Refrigerator and control method thereof

Abstract

According to the refrigerator and the control method thereof, a gas sensor is carried in the refrigerator and used for sensing peculiar smell in the refrigerator, and when the peculiar smell value exceeds a set value, an odor removal device is controlled to be started to achieve intelligent odor removal. The responsivity, the recovery degree, the sensitivity and the like of the smell sensor are influenced by various factors in the refrigerator, especially the air velocity. As the flow speed at the air return port of the refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator is maximum, and the air return port gathers airflow at each position in the refrigerator, the odor concentration in the refrigerator can be well reflected, and the odor sensor is arranged near the air return port. Besides, a fan is arranged above the smell sensor, the flow rate of the airflow flowing through the surface of the smell sensor can be controlled through operation of the fan, and by controlling the flow rate of the airflow, the normal function of the smell sensor is ensured, the reliability of the intelligent smell removing function is improved, and the user experience is improved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] With the improvement of living standards, more and more types of food are stored in refrigerators, and food will emit various odors. The odor problem in refrigerators has become one of the main pain points for refrigerator users. With the development of gas sensor technology, many refrigerator manufacturers have begun to install gas sensors in refrigerators, and use odor sensors to monitor the odor in the refrigerator in real time. When the odor concentration value exceeds the set value, the system automatically turns on the deodorization device to perform intelligent deodorization. The odor sensor perceives the odor in the refrigerator mainly by driving the odor molecules through the surface of the odor sensor through the airflow, and is adsorbed or captured by the sensitive material of the odor sensor to achieve odor perception. Therefore, the airflow will affect the accuracy of the odor sensor in sensing the odor. However, the environment inside the refrigerator is complex and changes greatly. In particular, the user's opening and closing of the door and the start and stop of the compressor will affect the airflow inside the refrigerator, which will affect the accuracy of the odor sensor in sensing the odor, and ultimately affect the intelligent deodorization function and reduce the user experience. Therefore, how to reduce the impact of the airflow in the refrigerator on the odor sensor is the key to ensuring the normal operation of the intelligent deodorization function, but no refrigerator manufacturer has conducted research on this aspect. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a control method thereof, which ensures the normal function of the odor sensor by controlling the air flow rate flowing through the surface of the odor sensor, increases the reliability of the intelligent odor purification function, and improves the user experience.

[0004] To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising:

[0005] a box body, in which at least one storage chamber is formed, and the storage chamber includes at least a refrigerating chamber;

[0006] A door, used for opening and closing the storage chamber;

[0007] an odor sensor, disposed at the return air outlet of the refrigerating chamber, for detecting the concentration of the gas flowing through the return air outlet;

[0008] A fan is arranged in the storage room and close to the odor sensor, and the fan is used to control the flow rate of the gas flowing through the return air port;

[0009] The controller is configured as:

[0010] When it is detected that the compressor of the refrigerator is in a running state, obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber;

[0011] Selecting a corresponding target speed in a plurality of weight intervals according to the weight of the food; wherein each weight interval corresponds to a reference speed, and the reference speed is proportional to the weight of the food;

[0012] The fan is controlled to operate according to the target speed.

[0013] As an improvement of the above solution, the controller is further configured as follows:

[0014] When it is detected that the compressor of the refrigerator is in a stopped state, the rotation speed of the fan is controlled to be a preset standard rotation speed; wherein the standard rotation speed is greater than the reference rotation speed.

[0015] As an improvement of the above solution, the controller is further configured as follows:

[0016] When it is detected that the door of the refrigerating chamber is opened, the fan is controlled to stop during the door opening stage, and the reading of the response value of the odor sensor is stopped.

[0017] As an improvement of the above solution, the step of obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber includes:

[0018] Obtain the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerator in the food management system.

[0019] As an improvement of the above solution, a weight sensor is provided on each shelf of the refrigerating chamber; then, obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber includes:

[0020] The weight detection value detected by each weight sensor is accumulated to obtain the weight of the food.

