A fruit and vegetable cleaning compartment and its control method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a fruit and vegetable washing chamber and a control method thereof, and relates to the field of refrigeration. The chamber comprises a chamber body, a camera, a humidity sensor, and a fan. The chamber body has a cavity therein, and the chamber body is provided with a pipeline, wherein the pipeline comprises an injection pipe and a discharge pipe. The injection pipe and the discharge pipe are each connected to the cavity. The injection pipe can introduce air and inject water into the cavity, and the cavity can exhaust air and drain water through the discharge pipe. The camera in the chamber body captures images of the fruits and vegetables placed therein, and the control panel is used to identify and compare the images, and the optimal amount of washing water and drying time are intelligently provided. The fruits and vegetables placed in the chamber body can be one or more fruits, vegetables, or a combination of fruits and vegetables, so as to meet the different cleaning needs of users and improve the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of refrigeration technology, and in particular to a fruit and vegetable washing chamber and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] When people put unwashed fruits and vegetables into the refrigerator, they can't eat them directly when they need them. Instead, they have to take them out and wash them, which is a cumbersome process. Dirt adhering to the surface of the fruits and vegetables is difficult to remove manually. Furthermore, if unclean fruits and vegetables are left in the refrigerator for extended periods, bacteria can easily grow inside the refrigerator, causing spoilage. Traditional refrigerators lack intelligent recognition for fruit and vegetable washing, and the washing process wastes a lot of water. The prolonged washing time can even damage the surface of the fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, traditional heating coils are used for drying after washing, significantly increasing energy consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the problems that the above-mentioned refrigerator cannot accurately identify the fruits and vegetables being washed, wastes water extremely during the washing process, and requires heating wire to dry the fruits and vegetables, which increases the cost, the present invention provides a fruit and vegetable washing chamber and a control method thereof.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] A fruit and vegetable washing chamber includes a chamber body, a camera, a humidity sensor, and a fan. The chamber body has a cavity therein and is provided with pipelines. The pipelines include an injection pipe and a discharge pipe. The injection pipe and the discharge pipe are each connected to the cavity. The injection pipe can inject air or water into the cavity, and the cavity can exhaust air or water through the discharge pipe.

[0006] Furthermore, the compartment body includes a sealing cover and a plurality of partitions, the sealing cover is located on the top of the compartment body, and the plurality of partitions divide the cavity into a plurality of accommodating chambers.

[0007] Furthermore, the partition layer includes a first partition layer and a second partition layer, the first partition layer is located at the upper part of the cavity, and forms a first accommodating cavity between the first partition layer and the sealing cover, the second partition layer is located at the lower part of the cavity, and forms a second accommodating cavity between the second partition layer and the bottom wall of the compartment body, and a third accommodating cavity is formed between the first partition layer and the second partition layer, and the fan is arranged in the first accommodating cavity.

[0008] Furthermore, the second accommodating chamber is provided with a cleaning portion.

[0009] Furthermore, the cleaning part is an ultrasonic cleaner.

[0010] Furthermore, the injection pipe is located at the rear side of the compartment body, and the injection pipe passes through the rear side wall of the compartment body and communicates with the third accommodating cavity. The discharge pipe is located at the bottom of the compartment body, and the discharge pipe passes through the second accommodating cavity and communicates with the third accommodating cavity.

[0011] Furthermore, the output port of the injection pipe is located at the upper part of the third accommodating cavity, the second partition is funnel-shaped, and the input port of the discharge pipe is located at the lowest point of the second partition.

[0012] Furthermore, a first one-way valve is provided in the injection pipe, and a second one-way valve is provided in the discharge pipe.

[0013] Furthermore, at least one layer of storage rack is provided in the third accommodating cavity, and the camera and the humidity sensor are provided on the top of the third accommodating cavity.

[0014] A control method for a fruit and vegetable washing compartment is applied to a refrigerator equipped with any of the above-described fruit and vegetable washing compartments. The fruit and vegetable washing compartment is installed in the center of the refrigerator body, and a high-pressure pipe located at the output end of the compressor in the refrigeration system is arranged on the side wall of the fruit and vegetable washing compartment. The refrigeration system is equipped with a solenoid valve. The solenoid valve, camera, humidity sensor, and ultrasonic cleaner are respectively connected to the refrigerator control panel. The solenoid valve is arranged between the compressor and the throttle valve. The control method has two operating modes, switched by the solenoid valve: a first mode and a second mode. The first mode includes a condenser, and the second mode includes the washing compartment.

