Refrigeration appliance and method for controlling defrosting process of refrigeration appliance

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a refrigeration appliance. The refrigeration appliance comprises an evaporator; the first temperature sensor is used for detecting the temperature in a first subarea of the evaporator; the second temperature sensor is used for detecting the temperature in a second subarea of the evaporator; first and second heaters for removing frost formed on the evaporator by a heating operation, respectively, the first and second heaters being spatially differently arranged with respect to the evaporator; a controller configured to: obtain a first measurement result of the first temperature sensor and a second measurement result of the second temperature sensor; and controlling the heating operation of the first heater only based on the first measurement result and controlling the heating operation of the second heater only based on the second measurement result at least in a part of time period. The invention further provides a method for controlling the defrosting process of the refrigeration appliance and a machine readable storage medium. According to some embodiments of the invention, through partitioned independent temperature control, a better defrosting effect is realized under the condition of saving energy consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of household appliances, and in particular to a refrigeration appliance, a method for controlling a defrosting process of the refrigeration appliance, and a machine-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] During the use of the refrigeration appliance, the surface temperature of the evaporator is very low. When the humid air flows through its surface, it will be cooled and attached to the surface of the evaporator to form a frost layer. As the frost layer thickens, it will affect the heat exchange between the evaporator and the air in the refrigeration appliance, reducing the refrigeration efficiency. Therefore, the refrigeration appliance must be defrosted after running for a period of time.

[0003] With the improvement of science and technology, refrigeration appliances with automatic defrosting function have become one of the indispensable products for modern families. Existing frost-free refrigeration appliances usually install a heater at the bottom of the evaporator and place a temperature sensor at the top tube row. When the defrosting conditions are met, the heater is powered on to defrost according to the reading of the temperature sensor. However, due to the particularity of the frost distribution of the evaporator and the uneven heat generation of the heater, in the actual defrosting process, the bottom of the evaporator often overheats, but there is still residual frost in the middle and upper parts. This will not only increase the energy consumption of the refrigeration appliance, but in severe cases it will also accelerate the aging of the components around the heater, causing safety problems.

[0004] Under this background, it is expected to provide an improved defrosting solution for refrigeration appliances to achieve better defrosting effect while saving energy. Summary of the invention

[0005] An object of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a refrigeration appliance, a method for controlling a defrosting process of a refrigeration appliance, and a machine-readable storage medium, so as to at least solve some of the problems in the prior art.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigeration appliance, the refrigeration appliance comprising:

[0007] Evaporator;

[0008] a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor, the first temperature sensor being used to detect a temperature in a first partition of the evaporator, and the second temperature sensor being used to detect a temperature in a second partition of the evaporator;

[0009] a first heater and a second heater, each for removing frost formed on the evaporator by a heating operation, the first heater and the second heater being spatially differently arranged relative to the evaporator;

[0010] A controller configured to:

[0011] Acquire a first measurement result of the first temperature sensor and a second measurement result of the second temperature sensor; and

[0012] At least during a partial period, the heating operation of the first heater is controlled based only on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor, and the heating operation of the second heater is controlled based only on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor.

[0013] The present invention particularly includes the following technical concepts: It is currently recognized that during the actual operation of the refrigeration appliance, due to the diversity of operating conditions, the frost layer on the evaporator is not evenly distributed, and its distribution state will change according to the changes in factors such as the evaporation temperature, the return air temperature, and the ambient temperature and humidity when the door is opened and closed. By introducing temperature sensors in different zones at the evaporator and performing independent temperature control in different zones, more targeted heating control can be achieved according to the actual frost state of different parts of the evaporator. Compared with the existing defrosting method, the heat of the heater can be utilized to the greatest extent, improving the local overheating and temperature recovery phenomenon in the box body, while also reducing the defrosting energy consumption and improving the defrosting efficiency.

[0014] Optionally, the first partition is located above the second partition in the vertical direction, and the first heater and the second heater are arranged at different heights relative to the evaporator. Thus, the frost layer distribution characteristics on the evaporator are advantageously taken into account, and the frost layer can be removed more uniformly and effectively by independently heating at different heights.

[0015] Optionally, the area size and / or boundary position of the first partition and the second partition are determined by the distribution state and / or thickness state of the frost layer on the evaporator. Thus, a more intelligent zone temperature control can be performed in combination with the actual state of the frost layer, which helps to concentrate heat in places where defrosting is not clean, while avoiding wasting too much energy on areas with thin frost layers.

[0016] Optionally, the first heater is arranged at a first position relative to the evaporator, so that the heat generated by the first heater through heating operation acts on the first partition alone, and the second heater is arranged at a second position relative to the evaporator, so that the heat generated by the second heater through heating operation acts on the first partition and the second partition together. This makes the arrangement of the heaters match the actual distribution of the frost layer, so that the heat generated by the heaters is more fully utilized, and more uniform defrosting can be achieved in an energy-saving manner.

[0017] Optionally, the first heater is configured as a conductive heater, and the second heater is configured as a radiant heater. Thus, different heating principles are cleverly used to achieve the desired heating effects in different partitions, and a uniform defrosting effect can be obtained under the premise of further reducing heat output.

[0018] Optionally, the controller is further configured to: control the first heater to stop heating operation based only on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor; and / or control the second heater to stop heating operation based only on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor. Thus, it is possible to accurately infer whether the frost layer in each zone is completely removed based on the temperature, thereby effectively realizing the independent control of the defrosting time by zone.

