Refrigerator and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention belongs to the field of refrigerators, and particularly provides a refrigerator and a control method thereof. The control method comprises the following steps: judging whether a gas adjusting device of the refrigerator needs to be supplemented with liquid or not; if yes, a liquid supplementing pump of the refrigerator is controlled to rotate, so that liquid in a liquid supplementing container of the refrigerator is conveyed into the air adjusting device; in response to the fact that the air adjusting device reaches the liquid supplementing condition, the liquid supplementing pump is controlled to stop; and when the working duration of the liquid supplementing pump meets a set condition, water supplementing prompt information and / or fault information are / is sent out.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of refrigerators, and specifically provides a refrigerator and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Currently, some refrigerators are equipped with an atmosphere-controlled space and an atmosphere-controlled device, so that the atmosphere-controlled device can reduce or increase the oxygen content in the atmosphere-controlled space.

[0003] The existing gas conditioning device generally includes a container defining a reaction chamber, a cathode disposed at the open end of the reaction chamber, an anode disposed in the reaction chamber, and an electrolyte filled in the reaction chamber. The gas conditioning device contacts the air in the hypoxic space through the cathode, so that the oxygen undergoes a reduction reaction at the cathode, namely: O2+2H2O+4e - →4OH-. An oxidation reaction occurs at the anode, and oxygen is generated, namely: 4OH-→O2+2H2O+4e - .

[0004] During the operation of the gas conditioning device, the oxygen generated by the gas conditioning device will carry a small amount of electrolyte to escape, causing the electrolyte in the gas conditioning device to gradually decrease. In order to ensure the normal operation of the gas conditioning device, some refrigerators are also equipped with a liquid replenishment container and a liquid replenishment pump, so that the liquid (such as water or electrolyte) in the liquid replenishment container can be transported to the gas conditioning device through the liquid replenishment pump.

[0005] However, since the loss of water in the atmosphere-controlled device is small, the refilling container will be used for a long time after each refilling, which makes it easy for users to forget to refill the refilling container regularly. Moreover, the atmosphere-controlled device and the refilling container may leak during use, and it is difficult for users to find out after the atmosphere-controlled device and / or the refilling container leaks, which seriously affects the food safety in the refrigerator. Summary of the invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to solve at least one of the above problems.

[0007] A further object of the present invention is to detect whether a liquid replenishing container needs liquid replenishment and whether it is leaking by means of a liquid level sensor on the gas conditioning device.

[0008] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a refrigerator control method in a first aspect, comprising:

[0009] Determining whether the gas conditioning device of the refrigerator needs to be replenished;

[0010] If yes, controlling the liquid replenishing pump of the refrigerator to rotate so as to transport the liquid in the liquid replenishing container of the refrigerator to the gas conditioning device;

[0011] In response to the gas conditioning device reaching a liquid replenishment condition, controlling the liquid replenishment pump to stop;

[0012] When the working time of the liquid replenishment pump meets the set conditions, a water replenishment prompt message and / or a fault message is issued.

[0013] Optionally, the step of determining whether the atmosphere conditioning device of the refrigerator needs to be replenished includes:

[0014] Determine whether a liquid level sensor of the gas-conditioning device is triggered; wherein the liquid level sensor is used to detect the lowest liquid level of the gas-conditioning device.

[0015] Optionally, if yes, the step of controlling the liquid replenishing pump of the refrigerator to rotate comprises:

[0016] If yes, obtain the first accumulated working time of the gas-conditioning device from the last time the liquid level sensor was triggered to the current moment;

[0017] If the first accumulated working time is greater than the first preset time, the fluid infusion pump is controlled to rotate.

[0018] Optionally, the control method further includes:

[0019] If the first accumulated working time is less than or equal to a first preset time, a fault message indicating that the gas conditioning device is leaking is issued and / or the liquid replenishing pump is controlled to reverse.

[0020] Optionally, in response to the gas conditioning device reaching the liquid replenishment condition, the step of controlling the liquid replenishment pump to stop includes:

[0021] In response to the fluid infusion pump operating for a first period of time, the fluid infusion pump is controlled to stop.

[0022] Optionally, when the working time of the liquid infusion pump meets the set conditions, the step of issuing a water infusion prompt message and / or a fault message includes:

[0023] If the liquid level sensor is still triggered after the liquid infusion pump has been working for a second time, obtain the second accumulated working time of the liquid infusion pump from the last completion of liquid infusion in the liquid infusion container to the current moment; wherein the second time is less than or equal to the first time;

[0024] If the second accumulated working time reaches a second preset time, a water replenishment reminder message is issued;

[0025] If the second accumulated working time does not reach the second preset time, a fault message indicating that the liquid replenishing container is leaking is issued.

