Refrigerator and control method of refrigerator

Abstract

The invention discloses a refrigerator and a refrigerator control method. The refrigerator comprises a refrigerator body, a door body, at least one of an ice maker or a water dispenser, a water supply pump and a water supply tank. A filtering device is arranged in the water supply tank. And a fiber membrane is arranged in the filtering device. The water supply tank further comprises a water level indicating component. The refrigerator further comprises a first controller, and the first controller is configured to control the water supply pump to supply water to at least one of the ice maker or the water dispenser and obtain the current accumulated water supply frequency and the actual remaining water amount in the water supply tank after water supply; according to the current accumulated water supply frequency, combining the total water quantity of a water supply tank with the single water passing quantity of the filtering device when the fiber membrane is not degraded, and obtaining the theoretical residual water quantity of the current accumulated water supply frequency when the fiber membrane is not degraded; when the difference value between the actual residual water amount and the theoretical residual water amount in the water supply tank meets the replacement condition, it is judged that the fiber membrane is degraded to need to be replaced at the moment.

Description

Refrigerator and refrigerator control method

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202310377467.7 filed on April 10, 2023; and priority to Chinese patent application No. 202310604594.6 filed on May 25, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of household appliances, and in particular to a refrigerator and a control method of the refrigerator. Background Art

[0003] With technological advancements, refrigerators are becoming increasingly versatile. Currently, refrigerators include both a refrigerator and a water dispenser, with outlets for dispensing ice or water. These refrigerators typically use tap water drawn directly from a mains pipe, which then flows through a water valve to the ice maker and water dispenser.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one aspect, a refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes a housing, a door, at least one of an ice maker or a water dispenser, a water supply tank, a water supply pump, and a first controller. The housing includes a storage compartment. The door is configured to open or close the storage compartment. The ice maker is disposed within the storage compartment, configured to make ice from water, and includes a water inlet. The water dispenser is disposed within the door. The water dispenser includes a water intake, which is located on a side of the door facing away from the housing. The water supply tank is disposed within the storage compartment, configured to supply water to at least one of the ice maker or the water dispenser. A filter device is disposed within the water supply tank. The filter device includes a fiber membrane. The fiber membrane is disposed within a housing of the filter device and is configured to filter water flowing from the water supply tank into the ice maker or the water dispenser. One end of the water supply pump is connected to the filtration device, and the other end is connected to the water inlet or the water intake. The water supply pump is configured to pump water filtered through the fiber membrane in the water supply tank to the ice maker or the water dispenser. A water level indicator is provided within the water supply tank or on a sidewall of the water supply tank. The water level indicator is configured to indicate the actual amount of water remaining in the water supply tank. The first controller is configured to: control the water supply pump to supply water to at least one of the ice maker or the water dispenser, obtain the current cumulative water supply times and the actual remaining water volume in the water supply tank after water supply; according to the current cumulative water supply times, combined with the total water volume of the water supply tank and the single water flow volume of the filtration device when the fiber membrane is not deteriorated, obtain the theoretical remaining water volume for the current cumulative water supply times when the fiber membrane is not deteriorated; when the difference between the actual remaining water volume and the theoretical remaining water volume in the water supply tank meets the replacement condition, determine that the fiber membrane needs to be replaced; wherein, the replacement condition is determined according to the water permeability of the fiber membrane when the replacement is set.

[0006] On the other hand, a method for controlling a refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes a cabinet, a door, and an ice maker. The door is pivotally connected to the cabinet. The ice maker is disposed in the cabinet. The ice maker includes an ice-making mechanism, a water supply tank, a water supply pipe, a water supply pump, and a third sensor. The water supply pump is configured to, when in operation, direct the liquid in the water supply tank to the ice-making mechanism through the water supply pipe. The third sensor is disposed in the ice-making machine body and connected to the water supply tank. The third sensor is configured to detect characteristic parameters of the liquid in the water supply tank. The method includes: when receiving a water supply start instruction, obtaining characteristic parameters of the liquid in the water supply tank; identifying the type of liquid in the water supply tank based on the characteristic parameters; when the liquid is water, controlling the water supply pump to be in operation; and when the liquid is not water, controlling the water supply pump to be in a shutdown state. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG1 is a structural diagram of a refrigerator according to some embodiments;

[0008] FIG2 is a structural diagram of the refrigerator in FIG1 with the door removed;

[0009] FIG3 is a structural diagram of a water supply tank and an ice maker according to some embodiments;

[0010] FIG4 is an exploded view of a water supply tank according to some embodiments;

[0011] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a filtration device according to some embodiments;

[0012] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of water level markings in a water supply tank according to some embodiments;

[0013] FIG7 is another schematic diagram of water level markings in a water supply tank according to some embodiments;

[0014] FIG8 is a flow chart of steps performed by a first controller according to some embodiments;

[0015] FIG9 is a partial structural diagram of a refrigerator according to some embodiments;

[0016] FIG10 is a block diagram of an ice making machine according to some embodiments;

[0017] FIG11 is a flow chart of steps performed by a second controller according to some embodiments;

[0018] FIG12 is another flow chart of steps performed by a second controller according to some embodiments;

[0019] FIG13 is another flow chart of steps performed by a second controller according to some embodiments;

[0020] FIG14 is a line graph showing odor representation values ​​of different types of liquids according to some embodiments;

[0021] 15 is a schematic diagram of a second sensor according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings to clearly and completely describe some embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments provided by the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0023] Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprise" and its other forms, such as the third person singular form "comprises" and the present participle form "comprising", are to be interpreted as open and inclusive, that is, "including, but not limited to". In the description of the specification, the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "exemplary embodiments", "example", "specific example" or "some examples" are intended to indicate that the particular features, structures, materials or characteristics associated with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. The schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. In addition, the particular features, structures, materials or characteristics may be included in any one or more embodiments or examples in any appropriate manner.

[0024] In the following, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0025] When describing some embodiments, the expressions "coupled" and "connected" and their derivatives may be used. The term "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. The term "coupled" indicates that two or more components are in direct physical or electrical contact. The term "coupled" or "communicatively coupled" may also refer to two or more components that are not in direct contact with each other, but still cooperate or interact with each other. The embodiments disclosed herein are not necessarily limited to the contents of this document.

[0026] “At least one of A, B and C” has the same meaning as “at least one of A, B or C” and both include the following combinations of A, B and C: A only, B only, C only, the combination of A and B, the combination of A and C, the combination of B and C, and the combination of A, B and C.

[0027] “A and / or B” includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0028] The use of "adapted to" or "configured to" herein is intended to be open and inclusive language that does not exclude devices adapted or configured to perform additional tasks or steps.

[0029] As used herein, "about," "substantially," or "approximately" includes the stated value and an average value that is within an acceptable range of deviation from the particular value, for example, within ±5% of the particular value, where the acceptable range of deviation is determined by one of ordinary skill in the art taking into account the measurements in question and the errors associated with the measurement of the particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system).

[0030] As used herein, "parallel", "perpendicular", and "equal" include the situations described and situations similar to the situations described, and the range of the similar situations is within an acceptable deviation range, wherein the acceptable deviation range is as determined by a person of ordinary skill in the art taking into account the measurement in question and the errors associated with the measurement of the specific quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "parallel" includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate parallelism can be, for example, a deviation within 5°; "perpendicular" includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate perpendicularity can also be, for example, a deviation within 5°. "Equal" includes absolute equality and approximate equality, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate equality can be, for example, that the difference between the two equals is less than or equal to 5% of either one.

