Ice outlet assembly of ice maker and refrigeration equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of refrigeration, and provides an ice maker ice outlet assembly and refrigeration equipment, the ice maker ice outlet assembly comprises an ice outlet box and an ice outlet driving assembly, the ice outlet box is provided with an ice outlet channel, an inlet and an outlet, the inlet and the outlet are communicated with the ice outlet channel, the top of the ice outlet box is concaved inwards to form a wire protection groove, and a water outlet is formed in the wire protection groove. The water outlet is communicated with the ice outlet channel; the ice outlet driving assembly is provided with a wiring end, at least part of the wiring end is contained in the wire protection groove, and the ice outlet driving assembly is used for conveying ice blocks to the inlet. The ice outlet driving assembly is arranged at the top of the ice outlet box, and the wiring end of the ice outlet driving assembly is at least partially accommodated in the wire protection groove, so that the wiring end is prevented from facing the outside, and the risk that the wiring end is splashed by water is reduced. Meanwhile, the drainage port is formed in the wire protection groove and communicated with the ice outlet channel, and when accumulated water is generated in the wire protection groove, the accumulated water can flow into the ice outlet channel through the drainage port in time, so that the accumulated water is prevented from being in contact with the wiring terminal to cause damage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of refrigeration technology, and in particular to ice dispensing components and refrigeration equipment for ice makers. Background Technology

[0002] With the improvement of living standards, more and more families are using ice makers to make ice. In order to enable the ice maker to automatically output ice cubes, a motor is usually used to transport the ice cubes. In related technologies, during the installation of the ice dispensing motor, there is a risk that water may splash onto the base of the lead wire and seep into the motor due to movement during the production process or use. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the related art. To this end, this invention proposes an ice-dispensing assembly for an ice maker, designed to reduce the risk of the ice-dispensing drive assembly coming into contact with water.

[0004] This utility model also proposes a refrigeration device.

[0005] The ice dispensing assembly of the ice maker according to a first aspect of the present invention includes:

[0006] An ice dispensing box is provided with an ice dispensing channel and an inlet and an outlet connecting the ice dispensing channel. A cable protection groove is formed in the recessed top of the ice dispensing box, and a drain outlet is provided in the cable protection groove, which is connected to the ice dispensing channel.

[0007] An ice-discharging drive assembly is provided with a wiring terminal, which is at least partially accommodated in the cable guard groove. The ice-discharging drive assembly is used to transport ice blocks to the inlet.

[0008] According to an embodiment of this utility model, the ice dispensing assembly of an ice maker provides power to transport ice blocks via an ice dispensing drive assembly, conveying the ice blocks to the inlet of the ice dispensing channel, whereby the ice blocks are discharged from the outlet of the ice dispensing channel for user use. The ice dispensing drive assembly is installed on top of the ice dispensing box, and at least partially, the wiring terminals of the ice dispensing drive assembly are housed within a cable guard groove, preventing the wiring terminals from facing outwards and thus reducing the risk of water splashing onto them. Simultaneously, a drain outlet is provided in the cable guard groove to connect to the ice dispensing channel. When water accumulates in the cable guard groove, it can promptly flow into the ice dispensing channel through the drain outlet, preventing water from contacting the wiring terminals and causing damage.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the drain outlet is located on the bottom wall of the cable protection groove.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cable protection groove has a first inclined wall, and the drain outlet is located at the bottom of the first inclined wall.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cable tray has a second inclined wall, the second inclined wall is connected to the first inclined wall, and the drain outlet is located at the connection between the first inclined wall and the second inclined wall.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the drain outlet extends along the connecting edge of the first inclined wall and the second inclined wall, and its extension length is greater than or equal to 5 mm.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the ice outlet channel is provided with a first sidewall adjacent to the inlet, the first sidewall being inclined downward in the direction away from the inlet, and the first sidewall having a guide hole.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner wall of the guide hole is connected with a plurality of spaced-apart grid strips.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, each of the grid strips is recessed on the side facing the ice outlet channel to form a recessed space.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer wall of the ice dispenser is provided with a guide plate, which is located below the guide hole.

