Door seal assembly, refrigerator and control method

Abstract

The invention provides a door seal assembly, a refrigerator and a control method. The door sealing strip assembly comprises a door sealing strip body, a control device, a power supply, a temperature detection device array and the like, when the current temperature gradient determined through the temperature detection device array is larger than or equal to a set threshold value, it is indicated that condensate water living dirt is attached to the surface of the door sealing strip body, and it is indicated that the door sealing strip body needs to be cleaned; and the control device can control the power supply to perform pulse power supply on the conductive material layer. According to the embodiment, a new mechanism of temperature sensing and electric field driving self-cleaning is provided, remarkable creativity and practicability are achieved, on-demand cleaning or intelligent response can be achieved, sanitation of the refrigerator can be better guaranteed, the service life of the door seal assembly and the service life of the refrigerator can be prolonged, and food safety can be better guaranteed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of refrigerators, and in particular to a door seal assembly, a refrigerator and a control method. BACKGROUND

[0002] As an indispensable household appliance in modern families, the stability and hygiene of the performance of a refrigerator are directly related to the storage quality of food and the health and safety of users. As a key component for ensuring the sealing of a refrigerator and preventing the leakage of cold air, the door seal of a refrigerator plays a vital role in the normal operation of the refrigerator.

[0003] In actual long-term use, the door seal of a refrigerator faces many problems. Due to frequent opening and closing of the door and the influence of the environment, especially in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment, the surface of the door seal is prone to accumulate water vapor, grease, dust and other contaminants. At the same time, it also becomes a breeding ground for microorganisms, thereby forming mold spots and producing odors. These conditions not only seriously affect the sanitary environment inside the refrigerator, but also pose a potential threat to food safety, directly related to the health of users.

[0004] At present, for the cleaning problem of the door seal, the related technology provides some solutions, but all have obvious deficiencies. The regular manual cleaning method not only has low efficiency, but also requires users to invest a lot of time and effort, and there are also easy-to-miss areas in the cleaning process, which cannot achieve comprehensive and thorough cleaning. The use of antibacterial materials, such as silver ion coating, can inhibit the growth of microorganisms to some extent, but the cost of such materials is high, increasing the production cost of the product, and the antibacterial life is limited, and the antibacterial effect will gradually weaken with the extension of the use time. The scheme of setting ventilation holes can help improve air circulation at the door seal, but it will cause cold air leakage, reducing the energy efficiency of the refrigerator and increasing energy consumption.

[0005] In summary, the related technology lacks active perception of the pollution state of the door seal and a self-cleaning mechanism, and cannot achieve "on-demand cleaning" or "intelligent response" according to the actual pollution of the door seal. This leads to the fact that cleaning often lags behind pollution, which not only increases the maintenance cost of users, but also seriously affects the hygiene and service life of the refrigerator, and cannot effectively guarantee food safety. SUMMARY

[0006] In view of this, in order to solve the technical problem that the active perception of the pollution state of the door seal and the self-cleaning mechanism in the refrigerator in the prior art cannot achieve "on-demand cleaning" or "intelligent response", which leads to lagging cleaning, high maintenance cost, serious impact on the hygiene and service life of the refrigerator, and inability to guarantee food safety, the present disclosure provides a door seal assembly, a refrigerator and a control method.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a door seal assembly applied to a refrigerator is provided, which comprises a door seal body, a control device, a power supply and a temperature detection device array for detecting the temperature of the door seal body, and further comprises a conductive material layer arranged inside the door seal body. The control device is configured to determine the current temperature gradient of the door seal body based on the temperature detection device array, and when the current temperature gradient is less than or equal to a set threshold, to control the power supply to pulse power the conductive material layer to form a local transient electric field on the surface of the conductive material layer, so that water molecules and dirt particles attached to the surface of the door seal body undergo electrophoretic migration to clean the door seal body.

[0008] In an optional embodiment, The door seal body is configured as a structure with a cavity, the control device, the power supply and the temperature detection device array are arranged in the cavity, the conductive material layer is arranged on the inner surface of the door seal body, the inner surface is the surface of the door seal body facing the cavity, and the conductive material layer is located at least on the side of the cavity facing the door storage part of the refrigerator, and the temperature detection device array is located on the side of the cavity away from the door storage part of the refrigerator.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, The conductive material layer comprises a flexible conductive polymer layer and / or a nano-conductive coating.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, The thickness of the conductive material layer is less than or equal to 0.1 nm.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, The conductive material layer is configured as a comb-shaped electrode structure.

[0012] In an optional embodiment, The door seal assembly is arranged around the door body of the refrigerator. The temperature detection device array is arranged on both sides of the door body in the horizontal direction, or the temperature detection device array is arranged around the door body.

[0013] In an optional embodiment, The temperature detection device array is arranged around the door body, and the temperature detection devices of the temperature detection device array on the vertical sides of the door body are sparser than the temperature detection devices of the temperature detection device array on the horizontal sides of the door body.

[0014] In one alternative implementation, The door seal assembly includes a hydrophobic material layer, which is disposed on the outer surface of the door seal body, and the outer surface is the surface of the door seal body that comes into contact with the outside world.

