METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING COOLING IN WATER DISPENSER

• US 20170314849A1
• Filed: 01/16/2015
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Foshan Shunde Midea Water Dispenser Mfg. Co., Ltd., Guangdong Midea Water Dispenser Mfg. Co., Ltd., Midea Group Co., Ltd
• Original Assignee: Guangdong Midea Water Dispenser Mfg. Co., Ltd., Midea Group Co., Ltd
• Inventors: XIE, Jianzhou, LI, Xingfan, MA, Long
• Application Number:
  US14/773,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20170314849A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/56 having water-level controls; having temperature controls
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0858 using compression systems
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0888 Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means)
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 1/00 Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle F25B3/00, F25B5/00, F25B6/00, F25B7/00, F25B9/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2116 of a condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21171 of the fluid cooled by the evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/02 for compression type machines, plants or systems
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/10 Sensors measuring the temperature of the evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/14 Sensors measuring the temperature outside the refrigerator or freezer
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/16 Sensors measuring the temperature of products
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 31/002 Liquid coolers, e.g. beverage cooler receptacle coolers F25D31/006

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for controlling a cooling in a water dispenser are disclosed. The method includes: S1, receiving a cooling instruction and entering a cooling mode according to the cooling instruction; S2, obtaining an operation parameter of the water dispenser; S3, determining whether a suspending condition is satisfied according to the operation parameter; S4, suspending a cooling if the suspending condition is satisfied; and S5, further determining whether a restarting condition is satisfied, performing the cooling and executing steps S2-S5 repeatedly until a cooling terminating condition is satisfied if the restarting condition is satisfied. Therefore, during the process of operating of the water dispenser, performances of the condenser and the evaporator may be restored to the optimal performance state by suspending the cooling, and when operating next, the evaporating temperature may drop very low, so that the performances of the condenser, the evaporator and the compressor may be developed multiple times, thus realizing the ultralow water temperature cooling and improving the cooling capacity.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a cooling in a water dispenser, comprising the following acts performed by a controller of the water dispenser:

S1, receiving a cooling instruction and entering a cooling mode according to the cooling instruction;

S2, obtaining an operation parameter of the water dispenser;

S3, determining whether a suspending condition is satisfied according to the operation parameter;

S4, suspending a cooling if the suspending condition is satisfied; and

S5, further determining whether a restarting condition is satisfied, if the restarting condition is satisfied performing the cooling, and executing steps S2-S5 repeatedly until a cooling terminating condition is satisfied.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operation parameter is a condenser temperature of the water dispenser, in which if the condenser temperature is greater than a first preset temperature threshold, it is determined that the suspending condition is satisfied, and if the condenser temperature is less than a second preset temperature threshold, it is determined that the restarting condition is satisfied.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operation parameter is a cooling time of the water dispenser, in which if the cooling time is greater than a first preset time threshold, it is determined that the suspending condition is satisfied, and if a suspending time is greater than a second preset time threshold, it is determined that the restarting condition is satisfied.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operation parameter is a cold water temperature of the water dispenser, in which if the cold water temperature reaches one of a plurality of preset temperatures, it is determined that the suspending condition is satisfied.

5. The cooling control method according to claim 1, wherein the operation parameter is an evaporator temperature and a cold water temperature of the water dispenser, in which if a difference between the evaporator temperature and the cold water temperature is less than a third preset temperature threshold, it is determined that the suspending condition is satisfied.

6. The cooling control method according to claim 1, wherein the operation parameter is a condenser temperature and an ambient temperature of the water dispenser, in which if a difference between the condenser temperature and the ambient temperature is less than a fourth preset temperature threshold, it is determined that the suspending condition is satisfied.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein if a suspending time is greater than a third preset time threshold, it is determined that the restarting condition is satisfied.

15. The method according to claim 5, wherein if a suspending time is greater than a third preset time threshold, it is determined that the restarting condition is satisfied.

16. The method according to claim 6, wherein if a suspending time is greater than a third preset time threshold, it is determined that the restarting condition is satisfied.

8. An apparatus for controlling a cooling in a water dispenser, comprising:

a receiving module, configured to receive a cooling instruction from a user;

a detecting module, configured to detect an operation parameter of the water dispenser;

a controlling module, configured to control the water dispenser to enter a cooling mode according to the cooling instruction, to obtain the operation parameter, to determine whether a suspending condition is satisfied according to the operation parameter, to suspend a cooling if the suspending condition is satisfied, to further determine whether a restarting condition is satisfied, to perform the cooling if the restarting condition is satisfied, and then to determine repeatedly whether the operation parameter satisfies the suspending condition or the restarting condition until a cooling terminating condition is satisfied.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operation parameter is a condenser temperature of the water dispenser, in which if the condenser temperature is greater than a first preset temperature threshold, the controlling module determines that the suspending condition is satisfied, and if the condenser temperature is less than a second preset temperature threshold, the controlling module determines that the restarting condition is satisfied.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operation parameter is a cooling time of the water dispenser, in which if the cooling time is greater than a first preset time threshold, the controlling module determines that the suspending condition is satisfied, and if a suspending time is greater than a second preset time threshold, the controlling module determines that the restarting condition is satisfied.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operation parameter is a cold water temperature of the water dispenser, in which if the cold water temperature reaches one of a plurality of preset temperatures, the controlling module determines that the suspending condition is satisfied.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operation parameter is an evaporator temperature and a cold water temperature of the water dispenser, in which if a difference between the evaporator temperature and the cold water temperature is less than a third preset temperature threshold, the controlling module determines that the suspending condition is satisfied.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operation parameter is a condenser temperature and an ambient temperature of the water dispenser, in which if a difference between the condenser temperature and the ambient temperature is less than a fourth preset temperature threshold, the controlling module determines that the suspending condition is satisfied.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein if a suspending time is greater than a third preset time threshold, the controlling module determines that the restarting condition is satisfied.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein if a suspending time is greater than a third preset time threshold, the controlling module determines that the restarting condition is satisfied.

18. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein if a suspending time is greater than a third preset time threshold, the controlling module determines that the restarting condition is satisfied.

19. The apparatus according to claim 10, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon; and

an instruction execution system, which is configured by the instructions to implement at least one of the receiving module, the detecting module and the controlling module.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, comprising a computer program stored thereon, which when executed by a controller of the water dispenser, configures the water dispenser to implement a method for controlling a cooling in a water dispenser, the method comprising acts of:

S1, receiving a cooling instruction and entering a cooling mode according to the cooling instruction;

S2, obtaining an operation parameter of the water dispenser;

S3, determining whether a suspending condition is satisfied according to the operation parameter;

S4, suspending a cooling if the suspending condition is satisfied; and

S5, further determining whether a restarting condition is satisfied, if the restarting condition is satisfied performing the cooling, and executing steps S2-S5 repeatedly until a cooling terminating condition is satisfied.