[0017] The refrigeration device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a body and the ice-discharging assembly of the ice maker described above, wherein the ice-discharging assembly is disposed on the body.

[0018] The refrigeration equipment according to the present utility model embodiment includes the ice dispensing component of the ice maker described above, and therefore has all the technical effects of the ice dispensing component of the ice maker described above, which will not be repeated here.

[0019] Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or related technologies, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the ice dispensing component of the ice maker provided in this embodiment of the utility model.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the ice dispensing component of the ice maker provided in this embodiment of the utility model.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the ice dispensing component of the ice maker provided in this embodiment of the utility model.

[0024] Figure label:

[0025] 1. Ice box; 11. Ice outlet channel; 112. First side wall; 1121. Flow guide hole; 113. Flow guide plate; 114. Grille bar; 1141. Recessed space; 12. Inlet; 13. Outlet; 16. Cable guard groove; 161. Drain outlet; 162. First inclined wall; 163. Second inclined wall; 2. Ice door; 3. Ice outlet drive assembly; 31. Motor; 311. Wiring terminal; 32. Screw auger. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The embodiments of this utility model will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this utility model.

[0027] In the description of the embodiments of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this utility model 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 utility model. 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.

[0028] In the description of the embodiments of this utility model, 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 utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0029] In this embodiment of the utility model, unless otherwise explicitly 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.

[0030] 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 present invention. 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.

[0031] Please refer to the reference. Figures 1 to 3 According to the first aspect of the present invention, the ice dispensing assembly of the ice maker includes an ice dispensing box 1 and an ice dispensing drive assembly 3. The ice dispensing box 1 is provided with an ice dispensing channel 11 and an inlet 12 and an outlet 13 communicating with the ice dispensing channel 11. The top of the ice dispensing box 1 is recessed to form a cable guarding groove 16, and a drain outlet 161 is provided in the cable guarding groove 16, which is connected to the ice dispensing channel 11. The ice dispensing drive assembly 3 is provided with a terminal 311, which is at least partially accommodated in the cable guarding groove 16. The ice dispensing drive assembly 3 is used to convey ice blocks to the inlet 12.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ice dispensing assembly of the ice maker provides power to the ice block conveying via the ice dispensing drive assembly 3, thereby conveying the ice block to the inlet 12 of the ice dispensing channel 11, whereby the ice block is discharged from the outlet 13 of the ice dispensing channel 11 for user use. The ice dispensing drive assembly 3 is installed on the top of the ice dispensing box 1, and the wiring terminal 311 of the ice dispensing drive assembly 3 is at least partially accommodated in the cable protection groove 16, preventing the wiring terminal 311 from facing outward, thereby reducing the risk of the wiring terminal 311 being splashed by water. At the same time, a drain outlet 161 is provided in the cable protection groove 16 to connect to the ice dispensing channel 11. When water accumulates in the cable protection groove 16, the water can flow into the ice dispensing channel 11 in a timely manner through the drain outlet 161, preventing the water from contacting the wiring terminal 311 and causing damage.

[0033] For example, the ice dispensing box 1 includes an upper box and a lower box, which are connected to form an ice dispensing channel 11. The connection between the two can be a snap-fit ​​connection or a threaded connection, which are detachable connections to facilitate easy assembly and disassembly, and to facilitate subsequent maintenance or replacement. It is understood that the inlet 12 can be formed by the upper and lower boxes, with the inlet 12 facing the side of the ice dispensing box 1. When the ice dispensing box 1 is connected to the body of the ice maker, ice blocks can be conveyed from the ice storage area on the side of the ice dispensing box 1 to the inlet 12. That is, the ice dispensing drive assembly 3 is installed in the upper box, and its output end faces the opening of the inlet 12, so as to convey the ice blocks located in the ice storage area on the side to the inlet 12. Optionally, the ice dispensing drive assembly 3 includes a motor 31 and an auger 32. The motor 31 is mounted on the upper box, and the auger 32 is mounted on the output end of the motor 31. The auger 32 extends to the side of the ice dispensing box 1 to reach the ice storage area. The motor 31 drives the auger 32 to rotate, thereby realizing the conveying of ice blocks. Of course, the motor 31 can also be a rotary cylinder or other drive component.