[0026] Optionally, the step of determining whether the atmosphere conditioning device of the refrigerator needs to be replenished includes:

[0027] Determine whether the second accumulated working time of the gas-conditioning device from the last time its liquid level sensor was triggered to the current moment has reached a third time; wherein the liquid level sensor is used to detect the highest liquid level of the gas-conditioning device.

[0028] Optionally, in response to the gas conditioning device reaching the liquid replenishment condition, the step of controlling the liquid replenishment pump to stop includes:

[0029] In response to the liquid level sensor being triggered, the liquid replenishing pump is controlled to stop.

[0030] Optionally, when the working time of the liquid infusion pump meets the set conditions, the step of issuing a water infusion prompt message and / or a fault message includes:

[0031] Obtain the fluid replenishment duration of the fluid replenishment pump for this time;

[0032] Determining whether the fluid infusion duration is greater than or equal to a third preset duration;

[0033] If it is greater than or equal to, a fault message indicating that the gas conditioning device is leaking is issued and / or the liquid replenishing pump is controlled to reverse.

[0034] Optionally, when the working time of the liquid infusion pump meets the set conditions, the step of issuing a water infusion prompt message and / or a fault message includes:

[0035] If the liquid level sensor is still not triggered after the liquid infusion pump has been working for a fourth time period, obtaining a third cumulative working time of the liquid infusion pump from the last completion of liquid infusion in the liquid infusion container to the current moment; wherein the fourth time period is greater than or equal to the third time period;

[0036] If the third accumulated working time reaches the fifth time, a water replenishment reminder message is issued;

[0037] If the third accumulated working time does not reach the fifth time, a fault message indicating that the liquid replenishing container is leaking is issued.

[0038] Optionally, the cumulative time T of the gas conditioning device when it is running at each power is determined by the following formula:

[0039]

[0040] Wherein, k is the correction coefficient, p is the current power of the gas conditioning device, p0 is the maximum power of the gas conditioning device, and t is the actual operating time of the gas conditioning device at the power p.

[0041] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising a controller, wherein the controller comprises a processor and a memory, wherein a machine executable program is stored in the memory, and when the processor executes the machine executable program, the control method described in any one of the first aspects can be implemented.

[0042] Based on the foregoing description, those skilled in the art will understand that, in the aforementioned technical solution of the present invention, when the working time of the fluid replenishment pump meets the set conditions, a water replenishment reminder message and / or a fault message is issued to remind the user to replenish the fluid replenishment container with water, and to check whether the fluid replenishment container and / or the gas conditioning device are leaking.

[0043] Furthermore, by obtaining the first cumulative working time of the atmosphere-control device from the last time the liquid level sensor was triggered to the current moment, and when the first cumulative working time is less than or equal to the first preset time, a fault message indicating that the atmosphere-control device is leaking is issued (to remind the user to check and / or whether the atmosphere-control device is leaking) and / or the liquid replenishment pump is controlled to reverse (to prevent the atmosphere-control device from continuing to leak).

[0044] Furthermore, during the process of the refilling pump refilling the gas-conditioning device, if the refilling pump continues to work for the second time period, the liquid level sensor is still triggered, and the second cumulative working time of the refilling pump from the last refilling of the refilling container to the current moment is obtained; if the second cumulative working time reaches the second preset time period, a water refilling reminder message is issued to remind the user to refill the refilling container with water. If the second cumulative working time does not reach the second preset time period, a fault message indicating that the refilling container is leaking is issued to check whether the refilling container is leaking.

[0045] Other beneficial effects of the present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can more clearly understand the improved purposes, features and advantages of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, some embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the same reference numerals indicate the same or similar components or parts in different drawings; the drawings of the present invention are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0047] In the attached figure:

[0048] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the effect of a refrigerator provided by the present invention;

