Refrigeration equipment and its control methods

Abstract

The present application provides a refrigeration device and a control method thereof. The refrigeration device comprises a device body and a damper assembly mounted to the device body, the device body defining a main storage chamber and a sub storage chamber, and the damper assembly being configured to selectively allow cold air in the refrigeration device or ambient air at ambient temperature to flow through the sub storage chamber. The control method comprises: determining whether the temperature in the sub storage chamber is greater than the ambient temperature outside the refrigeration device; in response to the temperature in the sub storage chamber being greater than the ambient temperature, controlling the damper assembly to allow ambient air at ambient temperature to flow through the sub storage chamber; and in response to the temperature in the sub storage chamber not being greater than the ambient temperature, controlling the damper assembly to allow cold air in the refrigeration device to flow through the sub storage chamber. The refrigeration device of the present application can allow high-temperature foodstuffs to be placed therein, and after the high-temperature foodstuffs are naturally cooled, the foodstuffs can be refrigerated and preserved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of refrigeration equipment, and specifically provides a refrigeration equipment and a control method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the continuous improvement of living standards, more and more families have refrigerators. The refrigerator is a refrigeration equipment capable of maintaining a constant low temperature, which is mainly used for cold storage and preservation of food materials.

[0003] Since the refrigerator is used to store and preserve food materials in a low-temperature environment, if the high-temperature food materials are directly placed in the refrigerator, the low-temperature environment in the refrigerator will be destroyed, which not only affects the cold storage and preservation effect of the refrigerator on the food materials, but also increases the energy consumption of the refrigerator. In order to avoid this situation, the user usually cools the high-temperature food materials naturally, and then places the cooled food materials in the refrigerator. However, due to work, housework and other reasons, the user often forgets to put the food materials into the refrigerator, resulting in deterioration of the food materials. SUMMARY

[0004] An object of the present application is to provide a refrigeration equipment and a control method thereof, so that the refrigeration equipment can receive high-temperature food materials without affecting its normal refrigeration.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present application provides a control method of a refrigeration equipment, the refrigeration equipment comprising an equipment body and a damper assembly installed on the equipment body, a main storage chamber and a sub-storage chamber being defined on the equipment body, and the damper assembly being configured to selectively make cold air in the refrigeration equipment or normal temperature air in the environment flow through the sub-storage chamber.

[0006] The control method comprises:

[0007] determining whether the temperature in the sub-storage chamber is greater than the ambient temperature outside the refrigeration equipment;

[0008] in response to the temperature in the sub-storage chamber being greater than the ambient temperature, controlling the damper assembly to make the normal temperature air in the environment flow through the sub-storage chamber;

[0009] in response to the temperature in the sub-storage chamber not being greater than the ambient temperature, controlling the damper assembly to make the cold air in the refrigeration equipment flow through the sub-storage chamber.

[0010] Optionally, before the determination of whether the temperature in the sub-storage chamber is greater than the ambient temperature outside the refrigeration equipment, the control method further comprises determining whether there is a stored object in the sub-storage chamber; and the determination of whether the temperature in the sub-storage chamber is greater than the ambient temperature outside the refrigeration equipment comprises:

[0011] When the sub-storage chamber has stored goods, it is determined whether the temperature in the sub-storage chamber is greater than the ambient temperature.

[0012] Optionally, the refrigeration device comprises a detection sensor for detecting whether the sub-storage chamber has stored goods; and the determination of whether the sub-storage chamber has stored goods comprises detecting, by the detection sensor, whether the sub-storage chamber has stored goods.

[0013] Optionally, the detection sensor is an infrared sensor arranged in the sub-storage chamber, or the detection sensor is a load sensor or a pressure sensor arranged on a bottom wall of the sub-storage chamber.

[0014] Optionally, the determination of whether the temperature in the sub-storage chamber is greater than the ambient temperature comprises determining whether the duration for which the sub-storage chamber has stored goods has reached a natural cooling duration.

[0015] The control method comprises:

[0016] When the duration for which the sub-storage chamber has stored goods has not reached the natural cooling duration, it is determined that the temperature in the sub-storage chamber is greater than the ambient temperature.

[0017] When the duration for which the sub-storage chamber has stored goods has reached the natural cooling duration, it is determined that the temperature in the sub-storage chamber is not greater than the ambient temperature.

[0018] Optionally, the refrigeration device comprises a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the sub-storage chamber and a second temperature sensor for detecting the ambient temperature,

[0019] The determination of whether the temperature in the sub-storage chamber is greater than the ambient temperature outside the refrigeration device comprises:

[0020] The temperature in the sub-storage chamber is obtained by the first temperature sensor;

[0021] The ambient temperature is obtained by the second temperature sensor;

[0022] The temperature in the sub-storage chamber and the ambient temperature are compared to determine whether the temperature in the sub-storage chamber is greater than the ambient temperature.

