Water storage box and refrigerator

Abstract

The utility model provides a water storage box and a refrigerator, the water storage box is provided with a water supplementing opening, a water discharging opening and a water plug, the water supplementing opening is used for communicating with an ice maker of the refrigerator, the water discharging opening is formed in the bottom of the water storage box, the water plug is detachably connected into the water discharging opening, the water plug is provided with a softening part, and the softening part is used for softening water in the water storage box. Impurities in the water storage box can be completely discharged by arranging the water outlet, and meanwhile, the softening part is arranged on the water plug used for blocking the water outlet, so that solute in water is treated, the hardness of the water is reduced, the hardness of the water supplied to the ice maker is relatively soft, and the taste of ice cubes is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of household appliances, in particular to a water storage box and a refrigerator. BACKGROUND

[0002] A refrigerator with ice making in the box will set a water storage box in the refrigeration compartment to store water needed for ice making. Since the water storage box is placed in a low temperature environment, the solutes in the water will precipitate crystals as the temperature decreases, thereby affecting the taste of the ice cubes and reducing user experience. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0003] The utility model provides a water storage box and a refrigerator to solve the technical problem of poor ice taste.

[0004] To achieve the above purpose, the water storage box provided by the present application is provided with a water supplement port, a drain port and a water plug, the water supplement port is used to communicate with the ice maker of the refrigerator, the drain port is arranged at the bottom of the water storage box, the water plug is detachably connected in the drain port, the water plug has a softening part, and the softening part is used to soften the water in the water storage box.

[0005] Optionally, in an embodiment, a box body and a box cover are included, the box cover is detachably connected to the box body to form a water storage cavity with the box body.

[0006] Optionally, in an embodiment, the box cover is provided with a water inlet port communicating with the water storage cavity, and the box cover is rotatably connected with a water inlet cover, one end of the water inlet cover being detachably connected to the box cover to open or close the water inlet port.

[0007] Optionally, in an embodiment, a drainage part is movably connected in the water inlet port, and the drainage part is used to guide the water flow into the water storage cavity.

[0008] Optionally, in an embodiment, the water inlet cover includes a shielding part, one end of the shielding part being rotatably connected to the box cover, and the other end of the shielding part being detachably connected to the box cover; the water inlet cover further includes the drainage part connected with the shielding part.

[0009] Optionally, in an embodiment, the drainage part includes a plurality of drainage surfaces arranged obliquely to each other, and the plurality of drainage surfaces are sequentially arranged in the direction of the water inlet port pointing to the water storage cavity.

[0010] Optionally, in an embodiment, the water inlet port and the water supplement port are respectively located on opposite sides of the box cover; and / or,

[0011] The water outlet is located at the bottom of the box body, a water supplement pipe is arranged in the water storage cavity, one end of the water supplement pipe is arranged above the water outlet, the water plug is used for embedding into the water outlet in the direction of the water storage box interior, and the water supplement outlet is located at the other end of the water supplement pipe.

[0012] Optionally, in an embodiment, the water adding cover further comprises a dust blocking part connected between the shielding part and the drainage part, when the water adding cover closes the water adding opening, a gap exists between the shielding part and the end of the water adding opening, and the dust blocking part is used for shielding the gap.

[0013] Optionally, in an embodiment, the softening part is made of an anion exchange resin and / or a cation exchange resin.

[0014] The application further provides a refrigerator comprising the water storage box and the ice maker.

[0015] The water storage box provided by the application can discharge impurities in the water storage box through the water outlet, and the water plug used for plugging the water outlet is provided with a softening part to treat the solute in the water, thereby reducing the water hardness, making the water supplied to the ice maker relatively soft, and improving the taste of ice cubes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or the prior art description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only constitute some embodiments of the application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained according to the structures shown in the drawings without creative labor.

[0017] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the water storage box from one perspective of the application;

[0018] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the water storage box from another perspective of the application;

[0019] Figure 3 It is a top view of the water storage box of the application;

[0020] Figure 4 It is a sectional view obtained along the sectional plane line A-A; Figure 3

[0021] Figure 5 It is an exploded view of the water storage box from one perspective of the application;

[0022] Figure 6 It is an exploded view of the water storage box from another perspective of the application;

[0023] ​Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the water inlet cap is opened in this application.

