CN116147255A

CN116147255A - Control method for refrigerating and freezing device and refrigerating and freezing device

Info

Publication number: CN116147255A
Application number: CN202111398916.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 房雯雯; 赵向辉; 孙永升; 王爱民
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Smart Technology R&D Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Smart Technology R&D Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-11-19
Filing date: 2021-11-19
Publication date: 2023-05-23

Abstract

The invention provides a control method for a refrigeration and freezing device and the refrigeration and freezing device. The refrigerating and freezing device is provided with an ice making compartment, and a refrigerating system for supplying cold to the ice making compartment, the ice making compartment is provided with an ice making unit, and the ice making unit includes a heating device for defrosting the ice making unit. The control method comprises the following steps: the cooling times of the refrigerating system for cooling the ice making compartment under different working modes are respectively recorded; determining a defrosting period corresponding to each working mode; when the cooling times of any one working mode is greater than or equal to the corresponding defrosting period, the heating device is controlled to defrost, and the whole cooling times are cleared, so that the defrosting time is more reasonable, the cooling efficiency of the refrigerating system to the ice making compartment is ensured, the energy consumption of the refrigerating and freezing device is saved, and the excessive influence on the ice consumption of a user is avoided.

Description

Control method for refrigerating and freezing device and refrigerating and freezing device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of refrigeration and freezing, and more particularly, to a control method for a refrigeration and freezing apparatus and a refrigeration and freezing apparatus.

Background

At present, the refrigerator with the ice making compartment arranged on the door body is mainly characterized in that the refrigerating capacity of the refrigerating compartment is led into the ice making compartment of the door body through an air duct, the air duct is complex in structure, condensation is easy to generate at the butt joint position of the refrigerator body and the air duct of the door body, the ice making time is long, and the ice making compartment is easy to cross smell with the refrigerating compartment, so that the cleanliness of ice cubes is influenced. However, if the door body is used for direct cooling ice making, not only is the connection of the refrigerant pipeline difficult, and the transmission distance is too long, but also the ice making chamber, particularly the ice making unit, can generate frosting problem, the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant pipeline is affected, and the waste of cold energy is caused.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of a first aspect of the present invention to overcome at least one of the technical drawbacks of the prior art and to provide a control method for a refrigeration chiller.

A further object of the first aspect of the invention is to avoid frequent activation of the heating means for defrosting the ice making unit.

Another further object of the first aspect of the present invention is to alleviate the problem of condensation of the refrigerant lines outside the insulation.

An object of the second aspect of the present invention is to provide a refrigerating and freezing apparatus having a door body ice making unit.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for a refrigerating and freezing apparatus provided with an ice making compartment provided with an ice making unit and including a heating device for defrosting the ice making unit, and a refrigerating system for cooling the ice making compartment, wherein the control method comprises:

the cooling times of the refrigerating system for cooling the ice making compartment under different working modes are respectively recorded;

determining a defrosting period corresponding to each working mode;

and when the cooling frequency of any one of the working modes is greater than or equal to the corresponding defrosting period, controlling the heating device to defrost, and clearing the cooling frequency of the working mode.

Optionally, the working modes of the ice making compartment include an ice making mode and an ice storage mode; and the control method further comprises:

when the working mode of the refrigerating system for cooling the ice making compartment is switched from the ice storage mode to the ice making mode, if the cooling frequency of the ice storage mode is larger than or equal to a preset ratio of a corresponding defrosting period, controlling the heating device to defrost, and clearing all the cooling frequencies.

Optionally, when the working mode of cooling the ice making compartment by the refrigeration system is switched from the ice storage mode to the ice making mode, if the cooling frequency of the ice storage mode is greater than or equal to a preset ratio of the corresponding defrosting period, the heating device is controlled to defrost, and then the refrigeration system is controlled to cool according to the ice making mode.

Optionally, the working modes of the ice making compartment include an ice making mode and an ice storage mode; and is also provided with

And under the condition that other conditions are the same, the defrosting period corresponding to the ice making mode is smaller than the defrosting period corresponding to the ice storage mode.

Optionally, the control method further includes:

controlling the heating device to de-ice after the ice making mode operation is finished each time; wherein,,

the working power of the heating device during deicing is smaller than that during defrosting.

Optionally, in the step of determining the defrosting cycle corresponding to each working mode, determining the defrosting cycle corresponding to each working mode according to the ambient temperature of the indoor environment; wherein the method comprises the steps of

In the same operating mode, the defrost cycle is inversely related to the ambient temperature.

Optionally, the working modes of the ice making compartment include an ice making mode and an ice storage mode;

and under the condition that other conditions are the same, the duty ratio of the condensing fan is larger in the ice storage mode than in the ice making mode.

