Thawing control method, thawing system and refrigeration appliance

Abstract

The application discloses a thawing control method, a thawing system and a refrigeration appliance. The thawing control method comprises the following steps: establishing a reference thawing curve corresponding to different food material components in advance; obtaining food material components and freezing history information of food materials currently in a thawing chamber; wherein, the freezing history information comprises food material state information or related environment information; correcting the reference thawing curve corresponding to the food material to be thawed according to the freezing history information to generate a dynamic thawing curve; and executing food material thawing according to the dynamic thawing curve. Thus, different control is performed on food materials to be thawed in different freezing states to realize dynamic thawing, so that the ice crystal generation zone of the food material to be thawed is quickly crossed, the juice loss of the food material to be thawed is reduced, the quality of the food material is prevented from being damaged, and unnecessary energy consumption is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration technology, and in particular to defrosting control methods, defrosting systems and refrigeration appliances. Background Technology

[0002] With the advancement of smart home appliances, users' functional needs for refrigerators have expanded from simple food storage to the entire process of food preparation and management. Defrosting, as an essential step in transforming a frozen state into a culinary-ready state, directly impacts the user experience. However, existing defrosting technologies still face the following technical bottlenecks:

[0003] 1. The thawing process is crude, resulting in severe ice crystal damage. During freezing, water inside food cells forms ice crystals. When the thawing temperature slowly rises to the -5℃ to 0℃ range (the "maximum ice crystal formation zone"), small ice crystals melt and recrystallize into larger ice crystals. These large ice crystals pierce the cell walls, causing a large loss of intracellular fluid (i.e., juices) after thawing, resulting in tough meat, nutrient loss, and a decline in taste. Existing thawing methods (such as natural thawing, refrigerator thawing, and even partial heating thawing) often operate at a fixed power or constant temperature, without differentiated control for food in different freezing states, especially failing to achieve "rapid passage" through the ice crystal formation zone, making quality damage unavoidable.

[0004] 2. Limited control dimensions and lack of awareness of freezing history. While current smart refrigerators on the market offer food entry and expiration date reminders, this information is only used for "expiration reminders" and not for proactive services such as guiding thawing. For example, a piece of beef frozen for one month and a piece frozen for three days have completely different levels of cell damage and bacterial growth risk, and should therefore require different thawing strategies, but current technology cannot detect this difference.

[0005] 3. Inadequate or inflexible handling mechanisms after food is forgotten. If food is not retrieved promptly after thawing, it will remain at room temperature or the residual temperature of the thawing compartment for an extended period, leading to rapid bacterial growth and a sharp decline in quality. While some high-end refrigerators have an automatic transfer function to the refrigerator compartment after thawing, they generally use a single 0-4°C preservation temperature range, failing to consider the varying preservation requirements based on the freezing history of food.

[0006] ① For food that has been frozen for a long time (such as more than 1 month), the cell walls are fragile. If placed above 0°C, the loss of juice will be accelerated; if it is refrozen, the repeated freeze-thaw cycles will cause secondary damage. At this time, the "slightly frozen" state at around 3°C can inhibit bacteria and maintain cell stability.

[0007] ② For food that is frozen for a short period of time, 0℃ refrigeration can meet the short-term preservation needs and consume less energy.

[0008] 4. Lack of real-time closed-loop control for uniform thawing. When using hot air or heating elements for thawing, due to the irregular shape of the food (such as bone-in meat or thick-cut steak), the thinner edges heat up quickly while the thicker center heats up slowly, easily leading to "localized overheating" or even "cooked on the outside and raw on the inside" phenomena. Existing technologies are mostly open-loop controls, meaning they are passively executed after the time or temperature is set, and cannot be dynamically adjusted according to the actual temperature distribution on the surface of the food. Summary of the Invention

[0009] This invention provides a thawing control method, a thawing system, and a refrigeration appliance. It addresses the problem in existing thawing technologies that lack awareness of freezing history, cannot adopt different thawing strategies based on freezing history, and cannot achieve "rapid crossing" of the ice crystal formation zone, resulting in unavoidable quality damage.

[0010] The technical solution adopted in this invention is to design a thawing control method, comprising:

[0011] Establish baseline thawing curves for different food components in advance;

[0012] Obtain the food composition and freezing history information of the food currently in the defrosting chamber; wherein, the freezing history information includes food status information or related environmental information;

[0013] Based on the freezing history information, the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed is corrected to generate a dynamic thawing curve;

[0014] Thaw the food according to the dynamic thawing curve.

[0015] Beneficial effects: This invention corrects the corresponding baseline thawing curve by using the freezing history information of the food to be thawed, thereby generating a dynamic thawing curve. Differentiated control is performed on the food to be thawed in different freezing states to achieve dynamic thawing, thereby quickly passing through the ice crystal formation zone of the food to be thawed, reducing the loss of juices, avoiding damage to the quality of the food, and avoiding unnecessary energy consumption.

[0016] Furthermore, based on the freezing history information, the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed is corrected to generate a dynamic thawing curve; the thawing control method includes:

[0017] The freezing history information includes freezing duration T. frozen ;

[0018] Determine the freezing time T frozen Is it greater than the first time threshold t? h1 ;

[0019] If so, enter the rapid traversal mode, correct the ice crystal zone traversal stage of the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed, generate a dynamic thawing curve, and quickly traverse the ice crystal formation zone of the food to be thawed.

[0020] If not, enter economic travel mode and maintain the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed.

[0021] Beneficial effects: This invention controls the freezing time T of the food to be thawed. frozen Greater than the first time threshold t h1 The control unit will determine that the food to be thawed is long-term frozen, and the thawing chamber needs to enter the rapid traversal mode. This corrects the ice crystal zone traversal stage of the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed, generates a dynamic thawing curve and achieves dynamic thawing, thereby quickly traversing the ice crystal formation zone of the food to be thawed, reducing the loss of juice from the food and avoiding damage to the quality of the food.

[0022] When the food to be thawed has been frozen for T frozen Less than or equal to the first time threshold t h1 When the control unit determines that the food to be thawed is short-term frozen, the thawing chamber needs to enter the economic thaw mode. At this time, the control unit will thaw the food according to the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food.

[0023] Therefore, this invention dynamically optimizes the freezing history sensing and ice crystal zone crossing strategy. That is, long-term frozen food adopts a rapid crossing mode, while short-term frozen food adopts an economical crossing mode. The food is thawed according to its freezing history, so as to carry out differentiated control for food to be thawed for different freezing times, and achieves an intelligent balance between quality and energy consumption.

[0024] Furthermore, the ice crystal band crossing stage of the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed is corrected, and the thawing control method includes:

[0025] The ice crystal zone crossing stage of the baseline thawing curve includes a first environmental conditioning parameter and a second environmental conditioning parameter.

[0026] When entering the fast traversal mode, the corrected first environmental adjustment parameter is to increase the current value by a first setting amount, and the corrected second environmental adjustment parameter is to increase the current value by a second setting amount.

[0027] Beneficial effects: Dynamically optimizes the freezing history perception and ice crystal zone crossing strategy, that is, long-term frozen food adopts a rapid crossing mode and short-term frozen food adopts an economical crossing mode. The food is thawed according to its freezing history, and the fan speed and heating power are differentiated for food to be thawed for different freezing times, thus achieving an intelligent balance between quality and energy consumption.

[0028] Furthermore, the thawing control method includes:

[0029] When entering the rapid traversal mode, the target traversal time for the corresponding ice crystal zone traversal stage is t. z1 ;

[0030] When entering the economic traversal mode, the target traversal time for the corresponding ice crystal zone traversal stage is t. z2 , and t z2 >t z1 .

[0031] Beneficial effects: Based on the freezing time T of the food to be thawed frozen Greater than the first time threshold t h1 The control unit will determine that the food to be thawed has been frozen for a long time, indicating that large ice crystals have formed inside the cells of the food and the cell membrane structure is severely damaged. If the food is thawed slowly through the ice crystal formation zone, the melted water will further seep into the intercellular spaces, resulting in a large loss of juice and a deterioration in taste. Therefore, the thawing chamber needs to enter a rapid traversal mode, which requires the food to quickly pass through the ice crystal zone. The control unit uses the modified first and second environmental adjustment parameters to thaw the food, reducing the loss of juice and avoiding damage to the quality of the food, even though this consumes more energy.

[0032] When the food to be thawed has been frozen for T frozen Less than or equal to the first time threshold t h1 When the food is frozen for a short period, the control unit will determine that the food is not frozen for a short period. This means that the ice crystals inside the food are small and the cell structure is intact, so it is not sensitive to the thawing speed. The thawing chamber can then enter the economic traverse mode. In this mode, the control unit will thaw the food using the first and second environmental adjustment parameters of the ice crystal traverse stage of the baseline thawing curve. Slow thawing is sufficient to maintain the quality of the food while significantly reducing the energy consumption of the refrigeration system and achieving energy-saving operation.

[0033] By freezing time T frozen Matching the thawing mode (fast thaw mode or economic thaw mode), it prioritizes thawing quality (at the expense of energy consumption) for long-term frozen foods and prioritizes energy conservation for short-term frozen foods, thus meeting users' dual needs for high-quality thawing and low-energy operation.

[0034] Furthermore, the food is thawed according to the aforementioned dynamic thawing curve, and the thawing control method includes:

[0035] Scan the food ingredient to generate the surface two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij] of the food ingredient at the current moment;

[0036] Obtain temperature field characteristic values, including the highest temperature T. max=max[Tij]、Minimum temperature T min =min[Tij] and temperature difference ΔT=T max -T min ;

[0037] Determine whether the temperature difference ΔT is greater than the first threshold ΔTth;

[0038] If so, if the food ingredient is determined to have a risk of localized overheating, a three-level compensation and adjustment strategy will be initiated.

[0039] If not, continue operating according to the current baseline parameters of the dynamic thawing curve.

[0040] Beneficial effects: By comparing the temperature difference ΔT and the first threshold ΔTth, it is determined whether the uniformity meets the standard. If the temperature difference ΔT is greater than the first threshold ΔTth, the control unit determines that the uniformity does not meet the standard and that there is a risk of local overheating in the food to be thawed. It then enters a three-level compensation and adjustment strategy (enhancing convection, reducing heat source, and local cooling) to cool down the local overheated areas of the food to be thawed, thereby ensuring that the surface temperature of the food to be thawed is uniform, preventing local overheating, and ensuring the uniformity of the temperature field during the thawing process.

[0041] If the temperature difference ΔT is less than or equal to the first threshold ΔTth, the control unit determines that the uniformity meets the standard, and continues to operate according to the reference parameters of the current dynamic thawing curve.

