Ice maker

Abstract

The utility model discloses an ice maker which comprises an upper water tank, an ice-making evaporator assembly, a lower water tank, an upper and lower water tank circulating water pump, a self-cleaning water pump and a controller, and the upper water tank, the ice-making evaporator assembly, the lower water tank, the upper and lower water tank circulating water pump and the self-cleaning water pump are connected through a waterway pipeline to form a circulating waterway; the self-cleaning water pump is arranged between the upper water tank and the ice-making evaporator assembly, the water inlet end of the self-cleaning water pump is connected with the water outlet of the upper water tank, and the water supply end is connected with the ice-making water inlet. According to the utility model, the self-cleaning water pump is additionally arranged in the water path structure of the ice maker, related components are combined into the circulating water path, the ice maker can enter an ice-making working mode and a self-cleaning working mode under the control of the controller of the ice maker, and the self-cleaning water pump does not work in the ice-making working mode; in the self-cleaning working mode, the self-cleaning water pump is driven to supply water to the ice-making barrel at high pressure, a water path is pressurized, the impact force of water flow is increased to wash the interior of the ice-making barrel, and the self-cleaning effect of the ice-making machine is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of household electrical appliances, in particular to an ice maker. Background Art

[0002] An ice maker is a device that produces ice. In the scorching summer heat, people use the ice to make cold dishes and foods, which is an effective way to cool down. Ice makers are increasingly used in our daily lives and work. Ice makers are generally divided into immersion ice makers, flow ice makers, and extrusion ice makers. Extrusion ice makers offer excellent ice dispensing quality and continuous ice production, making them increasingly popular with consumers in recent years. Existing squeeze-type ice makers typically have a circulating water circuit that includes upper and lower water tanks, a water supply pump, an ice evaporator, and circulation piping. Over time, scale and dirt can accumulate in various parts of the circulating water circuit due to sedimentation. To address this, existing ice makers have self-cleaning technology. However, some existing ice makers with upper and lower water tanks typically raise the upper water tank, leveraging the water level difference between the upper water tank and the ice evaporator to force water into the evaporator to flush and clean it. This cleaning method lacks sufficient flushing power within the ice evaporator, making it difficult to completely remove scale and dirt from the evaporator. This results in poor self-cleaning effectiveness, impacting the ice maker's performance and ice quality. Therefore, it is necessary to improve and optimize the structure of ice makers to enhance the effectiveness of their self-cleaning functions. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of the above background and the problems existing in the prior art methods, the present invention provides an ice making machine. The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0004] An ice maker, comprising an upper water tank, an ice-making evaporator assembly, a lower water tank, upper and lower water tank circulating water pumps, a self-cleaning water pump, and a controller, wherein the upper water tank, ice-making evaporator assembly, lower water tank, upper and lower water tank circulating water pumps and the self-cleaning water pump are connected by water pipes to form a circulating water circuit;

[0005] The upper water tank is provided with an upper water tank water inlet and an upper water tank water outlet, and the lower water tank is provided with a lower water tank water outlet;

[0006] The ice-making evaporator assembly includes an ice-making cylinder and an evaporator. The evaporator is sleeved on the outside of the ice-making cylinder. The lower part of the ice-making cylinder is provided with an ice-making water inlet, which is connected to the water outlet of the upper water tank. The top of the ice-making cylinder is provided with an ice outlet.

[0007] The upper and lower water tank circulating water pump is arranged between the lower water tank and the upper water tank, with its water inlet end connected to the water outlet of the lower water tank and its water supply end connected to the water inlet of the upper water tank for supplying water to the upper water tank;

[0008] The self-cleaning water pump is arranged between the upper water tank and the ice-making evaporator assembly, with its water inlet end connected to the water outlet of the upper water tank and its water supply end connected to the ice-making water inlet for supplying water to the ice-making cylinder;

[0009] The controller is electrically connected to the upper and lower water tank circulating water pumps and the self-cleaning water pump, and is used to control the start or stop of water supply of the upper and lower water tank circulating water pumps and the self-cleaning water pump.

[0010] As a further illustration of the present invention, the self-cleaning water pump is a DC low-voltage direct current pump, which is connected to the water outlet of the upper water tank through a water pump inlet pipeline, and is connected to the ice making water inlet through a water pump outlet pipeline.

[0011] Furthermore, the self-cleaning water pump is controlled by the controller to enter the ice-making working mode and the self-cleaning working mode. In the ice-making working mode, the self-cleaning water pump does not work. In the self-cleaning working mode, the self-cleaning water pump drives the ice-making cylinder to supply high-pressure water.

