Refrigerator and control method of refrigerator

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of household appliance control, in particular to a refrigerator and a control method of the refrigerator. The outer sleeve pipe is arranged as an integrated structure of the middle sleeve pipe and the fin and is sleeved outside the steel pipe, so that the problem that the evaporation efficiency of the evaporating dish is low due to the poor heat conductivity of the plastic protective layer of the existing heating pipe is solved. The refrigerator comprises an evaporating dish and a heating pipe. The evaporating dish is arranged in a warehouse of a compressor and is configured to collect and evaporate defrosting water. The heating pipe is arranged in the evaporating dish and is used for heating the defrosting water in the evaporating dish and accelerating evaporation. The heating pipe comprises a steel pipe and an outer sleeve pipe. The steel pipe is configured to circulate refrigerant. The outer sleeve pipe is sleeved outside the steel pipe. The outer sleeve pipe comprises a middle sleeve pipe and a plurality of fins arranged on the outer wall of the middle sleeve pipe. The steel pipe is arranged in the middle sleeve pipe. The plurality of fins are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the middle sleeve pipe and extend along the axis of the middle sleeve pipe.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] As a household appliance in modern homes, the refrigerator's evaporator surface gradually condenses frost due to the cooling of water vapor in the air during operation. To ensure refrigeration efficiency and unobstructed airflow, the refrigerator needs to periodically start the defrosting program. The heating device melts the frost on the evaporator surface into liquid water, which is then discharged into an evaporating dish located in the compressor compartment. The evaporating dish then evaporates the defrosting water into the outside air.

[0003] Currently, evaporation dishes in air-cooled refrigerators are generally equipped with heating tubes to heat the defrosting water during the defrosting process to accelerate evaporation. The heating tubes are usually made of galvanized steel pipes as the base material, and a layer of plastic heat shrink tubing is installed on the outer surface of the steel pipe as a protective layer to prevent water in the evaporation dish from directly contacting the surface of the steel pipe and causing corrosion and leakage.

[0004] However, the poor thermal conductivity of plastic heat shrink tubing makes it difficult for the heat from the high-temperature refrigerant inside the heating element to be efficiently transferred to the water in the evaporating dish. This reduces the evaporation efficiency of the evaporating dish, resulting in insufficient evaporation capacity when the defrost water volume is large, and causing defrost water to easily overflow from the evaporating dish. Furthermore, due to the limited space in the refrigerator compressor compartment, the volume of the evaporating dish cannot be increased indefinitely, and simply increasing the height of the evaporating dish will affect the heat dissipation effect of the bottom condenser, increasing the refrigerator's power consumption. At the same time, most existing evaporating dish heating elements are bent structures. During the bending process of the steel pipe, the external plastic heat shrink tubing is prone to micro-cracks due to localized stress concentration. These micro-cracks will gradually expand under long-term alternating hot and cold operation and the corrosive effect of high-temperature defrost water, causing external moisture to seep in and contact the internal steel pipe, leading to steel pipe corrosion and even refrigerant leakage. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, or at least partially solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides a refrigerator and a refrigerator control method.

[0006] This application provides a refrigerator, including: an evaporating dish and a heating tube; the evaporating dish is disposed inside the compressor compartment and configured to collect and evaporate defrost water; the heating tube is disposed inside the evaporating dish for heating the defrost water in the evaporating dish and accelerating evaporation; the heating tube includes a steel pipe and an outer sleeve, the steel pipe being configured to allow refrigerant to flow; the outer sleeve is fitted over the outside of the steel pipe, the outer sleeve including an intermediate sleeve and a plurality of fins disposed on the outer wall of the intermediate sleeve, the steel pipe passing through the intermediate sleeve; the plurality of fins are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the intermediate sleeve and extend along the axial direction of the intermediate sleeve.

[0007] The refrigerator provided in this application embodiment features a structure where the heating element is a steel pipe with an integrated outer sleeve. The outer sleeve is integrally formed from a central sleeve and multiple fins spaced circumferentially, providing the heating element with efficient heat dissipation and structural protection. The central sleeve tightly covers the steel pipe, effectively isolating moisture in the evaporator dish during the steel pipe bending process and long-term use, preventing corrosion and leakage. Simultaneously, the finned structure significantly increases the contact area between the outer sleeve and the outside environment, allowing the heat from the high-temperature refrigerant inside the heating element to be quickly transferred to the water in the evaporator dish. This significantly improves the evaporation efficiency of defrost water, effectively preventing defrost water overflow and floor soaking due to insufficient evaporation capacity. It also reduces the risk of refrigerant leakage due to corrosion of the heating element, extending the service life of the heating element and the entire refrigerator.

[0008] This application also provides a refrigerator control method, applicable to refrigerators in any of the above technical solutions. The control method includes: acquiring ambient temperature information and ambient humidity information; when the ambient temperature is higher than a first temperature threshold and the ambient humidity is higher than a first humidity threshold, acquiring historical operating parameters of the refrigerator within a preset time period; determining whether the refrigerator is in a high frost level state based on the historical operating parameters; when the refrigerator is determined to be in a high frost level state, controlling the refrigerator to enter a defrosting adjustment mode, wherein the defrosting adjustment mode includes: discharging the defrosting water volume of a single complete defrosting into the evaporating dish in several stages, such that the amount of defrosting water discharged into the evaporating dish each time is less than the amount of defrosting water in a single complete defrosting.

[0009] The refrigerator control method provided in this application acquires ambient temperature and humidity information, and obtains the refrigerator's historical operating parameters within a preset time period. Based on these historical operating parameters, it comprehensively determines whether the refrigerator is in a high-frost state. It combines the prediction of frost trends under high temperature and humidity conditions with multi-dimensional identification of the refrigerator's actual operating status as the basis for determining whether to activate the defrosting adjustment mode. Since parameters such as ambient temperature, ambient humidity, number of defrost cycles, number of door openings and closings, and cooling rate can comprehensively reflect the actual frost load of the refrigerator evaporator from multiple dimensions, it can accurately determine whether to activate the defrosting adjustment mode. The system anticipates whether the defrost water volume might exceed the evaporation capacity of the evaporation dish. When a high frost level is detected, the refrigerator enters defrost adjustment mode, discharging the defrost water from a single complete defrost cycle into the evaporation dish in multiple smaller increments. During defrosting, by breaking up a large amount of defrost water into multiple smaller amounts, the amount of water discharged into the evaporation dish remains within the dish's evaporation capacity. The evaporation dish then fully evaporates the discharged defrost water during the intervals between drainages, freeing up storage space for subsequent defrost water. Therefore, this significantly reduces the instantaneous impact of a single defrost drainage cycle on the evaporation dish's volume, directly reducing the risk of the water level exceeding the limit due to an instantaneous inflow exceeding the evaporation rate. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0011] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0012] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the refrigerant circulation system of a refrigerator in an embodiment of the prior art is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a heating tube in an embodiment of the prior art is shown; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a heating tube according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of another heating tube in an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another refrigerator structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of yet another refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of another refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 9 A flowchart of a refrigerator control method according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 10 A flowchart of another refrigerator control method according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0013] Among them, 1. Evaporating dish; 2. Heating tube; 21. Steel pipe; 22. Outer sleeve; 221. Intermediate sleeve; 222. Fins; 3. Temperature sensor; 4. Humidity sensor; 5. Controller; 6. Compressor; 7. Evaporator; 8. Drain hole; 9. Condenser; 100. Refrigerator. Detailed Implementation

[0014] To make the objectives and implementation methods of this application clearer, the exemplary implementation methods of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the exemplary embodiments of this application. Obviously, the exemplary embodiments described are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0015] It should be noted that the brief descriptions of terms in this application are only for the convenience of understanding the embodiments described below, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this application. Unless otherwise stated, these terms should be understood in their ordinary and common meaning.

[0016] The terms "first," "second," "third," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar or related objects or entities, and do not necessarily imply a specific order or sequence, unless otherwise specified. It should be understood that such terms are interchangeable where appropriate.

[0017] The terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover but not exclude inclusion, for example, a product or device that includes a range of components is not necessarily limited to all of the components that are clearly listed, but may include other components that are not clearly listed or that are inherent to such product or device.