[0034] Understandably, the wiring terminal 311 of the ice dispensing drive assembly 3 faces the ice dispensing box 1, for example, downwards, so that it is partially accommodated within the cable protection groove 16, which can prevent splashing to a certain extent. Optionally, there is a certain gap between the wiring terminal 311 and the inner wall of the cable protection groove 16 to accommodate the wires connected to the ice dispensing drive assembly 3, which facilitates installation. Since the ice blocks conveyed in the ice dispensing channel 11 are relatively cold, the inner wall of the cable protection groove 16 is relatively warm on the outside and may produce condensation. This condensation can flow into the ice dispensing channel 11 through the drain port 161, preventing condensation from accumulating in the cable protection groove 16.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a drain outlet 161 is located on the bottom wall of the cable protection trough 16. It is understood that the drain outlet 161 being located at the bottom facilitates the drainage of water from the cable protection trough 16. The bottom of the cable protection trough 16 can be a conical structure to collect accumulated water at the drain outlet 161 for easy drainage. Alternatively, the bottom wall of the cable protection trough 16 can also be a sloping structure, allowing accumulated water to flow along the slope towards the drain outlet 161, thereby improving drainage efficiency.

[0036] like Figure 3 As shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the cable tray 16 has a first inclined wall 162, and a drain outlet 161 is located at the bottom of the first inclined wall 162. It can be understood that the first inclined wall 162 extends outwardly from the bottom of the cable tray 16 to facilitate the connection of the wiring terminal 311 to an external device. Simultaneously, water accumulated on the first inclined wall 162 easily flows downwards to the drain outlet 161 at the bottom, facilitating drainage.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cable tray 16 has a second inclined wall 163, which is connected to a first inclined wall 162. A drain outlet 161 is located at the connection between the first inclined wall 162 and the second inclined wall 163. It is understood that the first inclined wall 162 and the second inclined wall 163 are arranged at an angle, for example, they are connected at a right angle, and the connection point is the lowest point. Thus, water accumulated by the first inclined wall 162 and the second inclined wall 163 can flow to the drain outlet 161, thereby promptly draining the water.

[0038] According to one embodiment of this utility model, the drain outlet 161 extends along the connecting edge of the first inclined wall 162 and the second inclined wall 163, and its extension length is greater than or equal to 5mm. It is understood that the connection between the first inclined wall 162 and the second inclined wall 163 is an edge connection. Through holes can be formed on both the first inclined wall 162 and the second inclined wall 163. The through holes on the first inclined wall 162 and the second inclined wall 163 are connected to form the drain outlet 161. The drain outlet 161 can extend along the connecting edge to ensure smooth drainage. The size of the drain outlet 161 should be appropriate. For example, if the drain outlet 161 is a square hole, its side length can be 5mm, or it can be 6mm, 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, or 10mm, etc. In one embodiment, the shortest side of the drain outlet 161 is 5mm to ensure drainage efficiency.

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the ice outlet channel 11 is provided with a first sidewall 112 adjacent to the inlet 12. The first sidewall 112 is inclined downward in the direction away from the inlet 12, and the first sidewall 112 is provided with a guide hole 1121.

[0040] Understandably, when a user needs ice, the ice in the ice storage area is discharged into the ice outlet channel 11 of the ice outlet box 1, allowing ice to be dispensed through the channel 11. When the ice produces melted water or ice shavings that enter the ice outlet channel 11, the melted water and ice shavings can flow along the first side wall 112 into the guide hole 1121, thus flowing back into the interior of the machine and preventing water droplets from falling to the outside. The guide hole 1121 is small in size, preventing ice from entering it and allowing for normal discharge. This prevents melted water from dripping onto the table or floor, improving the user experience. Understandably, the drain outlet 161 can be located above the guide hole 1121, or water droplets from the drain outlet 161 can fall onto the first side wall 112 and flow into the guide hole 1121.