Optionally, the refrigerating and freezing device includes a box body defining at least one storage compartment, and at least one door body for opening and closing the at least one storage compartment, the ice making compartment is disposed on the door body, the refrigerant pipe of the refrigerating system includes an evaporation portion at least partially disposed in the ice making compartment, and a refrigerant inlet pipe and a refrigerant outlet pipe which are communicated with the evaporation portion and partially disposed outside the heat insulation layer of the door body, wherein the control method includes:

controlling the refrigeration system to cool the ice making compartment;

if the temperature of the refrigerant outlet pipe is smaller than the dew point temperature of the indoor environment, controlling the refrigerating system to stop cooling the ice making compartment and cooling at least one storage compartment;

controlling the refrigeration system to continue cooling the ice making compartment under the condition that the compartment temperature of the ice making compartment is larger than or equal to a second temperature threshold value; wherein the method comprises the steps of

The second temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigeration and freezing apparatus comprising:

the box body is limited with at least one storage compartment;

at least one door body for opening and closing the at least one storage compartment, and one door body provided with an ice-making compartment;

the refrigerating system comprises a refrigerant pipe for providing cold energy for the ice making compartment;

the ice making unit is arranged in the ice making compartment and comprises a heating device for defrosting the ice making unit; and

a controller configured to perform any of the control methods described above.

Optionally, the refrigerant pipe includes:

a door body part arranged in the door body and at least partially extending into the ice making compartment;

a connection part which is communicated with the door body part and extends to the outer side of the heat insulation layer of the door body, and the connection part has flexibility; and

the box body part is at least partially arranged in the box body and is communicated with the connecting part; wherein the door body portion includes:

an evaporation part at least partially arranged in the ice making compartment to provide cold energy for the ice making compartment; and

the transmission part is arranged in the heat insulation layer of the door body and is connected with the evaporation part and the connecting part, and the transmission part and the connecting part respectively comprise a refrigerant inlet pipe and a refrigerant outlet pipe; wherein the method comprises the steps of

The refrigerant inlet pipe of the transmission part is used as a throttling element to throttle the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant inlet pipe; and is also provided with

The inner diameter of the refrigerant inlet pipe of the transmission part is 0.5 mm-1 mm; and/or

The length of the refrigerant inlet pipe of the transmission part is more than or equal to 2m.

The invention independently records the cooling times of each working mode for cooling the ice making compartment, and controls the heating device to defrost the ice making unit when the cooling times of any working mode reach the corresponding defrosting period, so that the time for defrosting is more reasonable, the cooling efficiency of the refrigerating system for the ice making compartment is ensured, the energy consumption of the refrigerating and freezing device is saved, and the ice consumption of users is prevented from being influenced excessively. Furthermore, when the working mode of the refrigeration system changes, the invention judges whether defrosting is needed to cool the ice making compartment or not, can quickly remove the frosting of the ice making unit, particularly the evaporation part, avoids the cold quantity from being blocked in the frost layer, reduces the refrigeration efficiency of the subsequent refrigeration, and reduces the waste of the cold quantity.

Further, after each ice making process, the low-power operation of the heating device is controlled, and the ice making unit is defrosted to a certain degree while removing ice cubes, so that the frequent high-power operation of the heating device is avoided, the stability of the room temperature of the ice making room is improved, and the preservation quality of the ice cubes is further improved.

Further, under the condition that the room temperature of the ice making room is smaller than the first temperature threshold value and the temperature of the refrigerant outlet pipe is smaller than the dew point temperature, the cooling of the ice making room and the cooling of the storage room are stopped, and when the room temperature of the ice making room is raised to the second temperature threshold value, the cooling of the ice making room is restored, so that the condensation problem of a refrigerant pipeline (particularly a refrigerant inlet pipe) on the outer side of the heat insulation layer can be effectively reduced, frequent start and stop of the compressor is avoided, the times and time for simultaneously cooling the ice making room and the storage room are reduced, or the time for simultaneously cooling the ice making room and the storage room is reduced, the working load of the compressor is further reduced, the service life of the compressor is prolonged, and the unexpected energy loss is reduced.

Furthermore, the refrigerant inlet pipe adopts specific length and inner diameter, so that the refrigerant flow of the evaporation part can be controlled more flexibly, the ice making speed and the ice mass can be controlled more flexibly and accurately, the condensation problem can be reduced, the condensed water is prevented from dripping to pollute the indoor environment, and the potential safety hazard is avoided.

The above, as well as additional objectives, advantages, and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment of the present invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Some specific embodiments of the invention will be described in detail hereinafter by way of example and not by way of limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts or portions. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic isometric view of a refrigerated freezer according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a refrigeration system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic isometric view of a door body with a portion of the housing of the door body removed to illustrate internal structure, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic isometric view of a portion of the refrigerant tube secured to the cartridge body of the mounting cartridge of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ice making compartment of FIG. 1;

fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ice-making unit of fig. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic flow chart diagram of a control method for a refrigeration and chiller according to one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 8 is a schematic detailed flowchart of a control method for a refrigerating and freezing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a schematic isometric view of a refrigerated chiller 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 1, a refrigerating and freezing apparatus 100 may include a cabinet 110 defining at least one storage compartment, at least one door for opening and closing the at least one storage compartment, a refrigerating system 130, and a controller (not shown). In the present invention, at least one is one, two or more than two.

