Refrigerator and defrosting control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a refrigerator and a defrosting control method thereof, the refrigerator comprises a refrigerator body, a refrigerating system and a controller, the refrigerating system comprises a compressor, a condenser, an electric valve, a freezing evaporator, a refrigeration evaporator, a gas-liquid separator, an electromagnetic valve and an oil circulating pump; the controller is configured to control the compressor and the electric valve to be in a closed state and the electromagnetic valve and the oil circulating pump to be in an open state when the refrigerator operates in a defrosting mode; engine oil at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator is conveyed to a refrigeration evaporator through an electromagnetic valve and an oil circulating pump, and the engine oil enters a freezing evaporator for defrosting after absorbing heat; and meanwhile, after absorbing the cooling capacity of the freezing evaporator, the engine oil flows into the gas-liquid separator and then is conveyed to the refrigeration evaporator for refrigeration. The refrigerating capacity stored by frost on the freezing evaporator is transferred to the refrigerating chamber for refrigeration, the refrigerating capacity is reused while defrosting is conducted, the defrosting efficiency and the overall refrigeration utilization rate of the refrigerator are effectively improved, and the power consumption of the refrigerator is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of refrigerators, and in particular to a refrigerator and a defrosting control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Current refrigerators usually use electric heating of the refrigerator freezer evaporator to defrost, relying only on electric heating to melt the frost inside the refrigerator, and the defrosting efficiency is low. In addition, since the heat of the heating wire is not concentrated, it is easy to diffuse to the internal space of the refrigerator, causing the temperature inside the refrigerator to rise, affecting the shelf life of the food stored inside the refrigerator, which is not conducive to the preservation of food. Existing refrigerators also use refrigerant for reverse circulation to achieve defrosting, that is, the original evaporator and condenser of the refrigerator are changed by the flow direction of the refrigerant, and the evaporator is converted into a condenser, and the condenser is converted into an evaporator. Although the frost on the refrigerator evaporator can be melted in this state, the defrosting process will cause a loss of cold capacity, resulting in a low overall refrigeration utilization rate of the refrigerator, and is not conducive to energy saving. Summary of the invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a defrost control method thereof, which utilizes heat interaction between a refrigeration chamber and a freezer chamber to transfer the cold energy stored in the frost on the freezing evaporator to the refrigeration chamber, cool the refrigeration chamber, and reuse the cold energy while defrosting, thereby effectively improving the defrosting efficiency and the overall refrigeration utilization rate of the refrigerator and reducing the power consumption of the refrigerator.

[0004] A refrigerator provided in a first embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0005] The box body, which serves as the supporting structure of the refrigerator, has several compartments inside;

[0006] A refrigeration system is arranged in the box, comprising a compressor, a condenser, an electric valve, a freezing evaporator, a refrigeration evaporator, a gas-liquid separator, a solenoid valve and an oil circulation pump;

[0007] The exhaust port of the compressor is connected to the inlet of the condenser, the outlet of the condenser is connected to the electric valve, the first outlet of the electric valve is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator, and the second outlet of the electric valve is connected to the inlet of the refrigeration evaporator;

[0008] The outlet of the refrigeration evaporator is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator, and the outlet of the freezing evaporator is connected to the inlet of the gas-liquid separator;

[0009] The gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the air intake port of the compressor, the liquid outlet end of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the oil circulation pump through the solenoid valve, and the oil circulation pump is connected to the inlet of the refrigeration evaporator;

[0010] The controller is configured to, when the refrigerator operates in the defrost mode, control the compressor and the electric valve to be in a closed state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump to be in an open state; the engine oil at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator is transported to the refrigerated evaporator through the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump, the engine oil flows through the refrigerated evaporator to absorb heat and then enters the frozen evaporator to defrost the frozen evaporator; after the engine oil absorbs the cold energy of the frozen evaporator, it flows into the gas-liquid separator, and then is transported to the refrigerated evaporator through the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump for refrigeration.

[0011] In the refrigerator provided by the second embodiment of the present invention, the controller is further configured as follows:

[0012] When the refrigerator operates in the refrigeration mode, the compressor and the electric valve are controlled to be in the open state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump are controlled to be in the closed state; the refrigerant enters the freezing evaporator through the first outlet of the electric valve for refrigeration, and enters the refrigeration evaporator through the second outlet of the electric valve for refrigeration.

[0013] In the refrigerator provided in the third embodiment of the present invention, the controller is further configured as follows:

[0014] When the refrigerator operates in cooling mode, the refrigerant entering the refrigeration evaporator flows into the freezing evaporator from the outlet of the refrigeration evaporator, and after circulating through the freezing evaporator, flows into the gas-liquid separator together with the refrigerant in the freezing evaporator, and then flows into the suction port of the compressor through the gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator.

[0015] In the refrigerator provided in the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the controller is further configured as follows:

[0016] When the refrigerator is defrosted, the compressor and the electric valve are controlled to be in an open state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump are controlled to be in a closed state; the refrigerant starts to flow in the refrigeration system, pushing the residual oil in the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator into the gas-liquid separator and storing it at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator.

