Ice making device and refrigerator
By using displacement sensors and flipping mechanisms in the refrigerator's ice-making device, the problem of the temperature sensor's inability to accurately sense the temperature of the ice cubes is solved, high-quality forming and convenient storage of ice cubes are achieved, and the integrity and usage experience of the ice cubes are improved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422771470.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-13
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-28
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-11-13
AI Technical Summary
Existing refrigerator ice-making devices use temperature sensors to monitor the ice-making process, but are unable to accurately sense the actual temperature of the ice cubes, resulting in problems such as unfrozen ice cubes and water overflow, which affects the quality of the ice cubes.
A displacement sensor is used to detect the liquid level and ice level in the ice making tray. Combined with a flip mechanism and temperature sensor, it ensures that the ice cubes are fully formed before being defrosted. It also includes a water injection mechanism to control the water volume and a flip mechanism to facilitate ice storage.
The molding quality of ice cubes is improved, the phenomenon of unfrozen ice and water overflow is avoided, the operation process is simplified, and the integrity and ease of use of ice cubes are ensured.
Smart Images
Figure CN223484595U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application belongs to the field of ice-making technology, and in particular relates to an ice-making device and a refrigerator. Background Technology
[0002] Most existing ice makers in refrigerators use temperature sensors to monitor the ice-making process. By observing temperature changes, the sensors can determine whether ice making is complete. However, this technology currently only detects the temperature of the ice tray and cannot fully perceive the actual temperature of the ice cubes. This can lead to errors in temperature readings, causing the ice tray to prematurely release the ice before the ice is fully formed or when moisture is still inside. This results in the ice not being completely frozen, and may even cause water to spill out, compromising the quality of the ice. Utility Model Content
[0003] This application provides an ice-making device and a refrigerator to solve the problem of poor ice-making quality in existing ice-making devices.
[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an ice-making apparatus, comprising:
[0005] An ice maker includes at least one ice tray, the ice tray having a receiving cavity;
[0006] A displacement sensor is positioned above the ice-making container to detect the liquid level and ice level within the containment cavity.
[0007] In some embodiments of this application, the ice-making device further includes a water injection mechanism for injecting water into the receiving cavity, and the water injection mechanism is configured to stop injecting water after the liquid level in the receiving cavity reaches a first preset height.
[0008] In some embodiments of this application, the ice-making device further includes a flipping mechanism and an ice storage box. The ice storage box is disposed below the ice-making box. The flipping mechanism is configured to control the ice-making box to flip after the ice level in the receiving cavity reaches a second preset height, so as to pour the ice in the receiving cavity into the ice storage box.
[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the displacement sensor is configured to turn on at preset intervals;
[0010] Alternatively, the ice-making device may also be equipped with a temperature sensor for detecting the current temperature of the ice grid, and the displacement sensor may be configured to activate after the current temperature reaches a preset temperature.
[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the number of displacement sensors is multiple, and the multiple displacement sensors correspond to different ice grid settings.
[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the ice-making device is further provided with a horizontal drive mechanism, which is connected to the displacement sensor and is used to drive the displacement sensor to move in the horizontal direction to detect the liquid level height and ice level height of different ice grids.
[0013] In some embodiments of this application, multiple ice trays are arranged in multiple rows along a first direction and in multiple columns along a second direction. The horizontal drive mechanism includes a first drive component and a second drive component. The first drive component is used to drive the displacement sensor to move along the first direction, and the second drive component is used to drive the displacement sensor to move along the second direction.
[0014] In some embodiments of this application, the cross-sectional area of the ice tray gradually increases along the height direction from the bottom of the ice tray to the top of the ice box.
[0015] In some embodiments of this application, the displacement sensor is a laser displacement sensor or an ultrasonic displacement sensor.
[0016] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a refrigerator, the refrigerator including an ice-making device as described in any of the above claims.
[0017] The ice-making device provided in this application includes an ice-making box and a displacement sensor. The ice-making box includes at least one ice-making grid with a receiving cavity. The displacement sensor is disposed above the ice-making box and is used to detect the liquid level and ice level in the receiving cavity. Since the volume of water changes during the ice-making process, a certain volume of water will expand to another relatively stable volume after it is completely made into ice. By setting the displacement sensor to monitor the changes in liquid level and ice level during the ice-making process, when the ice block reaches a preset height, it indicates that the ice block has been formed. This can effectively prevent the ice block from falling off before it is fully formed, ensuring the quality of the ice block.
[0018] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the description below, and in part will become obvious from the description below, or will be learned through practice of the present application. Attached Figure Description
[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0020] To gain a more complete understanding of this application and its beneficial effects, the following description will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals denote the same parts.
