Intelligent unfreezing refrigerator special area and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides an intelligent unfreezing refrigerator special area and a control method thereof. The intelligent unfreezing refrigerator special area comprises the steps that weight information, detected by a weighing sensor, of to-be-unfrozen food materials is obtained; determining an initial thawing duration according to the weight information, and controlling the special thawing area to start a thawing process; after the unfreezing process reaches the initial unfreezing duration, controlling a moving device to drive a detection part of a pressure detection device to move, so that the detection part moves towards the food materials on the bearing part; acquiring pressure information detected by the pressure sensor in the moving process of the detection component; judging the unfreezing state of the food materials according to the pressure information; and controlling the unfreezing operation of the unfreezing special area according to a judgment result so as to solve the problem that accurate monitoring and control cannot be performed in the food material unfreezing process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of refrigeration equipment technology, and in particular to a smart defrosting refrigerator zone and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] As the core equipment for household food storage, the refrigerator's function has expanded beyond refrigeration and freezing to include pre-processing of food, such as thawing frozen meat. In daily life and catering operations, frozen meat is frequently thawed for subsequent processing or cooking, thus creating clear demands for efficiency, uniformity, and preservation of food quality during the thawing process.

[0003] Some refrigerators have integrated defrosting functions, which mainly rely on preset fixed durations or power settings for defrosting. These solutions control the defrosting process by setting uniform time parameters, aiming to provide users with a relatively convenient alternative to traditional natural defrosting, microwave defrosting, or running water defrosting.

[0004] However, the aforementioned thawing methods, which rely on fixed thawing times, lack the ability to perceive the individual state of the ingredients and cannot distinguish between different types, weights, or initial states of meat. This results in a lack of targeted thawing, which can easily lead to incomplete thawing affecting subsequent processing, or over-thawing causing deterioration in texture and loss of juices. It is difficult to effectively maintain the original quality of the ingredients while ensuring thorough thawing. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a smart defrosting refrigerator zone and its control method to solve the problem of inaccurate monitoring and control during the food defrosting process.

[0006] The first aspect of this application provides a smart defrosting refrigerator zone, including a refrigerator body and a defrosting zone disposed within the refrigerator body, the defrosting zone comprising:

[0007] A weighing device, comprising a weighing sensor and a supporting component for supporting the food to be thawed, the supporting component being disposed on the weighing sensor;

[0008] A pressure detection device, comprising a detection component and a pressure sensor connected to the detection component;

[0009] A mobile device, connected to the pressure detection device, for driving the pressure detection device to move;

[0010] The controller is communicatively connected to the weighing sensor, the pressure sensor, and the mobile device; the controller is configured to:

[0011] Obtain the weight information of the food to be thawed detected by the weighing sensor;

[0012] The initial thawing time is determined based on the weight information, and the thawing zone is controlled to start the thawing process.

[0013] After the initial thawing time is reached during the thawing process, the control device drives the detection component of the pressure detection device to move, so that the detection component moves toward the food on the support component;

[0014] The pressure information detected by the pressure sensor during the movement of the detection component is obtained;

[0015] The thawing status of the food is determined based on the pressure information.

[0016] The defrosting operation of the defrosting zone is controlled based on the judgment result.

[0017] This application uses a weighing device to obtain the weight of the food to set the initial thawing time, and combines it with a pressure detection device to monitor the pressure information fed back by the deformation of the food during the thawing process. This enables dynamic judgment and adjustment of the thawing state, thereby improving the targeting and controllability of the thawing process, which helps to improve the uniformity of thawing and the quality of the food. At the same time, the pressure feedback mechanism controls the drive device to stop when a specific pressure state is detected, thereby reducing the risk of motor stall and solving the problem of inaccurate monitoring and control during the food thawing process.

[0018] Optionally, the carrying component includes a tray and a baffle fixedly disposed on one side of the tray, and the detection component is configured as follows:

[0019] It can move toward the supporting component to contact the food placed on the supporting component;

[0020] It can move toward the baffle and come into contact with the baffle when the food has been completely thawed.

[0021] The configuration of the bearing component allows the detection component to contact the food during movement to sense changes in its hardness, and to continue moving to contact the baffle after the food has been fully thawed. Thus, by detecting whether the detection component reaches the baffle and provides stable pressure feedback, a direct physical detection basis is provided for determining whether the food has been fully thawed.

[0022] Optionally, the moving device includes a guide rail and a driving component. The pressure detection device is disposed on the guide rail, and the driving component is connected to the controller. The controller drives the pressure detection device to move along the guide rail by controlling the driving component.

