Thermostatic control method and refrigerator

Abstract

This application relates to the field of home appliances, and more particularly to a constant temperature control method and a refrigerator. The constant temperature control method includes: acquiring the ice-making status of the refrigerator; when the refrigerator is in a non-ice-making state, acquiring the temperature of the ice-making compartment; if the ice-making compartment temperature is higher than a first ice-making compartment temperature threshold, periodically starting the compressor to cool the compartment and keep the temperature within a preset range. This method, by forcibly starting the compressor and cooling the ice-making compartment for a predetermined time when the refrigerator is not in ice-making mode, ensures that the ice-making compartment receives a regular supply of cold air, thereby preventing the prepared ice from melting due to prolonged lack of cold air and improving the reliability of the refrigerator's ice-making process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of home appliances, and more particularly to a constant temperature control method and a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] In the refrigerator industry, refrigerators equipped with ice makers in the freezer compartment have become increasingly popular with consumers as the market has expanded, and the number and variety of such refrigerators on the market are increasing significantly.

[0003] Currently, ice-making methods are generally divided into air-cooled and direct-cooled types. Direct-cooled ice makers use a piping system to allow the refrigerator to enter the ice maker and turn water in the ice tray into ice cubes, while air-cooled refrigerators use cold air blown into the ice maker to make ice. For ice makers in the refrigerator compartment, the refrigerator compartment temperature is typically between 2 and 6°C, while the ice-making temperature in the ice maker must be kept below -2°C.

[0004] In the above scheme, when the ice maker is not making ice, it passively adjusts its temperature by relying solely on the cold air input from the freezer compartment. When storing ice, the freezer compartment may not need to be cooled for a long time, causing the ice maker compartment to not receive cold air input, resulting in excessively high temperatures and melting of the ice, thus reducing the reliability of the refrigerator's ice-making function. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Based on the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides a constant temperature control method to avoid the melting of prepared ice blocks due to prolonged lack of cold air input, thereby improving the reliability of ice making in refrigerators.

[0006] Other features and advantages of this application will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part from practice of this application.

[0007] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a constant temperature control method is provided, comprising:

[0008] Get the ice-making status of the refrigerator;

[0009] When the refrigerator is not in an ice-making state, the temperature of the ice-making compartment inside the ice-making compartment is obtained;

[0010] If the temperature of the ice-making chamber is higher than the first ice-making chamber temperature threshold, the compressor is periodically started to cool the ice-making chamber so that the temperature of the ice-making chamber is within the preset range.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, based on the above technical solutions, after periodically starting the compressor for refrigeration, the method further includes:

[0012] Stop the refrigeration operation of the compressor;

[0013] Obtain the downtime of the compressor;

[0014] If the downtime exceeds the downtime threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is higher than the second ice-making chamber temperature threshold, the compressor is restarted for refrigeration, wherein the second ice-making chamber temperature threshold is lower than the first ice-making chamber temperature threshold.

[0015] In some embodiments of this application, based on the above technical solutions, the periodic activation of the compressor for refrigeration to keep the temperature of the ice-making chamber within a preset range includes:

[0016] Obtain the ice storage volume inside the ice-making chamber;

[0017] If the ice storage volume exceeds the storage threshold, the compressor will be activated periodically for refrigeration.

[0018] In some embodiments of this application, after determining that the refrigerator is not in ice-making mode based on the above technical solutions, the method further includes:

[0019] Obtain the ambient temperature within the environment where the refrigerator is located;

[0020] Based on the ambient temperature, the ice-making chamber temperature, and the compressor's operating status, the refrigeration circuit control device is controlled to be in a first state or a second state to adjust the temperature inside the ice-making chamber. The first state is used to provide cooling to the ice-making chamber, and the second state is used to stop providing cooling to the ice-making chamber.

[0021] In some embodiments of this application, based on the above technical solutions, controlling the refrigeration circuit control device to be in a first state or a second state according to the ambient temperature, the ice-making chamber temperature, and the compressor's operating state includes:

[0022] If the ambient temperature is less than or equal to the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is less than or equal to the second ice-making chamber temperature threshold, determine the operating status of the compressor;

[0023] If it is determined that the compressor is performing a refrigeration operation, the refrigeration circuit control device is switched to the second state.

