Refrigerator structure and control method

Abstract

The application provides a refrigerator structure and control method, which can drain condensate water outside the containing cavity by setting a drain pipeline connected to the containing cavity of the cabinet; can judge whether the drain pipeline is blocked by setting the detection module, and then perform cleaning or warning operation through the control module, so as to timely solve the problem of the blocked drain pipeline and ensure normal drainage of the condensate water; and can heat the drain pipeline by correspondingly setting the auxiliary heating pipeline and the drain pipeline, so as to realize self-cleaning of the drain pipeline and solve the problem of excessive humidity in the containing cavity and breeding of bacteria caused by the blocked drain pipeline.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigerator technology, specifically to a refrigerator structure and control method. Background Technology

[0002] Refrigerators are an essential household appliance. During the cooling process, refrigerators produce condensation, which is drained from the storage compartment through a drain outlet. If the drain outlet becomes blocked, the condensation cannot drain in time, leading to high humidity in the storage compartment, which easily breeds bacteria. At the same time, it can cause ice to form on the inner walls of the refrigerator, affecting its cooling efficiency.

[0003] However, most refrigerators on the market lack the function of detecting and unclogging drain outlet blockages, and cannot remind you to clean them in time. Even if there are devices to prevent refrigerator blockages, they only detect the blockage of the drain pipe by detecting changes in the internal temperature and air pressure of the storage compartment, which cannot address the problem of difficult-to-clean drain outlet blockages in a timely manner. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the above-mentioned technical deficiencies and provide a refrigerator structure and control method to solve the technical problem that refrigerators in related technologies lack detection and drainage outlet blockage removal functions.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: providing a refrigerator structure, comprising:

[0006] The box has a receiving cavity inside;

[0007] A drainage pipe, one end of which is connected to the receiving cavity, and the other end of which is connected to the outside of the receiving cavity;

[0008] A refrigeration system, the refrigeration system including an auxiliary heating pipe, the auxiliary heating pipe being arranged correspondingly to the drain pipe, so as to heat the drain pipe by transferring the heat generated by the refrigeration system to the auxiliary heating pipe;

[0009] The detection module includes a transmitter for emitting infrared signals and a receiver for receiving infrared signals; the infrared signals pass through the drainage pipe and reach the receiver, and the module determines whether the drainage pipe is blocked based on the signal strength received by the receiver.

[0010] The control module is signal-connected to the detection module and to the refrigeration system.

[0011] Preferably, the housing comprises:

[0012] A first back plate and a second back plate are arranged at intervals, with a receiving gap between the first back plate and the second back plate. The drainage pipe and the auxiliary heating pipe are both arranged within the receiving gap. A drain outlet communicating with the drainage pipe is provided on the back plate.

[0013] The case door is located on the side of the first back panel away from the second back panel, and the receiving cavity is located between the first back panel and the case door. The case door is movably configured to open or close the receiving cavity.

[0014] Preferably, the housing comprises:

[0015] A first base plate and a second base plate are spaced apart from each other, the first base plate is connected to a first back plate, the receiving cavity is located on the side of the first base plate away from the second base plate, and the refrigeration system includes a compressor located between the first base plate and the second base plate.

[0016] Preferably, the drainage pipe includes:

[0017] A first tube body is connected to the first back plate; the detection module is disposed on the first tube body.

[0018] The second tube is connected to the end of the first tube that is furthest from the first back plate.

[0019] Preferably, the refrigerator structure includes:

[0020] The second tube body is arranged parallel to the auxiliary heating pipeline; and / or, the second tube body is attached to the auxiliary heating pipeline.

[0021] Preferably, the refrigeration system includes:

[0022] Compressors used to compress fluids;

[0023] A condenser for releasing heat; one end of the auxiliary heating pipe is connected to the compressor, and the other end of the auxiliary heating pipe is connected to the condenser;

[0024] A valve is installed on the auxiliary heating pipeline to control the flow rate of the fluid in the auxiliary heating pipeline;

[0025] A connecting pipe is provided, one end of which is connected to the auxiliary heating pipe section located between the valve and the compressor, and the other end of which is connected to the condenser.

[0026] Preferably, the detection module includes:

[0027] The mounting base has a mounting groove, and the drain pipe is inserted into the mounting groove; both the transmitting device and the receiving device are mounted on the mounting base; the transmitting device and the receiving device are located on opposite sides of the drain pipe; wherein, the two opposite sidewalls of the mounting groove are arranged parallel to each other.

