Refrigerator with independent ice evaporator

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigerator with an independent ice-making evaporator, comprising: an ice-making compartment, an ice storage box arranged in the ice-making compartment, and an ice quantity detection module; a refrigeration system comprising a solenoid valve for controlling the flow direction of a refrigerant; and a control module, which is configured to: when receiving an ice-making function on-signal, control the compressor to start, if the current temperature of the storage compartment is greater than a first preset temperature, and the temperature of the ice-making compartment is greater than a second preset temperature, if the ice quantity in the ice storage box is less than a preset value, control the solenoid valve to first open the second refrigerant branch, and when it is monitored that the temperature of the ice-making compartment reaches a preset ice-making refrigeration system shutdown temperature, control the solenoid valve to close the second refrigerant branch.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of household appliances, in particular to a refrigerator with an independent ice-making evaporator. Background Art

[0002] In order to meet the diverse needs of users, some refrigerators are provided with an ice-making compartment, in which an ice-making device is installed. In addition, in order to prevent the cold air from the storage compartment from entering the ice-making compartment and causing the ice cubes to have a strange smell, some refrigerators are provided with an independent ice-making evaporator for supplying cold air to the ice-making compartment. The independent ice-making evaporator often shares a compressor with the cabinet evaporator for supplying cold air to the storage compartment.

[0003] When the refrigerator is operating normally, the operation of the compressor and the flow of the refrigerant are generally controlled according to the temperature in the ice-making room and the temperature in the freezer. However, in the special case when both the ice-making room and the storage room need to be refrigerated, the refrigeration sequence cannot be reasonably controlled. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes a refrigerator with an independent ice-making evaporator. When a user turns on the ice-making function, the flow direction of the refrigerant is controlled according to the amount of ice in the ice storage box.

[0005] To achieve one of the above-mentioned purposes, an embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator with an independent ice-making evaporator, comprising:

[0006] a box body, and a storage compartment formed therein;

[0007] An ice-making room and an ice storage box arranged in the ice-making room;

[0008] An ice quantity detection module, used for detecting ice quantity information in the ice storage box;

[0009] A first temperature sensor, used to detect the temperature of the storage compartment;

[0010] A second temperature sensor, used to detect temperature information of the ice-making chamber;

[0011] A refrigeration system, comprising a compressor, a solenoid valve, an ice-making evaporator and a box evaporator, wherein the ice-making evaporator is used to supply cold air to the ice-making compartment, and the box evaporator is used to supply cold air to the storage compartment;

[0012] The solenoid valve is used to control the flow direction of the refrigerant from the compressor, and the solenoid valve includes at least two refrigerant outlets, and the at least two refrigerant outlets are respectively connected to the first refrigerant branch of the box evaporator and the second refrigerant branch where the ice-making evaporator is located;

[0013] The refrigerator further comprises a control module, which is configured as follows:

[0014] When an ice-making function on signal is received, the compressor is controlled to start, and the storage compartment temperature detected by the first temperature sensor and the ice-making compartment temperature detected by the second temperature sensor are obtained; if the current temperature of the storage compartment is greater than the first preset temperature, and the temperature of the ice-making compartment is greater than the second preset temperature, the ice quantity information detected by the ice quantity detection module is obtained, and if the ice quantity in the ice storage box is less than the preset value, the solenoid valve is controlled to connect the second refrigerant branch first, and when it is monitored that the temperature of the ice-making compartment reaches the preset second refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the solenoid valve is controlled to close the second refrigerant branch, wherein the first preset temperature is greater than or equal to the preset first refrigeration system shutdown temperature, and the second preset temperature is greater than or equal to the second refrigeration system shutdown temperature.

[0015] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the control module is specifically configured as follows:

[0016] If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is less than a preset value, the solenoid valve is controlled to continuously connect the second refrigerant branch first, and when it is monitored that the temperature of the ice-making compartment reaches the shutdown temperature of the second refrigeration system, the solenoid valve is controlled to close the second refrigerant branch and open the first refrigerant branch.