[0024] In some embodiments of this application, based on the above technical solutions, controlling the refrigeration circuit control device to be in a first state or a second state according to the ambient temperature, the ice-making chamber temperature, and the compressor's operating state includes:

[0025] If the ambient temperature is greater than the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is less than or equal to the third ice-making chamber temperature threshold, the operating state of the compressor is determined, wherein the third ice-making chamber temperature threshold is lower than the first ice-making chamber temperature threshold.

[0026] If it is determined that the compressor is performing a refrigeration operation, the refrigeration circuit control device is switched to the second state.

[0027] In some embodiments of this application, based on the above technical solutions, controlling the refrigeration circuit control device to be in a first state or a second state according to the ambient temperature, the ice-making chamber temperature, and the compressor's operating state includes:

[0028] If the ambient temperature is less than or equal to the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is greater than or equal to the first ice-making chamber temperature threshold, determine the operating status of the compressor;

[0029] If it is determined that the compressor is performing a refrigeration operation, the refrigeration circuit control device is switched to the first state.

[0030] In some embodiments of this application, based on the above technical solutions, controlling the refrigeration circuit control device to be in a first state or a second state according to the ambient temperature, the ice-making chamber temperature, and the compressor's operating state includes:

[0031] If the ambient temperature is greater than the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is greater than or equal to the second ice-making chamber temperature threshold, determine the operating status of the compressor;

[0032] If it is determined that the compressor is performing a refrigeration operation, the refrigeration circuit control device is switched to the first state.

[0033] In some embodiments of this application, based on the above technical solutions, the method further includes:

[0034] If the compressor is not performing a cooling operation, then the compressor is started to perform a cooling operation and the cooling circuit control device is switched to the first state.

[0035] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a refrigerator is provided, including...

[0036] Refrigerator;

[0037] An ice-making chamber is located within the refrigeration chamber;

[0038] A refrigeration circuit control device is used to control the refrigeration of the ice-making chamber;

[0039] Controller; and

[0040] Memory for storing the executable instructions of the processor;

[0041] The processor is configured to execute the constant temperature control method described in any of the above technical solutions by executing the executable instructions.

[0042] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a constant temperature control device is provided, the constant temperature control including: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to execute the constant temperature control method as described above by executing the executable instructions.

[0043] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored, which, when executed by a processor, implements the constant temperature control method as described above.

[0044] In the embodiments of this application, by forcibly starting the compressor and cooling the ice-making chamber within a predetermined time when the ice-making mode is not in use, the ice-making chamber can receive cold air regularly, thereby avoiding the melting of the prepared ice due to a long period of lack of cold air input and improving the reliability of the refrigerator's ice-making function.

[0045] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0046] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort. In the drawings:

[0047] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the refrigerator structure in the technical solution of this application is shown.

[0048] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigeration system structure in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the temperature effect of the ice-making chamber on the cold storage chamber.

[0050] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the constant temperature control method in the embodiments of this application;

[0051] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the constant temperature control device in the embodiments of this application;

[0052] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a computer system suitable for implementing the electronic device of the present application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0053] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided to make this application more comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0054] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the following description to give a thorough understanding of embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this application can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, apparatuses, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known methods, apparatuses, implementations, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this application.

[0055] The block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are merely functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, these functional entities can be implemented in software, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0056] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the refrigerator structure in this application is shown. (Ref.) Figure 1 In embodiments of this application, the refrigerator has an approximately cuboid shape. The refrigerator's appearance is defined by its body and multiple doors. The refrigerator body has an opening, and the multiple doors are pivotally mounted at the opening and can be selectively opened or closed. The body is divided into multiple compartments, including a freezer compartment 110 and a refrigerator compartment 120. The specific division method may vary. Figure 1 The diagram schematically illustrates one possible division. An ice-making chamber 130 is located within a refrigerator compartment 120. In this embodiment, the ice-making chamber is positioned in the upper left corner of the refrigerator compartment; however, this is merely an example, and the location of the ice-making chamber may vary depending on the specific implementation.

