Ice making equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to ice making equipment. The ice making equipment comprises an ice storage box and a rotating motor connected with the ice storage box, the ice storage box comprises a first box body and a second box body; the rotating motor is used for exchanging the positions of the first box body and the second box body through rotation when the ice storage amount of the second box body located in the ice making area is larger than the ice storage amount of the first box body located in the ice taking area. Thus, by arranging the two box bodies capable of rotating and changing the positions, the box body with the large ice storage amount can be rotated to the ice taking area during defrosting, ice taking is convenient, and the situation that the ice stored in the box body melts due to defrosting is avoided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ice making equipment, and in particular to an ice making equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the related art, the storage box of the ice granulator and other ice making equipment is used to temporarily store the prepared granular ice blocks. When defrosting is needed, the user is reminded to manually defrost, but the efficiency is low, or the storage box can be automatically defrosted when there are ice blocks, but this often causes the stored ice blocks to melt. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0003] The present application provides an ice making equipment to solve the technical problem of large ice block melting loss caused by defrosting of the ice making equipment.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present application provides an ice making equipment, comprising: an ice storage box and a rotary motor connected with the ice storage box; the ice storage box comprises a first box body and a second box body; the rotary motor is used to exchange the positions of the first box body and the second box body by rotation when the storage amount of ice in the second box body located in the ice making area is greater than the storage amount of ice in the first box body located in the ice taking area.

[0005] In one possible implementation, the rotary motor is arranged at the bottom of the ice storage box.

[0006] In one possible implementation, the ice making equipment further comprises: a shell and a cover plate; the ice storage box is located inside the shell; an ice taking opening is formed on the shell, and the ice taking opening is aligned with the ice taking area; and the cover plate covers the ice taking opening.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the ice taking opening is located above the ice taking area, the cover plate is flipped upwards above the ice taking opening in the open state, and the cover plate completely covers the ice taking opening in the closed state.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the ice making equipment further comprises: a locking mechanism arranged on the cover plate, and the locking mechanism is used to lock the cover plate.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the storage amount of ice is the weight of the stored ice blocks, and the ice making equipment further comprises: a plurality of first sensors; the plurality of first sensors are respectively arranged at the bottoms of the first box body and the second box body, and are used to detect the storage amounts of ice in the first box body and the second box body.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the ice storage amount is the volume of the stored ice cubes, and the ice making device further comprises: a plurality of second sensors; the plurality of second sensors are respectively arranged in the interiors of the first tank and the second tank, and are configured to detect the ice storage amounts of the first tank and the second tank.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the ice storage amount is the height of the stored ice cubes accumulated in the tank, and the ice making device further comprises: a plurality of third sensors; the plurality of third sensors are respectively arranged on the side walls of the first tank and the second tank, and are configured to detect the ice storage amounts of the first tank and the second tank.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the ice storage tank is cylindrical, and the first tank and the second tank are two tanks with the same volume and separated along the diameter of the cross section of the ice storage tank.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the ice storage tank further comprises: a partition plate arranged along the diameter of the cross section of the ice storage tank; and the partition plate separates the ice storage tank into the first tank and the second tank.

[0014] The above technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application has the following advantages compared with the prior art: the ice making device provided by the embodiments of the present application comprises an ice storage tank and a rotary motor connected with the ice storage tank; the ice storage tank comprises a first tank and a second tank; and the rotary motor is configured to exchange the positions of the first tank and the second tank when the ice storage amount of the second tank located in the ice making area is greater than the ice storage amount of the first tank located in the ice taking area. In this way, the positions of the two tanks can be automatically exchanged, the tank in the ice making area is exchanged to the ice taking area when the ice storage amount of the tank in the ice making area is relatively large, and the tank with a small ice storage amount is exchanged to the ice making area, so that when the tank in the ice making area is defrosted, the melting of the ice cubes is reduced, the defrosting efficiency is improved, the ice storage loss is reduced, and manual operation is not required. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the accompanying drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or the prior art description will be briefly introduced as follows. Obviously, for those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained from these drawings without any creative effort.

[0017] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ice-making device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ice-making device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0020] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0021] 1. Refrigerator; 2. Rotary motor; 3. Shell; 4. Cover plate; 11. First chamber; 12. Second chamber; 31. Ice outlet. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0023] The following disclosure provides numerous different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of this application. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples. Such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed.

[0024] In related technologies, defrosting solutions generally include the following three types:

[0025] 1. It has a defrost reminder but no defrost function. It will remind the user when defrosting is needed, but the user needs to manually defrost the device after turning off the power.

[0026] 2. It has a defrost reminder and a defrost function. When defrosting is needed, it will remind the user. After the user allows defrosting, the device will start defrosting. However, if the user allows defrosting when there is ice in the storage box, it will cause the ice in the storage box to melt.