[0017] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the control module is specifically configured as follows:

[0018] If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is less than a preset value, the solenoid valve is controlled to periodically open the second refrigerant branch for a first preset time, then close the second refrigerant branch and open the first refrigerant branch for a second preset time, and the first preset time is greater than the second preset time.

[0019] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the control module is further configured as follows:

[0020] When it is monitored that the temperature of the ice-making compartment reaches the second refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the solenoid valve is controlled to continuously close the second refrigerant branch and continuously open the first refrigerant branch.

[0021] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, when the second refrigerant branch is opened for a first preset time, the volume of the refrigerant in the ice-making evaporator is equal to the capacity of the ice-making evaporator.

[0022] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the control module is further configured as follows:

[0023] If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is less than a preset value, when it is monitored that the temperature of the storage compartment reaches the first refrigeration system shutdown temperature and the temperature of the ice making compartment is less than the second preset temperature, the compressor is controlled to be turned off.

[0024] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the control module is further configured as follows:

[0025] If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is greater than a preset value, the solenoid valve is controlled to open the first refrigerant branch first, and when it is monitored that the temperature of the storage compartment reaches the first refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the solenoid valve is controlled to close the first refrigerant branch.

[0026] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the control module is specifically configured as follows:

[0027] If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is greater than a preset value, the solenoid valve is controlled to continuously open the first refrigerant branch first, and when it is monitored that the temperature of the storage compartment reaches the shutdown temperature of the first refrigeration system, the solenoid valve is controlled to close the first refrigerant branch and open the second refrigerant branch.

[0028] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the control module is specifically configured as follows:

[0029] If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is greater than a preset value, the solenoid valve is controlled to periodically open the first refrigerant branch for a third preset time, then close the first refrigerant branch and open the second refrigerant branch for a fourth preset time, and the third preset time is greater than the fourth preset time;

[0030] When it is monitored that the temperature of the storage compartment reaches the shutdown temperature of the first refrigeration system, the solenoid valve is controlled to continuously close the first refrigerant branch and continuously open the second refrigerant branch.

[0031] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the control module is further configured as follows:

[0032] If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is greater than a preset value, when the temperature in the ice-making room reaches the corresponding second refrigeration system shutdown temperature and the temperature in the storage room is less than the first preset temperature, the compressor is controlled to be turned off.

[0033] The refrigerator provided by the present invention has an independent ice-making evaporator. When the user turns on the ice-making function, the flow direction of the refrigerant is controlled according to the amount of ice in the ice storage box. When the amount of ice in the ice storage box is small, the refrigerant is preferentially supplied to the ice-making evaporator corresponding to the ice-making compartment, thereby preferentially cooling the ice-making compartment, shortening the ice-making time, and quickly meeting the user's ice demand. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a refrigerator with an independent ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a refrigerator door with an independent ice-making evaporator is shown;

[0036] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of refrigerator refrigeration system with independent ice-making evaporator. Specific embodiments

[0037] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] See also Figure 1 , Figure 2 The present invention provides a refrigerator 100 with an independent ice-making evaporator, including a box body 110 and a door body of the box body 110 connected to the box body 110 for opening and closing the box body 110. A storage compartment for storing food is formed in the box body 110, and the storage compartment may include a refrigerating compartment 111 and a freezing compartment 112. The door body may include a refrigerating door body 121 for opening and closing the refrigerating compartment 111 and a freezing door body 122 for opening and closing the freezing compartment 112. The refrigerator 100 may be provided with an ice-making compartment 130, and the ice-making compartment 130 may be provided inside the refrigerating compartment 111, such as providing an independent ice-making compartment 130 isolated from the refrigerating compartment 111 on the top of the refrigerating compartment 111. The ice-making compartment 130 may also be arranged on the refrigerating door 121, or independently formed in the box body 110, such as a storage compartment and an ice-making compartment 130 parallel to the storage compartment may be formed in the box body 110, and the ice-making compartment 130 is relatively independent from the refrigerating compartment 111 and the freezing compartment 112.

