Refrigerator control method

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigerator control method. The method comprises: when the first evaporator is operating and the second evaporator is not operating, disconnecting the second control valve from the cabinet-side return air pipeline and disconnecting the first control valve from the pipeline between the condensing device and the second evaporator; determining whether the refrigerant used by the first evaporator is insufficient during operation; and if the refrigerant used by the first evaporator is insufficient during operation, opening the second control valve for a first preset time. This prevents frequent refrigerant migration and improves the refrigerator's ice-making efficiency and overall energy efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Currently, there is a strong market demand for implementing an ice-making function on the door. The inventors have discovered that to achieve refrigeration in the refrigerator door space, a common method is to send cold air from the refrigerator body into the door body. However, the disadvantage of this method is that the space inside the door and the space inside the box can carry food odors, causing great trouble to users. There is also a method of sending cold air from the refrigerator box to the ice-making space in the door. In addition to causing the ice made by the door to have the taste of the food inside the refrigerator, it is often necessary to send cold air from the freezer evaporator through a long air duct into the door body (especially the refrigerator door body). The air supply resistance and cold loss are large (the air duct is often buried in the insulation layer of the box body), resulting in low cooling efficiency. For example, when making ice or cooling water on the refrigerator door body, or setting up an independent cooling compartment on the door body, the existing technology (such as LG) often provides cooling to the door body by setting up an air duct connected to an evaporator in the box body. However, the air duct is long and is set in the insulation layer of the box body, which affects the insulation effect of the box body. At the same time, the air duct resistance is large, resulting in low cooling efficiency. There is another technology (such as South Korea's Daewoo), which leads the low-temperature refrigerant of the evaporator in the cabinet directly to the door through a hose. However, the corresponding pipeline needs to be insulated before it is led out of the cabinet and into the door. As a result, the pipeline is very thick and takes up space, which greatly reduces the aesthetics. At the same time, it is difficult to ensure the consistency of the insulation effect of the pipeline in different refrigerators. There is another technology (such as Midea), which uses a flexible capillary tube to lead the refrigerant from the cabinet into the door. However, in order to achieve the throttling effect of the capillary tube on the refrigerator, the inner diameter of the capillary tube should be ≤0.8mm. The flexible capillary tube with this inner diameter is easily deformed when the door is opened and closed, and a slight change in the inner diameter of the capillary tube will cause deviations in the refrigeration performance and poor consistency. In addition, the inner and outer diameter tolerances of flexible tubes within 5mm (outer diameter) are usually ±0.1mm. The capillary tube plays a throttling role in the refrigerator and is an important component among the four major parts of the refrigeration system. Its flow accuracy requirements are extremely high. An inner diameter error of ±0.1mm can lead to huge differences in flow or performance, making it difficult to achieve mass production and poor control consistency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to overcome at least one defect of the existing refrigerator door in making ice, and provides a novel refrigerator in which a throttling device for making ice is arranged on the door body. However, the inventor found that when the storage compartment in the refrigerator does not need cooling capacity but the door body continues to need cooling capacity, since the compressor is still working, the refrigerant in the refrigeration / freezing evaporator will still be sucked into the compressor and enter the ice-making circulation circuit, resulting in an increasing amount of refrigerant in the ice-making circulation circuit, which will cause the system operation to deviate from normal conditions: for example, condensation / frost on the low-pressure connecting hose, or even liquid inhalation by the compressor, etc. Based on this, the present invention proposes a control method for the refrigerator.

[0004] Specifically, the present invention provides a method for controlling a refrigerator, the refrigerator comprising a first control valve and a second control valve, and a first evaporation portion and a second evaporation portion arranged in parallel; the first control valve is configured to control the opening and closing of an inlet of the second evaporation portion; the second control valve is configured to control the opening and closing of an outlet of the second evaporation portion; wherein the method for controlling the refrigerator comprises:

[0005] When the first evaporation part is in operation and the second evaporation part is in operation, the second control valve is in a state of disconnecting the outlet of the second evaporation part, and the first control valve is in a state of disconnecting the inlet of the second evaporation part;

[0006] determining whether the refrigerant used by the first evaporation part is insufficient during operation;

[0007] If the refrigerant used when the first evaporation part is in operation is insufficient, the second control valve is opened and is opened for a first preset time.

[0008] Optionally, the refrigerator control method further includes:

[0009] determining whether the first evaporator uses too much refrigerant during the operation;

[0010] If the refrigerant used in the operation of the first evaporation part is too much, the first control valve is opened and kept open for a second preset time.

[0011] Optionally, determining whether the refrigerant used by the first evaporation part during operation is insufficient or excessive includes:

[0012] Determine the refrigerant superheat at the outlet of the first evaporator. If the refrigerant superheat is greater than a first preset superheat, it is determined that the first evaporator is short of refrigerant when operating. If the refrigerant superheat is less than a second preset superheat or there is no superheat, it is determined that the first evaporator is excessive in refrigerant when operating.

[0013] Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises a condensing device and a first connecting pipe; the inlet of the first connecting pipe and the inlet of the first control valve are both connected to the outlet of the condensing device; the inlet of the first evaporation portion is connected to the outlet of the first connecting pipe;

[0014] The condensing device includes a condenser, and determining whether the refrigerant used in the first evaporation part is insufficient or excessive during operation includes:

[0015] Determine the refrigerant subcooling at a preset position between the outlet of the condenser and the inlet of the first connecting pipe. If the refrigerant subcooling is less than a first preset subcooling, it is determined that the first evaporator is short of refrigerant when operating. If the refrigerant subcooling is greater than a second preset subcooling, it is determined that the first evaporator is over-using refrigerant when operating.