[0027] 3. The automatic defrosting function is provided, the equipment can automatically defrost without user intervention, but the ice in the storage tank will melt during defrosting.

[0028] To solve the technical problem of ice melting loss caused by automatic defrosting of the ice making equipment in the prior art, the application provides an ice making equipment, which comprises two parts of the tank body with interchangeable positions. When the ice storage amount of the tank body in the ice making area is large, the tank body positions of the ice making area and the ice taking area can be exchanged, so that the ice making equipment can be automatically defrosted without manual operation, and when the ice making area tank body is defrosted, a large amount of ice melting loss will not be caused.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1 The application provides an ice making equipment, which comprises a ice storage tank 1 and a rotary motor 2 connected with the ice storage tank 1.

[0030] The ice storage tank 1 comprises a first tank body 11 and a second tank body 12; the rotary motor 2 is used to exchange the positions of the first tank body 11 and the second tank body 12 by rotating when the ice storage amount of the second tank body 12 located in the ice making area is greater than the ice storage amount of the first tank body 11 located in the ice taking area.

[0031] Here, the ice making equipment can be, for example, an ice maker, a granular ice maker or an ice making refrigerator. The ice storage tank 1 can also be called a storage tank, an ice storage tank or other names, and is used to store ice blocks made in the ice making area.

[0032] Here, the ice making equipment further comprises a control device, which is used to detect the ice storage amounts of the first tank body 11 located in the ice taking area and the second tank body 12 located in the ice making area; exchange the positions of the first tank body 11 and the second tank body 12 in response to the ice storage amount of the second tank body 12 being greater than the ice storage amount of the first tank body 11; and defrost the tank body located in the ice making area.

[0033] Here, exchanging the positions of the first tank body and the second tank body can be exchanging the positions of the first tank body 11 and the second tank body 12 by controlling the rotary motor 2.

[0034] In one embodiment, the ice making equipment defrosts the tank body located in the ice making area after exchanging the positions of the first tank body 11 and the second tank body 12 by rotating.

[0035] In one embodiment, the first tank body 11 and the second tank body 12 can have the same volume and / or shape, for example, the ice storage tank is cylindrical, and a partition can be provided on the central axis of the ice storage tank, which divides the ice storage tank into the first tank body 11 and the second tank body 12 with the same volume.

[0036] Here, the central axis can be along the diameter direction of the ice storage bin 1 cross section.

[0037] In one embodiment, the area where the ice storage bin 1 is located can be divided into an ice making area and an ice taking area, the ice taking area is used for the user to take out ice cubes, for example, the ice making device can further include an ice taking port 31, the ice taking area can be aligned with the ice taking port 31. The ice making area is used for receiving and storing the ice cubes made, for example, the ice making device can further include an ice making device, and the ice making area can be aligned with the ice making device in the ice making device.

[0038] In one embodiment, the rotating motor 2 can be arranged at the bottom of the ice storage bin 1.

[0039] In one embodiment, the rotating motor 2 can also be arranged on the side wall or above the ice storage bin 1, etc.

[0040] In this way, by setting the positions of the two-part bin, the bin in the ice making area can be automatically exchanged to the ice taking area when the amount of stored ice is larger, and the bin with less ice storage is exchanged to the ice making area, so that when the bin in the ice making area is defrosted, it will not cause more ice cubes to melt, improve the defrosting efficiency, reduce the loss of ice storage, and no manual operation is required.

[0041] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 2 The ice making device can further include a housing 3 and a cover plate 4; the ice storage bin 1 is located inside the housing 3; the housing 3 is provided with an ice taking port 31, the ice taking port 31 is aligned with the ice taking area; and the cover plate 4 covers the ice taking port 31.

[0042] In one embodiment, the ice storage bin 1 and the rotating motor 2 are arranged in the housing 3.

[0043] In one embodiment, the cover plate 4 is in a closed state, the ice taking port 31 is closed, indicating that there is no ice taking operation, and it can be determined that the bin position exchange is allowed at this time.

[0044] In one embodiment, the locking cover plate 4 means that the cover plate 4 is locked in the closed state and cannot be opened. After the cover plate 4 is locked, the cover plate 4 is in a locked state.

[0045] In one embodiment, when the ice storage amount of the second bin 12 located in the ice making area is greater than the ice storage amount of the first bin 11 located in the ice taking area, it can mean that the ice storage amount of the second bin 12 is greater than a preset lower limit value, and the ice storage amount of the first bin 11 is less than the preset lower limit value.

[0046] In one embodiment, the preset lower limit value can be a value representing that the bin is in an empty storage state, for example, the value can be represented as "Wempty" and the like. For example, when the ice storage amount is the weight of the stored ice cubes, the preset lower limit value can be 0.5 kg, 0.6 kg, or 1 kg, etc.

