Ice maker
By dividing the ice maker into an ice-making module and a water supply module, and achieving a compact layout through connecting brackets, the problems of single function and unclear structure of ice makers are solved, realizing an ice maker with compact design and diversified functions.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422946744.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-02
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-11-29
AI Technical Summary
Existing ice makers have limited functionality, and the unreasonable layout of new functions results in a large overall size, unclear structure, and difficulty in design.
The ice maker is divided into an ice-making module and a water supply module. The water supply module is placed on one side of the ice-making module by a connecting bracket, realizing a modular design. The base is shared and the distance is shortened, reducing the overall size. The compact layout of the water supply module and the ice-making module improves the efficiency of disassembly and maintenance.
This design achieves a compact structure and diverse functions in the ice maker, improves user experience and disassembly/maintenance efficiency, and reduces space occupancy.
Smart Images

Figure CN223755621U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ice making equipment, and particularly relates to an ice maker. BACKGROUND
[0002] With the improvement of people's living standards, whether it is a household ice maker or a commercial ice maker, the use purpose and range are continuously expanding. The ice maker is a machine device for making ice blocks, mainly based on the circulation of refrigerant and the freezing process of water.
[0003] In the related art, the function of the ice maker is relatively single, and when adding a function, the newly added structure layout is relatively unreasonable, resulting in that the overall size of the ice maker is large, it is difficult to design, and the structure is not clear. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL
[0004] The embodiment of the present application provides an ice maker which can improve the structural compactness of the ice maker.
[0005] The ice maker provided by the embodiment of the present application comprises:
[0006] A shell comprising a base and a connecting support arranged on the base;
[0007] An ice making module for making ice, connected to the base, and the connecting support is located on one side of the ice making module; and
[0008] A water supply module for supplying water to the ice making module and providing drinking water, installed on the connecting support, so that the water supply module and the ice making module are arranged side by side.
[0009] In an embodiment, the water supply module comprises:
[0010] A water supply pipeline for connecting a water source to supply water to the ice making module; and
[0011] A drinking water pipeline connected to the water supply pipeline, comprising a drinking water pipe and a water outlet valve arranged on the drinking water pipe, the drinking water pipe having a water outlet, and the water outlet valve being used to control the on-off of the drinking water pipe.
[0012] In an embodiment, the water supply module further comprises:
[0013] A filtering device arranged on the water supply pipeline for filtering water flowing through the filtering device;
[0014] A mounting groove is arranged on the side of the connecting support, the filtering device is mounted in the mounting groove, and the shell further comprises a first cover plate which is detachably connected to the connecting support and covers the slot opening of the mounting groove.
[0015] In an embodiment, the connecting support comprises:
[0016] a main support connected to the base and provided with the mounting slot; and
[0017] a water outlet support connected to a top of the main support and extending forward from the main support to form a water outlet portion, the water outlet valve being installed in the water outlet portion, and the water outlet being exposed from the water outlet portion.
[0018] In an embodiment, the water outlet is disposed with an opening facing downward; and / or,
[0019] the water outlet portion is provided with a water outlet button, the water outlet button being connected to the water outlet valve and configured to cause the water outlet to discharge water when the water outlet button is pressed; and / or,
[0020] The ice maker further comprises a water receiving box connected to the base and disposed opposite to the water outlet portion in the up-down direction.
[0021] In an embodiment, the ice maker further comprises:
[0022] a pressure reducing valve disposed on the water supply pipeline and located on an upstream side of the filter device, the pressure reducing valve being connected to a side of the connecting support facing the ice making module.
[0023] In an embodiment, the ice making module comprises:
[0024] an ice making pipeline in communication with the water supply module, comprising an inner container and an ice making water box disposed in the inner container, water in the inner container being able to flow into the ice making water box; and
[0025] a refrigeration system installed in the shell and partially located in the ice making water box to exchange heat with water in the ice making water box to make ice;
[0026] a portion of the inner container and a portion of the refrigeration system are stacked in the up-down direction.
[0027] In an embodiment, the inner container comprises a water storage cavity and an ice making cavity, the ice making water box being located in the ice making cavity, and water in the water storage cavity being able to flow into the ice making water box;
[0028] wherein a bottom of the ice making cavity is spaced apart from the base, and the portion of the refrigeration system is located between the bottom of the ice making cavity and the base.
[0029] In an embodiment, the refrigeration system comprises:
[0030] a compressor;
[0031] The heat exchange assembly comprises a condenser and an evaporator, the compressor, the evaporator and the condenser are sequentially communicated, the compressor and the condenser are arranged between the bottom of the ice making cavity and the base, and the evaporator is located in the ice making water box.
[0032] In an embodiment, the condenser is arranged at the side of the compressor, the shell further comprises a second cover body connected to the base, the second cover body is provided with an air inlet grille arranged opposite to the condenser, and the heat exchange assembly further comprises a fan, the fan is connected to the second cover body and located at the side of the air inlet grille facing the condenser.
[0033] In an embodiment, a heat insulation plate is arranged between the bottom of the ice making cavity and the compressor; and / or,
[0034] The water storage cavity is arranged side by side with the compressor in front and back; and / or,
[0035] The ice maker further comprises a heat preservation member, and the heat preservation member covers at least part of the outer wall surface of the inner container.
[0036] In an embodiment, the shell further comprises:
[0037] A front shell connected to the connecting support, used for shielding the front side of the water supply module and the ice making module; and
[0038] A rear shell connected to the connecting support, used for shielding the rear side of the water supply module and the ice making module.
[0039] At least one of the front shell and the rear shell is an integral component.
[0040] In an embodiment, the rear shell is provided with an air outlet grille corresponding to part of the ice making module; and / or,
[0041] The water supply module comprises a water supply connector used for connecting an external water source, the water supply connector is connected to the rear shell and partially exposed outside the rear shell.
[0042] Based on the above embodiments, in the embodiments of the present application, by dividing some structures of the ice maker into the ice making module and the water supply module, the modular design of the ice maker is realized, and the structure is clearer and more explicit; at the same time, the ice making module and the water supply module share the base, and the water supply module is arranged at the side of the ice making module through the connecting support, the distance between the water supply module and the ice making module is shortened, the overall structure of the water supply module and the ice making module is more compact, which is beneficial to reduce the overall size of the ice maker and reduce the space occupation; the installation of the water supply module is realized through the connecting support, which not only makes the structure clearer, but also facilitates the disassembly and assembly of the water supply module and the maintenance operation of the whole ice maker, and is beneficial to improve the work efficiency of disassembly and maintenance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0043] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the accompanying drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or prior art description will be briefly introduced as follows. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description only only some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained from the structures shown in the drawings without creative labor.
