Control method of refrigerator and refrigerator

Abstract

The application provides a refrigerator control method and a refrigerator. The refrigerator comprises a first ice storage box, an ice making mechanism and an ice conveying mechanism. The first ice storage box is arranged on the upper side of the ice making mechanism. The first ice storage box is provided with a first detection unit. The control method comprises the following steps: controlling the first detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box; if the first ice storage box is in an ice shortage state, controlling the ice making mechanism to start ice making; and if the ice making mechanism finishes ice making, controlling the ice conveying mechanism to convey the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box. According to the application, the ice conveying mechanism is used to convey the ice cubes to the first ice storage box, so that the first ice storage box can be arranged above the ice making mechanism, and then the ice storage box and the ice making mechanism can be arranged flexibly on the refrigerator. Moreover, the ice making mechanism and the ice conveying mechanism are controlled according to the state of the first ice storage box, so that the ice storage mode becomes simple.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of household appliances, in particular to a control method of a refrigerator and the refrigerator. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the continuous improvement of people's living standards, the refrigerator with automatic ice making function is favored by more and more consumers. Generally, after the ice maker makes ice cubes, the ice cubes in the ice box are poured into the lower ice storage box by the ice turning device for storage for use. When the ice cubes in the ice storage box accumulate to a certain height and are detected by the ice detecting rod in the ice maker, the ice maker stops working.

[0003] However, since the ice cubes in the ice box are poured into the lower ice storage box by the ice turning device in the current refrigerator, the ice storage box can only be arranged below the ice making mechanism. SUMMARY

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a control method of a refrigerator and the refrigerator, which can improve the problem that the ice storage box in the existing refrigerator can only be arranged below the ice making mechanism.

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a control method of a refrigerator, the refrigerator comprising a first ice storage box, an ice making mechanism and an ice conveying mechanism, the first ice storage box being arranged above the ice making mechanism, the first ice storage box being provided with a first detection unit, the control method comprising:

[0006] controlling the first detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box;

[0007] if the first ice storage box is in an ice shortage state, controlling the ice making mechanism to start ice making;

[0008] if the ice making is completed, controlling the ice conveying mechanism to convey the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

[0009] Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises a second ice storage box, the second ice storage box being arranged below the ice making mechanism, the second ice storage box being provided with a second detection unit, after the ice conveying mechanism conveys the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box, the control method further comprising:

[0010] controlling the first detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box;

[0011] if the first ice storage box is in the ice full state, controlling the second detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box;

[0012] if the second ice storage box is not in the ice full state, controlling the ice making mechanism to store the ice cubes into the second ice storage box.

[0013] If the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to stop making ice.

[0014] Optionally, the refrigerator comprises a dispenser which is movably connected with the first ice storage box and is used to output ice stored in the first ice storage box, and after the ice making mechanism is controlled to store ice cubes into the second ice storage box, the control method further comprises:

[0015] If it is detected that the dispenser outputs ice of the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, the ice conveying mechanism is controlled to convey ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

[0016] After a preset time, if the first ice storage box is in the full ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to store ice cubes into the second ice storage box.

[0017] Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises a second ice storage box which is arranged at the lower side of the ice making mechanism, the second ice storage box is provided with a second detection unit, the ice storage state further comprises an intermediate state, the ice amount in the intermediate state is greater than that in the empty ice state and less than that in the full ice state, and after the first detection unit is controlled to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box, the control method comprises:

[0018] The second detection unit is controlled to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box.

[0019] If the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the intermediate state or the full ice state, the ice conveying mechanism is controlled to convey ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

[0020] If the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the empty ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to store ice cubes into the second ice storage box.

[0021] If the first ice storage box is in the full ice state and the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to store ice cubes into the second ice storage box.

[0022] If the first ice storage box is in the full ice state and the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to stop making ice.

[0023] Optionally, the ice making mechanism comprises a first ice maker and a second ice maker, the first ice maker is arranged at a side close to the first ice storage box, and the second ice maker is arranged at a side away from the first ice storage box relative to the first ice maker, after the control of the second detection unit detecting the ice storage state of the second ice storage box, the control method comprises:

[0024] If at least one of the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box is in the empty ice state, the first ice maker and the second ice maker are controlled to make ice;

[0025] If the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, the first ice maker is controlled to make ice;

[0026] If the first ice storage box is in the full ice state and the second ice storage box is in the intermediate state, the second ice maker is controlled to make ice.

[0027] Optionally, after the control of the first ice maker and the second ice maker making ice, the control method further comprises:

[0028] If it is detected that the first ice maker and the second ice maker have completed ice making, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice made by the first ice maker to the first ice storage box, and the second ice maker is controlled to store the ice into the second ice storage box;

[0029] If it is detected that the first ice maker or the second ice maker has completed ice making, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice made by the first ice maker or the second ice maker to the first ice storage box.

