Refrigerator and self-cleaning control method thereof

Abstract

This invention discloses a refrigerator and its self-cleaning control method. The refrigerator includes at least a defrost heater used as a heat source and a fan that blows the heat generated by the defrost heater into each compartment of the refrigerator. The self-cleaning control method includes: detecting the refrigerator's usage information; executing a self-cleaning program for the refrigerator when it is in a low-frequency usage state; controlling the fan and the defrost heater to start during the self-cleaning program to heat and dehumidify the refrigerator; determining whether the self-cleaning program is complete based on the humidity parameters inside the refrigerator; and turning off the fan and the defrost heater when the self-cleaning program is determined to be complete. Compared with the prior art, this invention solves the problem that residual moisture inside the refrigerator cannot be effectively removed when it is in a low-frequency usage state, leading to bacterial growth and internal mold.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigerator cleaning, and in particular to a refrigerator and its self-cleaning control method. Background Technology

[0002] In current refrigerator technology, defrosting heaters are primarily used to melt the frost layer on the evaporator surface during the defrost cycle to maintain cooling efficiency. However, when users are away for extended periods or the refrigerator is used infrequently, moisture may remain inside the refrigerator, especially in the air duct area. Prolonged retention of this moisture can easily lead to bacterial growth and mold, affecting the food storage environment and user health. Currently, most refrigerators do not have a dedicated drying mechanism designed for such scenarios; users must manually wipe the refrigerator or rely on external equipment for drying, which is cumbersome and has limited effectiveness.

[0003] Therefore, how to design a refrigerator and its self-cleaning control method that can remove residual moisture inside the refrigerator and prevent bacterial growth and internal mold is a technical problem that the industry urgently needs to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In response to the problem in existing refrigerators that residual moisture can lead to bacterial growth and mold growth, this invention proposes a refrigerator and its self-cleaning control method.

[0005] The technical solution of this invention is to propose a refrigerator self-cleaning control method, wherein the refrigerator includes at least a defrost heater used as a heat source and a fan that can blow the heat generated by the defrost heater into each compartment of the refrigerator, and the refrigerator self-cleaning control method includes:

[0006] The refrigerator's usage information is detected, and a self-cleaning program is executed when the refrigerator is in a low-frequency usage state.

[0007] When the self-cleaning program is executed, the fan and the defrost heater are activated to heat and dehumidify the refrigerator;

[0008] The self-cleaning process is determined based on the humidity parameters inside the refrigerator, and the fan and defrost heater are turned off when the self-cleaning process is determined to be complete.

[0009] Furthermore, the refrigerator's usage information includes the number of times the door is opened and closed, and the method for determining whether the refrigerator is in a low-frequency usage state includes:

[0010] Determine whether the number of times the refrigerator door is opened and closed within a first preset time period has reached a preset number;

[0011] If so, the refrigerator is determined to be in a high-frequency usage state;

[0012] If not, the refrigerator is determined to be in a low-frequency usage state.

[0013] Furthermore, the self-cleaning process includes a heating phase and a dehumidification phase;

[0014] When the heating phase is in progress, the fan and the defrosting heater are activated;

[0015] When the dehumidification phase is in progress, the fan starts and the defrosting heater turns off.

[0016] Furthermore, the heating phase is executed before the dehumidification phase, and when the heating phase has been executed for a second preset time or the humidity parameter inside the refrigerator reaches a first threshold humidity, the system switches to the dehumidification phase.

[0017] Furthermore, controlling the start of the fan and the defrost heater to heat and dehumidify the refrigerator includes:

[0018] During the heating phase, the temperature parameters inside the refrigerator are detected, and the rate of increase of the temperature parameters is calculated.

[0019] When the rate of increase of the temperature parameter is greater than the first preset rate, the operating speed of the refrigerator compressor is increased and the power of the defrost heater is reduced.

[0020] When the rate of increase of the temperature parameter is less than the second preset rate, the power of the defrosting heater is kept constant, and the operating speed of the compressor is reduced.

[0021] Furthermore, controlling the start of the fan and the defrost heater to heat and dehumidify the refrigerator also includes:

[0022] During the heating phase, the humidity parameter inside the refrigerator is detected, and the rate of decrease of the humidity parameter is calculated.