[0057] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigeration system structure in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 2As shown, this embodiment will use a direct-cooling refrigerator as an example. The refrigeration system consists of two refrigeration circuits, each consisting of its own circuit branches and a common circuit shared by both circuits. Each refrigeration circuit has corresponding refrigeration equipment and common equipment. Specifically, the common circuit of the refrigeration system has a compressor and a condenser connected to the compressor. The condenser's output pipe branches into an ice-making branch and a freezing branch. The refrigeration circuit control device is used to control the refrigerant to flow into the corresponding branch. In a direct-cooling refrigerator, the refrigeration circuit control device can be implemented using a solenoid valve. The freezing circuit leads to the freezer compartment and is equipped with a freezing capillary tube and a freezing evaporator to provide cooling to the freezer compartment. The ice-making circuit is equipped with an ice-making capillary tube and an ice maker to provide cooling to the ice-making compartment. The ice maker is located in the ice-making compartment of the refrigerator compartment. It is understood that the above-described refrigeration system is only used to exemplarily show the equipment on the refrigerant flow pipeline circuit, and not all devices in the refrigeration system are shown. In actual implementation, the refrigerator is also equipped with electronic devices such as controllers and temperature sensors, or other refrigeration equipment not shown on the refrigeration circuit, such as fans.

[0058] The refrigerator also contains a controller, which is electrically connected to the compressor, solenoid valve, and sensors to control the refrigerator's cooling and ice-making operations.

[0059] It should be understood that, although Figure 2 The refrigerator shown is a direct-cooling refrigerator as an example; however, the refrigerator mentioned in this application can specifically be a direct-cooling refrigerator or a frost-free refrigerator. In the following description, a direct-cooling refrigerator will be used as an example; however, this is not a limitation of this application. For frost-free refrigerators, the refrigeration circuit, solenoid valve, and other devices can be replaced by other cooling devices such as correspondingly configured air ducts, dampers, and fans.

[0060] for Figure 1 and Figure 2 The refrigerator and refrigeration system are shown. The ice maker is located in the refrigerator compartment for easy access. After the ice maker in the ice maker has finished making ice, the ice maker typically stores a large amount of ice. To prevent the ice from melting, the temperature inside the ice maker needs to be maintained within a suitable range. However, the temperature in the refrigerator compartment is usually higher than the freezing point of water. Therefore, the temperature in the ice maker is usually lower than the temperature in the refrigerator compartment. This temperature difference between the ice maker and the refrigerator compartment often causes cold air from the ice maker to leak into the refrigerator compartment. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 3 , Figure 3This diagram illustrates the temperature impact of the ice maker on the refrigerator compartment. The ice maker temperature should not be too low. Excessive low temperature wastes energy and causes cold air to transfer from the ice maker to the refrigerator compartment, resulting in a low refrigerator compartment temperature and impaired refrigeration. Furthermore, a large temperature difference between the inside and outside of the ice maker leads to a large air pressure difference, causing more warm, humid air to enter the ice maker from the refrigerator compartment. This results in more frost and ice buildup on the components inside the ice maker, reducing the reliability of the ice maker. The normal temperature range for ice storage in the ice maker is -2℃ to -10℃. To maintain the ice maker temperature within an appropriate range, the refrigerator controller in this application will control the refrigeration system operation in the following manner.

[0061] The control flow of the constant temperature control method used in the above-mentioned refrigeration system will be described below:

[0062] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a constant temperature control method in an embodiment of this application. Specifically, the method includes:

[0063] Step S210. Obtain the ice-making status of the refrigerator;

[0064] Step S220. When the refrigerator is in a non-ice-making state, obtain the ice-making chamber temperature inside the ice-making chamber;

[0065] Step S230. If the temperature of the ice-making chamber is higher than the first ice-making chamber temperature threshold, the compressor is periodically started to cool the ice-making chamber so that the temperature of the ice-making chamber is within a preset range.

[0066] First, the refrigerator's controller acquires the ice-making status and then determines that the refrigerator is not in ice-making mode. Ice-making mode refers to the refrigerator's operation of cooling the ice-making compartment to produce ice. In ice-making mode, the refrigerator can activate the compressor to cool the ice-making compartment as needed, regardless of the temperature or condition of the freezer compartment. When the refrigerator is not in ice-making mode, the compressor's activation and deactivation typically depend on the freezer compartment's cooling demand, and the temperature regulation within the ice-making compartment relies on the controller simultaneously activating the compressor to cool the ice-making compartment based on the freezer's cooling demand. However, in some cases, the freezer compartment may not actively require cooling for an extended period, causing the temperature inside the ice-making compartment to rise continuously and melt the ice. Therefore, further control of the compressor's operation is necessary to ensure the temperature inside the ice-making compartment remains sufficiently low.