[0030] Optionally, the ice transport mechanism comprises a lifting assembly, a carrier and an ice removing part, the lifting assembly drives the carrier to move between a first position and a second position, the ice removing part is arranged at the second position, and the control of the ice transport mechanism transporting the ice made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box comprises:

[0031] If it is detected that the ice making mechanism has completed ice making, the carrier is controlled to move to the first position;

[0032] The ice making mechanism is controlled to flip ice, so that the ice output by the ice making mechanism can be received by the carrier;

[0033] After the ice flipping pre-set time, the carrier is controlled to move to the second position, and the ice removing part is controlled to push the ice received by the carrier into the first ice storage box.

[0034] Optionally, the control method further comprises:

[0035] If it is detected that the first ice storage box is in the ice dispensing state, the movement of the carrier to the second position is controlled.

[0036] The application also provides a refrigerator, which comprises:

[0037] An ice making mechanism for making ice;

[0038] A first ice storage box, which is arranged on the upper side of the ice making mechanism, and is provided with a first detection unit for detecting the state of the first ice storage box;

[0039] An ice transporting mechanism for transporting the ice made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box;

[0040] If the first ice storage box is in the ice storage state, the ice transporting mechanism transports the ice made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

[0041] Optionally, the refrigerator further comprises a second ice storage box, which is arranged on the lower side of the ice making mechanism, and is provided with a second detection unit,

[0042] If the first ice storage box is in the ice storage state, the second detection unit detects the ice storage state of the second ice storage box;

[0043] If the second ice storage box is not in the ice storage state, the ice making mechanism stores the ice in the second ice storage box;

[0044] If the second ice storage box is in the ice storage state, the ice making mechanism stops making ice.

[0045] The application has the advantages that the control method of the refrigerator provided by the application is applied to a refrigerator, which comprises a first ice storage box, an ice making mechanism and an ice transporting mechanism. The first ice storage box is arranged on the upper side of the ice transporting mechanism, and is provided with a first detection unit. The state of the first ice storage box is detected by the first detection unit. When the first ice storage box is in the ice storage state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to start making ice, and after the ice making mechanism finishes making ice, the ice transporting mechanism is controlled to transport the ice to the first ice storage box. The ice transporting mechanism transports the ice to the first ice storage box, so that the first ice storage box can be arranged above the ice making mechanism, and the ice storage box and the ice making mechanism can be arranged flexibly on the refrigerator. The ice making mechanism and the ice transporting mechanism are controlled according to the state of the first ice storage box, so that the ice storage method is simple, and the ice making mechanism is prevented from making ice invalidly when the first ice storage box is in the ice storage state, thereby saving energy consumption. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0046] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments description will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without any creative effort on the basis of these drawings.

[0047] In order to more completely understand the present application and its beneficial effects, the following will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals represent the same parts.

[0048] Figure 1 The structural schematic diagram of the refrigerator provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0049] Figure 2 The front view of the refrigerator shown in Figure 1

[0050] Figure 3 The sectional view of the refrigerator shown in Figure 1

[0051] Figure 4 The structural schematic diagram of the first detection unit in the first ice storage box is shown.

[0052] Figure 5 The structural schematic diagram of the ice transport mechanism in the refrigerator shown in Figure 1

[0053] Figure 6 The flowchart of the control method of the refrigerator provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0054] Figure 7 The flowchart of the ice transport mechanism in the control method shown in Figure 1

[0055] Figure 8 The flowchart of the first control method with the second ice storage box in the control method shown in Figure 1

[0056] Figure 9 The flowchart of the second control method with the second ice storage box in the control method shown in Figure 1 Refrigerator 1, cabinet 11, cabinet door 12, refrigeration chamber 13, freezing chamber 14, ice making chamber 15, dispenser 16;

[0057] Ice making device 100;

[0058]

[0059] ​​​​​​The ice maker 10, the first ice storage box 20, the second ice storage box 30, the controller 40, the first detection unit 50, the second detection unit 60, the ice conveying mechanism 80;

[0060] The first ice inlet 210,

[0061] The first light emitting member 510, the first light receiving member 520;

[0062] The lifting assembly 810, the carrier 820;

[0063] The guide rail 811, the driving unit 812;

[0064] The ice conveying plate 821, the guardrail 822, the elastic member 823. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by a person skilled in the art without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0066] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second" are only for the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise explicitly and specifically limited.

[0067] In the prior art, the ice cubes in the ice box are poured into the ice storage box below by the ice turning device for storage, which results in that the ice storage box can only be arranged below the ice making mechanism, so that the arrangement positions of the ice storage box and the ice making mechanism in the refrigerator are relatively limited.

[0068] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a control method of a refrigerator and a refrigerator. The present application will be further described below in combination with the drawings and embodiments.