[0021] To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a refrigerator control method, wherein an odor sensor and a fan are provided in a refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator; wherein the odor sensor is provided at an air return port of the refrigerator compartment, and is used to detect the concentration of gas flowing through the air return port; the fan is provided in the storage compartment and is arranged close to the odor sensor, and the fan is used to control the flow rate of gas flowing through the air return port; then, the refrigerator control method comprises:

[0022] When it is detected that the compressor of the refrigerator is in a running state, obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber;

[0023] Selecting a corresponding target speed in a plurality of weight intervals according to the weight of the food; wherein each weight interval corresponds to a reference speed, and the reference speed is proportional to the weight of the food;

[0024] The fan is controlled to operate according to the target speed.

[0025] As an improvement of the above solution, the method further includes:

[0026] When it is detected that the compressor of the refrigerator is in a stopped state, the rotation speed of the fan is controlled to be a preset standard rotation speed; wherein the standard rotation speed is greater than the reference rotation speed.

[0027] As an improvement of the above solution, the method further includes:

[0028] When it is detected that the door of the refrigerating chamber is opened, the fan is controlled to stop during the door opening stage, and the reading of the response value of the odor sensor is stopped.

[0029] As an improvement of the above solution, the step of obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber includes:

[0030] Obtain the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerator in the food management system.

[0031] As an improvement of the above solution, a weight sensor is provided on each shelf of the refrigerating chamber; then, obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber includes:

[0032] The weight detection value detected by each weight sensor is accumulated to obtain the weight of the food.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the refrigerator and its control method disclosed in the present invention are equipped with a gas sensor in the refrigerator to sense the odor in the refrigerator. When the odor value exceeds the set value, the deodorization device is controlled to turn on to realize intelligent deodorization. The responsiveness, recovery and sensitivity of the odor sensor are affected by many factors in the refrigerator, especially the air flow rate. Since the flow rate is the largest at the return air outlet of the refrigerator's cold storage room, and the return air outlet gathers the airflow from various positions inside the refrigerator, it can better reflect the odor concentration in the refrigerator. Therefore, the odor sensor is installed near the return air outlet. In addition, a fan is arranged above the odor sensor. The operation of the fan can control the air flow rate flowing through the surface of the odor sensor. By controlling this air flow rate, the normal function of the odor sensor is ensured, the reliability of the intelligent deodorization function is increased, and the user experience is improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the external structure of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigeration system in a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the installation positions of the fan and the odor sensor provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 5 is another schematic diagram of the installation position of the fan and the odor sensor provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the controller and other hardware devices provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 7 is a first working flow diagram of a controller provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 8 is a second working flow diagram of the controller provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Fig. 9 is a third working flow diagram of the controller provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Fig.10 The present invention provides a flowchart of a refrigerator control method.

[0044] Among them, 100, refrigerator; 1, compressor; 2, evaporator; 3, capillary tube; 4, condenser; 101, return air vent; 102, odor sensor; 103, fan. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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 referred device or element 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.

[0047] The terms "first", "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.

[0048] 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 an indirect connection 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.

[0049] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of the external structure of a refrigerator 100 provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator 100 of this embodiment is approximately rectangular in shape. The refrigerator includes a box body defining a storage space and a plurality of door bodies arranged at the opening of the box body, wherein the door body includes a door body shell located outside the box body, a door body liner located inside the box body, an upper end cover, a lower end cover, and an insulation layer located between the door body shell, the door body liner, the upper end cover, and the lower end cover; usually, the insulation layer is filled with foam. The box body is provided with a chamber, wherein the chamber includes a component storage chamber for placing components in the refrigerator, such as a press cabin, etc., and also includes a storage space for storing food, etc.

[0050] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 : is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The storage space can be divided into multiple storage rooms. The storage rooms can be configured as refrigerators and freezers according to different uses. They can also include variable temperature rooms, vacuum drawers, moisturizing drawers, etc. Each storage room corresponds to one or more door bodies, for example, Figure 2 The upper storage room is provided with a double-opening door body. 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. The refrigerator door is provided with a display screen, which is used to display prompt information and receive user touch operations.