[0016] Optionally, determining the refrigerant subcooling at a preset position between the outlet of the condenser and the inlet of the first connecting pipe includes: obtaining the intermediate refrigerant temperature or the refrigerant temperature at the inlet of the condenser to obtain a first temperature value, and obtaining the refrigerant temperature at the preset position to obtain a second temperature value; calculating the difference between the first temperature value and the second temperature value to obtain the refrigerant subcooling.

[0017] Optionally, the refrigerator control method further includes: obtaining the ambient temperature and / or the refrigerant temperature at the outlet of the condenser, and determining the first preset supercooling degree and the second preset supercooling degree according to the ambient temperature and / or the refrigerant temperature at the outlet of the condenser.

[0018] Optionally, the second evaporator is connected to the inlet of the compressor of the refrigerator through a cabinet side return air pipeline, and the cabinet side return air pipeline includes a heat exchange return air pipe section, and the heat exchange return air pipe section is configured to cool the refrigerant in a preset pipeline between the condensing device and the second evaporator, and the second control valve is arranged on the downstream side or upstream side of the heat exchange return air pipe section.

[0019] Optionally, the refrigerator includes a cabinet, a door, and a refrigeration system, the refrigeration system including a cabinet side portion and a door side portion; the cabinet side portion is mounted on the cabinet, and has the first control valve, the second control valve, and the second evaporation portion; the door side portion is mounted on the door, and has a first throttling device and the first evaporation portion; the inlet of the first evaporation portion is connected to the outlet of the first throttling device;

[0020] The second control valve is arranged in the compressor compartment of the refrigerator, and the second control valve is a solenoid valve or a flow regulating valve.

[0021] Optionally, the first connecting pipe is connected to the outlet of the condensing device through a connecting pipe provided in the refrigerator body, and the condensing device is thermally connected to the connecting pipe to heat at least a portion of the connecting pipe.

[0022] Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises an ice-making device, which is mounted on the door body; the first evaporator is disposed in the door body or in the ice-making device, and is configured to provide cooling to the ice-making device; a first throttling device is disposed between the first evaporator and the first connecting pipe;

[0023] The condensing device further includes a de-condensing pipe and a heating pipe section arranged between the de-condensing pipe and the condenser, and the heating pipe section heats at least a portion of the connecting pipe.

[0024] The refrigerator control method of the present invention features a first throttling device, which is located on the door and can be a capillary tube. This eliminates the problem of flexible capillary tubes, where the temperature may have already dropped by the time the capillary tube enters the door, leading to condensation and cooling loss. This allows the ice-making capillary tube to be made of the most commonly used copper material, which provides high precision and ease of implementation. The first throttling device is located entirely within the door, so the ice-making capillary tube is not subjected to stress or deformation when the door is opened or closed, unaffecting cooling performance. There is no significant variation in the capillary flow rate or performance, making mass production easier and providing consistent control. Furthermore, the first throttling device is located within the door, eliminating the need for insulation on the first connecting pipe, preventing the need for bulky pipes and eliminating cooling loss. The thin pipe facilitates installation, allowing it to enter the door directly from the top of the refrigerator through the door hinge, resulting in an aesthetically pleasing and consistent design. The first evaporator can be directly utilized within the door to make ice, chill water, or supply cooling to the door space.

[0025] Compared to cooling the door through a long air duct, this invention provides better insulation (no ice-making air duct), no duct resistance loss, and high cooling efficiency. Compared to cooling the door through a low-temperature refrigerant, there's no need to insulate the pipes (which would otherwise be thick and take up space, making them difficult to pass through the door hinges), and no cooling loss. The thin pipes can be fed directly from the top of the cabinet through the door hinge, resulting in an aesthetically pleasing and consistent design.

[0026] Furthermore, the inventors also found that although the condensation / frost on the low-pressure connecting hose and even the liquid in the compressor suction can be improved by adding a liquid storage bag at the outlet of the ice-making evaporator, the liquid storage bag needs to be larger in size to accommodate the excess refrigerant. However, compared with the refrigeration evaporator, especially the freezing evaporator, the ice-making evaporator is very small, and the space in the door body is very limited, making it difficult to place a liquid storage bag of sufficient size; when the refrigeration or freezing is cooled again, if the ice-making circuit is also working at the same time, the excess refrigerant stored in the liquid storage bag at the outlet of the ice-making evaporator is difficult to come out again, resulting in a lack of refrigerant in the refrigeration or freezing circulation circuit, a significant reduction in refrigeration efficiency, and slow cooling of the refrigeration or freezing; when the refrigeration or freezing circuit is cooled again, if the ice-making circuit is not working, the excess refrigerant stored in the liquid storage bag at the outlet of the ice-making evaporator can slowly re-enter the refrigeration or freezing circulation circuit, but it will still cause slow cooling of the refrigeration or freezing, and the refrigerant will migrate back and forth repeatedly, which will increase power consumption in vain and not save energy. In the control method of the refrigerator of the present invention, the above-mentioned problem can be solved by adding a second control valve: when refrigerating or freezing, the second control valve is always in an open and connected state, which does not affect the operation of the refrigeration cycle or the freezing cycle; when refrigeration or freezing is not in progress and the ice-making cycle is running, the second control valve can be in a closed state to prevent the refrigerant in the refrigeration or freezing evaporator from migrating to the ice-making cycle; however, if the control method of the present invention detects that there is a lack of refrigerant in the ice-making cycle, the second control valve can be connected for a short time to replenish the refrigerant in the ice-making cycle; further, if it is detected that there is too much refrigerant in the ice-making cycle, the first control valve can be connected, and the second control valve is still closed, so that the refrigerant in the ice-making cycle will migrate to the refrigeration or freezing evaporator through the first control valve.

