Refrigerator

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to the technical field of refrigeration equipment, in particular to a refrigerator. According to the refrigerator, the second driving mechanism is additionally arranged to drive the first driving mechanism to move towards the ice outlet mechanism, so that the output shaft of the first driving mechanism is connected with the ice outlet mechanism, the output shaft of the first driving mechanism drives the ice outlet mechanism and the ice stirring part to rotate at the same time, and ice blocks are stirred through the ice stirring part while ice is discharged; separation and output of ice blocks are facilitated; when the second driving mechanism drives the first driving mechanism to move away from the ice discharging mechanism, the output shaft of the first driving mechanism is separated from the ice discharging mechanism, the output shaft of the first driving mechanism only drives the ice stirring part to rotate, and when the ice discharging mechanism does not discharge ice, the ice stirring part independently rotates to stir ice blocks and separate the mutually-adhered ice blocks. The ice discharging efficiency is improved, and the problem that ice blocks in the ice storage bucket adhere due to the fact that a user does not take ice for a long time is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of refrigeration equipment, and particularly to a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] To meet the user's ice-making needs, a refrigerator is usually equipped with an ice maker for making ice. The refrigerator is also equipped with an ice storage bucket for storing the ice cubes separated from the ice maker. The ice storage bucket has an opening at the bottom, and an ice discharging mechanism and an ice stirring mechanism are also arranged inside the ice storage bucket. The ice discharging mechanism is used to output the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket from the bottom opening. The ice stirring mechanism is used to stir the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket to separate the adhered ice cubes into independent ice cubes.

[0003] In the related art, the ice discharging mechanism and the ice stirring mechanism of the ice maker are associated in operation. When the ice discharging mechanism is configured to output the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket, the ice stirring mechanism is configured to stir the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket so that the ice cubes can be independently output.

[0004] However, when the ice maker has not discharged ice for a long time, the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket will condense and adhere. When discharging ice, the ice stirring mechanism cannot effectively separate the adhered ice cubes, affecting ice discharging. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide a refrigerator with an ice maker. The ice stirring mechanism can not only start stirring when discharging ice, but also start stirring when not discharging ice, which helps to separate and output the ice cubes, and improves the ice discharging stability and efficiency of the refrigerator.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a refrigerator, which includes:

[0007] A box body, which is configured to form a refrigerating compartment with an access opening;

[0008] A door body, which is hinged to the box body and is used to open or close the access opening;

[0009] An ice maker, which is installed on the box body or the door body and is used to make ice;

[0010] An ice storage bucket, which is located below the ice maker and is configured to store the ice cubes separated from the ice maker;

[0011] An ice discharging mechanism, which is arranged inside the ice storage bucket and is configured to output the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket;

[0012] An ice stirring member, which is arranged inside the ice storage bucket, and the ice stirring member is configured to be movable relative to the ice storage bucket;

[0013] A first driving mechanism, an output shaft of the first driving mechanism is in transmission connection with the ice stirring member to drive the ice stirring member to rotate relative to the ice storage barrel; the output shaft of the first driving mechanism is selectively connected to or separated from the ice discharging mechanism;

[0014] A second driving mechanism, an output end of the second driving mechanism is connected to the first driving mechanism and is configured to drive the first driving mechanism to move relative to the ice discharging mechanism so that the output shaft of the first driving mechanism is connected to or separated from the ice discharging mechanism.

[0015] By adding a second driving mechanism in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present application, the first driving mechanism is driven to move towards the ice discharging mechanism, so that the output shaft of the first driving mechanism is connected to the ice discharging mechanism. The output shaft of the first driving mechanism drives both the ice discharging mechanism and the ice stirring member to rotate simultaneously. While discharging ice, the ice stirring member is used to stir the ice cubes, which is beneficial to the separation and output of the ice cubes; when the second driving mechanism drives the first driving mechanism to move away from the ice discharging mechanism, the output shaft of the first driving mechanism is separated from the ice discharging mechanism, and the output shaft of the first driving mechanism only drives the ice stirring member to rotate. When the ice discharging mechanism does not discharge ice, the ice stirring member rotates independently to stir the ice cubes and separate the adhered ice cubes, which helps the separation and output of the ice cubes, is beneficial to improving the ice discharging stability and ice discharging efficiency, and solves the problem that the ice cubes in the ice storage barrel are adhered due to the user not taking ice for a long time.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present application, the second driving mechanism includes a linear driver, and the linear driver is configured to extend or retract along the axial direction of the output shaft;

[0017] The output end of the linear driver is connected to the first driving mechanism, and the output end of the linear driver has an initial position and an ice discharging position;

[0018] When the output end of the linear driver is located at the initial position, the first driving mechanism is separated from the ice discharging mechanism;

[0019] When the output end of the linear driver is located at the ice discharging position, the first driving mechanism is connected to the ice discharging mechanism.

[0020] In the embodiments of the present application, the second driving mechanism drives the first driving mechanism to linearly move along the axial direction of the output shaft by setting a linear driver, so that the first driving mechanism can selectively connect or disconnect from the ice discharging mechanism, enabling the first driving mechanism to either connect with the ice discharging mechanism to drive both the ice discharging mechanism and the ice stirring member to rotate simultaneously; or to disconnect the first driving mechanism from the ice discharging mechanism, and the first driving mechanism independently drives the ice stirring member to rotate, enabling the ice stirring member to stir ice independently of the ice discharging mechanism. Moreover, the linear driver in the embodiments of the present application drives the first driving mechanism to linearly move along the axial direction of the output shaft, making the position of the first driving mechanism more accurate and the movement faster, thereby making the ice discharging and ice stirring operations more reliable.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerator further includes:

[0022] A first connecting member, which is connected to the output shaft of the first driving mechanism; the first connecting member is in transmission connection with the ice stirring member;

[0023] A second connecting member, which is connected to the ice discharging mechanism; the second connecting member is detachably connected to the first connecting member;

[0024] Wherein, the second driving mechanism is configured to drive the first driving mechanism to move towards the ice discharging mechanism until the second connecting member is connected to the first connecting member, so that the first driving mechanism drives the ice discharging mechanism to rotate through the second connecting member and the first connecting member;

[0025] The second driving mechanism is further configured to drive the second driving mechanism to move away from the ice discharging mechanism until the second connecting member is disconnected from the first connecting member.

[0026] The refrigerator according to the embodiments of the present application reduces the structural changes to the output shaft of the first driving mechanism and the ice discharging mechanism by providing a first connecting member on the output shaft of the first driving mechanism and connecting a second connecting member to the ice discharging mechanism, and utilizing the detachable connection between the first connecting member and the second connecting member, which is beneficial to cost reduction.

[0027] In some embodiments of the present application, one of the first connecting member and the second connecting member is configured to form a connecting recess, and the other is configured to form a connecting protrusion; the connecting protrusion is inserted into or disengaged from the connecting recess;

[0028] When the connecting protrusion is inserted into the connecting recess, the first driving mechanism drives the ice discharging mechanism to rotate through the connecting protrusion and the connecting recess.

[0029] In the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present application, a connecting protrusion is formed on the first connecting member, and a connecting recess is formed on the second connecting member; the second driving mechanism drives the first driving mechanism to move along the axial direction of the rotating shaft, so as to drive the connecting protrusion to insert into the connecting recess, so that the first connecting member and the second connecting member are connected. In this way, the first driving mechanism can drive the ice discharging mechanism to rotate through the connecting protrusion and the connecting recess; or the second driving mechanism drives the first driving mechanism to move along the axial direction of the rotating shaft, so as to drive the connecting protrusion to disengage from the connecting recess, so that the first connecting member and the second connecting member are separated. The arrangement of the connecting protrusion and the connecting recess not only makes the connection between the first connecting member and the second connecting member stable and reliable, but also makes the separation of the first connecting member and the second connecting member simple.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present application, the connecting recess has a first side wall and a second side wall, and the first side wall and the second side wall are opposite to each other in the circumferential direction of the output shaft and have a gap;

[0031] When the output shaft of the first driving mechanism rotates in the first direction, the connecting protrusion abuts against the first side wall and pushes the first side wall;

[0032] When the output shaft of the first driving mechanism rotates in the second direction opposite to the first direction, the connecting protrusion abuts against the second side wall and pushes the second side wall.

