An extrusion ice type ice maker

Abstract

The application discloses an extrusion ice type ice maker, which comprises a casing, an inner container, an ice basket, an ice making mechanism, a top water tank and a top cover; the inner container comprises a fixing ring and a container body, the container body comprises a resting part and a water storage part, and the ice basket is installed in the resting part; the top water tank is a thin shell structure with an open upper end and a C-shaped cross section, and is installed in a rear ring hole of the fixing ring; the ice making mechanism is installed in a C-shaped opening of the top water tank, and the top water tank and the ice making mechanism are connected through a water supplementing pipe; the water storage part and the top water tank are connected through a water supply pipe, and a water supply pump is arranged on the water supply pipe; the upper end of the casing is butted against the lower surface of the fixing ring; and the top cover is arranged on the fixing ring. The components of the application are reasonably and compactly arranged, the overall volume of the ice maker is effectively reduced, and the automatic water supplementing of the ice making mechanism can be realized by controlling the water level of the top water tank, so that the continuous and normal working of the ice maker is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ice-making equipment technology, and in particular to an extrusion ice-making machine. Background Technology

[0002] An ice maker (or ice machine) is a refrigeration machine that produces ice by cooling water through an evaporator with a refrigerant in a refrigeration system. Existing ice makers are classified into three types based on their ice-making method: cylinder ice makers, bullet ice makers, and extrusion ice makers. Extrusion ice makers typically use a continuous spiral extrusion structure to extrude ice condensed inside the ice cylinder through an outlet at the top. In some existing extrusion ice makers, the water inside the ice cylinder is directly pumped from a water tank inside the machine to ensure continuous operation. While this type of extrusion ice maker is relatively small, its cylinder ice-making mechanism is relatively complex, and the water tank can only supply a limited amount of water per cycle. The process requires multiple water pumping operations, which is cumbersome and energy-intensive, leaving room for improvement. Some existing extrusion ice makers also have a separate top water tank. Water is first pumped from the storage tank to the top water tank, and then the top water tank automatically replenishes water to the ice-making cylinder through the height difference to ensure continuous operation of the ice maker. Although this type of extrusion ice maker simplifies the structure of the cylinder ice-making mechanism and increases the amount of water pumped at one time, effectively reducing the number of pumping operations and lowering energy consumption, the additional components make the overall body of this type of ice maker larger, leaving room for improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to overcome the defects in the prior art and provide an extrusion ice maker with a more reasonable and compact component arrangement, which can effectively reduce the overall size of the ice maker; at the same time, by ensuring that the water level in the top water tank can automatically replenish the ice-making mechanism, the continuous normal operation of the ice maker can be guaranteed.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an extrusion ice maker, comprising a housing, an inner liner, an ice basket, an ice-making mechanism, a top water tank, and a top cover; The inner liner includes a fixing ring and a liner body connected to the front annular opening of the fixing ring. The liner body includes an upper resting part and a lower water storage part. The ice basket is detachably installed in the resting part. The top water tank is a thin shell structure with an opening at the top and a C-shaped cross-section. The top water tank is installed in the rear annular hole of the fixing ring with the C-shaped opening facing forward. The two ends of the C-shaped opening of the top water tank are joined to the rear edge of the upper opening of the tank body. The ice-making mechanism is installed in the C-shaped opening of the top water tank. The top water tank and the ice-making mechanism are connected by a water supply pipe. The water storage part is connected to the top water tank by a water supply pipe, and a water supply pump is installed on the water supply pipe. The housing is a thin shell structure with an opening at the top, and the upper port of the housing is mated to the lower surface of the fixing ring to form a relatively closed cavity. The top cover has an openable closure on the retaining ring to seal the opening of the retaining ring.

[0005] The ice-making mechanism is further configured to include a cylindrical ice maker and a continuous spiral extrusion structure, wherein the continuous spiral extrusion structure is sealed and joined at the lower end of the cylindrical ice maker so that the two cooperate to form a water-filled cavity structure with the lower end closed. The cylindrical ice maker includes a cylinder, an ice-making evaporator spirally wound on the outer surface of the cylinder, and an ice outlet cap located at the upper port of the ice cylinder. The continuous spiral extrusion structure includes a vertically rotatable screw installed inside the cylinder and a drive motor for driving the screw to rotate. The upper end of the screw passes through the middle of the ice outlet cap and extends to the top of the ice outlet cap. A spiral scraper is provided on the screw corresponding to the rod body placed inside the cylinder. The ice outlet cap is provided with several ice outlets communicating with the inner cavity of the cylinder on the outer periphery of the screw. A "「"-shaped push rod is connected to the upper end of the screw. The push rod is used to break the ice blocks extruded by the screw inside the cylinder and push them out of the ice outlets.