[0015] In one alternative implementation, The hydrophobic material layer includes a polytetrafluoroethylene hydrophobic layer and / or a nano-superhydrophobic layer.

[0016] In one alternative implementation, The contact angle of the hydrophobic material layer is greater than or equal to 110°.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator is provided, the refrigerator including a door seal assembly as described in any of the first aspects.

[0018] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a control method is provided, the control method being applied to a door seal assembly as described in any of the first aspects, the control method comprising: The current temperature gradient of the door seal assembly is determined based on the array of temperature detection devices; When the current temperature gradient is less than or equal to a set threshold, the power supply is controlled to provide pulsed power to the conductive material layer, so as to form a local instantaneous electric field on the surface of the conductive material layer, causing water molecules and dirt particles attached to the surface of the door seal to undergo electrophoretic migration, thereby cleaning the door seal body.

[0019] In one alternative implementation, The set threshold is positively correlated with the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the compartment corresponding to the door seal assembly, wherein the temperature difference refers to the difference between the ambient temperature of the compartment and the target temperature of the compartment; and / or, The set threshold is negatively correlated with the thermal conductivity of the door seal body of the door seal assembly; and / or, The set threshold is positively correlated with the spacing between adjacent temperature detection devices in the temperature detection device array; and / or, The set threshold is negatively correlated with the humidity of the environment in which the refrigerator is located.

[0020] In one alternative implementation, The set threshold is greater than or equal to 0.3℃ / mm and less than or equal to 0.8℃ / mm.

[0021] The technical scheme provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can have the following beneficial effects: in the present disclosure, the door seal assembly of the refrigerator comprises a door seal body, a control device, a power supply, and an array of temperature detection devices, etc. The current temperature gradient of the door seal body is detected in real time by the array of temperature detection devices, and whether condensate or dirt is attached to the surface of the door seal body is determined according to the size of the current temperature gradient and the set threshold. When the current temperature gradient is greater than or equal to the set threshold, it indicates that condensate or dirt is attached to the surface of the door seal body, which means that the door seal body needs to be cleaned. The control device can control the power supply to pulse power the conductive material layer in the door seal body. After the conductive material layer is pulsed powered, the conductive material layer can generate a transient electric field on the surface of the door seal body, so that the water molecules and dirt particles attached to the surface undergo electrophoretic migration, thereby being discharged from the surface of the door seal body. That is, the present disclosure breaks through the technical path of "passive cleaning" and "destructive cleaning", and proposes a new mechanism of "temperature sensing + electric field driving self-cleaning", which has significant creativity and practicality, can realize "on-demand cleaning" or "intelligent response", can better ensure the hygiene of the refrigerator, and can prolong the service life of the door seal assembly and the refrigerator, and better protect food safety.

[0022] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiment or prior art description. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained from these drawings without any creative labor.

[0025] One or more embodiments are exemplarily illustrated by the pictures in the drawings corresponding thereto, and these exemplary illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings represent similar elements, unless otherwise specified. The drawings in the drawings do not constitute a proportional limitation.

[0026] Figure 1 is a partial schematic view of a door seal assembly according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0027] Figure 2 is a structural schematic view of a door body according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0028] Figure 3is a partial schematic view of a door according to an example embodiment.

[0029] Figure 4 is a schematic view of a weatherstrip assembly according to an example embodiment.

[0030] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a method of controlling a door according to an example embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In order to make the purposes, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are some but not all of the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present application.

[0032] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different aspects of the application. For purposes of simplicity and clarity, the description is divided into sections. Of course, these sections are not meant to limit the application. Moreover, the application can be practiced by other than the described embodiments and applications, which are presented for purposes of illustration only. Furthermore, the described embodiments are not meant to be limiting in that the application can utilize variations to the described embodiments, and the application is intended to cover any and all modifications and equivalents. The following detailed description, given by way of example, but not intended to limit the application solely to the embodiments described, includes specific details for the purposes of providing a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the application. However, various embodiments of the application can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form, rather than in detail, in order to avoid obscuring the present application. Also, like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

[0033] To facilitate the description, spatially relative terms are used to describe the relative position and movement of one element or feature to another element or feature as shown in the drawings. These spatially relative terms are in terms of the position and movement of the device in use or operation, and are used to describe the relative position and movement of one element or feature to another element or feature. For example, if a device is turned over or rotated or a state of motion is changed, the directional indications are changed accordingly. For example, an element described as "below" or "under" another element or feature would then be oriented "above" or "over" the other element or feature. Relative terms are therefore in terms of the position and movement of the device in use or operation. The device can be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or otherwise) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

[0034] It is to be noted that the drawings provided in the following embodiments only schematically illustrate the basic concepts of the present application, and only the components related to the present application are shown in the drawings, not drawn according to the number, shape and size of the components in actual implementation, and the type, number and proportion of each component in actual implementation can be arbitrarily changed, and the component layout type can also be more complex.

[0035] The advantages and effects of the present application can be easily understood by those skilled in the art from the disclosure in the specification. The present application can also be implemented or applied by different specific embodiments, and various modifications or changes can be made to the details in the specification based on different views and applications without departing from the spirit of the present application. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments are only for illustrating the present application, not for limiting the protection scope of the present application.