[0042] Furthermore, according to the aforementioned three-level compensation adjustment strategy, the defrosting control method includes:

[0043] Find the highest temperature T max The corresponding coordinate region;

[0044] Entering Level 1 adjustment, executing the first adjustment action: The first adjustment action increases the first environmental adjustment parameter by a third setting amount based on the current setting value;

[0045] If the first adjustment action is performed, after the first sampling period, it is determined again whether the temperature difference ΔT is greater than the first threshold ΔTth;

[0046] If so, enter the second-level adjustment and execute the second adjustment action: the second adjustment action reduces the second environmental adjustment parameter by the fourth setting amount based on the current setting value;

[0047] If the second adjustment action is performed, after the second sampling period, it is determined again whether the temperature difference ΔT is greater than the first threshold ΔTth;

[0048] If so, enter the third level of adjustment and execute the third adjustment action: the third adjustment action increases the third environmental adjustment parameter by a fifth setting amount based on the current setting value.

[0049] Beneficial effects: By regulating the air circulation, heating and humidification in a closed loop, and dynamically adjusting the three levels of compensation according to the actual temperature distribution on the surface of the food, the uniformity of the surface temperature field of the food to be thawed is ensured, and local overheating is prevented.

[0050] Furthermore, the food is thawed according to the aforementioned dynamic thawing curve, and the thawing control method includes:

[0051] Obtain the lowest temperature T of the food ingredient. min ;

[0052] Determine the lowest temperature T min Is it lower than the target thawing temperature T? target ;

[0053] If not, thawing is complete;

[0054] If so, continue generating the two-dimensional surface temperature field matrix [Tij] of the food ingredient at the current moment.

[0055] Beneficial effect: To accurately determine whether the food to be thawed has reached the thawing endpoint, the lowest temperature T is compared. min and target thawing temperature T target If the lowest temperature T min Greater than or equal to the target thawing temperature T target If the signal is clear, it indicates that the food has been thawed. At this time, the control unit will reduce the heating power to zero, reduce the fan speed to the lowest speed (maintaining a gentle breeze), trigger the buzzer to sound, and display "Thawing complete" on the control panel or mobile APP, waiting for the user to take out the thawed food.

[0056] And if the lowest temperature T min Less than the target thawing temperature T target Then, the surface two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij] of the food ingredient at the current moment is generated, and the food ingredient is further judged to have a risk of local overheating.

[0057] Furthermore, after thawing is completed, the thawing control method includes:

[0058] The status of the food in the defrosting chamber is monitored in real time to determine whether the food should be removed.

[0059] If the food has been removed, the defrosting chamber enters standby mode;

[0060] If the food ingredient is not removed, determine whether the waiting time t is less than the second time threshold T. wait ;

[0061] If not, determine that the user has forgotten and enter the forgetfulness preservation mode;

[0062] If so, continue monitoring the state of the food in the defrosting chamber.

[0063] Beneficial effect: The waiting time t in the defrosting chamber after the food has been defrosted is greater than or equal to the second time threshold T. wait If the user forgets or fails to retrieve the food in time, the control unit will determine that the food has been forgotten or has not been retrieved in time for any reason. In this case, the control unit will enter the forgotten preservation mode to prevent the thawed food from being kept at the residual temperature of the thawing chamber for a long time, which would cause bacteria to multiply rapidly and the quality to drop sharply.

[0064] Furthermore, based on real-time monitoring of the food's condition within the defrosting chamber, the defrosting control method includes:

[0065] Determine whether the door of the defrosting chamber is open, and determine whether the weight of the food inside the defrosting chamber is greater than a preset weight;

[0066] If the door of the defrosting chamber is opened, and the weight of the food inside the defrosting chamber is less than or equal to a preset weight, it is determined that the food has been removed.

[0067] If the door of the defrosting chamber is not opened, or the weight of the food inside the defrosting chamber is greater than a preset weight, it is determined that the food has not been removed.

[0068] Beneficial effects: When no door opening is detected and the weight decreases significantly, it is determined that the user has forgotten or failed to retrieve the food in time for some reason. At this time, the control unit enters the forget-to-preserve mode to prevent the thawed food from being kept at the residual temperature of the thawing chamber for a long time, which would cause bacteria to multiply rapidly and the quality to drop sharply.

[0069] If the control unit detects that the door is open and the weight has decreased significantly, it indicates that the thawed food has been removed, and the thawing chamber returns to standby mode, waiting for the next food to be thawed.

[0070] Furthermore, based on entering the forgotten preservation mode, the defrosting control method includes:

[0071] The freezing duration T in the freezing history information is retrieved again. frozen ;

[0072] Determine the freezing time T frozen Is it greater than the third time threshold T? h2 ;

[0073] If so, perform the first preservation action to bring the temperature in the defrosting chamber to the first preset temperature Temp1;

[0074] If not, perform the second preservation action to bring the temperature in the defrosting chamber to the second preset temperature Temp2, where Temp2 > Temp1.

[0075] Beneficial effect: When the food is thawed and the waiting time t in the thawing chamber is greater than the second time threshold T, wait If the user forgets or fails to retrieve the food in time for any reason, the system will enter the forgotten preservation mode. Taking into account the different impacts of the food's freezing history on preservation needs, the system will intelligently select preservation actions based on the freezing history information. For long-term freezing, the first preservation action will be performed, and for short-term freezing, the second preservation action will be performed, thus balancing food quality and energy consumption.

[0076] Furthermore, the first preservation action is to introduce cold air from the freezer compartment, and the second preservation action is to introduce cold air from the refrigerator compartment.

[0077] Beneficial effects: When performing the first preservation action, cold air from the freezer is introduced into the thawing chamber. The low temperature of the freezer quickly passes through the maximum ice crystal formation zone (-1℃ to -5℃) of the thawed food, causing the internal moisture of the thawed food to form small and uniform ice crystals. This effectively reduces the mechanical damage of ice crystals to cell structure and preserves the juice and nutrients of the food after thawing. At the same time, the final temperature of -3℃ keeps the thawed food in a slightly frozen state, which is convenient for short-term storage and does not require complete freezing.

[0078] When performing the second preservation step, cold air from the refrigerator is introduced. The higher temperature of the refrigerator's air gently cools the thawed food, preventing cell rupture or deterioration of texture caused by excessively low temperatures. At the same time, the 0°C preservation temperature effectively inhibits microbial growth and enzyme activity, extending the shelf life of the food while maintaining its freshness and taste.

[0079] Therefore, the two preservation methods achieve differentiated preservation treatment of thawed food, taking into account both food quality and energy-saving operation.

[0080] Furthermore, based on entering the forgotten preservation mode, the defrosting control method includes:

[0081] The state of the food in the defrosting chamber is continuously monitored to determine whether the food should be removed.

[0082] If the food has been removed, the defrosting chamber exits the forgotten preservation mode and enters standby mode;

[0083] If the food is not removed, the defrosting chamber maintains the forgotten preservation mode.

[0084] Beneficial effects: After entering the "Forgot Preservation" mode, the control unit continues to monitor whether the food has been removed. Once the removal is detected, the control unit can immediately exit the "Forgot Preservation" mode, returning the defrosting chamber to standby mode. This avoids energy waste caused by the "Forgot Preservation" mode continuing to run after food is removed, significantly reducing overall energy consumption. Furthermore, timely exiting the "Forgot Preservation" mode prevents excessively low or high temperatures within the defrosting chamber from adversely affecting subsequently stored items, ensuring the defrosting chamber remains in a reasonable standby state. It also prevents excessive frost buildup on the damper or evaporator surface due to prolonged operation, improving system reliability and lifespan.

[0085] Furthermore, based on the generated dynamic thawing curve, the thawing control method includes:

[0086] The dynamic thawing curve is as follows:

[0087] The corrected baseline parameters in the baseline thawing curve are compared with the initial temperature T0 and the target thawing temperature T. target Combined, a complete time parameter curve is generated;

[0088] The baseline parameters of the dynamic defrosting curve include the heating power setting, fan speed setting, and humidification setting at each moment.

[0089] Beneficial effects: By adjusting the parameters in the defrosting chamber (heating power, fan speed, and humidification) according to the baseline parameters of the dynamic defrosting curve, differentiated control can be carried out for foods in different frozen states to achieve dynamic defrosting. This allows the food to quickly pass through the ice crystal formation zone, reducing juice loss and preventing damage to food quality.

[0090] Furthermore, the freezing history information of the food currently in the thawing chamber is obtained, and the thawing control method includes:

[0091] If the freezing history information is missing, resulting in acquisition failure, then preset freezing history information will be used to replace the failed freezing history information.

[0092] Beneficial effects: When accurate freezing history information cannot be obtained due to sensor malfunction, unrecorded data, or storage errors, the control unit automatically activates the preset default freezing history information, ensuring the defrosting control process continues to operate normally. This avoids the predicament of the device falling into logical interruption or failing to start defrosting due to missing information, improving the system's robustness and adaptability. Simultaneously, the preset freezing history information can be based on common freezing conditions that cover most short-term freezing scenarios (such as the average freezing temperature Temp). frozen -18℃, freezing time T frozenThe 7-day calibration ensures that the thawing quality of the food to be thawed can still approach the ideal level even without historical freezing information, achieving fault-tolerant control of "optimizing when data is available and ensuring a minimum level when data is unavailable".

[0093] The present invention also proposes a thawing system, comprising:

[0094] The data acquisition module is used to collect information on the food composition and freezing history of food in the thawing chamber in real time.

[0095] The storage module is used to store a basic thawing database including the baseline thawing curves corresponding to different food components, and to save the freezing history information;

[0096] The decision module is connected to the acquisition module and the storage module respectively; the decision module is used to correct the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed based on the freezing history information, and generate a dynamic thawing curve.

[0097] An execution module is connected to the decision module; the execution module is used to thaw the food ingredients according to the dynamic thawing curve.

[0098] Beneficial effects: This invention corrects the corresponding baseline thawing curve by using the freezing history information of the food to be thawed, thereby generating a dynamic thawing curve. Differentiated control is applied to the food to be thawed under different freezing conditions (a rapid traversal mode is used for long-term frozen food, and an economical traversal mode is used for short-term frozen food). Dynamic thawing is achieved based on the freezing history of the food, so that long-term frozen food can quickly traverse the ice crystal formation zone of the food to be thawed, prioritizing thawing quality, reducing juice loss, avoiding damage to food quality, and avoiding unnecessary energy consumption. For short-term frozen food, energy conservation is prioritized, thus meeting the user's dual needs for high-quality thawing and low-energy operation.

[0099] Furthermore, the acquisition module includes at least one temperature sensing array, which consists of multiple temperature measuring units arranged in a predetermined geometry, used to scan the temperature at different locations on the surface of the food and construct a two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij].

