Ice maker

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of refrigeration equipment, in particular to an ice maker, which comprises an ice making assembly for making ice cubes, and is characterized in that the ice making assembly comprises an ice making box and an ice pushing rod, the ice pushing rod is configured to push ice blocks out of the ice making box and return to the initial position of the ice pushing rod by rotating around an ice pushing rod rotating axis in a first rotating direction, and the ice pushing rod is further capable of rotating around the ice pushing rod rotating axis in a second rotating direction opposite to the first rotating direction. According to the ice maker disclosed by the utility model, the ice pushing rod can rotate around the ice pushing rod rotating axis in two opposite directions, so that the time for testing the function of the ice maker is shortened, and whether the ice maker can execute the ice making function or not can be conveniently and quickly confirmed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of refrigeration equipment, in particular to an ice maker. Background Art

[0002] Existing ice makers for household refrigerators are primarily categorized as mechanical standalone ice makers, semi-electronic, non-standalone ice makers whose operation is controlled by the refrigerator, and electronic standalone ice makers. All of these types of ice makers have areas for improvement. For example, with electronic standalone ice makers, it's desirable to more easily confirm whether they can make ice during assembly or use. In particular, when the ice maker is being transported to a new location, such as before being assembled into a refrigerator, it's desirable to quickly and easily confirm whether it can make ice.

[0003] Therefore, it is hoped that there is a solution to solve the above-mentioned problems. Utility Model Content

[0004] In response to the above problems, according to the first aspect of the present utility model, an ice-making machine is proposed, comprising an ice-making assembly for making ice cubes, characterized in that the ice-making assembly comprises an ice box and an ice-pushing rod, and the ice-pushing rod is configured to push ice cubes out of the ice box and return to the initial position of the ice-pushing rod by rotating along a first rotation direction around the rotation axis of the ice-pushing rod, wherein the ice-pushing rod can also rotate around the rotation axis of the ice-pushing rod along a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction.

[0005] According to the first aspect of the ice maker of the present invention, the ice pushing rod is capable of rotating in two opposite directions around its rotation axis, which reduces the time for testing its function and helps to conveniently and quickly confirm whether the ice maker can perform the ice making function.

[0006] The ice-making machine according to the present invention may have one or more of the following features individually or in combination.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the ice maker preferably further includes a normal ice-making module and a quick test module. The normal ice-making module includes an ice-making submodule and an ice-pushing submodule to respectively control the ice-making assembly to execute an ice-making process and an ice-pushing process. The quick test module controls a first component group of the ice-making assembly to execute a quick test process. The total time required to execute the quick test process on the first component group is less than the total time required to execute one cycle of ice-making and one cycle of ice-pushing processes using the normal ice-making module. The ice maker according to this embodiment is capable of quickly testing its multiple components, thereby conveniently confirming whether the ice maker is capable of performing its ice-making function.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the ice-making machine preferably further includes a slow test module configured to control a second component group of the ice-making assembly to perform a slow test process, wherein the second component group includes all components of the first component group, and the total time required to perform a fast test process on the first component group is less than the total time required to perform a slow test process on the second component group. The ice-making machine according to this embodiment is capable of performing both a fast test process and a slow test process, allowing flexible selection of a test mode based on testing needs.

[0009] According to one embodiment, preferably, in a fast test process, the test operation performed on each component in the first component group is at least partially performed simultaneously, and / or in a slow test process, the test operation performed on each component in the second component group is at least partially performed simultaneously. According to this embodiment, the ice making machine can complete its test process more quickly.

[0010] According to one embodiment, preferably, the ice-making assembly includes an ice-making box, a water injection device for injecting water into the ice-making box, an ice-pushing rod for pushing ice cubes out of the ice-making box, and a heating device for heating the ice-making box, wherein the first component group includes at least one of the ice-pushing rod, the water injection device, and the heating device.

[0011] According to one embodiment, preferably, the first component group includes the ice-pushing rod, the water injection device and the heating device. In the quick test process, the ice-pushing rod rotates in the same direction as the ice-pushing and in the opposite direction to the ice-pushing. The heating device heats during the time period of the rotation of the ice-pushing rod, and the water injection device injects water during the time period of the rotation of the ice-pushing rod.

[0012] According to one embodiment, preferably, both the first component group and the second component group include at least the ice-pushing rod, and the ice-making machine satisfies at least one of the following: in a fast test process, the rotation angle range of the ice-pushing rod does not exceed 90°, and in a slow test process, the ice-pushing rod rotates at least two circles in the same rotation direction as pushing ice; the rotation speed of the ice-pushing rod in the fast test process is greater than the rotation speed in the slow test process; the total rotation time of the ice-pushing rod in the fast test process is less than the total rotation time in the slow test process.

[0013] According to one embodiment, preferably, the ice maker further includes a controller, and the controller is configured to, when the ice maker is powered off within a first waiting time after executing a round of slow test process, directly start the quick test module when the ice maker is powered on next time.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the ice maker preferably further includes a controller and a quick test reset module, wherein the controller is configured such that, if the ice maker is powered off within a second waiting time after the quick test reset module executes the quick test reset process, the quick test module is directly activated the next time the ice maker is powered on. According to this embodiment, the ice maker can be set to execute the quick test process again when needed (for example, if a user fails to observe the operation of the ice maker components during the previous quick test process due to an accidental touch).

