Anti-dripping structure of ice outlet and ice-making and water-purifying all-in-one machine

Abstract

The utility model discloses an ice outlet anti-dripping structure and an ice making and purifying drinking all-in-one machine, the ice outlet anti-dripping structure comprises an ice storage bucket and an outlet support, the ice storage bucket is provided with an ice outlet opening, the outlet support is arranged below the ice outlet opening and used for receiving ice blocks falling from the ice outlet opening, the outlet support is further provided with a guide pipe, and the guide pipe is connected with the ice storage bucket. The outlet support is divided into a drainage area and an ice outlet area which are separated from each other through the guide pipe, a baffle is fixed to the upper end of the guide pipe, an obliquely-arranged discharging plate is fixed to the ice outlet, the upper end of the baffle is higher than the lower end of the discharging plate, and a gap only allowing drips to flow through is formed between the baffle and the discharging plate. The ice bucket has the advantages that water generated by melting of ice blocks in the ice bucket can be effectively intercepted, the water is prevented from dripping from the ice outlet, meanwhile, the requirement for matching precision of parts is lowered, the problem that a mechanism is stuck due to too tight matching is solved, the reliability of a product is improved, the service life of the product is prolonged, the production cost is reduced, and the product is more suitable for batch production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of water dispensers, in particular to an ice outlet anti-drip structure and an ice making and drinking machine. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of science and technology, the living standards of modern society have been unprecedentedly improved, and people's requirements for details in life are getting higher and higher. The existing water purifiers have relatively simple functions, and most of them only have purification functions, which can no longer meet the growing needs of consumers. Therefore, all-in-one machines that integrate water purification, heating and cooling functions are gradually becoming popular among consumers. Especially in the hot summer, ice machines have become an indispensable household appliance for many people. They can not only provide delicious foods such as cold drinks and ice cream, but also help people cool down in the hot summer.

[0003] Traditional ice makers mostly use manual ice removal at the ice outlet. This structure is simple and easy to implement, but when combined with a water purifier, the manual ice removal method seems inconsistent, and automatic ice removal becomes the development trend of the product.

[0004] However, there are some problems with the current automatic ice outlet design. Since the ice outlet mechanism is usually composed of multiple precisely matched parts such as the ice outlet channel, guide plate, drive mechanism, seal, etc., it is difficult to avoid deviations during the production and assembly process. If the clearance between the parts is too large, the melted water from the ice will leak along the gap, causing dripping from the ice outlet, affecting the user experience and even causing safety hazards; if the fit is too tight to prevent dripping, the ice outlet mechanism may not be able to open or close smoothly, making it difficult to take ice, while accelerating the wear of parts and reducing product life. This design contradiction places high demands on production and manufacturing precision, increases costs and reduces production efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0005] One of the purposes of the utility model is to provide an anti-drip structure at an ice outlet, which can effectively intercept water generated by melting ice cubes in an ice bucket to prevent water from dripping from the ice outlet, while reducing the requirements for the matching accuracy of parts and components, avoiding the problem of mechanism jamming due to over-tight matching, improving the reliability and service life of the product, and reducing production costs, making the product more suitable for mass production.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present utility model provides the following technical solution: An anti-drip structure for an ice outlet, including an ice storage bucket, the ice storage bucket having an ice outlet opening, further including an outlet bracket disposed below the ice outlet opening for receiving ice cubes falling from the ice outlet opening, a conduit is further provided on the outlet bracket, the conduit dividing the outlet bracket into a drainage area and an ice outlet area that are mutually partitioned, a baffle is fixed to the upper end of the conduit, an inclined blanking plate is fixed at the ice outlet opening, the upper end of the baffle is higher than the lower end of the blanking plate, and a gap for only dripping water to flow through is formed between the baffle and the blanking plate.

[0007] Preferably, the conduit is a tee pipe structure, the conduit having a first interface, a second interface, and a drain outlet, the first interface being used for connection to a hot water pipeline, and the second interface being used for connection to a cold water pipeline.

[0008] Preferably, the upper end of the baffle has an inclined surface, the inclined surface docking with the blanking plate to form a transmission area for the ice cubes to slide down.