[0039] An ice making device 131 and an ice storage box 132 may be provided in the ice making chamber 130. The ice making device 131 may be used to receive liquid water and make ice. The ice storage box 132 may be placed below the ice making device 131 to receive and store ice cubes made by the ice making device 131. A user may take out the ice storage box 132 from the ice making chamber 130 to take out ice. A dispenser may be provided on the refrigeration door 121 of the refrigerator 100. The dispenser may be connected to the ice storage box 132. The user may directly take out the ice cubes in the ice making chamber 130 from the outside of the refrigerator 100 through the dispenser.

[0040] An ice quantity detection module may also be installed in the ice making room 130. The ice quantity detection module can be used to detect the ice quantity information in the ice storage box 132. The ice quantity detection module may be a pressure sensor arranged at the bottom of the ice storage box 132. The ice quantity information in the ice storage box 132 is determined according to the detected pressure information. The ice quantity detection module may also be an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor or any other module installed on the ice storage box 132 that can detect the ice quantity information in the ice storage box 132.

[0041] A second temperature sensor may be provided inside the ice-making compartment 130 of the refrigerator 100 for detecting the temperature information of the ice-making compartment 130, and a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the storage compartment may also be installed inside the storage compartment. In this embodiment, the first temperature sensor may include a refrigerating compartment temperature sensor installed inside the refrigerating compartment 111 and a freezing compartment temperature sensor installed inside the freezing compartment 112.

[0042] The refrigerator 100 is provided with a refrigeration system 200 for supplying cold air to the storage compartment and the ice making compartment 130. Figure 3 , the refrigeration system 200 may include a compressor 210, a solenoid valve 220, an ice-making evaporator 231 that supplies cold air to the ice-making compartment 130, and a cabinet evaporator 241 that supplies cold air to the storage compartment.

[0043] In this embodiment, the refrigeration system 200 can be installed on one side of the box 110, and a compressor compartment, a box evaporator chamber and an ice-making evaporator chamber can be provided on one side of the box 110. The compressor 210 can be installed in the compressor compartment, and the solenoid valve 220 can also be installed in the compressor compartment. The box evaporator 241 can be installed in the box evaporator chamber, and the ice-making evaporator 231 can be installed in the ice-making evaporator chamber. Air supply fans can be installed in the ice-making evaporator chamber and the box evaporator chamber. The ice-making evaporator chamber can be connected to the ice-making chamber 130 through an air duct. The cold air in the ice-making evaporator chamber can be supplied to the ice-making chamber 130 through the air supply fan. The box evaporator chamber can be connected to the storage chamber through the air duct. The cold air in the box evaporator chamber can be supplied to the storage chamber through the air supply fan in the box evaporator chamber.

[0044] The solenoid valve 220 may be a one-inlet and multiple-outlet solenoid valve for controlling the flow direction of the refrigerant. The solenoid valve 220 may include a refrigerant inlet and at least two refrigerant outlets. The at least two refrigerant outlets may include a second refrigerant outlet and a first refrigerant outlet, the refrigerant inlet may be connected to the compressor 210 side, for controlling the flow direction of the refrigerant from the compressor, the second refrigerant outlet may be connected to the second refrigerant branch 230 where the ice-making evaporator 231 is located, and the first refrigerant outlet may be connected to the first refrigerant branch 240 where the box evaporator 241 is located.

[0045] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cabinet evaporator 241 may include two independent evaporators respectively arranged corresponding to the refrigerated compartment 111 and the frozen compartment 112, and the first refrigerant outlet of the solenoid valve 220 may also include two refrigerant outlets respectively corresponding to the two evaporators, that is, the solenoid valve 220 may include three refrigerant outlets, and three refrigerant branches may be connected in parallel after the solenoid valve 220.