[0047] In one embodiment, when the ice storage amount of the second bin 12 located in the ice making area is greater than the ice storage amount of the first bin 11 located in the ice taking area, it can be referred to that the ice storage amount of the second bin 12 is greater than a preset lower limit value, the ice storage amount of the first bin 11 is less than a preset lower limit value, and the cover plate 4 is in the closed state.

[0048] In one embodiment, by rotating to exchange the positions of the first bin 11 and the second bin 12, the cover plate 4 can be locked, and the positions of the first bin 11 and the second bin 12 can be exchanged when the cover plate 4 is in the locked state.

[0049] In one embodiment, the ice taking opening 31 can be located above the ice taking area, or can also be located below the ice taking area, or can also be located in other directions of the ice taking area, as long as ice blocks in the bin located in the ice taking area can be taken through the ice taking opening 31.

[0050] In one embodiment, the ice taking opening 31 is located above the ice taking area, the cover plate 4 is flipped above the ice taking opening 31 in the open state, and the cover plate 4 completely covers the ice taking opening 31 in the closed state.

[0051] In one embodiment, the ice making device described above can further include a locking mechanism provided on the cover plate 4, and the locking mechanism is used to lock the cover plate 4.

[0052] In one embodiment, the ice storage amount is the weight of the stored ice blocks, and the ice making device described above can further include a plurality of first sensors, and the plurality of first sensors are respectively provided at the bottom of the first bin 11 and the second bin 12, and are used to detect the ice storage amount of the first bin 11 and the second bin 12. The first sensor can be a pressure sensor or the like, and is used to detect the weight of the stored ice blocks in the bin.

[0053] For example, the ice making device can include two first sensors, which are respectively provided at the bottom of the first bin 11 and the second bin 12.

[0054] In one embodiment, the ice storage amount is the volume of the stored ice blocks, and the ice making device described above can further include a plurality of second sensors, and the plurality of second sensors are respectively provided inside the first bin 11 and the second bin 12, and are used to detect the ice storage amount of the first bin 11 and the second bin 12.

[0055] Among them, the second sensor can be provided inside the first bin 11 and the second bin 12, or can also be provided outside the first bin 11 and the second bin 12. The second sensor can be a picture acquisition sensor, which is used to acquire the picture of the stored ice blocks to determine the volume of the stored ice blocks.

[0056] Exemplarily, the ice-making device can include two second sensors respectively arranged inside the first bin 11 and the second bin 12.

[0057] In an embodiment, the ice storage amount is the height of the stored ice cubes accumulated in the bin, and the ice-making device can further include: a plurality of third sensors respectively arranged on the side walls of the first bin 11 and the second bin 12, for detecting the ice storage amount of the first bin 11 and the second bin 12. The second sensor can be a picture acquisition sensor for acquiring a picture of the stored ice cubes to determine the height of the stored ice cubes accumulated in the bin.

[0058] Exemplarily, the ice-making device can include two third sensors respectively arranged on the side walls of the first bin 11 and the second bin 12.

[0059] In an embodiment, the ice storage bin 1 can be cylindrical, cuboid, square, or quadrangular frustum, etc.

[0060] In an embodiment, the first bin 11 and the second bin 12 can have the same volume.

[0061] In an embodiment, the first bin 11 and the second bin 12 can have the same shape.

[0062] In an embodiment, the ice storage bin 1 is cylindrical, and the first bin 11 and the second bin 12 are two bins with the same volume and separated along the diameter of the cross section of the ice storage bin 1.

[0063] Optionally, the first bin 11 and the second bin 12 are two bins with the same volume and the same shape and separated along the diameter of the cross section of the ice storage bin 1.

[0064] Here, the cross section of the ice storage bin 1 can be circular or elliptical.

[0065] In an embodiment, the ice storage bin 1 further includes: a partition plate arranged along the diameter of the cross section of the ice storage bin; and the partition plate separates the ice storage bin 1 into the first bin 11 and the second bin 12.

[0066] In an embodiment, the partition plate can be welded on the inner wall of the ice storage bin 1.

[0067] Here, the first bin 11 and the second bin 12 can be two bins completely isolated from each other, so as to avoid affecting the stored ice cubes in one bin when defrosting the other bin.

[0068] The embodiment provides an ice-making device control method, which can include:

[0069] S10: detecting the ice storage amounts of the first bin located at the ice taking area and the second bin located at the ice making area in the ice storage bin;

[0070] S20: in response to the ice storage amount of the second bin being greater than that of the first bin, exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin;

[0071] S30: defrosting the bin located at the ice making area.