[0023] Optionally, the auxiliary storage chamber comprises a first air inlet for receiving the normal-temperature air, a first air outlet for discharging air in the auxiliary storage chamber to the environment, a second air inlet for receiving the cold air in the refrigeration device, and a second air outlet for discharging air in the auxiliary storage chamber to the refrigeration device, the first temperature sensor is arranged at the first air outlet, and the second temperature sensor is arranged at the first air inlet; the refrigeration device further comprises a natural cooling fan for driving normal-temperature air outside the refrigeration device to flow through the first air inlet, the auxiliary storage chamber and the first air outlet in sequence.

[0024] Optionally, the response to the temperature in the auxiliary storage chamber being not greater than the ambient temperature, the damper assembly is controlled to make the cold air in the refrigeration device flow through the auxiliary storage chamber, comprising:

[0025] The natural cooling fan is stopped rotating for a preset time length in response to the temperature in the auxiliary storage chamber being not greater than the ambient temperature;

[0026] The natural cooling fan is continued to rotate at a preset rotating speed, and the preset rotating speed is less than the original rotating speed of the natural cooling fan;

[0027] The natural cooling fan is continued to rotate at a preset rotating speed, and the preset rotating speed is less than the original rotating speed of the natural cooling fan;

[0028] Optionally, the auxiliary storage chamber is in communication with the main storage chamber, so that the cold air in the main storage chamber flows through the auxiliary storage chamber; or the device body is further defined with a refrigeration chamber and an air supply air duct, the evaporator is installed in the refrigeration chamber, the refrigeration chamber is in communication with the main storage chamber through the air supply air duct, the auxiliary storage chamber is in communication with the air supply air duct, and the auxiliary storage chamber is in communication with the refrigeration chamber or the main storage chamber, so that the cold air in the air supply air duct flows through the refrigeration chamber.

[0029] Further, the present application also provides a refrigeration device comprising a processor, a memory and execution instructions stored in the memory, the execution instructions are arranged to enable the refrigeration device to execute the control method of any one of the preceding technical solutions when executed by the processor.

[0030] Based on the foregoing description, those skilled in the art can understand that, in the foregoing technical solutions of the present application, the refrigeration equipment is configured with a sub-storage chamber and a damper assembly, the sub-storage chamber receives normal-temperature air outside the refrigeration equipment or cold air inside the refrigeration equipment through the damper assembly, and when the temperature in the sub-storage chamber is greater than the ambient temperature, the damper assembly is controlled to make the normal-temperature air in the environment flow through the sub-storage chamber, so that the stored objects in the sub-storage chamber are naturally cooled by the normal-temperature air; when the temperature in the sub-storage chamber is not greater than the ambient temperature, the damper assembly is controlled to make the cold air in the refrigeration equipment flow through the sub-storage chamber, so that the stored objects in the sub-storage chamber are cooled, stored and preserved by the cold air in the refrigeration equipment. Therefore, the refrigeration equipment of the present application can allow high-temperature food materials to be placed, and after the high-temperature food materials are naturally cooled, the food materials are refrigerated and preserved. Therefore, the refrigeration equipment of the present application allows users to place food materials of any temperature in the sub-storage chamber at any time without considering the temperature of the food materials, avoiding the situation that the user forgets to refrigerate the cooled food materials due to the need to cool the food materials, and effectively avoiding the situation that the food materials deteriorate due to forgetting to place them in the refrigeration equipment.

[0031] Further, by detecting whether the sub-storage chamber has stored objects by the detection sensor, and when the sub-storage chamber has stored objects, it is further determined whether the temperature in the sub-storage chamber is greater than the ambient temperature, avoiding useless work of the refrigeration equipment on the sub-storage chamber, saving energy and reducing energy consumption.

[0032] Further, when the temperature in the sub-storage chamber is not greater than the ambient temperature, the natural cooling fan is stopped rotating for a preset time length and then continues to rotate at a preset speed less than the original rotating speed of the natural cooling fan, and then when the temperature in the sub-storage chamber is again not greater than the ambient temperature, the damper assembly is controlled to make the cold air in the refrigeration equipment flow through the sub-storage chamber, ensuring the accuracy of temperature detection in the sub-storage chamber. In other words, the present application avoids the situation that due to the large air flow in the sub-storage chamber, the air does not have time to absorb the heat of the stored objects in the sub-storage chamber (especially when the temperature of the stored objects is low), and then flows out of the sub-storage chamber, resulting in a lower detected temperature. If the cold air in the refrigeration equipment is used to cool the stored objects in the sub-storage chamber at this time, it will result in waste of cooling capacity and electric energy.

