Refrigerator and unfreezing control method

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator and an unfreezing control method of the refrigerator. The refrigerator comprises an unfreezing chamber and an unfreezing device, a to-be-unfrozen object is put into the unfreezing chamber, the unfreezing process is controlled through the unfreezing device, the unfrozen object is unfrozen in the unfreezing chamber according to the preset unfreezing temperature, and the surface temperature of the to-be-unfrozen object is always lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature of the to-be-unfrozen object in the unfreezing process. According to the thawing control method of the refrigerator, the surface of the to-be-thawed object is not thawed in the whole thawing process by controlling the preset thawing temperature or the surface temperature of the to-be-thawed object. The occurrence of surface phase change is avoided, and the phenomenon that the efficiency of re-conducting heat outside the to-be-unfrozen object to the to-be-unfrozen object due to surface melting is reduced is improved. Finally, the problems that the to-be-unfrozen object is unfrozen unevenly, the outside is melted, and the inside hardness is high and cannot be cut are solved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Currently, the commonly used thawing method for food ingredients is natural thawing. Natural thawing means placing the food ingredients to be thawed in a room temperature environment and relying on the ambient temperature to thaw the food ingredients to be thawed. However, there is a large difference in the thermal conductivity coefficients of water and ice, and the thermal conductivity coefficient of ice is about 4.7 times that of water. During natural thawing, the ambient temperature of the food ingredients to be thawed is higher than the freezing point temperature of the food ingredients to be thawed. If not controlled, a phase change will occur on the surface of the food ingredients to be thawed in the initial stage of thawing. During the phase change process, a large amount of heat is absorbed, resulting in the need for heat to accumulate on the surface area of the food ingredients to be thawed and unable to conduct inward quickly. After the phase change occurs, the surface of the food ingredients to be thawed melts, and the surface thermal conductivity coefficient decreases, which will slow down the speed of heat transfer from the outside of the object to be thawed to the surface of the object to be thawed, thereby reducing the amount of heat entering the interior of the food ingredients to be thawed per unit time, resulting in a slow thawing efficiency of the food ingredients to be thawed and a lag in the thawing of the center of the food ingredients to be thawed. There will be a phenomenon that the surface of the food ingredients to be thawed thaws, but the center is still hard and difficult to cut. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above problems, the present invention is proposed to provide a refrigerator and a thawing control method that overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems. Solve the problem that the surface of the food ingredients thaws after thawing, but the center temperature is still low and remains in a frozen state, realize uniform thawing of the food ingredients to be thawed, and reduce the center hardness of the food ingredients.

[0004] Specifically, the present invention provides a refrigerator, which includes:

[0005] A thawing chamber for storing the object to be thawed;

[0006] A thawing device configured to thaw the object to be thawed at a preset thawing temperature during part or all of the thawing process of the object to be thawed; or the thawing device is configured to make the surface temperature of the object to be thawed always lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed during part or all of the thawing process of the object to be thawed;

[0007] The preset thawing temperature is equal to or lower than the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed and higher than the storage temperature of the object to be thawed.

[0008] Optionally, the refrigerator further includes a first temperature measuring device configured to detect the surface temperature of the object to be thawed;

[0009] The thawing device first brings the surface temperature of the object to be thawed to a preset surface temperature, and after the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches the preset surface temperature, the object to be thawed is thawed according to the preset thawing temperature;

[0010] The preset surface temperature is equal to or lower than the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed and higher than the storage temperature of the object to be thawed.

[0011] Optionally, the thawing device thaws the object to be thawed through a medium;

[0012] The thawing device includes a cold source and a heat source. The cold source provides cold to the medium, and the heat source provides heat to the medium so that the temperature of the medium is at least the preset thawing temperature.

[0013] Optionally, the medium includes a solid medium, and an accommodation cavity for accommodating the object to be thawed is provided in the solid medium; or

[0014] The solid medium is a deformable structure to wrap the object to be thawed.

[0015] Optionally, the medium is a liquid or a gas;

[0016] The thawing device further includes a mixing device configured to perform heat exchange between the medium and the cold source and the heat source, then mix the medium, and then perform heat exchange between the medium and the object to be thawed.

