Ice mold, ice maker and refrigerator

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of ice making, in particular to an ice mold, an ice maker and a refrigerator, the ice mold comprises a silica gel mold, the silica gel mold comprises a plurality of mold petal parts and folding parts, the plurality of mold petal parts define an ice making cavity, the adjacent mold petal parts are connected through the folding parts, the folding parts are suitable for being switched between an unfolding state and a folding state, and in the unfolding state, the folding parts are connected through the folding parts. In the closed state, the mold petal parts are gathered, and the ice-making cavity is closed. According to the structural design of the silica gel mold, the ice making cavity can be closed without matching of external force and an external structure, opening and ice unloading of the ice making cavity can be achieved manually, the ice mold structure is simplified, ice unloading operation is convenient, and the ice making efficiency and the ice unloading efficiency can be improved. Therefore, the ice mold disclosed by the embodiment adopts the structural design that the mold petal part is matched with the folding part, so that transparent ice in a specific shape is generated, the problem that the traditional ice mold is difficult to deice is solved, and good interactive experience is brought.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of ice making, in particular to an ice mold, an ice maker and a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] Ice-making products on the market are mainly divided into two categories: manual ice-making and automatic ice-making. Both categories use static water ice-making. The ice made by static water ice-making is non-transparent and has bubbles inside. This will accelerate the melting speed of the ice body when cooling the beverage, affecting the taste of the beverage, and the opacity of the ice body will also affect the user experience. In order to ensure the sealing effect of the ice-making chamber in existing ice-making equipment, the ice molds commonly used are mostly one-piece structures with limited deformation. Therefore, manual ice-making and ice-removal are difficult and inconvenient to operate during the ice-removal process. In addition, the ice molds need to be heated at room temperature or rinsed with hot water to be successfully removed, resulting in the problem of incomplete ice balls. Utility Model Content

[0003] The utility model aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the related art. To this end, the utility model provides an ice mold, which can manually open the ice making cavity and remove ice, simplifies the ice mold structure, facilitates the ice removal operation, and can improve the ice making efficiency and ice removal efficiency.

[0004] The utility model also provides an ice making machine.

[0005] The utility model also provides a refrigerator.

[0006] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the ice mold comprises a silicone mold, which comprises a plurality of mold petals and a folding portion, wherein the plurality of mold petals enclose an ice-making cavity, and adjacent mold petals are connected by the folding portion, and the folding portion is suitable for switching between an expanded state and a closed state. In the expanded state, the mold petals are dispersed and the ice-making cavity is opened, and in the closed state, the mold petals are aggregated and the ice-making cavity is closed.

[0007] According to the ice mold of the embodiment of the utility model, the main part is composed of a silicone mold. The silicone mold has a certain degree of flexible deformation ability, can be bent within a certain range, and can also be restored to its original shape. The silicone mold also has a certain plasticity to ensure that its main body shape remains unchanged. The silicone mold is composed of a mold petal part and a folding part. Each mold petal part is independently arranged, and multiple mold petals are arranged in sequence along the circumferential direction. Adjacent mold petals are connected by the folding part. Each mold petal part has a depression. The depressions of all mold petals are combined to form an ice-making cavity inside the silicone mold. Connecting surfaces extend from both sides of the depression. The connecting surfaces between two adjacent mold petals are connected by the folding part. The two connecting surfaces have a sealing effect after being combined to ensure the sealing of the ice-making cavity.

[0008] When making ice in the ice mold, the folded part is in a closed state, the mold petals are gathered together, and the recesses are pieced together to form an ice cavity inside the silicone mold, thereby achieving the effect of closing the ice cavity. Water is then injected into the ice cavity to make ice. After ice making is completed, the mold petals can be manually opened, that is, the mold petals are bent in the direction away from the ice cavity, thereby driving the folded part to unfold, and the mold petals are dispersed outward, so that the recesses constituting the ice cavity are separated from each other, and the mold petals are also separated from the ice. The ice cavity is opened, and the ice can be taken out, thereby completing manual ice defrosting.

[0009] The structural design of the silicone mold does not require external force and external structure to close the ice-making cavity, and can be opened and ice-removed manually, which simplifies the ice mold structure, facilitates ice-removing operation, and can improve ice-making efficiency and ice-removing efficiency. Therefore, the ice mold of this embodiment adopts a structural design in which the mold petal part and the folding part cooperate, which not only realizes the generation of transparent ice of a specific shape, but also solves the problem of difficult ice removal in traditional ice molds, bringing a good interactive experience.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the utility model, it also includes a base, the cooling coefficient of the base is greater than the cooling coefficient of the silicone mold, the silicone mold is provided with a mounting groove, the mounting groove is correspondingly arranged below the bottom of the ice-making cavity, and the base is embedded in the mounting groove.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the utility model, the side wall of the installation groove is provided with a first limiting portion, and the side wall of the base is provided with a second limiting portion, and the second limiting portion cooperates with the first limiting portion.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the bottom surface of the base is suitable for contacting with the top surface of the cooling plate of the cooling device.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the utility model, the shape of the ice-making cavity is spherical, and the top surface of the base is provided with a spherical groove adapted to the bottom of the ice-making cavity.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the utility model, the mold flap portion is provided with a notch at the highest position corresponding to the ice-making cavity, and the notch surrounds a drainage outlet.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the utility model, a drainage groove is provided on the top surface of the mold flap portion, and the drainage groove is communicated with the drainage port.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the utility model, a water injection port is provided on the top surface of the mold petal portion, a water injection channel is provided inside the mold petal portion, and the water injection port is connected to the ice-making chamber through the water injection channel.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the water injection channel extends from the top surface of the mold portion toward the ice-making cavity at a set angle, and the set angle is an angle that is acutely angled to the horizontal direction.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the folding portion is sandwiched between two adjacent mold halves in the closed state.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the silicone mold further comprises a base, and a top surface of the base is formed by protruding upwardly extending a plurality of mold petals.

[0020] The ice making machine according to the second embodiment of the utility model comprises:

[0021] a plurality of ice molds as described above;

[0022] A water supply device, the water supply device being in communication with the ice making chamber of each of the ice molds;

[0023] A cooling device is arranged at the bottom of the ice mold.

[0024] A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the utility model includes the ice maker as described above.

[0025] The above one or more technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model have at least one of the following technical effects:

[0026] The ice mold of the embodiment of the utility model is composed of a silicone mold. The silicone mold has a certain degree of flexible deformation ability, can be bent within a certain range, and can also be restored to its original shape. The silicone mold also has a certain plasticity to ensure that its main shape remains unchanged. The silicone mold is composed of a mold petal part and a folding part. Each mold petal part is independently arranged, and multiple mold petals are arranged in sequence along the circumference. Adjacent mold petals are connected by the folding part. Each mold petal part has a depression. The depressions of all mold petals are combined to form an ice-making cavity inside the silicone mold. Connecting surfaces extend from both sides of the depression. The connecting surfaces between two adjacent mold petals are connected by the folding part. The two connecting surfaces have a sealing effect after being combined to ensure the sealing of the ice-making cavity.

[0027] When making ice in the ice mold, the folded part is in a closed state, the mold petals are gathered together, and the recesses are pieced together to form an ice cavity inside the silicone mold, thereby achieving the effect of closing the ice cavity. Water is then injected into the ice cavity to make ice. After ice making is completed, the mold petals can be manually opened, that is, the mold petals are bent in the direction away from the ice cavity, thereby driving the folded part to unfold, and the mold petals are dispersed outward, so that the recesses constituting the ice cavity are separated from each other, and the mold petals are also separated from the ice. The ice cavity is opened, and the ice can be taken out, thereby completing manual ice defrosting.

[0028] The structural design of the silicone mold does not require external force and external structure to close the ice-making cavity, and can be opened and ice-removed manually, which simplifies the ice mold structure, facilitates ice-removing operation, and can improve ice-making efficiency and ice-removing efficiency. Therefore, the ice mold of this embodiment adopts a structural design in which the mold petal part and the folding part cooperate, which not only realizes the generation of transparent ice of a specific shape, but also solves the problem of difficult ice removal in traditional ice molds, bringing a good interactive experience.

