WO2024140953A1 - Refrigerator control method and refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a refrigerator and a control method therefor. The refrigerator comprises a first ice storage box, an ice making mechanism, and an ice conveying mechanism. The control method comprises: detecting the ice storage state of a first ice storage box; if the first ice storage box is in a non-full ice state, controlling an ice making mechanism to start making ice; and once the ice making machine completes making ice, controlling an ice conveying mechanism to convey ice cubes to the first ice storage box. In the present application, an ice making mechanism and an ice conveying mechanism are controlled according to the state of a first ice storage box, so that the ice storage mode becomes simple.

Description

Refrigerator control method and refrigerator

This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 29, 2022, with application number 202211707374.8 and invention name “Refrigerator Control Method and Refrigerator”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference in this application.

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of household appliances, and in particular to a refrigerator control method and a refrigerator.

Background technique

As people's living standards continue to improve, refrigerators with automatic ice-making functions are favored by more and more consumers. Usually, after the ice maker makes ice cubes, it uses an ice turning device to pour the ice cubes in the ice box into the ice storage box below for storage and retrieval. When the ice cubes in the ice storage box accumulate to a certain height and are detected by the ice detection rod in the ice maker, the ice maker stops working.

However, in current refrigerators, an ice turning device is used to pour the ice cubes in the ice box into the ice storage box below for storage, so the ice storage box can only be arranged below the ice making mechanism.

technical problem

The embodiments of the present application provide a refrigerator control method and a refrigerator, which can improve the problem that the ice storage box in the existing refrigerator can only be arranged below the ice making mechanism.

Technical Solutions

In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control method for a refrigerator, the refrigerator comprising a first ice storage box, an ice making mechanism and an ice transporting mechanism, the first ice storage box being arranged on the upper side of the ice making mechanism, the first ice storage box being provided with a first detection unit, the control method comprising:

controlling the first detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box;

If the first ice storage box is not full of ice, controlling the ice making mechanism to start making ice;

If the ice making mechanism has completed ice making, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a refrigerator, comprising:

An ice making mechanism, for making ice;

a first ice storage box, wherein the first ice storage box is arranged on the upper side of the ice making mechanism, and the first ice storage box is provided with a first detection unit, and the first detection unit is used to detect the state of the first ice storage box;

An ice transport mechanism, the ice transport mechanism is used to transport the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box;

If the first ice storage box is not full of ice, the ice transport mechanism transports the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

Beneficial Effects

The beneficial effect of the present application is that the control method of the refrigerator provided by the embodiment of the present application is applied to the refrigerator, the refrigerator includes a first ice storage box, an ice making mechanism and an ice transporting mechanism, the first ice storage box is arranged on the upper side of the ice transporting mechanism, the first ice storage box is provided with a first detection unit, the state of the first ice storage box is detected by the first detection unit, when it is detected that the first ice storage box is not full of ice, the ice making mechanism is controlled to start ice making, and after the ice making mechanism completes ice making, the ice transporting mechanism is controlled to transport ice cubes to the first ice storage box. The embodiment of the present application transports ice cubes to the first ice storage box through the ice transporting mechanism, so that the first ice storage box can be arranged above the ice making mechanism, and then the ice storage box and the ice making mechanism can be flexibly arranged on the refrigerator. And according to the state of the first ice storage box, the ice making mechanism is controlled to make ice and the ice transporting mechanism is controlled to transport ice, so that the ice storage method becomes simple, and the ice making mechanism is avoided from making ice ineffectively when the first ice storage box is full of ice, thereby saving energy consumption.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 with the door body removed.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 1 along the A-A direction.

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a first detection unit in the first ice storage box.

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the ice transport mechanism in the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG6 is a flow chart of a method for controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of the ice transport mechanism transporting ice cubes to the first ice storage box in the control method shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a first control method with a second ice storage box in the control method shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a second control method with a second ice storage box in the control method shown in FIG. 1 .

Embodiments of the present invention

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", The orientation or positional relationship indicated by "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the said features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

In the conventional refrigerator, an ice turning device is used to pour the ice cubes in the ice box into the ice storage box below for storage, so that the ice storage box can only be arranged below the ice making mechanism, so that the arrangement positions of the ice storage box and the ice making mechanism in the refrigerator are relatively limited.

Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present application proposes a refrigerator control method and a refrigerator. The present application is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and implementation examples.

The embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator control method, which can be applied to a refrigerator. The refrigerator in the embodiment of the present application can be a double-door refrigerator, a single-door refrigerator or a three-door refrigerator, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

Next, taking the application of an ice-making device in a refrigerator as an example, we will first give an overall explanation and description of the refrigerator.

Please refer to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 is a front view of the refrigerator shown in Figure 1 without a door body. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in Figure 1 along the A-A direction. The present application provides a refrigerator 1, which may include a box body 11 and a door 12. The box body 11 is provided with a refrigeration compartment such as a freezer compartment 14, a refrigerator compartment 13 or a wide-range variable temperature chamber. The door 12 is rotatably mounted on the box body 11 to open or close the refrigeration compartment. The refrigerator 1 also includes an ice making chamber 15 and an ice making device 100 arranged in the ice making chamber 15. The ice making device 100 includes a first ice storage box 20, a second ice storage box 30, an ice making mechanism 10, an ice transport mechanism 80 and a controller 40. The ice making mechanism 10 is used to make ice cubes and output ice cubes. The first ice storage box 20 is arranged on the upper side of the ice making mechanism 10. The first ice storage box 20 is provided with a first detection unit 50 for detecting the ice storage state of the first ice storage box 20. The ice transport mechanism 80 is used to transport at least part of the ice cubes discharged by the ice making mechanism 10 to the first ice storage box 20 .

Existing refrigerators have the problem of insufficient ice storage capacity, resulting in a lack of corresponding ice supply when users need a large amount of ice, leading to a poor user experience. However, when a refrigerator has multiple ice storage boxes, the storage method of ice becomes complicated if the multiple ice storage boxes are not designed properly in the refrigerator. Therefore, the refrigerator provided in the embodiment of the present application also includes a second ice storage box 30, and the second ice storage box 30 is arranged at the lower side of the ice-making mechanism 10. By arranging the first ice storage box 20 and the second ice storage box 30, the refrigerator can store more ice cubes, and the ice transport mechanism 80 can be used to transport the ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism 10 to the first ice storage box 20 above, and the ice cubes can also be transported to the second ice storage box 30 below by gravity, so that the first ice storage box 20 can be stored in the refrigerator. The first and second ice storage boxes 30 are arranged above and below the ice maker, so that the ice making mechanism 10, the first ice storage box 20 and the second ice storage box 30 can be arranged more flexibly on the refrigerator 1, and the space of other components is not occupied on the basis of increasing the ice storage capacity, thereby reasonably utilizing the storage space of the refrigerator.

The first ice bank 20 is arranged in the refrigerating chamber 13, the ice making mechanism 10 is arranged in the refrigerating chamber 13 and adjacent to the freezing chamber 14, and the first ice bank 20 is arranged above the ice making mechanism 10. By placing the ice making mechanism 10 below the first ice bank 20, since the cold air is deposited from top to bottom, the temperature below the first ice bank 20 will be lower, which is conducive to faster ice making. In addition, since the first ice bank 20 is arranged at a high position, the number of ice making mechanisms 10 can be increased in the space below the first ice bank 20 to obtain more ice cubes.

The second ice storage box 30 is arranged at the lower side of the ice making mechanism 10 in the direction of gravity, so that the ice cubes discharged by the ice making mechanism 10 can fall into the second ice storage box 30 under the action of its own gravity. In some embodiments, the second ice storage box 30 is arranged in the freezing chamber 14 adjacent to the refrigerating chamber 13. It can be understood that since the temperature in the freezing chamber 14 is extremely low, the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 30 can be frozen and preserved by using the low temperature of the freezing chamber 14 itself by arranging the second ice storage box 30 in the freezing chamber 14, so as to prevent the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 30 from sticking to each other after melting. At the same time, the ice making mechanism 10 is arranged in the refrigerating chamber 13, so that the height of the second ice storage box 30 in the direction of gravity or in the vertical direction can be made larger, so as to increase the ice storage capacity of the second ice storage box 30.

The second ice storage box 30 may include a drawer disposed in the freezer compartment 14, and the user may draw the drawer out of the freezer compartment 14 to take ice during use. Of course, the second ice storage box 30 may also automatically discharge ice through components such as a screw, which is not limited in the present embodiment.