[0028] A control method is provided, applicable to the refrigerator structure, comprising:

[0029] The infrared signal emitted by the transmitting device passes through the drainage pipe and reaches the receiving device, and it is determined whether the intensity of the infrared light received by the receiving device meets the cleaning conditions.

[0030] If so, the refrigeration system is controlled to introduce high-temperature refrigerant into the auxiliary heating pipe.

[0031] Preferably, the method for determining whether the intensity of the infrared light received by the receiving device meets the cleaning conditions includes:

[0032] Thresholds A and B are set for the intensity of the infrared light; A < B;

[0033] When the intensity S of the infrared light received by the receiving device satisfies the condition A < S < B, the infrared light received by the receiving device meets the cleanliness condition.

[0034] Preferably, the control method further includes:

[0035] If S < A, the refrigerator structure is determined to be in an abnormal state, and the control module issues an alarm.

[0036] If S > B, then the refrigerator structure is determined to be in a normal state and the auxiliary heating pipe is in a closed state.

[0037] Beneficial effects:

[0038] 1. The refrigerator structure of the present invention, by providing a drain pipe connected to the receiving cavity of the cabinet, can drain condensate to the outside of the receiving cavity.

[0039] 2. The refrigerator structure of the present invention, by setting the detection module, can determine whether the drain pipe is blocked, and then perform cleaning or alarm operations through the control module, thereby solving the problem of blockage of the drain pipe in a timely manner and ensuring normal drainage of condensate.

[0040] 3. The refrigerator structure of the present invention, by setting the auxiliary heating pipe and the drain pipe in a corresponding manner, can heat the drain pipe, realize the self-cleaning of the drain pipe, and solve the problem of excessive humidity and bacterial growth in the cavity caused by blockage of the drain pipe. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigerator structure used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 2 This is a front view of the detection module used in this embodiment of the invention;

[0043] Figure 3 This is a front view of the detection module used in this embodiment of the invention;

[0044] Figure 4 This is a side view of the detection module used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigeration system used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the control method used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] The above figures include the following reference numerals:

[0048] 1. Housing; 11. Receiving cavity; 12. First back panel; 13. Second back panel; 14. Receiving gap; 15. Drain outlet; 16. Door; 17. First bottom plate; 18. Second bottom plate; 2. Drainage pipe; 21. First pipe body; 22. Second pipe body; 3. Refrigeration system; 31. Auxiliary heating pipe; 32. Compressor; 33. Condenser; 34. Valve; 35. Connecting pipe; 4. Detection module; 41. Transmitting device; 42. Receiving device; 43. Mounting base; 44. Mounting slot; Detailed Implementation

[0049] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0050] Example 1

[0051] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator structure is provided; please refer to [link / reference]. Figures 1 to 5 ,include:

[0052] Box 1, wherein the box 1 has a receiving cavity 11;

[0053] Drainage pipe 2, one end of which is connected to the receiving cavity 11, and the other end of which is connected to the outside of the receiving cavity 11;

[0054] The refrigeration system 3 includes an auxiliary heating pipe 31, which is correspondingly arranged with the drain pipe 2 to heat the drain pipe 2 by transferring the heat generated by the refrigeration system 3 to the auxiliary heating pipe 31.

[0055] The detection module 4 includes a transmitter 41 for emitting infrared signals and a receiver 42 for receiving infrared signals; the infrared signals are made to pass through the drainage pipe 2 and reach the receiver 42, and the receiver 42 is used to determine whether the drainage pipe 2 is blocked based on the signal strength received by the receiver 42.

[0056] The control module is signal-connected to the detection module 4 and to the refrigeration system 3.

[0057] It should be noted that the controller can control the on / off state of the auxiliary heating pipe 31 based on the signal from the detection module 4. The controller includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following:

[0058] PLC controllers, ARM processors, microcontrollers, DSP processors, FPGA controllers, etc.

[0059] It is understood that the technical solution provided in this embodiment, by setting the drain pipe 2 to be connected to the receiving cavity 11 of the box 1, can drain the condensate to the outside of the receiving cavity 11; by setting the detection module 4, it can determine whether the drain pipe is blocked, and then perform cleaning or alarm operations through the control module, thereby solving the problem of drain pipe blockage in a timely manner and ensuring normal drainage of condensate; by setting the auxiliary heating pipe 31 correspondingly to the drain pipe 2, it can heat the drain pipe 2, realize the self-cleaning of the drain pipe 2, and solve the problem of excessive humidity and bacterial growth in the receiving cavity 11 caused by the blockage of the drain pipe 2.