[0041] In this embodiment, the ice outlet channel 11 can extend vertically. For example, the inlet 12 of the ice outlet channel 11 is located in the upper half of the ice outlet box 1, while the outlet 13 is located in the lower half of the ice outlet box 1, so that ice blocks fall from above, facilitating the collection of ice blocks from below the ice outlet box 1. When melted ice flows down the first side wall 112 of the ice outlet channel 11, it needs to flow through the guide hole 1121, so that it will not flow to the outside through the ice outlet channel 11. For example, an ice door 2 is provided at the entrance 12 of the ice outlet channel 11. The ice door 2 is used to control the connection between the ice outlet channel 11 and the ice storage area. The ice door 2 can be rotatably connected to the ice outlet box 1. When the ice door 2 is rotated to block the entrance 12 of the ice outlet channel 11, the ice blocks in the ice storage area are blocked by the ice door 2 and will not enter the ice outlet channel 11. At this time, the ice door 2 can also prevent ice slag and melted water generated by the ice blocks from entering the ice outlet channel 11, thereby effectively reducing the amount of ice slag and melted water dripping from the ice outlet channel 11 to the outside. It is understandable that even if a very small amount of melted water enters the ice outlet channel 11 through the gap of the ice door 2, it will be guided back into the machine body by the guide hole 1121. The ice door 2 blocks ice slag, which can effectively reduce the amount of melted water entering the ice outlet channel 11, thereby reducing the drainage pressure at the guide hole 1121 and preventing water from dripping onto the table or ground outside due to the untimely drainage of the guide hole 1121.

[0042] For example, the guide hole 1121 can be an elongated hole to prevent ice from getting stuck inside. The guide hole 1121 extends laterally to fully cover the area through which the melted ice water may flow. Of course, in one embodiment, the guide hole 1121 can also be arranged to surround the ice outlet channel 11, and a corresponding guide channel can be provided on the ice outlet box 1 to guide the water at the guide hole 1121 to the inside of the machine.

[0043] Exemplary and understandable, ice blocks slide down the first sidewall 112, allowing the guide holes 1121 on the first sidewall 112 to collect the melted ice water. The first sidewall 112 is sloped to prevent the ice blocks from falling too quickly from the ice outlet channel 11, thus acting as a buffer. At the same time, it also prevents melted ice water from dripping at the inlet 12 of the ice outlet channel 11 without contacting the inner wall of the ice outlet channel 11, which would prevent the guide holes 1121 from failing to collect the directly dripping melted ice water.

[0044] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner wall of the guide hole 1121 is connected with a plurality of spaced grid strips 114.

[0045] Understandably, multiple grid strips 114 are arranged at lateral intervals along the guide hole 1121 to prevent normal-sized ice cubes from getting stuck in the guide hole 1121 and to ensure that melted ice water can pass through the guide hole 1121. Multiple grid strips 114 can be set within the guide hole 1121 to form a screening grid, screening the ice cubes. This allows ice slag to flow back through the guide hole 1121, preventing excessive ice slag from being present in the ice cubes received by the user, thus improving the user experience. For example, each grid strip 114 extends vertically, and the connection position of the grid strip 114 should be concave, i.e., with the first sidewall 112 as the reference plane, the grid strip 114 is located below this reference plane, preventing the grid strip 114 from being flush with the first sidewall 112, thereby preventing melted ice water from flowing down from the grid strip 114 without flowing back through the guide hole 1121.