[0019] Optionally, the controller is further configured to: control the first heater to change the way of performing the heating operation only based on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor; and / or control the second heater to change the way of performing the heating operation only based on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor. Thus, the defrosting strategy can be freely adjusted according to the defrosting speed and the actual state of the frost layer in each area, which not only makes the defrosting process of each area balanced, but also helps to reduce energy consumption.

[0020] Optionally, the controller is further configured to: control the first heater and the second heater to turn on after the defrosting program starts, so as to defrost the evaporator through heating operations respectively; and control the first heater to stop heating when the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor reaches the first target temperature, and / or control the second heater to stop heating when the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor reaches the second target temperature. Thus, by setting the target temperature in different zones, the start and stop of the heaters in different zones can be independently controlled, thereby ensuring a more uniform defrosting process.

[0021] Optionally, the controller is further configured to: when the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor reaches a first intermediate temperature, control the first heater to change the way of performing the heating operation, the first intermediate temperature is less than a first target temperature, and the first target temperature is used to indicate that the frost formed in the first partition of the evaporator is completely melted; and when the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor reaches a second intermediate temperature, control the second heater to change the way of performing the heating operation, the second intermediate temperature is less than a second target temperature, and the second target temperature is used to indicate that the frost formed in the second partition of the evaporator is completely melted. In this way, time-sharing and segmented heating defrosting can be achieved, and the frost layer can be effectively removed in a more energy-saving manner.

[0022] Optionally, the controller is further configured to: control the first heater to always perform the heating operation in a fixed manner, until the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor reaches a first intermediate temperature, then control the first heater to stop the heating operation, the first intermediate temperature is less than the first target temperature, and the first target temperature is used to indicate that the frost formed in the first partition of the evaporator is completely melted; and when the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor reaches a second intermediate temperature, control the second heater to change the way of performing the heating operation, the second intermediate temperature is less than the second target temperature, and the second target temperature is used to indicate that the frost formed in the second partition of the evaporator is completely melted. Therefore, the temperature control strategy can be freely set in combination with the actual distribution of the frost layer and the different emphases or power ratios of each heater, so that the two heaters can better achieve coordinated heating, which not only avoids the occurrence of local overheating, but also further saves defrosting energy consumption.

[0023] Optionally, the controller is further configured to: when the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor reaches a first intermediate temperature, control the first heater to change the way of performing the heating operation, the first intermediate temperature is less than the first target temperature, and the first target temperature is used to indicate that the frost formed in the first partition of the evaporator is completely melted; and control the second heater to always perform the heating operation in a fixed manner until the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor reaches the second target temperature, and control the second heater to stop the heating operation. Therefore, appropriate temperature control strategies can be formulated for different areas in combination with factors such as the actual distribution of the frost layer and the installation position of the heater, so that the heat of the heater and the natural flow trend of the hot air flow can be more fully utilized, achieving a better defrosting effect and further reducing energy consumption during the defrosting process.

[0024] Optionally, the first heater and / or the second heater are controlled to change the way of performing the heating operation in the following manner, so that: compared with before the way of performing the heating operation is changed, the average power of the first heater during the heating operation is reduced after the way of performing the heating operation is changed; and / or, compared with before the way of performing the heating operation is changed, the average power of the second heater during the heating operation is reduced after the way of performing the heating operation is changed. Thus, considering the change of the frost layer thickness over time, the working state of the heater can be dynamically adapted to the actual frost layer morphology, effectively avoiding local overheating and energy waste.

[0025] Optionally, the first heater and / or the second heater are controlled to change the mode of performing the heating operation by: controlling the first heater and / or the second heater to switch from a continuous operation mode to an alternating start-stop operation mode; or controlling the first heater and / or the second heater to switch from a continuous operation mode at a constant first power level to a continuous operation mode at a constant second power level, wherein the first power level is higher than the second power level; or controlling the first heater and / or the second heater to switch from a continuous operation mode at a constant first power level to a continuous operation mode from the first power level to the second power level, wherein the first power level is higher than the second power level. Thus, the heating rate can be associated with the degree of defrosting in different time periods, a higher heating rate can be provided in the first stage when the frost layer is thicker in each area, and the heat output can be reduced by reducing the power when the frost layer gradually becomes thinner, so as to obtain a uniform defrosting effect. In addition, by switching from continuous heating to alternating start-stop heating, the residual heat heating in the shutdown stage can be fully utilized, thereby reducing the temperature rise in the cabinet while reducing the defrosting energy consumption.

[0026] Optionally, the controller is further configured to: control the heating operation of the first heater based on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor in addition to the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor, and / or control the heating operation of the second heater based on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor in addition to the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor, at least in another partial period of time. Thus, in addition to the independent temperature control of each zone, the possibility of cross temperature control is also provided, which is conducive to more reliably ending the heating process under extreme conditions (such as when a single sensor fails), thereby avoiding serious safety problems.

[0027] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a defrosting process of a refrigeration appliance is provided, the method being performed by means of the refrigeration appliance according to the first aspect of the present invention, the method comprising the following steps:

[0028] Acquire a first measurement result of the first temperature sensor and a second measurement result of the second temperature sensor; and

[0029] At least during a partial period, the heating operation of the first heater is controlled based only on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor, and the heating operation of the second heater is controlled based only on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor.

