Water supply device, control method of water supply device and refrigerator

Abstract

The invention discloses a water supply device, a control method of the water supply device and a refrigerator. The first sensing unit is used for detecting the state of the water storage container to obtain a state detection signal; the first waterway comprises a first water taking pipe, a first water valve, a water pump and a water inlet pipe; the controller is connected with the first sensing unit, the water pump and the first water valve and is configured to open the first water valve and control the water pump to execute first forward water pumping operation when water is supplied to the water taking assembly, so that water in the water storage container is pumped to the water taking assembly through the first water path; acquiring a state detection signal; under the condition that the state detection signal indicates that the water storage container is converted into the first state from the second state, a first water valve is opened, and a water pump is controlled to start to execute reverse water pumping operation so as to pump water reserved in a first water taking pipe into a water inlet pipe; and when it is determined that the water inlet pipe is full of water, the water pump is controlled to stop reverse water pumping operation, and the first water valve is closed. And the water supply stability is obviously improved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Some water supply devices use water storage containers and water pumps to supply water to external water collection components. For example, a water supply device in a refrigerator can use a water pump to pump out ice water from a built-in water box for users to drink. However, when using a water pump to supply water, there is often a problem of air blockage that causes water to fail to be supplied, causing users to be unable to normally collect water. Summary of the invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present application provide a water supply device, a control method for the water supply device, a refrigerator, a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product, which can reduce the occurrence of air blockage problems when a water pump supplies water, achieve timely and effective water supply, and improve the stability of water supply.

[0004] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a water supply device, comprising: a water storage container; a first sensing unit, used to detect the state of the water storage container and obtain a state detection signal; wherein the state includes: a first state indicating that the water storage container is located at the preset position, and a second state indicating that the water storage container is not at the preset position; a first water circuit, comprising a first water intake pipe, a first water valve, a water pump and a water inlet pipe; wherein the first water intake pipe is respectively connected to a water intake component and the water inlet pipe; the first water valve is arranged at the connection between the water inlet pipe and the first water intake pipe; the water inlet of the water inlet pipe extends into the water storage container; the water pump is arranged in the water inlet pipe; a controller is respectively connected to the first water intake pipe, a first water valve, a water pump and a water inlet pipe; The first sensing unit, the water pump and the first water valve are configured as follows: when supplying water to the water intake component, the first water valve is opened, and the water pump is controlled to perform a first forward pumping operation to pump the water in the water storage container to the water intake component through the first water path; the state detection signal is obtained; when the state detection signal indicates that the water storage container changes from the second state to the first state, the first water valve is opened, and the water pump is controlled to start a reverse pumping operation to pump the water retained in the first water intake pipe into the water inlet pipe; when it is determined that the water inlet pipe is full of water, the water pump is controlled to stop the reverse pumping operation and close the first water valve.

[0005] In one embodiment, the water supply device includes a second sensing unit, which is used to detect the water volume information of water stored in the water storage container to obtain a first water volume detection signal; wherein, the controller is also configured to: obtain the first water volume detection signal during the process of the water pump performing the first forward pumping operation; when the first water volume detection signal indicates that the water volume in the water storage container is less than or equal to the first water volume, control the water pump to stop the first forward pumping operation and close the first water valve, wherein when the water volume in the water storage container is equal to the first water volume, the water inlet of the water inlet pipe is in contact with the water in the water storage container.

[0006] In one embodiment, the second sensing unit includes a first water level sensor, which is located at a first position of the water inlet pipe, and the first position is above the water inlet of the water inlet pipe. The first water volume detection signal includes: a first signal indicating that there is water at the first position, and a second signal indicating that there is no water at the first position; wherein the controller is further configured to: determine that the amount of water in the water storage container is less than or equal to the first water volume when the first water volume detection signal is successively converted from the first signal to the second signal.

[0007] In one embodiment, the water supply device includes a second water circuit, the second water circuit includes a second water intake pipe, a second water valve, the water pump and the water inlet pipe, wherein the second water intake pipe is connected to the ice-making component and the water inlet pipe respectively, and the second water valve is arranged at the connection between the water inlet pipe and the second water intake pipe; wherein the controller is further configured to: when supplying water to the ice-making component, open the second water valve, and control the water pump to perform a second forward water pumping operation to pump the water in the water storage container to the ice-making component through the second water circuit; when the ice-making end condition is currently met, control the water pump to stop the second forward water pumping operation and close the second water valve; wherein the ice-making end condition includes a condition that the amount of water in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second water amount, and when the amount of water in the water storage container is equal to the second water amount, the water inlet of the water inlet pipe contacts the water in the water storage container, wherein the second water valve is in a closed state during the process of the water pump performing the reverse water pumping operation.

[0008] In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to: when the current ice-making water supply task is not completed, if the amount of water in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second water amount and the current single ice-making water supply operation is completed, determine that the ice-making termination condition is currently met.

[0009] In one embodiment, the water supply device includes a second water level sensor, which is used to detect the water volume information of the water stored in the water storage container to obtain a second water volume detection signal; the second water level sensor is located at a second position of the water inlet pipe, the second position is above the water inlet, and the height difference between the second position and the position of the water inlet is greater than or equal to the first height; the water volume of the first height of the water contained in the water storage container is greater than the water volume required for the current single ice-making water supply operation; the controller is further configured to: during the process of the water pump performing the second forward water pumping operation, obtain the second water volume detection signal, wherein the water volume detection signal includes: a third signal indicating that there is water at the second position, and a fourth signal indicating that there is no water at the second position; when the second water volume detection signal is successively converted from the third signal to the fourth signal, it is determined that the water volume in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second water volume; when the current single ice-making water supply operation is not completed, continue to control the water pump to perform the second forward water pumping operation until it is determined that the current single ice-making water supply operation is completed.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first volume of the water inlet pipe is smaller than the second volume of the first water intake pipe, and the controller is further configured to determine that the water inlet pipe is full of water when the duration of the reverse pumping operation reaches a preset time, wherein the preset time is greater than or equal to the first time and less than the second time, the first time is equal to the ratio of the first volume to the pumping flow of the water pump, and the second time is equal to the ratio of the second volume to the pumping flow.

[0011] In one embodiment, the ratio of the second volume to the first volume is greater than 2, and the controller is further configured to: when no water supply instruction is received after the water pump stops the reverse pumping operation, and when the state detection signal indicates that the water storage container has successively changed from the first state to the second state and then to the first state, open the first water valve and control the water pump to perform a third forward pumping operation to fill at least part of the water into the water inlet pipe; wherein the duration of the third forward pumping operation is less than or equal to the preset time.

[0012] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a control method for a water supply device, the water supply device comprising: a water storage container; a first sensing unit, used to detect the state of the water storage container and obtain a state detection signal; wherein the state comprises: a first state indicating that the water storage container is located at the preset position, and a second state indicating that the water storage container is not located at the preset position; a first water circuit, comprising a first water intake pipe, a first water valve, a water pump and a water inlet pipe; wherein the first water intake pipe is respectively connected to a water intake assembly and the water inlet pipe; the first water valve is arranged at the connection between the water inlet pipe and the first water intake pipe; the water inlet of the water inlet pipe extends into the water storage container; the water pump The method comprises: when supplying water to the water intake component, opening the first water valve and controlling the water pump to perform a first forward pumping operation to pump the water in the water storage container to the water intake component through the first water path; acquiring the state detection signal; when the state detection signal indicates that the water storage container changes from the second state to the first state, opening the first water valve and controlling the water pump to start a reverse pumping operation to pump the water retained in the first water intake pipe into the water intake pipe; when it is determined that the water inlet pipe is full of water, controlling the water pump to stop the reverse pumping operation and closing the first water valve.

[0013] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator, comprising a water supply device and a water taking assembly for taking water from the water supply device.

[0014] A fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the control method of the water supply device are implemented.

[0015] A fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product. When the computer program product is run on a water supply device, the water supply device can implement the steps in the above-mentioned control method of the water supply device.

