Refrigerator, ice maker, and water injection control method

Abstract

The application discloses a refrigerator and a water injection control method of an ice maker of the refrigerator. The refrigerator is provided with a cabinet and an ice maker. The ice maker comprises a mold shell and a driving mechanism. After the ice maker is powered on, a preset water injection amount is k in response to a preset ice making instruction. In response to a first water injection control strategy, it is determined that there is water in the cavity, and no water injection step is performed. Ice making is performed according to a preset ice making time, and ice is removed after the ice making time. Then, in response to a second water injection control strategy, the water injection amount is 0.5k, ice making is performed according to the preset ice making time, and ice is removed after the ice making time. In the next ice making process, the water injection amount is k, and ice is removed after the ice making instruction is responded. The water injection control method can effectively avoid the situation that a user powers on again after power-off in any case, the water injection in the cavity of the ice maker will not overflow, and the ice making process is stable and reliable.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ice making control, in particular to a refrigerator, an ice maker and a water injection control method. BACKGROUND

[0002] The refrigerator is a household appliance that achieves the refrigeration and / or freezing of food through a refrigeration cycle. With the increasing diversification of user needs, the rapid production of ice cubes has become an important function of the refrigerator in addition to food preservation. Therefore, refrigerator products with ice makers are in great demand in the export high-end product market, and spherical ice is particularly popular in the market.

[0003] However, when the refrigerator is suddenly powered off and then powered on again, if the previous water injection in the ice making film cavity is more than half, the ice block can be successfully removed by the ice removal device which can contact the ice making film cavity and has a large deformation at this time; when the water injection in the ice making film cavity is less than half of the ice making film cavity, the deformation of the ice making film cavity is small, and the ice block is difficult to remove; if the water injection step is performed again after power-on, and if the water in the ice making film cavity is too much, water will overflow, which can cause the two molds to freeze or the ice blocks in the ice storage chamber to be hardened by the overflowing water. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a refrigerator, an ice maker and a water injection control method, which can effectively prevent the overflow caused by excessive water injection when the ice maker is powered on again after power-off, so as to cause the mold to freeze or the ice blocks in the ice storage chamber to be hardened by the overflowing water.

[0005] Therefore, according to the embodiments of the present application, a refrigerator is provided, which comprises:

[0006] a cabinet, wherein an ice making cavity is defined in the cabinet;

[0007] an ice maker, wherein the ice maker is arranged in the ice making cavity, and the ice maker comprises:

[0008] a mold shell, wherein the mold shell has a water inlet, and the mold shell comprises a plurality of sub-mold shells;

[0009] a driving mechanism;

[0010] a controller;

[0011] The controller is configured to:

[0012] after the ice maker is powered on, in response to a preset ice making instruction, a preset water injection amount is k;

[0013] after the first water injection control strategy is responded to, ice making is performed according to the preset ice making time, and ice removal is performed after the ice making time;

[0014] after the second water injection control strategy is responded to, ice making is performed according to the preset ice making time, and ice removal is performed after the ice making time;

[0015] Subsequently, the water injection amount is k in each ice making process, and ice is removed after responding to the preset ice making instruction.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first water injection control strategy is that water is in the cavity by default, and the water injection step is not performed.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second water injection control strategy is that the water injection amount is 0.5k.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of sub-molds comprises a first sub-mold and a second sub-mold; the first sub-mold comprises a first shell part and a first mold part; the second sub-mold comprises a second shell part and a second mold part; the first mold part and the second mold part are made of a food-grade silica gel material that can be deformed under an external force.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of sub-molds are configured to realize the conversion between the separated state and the folded state under the driving of the driving motor, at least one of the sub-molds is away from each other in the separated state, and at least one of the sub-molds is close to each other to be folded in the folded state.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first sub-mold is movable, and a first ejector rod is arranged on a side of the first sub-mold away from the second sub-mold; or the second sub-mold is movable, and a second ejector rod is arranged on a side of the second sub-mold away from the first sub-mold.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving mechanism further comprises the first ejector rod and the second ejector rod.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first sub-mold or the second sub-mold is demolded, the first ejector rod can eject the ice in the first mold part when the first sub-mold moves to a first predetermined position; or the second ejector rod can eject the ice in the second mold part when the second sub-mold moves to a second predetermined position.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the refrigerator and the ice maker thereof have the following beneficial effects:

[0024] The refrigerator and the ice maker thereof according to the embodiment of the present disclosure respond to the first water injection control strategy by default, that is, water is in the cavity, and the water injection step is not performed, and ice is made according to the preset ice making time, and then ice is removed when the ice making time is up; subsequently, the second water injection control strategy is responded to, that is, the water injection amount is 0.5k, ice is made according to the preset ice making time, and then ice is removed when the ice making time is up; and then, the water injection amount is k in each ice making process, and ice is removed after responding to the preset ice making instruction.

