Ice storage structure and refrigerator

Abstract

The utility model provides an ice storage structure and a refrigerator, and relates to the technical field of household appliances. The ice storage structure comprises a box body, an ice storage cavity and an ice crushing cavity which are communicated in the first direction are defined, the side, close to the ice storage cavity, of the ice crushing cavity is covered with a cover plate, and the side, close to the ice crushing cavity, of the ice storage cavity is provided with a first guide section; the ice crushing assembly is located in the ice crushing chamber and used for rotationally crushing ice blocks in the ice storage cavity, and a rotating shaft of the ice crushing assembly extends in the first direction; the cover plate and the first guide section are located on the two sides of the ice crushing assembly in the second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The end, close to the ice crushing assembly, of the first guiding section is a first end, and the height of the first end in the first direction is smaller than that of the cover plate. According to the ice storage structure, the space, adjacent to the ice storage cavity, of the first guide section is effectively utilized, more ice blocks can be stored, and the effective volume of the ice storage cavity is increased; the problem that the space on the two sides of the ice crushing cavity is often neglected or wasted is solved, and the maximum utilization of the space is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of household appliance technology, and in particular to an ice storage structure and a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] As modern living standards continue to improve, some high-end refrigerators are increasingly focusing on user experience and convenience, particularly with innovative integration of ice-making systems with ice-crushing mechanisms into the door panels. When users need ice, they simply operate the built-in ice-crushing mechanism to break a whole block of ice into appropriately sized pieces, which are then conveniently dispensed through the ice outlet. Users can flexibly adjust the amount of ice used according to their personal preferences or beverage needs, greatly enhancing the comfort and sophistication of their lives.

[0003] In related technologies, ice produced by the ice-making system is stored in an ice storage box, and then enters an ice-crushing chamber through the bottom of the ice storage box for crushing. Because the ice-crushing chamber is installed at the bottom of the ice storage box, the space on both sides of the ice-crushing chamber is empty, resulting in a small space for the ice storage box to hold ice, which needs further improvement. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide an ice storage structure and a refrigerator.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this application to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an ice storage structure, including:

[0007] The box body defines an ice storage chamber and an ice crushing chamber that are connected along a first direction. A cover plate is provided on the side of the ice crushing chamber closest to the ice storage chamber, and a first guide section is provided on the side of the ice storage chamber closest to the ice crushing chamber; and

[0008] An ice crushing assembly, located inside the ice crushing chamber, is used to rotate and crush ice blocks in the ice storage chamber. The rotation axis of the ice crushing assembly extends along a first direction. A cover plate and a first guide section are located on both sides of the ice crushing assembly along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0009] The first guide section is the end closest to the ice-crushing component, and the height of the first end in the first direction is lower than that of the cover plate.

[0010] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the end of the first guide segment furthest from the ice-crushing component is the second end; wherein,

[0011] The first guide section is inclined along the second direction, and the height of the first end in the first direction is lower than that of the second end; and / or, the height of the second end in the first direction is lower than that of the cover plate.

[0012] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the ice-crushing assembly includes a screw extending along a first direction and ice-crushing blades disposed around the screw, the ice-crushing blades rotating around the screw to crush ice blocks in the ice storage chamber.

[0013] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the ice storage structure further includes a connecting section extending along a first direction, the connecting section connecting the first guide section and the bottom wall of the ice crushing chamber away from the ice storage chamber.

[0014] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the two ends of the connecting segment are respectively connected to the first end and the end of the bottom wall of the ice storage cavity near the first guide segment.

[0015] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the bottom wall of the ice crushing chamber away from the ice storage chamber is provided with an ice outlet, and the ice outlet and the cover plate are located on the same side of the ice crushing assembly along the second direction; the cover plate partially or completely covers the ice outlet in the orthographic projection of the plane where the bottom wall of the ice crushing chamber is located.

[0016] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, a second guide section is provided on the side of the ice storage cavity near the ice crushing cavity, and the second guide section is located on the side of the cover plate away from the ice crushing assembly along the second direction.

[0017] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the end of the second guide segment near the cover plate is the third end, and the end away from the ice-crushing component is the fourth end; wherein,

[0018] The second guide section is inclined along the second direction, and the height of the third end in the first direction is lower than that of the fourth end; and / or, the height of the third end in the first direction is flush with that of the cover plate.

[0019] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a refrigerator, which includes the ice storage structure described above.

[0020] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the refrigerator includes a cabinet with an opening; the refrigerator also includes a door hinged to the cabinet to open or close the opening; wherein, an ice storage structure is located on the door.

