Refrigerator

Abstract

The invention is suitable for the technical field of ice making, and provides a refrigerator which comprises a box body structure, an ice making device and a first evaporator, the box body structure forms a refrigerating chamber, the ice making device comprises a first shell, a water tank assembly, a spiral ice maker and an ice storage bucket, the first shell is arranged on the inner wall of the refrigerating chamber, the water tank assembly is arranged in the first shell, and the spiral ice maker is arranged in the first shell. The spiral ice maker is used for scraping out an ice layer condensed on the inner wall of the spiral ice maker in a spiral form and forming ice blocks; the ice storage bucket is detachably arranged on the first shell, the ice storage bucket is used for storing ice produced by the spiral ice maker, and the first evaporator communicates with the spiral ice maker and is used for providing cooling capacity for the spiral ice maker; cold is provided for the spiral ice maker through the first evaporator, the spiral ice maker scrapes out an ice layer in the spiral ice maker and forms ice blocks, and the ice storage bucket and the whole ice making device are integrally arranged in the refrigerating chamber, so that soft ice can be made, the soft ice is stored in the temperature range of the refrigerating chamber, and the use requirement of a user for the soft ice is met.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Most ice makers for refrigerators on the market produce hard ice by rapidly freezing water in an environment close to the freezer compartment temperature. This results in ice cubes that are hard and melt slowly, suitable for common scenarios such as cold beverage preparation. However, in practical use, users have needs for soft ice for direct consumption and for absorbing beverages. Existing ice makers cannot precisely control the ice crystallization state and temperature, making it difficult to create soft ice. Furthermore, the low temperature environment of a conventional refrigerator freezer can cause the ice to harden further, making it difficult to maintain its soft texture for a long time. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an integrated solution that can create and preserve soft ice within the refrigerator. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a refrigerator that integrates soft ice production and preservation within the refrigerator.

[0004] This application provides a refrigerator, including: The box-like structure creates a cold storage compartment; An ice-making device is located in the cold storage room, and the ice-making device includes: A first housing is disposed on the inner wall of the refrigerator compartment; A water tank assembly, which is disposed within the first housing, is used to store water for ice making; A spiral ice maker, which is connected to the water tank assembly, is able to obtain ice-making water from the water tank assembly, and is used to scrape the ice layer that has solidified on its inner wall in a spiral form to form ice blocks; An ice storage tank, detachably mounted on the first housing, at least a portion of which can be located within the first housing, the ice storage tank being used to store ice produced by the spiral ice maker; and A first evaporator, connected to the spiral ice maker, is used to provide cooling to the spiral ice maker so that the ice-making water inside it condenses into ice.

[0005] The advantages or beneficial effects of the above solution are as follows: the first evaporator provides cooling capacity to the spiral ice maker, the spiral ice maker scrapes out the ice layer inside and forms ice blocks, and the ice storage tank together with the entire ice making device is placed in the cold storage room, which can produce soft ice and keep the soft ice within the temperature range of the cold storage room, thus meeting the user's demand for soft ice.

[0006] In some embodiments, the spiral ice maker includes: A second housing is configured to form an ice-making chamber and a refrigerant chamber that are isolated from each other and thermally coupled together. The ice-making chamber has an ice outlet on its upper side. The ice-making chamber is connected to the water tank assembly, and the refrigerant chamber is connected to the first evaporator. A spiral rod, a portion of which passes through the ice outlet and is disposed within the ice-making cavity, and the other portion of which is located outside the ice-making cavity, is capable of rotating within the ice-making cavity.

[0007] The advantages or beneficial effects of the above solution are: it provides a specific structure for a spiral ice maker, in which the spiral rod squeezes and extrudes the ice layer during rotation to form soft ice blocks.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first evaporator is located inside the housing structure and isolated from the refrigerator compartment; the ice-making device further includes: An insulation sleeve, which covers the outer side of the second housing; and A refrigerant line connects the first evaporator and the refrigerant cavity, with a portion of the refrigerant line located inside the first housing and another portion passing through the first housing.

[0009] The advantages or beneficial effects of the above scheme are that it isolates the first evaporator and refrigerant piping from the refrigerator compartment as much as possible, thus avoiding cold leakage that could affect the temperature of the refrigerator compartment.

[0010] In some embodiments, the ice-making apparatus further includes: An ice guide is provided, which defines an ice guiding channel. The bottom of the ice guide is provided with a first water leakage hole that communicates with the ice guiding channel. One end of the ice guiding channel is connected to the ice outlet, and the other end is connected to the ice storage tank. The first water leakage hole is located above the upper opening of the water tank assembly.