[0044] Figure 1 The structure schematic diagram of an embodiment of the ice maker of the present application;
[0045] Figure 2 The waterway structure schematic diagram of an embodiment of the ice maker of the present application;
[0046] Figure 3 The structure schematic diagram of an embodiment of the refrigeration system of the present application;
[0047] Figure 4 The structure schematic diagram of another view of the ice maker of the present application; Figure 1
[0048] Figure 5 The cross-sectional structure schematic diagram of an embodiment of the ice maker of the present application;
[0049] Figure 6 The structure schematic diagram of an embodiment of the ice basket of the present application;
[0050] Figure 7 The exploded view schematic diagram of part of the structure of an embodiment of the ice maker of the present application;
[0051] Figure 8 The exploded view schematic diagram of an embodiment of the filtering device of the present application;
[0052] Figure 9 The exploded view schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ice maker of the present application;
[0053] Figure 10 The cross-sectional structure schematic diagram of another view of an embodiment of the ice maker of the present application;
[0054] Figure 11 The exploded view schematic diagram of part of the structure of an embodiment of the ice maker of the present application.
[0055] Explanation of the reference signs:
[0056] 100, ice maker; 10, shell; 11, base; 12, connecting support; 121, main support; 1211, mounting groove; 1213, limit snap ring; 123, water outlet support; 1231, water outlet part; 1233, water outlet button; 13, first cover plate; 14, second cover plate; 141, air inlet grille; 15, front shell; 16, rear shell; 161, air outlet grille; 17, ice taking cover plate; 171, ice taking port; 18, water receiving box; 30, water supply module; 31, water supply pipeline; 311, water supply connector; 313, water supply pipe; 314, one-way valve; 316, pressure reducing valve; 33, filtering device; 331, filter element head assembly; 3311, connecting groove; 333, filter element; 3331, connecting head; 35, drinking water pipeline; 351, drinking water pipe; 353, water outlet valve; 355, water outlet; 37, cold water pipeline; 371, cold water pump; 373, cold water pipe; 375, cold water outlet valve; 377, cold water outlet; 50, ice making module; 51, refrigeration system; 511, compressor; 513, condenser; 515, evaporator; 53, ice making pipeline; 531, inner container; 5311, water storage cavity; 5313, ice making cavity; 5315, limiting step; 5317, limiting surface; 533, ice outlet assembly; 5331, ice making water box; 5333, ice shoveling plate; 534, water pumping pipe; 535, ice making water pump; 537, ice blocking plate; 5371, water guide groove; 55, heat insulation plate; 57, heat preservation piece; 60, ice basket; 61, handle; 63, abutting head.
[0057] The object, technical solutions and advantages of the present application will be further described in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0058] To make the object, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the following will further describe the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the drawings.
[0059] The following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Instead, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the appended claims.
[0060] In the description of the present application, it is understood that the terms "first", "second" and the like are used only for the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances. In addition, in the description of the present application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise specified. The association relationship of the associated objects is described, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent the three cases of A alone, A and B together, and B alone. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after it.
[0061] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present application belongs. The terms used in the specification of the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.
[0062] With the improvement of people's living standards, whether it is a household ice maker or a commercial ice maker, the use and scope are constantly expanding. The ice maker is a machine device for making ice cubes, mainly based on the circulation of refrigerant and the freezing process of water. In the related art, the function of the ice maker is relatively single, and when adding functions, the newly added structure layout is relatively unreasonable, resulting in a large overall size of the ice maker, which is difficult to design and the structure is not clear.
[0063] To solve the above problems, the present application embodiment proposes an ice maker 100. Please combine Figures 1 to 3 The ice maker 100 proposed in the present application embodiment includes a shell 10, an ice making module 50 and a water supply module 30.
[0064] The shell 10 is the installation basis of the ice making module 50 and the water supply module 30, and is used to form the main appearance surface of the ice maker 100. The shell 10 can be made of lightweight plastic material, and can also partially use high-strength materials such as metal. The pattern of the shell 10 and the pattern on the shell 10 can be designed individually, which will not be described here.
[0065] The ice making module 50 is installed on the housing 10 and is used for ice making, and includes a refrigeration system 51 and an ice making pipeline 53. Optionally, the refrigeration system 51 includes a compressor 511 and a heat exchange assembly including a condenser 513 and an evaporator 515, which are sequentially communicated. Specifically, the compressor 511 operates and goes through the processes of suction, compression, exhaust, condensation (liquefaction), throttling, etc., and finally evaporates in the evaporator 515 at a low temperature to absorb heat and vaporize. Water continuously condenses into an ice layer on the surface of the evaporator 515 at a low temperature. The ice making pipeline 53 is connected to the water supply module 30 and is used to obtain water for ice making through the water supply pipeline 31. The specific structure of the ice making pipeline 53 will be described in detail later.
[0066] The water supply module 30 is installed on the housing 10 and is used to connect to a water source to supply water to the ice making pipeline 53. In the embodiment of the application, the water supply module 30 is used to provide drinking water to the user in addition to supplying water to the ice making pipeline 53. As shown in the figure, the water supply module 30 includes a water supply pipeline 31 and a drinking water pipeline 35, wherein the water supply pipeline 31 is used to connect to an external water source, and the drinking water pipeline 35 and the ice making pipeline 53 are both connected to the water supply pipeline 31, so that the water supply pipeline 31 supplies water to the ice making pipeline 53 and the drinking water pipeline 35.
[0067] The external water source connected by the water supply pipeline 31 can exist in the form of a water bucket or a water tank on one side of the ice maker 100, or the water supply pipeline 31 can directly connect to an external water source through an external pipeline. The water supply pipeline 31 includes a water supply pipe 313 for conveying the water source, and the ice making pipeline 53 and the drinking water pipeline 35 are connected to the water supply pipe 313. The water supply module 30 further includes a filter device 33 connected to the water supply pipe 313, so that the water in the water supply pipe 313 flows through the filter device 33 between the ice making pipeline 53 and the drinking water pipeline 35, and the filter device 33 is used to filter the water flowing through the filter device 33. In the case that the filter device 33 is provided on the water supply pipeline 31, the water supply pipeline 31 can be directly connected to a tap water pipe, so that the use of the ice maker 100 is more convenient.
[0068] The drinking water pipeline 35 includes a drinking water pipe 351 and a water outlet valve 353 provided on the drinking water pipe 351, one end of the drinking water pipe 351 is connected to the water supply pipe 313 to connect to the water supply pipeline 31, and the other end is provided with a water outlet 355, and the water outlet valve 353 is used to control the on-off of the water supply pipe 313, and when the water outlet valve 353 is opened, the water flowing through the filter device 33 flows out of the water outlet 355 through the drinking water pipe 351.