[0049] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the effect of the atmosphere conditioning part of the refrigerator in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 3is a schematic block diagram of a controller in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 4 is a flow chart of the main steps of the control method in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 5 is a flow chart of the main steps of the control method in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the effect of the atmosphere conditioning part of the refrigerator in other embodiments of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 7 It is a flow chart of the main steps of the control method in other embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described below are only some embodiments of the present invention, rather than all embodiments of the present invention, and these embodiments are intended to explain the technical principles of the present invention, rather than to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Based on the embodiments provided by the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work should still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0056] It should be noted that in the description of the present invention, the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and the like indicating directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, which are only for the convenience of description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0057] Furthermore, it should be noted that in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0058] In addition, it should be noted that in the description of the present invention, the terms "cold" and "heat" are two descriptions of the same physical state. That is, the higher the "cold" of a certain target object (such as an evaporator, air, condenser, etc.), the lower the "heat" it has, and the lower the "cold" it has, the higher the "heat" it has. A certain target object will release "heat" while absorbing "cold", and will absorb "heat" while releasing "cold". A certain target object stores "cold" or "heat" to keep the current temperature of the target object. "Refrigeration" and "heat absorption" are two descriptions of the same physical phenomenon, that is, a certain target object (such as an evaporator) will absorb heat while cooling.

[0059] Finally, it should be noted that in the description of the present invention, each functional module can be a physical module composed of multiple structures, components or electronic components, or a virtual module composed of multiple programs; each functional module can be a module that exists independently of each other, or a module divided according to the function of an integral module. Those skilled in the art should understand that, under the premise of being able to implement the technical solution described in the present invention, no matter how the composition, implementation and positional relationship of each functional module change, they will not deviate from the technical principle of the present invention, and therefore should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0060] like Figure 1 As shown, in the present invention, the refrigerator includes a cabinet 100, and the cabinet 100 defines an atmosphere-conditioned space 101. The oxygen content in the atmosphere-conditioned space 101 can be adjusted to increase or decrease the oxygen content.

[0061] like Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the refrigerator further includes an atmosphere control device 200, a liquid replenishing container 300 and a liquid replenishing pump 400. The liquid replenishing pump 400 is used to transport the liquid in the liquid replenishing container 300 to the atmosphere control device 200, and can also be used to transport the electrolyte in the atmosphere control device 200 to the liquid replenishing container 300.

[0062] In some embodiments of the present invention, the liquid in the liquid replenishing container 300 may be water or an electrolyte.

[0063] like Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the gas conditioning device 200 includes a housing 210, a cathode membrane group 220 and an anode plate 230. An opening 211 is provided on one side wall of the housing 210, and the cathode membrane group 220 is installed at the opening 211 of the housing 210 and is used to shield the opening 211 to prevent the electrolyte in the housing 210 from leaking from the opening 211. The anode plate 230 is arranged in the housing 210.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cathode membrane group 220 is used to consume oxygen through an electrochemical reaction, and the anode plate 230 is used to generate oxygen through an electrochemical reaction.

[0065] Among them, the cathode membrane group 220 may include a catalytic layer, a first waterproof and breathable layer, a conductive layer, and a second waterproof and breathable layer arranged in sequence. The catalytic layer may use a precious metal or rare metal catalyst, such as metal platinum, metal gold, metal silver, metal manganese, or metal rubidium. The first waterproof and breathable layer and the second waterproof and breathable layer may be waterproof and breathable membranes, so that the electrolyte cannot seep out of the housing 210, while air can pass through the first waterproof and breathable layer and the second waterproof and breathable layer into the housing 210. The conductive layer may be made into a corrosion-resistant metal current collecting net, such as metal nickel, metal titanium, etc., so that it not only has better conductivity, corrosion resistance, and supporting strength.

[0066] The anode plate 230 may also be provided with a plurality of through holes to allow the electrolyte and air to pass through.

[0067] Continue reading Figure 2 The shell 210 is provided with an exhaust port 212 to discharge the oxygen generated by the anode plate 230 .

[0068] Continue reading Figure 2 The gas conditioning device 200 may further include a liquid level sensor 240 to detect the liquid level of the electrolyte in the housing 210 through the liquid level sensor 240 .

[0069] Further, although not shown in the figure, in the present invention, the housing 210 can be connected to the air-conditioning space 101 through its opening 211, so that the air-conditioning device 200 consumes oxygen in the air-conditioning space 101, thereby reducing the oxygen content in the air-conditioning space 101. The housing 210 can also be connected to the air-conditioning space 101 through its exhaust port 212, so that the air-conditioning device 200 provides oxygen to the air-conditioning space 101, thereby increasing the oxygen content in the air-conditioning space 101.

[0070] like Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the refrigerator also includes a controller 500, which includes a memory 510 and a processor 520, and the memory 510 stores a machine executable program 511. When the machine executable program 511 is executed by the processor 520, it implements the control method described in any of the following embodiments.

