating system is in a shutdown state, if a user opens the storage chamber, the cold energy in the storage chamber is lost, and the temperature in the storage chamber is directly increased. In view of this problem, in the present embodiment, the temperature of the storage compartment can be regulated by using both the first thermal storage device and the second thermal storage device.

The step of adjusting the open-closed state of the first heat storage device after opening the second heat storage device includes: and detecting a switching signal of the storage chamber to determine whether the storage chamber is opened or not, and if the storage chamber is opened, opening the first heat storage device to absorb the heat of the airflow flowing through the air outlet by using the first heat storage device. When the compartment is opened, air inside the compartment may be exchanged with air outside the refrigerator 10. When the first heat storage device is opened, the air supply fan can be controlled to continue to operate at the preset lowest operation speed.

After the storage compartment is closed, it may be determined whether the refrigerator 10 needs to be started. For example, the control method may further include: and acquiring the temperature of the room temperature sensor, and controlling the refrigeration system to be switched to a starting state under the condition that the temperature of the room temperature sensor is higher than the temperature of the starting point corresponding to the preset gear. When the refrigeration system is switched to the on state, the thermal storage device 200 that was previously opened may be turned off. After the refrigeration system is switched to the starting state, the air supply fan can be controlled to operate according to the preset highest operation speed. After the storage compartment is closed, if the temperature of the compartment temperature sensor is between the start-up point temperature and the shut-down point temperature corresponding to the preset gear, the operation speed of the air supply fan can be increased, for example, the operation speed of the air supply fan can be increased by one gear; if the temperature of the room temperature sensor is not higher than the temperature of a shutdown point corresponding to the preset gear, the air supply fan can be controlled to stop.

With the above method, the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment can specifically adjust the open/close states of the plurality of heat storage devices 200 only according to the start/stop state of the refrigeration system, which is beneficial to simplifying the control logic of the refrigerator 10 and improving the operation efficiency.

In other alternative embodiments, when the temperature of the storage compartment needs to be regulated by the first heat storage device and the second heat storage device, the heat exchange areas of the first heat storage device and the second heat storage device can also be regulated according to the temperature regulation requirement. For example, when the refrigeration system is in the startup state, the step of adjusting the open-closed state of the first heat storage device may include: the temperature of the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet is obtained, whether the temperature of the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet is lower than a preset first air-out temperature threshold value or not is judged, if yes, a difference value between the temperature of the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet and the first air-out temperature threshold value is obtained, the heat exchange area of the first heat storage device is determined according to the difference value, and the first heat storage device is controlled to be opened according to the heat exchange area. When the first heat storage device is controlled to be opened according to the heat exchange area, the movement distance of the cover 220 may be determined according to the heat exchange area, and then the cover 220 may be controlled to move according to the determined movement distance.

By using the above method, the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment can improve the temperature adjustment accuracy of the thermal storage device 200, which is beneficial to further improving the temperature control performance of the storage compartment.

The refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, on the basis that does not change original wind channel structure and air door part, through add a plurality of heat accumulation devices in the wind channel, the refrigerating system and the heat accumulation device 200 that rely on refrigerator 10 mutually support, to refrigerating system open and stop the operation process under the state at the difference, and user's switch door action etc. designs, realized the regulation to storing room temperature, can guarantee that the cold wind of air outlet does not freeze the article, the temperature rise in storing room has also been reduced, storage quality has been guaranteed. The heat storage material can be repeatedly used for many times, can absorb and release heat as long as the phase change condition is achieved, and is energy-saving, environment-friendly and high in cost performance.

Fig. 10 is a control flowchart of the refrigerator 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Step S1002, it is determined that the refrigeration system is in a start-up state.

In step S1004, the temperature of the room temperature sensor is acquired. The temperature of the compartment temperature sensor refers to the temperature of the storage compartment detected by the compartment temperature sensor.

Step S1006, determining whether the temperature detected by the room temperature sensor is greater than the shutdown point temperature corresponding to the preset gear, if so, executing step S1008, and if not, executing step S1022.

Step S1008, the temperature of the air flow flowing through the air outlet is obtained.

Step S1010, determining whether the temperature of the blowing airflow is lower than a preset first blowing temperature threshold, if yes, performing step S1012, and if no, performing step S1008.

In step S1012, the operation speed of the blower fan is reduced.

In step S1014, the first heat storage device is opened.

Step S1016, the temperature of the air flow flowing through the air outlet is obtained.

Step S1018, determining whether the temperature of the supply airflow is higher than a preset second outlet air temperature threshold, if so, executing step S1020, and if not, executing step S1016.

Step S1008 closes the first heat storage device.

And step S1008, controlling the refrigerating system to be switched to a shutdown state.

Fig. 11 is another control flowchart of the refrigerator 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Step S1102, determining that the refrigeration system is in a start-up state.

And step S1104, controlling the air supply fan to operate at a preset minimum operating speed.

In step S1106, the temperature of the evaporator is detected.

In step S1108, it is determined whether the temperature of the evaporator is greater than a preset defrosting temperature threshold, if yes, step S1110 is executed, and if not, step S1106 is executed.

In step S1110, the temperature of the return air flow passing through the return air inlet 120 is acquired.

Step S1112 determines whether the temperature of the return air flow is higher than a preset return air temperature threshold, if so, step S1114 is executed, and if not, step S1106 is executed.

In step S1114, the second heat storage device is opened.

In step S1116, an opening/closing signal of the storage compartment is detected.

In step S1118, when it is determined that the storage compartment is opened, the first heat storage device is opened.

In step S1120, when it is determined that the storage compartment is closed, the temperature of the compartment temperature sensor is acquired. The temperature of the compartment temperature sensor refers to the temperature of the storage compartment detected by the compartment temperature sensor.

