Refrigerator and control method thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigerator and a control method thereof, wherein the refrigerator includes a storage liner defining a storage compartment, an air duct provided with an evaporator, and a cover plate, wherein the air duct is configured to convey a cold air flow cooled by the evaporator into the storage compartment, and the air duct is formed with a return air port connected to the storage compartment so that the return air in the storage compartment can flow back into the air duct and be cooled by the evaporator, and the cover plate is provided at the return air port and configured to be controllably movable between a position of opening the return air port and a position of closing the return air port, so that the opening of the return air port can be adjusted as needed to improve the performance of the refrigerator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of refrigeration and freezing storage, and in particular to a refrigerator and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In existing refrigerators, the return air vents in the storage compartment are typically always open. When the door is open, hot air can easily flow through the vents into the evaporator area, increasing the risk of frost buildup on the evaporator. Furthermore, when the evaporator defrosts using the heating element, heat can easily flow into the storage compartment through the return air vents, causing the temperature to rise and affecting the freshness of food. Summary of the Invention

[0003] An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator with adjustable return air vent opening and a control method thereof.

[0004] A further object of the present invention is to improve the quality of food preservation and reduce the amount of frost on the evaporator.

[0005] In particular, according to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a refrigerator comprising:

[0006] a storage liner defining a storage compartment therein;

[0007] an air duct having an evaporator disposed therein and configured to convey a cold air flow cooled by the evaporator into the storage compartment, and the air duct is formed with a return air port communicating with the storage compartment so that the return air from the storage compartment flows into the air duct and is cooled by the evaporator;

[0008] The cover plate is arranged at the return air outlet and is configured to be controllably movable between a position for opening the return air outlet and a position for closing the return air outlet so as to adjust the opening degree of the return air outlet.

[0009] Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises:

[0010] At least one driving mechanism is connected to the cover plate and is configured to controllably drive the cover plate to move between a position for opening the return air vent and a position for closing the return air vent.

[0011] Optionally, the driving mechanism includes:

[0012] A motor, a gear drivingly connected to an output shaft of the motor, a rack meshing with the gear, and a guide rail;

[0013] The extension direction of the rack and the extension direction of the guide rail are consistent with the movement path of the cover plate;

[0014] The cover plate is formed with the rack, or the rack is connected to the cover plate, so that under the drive of the motor and the gear, the cover plate is prompted to move along the guide rail between a position for opening the return air outlet and a position for closing the return air outlet.

[0015] Optionally, the air duct includes an upstream section and a downstream section in sequence on the airflow path;

[0016] The evaporator is arranged in the upstream section, the return air port is formed in the upstream section, and the downstream section is formed with an air supply port for blowing cold air toward the storage compartment;

[0017] The refrigerator further includes a blower disposed in the air duct and configured to promote airflow to circulate between the air duct and the storage compartment.

[0018] Optionally, the air duct is provided in the storage liner and is located behind the storage compartment, and a downstream section of the air duct is located in front of at least a portion of the upstream section;

[0019] The return air port is formed at a position near the lower end of the upstream section.

[0020] Optionally, the air duct is provided in the storage liner, and the upstream section is located below the storage compartment, and the downstream section is located behind the storage compartment;

[0021] The return air port is formed at the front side of the upstream section.

[0022] Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises:

[0023] A door body is provided at the front opening of the storage liner to open or close the storage compartment;

[0024] a door opening and closing detection device configured to detect the opening and closing status of the door;

[0025] an evaporator defrost sensor, configured to detect a defrost state of the evaporator;

[0026] The controller is configured to control the driving mechanism to drive the cover to move to a position closing the return air outlet when the door opening and closing detection device detects that the door is opened or the evaporator defrost sensor detects that the evaporator starts to defrost.

[0027] Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises:

[0028] a receiver configured to receive a user's setting instruction for the refrigerator;

[0029] The storage compartment is a freezer;

[0030] The controller is further configured to control the driving mechanism to drive the cover to move to a position where the return air outlet is fully opened when the receiver receives that the setting instruction is a quick-freeze instruction.