[0017] In the refrigerator provided by the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the refrigeration system further comprises a temperature-variable evaporator, the inlet of the temperature-variable evaporator is connected to the third outlet of the electric valve, and the outlet of the temperature-variable evaporator is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator.

[0018] A refrigerator defrost control method provided in a sixth embodiment of the present invention is applied to a refrigerator including a cabinet and a refrigeration system; wherein a plurality of compartments are provided inside the cabinet, and the refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an electric valve, a freezing evaporator, a cold storage evaporator, a gas-liquid separator, an electromagnetic valve and an oil circulation pump; the exhaust port of the compressor is connected to the inlet of the condenser, the outlet of the condenser is connected to the electric valve, the first outlet of the electric valve is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator, and the second outlet of the electric valve is connected to the inlet of the cold storage evaporator; the outlet of the cold storage evaporator is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator, and the outlet of the freezing evaporator is connected to the inlet of the gas-liquid separator; the gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the air intake port of the compressor, the liquid outlet end of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the oil circulation pump through the electromagnetic valve, and the oil circulation pump is connected to the inlet of the cold storage evaporator, and the refrigerator defrost control method includes:

[0019] When the refrigerator is operated in the defrosting mode, the compressor and the electric valve are controlled to be in a closed state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump are controlled to be in an open state;

[0020] The oil at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator is transported to the refrigeration evaporator through the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump. The oil flows through the refrigeration evaporator to absorb heat and then enters the freezing evaporator to defrost the freezing evaporator.

[0021] After absorbing the cold energy of the freezing evaporator, the engine oil flows into the gas-liquid separator and is then transported to the refrigeration evaporator through the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump for refrigeration.

[0022] In the refrigerator defrosting control method provided by the seventh embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes:

[0023] When the refrigerator operates in the refrigeration mode, the compressor and the electric valve are controlled to be in the open state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump are controlled to be in the closed state; the refrigerant enters the freezing evaporator through the first outlet of the electric valve for refrigeration, and enters the refrigeration evaporator through the second outlet of the electric valve for refrigeration.

[0024] In the refrigerator defrosting control method provided by the eighth embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes:

[0025] When the refrigerator operates in cooling mode, the refrigerant entering the refrigeration evaporator flows into the freezing evaporator from the outlet of the refrigeration evaporator, and after circulating through the freezing evaporator, flows into the gas-liquid separator together with the refrigerant in the freezing evaporator, and then flows into the suction port of the compressor through the gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator.

[0026] In the refrigerator defrosting control method provided in the ninth embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes:

[0027] When the refrigerator is defrosted, the compressor and the electric valve are controlled to be in an open state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump are controlled to be in a closed state; the refrigerant starts to flow in the refrigeration system, pushing the residual oil in the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator into the gas-liquid separator and storing it at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator.

[0028] In the refrigerator defrost control method provided in the tenth embodiment of the present invention, the refrigeration system also includes a variable temperature evaporator, the inlet of the variable temperature evaporator is connected to the third outlet of the electric valve, and the outlet of the variable temperature evaporator is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effect of a refrigerator and its defrost control method provided by the embodiment of the present invention is that: a gas-liquid separator is set in the refrigeration system to separate the refrigerant and the compressor oil and enter different channels respectively. The refrigerant cools different refrigeration chambers, and the compressor oil is stored at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator. When the temperature of the freezer is set to an extremely low level, the refrigerator's freezing evaporator is assisted to defrost. When the temperature is low, the defrosting process is accelerated to prevent the temperature inside the freezer from rising too much due to defrosting. The embodiment of the present invention utilizes heat exchange between the cold storage room and the freezer to transfer the cold stored in the frost on the freezing evaporator to the cold storage room, and refrigerate the cold storage room. The cold is reused while defrosting, which effectively improves the defrosting efficiency and the overall refrigeration utilization rate of the refrigerator and reduces the power consumption of the refrigerator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a refrigerator body provided by one embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of a compartment of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of a dual refrigeration system of a refrigerator provided by one embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of oil flow during defrosting of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the flow direction of a refrigerant in a refrigerator during refrigeration provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the flow direction of the engine oil in a refrigerator after defrosting is completed, provided by one embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a compartment of a refrigerator provided by another embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Fig. 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a three-refrigeration system of a refrigerator provided by another embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of oil flow during defrosting of a refrigerator provided by another embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of the flow direction of a refrigerant in a refrigerator during refrigeration provided by another embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of the flow direction of engine oil in a refrigerator after defrosting is completed, provided by another embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Fig.13 The present invention is a flowchart of a refrigerator defrosting control method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0044] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present 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 should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0045] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" 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.

