Refrigerators and ice makers

Abstract

This application relates to a refrigerator and an ice maker. The refrigerator includes: a cabinet with an ice storage cavity; a water outlet assembly installed in the cabinet for spraying cleaning liquid into the ice storage cavity; and a stirring assembly movably mounted on the cabinet, which agitates the cleaning liquid within the ice storage cavity during its movement. The refrigerator sprays cleaning liquid into the ice storage cavity via the water outlet assembly and then agitates the liquid within the cavity via the stirring assembly, allowing the cleaning liquid to flow within the ice storage cavity. This not only increases the coverage area of ​​the cleaning liquid within the ice storage cavity but also enables repeated cleaning, improving the cleaning effect and effectively removing residual impurities and preventing microbial growth. Furthermore, compared to traditional refrigerators, the refrigerator can achieve self-cleaning through the water outlet assembly and the stirring assembly, effectively preventing contamination of the stored ice.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of ice maker technology, and in particular to a refrigerator and an ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] Ice makers, as a device for producing ice, are widely used in various industries. An ice maker is a refrigeration device that uses a refrigeration system to exchange heat between liquid water and the refrigerant in the system, thereby cooling the liquid water to form solid ice.

[0003] After each use, ice makers need to be thoroughly cleaned to prevent debris or bacteria from remaining inside. However, most ice makers' self-cleaning functions only clean the evaporator or water tank, not the refrigerator itself. If the refrigerator isn't cleaned for a long time, microorganisms and scale can easily grow, resulting in unclean ice. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a refrigerator and an ice maker that address the problem that ice makers cannot self-clean the refrigerator.

[0005] A refrigerator, comprising:

[0006] The box body forms an ice storage cavity;

[0007] A water outlet assembly is installed inside the tank and is used to spray cleaning liquid into the ice storage cavity;

[0008] A stirring assembly is movably mounted on the housing, and the stirring assembly can agitate the clean liquid located in the ice storage chamber during its movement.

[0009] In one embodiment, the stirring assembly includes an impeller comprising a central portion and a plurality of blades, the central portion being rotatably mounted within the ice storage cavity about its own axis, and all the blades being radially mounted on the central portion.

[0010] In one embodiment, the thickness of at least one blade at the end connected to the center portion is greater than the thickness of the blade at the end away from the center portion.

[0011] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the ice storage cavity smoothly transitions along the rotation direction of the impeller.

[0012] In one embodiment, the stirring assembly further includes a transmission component, which is rotatably mounted in the ice storage cavity about its own axis and has multiple square segments spaced apart along its own axis, each of the square segments having a polygonal cross-section.

[0013] The impellers include multiple impellers, and each impeller has a square hole at its center. The cross-section of the square hole corresponds to the cross-section of the square segment. The transmission member passes through the square hole of each impeller, and each square segment mates with one of the square holes.

[0014] In one embodiment, the blades of at least two of the impellers have different lengths.

[0015] In one embodiment, the stirring assembly further includes a driving member and a support base, the driving member and the support base being respectively mounted on two opposing inner walls of the ice storage cavity, and the two ends of the transmission member being connected to the driving member and the support member respectively.

[0016] In one embodiment, the transmission component includes an output shaft, a transmission shaft, and an adapter shaft connected in sequence. The output shaft has a square segment and a first threaded segment. The transmission shaft has first threaded holes at both opposite ends. The adapter shaft has a second threaded segment, the square segment, and a circular segment in sequence. The circular segment has a circular cross-section.

[0017] One end of the output shaft is connected to the drive component, and the other end is connected to one of the first threaded holes of the transmission shaft through the first threaded section. The adapter shaft is connected to the other first threaded hole of the transmission shaft through the second threaded section. The support base has a rotating hole, and the circular section of the adapter shaft passes through the rotating hole.

[0018] In one embodiment, the housing is also provided with a drain outlet that communicates with the ice storage chamber;

[0019] The refrigerator also includes a valve body, which is installed on the housing and used to open and close the drain outlet.

[0020] In one embodiment, the ice storage refrigerator further includes a water level sensor, which is installed on the refrigerator body and used to monitor the water level in the ice storage cavity;

[0021] The water level sensor is communicatively connected to the water outlet component, and when the water level is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the water outlet component stops spraying the cleaning liquid.