[0015] According to one embodiment, preferably, the controller is configured to start the normal ice-making module if the ice-making machine is not powered off within a second waiting time after the quick test reset module executes the quick test reset process.

[0016] According to one embodiment, preferably, the ice maker further includes a controller and an ice jam module, wherein the controller and the normal ice making module are configured such that, when the ice pushing sub-module determines that ice jam occurs in the ice making component, the ice jam module is started to execute an ice jam removal process, and when the ice jam removal process is completed, the ice making sub-module is started.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the ice jam removal process preferably includes: causing a heating device in the ice-making assembly to heat the ice box, and attempting to push the ice cubes after the heating continues for an ice jam heating time. If the ice cubes cannot be pushed, the heating is repeated after waiting for an ice jam waiting time. The ice-making machine according to this embodiment can prevent the heating device from overheating during the ice jam removal process.

[0018] According to one embodiment, preferably, the ice-pushing sub-module is configured to enable the heating device in the ice-making assembly to heat the ice box while trying to push the ice cubes. If the ice cubes cannot be pushed within the ice-pushing threshold time, the ice-pushing sub-module determines that the ice-making assembly is stuck.

[0019] According to one embodiment, preferably, the ice maker further includes a controller, and the normal ice-making module further includes a self-test submodule. The controller and the normal ice-making module are configured to, after the ice maker is powered on, start the self-test submodule if the quick test module is not in a waiting state, and the self-test submodule checks whether the ice-pushing rod and the ice-detecting rod of the ice-making assembly are in their respective initial positions.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the normal ice-making module is preferably configured such that after the ice-pushing process ends, the ice-making submodule executes the ice-pushing process. During the ice-making process, the ice-pushing submodule executes the ice-pushing process at least when the ice-making assembly reaches a minimum cooling duration and the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is lower than the ice-pushing process start temperature. According to this embodiment, the ice-making machine ensures the stability of the frozen degree of the pushed ice cubes by setting a minimum cooling duration for ice-making. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following will briefly introduce the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. The drawings are only used to illustrate some embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit all embodiments of the present invention to these drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 It is an overall structural diagram of the ice making machine according to the present utility model.

[0023] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional side view of the ice maker according to the present utility model.

[0024] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the conversion between various processes of the ice making machine according to the present utility model.

[0025] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the normal ice-making process of the ice-making machine according to the utility model.

[0026] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the slow test process of the ice maker according to the utility model.

[0027] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of a quick test process of an ice maker according to the present utility model.

[0028] Figure 7 The utility model is a schematic diagram of the action of pushing the ice rod in the quick test process of the ice maker.

[0029] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the quick test and reset process of the ice maker according to the utility model.

[0030] Figure 9 The utility model is a schematic diagram of the action of pushing the ice lever in the quick test and reset process of the ice maker.

[0031] Figure 10 It is a schematic diagram of the ice jam removal process of the ice maker according to the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the technical solution of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings of the specific embodiments of the present invention. The same figure marks in the drawings represent the same parts. It should be noted that the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the described embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the usual meanings understood by persons of ordinary skill in the field to which the present invention belongs. The words "first", "second" and similar terms used in the specification and claims of the present utility model patent application do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, words such as "one" or "a" do not necessarily indicate a quantity limitation. Words such as "include" or "comprising" mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Words such as "connect" or "connected" are not limited to direct connections, but may include indirect connections. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0034] The present invention will be described in detail below by describing exemplary embodiments.

[0035] Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows the overall structure of the ice making machine 100 according to the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the ice maker 100 includes an ice making box 110, an ice pushing rod 120, an ice detecting rod 130 and a control box 150. The ice maker 100 also includes other components related to ice making, such as a water injection device, a heating device and a temperature sensor. Figure 1 (not shown). The ice making box 110, ice pushing rod 120, ice detecting rod 130, water injection device, heating device and temperature sensor can be used as various components of the ice making assembly of the ice maker 100. In other words, the ice making assembly is used to make ice cubes.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the ice making box 110 includes a plurality of ice making grooves 111 arranged side by side. Figure 2 FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional side view of the ice maker 100 according to the present invention, which shows the cross-sectional shape of the ice making groove 111. Figure 2As shown, the ice making groove 111 has a substantially semicircular or arcuate cross-sectional shape in this section. Figure 1 , each ice making groove 111 may have the same inner shape.

