Refrigerator control method and refrigerator

Abstract

Disclosed are a refrigerator and a control method therefor. The refrigerator comprises a first ice storage box, an ice making mechanism, and an ice conveying mechanism. The control method comprises: detecting the ice storage state of a first ice storage box; if the first ice storage box is in a non-full ice state, controlling an ice making mechanism to start making ice; and once the ice making machine completes making ice, controlling an ice conveying mechanism to convey ice cubes to the first ice storage box. In S the present application, an ice making mechanism and an ice conveying mechanism are controlled according to the state of a first ice storage box, so that the ice storage mode becomes simple.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Application No. 202211707374.8, entitled “REFRIGERATOR CONTROL METHOD AND REFRIGERATOR”, filed on Dec. 29, 2022. The entire disclosures of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of household appliances, in particular to a control method of a refrigerator and a refrigerator.BACKGROUND

[0003] After ice cubes formed by an ice maker, ice cubes in the ice box are poured into the ice storage box below by an ice flipping device for storage, for later use. When the ice cubes in the ice storage box are accumulated to a certain height and are detected by an ice detector rod in the ice maker, the ice maker stops working.

[0004] However, because current refrigerators use the ice flipping device to pour the ice cubes in the ice box into the ice storage box below for storage, the ice storage box can only be set below the ice-making mechanism.Technical Problem

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provides a control method of a refrigerator and a refrigerator, which can improve the problem that the ice storage box in the existing refrigerator can only be set below the ice-making mechanism.Technical Solution

[0006] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a control method of a refrigerator, which comprises a first ice storage box, an ice-making mechanism, and an ice conveying mechanism. The first ice storage box is set on an upper side of the ice-making mechanism, and the first ice storage box is provided with a first detection unit. The control method includes:

[0007] controlling the first detection unit to detect an ice storage state of the first ice storage box;

[0008] controlling the ice-making mechanism to start making ice when the first ice storage box is not in a full ice state; and

[0009] after the ice-making mechanism completes making ice, controlling the ice conveying mechanism to transport ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

[0010] An embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a refrigerator, comprising:

[0011] an ice-making mechanism for making ice;

[0012] a first ice storage box set on an upper side of the ice-making mechanism, where the first ice storage box is provided with a first detection unit for detecting a state of the first ice storage box;

[0013] an ice conveying mechanism for transporting ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

[0014] When the first ice storage box is not in a full ice state, the ice conveying mechanism transports the ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box.Advantageous Effects

[0015] The advantageous effects of the present disclosure are that: the embodiments of the present disclosure propose a control method of a refrigerator, which comprises a first ice storage box, an ice-making mechanism, and an ice conveying mechanism. The first ice storage box is set on an upper side of the ice-making mechanism, and the first ice storage box is provided with a first detection unit. The control method includes: controlling the first detection unit to detect an ice storage state of the first ice storage box; controlling the ice-making mechanism to start making ice when the first ice storage box is not in a full ice state; and after the ice-making mechanism completes making ice, controlling the ice conveying mechanism to transport ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box. The embodiments of the present disclosure transport the ice cubes to the first ice storage box through the ice conveying mechanism, so that the first ice storage box can be set above the ice-making mechanism, thereby allowing the ice storage box and the ice-making mechanism to be flexibly set on the refrigerator. Moreover, the ice-making mechanism is controlled to make ice and the ice conveying mechanism is controlled to transport ice according to the state of the first ice storage box, making the method of ice storage becomes simple and avoiding ineffective ice making when the first ice storage box is in the full ice state, thus saving energy consumption.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a front view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 with the door removed.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 along the A-A direction.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a first detection unit in a first ice storage box.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an ice transport mechanism in the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a control method of the refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the ice transport mechanism transporting ice cubes to the first ice storage box in the control method shown in FIG. 1.

[0023] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a first control method with a second ice storage box in the control method shown in FIG. 1.

[0024] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a second control method with the second ice storage box in the control method shown in FIG. 1.DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF PRESENT DISCLOSURE

[0025] The technical solution in the embodiment of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by a person skilled in the art without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0026] In the description of the present disclosure, it is understood that the terms “center”, “longitudinal”, “transverse”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “up”, “down”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inner”, “outer”, “clockwise”, “counterclockwise”, etc., indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings and are for convenience and simplification of the description only, It is not an indication or implication that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation and therefore cannot be construed as a limitation on the present disclosure. In addition, the terms “first” and “second” are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, the features that are defined as “first” and “second” may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features described. In the description of this application, “plurality” means two or more than two, unless otherwise expressly and specifically qualified.