[0016] The water supply device provided in the first aspect of the embodiment of the present application, when supplying water to the water intake component, can pump the water in the water storage container to the water intake component by controlling the first water valve to open and controlling the water pump to perform the first forward pumping operation, thereby achieving safe and effective water supply and meeting the user's water intake needs. In addition, the first sensing unit is used to timely and accurately detect the state of the water storage container, and when it is detected that the water storage container changes from the second state to the first state, the water pump is promptly controlled to reversely operate, and the water retained in the first water intake pipe is quickly pumped back into the water inlet pipe, thereby timely discharging the air in the water inlet pipe, reducing the occurrence of air blockage during water supply, and significantly improving the stability of water supply. In addition, the water supply device also promptly controls the water pump to stop reverse pumping when it is determined that the water inlet pipe is full of water. This can not only effectively reduce energy consumption, but also reduce the user's doubts about the reverse operation of the automatically triggered water pump, and improve the user's trust and satisfaction with the water supply device. In general, the water supply device not only meets the user's water needs, but also improves the stability and reliability of water supply, reduces energy consumption and device maintenance costs, and significantly enhances the user experience.

[0017] It can be understood that the beneficial effects of the second to fifth aspects mentioned above can be found in the relevant description of the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a water supply device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a water supply device provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 3 It is a partial structural schematic diagram of a water supply device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 4 is a schematic flow chart of a control method for a water supply device provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 5 is a schematic flow chart of a control method for a water supply device provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 6It is a structural schematic diagram of a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In the following description, specific details such as specific system structures, technologies, etc. are provided for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, so as to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that the present application may also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other cases, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to prevent unnecessary details from obstructing the description of the present application.

[0026] It should be understood that when used in the present specification and the appended claims, the term "comprising" indicates the presence of described features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0027] It should also be understood that the term “and / or” used in the specification and appended claims refers to any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes these combinations.

[0028] In addition, in the description of the present application specification and the appended claims, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the descriptions and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0029] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" etc. described in the specification of this application mean that one or more embodiments of the present application include specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment. Therefore, the statements "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in some other embodiments", "in some other embodiments", etc. that appear in different places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways. The terms "including", "comprising", "having" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways.

[0030] As mentioned above, some water supply devices often have air blockage when using a water pump to supply water, resulting in the inability to supply water, causing users to be unable to get water normally. For example, some refrigerators can supply water to external water intake components through their internal water supply devices to facilitate the users of the refrigerators to take water. For another example, some water purifiers can also supply water to external water intake components through their internal water supply devices to facilitate users to take pure water. These water supply devices usually include a detachable or removable water storage container and a water supply pipeline that can connect the water storage container and the external water intake component to supply water. In order to achieve this function, it is necessary to use a water pump to pump the water in the water storage container to the external water intake component through the water supply pipeline. However, when the water storage container is removed (for example, the user takes away the water storage container for cleaning, or the user takes away the water storage container for adding water), the water in the water inlet pipe at the front end of the water pump in the water supply pipeline will flow out under the action of gravity, and the water inlet pipe is filled with air. In other words, the pipeline at the front end of the water pump in the water supply pipeline is occupied by air, and the pipeline at the rear end of the water pump is occupied by the retained water. After the user puts the water storage container back to its original position, when the user needs to take water, the water pump is turned on. However, since the water intake position is often higher than the water storage container, the water pump must not only overcome the pressure difference between the water pump and the water storage container caused by the air in the water inlet pipe, but also overcome the pressure difference between the water in the rear end pipeline of the water pump and the water pump. When the suction range of the water pump is limited, it often leads to water failure, which is the so-called air blockage. It is understandable that when an air blockage problem occurs, the intuitive experience on the user side is that water cannot be taken out, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0031] In order to at least partially solve the above technical problems, the embodiment of the present application provides a water supply device. The water supply device can timely discharge the air in the water inlet pipe, reduce the occurrence of air blockage during water supply, significantly improve the water supply stability, reduce energy consumption, and enhance user experience.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the water supply device 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application includes: a water storage container 110, a first sensing unit 120, a first water path and a controller 170.

[0033] In the embodiment of the present application, the water supply device 100 includes a water storage container 110, and the water storage container 110 is used to provide a water source for the water supply device 100. Specifically, the water storage container 110 can have any suitable material, shape and size, and the present application does not limit it, as long as it can store water. The water storage container 110 is detachably or removably located at a preset position of the water supply device 100. The preset position can be arbitrarily set according to actual needs, as long as it can provide a water source for the water supply device 100, and the present application does not limit it.

[0034] In the embodiment of the present application, the water supply device 100 includes a first sensing unit 120, which is used to detect the state of the water storage container 110 and obtain a state detection signal. The state includes: a first state indicating that the water storage container 110 is located at the preset position, and a second state indicating that the water storage container 110 is not at the preset position.

[0035] It can be understood that when the water storage container 110 is located at the preset position, it can provide a water source for the water supply device 100, and when the water storage container 110 is not at the preset position, it is likely that it cannot provide a water source for the water supply device 100. Therefore, when the water storage container 110 is not at the preset position, the water supply device 100 will not be able to supply water. For ease of understanding, the first state can be referred to as the in-position state, and the second state can be referred to as the out-of-position state.

[0036] In the embodiment of the present application, the first sensing unit 120 may be any sensor that can effectively detect the state of the water storage container 110, including but not limited to a photoelectric sensor, a contact sensor, a magnetic sensor (such as a Hall effect sensor), etc. The first sensing unit 120 may be located near the preset position where the water storage container 110 is located. In one example, the first sensing unit 120 may be a photoelectric liquid level sensor. The liquid level sensor may be disposed on the outer surface of the water inlet pipe 160 of the water supply device 100. Specifically, the state of the water storage container 110 may be determined by the water level signal detected by the liquid level sensor. For example, when the water level signal detected by the liquid level sensor indicates that there is water at the position of the liquid level sensor, it may be determined that the water storage container 110 is in the in-position state, and when the water level signal detected by the liquid level sensor indicates that there is no water at the position of the liquid level sensor, it may be determined that the water storage container 110 is out of position. In other examples not shown, the first sensing unit may be a contact sensor or other optical sensors. Taking the water supply device in the refrigerator as an example, the first sensing unit may be a contact sensor, and may be disposed on the contact surface in the refrigerator that contacts the bottom of the water storage container.

[0037] In the embodiment of the present application, the water supply device 100 includes a first water path. Figure 1As shown, the first water circuit includes a first water intake pipe 130, a first water valve 140, a water pump 150 and a water inlet pipe 160. The first water intake pipe 130 is connected to the water intake assembly 200 and the water inlet pipe 160 respectively. The first water valve 140 is arranged at the connection between the water inlet pipe 160 and the first water intake pipe 130. It can be understood that when the first water valve 140 is opened, the water inlet pipe 160 and the first water intake pipe 130 are fluidly connected, that is, the first water circuit is in a connected state. On the contrary, when the first water valve 140 is closed, the water inlet pipe 160 and the first water intake pipe 130 are separated by the first water valve 140, and the first water circuit is in a disconnected state. The water inlet of the water inlet pipe 160 extends into the water storage container 110. Specifically, the distance between the water inlet of the water inlet pipe 160 and the inner surface of the bottom of the water storage container 110 can be greater than the first distance threshold and less than the second distance threshold. The first distance threshold and the second distance threshold can be set according to actual needs. For example, the first distance threshold is 0.5 cm, and the second distance threshold is 1 cm. In this way, it is convenient to make more full use of the water in the water storage container 110, and it is also convenient to pump water from the water storage container 110. The water pump 150 is arranged in the water inlet pipe 160. In the embodiment of the present application, the water pump 150 can run forward or reverse. When the water pump 150 runs forward, when the first waterway is in a connected state, water flows into the water inlet and can be transported to the water outlet of the water intake pipe 130 (the water intake pipe 130 and the water intake assembly 200) through the first waterway. When the water pump 150 runs in reverse, when the first waterway is in a connected state, the direction of the water flow in the first waterway is opposite.

