Water injection box assembly of ice maker and refrigerator

Abstract

The utility model provides a water injection box assembly of an ice maker and a refrigerator. The ice maker comprises an ice making chamber and a water injection box assembly, wherein the water injection box assembly comprises a water storage box, a water distribution box and a pump body; and the water storage box is arranged above the ice making chamber in the gravity direction. The water distribution box and the water storage box are arranged side by side, the bottom surface of the water storage box and the bottom surface of the water distribution box are located at the same height, the water distribution box is provided with a water injection port, and the water injection port is used for communicating the water distribution box with the ice making chamber. The pump body comprises a water inlet and a water outlet, the water inlet is communicated with the water storage box, the water outlet is communicated with the water distribution box, and the pump body is used for pumping liquid in the water storage box into the water distribution box. The water injection box assembly can effectively solve the problem that a siphonage phenomenon is formed after water injection, so that the user experience is affected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of refrigeration technology, and in particular to a water filling box assembly of an ice maker and a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] The ice maker in the refrigerator is divided into a water injection box assembly and an ice making assembly. The water injection box assembly is arranged in the refrigerator compartment, and the ice making assembly is arranged in the freezer compartment. The water injection box assembly is connected to the ice making assembly through a water injection pipe. However, since the ice making assembly is located below the water injection box assembly, after the water injection is completed, the residual liquid in the water injection pipe will form a siphon through the gravity, and the water in the water injection box assembly will be continuously sucked into the ice maker.

[0003] At present, a common method is to set a pump body between the water injection box assembly and the ice making assembly, and use the pump body to pump out the water in the water injection box assembly and then inject it into the ice making assembly. After the water injection is completed, the pump body is used for back suction to suck the residual liquid in the water injection pipe back to the water injection box assembly. This method is highly dependent on the pump body, and once the pump body is damaged, siphoning will still occur. Utility Model Content

[0004] The present application provides a water filling box assembly of an ice maker and a refrigerator, which effectively solves the problem of siphoning after water filling, thereby affecting the user experience.

[0005] Specifically, the present application is implemented through the following technical solutions:

[0006] One aspect of the present application provides a water injection box assembly for an ice maker, the ice maker comprising an ice making chamber and a water injection box assembly, the water injection box assembly comprising

[0007] A water storage box, which is arranged above the ice making chamber in the direction of gravity;

[0008] A water separation box is arranged side by side with the water storage box, the bottom surface of the water storage box and the bottom surface of the water separation box are located at the same height, and the water separation box is provided with a water injection port, and the water injection port is used to connect the water separation box with the ice making chamber;

[0009] The pump body comprises a water inlet and a water outlet, wherein the water inlet is communicated with the water storage box, and the water outlet is communicated with the water separation box, and the pump body is used for pumping the liquid in the water storage box into the water separation box.

[0010] Optionally, a closed cavity is formed inside the water diversion box, and the water filling box assembly is also provided with an air return pipe, one end of which extends into the interior of the water diversion box and is connected to the water diversion box, and the other end of the air return pipe is used to extend into the interior of the ice making room.

[0011] Optionally, one end of the air return pipe extends into the top space of the water diversion box.

[0012] Optionally, the water diversion box and the water storage box share the same side wall, the pump body is arranged inside the water diversion box, the water inlet is connected to the water storage box through a first pipe, and the water outlet is also located inside the water diversion box.

[0013] Optionally, the pump body is disposed on the top of the water diversion box, and the pump body is located inside the water diversion box on one side close to the water storage box.

[0014] Optionally, the inner diameter of the return air duct is less than or equal to 6 mm.

[0015] Optionally, the water outlet is connected to a second pipe, and the other end of the second pipe extends to the bottom space of the water diversion box.

[0016] Another aspect of the present application provides a refrigerator, which includes a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber distributed up and down in the direction of gravity, and a water filling box assembly and an ice making chamber of the ice maker described in any one of the above items, wherein the water filling box assembly is arranged in the refrigerating chamber, and the ice making chamber is arranged in the freezing chamber.