[0030] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a machine-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, wherein the computer program is used to execute the method according to the first aspect of the present invention when executed on a computer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that the principles, features and advantages of the present invention can be better understood. The accompanying drawings include:

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the arrangement positions of a temperature sensor and a heater on an evaporator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 A flow chart showing a method for controlling a defrosting process of a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0035] Figure 4 A graph showing the operation status of the first heater and the second heater changing with time according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 a graph showing changes in operating states of a first heater and a second heater over time according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

[0037] Figure 6 A graph showing changes in operating states of a first heater and a second heater over time according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial technical effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and multiple exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, rather than to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] It should be understood that, in this document, the expressions "first", "second", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, nor should they be understood as implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features.

[0040] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a refrigeration appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. A heat-insulating body 7 and at least one door 2 define at least one storage chamber 3 of the refrigeration appliance 1. A speed-regulated compressor 5 is arranged in a mechanical chamber 4 of the body 7, and the compressor 5 is connected to a condenser (not shown) and at least one evaporator 6 via a refrigerant circuit to provide the evaporator 6 with a refrigerant for cooling the storage chamber 3.

[0041] The evaporator 6 is shown here as being arranged in an evaporator chamber 8, which is separated from the storage chamber 3 by a partition 12. In addition, a blower 13 for supplying air is also installed in the evaporator chamber 8, and the blower 13 can supply the cold air generated in the evaporator 6 to the storage chamber 3 to achieve the purpose of refrigeration.

[0042] In the refrigeration cycle, the low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant flows along the guide pipe (not shown) in the evaporator 6 and is evaporated. During this period, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the surrounding air, thereby lowering the ambient temperature and achieving a refrigeration effect. While lowering the ambient temperature, the evaporator 6 also condenses and separates the water vapor in the surrounding air. When the water vapor in the air contacts the low-temperature surface of the evaporator 6, frost is formed. When the refrigeration appliance 1 continues to work, the frost layer on the surface of the evaporator 6 continues to accumulate and thicken, which slows down the air flow rate through the evaporator 6, resulting in a decrease in heat exchange efficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce heaters 101 and 102 at the evaporator 6 for defrosting.

[0043] Here, the refrigeration appliance 1 further comprises a first heater 101 and a second heater 102 for defrosting, which are arranged spatially differently relative to the evaporator 6 and heat the evaporator 6 by physical contact, radiation and / or convection during defrosting.

[0044] In order to control the operation of the two heaters 101 and 102, the refrigeration appliance 1 further comprises a controller 10, which can be arranged at any suitable position of the refrigeration appliance 1, and can also be arranged outside the refrigeration appliance 1 as a remote control component. The controller 10 is connected to a first temperature sensor 91 for detecting the temperature in the first partition of the evaporator 6 and a second temperature sensor 92 for detecting the temperature in the second partition of the evaporator 6, so as to receive a first measurement result from the first temperature sensor 91 and a second measurement result from the second temperature sensor 92. The controller 10 is also configured to control the heating operation of the first heater 101 only based on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor 91, and control the heating operation of the second heater 102 only based on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor 92, at least in a partial period of time.

[0045] It should be noted that the storage chamber 3 shown here can be configured as a refrigerating chamber, a freezing chamber and a temperature-changing chamber according to the specific type of the refrigerating appliance 1. Those skilled in the art should also understand that the defrosting strategy proposed in the context can be applicable to different types of refrigerating appliances 1, such as refrigerators, wine cabinets, separate refrigerators or freezers.

[0046] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the arrangement positions of a temperature sensor and a heater on an evaporator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, the evaporator 6 includes a guide pipe 61 and fins 62. The guide pipe 61 may be composed of a plurality of parallel straight pipes 61a and bent pipes 61b for connecting the straight pipes 61a, so that the guide pipe 61 is in a reciprocating bending shape in the vertical direction for the refrigerant to flow through. The fins 62 are sleeved on the outer surface of the guide pipe 61 and are arranged in parallel with each other at a certain interval to promote sufficient heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing through the guide pipe 61 and the outside air.

[0048] In this embodiment, the evaporator 6 can be divided into a first partition Z1 and a second partition Z2 arranged vertically, and the first partition Z1 is located, for example, on the upper side of the second partition Z2 in the vertical direction. The area size and / or boundary position of the first partition Z1 and the second partition Z2 can be determined by the frost layer distribution state and / or frost layer thickness state on the evaporator 6. For example, the first partition Z1 corresponds to an area with an average frost layer thickness of 3 cm, and the second partition Z2 corresponds to an area with an average frost layer thickness of 5 cm. The two partitions Z1 and Z2 can be (e.g. Figure 2 As shown in the figure, they are set to be continuous, so that their boundaries are adjacent to each other, but they can also be set to be discontinuous, so that there is still a certain distance between the two partitions Z1 and Z2 to separate them.

[0049] It should be noted that the division of different regions of the evaporator 6 in the above context is only for the purpose of convenience of description, and is not intended to limit the functional or working relationship of different parts, components or elements of the evaporator 6 through such regional division. Figure 2 The case where the evaporator 6 as a whole is divided into only two subareas Z1 and Z2 is described, but it is also conceivable that the evaporator 6 is divided into a larger number of subareas Z1 and Z2 of other shapes.