The second ice storage box 30 is provided with a second detection unit 60 . The second detection unit 60 is connected to the controller 40 . The second detection unit 60 is used to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box 30 .

The first detection unit 50 and the second detection unit 60 may include at least one of an infrared sensor, a laser ranging sensor, and a weight sensor, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

In some embodiments, the first ice storage box 20 is provided with a first ice inlet 210, and the first detection unit 50 includes: a first light emitting element 510 and a first light receiving element 520, and the first light receiving element 520 is installed at an end of the first ice storage box 20 near the first ice inlet 210 thereof, spaced apart from the first light emitting element 510.

The first light emitting element 510 is used to emit a light signal, and the first light receiving element 520 is used to receive the light signal emitted by the first light emitting element 510. If the first light receiving element 520 does not receive a light signal after the first light emitting element 510 emits a light signal, it means that the light signal is blocked by ice cubes, indicating that the height of ice cubes in the first ice storage box 20 has reached the height of full ice when designed, and then it is determined that the first ice storage box 20 is in a full ice state. If the first light receiving element 520 can still receive a light signal after the first light emitting element 510 emits a light signal, it means that the light signal is not blocked by ice cubes, that is, the height of ice cubes in the first ice storage box 20 has not yet reached the height of full ice when designed. The height of the full ice is determined, thereby determining that the first ice storage box 20 is not in a full ice state.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 4, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first detection unit in the first ice storage box. The first detection unit 50 may include multiple groups of first light emitting elements 510 and first light receiving elements 520. By setting different groups of first light emitting elements 510 and first light receiving elements 520 at different positions on the first ice storage box, the first detection unit 50 can detect multiple ice storage states of the ice storage box. The specific positions are set according to actual conditions and are not specifically limited here.

At least part of the ice cubes discharged by the ice making mechanism 10 can be transported to the top of the ice making device 100 by the ice transport mechanism 80, so that the parts inside the ice making device 100 can be arranged more flexibly, or the ice making device 100 can be flexibly installed at different positions on the refrigerator 1. Exemplarily, the first ice storage box 20 can be arranged above the ice making mechanism 10, and when the ice transport mechanism 80 goes up to the side of the first ice storage box 20, the ice cubes discharged by the ice making mechanism 10 can directly fall into the second ice storage box 30, and when the ice transport mechanism 80 goes down to the lower side of the ice making mechanism 10, the ice cubes of the ice making mechanism 10 can be discharged onto the ice transport mechanism 80 and transported to the first ice storage box 20 by the ice transport mechanism 80.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 5, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ice transport mechanism in the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1. The ice transport mechanism 80 includes a lifting assembly 810, a carrier 820 and an ice-removing assembly (not shown in the figure for the time being). The lifting assembly 810 is installed on the housing (not shown in the figure for the time being), and the carrier 820 is connected to the lifting assembly 810 in a transmission manner so that the lifting assembly 810 can drive the carrier 820 to move between the first position and the second position in the direction of gravity. The opening of the ice-making mechanism 10 and the first ice storage box 20 is located between the first position and the second position so that the carrier 820 can receive the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 10 when it moves to the first position. The ice-removing assembly is arranged on the housing (not shown in the figure for the time being), the first ice storage box 20 or the carrier 820, and is used to push the ice cubes carried by the carrier 820 to the first ice storage box 20 when the carrier 820 moves to the second position.

The lifting assembly 810 can be a screw transmission assembly, a gear rack transmission assembly, a pneumatic cylinder, an oil cylinder electric push rod, etc., which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

Exemplarily, the lifting assembly 810 may include a guide rail 811 and a driving unit 812. The guide rail 811 is mounted on the housing, and the carrier 820 is slidably mounted on the guide rail 811. The driving unit 812 is transmission-connected to the carrier 820 to enable the carrier 820 to move between the first position and the second position.

Specifically, the lower end of the guide rail 811 is the first position, located at the lower side of the ice-making mechanism 10. The upper end of the guide rail 811 is the second position, located at the upper side of the ice-making mechanism 10. Then, when the carrier 820 moves to the first position, or when the carrier 820 moves to the lower side of the ice-making mechanism 10, the ice cubes discharged from the ice-making mechanism 10 can fall onto the carrier 820 due to its own gravity. Then, the carrier 820 can transport the ice cubes to the second position, so that the ice-removing assembly can push the ice cubes on the carrier 820 into the first ice storage box 20.