[0017] Optionally, a water injection structure is provided between the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber, the water injection structure is connected to the water injection port and the ice-making chamber respectively, the direction perpendicular to the gravity direction is the horizontal direction, and the water injection structure is inclined relative to the horizontal direction.

[0018] Optionally, the inclination angle of the water injection structure relative to the horizontal direction is greater than or equal to 30°.

[0019] The present application provides a water injection box assembly and refrigerator for an ice maker. In the present application, the direction of water flow is to pump water from the water storage box into the water diversion box through the pump body, and then inject the water into the ice making room through the water injection port provided in the water diversion box. The pump body first injects water into the water diversion box instead of directly connecting it to the ice making room. In this way, a graded water injection method is adopted to avoid the liquid in the water storage box from continuously flowing into the ice making room due to the siphon phenomenon. In addition, since the water storage box and the water diversion box are arranged side by side, there is no height difference between the two. The pump body is connected to the pipe between the water storage box and the water diversion box, and the siphon phenomenon will not occur, which effectively solves the problem of siphon phenomenon after water injection, thereby affecting the user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator liner shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 2 is a front view of a refrigerator liner shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 3 is a top schematic diagram of a water filling box assembly shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 4 is a side schematic diagram of a water filling box assembly shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 5 is an internal structural diagram of a water filling box assembly shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 6 is a side view of a water filling box assembly shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 7 is a top view of a water filling box assembly shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 8 It is a partial schematic diagram of a refrigerator shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0029] The present application provides a water filling box assembly for an ice maker. Unless otherwise specified, the words "top", "bottom", "above", "below" and the like are only for the convenience of description and are not limited to a position or a spatial orientation. Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , wherein the ice maker includes an ice making chamber 200 and a water injection box assembly 100, wherein the ice making chamber 200 is a chamber for making ice cubes, and the water injection box assembly 100 is used to store water, and when ice making is required, water required for ice making is injected into the ice making chamber 200. When the ice maker is installed in a refrigerator, the ice making chamber 200 is arranged in the freezer chamber 20, and ice is made by using the cold air in the freezer chamber 20 of the refrigerator, and the water injection box assembly 100 is arranged in the refrigerator chamber 10 to prevent the stored water from being frozen. In addition, the water injection box assembly 100 can also be arranged outside the refrigerator and communicated with the ice making chamber 200 through a pipeline.

[0030] Please combine Figure 3The water filling box assembly of the ice maker provided in the present application includes a water storage box 110, a water diverting box 120 and a pump body 130. In the direction of gravity, the water storage box 110 is arranged above the ice making chamber 200. The water diverting box 120 and the water storage box 110 are arranged side by side. The side by side arrangement mentioned here can also be understood as that the water diverting box 120 and the water storage box 110 are at the same height in the direction of gravity. The same height here means that the bottom box of the water diverting box 120 and the bottom surface of the water storage box 110 are at the same height, and there is no limitation on the height of the water diverting box 120 and the water storage box 110 itself. They can be adjacent or separated from each other, which is not limited here. In combination Figure 4 The water separation box 120 is provided with a water injection port 121. The water injection port 121 is used to connect the water separation box 120 with the ice making chamber 200, so as to inject the water in the water separation box 120 into the ice making chamber 200. The connection method can be through a pipeline, or the housing of the refrigerator is specially designed to form a water injection structure.

[0031] The pump body 130 includes a water inlet 131 and a water outlet 132. The water inlet 131 is connected to the water storage box 110, and the water outlet 132 is connected to the water diversion box 120. The pump body 130 is used to pump the liquid in the water storage box 110 into the water diversion box 120. Since the water storage box 110 is located above the ice making chamber 200 in the direction of gravity, and the water diversion box 120 and the water storage box 110 are located at the same height, the water diversion box 120 is also located above the ice making chamber 200, and the water in the water diversion box 120 can be injected into the ice making chamber 200 by gravity. In this application, the direction of water flow is to be pumped from the water storage box 110 into the water diversion box 120 through the pump body 130, and then injected into the ice making chamber 200 through the water injection port 121 opened in the water diversion box 120. The water injection port 121 can be opened on any side wall or bottom wall of the water diversion box 120, and this application does not limit it here.