In the illustrated embodiment, the at least one storage compartment may include a refrigerated compartment 111 and a freezer compartment 112 located below the refrigerated compartment 111. The preservation temperature of the refrigerated compartment 111 may be less than the preservation temperature of the freezer compartment 112.

One door 120 may be provided with an ice making compartment 122 for making ice cubes. The refrigeration system 130 may be configured to provide cooling to the storage compartment and the ice making compartment 122.

The door 120 may include a housing, an ice making liner 121 disposed within the housing, and a thermal insulation layer disposed between the housing and the ice making liner 121. The ice making compartment 122 is defined by the ice making liner 121, and the ice making compartment 122 is sealed by a compartment cover 123.

Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a refrigeration system 130 according to one embodiment of the invention. Referring to fig. 2, the refrigeration system 130 may include a compressor 131, a condenser 132, a condensing fan 137 radiating heat from the condenser 132, a refrigerating evaporator 133 and a freezing evaporator 134 for cooling the refrigerating compartment 111 and the freezing compartment 112, respectively (an outlet of the refrigerating evaporator 133 may be in communication with an inlet of the freezing evaporator 134), a refrigerating capillary 135 and a freezing capillary 136 respectively connecting the condenser 132 and the refrigerating evaporator 133 and the freezing evaporator 134, an ice-making cooling medium pipe for cooling the ice-making compartment 122, and a solenoid valve 138 for selectively conducting the condenser 132 and at least one of the refrigerating capillary 135, the freezing capillary 136, and the ice-making cooling medium pipe.

The ice-making cooling medium pipe may include a case portion 143 at least partially provided to the case 110, a door portion provided to one door 120, and a connection portion 144 connecting the case portion 143 and the door portion. Wherein at least a portion of the door portion may extend into the ice making compartment 122 to provide cold to the ice making compartment 122.

The connection portion 144 may have a certain flexibility to prevent the pipeline from being damaged during the rotation of the door 120, thereby improving the reliability of the pipeline connection.

Fig. 3 is a schematic isometric view of a door 120 according to one embodiment of the invention, with a portion of the housing of the door 120 removed to show internal structure. Referring to fig. 1 to 3, the door part may include an evaporation part 141 at least partially disposed in the ice making compartment 122, and a transmission part 142 disposed in the insulation layer of the door 120 and connecting the evaporation part 141 and the connection part 144 to provide cold for the ice making compartment 122.

The connection portion 144 and the transmission portion 142 may include a refrigerant inlet pipe and a refrigerant outlet pipe, respectively. The refrigerant inlet pipe of the connection portion 144 is connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe of the transmission portion 142, and the refrigerant outlet pipe of the connection portion 144 is connected to the refrigerant outlet pipe of the transmission portion 142.

The refrigerant inlet pipe of the transmission part 142 may serve as a throttling element to throttle the refrigerant flowing therethrough. The inner diameter of the refrigerant inlet pipe of the transfer part 142 may be 0.5mm to 1mm, for example, 0.5mm, 0.7mm or 1mm. The length of the refrigerant inlet pipe of the transmission part 142 may be 2m or more, for example, 2m, 2.5m or 3m.

The refrigerant inlet pipe of the transmission part 142 has specific length and inner diameter, can be used as a throttling element, can more flexibly control the refrigerant flow of the evaporation part 141, further can more flexibly and accurately control the ice making speed and the ice mass, can reduce the condensation problem of the part of the connecting part 144 positioned outside the door body 120, prevents condensed water from dripping to pollute the indoor environment, and avoids generating potential safety hazards.

The refrigerant inlet pipe of the transmission part 142 can be bent and extended in a serpentine shape in the door 120, so that longer pipelines can be arranged in the same space of the door 120.

At least a portion of the refrigerant inlet pipe of the transmission part 142, which is close to the evaporation part 141, may be attached to the refrigerant outlet pipe of the transmission part 142 to improve heat exchange efficiency.

The thermal insulation layer of the door 120 may be provided with a plurality of fixing blocks 125, and the transmission portion 142 may be fastened and fixed in the door 120 by being fastened with the plurality of fixing blocks 125.

The end of the connection portion 144 connected to the transmission portion 142 may be preset in the insulation layer of the door 120 together with the transmission portion 142, and the other end extends to the outside of the insulation layer of the door 120 and is connected to the box portion 143.