[0060] In practice, the first back plate 12 and the second back plate 13 are arranged at intervals in the housing 1, and there is a receiving gap 14 between the first back plate 12 and the second back plate 13. The drain pipe 2 and the auxiliary heating pipe 31 are both arranged in the receiving gap 14. The back plate is provided with a drain outlet 15 that communicates with the drain pipe 2.

[0061] The door 16 is located on the side of the first back plate 12 away from the second back plate 13. The receiving cavity 11 is located between the first back plate 12 and the door 16. The door 16 is movably provided to open or close the receiving cavity 11.

[0062] It should be noted that the drain outlet 15 is provided on the first back plate 12 and is used to connect the drain pipe to the receiving cavity 11, so as to discharge condensate from the receiving cavity 11.

[0063] It is understandable that by setting the first back plate 12 and the second back plate 13 at intervals, and setting the drain port 15 on the back plate, installation space is provided for the drain pipe 2 and the auxiliary heating pipe 31, making the overall structure more aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, by allowing the drain pipe 2 to enter the receiving cavity 11, condensate can be discharged from the receiving cavity 11, avoiding excessive humidity in the receiving cavity 11, which could lead to freezing or bacterial growth.

[0064] In practice, the housing 1 includes a first bottom plate 17 and a second bottom plate 18 arranged at intervals. The first bottom plate 17 is connected to the first back plate 12. The receiving cavity 11 is located on the side of the first bottom plate 17 away from the second bottom plate 18. The refrigeration system 3 includes a compressor 32 located between the first bottom plate 17 and the second bottom plate 18.

[0065] It is understood that by setting the first base plate 17 and the second base plate 18 at intervals, installation space can be provided for the compressor 32, making the overall structure more aesthetically pleasing and avoiding electromagnetic interference between components; and combined with the above-mentioned receiving cavity 11, it provides passage space for the drain pipe 2 and the auxiliary heating pipe 31, facilitating the removal of condensate in the receiving cavity 11.

[0066] In practice, the drainage pipe 2 includes:

[0067] The first tube 21 is connected to the first back plate 12; the detection module 4 is disposed on the first tube 21.

[0068] The second tube 22 is connected to the end of the first tube 21 that is away from the first back plate 12.

[0069] It is understood that by setting the first pipe body 21 and the second pipe body 22, the drain pipe 2 can be connected to the receiving cavity 11, so that the condensate can be discharged to the outside; by setting the detection module 4 on the first pipe body 21, it is possible to detect whether the condensate is discharged normally and to deal with the blockage of the drain pipe 2 in a timely manner.

[0070] In practice, the second tube 22 is arranged parallel to the auxiliary heating pipe 31; and / or, the second tube 22 is attached to the auxiliary heating pipe 31.

[0071] It is understandable that by attaching the second pipe 22 to the auxiliary heating pipe 31, the temperature in the second pipe 22 can be increased, melting the condensate that has frozen in the second pipe 22, thereby achieving self-cleaning of the drain pipe 2 and solving the blockage problem of the drain pipe 2.

[0072] In practice, the refrigeration system 3 includes:

[0073] Compressor 32 for compressing fluids;

[0074] A condenser 33 for releasing heat; one end of the auxiliary heating pipe 31 is connected to the compressor 32, and the other end of the auxiliary heating pipe 31 is connected to the condenser 33;

[0075] A valve 34 is installed on the auxiliary heating pipeline 31 to control the flow rate of the fluid in the auxiliary heating pipeline 31;

[0076] A connecting pipe 35 is provided, one end of which is connected to the auxiliary heating pipe 31 located between the valve 34 and the compressor 32, and the other end of which is connected to the condenser 33.

[0077] It should be noted that the fluid in the auxiliary heating pipe 31 refers to the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 32.

[0078] It should be noted that the condenser 33 can convert high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant into low-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, and return it to the compressor 32 through the connecting pipe 35, thereby realizing the recycling of refrigerant.

[0079] It is understood that by setting the valve 34, the flow rate of refrigerant in the auxiliary heating pipe 31 can be controlled, which can increase the heat of the drain pipe 2 and avoid heat waste; by setting the condenser 33 and the connecting pipe 35, the refrigerant that has been converted to low temperature and high pressure can be returned to the compressor 32, realizing the recycling of refrigerant.