[0018] Reference Figure 1 In the prior art, the refrigerator refrigeration system includes: a compressor, an evaporating dish heating tube, an evaporating dish, a condenser, a decondensation tube, a dryer filter, a capillary tube, and an evaporator. The compressor exhaust port is sequentially connected to the evaporating dish heating tube, the condenser, the decondensation tube, the dryer filter, the capillary tube, and the evaporator. The evaporator is then connected back to the compressor suction port to form a closed refrigeration cycle loop. The evaporating dish heating tube and the evaporating dish exchange heat through thermal coupling.

[0019] During operation, the compressor draws in low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant and compresses it into high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant before discharging it. The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant flows into the heating tube of the evaporator and releases heat outward. This heat is transferred to the evaporator to heat the molten water inside, causing it to evaporate. After releasing some heat, the refrigerant flows into the condenser, where it dissipates heat and condenses from a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous state into a high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant then flows into the decondensation pipe, using the residual heat to heat the door frame and prevent condensation due to humid air. Subsequently, the refrigerant flows through a dryer filter, which filters impurities from the pipeline and absorbs moisture from within the system. It then enters the capillary tube for throttling and pressure reduction, resulting in a low-temperature, low-pressure two-phase gaseous refrigerant. This refrigerant enters the evaporator and vaporizes, absorbing a large amount of heat from the refrigerator to achieve cooling. The low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator returns to the compressor's suction port and is sent back into the compressor for the next refrigeration cycle. This system recovers the residual heat from the refrigeration circuit, enabling the evaporation of molten water in the evaporator and the decondensation of the door frame without the need for additional electric heating components.

[0020] Reference Figure 2 Refrigerator evaporators are typically equipped with heating elements inside the evaporator dish to heat the defrost water during the defrosting process and accelerate evaporation. The heating elements are usually made of galvanized steel pipe as the base material, and a layer of plastic heat shrink tubing is installed on the outer surface of the steel pipe as a protective layer to prevent water in the evaporator dish from directly contacting the surface of the steel pipe and causing corrosion and leakage.

[0021] However, the poor thermal conductivity of plastic heat shrink tubing makes it difficult for the heat from the high-temperature refrigerant inside the heating element to be efficiently transferred to the water in the evaporating dish. This reduces the evaporation efficiency of the evaporating dish, resulting in insufficient evaporation capacity when the defrost water volume is large, and causing defrost water to easily overflow from the evaporating dish. Furthermore, due to the limited space in the refrigerator compressor compartment, the volume of the evaporating dish cannot be increased indefinitely, and simply increasing the height of the evaporating dish will affect the heat dissipation effect of the bottom condenser, increasing the refrigerator's power consumption. At the same time, most existing evaporating dish heating elements are bent structures. During the bending process of the steel pipe, the external plastic heat shrink tubing is prone to micro-cracks due to localized stress concentration. These micro-cracks will gradually expand under long-term alternating hot and cold operation and the corrosive effect of high-temperature defrost water, causing external moisture to seep in and contact the internal steel pipe, leading to steel pipe corrosion and even refrigerant leakage.

[0022] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application proposes a refrigerator and a method for controlling the refrigerator.

[0023] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the refrigerator 100 includes: an evaporating dish 1 and a heating tube 2; the evaporating dish 1 is disposed in the compressor compartment and is configured to collect and evaporate defrost water; the heating tube 2 is disposed in the evaporating dish 1 and is used to heat the defrost water in the evaporating dish 1 and accelerate evaporation.

[0024] The heating tube 2 includes a steel tube 21 and an outer tube 22. The steel tube 21 is configured to allow high-temperature refrigerant to flow through it. The outer tube 22 is sleeved on the outside of the steel tube 21. The outer tube 22 includes an intermediate tube 221 and multiple fins 222 disposed on the outer wall of the intermediate tube 221. The intermediate tube 221 and the multiple fins 222 are an integral structure. The steel tube 21 passes through the intermediate tube 221. The multiple fins 222 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the intermediate tube 221 and extend along the axial direction of the intermediate tube 221.

[0025] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 6 The compressor compartment also houses compressor 6, which is located in the bottom compartment of the refrigerator and serves as the power source for the refrigeration system. Compressor 6 is configured to draw in low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant and compress it into high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, providing pressure power for the entire refrigeration cycle.

[0026] Circumferential direction refers to the circumferential direction centered on the axis of the intermediate sleeve 221, while axial direction refers to the length extension direction of the intermediate sleeve 221. Multiple fins 222 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction and extend along the axial direction, thereby forming a structure similar to heat dissipation fins on the outer wall of the intermediate sleeve 221, increasing the contact area between the outer sleeve 22 and the external environment.

[0027] In some embodiments, the steel pipe 21 is a round tube with a high-temperature refrigerant flowing inside as a heat source; this application does not strictly limit the specific type of steel pipe 21, and can use galvanized steel pipe 21 commonly used in the prior art, or metal pipe of other materials.

[0028] Multiple fins 222 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the intermediate sleeve 221, that is, there is a certain angle or spacing between adjacent fins 222; at the same time, each fin 222 extends along the axial direction of the intermediate sleeve 221, that is, it extends in the length direction of the intermediate sleeve 221; optionally, the fins 222 can extend continuously along the axial direction of the intermediate sleeve 221, or they can extend intermittently in segments along the axial direction.

[0029] This application does not strictly limit the specific material of the outer tube 22. As an optional embodiment, the outer tube 22 is made of flexible plastic material, such as hydrophilic modified polyolefin or hydrophilic modified polyamide.

[0030] When hydrophilic plastic material is used, because hydrophilic material has a certain water absorption and hydrophilicity, when the amount of water in the evaporating dish 1 is small, the surface of the fin 222 can absorb water and spread it on the surface of the fin 222 to form a water film, thereby further increasing the contact area between water and air and accelerating water evaporation.

[0031] Meanwhile, since the outer sleeve 22 is made of flexible plastic, it has a certain deformation capacity. During the processing and bending of the heating tube 2, it can deform together with the steel tube 21 without becoming brittle.

[0032] In summary, since the outer sleeve 22 is fitted around the outside of the steel pipe 21 and the middle sleeve 221 is in close contact with the outer wall of the steel pipe 21, the heat of the high-temperature refrigerant inside the steel pipe 21 is first conducted to the middle sleeve 221, and then conducted to each fin 222 through the middle sleeve 221. The fin structure 222 significantly increases the contact area between the outer sleeve 22 and the outside world. The fins 222 significantly increase the heat dissipation area per unit length of the heating tube 2. At the same pipe wall temperature, heat can be transferred to the water and air in the evaporating dish 1 through a larger surface area, thereby improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the heating tube 2. Therefore, within the limited volume of the evaporating dish 1, the heating tube 2 with the fin structure 222 of this embodiment can achieve higher evaporation efficiency, enabling the evaporating dish 1 to evaporate more defrosting water in the same amount of time. Furthermore, during the bending process of the heating tube 2, the outer sleeve 22 can be bent and deformed together with the steel tube 21. Since the fin structure 222 extends along the axial direction of the intermediate sleeve 221 and is continuously arranged in the bending section, the fin 222 can play a role in dispersing stress in the bending area, preventing stress from concentrating in a local area of ​​the intermediate sleeve 221 during the bending process, which would cause cracks in the plastic layer.

[0033] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The inner wall of the intermediate sleeve 221 is in contact with the outer wall of the steel pipe 21. The outer sleeve 22 bends and extends synchronously with the steel pipe 21 in the bending section. The fins 222 are continuously arranged in the bending section, and multiple fins 222 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the intermediate sleeve 221.

[0034] Fitting refers to the close contact between the inner wall surface of the intermediate sleeve 221 and the outer wall surface of the steel pipe 21 in the circumferential direction. Since the outer sleeve 22 is made of flexible plastic material, during the production process of the heating tube 2, the inner wall of the intermediate sleeve 221 can be tightly bound to the outer surface of the steel pipe 21 by means of heat shrinking or mechanical stretching after the outer sleeve 22 is fitted over the outside of the steel pipe 21, thereby achieving a close fit between the intermediate sleeve 221 and the steel pipe 21.

[0035] This close fit ensures that there is virtually no air gap between the outer wall of the steel pipe 21 and the inner wall of the intermediate sleeve 221, which helps to reduce contact thermal resistance and improve the heat transfer efficiency from the steel pipe 21 to the intermediate sleeve 221.