[0069] This application provides a refrigerator control method, which can be applied to refrigerators. The refrigerator in this application can be a double-door refrigerator, a single-door refrigerator, or a three-door refrigerator; this application does not limit the specific type.

[0070] Below, we will take the application of ice-making devices in refrigerators as an example to give a general explanation and description of refrigerators.

[0071] Please see Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 for Figure 1 The image shows a front view of the refrigerator after the door has been removed. Figure 3 for Figure 1 The image shows a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator along the AA direction. This application provides a refrigerator 1, which may include a body 11 and a door 12. The body 11 has refrigeration compartments such as a freezer compartment 14, a refrigerator compartment 13, or a wide-range variable temperature compartment. The door 12 is rotatably mounted on the body 11 to open or close the refrigeration compartments. The refrigerator 1 also includes an ice-making compartment 15 and an ice-making device 100 disposed within the ice-making compartment 15. The ice-making device 100 includes a first ice storage box 20, a second ice storage box 30, an ice maker 10, an ice conveying mechanism 80, and a controller 40. The ice maker 10 is used to make and output ice cubes. The first ice storage box 20 is disposed above the ice maker 10 and is equipped with a first detection unit 50 for detecting the ice storage status of the first ice storage box 20. The ice conveying mechanism 80 is used to transport at least a portion of the ice cubes discharged from the ice maker 10 to the first ice storage box 20.

[0072] Existing refrigerators suffer from limited ice storage capacity, resulting in insufficient ice supply when users require large quantities, leading to a poor user experience. Furthermore, when a refrigerator has multiple ice storage boxes, improper design can complicate ice storage. Therefore, the refrigerator provided in this embodiment includes a second ice storage box 30, positioned below the ice maker 10. By using the first ice storage box 20 and the second ice storage box 30, the refrigerator can store more ice. An ice conveying mechanism 80 transports the ice produced by the ice maker 10 to the upper first ice storage box 20, and gravity further transports the ice to the lower second ice storage box 30. This arrangement allows for more flexible placement of the ice maker 10, the first ice storage box 20, and the second ice storage box 30 on the refrigerator 1, increasing ice storage capacity without occupying space from other components, thus making efficient use of the refrigerator's space.

[0073] The first ice storage box 20 is arranged in the refrigerating chamber 13, the ice maker 10 is arranged in the refrigerating chamber 13 and adjacent to the freezing chamber 14, and the first ice storage box 20 is arranged above the ice maker 10. By arranging the ice maker 10 below the first ice storage box 20, the temperature below the first ice storage box 20 is lower due to the deposition of cold air from top to bottom, which is beneficial to faster ice making. In addition, since the first ice storage box 20 is arranged at a high position, the number of ice makers 10 in the space below the first ice storage box 20 can be increased to obtain more ice cubes.

[0074] The second ice storage box 30 is arranged on the lower side of the ice maker 10 in the direction of gravity, so that the ice cubes discharged by the ice maker 10 can fall into the second ice storage box 30 under the action of their own gravity. In some embodiments, the second ice storage box 30 is arranged in the freezing chamber 14 adjacent to the refrigerating chamber 13. It can be understood that, since the temperature in the freezing chamber 14 is extremely low, by arranging the second ice storage box 30 in the freezing chamber 14, the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 30 can be frozen and preserved by using the low temperature of the freezing chamber 14 itself, so as to prevent the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 30 from being melted and adhered to each other. At the same time, the ice maker 10 is arranged in the refrigerating chamber 13, so that the height of the second ice storage box 30 in the direction of gravity or the vertical direction can be made larger, so as to increase the ice storage capacity of the second ice storage box 30.

[0075] The second ice storage box 30 can include a drawer arranged in the freezing chamber 14, so that the user can take out the drawer from the freezing chamber 14 to take ice during use. Of course, the second ice storage box 30 can also be automatically discharged by a screw rod or the like, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0076] The second ice storage box 30 is provided with a second detection unit 60, the second detection unit 60 is connected with the controller 40, and the second detection unit 60 is used for detecting the ice storage state of the second ice storage box 30.

[0077] The first detection unit 50 and the second detection unit 60 can include at least one of an infrared sensor, a laser ranging sensor, and a weight sensor, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0078] In some embodiments, the first ice storage box 20 is provided with a first ice inlet 210, the first detection unit 50 includes a first light emitting element 510 and a first light receiving element 520, and the first light receiving element 520 is arranged at the end of the first ice storage box 20 close to the first ice inlet 210 and spaced apart from the first light emitting element 510.