[0027] Therefore, the refrigerator control method of the present invention can reduce the size and volume of the liquid reservoir, making it easier to place it inside the door, compared to adding a liquid reservoir at the outlet of the ice-making evaporator. Alternatively, the liquid reservoir can be eliminated, eliminating the need to consider how to fit it within the limited space of the door. Furthermore, when the ice-making circuit is operating during the second cooling cycle of a refrigerated or frozen container, refrigeration efficiency is improved, and the cooling rate of the refrigerated or frozen container is increased. Furthermore, when the ice-making circuit is not operating during the second cooling cycle of the refrigerated or frozen container, the cooling rate of the refrigerated or frozen container is increased. This eliminates the need for repeated refrigerant migration, saving energy.

[0028] Furthermore, in the control method of the refrigerator of the present invention, because the connecting pipe on the upstream side of the first connecting pipe is heated by the condensing device, the temperature of the part of the high / low pressure connecting hose exposed to the environment is slightly increased under various working conditions, further reducing the risk of condensation. In particular, to prevent the inlet of the connecting pipe from being suddenly cut off and the compressor from continuing to work, the first connecting pipe, that is, the first hose, will be several degrees Celsius lower than the ambient temperature (about 5°C). There is still a risk of condensation in a high temperature and high humidity environment, which can reduce the risk of condensation on the first connecting pipe. After heating by the condensing device, the temperature at the first connecting pipe is very close to the ambient temperature (the lowest is about 1°C lower than the ambient temperature), and there is almost no risk of condensation. When the door body is refrigerating, such as when making ice, there is no risk of condensation whether the condensing device heats the first connecting pipe or not.

[0029] Furthermore, when the ice-making system is operating, the condensing unit heats the connecting pipe, transferring heat to it. The refrigerant at the connecting pipe's inlet is subcooled, approximately 2-5°C lower than the temperature of the heated portion of the condensing unit. This increases the connecting pipe's temperature, raising the temperature of the first hose. This, in turn, slightly raises the temperature of the second hose (slightly lower than the first hose's temperature because the ice-making capillary pipe transfers heat to the ice-making return pipe, and the return pipe's outlet temperature is lower than the capillary pipe's inlet temperature). This significantly reduces the risk of condensation in the low-pressure connecting hose. Alternatively, the increased temperature of the first connecting pipe can appropriately reduce the heat exchange length between the ice-making capillary pipe and the return pipe without causing condensation in the second hose. This reduced heat exchange length makes it easier to route within the door, as the door's insulation layer has limited space for heat exchange between the capillary pipe and the return pipe.

[0030] 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

[0031] 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:

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic partial structural diagram of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4is a schematic partial structural diagram of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 is a schematic partial structural diagram of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 and Figure 7 They are schematic diagrams of a refrigeration system of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 8 is a schematic flowchart of a method for controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Figure 1 FIG is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 Shown and referenced Figures 2 to 7 An embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a housing 10, a door 20, and a refrigeration system. The housing 10 is provided with storage compartments, such as a first storage compartment, a second storage compartment, and a third storage compartment. The first storage compartment can be a refrigerator, with a storage temperature generally between 2°C and 10°C, preferably between 3°C and 8°C. The second storage compartment can be a freezer, with a temperature generally between -14°C and -22°C. The third storage compartment can be a variable temperature compartment, whose temperature can be adjusted as needed to store appropriate food. The door 20 is configured to open and close the first storage compartment. The refrigerator also includes a second storage compartment door for opening and closing the second storage compartment, and a third storage compartment door for opening and closing the third storage compartment. The second and third storage compartment doors can each serve as drawer end covers. In some alternative embodiments, the storage compartment may contain only the first and second storage compartments.

[0040] The refrigeration system includes a cabinet-side portion, a door-side portion, a first connecting pipe 41, and a second connecting pipe 46. The cabinet-side portion is mounted on the cabinet 10 and includes a compressor 31, a condensing unit, a first control valve 36, a second evaporator, a cabinet-side return air line 38, and a second control valve 40. The inlet of the condensing unit is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor 31. The second evaporator is used to provide cooling for the storage compartment. A throttling device is also provided between the condensing unit and the second evaporator. The first control valve 36 is configured to control the flow of air between the condensing unit and the second evaporator. Specifically, the first control valve 36 is configured to control the flow of air inlet to the second evaporator. The outlet of the second evaporator is connected to the cabinet-side return air line 38. A second control valve 40 is provided on the cabinet-side return air line 38 to control the flow of air inlet to the second evaporator. Specifically, the second control valve 40 is configured to control the flow of air outlet to the second evaporator. The door-side portion is mounted on the door 20 and includes a first throttling device 42 and a first evaporator 43. The inlet of the first evaporator 43 is connected to the outlet of the first throttling device 42. The inlet of the first connecting pipe 41 is connected to the outlet of the condensing device via a connecting pipe 44 disposed within the casing. The other end of the first connecting pipe 41 is connected to the inlet of the first throttling device 42. One end of the second connecting pipe 46 is connected to the outlet of the first evaporator 43, and the outlet of the casing-side return air line 38 and the other end of the second connecting pipe 46 are both connected to the inlet of the compressor. This arrangement enables the first and second evaporators to be arranged in parallel.

[0041] In the refrigerator of the embodiment of the present invention, the first evaporation part 43 can be directly used on the door body 20 to make ice, chill water, or supply cooling to the door body 20 space. Compared with introducing cold air through a longer air duct to supply cooling to the door body 20, the cabinet 10 of the present invention has better insulation (no air supply duct for ice making), no air duct resistance loss, and high cooling efficiency. Compared with introducing low-temperature refrigerant to supply cooling to the door body 20, there is no need to insulate the pipeline (the thick pipe after insulation takes up space), the pipeline is thin, and easy to install. The first throttling device 42 is set on the door body 20, and there will be no flexible capillary solution. The flexible capillary may have cooled down when entering the door body 20, which is easy to cause condensation and loss of cooling capacity. The ice-making capillary can use the most commonly used copper capillary, which has high precision and is easy to implement. The first throttling device 42 is located entirely inside the door body 20. When the door is opened and closed, the ice-making capillary is not subjected to force / deformed, and the cooling performance is not affected. There is no significant difference in capillary flow or performance, which makes mass production easy and the control consistency good.