[0036] The outer sleeve 22 bends and extends synchronously with the steel pipe 21 in the bending section; the bending section refers to the bending section formed by the heating pipe 2 during the processing, that is, the part where the extension direction of the heating pipe 2 changes in this section; synchronous means that the outer sleeve 22 and the steel pipe 21 have the same bending shape and bending direction in the bending section, that is, the outer sleeve 22 closely follows the bending path of the steel pipe 21 in the bending section, and the geometry of the two matches in the bending section. The outer sleeve 22 neither slips or misaligns relative to the steel pipe 21, nor does it detach from the surface of the steel pipe 21 in the bending section, but remains in contact with the steel pipe 21 and extends together with the bending direction of the steel pipe 21.

[0037] The fins 222 are continuously arranged in the bending section. Continuous arrangement means that the fins 222 are not cut off or interrupted in the bending section, but extend uninterruptedly from one end of the bending section to the other end. That is, the fins 222 maintain a complete structural shape in the bending section and also extend along the axial direction of the intermediate sleeve 221 in the bending section. There are no areas where the fins 222 are missing or broken.

[0038] Multiple fins 222 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the intermediate sleeve 221. The evenly distributed distribution means that the included angle between adjacent fins 222 in the circumferential direction is equal, so that the multiple fins 222 are evenly arranged on the outer wall of the intermediate sleeve 221 in the circumferential direction.

[0039] For example, if there are 4 fins 222, the included angle between adjacent fins 222 is 90°, thus forming a cross-shaped symmetrical fin structure 222 on the outer wall of the intermediate sleeve 221; if there are 6 fins 222, the included angle between adjacent fins 222 is 60°, forming a uniform hexagonal distribution on the circumference.

[0040] In other words, the more fins 222 there are, the larger the total heat dissipation area of ​​the outer casing 22, but the smaller the spacing between adjacent fins 222, which may affect the air convection and moisture wetting between the fins 222. Therefore, the number of fins 222 and the included angle between adjacent fins 222 can be designed according to actual needs, and this application does not limit them.

[0041] By further adjusting the inner wall of the intermediate sleeve 221 to fit snugly against the outer wall of the steel pipe 21, the contact between the steel pipe 21 and the outer sleeve 22 becomes tighter. This allows the heat from the high-temperature refrigerant inside the steel pipe 21 to be transferred more efficiently to the intermediate sleeve 221 and the fins 222, thereby further improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the heating pipe 2 and accelerating the heating and evaporation rates of the defrosting water in the evaporating dish 1. Simultaneously, by setting the outer sleeve 22 to bend and extend synchronously with the steel pipe 21 at the bend section, the outer sleeve 22 does not detach from the surface of the steel pipe 21 in the bending area of ​​the heating pipe 2, maintaining a close fit with the steel pipe 21 and preventing the outer sleeve from detaching. Because the steel pipe 21 cannot be bent, the plastic layer in the bending section is not subjected to excessive local stretching or compression, thus preventing micro-cracks caused by stress concentration. In the bending section, since the fins 222 are continuously arranged and extend axially in the bending section, the fin structure 222 can play a role in dispersing stress in the bending area. The presence of the fins 222 allows the tensile and compressive stress on the outer wall of the intermediate sleeve 221 to be dispersed to a wider area through the fin structure 222, avoiding stress concentration in a certain local position of the intermediate sleeve 221, thereby reducing the risk of cracking of the intermediate sleeve 221 due to stress concentration in the bending section.

[0042] like Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, it also includes: a temperature sensor 3, a humidity sensor 4, and a controller 5.

[0043] Temperature sensor 3 is located outside the refrigerator 100 to collect ambient temperature information; humidity sensor 4 is located outside the refrigerator 100 to collect ambient humidity information; controller 5 is connected to temperature sensor 3, humidity sensor 4, and heating tube 2. The controller 5 is configured to: acquire ambient temperature information and ambient humidity information; acquire historical operating parameters of the refrigerator 100 within a first preset time period when the ambient temperature is higher than a first temperature threshold and the ambient humidity is higher than a first humidity threshold; determine whether the refrigerator 100 is in a high frost state based on the historical operating parameters; and control the refrigerator 100 to enter the defrosting adjustment mode when it is determined to be in a high frost state.

[0044] The exterior of refrigerator 100 refers to the space outside the refrigerator 100 body. For example, the temperature sensor 3 can be set on the top, side or front of refrigerator 100, or on the outer surface of the door of refrigerator 100, as long as it can sense the air temperature of the ambient space where refrigerator 100 is located.

[0045] In some embodiments, the temperature sensor 3 may be a temperature detection element commonly used in the art, such as a thermistor temperature sensor 3, a thermocouple temperature sensor 3, or a semiconductor temperature sensor 3, and this application does not limit it.

[0046] Similarly, like temperature sensor 3, humidity sensor 4 is also located in the space outside the refrigerator 100 to sense the relative humidity of the air in the environment where the refrigerator 100 is located.

[0047] In some embodiments, the humidity sensor 4 may be a humidity detection element commonly used in the art, such as a capacitive humidity sensor 4 or a resistive humidity sensor 4, and this application does not impose strict limitations on it.

[0048] The controller 5 is connected to the temperature sensor 3, the humidity sensor 4, and the heating element 2. The connections in this application refer to electrical and / or communication connections, meaning that the controller 5 can receive detection signals from the temperature sensor 3 and the humidity sensor 4, and can send control signals to the heating element 2 to control its on / off state and operating status.

[0049] In some embodiments, the controller 5 may be a microcontroller unit on the main control board of the refrigerator 100, or it may be a separately configured control chip. This application does not limit this.

[0050] The first temperature threshold and the first humidity threshold are pre-set critical values ​​for determining whether the environment is in a high temperature and high humidity state.

[0051] For example, the first temperature threshold is 35°C, which means that when the ambient temperature is higher than 35°C, the environment is determined to be in a high-temperature state. When the ambient temperature exceeds 35°C, the refrigerator 100 refrigeration system needs to run for a longer time to maintain the internal set temperature. The compressor runs for a longer time, the evaporator surface temperature is lower, and the hot air from outside carries more heat when it enters the refrigerator 100. All these factors will cause the evaporator to frost faster and the amount of defrosting water produced during defrosting to increase.

[0052] The first humidity threshold of 75% means that when the ambient humidity is higher than 75%, the environment is considered to be in a high humidity state. When the ambient humidity exceeds 75%, the air contains a large amount of water vapor. When the refrigerator door is opened and closed, this water vapor enters the refrigerator 100 with the air and quickly condenses into frost when it flows over the surface of the low-temperature evaporator, resulting in a significant increase in defrosting water.

[0053] The first preset time period refers to a predetermined time interval before the current moment; for example, the first preset time period is 24 hours, that is, the historical operating data of the refrigerator 100 in the past 24 hours is used as the basis for judgment; and the first preset time period can also be set to other durations according to the usage environment and control requirements of the refrigerator 100, such as 12 hours or 48 hours, etc., which is not limited in this application.

[0054] Historical operating parameters refer to the relevant operating data recorded during the operation of the refrigerator 100 within the first preset time period. These parameters can reflect the degree of frost formation on the evaporator of the refrigerator 100 within the first preset time period.

[0055] In some embodiments, the historical operating parameters are at least one of the following: the number of defrost cycles within a first preset time period, the number of times the door is opened and closed within the first preset time period, and the cooling rate of the refrigerator after the door is closed.

[0056] The number of defrost cycles refers to the number of defrost cycles completed by the refrigerator 100 within the first preset time period. Each time the refrigerator 100 starts the defrost heating and completes the defrost process, it is recorded as one defrost cycle. The number of defrost cycles directly reflects the frosting frequency of the evaporator of the refrigerator 100. The more defrost cycles, the more frequently the evaporator frosts within a unit of time, that is, the greater the frosting load of the refrigerator 100.

[0057] When there are many defrosting times within the first preset time period, it indicates that the evaporator reaches the required frost thickness multiple times in a short period of time, meaning that the refrigerator 100 has a high defrosting frequency. A high defrosting frequency directly means that a large amount of frost is generated on the evaporator within the same preset time period, meaning that the refrigerator 100 is in a high frost level state. Since the number of defrosting times is operating data that can be directly recorded by the main control board of the refrigerator 100, obtaining this data does not require additional hardware costs.

