An ice maker

Abstract

The utility model discloses an ice maker, include: shell, shell has accommodating cavity, baffle, baffle is connected in the shell, make accommodating cavity divide into the front chamber of being close to user and the rear chamber of being away from user, and the front chamber can accommodate ice making tray, ice storage box, and the rear chamber can accommodate compressor, condenser, water storage tank, at least part of water storage tank is accommodated in the front chamber, can recover the liquid of ice making tray or ice storage box, at least part of water storage tank is accommodated in the rear chamber, can provide liquid to water pump, and it is favorable to avoid transition to occupy the space of front chamber, and then make the front chamber can accommodate greater ice making tray, to promote the ice making efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of ice maker technology, and specifically to an ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] Ice makers, as a common refrigeration device, are widely used in many fields such as homes, restaurants, hotels, medical facilities, laboratories, and industry. The main function of an ice maker is to quickly and conveniently produce ice to meet users' diverse needs for cooling, preservation, and beverage preparation.

[0003] In related technologies, due to the influence of the water storage tank, it is difficult to equip ice makers with large ice-making trays, which makes it difficult to improve the efficiency of ice makers. Utility Model Content

[0004] One objective of this invention is to provide an ice maker equipped with a larger ice-making tray to improve the ice-making efficiency of the ice maker.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: an ice maker, comprising: a housing having a receiving cavity; a partition connected to the housing, such that the receiving cavity is divided into a front chamber closer to the user and a rear chamber farther from the user, the front chamber accommodating an ice-making tray, and the rear chamber accommodating a compressor and a condenser; and a water storage tank, at least a portion of which is located in the front chamber to recover liquid from the ice-making tray, and at least a portion of which is located in the rear chamber to supply liquid to a water pump.

[0006] As a preferred embodiment, the water storage tank has a first tank section and a second tank section. The first tank section is located in the front chamber and extends laterally to hold liquid discharged from the ice-making tray. The second tank section is connected to the first tank section and extends from the front chamber to the rear chamber, thereby supplying liquid to the water pump.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment, the first groove extends in contact with the partition, and the second groove is connected to one end of the first groove, extending in contact with the side wall of the outer casing.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment, the depth of the first groove segment is denoted as D1, and the depth of the second groove segment is denoted as D2, satisfying: D1≤D2.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment, the width of the first groove segment is denoted as L1, and the width of the second groove segment is denoted as L2, satisfying: L1≤L2.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment, the partition has a perforated area, which is adapted to allow the second groove segment to pass through, so that the second groove segment extends from the front chamber to the rear chamber.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment, the ice maker further includes a water pump housed in the rear chamber to draw liquid from the second tank section.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment, the water pump is fixed to the partition plate, and at least a portion of the water pump extends into the second tank section to draw liquid from the second tank section.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment, the ice maker further includes a water level detection device, which is fixed to the second tank section to detect the amount of liquid stored in the water tank.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment, the ice maker further includes an ice-making tray, a compressor, and a condenser. The ice-making tray is located in the front chamber to freeze the liquid into ice. The compressor is fixed to the bottom surface of the housing and located in the rear chamber, where it compresses the refrigerant. The condenser is fixed to the top surface of the housing and located in the rear chamber, where it dissipates heat to cool the refrigerant.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: The housing is divided into a front chamber and a rear chamber by a partition. Furthermore, the ice-making tray is located in the front chamber so that ice cubes can fall into the ice storage compartment on the side closer to the user. The compressor, condenser, etc. are located in the rear chamber, which helps to keep the front chamber clean and hygienic. At least part of the water tank is located in the front chamber, which allows the liquid from the ice-making tray to be recovered, thus avoiding waste. At least part of the water tank is located in the rear chamber, which not only provides liquid to the water pump, but also helps to avoid excessive occupation of the space in the front chamber, thereby allowing the front chamber to accommodate a larger ice-making tray and improve ice-making efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a side view of the internal structure of an ice maker according to some embodiments of this application.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the front chamber of an ice maker according to some embodiments of this application.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a top view schematic diagram of the internal structure of an ice maker according to some embodiments of this application.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a side view of the water tank of an ice maker according to some embodiments of this application.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a top view schematic diagram of the water storage tank of an ice maker according to some embodiments of this application.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the rear chamber of an ice maker according to some embodiments of this application.