[0042] In some embodiments of the present invention, the refrigerator further includes an ice-making device 50, which is mounted on the door 20. The first evaporation portion 43 may be an evaporator, disposed within the door 20 or within the ice-making device 50, and configured to provide cooling to the ice-making device 50. In some alternative embodiments, the ice-making device 50 may be replaced by an ice-water-making device. In other alternative embodiments, the door 20 storage space provided on the door 20 may replace the ice-making device 50, that is, the first evaporation portion 43 may be utilized to provide cooling to the door 20 storage space. Of course, the door 20 may be provided with two or three of the ice-making device 50, the ice-water-making device, and the door 20 storage space simultaneously.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first throttling device 42 includes a capillary tube. In some optional embodiments, the first throttling device 42 also includes a throttle valve connected in series with the capillary tube, and the throttle valve is arranged on the downstream side of the capillary tube. Furthermore, the door body 20 has an insulation layer, and the capillary tube of the first throttling device 42 can be arranged in the insulation layer of the door body 20, which can fully utilize the insulation and fixing properties of the insulation layer, so that the refrigerator can have a better refrigeration and ice-making function of the door body 20. The inner diameter of the capillary tube is less than or equal to 0.8 mm. For example, the inner diameter of the capillary tube is between 0.65 mm and 0.75 mm. Preferably, the inner diameter of the capillary tube is about 0.66 mm or 0.70 mm, which can ensure consistency in mass production and prevent bending and deflation.

[0044] In some embodiments of the present invention, a door-side return air pipe 45 is provided between the second connecting pipe 46 and the first evaporation section 43. The door-side return air pipe 45 is thermally connected to the capillary tube. The capillary tube exchanges heat with the door-side return air pipe 45, making full use of the heat generated by the capillary tube during throttling, thereby increasing the temperature of the air flowing out of the door-side return air pipe 45, preventing condensation due to the low temperature of the pipe section of the second connecting pipe 46, and improving the energy efficiency of the refrigerator. Furthermore, the capillary tube and the door-side return air pipe 45 are both made of metal. The capillary tube is arranged in the door-side return air pipe 45, or the capillary tube is in contact with the door-side return air pipe 45. The capillary tube is made of copper, and the door-side return air pipe 45 is made of aluminum or copper, preferably copper. Furthermore, the number of capillary tubes in the first throttling device 42 may be at least two, and at least two capillary tubes are arranged in parallel and are both thermally connected to the door-side return air pipe 45. The two paths simultaneously exchange heat with the door-side return air pipe 45 , which can also reduce the heat exchange length of the door-side return air pipe 45 .

[0045] In the embodiment of the present invention, the flexible capillary solution does not occur: the flexible capillary tube may have cooled down when entering the door body 20, which may easily lead to condensation and loss of cooling capacity. Moreover, since the temperature of the flexible capillary tube is low when entering the door body 20, the temperature of the second connecting pipe 46 is also low when it exits the door body 20, which may also lead to condensation and loss of cooling capacity. In the present invention, the first connecting pipe 41 is higher than the ambient temperature, and there will be no condensation or cooling capacity loss in the exposed part between the door body 20 and the cabinet 10. Due to the sufficient heat exchange between the door-side return air pipe 45 and the capillary tube, the refrigerant in the second connecting pipe 46 is very close to the ambient temperature or even higher than the ambient temperature. There will be no condensation or cooling capacity loss in the exposed part between the door body 20 and the cabinet 10.

[0046] The capillary tube and the door-side return air duct 45 exchange heat within the door 20, and both are made of metal, resulting in high heat exchange efficiency. A length of approximately 1.5 meters (1-2 meters) is sufficient to ensure sufficient heat exchange, allowing the second connecting pipe 46 to be very close to or even higher than the ambient temperature. However, the flexible capillary tube solution uses a non-metallic material (metal materials are flexible and easily break with frequent door openings and closings, and refrigerators are typically required to open and close the door 100,000 times). This results in extremely low heat exchange efficiency with the return air duct, and a very long length (estimated to be 20-100 meters) is required to ensure sufficient heat exchange. In the flexible capillary tube solution, heat exchange occurs only at the door hinge, resulting in the flexible capillary tube having essentially no heat exchange function. Currently, the insulation layer of the main body (middle area) of the door 20 with an ice-making function is very thin (30-35 mm), with only a slightly thicker insulation layer (approximately 80 mm) on the sides (the two sides, viewed from above, are within 10 cm on each side). To take a step back, even in the flexible capillary solution, the flexible capillary part can be extended from the door axis into the door body 20, rather than the heat exchange between non-metallic materials, in order to achieve a return air duct output close to the ambient temperature, the heat exchange length will be much longer than 2 meters, or even 20 meters. The heat exchange part of the flexible capillary tube and the return air duct needs to be placed in a thick insulation layer (if placed in a thin place, it may cause condensation on the outer shell of the door body 20 and cold leakage). The space is limited and it is difficult to achieve a heat exchange length of more than 2 meters. Unless the door is made thicker, the volume of the refrigerator will be increased in vain, and the door will be bloated, which is difficult for users to accept. When opening and closing the door, the contact between the flexible capillary tube and the flexible suction tube will loosen before and after entering the door axis and hinge, affecting the heat exchange effect and refrigeration performance. The heat exchange of the capillary tube in the embodiment of the present invention has nothing to do with opening and closing the door.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present invention, the inlet of the first connecting pipe 41 and the inlet of the throttling device are controlledly connected to the outlet of the condensing device via the first control valve 36. Furthermore, the throttling device includes a second throttling device 331 and a third throttling device 332. The inlet of the first connecting pipe, the inlet of the second throttling device 331, and the inlet of the third throttling device 332 are respectively connected to the three outlets of the first control valve 36. The second evaporation section 34 includes a second evaporator 341 for providing cooling to the first storage compartment and a third evaporator 342 for providing cooling to at least the second storage compartment. The inlet of the second evaporator 341 is connected to the outlet of the second throttling device 331, and the outlets of the second evaporator 341 and the third throttling device 332 are both connected to the inlet of the third evaporator 342. The outlet of the third evaporator 342 is connected to the inlet of the cabinet-side return air line 38. The second throttling device 331 and the third throttling device 332 are both capillary tubes. The box-side return air pipeline 38 can perform heat exchange with the second throttling device 331 and / or the third throttling device 332 .