[0023] When the rate of decrease of the humidity parameter is less than the third preset rate, the execution time of the heating phase is extended.

[0024] Furthermore, determining whether the self-cleaning process is complete based on the humidity parameters inside the refrigerator includes:

[0025] When the dehumidification stage is in progress, the humidity parameter inside the refrigerator is detected, and it is determined whether the humidity parameter is less than the second threshold humidity.

[0026] If so, the self-cleaning process is considered complete.

[0027] Furthermore, during the execution of the self-cleaning procedure, the self-cleaning control method further includes:

[0028] The temperature parameters inside the refrigerator are detected. When the temperature parameters reach a preset temperature threshold and the duration reaches a third preset time, the defrosting heater or fan is determined to be abnormal, and the self-cleaning program is interrupted.

[0029] Furthermore, when the self-cleaning procedure is executed, the fan starts before the defrosting heater.

[0030] The present invention also proposes a refrigerator, which includes at least a defrost heater used as a heat source, and a fan that can blow the heat generated by the defrost heater into each compartment of the refrigerator, and a controller for performing the above-described self-cleaning control method.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0032] 1. In the process of heating and dehumidifying, the fan and defrosting heater used in this invention are already existing devices in the refrigerator, so there is no need to add an additional heating and dehumidifying device, thus avoiding increased costs.

[0033] 2. This invention, through the coordinated operation of the fan start-up and the defrosting heater, enables hot air to circulate within the compartment, thereby drying and cleaning the air ducts and inner walls, removing residual moisture inside the refrigerator, and preventing problems such as bacterial growth and internal mold. Attached Figure Description

[0034] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0035] Figure 1 This is the control logic of the refrigerator self-cleaning control method of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 This refers to the working stage of the self-cleaning procedure in the refrigerator self-cleaning control method of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 This is the specific control scheme for the fan and defrost heater in the refrigerator self-cleaning control method of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 4 The control flow of the self-cleaning control method of the present invention is shown in a specific embodiment.

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigerator structure in this invention;

[0040] Among them, 1 is the air duct of the refrigerator compartment, 2 is the air duct of the variable temperature compartment, 3 is the air duct of the freezer compartment, 4 is the fan, 5 is the evaporator, 6 is the air damper of the refrigerator compartment, 7 is the air damper of the variable temperature compartment, 8 is the air duct compensation heater of the refrigerator compartment, and 9 is the air duct compensation heater of the variable temperature compartment. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0042] Therefore, a feature pointed out in this specification is used to describe one feature of one embodiment of the invention, and does not imply that every embodiment of the invention must have the described feature. Furthermore, it should be noted that this specification describes many features. While certain features may be combined to illustrate possible system designs, these features may also be used in other combinations not explicitly stated. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, the described combinations are not intended to be limiting.

[0043] The principles and structure of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0044] Currently, when the refrigerator is used infrequently, there may be residual moisture inside the refrigerator, especially in the air duct area. Long-term retention of this moisture can easily breed bacteria and cause mold, affecting the food storage environment and the user's health.

[0045] To address the aforementioned problems, the present invention utilizes the refrigerator's own defrosting heater to provide heat, which is then blown into the refrigerator's compartments by the refrigerator's own fan. This heat is used to remove residual moisture, thereby preventing the growth of bacteria and mold.

[0046] Please see Figure 1 Based on the above design concept, the refrigerator self-cleaning control method proposed in this invention includes the following steps:

[0047] It detects the refrigerator's usage information and executes a self-cleaning program when the refrigerator is in a low-frequency usage state;

[0048] When the self-cleaning program is running, the control fan and defrost heater are activated to heat and dehumidify the refrigerator;

[0049] The system determines whether the self-cleaning process is complete based on the humidity parameters inside the refrigerator, and turns off the fan and defrost heater when the self-cleaning process is completed.

[0050] As mentioned in the problems of the prior art, bacterial growth and mold growth mainly occur when the refrigerator is in a low-frequency use state. Therefore, when the present invention performs the above-mentioned refrigerator self-cleaning control method, it first detects the refrigerator's usage information and then determines whether the refrigerator is in the low-frequency use state. The self-cleaning program will only be executed when the refrigerator is in the low-frequency use state.

