Ice storage box and ice maker

Abstract

The ice storage box is used for being connected with the ice maker and comprises a box body, the box body is used for being connected with the ice maker and is provided with a cavity, a cavity, a holding part and an operation opening, the cavity is used for storing ice, the holding part is located in the cavity, the operation opening is located in the front side wall of the box body and communicates with the cavity, and the cavity is communicated with the cavity; the operation opening is used for allowing a hand to stretch into the cavity so as to grasp the holding part. Due to the fact that the cavity, the holding portion and the operation opening are formed in the box body, when ice is taken out, the hand can stretch into the cavity through the operation opening to hold the holding portion, the box body can be held, then the box body is pulled out of the ice making machine, the box body can be pulled out more conveniently, and the ice taking convenience can be improved. According to the ice maker, the operation opening is of a structure sunken relative to the front side wall of the box body, and the holding part is located in the cavity and cannot protrude relative to the box body, so that the size of the box body cannot be increased, the occupied space of the box body can be reduced, and miniaturization and compactness of the ice maker are facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of ice-making technology, and in particular to an ice storage box and an ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] An ice maker is a refrigeration machine that cools water through an evaporator using a refrigerant in a refrigeration system to produce ice. It is widely used in various settings such as restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, hospitals, schools, laboratories, and research institutes.

[0003] In ice makers, ice is typically stored in drawer-type ice storage boxes. To make it easier to retrieve ice, the ice storage boxes are usually equipped with handles. When retrieving ice, the ice storage box can be pulled out more easily by holding the handle, which improves the convenience of retrieving ice. However, because the handle protrudes from the outside of the ice storage box, the ice storage box occupies a lot of space. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides an ice storage box and an ice maker to solve the problem of large space occupation by ice storage boxes in related technologies. The technical solution is as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an ice storage box, which is used to connect to an ice maker, comprising:

[0006] The box body is used to connect to an ice maker. The box body has a cavity, a holding part, and an operating port. The cavity is used to store ice. The holding part is located inside the cavity. The operating port is located on the front side wall of the box body and communicates with the cavity. The operating port is used to allow a hand to reach into the cavity to grasp the holding part, thereby grasping the box body.

[0007] In one embodiment, the grip is located at the top of the cavity and extends obliquely downward toward the operating port.

[0008] In one embodiment, the vertical cross-section of the cavity extends obliquely downward toward the operating port.

[0009] In one embodiment, the box body is provided with an observation section, which allows a user to visually observe from outside the box body whether the cavity contains ice or the amount of ice stored.

[0010] In one embodiment, the housing includes:

[0011] Rear housing, the rear housing having the cavity, the rear housing being a structure made of a transparent material; and

[0012] A front housing is disposed on and covers the front sidewall of the rear housing. The front sidewall of the front housing has the cavity, the grip portion, the operation port, and the observation portion.

[0013] In one embodiment, the front housing is a structure made of a non-transparent material, and the front housing has an observation port that extends through the front and rear of the front housing.

[0014] The observation section is a structure made of transparent material, and the observation section covers the observation port.

[0015] In one embodiment, one of the rear housing and the front housing has a slot and the other has a buckle, the buckle and the slot being adapted to connect the rear housing and the front housing together.

[0016] In one embodiment, the front sidewall of the rear housing is provided with a plurality of the buckles, and the plurality of buckles are arranged sequentially around the center line of the rear housing in the front-rear direction;

[0017] The rear sidewall of the front housing has a clearance cavity that accommodates a plurality of the buckles. The sidewall of the clearance cavity has a plurality of the buckle slots that are adapted to the corresponding buckles.

[0018] In one embodiment, the front housing is provided with at least two first connecting portions, which are arranged at intervals around the observation port;

[0019] The observation section is provided with at least two second connecting sections, and the second connecting sections are connected to a corresponding first connecting section to connect the observation section and the front housing together.

[0020] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide an ice maker, comprising:

[0021] The body, the body having a receiving cavity; and

[0022] The ice storage box described above is slidably disposed within the receiving cavity.