[0023] The moving device guides the movement trajectory of the pressure detection device via a guide rail, and the controller controls the drive component to perform the drive, thereby ensuring that the pressure detection device can move stably and controllably along a predetermined path to perform contact detection of the food and approach the baffle, providing a reliable mechanical motion basis for the automated detection of the thawing state.

[0024] Optionally, the controller is further configured to:

[0025] The reference pressure value is pre-stored, representing the contact between the detection component and the baffle.

[0026] During the process of controlling the movement of the detection component, if the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor remains at the reference pressure value for a first preset time period, the drive component is controlled to stop operating.

[0027] By monitoring the pressure value in real time during the movement of the detection component, and controlling the drive component to stop when the pressure value remains at the reference pressure value corresponding to the contact with the baffle for a first preset time, the drive is terminated in a timely manner after the detection component has reached the baffle and is under stable pressure. This helps to reduce the risk of the drive component being stalled or overloaded due to continuous obstruction.

[0028] Optionally, the controller is further configured to:

[0029] The reference pressure value is pre-stored, representing the contact between the detection component and the baffle.

[0030] After the detection component moves for a second preset time, the instantaneous pressure value detected by the pressure sensor is acquired.

[0031] If the instantaneous pressure value is less than the reference pressure value but greater than zero, it is determined that the food is not completely thawed, and the thawing zone is controlled to continue the thawing operation. The subsequent thawing time is recalculated based on the difference between the instantaneous pressure value and the reference pressure value.

[0032] By acquiring an instantaneous pressure value after the detection component has moved for a second preset time and comparing it with a reference pressure value, the system can recalculate and execute subsequent thawing operations based on the pressure difference when the food is not fully thawed. This enables dynamic adjustment of the thawing process, improves the adaptability of thawing time, and helps alleviate the problem of insufficient thawing caused by differences in the state of the food.

[0033] Optionally, the controller is further configured to:

[0034] After determining that the food is not completely thawed, the detection component is controlled to retract and reset.

[0035] The defrosting zone is controlled to continue defrosting for the subsequent defrosting time, and after the subsequent defrosting time ends, the detection component is controlled to move again to determine the defrosting status.

[0036] If insufficient thawing is detected, the detection component is retracted and thawing continues for a recalculated duration. The detection process is then restarted. This allows for cyclical feedback and adjustment of the thawing process based on real-time detection results, thereby improving the iterative accuracy of thawing control and contributing to the uniformity and reliability of the final thawing effect.

[0037] Optionally, the controller is further configured to:

[0038] After the detection component moves for a second preset time, if the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor reaches the preset reference pressure value and remains stable for a third preset time, it is determined that the food has been completely thawed, and the thawing zone is controlled to stop the thawing operation.

[0039] By confirming that the pressure value reaches the benchmark value and remains stable within a third preset time after the detection component moves for a second preset time, the food is determined to be completely thawed and the thawing operation is stopped. This introduces a stable and continuous pressure condition as a criterion for confirming the completion of thawing, which helps to improve the accuracy and reliability of the thawing status judgment and reduce the possibility of misjudgment caused by instantaneous contact or pressure fluctuations.

[0040] The second aspect of this application provides a method for controlling a refrigerator zone with intelligent defrosting, applied to the refrigerator zone with intelligent defrosting as described in the first aspect, the method comprising:

[0041] Obtain the weight information of the food to be thawed detected by the weighing sensor;

[0042] The initial thawing time is determined based on the weight information, and the thawing zone is controlled to start the thawing process.

[0043] After the initial thawing time is reached during the thawing process, the control device drives the detection component of the pressure detection device to move, so that the detection component moves toward the food on the support component;

[0044] The pressure information detected by the pressure sensor during the movement of the detection component is obtained;

[0045] The thawing status of the food is determined based on the pressure information.

[0046] The defrosting operation of the defrosting zone is controlled based on the judgment result.

[0047] By setting the initial thawing time based on the weight of the ingredients, and driving the detection component to move after the initial thawing to obtain pressure information, the thawing status is judged based on the pressure information and the thawing operation is controlled accordingly. This achieves dual regulation of the thawing process based on weight and real-time physical feedback, which helps to improve the targeting and adaptability of the thawing process, and enhances the accuracy of thawing control and the food processing effect.

[0048] Optionally, the steps of determining the thawing status of the food based on the pressure information and controlling the thawing operation of the thawing zone based on the determination result include:

[0049] A reference pressure value is pre-stored to characterize the contact between the detection component and the baffle disposed on the bearing component;

[0050] After the detection component moves for a second preset time, the instantaneous pressure value detected by the pressure sensor is acquired.