[0048] The first control valve 36 includes a solenoid valve and a switching valve. The inlets of the solenoid valve and the switching valve are both connected to the outlet of the condensing unit, and the outlet of the solenoid valve is connected to the first connecting pipe 41. The switching valve can be a one-inlet, two-outlet electric switching valve, with the inlets of the second throttling device 331 and the third throttling device 332 connected to the two outlets of the switching valve, respectively. Alternatively, the first control valve 36 is a one-inlet, three-outlet electric switching valve.

[0049] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first connecting pipe 41 is a first hose, and the second connecting pipe 46 is a second hose. The hose is provided to facilitate the opening and closing of the door body 20. The first hose can be called a high-pressure hose, a pressure-resistant hose, etc., and the second hose can be called a low-pressure hose. Furthermore, the door body 20 is rotatably mounted on the box body 10 by a hinge, and the hinge can be set at the upper end of the door body 20. The lower end of the door body 20 can be mounted on the box body 10 by another hinge. The hinge includes a hinge hole and a hinge shaft 11 inserted into the hinge hole, and one of the hinge shaft 11 and the hinge hole is mounted on the box body 10, and the other is mounted on the door body 20. The hinge shaft 11 has a connecting hole that passes through it in its axial direction. For example, the hinge shaft 11 is set on the box body 10 through a horizontal mounting plate, and the door body 20 is provided with a hinge hole. Both the first hose and the second hose pass through the connecting hole. There's no need for pipe insulation (thick pipes take up space and are difficult to pass through the door hinge), and there's no cooling loss. The thin pipes can be directly fed from the top of the refrigerator body 10 through the door 20's hinge, creating an aesthetically pleasing and consistent fit. The first and second hoses install without interfering with the rotation of the door 20, nor affecting the refrigerator's overall appearance. The structural changes at the first and second hoses are minimal, preventing blockages or sudden changes in the pipes and virtually no impact on refrigerator performance.

[0050] The first hose is a pressure-resistant hose, also known as a high-pressure hose. It is made of nylon, Teflon, PTFE, or PFA, preferably Teflon. The outer diameter of the first hose is less than or equal to 8 mm, and the inner diameter is less than or equal to 6 mm. Preferably, the outer diameter of the first hose is less than or equal to 6 mm, and the inner diameter is less than or equal to 4 mm. For example, the outer diameter of the first hose is less than or equal to 4.5 mm, and the inner diameter is less than or equal to 2.5 mm. Preferably, the outer diameter of the first hose is 4 mm, and the inner diameter is 2 mm. It should be noted that the above diameters do not include the connection areas at the two ends of the first hose to the connectors; flaring may be required at these locations. The temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the first hose remains essentially unchanged, and the first hose does not need to exchange heat with the second hose, facilitating installation and manufacturing. The second hose can be referred to as a low-pressure hose. The first hose has an appropriate inner diameter to ensure smooth refrigerant flow and high cooling efficiency. The first hose has an appropriate outer diameter, which enables the first hose to have an appropriate wall thickness, thereby having appropriate deformation capability and deformation recovery capability, and having sufficient and appropriate pressure resistance.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present invention, the inventors discovered that, after installing the first evaporator 43 in the door 20, the second connecting pipe 46, exposed between the door 20 and the housing 10, is prone to condensation, especially when the compressor 31 restarts after the third evaporator 342 for the freezer compartment is defrosted. This phenomenon occurs because, when the third evaporator 342 defrosts, the refrigerant pressure and temperature in the third evaporator 342 gradually increase due to the electric heating of the freezer compartment defrost, causing the refrigerant to migrate into the second connecting pipe 46 and the first evaporator 43. This increases the amount of refrigerant stored in these two areas. When the defrost is complete and the compressor 31 restarts, the low-pressure connecting hose at the hinge axis and the top of the housing 10 (which is exposed to ambient air) is at a lower temperature, leading to condensation. To address this issue, a third control valve 48 is installed downstream of the second connecting pipe 46 to prevent the refrigerant from flowing toward the first evaporator 43. The third control valve 48 is preferably a one-way valve. Furthermore, the second connecting pipe 46 is connected to the air intake of the compressor via a pipeline provided on the housing 10, and a third control valve 48 is provided on the pipeline on the downstream side of the second connecting pipe 46. This prevents the refrigerant on the side of the housing from migrating to the first evaporator 43, preventing an increase in the amount of refrigerant stored in the second connecting pipe 46 and the first evaporator 43. This prevents the second connecting pipe 46 from being at a low temperature at the hinge axis and at the top of the housing 10 (which is exposed to ambient air) when the compressor 31 is turned on again, thereby preventing condensation. The provision of the third control valve 48 prevents condensation or frosting on the second connecting pipe 46 when the compressor is just turned on, especially preventing condensation or frosting on the second hose when the refrigeration is just turned on.