An embedded sleeve 124 may be further disposed in the thermal insulation layer of the door 120, and an outlet of the embedded sleeve 124 may be coaxial with a rotation axis of the door 120. The connection portion 144 may be partially disposed inside the pre-buried sleeve 124 and extend outside the door body 120 through the outlet of the pre-buried sleeve 124 to reduce the tensile force and torque applied to the connection portion 144 during the rotation of the door body 120.

The entrance of the pre-buried sleeve 124 may be provided with a seal to prevent foaming material from entering the pre-buried sleeve 124.

The door 120 end connector connecting the transmission part 142 and the connection part 144 can be arranged in the embedded sleeve 124, and sealing is realized through the embedded sleeve 124 and the sealing element. The door 120 end connector for connecting the transmission part 142 and the connection part 144 can also be arranged outside the embedded sleeve 124, and the fixation and sealing are realized by the cover shell.

Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the case 151 of the mounting case 150 of fig. 1 and a part of the refrigerant pipe fixed to the case 151. Referring to fig. 1, 3 and 4, the refrigeration and freezer 100 can further include a mounting case 150. A mounting box 150 may be provided to the case 110 for securing at least one of the connection portion 144, the case portion 143, and the case end fitting 145 connecting the case portion 143 and the connection portion 144. The mounting box 150 may be fixed to the top of the case 110.

The mounting box 150 may include a box 151 disposed at the case 110, and a cover plate disposed at a side of the box 151 remote from the case 110. The case 151 may be previously fixed to the outer case of the case 110 before the insulation layer is formed, so that the connection end of the case portion 143 is positioned and fixed.

Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ice making compartment 122 of fig. 1; fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ice making unit 160 of fig. 5. Referring to fig. 5 and 6, the ice making compartment 122 may be provided with an ice making unit 160 for making ice cubes.

Specifically, the ice making unit 160 may include an ice making housing 161, heat exchanging fins 162, a circulation fan 163, and a heating device 164.

The ice making housing 161 may define at least one ice making tank for receiving water or ice cubes. The number of ice making grooves may be plural and distributed in the longitudinal direction of the ice making housing 161.

The heat exchanging fin 162 may be disposed under the ice making case 161 and fixedly connected with the ice making case 161 to increase a heat exchanging area.

In some embodiments, the evaporation portion 141 may be interposed between the ice making housing 161 and the heat exchanging fins 162 so as to simultaneously provide cold to the ice making housing 161 and the heat exchanging fins 162.

In other embodiments, the evaporation portion 141 may be disposed at a side of the heat exchanging fin 162 away from the ice making housing 161 and at least partially embedded in the heat exchanging fin 162 to reduce the speed of the cold transferred from the evaporation portion 141 to the ice making housing 161 and improve the transparency and uniformity of the ice cubes.

The circulation fan 163 may be configured to cause air within the ice making compartment 122 to circulate around the ice making housing 161 to transfer the cold of the ice making housing 161 to various places of the ice making compartment 122, facilitating the thermal storage of ice cubes.

The circulation fan 163 may be specifically configured to suck air along the heat exchanging fins 162 and to cause the cold air after heat exchange to be blown out upward of the ice making housing 161 so that the air exchanges heat with the heat exchanging fins 162 sufficiently.

The heating device 164 may be provided in thermal connection with at least one of the ice making housing 161 and the heat exchanging fins 162 for heating the ice making housing 161 to perform ice removal or heating the ice making housing 161 and the heat exchanging fins 162 to perform defrosting.

In particular, the controller may be configured to record the cooling times of the refrigeration system 130 for cooling the ice making compartment 122 in different operation modes, determine a defrosting cycle corresponding to each operation mode, and when the cooling times of any one of the operation modes is greater than or equal to the corresponding defrosting cycle, control the heating device 164 to defrost, and clear all the cooling times, so that the time of defrosting is more reasonable, the cooling efficiency of the refrigeration system 130 for cooling the ice making compartment 122 is ensured, and meanwhile, the energy consumption of the refrigeration and freezing device 100 is saved, and the ice consumption of a user is prevented from being affected too much.

The operation modes of the ice making compartment 122 may include an ice making mode and an ice storage mode. Wherein the ice making mode is configured to freeze water in the ice making tank into ice cubes; the ice storage mode is configured to maintain the temperature of the ice making compartment 122 to facilitate the insulated storage of ice cubes.

In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to control the heating device 164 to defrost and clear all the cooling times when the cooling system 130 switches from the ice storage mode to the ice making mode, if the cooling times of the ice storage mode is greater than or equal to the preset ratio of the corresponding defrosting cycle, so as to avoid serious frosting and reduce cold waste.

Wherein the predetermined ratio may be 50% to 70%, such as 50%, 60%, or 70%. If the number of times of cooling in the ice storage mode is greater than or equal to the preset ratio of the corresponding defrosting cycle, the heating device 164 can be controlled to defrost, and then the refrigerating system 130 is controlled to cool according to the ice making mode, so as to quickly remove the frost formed on the ice making unit 160, particularly the evaporating portion 141, to avoid blocking the cold in the frost layer and reduce the refrigerating efficiency of the subsequent refrigeration.

