Ice making device

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model discloses an ice-making device which comprises an ice-making assembly, an ice-making device and a control device, wherein the ice-making assembly is provided with an ice outlet part; the ice storage bin is in butt joint with the ice outlet part, a plurality of sets of sensing devices are arranged above the ice storage bin, and the sensing devices of different sets are arranged at different positions; and under the condition that the ice blocks in the ice storage bin are higher than the sensing heights corresponding to the sensing devices, the ice making device gives out an ice full prompt. By arranging the ice storage bin and the multiple sets of sensing devices, the full ice signal of the ice making device is accurately obtained, the operation time of the ice making device is accurately controlled, frequent starting and stopping of the ice making device caused by misjudgment when part of ice blocks are stacked too high are avoided, and the user experience is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of ice making, in particular to an ice making device. Background Art

[0002] The infrared photoelectric sensor is a device that specifically detects the amount of ice stored in the ice-making device. During the operation of the ice-making device, as ice cubes are continuously produced, the amount of ice stored in the ice-making device continues to increase. When the amount of ice stored reaches the installation position of the ice full switch, the signal of the photoelectric transmitting tube of the ice full switch is blocked by ice, so that the receiving tube cannot receive it, thereby generating an ice full signal, and the ice-making device takes corresponding actions according to the signal. The existing ice-making device has only one set of infrared sensors, which transmit and receive at the same time. When ice cubes block the infrared rays, the full ice alarm is triggered, prompting the user to take ice. When some ice cubes are stacked too high, the infrared sensor is triggered, but the ice-making device is not in a full ice state, which will cause misjudgment and cause the ice-making device to start and stop frequently, affecting the user experience. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of the utility model is to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art and to provide an ice-making device. Multiple sets of sensing devices can accurately obtain the height of ice cubes at different positions in the ice storage bin, so that the ice-making device can accurately send out a full ice signal, thereby improving the user experience.

[0004] An embodiment of the utility model provides an ice-making device, comprising: an ice-making assembly, wherein the ice-making assembly is provided with an ice-discharging portion; an ice storage bin, wherein the ice storage bin is connected to the ice-discharging portion, and a plurality of groups of sensing devices are arranged above the ice storage bin, wherein the sensing devices of different groups are arranged at different positions; when the ice cubes in the ice storage bin are higher than the sensing heights corresponding to the sensing devices, the ice-making device issues a full ice prompt.

[0005] The ice-making device provided according to the embodiment of the utility model has at least the following beneficial effects: the embodiment of the present application is provided with an ice storage bin and a plurality of sets of sensing devices, so as to accurately obtain the full ice signal of the ice-making device, accurately control the operation time of the ice-making device, avoid misjudgment caused by excessive stacking of some ice cubes and cause frequent start and stop of the ice-making device, and improve user experience.

[0006] In the above ice-making device, a first sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices is arranged above the position where the ice storage bin docks with the ice outlet portion; and a second sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices is arranged above the middle position of the ice storage bin.

[0007] In the above ice-making device, the sensing device is an infrared sensing device.

[0008] In the above-mentioned ice-making device, the first sensing device includes a first transmitting unit and a first receiving unit that cooperate with each other, and the first transmitting unit and the first receiving unit are respectively located on the two side walls above the position where the ice storage bin docks with the ice outlet part; the second sensing device includes a second transmitting unit and a second receiving unit that cooperate with each other; the second transmitting unit and the second receiving unit are respectively located on the two side walls above the middle position of the ice storage bin.

[0009] In the above ice-making device, the third sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices is arranged above the ice storage bin on a side away from the ice discharging portion.

[0010] In the above ice-making device, the ice-making assembly further includes an evaporator for making ice and a compressor connected to the evaporator to form a refrigeration circuit. The evaporator is provided with an ice-making column for forming ice cubes.

[0011] In the above-mentioned ice-making device, a receiving tank for receiving liquid is provided below the ice-making column, and the ice-making column extends into the receiving tank; the receiving tank is connected to a flip motor, and the flip motor is used to drive the receiving tank to rotate so that the receiving tank receives the liquid or pours out the liquid.