[0024] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0025] 1. Box body; 11. Drain outlet; 2. Box cover; 21. Water supply pipe; 211. Water supply outlet; 22. Water inlet; 3. Water inlet cap; 31. Shielding part; 32. Drainage part; 321. Drainage surface; 33. Dust blocking part; 4. Water plug; 41. Plug head; 42. Softening part; 5. Water storage chamber; 6. Mounting base; 7. First snap-fit ​​base; 8. Second snap-fit ​​base; 9. Snap-fit ​​connector.

[0026] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model. Furthermore, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for illustration and explanation of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model.

[0028] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used solely for the convenience of describing this application and for simplification, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a unique orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0029] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0030] This application provides a water storage box to solve the problem of poor taste of ice cubes. The following description will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0031] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the water storage box is provided with a water inlet 211, a drain outlet 11 and a water plug 4. The water inlet 211 is used to connect to the ice maker of the refrigerator. The drain outlet 11 is located at the bottom of the water storage box. The water plug 4 is detachably connected to the drain outlet 11. The water plug 4 has a softening part 42, which is used to soften the water in the water storage box.

[0032] It should be noted that the ice maker in a refrigerator refers to the device installed inside the refrigerator compartment that produces ice cubes. The water plug 4 being detachably connected to the drain outlet 11 can mean that the water plug 4 is made of a flexible material and achieves an interference fit with the side wall of the drain outlet 11 through its own deformation, thus enabling the water plug 4 to be installed and removed; or it can mean that the water plug 4 and the side wall of the drain outlet 11 are installed and removed through a threaded fit. The softening section 42 refers to a structure that softens the water in the water storage box. The softening section 42 can achieve water softening using methods known in the water treatment field, such as ion exchange or activated carbon methods.

[0033] For example, the softening section 42 can be made of one or more of food-grade anion exchange resins and food-grade cation exchange resins. The anion exchange resin can exchange various anions in water, such as cyanide ions and thiocyanate ions, with its hydroxyl ions; the cation exchange resin can exchange various cations in water, such as calcium ions and magnesium ions, with its carboxyl or sulfonic acid groups. The above materials should comply with the national standards for food-grade contact plastic materials and products. Furthermore, the softening section 42 uses activated carbon material to reduce hardness by adsorbing solutes in the water.

[0034] It is understandable that the drain outlet 11 at the bottom of the water storage box can drain the impurities that have precipitated in the water storage box. By using the water plug 4 that seals the drain outlet 11 and setting a softening part 42 on it, the solutes in the water can be treated, thereby preventing crystallization in low temperature environment, reducing the hardness of the water, making the ice cubes taste smoother, and improving the user experience.

[0035] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the water storage box includes a box body 1 and a box cover 2. The box cover 2 is detachably connected to the box body 1 to form a water storage cavity 5.

[0036] It should be noted that the lid 2 is detachably connected to the body 1, meaning that the lid 2 and the body 1 can be connected by common detachable methods such as snap-fit ​​connection or bolt connection.

[0037] Understandably, by setting the water storage box as a detachable connection between the cover 2 and the body 1, after a long period of use, the cover 2 can be removed to rinse the inside of the body 1, and at the same time the drain outlet 11 can be opened to clean the impurities inside the water storage box.

[0038] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, the cover 2 is provided with a water inlet 22 that communicates with the water storage chamber 5. The cover 2 is rotatably connected to a water inlet cap 3. One end of the water inlet cap 3 is detachably connected to the cover 2 to open or close the water inlet 22.

[0039] It should be noted that "the lid 2 is rotatably connected to the water inlet 3, and one end of the water inlet 3 is detachably connected to the lid 2 to open or close the water inlet 22" means that the water inlet 3 is opened or closed by rotating it. When the water inlet 3 is closed, the water inlet 3 is connected and fixed to the lid 2. The water inlet 3 and the lid 2 can be connected by a snap-fit.

[0040] Understandably, by setting a water filling cap 3 on the lid 2, water can be added to the water storage box without completely disassembling the lid 2.

[0041] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, a diversion part 32 is movably connected inside the water inlet 22, which is used to guide the water flow into the water storage chamber 5.

