Control method for refrigerator and refrigerator

Abstract

This application discloses a control method for a refrigerator and a refrigerator. A two-layer magnetic structure is provided in a hinge assembly. Each layer of the magnetic structure includes at least three magnetic members spaced apart. The magnetic members of the two layers of the magnetic structure correspond to each other to form at least three magnetic member groups. At least one magnetic member in each magnetic member group is an electromagnet. When energized, the two magnetic members in the magnetic member group attract each other. Through electromagnetic control, the door is electrically attracted to ensure that the door can be closed tightly, the door opening and closing is decelerated to reduce noise, and the door is stably suspended at a desired angle. Furthermore, the hinge assembly has a simple structure and does not require changes to the cabinet body or door structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of refrigerators, and in particular to a control method for a refrigerator and a refrigerator using the control method. Background Art

[0002] Refrigerators, as an indispensable appliance in household life, occupy a significant market share. Refrigerators generally consist of a body and a door, which can rotate relative to the body to open or close the storage compartment. In related art, the body and door are connected by a mechanical hinge, allowing the door to rotate relative to the body. However, it is difficult for users to control the force when opening or closing the door. If the user uses inappropriate force, the refrigerator door will produce relatively loud noises and vibrations when opening or closing, and the door may not be able to hover stably at the desired angle or may not be closed tightly.

[0003] To address the technical issues associated with using the aforementioned mechanical hinges to connect the cabinet body and door, the industry has proposed structural improvements to existing mechanical hinges, such as integrating springs to create a buffering effect, reducing the loud noise and vibration caused by improper force when the user opens and closes the door. However, this approach significantly increases the structural complexity of the mechanical hinge, and even with these structural improvements, the cabinet body and door still suffer from issues such as the door not being able to stably hover at the desired angle and not being able to close securely.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to optimize the hinge structure and control method of the refrigerator so that the door can hover stably or ensure that the door is closed tightly. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present application provides a control method for a refrigerator and a refrigerator using the control method.

[0006] The first embodiment of the present application provides a control method for a refrigerator, wherein the refrigerator includes a cabinet, a door, a hinge assembly and a cabinet door switch detection unit, wherein the cabinet is constructed with at least one storage chamber with an access opening; the cabinet door can move relative to the cabinet to open or close the access opening of the storage chamber; the hinge assembly connects the cabinet and the cabinet door, including two layers of magnetic structure, wherein one layer of magnetic structure is fixed to the cabinet, and the other layer of magnetic structure is fixed to the cabinet door, each layer of magnetic structure includes at least three magnetic members arranged at intervals, and the magnetic members of the two layers of magnetic structures correspond to each other to form at least three magnetic member groups, and as the cabinet door moves, two magnetic members in the magnetic member group are selectively stacked together, at least one magnetic member in the magnetic member group is an electromagnet, and when power is applied, the two magnetic members in the magnetic member group attract each other; the cabinet door switch detection unit is configured to detect the opening and closing of the cabinet door.

[0007] The control method includes: when the door switch detection unit detects that the door is open, providing current to the electromagnet at a first position, the first position being the position of the magnetic member group in the hinge assembly where two magnetic members are stacked together when the door is closed; when it is detected that the current of the electromagnet at the first position drops, providing current to the electromagnet at a second position, the second position being the position of the magnetic member group in the hinge assembly where two magnetic members are stacked together when the door opening angle is greater than zero, and the second position is adjacent to the first position; when it is detected that the electromagnet at the second position generates a preset current peak, providing current to the electromagnet at a third position, the third position being the position of the magnetic member group in the hinge assembly where two magnetic members are stacked together when the door opening angle is greater than zero, and the door opening angle corresponding to the third position is greater than the door opening angle corresponding to the second position, and the third position is adjacent to the second position; if the electromagnet at the third position is not detected to generate a preset current peak within a preset time, increasing the current provided to the electromagnet at the second position.

[0008] In the control method provided in the second embodiment of the present application, the providing of current to the electromagnet at the first position includes: providing a first current to the electromagnet at the first position; the providing of current to the electromagnet at the second position includes: providing the first current to the electromagnet at the second position; the providing of current to the electromagnet at the third position includes: providing the first current to the electromagnet at the third position; the increasing of the current provided to the electromagnet at the second position includes: providing a second current to the electromagnet at the second position; wherein the second current is greater than the first current.

[0009] The control method provided in the third embodiment of the present application further includes: when supplying current to the electromagnet at the second position, stopping supplying current to the electromagnet at the first position; when supplying current to the electromagnet at the third position, stopping supplying current to the electromagnets at the first position and the second position.

[0010] In the control method provided in the fourth embodiment of the present application, the magnetic member of the magnetic structure fixed to the box body is an electromagnet, and the magnetic member of the magnetic structure fixed to the box door is a permanent magnet.

[0011] The fifth embodiment of the present application provides a control method for a refrigerator, wherein the refrigerator includes a cabinet, a door, a hinge assembly and a cabinet door switch detection unit, wherein the cabinet is constructed with at least one storage chamber with an access opening; the cabinet door can move relative to the cabinet to open or close the access opening of the storage chamber; the hinge assembly connects the cabinet and the cabinet door, including two layers of magnetic structure, wherein one layer of magnetic structure is fixed to the cabinet, and the other layer of magnetic structure is fixed to the cabinet door, each layer of magnetic structure includes at least three magnetic parts arranged at intervals, and the magnetic parts of the two layers of magnetic structures correspond to each other to form at least three magnetic parts groups, and as the cabinet door moves, two magnetic parts in the magnetic parts group are selectively stacked together, at least one magnetic part in the magnetic parts group is an electromagnet, and when power is supplied, the two magnetic parts in the magnetic parts group attract each other; the cabinet door switch detection unit is configured to detect the opening and closing of the cabinet door.

[0012] The control method includes: when the position of the electromagnet generating a preset current peak gradually decreases corresponding to the opening angle of the door, and when the current of the electromagnet at the second position is detected to drop, current is provided to the electromagnet at the first position, the first position being the position of the magnetic component group in which two magnetic components are stacked together in the hinge assembly when the door is closed, the second position being the position of the magnetic component group in which two magnetic components are stacked together when the opening angle of the door is greater than zero, and the second position being adjacent to the first position; if the current of the electromagnet at the first position is not detected to reach the preset current peak within a preset time and the door switch detection unit does not detect that the door is closed, the current provided to the electromagnet at the first position is increased.

[0013] The control method for a refrigerator provided in the sixth embodiment of the present application further includes: when current is supplied to the electromagnet at the first position, stopping supplying current to the electromagnet at the second position.