[0036] In order to solve the technical problems that the active sensing and self-cleaning mechanism of the door seal contamination state in the refrigerator in the prior art cannot realize "on-demand cleaning" or "intelligent response", which leads to cleaning lag, high maintenance cost, seriously affects the hygiene and service life of the refrigerator, and cannot guarantee food safety, the present disclosure provides a door seal assembly, a refrigerator and a control method.

[0037] In the present disclosure, the door seal assembly of the refrigerator includes a door seal body, a control device, a power supply and a temperature detection device array, etc. The current temperature gradient of the door seal body is detected in real time by the temperature detection device array, and whether there is condensate water or dirt adhesion on the surface of the door seal body is judged according to the size of the current temperature gradient and the set threshold. When the current temperature gradient is greater than or equal to the set threshold, it means that there is condensate water or dirt adhesion on the surface of the door seal body, which means that the door seal body needs to be cleaned. The control device can control the power supply to pulse power the conductive material layer in the door seal body. After the conductive material layer is pulsed powered, the conductive material layer on the surface of the door seal body can generate a transient electric field, so that the water molecules and dirt particles attached to the surface undergo electrophoretic migration, thereby being discharged from the surface of the door seal body. That is, the present disclosure breaks through the technical path of "passive cleaning" and "destructive cleaning" and proposes a new mechanism of "temperature sensing + electric field driving self-cleaning", which has significant creativity and practicality, can realize "on-demand cleaning" or "intelligent response", can better guarantee the hygiene of the refrigerator, and can prolong the service life of the door seal assembly and the refrigerator, and better guarantee food safety.

[0038] In one example embodiment, reference is made to Figures 1 to 5As shown, a door seal assembly 10 is provided, as well as a refrigerator to which the door seal assembly 10 is applied, and a control method applied to the door seal assembly 10. That is, the refrigerator includes the above-mentioned door seal assembly 10, and the above-mentioned control method is used to realize self-cleaning control of the door seal assembly 10.

[0039] Among them, the seal strip assembly in the refrigerator is usually arranged at the closed edge position between the door body and the box body of the refrigerator, and its core function is to block the exchange of air inside and outside through the elastic sealing structure to maintain the low-temperature environment inside the refrigerator. The seal strip assembly is continuously arranged along the inner peripheral edge of the refrigerator door body (i.e. the closed surface of the door body and the box body), forming a closed annular structure. For example: the refrigerator door of the household double-door refrigerator, the freezer door, and the door of each independent cabin of the multi-door refrigerator are all installed with seal strips inside the door frame.

[0040] The seal strip assembly is fixed in the installation groove of the inner tank of the door body by buckling or gluing, and the installation groove depth is usually 1 / 2-2 / 3 of the cross-sectional height of the seal strip, ensuring that the seal strip is neither easy to fall off nor free to compress. In addition, in the refrigerator, the condensate water in the refrigeration chamber is discharged through the drain hole to the water pan of the compressor cabin, and the bottom of the seal strip assembly can be designed with a water guide slope or a drain channel to guide the water flow to the designated position to prevent water stains from breeding bacteria.

[0041] Among them, for a single-door refrigerator, a seal strip can be arranged at the edge of the refrigeration chamber door, which is simple in structure and concentrated in the sealing area. For a double-door refrigerator, independent seal strip assemblies can be arranged on the left and right doors respectively, and the heat insulation effect is enhanced through the middle butt-type sealing structure (such as double-lip design) when closed. For multi-door refrigerators (such as cross four-door, French multi-door), each independent cabin door can be configured with a seal strip assembly, and seal strip assemblies of different temperature zones (such as refrigeration, freezing, and variable temperature) can use different materials or thicknesses to adapt to temperature differences.

[0042] In this embodiment, the door seal assembly 10 includes a door seal body 1, a control device 2, a power supply 3, and a temperature detection device array 6.

[0043] Among them, the door seal body 1 can be made of silicone or modified rubber material with good elasticity. Of course, the door seal body 1 can also be made of other materials, which is not limited, but it needs to have good elasticity to ensure that it can achieve sealing effect.

[0044] In some embodiments, the control device 2, the power supply 3, and the temperature detection device array 6 can be arranged in the mounting groove. The control device 2 can be an editable logic controller or other microcontroller, which is not limited. The power supply 3 can include a button cell, a lithium battery, or other power supply, which is not limited. Of course, the power supply 3 can also be electrically connected with the power supply of the refrigerator to realize the power supply of the door seal assembly 10 by the power supply of the refrigerator. The temperature detection device array 6 can be a temperature sensor array, which can be a micro thermocouple or a thermistor, or other temperature sensor, which is not limited. The arrangement of the temperature sensor array can be set according to actual needs, which is not limited.

[0045] The door seal assembly 10 further comprises a conductive material layer 4, which can be arranged inside the door seal body 1. The conductive material layer 4 can include a flexible conductive polymer coating, a nano-conductive coating, or other conductive coating, which is not limited. For example, the conductive material layer 4 can be an ITO transparent conductive film, which is a functional thin film material made of indium tin oxide (Indium Tin Oxide, ITO).