The structure of the guide rail 811 can be various, such as the guide rail 811 can be a linear guide rail 811 whose length direction is parallel to the gravity direction. Of course, the guide rail 811 can also be an arc-shaped guide rail 811 or a spiral guide rail 811 spiraling downward. The application examples are not limited to this.

The guide rail 811 can be installed in various ways. For example, the guide rail 811 can be detachably connected to the housing by means of snap connection, screw connection, magnetic fixation, etc.

Exemplarily, the guide rail 811 may be provided with a first pre-fixing structure and a first fastening structure. A second pre-fixing structure and a second fastening structure are provided on one side of the housing that cooperates with the guide rail 811. The first pre-fixing structure is connected to the second pre-fixing structure so that the guide rail 811 and the housing are pre-connected. The second fastening structure is configured such that when the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure are pre-fixed, the second fastening structure is adapted to the position of the first fastening structure to achieve a fixed connection between the guide rail 811 and the housing.

It is understandable that during the installation of the guide rail 811, the cooperation of the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure can ensure that the guide rail 811 is not easily offset from the shell during the subsequent installation process, so that the guide rail 811 can be accurately installed and fixed in the end.

The second pre-fixing structure may include a hook protruding from the inner surface of the shell, and the first pre-fixing structure includes a hanging portion formed on the guide rail 811, such as a hanging hole or a hanging beam, so that the guide rail 811 can be hung on the hook through the hanging portion to achieve pre-fixation.

Of course, in some other implementations, the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure may be a pair of magnetic parts connected by magnetic force, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

The second fastening structure and the first fastening structure can both be screw holes, so that the guide rail 811 and the housing can be screwed and fixed by fastening screws.

The driving unit 812 may be disposed on the outer shell of the ice-making device 100 and connected to the carrier 820 in a transmission manner. The driving unit 812 may also be disposed on the guide rail 811 and connected to the carrier 820 in a transmission manner. The driving unit 812 may also be disposed on the carrier 820 and connected to the guide rail 811 or the outer shell of the ice-making device 100 in a transmission manner. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

The driving unit 812 may be composed of a first motor and a first gear rack transmission assembly, a first screw transmission assembly or a first synchronous belt transmission assembly driven by the first motor, and the first motor may drive the carrier 820 to slide through the first gear rack transmission assembly, the first screw transmission assembly or the first synchronous belt transmission assembly. Of course, the driving unit 812 may also be a first electric push rod, etc., which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

The carrier 820 may include an ice transport board 821 and a guardrail 822. The ice transport board 821 is slidably connected to the guide rail 811 and is used to carry ice cubes. The guardrail 822 is slidably connected to the ice transport board 821 so that the guardrail 822 can slide relative to the ice transport board 821 along the gravity direction. Furthermore, when the carrier 820 is at the lower side of the second position, the guardrail 822 can slide to at least partially on the upper side of the ice transport board 821 to limit the ice cubes on the ice transport board 821 from accidentally falling. When the carrier 820 moves to the second position, the guardrail 822 can slide to the lower side of the ice transport board 821 so that the ice removal assembly can push the ice cubes on the ice transport board 821 out.

The carrier 820 may further include an elastic member 823. The elastic member 823 is disposed on the ice transporting plate 821 and connected to the guardrail 822 to drive the guardrail 822 to move upward along the gravity direction relative to the ice transporting plate 821. The elastic member 823 may be a tension spring, a torsion spring, or a compression spring, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

Below, the control method of a refrigerator is explained and illustrated by taking the application of the control method of a refrigerator to a refrigerator as an example.

Please continue to refer to FIG6 , which is a flow chart of a control method for a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present application. The refrigerator includes any of the above-mentioned refrigerators, and the control method includes:

101. Control a first detection unit to detect an ice storage state of a first ice storage box.

The first detection unit is controlled to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box, wherein the state of the first ice storage box can be set to an empty ice state, a full ice state, and an intermediate state between the empty ice state and the full ice state. It is understandable that the state of the first ice storage box can be set to multiple states according to actual conditions, and is not limited to the above examples.

