Ice makers and refrigerators

Abstract

This application provides an ice maker and a refrigerator. The ice maker includes: a housing; an upper ice tray assembly; a lower ice tray assembly rotatably connected to the upper ice tray assembly; a drive assembly mounted on the housing, used to drive the lower ice tray assembly to move relative to the upper ice tray assembly between an ice-making position and an ice-removing position; in the ice-making position, the lower ice tray assembly and the upper ice tray assembly are closed, forming an ice-making space; in the ice-removing position, the lower ice tray assembly and the upper ice tray assembly are separated; a positioning assembly rotatably mounted on the housing, which, during the movement of the lower ice tray assembly driven by the drive assembly, drives the positioning assembly to move, and engages with the lower ice tray assembly to tightly close the lower ice tray assembly and the upper ice tray assembly, or disengages the positioning assembly from the lower ice tray assembly to separate the lower ice tray assembly from the upper ice tray assembly. This can improve the positioning accuracy of the upper and lower ice trays during ice-making and ice-removing processes, thereby reducing the probability of operational failure.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] An ice maker is a specialized device that uses a refrigeration system to cool water and make ice. An ice maker can be a standalone device with ice-making function, or it can be a combined device that is embedded in a refrigerator to enable the refrigerator to make ice.

[0003] Ice makers typically use a drive mechanism to separate the upper and lower ice trays, allowing ice to be ejected from both trays. However, existing ice makers suffer from inaccurate positioning, which can lead to operational malfunctions. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides an ice maker and a refrigerator that can improve the positioning accuracy of the upper and lower ice trays during the ice making and unfreezing process, thereby reducing the probability of operational failure.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an ice maker, comprising: The casing has storage space; An upper ice tray assembly is disposed within the receiving space; The lower ice tray assembly is disposed within the receiving space and is rotatably connected to the upper ice tray assembly; A drive assembly, mounted on the housing, is used to drive the lower ice tray assembly to move relative to the upper ice tray assembly between an ice-making position and an ice-removing position; in the ice-making position, the lower ice tray assembly and the upper ice tray assembly are closed, and the upper ice tray assembly and the lower ice tray assembly enclose an ice-making space; in the ice-removing position, the lower ice tray assembly and the upper ice tray assembly are separated. The positioning component is rotatably mounted on the housing. During the movement of the lower ice plate assembly driven by the drive component, the positioning component moves and engages with the lower ice plate assembly, thereby tightly closing the lower ice plate assembly and the upper ice plate assembly. Alternatively, the positioning component disengages from the lower ice plate assembly, thereby separating the lower ice plate assembly from the upper ice plate assembly.

[0006] Optionally, the driving component includes: A drive motor is located at the same end of the upper ice plate assembly and the lower ice plate assembly, and the drive motor is used to provide driving force; A drive rod is connected to the drive motor and rotatably connected to the lower ice plate assembly, and rotatably connected to the upper ice plate assembly; the drive rod is used to drive the lower ice plate assembly to move relative to the upper ice plate assembly between the ice-making position and the ice-removing position under the driving force of the drive motor.

[0007] Optionally, the drive assembly further includes a drive wheel and a shaft assembly, wherein the drive wheel is connected to the drive rod via the shaft assembly, and the shaft assembly is used to limit the rotation of the drive wheel within a set range; The positioning component includes a rotating part, a linkage part, and a hook connected in sequence. The rotating part is rotatably connected to the housing. The linkage part is driven by the drive wheel to rotate, which in turn drives the rotating part and the hook to move, so that the hook engages or disengages with the lower ice tray assembly. In the ice-making position, the hook engages with the lower ice tray assembly, and the lower ice tray assembly is tightly closed with the upper ice tray assembly.

[0008] Optionally, the drive wheel includes a first sub-part and a second sub-part connected to each other. The first sub-part is sleeved on the shaft assembly, and the second sub-part protrudes from the first sub-part in the circumferential direction. The second sub-part is fan-shaped.

[0009] Optionally, the linkage part protrudes from the rotating part and the hook respectively in the direction toward the drive wheel.

[0010] Optionally, the lower ice tray assembly includes a first buckle; the hook can be engaged with the first buckle.

[0011] Optionally, the positioning component further includes a reset spring, which is connected to the rotating part and sleeved on the housing. The reset spring is used to drive the hook and the linkage to reset after the force of the drive wheel is removed.

[0012] Optionally, the lower ice tray assembly includes a lower ice tray and a fixed shaft, the lower ice tray having an ice-making cavity, and the fixed shaft protruding from the lower ice tray; The rotating shaft assembly includes an output shaft and a connecting shaft. One end of the output shaft is fixedly connected to the drive wheel, and the output shaft is sleeved on the drive rod. The connecting shaft is disposed in the receiving cavity of the fixed shaft and can rotate relative to the fixed shaft. The connecting shaft has a rotating groove, and the output shaft can reciprocate within a set area of ​​the rotating groove of the connecting shaft, thereby driving the drive wheel to rotate within the set range.

[0013] Optionally, the ice maker further includes: An ice probe rod is connected to the drive rod, and the ice probe rod is used to probe the ice below the lower ice plate assembly under the drive rod.

[0014] Optionally, the upper ice tray assembly includes an upper ice tray having a hemispherical ice-making cavity; The ice maker also includes a reset assembly; The lower ice tray assembly includes a lower ice tray made of a soft material. The lower ice tray has a hemispherical ice-making cavity. The periphery of the lower ice tray is connected to the reset assembly. The reset assembly is rotatably connected to the upper ice tray, so that the lower ice tray and the upper ice tray can be closed to form a spherical ice-making space or the lower ice tray can be separated from the upper ice tray for ice removal. The reset assembly is also connected to the outer wall of the lower ice tray to pull the lower ice tray.

[0015] Optionally, the reset component includes: The system includes multiple protrusions, a bracket, and a fixing block. The lower ice tray is disposed within the bracket, and the fixing block is disposed on the side of the bracket opposite to the lower ice tray. The bracket is rotatably connected to the upper ice tray. The bracket has multiple through holes, and the fixing block has multiple slots. The multiple protrusions are respectively connected to the side of the lower ice tray opposite to the upper ice tray and pass through the multiple through holes, respectively, and are correspondingly engaged in the multiple slots.