[0051] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3The schematic diagram of the structure of the refrigeration system in the refrigerator provided by the embodiment of the present invention, the refrigeration system includes a compressor 1, an evaporator 2, a drying filter (not shown in the figure), a capillary tube 3, a condenser 4 and a gas-liquid separator (not shown in the figure). The working process of the refrigeration system includes a compression process, a condensation process, a throttling process and an evaporation process. The compression process is: plug in the power cord of the refrigerator, when the contacts of the thermostat are connected, the compressor 1 starts to work, and the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 1, and is compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure superheated gas in the cylinder of the compressor 1 and then discharged into the condenser 4; the condensation process is: the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas dissipates heat through the condenser 4, the temperature continues to drop, and is gradually cooled to a saturated vapor of normal temperature and high pressure, and is further cooled to a saturated liquid, and 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; the throttling process is as follows ... The 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 3, through which it is throttled and depressurized, and the refrigerant becomes wet steam at room temperature and low pressure; the evaporation process is as follows: the wet steam at room temperature and low pressure begins to absorb heat and vaporize in the evaporator 2, which not only reduces the temperature of the evaporator 2 and its surroundings, but also turns the refrigerant into a low-temperature, low-pressure gas. The refrigerant coming out of the evaporator 2 passes through the gas-liquid separator and returns to the compressor 1 again, repeating the above process to transfer the heat in the refrigerator to the air outside the box, thereby achieving the purpose of refrigeration.

[0052] See also Figure 4-5 , Figure 4-5 Schematic diagram of the installation position of the fan and the odor sensor provided in the embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator lowers the temperature by circulating the refrigerant. The refrigerant is compressed into high-pressure gas in the condenser, and then enters the evaporator through the expansion valve, turning into low-temperature and low-pressure steam, thereby absorbing the heat inside the refrigerator and lowering the temperature inside the refrigerator. The cold air generated in such a circulation process is discharged through the air outlet provided on the refrigeration air duct. The air outlet connects the refrigeration chamber and the refrigeration air duct. In addition to the air outlet, the storage chamber is also provided with a return air port 101. The function of the return air port 101 is to introduce the air inside the storage chamber into the refrigerator evaporator to continue the refrigeration cycle. The return air port 101 is generally located at the lower part of the storage chamber.

[0053] The refrigerator is also provided with an odor sensor 102, which is arranged at the return air outlet 101 of the refrigerator and is used to detect the concentration of the gas flowing through the return air outlet 101. The food in the refrigerator is placed in various positions. After the odor sensor 102 is installed, it should sense the comprehensive odor inside the refrigerator, rather than the odor of a certain area. Therefore, through the early refrigerator fluid simulation, it is found that the flow rate is the largest at the return air outlet 101 of the refrigerator refrigerator. At the same time, the return air outlet 101 gathers the airflow at various positions inside the refrigerator, which can better reflect the odor concentration in the refrigerator. Therefore, the odor sensor 102 is installed near the return air outlet 101.

[0054] The main principle of the odor sensor 102 sensing the odor concentration is: the gas-sensitive material undergoes an oxidation-reduction reaction with the odor molecules, causing the resistance of the gas sensor to change, and the change in resistance causes the change in voltage. Therefore, the gas concentration can be reflected by measuring the change in voltage. Therefore, we can set it so that when the voltage value of the odor sensor is greater than or equal to a certain voltage threshold V, the system controls the odor purification module to turn on and purify the odor; when the voltage value of the odor sensor is less than the voltage threshold V, the odor purification module is controlled to turn off, thereby realizing intelligent odor purification. And through testing and verification, when the airflow velocity flowing through the surface of the odor sensor is ≥Xt, the responsiveness, recovery and sensitivity of the odor sensor meet the functional requirements; but when the airflow velocity is <Xt, the response and recovery time of the odor sensor will be extended, and the sensitivity will decrease, thereby affecting the function.

