Refrigerator control method and refrigerator

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator control method and a refrigerator. The refrigerator comprises a cooling fan which is used for forming a cooling air path flowing through a condenser of the refrigerator in an open state; the refrigerator further comprises a purification device which is arranged on the air outlet side of the cooling fan. The control method comprises the following steps: in response to a purification mode starting instruction, obtaining the running state of the cooling fan; under the condition that the running state of the cooling fan is an open state, the purification device is controlled to start and run; and under the condition that the running state of the cooling fan is the closed state, the purification device is controlled to stop running. Therefore, the operation of the heat dissipation fan is monitored, the purification device is started under the condition that the heat dissipation fan is started, and air purification is conducted through a heat dissipation air path generated by the heat dissipation fan; and under the condition that the cooling fan is turned off, the purification device is turned off. The heat dissipation air path is used for air purification, an independent draught fan does not need to be arranged, and energy consumption for operation of the purification function can be saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration technology, and more particularly to a control method for a refrigerator and a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, refrigerators have become an indispensable appliance in daily life, primarily serving the function of food preservation and storage, but generally not performing other functions. Related technologies offer a refrigerator capable of purifying the air in its surrounding space, comprising a cabinet and a detachable air purification device mounted on the cabinet. This air purification device has a housing independent of the cabinet, a fan, a filter, and a controller for controlling the fan and filter. The filter and fan work together to purify the air in the refrigerator's space, thus enabling the refrigerator to perform both storage and air purification functions. However, the refrigerator in this related technology is merely a simple mechanical connection; the storage and air purification functions operate completely independently and do not affect each other. The energy consumption of the two functions is simply added together, offering no energy-saving effect compared to two completely independent devices. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a refrigerator control method and a refrigerator, so as to save energy while achieving air purification through the refrigerator.

[0004] This application provides a control method for a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a cooling fan for forming a cooling air path through the condenser of the refrigerator when it is in the open state. The refrigerator also includes a purification device disposed on the air outlet side of the cooling fan. The control method includes: obtaining the operating status of the cooling fan in response to a purification mode start command; controlling the purification device to start operation when the cooling fan is in the open state; and controlling the purification device to stop operation when the cooling fan is in the closed state.

[0005] In some embodiments, the purification device is used to release oxidizing active particles; the duration for which the purification device is in the activated state is less than or equal to a duration threshold.

[0006] In some embodiments, controlling the purification device to start operation includes: controlling the purification device to start operation periodically to alternate between a start-up phase and a shutdown phase; wherein the duration of each start-up phase is less than a duration threshold.

[0007] In some embodiments, the duration of each startup phase decreases sequentially; and / or, the duration of each shutdown phase increases sequentially.

[0008] In some embodiments, controlling the purification device to periodically start and run, alternating between a start-up phase and a shutdown phase, includes: obtaining a target total duration of the start-up phase and an estimated duration of the cooling phase; obtaining a preset numerical relationship between adjacent start-up phases; determining the duration of each start-up phase and each shutdown phase based on the target total duration, the estimated duration, and the numerical relationship between adjacent start-up phases, such that the sum of the durations of all start-up phases equals the target total duration, and the sum of the durations of all start-up phases and shutdown phases equals the estimated duration; and controlling the operation of the purification device based on the duration of each start-up phase and each shutdown phase.

[0009] In some embodiments, obtaining the target total duration of the start-up phase includes: obtaining the concentration of pollutant gas in the space where the refrigerator is located; and determining the target total duration of the start-up phase based on the concentration of pollutant gas.

[0010] In some embodiments, the gas parameters include the concentration of pollutant gas; determining the target total duration of the start-up phase based on the gas parameters includes: obtaining the power of the purification module releasing oxidizing active particles; calculating the time required to reduce the concentration of pollutant gas in the refrigerator's environment to the target concentration based on the power of the purification module releasing oxidizing active particles; and determining the target total duration of the start-up phase based on the time required to reduce the concentration of pollutant gas in the refrigerator's environment to the target concentration.

[0011] In some embodiments, determining the target total duration of the start-up phase based on the concentration of pollutant gas includes: obtaining the rotational speed of the cooling fan; calculating, based on the rotational speed of the cooling fan, the time required to reduce the concentration of pollutant gas in the environment where the refrigerator is located to a target concentration; and determining the target total duration of the start-up phase based on the time required to reduce the concentration of pollutant gas in the environment where the refrigerator is located to a target concentration.

[0012] In some embodiments, obtaining the operating state of the cooling fan includes: obtaining the operating stage of the refrigerator; determining that the operating state of the cooling fan is on when the refrigerator is in the cooling stage; and determining that the operating state of the cooling fan is off when the refrigerator is in the non-cooling stage.