[0046] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, 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 ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0047] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 : is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator provided in the embodiment of the present invention comprises:

[0048] The box body 10, which serves as the supporting structure of the refrigerator, is provided with a plurality of compartments inside;

[0049] A refrigeration system 20 is arranged in the box, and includes a compressor, a condenser, an electric valve, a freezing evaporator, a refrigeration evaporator, a gas-liquid separator, a solenoid valve and an oil circulation pump;

[0050] The exhaust port of the compressor is connected to the inlet of the condenser, the outlet of the condenser is connected to the electric valve, the first outlet of the electric valve is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator, and the second outlet of the electric valve is connected to the inlet of the refrigeration evaporator;

[0051] The outlet of the refrigeration evaporator is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator, and the outlet of the freezing evaporator is connected to the inlet of the gas-liquid separator;

[0052] The gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the air intake port of the compressor, the liquid outlet end of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the oil circulation pump through the solenoid valve, and the oil circulation pump is connected to the inlet of the refrigeration evaporator;

[0053] The controller 30 is configured to, when the refrigerator is operating in the defrost mode, control the compressor and the electric valve to be in a closed state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump to be in an open state; the engine oil at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator is transported to the refrigerated evaporator through the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump, the engine oil flows through the refrigerated evaporator to absorb heat and then enters the frozen evaporator to defrost the frozen evaporator; after the engine oil absorbs the cold of the frozen evaporator, it flows into the gas-liquid separator, and then is transported to the refrigerated evaporator through the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump for refrigeration.

[0054] Specifically, a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 10, a refrigeration system 20 and a controller 30. Figure 2and Figure 3 , Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator body provided by an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a compartment of a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator in this embodiment has an approximately rectangular shape, and the refrigerator includes a box body 10 that defines a storage space. The box body 10 serves as a supporting structure of the refrigerator, and is provided with a chamber inside, wherein the chamber includes a component storage cavity for placing components in the refrigerator, such as a compressor, etc., and also includes a storage space for storing food, etc. The storage space can be divided into a plurality of storage chambers (i.e., compartments), and the storage chambers can be configured as a refrigerating chamber 101 and a freezing chamber 102 according to different uses. One or more door bodies 200 are provided at the opening of each storage chamber, for example, Figure 2 The upper storage room is a cold storage room, which is provided with a double-opening door body. The door body 200 includes a door body outer shell 210 located outside the box body 10, a door body inner liner 220 located inside the box body 10, an upper end cover 230, a lower end cover 240, and an insulation layer located between the door body outer shell 210, the door body inner liner 220, the upper end cover 230, and the lower end cover 240; usually, the insulation layer is filled with foam material. The door body can be pivotally arranged at the opening of the box body, and can also be opened in a drawer-like manner to achieve drawer-like storage.

[0055] The refrigerator performs refrigeration operation through the refrigeration system, providing cold energy to be transmitted to the compartment so as to maintain the compartment at a constant low temperature state. Specifically, the refrigeration system of the refrigerator in this embodiment is a dual refrigeration system. Figure 4 , Figure 4 : is a schematic diagram of the structure of a dual refrigeration system of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The refrigeration system of the refrigerator described in the embodiment of the present invention includes a compressor 1, a condenser 2, an electric valve 3, a freezing evaporator 4, a refrigerating evaporator 5, a gas-liquid separator 6, an electromagnetic valve 7 and an oil circulation pump 8. The exhaust port of the compressor 1 is connected to the inlet of the condenser 2, the outlet of the condenser 2 is connected to the electric valve 3, the first outlet A of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator 4, and the second outlet B of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the refrigerating evaporator 5. The outlet of the refrigerating evaporator 5 is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator 4, and the outlet of the freezing evaporator 4 is connected to the inlet of the gas-liquid separator 6. The gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator 6 is connected to the air intake port of the compressor 1, and the liquid outlet end of the gas-liquid separator 6 is connected to the oil circulation pump 8 through the electromagnetic valve 7, and the oil circulation pump 8 is connected to the inlet of the refrigerating evaporator 5. The refrigeration system in the embodiment of the present invention also includes a first capillary tube 9 and a second capillary tube 10, wherein the first outlet A of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator 4 through the first capillary tube 9, and the second outlet B of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the refrigeration evaporator 5 through the second capillary tube 10.

[0056] The working structure of the refrigeration system includes compression process, condensation process, throttling process and evaporation process.

[0057] The compression process is as follows: plug in the refrigerator power cord, and when the box needs to cool, the compressor starts to work, and the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant is sucked into the compressor, compressed into high-temperature, high-pressure superheated gas in the compressor cylinder, and then discharged to the condenser;

[0058] The condensation process is as follows: the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas dissipates heat through the condenser, the temperature continues to drop, and is gradually cooled to a saturated vapor at room temperature and high pressure, and further cooled to a saturated liquid, the temperature no longer drops. The temperature at this time is called the condensation temperature, and the pressure of the refrigerant remains almost unchanged during the entire condensation process;

[0059] The throttling process is as follows: the condensed refrigerant saturated liquid is filtered through a drying filter to remove moisture and impurities and then flows into the capillary tube, through which it is throttled and depressurized, and the refrigerant becomes wet steam at room temperature and low pressure;

[0060] The evaporation process is as follows: it then begins to absorb heat and vaporize in the evaporator, which not only reduces the temperature of the evaporator and its surroundings, but also turns the refrigerant into a low-temperature, low-pressure gas. The refrigerant coming out of the evaporator returns to the compressor again, repeating the above process to transfer the heat in the refrigerator to the air outside the box, thus achieving the purpose of refrigeration.