[0055] The refrigerating chamber is also provided with a fan 103, which is arranged in the storage chamber and is arranged near the odor sensor 102. The fan 103 is used to control the flow rate of the gas flowing through the return air port 101. After simulation and actual testing, it is confirmed that when the refrigerator is unloaded or a small amount of food is stored, when the refrigerator compressor is in refrigeration operation, the air flow velocity X at the return air port is: X1≥X>X2, Xt<X2. Therefore, when a small amount of food is stored in the refrigerator, the odor sensor can work normally under this air flow condition when the refrigerator is turned on for refrigeration. However, now the refrigerator refrigeration is turned on for a period of time and then shut down. Since there is no corresponding refrigeration fan running, the air flow circulation speed in the refrigerator drops significantly, and the air flow speed flowing through the surface of the odor sensor is far less than Xt. At this time, the function of the odor sensor will be affected. At the same time, as the user stores more food, it will obviously hinder the flow of air, resulting in a decrease in flow rate, thereby affecting the function of the odor sensor. To solve this technical problem, the present invention installs a fan 103 above the odor sensor 102 and controls it through a series of methods, so that the operation of the fan 103 can control the airflow rate flowing through the surface of the odor sensor 102. By controlling this airflow rate, the normal function of the odor sensor 102 is ensured, the reliability of the intelligent odor purification function is increased, and the user experience is improved.

[0056] See also Figure 6 , Figure 6 It is a connection diagram of the controller provided in an embodiment of the present invention and other hardware devices. The controller described in the embodiment of the present invention is respectively connected to the compressor 1, the odor sensor 102 and the fan 103. The controller can control the reception of detection data sent by the odor sensor 102, and can also control the start and stop of the odor sensor 102. The controller can also control the start and stop of the compressor 1 and the fan 103, and control the speed of the compressor 1 and the fan 103.

[0057] Specifically, the controller is configured to: when it is detected that the compressor of the refrigerator is in operation, obtain the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber; select the corresponding target speed in several weight intervals according to the weight of the food; wherein each of the weight intervals corresponds to a reference speed, and the reference speed is proportional to the weight of the food; and control the operation of the fan according to the target speed.

[0058] For example, see Figure 7 , Figure 7 is a first working flow diagram of a controller provided in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the controller is configured to execute steps S11 to S14. When it is detected that the compressor is in operation, the refrigerator is in a refrigeration stage, and the weight of the food stored in the refrigerator file is obtained. In an embodiment of the present invention, two methods of obtaining the weight of food are provided, the first method is to obtain the weight through a food management system, and the second method is to obtain the weight through a weight sensor.

[0059] In a first embodiment, the obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber includes: obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber in a food management system.

[0060] Exemplarily, in an embodiment of the present invention, the food placed in the storage room is bound to an RFID tag in advance, and the RFID tag has food information written on it, such as name, weight, storage date, etc. The refrigerator is also provided with an RFID reader / writer, and the RFID reader / writer is used to detect the RFID tag. When the user binds the RFID tag to the food, the food management system also stores the food information, so that the weight of the food in the refrigerator can be known based on the information recorded in the food management system.

[0061] In a second embodiment, a weight sensor is provided on each shelf of the refrigerating chamber; then, obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber includes: accumulating the weight detection value detected by each weight sensor to obtain the weight of the food.

[0062] Exemplarily, the weight sensor is provided on the shelf. In order to accurately evaluate the weight of the food placed on the shelf, the detection range of the weight sensor needs to include the coverage range of the entire shelf. In order to save electricity of the refrigerator, the weight sensor is not turned on all the time. Instead, when it detects that the refrigerator door has undergone an "open-close" process, indicating that the user may store / take out food, the weight of the food stored in the refrigerator will change. At this time, the weight sensor is turned on to detect the weight of the food and obtain the weight of the food.

