Fault monitoring method for refrigerator and ultrasonic auxiliary processing device thereof

Abstract

A fault monitoring method for a refrigerator and its ultrasonic auxiliary processing device. The ultrasonic auxiliary processing device includes a plurality of first ultrasonic transducers arranged in parallel, which receive a drive signal transmitted from the same ultrasonic generator and are used to generate ultrasonic vibrations for target food materials, and a second ultrasonic transducer for generating an actual induced voltage from the ultrasonic vibrations. The fault monitoring method includes a step of acquiring an actual induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer, a step of comparing the actual induced voltage with a standard induced voltage, and a step of cutting off power to the ultrasonic generator if the actual induced voltage is smaller than the standard induced voltage. It is possible to timely find out whether the plurality of first ultrasonic transducers have a fault, and to timely repair or replace the faulty first ultrasonic transducer to avoid danger.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of refrigerators, and in particular to a fault monitoring method for a refrigerator and its ultrasonic auxiliary processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] At present, ultrasonic food processing equipment is mainly used to clean food, speed up the soaking speed and freezing speed of food, so as to improve the processing efficiency of food. In the prior art, ultrasonic food processing equipment adopts an open-loop control method during operation, and some equipment also has a frequency tracking circuit that can track and adjust the frequency of the ultrasonic generator in real time.

[0003] However, when multiple ultrasonic transducers are connected in parallel, the tracking circuit cannot accurately sense the operating status of all ultrasonic transducers. For example, if damage occurs in only one ultrasonic transducer, it cannot be detected and effectively dealt with in a timely manner, which may cause damage or loss of more extensive components, so there is still room for improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One object of the first aspect of the present invention is to monitor whether a first ultrasonic transducer has failed, and to immediately and effectively deal with the failure of the first ultrasonic transducer.

[0005] Another object of the first aspect of the present invention is to generate a fault code to keep track of the number of failed first ultrasonic transducers.

[0006] An object of a second aspect of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator.

[0007] In particular, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fault monitoring method for an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device of a refrigerator, the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device including a plurality of first ultrasonic transducers arranged in parallel, receiving a drive signal transmitted from a same ultrasonic generator, and used to generate ultrasonic vibrations for target food materials, and a second ultrasonic transducer for generating an actual induced voltage from the ultrasonic vibrations, the fault monitoring method including: obtaining an actual induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer; comparing the actual induced voltage with a standard induced voltage; and if the actual induced voltage is less than the standard induced voltage, powering off the ultrasonic generator.

[0008] Optionally, the step of acquiring the actual induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer includes acquiring a sampling value of a collection device connected to the second ultrasonic transducer, and setting the sampling value as the actual induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer.

[0009] Optionally, the standard induced voltage is set according to a voltage value generated by a second ultrasonic transducer during normal operation of the plurality of first ultrasonic transducers.

[0010] Optionally, after the step of powering off the ultrasonic generator, the method further includes the step of generating a fault code based on the difference between the actual induced voltage and the standard induced voltage, the fault code being used to indicate the number of failed first ultrasonic transducers.

[0011] Optionally, after the step of generating a fault code based on the difference between the actual induced voltage and the standard induced voltage, the method further includes the steps of displaying the fault code on a display interface of the refrigerator and controlling a buzzer of the refrigerator to emit a fault indication sound.

[0012] Optionally, after the step of comparing the actual induced voltage with the standard induced voltage, if the actual induced voltage is equal to the standard induced voltage, the method further includes a step of integrating a total processing time of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device, and terminating processing of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device when the total processing time of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device reaches a preset processing time.

[0013] Optionally, the step of integrating the total processing time of the ultrasound assisted processing device includes: turning on a timer simultaneously with the start of operation of the ultrasonic assisted processing device; obtaining a timer total time; The total time counted by the timer is set as the total processing time of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising: An ultrasonic auxiliary processing device including a plurality of first ultrasonic transducers arranged in parallel to receive a drive signal transmitted from the same ultrasonic generator and generate ultrasonic vibrations for processing a target food material, and a second ultrasonic transducer to generate an induced voltage from the ultrasonic vibrations; The present invention is also provided with a controller including a memory and a processor, a control program being stored in the memory, and which, when the control program is executed by the processor, implements the method for monitoring a fault in an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

[0015] Optionally, the ultrasonic assisted processing device further includes a tray disposed within a storage compartment of the refrigerator, the second ultrasonic transducer being disposed at a center of a bottom of the tray, and the plurality of first ultrasonic transducers being disposed around the second ultrasonic transducer and around the bottom of the tray.