[0011] The advantages or beneficial effects of the above scheme are that water that has not fully frozen at the beginning of ice making can be recovered from the first drain hole into the water tank assembly and reused without entering the ice storage tank, which helps to maintain the shape of the ice blocks in the ice storage tank.

[0012] In some embodiments, the ice guide includes a first sub-shell and a second sub-shell connected opposite to each other in the height direction of the refrigerator, and the ice guide channel is disposed between the first sub-shell and the second sub-shell.

[0013] The advantages or beneficial effects of the above scheme are that the first and second sub-shells are each flat and open in style, making them easier to form.

[0014] In some embodiments, the spiral ice maker further includes: A drive assembly is fixedly disposed on the ice guide and connected to another part of the spiral rod, for driving the spiral rod to rotate within the ice-making cavity.

[0015] The advantages or beneficial effects of the above solution are: the ice guide provides support for the drive assembly and also provides a larger mounting surface, which is conducive to the stable installation of the drive assembly in the first housing 11.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first sub-shell is located above the second sub-shell; the first and second sub-shells are provided with mounting holes for the helical rod and the second shell to pass through, and the drive assembly is fixedly disposed on the upper surface of the first sub-shell; the thickness of the first sub-shell gradually increases in the direction from the ice outlet to the ice storage tank.

[0017] The advantages or beneficial effects of the above scheme are as follows: while allowing the ice guiding channel to be in a gradually downward sloping shape, the upper surface of the first sub-shell can be relatively flat, or even planar. The relatively flat upper surface of the first sub-shell is conducive to the connection with the drive component.

[0018] In some embodiments, the ice-making apparatus further includes: The mounting component is fixedly disposed on the inner wall of the first housing, and the water tank assembly and the spiral ice maker are disposed within the mounting component; At least a portion of the first housing is integrally formed with the box structure.

[0019] The advantages or beneficial effects of the above scheme are as follows: When assembling the entire ice-making device in the cold storage room, the water tank assembly and spiral ice maker are first installed on the mounting component, which can connect the related structural parts such as the water tank assembly and spiral ice maker, such as the relevant pipelines. Then, the water tank assembly, spiral ice maker and mounting component are installed on the first housing as a whole, which can simplify the assembly steps of the ice-making device and help ensure the sealing of the pipelines.

[0020] In some embodiments, the mounting component includes: Multiple side panels are disposed around the water tank assembly and the spiral ice maker; the edge of the first sub-shell is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the multiple side panels; the second sub-shell is fixedly connected to the inner wall of at least one of the side panels, and the second sub-shell passes through at least another side panel.

[0021] The advantages or beneficial effects of the above scheme are that the first sub-shell and the second sub-shell can be fixed at multiple points, which is conducive to installation stability.

[0022] In some embodiments, the water tank assembly includes: A main water tank, within which a first water storage chamber is defined, the first water storage chamber and the spiral ice maker form a communication device; The ice-making device also includes: A liquid level detection component is installed on the main water tank and is used to detect at least two liquid levels in the first water storage chamber.