[0072] The ice making device control method provided in the embodiment can be applied to an ice making device, such as an ice maker, a flake ice maker, or a refrigerator with ice making capability, or can be applied to a server or other terminal with control capability for the ice making device, such as a terminal device connected to the ice making device through Bluetooth, a local area network, or other means to control the operation of the ice making device. The method provided in the embodiment can be executed by the control device in the ice making device.

[0073] In the embodiment, the ice making device can include an ice storage bin, which can be divided into a first bin and a second bin. The ice storage bin can also be referred to as a storage bin, an ice storage bin, or other names, and is used to store ice blocks made in the ice making area.

[0074] In one embodiment, the first bin and the second bin can have the same volume and / or shape. For example, the ice storage bin is cylindrical, and a partition is provided on the central axis of the ice storage bin, based on which the ice storage bin is divided into the first bin and the second bin with the same volume.

[0075] In one embodiment, the area where the ice storage bin is located can be divided into an ice making area and an ice taking area. The ice taking area is used for users to take out ice blocks, for example, the ice making device can further include an ice taking port, and the ice taking area can be aligned with the ice taking port. The ice making area is used to receive and store the made ice blocks, for example, the ice making device can further include an ice making device, and the ice making area can be aligned with the ice making device in the ice making device.

[0076] In one embodiment, the ice taking port can be located above the ice taking area, or can be located below the ice taking area, or can be located in other directions of the ice taking area, as long as the ice blocks in the bin in the ice taking area can be taken out through the ice taking port, which is not limited here.

[0077] In one embodiment, the ice storage amount can include at least one of the volume, weight, and height of the stored ice blocks in the bin. When the ice storage amount is the weight of the stored ice blocks, the ice making device can further include at least one first sensor, which can be a pressure sensor, etc., for detecting the weight of the stored ice blocks in the bin.

[0078] For example, the ice making device can include two first sensors, which are respectively arranged at the bottom of the first bin and the second bin.

[0079] In one embodiment, when the ice storage amount is the volume of the stored ice cubes, the ice-making apparatus can further include at least one second sensor for detecting the volume of the stored ice cubes in the bin. The second sensor can be disposed inside the first bin and the second bin, or can be disposed outside the first bin and the second bin. The second sensor can be a picture capturing sensor for capturing a picture of the stored ice cubes to determine the volume of the stored ice cubes.

[0080] For example, the ice-making apparatus can include two second sensors, respectively disposed inside the first bin and the second bin.

[0081] In one embodiment, when the ice storage amount is the height of the stored ice cubes stacked in the bin, the ice-making apparatus can further include at least one third sensor for detecting the height of the stored ice cubes stacked in the bin. The third sensor can be disposed inside the first bin and the second bin, or can be disposed outside the first bin and the second bin.

[0082] For example, the ice-making apparatus can include two third sensors, respectively disposed on the side walls of the first bin and the second bin.

[0083] In one embodiment, the step S10 can include detecting the ice storage amounts of the first bin located at the ice taking area and the second bin located at the ice making area in the ice storage bin in response to a predetermined defrosting condition being satisfied. Here, defrosting can be referred to as deicing, demisting, etc.

[0084] The predetermined defrosting condition can refer to an interval time length from the last defrosting reaching a predetermined defrosting period, or the interval time length reaching the predetermined defrosting period, or the ice-making apparatus being currently in a state requiring defrosting, etc.

[0085] For example, the interval time length reaching the predetermined defrosting period can refer to a difference between the interval time length and the predetermined defrosting period being less than or equal to a preset difference. For example, when the predetermined defrosting period is 120 minutes and the interval time length is 118 minutes, the difference of 2 minutes reaches the preset difference of 2 minutes, and the ice storage amounts of the first bin and the second bin are detected to prepare for defrosting.

[0086] For another example, the ice-making apparatus being currently in a state requiring defrosting can refer to detecting that the ice-making efficiency of the ice-making apparatus is reduced, or the frost amount of the second bin located at the ice making area reaches a predetermined threshold, etc.

[0087] In one embodiment, exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin can be exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin by rotating the ice storage bin.

[0088] In one embodiment, the exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin can include: exchanging the position of the first bin to the ice making area, and exchanging the position of the second bin to the ice taking area.

[0089] In this way, by automatically exchanging the positions of the two-part bins, the bin of the ice making area is exchanged to the ice taking area when the amount of stored ice is more, and the bin of the ice taking area is exchanged to the ice making area when the amount of stored ice is less, so that when the bin of the ice making area is defrosted, it will not cause more ice to melt, improve the defrosting efficiency, reduce the loss of stored ice, and no manual operation is required.