[0006] The ice-making mechanism is further configured such that: the ice-making mechanism also includes an ice guide plate installed in the C-shaped opening of the top water tank and whose shape is adapted to the shape of the C-shaped opening; the ice guide plate includes a sleeve portion fitted onto the ice outlet end cap and an ice guide portion connected to the front end of the sleeve portion and arranged at a predetermined angle downward; the end face of the sleeve portion is not higher than the end face of the ice outlet end cap; and the front end of the ice guide portion is engaged with the rear edge of the upper opening of the tank body.

[0007] The ice-making mechanism is further configured such that a cover plate for sealing the C-shaped opening of the top water tank is included, and the cover plate and the ice guide plate cooperate to form an ice storage cavity.

[0008] The top water tank is further configured such that: the bottom of the top water tank is provided with a water inlet for connecting to the cylinder of the ice-making mechanism, and a return outlet for connecting to the water storage part of the tank body, wherein the height of the water inlet end face is lower than the height of the return outlet end face. An overflow outlet is provided at at least one end of the C-shaped opening corresponding to the top water tank, and the height of the overflow end face of the overflow outlet is higher than the height of the return end face of the return outlet.

[0009] The ice outlet end face of the ice outlet cap is higher than the height of the return end face of the return port but not higher than the height of the overflow end face of the overflow port.

[0010] A further configuration is provided: a control float is installed inside the top water tank, and the control float controls the start and stop of the water supply pump on the water supply pipe according to the water level in the top water tank.

[0011] The top cover is further configured such that: the top cover includes a front cover and a rear cover that are rotatably connected; the rear cover is connected to the rear of the fixing ring with a snap-fit ​​to cover the rear annular hole of the fixing ring; and the front cover is openable and disposed at the front of the fixing ring to cover the front annular hole of the fixing ring.

[0012] A further provision is made: the inner surface of the rear cover is provided with a water tank cover plate for sealing the opening of the top water tank.

[0013] A further feature is provided: a vertically extending partition plate is provided between the bottom of the casing corresponding to the rear of the tube and the fixing ring.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, this invention has a simple and reasonable structure, effectively achieving water and electricity separation and ensuring the reliability of the ice maker. The ice-making mechanism is installed in the C-shaped opening of the top water tank, and the front ends of both are engaged with the rear edge of the inner tank's opening to fit into the ring hole of the fixing ring. This makes the overall layout more reasonable and compact, effectively reducing the overall size of the ice maker. The water level in the top water tank is basically level with the water level in the ice-making mechanism's cylinder. By controlling the water level in the top water tank, it can be ensured that the ice-making mechanism can always make ice normally, thus greatly simplifying the automatic water replenishment structure of the ice-making mechanism. Furthermore, the top cover and the fixing ring are detachable with a snap-fit ​​connection, which allows the top cover to be easily disassembled, facilitating the cleaning and maintenance of the inside of the ice maker. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of an extrusion ice maker according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the vertical cross-sectional structure of an ice maker; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the ice maker after removing the casing; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the inner tank, the top water tank, and the ice-making mechanism; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the separate structure of the ice-making mechanism; Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the top water tank; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the top cover.

[0016] The following reference numerals are marked on the accompanying drawings: 1. Casing; 11. Divider plate; 12. Horizontal partition plate; 2. Inner liner; 21. Fixing ring; 22. Tank body; 221. Shelf; 222. Water storage section; 3. Ice-making mechanism; 31. Tube ice maker; 311. Tube body; 312. Ice evaporator; 313. Ice outlet cap; 3131. Ice outlet; 32. Continuous spiral extrusion structure; 321. Screw; 3211. Spiral scraper; 3212, Push rod; 322, Drive motor; 33, Ice guide plate; 331, Sleeve part; 332, Ice guide part; 34, Cover plate; 4, Ice basket; 5, Top water tank; 51, Water inlet; 52, Return outlet; 53, Overflow outlet; 54, Control float; 6, Top cover; 61, Front cover; 62, Rear cover; 621, Water tank cover plate; 7, Water supply pump; 8, Compressor; 9, Condenser. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The following detailed description of a specific embodiment of the present invention is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment.