[0016] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide an ice maker, comprising: The casing has storage space; An upper ice tray assembly is disposed within the receiving space; The lower ice tray assembly is disposed within the receiving space and is rotatably connected to the upper ice tray assembly; A drive assembly, mounted on the housing, is used to drive the lower ice tray assembly to move relative to the upper ice tray assembly between an ice-making position and an ice-removing position; in the ice-making position, the lower ice tray assembly and the upper ice tray assembly are closed, and the upper ice tray assembly and the lower ice tray assembly enclose an ice-making space; in the ice-removing position, the lower ice tray assembly and the upper ice tray assembly are separated. The driving component includes: A drive motor is located at the same end of the upper ice plate assembly and the lower ice plate assembly, and the drive motor is used to provide driving force; A drive rod is connected to the drive motor, rotatably connected to the lower ice tray assembly, and rotatably connected to the upper ice tray assembly; the drive rod is used to drive the lower ice tray assembly to move relative to the upper ice tray assembly between the ice-making position and the ice-removing position under the driving force of the drive motor. A drive wheel and a shaft assembly, wherein the drive wheel is connected to the drive rod via the shaft assembly, and the shaft assembly is used to limit the rotation of the drive wheel within a set range.

[0017] Optionally, the lower ice tray assembly includes a lower ice tray and a fixed shaft, the lower ice tray having an ice-making cavity, and the fixed shaft protruding from the lower ice tray; The rotating shaft assembly includes an output shaft and a connecting shaft. One end of the output shaft is fixedly connected to the drive wheel, and the output shaft is sleeved on the drive rod. The connecting shaft is disposed in the receiving cavity of the fixed shaft and can rotate relative to the fixed shaft. The connecting shaft has a rotating groove, and the output shaft can reciprocate within a set area of ​​the rotating groove of the connecting shaft, thereby driving the drive wheel to rotate within the set range.

[0018] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide a refrigerator, including an ice maker as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0019] In the ice maker and refrigerator of this application embodiment, by setting a positioning component to perform a linkage action with the driving component, the tightness of the positioning connection between the upper ice tray component and the lower ice tray component can be improved during ice making, and the positioning and ice removal can be accurately performed during ice removal. This can improve the positioning accuracy of the upper and lower ice trays during ice making and ice removal, thereby reducing the probability of action failure. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying 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.

[0021] To gain a more complete understanding of this application and its beneficial effects, the following description will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals denote the same parts.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ice maker provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a portion of an ice maker provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ice maker with its casing removed, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 4 This is another structural schematic diagram of an ice maker provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 4 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the ice maker along line AA.

[0027] Figure 6 This is another structural schematic diagram of the ice maker with its casing removed, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Figure 7 for Figure 4 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the ice maker along BB.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of an ice maker at the ice-making position, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0030] Figure 9 This is another structural schematic diagram of the ice maker at the ice-making position provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0031] Figure 10 for Figure 9 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the ice maker along the CC direction.

[0032] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the ice maker in the de-icing position provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0033] Figure 12 This is another structural schematic diagram of the ice maker provided in the embodiment of this application at the de-icing position.

[0034] Figure 13 for Figure 12 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the ice maker along DD. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0036] In order to improve the positioning accuracy of the upper and lower ice trays during the ice-making and ice-removing process in an ice maker and reduce the probability of operational failure, this application provides an ice maker and a refrigerator, which will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0037] This application provides an ice maker. The ice maker can be a standalone device with ice-making function, or it can be a refrigerator with ice-making, refrigeration, and freezing functions. This application uses a refrigerator with an ice maker as an example for illustration, and should not be construed as a limitation on the ice maker.

[0038] For example, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ice maker provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a portion of an ice maker provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 and Figure 2All of these are positions of the ice maker between the ice-making position and the ice-removing position. The ice maker 100 includes a housing 110, an upper ice tray assembly 120, a lower ice tray assembly 130, a drive assembly 140, and a positioning assembly 150.

[0039] The housing 110 is the external structure of the ice maker 100. The housing 110 has a receiving space for accommodating components such as the upper ice tray assembly 120 and the lower ice tray assembly 130. During manufacturing, in order to facilitate the installation of internal components, the housing 110 can be made into a form where the upper and lower housings are connected.

[0040] The upper ice plate assembly 120 is disposed within the receiving space. The upper ice plate assembly 120 is a component surrounding the formation of the ice-making space. For example, the upper ice plate assembly 120 may include an upper ice plate, which may have an ice-making cavity. Taking the making of spherical ice blocks as an example, the upper ice plate may have a hemispherical ice-making cavity. Furthermore, in order to simultaneously realize the making of multiple spherical ice blocks, the upper ice plate may have multiple hemispherical ice-making cavities, which are arranged in an array.

[0041] The lower ice tray assembly 130 is disposed within the receiving space. The lower ice tray assembly 130 is another component surrounding the formation of the ice-making space. For example, the lower ice tray assembly 130 may include a lower ice tray, which may have ice-making chambers. Taking the production of spherical ice blocks as an example, the lower ice tray may have hemispherical ice-making chambers. Furthermore, to simultaneously produce multiple spherical ice blocks, the lower ice tray may have multiple hemispherical ice-making chambers arranged in an array. In other words, since the lower ice tray and the upper ice tray together form a structure with an ice-making space, the structure of the lower ice tray can be designed with reference to the structure of the upper ice tray. Moreover, the lower ice tray assembly 130 and the upper ice tray assembly 120 are rotatably connected, thereby enabling the upper and lower ice trays to be closed or separated. The upper ice tray assembly 120 can be fixed to the housing 110, while the lower ice tray assembly 130 is configured as a rotating actuator, which facilitates the arrangement and setting of structural components and improves overall stability and reliability.

[0042] The drive assembly 140 is used to drive the rotation of the lower ice tray assembly 130. The drive assembly 140 is mounted on the housing 110. The drive assembly 140 drives the lower ice tray assembly 130 to move relative to the upper ice tray assembly 120 between an ice-making position and an ice-removing position. In the ice-making position, the lower ice tray assembly 130 and the upper ice tray assembly 120 are closedly connected, forming an ice-making space that facilitates water intake and freezing into a predetermined shape, such as a sphere. In the ice-removing position, the lower ice tray assembly 130 and the upper ice tray assembly 120 are separated. For example, the lower ice tray and the upper ice tray can form a predetermined angle, which facilitates ice removal without the lower ice tray occupying too much space. The predetermined angle value is, for example, a value within the range of 85° to 100°.

[0043] The positioning component 150 is used to position and connect the lower ice tray and the upper ice tray to reduce problems such as ice deformation and malfunction of the lower ice tray rotation caused by misalignment. For example, the positioning component 150 is rotatably mounted on the housing 110, and the positioning component 150 is driven by the drive component 140. During the movement of the lower ice tray assembly 130 driven by the drive component 140, the positioning component 150 is driven to move, and the positioning component 150 engages with the lower ice tray assembly 130, so that the lower ice tray assembly 130 and the upper ice tray assembly 120 are tightly closed, or the positioning component 150 disengages from the lower ice tray assembly 130, so that the lower ice tray assembly 130 and the upper ice tray assembly 120 are separated.