[0050] The first temperature sensor 91 and the second temperature sensor 92 can be respectively assigned to the first zone Z1 and the second zone Z2 to detect the temperature in the relevant zone. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the first temperature sensor 91 and the second temperature sensor 92 are, for example, fixedly mounted on the evaporator 6 and are therefore arranged directly in the first subzone Z1 and the second subzone Z2, respectively. However, it is also possible that they are arranged in the surrounding space of the evaporator 6 (for example, fixed in Figure 1) so that the first temperature sensor 91 and the second temperature sensor 92 have monitoring ranges corresponding to the first partition Z1 and the second partition Z2 respectively, but are not directly in the first partition Z1 and the second partition Z2. It can be seen that, depending on the specific installation method, the first temperature sensor 91 and the second temperature sensor 92 can be implemented as contact type temperature sensors or non-contact type temperature sensors. In a specific implementation, the first and second temperature sensors 91, 92 can be configured as thermistor temperature sensors, thermocouple temperature sensors, infrared temperature sensors and / or integrated circuit temperature sensors, etc.

[0051] In order to independently defrost the first zone Z1 and the second zone Z2 of the evaporator 6, the first heater 101 and the second heater 102 are arranged at different heights on the surface of the evaporator 6. Figure 2 As shown, the first heater 101 can be arranged in the middle area of ​​the evaporator 6, and the second heater 102 can be arranged below the evaporator 6. The first heater 101 can be integrated and installed inside the evaporator 6, in particular, embedded in the slot of the fin 62 of the evaporator 6, so that the first heater 101 is mainly heated by conduction through direct physical contact with the evaporator 6. The second heater 102 is arranged below the evaporator 6 at a certain distance from the evaporator 6, so that the second heater 102 can be heated by heat radiation and heat convection to remove frost accumulated on the evaporator 6. In this arrangement, the heat generated by the first heater 101 through the conduction heating operation can act on the first zone Z1 alone, while the heat generated by the second heater 102 is first radiated to the second zone Z2 to defrost the guide pipe 61 and the fin 62 located at the bottom of the evaporator 6, and then part of the heat gradually rises to the center and upper part of the evaporator 6 through natural convection, thereby acting on the first zone Z1 of the evaporator 6.

[0052] In another arrangement not shown, the first heater 101 and the second heater 102 can be installed integrally with the evaporator 6, that is, the first heater 101 and the second heater 102 are both configured as conductive heaters, the first heater 101 is arranged in the first zone Z1, and the second heater 102 is arranged in the second zone Z2. Thus, the heat generated by the first heater 101 through the heating operation basically acts on the first zone Z1 alone, and the heat generated by the second heater 102 through the heating operation basically acts on the second zone Z2 alone.

[0053] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a method for controlling a defrosting process of a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The method exemplarily includes steps S301-S308, and can be used, for example, in a Figure 1In this embodiment, the controller 10 is implemented as shown. Figure 2 The arrangement positions of the temperature sensor and the heater shown in FIG. 1 are used as an example for explanation.

[0054] In step S301, it is determined whether the evaporator meets the start condition of the defrosting process.

[0055] In one embodiment, the refrigeration appliance performs defrosting at a preset fixed time interval. Therefore, in this step, for example, it can be determined whether the time between the current moment and the moment when the defrosting procedure was last started exceeds the preset time interval. If so, it indicates that the start condition of the defrosting procedure is met.

[0056] In another embodiment, it is also possible to determine whether the temperature of a specific position on the surface of the evaporator is lower than a predefined threshold value in this step, or to determine the frosting area, frosting thickness, etc. by taking an image of the evaporator surface. When the temperature is lower than the predefined threshold value, or when the frosting area exceeds a certain proportion of the entire image, or when the frost reaches a certain thickness, it is determined that the start condition of the defrosting program is met.

[0057] If it is determined in step S301 that the start condition of the defrost program is not met, the first heater and the second heater are kept off, and the determination is continued in this step. If the start condition of the defrost program is met, the first heater and the second heater are controlled to be turned on in step S302 to defrost the evaporator through heating operations respectively.

[0058] In a specific implementation, the first heater and the second heater can be controlled to be turned on at the same time, so as to heat the first partition and the second partition respectively. In addition, the first heater and the second heater can also be controlled to be turned on successively, for example, when the temperature in the first partition is lower than the predefined first threshold, the first heater is controlled to be turned on, and when the temperature in the second partition is lower than the predefined second threshold, the second heater is controlled to be turned on. For another example, the first heater and the second heater can also be controlled to be turned on in a predefined order, for example, when the start condition of the defrost program is met, the second heater located below the evaporator is preferentially controlled to be turned on, and after the second heater is turned on for a preset time t0, the first heater is controlled to be turned on. Through this delayed start mode, the second heater with a wider range of action can be put into operation first, so as to ensure that the thicker frost layer in the second partition closer to the second heater is heated first, so as to achieve a more balanced defrosting effect overall. Optionally, for example, the working power of the second heater can be selected to be greater than the working power of the first heater, thereby further improving the defrosting efficiency.

[0059] Next, in steps S303 and S306, the temperatures in the first partition and the second partition of the evaporator are detected by means of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor respectively, and a first measurement result of the first temperature sensor and a second measurement result of the second temperature sensor are obtained.

[0060] In steps S304-S305, at least in a part of the defrost procedure, the heating operation of the first heater is controlled based only on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor. In steps S307-S308, the heating operation of the second heater is controlled based only on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor. Since the first heater and the second heater mainly act on the first partition and the second partition, respectively, independent defrosting of the first partition and the second partition can be achieved by such separate control of the first heater and the second heater.