[0033] The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present application will become more apparent from the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0034] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, hereinafter, some embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that the components or parts indicated by the same reference signs in different drawings are the same or similar; the drawings of the present application are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

[0035] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a refrigeration device in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 2 is Figure 1 is a sectional view of the refrigeration device in the first embodiment of the present application along the A direction; Figure 1

[0037] Figure 3 is Figure 1 is a sectional view of the refrigeration device in the first embodiment of the present application along the B-B direction; Figure 1

[0038] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the communication between the sub-storage room and the external environment in the second embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the communication between the sub-storage room and the main storage room in the second embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a refrigeration device in the third embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 7 is a main step flow chart of the control method of a refrigeration device in the fourth embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 8 is a partial step flow chart of the control method of a refrigeration device in the fifth embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments described hereinafter are only some embodiments of the present application, but not all embodiments of the present application, and the some embodiments are intended to explain the technical principles of the present application, but not to limit the protection scope of the present application. Based on the embodiments provided by the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0044] ​​It should be noted that in the description of the present application, the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer" and the like indicating the direction or positional relationship are based on the direction or positional relationship shown in the drawings, which is merely for the convenience of description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0045] In addition, it should be noted that in the description of the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting" should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or integrally connected; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0046] Further, it should be noted that the "refrigeration equipment" mentioned in the present application includes any equipment capable of storing stored objects (including food, medicine, liquor, biological reagents, colonies, chemical reagents, etc.) and refrigerating and / or insuring the stored objects, such as refrigerators, freezers, refrigerators, etc.

[0047] The refrigeration equipment in the first embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 3 , wherein Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the refrigeration equipment in the first embodiment of the present application, Figure 2 is Figure 1 is a sectional view effect schematic diagram of the refrigeration equipment in the first embodiment of the present application along the A direction in the first embodiment of the present application, Figure 1 is a sectional view effect schematic diagram of the refrigeration equipment in the first embodiment of the present application along the B-B direction in the first embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 Figure 1 Figure 1

[0048] It should be noted that in order to facilitate the description and to enable those skilled in the art to quickly understand the technical solutions of the present application, only the technical features related to the technical problems and / or technical concepts to be solved by the present application (directly related or indirectly related) will be described in the following description. For technical features with weak correlation, the description will not be described. Since the technical features with weak correlation belong to the common knowledge in the art, the disclosure of the present application will not be insufficient even if the weak correlation is not described.

[0049] As Figures 1 to 3 ​​​As shown in the first embodiment of the present application, the refrigerating device comprises a device body 1, a main door 21, a sub-door 22, an air door assembly 3 and an evaporator 4. The main door 21 and the sub-door 22 are rotatably connected to the device body 1, respectively, and the air door assembly 3 and the evaporator 4 are installed on the device body 1, respectively.

[0050] Continuing to refer to Figures 1 to 3 , the device body 1 defines a main storage chamber 11, a sub-storage chamber 12, a refrigeration chamber 13 and an air supply air duct 14. The sub-storage chamber 12 is preferably located at the top side of the main storage chamber 11, and of course, the sub-storage chamber 12 can be arranged at any other position of the main storage chamber 11, such as the bottom side, according to the needs of those skilled in the art. The refrigeration chamber 13 is used to install the evaporator 4, and the refrigeration chamber 13 is in communication with the main storage chamber 11 through the air supply air duct 14.

[0051] The main storage chamber 11 comprises at least one of a freezing chamber, a refrigerating chamber and a variable-temperature chamber.

[0052] Continuing to refer to Figures 1 to 3 , the sub-storage chamber 12 comprises a first air inlet 121, a first air outlet 122, a second air inlet 123 and a second air outlet 124. The sub-storage chamber 12 receives normal-temperature air outside the refrigerating device through the first air inlet 121, the sub-storage chamber 12 discharges the air in the sub-storage chamber 12 to the outside of the refrigerating device through the first air outlet 122, the sub-storage chamber 12 receives cold air inside the refrigerating device through the second air inlet 123, and the sub-storage chamber 12 discharges the air in the sub-storage chamber 12 to the inside of the refrigerating device through the second air outlet 124.

[0053] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the first air inlet 121 and the first air outlet 122 are both arranged on the side wall of the sub-storage chamber 12, and the normal-temperature air in the environment first flows into the sub-storage chamber 12 from the first air inlet 121 and then flows out of the sub-storage chamber 12 from the first air outlet 122.

[0054] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 3 , the second air inlet 123 and the second air outlet 124 are both arranged on the bottom wall of the sub-storage chamber 12, so that the sub-storage chamber 12 is in communication with the main storage chamber 11 through the second air inlet 123 and the second air outlet 124, and thus the cold air in the main storage chamber 11 enters the sub-storage chamber 12. Specifically, the cold air in the main storage chamber 11 first flows into the sub-storage chamber 12 from the second air inlet 123 and then flows out of the sub-storage chamber 12 from the second air outlet 124.