[0046] The refrigeration system 200 may further include a condenser installed between the compressor 210 and the solenoid valve 220, a capillary tube may be provided between the second refrigerant outlet and the ice-making evaporator 231, and a capillary tube may also be provided between the first refrigerant outlet and the cabinet evaporator 241. The cabinet evaporator and its corresponding capillary tube form a first refrigerant branch, the ice-making evaporator and its corresponding capillary tube form a second refrigerant branch, and the first refrigerant branch and the second refrigerant branch are connected in parallel.

[0047] During the refrigeration process, the compressor 210 is turned on to compress the refrigerant. The refrigerant compressed by the compressor 210 flows through the condenser and then controls the flow direction through the solenoid valve 220. If the second refrigerant outlet of the solenoid valve 220 is opened, the refrigerant passes through the solenoid valve 220 and then flows through the second refrigerant branch 230 where the ice-making evaporator 231 is located, and then returns to the compressor 210. Correspondingly, if the first refrigerant outlet of the solenoid valve 220 is opened, the refrigerant passes through the first refrigerant branch 240 where the box evaporator is located and then returns to the compressor 210.

[0048] The refrigerator may be provided with interactive structures such as a display screen or mechanical buttons, and users can control the ice-making function to be turned on or off according to their needs through the interactive structure. For example, when the user does not need ice, the ice-making function can be turned off. At this time, liquid water will no longer be supplied to the ice-making device to make ice. If there are no ice cubes stored in the ice storage box, the supply of cold air to the ice-making compartment can be stopped to save energy. When the ice-making function is turned off, if there are still ice cubes stored in the ice storage box, it is necessary to continue to supply cold air to the ice-making compartment to maintain the temperature of the ice-making compartment to prevent the ice cubes in the ice storage box from melting. When the ice-making function is turned off, even if there are ice cubes stored in the ice storage box, since there is no need to make ice, the temperature in the ice-making compartment only needs to be kept below 0°C. When the ice-making function is turned on, the temperature of the ice-making compartment needs to be kept at a lower temperature to ensure the normal progress of the ice-making process.

[0049] In one embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator 100 further includes a control module, which can be configured as follows:

[0050] When an ice-making start signal is received, the compressor 210 is controlled to start, and the storage compartment temperature detected by the first temperature sensor and the ice-making compartment 130 temperature detected by the second temperature sensor are obtained. If the current temperature of the storage compartment is greater than the first preset temperature, and the temperature of the ice-making compartment 130 is greater than the second preset temperature, the ice quantity information detected by the ice quantity detection module is obtained. If the ice quantity in the ice storage box 132 is less than the preset value, the solenoid valve 220 is controlled to connect the second refrigerant branch first, and when it is monitored that the temperature of the ice-making compartment 130 reaches the preset second refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the solenoid valve 220 is controlled to close the second refrigerant branch, wherein the first preset temperature is greater than or equal to the preset first refrigeration system shutdown temperature, and the second preset temperature is greater than or equal to the preset second refrigeration system shutdown temperature.

[0051] In this embodiment, the first preset temperature may be less than or equal to the preset first refrigeration system startup temperature, the second preset temperature may be less than or equal to the preset second refrigeration system startup temperature, the second refrigeration system startup temperature and the first refrigeration system startup temperature are both preset temperatures, when the ice making function is turned off or after the ice making function is turned on for a period of time, when the refrigeration system 200 is in normal operation, when the temperature of the ice making chamber 130 is greater than the second refrigeration system startup temperature, it can be determined that the temperature in the ice making chamber 130 is high, which may affect the operation of the ice making device 131, and at this time, it is necessary to turn on the refrigeration system 200 to supply cold air to the ice making chamber 130. Similarly, when the temperature of the storage room is greater than the first refrigeration system startup temperature, it can be determined that the temperature in the storage room is too high, which affects the storage of food, and it is necessary to turn on the refrigeration system 200 to supply cold air to the storage room.