[0071] The memory 510 may include a memory and a non-volatile memory 510 (non-volatile memory), and provide execution instructions and data to the processor 520. Exemplarily, the memory may be a high-speed random access memory 510 (Random-Access Memory, RAM), and the non-volatile memory may be at least one disk storage.

[0072] In this embodiment, the processor 520 is an integrated circuit chip that has the ability to process signals. The processor 520 can be a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor 520 (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, microprocessors, and any other conventional processors.

[0073] Refer to the following Figure 4 The control method of the refrigerator in some embodiments of the present invention is described in detail.

[0074] like Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the control method of the refrigerator includes:

[0075] Step S110, determining whether the atmosphere conditioning device 200 of the refrigerator needs to be replenished, and executing step S120 if replenishment is required.

[0076] In step S110, any feasible method may be used to determine whether the atmosphere conditioning device 200 of the refrigerator needs to be replenished.

[0077] For example, the liquid level of the electrolyte in the gas-conditioning device 200 is detected by the liquid level sensor 240 on the gas-conditioning device 200, so as to determine whether the gas-conditioning device 200 needs to be replenished with liquid.

[0078] Exemplarily, the liquid level sensor 240 is an analog sensor that can detect multiple liquid levels of the electrolyte in the gas-conditioning device 200. When it is detected that the electrolyte in the gas-conditioning device 200 has dropped to a preset minimum liquid level (for example, the same height as the anode plate 230), it is determined that the gas-conditioning device 200 needs to be replenished.

[0079] For another example, when the gas-conditioning device 200 is completely replenished with liquid, it may be determined whether the gas-conditioning device 200 needs to be replenished with liquid by determining the accumulated working time of the gas-conditioning device 200 .

[0080] In the present invention, the cumulative time T of the gas conditioning device 200 when operating at its various powers is determined by the following formula:

[0081]

[0082] Wherein, k is a correction coefficient, p is the current power of the gas conditioning device 200, p0 is the maximum power of the gas conditioning device 200, and t is the actual operating time of the gas conditioning device 200 at the power p.

[0083] The value of k can be selected from any value between 1 and 3, such as 1, 1.5, 2, 3, etc.

[0084] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that by using the above formula to determine the cumulative time T when the gas conditioning device 200 is running at each power, the accuracy of the judgment in step S110 can be improved. The reason is that the greater the operating power of the gas conditioning device 200, the higher the temperature of the electrolyte, and the easier it is to evaporate; the smaller the operating power of the gas conditioning device 200, the lower the temperature of the electrolyte, and the less likely it is to evaporate.

[0085] Step S120 , if yes, control the liquid replenishing pump 400 of the refrigerator to rotate so as to transport the liquid in the liquid replenishing container 300 of the refrigerator to the atmosphere control device 200 .

[0086] Step S130 , in response to the gas conditioning device 200 reaching the liquid replenishment condition, the liquid replenishment pump 400 is controlled to stop working.

[0087] The replenishment condition is that the electrolyte in the gas conditioning device 200 reaches a set maximum liquid level (for example, any feasible value such as 1 cm, 2 cm, 5 cm higher than the anode plate 230).

[0088] As a first example, the liquid level sensor 240 may be used to detect whether the electrolyte in the gas conditioning device 200 has reached the maximum liquid level.

[0089] As a second example, when the liquid replenishing pump 400 has been working for a period of time (for example, any feasible period of time such as 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2.5 minutes, or 3 minutes), it can be determined that the electrolyte in the gas conditioning device 200 has reached the maximum liquid level.

[0090] Step S140, when the working time of the liquid replenishing pump 400 meets the set conditions, a water replenishment reminder message and / or a fault message is issued.

[0091] For the gas-conditioning device 200, during a liquid replenishing cycle, if the liquid replenished by the liquid replenishing pump 400 is greater than the normal loss of the gas-conditioning device 200, it means that the gas-conditioning device 200 has leaked, and fault information indicating the leakage of the gas-conditioning device 200 is issued.

[0092] For the liquid replenishment container 300, during a liquid replenishment cycle, if the cumulative amount of liquid output by the liquid replenishment pump 400 is obviously less than the maximum amount that the liquid replenishment container 300 can provide, it means that the liquid replenishment container 300 has leaked, and a fault message indicating that the liquid replenishment container 300 has leaked is issued. If the cumulative amount of liquid output by the liquid replenishment pump 400 is equal to or slightly less than the maximum amount that the liquid replenishment container 300 can provide, it means that the liquid replenishment container 300 is normal, and a water replenishment reminder message is issued to remind the user to replenish the liquid replenishment container 300 with water.