[0031] In the related art, since the external water quality cannot be consumed directly, a filtering device is generally added to the refrigerator to improve the external water quality.

[0032] In some embodiments, the filter device includes a fiber membrane. As time goes by, the fiber membrane is prone to clogging, which leads to a reduction in the amount of ice that can be produced by a single water supply and affects the efficiency of ice making. Therefore, users need to replace the filter device (such as the fiber membrane) in a timely manner.

[0033] In order to obtain the time to replace the filter device, the technical solution that may be adopted in the relevant technology is: judging the usage time of the fiber membrane by the accumulated operating time of the ice maker and the operating time of the refrigerator, and judging whether the filter device needs to be replaced based on the usage time.

[0034] However, if usage time is used alone as a reference factor, the following two problems may arise:

[0035] First, when the water quality at the water inlet end of the water supply tank is good, the consumption or wear of the fiber membrane is small. It may happen that the usage time meets the requirements, but the fiber membrane is still usable. In this case, if the fiber membrane is replaced, it may lead to waste of the fiber membrane and increase the economic cost of the user.

[0036] Secondly, when the water quality at the water inlet of the water supply tank is poor, the consumption or wear of the fiber membrane is greater, and the usage time may not meet the requirements, but the fiber membrane is no longer usable. In this case, if the fiber membrane is not replaced, the water supply efficiency of the water supply tank will be reduced or the water quality will deteriorate.

[0037] To address the above issues, some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a refrigerator and control method thereof, which detects the water permeability of the fiber membrane to determine when to replace the filter device. This helps save costs while ensuring water supply efficiency and water quality.

[0038] 1 , in some embodiments, a refrigerator 10 includes a housing 11 and a door 12. The housing 11 defines a storage compartment, and an opening communicating with the storage compartment is formed in the housing 11. The door 12 is rotatably connected to the opening of the housing 11 to open or close the storage compartment.

[0039] The box 11 includes a first outer shell and an inner liner. The inner liner is disposed within the first outer shell. In other words, the first outer shell covers the outer liner, and the inner liner defines the aforementioned storage chamber. A foam layer may be disposed between the first outer shell and the inner liner to provide thermal insulation for the box 11.

[0040] 2 , the refrigerator 10 further includes at least one partition 13 disposed in the storage compartment. The partition 13 can divide the storage compartment into a plurality of chambers, such as a refrigerating chamber 1, a freezing chamber 3, a temperature-changing chamber 2, or a vacuum chamber.

[0041] 2 , a refrigerator 10 includes two partitions 13 that divide the storage compartment into an upper storage compartment, a middle storage compartment, and a lower storage compartment. For example, the upper storage compartment can be used as a refrigerating compartment 1, the middle storage compartment can be used as a temperature-changing compartment 2, and the lower storage compartment can be used as a freezing compartment 3.

[0042] The opening of the box body 11 is a forward opening, which is convenient for users to store or take out food from the storage chamber through the front opening. The opening can be opened or closed by the door body 12. The first shell and the inner container both have forward openings, and the front end surface of the first shell is located at the periphery of the front end surface of the inner container.

[0043] The front opening of the box body 11 is communicated with the storage chamber, and the door body 12 is rotatably connected to the front opening of the box body 11. The door body 12 can be connected to the box body 11 by a hinge to achieve the pivotable movement of the door body, thereby opening or closing the box body 11.

[0044] In some embodiments, the refrigerator 10 further includes a refrigeration system. The refrigeration system is configured to supply the generated cold air into the storage chamber. The refrigeration system includes a cooling circuit, a refrigerant pipe, and a fan. The cooling circuit includes a compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducer, and an evaporator. The refrigerant pipe guides the refrigerant into the cooling circuit, and the fan is configured to circulate air to supply the cold air generated at the evaporator into the storage chamber. The refrigeration system is configured to perform the refrigeration operation of the refrigerator 10. It should be noted that the refrigerator 10 performs the refrigeration operation through the refrigeration system, and the cold air is transferred to the storage chamber to maintain the storage chamber at a constant low temperature state.

[0045] The working structure of the refrigeration system includes compression process, condensation process, throttling process and evaporation process.

[0046] The compression process includes: plugging in the power cord of the refrigerator 10, when the cabinet 11 has a cooling demand, the compressor starts working, low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant is sucked into the compressor, compressed into high-temperature, high-pressure superheated gas in the compressor cylinder, and then discharged into the condenser.

[0047] The condensation process involves the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas dissipating heat through the condenser, gradually cooling to a saturated vapor at room temperature and high pressure. It then cools further to a saturated liquid, where the temperature stops falling. This temperature is called the condensation temperature. The refrigerant pressure remains virtually unchanged throughout the condensation process.

[0048] The throttling process includes: the condensed refrigerant saturated liquid is filtered out of moisture and impurities by a drying filter and then flows into the pressure reducer, where it is throttled and depressurized to turn the refrigerant into wet steam at room temperature and low pressure.

[0049] The evaporation process includes: then starting to absorb heat and vaporize in the evaporator, which not only reduces the temperature of the evaporator and its surroundings, but also turns the refrigerant into a low-temperature, low-pressure gas.

[0050] The refrigerant discharged from the evaporator returns to the compressor again, repeating the above process to transfer the heat in the refrigerator 10 to the air outside the refrigerator 10, thereby achieving the purpose of cooling.

[0051] 1 and 2 , in some embodiments, refrigerator 10 includes an ice maker 7 or a water dispenser. Ice maker 7 is located within freezer compartment 3 and is configured to convert water into ice. The water dispenser is mounted on door 12 and has a water inlet located on a side of door 12 facing away from housing 11, for example, on the outside of door 12.

[0052] In some embodiments, the water dispenser is arranged on the door body 12 of the upper storage chamber. In this way, it is convenient for users to take drinking water through the water intake.

[0053] 2 , in some embodiments, the refrigerator 10 further includes a water supply tank 4 , which is installed in the refrigerating chamber 1 . The water supply tank 4 is configured to supply water to the ice maker 7 or the water dispenser to provide the amount of water required for the ice maker 7 to make ice or the amount of water required for the water dispenser.

[0054] 3 , in some embodiments, the refrigerator 10 further includes a water supply pipe 9 disposed between the water supply tank 4 and the ice maker 7 . The water supply pipe 9 includes a water outlet 91 . The water outlet 91 is disposed at one end close to the ice maker 7 .

[0055] 4 , the water supply tank 4 includes a tank body 41 and a tank cover 42, which is snapped onto the opening of the tank body 41. The tank body 41 is configured to store water, and the tank cover 42 includes a water injection hole 411 for injecting water into the tank body 41.

[0056] 3 and 10 , in some embodiments, the refrigerator 10 further includes an ice tray 71 and an ice storage box 75. The ice tray 71 is configured to receive water from the water supply tank 4 and make ice cubes from the water. The ice storage box 75 is configured to store ice produced by the ice tray 71.