[0061] See also Figure 5 , Figure 51 is a schematic diagram of the flow direction of the oil in a refrigerator during defrosting provided by an embodiment of the present invention. When the refrigerator is running in the defrosting mode, the compressor 1 and the electric valve 3 are controlled to be in a closed state, and the solenoid valve 7 and the oil circulation pump 8 are in an open state. Because a sufficient amount of compressor oil is stored in the gas-liquid separator 6, the solenoid valve 7 is opened at this time, and the oil circulation pump 8 starts to work at the same time, and the oil in the gas-liquid separator 6 is transported to the right side. Since the B channel is in a closed state, the oil will not flow in the capillary direction, but will flow to the inlet position of the refrigeration evaporator 5. When the oil flows through the refrigeration evaporator 5, because the temperature inside the refrigeration chamber is generally around 4°C, the temperature of the oil is also around 4°C after passing through the refrigeration evaporator 5. Then the oil enters the freezing evaporator 4 along the outlet of the refrigeration evaporator 5. Also because the A channel is closed, the oil will not flow in the capillary direction. After entering the freezing evaporator 4, the temperature of the oil is relatively high, and the frost attached to the surface of the freezing evaporator 4 can be heated to melt it. At the same time, the engine oil absorbs the coldness of the frost on the freezing evaporator 4, continues to flow, and enters the gas-liquid separator 6 from the outlet of the freezing evaporator 4. Because the engine oil is liquid, after entering the gas-liquid separator 6, it will flow to the bottom, and then continue to flow to the solenoid valve 7, and continue to be transported by the oil circulation pump 8, and enter the refrigeration evaporator 5 again. At this time, the temperature of the cooled engine oil is low, and the refrigeration room can be refrigerated. Then it absorbs the heat of the refrigeration evaporator 5 and continues to enter the freezing room to defrost the freezing evaporator 4. This cycle can assist the refrigerator to defrost quickly. And because the engine oil is liquid, the coldness stored is much greater than that of gas, and it flows from the internal tube of the evaporator. The defrosting starts from the inside of the evaporator, which makes it easier to melt the frost and more efficient.

[0062] In an embodiment of the present invention, a gas-liquid separator is arranged in the refrigeration system to separate the refrigerant and the compressor oil, which enter different channels respectively. The refrigerant cools different refrigeration chambers, while the compressor oil is stored at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator. When the temperature of the freezer is set to be extremely low, the refrigerator freezing evaporator is assisted to defrost. When the temperature is low, the defrosting process is accelerated to prevent the temperature inside the freezer from rising too much due to defrosting. In an embodiment of the present invention, the cold storage room and the freezer are exchanged with heat to transfer the cold stored in the frost on the freezing evaporator to the cold storage room to cool the cold storage room. The cold is reused while defrosting, which effectively improves the defrosting efficiency and the overall refrigeration utilization rate of the refrigerator and reduces the power consumption of the refrigerator.

[0063] As one of the optional embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0064] When the refrigerator operates in the refrigeration mode, the compressor and the electric valve are controlled to be in the open state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump are controlled to be in the closed state; the refrigerant enters the freezing evaporator through the first outlet of the electric valve for refrigeration, and enters the refrigeration evaporator through the second outlet of the electric valve for refrigeration.

[0065] For details, please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the flow direction of the refrigerant in a refrigerator during refrigeration provided by an embodiment of the present invention. When the refrigerator is operating in the refrigeration mode, the compressor 1 and the electric valve 3 are both controlled to be in the open state, and the solenoid valve 7 and the oil circulation pump 8 are both in the closed state. At this time, the refrigerant oil compressor 1 exhaust port enters the condenser 2 for cooling, and then enters the electric valve 3 to be divided into two paths A and B. Through the first outlet A of the electric valve 3, it passes through the first capillary tube 9 to enter the freezing evaporator 4 to refrigerate the freezing chamber, and through the second outlet B of the electric valve 3, it passes through the second capillary tube 10 to enter the refrigeration evaporator 5 to refrigerate the refrigeration chamber.

[0066] As one of the optional embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0067] When the refrigerator operates in cooling mode, the refrigerant entering the refrigeration evaporator flows into the freezing evaporator from the outlet of the refrigeration evaporator, and after circulating through the freezing evaporator, flows into the gas-liquid separator together with the refrigerant in the freezing evaporator, and then flows into the suction port of the compressor through the gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator.

[0068] Specifically, when the refrigerator is running in the refrigeration mode, the refrigerant enters the freezing evaporator 4 and the cold storage evaporator 5 through the capillary tubes to evaporate and absorb heat, thereby refrigerating different compartments. Since the outlet of the cold storage evaporator 5 is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator 4, the refrigerant entering the cold storage evaporator 5 continues to flow into the freezing evaporator 4 after it flows out of the outlet of the cold storage evaporator 5. After circulating through the freezing evaporator 4, it flows into the gas-liquid separator 6 together with the refrigerant in the freezing evaporator 4. The gaseous refrigerant flows into the air intake port of the compressor 1 along the gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator 6, and the next cycle begins. This cycle repeats to refrigerate the refrigerator.

