Ice making device, refrigerator and ice making control method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of ice making equipment, and discloses an ice making device, which comprises a body, an ice making tray, a pressure sensor, a water supply mechanism and a control system. Based on the above mechanism, compared with controlling water injection flow or water injection time to control water injection amount, the pressure value of water in the ice making tray is directly obtained by the pressure sensor, so that the water injection amount in the ice tank is kept consistent with the preset value, the water injection amount of the ice making device is accurate, the ice blocks of the predetermined size are accurately manufactured, the ice making effect is optimized, and the equipment cost is low. In addition, the accommodating cavity of the body can accommodate the formed ice blocks, so that the ice making device has strong ice block storage function. The present application also discloses a refrigerator comprising the ice making device and an ice making control method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ice-making equipment technology, and in particular to an ice-making device. The invention also relates to a refrigerator including an ice-making device and an ice-making control method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, refrigerator ice makers typically inject water into the ice tray to make ice. To obtain ice cubes of similar size, some existing ice-making devices add a flow meter to the water valve. However, impurities or ice blockages in the pipes can still affect the ice production volume, resulting in ice cubes that do not meet the required size specifications and cannot produce ice cubes of the intended size. Other ice-making devices control the ice production volume by controlling the ice-making time. However, water pressure, water valve opening, and water purification equipment can all affect the final water supply flow, leading to errors in the ice production volume and affecting the ice-making effect. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide an ice-making device.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an ice-making apparatus, comprising:

[0005] The body has an upward-facing receiving cavity;

[0006] An ice-making tray is disposed above the receiving cavity, and the ice-making tray has several ice grooves;

[0007] A pressure sensor is located at the bottom of the ice-making tray, and the pressure sensor is used to obtain the pressure value of the water in the ice-making tray;

[0008] A water supply system is used to supply water to the ice tank;

[0009] The control system is electrically connected to the pressure sensor and the water supply mechanism, and controls the opening and closing of the water supply mechanism according to the pressure value.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, a first alarm is also included, which is electrically connected to the control system. When the pressure value obtained by the pressure sensor does not exceed the preset pressure value, the control system controls the first alarm to be activated.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, a second alarm is also included, which is electrically connected to the control system. When the pressure value obtained by the pressure sensor is within a second predetermined range, the control system controls the second alarm to be activated.

[0012] Wherein, the preset pressure value is less than the minimum value of the second predetermined range.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, a first driving device is also included, which is connected to the ice-making tray. The control system is electrically connected to the first driving device and controls the first driving device to drive the ice-making tray to twist or rotate so that ice blocks fall from the ice trough into the receiving cavity.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, an ice-detecting rod and a second driving device are also included. The control system is electrically connected to the second driving device and controls the second driving device to drive the ice-detecting rod to rotate so that one end of the ice-detecting rod approaches or moves away from the receiving cavity.

[0015] In some embodiments of this application, a temperature sensor is also included, which is electrically connected to the control system and is used to obtain the temperature of the water in the ice-making pan.

[0016] Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that includes the ice-making device described above.

[0017] The present invention also provides an ice-making control method, which includes the following steps:

[0018] Inject water;

[0019] Obtain the pressure value of the water in the ice-making tray;

[0020] Obtain the water injection time;

[0021] If the pressure value is within the first predetermined range, stop water injection; otherwise, further determine whether the water injection time exceeds the predetermined duration. If so, stop water injection; otherwise, continue water injection.

[0022] In some embodiments of this application, the following steps are also included:

[0023] If the water injection time exceeds the predetermined duration and the pressure value does not exceed the preset pressure value, check the water supply source.

[0024] The preset pressure value is the pressure value when there is no water in the ice-making tray, and the preset pressure value is less than the minimum value of the first predetermined range.

[0025] In some embodiments of this application, the following steps are included before the step of checking the water supply source:

[0026] Control the first alarm to turn on.

[0027] In some embodiments of this application, the following steps are also included:

[0028] If the water injection time exceeds the predetermined duration, and the pressure value is within the second predetermined range, check the water supply mechanism.

[0029] Wherein, the minimum value of the second predetermined range is greater than the preset pressure value, and the maximum value of the second predetermined range is less than the minimum value of the first predetermined range.

[0030] In some embodiments of this application, the following steps are included before the step of inspecting the water supply mechanism:

[0031] Control the second alarm to turn on.