[0033] Since both the first side wall and the second side wall are formed on the connecting recess, when the connecting protrusion abuts against the first side wall or the second side wall, the cooperation between the first side wall and the second side wall and the connecting protrusion is tight and will not separate from each other, improving the stability and reliability of the transmission of the rotational force between the first connecting member and the second connecting member.

[0034] In some embodiments of the present application, the number of the connecting protrusions is two, and the two connecting protrusions are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the output shaft;

[0035] The number of the connecting recesses is two, and the two connecting recesses are respectively provided for the two connecting protrusions to be inserted.

[0036] In the embodiment of the present application, by respectively matching two connecting protrusions and two connecting recesses, the first connecting member and the second connecting member respectively transmit rotational acting forces on both sides of the output shaft, improving the stability of the transmission of the rotational acting force between the first connecting member and the second connecting member.

[0037] In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerator further includes a transmission assembly, and the transmission assembly connects the first connecting member and the ice stirring member, so that the first driving mechanism drives the ice stirring member to rotate through the first connecting member and the transmission assembly.

[0038] In an embodiment of the present application, the refrigerator is provided with a transmission assembly, which is drivingly connected to the first connecting piece and the ice stirring piece, so that there is no direct connection relationship between the transmission assembly and the ice discharging mechanism. The first driving mechanism directly drives the ice stirring piece to rotate through the first connecting piece and the transmission assembly. Moreover, by providing the transmission assembly, the arrangement position of the ice stirring piece is more flexible, which is conducive to arranging the ice stirring piece above the ice discharging mechanism to improve the ice stirring effect.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present application, the transmission assembly includes:

[0040] A first gear fixedly connected to the first connecting piece;

[0041] A second gear rotatably mounted on the ice storage bucket and meshing with the first gear;

[0042] A third gear fixedly connected to the ice stirring piece and meshing with the second gear;

[0043] Wherein, when the first gear moves towards or away from the ice discharging mechanism along with the first connecting piece, the second gear is always meshed with the first gear.

[0044] In an embodiment of the present application, the transmission assembly is provided with a first gear, a second gear and a third gear. The first gear is fixedly connected to the first connecting piece, so that the rotation of the output shaft of the first driving mechanism is transmitted to the first gear through the first connecting piece, and then drives the second gear and the third gear to rotate, realizing the rotation of the ice stirring piece. The transmission assembly adopts gear transmission, which has high transmission efficiency, can provide an accurate transmission ratio, and is conducive to realizing the precise control of the ice stirring piece. Moreover, the gear transmission structure is compact, which is conducive to reducing the installation space occupied by it.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present application, the first gear and the first connecting piece are integrally formed;

[0046] One side of the first gear facing the ice discharging mechanism is detachably connected to the second connecting piece, and the other side of the first gear facing away from the ice discharging mechanism is connected to the output shaft of the first driving mechanism.

[0047] In an embodiment of the present application, by integrally forming the first gear and the first connecting piece, not only the connection between the first gear and the first connecting piece is stable and reliable, but also the structural compactness at the connection between the ice discharging mechanism and the first driving mechanism can be improved, reducing the installation space occupied.

[0048] In some embodiments of the present application, when the second driving mechanism is configured to drive the first driving mechanism to be separated from the ice discharging mechanism, the first driving mechanism is configured to drive the ice stirring piece to rotate every first preset time period.

[0049] When the ice maker of the present application does not produce ice, the second driving mechanism is configured to drive the first driving mechanism to separate from the ice discharging mechanism, so that the first driving mechanism drives the ice stirring member to stir the ice every first preset time period, reducing the possibility of ice adhesion and improving the effectiveness of ice stirring by the ice stirring member when the ice discharging mechanism discharges ice.

[0050] In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerator further includes:

[0051] A mounting bracket, the first driving mechanism is fixed on the mounting bracket; the output end of the second driving mechanism is connected to the mounting bracket;

[0052] A housing, fixed to the rear side of the first driving mechanism, and the second driving mechanism is installed on the housing;

[0053] Wherein, a guiding structure is provided between the mounting bracket and the housing to limit the first driving mechanism and the mounting bracket to move towards the ice discharging mechanism or away from the ice discharging mechanism along the guiding structure.

[0054] In the embodiments of the present application, by providing a guiding structure between the mounting bracket and the housing, the movement of the first driving mechanism is guided, improving the accuracy of the moving direction of the first driving mechanism. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the implementation manners in the related art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required to be used in the description of the embodiments or the related art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained according to these drawings.

[0056] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional structure diagram of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Figure 2 For Figure 1 The first perspective three-dimensional structure diagram of the middle door body;

[0058] Figure 3 For Figure 1 The second perspective three-dimensional structure diagram of the middle door body;

[0059] Figure 4 For Figure 3 The exploded structure diagram of the middle door body;

[0060] Figure 5 It is an exploded view of the structure below the ice maker provided by some embodiments of the present application;

[0061] Figure 6Front view of a partial structure of an ice discharging mechanism and an ice storage bucket provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0062] Figure 7 Front view of the structure below an ice maker provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0063] Figure 8 For Figure 7 Cross-sectional view when the first connecting member and the second connecting member are connected at the A-A position in

[0064] Figure 9 For Figure 7 Cross-sectional view when the first connecting member and the second connecting member are separated at the A-A position in

[0065] Figure 10 Schematic structural diagram of a first connecting member provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0066] Figure 11 Schematic structural diagram of a second connecting member provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0067] Figure 12 Schematic structural diagram when the first connecting member and the second connecting member are connected provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0068] Figure 13 Schematic structural diagram when the first connecting member and the second connecting member are separated provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0069] Figure 14 Exploded view of an ice maker and a partial structure below it provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0070] Figure 15 Schematic structural diagram of a mounting base and a housing provided in some embodiments of the present application.

[0071] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0072] 100: Box body; 101: Refrigerating compartment;

[0073] 200: Door body; 210: Door inner liner; 211: First mounting surface; 212: Second mounting surface; 213: Second ice discharging port; 220: Door outer shell; 230: Dispenser; 240: Mounting base; 241: First mounting plate; 242: Second mounting plate; 243: Third ice discharging port;

[0074] 300: Ice maker; 310: Outer shell member; 311: First shell; 312: Second shell;

[0075] 400: Ice storage bucket; 401: Ice inlet; 402: First ice outlet; 403: Ice storage cavity; 404: Ice outlet cavity; 410: Front shell; 420: Rear shell; 421: First through hole; 422: Second through hole;

[0076] 500: Ice outlet mechanism; 510: Second connecting member; 511: Connecting protrusion; 5111: First abutting wall; 5112: Second abutting wall; 512: First connecting hole; 520: Rotating shaft; 530: Rotating blade; 531: Sub - blade; 540: Fixed blade;

[0077] 610: Ice stirring member; 620: Transmission assembly; 621: First gear; 622: Second gear; 623: Third gear;

[0078] 700: First driving mechanism; 710: First connecting member; 711: Connecting recess; 7111: First side wall; 7112: Second side wall; 712: Second connecting hole; 720: Output shaft;

[0079] 800: Second driving mechanism;

[0080] 910: Mounting bracket; 911: Sliding protrusion; 920: Cover; 921: Chute. Detailed implementation mode

[0081] To make the purpose, implementation mode and advantages of this application clearer, the following will clearly and completely describe the exemplary implementation mode of this application in combination with the drawings in the exemplary embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described exemplary embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, rather than all the embodiments.

[0082] It should be noted that the brief description of the terms in this application is only for the convenience of understanding the subsequent described implementation mode, rather than intending to limit the implementation mode of this application. Unless otherwise specified, these terms should be understood in their ordinary and common meanings.

[0083] In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover but not exclusively include. For example, a product or device including a series of components does not necessarily have to be limited to those components clearly listed, but may include other components not clearly listed or inherent to these products or devices.

[0084] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the present application.

[0085] The terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more.

[0086] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "install", "connect", and "couple" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0087] A refrigerator is provided with an ice storage bucket below the ice maker, and an ice discharging mechanism and an ice stirring mechanism are further arranged in the ice storage bucket. The ice discharging mechanism is used to output the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket from the bottom opening. The ice stirring mechanism is used to stir the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket to separate the adhered ice cubes into independent ice cubes. In the related art, the ice discharging mechanism and the ice stirring mechanism of the ice maker are associated in operation. When the ice discharging mechanism is configured to output the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket, the ice stirring mechanism is configured to stir the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket so that the ice cubes can be independently output.