[0090] Since the operation of exchanging the positions of the bins can conflict with the ice taking operation of the user, taking ice during the exchange or exchanging during the ice taking will cause failure or danger to occur. Therefore, the embodiment provides a control method of the ice making device, and the step S20 can include:

[0091] S21: in response to the amount of stored ice of the second bin being greater than the amount of stored ice of the first bin, determining whether the cover plate covering the ice taking opening is in a closed state; the ice taking opening is aligned with the ice taking area;

[0092] S22: if the cover plate is in the closed state, locking the cover plate;

[0093] S23: exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin while the cover plate is in the locked state.

[0094] In one embodiment, the ice making device can further include: a housing, the ice storage bin and the rotary motor are arranged in the housing, the housing is provided with an ice taking opening aligned with the ice taking area, and the cover plate covers the ice taking opening.

[0095] In one embodiment, the cover plate is in the closed state, and the ice taking opening is closed, indicating that no ice taking operation is being performed, and it can be determined that the position exchange of the bins is allowed at this time.

[0096] In one embodiment, locking the cover plate means locking the cover plate in the closed state and being unable to open. The cover plate is in the locked state after the cover plate is locked. For example, the ice making device can further include: a locking mechanism arranged on the cover plate, and the locking mechanism is used to lock the cover plate.

[0097] In one embodiment, if the cover plate is in the closed state, locking the cover plate can include: if the cover plate is in the closed state, determining whether the ice making operation is being performed at present; and if the ice making operation is not being performed at present, locking the cover plate.

[0098] In one embodiment, the method can further include: if the cover plate is in the open state, locking the cover plate after waiting for the cover plate to be closed; and exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin while the cover plate is in the locked state.

[0099] In one embodiment, if the cover is in the open state, waiting for the cover to be closed and then locking the cover can include: if the cover is in the open state and the predetermined defrosting condition is met, issuing a prompt information to prompt the user to close the cover as soon as possible, and waiting for the cover to be closed and then locking the cover.

[0100] In one embodiment, the method can further include: in response to detecting that the cover has been in the open state for a length of time reaching a preset alarm length of time, issuing an alarm prompt. Here, the alarm prompt can be used to prompt the user to close the cover.

[0101] In one embodiment, after step S23, the method can further include: after completing the exchange of the positions of the first bin and the second bin, unlocking the cover. For example, after completing the exchange of the positions of the first bin and the second bin, it can be detected that the rotary motor has stopped working.

[0102] In this way, when the cover is in the closed state, it can be determined that no ice taking operation is being performed, so that the exchange of the positions at this time does not interfere with the ice taking operation, and the cover cannot be opened when it is locked, which can avoid sudden opening of the cover during the exchange of the positions, resulting in failure or danger, and improve reliability.

[0103] In order to improve the accuracy and reliability of the specific bin position exchange trigger time, the embodiment provides a control method of an ice making device, and step S20 can include:

[0104] S24: in response to the ice storage amount of the second bin being greater than a preset lower limit value and the ice storage amount of the first bin being less than the preset lower limit value, exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin.

[0105] In one embodiment, the preset lower limit value can be a value representing that the bin is in an empty storage state, for example, the value can be represented as "Wempty" and the like. For example, when the ice storage amount is the weight of the stored ice blocks, the preset lower limit value can be 0.5 kg, 0.6 kg, or 1 kg, etc.

[0106] In one embodiment, step S24 can include: in response to the ice storage amount of the second bin being greater than a preset lower limit value and the ice storage amount of the first bin being less than the preset lower limit value, determining whether a cover covering an ice taking port is in a closed state; the ice taking port is aligned with the ice taking area; if the cover is in the closed state, locking the cover; and exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin when the cover is in the locked state.

[0107] In one embodiment, step S24 can include: in response to the ice storage amount of the second bin being greater than a preset lower limit value and the ice storage amount of the first bin being less than the preset lower limit value, determining whether an ice making operation is being performed at present; and if no ice making operation is being performed at present, exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin.

[0108] Thus, by setting a preset lower limit value, it can be better determined whether the first bin and the second bin are in an empty storage state, so that the first bin in the empty storage state, i.e., substantially without stored ice, can be exchanged to the ice making area for defrosting, thereby further reducing the ice melting loss.

[0109] In some embodiments, the step S30 of defrosting the bin located in the ice making area can include:

[0110] determining whether defrosting needs to be started based on a predetermined defrosting period;

[0111] if defrosting needs to be started, determining whether the current is in a standby state;

[0112] if the current is in the standby state, defrosting the bin located in the ice making area based on a predetermined defrosting duration.

[0113] In an embodiment, the predetermined defrosting period is an execution period of defrosting, i.e., defrosting is performed once every predetermined defrosting period. The determination of whether defrosting needs to be started based on the predetermined defrosting period can include determining whether defrosting needs to be started based on the predetermined defrosting period and a completion time of the last defrosting.