[0058] The number of door opening and closing operations refers to the cumulative number of times the refrigerator 100 door switches from the closed state to the open state and then back to the closed state within a first preset time period. Each door opening and closing operation allows humid and hot air from the outside environment to enter the refrigerator 100, causing the internal temperature and humidity of the refrigerator 100 to rise. When the humid and hot air flows through the evaporator, the water vapor in it will condense on the surface of the evaporator to form a frost layer. Therefore, the more times the door is opened and closed, the more humid and hot air enters the refrigerator 100, and the greater the amount of frost on the evaporator.

[0059] If the number of times the door is opened and closed is high within the first preset time period, it indicates that the user is frequently opening the refrigerator 100 door, and hot and humid air from the outside environment is frequently entering the refrigerator 100. When this hot and humid air flows through the low-temperature evaporator, the water vapor in it will quickly condense on the surface of the evaporator to form frost. Therefore, the more times the door is opened and closed, the greater the amount of frost on the evaporator. The number of times the door is opened and closed is also data that the refrigerator 100 main control board can directly record.

[0060] The cooling rate of refrigerator 100 after the door is closed refers to the rate at which the internal temperature of refrigerator 100 decreases from the temperature at the moment the door was closed to the stable operating temperature after the door is switched from the open state to the closed state. The cooling rate can be detected by the temperature sensor 3 installed inside refrigerator 100; the slower the cooling rate, the greater the heat load inside refrigerator 100, that is, the greater the heat load of food and other items placed inside by the user. Therefore, the cooling rate can be used as an indirect indicator to determine whether large amounts of high-humidity food are frequently placed inside refrigerator 100.

[0061] When the refrigerator 100 cools down slowly after the door is closed, it indicates that a lot of heat entered the refrigerator 100 while the door was open. This means that the user may have put a lot of food into the refrigerator 100 or the heat load inside the refrigerator 100 is high. The moisture carried by the food itself and the increased temperature fluctuation of the evaporator surface due to the increased heat load will both increase the amount of frost on the evaporator. The cooling rate can be detected by the temperature sensor 3 installed inside the refrigerator 100, and no additional sensor is needed.

[0062] Therefore, the frost condition of the evaporator of refrigerator 100 can be characterized by three historical operating parameters. When the controller 5 makes a comprehensive judgment by referring to multiple parameters at the same time, it can more accurately identify whether refrigerator 100 is indeed in a high frost condition compared to judging based on a single parameter. This provides an accurate basis for judging whether to enter the defrosting adjustment mode in the future, thus ensuring that only the scenario that really needs to be adjusted will be triggered, avoiding false triggering.

[0063] High frost level refers to a state in which a large amount of frost layer condenses on the surface of the evaporator of refrigerator 100 during operation. Specifically, this state can be determined by one or more indicators in the historical operating parameters reaching or exceeding the corresponding preset threshold. When the environment in which refrigerator 100 is located is high temperature and high humidity, frost layer is more likely to condense on the surface of the evaporator and the frost formation speed is faster, resulting in a larger amount of defrosting water generated during defrosting, thus placing higher demands on the evaporation capacity of evaporating dish 1.

[0064] The defrosting adjustment mode is a special control mode relative to the normal defrosting mode of the refrigerator 100. In this mode, the refrigerator 100 actively adjusts the defrosting process to match the evaporation capacity of the evaporation dish 1, thereby preventing defrosting water from overflowing.

[0065] This application uses temperature sensor 3 and humidity sensor 4 to obtain the ambient temperature and humidity outside the refrigerator 100 in real time, so as to detect the occurrence of the adverse conditions when the environment reaches high temperature and high humidity. On this basis, the controller 5 further obtains the historical operating parameters of the refrigerator 100 in the first preset time period, and judges whether the refrigerator 100 is in a high frost state based on these historical operating parameters, so as to accurately identify the actual frost condition of the refrigerator 100 and avoid false triggering caused by judging solely by temperature and humidity.

[0066] like Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the refrigerator also includes an evaporator 7, a drain hole 8, and a condenser 9.

[0067] The evaporator 7 is attached to the inner wall of the refrigerator, the drain hole 8 is located at the lowest point of the evaporator cavity, and the condenser is located on the back or bottom side panel of the refrigerator.

[0068] High-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant dissipates heat at the condenser 9, condensing into high-pressure liquid refrigerant, thus releasing the heat to the external environment of the refrigerator. After being throttled and depressurized, the high-pressure liquid refrigerant enters the evaporator 7, where it boils and vaporizes, absorbing a large amount of heat and cooling the evaporator 7, thus achieving cooling inside the refrigerator. Frost will form on the surface of the evaporator 7. During defrosting heating, the frost on the evaporator 7 melts into defrost water, which is collected by the drain hole 8 and flows through the drain pipe to the evaporation dish 1 at the bottom of the refrigerator. The heat dissipated by the compressor 6 evaporates the water in the evaporation dish 1 into water vapor, which is then released into the environment, preventing water accumulation and leakage inside the refrigerator.

[0069] In some embodiments, when the controller 5 determines whether the refrigerator 100 is in a high frost state based on historical operating parameters, it is configured to: determine that the defrosting water volume is greater than or equal to a preset defrosting water volume threshold when the number of defrosting cycles within a first preset time period is greater than or equal to a first preset number of cycles; determine that the humidity inside the refrigerator 100 is greater than or equal to a preset humidity threshold when the number of door openings and closings within a first preset time period is greater than or equal to a second preset number of cycles; and determine that the frost volume of the evaporator is greater than or equal to a preset frost volume threshold when the cooling rate of the refrigerator 100 after the door is closed is less than a preset speed threshold.

[0070] The first preset number of defrost cycles is a pre-set critical value for the number of defrost cycles, used to determine whether the defrosting frequency of the refrigerator 100 is too high within a preset time period.

[0071] As an optional implementation of this embodiment, the first preset number of times is 2 times. That is, when the number of defrosting times of the refrigerator 100 is greater than or equal to 2 times within 24 hours, it indicates that the defrosting frequency of the refrigerator 100 is relatively high during that time period. The number of defrosting times directly reflects the frequency at which the evaporator reaches the required defrosting thickness per unit time. The more defrosting times, the more the evaporator repeatedly reaches the defrosting conditions within the same preset time period. In other words, the greater the defrosting load of the refrigerator 100, the more defrosting water is generated during defrosting.

[0072] Therefore, when the number of defrosting cycles exceeds the first preset number, it can be determined that the defrosting water volume of the refrigerator 100 is greater than or equal to the preset defrosting water volume threshold, meaning that the defrosting water volume has reached a level that may exceed the evaporation capacity of the evaporation dish 1. The preset defrosting water volume threshold is a pre-set critical value for the defrosting water volume. This threshold can be matched with the volume and evaporation capacity of the evaporation dish 1, and the specific value can be set according to the actual size of the evaporation dish 1 of the refrigerator 100 and the heating power of the heating element 2.

[0073] The second preset number of times is a pre-set threshold value for the number of times the door is opened and closed, used to determine whether the frequency of opening and closing the refrigerator 100 within a preset time period is too high.

[0074] As an optional implementation of this embodiment, the second preset number of times is 12 times. That is, when the number of times the refrigerator 100 door is opened and closed is greater than or equal to 12 times in 24 hours, it indicates that the user frequently opens the refrigerator 100 door. Each door opening and closing operation will allow ambient air from outside the refrigerator 100 to enter the refrigerator 100. When the external environment is in a high temperature and high humidity condition, the air entering the refrigerator 100 is not only high in temperature, but also contains a large amount of water vapor. When this hot and humid air flows over the evaporator surface, which is at a temperature far below 0°C, the water vapor will quickly condense and freeze on the evaporator surface, forming a frost layer.

[0075] Therefore, the more times the door is opened and closed, the greater the total amount of warm and humid air entering the refrigerator 100, the greater the amount of frost on the evaporator surface, and the higher the water vapor content in the air inside the refrigerator 100, meaning the humidity inside the refrigerator 100 increases. When the number of times the door is opened and closed exceeds the second preset number, it can be determined that the humidity inside the refrigerator 100 is greater than or equal to the preset humidity threshold, meaning that the refrigerator 100 has reached a high humidity state.