[0023] The advantages or beneficial effects of the above scheme are as follows: On the one hand, the main water tank and the spiral ice maker are at similar heights within the first housing, sharing the space within the first housing, which helps to improve the space utilization rate inside the first housing. On the other hand, the first water storage chamber and the spiral ice maker can maintain the same liquid level. As long as the first water storage chamber has a suitable liquid level, the spiral ice maker can also have a suitable liquid level, so as to facilitate the continuous generation of ice. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the refrigerator provided in the embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ice-making device in the refrigerator provided in an embodiment of this application, wherein a portion of the first housing is disassembled; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ice-making device in the refrigerator provided in the embodiment of this application, wherein the first shell and the ice storage tank are disassembled; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ice-making device in the refrigerator provided in the embodiment of this application, which mainly shows the part inside the mounting component; Figure 5 This is an exploded structural diagram of the ice-making device in a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of this application, which mainly shows the part inside the mounting component; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the spiral ice maker in the refrigerator provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the cooperation relationship between the mounting parts and the ice guide parts of the ice-making device in the refrigerator provided in this application embodiment; Figure 8 The refrigerator provided in this application embodiment Figure 7 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the structure shown; Figure 9This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ice guide component of the ice-making device in the refrigerator provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the water tank assembly in the refrigerator provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigeration system in a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0026] The markings in the diagram mean: 200 - Refrigerator; 91 - Cabinet structure; 92 - Refrigerator compartment; 93 - Freezer compartment; 80-Refrigeration system, 81-Compressor, 821-First evaporator, 822-Second evaporator, 823-Third evaporator, 84-Condenser, 85-Control valve; 100 - Ice-making device; 11-First shell; 12-Spiral ice maker; 121-Second shell, 1210-Ice making chamber, 1211-Ice outlet, 1212-Refrigerant chamber; 123 - Helical rod; 124 - Driver Components; 125 - Insulation jacket; 126 - Refrigerant piping; 131-Installation component, 1311-Base plate, 1312-Side plate, 1313-Installation plate; 132 - Temperature sensing element; 14-Water tank assembly, 141-Main water tank, 1410-First water storage chamber; 143-Liquid level detection assembly, 1431-First liquid level detection element, 1432-Second liquid level detection element; 15 - Ice storage buckets; 17-Ice guiding component, 170-Ice guiding channel, 171-First water leakage hole, 172-First sub-shell, 1720-Reinforcing structure, 173-Second sub-shell, 174-Mounting hole. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0028] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly or indirectly fixed to or set on that other component. When a component is referred to as "connected to" another component, it can be directly or indirectly connected to that other component. The terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the purpose of description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this patent. The terms "first" and "second" are used only for the purpose of description and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features. "A plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0029] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between the related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. A and B can be single or multiple. Furthermore, in the description of this application, "at least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, and c can be represented as: a, b, c, a+b, a+c, b+c, a+b+c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. As another example, at least one of a, b, or c can be represented as: a, b, c, a+b, a+c, b+c, a+b+c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0030] To illustrate the technical solutions described in this application, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with specific drawings and embodiments.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, this application embodiment provides a refrigerator 200, which includes a cabinet structure 91 and an ice-making device 100, wherein the cabinet structure 91 forms a refrigerator compartment 92, and the ice-making device 100 is disposed within the refrigerator compartment 92. Figure 3 As shown, the ice-making device 100 includes a first housing 11, a water tank assembly 14, and an ice storage tank 15, as... Figure 11As shown, the refrigerator 200 also includes a first evaporator 821; wherein, a first housing 11 is disposed on the inner wall of the refrigerator compartment 92, for defining a portion of the space within the refrigerator compartment 92; a water tank assembly 14 is disposed within the first housing 11, for storing water for ice making; a spiral ice maker 12 is connected to the water tank assembly 14, and is able to obtain water for ice making from the water tank assembly 14, and is used to scrape the ice layer condensed on its inner wall in a spiral form to form ice blocks; an ice storage bucket 15 is detachably disposed within the first housing 11, at least a portion of which is located within the first housing 11, and the ice storage bucket 15 is used to receive and store the ice produced by the spiral ice maker 12. The first evaporator 821 is connected to the spiral ice maker 12, for providing cooling to the spiral ice maker 12 so that the water for ice making inside it condenses.

[0032] In the refrigerator 200, on the one hand, by controlling the refrigerant evaporation temperature in the first evaporator 821, the temperature of the refrigerant in the spiral ice maker 12 can be controlled, thereby obtaining ice at the required temperature; on the other hand, the spiral ice maker 12 scrapes out the ice layer that has condensed on its inner wall in a spiral shape. The scraped ice layer is appropriately compressed during the spiral outward movement, but there are still many cracks inside, and the ice remains relatively soft in physical structure.

[0033] In addition, the ice-making device 100 is set up inside the cold storage chamber 92. The ambient temperature of the ice storage tank 15 is the same as that of the cold storage chamber 92. The produced ice is stored within the temperature range of the cold storage chamber 92, which can maintain the soft structure of the ice and prevent it from freezing again.

[0034] Therefore, in the embodiments of this application, the first evaporator 821 provides cooling capacity to the spiral ice maker 12, the spiral ice maker 12 scrapes out the ice layer inside and forms ice blocks, and the ice storage tank 15 together with the entire ice making device 100 is placed in the cold storage chamber 92, which can produce soft ice and keep the soft ice within the temperature range of the cold storage chamber 92, thus meeting the user's demand for soft ice.

[0035] The first evaporator 821 is independently controlled, and the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant inside can be set individually.