[0114] In an embodiment, the determination of whether defrosting needs to be started based on the predetermined defrosting period and the completion time of the last defrosting can refer to determining an interval duration between the current time and the completion time of the last defrosting; and determining whether defrosting needs to be started based on the interval duration and the predetermined defrosting period.

[0115] For example, the determination of whether defrosting needs to be started based on the interval duration and the predetermined defrosting period can include determining that defrosting needs to be started if the interval duration reaches the predetermined defrosting period or the interval duration is about to reach the predetermined defrosting period.

[0116] For example, the interval duration being about to reach the predetermined defrosting period can refer to a difference between the interval duration and the predetermined defrosting period being less than or equal to a preset difference value. For example, the predetermined defrosting period is 120 minutes, and when the interval duration is 118 minutes, the difference of 2 minutes reaches the preset difference value of 2 minutes, and it is determined that defrosting needs to be started.

[0117] In an embodiment, the current being in the standby state can refer to that there is no ongoing ice making operation or defrosting operation.

[0118] In an embodiment, the predetermined defrosting duration is a duration required for one defrosting, for example, the predetermined defrosting duration represented as “Tdefrosting” can be a preset fixed value, or can be determined according to the frosting amount of the bin in the current ice making area, etc.

[0119] In one embodiment, defrosting the bin located in the ice making area based on the predetermined defrosting duration can include stopping defrosting when the predetermined defrosting duration is reached.

[0120] In this way, whether the ice making device is working is determined by whether it is in standby state when the defrosting cycle is reached, and defrosting is performed when it is not working, which can better avoid the conflict between defrosting and ongoing ice making operation, and further improve the reliability of the device.

[0121] In one embodiment, defrosting the bin located in the ice making area based on the predetermined defrosting duration can include:

[0122] Determining whether the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area is less than a preset lower limit value;

[0123] If the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area is less than the preset lower limit value, defrosting the bin located in the ice making area based on the predetermined defrosting duration;

[0124] If the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area is not less than the preset lower limit value, after exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin, defrosting the bin located in the ice making area based on the predetermined defrosting duration.

[0125] In one embodiment, if the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area is not less than the preset lower limit value, after exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin, defrosting the bin located in the ice making area based on the predetermined defrosting duration can include: if the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area is not less than the preset lower limit value, determining whether the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area is less than the preset lower limit value; if the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area is less than the preset lower limit value, after exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin, defrosting the bin located in the ice making area based on the predetermined defrosting duration.

[0126] In this way, the ice storage amount of the bin in the ice making area is determined again before defrosting is performed, which avoids the ice storage amount of the bin in the ice making area from rising due to the ice making operation performed after the positions are exchanged, thereby avoiding that the defrosting still causes a large ice block to melt and be lost.

[0127] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0128] In response to currently being in standby state and the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area being less than a preset upper limit value, performing ice making operation on the bin located in the ice making area.

[0129] In one embodiment, the response to the current standby state and the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area being less than the preset upper limit value can include: the response to the current standby state and the ice making operation not being required to start defrosting and the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area being less than the preset upper limit value.

[0130] Here, the preset upper limit value is greater than the preset lower limit value, and the preset upper limit value can be a value representing that the bin is in a full storage state, for example, the value can be represented as "W full" and the like. For example, when the ice storage amount is the weight of the stored ice cubes, the preset upper limit value can be 25 kg, 29 kg or 30 kg, or the like.

[0131] In one embodiment, the method further includes: during the ice making process, in response to the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice taking area being less than the preset lower limit value and the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area being greater than the preset lower limit value, stopping the ice making and entering the standby state, so that the ice making can be stopped in time for position exchange.

[0132] In one embodiment, the response to the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice taking area being less than the preset lower limit value and the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area being greater than the preset lower limit value, stopping the ice making and entering the standby state, can include: the response to the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice taking area being less than the preset lower limit value and the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area being greater than the preset lower limit value, and the cover being in the closed state, stopping the ice making and entering the standby state.

[0133] In one embodiment, during the ice making process, in response to the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area being greater than or equal to the preset upper limit value, stopping the ice making and entering the standby state.

[0134] In this way, the ice making operation can be performed when the ice storage amount of the bin in the ice making area is small, ensuring that the user has ice to take out when needed. Moreover, after the ice storage amount becomes higher than the ice storage amount of the ice taking area, the positions can be exchanged in time for ice taking and defrosting.

[0135] In one embodiment, the exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin can include:

[0136] Determining whether the current ice making operation is being performed;

[0137] If the current ice making operation is being performed, stopping the ice making operation and exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin.

[0138] In one embodiment, if the current ice making operation is being performed, stopping the ice making operation can include: if the current ice making operation is being performed and the cover is in the closed state, stopping the ice making operation.