[0017] The mixing device is further configured to, after the medium performs heat exchange with the object to be thawed, return the medium to perform heat exchange with the cold source and the heat source.

[0018] Optionally, the mixing device includes a pipeline for the flow of the medium and a fluid flow driving device for promoting the flow of the medium.

[0019] Optionally, the refrigerator includes:

[0020] A second temperature measuring device for obtaining the central temperature of the object to be thawed so that the thawing device stops thawing according to the central temperature.

[0021] Optionally, the second temperature measuring device is a probe thermometer;

[0022] The refrigerator further includes:

[0023] A position sensing device for obtaining the central position of the object to be thawed, where the central position is the height center, the horizontal center or the longitudinal center position, or the position where the height center, the horizontal center and the longitudinal center intersect;

[0024] A propulsion device configured to push a probe thermometer to the central position.

[0025] The present invention provides a thawing control method for a refrigerator, comprising:

[0026] Obtaining the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed and the surface temperature of the object to be thawed;

[0027] Controlling a thawing device such that, in a part or all of the stages of the object to be thawed based on the start of thawing, the surface temperature of the object to be thawed is always lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature.

[0028] Optionally, the controlling the thawing device includes:

[0029] Determining a first preset thawing temperature according to the freezing point temperature; the first preset thawing temperature is equal to or lower than the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed and higher than the storage temperature of the object to be thawed;

[0030] Thawing the object to be thawed so that the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches a preset surface temperature, the preset surface temperature being lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature;

[0031] After the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches the preset surface temperature, thawing the object to be thawed according to the first preset thawing temperature.

[0032] Optionally, after thawing the object to be thawed according to the first preset thawing temperature, the control method further includes:

[0033] Obtaining the central temperature of the object to be thawed;

[0034] Stopping thawing the object to be thawed according to the first preset thawing temperature according to the central temperature and the freezing point temperature.

[0035] Optionally, stopping thawing the object to be thawed according to the first preset thawing temperature according to the central temperature and the first preset thawing temperature.

[0036] Optionally, before thawing the object to be thawed so that the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches a preset surface temperature, the control method further includes:

[0037] Determining a second preset thawing temperature according to the freezing point temperature; the second preset thawing temperature is higher than the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed;

[0038] Thawing the object to be thawed according to the second preset thawing temperature so that the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches the preset surface temperature.

[0039] Optionally, the first preset thawing temperature is lower than the freezing point temperature; the thawing control method further includes:

[0040] After stopping thawing the object to be thawed according to the first preset thawing temperature, continue to thaw the object to be thawed according to a third preset thawing temperature;

[0041] The third preset thawing temperature is equal to the freezing point temperature.

[0042] In the refrigerator of the present invention, the thawing chamber is used to store the object to be thawed. After the object to be thawed is placed in the thawing chamber, the thawing device can thaw the object to be thawed in the thawing chamber. In the thawing control method of the present invention, at least before the end of the thawing process, the thawing device can make the surface temperature of the object to be thawed always lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed. During the thawing process, because the surface temperature of the object to be thawed is always lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed, the surface of the object to be thawed does not melt, solving the problem that a large amount of heat is absorbed during the surface phase change process, the heat transfer to the inside of the object to be thawed becomes slower, and the internal thawing of the object to be thawed lags behind. At the same time, the object to be thawed is controlled in a frozen state during the thawing process, and the entire object to be thawed can maintain a high thermal conductivity. The heat transfer from the outside of the object to be thawed to the surface of the object to be thawed and from the surface of the object to be thawed to the center of the object to be thawed both maintain a high speed, increasing the amount of heat transferred into the center of the object to be thawed per unit time, rapidly raising the center temperature, avoiding the situation where the heat conduction is slow after the surface thaws, and also helping to solve the problem of central thawing lag. Finally, the problem that the object to be thawed thaws unevenly and the outside melts while the inside is too hard to be cut is solved.