[0027] In the front refrigerator, the ice cubes in the ice box are poured into the ice storage box below by using the ice turning device for storage, so that the ice storage box can only be set below the ice-making mechanism, so that the setting position of the ice storage box and the ice-making mechanism in the refrigerator is relatively limited.

[0028] Therefore, in order to solve the above problem, the present disclosure provides a control method for a refrigerator and a refrigerator. The present disclosure is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0029] The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a control method for a refrigerator, and the control method of the refrigerator may be applied to the refrigerator. The refrigerator of the embodiment of the present disclosure may be a double-door refrigerator, and the refrigerator may also be a single-door refrigerator or a three-door refrigerator, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0030] Taking the ice-making device used in the refrigerator as an example, we will first make an overall explanation and explanation of the refrigerator.

[0031] Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a front view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 with the door removed. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 along the A-A direction. An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a refrigerator 1, in which the refrigerator 1 comprises a cabinet 11 and a door 12. The cabinet 11 is provided with refrigeration compartments such as a freezer compartment 14, a refrigerator compartment 13, or a wide temperature variable compartment. The door 12 is rotatably mounted on the cabinet 11 to open or close the refrigeration compartments. The refrigerator 1 also comprises an ice-making compartment 15 and an ice-making device 100 arranged in the ice-making compartment 15. The ice-making device 100 comprises a first ice storage box 20, a second ice storage box 30, an ice-making mechanism 10, an ice conveying mechanism 80, and a controller 40. The ice-making mechanism 10 is configured to make ice cubes and output ice cubes. The first ice storage box 20 is arranged on the upper side of the ice-making mechanism 10, and the first ice storage box 20 is provided with a first detection unit 50 for detecting an ice storage state of the first ice storage box 20. The ice conveying mechanism 80 is configured to transport at least part of the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 10 to the first ice storage box 20.

[0032] Existing refrigerators have the problem of less ice cube storage, which leads to the fact that when the user needs a large amount of ice cubes, the corresponding amount cannot be provided, resulting in poor user experience. However, when there are multiple ice storage boxes in the refrigerator, unreasonable design of multiple ice storage boxes can complicate ice storage. Therefore, the refrigerator provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure also comprises a second ice storage box 30. The second ice storage box 30 is arranged on the lower side of the ice-making mechanism 10. By setting the first ice storage box 20 and the second ice storage box 30, the refrigerator can store more ice cubes. The ice conveying mechanism 80 can transport the ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism 10 to the first ice storage box 20 above, and gravity can also be utilized to transport the ice cubes to the second ice storage box 30 below. Thus, the first ice storage box 20 and the second ice storage box 30 can be arranged above and below the ice maker, making the ice-making mechanism 10, the first ice storage box 20, and the second ice storage box 30 more flexibly arranged in the refrigerator 1. This increases the ice storage capacity without occupying the space of other components, making reasonable use of the refrigerator's storage space.

[0033] The first ice storage box 20 is set inside the refrigerator compartment 13, and the ice-making mechanism 10 is set inside the refrigerator compartment 13 and adjacent to the freezer compartment 14. The first ice storage box 20 is set above the ice-making mechanism 10. By placing the ice-making mechanism 10 below the first ice storage box 20, the temperature below the first ice storage box 20 will be lower because the cold air is all deposited from top to bottom, which is conducive to faster ice making. Additionally, because the first ice storage box 20 is set at a high position, the space below the first ice storage box 20 can be used to increase the number of ice-making mechanisms 10 to obtain more ice cubes.

[0034] The second ice storage box 30 is set on the lower side of the ice-making mechanism 10 in the direction of gravity, so that the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 10 can fall into the second ice storage box 30 by their own gravity. In some embodiments, the second ice storage box 30 is set inside the freezer compartment 14 and adjacent to the refrigerator compartment 13. It can be understood that due to the extremely low temperature inside the freezer compartment 14, setting the second ice storage box 30 inside the freezer compartment 14 can use the low temperature of the freezer compartment 14 to freeze and preserve the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 30, preventing the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 30 from melting and sticking together. At the same time, the ice-making mechanism 10 is set inside the refrigerator compartment 13, allowing the height of the second ice storage box 30 in the direction of gravity or vertical direction to be greater, thereby increasing the ice storage capacity of the second ice storage box 30.