[0009] Preferably, an ice outlet mechanism for opening and closing the ice outlet opening is further provided on the side wall of the ice storage bucket.

[0010] Preferably, the ice outlet mechanism includes a push-pull electromagnet and a switch bracket, the push-pull electromagnet being vertically fixed on the side wall of the ice storage bucket through an electromagnet bracket, the switch bracket being hinged to the electromagnet bracket and corresponding to the ice outlet opening, and being controlled by the push-pull electromagnet.

[0011] Preferably, the switch bracket includes

[0012] a main body part having a hinge hole and being hinged to the electromagnet bracket through a hinge shaft;

[0013] an arc-shaped groove provided on the main body part and slidably cooperating with a pin shaft on the push-pull electromagnet, when the push-pull electromagnet moves, the pin shaft slides in the arc-shaped groove, driving the switch bracket to rotate around the hinge point;

[0014] a sealing plate provided on the main body part for blocking the ice outlet opening in the closed state.

[0015] Preferably, the arc-shaped groove includes an oblique part and a vertical part, the oblique part being inclined, and the vertical part being provided at the end of the oblique part and forming a corner structure with the oblique part.

[0016] Another object of the present utility model is to provide an ice-making and pure water drinking integrated machine, including the anti-drip structure for an ice outlet described above.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present utility model are as follows: This structure utilizes the principles of space partition and water flow guidance. Based on the outlet bracket provided below the ice outlet, the bracket is divided into two functional areas, namely a drainage area and an ice outlet area, through a conduit. When the ice in the ice bucket melts, the water will flow down along the blanking plate, and the special gap formed between the baffle and the blanking plate becomes the key design point. This gap only allows water droplets to pass through while blocking the ice cubes. Since the upper end of the baffle is higher than the lower end of the blanking plate, a vertically staggered structure is formed, preventing the ice cubes from passing through and forcing them to fall from the ice outlet area, while the melted water can flow into the drainage area through the gap.

[0018] The advantages of this structure are that it not only effectively prevents the water dripping phenomenon at the ice outlet, improves the user experience, but also reduces the requirement for the fitting precision of components, avoids the problem of the ice outlet mechanism being stuck due to too tight fitting, simplifies the production and manufacturing difficulty, improves the product reliability and service life, is suitable for mass production, and reduces the production cost. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only the embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on the provided drawings.

[0020] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of the present utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 3 is the present utility model Figure 2 a partial enlarged schematic diagram at A in;

[0023] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of the outlet bracket in the present utility model;

[0024] Figure 5 is a three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of the switch bracket in the present utility model;

[0025] Figure 6 is a three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of the disassembled state of the present utility model;

[0026] In the figure, 1 is an ice storage bucket; 2 is an ice outlet opening; 3 is an outlet bracket; 4 is a conduit; 5 is a drainage area; 6 is an ice outlet area; 7 is a baffle; 8 is a blanking plate; 9 is a gap; 11 is a first interface; 12 is a second interface; 13 is a drain outlet; 14 is an inclined surface; 15 is an ice outlet mechanism; 16 is a push-pull electromagnet; 17 is a switch bracket; 18 is an electromagnet bracket; 19 is a main body part; 20 is a hinge hole; 21 is a hinge shaft; 22 is an arc-shaped groove; 23 is a pin shaft; 24 is a sealing plate; 25 is an inclined part; 26 is a vertical part. Detailed implementation mode

[0027] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0028] Embodiment 1: As Figures 1 - 6 shown, an anti-drip structure for an ice outlet includes an ice storage bucket 1. The ice storage bucket 1 has an ice outlet opening 2, and further includes an outlet bracket 3. The outlet bracket 3 is arranged below the ice outlet opening 2 and is used to receive the ice cubes falling from the ice outlet opening 2. A conduit 4 is also arranged on the outlet bracket 3. The conduit 4 divides the outlet bracket 3 into a mutually separated drainage area 5 and an ice outlet area 6. A baffle 7 is fixed at the upper end of the conduit 4, and an inclined blanking plate 8 is fixed at the ice outlet opening 2. The upper end of the baffle 7 is higher than the lower end of the blanking plate 8, and a gap 9 for only allowing water droplets to flow through is formed between the baffle 7 and the blanking plate 8.