[0012] In the above-mentioned ice-making device, the ice-making device also includes a baffle; one end of the baffle is movably connected to the edge of the accommodating groove through a rotating shaft, and the other end of the baffle moves with the rotation of the accommodating groove; when the baffle rotates to a position where it docks with the ice storage bin, the baffle serves as the ice outlet portion to dock with the ice storage bin.

[0013] In the above ice-making device, the ice-making device further comprises a water storage bin; the water storage bin is located below the accommodating tank, and the ice storage bin and the water storage bin are separated by a partition.

[0014] In the above ice-making device, the ice-making device further comprises an indicator, and the indicator emits the full ice prompt by means of sound and / or light effect.

[0015] Other features and advantages of the utility model will be described in the following description, and partly become apparent from the description, or understood by practicing the utility model. The purpose and other advantages of the utility model can be achieved and obtained through the structures specifically pointed out in the description, claims and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the technical solution of the utility model and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the utility model, they are used to explain the technical solution of the utility model and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solution of the utility model.

[0017] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an ice-making device provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 It is a structural principle diagram of an ice-making device provided in an embodiment of the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0020] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientations, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., and orientations or positional relationships indicated are the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0021] In the description of the present utility model, "several" means one or more, "more" means more than two, "greater than", "less than", "exceed" etc. are understood to exclude the number itself, and "above", "below", "within" etc. are understood to include the number itself. If there is a description of "first" or "second", it is only used for the purpose of distinguishing the technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0022] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, connecting, etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0023] The embodiment of the utility model provides an ice-making device, which is equipped with a first temperature sensor and a compressor so that the control panel can accurately control the start and stop time of the compressor according to the target size of the ice cubes and the water temperature, thereby avoiding the situation where the ice cubes cannot meet the usage requirements due to the ice making time being too short or too long, and then accurately controlling the size of the ice cubes to ensure the uniformity of the size of the ice cubes.

[0024] The following is a further description of the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0025] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1The figure shows a schematic structural diagram of an ice-making device provided by an embodiment of the utility model. Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the structure of the ice making device is shown in FIG. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the ice-making device provided in the embodiment of the present application includes an ice-making assembly 100, the ice-making assembly 100 is provided with an ice-discharging portion 110; an ice storage bin 200, the ice storage bin 200 is connected to the ice-discharging portion 110, a plurality of groups of sensing devices 210 are arranged above the ice storage bin 200, and different groups of sensing devices 210 are arranged at different positions; when the ice cubes in the ice storage bin 200 are higher than the sensing heights corresponding to the respective sensing devices 210, the ice-making device issues a full ice prompt.

[0026] It is understandable that the ice storage bin 200 provided in the present embodiment is used to store frozen ice cubes. After the ice cubes are frozen and formed in the ice-making assembly 100, they are transferred to the ice storage bin 200 through the ice outlet 110. Due to the influence of external forces such as gravity during the transfer process, some ice cubes will be concentrated and stacked in a certain area in the ice storage bin 200. The existing ice-making device is often only provided with a set of sensing devices 210. The stacked ice cubes are easy to trigger the sensing device 210 and issue a full ice prompt. However, the ice storage bin 200 is not full of ice cubes at this time. This misjudgment of the full ice signal causes the ice-making device to issue a full ice signal in advance, affecting the accuracy of the full ice signal of the ice-making device, causing the user to frequently take out ice cubes from the ice storage bin 200, which reduces the ice-making efficiency of the ice-making device, increases the frequency of users removing ice, and affects the user experience. Therefore, multiple sets of sensing devices 210 are arranged at different positions above the ice storage bin 200. When the ice cubes in the ice storage bin 200 are higher than the sensing height corresponding to each sensing device 210, the ice-making device will issue a full ice prompt, which can effectively improve the accuracy of the full ice signal issued by the ice-making device.