[0025] The water injection control method can effectively avoid the situation that the user powers on again after power off in any case, whether there is water and ice left in the ice making cavity after the last ice making, and the water injection in the ice making cavity will not overflow after the ice maker is powered on again, which can ensure the stable and reliable operation of the ice making process and provide a good user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 Structure diagram of a refrigerator door body in an open state according to some embodiments;

[0027] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a cold air supply device of a refrigerator according to some embodiments;

[0028] Figure 3 Structure diagram of an ice maker according to some embodiments;

[0029] Figure 4 Structure diagram of an ice maker in a closed state according to some embodiments;

[0030] Figure 5 Structure diagram of an ice maker in a separated state according to some embodiments;

[0031] Figure 6 Exploded view of an ice maker shell and mold according to some embodiments;

[0032] Figure 7 Water injection control flowchart of an ice maker according to some embodiments.

[0033] Refrigerator 10; base 100; upper side plate 101; opening 1011; ice maker 1001; left side plate 102; right side plate 103; front side plate 104; horizontal partition plate 11; upper storage compartment 12; lower storage compartment 13; controller 14; cold air supply device 20; compressor 21; condenser 22; expansion device 23; evaporator 24; door body 30; shell 200; first shell portion 210; first groove 211; first through hole 212; second shell portion 220; second groove 221; second through hole 222; avoidance opening 250; water injection assembly 300; water inlet 301; water passage hole 302; first mold portion 310; first recess 311; first combination portion 312; second mold portion 320; second recess 321; second combination portion 322; mold shell 400; first sub-mold shell 401; second sub-mold shell 402; first ejector pin 410; second ejector pin 420; first heating mechanism 430; second heating mechanism 440; drive mechanism 500; motor 510; water tank 600; water distribution opening 601; water distribution pipe 602. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The specific embodiments of the present application will be further described with the following drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate the present application, but not to limit the scope of the present application. Obviously, the described examples are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments. Based on the examples in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work shall fall within the scope of the present application.

[0035] It should be understood that the terms "first", "second" and the like in the present application are used to describe various information, but these information should not be limited to these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other. For example, the "first" information can also be referred to as "second" information, and similarly, the "second" information can also be referred to as "first" information without departing from the scope of the present application.

[0036] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected", "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or integrally connected; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be connected inside two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0037] It should be noted that the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict. The present application will be further explained and described below in combination with the drawings and specific embodiments of the present application. For the step numbers in the embodiments of the present application, they are only set for the purpose of convenient explanation and description, and the order between the steps is not limited in any way, and the execution order of each step in the embodiments can be adaptively adjusted according to the understanding of those skilled in the art.

[0038] In describing some embodiments, "coupled" and "connected", and their derivatives, can be used. For example, the term "connected" can be used to describe some embodiments to indicate that two or more components have direct physical or electrical contact with each other. For another example, the term "coupled" can be used to describe some embodiments to indicate that two or more components have direct physical or electrical contact. However, the term "coupled" or "communicatively coupled" can also mean that two or more components have no direct contact with each other, but still cooperate or interact with each other. The embodiments disclosed herein are not necessarily limited by the content herein.

[0039] The side of the refrigerator 1 facing the user during use is defined as the front side, and the side opposite to it is defined as the rear side.

[0040] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a refrigerator 1, such as Figure 1and Figure 2 As shown, the refrigerator 1 includes a cabinet 100 , an ice maker 200 , a water injection assembly 300 and an ice removal assembly 400 .

[0041] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The refrigerator 1 includes a housing 10, a cold air supply device 20, and a door 30. The housing 10 includes a storage compartment, the cold air supply device 20 is configured to cool the storage compartment, and the door 30 is configured to open and close the storage compartment.

[0042] The cold air supply device 20 cools the storage room by exchanging heat with the outside of the cabinet 10. Figure 2 As shown, the cold air supply device 20 includes a compressor 21, a condenser 22, an expansion device 23 and an evaporator 24, and circulates the refrigerant in the order of the compressor 21, the condenser 22, the expansion device 23, the evaporator 24 and the compressor 21 to cool the storage room.

[0043] For example, the evaporator 24 may be arranged to contact the outer wall of the storage chamber to directly cool the storage chamber. In some embodiments, the cold air supply device 20 may further include a circulation fan to circulate the air in the storage chamber through the evaporator 24 and the circulation fan.

[0044] The box body 10 includes a transverse partition plate 11 provided at the middle position of the box body 10 in the height direction. Figure 1 In the up and down direction, the horizontal partition plate 11 is along Figure 1 The approximate position of the horizontal partition plate 11 is shown in FIG. Figure 1 . The storage chamber is divided into an upper storage chamber 12 and a lower storage chamber 13 by a transverse partition 11. In some embodiments, the upper storage chamber 12 functions as a freezer for storing food in a frozen mode, while the lower storage chamber 13 functions as a refrigerator for storing food in a refrigerated mode. In other embodiments, the upper storage chamber 12 functions as a refrigerator for storing food in a refrigerated mode, while the lower storage chamber 13 functions as a freezer for storing food in a frozen mode.