In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to control the heating device 164 to de-ice after each ice-making mode operation is completed, while achieving removal of ice cubes, to defrost the ice-making unit 160 to some extent, avoiding frequent high-power operation of the heating device 164. Wherein the operating power of the heating device 164 at the time of de-icing is smaller than that at the time of defrosting.

In some embodiments, the defrosting period corresponding to the ice making mode may be smaller than the defrosting period corresponding to the ice storage mode under the same other conditions, so as to avoid serious frosting conditions and influence the ice making efficiency.

In some embodiments, the controller may determine a defrosting period corresponding to each operation mode according to an ambient temperature of the indoor environment. Under the same working mode, the defrosting period can be inversely related to the ambient temperature, so that energy sources are reasonably utilized, and serious frosting is avoided.

In some embodiments, the controller may be further configured to control the compressor 131 to operate at a minimum rotational speed when the refrigeration system 130 supplies cold to the ice making compartment 122, to save energy and mitigate condensation problems of the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe outside the insulation. The rotation speed of the compressor 131 when cooling the storage compartment may be determined according to at least one of a user-set temperature and an ambient temperature.

In some embodiments, the duty cycle of the condensing fan 137 of the refrigeration system 130 is less in the ice making mode than in the ice storage mode and in cooling the storage compartment, other conditions being equal. The duty ratio of the condensing fan 137 is greater than that of the cooling air supplied to the storage compartment in the ice storage mode, so as to further improve the adaptability of cooling air supply, reduce condensation phenomenon and avoid the waste of cooling air. The duty cycle of the condensing fan 137 may be positively correlated with ambient temperature.

In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to control the refrigeration system 130 to supply cold to the ice making compartment 122, and in the case that the compartment temperature of the ice making compartment 122 is less than the first temperature threshold, when the temperature of the refrigerant outlet pipe is less than the dew point temperature of the indoor environment, control the refrigeration system 130 to suspend the supply of cold to the ice making compartment 122, so as to effectively alleviate the problem of condensation of the refrigerant pipeline (particularly the refrigerant inlet pipe) outside the insulation layer.

The controller may be further configured to control the refrigeration system 130 to continue to supply cold to the ice making compartment 122 to ensure stability of the compartment temperature of the ice making compartment 122 in case the compartment temperature of the ice making compartment 122 is greater than or equal to the second temperature threshold. Wherein the second temperature threshold may be greater than the first temperature threshold.

In some further embodiments, the controller may be configured to control the refrigeration system 130 to continue cooling the ice making compartment 122 when the temperature of the refrigerant outlet pipe is greater than or equal to the dew point temperature, and to control the refrigeration system 130 to stop cooling the ice making compartment 122 to extend a time interval of cooling the ice making compartment 122 when the compartment temperature of the ice making compartment 122 is less than a third temperature threshold. Wherein the third temperature threshold may be less than the first temperature threshold.

In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to control the refrigeration system 130 to stop cooling the ice making compartment 122 when the accumulated time of the refrigeration system 130 cooling the ice making compartment 122 is equal to or greater than a preset end time, so as to sufficiently cool the ice making compartment 122 and avoid waste of cold. The end time corresponding to the ice making mode may be longer than the end time corresponding to the ice storing mode.

The suspension or stop of the cooling of the ice making compartment 122 by the refrigeration system 130 may be to shut down the compressor 131 or the solenoid valve 138 to block the refrigerant flow path between the compressor 131 and the refrigerant inlet.

In some further embodiments, the controller may be configured to control the refrigeration system 130 to cool the storage compartment (at least one of the refrigeration compartment 111 and the freezer compartment 112) while the refrigeration system 130 is suspending cooling to the ice making compartment 122, to avoid frequent start-up and shut-down of the compressor, to reduce the number and time of simultaneous cooling to the ice making compartment and the storage compartment, or to reduce the time that the ice making compartment and the storage compartment need to be cooled simultaneously.

In some embodiments, when the compressor 131 stops working, the controller may be configured to control the solenoid valve 138 to block the refrigerant flow path between the compressor 131 and the refrigerant inlet pipe, so as to control the amount of the refrigerant in the ice-making refrigerant pipe within a desired range, shorten the start time of the next cooling to the ice-making compartment 122, and improve the cooling efficiency.

In some embodiments, during a predetermined first time when the heating device 164 is on (de-icing or defrosting) and is off, the controller may be configured to control the solenoid valve 138 to block the refrigerant flow path between the compressor 131 and the refrigerant inlet pipe, so as to avoid accumulation of refrigerant in the refrigerant line supplying the storage compartment with cold.