[0069] In the embodiments of the present application, the ice maker 100 further comprises a filtering device 33 connected to the water supply pipeline 31. The filtering device 33 can filter the water supplied by the water supply pipeline 31 to the drinking water pipeline 35 and the ice making pipeline 53, thereby ensuring the hygiene of ice making and drinking water, reducing the requirements of the ice maker 100 on the water source, making the use of the ice maker 100 more convenient, and providing a prerequisite for the ice maker 100 to provide the drinking water function. By arranging the drinking water pipeline 35, the drinking water pipeline 35 is connected to the water supply pipeline 31 of the ice maker 100. The water outlet 355 can directly discharge water by controlling the water outlet valve 353. The ice maker 100 can provide drinking water while providing the ice making function. The drinking water and the ice making do not interfere with each other, so that the ice maker 100 is more diversified in function and improves the user experience.
[0070] In combination Figure 1 , and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the water supply pipeline 31 further comprises a water supply connector 311 connected to the water supply pipeline 313. The water supply connector 311 is connected to the shell 10 and can be exposed outside the shell 10. For example, the water supply connector 311 can be arranged on the rear side of the shell 10 and partially exposed on the rear side of the shell 10, thereby facilitating the connection of the water supply pipeline 313 to the external water source. The water supply connector 311 is a standard water pipeline connector, so as to be connected to the connector of the external water source. Further, the water supply connector 311 can be a quick release connector, thereby improving the connection and disassembly speed of the water supply connector 311 and the external connector and improving the work efficiency. Alternatively, the water supply connector 311 can be directly used to connect to the tap water pipeline.
[0071] In combination Figure 2 , the water supply pipeline 31 further comprises a one-way valve 314 and a pressure reducing valve 316. The one-way valve 314 and the pressure reducing valve 316 are arranged on the water supply pipeline 313. The pressure reducing valve 316 is located on the upstream side of the filtering device 33, and the one-way valve 314 is located on the upstream side of the pressure reducing valve 316. The one-way valve 314 is used to make the water in the water supply pipeline 313 flow from the water supply connector 311 to the pressure reducing valve 316 in one direction, thereby avoiding the backflow of water and causing the failure or structural damage of the ice maker 100, and improving the reliability of the ice maker 100. For some external water source pipelines, in order to ensure that the water source can reach everywhere, the water pressure in the external water source is relatively high. The water flowing into the water supply pipeline 31 can pass through the pressure reducing valve 316 to reduce the pressure, thereby avoiding the influence of the high water pressure on the water supply of the water supply pipeline 31 and improving the filtering effect of the filtering device 33.
[0072] In some embodiments, the water outlet valve 353 is a mechanical valve, and is configured to flow out the water in the drinking water pipeline 351 from the water outlet 355 when the water outlet valve 353 is pressed or pulled. The mechanical valve has a low cost, and some mechanical valves can resist a certain degree of water pressure. Under appropriate water pressure, directly controlling the water outlet valve 353 to open can make the water flow out from the water outlet 355 under the action of the water pressure.
[0073] In combination Figures 2 to 5 In some embodiments, the ice making circuit 53 comprises an ice making water valve, an inner tank 531, an ice discharging assembly 533, and an ice making water pump 535. The inner tank 531 is connected to the shell 10 and communicates with the water supply circuit 31 through a communication pipe, and the ice making water valve is arranged on the communication pipe to control the opening and closing of the communication pipe and the water supply circuit 31, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the ice making circuit 53 and the water supply circuit 31. Optionally, the ice making water valve is a solenoid valve, which is convenient for controlling the water supply of the ice making circuit 53. The ice discharging assembly 533 comprises an ice making water box 5331 and an ice shovel plate 5333 movably connected to one side of the ice making water box 5331. The ice making water box 5331 is rotatably arranged in the inner tank 531 and forms an ice making groove, and part of the evaporator 515 is located in the ice making groove for heat exchange with the ice making groove to make ice. The ice making water box 5331 communicates with the inner tank 531 through a water pumping pipe 534, and the ice making water pump 535 is connected between the inner tank 531 and the ice making water box 5331 and arranged on the water pumping pipe 534 to pump the water in the inner tank 531 into the ice making water box 5331.
[0074] In this way, by controlling the ice making water valve, the water in the water supply circuit 31 flows into the inner tank 531, and by controlling the ice making water pump, the water in the inner tank 531 is pumped into the ice making water box 5331, and the water in the ice making water box 5331 exchanges heat with the evaporator 515 to form an ice layer.
[0075] Further, the refrigeration system 51 is provided with a mode switching valve, and when the ice layer reaches a target level, the original evaporator 515 located in the ice making water box 5331 is controlled to heat and make the ice fall into the ice making groove to complete the ice making operation.
[0076] In combination Figure 5 In a specific embodiment, the inner tank 531 is provided with an ice making cavity 5313 and a water storage cavity 5311 in communication, wherein the ice making cavity 5313 is located above the water storage cavity 5311, the ice making water box 5331 is located in the ice making cavity 5313, and the ice making water pump 535 is used to pump the water in the water storage cavity 5311 into the ice making water box 5331. In this way, the water is stored in the water storage cavity 5311, and the water in the water storage cavity 5311 is pumped into the ice making water box 5331 for ice making, which ensures the continuity of the ice making process, avoids the interruption of ice making caused by insufficient water supply, and avoids energy loss.
[0077] In combination Figure 5 The ice maker 100 further comprises an ice basket 60, which is removably arranged in the inner tank 531 and located above the water storage cavity 5311 and on one side of the ice making cavity 5313. The ice made in the ice making water box 5331 is transported to the ice basket 60 for temporary storage.
[0078] The ice basket 60 is open upward, and the shell 10 is provided with an ice taking opening 171 opposite to the opening of the ice basket 60, which is configured to be openable and closable. For example, the shell 10 is provided with an ice taking cover plate 17 at the ice taking opening 171, which is detachable or reversible, and the opening and closing of the ice taking opening 171 can be controlled by operating the ice taking cover plate 17. The ice basket 60 is arranged below the ice taking opening 171, which is convenient for the user to take ice. Optionally, the ice taking cover plate 17 is a transparent plate, which is convenient for the user to observe.
[0079] It can be understood that the user can directly take ice from the ice basket 60 or the user can take out the ice basket 60 from the inner container 531. In order to facilitate the user to grasp, the ice basket 60 is provided with a handle 61 on both sides. The ice basket 60 has no fixed relationship with the inner wall of the inner container 531, so that the ice basket 60 can be freely taken out from the inner container 531, which is convenient and fast to operate.
[0080] In some embodiments, the ice in the ice making water box 5331 is transported into the ice basket 60 in the following way:
[0081] The ice basket 60 is arranged on one side of the ice discharging assembly 533, and the side of the ice discharging assembly 533 close to the ice basket 60 is an ice discharging side. The ice shovel plate 5333 is arranged on the side of the ice making water box 5331 close to the ice basket 60 and can rotate relative to the ice making water box 5331 with the side of the ice making water box 5331 close to the ice basket 60 as the axis. The ice making water box 5331 is rotatably connected in the inner container 531, and one end thereof is connected to a driving member through a connecting shaft. The driving member can be an electric motor. The ice making water box 5331 is suspended in the ice making cavity 5313, and the ice falling off is located in the ice making groove. During ice discharging, the ice making water box 5331 is first rotated towards the ice basket 60, so that the ice in the ice making groove is separated from the ice making water box 5331 and falls into the ice making cavity 5313. At this time, the ice shovel plate 5333 is located at the bottom of the ice block. Then, the ice making water box 5331 is reset, and in the process of resetting, the ice on the ice shovel plate 5333 is thrown into the ice basket 60.