[0046] The thickness of the conductive material layer 4 can be less than or equal to 0.15 nm, and the specific size can be set according to actual needs, which is not limited. For example, the conductive material layer 4 can be 0.15 nm.

[0047] In addition, in this embodiment, the door seal body 1 can be configured as a structure with a cavity 7. For example, it is made of silicone or modified rubber material with good elasticity, and the cross-sectional structure is designed as a hollow or cavity 7 composite structure to facilitate the integration of the sensor and the conductive material layer 4.

[0048] When the door seal body 1 is configured as a structure with a cavity 7, the control device 2, the power supply 3, and the temperature detection device array 6 are arranged in the cavity 7. The conductive material layer 4 is arranged on the inner surface of the door seal body 1, which is the surface of the door seal body 1 facing the cavity 7, and the conductive material layer 4 is at least located on the side of the cavity 7 facing the door storage part of the refrigerator, and the temperature detection device array 6 is located on the side of the cavity 7 away from the door storage part of the refrigerator, to realize the reasonable arrangement of each part in the cavity 7.

[0049] The control device 2 is configured to determine a current temperature gradient of the door seal assembly 10 based on the temperature detection device array 6, and when the current temperature gradient is less than or equal to a set threshold, control the power supply 3 to pulse power the conductive material layer 4 to form a local transient electric field on the surface of the conductive material layer 4, so that the water molecules and dirt particles attached to the surface of the door seal body 1 undergo electrophoretic migration to clean the door seal body 1.

[0050] That is, the control method comprises: S110, determining a current temperature gradient of the door seal assembly based on the temperature detection device array; S120, when the current temperature gradient is less than or equal to a set threshold, controlling the power supply to pulse power the conductive material layer to form a local transient electric field on the surface of the conductive material layer, so that the water molecules and dirt particles attached to the surface of the door seal body 1 undergo electrophoretic migration to clean the door seal body 1.

[0051] The control device 2 can first determine a current temperature gradient of the door seal body 1 based on the temperature detection device array 6, and when the current temperature gradient is less than or equal to a set threshold, control the power supply 3 to pulse power the conductive material layer 4. After the conductive material layer 4 is pulsed powered, a transient electric field is generated on the surface of the conductive material layer 4, so that the water molecules and dirt particles attached to the surface undergo electrophoretic migration and are discharged from the surface of the door seal body 1.

[0052] The electric field direction can be perpendicular to the surface of the door seal body 1, so that the water molecules are polarized and move directionally along the electric field direction under the action of the electric field. Since the water molecules have polarity, their migration in the electric field drives the dirt particles attached to their surface to move together, and finally are guided to the seal edge or a dedicated drain to be discharged, realizing self-cleaning of the door seal assembly 10.

[0053] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the current temperature gradient can be determined according to the temperature detected by the temperature detection device array 6 and the target temperature of the chamber corresponding to the temperature. The chamber corresponding to the temperature detection device array 6 refers to the chamber corresponding to the door body to which the door seal assembly 10 belongs. The target temperature of the chamber is the temperature set by the user for the chamber, which can be set according to actual needs, and the specific value is not limited. The set threshold can be determined according to experiments, and the specific value is not limited. For example, the set threshold can be greater than or equal to 0.3℃ / mm and less than or equal to 0.8℃ / mm, and is usually set to 0.5℃ / mm.

[0054] The set threshold value is positively correlated with the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the corresponding chamber. That is, the greater the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the chamber, the greater the set threshold value. For example, when the ambient temperature is 32°C and the refrigeration chamber is set to 4°C, the temperature difference ΔT between the inside and outside is 28°C, and the temperature gradient at the door seal is naturally greater, so the set threshold value is also set to be greater. If ΔT is very small (such as 15°C in winter), the set threshold value is set to be smaller. For example, the set threshold value ∝ k ΔT, the threshold value ∝ k ΔT, where k is an empirical coefficient, usually 0.015-0.03 (unit: 1 / mm), that is, 0.015-0.03°C / mm gradient per 1°C temperature difference. Example: ΔT = 25°C, then the reasonable threshold value = 0.02 x 25 = 0.5°C / mm.

[0055] The set threshold value is also related to the thermal conductivity of the door seal body 1. The higher the thermal conductivity, the faster the heat transfer, the smaller the temperature gradient, and the smaller the corresponding set threshold value. That is, the set threshold value is negatively correlated with the thermal conductivity of the door seal body 1. For example, the thermal conductivity of the door seal body 1 made of silica gel is λ ≈ 0.2 W / (m·K), and the set threshold value can be set to 0.6°C / mm. For example, the thermal conductivity of the door seal body 1 made of PVC is λ ≈ 0.15 W / (m·K), and the set threshold value can be set to 0.4°C / mm. It should be noted that the better the thermal performance of the door seal body 1, the smaller the set threshold value, and the better the detection sensitivity.