[0067] After determining that the refrigerator is not in ice-making mode, the controller obtains the ice-making compartment temperature through the ice-making compartment temperature sensor. Specifically, multiple temperature sensors can be installed in the ice-making compartment, and these sensors are located far apart from each other. The ice-making compartment temperature can be the average temperature of the multiple sensor temperatures or the highest temperature among the multiple temperatures.

[0068] Then, the ice-making compartment temperature is compared with a first ice-making compartment temperature threshold. The first ice-making compartment temperature threshold represents the threshold at which cooling is required in the ice-making compartment to store ice. If the ice-making compartment temperature is higher than the first ice-making compartment temperature threshold, it indicates that the temperature in the ice-making compartment is too high, and further increases may cause the ice to melt. Therefore, the refrigerator will enter the ice storage temperature control process. When the ice-making compartment temperature is higher than the first ice-making compartment temperature threshold, the controller will periodically start the compressor to cool the ice-making compartment to keep the ice-making compartment temperature within a preset range. The preset range refers to the temperature range in the ice-making compartment where the ice will not melt and the ice-making compartment temperature will not affect the refrigerator compartment temperature. After each compressor start-up, the controller will keep the compressor running until a predetermined cooling time threshold is reached, and then stop the compressor.

[0069] In one embodiment, based on the above technical solution, after periodically starting the compressor for cooling, the method includes:

[0070] Stop the refrigeration operation of the compressor;

[0071] Obtain the downtime of the compressor;

[0072] If the downtime exceeds the downtime threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is higher than the second ice-making chamber temperature threshold, the compressor is restarted for refrigeration, wherein the second ice-making chamber temperature threshold is lower than the first ice-making chamber temperature threshold.

[0073] Specifically, the controller acquires the compressor's operating time; if the operating time reaches the cooling time threshold, the compressor stops its cooling operation. After stopping the compressor, the controller can start a timer to track the compressor's downtime. If the compressor's downtime exceeds the downtime threshold, and the ice-making compartment temperature is higher than the second ice-making compartment temperature threshold, it indicates that cooling is still needed in the ice-making compartment to prevent the ice from melting. Therefore, the controller will continue to start the compressor to cool the ice-making compartment and keep it running until the predetermined cooling time threshold is reached. The second ice-making compartment temperature threshold must be lower than the first ice-making compartment temperature threshold to ensure the ice-making compartment temperature drops to an appropriate level. The following example illustrates the control process. In this example, assume the first ice-making compartment temperature threshold is -0.5℃, the second ice-making compartment temperature threshold is -2℃, the cooling time threshold is 10 minutes, and the downtime threshold is 30 minutes. First, the controller determines that the refrigerator is not in ice-making mode and determines the ice-making compartment temperature is 1℃ using the ice-making compartment temperature sensor. If the controller determines that the ice-making compartment temperature is higher than the first ice-making compartment temperature threshold, it will periodically start the compressor for cooling. First, the controller starts the compressor and runs it for 10 minutes, then stops it and begins timing. After 30 minutes of compressor operation, the controller again checks the ice-making compartment temperature, assuming it's -1°C. Since the ice-making compartment temperature is above -2°C, the controller will then turn the compressor on for 10 minutes and then turn it off to cool the ice-making compartment, restarting the timing after that. This process repeats until the controller determines that the ice-making compartment temperature is below -2°C, or the refrigerator enters ice-making mode due to other triggers, or the freezer compartment temperature rises to the required cooling temperature. At this point, the controller exits the periodic compressor start-up cycle and enters the freezer compartment temperature control process.

[0074] It is understandable that during the ice storage and temperature control process described above, whether the compressor cools the freezer compartment while it is working continuously to reach the predetermined cooling time threshold may depend on the specific implementation. For example, it may cool both the freezer compartment and the ice-making compartment simultaneously, or it may not cool the freezer compartment at all but only the ice-making compartment, or it may determine whether to cool the freezer compartment simultaneously based on the temperature of the freezer compartment and the magnitude of the predetermined threshold.