[0018] This invention provides an extrusion ice maker, such as... Figures 1 to 7 As shown, the device includes a housing 1, an inner liner 2, an ice-making mechanism 3, an ice basket 4, a top water tank 5, and a top cover 6. The inner liner 2 includes a fixing ring 21 and a liner body 22 integrally connected to the front annular hole of the fixing ring 21. The upper end of the liner body 22 is connected to the front and side sides of the fixing ring 21, and the fixing ring 21 defines the upper opening of the ice maker. The ice basket 4 is detachably installed on the upper part of the liner body 22 to receive ice blocks prepared by the ice-making mechanism 3. The cavity below the ice basket 4 in the liner body 22 is used for water storage, and it is connected to the top water tank 5 through a water supply pipe to replenish the top water tank 5. A water supply pump 7 is installed on the water supply pipe. The top water tank 5 is a thin shell structure with an upper opening and a C-shaped cross-section. The top water tank 5 is installed in the rear annular hole of the fixing ring 21 with the C-shaped opening facing forward. The two ends of the C-shaped opening of the top water tank 5 are engaged with the rear edge of the upper port of the tank body 22. The top water tank 5 is connected to the ice-making mechanism 3 through a water supply pipe to replenish water to the ice-making mechanism 3. Preferably, the top water tank 5 is placed in the rear annular hole of the fixing ring 21. Correspondingly, the inner walls of the rear and side annular holes of the fixing ring 21 have a structure for the top water tank 5 to be placed. The two ends of the C-shaped opening of the top water tank 5 are placed on the rear edge of the upper port of the tank body 22. The ice-making mechanism 3 is installed in the C-shaped opening of the top water tank 5. The housing 1 is a thin shell structure with an opening at the top. The upper port of the housing 1 is connected to the lower surface of the fixing ring 21 to form a relatively closed mounting cavity. The top cover 6 is closed on the upper surface of the fixing ring 21 to seal the opening of the fixing ring 21.

[0019] Specifically, such as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the inner liner 2 has a liner body 22 including a resting part 221 at the top and a water storage part 222 at the bottom. The diameter of the resting part 221 is larger than the diameter of the water storage part 222. The ice basket 4 is placed in the resting part 221. The water storage part 222 is connected to the top water tank 5 through a water supply pipe.

[0020] Specifically, such as Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the ice-making mechanism 3 includes a cylindrical ice maker 31, a continuous spiral extrusion structure 32, an ice guide plate 33, and a cover plate 34. The continuous spiral extrusion structure 32 is sealed and joined to the lower end of the cylindrical ice maker 31 so that the two cooperate to form a water-filled cavity structure with a closed lower end. The cylindrical ice maker 31 includes a cylindrical body 311, an ice-making evaporator 312 spirally wound on the outer surface of the cylindrical body 311, and an ice outlet cap 313 provided at the upper end of the ice maker cylinder. The extrusion structure 32 includes a vertically rotatable screw 321 installed inside a cylinder 311 and a drive motor 322 for driving the screw 321 to rotate. The upper end of the screw 321 passes through the middle of the ice outlet cap 313 and extends to the top of the ice outlet cap 313. A spiral scraper 3211 is provided on the screw 321 corresponding to the rod body inside the cylinder 311. The ice outlet cap 313 is provided with a plurality of openings corresponding to the outer periphery of the screw 321 that correspond to the inner cavity of the cylinder 311. The ice outlet 3131 is connected to the upper end of the screw 321, and a "「"-shaped push rod 3212 is connected to it. The push rod 3212 is used to break the ice blocks extruded by the screw 321 inside the cylinder 311 and push them out of the ice outlet 3131. The ice guide plate 33 is installed in the C-shaped opening of the top water tank 5 and its shape is adapted to the shape of the C-shaped opening. The ice guide plate 33 includes a sleeve part 331 that fits onto the ice outlet end cap 313, and a front part connected to the sleeve part 331. The ice guide section 332 is arranged at a predetermined angle and tilted downwards. The end face of the sleeve section 331 is not higher than the ice outlet end face of the ice outlet end cover 313. The front end of the ice guide section 332 is engaged on the rear edge of the upper opening of the tank body 22. In this way, the ice block that is broken and pushed out by the push rod 3212 can slide directly into the ice basket 4 along the ice guide section 332. The cover plate 34 is used to cover the C-shaped opening of the top water tank 5. The cover plate 34 and the ice guide plate 33 cooperate to form an ice storage cavity.

