A control method for timing dumping of defrost water in air curtain cabinet

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of refrigeration equipment, and specifically relates to a method for controlling the timed dumping of defrost water in an air curtain cabinet. The method comprises: disposing a liftable return air damper on the outside of the return air inlet of the air curtain cabinet, and disposing a weight sensor under the water receiving box; presetting the defrost water dumping cycle and the defrost water weight threshold within each dumping cycle in the control system, and setting multiple monitoring time points within each dumping cycle; first, moving the liftable return air damper to a preset reference height; then, starting a timer to time the dumping cycle, reading the actual weight of the defrost water at each monitoring time point to compare it with its theoretical weight, and determining the difference between the actual weight cycle change rate of the defrost water and the theoretical weight cycle change rate, so as to automatically adjust the height of the liftable return air damper and achieve control of the defrost water weight within each dumping cycle. The present invention solves the problem of users having to frequently check whether the water receiving box is full, and achieves the timed dumping of defrost water in the air curtain cabinet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of refrigeration equipment, and particularly relates to a control method for timing dumping of defrost water in an air curtain cabinet. Background Art

[0002] Air curtain cabinets, also known as cold air cabinets, are primarily used for low-temperature refrigeration of food, beverages, and medicines, and are commonly found in supermarkets, restaurants, and laboratories. Existing air curtain cabinets have an opening directly facing the outside environment, with a return air vent located below the opening. During operation, the return air vent draws in large amounts of hot, humid air, a major factor in the production of excessive amounts of defrost water within the cabinet. Most existing air curtain cabinets incorporate internal water collection devices, such as a water collection box, to collect the defrost water. This requires users to frequently check that the water collection box is full. Failure to promptly empty the water box can result in defrost water overflowing from the cabinet, posing a safety hazard. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the deficiencies in the related art, the present invention provides a control method for the timed dumping of defrost water in an air curtain cabinet, aiming to solve the trouble of users having to frequently check whether the water receiving box is full, and to achieve the timed dumping of defrost water in the air curtain cabinet.

[0004] The present invention provides a method for controlling the timed dumping of defrost water in an air curtain cabinet, which is applicable to the air curtain cabinet. The air curtain cabinet includes a control system, a cabinet body, a liftable return air damper, a water receiving box, a weight sensor, and a timer and an alarm provided on the cabinet body. The liftable return air damper is installed outside the return air outlet of the cabinet body and can be raised and lowered under the control of the control system. The weight sensor is provided below the water receiving box and is used to detect the actual weight of the defrost water in the water receiving box in real time. The control system is electrically connected to the weight sensor to read detection information from the weight sensor. The control system is also electrically connected to the timer and the alarm.

[0005] The control method for timing dumping of defrost water in air curtain cabinet includes:

[0006] S1. Preset the defrost water dumping cycle T in the control system and the defrost water weight threshold M in the water receiving box within each defrost water dumping cycle T; set multiple monitoring time points T in sequence within the defrost water dumping cycle T. (i) , where i = 1, 2, ..., n;

[0007] S2. Move the liftable return air damper to its top surface height H and reach the preset reference height H. B ;

[0008] S3, start the timer, reset it to zero, and then start timing a defrost water dumping cycle T; when the timer reaches the monitoring time point T (i) When the control system reads the actual weight of the defrost water detected by the weight sensor G R(i), and compare it with its theoretical weight G B(i) for comparison;

[0009] If G R(i) ≤G B(i) , then further determine the actual weight cycle change rate VG of the defrost water R(i) and the size of its theoretical weight cycle change rate VG B ; if VG R(i) ≤VG B , keep the current height of the lifting return air baffle unchanged; if VG R(i) >VG B , raise the lifting return air baffle, and the raising amount is a preset lead control increment ΔH1;

[0010] If G B(i) <G R(i) <M, then further determine the actual weight cycle change rate VG of the defrost water R(i) and the size of its theoretical weight cycle change rate VG B ; if VG R(i) <VG B , raise the lifting return air baffle, and the raising amount is a preset energy-saving control increment ΔH2; if VG R(i) ≥VG B , raise the lifting return air baffle, and the raising amount is a preset conventional control increment ΔH3;

[0011] If G R(i) ≥M, the alarm gives an alarm for abnormal overweight of defrost water;

[0012] S4. Keep timing, execute step S3 until the timer reaches the defrost water dumping period T, and the alarm gives an alarm for timed dumping of defrost water.

