Refrigerator and control method thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigerator and a control method thereof; the refrigerator includes: a constant temperature compartment, a cooling unit for cooling the constant temperature compartment, at least one tray located in the constant temperature compartment, a compartment temperature sensor for detecting a temperature in the constant temperature compartment, a tray temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the tray, and a controller, and the cooling unit, the compartment temperature sensor and the tray temperature sensor are all communicatively connected with the controller.

1 . A refrigerator, comprising a constant temperature compartment and a cooling unit for cooling the constant temperature compartment, wherein the refrigerator further comprises at least one tray located in the constant temperature compartment, a compartment temperature sensor for detecting a temperature in the constant temperature compartment, a tray temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the tray, and a controller, and the cooling unit, the compartment temperature sensor and the tray temperature sensor are all communicatively connected with the controller. 
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the tray at least comprises a first tray and a second tray which are arranged at intervals, and the tray temperature sensor at least comprises a first tray temperature sensor and a second tray temperature sensor which are configured to detect temperatures of the first tray and the second tray respectively. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the refrigerator further comprises a door for opening or closing the constant temperature compartment, and the second tray is located on a side of the first tray away from the door; a starting point temperature of the first tray temperature sensor is higher than a starting point temperature of the second tray temperature sensor, and a stopping point temperature of the first tray temperature sensor is higher than a stopping point temperature of the second tray temperature sensor;
 or, the refrigerator further comprises a door for opening or closing the constant temperature compartment, the first tray and the second tray are arranged side by side along a width direction of the door of the refrigerator, and the starting point temperatures and the stopping point temperatures of the first tray temperature sensor and the second tray temperature sensor are the same.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit comprises an air duct communicated with the constant temperature compartment, at least one air inlet for allowing cold air in the air duct to enter the constant temperature compartment, a cold source located in the air duct, and a fan for driving the cold air to enter the constant temperature compartment from the air duct; the cold source is configured as an evaporator of a refrigerant refrigeration cycle unit, or a cold end of a semiconductor refrigeration unit, or a cold accumulation module. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , wherein the tray is provided at a bottom of the constant temperature compartment, the at least one air inlet is provided at a top of the constant temperature compartment, and the compartment temperature sensor is also provided at the top of the constant temperature compartment. 
     
     
         6 . A control method of a refrigerator, comprising:
 acquiring a compartment temperature in a constant temperature compartment, and acquiring a tray temperature;   when the compartment temperature reaches a starting point temperature of a compartment temperature sensor and the tray temperature reaches a starting point temperature of a tray temperature sensor, starting a cooling unit; and   when the compartment temperature reaches a stopping point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor and the tray temperature reaches a stopping point temperature of the tray temperature sensor, stopping the cooling unit.   
     
     
         7 . The control method of a refrigerator according to  claim 6 , wherein before the cooling unit is started, when only the compartment temperature reaches the starting point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor, the cooling unit is started and stopped at a period of a starting time t 1  and a stopping time t 2 , and the cooling unit is stopped after the compartment temperature is lower than the starting point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor;
 or, before the cooling unit is started, when only the tray temperature reaches the starting point temperature of the tray temperature sensor, the cooling unit is started and stopped at a period of a starting time t 1  and a stopping time t 2 , and the cooling unit is stopped after the tray temperature is lower than the starting point temperature of the tray temperature sensor. 
 
     
     
         8 . The control method of a refrigerator according to  claim 6 , wherein during starting of the cooling unit, when the compartment temperature decreases to the stopping point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor, the cooling unit is started and stopped at the period of a starting time t 1  and a stopping time t 2 . 
     
     
         9 . The control method of a refrigerator according to  claim 6 , wherein the tray temperature sensor comprises a first tray temperature sensor for detecting a first tray and a second tray temperature sensor for detecting a second tray; the first tray and the second tray are arranged side by side along a width direction of a door of the refrigerator, and starting point temperatures and stopping point temperatures of the first tray temperature sensor and the second tray temperature sensor are the same;
 or, the tray temperature sensor comprises a first tray temperature sensor for detecting a first tray and a second tray temperature sensor for detecting a second tray; the second tray is located on a side of the first tray away from a door of the refrigerator, the starting point temperature of the first tray temperature sensor is higher than the starting point temperature of the second tray temperature sensor, and the stopping point temperature of the first tray temperature sensor is higher than the stopping point temperature of the second tray temperature sensor.   
     