[0063] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, several weight intervals are pre-set, and each weight interval corresponds to a reference speed, and the reference speed is proportional to the weight of the food. For example, the weight interval is M≤M1, M1<M≤M2, M>M2, wherein M is the weight of the food, M1 and M2 are the first weight threshold and the second weight threshold, respectively, and the values ​​of M1 and M2 can be obtained according to laboratory predictions, and are not specifically limited here. When the weight interval is M≤M1, the reference speed of the fan is 0; when the weight interval is M1<M≤M2, the reference speed of the fan is the first speed R1; when the weight interval is M>M2, the reference speed of the fan is the second speed R2; wherein R2>R1, the values ​​of R2 and R1 can be obtained according to laboratory predictions, and are not specifically limited here. The correspondence between specific weight intervals and reference speeds can be referred to Table 1.

[0064] Table 1 Correspondence between weight range and reference speed

[0065] Weight of food material M≤M1 M1<M≤M2 M>M2 Reference speed 0 R1 R2

[0066] Through simulation and actual testing, it is confirmed that when the refrigerator is empty or stores a small amount of food, the suitable working airflow speed of the odor sensor is relatively small, and as the weight of the food increases, the suitable working airflow speed of the odor sensor increases. Therefore, in an embodiment of the present invention, a correspondence between several weight intervals and reference speeds is pre-established. After obtaining the weight of the detected food, the corresponding target speed can be selected from several reference speeds, and then the fan is controlled to operate at the target speed.

[0067] Specifically, the controller is further configured to: when it is detected that the compressor of the refrigerator is in a stopped state, control the rotation speed of the fan to a preset standard rotation speed; wherein the standard rotation speed is greater than the reference rotation speed.

[0068] For example, see Figure 8 , Figure 8is a second working flow chart of the controller provided by an embodiment of the present invention, and the controller is further configured to execute step S15. When the refrigerator compressor is in the off state, since the air flow speed in the refrigerator is low at this time, turning on the fan can make the odor in the refrigerator fully uniform, and at the same time keep the air flow speed flowing through the surface of the odor sensor ≥ Xt, ensuring that the odor sensor functions normally. When the refrigerator compressor is in the off state, the system controls the fan speed to rotate at the standard speed R3. The value of R3 can be obtained according to laboratory prediction. R3 can also be equal to R2 or R2, which is not specifically limited here.

[0069] Specifically, the controller is further configured to: when it is detected that the door of the refrigerating chamber is opened, control the fan to stop during the door opening stage, and stop reading the response value of the odor sensor.

[0070] For example, see Fig. 9 , Fig. 9 is the third working flow diagram of the controller provided in an embodiment of the present invention, and the controller is further configured to execute steps S21 to S24. When the user opens the door, the fan stops running due to the influence of noise, and the air flow fluctuates greatly during the opening of the door, which affects the function of the odor sensor. Therefore, when the user opens the door, the odor sensor keeps working, but the control system does not read the response value of the odor sensor during this period. Until it is detected that the refrigerator door is closed, the fan is controlled to start, and the response value of the odor is read.

[0071] Compared with the prior art, the refrigerator disclosed in the present invention is equipped with a gas sensor for sensing the odor in the refrigerator. When the odor value exceeds the set value, the deodorization device is controlled to turn on to realize intelligent deodorization. The responsiveness, recovery and sensitivity of the odor sensor are affected by many factors in the refrigerator, especially the air flow rate. Since the flow rate is the largest at the return air outlet of the refrigerator's cold storage room, and the return air outlet gathers the airflow from various positions inside the refrigerator, it can better reflect the odor concentration in the refrigerator. Therefore, the odor sensor is installed near the return air outlet. In addition, a fan is arranged above the odor sensor. The operation of the fan can control the air flow rate flowing through the surface of the odor sensor. By controlling this air flow rate, the normal function of the odor sensor is ensured, the reliability of the intelligent deodorization function is increased, and the user experience is improved.

[0072] See also Fig.10 , Fig.10is a flow chart of a refrigerator control method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator control method according to the embodiment of the present invention is implemented by a controller in a refrigerator. An odor sensor and a fan are provided in the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator; wherein the odor sensor is provided at the return air outlet of the refrigerator compartment, and is used to detect the concentration of the gas flowing through the return air outlet; the fan is provided in the storage compartment and is close to the odor sensor, and the fan is used to control the flow rate of the gas flowing through the return air outlet; then, the refrigerator control method includes:

[0073] S1. When it is detected that the compressor of the refrigerator is in operation, obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber;

[0074] S2. Selecting a corresponding target speed in a plurality of weight intervals according to the weight of the food; wherein each weight interval corresponds to a reference speed, and the reference speed is proportional to the weight of the food;

[0075] S3. Controlling the operation of the fan according to the target speed.