[0036] like Figure 11 As shown, the refrigerator 200 also includes a refrigeration system 80, and the aforementioned first evaporator 821 is part of this refrigeration system 80. Specifically, as... Figure 11As shown, the refrigeration system 80 also includes a compressor 81, a condenser 84, and a second evaporator 822. The first evaporator 821 and the second evaporator 822 are connected in parallel to the refrigerant inlet of the compressor 81 and in parallel to the refrigerant outlet of the condenser 84. The refrigerant outlet of the compressor 81 is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the condenser 84. The first evaporator 821 and the second evaporator 822 are independently operated. The second evaporator 822 can provide cooling to the refrigerator compartment 92 to maintain its temperature. Therefore, the first evaporator 821 and the second evaporator 822 can have different evaporation temperatures.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the housing structure 91 also forms a freezer compartment 93. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the refrigeration system 80 may further include a third evaporator 823, which is parallel to the first evaporator 821 and the second evaporator 822. The third evaporator 823 can be used to provide energy to the freezer compartment 93 to maintain the temperature of the freezer compartment 93. Figure 11 As shown, in some embodiments, the first evaporator 821, the second evaporator 822, and the third evaporator 823 are each connected to the refrigerant inlet of the condenser 84 via a control valve 85 (such as a throttling element). In other alternative embodiments, the second evaporator 822 and the third evaporator 823 may be arranged in series or combined into a single evaporator.

[0038] In some embodiments of this application, the first evaporator 821 is disposed inside the housing structure 91 and isolated from the refrigerator compartment 92. Specifically, the first evaporator 821 is embedded inside the housing structure 91 to prevent its cold energy from leaking into the refrigerator compartment 92 and affecting the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 92.

[0039] like Figure 6 As shown, the ice-making device 100 also includes a refrigerant line 126 and an insulation sleeve 125. The insulation sleeve 125 covers the outside of the spiral ice maker 12. The refrigerant line 126 connects the first evaporator 821 and the spiral ice maker 12. A portion of the refrigerant line 126 is located inside the first housing 11, and another portion passes through the first housing 11. The refrigerant line 126 is designed to avoid being exposed inside the cold storage compartment 92.

[0040] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 6As shown, the spiral ice maker 12 includes a second housing 121 and a spiral rod 123. The second housing 121 forms an ice-making chamber 1210 and a refrigerant chamber 1212 that are isolated from each other and thermally coupled. The ice-making chamber 1210 has an ice outlet 1211 on its upper side. A portion of the spiral rod 123 passes through the ice outlet 1211 and is located inside the ice-making chamber 1210, while the other portion is located outside the second housing 121. The spiral rod 123 can rotate within the ice-making chamber 1210. The refrigerant chamber 1212 is connected to the first evaporator 821 via a refrigerant pipe 126, allowing refrigerant to flow into and out of the refrigerant chamber 1212, thereby transferring cold energy to the water in the ice-making chamber 1210. During the rotation of the spiral rod 123, the ice layer is squeezed and extruded to form soft ice blocks.

[0041] Optionally, such as Figure 6 As shown, the refrigerant chamber 1212 surrounds the ice-making chamber 1210. Therefore, an ice layer can easily form on the inner wall of the ice-making chamber 1210. The helical blades of the helical rod 123 can scrape off the ice layer.

[0042] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the spiral ice maker 12 further includes a drive assembly 124, which is fixedly disposed on the inner wall of the first housing 11 and connected to the portion of the spiral rod 123 located outside the second housing 121, for driving the spiral rod 123 to rotate within the second housing 121.

[0043] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 5 and Figure 10 As shown, the water tank assembly 14 includes a main water tank 141, within which a first water storage chamber 1410 is defined. The first water storage chamber 1410 is connected to an ice-making chamber 1210. The ice-making chamber 1210 can obtain ice-making water from the first water storage chamber 1410.

[0044] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the ice-making device 100 also includes an ice guide 17, such as... Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the ice guide 17 defines an ice guiding channel 170, one end of which communicates with the ice outlet 1211, and the other end communicates with the ice storage tank 15. The ice guiding channel 170 is used to allow ice blocks from the ice outlet 1211 to move to the ice storage tank 15. The ice guide 17 is fixedly installed on the first housing 11; specifically, the ice guide 17 can be fixedly installed on the inner side wall of the first housing 11.