[0052] In addition, the refrigerator 100 is also pre-set with a second refrigeration system shutdown temperature. When the refrigeration system 200 is turned on to supply cold air to the ice-making compartment 130, if the temperature of the ice-making compartment 130 drops to the preset second refrigeration system shutdown temperature, it can be determined that the temperature of the ice-making compartment 130 has reached a temperature at which normal operation can be performed, and refrigerant can no longer be supplied to the ice-making evaporator 231 to stop refrigerating the ice-making compartment 130. Similarly, during the process of refrigerating the storage compartment, if the temperature of the storage compartment drops to the corresponding first refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the supply of refrigerant to the cabinet evaporator 241 can be stopped to stop supplying cold air to the storage compartment.

[0053] In this embodiment, after the solenoid valve 220 is controlled to connect to the second refrigerant branch first, the second refrigerant branch can be kept continuously connected, or the second refrigerant branch can be periodically intermittently connected. When the temperature of the ice-making chamber reaches the preset second refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the solenoid valve can be controlled to continuously close the second refrigerant branch until the temperature of the ice-making chamber is greater than the second refrigeration system startup temperature again, or other situations occur that require the ice-making chamber to be refrigerated.

[0054] The second preset temperature may be equal to the second refrigeration system shutdown temperature, that is, when the temperature of the ice-making chamber 130 is higher than the second refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the refrigeration system 200 may be turned on to refrigerate the ice-making chamber 130. In this way, when the ice-making function is turned on, the temperature of the ice-making chamber 130 may be quickly reduced to a lower temperature, thereby achieving rapid ice-making and meeting user needs. At the same time, in order to save energy consumption and reduce the number of times the compressor 210 is turned on and off, the first preset temperature may also be equal to the first refrigeration system shutdown temperature.

[0055] In this embodiment, if the refrigerating compartment 111 and the freezing compartment 112 share a cabinet evaporator 241, when the temperatures in the refrigerating compartment 111 and the freezing compartment 112 both drop to the corresponding refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the supply of refrigerant to the cabinet evaporator 241 is stopped. If only one of them reaches the corresponding refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the corresponding air supply fan and damper can be controlled to close to block the supply of cold air.

[0056] In this embodiment, since the ice-making evaporator 231 and the cabinet evaporator 241 share a compressor 210, in order to ensure that the refrigeration system 200 is easy to control, refrigerant is usually only supplied to one evaporator during the refrigeration process. If the user turns on the ice-making function, only the ice-making compartment 130 or the storage compartment needs to be refrigerated, the solenoid valve 220 is controlled to open the corresponding refrigerant branch to supply refrigerant to the corresponding evaporator.

[0057] If the user turns on the ice-making function, both the ice-making chamber 130 and the storage chamber need to be refrigerated, and the flow direction of the refrigerant can be controlled according to the ice amount information in the ice storage box 132. If the ice amount in the ice storage box 132 is small or no ice cubes are stored, the refrigerant can be preferentially supplied to the ice-making evaporator 231 to refrigerate the ice-making chamber 130, so that ice can be made quickly to meet the user's ice demand.

[0058] Furthermore, in the first embodiment provided by the present invention, the control module of the refrigerator 100 is specifically configured as follows:

[0059] If the amount of ice in the ice storage box 132 is less than a preset value, the solenoid valve 220 is controlled to continuously open the second refrigerant branch first, and when the temperature of the ice making chamber 130 is monitored to reach the preset second refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the solenoid valve 220 is controlled to close the second refrigerant branch and open the first refrigerant branch.

[0060] In this embodiment, when the user turns on the ice-making function, if the amount of ice in the ice storage box 132 is small at this time, the refrigerant can be controlled to flow into the ice-making evaporator 231 first, so as to reduce the temperature in the ice-making chamber 130, speed up the ice-making speed, and meet the user's ice demand. When the temperature in the ice-making chamber 130 reaches the preset second refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the solenoid valve 220 is controlled to close the second refrigerant branch, and the first refrigerant branch is opened to supply refrigerant to the box evaporator 241 to cool the storage compartment.