[0079] The first light emitting member 510 is used for emitting light signal, and the first light receiving member 520 is used for receiving the light signal emitted by the first light emitting member 510. If the first light receiving member 520 does not receive the light signal after the first light emitting member 510 emits the light signal, it means that the light signal is blocked by the ice block, and the height of the ice block in the first ice storage box 20 has reached the designed full ice height, thereby determining that the first ice storage box 20 is in the full ice state. If the first light receiving member 520 can still receive the light signal after the first light emitting member 510 emits the light signal, it means that the light signal is not blocked by the ice block, that is, the height of the ice block in the first ice storage box 20 has not reached the designed full ice height, thereby determining that the first ice storage box 20 is not in the full ice state.

[0080] Please continue to refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 The first detection unit 50 can include multiple groups of first light emitting members 510 and first light receiving members 520. By arranging different groups of first light emitting members 510 and first light receiving members 520 at different positions on the first ice storage box, the first detection unit 50 can detect multiple ice storage states of the ice storage box. The specific positions are arranged according to actual conditions, and are not specifically limited here.

[0081] The ice conveying mechanism 80 can transport at least part of the ice blocks discharged from the ice maker 10 to the top of the ice making device 100, so that the parts inside the ice making device 100 can be more flexibly arranged, or the ice making device 100 can be flexibly installed at different positions on the refrigerator 1. For example, the first ice storage box 20 can be arranged above the ice maker 10. When the ice conveying mechanism 80 moves up to one side of the first ice storage box 20, the ice blocks discharged from the ice maker 10 can directly fall into the second ice storage box 30. When the ice conveying mechanism 80 moves down to the lower side of the ice maker 10, the ice blocks of the ice maker 10 can be discharged onto the ice conveying mechanism 80 and transported to the first ice storage box 20 by the ice conveying mechanism 80.

[0082] Please continue to refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 is Figure 1The structure of the ice transport mechanism in the refrigerator is shown in the schematic view. The ice transport mechanism 80 includes a lifting assembly 810, a carrier 820, and an ice discharging assembly (not shown in the figure). The lifting assembly 810 is installed on the outer shell (not shown in the figure), and the carrier 820 is in driving connection with the lifting assembly 810, so that the lifting assembly 810 can drive the carrier 820 to move between a first position and a second position in the direction of gravity. The ice maker 10 and the opening of the first ice storage box 20 are located between the first position and the second position, so that the carrier 820 can receive the ice blocks discharged from the ice maker 10 when the carrier 820 moves to the first position. The ice discharging assembly is arranged on the outer shell (not shown in the figure), the first ice storage box 20, or the carrier 820, and is used to push the ice blocks carried by the carrier 820 out of the first ice storage box 20 when the carrier 820 moves to the second position.

[0083] The lifting assembly 810 can be a lead screw transmission assembly, a gear and rack transmission assembly, a pneumatic cylinder, an oil cylinder, an electric push rod, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not limit the lifting assembly 810.

[0084] For example, the lifting assembly 810 can include a guide rail 811 and a driving unit 812. The guide rail 811 is installed on the outer shell, and the carrier 820 is slidingly installed on the guide rail 811. The driving unit 812 is in driving connection with the carrier 820, so that the carrier 820 moves between the first position and the second position.

[0085] Specifically, the lower end of the guide rail 811 is the first position, which is located on the lower side of the ice maker 10. The upper end of the guide rail 811 is the second position, which is located on the upper side of the ice maker 10. Therefore, when the carrier 820 moves to the first position, or when the carrier 820 moves to the lower side of the ice maker 10, the ice blocks discharged from the ice maker 10 can fall onto the carrier 820 under the action of gravity. Then, the carrier 820 can transport the ice blocks to the second position, so that the ice discharging assembly can push the ice blocks on the carrier 820 into the first ice storage box 20.

[0086] The structure of the guide rail 811 can be various, such as the guide rail 811 can be a straight guide rail 811 whose length direction is parallel to the direction of gravity. Of course, the guide rail 811 can also be an arc-shaped guide rail 811 or a spiral downward helical guide rail 811, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit the guide rail 811.

[0087] The installation mode of the guide rail 811 can be various. For example, the guide rail 811 can be detachably connected with the outer shell by clamping, screwing, magnetic attraction, etc.

[0088] Exemplarily, the guide rail 811 can be provided with a first pre-fixing structure and a first fastening structure. The side of the shell matched with the guide rail 811 is provided with a second pre-fixing structure and a second fastening structure. The first pre-fixing structure is connected with the second pre-fixing structure to pre-connect the guide rail 811 and the shell. The second fastening structure is configured to be matched with the position of the first fastening structure to realize the fixed connection of the guide rail 811 and the shell when the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure are pre-fixed.

[0089] It can be understood that, in the process of installing the guide rail 811, the cooperation of the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure can ensure that the guide rail 811 is not easy to deviate from the shell in the subsequent installation process, so that the guide rail 811 can be finally accurately installed and fixed.