[0015] The specific steps of the control method include: S1: after power is turned on, fruits and vegetables are placed on the shelf of the third receiving chamber, and the camera in the cleaning chamber captures images of the placed fruits and vegetables and feeds them back to the control board. S2: the control board identifies the captured fruits and vegetables through the processing unit and compares them through the storage unit. The storage unit pre-stores the cleaning time and water injection amount corresponding to different types of fruits, vegetables, and combinations of fruits and vegetables. After the comparison is completed, the corresponding cleaning time is determined to be T1 and the water injection amount is L1. Then, the first one-way valve is opened and the second one-way valve is closed, and water is injected into the third receiving chamber through the injection pipe. When the water injection amount reaches L1, the ultrasonic cleaner is turned on to clean the fruits and vegetables. When the cleaning time reaches T1, the second one-way valve is opened and the water is discharged through the discharge pipe. After the comparison is completed, the control board switches to the first path through the solenoid valve and controls the compressor to a low speed and a running time of T1. S3: After time T1, the control board switches the solenoid valve to the second path, the compressor increases to high speed, and the fan turns on. Both run simultaneously for 20 minutes. At this point, the first and second one-way valves open simultaneously for ventilation. S4: The control board uses the humidity sensor to detect whether the humidity in the third chamber has reached a preset threshold. If not, S3 is executed again. If so, S5 is executed. S5: After drying is completed, the control board switches the solenoid valve to the first path and begins cooling.

[0016] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: a camera within the compartment captures images of placed fruits and vegetables, which are then identified and compared using a control panel, intelligently providing the optimal amount of washing water and drying time. The fruits and vegetables placed within the compartment can be one or more fruits, vegetables, or a combination of fruits and vegetables, meeting different user cleaning needs and enhancing the user experience. When water is injected into the third chamber via the compartment's injection line, the second one-way valve closes, preventing water from escaping through the discharge pipe, facilitating the ultrasonic cleaning of the fruits and vegetables. After cleaning is complete, the second one-way valve opens, allowing water to flow out of the housing through the discharge pipe. The funnel-shaped structure allows the water to be completely discharged through the discharge pipe. The high-speed operation of the compressor generates a large amount of heat, which is heated by the refrigerant flowing through the high-pressure pipe. The fan accelerates gas circulation within the third chamber, creating convection, rapidly drying the fruits and vegetables. Simultaneously, ventilation is provided through the injection and discharge pipes, preventing excessive heat within the third chamber from affecting the quality of the fruits and vegetables. Both the injection and discharge pipes are used for both cleaning and ventilation, reducing the number of pipes within the housing and simplifying installation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 Shown is a schematic diagram of the structural principle of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 Shown is a structural schematic diagram of the operating mode of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 Shown is the installation diagram of the fruit and vegetable washing room.

[0020] Figure 4 Shown is a flow chart of the control method.

[0021] Figure 5 Shown is a schematic diagram of image recognition and processing process.

[0022] Explanation of the accompanying symbols: 1. Fruit and vegetable washing compartment; 101. Compartment body; 102. Sealing cover; 103. First compartment; 104. Second compartment; 105. Storage rack; 106. Fan; 107. Injection pipe; 108. Discharge pipe; 109. First one-way valve; 110. Second one-way valve; 2. Compressor; 3. Solenoid valve; 4. Condenser; 5. Throttle valve; 6. Evaporator; 7. Box body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present invention discloses a fruit and vegetable washing chamber and a control method thereof. An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] like Figure 1As shown, a refrigerator includes a housing 7, a control panel, and a fruit and vegetable washing compartment 1, which is installed in the middle of the housing 7. The fruit and vegetable washing compartment 1 includes a compartment body 101, a camera, a humidity sensor, an ultrasonic cleaner, and a fan 106. The top of the compartment body 101 is provided with a sealing cover 102. The compartment body 101 has a cavity therein, which includes a first partition 103 and a second partition 104. The first partition 103 is located at the top of the cavity, and a first receiving chamber is formed between the first partition 103 and the sealing cover 102. The second partition 104 is located at the bottom of the cavity, and a second receiving chamber is formed between the second partition 104 and the bottom wall of the compartment body 101. A third chamber is formed between the first and second compartments 103 and 104. A fan 106 is located within the first chamber, an ultrasonic cleaner is located within the second chamber, and a camera and humidity sensor are located at the top of the third chamber. At least one shelf 105 is installed in the middle of the third chamber. The main chamber 101 has an inlet pipe 107 and an outlet pipe 108. The inlet pipe 107 is located at the rear of the main chamber 101, passing through the rear wall of the main chamber 101 and connecting to the third chamber. The inlet port of the inlet pipe 107 is located at the top of the third chamber. The outlet pipe 108 is located at the bottom of the main chamber 101, passing through the second chamber and connecting to the third chamber. The second compartment 104 is funnel-shaped, and the inlet port of the outlet pipe 108 is located at the lowest point of the second compartment 104, allowing for complete water drainage. A first one-way valve 109 is installed within the inlet pipe 107, and a second one-way valve 110 is installed within the outlet pipe 108.