[0012] Furthermore, a water reflux groove is connected to the ice outlet end of the ice-making evaporator assembly, and the water reflux groove is connected to the lower water tank.

[0013] Furthermore, the water inlet of the upper water tank is arranged at the upper part of the upper water tank, the water outlet of the upper water tank is arranged at the lower part of the upper water tank, and the water supply end of the upper and lower water tank circulating water pump is connected to the water inlet of the upper water tank through the upper and lower water tank circulating water pipes.

[0014] Furthermore, a water level sensor is provided on the upper water tank, which is used by the controller to control the water supply in the ice-making working mode and the self-cleaning working mode.

[0015] Beneficial effects of the utility model:

[0016] The utility model adds a self-cleaning water pump to the water circuit structure of the ice maker and combines related components into a circulating water circuit. The ice maker can enter an ice-making working mode and a self-cleaning working mode under the control of a controller. In the ice-making working mode, the self-cleaning water pump does not work. In the self-cleaning working mode, the self-cleaning water pump drives the ice-making cylinder to supply high-pressure water, thereby pressurizing the water circuit and increasing the impact force of the water flow to flush the inside of the ice-making cylinder, which is conducive to flushing and carrying out impurities such as scale in the ice-making cylinder, thereby improving the self-cleaning effect of the ice maker. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 The internal structure of the ice maker in this utility model is shown in FIG. Figure 1 ;

[0018] Figure 2 The internal structure of the ice maker in this utility model is shown in FIG. Figure 2 ;

[0019] Figure 3 The internal structure of the ice maker in this utility model is shown in FIG. Figure 3 .

[0020] Figure numerals: ice-making evaporator assembly 1, self-cleaning water pump 2, water pump outlet pipeline 3, water pump inlet pipeline 4, upper water tank 5, ice outlet 6, lower water tank 7, upper and lower water tank circulating water pipes 8, upper and lower water tank circulating water pumps 9, water reflux tank 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Example:

[0022] The following is a detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments.

[0023] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating directions or positional relationships, are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0024] As attached Figure 1-3The ice making machine shown in the figure comprises an upper water tank 5, an ice making evaporator assembly 1, a lower water tank 7, an upper and lower water tank circulating water pump 9, a self-cleaning water pump 2 and a controller. The upper water tank 5, the ice making evaporator assembly 1, the lower water tank, the upper and lower water tank circulation and the self-cleaning water pump 2 are connected by water pipes to form a circulating water circuit; the upper water tank 5 is provided with an upper water tank water inlet and an upper water tank water outlet, and the lower water tank is provided with a lower water tank water outlet; the ice making evaporator assembly 1 comprises an ice making cylinder and an evaporator, the evaporator is sleeved on the outside of the ice making cylinder, the lower part of the ice making cylinder is provided with an ice making water inlet, and the ice making water inlet is connected to the upper water tank water outlet; the top of the ice making cylinder has There is an ice outlet 6; the upper and lower water tank circulating water pumps 9 are arranged between the lower water tank and the upper water tank 5, the water inlet end of which is connected to the water outlet of the lower water tank, and the water supply end is connected to the water inlet of the upper water tank, for supplying water to the upper water tank 5; the self-cleaning water pump 2 is arranged between the upper water tank 5 and the ice-making evaporator assembly 1, the water inlet end of which is connected to the water outlet of the upper water tank, and the water supply end is connected to the ice-making water inlet, for supplying water to the ice-making cylinder; the controller is electrically connected to the upper and lower water tank circulating water pumps 9 and the self-cleaning water pump 2, for controlling the start and stop of water supply of the upper and lower water tank circulating water pumps 9 and the self-cleaning water pump 2.

[0025] The ice maker of this embodiment adds a self-cleaning water pump 2 to the water circuit structure and combines related components into a circulating water circuit. The controller of the ice maker controls the self-cleaning water pump 2 to drive the high-pressure water supply to the ice-making cylinder, thereby pressurizing the water circuit and increasing the impact force of the water flow to flush the inside of the ice-making cylinder, which is beneficial to flushing and removing impurities such as scale in the ice-making cylinder, thereby improving the self-cleaning effect of the ice maker.