[0090] The second pre-fixing structure can include a hook provided on the inner surface of the shell, and the first pre-fixing structure includes a hooking part such as a hook hole or a hook beam formed on the guide rail 811, so that the guide rail 811 can be hooked on the hook through the hooking part to realize pre-fixing.

[0091] Of course, in some other embodiments, the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure can be a pair of magnetically connected magnetic parts, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0092] The second fastening structure and the first fastening structure can both be screw holes, so that the guide rail 811 and the shell can be screw-fixed through fastening screws.

[0093] The driving unit 812 can be provided on the shell of the ice making device 100 and in transmission connection with the carrier 820, the driving unit 812 can also be provided on the guide rail 811 and in transmission connection with the carrier 820, the driving unit 812 can also be provided on the carrier 820 and in transmission connection with the guide rail 811 or the shell of the ice making device 100, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0094] The driving unit 812 can be composed of a first motor and a first gear and rack transmission assembly, a first screw rod transmission assembly or a first synchronous belt transmission assembly driven by the first motor, and then the first motor can drive the carrier 820 to slide through the first gear and rack transmission assembly, the first screw rod transmission assembly or the first synchronous belt transmission assembly. Of course, the driving unit 812 can also be a first electric push rod, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0095] The carrier 820 can include an ice transport plate 821 and a guard rail 822. The ice transport plate 821 is in sliding connection with the guide rail 811 and is used to carry ice blocks. The guard rail 822 is in sliding connection with the ice transport plate 821, so that the guard rail 822 can slide relative to the ice transport plate 821 along the direction of gravity. In turn, when the carrier 820 is under the second position, the guard rail 822 can slide to be at least partially on the upper side of the ice transport plate 821, so as to limit the ice blocks on the ice transport plate 821 from falling accidentally. When the carrier 820 moves to the second position, the guard rail 822 can slide to be on the lower side of the ice transport plate 821, so as to facilitate the ice removal assembly to push the ice blocks on the ice transport plate 821 out.

[0096] The carrier 820 can further include a resilient member 823. The resilient member 823 is arranged on the ice transport plate 821 and is connected with the guard rail 822, so as to drive the guard rail 822 to move upward relative to the ice transport plate 821 along the direction of gravity. The resilient member 823 can be a tension spring, a torsion spring or a compression spring, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0097] In the following, the control method of the refrigerator is taken as an example of the refrigerator to be controlled.

[0098] Please continue to refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 The flowchart of the control method of the refrigerator provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown. The refrigerator includes any of the above-described refrigerators, and the control method includes:

[0099] 101. Control the first detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box.

[0100] The first detection unit is controlled to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box. The state of the first ice storage box can be set as an empty ice state, a full ice state and an intermediate state between the empty ice state and the full ice state. It can be understood that the state of the first ice storage box can be set as multiple states according to actual conditions, and is not limited to the above examples.

[0101] 102. If the first ice storage box is in an ice-unfilled state, control the ice making mechanism to start ice making.

[0102] If it is detected that the first ice storage box is in an ice-unfilled state, the ice making mechanism can be controlled to start ice making. It can be understood that before starting the ice making mechanism, the current state of the ice making mechanism needs to be detected. If the ice making mechanism has already started ice making, this step can be ignored; if the ice making mechanism is in a state of stopping ice making, the ice making mechanism is controlled to start ice making.

[0103] 103. If the ice making mechanism completes ice making, control the ice transport mechanism to transport the ice blocks made by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

[0104] When the ice maker finishes making ice, the ice transport mechanism transports the ice to the first ice storage bin. The specific process of the ice transport mechanism transporting the ice to the first ice storage bin can be seen from Figure 7 , Figure 7 For Figure 1 The flowchart of the ice transport mechanism transporting ice to the first ice storage bin in the control method is shown.

[0105] 201. If it is detected that the ice making mechanism has finished making ice, the carrier is controlled to move to the first position.

[0106] The carrier is moved to the first position so that the carrier can receive the ice made by the ice making mechanism. The first position corresponds to the position of the ice making mechanism. In some embodiments, the ice making mechanism includes multiple ice makers, and the carrier can be moved to a first position corresponding to each ice maker. For example, the ice making mechanism includes a first ice maker and a second ice maker, and the carrier can be moved to a first position corresponding to the first ice maker, i.e., a first ice receiving position corresponding to the first ice maker, or to a first position corresponding to the second ice maker, i.e., a second ice receiving position corresponding to the second ice maker.

[0107] It should be noted that during the ice making process of the ice making mechanism, the carrier is in an initial position, which is between the first position and the second position. The initial position is mainly to protect the life of the elastic member of the guardrail in the ice transport mechanism. If the initial position coincides with the second position, the elastic member on the guardrail will be under stress for a long time, which may cause damage to the elastic member.