[0139] In one embodiment, the method can further include: if the ice making operation is currently being performed and the cover is in the open state, stopping the ice making operation when the current ice making amount reaches an ice taking condition. Here, reaching the ice taking condition can refer to reaching a target ice making amount indicated by an ice making instruction, which can be sent by a user.

[0140] In one embodiment, after stopping the ice making operation and exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin, defrosting the bin located in the ice making area can include: determining whether defrosting needs to be started based on a predetermined defrosting period; if defrosting needs to be started, determining whether the current state is in standby; if the current state is in standby, defrosting the bin located in the ice making area based on a predetermined defrosting time.

[0141] In one embodiment, the above method can further include: if defrosting does not need to be started, continuing to perform the stopped ice making operation. For example, the stopped ice making operation can be continued based on the completed ice making amount and the target ice making amount when the ice making operation is stopped.

[0142] In this way, it can be avoided that ice making is being performed when the positions of the bins are exchanged, which can affect the normal progress of ice block receiving. Pausing the ice making operation to prioritize the position exchange can improve efficiency and reduce the occurrence of malfunctions and dangerous situations.

[0143] As one possible implementation, the flake ice machine storage bin is designed in a cylindrical shape, and is divided into two semi-cylindrical partitions by a partition plate. A motor is installed at the bottom of the storage bin, and the storage bin can be controlled in rotation by the motor. Generally, one partition of the storage bin faces the storage bin door, i.e., the cover, and the user can only take ice from this partition after opening the storage bin door, which is referred to as the ice taking partition or the ice taking area. The other partition faces the ice making area and can collect the ice blocks made, which is referred to as the ice making partition or the ice making area.

[0144] Pressure sensors are installed at the bottom of both partitions of the storage bin to measure whether there are ice blocks in the partitions.

[0145] The user can set the time interval for defrosting on the control panel, and it is usually recommended to defrost once a day or every few hours.

[0146] The control method includes the following specific steps:

[0147] In standby mode, if the ice taking partition pressure sensor is less than the weight "Wempty" and the ice making partition weight is greater than "Wempty" and the storage bin door, i.e., the cover, is closed, the storage bin bottom rotation motor is started and the storage bin door is locked, until the positions of the two partitions are exchanged, the rotation motor is turned off and the storage bin door is unlocked.

[0148] In standby mode, if the ice making section does not reach the defrosting time interval and the pressure sensor is less than the weight "W full", enter the ice making mode and start ice making.

[0149] In standby mode, if the ice making section reaches the defrosting time interval and the pressure sensor is less than the weight "W empty", enter the defrosting mode and defrost the ice making section.

[0150] In ice making mode, if the ice taking section pressure sensor is less than the weight "W empty" and the ice making section weight is greater than "W empty" and the storage box door is closed, enter standby mode and stop ice making.

[0151] In ice making mode, if the ice making section pressure sensor is greater than or equal to the weight "W full", enter standby mode and stop ice making.

[0152] In defrosting mode, the ice making section defrosting time reaches "T defrosting", exit the defrosting mode and enter the standby mode.

[0153] In any mode, if the storage box door is not closed for more than 5 minutes, issue an unsealed box door fault alarm.

[0154] (Note: W full, W empty, T defrosting are related to the size of the storage box and the performance of the device system, and reasonable data can be obtained through experiments before shipment. In some cases, W full is 29KG, W empty is 1KG, and T defrosting is 14 minutes.)

[0155] The embodiment of the application provides an ice making device control device, which can include:

[0156] A detection unit 100 is configured to detect the ice storage amount of a first box body located in an ice taking area and a second box body located in an ice making area in an ice storage box;

[0157] An exchange unit 200 is configured to exchange the positions of the first box body and the second box body in response to the ice storage amount of the second box body being greater than the ice storage amount of the first box body;

[0158] An execution unit 300 is configured to defrost the box body located in the ice making area.

[0159] In one possible implementation, the exchange unit 200 is specifically configured to: determine whether a cover plate covering an ice taking port is in a closed state; the ice taking port is aligned with the ice taking area; if the cover plate is in the closed state, lock the cover plate; exchange the positions of the first box body and the second box body in the locked state of the cover plate.

[0160] In a possible implementation, the response to the ice storage amount of the second bin being greater than the ice storage amount of the first bin includes: in response to the ice storage amount of the second bin being greater than a preset lower limit value and the ice storage amount of the first bin being less than the preset lower limit value.

[0161] In a possible implementation, the execution unit 300 is specifically configured to: determine whether defrosting needs to be started based on a predetermined defrosting period; if defrosting needs to be started, determine whether the current state is a standby state; and if the current state is the standby state, defrost the bin located in the ice making area based on a predetermined defrosting duration.