[0045] In addition, the refrigerator 1 may further include an ice maker 1001, so that the refrigerator 1 has an ice making function, and ice cubes or ice water can be provided to the user through the ice maker 1001. In some embodiments, the ice maker 1001 is directly arranged in the freezer compartment, and in this case, the freezer compartment is the ice making chamber. Figure 1 1 shows an example in which the ice maker 1001 is disposed in the upper storage chamber 12 (i.e., the freezer compartment). Alternatively, an independent ice making chamber is defined by an insulation board in the refrigerator compartment or the freezer compartment, and the ice maker 1001 is disposed in the ice making chamber.

[0046] The door 30 is pivotally connected to the box body 10 to rotate to open or close the storage chamber. For example, the door 30 can be hinged at the front end of the box body 10. Figure 1 Four door bodies 30 are shown in FIG.

[0047] See also Figure 3 The ice maker 1001 includes a base 100 , a mold 400 (including a shell 200 and a mold body 300 ), and a driving mechanism 500 .

[0048] The base 100 is configured to be connected to the ice making chamber. Figure 4 As shown, the base 100 includes a plurality of side panels, for example, the plurality of side panels include an upper side panel 101, a left side panel 102, a right side panel 103, a front side panel 104, and a rear side panel. The left side panel 102 and the right side panel 103 are opposite to each other in the left-right direction, and the front side panel 104 and the rear side panel are opposite to each other in the front-back direction. The upper side panel 101 is located above the left side panel 102, the right side panel 103, the front side panel 104, and the rear side panel. The upper, front, rear, left, and right directions mentioned in some embodiments of the present disclosure are defined for the purpose of clearly describing the structure. In actual settings, the base 100 is not limited to the upper, front, rear, left, and right directions. Figure 3 The front-to-back direction is shown within the ice making chamber.

[0049] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 、 Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, mold shell 400 includes a first sub-mold shell 401 and a second sub-mold shell 402. First sub-mold shell 401 and second sub-mold shell 402 are switchable between a separated state and a closed state. In the closed state, first sub-mold shell 401 and second sub-mold shell 402 enclose a mold cavity, which is shaped like an ice cube. The shape of the mold cavity can be adaptively designed according to user needs, for example, the mold cavity can be designed into a spherical shape, a diamond-faced spherical shape, or a polyhedron shape, etc.

[0050] In some embodiments, the first sub-mold 401 and the second sub-mold 402 are movable so that the first sub-mold 401 and the second sub-mold 402 can be switched between a separated state and a closed state. In the separated state, the first sub-mold 401 and the second sub-mold 402 move away from each other; in the closed state, the first sub-mold 401 and the second sub-mold 402 move toward each other until they are closed.

[0051] Figure 3 、 Figure 4 The first sub-mold 401 and the second sub-mold 402 are shown in a closed state. Figure 5 The first sub-mold 401 and the second sub-mold 402 are shown in a separated state.

[0052] The shell 400 includes a plurality of sub-shells. The shell 400 including the first sub-shell 401 and the second sub-shell 402 is similar to the above-described shell 400, and thus details are not repeated here.

[0053] In some embodiments, the shell 400 includes the housing 200 and the mold body 300.

[0054] As shown in Figure 3 and Figure 6 , the housing 200 includes a first housing portion 210 and a second housing portion 220 arranged opposite to each other. For example, the first housing portion 210 and the second housing portion 220 are arranged opposite to each other in the MN direction shown in Figure 6 , the first housing portion 210 is located at the M side of the housing 200, and the second housing portion 220 is located at the N side of the housing 200. The MN direction corresponds to the right-left direction of the housing 200. The inner wall of the first housing portion 210 is provided with a first inner cavity 212 (see Figure 6 ). The second housing portion 220 is provided with a second inner cavity arranged opposite to the first inner cavity 212. The second inner cavity can have a similar structure to the first inner cavity 212. The first housing portion 210 and the second housing portion 220 are convertible between a separated state and a folded state. In the folded state, the first housing portion 210 and the second housing portion 220 are folded to form an inner cavity, which is defined by the first inner cavity 212 and the second inner cavity.

[0055] Referring to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the mold body 300 is arranged in the inner cavity. The mold body 300 includes a first mold portion 310 and a second mold portion 320.