[0037] Figure 1 Also shown are a plurality of ice pushers 120 arranged side by side. One end of each ice pusher 120 is fixed to an ice pusher shaft 125. The ice pusher shaft 125 is pivotally disposed in the ice making machine 100. Figure 1 As shown, one end of the ice pusher shaft 125 extends into the control box 150, and the other end is rotatably mounted on the housing of the ice maker 100. Thus, for example, the ice pusher shaft 125 is driven to rotate by a drive device (such as a motor) disposed in the control box 150. Accordingly, each ice pusher 120 can be driven by the ice pusher shaft 125 to rotate about the axis of the ice pusher shaft 125. Therefore, the axis of the ice pusher shaft 125 is also referred to as the ice pusher rotation axis 126.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown, the ice-pushing rod rotation axis 126 is set at the approximate center of the circle where the ice-making groove 111 is located, so that the ice-pushing rod 120 can push the ice cubes in the corresponding ice-making groove 111 out of the ice-making groove 111 by rotating around the ice-pushing rod rotation axis 126. Specifically, according to the present invention, during the ice-making process, liquid water solidifies in the ice-making groove 111 to form ice cubes. At this time, the ice-pushing rod 120 can be in the angle range represented by the shadow, that is, the ice-pushing rod initial position 129 without contacting the ice cubes in the process of forming. When it is necessary to push the formed ice cubes out of the ice-making groove 111, the ice-pushing rod 120 is configured to Figure 2 The ice cubes are rotated counterclockwise (also called reverse) from the perspective of the ice cubes to slide relative to the ice making groove 111. When the ice push rod 120 rotates more than 180 degrees from the initial position 129, for example, when it rotates to 220 degrees, the ice cubes in a semicircular or arched shape are moved toward the ice making groove 111 due to gravity. Figure 2 The ice cube pusher 120 slides downward to the left, i.e., slides off the ice maker 100 and falls into the ice collection box provided below the ice maker 100 for the user to take out. Thereafter, the ice pushing rod 120 continues to rotate counterclockwise, returns to the angle range corresponding to the initial position 129, and waits for the next rotation to push ice when needed.

[0039] Figure 1Some related components not shown in the figure have their own corresponding functions. For example, the water injection device is used to inject water into each ice making groove 111 of the ice making box 110 after the ice cubes are pushed out, so as to form the next batch of ice cubes. The temperature sensor is, for example, arranged at or near the ice making groove 111 to sense and provide the temperature at or near the ice making groove 111, thereby providing auxiliary information for the ice maker 100 to perform a specific action (for example, the ice pushing rod 120 attempts to push the ice). The heating device is used to heat the ice making box 110. For example, the heating device is arranged at or near the ice making groove 111 to increase the temperature of the inner wall of each ice making groove 111, thereby melting the part of the ice cube that has formed and is in contact with the inner wall of the ice making groove 111, making it easier for the ice pushing rod 120 to push the ice cubes. According to the utility model, the specific form and position of the water injection device, the temperature sensor and the heating device are not specifically limited, and it is only necessary that these components can perform the above-mentioned functions.

[0040] Figure 1 and Figure 2 Also shown is an ice probe rod 130. The ice probe rod 130 has a bent shape, one end of which extends into the control box 150 to be driven by a related driving component, and the other end is rotatably fixed to the housing portion of the ice maker 100, so that the ice probe rod 130 can rotate around the ice probe rod rotation axis 136. Figure 2 From the perspective of the ice probe 130, the middle section of the ice probe 130 is located on the left side of the ice box 110, that is, located on the lower left part of the entire ice maker 100. According to the embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 As shown, the ice probe 130 may have an angular range, ie, an initial ice probe position 139, indicated by corresponding shading.

[0041] According to the present invention, the ice probe 130 can be driven to rotate. Figure 2 From the perspective of the ice-detecting rod 130, the ice-detecting rod 130 can rotate between a specific angle in the initial position 139 of the ice-detecting rod and another specific angle that is rotated clockwise (also called forward) to a certain degree (e.g., 20°, 30°, or 40°) relative to the specific angle. Thus, the ice-detecting rod 130 can detect whether the accumulated ice has reached a specific height (also called a threshold height) by contacting its middle section with the accumulated ice below the ice maker 100. Figure 2As shown, the specific height can be a height that is a specific distance above the bottom of the ice box 110. Thus, the ice maker 100 can pause the ice pushing rod 120 to push ice next time, until, for example, the user takes out some ice cubes and the accumulation height of the ice cubes decreases. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ice detection rod 130 can detect whether the ice cubes have accumulated to a threshold height in a set time period or by event triggering. For example, the ice detection rod 130 can be configured to be mechanically or electrically linked to the ice pushing rod 120, so that, during the process of the ice pushing rod 120 rotating counterclockwise for one circle to push ice, the ice detection rod 130 performs a rotational lifting and rotational falling starting from the ice detection rod initial position 139, and detects whether the height of the ice cube pile with newly added ice cubes has reached the threshold height during the process of rotating and falling back to the ice detection rod initial position 139.

[0042] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ice maker 100 can execute at least a quick test process 304 for detecting whether some components of the ice maker 100 can perform their functions, in addition to executing its normal ice making process 301. Optionally, the ice maker 100 can also execute a slow test process 303, a quick test reset process 305, and an ice jam removal process 302, for example. Figure 3 As shown. Accordingly, according to the present invention, the ice maker 100 may further include a normal ice making module, a quick test module, a slow test module, a quick test reset module, and an ice jam module to respectively execute the normal ice making process 301, the quick test process 304, the slow test process 303, the quick test reset process 305, and the ice jam removal process 302. The ice maker 100 may further include a controller to control the activation of each of the aforementioned modules and the switching between the modules, as described in detail below.