[0093] In the present invention, the water replenishment reminder information and / or fault information can be sent in any feasible way, such as being presented in the form of text and / or graphics on a display screen on the refrigerator, being sent in the form of voice, being sent to the user's corresponding terminal device in the form of a signal, etc.

[0094] Exemplarily, a display screen is provided on the front end surface of the gas conditioning device 200 and / or the liquid replenishing container 300, and the water replenishment prompt information and fault information are presented on the display screen in the form of text and / or graphics.

[0095] Furthermore, although not shown in the figure, in the present invention, a water replenishment reset function key is provided on the refrigerator. After the user completes water replenishment, the user operates the water replenishment reset function key to reset the action time of the liquid replenishment pump 400 pumping water from the liquid replenishment container 300.

[0096] Among them, the water replenishment reset function key can be a physical button set on the refrigerator, or it can be a virtual function key displayed on the display screen.

[0097] Furthermore, a liquid level scale line may be provided on the liquid replenishing container 300 so that the user can determine whether the liquid replenishing container 300 is fully replenished with water by observing the liquid level scale line.

[0098] Based on the above description, those skilled in the art can understand that the refrigerator in some embodiments of the present invention can not only automatically replenish the gas-conditioning device 200, but also provide the user with water to replenish the liquid replenishing container 300, and can also automatically detect whether the gas-conditioning device 200 and the liquid replenishing container 300 have leaked, and remind the user. Therefore, the refrigerator in some embodiments of the present invention ensures the stability and safety of the gas-conditioning device 200.

[0099] It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention is only a basic embodiment of the present invention. In other embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art may also adjust, optimize and configure the schemes and steps in the above-mentioned embodiments as needed to achieve further technical effects. Other embodiments of the present invention different from the above-mentioned embodiments will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings hereinafter. Of course, those skilled in the art may also make appropriate modifications to the execution order, operating conditions and quantity of the steps in the embodiments to be described hereinafter according to actual needs. The modified embodiments do not deviate from the technical concept and / or technical principle of the present invention and should still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0100] Refer to the following Figure 2 and Figure 5 The control method of the refrigerator in some further embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0101] like Figure 5 As shown, in some further embodiments of the present invention, the control method of the refrigerator includes:

[0102] Step S210, determining whether the liquid level sensor 240 of the gas conditioning device 200 is triggered. If triggered, executing step S220; if not triggered, continuing to monitor the status of the liquid level sensor 240.

[0103] like Figure 2 As shown, the liquid level sensor 240 is disposed near the anode plate 230 in the vertical direction to detect the lowest liquid level of the gas conditioning device 200 .

[0104] Step S220: If yes, obtain the first accumulated working time of the gas conditioning device 200 from the last time the liquid level sensor 240 was triggered to the current moment.

[0105] Specifically, the time when the last refilling of the gas-conditioning device 200 is completed, that is, the time when the refilling pump 400 stops rotating, is recorded as the last time. The working time of the gas-conditioning device 200 from the last time to the current time is counted, and the sum of all working times during this period is calculated, and the sum is the first accumulated working time.

[0106] The working time of the gas conditioning device 200 can refer to the calculation method of the cumulative time T when the gas conditioning device 200 is running at its various powers in the above step S110.

[0107] Step S230: If the first accumulated working time is less than or equal to the first preset time, a fault message indicating that the gas conditioning device 200 is leaking is issued and / or the liquid replenishing pump 400 is controlled to reverse.

[0108] In some further embodiments of the present invention, when there is no leakage in the gas conditioning device 200, the interval between two liquid replenishments (ie, the interval between two adjacent triggerings of the liquid level sensor 240) is greater than the first preset time.

[0109] Based on this, those skilled in the art can understand that when the liquid level sensor 240 is triggered, if the first accumulated working time is less than or equal to the first preset time, it means that in addition to normal loss, there is also leaked electrolyte in the gas conditioning device 200.

[0110] For the method of issuing the fault information indicating the leakage of the gas conditioning device 200, please refer to the description in the above step S140.

[0111] The reversal of the refilling pump 400 is specifically controlled to be reversed for a period of time (eg, 1 min, 3 min, 5 min, etc.) to extract the electrolyte in the gas conditioning device 200 to prevent the electrolyte in the gas conditioning device 200 from continuing to leak.

[0112] In order to extract the electrolyte in the gas conditioning device 200 as completely as possible, the end of the pipeline connected to the outlet of the replenishing pump 400 away from the replenishing pump 400 can be extended into the bottom end of the cavity formed by the shell 210 and the cathode membrane group 220.