[0051] The self-cleaning program in this invention is also the control logic for the defrost heater and the fan. Both the defrost heater and the fan are devices that are already present in the refrigerator. Therefore, heating and dehumidification based on the self-cleaning program of this invention does not require the addition of other components, which can reduce design costs.

[0052] The invention uses humidity parameters to determine whether the self-cleaning process is complete because the core issue of this application is to avoid residual moisture. When heated, the moisture will slowly turn into water vapor and be released. The parameter reflecting the amount of residual moisture is the humidity parameter inside the refrigerator. If the humidity parameter is low, it can be determined that the residual moisture inside the refrigerator has been basically eliminated. Therefore, the invention uses humidity parameters to determine whether the self-cleaning process is complete, which can ensure that there is no residual moisture or very low residual moisture inside the refrigerator after the above self-cleaning process is completed, thus avoiding the problems of bacterial growth and mold.

[0053] Please see Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigerator structure proposed in this invention. The aforementioned refrigerator self-cleaning control method is also based on this diagram. Figure 5 Executed, from the appendix Figure 5 As can be seen from this, the refrigerator contains the following components:

[0054] Evaporator 5, which is generally located inside and behind the freezer compartment, is responsible for heat exchange in the refrigerator's refrigeration cycle. The defrost heater in this invention is generally located below the evaporator 5 or on the surface of the evaporator 5, and is located in the air duct connection area between the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment.

[0055] Fan 4 is used to circulate the air inside the refrigerator.

[0056] The refrigerator compartment air duct 1, refrigerator compartment air door 6, variable temperature compartment air duct 2, variable temperature compartment air door 7, and freezer compartment air duct 3 are the air ducts and air door structures inside the refrigerator, and are also the main places where residual moisture accumulates. In this invention, the defrost heater is located near this part of the air duct and air door structure. When the fan 4 is started, the heat generated by the defrost heater can smoothly enter this part of the air duct and air door structure and perform heating and dehumidification.

[0057] The refrigerator compartment air duct compensation heater 8 and the variable temperature compartment air duct compensation heater 9 are used to compensate for heating inside the refrigerator compartment air duct 1 and the variable temperature compartment air duct 2, respectively. This part of the device is a new structure in the present invention, which can further improve the heating and dehumidification effect. In other embodiments of the present invention, this part of the structure can also be omitted according to actual needs.

[0058] As can be clearly seen from the structure of the refrigerator described above, all the components involved in the refrigerator self-cleaning control method of the present invention, including the fan 4, defrost heater, refrigerator compartment air duct 1, refrigerator compartment air door 6, variable temperature compartment air duct 2, variable temperature compartment air door 7, freezer compartment air duct 3, etc., are all structures that the refrigerator itself has. Therefore, when implementing the refrigerator self-cleaning control method proposed in this invention, there is no need to add any additional devices for heating and dehumidification, which can reduce design costs.

[0059] As mentioned above, the self-cleaning program in this invention is performed when the refrigerator is in a low-frequency usage state. Therefore, when performing the self-cleaning program, this invention also needs to determine whether the refrigerator is in a low-frequency usage state. The specific determination method is as follows:

[0060] Determine whether the number of times the refrigerator door is opened and closed within the first preset time period has reached the preset number;

[0061] If so, the refrigerator is determined to be in a high-frequency usage state;

[0062] If not, the refrigerator is determined to be in a low-frequency usage state;

[0063] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first preset time is 24 hours and the preset number of times is 3 times. That is, when the refrigerator door is opened and closed less than 3 times a day, the refrigerator is considered to be in a low-frequency use state.

[0064] The present invention uses this scheme to determine that the refrigerator is in a low-frequency use state, and only executes the above-mentioned self-cleaning program when the refrigerator is in a low-frequency use state. This is because when the above-mentioned self-cleaning program is executed, the refrigerator is heated by the defrosting heater. When the user uses the refrigerator more frequently, different storage methods are often required. Simply turning on the defrosting heater may affect the user's food storage.