[0029] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the following description, or will be learned through the practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model or related technologies, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or related technical descriptions are briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0031] Figure 1 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the ice maker provided by the embodiment of the utility model;

[0032] Figure 2 This is the second structural schematic diagram of the ice maker provided by the embodiment of the utility model;

[0033] Figure 3 This is the third structural schematic diagram of the ice maker provided by the embodiment of the utility model;

[0034] Figure 4 This is the fourth structural schematic diagram of the ice maker provided by the embodiment of the utility model;

[0035] Figure 5 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the ice mold of the ice maker provided by the embodiment of the utility model;

[0036] Figure 6 This is the second structural schematic diagram of the ice mold of the ice maker provided by the embodiment of the utility model;

[0037] Figure 7 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the refrigerator provided by the embodiment of the utility model;

[0038] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of a partition of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0039] Fig. 9 This is the second structural schematic diagram of the refrigerator provided by the embodiment of the utility model;

[0040] Fig.10 It is a flow chart of a control method for an ice maker provided in an embodiment of the utility model.

[0041] Reference numerals:

[0042] 100, ice mold; 110, ice making chamber; 120, drainage part; 121, drainage port; 122, drainage groove; 130, water injection part; 131, water injection port; 132, water injection channel; 140, water guide part; 150, silicone mold; 151, mold petal part; 1511, depression; 1512, first notch; 152, folding part; 153, mounting groove; 154, first limiting part; 155, base; 160, bottom support; 161, second limiting part; 162, spherical groove;

[0043] 200, water supply device; 210, water tank; 220, water return pipe; 230, water inlet pipe; 231, main pipe; 232, branch pipe; 240, water pump; 250, bypass pipe;

[0044] 300, cooling device; 310, cooling plate; 320, cooling component;

[0045] 400, water collecting tank; 410, first end; 420, second end;

[0046] 500, housing; 510, second notch;

[0047] 600, cover;

[0048] 700, box body; 710, interlayer; 711, through groove; 712, third groove; 720, freezer compartment; 730, refrigerator compartment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The following is a further detailed description of the implementation of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate the present invention, but cannot be used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0050] In the description of the embodiments of the present utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present utility model and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present utility model. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0051] In the description of the embodiments of the present utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present utility model can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0052] In the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "above" and "above" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below" and "below" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0053] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the utility model embodiment. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0054] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, an ice making machine provided by an embodiment of the utility model includes a plurality of ice molds 100, a water supply device 200 and a cooling device 300, an ice making cavity 110 is arranged inside each ice mold 100, a drainage portion 120 and a water injection portion 130 are arranged on the top of each ice mold 100, and the drainage portion 120 and the water injection portion 130 are both connected with the ice making cavity 110, so that during the ice making process, water is continuously injected into the ice making cavity 110 through the water injection portion 130, and the water in the ice making cavity 110 overflows to the drainage portion 120 for discharge; each drainage portion 120 is independent of each other; the water supply device 200 is connected with each water injection portion 130; and the cooling device 300 is arranged at the bottom of the ice mold 100.

[0055] In the ice making machine of the embodiment of the utility model, each ice mold 100 is constructed with an ice making cavity 110 inside, the water supply device 200 can supply water to each ice making cavity 110, and the cooling device 300 is located at the bottom of the ice mold 100. While guiding the cooling to the ice mold 100, as the height of the ice mold 100 changes from the bottom to the top, the cooling energy concentrated at the bottom of the ice mold 100 by the cooling device 300 can make the ice making cavity 110 of the ice mold 100 form a gradually increasing temperature gradient change from bottom to top, thereby realizing directional freezing from bottom to top in the ice making cavity 110. As long as the freezing speed of the ice layer in the ice making cavity 110 is lower than the precipitation speed of bubbles in the water in the ice making cavity 110, transparent ice can be made. The ice mold 100 has a water injection portion 130 and a drainage portion 120. The water supply device 200 injects water into the ice making chamber 110 through the water injection portion 130. When the ice making chamber 110 is full of water, it overflows from the drainage portion 120. During the ice making process, water is continuously injected into the ice making chamber 110 and the water in the ice making chamber 110 continuously overflows. Therefore, there is an ice layer and flowing water in the ice making chamber 110, which can help and accelerate the precipitation of bubbles in the water, further ensuring the production of transparent ice.

[0056] A drainage portion 120 is provided on the top of each ice mold 100, and the plurality of drainage portions 120 are independent of each other and not interconnected, so that each ice mold 100 realizes an independent water injection and drainage process, that is, each ice mold 100 discharges the overflowed water in its respective ice-making cavity 110 through a separate drainage portion 120 on the top thereof, and there is no large area of ​​water flow accumulation in the top space of the ice mold 100 or in the entire top range of all ice molds 100, so that no additional heating device is required to heat and raise the temperature of the top area of ​​the ice mold 100, so that the normal water flow in the ice-making cavity 110 can be ensured, and transparent ice can be made. At the same time, there is no need to add a heating device on the top of the ice mold 100, which simplifies the composition of the ice maker. The external environment around the ice mold 100 can remain relatively dry without water flow or liquid surface, which also saves the waterproof sealing structure of the ice maker. The water supply device 200 and the ice mold 100 are also relatively independent. After ice making is completed or during ice making, the states of the water supply device 200 and the ice mold 100 can be timely controlled and adjusted, and are no longer affected by the accumulation of water in the top area of ​​the ice mold 100.

[0057] In the case where each ice mold 100 has only one ice-making cavity 110, the drainage parts 120 are independently arranged. After ice making is completed, the customer can control the amount of ice taken according to actual needs. That is, when single ice is needed, only one ice mold 100 is required to defrost. For the mode of making small-volume ice cubes or ice balls, the flexibility of ice making and taking can be improved.

[0058] According to one embodiment of the utility model, the ice mold 100 includes a silicone mold 150, and the silicone mold 150 includes a plurality of mold petals 151 and a folding portion 152. The plurality of mold petals 151 enclose an ice-making cavity 110, and adjacent mold petals 151 are connected by the folding portion 152. The folding portion 152 is suitable for switching between an expanded state and a closed state. In the expanded state, the mold petals 151 are dispersed and the ice-making cavity 110 is opened. In the closed state, the mold petals 151 are aggregated and the ice-making cavity 110 is closed.

[0059] The ice mold 100 of the embodiment of the utility model is mainly composed of a silicone mold 150. The silicone mold 150 has a certain degree of flexible deformation ability, can be bent within a certain range, and can also be restored to its original shape. The silicone mold 150 also has a certain degree of plasticity to ensure that its main body shape remains unchanged. The silicone mold 150 is composed of a mold petal portion 151 and a folding portion 152. Each mold petal portion 151 is independently arranged, and a plurality of mold petals 151 are arranged in sequence along the circumferential direction. Adjacent mold petals 151 are connected by the folding portion 152. Each mold petal portion 151 has a recess 1511. The recesses 1511 of all mold petals 151 are combined to form an ice-making cavity 110 inside the silicone mold 150. Connecting surfaces extend from both sides of the recess 1511. The connecting surfaces between two adjacent mold petals 151 are connected by the folding portion 152. The two connecting surfaces have a sealing effect after being combined to ensure the sealing of the ice-making cavity 110.

[0060] When the ice mold 100 is making ice, the folded portion 152 is in a closed state, the mold petals 151 are gathered together, and the recesses 1511 are pieced together to form an ice cavity inside the silicone mold 150, so as to achieve the effect of closing the ice cavity 110, and then water is injected into the ice cavity 110 to make ice. After the ice making is completed, the mold petals 151 can be manually opened, that is, the mold petals 151 are bent in a direction away from the ice cavity 110, thereby driving the folded portion 152 to unfold, and the mold petals 151 are dispersed outward, so that the recesses 1511 constituting the ice cavity 110 are separated from each other, and the mold petals 151 are also separated from the ice, and the ice cavity 110 is opened, and the ice can be taken out, thereby completing manual ice defrosting.

[0061] The structural design of the silicone mold 150 does not require external force and external structure to close the ice-making chamber 110, and can be opened and ice-removed manually, which simplifies the structure of the ice mold 100, facilitates ice-removing operation, and can improve ice-making efficiency and ice-removing efficiency. Therefore, the ice mold 100 of this embodiment adopts a structural design that cooperates with the mold petal part 151 and the folding part 152, which not only realizes the generation of transparent ice of a specific shape, but also solves the problem of difficult ice removal in the traditional ice mold 100, bringing a good interactive experience.

[0062] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ice mold 100 further includes a base 160, the cooling coefficient of the base 160 is greater than that of the silicone mold 150, the silicone mold 150 is provided with a mounting groove 153, the mounting groove 153 is correspondingly arranged below the bottom of the ice-making cavity 110, and the base 160 is embedded in the mounting groove 153. In this embodiment, the ice mold 100 is composed of the silicone mold 150 and the base 160, the silicone mold 150 serves as an upper mold, the base 160 serves as a lower mold, the silicone mold 150 is located on the outside and above the base 160 as a whole, the bottom of the silicone mold 150 is provided with a mounting groove 153, the base 160 is embedded in the mounting groove 153, the lower base 160 serves as a supporting structure of the upper silicone mold 150, the ice-making cavity 110 is constructed inside the silicone mold 150, and the base 160 provides support force and cooling capacity for the ice-making cavity 110 below the ice-making cavity 110.