[0113] Among them, the first preset duration can be a manually set value, such as 8 hours, 1 day, 3 days, 4 days, etc.; it can also be the average value of the first M (natural number) first accumulated working hours.

[0114] Step S240: If the first accumulated working time is greater than the first preset time, control the liquid infusion pump 400 to rotate.

[0115] Step S250 , in response to the fluid infusion pump 400 operating for a first period of time, controlling the fluid infusion pump 400 to stop.

[0116] In step S250, when the liquid replenishing pump 400 works for the first time period, it indicates that the electrolyte in the gas regulating device 200 has reached the maximum liquid level.

[0117] Based on this, the first duration can be any feasible duration, such as 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 3 minutes, etc. The first duration can be determined by experiments, by repeatedly observing the replenishment of the gas-conditioning device 200 by the replenishment pump 400; it can also be determined according to the rotation speed and displacement of the replenishment pump 400 and the volume of the gas-conditioning device 200.

[0118] Step S260: If the liquid level sensor 240 is still triggered after the liquid replenishing pump 400 has been working for the second time period, the second accumulated working time of the liquid replenishing pump 400 from the last completion of liquid replenishment in the liquid replenishing container 300 to the current moment is obtained.

[0119] The second duration is less than or equal to the first duration.

[0120] Those skilled in the art can understand that, when the rehydration pump 400 has been working for the second period of time, if the liquid level sensor 240 is still in the triggered state, it means that the rehydration pump 400 has not replenished liquid to the gas conditioning device 200, that is, there is not enough liquid in the rehydration container 300 for the rehydration pump 400 to continue using.

[0121] Step S270: If the second accumulated working time reaches the second preset time, a water replenishment reminder message is issued.

[0122] In some further embodiments of the present invention, when there is no leakage in the liquid replenishing container 300, each time the liquid replenishing container 300 is filled with liquid, the accumulated usage time of the liquid replenishing pump 400 is greater than or equal to the second preset time.

[0123] For this purpose, the second preset time length can be any feasible value, such as 3 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 35 minutes, etc. The second preset time length can be determined by experiments, by repeatedly observing the pumping of liquid from the liquid infusion container 300 by the liquid infusion pump 400, or can be determined according to the rotation speed and displacement of the liquid infusion pump 400 and the volume of the liquid infusion container 300.

[0124] For the method of sending the water replenishment reminder message, please refer to the above description of step S140.

[0125] Step S280: If the second accumulated working time does not reach the second preset time, a fault message indicating that the liquid replenishing container 300 is leaking is issued.

[0126] For the manner of issuing the fault information indicating that the liquid replenishing container 300 is leaking, please refer to the above description of step S140.

[0127] Those skilled in the art can understand that if the liquid in the rehydration container 300 is gone when the rehydration pump 400 has worked for the second cumulative working time, it means that in addition to the electrolyte lost in the rehydration container 300 being pumped away by the rehydration pump 400, there is also leaked liquid.

[0128] Based on the foregoing description, those skilled in the art will be able to understand that, in some further embodiments of the present invention, by obtaining the first cumulative working time of the atmosphere-conditioning device 200 from the last time the liquid level sensor 240 was triggered to the current moment, and when the first cumulative working time is less than or equal to the first preset time, a fault message indicating that the atmosphere-conditioning device 200 is leaking is issued (to remind the user to check and / or whether the atmosphere-conditioning device 200 is leaking) and / or the refill pump 400 is controlled to reverse (to prevent the atmosphere-conditioning device 200 from continuing to leak).

[0129] Furthermore, during the process of the liquid replenishing pump 400 replenishing the gas-conditioning device 200, if the liquid replenishing pump 400 continues to work for the second time period, the liquid level sensor 240 is still triggered, and the second cumulative working time of the liquid replenishing pump 400 from the last completion of the liquid replenishing in the liquid replenishing container 300 to the current moment is obtained; if the second cumulative working time period reaches the second preset time period, a water replenishment reminder message is issued to remind the user to replenish the liquid replenishing container 300. If the second cumulative working time period does not reach the second preset time period, a fault message indicating that the liquid replenishing container 300 is leaking is issued to check whether the liquid replenishing container 300 is leaking.

[0130] Refer to the following Figure 6 and Figure 7 The control method of the refrigerator in other embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0131] like Figure 6 As shown, in some other embodiments of the present invention, compared with some other embodiments described above, the liquid level sensor 240 is configured to detect the highest liquid level of the electrolyte in the gas conditioning device 200.