[0069] As one of the optional embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0070] When the refrigerator is defrosted, the compressor and the electric valve are controlled to be in an open state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump are controlled to be in a closed state; the refrigerant starts to flow in the refrigeration system, pushing the residual oil in the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator into the gas-liquid separator and storing it at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator.

[0071] For details, please refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the flow direction of the engine oil after defrosting of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention. When the refrigerator is defrosted, the compressor 1 and the electric valve 3 are controlled to be in an open state, and the solenoid valve 7 and the oil circulation pump 8 are controlled to be in a closed state. The refrigerant starts to flow in the refrigeration system, pushing the engine oil that was originally transported to the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator by the oil circulation pump 8 into the gas-liquid separator 6 and stored at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator 6 to prepare for the next defrosting.

[0072] As one of the optional embodiments, the refrigeration system further includes a temperature-variable evaporator, the inlet of the temperature-variable evaporator is connected to the third outlet of the electric valve, and the outlet of the temperature-variable evaporator is connected to the inlet of the refrigeration evaporator.

[0073] For details, please refer to Figure 8 and Fig. 9 , Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a compartment of a refrigerator provided by another embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 9 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a three-refrigeration system of a refrigerator provided by another embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment of the present invention can also be applied to a refrigerator with three refrigeration systems. In this case, in addition to the refrigerating chamber 101 and the freezing chamber 102, a variable temperature chamber 103 (also called a fresh-keeping chamber) is also provided inside the cabinet. The three-refrigeration system includes a compressor 1, a condenser 2, an electric valve 3, a freezing evaporator 4, a refrigerating evaporator 5, a gas-liquid separator 6, an electromagnetic valve 7, an oil circulation pump 8 and a variable temperature evaporator 11. The exhaust port of the compressor 1 is connected to the inlet of the condenser 2, the outlet of the condenser 2 is connected to the electric valve 3, the first outlet A of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator 4, the second outlet B of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the refrigerating evaporator 5, and the third outlet C of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the variable temperature evaporator 11. The outlet of the refrigerating evaporator 5 and the outlet of the variable temperature evaporator 11 are both connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator 4, and the outlet of the freezing evaporator 4 is connected to the inlet of the gas-liquid separator 6. The gas outlet of the gas-liquid separator 6 is connected to the air intake of the compressor 1, and the liquid outlet of the gas-liquid separator 6 is connected to the oil circulation pump 8 through the solenoid valve 7, and the oil circulation pump 8 is connected to the inlet of the refrigeration evaporator 5. In the embodiment of the present invention, the refrigeration system further includes a first capillary tube 9, a second capillary tube 10 and a third capillary tube 12, wherein the first outlet A of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator 4 through the first capillary tube 9, the second outlet B of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the refrigeration evaporator 5 through the second capillary tube 10, and the third outlet C of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the temperature-variable evaporator 11 through the third capillary tube 12.

[0074] See also Fig.10 , Fig.10This is a schematic diagram of the flow direction of the oil in a refrigerator during defrosting provided by another embodiment of the present invention. When the refrigerator is running in the defrosting mode, the compressor 1 and the electric valve 3 are controlled to be in a closed state, and the solenoid valve 7 and the oil circulation pump 8 are in an open state. Because there is a sufficient amount of compressor oil stored in the gas-liquid separator 6, the solenoid valve 7 is opened at this time, and the oil circulation pump 8 starts to work at the same time, and the oil in the gas-liquid separator 6 is transported to the right side. Since the B channel is in a closed state, the oil will not flow in the capillary direction, but will flow to the inlet position of the refrigeration evaporator 5. When the oil flows through the refrigeration evaporator 5, because the temperature inside the refrigeration chamber is generally around 4°C, the temperature of the oil is also around 4°C after passing through the refrigeration evaporator 5. Then the oil enters the freezing evaporator 4 along the outlet of the refrigeration evaporator 5. Also because the A channel is closed, the oil will not flow in the capillary direction. After entering the freezing evaporator 4, the temperature of the oil is relatively high, and the frost attached to the surface of the freezing evaporator 4 can be heated to melt it. At the same time, the engine oil absorbs the coldness of the frost on the freezing evaporator 4, continues to flow, and enters the gas-liquid separator 6 from the outlet of the freezing evaporator 4. Because the engine oil is liquid, after entering the gas-liquid separator 6, it will flow to the bottom, and then continue to flow to the solenoid valve 7, and continue to be transported by the oil circulation pump 8, and enter the refrigeration evaporator 5 again. At this time, the temperature of the cooled engine oil is low, and the refrigeration room can be refrigerated. Then it absorbs the heat of the refrigeration evaporator 5 and continues to enter the freezing room to defrost the freezing evaporator 4. This cycle can assist the refrigerator to defrost quickly. And because the engine oil is liquid, the coldness stored is much greater than that of gas, and it flows from the internal tube of the evaporator. The defrosting starts from the inside of the evaporator, which makes it easier to melt the frost and more efficient.