In some further embodiments, when the heating device 164 is operated (de-icing or defrosting), the controller may be configured to control the solenoid valve 138 to block the refrigerant flow path between the compressor 131 and the refrigerant inlet pipe and to control the refrigeration system 130 to cool the storage compartment (at least one of the refrigeration compartment 111 and the freezing compartment 112) to avoid frequent start-up and shut-down of the compressor, to reduce the number and time of simultaneous cooling to the ice-making compartment and the storage compartment, or to reduce the time that the ice-making compartment and the storage compartment need to be cooled simultaneously.

In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to acquire a priority of cooling the ice making compartment 122 and the storage compartment (at least one of the refrigerating compartment 111 and the freezing compartment 112) when it is determined that cooling of the ice making compartment 122 and the storage compartment is simultaneously required, control the cooling system 130 to cool the highest priority among the priorities of cooling, so as to reduce a work load of the compressor 131 and increase energy utilization.

In some further embodiments, the controller may be further configured to control the refrigeration system 130 to provide the cooling capacity to the ice making compartment 122 according to the ice storage mode and then to cool the highest priority among the cooling priorities, so as to avoid melting of ice cubes in the ice making compartment 122, in case that the priority of the storage compartment is higher than the ice making compartment 122 and the continuous time that the refrigeration system 130 stops cooling to the ice making compartment 122 is equal to or greater than a preset threshold.

In some further embodiments, the controller may be further configured to determine the cooling priority according to the load sizes of the ice making compartment 122 and the storage compartment, the priority being in positive correlation with the load size, and apply the remaining energy of the refrigeration system operating with the high refrigeration parameter to the low load, thereby achieving rapid and efficient cooling to the low load, and further improving the cooling efficiency as a whole, so that the refrigerating and freezing apparatus 100 rapidly satisfies the user's use requirement.

The load of the ice making compartment 122 may be sized according to an ambient temperature, an operation mode, an amount of ice stored, etc. The load of the storage compartment can be determined according to the ambient temperature, the user-set temperature of the compartment to be cooled, the storage amount, the door opening times and the like.

In still further embodiments, the controller may be directly configured to prioritize the ice making compartment 122 over the storage compartment to prioritize the ice demand of the user and the quality of the stored ice cubes.

Fig. 7 is a schematic flow chart of a control method for the refrigerating and freezing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 7, the control method for the refrigerating and freezing apparatus 100, which is performed by the controller of any of the above-described embodiments, of the present invention may include the steps of:

step S702: the number of times of cooling for the refrigerating system 130 to cool the ice making compartment 122 in different operation modes is recorded, respectively.

Step S704: and determining a defrosting period corresponding to each working mode.

Step S706: when the cooling frequency of any one of the operation modes is greater than or equal to the corresponding defrosting period, the heating device 164 is controlled to defrost, and all the cooling frequencies are cleared.

The control method of the invention separately records the cooling times of each working mode for cooling the ice making compartment 122, and controls the heating device 164 to defrost the ice making unit 160 when the cooling times of any working mode reach the corresponding defrosting period, so that the time for defrosting is more reasonable, the cooling efficiency of the refrigerating system 130 for the ice making compartment 122 is ensured, the energy consumption of the refrigerating and freezing device 100 is saved, and the ice consumption of a user is prevented from being influenced too much.

In some embodiments, the control method of the present invention may further include: when the working mode of the refrigeration system 130 for cooling the ice making compartment 122 is switched from the ice storage mode to the ice making mode, if the cooling frequency of the ice storage mode is greater than or equal to the preset ratio of the corresponding defrosting cycle, the heating device 164 is controlled to defrost, and the whole cooling frequency is cleared, so that serious frosting is avoided, and the waste of cold energy is reduced.

In some further embodiments, if the number of times of cooling in the ice storage mode is greater than or equal to the preset ratio of the corresponding defrosting cycle, the heating device 164 may be controlled to defrost first, and then the refrigerating system 130 is controlled to cool according to the ice making mode, so as to quickly remove the frost formed on the ice making unit 160, particularly the evaporation portion 141, to avoid blocking the cold energy in the frost layer and reduce the refrigerating efficiency of the subsequent refrigeration.

In some embodiments, the control method of the present invention may further include: after the operation of each ice making mode is finished, the heating device 164 is controlled to remove ice, and the ice making unit 160 is defrosted to a certain degree while removing ice cubes, so that the heating device 164 is prevented from frequently and high-power working to defrost. Wherein the operating power of the heating device 164 at the time of de-icing is smaller than that at the time of defrosting.

In some embodiments, the control method of the present invention may further include: when the temperature of the compartment 122 is less than the first temperature threshold, the control refrigeration system 130 stops cooling the ice-making compartment 122 when the temperature of the refrigerant outlet pipe is less than the dew point temperature of the indoor environment, so as to effectively reduce the condensation problem of the refrigerant pipeline (particularly the refrigerant inlet pipe) outside the heat-insulating layer; in case that the compartment temperature of the ice making compartment 122 is equal to or greater than the second temperature threshold, the control refrigeration system 130 continues to supply cold to the ice making compartment 122 to ensure the stability of the compartment temperature of the ice making compartment 122. Wherein the second temperature threshold may be greater than the first temperature threshold.