[0038] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, the volume of the first water intake pipe 130 is greater than the volume of the water inlet pipe 160. For example, when the cross-sectional areas of the first water intake pipe 130 and the water inlet pipe 160 are the same, the length of the first water intake pipe 130 may be greater than the length of the water inlet pipe 160. That is, when the first waterway is full of water, the amount of water contained in the first water intake pipe 130 is greater than the amount of water contained in the water inlet pipe 160.

[0039] In the embodiment of the present application, the water supply device 100 includes a controller 170, which is respectively connected to the first sensing unit 120, the water pump 150 and the first water valve 140, and is configured to: when supplying water to the water intake component 200, open the first water valve 140, and control the water pump 150 to perform a first forward pumping operation to pump the water in the water storage container 110 to the water intake component 200 through the first water path; obtain the state detection signal; when the state detection signal indicates that the water storage container 110 is changed from the second state to the first state, open the first water valve 140, and control the water pump 150 to start a reverse pumping operation to pump the water retained in the first water intake pipe 130 into the water inlet pipe 160; when it is determined that the water inlet pipe 160 is full of water, control the water pump 150 to stop the reverse pumping operation and close the first water valve 140.

[0040] Exemplarily, the controller 170 may be a microcontroller unit (MCU). The controller 170 may be used to receive water supply instructions, control the operation of the water pump 150 (for example, it may control the start and stop of the water pump 150, control the running direction of the water pump 150, control the speed or running power of the water pump 150, etc.), and control the opening and closing of the first water valve 140. Specifically, the controller 170 in the water supply device 100 of the embodiment of the present application can, on the one hand, control the first water valve 140 and the water pump 150 to safely and stably transport the water in the water storage container 110 to the water intake assembly when water needs to be supplied to the water intake assembly, and on the other hand, it can also control the first water valve 140 and the water pump 150 to discharge the air in the water intake pipe 160 when air enters the water intake pipe 160, thereby reducing the occurrence of air blockage in the water supply.

[0041] In one example, when the controller 170 receives a water supply instruction to supply water to the water intake assembly, it can first determine whether the water supply condition is currently met. For example, the water supply condition may include: the condition that the water storage container 110 is in place, and the condition that the amount of water in the water storage container 110 is sufficient. If it is determined that the water supply condition is currently met (the water storage container 110 is in place and the amount of water in the water storage container 110 is sufficient), the first water valve 140 can be controlled to open so that the first water path is in a connected state, and the water pump 150 can be controlled to run forward to perform a first forward pumping operation to pump the water in the water storage container 110 to the water intake assembly 200 through the first water path. The first forward pumping operation can be an operation to supply water to the water intake assembly. Exemplarily, the controller 170 can also determine whether the condition for stopping water supply is currently met during the process of supplying water to the water intake assembly. For example, the water supply stop condition may include at least one of the following: a condition that a water supply stop instruction is received, a condition that the water storage container 110 is in an off-position state, a condition that the amount of water in the water storage container 110 is insufficient, and a condition that the water pump 150 operates abnormally. Thus, safe and effective water supply is achieved.

[0042] In another example, the controller 170 may also obtain a state detection signal of the first sensing unit 120 (e.g., a contact sensor) at a preset frequency (e.g., 10 times / second). When the state detection signal indicates that the water storage container 110 is in an out-of-position state, the water pump 150 and the first water valve 140 may be controlled to remain in a closed state. Thereafter, when the state detection signal indicates that the water storage container 110 is in the in-position state, the controller 170 may control the first water valve 140 to open so that the fluid in the first water path is connected. Specifically, the controller 170 may open the first water valve 140 when it is determined that the water storage container 110 is in the in-position state and the water volume in the water storage container 110 is sufficient (the water inlet of the water inlet pipe 160 is immersed in water). Then, the controller 170 may control the water pump 150 to start reverse operation, that is, to perform a reverse pumping operation to pump the water retained in the first water intake pipe 130 into the water inlet pipe 160. Next, the controller 170 may also use a variety of suitable methods to determine whether the water inlet pipe 160 meets the full water condition. For example, the duration of the reverse pumping operation may be used to determine whether the water inlet pipe 160 meets the full water condition. For another example, a liquid level sensor may be provided on the inner wall of the water inlet of the water inlet pipe 160 to determine whether the water inlet pipe 160 meets the full water condition. Afterwards, when the controller 170 determines that the water inlet pipe 160 is full of water (i.e., meets the full water condition), the water pump 150 is controlled to stop the reverse pumping operation and close the first water valve 140.

[0043] It can be understood that when the water storage container 110 is in an out-of-position state, the water in the water inlet pipe 160 flows out, causing air to enter the water inlet pipe 160. When the controller 170 of the water supply device 100 of the embodiment of the present application detects that the water storage container 110 is out of position and then returns to its position and the water volume is sufficient, it controls the water pump 150 to perform a reverse pumping operation to achieve the purpose of discharging the air in the water inlet pipe 160, which can effectively solve the problem of air blockage during water supply and improve the stability of water supply. In addition, when the controller 170 of the water supply device 100 of the embodiment of the present application determines that the water inlet pipe 160 is full of water, it also promptly controls the water pump 150 to stop the reverse pumping operation, thereby reducing the unnecessary operation of the power component and effectively reducing energy consumption. In addition, the water pump back pumping time is also short, which reduces the user's doubts about the reverse operation of the automatically triggered water pump. As a result, the user experience is also better.

[0044] As mentioned above, some water supply devices often have air blockage when using a water pump to supply water, resulting in the inability to supply water, causing the user to be unable to take water normally. According to the above-mentioned water supply device of the embodiment of the present application, when supplying water to the water intake component, by controlling the first water valve to open and controlling the water pump to perform the first forward pumping operation, the water in the water storage container can be pumped to the water intake component, thereby achieving safe and effective water supply and meeting the user's water intake needs. In addition, the first sensing unit is used to timely and accurately detect the state of the water storage container, and when it is detected that the water storage container is changed from the second state to the first state, the water pump is promptly controlled to reversely operate, and the water retained in the first water intake pipe is quickly pumped back into the water inlet pipe, thereby timely discharging the air in the water inlet pipe, reducing the occurrence of air blockage during water supply, and significantly improving the stability of water supply. In addition, the water supply device also promptly controls the water pump to stop reverse pumping when it is determined that the water inlet pipe is full of water. This can not only effectively reduce energy consumption, but also reduce the user's doubts about the reverse operation of the automatically triggered water pump, and improve the user's trust and satisfaction with the water supply device. In general, the water supply device not only meets the user's water needs, but also improves the stability and reliability of water supply, reduces energy consumption and device maintenance costs, and significantly enhances the user experience.

[0045] In one embodiment, the water supply device includes a second sensing unit, and the second sensing unit is used to detect the water volume information of the water stored in the water storage container to obtain a first water volume detection signal. The controller is further configured to: obtain the first water volume detection signal during the process of the water pump performing the first forward pumping operation; when the first water volume detection signal indicates that the water volume in the water storage container is less than or equal to the first water volume, control the water pump to stop the first forward pumping operation and close the first water valve, wherein when the water volume in the water storage container is equal to the first water volume, the water inlet of the water inlet pipe contacts the water in the water storage container.