[0027] At present, although the existing ice-making device is also provided with multiple sets of sensing devices 210 for accurately detecting the amount of ice, for example, the sensing devices 210 are provided at different height positions of the ice storage bin 200, so that ice cubes of different heights can trigger the corresponding sensing devices 210, so that the ice-making device can obtain the amount of ice in the ice storage bin 200 in real time. However, this structure cannot avoid the misjudgment caused by the stacking of some ice cubes in the ice storage bin 200 too high, and the stacked ice cubes are easy to trigger the corresponding sensing devices 210, which brings errors in the height detection of the ice cubes. An ice-making device provided by an embodiment of the utility model is provided with an ice storage bin 200 and multiple sets of sensing devices 210. Multiple sets of sensing devices 210 at different positions can accurately obtain the full ice signal of the ice-making device, accurately control the operation time of the ice-making device, avoid the misjudgment caused by the stacking of some ice cubes too high, and cause the frequent start and stop of the ice-making device, thereby improving the user experience.

[0028] In actual application, the first sensing device 211 among the multiple sensing devices 210 is arranged above the position where the ice storage bin 200 is connected to the ice outlet portion 110; the second sensing device 212 among the multiple sensing devices 210 is arranged above the middle position of the ice storage bin 200.

[0029] By setting the first sensing device 211 and the second sensing device 212, the first sensing device 211 is used to determine whether the ice cubes exceed the position where the ice storage bin 200 connects to the ice outlet 110, and the second sensing device 212 is used to determine whether the ice cubes are higher than the middle position of the ice storage bin 200. Since the ice cubes are easily affected by external forces and overlapped on one side of the ice storage bin 200 when they are transferred to the ice storage bin 200 through the ice outlet 110, the height of the ice cubes near the ice outlet 110 in the ice storage bin 200 is higher than and triggers the first sensing device 211; at the same time, since the ice storage bin 200 has not reached the full ice state, the ice cubes in the middle position of the ice storage bin 200 fail to trigger the second sensing device 212. At this time, the ice making device will not issue a full ice prompt and continue to make ice. When the ice cubes in the middle of the ice storage bin 200 trigger the second sensing device 212, at this time, the ice cubes have filled most of the space in the ice storage bin 200, and the ice storage bin 200 is full of ice. The ice-making device sends a full ice signal to remind the user to take ice. It is understandable that the first sensing device 211 is provided above the position where the ice storage bin 200 is connected to the ice outlet 110 to prompt whether the ice storage bin 200 is full of ice. This belongs to the prior art and will not be described in detail here. In a specific application, the position of the second sensing device 212 can also be adjusted according to the shape of the ice storage bin 200 to ensure that when the ice cubes trigger the second sensing device 212, the ice cubes fill most of the space in the ice storage bin 200.

[0030] In practical applications, the sensing device 210 is an infrared sensing device. The infrared sensing device is a sensor that uses the physical properties of infrared rays to perform measurements. Infrared rays, also known as infrared light, have properties such as reflection, refraction, scattering, interference, and absorption. Any substance, as long as it has a certain temperature (higher than absolute zero), can radiate infrared rays. The infrared sensor does not directly contact the object being measured during measurement, so there is no friction, and it has the advantages of high sensitivity and fast response. Since the infrared sensor is a non-contact sensor based on infrared radiation and absorption characteristics, it can detect, measure and control objects. It is widely used in industrial automation, security monitoring, consumer electronics, medical equipment and other fields, and has the advantages of long detection distance, fast response speed, and strong anti-interference ability. When the ice cube blocks the two probes of the sensing device 210, it affects the signal transmission between the two probes, thereby achieving the effect of triggering the sensing device 210.

[0031] It is understandable that the infrared sensor includes an optical system, a detection element and a conversion circuit. The optical system can be divided into two types: transmission type and reflection type according to different structures. The detection element can be divided into thermal detection element and photoelectric detection element according to the working principle. The most commonly used thermal element is thermistor. When thermistor is radiated by infrared rays, the temperature rises and the resistance changes. Among them, this change may be larger or smaller, because thermistors can be divided into positive temperature coefficient thermistors and negative temperature coefficient thermistors; it is converted into an electrical signal output through a conversion circuit. The photoelectric detection element commonly used is a photosensitive element, which is usually made of materials such as lead sulfide, lead selenide, indium arsenide, antimony arsenide, cadmium mercury telluride ternary alloy, germanium and silicon doping. Specifically, the infrared photoelectric switch is an infrared modulated non-destructive testing photoelectric sensor, which uses high-efficiency infrared light-emitting diodes and photosensitive triodes as photoelectric conversion elements. There are two working modes: coaxial reflection type and opposite radiation type, and the power supply used is AC and DC. The detection distance of the infrared photoelectric switch is 0.05-10m, and it has functions such as sensitivity adjustment and delay before and after action. The infrared photoelectric switch has the characteristics of small size, simple use, stable performance, long life, fast response speed, strong impact resistance and anti-interference ability, etc., and can be widely used in modern light industry, machinery, metallurgy, transportation, electricity, military industry and mining and other fields for safe production, automatic production control and computer input interface signals. In other embodiments, the sensing device 210 can also use other types of sensing switches, such as microwave sensing switches, ultrasonic sensing switches, piezoelectric sensing switches, electromagnetic sensing switches, capacitive sensing switches, etc., which are not limited here.