[0026] As a feasible implementation, the self-cleaning water pump 2 in this embodiment is a low-voltage DC pump. It is connected to the water outlet of the upper water tank via a water pump inlet pipe 4 and to the ice making water inlet via a water pump outlet pipe 3. The self-cleaning water pump 2 is driven to perform self-cleaning operations by the self-cleaning control program of the ice maker controller. For example, the ice making mode and the self-cleaning mode of the ice maker can be set in the self-cleaning control program of the ice maker controller. During operation of the ice maker, the self-cleaning water pump 2 is controlled by the controller to enter the ice making mode and the self-cleaning mode. In the ice-making working mode, the self-cleaning water pump 2 does not work. When the operating conditions of the self-cleaning working mode are met or the user actively operates to enter the self-cleaning working mode, the control system of the ice maker provides a low-voltage DC power supply to the self-cleaning water pump 2 to drive the self-cleaning water pump 2 to start working, pump cleaning water from the upper water tank 5, and use the action of the self-cleaning water pump 2 to increase the water flow pressure to supply high-pressure water to the ice-making cylinder to flush the inside of the ice-making cylinder. The flushing water flows out from the ice outlet 6 on the top of the ice-making cylinder, bringing out the flushed scale impurities, etc., to achieve effective cleaning of the inside of the ice-making cylinder.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, as shown in the accompanying drawings, in this embodiment, a water reflux groove 10 is provided at the ice outlet 6 end of the ice-making evaporator assembly 1, and the water reflux groove 10 is connected to the lower water tank. In this way, the flushing water flow can circulate effectively and quickly, and a small amount of water can be used for self-cleaning operation of the ice maker, thereby achieving the effect of saving water resources.

[0028] As shown in the accompanying drawings, in this embodiment, the water inlet of the upper water tank is arranged at the upper part of the upper water tank 5, the water outlet of the upper water tank is arranged at the lower part of the upper water tank 5, and the water supply end of the upper and lower water tank circulating water pump 9 is connected to the water inlet of the upper water tank through the upper and lower water tank circulating water pipe 8.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, a water level sensor can be provided on the upper water tank 5, for the controller to control the water supply of the ice-making working mode and the self-cleaning working mode. During the operation of the ice-making machine, the detection signal of the water level sensor is collected to determine whether the water volume of the ice-making machine meets the water supply requirements of the ice-making working mode and the self-cleaning working mode, so as to ensure the normal operation of the ice-making machine.

[0030] The above description is only for the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which should not be construed as limiting the claims. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and its specific structure is allowed to be varied. In short, all variations made within the scope of protection of the independent claims of the present invention are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ice making machine, characterized in that: It includes an upper water tank, an ice-making evaporator assembly, a lower water tank, upper and lower water tank circulation water pumps, a self-cleaning water pump and a controller. The upper water tank, ice-making evaporator assembly, lower water tank, upper and lower water tank circulation and self-cleaning water pumps are connected through water pipes to form a circulating water circuit; The upper water tank is provided with an upper water tank water inlet and an upper water tank water outlet, and the lower water tank is provided with a lower water tank water outlet; The ice-making evaporator assembly includes an ice-making cylinder and an evaporator. The evaporator is sleeved on the outside of the ice-making cylinder. The lower part of the ice-making cylinder is provided with an ice-making water inlet, which is connected to the water outlet of the upper water tank. The top of the ice-making cylinder is provided with an ice outlet. The upper and lower water tank circulating water pump is arranged between the lower water tank and the upper water tank, with its water inlet end connected to the water outlet of the lower water tank and its water supply end connected to the water inlet of the upper water tank for supplying water to the upper water tank; The self-cleaning water pump is arranged between the upper water tank and the ice-making evaporator assembly, with its water inlet end connected to the water outlet of the upper water tank and its water supply end connected to the ice-making water inlet for supplying water to the ice-making cylinder; The controller is electrically connected to the upper and lower water tank circulating water pumps and the self-cleaning water pump, and is used to control the start or stop of water supply of the upper and lower water tank circulating water pumps and the self-cleaning water pump.

2. The ice making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The self-cleaning water pump is a DC low-voltage direct current pump, which is connected to the water outlet of the upper water tank through a water pump inlet pipeline and is connected to the ice making water inlet through a water pump outlet pipeline.

3. The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein: The self-cleaning water pump is controlled by the controller to enter an ice-making working mode and a self-cleaning working mode. In the ice-making working mode, the self-cleaning water pump does not work. In the self-cleaning working mode, the self-cleaning water pump drives the ice-making cylinder to supply high-pressure water.

4. The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein: The ice outlet end of the ice-making evaporator assembly is connected to a water reflux groove, and the water reflux groove is connected to the lower water tank.

5. The ice making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water inlet of the upper water tank is arranged at the upper part of the upper water tank, the water outlet of the upper water tank is arranged at the lower part of the upper water tank, and the water supply end of the upper and lower water tank circulating water pump is connected to the water inlet of the upper water tank through the upper and lower water tank circulating water pipes.

6. The ice making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper water tank is provided with a water level sensor for the controller to control the water supply in the ice making working mode and the self-cleaning working mode.

Images