[0043] From the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will become more clear about the above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0044] Some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in an exemplary but not restrictive manner. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar components or parts. Those skilled in the art should understand that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

[0045] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a thawing chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 3 is a partial schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 4 is a partial schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of a thawing control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of a thawing control method according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 7 is a schematic flowchart of a thawing control method according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 8 is a schematic flowchart of a thawing control method according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 9 is a schematic flowchart of a thawing control method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Embodiments

[0054] The following will refer to Figures 1 to 9 to describe the refrigerator and the thawing control method according to the embodiments of the present invention. In the description of the present embodiment, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features, that is, including one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "a plurality of" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined. When a certain feature "includes or contains" a certain or certain features it covers, unless otherwise specifically described, this indicates that other features are not excluded and other features may be further included.

[0055] Unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "set", "installed", "connected", "coupled", "fixed", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly limited. Those of ordinary skill in the art should be able to understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention according to specific situations.

[0056] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact through additional features therebetween. That is, in the description of this embodiment, the first feature being "above", "over", and "on top of" the second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicating that the first feature has a higher horizontal height than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "beneath", or "under" the second feature may be the first feature being directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or merely indicating that the first feature has a lower horizontal height than the second feature.

[0057] In the description of this embodiment, the descriptions with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "schematic embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples", etc. mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic descriptions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0058] There is a negative correlation between the hardness of the object to be thawed and the temperature of the object to be thawed, that is, the lower the temperature of the object to be thawed, the higher the corresponding hardness, and thus the more difficult it is to cut. In daily life, in order to achieve long-term preservation of food ingredients, people usually put the food ingredients into the freezer for freezing, and when using them, they need to be cut. Since the frozen food ingredients have a low temperature, they also have a high hardness and are difficult to cut.

[0059] In order to facilitate cutting, the food ingredients are usually thawed in advance. Common thawing methods include thawing the food ingredients by controlling the room temperature in a cycle or placing them in the refrigerator compartment to thaw statically, but the efficiency and effect are relatively low. The surface of the object to be thawed melts prematurely, forming a phase change layer with a certain thickness, which slows down the conduction of external heat to the inside, resulting in the object to be thawed remaining frozen inside for a long time and the central hardness not being improved, which is not conducive to cutting.

[0060] Figure 1 is a schematic partial structural view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 1 shown, and with reference to Figures 2 to 4, the first embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator. The refrigerator 100 includes a thawing chamber 120 and a thawing device 110. The thawing chamber 120 is used to store the object to be thawed. The thawing device 110 is configured to thaw the object to be thawed at a preset thawing temperature during a part of the thawing process of the object to be thawed. The part of the thawing process may refer to the latter half of the thawing process or the middle part of the thawing process. The preset thawing temperature is equal to or lower than the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed and higher than the storage temperature of the object to be thawed.

[0061] In the second embodiment of the refrigerator of the present invention, the thawing chamber 120 is used to store the object to be thawed. The thawing device 110 is configured to thaw the object to be thawed at a preset thawing temperature during the entire stage of the thawing process of the object to be thawed. The preset thawing temperature is equal to or lower than the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed and higher than the storage temperature of the object to be thawed.

[0062] In the third embodiment of the refrigerator of the present invention, the thawing chamber 120 is used to store the object to be thawed. The thawing device 110 is configured to make the surface temperature of the object to be thawed always lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed during a part of the thawing process of the object to be thawed. The part of the thawing process may refer to the latter part of the thawing process or the middle part of the thawing process.

[0063] In the fourth embodiment of the refrigerator of the present invention, the thawing chamber 120 is used to store the object to be thawed. The thawing device 110 is configured to make the surface temperature of the object to be thawed always lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed during the entire stage of the thawing process of the object to be thawed.

[0064] In the above embodiments, the storage temperature of the object to be thawed may be the measured temperature of the object to be thawed under various environments. For example: it may be the temperature when the object to be thawed is taken out of the freezer, or the temperature when the object to be thawed is put into the thawing chamber 120, or the temperature of the object to be thawed when the thawing device 110 is started. The temperatures of the thawed object listed above may be the temperature at any position of the object to be thawed, preferably the central temperature of the object to be thawed. The preset thawing temperature is the temperature of the thawing medium in the thawing chamber 120.