[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an ice-making device provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0022] Figure 2 This is another schematic diagram of the ice-making apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application.
[0023] Figure 3 This is a top view of an ice-making container provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0024] Figure 4 A side view of an ice-making container provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the ice-making process of the ice-making apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application.
[0026] Figure label:
[0027] 100. Ice container; 110. Ice tray; 111. Receiving cavity; 200. Displacement sensor; 300. Tilting mechanism; 400. Ice storage container. Detailed Implementation
[0028] The embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate this application, but should not be used to limit the scope of this application.
[0029] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0030] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0031] In the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0032] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the embodiments of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.
[0033] Current ice makers in refrigerators primarily rely on temperature sensors to monitor the ice-making process, but this method has some limitations. Because temperature sensors typically only monitor the overall temperature of the ice tray and cannot accurately sense the actual temperature of the ice cubes, this can lead to the following problems:
[0034] Temperature error: The sensor measures the surface temperature of the ice tray, while unfrozen water may still be present inside the ice. In this case, the temperature sensor may prematurely determine that the ice has already solidified, causing it to begin unfreezing before it is fully frozen.
[0035] Residual moisture: Because the ice cubes were not fully frozen, moisture remains inside, which affects the overall quality and solidity of the ice cubes and may make them more prone to breakage during use.
[0036] Overflowing issue: If there is still unfrozen water in the ice during the defrosting process, it may cause overflowing, which may cause potential water damage to the inside of the refrigerator and increase the amount of cleaning work.
[0037] This application provides an ice-making device and a refrigerator to solve the problem of poor ice-making quality in existing ice-making devices. The following description is in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0038] The ice-making device provided in this application embodiment can be applied to refrigerators. For example, the refrigerator can be a single-door refrigerator, a double-door refrigerator, or a three-door refrigerator.
[0039] To more clearly explain the structure of the ice-making device, the following will be combined with the attached diagram. Figure 1-5 The ice-making equipment will be introduced.
[0040] For example, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The ice-making device includes an ice-making box 100 and a displacement sensor 200. The ice-making box 100 includes at least one ice-making grid 110, which forms a receiving cavity 111. The displacement sensor 200 is disposed above the ice-making box 100 and is used to detect the liquid level and ice level in the receiving cavity 111.
[0041] For example, the ice box 100 may be provided with one or more ice trays 110. Usually, in order to improve ice making efficiency, the ice box 100 is provided with multiple ice trays 110. The multiple ice trays 110 are evenly arranged at a certain interval. Each ice tray 110 forms an independent receiving cavity 111, which is used to hold water and form ice.
[0042] Optionally, the cross-section of the ice tray 110 can be set to different shapes, such as square, rectangle or circle, to meet different needs of ice production.
[0043] In one alternative implementation, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the cross-sectional area of the ice tray 110 gradually increases from the bottom to the top of the ice container 100 along the height direction. That is, the bottom cross-sectional area of the ice tray 110 is smaller, while the top cross-sectional area gradually increases, facilitating the removal of ice cubes when the ice container 100 is tilted. Users can easily remove the ice cubes without applying extra force or using tools, avoiding damage to the ice tray 110. Furthermore, the inner wall of the ice tray 110 can be treated with a smooth finish to reduce friction between the ice cubes and the ice tray 110, further facilitating ice removal.
[0044] The displacement sensor 200 is positioned above the ice container 100 and can vertically measure the liquid level and ice level within the receiving cavity 111. In an optional embodiment, the displacement sensor 200 can be a laser displacement sensor or an ultrasonic displacement sensor. The laser displacement sensor uses a laser beam to measure the distance between the object surface and the sensor, offering high precision and non-contact measurement capabilities, thus improving measurement accuracy.
[0045] In an optional embodiment, the ice-making device further includes a water injection mechanism (not shown) for injecting water into the receiving cavity 111, and the water injection mechanism is configured to stop injecting water after the liquid level in the receiving cavity 111 reaches a first preset height.
[0046] In this embodiment, the water injection mechanism is designed to automatically inject water into the receiving cavity 111 after receiving an ice-making command. Users only need to connect a water source to the injection mechanism; manual water addition is unnecessary, thus simplifying the operation. When the displacement sensor 200 detects that the liquid level in the receiving cavity 111 has reached a first preset height, the water injection mechanism automatically stops working, ensuring an appropriate amount of water is added and preventing overflow or insufficient water injection. Simultaneously, the first preset height affects the height of the ice surface after complete ice formation; the higher the first preset height is set, the higher the ice surface height after complete ice formation.