[0031] Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises:

[0032] a temperature sensor configured to detect the temperature of the storage compartment;

[0033] The controller is further configured to control the driving mechanism to drive the cover plate to move toward a position where the return air vent opening is increased when the difference between the temperature of the storage compartment detected by the temperature sensor and the set temperature is within a first preset temperature difference range;

[0034] The controller is further configured to control the driving mechanism to drive the cover plate to move toward a position where the opening of the return air vent is reduced when the difference between the temperature of the storage compartment detected by the temperature sensor and the set temperature is within a second preset temperature difference range;

[0035] The temperature difference within the first preset temperature difference range is greater than the temperature difference within the second preset temperature difference range.

[0036] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator is any one of the aforementioned refrigerators, and further comprises a door disposed at a front opening of the storage liner. The method comprises:

[0037] detecting the open and closed state of the door;

[0038] detecting a defrost state of an evaporator of the refrigerator;

[0039] When the door is opened or the evaporator begins to defrost, the cover of the refrigerator is driven by a driving mechanism to move to a position for closing the return air outlet.

[0040] Optionally, the storage compartment of the refrigerator is a freezer compartment, and the control method further includes:

[0041] receiving a user's setting instruction for the refrigerator;

[0042] When the setting instruction received is a quick-freezing instruction, the cover is driven by the driving mechanism to move to a position where the return air outlet is fully opened.

[0043] Optionally, the control method further includes:

[0044] detecting the temperature of the storage compartment;

[0045] When the difference between the detected temperature of the storage compartment and the set temperature is within a first preset temperature range, the cover is driven by the driving mechanism to move toward a position where the opening of the return air outlet is increased;

[0046] When the difference between the detected temperature of the storage compartment and the set temperature is within a second preset temperature range, the cover is driven by the driving mechanism to move toward a position where the opening of the return air outlet is reduced;

[0047] The temperature difference within the first preset temperature difference range is greater than the temperature difference within the second preset temperature difference range.

[0048] The refrigerator and control method thereof of the present invention are provided with a cover plate at the return air vent, and the cover plate can be controlled to move between a position of opening the return air vent and a position of closing the return air vent, so that the opening of the return air vent can be adjusted as needed to improve the performance of the refrigerator.

[0049] Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention and the control method thereof, when the door is opened or the evaporator begins to defrost, the cover is controlled to move to a position closing the return air vent, thereby preventing hot air from entering the air duct through the return air vent, increasing the amount of frost on the evaporator, and preventing heat from entering the storage compartment through the return air vent when the evaporator defrosts, causing the temperature of the storage compartment to rise, thereby ensuring the freshness of the food in the storage compartment.

[0050] Furthermore, in the refrigerator and control method thereof of the present invention, when the temperature difference between the temperature of the storage compartment and the set temperature is large, the cover plate can be moved to a position where the return air outlet opening is increased to increase the return air area, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator and allowing the storage compartment to be quickly cooled to the set temperature; and when the temperature difference between the temperature of the storage compartment and the set temperature is small, the cover plate can be moved to a position where the return air outlet opening is reduced to reduce the return air area, thereby avoiding an increase in the amount of frost on the evaporator caused by excessive return air volume, reducing the defrosting power, and making the refrigerator more energy-efficient.

[0051] Based on the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will become more aware of the above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] Hereinafter, some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in an exemplary and non-limiting manner with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate the same or similar components or parts. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings:

[0053] Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 2is a side cross-sectional schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 3 is a partial schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the return air vent is in a closed state;

[0056] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an assembly of a cover plate and gears of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 5 is a partial schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the return air vent is in a partially open state;

[0058] Figure 6 is a partial schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the return air vent is in a fully open state;

[0059] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

[0060] Figure 8 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] This embodiment first provides a refrigerator 100, and the following reference Figures 1 to 7 The refrigerator 100 of this embodiment is described in detail. For the convenience of description, the directions such as "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "top", "bottom", and "lateral" mentioned in the specification are defined according to the spatial position relationship of the refrigerator 100 under normal working conditions. For example, Figure 2 As shown, the side of the refrigerator 100 facing the user is the front, and the side away from the user is the back. The horizontal direction refers to the direction parallel to the width direction of the refrigerator 100.