[0051] If the instantaneous pressure value is less than the reference pressure value but greater than zero, it is determined that the food is not completely thawed. The subsequent thawing time is calculated based on the difference between the instantaneous pressure value and the reference pressure value, and the thawing zone is controlled to continue thawing for the subsequent thawing time.

[0052] By comparing the instantaneous pressure value after movement with the pre-stored benchmark pressure value, if the pressure value is less than the benchmark value, it is determined that the thawing is insufficient. The subsequent thawing time is calculated and executed based on the pressure difference, thereby realizing pressure feedback adjustment in the thawing process. This helps to improve the dynamic adaptability of the thawing time setting and improve the thawing of ingredients with different hardness.

[0053] Optionally, after determining that the food has not been completely thawed, the method further includes:

[0054] Control the detection component to retract and reset;

[0055] After the defrosting zone continues to defrost for the specified subsequent defrosting time, the step of controlling the movement of the detection component and judging the defrosting status is executed again until it is determined that the food is completely defrosted.

[0056] The condition for determining that the food is completely thawed is that after the detection component moves for a second preset time, the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor reaches the reference pressure value and remains stable for a third preset time.

[0057] If the thawing is deemed insufficient, the detection component is reset and thawing continues based on the recalculated duration. The detection and judgment steps are then repeated until the pressure value reaches the benchmark and remains stable. Only then is the thawing considered complete. This forms an iterative control loop based on pressure feedback, which helps improve the accuracy of the final thawing status determination and the integrity of the thawing process.

[0058] As can be seen from the above technical methods, this application provides a smart defrosting refrigerator zone and its control method. The method involves acquiring the weight information of the food to be defrosted detected by a weighing sensor; determining the initial defrosting time based on the weight information; and controlling the defrosting zone to start the defrosting process. After the defrosting process reaches the initial defrosting time, a moving device is controlled to drive the detection component of a pressure detection device to move, causing the detection component to move towards the food on the supporting component. Pressure information detected by the pressure sensor during the movement of the detection component is acquired. The defrosting state of the food is determined based on the pressure information. The defrosting operation of the defrosting zone is controlled based on the determination result, thereby solving the problem of inaccurate monitoring and control during the food defrosting process. Attached Figure Description

[0059] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0060] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating the intelligent defrosting refrigerator zone control method provided in this application embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0061] The embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described below do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. They are merely examples of systems and methods consistent with some aspects of this application.

[0062] It should be noted that the brief descriptions of terms in this application are only for the convenience of understanding the embodiments described below, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this application. Unless otherwise stated, these terms should be understood in their ordinary and common meaning.

[0063] The terms "first," "second," "third," etc., used in this application specification and the aforementioned drawings are used to distinguish similar or related objects or entities, and do not necessarily imply a specific order or sequence, unless otherwise specified. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate.

[0064] The terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover but not exclude inclusion, for example, a product or device that includes a range of components is not necessarily limited to all of the components that are clearly listed, but may include other components that are not clearly listed or that are inherent to such product or device.

[0065] In this application embodiment, refrigeration equipment refers to equipment with refrigeration capabilities. For example, refrigeration equipment includes, but is not limited to, direct-cooling refrigerators, air-cooling refrigerators, hybrid-cooling refrigerators, freezers, and other equipment.

[0066] Refrigeration equipment, such as refrigerators, is generally equipped with a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment.

[0067] The primary function of the refrigerator compartment is preservation. It is typically located in the upper part of the refrigeration unit and is designed to maintain a temperature above 0 degrees Celsius, usually between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius. This temperature range is sufficient to slow the growth of bacteria in food, thereby extending its shelf life while preserving its freshness and taste. Various perishable foods, such as vegetables, fruits, dairy products, cooked meats, and leftovers, can be stored in the refrigerator compartment.

[0068] The primary function of the freezer compartment is to freeze and store food for extended periods. It is typically located in the lower part of the refrigeration unit and is designed to operate at temperatures well below 0 degrees Celsius, generally below -18 degrees Celsius. At this extremely low temperature, the moisture in the food freezes rapidly, effectively preventing bacterial growth and allowing the food to be preserved for a long time without spoiling. Meat, fish, ice cream, and frozen foods can be stored in the freezer compartment for extended periods.

[0069] To address the issue of inaccurate monitoring and control during the food thawing process, see [link / reference]. Figure 1 This application provides a smart defrosting refrigerator zone in some embodiments, including a refrigerator body and a defrosting zone disposed within the refrigerator body.

[0070] It should be understood that the defrosting zone is located in the refrigerator compartment or a separate variable temperature compartment inside the refrigerator body. The inner wall of the defrosting zone is made of heat-insulating material to ensure temperature stability during the defrosting process.