[0025] Combine Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the refrigerator's refrigeration system is equipped with a solenoid valve 3. The solenoid valve 3, camera, humidity sensor, and refrigeration system are each connected to the control panel. The solenoid valve 3 is located between the compressor 2 and the throttle valve 5 in the refrigeration system. High-pressure pipes at the output end of the compressor 2 in the refrigeration system are evenly arranged on the left, rear, and right walls of the fruit and vegetable washing compartment 1. The refrigerator has two operating modes: a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit includes the condenser 4, and the second circuit includes the washing compartment. The first and second circuits are switched by the solenoid valve 3. The first circuit circulates sequentially through the compressor 2, solenoid valve 3, condenser 4, throttle valve 5, and evaporator 6. The second circuit circulates sequentially through the compressor 2, solenoid valve 3, washing compartment, throttle valve 5, and evaporator 6.

[0026] A control method for a fruit and vegetable washing room, such as Figure 4As shown, in the first step, the refrigerator is powered on, the cleaning compartment is opened, and fruits and vegetables are placed on the shelf 105 of the third receiving chamber. The fruits and vegetables can be one or more fruits, one or more vegetables, or a combination of fruits and vegetables. The camera in the third receiving chamber captures images of the placed fruits and vegetables and feeds them back to the control panel.

[0027] The second step is to combine Figure 5 As shown, the control panel includes a processing unit and a storage unit. The control panel processes the captured images of fruits and vegetables through the processing unit and compares them through the storage unit. The storage unit pre-stores the corresponding cleaning times and water injection volumes for different types of fruits, vegetables, and combinations of fruits and vegetables. After comparison, the cleaning time is determined to be T1 and the water injection volume is L1. At this time, the first one-way valve 109 is opened and the second one-way valve 110 is closed to inject water into the third accommodating chamber through the injection pipe 107. After the water injection volume reaches L1, the control panel activates the ultrasonic cleaner to clean the fruits and vegetables with the injected water. After the cleaning time reaches T1, the second one-way valve 110 is opened and the water is discharged through the discharge pipe 108. After the comparison is completed and the cleaning time and water injection volume are determined, the control panel simultaneously switches to the first path through the solenoid valve 3, controlling the compressor 2 to a low speed and a running time of T1.

[0028] In the third step, after time T1 is reached, the control panel switches solenoid valve 3 to the second path to dry the fruits and vegetables. Fan 106 is turned on, and compressor 2 is raised to high speed. Fan 106 and compressor 2 run simultaneously for 20 minutes. At this point, first and second check valves 109 and 110 are simultaneously opened. The refrigerant in compressor 2, operating at high speed, contains heat. This heat flows through the high-pressure pipe and heats the third cavity. Fan 106 accelerates gas circulation within the third cavity, creating convection and rapidly drying the fruits and vegetables. Simultaneously, ventilation is provided through injection pipe 107 and discharge pipe 108 to prevent excessive heat from affecting the quality of the fruits and vegetables.

[0029] In the fourth step, the control board detects whether the humidity in the third accommodating chamber reaches a preset threshold value through the humidity sensor. If not, the third step is executed again; if so, the fifth step is executed.

[0030] Step 5: After drying is completed, the control panel switches the solenoid valve 3 to the first path to start cooling.

[0031] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: a camera in the compartment body 101 captures images of the fruits and vegetables placed therein, identifies and compares them using the control panel, and intelligently provides the optimal amount of washing water and drying time. The fruits and vegetables placed in the compartment body 101 can be one or more fruits, vegetables, or a combination of fruits and vegetables, meeting the user's different cleaning needs and improving the user experience. When the compartment body 101 injects water into the third receiving chamber through the injection pipe 107, the second one-way valve 110 is closed, preventing water from flowing out of the discharge pipe 108, facilitating the ultrasonic cleaner to use water to clean the fruits and vegetables. After cleaning is completed, the second one-way valve 110 is opened to allow water to flow out of the housing 7 through the discharge pipe 108. When the compressor 2 operates at high speed, it generates a large amount of heat, which heats the third receiving chamber through the high-pressure pipe. The fan 106 accelerates the gas circulation in the third receiving chamber and forms convection, rapidly drying the fruits and vegetables. At the same time, ventilation is provided through the injection pipe 107 and the discharge pipe 108 to prevent excessive heat in the third receiving chamber from affecting the quality of the fruits and vegetables. The cleaning operation and the ventilation operation both use the injection pipe 107 and the discharge pipe 108, which can reduce the use of pipes in the box body 7 and reduce the difficulty of installation.