[0065] The freezing point temperature is the temperature at which the water in the object to be thawed freezes and forms ice crystals, and this temperature is below 0°C. When the overall temperature of the object to be thawed is lower than the freezing point temperature, the object to be thawed is in a frozen state; when the overall temperature of the object to be thawed is higher than or equal to the freezing point temperature, the object to be thawed is completely thawed.

[0066] In the first to fourth embodiments, the specific working process may include: placing the object to be thawed into the thawing chamber 120, and controlling, by the thawing device 110, the preset thawing temperature to be lower than or equal to the freezing temperature of the object to be thawed and higher than the storage temperature of the object to be thawed. During the process of thawing the object to be thawed according to the preset thawing temperature, the overall temperature of the object to be thawed gradually increases from the storage temperature, and the difference from the freezing point temperature gradually decreases. Since the preset thawing temperature is lower than or equal to the freezing temperature of the object to be thawed, the surface of the object to be thawed will not be thawed.

[0067] Of course, after the object to be thawed is placed in the thawing chamber 120, it is also possible not to preset the thawing temperature (such as in the third and fourth embodiments), and directly thaw the object to be thawed by the thawing device 110, and keep the surface temperature of the object to be thawed equal to or lower than the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed during the thawing process. During the process of thawing the object to be thawed, the overall temperature of the object to be thawed gradually increases from the storage temperature, and the difference from the freezing point temperature gradually decreases, or reaches the freezing point temperature. That is to say, regardless of whether the preset thawing temperature is a fixed value or a variable value, and regardless of whether the preset thawing temperature is higher or lower than the freezing temperature of the object to be thawed, only need to adjust it up or down to ensure that the surface temperature of the object to be thawed is equal to or lower than the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed. Compared with the first and second embodiments, a faster thawing speed can be achieved.

[0068] The above process can be all stages of the thawing process, which means that the object to be thawed is thawed, such as in the second and fourth embodiments. It can also be part of the thawing process, which means that only the temperature of the object to be thawed has increased, and subsequent operations are still required to complete the full thawing, such as in the first and third embodiments.

[0069] In the above-mentioned multiple embodiments, during the thawing process, the overall temperature or surface temperature of the object to be thawed is not higher than the freezing point temperature, the moisture in the object to be thawed exists in the form of ice, and the outer surface of the object to be thawed will not melt when the inside of the object to be thawed is still in a low-temperature frozen state. The heat conduction coefficient remains unchanged throughout the process, and the internal and external heat transfer coefficients will not be inconsistent, avoiding the situation where the surface of the object to be thawed melts while the inside is still in a low-temperature frozen state, and solving the problem of uneven thawing or heat transfer of the object to be thawed. Finally, uniform thawing of the object to be thawed or an increase in the overall temperature of the object to be thawed is achieved, thereby reducing the hardness of the object to be thawed and solving the problems of low central temperature and difficulty in cutting of the object to be thawed.

[0070] Such as Figures 2 to 4As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the refrigerator 100 further includes a first temperature measuring device 121. The first temperature measuring device 121 is configured to detect the surface temperature of the object to be thawed. The thawing device 110 first raises the surface temperature of the object to be thawed to a preset surface temperature, and after the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches the preset surface temperature, the object to be thawed is thawed according to a preset thawing temperature. The preset surface temperature is lower than the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed and higher than the storage temperature of the object to be thawed.

[0071] Specifically, the surface temperature of the object to be thawed is preset, and the preset surface temperature is lower than the thawing temperature of the object to be thawed. During the thawing process, the surface temperature of the object to be thawed is detected by the first temperature measuring device 121. The first temperature measuring device 121 can be an infrared temperature sensor. The thawing device 110 is used to raise the surface temperature of the object to be thawed. After the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches the preset surface temperature, the object to be thawed is thawed according to the preset thawing temperature. That is to say, the thawing device 110 raises the surface temperature of the object to be thawed, reducing the difference from the freezing temperature. When the object to be thawed is still in a frozen state, the object to be thawed is thawed according to the preset thawing temperature.