[0023] The advantages or beneficial effects of the above technical solutions include at least the following:

[0024] The ice storage box of this utility model has a cavity, a grip, and an operating port on its body. When taking ice, the hand can be inserted into the cavity through the operating port to grasp the grip, thereby gripping the box and pulling it out of the ice maker. This makes it easier to pull out the box and improves the convenience of taking ice. Since the operating port is recessed relative to the front side wall of the box, and the grip is located inside the cavity and does not protrude relative to the box, the volume of the box is not increased, which reduces the space occupied by the box and is more conducive to the miniaturization and compact design of the ice maker.

[0025] The above overview is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features of this application will become readily apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. Attached Figure Description

[0026] In the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals throughout the various drawings denote the same or similar parts or elements. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings depict only some embodiments disclosed in this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the ice storage box of this utility model from a first-person perspective.

[0028] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the ice storage box of this utility model from a first-person perspective.

[0029] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the ice storage box of this utility model from a second perspective.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the ice storage box of this utility model;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the ice maker of this utility model;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the ice storage box of this utility model installed on the mounting shell.

[0033] Figure Labels

[0034] 1. Box body; 11. Rear shell; 111. Cavity; 112. Buckle; 12. Front shell; 121. Cavity; 1211. Grip part; 1212. Operation port; 122. Observation port; 123. Slot; 124. Clearance cavity; 125. First connecting part; 13. Observation part; 131. Second connecting part; 2. Body; 21. Main shell; 22. Mounting shell; 221. Receiving cavity. Detailed Implementation

[0035] In the following description, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, the drawings and description are considered to be exemplary in nature and not restrictive.

[0036] See Figures 1-4 This illustration shows a preferred embodiment of an ice storage box of the present invention, which is used to connect to an ice maker and includes:

[0037] Box 1 is used to connect to an ice maker. Box 1 has a cavity 111, a hollow cavity 121, a grip part 1211, and an operating port 1212. The cavity 111 is used to store ice. The grip part 1211 is located inside the hollow cavity 121. The operating port 1212 is located on the front side wall of the box 1 and communicates with the hollow cavity 121. The operating port 1212 is used to allow a hand to reach into the hollow cavity 121 to grasp the grip part 1211, thereby achieving the gripping of the box 1.

[0038] The ice storage box of this utility model has a cavity 121, a grip part 1211, and an operating port 1212 on the box body 1. When taking ice, the hand can be inserted into the cavity 121 through the operating port 1212 to grasp the grip part 1211 of the box body 1, thereby grasping the box body 1 and pulling the box body 1 out of the ice maker, making it easier to pull out the box body 1 and thus improving the convenience of taking ice. Since the operating port 1212 is recessed relative to the front side wall of the box body 1, and the grip part 1211 is located in the cavity 121 and does not protrude relative to the box body 1, the volume of the box body 1 is not increased, which can reduce the space occupied by the box body 1 and make it more conducive to the miniaturization and compact design of the ice maker.

[0039] See Figure 4In one embodiment, the grip portion 1211 is located at the top of the cavity 121, and extends obliquely downward toward the operating port 1212. Thus, after the hand is inserted into the cavity 121, all fingers except the thumb can contact the grip portion 1211, while the thumb contacts the front side wall of the box 1, thereby gripping the box 1. This obliquely positioned grip portion 1211 not only increases its contact area with the hand but also increases the resistance to the hand disengaging from the grip portion 1211, thereby improving grip stability and making the pulling out of the box 1 more stable and smooth.

[0040] See Figure 4 In one embodiment, the vertical section of the cavity 121 extends obliquely downward toward the operating port 1212. The obliquely downward-facing cavity 121 can guide the condensate, directing the condensate generated in the cavity 121 to the outside of the box 1, so that water does not accumulate in the cavity 121, and thus the cavity 121 remains dry.

[0041] Of course, in other embodiments, the vertical cross-section of the cavity 121 can be parallel to the horizontal direction, or the cavity 121 can be configured as an irregular structure.

[0042] See Figure 4 In one embodiment, the cavity 121 includes a groove for a hand to reach into and grasp the grip portion 1211 of the box body 1. Since the groove is not a through-hole structure of the box body 1, it does not reduce the wall thickness of the box body 1. Therefore, the box body 1 can have better heat preservation, so that the ice in the cavity 111 will not melt too quickly.