[0056] The set threshold value is also related to the distribution of the temperature detection devices in the temperature detection device array 6. The smaller the distance between adjacent temperature detection devices, the more accurate the measurement, and the lower the set threshold value that can be set. That is, the set threshold value is positively correlated with the distance between adjacent temperature detection devices in the temperature detection device array 6. When the temperature detection device is a temperature sensor, if the distance between the temperature sensors is 5 mm, a temperature gradient of 0.3°C / mm can be detected, and the set threshold value can be set to a minimum of 0.3°C / mm; if the distance between the temperature sensors is 10 mm, it can reliably detect a temperature gradient of 0.6°C / mm or more, and the set threshold value needs to be greater than 0.6°C / mm. It should be noted that if the temperature accuracy is ±0.1°C and the distance between the temperature sensors is 5 mm, the minimum detectable temperature gradient is 0.02°C / mm, but noise needs to be considered, so the actual set threshold value should not be lower than 0.3°C / mm.

[0057] In a high humidity environment, the surface of the door seal body 1 is prone to dew, which can cause temperature measurement distortion. Therefore, the set threshold can be increased to prevent false alarms. That is, the set threshold is negatively correlated with the humidity of the environment in which the refrigerator is located. For example, if the environmental humidity is < 60%, the low set threshold can be set to 0.3-0.5°C / mm. If the environmental humidity is > 80%, the set threshold can be increased to 0.6-0.8°C / mm to avoid false judgments caused by the "false low gradient" of the water film heat conduction.

[0058] In this embodiment, the door seal body 1 of the door seal assembly 10 of the refrigerator is configured as a structure with a cavity 7, and the control device 2, power supply 3, and temperature detection device array 6 are arranged in the cavity 7. The current temperature gradient of the door seal body 1 is detected in real time by the temperature detection device array 6, and whether there is condensation or dirt on the surface of the door seal body 1 is determined according to the size of the current temperature gradient and the set threshold. When the current temperature gradient is greater than or equal to the set threshold, it indicates that there is condensation or dirt on the surface of the door seal body 1, indicating that the door seal body 1 needs to be cleaned, and the control device 2 can control the power supply 3 to pulse power the conductive material layer 4. The conductive material layer 4 is located at least on the side of the cavity 7 facing the door body of the refrigerator, and the conductive material layer 4 is arranged on the inner surface of the door seal body 1, i.e. the surface of the door seal body 1 facing the cavity 7. After the conductive material layer 4 is pulsed powered, a transient electric field is generated on the surface of the door seal body 1, causing water molecules and dirt particles attached to the surface to undergo electrophoretic migration, thereby being expelled from the surface of the door seal body 1. That is, this embodiment breaks through the technical path of "passive cleaning" and "destructive cleaning" and proposes a new mechanism of "temperature sensing + electric field driving self-cleaning", which has significant creativity and practicality, can realize "on-demand cleaning" or "intelligent response", can better ensure the hygiene of the refrigerator, and can prolong the service life of the door seal assembly 10 and the refrigerator, and better protect food safety.

[0059] In one example embodiment, referring to Figures 1 to 5 A door seal assembly 10, a refrigerator applying the door seal assembly 10, and a control method applied to the door seal assembly 10 are provided. In this embodiment, the door seal assembly 10 is arranged around the door body of the refrigerator, and the temperature detection device array 6 is arranged at least on both sides of the door body in the horizontal direction.

[0060] It should be noted that the cold air of the refrigerator is prone to leak from the horizontal two sides, and the humid air enters preferentially, resulting in a local temperature lower than the dew point temperature, a high risk of condensation, and easy water accumulation and dirt adhesion, so the temperature detection device array 6 needs to be arranged at least on the horizontal two sides (i.e., the left and right sides) of the door body. Of course, in order to improve the detection accuracy, the temperature detection device array 6 can also be arranged on the vertical two sides (i.e., the upper and lower sides) of the door body, which is not limited. When the temperature detection device array 6 is arranged around the door body, the temperature detection devices of the temperature detection device array 6 on the vertical two sides of the door body are sparser than the temperature detection devices of the temperature detection device array 6 on the horizontal two sides of the door body, so as to realize reasonable arrangement of the temperature detection devices, which can ensure detection accuracy and reduce costs.

[0061] In this embodiment, the control device 2 supports multi-level alarms (such as pre-alarm, serious, and fault), and multiple threshold values can be set: first pre-alarm, the first threshold value is 0.4 ℃ / mm (slight cold leakage); second alarm, the second threshold value is 0.3 ℃ / mm (moderate cold leakage); third fault, the third threshold value is 0.2 ℃ / mm (serious sealing failure). The first threshold value and the second threshold value can be used to control the door seal strip assembly 10 to perform self-cleaning, and the cleaning intensity when the current temperature gradient is less than or equal to the second threshold value is greater than the cleaning intensity corresponding to the first threshold value. The cleaning intensity can be realized by setting different pulse power supply strategies, which will not be described here. The third threshold value can be used to output fault alarm information, reminding the user to replace or manually clean the door seal strip assembly 10.