[0022] In one embodiment, the water level sensor includes a sensor body and two conductive plates. The two conductive plates are fixedly mounted on the housing and are electrically connected to the sensor body. When the water level is higher than the two conductive plates, the two conductive plates are connected to each other, and the sensor body sends a signal to the water outlet assembly to stop spraying the cleaning liquid.

[0023] In one embodiment, the stirring assembly includes a support base and two fastening screws. The support base has two second threaded holes, both of which are connected to the ice storage cavity. Each conductive sheet has a clearance hole.

[0024] The box body has two fixing holes, both of which connect the outside of the box body and the ice storage cavity. Each of the fastening screws passes through the clearance hole on one of the conductive plates and one of the fixing holes in sequence, and is connected to one of the second threaded holes. Each conductive plate is fixed to the outer wall of the box body by a corresponding fastening screw.

[0025] In one embodiment, the housing includes an opening communicating with the ice storage chamber, and the water outlet assembly includes a plurality of water outlet pipes arranged around the opening. Each water outlet pipe has a plurality of water outlets, and all the water outlets face the interior of the ice storage chamber.

[0026] An ice maker, comprising a refrigerator as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0027] The aforementioned ice storage refrigerator sprays cleaning liquid into the ice storage cavity through a water outlet component, and then agitates the cleaning liquid within the ice storage cavity using a stirring component. This allows the cleaning liquid to flow within the ice storage cavity, increasing the coverage area of ​​the cleaning liquid and enabling repeated cleaning, thus improving the cleaning effect. It effectively removes residual impurities from the inside of the refrigerator and prevents microbial growth. Furthermore, compared to traditional ice storage refrigerators, this refrigerator can achieve self-cleaning through the water outlet and stirring components, effectively preventing the contamination of the stored ice. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator in some embodiments of this application.

[0029] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the refrigerator in the embodiment.

[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the stirring assembly of the refrigerator in the embodiment.

[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the stirring assembly in the embodiment.

[0032] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the impeller structure of the stirring assembly in the embodiment.

[0033] Figure 6 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the impeller of the stirring assembly in the embodiment from another perspective.

[0034] Figure 7 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the drive component of the stirring assembly in the embodiment.

[0035] Figure 8 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the adapter shaft of the stirring assembly in the embodiment.

[0036] Figure 9 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the refrigerator in the embodiment.

[0037] Figure 10 for Figure 9 Enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0038] Figure 11 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the external structure of the refrigerator in the embodiment.

[0039] Figure 12 for Figure 11 Enlarged view of point B in the middle.

[0040] Figure 13 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the water outlet pipe of the refrigerator in the embodiment.

[0041] Figure 14 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the refrigerator in the embodiment from another perspective.

[0042] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0043] Box body 10; ice storage cavity 11; drain outlet 12; fixing hole 13; opening 14;

[0044] Water outlet assembly 20; water outlet pipe 21; water outlet 22;

[0045] 30; impeller; center section; blades; square hole;

[0046] Transmission component 40; square segment 41; driving component 42; support base 43; rotating hole 431; second threaded hole 432; output shaft 44; first threaded segment 441; transmission shaft 45; first threaded hole 451; adapter shaft 46; second threaded segment 461; circular segment 462;

[0047] Valve body 50; conductive plate 51; fastening screw 52; clearance hole 53. Detailed Implementation

[0048] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0049] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0050] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0051] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0052] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0053] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0054] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 An embodiment of this application provides a refrigerator, which includes a cabinet 10, a water outlet assembly 20 and a stirring assembly 30. An ice storage cavity 11 is formed inside the cabinet 10. The ice storage cavity 11 is used to temporarily store ice blocks so that users can take out ice blocks from the ice storage cavity 11 when needed. If the ice blocks are not removed in time when they are stored in the ice storage cavity 11, they will melt and produce melt water. If the melt water accumulates inside the ice storage cavity 11 for a long time, it will easily breed microorganisms or form scale, thereby contaminating the newly stored ice blocks in the ice storage cavity 11.

[0055] For this purpose, the water outlet component 20 is installed inside the housing 10 and is used to spray cleaning liquid into the ice storage cavity 11. The cleaning liquid can be pure water or detergent or other liquids with cleaning ability, so that the cleaning liquid sprayed into the ice storage cavity 11 can clean the inner wall of the ice storage cavity 11, thereby removing the accumulated water and scale in the ice storage cavity 11 and achieving the effect of cleaning the ice storage cavity 11.