[0063] A cooling device 300 is provided at the bottom of the ice mold 100, that is, the bottom of the silicone mold 150 is the cooling device 300, and the bottom bracket 160 can be made of a metal material. The cooling performance of the metal material is higher than that of the silicone material, so the cooling device 300 transfers cold to the bottom bracket 160 and the silicone mold 150. Affected by the material, the temperature of the bottom bracket 160 is lower than that of the silicone mold 150. The ice mold 100 is designed to form a structure of cooling device 300→bottom bracket 160→silicone mold 150 with a temperature from low to high, that is, the temperature of the cooling device 300 is the lowest, the bottom bracket 160 is the second, and the temperature of the silicone mold 150 is the highest, and the three form a certain temperature gradient environment from bottom to top.

[0064] In this embodiment, the base 160 and the silicone mold 150 can be assembled to form the ice mold 100, or the base 160 can be placed in the silicone mold during injection molding to form the ice mold 100 as a whole.

[0065] According to an embodiment of the utility model, the side wall of the installation groove 153 is provided with a first limiting portion 154, and the side wall of the bottom bracket 160 is provided with a second limiting portion 161, and the second limiting portion 161 cooperates with the first limiting portion 154. In this embodiment, the silicone mold 150 and the bottom bracket 160 are fixed together by the cooperation of the first limiting portion 154 and the second limiting portion 161. The first limiting portion 154 can be one of the protrusion and the first groove, and the second limiting portion 161 is arranged corresponding to the first phase, and can be the other of the protrusion and the first groove, that is, when the bottom bracket 160 is embedded in the silicone mold 150, the protrusion is embedded in the first groove, which can limit the position of the bottom bracket 160 on the silicone mold 150 in the vertical direction, and ensure the firmness of the connection between the bottom bracket 160 and the silicone mold 150.

[0066] In this embodiment, the protrusion may be an annular rib surrounding the side wall of the mounting groove 153 , and the first groove and the protrusion may be an annular groove on the side wall of the base 160 .

[0067] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the bottom surface of the bottom bracket 160 is suitable for contacting the top surface of the cold conduction plate 310 of the cold conduction device 300. In this embodiment, in order to ensure that the cold amount of the cold conduction device 300 can be fully conducted, the bottom surface of the bottom bracket 160 is set on the top surface of the cold conduction plate 310 of the cold conduction device 300, and the cold conduction between the cold conduction device 300 and the base is more direct. During the ice making process, the temperature of the bottom bracket 160 changes in time with the temperature of the cold conduction device 300, and the low temperature state is maintained, and the temperature gradient change of the ice making chamber 110 is more obvious.

[0068] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ice-making chamber 110 is spherical in shape, and the top surface of the bottom support 160 is provided with a spherical groove 162 adapted to the bottom of the ice-making chamber 110. In this embodiment, the ice-making chamber 110 can make spherical ice, and the spherical groove 162 is provided on the top surface of the bottom support 160 to match the spherical ice-making chamber 110, that is, the bottom of the ice-making chamber 110 is convex in a spherical form, adapted to the spherical groove 162 on the top surface of the bottom support 160, and the bottom of the ice-making chamber 110 enters the spherical groove 162.

[0069] In this way, the bottom of the ice-making chamber 110 can be placed in a lower temperature environment, while the portion of the ice-making chamber 110 that is not in the spherical groove 162 is placed in a higher temperature portion, thereby constructing an ice-making chamber 110 with a more distinct temperature gradient. The water at the bottom of the ice-making chamber 110 is placed in the lowest temperature environment, and therefore can freeze first, and then freeze in a directional manner from bottom to top.

[0070] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the folding portion 152 is sandwiched between two adjacent mold petals 151 when in the closed state. In this embodiment, after the ice mold 100 is de-iced, the multiple mold petals 151 are restored to converge in the direction close to the ice-making cavity 110 from the bent and dispersed state, and at the same time, the folding portion 152 is driven to fold inwardly in the direction of the ice-making cavity 110 from the unfolded state, and finally the folding portion 152 is folded between the connecting surfaces of the two adjacent mold petals 151.

[0071] When the ice-making chamber 110 is closed, the folding portion 152 is folded and pressed between two adjacent mold petals 151, so as to fill the gap formed between the connecting surfaces of the two adjacent mold petals 151. On the one hand, it can meet the closed shape requirement of the ice-making chamber 110 and prevent water from entering the gap and freezing, thereby causing the shape of the ice to change. On the other hand, it can make the external structure of the ice mold 100 more integrated and simple, and can save space when multiple ice molds 100 are arranged.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the silicone mold 150 further includes a base 155, and the top surface of the base 155 extends upward to form a plurality of mold petals 151. In this embodiment, the silicone mold 150 is composed of the base 155 and the mold petals 151, that is, the mold petals 151 are separated and independent from each other as a whole, but the bottom of each mold petal 151 is connected as a whole through the base 155. At this time, the base 155 is the structural foundation of the bottom range of the ice-making cavity 110, and the mold petals 151 are the parts extending upward to jointly enclose the middle and top ranges of the ice-making cavity 110.

[0073] The base 155 can not only provide a fixing and supporting foundation for the mold petal 151, but also provide auxiliary force for the mold petal 151 to recover from the bent and dispersed state to the aggregated state. In addition, the installation groove 153 of the silicone mold 150 also has the bottom surface of the base 155 extending upward to the bottom of the ice-making cavity 110, that is, the base 155 is wrapped around the outside of the bottom bracket 160 to install and fix the bottom bracket 160.

[0074] In this embodiment, the silicone mold 150 has a rectangular shape, including 4 mold parts 151 and 4 folding parts 152. Each mold part 151 is the same size and has an outer shape of four triangular prisms divided by the diagonal of the rectangular parallelepiped. The folding part 152 is a triangle and is folded inward once along the center line in the folded state.

[0075] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the drainage portion 120 includes a drainage port 121 and a drainage groove 122, the drainage port 121 is arranged at the highest position of the ice making chamber 110; one end of the drainage groove 122 is connected to the drainage port 121, and the other end of the drainage groove 122 extends to the edge of the ice mold 100, and the bottom of the drainage groove 122 gradually tilts downward along the direction from the drainage port 121 to the edge of the ice mold 100.

[0076] In the present embodiment, the bottom of the ice mold 100 is the portion concentrated on the lower surface of the ice mold 100, and the top of the ice mold 100 is the portion concentrated on the upper surface of the ice mold 100. The drainage portion 120 on the top of the ice mold 100 is composed of a drainage port 121 and a drainage groove 122. The drainage port 121 is the highest position of the homemade ice cavity 110 and vertically penetrates upward to the top surface of the ice mold 100. The drainage groove 122 is a second groove recessed on the top surface of the ice mold 100, and extends from the drainage port 121 to the edge of the top surface of the ice mold 100, that is, a through second groove is formed between the drainage port 121 and the outside of the ice mold 100.

[0077] Water is poured into the ice-making chamber 110 through the water injection part 130. After the water in the ice-making chamber 110 is collected to the highest position of the ice-making chamber 110, it will flow into the drain port 121 and overflow. The overflowed water flows into the drain groove 122 and flows out of the ice mold 100 through the drain groove 122. In order to ensure smooth flow and prevent the collected water in the drain groove 122 or the overflowed water from flowing back, the bottom of the drain groove 122 is set to be an inclined surface that gradually slopes downward along the water flow direction.

[0078] In this embodiment, a drainage groove 122 is provided on the top of each ice mold 100, and all the drainage grooves 122 are provided in parallel. Water overflowing from each ice-making chamber 110 can flow out of the corresponding drainage groove 122 without affecting each other, thereby achieving independent operation of water injection, freezing and drainage of each ice mold 100 during the ice-making process.

[0079] It can be understood that, in the present embodiment, the drainage portion 120 is exposed on the surface of the ice mold 100. In other embodiments, the drainage portion 120 may also be arranged in a non-exposed state inside the ice mold 100, that is, the top of the ice mold 100 has a certain thickness, and the drainage port 121 and the drainage groove 122 are in the form of internal perforations within the top range.