[0061] Specifically, in step S304, the first heater is controlled to change the way of performing the heating operation based only on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor. The first measurement result corresponds to, for example, a real-time temperature reading in the first partition, or a temperature change amount or temperature change rate in the first partition.

[0062] In one embodiment, the operation of the first heater can be controlled in at least two stages in the defrost program, in the first stage, the first heater is made to perform a heating operation in a first operating mode, and in the second stage, the first heater is made to perform a heating operation in a second operating mode. When the first measurement result reaches the first intermediate temperature T11, the first heater is controlled to switch from the original first operating mode to the second operating mode. Exemplarily, when the first heater operates in the first operating mode, it exerts all the energy efficiency to perform complete defrosting, and when the first heater operates in the second operating mode, it only exerts part of the energy efficiency to perform partial defrosting. Here, the first intermediate temperature T11 is related to the melting point temperature of the frost layer, for example, the first intermediate temperature T11 can be determined as 1-2 degrees above the melting point temperature (0 degrees). Reaching this temperature indicates that the frost layer in the first partition begins to melt or has partially melted.

[0063] In step S305, the first heater is controlled to stop the heating operation based only on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor. In one embodiment, when the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor reaches the first target temperature T12, the first heater is controlled to stop the heating operation. Here, the first target temperature T12 can be determined by a pre-performed experimental calibration process or according to defrosting experience values, and is used to indicate that the frost formed in the first partition of the evaporator is completely melted. For example, the first target temperature T12 can be determined to be 8-10 degrees.

[0064] In another embodiment, the first heater can be controlled to stop the heating operation based on the temperature change rate or temperature change amount reflected by the first measurement result. For example, when the first measurement result indicates that the temperature rise rate in the first partition exceeds a determined limit value, the first heater can be controlled to stop the heating operation.

[0065] In some embodiments, when the heating operation of the first heater stops, it indicates that the defrosting process in which the first heater participates is finished. However, in some embodiments, the stopping of the heating operation of the first heater may be only temporary. For example, after the first heater is turned off for a period of time, the temperature in the first partition drops back from the first target temperature to the first intermediate temperature or if the drop exceeds a certain limit, the first heater may be controlled to restart to perform the heating operation. In other words, the first heater may be controlled not only to stop the heating operation based on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor, but also to restart the heating operation based on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor.

[0066] Similar to step S304, in step S307, the second heater is controlled to change the way of performing the heating operation based only on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor. The second measurement result corresponds to, for example, a real-time temperature reading in the second partition, or may correspond to a temperature change amount or temperature change rate in the second partition.

[0067] In one embodiment, the operation of the second heater can be controlled in at least two stages in the defrosting program, in the first stage, the second heater is made to perform a heating operation in a first operation mode, and in the second stage, the second heater is made to perform a heating operation in a second operation mode. When the second measurement result reaches the second intermediate temperature T21, the second heater is controlled to switch from the original first operation mode to the second operation mode. Exemplarily, when the second heater operates in the first operation mode, it exerts all energy efficiency to perform complete defrosting, and when the second heater operates in the second operation mode, it only exerts part of the energy efficiency to perform partial defrosting. Here, the second intermediate temperature T21 is, for example, related to the melting point temperature of the frost layer. For example, the second intermediate temperature T21 can be determined as 1-2 degrees above the melting point temperature (0 degrees). Reaching this temperature indicates that the frost layer in the second partition begins to melt or has partially melted. In addition, according to actual needs, the second intermediate temperature T21 can be determined to be the same as the first intermediate temperature T11, or it can be determined to be different (for example, it can be determined to have a fixed size relationship according to the ratio of the working power of the first heater and the second heater).

[0068] In step S308, the second heater is controlled to stop the heating operation based only on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor. In one embodiment, when the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor reaches the second target temperature T22, the second heater is controlled to stop the heating operation. Here, the second target temperature T22 can be determined by a pre-performed experimental calibration process or according to defrosting experience values, and is used to indicate that the frost formed in the second partition of the evaporator is completely melted. For example, the second target temperature T22 can be determined to be 20-30 degrees.

[0069] In one embodiment, the second target temperature T22 is determined to be greater than the first target temperature T12, for example based on the following considerations: the frost thickness in the second partition is significantly greater than the frost thickness in the first partition, and therefore a higher defrosting temperature is also required to completely melt the frost in the second partition.

[0070] In another embodiment, the installation position and the range of action of the second heater may also affect the value of the second target temperature T22 to a certain extent. For example, when the second heater acts on the first partition and the second partition at the same time, and the first heater acts only on the first partition, the second target temperature T22 may be set to be greater than the first target temperature T12, so that the second target temperature T22 not only indicates that the frost in the second partition is completely melted, but also indirectly ensures that the frost in the first partition is basically melted.

[0071] In another embodiment, the second heater can be controlled to stop the heating operation based on the temperature change rate or temperature change amount reflected by the second measurement result. In addition, not only can the second heater be controlled to stop the heating operation based on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor, but the second heater can also be controlled to restart the heating operation based on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor.