[0071] The defrosting area includes a weighing device, which consists of a weighing sensor and a support component for supporting the food to be defrosted. The support component is positioned on top of the weighing sensor.

[0072] In some embodiments, the carrying component includes a tray and a baffle fixedly disposed on one side of the tray, and the detection component is configured to:

[0073] It can move toward the support component to contact the food placed on the support component;

[0074] It can move toward the baffle and come into contact with the baffle when the food has been completely thawed.

[0075] The design of the supporting component allows the detection component to contact the food during movement to sense changes in its hardness, and it can continue to move until it contacts the baffle after the food has been fully thawed. By detecting whether the detection component reaches the baffle and provides stable pressure feedback, a direct physical detection basis is provided for determining whether the food has been fully thawed.

[0076] Specifically, the tray is positioned above the load cell and is used to hold the meat to be thawed. The load cell detects the weight of the meat and transmits the weight signal to the refrigerator's controller, allowing the controller to obtain the weight information. A baffle is located on the left side of the tray and is fixed to it. The load cell is a high-precision resistance strain gauge load cell with a measurement range of 0kg-5kg and an accuracy of ±1g, capable of accurately detecting meat of different weights; the tray is made of food-grade stainless steel.

[0077] A mobile device, connected to a pressure detection device, is used to drive the pressure detection device to move.

[0078] In some embodiments, the moving device includes a guide rail and a driving component, a pressure detection device is disposed on the guide rail, the driving component is connected to a controller, and the controller drives the pressure detection device to move along the guide rail by controlling the driving component.

[0079] Specifically, the driving component can be a motor; the guide rail is located on the right side of the defrosting area, and the guide rail runs from right to left. The motor is connected to the pressure detection device and is used to drive the pressure detection device to move left and right. The motor is a DC geared motor, and its output speed can be adjusted by a controller to control the moving speed of the pressure detection device. In this embodiment, the moving speed of the needle-like object is set to 1 mm / s, and its length is set according to the size of the defrosting area to ensure that the needle-like object can move from the right side to the position of contacting the tray after 15 seconds.

[0080] The moving device guides the movement trajectory of the pressure detection device via a guide rail, and the controller controls the drive components to perform the drive, thereby ensuring that the pressure detection device can move stably and controllably along a predetermined path to perform contact detection of the food and approach the baffle, providing a reliable mechanical motion basis for the automated detection of the thawing state.

[0081] A pressure detection device, comprising a detection component and a pressure sensor connected to the detection component.

[0082] Specifically, the detection component can be a needle-like object, which is hidden on the right side of the defrosting area with its tip pointing towards the baffle. A pressure sensor is located at the rear end of the needle-like object and is fixedly connected to it. This sensor detects the pressure on the needle-like object and transmits the pressure signal to the controller. Under the control of the controller, the needle-like object extends to the left, gradually contacting the meat and eventually the baffle. The needle-like object is made of food-grade 304 stainless steel, with a blunt, rounded tip to avoid scratching the meat. The diameter of the needle-like object is 2mm, and its length is adjustable. In this embodiment, the extended length of the needle-like object is set to 10mm. The pressure sensor is a miniature piezoelectric pressure sensor with a measurement range of 0N-50N and an accuracy of ±0.1N, which can accurately detect the pressure on the needle-like object. The extension and retraction of the needle-like object are achieved by a motor, which is electrically connected to the controller. Under the control of the controller, the extension and fixation of the needle-like object are completed.

[0083] The controller communicates with the load cells, pressure sensors, and moving devices; the controller is configured to:

[0084] Obtain the weight information of the food to be thawed detected by the weighing sensor;

[0085] The initial thawing time is determined based on the weight information, and the thawing process is initiated in the thawing zone.

[0086] After the initial thawing time is reached during the thawing process, the control moving device drives the detection component of the pressure detection device to move, so that the detection component moves toward the food on the supporting component;

[0087] Acquire pressure information detected by the pressure sensor during the movement of the detection component;

[0088] Determine the thawing status of the food based on pressure information;

[0089] Control the thawing operation in the thawing zone based on the judgment results.

[0090] Specifically, the intelligent defrosting refrigerator zone control method includes the following steps:

[0091] Users place the meat to be thawed on a tray, the weighing sensor detects the weight of the meat and transmits the weight signal to the controller; the controller sets the initial thawing time T based on the preset weight-thawing time correspondence and the weight of the meat, and controls the thawing zone to start thawing the meat.

[0092] During the thawing process in the thawing zone according to the initial thawing time T, when the thawing time reaches T, the controller controls the needle-like object to gradually extend and move to the left, in preparation for thawing status detection.