[0062] In this embodiment, in view of the fact that the cold air of the refrigerator is prone to leak from the horizontal two sides of the door body and the humid air enters preferentially, the temperature detection device array 6 is arranged at least on the horizontal two sides of the door body, which can accurately capture the temperature change in this area and discover the cold leakage hazard in time. At the same time, in order to balance the detection accuracy and the cost, the temperature detection device array 6 is also arranged on the vertical two sides of the door body, but it is sparser than the horizontal two sides, which realizes reasonable layout, ensures comprehensive detection of the temperature condition of the door body, improves the detection accuracy, and effectively reduces the cost.

[0063] In addition, the multi-level alarm and intelligent response of this embodiment can take different measures for different degrees of cold leakage. In the first pre-alarm and the second alarm, the door seal strip assembly 10 is controlled to perform self-cleaning by using different threshold values, and the cleaning intensity is adjusted according to the threshold value, which can be realized by setting different pulse power supply strategies, which can effectively remove water accumulation and dirt adhesion and improve the sealing effect. When the third fault occurs, the fault alarm information is output to remind the user to replace or manually clean the door seal strip assembly 10, which avoids the increase of the energy consumption and the performance degradation of the refrigerator due to sealing failure, and prolongs the service life of the refrigerator.

[0064] The embodiment can timely detect and intelligently process the door body cold leakage problem, reduce the cold air leakage, reduce the energy consumption of the refrigerator, and meet the energy saving and environmental protection concept. Meanwhile, the automatic cleaning function reduces the user's manual cleaning trouble, the fault alarm function enables the user to timely understand the state of the refrigerator, improves the convenience and comfort of the user using the refrigerator, and better ensures the storage of food.

[0065] In one example embodiment, referring to Figures 1 to 5 As shown in the drawings, a door seal assembly 10 is provided, as well as a refrigerator to which the door seal assembly 10 is applied, and a control method applied to the door seal assembly 10. In the embodiment, the door seal assembly 10 comprises a hydrophobic material layer 5 arranged on the outer surface of the door seal body 1, which is the surface of the door seal body 1 in contact with the outside. For example, when the door seal body 1 is provided with a cavity, the outer surface is the surface of the door seal body 1 away from the cavity 7.

[0066] For example, the hydrophobic material layer 5 can be directly coated on the outer surface of the door seal body 1. The hydrophobic material layer 5 can comprise a polytetrafluoroethylene hydrophobic layer and / or a nano super-hydrophobic layer, i.e., the hydrophobic material can be polytetrafluoroethylene or nano super-hydrophobic material. Of course, other hydrophobic materials can also be used to make the hydrophobic material layer 5, which is not limited.

[0067] The contact angle of the hydrophobic material layer 5 is greater than or equal to 110° to provide better hydrophobic performance.

[0068] In some embodiments, the door seal assembly 10 comprises a door seal body 1, and a hydrophobic material layer 5 is arranged on the outer surface of the door seal body 1, which is the surface of the door seal body 1 away from the cavity 7 of the refrigerator. In particular, a coating process is used to uniformly coat polytetrafluoroethylene hydrophobic material on the outer surface of the door seal body 1, and after drying and curing, a uniform polytetrafluoroethylene hydrophobic layer is formed, and the contact angle of the hydrophobic material layer 5 reaches 120°.

[0069] During use of the refrigerator, when the refrigerator door is closed, the door seal assembly 10 is tightly attached to the refrigerator body to achieve sealing. Because the polytetrafluoroethylene hydrophobic layer on the outer surface of the door seal body 1 has excellent hydrophobic performance, when water vapor, water droplets, etc. in the external environment of the refrigerator contact the outer surface of the door seal assembly 10, water droplets will quickly form and roll off, and will not adhere to the surface of the door seal.

[0070] The contact angle of the hydrophobic material layer 5 is greater than or equal to 110°, so that water vapor and water droplets are difficult to adhere to the outer surface of the door seal assembly 10, effectively preventing the condensation of humid air into water droplets at the door seal, avoiding the attachment of dirt caused by water accumulation, reducing the possibility of bacterial growth, maintaining the cleanliness of the door seal assembly 10, and improving the overall hygiene of the refrigerator. Due to the inability of water droplets to adhere, the erosion of the door seal material by water is reduced, and the risk of deformation and cracking of the door seal due to water absorption, aging, and other problems is reduced, thereby prolonging the service life of the door seal assembly 10 and reducing the frequency and cost of replacing the door seal for the user.

[0071] In addition, when the current temperature gradient is less than or equal to a set threshold, it is considered that there is condensate water or dirt attached to the surface of the door seal body 1, and the control device 2 can control the power supply 3 to pulse power to the conductive material layer 4. The conductive material layer 4 is located on the inner surface of the cavity 7 towards the door body storage side, and generates a transient electric field after being energized, which promotes the electrophoretic migration of surface water molecules and dirt particles, further achieving deep cleaning. Moreover, the setting of the hydrophobic material layer 5 can improve the ease of electrophoresis of water molecules, thereby better achieving deep cleaning.