[0021] Specifically, such as Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 6The bottom of the top water tank 5 is provided with a water inlet 51 for connection to the cylinder 311 of the ice-making mechanism 3, and a return outlet 52 for connection to the water storage section 222 of the tank body 22. The height of the water inlet 51 is lower than the height of the return outlet 52. At least one end of the C-shaped opening corresponding to the top water tank 5 is provided with an overflow outlet 53. The height of the overflow outlet 53 is higher than the height of the return outlet 52. The height of the ice outlet 3131 of the ice outlet cap 313 is higher than the height of the return outlet 52. And the height is not higher than the overflow end face of the overflow outlet 53; in this way, the water supply pump 7 in the water storage section 222 is continuously sent to the top water tank 5 until it overflows from the overflow outlet 53. In this way, the overflowing water can flow into the tank body 22 through the overflow outlet 53 and the ice outlet 3131 to achieve self-cleaning of the top water tank 5 and the ice making mechanism 3; preferably, a control float ball 54 is provided in the top water tank 5. The control float ball 54 controls the start and stop of the water supply pump 7 on the water supply pipe according to the water level in the top water tank 5, so as to ensure that the ice making mechanism 3 can continuously work normally to make ice.

[0022] Specifically, such as Figure 7 As shown, the top cover 6 includes a front cover 61 and a rear cover 62 that are rotatably connected. The rear cover 62 is connected to the rear snap-fit ​​of the fixing ring 21 to cover the rear annular hole of the fixing ring 21. The front cover 61 can be opened and closed at the front of the fixing ring 21 to cover the front annular hole of the fixing ring 21. Thus, by flipping the front cover 61, normal ice taking and water adding can be achieved. At the same time, by disassembling the rear cover 62, the top cover 6 can be completely disassembled to facilitate cleaning and maintenance of the ice maker's interior. Preferably, the inner surface of the rear cover 62 is provided with a water tank cover plate 621 for sealing the opening of the top water tank 5.

[0023] In the above scheme, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a vertically extending partition plate 11 is provided between the bottom of the housing 1 corresponding to the rear of the inner tube 22 and the fixing ring 21. Thus, the partition plate 11 divides the mounting cavity of the housing 1 into a front cavity and a rear cavity. The inner tube 22 is located in the front cavity, and the ice-making mechanism 3, compressor 8, and condenser 9 and other electrical components are installed in the rear cavity. Preferably, a horizontal partition plate 12 is provided in the rear cavity to divide the rear cavity into an upper cavity and a lower cavity. The ice-making mechanism 3 is located in the upper cavity and rests on the horizontal partition plate 12, and the compressor 8 and condenser 9 are installed in the lower cavity. This can achieve water and electricity separation, thereby ensuring the working stability and safety of the ice maker.

[0024] Compared with existing technologies, this invention has a simple and reasonable structure, effectively achieving water and electricity separation and ensuring the reliability of the ice maker. The ice-making mechanism is installed in the C-shaped opening of the top water tank, and the front ends of both are engaged with the rear edge of the inner tank's opening to fit into the ring hole of the fixing ring. This makes the overall layout more reasonable and compact, effectively reducing the overall size of the ice maker. The water level in the top water tank is basically level with the water level in the ice-making mechanism's cylinder. By controlling the water level in the top water tank, it can be ensured that the ice-making mechanism can always make ice normally, thus greatly simplifying the automatic water replenishment structure of the ice-making mechanism. Furthermore, the top cover and the fixing ring are detachable with a snap-fit ​​connection, which allows the top cover to be easily disassembled, facilitating the cleaning and maintenance of the inside of the ice maker.