[0016] Optionally, a first wire and a second wire are connected to the ultrasonic generator, and the two contacts of each of the first ultrasonic transducers are connected to the first wire and the second wire, respectively.

[0017] In the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device failure monitoring method of the present invention, when it is found that the second ultrasonic transducer generates an actual induced voltage through the operation process of a plurality of first transducers, by comparing the actual induced voltage with the standard induced voltage, if the actual induced voltage is smaller than the standard induced voltage, it can indicate that the first transducer has failed. At this time, the power supply of the ultrasonic generator is automatically cut off to stop the operation of the first transducer, and more extensive damage caused by the failed first transducer can be effectively avoided.

[0018] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the fault code is generated based on the difference between the actual induced voltage and the standard induced voltage, and different differences indicate different numbers of first oscillators have failed, and therefore can be effectively distinguished.

[0019] These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are used only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The same reference numerals refer to the same elements throughout the accompanying drawings.

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of a fault monitoring method for an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart of a fault monitoring method for an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments herein, but may be embodied in various forms. Rather, these embodiments are provided to more thoroughly understand the present disclosure and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0023] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a refrigerator 10. Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator 10 generally includes a body 100, in which one or more storage compartments 110 are formed, and the storage compartments 110 can be configured to form a refrigerated storage compartment, a freezer storage compartment, a temperature-variable storage compartment, etc. according to the freezing temperature. Specifically, the number, functions, and layout manner of the storage compartments 110 can be set as required.

[0024] The refrigerator 10 of the present invention may further include an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 (not shown in FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 is disposed in the refrigerated storage compartment of the refrigerator 10. Of course, in some cases, the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 may be disposed in the freezer storage compartment or the temperature-variable storage compartment. The functions of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 include, but are not limited to, marinating assistance, freezing assistance, and the like. The ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 may be disposed in the refrigerated storage compartment like a drawer, or may be disposed directly in the refrigerated storage compartment.

[0025] 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 includes at least an ultrasonic generator 230, a plurality of first ultrasonic transducers 210, and one second ultrasonic transducer 220. The ultrasonic generator 230 may be disposed on the rear side of the refrigerator 10 and is used to transmit a drive signal. The plurality of first ultrasonic transducers 210 are disposed in parallel, each of which receives an ultrasonic signal transmitted from the ultrasonic generator 230 and generates ultrasonic vibrations for the target foodstuff. The second ultrasonic transducer 220 is not used to receive a drive signal transmitted from the ultrasonic generator 230, but is used to generate an actual induced voltage from the ultrasonic vibrations generated by the plurality of first ultrasonic transducers 210.

[0026] Furthermore, the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 further includes a tray 240 disposed in the storage chamber 110. In this embodiment, the tray 240 is made of stainless steel metal material. The second ultrasonic transducer 220 is disposed at the center of the bottom outer side of the tray 240, and the first ultrasonic transducers 210 are disposed around the second ultrasonic transducer 220 and around the bottom outer side of the tray 240. Ultrasonic vibrations generated during the operation of the first ultrasonic transducers 210 can be relatively well transmitted to the second ultrasonic transducer 220 through the tray 240.

[0027] In an optional embodiment, there are four first ultrasonic transducers 210, the four first ultrasonic transducers 210 are arranged in an array on the bottom outside of the tray 240, and the second ultrasonic transducer 220 is located at the center position of the four first ultrasonic transducers 210 and fixed to the tray 240.

[0028] In this embodiment, a first wiring 231 and a second wiring 232 are connected to the ultrasonic generator 230, and two contacts of each of the first ultrasonic transducers 210 are respectively connected to the first wiring 231 and the second wiring 232. That is, the four second ultrasonic transducers 220 are arranged in parallel and operate independently.

[0029] 2 is a schematic block diagram of a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator 10 may further include a controller 300, a collecting device 330, a timing device 340, and the like.