[0032] This invention provides an ice-making device, which has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0033] The ice-making device provided by this invention includes a main body, an ice-making tray, a pressure sensor, a water supply mechanism, and a control system. The main body has an upward-facing receiving cavity, and the ice-making tray is located above the receiving cavity, having several ice troughs. The pressure sensor is located at the bottom of the ice-making tray and is used to acquire the pressure value of the water in the ice-making tray. The water supply mechanism is used to supply water to the ice troughs. The control system is electrically connected to the pressure sensor and the water supply mechanism, and controls the opening and closing of the water supply mechanism according to the pressure value. Based on the above mechanism, compared to controlling the water injection flow rate or water injection time to control the water injection volume, directly acquiring the water pressure value in the ice-making tray through the pressure sensor can avoid the influence of pipe blockage, water pressure fluctuations, water valve opening, or water purification equipment on the water injection volume, ensuring that the water injection volume in the ice troughs remains consistent with the preset value. This results in precise water injection of the ice-making device and accurate production of ice blocks of a predetermined size, optimizing the ice-making effect and reducing equipment costs. Furthermore, the receiving cavity of the main body can accommodate the formed ice blocks, giving the ice-making device a strong ice storage function.

[0034] The present invention also provides a refrigerator with precise control over the amount of ice produced and good ice-making effect.

[0035] This invention also provides an ice-making control method, which monitors the water injection process using two indicators: pressure value and water injection time. This not only makes the control of water injection more precise, but also prevents the ice-making device from running idle for a long time due to failure of the water supply source or water supply mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the ice-making device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of an ice-making apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of an ice-making control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] In the diagram: 1. Main body; 11. Receiving cavity; 2. Ice-making tray; 21. Ice tank; 3. Pressure sensor; 4. Water supply mechanism; 5. Control system; 6. First alarm; 7. Second alarm; 8. First drive device; 9. Ice probe rod; 10. Second drive device; 20. Temperature sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0041] It should be understood that in the description of this application, the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are used solely for the convenience of describing this application and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. That is, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0042] It should be noted that, in the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0043] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides an ice-making device, which includes a body 1, an ice-making tray 2, a pressure sensor 3, a water supply mechanism 4, and a control system 5. The body 1 has an upward-facing receiving cavity 11. The ice-making tray 2 is located above the receiving cavity 11 and has a plurality of ice troughs 21. The pressure sensor 3 is located at the bottom of the ice-making tray 2 and is used to obtain the pressure value of the water in the ice-making tray 2. The water supply mechanism 4 is used to supply water to the ice troughs 21. The control system 5 is electrically connected to the pressure sensor 3 and the water supply mechanism 4, and the control system 5 controls the opening and closing of the water supply mechanism 4 according to the pressure value.

[0044] Based on the above mechanism, compared to controlling the water injection flow rate or water injection time to control the water injection volume, directly obtaining the water pressure value in the ice-making tray 2 through the pressure sensor 3 can avoid the water injection volume being affected by pipe blockage, water pressure fluctuation, water valve opening or water purification equipment, so that the water injection volume in the ice tank 21 is consistent with the preset value, thereby making the water injection volume of the ice-making device accurate and accurately producing ice blocks of the predetermined size, optimizing the ice-making effect, and the equipment cost is low; secondly, the receiving cavity 11 of the main body 1 can hold the formed ice blocks, so that the ice-making device has a strong ice block storage function.

[0045] Optionally, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the ice-making device also includes a first alarm 6, which is electrically connected to the control system 5. When the pressure value obtained by the pressure sensor 3 does not exceed a preset pressure value, the control system 5 controls the first alarm 6 to activate. The preset pressure value is the pressure value when there is no water in the ice-making tray 2. That is, when the pressure value does not exceed the preset pressure value, it indicates a failure in the water supply. Activating the first alarm 6 makes it easier for operators to determine that the source of the failure is the water supply, thus making fault diagnosis and troubleshooting more convenient and accurate. It should be understood that the control system 5 can be a central processing unit, which can store the preset pressure value and compare it with the real-time pressure value.