[0042] It should be noted that the guide section 32 is movably connected inside the water inlet 22, allowing the guide section 32 to move relative to the cover 2. This movable connection includes various motion connection methods such as rotation and sliding. The guide section 32 guides the water flow into the water storage chamber 5, meaning its extension direction is from the water inlet 22 towards the water storage chamber 5. It is understood that the guide section 32 can reduce the impact of the water flow on the casing 1, preventing the water plug 4 from loosening due to excessive water flow force.

[0043] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4As shown, the water filling cap 3 includes a shielding part 31, one end of which is rotatably connected to the lid 2, and the other end of which is detachably connected to the lid 2; the water filling cap 3 also includes a draining part 32 connected to the shielding part 31.

[0044] It should be noted that "one end of the blocking part 31 is rotatably connected to the cover 2, and the other end of the blocking part 31 is detachably connected to the cover 2" means that the blocking part 31 is used to open or close the water inlet 22. It can be understood that since the drainage part 32 is connected to the blocking part 31, when the blocking part 31 rotates, it causes the drainage part 32 to move relative to the cover 2. Thus, when water is added by opening the water inlet cover 3, the drainage part 32 can fully exert its drainage function.

[0045] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the drainage section 32 includes a plurality of drainage surfaces 321 arranged at inclinations to each other, and the plurality of drainage surfaces 321 are arranged sequentially along the direction from the water inlet 22 toward the water storage chamber 5.

[0046] It should be noted that the drainage section 32 includes multiple mutually inclined drainage surfaces 321, meaning that there is an angle between the multiple drainage sections 32, and the degree of the angle is not equal to 0 degrees or 180 degrees. In this way, the water flow is buffered and diverted by multiple drainage surfaces 321, preventing water from splashing outside the water storage box and avoiding the water flow entering the water storage cavity 5 from causing the water storage box to shake violently. The phrase "multiple drainage surfaces 321 are arranged sequentially along the direction from the water inlet 22 to the water storage cavity 5" refers to all drainage surfaces 321 or some of the drainage surfaces 321. For example, when two drainage surfaces 321 are provided, the two drainage surfaces 321 are arranged sequentially along the direction from the water inlet 22 to the water storage cavity 5. When the water inlet cover 3 is opened, the angle between the drainage surface 321 near the shield 31 and the horizontal plane is smaller than the angle between the drainage surface 321 away from the shield 31 and the horizontal plane. In this way, the water flow is first slowed down by the drainage surface 321 near the shield 31, and then the water flow is introduced into the water storage cavity 5 by the drainage surface 321 away from the shield 31. When four drainage surfaces 321 are provided, two drainage surfaces 321 are arranged sequentially along the direction from the water inlet 22 to the water storage cavity 5, and two other drainage surfaces 321 are provided on opposite sides of the two drainage surfaces 321 in the horizontal direction to block the water flow.

[0047] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the water inlet 22 and the water outlet 211 are located on opposite sides of the cover 2.

[0048] It should be noted that the two opposite sides of the lid 2 refer to the two sides of the lid 2 along the horizontal direction.

[0049] It is understandable that by setting the water inlet 22 and the water outlet 211 in the above positions, and separating the water inlet 22 and the water outlet 211 as much as possible, it is possible to prevent the water flowing in from the water inlet 22 from spraying out from the water outlet 211.

[0050] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the drain outlet 11 is located at the bottom of the box 1, and a water supply pipe 21 is provided in the water storage cavity 5. One end of the water supply pipe 21 is spaced above the drain outlet 11. The water plug 4 is used to be embedded in the drain outlet 11 in the direction pointing towards the inside of the water storage box. The water supply port 211 is located at the other end of the water supply pipe 21.

[0051] Understandably, by installing a water supply pipe 21 inside the water storage box, the water in the water storage chamber 5 can be drained as much as possible, preventing the last replenished water from accumulating in the water storage chamber 5 and mixing with the newly added water, thus helping to maintain the freshness of the water in the water storage chamber 5. Typically, a water pump is connected to the water supply pipe 21, with one end of the water supply pipe 21 positioned directly above the drain outlet 11. The suction force of the water pump can drive the water plug 4 to continuously press against the side wall of the drain outlet 11, improving the sealing performance.