[0032] The pump body 130 first injects water into the water diversion box 120, rather than directly connecting with the ice making chamber 200. In this way, the water is injected in stages to avoid the liquid in the water storage box 110 from continuously flowing to the ice making chamber 200 due to the siphon phenomenon. In addition, since the water storage box 110 and the water diversion box 120 are arranged side by side, there is no height difference between the two. The pump body 130 connects the pipe between the water storage box 110 and the water diversion box 120, and the siphon phenomenon will not occur. This effectively solves the problem of the siphon phenomenon after water injection, which affects the user experience. In addition, the pump body 130 does not need to be back-pumped, reducing the dependence on the pump body. The position relationship between the pump body 130 and the water storage box 110 and the water diversion box 120 can be separated from each other, or the pump body 130 can be integrated into the water storage box 110 or the water diversion box 120.

[0033] In one embodiment, in combination Figure 4, a sealed cavity is formed inside the water-dividing box 120. The water-injecting box assembly 100 is also provided with a return air duct 140, one end of which extends into the interior of the water-dividing box 120 and communicates with the water-dividing box 120, and the other end of the return air duct 140 is used to extend into the interior of the ice-making chamber 200. The return air duct 140 can connect the space between the water-dividing box 120 and the ice-making chamber 200. During the process of water inside the water-dividing box 120 being injected into the ice-making chamber 200, the liquid level inside the water-dividing box 120 drops, the air pressure decreases, the liquid level inside the ice-making chamber 200 rises, and the air pressure increases. When the difference between the air pressures of the two is too large, the water-dividing box 120 cannot be injected into the ice-making chamber 200 under the action of gravity. Therefore, the present embodiment can make the gas inside the water-dividing box 120 and the ice-making chamber 200 exchange with each other through the return air duct 140, balance the air pressure, and ensure that the water injection process proceeds smoothly.

[0034] The water separation box 120 is a sealed cavity. During the process of gas exchange with the ice making chamber 200, the water in the water separation box 120 is prevented from contacting with the gas in other compartments, such as the refrigerating chamber 10, and being affected by the odor in the compartment, so that the ice cubes made in the ice making chamber 200 remain clean.

[0035] In one embodiment, one end of the return air duct 140 extends into the top space of the water-dividing box 120. The top space mentioned here refers to the space where the water-dividing box 120 is far away from the ice-making chamber 200 in the direction of gravity. The water inside the water-dividing box 120 will slowly pour into the top space from the bottom space of the water-dividing box. When the water inside the water-dividing box 120 floods one end of the return air duct 140, the return air duct 140 cannot realize the gas exchange between the water-dividing box 120 and the ice-making chamber 200, and cannot balance the air pressure between the two. Therefore, it should be noted that the water inside the water-dividing box 120 cannot exceed one end of the return air duct 140 during actual operation. In this embodiment, one end of the return air duct 140 extends into the top of the water-dividing box 120, so that more water can be injected into the water-dividing box 120 while ensuring the balance of air pressure.

[0036] The words "first", "second" and similar words used in this application do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. In one embodiment, the water separation box 120 and the water storage box 110 share the same side wall, that is, the water separation box 120 and the water storage box 110 are arranged side by side and adjacent to each other. This can reduce the space occupied by the water injection box assembly 100. The pump body 130 is arranged inside the water separation box 120, the water inlet 131 is communicated with the water storage box 110 through the first pipe 151, and the water outlet 132 is also located inside the water separation box 120. The pump body 130 is arranged inside the water separation box 120, and the space occupied by the pump body 130 can be integrated with the space inside the water separation box 120, which can also reduce the space occupied by the water injection box assembly 100. In addition, the water outlet 132 is located inside the water separation box 120, and the water discharged from the water outlet 132 can directly enter the water separation box 120. Compared with the case where the pump body 130 is located outside the water diversion box 120, the pipe connecting the pump body 130 and the water diversion box 120 needs to be leakproof and sealed. In this embodiment, leakproof and sealing treatments are not required, and even some connecting pipes can be omitted.