[0052] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 7 As shown, the condensing device is thermally connected to the connecting pipe 44 located upstream of the refrigerant flow of the first connecting pipe 41 to heat at least a portion of the connecting pipe 44. For example, the condensing device includes a heating pipe section 323, which is thermally connected to the connecting pipe 44 and forms a section of the condensing device's pipeline. Furthermore, for example, the condensing device includes a condenser 321 and a dew removal pipe 322 connected in series, and a heating pipe section 323 disposed between the dew removal pipe 322 and the condenser 321. For example, the condensing device includes a condenser 321, an internal condenser, and a dew removal pipe 322 connected in series. The condenser 321 can be an air-cooled condenser, disposed within the compressor 31 compartment. The internal condenser is disposed inside the housing and utilizes the housing for heat dissipation. The heating pipe section 323 can be disposed between the dew removal pipe 322 and the internal condenser, or between the condenser 321 and the internal condenser. For another example, both sides of the heating pipe section 323 are part of the condenser 321 or both sides of the heating pipe section 323 are part of a built-in condenser. In some optional embodiments, the condensing device only includes the condenser 321.

[0053] The temperature of the refrigerant at the outlet of the heating pipe section 323 is higher than the temperature of the refrigerant at the inlet of the connecting pipe 44. For example, along the direction of refrigerant flow, the outlet of the heating pipe section 323 may be upstream of the inlet of the connecting pipe 44. Alternatively, the refrigerant in the heating pipe section 323 may be a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant.

[0054] In the refrigerator of the embodiment of the present invention, because the connecting pipe 44 is heated by the condensing device, the temperature of the part of the high / low pressure connecting hose exposed to the environment is slightly increased under various working conditions, further reducing the risk of condensation. In particular, when the inlet of the connecting pipe 44 is prevented from being suddenly cut off while the compressor 31 continues to work, the first connecting pipe 41 will be several degrees Celsius lower than the ambient temperature (about 5°C). There is still a risk of condensation in a high temperature and high humidity environment, which can reduce the risk of condensation on the first connecting pipe 41. After heating by the condensing device, the temperature at the first hose is very close to the ambient temperature (the lowest is about 1°C lower than the ambient temperature), and there is almost no risk of condensation. When the door body 20 is in refrigeration operation, such as when making ice, there is no risk of condensation whether the condensing device is heated or not.

[0055] Specifically, when the ice-making system is operating, the condensing device heats the connecting pipe 44, transferring heat to it. Because the refrigerant at the inlet of the connecting pipe 44 is subcooled, it is approximately 2-5°C cooler than the temperature of the heated portion of the condensing device. This causes the temperature of the connecting pipe 44 to rise, raising the temperature of the first hose. This, in turn, slightly raises the temperature of the second hose (slightly lower than the first hose temperature because the ice-making capillary tube transfers heat to the ice-making return pipe, and the ice-making return pipe outlet temperature is lower than the ice-making capillary tube inlet temperature). This significantly reduces the risk of condensation in the low-pressure connecting hose. Alternatively, because the temperature of the first hose is increased, the heat exchange length between the ice-making capillary tube and the ice-making return pipe can be appropriately reduced without causing condensation in the second hose. This reduced heat exchange length makes it easier to route the ice-making capillary tube within the door 20, as the door 20 has limited space for heat exchange between the ice-making capillary tube and the ice-making return pipe due to the limited insulation layer. The door-side air return pipe 45 is the aforementioned ice-making air return pipe, and the capillary tube of the first throttling device 42 is the aforementioned ice-making capillary tube.

[0056] When the ice-making circuit is not operating, that is, the first evaporator 43 is not operating, and the first connecting pipe 41 is just cut off, this section of the first connecting pipe 41 is connected to the low-pressure part of the system through the first throttling device 42. Especially when the first connecting pipe 41 is just cut off and the compressor 31 is still operating (refrigeration or freezing is still cooling), the refrigerant in the first connecting pipe 41 section will still enter the first evaporator 43 (low-pressure part) through the first throttling device 42, causing the refrigerant in the first connecting pipe 41 to evaporate and cool down, becoming several degrees Celsius lower than the ambient temperature (approximately 5°C), and there is still a risk of condensation in high temperature and high humidity environments. However, after the heating pipe section 323 of the condensing device is added and heat is exchanged with the connecting pipe 44, in this case, the temperature of the first hose section is very close to the ambient temperature (the lowest is about 1°C lower than the ambient temperature), and the risk of condensation is almost eliminated.

[0057] In particular, due to the presence of the second control valve 40. That is, a second control valve 40 is provided on the cabinet side return air pipeline 38 to prevent the refrigerant in the second evaporator 34 from flowing to the compressor 31. The second control valve 40 may be a solenoid valve or a flow regulating valve. The second control valve 40 may be provided on the upstream side or downstream side of the heat exchange return air section of the cabinet side return air pipeline 38, preferably on the downstream side. The heat exchange return air section is configured to cool the refrigerant in the preset pipeline between the condensing device and the second evaporator, specifically, it may perform heat exchange with the throttling component. Further, the second control valve 40 may be provided in the compressor 31 compartment of the cabinet 10. A first liquid storage bag 35 may also be provided at the outlet of the second evaporator 34, that is, a first liquid storage bag 35 is provided at the outlet of the third evaporator 342, that is, the first liquid storage bag 35 is located between the cabinet side return air pipeline 38 and the third evaporator 342.