[0072] In an unillustrated step, at least in another partial period, the heating operation of the first heater is controlled based on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor in addition to the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor, and / or the heating operation of the second heater is controlled based on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor in addition to the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor. For example, after step S304, the first heater is not directly controlled to stop the heating operation based on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor in step S305, but the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor is additionally considered in an alternative step. For example, before the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor reaches the first target temperature, if the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor has reached a third target temperature higher than the second target temperature, the first heater can be controlled to stop the heating operation in advance, so as to make full use of the radiant heat and residual heat from below to melt the residual frost layer in the first partition and avoid the safety hazard caused by the local overheating of the bottom of the evaporator. Similarly, after step S307, the second heater can also be controlled to stop the heating operation based on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor in step S308 instead of directly controlling the second heater to stop the heating operation based on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor, but the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor is additionally considered in an alternative step. For example, before the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor reaches the second target temperature, if the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor has reached a fourth target temperature that is higher than the first target temperature, the second heater can be controlled to stop the heating operation in advance to avoid local overheating of the upper layer of the evaporator, and to a certain extent avoid the safety risks caused by the failure of a single sensor.

[0073] Figure 4 A graph showing operation states of a first heater and a second heater varying with time according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] exist Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, a curve 41 showing the change of the operating power of the first heater over time t is shown, and a curve 42 showing the change of the operating power of the second heater over time t is also shown. Corresponding to the time change process of the operating power of the first heater and the second heater, the time change process of the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor and the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor is also shown 43, 44. Here, the first measurement result and the second measurement result exist in the form of real-time temperature readings in the first partition and the second partition, respectively.

[0075] In this embodiment, the operation of the first heater is controlled in two temporally consecutive phases 401 and 402. In the first phase 401, the first heater is continuously operated and the operating power is kept constant, and as the heating progresses, the temperature in the first sub-zone gradually rises. The first phase 401 ends when the first measurement result 43 of the first temperature sensor reaches the first intermediate temperature T11, which indicates that the frost layer in the first sub-zone begins to melt or has partially melted.

[0076] Next, the second stage 402 is entered. In this stage, as the frost layer in the upper area of ​​the evaporator gradually becomes thinner and less, the temperature rise rate in the first partition gradually accelerates. Considering the conduction hysteresis of the first heater, the first heater is controlled to switch from the continuous operation mode to the alternating start-stop operation mode. In each start-stop cycle, the first heater is kept turned on for a duration of t1_on, and then kept turned off for a duration of t1_off, and this cycle is repeated, thereby realizing alternating start-stop heating according to a preset start-stop ratio. It can be seen that compared with the first stage 401 (before changing the way to perform the heating operation), in the second stage 402 (after changing the way to perform the heating operation), the average power of the first heater during the heating operation is reduced, and the reduction depends on the start-stop ratio t1_on / t1_off. Accordingly, in the second stage 402, the temperature rise rate in the first partition is appropriately limited, thereby effectively reducing energy consumption and reducing the defrosting power consumption of the refrigeration appliance. Finally, until the temperature in the first partition rises to the first target temperature T12, the first heater is controlled to stop the heating operation.

[0077] Similar to the control method of the first heater, the heating operation of the second heater is also controlled in two stages 411 and 412. In the first stage 411, the second heater is operated continuously and the working power is kept constant until the second measurement result 44 of the second temperature sensor reaches the second intermediate temperature T21, and then the second stage 412 is entered from the first stage 411. In the second stage 412, the frost layer at the bottom of the evaporator has gradually begun to melt. In order to prevent the heat generated by the radiation of the second heater from being absorbed by the surrounding medium in large quantities and to make full use of the heat of natural convection to continue to melt the frost layer in the first partition on the upper part of the evaporator, the second heater can be switched from the continuous operation mode to the alternating start-stop operation mode, and the start-stop ratio is, for example, t2_on / t2_off. The specific start-up time t2_on and the shutdown time t2_off can be freely set according to actual needs. Therefore, compared with the first stage 411, the average power of the second heater is reduced in the second stage 412, and the temperature rise rate in the second partition is also appropriately limited to reduce energy consumption. Finally, until the temperature in the second partition rises to the second target temperature T22, the second heater is controlled to stop the heating operation.

[0078] It should be noted that although the reference Figure 4 It is shown that in the second stages 402 and 412, the first heater and the second heater are respectively controlled with a fixed start-stop ratio to perform a heating operation, but it is also expected that in the second stages 402 and 412, the start-stop ratio of the first heater and / or the second heater is dynamically adjusted over time or based on the measurement results of the corresponding temperature sensors (for example, the proportion of the on time is gradually reduced) to further avoid energy waste.

[0079] Figure 5 A graph showing changes in operating states of a first heater and a second heater over time according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] exist Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, a curve 51 of the operating power of the first heater changing with time t and a curve 52 of the operating power of the second heater changing with time t are illustrated. Corresponding to the time variation process of the operating power of the first heater and the second heater, the time variation process 53, 54 of the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor and the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor are also illustrated.

[0081] like Figure 5 As shown, the second heater is also controlled in two stages to perform the heating operation, but unlike Figure 4 The difference of the embodiment shown is that the operation mode of the first heater is no longer changed in the defrosting program, but the first heater is controlled to always perform the heating operation in a fixed manner. When the first measurement result 53 of the first temperature sensor reaches the first intermediate temperature T11, the first heater is controlled to stop the heating operation. Figure 4 Compared with the case shown, the temperature for controlling the first heater to stop is lower, and in particular, lower than the first target temperature T12 for indicating that the frost formed in the first partition of the evaporator is completely melted.

[0082] This is advantageous, for example, in the following situation: the frost layer in the first partition is not only acted upon by the first heater, but also by the second heater at the same time. When the upper ice layer becomes thinner, it will heat up faster. For the purpose of energy saving, it is not necessary to wait until the frost layer in the first partition is completely melted before shutting down the first heater. Instead, the first heater acting alone on the first partition can be stopped in advance, and then the residual heat left after the first heater is shut down and the heating effect of the second heater below can be fully utilized to continue to melt the frost layer in the first partition. As a result, energy consumption is greatly saved.