[0100] Beneficial effects: The temperature sensor array can collect temperature data from multiple feature points on the surface of food in real time, forming a complete two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij], thereby accurately identifying overheated areas, low-temperature areas, and temperature gradients. Based on the two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij], the control unit can accurately determine whether there are overheated areas in the food to be thawed, and then adopt a three-level compensation and adjustment strategy (enhancing convection, reducing heat source, and local cooling) to cool down the food with local overheated areas, thereby ensuring uniform surface temperature of the food to be thawed, preventing local overheating, and improving the uniformity and quality of thawing.

[0101] Furthermore, by recording the freezing start time, thawing process parameters, and the execution status of forgotten preservation actions of the food to be thawed, a complete food life cycle information chain is formed. Based on this information chain, the thawing system dynamically optimizes subsequent thawing and preservation strategies, realizing closed-loop management of food information throughout the entire process and achieving a transformation from passive storage to active preservation.

[0102] Furthermore, the execution module includes:

[0103] A hot air circulation assembly for increasing the temperature and / or airflow rate within the defrosting chamber;

[0104] A humidification component is used to increase the relative humidity inside the defrosting chamber.

[0105] Beneficial effects: By controlling the fan speed, heating power and relative humidity in the defrosting chamber based on the hot air circulation component and the humidification component, the system can adopt a fast traversal mode or an economical traversal mode, and use the first preservation action or the second preservation action, based on the freezing history of the food, thereby balancing food quality and energy consumption.

[0106] Furthermore, the execution module also includes an ultrasonic wave generating component, which is used to apply ultrasonic vibrations to the food ingredient.

[0107] Beneficial effects: Based on the two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij] generated by the temperature sensing array, the ultrasonic generator component is used to promote the uniform diffusion of heat inside the food through ultrasonic vibration, thereby further improving the defrosting efficiency and uniformity.

[0108] The present invention also proposes a refrigeration appliance, comprising:

[0109] Defrosting chamber;

[0110] The refrigerator compartment is connected to the thawing compartment via a first air vent;

[0111] The freezer compartment is connected to the thawing compartment via a second air vent;

[0112] The defrosting system as described above.

[0113] Beneficial effects: This invention corrects the corresponding baseline thawing curve by using the freezing history information of the food to be thawed, thereby generating a dynamic thawing curve. For long-term frozen food, a rapid traversal mode is adopted, while for short-term frozen food, an economical traversal mode is adopted. Dynamic thawing is achieved based on the freezing history of the food, so that long-term frozen food can quickly traverse the ice crystal formation zone of the food to be thawed, prioritizing thawing quality, reducing juice loss of the food to be thawed, and avoiding damage to food quality. At the same time, unnecessary energy consumption of refrigeration equipment is avoided. For short-term frozen food, energy conservation is prioritized, thus meeting the user's dual needs for high-quality thawing and low-energy operation.

[0114] By comparing the temperature difference ΔT with the first threshold ΔTth, it is determined whether the uniformity meets the standard. If the temperature difference ΔT is greater than the first threshold ΔTth, the control unit determines that the uniformity does not meet the standard and that there is a risk of local overheating in the food to be thawed. It then enters a three-level compensation and adjustment strategy (enhancing convection, reducing heat source, and local cooling) to cool down the local overheated areas of the food to be thawed, thereby ensuring that the surface temperature of the food to be thawed is uniform, preventing local overheating, and ensuring the uniformity of the temperature field during the thawing process.

[0115] If the food remains in the thawing chamber for a period of time t after thawing is complete, and this time t is greater than the second time threshold T, then... wait If the user forgets or fails to retrieve the food in time, the control unit will determine that the food has been forgotten or has not been retrieved in time for any reason. At this time, the control unit will enter the forgotten preservation mode. Taking into account the different impacts of the food's freezing history on preservation needs, the control unit will intelligently select the preservation action based on the freezing history information. For long-term freezing, the first preservation action will be performed, and for short-term freezing, the second preservation action will be performed, thus taking into account both food quality and energy consumption.

[0116] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0117] This invention corrects the corresponding baseline thawing curve by using the freezing history information of the food to be thawed, thereby generating a dynamic thawing curve. Differentiated control is then applied to the food to be thawed in different freezing states to achieve dynamic thawing. This allows the food to quickly pass through the ice crystal formation zone, reducing juice loss and preventing damage to food quality, while also avoiding unnecessary energy consumption. Attached Figure Description

[0118] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0119] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of the first thawing control method proposed in this invention;

[0120] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of sub-process 1 proposed in this invention;

[0121] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of sub-process 2 proposed in this invention;

[0122] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the baseline thawing curve proposed in this invention;

[0123] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the second thawing control method proposed in this invention;

[0124] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of sub-process 3 proposed in this invention;

[0125] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the three-level compensation and adjustment strategy proposed in this invention.

[0126] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the third thawing control method proposed in this invention;

[0127] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of sub-process 4 proposed in this invention;

[0128] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the forgetting preservation mode proposed in this invention;

[0129] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the process for detecting the object retrieval status proposed in this invention;

[0130] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the modules of the thawing system proposed in this invention;

[0131] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the thawing chamber proposed in this invention;

[0132] Figure 14 This invention proposes a two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij] on the surface of the food, where A represents the surface of the food and B represents a schematic diagram of the scanned temperature points.

[0133] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the refrigeration appliance proposed in this invention.

[0134] Figure label:

[0135] 10. Data Acquisition Module;

[0136] 101. Temperature sensor array; 102. Weight detection component;

[0137] 20. Storage module;

[0138] 30. Decision-making module;

[0139] 40. Execution module;

[0140] 401. Hot air circulation component; 402. Humidification component;

[0141] 50. Communication module;

[0142] 60. Power supply module;

[0143] 70. Thawing chamber;

[0144] 701. First air damper; 702. Second air damper; 703. Thawing tray;

[0145] 80. Refrigeration compartment;

[0146] 90. Freezer compartment. Detailed Implementation

[0147] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0148] With the advancement of smart home appliances, users' functional needs for refrigerators have expanded from simple food storage to the entire process of food preparation and management. Defrosting, as an essential step in transforming a frozen state into a culinary-ready state, directly impacts the user experience. However, existing defrosting technologies still face the following technical bottlenecks:

[0149] 1. The thawing process is crude, resulting in severe ice crystal damage. During freezing, water inside food cells forms ice crystals. When the thawing temperature slowly rises to the -5℃ to 0℃ range (the "maximum ice crystal formation zone"), small ice crystals melt and recrystallize into larger ice crystals. These large ice crystals pierce the cell walls, causing a large loss of intracellular fluid (i.e., juices) after thawing, resulting in tough meat, nutrient loss, and a decline in taste. Existing thawing methods (such as natural thawing, refrigerator thawing, and even partial heating thawing) often operate at a fixed power or constant temperature, without differentiated control for food in different freezing states, especially failing to achieve "rapid passage" through the ice crystal formation zone, making quality damage unavoidable.

[0150] 2. Limited control dimensions and lack of awareness of freezing history. While current smart refrigerators on the market offer food entry and expiration date reminders, this information is only used for "expiration reminders" and not for proactive services such as guiding thawing. For example, a piece of beef frozen for one month and a piece frozen for three days have completely different levels of cell damage and bacterial growth risk, and should therefore require different thawing strategies, but current technology cannot detect this difference.

[0151] 3. Inadequate or inflexible handling mechanisms after food is forgotten. If food is not retrieved promptly after thawing, it will remain at room temperature or the residual temperature of the thawing compartment for an extended period, leading to rapid bacterial growth and a sharp decline in quality. While some high-end refrigerators have an automatic transfer function to the refrigerator compartment after thawing, they generally use a single 0-4°C preservation temperature range, failing to consider the varying preservation requirements based on the freezing history of food.

[0152] ① For food that has been frozen for a long time (such as more than 1 month), the cell walls are fragile. If placed above 0°C, the loss of juice will be accelerated; if it is refrozen, the repeated freeze-thaw cycles will cause secondary damage. At this time, the "slightly frozen" state at around 3°C can inhibit bacteria and maintain cell stability.

[0153] ② For food that is frozen for a short period of time, 0℃ refrigeration can meet the short-term preservation needs and consume less energy.

[0154] 4. Lack of real-time closed-loop control for uniform thawing. When using hot air or heating elements for thawing, due to the irregular shape of the food (such as bone-in meat or thick-cut steak), the thinner edges heat up quickly while the thicker center heats up slowly, easily leading to "localized overheating" or even "cooked on the outside and raw on the inside" phenomena. Existing technologies are mostly open-loop controls, meaning they are passively executed after the time or temperature is set, and cannot be dynamically adjusted according to the actual temperature distribution on the surface of the food.

[0155] Therefore, in some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, to address the problem that existing thawing technologies lack awareness of freezing history, making it impossible to adopt different thawing strategies based on the freezing history and achieve "rapid crossing" of the ice crystal formation zone, thus leading to unavoidable quality damage, this invention proposes a thawing control method, including:

[0156] Establish baseline thawing curves for different food components in advance;

[0157] Obtain the food composition and freezing history information of the food currently in the defrosting chamber 70; wherein, the freezing history information includes food status information or related environmental information;

[0158] Based on the freezing history information, the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed is corrected to generate a dynamic thawing curve;

[0159] Thawing of the food is performed according to the dynamic thawing curve, quickly passing through the ice crystal formation zone of the food.

[0160] It should be noted that the ingredients in this embodiment include the type and weight of the ingredients.

[0161] And the baseline thawing curve (such as...) Figure 4 (As shown) includes benchmark parameters for three stages:

[0162] Preheating stage (initial temperature T0 to -5℃): Heating power P base1 Fan speed F base1 Target relative humidity H base1 ;

[0163] Ice crystal zone crossing stage (-5℃ to 0℃): Heating power P base2 Fan speed F base2 Target relative humidity H base2 ;

[0164] Isostatic phase (0℃ to target thawing temperature T) target Heating power P base3 Fan speed F base3Target relative humidity H base3 .

[0165] Of course, the temperature range for the ice crystal zone crossing stage can also be selected as -5℃ to -1℃ or other temperature ranges where ice crystals form, depending on the actual situation; the target thawing temperature T target Preferably 2℃, and the target thawing temperature T target Other values ​​can also be selected based on actual conditions; no restrictions are imposed here. The baseline parameters for the baseline thawing curve are set as follows:

[0166] 150≤P base1 <250, 600≤F base1 <900, 85%≤H base1 <95%;

[0167] 250≤P base2 <400, 900≤F base2 <1300, 65%≤H base2 <70%;

[0168] 50≤P base3 <100, 200≤F base3 <400, 70%≤H base3 <85%.