[0076] Exemplarily, when it is detected that the compressor is in operation, the refrigerator is in the refrigeration stage, and the weight of the food stored in the refrigerator file is obtained. In an embodiment of the present invention, two methods of obtaining the weight of food are provided, the first method is to obtain it through a food management system, and the second method is to obtain it through a weight sensor.

[0077] In a first embodiment, the obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber includes: obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber in a food management system.

[0078] Exemplarily, in an embodiment of the present invention, the food placed in the storage room is bound to an RFID tag in advance, and the RFID tag has food information written on it, such as name, weight, storage date, etc. The refrigerator is also provided with an RFID reader / writer, and the RFID reader / writer is used to detect the RFID tag. When the user binds the RFID tag to the food, the food management system also stores the food information, so that the weight of the food in the refrigerator can be known based on the information recorded in the food management system.

[0079] In a second embodiment, a weight sensor is provided on each shelf of the refrigerating chamber; then, obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber includes: accumulating the weight detection value detected by each weight sensor to obtain the weight of the food.

[0080] Exemplarily, the weight sensor is provided on the shelf. In order to accurately evaluate the weight of the food placed on the shelf, the detection range of the weight sensor needs to include the coverage range of the entire shelf. In order to save electricity of the refrigerator, the weight sensor is not turned on all the time. Instead, when it detects that the refrigerator door has undergone an "open-close" process, indicating that the user may store / take out food, the weight of the food stored in the refrigerator will change. At this time, the weight sensor is turned on to detect the weight of the food and obtain the weight of the food.

[0081] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, several weight intervals are pre-set, and each weight interval corresponds to a reference speed, and the reference speed is proportional to the weight of the food. For example, the weight interval is M≤M1, M1<M≤M2, M>M2, wherein M is the weight of the food, M1 and M2 are the first weight threshold and the second weight threshold, respectively, and the values ​​of M1 and M2 can be obtained according to laboratory predictions, and are not specifically limited here. When the weight interval is M≤M1, the reference speed of the fan is 0; when the weight interval is M1<M≤M2, the reference speed of the fan is the first speed R1; when the weight interval is M>M2, the reference speed of the fan is the second speed R2; wherein R2>R1, the values ​​of R2 and R1 can be obtained according to laboratory predictions, and are not specifically limited here.

[0082] Through simulation and actual testing, it is confirmed that when the refrigerator is empty or stores a small amount of food, the suitable working airflow speed of the odor sensor is relatively small, and as the weight of the food increases, the suitable working airflow speed of the odor sensor increases. Therefore, in an embodiment of the present invention, a correspondence between several weight intervals and reference speeds is pre-established. After obtaining the weight of the detected food, the corresponding target speed can be selected from several reference speeds, and then the fan is controlled to operate at the target speed.

[0083] Specifically, the method further includes: when it is detected that the compressor of the refrigerator is in a stopped state, controlling the rotation speed of the fan to a preset standard rotation speed; wherein the standard rotation speed is greater than the reference rotation speed.

[0084] For example, when the refrigerator compressor is in the off state, since the air flow speed in the refrigerator is low at this time, turning on the fan can make the odor in the refrigerator fully uniform, and at the same time keep the air flow speed flowing through the surface of the odor sensor ≥ Xt to ensure that the odor sensor functions normally. When the refrigerator compressor is in the off state, the system controls the fan speed to rotate at a standard speed R3. The value of R3 can be obtained according to laboratory prediction. R3 can also be equal to R2 or R2, which is not specifically limited here.

[0085] Specifically, the method further includes: when it is detected that the door of the refrigerating chamber is opened, controlling the fan to stop during the door opening stage, and stopping reading the response value of the odor sensor.