[0088] When the ice maker has not produced ice for a long time, due to the temperature fluctuation in the ice making compartment, the start of the defrosting heating wire, or the user opening the door, etc., the temperature in the ice making compartment rises, which may cause the surface of the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket to melt, and then cause the ice cubes to adhere. When discharging ice, the ice stirring mechanism cannot effectively separate the adhered ice cubes, affecting ice discharging.

[0089] To this end, an embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator. The driving mechanism of the ice discharging mechanism can move axially, so that the driving mechanism can selectively connect or disconnect from the ice crushing component of the ice discharging mechanism; when the driving mechanism is connected to the ice discharging mechanism, the driving mechanism drives both the ice stirring mechanism and the ice discharging mechanism to move; when the driving mechanism is disconnected from the ice discharging mechanism, the driving mechanism can drive the ice stirring mechanism alone, so that the ice stirring mechanism stirs the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket when no ice is discharged, reducing the possibility of ice adhesion and improving the ice discharging efficiency.

[0090] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0091] Combined with Figure 1 , an embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator, which includes a box body <100>. The box body <100> can be constructed to form a refrigerating compartment <101> with an access opening for storing items.

[0092] There can be multiple refrigerating compartments <101> provided to expand the storage space. According to the different storage temperatures of the refrigerating compartments <101>, the refrigerating compartments <101> can include at least one refrigerating compartment and at least one freezing compartment. Among them, the internal temperature of the refrigerating compartment can be maintained between approximately 0°C and 5°C to store items in the refrigerating mode; the internal temperature of the freezing compartment can be maintained between approximately -30°C and 0°C to store items in the freezing mode.

[0093] In some possible implementation manners, at least one of the refrigerating compartments <101> can also be set as a vacuum chamber or a variable temperature chamber, etc., which will not be elaborated in the embodiments of the present application.

[0094] Exemplarily, two refrigerating compartments <101> can be provided. The two refrigerating compartments <101> can be stacked vertically; the two refrigerating compartments <101> can be arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. One of them can be set as a refrigerating compartment, and one of them can be set as a freezing compartment.

[0095] In some embodiments, the box body <100> can include an inner box liner and an outer box shell. The inner box liner can be constructed with the refrigerating compartment <101>. The outer box shell can be connected to the outside of the inner box liner to form the appearance of the refrigerator.

[0096] The box body <100> can further include a box heat insulation layer, and the box heat insulation layer can be arranged between the inner box liner and the outer box shell. The box heat insulation layer can insulate the refrigerating compartment <101> to minimize the heat exchange between the refrigerating compartment <101> and the outside of the refrigerator, which is beneficial to ensuring the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator.

[0097] Continue to refer to Figure 1 The refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present application may further include a door body 200, which is rotatably connected to the cabinet 100 to open or close the refrigerating compartment 101. Exemplarily, the door body 200 is hinged to the cabinet 100 through a hinge assembly so that the door body 200 rotates relative to the cabinet 100

[0098] One door body 200 may be correspondingly provided for each refrigerating compartment 101; or, two door bodies 200 may be correspondingly provided for each refrigerating compartment 101, and the two door bodies 200 may rotate in opposite directions to open or close the refrigerating compartment 101.

[0099] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the door body 200 may include a door inner liner 210. When the door body 200 closes the refrigerating compartment, the door inner liner 210 faces the refrigerating compartment.

[0100] The door body 200 may include: a door outer shell 220; the door outer shell 220 may be connected to the outside of the door inner liner 210 to form the appearance of the door body 200. The door outer shell 220 may be rotatably connected to the cabinet 100 to open or close the refrigerating compartment with the door body 200.

[0101] The door body 200 may further include a door heat insulator, which may be disposed in the space between the door inner liner 210 and the door outer shell 220. The door heat insulator can keep the storage compartment warm to minimize the heat exchange between the storage compartment and the outside of the refrigerator, which is beneficial to ensuring the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator. The door heat insulator may be a foaming layer.

[0102] The refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present application may further include a refrigeration system for providing cold for the refrigerating compartment 101. Exemplarily, the refrigeration system may be disposed in the cabinet 100. The refrigeration system may include a compressor, a condenser, a throttler and an evaporator connected in a cycle.

[0103] When the refrigeration system operates, the compressor compresses the refrigerant vapor to generate high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant vapor, and transports the refrigerant vapor into the condenser. The condenser liquefies the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant vapor to generate high-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant liquid, and transports it to the throttler. After the throttler reduces the pressure of the refrigerant liquid, the high-pressure and low-temperature refrigerant liquid is transformed into low-pressure and low-temperature refrigerant liquid, and is transported to the evaporator. After receiving the low-pressure and low-temperature refrigerant liquid, the evaporator makes it boil under isobaric conditions, absorbs heat and vaporizes to form refrigerant vapor, so as to reduce the temperature in the refrigerating compartment 101.

[0104] The refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present application may further include an ice maker 300 for making ice cubes. The ice maker 300 may be installed on the cabinet 100 or the door body 200.

[0105] For example, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the ice maker 300 may be installed on the door body 200 to minimize the space for storing items in the refrigerating compartment 101 occupied by the ice maker 300, which is beneficial to improving the storage capacity of the refrigerator.

[0106] For another example, the ice maker 300 may be installed on the cabinet 100, so that the inlet and return paths of the cold air can be shortened.

[0107] In some examples, the ice maker 300 may include an ice making bracket and an ice making tray. The ice making bracket may be connected to the inner door liner 210 of the door body 200. The ice making tray may be connected to the ice making bracket for holding water.

[0108] The ice maker 300 may further include a blowing member and a return air member. The blowing member may be connected to the inner door liner 210 and located above the ice making bracket. The blowing member is used to blow the cold air generated by the refrigeration system above the ice making tray to freeze the water in the ice making tray into ice cubes. The return air member may be connected to the inner door liner 210 and located below the ice making tray to guide the cold air blown through the ice making tray back to the evaporation chamber of the refrigeration system.

[0109] In some possible implementation manners of the embodiment of the present application, the ice making tray may be rotatably connected to the ice making bracket around an axis in the horizontal direction. The ice maker 300 may further include an ice turning motor, and the ice turning motor may be connected to the ice making tray to drive the ice making tray to turn over, so that the ice cubes in the ice grid are separated, and there is no need for manual ice removal operation, which improves the convenience of use of the ice maker 300.

[0110] Referring to Figure 4 , in some embodiments, the refrigerator may further include a mounting base 240. The mounting base 240 may be connected to the side of the inner door liner 210 facing away from the door outer shell 220 to provide a mounting structure for the ice maker 300 and / or other components of the refrigerator, such as an ice storage structure and an ice discharging structure, etc., and reduce the influence of the deformation of the inner door liner 210 on the ice maker 300 and other components on the mounting base 240.

[0111] Exemplarily, on a side of the inner door liner 210 facing away from the door outer shell 220, a connected first mounting surface 211 and a second mounting surface 212 are provided, and the first mounting surface 211 and the second mounting surface 212 form an angle. For example, the first mounting surface 211 may extend vertically. The second mounting surface 212 may extend horizontally. The mounting base 240 may include a connected first mounting plate 241 and a second mounting plate 242. The first mounting plate 241 may be opposite to the first mounting surface 211 and connected to the first mounting surface 211. The second mounting plate 242 may be opposite to the second mounting surface 212 and connected to the second mounting surface 212. The first mounting surface 211 may position the first mounting plate 241 in the horizontal direction, and the second mounting surface 212 may position the second mounting plate 242 in the vertical direction, so that the inner door liner 210 and the mounting base 240 can be positioned from multiple directions, improving the relative position accuracy between the inner door liner 210 and the mounting base 240, as well as between the ice maker 300.

[0112] It can be understood that in some possible implementation manners of the embodiments of the present application, when the inner door liner 210 can provide a sufficiently accurate installation reference, the mounting base 240 can also be cancelled.