[0014] In the control method provided in the seventh embodiment of the present application, the magnetic member of the magnetic structure fixed to the box body is an electromagnet, and the magnetic member of the magnetic structure fixed to the box door is a permanent magnet.

[0015] The refrigerator in the eighth embodiment of the present application includes a cabinet, a cabinet door, a hinge assembly, a cabinet door switch detection unit and a control device, wherein the cabinet is constructed with at least one storage chamber with an access opening; the cabinet door can move relative to the cabinet to open or close the access opening of the storage chamber; the hinge assembly connects the cabinet and the cabinet door, including two layers of magnetic structure, wherein one layer of magnetic structure is fixed to the cabinet, and the other layer of magnetic structure is fixed to the cabinet door, each layer of magnetic structure includes at least three magnetic parts arranged at intervals, and the magnetic parts of the two layers of magnetic structures correspond to each other to form at least three magnetic parts groups, and as the cabinet door moves, two magnetic parts in the magnetic parts group are selectively stacked together, at least one magnetic part in the magnetic parts group is an electromagnet, and when power is supplied, the two magnetic parts in the magnetic parts group attract each other; the cabinet door switch detection unit is configured to detect the opening and closing of the cabinet door.

[0016] Wherein, the control device is electrically connected to the electromagnet and is configured to execute the aforementioned control method.

[0017] In the refrigerator of the ninth embodiment of the present application, the magnetic structure includes a non-magnetic annular carrier, at least three carrying grooves are constructed in the annular carrier, and each of the carrying grooves accommodates one of the magnetic parts; a convex column is provided on the surface of the box body, and the annular carrier of the magnetic structure fixed to the box body is arranged around the convex column, and the hinge assembly also includes a bearing, which is provided on the side of the annular carrier of the magnetic structure fixed to the box body away from the surface of the box body and is sleeved on the convex column, and the annular carrier of the magnetic structure fixed to the box door is sleeved on the bearing.

[0018] In the refrigerator of the tenth embodiment of the present application, the control device includes at least three control units, at least three buck-boost conversion circuits, and at least three sampling resistors, each sampling resistor corresponds to an electromagnet, each buck-boost conversion circuit corresponds to a sampling resistor, and each control unit corresponds to a buck-boost conversion circuit; wherein the control unit has an output port and an input port, the output port is connected to the transistor of the corresponding buck-boost conversion circuit to control the output current of the buck-boost conversion circuit; the input port is connected to the two ends of the corresponding sampling resistor through an amplifier circuit, one end of the sampling resistor is connected to the output end of the corresponding buck-boost conversion circuit, and the other end is connected to the coil of the corresponding electromagnet, and is configured to collect the current flowing through the coil of the corresponding electromagnet.

[0019] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application include at least the following beneficial effects:

[0020] In the control method of the first embodiment of the present application, when the door switch detection unit detects that the door is open, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the first position, so that the electromagnet at the first position has a weaker magnetism. If the door continues to open, the two magnetic members of the magnetic member group at the first position separate, causing the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet at the first position to decay, thereby generating a drop in the induced current and causing a current drop. Therefore, when the current drop of the electromagnet at the first position is detected, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the second position, so that the electromagnet at the second position has a weaker magnetism. When the two magnetic members of the magnetic member group at the second position separate as the door opens, the electromagnet at the second position is magnetically closed. When the components are stacked together, the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet at the second position is enhanced, resulting in an increase in the induced current. Therefore, when it is detected that the electromagnet at the second position generates a preset current peak, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the third position, so that the electromagnet at the third position has a weaker magnetism. If the electromagnet at the third position is not detected to generate a preset current peak within the preset time, it is considered that the door has not been opened to the opening angle corresponding to the electromagnet at the third position, and it is determined that the door needs to hover at the second position. The current supplied to the electromagnet at the second position is increased, thereby enhancing the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet at the second position, so that the door can hover stably.

[0021] In the control method of the third embodiment of the present application, current flows only through the electromagnets in the magnetic component group where two magnetic components are about to be stacked together or are being stacked together, thereby saving energy consumption of the refrigerator.

[0022] In the control method of the fourth embodiment of the present application, when power is turned on, the suction force of the two magnetic members in the magnetic member group is strong, which helps the box door to hover stably.

[0023] In the control method of the fifth embodiment of the present application, when the position of the electromagnet generating the preset current peak corresponds to a gradually decreasing door opening angle, it is considered that the door is closing at this time; if at the same time it is detected that the current of the electromagnet at the second position drops, it indicates that the door is about to close, and current is supplied to the electromagnet at the first position to make the electromagnet at the first position magnetic; if the door is closed tightly, the two magnetic parts of the magnetic part group at the first position are stacked together, and the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet at the first position increases, which will cause the current of the electromagnet at the first position to reach a preset current peak; if the current of the electromagnet at the first position is not detected to reach the preset current peak within the preset time, and the door switch detection unit does not detect that the door is closed, it is considered that the door is not closed tightly, and the current supplied to the electromagnet at the first position is increased, thereby enhancing the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet at the first position to ensure that the door can be closed tightly.

[0024] In the control method of the sixth embodiment of the present application, current flows only through the electromagnets in the magnetic component group where two magnetic components are about to be stacked together or are being stacked together, thereby saving energy consumption of the refrigerator.

[0025] In the control method of the seventh embodiment of the present application, when power is turned on, the suction force of the two magnetic members in the magnetic member group is relatively strong, which helps to ensure that the door is tightly closed.

[0026] In the refrigerator in the eighth embodiment of the present application, the hinge assembly is provided with two layers of magnetic structures, each layer of the magnetic structure includes at least three magnetic parts arranged at intervals, and the magnetic parts of the two layers of magnetic structures correspond to each other to form at least three magnetic part groups. By executing the control method through the control device, the door can hover stably, or ensure that the door can be closed tightly.

[0027] In the refrigerator of the ninth embodiment of the present application, the setting of the bearing can reduce the friction force when the two magnetic structures rotate relative to each other, making the opening and closing of the door smoother.

[0028] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely illustrative and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0030] Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the appearance of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0031] Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 The refrigerator shown is a partial cross-sectional view taken along AA.

[0032] Figure 3 A structural diagram of a hinge assembly according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0033] Figure 4 Shown Figure 3 Exploded view of the hinge assembly shown.

[0034] Figure 5 Shown Figure 1 The block diagram of the partial structure of the refrigerator is shown.

