# US 12,007,151 B2 · Refrigerator and method and device for controlling refrigeration thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,007,151 B2 - Document ID: US12007151B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/420,996 - Filed: 2019-01-09 - Published: 2022-03-17 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-09 - Assignees: Hefei Midea Refrigerator Co., Ltd.; Hefei Hualing Co., Ltd.; Midea Group Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Hefei Midea Refrigerator Co., Ltd.; Hefei Hualing Co., Ltd.; Midea Group Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Ruiming Fang; Yu Li - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007151B2 ## CPC - F25B 49/02: for compression type machines, plants or systems - F25C 1/04: by using stationary moulds - F25C 1/00: Producing ice (F25C3/00 takes precedence) - F25B 2600/2511: Evaporator distribution valves - F25B 2700/15: Power, e.g. by voltage or current - F25B 2700/2104: of an indoor room or compartment - F25C 2400/10: Refrigerator units - F25C 2600/02: Timing - F25C 2600/04: Control means - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - F25C: PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE ## Abstract Disclosed are a refrigerator and a method and device for controlling refrigeration of the refrigerator. A refrigeration system of the refrigerator includes an evaporator configured to refrigerate a refrigerating compartment and make ice in an ice machine, an ice-making damper and a refrigerating damper. The method includes recognizing a current ice-making stage of the ice machine, acquiring a current temperature of an ice-making compartment in the refrigerator, and controlling opening and closing of the ice-making damper and the refrigerating damper according to the current ice-making stage and the current temperature. Through controlling the refrigeration period of the refrigerating compartment and delaying the refrigeration starting time of the refrigerating compartment, the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerating compartment matches the ice-making cycle of the ice-making compartment, thus improving the ice-making efficiency of the ice machine and the ice-making amount, shortening the ice-making cycle, and reducing the energy consumption of the refrigerator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling refrigeration of a refrigerator using a refrigeration system, comprising: recognizing a current ice-making stage of an ice machine; acquiring a current temperature of an ice-making compartment in the refrigerator; and controlling opening or closing of an ice-making damper and a refrigerating damper according to the current ice-making stage and the current temperature, wherein the refrigeration system comprises an evaporator, the ice-making damper, and the refrigerating damper, the evaporator configured to refrigerate a refrigerating compartment and make ice in the ice machine, wherein controlling opening or closing of the ice-making damper and the refrigerating damper according to the current ice-making stage and the current temperature includes: determining whether the current ice-making stage is a heating-deicing, stage; determining whether the current temperature is greater than a first preset temperature threshold; and controlling the refrigerating damper to open and controlling the ice-making damper to dose in response to determining that the current ice-making stage is the heating-deicing stage and the current temperature is greater than the first preset temperature threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising controlling both the ice-making damper and the refrigerating damper to close in response to the current ice-making stage being the heating-deicing stage and the current temperature being no greater than the first preset temperature threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the current ice-making stage is a heating-deicing stage comprises: acquiring a current operating power of the refrigerator; determining whether the current operating power is within a preset range; and determining whether the current ice-making stage is the heating-deicing stage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining whether the current ice-making stage is a first ice-making stage; determining whether the current temperature is greater than a second preset temperature threshold; and controlling both the ice-making damper and the refrigerating damper to open in response to determining that the current ice-making stage is the first, ice-making stage and the current temperature is greater than a second preset temperature threshold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, further comprising: controlling the refrigerating damper to close in response to the current ice-making stage being the first ice-making stage and the current temperature being no greater than the second preset temperature threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: acquiring a refrigeration request instruction issued by at least one of the refrigerating compartment and the ice-making compartment, before controlling the opening or closing of the ice-making damper and the refrigerating damper according to the current ice-making stage and the current temperature. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining whether the ice machine is currently operating in an ice-making mode, before recognizing the current ice-making stage of the ice machine. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining whether the ice machine is currently operating in a non-ice making mode; detecting a refrigeration request instruction issued by at least one of the refrigerating compartment or the ice-making compartment; and controlling the opening or closing of the ice-making damper and the refrigerating damper according to the refrigeration request instruction detected and the at least one of the refrigerating compartment or the ice-making compartment as a source of the refrigeration request instruction in response to determining that the ice machine is currently operating in the non-ice making mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An electronic device, comprising: a memory; and a processor, wherein the processor runs a program corresponding to an executable program code by reading the executable program code stored in the memory, to be configured to implement the method for controlling refrigeration of a refrigerator of claim 1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein computer programs that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method for controlling refrigeration of a refrigerator of claim 1. ### Claim 11 A device for controlling refrigeration of a refrigerator using a refrigeration system, comprising: a recognizing module, configured to recognize a current ice-making stage of an ice machine; an acquiring module, configured to acquire a current temperature of an ice-making compartment in the refrigerator; and a controlling module, configured to control opening or closing of an ice-making damper and a refrigerating damper according to the current ice-making stage and the current temperature, wherein the refrigeration system comprises an evaporator, the ice-making damper, and the refrigerating damper, the evaporator configured to refrigerate a refrigerating compartment and make ice in the ice machine, wherein the controlling opening or closing of the ice-making damper and the refrigerating damper according to the current ice-making stage and the current temperature includes: determining whether the current ice-making stage is a first ice-making stage; determining whether the current temperature is greater than a first preset temperature threshold; controlling both the ice-making damper and the refrigerating damper to open in response to determining that the current ice-making stage is the first ice-making stage and the current temperature is greater than the first preset temperature threshold; and controlling the refrigerating damper to dose in response to determining that the current ice-making stage is the first ice-making stage and the current temperature is no greater than the first preset temperature threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device according to claim 11, wherein the controlling module is further configured to: determine whether the current ice-making stage is a heating-deicing stage; determine whether the current temperature is greater than a second preset temperature threshold; and control the refrigerating damper to open and control the ice-making damper to close in response to determining that the current ice-making stage is the heating-deicing stage and the current temperature is greater than the second preset temperature threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The device according to claim 12, wherein the controlling module is further configured to: control both the ice-making damper and the refrigerating damper to close in response to the current ice-making stage being the heating-deicing stage and the current temperature being no greater than the second preset temperature threshold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The device according to claim 12, wherein the controlling module is further configured to: acquire a current operating power of the refrigerator; determine that the current operating power is within a preset range; and determine that the current ice-making stage is the heating-deicing stage. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The device according to claim 11, wherein the controlling module is further configured to: acquire a refrigeration request instruction issued by at least one of the refrigerating compartment and the ice-making compartment. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The device according to claim 11, wherein the controlling module is further configured to: determine whether the ice machine is currently operating in an ice-making mode before recognizing the current ice-making stage of the ice machine. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The device according to claim 11, wherein the controlling module is further configured to: determine whether the ice machine is currently operating in a non-ice making mode; detect a refrigeration request instruction issued by at least one of the refrigerating compartment or the ice-making compartment; and control the opening or closing of the ice-making damper and the refrigerating damper according to the refrigeration request instruction detected and the at least one of the refrigerating compartment or the ice-making compartment as a source of the refrigeration request instruction in response to determining that the ice machine is currently operating in the non-ice making mode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) A refrigerator, comprising the device for controlling refrigeration of a refrigerator of claim 11.