[0043] refer to Figure 3 During normal operation of the ice maker 100, for example, when the ice maker 100 is installed in a refrigerator and the refrigerator is operating normally at the user's location, the normal ice-making module of the ice maker 100 executes the normal ice-making process 301. Specifically, as long as the ice cubes in the ice collection bin have not reached a threshold height, the cycle of making ice in the ice bin 110 and pushing the ice cubes out of the ice bin 110 continues. During the normal ice-making process 301, if the ice maker 100 determines that the ice cubes cannot be pushed into the ice chute 111 under certain conditions (i.e., an "ice jam" occurs), the ice jam module is activated to execute the ice jam removal process 302. After the ice jam removal process 302 is completed, the ice cubes are successfully pushed out of the ice bin 110, and the process returns to the normal ice-making process 301.

[0044] Continue to refer Figure 3The ice maker 100 can execute a quick test process 304 through the quick test module. After the quick test process 304 is completed, the normal ice making module can be automatically activated to enter the normal ice making process 301. The quick test process 304 can be used to quickly detect whether specific components in the ice making assembly are functioning properly after the ice maker 100 is delivered to a downstream customer. For example, the ice maker 100 can be configured to first execute the quick test process 304 after being powered on. However, the ice maker 100 can also be configured to not execute the quick test process 304 after being powered on, but to directly execute the normal ice making process 301. This is applicable, for example, when the ice maker 100 has been installed in a refrigerator and delivered to an end user. To this end, the controller of the ice maker 100 can be configured so that, after the ice maker is powered on, it first checks whether the quick test module is in the waiting state. If the quick test module is in the waiting state, the quick test module is started to execute the quick test process 304. If the quick test module is not in the waiting state and the ice maker does not receive an instruction within the third waiting time after power-on, the normal ice making module is started to execute the normal ice making process 301.

[0045] According to the present invention, the quick test module can be set to the pending state by performing operations related to the slow test process 303. Specifically, the slow test module can be activated to execute the slow test process 303, and then the ice maker 100 is powered off to set the quick test module to the pending state. To this end, the controller can be configured such that if the ice maker 100 is powered off within a first waiting time after executing a round of the slow test process 303, the quick test module is in the pending state when the ice maker 100 is powered on again. On the other hand, the controller can be configured such that if the ice maker 100 is not powered off within the first waiting time after executing a round of the slow test process 303, the normal ice making module is activated.

[0046] According to the present invention, the slow test process 303 can also be used to verify that certain components within the ice maker 100 are capable of performing their functions. For example, it can test the same or more components as the fast test process 304. For example, if the components tested in the fast test process 304 are a first component group, and the components tested in the slow test process 303 are a second component group, then the second component group may include all components of the first component group, and the total time required to execute the fast test process 304 on the first component group is less than the total time required to execute the slow test process 303 on the second component group. This configuration is particularly suitable for situations where the slow test process 303, which is longer and more detailed, is performed before the ice maker 100 leaves the factory, and the fast test process 304, which is shorter and more efficient, is performed immediately after the ice maker 100 leaves the factory and arrives at a downstream customer. Furthermore, the aforementioned option of activating the normal ice-making module after the slow test process 303 is particularly suitable for situations where the complete operational status of the ice maker 100 needs to be quickly verified after the slow test process 303 before shipment.

[0047] According to the present invention, the slow test module itself can be activated by a user input instruction when the quick test module is not in the pending state after the ice maker 100 is powered on. For example, the controller can be configured such that after the ice maker 100 is powered on, if the quick test module is not in the pending state, and the ice maker 100 receives a slow test instruction within the third waiting time after power is turned on, the slow test module is activated.

[0048] Figure 3 Also shown is a quick test reset process 305, which is executed by the quick test reset module of the ice maker 100. According to the present invention, the setting of the aforementioned quick test module to a pending state can also be accomplished through operations related to the quick test reset process 305. For example, the controller can be configured such that if the ice maker 100 is powered off within a second waiting time after executing the quick test reset process 305, the quick test module is in a pending state when the ice maker 100 is next powered on. On the other hand, the controller can also be configured such that if the ice maker 100 is not powered off within the second waiting time after executing the quick test reset process 305, the normal ice making module is activated. This configuration is particularly suitable for situations where the ice maker 100 needs to re-perform the quick test process 304 at a downstream customer (e.g., due to a client's erroneous operation, resulting in the ice maker 100 having completed the quick test process, but the client's detection equipment failed to obtain or record a valid test result).

[0049] According to the present invention, the quick test reset module itself can also be activated by a user input instruction when the quick test module is not in the pending state after the ice maker 100 is powered on. For example, the controller can be configured such that after the ice maker 100 is powered on, if the quick test module is not in the pending state, and the ice maker 100 receives a quick test reset instruction within the third waiting time after powering on, the quick test reset module is activated to execute the quick test reset process 305.

[0050] Figure 4 FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a normal ice making process 301 of the ice making machine 100 according to the present invention. Figure 4 and later Figure 5 、 Figure 6 、 Figure 8 、 Figure 10 In the example, if the text in a flow chart is enclosed in brackets, then according to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the module corresponding to the flow chart in the figure does not directly execute the content in the flow chart. However, according to other embodiments of the present invention, the module corresponding to the flow chart in the figure may also execute the content in the flow chart.