[0056] When the water outlet component 20 sprays the cleaning liquid, the pressure and coverage area of ​​the sprayed cleaning liquid are limited, so it can only cover a small part of the area inside the ice storage cavity 11. The remaining uncovered areas are cleaning dead zones. Therefore, the stirring component 30 is movably installed on the housing 10. During the movement of the stirring component 30, it can agitate the cleaning liquid in the ice storage cavity 11. Thus, the stirring component 30 can make the cleaning liquid flow in the ice storage cavity 11, thereby making the cleaning liquid cover most of the area of ​​the ice storage cavity 11. At the same time, through the flow of the cleaning liquid in the ice storage cavity 11, the cleaning liquid can repeatedly clean the inside of the ice storage cavity 11, effectively improving the cleaning effect of the ice storage cavity 11.

[0057] The aforementioned refrigerator sprays cleaning liquid into the ice storage cavity 11 through the water outlet component 20, and then agitates the cleaning liquid within the ice storage cavity 11 through the stirring component 30. This allows the cleaning liquid to flow within the ice storage cavity 11, increasing the coverage area of ​​the cleaning liquid within the ice storage cavity 11 and enabling repeated cleaning, thus improving the cleaning effect. It effectively removes residual impurities from the refrigerator's interior and prevents microbial growth. Furthermore, compared to traditional refrigerators, the aforementioned refrigerator can achieve self-cleaning through the water outlet component 20 and the stirring component 30, effectively preventing the contamination of the stored ice.

[0058] In some embodiments of this application, see [reference] Figure 3 and Figure 4 The stirring assembly 30 includes an impeller 31, which includes a central part 32 and multiple blades 33. The central part 32 is rotatably mounted in the ice storage cavity 11 around its own axis. All the blades 33 are radially mounted on the central part 32. When the central part 32 rotates, it drives each blade 33 to rotate together, so that each blade 33 stirs the cleaning liquid in the ice storage cavity 11, achieving the effect of repeatedly cleaning the inner wall of the ice storage cavity 11.

[0059] In some embodiments, see Figure 5 and Figure 6 At least one blade 33 has a thickness at the end connected to the center portion 32 that is greater than the thickness at the end of the blade 33 away from the center portion 32. That is, the thickness at the root of the blade 33 is greater than the thickness at the top of the blade 33. By increasing the thickness at the root of the blade 33, the connection strength between the blade 33 and the center portion 32 is improved, and the occurrence of blade 33 breakage is reduced.

[0060] In some embodiments, see Figure 2 and Figure 4The stirring assembly 30 includes a transmission component 40, which is rotatably mounted in the ice storage chamber 11 around its own axis and has multiple square segments 41 spaced apart along its own axis. Each square segment 41 has a polygonal cross-section. The impeller 31 includes multiple impellers, each with a square hole 34 on its center portion 32. The cross-section of the square hole 34 corresponds to the cross-section of the square segment 41; that is, if the cross-section of the square segment 41 is quadrilateral, then the cross-section of the square hole 34 is also quadrilateral. The transmission component 40 passes through the square hole 34 of each impeller 31, and each square segment 41 mates with one of the square holes 34.

[0061] Thus, when the transmission component 40 rotates, the square segment 41 and the square hole 34 cooperate to drive multiple impellers 31 to rotate together. When multiple impellers 31 simultaneously agitate the cleaning liquid in the ice storage cavity 11, the cleaning liquid can have sufficient flushing force on each part of the ice storage cavity 11, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the cleaning liquid on the ice storage cavity 11.

[0062] In some specific embodiments, the blades 33 of at least two impellers 31 have different lengths, resulting in different maximum diameter ranges for each impeller 31. In actual use, impellers 31 with different diameter ranges are placed according to the different depths of the ice storage cavity 11 at different locations. Larger diameter impellers 31 are placed at locations with greater depth in the ice storage cavity 11, while smaller diameter impellers 31 are placed at locations with shallower depth in the ice storage cavity 11. This ensures that the impellers 31 can agitate the cleaning liquid sufficiently while minimizing the space occupied by the impellers in the ice storage cavity 11, thus ensuring that the ice storage cavity 11 can hold a sufficient amount of ice.