[0076] The preset humidity threshold is a pre-set critical value for the humidity inside the refrigerator 100. When the actual humidity inside the refrigerator 100 reaches or exceeds this threshold, it indicates that the amount of frost on the evaporator may have exceeded the normal range.

[0077] The preset speed threshold is a pre-set critical value for the cooling rate, used to determine whether the cooling rate of the refrigerator 100 after the door is closed is too slow. The cooling rate refers to the rate at which the internal temperature of the refrigerator 100 decreases from the temperature at the moment the door is closed to the stable operating temperature after the refrigerator 100 door is switched from the open state to the closed state, and the unit can be ℃ / hour.

[0078] When a user opens the refrigerator door and puts a large amount of food into the refrigerator, the food itself has a certain temperature and carries a certain amount of moisture on its surface. Therefore, the food will release heat and moisture into the refrigerator, causing the heat load and moisture load inside the refrigerator to increase simultaneously.

[0079] After the door is closed, the refrigerator 100 needs to run the refrigeration system to reduce the temperature rise caused by the heat and moisture to the set temperature. The slower the cooling speed, the greater the heat load inside the refrigerator 100, that is, the more food the user puts into the refrigerator 100 or the higher the initial temperature of the food. Correspondingly, the more moisture these foods bring into the refrigerator 100, and the greater the amount of frost on the evaporator.

[0080] As an optional implementation of this embodiment, the preset speed threshold is 4℃ / hour, that is, when the cooling rate of the refrigerator 100 after the door is closed is less than 4℃ / hour, it indicates that the amount of frost on the evaporator of the refrigerator 100 has reached a large level.

[0081] Therefore, when the cooling rate is less than the preset speed threshold, it can be determined that the amount of frost on the evaporator is greater than or equal to the preset frost amount threshold. The preset frost amount threshold is a pre-set critical value for the amount of frost on the evaporator. When the actual amount of frost on the evaporator reaches or exceeds this threshold, it indicates that the frost layer on the evaporator surface is already thick, and a large amount of defrosting water will be generated during defrosting.

[0082] This application does not limit the specific values ​​of the first preset number of times, the second preset number of times, and the preset speed threshold; the above-mentioned 2 times, 12 times, and 4℃ / hour are only a preferred embodiment provided by this application, and can be set according to the specific model, capacity, and usage environment of the refrigerator 100.

[0083] When the number of defrost cycles within the first preset time period is greater than or equal to the first preset number of cycles, the controller 5 directly determines that the defrost water volume is greater than or equal to the preset defrost water volume threshold. Furthermore, by setting a specific value for the first preset number of cycles, this application transforms the judgment process into a clear numerical comparison, ensuring the consistency and repeatability of the judgment results.

[0084] When the number of times the door is opened and closed within the first preset time period is greater than or equal to the second preset number, the controller 5 determines that the humidity inside the refrigerator 100 is greater than or equal to the preset humidity threshold. Since the number of times the door is opened and closed directly determines the total amount of hot and humid air entering the refrigerator 100, the more times the door is opened and closed, the more hot and humid air enters the refrigerator 100, the higher the humidity inside the refrigerator 100, and the greater the amount of frost on the evaporator. Therefore, the statistics of the number of times the door is opened and closed can indirectly reflect the humidity status inside the refrigerator 100 and the degree of frost on the evaporator.

[0085] When the refrigerator 100 closes and the cooling rate is less than the preset speed threshold, the controller 5 determines that the amount of frost on the evaporator is greater than or equal to the preset frost amount threshold. The detection of the cooling rate utilizes the existing temperature sensor 3 of the refrigerator 100, eliminating the need for additional sensors and reducing hardware costs. The cooling rate can comprehensively reflect the heat load and moisture load of the food placed in the refrigerator. A sharp increase in the amount of frost indicates that the frost layer on the evaporator surface is already thick, and a large amount of defrosting water will be generated during defrosting.

[0086] In summary, by configuring three independent conditions for the controller 5, the refrigerator 100 can accurately identify the high frost level state based on the operating data. When any one of the conditions is met, the status determination is triggered. The judgment logic is clear, providing an accurate and reliable trigger condition for entering the defrosting adjustment mode, and avoiding false triggering caused by ambiguous judgment or misjudgment based on a single dimension.

[0087] In some embodiments, the controller 5, in the defrost adjustment mode, is configured to: obtain the defrost duration of the previous N defrost cycles, calculate the average defrost duration, N≥2; control the heating element 2 to defrost for a first defrost duration, the first defrost duration being 1 / M of the average defrost duration, M≥2; and the first defrost duration being less than the second defrost duration; the second defrost duration being the duration of a single complete defrost cycle; after stopping defrost, restart defrost after a second preset time interval; and after meeting preset conditions, control the heating element 2 to perform a complete defrost cycle for the second defrost duration.

[0088] The previous N defrosts refer to the most recent N complete defrost processes before the current moment, excluding the defrost operation currently in progress.

[0089] Defrosting time refers to the duration of continuous heating by the defrosting heating device during a single defrosting cycle performed by the refrigerator 100. For example, if N=2, the defrosting time of the first two defrosting cycles is obtained, and the sum of the two is divided by 2 to get the average defrosting time. The value of N is greater than or equal to 2 to ensure that the average defrosting time reflects the overall trend of the refrigerator 100's recent defrosting time, avoiding any impact on the accuracy of the judgment due to abnormal fluctuations in the defrosting time of a single instance.

[0090] The average defrost time is the result obtained by taking the arithmetic mean of the defrost times of the previous N defrost cycles. Since the defrost time is positively correlated with the thickness of the frost on the evaporator surface, the thicker the frost, the longer it takes to melt the frost layer; therefore, the average defrost time reflects the average level of frost buildup on the evaporator of the refrigerator in recent times.

[0091] The first defrosting time is the defrosting heating duration of a single reduced defrosting in defrosting adjustment mode; the value of the first defrosting time is 1 / M of the average defrosting time, that is, the defrosting heating is performed after the average defrosting time is shortened proportionally. Wherein, M is a positive number greater than or equal to 2, preferably a positive integer, representing the reduction ratio of the average defrosting time.

[0092] For example, if the average defrosting time is 20 minutes and M is 2, then the first defrosting time is 10 minutes.

[0093] The second defrosting time refers to the defrosting time required for the refrigerator 100 to perform a single complete defrosting process during normal defrosting in non-defrosting adjustment mode, that is, the complete defrosting heating duration under normal conditions; since 1 / M is less than 1, the first defrosting time must be less than the second defrosting time, that is, defrosting is performed with a shorter time after reduction, and the amount of defrosting water produced is correspondingly less than the amount of water for complete defrosting.

[0094] The duration of a single complete defrost cycle refers to the time required for the frost layer on the evaporator surface of the refrigerator 100 to completely melt from the start of heating under the condition that the defrost heating device is continuously powered on; this time is determined by the main control board of the refrigerator 100 based on the actual detection results of the defrost exit conditions.

[0095] The second preset time refers to the interval between two adjacent defrosting operations. After defrosting stops, the controller 5 does not immediately restart defrosting, but waits for the second preset time before starting the next defrosting operation. This interval setting allows the evaporating dish 1 sufficient time to evaporate some of the defrosting water that has been drained, thereby freeing up storage space for the defrosting water generated in the next defrosting operation.

[0096] As an optional implementation of this embodiment, the second preset time can be set to 6 hours.

[0097] Preset conditions refer to the pre-defined trigger conditions used to determine when to end the phased defrosting and perform the final complete defrosting.

[0098] As an optional implementation of this embodiment, the preset condition can be that the number of defrosting operations with the first defrosting duration reaches a third preset number within a third preset time period; for example, after performing three reduced defrosting operations with the first defrosting duration within 24 hours, a complete defrosting operation is triggered. After multiple reduced defrosting operations, the amount of residual frost on the evaporator has been significantly reduced, and the water in the evaporating dish 1 has been fully evaporated and water storage space has been freed up within multiple intervals. At this time, performing a complete defrosting operation can completely melt the residual frost on the evaporator without causing defrosting water to overflow from the evaporating dish 1.