[0072] In this embodiment, the first temperature measuring device 121 is provided to be able to detect the surface temperature of the object to be thawed in real time and compare the difference between the surface temperature of the object to be thawed and the freezing point temperature. This can avoid the situation where the surface temperature of the object to be thawed is higher than the freezing temperature point, thereby preventing the object to be thawed from melting and affecting the internal heat transfer, resulting in uneven thawing.

[0073] As Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, in some embodiments of the refrigerator of the present invention, the thawing device 110 thaws the object to be thawed through a medium. The thawing device 110 includes a cold source 111 and a heat source 112. The cold source 111 provides cold to the medium, and the heat source 112 provides heat to the medium, so that the thawing temperature of the medium is at least the preset thawing temperature. Of course, during the entire thawing process, in addition to including the preset thawing temperature, the temperature of the medium can also have other temperature values different from the preset thawing temperature to adapt to different thawing stages during the thawing process.

[0074] In this embodiment, the cold source 111 provides cold to the medium, and the heat source 112 provides heat to the medium. The cold source 111 and the heat source 112 cooperate to enable the thawing temperature of the medium to be the preset thawing temperature. Of course, it can also be configured to other temperatures. By adjusting the cold source 111 and the heat source 112, the thawing temperature of the medium can be made variable to meet the needs of different objects to be thawed and different thawing operation methods. Compared with a single cold source or a single heat source, by mixing the cold source and the heat source, the temperature adjustment is more accurate.

[0075] As Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, in some embodiments of the refrigerator of the present invention, the cold source 111 is the cold end of a semiconductor, and the heat source 112 is the hot end of the semiconductor.

[0076] In this embodiment, a semiconductor is used as the cold source 111 and the heat source 112, without the need to add any refrigerant, which is green and environmentally friendly. Moreover, compared with traditional mechanical refrigeration devices, it also has the advantages of noiselessness, precise temperature control, and safety and reliability.

[0077] As Figure 4 shown, in some embodiments of the refrigerator of the present invention, the medium includes a solid medium, and an accommodation cavity for accommodating the object to be thawed is provided in the solid medium. The solid medium is in contact with all or part of the surface of the object to be thawed for heat transfer.

[0078] In some other embodiments of the refrigerator of the present invention, the solid medium is a deformable structure for wrapping the object to be thawed. The deformable structure can be food-grade silica gel.

[0079] In this embodiment, the medium wraps the thawing object, making the whole thawing object receive heat more evenly.

[0080] As Figure 3 shown, in some embodiments of the refrigerator of the present invention, the medium is a liquid or a gas. The thawing device 110 further includes a mixing device configured to exchange heat between the medium and the cold source 111 and the heat source 112, then mix the medium, and then exchange heat between the medium and the object to be thawed. The mixing device is further configured to return the medium to exchange heat with the cold source 111 and the heat source 112 after the medium exchanges heat with the object to be thawed.

[0081] Specifically, the medium exchanges heat with the cold source 111 to obtain cold and becomes a cold medium, and the medium exchanges heat with the heat source 112 to obtain heat and becomes a hot medium. Depending on the type of the object to be thawed, the hot medium and the cold medium are mixed in the mixing device. The mixed medium exchanges heat with the object to be thawed, transfers heat to the object to be thawed, raises the temperature of the object to be thawed or thaws the object to be thawed. The medium after exchanging heat with the object to be thawed exchanges heat with the cold source 111 and the heat source 112 again. In this embodiment, the medium is recycled.

[0082] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of the present invention, the mixing device includes a pipeline for the flow of the medium and a fluid flow driving device 130 for promoting the flow of the medium.

[0083] In this embodiment, the fluid flow driving device 130 drives the medium to flow in the pipeline, controls the flow direction and flow speed of the medium, thereby controlling the amount of heat exchange between the object to be thawed and the medium per unit time, so that the thawing speed of the object to be thawed is adjustable. The fluid driving device can be a fan.

[0084] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of the present invention, the refrigerator 100 further includes a second temperature measuring device 122. The second temperature measuring device 122 is used to obtain the central temperature of the object to be thawed, so that the thawing device 110 stops thawing according to the central temperature.