[0051] According to the utility model, if Figure 4 As shown, after the ice maker 100 is powered on, the controller detects whether the quick test module is in the pending state. If so, the quick test module is activated to execute the quick test process. If the quick test module is not in the pending state, and the ice maker 100 does not receive a slow test instruction or a quick test reset instruction from a customer or user within a certain period of time (e.g., within one hour, two hours, or three hours), the normal ice making module is activated to execute the normal ice making process 301.

[0052] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the normal ice-making module includes a self-test submodule, an ice-pushing submodule and an ice-making submodule to respectively execute the self-test process, the ice-pushing process and the ice-making process. In the self-test process, the self-test submodule checks whether the thermal protector in the ice maker 100 is open or short-circuited. If so, the machine is shut down for inspection. If not, the next step is executed. In the next step, the self-test submodule checks whether the ice-pushing rod 120 and the ice-detecting rod 130 are in their respective initial positions. If so, the next step is executed. If not, the ice-pushing rod 120 and the ice-detecting rod 130 are rotated to their respective initial positions, for example, by corresponding driving devices. The rotation can be monitored and fed back by a position sensor such as a Hall element, for example, until it is confirmed that the ice-pushing rod 120 and the ice-detecting rod 130 are in their respective initial positions.

[0053] After confirming that the ice-pushing rod 120 and the ice-detecting rod 130 are in their respective initial positions, the normal ice-making module checks whether the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is lower than the ice-pushing process start temperature. The ice-pushing process start temperature can be set based on the cooling conditions of the ice-making machine 100 and / or the refrigerator in which it is installed. For example, the ice-pushing process start temperature is -8.3°C. If the measured temperature is not lower than the ice-pushing process start temperature, the ice-making machine 100 continues to wait for the refrigerator to cool until the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is lower than the ice-pushing process start temperature. If the measured temperature is lower than the ice-pushing process start temperature, the module waits for a period of time, for example, 2 seconds, before proceeding to the next step. In this next step, the normal ice-making module checks whether the ice-detecting rod 130 is in its initial position. If the ice-detecting rod 130 is not in its initial position, it indicates that the ice cubes accumulated under the ice-making machine 100 have reached at least a threshold height, causing the ice-detecting rod 130 to exceed its initial position. Therefore, the normal ice-making module does not proceed to the next step, but instead continuously or intermittently (for example, periodically) checks whether the ice-detecting rod 130 is in its initial position. Until the ice cubes accumulated under the ice maker 100 no longer reach the threshold height (for example, the user has taken away some ice cubes), the normal ice making module is able to detect that the ice detection rod 130 is in its initial position and then executes the next step.

[0054] In the next step, the normal ice-making module starts the ice-pushing submodule to execute the ice-pushing process. In the ice-pushing process, the ice-pushing rod 120 attempts to push the ice, and the heating device (such as a heating wire) heats for 90 seconds. During this process, if the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is higher than a specific temperature (for example, 5°C), the heating is temporarily stopped. If the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is lower than the specific temperature (for example, 5°C), the heating device continues to heat. During this process, the ice-pushing submodule also continues to judge whether the ice-pushing rod 120 can push the ice cubes after contacting the ice cubes. If the ice-pushing rod 120 cannot push the ice cubes, and the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is lower than the aforementioned specific temperature (for example, 5°C), the heating device can continue to heat. According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the aforementioned process, the ice-pushing attempt of the ice-pushing rod 120 can continue, and the heating of the heating device can continue when the temperature measured by the sensor is lower than a specific temperature and pause when the measured temperature is higher than the specific temperature, and the ice-pushing submodule can continue to heat according to the specific temperature in this process. Figure 4The loop sequence of process blocks 412, 414, and 415 gives instructions to the corresponding components. On the other hand, the ice-pushing submodule monitors the time that has elapsed since the attempt to push the ice began. If the ice-pushing threshold time (e.g., a specific time between 5 minutes and 20 minutes, e.g., 12 minutes) has been exceeded since the attempt to push the ice and the ice cubes still cannot be pushed, the ice-pushing submodule determines that the ice-pushing component is stuck. As a result, the controller starts the ice-pushing module to execute the ice-pushing removal process 302, and no longer executes the other steps in the ice-pushing process. As will be described in detail later, in the ice-pushing removal process 302, the ice-pushing module controls the corresponding components with different parameters to push the ice cubes out of the ice-making box 110, thereby completing the ice-pushing removal process 302. Subsequently, the controller and the normal ice-making module are configured to start the ice-making submodule of the normal ice-making module to execute the ice-making process.

[0055] Back to Figure 4 In the ice-pushing process, if the ice cubes can be pushed within 12 minutes from the start of the attempt to push the ice, the ice-pushing rod 120 continues to push the ice cubes. Specifically, in the process of the ice-pushing rod 120 pushing the ice cubes, for example, after the ice-pushing rod 120 rotates for 30 seconds, the ice-pushing submodule determines whether the ice-pushing rod 120 has left its initial position. If the ice-pushing rod 120 has not left its initial position, the driving device (such as a motor) continues to run until it is confirmed that the ice-pushing rod 120 has left its initial position, for example, it has rotated counterclockwise beyond the boundary of the angular range corresponding to the initial position. Next, the ice-pushing rod 120 continues to rotate in an angular range other than its initial position. As mentioned above, the ice cubes will be pushed by the ice-pushing rod 120 in this process and then slide off the ice maker 100. Thereafter, the ice-pushing rod 120 continues to rotate in the same direction to the other boundary of the angular range corresponding to the initial position, and then stops after continuing to run for a short time (for example, 10 seconds), so that the ice-pushing rod 120 stops in the angular range corresponding to its initial position.