[0093] The controller starts the motor and drives the pressure detection device to move to the left along the guide rail. When the meat comes into contact with the tip of the needle-like object, the needle-like object is subjected to pressure, and the pressure sensor transmits the detected pressure signal to the controller.

[0094] If the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor is 0 < y < x 15 seconds after the motor starts, it means that the meat has not been completely thawed. The needle-like object retracts, and the defrosting mode is activated in the special zone. The defrosting time is (xy) × T / x. After defrosting, the above operation is repeated until the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor reaches x 15 seconds after the motor starts. The controller starts timing. If the pressure value remains at x for 5 seconds, it means that the meat has been completely thawed and the needle-like object has been in continuous contact with the baffle. At this time, the controller controls the motor to stop running, the tray to stop moving, and the defrosting special zone to stop defrosting. The defrosting process ends.

[0095] The collision pressure value x is the pressure value obtained in advance when the motor drives the needle tip to collide with the baffle. The specific test method is as follows: when there is no meat on the tray, the controller controls the motor to drive the tray to move to the right, so that the baffle collides with the tip of the protruding needle-like object. The pressure sensor detects the pressure value at this time, which is the collision pressure value x, and stores the pressure value in the controller.

[0096] If the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor remains at x for a continuous period of ts during the pallet movement, the controller will immediately stop the motor to prevent it from stalling due to continuous force and to protect the motor from damage.

[0097] This application uses a weighing device to obtain the weight of the food to set the initial thawing time, and combines it with a pressure detection device to monitor the pressure information fed back by the deformation of the food during the thawing process. This enables dynamic judgment and adjustment of the thawing state, thereby improving the targeting and controllability of the thawing process, which helps to improve the uniformity of thawing and the quality of the food. At the same time, the pressure feedback mechanism controls the drive device to stop when a specific pressure state is detected, thereby reducing the risk of motor stall and solving the problem of inaccurate monitoring and control during the food thawing process.

[0098] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0099] The reference pressure value characterizing the contact between the detection component and the baffle is pre-stored;

[0100] If the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor remains at the reference pressure value for a first preset time period during the process of controlling the movement of the detection component, the control drive component will stop operating.

[0101] By monitoring the pressure value in real time during the movement of the detection component, and controlling the drive component to stop when the pressure value remains at the reference pressure value corresponding to the contact with the baffle for a first preset time, the drive is terminated in a timely manner after the detection component has reached the baffle and is under stable pressure. This helps to reduce the risk of the drive component being stalled or overloaded due to continuous obstruction.

[0102] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0103] The reference pressure value characterizing the contact between the detection component and the baffle is pre-stored;

[0104] After the controlled detection component moves for a second preset time, the instantaneous pressure value detected by the pressure sensor is acquired.

[0105] If the instantaneous pressure value is less than the baseline pressure value but greater than zero, it is determined that the food is not completely thawed, and the thawing zone is controlled to continue the thawing operation. The subsequent thawing time is recalculated based on the difference between the instantaneous pressure value and the baseline pressure value.

[0106] By acquiring an instantaneous pressure value after the detection component has moved for a second preset time and comparing it with a reference pressure value, the system can recalculate and execute subsequent thawing operations based on the pressure difference when the food is not fully thawed. This enables dynamic adjustment of the thawing process, improves the adaptability of thawing time, and helps alleviate the problem of insufficient thawing caused by differences in the state of the food.

[0107] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0108] After determining that the food is not completely thawed, the control detection component retracts and resets.

[0109] The thawing zone is controlled to continue thawing for the subsequent thawing time, and the detection component is moved again after the subsequent thawing time ends to determine the thawing status.

[0110] If insufficient thawing is detected, the detection component is retracted and thawing continues for a recalculated duration. The detection process is then restarted. This allows for cyclical feedback and adjustment of the thawing process based on real-time detection results, thereby improving the iterative accuracy of thawing control and contributing to the uniformity and reliability of the final thawing effect.

[0111] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0112] After the control detection component moves for a second preset time, if the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor reaches the preset reference pressure value and remains stable for a third preset time, it is determined that the food has been completely thawed, and the thawing zone is controlled to stop the thawing operation.

[0113] By confirming that the pressure value reaches the benchmark value and remains stable within a third preset time after the detection component moves for a second preset time, the food is determined to be completely thawed and the thawing operation is stopped. This introduces a stable and continuous pressure condition as a criterion for confirming the completion of thawing, which helps to improve the accuracy and reliability of the thawing status judgment and reduce the possibility of misjudgment caused by instantaneous contact or pressure fluctuations.