[0046] In the embodiment of the present application, the water volume information of the water stored in the water storage container may be any information that can characterize the water volume stored in the water storage container, including but not limited to the water volume, water level, etc.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present application, the second sensing unit can be various suitable liquid level sensors. During the process of the water pump performing the first forward pumping operation, the forward operation of the water pump can continuously pump the water in the water storage container into the water inlet pipe and reach the water outlet of the first water intake pipe through the first water path, so as to supply water to the water intake assembly. It can be understood that as the duration of the first forward pumping operation increases, the amount of water in the water storage container gradually decreases. In order to avoid the water pump running idle or sucking in air due to too little water in the water storage container, the controller of the water supply device of the embodiment of the present application also obtains the first water amount detection signal detected by the liquid level sensor at multiple moments during the water supply process. In the embodiment of the present application, the time interval between two adjacent moments is less than or equal to the time interval threshold. The time interval threshold can be set to a smaller value according to actual needs, such as 10ms, 20ms, etc. The controller can determine the amount of water in the water storage container according to the first water amount detection signal obtained in real time, and can promptly control the water pump to stop running and close the first water valve when the water amount is less than or equal to the first water amount, that is, end the water supply. The first water amount can be set according to actual needs. In the embodiment of the present application, the first water volume may be greater than or equal to a critical value of the water volume in the liquid storage container when the water pump is about to draw air in. That is, when the water volume in the water storage container is equal to the first water volume, the water inlet of the water inlet pipe contacts the water in the water storage container.

[0048] The above solution can not only reduce the unnecessary consumption of energy caused by the idling of the water pump, but also make the first water path full of water when the water supply is finished, which can significantly reduce the probability of air entering the first water path and reduce the confusion of the user side about not being able to get water. In addition, this solution can make the first water intake pipe at the rear end of the first water valve full of water when the water storage container is in the off-position state, thereby saving the time of the reverse pumping operation and making the water inlet pipe quickly full of water.

[0049] In one embodiment, the second sensing unit includes a first water level sensor, which is located at a first position of the water inlet pipe, and the first position is above the water inlet of the water inlet pipe. The first water volume detection signal includes: a first signal indicating that there is water at the first position, and a second signal indicating that there is no water at the first position; wherein the controller is further configured to: determine that the amount of water in the water storage container is less than or equal to the first water volume when the first water volume detection signal is successively converted from the first signal to the second signal.

[0050] Exemplarily, the first water level sensor may be a photoelectric liquid level sensor. It is understood that the photoelectric liquid level sensor contains a near-infrared light-emitting diode and a photosensitive receiver. The light emitted by the light-emitting diode is emitted through the lens at the top of the sensor. When the sensor is not in contact with the liquid, the light emitted by the light-emitting diode is directly reflected from the lens back to the photosensitive receiver. When the liquid submerges the lens of the photoelectric liquid level sensor, the light will be refracted into the liquid, causing the receiver to receive no or only a small amount of light. The photoelectric liquid level sensor can generate different electrical signals by sensing changes in light reflection and refraction. For example, when the receiver receives a small amount of light or no light, a water-free electrical signal (second signal) can be generated, and when a large amount of light is received, a water-existing electrical signal (first signal) can be generated. It is understood that when the water level in the water storage container is above the first position where the first water level sensor is located, the first water level sensor can continue to send a water-existing electrical signal, and as the water supply time increases, the water level in the water storage container gradually decreases. When the water level drops to the lower edge of the first position, the first water volume detection signal sent by the first water level sensor is converted into a water-free electrical signal. When the controller obtains the no-water signal, it can control the water pump to stop running and close the first water valve. In addition, since the first position is set above the water inlet, the controller can control the water pump to stop running before the water level drops to the position of the water inlet. Thus, the water inlet of the water inlet pipe can always be immersed in water during the water supply process.

[0051] The control logic of the above scheme is simple, and the water level monitoring is more timely and accurate. In addition, the scheme can reduce the risk of air entering the water inlet pipe during the water supply process and reduce water supply problems caused by air blockage. It can also prevent the water pump from running in an idling or dry state, reduce the wear of the water pump, and extend the service life of the water pump. And stopping the water pump before the water level drops to the water inlet position can reduce unnecessary energy consumption and achieve energy-saving effects. In addition, it can also reduce pollutants and air from entering the water storage container to keep the water clean. In general, the water supply device of the embodiment of the present application improves the efficiency and safety of the water supply system by intelligently and accurately controlling the water pump and the water valve during the water supply process, while reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs.

[0052] In one embodiment, the water supply device includes a second water circuit, the second water circuit includes a second water intake pipe, a second water valve, the water pump and the water inlet pipe, wherein the second water intake pipe is connected to the ice-making component and the water inlet pipe respectively, and the second water valve is arranged at the connection between the water inlet pipe and the second water intake pipe; wherein the controller is further configured to: when supplying water to the ice-making component, open the second water valve, and control the water pump to perform a second forward water pumping operation to pump the water in the water storage container to the ice-making component through the second water circuit; when the ice-making end condition is currently met, control the water pump to stop the second forward water pumping operation and close the second water valve; wherein the ice-making end condition includes a condition that the amount of water in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second water amount, and when the amount of water in the water storage container is equal to the second water amount, the water inlet of the water inlet pipe contacts the water in the water storage container, wherein the second water valve is in a closed state during the process of the water pump performing the reverse water pumping operation.

[0053] In the embodiment of the present application, the second water valve is arranged at the connection between the water inlet pipe and the second water intake pipe. It can be understood that when the second water valve is opened, the water inlet pipe and the second water intake pipe are fluidically connected, that is, the second water circuit is in a connected state. Conversely, when the second water valve is closed, the water inlet pipe and the second water intake pipe are separated by the second water valve, and the second water circuit is in a disconnected state. The second water valve and the first water valve can be the same water valve, such as a one-inlet and two-outlet valve; or, the second water valve can also be different from the first water valve, that is, the first water valve and the second water valve can be independently controlled by the controller.

[0054] like Figure 2 As shown, the first water valve 140 (second water valve) is also connected to the second water intake pipe 180, and the second water intake pipe 180, the first water valve 140, the water pump 150 and the water inlet pipe 160 also constitute a second water path. The second water path can be an ice-making water path, that is, supplying water to the ice-making assembly 300. The ice-making assembly 300 can be an ice-making machine, and the water outlet of the second water intake pipe 180 can be connected to the water inlet of the ice-making machine. In this way, during the ice-making process of the ice-making machine, the water supply device 100 can provide the ice-making water to the ice-making machine through the ice-making water path.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present application, the controller of the water supply device can supply water to the ice making assembly by controlling the second water valve and the water pump. Figure 2When the controller 170 receives an ice-making instruction or an instruction to supply water to the ice-making assembly, it can first determine whether the water supply condition is currently met. If it is determined that the water supply condition is currently met (the water storage container 110 is in place and there is sufficient water in the water storage container 110), the second water valve 140 can be controlled to open so that the second water path is in a connected state, and the water pump 150 can be controlled to run forward to perform a second forward pumping operation to pump the water in the water storage container 110 to the ice-making assembly 300 through the second water path. The second forward pumping operation can be an operation of supplying water to the ice-making assembly 300. In the embodiment of the present application, the controller 170 can also determine whether the ice-making end condition is currently met during the water supply to the ice-making assembly 300, and can control the water pump 150 to stop the second forward pumping operation and close the second water valve 140 when it is determined whether the ice-making end condition is currently met.

[0056] In the embodiment of the present application, the ice making end condition can be set according to actual needs. Among them, the ice making end condition at least includes the condition that the amount of water in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second water amount. In addition, the ice making end condition can also include at least one of the following: the condition that the ice making stop instruction is received, the condition that the water storage container is in an out-of-position state, the condition that the water amount in the water storage container is insufficient, and the condition that the water pump operates abnormally. In this way, safe and effective ice making is achieved.

[0057] In the embodiment of the present application, when the amount of water in the water storage container is equal to the second amount of water, the water inlet of the water inlet pipe contacts the water in the water storage container. Exemplarily, the second amount of water may be greater than or equal to the first amount of water. It can be understood that, similar to the scheme in which the controller controls the water pump to stop the first forward pumping operation when the first water amount detection signal indicates that the amount of water in the water storage container is less than or equal to the first amount of water, the water supply device can also monitor the amount of water in the water storage container in real time during the process of supplying water to the ice maker, and can close the water pump and the second water valve when the amount of water drops to the second amount of water to end the water supply. In this way, the water inlet pipe and the second water intake pipe can be filled with water when the water supply ends. Moreover, when the water storage container is in an off-position state, even if the water in the water inlet pipe flows out, since the second water valve is in a closed state, the second water intake pipe can always remain full of water. In other words, the second water intake pipe can remain full of water at multiple times.