[0085] Specifically, the second temperature measuring device 122 detects the central temperature of the object to be thawed and stops thawing when the central temperature of the object to be thawed reaches the freezing point temperature. In this embodiment, detecting the central temperature of the object to be thawed facilitates determining whether the thawing of the object to be thawed is completed.

[0086] As Figure 2 shown, in some embodiments of the refrigerator of the present invention, the second temperature measuring device 122 is a probe thermometer. The refrigerator 100 further includes a position sensing device 123 and a propulsion device 124. The position sensing device 123 is used to obtain the central position of the object to be thawed, and the central position is the height center, the horizontal center or the longitudinal center position. The propulsion device 124 is configured to push the probe thermometer to the central position.

[0087] In this embodiment, the position sensing device 123 obtains the central position of the object to be thawed, the propulsion device 124 pushes the probe thermometer to the central position, and the probe thermometer measures the temperature at the central position. The position sensing device 123 reduces the positioning error at the central position; the propulsion device helps to overcome the resistance of the object to be thawed, making it easier for the probe thermometer to enter the central position of the object to be thawed; the probe thermometer has high reliability in measuring temperature. The time for the probe thermometer to enter the object to be thawed can be any moment during the thawing process. For example, at the beginning of thawing, when the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches the preset thawing temperature. Preferably, when the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches the preset thawing temperature, the resistance of the object to be thawed to the probe thermometer is smaller at this time.

[0088] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of the present invention, the second temperature measuring device 122 is a probe thermometer. The refrigerator 100 further includes a position sensing device 123 and a propulsion device 124. The position sensing device 123 is used to obtain the central position of the object to be thawed, and the central position is the position where the height center, the horizontal center and the longitudinal center intersect. The propulsion device 124 is configured to push the probe thermometer to the central position.

[0089] In this embodiment, the central position of the object to be thawed is selected as the position where the height center, the horizontal center and the longitudinal center intersect. The central position selected in this way is closer to the lowest temperature point of the object to be thawed.

[0090] As Figure 5 shown, in some embodiments of the control method of the present invention, the thawing control method includes:

[0091] Step S31, obtaining the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed and the surface temperature of the object to be thawed;

[0092] Step S32: Based on the freezing point temperature and the surface temperature of the object to be thawed, control the thawing device 110 so that the surface temperature of the object to be thawed is always lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature during part or all of the thawing process of the object to be thawed starting from the start of thawing.

[0093] In this embodiment, obtain the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed and the surface temperature of the object to be thawed, and control the medium temperature of the thawing device 110 to be lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature according to the temperature of the freezing point. The temperature rise of the object to be thawed depends on the heat exchange with the medium of the thawing device 110. By controlling the medium temperature of the thawing device 110, the surface temperature of the object to be thawed can be made lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature. The freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed can be obtained according to a preset program, and the acquisition method is simple. The freezing point temperatures of different types of objects to be thawed may be different, which can be preset and stored in the preset program for the user to actively select, or for the refrigerator to automatically identify the type of the object to be thawed and then automatically select. The water in the object to be thawed always exists in a solid form or is partially converted into a liquid, avoiding inconsistent internal heat conduction coefficients of the object to be thawed during the thawing process.

[0094] As Figure 6 shown, in some embodiments of the control method of the present invention, the control of the thawing device 110 includes:

[0095] Step S41: Determine a first preset thawing temperature according to the freezing point temperature;

[0096] Step S42: Thaw the object to be thawed so that the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches a preset surface temperature, and the preset surface temperature is lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature;

[0097] Step S43: After the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches the preset surface temperature, thaw the object to be thawed according to the first preset thawing temperature. That is to say, control the internal temperature of the thawing chamber to be equal to the first preset thawing temperature and thaw the object to be thawed.

