Refrigerator and defrosting control method therefor

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a refrigerator and a defrosting control method therefor. The refrigerator comprises a switch element, wherein when the switch element is in a first state, a refrigerant sequentially flows through a compressor, a condenser, a capillary tube, an ice-making evaporator and a freezing evaporator; and when the switch element is in a second state, the refrigerant sequentially flows through the compressor, the condenser, the capillary tube and the freezing evaporator. The method comprises: when a freezing evaporator satisfies a defrosting condition and an ice-making evaporator does not satisfy the defrosting condition, controlling a switch element to be in a third state, such that no refrigerant flows through both the ice-making evaporator and the freezing evaporator; and controlling a first defrosting apparatus to defrost the freezing evaporator and a second defrosting apparatus not to defrost the ice-making evaporator, wherein during this process, when it is detected that an ice-making chamber requires cold, an ice-making fan is controlled to operate, so as to blow the residual cold of the ice-making evaporator into the ice-making chamber, thereby providing the cold for the ice-making chamber.

Description

Refrigerators and their defrosting control methods

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202510182268.X, filed on February 18, 2025, entitled "Refrigerator and Defrosting Control Method", and to Chinese patent application No. 202510228051.8, filed on February 27, 2025, entitled "Refrigerator and Defrosting Control Method", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of electrical equipment technology, and in particular to a refrigerator and a defrosting control method thereof. Background Technology

[0004] As consumers' living standards improve, their functional needs for refrigerators are becoming increasingly diverse. Ice makers have emerged to meet consumers' demands for convenient ice making. Refrigerators typically have an ice-making compartment, which is cooled by an evaporator, freezing liquid water into ice. However, the evaporator frosts up during operation, affecting the refrigerator's performance; therefore, defrosting the evaporator is necessary. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Some embodiments of this application provide a refrigerator and a defrosting control method thereof to improve the accuracy of evaporator defrosting control and enhance the ice-making performance of the refrigerator.

[0006] In a first aspect, some embodiments of this application provide a refrigerator, including:

[0007] The cabinet is constructed with a freezer compartment and an ice-making compartment;

[0008] A refrigeration system is installed inside the enclosure, and the refrigeration system includes:

[0009] compressor;

[0010] Condenser;

[0011] Capillary;

[0012] The compressor, the condenser, and the capillary tube are connected in sequence.

[0013] An ice-making evaporator is configured to provide cooling to the ice-making chamber;

[0014] An ice-making fan is configured to blow the cold air from the ice-making evaporator into the ice-making chamber;

[0015] A refrigeration evaporator is configured to provide cooling to the refrigeration chamber;

[0016] A first defrosting device is configured to defrost the freeze evaporator;

[0017] A second defrosting device is configured to defrost the ice-making evaporator;

[0018] A switching element is connected to the capillary tube, the ice-making evaporator, and the freezing evaporator, respectively. When the switching element is in a first state, the capillary tube and the ice-making evaporator are connected, allowing refrigerant to flow sequentially through the compressor, the condenser, the capillary tube, the ice-making evaporator, and the freezing evaporator. When the switching element is in a second state, the capillary tube and the freezing evaporator are connected, allowing refrigerant to flow sequentially through the compressor, the condenser, the capillary tube, and the freezing evaporator. When the switching element is in a third state, the capillary tube is not connected to either the ice-making evaporator or the freezing evaporator.

[0019] The controller is configured as follows:

[0020] When the refrigeration evaporator meets the defrosting conditions but the ice-making evaporator does not meet the defrosting conditions, the switching element is controlled to be in the third state so that no refrigerant flows through either the ice-making evaporator or the refrigeration evaporator, and the first defrosting device is controlled to defrost the refrigeration evaporator, while the second defrosting device is controlled to shut down.

[0021] During the process of controlling the first defrosting device to defrost the freeze evaporator, when it is detected that the ice-making chamber needs cooling, the ice-making fan is controlled to operate.

[0022] By controlling the defrosting of the freezer evaporator and the ice-making evaporator independently, the defrosting device will not be activated for the ice-making evaporator if the freezer evaporator meets the defrosting conditions but the ice-making evaporator does not, thus improving the accuracy of the defrosting control for the ice-making evaporator. Furthermore, when defrosting the freezer evaporator, since there is no refrigerant flowing through either the freezer or the ice-making evaporator, if cooling is needed in the ice-making compartment, the ice-making fan will operate to blow the residual cold from the ice-making evaporator into the ice-making compartment, achieving a continuous supply of cooling to the ice-making compartment. This reduces the impact of defrosting the freezer evaporator on the refrigerator's ice-making performance.

[0023] Details of one or more embodiments of this application are set forth in the following drawings and description. Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become apparent from the specification, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the implementation methods in the embodiments of this application or related technologies, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to some embodiments;

[0026] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a refrigerator according to some embodiments;

[0027] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of a refrigeration element in a refrigerator according to some embodiments;

[0028] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the refrigerant flow path when a switching element is in a first state according to some embodiments;

[0029] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the refrigerant flow path when a switching element is in a second state according to some embodiments;

[0030] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the circulation path for an ice-making evaporator to provide cooling to the ice-making chamber according to some embodiments;

[0031] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram of a refrigerator according to some embodiments;

[0032] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a refrigerator including a compartment evaporator and a refrigeration fan according to some embodiments;

[0033] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of a refrigerator internal refrigeration element including a compartment evaporator according to some embodiments;

[0034] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the refrigerant flow path when a switching element is in a fourth state according to some embodiments;

[0035] Figure 11 is a schematic flowchart of a defrosting control method according to some embodiments;

[0036] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the circulation of a refrigeration system in which an ice-making evaporator is located, according to some embodiments;

[0037] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the circulation path of cooling capacity provided by an ice-making evaporator according to some embodiments;

[0038] Figure 14 is a schematic flowchart of a defrosting control method according to some embodiments;

[0039] Figure 15 is a flowchart illustrating another defrosting control method according to some embodiments;

[0040] Figure 16 is a flowchart illustrating a defrosting control method for adjusting a preset duration according to some embodiments;

[0041] Figure 17 is a flowchart illustrating another defrosting control method for adjusting a preset duration according to some embodiments;

[0042] Figure 18 is a flowchart illustrating another defrosting control method for adjusting a preset duration according to some embodiments;

[0043] Figure 19 is a flowchart illustrating another defrosting control method according to some embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0044] To make the objectives, implementation methods and advantages 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 described exemplary embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0045] A refrigerator may be equipped with an ice-making compartment, where an ice maker can produce ice. In related technologies, the cooling capacity of both the ice-making compartment and the refrigerator's storage compartment needs to be provided by the evaporator. Thus, the frost on the evaporator is generated by both the storage compartment and the ice-making compartment.

[0046] Ice making requires a significant amount of cooling, resulting in more frost buildup on the evaporator during the process. When the refrigerator's storage compartment and ice maker share an evaporator, even more frost will be produced, potentially affecting the refrigerator's performance.

[0047] Therefore, some refrigerators are equipped with separate ice-making evaporators and freezer evaporators. The ice-making evaporator is configured to provide cooling to the ice-making compartment, while the freezer evaporator is configured to provide cooling to the freezer compartment. During operation, frost will form on the surfaces of the ice-making and freezer evaporators, thus requiring defrosting.

[0048] In some technologies, defrosting of the ice-making evaporator and the freezing evaporator is controlled based on the condition of the freezing evaporator. When the freezing evaporator meets the defrosting conditions, defrosting occurs simultaneously for both the ice-making and freezing evaporators. During defrosting, no refrigerant flows through either the ice-making or freezing evaporator. Defrosting stops when the freezing evaporator has finished defrosting.

[0049] However, the above defrosting control method does not take into account the actual situation of the ice evaporator. There may be a situation where the freezing evaporator meets the defrosting conditions but the ice evaporator does not. In this case, simultaneously controlling the defrosting of both the ice evaporator and the freezing evaporator may affect the temperature inside the ice chamber, thereby affecting the ice-making effect of the refrigerator.

[0050] Based on this, some embodiments of this application provide a refrigerator and its defrosting control method. A switching element controls whether refrigerant flows through the freezing evaporator and the ice-making evaporator. When the freezing evaporator meets the defrosting conditions, the state of the switching element is controlled to prevent refrigerant from flowing through either the ice-making evaporator or the freezing evaporator, and defrosting is initiated for the freezing evaporator. If the ice-making evaporator does not meet the defrosting conditions, defrosting is not initiated for it, making the defrosting control of the ice-making evaporator independent of that of the freezing evaporator, thus improving the accuracy of defrosting control. Furthermore, during the defrosting process of the freezing evaporator, if the ice-making compartment requires cooling, the ice-making fan is controlled to operate, blowing residual cold from the ice-making evaporator into the ice-making compartment to provide cooling, reducing the impact of defrosting the freezing evaporator on the temperature of the ice-making compartment, thereby reducing the impact on the refrigerator's ice-making performance.

[0051] The technical solutions of this application will be described in detail below with reference to some embodiments. The following embodiments can be combined with each other or exist independently. For the same or similar concepts or processes, some embodiments will not be described again. Some embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] First, the structure of the refrigerator provided in some embodiments of this application will be described.

[0053] In one possible implementation, FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG1, the refrigerator 10 includes a cabinet 101.

[0054] The refrigerator 10 also includes a door 102, which is rotatably connected to the cabinet 101.

[0055] The refrigerator 10 also includes a storage compartment, which is located inside the cabinet 101.

[0056] In one possible implementation, the storage room includes a freezer room, an ice-making room, etc.

[0057] The ice-making chamber can be located inside the storage room or on the door; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0058] The refrigerator 10 also includes a controller 103 (see Figure 7). The controller is located inside the cabinet 101.

[0059] In some embodiments of this application, the controller 103 may be a micro controller unit (MCU) or other types of controllers. This application does not specifically limit the controller.

[0060] In one possible implementation, a refrigeration system is provided inside the cabinet 101. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a refrigerator according to some embodiments.

[0061] As shown in Figure 2, the refrigeration system includes a refrigerator compartment 21, a freezer compartment 22, and an ice-making compartment 23. In some embodiments, the ice-making compartment 23 is located on the refrigerator door 102. In other embodiments, the ice-making compartment 23 may also be located in the refrigerator compartment 21 within the refrigerator body. The refrigerator compartment 21 contains an ice-making evaporator 24 and an ice-making fan 25, while the freezer compartment contains a freezing evaporator 26 and a freezing fan 27.

[0062] For example, the ice-making fan and the refrigeration fan can be a fan or other device capable of blowing cold air into the corresponding storage compartment. This application does not specifically limit the ice-making fan and the refrigeration fan. Figure 2 is illustrated using the example of both the ice-making fan and the refrigeration fan being fans, and does not constitute any limitation.

[0063] The ice-making evaporator 24 is configured to provide cooling capacity to the ice-making chamber 23, and the ice-making fan 25 is configured to blow the cooling capacity of the ice-making evaporator 24 into the ice-making chamber 23. The freezing evaporator 26 is configured to provide cooling capacity to the freezing chamber 22, and the freezing fan 27 is configured to blow the cooling capacity of the freezing evaporator 26 into the freezing chamber 22.

[0064] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of a refrigeration element in a refrigerator according to some embodiments.

[0065] As shown in Figure 3, the refrigeration system also includes a compressor 31, a condenser 32, a capillary tube 33, and a switching element 34 connected in sequence.

[0066] Switching element 34 is configured to connect capillary tube 33, ice-making evaporator 24, and freezing evaporator 26, respectively. Ice-making evaporator 24 is connected to compressor 31 via freezing evaporator 26. By switching switching element 34 to different states, communication is achieved between capillary tube 33 and the different evaporators.

[0067] For example, the switching element 34 can be a solenoid valve or a device capable of achieving different conduction states; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0068] When the switching element 34 is in the first state, the capillary tube 33 and the ice-making evaporator 24 are connected, so that the refrigerant flows sequentially through the compressor 31, condenser 32, capillary tube 33, ice-making evaporator 24 and freezing evaporator 26, as shown in Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of the refrigerant flow circuit when the switching element is in the first state according to some embodiments.

[0069] When the switching element 34 is in the second state, the capillary tube 33 is connected to the refrigeration evaporator 26 but not to the ice-making evaporator 4, so that the refrigerant flows sequentially through the compressor 31, condenser 32, capillary tube 33 and refrigeration evaporator 26, as shown in Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of the refrigerant flow circuit when the switching element is in the second state according to some embodiments.

[0070] When the switching element 34 is in the third state, there is no connection between the capillary tube 33 and the ice-making evaporator 24 and the freezing evaporator 26.

[0071] Combining Figures 2 and 3 above, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the circulation path for an ice-making evaporator to provide cooling to an ice-making chamber according to some embodiments.

[0072] As shown in Figure 6, the workflow of the relevant devices in the refrigerator during ice making includes: the compressor 31 compresses the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas into a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas, which is then discharged to the condenser 32. The condenser 32 cools and condenses the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas into a high-pressure liquid. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant is throttled and depressurized through the capillary tube 33, becoming a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid. The low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant enters the ice-making evaporator 24 through the switching element 34. The ice-making fan 25 drives the cold air from the ice-making evaporator 24 through the air duct inside the cabinet 101 into the ice-making chamber 23 on the door 102. Inside the ice-making chamber 23, the temperature of the liquid water is lowered by heat exchange to form ice, absorbing the cold air. The return air generated after the cold air is absorbed returns to the bottom of the ice-making evaporator 24 through the return air duct inside the cabinet 101. The return air then passes through the ice-making evaporator 24 again, becoming a low-temperature, low-pressure gas. This low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas is then drawn into the compressor 31 to begin the next cycle. Through continuous circulation, the water in the ice-making chamber 23 is frozen into ice blocks.

[0073] The process by which the freezer evaporator 26 provides cooling capacity to the freezer compartment 22 is similar to the process by which the ice-making evaporator 24 provides cooling capacity to the ice-making compartment, and will not be described again in the embodiments of this application.

[0074] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram of the refrigerator structure in some embodiments of this application. Referring to Figure 7, the cabinet 101 may also include a first defrosting device 35, which is connected to the controller 103 and configured to defrost the freezer evaporator 26.

[0075] For example, the defrosting device includes a heating wire, which is controlled to operate to heat the frost on the freeze evaporator 26, thereby defrosting the freeze evaporator 26.

[0076] During refrigerator operation, the evaporator 26 delivers cooling energy to the freezer compartment 22. After cooling is achieved in the freezer compartment 22, the cooling energy returns to the evaporator 26, causing frost to form on the evaporator 26. As the refrigerator operates, the frost on the evaporator 26 accumulates. Therefore, the controller 103 needs to control the first defrosting device 35 to defrost the evaporator 26.

[0077] In some embodiments of this application, the process of the controller 103 controlling the first defrosting device 35 to defrost the evaporator 26 includes: when the evaporator 26 meets the defrosting conditions, the controller 103 controls the switching element 34 to be in the third state so that no refrigerant flows through either the ice-making evaporator 24 or the evaporator 26, and controls the first defrosting device 35 to defrost the evaporator 26.

[0078] Methods for determining whether the evaporator 26 meets the defrosting conditions may include determining whether defrosting is needed based on the cumulative running time of the compressor 31. When the running time of the compressor 31 reaches a preset value, the evaporator 26 is determined to meet the defrosting conditions. Alternatively, determining whether defrosting is needed based on the number of times the refrigerator door is opened and closed. When the number of door openings reaches a set value, the evaporator 26 is determined to meet the defrosting conditions. Alternatively, determining whether defrosting is needed by monitoring the difference between the surface temperature of the evaporator 26 and the ambient temperature. When the difference reaches a set temperature value, the evaporator 26 is determined to meet the defrosting conditions. Alternatively, detecting the frost layer thickness on the surface of the evaporator 26 using an optical sensor or an ultrasonic sensor, and determining that the evaporator 26 meets the defrosting conditions when the thickness reaches a set thickness value. Alternatively, determining whether the defrosting conditions are met based on a preset time interval. When the time interval (e.g., 12 hours) is reached, the evaporator 26 is determined to meet the defrosting conditions. Other methods may also be used to determine whether the evaporator 26 meets the defrosting conditions, and this application embodiment does not specifically limit the methods.

[0079] In this way, when the first defrosting device 35 defrosts the refrigeration evaporator 26, it will not defrost the ice-making evaporator 24 that does not meet the defrosting conditions, so that the defrosting control of the ice-making evaporator 24 is independent of the defrosting control of the refrigeration evaporator 26, which can improve the accuracy of defrosting the ice-making evaporator 24.

[0080] In related technologies, when no refrigerant flows through the ice-making evaporator 24, the ice-making fan 25 is usually controlled to stop operating, but at this time the ice-making chamber 23 may still need cooling.

[0081] In some embodiments of this application, when the switching element 34 is in the third state and no refrigerant flows through the ice evaporator 24, the controller 103 detects whether the ice chamber 23 needs cooling. If it is determined that the ice chamber 23 needs cooling, the controller controls the ice fan 25 to operate so as to blow the residual cold from the ice evaporator 24 to the ice chamber 23 to provide cooling for the ice chamber 23.

[0082] This application does not limit the method for detecting whether the ice-making chamber 23 needs cooling. For example, in some embodiments, a temperature sensor (not shown) is provided in the ice-making chamber 23 and configured to sense the temperature of the ice-making chamber. When the temperature of the ice-making chamber is higher than a preset temperature threshold (e.g., -15°C), it is determined that the ice-making chamber 23 needs cooling, and the controller controls the ice-making fan 25 to operate. Alternatively, it can also be determined whether the ice-making chamber needs cooling by whether the duration of the ice-making process reaches a preset duration. Alternatively, it can also be determined whether ice-making is complete by detecting the state of the ice in the ice-making chamber using devices such as optical sensors or infrared sensors. When it is determined that ice-making is not complete, it is determined that the ice-making chamber 23 needs cooling.

[0083] In this way, when cooling is needed in the ice-making chamber 23 and no refrigerant flows through the ice-making evaporator 24, the ice-making fan 25 is controlled to operate to blow the residual cold from the ice-making evaporator 24 to the ice-making chamber 23, thus achieving a continuous supply of cooling in the ice-making chamber and reducing the impact on the ice-making performance of the refrigerator when defrosting the freezer evaporator 26.

[0084] In some embodiments of this application, when the evaporator 26 meets the defrosting conditions, the controller 103 controls the switching element 34 to switch to the third state, and there are two possible implementations.

[0085] One possible implementation is that when the freezer compartment requires cooling but the ice maker compartment does not, the switching element 34 is in the second state, allowing refrigerant to flow through the freezer evaporator 26 while no refrigerant flows through the ice maker evaporator 24. When the freezer evaporator 26 is detected to meet the defrosting conditions, the control switching element 34 switches from the second state to the third state.

[0086] Thus, when only the freezer compartment requires cooling, the control switch element 34 is in the second state, ensuring that the refrigeration circuit includes only the freezer evaporator 26, allowing refrigerant to flow through the freezer evaporator 26 while no refrigerant flows through the ice-making evaporator 24. Since each conducting state of the switch element 34 requires passing through the freezer evaporator 26, when the freezer evaporator 26 needs defrosting, the control switch element 34 switches to the third state, ensuring no refrigerant flows through the freezer evaporator 26.

[0087] In another possible implementation, when both the freezer compartment and the ice-making compartment require cooling, the switching element 34 is in a first state, allowing refrigerant to flow sequentially through the ice-making evaporator 24 and the freezer evaporator 26. When the freezer evaporator 26 is detected to meet the defrosting conditions, the control switching element 34 switches from the first state to a third state.

[0088] Thus, when both the freezer and ice-making compartments require cooling, the control switch element 34 is in the first state, connecting the ice-making evaporator 24 and the freezing evaporator 26 in series in the refrigeration circuit, ensuring refrigerant flows through both. Since each conducting state of the switch element 34 requires passing through the freezing evaporator 26, when the freezing evaporator 26 needs defrosting, the control switch element 34 switches to the third state, preventing refrigerant from flowing through the freezing evaporator 26.

[0089] Referring again to FIG7, in some embodiments of this application, the housing 101 further includes a second defrosting device 36, which is connected to the controller 103 and configured to defrost the ice-making evaporator 24.

[0090] When the switching element 34 is in the third state, during the process of controlling the first defrosting device 35 to defrost the evaporator 26, the controller 103 also monitors in real time whether the ice-making evaporator 24 meets the defrosting conditions. When it is detected that the ice-making evaporator 24 meets the defrosting conditions, the controller controls the second defrosting device 36 to defrost the ice-making evaporator 24.

[0091] The method for determining whether the ice-making evaporator 24 meets the defrosting conditions can be found in the method for determining whether the freezing evaporator 26 meets the defrosting conditions described in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0092] It should be noted that the defrosting conditions of the ice-making evaporator 24 are independent of those of the freezing evaporator 26.

[0093] In this way, when the ice evaporator 24 meets the defrosting conditions, the second defrosting device 36 is controlled to defrost the ice evaporator 24, which can realize independent control of the defrosting of the ice evaporator 24 and further improve the accuracy of the defrosting control of the ice evaporator 24.

[0094] In some embodiments of this application, during the process of controlling the first defrosting device 35 to defrost the freezer evaporator 26 and controlling the second defrosting device 36 to defrost the ice-making evaporator 24, the following two possible situations may occur:

[0095] Scenario 1: During the process of controlling the first defrosting device 35 to defrost the refrigeration evaporator 26 and controlling the second defrosting device 36 to defrost the ice-making evaporator 24, when it is detected that the defrosting of the refrigeration evaporator 26 is completed, the control switch element 34 switches from the third state to the second state, so that refrigerant flows through the refrigeration evaporator 26 and no refrigerant flows through the ice-making evaporator 24, and controls the first defrosting device 35 to stop defrosting the refrigeration evaporator 26, and controls the second defrosting device 36 to continue defrosting the ice-making evaporator 24.

[0096] In some embodiments, the method for detecting defrosting completion includes: monitoring the temperature of the evaporator surface using a temperature sensor, and determining that defrosting is complete when the temperature reaches a set value. Alternatively, determining that defrosting is complete after the defrosting operation has reached a preset duration. Alternatively, determining whether defrosting is complete by detecting the current of the defrosting device, etc. This application does not limit the method for detecting defrosting completion.

[0097] In this way, when both evaporators are in the defrosting state at the same time, if the refrigeration evaporator 26 completes defrosting first, the state of the switching element 34 can be switched to make the refrigeration evaporator 26 and the capillary tube 33 connected, and refrigerant can flow through the refrigeration evaporator 26 so that the refrigeration evaporator 26 can provide cooling capacity to the freezer compartment, thereby improving the flexibility of defrosting control.

[0098] Scenario 2: During the process of defrosting the first defrosting device 35 for the refrigeration evaporator 26 and the second defrosting device 36 for the ice-making evaporator 24, the switching element 34 is in the third state so that no refrigerant flows through either the ice-making evaporator 24 or the refrigeration evaporator 26.

[0099] When it is detected that both the freezer evaporator 26 and the ice maker evaporator 24 have completed defrosting, the first defrosting device 35 is controlled to stop defrosting the freezer evaporator 26, the second defrosting device 36 is controlled to stop defrosting the ice maker evaporator 24, and the switching element 34 is controlled to switch from the third state to the first state so that refrigerant flows through both the freezer evaporator 26 and the ice maker evaporator 24.

[0100] The method for detecting the completion of defrosting can be found in the above embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0101] Because the ice-making chamber requires a large amount of cooling, there may be more frost on the ice-making evaporator 24 than on the freezing evaporator 26. If the defrosting control method based on the defrosting status of the freezing evaporator 26 is used, it is possible that the freezing evaporator 26 will defrost completely while the ice-making evaporator 24 will not, resulting in incomplete defrosting of the ice-making evaporator 24. Over time, this may lead to an accumulation of frost on the ice-making evaporator 24, affecting its performance and even its lifespan.

[0102] In this application, the control switch element 34 is switched to the first state only when both the freezer evaporator 26 and the ice-making evaporator 24 have completed defrosting, allowing refrigerant to flow through both evaporators. This reduces the possibility of one evaporator not completing defrosting when the control switch element 34 switches to the first state based on the completion of defrosting of one evaporator, thus improving the accuracy of defrosting control.

[0103] Based on Figure 2 above, in some embodiments, the refrigerator includes a refrigerator compartment 21, which corresponds to a compartment evaporator 28 and a refrigerator fan 29. The compartment evaporator 28 is connected to a switching element 34 and is configured to provide cooling capacity to the refrigerator compartment 21.

[0104] The refrigeration fan 29 is configured to drive the cooling capacity of the compartment evaporator 28 into the refrigeration compartment 21.

[0105] The refrigeration fan 29 can be a fan or other device capable of driving cooling energy into the corresponding storage compartment. This application does not specifically limit the refrigeration fan 29. Figure 8 below illustrates the refrigeration fan 29 as a fan, but this does not constitute any limitation.

[0106] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a refrigerator including a compartment evaporator and a refrigeration fan according to some embodiments.

[0107] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of a refrigerator internal refrigeration element including a compartment evaporator according to some embodiments.

[0108] As shown in Figure 9, the compartment evaporator 28 is connected to the switching element 34. When the switching element 34 is in the fourth state, the capillary tube 33 and the compartment evaporator 28 are connected, so that the refrigerant flows sequentially through the compressor 31, condenser 32, capillary tube 33, compartment evaporator 28, ice-making evaporator 24 and freezing evaporator 26, as shown in Figure 10. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the refrigerant flow circuit when the switching element is in the fourth state according to some embodiments.

[0109] As shown in Figure 10, when the switching element 34 is in the fourth state, the compartment evaporator 28, the ice-making evaporator 24 and the freezing evaporator 26 are connected in series in the refrigeration circuit.

[0110] In some embodiments of this application, when the refrigerator compartment, freezer compartment and ice-making compartment all require cooling, the control switch element 34 is in a fourth state so that the refrigerant flows sequentially through the compartment evaporator 28, the ice-making evaporator 24 and the freezing evaporator 26.

[0111] In this way, by switching the state of the switching element 34, the compartment evaporator 28, the ice-making evaporator 24, and the freezing evaporator 26 are connected in series in the refrigeration circuit. The refrigerant flows sequentially through the compressor 31, condenser 32, capillary tube 33, compartment evaporator 28, ice-making evaporator 24, and freezing evaporator 26. This allows the compartment evaporator 28 to provide cooling for the refrigerator compartment, the ice-making evaporator 24 to provide cooling for the ice-making compartment, and the freezing evaporator 26 to provide cooling for the freezer compartment. This improves the flexibility of refrigeration circuit control.

[0112] As shown in Figure 9, when the ice-making evaporator 24 is detected to meet the defrosting conditions, the controller 103 controls the switching element 34 to switch from the fourth state to the second state, so that refrigerant flows through the freezing evaporator 26, and no refrigerant flows through the ice-making evaporator 24 and the compartment evaporator 28.

[0113] After the switching element 34 switches from the fourth state to the second state, the refrigeration circuit can be seen in Figure 5.

[0114] In this way, when only the ice-making evaporator 24 meets the defrosting conditions, the control switch element 34 switches to the second state, so that when the ice-making evaporator 24 is defrosted, the refrigeration evaporator 26 still has refrigerant flowing through it, making the defrosting control more flexible and reducing the impact on the refrigeration evaporator 26 when defrosting the ice-making evaporator 24.

[0115] In some embodiments of this application, based on FIG9, when the defrosting conditions of the evaporator 26 are detected, the control switch element 34 switches from the fourth state to the third state so that no refrigerant flows through the compartment evaporator 28, the ice-making evaporator 24 and the evaporator 26, and controls the first defrosting device 35 to defrost the evaporator 26.

[0116] When it is detected that both the ice-making evaporator 24 and the freezing evaporator 26 meet the defrosting conditions, the control switch element 34 switches from the fourth state to the third state so that no refrigerant flows through the compartment evaporator 28, the ice-making evaporator 24 and the freezing evaporator 26. The first defrosting device 35 is controlled to defrost the freezing evaporator 26, and the second defrosting device 36 is controlled to defrost the ice-making evaporator.

[0117] In this way, the switching element 34 can be controlled according to the actual situation to defrost the evaporator that meets the defrosting conditions.

[0118] In some embodiments of this application, based on the connection structure shown in FIG9, the refrigerator control method further includes the following possible implementations.

[0119] In one possible implementation, during the process of controlling the first defrosting device 35 to defrost the refrigeration evaporator 26 and controlling the second defrosting device 36 to defrost the ice-making evaporator 24, if the refrigeration evaporator 26 completes defrosting first, the control switch element 34 switches from the third state to the second state and controls the first defrosting device 35 to stop defrosting the refrigeration evaporator 26, so that refrigerant flows through the refrigeration evaporator 26 and no refrigerant flows through the ice-making evaporator 24.

[0120] In one possible implementation, during the process of controlling the first defrosting device 35 to defrost the refrigeration evaporator 26 and controlling the second defrosting device 36 to defrost the ice-making evaporator 24, when it is detected that both the refrigeration evaporator 26 and the ice-making evaporator 24 have completed defrosting, the control switch element 34 switches from the third state to the first state, and controls the first defrosting device 35 to stop defrosting the refrigeration evaporator 26, and controls the second defrosting device 36 to stop defrosting the ice-making evaporator 24, so that refrigerant flows through both the refrigeration evaporator 26 and the ice-making evaporator 24.

[0121] In one possible implementation, when the ice-making evaporator 24 has not reached the defrosting condition and the first defrosting device 35 is defrosting the freezing evaporator 26, when the ice-making chamber is detected to require cooling, the ice-making fan 25 is controlled to operate to blow the residual cold from the ice-making evaporator 24 to the ice-making chamber to provide cooling for the ice-making chamber.

[0122] In one possible implementation, when the refrigerator compartment does not require cooling, but both the ice-making compartment 23 and the freezer compartment 22 require cooling, the control switch element 34 is in the first state, and the capillary tube 33 and the ice-making evaporator 24 are connected, so that the refrigerant flows sequentially through the compressor 31, the condenser 32, the capillary tube 33, the ice-making evaporator 24 and the freezer evaporator 26.

[0123] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating a defrosting control method according to some embodiments.

[0124] As shown in Figure 11, the defrosting control method includes the following steps:

[0125] S1001, Refrigerator is turned on.

[0126] S1002, Program Startup.

[0127] The program can be a control program for defrosting each evaporator, which can be understood as including other control programs.

[0128] S1003. Determine if the cooling system is on.

[0129] When the cooling is turned on, perform step S1004 below; when the cooling is not turned on, perform step S1015 below.

[0130] S1004, the refrigerator compartment, freezer compartment, and ice maker compartment all require refrigeration, and the control switch element is in the fourth state.

[0131] When the switching element is in the fourth state, the refrigeration circuit in the refrigerator is as shown in Figure 9. The refrigerant flows sequentially through the compressor, condenser, capillary tube, compartment evaporator, ice-making evaporator and freezing evaporator.

[0132] The defrosting of the evaporator in the refrigerator includes any one of the following steps: S1005-S1007, S1008-S1010, S1011-S1012 and S1014, and S1011-S1013.

[0133] S1005. If the ice evaporator is found to meet the defrosting conditions, then proceed to step S1006.

[0134] S1006, the control switch element is switched to the second state, and the second defrosting device is controlled to defrost the ice-making evaporator.

[0135] S1007. When the defrosting of the ice evaporator is completed, the control switch element switches back to the fourth state.

[0136] S1008. If the defrosting conditions of the freezer evaporator are detected, proceed to step S1009.

[0137] S1009, the control switch element is switched to the first state, and the first defrosting device is controlled to defrost the freeze evaporator.

[0138] In conjunction with the above embodiments, when the ice evaporator does not meet the defrosting conditions and the ice chamber requires cooling, the ice-making fan is controlled to operate, so as to blow the residual cold from the ice evaporator to the ice chamber to provide cooling for the ice chamber.

[0139] S1010 When the defrosting of the evaporator is completed, the control switch element switches back to the fourth state.

[0140] S1011. It is detected that both the freezer evaporator and the ice evaporator meet the defrosting conditions, and step S1012 is executed.

[0141] S1012, the control switch element is switched to the first state, and the first defrosting device is controlled to defrost the freezer evaporator, and the second defrosting device is controlled to defrost the ice-making evaporator.

[0142] S1013. When both the freezer evaporator and the ice-making evaporator have finished defrosting, the control switch element switches back to the fourth state.

[0143] S1014. When the defrosting of the freezer evaporator is completed but the defrosting of the ice evaporator is not completed, the control switch element switches to the second state.

[0144] S1015, Run other programs.

[0145] Other programs are those other than the control program that controls the defrosting of the evaporator.

[0146] In this way, by switching the state of the switching element, independent control of defrosting can be achieved, improving the flexibility of defrosting control.

[0147] Because ice making requires a significant amount of cooling, the ice evaporator produces a considerable amount of frost during the process, which may affect the refrigerator's ice-making performance. Furthermore, the amount of frost produced by the ice evaporator differs from that produced by the freezing evaporator or the compartment evaporator. Therefore, a defrosting control method for the ice evaporator is needed to improve its accuracy and timeliness.

[0148] Based on this, some embodiments of this application also provide a refrigerator equipped with an ice-making evaporator configured to provide cooling capacity to the ice-making compartment. During the ice-making process in the ice-making compartment, when the ice-making time reaches a certain duration and the compressor load is below a preset value, defrosting of the ice-making evaporator is controlled. This ensures that defrosting is only initiated after a certain ice-making time and when the compressor load is low, allowing sufficient time for ice-making and reducing the impact of defrosting on ice-making performance. If defrosting is not initiated within a certain time, forced defrosting is performed within the subsequent time period to prevent excessive frost on the ice-making evaporator from affecting its performance and lifespan.

[0149] The above technical solutions will be described in detail below with reference to some embodiments. These embodiments can be combined with each other or exist independently. The same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments.

[0150] In some embodiments, the external structure of the refrigerator can be referred to Figure 1, and the internal structure of the refrigerator can be referred to Figure 8.

[0151] As shown in Figure 8, the refrigerator body 101 includes a refrigerator compartment 21 and a freezer compartment 22, and an ice-making compartment 23 is provided on the refrigerator door 102. The refrigerator compartment is equipped with an ice-making evaporator 24, an ice-making fan 25, a compartment evaporator 28, and a refrigerator fan 29, while the freezer compartment is equipped with a freezing evaporator 26 and a freezing fan 27.

[0152] The ice-making evaporator 24 is configured to provide cooling capacity to the ice-making chamber 23, and the ice-making fan 25 is configured to drive the cooling capacity of the ice-making evaporator 24 into the ice-making chamber 23. The compartment evaporator 28 is configured to provide cooling capacity to the refrigerator compartment 21, and the refrigerator fan 29 is configured to drive the cooling capacity of the compartment evaporator 28 into the refrigerator compartment 21. The freezing evaporator 26 is configured to provide cooling capacity to the freezer compartment 22, and the freezing fan 27 is configured to drive the cooling capacity of the freezing evaporator 26 into the freezer compartment 22.

[0153] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the circulation of a refrigeration system in which an ice-making evaporator is located, according to some embodiments. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the circulation path of the cooling capacity provided by an ice-making evaporator, according to some embodiments.

[0154] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the housing 101 also includes a compressor 31, a condenser 32, and a capillary tube 33. An ice maker 231 is installed in the ice-making chamber 23 and is configured to make ice.

[0155] Based on Figures 12 and 13, when the ice maker 231 makes ice, the workflow of the relevant devices in the refrigerator includes: the compressor 31 compresses the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas, which is then discharged to the condenser 32. The condenser 32 cools and condenses the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas into a high-pressure liquid. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant is throttled and depressurized through the capillary tube 33, becoming a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid. The low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant enters the ice-making evaporator 24. The ice-making fan 25 drives the cooling capacity of the ice-making evaporator 24 through the air duct inside the cabinet 101 to the ice-making chamber 23 on the door 102. Inside the ice-making chamber 23, the temperature of the liquid water is lowered through heat exchange to form ice, absorbing the cooling capacity. The return air generated after the cooling capacity is absorbed returns to the bottom of the ice-making evaporator 24 through the return air duct inside the cabinet 101. The return air then passes through the ice-making evaporator 24 again, becoming a low-temperature, low-pressure gas. The low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas is then drawn into the compressor to start the next cycle. Through continuous circulation, the water in the ice-making chamber 23 is made into ice cubes.

[0156] In some embodiments of this application, the housing 101 also includes a second defrosting device 36, which is configured to defrost the ice-making evaporator 24.

[0157] For example, the second defrosting device includes a heating wire, which is controlled to heat the frost on the ice evaporator 24, thereby defrosting the ice evaporator 24.

[0158] When the ice maker is in ice-making mode, the cooling capacity of the ice evaporator 24 can be delivered to the ice-making chamber 23 in the manner described above. After being cooled in the ice-making chamber 23, the cooling capacity returns to the ice evaporator 24, causing frost to form on the ice evaporator 24. During the ice-making process, the frost on the ice evaporator 24 will increase. Therefore, the controller 103 needs to control the second defrosting device 36 to defrost the ice evaporator 24.

[0159] In some embodiments of this application, the process of the controller 103 controlling the second defrosting device 36 to defrost the ice-making evaporator 24 includes: when the ice maker is in ice-making mode, acquiring the cumulative ice-making time in real time; when the cumulative ice-making time reaches a first preset time, acquiring the operating status of the compressor 31. Before the cumulative ice-making time reaches the second preset time, if the compressor 31 is in a low-load operating state, the controller controls the second defrosting device 36 to defrost the ice-making evaporator 24.

[0160] The ice-making mode is when the ice maker is in operation, and the liquid water in the ice-making chamber is converted into ice cubes through the ice-making evaporator.

[0161] The cumulative ice-making time is calculated by starting the timer at the beginning of the first ice-making cycle after the refrigerator is started or after each defrosting cycle.

[0162] The first preset time is the time required for the ice maker to turn liquid water into ice cubes. For example, the first preset time can range from 6 to 28 hours, such as 12 hours. The first preset time can be obtained through multiple simulation experiments based on the actual conditions of the refrigerator, or it can be derived based on the parameters of various components of the refrigerator; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0163] The compressor's low-load operating state is the operating state when it is stopped or the load is lower than the preset load value (for example, lower than 20% of the rated load).

[0164] The compressor load refers to the workload or power consumption of the compressor in maintaining the required temperature inside the refrigerator. The load is related to the refrigerator's heat load, refrigeration efficiency, and operating cycle factors. This application does not limit the calculation method for the compressor load. For example, the compressor load is determined by the compressor's power. For instance, if the compressor's power is consistently between 60% and 70% of its rated value, it indicates that the compressor load is relatively low and it is in a relatively idle state. If the compressor's power exceeds 80% of its rated value, the compressor load is relatively high. It is understood that those skilled in the art can also determine the load through the compressor's operating cycle (duty cycle) or the motor's speed.

[0165] For example, if the compressor operates at a low load for a period of time, such as when the load is consistently below 3%, the compressor is determined to be in a stopped state.

[0166] Thus, when the cumulative ice-making time reaches the first preset time, the ice maker has generally finished making ice, and the compressor is operating at a low load. This may be because the ice chamber does not require cooling or only requires a small amount of cooling, meaning no refrigerant is flowing through the ice evaporator, or the temperature and pressure of the flowing refrigerant are higher than when the compressor is operating at a high load. At this time, controlling the second defrosting device to defrost the ice evaporator has little impact on the ice chamber.

[0167] If the compressor is not in a low-load operating state before the cumulative ice-making time reaches the second preset time, the second defrosting device will be controlled to defrost the ice-making evaporator 24 when the cumulative ice-making time reaches the second preset time.

[0168] The second preset duration is a pre-set value. For example, the value of the second preset duration ranges from 20 hours to 48 hours, such as 28 hours. The second preset duration can be obtained by conducting multiple simulation experiments based on the actual situation of the refrigerator, or it can be derived based on the parameters of various devices in the refrigerator. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0169] In this way, after a relatively long period of time, the second defrosting device is forcibly controlled to defrost the ice-making evaporator, which can reduce the impact on ice-making performance caused by excessive frost on the ice-making evaporator.

[0170] Based on this, the refrigerators in some embodiments of this application can achieve independent control of defrosting the ice-making evaporator, improve the accuracy of defrosting the ice-making evaporator, and thus improve the performance of the refrigerator.

[0171] Based on the structure described in the above embodiments, a defrosting control method for controlling the defrosting of an ice-making evaporator will be described below. Figure 14 is a schematic flowchart of a defrosting control method according to some embodiments.

[0172] As shown in Figure 14, the defrosting control method includes the following steps S1401-1402.

[0173] S1401. When the ice maker is in ice-making mode, if the cumulative ice-making time is greater than the first preset time and the compressor is in a low-load operating state, the controller controls the second defrosting device to defrost the ice-making evaporator.

[0174] The ice-making mode, the first preset duration, and the low-load operation state of the compressor can be found in the description of the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0175] For example, the first preset duration can be a value greater than 6 hours and less than or equal to 28 hours. For instance, the first preset duration can be 12 hours. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the value of the first preset duration.

[0176] Since the ice maker is likely to have finished making ice when the cumulative ice-making time reaches 6 hours, by limiting the value of the first preset time to within 6-28 hours, after the ice maker has finished making ice, the operating status of the compressor (i.e. the compressor load) is used to determine whether ice-making has been completed. Thus, when ice-making is completed, the ice evaporator is controlled to defrost, reducing the impact of defrosting on the ice-making process.

[0177] In some embodiments of this application, after the defrosting device is controlled by the controller to defrost the ice-making evaporator, the accumulated ice-making time is reset to zero so that the next defrosting judgment cycle can begin. This reduces the need to control the defrosting device to defrost the ice-making evaporator again when the accumulated ice-making time reaches the second preset time due to failure to reset the time, thereby improving the accuracy of defrosting control.

[0178] S1402. When the cumulative ice-making time reaches the second preset time, and the ice-making evaporator is not defrosted within the target time, the controller controls the second defrosting device to defrost the ice-making evaporator; the second preset time is longer than the first preset time, and the target time is the time between the first preset time and the second preset time.

[0179] The second preset duration can be found in the description of the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0180] For example, the second preset duration can be a value greater than 20 hours and less than or equal to 48 hours. For instance, the second preset duration can be 28 hours. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the value of the second preset duration.

[0181] For example, if the first preset duration is a cumulative ice-making time of 12 hours and the second preset duration is a cumulative ice-making time of 28 hours, then the target duration is the duration between the cumulative ice-making time of 12 hours and 28 hours, such as 24 hours.

[0182] Thus, since the ice maker has completed ice making and a lot of frost has formed on the ice evaporator when the cumulative ice making time reaches 20 hours, by limiting the value of the second preset time to within 20-48 hours, the ice evaporator is controlled to defrost when the ice maker has completed ice making and a lot of frost has formed on the ice evaporator, so as to avoid damage to the performance of the ice evaporator due to excessive frost.

[0183] In some embodiments of this application, after the defrosting device controls the ice-making evaporator to defrost using the controller, the accumulated ice-making time is reset to zero to enter the next defrosting judgment cycle, thereby improving the accuracy of controlling the defrosting of the ice-making evaporator.

[0184] In this application, when the cumulative ice-making time exceeds a first preset time and the compressor is operating at a low load, defrosting of the ice-making evaporator is initiated. This ensures that defrosting of the ice-making evaporator occurs when the ice maker has finished making ice and the required cooling capacity of the ice compartment is low, thus reducing the impact of defrosting on the refrigerator's ice-making performance. Furthermore, if the compressor is not operating at a low load, defrosting of the ice-making evaporator is initiated when the cumulative ice-making time reaches a second preset time. This reduces the impact of excessive frost on the ice-making evaporator on its performance and lifespan.

[0185] In some embodiments of this application, the controller is further configured to adjust the first preset duration and the second preset duration according to the actual operating conditions of the refrigerator. The following describes a method for controlling the defrosting of the ice-making evaporator using the adjusted new preset duration by adjusting the first and second preset durations.

[0186] The following describes in detail the method for controlling the defrosting of an ice-making evaporator, using a first preset duration of 12 hours and a second preset duration of 28 hours as examples. It should be understood that 12 hours and 28 hours are merely illustrative examples for the purpose of understanding the technical solution of this application, and are not intended to be limiting. Figure 15 is a flowchart illustrating another defrosting control method according to some embodiments.

[0187] As shown in Figure 15, the control method for defrosting the ice-making evaporator includes the following steps.

[0188] S1501, Refrigerator is turned on.

[0189] S1502, Program Startup.

[0190] The program can be a control program for defrosting the ice-making evaporator, and of course, it also includes other control programs.

[0191] S1503. Determine whether the ice maker is in ice-making mode.

[0192] When the ice maker is not in ice-making mode, execute step S1504 below. When the ice maker is in ice-making mode, execute step S1505 below.

[0193] S1504, Run other programs.

[0194] Other programs are those other than the control program that controls the defrosting of the ice-making evaporator.

[0195] S1505. Time the ice-making time of the ice maker.

[0196] For example, timing can be achieved using a timer.

[0197] S1506. When the cumulative ice-making time is less than 12 hours, maintain the temperature of the ice-making chamber and continue to accumulate the time.

[0198] S1507. When the cumulative ice-making time is greater than 12 hours but less than 28 hours, determine whether the compressor is stopped or running at less than 20% load (i.e., determine whether the compressor is running at low load).

[0199] If the compressor is not stopped or running at less than 20% load, return to step S1505. If the compressor is stopped or running at less than 20% load, proceed to step S1508.

[0200] S1508. Control the second defrosting device to defrost the ice-making evaporator.

[0201] S1509. If defrosting has not been performed before the cumulative ice-making time reaches 28 hours, then the ice-making evaporator will be defrosted when the cumulative ice-making time reaches 28 hours.

[0202] S1510, defrosting complete, the ice evaporator returns to cooling mode.

[0203] It is understandable that the ice evaporator does not perform refrigeration operations during the defrosting process.

[0204] This improves the accuracy of defrosting control over the ice-making evaporator.

[0205] Figure 16 is a flowchart illustrating a defrosting control method for adjusting a preset duration according to some embodiments.

[0206] As shown in Figure 16, the defrosting control method includes the following steps.

[0207] S1601. When the cumulative ice-making time reaches the first preset time, obtain the first time within the first preset time. The first time is the time during which ice making is completed and the temperature in the ice-making room is maintained.

[0208] It should be understood that ice makers require a relatively large amount of cooling energy to turn liquid water into ice cubes. Once the ice cubes are formed, the required cooling energy is only enough to maintain their frozen state, and no large amount of cooling energy is needed. Therefore, during the cumulative time that the refrigerator maintains the temperature in the ice-making compartment, the amount of cooling energy released by the ice-making evaporator is relatively small, resulting in less frost.

[0209] This application does not limit the method for determining the completion of ice making. For example, in some embodiments, ice making is determined to be complete when a temperature sensor in the ice making chamber detects that the temperature of the ice making chamber is lower than a preset temperature value (e.g., -12°C) for a preset time period (e.g., 50 minutes). Alternatively, ice making is determined to be complete when the motor in the ice making chamber drives the ice tray to flip and complete the ice removal action. Alternatively, the state of the ice in the ice making chamber can be sensed by a pressure sensor, infrared sensor, or ultrasonic sensor to determine whether ice making is complete.

[0210] In some embodiments of this application, the first duration may be a period of time for maintaining the temperature inside the ice-making chamber, or it may be the cumulative duration of multiple durations for maintaining the temperature inside the ice-making chamber. This application does not limit this.

[0211] S1602. When the first duration is greater than or equal to the third preset duration, the first preset duration is increased to the fourth preset duration and the second preset duration is increased to the fifth preset duration based on the first duration.

[0212] In some embodiments of this application, when the first duration is greater than or equal to the third preset duration, a first duration adjustment amount is determined based on the first duration; based on the first duration adjustment amount, the first preset duration is increased to the fourth preset duration, and the second preset duration is increased to the fifth preset duration.

[0213] For example, the first preset duration plus the first duration adjustment amount results in the fourth preset duration, and the second preset duration plus the first duration adjustment amount results in the fifth preset duration.

[0214] The third preset duration can be set according to the specific parameters of the refrigerator, for example, it can be set to 1 hour. Different types of refrigerators correspond to different third preset durations, and this application embodiment does not specifically limit the third preset duration.

[0215] For example, when the first duration is greater than or equal to the third preset duration, the controller determines the first duration adjustment amount corresponding to the first duration based on the pre-stored correspondence between duration and duration adjustment amount.

[0216] In some embodiments of this application, the first duration and the first duration adjustment amount are directly proportional.

[0217] For example, when the first duration is between 1 and 3 hours, the corresponding adjustment amount for the first duration is 1 hour; when the first duration is between 3 and 6 hours, the corresponding adjustment amount for the first duration is 2 hours.

[0218] Since the longer the ice chamber temperature is maintained, the less frost is produced by the ice evaporator, the longer the first preset duration and the second preset duration are increased.

[0219] Thus, considering that if the ice maker is in the mode of maintaining the ice chamber temperature for a period of time within the first preset time, less frost will be produced by the ice evaporator, by increasing the first and second preset times for defrosting, the number of defrosting operations on the ice evaporator can be reduced without affecting the performance of the ice maker, simplifying the defrosting process, saving energy, and also improving the service life of the defrosting device.

[0220] After updating the first and second preset durations to obtain the fourth and fifth preset durations, the ice-making evaporator is defrosted according to the updated fourth and fifth preset durations.

[0221] For example, the fourth preset duration can be a value greater than 6 hours and less than or equal to 28 hours. For instance, the fourth preset duration can be 12 hours. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the value of the fourth preset duration.

[0222] The fifth preset duration can be a value greater than 20 hours and less than or equal to 48 hours. For example, the fifth preset duration can be 28 hours. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the value of the fifth preset duration.

[0223] The fifth preset duration is longer than the fourth preset duration.

[0224] S1603. When the cumulative ice-making time exceeds the fourth preset time and the compressor is in a low-load operating state, control the second defrosting device to defrost the ice-making evaporator.

[0225] S1604. When the cumulative ice-making time reaches the fifth preset time, and the ice-making evaporator has not been defrosted within the first target time, the second defrosting device is controlled to defrost the ice-making evaporator; the first target time is the time between the fourth preset time and the fifth preset time.

[0226] In this way, by updating the first and second preset durations, the working time of the ice evaporator, i.e. the amount of frost generated on the ice evaporator, can be determined based on the actual operation of the ice evaporator. This allows the second defrosting device to be controlled to defrost the ice evaporator, reducing the need for frequent defrosting and increasing the service life of the defrosting device.

[0227] Figure 17 is a flowchart illustrating another defrosting control method for adjusting a preset duration according to some embodiments.

[0228] As shown in Figure 17, the defrosting control method includes the following steps.

[0229] S1701. When the cumulative ice-making time reaches the first preset time, obtain the second number of times the door of the ice-making room is opened within the first preset time.

[0230] It should be understood that opening the ice maker's door will cause the temperature inside the ice maker to rise. The main reasons include:

[0231] 1. Because the temperature inside the ice maker is low while the outside air temperature is high, when the ice maker door is opened, the inner wall of the ice maker, the ice maker box, etc. come into contact with the hot outside air. Heat will be transferred from the warmer outside air to the cooler objects inside the ice maker, thus raising the temperature inside the ice maker.

[0232] 2. When the ice maker's door is opened, the hot air inside will convect with the cold air inside the ice maker. The hot air, being less dense, will flow into the ice maker, while the cold air, being denser, will flow out. This airflow causes hot air to continuously enter the ice maker, leading to an increase in temperature inside.

[0233] Once the temperature in the ice chamber rises, more cooling energy needs to be drawn from the ice evaporator to lower the temperature inside the ice chamber again, resulting in more frost on the ice evaporator.

[0234] S1702. When the second count is greater than or equal to the preset number of times, determine the third duration adjustment amount based on the second count.

[0235] The preset number of times can be set according to the actual situation of the refrigerator, such as 3 times. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0236] For example, when the second number is greater than or equal to the preset number, the controller can determine the third duration adjustment amount corresponding to the second number based on the pre-stored correspondence between the number of times and the duration adjustment amount.

[0237] In some embodiments of this application, the number of times is directly proportional to the third duration adjustment amount.

[0238] For example, the third duration adjustment is 1 hour for 3-4 times the door is opened, and 2 hours for 5-8 times the door is opened.

[0239] S1703. Based on the second count, reduce the first preset duration to the eighth preset duration and the second preset duration to the ninth preset duration.

[0240] For example, the eighth preset duration can be a value greater than 6 hours and less than or equal to 28 hours. For instance, the eighth preset duration can be 12 hours. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the value of the eighth preset duration.

[0241] The ninth preset duration can be a value greater than 20 hours and less than or equal to 48 hours. For example, the ninth preset duration can be 28 hours. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the value of the ninth preset duration.

[0242] The ninth preset duration is longer than the eighth preset duration.

[0243] Thus, when the ice-making chamber door is opened frequently, the ice-making chamber absorbs more cold energy from the ice-making evaporator, resulting in more frost on the evaporator. Therefore, by determining the duration adjustment based on the number of times the ice-making chamber door is opened, and by reducing the first and second preset durations, the situation where the ice-making evaporator remains undefrosted despite excessive frost can be reduced, improving the accuracy and timeliness of defrosting control.

[0244] S1704 When the cumulative ice-making time exceeds the eighth preset time and the compressor is in a low-load operating state, control the second defrosting device to defrost the ice-making evaporator.

[0245] S1705. When the cumulative ice-making time reaches the ninth preset time, and the ice-making evaporator has not been defrosted within the third target time, the second defrosting device is controlled to defrost the ice-making evaporator; the third target time is the time between the eighth preset time and the ninth preset time.

[0246] In this way, the first and second preset durations are updated based on the number of times the door is opened. When there is a lot of frost on the ice evaporator, the ice evaporator is defrosted in time, improving the accuracy and timeliness of defrosting control of the ice evaporator.

[0247] Figure 18 is a flowchart illustrating another defrosting control method for adjusting a preset duration according to some embodiments.

[0248] As shown in Figure 18, the defrosting control method includes the following steps.

[0249] S1801. When the cumulative ice-making time reaches the first preset time, obtain the first time within the first preset time. The first time is the time during which ice making is completed and the temperature in the ice-making room is maintained.

[0250] S1802. When the first duration is greater than or equal to the third preset duration, and the number of times the ice-making room door is opened within the first preset duration is the same as the first number, determine the second duration adjustment amount based on the first duration and the first number.

[0251] In some embodiments of this application, the duration adjustment amount corresponding to the first duration can be determined based on the first duration. The method for determining the duration adjustment amount corresponding to the first duration based on the first duration can be found in the above embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0252] Furthermore, when the first count is greater than or equal to the preset number, the duration adjustment amount corresponding to the first count is determined based on the first count. The method for determining the corresponding duration adjustment amount based on the number of times the ice-making room door is opened can be found in the method for determining the third duration adjustment amount based on the second count described in the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0253] It should be understood that during the cumulative time a refrigerator maintains the temperature inside the ice maker compartment, the ice evaporator releases relatively little cold air, resulting in less frost. However, when the ice maker compartment door is opened, the temperature inside the ice maker compartment rises. Once the ice maker compartment temperature rises, more cold air needs to be drawn from the ice evaporator to lower the temperature again, leading to more frost buildup on the ice evaporator.

[0254] Since the adjustment amount based on the duration of temperature maintenance in the ice-making chamber after ice making is an increase, and the adjustment amount based on the number of times the ice-making chamber door is opened is a decrease, a second adjustment amount can be determined based on both the increase and decrease when both conditions exist. Therefore, the second adjustment amount may be either an increase or a decrease.

[0255] S1803. Based on the second duration adjustment amount, adjust the first preset duration to the sixth preset duration and the second preset duration to the seventh preset duration.

[0256] For example, the sixth preset duration can be a value greater than 6 hours and less than or equal to 29 hours. For instance, the sixth preset duration can be 12 hours. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the value of the sixth preset duration.

[0257] The seventh preset duration can be a value greater than 20 hours and less than or equal to 49 hours. For example, the seventh preset duration can be 29 hours. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the value of the seventh preset duration.

[0258] The seventh preset duration is longer than the sixth preset duration.

[0259] S1804. When the cumulative ice-making time exceeds the sixth preset time and the compressor is in a low-load operating state, control the second defrosting device to defrost the ice-making evaporator.

[0260] S1805. When the cumulative ice-making time reaches the seventh preset time, and the ice-making evaporator is not defrosted within the second target time, control the second defrosting device to defrost the ice-making evaporator; the second target time is the time between the sixth preset time and the seventh preset time.

[0261] In this way, the amount of frost on the ice evaporator can be determined based on its operating status, and the first and second preset durations can be updated accordingly. The new preset durations are then used to control the defrosting of the ice evaporator, thereby improving the accuracy of the defrosting control.

[0262] Based on Figure 18, the following section will provide a detailed explanation of the method for controlling the defrosting of the ice-making evaporator, taking a first preset duration of 12 hours and a second preset duration of 28 hours as examples.

[0263] Figure 19 is a flowchart illustrating another defrosting control method according to some embodiments.

[0264] As shown in Figure 19, the defrosting control method for an ice-making evaporator may include the following steps.

[0265] S1901, Refrigerator is turned on.

[0266] S1902, Program Startup.

[0267] The program can be a control program for defrosting the ice-making evaporator, and of course, it also includes other control programs.

[0268] S1903. Determine whether the ice maker is in ice-making mode.

[0269] When the ice maker is not in ice-making mode, step S1904 can be executed. When the ice maker is in ice-making mode, step S1905 can be executed.

[0270] S1904, Run other programs.

[0271] Other programs are those other than the control program that controls the defrosting of the ice-making evaporator.

[0272] S1905. The ice-making time of the ice maker is timed.

[0273] For example, timing can be performed using a timer or other methods. This application does not specifically limit the timing method.

[0274] S1906. When the cumulative ice-making time is less than 12 hours, after confirming that ice-making has been completed, maintain the temperature of the ice-making chamber for the first time period and continue to accumulate the time.

[0275] When the cumulative ice-making time is within 12 hours, the ice maker has completed ice making, that is, it has turned water into ice cubes, and there is a period of time during which it maintains the temperature of the ice-making chamber. The duration of maintaining the temperature of the ice-making chamber is called the first duration.

[0276] S1907. When the cumulative ice-making time reaches 12 hours, obtain the first duration and the first number of times the ice-making room door is opened within 12 hours.

[0277] The duration and number of the first test can be found in the above embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0278] S1908. Determine the duration adjustment amount N based on the first duration and the first number, and adjust 12 hours to 12+N hours and 28 hours to 28+N hours.

[0279] N can be a positive number or a negative number.

[0280] When N is a positive number, the initial 12 hours and 28 hours are extended; when N is a negative number, the initial 12 hours and 28 hours are decreased.

[0281] S1909. When the cumulative ice-making time is greater than 12+N hours and less than 28+N hours, determine whether the compressor is shut down or operating at less than 20% load.

[0282] If the compressor is not stopped or running at less than 20% load, return to step S1905. If the compressor is stopped or running at less than 20% load, execute step S1910.

[0283] S1910, Control the second defrosting device to defrost the ice-making evaporator.

[0284] S1911 If the ice-making evaporator has not defrosted before the cumulative ice-making time reaches 28+N hours, then defrosting will be initiated when the cumulative ice-making time reaches 28+N hours.

[0285] S1912, The defrosting of the ice evaporator is complete, and the ice evaporator returns to cooling mode.

[0286] It should be noted that after the ice evaporator resumes its cooling state, refrigerant flows through the ice evaporator. The way the ice evaporator cools the ice chamber can be seen in Figures 3 and 4 above, and will not be described again in the embodiments of this application.

[0287] In this way, based on the duration the ice maker is in ice-making mode, it's determined whether the ice evaporator needs defrosting. When the preset time has elapsed and the compressor is running at low load, the defrosting device is controlled to defrost the ice evaporator. Furthermore, if the compressor is not running at low load for an extended period, the defrosting device is forcibly controlled to defrost the ice evaporator after that time, preventing the ice evaporator from being affected by prolonged periods without defrosting. This improves the accuracy of defrosting control for the ice evaporator.

[0288] 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.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising: The cabinet is constructed with a freezer compartment and an ice-making compartment; A refrigeration system is installed inside the enclosure, and the refrigeration system includes: compressor; Condenser; Capillary; The compressor, the condenser, and the capillary tube are connected in sequence. An ice-making evaporator is configured to provide cooling to the ice-making chamber; An ice-making fan is configured to blow the cold air from the ice-making evaporator into the ice-making chamber; A refrigeration evaporator is configured to provide cooling to the refrigeration chamber; A first defrosting device is configured to defrost the freeze evaporator; A second defrosting device is configured to defrost the ice-making evaporator; A switching element is connected to the capillary tube, the ice-making evaporator, and the freezing evaporator, respectively. When the switching element is in a first state, the capillary tube and the ice-making evaporator are connected, allowing refrigerant to flow sequentially through the compressor, the condenser, the capillary tube, the ice-making evaporator, and the freezing evaporator. When the switching element is in a second state, the capillary tube and the freezing evaporator are connected, allowing refrigerant to flow sequentially through the compressor, the condenser, the capillary tube, and the freezing evaporator. When the switching element is in a third state, the capillary tube is not connected to either the ice-making evaporator or the freezing evaporator. The controller is configured as follows: When the freezing evaporator meets the defrosting conditions but the ice-making evaporator does not meet the defrosting conditions, the switching element is controlled to be in the third state so that no refrigerant flows through either the ice-making evaporator or the freezing evaporator, and the first defrosting device is controlled to defrost the freezing evaporator, while the second defrosting device is controlled to shut down. During the process of controlling the first defrosting device to defrost the freeze evaporator, when it is detected that the ice-making chamber needs cooling, the ice-making fan is controlled to operate.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is configured as follows: When the freezer compartment requires cooling and the ice-making compartment does not require cooling, the switching element is in the second state, so that refrigerant flows through the freezer evaporator and no refrigerant flows through the ice-making evaporator; When the defrosting conditions of the evaporator are met, the switching element is controlled to switch from the second state to the third state.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is configured as follows: When both the freezer compartment and the ice-making compartment require cooling, the switching element is in a first state, so that the refrigerant flows sequentially through the ice-making evaporator and the freezer evaporator; When the defrosting conditions of the evaporator are met, the switching element is controlled to switch from the first state to the third state.

4. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The controller is also configured to: During the process of controlling the first defrosting device to defrost the refrigeration evaporator, the switching element is in the third state so that no refrigerant flows through either the ice-making evaporator or the refrigeration evaporator; When the ice-making evaporator is detected to meet the defrosting conditions, the second defrosting device is controlled to defrost the ice-making evaporator.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein, The controller is also configured to: During the process of controlling the first defrosting device to defrost the refrigeration evaporator and the second defrosting device to defrost the ice-making evaporator, the switching element is in the third state so that no refrigerant flows through either the ice-making evaporator or the refrigeration evaporator; When the defrosting of the refrigeration evaporator is detected to be complete, the switching element is controlled to switch from the third state to the second state, so that refrigerant flows through the refrigeration evaporator and no refrigerant flows through the ice-making evaporator. The first defrosting device is controlled to stop defrosting the refrigeration evaporator, while the second defrosting device continues to defrost the ice-making evaporator.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein, The controller is also configured to: During the process of controlling the first defrosting device to defrost the refrigeration evaporator and the second defrosting device to defrost the ice-making evaporator, the switching element is in the third state so that no refrigerant flows through either the ice-making evaporator or the refrigeration evaporator; When it is detected that both the freezing evaporator and the ice-making evaporator have completed defrosting, the switching element is controlled to switch from the third state to the first state, so that refrigerant flows through both the freezing evaporator and the ice-making evaporator, and the first defrosting device is controlled to stop defrosting the freezing evaporator, and the second defrosting device is controlled to stop defrosting the ice-making evaporator.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The enclosure also includes a refrigeration compartment; The refrigeration system also includes: A compartmentalized evaporator, connected to the switching element, is configured to provide cooling to the refrigerator compartment; When the switching element is in the fourth state, the capillary tube and the compartment evaporator are connected, so that the refrigerant flows sequentially through the compressor, the condenser, the capillary tube, the compartment evaporator, the ice-making evaporator, and the freezing evaporator. The controller is also configured to: When the refrigerator compartment, the freezer compartment, and the ice-making compartment all require cooling, the switching element is controlled to be in the fourth state so that the refrigerant flows sequentially through the compartment evaporator, the ice-making evaporator, and the freezer evaporator.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein, The controller is also configured to: When the ice-making evaporator is detected to meet the defrosting conditions, the switching element is controlled to switch from the fourth state to the second state, so that refrigerant flows through the freezing evaporator, and no refrigerant flows through the ice-making evaporator and the compartment evaporator, and the second defrosting device is controlled to defrost the ice-making evaporator.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein, The controller is also configured to: When the defrosting conditions of the evaporator are met, the switching element is controlled to switch from the fourth state to the third state so that no refrigerant flows through the compartment evaporator, the ice-making evaporator and the evaporator, and the first defrosting device is controlled to defrost the evaporator. Alternatively, when it is detected that both the ice-making evaporator and the freezing evaporator meet the defrosting conditions, the switching element is controlled to switch from the fourth state to the third state, so that no refrigerant flows through the compartment evaporator, the ice-making evaporator, and the freezing evaporator, and the first defrosting device is controlled to defrost the freezing evaporator, and the second defrosting device is controlled to defrost the ice-making evaporator.

10. A refrigerator, comprising: The container is constructed with at least one storage room and an ice-making room; An ice maker, located in the ice-making chamber, is configured to make ice; An ice-making evaporator is configured to provide cooling to the ice-making chamber. A defrosting device is configured to defrost the ice-making evaporator; The compressor is located inside the housing; The controller is located inside the enclosure; The controller is configured as follows: When the ice maker is in ice-making mode, if the cumulative ice-making time is greater than a first preset time and the compressor is in a low-load operating state, the defrosting device is controlled to defrost the ice-making evaporator. When the cumulative ice-making time reaches the second preset time, and the ice maker evaporator is not defrosted within the target time, the defrosting device is controlled to defrost the ice maker evaporator; the second preset time is longer than the first preset time, and the target time is the time between the first preset time and the second preset time.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein, The controller is also configured to: When the cumulative ice-making time reaches the first preset time, the first time within the first preset time is obtained, where the first time is the time during which ice making is completed and the temperature in the ice-making chamber is maintained. When the first duration is greater than or equal to the third preset duration, the first preset duration is increased to the fourth preset duration and the second preset duration is increased to the fifth preset duration based on the first duration.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein, The controller is configured as follows: When the first duration is greater than or equal to the third preset duration, a first duration adjustment amount is determined based on the first duration; wherein, the first duration and the first duration adjustment amount are directly proportional. Based on the first duration adjustment amount, the first preset duration is increased to the fourth preset duration, and the second preset duration is increased to the fifth preset duration.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein, The controller is also configured to: When the first duration is greater than or equal to the third preset duration, and the door of the ice-making room is opened for the first time within the first preset duration, the second duration adjustment amount is determined based on the first duration and the first number of times. Based on the second duration adjustment amount, the first preset duration is adjusted to the sixth preset duration, and the second preset duration is adjusted to the seventh preset duration.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein, The controller is also configured to: When the cumulative ice-making time reaches the first preset time, obtain the second number of times the door of the ice-making room was opened within the first preset time. When the second count is greater than or equal to the preset count, the third duration adjustment amount is determined based on the second count; According to the third duration adjustment amount, the first preset duration is reduced to the eighth preset duration, and the second preset duration is reduced to the ninth preset duration.

15. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 10-14, wherein, The controller is also configured to: After the defrosting device defrosts the ice-making evaporator, the accumulated ice-making time is reset to zero.

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