[0056] The first mold portion 310 is connected to the first housing portion 210 so that the first mold portion 310 moves with the first housing portion 210. For example, the first mold portion 310 is arranged at the first inner cavity 212 of the first housing portion 210. The first mold portion 310 has a first recessed cavity 311 (see Figure 6 ) and can move with the first housing portion 210. The first recessed cavity 311 is located on the side of the first mold portion 310 facing the second mold portion 320.

[0057] The second mold portion 320 is connected to the second housing portion 220 so that the second mold portion 320 is fixed relative to the second housing portion 220. For example, the second mold portion 320 is arranged at the second inner cavity of the second housing portion 220. The second mold portion 320 has a second recessed cavity 321 (see Figure 6), the second cavity 321 is located on the side of the second mold part 320 facing the first mold part 310 and can move with the second shell part 220. The first mold part 310 and the second mold part 320 can be converted between a separated state and a folded state, in which the first mold part 310 and the second mold part 320 enclose a mold cavity when folded, and the mold cavity is defined by the first cavity 311 and the second cavity 321.

[0058] Referring to Figure 6 , the first shell part 210 is provided with a first port groove 211 located on the side of the first shell part 210 close to the second shell part 220, and the second shell part 220 is provided with a second port groove 221 located on the side of the second shell part 220 close to the first shell part 210. When the first shell part 210 and the second shell part 220 are in the folded state, the first port groove 211 and the second port groove 221 form a bypass port 250 around the outer periphery of the water inlet 301 when folded, and the water inlet 301 is located in the bypass port 250.

[0059] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 6 , the edge of the first cavity 311 of the first mold part 310 is provided with a first joint part 312 (not shown in the figure), and the edge of the second cavity 321 of the second mold part 320 is provided with a second joint part 322 (not shown in the figure), and the second joint part 322 is configured to be matched with the first joint part 312.

[0060] For example, one of the first joint part 312 and the second joint part 322 is a protruding rib, and the other one is a groove matched with the protruding rib. In this way, through the matching of the first joint part 312 and the second joint part 322, the mold closing degree of the first mold part 310 and the second mold part 320 is improved, and the appearance of the ice block is improved, so that the situation that the ice block has a flange at the joint of the first mold part 310 and the second mold part 320 and the appearance of the ice block is affected can be effectively avoided.

[0061] The shape of the mold cavity is the shape of the ice block to be made, and the mold cavity can be designed according to the user's needs, which can be designed into a spherical shape, a diamond-faced spherical shape, or a polyhedron, etc. In some embodiments, at least one of the first mold part 310 and the second mold part 320 is configured to be deformable under an external force. For example, the first mold part 310 and the second mold part 320 are both made of a food-grade silicone material that is deformable under an external force.

[0062] Referring to Figure 4The mold body 300 has a water inlet 301 (not shown in the figure) communicating with the mold cavity. The upper side plate 101 has an opening 1011 formed at a position corresponding to the water inlet 301. An external water pipe is adapted to pass through the opening 1011 and be connected to the water inlet 301 to inject water into the mold cavity. For example, the opening 1011 is formed as a rectangular through hole penetrating the upper side plate 101 in the thickness direction.

[0063] In some embodiments, the mold body 300 includes a plurality of mold cavities, Figure 3 An example in which the mold body 300 includes three mold cavities, each including a water inlet 301, is shown. The ice maker 1001 includes a water tank 600. The water tank 600 is arranged above the housing 200 and includes a water distribution pipe 602 and a water distribution opening 601 corresponding to each water inlet 301. The water distribution pipe 602 (not shown in the figure) is arranged at the water distribution opening 601 to communicate with the water inlet 301. Referring to Figure 4 The water tank 600 is fixed to the base 100, and the opening 1011 is arranged at a position of the upper side plate 101 corresponding to the water tank 600. The plurality of mold cavities can increase the single ice making amount of the ice maker 1001. The water tank 600 with the water distribution opening 601 can improve the water injection efficiency, thereby effectively improving the ice making efficiency.

[0064] In other embodiments, the plurality of mold cavities are connected by a water passage hole 302 (not shown in the figure). For example, the mold body 300 includes three mold cavities, and adjacent two mold cavities are connected by the water passage hole 302. The water injected into the mold cavities can flow in different mold cavities, so that the water amount in each mold cavity tends to be equal, which is beneficial to reducing the weight difference of the ice cubes.

[0065] Since the single water injection amount is constant during ice making, if water leaks during water injection, the water amount entering the mold cavity decreases, and the weight of the ice cubes produced will be less than the preset ice cube weight, resulting in a decrease in the integrity of the ice cubes. In some embodiments, the water inlet 301 is formed in a closed shape, as shown in Figure 6 For example, the structure defining the water inlet 301 is a ring structure, and the inner side of the ring structure defines the water inlet 301, which is an example of a funnel shape. Through the closed-shaped water inlet 301, water leakage can be avoided, thereby better ensuring the integrity of the ice cubes.