[0169] Furthermore, the values ​​of the baseline parameters for the baseline thawing curve can be changed according to the actual situation, and are not limited here.

[0170] Thus, when the food to be thawed is placed on the thawing tray 703 inside the thawing chamber 70, the control unit identifies the type of food using the camera inside the thawing chamber 70 or the user manually inputs the type of food on the control panel. Then, the initial weight W0 of the food to be thawed is measured by the weight detection component 102 placed at the bottom of the thawing tray 703 (multiple consecutive samples are taken and the average value is taken to eliminate noise, and the initial weight W0 of the food is obtained), and the weight change during the thawing process is monitored in real time (reflecting the loss of juice). Based on the type of food to be thawed and the initial weight W0, the corresponding baseline thawing curve is found in the pre-established basic thawing database. Then, the corresponding baseline thawing curve is corrected based on the freezing history information of the food to be thawed, thereby generating a dynamic thawing curve. The control unit then thaws the food to be thawed according to this dynamic thawing curve.

[0171] Therefore, this invention corrects the corresponding baseline thawing curve by using the freezing history information of the food to be thawed, thereby generating a dynamic thawing curve. Differentiated control is then applied to the food to be thawed in different freezing states to achieve dynamic thawing. This allows the food to quickly pass through the ice crystal formation zone, reducing juice loss and preventing damage to food quality, while also avoiding unnecessary energy consumption.

[0172] This invention also provides a table of dynamic thawing curves:

[0173]

[0174] The thawing control method, based on the generated dynamic thawing curve, includes:

[0175] The dynamic thawing curve is as follows:

[0176] The corrected baseline parameters in the baseline thawing curve are compared with the initial temperature T0 and the target thawing temperature T. target Combined, a complete time parameter curve is generated;

[0177] The baseline parameters of the dynamic defrosting curve include the heating power setting, fan speed setting, and humidification setting at each moment.

[0178] In this way, the control unit adjusts the parameters (heating power, fan speed and humidification) in the defrosting chamber 70 according to the reference parameters of the dynamic defrosting curve, so as to carry out differentiated control for the food to be defrosted in different frozen states, so as to achieve dynamic defrosting, thereby quickly passing through the ice crystal formation zone of the food to be defrosted, reducing the loss of juice from the food to be defrosted, and avoiding damage to the quality of the food.

[0179] Among them, such as Figure 2 As shown, the freezing history information of the food currently in the defrosting chamber 70 is obtained, and the defrosting control method includes:

[0180] If the freezing history information is missing, resulting in acquisition failure, then preset freezing history information will be used to replace the failed freezing history information.

[0181] In this way, when real freezing history information cannot be obtained due to sensor malfunction, unrecorded data, or storage errors, the control unit will automatically activate the preset default freezing history information, ensuring that the defrosting control process can still operate normally. This avoids the predicament of the device falling into logical interruption or failing to start defrosting due to missing information, improving the robustness and adaptability of the system. At the same time, the preset freezing history information can be based on common freezing conditions that cover most short-term freezing scenarios (such as the average freezing temperature Temp). frozen -18℃, freezing time T frozen The 7-day calibration ensures that the thawing quality of the food to be thawed can still approach the ideal level even without historical freezing information, achieving fault-tolerant control of "optimizing when data is available and ensuring a minimum level when data is unavailable".

[0182] Among them, freezing time T frozen This refers to the time it takes for food to be placed in the freezer at 90 degrees Celsius until the current moment; the average freezing temperature (Temp) frozenThis refers to the average temperature of the food during freezing.

[0183] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, based on the freezing history information, the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed is corrected to generate a dynamic thawing curve; the thawing control method includes:

[0184] The freezing history information includes freezing duration T. frozen ;

[0185] Determine the freezing time T frozen Is it greater than the first time threshold t? h1 ;

[0186] If so, enter the rapid traversal mode, correct the ice crystal zone traversal stage of the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed, generate a dynamic thawing curve, and quickly traverse the ice crystal formation zone of the food to be thawed.

[0187] If not, enter economic travel mode and maintain the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed.

[0188] It should be noted that the first time threshold t proposed in this embodiment... h1 Taking 30 days as an example, of course, the first time threshold t h1 Other values ​​can be selected depending on the actual situation, and no restrictions are imposed here.

[0189] Thus, in this embodiment, the freezing time T of the food to be thawed is used as the reference. frozen Greater than the first time threshold t h1 The control unit will determine that the food to be thawed is long-term frozen, and the thawing chamber 70 needs to enter the rapid traversal mode. This corrects the ice crystal zone traversal stage of the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed, generates a dynamic thawing curve and achieves dynamic thawing, thereby quickly traversing the ice crystal formation zone of the food to be thawed, reducing the loss of juice from the food and avoiding damage to the quality of the food.

[0190] When the food to be thawed has been frozen for T frozen Less than or equal to the first time threshold t h1 When the control unit determines that the food to be thawed is short-term frozen, the thawing chamber 70 needs to enter the economic thaw mode. At this time, the control unit will thaw the food according to the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed.

[0191] Therefore, this embodiment dynamically optimizes the freezing history sensing and ice crystal zone crossing strategy. That is, long-term frozen food adopts a rapid crossing mode, while short-term frozen food adopts an economical crossing mode. The food is thawed according to its freezing history, so as to carry out differentiated control for food to be thawed for different freezing times, and achieves an intelligent balance between quality and energy consumption.

[0192] The baseline parameters for the preheating and isotherm stages of the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed remain unchanged or are slightly adjusted.

[0193] The thawing control method includes correcting the ice crystal band crossing stage of the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed.

[0194] The ice crystal zone crossing stage of the baseline thawing curve includes a first environmental conditioning parameter and a second environmental conditioning parameter.

[0195] When entering the fast traversal mode, the corrected first environmental adjustment parameter is to increase the current value by a first setting amount, and the corrected second environmental adjustment parameter is to increase the current value by a second setting amount.

[0196] It should be noted that the first environmental regulation parameter is preferably the fan speed corresponding to the defrosting chamber 70, so as to control the air flow rate in the defrosting chamber 70; the second environmental regulation parameter is preferably the heating power corresponding to the defrosting chamber 70, so as to control the temperature in the defrosting chamber 70.

[0197] Furthermore, in rapid traversal mode, the corresponding fan speed coefficient kF=1.3 and heating power coefficient kP=1.2; the first environmental adjustment parameter for the ice crystal zone traversal stage of the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed is F. base2 The second environmental adjustment parameter is P. base2 Therefore, the corrected first environmental regulation parameter F = F base2 ×1.3 (equivalent to the first set value being 0.3×F) base2 The corrected second environmental regulation parameter P=P base2 ×1.2 (equivalent to the second setting being 0.2×F) base2 Of course, the specific values ​​of the coefficients can be modified or replaced according to the actual situation, and are not limited to the values ​​mentioned above.

[0198] When in economic travel mode, kF=kP=1.0, so the dynamic thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed is equivalent to the baseline thawing curve.

[0199] Therefore, this embodiment dynamically optimizes the freezing history perception and ice crystal zone crossing strategy. That is, long-term frozen food adopts a rapid crossing mode, while short-term frozen food adopts an economical crossing mode. The food is thawed according to its freezing history, and the fan speed and heating power are differentiated for food to be thawed for different freezing times, so as to achieve an intelligent balance between quality and energy consumption.

[0200] The thawing control method includes:

[0201] When entering the rapid traversal mode, the target traversal time for the corresponding ice crystal zone traversal stage is t. z1 ;

[0202] When entering the economic traversal mode, the target traversal time for the corresponding ice crystal zone traversal stage is t. z2 , and t z2 >t z1 .

[0203] It should be noted that t z1 The preferred time is 8 minutes, t z2 The preferred time is 12 minutes, of course, t z1 and t z2 Other values ​​can also be selected based on the actual situation, as long as t is guaranteed. z2 >t z1 That will do.

[0204] Thus, in this embodiment, the freezing time T of the food to be thawed is used as the reference. frozen Greater than the first time threshold t h1 The control unit will determine that the food to be thawed has been frozen for a long time, indicating that large ice crystals have formed inside the cells of the food and the cell membrane structure is severely damaged. If the food is thawed slowly through the ice crystal formation zone, the melted water will further seep into the intercellular spaces, resulting in a large loss of juice and a deterioration in taste. Therefore, the thawing chamber 70 needs to enter the rapid passage mode, which requires the food to quickly pass through the ice crystal zone of the food. The control unit uses the modified first and second environmental adjustment parameters to thaw the food, reducing the loss of juice and avoiding damage to the quality of the food, even though the energy consumption is higher.

[0205] When the food to be thawed has been frozen for T frozen Less than or equal to the first time threshold t h1 When the food is frozen for a short period, the control unit will determine that the food is not frozen for a short period. This means that the ice crystals inside the food are small and the cell structure is intact, so it is not sensitive to the thawing speed. The thawing chamber 70 can then enter the economic traverse mode. In this mode, the control unit will thaw the food using the first and second environmental adjustment parameters of the ice crystal traverse stage of the baseline thawing curve. Slow thawing is sufficient to maintain the quality of the food while significantly reducing the energy consumption of the refrigeration system and achieving energy-saving operation.

[0206] Therefore, in this embodiment, the freezing time T is used as a reference. frozen Matching the thawing mode (fast thaw mode or economic thaw mode), it prioritizes thawing quality (at the expense of energy consumption) for long-term frozen foods and prioritizes energy conservation for short-term frozen foods, thus meeting users' dual needs for high-quality thawing and low-energy operation.

[0207] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 14 As shown, the food is thawed according to the dynamic thawing curve, and the thawing control method includes:

[0208] Scan the food ingredient to generate the surface two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij] of the food ingredient at the current moment;

[0209] Obtain temperature field characteristic values, including the highest temperature T. max =max[Tij]、Minimum temperature T min =min[Tij] and temperature difference ΔT=T max -T min ;

[0210] Determine whether the temperature difference ΔT is greater than the first threshold ΔTth;

[0211] If so, if the food ingredient is determined to have a risk of localized overheating, a three-level compensation and adjustment strategy will be initiated.

[0212] If not, continue operating according to the current baseline parameters of the dynamic thawing curve.

[0213] It should be noted that the characteristic values ​​of the temperature field also include the average temperature T. avg =sum[Tij] / n etc. The first threshold △Tth is a preset uniformity threshold, preferably 5℃, but other values ​​can be selected according to the actual situation.