[0057] In some embodiments, the refrigerator 10 further includes a water pump assembly, which is installed in the refrigeration chamber 1 (e.g., at the bottom). Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the water pump assembly includes a water supply pump 6. The water supply pump 6 is disposed between the water supply tank 4 and the ice tray 71 or the water dispenser. The water supply pump 6 is configured to pump water from the water supply tank 4 to the ice tray 71 or the water dispenser. The water inlet of the water supply pump 6 is connected to the interior of the water supply tank 4 via a water inlet waterway; the water outlet of the water supply pump 6 is connected to the water inlet of the ice maker 7 or the water intake of the water dispenser via a water supply waterway.

[0058] 9 and 10 , an ice maker 7 is provided in the storage room and includes a water supply mechanism, an ice making mechanism, and a refrigeration system.

[0059] The water supply mechanism includes a water supply tank 4, a water supply pipe 9, and a water supply pump 6. The water supply tank 4 is configured to store water. One end of the water supply pipe 9 is connected to the second opening of the water supply tank 4, and the other end of the water supply pipe 9 is connected to the first opening of the ice tray 71 of the ice-making mechanism. The water supply pump 6 is provided on the water supply pipe 9 and, when in operation, is configured to direct liquid from the water supply tank 4 through the water supply pipe 9 to the ice-making mechanism.

[0060] The ice making mechanism is configured to make ice. The ice making mechanism includes an ice making tray 71 .

[0061] The refrigeration system is configured to cool and provide cold energy to the ice tray 71 in the ice-making mechanism so that water in the ice tray 71 forms ice cubes.

[0062] The ice making mechanism further includes a motor 74. The motor 74 is connected to the ice making tray 71 and is configured to rotate the ice making tray 71 so as to cause ice cubes in the ice making tray 71 to fall off.

[0063] The ice making mechanism further includes an ice storage box 75. The ice storage box 75 is provided below the ice making tray 71 and is configured to store fallen ice cubes.

[0064] The ice making mechanism further includes a fourth sensor 72. The fourth sensor 72 is configured to detect the temperature in the ice storage box 75 to determine whether the ice cubes are made.

[0065] The ice making mechanism further includes an ice detecting rod 73. The ice detecting rod 73 is configured to detect the storage condition of ice cubes in the ice storage box 75 to determine whether the ice storage box 75 is in a full ice state.

[0066] It should be noted that the refrigeration system of the ice-making system includes a compressor, and the compressor is configured to provide power for the refrigeration system.

[0067] The refrigeration system further includes a drying filter, which can filter moisture and impurities in the refrigeration system to ensure stable operation of the ice maker.

[0068] The refrigeration system also includes a condenser, which is divided into air-cooled and water-cooled types. The condenser mainly relies on the fan to take away excess heat, cool the high-temperature vapor refrigerant into liquid, and provide the necessary temperature for evaporation of the refrigeration system.

[0069] The refrigeration system further includes a pressure reducer, which is configured to throttle the liquid refrigerant to form a vapor refrigerant, provide conditions for evaporation of the refrigeration system, and can adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant in the refrigeration system.

[0070] The refrigeration system further comprises an evaporator, the main function of which is to absorb the heat of water and quickly freeze the water into ice.

[0071] The refrigeration system further includes a one-way valve configured to prevent backflow of the refrigerant.

[0072] The refrigeration system further includes a solenoid valve configured to control the flow of the refrigerant or stop the flow of the refrigerant.

[0073] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the refrigeration system of the ice-making system may be shared with the refrigeration system of the refrigerator 10, or a separate refrigeration system may be provided. This disclosure is not limited to this. Referring to Figures 3 to 5, in some embodiments, the refrigerator 10 further includes a filter device 5, which is disposed within the water supply tank 4. The filter device 5 includes a fiber membrane 501. The fiber membrane 501 is configured to filter water flowing out of the water supply tank 4. The water supply pump 6 pumps the water filtered by the fiber membrane 501 into the ice tray 71.

[0074] It should be noted that fiber membrane 501 may be a hollow fiber membrane, which is a self-supporting, fiber-like membrane. Under the influence of a static pressure differential, water passes through a microporous membrane made of cellulose or a polymer material. The uniform pore size of the membrane traps particles, bacteria, and other particles in the water, preventing them from passing through the membrane and being removed. Fiber membrane 501, acting as a filter element, can improve filtration and purification efficiency.

[0075] As time goes by, the fiber membrane 501 may be clogged, resulting in a decrease in the water permeability of the fiber membrane 501. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a refrigerator 10 is provided, which determines whether the water permeability of the fiber membrane 501 is within a predetermined range to determine whether the water permeability of the fiber membrane 501 has reached a preset threshold, thereby determining whether the fiber membrane 501 needs to be replaced. Here, the water permeability is the ratio of the actual single water flow through the fiber membrane 501 to the single water flow when the fiber membrane 501 is not degraded. Deterioration refers to a change in the performance of a polymer substance that cannot be restored.

[0076] 6 and 7 , in some embodiments, the refrigerator 10 further includes a water level indicating component installed in the water supply tank 4 or on a side wall of the water supply tank 4 , and the water level indicating component is configured to indicate the remaining amount of water in the water supply tank 4 .

[0077] It should be noted that some embodiments of the present disclosure are described using the ice maker 7 as an example. As the principle of water supply to the water dispenser is similar to that of the ice maker 7, the relevant contents will not be repeated here.

[0078] The refrigerator 10 further includes a controller that controls the operation of the refrigerator 10 through a software control program stored in the memory. For example, in response to receiving a user's instruction, the controller may execute an operation related to an object selected by the instruction.

[0079] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: control the water supply pump 6 to pump the water in the water supply tank 4 into the ice maker 7, and obtain the actual remaining water volume in the water supply tank 4 after each water supply and the current cumulative water supply times; based on the current cumulative water supply times, combined with the total water volume of the water supply tank 4 and the single water flow volume of the filtration device when the fiber membrane 501 is not deteriorated, obtain the theoretical remaining water volume for the current cumulative water supply times when the fiber membrane 501 is not deteriorated; then determine whether the difference between the actual remaining water volume and the theoretical remaining water volume meets the replacement conditions. When the difference between the actual remaining water volume and the theoretical remaining water volume meets the replacement conditions, it is determined that the fiber membrane 501 needs to be replaced at this time.

[0080] In some embodiments, the refrigerator 10 further includes a reminder device configured to perform a preset reminder operation. The reminder device includes at least two of a display screen, a voice device, a light-emitting diode (LED) light group, or a buzzer.

[0081] For example, the refrigerator can prompt the user by means of a buzzer alarm or a display alarm, thereby pushing corresponding reminder information to the user to ensure the water supply efficiency and water quality. It should be noted that each time the water supply pump 6 performs a startup action and a shutdown action, it is recorded as one water supply; the cumulative number of water supplies refers to the cumulative number of times the current water supply pump 6 supplies water to the ice maker 7. The replacement condition is that the difference between the actual remaining water volume and the theoretical remaining water volume meets the lower limit of the replacement threshold. The replacement threshold of the replacement condition is determined according to the water permeability of the fiber membrane 501 when the replacement is required. For example, the higher the water permeability requirement of the fiber membrane 501, the smaller the replacement threshold. In other words, based on the theoretical remaining water volume and the maximum acceptable degree of deterioration (i.e., the water permeability of the fiber membrane 501 when the replacement is required according to the setting), the maximum remaining water volume allowed by the water supply tank 4 after the predetermined number of water supplies can be determined.