[0063] Specifically, in some embodiments, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 14 The inner wall of the ice storage cavity 11 is smoothly transitioned along the rotation direction of the impeller 31, so that when the impeller 31 drives the cleaning liquid to flow, the cleaning liquid can better adhere to the inner wall of the ice storage cavity 11 during the flow process, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the cleaning liquid on the inner wall of the ice storage cavity 11.

[0064] In some specific embodiments, the stirring assembly 30 further includes a driving member 42 and a support base 43. The driving member 42 and the support base 43 are respectively installed on two opposite inner walls of the ice storage cavity 11. The two ends of the transmission member 40 are respectively connected to the driving member 42 and the support member, so that the transmission member 40 is suspended inside the ice storage cavity 11 and is driven to rotate by the driving member 42, so that the transmission member 40 drives multiple impellers 31 to rotate together.

[0065] Specifically, see Figure 4 , Figure 7 and Figure 8The transmission component 40 includes an output shaft 44, a transmission shaft 45, and a transition shaft 46 connected in sequence. The output shaft 44 has a square section 41 and a first threaded section 441. The transmission shaft 45 has a first threaded hole 451 at both opposite ends. The transition shaft 46 has a second threaded section 461, a square section 41, and a circular section 462 connected in sequence. The cross-section of the circular section 462 is circular.

[0066] One end of the output shaft 44 is connected to the drive member 42, and the other end is connected to a first threaded hole 451 in the drive shaft 45 through a first threaded section 441. The adapter shaft 46 is connected to another first threaded hole 451 in the drive shaft 45 through a second threaded section 461. The support base 43 has a drive hole, and the circular section 462 of the adapter shaft 46 passes through the rotation hole 431.

[0067] Thus, the power of the drive component 42 is first transmitted to the output shaft 44, driving the output shaft 44 to rotate. While the output shaft 44 is rotating, it drives the impeller 31 mounted on the square section 41 of the output shaft 44 to rotate. At the same time, the output shaft 44 also drives the transmission shaft 45 to rotate together. During the rotation of the transmission shaft 45, it drives the adapter shaft 46 and the impeller 31 located on the square section 41 of the adapter shaft 46 to rotate together. The adapter shaft 46 rotates in the rotation hole 431 of the support base 43 through the circular section 462, while the support base 43 remains stationary.

[0068] Furthermore, to prevent the circular segment 462 of the adapter shaft 46 from extending too far into the rotating hole 431, causing interference between the support base 43 and the impeller 31 on the adapter shaft 46, a limiting hole communicating with the rotating hole 431 is also provided on the support base 43. The stirring assembly 30 also includes a limiting pin, which passes through the limiting hole, and part of the limiting pin is located inside the rotating hole 431. When the circular segment 462 of the adapter shaft 46 passes through the rotating hole 431, the limiting pin is located on the movement path of the adapter shaft 46 and prevents the adapter shaft 46 from continuing to move, thereby preventing the adapter shaft 46 from extending too far into the adapter hole.

[0069] In some embodiments of this application, after cleaning the inside of the ice storage cavity 11 with cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid also needs to be discharged from the ice storage cavity 11 to avoid contaminating the ice blocks in the ice storage cavity 11 with the cleaning liquid. For this purpose, the housing 10 is also provided with a drain outlet 12 that communicates with the ice storage cavity 11. After the cleaning liquid has finished cleaning the ice storage cavity 11, the cleaning liquid is discharged through the drain outlet 12.

[0070] The refrigerator also includes a valve body 50, which is installed on the cabinet 10 and is used to open and close the drain outlet 12. In actual use, when the cabinet 10 needs to be cleaned, the drain outlet 12 needs to be closed by the valve body 50, so that the cleaning liquid sprayed by the water outlet component 20 remains in the ice storage cavity 11. Then, the cleaning liquid is stirred by the stirring component 30 to clean the ice storage cavity 11. After stirring for a period of time, the stirring component 30 can open the drain outlet 12 to discharge the cleaning liquid, thus completing the cleaning of the ice storage cavity 11.

[0071] In some embodiments, the refrigerator also includes a water level sensor, which is installed on the cabinet 10 and used to detect the water level in the ice storage cavity 11. The water level sensor is communicatively connected to the water outlet assembly 20. When the water level is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the cleaning liquid in the ice storage cavity 11 is sufficient to clean the ice storage cavity 11. The water outlet assembly 20 stops spraying the cleaning liquid to avoid the cleaning liquid overflowing during the agitation process if the cleaning liquid is increased.