[0108] 202. The ice making mechanism is controlled to flip the ice so that the ice output by the ice making mechanism can be received by the carrier.

[0109] After the carrier is located at the first position, the ice making mechanism is controlled to flip the ice so that the ice output by the ice making mechanism can be received by the carrier.

[0110] 203. After the ice is flipped for a predetermined time, the carrier is controlled to move to the second position, and the ice receiving member is controlled to push the ice carried by the carrier into the first ice storage bin.

[0111] It should be noted that the ice is flipped and then stays for a predetermined time to ensure that all the ice is received by the carrier and to avoid some ice being stranded in the ice making mechanism. The specific number of the predetermined time can be set according to actual needs, and is not limited herein.

[0112] After the predetermined time, the carrier is moved to the second position, and the ice receiving member is controlled to push the ice carried by the carrier into the first ice storage bin.

[0113] The second position is located above the first ice storage bin to ensure that when the ice transport mechanism is raised to this position, the guardrail in the ice transport mechanism is in an open state, and the ice in the ice transport mechanism can fall smoothly into the first ice storage bin.

[0114] Please continue to refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 For Figure 1 the flowchart of the first control method with the second ice storage box in the control method shown in FIG. 1.

[0115] 301, control the first detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box.

[0116] 302, if the first ice storage box is in the full ice state, control the second detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box.

[0117] When the first ice storage box stores ice for a preset time, the state of the ice storage box is detected, and only when the first ice storage box is in the full ice state, the state of the second ice storage box is detected, so as to ensure that the first ice storage box is always in the full ice state.

[0118] 303, if the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, control the ice making mechanism to store ice cubes into the second ice storage box.

[0119] When the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, the ice cubes do not need to be transported to the first ice storage box by the ice transporting mechanism, that is, the carrier in the ice transporting mechanism is in the initial position, and only the ice cubes discharged by the ice making mechanism need to be dropped into the second ice storage box under the action of their own gravity.

[0120] 304, if the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, control the ice making mechanism to stop ice making.

[0121] When it is detected that the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, the controller controls the ice making mechanism to stop ice making. The embodiment of the application stores the ice cubes into the first ice storage box first, stores the ice cubes into the second ice storage box when the first ice storage box is full of ice, and controls the ice making mechanism to stop ice making when the second ice storage box is full of ice. In this way, the ice storage amount can be ensured, and the safety problem that the ice making mechanism continues to make ice without detection of the full ice state of the ice storage box can be prevented.

[0122] In other embodiments, during the ice storage process of the second ice storage box, if it is detected that the dispenser outputs the ice of the first ice storage box, and the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, the ice cubes made by the ice making mechanism are transported to the first ice storage box by the ice transporting mechanism; after a preset time, if the first ice storage box is in the full ice state, the ice cubes are stored into the second ice storage box by the ice making mechanism. Through this design, the first ice storage box can be ensured to be in the full ice state, and the user can take ice from the dispenser.

[0123] Please continue to refer to Figure 9 , Figure 9 For Figure 1 the flowchart of the second control method with the second ice storage box in the control method shown in FIG. 1.

[0124] 401、controlling the second detecting unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box.

[0125] After the first detecting unit detects the ice storage state of the first ice storage box, the second detecting unit is also controlled to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box, i.e. the ice storage state of the first ice storage box and the ice storage state of the second ice storage box are acquired at the same time.

[0126] 402、if the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the intermediate state or the full ice state, the ice conveying mechanism is controlled to convey the ice cubes manufactured by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

[0127] If the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, the ice conveying mechanism is controlled to convey the ice cubes manufactured by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

[0128] If the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the intermediate state, the ice conveying mechanism is controlled to convey the ice cubes manufactured by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box according to the control rule of the first ice storage box priority. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the control rule of the second ice storage box priority can also be set, for example, if the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the intermediate state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to store the ice cubes into the second ice storage box according to the control rule of the second ice storage box priority. The specific priority setting can be set according to the actual situation, which is not limited here.

[0129] 403、if the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the empty ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to store the ice cubes into the second ice storage box.

[0130] If the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the empty ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to store the ice cubes into the second ice storage box, so as to avoid the situation that the second ice storage box has no ice when the user needs a large amount of ice.

[0131] 404、if the first ice storage box is in the full ice state and the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to store the ice cubes into the second ice storage box.

[0132] 405、if the first ice storage box is in the full ice state and the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to stop ice making.

[0133] If the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box are both in the full ice state, the ice making mechanism is controlled to stop ice making, so as to prevent excessive ice making.

[0134] In some embodiments, the ice making mechanism comprises a first ice maker and a second ice maker, the first ice maker is arranged at a side close to the first ice storage box, and the second ice maker is arranged at a side of the first ice maker away from the first ice storage box. After the control of the second detection unit detects the ice storage state of the second ice storage box, the control method comprises:

[0135] If at least one of the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box is in the empty ice state, the first ice maker and the second ice maker are controlled to make ice. By controlling the two ice makers to make ice at the same time, the ice making speed can be accelerated, and the situation that there is no ice when the user needs to take ice can be avoided.