[0037] In one embodiment, the pump body 130 is arranged at the top of the water diversion box 120, and the pump body 130 is located inside the water diversion box 120 on one side close to the water storage box 110. The pump body 130 is arranged at the top, which can reduce the contact with the water inside the water diversion box 120, reduce the water in the water diversion box 120 from entering the pump body 130, and thus affect the normal use of the pump body 130. Specifically, the pump body 130 may include a pump housing, and a water pump arranged inside the pump housing, the pump housing separates the water pump from the space inside the water diversion box 120, and prevents water from entering the water pump and affecting the performance of the water pump. The pump body 130 needs to be connected to the water storage box 110 through the first pipe 151, and the pump body 130 is arranged on one side close to the water storage box 110. Such an arrangement can reduce the required length of the first pipe 151.

[0038] In one embodiment, in combination Figure 4 The water inlet 121 is provided on the bottom wall of the water separation box 120. The water inside the water separation box 120 will slowly pour in from the bottom space to the top space of the water separation box 120. The water inlet 121 is provided on the bottom wall, and the water inside the water separation box 120 can be discharged more thoroughly.

[0039] In another embodiment, the inner diameter of the return air duct 140 is less than or equal to 6 mm, and can be 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, or 6 mm. Since the ice making chamber 200 is placed in the freezer, the gas exchanged by the return air duct 140 is the cold air of the freezer. If the return air duct 140 is set with a larger inner diameter, more cold air will be transferred to the water diversion box 120. The water diversion box 120 is located in the refrigeration chamber 100, and the cold air transferred to the water diversion box 120 is lost. Therefore, in this embodiment, the inner diameter of the return air duct 140 is designed to be less than 6 mm, which can reduce the loss of cold air.

[0040] Combination Figure 4 and Figure 5 In one embodiment, the water outlet 132 is connected to a second pipe 152, and the other end of the second pipe 152 extends to the bottom space of the water separation box 120. Since the pump body 130 has a certain pressure when discharging water at the water outlet 132, water is directly injected into the water separation box 120 through the water outlet 132, and the water is sprayed out, and may splash during the water injection process. The second pipe 152 is connected to the water outlet 132, which can guide the water flow, and the second pipe 152 extends to the bottom space of the water separation box 120, which can guide the water flow to the bottom space. In this process, the water flow will collide with the inner wall of the second pipe 152, and the kinetic energy of the water flow is reduced, and finally it flows out of the second pipe 152 more gently and is injected into the water separation box 120.

[0041] In one embodiment, in combination Figure 4 and Figure 5 The water injection pipe connected to the water injection port 121 and the air return pipe 140 are arranged side by side. The water injection port 121 and the air return pipe 140 need to be connected to the pipe structure and communicated with the ice making chamber. In this embodiment, the side-by-side arrangement can reduce the pipe structure required for the water injection port 121 and the air return pipe 140 to communicate with each other, and the more concentrated distribution is conducive to the design and management of the pipe structure.

[0042] refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 , Figure 6 is a side view of the water filling box assembly 100, Figure 7 It is a top view of the water filling box assembly 100. The top of the water storage box 110 is covered by a first cover 111, and a circular opening is provided on the cover. The user can add water to the water storage box 110 through the circular opening. The water distribution box 120 is sealed by a second cover 120a, and the second cover 120a is also rotatably connected to the water filling box assembly 100 through a rotating hinge. When the water pump inside the pump body 130 needs to be repaired, the second cover 120a can be rotated open to repair or replace the water pump.