[0045] like Figure 1As shown, the refrigerator 200 has a specific installation orientation during use. Based on this, the refrigerator 200 is defined with "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," and "back" directions. The "down" direction corresponds to the direction of gravity, the "up" direction is the opposite direction of gravity, the "front" direction is towards the user, the "back" direction is away from the user, the "left" direction corresponds to the user's left side, and the "right" direction corresponds to the user's right side. The up-down direction also represents the height of the refrigerator 200, the left-right direction also represents the width of the refrigerator 200, and the front-back direction also represents the depth of the refrigerator 200.

[0046] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the ice storage tank 15 is located in front of the spiral ice maker 12. The ice guide 17 is arranged generally along the front-to-back direction.

[0047] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 9 As shown, the bottom of the ice guide 17 is provided with a first drain hole 171 communicating with its ice guide channel 170. The first drain hole 171 is connected to the main water tank 141 of the water tank assembly 14. The purpose of this arrangement is that, in some cases, the ice blocks output from the ice outlet 1211 may carry a small amount of water (such as in the initial stage of operation of the first evaporator 821 when the cooling capacity is small and the water in the ice-making chamber 1210 has not completely frozen and is carried out by the ice blocks). This portion of water can be recovered from the first drain hole 171 into the water tank assembly 14 for reuse, without having to enter the ice storage tank 15. This helps to maintain the shape of the ice blocks in the ice storage tank 15.

[0048] In some alternative embodiments, such as Figure 4 and Figure 8 As shown, the ice guide 17 is located on the upper side of the water tank assembly 14. In the height direction, the first drain hole 171 is located above the upper opening of the water tank assembly 14. That is, in the direction of gravity, the first drain hole 171 is aligned with the upper opening of the water tank assembly 14, specifically with the upper opening of the first water storage chamber 1410. Water from the first drain hole 171 can drip into the water tank assembly 14 under its own gravity, eliminating the need for complex piping directly between the first drain hole 171 and the water tank assembly 14.

[0049] like Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, one end of the ice guide 17 (the end closest to the spiral ice maker 12) has a mounting hole 174 along the axial direction of the spiral rod 123. The upper end of the second housing 121 and the upper end of the spiral rod 123 both pass through the mounting hole 174, so that one end of the ice guide 17 is fitted onto the spiral ice maker 12 and located below the ice outlet 1211. The other end of the ice guide 17 extends to the ice storage tank 15. In the direction from one end of the ice guide 17 to the other end, that is, from the spiral ice maker 12 to the ice storage tank 15, that is, from back to front, the ice guide 17 is gradually inclined downwards. Specifically, the ice guiding channel 170 is gradually inclined downwards.

[0050] like Figure 4 As shown, the drive assembly 124 is fixedly mounted on the ice guide 17, specifically on the upper surface of the ice guide 17, and connected to the upper end of the spiral rod 123. The upper surface of the ice guide 17 provides support for the drive assembly 124 and also provides a large mounting surface, which is beneficial for the stable installation of the drive assembly 124 within the first housing 11.

[0051] The form of the drive assembly 124 is not limited. In some alternative embodiments, the drive assembly 124 may include a motor and a transmission component (not shown) connected to the motor. The only requirement is that the motor torque can be transmitted to the auger 123 and that it is suitable for mounting on the upper surface of the ice guide 17.

[0052] The ice guide 17 has a flat overall shape, with a small thickness and a large width. This allows its internal ice guiding channel 170 to also have a small thickness and a large width, facilitating the side-by-side dispersion of ice blocks in the width direction without stacking in the height direction, thus reducing the likelihood of ice blocks getting stuck. At the same time, the ice guide 17 has a small thickness, so it does not occupy too much space in the height direction within the first housing 11, which is beneficial for the space utilization within the first housing 11 and the arrangement of other components.

[0053] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the ice guide 17 includes a first sub-shell 172 and a second sub-shell 173 connected in the height direction. The adjacent sides of the first sub-shell 172 and the second sub-shell 173 together define an ice guide channel 170. The purpose of this arrangement is that the first sub-shell 172 and the second sub-shell 173 are easier to process and mold. For example, if the ice guide 17 is an injection molded part, the first sub-shell 172 and the second sub-shell 173 are each flat and open in style, making them easier to injection mold.

[0054] like Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, the first sub-shell 172 is located above the second sub-shell 173. In the direction from one end of the ice guide 17 to the other, the thickness of the second sub-shell 173 does not change significantly, exhibiting a downward sloping shape. In the direction from one end of the ice guide 17 to the other, the thickness of the first sub-shell 172 gradually increases, from... Figure 8 In the cross-sectional view, the first sub-shell 172 has a cross-section resembling a triangle. This design allows the upper surface of the first sub-shell 172 to be relatively flat, even planar, while still allowing the ice-guiding channel 170 to slope downwards gradually. This relatively flat upper surface of the first sub-shell 172 facilitates connection with the drive assembly 124.