Step S1122, determining whether the temperature of the compartment temperature sensor is higher than the temperature of the start point corresponding to the preset gear, if so, performing step S1130, otherwise, performing step S1124.

Step S1124 is performed to determine whether the temperature of the compartment temperature sensor is lower than the shutdown point temperature corresponding to the preset gear, if so, step S1128 is performed, and if not, step S1126 is performed.

Step S1126, the running speed of the air supply fan is increased.

In step S1130, the refrigeration system is controlled to switch to the on state, and the heat storage device 200 is turned off.

And step S1132, controlling the air supply fan to operate according to a preset highest operation speed.

With the above method, the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment obtains the start-stop state of the refrigeration system for refrigerating the storage compartment, and adjusts the open-close states of the plurality of heat storage devices 200 according to the start-stop state of the refrigeration system, so that the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment can combine the refrigeration system and the plurality of heat storage devices 200 to jointly adjust the temperature of the storage compartment. In the embodiment, by improving the temperature adjusting method of the refrigerator 10, the temperature adjusting process is optimized, the temperature control effect of the storage chamber is improved, and the improvement of the intelligent degree of the refrigerator 10 is facilitated.

Thus, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while a number of exemplary embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications consistent with the principles of the invention may be directly determined or derived from the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be understood and interpreted to cover all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A control method of a refrigerator in which a storage compartment and an air duct communicated with the storage compartment are formed, a plurality of heat storage devices each for controlled opening for heat exchange with an air flow flowing through the air duct are provided in the air duct, and the control method comprises:

acquiring the starting and stopping state of a refrigerating system for refrigerating the storage chamber;

and adjusting the opening and closing states of the plurality of heat storage devices according to the starting and stopping states of the refrigeration system so as to adjust the temperature of the storage compartment by using the plurality of heat storage devices.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

The starting and stopping states of the refrigeration system comprise a starting state; the air duct is provided with an air outlet and conveys air supply airflow to the storage compartment through the air outlet, and the plurality of heat storage devices comprise first heat storage devices positioned at the upstream of the air outlet; and is

The step of adjusting the open-closed state of the first heat storage device when the refrigeration system is in the activated state includes:

acquiring the temperature of the air supply airflow flowing through the air outlet;

judging whether the temperature of the air flow flowing through the air outlet is lower than a preset first air outlet temperature threshold value or not;

if so, the first heat storage device is opened to release heat to the air flow flowing through the air outlet by using the first heat storage device.

3. The control method according to claim 2, wherein

An air supply fan used for promoting the formation of the air supply airflow is also arranged in the air duct; and is

Under the condition that the temperature of the air flow flowing through the air outlet is lower than a preset first air outlet temperature threshold value, the control method further comprises the following steps: and reducing the running speed of the air supply fan.

4. The control method according to claim 2, wherein

The step of adjusting the open-closed state of the first heat storage device after opening the first heat storage device further includes:

judging whether the temperature of the air flow flowing through the air outlet is higher than a preset second air outlet temperature threshold value, wherein the second air outlet temperature threshold value is larger than the first air outlet temperature threshold value;

and if so, closing the first heat storage device.

5. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

The start-stop state of the refrigeration system comprises a shutdown state; the air duct is provided with an air return opening, and return air flow flowing through the storage compartment flows into the air duct through the air return opening; the plurality of heat storage devices include a second heat storage device disposed near the return air opening; and is

In the shutdown state, the step of adjusting the open-closed state of the second heat storage device includes:

acquiring the temperature of the return air flow flowing through the return air inlet;

judging whether the temperature of the return air flow flowing through the return air inlet is higher than a preset return air temperature threshold value or not;

and if so, opening the second heat storage device to absorb the heat of the return air flow flowing through the return air inlet by using the second heat storage device.

6. The control method according to claim 5, wherein

The air duct is provided with an air outlet and conveys air supply airflow to the storage compartment through the air outlet, and the plurality of heat storage devices comprise first heat storage devices positioned at the upstream of the air outlet; and is

The step of adjusting the open-closed state of the first heat storage device after opening the second heat storage device includes:

detecting a switching signal of the storage compartment to determine whether the storage compartment is opened;

and if the storage compartment is opened, the first heat storage device is opened so as to absorb the heat of the airflow flowing through the air outlet by using the first heat storage device.

7. The control method according to claim 5, wherein

An air supply fan used for promoting the formation of the return air flow is also arranged in the air channel;

when the refrigeration system is in a shutdown state, the control method further includes, before the step of adjusting the open-closed state of the second heat storage device:

and controlling the air supply fan to operate according to a preset lowest operation speed.

8. A refrigerator, its inside is formed with storing room and with the wind channel that the storing room is linked together, still includes:

the heat storage devices are arranged in the air duct, and each heat storage device is used for being controlled to be opened so as to exchange heat with the air flow flowing through the air duct;

a processor and a memory, the memory having stored therein a control program for implementing the control method according to any one of claims 1-7 when executed by the processor.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein

The air duct is provided with an air outlet and an air return opening, the air duct conveys air supply airflow to the storage chamber through the air outlet, and the air return airflow flowing through the storage chamber flows into the air duct through the air return opening; the air duct is also provided with a first concave cavity positioned at the upstream of the air outlet and a second concave cavity arranged close to the air return inlet;

the plurality of heat storage devices include:

the first heat storage device is arranged in the first cavity;

and the second heat storage device is arranged in the second cavity.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein

Each of the thermal storage devices includes:

the box body is internally provided with a heat storage cavity for containing heat storage materials;

the cover body is arranged on the box body and is used for controlled movement to open the heat storage cavity so as to allow the airflow flowing through the heat storage device to exchange heat with the heat storage material;

and the driving mechanism is arranged on the box body and is used for driving the cover body to move.