[0061] In this way, the ice-making chamber 130 can be quickly cooled while reducing the number of switching times of the solenoid valve 220.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control module is further configured as follows:

[0063] If the amount of ice in the ice storage box 132 is less than a preset value, when it is monitored that the temperature of the storage compartment reaches the first refrigeration system shutdown temperature and the temperature of the ice making compartment 130 is less than a second preset temperature, the compressor 210 is controlled to be turned off.

[0064] When the temperature of the storage compartment reaches the first refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the supply of refrigerant to the cabinet evaporator 241 can be suspended, and the supply of cold to the storage compartment can be stopped. At this time, if the temperature of the ice-making compartment 130 is also lower than the second preset temperature, that is, the temperature of the ice-making compartment 130 is within a suitable working range, there is no need to supply refrigerant to the ice-making evaporator 231, and the compressor 210 can be directly turned off.

[0065] In this embodiment, the control module is further configured as:

[0066] If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is greater than a preset value, the solenoid valve is controlled to open the first refrigerant branch first, and when the temperature of the storage compartment is monitored to reach the corresponding first refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the solenoid valve is controlled to close the first refrigerant branch.

[0067] In this embodiment, the control module can be specifically configured as follows:

[0068] If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is greater than a preset value, the solenoid valve is controlled to continuously open the first refrigerant branch first, and when the temperature of the storage compartment is monitored to reach the corresponding first refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the solenoid valve is controlled to close the first refrigerant branch and open the second refrigerant branch;

[0069] When the temperature of the ice-making compartment reaches the corresponding second refrigeration system shutdown temperature, and the temperature of the storage compartment is lower than the first preset temperature, the compressor can be controlled to shut down.

[0070] In this embodiment, when the user turns on the ice-making function, if the ice storage box is greater than the preset value, it can be determined that the amount of ice in the ice storage box can temporarily meet the user's needs. Therefore, if the storage compartment also needs to be refrigerated at this time, the storage compartment can be given priority to supply cold air to meet the needs of the storage compartment. When the temperatures of the storage compartment and the ice-making compartment both reach the corresponding temperature requirements, the compressor can be controlled to shut down and no longer supply cold air to the ice-making compartment and the storage compartment.

[0071] The second embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator 100. Compared with the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment, the difference mainly lies in that, in this embodiment, the control module is specifically configured as follows:

[0072] If the amount of ice in the ice storage box 132 is less than a preset value, the solenoid valve 220 is controlled to periodically open the second refrigerant branch for a first preset time, then close the second refrigerant branch and open the first refrigerant branch for a second preset time, wherein the first preset time is greater than the second preset time.

[0073] In this embodiment, when the user turns on the ice-making function, if the amount of ice in the ice storage box 132 is small and the storage compartment also needs to be refrigerated, since the capacity of the ice-making evaporator 231 is limited, in order to reasonably utilize energy and save energy consumption, the refrigerant can be alternately supplied to one of the ice-making evaporator 231 and the cabinet evaporator 241. In order to ensure that the ice-making compartment 130 is refrigerated first, the solenoid valve 220 can be controlled to open the second refrigerant branch, that is, the refrigerant can be first supplied to the ice-making evaporator 231 to refrigerate the ice-making compartment 130 first, and then the second refrigerant branch is turned off after the first preset time, and the first refrigerant branch is opened to supply the refrigerant to the cabinet evaporator 241. Then, after the cabinet refrigeration outlet is opened for the second preset time, the first refrigerant branch is closed again, and the second refrigerant branch is opened for the first preset time, and this cycle is repeated until the temperature of the ice-making compartment 130 is monitored to reach the corresponding second refrigeration system shutdown temperature. The second refrigerant branch can be continuously closed to stop refrigerating the ice-making compartment 130. At this time, the first refrigerant branch can be continuously opened to continue refrigerating the storage compartment.