[0046] Please refer to the reference. Figure 2 and Figure 3 According to one embodiment of the present invention, each grid bar 114 is recessed on the side facing the ice outlet channel 11 to form a recessed space 1141. Exemplarily, the grid bar 114 has a curved arc structure, and the formed recessed space 1141 is used to accommodate small ice cubes or ice shavings. After melting, these can flow back into the machine body through the guide hole 1121 for recycling or centralized processing, thus preventing excessive backflow of small ice cubes or ice shavings into the machine body and causing accumulation. The melting of small ice cubes and ice shavings in the recessed space 1141 facilitates drainage from the inside of the machine body.

[0047] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer wall of the ice box is provided with a guide plate 113, which is located below the guide hole 1121.

[0048] Understandably, after the melted ice water flows out through the guide hole 1121, it will drip from below the guide hole 1121. To ensure that the water flows to the designated area, the guide plate 113 collects the water flowing through the guide hole 1121 and guides it to the designated area for centralized drainage treatment. For example, the guide plate 113 is connected to the outer wall of the ice box 1. The guide plate 113 can be inclined to allow the water to flow naturally. For example, a water receiving trough or box can be provided at the end of the guide plate 113 to prevent water from flowing towards live parts and causing damage. Optionally, baffles are provided on both sides of the guide plate 113 to prevent water from flowing out from the sides of the guide plate 113; that is, water can only flow out from the end of the guide plate 113, thus flowing to the designated area. Optionally, the connection between the flow guide plate 113 and the ice box 1 can be by bonding, welding, snap-fitting or threaded connection. Of course, in other embodiments, the flow guide plate 113 and the ice box 1 can also be integrally formed, which is not limited here.

[0049] The refrigeration device according to a second aspect embodiment of the present invention includes a body and the aforementioned ice-making ice-dispensing assembly, wherein the ice-making ice-dispensing assembly is disposed on the body. It is understood that the refrigeration device can be an entire ice maker or a refrigerator, freezer, etc., with an ice-making function, and is not limited thereto.

[0050] The refrigeration equipment according to the present utility model embodiment includes the ice dispensing component of the ice maker described above, and therefore has all the technical effects of the ice dispensing component of the ice maker described above, which will not be repeated here.

[0051] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention 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 the present invention do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention and should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ice dispensing component for an ice maker, characterized in that, include: An ice dispensing box is provided with an ice dispensing channel and an inlet and an outlet connecting the ice dispensing channel. A cable protection groove is formed in the recessed top of the ice dispensing box, and a drain outlet is provided in the cable protection groove, which is connected to the ice dispensing channel. An ice-discharging drive assembly is provided with a terminal, which is at least partially accommodated in the cable guard groove. The ice-discharging drive assembly is used to transport ice blocks to the inlet.

2. The ice dispensing assembly of the ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drain outlet is located on the bottom wall of the cable protection groove.

3. The ice dispensing assembly of the ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cable protection groove has a first inclined wall, and the drain outlet is located at the bottom of the first inclined wall.

4. The ice dispensing assembly of the ice maker according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cable tray has a second inclined wall, which is connected to the first inclined wall, and the drain outlet is located at the connection between the first inclined wall and the second inclined wall.

5. The ice dispensing assembly of the ice maker according to claim 4, characterized in that, The drain outlet extends along the connecting edge of the first inclined wall and the second inclined wall, and its extension length is greater than or equal to 5 mm.

6. The ice dispensing assembly of the ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The ice outlet channel is provided with a first sidewall adjacent to the inlet. The first sidewall is inclined downward in the direction away from the inlet and has a flow guide hole.

7. The ice dispensing assembly of the ice maker according to claim 6, characterized in that, The inner wall of the flow guide hole is connected with multiple spaced grid strips.

8. The ice dispensing assembly of the ice maker according to claim 7, characterized in that, Each of the grid bars is recessed on the side facing the ice outlet channel to form a recessed space.

9. The ice dispensing assembly of the ice maker according to claim 6, characterized in that, The outer wall of the ice dispenser is provided with a flow guide plate, which is located below the flow guide hole.

10. A refrigeration device, characterized in that, It includes a body and an ice-dispensing assembly for an ice maker as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the ice-dispensing assembly is disposed on the body.

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