[0013] In some embodiments, the theoretical weight G B(i) is calculated according to formula (1), the actual weight cycle change rate VG of the defrost water R(i) is calculated according to formula (2), and the theoretical weight cycle change rate VG of the defrost water B is calculated according to formula (3),

[0014]

[0015]

[0016]

[0017] In some embodiments, the value of the defrost water weight threshold M in the water receiving box within each defrost water dumping period T is 90%-98% of the maximum amount of defrost water that the water receiving box can hold.

[0018] In some embodiments, the advance control increment ΔH1 and the energy-saving control increment ΔH2 are both smaller than the normal control increment ΔH3 .

[0019] In some embodiments, step S1 further includes presetting a baffle height threshold H in the control system. max Step S3 also includes, the control system obtains the top surface height H of the lift return air damper after each rise according to the number of times the lift return air damper is raised and the amount of rise each time; if the top surface height H of the lift return air damper is greater than the damper height threshold H max , the alarm will issue an alarm that the baffle height exceeds the limit.

[0020] In some embodiments, an infrared detector is provided at the middle of the top surface of the lifting return air damper, and the infrared detector is electrically connected to the control system; step S3 further includes:

[0021] When the infrared detector detects that a user is approaching the liftable return air damper, the liftable return air damper descends until its top surface height H reaches the preset reference height H. B Then, when the infrared detector detects that the user has moved away from the liftable return air damper, the liftable return air damper rises to its top surface height H and returns to the height before it fell.

[0022] Based on the above technical solution, the control method for timed dumping of defrost water in the air curtain cabinet in the embodiment of the present invention, by setting a lifting return air baffle at the return air inlet and a weight sensor under the water receiving box, enables the control system to automatically adjust the height of the lifting return air baffle according to the actual weight of the defrost water in the water receiving box at each monitoring time point and the actual weight cycle change rate, so as to control the amount of hot and humid air sucked in by the return air inlet, and further realize the control of the defrost water weight in each dumping cycle, solves the trouble of users having to frequently check whether the water receiving box is full, and realizes the timed dumping of defrost water in the air curtain cabinet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of this application. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0024] Figure 1 This is a basic structural diagram of the air curtain cabinet in the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a second schematic diagram of the basic structure of the air curtain cabinet in the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 The present invention is a flow chart of a method for controlling the timing dumping of defrost water in an air curtain cabinet.

[0027] In the figure: 1. Cabinet; 11. Return air outlet; 12. Liftable return air baffle; 13. Water collection box; 14. Infrared detector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following will provide a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "front", "back", "vertical", "horizontal", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0030] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they may refer to direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediary, or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0031] The control method for timing dumping of defrost water in air curtain cabinets of the present invention is applicable to Figure 1-Figure 2 The air curtain cabinet shown in FIG. The air curtain cabinet includes a control system, a cabinet body 1, a lifting return air damper 12, a water receiving box 13, a weight sensor, and a timer and an alarm arranged on the cabinet body 1.

[0032] The front of the air curtain cabinet body 1 has an opening, and a return air vent 11 is provided on the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the cabinet body 1 below the opening. A liftable return air baffle 12 is installed on the outside of the return air vent 11 of the cabinet body 1, and its extended length is equal to the width of the opening. The liftable return air baffle 12 can be raised and lowered along the height direction of the air curtain cabinet under the control of the control system; the top surface height H of the liftable return air baffle 12 is always higher than the height H0 of the surface where the return air vent 11 is located, so as to reduce the amount of hot and humid air sucked into the return air vent 11 from the outside, thereby reducing the amount of defrost water generated in the air curtain cabinet, and also reducing the heat load and power consumption of the air curtain cabinet.

[0033] The water receiving box 13 is installed in the lower space of the cabinet body 1 to receive the defrost water produced in the air curtain cabinet. A weight sensor is set under the water receiving box 13 to detect the actual weight of the defrost water in the water receiving box 13 in real time.

[0034] The control system is electrically connected to the weight sensor to read the real-time detection information of the weight sensor. The control system is also electrically connected to the timer and the alarm to control the actions of the timer and the alarm respectively.