[0113] Hereinafter, taking the ice maker 300 being installed on the door body 200 and the door body 200 being provided with the mounting base 240 as an example, the solutions of the embodiments of the present application will be described. For the solution where the ice maker 300 is installed on the cabinet 100 and the mounting base 240 is not provided, reference can be made to the following description, and the embodiments of the present application will not be elaborated herein.

[0114] Continue to refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the refrigerator of the embodiments of the present application may further include an ice storage bucket 400, and the ice storage bucket 400 may be installed on the mounting base 240. The ice storage bucket 400 is configured to store ice cubes separated from the ice maker 300.

[0115] The ice storage bucket 400 is constructed to form an ice inlet 401, and the ice cubes separated from the ice maker 300 can enter the ice storage bucket 400 through the ice inlet 401.

[0116] In some embodiments, the ice inlet 401 may be provided at any position of the ice storage bucket 400; the refrigerator may further include an ice transfer mechanism, and the ice transfer mechanism may be used to convey the ice cubes separated from the ice maker 300 to the ice inlet 401.

[0117] Exemplarily, the ice conveying mechanism can be a screw conveyor. The screw conveyor can have an ice input port and an ice output port. The ice input port can be arranged below the ice maker 300, and the ice cubes separated from the ice maker 300 can enter the interior of the screw conveyor through the ice input port under the action of gravity. The ice output port can be communicated with the ice inlet 401, and the ice cubes inside the screw conveyor can enter the ice storage barrel 400 through the communicated ice output port and ice inlet 401. By arranging the ice conveying mechanism, the ice storage barrel 400 can receive the ice cubes separated from the ice maker 300 through the transmission mechanism, so the position of the ice storage barrel 400 can be changed according to actual needs, which is convenient for optimizing the structure of the refrigerator, beneficial to the miniaturization of the refrigerator and increasing the storage space of the refrigerator.

[0118] Combined with Figure 4 and Figure 5 , in some embodiments, the ice storage barrel 400 is located below the ice maker 300, and the ice inlet 401 can be arranged at the top end of the ice storage barrel 400. The ice cubes separated from the ice maker 300 can directly fall into the ice storage barrel 400 through the ice inlet 401 under the action of gravity. Compared with arranging a screw conveyor, this implementation method can simplify the structure of the refrigerator and is beneficial to improving the assembly efficiency of the refrigerator.

[0119] In some embodiments, the ice storage barrel 400 is further configured to form a first ice outlet 402 so that the ice cubes in the ice storage barrel 400 are output through the first ice outlet 402.

[0120] A second ice outlet 213 can be formed on the door inner liner 210, and the second ice outlet 213 is opposite to the first ice outlet 402 along the height direction of the door body 200; a third ice outlet 243 is formed on the mounting base 240, and the third ice outlet 243 is opposite to the second ice outlet 213 along the height direction of the door body 200.

[0121] In some possible implementation manners of the embodiments of the present application, combined with Figure 2 , the refrigerator can further be provided with a dispenser 230, and the dispenser 230 can be arranged on the side of the door housing facing away from the door inner liner 210.

[0122] In this way, the ice cubes in the ice storage barrel 400 are output through the first ice outlet 402, and enter the dispenser 230 through the third ice outlet 243 and the second ice outlet 213 for the user to take. With such an arrangement, the ice cubes can be taken without opening the door body 200 of the refrigerator, which improves the convenience of taking ice and can also prevent the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 101 from being affected by opening and closing the door body 200 when taking ice.

[0123] In some embodiments, the ice storage bucket 400 may be an integral structure. The ice storage bucket 400 may include opposite front and rear walls. The ice storage box further includes two opposite side walls, which are respectively located on both sides of the front and rear walls, and enclose a chamber for storing ice cubes with the front and rear walls. An ice inlet 401 is formed at the top of the chamber, and a first ice outlet 402 is formed at the bottom of the chamber.

[0124] In other embodiments, the ice storage bucket 400 may be a split structure. The ice storage bucket 400 may include a front half shell and a rear half shell, and the front half shell and the rear half shell are fixedly connected to enclose a chamber for storing ice cubes.

[0125] In some embodiments of the present application, the ice storage chamber formed by the ice storage bucket 400 has an irregular shape. Exemplarily, the ice storage chamber formed by the ice storage bucket 400 may include a connected ice storage cavity 403 and an ice outlet cavity 404. The ice storage cavity 403 is located above the ice outlet cavity 404. The top end of the ice storage cavity 403 is communicated with the ice inlet 401, and the bottom end of the ice outlet cavity 404 is communicated with the first ice outlet 402. The cross-sectional area of the ice storage cavity 403 in the horizontal plane is larger than the cross-sectional area of the ice outlet cavity 404 in the horizontal plane. In this way, a larger-volume ice storage cavity 403 can be provided to increase the ice storage capacity; and a smaller ice outlet cavity 404 can be formed to facilitate the convergence and discharge of ice cubes.

[0126] Exemplarily, the ice outlet cavity 404 may be in a funnel shape to further improve the ice discharge efficiency.

[0127] In some embodiments of the present application, in combination Figure 4 , the refrigerator may further include a housing member 310, and the housing member 310 may cover the outside of the ice maker 300 and / or the ice storage bucket 400 to form a regular appearance on the inner side of the door body 200.

[0128] For easy disassembly and assembly, the housing member 310 may include a first shell 311 and a second shell 312. The first shell 311 covers the outside of the ice maker 300, and the second shell 312 may cover the outside of the ice storage bucket 400.

[0129] Referring to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the refrigerator according to the embodiments of the present application may further include an ice discharging mechanism 500. The ice discharging mechanism 500 is disposed in the ice storage bucket 400 and is configured to output the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket 400.

[0130] The ice discharging mechanism 500 may include a rotating shaft 520. The rotating shaft 520 is rotatably disposed in the ice storage bucket 400. The rotating shaft 520 may extend along the thickness direction of the door body 200. One end of the rotating shaft 520 may be rotatably connected to the front shell 410 of the ice storage bucket 400, and the other end of the rotating shaft 520 may be driven by a driving mechanism.

[0131] The ice discharging mechanism 500 may further include a plurality of rotating blades 530, and the plurality of rotating blades 530 are all sleeved on the rotating shaft 520. When the rotating shaft 520 rotates, it can drive the plurality of rotating blades 530 to rotate, and the plurality of rotating blades 530 can push the ice cubes so that the ice cubes are sent out from the first ice discharging port 402 of the ice storage barrel 400.

[0132] Combined with Figure 6 , each rotating blade 530 may include a plurality of sub - blades 531, and each sub - blade 531 extends along the radial direction of the rotating shaft 520. Each sub - blade 531 may have a first side edge and a second side edge that are opposite to each other along its extending direction. The first side edge may be provided with a first tooth - shaped structure. The second side edge may have a smooth surface.

[0133] The ice discharging mechanism 500 may further include at least one fixed blade 540. The fixed blade 540 may be disposed between adjacent rotating blades 530. One end of the fixed blade 540 may be connected to the ice storage barrel 400. For example, one end of the fixed blade 540 is fixed to the inside of the ice storage barrel 400 through a fixing seat. The other end of the fixed blade 540 may be sleeved on the rotating shaft 520. A second tooth - shaped structure may be formed on the top side of the fixed blade 540.

[0134] When the rotating shaft 520 drives the rotating blade 530 to rotate, for example Figure 6 when rotating counter - clockwise as shown in

[0135] Figure 6

[0136]

[0137] When the rotating shaft 520 drives the rotating blade 530 to rotate counter - clockwise, the first side edge of the rotating blade 530 can push the ice cubes so that the ice cubes enter the ice discharging cavity 404. The rotating blade 530 continues to rotate driven by the rotating shaft 520, and the ice discharging cavity 404 gradually decreases, so that the ice cubes in the ice discharging cavity 404 come into contact with the first tooth - shaped structure and the second tooth - shaped structure, and the ice cubes are crushed under the pressure of the first tooth - shaped structure and the second tooth - shaped structure to form crushed ice cubes. As the rotating blade 530 further rotates, the crushed ice cubes are output from the first ice discharging port 402.