[0058] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first evaporator 43 may include an ice-making unit and a temperature-maintaining unit. The ice-making unit may be in contact with an ice box for making ice, and the temperature-maintaining unit may have fins, allowing forced circulation from the ice-making chamber fan to the ice-making chamber to supply cold air to maintain the compartment temperature. For example, the two upper copper tubes of the first evaporator 43 may be in contact with the ice box for making ice, while the two lower copper tubes of the first evaporator 43 may be finned and require forced circulation from the ice-making chamber fan to supply cold air to the ice-making chamber to maintain the compartment temperature. In some embodiments of the present invention, a first filter-dryer 37 may be provided on the outlet pipe of the condensing device, and a second filter-dryer 47 may be provided between the first connecting pipe 41 and the first throttling device 42.

[0059] In the embodiment of the present invention, the inventors discovered that when the refrigerator / freezer reaches the appropriate temperature and no refrigeration is required, and the ice-making circuit needs refrigeration, since the compressor 31 is still working, the refrigerant in the refrigerator / freezer evaporator (i.e., the second evaporator 341 and the third evaporator 342) will still be sucked into the compressor 31 and enter the ice-making circulation circuit (i.e., the side portion of the door body), resulting in an increasing amount of refrigerant in the ice-making circulation circuit, which will cause the refrigeration system to deviate from normal operation: such as condensation / frost on the second hose, or even liquid inhalation by the compressor 31. Although this can be improved by adding a second liquid storage bag 44 to the outlet of the ice-making evaporator (i.e., the first evaporation part 43), the second liquid storage bag 44 needs to be larger in size to accommodate the excess refrigerant (relative to the refrigerator evaporator, especially the freezer evaporator, the first evaporation part is very small), and the space inside the door body 20 is very limited, making it difficult to accommodate a second liquid storage bag 44 of sufficient size. When the refrigerator or freezer is cooled again, if the ice-making circuit is also operating at the same time, the excess refrigerant stored in the second liquid reservoir 44 at the outlet of the first evaporator will have difficulty in flowing out, resulting in a lack of refrigerant in the refrigerator or freezer circuit, significantly reducing refrigeration efficiency and slowing down the refrigerator or freezer. When the refrigerator or freezer circuit is cooled again, if the ice-making circuit is not operating, the excess refrigerant stored in the second liquid reservoir 44 at the outlet of the first evaporator can slowly re-enter the refrigerator or freezer circuit, but this will still cause slow cooling of the refrigerator or freezer, and the refrigerant will repeatedly migrate back and forth, which will increase power consumption in vain and not save energy.

[0060] However, the present application sets a second control valve 40, such as a solenoid valve, on the return air line 38 on the cabinet side. When refrigeration or freezing is in progress, the solenoid valve is always in an open and connected state, which does not affect the operation of the refrigeration cycle or the freezing cycle; when refrigeration or freezing is not in progress and the ice-making cycle is running, the solenoid valve is in a closed state to prevent the refrigerant in the refrigeration or freezing evaporator from migrating to the ice-making cycle; when the compressor 31 is stopped, the solenoid valve is in an on state.

[0061] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a schematic flow chart of a method for controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8As shown, in order to better provide refrigeration, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a refrigerator control method, which specifically includes:

[0062] When the first evaporator 43 is working and the second evaporator is not working, the second control valve 40 is in a state of disconnecting the return air pipeline on the cabinet side, and the first control valve 36 is in a state of disconnecting the pipeline between the condensing device and the second evaporator, so as to hinder the migration of the refrigerant in the ice making cycle and the cabinet refrigeration cycle.

[0063] Determine whether the refrigerant used by the first evaporator 43 is insufficient during operation. If the refrigerant used by the first evaporator 43 is insufficient during operation, open the second control valve 40 for a first preset time. This ensures that the ice-making cycle has sufficient refrigerant, thereby improving ice-making efficiency.

[0064] Furthermore, the refrigerator control method may further include determining whether the first evaporator 43 uses an excessive amount of refrigerant during operation; if so, opening the first control valve 36 for a second predetermined time. This ensures an appropriate amount of refrigerant for the ice-making cycle, thereby improving energy efficiency.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present invention, determining whether the first evaporator 43 is operating with a refrigerant shortage or excess includes determining the refrigerant superheat at the outlet of the first evaporator 43. If the refrigerant superheat is greater than a first predetermined superheat, determining that the first evaporator 43 is operating with a refrigerant shortage; and if the refrigerant superheat is less than a second predetermined superheat or there is no superheat, determining that the first evaporator 43 is operating with an excess of refrigerant. Furthermore, the refrigerant superheat can be determined based on a temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 43.

[0066] In other embodiments of the present invention, determining whether the refrigerant used by the first evaporator 43 during operation is insufficient or excessive includes: determining a degree of subcooling of the refrigerant at a predetermined position between the outlet of the condenser 321 and the inlet of the first connecting pipe 41; if the degree of subcooling is less than a first predetermined degree, determining that the refrigerant used by the first evaporator 43 during operation is insufficient; and if the degree of subcooling is greater than a second predetermined degree, determining that the refrigerant used by the first evaporator 43 during operation is excessive. The condenser 321 is preferably an air-cooled condenser of the refrigerator.

[0067] In some further embodiments of the present invention, determining the refrigerant subcooling at a preset location between the outlet of the condenser 321 and the inlet of the first connecting pipe 41 includes: obtaining the intermediate refrigerant temperature or the refrigerant temperature at the inlet of the condenser 321 to obtain a first temperature value, obtaining the refrigerant temperature at the preset location to obtain a second temperature value; and calculating the difference between the first temperature value and the second temperature value to obtain the refrigerant subcooling. Preferably, the refrigerator control method further includes obtaining the ambient temperature and / or the refrigerant temperature at the outlet of the condenser 321, and determining the first and second preset subcooling degrees based on the ambient temperature and / or the refrigerant temperature at the outlet of the condenser 321. Specifically, the determination can be made using a table of temperatures and preset subcooling degrees. By adding the ambient temperature or condensing temperature to a comprehensive determination, the accuracy of the determination is improved, thereby achieving the best possible energy efficiency. The preset location may include the outlet of the condenser 321 and the inlet of the first connecting pipe 41, preferably the outlet of the condenser 321.