[0013] In some embodiments, the control method further includes: obtaining the concentration of polluting gas in the space where the refrigerator is located; and issuing a purification mode start command when the concentration of polluting gas is greater than or equal to a set concentration threshold.

[0014] This application provides a refrigerator, including a cooling fan for forming a cooling airflow path through the refrigerator's condenser when the fan is open; the refrigerator also includes a purification device disposed on the air outlet side of the cooling fan; and one or more processors for implementing the above-described refrigerator control method.

[0015] The refrigerator control method and refrigerator provided in this application place the purification device on the air outlet side of the refrigerator's cooling fan, monitor the operation of the cooling fan, and activate the purification device when the cooling fan is on, using the cooling airflow generated by the cooling fan for air purification; when the cooling fan is off, the purification device is deactivated. Utilizing the cooling airflow for air purification eliminates the need for a separate fan, which simplifies the structure, saves manufacturing costs, and conserves energy for operating the purification function. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a rear view of a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a top view of a portion of the bottom structure of a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the heat dissipation airflow of a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator control method provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator control method provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator control method provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure label:

[0024] 10: Refrigerator; 100: Purification device; 101: Compressor; 102: Condenser; 103: Cooling fan. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Combination Figures 1 to 3As shown, this application embodiment provides a refrigerator 10, including a refrigerant circulation system and a cooling fan 103. The refrigerant circulation system includes a refrigerant circulation loop consisting of a compressor 101, a condenser 102, a throttling device, and an evaporator. The cooling fan 103, when open, forms a cooling airflow path through the condenser 102 of the refrigerator 10, thus dissipating heat from the condenser 102. In some embodiments, the refrigerator 10 is a built-in refrigerator, and the cooling fan 103 is disposed at the bottom of the refrigerator 10, forming a cooling airflow path through the condenser 102. Figure 4 The heat dissipation airflow shown achieves bottom heat dissipation.

[0027] The refrigerator 10 operates in two phases: a cooling phase and a non-cooling phase. During the cooling phase, the compressor 101 of the refrigerator 10 is running, allowing refrigerant to circulate in the refrigerant loop and exchange heat to achieve cooling. The non-cooling phase is the period between two cooling phases when the compressor 101 stops running. The cooling fan 103 is switched on and off according to the changes in the refrigerator 10's operating phase, serving a cooling function when the refrigerator 10 is in the cooling phase.

[0028] The refrigerator 10 also includes a purification device 100, which is located on the air outlet side of the cooling fan 103. Here, "air outlet side" refers to the airflow path of the cooling fan 103, and is not limited to a fixed location. Thus, when both the purification device 100 and the cooling fan 103 are turned on, the air outlet from the cooling fan 103 can be purified, thereby purifying the air in the space where the refrigerator 10 is located.

[0029] In some embodiments, the purification device 100 is a filter device for filtering the gas flowing through it. In some embodiments, the purification device 100 is used to release oxidizing active particles in the start-up state, and the purification device 100 is blown into the environment where the refrigerator 10 is located by the air path, thereby achieving a purification effect.

[0030] The refrigerator 10 provided in this application embodiment also includes a processor, which is electrically connected to the compressor 101, the cooling fan 103 and the purification device 100 described above, and is used to execute the refrigerator control method described below.

[0031] Corresponding to the refrigerator mentioned above, combined with Figure 5 As shown in the figure, this application provides a refrigerator control method, which includes steps S11 to S13.

[0032] Step S11: In response to the purification mode start command, obtain the operating status of the cooling fan.

[0033] In some embodiments, the purification mode activation command is input by the user to ensure that the purification process meets the user's actual needs. In some embodiments, the purification mode activation command is determined based on the concentration of polluting gas in the space where the refrigerator is located. Specifically, the concentration of polluting gas in the space where the refrigerator is located is obtained; if the concentration of polluting gas is greater than or equal to a set concentration threshold, a purification mode activation command is issued.

[0034] The operating status of the cooling fan can be directly determined by monitoring it. Alternatively, considering that in practical applications, the operating status of the cooling fan often corresponds to the refrigerator's operating phase, the cooling fan is turned on to dissipate heat when the refrigerator is in the cooling phase (compressor running), and turned off when the refrigerator is not in the cooling phase. The operating status of the cooling fan can be determined by the refrigerator's operating phase. Specifically, by obtaining the refrigerator's operating phase, the cooling fan is determined to be on when the refrigerator is in the cooling phase, and off when the refrigerator is not in the cooling phase.