[0055] In some embodiments of this application, the first water storage chamber 1410 and the ice-making chamber 1210 form a communicating vessel. The bottoms of the first water storage chamber 1410 and the ice-making chamber 1210 are connected, and the upper end of the first water storage chamber 1410 has an opening communicating with the atmosphere. The ice outlet 1211 at the upper end of the ice-making chamber 1210 is also communicating with the atmosphere. The purpose of this arrangement is that, on the one hand, the main water tank 141 and the spiral ice maker 12 are at similar heights within the first housing 11, sharing the space within the first housing 11, which is beneficial for improving the space utilization rate inside the first housing 11. On the other hand, the first water storage chamber 1410 and the ice-making chamber 1210 can maintain the same liquid level. That is, as long as the first water storage chamber 1410 has a suitable liquid level, the ice-making chamber 1210 can also have a suitable liquid level, so as to facilitate the continuous generation of ice.

[0056] like Figure 5 As shown, the water tank assembly 14 also includes a liquid level detection assembly 143. The first liquid level assembly is disposed on the main water tank 141 of the water tank assembly 14 and is used to detect the liquid level in the first water storage chamber 1410. Optionally, the liquid level detection assembly 143 is used to detect at least two liquid levels in the first water storage chamber 1410.

[0057] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 5 As shown, the liquid level detection assembly 143 includes a first liquid level detection element 1431 and a second liquid level detection element 1432. The first liquid level detection element 1431 is positioned below the uppermost end of the first water storage chamber 1410, and the second liquid level detection element 1432 is positioned below the first liquid level detection element 1431. The first liquid level detection element 1431 is used to detect the high liquid level in the first water storage chamber 1410, and the second liquid level detection element 1432 is used to detect the low liquid level in the first water storage chamber 1410. This allows the liquid level in the first water storage chamber 1410 to be maintained between the high and low liquid levels.

[0058] When the first liquid level detection element 1431 is triggered, it indicates that the liquid level in the first water storage chamber 1410 has reached a high level. At this time, water supply to the main water tank 141 should be stopped. Conversely, when the second liquid level detection element 1432 is triggered, it indicates that the liquid level in the first water storage chamber 1410 has dropped to a low level. Ice-making water should be added to the main water tank 141.

[0059] In some embodiments, the main water tank 141 can be connected to an external water source via an inlet pipe and an inlet valve (neither shown). The inlet valve opens and closes according to corresponding control signals (signals from the first liquid level detection element 1431 and the second liquid level detection element 1432).

[0060] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 7 As shown, the ice-making device 100 also includes a mounting component 131, which is fixedly disposed inside the first housing 11. The water tank assembly 14 and the spiral ice maker 12 are disposed on the mounting component 131.

[0061] The purpose of this arrangement is that, when assembling the entire ice-making device 100 in the refrigerator compartment 92, the water tank assembly 14 and the spiral ice maker 12 are first installed on the mounting component 131. At this time, the related structures such as the relevant pipelines can be connected to the water tank assembly 14, the spiral ice maker 12, etc. Then, the water tank assembly 14, the spiral ice maker 12, and the mounting component 131 are installed on the first housing 11 as a whole, which simplifies the assembly steps of the ice-making device 100 and helps to ensure the sealing of the pipelines.

[0062] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the first housing 11 is integrally formed with the cabinet structure 91. For example, the portion of the first housing 11 near the inner wall of the refrigerator compartment 92 is integrally formed with the cabinet structure 91.

[0063] At least a portion of the first housing 11 is integrally formed with the cabinet structure 91, and the surface of this portion is not easily fitted with mounting structures as needed. On the other hand, the first housing 11 is usually made of foamed material to provide a certain degree of sealing and heat insulation. For example, the first housing 11 is used to isolate its internal space from other spaces in the refrigerator compartment 92 as much as possible to avoid crosstalk of odors between the inside of the first housing 11 and other spaces in the refrigerator compartment 92. The first housing 11 made of such material is also not suitable for directly installing complex components.

[0064] In this application, a separate mounting component 131 is used to install components such as the water tank assembly 14 and the spiral ice maker 12. The mounting component 131 can be specifically designed according to the shape and installation requirements of components such as the water tank assembly 14 and the spiral ice maker 12, thereby making the assembly of components such as the water tank assembly 14 and the spiral ice maker 12 simpler and more stable.