[0032] Of course, the above description is not a limitation of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above examples. Changes, modifications, additions or substitutions made by technicians in this technical field within the essential scope of the present invention should also fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for a fruit and vegetable washing compartment, applied to a fruit and vegetable washing compartment, characterized in that: The fruit and vegetable washing chamber (1) comprises a chamber body (101), a camera, a humidity sensor and a fan (106); a cavity is provided in the chamber body (101); a pipeline is provided in the chamber body (101); the pipeline comprises an injection pipe (107) and a discharge pipe (108); the injection pipe (107) and the discharge pipe (108) are each connected to the cavity; the injection pipe (107) can introduce air or water into the cavity; and the cavity can exhaust air or water through the discharge pipe (108); The chamber body (101) comprises a sealing cover (102) and a plurality of partitions, wherein the sealing cover (102) is located on the top of the chamber body (101), and the plurality of partitions divide the cavity into a plurality of accommodating chambers; The partition layer comprises a first partition layer (103) and a second partition layer (104), wherein the first partition layer (103) is located at the upper portion of the cavity and forms a first accommodating cavity with the sealing cover (102), and the second partition layer (104) is located at the lower portion of the cavity and forms a second accommodating cavity with the bottom wall of the compartment body (101), and a third accommodating cavity is formed between the first partition layer (103) and the second partition layer (104), and the fan (106) is arranged in the first accommodating cavity; A first one-way valve (109) is provided in the injection pipe (107), and a second one-way valve (110) is provided in the discharge pipe (108); At least one layer of storage rack (105) is provided in the third accommodating cavity, and the camera and the humidity sensor are provided on the top of the third accommodating cavity; The fruit and vegetable washing compartment (1) is installed in the middle of the refrigerator body, and the high-pressure pipe at the output end of the compressor (2) in the refrigeration system is arranged on the side wall of the fruit and vegetable washing compartment (1). The fruit and vegetable washing compartment (1) also includes an ultrasonic cleaner; A solenoid valve (3) is provided in the refrigeration system. The solenoid valve (3), a camera, a humidity sensor, and an ultrasonic cleaner are respectively connected to a control panel of the refrigerator. The solenoid valve (3) is provided between a compressor (2) and a throttle valve (5). The control method has two operating modes and is switched through the solenoid valve (3). The two modes include a first mode and a second mode. The first mode includes a condenser (4), and the second mode includes a cleaning chamber. The specific steps of the control method include: S1: After power is turned on, fruits and vegetables are placed on the shelf (105) of the third receiving chamber, and the camera in the cleaning room captures images of the placed fruits and vegetables and feeds them back to the control board; S2: The control panel identifies the captured fruits and vegetables through the processing unit and compares them through the storage unit. The storage unit pre-stores the corresponding cleaning time and water injection amount for different types of fruits, vegetables, and combinations of fruits and vegetables. After the comparison is completed, the corresponding cleaning time is determined to be T1 and the water injection amount is determined to be L1. Subsequently, the first one-way valve (109) is opened and the second one-way valve (110) is closed. Water is injected into the third accommodating chamber through the injection pipe (107). When the water injection amount reaches L1, the ultrasonic cleaner is opened to clean the fruits and vegetables. When the cleaning time reaches T1, the second one-way valve (110) is opened and the water is discharged through the discharge pipe (108); After the comparison is completed, the control panel switches to the first path through the solenoid valve (3), and controls the compressor (2) to a low speed and a running time of T1; S3: After reaching time T1, the control panel switches the solenoid valve (3) to the second path, the compressor (2) increases to a high speed, the fan (106) is turned on, and both run simultaneously for 20 minutes, at which time the first one-way valve (109) and the second one-way valve (110) are opened simultaneously for ventilation; S4: The control board detects whether the humidity in the third receiving chamber reaches a preset threshold through the humidity sensor. If not, S3 is executed again; if so, S5 is executed. S5: After the drying is completed, the control panel switches the solenoid valve (3) to the first path to start cooling.

2. A fruit and vegetable washing chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second accommodating chamber is provided with a cleaning portion.

3. The fruit and vegetable washing chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cleaning part is an ultrasonic cleaner.

4. The fruit and vegetable washing chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The injection pipe (107) is located at the rear side of the compartment body (101), and the injection pipe (107) passes through the rear side wall of the compartment body (101) and communicates with the third accommodating cavity; The discharge pipe (108) is located at the bottom of the compartment body (101), and the discharge pipe (108) passes through the second accommodating cavity and communicates with the third accommodating cavity.

5. The fruit and vegetable washing chamber according to claim 4, characterized in that: The output port of the injection pipe (107) is located at the upper part of the third accommodating chamber, the second partition (104) is funnel-shaped, and the input port of the discharge pipe (108) is located at the lowest point of the second partition (104).

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