[0022] In the diagram: 1. Ice maker; 10. Outer shell; 11. Receiving cavity; 111. Front chamber; 112. Rear chamber; 20. Partition; 21. Hollowed-out area; 30. Water storage tank; 31. First tank section; 32. Second tank section; 40. Water pump; 50. Water level detection device; 60. Ice making tray; 70. Compressor; 80. Condenser. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.

[0024] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the directional terms such as "center", "lateral", "longitudinal", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", and "counterclockwise" are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. They should not be construed as limiting the specific protection scope of this utility model.

[0025] In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection, a contact connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0026] An ice maker 1, such as Figures 1-6As shown, the system includes: a housing 10, a partition 20, and a water storage tank 30. The housing 10 has a receiving cavity 11. The partition 20 is connected to the housing 10, dividing the receiving cavity 11 into a front chamber 111 closer to the user and a rear chamber 112 further away from the user. The front chamber 111 accommodates the ice-making tray 60, allowing ice to fall into the ice storage compartment closer to the user. The rear chamber 112 accommodates the compressor 70 and the condenser 80, allowing the wiring and piping to be centrally arranged in the rear chamber 112, which helps maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of the front chamber 111. Furthermore, at least a portion of the water storage tank 30 is housed in the front chamber 111, allowing the recovery of liquid from the ice-making tray 60 and helping to avoid waste. At least a portion of the water storage tank 30 is housed in the rear chamber 112, which both supplies liquid to the water pump 40 and helps to avoid excessive occupation of the space in the front chamber 111, thereby allowing the front chamber 111 to accommodate a larger ice-making tray 60 and improve ice-making efficiency.

[0027] It should be understood that in related technologies, the water storage tank 30 is entirely located in the front chamber 111, and consequently, the water pump 40 is also located in the front chamber 111, resulting in excessive space occupation in the front chamber 111, making it difficult to accommodate a larger ice-making tray 60. In this embodiment, however, at least a portion of the water storage tank 30 is housed in the rear chamber 112, allowing the water pump 40 to also be located in the rear chamber 112. This reduces the space occupied by the water storage tank 30 and the water pump 40 in the front chamber 111, thus allowing the front chamber 111 to accommodate a larger ice-making tray 60. In other words, Figure 1 The ice-making tray 60 in the middle can be extended to the right to increase the number of ice compartments in the ice-making tray 60, thereby improving ice-making efficiency.

[0028] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, the water storage tank 30 has a first tank section 31 and a second tank section 32. The first tank section 31 is located in the front chamber 111 and extends laterally to hold the liquid discharged from the ice-making tray 60. The second tank section 32 is connected to the first tank section 31 and extends from the front chamber 111 to the rear chamber 112, supplying liquid to the water pump 40. In other words, the first tank section 31 extends laterally in the front chamber 111 and is located below the ice-making tray 60 to recover the liquid left from the ice-making tray 60, such as unfrozen liquid and liquid produced during ice melting. This not only recycles the ice-making liquid and saves costs, but also helps to prevent liquid from flowing into the ice storage tank or onto other components of the ice maker 1.

[0029] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, the ice maker 1 also includes a water pump 40, which is housed in the rear chamber 112 to draw liquid from the second tank section 32. Furthermore, the liquid is transported above the ice-making tray 60 via a pipe connected to the water pump 40, so that the water flow evenly covers the mold of the ice-making tray 60. Even further, liquid flowing through the ice-making tray 60 but not frozen flows into the first tank section 31 for recycling.