[0044] It should be noted that the positioning component 150 and the lower ice plate component 130 are linked through the drive component 140, that is, the positioning component 150 and the lower ice plate component 130 are linked. Thus, during the movement from the ice removal position to the ice making position, the lower ice plate component 130 and the upper ice plate component 120 can be aligned and connected, and the tightness of the connection between the lower ice plate component 130 and the upper ice plate component 120 can be improved. Since the positioning component 150 and the lower ice plate component 130 are engaged, the lower ice plate component 130 can be limited in the ice making position, which can reduce the risk of the lower ice plate component 130 accidentally dislodging and causing ice making failure. In addition, it can save the setting of drive components and improve the continuity and stability of the movement.

[0045] In the ice maker 100 provided in this application embodiment, by setting the positioning component 150 to work in conjunction with the drive component 140, the tightness of the positioning connection between the upper ice tray component 120 and the lower ice tray component 130 can be improved during ice making, and the positioning and ice removal can be accurately performed during ice removal. This can improve the positioning accuracy of the upper and lower ice trays during ice making and ice removal, thereby reducing the probability of action failure.

[0046] For example, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 And see Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ice maker with its casing removed, as provided in an embodiment of this application. The drive assembly 140 includes a drive motor 142, a drive rod 144, a drive wheel 146, and a shaft assembly 148.

[0047] The drive motor 142 is located at the same end of the upper ice plate assembly 120 and the lower ice plate assembly 130, and the drive motor 142 is used to provide driving force.

[0048] The drive rod 144 is connected to the drive motor 142. For example, the drive rod 144 can be sleeved with the output shaft of the drive motor 142, so that the drive rod 144 can move when the drive motor 142 rotates. The drive rod 144 is rotatably connected to the lower ice tray assembly 130 and the upper ice tray assembly 120. In actual operation, shaft holes can be provided in the lower ice tray assembly 130 and the upper ice tray assembly 120 respectively, and the drive rod 144 is inserted into the shaft holes. That is, the lower ice tray assembly 130 and the upper ice tray assembly 120 are coaxially assembled. Thus, when the drive motor 142 drives the drive rod 144 to move, it can drive the upper ice tray assembly 120 or the lower ice tray assembly 130 to move. The drive rod 144 is used to drive the lower ice tray assembly 130 to move relative to the upper ice tray assembly 120 between the ice-making position and the ice-removing position under the driving force of the drive motor 142.

[0049] The drive wheel 146 and the drive rod 144 are connected by a rotating shaft assembly 148. The rotating shaft assembly 148 is used to limit the rotation of the drive wheel 146 within a set range. The set range can be understood as the range of movement of the drive wheel 146 when the lower ice tray assembly 130 moves between the ice-making position and the ice-removing position. For example, corresponding to the ice-making position, the drive wheel 146 has a first limit position, and a limit block can be set in the housing 110. The drive wheel 146 abuts against the limit block when it is in the first limit position. Corresponding to the ice-removing position, the drive wheel 146 has a second limit position, and the drive wheel 146 can also abut against the limit block when it is in the second limit position. The set range is between the first limit position and the second limit position.

[0050] It should be noted that since the lower ice plate assembly 130 moves between the ice-making position and the ice-removing position relative to the upper ice plate assembly 120, that is, the movement of the lower ice plate assembly 130 is not a 360° circular movement, but a rotation angle range between 0° and 100°. Therefore, the drive wheel 146 does not rotate 360°, but rotates between the first limit position and the second limit position.

[0051] For example, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 And see Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, Figure 4This is another schematic diagram of the ice maker provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 5 for Figure 4 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the ice maker along axis AA. The drive wheel 146 is generally fan-shaped. For example, the drive wheel 146 includes a first sub-part 1460 and a second sub-part 1462 connected to each other. The first sub-part 1460 is sleeved on the rotating shaft assembly 148, and the second sub-part 1462 protrudes from the first sub-part 1460 in the circumferential direction. For example, the first sub-part 1460 may be circular, and the second sub-part 1462 may be fan-shaped.

[0052] The positioning component 150 is driven by the driving component 140 and thus achieves linkage with the lower ice plate component 130 through a cooperative structure with the driving wheel 146 and the lower ice plate component 130.

[0053] For example, please refer to Figure 6 And continue to refer to Figure 5 As shown, Figure 6 This is another structural schematic diagram of the ice maker casing removal provided in the embodiments of this application. The positioning component 150 is disposed opposite to the drive wheel 146, and the positioning component 150 includes a rotating part 152, a linkage part 154 and a hook 156 connected in sequence.

[0054] The rotating part 152 is rotatably connected to the housing 110. For example, the rotating part 152 can be sleeved on the rotating shaft to achieve the rotatable connection between the two.

[0055] The linkage part 154 is connected to the rotating part 152 and protrudes from the rotating part 152 in the direction toward the drive wheel 146 to facilitate contact with the drive wheel 146. The linkage part 154 is driven by the drive wheel 146 to rotate, which in turn drives the rotating part 152 and the latch 156 to move, causing the latch 156 to engage or disengage from the lower ice tray assembly 130. In the ice-making position, the latch 156 engages with the lower ice tray assembly 130, and tightly closes the lower ice tray assembly 130 with the upper ice tray assembly 120. In other words, the latch 156 can limit the lower ice tray assembly 130, reducing the risk of accidental disengagement between the lower ice tray assembly 130 and the upper ice tray assembly 120.

[0056] The linkage 154 contacts the arc-shaped portion of the second sub-part 1462 of the drive wheel 146. To facilitate the drive wheel 146 to drive, the end of the linkage 154 facing the drive wheel 146 can be arc-shaped. Thus, when the drive wheel 146 rotates to the position where it contacts the linkage 154, it can drive the linkage 154 to move by engaging with the gear along the arc edge.

[0057] The hook 156 is located on the side of the linkage part 154 away from the rotating part 152. The linkage part 154 protrudes from the rotating part 152 and the hook 156 in the direction toward the drive wheel 146. In order to allow the linkage part 154 to have a movement space, the linkage part 154 protrudes from the hook 156 in the direction of the extension of the lower ice plate assembly 130.

[0058] The hook 156 is used to engage with the lower ice tray assembly 130. The lower ice tray assembly 130 may include a first buckle 134, which is fixedly connected to the lower ice tray 132. The first buckle 134 can engage with the hook 156. In the ice-making position, the first buckle 134 and the hook 156 are engaged. The hook 156 can limit the movement of the first buckle 134 and the lower ice tray 132 in the direction away from the upper ice tray 122.