[0082] In order to avoid the ice block from sliding into the water storage cavity 5311 during ice discharging and to facilitate the ice shovel plate 5333 to shovel ice, the inner container 531 is further provided with an ice blocking plate 537, which is arranged between the ice making cavity 5313 and the ice basket 60 and is higher than the bottom wall of the ice making cavity 5313. During ice discharging, the ice block is blocked by the ice blocking plate 537, and the ice shovel plate 5333 cooperates with the ice blocking plate 537 to shovel as much ice block as possible, thereby improving the ice discharging efficiency.
[0083] As the ice-making procedure is continuously carried out, the ice in the ice basket 60 gradually increases. In order to avoid the ice in the ice basket 60 from affecting the structure of the ice maker 100, the ice maker 100 of the embodiment of the present application further comprises a detection assembly arranged at the opening of the ice basket 60 to detect the full-ice state of the ice basket 60. When the ice basket 60 is full of ice, the detection assembly detects the full-ice state and sends a signal to the controller of the ice maker 100, and the controller stops the ice-making procedure.
[0084] However, in the related art, there are some ice makers that still have available space in the ice basket when the full-ice reminder is given, and the utilization rate of the ice basket needs to be improved. For example, in some ice makers, the ice thrown into the ice basket by the ice shovel plate tends to be on the side of the ice basket close to the ice outlet assembly, which causes the ice on the side of the ice basket close to the ice outlet assembly to be more easily detected by the detection assembly, while the side of the ice basket away from the ice outlet assembly still has redundant space.
[0085] Please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments of the present application, the bottom wall of the ice basket 60 is configured to be inclined, and the height of the bottom wall of the ice basket 60 gradually decreases in the direction away from the ice outlet assembly 533. The bottom wall of the ice basket 60 is constructed as a slope, with the side close to the ice outlet assembly 533 being higher than the side away from the ice outlet assembly 533. The ice blocks thrown into the ice basket 60 by the ice outlet assembly 533 fall on the bottom wall of the ice basket 60, and under the action of gravity, the ice blocks slide to the side away from the ice outlet assembly 533, thereby making the distribution of the ice blocks in the ice basket 60 more uniform. As the ice blocks continuously accumulate, when the ice basket 60 is detected to be in the full-ice state, the distribution of the ice blocks near the opening of the ice basket 60 is also more uniform, thereby improving the space utilization rate of the ice basket 60, making the full-ice state detected by the detection assembly more accurately reflect the situation of the ice blocks in the ice basket 60, and improving the user experience.
[0086] Optionally, the bottom wall of the ice basket 60 can be inclined or curved, or part of the bottom wall of the ice basket 60 is inclined and part of the bottom wall of the ice basket 60 is curved, provided that the bottom wall of the ice basket 60 can have a structure in which the side close to the ice outlet assembly 533 is higher and the side away from the ice outlet assembly 533 is lower, the specific shape of the bottom wall of the ice basket 60 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. The line between the side of the ice basket 60 close to the ice outlet assembly 533 and the side of the ice basket 60 away from the ice outlet assembly 533 is arranged obliquely and forms an angle α with the horizontal plane, and the angle α satisfies the relationship 10°≤α≤45°. It can be understood that if the angle α is too small and less than 10°, the inclination of the bottom wall of the ice basket 60 is not obvious enough, and the ice blocks in the ice basket 60 will still be distributed unevenly, resulting in low space utilization of the ice basket 60; if the angle α is too large and greater than 45°, the large angle will compress the space of the ice basket 60 itself, reducing the ice capacity, or when the space of the ice basket 60 itself is not compressed, the size of the ice basket 60 in the inner container in the up-down direction will be too large, and the bottom of the ice basket 60 can extend into the water storage cavity 5311, causing the ice blocks to be submerged in the water surface in the water storage cavity 5311, which is not conducive to the preservation of the ice blocks. Therefore, in order to improve the space utilization of the ice basket 60 and ensure the ice capacity of the ice basket 60 and the preservation effect of the ice blocks, the embodiments of the present application limit the angle α to satisfy the relationship 10°≤α≤45°, and the angle α can be 20°, 30°, etc.
[0087] Optionally, the detection assembly uses infrared light detection, including an infrared emission sleeve line and an infrared receiving sleeve line, both of which are connected to the controller of the ice maker 100 and are located on opposite sides of the ice basket 60, such as the left and right sides of the ice basket 60. It can be understood that when there are enough ice blocks in the ice basket 60 between the infrared emission sleeve line and the infrared receiving sleeve line, the signals of the infrared emission sleeve line and the infrared receiving sleeve line change, and the controller can determine that the ice basket 60 is in a full ice state. The detection assembly using the infrared emission sleeve line and the infrared receiving sleeve line not only has low cost, but also has accurate and sensitive detection position, which is convenient to set.
[0088] Further, the detection assembly is arranged near the side of the ice basket 60 away from the ice outlet assembly 533. For example, the detection assembly can be connected to the inner container 531. Since the accumulation speed of the ice blocks on the side of the ice basket 60 away from the ice outlet assembly 533 is smaller than the accumulation speed of the ice blocks on the side of the ice basket 60 close to the ice outlet assembly 533, the detection assembly is arranged on the side of the ice basket 60 away from the ice outlet assembly 533 in the embodiments, which ensures that the side of the ice basket 60 away from the ice outlet assembly 533 is also full of ice blocks when the detection assembly detects a full ice state, further reduces the space redundancy of the ice basket 60 in the full ice state, and improves the space utilization of the ice basket 60.
[0089] Please refer to Figure 5In some embodiments, the position of the ice shovel 5333 when it is active in ice discharging is higher than the opening of the ice basket 60. In combination with the foregoing description of the ice discharging process, the ice blocks are thrown into the ice basket 60 when the ice shovel 5333 and the ice making water box 5331 are reset, and the position of the ice shovel 5333 when it is active in ice discharging is the position of the ice shovel 5333 when it is reset. By making the position of the ice shovel 5333 when it is active in ice discharging higher than the opening of the ice basket 60, the ice blocks that are shoveled into the ice basket 60 can be further thrown towards the side of the ice basket 60 that is away from the ice discharging assembly 533, thereby further improving the uniformity of the distribution of the ice blocks in the ice basket 60 and improving the space utilization of the ice basket 60.