[0030] It is understandable that if the water pump 40 is located in the front chamber 111, it will occupy the space of the front chamber 111, resulting in... Figure 1 The ice-making tray 60 in the middle is difficult to expand to the right. However, in this embodiment, the water pump 40 is set in the rear chamber 112 to draw liquid from the second tank section 32, thereby making the space of the front chamber 111 redundant. Figure 1 The ice-making tray 60 can be extended to the right to increase the amount of ice produced and improve ice-making efficiency. In addition, the water pump 40 is located in the rear chamber 112, so that the circuit connected to the water pump 40 is also located in the rear chamber 112, thereby reducing the wiring in the front chamber 111 and making the front chamber 111 cleaner and more hygienic.

[0031] In at least one embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the water pump 40 is fixed to the partition 20, allowing for quicker installation, disassembly, or replacement of the water pump 40. This also reduces interference between the water pump 40 and other components, lowering the difficulty of assembling the ice maker 1 and improving overall assembly efficiency. Furthermore, at least a portion of the water pump 40 extends into the second tank section 32 to draw liquid from it, resulting in a more compact arrangement of the water pump 40 and the water storage tank 30. It is worth noting that the water pump 40 can also be fixed to the outer casing 10 or to the water storage tank 30; this application does not impose specific limitations on either.

[0032] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1-3As shown, the first segment 31 extends along the partition 20, thereby reducing the space occupied by the first segment 31 in the front chamber 111. This helps to avoid dividing the front chamber 111, allowing the front chamber 111 to have more space to accommodate the ice tray 60 and other components. Furthermore, the second segment 32 is connected to one end of the first segment 31, i.e., the water storage tank 30 is "L"-shaped. The second segment 32 extends along the side wall of the outer shell 10, thereby reducing the space occupied by the second segment 32 in the rear chamber 112. This helps to avoid dividing the rear chamber 112, allowing the rear chamber 112 to have more space to accommodate the compressor 70, condenser 80, and controller, etc. It is worth mentioning that the first groove segment 31 extends in contact with the partition 20, including the case where the first groove segment 31 is close to the partition 20, and also the case where an appropriate installation gap is maintained between the first groove segment 31 and the partition 20; the second groove segment 32 extends in contact with the side wall of the outer shell 10, including the case where the second groove segment 32 is close to the outer shell 10, and also the case where an appropriate installation gap is maintained between the second groove segment 32 and the partition 20.

[0033] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the depth of the first groove segment 31 is denoted as D1, and the depth of the second groove segment 32 is denoted as D2, satisfying: D1 ≤ D2. It should be understood that the shallower depth of the first groove segment 31 helps to reduce the space occupied by the first groove segment 31 in the anterior chamber 111, thus... Figure 1 The ice-making tray 60 can be extended downwards to increase the number of ice compartments, thereby improving ice-making efficiency. Furthermore, the second section 32 is deeper, which increases the liquid storage capacity of the water storage tank 30 and facilitates the collection of a larger portion of the liquid in the water storage tank 30 into the second section 32, making it easier for the water pump 40 to draw it in.

[0034] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the width of the first tank segment 31 is denoted as L1, and the width of the second tank segment 32 is denoted as L2, satisfying: L1≤L2. It should be understood that the smaller width of the first tank segment 31, while ensuring reliable liquid recovery, helps prevent ice blocks detached from the ice-making pan 60 from falling into the water storage tank 30, thus allowing the ice blocks to fall smoothly into the ice storage chamber. Furthermore, the larger width of the second tank segment 32 increases the liquid storage capacity of the water storage tank 30. In addition, it allows the width of the second tank segment 32 to be adapted to the water pump 40, so that at least a portion of the water pump 40 is accommodated within the second tank segment 32.

[0035] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2As shown, the partition 20 has a perforated area 21, which is suitable for the second groove segment 32 to pass through, so that the second groove segment 32 extends from the front chamber 111 to the rear chamber 112. That is to say, the partition 20 can shield the compressor 70, condenser 80 and other devices in the rear chamber 112, so that the front chamber 111 is cleaner, and the second groove segment 32 can extend from the front chamber 111 to the rear chamber 112 through the perforated area 21, which helps to avoid interference between the partition 20 and the water storage tank 30.