[0059] When the lower ice plate assembly 130 is in the de-icing position, the drive wheel 146 returns from the second extreme position to the first extreme position. At this time, the drive wheel 146 can drive the linkage part 154 to move. In order to ensure that the linkage part 154 can be reset, the positioning assembly 150 of this application embodiment also includes a reset spring. The reset spring is connected to the rotating part 152 and is sleeved on the housing 110. The reset spring is used to drive the hook 156 and the linkage part 164 to reset after the force of the drive wheel 146 is removed.

[0060] The movement of the drive wheel 146 within the set range is achieved through the shaft assembly 148.

[0061] For example, the lower ice tray assembly 130 includes a fixed shaft 136 that protrudes from the lower ice tray 132 and has a receiving cavity.

[0062] For example, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 6 And see Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 for Figure 4 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the ice maker along BB. The shaft assembly 148 includes an output shaft 1480 and a connecting shaft 1482.

[0063] One end of the output shaft 1480 is fixedly connected to the drive wheel 146. This fixing can be achieved, for example, through an interference fit or a connecting piece. The output shaft 1480 can drive the drive wheel 146 to rotate. The output shaft 1480 may have a through hole along its axis, and the drive rod 144 passes through this hole. The output shaft 1480 and the drive rod 144 cannot move relative to each other. For example, the drive rod 144 can be a square rod, and the through hole can be a square hole. Due to the inherent characteristics of the square structure, the drive rod 144 cannot rotate relative to the output shaft 1480.

[0064] The connecting shaft 1482 is disposed within the receiving cavity of the fixed shaft 136. For example, the receiving cavity may be circular, or the fixed shaft 136 may have a circular groove, and the outer periphery of the connecting shaft 1482 may be circular, allowing the connecting shaft 1482 to rotate within the fixed shaft 136. Furthermore, the connecting shaft 1482 has a rotating groove 1484, allowing the output shaft 1480 to reciprocate within a defined area of ​​the rotating groove 1484.

[0065] The connecting shaft 1482 has a first sidewall and a second sidewall that are arranged opposite to each other and connected to each other. The first sidewall and the second sidewall form a rotating groove 1484 around each other, and the two ends of the first sidewall are bent and connected to the two ends of the second sidewall respectively, forming a connecting structure that protrudes toward the center of the connecting shaft 1482.

[0066] In order to cooperate with the rotating groove structure of the connecting shaft 1482 and thus enable the drive wheel 146 to rotate within a set range, the output shaft 1480 is not a conventional cylindrical shape, but a quasi-elliptical cylindrical shape in which the first part and the second part are integrally set. A part of the output shaft 1480 can rotate within the space formed by the first side wall, i.e., the rotating groove 1484, while the other part of the output shaft 1480 rotates within the space formed by the second side wall, so as to realize the movement of the drive wheel 146 within the set range.

[0067] For example, the ice maker 100 also includes an ice probe rod 160, which is connected to a drive rod 144. The ice probe rod is used to probe for ice below the lower ice tray assembly 130 under the drive of the drive rod 144.

[0068] The following will explain the above-mentioned clearance structure from the perspective of the motion process.

[0069] Please refer to the reference. Figures 8 to 13 As shown, Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the ice maker at the ice-making position according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 This is another structural schematic diagram of the ice maker provided in the embodiment of this application at the ice-making position. Figure 10 for Figure 9 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the ice maker along the CC direction. Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the ice maker in the de-icing position according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 12 This is another structural schematic diagram of the ice maker provided in the embodiment of this application at the de-icing position. Figure 13 for Figure 12 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the ice maker along DD.

[0070] During the movement from the ice-making position to the ice-removing position, the initial position of the drive wheel 146 is the first extreme position. When the movement is initiated, the drive motor 142 drives the drive rod 144 to rotate. The drive rod 144 drives the connecting shaft 1482 to move counterclockwise relative to the fixed shaft 136. At this time, the output shaft 1480 is limited in the groove of the connecting shaft 1482 and cannot rotate relative to the connecting shaft 1482. Therefore, the drive wheel 146 follows the lower ice tray assembly 130 to rotate counterclockwise. When the maximum action position is detected when the ice is full, the drive wheel 146 moves to the linkage part 154 with the positioning assembly 150. At the contact position, the drive wheel 146 and the lower ice plate assembly 130 rotate counterclockwise synchronously until they reach the ice removal position. At this time, the lower ice plate assembly 130 is limited to the ice removal position, and the drive wheel 146 is at the second extreme position. The drive wheel 146 needs to move from the second extreme position to the first extreme position. Due to the setting of the clearance position, i.e. the rotating groove, the drive wheel 146 rotates relative to the connecting shaft 1482 under the drive of the output shaft 1480. The output shaft 1480 is driven by the drive motor 142 and the drive rod 144 to rotate clockwise until the drive wheel 146 returns to the initial position, i.e. the first extreme position.

[0071] During the counterclockwise rotation of the drive wheel 146, the linkage part 154 of the positioning component 150 will move away from the upper ice plate component 120. At this time, the hook 156 will disengage from the first latch 134 of the lower ice plate component 130 and release the lower ice plate 132, thereby enabling the subsequent ice removal process.

[0072] During the clockwise rotation of the drive wheel 146, the linkage part 154 of the positioning component 150 will rotate toward its initial position. At this time, the hook 156 moves toward the upper ice plate component 120, and after the force of the drive wheel 146 is removed, it is reset to the initial position of the linkage part 154 by the reset spring.

[0073] During the movement from the de-icing position to the ice-making position, the drive wheel 146 drives the lower ice tray assembly 130 to rotate clockwise from the de-icing position to the ice-making position. The positioning component 150, driven by the drive wheel 146, rotates the upper ice tray assembly 120 and returns to its initial position under the action of the return spring. When the lower ice tray assembly 130 moves to abut against the hook 156 of the positioning component 150, it pushes the hook 156 to rotate until the hook 156 engages with the first latch 134 of the lower ice tray assembly 130, thus closing the connection between the lower ice tray 132 and the upper ice tray 122, returning to the ice-making position. During this process, the drive wheel 146 continuously rotates towards the first extreme position until it reaches that position. After the lower ice tray assembly 130 stops moving, the upper ice tray assembly 120 rotates relative to it and is restrained in the ice-making position by the pusher and the elastic element.

[0074] It should be noted that existing spherical ice-making technology mainly uses an upper and lower ice plate structure, which clamps water ice between the upper and lower ice plates to cool it into spherical ice blocks. However, the existing spherical ice-making structure is prone to uneven distribution of the adhesive force between the upper and lower ice plates and the ice blocks, which can easily cause the ice blocks to break during the ice removal process.

[0075] Based on the above problems, the ice maker in this application embodiment has also made corresponding improvements to the upper ice tray assembly and the lower ice tray assembly.