[0074] Further, in the present embodiment, when the second refrigerant branch is opened for the first preset time, the volume of the refrigerant in the ice-making evaporator 231 is equal to the capacity of the ice-making evaporator 231. It can be understood that in the present embodiment, when the second refrigerant branch is opened for the first preset time, the ice-making evaporator 231 reaches the maximum cooling capacity, and if the refrigerant continues to be supplied to the ice-making evaporator 231, it will cause energy waste. Therefore, in order to reasonably utilize energy and save energy consumption, after the refrigerant is supplied to the ice-making evaporator 231 for the first preset time, the refrigerant can be supplied to the cabinet refrigerant for the second preset time, and then the refrigerant can continue to be supplied to the ice-making evaporator 231.

[0075] The third embodiment of the present invention further provides a refrigerator 100. The refrigerator 100 of this embodiment is an improvement of the first embodiment and the second embodiment. The refrigerator 100 of this embodiment is different from the refrigerators 100 provided in the first embodiment and the second embodiment in that, in this embodiment, the control module is configured as follows:

[0076] If the amount of ice in the ice storage box 132 is greater than a preset value, the solenoid valve 220 is controlled to periodically open the first refrigerant branch for a third preset time period, then close the first refrigerant branch and open the second refrigerant branch;

[0077] When the temperature in the storage room reaches the corresponding shutdown temperature of the first refrigeration system, the solenoid valve 220 is controlled to continuously close the first refrigerant branch and continuously open the second refrigerant branch.

[0078] In this embodiment, when the user turns on the ice-making function, if the amount of ice in the ice storage box 132 is large, the storage compartment and the ice-making compartment 130 are alternately cooled, and the first refrigerant branch is opened first to supply refrigerant to the cabinet evaporator 241, and the time for supplying refrigerant to the cabinet evaporator 241 is longer than the time for supplying refrigerant to the ice-making evaporator 231, so that the interior of the storage compartment is cooled preferentially.

[0079] In this embodiment, when the first refrigerant branch is opened for the third preset time, the refrigerant volume in the cabinet evaporator 241 may be equal to the capacity of the cabinet evaporator 241. At this time, the cabinet evaporator 241 can reach the maximum cooling capacity. Therefore, at this time, the refrigerant is stopped from being supplied to the cabinet evaporator 241, and the refrigerant is supplied to the ice-making evaporator 231. After the fourth preset time, the first refrigerant branch is opened again to supply the refrigerant to the cabinet evaporator 241. In this way, energy consumption can be saved.

[0080] To sum up, when the user turns on the ice-making function of the refrigerator 100 provided in the present application, the refrigeration system 200 is controlled according to the amount of ice in the ice storage box 132. If the amount of ice in the ice storage box 132 is small, the ice-making chamber 130 is refrigerated first to quickly make ice cubes to meet the user's ice needs; and if the amount of ice in the ice storage box 132 is large, the storage compartment is refrigerated first to avoid damage to items in the storage compartment.

[0081] It should be understood that although the present specification is described according to embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative method of the specification is only for the sake of clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment may also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0082] The series of detailed descriptions listed above are only specific descriptions of feasible embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent embodiments or changes that do not deviate from the technical spirit of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator with an independent ice-making evaporator, characterized in that: include: a box body, in which a storage compartment is formed; An ice-making room and an ice storage box arranged in the ice-making room; An ice quantity detection module, used for detecting the ice quantity information in the ice storage box; A first temperature sensor, used to detect the temperature of the storage compartment; A second temperature sensor, used to detect temperature information of the ice-making chamber; A refrigeration system, comprising a compressor, a solenoid valve, an ice-making evaporator and a box evaporator, wherein the ice-making evaporator is used to supply cold air to the ice-making compartment, and the box evaporator is used to supply cold air to the storage compartment; The solenoid valve is used to control the flow direction of the refrigerant from the compressor, and the solenoid valve includes at least two refrigerant outlets, and the at least two refrigerant outlets are respectively connected to a first refrigerant branch where the box evaporator is located and a second refrigerant branch where the ice-making evaporator is located; The refrigerator further comprises a control module, which is configured as follows: When receiving an ice-making function on signal, controlling the compressor to start, obtaining the storage compartment temperature detected by the first temperature sensor and the ice-making compartment temperature detected by the second temperature sensor; If the current temperature of the storage compartment is greater than a first preset temperature, and the temperature of the ice-making compartment is greater than a second preset temperature, the ice quantity information detected by the ice quantity detection module is obtained, and if the ice quantity in the ice storage box is less than a preset value, the solenoid valve is controlled to first connect the second refrigerant branch, and when it is monitored that the temperature of the ice-making compartment reaches a preset second refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the solenoid valve is controlled to close the second refrigerant branch, wherein the first preset temperature is greater than or equal to the preset first refrigeration system shutdown temperature, and the second preset temperature is greater than or equal to the second refrigeration system shutdown temperature.