[0090] In combination with the foregoing description of the ice discharging process, Figure 5 and Figure 6 The inner container 531 is provided with a limiting structure, and the ice basket 60 abuts against the limiting structure. Understandably, the limiting structure does not limit the movement of the ice basket 60 upward away from the inner container 531, so as to achieve the removable placement of the ice basket 60 relative to the inner container 531.
[0091] Optionally, the limiting structure includes a limiting step 5315 and a limiting surface 5317, the limiting surface 5317 is arranged on the opposite side of the limiting step 5315, and the opposite sides of the bottom of the ice basket 60 abut against the limiting step 5315 and the limiting surface 5317, respectively. For example, the limiting step 5315 is arranged on the front side of the bottom of the ice basket 60, and the limiting surface 5317 is arranged on the rear side of the bottom of the ice basket 60 and connected to the bottom wall of the ice making cavity 5313 and the rear side wall of the water storage cavity 5311. The ice basket 60 is placed on the limiting step 5315 and the limiting surface 5317, the limiting step 5315 and the limiting surface 5317 provide structural support for the ice basket 60 to ensure the stability of the ice basket 60, and the cooperation form of the ice basket 60 with the limiting step 5315 and the limiting surface 5317 is abutment, which ensures that the ice basket 60 can be taken out upward and is convenient to operate.
[0092] Further, the limiting surface 5317 is an arc surface. For example, the limiting surface 5317 is an arc surface that is arched towards the ice basket 60, and correspondingly, the rear side of the bottom of the ice basket 60 is also formed as an arc surface, which increases the contact area of the ice basket 60 with the inner container 531, and the cooperation of the limiting surface 5317 with the ice basket 60 can provide support in multiple directions, such as upward and forward, thereby further improving the stability of the ice basket 60.
[0093] Optionally, the bottom of the ice basket 60 has a telescopic abutting head 63, and the abutting head 63 abuts against the limiting step 5315 to provide buffering. For example, the bottom wall of the ice basket 60 is provided with an avoiding opening, the abutting head 63 is movably arranged in the avoiding opening, and the ice basket 60 is further provided with a box body, the part of the abutting head 63 located in the ice basket 60 is limited in the box body, and the box body is provided with an elastic member such as a spring, and the abutting head 63 is connected with the elastic member to facilitate resetting and buffering.
[0094] The limiting step 5315 can be formed by the end of a protruding structure arranged on the front wall of the water storage cavity 5311, which extends in the up-down direction of the inner container 531. The protruding structure can provide structural support for the ice basket 60, and can also strengthen the strength of the inner container 531 and improve the stability of the ice making module 50.
[0095] It can be understood that during ice making and ice output, water in the ice making water box 5331 inevitably falls into the ice making cavity 5313. In some embodiments, the ice making cavity 5313 is in communication with the water storage cavity 5311, so that the water in the ice making cavity 5313 can flow back to the water storage cavity 5311 for next ice making. In this way, not only the utilization rate of water is improved, but also the cold energy can be recycled, the ice making efficiency is improved, and the ice making energy consumption is reduced. In the embodiments in which the ice blocking plate 537 is present, the ice blocking plate 537 defines a water guide groove 5371, and the water in the ice making cavity 5313 can flow into the water storage cavity 5311 through the water guide groove 5371. In combination with the foregoing, the arc-shaped limiting surface 5317 connects the bottom wall of the ice making cavity 5313 and the rear side wall of the water storage cavity 5311, and also has a water guide function.
[0096] Further, the bottom wall of the ice basket 60 is provided with a water leakage opening, so that the water in the ice basket 60 falls back into the water storage cavity 5311. It can be understood that the ice blocks in the ice basket 60 can melt, and the melting ice water has a low temperature. By flowing the melting ice water in the ice basket 60 back to the water storage cavity 5311, on the one hand, the utilization rate of water can be improved, and on the other hand, the cold energy can be recycled, so that the temperature of the water in the water storage cavity 5311 is reduced. It can be understood that the lower the temperature of the water in the water storage cavity 5311, the lower the temperature of the water pumped into the ice making water box 5331, and the easier the ice making, so that the ice making efficiency is improved and the ice making energy consumption is reduced. In the present embodiment, the water leakage opening of the ice basket 60 can be circular or square, or the bottom of the ice basket 60 is provided with a plurality of water leakage openings, such as a lattice-shaped bottom wall, so as to improve the backflow efficiency of the melting ice water.
[0097] In this way, the water in the ice making pipeline 53 enters the inner container 531, is pumped into the ice making water box 5331, the ice in the ice making water box 5331 is transported to the ice basket 60 for temporary storage, and the melting ice water in the ice basket 60 flows back to the water storage cavity 5311, that is, the ice making pipeline 53 produces ice blocks, and the process of water circulation is completed.
[0098] The above describes the water supply module 30 and the ice making module 50 of the ice maker 100 of the present embodiment. Please refer to the above description of the ice maker 100 again. Figure 1 、 Figure 7 and Figure 9In some embodiments, the water supply module 30 is arranged side by side with the ice making module 50. The housing 10 comprises a base 11, a connecting bracket 12, a front shell 15, a rear shell 16, the aforementioned first cover plate 13 and the second cover plate 14. Optionally, the base 11 serves as a mounting base for the ice making module 50 and the water supply module 30, the front shell 15 and the rear shell 16 are arranged at the front side and the rear side of the base 11 respectively, and the first cover plate 13 and the second cover plate 14 are arranged at the left side and the right side of the base 11.
[0099] In some embodiments, the base 11 can be divided into left and right parts, the ice making module 50 is arranged at the right part of the base 11, the connecting bracket 12 is located at the left side of the ice making module 50 and connects the left part of the base 11, and the water supply module 30 is mounted on the connecting bracket 12.
[0100] In some embodiments, the connecting bracket 12 is arranged at the left side of the ice making module 50 and has a width smaller than that of the ice making module 50, and extends along the front-rear direction. In combination with the aforementioned explanation of the water supply module 30, the water supply pipeline 31 comprises a water supply pipe 313, a pressure reducing valve 316 and a one-way valve 314, the drinking water pipeline 35 comprises a drinking water pipe 351 and a water outlet valve 353, and the water supply pipeline 31, the drinking water pipeline 35 and the filter device 33 are all arranged on the connecting bracket 12 and can be arranged in front of and behind each other on the connecting bracket 12. For example, the drinking water pipeline 35 is arranged at the front side of the connecting bracket 12, the water supply pipeline 31 is arranged at the rear side of the connecting bracket 12, and the filter device 33 is connected to the water supply pipeline 31 and located behind the drinking water pipeline 35.
[0101] In some embodiments, by dividing some structures of the ice maker 100 into the ice making module 50 and the water supply module 30, the modular design of the ice maker 100 is realized, and the structure is clearer and more explicit. At the same time, the ice making module 50 and the water supply module 30 share the base 11, and the water supply module 30 is arranged at one side of the ice making module 50 through the connecting bracket 12, which shortens the distance between the water supply module 30 and the ice making module 50, makes the overall structure of the water supply module 30 and the ice making module 50 more compact, and is conducive to reducing the overall size of the ice maker 100 and reducing space occupation. The installation of the water supply module 30 through the connecting bracket 12 not only makes the structure clearer, but also facilitates the disassembly and assembly of the water supply module 30 and facilitates the overall maintenance operation of the ice maker 100, which is conducive to improving the work efficiency of disassembly and assembly.