[0072] Specifically, in some embodiments, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 9 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 and Figure 12 The water level sensor includes a sensor body and two conductive plates 51. The two conductive plates 51 are fixedly installed on the housing 10 and are electrically connected to the sensor body. When the water level is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the two conductive plates 51 are connected to each other, and the sensor body sends a signal to the water outlet assembly 20 to stop spraying the cleaning liquid.

[0073] The conductive sheet 51 can be directly installed inside the ice storage cavity 11. When the water level is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the water level overflows the two conductive sheets 51, thereby making the two conductive sheets 51 interconnected. The sensor body sends a signal, and the water outlet assembly 20 stops spraying the cleaning liquid.

[0074] However, if the conductive sheet 51 is directly installed inside the ice storage cavity 11, during the process of the water outlet component 20 spraying the cleaning liquid, some of the cleaning liquid may be sprayed between the two conductive sheets 51, which may cause the two conductive sheets 51 to conduct, thereby causing the water outlet component 20 to stop spraying the cleaning liquid. However, at this time, the water level of the cleaning liquid in the ice storage cavity 11 has not reached the preset threshold, thus affecting the normal cleaning of the ice storage cavity 11.

[0075] Therefore, the stirring assembly 30 also includes two fastening screws 52, which are used to fix the support base 43 of the stirring assembly 30 to the housing 10. For this purpose, the support base 43 has two second threaded holes 432, both of which are connected to the ice storage cavity 11. Each conductive sheet 51 has a clearance hole 53, and the housing 10 has two fixing holes 13, both of which are connected to the outside of the housing 10 and the ice storage cavity 11. Each fastening screw 52 passes through the clearance hole 53 and the fixing hole 13 on one of the conductive sheets 51 in sequence, and is connected to one of the second threaded holes 432. Thus, the support base 43 is fixed to the outside of the housing 10 by the two fastening screws 52. Each conductive sheet 51 can also be fixed to the outer wall of the housing 10 by the corresponding fastening screw 52.

[0076] Thus, when the water level in the ice storage chamber 11 gradually rises until it overflows the two second threaded holes 432, one end of the second threaded hole 432 is connected to the fastening screw 52, ​​and the other end is connected to the ice storage chamber 11. Therefore, the cleaning liquid will enter the two second threaded holes 432, thereby making the two fastening screws 52 interconnected through the cleaning liquid. Finally, the two conductive pieces 51 on the two fastening screws 52 can be interconnected, thereby causing the sensor body to send a signal and the water outlet assembly 20 to stop spraying the cleaning liquid.

[0077] Since the conductive sheet 51 is set on the outer wall of the housing 10, when the water outlet assembly 20 sprays cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid will only be in the ice storage cavity 11 and will not cause the two conductive sheets 51 to conduct. The two fastening screws 52 are respectively in the two second threaded holes 432. Only when the water level overflows the two second threaded holes 432 will the two fastening screws 52 conduct to each other. This ensures that the water outlet assembly 20 will stop spraying cleaning liquid only when the water level reaches the preset threshold, ensuring that there is enough cleaning liquid remaining in the ice storage cavity 11 when cleaning.

[0078] In some embodiments of this application, see [reference] Figure 1 and Figure 13 The housing 10 includes an opening 14 that communicates with the ice storage chamber 11. The water outlet assembly 20 includes multiple water outlet pipes 21 arranged around the opening 14. Each water outlet pipe 21 has multiple water outlets 22, and all water outlets 22 are arranged facing the ice storage chamber 11. When each water outlet pipe 21 sprays cleaning liquid, the inner wall of the ice storage chamber 11 can be flushed through the multiple water outlet pipes 21. Afterward, the cleaning liquid flows down the inner wall and accumulates at the bottom of the ice storage chamber 11. Then, the cleaning liquid can be agitated by the stirring assembly 30 to further clean the inner wall of the ice storage chamber 11.

[0079] This application also provides an ice maker, which includes a storage refrigerator as described in any of the above embodiments. The ice blocks prepared by the ice-making structure of the ice maker will first fall into the storage refrigerator and be temporarily stored in the ice storage cavity 11 of the storage refrigerator for users to take out when needed. The storage refrigerator can complete the self-cleaning of the storage refrigerator through the water outlet component 20 and the stirring component 30, effectively avoiding the problem of contamination of the ice blocks stored inside the storage refrigerator.