[0082] The above replacement conditions can be set based on concepts related to water permeability. For example, the replacement conditions are determined based on the maximum remaining water volume, and when the actual remaining water volume reaches or approaches the maximum remaining water volume, the replacement conditions are determined to be met.

[0083] In some embodiments, a method is proposed for determining the replacement time of the fiber membrane 501 by detecting the water permeability of the fiber membrane 501 , which is helpful for ensuring the ice-making efficiency of the ice-making machine 7 .

[0084] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to determine the current cumulative number of water supplies from the water supply tank 4 to the ice maker 7. It should be noted that the current cumulative number of water supplies is recorded from the time the water supply tank 4 is full and starts supplying water.

[0085] The controller includes a control circuit coupled to the water supply pump 6 and configured to detect the number of times the water supply pump 6 starts and stops. The controller transmits the acquired number of times the water supply pump 6 starts and stops as an electrical signal to a display panel, which then displays the current cumulative water supply count. The display panel is disposed on the door 12.

[0086] It should be noted that, when the water supply tank 4 is separated from the main body of the refrigerator 100 to fill the water supply tank 4 with water, the displayed current cumulative water supply times is reset, that is, cleared to zero.

[0087] In some embodiments, the water level indicating component includes a plurality of water level scale marks provided on the side wall of the water supply tank 4, and the plurality of water level scale marks are used to indicate the remaining amount of water in the water supply tank.

[0088] Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the multiple water level markings include a first water level mark 16 and a second water level mark 17. The first water level mark 16 indicates the remaining water level in the water supply tank after a predetermined number of water supplies when the fiber membrane 501 is not degraded. The second water level mark 17 indicates the remaining water level in the water supply tank after a predetermined number of water supplies when the fiber membrane 501 has degraded to the point where replacement is required. It should be noted that the position of the second water level mark 17 is related to the permeability at which the fiber membrane 501 needs to be replaced.

[0089] When the water supply tank 4 supplies water to the ice maker 7 through the water supply pump 6 for a predetermined number of times, and the remaining water in the water supply tank 4 is on the second water level scale line 17 or in a preset range around the second water level scale line 17, it is determined that the remaining water in the water supply tank 4 at this time and the theoretical remaining water meet the replacement conditions, and the fiber membrane 501 needs to be replaced.

[0090] Similarly, when the remaining water in the water supply tank 4 is on the first water level scale line 16 or in a preset range around the first water level scale line 16, it is determined that the remaining water in the water supply tank 4 at this time and the theoretical remaining water volume do not meet the replacement conditions, and the fiber membrane 501 does not need to be replaced.

[0091] It should be noted that the first water level scale line 16 and the second water level scale line 17 correspond to the same predetermined water supply times, and multiple first water level scale lines 16 and second water level scale lines 17 corresponding to the water supply times can be set on the side wall of the water supply tank 4.

[0092] In some embodiments, when the fiber membrane 501 in the filter device 5 does not cause a decrease in water permeability, the remaining water level in the water supply tank 4 will be displayed at or near the first water level mark 16 corresponding to the number of water supplies. Similarly, when the water permeability of the fiber membrane 501 in the filter device 5 decreases, the remaining water level in the water supply tank 4 will be approximately at the second water level mark 17. The user can determine whether and when to replace the filter device 5 based on these differences.

[0093] In some embodiments, when the cumulative number of water supply cycles reaches a predetermined number of water supply cycles, the water supply tank 4 is removed from the refrigerator 100 and the remaining water level in the water supply tank 4 is checked. If the remaining water level is at or near the first water level mark 16, it can be determined that the water permeability of the fiber membrane 501 has not decreased. Similarly, if the remaining water level is at or near the second water level mark 17, it can be determined that the water permeability of the fiber membrane 501 has decreased to a set value, and it can be determined that the fiber membrane 501 needs to be replaced.

[0094] In some embodiments, multiple water level markings are provided based on the water permeability of the fiber membrane 501 to indicate the remaining water level. Of course, in some embodiments, changes in permeability can also be indicated based on the number of water supply cycles, the initial water permeability of the filtration device 5, the degree of degradation of the fiber membrane, or similar concepts. For example, different water level markings can be provided based on different conditions. It is understood that when multiple conditions are set, different water level markings can be provided on the water supply tank 4.

[0095] In some embodiments, the refrigerator 10 also includes an image acquisition device, which can take a picture of the water level scale mark on the side wall of the water supply tank 4 and transmit the image data to the first controller. The first controller can identify the image data and identify the relationship between the actual remaining water volume and the water level scale mark to assist in determining the replacement time of the fiber membrane 501.

[0096] In this way, through the cooperation of the water level scale mark and the image acquisition device, the actual remaining water volume in the water supply tank 4 can be obtained, so that the current water permeability of the fiber membrane 501 can be judged in combination with the pre-set total water volume of the water supply tank 4 and the theoretical remaining water volume after each water supply when the fiber membrane 501 is not deteriorated, and whether the fiber membrane 501 needs to be replaced can be judged accordingly, thereby reducing the user's operation difficulty and judgment difficulty.

[0097] In some embodiments, the refrigerator 10 further includes a display panel (e.g., a liquid crystal display) mounted on the door 12 and coupled to the first controller. The display panel receives electrical signals from the first controller and displays the cumulative number of times the water supply tank 4 has supplied water to the ice maker 7.

[0098] It should be noted that, after the water supply tank 4 is full of water, it can supply water multiple times to the ice maker 7. The display panel can display information, for example, the information includes the number of times the ice tray 71 has been filled with water.

[0099] The display panel can also display the cumulative water supply times of the water supply tank 4 to the ice maker 7. Like this, it is convenient for the user to understand the cumulative water supply times of the water supply tank 4.

[0100] In some embodiments, the water level scale is used to facilitate the user to obtain the water level position in the water supply tank 4. Combined with the cumulative water supply times displayed on the display panel, it can be determined whether the fiber membrane 501 needs to be replaced. Here, the information that the fiber membrane 501 needs to be replaced can be displayed on the display panel.

[0101] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 5 , the filter device 5 includes, in addition to the fiber membrane 501 , activated carbon 502 (e.g., activated carbon fiber) for example. The activated carbon 502 is located upstream of the fiber membrane 501 . Thus, water entering the filter device 5 is first filtered through the activated carbon 502 to remove residual chlorine and other substances. The water filtered through the activated carbon 502 is then filtered through the fiber membrane 501, which improves the filtration effect and ensures the water quality.

[0102] Residual chlorine, also known as residual chlorine, is a water quality parameter for chlorine disinfection. Excessive residual chlorine will impart a foul odor to the water, while too low a residual chlorine level will deplete the water's ability to maintain sterilization, reducing the hygienic safety of the water supply.

[0103] In some embodiments, the service life of the filter device 5 can be extended by combining the fiber membrane 501 with activated carbon fibers for filtration.

[0104] It should be noted that, by adding the activated carbon 502 to the filter device 5 , the water permeability of the filter device 5 is slightly reduced, but this does not affect the determination of the replacement time of the filter device 5 .