[0056] like Figure 4As shown, after the ice-pushing rod 120 pushes the ice cubes out of the ice-making box 110, the normal ice-making module starts the ice-making submodule to execute the ice-making process. In the ice-making process, the water injection device injects water into the ice-making box 110, and then ice is made by the cooling of the refrigerator. On the other hand, in the ice-making process, the ice-making submodule monitors the time when cooling starts after the water injection. According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least when the cooling reaches the minimum duration and the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is lower than the starting temperature of the ice-pushing process, the ice-pushing submodule is started to execute the ice-pushing process. The minimum duration of cooling can be determined according to the refrigeration conditions of the ice-making machine 100 and / or the refrigerator in which it is installed. For example, the minimum duration can be between 60 minutes and 100 minutes. Compared with some existing ice-making machines that only determine whether to start the ice-pushing process based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor, the ice-making machine 100 according to the present invention can ensure that the ice cubes pushed out have good and consistent solidification conditions. Due to the limitation of the minimum duration of cooling, the misjudgment of the ice solidification status by the temperature sensor due to its own error, changes in the environment of the ice maker 100, etc. is avoided. Figure 4 When the minimum cooling duration and the temperature being lower than the starting temperature of the ice pushing process are met, the normal ice making module determines whether to start the ice pushing subroutine to execute the ice pushing process according to the position of the ice detecting rod 130.

[0057] Figure 5 FIG. 3 shows a slow test process 303 of the ice making machine 100 according to the present invention. Figure 5 As shown, after the ice maker 100 is powered on, if the test button is pressed twice within 1 minute and the pressing ends within 3 seconds, the controller starts the slow test module, and the above-mentioned pressing can be called the slow test instruction received by the ice maker 100.

[0058] like Figure 5As shown, in the slow test process, first, the slow test module checks whether the thermal protector is open or short-circuited. If so, the machine is shut down for inspection. If not, the next step is executed. In the next step, the slow test module checks whether the ice-detecting rod 130 and the ice-pushing rod 120 are in their respective initial positions. If not, the ice-pushing rod 120 is reversed back to its initial position, for example, by a driving device. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ice-detecting rod 130 also returns to its initial position accordingly at this time. Next, the ice-pushing rod 120 is rotated counterclockwise for 30 seconds and then stopped, thereby rotating about 30°, at which time the heating device (such as a heating wire) starts heating. The heating device stops heating after heating for about 30 seconds, and the ice-pushing rod 120 continues to rotate. When the ice-pushing rod 120 rotates two full circles and the ice-detecting rod 130 begins to fall, the water injection device starts to inject water. The ice-pushing rod 120 stops after rotating to its initial position, and the water injection device stops injecting water. During this process, the ice pusher 120 rotates at least two times to confirm that it can complete a full rotation during the normal ice-making process. According to an embodiment of the present invention, as previously described, the ice probe 130 is linked to the ice pusher 120. Therefore, during this process, the ice probe 130 undergoes a complete lifting and lowering process. Furthermore, during the slow test process 303, the functionality of the heating device and the water injection device are also tested.

[0059] As described above, if the ice maker 100 is powered off after the above process, the ice maker 100 will start the quick test module to perform the quick test process when it is powered on next time. If the ice maker 100 is not powered off within a certain period of time after the above process, the ice maker 100 will perform the normal ice making process.

[0060] Figure 6 FIG. 3 shows a quick test process 304 of the ice maker 100 according to the present invention. Figure 6 As shown, after the ice maker 100 is powered on, if the controller detects that the quick test module is in a waiting state, the quick test module is started.

[0061] like Figure 6 As shown, in the quick test process, first, the quick test module checks whether the thermal protector is open or short-circuited. If so, the machine is shut down for inspection. If not, the next step is executed. In the next step, the quick test module checks whether the ice detection rod 130 and the ice push rod 120 are in their respective initial positions. If not, the ice push rod 120 is reversed back to its initial position, for example, by a driving device. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ice detection rod 130 also returns to its initial position accordingly. Next, refer to Figure 7As shown in the figure, the ice-pushing rod 120 rotates counterclockwise for about 2 seconds and then stops (point 701 indicates the starting point, and arc segment 702 indicates the rotation angle of the ice-pushing rod), while the heating device (such as a heating wire) heats for about 1.8 seconds. The ice-pushing rod 120 continues to rotate counterclockwise for about 5 seconds and then stops for 0.2 seconds (arc segment 703), and then rotates clockwise for 0.7 seconds (arc segment 704). During this process, the water injection device continues to inject water for a total of 5.9 seconds. Next, the ice-pushing rod 120 rotates clockwise for about 4 seconds (arc segment 705) and then rotates counterclockwise for 2.1 seconds (arc segment 706). As a result, the ice-pushing rod 120 reaches its initial position, that is, the motor reverses and returns to its initial position. Of course, the ice-pushing rod 120 can also be set to continue rotating and reach other predetermined positions in the corresponding angle range of its initial position. After that, the ice-making machine starts the normal ice-making module. During the above process, the total rotation angle range of the ice pusher 120 during counterclockwise and clockwise rotation does not exceed 90°, for example, does not exceed 60°, and another example does not exceed 45°. According to an embodiment of the present invention, as described above, the ice probe 130 is linked to the ice pusher 120. Therefore, during the above process, the ice probe 130 undergoes a relatively small range of lifting and lowering function tests. In addition, in the above slow test process 303, the functions of the heating device and the water injection device are also tested.