     
         10 . A control method of a refrigerator, comprising:
 acquiring load information of a tray in the refrigerator;   acquiring a compartment temperature in a constant temperature compartment, and acquiring a tray temperature; and   controlling a cooling unit to be started and stopped according to starting point temperatures and stopping point temperatures of a compartment temperature sensor for detecting the compartment temperature and a tray temperature sensor for detecting the tray temperature under a current load condition.   
     
     
         11 . The control method of a refrigerator according to  claim 10 , wherein when the tray is unloaded, the cooling unit is started, and when the compartment temperature reaches the stopping point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor when the tray is unloaded or the tray temperature reaches the stopping point temperature of the tray temperature sensor when the tray is unloaded, the cooling unit is started and stopped at a period of a starting time t 1  and a stopping time t 2 , and when both the compartment temperature and the tray temperature are reduced to the stopping point temperatures, the cooling unit is stopped;
 or, when the tray is loaded, the cooling unit is started, and when the compartment temperature reaches the stopping point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor when the tray is loaded or the tray temperature reaches the stopping point temperature of the tray temperature sensor when the tray is loaded, the cooling unit is started and stopped at a period of a starting time t 1  and a stopping time t 2 , and when both the compartment temperature and the tray temperature are reduced to the stopping point temperatures when the tray is loaded, the cooling unit is stopped; 
 or, when some trays in the refrigerator are loaded and other trays are unloaded, the cooling unit is started; when the compartment temperature reaches a preset temperature T 0 , the cooling unit is started and stopped at a period of a starting time t 1  and a stopping time t 2 ; the cooling unit is stopped when the temperature of the unloaded tray reaches the stopping point temperature of the tray temperature sensor for detecting the tray when some trays are loaded and other trays are unloaded; the preset temperature T 0  is lower than the stopping point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor under the condition that some trays are loaded and other trays are unloaded; when the compartment temperature reaches the stopping point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor when some trays are loaded and other trays are unloaded, the cooling unit is started and stopped at the period of a starting time t 1  and a stopping time t 2 ; when the compartment temperature reaches the stopping point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor when some trays are loaded and other trays are unloaded, and the temperature of the unloaded tray reaches the stopping point temperature of the tray temperature sensor for detecting the tray when some trays are loaded and other trays are unloaded, the cooling unit is stopped. 
 
     
     
         12 . The control method of a refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein when a first tray and a second tray located on a side of the first tray away from a door of the refrigerator are unloaded, a starting point temperature of a second tray temperature sensor for detecting the second tray is less than the starting point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor less than a starting point temperature of a first tray temperature sensor for detecting the first tray, and the stopping point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor is less than a stopping point temperature of the second tray temperature sensor for detecting the second tray less than a stopping point temperature of the first tray temperature sensor for detecting the first tray. 
     
     
         13 . The control method of a refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein when the first tray and the second tray located on the side of the first tray away from the door of the refrigerator are both loaded, the starting point temperature of the second tray temperature sensor for detecting the second tray is less than the starting point temperature of the first tray temperature sensor for detecting the first tray less than the starting point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor, and the stopping point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor is less than the stopping point temperature of the second tray temperature sensor for detecting the second tray less than the stopping point temperature of the first tray temperature sensor for detecting the first tray. 
     
     
         14 . The control method of a refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein when the first tray is loaded, and the second tray located on the side of the first tray away from the door of the refrigerator is unloaded, the starting point temperature of the second tray temperature sensor for detecting the second tray is less than the starting point temperature of the first tray temperature sensor for detecting the first tray less than the starting point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor, and the stopping point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor is less than the stopping point temperature of the second tray temperature sensor for detecting the second tray less than the stopping point temperature of the first tray temperature sensor for detecting the first tray;
 or, when the first tray is unloaded and the second tray located on the side of the first tray away from the door of the refrigerator is loaded, the starting point temperature of the second tray temperature sensor for detecting the second tray is less than the starting point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor less than the starting point temperature of the first tray temperature sensor for detecting the first tray, and the stopping point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor is less than the stopping point temperature of the second tray temperature sensor for detecting the second tray less than the stopping point temperature of the first tray temperature sensor for detecting the first tray.   
     
     
         15 . The control method of a refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein after the cooling unit is stopped, the compartment temperature in the constant temperature compartment is acquired, and the tray temperature is acquired;
 when the compartment temperature reaches the starting point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor under the current load condition and the tray temperature reaches the starting point temperature of the tray temperature sensor under the current load condition, the cooling unit is started; and   when the compartment temperature reaches the stopping point temperature of the compartment temperature sensor under the current load condition and the tray temperature reaches the stopping point temperature of the tray temperature sensor under the current load condition, the cooling unit is stopped.