[0137] Continue to refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5, in some embodiments, the refrigerator may further include a first driving mechanism 700. The first driving mechanism 700 has an output shaft 720, and the output shaft 720 may be coaxial with the rotating shaft 520. The output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 is selectively connected or disconnected from the ice discharging mechanism 500. When the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 is connected to the rotating shaft 520, the first driving mechanism 700 provides a rotational driving force for the rotation of the rotating shaft 520, so as to drive the rotating shaft 520 to rotate relative to the ice storage bucket 400, and output the ice cubes from the ice storage bucket 400, realizing the ice discharging function of the ice discharging mechanism 500.

[0138] Exemplarily, the first driving mechanism 700 may include a driving motor.

[0139] Continuing to refer to Figure 4 , in some possible implementation manners of the present application, the refrigerator may further include an ice stirring member 610. The ice stirring member 610 is disposed in the ice storage bucket 400, and the ice stirring member 610 is configured to be movable relative to the ice storage bucket 400.

[0140] For example, the ice stirring member 610 is configured to translate relative to the ice storage bucket 400. Exemplarily, the ice stirring member 610 is configured to reciprocate in the horizontal direction.

[0141] For another example, the ice stirring member 610 is configured to rotate relative to the ice storage bucket 400. In this way, it is not necessary to provide a too large mating opening in the ice storage bucket 400 to cooperate with the movement of the ice stirring member 610, which is beneficial to ensuring the relative sealing of the ice storage bucket 400.

[0142] Wherein, the rotation direction of the ice stirring member 610 may be the same as the rotation direction of the rotating blade 530. When the ice stirring member 610 rotates towards the direction close to the rotating blade 530, a separating force is applied to the ice cubes adhered to each other between the ice stirring member 610 and the rotating blade 530, so that the adhered ice cubes can be separated from each other.

[0143] The output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 in the embodiment of the present application may also be in transmission connection with the ice stirring member 610 to drive the ice stirring member 610 to rotate relative to the ice storage bucket 400. In this way, the first driving mechanism 700 can also provide a rotational driving force for the ice stirring member 610.

[0144] In this way, the first driving mechanism 700 can be used to drive the ice stirring member 610 and the rotating blade 530 of the ice discharging mechanism 500 to rotate simultaneously. While the ice discharging mechanism 500 discharges ice, the ice stirring member 610 stirs the ice cubes to separate the adhered ice cubes from each other, which is beneficial to improving the ice discharging efficiency.

[0145] Continuing to refer to Figure 5, in some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerator may further include a second driving mechanism 800. The output end of the second driving mechanism 800 is connected to the first driving mechanism 700 and is configured to drive the first driving mechanism 700 to move relative to the ice discharging mechanism 500, so that the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 is connected to or separated from the ice discharging mechanism 500.

[0146] When the second driving mechanism 800 drives the first driving mechanism 700 to move towards the ice discharging mechanism 500, the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 is connected to the ice discharging mechanism 500; since the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 is also in transmission connection with the ice stirring member 610, while the ice discharging mechanism 500 discharges ice, the ice stirring member 610 stirs the ice cubes.

[0147] When the second driving mechanism 800 drives the first driving mechanism 700 to move away from the ice discharging mechanism 500, the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 is disconnected from the ice discharging mechanism 500, and the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 cannot drive the ice discharging mechanism 500 to rotate when rotating; since the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 is in transmission connection with the ice stirring member 610, at this time, the first driving mechanism 700 can still drive the ice stirring member 610 to rotate to stir the ice cubes.

[0148] Exemplarily, the second driving mechanism 800 is configured to drive the first driving mechanism 700 to move towards the ice discharging mechanism 500 along the axial direction of the rotation axis 520, or move away from the ice discharging mechanism 500.

[0149] In some embodiments of the present application, when the second driving mechanism 800 is configured to drive the first driving mechanism 700 to be separated from the ice discharging mechanism 500, the first driving mechanism 700 is configured to drive the ice stirring member 610 to rotate every first preset time period.

[0150] It can be understood that when there is no ice discharging, the ice stirring member 610 stirs the ice every first preset time period, reducing the possibility of ice adhesion and improving the effectiveness of the ice stirring member 610 in stirring the ice when the ice discharging mechanism 500 discharges ice.

[0151] Exemplarily, every first preset time period, the ice stirring member 610 rotates for a second preset time period to improve the effectiveness of separating the ice cubes. Wherein, the first preset time period and the second preset time period can be preset.

[0152] In some embodiments, the first preset time period and the second preset time period can be fixed values, which is beneficial to simplifying the program control.

[0153] In some other embodiments, the first preset duration and the second preset duration can be variable values. For example, the first preset duration can decrease as the time interval since the last ice output increases, and the second preset duration can increase as the time interval since the last ice output increases, so as to extend the ice stirring time, shorten the ice stirring interval, and increase the ice stirring frequency. For another example, within the time interval between two adjacent ice outputs, if the refrigerator performs evaporator defrosting, the first preset duration decreases and the second preset duration increases, so as to extend the ice stirring time, shorten the ice stirring interval, and increase the ice stirring frequency.

[0154] Thus, the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present application drives the first driving mechanism 700 to move towards the ice output mechanism 500 by adding the second driving mechanism 800, so that the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 is connected to the ice output mechanism 500. The output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 drives both the ice output mechanism 500 and the ice stirring member 610 to rotate at the same time, and stirs the ice cubes by using the ice stirring member 610 while outputting ice, which is beneficial to the separation and output of the ice cubes; when the second driving mechanism 800 drives the first driving mechanism 700 to move away from the ice output mechanism 500, the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 is separated from the ice output mechanism 500, and the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 only drives the ice stirring member 610 to rotate. When the ice output mechanism 500 does not output ice, the ice stirring member 610 rotates independently to stir the ice cubes and separate the mutually adhered ice cubes, which is beneficial to improving the ice output efficiency and solving the problem that the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket 400 are adhered due to the user not taking ice for a long time.

[0155] In some embodiments of the present application, the second driving mechanism 800 includes a linear driver, and the linear driver is configured to extend or retract along the axial direction of the output shaft 720. The output end of the linear driver is in the initial position. When the linear driver extends along the axial direction of the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700, the output end of the linear driver is in the ice output position.

[0156] The output end of the linear driver is connected to the first driving mechanism 700, and the output end of the linear driver has an initial position and an ice output position.

[0157] When the output end of the linear driver is in the initial position, the first driving mechanism 700 is separated from the ice output mechanism 500;

[0158] When the output end of the linear driver is in the ice output position, the first driving mechanism 700 is connected to the ice output mechanism 500.

[0159] The linear driver is configured to convert interval energy into linear motion.

[0160] Exemplarily, the linear driver can include a hydraulic cylinder, which uses the hydraulic fluid pressure to push the piston to generate linear motion and has a large load.

[0161] Exemplarily, a linear actuator may include a cylinder that uses compressed air to push a piston to generate linear motion, and its operation is rapid.

[0162] Exemplarily, the linear actuator may also be an electric linear actuator that uses a motor and a mechanical transmission device to convert the rotational operation of the motor into linear motion, and has a simple and compact structure. The mechanical transmission device may include a gear and a rack, or a lead screw and a nut, etc.

[0163] In the embodiment of the present application, the second driving mechanism 800 drives the first driving mechanism 700 to linearly move axially along the output shaft 720 by setting a linear actuator, so that the first driving mechanism 700 can be selectively connected to or separated from the ice discharging mechanism 500. In this way, the first driving mechanism 700 can be connected to the ice discharging mechanism 500 to drive both the ice discharging mechanism 500 and the ice stirring member 610 to rotate simultaneously; it can also make the first driving mechanism 700 separated from the ice discharging mechanism 500, and the first driving mechanism 700 independently drives the ice stirring member 610 to rotate, so that the ice stirring member 610 stirs ice independently of the ice discharging mechanism 500. Moreover, the linear actuator in the embodiment of the present application drives the first driving mechanism 700 to linearly move axially along the output shaft 720, making the position of the first driving mechanism 700 more accurate and the movement faster, thereby making the ice discharging and ice stirring operations more reliable.

[0164] Combined with Figure 5 In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerator may further include: a first connecting member 710, and the first connecting member 710 is connected to the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700. Thus, the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 drives the first connecting member 710 to rotate. The first connecting member 710 is also in transmission connection with the ice stirring member 610. In this way, the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 drives the ice stirring member 610 to rotate through the first connecting member 710.