[0058] In the embodiment of the present application, during the process of the water pump performing the reverse pumping operation, the controller also controls the second water valve to remain in a closed state. In this way, when the water supply device empties the air in the water inlet pipe, the second water intake pipe is also in a state of being filled with water. At the end of the reverse pumping operation, the second water intake pipe and the water inlet pipe are both in a state of being filled with water, that is, except for special states such as the water storage container being in an out-of-position state and the water pump performing a reverse pumping operation, the second waterway is in a state of being filled with water.

[0059] Some solutions in the prior art use a method of reversely evacuating the water in the water intake pipeline (corresponding to the first water path) and the ice-making pipeline (corresponding to the second water path) to solve the air blockage problem. However, although this solution can solve the air blockage problem, it cannot guarantee the stability of the water injection amount for ice making after reverse pumping. Because after reverse pumping, the ice-making and water intake pipelines and the water inlet pipeline are all empty, and since it is impossible to predict whether the user will take water or make ice first, it is difficult to accurately know whether there is water left in the ice-making pipeline and how much water is left each time ice is made. The only way is to supply water to the ice-making machine according to a fixed water supply time, resulting in inaccurate ice-making water supply time. On the one hand, when there is a lot of water left in the ice-making pipeline, the estimated time may be too long, so that all the water in the ice-making pipeline (especially the water inlet pipe) enters the ice-making machine, resulting in excessive water injection for ice making, resulting in the actual ice cubes being too large in volume (for example, forming a large lump of ice). On the other hand, when there is little or no water left in the ice-making pipeline, the estimated time may be too short, the actual amount of water injected into the ice-making machine is too little, and the volume of the ice cubes actually made is too small. That is to say, the solution of completely draining the water in the water intake pipeline and the ice-making pipeline in the prior art easily introduces the problem of different sizes of ice cubes, and the stability of ice making is poor. However, according to the above-mentioned solution of the embodiment of the present application, the ice-making water circuit can be always filled with water during the ice-making process, and the amount of water injected for ice-making can be the same during each ice-making process, so that the size of the ice cubes made can be consistent. Therefore, the stability of ice making can be significantly improved.

[0060] In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to: when the current ice-making water supply task is not completed, if the amount of water in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second water amount and the current single ice-making water supply operation is completed, determine that the ice-making termination condition is currently met.

[0061] In the embodiment of the present application, the ice-making water supply task may be a task in which the water supply device provides the ice-making component with the amount of water required to complete the current ice-making task. A single ice-making water supply operation may be an operation of providing the ice-making machine with the amount of water required to make an ice cube. For example, the amount of water required for the ice-making machine to make a medium-sized ice cube is 5 ml, and it takes 2 seconds for the water pump to pump 5 ml of water into the ice-making machine. After receiving the user's instruction of "making 5 medium-sized ice cubes", the water supply device may execute the ice-making water supply task corresponding to the instruction. Specifically, the controller may open the second water valve and control the water pump to run forward. The water pump may pause for a preset time (e.g., 1 second) after running for 2 seconds (corresponding to a single ice-making water supply operation), wait for a block of ice to be made, and then run for 2 seconds... By analogy, the controller may control the water pump to stop running when the fifth single ice-making water supply operation is completed, determine that the ice-making water supply task is completed, and close the second water valve to end ice-making.

[0062] It can be understood that in the process of the water supply device performing the ice-making water supply task, the amount of water in the water storage container gradually decreases, and there may be a situation where the current ice-making water supply task is not completed when the amount of water in the water storage container drops to the second water amount. In this case, the controller also determines that the ice-making termination condition is currently met when the amount of water in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second water amount and the current single ice-making water supply operation has been completed. Exemplarily, if there is insufficient water when the ice-making water supply task is not completed, the controller can also determine whether the current single ice-making water supply operation is completed. If it is determined that the current single ice-making water supply operation is completed, the water pump can be controlled to stop running and the second water pump can be turned off. In this way, even if the water amount is insufficient and ice-making needs to be interrupted, the size of the ice cubes made by the ice maker can still be made consistent, and the ice-making stability can be further improved.

[0063] In one embodiment, the water supply device includes a second water level sensor, which is used to detect the water volume information of the water stored in the water storage container to obtain a second water volume detection signal; the second water level sensor is located at a second position of the water inlet pipe, the second position is above the water inlet, and the height difference between the second position and the position of the water inlet is greater than or equal to the first height; the water volume of the first height of the water contained in the water storage container is greater than the water volume required for the current single ice-making water supply operation; the controller is further configured to: during the process of the water pump performing the second forward water pumping operation, obtain the second water volume detection signal, wherein the water volume detection signal includes: a third signal indicating that there is water at the second position, and a fourth signal indicating that there is no water at the second position; when the second water volume detection signal is successively converted from the third signal to the fourth signal, it is determined that the water volume in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second water volume; when the current single ice-making water supply operation is not completed, continue to control the water pump to perform the second forward water pumping operation until it is determined that the current single ice-making water supply operation is completed.

[0064] In the embodiment of the present application, the water volume information of the water stored in the water storage container can be any information that can characterize the water volume stored in the water storage container, including but not limited to the water volume, water level, etc. In the embodiment of the present application, the second water level sensor can be the same as the aforementioned first water level sensor, or it can be different from the first water level sensor. In one example, the first water level sensor and the second water level sensor are different photoelectric water level sensors, wherein the second position where the second water level sensor is located is above the first position where the first water level sensor is located. For example, the first position is 5mm above the water inlet of the water inlet pipe (that is, the height difference between the first position and the position where the water inlet is located is 5mm), the second position is above the first position, and the height difference between the second position and the water inlet is greater than or equal to the first height. In this case, the first water volume can be less than the second water volume. In another example, the first water level sensor and the second water level sensor are the same photoelectric water level sensor, and the height difference between the second position where the water level sensor is located and the water inlet is greater than or equal to the first height. In this example, the second water volume can be equal to the first water volume.

[0065] In the embodiment of the present application, since the height difference between the second position and the position of the water inlet is greater than or equal to the first height, and the amount of water at the first height contained in the water storage container is greater than the amount of water required for the current single ice-making water supply operation, when the water level in the water storage container drops to the second position, there is still enough water in the water storage container for the ice maker to make an ice cube. Figure 3As shown, the plane where the water storage container is located is the reference plane, the height of the second position where the second water level sensor is located from the reference plane is H2, and the height of the lower edge of the water outlet from the reference plane is H1, then the first height △H is equal to the height difference between H2 and H1. Taking the water volume required for a single ice-making water supply operation as 5ml as an example, the water volume corresponding to the light blue filled area of ​​the water storage container in the figure is greater than or equal to 5ml.

[0066] In the embodiment of the present application, the controller can also determine whether the amount of water in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second amount of water according to the second water amount detection signal detected by the second water level sensor during the process of the water pump performing the second forward pumping operation. Specifically, the controller can determine that the amount of water in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second amount of water according to the case where the electrical signal emitted by the photoelectric liquid level sensor located at the second position is converted from a water-containing electrical signal to a water-free electrical signal. Furthermore, the controller can determine whether the current single ice-making water supply operation is completed. If it is determined that the current single ice-making water supply operation is completed, the water pump can be controlled to stop running, and the second water valve can be closed to end ice making. If it is determined that the current single ice-making water supply operation is not completed, water can continue to be supplied to the ice-making assembly, and the water pump can be controlled to stop running at the moment when the current single ice-making water supply operation is completed, and the second water valve can be closed to end ice making. Exemplarily, after the ice making is finished, a water adding prompt message can be output to remind the user to add water to the water storage container in time.