[0076] For example, please continue reading Figure 10 and Figure 13 As shown, for making spherical ice blocks, the upper ice plate 122 can have a hemispherical ice-making cavity. The material of the upper ice plate 122 can be a hard material. The lower ice plate 132 and the upper ice plate 122 together enclose an ice-making space, such as a spherical ice-making space. For example, the lower ice plate 132 also has a hemispherical ice-making cavity, and the two hemispherical ice-making cavities constitute a spherical ice-making space. To facilitate ice removal, the material of the lower ice plate 132 can be a soft material, such as rubber. Soft materials have lower adhesive strength than hard materials, that is, the adhesive strength between the upper ice plate 122 and the ice block is greater than the adhesive strength between the lower ice plate 132 and the ice block. Therefore, soft materials are easier to remove ice from. It should be noted that since the lower ice plate 132 is made of a soft material, which has the ability to deform, the hemispherical ice-making cavity of the lower ice plate 132 as defined above can be understood as the hemispherical ice-making cavity formed by the lower ice plate 132 in its undeformed or initial state.

[0077] In order to achieve precise and automatic reset of the flexible lower ice tray 132, thereby ensuring the stability of the ice-making cycle, that is, before the next ice-making cycle, the lower ice tray 132 is in a state with a hemispherical ice-making cavity, the embodiment of this application is equipped with a reset component 180 to achieve this.

[0078] For example, the periphery of the lower ice tray 132 is connected to the reset assembly 180, which is rotatably connected to the upper ice tray 122. This allows the lower ice tray 132 and the upper ice tray 122 to be closedly connected to form a spherical ice-making space, or to separate the lower ice tray 132 from the upper ice tray 122 for de-icing. In other words, the ice maker 100 has an ice-making state and a de-icing state. In the ice-making state, the upper ice tray 122 and the lower ice tray 132 are closedly connected to form a spherical ice-making space; in the de-icing state, the upper ice tray 122 and the lower ice tray 132 are separated to facilitate de-icing. In practice, the upper ice tray 122 can be fixed to a bracket, and the lower ice tray 132 can be rotated by driving the reset assembly 180 to achieve the aforementioned closed connection or separation.

[0079] The reset component 180 is also connected to the outer wall of the lower ice tray 132 to pull the lower ice tray 132, so that the lower ice tray 132 can be automatically reset during the ice removal process, thus facilitating the next ice making process.

[0080] For example, the reset assembly 180 may include a plurality of bumps 182, a bracket 184 and a fixing block 186.

[0081] The support 184 supports the lower ice tray 132 and enables a rotatable connection between the lower ice tray 132 and the upper ice tray 122. For example, the shape of the support 184 can be adapted to the shape of the lower ice tray 132, such as being hemispherical. The lower ice tray 132 is disposed within the support 184, and when the lower ice tray 132 is not frozen, there is a gap between the lower ice tray 132 and the support 184. Because the upper ice tray 122 and the lower ice tray 132 are made of different materials, the upper ice tray 122 has a higher thermal conductivity and freezes faster, thus freezing first. At this time, the unfrozen water is mainly concentrated in the lower ice tray 132. Due to the expansion of water volume upon freezing, and the lower ice tray 132 being made of a soft material with low thermal conductivity, the water will compress the lower ice tray 132. The gap between the lower ice tray 132 and the support 184 will decrease, thereby releasing this compressive force. When the water in the ice tray completely freezes into ice, the lower ice tray 132 will fit snugly against the support 184, eliminating the gap and resulting in a perfectly spherical ice block. The support 184 is a concave hemispherical shape, while the lower ice tray 132, when not under stress, has a multi-curved surface shape, resembling a hemispherical shape. The gap between the lower ice tray 132 and the support 184 serves to release the volume expansion caused by the freezing of water, preventing internal stress in the ice block from causing numerous internal cracks or even cracking, while ensuring that the produced ice block is spherical or nearly spherical.

[0082] The bracket 184 is rotatably connected to the upper ice plate 122, thereby driving the lower ice plate 132 to rotate relative to the upper ice plate 122, achieving a closed connection or separation between the upper ice plate 122 and the lower ice plate 132. The rotatable connection can be achieved, for example, through the cooperation of a rotating shaft and a shaft hole.

[0083] The pulling of the lower ice plate 132 is mainly achieved through multiple protrusions 182 and fixing blocks 186.

[0084] The fixing block 186 is located on the side of the support 184 away from the lower ice plate 132. The shape of the fixing block 186 can be adapted to the shape of the support 184, such as being hemispherical. Since the fixing block 186 mainly serves a fixing function, the area of ​​the fixing block 186 can be smaller than the area of ​​the support 184. The fixing block 186 can be on the same straight line as the center line of the support 184. The bottom of the fixing block 186 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the support 184. For example, the fixed connection between the two can be achieved by setting a connector between the fixing block 186 and the support 184. The connector is not specifically limited here.

[0085] Multiple protrusions 182 are connected to the side of the lower ice tray 132 opposite to the upper ice tray 122, allowing for a fixed connection. They can be integrally molded during manufacturing, thus improving the reliability of the connection between the protrusions 182 and the lower ice tray 132. The multiple protrusions 182 can be fixed to a fixing block 186. For example, the bracket 184 can have multiple through holes, and the fixing block 186 can have multiple slots. The number of through holes and slots corresponds to the number of protrusions 182. The multiple protrusions 182 pass through the multiple through holes and are correspondingly engaged in the multiple slots, thereby enabling the lower ice tray 132 to be pulled.

[0086] In other words, the function of the fixing block 186 and the multiple protrusions 182 is to prevent the ice from sticking to the lower ice tray 132 and causing the recessed part of the lower ice tray 132 to be deformed and unable to return to its original position when the lower ice tray 132 is separated from the upper ice tray 122. The multiple protrusions 182 are connected to the lower ice tray 132 and fixed to the fixing block 186, which restricts the movement of the multiple protrusions 182 towards the lower ice tray 132. The multiple protrusions 182 pass through the corresponding through holes on the bracket 184 and mate with the fixing block 186. The slot of the fixing block 186 can be understood as a notch, which facilitates the installation of the protrusions 182.

[0087] For example, multiple protrusions 182 can be evenly distributed on the outer wall of the lower ice tray 132, such as being arranged at equal intervals along a circumference of the outer wall of the lower ice tray 132. Correspondingly, multiple slots can be provided on the circumferential edge of the fixing block 186. The slots have communicating openings and channels. By allowing the protrusions 182 to enter the channels through the openings, the protrusions 182 are limited in the circumferential direction. The limitation of the protrusions 182 relative to the lower ice tray 132 can be achieved by setting the shape of the protrusions 182. For example, each protrusion 182 includes a connecting post and a protrusion. The connecting post connects the lower ice tray 132 and the protrusion. The diameter of the protrusion is larger than the diameter of the connecting post, so that the protrusion engages with the fixing block 186 to limit the protrusions 182 relative to the lower ice tray 132.