[0165] The refrigerator may further include a second connecting member 510, and the second connecting member 510 is connected to the ice discharging mechanism 500; the second connecting member 510 is located on the side of the ice discharging mechanism 500 facing the output shaft 720. The second connecting member 510 may be fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 520 of the ice discharging mechanism 500. For example, the second connecting member 510 is configured to form a first connecting hole, and the end of the rotating shaft 520 is fixed in the first connecting hole.

[0166] The second connecting member 510 is detachably connected to the first connecting member 710, which facilitates the connection or separation of the second connecting member 510 and the first connecting member 710.

[0167] In some embodiments of the present application, combined with Figure 4 and Figure 5, the second driving mechanism 800 and the ice storage barrel 400 are respectively located on both sides of the mounting base 240. Among them, the ice storage barrel 400 is located above the front side of the mounting base 240, and the second driving mechanism 800 is located at the rear side of the mounting base 240. A first through hole 421 is provided on the rear shell 420 of the ice storage barrel 400, and the first connecting member 710 and the second connecting member 510 are connected through the first through hole 421.

[0168] Among them, in combination with Figure 7 and Figure 8 , the second driving mechanism 800 is configured to drive the first driving mechanism 700 to move towards the ice discharging mechanism 500 until the second connecting member 510 is connected to the first connecting member 710, so that the first driving mechanism 700 drives the ice discharging mechanism 500 to rotate through the second connecting member 510 and the first connecting member 710.

[0169] In combination with Figure 9 , the second driving mechanism 800 is further configured to drive the second driving mechanism 800 to move away from the ice discharging mechanism 500 until the second connecting member 510 is disconnected from the first connecting member 710; at this time, the first driving mechanism 700 is in transmission connection with the ice stirring member 610 through the first connecting member 710, driving the ice stirring member 610 to rotate.

[0170] In the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present application, by providing the first connecting member 710 on the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 and connecting the second connecting member 510 to the ice discharging mechanism 500, and using the detachable connection between the first connecting member 710 and the second connecting member 510, the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 and the ice discharging mechanism 500 can be connected or separated, reducing the structural changes to the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 and the ice discharging mechanism 500, which is beneficial to cost reduction.

[0171] In some possible implementation manners of the present application, one of the first connecting member 710 and the second connecting member 510 is configured to form a connection recess 711, and the other is configured to form a connection protrusion 511.

[0172] In combination with Figure 10 and Figure 11 , the first connecting member 710 is configured to form a connection recess 711, and the second connecting member 510 is configured to form a connection protrusion 511. Of course, the first connecting member 710 may be configured to form a connection protrusion 511, and the second connecting member 510 is configured to form a connection recess 711.

[0173] Among them, the connection recess 711 may be recessed along the axial direction of the rotation axis 520 and open towards the connection protrusion 511; the connection protrusion 511 may extend along the axial direction of the rotation axis 520, so that the connection protrusion 511 can be selectively inserted into or disengaged from the connection recess 711.

[0174] Combined with Figure 8 , when the connecting protrusion 511 is inserted into the connecting recess 711, the first connecting member 710 and the second connecting member 510 are connected, and the first driving mechanism 700 drives the ice discharging mechanism 500 to rotate through the connecting protrusion 511 and the connecting recess 711; Combined with Figure 9 , when the connecting protrusion 511 disengages from the connecting recess 711, the first connecting member 710 and the second connecting member 510 are separated, and there is no connection between the first driving mechanism 700 and the ice discharging mechanism 500.

[0175] In the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present application, the connecting protrusion 511 is formed on the first connecting member 710, and the connecting recess 711 is formed on the second connecting member 510; The second driving mechanism 800 drives the first driving mechanism 700 to move axially along the rotation axis 520, so as to drive the connecting protrusion 511 to insert into the connecting recess 711, so that the first connecting member 710 and the second connecting member 510 are connected. In this way, the first driving mechanism 700 can drive the ice discharging mechanism 500 to rotate through the connecting protrusion 511 and the connecting recess 711; Or the second driving mechanism 800 drives the first driving mechanism 700 to move axially along the rotation axis 520, so as to drive the connecting protrusion 511 to disengage from the connecting recess 711, so that the first connecting member 710 and the second connecting member 510 are separated. The arrangement of the connecting protrusion 511 and the connecting recess 711 not only makes the connection between the first connecting member 710 and the second connecting member 510 stable and reliable, but also makes the separation of the first connecting member 710 and the second connecting member 510 simple.

[0176] Continue to refer to Figure 10 , the connecting recess 711 has a first side wall 7111 and a second side wall 7112, and the first side wall 7111 and the second side wall 7112 are opposite to each other in the circumferential direction of the output shaft 720 and have a gap.

[0177] When the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 rotates in the first direction, the connecting protrusion 511 abuts against the first side wall 7111 and pushes the first side wall 7111, so as to drive the second connecting member 510 to rotate in the first direction through the first connecting member 710.

[0178] When the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 rotates in the second direction opposite to the first direction, the connecting protrusion 511 abuts against the second side wall 7112 and pushes the second side wall 7112, so as to drive the second connecting member 510 to rotate in the second direction through the first connecting member 710.

[0179] Wherein, the connecting protrusion 511 has a first abutting wall 5111 and a second abutting wall 5112, and the first abutting wall 5111 and the second abutting wall 5112 are opposite to each other in the circumferential direction of the output shaft 720 and have a gap.

[0180] When the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 rotates in the first direction, the first abutting wall 511 abuts against the first side wall 7111 and pushes the first side wall 7111, so as to drive the second connecting member 510 to rotate in the first direction through the first connecting member 710.

[0181] When the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 rotates in the second direction opposite to the first direction, the second abutting wall 5112 abuts against the second side wall 7112 and pushes the second side wall 7112, so as to drive the second connecting member 510 to rotate in the second direction through the first connecting member 710.

[0182] Wherein, both the first direction and the second direction are circumferential directions around the output shaft 720. When the first direction is the counterclockwise direction, the second direction is the clockwise direction; when the first direction is the clockwise direction, the second direction is the counterclockwise direction.

[0183] Since both the first side wall 7111 and the second side wall 7112 are formed on the connecting recess 711, when the connecting protrusion 511 abuts against the first side wall 7111 or the second side wall 7112, the cooperation between the first side wall 7111 and the second side wall 7112 and the connecting protrusion 511 is tight and will not separate from each other, improving the stability and reliability of the transmission of the rotational force between the first connecting member 71 and the second connecting member 510.

[0184] In some embodiments, the connecting protrusion 511 can be inserted into the connecting recess 711 in a matching manner, so that the cooperation between the connecting protrusion 511 and the connecting recess 711 is more stable and reliable.

[0185] In some embodiments of the present application, when the first connecting member 710 is a rotary body, the first side wall 7111 and the second side wall 7112 can extend along the radial direction of the first connecting member 710. In this way, the connecting recess 711 can be fan-shaped. Correspondingly, the connecting protrusion 511 is fan-shaped. With such a setting, the rotational acting forces received by the first side wall 7111 and the second side wall 7112 are perpendicular to the first side wall 7111 and the second side wall 7112, which is beneficial to improving the transmission of the rotational acting force between the first connecting member 710 and the second connecting member 510.

[0186] Continue to refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11 , the number of the connecting protrusions 511 is two, and the two connecting protrusions 511 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the output shaft 720.

[0187] The number of the connecting recesses 711 is two, and the two connecting recesses 711 are respectively for the two connecting protrusions 511 to be inserted.

[0188] Exemplarily, the two connecting protrusions 511 are evenly spaced along the circumferential direction of the output shaft 720, such that the two connecting protrusions 511 are opposite to each other along a certain diameter of the output shaft 720.

[0189] In the embodiment of the present application, by providing the two connecting protrusions 511 and the two connecting recesses 711 to cooperate respectively, the first connecting member 710 and the second connecting member 510 transmit rotational acting forces on both sides of the output shaft 720, improving the stability of the transmission of the rotational acting force between the first connecting member 710 and the second connecting member 510.

[0190] As Figure 10 shown, a second connecting hole 712 is further formed on the first connecting member 710, and the second connecting hole 712 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the first driving mechanism. The two connecting recesses 711 can be provided on opposite sides of the second connecting hole 712, so as to make the force balance of the first connecting member 710.