[0032] In actual application, the first sensing device 211 includes a first transmitting unit 221 and a first receiving unit 222 that cooperate with each other. The first transmitting unit 221 and the first receiving unit 222 are respectively located on the two side walls above the position where the ice storage bin 200 is connected to the ice outlet part 110; the second sensing device 212 includes a second transmitting unit 231 and a second receiving unit 232 that cooperate with each other; the second transmitting unit 231 and the second receiving unit 232 are respectively located on the two side walls above the middle position of the ice storage bin 200.

[0033] In this embodiment, the first transmitting unit 221 and the first receiving unit 222 are at the same level, and the second transmitting unit 231 and the second receiving unit 232 are at the same level, which can effectively ensure that the multiple sets of sensing devices 210 can quickly and accurately determine whether the ice storage bin 200 is in a full ice state. Specifically, the first transmitting unit 221 and the second transmitting unit 231 are infrared transmitting diodes, and the first receiving unit 222 and the second receiving unit 232 are infrared receiving diodes. The infrared transmitting and receiving diode is a photoelectric device that can convert light signals and electrical signals, and is made of a variety of materials, including silicon, germanium, compound semiconductors, etc. When the infrared light beam is irradiated on the PN junction of the emitting diode, a charge pair will be generated inside the PN junction, generating a current; and when the infrared light beam is irradiated on the PN junction of the receiving diode, the current of the PN junction will change with the change of the light signal. Therefore, when the ice cubes are higher than the position where the ice storage bin 200 is connected to the ice outlet 110, the ice cubes block the infrared signal transmission between the first transmitting unit 221 and the first receiving unit 222, causing the current in the first receiving unit 222 to change, thereby triggering the first sensing device 211; when the ice cubes are higher than the middle position of the ice storage bin 200, the ice cubes block the infrared signal transmission between the second transmitting unit 231 and the second receiving unit 232, causing the current in the second receiving unit 232 to change, thereby triggering the second sensing device 212.

[0034] It can be understood that infrared emission refers to the process of generating infrared radiation using an infrared emitter. The principle is to generate heat energy by heating elements (such as emitting diodes), and then convert the heat energy into infrared light energy. When current passes through the emitting diode, it causes the carriers inside the diode to generate electronic activity, thereby generating heat energy. The heat passes through the surface of the diode and radiates in the form of infrared light. There is a PN junction inside the emitting diode. The forward bias current (by applying a positive voltage in the p region and a negative voltage in the n region) can make the holes in the p region and the electrons in the n region combine with each other to form a "compound" and release energy. This energy is emitted from the surface of the emitting diode in the form of infrared light. Infrared emitters are usually made of semiconductor materials such as gallium arsenide or aluminum arsenide. The frequency range of infrared radiation is between visible light and microwaves, and its wavelength is usually between 0.75 microns and 1000 microns. The characteristic of infrared light is that it can penetrate leaks, smoke and atmospheric pollutants, so it has a wide range of application prospects. Infrared emitters are widely used in infrared remote control, infrared temperature measurement, infrared lighting, infrared communication and other fields.