[0102] In an embodiment, the water supply module 30 is distributed on the connection bracket 12 in front and back. The water supply pipe 313 can adopt a soft pipe for wiring, and the water supply pipe 313 can be fixed through the clamping structure formed on the connection bracket 12, of course, the water supply pipe 313 can also be fixed through additional fasteners such as a cable tie, which is not limited in the embodiment of the application. The one-way valve 314 and the pressure reducing valve 316 are arranged on the side of the connection bracket 12 facing the ice making module 50, which is convenient for connecting the pipeline and protecting the one-way valve 314 and the pressure reducing valve 316. The one-way valve 314 and the pressure reducing valve 316 are arranged on the back side of the connection bracket 12, the water supply pipe 313 extends from back to front, the filter device 33 is connected to the water supply pipe 313 and located in front of the one-way valve 314 and the pressure reducing valve 316. The outlet pipe is connected to the water supply pipe 313 at one end and extends from back to front, and the outlet valve 353 is arranged on the outlet pipe and located in front of the filter device 33. Among them, the fixing mode of the outlet pipe refers to the fixing mode of the water supply pipe 313 described above, which will not be described here. In this way, the water supply module 30 is distributed on the connection bracket 12 in front and back, which can effectively reduce the overall width size of the water supply module 30, reduce the space occupation, and make the structure more compact.
[0103] In combination Figures 7 to 10 In some embodiments, the connection bracket 12 includes a main bracket 121 and an outlet bracket 123, the main bracket 121 is connected to the base 11 and extends in the up-down direction, and the outlet bracket 123 is connected to the top of the main bracket 121 and extends forward from the main bracket 121 to form an outlet portion 1231. Among them, the filter device 33 is connected to the main bracket 121. The main bracket 121 is provided with a mounting groove 1211, which is recessed in the main bracket 121 and arranged so that when the filter device 33 is installed in the mounting groove 1211, it does not protrude from one side of the main bracket 121. The first cover plate 13 is connected to the connection bracket 12 and covers the slot of the mounting groove 1211. By arranging the mounting groove 1211 on the main bracket 121 and accommodating the filter device 33 in the mounting groove 1211, not only can the filter device 33 be avoided to protrude and affect the aesthetics, but also the structure of the ice maker 100 can be further compacted and the space utilization can be higher.
[0104] Optionally, the mounting groove 1211 is arranged to open to the side of the housing 10, for example, the mounting groove 1211 is arranged to open to the left side of the housing 10, and the first cover plate 13 is connected to the left side of the connection bracket 12. In this way, while accommodating filter devices 33 of sufficient specifications, the width size of the water supply module 30 is reduced, and the overall structure of the ice maker 100 is more compact.
[0105] Further, the first cover plate 13 and the connection bracket 12 can be detachably connected, for example, the first cover plate 13 can be connected to the connection bracket 12 in the form of clamping. In this way, the filter device 33 can be exposed by detaching the first cover plate 13, which is convenient for replacing the filter device 33.
[0106] In an embodiment, the filtering device 33 comprises a filter head assembly 331 and a filter element 333. The filter head assembly 331 is arranged on the water supply pipeline 31 and connected to the main support 121. The filter head assembly 331 is provided with a connecting groove 3311, and the filter element 333 is provided with a connecting head 3331 which is located in the connecting groove 3311 and detachably connected to the filter head assembly 331. In this way, when replacing the filter element 333, the filter element 333 only needs to be detached from the filter head assembly 331, without the need to repeatedly disassemble and assemble the connecting pipeline, thereby improving the efficiency of replacing the filter element 333.
[0107] The mounting groove 1211 is further provided with a limiting snap ring 1213 having a clamping groove with an opening facing the slot of the mounting groove 1211. The filter element 333 is clamped in the clamping groove, thereby improving the stability of the filter element 333. In addition, the filter element 333 can be easily disassembled and assembled in the form of clamping, thereby further improving the working efficiency of replacing the filter element 333.
[0108] In combination Figure 10 In an embodiment, the water outlet support 123 extends forward from the main support 121 to form a water outlet portion 1231, and the water outlet valve 353 is mounted on the water outlet portion 1231. The water outlet 355 is exposed from the water outlet portion 1231. It can be understood that the water outlet portion 1231 is suspended to facilitate the user to place a container such as a water cup below the water outlet portion 1231 to receive water.
[0109] Optionally, the water outlet portion 1231 is provided with a water outlet button 1233 which is movably arranged relative to the rest of the water outlet portion 1231 and connected to the water outlet valve 353. The water outlet button 1233 can be configured to allow the water outlet 355 to outlet water when the water outlet button 1233 is pressed. The water outlet button 1233 can be arranged at the top of the water outlet portion 1231 and configured to be slidable in the up-down direction. The user can press the water outlet button 1233 to trigger the water outlet valve 353 to make the water outlet 355 outlet water, thereby facilitating the user to operate.
[0110] Optionally, the water outlet 355 is arranged to open towards the downward direction, thereby facilitating the user to receive water and avoiding water splashing out.
[0111] Further, the ice maker 100 further comprises a water receiving box 18 which is connected to the base 11 and oppositely arranged to the water outlet portion 1231 in the up-down direction. In this way, the user can place a container such as a water cup on the water receiving box 18 when receiving water. On the one hand, the water receiving box 18 can indicate the exact container placement position to ensure that the water outlet by the water outlet 355 can fall into the container. On the other hand, the water receiving box 18 can also collect the water overflowed from the container or dripped from the water outlet 355, thereby avoiding the water falling on the table. Optionally, the water receiving box 18 is detachably connected to the base 11 to facilitate cleaning the water receiving box 18.
[0112] Regarding the ice-making module 50, in conjunction with the foregoing explanation of the ice-making module 50, in some embodiments, a portion of the inner liner 531 and a portion of the refrigeration system 51 are stacked vertically to make the structure of the ice-making module 50 more compact, which is beneficial to improving the space utilization of the ice-making module 50.
[0113] Please refer to this again. Figure 5 , Figure 5 The dashed box represents compressor 511 and condenser 513. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom of the ice-making chamber 5313 is spaced apart from the base 11. The compressor 511 and condenser 513 are located between the bottom of the ice-making chamber 5313 and the base 11, and the evaporator 515 is located inside the ice-making water box 5331. The inner liner 531 is connected to the base 11, and the compressor 511 is connected to the base 11 and located in the space between the ice-making chamber 5313 portion of the inner liner 531 and the base 11. The condenser 513 can be connected to the base 11 or the compressor 511, or connected to both the base 11 and the compressor 511, and located on one side of the compressor 511. In this way, the condenser 513 and the compressor 511 fill the space between the ice-making chamber 5313 portion of the inner liner 531 and the base 11, making the structure more compact and improving space utilization. In some embodiments, the top of the compressor 511 can also directly or indirectly contact the bottom of the ice-making chamber 5313 portion of the inner liner 531 to provide structural support for the inner liner 531.