[0080] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mold petal portion 151 is provided with a first notch 1512 at the highest position corresponding to the ice-making cavity 110, and the first notch 1512 surrounds the drain outlet 121. In this embodiment, the bottom of the silicone mold 150 is the portion concentrated on the lower surface of the silicone mold 150, and the top of the silicone mold 150 is the portion concentrated on the upper surface of the mold petal portion 151. The first notch 1512 vertically penetrates upward from the highest position of the recess 1511 of the mold petal portion 151 to the top surface of the mold petal portion 151, and each recess 1511 is circumferentially arranged to surround the ice-making cavity 110, so each first notch 1512 circumferentially surrounds the drain outlet 121.

[0081] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a drainage groove 122 is provided on the top surface of the mold petal portion 151, and the drainage groove 122 is connected to the drainage port 121. In this embodiment, the drainage groove 122 is provided on the top surface of one of the mold petal portions 151 among the multiple mold petal portions 151, that is, the drainage groove 122 runs through from the drainage port 121 to the top surface edge of the mold petal portion 151.

[0082] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the width of the drainage groove 122 gradually increases along the direction from the drainage port 121 to the edge of the ice mold 100. In this embodiment, the direction from the drainage port 121 to the edge of the ice mold 100 is the extension direction of the drainage groove 122, and the width of the drainage groove 122 gradually increases along its extension direction. As the width of the drainage groove 122 increases, the flow rate of the water therein slows down, the flow is stable, and more water can be accommodated, avoiding impact and splashing caused by the fast flow rate of the water.

[0083] According to an embodiment of the utility model, a water guide 140 is provided at the end of the drainage groove 122 located at the edge of the ice mold 100, and the water guide 140 gradually extends from top to bottom in a direction away from the ice mold 100. In this embodiment, the water guide 140 is provided at the edge of the top surface of the ice mold 100, and the water guide 140 is directly opposite to the drainage groove 122 and is connected to the edge end of the drainage groove 122, that is, the water in the drainage groove 122 enters the water guide 140 and flows out of the ice mold 100 from the water guide 140. The setting of the water guide 140 can avoid the problem that the water in the drainage groove 122 flows irregularly and directional at the edge of the ice mold 100 and flows to the outer wall of the ice mold 100 to affect the operation of the ice maker. The water guide 140 is designed to gradually extend away from the outer wall of the ice mold 100, and to ensure the diversion effect, the water guide 140 gradually tilts downward along its extension direction.

[0084] In this embodiment, the water guide portion 140 is an arc-shaped water guide plate, and the water guide plate is curved upward. In other embodiments, the water guide portion 140 can be a water guide structure of other shapes, such as a linear shape.

[0085] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ice maker further includes a water collecting tank 400, and the water guide 140 extends into the water collecting tank 400. In this embodiment, the water collecting tank 400 collects the water discharged from the ice making chamber 110 of each ice mold 100, and one end of the water guide 140 is connected to the drainage tank 122, and the other end extends into the water collecting tank 400 to ensure that the water discharged from the drainage tank 122 can smoothly enter the water collecting tank 400 for collection. The water in the water collecting tank 400 can be discharged centrally or returned to the water supply device 200, which can be selected according to actual needs.

[0086] In this embodiment, the water collecting tank 400 is arranged at the top position of the corresponding ice mold 100, so the ambient temperature of the water collecting tank 400 should be above 0 degrees Celsius at this time, so as to facilitate the precipitation of bubbles in the water in the ice making chamber 110. When the ambient temperature of the water collecting tank 400 cannot meet this requirement, or the actual ambient temperature is lower than 0 degrees Celsius, a first heating component and a temperature detection element can be arranged around the water collecting tank 400, and the temperature requirement at the water collecting tank 400 can be controlled by the first heating component.

[0087] According to an embodiment of the utility model, the ice maker further comprises a housing 500, the housing 500 is provided with a plurality of second notches 510, the ice molds 100 are located inside the housing 500, the second notches 510 are arranged one by one with the ice molds 100, and the water guide 140 extends from the second notches 510 to the outside of the housing 500. In this embodiment, the plurality of ice molds 100 are sequentially arranged in the housing 500, the second notches 510 are arranged on the side wall of the housing 500 corresponding to the position of the drainage groove 122 of each ice mold 100, the water guide 140 extends outward after passing through the second notches 510, the position of the second notches 510 provides a space for the setting of the water guide 140, and can also play a role in fixing and positioning the housing 500 to each ice mold 100.

[0088] According to one embodiment of the utility model, the water supply device 200 includes a water tank 210, a return pipe 220 and a water inlet pipe 230, one end of the water inlet pipe 230 is detachably connected to the water injection part 130, and the other end of the water inlet pipe 230 is detachably connected to the water tank 210, and the water collection tank 400 is detachably connected to the water tank 210 through the return pipe 220. In this embodiment, the water supply device 200 is composed of a water tank 210, a water inlet pipe 230 and a water return pipe 220. The water in the water tank 210 is transported to the water injection part 130 through the water inlet pipe 230, and then enters the ice making chamber 110 of the ice mold 100 through the water injection part 130. The water in the ice making chamber 110 gathers and overflows and enters the drainage groove 122 through the drainage port 121, and then flows from the drainage groove 122 to the guide part and then enters the water collecting groove 400. The water in the water collecting groove 400 is transported back to the water tank 210 through the water return pipe 220, thereby forming a water flow circulation in the ice maker.

[0089] The water inlet pipe 230 is detachably connected to the ice mold 100 and the water tank 210, that is, the ice mold 100, the water inlet pipe 230 and the water tank 210 are relatively independent. When it is necessary to defrost, the water inlet pipe 230 can be directly separated from the ice mold 100, and the ice mold 100 can be taken out of the shell 500 to defrost. The water return pipe 220 and the water tank 210 are also detachably connected, that is, the water return pipe 220 and the water tank 210 are relatively independent. When it is necessary to add water, the water inlet pipe 230 and the water return pipe 220 can be directly separated from the water tank 210 respectively, and the water tank 210 can be taken out to add water to the water tank 210.

[0090] According to an embodiment of the utility model, the two ends of the water collecting tank 400 along the extension direction thereof are respectively a first end 410 and a second end 420, the bottom of the water collecting tank 400 gradually tilts downward from the first end 410 to the second end 420, and the return pipe 220 is connected to the second end 420. In this embodiment, the extension direction of the water collecting tank 400 is its length direction, and the bottom of the water collecting tank 400 gradually descends from the first end 410 to the second end 420 along the length direction thereof, that is, the water collecting tank 400 has a certain tilt angle in the horizontal direction, and the return pipe 220 is connected to the second end 420 at a low position.

[0091] The water flowing out through the drainage portion 120 of the ice mold 100 is collected in the water collecting tank 400. Since the water collecting tank 400 is arranged at an inclined angle, the water flows from the first end 410 to the second end 420 under the action of gravity, and flows back to the water tank 210 through the return pipe 220, so that the water is recovered and recycled. The inclined water collecting tank 400 can speed up the water in the water collecting tank 400 to flow back to the water tank 210, so as to avoid the water gathering in the water collecting tank 400 and affecting the return water of the water tank 210.

[0092] According to an embodiment of the utility model, a second heating component is provided on the outside of the water inlet pipe 230. In this embodiment, a corresponding second heating component is provided on the outside of the water inlet pipe 230 to heat and increase the temperature of the water inlet pipe 230. The second heating component can be provided at a position of the water inlet pipe 230 close to the water injection portion 130 of the silicone mold 150, so that before starting the ice making operation, the ice that may exist in the water inlet pipe 230 is heated and melted into water, so as to ensure that the water inlet pipe 230 of the water supply device 200 is unblocked and then water is supplied.

[0093] In this embodiment, the second heating component may be a heating structure such as a heating wire wound around the outside of the water inlet pipe 230 .

[0094] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the water supply device 200 further includes a water pump 240 and a bypass pipe 250 . The water pump 240 is disposed on the water inlet pipe 230 . One end of the bypass pipe 250 is connected to the water outlet of the water pump 240 , and the other end is connected to the water tank 210 . In this embodiment, the water supply device 200 is composed of a water tank 210, a water inlet pipe 230, a water return pipe 220, a water pump 240 and a bypass pipe 250. The water pump 240 is arranged on the water inlet pipe 230 to provide circulation power for the water. Affected by the position of the water inlet pipe 230, low temperature may cause the pipe mouth where the water inlet pipe 230 is connected to the water injection part 130 to freeze, but the water pump 240 is still pumping water. In order to ensure that the water pump 240 is not blocked, a bypass pipe 250 is arranged at the water outlet of the water pump 240 as a water distribution pipe. If the water inlet pipe 230 is frozen to death, the water pumped by the water pump 240 will flow back to the water tank 210 through the bypass pipe 250, so as to realize smooth water circulation and ensure the service life of the water pump 240.