[0065] Therefore, the present invention determines whether the refrigerator is in a low-frequency use state through the above scheme, and only starts the above self-cleaning program in the low-frequency use state. This is to remove residual moisture in the refrigerator and to avoid affecting the original storage program of the refrigerator when the self-cleaning program is started.

[0066] The refrigerator usage information collected before the self-cleaning program was executed, i.e. the number of times the refrigerator was used, can be used to determine whether the refrigerator is in a low-frequency usage state.

[0067] The first preset time and preset number of times in the above judgment scheme can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0068] Furthermore, the self-cleaning process in this invention includes a heating stage and a dehumidification stage;

[0069] When the self-cleaning program is in the heating phase, both the fan and the defrost heater are activated.

[0070] When the self-cleaning program is in the dehumidification phase, the fan starts and the defrost heater turns off.

[0071] Here, the heating stage is mainly used to provide heat to the refrigerator's air door, air duct, and each compartment, thereby evaporating the residual moisture. Therefore, the defrost heater needs to be turned on during this stage to provide heat, and the fan is turned on at the same time to transfer the heat from the defrost heater to the refrigerator's air door, air duct, and each compartment.

[0072] The dehumidification stage is mainly used after the heating stage has reached a certain point. At this time, most of the residual moisture in the refrigerator has been heated into water vapor by the heating stage. At this time, the defrosting heater needs to be turned off to avoid the temperature from continuing to rise and affecting the operation of the refrigerator itself. Instead, the fan needs to be turned on to expel the water vapor and dehumidify.

[0073] In this invention, the heating and dehumidification process of the self-cleaning procedure is divided into a heating stage and a dehumidification stage, achieving good division of labor control between the fan and the defrosting heater, thus ensuring the effectiveness of heating and dehumidification. Furthermore, dividing the self-cleaning procedure into heating and dehumidification stages simplifies the control logic of this invention to some extent; in the heating stage, the main consideration is the heating effect, and in the dehumidification stage, the main consideration is the dehumidification effect, resulting in relatively low control complexity.

[0074] When performing the self-cleaning program, the heating stage is controlled first, and then the dehumidification stage is switched when the second preset time is reached during the heating stage or when the humidity parameter inside the refrigerator reaches the first threshold humidity.

[0075] Please see Figure 2 Based on the above switching conditions, the self-cleaning process in this invention can be divided into the following stages:

[0076] Initially, this stage is mainly used to determine whether the refrigerator is in a low-frequency usage state. The self-cleaning program will only be executed when the refrigerator meets this low-frequency usage state.

[0077] During the heating phase, after the self-cleaning program is started, the heating phase is executed first. At this time, heat is provided by the defrosting heater, and then the fan transfers this heat to the air doors, air ducts and compartments of the refrigerator to evaporate the residual moisture.

[0078] The system determines whether the second preset time or the first threshold humidity has been reached. This determination process is used as a switching condition between the heating stage and the dehumidification stage. If the condition is met, the system will enter the dehumidification stage; otherwise, the heating stage will continue. It should be noted that although the defrosting heater provides heat to evaporate the residual moisture during this stage, the fan will also start to remove the generated water vapor. Therefore, the humidity parameter inside the refrigerator gradually decreases during this stage.

[0079] During the dehumidification stage, the residual moisture in the refrigerator has been largely evaporated through the heating stage, so no further heating is needed. The main purpose at this stage is to remove the water vapor generated after evaporation, which is done by turning on the fan. After the water vapor is removed, the humidity parameters inside the refrigerator are significantly reduced.

[0080] The end is used to determine whether the self-cleaning process is complete based on the humidity parameter mentioned earlier. If the humidity parameter has been reduced to the second threshold humidity, it means that there is basically no residual moisture in the refrigerator, which can prevent bacterial growth and mold problems.

[0081] As can be seen from the above scheme, the present invention divides the self-cleaning program into a heating stage and a dehumidification stage, and provides the above-mentioned switching judgment logic, so as to achieve good division of labor control between the fan and the defrosting heater, and ensure the heating and dehumidification effect.

[0082] To further optimize the control logic of the self-cleaning program in this invention and avoid affecting the refrigerator's cooling function, please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 3 In this invention, when the fan and defrost heater are activated to heat and dehumidify the refrigerator, the following steps are also included:

[0083] During the heating phase, the temperature parameters inside the refrigerator are detected, and the rate of increase of the temperature parameters is calculated.