[0046] Optionally, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the ice-making device also includes a second alarm 7, which is electrically connected to the control system 5. When the pressure value obtained by the pressure sensor 3 is within a second predetermined range, the control system 5 controls the second alarm 7 to open; wherein, the preset pressure value is less than the minimum value of the second predetermined range. When the water supply source is not faulty but the water supply pipe or control valve of the water supply mechanism 4 malfunctions, the water supply mechanism 4 will still inject water into the ice tank 21, but the injection volume is lower than the optimal injection volume range. Therefore, a second predetermined range less than the optimal injection volume range is set, so that the second alarm 7 can issue an alarm for the malfunction of the water supply mechanism 4, enabling the operator to quickly determine that the source of the malfunction is the water supply mechanism 4, further improving the accuracy of fault diagnosis and troubleshooting of the ice-making device.

[0047] Optionally, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the ice-making device further includes a first driving device 8. The control system 5 is electrically connected to the first driving device 8 and controls the first driving device 8 to drive the ice-making disc 2 to twist or rotate, so that ice blocks fall from the ice trough 21 into the receiving cavity 11. In this way, ice blocks can be moved and stored in the receiving cavity 11 without manual operation.

[0048] Optionally, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the ice-making device further includes an ice-detecting rod 9 and a second driving device 10. The second driving device 10 is connected to the ice-detecting rod 9 and controls the ice-detecting rod 9 to rotate, so that one end of the ice-detecting rod 9 approaches or moves away from the receiving cavity 11. Based on this, the ice storage status in the receiving cavity 11 can be detected by the ice-detecting rod 9.

[0049] Optionally, such as Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the ice-making device also includes a temperature sensor 20, which is electrically connected to the control system 5 and is used to obtain the temperature of the water in the ice-making pan 2.

[0050] This invention also provides a refrigerator that includes the ice-making device described above, which has precise control over the amount of ice produced and a good ice-making effect.

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment of the invention also provides an ice-making control method, which includes the following steps:

[0052] S1. Inject water;

[0053] S2. Obtain the pressure value of the water in ice tray 2;

[0054] S3, Obtain the water injection time;

[0055] S4. If the pressure value is within the first predetermined range, proceed to step S5 to stop water injection; otherwise, proceed to step S6 to determine whether the water injection time exceeds the predetermined duration. If so, proceed to step S7 to stop water injection; otherwise, continue water injection, i.e., repeat step S1.

[0056] This ice-making control method monitors the water injection process using two indicators: pressure value and water injection time. This not only makes the control of water injection volume more precise, but also prevents the ice-making device from running idle for a long time due to failure of the water supply source or water supply mechanism 4.

[0057] Optionally, such as Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the ice-making control method further includes the following steps:

[0058] S8. If the water injection time exceeds the predetermined duration and the pressure value does not exceed the preset pressure value, proceed to step S9 to check the water supply source.

[0059] The preset pressure value is the pressure when there is no water in the ice-making tray 2, and the preset pressure value is less than the minimum value of the first predetermined range. Specifically, if the pressure value does not exceed the preset pressure value, it is determined that the water supply source has failed, and the water supply source is checked. Based on this, the fault source of the ice-making device can be quickly identified and troubleshooted by the water injection time and pressure value, making the fault troubleshooting efficiency of this ice-making control method high.

[0060] Optionally, such as Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the following steps are included before step S8:

[0061] S81, activate the first alarm 6. This makes fault diagnosis and troubleshooting of the ice-making control method more visual, allowing operators to quickly identify the water supply source as the fault.

[0062] Optionally, such as Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the ice-making control method further includes the following steps:

[0063] S10. If the water injection time exceeds the predetermined duration, and the pressure value is within the second predetermined range, proceed to step S11 to check the water supply mechanism 4; otherwise, proceed to step S12 to end the inspection.

[0064] In this method, the minimum value of the second predetermined range is greater than the preset pressure value, and the maximum value of the second predetermined range is less than the minimum value of the first predetermined range. Specifically, when the pressure value is within the second predetermined range, it is determined that the water supply mechanism 4 has malfunctioned, and the control valve of the water supply mechanism 4 and the water pipe blockage are checked. Based on this, the malfunction of the ice-making device can be more accurately determined and troubleshooted by the water injection time and pressure value, making the troubleshooting efficiency of this ice-making control method higher.

[0065] Optionally, such as Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, before step 4 of inspecting the water supply mechanism, the following steps are also included:

[0066] S101, activate the second alarm 7. This makes fault diagnosis and troubleshooting of this ice-making control method more visual, allowing operators to quickly identify the source of the fault as the water supply mechanism 4.