[0062] The refrigerator 100 generally includes a shell 110, a storage liner 111, an evaporator 101 and an air duct 120 arranged in the shell 110, etc. The storage liner 111 defines a storage compartment 112, and the evaporator 101 is arranged in the air duct 120. The air duct 120 is configured to transport the cold air cooled by the evaporator 101 to the storage compartment 112, and the air duct 120 is formed with a return air port 120a connected to the storage compartment 112, so that the return air from the storage compartment 112 flows into the air duct 120 and is cooled by the evaporator 101. Obviously, the air duct 120 should also be formed with an air supply port 120b connected to the storage compartment 112, so that an air circulation is formed between the air duct 120 and the storage compartment 112.

[0063] In particular, in this embodiment, the refrigerator 100 also includes a cover plate 130 arranged at the return air outlet 120a, which is configured to be controllably movable between a position of opening the return air outlet 120a and a position of closing the return air outlet 120a, thereby adjusting the opening of the return air outlet 120a, thereby facilitating control of the return air volume as needed and adjusting the refrigeration speed of the storage compartment 112.

[0064] The movement of the cover 130 can be adjusted by the user or automatically by a drive mechanism. In the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, the refrigerator 100 includes at least one drive mechanism connected to the cover 130. The drive mechanism is configured to controllably drive the cover 130 to move between a position that opens the return air vent 120a and a position that closes the return air vent 120a. The drive mechanism automatically adjusts the position of the cover 130 and the opening degree of the return air vent 120a, thereby avoiding inconvenience for the user.

[0065] The driving mechanism can adopt a transmission method such as a sprocket chain or a gear rack. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the driving mechanism adopts a gear rack transmission method. Specifically, the driving mechanism includes a motor 131, a gear 132 connected to the output shaft of the motor 131, a rack 133 meshing with the gear 132, and a guide rail 134. The extension direction of the rack 133 and the extension direction of the guide rail 134 are consistent with the movement path of the cover 130. The rack 133 can be an independent component connected to the cover 130, or the cover 130 forms the rack 133, and the cover 130 is provided with a tooth groove (such as a tooth groove) that is consistent with its movement path and meshes with the gear 132. Figure 4 As shown in FIG, the rack 133 is formed to drive the motor 131 and the gear 132 to move the cover 130 along the guide rail 134 between a position where the return air outlet 120a is opened and a position where the return air outlet 120a is closed. The positioning of the guide rail 134 ensures the stable movement of the cover 130. In addition, the overall structure of the driving mechanism is relatively simple and the cost is low.

[0066] The air duct 120 may include an upstream section 121 and a downstream section 122 along the airflow path. The evaporator 101 is disposed within the upstream section 121, and a return air port 120a is formed in the upstream section 121. The downstream section 122 should include a supply air port 120b for blowing cold air toward the storage compartment 112. Return air from the storage compartment 112 enters the upstream section 121 through the return air port 120a, is cooled by the evaporator 101, and then flows into the downstream section 122, where it is blown back into the storage compartment 112 through the supply air port 120b, ensuring that the return air is fully cooled by the evaporator 101. A blower 102 may also be disposed within the air duct 120. The blower 102 is configured to circulate air between the air duct 120 and the storage compartment 112, accelerating airflow and improving cooling speed.

[0067] In one embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, the air duct 120 is disposed within the storage liner 111 and is located behind the storage compartment 112. The downstream section 122 of the air duct 120 is located in front of at least part of the upstream section 121, and the return air port 120a is formed near the lower end of the upstream section 121. Cold air is blown from the back to the front into the storage compartment 112. After exchanging heat with the items in the storage compartment 112, the resulting relatively high-temperature return air re-enters the air duct 120 through the return air port 120a located below and is cooled by the evaporator 101. This ensures that the cold air flows from top to bottom throughout the storage compartment 112, fully cooling the items in the storage compartment 112.

[0068] Typically, the front of the storage liner 111 of the refrigerator 100 is open, and a door 103 is provided at the open front portion of the storage liner 111 to open or close the storage compartment 112. In this embodiment, when the door 103 is opened, the drive mechanism drives the cover 130 to a position that completely closes the return air vent 120a, thereby preventing hot air from entering the air duct 120 through the return air vent 120a and increasing the amount of frost on the evaporator 101.