[0075] In one embodiment, when the refrigerator periodically activates the compressor to cool the ice-making compartment and maintain its temperature within a preset range, the controller first obtains the amount of ice stored in the ice-making compartment and determines whether this amount exceeds a storage threshold. The storage threshold depends on the total storage capacity of the ice-making compartment and can indicate that the compartment is full or that the ice level exceeds a certain percentage (e.g., 80%) of the total capacity. After determining that the ice level exceeds the threshold, the controller periodically activates the compressor to cool both the ice-making and freezer compartments. This prevents the ice-making compartment from becoming too cold due to insufficient ice during periodic compressor activation, thus avoiding excessive temperature drops in the ice-making compartment and the transfer of cold energy to the refrigerator compartment, preventing the refrigerator compartment from becoming too cold and affecting the refrigeration effect.

[0076] In the embodiments of this application, by forcibly starting the compressor and cooling the ice-making chamber within a predetermined time when the ice-making mode is not in use, the ice-making chamber can receive cold air regularly, thereby avoiding the melting of the prepared ice due to a long period of lack of cold air input and improving the reliability of the refrigerator's ice-making function.

[0077] In one embodiment, after determining that the refrigerator is not in ice-making mode, the method further includes:

[0078] Obtain the ambient temperature of the surrounding environment of the refrigerator;

[0079] Based on the ambient temperature, the ice-making chamber temperature, and the compressor's operating status, the refrigeration circuit control device is set to either a first state or a second state to adjust the temperature inside the ice-making chamber. The first state is used to provide cooling to the ice-making chamber, and the second state is used to stop providing cooling to the ice-making chamber.

[0080] When the refrigerator is in different ambient temperatures, the controller adjusts the temperature control conditions for the ice-making compartment differently. When the ambient temperature is high, the controller can stop cooling the ice-making compartment at a slightly lower temperature threshold than when the ambient temperature is low. This prevents the ice-making compartment temperature from rising too quickly due to the high ambient temperature, thus maintaining a relatively stable temperature inside the ice-making compartment. Similarly, the temperature threshold for starting cooling the ice-making compartment can also be slightly lower when the ambient temperature is high than when the ambient temperature is low. This avoids excessively frequent temperature control processes that could lead to excessive compressor start-stop cycles and wasted energy. After obtaining the ambient temperature, the controller, based on the ambient temperature, the ice-making compartment temperature, and the compressor's operating status, puts the refrigeration circuit control device into either the first or second state to adjust the temperature inside the ice-making compartment. Understandably, the specific situations represented by the first and second states can differ in different types of refrigerators, and correspondingly, the meaning of cooling capacity also differs. For example, for a direct-cooling refrigerator, the first and second states represent different states of the solenoid valve, and the cooling capacity represents the flow rate of refrigerant flowing into the ice-making compartment. For a frost-free refrigerator, the first and second states represent different states of the damper, and the cooling capacity represents the airflow of cold air flowing into the ice-making compartment.

[0081] In one embodiment, controlling the refrigeration circuit control device to be in a first state or a second state based on the ambient temperature, the ice-making chamber temperature, and the compressor's operating state includes:

[0082] If the ambient temperature is less than or equal to the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is less than or equal to the second ice-making chamber temperature threshold, or if the ambient temperature is greater than the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is less than or equal to the third ice-making chamber temperature threshold, it can be determined that the temperature inside the ice-making chamber is too low, and the ice-making chamber's cooling needs to be stopped. As described above, when the temperature inside the ice-making chamber is too low, the cold energy from the ice-making chamber will be transferred to the refrigerator compartment, causing the refrigerator compartment temperature to drop, which can easily damage the refrigeration effect and waste energy. Therefore, it is necessary to stop cooling the ice-making chamber. At this time, the controller needs to determine the compressor's operating status. If the compressor is cooling, the solenoid valve is adjusted to the second state, preventing refrigerant from flowing into the ice-making circuit, thereby stopping the compressor from cooling the ice-making chamber. If the compressor is not cooling, the state of the solenoid valve does not need to be adjusted, and the control process ends directly. The following example illustrates the above control process, assuming that the ambient temperature threshold can be 14℃, the second ice-making chamber temperature threshold is -2℃, and the third ice-making chamber threshold is -4℃. After the controller determines that the refrigerator is not in ice-making mode, if the ambient temperature is 10℃ and the ice-making compartment temperature is -3℃, then the controller will determine the compressor's operating status if the ambient temperature is below the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making compartment temperature is below the second ice-making compartment temperature threshold. Assuming the compressor is currently cooling the freezer compartment, the controller will switch the solenoid valve to the second state, preventing refrigerant from flowing into the ice-making circuit and thus stopping the ice-making compartment temperature from dropping further.