[0132] like Figure 7 As shown, in some other embodiments of the present invention, the control method of the refrigerator includes:

[0133] Step S310, determining whether the second accumulated working time of the gas-conditioning device 200 from the last time the liquid level sensor 240 was triggered to the current moment has reached a third time. If reached, it means that the electrolyte in the gas-conditioning device 200 has dropped to the lowest liquid level.

[0134] The working time of the gas conditioning device 200 can refer to the calculation method of the cumulative time T when the gas conditioning device 200 is running at its various powers in the above step S110.

[0135] Step S320 , if yes, control the liquid replenishing pump 400 of the refrigerator to rotate so as to transport the liquid in the liquid replenishing container 300 of the refrigerator to the atmosphere control device 200 .

[0136] Step S330 , in response to the liquid level sensor 240 being triggered, indicating that the electrolyte in the gas conditioning device 200 has risen to the maximum liquid level, the liquid replenishing pump 400 is controlled to stop.

[0137] Step S340, obtaining the infusion time of the infusion pump 400 for the current infusion.

[0138] The fluid replenishment duration is the operation duration of the fluid replenishment pump 400 from step S320 to step S330.

[0139] Step S350, determining whether the fluid infusion time is greater than or equal to a third preset time.

[0140] In other embodiments of the present invention, if the gas-conditioning device 200 does not leak, the liquid required by the gas-conditioning device 200 can be fully replenished when the liquid replenishment time of the liquid replenishment pump 400 is less than the third preset time. If the gas-conditioning device 200 leaks, the liquid required by the gas-conditioning device 200 can only be fully replenished when the liquid replenishment time of the liquid replenishment pump 400 is greater than or equal to the third preset time.

[0141] To this end, the third preset duration may be any feasible duration, such as 45S, 65S, 2min, or any other feasible duration.

[0142] Step S360: If it is greater than or equal to, it indicates that the gas-conditioning device 200 has leaked, and a fault message indicating that the gas-conditioning device 200 has leaked is issued and / or the liquid-replenishing pump 400 is controlled to reverse. For details, please refer to the description of step S230 above.

[0143] Step S370: If the liquid level sensor 240 is still not triggered after the liquid replenishing pump 400 has been working for the fourth time period, the third accumulated working time of the liquid replenishing pump 400 from the last completion of liquid replenishment in the liquid replenishing container 300 to the current moment is obtained.

[0144] Among them, the fourth duration is greater than or equal to the third duration.

[0145] Those skilled in the art can understand that, when the fluid replenishment pump 400 has been working for the fourth period of time, if the liquid level sensor 240 is still in a non-triggered state, it means that the fluid replenishment pump 400 has not continued to replenish fluid to the gas conditioning device 200, that is, there is not enough liquid in the fluid replenishment container 300 for the fluid replenishment pump 400 to continue using.

[0146] Step S380: If the third accumulated working time reaches the fifth time, it means that there is no leakage in the liquid replenishing container 300, and a water replenishment reminder message is issued.

[0147] For the method of sending the water replenishment reminder message, please refer to the above description of step S140.

[0148] The fifth time duration is a value used to determine whether a leakage occurs in the liquid refilling container 300. When the liquid refilling pump 400 continuously operates for the fifth time duration, it is still insufficient to completely pump out the liquid that can be pumped out of the liquid refilling container 300. On the contrary, if the liquid refilling pump 400 continuously operates for the fifth time duration and completely pumps out the liquid that can be pumped out of the liquid refilling container 300, it indicates that a leakage occurs in the liquid refilling container 300.

[0149] Step S390: If the third accumulated working time does not reach the fifth time, a fault message indicating that the liquid replenishing container 300 is leaking is issued.

[0150] Wherein, the fault information indicating that the liquid replenishing container 300 is leaking is issued, please refer to the above description of step S140.

[0151] Based on the foregoing description, those skilled in the art will understand that, in other embodiments of the present invention, the liquid levels of the atmosphere-conditioning device 200 and the liquid replenishing container 300 can be detected, as well as whether the liquid levels of the atmosphere-conditioning device 200 and the liquid replenishing container 300 are leaking, by using only one liquid level detection component, the liquid level sensor 240 on the atmosphere-conditioning device 200, which is less costly.