[0029] When the ice cubes slide down along the inclined blanking plate 8 from the ice outlet opening 2 of the ice storage bucket 1, due to the inclined angle of the blanking plate 8 and the position design of the baffle 7, the ice cubes will slide along the blanking plate 8 to the ice outlet area 6. When the water generated by the melting of the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket 1 flows down along the blanking plate 8, due to the narrow gap 9 formed between the baffle 7 and the blanking plate 8, the water droplets can flow into the drainage area 5 through this gap 9. The drainage area 5 is connected to the drainage pipe, and the ice cubes cannot pass through because their volume is greater than the width of the gap 9.

[0030] The advantage of this design is that it utilizes the physical property differences between water and ice cubes: water can pass through the narrow gap 9, while ice cubes require a larger passage. By arranging the baffle 7 and the blanking plate 8 in a staggered manner in height, a gap 9 that can allow water to pass through while blocking ice cubes is created, thus effectively separating the anti-drip function and the ice outlet function.

[0031] Embodiment 2: As Figures 1 - 6As shown, different from the first embodiment, the conduit 4 is a three-way pipe structure. The conduit 4 has a first interface 11, a second interface 12, and a water outlet 13. The first interface 11 is used to connect to the hot water pipeline, and the second interface 12 is used to connect to the cold water pipeline.

[0032] The conduit 4 has three connection points: the first interface 11, the second interface 12, and the water outlet 13. Among them, the first interface 11 is connected to the hot water pipeline, the second interface 12 is connected to the cold water pipeline, and the water outlet 13 is specially designed for the water outlet function. The advantage of this structure is the organic integration of the drinking water system and the ice-making system: when the user needs hot water, the hot water enters the conduit 4 from the first interface 11 and then flows out through the water outlet 13; when cold water is needed, the cold water enters the conduit 4 from the second interface 12 and then flows out through the same water outlet 13; if warm water is needed, the hot and cold water pipelines can be opened simultaneously, and the two different temperature waters are mixed in the conduit 4 and then flow out from the water outlet 13, realizing the adjustable temperature drinking water supply.

[0033] This integrated design not only makes the product function more perfect, meeting the user's multi-temperature drinking water needs, but also effectively utilizes the limited space, simplifies the pipeline layout, reduces the number of interfaces, reduces the risk of leakage, and at the same time improves the usability and user experience.

[0034] In this embodiment, the upper end of the baffle 7 has an inclined surface 14, and the inclined surface 14 is docked with the blanking plate 8 to form a transmission area for the ice cubes to slide down.

[0035] When the ice cubes are released from the ice outlet opening 2 of the ice storage bucket 1, the first thing they contact is the inclined blanking plate 8. The inclined surface 14 at the upper end of the baffle 7 and the blanking plate 8 form a continuous and smooth slideway structure. This seamless docking design ensures that the ice cubes can slide smoothly along the predetermined trajectory to the ice outlet area 6, effectively avoiding the risk of the ice cubes getting stuck or jumping during the transmission process.

[0036] The angle of the inclined surface 14 is designed and calculated, generally between 120° - 140°. It can not only ensure that the ice cubes slide down at a moderate speed, but also prevent the ice cubes from flying out or breaking due to excessive speed. At the same time, this continuous transmission area design solves the contradiction between ice cube transmission and water dripping separation. The ice cubes slide smoothly along the transmission area to the ice outlet area 6, while the melted water flows into the drainage area 5 through the gap 9 between the baffle 7 and the blanking plate 8. This structure not only improves the reliability and stability of ice making, reduces the occurrence of ice jamming, but also improves the user experience, making the ice-taking process smoother and more natural, while maintaining the effectiveness of the anti-dripping function.

[0037] Embodiment Three: As Figures 1 - 6 shown, different from the second embodiment, an ice-making mechanism 15 for opening and closing the ice outlet opening 2 is further provided on the side wall of the ice storage bucket 1.