[0083] For the second heater, Figure 4As shown, when the second measurement result 54 of the second temperature sensor reaches the second intermediate temperature T21, the operation mode of the second heater is changed so that the average power of the second heater in the second stage 512 is less than the average power in the first stage 511. In this way, after the amount of frost in the second partition is reduced, the temperature rise rate in the second partition can be limited by appropriately reducing the working power of the second heater to avoid the heat generated by radiation being absorbed by the surrounding environment in large quantities. At the same time, it is also ensured that the heat from the bottom of the evaporator continuously acts on the first partition, so that the frost layer that has not melted in the first partition continues to be heated and melted.

[0084] However, with Figure 4 In the second stage 412, the second heater is controlled differently. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, when the second measurement result 54 of the second temperature sensor reaches the second intermediate temperature T21, the second heater is switched from the continuous operation mode at the constant first power level P1 to the continuous operation mode at the constant second power level P2, the first power level P1 being higher than the second power level P2. Thus, it is also ensured that the second heater has a smaller average power in the second stage 512. Finally, when the second measurement result 54 of the second temperature sensor reaches the second target temperature T22 indicating that the frost layer in the second partition has completely melted, the second heater is controlled to stop the heating operation.

[0085] Figure 6 A graph showing changes in operating states of a first heater and a second heater over time according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0086] exist Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, a curve 61 of the operating power of the first heater changing with time t and a curve 62 of the operating power of the second heater changing with time t are illustrated. Corresponding to the time variation process of the operating power of the first heater and the second heater, the time variation process 63, 64 of the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor and the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor are also illustrated.

[0087] like Figure 6 As shown, the first heater is also controlled in two stages to perform the heating operation, but unlike Figure 4 The embodiment shown is different in that the operation mode of the second heater is no longer changed in the defrosting program, but the second heater is controlled to always perform the heating operation in a fixed manner until the second measurement result 64 of the second temperature sensor reaches the second target temperature T22, and the second heater is controlled to stop the heating operation.

[0088] For the first heater, Figure 4As shown, when the first measurement result 63 of the first temperature sensor reaches the first intermediate temperature T11 , the operation mode of the first heater is changed so that the average power of the first heater in the second stage 602 is less than the average power in the first stage 601 .

[0089] However, with Figure 4 In the second stage 602, the first heater is controlled differently. Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, when the first measurement result 63 of the first temperature sensor reaches the first intermediate temperature T11, the first heater is switched from a continuous operation mode at a constant first power level P1 to a continuous operation mode decreasing from the first power level P1 to a second power level P2, the first power level P1 being greater than the second power level P2. Figure 6 In the embodiment, the working power 61 of the first heater in the second stage 602 is exemplarily shown as a linear downward trend, but in practical applications, a step-wise decline or a curve-like smooth decline may also be considered, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Finally, when the first measurement result 63 of the first temperature sensor reaches the first target temperature T12 indicating that the frost layer in the first partition has completely melted, the first heater is controlled to stop the heating operation.

[0090] This is advantageous, for example, in the following cases: the upper frost layer in the first partition is thinner than the frost layer in the second partition, and the frost layer in the first partition is not only affected by the first heater, but also by the second heater at the same time. After the amount of upper frost decreases, the first partition will heat up faster because it is still continuously heated by the first and second heaters. For energy saving and safety purposes, the working power of the first heater acting on the first partition can be reduced, and then the residual heat and the radiant heat from below can be fully utilized to continue heating. At the same time, since the frost layer in the second partition of the evaporator is thicker and is only affected by a single heater, the second heater can always be kept running at full power to ensure that the frost in the second partition is completely melted.

[0091] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a machine-readable storage medium is provided, such as a CD-ROM, which includes a computer program, which, when executed, causes a computer or a processor to perform a method according to each embodiment of the present disclosure. The machine-readable storage medium is, for example, an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium supplied together with other hardware or as part of other hardware.

[0092] If an embodiment includes an “and / or” relationship between a first feature and a second feature, it should be interpreted as follows: according to one embodiment, the embodiment has both the first feature and the second feature, and according to another embodiment, the embodiment has either only the first feature or only the second feature.

[0093] Although specific embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, even when only a single embodiment is described with respect to specific features. The feature examples provided in the present disclosure are intended to be illustrative, not limiting, unless otherwise stated. In specific implementations, multiple features may be combined with each other as required and as technically feasible. Various substitutions, changes, and modifications may also be conceived without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigeration appliance (1), comprising: Evaporator (6); a first temperature sensor (91) and a second temperature sensor (92), the first temperature sensor (91) being used to detect the temperature in a first zone (Z1) of the evaporator (6), and the second temperature sensor (92) being used to detect the temperature in a second zone (Z2) of the evaporator (6); a first heater (101) and a second heater (102), each used to remove frost formed on the evaporator (6) by heating operation, wherein the first heater (101) and the second heater (102) are spatially differently arranged relative to the evaporator (6); A controller (10) configured to: Acquiring a first measurement result of a first temperature sensor (91) and a second measurement result of a second temperature sensor (92); and At least during a partial period, the heating operation of the first heater (101) is controlled based only on a first measurement result of the first temperature sensor (91), and the heating operation of the second heater (102) is controlled based only on a second measurement result of the second temperature sensor (92).

2. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The first zone (Z1) is located on the upper side of the second zone (Z2) in the vertical direction, and the first heater (101) and the second heater (102) are arranged at different heights relative to the evaporator (6).

3. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The area size and / or boundary position of the first partition (Z1) and the second partition (Z2) are determined by the frost layer distribution state and / or frost layer thickness state on the evaporator (6).

4. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The first heater (101) is arranged at a first position relative to the evaporator (6), so that the heat generated by the first heater (101) through heating operation acts solely on the first zone (Z1), and the second heater (102) is arranged at a second position relative to the evaporator (6), so that the heat generated by the second heater (102) through heating operation acts jointly on the first zone (Z1) and the second zone (Z2).

5. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The first heater (101) is configured as a conductive heater, and the second heater (102) is configured as a radiant heater.

6. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The controller (10) is also configured to: controlling the first heater (101) to stop the heating operation based only on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor (91); and / or The second heater (102) is controlled to stop the heating operation based only on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor (92).

7. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The controller (10) is also configured to: Controlling the first heater (101) to change the manner in which the heating operation is performed based only on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor (91); and / or The second heater (102) is controlled to change the manner in which the heating operation is performed based only on the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor (92).

8. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The controller (10) is also configured to: After the defrosting procedure starts, the first heater (101) and the second heater (102) are controlled to turn on, so as to defrost the evaporator (6) through heating operations respectively; as well as When the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor (91) reaches the first target temperature, the first heater (101) is controlled to stop the heating operation, and / or, when the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor (92) reaches the second target temperature, the second heater (102) is controlled to stop the heating operation.

9. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The controller (10) is also configured to: controlling the first heater (101) to change the way of performing the heating operation when the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor (91) reaches a first intermediate temperature, the first intermediate temperature being less than a first target temperature, the first target temperature being used to indicate that frost formed in the first zone (Z1) of the evaporator (6) is completely melted; as well as When the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor (92) reaches a second intermediate temperature, the second heater (102) is controlled to change the way of performing the heating operation, and the second intermediate temperature is less than a second target temperature, and the second target temperature is used to indicate that the frost formed in the second partition (Z2) of the evaporator (6) is completely melted.

10. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The controller (10) is also configured to: Controlling the first heater (101) to always perform a heating operation in a fixed manner until a first measurement result of the first temperature sensor (91) reaches a first intermediate temperature, then controlling the first heater (101) to stop the heating operation, the first intermediate temperature being less than a first target temperature, the first target temperature being used to indicate that frost formed in a first zone (Z1) of the evaporator (6) is completely melted; as well as When the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor (92) reaches a second intermediate temperature, the second heater (102) is controlled to change the way of performing the heating operation, and the second intermediate temperature is less than a second target temperature, and the second target temperature is used to indicate that the frost formed in the second partition (Z2) of the evaporator (6) is completely melted.

11. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The controller (10) is also configured to: controlling the first heater (101) to change the way of performing the heating operation when the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor (91) reaches a first intermediate temperature, the first intermediate temperature being less than a first target temperature, the first target temperature being used to indicate that frost formed in the first zone (Z1) of the evaporator (6) is completely melted; as well as The second heater (102) is controlled to always perform a heating operation in a fixed manner until a second measurement result of the second temperature sensor (92) reaches a second target temperature, at which time the second heater (102) is controlled to stop the heating operation.

12. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to any one of claims 7, 9 to 11, wherein: The first heater (101) and / or the second heater (102) are controlled in the following manner to change the manner in which the heating operation is performed, so that: The average power of the first heater (101) during the heating operation is reduced after the changing of the way of performing the heating operation, compared to before the changing of the way of performing the heating operation; and / or The average power of the second heater (102) during the heating operation is reduced after the heating operation is changed compared to before the heating operation is changed.

13. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to any one of claims 7, 9 to 12, wherein: The manner in which the heating operation is performed is changed by controlling the first heater (101) and / or the second heater (102) in the following manner: Controlling the first heater (101) and / or the second heater (102) to switch from a continuous operation mode to an alternating start-stop operation mode; or Controlling the first heater (101) and / or the second heater (102) to switch from a continuous operation mode at a constant first power level to a continuous operation mode at a constant second power level, the first power level being higher than the second power level; or The first heater (101) and / or the second heater (102) are controlled to switch from a continuous operation mode at a constant first power level to a continuous operation mode decreasing from the first power level to a second power level, wherein the first power level is greater than the second power level.

14. The refrigeration appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein: The controller (10) is also configured to: At least during another partial period of time, the heating operation of the first heater (101) is controlled based on a second measurement result of the second temperature sensor (92) in addition to the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor (91), and / or the heating operation of the second heater (102) is controlled based on the first measurement result of the first temperature sensor (91) in addition to the second measurement result of the second temperature sensor (92).

15. A method for controlling a defrosting process of a refrigeration appliance (1), the method being intended to be performed by means of the refrigeration appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, the method comprising the following steps: Acquiring a first measurement result of a first temperature sensor (91) and a second measurement result of a second temperature sensor (92); as well as At least during a partial period, the heating operation of the first heater (101) is controlled based only on a first measurement result of the first temperature sensor (91), and the heating operation of the second heater (102) is controlled based only on a second measurement result of the second temperature sensor (92).

16. A machine-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being configured to execute the method according to claim 15 when executed on a computer.

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