Refrigeration and freezing device and control method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigeration and freezing device and a control method thereof. The refrigeration and freezing device includes a box body defining a storage compartment, a maturation device defining a maturation chamber, an evaporator, and an air supply fan; the maturation device defines a maturation chamber and a circulation duct arranged outside the maturation chamber, and includes a circulation fan for driving airflow to circulate between the maturation chamber and the circulation duct. The control method of the present invention includes: when an abnormality occurs in the circulation fan, a prompt message indicating a failure of the circulation fan is issued, and it is determined whether the storage compartment is in a refrigeration state; and if the storage compartment is in a refrigeration state, the air supply volume of the air supply fan to the storage compartment is reduced, and the air supply volume of the air supply fan to the maturation chamber is increased; if the storage compartment is in a non-refrigeration state, the refrigeration is forcibly started, and air is only supplied to the maturation chamber. The present invention avoids the problem of excessively low wind speed on the surface of the object to be matured due to a failure of the circulation fan, which makes it easy for the object to rot and deteriorate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to refrigeration and freezing technology, and in particular to a refrigeration and freezing device and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Aging is the process of placing the meat after acid removal in an aging room with a certain temperature, humidity, and wind speed, and slowly fermenting it naturally, which will eventually produce a deeper flavor and improve the tenderness, flavor, and juiciness of the meat. Existing aging devices are generally independent and require the design of special temperature and humidity control devices, and the structure is relatively complex. In addition, the wind speed requirement during the aging process is generally 0.5-2.5m / s. If the wind speed is too low, the evaporation of moisture on the surface of the object to be matured will be slow, the humidity will be high, and it will easily cause the growth and reproduction of microorganisms. If the fan used to provide wind speed during the aging process is abnormal, the wind speed in the aging room will be very low or almost non-existent. In this case, it is very easy to cause the object to be mature to rot and deteriorate, resulting in aging failure. Summary of the Invention

[0003] An object of the first aspect of the present invention is to overcome at least one drawback of the prior art and to provide a method for controlling a refrigeration and freezing device having a aging device that can prevent the food to be aging therein from spoiling due to abnormalities in the fan.

[0004] A further object of the first aspect of the present invention is to prevent the set target temperature of the aging chamber from affecting the air supply in the aging chamber.

[0005] The second aspect of the present invention aims to provide a refrigeration and freezing device having a aging device and capable of preventing the food to be aging therein from spoiling and deteriorating due to abnormalities in the fan.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a control method for a refrigerator-freezer is provided, wherein the refrigerator-freezer comprises a housing defining a storage compartment, a aging device defining a aging chamber for aging food to be aging therein, an evaporator for providing a cooling airflow, and an air supply fan for causing the cooling airflow to flow toward the storage compartment and / or the aging chamber; the aging device defines a aging chamber and a circulation duct surrounding the aging chamber, and comprises a circulation fan for driving airflow to circulate between the aging chamber and the circulation duct; the control method comprises:

[0007] When the circulation fan is abnormal, a prompt message indicating that the circulation fan is faulty is issued, and whether the storage compartment is in a cooling state is determined; and

[0008] If the storage compartment is in a cooling state, the air supply volume of the air supply fan to the storage compartment is reduced, and the air supply volume of the air supply fan to the maturation compartment is increased; if the storage compartment is in a non-cooling state, cooling is forced to start, and air is only supplied to the maturation compartment.

[0009] Optionally, the control method further includes:

[0010] Lowering the target temperature of the aging chamber;

[0011] The set target temperature is a temperature at which the supply of cooling to the aging chamber is stopped.

[0012] Optionally, the control method further includes:

[0013] When the temperature in the aging chamber is lower than the set target temperature after being adjusted downward, stopping the air supply to the aging chamber;

[0014] When the temperature in the aging chamber is higher than the set target temperature after being lowered, air supply to the aging chamber is resumed.

[0015] Optionally, the housing further defines a ripening air supply duct communicating with the evaporator chamber and the ripening chamber; the refrigeration and freezing device further comprises a ripening air supply damper for controllably opening or blocking the ripening air supply duct; and

[0016] The step of stopping the air supply to the aging chamber includes closing the aging air supply damper;

[0017] The step of resuming air supply to the aging chamber includes opening the aging air supply damper.