[0214] In this way, by comparing the temperature difference ΔT and the first threshold ΔTth, it is determined whether the uniformity meets the standard. If the temperature difference ΔT is greater than the first threshold ΔTth, the control unit determines that the uniformity does not meet the standard and that there is a risk of local overheating in the food to be thawed. It then enters a three-level compensation and adjustment strategy (enhancing convection, reducing heat source, and local cooling) to cool down the local overheated areas of the food to be thawed, thereby ensuring that the surface temperature of the food to be thawed is uniform, preventing local overheating, and ensuring the uniformity of the temperature field during the thawing process.

[0215] If the temperature difference ΔT is less than or equal to the first threshold ΔTth, the control unit determines that the uniformity meets the standard, and continues to operate according to the reference parameters of the current dynamic thawing curve.

[0216] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, according to the three-level compensation adjustment strategy, the defrosting control method includes:

[0217] Find the highest temperature T max The corresponding coordinate region;

[0218] Entering Level 1 adjustment, executing the first adjustment action: The first adjustment action increases the first environmental adjustment parameter by a third setting amount based on the current setting value;

[0219] If the first adjustment action is performed, after the first sampling period, it is determined again whether the temperature difference ΔT is greater than the first threshold ΔTth;

[0220] If so, enter the second-level adjustment and execute the second adjustment action: the second adjustment action reduces the second environmental adjustment parameter by the fourth setting amount based on the current setting value;

[0221] If the second adjustment action is performed, after the second sampling period, it is determined again whether the temperature difference ΔT is greater than the first threshold ΔTth;

[0222] If so, enter the third level of adjustment and execute the third adjustment action: the third adjustment action increases the third environmental adjustment parameter by a fifth setting amount based on the current setting value.

[0223] It should be noted that the third environmental adjustment parameter is the relative humidity of the environment in which the food is located. The third setting is preferably 20%, the fourth setting is preferably 10%, the fifth setting is preferably 10%, and the first and second sampling periods are preferably 10 seconds. Of course, the specific values ​​of the above settings and sampling periods can be modified according to the actual situation, and are not limited here.

[0224] Thus, when the control unit executes the three-level compensation adjustment strategy, it must first locate the overheating area, that is, find the highest temperature T. max The corresponding coordinate area; then execute the first adjustment action (enhance air convection in the defrosting chamber 70), increase the fan speed, and add a third setting amount (such as +20%) on the basis of the current setting value to accelerate air flow and promote the transfer of heat from the high temperature range to the low temperature range.

[0225] If, after the first adjustment action is performed and the temperature difference ΔT is less than or equal to the first threshold ΔTth after the first sampling period, the three-level compensation adjustment strategy can be exited and the system can continue to operate according to the baseline parameters of the current dynamic thawing curve.

[0226] If, after the first adjustment action is performed and the temperature difference ΔT is still greater than the first threshold ΔTth after the first sampling period, the control unit performs the second adjustment action (reducing the heat source in the defrosting chamber 70), thereby reducing the heating power corresponding to the defrosting chamber 70 and decreasing the fourth setting amount (e.g., 10%) based on the current setting value.

[0227] If, after the second adjustment action is performed and the temperature difference ΔT becomes less than or equal to the first threshold ΔTth after the second sampling period, the three-level compensation adjustment strategy can be exited, and the system can continue to operate according to the baseline parameters of the current dynamic thawing curve.

[0228] If, after the second adjustment action is performed and the temperature difference ΔT is still greater than the first threshold ΔTth after the second sampling cycle, the control unit performs the third adjustment action (local cooling), which briefly increases the humidification or relative humidity in the defrosting chamber 70, and adds a fifth setting (such as +10%) to the current setting value, so that the water mist evaporates and absorbs heat in the overheated area, achieving "targeted cooling".

[0229] After executing the third adjustment action, the three-level compensation adjustment strategy will not be exited until the temperature difference ΔT is less than or equal to the first threshold ΔTth, and the system will continue to operate according to the reference parameters of the current dynamic thawing curve.

[0230] Therefore, by regulating the air circulation, heating, and humidification in a closed loop, and dynamically adjusting the three levels of compensation based on the actual temperature distribution on the surface of the food, the uniformity of the surface temperature field of the food to be thawed is ensured, and local overheating is prevented.

[0231] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the food is thawed according to the dynamic thawing curve, and the thawing control method includes:

[0232] Obtain the lowest temperature T of the food ingredient. min ;

[0233] Determine the lowest temperature T min Is it lower than the target thawing temperature T? target ;

[0234] If not, thawing is complete;

[0235] If so, continue generating the two-dimensional surface temperature field matrix [Tij] of the food ingredient at the current moment.

[0236] It should be noted that the lowest temperature T min This represents the thickest / most difficult-to-thaw part of the food to be thawed.

[0237] In this way, to accurately determine whether the food to be thawed has reached the thawing endpoint, the lowest temperature T is compared. min and target thawing temperature T target If the lowest temperature T min Greater than or equal to the target thawing temperature T target If the signal is clear, it indicates that the food has been thawed. At this time, the control unit will reduce the heating power to zero, reduce the fan speed to the lowest speed (maintaining a gentle breeze), trigger the buzzer to sound, and display "Thawing complete" on the control panel or mobile APP, waiting for the user to take out the thawed food.

[0238] And if the lowest temperature T min Less than the target thawing temperature T targetThen, the surface two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij] of the food ingredient at the current moment is generated, and the food ingredient is further judged to have a risk of local overheating.

[0239] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, after thawing is completed, the thawing control method includes:

[0240] The status of the food in the defrosting chamber 70 is monitored in real time to determine whether the food should be removed.

[0241] If the food has been removed, the defrosting chamber 70 enters standby mode;

[0242] If the food ingredient is not removed, determine whether the waiting time t is less than the second time threshold T. wait ;

[0243] If not, determine that the user has forgotten and enter the forgetfulness preservation mode;

[0244] If so, continue monitoring the state of the food inside the defrosting chamber 70.

[0245] It should be noted that the second time threshold T wait The preferred time is 30 minutes; of course, the second time threshold T... wait Other values ​​can be selected depending on the actual situation, and no restrictions are imposed here.

[0246] Thus, the waiting time t when the food is still in the defrosting chamber 70 after defrosting is greater than or equal to the second time threshold T wait If this happens, the control unit will determine that the user has forgotten or failed to retrieve the food in time for some reason. At this time, the control unit will enter the forgotten preservation mode to prevent the thawed food from being kept at the residual temperature of 70°C in the thawing chamber for a long time, which would cause bacteria to multiply rapidly and the quality to drop sharply.

[0247] In some embodiments, such as Figure 11 As shown, based on real-time monitoring of the food's condition within the defrosting chamber 70, the defrosting control method includes:

[0248] Determine whether the door of the defrosting chamber 70 is open, and determine whether the weight of the food inside the defrosting chamber 70 is greater than a preset weight;

[0249] If the door of the defrosting chamber 70 is opened, and the weight of the food inside the defrosting chamber 70 is less than or equal to a preset weight, it is determined that the food has been removed.

[0250] If the door of the defrosting chamber 70 is not opened, or the weight of the food inside the defrosting chamber 70 is greater than a preset weight, it is determined that the food has not been removed.

[0251] It should be noted that the control unit determines whether the chamber door of the thawing chamber 70 is opened through the door magnetic switch signal. The control unit reads the current weight Wt through the weight detection component 102 and compares it with the initial weight W0. If Wt < W0×0.9 (considering thawing water loss), or the weight suddenly changes to be close to zero, it is determined that the food ingredient has been taken away; the preset weight is W0×0.9.

[0252] In this way, if the control unit does not detect the opening of the chamber door and the weight significantly decreases, it is determined that the user has forgotten or failed to take it in time due to reasons. At this time, the control unit enters the forgotten fresh-keeping mode to avoid the situation where the thawed food ingredient is in the residual temperature of the thawing chamber 70 for a long time, bacteria multiply rapidly, and the quality drops sharply.

[0253] If the control unit detects the opening of the chamber door and the weight significantly decreases, it indicates that the thawed food ingredient has been taken out, and the thawing chamber 70 returns to the standby state, waiting for the thawing of the next food ingredient to be thawed.

[0254] In some embodiments, as Figure 10 shown, according to entering the forgotten fresh-keeping mode, the thawing control method includes:

[0255] Obtain the freezing duration T in the freezing history information again frozen ;

[0256] Judge whether the freezing duration T frozen is greater than the third time threshold T h2 ;

[0257] If so, perform the first fresh-keeping action to make the temperature in the thawing chamber 70 at the first preset temperature Temp1;

[0258] If not, perform the second fresh-keeping action to make the temperature in the thawing chamber 70 at the second preset temperature Temp2, and Temp2 > Temp1.

[0259] It should be noted that the first preset temperature Temp1 is preferably [-3°C, 0°C), the second preset temperature Temp2 is preferably [0°C, 2°C], and the second time threshold t h2 Taking 30 days as an example, of course, the preset temperature and the second time threshold t h2 can also be selected as other values according to the actual situation, which is not limited here.

[0260] In this way, when the thawing chamber 70 enters the forgotten fresh-keeping mode, the control unit compares the freezing duration T frozen and the third time threshold T h2 ; if the freezing duration T frozen is greater than the third time threshold T [[ID=4ó]] h2This indicates that the thawed food has been frozen for a long time, and its cell walls are fragile. If placed above 0°C, the loss of juice will be aggravated. If it is refrozen, repeated freeze-thaw cycles will cause secondary damage. Therefore, the first preservation action is performed to keep the temperature in the thawing chamber 70 at the first preset temperature Temp1 ± 0.5°C, and the fan runs at a very low speed to keep the temperature uniform, so as to achieve the purpose of micro-freezing preservation. This can inhibit bacteria, maintain cell stability, and extend the preservation time.

[0261] If the freezing time is T frozen Less than or equal to the third time threshold T h2 This indicates that the thawed food has been frozen for a short period of time. Therefore, the second preservation action is performed to adjust the temperature in the thawing chamber 70 to the second preset temperature Temp2, and maintain the second preset temperature Temp2±1℃. This results in low energy consumption and avoids energy waste caused by excessive cooling.

[0262] Thus, the waiting time t when the food is still in the defrosting chamber 70 after defrosting is greater than the second time threshold T. wait If the user forgets or fails to retrieve the food in time, the control unit will determine that the food has been forgotten or has not been retrieved in time for any reason. At this time, the control unit will enter the forgotten preservation mode. Taking into account the different impacts of the food's freezing history on preservation needs, the control unit will intelligently select the preservation action based on the freezing history information. For long-term freezing, the first preservation action will be performed, and for short-term freezing, the second preservation action will be performed, thus taking into account both food quality and energy consumption.