[0035] Figure 6 A partial circuit diagram of a control device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0036] Figure 7 A flow chart of a control method according to the first embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0037] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing the position distribution of the magnetic component group of the hinge assembly according to one embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0038] Figure 9A waveform diagram showing the change in magnetic field strength with the door opening angle according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0039] Figure 10 A waveform diagram showing the change of the electromagnet coil current with the door opening angle in one embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0040] Figure 11 A flow chart of a control method according to a second embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0041] The following are the descriptions of the reference numerals:

[0042] 100. Refrigerator; 10. Housing; 11. Storage compartment; 12. Boss; 20. Door; 30. Hinge assembly; 31. First magnetic structure; 311. First magnetic component; 312. First annular carrier; 3120. First carrier slot; 32. Second magnetic structure; 321. Second magnetic component; 322. Second annular carrier; 3220. Second carrier slot; 33. Magnetic component group; 34. Bearing; 35. Connecting piece; 40. Door switch detection unit; 50. Control device; 51. Control unit; 52. Buck-boost conversion circuit; E1. First energy storage capacitor; C1. First filter capacitor; MOS1. Transistor; L1. Energy storage inductor; D1. Diode; E2. Second energy storage capacitor; C2. Second filter capacitor; R1. Sampling resistor; 53. Amplifier circuit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] In order to make the purpose, implementation mode and advantages of the present application clearer, the exemplary implementation mode of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the exemplary embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described exemplary embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments.

[0044] It should be noted that the brief descriptions of terms in this application are only for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the embodiments described below, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this application. Unless otherwise specified, these terms should be understood according to their ordinary and usual meanings.

[0045] In addition, the terms "comprise" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover but not exclude inclusion, for example, a product or device comprising a list of components is not necessarily limited to those components expressly listed but may include other components not expressly listed or inherent to such product or device.

[0046] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "inside", "outside", "up", "down", "top", "bottom", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0047] The terms "first," "second," "third," and other ordinal numbers are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, features specified with ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," and "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0048] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted" and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0049] The flowcharts shown in the accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and do not necessarily include all contents and operations / steps, nor must they be executed in the order described. For example, some operations / steps may be decomposed, while others may be combined or partially combined. Therefore, the actual execution order may vary depending on the actual situation.

[0050] In the related art, refrigerators have technical problems such as loud noise and vibration when opening and closing the door, the door cannot stably hover at the desired angle, and the door is not closed tightly. The reason is that the cabinet body and the door are connected by a mechanical hinge, and it is difficult for the user to control the force when opening or closing the door. In order to solve the technical problems of using mechanical hinges to connect the cabinet body and the door, the industry has made structural improvements to the mechanical hinges, and has achieved a deceleration of the opening and closing of the refrigerator door by providing damping, such as integrated springs and other structures to form a buffering effect, thereby reducing the relatively loud noise and vibration caused by improper force when the user opens and closes the door, and achieving functions such as door hovering. However, this method greatly increases the structural complexity of the mechanical hinge, and still cannot guarantee that the door can hover stably, and there is also the problem of the door not being closed tightly.

[0051] In view of this, the refrigerator of the embodiment of the present application has a two-layer magnetic structure in the hinge assembly. Each layer of the magnetic structure includes at least three magnetic members spaced apart. The magnetic members of the two layers of the magnetic structure correspond to each other to form at least three magnetic member groups. At least one magnetic member in each magnetic member group is an electromagnet. When power is applied, the two magnetic members in the magnetic member group attract each other. Through electromagnetic control, the door is electrically attracted to ensure that the door can be closed tightly, the door opening and closing is slowed down to reduce noise, and the door is stably hovered at the desired angle. At the same time, the hinge assembly structure is simple, and there is no need to change the cabinet or door structure.

[0052] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0053] Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the appearance of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0054] like Figure 1 As shown, the refrigerator 100 of the embodiment of the present application includes a body 10 and a door 20.

[0055] The box body 10 is configured with a storage chamber 11 having an access opening, through which food and other items can be taken in and out of the storage chamber 11. For example, the number of the storage chambers 11 can be one or more, and the multiple storage chambers 11 can be divided into a refrigeration chamber or a freezer chamber.

[0056] The door 20 is movable relative to the refrigerator body 10 to open or close the access opening of the storage chamber 11, thereby opening or closing the storage chamber 11. For example, there may be multiple doors 20. Each storage chamber 11 may be provided with one door 20, or two doors 20 may be provided, such as in a double-door refrigerator. Alternatively, multiple storage chambers 11 may be provided with one door 20, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0057] The door 20 is hinged to the housing 10 and can rotate relative to the housing 10. Exemplarily, the door 20 and the housing 10 are connected via a hinge assembly 30. Exemplarily, the number of hinge assemblies 30 can be one or more. One hinge assembly 30 can be provided between each door 20 and the housing 10. Alternatively, multiple hinge assemblies 30 can be provided. For example, two hinge assemblies 30 can be provided, with one hinge assembly 30 connected to the top of the door 20 and the housing 10, and one hinge assembly 30 connected to the bottom of the door 20 and the housing 10. The number of hinge assemblies 30 can be determined based on the size and weight of the door 20, and is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0058] Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 The partial cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown is taken along AA. Figure 3 shows a structural diagram of a hinge assembly according to an embodiment of the present application, Figure 4 Shown Figure 3 Exploded view of the hinge assembly shown.

[0059] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the hinge assembly 30 of the embodiment of the present application includes two layers of magnetic structures, one of which is fixed to the box body 10, and the other is fixed to the door 20. The two layers of magnetic structures can rotate relative to each other, so that the door 20 can rotate relative to the box body 10. For ease of description, the layer of magnetic structure fixed to the box body 10 is named the first magnetic structure 31, and the layer of magnetic structure fixed to the door 20 is named the second magnetic structure 32.

[0060] Each layer of magnetic structure includes at least three magnetic members arranged at intervals. Figure 4 As shown, the first magnetic structure 31 includes at least three first magnetic members 311, and the second magnetic structure 32 includes at least three second magnetic members 321. The first magnetic members 311 of the first magnetic structure 31 correspond to the second magnetic members 321 of the second magnetic structure 32 one by one, forming at least three magnetic member groups 33. In other words, each first magnetic member 311 corresponds to a second magnetic member 321, forming a magnetic member group 33.

[0061] The first magnetic structure 31 includes at least three first magnetic members 311, or may include only three first magnetic members 311. Similarly, the second magnetic structure 32 includes three second magnetic members 321, in which case three magnetic member groups 33 are formed. The first magnetic structure 31 includes at least three first magnetic members 311, or may include more than three first magnetic members 311. Similarly, the second magnetic structure 32 includes the same number of second magnetic members 321, in which case more than three magnetic member groups 33 are formed. Exemplarily, the first magnetic structure 31 includes eight first magnetic members 311. Similarly, the second magnetic structure 32 includes eight second magnetic members 321. In this case, eight magnetic member groups 33 are formed. Exemplarily, the first magnetic structure 31 includes ten first magnetic members 311. Similarly, the second magnetic structure 32 includes ten second magnetic members 321. In this case, ten magnetic member groups 33 are formed. Exemplarily, the first magnetic structure 31 includes twelve first magnetic members 311 , and similarly, the second magnetic structure 32 includes twelve second magnetic members 321 , thereby constituting twelve magnetic member groups 33 .