[0066] As shown in Figure 6 The first sub-mold shell 401 includes a first shell portion 210 and a first mold portion 310. The driving mechanism 500 includes at least one of a first ejector rod 410 or a second ejector rod 420. The first ejector rod 410 or the second ejector rod 420 is arranged one-to-one corresponding to the mold cavities.

[0067] Referring to Figure 2 and Figure 4, the first top rod 410 is located at a first predetermined distance from the second shell part 220 on the back side of the first shell part 210, the first top rod 410 can be fixed on the left side plate 102, the back of the first shell part 210 is provided with a first through hole 212, the first through hole 212 is arranged on the back of the first shell part 210. The first through hole 212 matches the first top rod 410. For example, Figure 6 In the first shell part 210, the first shell part 210 includes a first through hole 212, and the first shell part 210 is provided with a first top rod 410 at a first predetermined distance from the M side, Figure 5 In the first top rod 410, the first top rod 410 passes through the through hole 212.

[0068] The driving mechanism 500 also includes a second top rod 420, the second top rod 420 is located at a second predetermined distance from the first shell part 210 on the back side of the second shell part 220, the second top rod 420 can be fixed on the right side plate 103, the back of the second shell part 220 is provided with a second through hole 222 (refer to Figure 4 ), the second through hole 222 matches the second top rod 420.

[0069] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 4 , the side end face of the first top rod 410 adjacent to the first mold part 310 matches the profile surface of the first cavity of the first mold part 310, and the side end face of the second top rod 420 adjacent to the second mold part 320 matches the profile surface of the second cavity of the second mold part 320. In this way, the first top rod 410 is more closely attached to the first mold part 310 to effectively deform the first mold part 310, and the second top rod 420 is more closely attached to the second mold part 320 to effectively deform the second mold part 320, so that the ice blocks in the first mold part 310 and the second mold part 320 are demolded.

[0070] The driving mechanism 500 is also configured to drive the first sub-mold shell 401 and the second sub-mold shell 402 to move. For example, the driving mechanism 500 is configured to drive the first shell part 210 or the second shell part 220 to move open and close, so that the first shell part 210 or the second shell part 220 separates or closes, the first mold part 310 moves with the first shell part 210, or the second mold part 320 moves with the second shell part 220, Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the first shell part 210 and the second shell part 220 are in the closed state, Figure 5 In the first shell part 10 and the second shell part 220 are in the separated state, and the structure schematic diagram.

[0071] During the actual ice-making process, when the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 are separated, ice cubes may adhere to the first mold 310 or the second mold 320. In some embodiments, during demolding, the driving mechanism 500 drives the first shell 210 to a first predetermined position, and the first push rod 410 passes through the first through hole 212 and pushes against the first mold 310, causing the first mold 310 to deform. Simultaneously, the driving mechanism 500 drives the second shell 220 to a second predetermined position, and the second push rod 420 passes through the second through hole 222 and pushes against the second mold 320, causing the second mold 320 to deform. In other embodiments, during demolding, only one side's first push rod 410 or second push rod 420 passes through the first through hole 212 or the second through hole 222 and pushes against the first mold 310 or the second mold 320.

[0072] For example, Figure 5 As shown, the drive mechanism 500 drives the first shell 210 to move toward the first push rod 410 to a first predetermined position, so that the first push rod 410 passes through the first through hole 212 and pushes against the first mold 310, causing the first mold 310 to deform under force, thereby releasing the ice cubes in the first mold 310. Furthermore, the drive mechanism 500 drives the second shell 220 to move toward the second push rod 420 to a second predetermined position, so that the second push rod 420 passes through the second through hole 222 and pushes against the second mold 320, causing the second mold 320 to deform under force, thereby releasing the ice cubes in the second mold 320. In other embodiments, the drive mechanism 500 only drives the components on one side to move to release the ice cubes.

[0073] In some embodiments, during the actual ice-making process, when the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 are separated, ice cubes may adhere to the first mold 310 or the second mold 320. The solution of the present application can therefore eject all ice cubes located in the first mold 310 or the second mold 320, allowing the ice cubes to fall into the ice storage box of the refrigerator 1 for users to take out, with a better demolding effect.

[0074] The present application proposes a refrigerator 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, which includes an ice maker 1001, and the ice maker 1001 has an ice making grid. The ice making grid includes a first sub-mold 401 and a second sub-mold 402. The first sub-mold 401 and the second sub-mold 402 are both movable so that the first sub-mold 401 and the second sub-mold 402 can be converted between a separated state and a closed state. The two molds that move open and close, the ice maker 1001 is suitable for making ice cubes of special shapes that require mold cooperation to form, such as spherical ice cubes or polyhedral ice cubes.