[0047] In one alternative implementation, refer to Figure 2 As shown, the ice-making device also includes a flipping mechanism 300 and an ice storage box 400. The ice storage box 400 is located below the ice-making box 100. The flipping mechanism 300 is configured to control the ice-making box 100 to flip after the ice level in the receiving cavity 111 reaches a second preset height, so as to pour the ice in the receiving cavity 111 into the ice storage box 400.
[0048] In this embodiment, the second preset height is related to the first preset height. The second preset height can be determined based on the first preset height, the shape of the ice grid 110, and the volume expansion coefficient of water when it freezes.
[0049] When the displacement sensor 200 detects that the ice surface height in the receiving cavity 111 has reached the second preset height, it indicates that the water in the receiving cavity 111 has been completely frozen. At this time, the flipping mechanism 300 is activated and drives the ice box 100 to flip, thereby pouring the ice cubes in the ice grid 110 into the ice storage box 400 below to store the ice cubes and free up the receiving cavity 111 for the next ice-making process, without the need for manual operation by the user.
[0050] Typically, it may take 1-2 hours for water to form ice. In an optional implementation, the displacement sensor 200 is configured to turn on at preset intervals, such as every 10 or 15 minutes. This allows the displacement sensor 200 to periodically detect the state of the ice blocks in the ice tray 110, ensuring timely understanding of the ice forming process. Through timed detection, the displacement sensor 200 can identify whether the ice blocks have completed forming, thereby determining whether the flipping mechanism 300 needs to be activated to flip and remove the ice.
[0051] In an optional embodiment, the ice-making device is further provided with a temperature sensor for detecting the current temperature of the ice tray 110, and a displacement sensor 200 is configured to activate after the current temperature reaches a preset temperature. The activation of the displacement sensor 200 can also be combined with feedback from the temperature sensor. The displacement sensor 200 is only activated after the current temperature reaches the preset temperature (e.g., 0°C or -5°C), ensuring that detection is performed after the ice may be completely frozen, thus improving detection efficiency.
[0052] By using a control method that allows the displacement sensor 200 to be activated intermittently or only after the temperature drops to a preset temperature, unnecessary power consumption can be avoided, thus saving energy.
[0053] In one optional embodiment, there are multiple displacement sensors 200, each corresponding to a different ice tray 110. For example, there can be two, three, or more displacement sensors 200, which can also be spaced out in the middle and corners of the ice container 100. This ensures that the water in the ice trays 110 at different locations on the ice container 100 is completely frozen before being flipped and unfrozen, avoiding inconsistent ice quality due to unfrozen areas and improving ice quality.
[0054] In an optional embodiment, the ice-making device is further provided with a horizontal drive mechanism (not shown in the figure), which is connected to the displacement sensor 200 and is used to drive the displacement sensor 200 to move in the horizontal direction to detect the liquid level height and ice level height of different ice grids 110.
[0055] Alternatively, an electric motor or electric motor can be used to move the sensor laterally on a horizontal plane, thereby enabling rapid switching and measurement between different ice trays 110. The displacement sensor 200 can measure each ice tray 110 individually, ensuring accurate feedback on the liquid level or ice state of each ice tray 110. Compared to setting multiple displacement sensors 200, the mobile sensor design can reduce equipment costs and improve the detection accuracy of ice forming.
[0056] For example, the drive structure of the horizontal drive mechanism can be a ball screw, an electric linear actuator, or a rack and pinion drive. The ball screw has the characteristics of high precision, high efficiency, and low friction, and can achieve precise positioning. The electric linear actuator is a device that converts the rotational motion of a motor into linear motion, and has the advantages of simple structure, convenient installation, and small space occupation. The rack and pinion transmission system has the characteristics of simple structure, large load capacity, and high transmission accuracy. The specific choice can be made according to actual needs, and this embodiment does not make specific limitations.
[0057] In one alternative implementation, refer to Figure 3 As shown, multiple ice trays 110 are arranged in multiple rows along a first direction and in multiple columns along a second direction. The horizontal drive mechanism includes a first drive assembly and a second drive assembly. The first drive assembly is used to drive the displacement sensor 200 to move along the first direction, and the second drive assembly is used to drive the displacement sensor 200 to move along the second direction.
[0058] In this embodiment, the displacement sensor 200, under the coordinated action of two drive components, can move two-dimensionally within the ice tray 110, covering the liquid and ice levels of each ice tray 110. For example, when detecting the ice-making status of the ice tray 110, the first drive component moves the displacement sensor 200 to the target row, and then the second drive component moves the displacement sensor 200 to the target column, completing the detection of that ice tray 110. This method ensures comprehensive and detailed detection, reducing the risk of missed detections.
[0059] For example, the first direction and the second direction can be perpendicular to each other, or the first direction and the second direction can form other angles. This embodiment does not specifically limit this.