[0055] Further, although not shown in the drawings, in the first embodiment of the present application, the refrigerating appliance further comprises an evaporating fan for driving cold air around the evaporator 4 to enter the main storage compartment 11. The evaporating fan can be arranged in the refrigerating compartment 13, in the air supply air duct 14, or between the refrigerating compartment 13 and the air supply air duct 14.

[0056] As shown in Figure 1 , the main door 21 is used to shield the main storage compartment 11, and the sub-door 22 is used to shield the sub-storage compartment 12. Of course, the main door 21 and the sub-door 22 can be arranged as a whole by those skilled in the art as needed to shield the main storage compartment 11 and the sub-storage compartment 12 at the same time through one door body.

[0057] As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the damper assembly 3 comprises a first damper 31, a second damper 32, a third damper 33, and a fourth damper 34. Among them, the first damper 31 is used to control the opening and closing of the first air inlet 121, the second damper 32 is used to control the opening and closing of the first air outlet 122, the third damper 33 is used to control the opening and closing of the second air inlet 123, and the fourth damper 34 is used to control the opening and closing of the second air outlet 124.

[0058] In the first embodiment of the present application, the first damper 31, the second damper 32, the third damper 33, and the fourth damper 34 can be any feasible damper, such as a rotary damper, a sliding damper, etc. Further, the first damper 31 and the second damper 32 are opened or closed at the same time, and the third damper 33 and the fourth damper 34 are opened or closed at the same time. And when the first damper 31 and the second damper 32 are opened at the same time, the third damper 33 and the fourth damper 34 are closed at the same time to make the ambient temperature air in the environment circulate in the sub-storage compartment 12; when the first damper 31 and the second damper 32 are closed at the same time, the third damper 33 and the fourth damper 34 are opened at the same time to make the cold air in the main storage compartment 11 circulate in the sub-storage compartment 12.

[0059] Further, although not shown in the drawings, in the first embodiment of the present application, the refrigerating appliance further comprises a natural cooling fan, an air inlet filter arranged at the first air inlet 121, and an air outlet filter arranged at the first air outlet 122. The natural cooling fan is used to drive the ambient temperature air outside the refrigerating appliance to flow through the first air inlet 121, the sub-storage compartment 12, and the first air outlet 122 in sequence, so that the stored objects (including food, medicine, liquor, biological reagents, colonies, chemical reagents, etc.) in the sub-storage compartment 12 are naturally cooled. The air inlet filter is at least used to filter dust in the air to prevent dust, bacteria, etc. from polluting the stored objects in the sub-storage compartment 12. The air outlet filter is at least used for deodorization to prevent the odor of the stored objects in the sub-storage compartment 12 from escaping to the external environment, especially to the bedroom.

[0060] The natural cooling fan can be installed at any feasible position, such as the first air inlet 121 or the first air outlet 122. The air inlet filter can be any feasible component, such as a filter screen, filter cotton, etc. The air outlet filter can also be any feasible component, such as a carbon bag, etc.

[0061] Further, although not shown in the drawings, in the first embodiment of the present application, the refrigeration device further comprises a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the auxiliary storage chamber 12 and a second temperature sensor for detecting the ambient temperature outside the refrigeration device. Preferably, the first temperature sensor is arranged at the first air outlet 122 and the second temperature sensor is arranged at the first air inlet 121.

[0062] In addition, the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor can also be arranged at any other feasible position according to the needs of the skilled in the art, such as arranging the first temperature sensor inside the auxiliary storage chamber 12 and arranging the second temperature sensor outside the device body 1.

[0063] The use method and operation of the auxiliary storage chamber 12 in the first embodiment of the present application will be described below.

[0064] First, the user opens the auxiliary door 22 and places the stored material into the auxiliary storage chamber 12. Then, the refrigeration device compares the temperature in the auxiliary storage chamber 12 with the ambient temperature through the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor. When the temperature in the auxiliary storage chamber 12 is greater than the ambient temperature, the first air door 31 and the second air door 32 are opened simultaneously, the third air door 33 and the fourth air door 34 are closed simultaneously, and the natural cooling fan drives the normal temperature air in the environment to naturally cool the stored material in the auxiliary storage chamber 12. When the temperature in the auxiliary storage chamber 12 is not greater than (less than or equal to) the ambient temperature, the first air door 31 and the second air door 32 are closed simultaneously, the third air door 33 and the fourth air door 34 are opened simultaneously, so that the cold air in the main storage chamber 11 enters the auxiliary storage chamber 12 to refrigerate the stored material in the auxiliary storage chamber 12.