[0062] The plurality of first magnetic members 311 are arranged at equal intervals and form a ring. The angle between two adjacent first magnetic members 311 is 360° / N, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 3. Similarly, the plurality of second magnetic members 321 are arranged at equal intervals and form a ring. The angle between two adjacent second magnetic members 321 is 360° / N, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 3.

[0063] As the door 20 moves, that is, as the two layers of the magnetic structure rotate relative to each other, the first magnetic member 311 and the second magnetic member 321 in the magnetic member assembly 33 are selectively stacked together or selectively separated. At least one magnetic member in the magnetic member assembly 33 is an electromagnet. For example, the first magnetic member 311 may be an electromagnet, or the second magnetic member 321 may be an electromagnet, or both the first magnetic member 311 and the second magnetic member 321 may be electromagnets. As long as the first magnetic member 311 and the second magnetic member 321 in the magnetic member assembly 33 attract each other when power is applied, it is sufficient.

[0064] Exemplarily, the first magnetic member 311 is an electromagnet, and the second magnetic member 321 is a permanent magnet. When the first magnetic member 311 is energized, the second magnetic member 321 has the opposite polarity to the first magnetic member 311, causing the first magnetic member 311 and the second magnetic member 321 in the magnetic member group 33 to attract each other. Electromagnets require wiring harnesses to connect to a power supply. Setting the first magnetic member 311, which is fixed to the housing 10 and does not need to rotate, as an electromagnet, and the second magnetic member 321, which is fixed to the door 20 and needs to rotate when opening and closing, as a permanent magnet, can prevent the service life of the hinge assembly 30 from being affected by the wiring harness being pulled when opening and closing the door. Of course, the first magnetic member 311 can also be a permanent magnet, and the second magnetic member 321 can be an electromagnet.

[0065] One of the first magnetic member 311 and the second magnetic member 321 is an electromagnet, and the other is a permanent magnet. When powered, the attraction between the first magnetic member 311 and the second magnetic member 321 is strong, helping to stabilize the door 20 and ensure that the door 20 is securely closed. Of course, the permanent magnet can also be replaced with other magnetic members as long as they are attracted to the electromagnet when powered. For example, the first magnetic member 311 can be an electromagnet and the second magnetic member 321 can be an iron block; or the first magnetic member 311 can be an iron block and the second magnetic member 321 can be an electromagnet, etc.

[0066] In one embodiment, the magnetic structure further includes a non-magnetic annular carrier, which receives the magnetic component. The annular carrier is provided with at least three receiving slots, each receiving a magnetic component. Figure 4As shown, the first magnetic structure 31 includes a non-magnetic first annular carrier 312, which has at least three first receiving slots 3120 configured therein, each of which receives a first magnetic member 311. Similarly, the second magnetic structure 32 includes a non-magnetic second annular carrier 322, which has at least three second receiving slots 3220 configured therein, each of which receives a second magnetic member 321.

[0067] For example, the first annular support member 312 is configured with eight first receiving slots 3120, each receiving a first magnetic member 311. Similarly, the second annular support member 322 is configured with eight second receiving slots 3220, each receiving a second magnetic member 321. In other words, the hinge assembly 30 has eight magnetic member assemblies 33.

[0068] Among them, the first bearing groove 3120 can be a through groove passing through the opposite two sides of the first annular bearing member 312, or it can be a blind groove passing through only one side of the first annular bearing member 312; similarly, the second bearing groove 3220 can be a through groove passing through the opposite two sides of the second annular bearing member 322, or it can be a blind groove passing through only one side of the second annular bearing member 322.

[0069] The non-magnetic annular support may be a stainless steel annular support or a high-strength aluminum alloy annular support.

[0070] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the housing 10 is provided with a boss 12, and a first annular support member 312 is disposed around the boss 12. The hinge assembly 30 also includes a bearing 34, which is disposed on the side of the first annular support member 312 facing away from the housing 10 surface and sleeved onto the boss 12. The second annular support member 322 sleeves onto the bearing 34. The provision of the bearing 34 can reduce friction when the second magnetic structure 32 rotates relative to the first magnetic structure 31.

[0071] In addition, the hinge assembly 30 also includes a connecting piece 35. The first annular support 312 of the first magnetic structure 31 is fixed to the surface of the box body 10. The second magnetic structure 32 is arranged on the side of the first magnetic structure 31 facing away from the box body 10 and is vertically opposite to the first magnetic structure 31. The second annular support 322 of the second magnetic structure 32 is fixed to the door 20 via the connecting piece 35.

[0072] The refrigerator of the embodiment of the present application may further include a refrigeration system, which is installed in the housing 10 and is used to cool the storage compartment 11. The refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, a capillary tube, etc. The compressor is loaded with refrigerant, and the compressor, condenser, capillary tube, and evaporator are sequentially connected to form a refrigerant circuit for refrigerant circulation.

[0073] The compressor is the power source of the refrigeration system, which can drive the refrigerant in the refrigeration system to transfer and exchange heat. The low-pressure gaseous refrigerant is compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure superheated gas in the compressor and then discharged into the condenser. The high-temperature, high-pressure superheated gas then dissipates heat through the condenser, and the temperature continues to drop. It is gradually cooled into a high-temperature, high-pressure saturated steam, and further cooled into a saturated liquid. The saturated liquid flows into the capillary tube, and the capillary tube is throttled and depressurized, and the refrigerant becomes a gas at room temperature and low pressure. The refrigerant gas at room temperature and low pressure begins to absorb heat and vaporize in the evaporator, which not only reduces the temperature of the evaporator and the surrounding area, causing the evaporator to produce low-temperature cold air, but also turns the refrigerant into a low-temperature, low-pressure gas. The refrigerant coming out of the evaporator returns to the compressor again, and the above process is repeated to transfer the heat in the storage chamber 11 to the air outside the box body 10, thereby achieving refrigeration of the storage chamber 11.

[0074] Figure 5 Shown Figure 1 The block diagram of the partial structure of the refrigerator is shown.

[0075] like Figure 5 As shown, the refrigerator of the embodiment of the present application may further include a door switch detection unit 40, which is configured to detect the opening and closing of the door 20. The specific configuration of the door switch detection unit 40 can refer to the prior art and will not be repeated here.