[0114] The second aspect of this application provides a method for controlling a refrigerator zone with intelligent defrosting, applied to the refrigerator zone with intelligent defrosting as described in the first aspect. The method includes:

[0115] S100: Acquire the weight information of the food to be thawed detected by the weighing sensor.

[0116] It should be understood that the user places the meat to be thawed stably in the center of the tray, with the left side panel of the tray flush against one side of the food. The weighing sensor immediately detects the weight of the food and transmits the weight signal (e.g., a detected weight of 1.2 kg) to the controller, so that the controller can obtain the weight information of the food to be thawed detected by the weighing sensor.

[0117] S200: Determines the initial thawing time based on the weight information and controls the thawing zone to start the thawing process.

[0118] It should be understood that the controller retrieves the pre-stored weight-thawing time correspondence, sets the initial thawing time T (in this embodiment, 1.2kg of food corresponds to T = 90 minutes), and simultaneously activates the thawing function of the thawing zone (such as the low-temperature airflow thawing mode). The pre-stored weight-thawing time correspondence refers to a mapping data table or mathematical model pre-stored in the refrigerator controller, using the weight of the food to be thawed as the input parameter and the verified optimal thawing time as the output parameter. This correspondence is usually established based on a large amount of experimental data, comprehensively considering the time required for different types of food with different initial temperatures (such as freezing temperature) to thaw from a completely frozen state to a preset suitable eating or processing temperature (e.g., 0℃ to 4℃) under specific thawing power and environment. For example, in this embodiment, for common meats such as pork, beef, and chicken, after multiple tests, it was determined that when the food weight is 1.2kg, the corresponding initial thawing time is set to 90 minutes. This correspondence may be fine-tuned based on the type of food selected (if the refrigerator has food type recognition or selection functions) to further ensure the defrosting effect of different foods. The low-temperature airflow defrosting mode refers to the defrosting zone using a built-in fan to force precisely temperature-controlled low-temperature air (usually set between 4℃ and 10℃, the specific temperature may be dynamically adjusted according to the characteristics of the food and the defrosting stage) onto the surface of the food to be defrosted, forming a circulating airflow.

[0119] S300: After the initial thawing time is reached during the thawing process, the control moving device drives the detection component of the pressure detection device to move, so that the detection component moves toward the food on the supporting component.

[0120] It should be understood that during the continuous operation of the defrosting zone according to the initial defrosting time, when the defrosting zone has been running for 90 minutes, the controller issues a command to pause the defrosting function, the controller controls the motor to start, and drives the pressure detection device to move to the left along the guide rail at a speed of 1 mm / s, so that the needle-like object gradually approaches the food.

[0121] S400: Acquire pressure information detected by the pressure sensor during the movement of the detection component.

[0122] It should be understood that when the tip of the needle-like object comes into contact with the food, the pressure sensor begins to detect the pressure and transmits it to the controller in real time to obtain pressure information.

[0123] S500: Determines the thawing status of food based on pressure information.

[0124] S600: Controls the defrosting operation in the defrosting zone based on the judgment result.

[0125] In some embodiments, the steps of determining the thawing status of the food based on pressure information and controlling the thawing operation of the thawing zone based on the determination result include:

[0126] The reference pressure value is pre-stored when the characterization and detection components come into contact with the baffle set on the bearing components.

[0127] It should be understood that the reference pressure value is the stable pressure value that the pressure sensor can detect when the detection component (needle-shaped object) moves under the drive of the motor and finally contacts the baffle when the food is completely thawed or in a state without food. This value is the core reference standard for determining whether the food is completely thawed. Its setting needs to take into account factors such as motor power, the material and shape of the needle-shaped object, the material of the baffle, and the desired detection sensitivity. In this specific embodiment, the reference pressure value x is preset to 8N.

[0128] After the controlled detection component moves for a second preset time, the instantaneous pressure value detected by the pressure sensor is acquired.

[0129] It should be understood that the second preset duration can be 15 seconds. When the controller controls the motor to drive the needle-like object to pierce into the food, the motor starts running. After 15 seconds, when the needle-like object has pierced into the food to a certain depth (this depth is determined by the motor speed, the transmission mechanism, and the 15-second running time), the controller will instruct the pressure sensor to collect the instantaneous pressure value y. This 15-second setting is to give the needle-like object enough time to penetrate the surface of the food and go deep enough to obtain more accurate hardness (i.e., pressure) information inside the food, avoiding detection errors caused by insufficient piercing time or depth.

[0130] If the instantaneous pressure value is less than the baseline pressure value but greater than zero, the food is determined to be not fully thawed. The subsequent thawing time is calculated based on the difference between the instantaneous pressure value and the baseline pressure value, and the thawing zone is controlled to continue thawing for the subsequent thawing time.