[0084] When the rate of increase of the temperature parameter exceeds the first preset rate, the operating speed of the refrigerator compressor is increased and the power of the defrost heater is reduced.

[0085] When the rate of increase of the temperature parameter is less than the second preset rate, the power of the defrosting heater is kept constant, and the operating speed of the compressor is reduced.

[0086] Here, the first preset rate can be set to 0.5°C / min. During this heating stage, the temperature inside the refrigerator will generally rise due to the heat supplied by the defrosting heater. However, if the temperature rises too quickly, it will affect the refrigerator's cooling effect. In this invention, the first preset rate is used as the limit. If the rate of increase of the temperature parameter inside the refrigerator is greater than the first preset rate, that is, if the temperature parameter inside the refrigerator rises by more than 0.5°C per minute, the heat supplied by the defrosting heater needs to be reduced. Therefore, when this condition is met, the operating speed of the compressor needs to be increased and the power of the defrosting heater needs to be reduced.

[0087] Here, increasing the compressor's operating speed is used to provide more cooling capacity to the refrigerator, while reducing the power of the defrost heater reduces heat output. By combining these two control methods, the problem of excessively high internal temperature parameters affecting the refrigerator's own cooling function can be avoided.

[0088] After the above control method, the temperature parameters inside the refrigerator will gradually stabilize. When the temperature fluctuation inside the refrigerator is small, it indicates that the temperature inside the refrigerator has stabilized and there is no need to adjust the operating speed of the compressor and the power of the defrost heater. This invention determines the temperature by judging that the rate of increase of the temperature parameter is less than the second preset rate. The second preset rate can be set to 0.05°C / min or even smaller. At this time, the temperature fluctuation inside the refrigerator will not exceed 0.3°C. At this time, the power of the defrost heater can be kept unchanged and the operating speed of the compressor can be reduced.

[0089] By using the above control method, the present invention can keep the compressor's operating speed and the defrost heater's power within the optimal range. This avoids the problem of excessively high internal temperature affecting the refrigerator's cooling effect, and also achieves a good evaporation effect, evaporating residual moisture inside the refrigerator.

[0090] The above describes the control logic for the compressor and defrost heater based on temperature parameters in this invention. To ensure the heating and dehumidification effect, this invention also performs relevant controls based on humidity parameters during the above process. The specific control scheme is as follows:

[0091] During the heating phase, the humidity parameters inside the refrigerator are detected, and the rate of decrease in humidity parameters is calculated.

[0092] When the rate of decrease of the humidity parameter is less than the third preset rate, the execution time of the heating stage is extended.

[0093] As mentioned above, although residual moisture will evaporate during the heating stage, the humidity parameter is still decreasing due to the operation of the fan. Conversely, if the rate of decrease of the humidity parameter is low, it may be because the heating effect is insufficient and the moisture cannot evaporate sufficiently. Therefore, when the rate of decrease of the humidity parameter is less than the third preset rate, the present invention extends the execution time of the heating stage, i.e., the second preset time mentioned above, in order to avoid cleaning failure due to insufficient drying.

[0094] After completing the heating stage, the dehumidification stage will begin. At this stage, simply turn on the fan to remove water vapor. During this dehumidification stage, it is also necessary to monitor the humidity parameters inside the refrigerator in real time to determine whether all residual moisture has been removed. This also serves as a basis for determining whether the self-cleaning process is complete. The specific method is as follows:

[0095] When the dehumidification stage is in progress, the humidity parameters inside the refrigerator are detected to determine whether the humidity parameters are less than the second threshold humidity.

[0096] If so, the self-cleaning process is considered complete.

[0097] This solution can completely remove residual moisture from the refrigerator, thus preventing the growth of bacteria and mold.

[0098] In this invention, when performing the self-cleaning procedure, the fan is turned on first, and then the defrost heater is turned on. The fan is used to circulate the air in each compartment of the refrigerator. When the defrost heater is turned on, the heat it generates can be immediately transferred to each compartment, further optimizing the heating and dehumidification effect.