[0263] The first preservation action is to introduce cold air from the freezer compartment at 90°C, and the second preservation action is to introduce cold air from the refrigerator compartment at 80°C.

[0264] When performing the first preservation action, cold air from the freezer compartment 90 is introduced into the thawing compartment 70. The low temperature of the cold air from the freezer compartment 90 quickly passes through the maximum ice crystal formation zone (-1℃ to -5℃) of the thawed food, causing the internal moisture of the thawed food to form small and uniform ice crystals. This effectively reduces the mechanical damage of ice crystals to cell structure and preserves the juice and nutrients of the food after thawing. At the same time, the final temperature of -3℃ keeps the thawed food in a slightly frozen state, which is convenient for short-term storage and does not require complete freezing.

[0265] When performing the second preservation step, cold air from the refrigerator compartment is introduced at 80°C. The higher temperature of the cold air in the refrigerator compartment at 80°C is used to gently cool the thawed food, preventing cell rupture or deterioration of texture caused by excessively low temperatures. At the same time, the preservation temperature of 0°C can effectively inhibit the growth of microorganisms and enzyme activity, extend the shelf life of the food, and maintain its freshness and taste.

[0266] Therefore, the two preservation methods achieve differentiated preservation treatment of thawed food, taking into account both food quality and energy-saving operation.

[0267] In some embodiments, such as Figure 10 As shown, according to the entry into the forgotten preservation mode, the defrosting control method includes:

[0268] The state of the food in the defrosting chamber 70 is continuously monitored to determine whether the food should be removed.

[0269] If the food has been removed, the defrosting chamber 70 exits the forgotten preservation mode and enters standby mode;

[0270] If the food is not removed, the defrosting chamber 70 maintains the forgotten preservation mode.

[0271] In this way, after entering the forget-to-keep mode, the control unit continues to execute the monitoring logic to see if the food has been removed. Once the removal of food is detected, the control unit can immediately exit the forget-to-keep mode, returning the defrosting chamber 70 to standby mode and performing a series of operations. This avoids energy waste caused by the forget-to-keep mode continuing to run after the food has been removed, significantly reducing the overall energy consumption of the machine. Furthermore, timely exiting the forget-to-keep mode prevents the temperature inside the defrosting chamber 70 from being too low or too high, which could adversely affect subsequently stored items, ensuring that the defrosting chamber 70 is always in a reasonable standby state. It also prevents excessive frost buildup on the damper or evaporator surface due to prolonged operation, improving the reliability and lifespan of the system.

[0272] In some embodiments, such as Figure 12 As shown, the present invention also proposes a thawing system, comprising:

[0273] The data acquisition module 10 is used to collect information on the food composition and freezing history of the food in the defrosting chamber 70 in real time.

[0274] Storage module 20 is used to store a basic thawing database including the baseline thawing curves corresponding to different food components, and to save the freezing history information;

[0275] The decision module 30 is connected to the acquisition module 10 and the storage module 20 respectively; the decision module 30 is used to correct the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed based on the freezing history information, and generate a dynamic thawing curve.

[0276] The execution module 40 is connected to the decision module 30; the execution module 40 is used to thaw the food according to the dynamic thawing curve.

[0277] It should be noted that storage module 20 has built-in non-volatile memory, which stores:

[0278] Basic thawing database: Contains baseline thawing curves (relationships of temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed over time) for different types of meat (beef, pork, fish, poultry, etc.) at different weights.

[0279] Threshold parameter table: First time threshold t h1 First threshold ΔTth, target thawing temperature T target Second time threshold T wait Third time threshold T h2 First preset temperature Temp1, second preset temperature Temp2;

[0280] Ice Crystal Zone Crossing Parameter Table: Heating Power Coefficient (kP), Wind Speed ​​and Rotational Speed ​​Coefficient (kF), and Target Crossing Time (t) for Fast Crossing Mode and Economic Crossing Mode z1 and target travel time t z2 .

[0281] The defrosting system also includes a communication module 50 and a power module 60. The communication module 50 is connected to the control unit to read the freezing history information of the food (including freezing start time, storage location, and average freezing temperature) and report the defrosting status to the refrigerator display or the user's mobile app. The power module 60 provides a stable operating voltage for each module.

[0282] In this way, the acquisition module 10 packages and transmits the data it collects to the decision module 30. The decision module 30, as the brain of the control unit, runs the core control algorithm, calls the parameters in the storage module 20 based on the information input by the acquisition module 10 and the communication module 50, generates control commands and sends them to the execution module 40.

[0283] Therefore, this invention corrects the corresponding baseline thawing curve by using the freezing history information of the food to be thawed, thereby generating a dynamic thawing curve. Differentiated control is applied to food to be thawed in different freezing states (a rapid traversal mode is used for long-term frozen food, and an economical traversal mode is used for short-term frozen food). Dynamic thawing is achieved based on the freezing history of the food, so that long-term frozen food can quickly traverse the ice crystal formation zone of the food to be thawed, prioritizing thawing quality, reducing juice loss, avoiding damage to food quality, and avoiding unnecessary energy consumption. For short-term frozen food, energy conservation is prioritized, thus meeting the user's dual needs for high-quality thawing and low-energy operation.

[0284] In some embodiments, such as Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the acquisition module 10 includes at least one temperature sensing array 101, which is composed of multiple temperature measuring units arranged in a predetermined geometry, for scanning the temperature at different locations on the surface of the food and constructing a two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij].

[0285] It should be noted that the temperature sensing array 101 is selected from at least one of the following: infrared array sensor, thermopile array sensor, pyroelectric array sensor, microbolometer array. In this embodiment, an infrared array sensor is used as an example. The infrared array sensor is located at the top of the defrosting chamber 70 and is used to obtain a two-dimensional temperature distribution cloud map of the surface of the food to be defrosted, and generate a two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij] with a resolution of up to 1 cm².

[0286] Furthermore, the acquisition module 10 also includes:

[0287] Weight detection component 102 is located at the bottom of defrosting tray 703;

[0288] Food ingredient recognition unit: can be a hyperspectral camera (automatically identifies food types) or a control panel (manual input);

[0289] A magnetic door switch is provided, with a permanent magnet installed on the door of the thawing chamber 70 and a reed switch installed on the housing of the thawing chamber 70. When the door is closed, the magnet approaches and causes the contacts inside the reed switch to close (or open). When the door is opened, the contacts reset, thereby outputting a magnetic door switch signal.

[0290] Temperature and humidity sensor: monitors environmental parameters inside the thawing chamber 70 for closed-loop control.

[0291] Therefore, the temperature sensor array 101 can collect temperature data of multiple feature points on the surface of the food in real time, forming a complete two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij], thereby accurately identifying overheated areas, low-temperature areas, and temperature gradients. Based on the two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij], the control unit can accurately determine whether there are overheated areas in the food to be thawed, and then adopt a three-level compensation and adjustment strategy (enhancing convection, reducing heat source, and local cooling) to cool down the food to be thawed in areas with local overheating, thereby ensuring that the surface temperature of the food to be thawed is uniform, preventing local overheating, and improving the uniformity and quality of thawing.

[0292] Furthermore, by recording the freezing start time, thawing process parameters, and the execution status of forgotten preservation actions of the food to be thawed, a complete food life cycle information chain is formed. Based on this information chain, the thawing system dynamically optimizes subsequent thawing and preservation strategies, realizing closed-loop management of food information throughout the entire process and achieving a transformation from passive storage to active preservation.

[0293] In some embodiments, such as Figure 13 As shown, the execution module 40 includes:

[0294] Hot air circulation assembly 401, which is used to increase the temperature and / or airflow rate within the defrosting chamber 70;

[0295] Humidification component 402 is used to increase the relative humidity inside the defrosting chamber 70.

[0296] It should be noted that the hot air circulation assembly 401 is located inside the rear wall or side wall of the thawing chamber 70, and includes a PTC heater and a variable frequency centrifugal fan; when the PTC heater and the variable frequency centrifugal fan are started together, forced convection hot air is generated, which increases the heating power of the PTC heater and thus increases the temperature inside the thawing chamber 70.

[0297] The humidification unit 402 includes a water tank and an ultrasonic atomizer. Fine water mist is delivered into the defrosting chamber 70 through the humidification nozzle of the ultrasonic atomizer. The atomization amount is adjustable to increase the relative humidity in the defrosting chamber 70.

[0298] In this way, the control unit can control the fan speed, heating power and relative humidity in the defrosting chamber 70 according to the hot air circulation component 401 and the humidification component 402, so as to adopt the fast traverse mode or the economic traverse mode, and the first preservation action or the second preservation action according to the freezing history of the food, thereby taking into account both food quality and energy consumption.

[0299] In other embodiments (not shown in the figures), the execution module 40 further includes an ultrasonic wave generating component for applying ultrasonic vibrations to the food ingredient.

[0300] In this way, based on the two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij] generated by the temperature sensing array 101, an ultrasonic generator is used to promote the uniform diffusion of heat inside the food through ultrasonic vibration, thereby further improving the defrosting efficiency and uniformity.

[0301] Of course, the defrosting chamber 70 can also be equipped with a humidity control component to dynamically adjust the humidity parameters of the preservation environment based on the food composition and freezing history information, thereby further improving the preservation quality.

[0302] The thawing process of the thawing system proposed in this invention is as follows:

[0303] like Figure 2 Sub-process 1 shown: Obtain ingredient information (including freezing history).

[0304] Objective: To comprehensively collect the input parameters required for thawing and provide a basis for subsequent decision-making.

[0305] Step S101: Start the defrosting program: The user places the food to be defrosted on the defrosting tray 703 inside the defrosting chamber 70, selects the "intelligent defrosting" function through the control panel, or it is automatically triggered after the door of the defrosting chamber 70 is closed.

[0306] Step S102: Identify the type of food to be thawed: The thawing chamber 70 is equipped with a hyperspectral camera. The control unit starts shooting and compares the image with the database using an image recognition algorithm to output the type of food (such as beef, pork, fish). If the recognition confidence level is lower than the threshold, the control panel prompts the user to manually input the information.

[0307] Step S103: Obtain the weight W0 of the food to be thawed: The weight detection component 102 takes three consecutive samples and calculates the average value to eliminate noise and obtain the initial weight W0 of the food.

[0308] Step S104: Obtain the initial temperature T0 of the food to be thawed: The temperature sensor array 101 scans the surface of the food to be thawed and takes the lowest surface temperature as the initial temperature T0.

[0309] Step S105: Read freezing history information: Communication module 50 sends a query request to the main control unit, carrying food identification information (if already recorded). The main control unit returns the freezing time T of the food. frozen and average freezing temperature Temp frozen ;

[0310] If the query fails (e.g., no data is entered), proceed to step S106.