[0099] Since the average defrosting time of the previous N defrosting cycles reflects the average level of frost buildup on the evaporator of refrigerator 100 during recent operation, thicker frost results in a longer defrosting time, and thinner frost results in a shorter defrosting time. Therefore, this average value is used as a benchmark for subsequent defrosting reduction control. When the frost load of refrigerator 100 increases, the average defrosting time becomes longer, and the duration of each defrosting cycle is correspondingly extended; when the frost load decreases, the average defrosting time becomes shorter, and the duration of each defrosting cycle is correspondingly shortened. This control method is applicable to different usage environments, eliminating the need for manually setting fixed defrosting time parameters, thus improving the flexibility and applicability of control. Furthermore, using the average of N defrosting cycles instead of just the duration of a single defrosting cycle smooths out occasional fluctuations in the duration of a single defrosting cycle, making the benchmark value used for subsequent control more stable and reliable.

[0100] Since the first defrosting time is 1 / M of the average defrosting time, and the defrosting water volume is positively correlated with the defrosting time, under the condition of constant heating power, the shorter the defrosting time, the thinner the melted frost layer, and the less defrosting water is produced. Therefore, when defrosting with the first defrosting time, the amount of defrosting water produced is only about 1 / M of the total defrosting water volume. This significantly reduces the amount of water drained during a single defrosting, ensuring that the amount of water discharged into evaporating dish 1 each time does not exceed the holding capacity and evaporation capacity of evaporating dish 1.

[0101] Because the defrosting function of refrigerator 100 is characterized by the concentrated generation and discharge of defrosting water during defrosting, and no new defrosting water is added to evaporation dish 1 during non-defrosting periods, after each defrosting reduction is completed, only a small amount of defrosting water generated in that time remains in evaporation dish 1, and no new water is added. Evaporation dish 1 can use the interval between two defrostings, i.e. the second preset time, to continuously evaporate the stored water into the air, thereby continuously reducing the actual water level in evaporation dish 1 and making room for the defrosting water discharged in the next defrosting reduction.

[0102] After multiple defrosting cycles, the amount of frost on the evaporator has been significantly reduced. At the same time, evaporation dish 1 has also freed up enough water storage space during the multiple intervals. At this point, performing a complete defrosting cycle can remove all the remaining frost on the evaporator, ensuring that the evaporator returns to a frost-free state, without causing overflow due to excessive drainage in a single cycle.

[0103] In some embodiments, the first defrosting time is half of the average defrosting time, and the second preset time is 6 hours; when the controller 5 controls the heating tube 2 to perform a complete defrosting once with the second defrosting time after the preset conditions are met, it is configured to: after the number of defrosting times with the first defrosting time reaches a third preset number within a third preset time, control the heating tube 2 to perform a complete defrosting once with the second defrosting time.

[0104] 1 / 2 means that the first defrosting time is half of the average defrosting time.

[0105] As a preferred embodiment of this example, when the average defrosting time is H, the first defrosting time is 1 / 2 of H, that is, half of the average defrosting time is used as the defrosting heating time for reduced defrosting. Under this value, the amount of defrosting water generated each time is theoretically about 1 / 2 of the total amount of defrosting water. While realizing the multiple discharge of defrosting water, it can complete the melting of most of the frost layer on the evaporator within a reasonable number of defrosting cycles.

[0106] The second preset time refers to the interval between two consecutive defrosting operations in the defrosting adjustment mode.

[0107] In this embodiment, the second preset time is 6 hours. That is, after one defrosting operation is completed, the controller 5 waits for 6 hours before starting the next defrosting operation. The 6-hour interval can provide sufficient evaporation time for the evaporating dish 1 to make room for water storage, and can also ensure that 3 defrosting operations can be completed within 24 hours. The defrosting adjustment cycle will not be too long due to the long interval, thereby avoiding the frost on the evaporator from not being dealt with for a long time and affecting the cooling effect.

[0108] The third preset time is a pre-set time window used to count the number of times the first defrosting time is reduced.

[0109] As a preferred embodiment of this example, the third preset time is 24 hours, that is, the statistics are performed in 24-hour cycles.

[0110] The third preset number of times is a pre-set threshold for the number of times defrosting is performed within the third preset time period with the first defrosting duration. It is used to determine whether the defrosting adjustment mode has met the conditions for performing a complete defrosting.

[0111] As a preferred embodiment of this example, the third preset number of times is 3 times. That is, when the number of times the defrosting is reduced within the first defrosting time reaches 3 times within 24 hours, the controller 5 determines that the preset condition is met and controls the heating tube 2 to perform a complete defrosting once within the second defrosting time.

[0112] After three defrosting cycles, the amount of residual frost on the evaporator has been reduced to a controllable range. At the same time, after three evaporation cycles, evaporating dish 1 has freed up enough water storage space. At this point, a complete defrosting cycle can completely melt the residual frost on the evaporator without causing defrosting water to overflow.

[0113] When M=2, the amount of water drained during each defrosting is precisely controlled to be 1 / 2 of the total defrosting amount. This ratio ensures that the amount of water drained into the evaporating dish 1 each time in the defrosting adjustment mode is relatively moderate. It will not exceed the water storage capacity of the evaporating dish 1 due to the excessive amount of water drained each time, nor will it require too many defrosting cycles due to the small amount of water drained each time, resulting in an excessively long defrosting cycle.

[0114] After three defrosting cycles of 1 / 2 reduction, the amount of frost on the evaporator has decreased from the initial 100% to about 1 / 8, and the amount of residual frost has been significantly reduced. At this point, a complete defrosting cycle will completely melt the remaining frost.

[0115] When the second preset time is 6 hours, the interval between two adjacent defrosting operations is moderate. 6 hours is sufficient for the evaporating dish 1 to fully evaporate the water discharged in the previous defrosting operation. With the heating tube 2 having a finned structure 222 to enhance the evaporation capacity, the evaporating dish 1 can evaporate the water to a lower water level in a short time without making the entire defrosting adjustment mode last too long.

[0116] For example, within a 24-hour time window, a 6-hour interval allows the refrigerator to complete three defrosting operations with reduced volume in one day. First defrost → 6-hour interval → Second defrost → 6-hour interval → Third defrost → 6-hour interval → Complete defrost, ensuring that the defrost adjustment mode can be completed within a reasonable time range.

[0117] The third preset time is 24 hours and the third preset number of times is 3. The refrigerator 100 performed three defrosting operations in one day, indicating that the refrigerator 100 is indeed in a state of continuous high frost. If the frost is not serious, the evaporator will not accumulate to the point of needing to defrost again quickly after each defrosting operation.

[0118] In summary, by specifying the values ​​of each parameter in the defrosting adjustment mode as 1 / 2, 6 hours, 24 hours, and 3 times, a method for implementing the control logic that can be directly applied to the refrigerator 100 is provided. This parameter combination is not a simple numerical selection, but rather considers the matching relationship between the evaporation time requirement of evaporating dish 1 (6 hours) and the defrosting frequency requirement (3 times within 24 hours), achieving a match between the defrosting water generation rate and the evaporation rate of evaporating dish 1, thereby ensuring that defrosting water will not overflow from evaporating dish 1. Moreover, this solution does not increase any hardware cost and can be achieved simply by preset parameters in controller 5, making it suitable for mass production applications.

[0119] In some embodiments, the controller 5 is further configured to: continuously monitor ambient temperature information, ambient humidity information and refrigerator 100 operating status in defrost adjustment mode; and exit defrost adjustment mode and switch to normal defrost mode when the ambient temperature is lower than or equal to a first temperature threshold and / or the ambient humidity is lower than or equal to a first humidity threshold.

[0120] Continuous monitoring refers to the controller 5 continuously acquiring ambient temperature and humidity information collected by temperature sensor 3 and humidity sensor 4 at a certain sampling frequency throughout the entire operation of the defrost adjustment mode, and monitoring the operating status of refrigerator 100 in real time; this sampling frequency can be consistent with the normal acquisition frequency of ambient temperature and humidity information to ensure that the controller 5 can promptly sense changes in ambient temperature and humidity.