[0067] In summary, this invention provides an ice-making device, which mainly consists of a body 1, an ice-making tray 2, a pressure sensor 3, a water supply mechanism 4, and a control system 5. The body 1 has an upward-facing receiving cavity 11, and the ice-making tray 2 is located above the receiving cavity 11. The ice-making tray 2 has several ice troughs 21. The pressure sensor 3 is located at the bottom of the ice-making tray 2 and is used to obtain the pressure value of the water in the ice-making tray 2. The water supply mechanism 4 is used to supply water to the ice troughs 21. The control system 5 is electrically connected to the pressure sensor 3 and the water supply mechanism 4, and controls the opening and closing of the water supply mechanism 4 according to the pressure value. Compared with the prior art, this ice-making device has the advantages of accurate ice production and strong storage capacity.

[0068] This invention provides a refrigerator that, compared with the prior art, has advantages such as precise ice-making control and good ice-making effect.

[0069] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and substitutions can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and substitutions should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ice making device, characterized by, include: The body has an upward-facing receiving cavity; An ice-making tray is disposed above the receiving cavity, and the ice-making tray has several ice troughs; A pressure sensor is located at the bottom of the ice-making tray, and the pressure sensor is used to obtain the pressure value of the water in the ice-making tray; A water supply system is used to supply water to the ice tank; The control system is electrically connected to the pressure sensor and the water supply mechanism, and the control system controls the opening and closing of the water supply mechanism according to the pressure value; It also includes a first alarm, which is electrically connected to the control system. When the pressure value obtained by the pressure sensor does not exceed a preset pressure value, the control system controls the first alarm to turn on. It also includes a second alarm, which is electrically connected to the control system. When the pressure value obtained by the pressure sensor is within a second predetermined range, the control system controls the second alarm to turn on. Wherein, the preset pressure value is less than the minimum value of the second predetermined range; The ice-making tray, pressure sensor, water supply mechanism, first alarm, second alarm, and control system are also configured to perform the following steps: Inject water; Obtain the pressure value of the water in the ice-making tray; Obtain the water injection time; If the pressure value is within the first predetermined range, stop water injection; otherwise, further determine whether the water injection time exceeds the predetermined duration. If so, stop water injection; otherwise, continue water injection. It also includes the following steps: If the water injection time exceeds the predetermined duration and the pressure value does not exceed the preset pressure value, check the water supply source. Wherein, the preset pressure value is the pressure value when there is no water in the ice-making tray, and the preset pressure value is less than the minimum value of the first predetermined range; It also includes the following steps: If the water injection time exceeds the predetermined duration, and the pressure value is within the second predetermined range, check the water supply mechanism. Wherein, the minimum value of the second predetermined range is greater than the preset pressure value, and the maximum value of the second predetermined range is less than the minimum value of the first predetermined range.

2. The ice-making apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a first driving device, the control system being electrically connected to the first driving device and controlling the first driving device to drive the ice-making disc to twist or rotate so that ice blocks fall from the ice trough into the receiving cavity.

3. The ice-making apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes an ice-detecting rod and a second drive device. The control system is electrically connected to the second drive device and controls the second drive device to drive the ice-detecting rod to rotate so that one end of the ice-detecting rod approaches or moves away from the receiving cavity.

4. The ice-making apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a temperature sensor, which is electrically connected to the control system and is used to obtain the temperature of the water in the ice-making pan.

5. A refrigerator characterized by comprising: Includes the ice-making apparatus as described in any one of claims 1-4.

6. An ice making control method, characterized by, Includes the following steps: Inject water; Obtain the pressure value of the water in the ice-making tray; Obtain the water injection time; If the pressure value is within the first predetermined range, stop water injection; otherwise, further determine whether the water injection time exceeds the predetermined duration. If so, stop water injection; otherwise, continue water injection. It also includes the following steps: If the water injection time exceeds the predetermined duration and the pressure value does not exceed the preset pressure value, check the water supply source. Wherein, the preset pressure value is the pressure value when there is no water in the ice-making tray, and the preset pressure value is less than the minimum value of the first predetermined range; It also includes the following steps: If the water injection time exceeds the predetermined duration, and the pressure value is within the second predetermined range, check the water supply mechanism. Wherein, the minimum value of the second predetermined range is greater than the preset pressure value, and the maximum value of the second predetermined range is less than the minimum value of the first predetermined range.

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