[0080] In practice, the detection module 4 includes:

[0081] Mounting base 43, the mounting base 43 is provided with mounting groove 44, the drain pipe 2 is inserted into the mounting groove 44; the transmitting device 41 and the receiving device 42 are both provided on the mounting base 43; the transmitting device 41 and the receiving device 42 are respectively located on opposite sides of the drain pipe 2; wherein, the two opposite side walls of the mounting groove 44 are arranged parallel to each other.

[0082] It should be noted that the transmitting device 41 and the receiving device 42 are separated by two transparent plates. The two transparent plates are located near the drainage pipe 2, which can prevent the transmitting device 41 and the receiving device 42 from external damage and mutual interference, and can also improve the signal transmission quality according to their optical characteristics.

[0083] It is understood that by setting the mounting base 43 and the mounting groove 44, and inserting the drain pipe 2 into the mounting groove 44, the drain pipe 2 can remain stable when the water flow is large, thereby obtaining more accurate detection results; by setting the transmitting device 41 and the receiving device 42 on opposite sides of the drain pipe, the flow status in the drain pipe 2 can be detected, thereby determining whether a blockage has occurred.

[0084] Example 2

[0085] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a control method is provided; please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 6 ,include:

[0086] Step S21: The infrared signal emitted by the transmitting device 41 passes through the drainage pipe 2 and reaches the receiving device 42. It is determined whether the intensity of the infrared light received by the receiving device 42 meets the cleaning conditions.

[0087] Step S22: If yes, then control the refrigeration system 3 to introduce high-temperature refrigerant into the auxiliary heating pipe 31.

[0088] It should be noted that in step S21, when the intensity of the infrared light received by the receiving device 42 meets the cleaning conditions, the valve 34 is opened, and the high-temperature refrigerant generated by the compressor 32 is introduced into the auxiliary heating pipe 31, which can heat the drain pipe 2.

[0089] It is understandable that by judging whether the intensity of the infrared light received by the receiving device 42 meets the cleaning conditions, it is possible to detect whether the drain pipe 2 is blocked in time, which is conducive to timely handling of blockage problems and avoids the problem of excessive humidity and bacterial growth in the receiving cavity 11.

[0090] In practice, the method for determining whether the intensity of the infrared light received by the receiving device 42 meets the cleaning conditions in step S21 includes:

[0091] Thresholds A and B are set for the intensity of the infrared light; A < B;

[0092] When the intensity S of the infrared light received by the receiving device 42 satisfies the condition A < S < B, the infrared light received by the receiving device 42 meets the cleanliness condition.

[0093] It should be noted that the detection module 4 performs periodic detection and presets the number of detection cycles N. The detection result of the detection module 4 is based on the comprehensive detection result of N detection cycles.

[0094] It should be noted that the threshold B is a critical value. If the intensity of the infrared light is less than the threshold B within N detection cycles, it indicates that the water flow speed in the drainage pipe 2 has slowed down, and it is determined that there is a blockage in the drainage pipe 2.

[0095] It should be noted that the threshold A is a lower limit. If the intensity of the infrared light is greater than the threshold A but not more than the threshold B in N detection cycles, it means that the drainage pipe 2 is not completely blocked and can be resolved through self-cleaning.

[0096] It is understandable that by comparing the intensity of the infrared light received by the receiving device 42, the threshold A and the threshold B, it is possible to determine whether the drainage pipe 2 is blocked, and whether the degree of blockage can be handled by self-cleaning to ensure the normal operation of the drainage pipe 2.

[0097] In practice, the control method further includes:

[0098] If S < A, the refrigerator structure is determined to be in an abnormal state, and the control module issues an alarm.

[0099] If S > B, then the refrigerator structure is determined to be in a normal state, and the auxiliary heating pipe 31 is in a closed state.

[0100] It should be noted that if the intensity of the infrared light is less than the threshold A for N detection cycles, it indicates that the drain pipe is completely blocked and requires manual handling; if the intensity of the infrared light is greater than the threshold B for N detection cycles, it indicates that the water flow rate in the drain pipe 2 is normal, and it is determined that there is no blockage in the drain pipe 2.