[0067] It can be understood that since the height difference between the second position and the position where the water inlet is located is greater than or equal to the first height, and the amount of water at the first height contained in the water storage container is greater than the amount of water required for the current single ice-making water supply operation. Therefore, when the controller determines that the amount of water in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second amount of water according to the second water amount detection signal, there is still enough water in the water storage container for the ice maker to make an ice cube. In this case, the controller also flexibly determines whether to stop the water supply immediately according to whether the current single ice-making water supply operation is completed. When the controller determines that the current ice-making water supply operation is not completed, the controller controls the water pump to continue to supply water to complete the current single ice-making water supply operation, and the water supply is terminated after the current single ice-making water supply operation is completed. This solution can not only further reduce the risk of air entering the ice-making water circuit due to insufficient water during the water supply process, but also can achieve that in the special case of water shortage, the ice-making assembly can still stably make ice cubes of the same size. In addition, the water supply device in the embodiment of the present application is also simple in structure, low in device cost, and high in water level detection accuracy. In addition, the controller controls the ice making water supply according to the second water level detection signal of the second water level sensor, and the control logic is simple and the calculation amount is small. Therefore, the water supply device of the embodiment of the present application can improve the real-time, high efficiency and accuracy of ice making water supply. In addition, the user experience is also better.

[0068] In one embodiment, the first volume of the water inlet pipe is smaller than the second volume of the first water intake pipe, and the controller is further configured to determine that the water inlet pipe is full of water when the duration of the reverse pumping operation reaches a preset time, wherein the preset time is greater than or equal to the first time and less than the second time, the first time is equal to the ratio of the first volume to the pumping flow of the water pump, and the second time is equal to the ratio of the second volume to the pumping flow.

[0069] Exemplarily, the difference between the preset time and the first time may be less than or equal to the first time threshold. The first time threshold may be a smaller value such as 1 second, 2 seconds, etc. For example, the first time is equal to 3 seconds, the second time is equal to 7 seconds, and the preset time may be set to 4 seconds. Then, the controller may control the water pump to stop running when the duration of the reverse pumping operation reaches 4 seconds. In this way, the air in the water inlet pipe can be effectively emptied, and energy consumption can also be reduced.

[0070] By setting the duration of the reverse pumping operation to be greater than or equal to the first time and less than the second time, not only can the air in the water inlet pipe be effectively emptied, but also the control logic of this solution is simpler, the calculation amount is smaller, and the reliability and stability of water supply are improved.

[0071] In one embodiment, the ratio of the second volume to the first volume is greater than 2. The controller is further configured to: if no water supply instruction is received after the water pump stops the reverse pumping operation, and if the state detection signal indicates that the water storage container is successively changed from the first state to the second state and then to the first state, open the first water valve and control the water pump to perform a third forward pumping operation so that at least part of the water is filled into the water inlet pipe; wherein the duration of the third forward pumping operation is less than or equal to the preset time.

[0072] Exemplarily, the cross-sectional areas of the first water intake pipe and the water inlet pipe are the same, the length of the first water intake pipe is L1, and the length of the water inlet pipe is L2, then: L1>2L2.

[0073] Taking the water supply device in the refrigerator as an example, in some special cases, the user fills the water storage container with water and puts it back in the refrigerator without taking water or making ice, and may take out the water storage container again. It can be understood that although the air in the water inlet pipe is discharged by the reverse pumping operation, when the user takes out the water storage container again, the water in the water inlet pipe may flow out, causing the air to enter the water inlet pipe again. In this case, after detecting that the water storage container is returned to its position again, the controller of the water supply device can open the first water valve again and control the water pump to run forward, perform the third forward pumping operation, and pump the water in the water storage container into the water inlet pipe. In this way, the air in the water storage container can be at least partially discharged (so that the air enters the first water intake pipe), the risk of air blockage can be reduced, and the stability of water supply can be further improved. In addition, since the time of the third forward pumping operation is less than or equal to the duration of the reverse pumping operation, the risk of water flowing out of the water outlet of the first water intake pipe can be reduced. Thereby, the reliability of the water supply device can be improved.

[0074] In an embodiment of the present application, the difference between the preset time and the duration of the third forward pumping operation may be less than or equal to the second time threshold. The second time threshold may be a smaller value such as 1 second or 2 seconds. For example, the preset time is equal to 4 seconds, and the duration of the third forward pumping operation is equal to 3 seconds. The controller may control the water pump to stop running when the duration of the third forward pumping operation reaches 3 seconds. In this way, more water can be stored in the water inlet pipe on the basis of avoiding water from flowing out of the water outlet of the first water intake pipe as much as possible, and the air in the water inlet pipe can be emptied as much as possible, further reducing the risk of air blockage.

[0075] The embodiment of the present application also provides a control method for a water supply device. The water supply device includes: a water storage container; a first sensing unit, used to detect the state of the water storage container and obtain a state detection signal; wherein the state includes: a first state indicating that the water storage container is located at the preset position, and a second state indicating that the water storage container is not at the preset position; a first water circuit, including a first water intake pipe, a first water valve, a water pump and a water inlet pipe; wherein the first water intake pipe is respectively connected to the water intake assembly and the water inlet pipe; the first water valve is arranged at the connection between the water inlet pipe and the first water intake pipe; the water inlet of the water inlet pipe extends into the water storage container; the water pump is arranged in the water inlet pipe.

[0076] like Figure 4 As shown, the control method of the water supply device provided in the embodiment of the present application includes the following steps:

[0077] Step S410, when supplying water to the water intake assembly, opening the first water valve, and controlling the water pump to perform a first forward pumping operation, so as to pump the water in the water storage container to the water intake assembly through the first water path;

[0078] Step S420, obtaining the status detection signal;

[0079] Step S430, when the state detection signal indicates that the water storage container changes from the second state to the first state, opening the first water valve, and controlling the water pump to start performing a reverse pumping operation to pump the water retained in the first water intake pipe into the water inlet pipe;

[0080] Step S440, when it is determined that the water inlet pipe is full of water, control the water pump to stop the reverse pumping operation and close the first water valve.

[0081] In one embodiment, the water supply device includes a second sensing unit, and the second sensing unit is used to detect the water volume information of the water stored in the water storage container to obtain a first water volume detection signal. Step S410 also includes the following steps:

[0082] Step S411, obtaining the first water volume detection signal during the process of the water pump performing the first forward pumping operation;

[0083] Step S412, when the first water volume detection signal indicates that the water volume in the water storage container is less than or equal to the first water volume, control the water pump to stop the first forward pumping operation and close the first water valve, wherein when the water volume in the water storage container is equal to the first water volume, the water inlet of the water inlet pipe is in contact with the water in the water storage container.

[0084] In one embodiment, the second sensing unit includes a first water level sensor, the first water level sensor is located at a first position of the water inlet pipe, the first position is above the water inlet of the water inlet pipe, the first water volume detection signal includes: a first signal indicating that there is water at the first position, and a second signal indicating that there is no water at the first position; step S410 also includes:

[0085] Step S413: when the first water volume detection signal is successively converted from the first signal to the second signal, determining that the water volume in the water storage container is less than or equal to the first water volume.

[0086] In one embodiment, the water supply device includes a second water circuit, the second water circuit includes a second water intake pipe, a second water valve, the water pump and the water inlet pipe, wherein the second water intake pipe is respectively connected to the ice making assembly and the water inlet pipe, and the second water valve is arranged at the connection between the water inlet pipe and the second water intake pipe; the control method of the water supply device of the embodiment of the present application also includes the following steps:

[0087] Step S451, when supplying water to the ice-making assembly, opening the second water valve, and controlling the water pump to perform a second forward pumping operation, so as to pump the water in the water storage container to the ice-making assembly through the second water path;

[0088] Step S452, when the ice-making end condition is currently met, control the water pump to stop the second forward water pumping operation and close the second water valve; wherein the ice-making end condition includes the condition that the amount of water in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second water amount, when the amount of water in the water storage container is equal to the second water amount, the water inlet of the water inlet pipe is in contact with the water in the water storage container, wherein during the process of the water pump performing the reverse water pumping operation, the second water valve is in a closed state.