[0062] It can be seen that according to the embodiment of the present invention, the ice pusher 120 rotates in the same direction as the ice pusher and in the opposite direction to the ice pusher, the heating device heats the ice pusher 120 during the rotation period, and the water injection device injects water during the rotation period. As a result, the total time the ice pusher 120 rotates during the fast test process is less than the total time it rotates during the slow test process, thereby shortening the detection time required when the relevant components of the ice making assembly are detected to be working relative to the slow test process. In addition, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the rotation speed of the ice pusher 120 during the fast test process can also be greater than the rotation speed during the slow test process to further shorten the execution time of the fast test process.

[0063] As mentioned above, the components tested in the fast test process can be defined as the first component group, and the components tested in the slow test process can be defined as the second component group. Figure 5 and Figure 6In the fast test process, the test operations performed on each component in the first component group can be at least partially performed simultaneously, while in the slow test process, the test operations performed on each component in the second component group can also be at least partially performed simultaneously. In addition, according to an unillustrated embodiment of the present invention, more or fewer components in the ice-making assembly can be selected for testing in the fast test process and the slow test process, respectively. For example, the first component group includes at least one of the ice pusher 120, the water injection device, and the heating device.

[0064] Furthermore, as described above, in the ice maker 100 according to the present invention, the ice pusher 120 is configured to push ice cubes out of the ice box and return to its initial position by rotating about its rotational axis in a first rotational direction. The ice pusher 120 is also capable of rotating about its rotational axis in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction. This configuration can at least reduce the time required for the rapid testing process, thereby improving the efficiency of inspection or assembly of equipment such as refrigerators.

[0065] Figure 8 FIG. 3 shows a quick test reset process 305 of the ice maker 100 according to the present invention. Figure 8 As shown, after the ice maker 100 is powered on, if the test button is pressed three times within 1 minute and the pressing ends within 5 seconds, the controller starts the quick test reset module, and the above-mentioned pressing can be called a quick test reset instruction received by the ice maker 100.

[0066] like Figure 8 As shown, in the quick test reset process, first, the quick test reset module checks whether the thermal protector is open or short-circuited. If so, the machine is shut down for inspection. If not, the next step is executed. In the next step, the quick test reset module checks whether the ice detection rod 130 and the ice push rod 120 are in their respective initial positions. If not, the ice push rod 120 is reversed back to its initial position, for example, by a driving device. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ice detection rod 130 also returns to its initial position accordingly. Next, refer to Figure 9 As shown in the figure, the ice pusher 120 rotates counterclockwise for approximately 2 seconds (point 901 indicates the starting point, arc segment 902 indicates the rotation angle of the ice pusher), then rotates clockwise for approximately 5 seconds (arc segment 903), and then rotates counterclockwise back to its initial position (arc segment 904). In the above process, the specific rotation of the ice pusher 120 can also be used to visually indicate that the quick test reset process has been executed and that the quick test reset process lasts for a short time.

[0067] As described above, if the ice maker 100 is powered off after the above process, the ice maker 100 will start the quick test module to perform the quick test process when it is powered on next time. If the ice maker 100 is not powered off within a certain period of time after the above process, the ice maker 100 will perform the normal ice making process.

[0068] Figure 10 The ice jam removal process 302 of the ice maker 100 according to the present invention is specifically shown. Figure 10 As shown, when the ice-making assembly is determined to be stuck during the ice-pushing process, the controller executes the ice-pushing module. In the ice-pushing removal process 302, the heating device (such as a heating wire) first heats the ice-pushing assembly for the ice-pushing heating time (e.g., 30 minutes), causing the temperature sensor to detect a temperature higher than the starting temperature of the ice-pushing process, such as a specific temperature between 15°C and 30°C, or another specific temperature between 25°C and 30°C. Then, the ice-pushing rod 120, for example, driven by a motor, rotates for 2 seconds and attempts to push the ice again. If the ice-pushing rod 120 detects that it can push the ice (or detects that the motor can operate to push the ice), the ice-pushing process continues. If the ice-pushing process fails, the heating device stops heating and, after waiting for the ice-pushing waiting time (e.g., 4 hours), resumes heating. This arrangement heats the ice tray 110 to a higher temperature to promote melting of the portion of ice that contacts the inner wall of the ice-making groove 111. At the same time, this higher temperature does not drastically change the temperature environment inside the refrigerator. Furthermore, this arrangement prevents damage to the heating device due to overheating by pausing heating for an extended period of time.