[0030] The controller 300 includes a memory 320 and a processor 310. A control program 321 is stored in the memory 320. When the control program 321 is executed by the processor 310, the fault monitoring method for the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 of this embodiment is implemented. The controller 300 is connected to a power signal of the ultrasonic generator 230 and turns the ultrasonic generator 230 on and off by the power supply. The controller 300 may be integrated on the main control board of the refrigerator 10 or may be separately provided adjacent to the ultrasonic generator 230. The controller 300 may further be signal-connected to the main control device of the refrigerator 10 to provide the operating status of the ultrasonic generator 230 to the main control device and receive control commands from the main control device.

[0031] The controller 300 may be implemented by a variety of devices having certain data processing capabilities, and in a typical arrangement, the controller 300 may include a memory 320, a processor 310, input / output interfaces, and the like.

[0032] The collecting device 330 may be integrated in the computer control board of the refrigerator 10 and electrically connected to the second ultrasonic generator 230 to collect the actual induced voltage of the second ultrasonic generator 230. The timing device 340 accumulates the processing time of the ultrasonic assisted processing device 200 so as to timely end the processing of the ultrasonic assisted processing device 200 after the processing time of the ultrasonic assisted processing device 200 reaches the preset processing time of the food material.

[0033] It is understood that the first ultrasonic transducer 210 is made of piezoelectric ceramics, and if it breaks down, for example if it cracks, continuing to operate it will cause a wider range of cracks, leading to the disposal or danger of the first ultrasonic transducer 210. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, in this embodiment, a second ultrasonic transducer 220 is added, and whether or not there is a failure in the multiple first ultrasonic generators 230 is determined according to the induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer 220, and the broken first ultrasonic transducer 210 can be repaired or replaced in a timely manner.

[0034] 4 is a schematic diagram of a fault monitoring method for the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the fault monitoring method includes at least the following steps S102 to S106.

[0035] Step S102: The actual induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer 220 is obtained.

[0036] Step S104: Compare the actual induced voltage with the standard induced voltage.

[0037] Step S106: If the actual induced voltage is smaller than the standard induced voltage, the ultrasonic generator 230 is powered off.

[0038] There are only two magnitude relationships between the actual induced voltage and the standard induced voltage. First, when all the first ultrasonic transducers 210 are in a normal operating state, the actual induced voltage is equal to the standard induced voltage. Second, when at least one of the first ultrasonic transducers 210 is broken, the actual induced voltage is smaller than the standard induced voltage, and the more the number of broken first ultrasonic transducers 210, the smaller the actual induced voltage becomes. Since the amplitude of the first ultrasonic transducer 210 does not change during the operation process, a situation in which the actual induced voltage is larger than the standard induced voltage does not occur. When the amplitude of the first ultrasonic transducer 210 is increased, a new standard induced voltage is correspondingly used as the measurement standard.

[0039] In the fault monitoring method of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 of the present invention, when it is found that the second ultrasonic transducer 220 generates an actual induced voltage through a plurality of first transducer operation processes, by comparing the actual induced voltage with the standard induced voltage, if the actual induced voltage is smaller than the standard induced voltage, it can indicate that the first transducer has failed. In this case, the power supply of the ultrasonic generator 230 is automatically cut off to stop the operation of the first transducer, and more extensive damage caused by the failed first transducer can be effectively avoided.

[0040] In the above step S102, the step of acquiring the actual induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer 220 may be to acquire a sampling value of the collecting device 330, and set the sampling value as the actual induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer 220. The collecting device 330 may be integrated into a computer control board of the refrigerator 10, and electrically connected to the second ultrasonic transducer 220.

[0041] The standard induced voltage is set according to the voltage value generated by the second ultrasonic transducer 220 during normal operation of the multiple first ultrasonic transducers 210, and when the amplitudes of each of the first ultrasonic transducers 210 increase or decrease simultaneously, the voltage value of the standard induced voltage also increases or decreases correspondingly.