[0095] In this embodiment, the positions where the water inlet pipe 230 and the bypass pipe 250 are connected to the water tank 210 are lower than the position where the water return pipe 220 is connected to the water tank 210. The bypass pipe 250 is also detachably connected to the water tank 210. The detachable connections between the water inlet pipe 230, the water return pipe 220 and the bypass pipe 250 and the water tank 210 are all provided with sealing components, and after the water tank 210 is separated from each pipeline, it can be ensured that the water in the water tank 210 does not leak out, and the water stored in each pipeline does not flow out.

[0096] According to one embodiment of the utility model, the ice maker further includes a cover body 600, the housing 500 is provided with an opening at a position corresponding to the top of the ice mold 100, the cover body 600 is rotatably covered on the opening, the water inlet pipe 230 includes a main line 231 and a plurality of branch lines 232, the branch lines 232 are provided on the cover body 600, and the branch lines 232 are connected to the water injection part 130 one by one, and each branch line 232 is connected to the water tank 210 through the main line 231.

[0097] In the present embodiment, a cover body 600 is further provided on the ice maker, and the cover body 600 can be covered at the opening of the outer shell 500, and together with the outer shell 500, a space for accommodating the ice mold 100 is enclosed. The water inlet pipe 230 is composed of a main pipe 231 and branch pipes 232 corresponding to each ice mold 100, and the branch pipes 232 are all arranged on the side of the cover body 600 facing the ice mold 100. The opening of the outer shell 500 is arranged corresponding to the top surface of the ice mold 100. The cover body 600 can be rotated on the outer shell 500 by a certain angle to realize the opening and closing of the cover body 600. When the cover body 600 is closed, the cover body 600 covers the top surface of the ice mold 100. At this time, the branch pipe 232 is connected to the corresponding water injection part 130. When the cover body 600 is opened, the cover body 600 drives the branch pipe 232 to move upward, and the branch pipe 232 is away from the water injection part 130 to disconnect from the water injection part 130.

[0098] Thus, when ice making is required, the cover 600 is closed at the opening of the housing 500, so that the water in the water tank 210 can enter the branch pipe 232 through the main pipe 231 and then flow into the ice making cavity 110 of the ice mold 100 through the water injection part 130. When ice making is completed and ice needs to be taken out, the cover 600 is opened from the opening of the housing 500, so that the branch pipe 232 and the water injection part 130 can be separated, and the ice mold 100 can be taken out of the housing 500 for ice taking out. The provision of the cover 600 facilitates the connection of the pipelines of the water supply device 200. The water inlet pipe 230 is integrated on the cover 600, which can save space, simplify the device structure, protect the water injection part 130 and the drainage part 120 on the top of the ice mold 100 from external pollution, and adapt to the ice making and ice taking operations.

[0099] According to an embodiment of the utility model, the water collecting tank 400 and the position where the cover body 600 are connected to the housing 500 are located on the same side of the housing 500. In this embodiment, the side wall of the housing 500 of the ice maker is divided into a front side wall and a rear side wall, the front side wall faces the user, the water collecting tank 400 is arranged on the rear side wall, and the position where the cover body 600 is rotatably connected to the housing 500 is also on the rear side wall. Since the water injection part 130 is closer to the user than the drainage part 120, the water supply device 200 injects water from the front position, and the drainage part 120 drains water at the rear position. The water collecting tank 400 is arranged on the rear side wall to better adapt to the position of the drainage groove 122, and the cover body 600 is flipped open to the rear side away from the user. The arrangement of the water collecting tank 400 and the cover body 600 does not affect the device space occupation amount at the user's position.

[0100] According to an embodiment of the utility model, the water inlet pipe 230 bypasses the water collecting groove 400 and extends toward the surface of the cover body 600 toward the ice mold 100. In this embodiment, the water collecting groove 400 extends from the rear side wall to the front side wall of the housing 500, and is fixed to the surface of the cover body 600 after passing the water collecting groove 400. At this time, the water inlet pipe 230 is correspondingly located above the drainage groove 122. Since a second heating component is provided at the outer side of the water inlet pipe 230, the temperature rise of the water inlet pipe 230 can also affect the temperature of the surrounding drainage part 120 or the silicone mold 150, and help the drainage part 120 melt ice.

[0101] According to an embodiment of the utility model, a water injection port 131 is provided on the top surface of the mold petal portion 151, and a water injection channel 132 is provided inside the mold petal portion 151. The water injection hole is connected to the ice-making chamber 110 through the water injection channel 132. In this embodiment, the water injection portion 130 of the ice mold 100 is composed of the water injection port 131 and the water injection channel 132. The water injection port 131 is provided downward on the top surface of the ice mold 100, and the water injection channel 132 is provided at the end of the water injection port 131. The water injection channel 132 is located inside the ice mold 100, and the end of the water injection channel 132 is connected to the ice-making chamber 110. The position where the end of the water injection channel 132 is connected to the ice-making chamber 110 is lower than the connection position between the drain port 121 and the ice-making chamber 110. The water inlet pipe 230 is detachably connected to the water injection port 131. After water enters the water injection port 131 from the water inlet pipe 230, it flows into the ice-making chamber 110 through the water inlet channel.

[0102] In this embodiment, the water injection port 131 and the water injection channel 132 are both disposed on one of the plurality of mold petals 151 , and the mold petal 151 is opposite to the mold petal 151 where the drainage groove 122 is disposed.

[0103] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the water injection channel 132 extends from the top surface of the mold flap 151 to the ice-making chamber 110 at a set angle, and the set angle is an angle that is an acute angle with the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, the water injection channel 132 gradually tilts downward during the process of extending from the water injection port 131 to the ice-making chamber 110, forming an inclined structure with a set angle that is an acute angle with the horizontal direction.

[0104] During the ice-making process, the water pump 240 continuously pumps the water in the water tank 210 toward the water inlet 131 of the ice mold 100. The water passes through the water injection channel 132 with a set angle of inclination and is injected into the ice-making chamber 110 at a certain inclination angle. The water flows into the ice-making chamber 110 in a downwardly inclined manner, which can generate water flow rotation in the ice-making chamber 110, which is beneficial to promote the precipitation of gas in the water, so that the ice made has better transparency.

[0105] In this embodiment, the setting angle can generally be selected to be around 15 degrees.

[0106] According to one embodiment of the utility model, the ice maker includes at least one ice mold 100, a water supply device 200 and a cooling device 300. An ice-making cavity 110 is provided inside the ice mold 100. A water injection channel 132 and a drainage portion 120 are provided on the top of each ice mold 100. The drainage portion 120 and the water injection channel 132 are both connected to the ice-making cavity 110. The water injection channel 132 extends from the top surface of the ice mold 100 to the ice-making cavity 110 at a set angle, and the set angle is an angle that is an acute angle with the horizontal direction; the water supply device 200 is connected to the water injection channel 132, so that during the ice-making process, water is continuously injected into the ice-making cavity 110 through the water injection channel 132, and the water in the ice-making cavity 110 overflows to the drainage portion 120 for discharge; the cooling device 300 is arranged at the bottom of the ice mold 100.

[0107] In the ice making machine of the embodiment of the utility model, an ice making cavity 110 is constructed inside the ice mold 100, a water supply device 200 can supply water to the ice making cavity 110, a cooling device 300 is located at the bottom of the ice mold 100, and while guiding the cooling to the ice mold 100, as the height of the ice mold 100 changes from the bottom to the top, the cooling energy concentrated at the bottom of the ice mold 100 by the cooling device 300 can make the ice making cavity 110 of the ice mold 100 form a gradually increasing temperature gradient change from bottom to top, thereby realizing directional freezing from bottom to top in the ice making cavity 110, and as long as the freezing speed of the ice layer in the ice making cavity 110 is lower than the precipitation speed of bubbles in the water in the ice making cavity 110, transparent ice can be made. The ice mold 100 has a water injection channel 132 and a drainage portion 120. The water supply device 200 injects water into the ice-making chamber 110 through the water injection channel 132. When the ice-making chamber 110 is full of water, it overflows from the drainage portion 120. During the ice-making process, water is continuously injected into the ice-making chamber 110 and the water in the ice-making chamber 110 continuously overflows. Therefore, there is an ice layer and flowing water in the ice-making chamber 110, which can help and accelerate the precipitation of bubbles in the water, further ensuring the production of transparent ice.