[0065] Based on the foregoing description, the skilled in the art can understand that the refrigeration device in the first embodiment of the present application enables the user to place any temperature food material into the auxiliary storage chamber 12 at any time without considering the temperature of the food material, thereby avoiding the situation that the user forgets to refrigerate the cooled food material due to the need to cool the food material, and effectively avoiding the situation that the food material deteriorates due to forgetting to place it into the refrigeration device.

[0066] The refrigeration device in the second embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , wherein, Figure 4This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the auxiliary storage room and the external environment in the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the secondary storage room and the main storage room in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] Before proceeding, it should be noted that, for the sake of understanding by those skilled in the art and for ease of description, the following description will only focus on the differences between the second embodiment of the present invention and the first embodiment described above, while the similarities between the second embodiment of the present invention and the first embodiment described above can be found in the preceding description.

[0068] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, unlike the first embodiment described above, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the first air inlet 121 and the second air inlet 123 are arranged adjacent to each other, and the first air outlet 122 and the second air outlet 124 are arranged adjacent to each other. Furthermore, the damper assembly 3 includes an air inlet damper 35 and an air outlet damper 36. The air inlet damper 35 is used to close one of the first air inlet 121 and the second air inlet 123 and open the other one; the air outlet damper 36 is used to close one of the first air outlet 122 and the second air outlet 124 and open the other one. Moreover, when the air inlet damper 35 opens the first air inlet 121 and closes the second air inlet 123, the air outlet damper 36 opens the first air outlet 122 and closes the second air outlet 124. When the air inlet damper 35 closes the first air inlet 121 and opens the second air inlet 123, the air outlet damper 36 closes the first air outlet 122 and opens the second air outlet 124.

[0069] Preferably, both the air inlet damper 35 and the air outlet damper 36 are pivot dampers, so that the air inlet damper 35 and the air outlet damper 36 can be opened and closed by rotation.

[0070] See below. Figure 6 The refrigeration device in the third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the refrigeration equipment in the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] Before proceeding, it should be noted that, for the sake of understanding by those skilled in the art and for ease of description, the following description will only focus on the differences between the third embodiment of the present invention and the first embodiment described above, while the similarities between the third embodiment of the present invention and the first embodiment described above can be found in the preceding description.

[0072] like Figure 6As shown, unlike the first embodiment described above, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the second air inlet 123 is connected to the air supply duct 14 so that the secondary storage chamber 12 can directly receive cold air from the air supply duct 14 through the second air inlet 123, thereby improving the cooling effect of the secondary storage chamber 12 on the stored items inside.

[0073] Furthermore, although not shown in the figures, in other embodiments of the present invention, unlike the first and second embodiments, the refrigeration device is a direct-cooling refrigeration device (e.g., a direct-cooling refrigerator).

[0074] The following will refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 The control method for the refrigeration equipment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to any of the preceding embodiments. In other words, the control method of the present invention is applicable to the refrigeration equipment described in any of the preceding embodiments. Figure 7 This is a flowchart of the main steps of the control method for the refrigeration equipment in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 This is a flowchart of some steps of the control method for the refrigeration equipment in the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] like Figure 7 As shown, in the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the control method for the refrigeration equipment includes:

[0076] Step S110: Determine whether the temperature inside the secondary storage chamber 12 is greater than the ambient temperature outside the refrigeration equipment.

[0077] Specifically, the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor described in any of the preceding embodiments are used to determine whether the temperature inside the auxiliary storage chamber 12 is greater than the ambient temperature outside the refrigeration equipment. Specifically, the temperature inside the auxiliary storage chamber 12 is obtained through the first temperature sensor; the ambient temperature is obtained through the second temperature sensor; and the temperature inside the auxiliary storage chamber 12 is compared with the ambient temperature to determine whether the temperature inside the auxiliary storage chamber 12 is greater than the ambient temperature.

[0078] The ambient temperature refers to the temperature of the environment in which the refrigeration equipment is located, so this ambient temperature can be the temperature of the kitchen, the temperature of the living room, the temperature of the dining room, etc.

[0079] In step S120, in response to the temperature inside the secondary storage chamber 12 being higher than the ambient temperature, the damper assembly 3 is controlled to allow ambient air to flow through the secondary storage chamber 12.

[0080] Corresponding to the first and third embodiments, when the temperature value detected by the first temperature sensor is greater than the temperature value detected by the second temperature sensor, i.e., when the temperature in the sub-storage compartment 12 is greater than the ambient temperature, the natural cooling fan is turned on, the first damper 31 and the second damper 32 are simultaneously opened, and the third damper 33 and the fourth damper 34 are simultaneously closed, so that the normal-temperature air in the environment circulates in the sub-storage compartment 12 without allowing the cold air in the refrigeration device to enter the sub-storage compartment 12. Thus, the stored goods in the sub-storage compartment 12 are naturally cooled.