[0080] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0081] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes: The box (10) has an ice storage cavity (11); The water outlet assembly (20) is installed inside the housing (10) and is used to spray cleaning liquid into the ice storage chamber (11); A stirring assembly (30) is movably mounted on the housing (10). During its operation, the stirring assembly (30) can agitate the clean liquid located in the ice storage chamber (11). The refrigerator also includes a water level sensor, which is installed on the box (10) and used to monitor the water level in the ice storage cavity (11); The water level sensor includes a sensor body and two conductive plates (51). The two conductive plates (51) are fixedly installed on the housing (10) and are electrically connected to the sensor body. When the water level is higher than the two conductive plates (51), the two conductive plates (51) are connected to each other, and the sensor body sends a signal to the water outlet assembly (20) to stop spraying the cleaning liquid. The stirring assembly (30) includes a support base (43) and two fastening screws (52). The support base (43) has two second threaded holes (432), both of which are connected to the ice storage cavity (11). Each conductive sheet (51) has a clearance hole (53). The housing (10) has two fixing holes (13), both of which connect the outside of the housing (10) and the ice storage cavity (11). Each fastening screw (52) passes through the clearance hole (53) on one of the conductive pieces (51) and one of the fixing holes (13) in sequence, and is connected to one of the second threaded holes (432). Each conductive piece (51) is fixed to the outer wall of the housing (10) by the corresponding fastening screw (52).

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stirring assembly (30) includes an impeller (31), which includes a central part (32) and a plurality of blades (33). The central part (32) is rotatably mounted in the ice storage cavity (11) around its own axis, and all the blades (33) are radially mounted on the central part (32).

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The thickness of at least one of the blades (33) at the end connected to the center portion (32) is greater than the thickness of the end of the blade (33) away from the center portion (32).

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner wall of the ice storage cavity (11) is smoothly transitioned along the rotation direction of the impeller (31).

5. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The stirring assembly (30) also includes a transmission component (40), which is rotatably installed in the ice storage cavity (11) around its own axis and has multiple square segments (41) spaced apart along its own axis. The cross-section of each square segment (41) is polygonal. The impeller (31) includes multiple impellers, and each impeller (31) has a square hole (34) in its center (32). The cross-section of the square hole (34) corresponds to the cross-section of the square segment (41). The transmission member (40) passes through the square hole (34) of each impeller (31), and each square segment (41) is matched with one of the square holes (34).

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that, The blades (33) of at least two of the impellers (31) have different lengths.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that, The stirring assembly (30) also includes a driving component (42) and a support base (43). The driving component (42) and the support base (43) are respectively installed on two opposite inner walls of the ice storage cavity (11). The two ends of the transmission component (40) are respectively connected to the driving component (42) and the support component.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that, The transmission component (40) includes an output shaft (44), a transmission shaft (45), and a transition shaft (46) connected in sequence. The output shaft (44) has a square section (41) and a first threaded section (441). The transmission shaft (45) has a first threaded hole (451) at each of its opposite ends. The transition shaft (46) has a second threaded section (461), the square section (41), and a circular section (462) connected in sequence. The circular section (462) has a circular cross-section. One end of the output shaft (44) is connected to the drive member (42), and the other end is connected to one of the first threaded holes (451) of the transmission shaft (45) through the first threaded section (441). The adapter shaft (46) is connected to the other first threaded hole (451) of the transmission shaft (45) through the second threaded section (461). The support base (43) is provided with a rotating hole (431), and the circular section (462) of the adapter shaft (46) passes through the rotating hole (431).

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The box (10) is also provided with a drain outlet (12) that is connected to the ice storage cavity (11). The refrigerator also includes a valve body (50), which is mounted on the housing (10) and is used to open and close the drain outlet (12).

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, characterized in that, The water level sensor is connected to the water outlet component (20) in communication, and when the water level is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the water outlet component (20) stops spraying the cleaning liquid.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing (10) includes an opening (14) communicating with the ice storage cavity (11). The water outlet assembly (20) includes multiple water outlet pipes (21). The multiple water outlet pipes (21) are arranged around the opening (14). Each water outlet pipe (21) has multiple water outlets (22). All the water outlets (22) face the inside of the ice storage cavity (11).

12. An ice maker, characterized in that, Including the refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1-11.

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