[0035] Step S12: With the cooling fan in the on state, control the purification device to start operation.

[0036] Step S13: When the cooling fan is in the off state, control the purification device to stop operating.

[0037] The refrigerator control method provided in this application involves placing a purification device on the air outlet side of the refrigerator's cooling fan. The operation of the cooling fan is monitored so that the purification device is activated when the cooling fan is on, utilizing the cooling airflow generated by the fan for air purification. When the cooling fan is off, the purification device is deactivated. Utilizing the cooling airflow for air purification eliminates the need for a separate fan, simplifying the structure, reducing manufacturing costs, and conserving energy for the purification function.

[0038] In some embodiments, when the purification device is used to release oxidizing reactive particles in the activated state, the duration of the activated state is less than or equal to a duration threshold. Accumulation of oxidizing reactive particles in the space can create safety hazards due to excessively high concentrations, endangering user safety.

[0039] When the purification device is used to release oxidizing active particles in the start-up state, combined with Figure 6 As shown in the figure, this application provides another method for controlling a refrigerator, including steps S21 to S23.

[0040] Step S21: In response to the purification mode start command, obtain the operating status of the cooling fan.

[0041] Step S22: With the cooling fan in the on state, the purification device is controlled to start and run periodically, alternating between the start-up and shutdown phases. The duration of each start-up phase is less than or equal to the aforementioned duration threshold.

[0042] Step S23: When the cooling fan is in the off state, control the purification device to stop operating.

[0043] In this way, during the shutdown phase between the two start-up phases, the purification device stops releasing oxidizing active particles, and the concentration of these particles no longer increases but gradually decreases due to diffusion in the air, thus preventing the concentration of oxidizing active particles from becoming too high. After the shutdown phase, the purification device is turned on again to release oxidizing active particles, causing their concentration to increase. This maintains a certain concentration level while preventing excessively high concentrations of oxidizing active particles, thus balancing purification effectiveness and the safety of the purification process.

[0044] In some embodiments, the duration of each startup phase decreases sequentially. In some embodiments, the duration of each shutdown phase increases sequentially. Considering that even with alternating startup and shutdown phases, natural diffusion has a limited effect on reducing the concentration of oxidizing reactive particles, there is a risk that the overall concentration of oxidizing reactive particles may increase with the operation of multiple startup phases, potentially causing safety hazards. Setting the duration of each startup phase to decrease sequentially can gradually reduce the release of oxidizing reactive particles in a single startup phase, which helps to suppress the increase in the concentration of oxidizing reactive particles, thereby reducing the risk of safety hazards caused by excessively high concentrations of oxidizing reactive particles. Similarly, setting the duration of each shutdown phase to increase sequentially provides more time for oxidizing reactive particles to diffuse in the air, thereby reducing the concentration to a greater extent and suppressing the increase in the concentration of oxidizing reactive particles, thus helping to reduce the risk of safety hazards caused by excessively high concentrations of oxidizing reactive particles.

[0045] Combination Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the purification device is controlled to start periodically to alternate between the start-up phase and the shutdown phase, including steps S221 to S223.

[0046] Step S221: Obtain the target total duration of the start-up phase and the estimated duration of the cooling phase.

[0047] The process of obtaining the target total duration of the start-up phase includes: obtaining the concentration of pollutant gases within the space where the refrigerator is located, and determining the target total duration of the start-up phase based on the concentration of pollutant gases. Different concentrations of pollutant gases in the space result in different purification requirements. Determining the target total duration of the start-up phase based on the concentration of pollutant gases helps to align the purification process with actual purification needs, thereby optimizing the purification effect. Furthermore, the higher the concentration of pollutant gases, the longer the target total duration of the start-up phase. The concentration of pollutant gases within the space where the refrigerator is located can be determined by a gas sensor installed in the refrigerator or within the space where the refrigerator is located. In some embodiments, this gas sensor is used to detect pollutant gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide.

[0048] In some embodiments, determining the target total duration of the start-up phase based on the concentration of polluting gases includes: determining the pollution level based on the concentration of polluting gases in the environment where the refrigerator is located, and determining the duration corresponding to the current pollution level as the target total duration based on the correspondence between pollution level and duration. Specifically, a correspondence between the concentration of polluting gases and the pollution level is established, for example, the pollution level is divided into light air pollution, moderate air pollution, and heavy air pollution, and each corresponds to a different duration, so as to accurately determine the target total duration of the start-up phase.