[0043] Of course, in other embodiments, cavity 121 may include a gripping hole penetrating the box body 1.

[0044] See Figures 1-4 In one embodiment, the box body 1 is provided with an observation section 13, which allows the user to visually observe from outside the box body 1 whether the cavity 111 contains ice or the amount of ice stored therein. Thus, when the box body 1 is in the closed state (i.e., the box body 1 is not pulled out), the user can directly observe through the observation section 13 whether there is ice or the amount of ice stored in the cavity 111, which can improve the convenience of use.

[0045] See Figures 1-4 In one embodiment, the housing 1 includes:

[0046] Rear housing 11, rear housing 11 having cavity 111, rear housing 11 being a structure made of transparent material; and

[0047] The front housing 12 is located on and covers the front side wall of the rear housing 11. The front side wall of the front housing 12 has a cavity 121, a grip portion 1211, an operation port 1212, and an observation portion 13. That is, the box body 1 is composed of a rear housing 11 and a front housing 12, which are separate parts. Since the rear housing 11 is made of a transparent material, the user can directly observe whether there is ice or how much ice is inside the rear housing 11 through the observation portion 13. Secondly, the box body 1 with a separate structure is simpler to manufacture, which can reduce the manufacturing difficulty and thus help reduce the cost of the ice storage box. Thirdly, the front housing 12 can thicken the front side wall of the box body 1, which can give the box body 1 better heat preservation, so that the ice in the cavity 111 will not melt too quickly.

[0048] In one embodiment, the front housing 12 is a structure made of a non-transparent material, and the front housing 12 has an observation port 122, which extends through the front and rear of the front housing 12.

[0049] The observation section 13 is a structure made of transparent material, and the observation section 13 covers the observation port 122. The front shell 12, made of non-transparent material, can block the rear shell 11, thereby hiding the rear shell 11 and improving the appearance of the ice maker. In addition, since the observation section 13 covers the observation port 122, the front shell 12 forms a relatively closed structure, which gives the front shell 12 a better heat preservation effect, so that the ice in the cavity 111 will not melt too quickly.

[0050] See Figure 3 In one embodiment, the front housing 12 is provided with at least two first connecting portions 125, which are arranged at intervals around the observation port 122.

[0051] The observation section 13 is provided with at least two second connecting sections 131, which are connected to a corresponding first connecting section 125 to connect the observation section 13 and the front housing 12 together.

[0052] In one embodiment, the first connecting part 125 has a threaded hole and the second connecting part 131 has a through hole. The through hole is screwed together with the corresponding threaded hole by a screw to reliably connect the first connecting part 125 and the second connecting part 131 together.

[0053] See Figure 2 and Figure 3In one embodiment, one of the rear housing 11 and the front housing 12 has a slot 123, and the other has a buckle 112. The buckle 112 and the slot 123 are adapted to connect the rear housing 11 and the front housing 12 together. In this way, tool-free connection of the rear housing 11 and the front housing 12 can be achieved during installation, making the installation operation simpler and more convenient, and improving installation efficiency.

[0054] See Figures 2-3 In one embodiment, the front sidewall of the rear housing 11 is provided with a plurality of buckles 112, which are arranged sequentially around the center line of the rear housing 11 in the front-rear direction.

[0055] The rear sidewall of the front housing 12 has a clearance cavity 124, which accommodates multiple latches 112. The sidewall of the clearance cavity 124 has multiple slots 123, which are adapted to the corresponding latches 112. In this way, the latches 112 and slots 123 can be hidden by the clearance cavity 124, so that the latches 112 and slots 123 are not exposed outside the box body 1. This simplifies the external structure of the box body 1 and does not hinder the pulling out and pushing out of the box body 1. Secondly, the setting of the clearance cavity 124 can also increase the thickness of the front sidewall of the box body 1, which can give the box body 1 better heat preservation, so that the ice in the cavity 111 will not melt too quickly.

[0056] Of course, in other embodiments, the rear housing 11 and the front housing 12 can also be connected together by fasteners such as bolts, screws, and rivets.