[0098] In this embodiment, the thawing device 110 is used to raise the temperature of the object to be thawed. When the surface temperature of the object to be thawed rises to be close to or equal to the freezing temperature point, control the surface temperature to remain unchanged, and thaw the object to be thawed with the first preset thawing temperature higher than the surface temperature. Before thawing the object to be thawed with the first preset thawing temperature, the surface temperature of the object to be thawed has risen to be close to or equal to the freezing point temperature, reducing the subsequent thawing time.

[0099] As Figure 7 shown, in some embodiments of the control method of the present invention, after thawing the object to be thawed according to the first preset thawing temperature, the thawing control method further includes:

[0100] Step S51: Obtain the central temperature of the object to be thawed;

[0101] Step S52: Stop thawing the object to be thawed at the first preset thawing temperature according to the central temperature and the freezing point temperature.

[0102] In this embodiment, the object to be thawed is thawed at the first preset thawing temperature, and the surface temperature of the object to be thawed is controlled to be equal to the freezing point temperature. When the central temperature is equal to the freezing point temperature, it indicates that the whole object to be thawed reaches the freezing point temperature. At this time, stop thawing the object to be thawed at the first preset thawing temperature. By controlling the surface temperature to be equal to the freezing point temperature for thawing and stopping thawing when the central temperature is equal to the freezing point temperature, heat conduction can be ensured during the thawing process, and the object to be thawed can be completely thawed by taking it out of the thawing chamber 120 after thawing.

[0103] As Figure 8 shown, in some other embodiments of the control method of the present invention, before the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches the preset surface temperature during the thawing of the object to be thawed, the thawing control method further includes:

[0104] Step S61: Obtain the central temperature of the object to be thawed;

[0105] Step S62: Stop thawing the object to be thawed at the first preset thawing temperature according to the central temperature and the first preset thawing temperature.

[0106] In this embodiment, the first preset thawing temperature is lower than the freezing point temperature and higher than the storage temperature. After the above program terminates, the overall temperature of the object to be thawed is below the freezing point temperature and is still in a frozen state, but the temperature difference from the freezing point temperature is reduced. This enables the surface of the object to be thawed not to melt while increasing the temperature inside the object to be thawed.

[0107] As Figure 9 shown, in some embodiments of the control method of the present invention, before the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches the preset surface temperature during the thawing of the object to be thawed, the control method further includes:

[0108] Step S71: Determine the second preset thawing temperature according to the freezing point temperature; the second preset thawing temperature is higher than the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed;

[0109] Step S72: Thaw the object to be thawed at the second preset thawing temperature so that the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches the preset surface temperature.

[0110] In this embodiment, during some stages of thawing, the surface temperature of the object to be thawed is raised to a preset surface temperature by a second preset thawing temperature. After the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches the preset surface temperature, the thawing according to the second preset thawing temperature is stopped. The second preset thawing temperature is higher than the freezing point temperature, preferably increased by 5-10 °C on the basis of the freezing point temperature. The preset surface temperature is lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature, preferably equal to the freezing point temperature. The second preset thawing temperature is higher than the freezing point temperature and higher than the preset surface temperature, which facilitates the rapid increase of the surface temperature of the object to be thawed to the preset surface temperature without starting to melt.

[0111] In some embodiments of the control method of the present invention, when the first preset thawing temperature is lower than the freezing point temperature, the thawing control method further includes:

[0112] After stopping thawing the object to be thawed according to the first thawing temperature, the object to be thawed is continuously thawed according to a third preset thawing temperature. The third preset thawing temperature is equal to the freezing point temperature.

[0113] In this embodiment, the first preset thawing temperature is lower than the freezing point temperature and higher than the storage temperature. The object to be thawed has been heated up by the first preset temperature in the early stage. After the object to be thawed is heated up, it is thawed with the third preset thawing temperature. Thawing the object to be thawed after reducing the temperature difference between the object to be thawed and the freezing point temperature not only ensures the uniformity of thawing, but also enables the melted liquid to be reabsorbed by the cells during the thawing process, avoiding the loss of juice and retaining the original juice in the object to be thawed.

[0114] In some embodiments of the refrigerator of the present invention, the refrigerator 100 further includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores a control program, and when the control program is executed by the processor, it is used to implement the thawing control method of the refrigerator 100 in any of the above embodiments.