[0036] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the ice maker 1 also includes a water level detection device 50, which is fixed to the second tank section 32 to detect the amount of liquid stored in the water storage tank 30. It should be understood that the water level detection device 50 can monitor the water level in the water storage tank 30 in real time. When the water level is lower than a set threshold, the inlet valve is automatically opened to replenish the liquid; when the water level reaches a preset height, the inlet valve is automatically closed to stop the liquid injection, thereby dynamically maintaining the water level range of the water storage tank 30. This helps to prevent the water pump 40 from being damaged by dry running and also helps to avoid the risk of overflow caused by excessive liquid injection. This ensures the stable operation of the ice-making cycle and improves the safety and reliability of the ice maker 1.

[0037] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the ice maker 1 also includes an ice-making tray 60, a compressor 70, and a condenser 80. The ice-making tray 60 is located in the front chamber 111, allowing the liquid to freeze into ice. The compressor 70 is fixed to the bottom surface of the outer casing 10, located in the rear chamber 112, and compresses the refrigerant. The condenser 80 is fixed to the top surface of the outer casing 10, located in the rear chamber 112, and dissipates heat to cool the refrigerant. Specifically, the water pump 40 continuously pumps the liquid in the water tank 30 to the surface of the ice-making tray 60, ensuring that the water flow evenly covers the mold of the ice-making tray 60. At the same time, the compressor 70 and the condenser 80 provide circulation power and release heat, causing the high-pressure liquid refrigerant to absorb the heat of the liquid flowing through the ice-making tray 60, thereby causing the liquid to gradually freeze into ice on the surface of the mold of the ice-making tray 60.

[0038] The basic principles, main features, and advantages of this utility model have been described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely the principles of this utility model. Various changes and modifications can be made to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed utility model. The scope of protection of this utility model is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An ice maker, characterized in that, include: The outer casing has a receiving cavity; A partition, connected to the outer shell, divides the receiving cavity into a front chamber closer to the user and a rear chamber farther from the user. The front chamber accommodates an ice-making tray, and the rear chamber accommodates a compressor and a condenser. A water storage tank, at least a portion of which is housed in the front chamber to recover liquid from the ice-making tray, and at least a portion of which is housed in the rear chamber to supply liquid to the water pump.

2. The ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water storage tank has a first tank section and a second tank section. The first tank section is located in the front chamber and extends laterally to hold liquid discharged from the ice-making tray. The second tank section is connected to the first tank section and extends from the front chamber to the rear chamber, thereby supplying liquid to the water pump.

3. The ice maker according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first groove extends in contact with the partition, and the second groove is connected to one end of the first groove, extending in contact with the side wall of the outer shell.

4. The ice maker according to claim 2, characterized in that, The depth of the first groove segment is denoted as D1, and the depth of the second groove segment is denoted as D2, satisfying: D1≤D2.

5. The ice maker according to claim 2, characterized in that, The width of the first slot is denoted as L1, and the width of the second slot is denoted as L2, satisfying: L1≤L2.

6. The ice maker according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, The partition has a perforated area, which is adapted to allow the second groove segment to pass through, so that the second groove segment extends from the front chamber to the rear chamber.

7. The ice maker according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, The ice maker also includes a water pump housed in the rear chamber, which is used to draw liquid from the second tank section.

8. The ice maker according to claim 7, characterized in that, The water pump is fixed to the partition plate, and at least a portion of the water pump extends into the second tank section to draw liquid from the second tank section.

9. The ice maker according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, The ice maker also includes a water level detection device, which is fixed to the second tank section to detect the amount of liquid stored in the water tank.

10. The ice maker according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The ice maker also includes an ice-making tray, a compressor, and a condenser. The ice-making tray is located in the front chamber to freeze liquid into ice. The compressor is fixed to the bottom surface of the outer casing and located in the rear chamber to compress refrigerant. The condenser is fixed to the top surface of the housing and located in the rear chamber, allowing the refrigerant to dissipate heat and cool.

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