[0035] It is understood that the infrared receiver receives these infrared photons through its special PN junction, i.e., the photodiode. When the photon hits the PN junction, it transfers energy to the electrons therein, causing the electrons to break free from the covalent bonds and form electron-hole pairs, a phenomenon known as the photoconductivity effect. Due to the photoconductivity effect, the received electron-hole pairs will participate in drift motion under the action of the reverse voltage, thereby generating a current. This current signal is then amplified by the amplifier and then enters the decoding circuit for further signal processing. The decoding circuit will parse the received current signal according to the preset protocol and convert it into a specific control signal, such as a key press, in order to control the controlled device. The core components of the infrared receiver include the photodiode, amplifier, decoding circuit, and output terminal, which work together to enable the infrared receiver to achieve remote communication and control without direct physical contact. Specifically, the infrared receiver usually consists of a photosensitive material and circuit. When infrared light is irradiated on the photosensitive material of the receiver, the electrons in the material will absorb the light energy and transition to a higher energy level. After the photoelectric effect occurs, the receiver's circuit will convert the charge in the photosensitive material into a measurable output signal. Common receiver circuits include infrared diodes (IR LED) and photodiodes. Among them, infrared diodes are mainly used to send infrared signals, while photodiodes are used for receiving.

[0036] It is understandable that light is an electromagnetic ray with the same characteristics as radio waves and X-rays, and its transmission speed is about 300,000 km / s, so it can be received at the moment of emission. Infrared photoelectric switches use near-infrared and infrared rays that are invisible to the human eye (wavelength is 780nm-1mm) to detect and identify objects. The weak light beam emitted instantly by the photoelectric device can be safely, reliably and accurately emitted and received. The important role of infrared photoelectric switches is to be able to process the intensity changes of light through optical elements, change the light beam in the middle of the propagation medium, use the light beam to reflect the object, and make the light beam return instantly after being emitted over a long distance. Infrared photoelectric switches are composed of three parts: a transmitter, a receiver and a detection circuit. The transmitter aims at the target to emit a light beam, and the emitted light beam generally comes from a light-emitting diode (LED) and a laser diode. The light beam is emitted continuously or the pulse width is changed. The radiation intensity of the pulse-modulated light beam is selected many times during the emission and runs continuously toward the target. The receiver is composed of a photodiode or a phototransistor. In front of the receiver, optical elements such as lenses and apertures are installed. Behind it is the detection circuit, which can filter out the valid signal and apply it.

[0037] In actual application, the third sensing device 213 among the plurality of sensing devices 210 is arranged above the side of the ice storage bin 200 away from the ice discharging portion 110. In the case where the ice storage bin 200 has a large horizontal span, in order to ensure that the ice cubes in the ice storage bin 200 are higher than the sensing heights corresponding to the sensing devices 210, the ice cubes can fill the ice storage bin 200 as much as possible, the third sensing device 213 is arranged above the side of the ice storage bin 200 away from the ice discharging portion 110. By arranging the third sensing device 213, it can be ensured that when the height of the ice cubes on the side of the ice storage bin 200 away from the ice discharging portion 110 triggers the third sensing device 213, the ice cubes can evenly fill the ice storage bin 200, thereby avoiding the situation where the ice cubes are unevenly distributed, which affects the accuracy of the full ice signal. In other embodiments, the number of sensing devices 210 can be adjusted according to the size of the ice storage bin 200. For example, the sensing devices 210 are evenly arranged at intervals above the ice storage bin 200 to ensure that multiple groups of sensing devices 210 can effectively cover the top of the ice storage bin 200, ensuring that the ice-making device will issue an ice-full prompt only after the ice storage bin 200 is filled with ice cubes.

[0038] In practical applications, the ice-making assembly 100 further includes an evaporator 120 for making ice, and a compressor 130 connected to the evaporator 120 to form a refrigeration circuit. The evaporator 120 is provided with an ice-making column 121 for forming ice cubes.