[0121] An ambient temperature below or equal to the first temperature threshold means that the temperature of the external environment where the refrigerator 100 is located drops to a state that does not exceed the first temperature threshold. In this application, the first temperature threshold is preferably 35°C. That is, when the ambient temperature drops to 35°C or below, it indicates that the refrigerator 100 is no longer under the high temperature conditions of the aforementioned high temperature and high humidity conditions.

[0122] An ambient humidity lower than or equal to the first humidity threshold means that the humidity value of the external environment where the refrigerator 100 is located has decreased to no more than the first humidity threshold. In this application, the first humidity threshold is preferably 75%, that is, when the ambient humidity drops to 75% or below, it indicates that the refrigerator 100 is no longer in the high humidity conditions of the aforementioned high temperature and high humidity conditions.

[0123] And / or refers to the logical relationship between two conditions: ambient temperature and ambient humidity. When the ambient temperature is lower than or equal to a first temperature threshold, and / or the ambient humidity is lower than or equal to a first humidity threshold, it means any one of the following three situations: First, the ambient temperature is lower than or equal to the first temperature threshold; second, the ambient humidity is lower than or equal to the first humidity threshold; third, the ambient temperature is lower than or equal to the first temperature threshold, and the ambient humidity is simultaneously lower than or equal to the first humidity threshold.

[0124] In other words, as long as at least one of the two conditions, ambient temperature and ambient humidity, no longer meets the requirement of being higher than the threshold, it means that the external environment where the refrigerator 100 is located is no longer in a harsh working condition of high temperature and high humidity, and at this time the conditions for exiting the defrost adjustment mode can be triggered.

[0125] Exiting the defrost adjustment mode and switching to the normal defrost mode means that the controller 5 switches the defrost control strategy of the refrigerator 100 from the aforementioned defrost adjustment mode back to the default normal defrost control logic of the refrigerator 100.

[0126] In normal defrosting mode, the refrigerator 100 performs the defrosting operation according to the factory-preset defrosting conditions and parameters, and no longer performs the aforementioned partial defrosting control. Normal defrosting mode is the regular operating mode of the refrigerator 100. Normal defrosting mode usually melts all the frost layer at once, and the large amount of defrosting water generated is discharged into the evaporation dish 1 at once. Since the environment is no longer in a high temperature and high humidity condition, the evaporation capacity of the evaporation dish 1 has returned to normal level, which is sufficient to cope with the amount of water generated by a single complete defrosting without overflowing.

[0127] When the ambient temperature drops to no higher than the first temperature threshold or the ambient humidity drops to no higher than the first humidity threshold, the evaporation capacity of evaporating dish 1 has recovered to some extent. At this point, it is no longer necessary to maintain the defrosting mode. Instead, it should be switched back to the normal defrosting mode to ensure that the evaporator can be thoroughly defrosted and restored to its optimal heat exchange state.

[0128] This application also provides a control method for a refrigerator 100, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the control methods include: S1. Obtain ambient temperature and humidity information.

[0129] During normal standby operation of refrigerator 100, controller 5 continuously receives ambient temperature and humidity values ​​collected by temperature sensor 3 and humidity sensor 4 located outside refrigerator 100 at a preset sampling frequency.

[0130] Temperature sensor 3 converts the current ambient temperature into an electrical signal and transmits it to controller 5; humidity sensor 4 converts the current ambient relative humidity into an electrical signal and transmits it to controller 5.

[0131] The controller 5 performs analog-to-digital conversion on the received analog signal to obtain digital ambient temperature and humidity information, which is then temporarily stored in the controller 5's memory for subsequent judgment.

[0132] For example, when refrigerator 100 is running in a kitchen on a summer afternoon, temperature sensor 3 collects the current ambient temperature as 36°C and humidity sensor 4 collects the current ambient relative humidity as 80%.

[0133] S2. When the ambient temperature is higher than the first temperature threshold and the ambient humidity is higher than the first humidity threshold, obtain the historical operating parameters of the refrigerator 100 within a preset time period.

[0134] The controller 5 compares the ambient temperature information obtained in step S1 with the first temperature threshold pre-stored in the memory, and at the same time compares the ambient humidity information with the first humidity threshold pre-stored in the memory; the first temperature threshold is 35°C and the first humidity threshold is 75%, both of which are pre-stored in the storage unit of the controller 5.

[0135] When the controller 5 determines that the ambient temperature is 36℃ > 35℃ (first temperature threshold) and the ambient humidity is 80% > 75% (first humidity threshold), it determines that the current external environment is in a high temperature and high humidity condition. At this time, the evaporation capacity of the evaporator dish 1 of the refrigerator 100 will decrease due to the high ambient humidity, and the frost formation speed of the evaporator will be accelerated due to the high temperature and high humidity.

[0136] After determining that the operating condition is high temperature and high humidity, the controller 5 retrieves the historical operating parameters of the refrigerator 100 from the memory within the past 24 hours, i.e., the first preset time period. These parameters include, but are not limited to: the number of defrost cycles in the past 24 hours, the number of times the door was opened and closed in the past 24 hours, and the cooling rate of the refrigerator 100 after the door was closed.

[0137] For example, the controller 5 reads the refrigerator 100 operation log recorded in the memory and learns that the refrigerator 100 performed a total of 2 defrosting operations in the past 24 hours and the refrigerator 100 door was opened a total of 8 times. At the same time, it learns from the data recorded by the internal temperature sensor 3 of the refrigerator 100 that the refrigerator 100 cooled down at a rate of 3.5°C / hour after the last time the door was closed.

[0138] S3. Determine whether the refrigerator 100 is in a high frost state based on historical operating parameters.

[0139] The controller 5 compares the historical operating parameters obtained in step S2 with the corresponding preset thresholds, and makes a comprehensive judgment on whether the refrigerator 100 is in a high frost state based on the comparison results. The preset thresholds include: a first preset number of times of 2 times, a second preset number of times of 12 times, and a preset speed threshold of 4℃ / hour. All three thresholds are pre-stored in the storage unit of the controller 5.

[0140] The judgment logic is as follows: The controller 5 compares the actual number of defrosts (2 times) in the past 24 hours with the first preset number (2 times). Since 2 times ≥ 2 times, the condition is met. The controller 5 determines that the defrost water volume is greater than or equal to the preset defrost water volume threshold, that is, the frost frequency of the refrigerator 100 in 24 hours has reached a high level, indicating that the frost load of the refrigerator 100 is large.

[0141] The controller 5 compares the actual number of times the door was opened and closed (8 times) in the past 24 hours with the second preset number (12 times). Since 8 times < 12 times, the condition is not met, and the controller 5 determines that the internal humidity of the refrigerator 100 has not reached the preset humidity threshold, that is, the user's door opening and closing frequency is within the normal range.

[0142] The controller 5 compares the actual cooling rate (3.5℃ / hour) of the refrigerator 100 after the door is closed with the preset speed threshold (4℃ / hour). Since 3.5℃ / hour < 4℃ / hour, the condition is met. The controller 5 determines that the amount of frost on the evaporator is greater than or equal to the preset frost amount threshold, that is, a large heat load has entered the refrigerator 100, resulting in slow cooling and a corresponding increase in the amount of frost on the evaporator.

[0143] Of the three judgment conditions mentioned above, both the number of defrost cycles and the cooling rate must be met simultaneously. Since the refrigerator 100 is determined to be in a high frost state when any one of the conditions is met, the controller 5 comprehensively determines that the refrigerator 100 is currently in a high frost state and needs to actively adjust the defrosting process.

[0144] S4. When the refrigerator is judged to be in a high frost condition, control the refrigerator 100 to enter the defrost adjustment mode.

[0145] The defrosting adjustment mode includes: discharging the defrosting water volume of a single complete defrosting into evaporating dish 1 in several stages, so that the amount of defrosting water discharged into evaporating dish 1 each time is less than the amount of defrosting water in a single complete defrosting.

[0146] Based on the judgment result of step S3, the controller 5 determines that the refrigerator 100 is currently in a high frost level state, and then controls the refrigerator 100 to enter the defrost adjustment mode. In the defrost adjustment mode, the refrigerator 100 does not perform a single complete defrost operation, but breaks the defrost process into multiple stages, the specific execution process of which is as follows (refer to...). Figure 10 ): S41. Obtain the average defrosting time.