[0076] like Figure 5 As shown, the refrigerator of the embodiment of the present application may also include a control device 50, which can be connected to the various components of the refrigeration system in communication, and can send control signals to the various components in the refrigeration system to control the various components in the refrigeration system. The control device 50 can be connected to the coil of the electromagnet, and can control the current provided to the electromagnet at a specific position in the hinge assembly 30, and control the magnitude of the current provided to the electromagnet to control the magnitude of the attraction between the electromagnet and the permanent magnet in the magnetic component group 33. The control device 50 can also be connected to the door switch detection unit 40 in communication, and can receive the door switch signal fed back by the door switch detection unit 40 to control the current provided to the electromagnet in the hinge assembly 30 according to the door switch signal fed back by the door switch detection unit 40.

[0077] Figure 6 A partial circuit diagram of a control device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0078] Corresponding to the number of magnetic component groups 33, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the control device 50 includes at least three control units 51, at least three buck-boost conversion circuits 52, and at least three sampling resistors R1. Each sampling resistor R1 corresponds to an electromagnet, each buck-boost conversion circuit 52 corresponds to a sampling resistor R1, and each control unit 51 corresponds to a buck-boost conversion circuit 52. That is, one control unit 51, one buck-boost conversion circuit 52, one sampling resistor R1, and one electromagnet correspond to each other. The control unit 51 collects the current flowing through the coil of the corresponding electromagnet through the corresponding sampling resistor R1, and controls the output current of the corresponding buck-boost conversion circuit 52 based on the current flowing through the coil of the corresponding electromagnet, thereby controlling the current provided to the coil of the corresponding electromagnet.

[0079] Exemplarily, there are eight magnetic component groups 33 . Accordingly, the control device 50 includes eight control units 51 , eight buck-boost converter circuits 52 , and eight sampling resistors R1 . In an embodiment where the first magnetic component 311 is an electromagnet, one control unit 51 , one buck-boost converter circuit 52 , one sampling resistor R1 , and one first magnetic component 311 correspond to each other. The control unit 51 collects the current flowing through the coil of the corresponding first magnetic component 311 through the corresponding sampling resistor R1 . Based on the current flowing through the coil of the corresponding first magnetic component 311 , the control unit 51 controls the output current of the corresponding buck-boost converter circuit 52 , thereby controlling the current supplied to the coil of the corresponding first magnetic component 311 .

[0080] like Figure 6 As shown, the buck-boost converter circuit 52 includes a first energy storage capacitor E1, a first filter capacitor C1, a transistor MOS1, an energy storage inductor L1, a diode D1, a second energy storage capacitor E2, and a second filter capacitor C2. The first energy storage capacitor E1 is connected between the power supply VCC and the ground terminal PGN D. The first filter capacitor C1 is connected in parallel with the first energy storage capacitor E1. The control terminal of the transistor MOS1 is connected to the control unit 51. The first terminal is connected to the power supply VCC, and the second terminal is connected to the first terminal of the energy storage inductor L1. The second terminal of the energy storage inductor L1 is connected to the ground terminal PGND. The cathode of the diode D1 is connected to the first terminal of the energy storage inductor L1. The anode of the diode D1 serves as the output terminal of the buck-boost converter circuit 52 and is connected to the first terminal of the corresponding sampling resistor R1. The second energy storage capacitor E2 is connected between the anode of the diode D1 and the ground terminal PGND. The second filter capacitor C2 is connected in parallel with the second energy storage capacitor E2. The second terminal of the sampling resistor R1 is connected to one end of the coil of the corresponding first magnetic component 311. The other end of the coil of the corresponding first magnetic component 311 is connected to the ground terminal PGND.

[0081] The control unit 51 has an output port G_DRIVE and an input port ISEN_MCU. The output port G_DRIVE is connected to the control terminal of the transistor MOS1 to control the output current of the buck-boost converter circuit 52. The input port ISEN_MCU is connected to the two ends of the corresponding sampling resistor R1 through the amplifier circuit 53 and is configured to collect the current flowing through the coil of the corresponding first magnetic component 311.

[0082] Among them, the first energy storage capacitor E1 serves as the power input energy storage capacitor, the first filter capacitor C1 serves as the power input filter capacitor, the second energy storage capacitor E2 serves as the power output energy storage capacitor, and the second filter capacitor C2 serves as the power output filter capacitor. The transistor MOS1 controls the output of the buck-boost converter circuit 52, and the diode D1 performs reverse freewheeling. When the transistor MOS1 is turned on, the first energy storage capacitor E1 and the energy storage inductor L1 store energy, and the output is maintained by the discharge of the second energy storage capacitor E2. When the transistor MOS1 is turned off, the energy storage inductor L1 discharges, and the second energy storage capacitor E2 stores energy. After passing through the sampling resistor R1, the current is converted into a small voltage signal. After passing through the amplification circuit 53, it enters the input port ISEN_MCU of the control unit 51. After calculation and processing, the control unit 51 drives the transistor MOS1 through the output port G_DRIVE to control the current passing through the coil of the first magnetic member 311, thereby controlling the magnetic force of the first magnetic member 311. Among them, the greater the current passing through the coil of the first magnetic member 311, the stronger the magnetic field, and the greater the magnetic force of the first magnetic member 311.

[0083] The control device 50 is configured to execute the control method of an embodiment of the present application, which provides current to the electromagnet at a first position when the door switch detection unit detects that the door is open. The first position is the position of the magnetic component group where two magnetic components are stacked together in the hinge assembly when the door is closed; when the current drop of the electromagnet at the first position is detected, current is provided to the electromagnet at the second position. The second position is the position of the magnetic component group where two magnetic components are stacked together in the hinge assembly when the door opening angle is greater than zero, and the second position is adjacent to the first position; when the electromagnet at the second position is detected to generate a preset current peak, current is provided to the electromagnet at a third position. The third position is the position of the magnetic component group where two magnetic components are stacked together in the hinge assembly when the door opening angle is greater than zero, and the door opening angle corresponding to the third position is greater than the door opening angle corresponding to the second position, and the third position is adjacent to the second position; if the electromagnet at the third position is not detected to generate a preset current peak within the preset time, the current provided to the electromagnet at the second position is increased. Also, when the position of the electromagnet generating the preset current peak corresponds to a gradually decreasing door opening angle, and when the current of the electromagnet at the second position is detected to be decreasing, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the first position, the first position being the position of the magnetic component group where the two magnetic components are stacked together in the hinge assembly when the door is closed, the second position being the position of the magnetic component group where the two magnetic components are stacked together when the door opening angle is greater than zero in the hinge assembly, and the second position being adjacent to the first position; if the current of the electromagnet at the first position is not detected to reach the preset current peak within the preset time and the door switch detection unit does not detect that the door is closed, the current supplied to the electromagnet at the first position is increased.