[0072] The deep cleaning of the conductive material layer 4 and the preliminary anti-pollution of the hydrophobic material layer 5 cooperate to break through the traditional "passive cleaning" and "destructive cleaning" mode, and build a new mechanism of "temperature sensing + electric field driven self-cleaning". The hydrophobic material layer 5 reduces the basis for dirt attachment, and the conductive material layer 4 realizes precise on-demand cleaning, avoiding unnecessary cleaning operations and saving energy. This intelligent response cleaning can timely remove dirt and prevent it from corroding the door seal, prolonging the service life of the door seal assembly 10 and the refrigerator. At the same time, the door seal is kept clean and sealed well, reducing cold air leakage, ensuring stable temperature in the refrigerator, providing a more reliable environment for food safety, and improving the overall experience and performance of the refrigerator.

[0073] That is, the embodiment can better maintain the cleanliness and good condition of the door seal assembly 10, ensure that it closely fits the refrigerator body, effectively maintain the sealing performance of the refrigerator, reduce cold air leakage, reduce the energy consumption of the refrigerator, meet the requirements of energy saving and environmental protection, and also help maintain the temperature stability inside the refrigerator, ensuring the storage quality of food.

[0074] In one exemplary embodiment, referring to Figures 1 to 5 As shown, a door seal assembly 10 is provided, as well as a refrigerator to which the door seal assembly 10 is applied, and a control method applied to the door seal assembly 10. In this embodiment, the door seal assembly 10 can include a door seal body 1, a micro temperature difference sensor array, a conductive material layer 4, a control module, and a power supply module.

[0075] The door seal body 1 is made of silica gel or modified rubber material with good elasticity, and the cross-sectional structure is designed as a composite structure with a cavity 7, which can be a hollow structure, for example, to integrate the sensor array, control module, power module, and conductive material layer 4, etc. The miniature temperature difference sensor array is embedded in the internal cavity 7 of the door seal body 1, and away from the side of the door body, for real-time monitoring of the temperature difference between the seal and the internal environment. The sensor array can be composed of multiple miniature thermocouples or thermistors, distributed in multiple key areas of the door seal (such as the left and right sides of the door body), to improve the sensing accuracy and response speed.

[0076] The conductive material layer 4 is arranged inside or below the surface of the door seal, made of flexible conductive polymer or nano-conductive coating, with good conductivity and durability. The conductive material layer 4 can be powered by low-voltage micro-current pulse, and in cleaning mode, it can generate a transient electric field, causing water molecules and dirt particles attached to the surface to undergo electrophoretic migration, thereby being expelled from the surface of the seal.

[0077] The cavity 7 can be provided with two layers of copper mesh, namely positive and negative copper mesh, and the negative copper mesh can be closer to the conductive material layer 4. The two layers of copper mesh can be provided with a silica gel matrix, and the silica gel matrix can be provided with a control device 2 and a power supply 3. The power supply 3 can be electrically connected to the conductive material layer 4 through the positive and negative copper mesh to supply power to the conductive material layer 4. The cavity 7 can also be provided with a miniature pulse emission module, which can be 4cm×2cm×1cm in size, and can integrate a 3.7V button cell, and can integrate a SOT-23 package 555 timer chip and a power amplification circuit, which can output a 1-3kHz adjustable frequency pulse current, and can be connected to the conductive material layer 4 through hidden wires to realize pulse power supply for the conductive material layer 4. In addition, the above-mentioned module can be at least partially embedded in the support frame at the top of the door seal body 1, and can be linked with the refrigerator door circuit to share the standby power supply of the refrigerator (to reduce the energy consumption of independent power supply).

[0078] When the sensor array detects that the current temperature gradient between the door seal and the internal environment is less than or equal to a set threshold (such as 0.5℃ / mm), the control module determines that there may be condensation or dirt attached to the surface of the door seal body 1. At this time, the control module starts the cleaning program, applies a low-voltage micro-current pulse (such as 0.1~0.5A, voltage ≤5V) with a duration of several seconds to several tens of seconds to the conductive material layer 4, to form a local transient electric field on the surface of the conductive material layer 4. The direction of the electric field is perpendicular to the surface of the door seal, so that the water molecules polarize under the action of the electric field and move directionally along the electric field direction. Since water molecules have polarity, their migration in the electric field drives the dirt particles attached to their surface to move together, and finally they are guided to the edge of the door seal body 1 or the dedicated drain to be discharged.

[0079] Experiments show that water droplets can achieve effective directional migration even under weak electric field (about 100~500 V / m). By optimizing the distribution mode of the conductive material layer 4 (such as a comb-shaped electrode structure) and the frequency of the applied pulse, the driving efficiency of the electric field on the water droplets can be further improved. In addition, since the current pulse energy is extremely low, the entire process has no effect on the physical structure and sealing performance of the door seal.

[0080] In addition, in order to enhance the cleaning effect, the conductive material layer 4 can adopt a gradient conductive structure. For example, the conductivity near the surface area is high, and the conductivity of the internal area is low, which ensures that the electric field is concentrated on the surface, thereby improving the cleaning effect.