[0081] Corresponding to the second embodiment, when the temperature value detected by the first temperature sensor is greater than the temperature value detected by the second temperature sensor, i.e., when the temperature in the sub-storage compartment 12 is greater than the ambient temperature, the natural cooling fan is turned on, the air inlet damper 35 opens the first air inlet 121 and closes the second air inlet 123, and the air outlet damper 36 opens the first air outlet 122 and closes the second air outlet 124. Thus, the normal-temperature air in the environment circulates in the sub-storage compartment 12 without allowing the cold air in the refrigeration device to enter the sub-storage compartment 12.

[0082] In step S130, in response to the temperature in the sub-storage compartment 12 not being greater than the ambient temperature, the damper assembly 3 is controlled to allow the cold air in the refrigeration device to flow through the sub-storage compartment 12.

[0083] Corresponding to the first and third embodiments, when the temperature value detected by the first temperature sensor is less than or equal to the temperature value detected by the second temperature sensor, i.e., when the temperature in the sub-storage compartment 12 is not greater than the ambient temperature, the natural cooling fan is turned off, the first damper 31 and the second damper 32 are simultaneously closed, and the third damper 33 and the fourth damper 34 are simultaneously opened. Thus, the normal-temperature air in the environment is prohibited from entering the sub-storage compartment 12, and the cold air (directly from the main storage compartment 11 or the air supply duct 14) in the refrigeration device flows through the sub-storage compartment 12, thereby refrigerating the stored goods in the sub-storage compartment 12.

[0084] Corresponding to the second embodiment, when the temperature value detected by the first temperature sensor is less than or equal to the temperature value detected by the second temperature sensor, i.e., when the temperature in the sub-storage compartment 12 is not greater than the ambient temperature, the natural cooling fan is turned off, the air inlet damper 35 closes the first air inlet 121 and opens the second air inlet 123, and the air outlet damper 36 closes the first air outlet 122 and opens the second air outlet 124. Thus, the normal-temperature air in the environment is prohibited from entering the sub-storage compartment 12, and the cold air (directly from the main storage compartment 11 or the air supply duct 14) in the refrigeration device flows through the sub-storage compartment 12, thereby refrigerating the stored goods in the sub-storage compartment 12.

[0085] The skilled person can understand that if the air flow through the sub-chamber 12 is small, it will result in a longer cooling time of the stored objects in the sub-chamber 12. If the air flow through the sub-chamber 12 is large, it will result in that the air does not have enough time to absorb the heat of the stored objects in the sub-chamber 12 (especially when the temperature of the stored objects is low) before flowing out of the sub-chamber 12, thus resulting in that the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor is lower. If the cold air in the refrigeration device is used to cool the stored objects in the sub-chamber 12 at this time, it will result in waste of cold energy and electric energy. Therefore, step S130 preferably comprises:

[0086] Step S131, in response to the temperature in the sub-chamber 12 being not greater than the ambient temperature, stopping the natural cooling fan from rotating for a preset time length.

[0087] The preset time length can be any feasible time length, for example, 1 min, 85 s, 1.5 min, 3 min, etc. The preset time length is used to make the air in the sub-chamber 12 sufficiently absorb the heat of the stored objects, so that the temperature of the air is consistent with the temperature of the stored objects as much as possible.

[0088] Step S132, continuing to rotate the natural cooling fan at a preset rotating speed.

[0089] The preset rotating speed is less than the original rotating speed of the natural cooling fan, so as to reduce the flow speed of the air flowing through the sub-chamber 12, and give the air flowing through the sub-chamber 12 enough time to absorb the heat of the stored objects. The original rotating speed of the natural cooling fan is the rotating speed of the natural cooling fan when the first air inlet 121 and the first air outlet 122 are first opened. Alternatively, the preset rotating speed is 1 / 5 to 1 / 2 of the original rotating speed of the natural cooling fan.

[0090] Step S133, in response to the temperature in the sub-chamber 12 being not greater than the ambient temperature, controlling the damper assembly 3 to make the cold air in the refrigeration device flow through the sub-chamber 12.

[0091] Specifically, during the process that the natural cooling fan continues to rotate at the preset rotating speed, when the temperature value detected by the first temperature sensor is less than or equal to the temperature value detected by the second temperature sensor again, that is, when the temperature in the sub-chamber 12 is not greater than the ambient temperature again, the natural cooling fan is turned off, the damper assembly 3 closes the first air inlet 121 and the first air outlet 122, and the third damper 33 and the fourth damper 34 are opened.