[0108] The water injection channel 132 gradually tilts downwards during the process of extending from the top surface of the ice mold 100 to the ice making chamber 110, forming an inclined structure with a set angle that is an acute angle with the horizontal direction. During the ice making process, the water supply device 200 continuously delivers water to the water injection channel 132, and the water is injected into the ice making chamber 110 at a certain tilt angle after passing through the water injection channel 132 with a set tilt angle. The water flows into the ice making chamber 110 in the form of oblique downward injection, which can generate water flow rotation in the ice making chamber 110, which is conducive to promoting the precipitation of gas in the water, so that the transparency of the ice made is better.

[0109] According to one embodiment of the utility model, the refrigerator includes a cooling system and an ice maker; the ice maker includes at least one ice mold 100 and a cooling device 300, and an ice-making cavity 110 is provided inside the ice mold 100; the cooling device 300 includes a cooling plate 310 and a cooling component 320, the ice mold 100 is arranged on the top surface of the cooling plate 310, the cooling component 320 is arranged on the bottom surface of the cooling plate 310, and the cooling component 320 is connected to the cooling system.

[0110] In the refrigerator of the embodiment of the utility model, an ice-making chamber 110 is constructed inside the ice mold 100, water to be made into ice is injected into the ice-making chamber 110, and the cooling device 300 is composed of a cooling plate 310 and a cooling component 320, all ice molds 100 are arranged on the upper surface of the cooling plate 310, and the lower surface of the cooling plate 310 is connected to the cooling component 320. The cold air system supplies cold air to the entire interior of the refrigerator. The cold air conduction component 320 is connected to the cold air system. The cold air is conducted to the cold conduction plate 310 through the cold conduction component 320. The cold conduction plate 310 is located at the bottom of the ice mold 100. While providing cold air to the ice mold 100, as the height of the ice mold 100 changes from the bottom to the top, the cold air concentrated at the bottom of the ice mold 100 by the cold conduction device 300 can cause the ice-making cavity 110 of the ice mold 100 to form a gradually increasing temperature gradient change from bottom to top, thereby achieving directional freezing from bottom to top in the ice-making cavity 110, and then achieving the effect of making ice and supplying cold air to the ice mold 100 through the cold air system of the refrigerator after the ice maker is integrated into the interior of the refrigerator. There is no need to set up a separate cold source, making the device composition simpler and more integrated, saving cold air.

[0111] In this embodiment, the cooling component 320 can be a cooling column or a cooling fin to increase the cooling area and the cooling efficiency. The cooling device 300 is generally a metal part, and the cooling coefficient of the cooling device 300 must be greater than or equal to the cooling coefficient of the base 160, and can be made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel.

[0112] According to an embodiment of the utility model, the cold air system includes a freezing chamber 720, and the cold conduction component 320 extends into the freezing chamber 720. In this embodiment, the freezing chamber 720 of the refrigerator can be used as a part of the cold air system, and the cold conduction component 320 extends into the freezing chamber 720. The coldness of the freezing chamber 720 is transferred to the cold conduction plate 310 and the ice mold 100 through the cold conduction component 320. The temperature in the freezing chamber 720 is relatively low, and the ice maker can fully utilize the coldness of the freezing chamber 720 when making ice.

[0113] According to an embodiment of the utility model, the cold air system includes an air duct for conveying refrigerated air, the air duct is provided with an air outlet, and the cold conduction component 320 is connected to the air outlet. In this embodiment, the refrigerated air duct of the refrigerator can be used as a part of the cold air system, the cold conduction component 320 extends to the air outlet of the air duct, the refrigerated air conveyed by the air duct is blown toward the cold conduction component 320, and the cold energy is transferred to the cold conduction plate 310 and the ice mold 100 through the cold conduction component 320. The temperature in the refrigerated air is relatively low, and the ice maker can fully utilize the cold energy of the refrigerated air when making ice.

[0114] In this embodiment, the air duct can be a supply air channel for refrigerated air or a return air channel for refrigerated air, so the air outlet can also be an air outlet or a return air outlet. The temperature of the refrigerated air is low enough, and no matter it is supply air or return air, the cooling capacity can be used to provide cooling for the ice mold 100 of the refrigerator to make ice.

[0115] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ice mold 100 is disposed in the freezing chamber 720, and the outside of the ice mold 100 is covered with a heat preservation component. In this embodiment, when the ice mold 100 is disposed in the freezing chamber 720, in order to ensure that the ice-making cavity 110 inside the ice mold 100 maintains a temperature gradient change and to prevent the excessive coldness of the freezing chamber 720 from damaging the temperature environment of the ice-making cavity 110, a heat preservation component is coated on the outside of the ice mold 100 to maintain the temperature gradient environment in the ice-making cavity 110.

[0116] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cold air system further includes a refrigerating chamber 730, and the ice mold 100 is disposed in the refrigerating chamber 730 or between the refrigerating chamber 730 and the freezing chamber 720. In this embodiment, the refrigerating chamber 730 of the refrigerator can be used as a part of the cold air system. The temperature in the refrigerating chamber 730 is relatively high, and the cold capacity is relatively small, which is insufficient to provide cold air for the cooling device 300. However, the ice mold 100 can be disposed in the refrigerating chamber 730 or between the refrigerating chamber 730 and the freezing chamber 720. The ice mold 100 is at least partially located in the refrigerating chamber 730, and the cooling component 320 extends to the inside of the freezing chamber 720, or is connected to the air outlet of the freezing air duct.

[0117] The ice mold 100 is in the refrigerator chamber 730, where the overall temperature is relatively high. The cooling device 300 is located at the bottom of the ice mold 100, which naturally generates a gradient change in temperature from the bottom to the top of the ice mold 100. Alternatively, the ice mold 100 is between the refrigerator chamber 730 and the freezer chamber 720, where the lower portion is the freezer chamber 720 with a lower temperature and the upper portion is the refrigerator chamber 730 with a higher temperature, so that the ice mold 100 forms a gradient change in temperature from bottom to top, thereby maximizing the use of the internal space of the refrigerator.

[0118] like Figures 7 to 9 As shown, according to one embodiment of the utility model, the refrigerator includes a box body 700 and an ice maker, the box body 700 is provided with a partition 710, and the partition 710 is suitable for dividing the interior of the box body 700 into a refrigerating chamber 730 and a freezing chamber 720; the ice maker includes a cooling device 300 and an ice mold 100, the ice mold 100 is at least partially located inside the partition 710, an ice making cavity 110 is provided inside the ice mold 100, the cooling device 300 is arranged at the bottom of the ice mold 100, and the cooling device 300 extends to the freezing chamber 720.

[0119] The refrigerator of the embodiment of the utility model has a partition 710 inside the box body 700, and the partition 710 divides the internal space of the box body 700 into an upper and lower part, the upper part is a refrigerating chamber 730, and the lower part is a freezing chamber 720. The ice maker is arranged inside the box body 700, and an ice-making cavity 110 is enclosed inside the ice mold 100 for containing water for ice making and for forming ice. At least a part of the ice mold 100 is arranged in the partition 710, and the cooling device 300 is arranged at the bottom of the ice mold 100 and can extend into the freezing chamber 720. The cold energy of the freezer chamber 720 is conducted to the ice mold 100 through the cooling device 300. While providing cold energy for the ice mold 100, as the height of the ice mold 100 changes from bottom to top, the cold energy concentrated at the bottom of the ice mold 100 by the cooling device 300 can cause the ice-making cavity 110 to form a gradually increasing temperature gradient change from bottom to top, thereby achieving the directional freezing of water from bottom to top in the ice-making cavity 110 and the effect of making transparent ice, thereby achieving the effect of making ice and supplying cold energy to the ice mold 100 through the freezer chamber 720 of the refrigerator after the ice maker is integrated into the interior of the refrigerator, without the need for a separate cold source.

[0120] The ice maker can produce transparent ice cubes of a specific shape and be installed in a household refrigerator. The ice maker as a whole adopts a hidden design and is placed in a compartment 710 of a box 700. The temperature difference between the freezer compartment 720 and the refrigerator compartment 730 of the refrigerator is used to produce transparent ice. The ice maker occupies the smallest internal space of the refrigerator in the most economical way, making the device composition simpler and more integrated, saving cooling capacity.