[0101] Understandably, when the intensity of the infrared light received by the receiving device 42 is less than the threshold A, the control module issues an alarm to remind the user to promptly address the blockage in the drain pipe 2, thus preventing excessive humidity and bacterial growth in the containment cavity 11. When the intensity of the infrared light received by the receiving device 42 is greater than the threshold B, the auxiliary heating pipe 31 is shut off to prevent heat waste.

[0102] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0103] Optionally, specific examples in this embodiment can refer to the examples described in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0104] The sequence numbers of the embodiments in this application are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0105] In the above embodiments of this application, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0106] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this application. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of this application, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A refrigerator structure, characterized in that, include: The box has a receiving cavity inside; A drainage pipe, one end of which is connected to the receiving cavity, and the other end of which is connected to the outside of the receiving cavity; A refrigeration system, the refrigeration system including an auxiliary heating pipe, the auxiliary heating pipe being arranged correspondingly to the drain pipe, so as to heat the drain pipe by transferring the heat generated by the refrigeration system to the auxiliary heating pipe; The detection module includes a transmitter for emitting infrared signals and a receiver for receiving infrared signals; the infrared signals pass through the drainage pipe and reach the receiver, and the module determines whether the drainage pipe is blocked based on the signal strength received by the receiver. A control module, which is signal-connected to the detection module and to the refrigeration system; The transmitting device and the receiving device are located on opposite sides of the drainage pipe, so that the infrared signal passes through the drainage pipe and reaches the receiving device. The control module is configured to: acquire the intensity S of the infrared light received by the receiving device, and compare the intensity S of the infrared light with a preset first threshold A and a second threshold B, wherein A < B; When A < S < B, the control module controls the refrigeration system to introduce high-temperature refrigerant into the auxiliary heating pipe to heat the drain pipe.

2. The refrigerator structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The enclosure includes: A first back plate and a second back plate are arranged at intervals, with a receiving gap between the first back plate and the second back plate. The drainage pipe and the auxiliary heating pipe are both arranged within the receiving gap. A drain outlet communicating with the drainage pipe is provided on the back plate. The case door is located on the side of the first back panel away from the second back panel, and the receiving cavity is located between the first back panel and the case door. The case door is movably configured to open or close the receiving cavity.

3. The refrigerator structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing includes a first bottom plate and a second bottom plate spaced apart from each other. The first bottom plate is connected to the first back plate. The receiving cavity is located on the side of the first bottom plate away from the second bottom plate. The refrigeration system includes a compressor located between the first bottom plate and the second bottom plate.

4. The refrigerator structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drainage pipeline includes: A first tube body is connected to the first back plate; the detection module is disposed on the first tube body. The second tube is connected to the end of the first tube that is furthest from the first back plate.

5. The refrigerator structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second tube body is arranged parallel to the auxiliary heating pipeline; and / or, the second tube body is attached to the auxiliary heating pipeline.

6. The refrigerator structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigeration system includes: Compressors used to compress fluids; A condenser for releasing heat; one end of the auxiliary heating pipe is connected to the compressor, and the other end of the auxiliary heating pipe is connected to the condenser; A valve is installed on the auxiliary heating pipeline to control the flow rate of the fluid in the auxiliary heating pipeline; A connecting pipe is provided, one end of which is connected to the auxiliary heating pipe section located between the valve and the compressor, and the other end of which is connected to the condenser.

7. The refrigerator structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detection module includes: The mounting base has a mounting groove, and the drain pipe is inserted into the mounting groove; both the transmitting device and the receiving device are mounted on the mounting base; wherein, the two opposite sidewalls of the mounting groove are arranged parallel to each other.

8. A control method applicable to the refrigerator structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The control method includes: The infrared signal emitted by the transmitting device passes through the drainage pipe and reaches the receiving device, and it is determined whether the intensity of the infrared light received by the receiving device meets the cleaning conditions. If so, the refrigeration system is controlled to introduce high-temperature refrigerant into the auxiliary heating pipe.

9. The control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method for determining whether the intensity of the infrared light received by the receiving device meets the cleaning conditions includes: Thresholds A and B are set for the intensity of the infrared light; A < B; When the intensity S of the infrared light received by the receiving device satisfies the condition A < S < B, the infrared light received by the receiving device meets the cleanliness condition.

10. The control method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The control method further includes: If S < A, the refrigerator structure is determined to be in an abnormal state, and the control module issues an alarm. If S > B, then the refrigerator structure is determined to be in a normal state and the auxiliary heating pipe is in a closed state.

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