[0021] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solution, this application includes at least the following beneficial effects:

[0022] The ice storage structure provided in this application embodiment has a first guide section on the side of the ice storage cavity near the ice crushing cavity. By controlling the height of the first guide section near the end of the ice crushing assembly, making it lower than the cover plate, the space adjacent to the ice storage cavity of the first guide section can be effectively utilized, allowing for the storage of more ice blocks. This significantly increases the effective volume of the ice storage cavity without increasing the overall structural size of the ice storage structure. The height setting of the first end effectively solves the problem that the space on both sides of the ice crushing cavity in the second direction is often neglected or wasted in the ice storage structure, achieving maximum space utilization. One side of the ice crushing assembly can contact the ice blocks stored on the first guide section, ensuring that the ice blocks can smoothly enter the ice crushing area for processing, while the other side is provided with a cover plate, ensuring stability and safety during the ice crushing process. The presence of the cover plate allows the ice crushing assembly to maintain a good working environment while working efficiently, avoiding malfunctions caused by ice blocks scattering or external factors. Furthermore, while achieving the aforementioned functional optimizations, this solution does not introduce any additional components or complex mechanical structures. By simply adjusting the position and height of the first guide section, it achieves a significant increase in ice storage space. The structure is simple, production is convenient, production costs and manufacturing difficulty are reduced, and the market competitiveness of the product is improved. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below only relate to some embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application, wherein:

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an ice storage structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Top view;

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A cross-sectional view along the AA direction;

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of section I;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a partial structural diagram of a box body provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ice-crushing component provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 7 This application provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator when the door is closed.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator when the door is opened, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0032] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0033] 100 - Refrigerator;

[0034] 10-Ice storage structure; 11-Box body; 111-Ice storage cavity; 112-Ice crushing cavity; 1121-Cover plate; 1122-Ice outlet; 12-Ice crushing assembly; 121-Screw; 122-Ice crushing blade; 131-First guide section; 1311-First end; 1312-Second end; 132-Second guide section; 1321-Third end; 1322-Fourth end; 134-Connecting section;

[0035] 20 - Box body; 21 - Opening;

[0036] 30 - Door body; 31 - Ice extraction port. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and comprehensively described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and 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.

[0038] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of 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, features defined with "first" and "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.

[0039] In this application, the term "exemplary" is used to mean "used as an example, illustration, or description." Any embodiment described as exemplary in this application is not necessarily to be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments. The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this application. Details are set forth in the following description for purposes of explanation. It should be understood that those skilled in the art will recognize that this application can be made without using these specific details. In other instances, known structures and processes are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the description of this application with unnecessary detail. Therefore, this application is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is consistent with the broadest scope of the principles disclosed in this application.

[0040] To facilitate understanding of the present application, the spline curves and arrows used in the reference numerals in the accompanying drawings are explained below: spline curves without arrows indicate solid parts, that is, parts with solid structures; spline curves with arrows indicate virtual parts, that is, parts without solid structures.

[0041] Firstly, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 This application provides an ice storage structure 10.

[0042] Please refer to the following for details. Figure 3 and Figure 5 The ice storage structure 10 includes a box body 11. The box body 11 defines an ice storage cavity 111 and an ice crushing cavity 112 that are connected along a first direction. The ice crushing cavity 112 is covered with a cover plate 1121 on the side near the ice storage cavity 111, and the ice storage cavity 111 is provided with a first guide section 131 on the side near the ice crushing cavity 112.

[0043] Please refer to the following for details. Figure 3 and Figure 6 The ice storage structure 10 also includes an ice crushing assembly 12. The ice crushing assembly 12 is located within the ice crushing chamber and is used to rotate and crush ice blocks within the ice storage chamber 111. The rotation axis of the ice crushing assembly 12 extends along a first direction. A cover plate 1121 and a first guide section 131 are located on both sides of the ice crushing assembly 12 along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction. It can be understood that the cover plate 1121 can serve as a separator between the ice crushing chamber 112 and the ice storage chamber 111, preventing the side of the ice crushing chamber 112 closest to the ice storage chamber 111 from being completely exposed to the ice storage chamber 111. This would prevent larger ice blocks from the ice storage chamber 111 from completely filling the ice crushing chamber 112 and affecting the normal operation of the ice crushing assembly 12. It also prevents ice blocks from the ice storage chamber 111 from flowing out of the ice storage structure 10 directly through the ice crushing chamber 112 without being crushed by the ice crushing assembly 12.

[0044] Please refer to the following for details. Figure 4The end of the first guide section 131 near the ice crushing component 12 is the first end 1311, and the height of the first end 1311 in the first direction is lower than that of the cover plate 1121.

[0045] It should be noted that, during the operation of the ice storage structure 10 provided in this application embodiment, the first direction can be vertical and the second direction can be horizontal. A cover plate 1121 is provided on the side of the ice crushing chamber 112 near the ice storage chamber 111, meaning the ice crushing assembly 12 is located below the cover plate 1121; the height of the first end 1311 in the first direction is lower than that of the cover plate 1121, in other words, the horizontal height of the first end 1311 in the vertical direction is lower than that of the cover plate 1121, and the horizontal height of the first end 1311 is flush with a position on the ice crushing assembly 12.