[0114] Optionally, the water storage chamber 5311 of the inner liner 531 is arranged side by side with the compressor 511, making the overall structure of the ice maker 100 more compact.
[0115] Optionally, a heat insulation plate 55 is provided between the bottom of the ice-making cavity 5313 and the compressor 511. The heat insulation plate 55 can be made of foam material or the like. The heat insulation plate 55 serves two purposes: firstly, it provides a buffer between the bottom of the ice-making cavity 5313 and the compressor 511, preventing vibrations from the compressor 511 during operation from affecting the inner liner 531; secondly, it reduces the loss of cold energy from the ice-making cavity 5313, which helps to preserve the cold energy of the ice-making cavity 5313, thereby improving ice-making efficiency and reducing energy consumption.
[0116] Furthermore, the ice maker 100 also includes an insulation component 57, which covers at least a portion of the outer wall of the inner liner 531. For example, the insulation component 57 can be insulation cotton or foam material, which wraps around the water storage cavity 5311 of the inner liner 531, and may further cover the portion above the water storage cavity 5311. By providing the insulation component 57, heat exchange between the inner liner 531 and the external environment can be reduced, further reducing the loss of cold air within the inner liner 531, thereby maintaining a low temperature inside the inner liner 531, which is beneficial for improving ice-making efficiency and further reducing energy consumption.
[0117] Combination Figure 9 In some embodiments, the condenser 513 is located on the right side of the compressor 511, and the second cover has an air inlet grille 141 opposite to the condenser 513. The heat exchange assembly also includes a fan connected to the second cover and located on the side of the air inlet grille 141 facing the condenser 513. In this embodiment, the fan can guide external airflow through the air inlet grille 141 to the condenser 513, thereby improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the condenser 513, which is beneficial for improving ice-making efficiency and reducing power consumption.
[0118] Optionally, a mounting frame is formed on the side of the second cover facing the condenser 513. The fan is connected to the mounting frame, and the fan is mounted on the second cover for easy disassembly and assembly, thereby improving disassembly and assembly efficiency.
[0119] Furthermore, the rear shell 16 is provided with an air outlet grille 161 corresponding to the ice-making module 50. A heat dissipation air duct is formed between the air inlet grille 141 and the air outlet grille 161. The condenser 513 and the compressor 511 are located in the heat dissipation air duct, and the fan is also located in the heat dissipation air duct. The fan rotates to make the airflow continuously circulate in the heat dissipation air duct to dissipate heat from the condenser 513 and the compressor 511, improve the working efficiency of the condenser 513 and the compressor 511, and reduce the ice-making energy consumption of the ice maker 100.
[0120] like Figure 9 As shown in the embodiment of this application, the front shell 15 is connected to the connecting bracket 12 to cover the front side of the water supply module 30 and the ice-making module 50, and the rear shell 16 is connected to the connecting bracket 12 to cover the rear side of the water supply module 30 and the ice-making module 50. At least one of the front shell 15 and the rear shell 16 is a single-piece component. That is, the front shell 15 or the rear shell 16 can be a single-piece component, or both the front shell 15 and the rear shell 16 can be single-piece components. By constructing the front shell 15 and the rear shell 16 as a single-piece component, not only can the number of parts be reduced, assembly can be facilitated, and disassembly and assembly efficiency can be improved, but the overall appearance of the ice maker 100 can also be improved, making the ice maker 100 more aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, when both the front shell 15 and the rear shell 16 are made of plastic, both the front shell 15 and the rear shell 16 can be injection molded as a single piece, resulting in low production difficulty and high production efficiency.
[0121] It is worth noting that the water supply connector 311 of the water supply module 30 is used to connect to an external water source. The water supply connector 311 is connected to the rear shell 16 and is partially exposed outside the rear shell 16. This makes it easy to hide the connection between the water supply connector 311 and the external pipeline, and also makes it easy to arrange the water supply module 30 on the connecting bracket 12.
[0122] In the above introduction, it is not difficult to find that the water in the water storage cavity 5311 of the inner container 531 is filtered, and the cold water has a low temperature, that is, the water temperature of the water in the water storage cavity 5311 is lower than the water temperature of the water in the drinking water pipeline 35. To further enrich the functions of the ice maker 100, the ice maker 100 is further improved as follows in the embodiments of the present application:
[0123] In combination Figure 1 In an embodiment, the water supply module 30 further comprises a cold water pipeline 37 installed in the shell 10, which comprises a cold water pipe 373 and a cold water outlet valve 375 and a cold water pump 371 arranged on the cold water pipe 373. The cold water pipe 373 is connected to the inner container 531 at one end and specifically connected to the water storage cavity 5311 of the inner container 531, and has a cold water outlet 377 at the other end. The cold water pump 371 is used to pump the water in the inner container 531, and the cold water outlet valve 375 is used to control the opening and closing of the cold water pipe 373. By opening the cold water outlet valve 375 and the cold water pump 371, the water in the water storage cavity 5311 can flow out from the cold water outlet 377 through the cold water pipe 373.
[0124] That is, by arranging the cold water pipeline 37, the cold water pipeline 37 is connected to the inner container 531, the inner container 531 has an ice-making water box 5331 therein, and part of the refrigeration system 51 is located in the ice-making water box 5331 to exchange heat with the water in the ice-making water box 5331 to make ice. Therefore, the water temperature of the water in the inner container 531 is low, and the cold water in the inner container 531 can flow out from the cold water outlet 377 by controlling the cold water outlet valve 375 and the cold water pump 371 to provide cold water to the user. The embodiments of the present application further enrich the functions of the ice maker 100, so that the ice maker 100 can supply cold water to the user, and the cold water is sourced from the ice-making pipeline 53, which improves the functionality and user experience of the ice maker 100, fully utilizes the cold energy of the refrigeration system 51, and improves the energy utilization efficiency.
[0125] In combination with the foregoing description, the inner container 531 is provided with the ice-making cavity 5313 and the water storage cavity 5311 connected thereto, the ice-making water box 5331 is located in the ice-making cavity 5313, and the ice-making pipeline 53 further comprises an ice-making water pump 535 for pumping the water in the water storage cavity 5311 into the ice-making water box 5331. The water in the ice-making water box 5331 flowing into the ice-making cavity 5313 can flow back to the water storage cavity 5311, realizing cold energy recovery, improving energy utilization efficiency and ice-making efficiency, and also reducing the water temperature of the water storage cavity 5311 to facilitate the provision of cold water.