[0035] The second ice storage box 30 can comprise a drawer set in the freezer compartment 14, allowing the user to pull out the drawer from the freezer compartment 14 to take ice during use. Of course, the second ice storage box 30 can also automatically discharge ice through components such as screws, and the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0036] The second ice storage box 30 is provided with a second detection unit 60, in which the second detection unit 60 is connected to the controller 40. The second detection unit 60 is used to detect an ice storage state of the second ice storage box 30.

[0037] The first detection unit 50 and the second detection unit 60 can comprise at least one of an infrared sensor, a laser distance sensor, or a weight sensor, and the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first ice storage box 20 has a first ice inlet 210, and the first detection unit 50 comprises: a first light emitting element 510 and a first light receiving element 520. The first light receiving element 520 and the first light emitting element 510 are installed at intervals at the end of the first ice storage box 20 near its first ice inlet 210.

[0039] The first light emitting element 510 is used to emit light signals, and the first light receiving element 520 is used to receive the light signals emitted by the first light emitting element 510. When the first light receiving element 520 does not receive the light signals after the first light emitting element 510 emits the light signals, it indicates that the light signals are blocked by the ice cubes, indicating that the height of the ice cubes in the first ice storage box 20 has reached the designed full ice height, thereby determining that the first ice storage box 20 is in a full ice state. When the first light receiving element 520 can still receive the light signals after the first light emitting element 510 emits the light signals, it indicates that the light signals are not blocked by the ice cubes, meaning that the height of the ice cubes in the first ice storage box 20 has not yet reached the designed full ice height, thereby determining that the first ice storage box 20 is not in a full ice state.

[0040] Please refer to FIG. 4 illustrating a schematic diagram of a first detection unit in a first ice storage box. The first detection unit 50 may comprise multiple sets of first light emitting elements 510 and first light receiving elements 520. By setting different sets of first light emitting elements 510 and first light receiving elements 520 at different positions on the first ice storage box, the first detection unit 50 can detect various ice storage states of the ice storage box. The specific positions set are based on actual conditions and are not specifically limited here.

[0041] Through the ice conveying mechanism 80, at least part of the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 10 can be transported to the top of the ice-making device 100, allowing the internal parts of the ice-making device 100 to be more flexibly arranged, or allowing the ice-making device 100 to be flexibly installed in different positions on the refrigerator 1. For example, the first ice storage box 20 can be set above the ice-making mechanism 10. When the ice conveying mechanism 80 moves up to the side of the first ice storage box 20, the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 10 can directly fall into the second ice storage box 30. When the ice conveying mechanism 80 moves down to the lower side of the ice-making mechanism 10, the ice cubes from the ice-making mechanism 10 can be discharged onto the ice conveying mechanism 80 and transported to the first ice storage box 20 by the ice conveying mechanism 80.

[0042] Please refer to FIG. 5 illustrating a schematic diagram of an ice transport mechanism in the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1. The ice conveying mechanism 80 includes a lifting assembly 810, a carrier 820, and a de-icing assembly (not shown in FIG. 5). The lifting assembly 810 is installed in the housing (not shown in FIG. 5), and the carrier 820 is drivingly connected to the lifting assembly 810, allowing the lifting assembly 810 to drive the carrier 820 to move between the first position and the second position in the direction of gravity. The openings of the ice-making mechanism 10 and the first ice storage box 20 are located between the first position and the second position, allowing the carrier 820 to receive the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 10 when it moves to the first position. The de-icing assembly is set on the housing (not shown in FIG. 5), the first ice storage box 20, or the carrier 820, and is used to push the ice cubes carried by the carrier 820 into the first ice storage box 20 when the carrier 820 moves to the second position.

[0043] The lifting assembly 810 can be a screw rod transmission assembly, can also be a rack and pinion transmission assembly, can also be a cylinder, an oil cylinder electric push rod and the like, and the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0044] For example, the lifting assembly 810 can comprise a guide rail 811 and a drive unit 812. The guide rail 811 is mounted on the housing, and the carrier 820 is slidably mounted on the guide rail 811. The drive unit 812 is drivingly connected to the carrier 820, allowing the carrier 820 to move between the first position and the second position.