102. If the first ice storage box is not full of ice, the ice making mechanism is controlled to start ice making.

If it is detected that the first ice storage box is not full of ice, the ice making mechanism can be controlled to start ice making. It is understandable that before starting the ice making mechanism, it is necessary to detect the current state of the ice making mechanism. If the ice making mechanism has already started ice making, this step can be ignored; if the ice making mechanism is in a stopped ice making state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to start ice making.

103. If the ice making mechanism has completed ice making, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

When the ice maker finishes making ice, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to apply the manufactured ice cubes to the first ice storage box. The specific process of the ice transport mechanism applying the manufactured ice cubes to the first ice storage box can be seen in Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of the process of the ice transport mechanism transporting the ice cubes to the first ice storage box in the control method shown in Figure 1.

201. If it is detected that the ice-making mechanism has completed ice-making, the carrier is controlled to move to the first position.

The carrier is moved to a first position so that the carrier can receive ice made by the ice-making mechanism, and the first position corresponds to the position of the ice-making mechanism. In some embodiments, the ice-making mechanism includes multiple ice-making machines, and the carrier can be moved to a first position corresponding to each ice-making machine. Exemplarily, the ice-making mechanism includes a first ice-making machine and a second ice-making machine, and the carrier can be moved to a first position corresponding to the first ice-making machine, that is, a first ice-receiving position corresponding to the first ice-making machine, and can also be moved to a first position corresponding to the second ice-making machine, that is, a second ice-receiving position corresponding to the second ice-making machine.

It should be noted that during the ice-making process of the ice-making mechanism, the carrier is in an initial position, which is between the first position and the second position. The initial position is mainly to protect the life of the telescopic elastic parts of the guardrail in the ice transport mechanism. If the initial position coincides with the second position, the elastic parts on the guardrail will be subjected to long-term stress, thereby causing damage to the elastic parts.

202. Control the ice-making mechanism to turn over ice, so that the ice cubes output by the ice-making mechanism can be received by the carrier.

After the carrier is located at the first position, the ice-making mechanism is controlled to turn over the ice, so that the ice cubes output by the ice-making machine can be received by the carrier.

203. After the preset time of ice turning, the carrier is controlled to move to the second position, and the ice removing part is controlled to remove the ice carried by the carrier. Push in the first ice bin.

It should be noted that the preset time after turning over the ice is to ensure that all ice cubes are taken up by the carrier to avoid some ice cubes stagnating in the ice-making mechanism, wherein the specific number of the preset time can be set according to actual needs and is not specifically limited here.

After a preset time, the carrier is moved to the second position, and the ice-removing member is controlled to push the ice cubes carried by the carrier into the first ice storage box.

The second position is located above the first ice storage box to ensure that when the ice transport mechanism rises to this position, the guardrail in the ice transport mechanism is in an open state, and the ice cubes in the ice transport mechanism can smoothly fall into the first ice storage box.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 8 , which is a flow chart of a first control method with a second ice storage box in the control method shown in FIG. 1 .

301. Control a first detection unit to detect an ice storage state of a first ice storage box.

302. If the first ice storage box is in a full ice state, control the second detection unit to detect an ice storage state of the second ice storage box.

After the first ice storage box has stored ice for a preset time, the state of the ice storage box is detected. Only when the first ice storage box is full of ice, the state of the second ice storage box is detected, thereby ensuring that the first ice storage box is always full of ice.

303. If the second ice storage box is not in a full ice state, control the ice making mechanism to store ice cubes in the second ice storage box.

When the second ice storage box is not full of ice, there is no need to transport the ice cubes to the first ice storage box through the ice transport mechanism, that is, the carrier in the ice transport mechanism is in the initial position, and the ice cubes discharged by the ice making mechanism only need to fall into the second ice storage box under the action of their own gravity.

304. If the second ice storage box is in a full ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to stop making ice.

When it is detected that the second ice storage box is full of ice, the controller controls the ice making mechanism to stop making ice. In the embodiment of the present application, ice cubes are first stored in the first ice storage box, and when the first ice storage box is full of ice, the ice cubes are stored in the second ice storage box, and when the second ice storage box is full of ice, the ice making mechanism is controlled to stop making ice, so as to ensure the ice storage amount and prevent the safety problem caused by the ice making mechanism continuing to make ice when the ice storage box is full of ice but not detected.