[0131] It should be understood that if 0 < instantaneous pressure value y < baseline pressure value x, then the food is considered not fully thawed. The formula for calculating the subsequent thawing time is: (xy)×T / x=(8-3)×90 / 8≈56 minutes.

[0132] By setting the initial thawing time based on the weight of the ingredients, and driving the detection component to move after the initial thawing to obtain pressure information, the thawing status is judged based on the pressure information and the thawing operation is controlled accordingly. This achieves dual regulation of the thawing process based on weight and real-time physical feedback, which helps to improve the targeting and adaptability of the thawing process, and enhances the accuracy of thawing control and the food processing effect.

[0133] In some embodiments, after determining that the food has not been completely thawed, the method further includes:

[0134] The control detection component retracts and resets.

[0135] Specifically, after the food is determined to be incompletely thawed in the first or subsequent test, the controller will immediately send a command to reverse the motor that drives the needle-like object, causing the needle-like object to retract completely from the inside or surface of the food to its initial position. In other words, the mechanical structure of the detection component returns to the state before the test, preparing for the next test and preventing the needle-like object from remaining in the food and affecting the subsequent thawing process or causing inaccurate test results.

[0136] After the defrosting in the controlled defrosting zone continues for the specified duration and defrosting time is completed, the process of controlling the movement of the detection component and judging the defrosting status is repeated until it is determined that the food is completely defrosted.

[0137] Specifically, if the initial defrosting time is set to T1, and the refrigerator detects that the food is not fully defrosted, the controller will analyze the difference between the pressure data and the baseline pressure value at which the food is fully defrosted. It will then automatically generate a subsequent defrosting time T2 that is shorter than T1 or adjusted according to a specific algorithm (the specific time can be dynamically determined based on the refrigerator's preset defrosting model for different food types). Once the defrosting zone has completed defrosting according to this subsequent defrosting time T2, the controller will restart the detection process. This involves controlling a motor to drive a needle-like object to move at a preset speed and direction, re-piercing or contacting the food, and monitoring pressure changes in real time through a pressure sensor. The controller repeatedly executes the judgment logic of "checking whether the pressure value reaches the baseline pressure value (e.g., 8N) and remains stable for a certain period (e.g., 5 seconds) after the motor starts for a certain time (e.g., 15 seconds)," repeating this cycle until a certain detection meets the criteria for complete defrosting.

[0138] The condition for determining that the food is completely thawed is that after the control detection component moves for a second preset time, the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor reaches the reference pressure value and remains stable for a third preset time.

[0139] It should be understood that the second preset duration can be 15 seconds. This is to ensure that the detection component (needle-shaped object) has enough time to move and fully contact the inside of the food or penetrate to a certain depth, so as to avoid inaccurate pressure detection due to insufficient movement time. The third preset duration can be 5 seconds. The third preset duration is set to eliminate the interference of instantaneous fluctuations in pressure value, to ensure that the detected pressure value is real and stable, so as to reliably determine that the food has been completely thawed, and to prevent false judgment that thawing is complete due to instantaneous pressure reaching the standard.

[0140] If the thawing is deemed insufficient, the detection component is reset and thawing continues based on the recalculated duration. The detection and judgment steps are then repeated until the pressure value reaches the benchmark and remains stable. Only then is the thawing considered complete. This forms an iterative control loop based on pressure feedback, which helps improve the accuracy of the final thawing status determination and the integrity of the thawing process.

[0141] As can be seen from the above technical methods, the embodiments of this application provide a smart defrosting refrigerator zone and its control method. This involves acquiring the weight information of the food to be defrosted detected by a weighing sensor; determining the initial defrosting time based on the weight information and controlling the defrosting zone to start the defrosting process; after the initial defrosting time is reached, controlling a moving device to drive the detection component of a pressure detection device to move, causing the detection component to move towards the food on the supporting component; acquiring the pressure information detected by the pressure sensor during the movement of the detection component; judging the defrosting state of the food based on the pressure information; and controlling the defrosting operation of the defrosting zone based on the judgment result, thereby solving the problem of inaccurate monitoring and control during the food defrosting process.