[0018] Optionally, the box body further defines an inter-compartment air supply duct connecting the evaporator chamber where the evaporator is located and the storage compartment, and a ripening air supply duct connecting the evaporator chamber and the ripening compartment; the refrigeration and freezing device further includes an inter-compartment air supply damper for controllably opening or blocking the inter-compartment air supply duct and a ripening air supply damper for controllably opening or blocking the ripening air supply duct; and

[0019] The steps of reducing the air volume supplied by the air supply fan to the storage compartment and increasing the air volume supplied by the air supply fan to the maturation chamber include:

[0020] Reduce the opening of the compartment air supply damper and increase the opening of the maturation air supply damper;

[0021] The step of supplying air only toward the aging chamber comprises:

[0022] Close the compartment air supply damper and open the maturing air supply damper.

[0023] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a refrigerator-freezer comprising a housing defining a storage compartment, a aging device defining a aging chamber for aging food to be aging therein, an evaporator for providing a cooling airflow, and an air supply fan for causing the cooling airflow to flow toward the storage compartment and / or the aging chamber; the aging device defines a aging chamber and a circulation duct surrounding the aging chamber, and comprises a circulation fan for driving airflow to circulate between the aging chamber and the circulation duct; the refrigerator-freezer further comprises:

[0024] a prompting device configured to issue a prompting message indicating a failure of the circulation fan when an abnormality occurs in the circulation fan; and

[0025] The control device includes a processor and a memory, wherein a machine executable program is stored in the memory, and when the machine executable program is executed by the processor, it is used to implement the control method described in any of the above solutions.

[0026] Optionally, the box body further defines a compartment air supply duct connecting the evaporator compartment where the evaporator is located and the storage compartment, and a maturation air supply duct connecting the evaporator compartment and the maturation compartment, the compartment air supply duct and the maturation air supply duct being independent of each other; and

[0027] The refrigeration and freezing device further includes a compartment air supply damper for controllably opening or blocking the compartment air supply duct and a cooking air supply damper for controllably opening or blocking the cooking air supply duct.

[0028] Optionally, the aging device includes:

[0029] an inner shell, the ripening chamber being defined therein;

[0030] an outer shell disposed outside the inner shell, with a rear wall and two lateral side walls of the outer shell spaced from the rear wall and two lateral side walls of the inner shell, respectively, to form a U-shaped circulating air duct, the circulating air duct being in communication with the aging chamber via a plurality of air supply ports provided on the two lateral side walls of the inner shell;

[0031] The circulation fan is arranged in the circulation air duct located behind the inner shell, and the air flow inlet of the circulation fan is connected to the return air outlet opened on the rear wall of the inner shell, and the two opposite air flow outlets of the circulation fan are respectively connected to the circulation air duct located on the lateral sides of the inner shell.

[0032] Optionally, the number of the ripening air supply ducts is two; and

[0033] One end of the two mature air supply ducts is directly connected to the evaporator chamber, and the other end of the two mature air supply ducts is respectively connected to the circulation ducts located on both sides of the inner shell.

[0034] Optionally, the plurality of air outlets are arranged on the lateral side wall of the inner shell in a sparse upper and dense lower manner.

[0035] The present invention integrates a aging device into the refrigeration and freezing device, which not only provides traditional low-temperature storage and preservation functions but also enhances aging capabilities, thus enriching the functionality of the refrigeration and freezing device. Furthermore, when a malfunction occurs in the circulating fan driving airflow through the aging chamber, the control method of the present invention not only issues a prompt message to inform the user of the malfunction, facilitating timely repairs. Furthermore, the control method automatically and appropriately adjusts the air supply volume within the storage compartment based on the refrigeration status of the storage compartment, directing more or all of the cooling airflow driven by the supply fan to the aging chamber. This utilizes the cooling airflow to blow the food to be aging within the aging chamber, thus avoiding the problem of excessively low air velocity at the surface of the food to be aging, which can lead to spoilage, due to a malfunction in the circulating fan.