[0092] Based on the foregoing description, those skilled in the art can understand that the refrigeration equipment in the fourth embodiment of the present application can make the stored objects in the auxiliary storage compartment 12 first be naturally cooled by the normal temperature air in the environment, and then be refrigerated by the cold air in the refrigeration equipment, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the refrigeration equipment. At the same time, the user does not need to consider the temperature of the food materials, and can place the food materials of any temperature into the auxiliary storage compartment 12 at any time, thereby avoiding the situation that the user forgets to refrigerate the cooled food materials due to the need to cool the food materials, and effectively avoiding the situation that the food materials are deteriorated due to forgetting to place them into the refrigeration equipment.

[0093] As shown in Figure 8 In the fifth embodiment of the present application, different from the fourth embodiment of the present application, before step S110, the control method of the refrigeration equipment further comprises:

[0094] Step S210, judging whether the auxiliary storage compartment 12 has stored objects.

[0095] Specifically, the refrigeration equipment further comprises a detection sensor, so as to detect whether the auxiliary storage compartment 12 has stored objects through the detection sensor.

[0096] As an example one, the detection sensor is an infrared sensor arranged in the auxiliary storage compartment 12. The infrared sensor can be arranged at any position in the auxiliary storage compartment 12, for example, the top side, the back side, the left side or the right side of the auxiliary storage compartment 12. When the infrared sensor detects that the infrared signal exceeds a set threshold value, it is determined that the auxiliary storage compartment 12 has stored objects. The set threshold value can be obtained through multiple tests, and since the obtaining means is a conventional technical means in the art, it will not be described here.

[0097] As an example two, the detection sensor is a weighing sensor, a pressure sensor or a micro switch arranged on the bottom wall of the auxiliary storage compartment 12. When the stored objects are placed into the auxiliary storage compartment 12, the value of the weighing sensor, the pressure sensor or the micro switch changes or is triggered, thereby determining that the auxiliary storage compartment 12 has stored objects.

[0098] Step S220, when the auxiliary storage compartment 12 has no stored objects, stopping the natural cooling fan, and controlling the damper assembly 3 to not allow the cold air in the refrigeration equipment to enter the auxiliary storage compartment 12, so as to avoid the waste of cold energy of the refrigeration equipment.

[0099] Step S230, when the auxiliary storage compartment 12 has stored objects, judging whether the temperature in the auxiliary storage compartment 12 is greater than the ambient temperature. That is, when the auxiliary storage compartment 12 has stored objects, step S110 is further executed.

[0100] Optionally, step S110 can also be replaced by judging whether the duration of the presence of the stored objects in the sub-storage chamber 12 reaches a natural cooling time length, so as to determine whether the temperature in the sub-storage chamber 12 is greater than the ambient temperature. Specifically, when the duration of the presence of the stored objects in the sub-storage chamber 12 does not reach the natural cooling time length, it is determined that the temperature in the sub-storage chamber 12 is greater than the ambient temperature; when the duration of the presence of the stored objects in the sub-storage chamber 12 reaches the natural cooling time length, it is determined that the temperature in the sub-storage chamber 12 is not greater than the ambient temperature.

[0101] wherein the natural cooling time length is not less than the time length for the stored objects to cool to the ambient temperature in the sub-storage chamber 12, and the specific value thereof can be obtained through multiple tests. Specifically, the stored objects of appropriate volume or mass can be selected according to the capacity of the sub-storage chamber 12, and the highest temperature of the selected stored objects is determined, and then the time for each stored object to cool from the respective highest temperature to the ambient temperature is counted. Finally, the longest time is selected as the natural cooling time. Of course, the skilled in the art can also determine the natural cooling time length in any other feasible manner according to the needs.

[0102] Further, although not shown in the figure, the refrigeration device of the present application further comprises a processor, a memory and an execution instruction stored on the memory, which is set to enable the refrigeration device to execute the control method of any of the preceding embodiments when executed by the processor.

[0103] wherein the memory is used to store the execution instruction, which is specifically a computer program that can be executed. Further, the memory can include a memory and a non-volatile memory, and provide the processor with execution instructions and data. Exemplarily, the memory can be a high-speed random access memory (RAM), and the non-volatile memory can be at least one disk memory.

[0104] Those skilled in the art can understand that the control method described above can be applied in a processor or implemented by means of the processor. Exemplarily, the processor is an integrated circuit chip having the ability to process signals. In the process that the processor executes the control method described above, each step of the control method described above can be completed by integrated logic circuits in hardware form or instructions in software form in the processor. Further, the processor described above can be a general processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, microprocessors, and other any conventional processors.