[0311] Step S106: Default value assignment: If freezing history information is missing, the control unit processes it according to the preset freezing history information: T frozen =7 days, Temp frozen =-18℃. This preset freezing history information covers most short-term freezing scenarios.

[0312] Step S107: Data Packaging and Transmission: Pack the type of food to be thawed, initial weight W0, initial temperature T0, and freezing time T. frozen Average freezing temperature (Temp) frozen Package the package and send it to decision module 30, then proceed to sub-process 2.

[0313] like Figure 3 Sub-process 2 shown: Generate dynamic thawing curve (optimize ice crystal zone crossing).

[0314] Objective: Based on the freezing time T frozen The thawing strategy is dynamically adjusted, especially the parameters for passing through the maximum ice crystal formation zone are optimized.

[0315] Step S201: Retrieve the baseline thawing curve: The decision module 30 retrieves the corresponding baseline thawing curve from the basic thawing database of the storage module 20 based on the type of food and the initial weight W0.

[0316] Step S202: Read the freezing time T frozen Extract the freezing time T from the data obtained in step S107.frozen .

[0317] Step S203: Determine the freezing time T frozen Is it greater than the first time threshold t? h1 Decision module 30 will freeze time T frozen With the first time threshold t in storage module 20 h1 Compare them.

[0318] Step S204: If the freezing time T frozen >First time threshold t h1 (Long-term freezing) Entering rapid traversal mode, at which point decision module 30 corrects the ice crystal zone traversal stage of the baseline thawing curve:

[0319] The corrected fan speed F=F base2 ×1.3, the corrected heating power P=P base2 ×1.2, target traversal time t z1 (less than or equal to 8 minutes) serves as a reference indicator for closed-loop control.

[0320] The parameters remain unchanged or are slightly adjusted during the preheating and temperature equalization stages.

[0321] Step S205: If the freezing time T frozen ≤ First time threshold t h1 (Short-term freeze), entering economic breakthrough mode, at which point decision module 30 maintains the baseline curve parameters unchanged:

[0322] The corrected fan speed F=F base2 ×1.0, the corrected heating power P=P base2 ×1.0, target travel time t z2 (e.g., less than or equal to 12 minutes) serves as a reference indicator for closed-loop control.

[0323] Step S206: Generate a complete dynamic thawing curve: Combine the corrected baseline parameters for each stage in the baseline thawing curve with the initial temperature T0 and the target thawing temperature T target Combined, a complete time parameter curve is generated, including the heating power setting value, fan speed setting value, and humidification amount setting value at each moment.

[0324] Step S207: Storage and Sending: The generated dynamic thawing curve is stored in the cache of the decision module 30 and sent to the execution module 40 for execution.

[0325] like Figure 6 Sub-process 3 shown: Uniformity closed-loop control.

[0326] Objective: To run in real time during the thawing process to ensure uniform surface temperature of the food to be thawed and prevent localized overheating.

[0327] Step S301: Start the defrosting process: The execution module 40 drives the hot air circulation component 401 and the humidification component 402 to work according to the dynamic defrosting curve. The timer starts counting.

[0328] Step S302: Infrared scanning and temperature field generation: The acquisition module 10 triggers the temperature sensing array 101 to scan at a fixed frequency (e.g., once every 10 seconds) to generate a two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij] on the surface of the food at the current moment.

[0329] Step S303: Calculate the temperature field eigenvalues: Decision module 30 performs statistical analysis on the temperature field matrix [Tij] to obtain the highest temperature T. max =max[Tij]、Minimum temperature T min =min[Tij], average temperature T avg =sum[Tij] / n, Temperature difference ΔT=T max -T min .

[0330] Step S304: Determine if the uniformity meets the standard: Compare the temperature difference ΔT with the first threshold ΔTth (e.g., 5℃).

[0331] Step S305: If △T>△Tth, execute uniformity compensation: Decision module 30 determines that there is a risk of local overheating in the food to be thawed, and enters the three-level compensation adjustment strategy (e.g. Figure 7 (as shown)

[0332] S305A: Locating Overheated Areas: Finding the Highest Temperature T max The corresponding coordinate region.

[0333] S305B: Level 1 Adjustment (Enhanced Convection): Increases the fan speed and adds a third setting (e.g., +20%) to the current setting value to accelerate airflow in the defrosting chamber 70 and promote the transfer of heat from the high-temperature area to the low-temperature area.

[0334] S305C: Secondary adjustment (reducing heat source): If, after increasing the speed, △T is still greater than △Tth after one first sampling cycle (e.g., 10 seconds), the heating power is appropriately reduced by decreasing the fourth setting amount (e.g., 10%) based on the current setting value.

[0335] S305D: Three - level adjustment (local cooling): If, after reducing the heating power, and after a second sampling period (e.g., 10 seconds), ΔT is still greater than ΔTth and the overheating phenomenon is still severe, then briefly increase the humidification amount by adding the fifth set amount (e.g., +10%) based on the current set value. The water mist evaporates and absorbs heat in the overheated area to achieve "targeted cooling".

[0336] Step S306: If ΔT ≤ ΔTth, maintain the original settings: When the uniformity meets the standard, the execution module 40 continues to run according to the reference parameters set by the current dynamic thawing curve.

[0337] Step S307: Determine whether the thawing end point is reached: Compare the lowest temperature T min with the target thawing temperature T target ;

[0338] If T min ≥ T target , it is considered that the thawing is completed; otherwise, return to step S302 to continue the next monitoring cycle.

[0339] Step S308: Thawing completion notification: The decision - making module 30 issues an instruction to the execution module 40 to turn off the heater in the hot - air circulation component 401 (heating power returns to zero), and the fan speed is reduced to the lowest speed (maintaining a gentle air circulation). At the same time, a signal is sent through the communication module 50 to trigger the buzzer to sound, and "Thawing completed" is displayed on the control panel or the mobile phone APP.

[0340] As Figures 9 to 11 shown in sub - process 4: Differentiated unused freshness preservation.

[0341] Objective: To start after thawing completion and handle the situation where the user forgets to take the item.

[0342] Step S401: Start the forgetting timer: At the same time as the thawing completion notification is sent, the decision - making module 30 starts an internal timer, sets the second time threshold T wait (e.g., 30 minutes), and clears the counter.

[0343] Step S402: Monitor the item - taking status: In each sampling period, the acquisition module 10 detects:

[0344] Door magnetic switch signal: Determine whether the door of the thawing chamber 70 is opened;

[0345] Reading of the weight detection component 102: Compare the current weight Wt with the initial weight W0. If Wt < W0×0.9 (considering water loss during thawing), or the weight suddenly changes to be close to zero, it is determined that the food ingredient has been taken away.

[0346] Step S403: Determine if the item has been taken: If step S402 detects that the door is open and the weight has decreased significantly, it is determined that the food has been taken, and proceed to step S404. Otherwise, proceed to step S405.

[0347] Step S404: End of process: The ingredients have been removed, the control unit exits the notebook process, and the defrosting chamber 70 returns to standby mode.

[0348] Step S405: Determine whether the waiting time t is less than the second time threshold T. wait ;

[0349] If the waiting time t < the second time threshold T wait Return to step S402 to continue monitoring;

[0350] If the waiting time t ≥ the second time threshold T wait If the user forgets, proceed to step S406.

[0351] Step S406: Read the freezing time T frozen Read the freezing time T again from the data saved in step S107. frozen .

[0352] Step S407: Determine the freezing time T frozen Is it greater than the third time threshold T? h2 Freezing time T frozen With the third time threshold T h2 (Same as step S203) Compare.

[0353] Step S408: If the freezing time T frozen >Third time threshold T h2 (Long-term freezing), start micro-freezing preservation (control -3℃≤first preset temperatureTemp1<0℃), the decision module 30 sends an instruction to the execution module 40, the execution module 40 performs the first preservation action, closes the first air door 701 connecting the thawing chamber 70 and the refrigerator chamber 80, and appropriately opens the second air door 702 connecting the thawing chamber 70 and the freezer chamber 90 to introduce cold air into the freezer chamber 90.

[0354] With -3℃ as the target temperature, the opening of the second damper 702 or the intermittent time of introducing cold air is precisely adjusted to maintain the temperature inside the defrosting chamber 70 at -3℃±0.5℃.

[0355] In this mode, the fan operates at a very low speed to maintain a uniform temperature.

[0356] Step S409: If the freezing time T frozen ≤Third time threshold T h2(Short-term freezing), start refrigeration preservation (control temperature 0℃≤ second preset temperature Temp2≤2℃): Decision module 30 sends an instruction to execution drive module, execution module 40 executes the second preservation action, opens the first air door 701 connecting the thawing chamber 70 and the refrigeration chamber 80, closes the second air door 702 connecting the thawing chamber 70 and the freezing chamber 90, and introduces cold air into the refrigeration chamber 80.

[0357] Temperature control is performed with 0℃ as the target temperature, maintaining 0℃±1℃.

[0358] Step S410: Continuous monitoring of food removal status: After entering the forgotten preservation mode, the control unit continues to execute the monitoring logic of step S402. Once it is detected that the food has been removed, the forgotten preservation mode is immediately exited, all air dampers are closed, temperature maintenance is stopped, and the defrosting chamber 70 returns to standby.

[0359] Therefore, the beneficial effects of the defrosting system proposed in this invention are as follows:

[0360] 1. By correcting the corresponding baseline thawing curve based on the freezing history information of the food to be thawed, a dynamic thawing curve is generated. Differentiated control is then implemented for food to be thawed in different freezing states (a rapid traversal mode is used for long-term frozen food, and an economical traversal mode is used for short-term frozen food). Dynamic thawing is achieved based on the freezing history of the food, so that long-term frozen food can quickly traverse the ice crystal formation zone of the food to be thawed, prioritizing thawing quality, reducing juice loss, avoiding damage to food quality, and avoiding unnecessary energy consumption. For short-term frozen food, energy conservation is prioritized, thus meeting the user's dual needs for high-quality thawing and low-energy operation.

[0361] 2. By comparing the temperature difference ΔT and the first threshold ΔTth, it is determined whether the uniformity meets the standard. If the temperature difference ΔT is greater than the first threshold ΔTth, the control unit determines that the uniformity does not meet the standard and that there is a risk of local overheating in the food to be thawed. It then enters a three-level compensation and adjustment strategy (enhancing convection, reducing heat source, and local cooling). The execution module 40 cools down the local overheated areas of the food to be thawed, thereby ensuring that the surface temperature of the food to be thawed is uniform, preventing local overheating, and ensuring the uniformity of the temperature field during the thawing process.