[0049] In some embodiments, determining the target total duration of the start-up phase based on the concentration of pollutant gas includes: obtaining the power of the purification module releasing oxidizing active particles; calculating, based on the power of the purification module releasing oxidizing active particles, the time required to reduce the concentration of pollutant gas in the refrigerator's environment to a target concentration; and determining the target total duration of the start-up phase based on the time required to reduce the concentration of pollutant gas in the refrigerator's environment to the target concentration. The power of different purification modules releasing oxidizing active particles may differ, or even if it is the same purification module, the adjustable power of that module will affect the actual power of releasing oxidizing active particles. Calculating the actual time required to reduce the concentration of pollutant gas based on the current power of the purification module releasing oxidizing active particles, combined with the concentration of pollutant gas in the refrigerator's environment, helps improve the accuracy of calculating the target total duration of the start-up phase.

[0050] In some embodiments, determining the target total duration of the start-up phase based on the concentration of pollutant gas includes: obtaining the rotational speed of the cooling fan; calculating, based on the rotational speed of the cooling fan, the time required to reduce the concentration of pollutant gas in the refrigerator's environment to a target concentration; and determining the target total duration of the start-up phase based on the time required to reduce the concentration of pollutant gas in the refrigerator's environment to the target concentration. Considering that in practical applications, the rotational speed of the refrigerator's cooling fan is not a uniform fixed value, and different rotational speeds can affect the operation of the purification device, detecting the actual operating rotational speed of the cooling fan and calculating based on this speed can more accurately determine the time required to reduce the concentration of pollutant gas in the refrigerator's environment to the target concentration, ensuring the accuracy of the target total duration of the start-up phase, and thus facilitating the optimization of the purification effect.

[0051] The refrigerator includes a cooling compartment. In some embodiments, obtaining the estimated duration of a cooling phase includes: obtaining the compartment temperature and the current target temperature within the cooling compartment; and determining the estimated duration of the cooling phase based on the target temperature and the compartment temperature. During actual refrigerator operation, the estimated duration of each cooling phase is not fixed but depends on the current actual cooling demand. In practice, the refrigerator's cooling capacity is obtained, and the time required to lower the compartment temperature to the target temperature is calculated based on this capacity, which is then used as the estimated duration of the cooling phase.

[0052] Step S222: Obtain the preset numerical relationship between adjacent startup stages.

[0053] The numerical relationship can be a proportional relationship, such as the duration of the previous startup phase being k times the duration of its adjacent subsequent startup phase. This numerical relationship can also be a difference between the two, such as the difference 'a' being the duration of the previous startup phase minus the duration of its adjacent subsequent startup phase. This difference also doesn't have to be exactly equal. For example, the difference between the duration of the first startup phase and the duration of the second startup phase after the purification device starts operating is 'a', the difference between the duration of the second startup phase and the duration of the third startup phase is 'b', and the difference between the duration of the third startup phase and the duration of the fourth startup phase is 'c'. Thus, values ​​of 'a', 'b', and 'c' are set, and these 'a', 'b', and 'c' may have arithmetic or geometrical relationships.

[0054] Step S223: Determine the duration of each start-up stage and each shutdown stage based on the target total duration, the estimated duration, and the numerical relationship between adjacent start-up stages, so that the sum of the durations of all start-up stages equals the target total duration, and the sum of the durations of all start-up stages and shutdown stages equals the estimated duration; control the operation of the purification device based on the duration of each start-up stage and each shutdown stage.

[0055] Essentially, the numerical relationships between different startup phases are already set, but the specific durations of the startup and shutdown phases need to be determined based on the actual situation. For example, if the aforementioned numerical relationship is that the duration of the previous startup phase is k times the duration of its adjacent subsequent startup phase, this ratio is already set, but the specific duration of each startup phase needs to be determined based on this. At this point, the specific durations of multiple startup phases can be obtained based on the target total duration of the startup phases and the numerical relationships between adjacent startup phases, and the sum of the durations of all startup phases equals the target total duration. Then, combined with the estimated duration of the cooling phase, the shutdown phases between adjacent startup phases are set, ultimately ensuring that the sum of all startup phases and all shutdown phases equals the estimated duration of the cooling phase. This achieves accurate setting of the startup and shutdown phases, which is beneficial for optimizing the purification effect of the purification device.

[0056] It should be noted that there is no fixed order between steps S221 and S222.

[0057] In some embodiments, the control method further includes controlling the cooling fan to operate alternately at multiple target speeds. This allows the cooling fan to deliver air to different distances, which helps improve the uniformity of overall space purification and optimizes the refrigerator's purification effect.

[0058] In some embodiments, controlling the cooling fan to operate alternately at multiple target speeds includes: controlling the cooling fan to operate sequentially at multiple target speeds. That is, setting multiple target speeds and the execution order of each target speed, and controlling the cooling fan sequentially according to the execution order of the multiple target speeds until the purification mode ends and the purification device shuts down.