[0035] like Figure 3 As shown, the control method for timing dumping of defrost water in air curtain cabinet includes the following steps:

[0036] S1. Preset the defrost water dumping cycle T in the control system and the defrost water weight threshold M in the water receiving box 13 within each defrost water dumping cycle T; set multiple monitoring time points T in sequence within the defrost water dumping cycle T. () , where i = 1, 2, ..., n;

[0037] It is understandable that the defrost water dumping cycle T can be set according to user needs, such as 8 hours, 12 hours or 24 hours, etc., and the present invention does not make specific limitations on this. The defrost water weight threshold M in the water receiving box 13 within each defrost water dumping cycle T is related to the capacity of the water receiving box 13 and will not exceed the maximum weight of defrost water that the water receiving box 13 can accommodate. The monitoring time points T are monitored pairwise. () The time interval can be half an hour, 1 hour or 2 hours or other, which is not specifically limited in the present invention;

[0038] S2. Under the control of the control system, move the liftable return air damper 12 to its top surface height H to reach the preset reference height H. B It should be noted that the preset reference height H B The height H0 is higher than the surface where the return air outlet 11 is located, and is the maximum height that can meet the need for direct access to the bottom of the inner cavity of the cabinet 1; that is, the preset reference height H B It cannot be too high, otherwise it will affect the direct placement of goods at the bottom of the cabinet 1, but it cannot be too low, otherwise it will not effectively reduce the suction volume of the return air outlet 11.

[0039] S3. Under the control of the control system, the timer is started and reset to zero. Then the timer starts to count a defrost water pouring cycle T. It is understandable that before the timing starts, the defrost water in the water receiving box 13 is emptied. After the timing starts, when the timer reaches the monitoring time point T () When the control system reads the actual weight G of the defrost water in the water receiving box 13 detected by the weight sensor, R(i) , and its theoretical weight G B(i) Make comparisons;

[0040] If G R(i) ≤G B(i) , it indicates that the actual weight of the defrost water in the water receiving box 13 at this monitoring time point does not exceed the theoretical weight; further judge the periodic change rate VG of the actual weight of the defrost water R(i) and its theoretical weight periodic change rate VG B ; if VG R(i) ≤VG b , it indicates that the change trend of the actual weight of the defrost water is not greater than the change trend of the theoretical weight, and the entrainment volume of the return air inlet 11 is relatively stable, then the current height of the lifting return air baffle 12 can be kept unchanged; if VG R(i) >VG B , it indicates that the change trend of the actual weight of the defrost water is greater than the change trend of the theoretical weight, and the entrainment volume of the return air inlet 11 may increase, then the lifting return air baffle 12 can be raised to perform predictive and advanced control on its height, and the raising amount is a preset advanced control increment ΔH1;

[0041] If G B(i) <G R(i) <M, it indicates that the actual weight of the defrost water in the water receiving box 13 at this monitoring time point exceeds the theoretical weight but does not exceed the weight threshold of the defrost water in the water receiving box 13 within each defrost water dumping cycle T; further judge the periodic change rate VG of the actual weight of the defrost water R(i) and its theoretical weight periodic change rate VG B ; if VG R(i) <VG B , it indicates that the change trend of the actual weight of the defrost water is less than the change trend of the theoretical weight, and the entrainment volume of the return air inlet 11 is relatively stable, then the lifting return air baffle 12 can be raised to perform prospective energy-saving control on its height, and the raising amount is a preset energy-saving control increment ΔH2; if VG R(i) ≥VG B , it indicates that the change trend of the actual weight of the defrost water is not less than the change trend of the theoretical weight, and the entrainment volume of the return air inlet 11 may increase, then the lifting return air baffle 12 can be raised, and the raising amount is a preset conventional control increment ΔH3;

[0042] If G R(i) ≥M, it indicates that the actual weight of the defrost water in the water receiving box 13 at this monitoring time point exceeds the weight threshold of the defrost water in the water receiving box 13 within each defrost water dumping cycle T, then the alarm issues an alarm of abnormal overweight of the defrost water to prompt the user to intervene and check; the inspection content includes but is not limited to whether there are working failures in each component of the air curtain cabinet, etc.; if there are no other abnormal failures, the preset value of the defrost water dumping cycle T can be reduced or the preset value of the weight threshold M of the defrost water in the water receiving box 13 within each defrost water dumping cycle T can be increased;

[0043] S4. The timer continues to count, and step S3 is continued under the control of the control system until the timer reaches the defrost water dumping period T. The alarm sounds an alarm for the timed dumping of defrost water, prompting the user to take out the water receiving box 13 to dump the defrost water.