[0069] In this embodiment, the air duct 120 can be defined by two air duct plates, see Figure 1 The air duct plates include a first air duct rear plate 127 and a first air duct front plate 126, which are arranged sequentially from back to front. The first air duct rear plate 127 and the rear wall of the storage liner 111 define an upstream section 121 of the air duct 120. The first air duct rear plate 127 and the first air duct front plate 126 define a downstream section 122 of the air duct 120. The return air outlet 120a is formed at the lower end of the first air duct front plate 126. In an alternative embodiment, the air duct 120 can be defined by three air duct plates, which are arranged sequentially from front to back, and the three air duct plates respectively define the upstream section 121 at the rear and the downstream section 122 at the front.

[0070] In another embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the air duct 120 can be disposed within the storage liner 111, with the upstream section 121 located below the storage compartment 112, the downstream section 122 located behind the storage compartment 112, and the return air port 120a formed in front of the upstream section 121. Since the return air port 120a is located below and in front of the storage compartment 112 relative to the storage compartment 112, the cold air flow can flow from back to front and from top to bottom through the entire storage compartment 112 before entering the air duct 120 through the return air port 120a. This ensures sufficient heat exchange between the cold air flow and the items in the storage compartment 112, thereby improving the cooling effect of the refrigerator 100.

[0071] In this embodiment, when the door body 103 is opened, the driving mechanism can drive the cover 130 to move to a position that completely closes the return air outlet 120a, thereby preventing hot air from entering the air duct 120 through the return air outlet 120a and increasing the amount of frost on the evaporator 101; and when the user stores or retrieves items in the storage compartment 112, the return air outlet 120a is in a closed state, thereby preventing items from falling into the air duct 120 through the return air outlet 120a.

[0072] In this embodiment, see Figure 2 The air duct 120 can be defined by a cover 123, a second air duct front plate 124, and a second air duct rear plate 125. The cover 123 is buckled into the storage liner 111, dividing the space of the storage liner 111 into a storage compartment 112 located above and an upstream section 121 of the air duct 120 located below. The upstream section 121 of the air duct 120 can be defined by the cover and the bottom wall of the storage liner 111. The front side of the cover can also have a frame 1231, which cooperates with the cover to enclose the upstream section 121 of the air duct 120. The front wall of the frame 1231 forms the aforementioned return air port 120a. The second air duct front plate 124 and the second air duct rear plate 125 are sequentially arranged on the rear side of the storage liner 111 from front to back and are both connected to the cover, defining a downstream section 122 that communicates with the upstream section 121 of the air duct 120.

[0073] The aforementioned storage liner 111 can be located at the bottom of the refrigerator 100, and the storage compartment 112 defined by the storage liner 111 is the cold east compartment. For the embodiment in which the upstream section 121 of the air duct 120 is located below the storage compartment 112, by defining the upstream section 121 of the air duct 120 below the storage compartment 112 in the storage liner 111, the position of the storage compartment 112 is raised, reducing the degree of bending for the user to access items. Moreover, the storage compartment 112 no longer needs to make way for the press bin and can be designed to have a regular shape, which is convenient for storing large-sized and difficult-to-divide items (in the conventional refrigerator 100, the bottom storage compartment 112 needs to make way for the press bin, resulting in an irregular shape of the storage compartment 112, which makes it difficult to store large-sized and difficult-to-divide items. In this embodiment, the upstream section 121 of the air duct 120 located at the bottom can make way for the press bin, and the storage compartment 112 no longer needs to make way). Similar to the patent previously applied for by the applicant of the present application, this type of refrigerator 100 is referred to as a refrigerator 100 with a bottom-mounted evaporator 101, that is, the evaporator 101 is located at the bottom of the box. However, in the previously applied patent, the return air vent 120a is completely open, and its opening cannot be adjusted, and the cover and the frame are separate designs and need to be installed separately. In this embodiment, by adding a cover plate 130 and a drive mechanism to the return air vent 120a, the opening of the return air vent 120a can be adjusted to improve the performance of the refrigerator 100; moreover, since the cover plate 130 is connected to the guide rail 134, the cover can be designed as an integral part of the frame, and the frame can be fixed by fixing the cover during production, which reduces the structural cost and speeds up the production pace.