[0075] And, the first sub-mold 401 is movable, and the first sub-mold 401 is provided with a first ejector rod 410 on the side away from the second sub-mold 402 at the back of the two molds respectively, and the second sub-mold 402 is movable, and the second sub-mold 402 is provided with a second ejector rod 420 on the side away from the first sub-mold 401. When the two molds are moved to the first predetermined position respectively, the first ejector rod 410 can eject the large ice block in the first mold part 310 of the mold on either side; when the second sub-mold 402 is moved to the second predetermined position, the second ejector rod 420 can eject the ice block in the second mold part 320.

[0076] In some embodiments of the present application, two sets of driving mechanisms 500 can be used to control the first shell part 210 and the second shell part 220 respectively. When at least one of the two molds is moved to a predetermined position during the ice ejection operation, the ejector rod corresponding to the mold can eject the large ice block in the mold part corresponding to the mold.

[0077] In some embodiments, specifically, the driving mechanism 500 is configured to drive the first sub-mold 401 to move, and the second sub-mold 402 is fixed. For example, the driving mechanism 500 is configured to drive the first shell part 210 to move, so that the first shell part 210 is separated from the second shell part 220 which is fixed or is folded to open and close, and the first mold part 310 moves with the first shell part 210, and the second mold part 320 is fixed relative to the second shell part 220.

[0078] In some embodiments of the present application, the same set of driving mechanisms 500 can be used to control the opening and closing movement of the first shell part 210 and the second shell part 220, and the opening and closing movement of the first shell part 210 and the second shell part 220 can at least include translation or rotation.

[0079] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 2 The end surface of the first ejector rod 410 matches the profile surface of the first mold part 310, and the end surface of the second ejector rod 420 matches the profile surface of the second mold part 320, which facilitates the ejector rod to be more closely attached to the mold part, so that the mold part is effectively deformed, thereby making the ice block in the mold part be ejected.

[0080] In some embodiments of the present application, the mold body can have a plurality of mold cavities, such as the example shown in the figure, which has three mold cavities, and each mold cavity is provided with a water inlet 301. The upper part of the shell body is provided with a water tank 600, and the water tank 600 has a water distribution port 601 corresponding to each water inlet 301, and a water distribution pipe can be extended at the water distribution port 601 and communicated with the water inlet 301. Referring to Figure 1The water tank 600 can be fixed on the base 100, and the upper side plate 101 is provided with an opening at a position corresponding to the water tank 600. The multi-cavity structure increases the single-ice-making capacity of the ice maker, and the water tank 600 provided with the water outlet 601 can help improve the water injection efficiency, thereby effectively improving the ice-making efficiency.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present application, the water inlet 301 is annular, preferably funnel-shaped, and is formed on the first mold part 310 or the second mold part 320. The present application changes the water inlet 301 from a two-half-molded mode to a separately molded mode on one of the mold parts, which can avoid water leakage from the joint line of the water inlet 301 to the outside of the mold cavity during water injection, causing mold adhesion, making it difficult to separate the first mold part 310 and the second mold part 320 during subsequent demolding, resulting in an uneven demolding process. Moreover, since the single water injection amount during ice making is constant, if water leaks during water injection, the amount of water entering the mold cavity decreases, the ice cubes produced are smaller than expected, and the ice cube integrity is reduced. The annular water inlet 301 of the present application can avoid water leakage, thereby better ensuring the integrity of the ice cubes.

[0082] Taking the example that the first mold part 310 moves with the first shell part 210 and the second mold part 320 is fixed relative to the second shell part 220, when preparing to inject water to make ice, the first sub-mold shell 401 and the second sub-mold shell 402 are in a folded state, and the water in the water tank 600 is injected into the spherical cavity formed by the first mold part 310 and the second mold part 320 through the water inlet 301. When the water injection in the cavity exceeds half, and after a predetermined ice-making time, the ice is removed, the first mold part 310 deforms greatly when the first sub-mold shell 401 is driven to move by the driving mechanism 500, thereby smoothly removing the ice; when the water injection in the cavity is less, i.e., less than half of the cavity capacity, the first mold part 310 deforms less when the first sub-mold shell 401 is driven to move by the driving mechanism 500, and the ice is difficult to remove. When the water injection and ice-making step is performed again after being powered on again, if there is ice that has not been removed in the ice-making cavity at this time, water will overflow from the water inlet 301, which can easily cause the first mold part 310 and the second mold part 320 to freeze together during ice making, or the overflow water can cause the ice in the ice storage chamber to be hardened.

[0083] Therefore, water injection control is particularly important for ice makers and is an important link affecting the performance of ice makers.