[0191] As Figure 11 shown, a first connecting hole 512 is formed on the second connecting member 510, and the first connecting hole 512 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft of the ice discharging mechanism. The two connecting protrusions 511 can be provided on opposite sides of the first connecting hole 512, so as to make the force balance of the second connecting member 510.

[0192] Combined with Figure 12 and Figure 13 , in some embodiments of the present application, the ice stirring member 610 is located above the ice discharging mechanism 500, and the rotating shaft 520 of the ice discharging mechanism 500 is coaxially arranged with the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700, such that there is a certain interval between the ice stirring member 610 and the first driving mechanism 700. The refrigerator further includes a transmission assembly 620, and the transmission assembly 620 connects the first connecting member 710 and the ice stirring member 610, so that the first driving mechanism 700 drives the ice stirring member 610 to rotate through the first connecting member 710 and the transmission assembly 620.

[0193] In the embodiment of the present application, the refrigerator is provided with the transmission assembly 620 to transmit and connect the first connecting member 710 and the ice stirring member 610, such that there is no direct connection relationship between the transmission assembly 620 and the ice discharging mechanism 500, and the first driving mechanism 700 directly drives the ice stirring member 610 to rotate through the first connecting member 710 and the transmission assembly 620. Moreover, by providing the transmission assembly 620, the arrangement position of the ice stirring member 610 is more flexible, which is conducive to arranging the ice stirring member 610 above the ice discharging mechanism 500 to improve the ice stirring effect.

[0194] In some embodiments, the transmission assembly 620 is located outside the ice storage bucket 400, so that the ice in the ice storage bucket 400 can be reduced from eroding the transmission assembly 620, which is conducive to improving the service life of the transmission assembly 620.

[0195] Combined with Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the transmission assembly 620 is located between the ice storage bucket 400 and the first mounting plate 241 of the mounting base 240. A second through hole 422 is further provided on the rear shell 420 of the ice storage bucket 400 so that the ice stirring member 610 is connected to the transmission assembly 620 through the second through hole 422.

[0196] Continue to refer to Figure 12 and Figure 13 , in some possible implementation manners of the present application, the transmission assembly 620 includes: a first gear 621, which is fixedly connected to the first connecting member 710.

[0197] The transmission assembly 620 may further include a second gear 622. The second gear 622 is rotatably mounted on the ice storage bucket 400 and meshes with the first gear 621. Exemplarily, the second gear 622 is rotatably mounted on the first mounting plate 241 of the mounting base 240 through a rotating shaft.

[0198] The transmission assembly 620 may further include a third gear 623. The third gear 623 is fixedly connected to the ice stirring member 610 and meshes with the second gear 622. Combined with Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the third gear 623 is located outside the ice storage bucket 400. The third gear 623 can be rotatably mounted on the first mounting plate 241 of the mounting base 240 through a rotating shaft. The ice stirring member 610 passes through the second through hole 422 and is fixedly connected to the third gear 623.

[0199] Wherein, when the first gear 621 moves toward or away from the ice discharging mechanism 500 along with the first connecting member 710, the second gear 622 always meshes with the first gear 621.

[0200] As Figure 12 shown, the second driving mechanism 800 drives the first driving mechanism 700 to move toward the ice discharging mechanism 500, so that the first connecting member 710 is connected to the second connecting member 510. The first driving mechanism 700 can drive the ice discharging mechanism 500 to move through the first connecting member 710 and the second connecting member 510. When the first connecting member 710 moves toward the ice discharging mechanism 500, since the first gear 621 is fixedly connected to the first connecting member 710, the first gear 621 is driven to move toward the ice discharging mechanism 500. The second gear 622 remains meshed with the first gear 621. When the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 rotates, the first connecting member 710 is driven to rotate, and then the second gear 622 and the third gear 623 are driven to rotate through the first gear 621, thereby driving the ice stirring member 610 to rotate to realize ice stirring.

[0201] As Figure 13As shown, the second driving mechanism 800 drives the first driving mechanism 700 to move away from the ice discharging mechanism 500, so that the first connecting member 710 is separated from the second connecting member 510, and the first driving mechanism 700 cannot drive the second connecting member 510 to rotate through the first connecting member 710. When the first connecting member 710 moves away from the ice discharging mechanism 500, since the first gear 621 is fixedly connected to the first connecting member 710, the first gear 621 is driven to move away from the ice discharging mechanism 500. The second gear 622 remains meshed with the first gear 621. When the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 rotates, the first connecting member 710 is driven to rotate, and then the second gear 622 and the third gear 623 are driven to rotate through the first gear 621, so as to drive the ice stirring member 610 to rotate independently relative to the ice discharging mechanism 500, realizing independent ice stirring when no ice is discharged.

[0202] In the embodiment of the present application, the transmission assembly 620 is provided with the first gear 621, the second gear 622 and the third gear 623. The first gear 621 is fixedly connected to the first connecting member 710, so that the rotation of the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 is transmitted to the first gear 621 through the first connecting member 710, and then the second gear 622 and the third gear 623 are driven to rotate, realizing the rotation of the ice stirring member 610. The transmission assembly 620 adopts gear transmission, which has high transmission efficiency, can provide an accurate transmission ratio, and is beneficial to realizing the precise control of the ice stirring member 610. Moreover, the gear transmission structure is compact, which is beneficial to reducing the installation space occupied by it.

[0203] In some other possible implementation manners of the embodiment of the present application, the transmission assembly 620 may also include a first synchronous pulley, a second synchronous pulley and a synchronous belt. The first synchronous pulley is fixedly connected to the first connecting member 710. The second synchronous pulley is fixedly connected to the ice stirring member 610. The synchronous belt surrounds the first synchronous pulley and the second synchronous pulley and is in cooperation connection with the first synchronous pulley and the second synchronous pulley. For example, the outer circumferential sides of the first synchronous pulley and the second synchronous pulley may both be flat first surfaces. The inner side of the synchronous belt may be a flat second surface capable of contacting the first surface. The synchronous belt can be in cooperation connection with the first synchronous pulley and the second synchronous pulley through the contacting second surface and first surface. Or, the outer circumferential sides of the first synchronous pulley and the second synchronous pulley may be provided with first synchronous teeth, and the inner side of the synchronous belt may be provided with second synchronous teeth capable of meshing with the first synchronous teeth. The synchronous belt can be in cooperation connection with the first synchronous pulley and the second synchronous pulley through the meshing second synchronous teeth and first synchronous teeth. When the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 drives the first connecting member 710 to rotate, the first connecting member 710 can drive the first synchronous pulley to rotate in the same direction. The first synchronous pulley drives the synchronous belt to move around the first synchronous pulley, and the synchronous belt drives the second synchronous pulley and the ice stirring member 610 to rotate, so that the ice stirring member 610 rotates.

[0204] In some other possible implementations of the embodiments of the present application, the transmission assembly 620 may further include a first sprocket, a second sprocket, and a chain, wherein the first sprocket is fixedly connected to the first connecting member 710. The second sprocket is connected to the ice stirring member 610. The chain surrounds the first sprocket and the second sprocket and engages with the first sprocket and the second sprocket. When the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 drives the first connecting member 710 to rotate, the first connecting member 710 can drive the first sprocket to rotate, the first sprocket drives the chain to move around the first sprocket, and the chain drives the second sprocket and the ice stirring member 610 to rotate, thereby causing the ice stirring member 610 to rotate.

[0205] It is understandable that the transmission assembly 620 may also be other structures that can enable the first connecting member 710 and the ice stirring member 610 to rotate, and this embodiment of the present application will not be described in detail.

[0206] Continue to refer to Figure 10 In some embodiments of the present application, the first gear 621 is integrally formed with the first connecting member 710. The middle portion of the first gear 621 is the first connecting member 710; alternatively, the first connecting member 710 is disc-shaped, with gear teeth formed on the edge of the disc and meshing with the second gear 622.

[0207] A connecting recess 711 is formed on the side of the first gear 621 facing the ice dispensing mechanism 500. The connecting recess 711 is detachably connected to the connecting protrusion 511 of the second connecting member 510. The side of the first gear 621 facing away from the ice dispensing mechanism 500 is connected to the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700, so that the first gear 621 is fixedly connected to the output shaft 720 of the first driving mechanism 700 via the first connecting member 710.