[0136] Wherein, after controlling the first ice maker and the second ice maker to make ice, the control method further comprises the following process. For example, in some embodiments, if it is detected that the first ice maker and the second ice maker have completed ice making, the ice blocks made by the first ice maker are transported to the first ice storage box by the ice transporting mechanism, and the ice blocks are stored in the second ice storage box by the second ice maker. By transporting the ice blocks made by the first ice maker to the first ice storage box which is closer, and dropping the ice blocks made by the second ice maker into the second ice storage box which is closer, the transportation speed of the ice blocks is reduced, the storage speed of the ice blocks is accelerated, and the transportation routes of the ice blocks do not interfere with each other. In other embodiments, if it is detected that the first ice maker or the second ice maker has completed ice making, the ice blocks made by the first ice maker or the second ice maker are transported to the first ice storage box by the ice transporting mechanism. According to the priority of the first ice storage box, whether the first ice maker or the second ice maker completes ice making, the ice blocks are transported to the first ice storage box.

[0137] If the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, the first ice maker is controlled to make ice. Since the first ice storage box is in the not full ice state, the first ice maker which is closer to the first ice storage box is controlled to make ice, so as to reduce the ice transporting distance and further reduce the energy consumption.

[0138] If the first ice storage box is in the full ice state and the second ice storage box is in the intermediate state, the second ice maker is controlled to make ice. Since the second ice storage box is in the not full ice state, the second ice maker which is closer to the second ice storage box is controlled to make ice, so as to reduce the ice transporting distance and further reduce the energy consumption.

[0139] It should be noted that if it is detected that the first ice storage box is in the ice taking state, the carrier is controlled to move to the second position. In this way, the carrier can prevent some ice blocks from falling out of the first ice storage box during the ice taking process.

[0140] Please refer to Figure 1In order to facilitate the user to take ice and / or to take water, the refrigerator 1 can further comprise a dispenser 16. The dispenser 16 is mounted on the cabinet door 12, and is connected with the water supply device and can output the water supplied by the water supply device. The dispenser 16 is also movably connected with the ice making device 100 and can output the ice supplied by the ice making device 100. Therefore, the user can directly take water, take ice or take both ice and water through the dispenser 16 on the cabinet door 12 without opening the refrigerating chamber. It can also be understood that the water in the dispenser 16 is supplied by the water supply device, and the water supply device is arranged in the refrigerating chamber and is pre-cooled. Therefore, the user can directly take ice water (i.e. liquid water with a lower temperature but not yet in a frozen state) through the dispenser 16.

[0141] The dispenser 16 can rotate with the cabinet door 12 to be connected with or separated from the ice outlet 112 of the housing, so that the ice made by the ice making device 100 can be discharged into the dispenser 16 for the user to obtain.

[0142] The control method of the refrigerator and the refrigerator provided by the embodiments of the present application are described in detail above. The principles and implementation manners of the present application are described by applying specific examples in this paper, and the above description of the embodiments is only used to help understand the present application. Meanwhile, for those skilled in the art, the specific implementation manners and application ranges can be changed according to the idea of the present application. In summary, the content of the specification should not be understood as a limitation of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a refrigerator, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment. The refrigerator includes a first ice storage box, an ice-making mechanism, and an ice-discharging mechanism. The first ice storage box is disposed above the ice-making mechanism and has a first detection unit. The first ice storage box is disposed within the refrigerator compartment. The ice-making mechanism is disposed within the refrigerator compartment and adjacent to the freezer compartment. The control method includes: The first detection unit is controlled to detect the ice storage status of the first ice storage box; If the first ice storage box is not full of ice, then control the ice-making mechanism to start making ice; Once the ice-making mechanism has finished making ice, the ice-transporting mechanism is controlled to transport the ice blocks made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box. The refrigerator further includes a second ice storage box, which is disposed below the ice-making mechanism. The second ice storage box is equipped with a second detection unit. After the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice blocks produced by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box, the second ice storage box is disposed in the freezer compartment and adjacent to the refrigerator compartment. The control method further includes: The first detection unit is controlled to detect the ice storage status of the first ice storage box; If the first ice storage box is in the full ice state, then control the second detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box; If the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, the ice-making mechanism is controlled to store ice blocks into the second ice storage box; If the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, then control the ice-making mechanism to stop making ice; The ice-making mechanism includes a first ice maker and a second ice maker. The first ice maker is located on the side closer to the first ice storage box, and the second ice maker is located on the side of the first ice maker away from the first ice storage box. After the second detection unit detects the ice storage status of the second ice storage box, the control method includes: If at least one of the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box is empty, then both the first ice maker and the second ice maker are controlled to make ice. If the first ice storage box is in the middle state and the second ice storage box is full of ice, then control the first ice maker to make ice. If the first ice storage box is full of ice and the second ice storage box is in an intermediate state, then control the second ice maker to make ice. After controlling both the first ice maker and the second ice maker to produce ice, the control method further includes: If both the first ice maker and the second ice maker have completed ice making, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice produced by the first ice maker to the first ice storage box, and the second ice maker is controlled to store the ice in the second ice storage box. If the first ice maker or the second ice maker is detected to have completed ice making, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice blocks produced by the first ice maker or the second ice maker to the first ice storage box.