[0121] According to an embodiment of the utility model, the ice maker further comprises a water supply device 200, which is arranged inside the interlayer 710, and the water supply device 200 comprises a water tank 210 and a water inlet pipe 230, and the water tank 210 is connected to the ice making chamber 110 through the water inlet pipe 230. In this embodiment, the water supply device 200 of the ice maker can also be arranged inside the interlayer 710 to fill the ice making chamber 110 of the ice mold 100 with water, and each part of the ice maker is modularized, and the ice mold 100 for freezing, the cooling device 300 and the water supply device 200 for water supply are respectively used as independent modules, and the main parts of the water tank 210 and the water inlet pipe 230 are both arranged in the interlayer 710, and the refrigerant and the interlayer 710 are shared with the refrigerator, and the temperature difference inside the refrigerator is used to make transparent ice, which saves resources and is intensively processed. The water tank 210 is modularized, which is convenient for taking out, adding water and cleaning, and the ice making mold 100 can be made and stored in blocks.

[0122] According to an embodiment of the utility model, there is a gap of a set distance between the bottom surface of the partition 710 and the bottom surface of the water tank 210. In this embodiment, the partition 710 is an insulation layer inside the refrigerator, which can effectively separate the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 730 from that of the freezing chamber 720. The bottom surface of the partition 710 is the top surface of the freezing chamber 720. Therefore, when the water tank 210 is arranged in the partition 710, in order to prevent the water tank 210 from being affected by the low temperature of the freezing chamber 720 and freezing, thereby affecting the water supply of the water supply device 200 to the ice making cavity 110 of the ice mold 100, which is not conducive to ice making, a certain bubble layer thickness is maintained between the bottom of the partition 710 and the bottom surface of the water tank 210, thereby ensuring that the water tank 210 and the water supply pipeline will not freeze.

[0123] According to an embodiment of the utility model, the partition 710 is provided with a through groove 711, which penetrates the partition 710 from top to bottom, the ice mold 100 is located in the through groove 711, and the cooling device 300 faces the freezing chamber 720. In this embodiment, the partition 710 is provided with a through groove 711 which penetrates from the bottom surface of the refrigerating chamber 730 to the top surface of the freezing chamber 720, and the ice mold 100 is entirely arranged inside the through groove 711, that is, the ice mold 100 is completely located in the partition 710, the ice mold 100 is located at the top facing the refrigerating chamber 730, and the cooling device 300 is located at the bottom facing the freezing chamber 720, and does not occupy any space in the refrigerating chamber 730.

[0124] According to one embodiment of the utility model, the refrigerator also includes a cover body 600, which is covered on the upper notch of the through groove 711, and the cover body 600 is rotatably connected to the partition 710 or the ice maker, the top surface of the ice mold 100 faces the upper notch of the through groove 711, and the top of the ice mold 100 is provided with a water injection portion 130 connected to the ice making chamber 110.

[0125] In this embodiment, the cover 600 is disposed on the interlayer 710, and the cover 600 is disposed on the upper notch of the through groove 711, and is flush with the upper surface of the interlayer 710, so as not to affect the normal use of the upper space of the interlayer 710. When the ice mold 100 needs to be taken out, the cover 600 can be opened. When the ice mold 100 is making ice, the water injection part 130 of the ice mold 100 faces upward, and the cover 600 rotates and covers the ice mold 100. In other embodiments, the cover 600 can also be disposed on the ice maker, and it is ensured that it is disposed on the upper notch to ensure that the upper surface of the interlayer 710 is flush.

[0126] According to an embodiment of the utility model, the partition 710 is further provided with a third groove 712, the water tank 210 is located in the third groove 712, and the notch of the third groove 712 faces the top surface or the front surface of the partition 710. In this embodiment, the third groove 712 is not a through groove 711, and the notch of the third groove 712 can face different directions, the front surface of the partition 710 faces the user, and the top surface of the partition 710 faces the refrigeration chamber 730, so different positions correspond to different installation directions, realizing different ways of taking the water tank 210.

[0127] In this embodiment, the water tank 210 is lifted up and down by being arranged in the third groove 712 whose notch is located on the top surface of the partition 710, and is pushed and pulled forward and backward by being arranged in the third groove 712 whose notch is located on the front surface of the partition 710.

[0128] like Fig.10 As shown, the embodiment of the utility model further provides a control method for an ice making machine, the ice making machine comprises an ice mold 100, a water supply device 200 and a cooling device 300, an ice making chamber 110 is arranged inside the ice mold 100, a drainage portion 120 and a water injection portion 130 are arranged on the top of the ice mold 100, the drainage portion 120 and the water injection portion 130 are both communicated with the ice making chamber 110, so that during the ice making process, water is continuously injected into the ice making chamber 110 through the water injection portion 130, and the water in the ice making chamber 110 overflows to the drainage portion 120 for discharge; the water supply device 200 is communicated with the water injection portion 130; the cooling device 300 is arranged at the bottom of the ice mold 100, and comprises:

[0129] Control the water supply device 200 to inject water into the ice making chamber 110 of the ice mold 100, and start the freezing time timing;

[0130] Determine that the freezing time is less than or equal to the first set time or the actual temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 is greater than or equal to the first set temperature;

[0131] Determining that the actual temperature of the top of the ice-making chamber 110 is lower than the second set temperature, heating the top of the ice-making chamber 110 until the actual temperature of the top of the ice-making chamber 110 is greater than or equal to the third set temperature, and stopping heating the top of the ice-making chamber 110;

[0132] The step of determining whether the freezing time is less than or equal to the first set time or the actual temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 is greater than or equal to the first set temperature is executed.

[0133] The control method of the ice making machine of the embodiment of the utility model is as follows: after the water supply device 200 is turned on, the water supply device 200 injects water into the ice making chamber 110 of the ice mold 100, and at the same time, the freezing time is timed, the temperature of the ice making chamber 110 is detected in real time to obtain the actual temperature of the ice making chamber 110, and the relationship between the freezing time and the first set time and the relationship between the actual temperature of the ice making chamber 110 and the first set temperature are judged. If the freezing time is less than or equal to the first set time or the actual temperature of the ice making chamber 110 is greater than or equal to the first set temperature, it is proved that the freezing time has not reached the time required for ice making or the actual temperature of the ice making chamber 110 is higher than the required temperature for ice making, so the ice in the ice making chamber 110 has not been completely frozen, and it is necessary to judge the relationship between the actual temperature at the top of the ice making chamber 110 and the second set temperature.

[0134] In the process of the water supply device 200 continuously injecting water into the ice-making chamber 110, the unfrozen water in the ice-making chamber 110 will be continuously discharged, and the top temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 can be detected in real time to obtain the actual top temperature of the ice-making chamber 110. If the actual top temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 does not reach or exceed the second set temperature, it proves that the temperature of the top of the ice-making chamber 110 is relatively low, and the temperature gradient effect from bottom to top is not obvious, which is not conducive to the precipitation of bubbles in the water entering the ice-making chamber 110. It is necessary to heat and increase the temperature here, so the top of the ice-making chamber 110 is heated and heated. During the heating process, the relationship between the actual top temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 and the third set temperature is judged. If the actual top temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 reaches or exceeds the third set temperature, it proves that the temperature of the top of the ice-making chamber 110 is relatively high, and the temperature gradient effect from bottom to top is obvious, which is conducive to the precipitation of bubbles in the water entering the ice-making chamber 110 and the ice-making effect of transparent ice. There is no need to heat and heat this place anymore, so the heating and heating of the top of the ice-making chamber 110 is stopped.

[0135] Then, the judgment about the relationship between the freezing time and the first set time and the relationship between the actual temperature of the ice making chamber 110 and the first set temperature is executed again, so as to control ice making in a cycle. The utility model can improve the quality of transparent ice making, shorten the time required for ice making, and realize automatic control of transparent ice making.

[0136] When the top of the ice-making chamber 110 is heated, on the one hand, it can help the ice-making chamber 110 to form a temperature gradient, and at the same time, it can also heat the water discharged from the ice-making chamber 110, and prevent the water in the water injection part 130 and the drainage part 120 from freezing into icicles to affect the circulation of circulating water.

[0137] In this embodiment, the first set time is the ice ball freezing cycle, but the ice ball freezing cycle will have certain differences, so generally the sum of the maximum value of the ice making cycle and the correction value is taken as the first set time, where the ice making cycle is related to the freezing temperature and ambient temperature of the refrigerator.

[0138] According to an embodiment of the present invention, after determining that the freezing time is less than or equal to the first set time or the actual temperature of the ice making chamber 110 is greater than or equal to the first set temperature, the method further includes:

[0139] Determine that the actual temperature of the top of the ice-making chamber 110 is greater than or equal to the second set temperature, and turn to the step of determining that the freezing time is less than or equal to the first set time or the actual temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 is greater than or equal to the first set temperature.