[0084] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a control method according to the first embodiment of the present application. Figure 7 As shown, the control method includes at least steps S710 to S790, which are described in detail as follows:

[0085] In step S710, the door switch detection unit detects whether the door is open. If so, the process proceeds to step S720.

[0086] In step S720, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the first position, and then the process proceeds to step S730.

[0087] The first position is the position of the magnetic component group where the two magnetic components are stacked together when the door is closed in the hinge assembly.

[0088] In step S730, it is detected whether the current of the electromagnet at the first position decreases. If so, the process proceeds to step S740.

[0089] In step S740, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the second position, and then the process proceeds to step S750.

[0090] The second position is the position of the magnetic component group where the two magnetic components are stacked together when the door opening angle is greater than zero in the hinge assembly, and the second position is adjacent to the first position.

[0091] In step S750 , it is detected whether the electromagnet at the second position generates a preset current peak value. If so, the process proceeds to step S760 .

[0092] In step S760, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the third position, and then the process proceeds to step S770.

[0093] Among them, the third position is the position of the magnetic component group where the two magnetic components are stacked together in the hinge assembly when the door opening angle is greater than zero, and the door opening angle corresponding to the third position is greater than the door opening angle corresponding to the second position, and the third position is adjacent to the second position.

[0094] In step S770 , it is detected whether the electromagnet at the third position generates a preset current peak value. If not, the process proceeds to step S780 .

[0095] In step S780, a preset time is counted, and then the process proceeds to step S790.

[0096] That is, if it is not detected that the electromagnet at the third position generates a preset current peak within the preset time, the process proceeds to step S790.

[0097] Exemplarily, the preset time may be 1s, 2s, etc.

[0098] In step S790, the current supplied to the electromagnet of the second position is increased.

[0099] In this embodiment, when the door switch detection unit detects that the door is open, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the first position, so that the electromagnet at the first position has a weaker magnetism. If the door continues to open, the two magnetic members of the magnetic member group at the first position will separate, that is, the two magnetic members of the magnetic member group at the first position will no longer be exactly stacked together, which causes the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet at the first position to attenuate, thereby generating a drop in the induced current, resulting in a current drop. Therefore, when it is detected that the current of the electromagnet at the first position drops, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the second position, so that the electromagnet at the second position has a weaker magnetism. When the door is opened to the second position, the two magnetic members of the magnetic member group at the first position will separate, that is, the two magnetic members of the magnetic member group at the first position will no longer be exactly stacked together. This causes the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet at the first position to attenuate, thereby generating a drop in the induced current, resulting in a current drop. Therefore, when it is detected that the current of the electromagnet at the first position drops, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the second position, so that the electromagnet at the second position has a weaker magnetism. When the two magnetic parts of the magnetic part group are stacked together, the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet at the second position is enhanced, resulting in an increase in the induced current. Therefore, when it is detected that the electromagnet at the second position generates a preset current peak, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the third position, so that the electromagnet at the third position has weaker magnetism. If the electromagnet at the third position is not detected to generate a preset current peak within the preset time, it is considered that the door is not opened to the opening angle corresponding to the electromagnet at the third position, and it is determined that the door needs to hover at the second position. The current supplied to the electromagnet at the second position is increased, thereby enhancing the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet at the second position, so that the door can hover stably.

[0100] In an exemplary embodiment, in step S720, current is provided to the electromagnet at the first position, specifically, a first current is provided to the electromagnet at the first position; in step S740, current is provided to the electromagnet at the second position, specifically, a first current is provided to the electromagnet at the second position; in step S760, current is provided to the electromagnet at the third position, specifically, a first current is provided to the electromagnet at the third position; in step S790, the current provided to the electromagnet at the second position is increased, specifically, a second current is provided to the electromagnet at the second position; wherein the second current is greater than the first current.

[0101] That is, the same weak current is provided in step S720, step S740, and step S760. Of course, in other embodiments, the weak currents provided in steps S720, step S740, and step S760 may be different. For example, in step S720, a first current is provided to the electromagnet in the first position, in step S740, a second current is provided to the electromagnet in the second position, in step S760, a third current is provided to the electromagnet in the third position, and in step S790, a fourth current is provided to the electromagnet in the second position; wherein the first current, the second current, and the third current are different in magnitude and are all smaller than the fourth current.

[0102] In one exemplary embodiment, when current is supplied to the electromagnet in the second position, current supply to the electromagnet in the first position is stopped. That is, in step S740, current is supplied to the electromagnet in the second position, and current supply to the electromagnet in the first position is stopped. When current is supplied to the electromagnet in the third position, current supply to the electromagnets in the first and second positions is stopped. That is, in step S760, current is supplied to the electromagnet in the third position, and current supply to the electromagnet in the second position is stopped. In this way, current flows only to the electromagnets in the group of magnetic parts where two magnetic parts are about to be stacked together or are being stacked together, which can save energy consumption of the refrigerator.

[0103] also, Figure 7 The embodiment shown in which the door is hovering at the second position is only one of the exemplary embodiments of the present application. When each layer of the magnetic structure includes more than four magnetic parts, the door may also need to hover at other positions, for example, hovering at the third position. At this time, if it is detected in step S770 that the electromagnet at the third position generates a preset current peak, then further execution is performed: supplying current to the electromagnet at the fourth position, and detecting whether the electromagnet at the fourth position generates a preset current peak. If not, timing a preset time. If the electromagnet at the fourth position is not detected to generate a preset current peak within the preset time, it is considered that the door needs to hover at the third position, and the current supplied to the electromagnet at the third position is increased. The fourth position is the position of the magnetic part group where the two magnetic parts are stacked together in the hinge assembly when the door opening angle is greater than zero, and the door opening angle corresponding to the fourth position is greater than the door opening angle corresponding to the third position, and the fourth position is adjacent to the third position.

[0104] Below, the control method of the present application is described by taking the example that the hinge assembly includes eight magnetic component groups and the door needs to hover at position B.

[0105] like Figure 8 As shown, the hinge assembly includes magnetic component groups located at multiple positions, such as position A, position B, position C, and position D. When the door is closed, the two magnetic components of the magnetic component group at position A are stacked together; when the door is opened at an angle of 45°, the two magnetic components of the magnetic component group at position B are stacked together; when the door is opened at an angle of 90°, the two magnetic components of the magnetic component group at position C are stacked together; when the door is opened at an angle of 135°, the two magnetic components of the magnetic component group at position D are stacked together; when the door is opened at an angle of 180°, the two magnetic components of the magnetic component group at position A are stacked together, and so on.