[0075] See also Fig.11 , Fig.11This is a schematic diagram of the flow direction of the refrigerant in a refrigerator during refrigeration provided by another embodiment of the present invention. When the refrigerator is operating in the refrigeration mode, the compressor 1 and the electric valve 3 are both controlled to be in the open state, and the solenoid valve 7 and the oil circulation pump 8 are both in the closed state. At this time, the refrigerant oil compressor 1 exhaust port enters the condenser 2 for cooling, and then enters the electric valve 3 to be divided into three paths A, B, and C. Through the first outlet A of the electric valve 3, it passes through the first capillary tube 9 to enter the freezing evaporator 4 to refrigerate the freezing chamber, through the second outlet B of the electric valve 3, it passes through the second capillary tube 10 to enter the refrigeration evaporator 5 to refrigerate the refrigeration chamber, and through the third outlet C of the electric valve 3, it passes through the third capillary tube 12 to enter the variable temperature evaporator 11 to refrigerate the variable temperature chamber. Since the outlets of the refrigerated evaporator 5 and the temperature-variable evaporator 11 are both connected to the inlet of the frozen evaporator 4, the refrigerant entering the refrigerated evaporator 5 and the temperature-variable evaporator 11 continues to flow into the frozen evaporator 4 after coming out of the outlet of the refrigerated evaporator 5. After circulating through the frozen evaporator 4, it flows into the gas-liquid separator 6 together with the refrigerant in the frozen evaporator 4. The gaseous refrigerant flows into the air intake port of the compressor 1 along the gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator 6 to start the next cycle. This cycle is repeated to cool the refrigerator.

[0076] See also Fig.12 , Fig.12 This is a schematic diagram of the flow direction of the engine oil after defrosting of a refrigerator provided by another embodiment of the present invention. When the refrigerator is defrosted, the compressor 1 and the electric valve 3 are controlled to be in an open state, and the solenoid valve 7 and the oil circulation pump 8 are controlled to be in a closed state. The refrigerant starts to flow in the refrigeration system, pushing the engine oil that was originally transported to the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator by the oil circulation pump 8 into the gas-liquid separator 6, and storing it at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator 6 to prepare for the next defrosting.

[0077] See also Fig.13 , Fig.13It is a flow chart of a refrigerator defrosting control method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator defrosting control method provided in the embodiment of the present invention is applied to a refrigerator including a cabinet and a refrigeration system; wherein, a plurality of compartments are provided inside the cabinet, and the refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an electric valve, a freezing evaporator, a cold storage evaporator, a gas-liquid separator, an electromagnetic valve and an oil circulation pump; the exhaust port of the compressor is connected to the inlet of the condenser, the outlet of the condenser is connected to the electric valve, the first outlet of the electric valve is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator, and the second outlet of the electric valve is connected to the inlet of the cold storage evaporator; the outlet of the cold storage evaporator is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator, and the outlet of the freezing evaporator is connected to the inlet of the gas-liquid separator; the gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the air intake port of the compressor, the liquid outlet end of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the oil circulation pump through the electromagnetic valve, and the oil circulation pump is connected to the inlet of the cold storage evaporator. The refrigerator defrosting control method includes:

[0078] S1, when the refrigerator is running in the defrost mode, the compressor and the electric valve are controlled to be in a closed state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump are controlled to be in an open state;

[0079] S2, transporting the oil at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator to the refrigeration evaporator through the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump, and the oil flows through the refrigeration evaporator to absorb heat and then enter the freezing evaporator to defrost the freezing evaporator;

[0080] S3, after the engine oil absorbs the cold energy of the freezing evaporator, it flows into the gas-liquid separator and is then transported to the refrigeration evaporator through the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump for refrigeration.

[0081] The embodiment of the present invention utilizes heat exchange between the refrigeration chamber and the freezer chamber to transfer the cold energy stored in the frost on the freezing evaporator to the refrigeration chamber, refrigerate the refrigeration chamber, and reuse the cold energy while defrosting, thereby effectively improving the defrosting efficiency and the overall refrigeration utilization rate of the refrigerator and reducing the power consumption of the refrigerator.

[0082] As an optional embodiment, the method further includes:

[0083] When the refrigerator operates in the refrigeration mode, the compressor and the electric valve are controlled to be in the open state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump are controlled to be in the closed state; the refrigerant enters the freezing evaporator through the first outlet of the electric valve for refrigeration, and enters the refrigeration evaporator through the second outlet of the electric valve for refrigeration.

[0084] Specifically, when the refrigerator is running in the refrigeration mode, the compressor 1 and the electric valve 3 are both in the open state, and the solenoid valve 7 and the oil circulation pump 8 are both in the closed state. At this time, the refrigerant oil compressor 1 exhaust port enters the condenser 2 for cooling, and then enters the electric valve 3 to be divided into two paths A and B. Through the first outlet A of the electric valve 3, it passes through the first capillary tube 9 to enter the freezing evaporator 4 to refrigerate the freezing chamber, and through the second outlet B of the electric valve 3, it passes through the second capillary tube 10 to enter the refrigeration evaporator 5 to refrigerate the refrigeration chamber.