[0084] In normal operation, when the first sub-mold 401 and the second sub-mold 402 are closed, water is injected into the cavity according to the preset pulse of the flow meter, and the injection of water is stopped after the target pulse number is reached. When the power is suddenly cut off or unplugged, there may be no water in the cavity, or there may be water, and the amount of water cannot be guaranteed. If the normal water injection is performed again after the power is turned on, it is likely to overflow. Therefore, it is usually set that there is water in the cavity during the first ice making cycle after the ice maker is powered on, and the ice is removed after the ice making is completed. However, if the water in the cavity is less during the first time, the ice removal cannot be completed, and the ice blocks remain in the cavity, and the subsequent water injection will cause the water to overflow into the ice storage room.

[0085] When the power is suddenly cut off or unplugged, there may be no water in the cavity, or there may be an uncertain amount of water. If the normal water injection is performed during the first ice making process after the ice maker is powered on, it is likely to cause the water in the cavity to overflow.

[0086] As a preferred embodiment, refer to Figure 7 is a flowchart of the work performed by the controller in a preferred embodiment of the application. The refrigerator 10 further comprises a controller 14; the controller 14 is connected with the water injection assembly 300, the water injection assembly 300 and the driving mechanism 500 respectively, and the controller 14 is used to execute steps S11 to S14:

[0087] S11, after the ice maker is powered on, a preset water injection amount k is set in response to a preset ice making instruction;

[0088] S12, after the first water injection control strategy is responded, ice making is performed according to the preset ice making time, and ice is removed after the ice making time is reached;

[0089] S13, after the second water injection control strategy is responded, ice making is performed according to the preset ice making time, and ice is removed after the ice making time is reached;

[0090] S14, the water injection amount is k during each subsequent ice making process, and ice is removed after the preset ice making instruction is responded.

[0091] By the water injection control method, the first water injection amount control strategy and the second water injection amount control strategy are adopted when the power is turned on for the first time. The water injection control method can effectively avoid the power being turned on again after the power is cut off in any case, so as to ensure that the water injection amount will not overflow, and the ice making process can be stably and reliably operated.

[0092] When the ice maker is powered on for the first time, the first ice making process after the ice maker is powered on for the first time is entered. The first shell part 210 drives the first mold part 310 to combine, and the ice making cavity is formed between the first mold part 310 and the second mold part 320. The first water injection amount control is adopted after power-on. The first water injection amount control is that the cavity is confirmed to have water by default, and no water injection operation is performed. It is equivalent to that the ice maker directly starts the ice making instruction after the first mold part 310 and the second mold part 320 are confirmed to be combined. The ice making time is according to the default time set by the system. When the ice making operation reaches the default time, the ice making is completed. The driving mechanism 500 is configured to drive the first shell part 210 to move, so that the first shell part 210 is separated from the second shell part 220 which is fixed to form opening and closing. The first mold part 310 moves with the first shell part 210, and the second mold part 320 is fixed relative to the second shell part 220. The driving mechanism 500 drives the first shell part 210 to move towards the first top rod 410 to the first predetermined position, so that the first top rod 410 penetrates through the first through hole 212 to top the first mold part 310, and the first mold part 310 is deformed under force. The ice block in the first mold part 310 is demolded, and the ice demolding action is completed.

[0093] After the first ice making process after the ice maker is powered on for the first time is completed, the ice demolding, the ice maker enters the second ice making process after the ice maker is powered on for the first time. After the ice demolding action of the first ice making process is completed, the driving mechanism 500 drives the first shell part 210 to move, so that the first shell part 210 combines with the second shell part 220 which is fixed. The first mold part 310 moves with the first shell part 210, and the second mold part 320 is fixed relative to the second shell part 220. The ice making cavity is formed between the first mold part 310 and the second mold part 320.

[0094] Then, the water injection step of the second ice making process after power-on is performed. The water injection amount control injects water into the cavity at half of the total water amount of the cavity. Specifically, the preset normal water injection amount is k, and the water injection amount of the second ice making process after power-on is 0.5k, so as to ensure that the water in the cavity does not overflow after being injected again. After the water injection is completed, the ice maker starts the ice making command. The ice making time is according to the default time set by the system. When the ice making operation reaches the default time, the ice making is completed. The driving mechanism 500 drives the first shell part 210 to move again, so that the first shell part 210 is separated from the second shell part 220 which is fixed to form opening and closing. The first mold part 310 moves with the first shell part 210, and the second mold part 320 is fixed relative to the second shell part 220. The driving mechanism 500 drives the first shell part 210 to move towards the first top rod 410 to the first predetermined position, so that the first top rod 410 penetrates through the first through hole 212 to top the first mold part 310, and the first mold part 310 is deformed under force. The ice block in the first mold part 310 is demolded, and the ice demolding action of the second ice making process after power-on is completed.

[0095] The second water injection step injects 0.5k of water, which can ensure that the water in the ice-making cavity does not overflow and that all the ice in the cavity can be removed during the ice removal operation, so that the ice is not left in the cavity due to insufficient water in the cavity.