[0140] In this embodiment, when judging the relationship between the actual temperature at the top of the ice-making chamber 110 and the second set temperature, if the actual temperature at the top of the ice-making chamber 110 reaches above the second set temperature, it proves that the temperature at the top of the ice-making chamber 110 is relatively high, and the temperature gradient effect from bottom to top is obvious, which is conducive to the precipitation of bubbles in the water entering the ice-making chamber 110. Then, the judgment is directly turned to the relationship between the freezing time and the first set time and the relationship between the actual temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 and the first set temperature.

[0141] According to an embodiment of the present invention, after controlling the water supply device 200 to inject water into the ice making chamber 110 of the ice mold 100 and starting the freezing time timing, the method further includes:

[0142] When it is determined that the freezing time is greater than the first set time or the actual temperature of the ice making chamber 110 is less than the first set temperature, the water supply device 200 is controlled to stop injecting water into the ice making chamber 110 of the ice mold 100 .

[0143] In this embodiment, when judging the relationship between the freezing time and the first set time and the relationship between the actual temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 and the first set temperature, if the freezing time is greater than the first set time and the actual temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 is less than the first set temperature, it proves that the freezing time reaches the time required for ice-making and the actual temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 is lower than the required temperature for ice-making, so the ice in the ice-making chamber 110 has been completely frozen, and the water supply device 200 is directly stopped from injecting water into the ice-making chamber 110, and waits for the next ice-making start.

[0144] According to one embodiment of the present invention, controlling the water supply device 200 to inject water into the ice making cavity 110 of the ice mold 100 includes:

[0145] The water injected into the water inlet pipe 230 of the water supply device 200 is heated, and the heating time is timed;

[0146] It is determined that the heating time is greater than the second set time and the actual water injection temperature of the water inlet pipe 230 is greater than the first set temperature, and the water supply device 200 is controlled to inject water into the ice making cavity 110 of the ice mold 100 .

[0147] In this embodiment, after the heating of the water inlet pipe 230 is turned on, the heating time is timed at the same time, the temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 is detected in real time to obtain the actual temperature of the ice-making chamber 110, and the relationship between the heating time and the second set time and the relationship between the actual temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 and the first set temperature are determined. If the heating time is greater than the second set time or the actual temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 is greater than or equal to the first set temperature, it is proved that the heating time has reached the time required for the temperature gradient or the actual temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 is higher than the required temperature for ice making, and then the water supply device 200 is controlled to inject water into the ice-making chamber 110.

[0148] Before starting the water supply device 200, it is also necessary to heat the water injected into the water inlet pipe 230 of the water supply device 200. A heating wire can be provided at the position where the water inlet pipe 230 is connected to the water injection part 130, so that before starting the water pump 240 next time, the water inlet pipe 230 is heated to melt the ice inside the water inlet pipe 230, and the water pump 240 is started to supply water after ensuring that the pipeline is unobstructed. The heating control can be controlled by combining time and temperature.

[0149] According to an embodiment of the present invention, before heating the water injected into the water inlet pipe 230 of the water supply device 200, the method includes:

[0150] Add water to the water tank 210 of the water supply device 200 to a set water volume;

[0151] Confirm to get ice making command.

[0152] In this embodiment, before starting the ice-making operation, the water supply device 200 needs to be replenished with water. After the water tank 210 is filled with water to the set water volume, an ice-making command is issued by one-touch start. When determining whether an ice-making command is obtained, if the command is received, the heating of the water inlet pipe 230 is turned on, and if not, the ice-making command is still waited. The set water volume injected into the water tank 210 is greater than the sum of the volumes of the ice-making chambers 110 in the two ice molds 100 and the sum of the total volumes of the pipes of the water supply device 200.

[0153] According to an embodiment of the present utility model, before determining to obtain the ice making instruction, the method further includes:

[0154] Put food into the ice-making chamber 110, and position the food in the ice-making chamber 110 using a positioning rod, which extends from the water injection port 131 to the outside of the ice mold 100;

[0155] After confirming that the ice-making instruction is obtained, it also includes:

[0156] Controlling the water supply device 200 to inject water into the ice making chamber 110 of the ice mold 100, and timing the water injection time;

[0157] Make sure that the water injection time reaches the third set time and take out the positioning rod.

[0158] In this embodiment, green design is used as a starting point to achieve the freezing of transparent ice and fruits and vegetables, and it is promoted as a link for user-product interaction, so that users can participate in the freezing experience and make transparent ice in different styles, thereby solving the problem that due to the limitations of ice-making technology, users can only passively accept the style of ice and cannot actively participate in the ice-making process, resulting in poor user feedback.

[0159] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second set temperature is between 0 and 1°C, and the third set temperature is between 2 and 3°C.

[0160] In this embodiment, the top temperature of the ice-making chamber 110 generally needs to be above 0 degrees Celsius, which is convenient for the bubbles of the circulating water to precipitate. Because the top of the ice-making chamber 110 is in the refrigerator compartment 730 of the refrigerator, the refrigeration setting of 2 degrees Celsius can meet this requirement. If the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 730 is lower than this temperature, a heating wire and a temperature detection device can be set in the water collection tank 400 to control the temperature requirement at the water collection tank 400 by turning the heating wire on and off.

[0161] According to one embodiment of the utility model, the control method of the ice maker further includes:

[0162] Obtain ice-making completion signal and lock ice-making instruction sending module;

[0163] The ice making chamber 110 of all ice molds 100 obtains a signal indicating that ice taking is completed, and the ice making instruction sending module is unlocked.

[0164] In this embodiment, after the freezing time reaches the first set time, the water pump 240 stops working. At this time, the cover body 600 is opened, and the water inlet pipe 230 is separated from the ice mold 100 along with the cover body 600, and the ice mold 100 is taken out vertically from the shell 500. It should be noted that each shell 500 includes four ice balls. When ice making is completed and the ice is not completely taken out, the ice making signal sending module will be locked and cannot send the next ice making signal. When the ice is completely taken out, the ice making signal sending module is unlocked and can send the next ice making signal.

[0165] Finally, it should be noted that the above implementation modes are only used to illustrate the present invention, rather than to limit the present invention. Although the present invention is described in detail with reference to the embodiments, a person skilled in the art should understand that various combinations, modifications or equivalent replacements of the technical solutions of the present invention do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and should be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ice mold, characterized in that: The invention comprises a silicone mold, wherein the silicone mold comprises a plurality of mold petals and a folding portion, wherein the plurality of mold petals enclose an ice-making cavity, and adjacent mold petals are connected by the folding portion, and the folding portion is suitable for switching between an expanded state and a closed state. In the expanded state, the mold petals are dispersed and the ice-making cavity is opened, and in the closed state, the mold petals are aggregated and the ice-making cavity is closed.

2. The ice mold according to claim 1, characterized in that It also includes a base, the cooling coefficient of the base is greater than the cooling coefficient of the silicone mold, the silicone mold is provided with a mounting groove, the mounting groove is correspondingly arranged below the bottom of the ice making cavity, and the base is embedded in the mounting groove.

3. The ice mold according to claim 2, characterized in that: The side wall of the installation groove is provided with a first limiting portion, and the side wall of the base is provided with a second limiting portion, and the second limiting portion cooperates with the first limiting portion.

4. The ice mold according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the base is suitable for contacting with the top surface of the cooling plate of the cooling device.

5. The ice mold according to claim 2, characterized in that: The shape of the ice-making cavity is spherical, and the top surface of the base is provided with a spherical groove adapted to the bottom of the ice-making cavity.

6. The ice mold according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mold part is provided with a notch at the highest position corresponding to the ice-making cavity, and the notch surrounds a drainage outlet.

7. The ice mold according to claim 6, characterized in that A drainage groove is provided on the top surface of the mold segment, and the drainage groove is communicated with the drainage port.

8. The ice mold according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that A water injection port is provided on the top surface of the mold part, a water injection channel is provided inside the mold part, and the water injection port is communicated with the ice making cavity through the water injection channel.

9. The ice mold according to claim 8, characterized in that The water injection channel extends from the top surface of the mold portion toward the ice-making cavity at a set angle, and the set angle is an angle that is an acute angle with the horizontal direction.

10. The ice mold according to claim 8, characterized in that The folded portion is sandwiched between two adjacent mold halves in the closed state.

11. The ice mold according to claim 8, characterized in that The silicone mold also includes a base, and a top surface of the base is formed by protruding upwardly extending a plurality of mold petals.

12. An ice making machine, characterized in that: include: A plurality of ice molds according to any one of claims 1 to 11; A water supply device, the water supply device being in communication with the ice making chamber of each of the ice molds; A cooling device is arranged at the bottom of the ice mold.

13. A refrigerator, characterized in that: Comprising the ice making machine as claimed in claim 12.

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