[0105] In some embodiments, referring to FIG5 , the filter device 5 further includes a second housing 504, an adhesive portion 503, and a limiting portion 505. The fiber membrane 501 is fixed to the second housing 504 via the adhesive portion 503. The limiting portion 505 is configured to limit the position of the activated carbon 502. The adhesive portion 503 is disposed on the downstream side of the fiber membrane 501. The limiting portions 505 are respectively disposed at the water inlet and outlet ends of the activated carbon 502 to prevent the activated carbon 502 from falling off, thereby ensuring the reliability of the activated carbon 502.

[0106] In some embodiments, there is a gap between the bottom surface of the filter device 5 and the inner bottom surface of the water supply tank 4, so that the water in the water supply tank 4 can be pumped into the filter device 5 for filtration through the gap.

[0107] In some embodiments, the average pore size of fiber membrane 501 is less than or equal to 0.3 μm. By applying a transmembrane pressure differential to fiber membrane 501, water can flow from the primary side to the secondary side of fiber membrane 501. For example, water can flow from the side of fiber membrane 501 near water supply tank 4 to the side near ice maker 7. In this way, bacteria can be removed by fiber membrane 501.

[0108] It is understandable that further adjustments can be made based on the material of the fiber membrane 501, the thickness of the fiber membrane 501, the inner and outer diameters of the fiber membrane 501, the porosity of the fiber membrane 501, and the required water permeability and impurity removal performance to meet the user's water needs.

[0109] 8 , a method for controlling the refrigerator 10 in some embodiments of the present disclosure is described below. The method includes steps S101 to S113 .

[0110] Step S101: first supply water to the water supply tank until it is full.

[0111] Step S102: Install the water supply tank in the storage compartment of the refrigerator.

[0112] In step S103 , the controller controls the water supply pump to start and start supplying water.

[0113] Step S104: Control the water supply pump to stop and stop water supply.

[0114] Step S105, determining whether the water volume in the water supply tank is the set minimum water volume; if so, executing step S106; if not, returning to executing step S103.

[0115] Step S106, stop the water supply, and release the adsorption state between the water supply tank and the inside of the refrigerator; then execute step S107.

[0116] Step S107 , determining whether the fiber membrane needs to be replaced; if so, executing step S108 ; if not, executing step S110 .

[0117] In step S108, corresponding reminder information is pushed to the user;

[0118] Step S109, replacing the fiber membrane; then executing step S110.

[0119] Step S110, the accumulated water supply times are reset.

[0120] In step S107 , if it is determined that the fiber membrane does not need to be replaced, step S110 is directly executed.

[0121] Step S110, the accumulated water supply times are reset.

[0122] 8 , after step S102 , the controller is further configured to perform steps S111 to S113 .

[0123] Step S111, detecting the operation of the water supply pump.

[0124] Step S112, determining whether the water supply pump has completed one start-up and shutdown action; if so, executing step S113; if not, executing step S111.

[0125] In step S113, the water supply count display is increased by one; the cumulative water supply times are displayed on the display panel; and then step S107 is executed.

[0126] In some embodiments, the water supply tank 4 includes a first sensor disposed at the bottom of the water tank body 41 . The first sensor is a water level sensor configured to detect the water level in the water supply tank 4 .

[0127] In some embodiments, when the water level in the water supply tank is detected using the first sensor, the controller is configured to: control the water supply pump to supply water to the ice maker, and obtain the current cumulative water supply times, and obtain the actual remaining water amount in the water supply tank after water supply detected by the first sensor.

[0128] The current water permeability M of the fiber membrane 501 is calculated based on the cumulative water supply times Z and the actual remaining water volume Y1, combined with the total water volume X in the water supply tank and the theoretical remaining water volume Y2 of the fiber membrane 501 for the current water supply times before deterioration.

[0129] The calculation formula of water permeability (1) is:

[0130] In some embodiments, the preset permeability condition can be determined based on the water permeability of the fiber membrane 501 when replacement is required. For example, when the water permeability does not meet the preset permeability condition, the fiber membrane 501 is determined to have deteriorated to the point where replacement is necessary. Thus, through the cooperation of the first sensor and the first controller, combined with the preset total water volume in the water supply tank and the theoretical remaining water volume after each water supply if the fiber membrane 501 is not deteriorated, the current water permeability of the fiber membrane 501 is determined, and accordingly, whether the fiber membrane 501 needs to be replaced is determined.

[0131] In some embodiments, the theoretical remaining water volume for the current water supply times when the fiber membrane 501 is not degraded can be determined based on the accumulated water supply times obtained, and then the remaining water volume in the water supply tank 4 detected by the water level indicator component, and then the theoretical single water supply volume and the actual single water supply volume can be determined based on the total water volume in the water supply tank, so that the water permeability of the fiber membrane 501 can be obtained.

[0132] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 9 and 10 , the refrigerator 10 further includes a second sensor 20. The second sensor 20 is disposed within the refrigerator body and connected to the second opening of the water supply tank 4. The second sensor 20 is configured to detect characteristic parameters of the liquid in the water supply tank 4. These characteristic parameters are parameters that can characterize or distinguish the type of liquid, such as odor, molecular structure, evaporation rate, color, etc.

[0133] The refrigerator 10 includes a second controller 14. The second controller 14 is coupled to the second sensor 20 and is configured to obtain characteristic parameters of the liquid in the water supply tank detected by the second sensor 20. The second controller 14 is also connected to the water supply pump 6 and is configured to control the operating state of the water supply pump 6.

[0134] In some embodiments, the first controller and the second controller 14 may be the same controller.

[0135] The second controller 14 includes a processor. The processor may include a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor (MCU), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and may be configured to perform the corresponding operations described in the second controller 14 when the processor executes a program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the second controller 14.

[0136] 11 , when the refrigerator is powered on ( S10 ), the second controller 14 is configured to perform steps S11 to S16 .

[0137] Step S11, determine whether a water supply start instruction is received; if so, execute step S12; if not, return to execute step S11.

[0138] Step S12: If it is determined that the water supply start instruction is received, characteristic parameters of the liquid in the water supply tank are obtained.

[0139] Step S13: Identify the type of liquid in the water supply tank according to the characteristic parameters.

[0140] Step S14: Determine whether the liquid in the water supply tank is water; if so, execute step S15; if not, execute step S16.

[0141] Step S15: If it is determined that the liquid is water, the water supply pump is controlled to be in operation. At this time, the liquid in the water supply tank is led to the ice making mechanism through the water supply pipe.

[0142] Step S16: If it is determined that the liquid is not water, the water supply pump is controlled to be in a shutdown state.

[0143] The ice-making process of the ice maker 7 includes a water supply phase, an ice-making phase, and an ice-removing phase. When a user requests ice-making, an ice-making instruction is input to the refrigerator 10 through a preset human-machine interface, causing the refrigerator 10 to enter the ice-making process immediately or at a scheduled time. During the water supply phase, the second controller 14 controls the operating state of the water supply pump 6 to start or stop the water supply. When the second controller 14 controls the water supply pump 6 to be in operation, liquid in the water supply tank 4 can be drawn through the water supply pipe 9 to the ice tray 71 of the ice-making mechanism. When the second controller 14 controls the water supply pump 6 to be in operation, liquid in the water supply tank 4 can be drawn through the water supply pipe 9 to the ice tray 71 of the ice-making mechanism. When the second controller 14 controls the water supply pump 6 to be in the shutdown state, liquid in the water supply tank 4 cannot be drawn to the ice tray 71.