[0152] So far, the technical solution of the present invention has been described in combination with the above multiple embodiments, but it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can split and combine the technical solutions in the above-mentioned embodiments, and can also make equivalent changes or replacements to the relevant technical features. Any changes, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the technical concept and / or technical principles of the present invention will fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0153] Finally, it should be noted that the refrigerator of the present invention is a refrigerator in a broad sense, which not only includes the so-called refrigerator in a narrow sense, but also includes fresh-keeping equipment with refrigeration and / or freezing functions, such as refrigerators, freezers, etc.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a refrigerator, comprising: Determining whether the gas conditioning device of the refrigerator needs to be replenished; If yes, controlling the liquid replenishing pump of the refrigerator to rotate so as to transport the liquid in the liquid replenishing container of the refrigerator to the gas conditioning device; In response to the gas conditioning device reaching a liquid replenishment condition, controlling the liquid replenishment pump to stop; When the working time of the liquid replenishment pump meets the set conditions, a water replenishment prompt message and / or a fault message is issued.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: The step of determining whether the atmosphere conditioning device of the refrigerator needs to be replenished includes: Determine whether a liquid level sensor of the gas-conditioning device is triggered; wherein the liquid level sensor is used to detect the lowest liquid level of the gas-conditioning device.

3. The control method according to claim 2, wherein: If yes, the step of controlling the liquid replenishing pump of the refrigerator to rotate comprises: If yes, obtain the first accumulated working time of the gas-conditioning device from the last time the liquid level sensor was triggered to the current moment; If the first accumulated working time is greater than the first preset time, the fluid infusion pump is controlled to rotate.

4. The control method according to claim 3, further comprising: If the first accumulated working time is less than or equal to a first preset time, a fault message indicating that the gas conditioning device is leaking is issued and / or the liquid replenishing pump is controlled to reverse.

5. The control method according to claim 2, wherein: The step of controlling the liquid replenishment pump to stop in response to the gas conditioning device reaching the liquid replenishment condition comprises: In response to the fluid infusion pump operating for a first period of time, the fluid infusion pump is controlled to stop.

6. The control method according to claim 5, wherein: The step of sending a water replenishment prompt message and / or a fault message when the working time of the liquid replenishment pump meets the set conditions includes: If the liquid level sensor is still triggered after the liquid infusion pump has been working for a second time, obtain the second accumulated working time of the liquid infusion pump from the last completion of liquid infusion in the liquid infusion container to the current moment; wherein the second time is less than or equal to the first time; If the second accumulated working time reaches a second preset time, a water replenishment reminder message is issued; If the second accumulated working time does not reach the second preset time, a fault message indicating that the liquid replenishing container is leaking is issued.

7. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: The step of determining whether the atmosphere conditioning device of the refrigerator needs to be replenished includes: Determine whether the second accumulated working time of the gas-conditioning device from the last time its liquid level sensor was triggered to the current moment has reached a third time; wherein the liquid level sensor is used to detect the highest liquid level of the gas-conditioning device.

8. The control method according to claim 7, wherein: The step of controlling the liquid replenishment pump to stop in response to the gas conditioning device reaching the liquid replenishment condition comprises: In response to the liquid level sensor being triggered, the liquid replenishing pump is controlled to stop.

9. The control method according to claim 7, wherein: The step of sending a water replenishment prompt message and / or a fault message when the working time of the liquid replenishment pump meets the set conditions includes: Obtain the fluid replenishment duration of the fluid replenishment pump for this time; Determining whether the fluid infusion duration is greater than or equal to a third preset duration; If it is greater than or equal to, a fault message indicating that the gas conditioning device is leaking is issued and / or the liquid replenishing pump is controlled to reverse.

10. The control method according to claim 7, wherein: The step of sending a water replenishment prompt message and / or a fault message when the working time of the liquid replenishment pump meets the set conditions includes: If the liquid level sensor is still not triggered after the liquid infusion pump has been working for a fourth time period, obtaining a third cumulative working time of the liquid infusion pump from the last completion of liquid infusion in the liquid infusion container to the current moment; wherein the fourth time period is greater than or equal to the third time period; If the third accumulated working time reaches the fifth time, a water replenishment reminder message is issued; If the third accumulated working time does not reach the fifth time, a fault message indicating that the liquid replenishing container is leaking is issued.

11. The control method according to claim 3 or 7, wherein: The cumulative time T of the gas conditioning device when it is running at its various powers is determined by the following formula: T = kpt p0 Wherein, k is the correction coefficient, p is the current power of the gas conditioning device, p0 is the maximum power of the gas conditioning device, and t is the actual operating time of the gas conditioning device at the power p.

12. A refrigerator, comprising a controller, wherein the controller comprises a processor and a memory, wherein a machine executable program is stored in the memory, and when the processor executes the machine executable program, the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 can be implemented.

Images