[0081] This embodiment aims to solve the technical problems of the existing refrigerator door seal relying on manual cleaning, not timely cleaning, easy to breed mold, and produce odor, and provides a door seal assembly 10, a refrigerator and a control method which can automatically sense the pollution state and start the cleaning process. A micro temperature difference sensor array is embedded in the inside of the door seal assembly 10, which monitors the temperature difference between the door seal body 1 and the internal environment of the chamber in real time. When the temperature gradient is abnormal (such as lower than the set threshold), it is determined that there is condensate water or dirt attached to the surface of the door seal, and a low-voltage micro-current pulse can be started. Through the conductive material layer 4, a transient electric field is generated on the surface of the seal, so that the water molecules and dirt particles undergo electrophoretic migration and are discharged. The cleaning process lasts for a short time (for example, ≤30 seconds), has extremely low power consumption (<0.5W), and does not affect the sealing performance of the door seal.

[0082] This embodiment breaks through the technical path of "passive cleaning" and "destructive cleaning", proposes a new mechanism of "temperature sensing + electric field driving self-cleaning", has significant creativity and practicality, can realize "on-demand cleaning" or "intelligent response", can better guarantee the hygiene of the refrigerator, and can prolong the service life of the door seal assembly 10 and the refrigerator, and better protect food safety.

[0083] Those skilled in the art should further realize that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in combination with the embodiments disclosed herein can be realized by electronic hardware, computer software or a combination of both. In order to clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the components and steps of each example have been described in the above description. Whether the functions are executed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present application.

[0084] It should be noted that the terms "one implementation," "embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," and "some embodiments" used in the specification indicate that the described embodiment may include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes that specific feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a specific feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, implementing such a feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments, whether explicitly described or not, is within the knowledge scope of those skilled in the art.

[0085] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or air conditioning apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or air conditioning apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or air conditioning apparatus that includes said element.

[0086] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments provided to fully illustrate this application, and the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on this application are all within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A door seal assembly, characterized in that, The door seal assembly is used in a refrigerator. The door seal assembly includes a door seal body, a control device, a power supply, and a temperature detection device array. The temperature detection device array is used to detect the temperature of the door seal body. The door seal assembly also includes a conductive material layer, which is disposed inside the door seal body. The control device is configured to determine the current temperature gradient of the door seal body based on the temperature detection device array, and when the current temperature gradient is less than or equal to a set threshold, control the power supply to provide pulse power to the conductive material layer so as to form a local instantaneous electric field on the surface of the conductive material layer, causing water molecules and dirt particles attached to the surface of the door seal body to undergo electrophoretic migration, thereby cleaning the door seal body.

2. The door seal assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The door seal body has a cavity structure. The control device, the power supply, and the temperature detection device array are disposed in the cavity. The conductive material layer is disposed on the inner surface of the door seal body. The inner surface is the surface of the door seal body facing the cavity. The conductive material layer is located at least on the side of the cavity facing the refrigerator door storage area. The temperature detection device array is located on the side of the cavity away from the refrigerator door storage area.

3. The door seal assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive material layer includes a flexible conductive polymer layer and / or a nano-conductive coating.

4. The door seal assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the conductive material layer is less than or equal to 0.1 nm.

5. The door seal assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive material layer is constructed as a comb-shaped electrode structure.

6. The door seal assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The door seal assembly is disposed around the door of the refrigerator; The temperature detection device array is arranged on both sides of the door in the horizontal direction, or the temperature detection device array is arranged around the door.

7. The door seal assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The temperature detection device array is arranged around the door body, and the temperature detection devices on the vertical sides of the door body are sparser than the temperature detection devices on the horizontal sides of the door body.

8. The door seal assembly according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The door seal assembly includes a hydrophobic material layer, which is disposed on the outer surface of the door seal body, and the outer surface is the surface of the door seal body that comes into contact with the outside world.

9. The door seal assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, The hydrophobic material layer includes a polytetrafluoroethylene hydrophobic layer and / or a nano-superhydrophobic layer.

10. The door seal assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that, The contact angle of the hydrophobic material layer is greater than or equal to 110°.

11. A refrigerator, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes a door seal assembly as described in any one of claims 1-10.

12. A control method, characterized in that, The control method is applied to the door seal assembly as described in any one of claims 1-9, and the control method includes: The current temperature gradient of the door seal assembly is determined based on the array of temperature detection devices; When the current temperature gradient is less than or equal to a set threshold, the power supply is controlled to provide pulsed power to the conductive material layer, so as to form a local instantaneous electric field on the surface of the conductive material layer, causing water molecules and dirt particles attached to the surface of the door seal to undergo electrophoretic migration, thereby cleaning the door seal body.

13. The control method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The set threshold is positively correlated with the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the compartment corresponding to the door seal assembly, wherein the temperature difference refers to the difference between the ambient temperature of the compartment and the target temperature of the compartment; and / or, The set threshold is negatively correlated with the thermal conductivity of the door seal body of the door seal assembly; and / or, The set threshold is positively correlated with the spacing between adjacent temperature detection devices in the temperature detection device array; and / or, The set threshold is negatively correlated with the humidity of the environment in which the refrigerator is located.

14. The control method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The set threshold is greater than or equal to 0.3℃ / mm and less than or equal to 0.8℃ / mm.

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