[0068] In this application, those skilled in the art should recognize that the term "hose" used refers to a flexible tube that has a certain degree of deformation and recovery ability when subjected to external forces, so as to ensure that the entire tube can adaptively undergo elastic deformation (such as a certain degree of twisting) when the door body rotates, and will not substantially change the cross-sectional area of the fluid flowing in the tube. The first hose is a pressure-resistant hose, which is a hose that can withstand a pressure provided by the fluid inside it that is greater than a first preset pressure value, and the second hose is a hose that can withstand a pressure provided by the fluid inside it that is greater than a second preset pressure value. The first preset pressure value may be greater than the second preset pressure value. For different refrigerants used in the refrigeration system, the first preset pressure values corresponding to different refrigerants may be different, and the second preset pressure values corresponding to different refrigerants may also be different; for example, for R600a refrigerant, the first preset pressure value may be 2MPa, and the second preset pressure value may be 1.5MPa. Since the pressure generated by the refrigerant in the first hose is greater than the pressure generated in the second hose, the first hose may also be called a high-pressure hose, and the second hose may also be called a low-pressure hose.

[0069] 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 control method, characterized in that: The refrigerator includes a first control valve and a second control valve, and a first evaporation portion and a second evaporation portion arranged in parallel; the first control valve is configured to control the opening and closing of an inlet of the second evaporation portion; the second control valve is configured to control the opening and closing of an outlet of the second evaporation portion; wherein a control method of the refrigerator includes: When the first evaporation part is in operation and the second evaporation part is in operation, the second control valve is in a state of disconnecting the outlet of the second evaporation part, and the first control valve is in a state of disconnecting the inlet of the second evaporation part; determining whether the refrigerant used by the first evaporation part is insufficient during operation; If the refrigerant used by the first evaporator is insufficient, the second control valve is opened for a first preset time; The refrigerator control method further includes: determining whether the first evaporator uses too much refrigerant during the operation; If the first evaporator uses too much refrigerant during operation, the first control valve is opened for a second preset time; The refrigerator further includes a condensing device and a first connecting pipe; the inlet of the first connecting pipe and the inlet of the first control valve are both connected to the outlet of the condensing device; the inlet of the first evaporation part is connected to the outlet of the first connecting pipe; The condensing device includes a condenser, and determining whether the refrigerant used in the first evaporation part is insufficient or excessive during operation includes: Determine the refrigerant subcooling at a preset position between the outlet of the condenser and the inlet of the first connecting pipe. If the refrigerant subcooling is less than a first preset subcooling, it is determined that the first evaporator is short of refrigerant when operating. If the refrigerant subcooling is greater than a second preset subcooling, it is determined that the first evaporator is over-using refrigerant when operating.

2. The refrigerator control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Determining whether the refrigerant used in the first evaporation part is insufficient or excessive during operation includes: Determine the refrigerant superheat at the outlet of the first evaporator. If the refrigerant superheat is greater than a first preset superheat, it is determined that the first evaporator is short of refrigerant when operating. If the refrigerant superheat is less than a second preset superheat or there is no superheat, it is determined that the first evaporator is excessive in refrigerant when operating.

3. The refrigerator control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Determining the refrigerant subcooling at a preset position between the outlet of the condenser and the inlet of the first connecting pipe includes: obtaining the intermediate refrigerant temperature or the refrigerant temperature at the inlet of the condenser to obtain a first temperature value, and obtaining the refrigerant temperature at the preset position to obtain a second temperature value; calculating the difference between the first temperature value and the second temperature value to obtain the refrigerant subcooling.

4. The refrigerator control method according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: The ambient temperature and / or the refrigerant temperature at the outlet of the condenser are obtained, and the first preset subcooling degree and the second preset subcooling degree are determined according to the ambient temperature and / or the refrigerant temperature at the outlet of the condenser.

5. The refrigerator control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second evaporation part is connected to the inlet of the compressor of the refrigerator through the cabinet side return air pipeline, and the cabinet side return air pipeline includes a heat exchange return air pipe section, and the heat exchange return air pipe section is configured to cool the refrigerant in the preset pipeline between the condensing device and the second evaporation part, and the second control valve is arranged on the downstream side or upstream side of the heat exchange return air pipe section.

6. The refrigerator control method according to claim 1, wherein: The refrigerator includes a cabinet, a door, and a refrigeration system, wherein the refrigeration system includes a cabinet side portion and a door side portion; the cabinet side portion is mounted on the cabinet, and has the first control valve, the second control valve, and the second evaporation portion; the door side portion is mounted on the door, and has a first throttling device and the first evaporation portion; the inlet of the first evaporation portion is connected to the outlet of the first throttling device; The second control valve is arranged in the compressor compartment of the refrigerator, and the second control valve is a solenoid valve or a flow regulating valve.

7. The refrigerator control method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first connecting pipe is connected to the outlet of the condensing device through a connecting pipe arranged in the box body of the refrigerator, and the condensing device is thermally connected to the connecting pipe to heat at least a part of the connecting pipe.

8. The refrigerator control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The refrigerator further includes an ice-making device, which is installed in the door body; the first evaporator is arranged in the door body or in the ice-making device, and is configured to provide cooling to the ice-making device; The condensing device further includes a de-condensing pipe and a heating pipe section arranged between the de-condensing pipe and the condenser, and the heating pipe section heats at least a portion of the connecting pipe.

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