[0036] Furthermore, the applicant recognized that, due to the relatively low temperature of the cooling airflow, using the cooling airflow to blow the food to be matured would inevitably cause the temperature in the mature room to drop. When the temperature in the mature room drops to its set target temperature, the refrigeration and freezing device would be triggered to stop providing cooling to the mature room, i.e., stop delivering the cooling airflow to the mature room. However, the food to be matured also requires blowing airflow, which conflicts with the temperature control in the mature room. To resolve this conflict, the present invention further lowers the set target temperature of the mature room after delivering the cooling airflow to the mature room. While ensuring that the temperature in the mature room meets the minimum requirements for maturation, the present invention delays the point at which cooling is stopped in the mature room, prolongs the time for delivering the cooling airflow to the mature room, and effectively prevents the food to be matured from spoiling due to too low a surface wind speed, thereby buying the user more time to inspect the circulating fan.

[0037] Based on the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will become more aware of the above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Hereinafter, some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in an exemplary and non-limiting manner with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate the same or similar components or parts. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings:

[0039] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigeration and freezing device according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 is a schematic rear view of an air duct cover plate and related structures of a refrigerator-freezer according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a aging device according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 4 is a schematic flow chart of a control method for a refrigeration and freezing device according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 is a schematic flow chart of a control method for a refrigeration and freezing device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 6 is a schematic structural block diagram of a refrigeration and freezing device according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 7 1 is a schematic structural exploded view of a aging device according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The present invention first provides a control method for a refrigeration and freezing device. Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigeration and freezing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 1 is a schematic rear view of an air duct cover plate and related structures of a refrigerator-freezer according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a aging device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figures 1 to 3 The refrigerator-freezer 1 of the present invention includes a housing 10 defining a storage compartment 11, a aging device 20 for aging the food to be aging therein, an evaporator 31 for providing cooling airflow, and a blower 32 for directing the cooling airflow toward the storage compartment 11 and / or the aging chamber 221. The aging device 20 defines a aging chamber 221 and a circulation duct 24 surrounding the aging chamber 221. The aging device 20 also includes a circulation fan 23 for driving airflow between the aging chamber 221 and the circulation duct 24.

[0047] Furthermore, the aging device 20 can be disposed in the storage compartment 11, which can be a refrigerated compartment with a refrigerated storage environment. An air duct cover 70 can be disposed behind the storage compartment 11, and the evaporator 31 can be disposed in an evaporator chamber located behind the air duct cover 70.

[0048] Specifically, when the temperature in the aging chamber 221 is higher than its set target temperature, the air supply fan 32 can force cooling air into the aging chamber 221, thereby lowering the temperature within the aging chamber 221. When the temperature in the aging chamber 221 is lower than its set target temperature, the air supply fan 32 can stop supplying cooling air into the aging chamber 221. During the aging process, the circulation fan 23 continues to operate. When the circulation fan 23 is operating normally (i.e., not malfunctioning), the air circulates between the aging chamber 221 and the circulation duct 24 under the driving action of the circulation fan 23, thereby continuously blowing the food to be aging contained in the aging chamber 221.

[0049] The control method of the present invention is to achieve continuous airflow blowing of the material to be cooked in the cooking chamber 221 when an abnormality occurs (ie a failure occurs) in the circulating fan 23 .

[0050] Figure 4 FIG1 is a schematic flow chart of a control method for a refrigerator-freezer according to an embodiment of the present invention. The control method of the present invention includes:

[0051] Step S10, when the circulation fan 23 is abnormal, issuing a prompt message indicating that the circulation fan 23 is faulty;

[0052] Step S20, determining whether the storage compartment 11 is in a cooling state; if so, proceeding to step S30, if not, proceeding to step S40;

[0053] Step S30, reducing the air volume supplied by the air supply fan 32 to the storage room 11 and increasing the air volume supplied by the air supply fan 32 to the aging chamber 221;

[0054] In step S40 , refrigeration is forcedly started, and air is only supplied toward the aging chamber 221 .

[0055] It will be understood that when storage compartment 11 is in a cooling state, refrigerant circulates through the refrigeration system of refrigerator-freezer 1. Refrigerant flowing through evaporator 31 exchanges heat with the airflow flowing through evaporator 31, thereby forming a cooling airflow. Supply fan 32 operates, forcing the cooling airflow toward storage compartment 11. Correspondingly, when storage compartment 11 is in a non-cooling state, no refrigerant flows through the refrigeration system, and supply fan 32 is in a stopped state, not supplying air toward storage compartment 11. Forced cooling in this case means circulating the refrigerant through the refrigeration system and activating supply fan 32.