[0099] Furthermore, when performing the above-mentioned self-cleaning procedure, the present invention also provides corresponding fault judgment logic, which specifically includes:

[0100] The refrigerator detects the temperature parameters inside. When the temperature parameter reaches the preset temperature threshold and the duration reaches the third preset time, it is determined that the defrosting heater or fan is abnormal, and the self-cleaning program is interrupted at this time.

[0101] As mentioned above, under normal control logic, the temperature parameter in this invention will eventually remain stable at a lower temperature, rather than always being higher than the preset temperature threshold. At this point, it is necessary to interrupt the self-cleaning program and turn off the fan and defrost heater to avoid further damage to the refrigerator.

[0102] In one specific embodiment, the above judgment will occur when the defrost heater malfunctions and continues to heat, or when the fan malfunctions and causes poor airflow. The present invention sets the third preset time to 5 minutes and the threshold temperature threshold to a preset storage temperature threshold. That is, if the temperature is higher than the preset storage temperature threshold, it will affect the food storage in the refrigerator. When the judgment is correct, the defrost heater and fan need to be turned off immediately and an alarm is triggered to remind the user.

[0103] After the self-cleaning program is interrupted, allow the refrigerator to continue cooling. Once the temperature in the refrigerator and freezer compartments has dropped and stabilized, and the humidity sensor reading is normal and the fan is functioning properly, restart the self-cleaning program and activate the refrigerator's self-cleaning function. If the fan and defrost heater continue to malfunction, an alarm will continue to sound until the malfunction is resolved.

[0104] In this invention, users can also choose to turn the self-cleaning function on or off, and set the heating cycle, heating time and heating temperature according to their own preferences and usage frequency, so as to better suit the user's actual usage situation.

[0105] Please see Figure 4 The control flow described in a specific embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps:

[0106] It first determines whether a self-cleaning program is needed; if so, it turns on the fan; otherwise, it controls the refrigerator to operate normally.

[0107] After turning on the fan, turn on the defrost heater to start heating, and the fan will continue to run.

[0108] Then it determines whether the humidity parameter inside the refrigerator has dropped to the first threshold humidity and whether the heating stage has been executed for the second preset time.

[0109] When either of the two judgment logics is true, the dehumidification stage begins. At this time, the defrosting heater is turned off, and the fan continues to run to expel moisture.

[0110] When the humidity parameter is less than the second threshold humidity, the self-cleaning process is considered complete.

[0111] Based on the above control process, the present invention proposes a refrigerator having a defrost heater as a heat source, a fan that can blow the heat generated by the defrost heater into each compartment of the refrigerator, and a controller for executing the above-mentioned refrigerator self-cleaning control method.

[0112] Please see Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigerator structure proposed in this invention. Figure 5 As can be seen from this, the refrigerator contains the following components:

[0113] Evaporator 5, which is generally located inside and behind the freezer compartment, is responsible for heat exchange in the refrigerator's refrigeration cycle. The defrost heater in this invention is generally located below the evaporator 5 or on the surface of the evaporator 5, and is located in the air duct connection area between the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment.

[0114] Fan 4 is used to circulate the air inside the refrigerator.

[0115] The refrigerator compartment air duct 1, refrigerator compartment air door 6, variable temperature compartment air duct 2, variable temperature compartment air door 7, and freezer compartment air duct 3 are the air ducts and air door structures inside the refrigerator, and are also the main places where residual moisture accumulates. In this invention, the defrost heater is located near this part of the air duct and air door structure. When the fan 4 is started, the heat generated by the defrost heater can smoothly enter this part of the air duct and air door structure and perform heating and dehumidification.

[0116] The refrigerator compartment air duct compensation heater 8 and the variable temperature compartment air duct compensation heater 9 are used to compensate for heating inside the refrigerator compartment air duct 1 and the variable temperature compartment air duct 2, respectively. This part of the device is a new structure in the present invention, which can further improve the heating and dehumidification effect. In other embodiments of the present invention, this part of the structure can also be omitted according to actual needs.