[0038] The ice discharging mechanism 15 is installed on the side wall of the ice storage barrel 1 and is specifically used to control the opening and closing of the ice discharging opening 2 to ensure that ice cubes can be released as needed. The main advantage of this design is to achieve automatic control of the ice discharging process. Users can obtain ice cubes without manual operation, greatly improving the convenience of use. When users need ice cubes, they only need to activate the ice discharging mechanism 15 through the control panel or other triggering methods. The ice discharging mechanism 15 will drive the switch to open the ice discharging opening 2, and the ice cubes will then be released from the opening and slide along the transmission area formed by the blanking plate 8 and the baffle 7 to the ice discharging area 6. After use, the ice discharging mechanism 15 will automatically close the ice discharging opening 2 to prevent continuous release of ice cubes, avoid cold air loss, maintain the low-temperature environment in the ice storage barrel 1, and extend the preservation time of the remaining ice cubes.

[0039] In this embodiment, the ice discharging mechanism 15 includes a push-pull electromagnet 16 and a switch bracket 17. The push-pull electromagnet 16 is vertically fixed on the side wall of the ice storage barrel 1 through an electromagnet bracket 18. The switch bracket 17 is hinged to the electromagnet bracket 18 and corresponds to the ice discharging opening 2, and is controlled by the push-pull electromagnet 16.

[0040] The push-pull electromagnet 16 is vertically fixed on the side wall of the ice storage barrel 1 through the electromagnet bracket 18, providing an accurate linear motion power source; while the switch bracket 17 is connected to the electromagnet bracket 18 by a hinge and realizes a rotational motion under the control of the push-pull electromagnet 16, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the ice discharging opening 2.

[0041] When the user triggers the ice discharging instruction, the electromagnet is energized to generate a magnetic force, which pushes or pulls the switch bracket 17 to rotate around the hinge point, so that the part blocking the ice discharging opening 2 is moved away, and the ice cubes can slide out of the opening; when the ice discharging operation is completed, the electromagnet is de-energized or energized in the reverse direction, and the switch bracket 17 returns to its original position under the action of the spring or gravity to close the ice discharging opening 2 again. This electromagnetic control mechanism has the advantages of fast response speed, low noise, long service life, etc. compared with traditional mechanical structures. At the same time, due to its simple structure and small number of components, the failure rate and maintenance difficulty are greatly reduced.

[0042] In this embodiment, the switch bracket 17 includes

[0043] a main body part 19, which has a hinge hole 20 and is hinged to the electromagnet bracket 18 through a hinge shaft 21;

[0044] an arc-shaped groove 22, which is arranged on the main body part 19 and is in sliding fit with the pin shaft 23 on the push-pull electromagnet 16. When the push-pull electromagnet 16 moves, the pin shaft 23 slides in the arc-shaped groove 22, driving the switch bracket 17 to rotate around the hinge point;

[0045] a sealing plate 24, which is arranged on the main body part 19 and is used to block the ice discharging opening 2 in the closed state.

[0046] The hinge hole 20 on the main body part 19 is connected to the hinge shaft 21 on the electromagnet bracket 18, establishing a stable rotation fulcrum to ensure that the switch bracket 17 can rotate smoothly. The arc-shaped groove 22 forms a sliding pair with the pin shaft 23 on the push-pull electromagnet 16, converting the linear motion of the electromagnet into the rotational motion of the switch bracket 17, achieving a clever conversion of the motion form. The sealing plate 24, as a functional execution component, corresponds directly to the ice outlet 2 and is responsible for controlling the release of ice cubes.

[0047] When the push-pull electromagnet 16 works, the pin shaft 23 slides in the arc-shaped groove 22, driving the entire switch bracket 17 to rotate around the hinge point using the lever principle, so that the sealing plate 24 moves away from or returns to the position blocking the ice outlet 2. This structural design has the characteristics of a clear transmission path and precise and controllable motion. The arc-shaped groove 22 ensures the accuracy of the motion stroke of the sealing plate 24. At the same time, the combination of hinge connection and sliding fit makes the entire mechanism have good motion flexibility and structural stability, reducing the risk of jamming and improving the reliability of the switch action. Even after long-term use, it can maintain a good working state.

[0048] In this embodiment, the arc-shaped groove 22 includes an inclined part 25 and a vertical part 26. The inclined part 25 is inclined, and the vertical part 26 is arranged at the end of the inclined part 25, forming a corner structure with the inclined part 25.