[0208] In the embodiment of the present application, the first gear 621 and the first connecting member 710 are integrally formed, which not only makes the connection between the first gear 621 and the first connecting member 710 stable and reliable, but also improves the structural compactness of the connection between the ice dispensing mechanism 500 and the first driving mechanism 700, thereby reducing the installation space.

[0209] Combine Figure 14 and Figure 15 In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerator further includes: a mounting bracket 910, and the first driving mechanism 700 is fixed on the mounting bracket 910. Exemplarily, the housing of the first driving mechanism 700 is fixed on the mounting bracket 910.

[0210] The output end of the second driving mechanism 800 is connected to the mounting bracket 910 , so that the second driving mechanism 800 drives the first driving mechanism 700 to move toward or away from the ice discharging mechanism 500 through the mounting bracket 910 .

[0211] The refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present application may further include a housing 920, and the housing 920 is fixed to the rear side of the first driving mechanism 700. Exemplarily, the housing 920 is fixed to the rear side of the first mounting plate 241 of the mounting base 240, and the fixing methods include but are not limited to screw fixing, snap connection, etc. Alternatively, a part of the first mounting plate 241 protrudes backward to form the housing 920.

[0212] The second driving mechanism 800 is mounted on the housing 920, and the second driving mechanism 800 is located on the side of the housing 920 facing the first driving mechanism 700. In this way, the housing 920 not only provides a mounting position for the second driving mechanism 800, but also can play a role in shielding and protecting the second driving mechanism 800.

[0213] In some possible implementation manners of the present application, a guiding structure is provided between the mounting bracket 910 and the housing 920 to limit the first driving mechanism 700 and the mounting bracket 910 from moving toward the ice discharging mechanism 500 or away from the ice discharging mechanism 500 along the guiding structure.

[0214] In the embodiment of the present application, by providing a guiding structure between the mounting bracket 910 and the housing 920, the movement of the first driving mechanism 700 is guided, and the accuracy of the movement direction of the first driving mechanism 700 is improved.

[0215] Among them, a sliding protrusion 911 may be provided on the mounting bracket 910, and a sliding groove 921 is provided on the housing 920. The sliding groove 921 extends along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 520, and the sliding protrusion 911 is slidably mounted in the sliding groove 921. Through the cooperation of the sliding protrusion 911 and the sliding groove 921, the movement of the first driving mechanism 700 is guided.

[0216] In some embodiments, sliding protrusions 911 are respectively provided on both sides of the mounting bracket along the width direction of the door body 200; sliding grooves 921 are respectively provided on both sides of the housing 920 along the width direction of the door body 200. Through the cooperation of the two sliding protrusions 911 and the two sliding grooves 921, the stability of the movement of the first driving mechanism 700 is improved.

[0217] Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that: they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0218] For the sake of convenience of explanation, the above description has been made in connection with specific embodiments. However, the above exemplary discussion is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the specific forms disclosed above. According to the above teachings, various modifications and variations can be obtained. The selection and description of the above embodiments are for the purpose of better explaining the principles and practical applications, so that those skilled in the art can better use the said embodiments and various different modified embodiments suitable for specific use considerations.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, Comprising: A cabinet (100) configured to form a refrigerating compartment (101) with a pick-up and delivery opening; A door body (200) hinged to the cabinet (100) for opening or closing the pick-up and delivery opening; An ice maker (300) installed on the cabinet (100) or the door body (200) for making ice; An ice storage bucket (400) located below the ice maker (300) and configured to store ice separated from the ice maker (300); An ice discharging mechanism (500) disposed in the ice storage bucket (400) and configured to output the ice in the ice storage bucket (400); An ice stirring member (610) disposed in the ice storage bucket (400), the ice stirring member (610) being configured to be movable relative to the ice storage bucket (400); A first driving mechanism (700), an output shaft (720) of the first driving mechanism (700) being in transmission connection with the ice stirring member (610) to drive the ice stirring member (610) to rotate relative to the ice storage bucket (400); the output shaft (720) of the first driving mechanism (700) being selectively connected to or separated from the ice discharging mechanism (500); A second driving mechanism (800), an output end of the second driving mechanism (800) being connected to the first driving mechanism (700) and configured to drive the first driving mechanism (700) to move relative to the ice discharging mechanism (500) so that the output shaft (720) of the first driving mechanism (700) is connected to or separated from the ice discharging mechanism (500).

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second driving mechanism (800) includes a linear driver configured to extend or retract along the axial direction of the output shaft (720); An output end of the linear driver is connected to the first driving mechanism (700), and the output end of the linear driver has an initial position and an ice discharging position; When the output end of the linear driver is located at the initial position, the first driving mechanism (700) is separated from the ice discharging mechanism (500); When the output end of the linear driver is located at the ice discharging position, the first driving mechanism (700) is connected to the ice discharging mechanism (500).

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerator further includes: A first connecting member (710) connected to the output shaft (720) of the first driving mechanism (700); the first connecting member (710) is in transmission connection with the ice stirring member (610); A second connecting member (510) connected to the ice discharging mechanism (500); the second connecting member (510) is detachably connected to the first connecting member (710); Wherein, the second driving mechanism (800) is configured to drive the first driving mechanism (700) to move towards the ice discharging mechanism (500) until the second connecting member (510) is connected to the first connecting member (710), so that the first driving mechanism (700) drives the ice discharging mechanism (500) to rotate through the second connecting member (510) and the first connecting member (710); The second driving mechanism (800) is further configured to drive the second driving mechanism (800) to move away from the ice discharging mechanism (500) until the second connecting member (510) is disconnected from the first connecting member (710).

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that, One of the first connecting member (710) and the second connecting member (510) is configured to form a connecting recess (711), and the other is configured to form a connecting protrusion (511); the connecting protrusion (511) is inserted into the connecting recess (711) or is separated from the connecting recess (711); When the connecting protrusion (511) is inserted into the connecting recess (711), the first driving mechanism (700) drives the ice discharging mechanism (500) to rotate via the connecting protrusion (511) and the connecting recess (711).

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The connecting recess (711) has a first side wall (7111) and a second side wall (7112), wherein the first side wall (7111) and the second side wall (7112) are opposite to each other and spaced apart along the circumference of the output shaft (720); When the output shaft (720) of the first driving mechanism (700) rotates in a first direction, the connecting protrusion (511) abuts against the first side wall (7111) and pushes the first side wall (7111); When the output shaft (720) of the first driving mechanism (700) rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the connecting protrusion (511) abuts against the second side wall (7112) and pushes the second side wall (7112).

6. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 3-5, characterized in that, The refrigerator further comprises a transmission assembly (620), wherein the transmission assembly (620) connects the first connecting member (710) and the ice stirring member (610), so that the first driving mechanism (700) drives the ice stirring member (610) to rotate via the first connecting member (710) and the transmission assembly (620).

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein, The transmission assembly (620) comprises: A first gear (621) is fixedly connected to the first connecting member (710); a second gear (622) rotatably mounted on the ice storage bucket (400) and meshing with the first gear (621); a third gear (623) fixedly connected to the ice stirring member (610) and meshing with the second gear (622); When the first gear (621) moves toward or away from the ice discharging mechanism (500) along with the first connecting member (710), the second gear (622) is always in mesh with the first gear (621).

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first gear (621) and the first connecting member (710) are integrally formed; The side of the first gear (621) facing the ice discharging mechanism (500) is detachably connected to the second connecting member (510), and the side of the first gear (621) facing away from the ice discharging mechanism (500) is connected to the output shaft (720) of the first driving mechanism (700).

9. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, When the second driving mechanism (800) is configured to drive the first driving mechanism (700) to separate from the ice discharging mechanism (500), the first driving mechanism (700) is configured to drive the ice stirring member (610) to rotate every first preset time period.

10. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The refrigerator further includes: a mounting bracket (910), the first driving mechanism (700) is fixed on the mounting bracket (910); an output end of the second driving mechanism (800) is connected to the mounting bracket (910); a housing (920), fixed to the rear side of the first driving mechanism (700), and the second driving mechanism (800) is mounted on the housing (920); wherein, a guiding structure is provided between the mounting bracket (910) and the housing (920) to limit the first driving mechanism (700) and the mounting bracket (910) to move along the guiding structure towards the ice discharging mechanism (500) or away from the ice discharging mechanism (500).

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