[0039] It is understood that the evaporator 120 and the compressor 130 provided in this embodiment are the refrigeration parts of the ice-making device, which are usually connected by a refrigerant pipeline. Among them, refrigeration is the basis for the operation of the ice-making device. The refrigeration principle is to use the phase change process of the substance at different temperatures to absorb or release heat, thereby reducing the temperature. The ice-making device usually uses a vapor compression refrigeration system, and the specific refrigeration process is divided into four stages: compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation. First, the refrigerant is compressed into a high-pressure gas through the compressor 130. In this process, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the outside and increases its pressure and temperature. Then, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows into the condenser, and through contact with cold water or air, the refrigerant releases heat, and the temperature gradually decreases to become a high-pressure liquid. Next, the high-pressure liquid enters the expander through the throttle valve, and a capillary tube or a throttle valve is usually used at this time. In the expander, the high-pressure liquid suddenly drops in pressure, causing the temperature to drop. Finally, the low-pressure and low-temperature refrigerant enters the evaporator 120, exchanges heat with the liquid, absorbs the heat of the liquid to condense it into ice cubes, and at the same time undergoes a phase change to become a low-temperature gas, completing the refrigeration cycle.

[0040] It is understandable that by providing the ice column 121, a tortuous refrigerant channel can be formed between the ice column 121 and the evaporator 120, further increasing the distance that the refrigerant flows through the ice column 121 and the evaporator 120, thereby increasing the heat exchange time of the refrigerant, so that the refrigerant and the liquid can be fully exchanged with each other, and the speed of ice formation is increased. Specifically, after the liquid near the ice column 121 absorbs heat, it condenses and adheres to the lower end of the ice column 121 to form bullet-shaped ice cubes. This type of ice cube is beautiful and regular, has good transparency, and has a fast ice-making speed. It is widely used in small milk tea shops, bars, offices and other scenes.

[0041] In practical applications, a receiving tank 140 for receiving liquid is provided below the ice-making column 121 , and the receiving tank 140 is connected to a flip motor 150 ; the flip motor 150 is used to drive the receiving tank 140 to rotate so that the receiving tank 140 receives liquid or pours liquid.

[0042] It is understandable that by setting the flip motor 150 and the ice storage bin 200, the ice cubes separated from the ice-making column 121 can be rotated to the storage tank 140 by the flip motor 150, and the ice cubes are uniformly stored in the ice storage bin 200 under the action of gravity, so that the ice-making device can continuously make ice, and the convenience of using the ice-making device is improved. At the same time, the liquid in the storage tank 140 that has not formed ice cubes returns to the water storage bin 160 of the ice-making device under the action of gravity, forming a cold water cycle. When the ice cubes are transferred to the ice storage bin 200, the flip motor 150 drives the storage tank 140 to reset, and the water pump of the ice-making device extracts the liquid in the water storage bin 160 into the storage tank 140 to facilitate the next round of ice cube production. Among them, the method of extracting the liquid in the water storage bin 160 into the storage tank 140 by setting a water pump belongs to the prior art and will not be repeated here.

[0043] In practical applications, the ice-making device further includes a baffle 170; one end of the baffle 170 is movably connected to the edge of the accommodating tank 140 through a rotating shaft, and the other end of the baffle 170 moves with the rotation of the accommodating tank 140; when the baffle 170 rotates to a position where it docks with the ice storage bin 200, the baffle 170 docks with the ice storage bin 200 as an ice outlet 110. By providing the baffle 170, when ice cubes are formed and fall off from the ice-making column 121, they are stably supported by the baffle 170 to prevent the ice cubes from falling into the accommodating tank 140 and mixing with the liquid, thereby affecting the forming effect of the ice cubes. Then, the baffle 170 is driven to rotate during the rotation of the accommodating tank 140, and the baffle 170 docks with the ice storage bin 200 to form the ice outlet 110, so that the ice cubes on the baffle 170 can be orderly and stably transferred to the ice storage bin 200, so that the user can quickly and accurately extract ice cubes from the ice storage bin 200. In some embodiments, after the ice cubes are formed in the ice-making column 121, the flip motor 150 drives the accommodating tank 140 to rotate, and the liquid in the accommodating tank 140 that has not condensed into ice cubes is dumped out. At the same time, the baffle 170 rotates to a position docking with the ice storage bin 200; the ice cubes are then caused to fall off in the ice-making column 121 by heating, and the ice cubes pass through the baffle 170 and the ice outlet portion 110 in sequence under the action of gravity and reach the ice storage bin 200; then, the flip motor 150 drives the accommodating tank 140 to rotate and reset to perform the next round of ice-making operation, until the ice cubes in the ice storage bin 200 are higher than the corresponding sensing heights of each sensing device 210, and the ice-making device issues a full ice prompt.