[0056] When an abnormality occurs in the circulation fan 23 used to drive the air circulation through the maturation chamber 221, the present invention, on the one hand, issues a prompt message to inform the user that the circulation fan 23 has failed, so that the user can repair it in time; on the other hand, it also automatically adjusts the air supply volume of the storage chamber 11 according to the refrigeration status of the storage chamber 11, so that the cooling airflow driven by the air supply fan 32 flows more or all to the maturation chamber 221, thereby utilizing the cooling airflow to blow the maturation materials in the maturation chamber 221, avoiding the problem of the surface wind speed of the maturation materials being too low due to the failure of the circulation fan 23, which makes it easy for the materials to be mature to spoil.

[0057] The applicant recognized that, due to the relatively low temperature of the cooling airflow, using it to blow through the food to be matured would inevitably cause the temperature inside the aging chamber to drop. When the temperature inside the aging chamber drops to its set target temperature, the refrigeration and freezing device would be triggered to stop providing cooling to the aging chamber, effectively stopping the flow of cooling air into the aging chamber. However, the food to be matured requires airflow, which conflicts with the need to control the temperature inside the aging chamber.

[0058] To this end, in some embodiments, see Figure 5 The schematic flow chart of the control method of the refrigerator-freezer according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. After step S30 or step S40, the control method of the present invention further includes:

[0059] Step S50, lowering the target temperature of the aging chamber 221;

[0060] The set target temperature is the temperature at which the supply of cooling to the aging chamber 221 stops, commonly known as the shutdown point temperature.

[0061] That is to say, in order to resolve the above contradiction, the present invention further lowers the set target temperature of the aging chamber 221 after conveying the cooling airflow into the aging chamber 221. On the basis of ensuring that the temperature in the aging chamber 221 can meet the minimum aging requirements, the time point of stopping the supply of cold air to the aging chamber 221 is delayed, and the time of conveying the cooling airflow into the aging chamber 221 is extended. Under the premise of effectively preventing the aging material from being rotten and deteriorating due to too low surface wind speed, a longer time is gained for the user to inspect the circulation fan 23.

[0062] In some embodiments, the control method of the present invention further includes:

[0063] When the temperature in the aging chamber 221 is lower than the set target temperature after being adjusted downward, the air supply to the aging chamber 221 is stopped to prevent the temperature in the aging chamber 221 from being too low and affecting the aging effect.

[0064] Furthermore, the control method of the present invention further includes:

[0065] When the temperature in the aging chamber 221 is higher than the set target temperature after being lowered, the air supply to the aging chamber 221 is resumed. On the one hand, the temperature in the aging chamber 221 can be reduced, making it more conducive to the aging of the material to be matured. On the other hand, cooling air flow can continue to be blown to the material to be matured, avoiding the problem of no air flow blowing in the aging chamber 221 for a long time, which may cause the material to be matured to rot and deteriorate.

[0066] In some embodiments, the cabinet 10 further defines a maturation air duct 13 connecting the evaporator chamber 12, where the evaporator 31 is located, and the maturation chamber 221. The refrigerator-freezer 1 also includes a maturation air damper 41 for controlled opening or blocking of the maturation air duct 13. Specifically, the maturation air damper 41 can be disposed within the maturation air duct 13 or at either end thereof.

[0067] Furthermore, the step of stopping the air supply into the aging chamber 221 may include closing the aging air supply damper 41, which is easy to control and has a simple structure.

[0068] Furthermore, the step of resuming air supply into the aging chamber 221 may include opening the aging air supply damper 41, which is easy to control and has a simple structure.