[0117] As can be clearly seen from the structure of the refrigerator described above, all the components involved in the refrigerator self-cleaning control method of the present invention, including the fan 4, defrost heater, refrigerator compartment air duct 1, refrigerator compartment air door 6, variable temperature compartment air duct 2, variable temperature compartment air door 7, freezer compartment air duct 3, etc., are all structures that the refrigerator itself has. Therefore, when implementing the refrigerator self-cleaning control method proposed in this invention, there is no need to add any additional devices for heating and dehumidification, which can reduce design costs.

[0118] In summary, it can be seen that the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0119] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0120] 1. In the process of heating and dehumidifying, the fan and defrosting heater used in this invention are already existing devices in the refrigerator, so there is no need to add an additional heating and dehumidifying device, thus avoiding increased costs.

[0121] 2. This invention, through the coordinated operation of the fan start-up and the defrosting heater, enables hot air to circulate within the compartment, thereby drying and cleaning the air ducts and inner walls, removing residual moisture inside the refrigerator, and preventing problems such as bacterial growth and internal mold.

[0122] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the self-cleaning of a refrigerator, wherein the refrigerator includes at least a defrost heater serving as a heat source and a fan capable of blowing the heat generated by the defrost heater into each compartment of the refrigerator, characterized in that, The refrigerator self-cleaning control method includes: The refrigerator's usage information is detected, and a self-cleaning program is executed when the refrigerator is in a low-frequency usage state. When the self-cleaning program is executed, the fan and the defrost heater are activated to heat and dehumidify the refrigerator; The self-cleaning process is determined based on the humidity parameters inside the refrigerator, and the fan and defrost heater are turned off when the self-cleaning process is determined to be complete. The self-cleaning process includes a heating phase and a dehumidification phase; When the heating phase is in progress, the fan and the defrosting heater are activated; When the dehumidification stage is in progress, the fan starts and the defrosting heater turns off. The heating phase is executed before the dehumidification phase, and when the heating phase is executed for a second preset time or the humidity parameter inside the refrigerator reaches the first threshold humidity, the process switches to the dehumidification phase. Controlling the fan and the defrost heater to start and heat and dehumidify the refrigerator includes: During the heating phase, the temperature parameters inside the refrigerator are detected, and the rate of increase of the temperature parameters is calculated. When the rate of increase of the temperature parameter is greater than the first preset rate, the operating speed of the refrigerator compressor is increased and the power of the defrost heater is reduced. When the rate of increase of the temperature parameter is less than the second preset rate, the power of the defrosting heater is kept constant, and the operating speed of the compressor is reduced.

2. The refrigerator self-cleaning control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerator's usage information includes the number of times the door has been opened and closed. The methods for determining whether the refrigerator is in a low-frequency usage state include: Determine whether the number of times the refrigerator door is opened and closed within a first preset time period has reached a preset number; If so, the refrigerator is determined to be in a high-frequency usage state; If not, the refrigerator is determined to be in a low-frequency usage state.

3. The refrigerator self-cleaning control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method of controlling the start of the fan and the defrost heater to heat and dehumidify the refrigerator also includes: During the heating phase, the humidity parameter inside the refrigerator is detected, and the rate of decrease of the humidity parameter is calculated. When the rate of decrease of the humidity parameter is less than the third preset rate, the execution time of the heating phase is extended.

4. The refrigerator self-cleaning control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining whether the self-cleaning program is complete based on the humidity parameters inside the refrigerator includes: When the dehumidification stage is in progress, the humidity parameter inside the refrigerator is detected, and it is determined whether the humidity parameter is less than the second threshold humidity. If so, the self-cleaning process is considered complete.

5. The refrigerator self-cleaning control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the self-cleaning procedure is executed, the self-cleaning control method further includes: The temperature parameters inside the refrigerator are detected. When the temperature parameters reach a preset temperature threshold and the duration reaches a third preset time, the defrosting heater or fan is determined to be abnormal, and the self-cleaning program is interrupted.

6. The refrigerator self-cleaning control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the self-cleaning procedure is executed, the fan starts before the defrosting heater.

7. A refrigerator, comprising at least a defrost heater serving as a heat source, and a fan capable of blowing heat generated by the defrost heater into each compartment of the refrigerator, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes a controller for performing the refrigerator self-cleaning control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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