[0025] The above-disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and any variations that can be conceived by those skilled in the art should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An extrusion ice-making machine, characterized in that, Includes the casing, inner liner, ice basket, ice-making mechanism, top water tank, and top cover; The inner liner includes a fixing ring and a liner body connected to the front annular opening of the fixing ring. The liner body includes an upper resting part and a lower water storage part. The ice basket is detachably installed in the resting part. The top water tank is a thin shell structure with an open top and a C-shaped cross-section. The top water tank is installed in the rear annular hole of the fixing ring with the C-shaped opening facing forward. The two ends of the C-shaped opening of the top water tank are engaged with the rear edge of the upper opening of the tank body. The inner walls of the rear and side sides of the rear annular hole of the fixing ring have structures for supporting the top water tank. The two ends of the C-shaped opening of the top water tank rest on the rear edge of the upper port of the tank body. The ice-making mechanism is installed in the C-shaped opening of the top water tank. The top water tank and the ice-making mechanism are connected by a water supply pipe. The water storage unit is connected to the top water tank by a water supply pipe, and a water supply pump is installed on the water supply pipe. The housing is a thin shell structure with an opening at the top, and the upper port of the housing is mated to the lower surface of the fixing ring to form a relatively closed cavity. The top cover has an openable closure on the retaining ring to seal the opening of the retaining ring.

2. The extrusion ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice-making mechanism includes a cylindrical ice maker and a continuous spiral extrusion structure. The continuous spiral extrusion structure is sealed and joined at the lower end of the cylindrical ice maker so that the two cooperate to form a water-filled cavity structure with a closed lower end. The cylindrical ice maker includes a cylinder, an ice-making evaporator spirally wound on the outer surface of the cylinder, and an ice outlet cap located at the upper port of the ice cylinder. The continuous spiral extrusion structure includes a vertically rotatable screw installed inside the cylinder and a drive motor for driving the screw to rotate. The upper end of the screw passes through the middle of the ice outlet cap and extends to the top of the ice outlet cap. A spiral scraper is provided on the screw corresponding to the rod body placed inside the cylinder. The ice outlet cap is provided with several ice outlets communicating with the inner cavity of the cylinder on the outer periphery of the screw. A "「"-shaped push rod is connected to the upper end of the screw. The push rod is used to break the ice blocks extruded by the screw inside the cylinder and push them out of the ice outlets.

3. The extrusion ice maker according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ice-making mechanism also includes an ice guide plate installed in the C-shaped opening of the top water tank and whose shape is adapted to the shape of the C-shaped opening. The ice guide plate includes a sleeve portion fitted onto the ice outlet end cap and an ice guide portion connected to the front end of the sleeve portion and arranged at a predetermined angle downwards. The end face of the sleeve portion is not higher than the end face of the ice outlet end cap, and the front end of the ice guide portion is engaged with the rear edge of the upper opening of the tank body.

4. The extrusion ice maker according to claim 3, characterized in that, The ice-making mechanism also includes a cover plate for sealing the C-shaped opening of the top water tank, and the cover plate and the ice guide plate cooperate to form an ice storage cavity.

5. An extrusion ice maker according to claim 2, 3, or 4, characterized in that, The bottom of the top water tank is provided with a water inlet for connecting to the cylinder of the ice-making mechanism and a return outlet for connecting to the water storage part of the tank. The height of the water inlet end face is lower than the height of the return outlet end face. An overflow outlet is provided at at least one end of the C-shaped opening corresponding to the top water tank, and the height of the overflow end face of the overflow outlet is higher than the height of the return end face of the return outlet.

6. An extrusion ice maker according to claim 5, characterized in that, The height of the ice outlet end face of the ice outlet cap is higher than the height of the return end face of the return port but not higher than the height of the overflow end face of the overflow port.

7. An extrusion ice maker according to claim 5, characterized in that, The top water tank is equipped with a control float, which controls the start and stop of the water supply pump on the water supply pipe according to the water level in the top water tank.

8. An extrusion ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top cover includes a front cover and a rear cover that are rotatably connected. The rear cover is snapped into the rear of the fixing ring to seal the rear annular hole of the fixing ring. The front cover is openable and disposed at the front of the fixing ring to seal the front annular hole of the fixing ring.

9. An extrusion ice maker according to claim 8, characterized in that, The inner surface of the rear cover is provided with a water tank cover plate for sealing the opening of the top water tank.

10. An extrusion ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, A vertically extending partition plate is provided between the bottom of the casing corresponding to the rear of the tube and the fixing ring.

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