[0147] The controller 5 retrieves the defrosting time of the two most recent defrosting processes (N=2) from the memory; assuming that the defrosting time of the first two defrosting processes was 18 minutes and 22 minutes respectively, the average defrosting time H = (18+22)÷2 = 20 minutes.

[0148] S42. Apply the first reduction cream.

[0149] The controller 5 uses half of the average defrosting time H (M=2) as the first defrosting time, that is, the first defrosting time = 20 × 1 / 2 = 10 minutes; the controller 5 controls the heating tube 2 to be powered on and heated for 10 minutes and then stops defrosting. At this time, only about half of the frost layer on the evaporator is melted, and the amount of defrosting water produced is about half of the total amount of defrosting water. After being discharged into the evaporating dish 1, it will not exceed the safe water level of the evaporating dish 1.

[0150] S43. Apply the second reduction cream after a 6-hour interval.

[0151] After the first defrosting is completed, the controller 5 waits for 6 hours (the second preset time) before starting the next defrosting. During these 6 hours, the small amount of defrosting water in the evaporating dish 1 continues to evaporate under the enhanced heat dissipation effect of the fin 222 structure of the heating tube 2, and the water level gradually drops, freeing up water storage space. After 6 hours, the controller 5 controls the heating tube 2 to defrost again for 10 minutes (the first defrosting time), melting the remaining frost layer on the evaporator and generating a small amount of defrosting water which is discharged into the evaporating dish 1.

[0152] S44. Apply the third reduction cream 6 hours later.

[0153] After the controller 5 waits for another 6 hours, it controls the heating tube 2 to defrost for the third time for 10 minutes (the first defrosting time). At this time, the defrosting water produced by the first two reduced defrosting has been fully evaporated within the interval, and the evaporating dish 1 has sufficient water storage space.

[0154] S45. Perform a complete defrosting.

[0155] If the number of defrosting operations with the first defrosting duration has reached 3 times within 24 hours (the third preset number of times), the controller 5 determines that the preset condition is met and controls the heating tube 2 to perform a complete defrosting operation with the second defrosting duration.

[0156] At this point, the amount of residual frost on the evaporator has been significantly reduced, and evaporation dish 1 has freed up sufficient water storage space after three intervals of continuous evaporation. Therefore, the water generated by the complete defrosting will not cause overflow. After this complete defrosting, the evaporator surface returns to a frost-free state, and a complete cycle of the defrosting adjustment mode is completed.

[0157] During the defrosting adjustment mode operation, controller 5 continuously monitors ambient temperature and humidity information.

[0158] Suppose that during the interval after the refrigerator 100 completes the third defrosting, the external environment changes, and the temperature sensor 3 detects that the ambient temperature drops to 34℃. At this time, the controller 5 compares the current ambient temperature of 34℃ with the first temperature threshold of 35℃ and determines that 34℃ < 35℃, that is, the ambient temperature is lower than or equal to the first temperature threshold, which meets the exit condition. That is, the controller can exit when either the temperature or humidity condition is met (it can also be set to exit only when both the temperature and humidity conditions are met).

[0159] Controller 5 then controls refrigerator 100 to exit defrost adjustment mode and switch to normal defrost mode. After switching, refrigerator 100 performs defrost operation according to the factory-preset normal defrost parameters.

[0160] It should be noted that when the refrigerator is controlled by the refrigerator controller in the embodiment of this application, the specific implementation method is similar to the specific implementation method of the refrigerator in any of the above embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, for a detailed exemplary description of the control process of the refrigerator, please refer to the relevant description of the refrigerator mentioned above. To reduce redundancy, it will not be repeated here.

[0161] This application discloses a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the control methods described in the above embodiments.

[0162] This application discloses a computer program product, including a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the control method described in the above embodiments.

[0163] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

[0164] For ease of explanation, the above description has been provided in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, the exemplary discussion above is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the specific forms disclosed above. Various modifications and variations can be obtained based on the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described to better explain the principles and practical applications, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better utilize the embodiments and various different variations suitable for specific application considerations.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, include: An evaporating dish, located inside the compressor compartment, is configured to collect and contain defrost water; A heating element, disposed within the evaporating dish, is used to heat the defrost water within the evaporating dish and accelerate evaporation; the heating element comprises: Steel pipes are configured to allow refrigerant to circulate; An outer sleeve is fitted over the outside of the steel pipe. The outer sleeve includes an intermediate sleeve and a plurality of fins disposed on the outer wall of the intermediate sleeve. The steel pipe passes through the intermediate sleeve. The plurality of fins are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the intermediate sleeve and extend along the axial direction of the intermediate sleeve. A temperature sensor, located on the outside of the refrigerator, is used to collect ambient temperature information; A humidity sensor, installed on the outside of the refrigerator, is used to collect ambient humidity information; The controller is connected to the temperature sensor, the humidity sensor, and the heating element. The controller is configured to: Obtain the ambient temperature information and the ambient humidity information; When the ambient temperature is higher than a first temperature threshold and the ambient humidity is higher than a first humidity threshold, the historical operating parameters of the refrigerator within a first preset time period are obtained. Determine whether the refrigerator is in a high frost state based on the historical operating parameters. If the refrigerator is determined to be in a high frost condition, it will be controlled to enter the defrost adjustment mode. The historical operating parameters are at least one of the following: the number of defrost cycles within a first preset time period, the number of times the door is opened and closed within the first preset time period, and the cooling rate of the refrigerator after the door is closed.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the intermediate sleeve is in contact with the outer wall of the steel pipe. The outer sleeve bends and extends synchronously with the steel pipe at the bending section. The fins are continuously arranged at the bending section, and multiple fins are distributed at equal intervals along the circumference of the intermediate sleeve.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the controller determines whether the refrigerator is in a high frost state based on the historical operating parameters, it is configured as follows: When the number of defrosting times within the first preset time period is greater than or equal to the first preset number of times, it is determined that the amount of defrosting water is greater than or equal to the preset defrosting water threshold. When the number of times the door is opened and closed within the first preset time period is greater than or equal to the second preset number of times, it is determined that the humidity inside the refrigerator is greater than or equal to a preset humidity threshold. When the cooling rate is less than a preset speed threshold after the refrigerator door is closed, the amount of frost on the evaporator is determined to be greater than or equal to the preset frost amount threshold.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is configured in the defrost adjustment mode as follows: Get the defrosting time of the first N defrostings, calculate the average defrosting time, N≥2; The heating element is controlled to defrost for a first defrosting time, which is 1 / M of the average defrosting time, where M≥2; and the first defrosting time is less than the second defrosting time; the second defrosting time is the duration of a single complete defrosting cycle. After stopping defrosting, restart defrosting after the second preset time interval; After the preset conditions are met, the heating element is controlled to perform a complete defrost cycle for the second defrost duration.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first defrosting time is 1 / 2 of the average defrosting time; When the controller controls the heating element to perform a complete defrost cycle for the second defrost duration after the preset conditions are met, it is configured as follows: After the number of defrosting operations within the third preset time period reaches the third preset number of times with the first defrosting duration, the heating tube is controlled to perform a complete defrosting operation with the second defrosting duration.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: In the defrost adjustment mode, the ambient temperature information, the ambient humidity information, and the refrigerator operating status are continuously monitored; When the ambient temperature is lower than or equal to the first temperature threshold, and / or the ambient humidity is lower than or equal to the first humidity threshold, the defrost adjustment mode is exited and the normal defrost mode is switched.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first temperature threshold is 35℃, the first humidity threshold is 75%, the first preset time period is 24 hours, the first preset number of times is 2, the second preset number of times is 12, the third preset number of times is 3, and the preset speed threshold is 4℃ / hour.

8. A method for controlling a refrigerator, characterized in that, The control method, applied to a refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, comprises: Obtain ambient temperature and humidity information; When the ambient temperature is higher than a first temperature threshold and the ambient humidity is higher than a first humidity threshold, the historical operating parameters of the refrigerator within a preset time period are obtained. Determine whether the refrigerator is in a high frost state based on the historical operating parameters. When the refrigerator is determined to be in a high frost condition, it is controlled to enter the defrost adjustment mode. The defrosting adjustment mode includes: discharging the defrosting water volume of a single complete defrosting into the evaporating dish in several stages, such that the amount of defrosting water discharged into the evaporating dish each time is less than the amount of defrosting water in a single complete defrosting.

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