[0162] In a possible implementation, the execution unit 300 is specifically configured to: determine whether the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area is less than a preset lower limit value; if the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area is less than the preset lower limit value, defrost the bin located in the ice making area based on a predetermined defrosting duration; and if the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area is not less than the preset lower limit value, after exchanging the positions of the first bin and the second bin, defrost the bin located in the ice making area based on a predetermined defrosting duration.

[0163] In a possible implementation, the execution unit 300 is further configured to: in response to the current state being the standby state and the ice storage amount of the bin located in the ice making area being less than a preset upper limit value, perform ice making operation on the bin located in the ice making area.

[0164] In a possible implementation, the exchange unit 200 is specifically configured to: determine whether the current state is an ice making operation; if the current state is the ice making operation, stop the ice making operation and exchange the positions of the first bin and the second bin.

[0165] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, wherein the units described as separate components can or can not be physically separate, and the components displayed as units can or can not be physical units, that is, can be located in one place, or can be distributed on multiple network units. According to actual needs, part or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of the embodiment.

[0166] The embodiment of the application provides an electronic device, which comprises a processor 111, a communication interface 112, a memory 113 and a communication bus 114, wherein the processor 111, the communication interface 112 and the memory 113 complete mutual communication through the communication bus 114,

[0167] The memory 113 is used for storing a computer program.

[0168] In an embodiment of the present application, the processor 111, when executing the program stored in the memory 113, implements the ice-making device control method provided by any one or more of the method embodiments.

[0169] The embodiment of the present application further provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores a computer program. The computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the ice-making device control method provided by any one or more of the method embodiments.

[0170] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus a general hardware platform, and of course, can also be implemented by hardware. Based on such understanding, the above technical solutions essentially or in other words, the part that contributes to the related art can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product can be stored in a computer readable storage medium, such as a ROM / RAM, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, and the like, and includes a plurality of instructions to make a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) execute the method described in each embodiment or some part of the embodiment.

[0171] It should be understood that the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises", "comprising", "includes", "including" and "has" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order in which they are described, unless specifically identified as an order dependent step. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps can be employed.

[0172] Each step in an embodiment or an example can be implemented as an independent example without contradiction, and the steps can be combined arbitrarily, for example, a solution obtained by removing some steps in an embodiment or an example can be implemented as an independent example, and the order of the steps in an embodiment or an example can be exchanged arbitrarily, in addition, the optional modes or optional examples in an embodiment or an example can be combined arbitrarily; in addition, the embodiments or examples can be combined arbitrarily, for example, the steps in different embodiments or examples can be combined arbitrarily, an embodiment or an example can be combined with the optional modes or optional examples of other embodiments or examples.

[0173] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. An ice-making device, characterized in that, The ice-making equipment includes: a refrigerator and a rotary motor connected to the refrigerator; The refrigerator includes a first compartment and a second compartment; the rotary motor is used to rotate and exchange the positions of the first compartment and the second compartment when the ice storage capacity of the second compartment located in the ice-making area is greater than the ice storage capacity of the first compartment located in the ice-retrieving area.

2. The ice-making equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotary motor is located at the bottom of the refrigerator.

3. The ice-making equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice-making device further includes: a housing and a cover plate; the refrigerator is located inside the housing; the housing has an ice-taking port, which is aligned with the ice-taking area; the cover plate covers the ice-taking port.

4. The ice-making equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The ice extraction port is located above the ice extraction area. When the cover is open, it flips upwards towards the ice extraction port. When the cover is closed, it completely covers the ice extraction port.

5. The ice-making equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The ice-making device further includes a locking mechanism disposed on the cover plate, the locking mechanism being used to lock the cover plate.

6. The ice-making equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice storage capacity is the weight of the stored ice blocks, and the ice-making equipment also includes: multiple first sensors; The plurality of first sensors are respectively disposed at the bottom of the first box and the second box, and are used to detect the ice storage amount of the first box and the second box.

7. The ice-making equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice storage capacity is the volume of ice blocks stored, and the ice-making equipment also includes: multiple second sensors; The plurality of second sensors are respectively located inside the first box and the second box, and are used to detect the ice storage amount in the first box and the second box.

8. The ice-making equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice storage capacity is the height of the ice blocks stacked in the box, and the ice-making equipment also includes: multiple third sensors; The plurality of third sensors are respectively disposed on the side walls of the first box and the second box, and are used to detect the ice storage amount of the first box and the second box.

9. The ice-making equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerator is cylindrical, and the first box and the second box are two boxes of the same volume separated along the cross-sectional diameter of the refrigerator.

10. The ice-making equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that, The refrigerator also includes a partition, which is arranged along the cross-sectional diameter of the refrigerator; the partition divides the refrigerator into a first compartment and a second compartment.

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