[0065] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 4 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the mounting component 131 includes a base plate 1311 and a plurality of side plates 1312 disposed around the base plate 1311. The base plate 1311 and the plurality of side plates 1312 form a semi-open enclosure structure, and the water tank assembly 14 and the spiral ice maker 12 are all disposed inside the mounting component 131. Wherein, as Figure 4 As shown, the water tank assembly 14 is mounted on the base plate 1311. Figure 7 As shown, the three side plates 1312 of the mounting component 131 can be located on the front, rear, and side near the inner wall (such as the left side wall) of the base plate 1311, respectively. The side of the base plate 1311 facing away from the inner wall of the refrigerator compartment 92 is open to facilitate the installation of the water tank assembly 14 and the spiral ice maker 12. In some other embodiments, the base plate 1311 can be omitted, and the water tank assembly 14 can be directly arranged on the inner bottom wall of the first housing 11 or indirectly fixed to at least one side plate 1312.

[0066] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, the mounting component 131 also includes a mounting plate 1313, which is positioned higher than the base plate 1311 and connected to one or more side plates 1312. The spiral ice maker 12 is mounted on this mounting plate 1313. The specific shape of the mounting plate 1313 is adapted to the outer surface shape of the spiral ice maker 12 to ensure stable installation of the spiral ice maker 12. Simultaneously, the mounting plate 1313 is positioned at a suitable height, allowing the spiral ice maker 12 to be supported at a suitable height within the mounting component 131.

[0067] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the ice guide 17 is fixedly mounted on the mounting member 131. Thus, the ice guide 17 is fixed to the first housing 11 by means of the mounting member 131.

[0068] Optionally, such as Figure 7 As shown, the ice guide 17 is fixedly connected to the inner walls of multiple side plates 1312 of the mounting member 131. The mounting member 131 provides fixed support for the ice guide 17 from multiple directions and positions, so that the ice guide 17 is installed stably, and thus the drive assembly 124 and the like are installed stably.

[0069] Specifically, such as Figure 8As shown, the second sub-shell 173 is fixed to the inner wall of at least one side plate 1312 (such as the left side plate) of the mounting member 131, and the front end of the second sub-shell 173 extends through another side plate 1312 (the front side plate) to the ice storage tank 15. The second sub-shell 173 is fixed by the left side plate and the front side plate. The second sub-shell 173 can be fixed at multiple points, which is beneficial for installation stability.

[0070] like Figure 8 As shown, the first sub-shell 172 is fixedly mounted to multiple side plates 1312 (such as the left side plate and the front side plate) of the mounting member 131. Furthermore, because the front end of the first sub-shell 172 has a certain thickness, there can be a larger connection area between the front end of the first sub-shell 172 and the front side plate, further stabilizing the installation of the first sub-shell 172. Figure 9 As shown, a reinforcing structure 1720, such as reinforcing ribs, may be provided at the front end of the first sub-shell 172 to improve the strength of the front end of the first sub-shell 172.

[0071] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 6 As shown, the ice-making device 100 also includes a temperature detection element 132, which is disposed on the outer wall of the spiral ice maker 12 and / or on the refrigerant pipeline 126, and is used to detect the temperature of the refrigerant inside the spiral ice maker 12. The spiral ice maker 12 is configured such that when the temperature detection element 132 detects that the temperature of the spiral ice maker 12 (referring to the temperature of the refrigerant chamber 1212) is higher than a first preset value, the spiral rod 123 stops rotating. The purpose of this setting is that when ice making ends, the first evaporator 821 stops providing cooling, but at this time the temperature of the refrigerant inside the refrigerant chamber 1212 is still low enough to allow water to continue to condense into ice. If the spiral rod 123 stops rotating at this time, the spiral rod 123 is prone to freezing inside. When subsequent ice making begins, or if the spiral rod 123 is forcibly rotated, it is easy to cause the spiral rod 123 to break or be damaged, or wait for the refrigerant chamber 1212 to naturally warm up, which requires a long waiting time. Here, the spiral rotation stops only when the temperature of the refrigerant chamber 1212 rises to a certain level (e.g., 0°C or above), which helps to prevent the spiral rod 123 from freezing and facilitates the rapid start-up of the subsequent ice-making device 100.