[0083] In one embodiment, based on the above technical solution, controlling the refrigeration circuit control device to be in a first state or a second state according to the ambient temperature, the ice-making chamber temperature, and the compressor's operating state includes:

[0084] If the ambient temperature is less than or equal to the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is greater than or equal to the first ice-making chamber temperature threshold, or if the ambient temperature is greater than the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is greater than or equal to the second ice-making chamber temperature threshold, it can be determined that the temperature inside the ice-making chamber is too high and cooling is required. At this time, the controller also needs to determine the compressor's operating status. If the compressor is cooling, the solenoid valve is adjusted to the first state, allowing refrigerant to flow into the ice-making circuit to cool the ice-making chamber and prevent the ice from melting. If the compressor is not cooling, the controller will start the compressor and switch the solenoid valve to the first state to cool the ice-making chamber.

[0085] In one embodiment, the method further includes stopping the compressor's cooling operation after determining that the freezer compartment temperature has reached a freezing temperature threshold and the compressor has operated for a predetermined duration. Specifically, when the ice-making compartment temperature is too high and cooling is required, since the refrigerator is not in ice-making mode, the compressor control will depend on whether the freezer compartment temperature has reached the freezing temperature threshold, which represents the freezer compartment temperature at which the compressor stops. When the ice-making compartment needs cooling, after determining that the freezer compartment temperature has reached the freezing temperature threshold, the controller also needs to confirm whether the compressor's current operating time has reached the predetermined duration for cooling the ice-making compartment and confirm that the compressor's cooling operation can only be stopped after the predetermined operating time has been reached. For example, assuming the predetermined operating time is 10 minutes, the current ambient temperature is 10°C, and the ice-making compartment temperature is -0.4°C, it can be determined that the ice-making compartment needs cooling. After cooling the ice-making compartment for 5 minutes, the freezer compartment temperature reaches the freezing temperature threshold. At this time, since the compressor's cooling time for the ice-making compartment has not reached the predetermined operating time, the compressor will continue to operate for 5 minutes to cool the ice-making compartment before stopping.

[0086] If the ambient temperature is less than or equal to the ambient temperature threshold, the ice-making compartment temperature is less than the first ice-making compartment temperature threshold, and the ice-making compartment temperature is greater than the second ice-making compartment temperature threshold; or if the ambient temperature is greater than the ambient temperature threshold, the ice-making compartment temperature is less than the second ice-making compartment temperature threshold, and the ice-making compartment temperature is greater than the third ice-making compartment temperature threshold, then the temperature inside the ice-making compartment can be determined to be within the preset temperature range. In this case, the refrigerator will maintain its current state and continue its current operation. That is, the temperature inside the ice-making compartment will not affect the cooling control of the ice-making compartment. For example, if the compressor is cooling the ice-making compartment, the compressor will continue to cool; if the compressor is not cooling the ice-making compartment, cooling will continue to stop.

[0087] In the embodiments of this application, by forcibly starting the compressor and cooling the ice-making chamber within a predetermined time when the ice-making mode is not in use, the ice-making chamber can receive cold air regularly, thereby avoiding the melting of the prepared ice due to a long period of lack of cold air input and improving the reliability of the refrigerator's ice-making function.

[0088] The following describes the implementation of the apparatus of this application, which can be used to execute the constant temperature control method in the above embodiments of this application. Figure 5 A schematic block diagram illustrating the composition of the temperature control device in an embodiment of this application is shown. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the constant temperature control device 300 mainly includes:

[0089] The status acquisition module 310 is configured to acquire the ice-making status of the refrigerator;

[0090] The temperature acquisition module 320 is also configured to acquire the ice-making chamber temperature inside the ice-making chamber when the refrigerator is in a non-ice-making state;

[0091] The startup module 330 is configured to periodically start the compressor to cool the ice-making chamber if the temperature of the ice-making chamber is higher than the first ice-making chamber temperature threshold, so that the temperature of the ice-making chamber is within a preset range.

[0092] In one embodiment, based on the above embodiments, the startup module 330 includes:

[0093] The storage acquisition unit is configured to acquire the ice storage capacity inside the ice-making chamber;

[0094] The start-up unit is configured to periodically start the compressor for cooling if the ice storage amount is greater than the storage amount threshold.