[0086] For example, when the user opens the door, the fan stops running due to noise considerations, and the airflow fluctuates greatly during the door opening, which affects the function of the odor sensor. Therefore, when the user opens the door, the odor sensor remains operational, but the control system does not read the response value of the odor sensor during this period. When the refrigerator door is detected to be closed, the fan is controlled to start, and the response value of the odor is read.

[0087] Compared with the prior art, the refrigerator control method disclosed in the present invention is equipped with a gas sensor in the refrigerator to sense the odor in the refrigerator. When the odor value exceeds the set value, the deodorization device is controlled to turn on to realize intelligent deodorization. The responsiveness, recovery and sensitivity of the odor sensor are affected by many factors in the refrigerator, especially the air flow rate. Since the flow rate is the largest at the return air outlet of the refrigerator's cold storage room, and the return air outlet gathers the airflow from various positions inside the refrigerator, it can better reflect the odor concentration in the refrigerator. Therefore, the odor sensor is installed near the return air outlet. In addition, a fan is arranged above the odor sensor. The operation of the fan can control the air flow rate flowing through the surface of the odor sensor. By controlling this air flow rate, the normal function of the odor sensor is ensured, the reliability of the intelligent deodorization function is increased, and the user experience is improved.

[0088] 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: a box body, in which at least one storage chamber is formed, and the storage chamber includes at least a refrigerating chamber; A door, used for opening and closing the storage chamber; an odor sensor, disposed at the return air outlet of the refrigerating chamber, for detecting the concentration of the gas flowing through the return air outlet; A fan is arranged in the storage room and close to the odor sensor, and the fan is used to control the flow rate of the gas flowing through the return air port; The controller is configured as: When it is detected that the compressor of the refrigerator is in a running state, obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber; Selecting a corresponding target speed in a plurality of weight intervals according to the weight of the food; wherein each weight interval corresponds to a reference speed, and the reference speed is proportional to the weight of the food; The fan is controlled to operate according to the target speed.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is also configured to: When it is detected that the compressor of the refrigerator is in a stopped state, the rotation speed of the fan is controlled to be a preset standard rotation speed; wherein the standard rotation speed is greater than the reference rotation speed.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is also configured to: When it is detected that the door of the refrigerating chamber is opened, the fan is controlled to stop during the door opening stage, and the reading of the response value of the odor sensor is stopped.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The obtaining of the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber comprises: Obtain the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerator in the food management system.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: A weight sensor is provided on each shelf of the refrigerating chamber; then, obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber includes: The weight detection value detected by each weight sensor is accumulated to obtain the weight of the food.

6. A refrigerator control method, characterized in that: The refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator is provided with an odor sensor and a fan; wherein the odor sensor is provided at the return air outlet of the refrigerator compartment, and is used to detect the concentration of the gas flowing through the return air outlet; the fan is provided in the storage compartment and is arranged close to the odor sensor, and the fan is used to control the flow rate of the gas flowing through the return air outlet; then, the refrigerator control method comprises: When it is detected that the compressor of the refrigerator is in a running state, obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber; Selecting a corresponding target speed in a plurality of weight intervals according to the weight of the food; wherein each weight interval corresponds to a reference speed, and the reference speed is proportional to the weight of the food; The fan is controlled to operate according to the target speed.

7. The refrigerator control method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When it is detected that the compressor of the refrigerator is in a stopped state, the rotation speed of the fan is controlled to be a preset standard rotation speed; wherein the standard rotation speed is greater than the reference rotation speed.

8. The refrigerator control method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When it is detected that the door of the refrigerating chamber is opened, the fan is controlled to stop during the door opening stage, and the reading of the response value of the odor sensor is stopped.

9. The refrigerator control method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The obtaining of the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber comprises: Obtain the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerator in the food management system.

10. The refrigerator control method according to claim 6, characterized in that: A weight sensor is provided on each shelf of the refrigerating chamber; then, obtaining the weight of the food currently stored in the refrigerating chamber includes: The weight detection value detected by each weight sensor is accumulated to obtain the weight of the food.

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