[0085] As an optional embodiment, the method further includes:

[0086] When the refrigerator operates in cooling mode, the refrigerant entering the refrigeration evaporator flows into the freezing evaporator from the outlet of the refrigeration evaporator, and after circulating through the freezing evaporator, flows into the gas-liquid separator together with the refrigerant in the freezing evaporator, and then flows into the suction port of the compressor through the gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator.

[0087] Specifically, when the refrigerator is running in the refrigeration mode, the refrigerant enters the freezing evaporator 4 and the cold storage evaporator 5 through the capillary tubes to evaporate and absorb heat, thereby refrigerating different compartments. Since the outlet of the cold storage evaporator 5 is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator 4, the refrigerant entering the cold storage evaporator 5 continues to flow into the freezing evaporator 4 after it flows out of the outlet of the cold storage evaporator 5. After circulating through the freezing evaporator 4, it flows into the gas-liquid separator 6 together with the refrigerant in the freezing evaporator 4. The gaseous refrigerant flows into the air intake port of the compressor 1 along the gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator 6, and the next cycle begins. This cycle repeats to refrigerate the refrigerator.

[0088] As an optional embodiment, the method further includes:

[0089] When the refrigerator is defrosted, the compressor and the electric valve are controlled to be in an open state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump are controlled to be in a closed state; the refrigerant starts to flow in the refrigeration system, pushing the residual oil in the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator into the gas-liquid separator and storing it at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator.

[0090] Specifically, when the refrigerator is defrosted, the compressor 1 and the electric valve 3 are controlled to be in an open state, and the solenoid valve 7 and the oil circulation pump 8 are controlled to be in a closed state. The refrigerant starts to flow in the refrigeration system, pushing the residual oil originally transported to the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator by the oil circulation pump 8 into the gas-liquid separator 6, and storing it at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator 6 to prepare for the next defrosting.

[0091] As one of the optional embodiments, the refrigeration system further includes a temperature-variable evaporator, the inlet of the temperature-variable evaporator is connected to the third outlet of the electric valve, and the outlet of the temperature-variable evaporator is connected to the inlet of the refrigeration evaporator.

[0092] Specifically, the embodiment of the present invention can also be applied to a refrigerator with three refrigeration systems. In this case, in addition to the refrigerator compartment 101 and the freezer compartment 102, a variable temperature chamber 103 (also called a fresh-keeping chamber) is also provided inside the cabinet. The three refrigeration systems include a compressor 1, a condenser 2, an electric valve 3, a freezing evaporator 4, a cold storage evaporator 5, a gas-liquid separator 6, an electromagnetic valve 7, an oil circulation pump 8, and a variable temperature evaporator 11. The exhaust port of the compressor 1 is connected to the inlet of the condenser 2, the outlet of the condenser 2 is connected to the electric valve 3, the first outlet A of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator 4, the second outlet B of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the cold storage evaporator 5, and the third outlet C of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the variable temperature evaporator 11. The outlet of the cold storage evaporator 5 and the outlet of the variable temperature evaporator 11 are both connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator 4, and the outlet of the freezing evaporator 4 is connected to the inlet of the gas-liquid separator 6. The gas outlet of the gas-liquid separator 6 is connected to the air intake of the compressor 1, and the liquid outlet of the gas-liquid separator 6 is connected to the oil circulation pump 8 through the solenoid valve 7, and the oil circulation pump 8 is connected to the inlet of the refrigeration evaporator 5. In the embodiment of the present invention, the refrigeration system further includes a first capillary tube 9, a second capillary tube 10 and a third capillary tube 12, wherein the first outlet A of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator 4 through the first capillary tube 9, the second outlet B of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the refrigeration evaporator 5 through the second capillary tube 10, and the third outlet C of the electric valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the temperature-variable evaporator 11 through the third capillary tube 12.

[0093] The embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator and a defrost control method thereof. A gas-liquid separator is arranged in the refrigeration system to separate the refrigerant and the compressor oil, which enter different channels respectively. The refrigerant cools different refrigeration chambers, while the compressor oil is stored at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator. When the temperature of the freezer is set to be extremely low, the refrigerator evaporator is assisted to defrost. When the temperature is low, the defrost process is accelerated to prevent the temperature inside the freezer from rising too much due to defrosting. The embodiment of the present invention utilizes heat exchange between the cold storage room and the freezer to transfer the cold stored in the frost on the freezer evaporator to the cold storage room, and refrigerate the cold storage room. The cold is reused while defrosting, which effectively improves the defrost efficiency and the overall refrigeration utilization rate of the refrigerator and reduces the power consumption of the refrigerator.

[0094] It should be noted that the system embodiment described above is merely illustrative, wherein the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of this embodiment. In addition, in the drawings of the system embodiment provided by the present invention, the connection relationship between the modules indicates that there is a communication connection between them, which may be specifically implemented as one or more communication buses or signal lines. A person of ordinary skill in the art may understand and implement it without paying any creative effort.