[0126] Further, the ice melting water of the ice basket 60 can also fall back to the water storage cavity 5311 through the water outlet of the ice basket 60, further reducing the water temperature of the water storage cavity 5311 to facilitate the provision of cold water and further improve the energy utilization efficiency and ice-making efficiency.
[0127] As Figure 11As shown, the inner container 531 is wrapped by the heat preservation member 57 to reduce heat exchange between the inner container 531 and the external environment, further reducing the loss of cold energy in the inner container 531, so that the temperature in the inner container 531 is kept at a low level, which is beneficial to improve the ice making efficiency and further reduce the energy consumption, and facilitates to provide cold water.
[0128] It is worth noting that the cold water pump 371 and the ice making water pump 535 can be two separate water pumps, or the cold water pump 371 and the ice making water pump 535 are the same water pump, which can be switched by a valve to switch different flow paths to pump the water in the water storage cavity 5311 to the cold water outlet 377 or to the ice making water box 5331. Among them, the scheme that the cold water pump 371 and the ice making water pump 535 are the same water pump can save material cost and reduce the number of parts, which is beneficial to reduce the size and space occupation of the ice maker 100.
[0129] Of course, when the drinking water pipeline 35 and the cold water pipeline 37 exist at the same time, the drinking water pipeline 35 is used to provide normal temperature water, and the cold water pipeline 37 is used to provide cold water, giving users a variety of choices.
[0130] Optionally, the water outlet valve 353 and the cold water outlet valve 375 are both installed in the water outlet part 1231, and the water outlet 355 and the cold water outlet 377 are both exposed from the water outlet part 1231, so as to facilitate users to take normal temperature water and cold water at the water outlet part 1231.
[0131] Among them, the types of the water outlet valve 353 and the cold water outlet valve 375 can be the same or different, and the cold water outlet valve 375 can be selected as a mechanical valve, which is more reliable in structure; or the cold water outlet valve 375 is an electromagnetic valve, which is convenient to control. Further, the water outlet valve 353 and the cold water outlet valve 375 are both electromagnetic valves, which is convenient to control the type of water outlet.
[0132] Further, the water outlet 355 and the cold water outlet 377 are configured as the same outlet. In this embodiment, one end of the water outlet pipe and the cold water pipe 373 converges and has an outlet, and the water outlet valve 353 and the cold water outlet valve 375 are arranged on the water outlet pipe and the cold water pipe 373, respectively. When any one of the valves is controlled, water flows out from the corresponding pipeline through the outlet.
[0133] The same or similar reference numerals in the drawings of the embodiments correspond to the same or similar components; in the description of the present application, it is understood that if the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and the like are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, therefore the terms describing the positional relationships in the drawings are only used for exemplary illustration and cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application, for those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances.
[0134] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present application, and is not used to limit the present application, any modification, equivalent replacement and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.
Claims
1. An ice maker characterized by, The ice maker comprises: a housing including a base and a connecting support arranged on the base; an ice making module for making ice, connected to the base, the connecting support being arranged on one side of the ice making module; and a water supply module for supplying water to the ice making module and providing drinking water, mounted on the connecting support so that the water supply module is arranged side by side with the ice making module. The water supply module comprises:
2. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein, a water supply pipeline for connecting a water source to supply water to the ice making module; and a drinking water pipeline connected to the water supply pipeline, including a drinking water pipe and a water outlet valve arranged on the drinking water pipe, the drinking water pipe having a water outlet, the water outlet valve being used to control the opening and closing of the drinking water pipe. The water supply module further comprises:
3. The ice maker of claim 2, wherein, a filter device arranged on the water supply pipeline for filtering water flowing through the filter device; the connecting support is provided with a mounting groove on one side, the filter device is mounted in the mounting groove, and the housing further comprises a first cover plate which is detachably connected to the connecting support and covers the opening of the mounting groove. The connecting support comprises:
4. The ice maker of claim 3, wherein, a main support connected to the base and provided with the mounting groove; and a water outlet support connected to the top of the main support and extending forward from the main support to form a water outlet portion, the water outlet valve being mounted on the water outlet portion, and the water outlet being exposed from the water outlet portion. The water outlet is arranged to open downward; and / or 5. The ice maker of claim 4, wherein, the water outlet portion is provided with a water outlet button connected to the water outlet valve, and configured such that when the water outlet button is pressed, the water outlet opens; and / or the ice maker further comprises a water receiving box connected to the base and arranged opposite to the water outlet portion in the vertical direction. Further comprising:
6. The ice maker of claim 3, wherein, a pressure reducing valve arranged on the water supply pipeline and located on the upstream side of the filter device, the pressure reducing valve being connected to the side of the connecting support facing the ice making module. The ice making module comprises:
7. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein, an ice making pipeline in communication with the water supply module, including an inner container and an ice making water box arranged in the inner container, water in the inner container being able to flow into the ice making water box; and a refrigeration system mounted in the housing, part of which being located in the ice making water box to exchange heat with water in the ice making water box to make ice; part of the inner container and part of the refrigeration system are arranged in a vertical direction. The inner container comprises a water storage cavity and an ice making cavity, the ice making water box being arranged in the ice making cavity, and water in the water storage cavity being able to flow into the ice making water box; 8. The ice maker of claim 7, wherein, wherein the bottom of the ice making cavity is spaced apart from the base, and part of the refrigeration system is located between the bottom of the ice making cavity and the base. The refrigeration system comprises:
9. The ice maker of claim 8, wherein, a compressor; a heat exchange assembly including a condenser and an evaporator, the compressor, the evaporator and the condenser being sequentially connected, the compressor and the condenser being arranged between the bottom of the ice making cavity and the base, and the evaporator being located in the ice making water box. 10. The ice maker of claim 9, wherein, The condenser is arranged at the side of the compressor, the shell further comprises a second cover connected to the base, the second cover is provided with an air inlet grille arranged opposite to the condenser, the heat exchange assembly further comprises a fan, the fan is connected to the second cover and located at the side of the air inlet grille facing the condenser.
11. The ice maker of claim 9, wherein the ice maker is configured to operate in the harvest mode when the ice bin is empty. The bottom of the ice making cavity is provided with a heat insulation plate between the compressor; and / or, The water storage cavity is arranged in parallel with the compressor in front and back; and / or, The ice maker further comprises a heat preservation member, the heat preservation member covers at least part of the outer wall surface of the inner container.
12. The ice maker of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, The shell further comprises: a front shell connected to the connecting support, used for shielding the front side of the water supply module and the ice making module; and a rear shell connected to the connecting support, used for shielding the rear side of the water supply module and the ice making module; At least one of the front shell and the rear shell is an integral component.
13. The ice maker of claim 12, wherein, The rear shell is provided with an air outlet grille corresponding to part of the ice making module; and / or, The water supply module comprises a water supply connector for connecting an external water source, the water supply connector is connected to the rear shell and partially exposed outside the rear shell.