[0044] In actual application, the ice-making device further includes a water storage bin 160 ; the water storage bin 160 is located below the accommodating tank 140 , and the ice storage bin 200 and the water storage bin 160 are separated by a partition 240 .

[0045] It is understandable that in order to ensure that the ice-making device can continuously make ice, the containing tank 140 can contain a certain amount of liquid for making ice cubes. In some embodiments, by arranging an ice-making tray in the containing tank 140, or other forms of ice-making molds, the temperature of the liquid on the surface of the ice-making tray is rapidly reduced by the circulation of the refrigerant until solid ice cubes are formed in the ice-making tray. In other examples, by arranging a replenishing valve, the liquid in the water storage tank 160 automatically enters the containing tank 140, and then the liquid is pumped to the diverter through the flow control valve and evenly sprayed on the surface of the evaporator 120, flowing through the wall of the evaporator 120 like a water curtain, and the liquid is cooled to the freezing point, and the liquid that is not evaporated and frozen will flow back into the containing tank 140 to restart the circulation work. In addition, in this embodiment, the evaporator 120 directly contacts the liquid in the containing tank 140 and performs heat exchange, so that the liquid near the evaporator 120 is rapidly condensed into ice cubes of different shapes. In actual application, the accommodating tank 140 can also be manually operated to add liquid to ensure that the liquid in the accommodating tank 140 can meet the ice-making needs of the ice-making device. In some embodiments, after the ice cubes are formed in the ice-making column 121, the ice cubes are directly heated to fall off in the ice-making column 121, and the flip motor 150 drives the accommodating tank 140 to rotate, so that the ice cubes are accommodated between the partition 240 and the baffle 170; when the flip motor 150 drives the accommodating tank 140 to rotate and reset, the baffle 170 moves upward to dock with the ice storage bin 200, and at the same time pushes the ice cubes to pass through the top of the partition 240 and reach the ice storage bin 200; the ice-making assembly 100 performs the next round of ice-making operation until the ice cubes in the ice storage bin 200 are higher than the corresponding sensing heights of each sensing device 210, and the ice-making device issues a full ice prompt.

[0046] In practical applications, the ice-making device further includes an indicator 250, which issues an ice-full reminder by means of sound and / or light effects.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, the indicator 250 is located above the accommodating groove 140, so that the user can obtain the full ice prompt signal sent by the indicator 250 in time. Specifically, the indicator 250 is a display screen, which prompts whether the ice storage bin 200 is in a full ice state by flashing or text reminder, so that the user can intuitively observe whether the current ice-making device is in a full ice state through the display screen, and remind the user to take out ice cubes from the ice storage bin 200 in time. In other embodiments, the indicator 250 can use devices such as indicator lights and speakers to send full ice signals to the user through lights, sounds and other signals, so that the user can obtain the full ice signal of the ice-making device in time, so as to accurately control the operation time of the ice-making device, avoid misjudgment caused by excessive stacking of some ice cubes, and cause frequent start and stop of the ice-making device, thereby improving user experience.

[0048] It is understandable that in order to ensure that the indicator 250 issues a full ice prompt when the ice cubes in the ice storage bin 200 are higher than the corresponding sensing height of each sensing device 210, multiple sets of sensing devices 210 are connected in parallel with the indicator 250. Specifically, only when the multiple sets of sensing devices 210 are triggered at the same time and are in a disconnected state, will the indicator 250 be triggered to issue a full ice signal through sound and light effects to remind the user to take ice in time.