[0049] The design of the arc-shaped groove 22 combines the inclined part 25 and the vertical part 26 to form a key structure with a mechanical self-locking function. The inclined part 25 is inclined at a certain angle, constituting the main movement trajectory of the pin shaft 23, and the vertical part 26 located at the end of the inclined part 25 forms an obvious corner structure with it, and this design realizes a unique mechanical self-locking function.

[0050] When the ice outlet is in the closed state, the pin shaft 23 is located in the vertical part 26. Due to the blocking effect of the corner structure, even if the ice cubes in the ice storage bucket 1 exert pressure on the ice outlet or the electromagnet has a slight looseness, the pin shaft 23 cannot cross the corner and return to the inclined part 25 by itself, thus ensuring that the ice outlet is firmly closed. This mechanical self-locking does not rely on the continuous force of the electromagnet or other external forces, but is a safety protection achieved through a pure mechanical structure, effectively preventing the risk of ice cubes accidentally flowing out of the ice outlet. Only when the electromagnet actively provides sufficient pulling force can the pin shaft 23 overcome the resistance at the corner and move from the vertical part 26 to the inclined part 25 to open the ice outlet. This design greatly improves the safety and reliability of the ice outlet control system, ensures the sealing performance of the ice storage bucket 1 in the non-ice outlet state, prevents the unexpected release of ice cubes and the loss of cold air, and at the same time reduces the dependence on the continuous operation of the electromagnet, saves energy and extends the service life of the equipment.

[0051] Embodiment 4: An ice-making and purified drinking integrated machine, including the anti-drip structure at the ice outlet in Embodiment 3.

[0052] The above are only the embodiments of the present application, and do not limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made by using the content of the specification and drawings of the present application, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, shall be equally included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An ice outlet drip prevention structure, comprising an ice storage bucket, wherein the ice storage bucket has an ice outlet opening, and wherein: The ice dispenser further comprises an outlet bracket, which is arranged below the ice outlet opening and is used for receiving ice cubes dropped from the ice outlet opening. A conduit is also arranged on the outlet bracket, and the conduit divides the outlet bracket into a drainage area and an ice outlet area which are separated from each other. A baffle is fixed to the upper end of the conduit, and an inclined blanking plate is fixed to the ice outlet opening. The upper end of the baffle is higher than the lower end of the blanking plate, and a gap is formed between the baffle and the blanking plate for only dripping water to flow through.

2. The anti-drip structure of the ice outlet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conduit is a three-way pipe structure, and has a first interface, a second interface and a drain port. The first interface is used to connect to a hot water pipeline, and the second interface is used to connect to a cold water pipeline.

3. The anti-drip structure of the ice outlet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the baffle is provided with an inclined surface, and the inclined surface is connected with the blanking plate to form a transmission area for ice cubes to slide down.

4. The anti-drip structure of the ice outlet according to claim 1, characterized in that: An ice discharging mechanism for opening and closing the ice discharging opening is also arranged on the side wall of the ice storage bucket.

5. The anti-drip structure of the ice outlet according to claim 4, characterized in that: The ice discharging mechanism comprises a push-pull electromagnet and a switch bracket, wherein the push-pull electromagnet is vertically fixed on the side wall of the ice storage bucket through the electromagnet bracket, and the switch bracket is hinged on the electromagnet bracket and corresponds to the ice discharging opening and is controlled by the push-pull electromagnet.

6. The anti-drip structure of the ice outlet according to claim 5, characterized in that: The switch bracket comprises: The main body has a hinge hole and is hinged to the electromagnet bracket via a hinge axis; An arc groove is provided on the main body part and is slidably matched with the pin shaft on the push-pull electromagnet. When the push-pull electromagnet moves, the pin shaft slides in the arc groove, driving the switch bracket to rotate around the hinge point; A sealing plate is arranged on the main body part and is used for covering the ice outlet opening in a closed state.

7. The anti-drip structure of the ice outlet according to claim 6, characterized in that: The arc-shaped groove includes an oblique portion and a vertical portion, the oblique portion is arranged obliquely, and the vertical portion is arranged at the end of the oblique portion to form a corner structure with the oblique portion.

8. An ice making and drinking purifying machine, characterized in that: The invention comprises an anti-drip structure at an ice outlet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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