In some further embodiments, the control method of the present invention may further include: when the temperature of the refrigerant outlet pipe is equal to or higher than the dew point temperature, the control refrigeration system 130 continues to supply the cooling to the ice making compartment 122, and when the compartment temperature of the ice making compartment 122 is lower than the third temperature threshold, the control refrigeration system 130 stops the cooling to the ice making compartment 122 to extend the time interval of the cooling to the ice making compartment 122. Wherein the third temperature threshold may be less than the first temperature threshold.

In some embodiments, the control method of the present invention may further include: when the accumulated time of the cooling system 130 for cooling the ice making compartment 122 is equal to or longer than the preset end time, the cooling system 130 is controlled to stop cooling the ice making compartment 122 so as to sufficiently cool the ice making compartment 122 and avoid waste of cooling capacity. The end time corresponding to the ice making mode may be longer than the end time corresponding to the ice storing mode.

In some further embodiments, the control method of the present invention may further include: while the refrigeration system 130 is suspended from cooling the ice making compartment 122, the refrigeration system 130 is controlled to cool the storage compartment (at least one of the refrigerating compartment 111 and the freezing compartment 112) to avoid frequent start-up and shut-down of the compressor, to reduce the number and time of simultaneous cooling to the ice making compartment and the storage compartment, or to reduce the time required for simultaneous cooling to the ice making compartment and the storage compartment.

In some embodiments, the control method of the present invention may further include: when the compressor 131 stops working, the control solenoid valve 138 blocks the refrigerant flow path between the compressor 131 and the refrigerant inlet pipe to control the refrigerant quantity in the ice-making refrigerant pipe within a desired range, shorten the starting time for cooling the ice-making compartment 122 next time, and improve the cooling efficiency.

In some embodiments, the control method of the present invention may further include: during the operation (de-icing or defrosting) of the heating device 164 and a preset first time of stopping the operation, the control solenoid valve 138 blocks the refrigerant flow path between the compressor 131 and the refrigerant inlet pipe, so as to avoid the accumulation of the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipe for cooling the storage compartment.

In some further embodiments, the control method of the present invention may further include: when the heating device 164 is operated (de-icing or defrosting), the control solenoid valve 138 blocks the refrigerant flow path between the compressor 131 and the refrigerant inlet pipe, and controls the refrigerating system 130 to cool the storage compartment (at least one of the refrigerating compartment 111 and the freezing compartment 112) so as to avoid frequent start-up and stop of the compressor, reduce the number of times and time of cooling the ice making compartment and the storage compartment at the same time, or reduce the time of cooling the ice making compartment and the storage compartment at the same time.

In some embodiments, the control method of the present invention may further include: when it is determined that cooling of the ice making compartment 122 and the storage compartment (at least one of the refrigerating compartment 111 and the freezing compartment 112) is simultaneously required, acquiring a priority of cooling of the ice making compartment 122 and the storage compartment; the refrigeration system 130 is controlled to supply the cooling to the highest priority among the cooling priorities, so as to reduce the work load of the compressor 131 and improve the energy utilization rate.

In some further embodiments, if the obtained cooling priority is that the storage compartment is higher than the ice making compartment 122, the control method may further include determining whether a continuous time for which the refrigeration system 130 stops cooling the ice making compartment 122 is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, and if so, controlling the refrigeration system 130 to provide cooling to the ice making compartment 122 according to the ice storage mode and then to cool the storage compartment to avoid melting ice cubes in the ice making compartment 122.

In some further embodiments, the cooling priority may be determined according to the load sizes of the ice making compartment 122 and the storage compartment, the priority is positively related to the load size, and the residual energy of the refrigeration system operating with high refrigeration parameters is applied to low load, so as to quickly and efficiently supply cold to the low load, thereby improving the cooling efficiency as a whole, and enabling the refrigerating and freezing device 100 to quickly meet the use requirement of the user.

In still further embodiments, the priority of the chilling may be preset directly to be higher in the ice making compartment 122 than in the storage compartment to ensure the user's demand for ice and the quality of the ice cubes.

Fig. 8 is a schematic detailed flowchart of a control method for the refrigerating and freezing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention (where "Y" means "yes"; "N" means "no"). Referring to fig. 8, the control method for the refrigerating and freezing apparatus 100 of the present invention may include the following detailed steps:

step S802: the control refrigeration system 130 supplies cold to the ice making compartment 122.

Step S804: it is determined whether the compartment temperature of the ice making compartment 122 is less than a first temperature threshold. If yes, go to step S806; if not, go to step S812.

Step S806: judging whether the temperature of the refrigerant outlet pipe is less than the dew point temperature of the indoor environment. If yes, go to step S808; if not, go to step S812.