In some other embodiments, during the ice storage process in the second ice storage box, if it is detected that the dispenser outputs the ice from the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box is not yet full of ice, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box; after a preset time, if the first ice storage box is full of ice, the ice making mechanism is controlled to store the ice cubes in the second ice storage box. This design can ensure that the first ice storage box is always full of ice, thereby ensuring that the user can take ice from the dispenser.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 9 , which is a flow chart of a second control method with a second ice storage box in the control method shown in FIG. 1 .

401. Control a second detection unit to detect an ice storage state of a second ice storage box.

After the first detection unit detects the ice storage state of the first ice bank, the second detection unit is also controlled to detect the ice storage state of the second ice bank, that is, the ice storage state of the first ice bank and the ice storage state of the second ice bank are simultaneously acquired.

402. If the first ice storage box is in an intermediate state, and the second ice storage box is in an intermediate state or a full ice state, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

If the first ice storage box is in the middle state and the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

If the first ice storage box is in the middle state and the second ice storage box is in the middle state, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box according to the control rule that the first ice storage box is prioritized. It should be noted that in some other embodiments, the control rule that the second ice storage box is prioritized can also be set. For example, if the first ice storage box is in the middle state and the second ice storage box is in the middle state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to store the ice cubes in the second ice storage box according to the control rule that the second ice storage box is prioritized. The specific priority setting can be set according to the actual situation and is not specifically limited here.

403. If the first ice storage box is in an intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in an empty ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to store ice cubes in the second ice storage box.

If the first ice storage box is in the middle state and the second ice storage box is in the empty ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to store ice cubes in the second ice storage box, so as to avoid the situation where the second ice storage box is out of ice when the user needs a large amount of ice.

404. If the first ice storage box is full of ice and the second ice storage box is not full of ice, the ice making mechanism is controlled to store ice cubes in the second ice storage box.

405. If the first ice storage box is in a full ice state and the second ice storage box is in a full ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to stop making ice.

If the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box are both in a full ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to stop making ice to prevent excessive ice making.

In some embodiments, the ice making mechanism includes a first ice maker and a second ice maker, the first ice maker is arranged on a side close to the first ice storage box, and the second ice maker is arranged on a side of the first ice maker away from the first ice storage box. After controlling the second detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box, the control method includes:

If at least one of the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box is in an empty ice state, the first ice maker and the second ice maker are both controlled to make ice. By controlling the two ice makers to make ice at the same time, the ice making speed can be accelerated to avoid the situation where there is no ice when the user needs to take ice.

After controlling the first ice maker and the second ice maker to make ice, the control method further includes the following process. For example, in some embodiments, if it is detected that the first ice maker and the second ice maker have completed ice making, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the first ice maker to the second ice maker. The ice cubes made by an ice maker are transported to the first ice storage box, and the second ice maker is controlled to store the ice cubes in the second ice storage box. By transporting the ice cubes made by the first ice maker to the first ice storage box which is closer, and dropping the ice cubes made by the second ice maker to the second ice storage box which is closer, the transportation speed of the ice cubes is reduced, the storage speed of the ice cubes is accelerated, and the transportation routes of the ice cubes do not interfere with each other. In some other embodiments, if it is detected that the first ice maker or the second ice maker has completed ice making, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the first ice maker or the second ice maker to the first ice storage box. According to the priority of the first ice storage box, whether the first ice maker or the second ice maker has completed ice making, the ice cubes are transported to the first ice storage box.

If the first ice storage box is in the middle state and the second ice storage box is full of ice, the first ice maker is controlled to make ice. Since the first ice storage box is not full of ice, the first ice maker which is closer to the first ice storage box is controlled to make ice, so as to reduce the distance of ice transportation and thus reduce energy consumption.

If the first ice storage box is full of ice and the second ice storage box is in an intermediate state, the second ice maker is controlled to make ice. Since the second ice storage box is not full of ice, the second ice maker which is closer to the second ice storage box is controlled to make ice, so as to reduce the distance of ice transportation and thus reduce energy consumption.