[0088] The bump 182 can be made of a rigid material to reduce the risk of the ice plate 132 failing under traction.

[0089] In the ice maker 100 provided in this application embodiment, by setting the lower ice tray 132 to a soft material, while the upper ice tray 122 is usually a hard material, the hard material has a stronger adhesive force than the soft material. By using the reset component 180 to pull the lower ice tray 132, the asymmetrical pulling force caused by the different adhesive forces of the upper and lower ice trays during ice removal can be balanced, thereby reducing the risk of ice block breakage during the ice removal process.

[0090] It should be noted that during the rotation of the output shaft 1480 of the drive wheel 146 and the connecting shaft 1482 in this embodiment, there may be a moment of misalignment, meaning that the output shaft 1480 rotates while the connecting shaft 1482 remains stationary. In other words, at a specific stage, the rotational connection between the drive wheel 146 and the lower ice disc assembly 130 can disengage or slip, allowing the lower ice disc assembly 130 to freely or controllably rotate or reset within a certain range without completely transferring the main driving force to it. This reduces the risk of hard interference and component damage during the ice removal process. In traditional rigid transmission, when the ice removal motor forcibly twists the ice disc through the drive wheel to "screw" off the ice, if the ice is not completely detached due to excessive adhesion or uneven distribution, the drive system will bear a huge instantaneous impact load, which may lead to motor stall, gear damage, or deformation of the ice disc structure. The embodiment of this application employs a free-slip rotation structure, which serves as a mechanical buffer and overload protection. When the load exceeds a preset value, slippage occurs between the drive wheel 146 and the lower ice plate assembly 130, avoiding destructive stress caused by rigid transmission and protecting the drive motor and transmission mechanism. Furthermore, linking the free-slip rotation structure with the positioning assembly 150 improves the positioning accuracy of the lower ice plate assembly 130 and the upper ice plate assembly 120 during the ice-making and ice-removing processes, reducing the probability of operational failure.

[0091] It should be noted that the pivot assembly 148 in this embodiment can be used in conjunction with the positioning component 150, meaning that the motion process described in the above embodiments is related to the positioning component 150. In other embodiments, the pivot assembly 148 can also be used independently to achieve the air-avoiding movement of the drive wheel 146 and the lower ice plate assembly 130, or it can be combined with... Figures 1 to 7 In other words, the ice maker 100 may include a housing 110, an upper ice tray assembly 120, a lower ice tray assembly 130, and a drive assembly 140.

[0092] The housing 110 is the external structure of the ice maker 100. The housing 110 has a receiving space for accommodating components such as the upper ice tray assembly 120 and the lower ice tray assembly 130. During manufacturing, in order to facilitate the installation of internal components, the housing 110 can be made into a form where the upper and lower housings are connected.

[0093] The upper ice plate assembly 120 is disposed within the receiving space. The upper ice plate assembly 120 is a component surrounding the formation of the ice-making space. For example, the upper ice plate assembly 120 may include an upper ice plate 122, which may have an ice-making cavity. Taking the making of spherical ice blocks as an example, the upper ice plate 122 may have a hemispherical ice-making cavity. Furthermore, in order to simultaneously make multiple spherical ice blocks, the upper ice plate 122 may have multiple hemispherical ice-making cavities, which are arranged in an array.

[0094] The lower ice tray assembly 130 is disposed within the receiving space. The lower ice tray assembly 130 is another component surrounding the formation of the ice-making space. For example, the lower ice tray assembly 130 may include a lower ice tray 132, which may have ice-making chambers. Taking the production of spherical ice blocks as an example, the lower ice tray 132 may have hemispherical ice-making chambers. Furthermore, to simultaneously produce multiple spherical ice blocks, the lower ice tray 132 may have multiple hemispherical ice-making chambers arranged in an array. In other words, since the lower ice tray 132 and the upper ice tray 122 together form a structure with an ice-making space, the structure of the lower ice tray 132 can be designed with reference to the structure of the upper ice tray 122. Moreover, the lower ice tray assembly 130 and the upper ice tray assembly 120 are rotatably connected, thereby enabling the upper ice tray 122 and the lower ice tray 132 to be closed or separated. The upper ice plate assembly 120 can be fixed to the housing 110, while the lower ice plate assembly 130 can be set as a rotating actuator. This facilitates the arrangement and setting of structural components and improves the overall stability and reliability.

[0095] The drive assembly 140 is used to drive the rotation of the lower ice tray assembly 130. The drive assembly 140 is mounted on the housing 110. The drive assembly 140 drives the lower ice tray assembly 130 to move relative to the upper ice tray assembly 120 between an ice-making position and an ice-removing position. In the ice-making position, the lower ice tray assembly 130 and the upper ice tray assembly 120 are closedly connected, that is, the lower ice tray 132 and the upper ice tray 122 are closedly connected, thus forming an ice-making space, facilitating water intake and freezing into a predetermined shape, such as a sphere. In the ice-removing position, the lower ice tray assembly 130 and the upper ice tray assembly 120 are separated. For example, the lower ice tray 132 and the upper ice tray 122 can form a predetermined angle, which facilitates ice removal without causing the lower ice tray 132 to occupy too much space. The predetermined angle value is, for example, a value in the range of 85° to 100°.

[0096] For example, the drive assembly 140 includes a drive motor 142, a drive rod 144, a drive wheel 146, and a shaft assembly 148.

[0097] The drive motor 142 is located at the same end of the upper ice plate assembly 120 and the lower ice plate assembly 130, and the drive motor 142 is used to provide driving force.

[0098] The drive rod 144 is connected to the drive motor 142. For example, the drive rod 144 can be sleeved with the output shaft of the drive motor 142, so that the drive rod 144 can move when the drive motor 142 rotates. The drive rod 144 is rotatably connected to the lower ice tray assembly 130 and the upper ice tray assembly 120. In actual operation, shaft holes can be provided in the lower ice tray assembly 130 and the upper ice tray assembly 120 respectively, and the drive rod 144 is inserted into the shaft holes. That is, the lower ice tray assembly 130 and the upper ice tray assembly 120 are coaxially assembled. Thus, when the drive motor 142 drives the drive rod 144 to move, it can drive the upper ice tray assembly 120 or the lower ice tray assembly 130 to move. The drive rod 144 is used to drive the lower ice tray assembly 130 to move relative to the upper ice tray assembly 120 between the ice-making position and the ice-removing position under the driving force of the drive motor 142.