[0045] Specifically, the lower end of the guide rail 811 is the first position, located on the lower side of the ice-making mechanism 10. The upper end of the guide rail 811 is the second position, located on the upper side of the ice-making mechanism 10. When the carrier 820 moves to the first position, or when the carrier 820 moves to the lower side of the ice-making mechanism 10, the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 10 can fall onto the carrier 820 by their own gravity. Then, the carrier 820 can transport the ice cubes to the second position, allowing the de-icing assembly to push the ice cubes on the carrier 820 into the first ice storage box 20.

[0046] The structure of the guide rail 811 can be varied. For example, the guide rail 811 can be a linear guide rail 811 with its length direction parallel to the direction of gravity. The guide rail 811 can also be an arc-shaped guide rail 811 or a spiral guide rail 811 spiraling downward, and the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0047] The installation method of the guide rail 811 can also be varied. For example, the guide rail 811 can be detachably connected to the housing through snap-fit, screw connection, magnetic fixation, etc.

[0048] For example, the guide rail 811 can be provided with a first pre-fixing structure and a first fastening structure. The side of the housing that matches the guide rail 811 is provided with a second pre-fixing structure and a second fastening structure. The first pre-fixing structure is connected to the second pre-fixing structure to pre-connect the guide rail 811 and the housing. The second fastening structure is configured such that when the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure are pre-fixed, the position of the second fastening structure matches the first fastening structure to achieve fixed connection of the guide rail 811 and the housing.

[0049] It is understandable that, during the installation of the guide rail 811, the cooperation of the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure can ensure that the guide rail 811 does not easily offset from the housing during subsequent installation, so that the guide rail 811 can be accurately installed and fixed in the end.

[0050] The second pre-fixing structure can comprise a hook protruding on the inner surface of the housing, and the first pre-fixing structure includes a hooking part such as a hook hole or a hook beam formed on the guide rail 811, so that the guide rail 811 can be pre-fixed by hooking the hooking part onto the hook.

[0051] In some other embodiments, the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure can be a pair of magnetic components connected magnetically, and the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0052] Both the second fastening structure and the first fastening structure can be screw holes, so that the guide rail 811 and the housing can be fixed by screwing with fastening screws.

[0053] The drive unit 812 can be set on the housing of the ice-making device 100 and drivingly connected to the carrier 820. The drive unit 812 can also be set on the guide rail 811 and drivingly connected to the carrier 820. The drive unit 812 can also be set on the carrier 820 and drivingly connected to the guide rail 811 or the housing of the ice-making device 100, and the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0054] The drive unit 812 can be composed of a first motor and a first rack and pinion transmission assembly, a first screw rod transmission assembly, or a first synchronous belt transmission assembly driven by the first motor. The first motor can drive the carrier 820 to slide through the first rack and pinion transmission assembly, the first screw rod transmission assembly, or the first synchronous belt transmission assembly. Of course, the drive unit 812 can also be a first electric push rod and the like, and the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0055] The carrier 820 can comprise an ice transport plate 821 and a guardrail 822. The ice transport plate 821 is slidably connected to the guide rail 811 and is used to carry ice cubes. The guardrail 822 is slidably connected to the ice transport plate 821, allowing the guardrail 822 to slide relative to the ice transport plate 821 in the direction of gravity. Thus, when the carrier 820 is on the lower side of the second position, the guardrail 822 can slide to at least partially be on the upper side of the ice transport plate 821 to prevent ice cubes on the ice transport plate 821 from accidentally falling. When the carrier 820 moves to the second position, the guardrail 822 can slide to the lower side of the ice transport plate 821 to facilitate the de-icing assembly pushing the ice cubes off the ice transport plate 821.

[0056] The carrier 820 can also comprise an elastic member 823. The elastic member 823 is set on the ice transport plate 821 and connected to the guardrail 822 to drive the guardrail 822 to move upward relative to the ice transport plate 821 in the direction of gravity. The elastic member 823 can be a tension spring, a torsion spring, or a compression spring, and the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0057] The control method of the refrigerator is explained and illustrated using the refrigerator as an example.

[0058] Please referring to FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a control method of the refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The refrigerator includes any of the aforementioned refrigerators, and the control method includes:

[0059] 101. Control a first detection unit to detect an ice storage state of a first ice storage box.

[0060] The first detection unit is controlled to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box, wherein the state of the first ice storage box can be set to an empty ice state, a full ice state, and an intermediate state between the empty ice state and the full ice state. It can be understood that the state of the first ice storage box can be set to multiple states according to actual conditions and is not limited to the examples mentioned above.

[0061] 102. When the first ice storage box is not in a full ice state, control the ice-making mechanism to start making ice.

[0062] When it is detected that the first ice storage box is not in a full ice state, the ice-making mechanism can be controlled to start making ice. It can be understood that before turning on the ice-making mechanism, current state of the ice-making mechanism needs to be detected. When the ice-making mechanism is already making ice, this step can be ignored; and when the ice-making mechanism is in a state of stopping ice-making, the ice-making mechanism is controlled to start making ice.

[0063] 103. After the ice-making mechanism completes making ice, control an ice conveying mechanism to transport the ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

[0064] When the ice-making mechanism completes making ice, the ice conveying mechanism is controlled to transport the made ice cubes to the first ice storage box. A specific process of the ice transport mechanism transporting the made ice cubes to the first ice storage box can be seen in FIG. 7, FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a flowchart of the ice transport mechanism transporting ice cubes to the first ice storage box in the control method shown in FIG. 1.

[0065] 201. When it is detected that the ice-making mechanism has completed making ice, control a carrier to move to a first position.

[0066] The carrier is moved to the first position so that the carrier can receive the ice made by the ice-making mechanism, with the first position corresponding to the position of the ice-making mechanism. In some embodiments, the ice-making mechanism includes multiple ice makers, and the carrier can move to the first position corresponding to each ice maker. For example, the ice-making mechanism includes a first ice maker and a second ice maker, and the carrier can move to the first position corresponding to the first ice maker, i.e., the first ice receiving position corresponding to the first ice maker, or it can move to the first position corresponding to the second ice maker, i.e., the second ice receiving position corresponding to the second ice maker. During the ice-making process of the ice-making mechanism, the carrier is in the initial position, which is between the first position and the second position. This initial position is mainly to protect the lifespan of the telescopic elastic components of the guardrail in the ice conveying mechanism, because when the initial position coincides with the second position, the elastic components on the guardrail will be stressed for a long time, leading to damage to the elastic components.

[0067] 202. Control the ice-making mechanism to flip the ice so that the ice cubes output by the ice-making mechanism can be received by the carrier.

[0068] After the carrier is in the first position, the ice-making mechanism is controlled to flip the ice so that the ice cubes output by the ice maker can be received by the carrier.

[0069] 203. After flipping the ice for a preset time, control the carrier to move to the second position and control the de-icing component to push the ice cubes carried by the carrier into the first ice storage box.

[0070] The preset time reserved after flipping the ice is to ensure that all the ice cubes are received by the carrier, avoiding some ice cubes remaining in the ice-making mechanism. The specific number for the preset time can be set according to actual needs and is not specifically limited here.

[0071] After the preset time passes, the carrier is moved to the second position and the de-icing component is controlled to push the ice cubes carried by the carrier into the first ice storage box.

[0072] The second position is located above the first ice storage box to ensure that when the ice conveying mechanism rises to this position, the guardrail in the ice conveying mechanism is in an open state, allowing the ice cubes in the ice conveying mechanism to smoothly fall into the first ice storage box.

[0073] Please referring to FIG. 8, FIG. 8 is schematic diagram illustrating a flowchart of a first control method with a second ice storage box in the control method shown in FIG. 1.

[0074] 301. Control the first detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box.

[0075] 302. When the first ice storage box is in a full ice state, control the second detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box.

[0076] After storing ice in the first ice storage box for the preset time, detect the state of the ice storage box. Only when the first ice storage box is in the full ice state, detecting the state of the second ice storage box will be started to ensure that the first ice storage box is always in the full ice state.

[0077] 303. When the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, control the ice-making mechanism to store ice cubes in the second ice storage box.

[0078] When the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, there is no need to transport the ice cubes to the first ice storage box through the ice conveying mechanism, that is, the carrier in the ice conveying mechanism remains in the initial position, and only the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism needs to be dropped into the second ice storage box by their own gravity.

[0079] 304. When the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, control the ice-making mechanism to stop making ice.

[0080] When it is detected that the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, the controller controls the ice-making mechanism to stop making ice. The embodiment of the present disclosure can store the ice cubes in the first ice storage box first. When the first ice storage box is full, the ice cubes are stored in the second ice storage box. When the second ice storage box is full, the ice-making mechanism is controlled to stop making ice. This ensures the ice storage capacity and prevents safety issues caused by the ice-making mechanism continuing to make ice when the ice storage box is full but not detected.

[0081] In some other embodiments, during the ice storage process in the second ice storage box, when it is detected that a dispenser has output ice from the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box is not yet in a full ice state, the ice conveying mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box. After a preset time passes, when the first ice storage box is in the full ice state, the ice-making mechanism is controlled to store ice cubes in the second ice storage box. This design ensures that the first ice storage box is always in the full ice state, ensuring that users can take ice from the dispenser.

[0082] Please refer to FIG. 9 illustrating a flowchart of a second control method with the second ice storage box in the control method shown in FIG. 1.

[0083] 401. Control the second detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box.

[0084] After the first detection unit detects the ice storage state of the first ice storage box, the second detection unit is also controlled to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box, i.e., the ice storage states of the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box are obtained simultaneously.

[0085] 402. When the first ice storage box is in an intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in an intermediate state or a full ice state, control the ice conveying mechanism to transport the ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

[0086] When the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, the ice conveying mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

[0087] When the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the intermediate state, the ice conveying mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box according to the control rule prioritizing the first ice storage box. It should be noted that in some other embodiments, the control rule prioritizing the second ice storage box can also be set. For example, when the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the intermediate state, the ice-making mechanism is controlled to store the ice cubes in the second ice storage box according to the control rule prioritizing the second ice storage box. The specific priority setting can be determined according to actual conditions and is not specifically limited here.

[0088] 403. When the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in an empty ice state, control the ice-making mechanism to store the ice cubes in the second ice storage box.

[0089] When the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the empty ice state, the ice-making mechanism is controlled to store the ice cubes in the second ice storage box to avoid the situation where the second ice storage box has no ice when the user needs a large amount of ice.

[0090] 404. When the first ice storage box is in the full ice state and the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, control the ice-making mechanism to store the ice cubes in the second ice storage box.

[0091] 405. When the first ice storage box is in the full ice state and the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, control the ice-making mechanism to stop making ice. When both the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box are in a full ice state, control the ice-making mechanism to stop making ice to prevent excessive ice making.

[0092] In some embodiments, the ice-making mechanism includes a first ice maker and a second ice maker. The first ice maker is set on the side close to the first ice storage box, and the second ice maker is set on the side of the first ice maker away from the first ice storage box. After controlling the second detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box, the control method includes:

[0093] When at least one of the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box is in the empty ice state, control both the first ice maker and the second ice maker to make ice. By controlling both ice makers to make ice simultaneously, the ice-making speed can be accelerated, avoiding the situation where there is no ice when the user needs to take ice.

[0094] After controlling both the first ice maker and the second ice maker to make ice, the control method further includes the following processes. For example, in some embodiments, when it is detected that both the first ice maker and the second ice maker have completed making ice, the ice conveying mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the first ice maker to the first ice storage box and the second ice maker is controlled to store the ice cubes in the second ice storage box. By transporting the ice cubes made by the first ice maker to the closer first ice storage box and dropping the ice cubes made by the second ice maker to the closer second ice storage box, the ice transport speed is reduced, the ice storage speed is increased, and the ice transport routes do not interfere with each other. In some other embodiments, when it is detected that either the first ice maker or the second ice maker has completed making ice, the ice conveying mechanism is controlled to transport the ice cubes made by the first ice maker or the second ice maker to the first ice storage box. According to the priority of the first ice storage box, the ice cubes are transported to the first ice storage box no matter whether the first ice maker or the second ice maker completes making ice.

[0095] When the first ice storage box is in an intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in a full ice state, the first ice maker is controlled to make ice. Because the first ice storage box is not in a full ice state, the first ice maker, which is closer to the first ice storage box, is controlled to make ice to reduce the ice transport distance and thus reduce energy consumption.

[0096] When the first ice storage box is in the full ice state and the second ice storage box is in an intermediate state, the second ice maker is controlled to make ice. Because the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, the second ice maker, which is closer to the second ice storage box, is controlled to make ice to reduce the ice transport distance and thus reduce energy consumption.

[0097] When it is detected that the first ice storage box is in an ice dispensing state, the carrier is controlled to move to the second position so as to prevent some ice cubes from falling out of the first ice storage box during the ice dispensing process, with the carrier acting as a barrier.

[0098] Please refer to FIG. 1. To facilitate users in taking ice and / or water, the refrigerator 1 also comprises a dispenser 16. The dispenser 16 is installed on the door 12 and is connected to the water supply device, capable of outputting water supplied by the water supply device. The dispenser 16 is also movably connected to the ice-making device 100, capable of outputting ice cubes supplied by the ice-making device 100. Therefore, users can directly take water only, ice only, or both from the dispenser 16 on the door 12 without opening the refrigeration compartment. It should be understood that since the water in the dispenser 16 is supplied by the water supply device, which is pre-cooled in the refrigeration compartment, users can directly take ice water (i.e., liquid water at a lower temperature but not yet frozen) from the dispenser 16.

[0099] The dispenser 16 can rotate with the door 12 to connect or disconnect with an ice outlet 112 of the housing, allowing the ice cubes made by the ice-making device 100 to be discharged into the dispenser 16 for users to take.

[0100] The control method and refrigerator of the refrigerator provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure are described in detail above. In this paper, specific examples are used to explain the principles and embodiments of the present disclosure, and the descriptions of the above embodiments are only used to help understand the present disclosure. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of the present disclosure, there will be changes in the specific embodiment and the scope of application, and in summary, the contents of this specification should not be understood as a restriction on the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A control method for a refrigerator, wherein the refrigerator comprises a first ice storage box, an ice-making mechanism, and an ice conveying mechanism, wherein the first ice storage box is set on an upper side of the ice-making mechanism and the first ice storage box is provided with a first detection unit, the control method comprising:detecting an ice storage state of the first ice storage box by the first detection unit;controlling the ice-making mechanism to make ice when the first ice storage box is not in a full ice state; andafter the ice-making mechanism completes making ice, transporting ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box by the ice conveying mechanism.

2. The control method of claim 1, wherein the refrigerator further comprises a second ice storage box, the second ice storage box is being set on a lower side of the ice-making mechanism, the second ice storage box is provided with a second detection unit, and after controlling the ice conveying mechanism to transport the ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box, the control method further comprises:controlling the first detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box;when the first ice storage box is in a full ice state, controlling the second detection unit to detect an ice storage state of the second ice storage box;controlling the ice-making mechanism to store the ice cubes in the second ice storage box when the second ice storage box is not in a full ice state; andcontrolling the ice-making mechanism to stop making ice when the second ice storage box is in the full ice state.

3. The control method of claim 2, wherein the refrigerator comprises a dispenser, the dispenser is movably connected to the first ice storage box for outputting the ice stored in the first ice storage box, and after controlling the ice-making mechanism to store the ice cubes in the second ice storage box, the control method further comprises:when detecting that the dispenser has output the ice from the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, controlling the ice conveying mechanism to transport the ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box; andafter a preset time, when the first ice storage box is in the full ice state, controlling the ice-making mechanism to store the ice cubes in the second ice storage box.

4. The control method of claim 1, wherein the refrigerator further comprises a second ice storage box, the second ice storage box is set on a lower side of the ice-making mechanism, the second ice storage box is provided with a second detection unit, the ice storage state further comprises an intermediate state, in which an amount of ice in the intermediate state is greater than the amount of ice in an empty ice state and less than the amount of ice in the full ice state, and after controlling the first detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the first ice storage box, the control method comprises:controlling the second detection unit to detect an ice storage state of the second ice storage box;when the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the intermediate state or the full ice state, controlling the ice conveying mechanism to transport the ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box;when the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the empty ice state, controlling the ice-making mechanism to store the ice cubes in the second ice storage box;when the first ice storage box is in the full ice state and the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, controlling the ice-making mechanism to store the ice cubes in the second ice storage box; andwhen the first ice storage box is in the full ice state and the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, controlling the ice-making mechanism to stop making ice.

5. The control method of claim 4, wherein the ice-making mechanism comprises a first ice maker and a second ice maker, the first ice maker is set on the side close to the first ice storage box, the second ice maker is set on the side of the first ice maker away from the first ice storage box, and after controlling the second detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box, the control method comprises:when at least one of the first ice storage box and the second ice storage box is in the empty ice state, controlling both the first ice maker and the second ice maker to make ice.

6. The control method of claim 5, wherein after controlling the second detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box, the control method further comprises:when the first ice storage box is in the intermediate state and the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, controlling the first ice maker to make ice.

7. The control method of claim 5, wherein after controlling the second detection unit to detect the ice storage state of the second ice storage box, the control method further comprises:when the first ice storage box is in the full ice state and the second ice storage box is in the intermediate state, controlling the second ice maker to make ice.

8. The control method of claim 5, wherein after controlling both the first ice maker and the second ice maker to make ice, the control method further comprises:when detecting that both the first ice maker and the second ice maker have completed making ice, controlling the ice conveying mechanism to transport the ice cubes made by the first ice maker to the first ice storage box and controlling the second ice maker to store the ice cubes in the second ice storage box; andwhen detecting that either the first ice maker or the second ice maker has completed making ice, controlling the ice conveying mechanism to transport the ice cubes made by the first ice maker or the second ice maker to the first ice storage box.

9. The control method of claim 1, wherein the ice conveying mechanism comprises a lifting assembly, a carrier, and a de-icing component, the lifting assembly drives the carrier to move between a first position and a second position, the de-icing component is set at the second position, and controlling the ice conveying mechanism to transport the ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box comprises:when detecting that the ice-making mechanism has completed making ice, controlling the carrier to move to the first position;controlling the ice-making mechanism to flip the ice so that the ice cubes output by the ice-making mechanism can be received by the carrier; andafter flipping the ice for a preset time, controlling the carrier to move to the second position and controlling the de-icing component to push the ice cubes carried by the carrier into the first ice storage box.

10. The control method of claim 9, further comprising:when detecting that the first ice storage box is in an ice dispensing state, controlling the carrier to move to the second position.

11. A refrigerator, comprising:an ice-making mechanism for making ice;a first ice storage box set on an upper side of the ice-making mechanism, wherein the first ice storage box is provided with a first detection unit for detecting a state of the first ice storage box;an ice conveying mechanism for transporting ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box;wherein when the first ice storage box is not in a full ice state, the ice conveying mechanism transports the ice cubes made by the ice-making mechanism to the first ice storage box.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11, further comprising a second ice storage box, wherein the second ice storage box is set on a lower side of the ice-making mechanism, and the second ice storage box is provided with a second detection unit,wherein when the first ice storage box is in the full ice state, the second detection unit detects an ice storage state of the second ice storage box;when the second ice storage box is not in the full ice state, the ice-making mechanism stores the ice cubes in the second ice storage box; andwhen the second ice storage box is in the full ice state, the ice-making mechanism stops making ice.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12, further comprising a case provided with a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, wherein the first ice storage box is set inside the refrigerator compartment, and the ice-making mechanism is set inside the refrigerator compartment and adjacent to the freezer compartment.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13, wherein the second ice storage box is set inside the freezer compartment and adjacent to the refrigerator compartment.

15. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the ice conveying mechanism comprises a lifting assembly, a carrier, and a de-icing component;wherein the carrier is drivingly connected to the lifting assembly, allowing the lifting assembly to drive the carrier to move between a first position and a second position in a direction of gravity;openings of the ice-making mechanism and the first ice storage box are located between the first position and the second position, allowing the carrier to receive the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism when the carrier moves to the first position; andthe de-icing component is configured to push the ice cubes carried by the carrier into the first ice storage box when the carrier moves to the second position.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15, wherein the carrier comprises an ice transport plate and a guardrail, the ice transport plate is used to carry ice cubes; the guardrail is slidably connected to the ice transport plate, allowing the guardrail to slide relative to the ice transport plate in the direction of gravity.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein when the carrier is on a lower side of the second position, the guardrail is capable of sliding to at least partially be on an upper side of the ice transport plate; andwhen the carrier moves to the second position, the guardrail is capable of sliding to a lower side of the ice transport plate.

18. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein the carrier further comprises an elastic member, and the elastic member is set on the ice transport plate and connected to the guardrail to drive the guardrail to move upward relative to the ice transport plate in the direction of gravity.

19. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the first ice storage box has a first ice inlet, the first detection unit comprises a first light emitting element and a first light receiving element, and the first light receiving element and the first light emitting element are installed at intervals at an end of the first ice storage box near the first ice inlet.

20. The refrigerator of claim 19, wherein the first detection unit comprises a plurality of sets of the first light emitting elements and the first light receiving elements, and different sets of the first light emitting elements and the first light receiving elements are set at different positions on the first ice storage box.

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