[0106] When the door is opened, the control device detects the door opening through the door switch detection unit, and then the hinge assembly starts to work. The control device first provides a weak first current to the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position A, so that the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position A has a weak magnetism. When the door continues to open, the permanent magnet of the magnetic component group at position A leaves the relative vertical position of the electromagnet, resulting in a decrease in the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position A, such as Figure 9 As shown in the waveform marked with the departure, the electromagnet coil generates an induced current drop, as shown in Figure 10 The drop waveform marked in the figure is detected by the input port ISEN_MCU of the control unit corresponding to the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position A in the control device. When the electromagnet and the permanent magnet of the magnetic component group at position A are completely separated, the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet will be relatively stable, as shown in the figure below. Figure 9 At this time, a weak first current is supplied to the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position B, making the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position B weaker in magnetism, and the first current is stopped from being supplied to the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position A. When the door opening angle reaches 45°, the permanent magnet and the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position B are stacked together. The magnetic field strength of the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position B will change due to the superposition of the permanent magnet's magnetic field, such as Figure 9 In the waveform of the contact mark, at the same time, the current of the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position B will have a spike due to the change in magnetic field strength, that is, a preset current peak is generated, such as Figure 10 When the current waveform is detected, the input port ISEN_MCU of the control unit corresponding to the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position B in the control device will detect the current fluctuation. Then, a weaker first current is supplied to the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position C, making the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position C weaker in magnetism, and the supply of the first current to the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position B is stopped. When the door opening angle reaches 90°, the permanent magnet of the magnetic component group at position C will be stacked together with the electromagnet, and the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position C will generate a preset current peak. If the input port ISEN_MCU of the control unit corresponding to the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position C in the control device does not detect the preset current peak within 1S, it is considered that the door needs to hover at position B (door opening angle of 45°). Then, the control unit corresponding to the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position B in the control device controls the output port G_DRIVE to drive the transistor MOS1 to increase the duty cycle or frequency of the transistor MOS1, thereby increasing the current provided to the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position B, increasing the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position B, and enhancing the suction force between the permanent magnet and the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position B, thereby achieving the effect of making the box door hover stably.

[0107] Figure 11 FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a control method according to a second embodiment of the present application. Figure 11 As shown, the control method includes at least steps S1110 to S1170, which are described in detail as follows:

[0108] In step S1110, it is determined whether the door opening angle corresponding to the position of the electromagnet generating the preset current peak is gradually decreasing. If so, the process proceeds to step S1120.

[0109] In step S1120, it is detected whether the current of the electromagnet at the second position decreases. If so, the process proceeds to step S1130.

[0110] In step S1130, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the first position, and then the process proceeds to step S1140.

[0111] Among them, the first position is the position of the magnetic component group where the two magnetic components are stacked together in the hinge assembly when the door is closed, and the second position is the position of the magnetic component group where the two magnetic components are stacked together in the hinge assembly when the door opening angle is greater than zero. The second position is adjacent to the first position.

[0112] In step S1140 , it is detected whether the electromagnet current at the first position reaches a preset current peak value. If not, the process proceeds to step S1150 .

[0113] In step S1150, a preset time is counted, and then the process proceeds to step S1160.

[0114] Exemplarily, the preset time may be 1s, 2s, etc.

[0115] In step S1160, the door switch detection unit detects whether the door is closed. If not, the process goes to step S1170.

[0116] In step S1 170, the current supplied to the electromagnet of the first position is increased.

[0117] In this embodiment, when the position of the electromagnet generating the preset current peak corresponds to a gradually decreasing door opening angle, it is considered that the door is closing at this time. If at the same time, a current drop is detected in the electromagnet at the second position, indicating that the door is about to close, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the first position to make the electromagnet at the first position magnetic. If the door is closed tightly, the two magnetic parts of the magnetic part group at the first position are stacked together, and the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet at the first position increases, which will cause the current of the electromagnet at the first position to reach a preset current peak. If the current of the electromagnet at the first position is not detected to reach the preset current peak within the preset time, and the door switch detection unit does not detect that the door is closed, it is considered that the door is not closed tightly, and the current supplied to the electromagnet at the first position is increased, thereby enhancing the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet at the first position to ensure that the door can be closed tightly.

[0118] In one exemplary embodiment, when current is supplied to the electromagnet in the first position, current is stopped from being supplied to the electromagnet in the second position. That is, in step S1130, current is supplied to the electromagnet in the first position, while current is stopped from being supplied to the electromagnet in the second position. This ensures that current flows only to the electromagnets in the group of magnetic components where two magnetic components are about to be stacked or are currently being stacked, thus saving energy consumption in the refrigerator.

[0119] Next, combine Figures 8 to 10 , the control method of this application is explained.

[0120] When the user closes the door, the control device will detect that the current spike moves from the position where the door is opened at a larger angle, such as position B, position C, and position D, to the position where the door is opened at a smaller angle, such as position A, position B, and position C. For example, when the door is currently hovering at position C, the coil current of the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position C is in a high current state, generating a large suction force with the corresponding permanent magnet. When the user closes the door, the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position C will decay due to the permanent magnet leaving the relative vertical position of the electromagnet. Figure 9 As shown in the waveform marked with the departure, the electromagnet coil generates an induced current drop, as shown in Figure 10 At this time, the input port ISEN_MCU of the control unit corresponding to the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position C in the control device will detect the current fluctuation. Then, the current supply to the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position C will be stopped, and the current will be supplied to the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position B. When the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position B is stacked with the permanent magnet, the following will be generated: Figure 9 Mark the contact magnetic field strength change waveform. At the same time, the current of the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position B will have a spike due to the change in magnetic field strength, that is, a preset current peak value is generated, such as Figure 10 When the door continues to close, the permanent magnet of the magnetic component group at position B leaves the relative vertical position of the electromagnet, and the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet will decay, such as Figure 9 As shown in the waveform marked with the departure, the electromagnet coil generates an induced current drop, as shown in Figure 10The drop waveform marked in the middle indicates that the door closing angle has decreased to 45°. Current is stopped from supplying to the electromagnet in the magnetic assembly at position B, while current is supplied to the electromagnet in position A. When the door is closed (the opening angle is zero), the permanent magnet in position A overlaps with the electromagnet, generating a preset current peak. If the input port ISEN_MCU of the control unit corresponding to the electromagnet in position A in the control device does not detect this preset current peak within 1 second, and the door switch detection unit does not detect the door closing, the door is determined to be not closed. The control unit corresponding to the electromagnet in position A in the control device controls the output port G_DRIVE to drive transistor MOS1, increasing the duty cycle or frequency of transistor MOS1, thereby increasing the current supplied to the electromagnet in position A and the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet in position A. This strengthens the attraction between the permanent magnet and the electromagnet in position A, thereby ensuring the door is closed. On the contrary, if the input port ISEN_MCU of the control unit corresponding to the electromagnet of the magnetic component group at position A in the control device detects the preset current peak within 1S, and the door switch detection unit detects that the door is closed, it is determined that the door is closed and the control program ends.