[0069] In some embodiments, the housing 10 further defines an inter-compartment air supply duct 14 connecting the evaporator chamber 12, where the evaporator 31 is located, and the storage compartment 11, as well as a maturation air supply duct 13 connecting the evaporator chamber 12 and the maturation chamber 221. Specifically, both the inter-compartment air supply duct 14 and the maturation air supply duct 13 can be formed on an air duct cover 70 located behind the storage compartment 11. The refrigerator-freezer 1 also includes an inter-compartment air supply damper 42 for controlled opening or blocking of the inter-compartment air supply duct 14 and a maturation air supply damper 42 for controlled opening or blocking of the maturation air supply duct 13. Specifically, the maturation air supply damper 41 can be disposed within the maturation air supply duct 13 or at either end of the maturation air supply damper 41. The inter-compartment air supply damper 42 can be disposed within the inter-compartment air supply duct 14 or at either end of the inter-compartment air supply duct 14.

[0070] Furthermore, the steps of reducing the air volume supplied by the air supply fan 32 to the storage compartment 11 and increasing the air volume supplied by the air supply fan 32 to the aging chamber 221 may specifically include:

[0071] Reduce the opening of the compartment air supply damper 42 and increase the opening of the maturation air supply damper 41.

[0072] Furthermore, the step of supplying air only toward the aging chamber 221 includes:

[0073] Close the compartment air supply damper 42 and open the maturation air supply damper 41.

[0074] That is to say, whether the storage compartment 11 and the maturation compartment 221 are supplied with air, and the amount of air supplied can be achieved by opening and closing the compartment air supply damper 42 and the maturation air supply damper 41 and controlling the opening degree. It can be understood that when the opening degree of the compartment air supply damper 42 and the maturation air supply damper 41 is zero, that is, the compartment air supply damper 42 and the maturation air supply damper 41 are in a closed state; when the opening degree of the compartment air supply damper 42 and the maturation air supply damper 41 is 100%, that is, the compartment air supply damper 42 and the maturation air supply damper 41 are in a fully open state.

[0075] The present invention also provides a refrigerator-freezer. The refrigerator-freezer 1 includes a housing 10 defining a storage compartment 11, a aging device 20 for aging food therein, an evaporator 31 for providing cooling airflow, and a blower 32 for directing the cooling airflow toward the storage compartment 11 and / or the aging chamber 221. The aging device 20 defines a aging chamber 221 and a circulation duct 24 surrounding the aging chamber 221. The aging device 20 includes a circulation fan 23 for driving airflow between the aging chamber 221 and the circulation duct 24.

[0076] In particular, see Figure 6 The schematic block diagram of a refrigerator-freezer according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The refrigerator-freezer 1 further includes a prompting device 50 and a control device 60. The prompting device 50 is configured to issue a prompt message indicating a failure of the circulation fan 23 when an abnormality occurs in the circulation fan 23. Specifically, the prompting device 50 includes but is not limited to a sound-generating device such as a buzzer and a speaker, and a light-emitting device such as an LED lamp. The control device 60 includes a processor 61 and a memory 62. The memory 62 stores a machine executable program 63, and when the machine executable program 63 is executed by the processor 61, it is used to implement the control method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0077] The refrigerator / freezer of the present invention integrates a aging device, which not only provides traditional low-temperature storage and preservation functions but also enhances aging, thus enriching the functionality of the refrigerator / freezer. Furthermore, the air flow rate of the storage compartment 11 can be rationally adjusted based on the cooling status of the storage compartment 11, directing more or all of the cooling airflow driven by the air supply fan 32 to the aging chamber 221. This cooling airflow then propels the food to be aging within the aging chamber 221, thus avoiding the problem of low air velocity at the surface of the food to be aging, which could result in spoilage, due to a malfunction of the circulation fan 23.

[0078] Figure 7This is a schematic exploded view of the structure of a aging device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In some embodiments, the aging device 20 further comprises a cylindrical body 20a. The outer shell 21, inner shell 22, and circulating fan 23 form a drawer 20b with an open top. This drawer 20b is slideably disposed within the cylindrical body 20a, forming a relatively enclosed aging chamber 221. This facilitates the placement and removal of food to be aging into and from the aging chamber 221, improving user convenience.

[0079] In some embodiments, the housing 10 further defines an inter-chamber air supply duct 14 connecting the evaporator chamber 12 where the evaporator 31 is located and the storage compartment 11, and a maturation air supply duct 13 connecting the evaporator chamber 12 and the maturation chamber 221. The inter-chamber air supply duct 14 and the maturation air supply duct 13 are independent of each other. On the one hand, the air supply to the maturation chamber 221 and the storage compartment 11 does not affect each other; on the other hand, all airflow sent out through the maturation air supply duct 13 can flow to the maturation chamber 221, and all airflow sent out through the inter-chamber air supply duct 14 can flow to the storage compartment 11, thereby increasing the air supply volume when the maturation chamber 221 alone needs air supply and the air supply volume when the storage compartment 11 alone needs cooling.