[0105] So far, the technical solutions of the present application have been described in combination with the foregoing embodiments, but those skilled in the art can easily understand that the protection scope of the present application is not limited to these specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can split and combine the technical solutions in the above-described embodiments, or make equivalent changes or replacements to the related technical features, without departing from the technical principles of the present application. Any changes, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the technical concept and / or technical principles of the present application shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A control method of a refrigeration device, the refrigeration device comprising a device body and a damper assembly mounted to the device body, the device body defining a main storage chamber and a sub storage chamber, the damper assembly being configured to selectively cause cold air within the refrigeration device or ambient air at ambient temperature in the environment to flow through the sub storage chamber, the sub storage chamber comprising a first air inlet for receiving the ambient air and a first air outlet for discharging air within the sub storage chamber to the environment, the refrigeration device further comprising a natural cooling fan and a first temperature sensor disposed at the first air outlet, the natural cooling fan being configured to drive ambient air outside the refrigeration device to sequentially flow through the first air inlet, the sub storage chamber and the first air outlet; the control method comprising: determining whether a temperature within the sub storage chamber is greater than an ambient temperature outside the refrigeration device; in response to the temperature within the sub storage chamber being greater than the ambient temperature, controlling the damper assembly to cause ambient air at ambient temperature in the environment to flow through the sub storage chamber; in response to the temperature within the sub storage chamber not being greater than the ambient temperature, stopping the natural cooling fan from rotating for a preset time duration; so that air within the sub storage chamber sufficiently absorbs heat from stored items therein, thereby being as consistent as possible with the temperature of the stored items; causing the natural cooling fan to continue rotating at a preset rotation speed, the preset rotation speed being less than an original rotation speed of the natural cooling fan; so as to ensure accuracy of temperature detection within the sub storage chamber; in response to the temperature within the sub storage chamber not being greater than the ambient temperature, controlling the damper assembly to cause cold air within the refrigeration device to flow through the sub storage chamber. 2.The control method of the refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein before the determining whether the temperature within the sub storage chamber is greater than the ambient temperature outside the refrigeration device, the control method further comprises determining whether the sub storage chamber has stored items; the determining whether the temperature within the sub storage chamber is greater than the ambient temperature outside the refrigeration device comprises: when the sub storage chamber has stored items, determining whether the temperature within the sub storage chamber is greater than the ambient temperature. 3.The control method of the refrigeration device according to claim 2, wherein the refrigeration device comprises a detection sensor, the detection sensor comprising a sensor for detecting whether the sub storage chamber has stored items; the determining whether the sub storage chamber has stored items comprises detecting, by the detection sensor, whether the sub storage chamber has stored items. 4.The control method of the refrigeration device according to claim 3, wherein the detection sensor is an infrared sensor disposed within the sub storage chamber; or the detection sensor is a weighing sensor or a pressure sensor disposed on a bottom wall of the sub storage chamber. 5.The control method of the refrigeration device according to claim 2, wherein the determining whether the temperature within the sub storage chamber is greater than the ambient temperature comprises determining whether a duration for which the sub storage chamber has stored items has reached a natural cooling duration; the control method comprising: when the duration of the presence of the stored object in the sub-storage compartment does not reach the natural cooling duration, determining that the temperature in the sub-storage compartment is greater than the ambient temperature; when the duration of the presence of the stored object in the sub-storage compartment reaches the natural cooling duration, determining that the temperature in the sub-storage compartment is not greater than the ambient temperature.

6. The control method of the refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein the refrigeration device comprises a second temperature sensor for detecting the ambient temperature, and the determining whether the temperature in the sub-storage compartment is greater than the ambient temperature outside the refrigeration device comprises: obtaining the temperature in the sub-storage compartment by the first temperature sensor; obtaining the ambient temperature by the second temperature sensor; and comparing the temperature in the sub-storage compartment with the ambient temperature to determine whether the temperature in the sub-storage compartment is greater than the ambient temperature.

7. The control method of the refrigeration device according to claim 6, wherein the sub-storage compartment comprises a second air inlet for receiving the cold air in the refrigeration device and a second air outlet for discharging the air in the sub-storage compartment to the refrigeration device, and the second temperature sensor is arranged at the first air inlet.

8. The control method of the refrigeration device according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the sub-storage compartment is in communication with the main storage compartment, so that the cold air in the main storage compartment flows through the sub-storage compartment.

9. The control method of the refrigeration device according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the device body further defines a refrigeration chamber and an air supply air duct, the refrigeration chamber is provided with an evaporator, the refrigeration chamber is in communication with the main storage compartment through the air supply air duct, the sub-storage compartment is in communication with the air supply air duct, and the sub-storage compartment is in communication with the refrigeration chamber or the main storage compartment, so that the cold air in the air supply air duct flows through the refrigeration chamber.

10. A refrigeration device comprising a processor, a memory, and stored execution instructions on the memory, the execution instructions being configured to enable the refrigeration device to perform the control method according to any one of claims 1-9 when executed by the processor. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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