[0099] The drive wheel 146 and the drive rod 144 are connected by a rotating shaft assembly 148. The rotating shaft assembly 148 is used to limit the rotation of the drive wheel 146 within a set range. The set range can be understood as the range of movement of the drive wheel 146 when the lower ice tray assembly 130 moves between the ice-making position and the ice-removing position. For example, corresponding to the ice-making position, the drive wheel 146 has a first limit position, and a limit block can be set in the housing 110. The drive wheel 146 abuts against the limit block when it is in the first limit position. Corresponding to the ice-removing position, the drive wheel 146 has a second limit position, and the drive wheel 146 can also abut against the limit block when it is in the second limit position. The set range is between the first limit position and the second limit position.

[0100] It should be noted that since the lower ice plate assembly 130 moves between the ice-making position and the ice-removing position relative to the upper ice plate assembly 120, that is, the movement of the lower ice plate assembly 130 is not a 360° circular movement, but a rotation angle range between 0° and 100°. Therefore, the drive wheel 146 does not rotate 360°, but rotates between the first limit position and the second limit position.

[0101] For example, the drive wheel 146 is generally fan-shaped. The drive wheel 146 includes a first sub-part 1460 and a second sub-part 1462 connected to each other. The first sub-part 1460 is sleeved on the shaft assembly 148, and the second sub-part 1462 protrudes from the first sub-part 1460 in the circumferential direction. For example, the first sub-part 1460 may be circular, and the second sub-part 1462 may be fan-shaped.

[0102] The movement of the drive wheel 146 within the set range is achieved through the shaft assembly 148.

[0103] For example, the lower ice tray assembly 130 includes a fixed shaft 136 that protrudes from the lower ice tray 132 and has a receiving cavity.

[0104] For example, the shaft assembly 148 includes an output shaft 1480 and a connecting shaft 1482.

[0105] One end of the output shaft 1480 is fixedly connected to the drive wheel 146. This fixing can be achieved, for example, through an interference fit or a connecting piece. The output shaft 1480 can drive the drive wheel 146 to rotate. The output shaft 1480 may have a through hole along its axis, and the drive rod 144 passes through this hole. The output shaft 1480 and the drive rod 144 cannot move relative to each other. For example, the drive rod 144 can be a square rod, and the through hole can be a square hole. Due to the inherent characteristics of the square structure, the drive rod 144 cannot rotate relative to the output shaft 1480.

[0106] The connecting shaft 1482 is disposed within the receiving cavity of the fixed shaft 136. For example, the receiving cavity may be circular, or the fixed shaft 136 may have a circular groove, and the outer periphery of the connecting shaft 1482 may be circular, allowing the connecting shaft 1482 to rotate within the fixed shaft 136. Furthermore, the connecting shaft 1482 has a rotating groove within which the output shaft 1480 can rotate.

[0107] The connecting shaft 1482 has a first sidewall and a second sidewall that are arranged opposite to each other and connected to each other. The first sidewall and the second sidewall form a rotating groove around each other, and the two ends of the first sidewall are bent and connected to the two ends of the second sidewall respectively, forming a connecting structure that protrudes toward the center of the connecting shaft 1482.

[0108] In order to cooperate with the slot structure of the connecting shaft 1482 and thus enable the drive wheel 146 to rotate within a set range, the output shaft 1480 is not a conventional cylindrical shape, but a quasi-elliptical cylindrical shape in which the first part and the second part are integrally set. A part of the output shaft 1480 can rotate within the space formed by the first sidewall, while the other part of the output shaft 1480 can rotate within the space formed by the second sidewall, thereby enabling the drive wheel 146 to move within the set range.

[0109] During the movement from the ice-making position to the ice-removing position, the initial position of the drive wheel 146 is the first extreme position. When the movement is initiated, the drive motor 142 drives the drive rod 144 to rotate. The drive rod 144 drives the connecting shaft 1482 to move counterclockwise relative to the fixed shaft 136. At this time, the output shaft 1480 is limited in the groove of the connecting shaft 1482 and cannot rotate relative to the connecting shaft 1482. Therefore, the drive wheel 146 follows the lower ice tray assembly 130 to rotate counterclockwise. When the maximum movement position is detected when the ice is full, the drive wheel 146 and the lower ice tray... Component 130 rotates counterclockwise synchronously until it reaches the ice removal position. At this time, the lower ice tray component 130 is limited to the ice removal position, and the drive wheel 146 is at the second extreme position. The drive wheel 146 needs to move from the second extreme position to the first extreme position. Due to the setting of the clearance position, i.e. the rotating groove, the drive wheel 146 rotates relative to the connecting shaft 1482 under the drive of the output shaft 1480. The output shaft 1480 is driven by the drive motor 142 and the drive rod 144 to rotate clockwise until the drive wheel 146 returns to the initial position, i.e. the first extreme position.

[0110] During the movement from the de-icing position to the ice-making position, the drive wheel 146 drives the lower ice tray assembly 130 to rotate clockwise from the de-icing position to the ice-making position until it returns to the ice-making position. During this process, the drive wheel 146 continuously rotates towards the first extreme position until it reaches the first extreme position. After the lower ice tray assembly 130 stops moving, the upper ice tray assembly 120 rotates relative to it and is restricted to the ice-making position by the action of the pusher and the elastic element.

[0111] It should be noted that during the rotation of the output shaft 1480 of the drive wheel 146 and the connecting shaft 1482 in this embodiment, there may be a moment of misalignment, meaning that the output shaft 1480 rotates while the connecting shaft 1482 remains stationary. In other words, at a specific stage, the rotational connection between the drive wheel 146 and the lower ice disc assembly 130 can disengage or slip, allowing the lower ice disc assembly 130 to freely or controllably rotate or reset within a certain range without completely transferring the main driving force to it. This reduces the risk of hard interference and component damage during the ice removal process. In traditional rigid transmission, when the ice removal motor forcibly twists the ice disc through the drive wheel to "screw" off the ice, if the ice is not completely detached due to excessive adhesion or uneven distribution, the drive system will bear a huge instantaneous impact load, which may lead to motor stall, gear damage, or deformation of the ice disc structure. The embodiment of this application adopts a free-rotation structure, which can play the role of mechanical buffering and overload protection. When the load exceeds the preset value, the drive wheel 146 and the lower ice plate assembly 130 will slip, avoiding the destructive stress caused by rigid transmission and protecting the drive motor and transmission mechanism.

[0112] This application also provides a refrigerator, which includes an ice maker, a refrigerator compartment, a freezer compartment, and a refrigeration system. The refrigeration system supplies cold air to the refrigerator and freezer compartments to maintain them within their respective operating temperature ranges. The ice maker can be located in the freezer compartment, and its ice outlet can be located in the refrigerator compartment or in a separate area. The structure of the ice maker can be referred to... Figures 1 to 13 The above description and explanation will not be repeated here. Since this refrigerator employs the solutions of all the above embodiments, it possesses at least all of the aforementioned beneficial effects.