It should be noted that if the first ice storage box is detected to be in the ice discharging state, the carrier is controlled to move to the second position, so as to prevent some ice cubes from falling from the first ice storage box during the ice discharging process, and the carrier can play a blocking role at this position.

Please refer to Figure 1 again. In order to facilitate users to take ice and/or water, the refrigerator 1 can also include a dispenser 16. The dispenser 16 is installed on the door 12, and the dispenser 16 is connected to the water supply device, and can output water supplied by the water supply device. And the dispenser 16 is movably connected to the ice making device 100, and can output ice cubes supplied by the ice making device 100. Then, without opening the refrigeration compartment, the user can directly take water alone, ice alone, or ice and water at the same time through the dispenser 16 on the door 12. It can also be understood that since the water on the dispenser 16 is supplied by the water supply device, and the water supply device is arranged in the refrigeration compartment for pre-refrigeration, the user can directly get ice water (i.e. liquid water with a lower temperature but not yet frozen) through the dispenser 16.

The dispenser 16 can rotate along with the cabinet door 12 to dock with or separate from the ice outlet 112 of the housing, so that the ice cubes made by the ice-making device 100 can be discharged into the dispenser 16 for the user to obtain.

The control method and refrigerator provided by the embodiment of the present application are described in detail above. The principle and implementation method of the present application are described in detail using specific examples herein. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the present application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation method and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present application.

Claims (20)

1. A control method for a refrigerator, wherein the refrigerator comprises a first ice storage box, an ice making mechanism and an ice transporting mechanism, the first ice storage box is arranged on the upper side of the ice making mechanism, the first ice storage box is provided with a first detection unit, and the control method comprises:

   controlling the first detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box;

   If the first ice storage box is not full of ice, controlling the ice making mechanism to start making ice;

   If the ice making mechanism has completed ice making, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box.
2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator further comprises a second ice storage box, the second ice storage box is arranged at the lower side of the ice making mechanism, the second ice storage box is provided with a second detection unit, and after the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box, the control method further comprises:

   controlling the first detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box;

   If the first ice storage box is in a full ice state, controlling the second detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box;

   If the second ice storage box is not in a full ice state, controlling the ice making mechanism to store ice cubes in the second ice storage box;

   If the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, the ice-making mechanism is controlled to stop making ice.
3. The control method according to claim 2, wherein the refrigerator comprises a dispenser, the dispenser is movably connected to the first ice storage box and is used to output ice stored in the first ice storage box, and after the ice making mechanism is controlled to store ice cubes in the second ice storage box, the control method further comprises:

   If it is detected that the dispenser outputs the ice from the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box is not full of ice, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box;

   After a preset time, if the first ice storage box is in a full ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to store ice cubes in the second ice storage box.
4. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator further comprises a second ice storage box, the second ice storage box is arranged at the lower side of the ice making mechanism, the second ice storage box is provided with a second detection unit, the ice storage state further comprises an intermediate state, the amount of ice in the intermediate state is greater than the amount of ice in the empty ice state and less than the amount of ice in the full ice state, after the first detection unit is controlled to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box, the control method comprises:

   controlling the second detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box;

   If the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state, and the second ice storage box is in the intermediate state or the full ice state, controlling the ice transport mechanism to transport the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box;

   If the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state, and the second ice storage box is in the empty ice state, controlling the ice making mechanism to store ice cubes in the second ice storage box;

   If the first ice storage box is in the full ice state, and the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, controlling the ice making mechanism to store ice cubes in the second ice storage box;

   If the first ice storage box is in the full ice state and the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to stop making ice.
5. The control method according to claim 4, wherein the ice-making mechanism comprises a first ice-maker and a second ice-maker, the first ice-maker is arranged on a side close to the first ice storage box, and the second ice-maker is arranged on a side of the first ice-maker away from the first ice storage box, and after the second detection unit is controlled to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box, the control method comprises:

   If at least one of the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box is in an empty ice state, the first ice maker and the second ice maker are controlled to make ice.
6. The control method according to claim 5, wherein after the controlling the second detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box, the control method further comprises:

   If the first ice storage box is in an intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in a full ice state, the first ice maker is controlled to make ice.
7. The control method according to claim 5, wherein after the controlling the second detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box, the control method further comprises:

   If the first ice storage box is in a full ice state and the second ice storage box is in an intermediate state, the second ice maker is controlled to make ice.
8. The control method according to claim 5, wherein after controlling the first ice maker and the second ice maker to make ice, the control method further comprises:

   If it is detected that both the first ice maker and the second ice maker have completed ice making, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the first ice maker to the first ice storage box, and the second ice maker is controlled to store the ice cubes in the second ice storage box;

   If it is detected that the first ice maker or the second ice maker has completed ice making, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the first ice maker or the second ice maker to the first ice storage box.
9. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the ice transport mechanism comprises a lifting assembly, a carrier and an ice removal assembly. The lifting assembly drives the carrier to move between a first position and a second position, the ice-removing member is arranged at the second position, and the controlling the ice transport mechanism to transport the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box comprises:

   If it is detected that the ice-making mechanism has completed ice-making, controlling the carrier to move to the first position;

   Controlling the ice-making mechanism to turn over ice so that ice cubes output by the ice-making mechanism can be received by the carrier;

   After the preset ice turning time, the carrier is controlled to move to the second position, and the ice removing component is controlled to push the ice cubes carried by the carrier into the first ice storage box.
10. The control method according to claim 9, wherein the control method further comprises:

    If it is detected that the first ice storage box is in an ice-out state, the carrier is controlled to move to the second position.
11. A refrigerator, wherein the refrigerator comprises:

    An ice making mechanism, for making ice;

    a first ice storage box, wherein the first ice storage box is arranged on the upper side of the ice making mechanism, and the first ice storage box is provided with a first detection unit, and the first detection unit is used to detect the state of the first ice storage box;

    an ice transport mechanism, the ice transport mechanism being used to transport the ice cubes produced by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box;

    If the first ice storage box is not full of ice, the ice transport mechanism transports the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box.
12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the refrigerator further comprises a second ice storage box, the second ice storage box is arranged at a lower side of the ice making mechanism, the second ice storage box is provided with a second detection unit,

    Wherein, if the first ice storage box is in a full ice state, the second detection unit detects the ice storage state of the second ice storage box;

    If the second ice storage box is not in a full ice state, the ice making mechanism stores ice cubes in the second ice storage box;

    If the second ice storage box is in a full ice state, the ice making mechanism stops making ice.
13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the refrigerator comprises a box body, the box body is provided with a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber, the first ice storage box is arranged in the refrigerating chamber, and the ice making mechanism is arranged in the refrigerating chamber and adjacent to the freezing chamber.
14. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the second ice storage box is disposed in the freezing chamber adjacent to the refrigerating chamber.
15. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the ice transport mechanism comprises a lifting assembly, a carrier, and an ice-removing assembly;

    The carrier is in transmission connection with the lifting assembly so that the lifting assembly can drive the carrier to move in the direction of gravity. moving upwardly between a first position and a second position;

    The opening of the ice-making mechanism and the first ice storage box is located between the first position and the second position, so that the carrier can receive ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism when it moves to the first position;

    The ice-removing assembly is used to push the ice cubes carried by the carrier into the first ice storage box when the carrier moves to the second position.
16. The refrigerator according to claim 15, wherein the carrier comprises an ice transport board and a guardrail, the ice transport board is used to carry ice cubes; and the guardrail is slidably connected to the ice transport board so that the guardrail can slide relative to the ice transport board in the direction of gravity.
17. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein

    When the carrier is at the lower side of the second position, the guardrail can slide to at least partially be located on the upper side of the ice transport board;

    When the carrier moves to the second position, the guardrail can slide to be located under the ice transporting plate.
18. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the carrier further comprises an elastic member, wherein the elastic member is disposed on the ice transporting plate and connected to the guardrail to drive the guardrail to move upward along the direction of gravity relative to the ice transporting plate.
19. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the first ice storage box is provided with a first ice inlet, the first detection unit comprises a first light emitting element and a first light receiving element, and the first light receiving element is installed at an end of the first ice storage box near the first ice inlet with a spacing from the first light emitting element.
20. The refrigerator according to claim 19, wherein the first detection unit comprises a plurality of groups of the first light emitting elements and the first light receiving elements, and different groups of the first light emitting elements and the first light receiving elements are arranged at different positions on the first ice bank.