[0044] In the above-mentioned schematic embodiment, by setting the lifting return air baffle 12 at the return air inlet 11 and the weight sensor under the water receiving box 13, the control system can automatically adjust the height of the lifting return air baffle 12 according to the actual weight of the defrost water in the water receiving box 13 at each monitoring time point and the actual weight cycle change rate, so as to control the amount of hot and humid air sucked in by the return air inlet 11, and further realize the control of the defrost water weight in each dumping cycle.

[0045] In some embodiments, the theoretical weight G B(i) According to formula (1),

[0046]

[0047] Defrost water actual weight cycle change rate VG R(i) Calculate according to formula (2), that is, calculate the change trend based on the actual weight of defrost water at the current monitoring time point and the previous monitoring time point.

[0048]

[0049] Defrosting water theoretical weight cycle change rate VG B According to formula (3),

[0050]

[0051] In some embodiments, the value of the defrost water weight threshold M in the water receiving box 13 during each defrost water dumping cycle T is 90%-98% of the maximum defrost water weight that the water receiving box 13 can accommodate. This setting is intended to reserve a certain control margin on the basis of fully utilizing the capacity of the water receiving box 13, in order to prevent the defrost water from being lost at the last monitoring time point T. (n) In the short period until the end of the defrost water dumping cycle T, if the weight of the defrost water increases sharply and overflows the water receiving box 13, this arrangement can also prevent the defrost water from being easily spilled when the user takes out the water receiving box 13 containing the defrost water.

[0052] In some embodiments, the advance control increment ΔH1 and the energy-saving control increment ΔH2 are both smaller than the conventional control increment ΔH3. This exemplary embodiment achieves different settings for the lift amount of the liftable return air damper 12 under different actual defrost water weights and actual weight periodic change rates.

[0053] like Figure 3As shown, in some embodiments, step S1 further includes presetting a baffle height threshold H in the control system. max , in order to limit the maximum value of the top surface height of the lifting return air damper 12. Step S3 also includes the control system according to the number of times the lifting return air damper 12 is raised and the amount of each rise, combined with the preset reference height H of the top surface of the lifting return air damper 12 B , the top surface height H of the lifting return air damper 12 after each rise can be obtained by calculation; if the top surface height H of the lifting return air damper 12 is greater than the damper height threshold H max , the alarm will issue an alarm that the baffle height exceeds the limit, prompting the user to intervene and check; the inspection content includes but is not limited to whether there are any working faults in the various components of the air curtain cabinet; if there are no other abnormal faults, the preset value of the defrost water dumping cycle T can be reduced or the preset value of the defrost water weight threshold M in the water receiving box 13 within each defrost water dumping cycle T can be increased, or a water receiving box 13 with a larger capacity can be replaced.

[0054] like Figure 1 、 Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, an infrared detector 14 is provided at the middle of the top surface of the liftable return air damper 12, and the infrared detector 14 is electrically connected to the control system; it is understandable that the infrared detector 14 can use infrared sensing technology to detect whether a user is approaching the liftable return air damper 12. Therefore, step S3 also includes,

[0055] When the infrared detector 14 detects that a user is approaching the liftable return air damper 12, it sends a signal to the control system. Under the control of the control system, the liftable return air damper 12 descends until its top surface height H reaches the preset reference height H. B Then, when the infrared detector 14 detects that the user has moved away from the liftable return air baffle 12, it sends a signal to the control system. Under the control of the control system, the liftable return air baffle 12 rises to its top surface height H and returns to the height before it falls.

[0056] In the above exemplary embodiment, the infrared detector 14 is provided so that the liftable return air baffle 12 can automatically descend when a user approaches, making it convenient for the user to take and place goods at the bottom layer of the inner cavity of the cabinet 1 .

[0057] To sum up, the control method for timed dumping of defrost water in air curtain cabinets of the present invention sets a lifting return air baffle 12 at the return air inlet 11 and sets a weight sensor under the water receiving box 13, so that the control system can automatically adjust the height of the lifting return air baffle 12 according to the actual weight of the defrost water in the water receiving box 13 and the actual weight periodic change rate at each monitoring time point, thereby controlling the amount of hot and humid air sucked in by the return air inlet 11, and further realizing the control of the defrost water weight in each dumping cycle, solving the trouble of users having to frequently check whether the water receiving box is full, realizing the timed dumping of defrost water in air curtain cabinets, and eliminating safety hazards.