[0144] In the refrigerator 10 of some embodiments of the present disclosure, when a water supply start instruction is received, the water supply stage is entered, and the second controller 14 first obtains the characteristic parameters of the liquid in the water supply tank 4 collected by the second sensor 20, and then identifies the type of liquid currently stored in the water supply tank 4 based on the characteristic parameters of the liquid, and determines whether the stored liquid is water.

[0145] When the liquid is water, it indicates that the liquid stored in the water supply tank meets the ice making requirements, and the water supply pump 6 is controlled to be in operation so that the water in the water supply tank 4 can be led to the ice making tray of the ice making mechanism through the water supply pipe 9 to enter the subsequent ice making stage.

[0146] When the liquid is not water, it indicates that the liquid stored in the water supply tank does not meet the ice making requirements and may be added with other liquids by the user, and the water supply pump 6 is controlled or maintained in a shutdown state and no water supply operation is performed.

[0147] In this way, during the ice making water supply stage, the type of liquid stored in the water supply tank is first determined, and the water supply is stopped when the liquid type is not water, thereby preventing liquids other than water from entering the ice making mechanism through the water supply pump 6 and the water supply pipe, causing the water supply pipe to breed microorganisms due to residual liquids other than water, or causing the water supply pump 6 to be blocked by liquid with a large solid content, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the ice maker and helping to extend the service life of the ice maker.

[0148] Referring to Figure 11 , in step S14, it is determined whether the liquid in the water supply tank is water; if not, step S16 is executed. After controlling the water supply pump 6 to be in a shutdown state, the second controller 14 is further configured to execute step S17. Step S17: Control the reminder device to start operating to perform a preset first reminder operation.

[0149] The first reminder operation is used to remind the user that the liquid in the water supply tank is not water. In this way, by setting corresponding reminder information, controlling the reminder device to start and push reminder content, the first reminder operation is performed.

[0150] For example, the reminder device is a display screen, which is provided on the refrigerator body 11, and the reminder message is "there is an abnormality in the liquid in the water supply tank", and the display screen is controlled to continuously display the reminder message.

[0151] For another example, the reminder device is a voice device, which is set on the refrigerator body 11, and the reminder message is "there is an abnormality in the liquid in the water supply tank", and the voice device is controlled to continuously broadcast the reminder message.

[0152] According to some embodiments of the refrigerator disclosed herein, during the ice-making and water-supply stage, the type of liquid stored in the water supply tank 4 can be determined first, and the water supply can be stopped when the liquid type is not water. A corresponding reminder message can be pushed to remind the user to replace the liquid in the water supply tank 4, thereby preventing liquids other than water from entering the ice-making mechanism through the water supply pump 6 and the water supply pipe 9, which is beneficial to improving the reliability of the refrigerator.

[0153] Referring to Figure 9 , the second sensor 20 includes an odor sensor. The second sensor 20 is disposed within the housing and connected to the water supply tank 4. The second sensor 20 is configured to detect the odor component of the liquid in the water supply tank 4. The characteristic parameter is the odor component. Different types of liquids correspond to different odor components, and the odor component detected by the second sensor 20 for the same type of liquid is almost constant.

[0154] 12 , the step of identifying the type of liquid in the water supply tank according to the characteristic parameters (ie, step S13 ) includes steps S131 to S134 .

[0155] Step S131: Compare the odor components of the liquid in the water supply tank with preset standard odor components; wherein the standard odor components refer to the odor components of water.

[0156] Step S132: Are the odor components consistent? If so, proceed to step S133; if not, proceed to step S134.

[0157] Step S133: When the odor components of the liquid are consistent with the standard odor components, the liquid is determined to be water.

[0158] Step S134: When the odor component of the liquid is inconsistent with the standard odor component, it is determined that the liquid is not water.

[0159] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the odor components of water are pre-detected by the second sensor 20 and stored as standard odor components. For example, the odor components of the liquid in the water supply tank 4 are detected by the second sensor 20, and the second controller 14 obtains the odor components of the liquid in the water supply tank 4 and compares them with the standard odor components. If the two are consistent or similar, the liquid stored in the water supply tank 4 is determined to be water. If the two are inconsistent, the liquid stored in the water supply tank 4 is determined not to be water.

[0160] It should be noted that the different temperatures of the liquid in the water supply tank 4 have little effect on the odor components of the liquid. The difference in odor components of the same liquid at different temperatures is within a predetermined error range. Therefore, it can be considered that the liquids corresponding to the odor components within the predetermined error range belong to the same liquid.

[0161] In some embodiments, the second sensor 20 is configured to detect the odor component of the liquid in the water supply tank 4 and convert it into an odor representation value; then the characteristic parameter is the odor representation value.

[0162] 13 , the step of identifying the type of liquid in the water supply tank according to the characteristic parameters (ie, step S13 ) includes steps S135 to S138 .

[0163] Step S135: Calculate the difference between the odor representation value of the liquid in the water supply tank and a preset standard odor representation value as the odor difference value; wherein the standard odor representation value refers to the odor representation value of water;

[0164] Step S136: Determine whether the odor difference Q is less than the difference threshold Q0; if so, execute step S137; if not, execute step S138.

[0165] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the odor difference value Q is obtained by detecting the odor components of the liquid in the water supply tank 4 via the second sensor 20 and converting them into an odor representation value; the second controller 14 obtains the odor representation value of the liquid in the water supply tank 4, compares it with the standard odor representation value, and calculates the difference between the two as the odor difference value Q. The difference threshold Q0 is preset and can be 0 or close to 0.

[0166] Step S137: When the odor difference is less than a preset difference threshold, the liquid is determined to be water.

[0167] Step S138: When the odor difference is greater than or equal to a preset difference threshold, it is determined that the liquid is not water.

[0168] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the odor components of the water are detected in advance by the second sensor 20, converted into odor characterization values, and stored as standard odor characterization values. A difference threshold Q0 is also pre-set to indicate the magnitude of the odor difference, that is, the degree of difference between the liquid in the water supply tank 4 and the water. When Q < Q0, the liquid stored in the water supply tank is determined to be water. When Q ≥ Q0, the liquid stored in the water supply tank 4 is determined not to be water.

[0169] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the second sensor 20 includes an odor sensing element, which is configured to detect odor components of the liquid in the water supply tank 4 and convert the odor components into odor representation values.

[0170] Calculating the difference between the odor characterization value of the liquid in the water supply tank 4 and the preset standard odor characterization value as the odor difference value Q (step S135) includes:

[0171] Determining a preset standard odor representation value corresponding to the odor sensor element;

[0172] Calculating the difference between the odor representation value detected by the odor sensor and the corresponding preset standard odor representation value to obtain a sub-odor difference value;

[0173] The odor difference value is calculated based on all the sub-odor difference values.

[0174] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, in order to improve the accuracy of identifying the type of liquid in the water supply tank 4 through the second sensor 20, the second sensor 20 includes a plurality of odor sensing elements, which can detect the odor components of the liquid in the water supply tank 4 and convert them into odor representation values.