[0142] Similar parts between the embodiments provided in this application can be referred to mutually. The specific implementation methods provided above are only a few examples under the overall concept of this application and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application. For those skilled in the art, any other implementation methods extended from the solution of this application without creative effort shall fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A refrigerator compartment with intelligent defrosting, characterized in that, It includes a refrigerator body and a defrosting zone disposed within the refrigerator body, the defrosting zone including: A weighing device, comprising a weighing sensor and a supporting component for supporting the food to be thawed, the supporting component being disposed on the weighing sensor; A pressure detection device, comprising a detection component and a pressure sensor connected to the detection component; A mobile device, connected to the pressure detection device, for driving the pressure detection device to move; The controller is communicatively connected to the weighing sensor, the pressure sensor, and the mobile device; the controller is configured to: Obtain the weight information of the food to be thawed detected by the weighing sensor; The initial thawing time is determined based on the weight information, and the thawing zone is controlled to start the thawing process. After the initial thawing time is reached during the thawing process, the control device drives the detection component of the pressure detection device to move, so that the detection component moves toward the food on the support component; The pressure information detected by the pressure sensor during the movement of the detection component is obtained; The thawing status of the food is determined based on the pressure information. The defrosting operation of the defrosting zone is controlled based on the judgment result.

2. The intelligent defrosting refrigerator zone according to claim 1, characterized in that, The supporting component includes a tray and a baffle fixedly disposed on one side of the tray, and the detection component is configured as follows: It can move toward the supporting component to contact the food placed on the supporting component; It can move toward the baffle and come into contact with the baffle when the food has been completely thawed.

3. The intelligent defrosting refrigerator zone according to claim 2, characterized in that, The moving device includes a guide rail and a driving component. The pressure detection device is disposed on the guide rail. The driving component is connected to the controller. The controller drives the pressure detection device to move along the guide rail by controlling the driving component.

4. The intelligent defrosting refrigerator zone according to claim 3, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: The reference pressure value is pre-stored, representing the contact between the detection component and the baffle. During the process of controlling the movement of the detection component, if the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor remains at the reference pressure value for a first preset time period, the drive component is controlled to stop operating.

5. The intelligent defrosting refrigerator zone according to claim 2, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: The reference pressure value is pre-stored, representing the contact between the detection component and the baffle. After the detection component moves for a second preset time, the instantaneous pressure value detected by the pressure sensor is acquired. If the instantaneous pressure value is less than the reference pressure value but greater than zero, it is determined that the food is not completely thawed, and the thawing zone is controlled to continue the thawing operation. The subsequent thawing time is recalculated based on the difference between the instantaneous pressure value and the reference pressure value.

6. The intelligent defrosting refrigerator zone according to claim 5, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: After determining that the food is not completely thawed, the detection component is controlled to retract and reset. The defrosting zone is controlled to continue defrosting for the subsequent defrosting time, and after the subsequent defrosting time ends, the detection component is controlled to move again to determine the defrosting status.

7. The intelligent defrosting refrigerator zone according to claim 2, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: After the detection component moves for a second preset time, if the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor reaches the preset reference pressure value and remains stable for a third preset time, it is determined that the food has been completely thawed, and the thawing zone is controlled to stop the thawing operation.

8. A method for controlling a refrigerator's dedicated defrosting zone, characterized in that, The method, applied to the intelligent defrosting refrigerator zone according to any one of claims 1-7, comprises: Obtain the weight information of the food to be thawed detected by the weighing sensor; The initial thawing time is determined based on the weight information, and the thawing zone is controlled to start the thawing process. After the initial thawing time is reached during the thawing process, the control device drives the detection component of the pressure detection device to move, so that the detection component moves toward the food on the support component; The pressure information detected by the pressure sensor during the movement of the detection component is obtained; The thawing status of the food is determined based on the pressure information. The defrosting operation of the defrosting zone is controlled based on the judgment result.

9. The intelligent defrosting refrigerator zone control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The steps of determining the thawing status of the food based on the pressure information and controlling the thawing operation of the thawing zone based on the determination result include: A reference pressure value is pre-stored to characterize the contact between the detection component and the baffle disposed on the bearing component; After the detection component moves for a second preset time, the instantaneous pressure value detected by the pressure sensor is acquired. If the instantaneous pressure value is less than the reference pressure value but greater than zero, it is determined that the food is not completely thawed. The subsequent thawing time is calculated based on the difference between the instantaneous pressure value and the reference pressure value, and the thawing zone is controlled to continue thawing for the subsequent thawing time.

10. The refrigerator zone control method for intelligent defrosting according to claim 9, characterized in that, After determining that the food has not been completely thawed, the method further includes: Control the detection component to retract and reset; After the defrosting zone continues to defrost for the specified subsequent defrosting time, the step of controlling the movement of the detection component and judging the defrosting status is executed again until it is determined that the food is completely defrosted. The condition for determining that the food is completely thawed is that after the detection component moves for a second preset time, the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor reaches the reference pressure value and remains stable for a third preset time.

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