[0080] Furthermore, the refrigeration and freezing device 1 also includes a compartment air supply damper 42 for controllably opening or blocking the compartment air supply duct 14 and a ripening air supply damper 41 for controllably opening or blocking the ripening air supply duct 13, so as to more easily adjust the air supply volume in the storage compartment 11 and the ripening chamber 221.

[0081] In some embodiments, the aging device 20 includes an outer shell 21 and an inner shell 22. A aging chamber 221 is defined inside the inner shell 22. The outer shell 21 is disposed outside the inner shell 22, and the rear wall and two lateral side walls of the outer shell 21 are spaced apart from the rear wall and two lateral side walls of the inner shell 22, respectively, to form a U-shaped circulation duct 24. The circulation duct 24 is connected to the aging chamber 221 through a plurality of air supply ports 222 provided on the two lateral side walls of the inner shell 22. Thus, the airflow in the air supply duct 24 is respectively delivered to the aging chamber 221 through the air supply ports 222 provided on the two lateral side walls of the inner shell 22. In other words, the airflow flows into the aging chamber 221 from both lateral sides of the aging chamber 221 at the same time, thereby improving the uniformity of the airflow in the lateral direction of the aging chamber 221, thereby improving the aging effect of the object to be aging.

[0082] Furthermore, a circulation fan 23 is disposed in the circulation duct 24 located behind the inner casing 22. The circulation fan 23's air inlet communicates with a return air vent 223 provided on the rear wall of the inner casing 22. The circulation fan 23's two opposing air outlets communicate with the circulation duct 24 located on either side of the inner casing 22. This allows a single circulation fan 23 to simultaneously deliver air to two sections of the circulation duct 24 located on different sides, simplifying the structure of the aging device 20. Specifically, the circulation fan 23 can be a centrifugal fan with unidirectional air intake and bidirectional air discharge.

[0083] In some embodiments, there are two maturation air supply ducts 13. One end of each maturation air supply duct 13 is directly connected to the evaporator chamber 12, and the other end of each maturation air supply duct 13 is connected to the circulation air duct 24 located on the lateral sides of the inner shell 22. In this way, if the circulation fan 23 fails, cooling air is simultaneously delivered to two different sections of the air supply duct 24. As a result, the cooling air is delivered to the maturation chamber 221 through the air supply ports 222 provided on the two lateral side walls of the inner shell 22. This improves the uniformity of the cooling air supply in the lateral direction of the maturation chamber 221, thereby improving the maturation effect of the food to be maturated.

[0084] Specifically, two air inlets 212 located on both sides of the circulation fan 23 may be opened on the rear wall 211 of the outer shell 21 , and the other ends of the two ripening air supply ducts 13 are connected to the two air inlets 212 respectively.

[0085] Furthermore, the opening direction of the air inlet 212 can be set so that the air flow introduced into the air supply duct 24 through the air inlet 212 has a tendency to flow in a direction away from the circulation fan 23, so as to obtain a larger flow speed in the air supply duct 24, ensuring that the cooling air flow still has a certain speed when blowing into the maturation chamber 221.

[0086] The multiple air outlets 222 are arranged on the lateral sidewalls of the inner shell 22 in a sparse arrangement at the top and dense arrangement at the bottom. Specifically, the air outlets 222 at the top are more sparsely arranged, while the air outlets 222 at the bottom are more densely arranged. This allows more airflow within the air duct 24 to flow into the lower portion of the aging chamber 221 and toward the bottom of the food being cooked, thereby inhibiting the growth and reproduction of microorganisms and preventing the food from spoiling due to the high humidity at the bottom.