[0074] like Figure 7 As shown, the refrigerator 100 may also include a door opening and closing detection device 104, an evaporator defrost sensor 105 and a controller 106, wherein the door opening and closing detection device 104 is configured to detect the opening and closing state of the door 103, the evaporator defrost sensor 105 is configured to detect the defrost state of the evaporator 101, and the controller 106 is configured to control the driving mechanism to drive the cover 130 to move to the position of closing the return air outlet 120a when the door opening and closing detection device 104 detects that the door 103 is open or the evaporator defrost sensor 105 detects that the evaporator 101 starts to defrost. In this way, by automatically detecting the opening and closing of the door body 103 and the defrosting status of the evaporator 101, the movement position of the cover 130 can be automatically controlled, thereby realizing the intelligent control of the refrigerator 100 and avoiding the hot air from entering the air duct 120 through the return air port 120a when the door body 103 is opened, thereby increasing the amount of frost on the evaporator 101; in addition, it also avoids the problem that when the evaporator 101 is defrosted, the hot air from entering the storage compartment 112 through the return air port 120a, thereby causing the temperature of the storage compartment 112 to rise, thereby ensuring the freshness of the food in the storage compartment 112.

[0075] The door opening and closing detection device 104 can be a proximity switch disposed on the door 103 or the body of the refrigerator 100. When the door 103 is opened or closed, the proximity switch transmits the door 103 opening and closing status to the controller 106, and the controller 106 performs corresponding control based on the received signal. The evaporator defrost sensor 105 can be a temperature sensor disposed downstream of the evaporator 101. When the amount of frost on the evaporator 101 is large, its heat exchange capacity is reduced. After the return air exchanges heat with the evaporator 101, the temperature does not drop significantly. Based on this, the amount of frost on the evaporator 101 can be determined based on the temperature sensor downstream of the evaporator 101, and then it is determined whether to defrost the evaporator 101.

[0076] The refrigerator 100 may also include a receiver 107, which is configured to receive user setting instructions for the refrigerator 100, and the controller 106 may also be configured to control the driving mechanism to drive the cover 130 to move to a position where the return air outlet 120a is fully opened when the receiver 107 receives a setting instruction that is a quick-freeze instruction, so that the return air area is maximized, the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator 101 is increased, and the cooling of the storage compartment 112 is accelerated.

[0077] The refrigerator 100 may further include a temperature sensor 108 configured to detect the temperature of the storage compartment 112, and the controller 106 may further be configured to control the driving mechanism to drive the cover 130 to move toward a position where the opening of the return air outlet 120a is increased when the difference between the temperature of the storage compartment 112 detected by the temperature sensor 108 and the set temperature is within a first preset temperature difference range, and when the difference between the temperature of the storage compartment 112 detected by the temperature sensor 108 and the set temperature is within a second preset temperature difference range, the controller 106 is configured to control the driving mechanism to drive the cover 130 to move toward a position where the opening of the return air outlet 120a is controlled to be decreased, wherein the temperature difference within the first preset temperature difference range is greater than the temperature difference within the second preset temperature difference range. That is to say, when the temperature difference between the temperature of the storage compartment 112 and the set temperature is large, the return air area is increased to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator 101, so that the storage compartment 112 is quickly cooled to the set temperature; and when the temperature difference between the temperature of the storage compartment 112 and the set temperature is small, the return air area can be reduced to avoid an increase in the amount of frost on the evaporator 101 caused by excessive return air volume, and the defrosting power can be reduced, making the refrigerator 100 more energy-efficient.

[0078] The first preset temperature difference range may be 10°C to 20°C, and the second preset temperature difference range may be 2°C to 4°C. The specific value ranges of the two may be pre-set according to the refrigeration performance of the refrigerator 100, etc.