[0069] The exemplary implementation of the ice maker proposed in the present invention is described in detail above with reference to the preferred embodiments. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that, without departing from the concept of the present invention, various modifications and variations can be made to the above-mentioned specific embodiments, and various technical features and structures proposed in the present invention can be combined in various ways without exceeding the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ice making machine comprising an ice making assembly for making ice cubes, characterized in that: The ice-making assembly includes an ice-making box and an ice-pushing rod, wherein the ice-pushing rod is configured to push ice cubes out of the ice-making box and return to the initial position of the ice-pushing rod by rotating in a first rotation direction around the rotation axis of the ice-pushing rod, wherein the ice-pushing rod can also rotate in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction around the rotation axis of the ice-pushing rod.

2. The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein: The ice maker further includes a normal ice-making module and a quick test module. The normal ice-making module includes an ice-making submodule and an ice-pushing submodule to respectively control the ice-making assembly to execute an ice-making process and an ice-pushing process. The quick test module controls a first component group of the ice-making assembly to execute a quick test process, wherein the total time for executing the quick test process on the first component group is less than the total time for performing one round of ice-making process and one round of ice-pushing process through the normal ice-making module.

3. The ice making machine according to claim 2, characterized in that The ice-making machine further includes a slow test module configured to control a second component group of the ice-making assembly to execute a slow test process, wherein the second component group includes all components of the first component group, and a total time for executing a fast test process on the first component group is less than a total time for executing a slow test process on the second component group.

4. The ice making machine according to claim 3, wherein: In a fast test flow, the test operations performed on each component in the first component group are at least partially performed simultaneously, and / or in a slow test flow, the test operations performed on each component in the second component group are at least partially performed simultaneously.

5. The ice making machine according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The ice-making assembly includes an ice box, a water injection device for injecting water into the ice box, an ice-pushing rod for pushing ice cubes out of the ice box, and a heating device for heating the ice box, wherein the first component group includes at least one of the ice-pushing rod, the water injection device, and the heating device.

6. The ice making machine according to claim 5, characterized in that The first component group includes the ice pushing rod, the water injection device and the heating device. In the quick test process, the ice pushing rod rotates in the same direction as the ice pushing and in the opposite direction to the ice pushing. The heating device heats during the rotation period of the ice pushing rod, and the water injection device injects water during the rotation period of the ice pushing rod.

7. The ice making machine according to claim 5, characterized in that The first component assembly and the second component assembly both include at least the ice pusher, and the ice maker satisfies at least one of the following: In the fast test process, the rotation angle range of the ice pusher does not exceed 90 degrees, and in the slow test process, the ice pusher rotates at least two circles in the same rotation direction as the ice pusher; The rotation speed of the ice pusher in the fast test process is greater than the rotation speed in the slow test process; The total time for the ice pusher to rotate in the fast test process is less than the total time for the ice pusher to rotate in the slow test process.

8. The ice making machine according to claim 3, wherein: The ice maker further includes a controller configured to directly start the quick test module when the ice maker is powered on next time if the ice maker is powered off within a first waiting time after executing a round of slow test process.

9. The ice making machine according to claim 2, wherein: The ice maker further includes a controller and a quick test reset module, wherein the controller is configured to directly start the quick test module when the ice maker is powered on next time if the ice maker is powered off within a second waiting time after the quick test reset module executes the quick test reset process.

10. The ice making machine according to claim 9, characterized in that The controller is configured to start the normal ice-making module if the ice-making machine is not powered off within a second waiting time after the quick test reset module executes the quick test reset process.

11. The ice making machine according to claim 2, wherein: The ice maker further includes a controller and an ice jam module, wherein the controller and the normal ice making module are configured such that, when the ice pushing sub-module determines that ice jam occurs in the ice making component, the ice jam module is activated to execute an ice jam removal process, and when the ice jam removal process is completed, the ice making sub-module is activated.

12. The ice making machine according to claim 11, wherein The ice jam removal process includes: causing the heating device in the ice making assembly to heat the ice making box, and attempting to push the ice cubes after the heating lasts for the ice jam heating time. If the ice cubes cannot be pushed, the heating is repeated after waiting for the ice jam waiting time.

13. The ice making machine according to claim 11, wherein: The ice pushing submodule is configured to enable the heating device in the ice making assembly to heat the ice box and simultaneously attempt to push the ice cubes. If the ice cubes cannot be pushed within the ice pushing threshold time, the ice pushing submodule determines that the ice making assembly is stuck.

14. The ice making machine according to claim 2, wherein: The ice maker further includes a controller, and the normal ice-making module further includes a self-test submodule. The controller and the normal ice-making module are configured to, after the ice maker is powered on, start the self-test submodule if the quick test module is not in a pending state, and the self-test submodule checks whether the ice-pushing rod and the ice-detecting rod of the ice-making assembly are in their respective initial positions.

15. The ice making machine according to claim 2, wherein: The normal ice-making module is configured such that after the ice-pushing process is completed, the ice-making sub-module executes the ice-making process. In the ice-making process, at least when the cooling of the ice-making component reaches a minimum duration and the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is lower than the starting temperature of the ice-pushing process, the ice-pushing sub-module executes the ice-pushing process.

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