[0087] Specifically, multiple air outlets 222 can be arranged into two areas of upper air outlets and lower air outlets on each lateral side wall of the inner shell 22, and the ratio between the total area of ​​the upper air outlets and the total area of ​​the lower air outlets is preferably between 1:2 and 1:3, which reasonably distributes the air flow to the upper and lower areas of the maturation chamber 221. On the one hand, it can ensure that the wind speed in the lower part of the maturation chamber 221 is relatively high to accelerate the evaporation of moisture at the bottom of the material to be matured. On the other hand, it can also ensure that other areas of the material to be matured can be blown into the air flow, thereby achieving a better maturation effect.

[0088] Specifically, the multiple air outlets 222 may include multiple vertical air outlets extending vertically and multiple horizontal air outlets extending horizontally. In other words, both the vertical and horizontal air outlets are strip-shaped. These strip-shaped outlets have a large flow area, reducing air resistance within the aging chamber 221 and ensuring the speed of airflow to the food being matured. Furthermore, by distributing the vertical and horizontal air outlets extending in different directions, uniform or targeted air supply can be achieved throughout the aging chamber 221.

[0089] In some embodiments, a storage rack 25 for placing the objects to be cooked is provided in the inner shell 22. The storage rack 25 is spaced apart from the bottom plate of the inner shell 22 to leave air flow space below the storage rack 25, so as to facilitate air flow to blow to the lower surface of the objects to be cooked placed on the storage rack 25, thereby ensuring that the lower surface of the objects to be cooked can achieve the air-drying effect as quickly as possible.

[0090] Specifically, the storage rack 25 has a plurality of hollow mesh holes. The hollow storage rack 25 also reduces the contact area between the objects to be cooked and the storage rack 25, thereby preventing part of the surface of the objects to be cooked from being spoiled due to lack of contact with airflow.

[0091] In some embodiments, the air supply duct 24 includes a first air supply section 241 located at the rear of the inner shell 22, and a second air supply section 242 and a third air supply section 243 formed on either side of the inner shell 22. Both the second air supply section 242 and the third air supply section 243 taper along the direction of air flow therein. Specifically, the air flow direction within both the second air supply section 242 and the third air supply section 243 is from rear to front, and the cross-sectional areas of the second air supply section 242 and the third air supply section 243 gradually decrease from rear to front. This gradual reduction in flow area prevents the air flow velocity within the second air supply section 242 and the third air supply section 243 from gradually decreasing along the direction of air flow. This improves the uniformity of air supply throughout the longitudinal direction of the aging chamber 221, ensuring a uniform air flow across all longitudinal surfaces of the food to be aging.

[0092] The applicant realized that the air flow is faster when it first flows into the second air supply section 242 and the third air supply section 243. Therefore, the air intake volume of the air supply port connected to the upstream side of the second air supply section 242 and the third air supply section 243 is very small, which will result in a small amount of air blowing in the rear area of ​​the maturation chamber 221.

[0093] To this end, in some embodiments, air guide plates 26 are provided upstream of the second air supply section 242 and the third air supply section 243, adjacent to the outside of some of the air supply openings. Specifically, the air guide plates 26, disposed within the air supply duct 24, can intercept a portion of the airflow flowing through the air supply duct 24 and direct it to the corresponding air supply openings, ensuring that the upstream air supply openings also receive sufficient airflow. This further improves the uniformity of air supply in the front-to-back direction within the aging chamber 221, enhancing the aging effect.

[0094] Those skilled in the art should also understand that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "top", "bottom", etc. used to indicate orientation or positional relationships in the embodiments of the present invention are based on the actual usage status of the refrigeration and freezing device 1. These terms are only used to facilitate the description and understanding of the technical solution of the present invention, and do not indicate or imply that the device or device referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0095] At this point, those skilled in the art will recognize that, although a number of exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications consistent with the principles of the present invention may be directly determined or derived from the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and deemed to cover all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A control method for a refrigerator-freezer, the refrigerator-freezer comprising a housing defining a storage compartment, a aging device defining a aging chamber for aging food to be aging therein, an evaporator for providing a cooling airflow, and an air supply fan for directing the cooling airflow toward the storage compartment and / or the aging chamber; the aging device defining a aging chamber and a circulation duct surrounding the aging chamber, and comprising a circulation fan for driving airflow to circulate between the aging chamber and the circulation duct; the control method comprising: When the circulation fan is abnormal, a prompt message indicating the circulation fan failure is issued, and whether the storage compartment is in a cooling state is determined; as well as If the storage compartment is in a cooling state, the air supply volume of the air supply fan to the storage compartment is reduced, and the air supply volume of the air supply fan to the aging chamber is increased; If the storage room is in a non-refrigerated state, the refrigeration is forced to start, and air is only supplied to the ripening room; The control method further includes: Lowering the set target temperature of the aging chamber; in The set target temperature is a temperature at which the supply of cooling to the aging chamber is stopped.

2. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising: When the temperature in the aging chamber is lower than the set target temperature after being adjusted downward, stopping the air supply to the aging chamber; When the temperature in the aging chamber is higher than the set target temperature after being lowered, air supply to the aging chamber is resumed.

3. The control method according to claim 2, wherein The box body further defines a ripening air supply duct communicating with the evaporator chamber and the ripening chamber; the refrigeration and freezing device further includes a ripening air supply damper for controllably opening or blocking the ripening air supply duct; and The step of stopping the air supply to the aging chamber includes closing the aging air supply damper; The step of resuming air supply to the aging chamber includes opening the aging air supply damper.

4. The control method according to claim 1, wherein The cabinet further defines an inter-compartment air supply duct connecting an evaporator compartment where the evaporator is located and the storage compartment, and a maturation air supply duct connecting the evaporator compartment and the maturation compartment; the refrigerator-freezer further includes an inter-compartment air supply damper for controllably opening or blocking the inter-compartment air supply duct, and a maturation air supply damper for controllably opening or blocking the maturation air supply duct; and The steps of reducing the air volume supplied by the air supply fan to the storage compartment and increasing the air volume supplied by the air supply fan to the maturation chamber include: Reduce the opening of the compartment air supply damper and increase the opening of the maturation air supply damper; The step of supplying air only toward the aging chamber comprises: Close the compartment air supply damper and open the maturing air supply damper.

5. A refrigerator-freezer comprising a housing defining a storage compartment, a aging device defining a aging chamber for aging food therein, an evaporator for providing cooling airflow, and an air supply fan for directing the cooling airflow toward the storage compartment and / or the aging chamber; the aging device defining a aging chamber and a circulation duct surrounding the aging chamber, and comprising a circulation fan for driving airflow between the aging chamber and the circulation duct; The refrigeration and freezing device further comprises: a prompting device configured to issue a prompting message indicating a failure of the circulation fan when an abnormality occurs in the circulation fan; as well as A control device comprises a processor and a memory, wherein a machine executable program is stored in the memory, and when the machine executable program is executed by the processor, it is used to implement the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The refrigerator-freezer according to claim 5, wherein The box body further defines a compartment air supply duct connecting the evaporator compartment where the evaporator is located and the storage compartment, and a maturation air supply duct connecting the evaporator compartment and the maturation compartment, wherein the compartment air supply duct and the maturation air supply duct are independent of each other; and The refrigeration and freezing device further includes a compartment air supply damper for controllably opening or blocking the compartment air supply duct and a cooking air supply damper for controllably opening or blocking the cooking air supply duct.

7. The refrigerator-freezer according to claim 6, wherein: The aging device comprises: an inner shell, the ripening chamber being defined therein; an outer shell disposed outside the inner shell, with a rear wall and two lateral side walls of the outer shell spaced from the rear wall and two lateral side walls of the inner shell, respectively, to form a U-shaped circulating air duct, the circulating air duct being in communication with the aging chamber via a plurality of air supply ports provided on the two lateral side walls of the inner shell; The circulation fan is arranged in the circulation air duct located behind the inner shell, and the air flow inlet of the circulation fan is connected to the return air outlet opened on the rear wall of the inner shell, and the two opposite air flow outlets of the circulation fan are respectively connected to the circulation air duct located on the lateral sides of the inner shell.

8. The refrigerator-freezer according to claim 7, wherein: The number of the ripening air supply ducts is two; and One end of the two mature air supply ducts is directly connected to the evaporator chamber, and the other end of the two mature air supply ducts is respectively connected to the circulation ducts located on both sides of the inner shell.

9. The refrigerator-freezer according to claim 7, wherein: The plurality of air outlets are arranged on the lateral side wall of the inner shell in a sparse upper and dense lower arrangement.

Images