[0362] 3. The waiting time t within the defrosting chamber after the food has been thawed is greater than the second time threshold T. wait If the user forgets or fails to retrieve the food in time, the control unit will determine that the food has been forgotten or has not been retrieved in time for any reason. At this time, the control unit will enter the forgotten preservation mode. Taking into account the different impacts of the food's freezing history on preservation needs, the control unit will intelligently select the preservation action based on the freezing history information. For long-term freezing, the first preservation action will be performed, and for short-term freezing, the second preservation action will be performed, thus taking into account both food quality and energy consumption.

[0363] In some embodiments, such as Figure 15 As shown, the present invention also proposes a refrigeration appliance, comprising:

[0364] Defrosting chamber 70;

[0365] The refrigerator compartment 80 is connected to the thawing compartment 70 via a first air vent 701;

[0366] The freezer compartment 90 is connected to the thawing compartment 70 via a second air vent 702;

[0367] The defrosting system as described above.

[0368] It should be noted that the refrigeration appliance proposed in this embodiment is preferably a refrigerator.

[0369] Therefore, this invention corrects the corresponding baseline thawing curve by using the freezing history information of the food to be thawed, thereby generating a dynamic thawing curve. For long-term frozen food, a rapid traversal mode is adopted, while for short-term frozen food, an economical traversal mode is adopted. Dynamic thawing is achieved based on the freezing history of the food, so that long-term frozen food can quickly traverse the ice crystal formation zone of the food to be thawed, prioritizing thawing quality, reducing juice loss of the food to be thawed, avoiding damage to food quality, and avoiding unnecessary energy consumption of refrigeration equipment. For short-term frozen food, energy conservation is prioritized, thus meeting the user's dual needs for high-quality thawing and low-energy operation.

[0370] By comparing the temperature difference ΔT with the first threshold ΔTth, it is determined whether the uniformity meets the standard. If the temperature difference ΔT is greater than the first threshold ΔTth, the control unit determines that the uniformity does not meet the standard and that there is a risk of local overheating in the food to be thawed. It then enters a three-level compensation and adjustment strategy (enhancing convection, reducing heat source, and local cooling) to cool down the local overheated areas of the food to be thawed, thereby ensuring that the surface temperature of the food to be thawed is uniform, preventing local overheating, and ensuring the uniformity of the temperature field during the thawing process.

[0371] If the food remains in the thawing chamber for more than 70 seconds after thawing, and the waiting time t is greater than the second time threshold T, then... wait If the user forgets or fails to retrieve the food in time, the control unit will determine that the food has been forgotten or has not been retrieved in time for any reason. At this time, the control unit will enter the forgotten preservation mode. Taking into account the different impacts of the food's freezing history on preservation needs, the control unit will intelligently select the preservation action based on the freezing history information. For long-term freezing, the first preservation action will be performed, and for short-term freezing, the second preservation action will be performed, thus taking into account both food quality and energy consumption.

[0372] The present invention also proposes a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program / instructions and a bit stream thereon, wherein the computer program / instructions, when executed by a processor, implement the above-described unfreezing control method to generate the bit stream.

[0373] It should be noted that the terminology used above is for describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. When the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof. The order of execution of actions, steps, etc., in the apparatus and methods shown in the specification and drawings may be implemented in any order unless a specific express order is specified, and as long as the output of a previous process is not used in a subsequent process. Similar sequential terms used for ease of description do not imply that such an order must be followed.

[0374] Techniques, methods, and apparatus known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and apparatus should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as constraints. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0375] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A thawing control method, characterized in that, include: Establish baseline thawing curves for different food components in advance; Obtain the food composition and freezing history information of the food currently in the defrosting chamber; wherein, the freezing history information includes food status information or related environmental information; Based on the freezing history information, the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed is corrected to generate a dynamic thawing curve; Thaw the food according to the dynamic thawing curve.

2. The thawing control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the freezing history information, the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed is corrected to generate a dynamic thawing curve; the thawing control method includes: The freezing history information includes freezing duration T. frozen ; Determine the freezing time T frozen Is it greater than the first time threshold t? h1 ; If so, enter the rapid traversal mode, correct the ice crystal zone traversal stage of the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed, generate a dynamic thawing curve, and quickly traverse the ice crystal formation zone of the food to be thawed. If not, enter economic travel mode and maintain the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed.

3. The thawing control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The thawing control method includes correcting the ice crystal band crossing stage of the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed, and includes: The ice crystal zone crossing stage of the baseline thawing curve includes a first environmental conditioning parameter and a second environmental conditioning parameter. When entering the fast traversal mode, the corrected first environmental adjustment parameter is to increase the current value by a first setting amount, and the corrected second environmental adjustment parameter is to increase the current value by a second setting amount.

4. The thawing control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The thawing control method includes: When entering the rapid traversal mode, the target traversal time for the corresponding ice crystal zone traversal stage is t. z1 ; When entering the economic traversal mode, the target traversal time for the corresponding ice crystal zone traversal stage is t. z2 , and t z2 >t z1 .

5. The thawing control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The food is thawed according to the dynamic thawing curve, and the thawing control method includes: Scan the food ingredient to generate the surface two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij] of the food ingredient at the current moment; Obtain temperature field characteristic values, including the highest temperature T. max =max[Tij]、Minimum temperature T min =min[Tij] and temperature difference ΔT=T max -T min ; Determine whether the temperature difference ΔT is greater than the first threshold ΔTth; If so, if the food ingredient is determined to have a risk of localized overheating, a three-level compensation and adjustment strategy will be initiated. If not, continue operating according to the current baseline parameters of the dynamic thawing curve.

6. The thawing control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, According to the three-level compensation adjustment strategy, the thawing control method includes: Find the highest temperature T max The corresponding coordinate region; Entering Level 1 adjustment, executing the first adjustment action: The first adjustment action increases the first environmental adjustment parameter by a third setting amount based on the current setting value; If the first adjustment action is performed, after the first sampling period, it is determined again whether the temperature difference ΔT is greater than the first threshold ΔTth; If so, enter the second-level adjustment and execute the second adjustment action: the second adjustment action reduces the second environmental adjustment parameter by the fourth setting amount based on the current setting value; If the second adjustment action is performed, after the second sampling period, it is determined again whether the temperature difference ΔT is greater than the first threshold ΔTth; If so, enter the third level of adjustment and execute the third adjustment action: the third adjustment action increases the third environmental adjustment parameter by a fifth setting amount based on the current setting value.

7. The thawing control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The food is thawed according to the dynamic thawing curve, and the thawing control method includes: Obtain the lowest temperature T of the food ingredient. min ; Determine the lowest temperature T min Is it lower than the target thawing temperature T? target ; If not, thawing is complete; If so, continue generating the two-dimensional surface temperature field matrix [Tij] of the food ingredient at the current moment.

8. The thawing control method according to claim 7, characterized in that, After thawing is completed, the thawing control method includes: The status of the food in the defrosting chamber is monitored in real time to determine whether the food should be removed. If the food has been removed, the defrosting chamber enters standby mode; If the food ingredient is not removed, determine whether the waiting time t is less than the second time threshold T. wait ; If not, determine that the user has forgotten and enter the forgetfulness preservation mode; If so, continue monitoring the state of the food in the defrosting chamber.

9. The thawing control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The defrosting control method includes, based on real-time monitoring of the food status within the defrosting chamber: Determine whether the door of the defrosting chamber is open, and determine whether the weight of the food inside the defrosting chamber is greater than a preset weight; If the door of the defrosting chamber is opened, and the weight of the food inside the defrosting chamber is less than or equal to a preset weight, it is determined that the food has been removed. If the door of the defrosting chamber is not opened, or the weight of the food inside the defrosting chamber is greater than a preset weight, it is determined that the food has not been removed.

10. The thawing control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, According to the entry into the forgotten preservation mode, the defrosting control method includes: The freezing duration T in the freezing history information is retrieved again. frozen ; Determine the freezing time T frozen Is it greater than the third time threshold T? h2 ; If so, perform the first preservation action to bring the temperature in the defrosting chamber to the first preset temperature Temp1; If not, perform the second preservation action to bring the temperature in the defrosting chamber to the second preset temperature Temp2, where Temp2 > Temp1.

11. The thawing control method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first preservation action is to introduce cold air from the freezer compartment, and the second preservation action is to introduce cold air from the refrigerator compartment.

12. The thawing control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, According to the entry into the forgotten preservation mode, the defrosting control method includes: The state of the food in the defrosting chamber is continuously monitored to determine whether the food should be removed. If the food has been removed, the defrosting chamber exits the forgotten preservation mode and enters standby mode; If the food is not removed, the defrosting chamber maintains the forgotten preservation mode.

13. The thawing control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the generated dynamic thawing curve, the thawing control method includes: The dynamic thawing curve is as follows: The corrected baseline parameters in the baseline thawing curve are compared with the initial temperature T0 and the target thawing temperature T. target Combined, a complete time parameter curve is generated; The baseline parameters of the dynamic defrosting curve include the heating power setting, fan speed setting, and humidification setting at each moment.

14. The thawing control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The freezing history information of food currently in the defrosting chamber is obtained, and the defrosting control method includes: If the freezing history information is missing, resulting in acquisition failure, then preset freezing history information will be used to replace the failed freezing history information.

15. A defrosting system, characterized in that, include: The data acquisition module is used to collect information on the food composition and freezing history of food in the thawing chamber in real time. The storage module is used to store a basic thawing database including the baseline thawing curves corresponding to different food components, and to save the freezing history information; The decision module is connected to the acquisition module and the storage module respectively; the decision module is used to correct the baseline thawing curve corresponding to the food to be thawed based on the freezing history information, and generate a dynamic thawing curve. An execution module is connected to the decision module; the execution module is used to thaw the food ingredients according to the dynamic thawing curve.

16. The defrosting system according to claim 15, characterized in that, The acquisition module includes at least one temperature sensing array, which consists of multiple temperature measuring units arranged in a predetermined geometry, used to scan the temperature at different locations on the surface of the food and construct a two-dimensional temperature field matrix [Tij].

17. The defrosting system according to claim 15, characterized in that, The execution module includes: A hot air circulation assembly for increasing the temperature and / or airflow rate within the defrosting chamber; A humidification component is used to increase the relative humidity inside the defrosting chamber.

18. The defrosting system according to claim 15 or 17, characterized in that, The execution module also includes an ultrasonic wave generator for applying ultrasonic vibrations to the food ingredient.

19. A refrigeration appliance, characterized in that, include: Defrosting chamber; The refrigerator compartment is connected to the thawing compartment via a first air vent; The freezer compartment is connected to the thawing compartment via a second air vent; The defrosting system as described in any one of claims 15 to 18.

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