[0079] like Figure 3 As shown, the cover plate 130 is in a state of completely closing the return air outlet 120a. Figure 5As shown, the cover plate 130 is driven by the driving mechanism to move downward and rearward, revealing part of the return air outlet 120a, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the cover plate 130 is driven by the drive mechanism to move downward and rearward to the extreme position, fully exposing the return air vent 120a. In this embodiment, two guide rails 134 can be provided, one on each lateral side of the storage liner 111. The lateral sides of the cover plate 130 are respectively embedded in the two guide rails 134. The motor 131 can also be provided on the storage liner 111. The cover plate 130 is driven by the drive mechanism to move downward and rearward to increase the opening of the return air vent 120a. The cover plate 130 moves forward and upward to decrease the opening of the return air vent 120a.

[0080] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a control method of the refrigerator 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention also provides a control method for the refrigerator 100, such as Figure 8 As shown, the control method includes:

[0082] S102, detecting the open / closed state of the door 103;

[0083] S104, detecting the defrosting state of the evaporator 101 of the refrigerator 100;

[0084] S106, when the door 103 is opened or the evaporator 101 starts to defrost, the cover 130 of the refrigerator 100 is driven by the driving mechanism to move to a position to close the return air port 120a.

[0085] The open / closed state of the door 103 can be detected by a door opening / closing detection device 104, which can be a proximity switch disposed on the door 103 or the refrigerator body 100. The defrosting state of the evaporator 101 can be detected by an evaporator defrost sensor 105, which can be a temperature sensor 108 disposed downstream of the evaporator 101. When the amount of frost on the evaporator 101 is large, its heat exchange capacity is reduced, and the return air does not significantly decrease in temperature after heat exchange with the evaporator 101. Based on this, the amount of frost on the evaporator 101 can be determined based on the temperature sensor 108 downstream of the evaporator 101, thereby determining whether to defrost the evaporator 101.

[0086] When the door 103 is opened, the cover 130 at the return air vent 120a moves to a position that closes the return air vent 120a, preventing hot air from entering the air duct 120 through the return air vent 120a and increasing the amount of frost on the evaporator 101. In some embodiments, this can also prevent items from falling into the air duct 120 through the return air vent 120a. When the evaporator 101 begins to defrost, the cover 130 moves to a position that closes the return air vent 120a, preventing hot air from entering the storage compartment 112 through the return air vent 120a and causing the temperature of the storage compartment 112 to rise, thereby ensuring the freshness of the food in the storage compartment 112.

[0087] The storage compartment 112 of this embodiment may be a freezer compartment, and the control method further includes:

[0088] Receiving a user's setting instruction for the refrigerator 100;

[0089] When the setting instruction is a quick-freeze instruction, the cover 130 is driven by the driving mechanism to move to a position where the return air port 120a is fully opened. This maximizes the return air area, increases the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator 101, and accelerates the cooling of the storage compartment 112.

[0090] The control method may also include:

[0091] detecting the temperature of the storage compartment 112;

[0092] When the difference between the detected temperature of the storage compartment 112 and the set temperature is within a first preset temperature range, the cover 130 is driven by the driving mechanism to move toward a position where the opening of the return air outlet 120a is increased;

[0093] When the difference between the detected temperature of the storage compartment 112 and the set temperature is within a second preset temperature range, the cover 130 is driven by the driving mechanism to move toward a position where the opening of the return air port 120a is reduced;

[0094] The temperature difference within the first preset temperature difference range is greater than the temperature difference within the second preset temperature difference range.

[0095] The temperature of the storage compartment 112 can be detected by a temperature sensor 108 arranged therein. When the temperature difference between the temperature of the storage compartment 112 and the set temperature is large, the return air area is increased to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator 101, so that the storage compartment 112 is quickly cooled to the set temperature; when the temperature difference between the temperature of the storage compartment 112 and the set temperature is small, the return air area can be reduced to avoid an increase in the amount of frost on the evaporator 101 caused by excessive return air volume, thereby reducing the defrosting power and making the refrigerator 100 more energy-efficient.

[0096] The first preset temperature difference range may be 10°C to 20°C, and the second preset temperature difference range may be 2°C to 4°C. The specific value ranges of the two may be pre-set according to the refrigeration performance of the refrigerator 100, etc.