[0089] In one embodiment, the control method of the water supply device in the embodiment of the present application further includes the following steps:

[0090] Step S453, when the current ice-making water supply task is not completed, if the water volume in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second water volume and the current single ice-making water supply operation is completed, it is determined that the ice-making end condition is currently met.

[0091] In one embodiment, the water supply device includes a second water level sensor, which is used to detect the water volume information of the water stored in the water storage container to obtain a second water volume detection signal; the second water level sensor is located at a second position of the water inlet pipe, the second position is above the water inlet, and the height difference between the second position and the position of the water inlet is greater than or equal to the first height; the water volume of the water at the first height contained in the water storage container is greater than the water volume required for the current single ice making water supply operation; the control method of the water supply device of the embodiment of the present application also includes the following steps:

[0092] Step S454, obtaining the second water volume detection signal during the process of the water pump performing the second forward pumping operation, wherein the water volume detection signal includes: a third signal indicating that there is water at the second position, and a fourth signal indicating that there is no water at the second position;

[0093] Step S455, when the second water volume detection signal is successively converted from the third signal to the fourth signal, determining that the water volume in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second water volume;

[0094] Step S456, when the current single ice-making and water-supply operation is not completed, continue to control the water pump to perform the second forward water pumping operation until it is determined that the current single ice-making and water-supply operation is completed.

[0095] In one embodiment, the first volume of the water inlet pipe is smaller than the second volume of the first water intake pipe, and step S440 includes: step S441, determining that the water inlet pipe is full of water when the duration of the reverse pumping operation reaches a preset time, wherein the preset time is greater than or equal to the first time and less than the second time, the first time is equal to the ratio of the first volume to the pumping flow of the water pump, and the second time is equal to the ratio of the second volume to the pumping flow.

[0096] In one embodiment, the ratio of the second volume to the first volume is greater than 2, and the control method of the water supply device of the embodiment of the present application also includes: step S460, after the water pump stops the reverse pumping operation, no water supply instruction is received, and when the state detection signal indicates that the water storage container is successively changed from the first state to the second state and then to the first state, open the first water valve and control the water pump to perform a third forward pumping operation to fill the water inlet pipe with at least part of the water; wherein the duration of the third forward pumping operation is less than or equal to the preset time.

[0097] The following uses the water supply device in the refrigerator as an example to illustrate a control method for the water supply device provided by a specific embodiment of the present application. The water supply device in the refrigerator may include a controller, a water box (water storage container), a water inlet pipe, a water pump, a water valve (one inlet and two outlet valves), a first water intake pipe, a second water intake pipe, a contact sensor (first sensing unit) located on the contact surface at the bottom of the water box, and a water level sensor (second sensing unit) located above the water inlet of the water inlet pipe. The water valve is respectively connected to the first water intake pipe (one water intake pipe) and the second water intake pipe (one ice making pipe). The length of the first water intake pipe is L1, the length of the water inlet pipe is L2, and L1>2L2. The first water intake pipe is connected to the water intake component of the refrigerator, and the second water intake pipe is connected to the ice making component of the refrigerator. The user can take out water with a lower temperature by operating the input device connected to the water intake component. The user can take out ice cubes of a desired size by operating the input device connected to the ice making component. Figure 5As shown, after the refrigerator is powered on, the water pump and the water valve are both in a closed state. Since the water supply device has supplied water at least once, the first water intake pipe and the second water intake pipe are both full of water. The controller of the water supply device can obtain the water box status signal detected by the contact sensor and the water level signal detected by the water level sensor in real time. The controller can determine whether the water box has been replaced according to the water box status signal (the state of the water box changes from the in-position state to the out-position state and then to the in-position state). If it is determined that the water box has been replaced, it can continue to determine whether there is enough water in the water box. If so, the water intake path of the water valve can be opened so that the first water intake pipe is connected to the water inlet pipe. Then, the controller can control the water pump to run in reverse, pump part of the water in the first water intake pipe back into the water inlet pipe, and can close the water pump and the water valve after the water pump runs in reverse for T1 time. T1 can be determined by pre-testing, and T1 can be slightly larger than the ratio of the volume of the water inlet pipe to the water pumping flow rate of the water pump. By controlling the water pump to run in reverse for T1 time, the air in the water inlet pipe can be quickly emptied, and the water inlet pipe can be filled with water. After that, it can be judged again whether the water box has been replaced. If so, the water intake of the water valve can be opened again, and the water pump and the water valve can be closed after the water pump is controlled to run forward for T2 time. T2 can also be determined by pre-testing, and T2 can be slightly smaller than T1. By controlling the water pump to run forward for T2 time, the air in the water inlet pipe can be discharged again (so that the air enters the first water intake pipe), and water can be filled in most of the space in the water inlet pipe. It can be understood that in response to the water box being replaced, the controller promptly controls the water pump to pump back for T1 time, which can empty the air in the water inlet pipe, so that the water inlet pipe is filled with water. In some special cases, in response to the water box being replaced for the second time, the controller promptly controls the water pump to pump forward for T2 time, and the air in the water inlet pipe can be discharged again, so that most of the space in the water inlet pipe is filled with water. In this way, when a water supply instruction is received, the occurrence of air blockage problems can be reduced.

[0098] Specifically, when the controller receives the water supply instruction, it can respond to the water supply instruction for the water intake path, open the water intake path of the water valve, and control the water pump to run in the forward direction. Since most of the space in the water inlet pipe is filled with water, stable water supply can be achieved. During the water supply process, if the controller detects that the amount of water in the water box is less than or equal to the first water amount, the water pump and the water valve can be turned off, the water supply can be stopped, and a water addition prompt message can be output. Otherwise, the water supply can continue until the water supply task is completed.

[0099] Specifically, when the controller receives the water supply instruction, it can also respond to the water supply instruction for ice making one way, open the ice making one way of the water valve, and control the water pump to run forward. If the ice making water supply task is completed, the controller can turn off the water pump and the water valve to end the water supply. During the water supply process, if the ice making task has not been completed, and the water level sensor detects that the amount of water in the water box is less than or equal to the second water amount, the controller can continue to determine whether the current single ice making water supply operation is completed. If so, the controller can turn off the water pump and the water valve, end the water supply, and can output a water adding prompt message. If not, the water supply can continue until the single ice making water supply operation is completed. It should be noted that the second water amount can be greater than or equal to the first water amount, and the second water amount can be equal to the sum of the basic water amount and the water amount required for the ice making component to make an ice cube. The basic water amount can be the amount of water when the water level in the water box contacts the water inlet of the water inlet pipe. It can be understood that through this control scheme, the size of the ice cubes made by the ice making component can be made consistent, thereby improving the ice making stability of the refrigerator.

[0100] In summary, by stopping the water supply when the water level in the refrigerator's water box is insufficient, the problem of air entering the water intake and ice-making pipelines at the rear end of the water valve can be reduced. Since the water level sensor is above the water inlet of the water inlet pipe, there can still be water in the water inlet pipe when the water level sensor triggers a water shortage signal. After recognizing that the user has replaced the water box, when there is sufficient water in the water box, the water intake of the water valve is opened, and the water pump is turned on to back-pump the water in the first water intake pipe. Since the length of the first water intake pipe is greater than the length of the water inlet pipe, the water in the first water intake pipe can fill the water inlet pipe and the water pump after back-pumping. And by controlling the back-pumping time, the back-pumping is stopped after the water inlet pipe is full of water. In this way, the problem of water supply failure caused by air blockage can be reduced when taking water and making ice again. At the same time, since the ice-making part of the water valve is in a closed state during the back-pumping process, the second water intake pipe is always kept full of water. In this way, even if the user makes ice after replacing the water box, the amount of water injected into the ice-making component within a fixed time can be kept constant, so that the ice size can be kept consistent under various conditions, thereby significantly improving the stability of ice making in the refrigerator.