[0095] The above is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that a person skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present invention. These improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that: include: The box body, which serves as the supporting structure of the refrigerator, has several compartments inside; A refrigeration system is arranged in the box, comprising a compressor, a condenser, an electric valve, a freezing evaporator, a refrigeration evaporator, a gas-liquid separator, a solenoid valve and an oil circulation pump; The exhaust port of the compressor is connected to the inlet of the condenser, the outlet of the condenser is connected to the electric valve, the first outlet of the electric valve is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator, and the second outlet of the electric valve is connected to the inlet of the refrigeration evaporator; The outlet of the refrigeration evaporator is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator, and the outlet of the freezing evaporator is connected to the inlet of the gas-liquid separator; The gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the air intake port of the compressor, the liquid outlet end of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the oil circulation pump through the solenoid valve, and the oil circulation pump is connected to the inlet of the refrigeration evaporator; The controller is configured to, when the refrigerator operates in the defrost mode, control the compressor and the electric valve to be in a closed state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump to be in an open state; the engine oil at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator is transported to the refrigerated evaporator through the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump, the engine oil flows through the refrigerated evaporator to absorb heat and then enters the frozen evaporator to defrost the frozen evaporator; after the engine oil absorbs the cold energy of the frozen evaporator, it flows into the gas-liquid separator, and then is transported to the refrigerated evaporator through the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump for refrigeration.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is also configured to: When the refrigerator operates in the refrigeration mode, the compressor and the electric valve are controlled to be in the open state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump are controlled to be in the closed state; the refrigerant enters the freezing evaporator through the first outlet of the electric valve for refrigeration, and enters the refrigeration evaporator through the second outlet of the electric valve for refrigeration.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The controller is also configured to: When the refrigerator operates in cooling mode, the refrigerant entering the refrigeration evaporator flows into the freezing evaporator from the outlet of the refrigeration evaporator, and after circulating through the freezing evaporator, flows into the gas-liquid separator together with the refrigerant in the freezing evaporator, and then flows into the suction port of the compressor through the gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The controller is also configured to: When the refrigerator is defrosted, the compressor and the electric valve are controlled to be in an open state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump are controlled to be in a closed state; the refrigerant starts to flow in the refrigeration system, pushing the residual oil in the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator into the gas-liquid separator and storing it at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator.

5. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The refrigeration system further comprises a temperature-variable evaporator, the inlet of the temperature-variable evaporator is connected to the third outlet of the electric valve, and the outlet of the temperature-variable evaporator is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator.

6. A refrigerator defrosting control method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a refrigerator including a box and a refrigeration system; wherein a plurality of compartments are arranged inside the box, and the refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an electric valve, a freezing evaporator, a refrigerating evaporator, a gas-liquid separator, an electromagnetic valve and an oil circulation pump; the exhaust port of the compressor is connected to the inlet of the condenser, the outlet of the condenser is connected to the electric valve, the first outlet of the electric valve is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator, and the second outlet of the electric valve is connected to the inlet of the refrigerating evaporator; the outlet of the refrigerating evaporator is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator, and the outlet of the freezing evaporator is connected to the inlet of the gas-liquid separator; the gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the air intake port of the compressor, the liquid outlet end of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the oil circulation pump through the electromagnetic valve, and the oil circulation pump is connected to the inlet of the refrigerating evaporator, and the refrigerator defrosting control method includes: When the refrigerator is operated in the defrosting mode, the compressor and the electric valve are controlled to be in a closed state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump are controlled to be in an open state; The oil at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator is transported to the refrigeration evaporator through the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump. The oil flows through the refrigeration evaporator to absorb heat and then enters the freezing evaporator to defrost the freezing evaporator. After absorbing the cold energy of the freezing evaporator, the engine oil flows into the gas-liquid separator and is then transported to the refrigeration evaporator through the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump for refrigeration.

7. The refrigerator defrosting control method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When the refrigerator operates in the refrigeration mode, the compressor and the electric valve are controlled to be in the open state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump are controlled to be in the closed state; the refrigerant enters the freezing evaporator through the first outlet of the electric valve for refrigeration, and enters the refrigeration evaporator through the second outlet of the electric valve for refrigeration.

8. The refrigerator defrosting control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When the refrigerator operates in cooling mode, the refrigerant entering the refrigeration evaporator flows into the freezing evaporator from the outlet of the refrigeration evaporator, and after circulating through the freezing evaporator, flows into the gas-liquid separator together with the refrigerant in the freezing evaporator, and then flows into the suction port of the compressor through the gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separator.

9. The refrigerator defrosting control method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When the refrigerator is defrosted, the compressor and the electric valve are controlled to be in an open state, and the solenoid valve and the oil circulation pump are controlled to be in a closed state; the refrigerant starts to flow in the refrigeration system, pushing the residual oil in the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator into the gas-liquid separator and storing it at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator.

10. The refrigerator defrosting control method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that: The refrigeration system further comprises a temperature-variable evaporator, the inlet of the temperature-variable evaporator is connected to the third outlet of the electric valve, and the outlet of the temperature-variable evaporator is connected to the inlet of the freezing evaporator.

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