[0058] Finally, it should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0059] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, persons skilled in the art should understand that the specific implementation methods of the present invention may still be modified or some technical features may be replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all of these should fall within the scope of the technical solutions claimed for protection by the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the timing dumping of defrost water in an air curtain cabinet, applicable to the air curtain cabinet, characterized in that: The air curtain cabinet includes a control system, a cabinet body, a liftable return air damper, a water collection box, a weight sensor, and a timer and an alarm provided on the cabinet body. The liftable return air damper is installed on the outer side of the return air outlet of the cabinet body and can be raised and lowered under the control of the control system. The weight sensor is provided under the water collection box and is used to detect the actual weight of the defrost water in the water collection box in real time. The control system is electrically connected to the weight sensor to read the detection information of the weight sensor. The control system is also electrically connected to the timer and the alarm respectively. The control method for timing dumping of defrost water in the air curtain cabinet includes: S1. Preset a defrost water dumping cycle T in the control system and a defrost water weight threshold M in the water receiving box within each defrost water dumping cycle T; sequentially set multiple monitoring time points T within the defrost water dumping cycle T. (i) , where i = 1, 2, ..., n; S2. Move the liftable return air baffle to a preset reference height H at its top surface height H. B ; S3, start the timer, reset it to zero, and then start timing a defrost water dumping cycle T; when the timer reaches the monitoring time point T (i) When the control system reads the actual weight of the defrost water detected by the weight sensor G R(i) , and its theoretical weight G B(i) Make comparisons; If G R(i) ≤G B(i) , then further determine the actual weight cycle change rate of defrost water VG R(i) Its theoretical weight cycle change rate VG B The size of VG R(i) ≤VG B , then keep the current height of the lifting return air damper unchanged; if VG R(i) >VG B , then the liftable return air damper is raised by a preset advance control increment ΔH1; If G B(i) <G R(i) <M, then further determine the actual periodic change rate of the defrost water weight VG R(i) Its theoretical weight cycle change rate VG B The size of VG R(i) <VG B , then the liftable return air damper is raised by a preset energy-saving control increment ΔH2; if VG R(i) ≥VG B , then the liftable return air damper is raised by a preset conventional control increment ΔH3; If G R(i) ≥M, the alarm device will issue an alarm indicating that the defrost water is abnormally overweight; S4. Continuously timing and executing step S3 until the timer reaches the defrost water dumping period T, and the alarm device issues an alarm for the timed dumping of defrost water.

2. The control method for timing dumping of defrost water in air curtain cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The theoretical weight G B(i) According to formula (1), the actual weight periodic change rate of the defrost water VG is calculated as R(i) According to formula (2), the theoretical weight cycle change rate of defrost water VG is calculated as follows: B According to formula (3), 3. The control method for timing dumping of defrost water in air curtain cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The value of the defrost water weight threshold M in the water receiving box within each defrost water dumping cycle T is 90%-98% of the maximum weight of the defrost water that the water receiving box can accommodate.

4. The method for controlling the timing dumping of defrost water in an air curtain cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The advance control increment ΔH1 and the energy-saving control increment ΔH2 are both smaller than the normal control increment ΔH3.

5. The control method for timing dumping of defrost water in an air curtain cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step S1 also includes presetting a baffle height threshold H in the control system. max ; The step S3 further includes the control system obtaining the top surface height H of the liftable return air damper after each rise according to the number of times the liftable return air damper is raised and the amount of rise during each rise; if the top surface height H of the liftable return air damper is greater than the damper height threshold H max , the alarm device issues an alarm that the baffle height exceeds the limit.

6. The method for controlling the timing dumping of defrost water in an air curtain cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: An infrared detector is provided at the middle of the top surface of the lifting return air baffle, and the infrared detector is electrically connected to the control system; the step S3 also includes: When the infrared detector detects that a user is approaching the liftable return air baffle, the liftable return air baffle descends until its top surface height H reaches the preset reference height H. B Then, when the infrared detector detects that the user has moved away from the liftable return air baffle, the liftable return air baffle rises to its top surface height H and returns to the height before it fell.

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