[0049] In the actual ice-making process, the water pump of the ice-making device draws the liquid in the water storage tank 160 into the containing tank 140, the evaporator 120 and the compressor 130 start to work, the low-pressure and low-temperature refrigerant enters the evaporator 120, exchanges heat with the liquid in the containing tank 140, absorbs the heat of the liquid to condense it into ice cubes, and at the same time undergoes a phase change to become a low-temperature gas, completing the refrigeration cycle; after the liquid near the ice column 121 absorbs the heat, it condenses and adheres to the lower end of the ice column 121 to form bullet-shaped ice cubes; then, the flip motor 150 drives the containing tank 140 to rotate. The tank 140 rotates to dump the liquid in the receiving tank 140 that has not condensed into ice cubes. At the same time, the baffle 170 rotates to a position that is connected to the ice storage bin 200. Then, the ice cubes are caused to fall off in the ice-making column 121 by heating. Under the action of gravity, the ice cubes pass through the baffle 170 and the ice outlet 110 in sequence and reach the ice storage bin 200. Then, the flip motor 150 drives the receiving tank 140 to rotate and reset to perform the next round of ice-making operation. The height of the ice cubes continues to rise. At the same time, the first transmitting unit 221 emits infrared rays, and the first receiving unit 222 normally The first transmitting unit 221 receives the infrared rays emitted by the first transmitting unit 221; when the ice cubes are higher than the position where the ice storage bin 200 is connected to the ice outlet 110, the ice cubes block the infrared signal transmission between the first transmitting unit 221 and the first receiving unit 222, causing the current in the first receiving unit 222 to change, thereby triggering the first sensing device 211. At this time, when the first receiving unit 222 cannot normally receive the infrared rays emitted by the first transmitting unit 221, the second transmitting unit 231 starts to emit infrared rays to the second receiving unit 232; when the second receiving unit 232 normally receives the infrared rays emitted by the first transmitting unit 221, the second transmitting unit 231 starts to emit infrared rays to the second receiving unit 232. The ice-making device receives the infrared rays emitted by the second transmitting unit 231, and controls the ice-making assembly 100 to continue making ice normally; when the ice cubes are higher than the middle position of the ice storage bin 200, the ice cubes block the infrared signal transmission between the second transmitting unit 231 and the second receiving unit 232, causing the current in the second receiving unit 232 to change, thereby triggering the second sensing device 212. At this time, when the second receiving unit 232 cannot normally receive the infrared rays emitted by the second transmitting unit 231, the indicator 250 sends out a full ice prompt signal through sound and light effects.

[0050] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the utility model. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0051] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An ice-making device, characterized in that: include: An ice-making assembly, wherein the ice-making assembly is provided with an ice-discharging portion; An ice storage bin is connected to the ice discharging portion, and a plurality of groups of sensing devices are arranged above the ice storage bin, and different groups of sensing devices are arranged at different positions; when the ice cubes in the ice storage bin are higher than the sensing heights corresponding to the sensing devices, the ice making device issues a full ice prompt.

2. The ice-making device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices is arranged above the position where the ice storage bin docks with the ice outlet portion; and a second sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices is arranged above the middle position of the ice storage bin.

3. The ice-making device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sensing device is an infrared sensing device.

4. The ice-making device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first sensing device includes a first transmitting unit and a first receiving unit that cooperate with each other, and the first transmitting unit and the first receiving unit are respectively located on the two side walls above the position where the ice storage bin docks with the ice outlet part; the second sensing device includes a second transmitting unit and a second receiving unit that cooperate with each other; the second transmitting unit and the second receiving unit are respectively located on the two side walls above the middle position of the ice storage bin.

5. The ice-making device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The third sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices is arranged above the ice storage bin on a side away from the ice discharging portion.

6. The ice-making device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ice-making assembly further comprises an evaporator for making ice and a compressor connected to the evaporator to form a refrigeration circuit. The evaporator is provided with an ice-making column for forming ice cubes.

7. The ice-making device according to claim 6, characterized in that: A receiving groove for receiving liquid is provided below the ice-making column, and the ice-making column extends into the receiving groove; the receiving groove is connected to a flip motor, and the flip motor is used to drive the receiving groove to rotate so that the receiving groove receives the liquid or pours the liquid.

8. The ice-making device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The ice-making device also includes a baffle; one end of the baffle is movably connected to the edge of the accommodating groove through a rotating shaft, and the other end of the baffle moves with the rotation of the accommodating groove; when the baffle rotates to a position where it docks with the ice storage bin, the baffle serves as the ice outlet portion to dock with the ice storage bin.

9. The ice-making device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The ice-making device further comprises a water storage bin; the water storage bin is located below the accommodating tank, and the ice storage bin and the water storage bin are separated by a partition.

10. The ice-making device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ice-making device further comprises an indicator, which issues the full ice prompt by sound and / or light effect.

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