[0175] Furthermore, the odor components of the water are detected in advance by the plurality of odor sensors, converted into odor characterization values, and stored as standard odor characterization values ​​corresponding to the odor sensors. A water odor pattern is formed based on the odor characterization values ​​of the water output by all the odor sensors.

[0176] In some embodiments, an odor pattern of the liquid is formed based on the odor representation values ​​output by all odor sensing elements, and the odor pattern of the liquid is compared with the odor pattern of water to determine the type of the liquid.

[0177] In some embodiments, the second controller 14 calculates the difference between the odor representation value detected by the odor sensor element and the corresponding preset standard odor representation value to obtain a sub-odor difference value qn. For example, if a second sensor 20 includes six odor sensors, there are corresponding six standard odor representation values, and six sub-odor difference values ​​qn are calculated: q1, q2, q3, q4, q5, and q6. Based on all the sub-odor differences, an odor difference value Q is calculated. The odor difference value Q is the average of q1, q2, q3, q4, q5, and q6. The odor difference value is then compared with a preset difference threshold Q0 to determine whether the liquid in the water supply tank 4 is water.

[0178] In some embodiments, based on the principle that different types of liquids have different odor components, the refrigerator 10 is provided with a second sensor 20 to detect the odor components of the liquid in the water supply tank 4. This is then compared with the standard odor components of water to identify whether the liquid in the water supply tank 4 is water. This effectively improves the accuracy of detecting whether the liquid in the water supply tank 4 is water, thereby improving the accuracy of controlling the operation of the water supply pump 6. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, after calculating the odor difference, identifying the type of liquid in the water supply tank 4 based on the characteristic parameters further includes: determining the liquid type corresponding to the currently calculated odor difference value based on a preset correspondence between the odor difference value and the liquid type, thereby obtaining the type of liquid currently in the water supply tank 4.

[0179] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the inventors have established a correspondence between odor differences and liquid types through research, so that the type of liquid in the water supply tank can be determined based on the calculated odor differences.

[0180] Referring to FIG. 14 , some embodiments of the present disclosure use three different types of liquids, water, milk, and orange juice, as examples. A second sensor 20 is provided with six odor sensing elements. The horizontal axis in the figure represents the odor sensing element numbers (Film 1 to Film 6), and the vertical axis represents the odor representation value output by each odor sensing element. The measurement results of the odor representation values ​​for each liquid are shown in Table 1:

[0181] Table 1

[0182] As can be seen from Table 1, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, taking the sum of the differences of the sub-odor differences as the final odor difference value as an example, the odor difference between milk and water is 0.92, and the odor difference between orange juice and water is 1.39. The odor patterns of orange juice and milk are different from the odor pattern of water. Based on this difference, it can be determined whether the liquid injected into the water tank is water, and whether the liquid type is orange juice or milk, thereby distinguishing water, orange juice, and milk.

[0183] It should be noted that the difference in the odor of water may be measured multiple times, and the difference at that time may be confirmed to determine the difference threshold.

[0184] After determining the type of liquid in the water supply tank, corresponding reminder content can be generated according to the type of liquid, and the reminder device can be controlled to start running to perform a preset second reminder operation according to the reminder content, thereby reminding the user what type of liquid has been added to the water supply tank and reminding the user to pay attention or replace it.

[0185] In some embodiments, the second sensor 20 is provided with an oscillator, which vibrates at a preset vibration frequency, and the surface of the oscillator is coated with a sensing film to adsorb odor components. The actual vibration frequency of the oscillator changes with the change of the odor components of the liquid in the water supply tank 4; then the odor characterization value is the actual oscillation frequency of the oscillator.

[0186] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the second sensor 20 is equipped with an oscillator. If the oscillator is vibrated at a predetermined frequency, when odor molecules of different odor components are adsorbed onto the oscillator, the oscillator's vibration frequency changes, causing the actual vibration frequency to differ from the predetermined frequency. This type of sensor element outputs this vibration frequency change as a signal, which serves as a numerical value representing the odor.

[0187] Furthermore, the oscillator is coated with a sensitive film to absorb odor components from different liquids, improving detection accuracy. This sensitive film is a polymer film with different adsorption properties for each odor component. If the second sensor 20 includes multiple odor sensing elements, each odor sensing element outputs different signals for each odor component, resulting in multiple signals. These multiple signals form a corresponding odor pattern for each odor component.

[0188] Referring to Figure 15 , the second sensor 20 includes a sensor body 21, a suction pump 22, and a suction tube 23. The sensor body 21 is mounted on the tank, one end of the suction tube 23 is connected to the sensor body 21, and the other end of the suction tube 23 is detachably connected to the second opening of the water supply tank. The suction pump 22 is mounted on the suction tube 23 and is configured to draw odor components from the liquid.

[0189] In this way, the sensor body 21 and the water supply tank 4 are connected by the suction tube 23, so that the water supply tank 4 can be disassembled, which is convenient for users to add water or clean.

[0190] Some embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a refrigerator control method, wherein the refrigerator 10 includes an ice-making machine body. The ice-making machine body includes an ice-making mechanism, a water supply tank, a water supply pipe, and a water supply pump. The water supply pump 6 is configured to, when in operation, direct liquid in the water supply tank through the water supply pipe to the ice-making mechanism.

[0191] The third sensor is provided on the ice maker body and connected to the water supply tank, and is configured to detect characteristic parameters of the liquid in the water supply tank.

[0192] The method includes: when receiving a water supply start instruction, obtaining characteristic parameters of the liquid in the water supply tank; identifying the type of liquid in the water supply tank based on the characteristic parameters; when the liquid is water, controlling the water supply pump 6 to be in a running state; when the liquid is not water, controlling the water supply pump 6 to be in a stopped state.

[0193] It should be noted that a refrigerator control method provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure is similar to the steps performed by the controller in the above-mentioned embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0194] Those skilled in the art will understand that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above specific embodiments, and that certain elements of the embodiments may be modified and replaced without departing from the spirit of the present application. The scope of the present application is limited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising: A box body, wherein the box body includes a storage room; a door body, the door body being configured to open or close the storage chamber; At least one of an ice maker or a water dispenser, the ice maker being disposed in the storage room, the ice maker being configured to make ice from water, and the ice maker comprising a water inlet; the water dispenser being disposed in the door body, the water dispenser comprising a water inlet, the water inlet being located on a side of the door body away from the box body; a water supply tank, the water supply tank being disposed in the storage room, the water supply tank being configured to supply water to at least one of the ice maker or the water dispenser; A filter device, wherein the filter device is arranged in the water supply tank; The filtering device comprises: A fiber membrane, the fiber membrane is disposed in a housing of the filter device, and the fiber membrane is configured to filter water flowing from the water supply tank into the ice maker or the water dispenser; A water supply pump, one end of which is connected to the filtering device, and the other end of which is connected to the water inlet or the water intake, and the water supply pump is configured to pump the water in the water supply tank that has been filtered by the fiber membrane to the ice maker or the water dispenser; a water level indicating component, the water level indicating component being disposed in the water supply tank or on a side wall of the water supply tank, the water level indicating component being configured to indicate an actual amount of remaining water in the water supply tank; A controller, the controller being configured to: Controlling the water supply pump to supply water to at least one of the ice maker or the water dispenser, and obtaining the current cumulative water supply times and the actual remaining water amount in the water supply tank after water supply; According to the current cumulative water supply times, combined with the total water volume of the water supply tank and the single water flow volume of the filtration device when the fiber membrane is not degraded, the theoretical remaining water volume for the current cumulative water supply times when the fiber membrane is not degraded is obtained; When the difference between the actual remaining water volume and the theoretical remaining water volume in the water supply tank meets the replacement condition, it is determined that the fiber membrane needs to be replaced; and a corresponding reminder message is pushed; The replacement condition is determined according to the water permeability of the fiber membrane when replacement is required.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The first controller is configured to detect the start-up and shutdown actions of the water supply pump, wherein each start-up and shutdown action of the water supply pump is recorded as a water supply to determine the current cumulative number of water supplies from the water supply tank to the ice maker.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The water level indicating component includes a first water level scale line and a second water level scale line; The first water level scale line and the second water level scale line are respectively arranged in the water supply tank or on the side wall of the water supply tank. Wherein, the first water level scale line is used to indicate the remaining water volume for a preset number of water supplies when the fiber membrane is not degraded; The second water level scale line is used to indicate the remaining water volume after a preset number of water supplies when the fiber membrane deteriorates to the point where it needs to be replaced; When the water supply tank supplies water to the ice maker for a predetermined number of times and the remaining water in the water supply tank is approximately at the second water level mark, it is determined that the remaining water at this time and the theoretical remaining water meet the replacement condition.

4. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: A display panel is disposed on the door body, the display panel is coupled to the first controller, and the display panel is configured to display the accumulated number of times the water supply tank supplies water to the ice maker.

5. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The filtering device also includes activated carbon; the activated carbon is arranged in the shell and located at the water inlet end of the fiber membrane.

6. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: There is a gap between the bottom surface of the filter device and the bottom surface of the water supply tank.

7. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The pore size of the fiber membrane is less than or equal to 0.3 um, and a transmembrane pressure difference is applied to the fiber membrane so that water flows from the primary side of the fiber membrane to the secondary side.

8. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The water supply tank includes a first sensor; the first sensor is arranged at the bottom of a water tank body of the water supply tank, and the first sensor is configured to detect the water level in the water supply tank.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein: The first controller is configured to: Controlling the water supply pump to supply water to the ice maker, obtaining the current cumulative water supply times, and obtaining the actual remaining water volume in the water supply tank after water supply detected by the first sensor; The current water permeability of the fiber membrane is calculated according to the water supply times and the actual remaining water volume, combined with the total water volume of the water supply tank and the theoretical remaining water volume of the fiber membrane for the current water supply times before deterioration. The water permeability is defined as the ratio of the actual water flow through the fiber membrane in a single time to the water flow through the fiber membrane in a single time when the fiber membrane is not deteriorated. When the water permeability does not meet the preset water permeability condition, it is determined that the fiber membrane has deteriorated to the point where it needs to be replaced.

10. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: An ice-making mechanism, the ice-making machine comprising the ice-making mechanism, the ice-making mechanism having a first opening; The water supply tank has a second opening; a water supply pipe, one end of which is connected to the first opening, and the other end of which is connected to the second opening; The water supply pump is disposed on the water supply pipe, and the water supply pump is configured to guide the liquid in the water supply tank to the ice making mechanism through the water supply pipe when in operation; a second sensor, the second sensor being disposed in the box body and connected to the second opening of the water supply tank, the second sensor being configured to detect characteristic parameters of the liquid in the water supply tank; A second controller is coupled to the second sensor, and the second controller is configured to: When receiving a water supply start instruction, obtaining characteristic parameters of the liquid in the water supply tank; Identifying the type of liquid in the water supply tank according to the characteristic parameter; When the liquid is water, controlling the water supply pump to be in the operating state; When the liquid is not water, the water supply pump is controlled to be in a shutdown state.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, further comprising a reminder device; After controlling the water supply pump to be in a shutdown state when the liquid is not water, the second controller is further configured to: The reminding device is controlled to start running to execute a preset first reminding operation.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: The second sensor is configured to obtain an odor component of the liquid in the water supply tank, and the characteristic parameter is the odor component; Then, identifying the type of liquid in the water supply tank according to the characteristic parameter includes: Comparing the odor components of the liquid in the water supply tank with a preset standard odor component; wherein the standard odor component refers to the odor component of water; When the odor component of the liquid is consistent with the standard odor component, the liquid is determined to be water; When the odor component of the liquid is inconsistent with the standard odor component, it is determined that the liquid is not water.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: The second sensor is configured to detect the odor component of the liquid in the water supply tank and convert it into an odor representation value; The characteristic parameter is a value representing the odor; Then, identifying the type of liquid in the water supply tank according to the characteristic parameter includes: Calculating the difference between the odor characterization value of the liquid in the water supply tank and a preset standard odor characterization value as the odor difference; wherein the standard odor characterization value refers to the odor characterization value of water; When the odor difference is less than a preset difference threshold, determining that the liquid is water; When the odor difference is greater than or equal to a preset difference threshold, it is determined that the liquid is not water.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein: The second sensor includes an odor sensing element, which is configured to detect the odor component of the liquid in the water supply tank and convert it into an odor representation value; The calculating the difference between the odor characterization value of the liquid in the water supply tank and a preset standard odor characterization value as the odor difference value includes: Determine a preset standard odor characterization value corresponding to the odor sensor element; Calculating the difference between the odor representation value detected by the odor sensor element and the corresponding preset standard odor representation value to obtain a sub-odor difference; The odor difference value is calculated based on all the sub-odor differences.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein: After calculating the odor difference, identifying the type of liquid in the water supply tank using the characteristic parameter further includes: According to the preset correspondence between the odor difference and the liquid type, the liquid type corresponding to the currently calculated odor difference is determined to obtain the type of liquid currently in the water supply tank.

16. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 12 to 14, further comprising an oscillator, wherein the oscillator is arranged on the second sensor, the oscillator vibrates at a preset vibration frequency, and the surface of the oscillator is coated with a sensing film to absorb odor components, and the current vibration frequency of the oscillator changes with the change of the odor components of the liquid in the water supply tank; then the odor characterization value is the current oscillation frequency of the oscillator.

17. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein: The second sensor comprises: A sensor body, wherein the second sensor body is arranged in the box; A suction tube, one end of which is connected to the sensor body, and the other end of which is detachably connected to the opening of the water supply tank; A suction pump is provided on the suction tube and is configured to suck the odor component of the liquid.

18. A method for controlling a refrigerator, wherein: The refrigerator comprises: Box; A door body, the door body being pivotally connected to the box body; An ice maker, the ice maker is arranged in the box; the ice maker comprises: an ice-making mechanism, a water supply tank, a water supply pipe and a water supply pump, wherein the water supply pump is configured to guide the liquid in the water supply tank to the ice-making mechanism through the water supply pipe when in operation; a third sensor, disposed on the ice maker body and connected to the water supply tank, the third sensor being configured to detect characteristic parameters of the liquid in the water supply tank; The method comprises: When receiving a water supply start instruction, obtaining characteristic parameters of the liquid in the water supply tank; Identifying the type of liquid in the water supply tank according to the characteristic parameter; When the liquid is water, controlling the water supply pump to be in a running state; When the liquid is not water, the water supply pump is controlled to be in a shutdown state.

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