[0113] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0114] In the description of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features.

[0115] The ice maker and refrigerator provided in the embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. An ice maker, characterized in that, include: The casing has storage space; An upper ice tray assembly is disposed within the receiving space; The lower ice tray assembly is disposed within the receiving space and is rotatably connected to the upper ice tray assembly; A drive assembly is installed in the housing. The drive assembly is used to drive the lower ice tray assembly to move between an ice-making position and an ice-removing position relative to the upper ice tray assembly. In the ice-making position, the lower ice tray assembly and the upper ice tray assembly are closed, and the upper ice tray assembly and the lower ice tray assembly enclose an ice-making space. At the de-icing position, the lower ice tray assembly and the upper ice tray assembly separate; The positioning component is rotatably mounted on the housing. During the movement of the lower ice plate assembly driven by the drive component, the positioning component moves and engages with the lower ice plate assembly, thereby tightly closing the lower ice plate assembly and the upper ice plate assembly. Alternatively, the positioning component disengages from the lower ice plate assembly, thereby separating the lower ice plate assembly from the upper ice plate assembly.

2. The ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving component includes: A drive motor is located at the same end of the upper ice plate assembly and the lower ice plate assembly, and the drive motor is used to provide driving force; A drive rod is connected to the drive motor and rotatably connected to the lower ice plate assembly, and rotatably connected to the upper ice plate assembly; the drive rod is used to drive the lower ice plate assembly to move relative to the upper ice plate assembly between the ice-making position and the ice-removing position under the driving force of the drive motor.

3. The ice maker according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive assembly further includes a drive wheel and a shaft assembly. The drive wheel is connected to the drive rod via the shaft assembly, which is used to limit the drive wheel to rotate within a set range. The positioning component includes a rotating part, a linkage part, and a hook connected in sequence. The rotating part is rotatably connected to the housing. The linkage part is driven by the drive wheel to rotate, which in turn drives the rotating part and the hook to move, so that the hook engages or disengages with the lower ice tray assembly. In the ice-making position, the hook engages with the lower ice tray assembly, and the lower ice tray assembly is tightly closed with the upper ice tray assembly.

4. The ice maker according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive wheel includes a first sub-part and a second sub-part connected to each other. The first sub-part is sleeved on the shaft assembly, and the second sub-part protrudes from the first sub-part in the circumferential direction. The second sub-part is fan-shaped.

5. The ice maker according to claim 3, characterized in that, The linkage part protrudes from the rotating part and the hook respectively in the direction toward the drive wheel.

6. The ice maker according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lower ice tray assembly includes a first buckle; the hook can be engaged with the first buckle.

7. The ice maker according to claim 3, characterized in that, The positioning component also includes a reset spring, which is connected to the rotating part and sleeved on the housing. The reset spring is used to drive the hook and the linkage to reset after the force of the drive wheel is removed.

8. The ice maker according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lower ice tray assembly includes a lower ice tray and a fixed shaft. The lower ice tray has an ice-making cavity, and the fixed shaft protrudes from the lower ice tray. The rotating shaft assembly includes an output shaft and a connecting shaft. One end of the output shaft is fixedly connected to the drive wheel, and the output shaft is sleeved on the drive rod. The connecting shaft is disposed in the receiving cavity of the fixed shaft and can rotate relative to the fixed shaft. The connecting shaft has a rotating groove, and the output shaft can reciprocate within a set area of ​​the rotating groove of the connecting shaft, thereby driving the drive wheel to rotate within the set range.

9. The ice maker according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ice maker also includes: An ice probe rod is connected to the drive rod, and the ice probe rod is used to probe the ice below the lower ice plate assembly under the drive rod.

10. The ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper ice plate assembly includes an upper ice plate, which has a hemispherical ice-making cavity; The ice maker also includes a reset assembly; The lower ice tray assembly includes a lower ice tray made of a soft material. The lower ice tray has a hemispherical ice-making cavity. The periphery of the lower ice tray is connected to the reset assembly. The reset assembly is rotatably connected to the upper ice tray, so that the lower ice tray and the upper ice tray can be closed to form a spherical ice-making space or the lower ice tray can be separated from the upper ice tray for ice removal. The reset assembly is also connected to the outer wall of the lower ice tray to pull the lower ice tray.

11. The ice maker according to claim 10, characterized in that, The reset component includes: The system includes multiple protrusions, a bracket, and a fixing block. The lower ice tray is disposed within the bracket, and the fixing block is disposed on the side of the bracket opposite to the lower ice tray. The bracket is rotatably connected to the upper ice tray. The bracket has multiple through holes, and the fixing block has multiple slots. The multiple protrusions are respectively connected to the side of the lower ice tray opposite to the upper ice tray and pass through the multiple through holes, respectively, and are correspondingly engaged in the multiple slots.

12. An ice maker, characterized in that, include: The casing has storage space; An upper ice tray assembly is disposed within the receiving space; The lower ice tray assembly is disposed within the receiving space and is rotatably connected to the upper ice tray assembly; A drive assembly is installed in the housing. The drive assembly is used to drive the lower ice tray assembly to move between an ice-making position and an ice-removing position relative to the upper ice tray assembly. In the ice-making position, the lower ice tray assembly and the upper ice tray assembly are closed, and the upper ice tray assembly and the lower ice tray assembly enclose an ice-making space. At the de-icing position, the lower ice tray assembly and the upper ice tray assembly separate; The driving component includes: A drive motor is located at the same end of the upper ice plate assembly and the lower ice plate assembly, and the drive motor is used to provide driving force; A drive rod is connected to the drive motor, rotatably connected to the lower ice tray assembly, and rotatably connected to the upper ice tray assembly; the drive rod is used to drive the lower ice tray assembly to move relative to the upper ice tray assembly between the ice-making position and the ice-removing position under the driving force of the drive motor. A drive wheel and a shaft assembly, wherein the drive wheel is connected to the drive rod via the shaft assembly, and the shaft assembly is used to limit the rotation of the drive wheel within a set range.

13. The ice maker according to claim 12, characterized in that, The lower ice tray assembly includes a lower ice tray and a fixed shaft. The lower ice tray has an ice-making cavity, and the fixed shaft protrudes from the lower ice tray. The rotating shaft assembly includes an output shaft and a connecting shaft. One end of the output shaft is fixedly connected to the drive wheel, and the output shaft is sleeved on the drive rod. The connecting shaft is disposed in the receiving cavity of the fixed shaft and can rotate relative to the fixed shaft. The connecting shaft has a rotating groove, and the output shaft can reciprocate within a set area of ​​the rotating groove of the connecting shaft, thereby driving the drive wheel to rotate within the set range.

14. A refrigerator, characterized in that, Includes the ice maker as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

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