[0121] In addition, since the magnetic field is continuously added during the opening process of the door, if the user opens the door forcefully, the hinge assembly can help slow down the door and achieve a buffering effect, which can avoid loud noises and vibrations caused by improper force when the user opens and closes the door.

[0122] The above are merely specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any modifications or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A control method for a refrigerator, characterized in that: The refrigerator comprises: The box body is constructed with at least one storage chamber having a take-in / out opening; A box door, movable relative to the box body, for opening or closing the access opening of the storage chamber; A hinge assembly connecting the box body and the box door, comprising two layers of magnetic structures, one of which is fixed to the box body and the other is fixed to the box door, each layer of the magnetic structure comprising at least three magnetic members spaced apart, the magnetic members of the two layers of magnetic structures corresponding one to one to form at least three magnetic member groups, and with the movement of the box door, two magnetic members in the magnetic member groups are selectively stacked together, at least one of the magnetic members in the magnetic member groups is an electromagnet, and when power is applied, the two magnetic members in the magnetic member group attract each other; A door switch detection unit, configured to detect the opening and closing of the door; The control method comprises: When the door switch detection unit detects that the door is open, current is supplied to the electromagnet at a first position, where the two magnetic members in the hinge assembly are stacked together when the door is closed. When it is detected that the current of the electromagnet at the first position decreases, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the second position, where the second position is the position of the magnetic member group in the hinge assembly where the two magnetic members are stacked together when the door opening angle is greater than zero, and the second position is adjacent to the first position; When it is detected that the electromagnet at the second position generates a preset current peak, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the third position, the third position being the position of the magnetic member group in the hinge assembly where the two magnetic members are stacked together when the door opening angle is greater than zero, and the door opening angle corresponding to the third position is greater than the door opening angle corresponding to the second position, and the third position is adjacent to the second position; If the electromagnet at the third position is not detected to generate a preset current peak within a preset time, the current provided to the electromagnet at the second position is increased.

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The providing current to the electromagnet at the first position includes: providing a first current to the electromagnet at the first position; The providing current to the electromagnet at the second position includes: providing the first current to the electromagnet at the second position; The providing current to the electromagnet at the third position includes: providing the first current to the electromagnet at the third position; The increasing the current provided to the electromagnet at the second position includes: providing a second current to the electromagnet at the second position; Wherein, the second current is greater than the first current.

3. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: The control method further includes: When current is supplied to the electromagnet at the second position, supplying current to the electromagnet at the first position is stopped; When current is supplied to the electromagnet at the third position, current supply to the electromagnets at the first position and the second position is stopped.

4. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The magnetic component of the magnetic structure fixed to the box body is an electromagnet, and the magnetic component of the magnetic structure fixed to the box door is a permanent magnet.

5. A control method for a refrigerator, characterized in that: The refrigerator comprises: The box body is constructed with at least one storage chamber having a take-in / out opening; A box door, movable relative to the box body, for opening or closing the access opening of the storage chamber; A hinge assembly connecting the box body and the box door, comprising two layers of magnetic structures, one of which is fixed to the box body and the other is fixed to the box door, each layer of the magnetic structure comprising at least three magnetic members spaced apart from each other, the magnetic members of the two layers of magnetic structures correspondingly constituting at least three magnetic member groups, and with the movement of the box door, two magnetic members in the magnetic member groups are selectively stacked together, at least one magnetic member in the magnetic member group is an electromagnet, and when power is applied, the two magnetic members in the magnetic member group attract each other; A door switch detection unit, configured to detect the opening and closing of the door; The control method comprises: When the position of the electromagnet generating the preset current peak gradually decreases corresponding to the door opening angle, and when the current of the electromagnet at the second position is detected to decrease, current is supplied to the electromagnet at the first position, the first position being the position of the magnetic member group in which the two magnetic members are stacked together when the door is closed, the second position being the position of the magnetic member group in which the two magnetic members are stacked together when the door opening angle is greater than zero, and the second position being adjacent to the first position; If the current of the electromagnet at the first position is not detected to reach a preset current peak within a preset time and the door switch detection unit does not detect that the door is closed, the current provided to the electromagnet at the first position is increased.

6. The control method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The control method further includes: When current is supplied to the electromagnet at the first position, current supply to the electromagnet at the second position is stopped.

7. The control method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The magnetic component of the magnetic structure fixed to the box body is an electromagnet, and the magnetic component of the magnetic structure fixed to the box door is a permanent magnet.

8. A refrigerator, characterized in that: The refrigerator comprises: The box body is constructed with at least one storage chamber having a take-in / out opening; A box door, movable relative to the box body, for opening or closing the access opening of the storage chamber; A hinge assembly connecting the box body and the box door, comprising two layers of magnetic structures, one of which is fixed to the box body and the other is fixed to the box door, each layer of the magnetic structure comprising at least three magnetic members spaced apart from each other, the magnetic members of the two layers of magnetic structures correspondingly constituting at least three magnetic member groups, and with the movement of the box door, two magnetic members in the magnetic member groups are selectively stacked together, at least one magnetic member in the magnetic member group is an electromagnet, and when power is applied, the two magnetic members in the magnetic member group attract each other; A door switch detection unit, configured to detect the opening and closing of the door; The control device is electrically connected to the electromagnet and is configured to execute the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, characterized in that The magnetic structure includes a non-magnetic annular carrier, which has at least three bearing grooves constructed therein, and each bearing groove accommodates one magnetic member; a protrusion is provided on the surface of the box body, and the annular carrier of the magnetic structure fixed to the box body is arranged around the protrusion; the hinge assembly also includes a bearing, which is provided on the side of the annular carrier of the magnetic structure fixed to the box body away from the surface of the box body, and is sleeved on the protrusion, and the annular carrier of the magnetic structure fixed to the box door is sleeved on the bearing.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 8, characterized in that The control device includes at least three control units, at least three buck-boost conversion circuits, and at least three sampling resistors, each sampling resistor corresponds to one electromagnet, each buck-boost conversion circuit corresponds to one sampling resistor, and each control unit corresponds to one buck-boost conversion circuit; Wherein, the control unit has: an output port connected to a corresponding transistor of the buck-boost converter circuit to control an output current of the buck-boost converter circuit; The input port is connected to the two ends of the corresponding sampling resistor through an amplifier circuit, one end of the sampling resistor is connected to the output end of the corresponding buck-boost conversion circuit, and the other end is connected to the coil of the corresponding electromagnet, and is configured to collect the current flowing through the coil of the corresponding electromagnet.

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