[0096] The ice maker can perform the water injection operation in the subsequent ice-making process according to the normal water injection amount k, and perform the normal ice-making and ice removal steps.

[0097] The above water injection control method can effectively avoid the situation that the user powers on again after power off, and can prevent the water in the cavity of the ice maker from overflowing, so that the ice-making process can be stably and reliably operated.

[0098] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "middle", "vertical", "horizontal", "transverse", "longitudinal", "X-axis direction", "Y-axis direction", "Z-axis direction" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only used to facilitate the description of the present application and simplify the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, the above-mentioned part of the terms can be used to represent other meanings in addition to the orientation or positional relationship, for example, the term "upper" can also be used to represent a certain dependent relationship or connection relationship in some cases. For ordinary skilled persons in the art, the specific meaning of these terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0099] The above-mentioned is only the preferred embodiment of the present application, and it should be pointed out that for ordinary skilled persons in the art, several improvements and replacements can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present application, and these improvements and replacements should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A refrigerator characterized by comprising: The ice maker comprises: a box body, an ice making cavity being defined in the box body; an ice maker arranged in the ice making cavity, the ice maker comprising: a mold shell having a water inlet, the mold shell comprising a plurality of sub-mold shells; a driving mechanism; a controller; the controller is configured to: after the ice maker is powered on, in response to a preset ice making instruction, a preset water injection amount is k; the preset ice making instruction comprises: after responding to a first water injection control strategy, ice making is performed according to a preset ice making time, and ice is removed after the ice making time is up; after responding to a second water injection control strategy, ice making is performed according to the preset ice making time, and ice is removed after the ice making time is up; in a subsequent ice making process, a water injection amount of k is injected into the cavity, and normal ice making and ice removing steps are performed; the first water injection control strategy is that there is water in the default cavity, and no water injection step is performed; the second water injection control strategy is that the water injection amount is 0.5k.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, the plurality of sub-mold shells comprise a first sub-mold shell and a second sub-mold shell; the first sub-mold shell comprises a first shell part and a first mold part; the second sub-mold shell comprises a second shell part and a second mold part; the first mold part and the second mold part are made of a food-grade silicone material that can deform under an external force.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of sub-mold shells are configured to realize conversion between a separated state and a folded state under the driving of the driving motor; in the separated state, at least one of the sub-mold shells is away from each other; in the folded state, at least one of the sub-mold shells is close to each other to be folded.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the first sub-mold shell is movable, and a first ejector rod is arranged on a side of the first sub-mold shell away from the second sub-mold shell; or the second sub-mold shell is movable, and a second ejector rod is arranged on a side of the second sub-mold shell away from the first sub-mold shell.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the driving mechanism further comprises the first ejector rod and the second ejector rod.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein when the first sub-mold shell or the second sub-mold shell is demolded, the first ejector rod can eject the ice in the first mold part when the first sub-mold shell moves to a first predetermined position; or the second ejector rod can eject the ice in the second mold part when the second sub-mold shell moves to a second predetermined position.

7. A method for controlling water injection of an ice maker, characterized in that: the ice maker is located in a refrigerator, and the refrigerator comprises: a box body, an ice making cavity being defined in the box body; an ice maker arranged in the ice making cavity, the ice maker comprising: a mold shell having a water inlet, the mold shell comprising a plurality of sub-mold shells; a driving mechanism; a controller; the controller is configured to: after the ice maker is powered on, in response to a preset ice making instruction, a preset water injection amount is k; the preset ice making instruction comprises: after responding to a first water injection control strategy, ice making is performed according to a preset ice making time, and ice is removed after the ice making time is up; after responding to a second water injection control strategy, ice making is performed according to the preset ice making time, and ice is removed after the ice making time is up; in a subsequent ice making process, a water injection amount of k is injected into the cavity, and normal ice making and ice removing steps are performed.

8. The ice maker water filling control method of claim 7, wherein, The plurality of sub-molds comprises a first sub-mold and a second sub-mold; the first sub-mold comprises a first shell part and a first mold part; the second sub-mold comprises a second shell part and a second mold part; the first mold part and the second mold part are made of a food-grade silica gel material that can be deformed under external force; the plurality of sub-molds are configured to be driven by a driving motor to realize the conversion between a separated state and a folded state; in the separated state, at least one of the sub-molds is away from each other; in the folded state, at least one of the sub-molds is close to each other to be folded; the first sub-mold is movable, and a first ejector rod is arranged on a side of the first sub-mold away from the second sub-mold; or the second sub-mold is movable, and a second ejector rod is arranged on a side of the second sub-mold away from the first sub-mold; when the first sub-mold or the second sub-mold is demolded, the first ejector rod can eject the ice block in the first mold part when the first sub-mold moves to a first predetermined position; or the second ejector rod can eject the ice block in the second mold part when the second sub-mold moves to a second predetermined position.

Images