Step S808: the control refrigeration system 130 pauses the supply of cold to the ice making compartment 122. And performs step S822.

Step S810: it is determined whether the compartment temperature of the ice making compartment 122 is equal to or greater than a second temperature threshold. If yes, go to step S812; if not, return to step S808.

Step S812: the control refrigeration system 130 continues to provide cooling to the ice making compartment 122.

Step S814: it is determined whether the compartment temperature of the ice making compartment 122 is less than a third temperature threshold. If yes, go to step S818; if not, go to step S816.

Step S816: it is determined whether the accumulated time of cooling the ice making compartment 122 is equal to or longer than a preset end time. If yes, go to step S818; if not, return to step S812.

Step S818: the control refrigeration system 130 stops cooling the ice making compartment 122. Executing step S820 in the ice making mode; step S826 is performed in the ice storage mode.

Step S820: the control heater 164 is operated to perform ice removal, and the control solenoid valve 138 blocks the refrigerant flow path between the compressor 131 and the refrigerant inlet pipe. Step S822 and step S824 are performed.

Step S822: the refrigeration system 130 is controlled to provide cooling to at least one storage compartment.

Step S824: and judging whether the time for completing the deicing is greater than or equal to a first time threshold. If yes, go to step S826 and step S828; if not, repeat step S824.

Step S826: it is again judged whether or not the condition of cooling the ice making compartment 122 is satisfied.

Step S828: the number of times of cooling by the cooling system 130 to cool the ice making compartment 122 in the ice making mode and the ice storage mode is recorded, respectively.

Step S830: and respectively determining defrosting periods corresponding to the ice-making mode and the ice-storing mode according to the ambient temperature.

Step S832: judging whether the cooling times of the ice making mode or the cooling times of the ice storage mode are larger than or equal to the corresponding defrosting period. If yes, go to step S840; if not, go to step S834.

Step S834: it is determined whether or not the operation mode of the refrigerating system 130 for cooling the ice making compartment 122 is switched from the ice storage mode to the ice making mode. If yes, go to step S836; if not, repeating step S834.

Step S836: it is determined whether the number of times of cooling in the ice storage mode is greater than or equal to a preset ratio (in the illustrated embodiment, the preset ratio is 50%) of the corresponding defrosting period. If yes, go to step S840; if not, go to step S838.

Step S838: the control refrigeration system 130 operates in an ice making mode to supply cold to the ice making compartment 122.

Step S840: the heating device 164 is controlled to defrost and zero out the total number of cooling passes.

In addition, the control method of the present invention is at least partially equally applicable to the refrigerating and freezing apparatus 100 in which the separate ice-making compartment 122 is provided in the cabinet 110.

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

Claims

1. A control method for a refrigerating and freezing apparatus provided with an ice making compartment provided with an ice making unit and a refrigerating system for cooling the ice making compartment, and the ice making unit including a heating device for defrosting the ice making unit, wherein the control method comprises:

determining a defrosting period corresponding to each working mode;

and when the cooling times of any one of the working modes is greater than or equal to the corresponding defrosting period, controlling the heating device to defrost, and clearing all the cooling times.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein,

the working modes of the ice making compartment comprise an ice making mode and an ice storage mode; and the control method further comprises:

3. The control method according to claim 2, wherein,

when the working mode of the refrigerating system for cooling the ice making compartment is switched from the ice storage mode to the ice making mode, if the cooling frequency of the ice storage mode is larger than or equal to a preset ratio of a corresponding defrosting period, the heating device is controlled to defrost, and then the refrigerating system is controlled to cool according to the ice making mode.

4. The control method according to claim 1, wherein,

the working modes of the ice making compartment comprise an ice making mode and an ice storage mode; and is also provided with

5. The control method according to claim 4, further comprising:

6. The control method according to claim 1, wherein,

in the step of determining the defrosting period corresponding to each working mode, determining the defrosting period corresponding to each working mode according to the ambient temperature of the indoor environment; wherein the method comprises the steps of

7. The control method according to claim 1, wherein,

the working modes of the ice making compartment comprise an ice making mode and an ice storage mode;

8. The control method according to claim 1, the refrigerating and freezing apparatus including a case defining at least one storage compartment, and at least one door for opening and closing the at least one storage compartment, the ice-making compartment being provided at the door, the refrigerant pipe of the refrigerating system including an evaporation portion provided at least partially in the ice-making compartment, and a refrigerant inlet pipe and a refrigerant outlet pipe communicating with the evaporation portion and partially provided outside a heat insulating layer of the door, wherein the control method includes:

controlling the refrigeration system to cool the ice making compartment;

9. A refrigerated chiller comprising:

the box body is limited with at least one storage compartment;

a controller configured to perform the control method of any one of claims 1-8.

10. The refrigeration chiller of claim 9, wherein the refrigerant tube comprises: