Patent Description:
Fruits and vegetables are common food stored in refrigerators. Both low temperature and high humidity are required for keeping fruits and vegetables fresh. In the prior art, a separate fresh-keeping area is defined in a refrigerator. The fresh-keeping area is humidified by means of defrosted water produced by heating an evaporator, which not only needs to arrange an additional heating device for heating, increasing the production cost, but also increases the energy consumption for daily use, resulting in energy waste. All things considered, there is a need for a low-cost control method for a refrigerating and freezing device with a fresh-keeping area, and the refrigerating and freezing device in devising.

For instance, prior art <CIT> provides a refrigerator capable of supplying sufficient moisture to a vegetable chamber. <CIT> discloses a refrigerator and a humidity control method for a chilling chamber of a refrigerator, the refrigerator comprising a body (<NUM>), a door body (<NUM>); a compressor (<NUM>); an evaporator (<NUM>); a fan (<NUM>); a first temperature sensor for detecting a temperature inside the chilling chamber (<NUM>); a second temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the evaporator (<NUM>); a device for selecting the moisture preservation mode of the chilling chamber (<NUM>), for switching the chilling chamber between a high moisture preservation mode and a normal moisture preservation mode; and a controller (<NUM>) connected respectively to the first temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor, the compressor (<NUM>), the fan (<NUM>) and the device for selecting the moisture preservation mode of the chilling chamber (<NUM>). <CIT> discloses cold storage chamber (<NUM>) and a vegetable chamber (<NUM>) which are connected between in the refrigerator (<NUM>).

One objective of the present invention is to overcome at least one technical defect of the prior art and to provide a control method for a refrigerating and freezing device.

One further objective of the present invention is to reduce energy consumption.

Another further objective of the present invention is to avoid excessive frosting of a refrigeration compartment.

The present invention provides a control method for a refrigerating and freezing device according to claim <NUM>.

In the present invention, air in the storage compartment is utilized to carry out air defrosting on the refrigeration compartment, and then the defrosted high-humidity gas is led back to the storage compartment; the conceptual limitation of the prior art of utilizing a heating device to generate liquid defrosted water and then carrying out humidification is broken through, and heat of the storage compartment is fully utilized to defrost the refrigeration compartment; and the air temperature after defrosting is more suitable, and more abundant humidity can be brought to the storage compartment, thereby reducing the production cost and energy consumption during use.

Further, in the present invention, the storage compartment is refrigerated before being humidified, so as to make the temperature of the storage compartment within an allowable fluctuating range, which ensures the storage quality of food in the storage compartment. Further, in the present invention, the storage compartment is humidified each time the storage compartment is refrigerated, which avoids excessive frosting of the storage compartment, thereby increasing the effective utilization rate of cold and making the humidity of the storage compartment more stable.

Further, in the humidifying process of the present invention, the refrigeration compartment is connected with the storage area first and then connected with the fresh-keeping area, and after humidifying the fresh-keeping area, the refrigeration compartment continues to be connected with the storage area, thereby effectively improving the humidity of the fresh-keeping area and keeping the humidity of the storage area stable, since the inventors of the present invention inventively recognize that defrosting the refrigeration compartment with air from the storage compartment will take away water vapor from the storage compartment in an initial stage (the water vapor condenses in the refrigeration compartment).

These and other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be better understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings below.

Some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail in an exemplary rather than a limiting manner with reference to the accompanying drawings. Identical reference numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate identical or similar components or parts. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings,.

<FIG> is a schematic section view of a refrigerating and freezing device <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a gas flow path that connects a refrigeration compartment <NUM> with a storage area 111a and disconnects the refrigeration compartment <NUM> from a fresh-keeping area 111b. Referring to <FIG>, the refrigerating and freezing device <NUM> may include a cabinet <NUM>, a refrigeration system, a processor and a memory (the processor and the memory are not shown in <FIG>).

The cabinet <NUM> may include an outer container, at least one inner liner, and a thermal insulating layer arranged between the outer container and the inner liner. The cabinet <NUM> defines at least one storage compartment and at least one refrigeration compartment <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, there are two inner liners, two storage compartments and two refrigeration compartments <NUM>. Each of the inner liners defines a storage compartment and a refrigeration compartment <NUM>, and the storage compartment and the refrigeration compartment <NUM> may be separated by an air duct cover plate <NUM>.

In some other embodiments, there may be a plurality of storage compartments, and there may be one refrigeration compartment <NUM>. The storage compartments and the refrigeration compartment <NUM> may be independent of each other and separated by thermal insulating layers. The refrigeration compartment <NUM> may also be arranged in one inner liner together with one of the storage compartments.

The refrigeration system may be a vapor compression refrigeration system, including a compressor, a condenser, a throttling element, an evaporator <NUM> and an air supply fan <NUM>. The refrigeration system (e.g., the evaporator <NUM> and the air supply fan <NUM>) may be at least partially arranged in the refrigeration compartment <NUM> to supply cold to the storage compartment.

The memory may store a computer program which, when executed by the processor, is used to implement the control method of the present invention.

The processor is configured to control the refrigeration system to stop supplying cold to the storage compartment, connect the refrigeration compartment <NUM> with the storage compartment, and control the fan <NUM> of the refrigeration system to operate so as to promote air in the refrigeration compartment <NUM> and the storage compartment to flow circularly, thereby humidifying the storage compartment.

As for the refrigerating and freezing device <NUM> of the present invention, the air in the storage compartment is utilized to carry out air defrosting on the refrigeration compartment <NUM>, and then the defrosted high-humidity gas is led back to the storage compartment; the conceptual limitation of the prior art of utilizing a heating device to generate liquid defrosted water and then carrying out humidification is broken through, and heat of the storage compartment is fully utilized to defrost the refrigeration compartment <NUM>; and the air temperature after defrosting is more suitable, and more abundant humidity can be brought to the storage compartment, thereby reducing the production cost and energy consumption during use.

In some embodiments, before the step of controlling the refrigeration system to stop supplying cold to the storage compartment, the processor may be further configured to control the refrigeration system to supply cold to the storage compartment when a storage temperature of the storage compartment is greater than or equal to a preset start-up temperature, and then humidify the storage compartment (i.e., stopping supplying cold to the storage compartment and keeping the fan <NUM> operating) when the storage temperature of the storage compartment decreases to be less than or equal to a preset shutdown temperature, so as to make the temperature of the storage compartment within an allowable fluctuating range, thereby ensuring the storage quality of food in the storage compartment.

The preset shutdown temperature is greater than <NUM>. That is, the temperature of the storage compartment is always kept at <NUM> or above to defrost the refrigeration compartment <NUM>.

In some further embodiments, the processor may be further configured to defrost the refrigeration compartment <NUM> and humidify the storage compartment (i.e., stopping supplying cold to the storage compartment and keeping the fan <NUM> operating) each time after the completion of refrigeration of the storage compartment (i.e., when the storage temperature of the storage compartment decreases to be less than or equal to the preset shutdown temperature), so as to avoid excessive frosting of the storage compartment, thereby increasing the effective utilization rate of cold and making the humidity of the storage compartment more stable.

In some embodiments, the storage compartment may be separated by shelf plates <NUM> and a drawer into a fresh-keeping area 111b and a storage area 111a. The fresh-keeping area 111b is usually configured to store fruits and vegetables.

The processor is further configured to, when controlling the refrigeration system to supply cold to the storage compartment, connect the refrigeration compartment <NUM> with the storage area 111a and disconnect the refrigeration compartment <NUM> from the fresh-keeping area 111b, so as to avoid the humidity of the fresh-keeping area 111b from being reduced. In this embodiment, the storage temperature of the storage compartment is the temperature of the storage area 111a. Whether the storage compartment needs to be supplied with cold (when the storage temperature of the storage compartment is greater than or equal to the preset start-up temperature) or whether the supply of cold to the storage compartment is completed (when the storage temperature of the storage compartment is less than or equal to the preset shutdown temperature) is judged according to the temperature of the storage area 111a.

The fresh-keeping area 111b may be arranged below the storage area 111a, so as to supply cold to the fresh-keeping area <NUM>1b by means of sinking of cold air of the storage area 111a.

<FIG> is a schematic section view of the refrigerating and freezing device <NUM> shown in <FIG>, showing a gas flow path that connects the refrigeration compartment <NUM> with the storage area 111a and the fresh-keeping area 111b. Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the processor is further configured to connect the refrigeration compartment <NUM> with the storage area 111a firstly after controlling the refrigeration system to stop supplying cold to the storage compartment, and connect the refrigeration compartment <NUM> with the storage area 111a and the fresh-keeping area 111b after a first preset time, so as to effectively humidify the fresh-keeping area 111b and keep the humidity of the storage area 111a stable.

The processor is further configured to control the fan <NUM> to stop operating and disconnect the refrigeration compartment <NUM> from the fresh-keeping area 111b (that is, humidification of the fresh-keeping area 111b is completed) after connecting the refrigeration compartment <NUM> with the fresh-keeping area 111b for a second preset time, and then disconnect, after disconnecting the refrigeration compartment <NUM> from the fresh-keeping area 111b for a third preset time, the refrigeration compartment <NUM> from the storage area 111a, so as to increase the humidity of the storage area 111a.

The fresh-keeping area 111b may be provided with a valve <NUM> for keeping a gas pressure of the fresh-keeping area 111b within a preset pressure threshold value to prevent the gas pressure of the fresh-keeping area 111b from being too high and causing the drawer to open automatically.

<FIG> is a schematic section view of a refrigeration compartment <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to <FIG>, the air duct cover plate <NUM> may form a return air inlet <NUM> and at least one air supply portion. Each air supply portion may be provided with at least one air supply port <NUM> and an air inlet.

The air supply fan <NUM> may be arranged downstream of the evaporator <NUM> and includes a volute and an impeller arranged in the volute. The volute is configured to be rotatable and to make its air outlet to be in butt joint with the air inlet of the one or more air supply portions, so as to convey cold airflow refrigerated by the evaporator <NUM> to the corresponding air supply portion and blow it out from the air supply port <NUM> of the air supply portion.

<FIG> is a schematic flow chart of a control method for a refrigerating and freezing device <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to <FIG>, the control method for the refrigerating and freezing device <NUM> of the present invention may include the following steps.

At step S402, a refrigeration system is controlled to stop supplying cold to a storage compartment.

At step S404, a refrigeration compartment <NUM> is connected with the storage compartment, and a fan <NUM> of the refrigeration system is controlled to operate so as to promote air in the refrigeration compartment <NUM> and the storage compartment to flow circularly, thereby humidifying the storage compartment.

As for the control method of the present invention, the air in the storage compartment is utilized to carry out air defrosting on the refrigeration compartment <NUM>, and then the defrosted high-humidity gas is led back to the storage compartment; the conceptual limitation of the prior art of utilizing a heating device to generate liquid defrosted water and then carrying out humidification is broken through, and heat of the storage compartment is fully utilized to defrost the refrigeration compartment <NUM>; and the air temperature after defrosting is more suitable, and more abundant humidity can be brought to the storage compartment, thereby reducing the production cost and energy consumption during use.

In some embodiments, before step S402, the control method of the present invention may also include the following step:
controlling, when the storage temperature of the storage compartment is greater than or equal to a preset start-up temperature, the refrigeration system to supply cold to the storage compartment.

Further, when the storage temperature of the storage compartment decreases to be less than or equal to a preset shutdown temperature, step S402 is performed, so as to make the temperature of the storage compartment within an allowable fluctuating range, thereby ensuring the storage quality of food in the storage compartment.

In the present invention, the storage temperature of the storage compartment is the temperature of the storage area 111a. Whether the storage compartment needs to be supplied with cold (when the storage temperature of the storage compartment is greater than or equal to the preset start-up temperature) or whether the supply of cold to the storage compartment is completed (when the storage temperature of the storage compartment is less than or equal to the preset shutdown temperature) is judged according to the temperature of the storage area 111a.

In some further embodiments, the refrigeration compartment <NUM> is connected with the storage area 111a and disconnected from the fresh-keeping area 111b while the refrigeration system is controlled to supply cold to the storage compartment, so as to avoid the humidity of the fresh-keeping area 111b from being reduced.

In some further embodiments, step S402 is performed each time the storage temperature of the storage compartment decreases to be less than or equal to the preset shutdown temperature, so as to avoid excessive frosting of the storage compartment, thereby increasing the effective utilization rate of cold and making the humidity of the storage compartment more stable.

Step S404 further includes the following steps:.

The control method of the present invention also includes the following steps:.

<FIG> is a schematic detailed flow chart of a control method for the refrigerating and freezing device <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention (where "Y" represents "Yes"; and "N" represents "No"). Referring to <FIG>, the control method for the refrigerating and freezing device <NUM> of the present invention may include the following detailed steps.

At step S502, whether a storage temperature of the storage compartment is greater than or equal to the preset start-up temperature is judged. If yes, step S504 is performed; and if not, step S502 is repeated.

At step S504, the refrigeration system is controlled to supply cold to the storage compartment, the fan <NUM> operates, and the refrigeration compartment <NUM> is connected with the storage area 111a and disconnected from the fresh-keeping area 111b.

At step S506, whether the storage temperature of the storage compartment decreases to be less than or equal to the preset shutdown temperature is judged. If yes, step S508 is performed; and if not, it returns to step S504.

At step S508, the refrigeration system is controlled to stop supplying cold to the storage compartment, the fan <NUM> continues to operate, and the refrigeration compartment <NUM> continues to be connected with the storage area 111a and disconnected from the fresh-keeping area 111b.

At step S510, whether the operation time of step S508 reaches a first preset time is judged. If yes, step S512 is performed; and if not, it returns to step S508.

At step S512, the refrigeration compartment <NUM> is connected with the fresh-keeping area 111b and continues to be connected with the storage area 111a.

At step S514, whether the operation time of step S512 reaches a second preset time is judged. If yes, step S516 is performed; and if not, it returns to step S512.

At S516, the fan <NUM> is controlled to stop operating, and the refrigeration compartment <NUM> is disconnected from the fresh-keeping area 111b and continues to be connected with the storage area 111a.

At step S518, whether the operation time of step S516 reaches a third preset time. If yes, step S520 is performed; and if not, it returns to step S516.

Claim 1:
A control method for a refrigerating and freezing device (<NUM>), the refrigerating and freezing device (<NUM>) comprising a storage compartment, a refrigeration compartment (<NUM>), and a refrigeration system at least partially arranged in the refrigeration compartment (<NUM>), wherein the control method comprises:
controlling the refrigeration system to stop supplying cold to the storage compartment; and
connecting the refrigeration compartment (<NUM>) with the storage compartment, and controlling a fan of the refrigeration system to operate so as to promote air in the refrigeration compartment (<NUM>) and the storage compartment to flow circularly, the storage compartment being separated into a fresh-keeping area (111b) and a storage area (111a),
characterized in that the step of connecting the refrigeration compartment (<NUM>) with the storage compartment comprises:
connecting the refrigeration compartment (<NUM>) with the storage area (111a); and
connecting, after a first preset time, the refrigeration compartment (<NUM>) with the storage area (111a) and the fresh-keeping area (111b) to humidify the fresh-keeping area (111b), further comprising:
controlling the fan to stop operating and disconnecting the refrigeration compartment (<NUM>) from the fresh-keeping area (111b) after performing the step of connecting the refrigeration compartment (<NUM>) with the storage area (<NUM>11a) and the fresh-keeping area (111b) for a second preset time; and
disconnecting, after a third preset time, the refrigeration compartment (<NUM>) from the storage area (111a).