[0095] In one embodiment, based on the above embodiments, the temperature control device 300 further includes:

[0096] The time acquisition module is configured to acquire the downtime of the compressor;

[0097] The startup module 330 is also configured to restart the compressor for refrigeration if the downtime exceeds the downtime threshold and the ice chamber temperature is higher than the second ice chamber temperature threshold.

[0098] In one embodiment, based on the above embodiments, the temperature control device 300 further includes:

[0099] The temperature acquisition module is configured to acquire the ambient temperature within the environment where the refrigerator is located;

[0100] The control module is configured to control the refrigeration circuit control device to be in a first state or a second state according to the ambient temperature, the ice-making chamber temperature and the operating state of the compressor, so as to adjust the temperature inside the ice-making chamber. The first state is used to provide cooling capacity to the ice-making chamber, and the second state is used to stop providing cooling capacity to the ice-making chamber.

[0101] In one embodiment, based on the above embodiments, the control module includes:

[0102] The judgment unit is configured to determine the operating status of the compressor if the ambient temperature is less than or equal to the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is less than or equal to the second ice-making chamber temperature threshold.

[0103] The control unit is configured to switch the refrigeration circuit control device to the second state if it is determined that the compressor is performing a refrigeration operation.

[0104] In one embodiment, based on the above embodiments, the control module includes:

[0105] The judgment unit is further configured to determine the operating status of the compressor if the ambient temperature is greater than the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is less than or equal to the third ice-making chamber temperature threshold.

[0106] The control unit is further configured to switch the refrigeration circuit control device to the second state if it is determined that the compressor is performing a refrigeration operation.

[0107] In one embodiment, based on the above embodiments, the control module includes:

[0108] The judgment unit is further configured to determine the operating status of the compressor if the ambient temperature is less than or equal to the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is greater than or equal to the first ice-making chamber temperature threshold.

[0109] The control unit is also configured to switch the refrigeration circuit control device to the first state if it is determined that the compressor is performing a refrigeration operation.

[0110] In one embodiment, based on the above embodiments, the control module includes:

[0111] The judgment unit is further configured to determine the operating state of the compressor if the ambient temperature is greater than the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is greater than or equal to the second ice-making chamber temperature threshold.

[0112] The control unit is also configured to switch the refrigeration circuit control device to the first state if it is determined that the compressor is performing a refrigeration operation.

[0113] In one embodiment, based on the above embodiments, the temperature control device 300 further includes:

[0114] The startup module 330 is also configured to start the compressor to perform a cooling operation and control the cooling circuit control device to switch to the first state if the compressor is not performing a cooling operation.

[0115] It should be noted that the apparatus provided in the above embodiments and the method provided in the above embodiments belong to the same concept, and the specific way in which each module performs the operation has been described in detail in the method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0116] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a computer system suitable for implementing the electronic device of the present application is shown.

[0117] It should be noted that, Figure 6 The computer system 400 of the electronic device shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments of this application.

[0118] like Figure 6 As shown, the computer system 400 includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 401, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes based on programs stored in Read-Only Memory (ROM) 402 or programs loaded from Storage Unit 408 into Random Access Memory (RAM) 403. The RAM 403 also stores various programs and data required for system operation. The CPU 401, ROM 402, and RAM 403 are interconnected via a bus 404. An Input / Output (I / O) interface 405 is also connected to the bus 404.

[0119] The following components are connected to I / O interface 405: an input section 406 including a keyboard, mouse, etc.; an output section 407 including a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), etc., and speakers, etc.; a storage section 408 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communication section 409 including a network interface card such as a LAN (Local Area Network) card, modem, etc. The communication section 409 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. A drive 410 is also connected to I / O interface 405 as needed. A removable medium 411, such as a disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, semiconductor memory, etc., is installed on drive 410 as needed so that computer programs read from it can be installed into storage section 408 as needed.

[0120] Specifically, according to embodiments of this application, the processes described in the various method flowcharts can be implemented as computer software programs. For example, embodiments of this application include a computer program product comprising a computer program carried on a computer-readable medium, the computer program containing program code for performing the methods shown in the flowcharts. In such embodiments, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network via communication section 409, and / or installed from removable medium 411. When the computer program is executed by central processing unit (CPU) 401, it performs various functions defined in the system of this application.