[0101] The present application also provides a refrigerator. Figure 6 As shown, the refrigerator 600 provided in the embodiment of the present application includes: the water supply device 610 provided in any embodiment of the present application and the water taking component 620 for taking water from the water supply device 610. The refrigerator provided in the embodiment of the present application can not only meet the personalized water taking needs of the user, but also significantly improve the stability and reliability of water supply, reduce energy consumption and device maintenance costs, and significantly enhance the user experience.

[0102] It should be noted that the information interaction, execution process, etc. between the above-mentioned devices / modules are based on the same concept as the method embodiment of the present application. Their specific functions and technical effects can be found in the method embodiment part and will not be repeated here.

[0103] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional modules is used as an example for illustration. In actual applications, the above-mentioned function allocation can be completed by different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional modules in the embodiment can be integrated into a processing module, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The above-mentioned integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. In addition, the specific names of the functional modules are only for the convenience of distinguishing each other, and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the modules in the above-mentioned system can refer to the corresponding process in the aforementioned method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0104] The embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps in the control method of the water supply device can be implemented.

[0105] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product. When the computer program product is run on a water supply device, the water supply device can implement the steps in the above-mentioned control method of the water supply device.

[0106] The embodiments described above are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, a person skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments may still be modified, or some of the technical features may be replaced by equivalents. Such modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should all be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A water supply device, characterized in that: include: Water storage containers; A first sensing unit is used to detect the state of the water storage container and obtain a state detection signal; wherein the state includes: a first state indicating that the water storage container is located at a preset position, and a second state indicating that the water storage container is not at the preset position; The first water circuit comprises a first water intake pipe, a first water valve, a water pump and a water inlet pipe; wherein the first water intake pipe is connected to the water intake assembly and the water inlet pipe respectively; the first water valve is arranged at the connection between the water inlet pipe and the first water intake pipe; the water inlet of the water inlet pipe extends into the water storage container; the water pump is arranged in the water inlet pipe; A controller is connected to the first sensing unit, the water pump and the first water valve respectively, and is configured as follows: When supplying water to the water intake assembly, the first water valve is opened, and the water pump is controlled to perform a first forward pumping operation to pump water in the water storage container to the water intake assembly through the first water path; Acquire the status detection signal; when the status detection signal indicates that the water storage container changes from the second state to the first state, open the first water valve and control the water pump to start a reverse pumping operation to pump the water retained in the first water intake pipe into the water inlet pipe; when it is determined that the water inlet pipe is full of water, control the water pump to stop the reverse pumping operation and close the first water valve.

2. The water supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water supply device includes a second sensing unit, which is used to detect the water volume information of the water stored in the water storage container to obtain a first water volume detection signal; wherein the controller is further configured to: During the process in which the water pump performs the first forward pumping operation, acquiring the first water volume detection signal; When the first water level detection signal indicates that the water level in the water storage container is less than or equal to the first water level, the water pump is controlled to stop the first forward pumping operation and close the first water valve, wherein when the water level in the water storage container is equal to the first water level, the water inlet of the water inlet pipe is in contact with the water in the water storage container.

3. The water supply device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second sensing unit includes a first water level sensor, the first water level sensor is located at a first position of the water inlet pipe, the first position is above the water inlet of the water inlet pipe, the first water volume detection signal includes: a first signal indicating that there is water at the first position, and a second signal indicating that there is no water at the first position; wherein the controller is further configured to: When the first water volume detection signal is successively converted from the first signal to the second signal, it is determined that the water volume in the water storage container is less than or equal to the first water volume.

4. The water supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water supply device includes a second water circuit, the second water circuit includes a second water intake pipe, a second water valve, the water pump and the water inlet pipe, wherein the second water intake pipe is connected to the ice making assembly and the water inlet pipe respectively, and the second water valve is arranged at the connection between the water inlet pipe and the second water intake pipe; wherein the controller is further configured as: When supplying water to the ice-making assembly, the second water valve is opened, and the water pump is controlled to perform a second forward water pumping operation to pump water in the water storage container to the ice-making assembly through the second water path; When the ice-making termination condition is currently met, the water pump is controlled to stop the second forward water pumping operation and close the second water valve; wherein, the ice-making termination condition includes a condition that the amount of water in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second water amount, when the amount of water in the water storage container is equal to the second water amount, the water inlet of the water inlet pipe contacts the water in the water storage container, wherein, during the process of the water pump performing the reverse water pumping operation, the second water valve is in a closed state.

5. The water supply device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The controller is further configured to: When the current ice-making and water-supplying task is not completed, if the amount of water in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second amount of water and the current single ice-making and water-supplying operation is completed, it is determined that the ice-making termination condition is currently met.

6. The water supply device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The water supply device includes a second water level sensor, the second water level sensor is used to detect the water volume information of the water stored in the water storage container, and obtain a second water volume detection signal; the second water level sensor is located at a second position of the water inlet pipe, the second position is above the water inlet, and the height difference between the second position and the position of the water inlet is greater than or equal to the first height; the water volume of the water at the first height contained in the water storage container is greater than the water volume required for the current single ice making water supply operation; the controller is further configured to: During the process of the water pump performing the second forward pumping operation, the second water volume detection signal is obtained, wherein the water volume detection signal includes: a third signal indicating that there is water at the second position, and a fourth signal indicating that there is no water at the second position; When the second water volume detection signal is successively changed from the third signal to the fourth signal, it is determined that the water volume in the water storage container is less than or equal to the second water volume; In the case that the current single ice-making and water-supply operation is not completed, the water pump continues to be controlled to perform the second forward water pumping operation until it is determined that the current single ice-making and water-supply operation is completed.

7. The water supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The first volume of the water inlet pipe is smaller than the second volume of the first water intake pipe, and the controller is further configured to: When the duration of the reverse pumping operation reaches a preset time, it is determined that the water inlet pipe is full of water, wherein the preset time is greater than or equal to a first time and less than a second time, the first time is equal to the ratio of the first volume to the pumping flow of the water pump, and the second time is equal to the ratio of the second volume to the pumping flow.

8. The water supply device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The ratio of the second volume to the first volume is greater than 2, and the controller is further configured to: When the water pump does not receive a water supply instruction after stopping the reverse pumping operation, and when the state detection signal indicates that the water storage container has successively changed from the first state to the second state and then to the first state, the first water valve is opened and the water pump is controlled to perform a third forward pumping operation to fill at least part of the water into the water inlet pipe; wherein the duration of the third forward pumping operation is less than or equal to the preset time.

9. A method for controlling a water supply device, characterized in that: The water supply device comprises: Water storage containers; A first sensing unit is used to detect the state of the water storage container and obtain a state detection signal; wherein the state includes: a first state indicating that the water storage container is located at the preset position, and a second state indicating that the water storage container is not at the preset position; The first water circuit comprises a first water intake pipe, a first water valve, a water pump and a water inlet pipe; wherein the first water intake pipe is connected to the water intake assembly and the water inlet pipe respectively; the first water valve is arranged at the connection between the water inlet pipe and the first water intake pipe; the water inlet of the water inlet pipe extends into the water storage container; the water pump is arranged in the water inlet pipe; The method comprises: When supplying water to the water intake assembly, the first water valve is opened, and the water pump is controlled to perform a first forward pumping operation to pump water in the water storage container to the water intake assembly through the first water path; Acquiring the status detection signal; When the state detection signal indicates that the water storage container changes from the second state to the first state, the first water valve is opened, and the water pump is controlled to start a reverse pumping operation to pump the water retained in the first water intake pipe into the water inlet pipe; When it is determined that the water inlet pipe is full of water, the water pump is controlled to stop the reverse pumping operation and the first water valve is closed.

10. A refrigerator, characterized in that: include: A water supply device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, and a water intake assembly for taking water from the water supply device.

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