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes a dispenser movably connected to the first ice storage box for dispensing ice stored in the first ice storage box. After the ice-making mechanism stores ice into the second ice storage box, the control method further includes: If it is detected that the dispenser outputs ice from the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box is not full of ice, then the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice blocks produced by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box. After a preset time, if the first ice storage box is full of ice, the ice-making mechanism is controlled to store ice blocks into the second ice storage box.

3. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerator further includes a second ice storage box, which is disposed below the ice-making mechanism. The second ice storage box is equipped with a second detection unit. The ice storage state also includes an intermediate state, wherein the amount of ice in the intermediate state is greater than the amount of ice in the empty ice state but less than the amount of ice in the full ice state. After controlling the first detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box, the control method includes: The second detection unit is controlled to detect the ice storage status of the second ice storage box; If the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state, and the second ice storage box is in the intermediate state or the full ice state, then the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice blocks produced by the ice making mechanism to the first ice storage box. If the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the empty ice state, then the ice-making mechanism is controlled to store ice blocks into the second ice storage box. If the first ice storage box is in the full ice state and the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, then control the ice-making mechanism to store ice blocks into the second ice storage box; If both the first and second ice storage boxes are in the full ice state, the ice-making mechanism is controlled to stop making ice.

4. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice transport mechanism includes a lifting component, a carrier, and an ice-removing component. The lifting component drives the carrier to move between a first position and a second position. The ice-removing component is disposed at the second position. Controlling the ice transport mechanism to transport the ice blocks produced by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box includes: If the ice-making mechanism is detected to have completed ice-making, the vehicle is controlled to move to the first position; Control the ice-making mechanism to tumble the ice so that the ice blocks output by the ice-making mechanism can be received by the vehicle; After a preset ice-turning time, the vehicle is controlled to move to the second position, and the de-icing component is controlled to push the ice blocks carried by the vehicle into the first ice storage box.

5. The control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The control method further includes: If the first ice storage box is detected to be discharging ice, the vehicle is controlled to move to the second position.

6. A refrigerator, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment. It also includes a first ice storage box, an ice-making mechanism, and an ice-discharging mechanism. The first ice storage box is located above the ice-making mechanism and has a first detection unit. The first ice storage box is located within the refrigerator compartment, and the ice-making mechanism is located within the refrigerator compartment and adjacent to the freezer compartment. The refrigerator further includes a second ice storage box located below the ice-making mechanism and has a second detection unit. The second ice storage box is located within the freezer compartment and adjacent to the refrigerator compartment. The ice-making mechanism includes a first ice maker and a second ice maker. The first ice maker is located on the side closer to the first ice storage box, and the second ice maker is located on the side of the first ice maker away from the first ice storage box. The refrigerator is used for: The first detection unit is controlled to detect the ice storage status of the first ice storage box; If the first ice storage box is not full of ice, then control the ice-making mechanism to start making ice; Once the ice-making mechanism has finished making ice, the ice-transporting mechanism is controlled to transport the ice blocks made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box. The first detection unit is controlled to detect the ice storage status of the first ice storage box; If the first ice storage box is in the full ice state, then control the second detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box; If the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, the ice-making mechanism is controlled to store ice blocks into the second ice storage box; If the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, then control the ice-making mechanism to stop making ice; After the second detection unit detects the ice storage status of the second ice storage box, the refrigerator is further configured to: If at least one of the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box is empty, then both the first ice maker and the second ice maker are controlled to make ice. If the first ice storage box is in the middle state and the second ice storage box is full of ice, then control the first ice maker to make ice. If the first ice storage box is full of ice and the second ice storage box is in an intermediate state, then control the second ice maker to make ice. After the first and second ice makers are both controlled to make ice, the refrigerator is further used for: If both the first ice maker and the second ice maker have completed ice making, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice produced by the first ice maker to the first ice storage box, and the second ice maker is controlled to store the ice in the second ice storage box. If the first ice maker or the second ice maker is detected to have completed ice making, the ice transport mechanism is controlled to transport the ice blocks produced by the first ice maker or the second ice maker to the first ice storage box.

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