[0121] It should be noted that the computer-readable medium shown in the embodiments of this application can be a computer-readable signal medium, a computer-readable storage medium, or any combination of the two. A computer-readable storage medium can be, for example,—but not limited to—an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of a computer-readable storage medium may include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, optical fiber, portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage device, magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. In this application, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. In this application, a computer-readable signal medium can include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying computer-readable program code. Such transmitted data signals can take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. The computer-readable signal medium can also be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium, which can send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The program code contained on the computer-readable medium can be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0122] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this application. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than those indicated in the drawings. For example, two consecutively indicated blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in a block diagram or flowchart, and combinations of blocks in a block diagram or flowchart, may be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0123] It should be noted that although several modules or units for the device used to perform actions have been mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of this application, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0124] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this application can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, touch terminal, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this application.

[0125] Other embodiments of this application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein.

[0126] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A constant temperature control method, characterized in that, include: Get the ice-making status of the refrigerator; When the refrigerator is not in an ice-making state, the temperature of the ice-making compartment inside the ice-making compartment is obtained; If the temperature of the ice-making chamber is higher than the first ice-making chamber temperature threshold, the compressor is periodically started to cool the ice-making chamber so that the temperature of the ice-making chamber is within the preset range; After determining that the refrigerator is not in ice-making mode, the method further includes: Obtain the ambient temperature within the environment where the refrigerator is located; Based on the ambient temperature, the ice-making chamber temperature, and the compressor's operating status, the refrigeration circuit control device is controlled to be in a first state or a second state to adjust the temperature inside the ice-making chamber. The first state is used to provide cooling capacity to the ice-making chamber, and the second state is used to stop providing cooling capacity to the ice-making chamber. The step of controlling the refrigeration circuit control device to be in a first state or a second state based on the ambient temperature, the ice-making chamber temperature, and the compressor's operating status includes: If the ambient temperature is less than or equal to the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is less than or equal to the second ice-making chamber temperature threshold, determine the operating status of the compressor; If it is determined that the compressor is performing a refrigeration operation, then the refrigeration circuit control device is switched to the second state; or, The step of controlling the refrigeration circuit control device to be in a first state or a second state based on the ambient temperature, the ice-making chamber temperature, and the compressor's operating status includes: If the ambient temperature is greater than the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is less than or equal to the third ice-making chamber temperature threshold, the operating state of the compressor is determined, wherein the third ice-making chamber temperature threshold is lower than the first ice-making chamber temperature threshold. If it is determined that the compressor is performing a refrigeration operation, the refrigeration circuit control device is switched to the second state.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After periodically starting the compressor for cooling, the method further includes: Stop the refrigeration operation of the compressor; Obtain the downtime of the compressor; If the downtime exceeds the downtime threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is higher than the second ice-making chamber temperature threshold, the compressor is restarted for refrigeration, wherein the second ice-making chamber temperature threshold is lower than the first ice-making chamber temperature threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The periodic activation of the compressor for cooling to keep the temperature of the ice-making chamber within a preset range includes: Obtain the ice storage volume inside the ice-making chamber; If the ice storage volume exceeds the storage threshold, the compressor will be activated periodically for refrigeration.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of controlling the refrigeration circuit control device to be in a first state or a second state based on the ambient temperature, the ice-making chamber temperature, and the compressor's operating status includes: If the ambient temperature is less than or equal to the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is greater than or equal to the first ice-making chamber temperature threshold, determine the operating status of the compressor; If it is determined that the compressor is performing a refrigeration operation, the refrigeration circuit control device is switched to the first state.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of controlling the refrigeration circuit control device to be in a first state or a second state based on the ambient temperature, the ice-making chamber temperature, and the compressor's operating status includes: If the ambient temperature is greater than the ambient temperature threshold and the ice-making chamber temperature is greater than or equal to the second ice-making chamber temperature threshold, determine the operating status of the compressor; If it is determined that the compressor is performing a refrigeration operation, the refrigeration circuit control device is switched to the first state.

6. The method according to claim 4 or claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the compressor is not performing a cooling operation, then the compressor is started to perform a cooling operation and the cooling circuit control device is switched to the first state.

7. A refrigerator, characterized in that, include Refrigerator; An ice-making chamber is located within the refrigeration chamber; A refrigeration circuit control device is used to control the refrigeration of the ice-making chamber; Controller; as well as Memory is used to store the processor's executable instructions; The processor is configured to execute the constant temperature control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 by executing the executable instructions.

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