[0043] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2The present application also provides a refrigerator, which includes a refrigerator compartment 10, a freezer compartment 20, a water injection box assembly 100 provided in any of the above embodiments, and an ice making compartment 200, which are distributed vertically in the direction of gravity. The water injection box assembly 100 is provided in the refrigerator compartment 10, and the ice making compartment 200 is provided in the freezer compartment 20. The water injection box assembly 100 provides the ice making compartment 200 with water required for ice making. In this way, the ice making compartment 200 can make ice by using the cold air of the freezer compartment 20.

[0044] In one embodiment, please combine Figure 8 A water injection structure 30 is provided between the refrigerating chamber 10 and the freezing chamber 20, and the water injection structure 30 is connected to the water injection port 121 and the ice-making chamber 200 respectively. The water flow in the water-dividing box 120 is injected into the ice-making chamber 200 through the water injection structure 30. The direction perpendicular to the gravity direction is the horizontal direction, and the water injection structure 30 is inclined relative to the horizontal direction. The freezing chamber 20 radiates cold energy outward, and the temperature outside the freezing chamber 20 rises in a step-by-step manner. The internal temperature of the water injection structure 30 between the refrigerating chamber 10 and the freezing chamber 20 may be affected by the cold energy and is still below zero degrees. When water stays in the water injection structure 30, it may freeze and become blocked. Therefore, the inclined arrangement of this embodiment can reduce the water remaining in the water injection structure 30.

[0045] In one embodiment, the inclination angle of the water injection structure relative to the horizontal direction is greater than or equal to 30°, and may specifically be 30°, 32°, 35°, 38°, 40°, etc. The residual water in the water injection structure 300 is further reduced.

[0046] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A water injection box assembly for an ice maker, the ice maker comprising an ice making chamber and a water injection box assembly, characterized in that: The water filling box assembly comprises A water storage box, which is arranged above the ice making chamber in the direction of gravity; A water separation box is arranged side by side with the water storage box, the bottom surface of the water storage box and the bottom surface of the water separation box are located at the same height, and the water separation box is provided with a water injection port, and the water injection port is used to connect the water separation box with the ice making chamber; The pump body comprises a water inlet and a water outlet, wherein the water inlet is communicated with the water storage box, and the water outlet is communicated with the water separation box, and the pump body is used for pumping the liquid in the water storage box into the water separation box.

2. The water filling box assembly of the ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that: A closed cavity is formed inside the water separation box, and the water injection box assembly is also provided with an air return pipe, one end of which extends into the interior of the water separation box and is connected to the water separation box, and the other end of the air return pipe is used to extend into the interior of the ice making chamber.

3. The water filling box assembly of the ice maker according to claim 2, characterized in that: One end of the air return pipe extends into the top space of the water separation box.

4. The water filling box assembly of an ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The water separation box and the water storage box share the same side wall, the pump body is arranged inside the water separation box, the water inlet is connected with the water storage box through a first pipe, and the water outlet is also located inside the water separation box.

5. The water filling box assembly of the ice maker according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pump body is arranged on the top of the water separation box, and the pump body is located inside the water separation box at one side close to the water storage box.

6. The water filling box assembly of the ice maker according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the return air duct is less than or equal to 6 mm.

7. The water filling box assembly of the ice maker according to claim 4, characterized in that: The water outlet is connected to a second pipe, and the other end of the second pipe extends to the bottom space of the water diversion box.

8. A refrigerator, characterized in that: In the direction of gravity, the refrigerator includes a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber distributed up and down, and a water injection box assembly and an ice making chamber of the ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the water injection box assembly is arranged in the refrigerating chamber, and the ice making chamber is arranged in the freezing chamber.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, characterized in that: A water injection structure is provided between the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber, the water injection structure is connected to the water injection port and the ice making chamber respectively, the direction perpendicular to the gravity direction is the horizontal direction, and the water injection structure is inclined relative to the horizontal direction.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, characterized in that: The inclination angle of the water injection structure relative to the horizontal direction is greater than or equal to 30°.

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