2. The refrigerator with an independent ice-making evaporator as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The control module is specifically configured as follows: If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is less than a preset value, the solenoid valve is controlled to continuously connect the second refrigerant branch first, and when it is monitored that the temperature of the ice-making compartment reaches the shutdown temperature of the second refrigeration system, the solenoid valve is controlled to close the second refrigerant branch and connect the first refrigerant branch.

3. The refrigerator with an independent ice-making evaporator as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The control module is specifically configured as follows: If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is less than a preset value, the solenoid valve is controlled to periodically connect the second refrigerant branch for a first preset time, then close the second refrigerant branch and connect the first refrigerant branch for a second preset time, and the first preset time is greater than the second preset time.

4. The refrigerator with an independent ice-making evaporator as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The control module is also configured as: When it is monitored that the temperature of the ice-making compartment reaches the second refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the solenoid valve is controlled to continuously close the second refrigerant branch and continuously open the first refrigerant branch.

5. The refrigerator with an independent ice-making evaporator as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: When the second refrigerant branch is opened for a first preset time, the volume of the refrigerant in the ice-making evaporator is equal to the capacity of the ice-making evaporator.

6. The refrigerator with an independent ice-making evaporator as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The control module is also configured as: If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is less than a preset value, when it is monitored that the temperature of the storage compartment reaches the first refrigeration system shutdown temperature and the temperature of the ice making compartment is less than the second preset temperature, the compressor is controlled to be turned off.

7. The refrigerator with an independent ice-making evaporator as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The control module is also configured as: If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is greater than a preset value, the solenoid valve is controlled to open the first refrigerant branch first, and when it is monitored that the temperature of the storage compartment reaches the first refrigeration system shutdown temperature, the solenoid valve is controlled to close the first refrigerant branch.

8. The refrigerator with an independent ice-making evaporator as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The control module is specifically configured as follows: If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is greater than a preset value, the solenoid valve is controlled to continuously open the first refrigerant branch first, and when it is monitored that the temperature of the storage compartment reaches the shutdown temperature of the first refrigeration system, the solenoid valve is controlled to close the first refrigerant branch and open the second refrigerant branch.

9. The refrigerator with an independent ice-making evaporator as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The control module is specifically configured as follows: If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is greater than a preset value, the solenoid valve is controlled to periodically open the first refrigerant branch for a third preset time, then close the first refrigerant branch and open the second refrigerant branch for a fourth preset time, and the third preset time is greater than the fourth preset time; When it is monitored that the temperature of the storage compartment reaches the shutdown temperature of the first refrigeration system, the solenoid valve is controlled to continuously close the first refrigerant branch and continuously open the second refrigerant branch.

10. The refrigerator with an independent ice-making evaporator as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The control module is also configured as: If the amount of ice in the ice storage box is greater than a preset value, when the temperature in the ice-making room reaches the corresponding second refrigeration system shutdown temperature and the temperature in the storage room is less than the first preset temperature, the compressor is controlled to be turned off.

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