[0115] At this point, those skilled in the art should recognize that although multiple exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications that conform to the principles of the present invention can still be directly determined or derived from the content disclosed in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and determined to cover all these other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, comprising: a thawing chamber for storing an object to be thawed; a thawing device configured to thaw the object to be thawed at a preset thawing temperature during part or all of the thawing process of the object to be thawed; or the thawing device is configured to make the surface temperature of the object to be thawed always lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed during part or all of the thawing process of the object to be thawed; the preset thawing temperature is equal to or lower than the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed and higher than the storage temperature of the object to be thawed.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, further comprising a first temperature measuring device configured to detect the surface temperature of the object to be thawed; the thawing device first makes the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reach a preset surface temperature, and after the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches the preset surface temperature, thaws the object to be thawed at the preset thawing temperature; the preset surface temperature is equal to or lower than the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed and higher than the storage temperature of the object to be thawed.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, the thawing device thaws the object to be thawed through a medium; the thawing device includes a cold source and a heat source, the cold source provides cold to the medium, and the heat source provides heat to the medium so that the temperature of the medium is at least the preset thawing temperature.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that, the medium includes a solid medium, and an accommodation cavity for accommodating the object to be thawed is provided in the solid medium; or the solid medium is a deformable structure to wrap the object to be thawed.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that, the medium is a liquid or a gas; the thawing device further includes a mixing device configured to perform heat exchange between the medium, the cold source and the heat source, then mix the medium, and then perform heat exchange between the medium and the object to be thawed. The mixing device is further configured to make the medium return to perform heat exchange with the cold source and the heat source after the heat exchange between the medium and the object to be thawed.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that, the mixing device includes a pipeline for the flow of the medium and a fluid flow driving device for promoting the flow of the medium.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, further comprising: a second temperature measuring device for obtaining the central temperature of the object to be thawed so that the thawing device stops thawing according to the central temperature.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that, the second temperature measuring device is a probe thermometer; the refrigerator further includes: a position sensing device for obtaining the central position of the object to be thawed, the central position being a height center, a horizontal center or a longitudinal center position, or a position where the height center, the horizontal center and the longitudinal center intersect; a propulsion device configured to push the probe thermometer to the central position.

9. A thawing control method for a refrigerator, characterized in that, it includes: obtaining the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed and the surface temperature of the object to be thawed; controlling a thawing device to make the surface temperature of the object to be thawed always lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature during a part or all of the stages of the object to be thawed starting from thawing.

10. The thawing control method according to claim 9, characterized in that, the controlling the thawing device includes: determining a first preset thawing temperature according to the freezing point temperature; the first preset thawing temperature is equal to or lower than the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed and higher than the storage temperature of the object to be thawed; thawing the object to be thawed to make the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reach a preset surface temperature, the preset surface temperature being lower than or equal to the freezing point temperature; after the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reaches the preset surface temperature, thawing the object to be thawed according to the first preset thawing temperature.

11. The thawing control method according to claim 10, characterized in that, after thawing the object to be thawed according to the first preset thawing temperature, the control method further includes: obtaining the central temperature of the object to be thawed; stopping thawing the object to be thawed according to the first preset thawing temperature according to the central temperature and the freezing point temperature, or stopping thawing the object to be thawed according to the first preset thawing temperature according to the central temperature and the first preset thawing temperature.

12. The thawing control method according to claim 10, characterized in that, before thawing the object to be thawed to make the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reach a preset surface temperature, the control method further includes: determining a second preset thawing temperature according to the freezing point temperature; the second preset thawing temperature is higher than the freezing point temperature of the object to be thawed; thawing the object to be thawed according to the second preset thawing temperature to make the surface temperature of the object to be thawed reach the preset surface temperature.

13. The thawing control method according to claim 11, characterized in that, the first preset thawing temperature is lower than the freezing point temperature; the thawing control method further includes: after stopping thawing the object to be thawed according to the first preset thawing temperature, continuing to thaw the object to be thawed according to a third preset thawing temperature; the third preset thawing temperature is equal to the freezing point temperature.

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