[0057] See Figures 5-6 This invention illustrates a preferred embodiment of an ice maker, comprising:

[0058] Body 2, body 2 having a receiving cavity 221; and

[0059] The ice storage box described above has a box body 1 that is slidably disposed in the receiving cavity 221, so that the ice storage box can be pulled out of the receiving cavity 221 or pushed into the receiving cavity 221.

[0060] The ice maker of this utility model, by adopting the aforementioned ice storage box, and by providing a cavity 121, a gripping part 1211, and an operating port 1212 on the box body 1, allows for easier ice removal when using the ice maker. The user can extend their hand through the operating port 1212 into the cavity 121 to grasp the gripping part 1211, thus enabling them to pull the box body 1 out of the ice maker. This improves the convenience of ice removal. Furthermore, since the operating port 1212 is recessed relative to the front side wall of the box body 1, and the gripping part 1211 is located within the cavity 121 and does not protrude relative to the box body 1, the volume of the box body 1 is not increased, reducing its space occupation and facilitating a more compact and miniaturized ice maker design.

[0061] See Figures 5-6 In one embodiment, the body 2 includes:

[0062] Main housing 21, having an inner cavity and a clearance opening, the clearance opening being located on the outer side wall of the main housing 21 and communicating with the inner cavity; and

[0063] The mounting shell 22 is located within the inner cavity and has the aforementioned receiving cavity 221. The side opening of the receiving cavity 221 connects to the clearance opening. The mounting shell 22 is separately disposed from the main shell 21. Because the mounting shell 22 and the main shell 21 are separately disposed and the mounting shell 22 has the aforementioned receiving cavity 221, during installation, the ice storage box can be installed on the mounting shell 22 to form a modular ice storage device, and then the ice storage device can be installed on the main shell 21. This not only improves installation efficiency but also simplifies the installation operation, making the installation of the ice storage box more convenient.

[0064] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. 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 those different embodiments or examples.

[0065] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0066] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these should all be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An ice storage box, said ice storage box being connected to an ice maker, characterized in that, The ice storage box comprises: a box body for connecting with an ice maker, the box body having a cavity for storing ice, a hollow cavity, a holding part and an operation opening on a front side wall of the box body, the operation opening communicating with the hollow cavity and being used for a hand to reach into the hollow cavity to hold the holding part so as to hold the box body.

2. The ice storage bin of claim 1, wherein, The holding part is located at the top of the hollow cavity and extends obliquely downward toward the operation opening.

3. The ice storage bin of claim 2, wherein, The vertical section of the hollow cavity extends obliquely downward toward the operation opening.

4. The ice storage bin of claim 1, wherein, The box body is provided with an observation part for a user to visually observe whether the cavity stores ice or the amount of stored ice from outside the box body.

5. The ice storage bin of claim 4, wherein, The box body comprises: a rear shell having the cavity, the rear shell being a structure made of transparent material; and a front shell arranged on and covering the front side wall of the rear shell, the front side wall of the front shell having the hollow cavity, the holding part, the operation opening and the observation part.

6. The ice storage bin of claim 5, wherein, The front shell is a structure made of non-transparent material, the front shell having an observation opening penetrating through the front shell from front to back; The observation part is a structure made of transparent material, the observation part covering the observation opening.

7. The ice storage bin of claim 5, wherein, Of the rear shell and the front shell, one has a clamping groove and the other is provided with a clamping buckle, the clamping buckle and the clamping groove being adapted to connect the rear shell and the front shell together.

8. The ice storage bin of claim 7, wherein, The front side wall of the rear shell is provided with a plurality of clamping buckles arranged in sequence around the center line of the front-rear direction of the rear shell; The rear side wall of the front shell has an avoiding cavity accommodating the plurality of clamping buckles, the side wall of the avoiding cavity having a plurality of clamping grooves adapted to the corresponding clamping buckles.

9. The ice storage bin of claim 6, wherein, The front shell is provided with at least two first connecting parts arranged in sequence around the observation opening with a spacing; The observation part is provided with at least two second connecting parts connected with the corresponding first connecting part to connect the observation part and the front shell together.

10. An ice maker characterized by, The ice storage box comprises: a machine body having a receiving cavity; and The ice storage box of any one of claims 1-9, the box body being slidably arranged in the receiving cavity.

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