[0059] In some embodiments, controlling the cooling fan to operate alternately at multiple target speeds includes: controlling the cooling fan to cyclically alternate between a first speed and a second speed. That is, after controlling the cooling fan to operate at the first speed for a first duration, the cooling fan is controlled to operate at the second speed for a second duration, then the cooling fan is controlled to operate at the first speed for the first duration again, and this cycle continues until the purification mode ends. This improves the uniformity of purification and optimizes the purification effect.

[0060] Furthermore, in some embodiments, controlling the cooling fan to alternately operate at a first speed and a second speed includes: simultaneously controlling the cooling fan to start operating at a first speed, where the first speed is lower than the second speed, while controlling the purification device to start; after the purification device starts and enters the purification mode, the cooling fan is first controlled to operate at a lower first speed, and then the speed is increased to control the cooling fan to operate at the second speed, blowing the air to be purified to a greater distance. This setting helps to avoid the situation where high-speed blowing occurs immediately after the purification mode is activated, causing a rapid increase in noise and rapid disturbance of airflow in a short period of time. It can provide a gradual purification operation at the initial stage of the purification device's start-up, which is beneficial to improving the user experience during the operation of the purification device.

[0061] In the description of this disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a refrigerator, the refrigerator comprising a cooling fan for forming a cooling airflow path through the condenser of the refrigerator when the refrigerator is in an open state; characterized in that, The refrigerator also includes a purification device disposed on the air outlet side of the cooling fan; the control method includes: In response to the purification mode activation command, the operating status of the cooling fan is obtained; When the cooling fan is in the on state, the purification device is controlled to start operation; When the cooling fan is in the off state, the purification device is controlled to stop operating.

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The purification device is used to release oxidizing active particles; The duration during which the purification device is in the activated state is less than or equal to a duration threshold.

3. The control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control of starting and operating the purification device includes: The purification device is controlled to start and run periodically, alternating between the start-up and shutdown phases; The duration of all of the aforementioned startup phases is less than the duration threshold.

4. The control method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The duration of each startup phase decreases sequentially; and / or the duration of each shutdown phase increases sequentially.

5. The control method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The control of the purification device to periodically start and operate, alternating between the start-up and shutdown phases, includes: Obtain the target total duration of the start-up phase and the estimated duration of the cooling phase; Obtain the preset numerical relationship between adjacent startup phases; Based on the target total duration, the estimated duration, and the numerical relationship between adjacent startup phases, the duration of each startup phase and each shutdown phase is determined, such that the sum of the durations of all startup phases equals the target total duration, and the sum of the durations of all startup phases and shutdown phases equals the estimated duration. The operation of the purification device is controlled according to the duration of each startup phase and each shutdown phase.

6. The control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The target total duration of the startup phase is obtained, including: The concentration of polluting gases in the space where the refrigerator is located is obtained; The target total duration of the start-up phase is determined based on the concentration of the polluting gas.

7. The control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The gas parameters include the concentration of polluting gases; determining the target total duration of the start-up phase based on the gas parameters includes: Obtain the power of the purification module in releasing oxidizing active particles; Based on the power of the oxidizing active particles released by the purification module, calculate the time required to reduce the concentration of polluting gas in the environment where the refrigerator is located to the target concentration. The target total duration of the start-up phase is determined based on the time required to reduce the concentration of polluting gases in the environment where the refrigerator is located to the target concentration.

8. The control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Determining the target total duration of the start-up phase based on the concentration of the polluting gas includes: Obtain the rotational speed of the cooling fan; Based on the rotational speed of the cooling fan, calculate the time required to reduce the concentration of polluting gases in the environment where the refrigerator is located to the target concentration; The target total duration of the start-up phase is determined based on the time required to reduce the concentration of polluting gases in the environment where the refrigerator is located to the target concentration.

9. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of obtaining the operating status of the cooling fan includes: Obtain the operating stage of the refrigerator; When the refrigerator is in the cooling stage, the operating state of the cooling fan is determined to be the on state; When the refrigerator is in a non-cooling stage, the operating state of the cooling fan is determined to be off.

10. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The concentration of polluting gases in the space where the refrigerator is located is obtained; When the concentration of the polluted gas is greater than or equal to a set concentration threshold, a purification mode activation command is issued.

11. A refrigerator, comprising a cooling fan for forming a cooling airflow path through the condenser of the refrigerator when in an open state; characterized in that, The refrigerator also includes: A purification device is installed on the air outlet side of the cooling fan; One or more processors are used to implement the refrigerator control method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

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