[0042] In step S106, after the step of cutting off the power supply of the ultrasonic generator 230, a fault code may be generated based on the difference between the actual induced voltage and the standard induced voltage, and the fault code may indicate the number of the failed first ultrasonic transducers 210. For example, if the number of the first ultrasonic transducers 210 is four and all four first ultrasonic transducers 210 are in a normal operating state, the standard induced voltage is 2.5V. When one first ultrasonic transducer 210 is broken, the actual induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer 220 is 2.0V, when two first ultrasonic transducers 210 are broken, the actual induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer 220 is 1.5V, when three first ultrasonic transducers 210 are broken, the actual induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer 220 is 1V, and when all four first ultrasonic transducers 210 are broken, the actual induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer 220 is 0V. Since the fault code generated based on the difference between the actual induced voltage and the standard induced voltage varies according to the difference, the number of faulty first ultrasonic transducers 210 also varies for each fault code, allowing for effective discrimination.

[0043] Furthermore, after the step of generating a fault code based on the difference between the actual induced voltage and the standard induced voltage, the fault code may be displayed on the display interface of the refrigerator 10, and the buzzer of the refrigerator 10 may be controlled to emit a fault warning sound, so that an operator can grasp the fault condition in a timely manner and repair or replace the faulty first ultrasonic transducer 210.

[0044] In one preferred embodiment, after the step of comparing the actual induced voltage with the standard induced voltage, if the actual induced voltage is equal to the standard induced voltage, i.e., if all the first ultrasonic transducers 210 are in a normal operating state, the total processing time of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 may be accumulated, and when the total processing time of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 reaches a preset processing time, the processing of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 may be terminated. The preset processing time here refers to the time from when the food material is processed until the processing is completed, and when the total processing time of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 reaches the preset processing time, it indicates that the processing of the food material is basically completed, and at this time, the processing of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 may be terminated.

[0045] The step of accumulating the total processing time of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 may be performed by turning on a timer simultaneously with the start of operation of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200, obtaining the total timer time, and treating the total timer time as the total processing time of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200. This method is relatively simple and easy to operate.

[0046] 5 is a flowchart of a fault monitoring method for the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the fault monitoring method includes at least the following steps S202 to S220.

[0047] Step S202: Obtain the sampling value of the collecting device 330. In this step, the collecting device 330 may be integrated into the computer control board of the refrigerator 10 and electrically connected to the second ultrasonic transducer 220.

[0048] Step S204: The sampling value is taken as the actual induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer 220.

[0049] Step S206: Determine whether the actual induced voltage is less than the standard induced voltage, if so, execute step S208, if not, execute step S214.

[0050] In this step, there are only two magnitude relationships between the actual induced voltage and the standard induced voltage. The first is when all the first ultrasonic transducers 210 are in a normal operating state, and the actual induced voltage is equal to the standard induced voltage. The second is when at least one of the first ultrasonic transducers 210 is broken, and the actual induced voltage is smaller than the standard induced voltage, and the more the number of broken first ultrasonic transducers 210, the smaller the actual induced voltage becomes. During the operation process, the amplitude of the first ultrasonic transducer 210 does not change, so a situation where the actual induced voltage is larger than the standard induced voltage does not occur. When the amplitude of the first ultrasonic transducer 210 is increased, the new standard induced voltage is also used as the measurement standard accordingly.

[0051] Step S208: The ultrasonic generator 230 is powered off.

[0052] Step S210: Generate a fault code based on the difference between the actual induced voltage and the standard induced voltage. In this step, the fault code generated based on the difference between the actual induced voltage and the standard induced voltage varies according to the difference, and different fault codes indicate different numbers of the first ultrasonic transducers 210 that are broken.

[0053] Step S212: Display a fault code on the display interface of the refrigerator 10, and control the buzzer of the refrigerator 10 to emit a fault warning sound. In this step, the buzzer is controlled to emit the fault warning sound, thereby prompting the operator to repair or replace the faulty first ultrasonic transducer 210 in a timely manner.

[0054] Step S214: Clear the fault code displayed on the display interface. In this step, a fault code is generated when multiple ultrasonic transducers are faulty, and the operator repairs or replaces them according to the fault code. After the repair or replacement is completed, if the first ultrasonic transducer 210 is not found to be faulty when monitoring again, the fault code displayed on the display interface is cleared. If no fault code was generated in the previous monitoring process, no fault code is displayed on the display interface in the current execution process and there is no need to clear it, so step S214 may be skipped and step S216 may be directly executed.