[0097] At this point, those skilled in the art will recognize that, although a number of exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications consistent with the principles of the present invention may be directly determined or derived from the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and deemed to cover all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising: a storage liner defining a storage compartment therein; an air duct having an evaporator disposed therein and configured to convey a cold air flow cooled by the evaporator into the storage compartment, and the air duct is formed with a return air port communicating with the storage compartment so that the return air from the storage compartment flows into the air duct and is cooled by the evaporator; a cover plate, disposed at the return air vent, and configured to be controllably movable between a position for opening the return air vent and a position for closing the return air vent, so as to adjust the opening of the return air vent; at least one driving mechanism connected to the cover plate and configured to controllably drive the cover plate to move between a position for opening the return air vent and a position for closing the return air vent; A door body is provided at the front opening of the storage liner to open or close the storage compartment; a door opening and closing detection device configured to detect the opening and closing status of the door; an evaporator defrost sensor, configured to detect a defrost state of the evaporator; a controller configured to control the driving mechanism to drive the cover plate to a position closing the return air outlet when the door opening and closing detection device detects that the door is opened or the evaporator defrost sensor detects that the evaporator begins to defrost; The air duct includes an upstream section and a downstream section in sequence on the air flow path; The evaporator is arranged in the upstream section, the return air port is formed in the upstream section, and the downstream section is formed with an air supply port for blowing cold air toward the storage compartment; The refrigerator further includes a blower disposed in the air duct and configured to cause air flow to circulate between the air duct and the storage compartment; The air duct is arranged in the storage liner, with the upstream section located below the storage compartment and the downstream section located behind the storage compartment; The return air port is formed at the front side of the upstream section.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the driving mechanism comprises: A motor, a gear drivingly connected to an output shaft of the motor, a rack meshing with the gear, and a guide rail; The extension direction of the rack and the extension direction of the guide rail are consistent with the movement path of the cover plate; The cover plate is formed with the rack, or the rack is connected to the cover plate, so that under the drive of the motor and the gear, the cover plate is prompted to move along the guide rail between a position for opening the return air outlet and a position for closing the return air outlet.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising: a receiver configured to receive a user's setting instruction for the refrigerator; The storage compartment is a freezer; The controller is further configured to control the driving mechanism to drive the cover to move to a position where the return air outlet is fully opened when the receiver receives that the setting instruction is a quick-freeze instruction.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising: a temperature sensor configured to detect the temperature of the storage compartment; The controller is further configured to control the driving mechanism to drive the cover plate to move toward a position where the return air vent opening is increased when the difference between the temperature of the storage compartment detected by the temperature sensor and the set temperature is within a first preset temperature difference range; The controller is further configured to control the driving mechanism to drive the cover plate to move toward a position where the opening of the return air vent is reduced when the difference between the temperature of the storage compartment detected by the temperature sensor and the set temperature is within a second preset temperature difference range; The temperature difference within the first preset temperature difference range is greater than the temperature difference within the second preset temperature difference range.

5. A method for controlling a refrigerator, wherein: The refrigerator is the refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a door provided at the front opening of the storage liner, and the control method comprises: detecting the open and closed state of the door; detecting a defrost state of an evaporator of the refrigerator; When the door is opened or the evaporator begins to defrost, the cover of the refrigerator is driven by a driving mechanism to move to a position for closing the return air outlet.

6. The control method according to claim 5, wherein the storage compartment of the refrigerator is a freezer compartment, the control method further comprising: receiving a user's setting instruction for the refrigerator; When the setting instruction received is a quick-freezing instruction, the cover is driven by the driving mechanism to move to a position where the return air outlet is fully opened.

7. The control method according to claim 5, further comprising: detecting the temperature of the storage compartment; When the difference between the detected temperature of the storage compartment and the set temperature is within a first preset temperature range, the cover is driven by the driving mechanism to move toward a position for increasing the opening of the return air outlet; When the difference between the detected temperature of the storage compartment and the set temperature is within a second preset temperature range, the cover is driven by the driving mechanism to move to a position where the opening of the return air outlet is reduced; The temperature difference within the first preset temperature difference range is greater than the temperature difference within the second preset temperature difference range.

Images