[0072] In some embodiments of this application, the ice-making device 100 may further include a controller (not shown). The controller is disposed within the housing structure 91 and can be integrated with or communicatively connected to the main control module of the refrigerator 200. The controller is communicatively connected to the aforementioned temperature detection element 132 and liquid level detection component 143 to acquire the temperature of the refrigerant chamber 1212 and the liquid level information in the first water storage chamber 1410. Further, the controller controls the drive component 124 based on the temperature of the refrigerant chamber 1212 to control the rotation or stop of the screw rod 123. The controller controls the opening or closing of the water inlet valve based on the liquid level information in the first water storage chamber 1410.

[0073] In some embodiments of this application, the ice-making device 100 further includes a drain pipe (not shown), which communicates with the interior of the first housing 11 to drain condensate and other contaminants from the interior of the first housing 11. Optionally, the drain pipe may be directly connected to the interior of the first housing 11 or directly connected to the interior of the mounting member 131, as long as it facilitates the collection of condensate from the ice-making device 100.

[0074] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, include: The box-like structure creates a cold storage compartment; An ice-making device is located in the cold storage room, and the ice-making device includes: A first housing is disposed on the inner wall of the refrigerator compartment; A water tank assembly, which is disposed within the first housing, is used to store water for ice making; A spiral ice maker, which is connected to the water tank assembly, is able to obtain ice-making water from the water tank assembly, and is used to scrape the ice layer that has solidified on its inner wall in a spiral form to form ice blocks; An ice storage tank, detachably mounted on the first housing, at least a portion of which can be located within the first housing, the ice storage tank being used to store ice produced by the spiral ice maker; and A first evaporator, connected to the spiral ice maker, is used to provide cooling to the spiral ice maker so that the ice-making water inside it condenses into ice.

2. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The spiral ice maker includes: A second housing is configured to form an ice-making chamber and a refrigerant chamber that are isolated from each other and thermally coupled together. The ice-making chamber has an ice outlet on its upper side. The ice-making chamber is connected to the water tank assembly, and the refrigerant chamber is connected to the first evaporator. A spiral rod, a portion of which passes through the ice outlet and is disposed within the ice-making cavity, and the other portion of which is located outside the ice-making cavity, is capable of rotating within the ice-making cavity.

3. The refrigerator as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first evaporator is located inside the housing structure and is isolated from the refrigerator compartment; the ice-making device further includes: An insulation sleeve, which covers the outer side of the second housing; and A refrigerant line connects the first evaporator and the refrigerant cavity, with a portion of the refrigerant line located inside the first housing and another portion passing through the first housing.

4. The refrigerator as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The ice-making device also includes: An ice guide is provided, which defines an ice guiding channel. The bottom of the ice guide is provided with a first water leakage hole that communicates with the ice guiding channel. One end of the ice guiding channel is connected to the ice outlet, and the other end is connected to the ice storage tank. The first water leakage hole is located above the upper opening of the water tank assembly.

5. The refrigerator as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The ice guide component includes a first sub-shell and a second sub-shell that are connected opposite each other in the height direction of the refrigerator, and the ice guide channel is disposed between the first sub-shell and the second sub-shell.

6. The refrigerator as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The spiral ice maker also includes: A drive assembly is fixedly disposed on the ice guide and connected to another part of the spiral rod, for driving the spiral rod to rotate within the ice-making cavity.

7. The refrigerator as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The first sub-shell is located above the second sub-shell; the first and second sub-shells are provided with mounting holes for the spiral rod and the second shell to pass through, and the drive assembly is fixedly disposed on the upper surface of the first sub-shell; the thickness of the first sub-shell gradually increases in the direction from the ice outlet to the ice storage tank.

8. The refrigerator as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The ice-making device also includes: The mounting component is fixedly disposed on the inner wall of the first housing, and the water tank assembly and the spiral ice maker are disposed within the mounting component; At least a portion of the first housing is integrally formed with the box structure.

9. The refrigerator as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The mounting component includes: Multiple side panels are disposed around the water tank assembly and the spiral ice maker; the edge of the first sub-shell is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the multiple side panels; the second sub-shell is fixedly connected to the inner wall of at least one of the side panels, and the second sub-shell passes through at least another side panel.

10. The refrigerator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The water tank assembly includes: A main water tank, within which a first water storage chamber is defined, the first water storage chamber and the spiral ice maker form a communication device; The ice-making device also includes: A liquid level detection component is installed on the main water tank and is used to detect at least two liquid levels in the first water storage chamber.

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