[0055] Step S216: The total processing time of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 is accumulated.

[0056] Step S218: Determine whether the total processing time of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 has reached the preset processing time, and if so, execute step S220, and if not, return to step S202. In this step, the preset processing time refers to the time from when the ingredients are processed until the processing is completed, and when the total processing time of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 has reached the preset processing time, the processing of the ingredients is basically completed, and at this time, the processing of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 may be terminated.

[0057] Step S220: The processing of the ultrasound auxiliary processing device 200 is terminated, and acquisition of sampling values ​​via the collection device 330 is stopped.

[0058] After the prototype sample was actually used, the fault monitoring method for the refrigerator 10 and its ultrasonic auxiliary processing device 200 of this embodiment was found to be capable of detecting the faulty first ultrasonic transducer 210 in a timely manner and immediately cutting off the power supply to the ultrasonic generator 230, thereby avoiding the risk of the first ultrasonic transducer 210 being broken.

[0059] Although several exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail and comprehensively herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many other variations or modifications conforming to the principles of the present invention can be directly determined or inferred based on the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the scope of the present invention is intended to cover all such variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a fault in an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device of a refrigerator, the method including a plurality of first ultrasonic transducers arranged in parallel, receiving a drive signal transmitted from a same ultrasonic generator, and used to generate ultrasonic vibrations for target food materials, and a second ultrasonic transducer for generating an actual induced voltage from the ultrasonic vibrations, the method comprising: obtaining an actual induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer; comparing the actual induced voltage with a standard induced voltage; and cutting off power to the ultrasonic generator when the actual induced voltage is smaller than the standard induced voltage.

2. The step of acquiring an actual induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer includes: The method for monitoring a fault in an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device according to claim 1, further comprising obtaining a sampling value of a collection device connected to the second ultrasonic transducer, and setting the sampling value as an actual induced voltage generated by the second ultrasonic transducer.

3. The method for monitoring a fault in an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the standard induced voltage is set according to a voltage value generated by the second ultrasonic transducer during normal operation of the plurality of first ultrasonic transducers.

4. After the step of powering off the ultrasonic generator, The method for monitoring a fault in an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device according to claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a fault code based on a difference between the actual induced voltage and the standard induced voltage, the fault code being used to indicate the number of the first ultrasonic transducers that have failed.

5. generating a fault code based on the difference between the actual induced voltage and the standard induced voltage; The method for monitoring a fault in an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the steps of: displaying the fault code on a display interface of the refrigerator; and controlling a buzzer of the refrigerator to emit a fault indication sound.

6. After the step of comparing the actual induced voltage with the standard induced voltage, 2. The method for monitoring a fault in an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: integrating a total processing time of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device when the actual induced voltage is equal to the standard induced voltage; and terminating processing of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device when the total processing time of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device reaches a preset processing time.

7. The step of accumulating the total processing time of the ultrasonic assisted processing device includes: turning on a timer simultaneously with the start of operation of the ultrasonic assisted processing device; obtaining a timer total time; 7. The method for monitoring a fault in an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device according to claim 6, further comprising the step of: determining the total time counted by the timer as a total processing time of the ultrasonic auxiliary processing device.

8. an ultrasonic auxiliary processing device including a plurality of first ultrasonic transducers arranged in parallel, receiving a drive signal transmitted from the same ultrasonic generator, for generating ultrasonic vibrations for processing a target food material, and a second ultrasonic transducer for generating an induced voltage from the ultrasonic vibrations; A controller including a memory and a processor, a control program stored in the memory, and an ultrasonic assisted processing device fault monitoring method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, when the control program is executed by the processor.

9. The ultrasonic assisted processing device includes: further comprising a tray disposed within a storage compartment of the refrigerator; the second ultrasonic transducer is centrally located on the bottom of the tray; 9. The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein the plurality of first ultrasonic transducers are disposed around the second ultrasonic transducer and around a bottom of the tray.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein a first wiring and a second wiring are connected to the ultrasonic generator, and two contacts of each of the first ultrasonic transducers are connected to the first wiring and the second wiring, respectively.

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