[0060] In one specific implementation, the control flow of the ice-making device is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, after receiving the ice-making command, the computer board controls the water valve of the water injection mechanism to start injecting water into the ice grid 110. When the displacement sensor 200 detects the presence of an object at position 1 (first preset height), it controls the water injection mechanism to stop injecting water and controls the displacement sensor 200 to detect the displacement change of the object in the ice grid 110 every 10 minutes. When an object is detected at position 2 (second preset height), it means that all the water in the ice grid 110 has been frozen. At this time, the flipping motor drills in and flips the ice grid 110 to complete the ice-making process.
[0061] The ice-making apparatus provided in this application includes an ice-making box 100 and a displacement sensor 200. The ice-making box 100 includes at least one ice-making grid 110, which forms a receiving cavity 111. The displacement sensor 200 is disposed above the ice-making box 100 and is used to detect the liquid level and ice level in the receiving cavity 111. Since the volume of water changes during the ice-making process, a certain volume of water will expand to another relatively stable volume after it is completely made into ice. By setting the displacement sensor to monitor the changes in the liquid level and ice level during the ice-making process, when the ice block reaches the preset height, it indicates that the ice block has been formed. This can effectively prevent the ice block from falling off before it is fully formed, thus ensuring the quality of the ice block.
[0062] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a refrigerator, which includes an ice-making device as described above.
[0063] For example, the refrigerator can be a direct-cooling refrigerator or a frost-free refrigerator. The refrigerator in this embodiment can be equipped with a freezer compartment. The temperature of the freezer compartment is adjustable and can operate at -18°C or lower to meet ice-making and refrigeration needs. The ice-making device is placed in the freezer compartment. Utilizing the cold air inside the freezer compartment, the cold air is guided to the ice-making device via a fan or natural convection to make ice from the water in the ice tray 110, ensuring fast and efficient ice making. The displacement sensor 200 can be installed on the refrigerator body, and the displacement sensor 200 is located above the ice tray 100. The ice-making device can be set to make ice for a specific time and quantity as needed and operate automatically, sending a notification message to the user after ice making is complete.
[0064] It is understood that since the ice-making device has the beneficial effects of the above embodiments, the refrigerator will have the corresponding beneficial effects of the above embodiments. The specific implementation method can be referred to the above embodiments, and this embodiment will not repeat the details.
[0065] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.
[0066] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate this application and are not intended to limit this application. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that various combinations, modifications, or equivalent substitutions of the technical solutions of this application do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this application and should all be covered within the protection scope of this application.
Claims
1. An ice-making device, characterized in that, include: An ice maker (100) includes at least one ice tray (110) having a receiving cavity (111); A displacement sensor (200) is disposed above the ice container (100) for detecting the liquid level and ice level in the receiving cavity (111).
2. The ice-making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice-making device further includes a water injection mechanism for injecting water into the receiving cavity (111), and the water injection mechanism is configured to stop injecting water after the liquid level in the receiving cavity (111) reaches a first preset height.
3. The ice-making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice-making device further includes a flipping mechanism (300) and an ice storage box (400). The ice storage box (400) is located below the ice-making box (100). The flipping mechanism (300) is configured to control the ice-making box (100) to flip after the ice level in the receiving cavity (111) reaches a second preset height, so as to pour the ice in the receiving cavity (111) into the ice storage box (400).
4. The ice-making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The displacement sensor (200) is configured to turn on at preset intervals; Alternatively, the ice-making device may also be equipped with a temperature sensor for detecting the current temperature of the ice grid (110), and the displacement sensor (200) may be configured to turn on after the current temperature reaches a preset temperature.
5. The ice-making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of displacement sensors (200) is multiple, and the multiple displacement sensors (200) are set to different ice grids (110).
6. The ice-making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice-making device is also provided with a horizontal drive mechanism, which is connected to the displacement sensor (200) and is used to drive the displacement sensor (200) to move in the horizontal direction to detect the liquid level height and ice level height of different ice grids (110).
7. The ice-making apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The ice trays (110) are arranged in multiple rows along a first direction and in multiple columns along a second direction. The horizontal drive mechanism includes a first drive component and a second drive component. The first drive component is used to drive the displacement sensor (200) to move along the first direction, and the second drive component is used to drive the displacement sensor (200) to move along the second direction.
8. The ice-making apparatus according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, Along the height direction from the bottom of the ice tray (110) to the top of the ice box (100), the cross-sectional area of the ice tray (110) gradually increases.
9. The ice-making apparatus according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The displacement sensor (200) is a laser displacement sensor (200) or an ultrasonic displacement sensor (200).
10. A refrigerator, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes an ice-making device as described in any one of claims 1-9.