[0052] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the bottom of the water storage chamber 5 slopes towards the drain outlet 11. This makes it easy to drain all the cleaning water and impurities when cleaning the water storage chamber 5, resulting in a better cleaning effect.

[0053] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the water inlet 22 and the water supply inlet 211 are located on opposite sides of the cover 2; the drain outlet 11 is located at the bottom of the box body 1; a water supply pipe 21 is provided in the water storage cavity 5; one end of the water supply pipe 21 is spaced above the drain outlet 11; the water plug 4 is used to be embedded in the drain outlet 11 in the direction pointing towards the inside of the water storage box; and the water supply inlet 211 is located at the other end of the water supply pipe 21.

[0054] Understandably, by placing the water inlet 22 and water outlet 211 in the aforementioned positions, and separating them as much as possible, it is possible to prevent water added through the water inlet 22 from spraying out through the water outlet 211. Simultaneously, by placing the water outlet pipe 21 inside the water storage box, water in the water storage chamber 5 can be drained as much as possible, preventing the last replenished water from accumulating in the water storage chamber 5 and mixing with the newly added water, thus helping to maintain the freshness of the water in the water storage chamber 5. Typically, a water pump is connected to the water outlet pipe 21, with one end of the water outlet pipe 21 positioned directly above the drain outlet 11. The suction force of the water pump can drive the water plug 4 to continuously press against the side wall of the drain outlet 11, improving the sealing performance.

[0055] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the water supply pipe 21 is integrally formed with the cover 2. This allows the water supply pipe 21 to be removed when the cover 2 is taken off, and the pipe wall of the water supply pipe 21 can be cleaned.

[0056] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 and Figure 7 As shown, the water filling cover 3 also includes a dust blocking part 33 connected between the shielding part 31 and the diversion part 32. When the water filling cover 3 closes the water inlet 22, there is a gap between the shielding part 31 and the end of the water inlet 22, and the dust blocking part 33 is used to block the gap.

[0057] It should be noted that the gap between the shielding part 31 and the end of the water inlet 22 allows the user to more easily pull the water inlet cap 3 to open the water inlet 22. However, this gap can also allow impurities to enter the water storage chamber 5. Therefore, the dust-blocking part 33 is used to prevent impurities from entering the water storage chamber 5 through this gap. For example, when four flow-guiding surfaces 321 are provided, two flow-guiding surfaces 321 are sequentially arranged along the direction from the water inlet 22 towards the water storage chamber 5, and two other flow-guiding surfaces 321 are respectively provided on opposite sides of these two flow-guiding surfaces 321 in the horizontal direction to block water flow. The dust-blocking part 33 connects the flow-guiding surfaces 321 and the shielding part 31, and the dust-blocking part 33 and the shielding part 31 are inclined together, specifically at a 90-degree angle. It can be imagined that the four flow-guiding surfaces 321 and the dust-blocking part 33 enclose a funnel-shaped structure similar to a sieve.

[0058] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the water storage box also includes a mounting base 6, a first snap-fit ​​base 7, a second snap-fit ​​base 8, and a snap-fit ​​connector 9. The mounting base 6 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the water inlet 22. The first snap-fit ​​base 7 is disposed inside the mounting base 6 and is used to snap into the mounting base 6. The second snap-fit ​​base 8 is disposed inside the first snap-fit ​​base 7 to drive the snap-fit ​​part of the first snap-fit ​​base 7 to snap tightly into the mounting base 6. The snap-fit ​​connector 9 is fixedly connected to the side of the shielding part 31 facing the water inlet 22. The snap-fit ​​part of the second snap-fit ​​base 8 is located outside the first snap-fit ​​base 7 for the snap-fit ​​connector 9 to snap into. When the water inlet cap 3 is closed, the snap-fit ​​connector 9 snaps into the second snap-fit ​​base 8 and pushes it further into the first snap-fit ​​base 7. Under the drive of the snap-fit ​​connector 9, the outer side of the snap-fit ​​part of the second snap-fit ​​base 8 gradually abuts against the snap-fit ​​part of the first snap-fit ​​base 7, and then drives the first snap-fit ​​base 7 to further embed into the mounting base 6 until the first snap-fit ​​base 7 snaps into the mounting base 6. When the water inlet cap 3 is opened, the first locking seat 7, the second locking seat 8, and the locking connector 9 are released from their locking states in sequence.

[0059] In some embodiments, the softening portion 42 is made of anion exchange resin and / or cation exchange resin.

[0060] It should be noted that anion exchange resins refer to resins that can exchange cyanide ions, thiocyanate ions, and other anions in water using their hydroxyl ions; cation exchange resins refer to resins that can exchange calcium ions, magnesium ions, and other cations in water using their carboxyl or sulfonic acid groups. The aforementioned materials should comply with the national standards for food-grade contact plastic materials and products. The specific structure of the softening section 42 can be designed according to the shape of the drain outlet 11.

[0061] Specifically, the water plug 4 includes a plug head 41 and a softening part 42. The softening part 42 is disposed inside the drain outlet 11. The outer peripheral surface of the softening part 42 is threadedly connected to the side wall of the drain outlet 11. The plug head 41 is connected to the end of the softening part 42 facing the outside of the water storage cavity 5 and abuts against the end of the drain outlet 11.

[0062] This application also provides a refrigerator, which includes the aforementioned water storage box and an ice maker. The specific structure of the water storage box is as described in the above embodiments. Since this refrigerator adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here. The ice maker is connected to the water supply pipe 21.

[0063] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. Parts not described in detail in a particular embodiment can be referred to in the relevant descriptions of other embodiments. In the description of this application, 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 indicated technical features. Therefore, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features.

[0064] The water storage box and refrigerator provided in the embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A water storage box, characterized in that, The container is equipped with a water inlet (211), a drain outlet (11), and a water plug (4). The water inlet (211) is used to connect to the ice maker of the refrigerator. The drain outlet (11) is located at the bottom of the water storage box. The water plug (4) is detachably connected to the drain outlet (11). The water plug (4) has a softening part (42) for softening the water in the water storage box.

2. The water storage box according to claim 1, characterized in that, It includes a box body (1) and a box cover (2), wherein the box cover (2) is detachably connected to the box body (1) to form a water storage cavity (5) together with the box body (1).

3. The water storage box according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cover (2) is provided with a water inlet (22) communicating with the water storage chamber (5). The cover (2) is rotatably connected to a water inlet cap (3). One end of the water inlet cap (3) is detachably connected to the cover (2) to open or close the water inlet (22).

4. The water storage box according to claim 3, characterized in that, The water inlet (22) is movably connected to a flow guide (32), which is used to guide the water flow into the water storage chamber (5).

5. The water storage box according to claim 4, characterized in that, The water filling cap (3) includes a shielding part (31), one end of which is rotatably connected to the box cover (2), and the other end of which is detachably connected to the box cover (2); the water filling cap (3) also includes a draining part (32) connected to the shielding part (31).

6. The water storage box according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drainage section (32) includes a plurality of drainage surfaces (321) arranged at inclinations to each other, and the plurality of drainage surfaces (321) are arranged sequentially along the direction from the water inlet (22) to the water storage chamber (5).

7. The water storage box according to claim 6, characterized in that, The water inlet (22) and the water outlet (211) are located on opposite sides of the cover (2); and / or, The drain outlet (11) is located at the bottom of the box (1). A water supply pipe (21) is provided in the water storage cavity (5). One end of the water supply pipe (21) is spaced above the drain outlet (11). The water plug (4) is used to be embedded in the drain outlet (11) in the direction pointing towards the inside of the water storage box. The water supply port (211) is located at the other end of the water supply pipe (21).

8. The water storage box according to claim 5, characterized in that, The water filling cap (3) also includes a dust blocking part (33) connected between the shielding part (31) and the diversion part (32). When the water filling cap (3) closes the water inlet (22), there is a gap between the shielding part (31) and the end of the water inlet (22), and the dust blocking part (33) is used to block the gap.

9. The water storage box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The softening part (42) is made of anion exchange resin and / or cation exchange resin.

10. A refrigerator, characterized in that, Includes a water storage box and an ice maker as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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