[0046] It should also be noted that, in order to meet the user's need for crushed ice in a timely manner, the ice-making structure will prepare and freeze large-volume ice blocks in advance and store them in the ice storage chamber 111. When the user needs ice blocks, the ice blocks in the ice storage chamber 111 are guided into the ice crushing chamber 112 through the first guide section 131. The ice crushing component 12 in the ice crushing chamber 112 can perform corresponding ice crushing operations according to the user's requirements for the ice block specifications, breaking the large-volume ice blocks into smaller ice blocks, so that the user can obtain the required ice blocks in a timely manner.

[0047] The ice storage structure 10 provided in this application embodiment has a first guide section 131 on the side of the ice storage cavity 111 near the ice crushing cavity 112. By controlling the height of the first guide section 131 near the end of the ice crushing assembly 12, making it lower than the cover plate 1121, the space adjacent to the first guide section 131 and the ice storage cavity 111 can be effectively utilized, allowing for the storage of more ice blocks. This significantly increases the effective volume of the ice storage cavity 111 without increasing the overall structural size of the ice storage structure 10. The height setting of the first end 1311 effectively solves the problem of the ice storage structure 10... This solution addresses the common problem of neglected or wasted space on both sides of the ice-crushing chamber 112 in the second direction (i.e., the horizontal direction), maximizing space utilization. One side of the ice-crushing assembly 12 can contact the ice stored on the first guide section 131, ensuring that the ice can smoothly enter the ice-crushing area for processing. The other side is equipped with a cover plate 1121, ensuring stability and safety during the ice-crushing process. The cover plate 1121 allows the ice-crushing assembly 12 to maintain a good working environment while operating efficiently, preventing malfunctions caused by ice spillage or external factors. Furthermore, this solution achieves the above functional optimization without introducing any additional components or complex mechanical structures. By simply adjusting the position and height of the first guide section 131, a significant increase in ice storage space is achieved. The structure is simple, production is convenient, production costs and manufacturing difficulty are reduced, and the product's market competitiveness is enhanced.

[0048] In some embodiments of this application, the end of the first guide segment 131 away from the ice crushing component 12 is the second end 1312.

[0049] In some embodiments of this application, the first guide segment 131 is inclined along the second direction. In other words, the extension direction of the first guide segment 131 intersects the second direction. Further, the height of the first end 1311 in the first direction is lower than that of the second end 1312. In other words, the first guide segment 131 is inclined downward along the direction close to the ice crushing assembly 12. When the ice block in the ice storage cavity 111 moves downward in the vertical direction into the ice crushing cavity 112, the first guide segment 131 is inclined downward, which helps to guide the ice block and make it enter the ice crushing cavity 112 more smoothly.

[0050] In some embodiments of this application, the second end 1312 is lower than the cover plate 1121 in the first direction. This further increases the space of the first guide section 131 near the ice storage cavity 111, allowing the ice storage cavity 111 to store larger and more ice blocks.

[0051] Please refer to the specific embodiments described in this application. Figure 4 The ice storage structure 10 also includes a connecting section 134 extending along a first direction, which connects the first guide section 131 and the bottom wall of the ice crushing chamber 112 away from the ice storage chamber 111. It should be noted that the connecting section 134 can be the side wall of the ice crusher near the first guide section 131.

[0052] More specifically, the two ends of the connecting section 134 are respectively connected to the first end 1311 and the bottom wall of the ice storage cavity 111 near the end of the first guide section 131. It can be understood that the first guide section 131 and the bottom wall of the ice storage cavity 111 form a stepped structure through the connecting section 134. The stepped structure can prevent small ice pieces after the ice crushing component 12 is broken from flowing back into the ice storage cavity 111 along the slope of the first guide section 131.

[0053] Please refer to the specific embodiments described in this application. Figure 3 and Figure 5An ice outlet 1122 is provided on the bottom wall of the ice crushing chamber 112 away from the ice storage chamber 111. The ice outlet 1122 and the cover plate 1121 are located on the same side of the ice crushing assembly 12 along the second direction. In other words, the ice outlet 1122 is located on the side of the ice crushing assembly 12 away from the first guide section 131 in the second direction. In this way, ice blocks entering the ice crushing chamber 112 through the first guide section 131 can first accumulate on the bottom wall of the ice crushing chamber 112, and after the ice crushing assembly 12 crushes them, the small ice blocks are carried to the ice outlet 1122 by the rotation of the ice crushing assembly 12 and flow out. By placing the ice outlet 1122 and the first guide section 131 on opposite sides of the ice crushing assembly 12, it is possible to prevent large ice blocks from the ice storage chamber 111 on the first guide section 131 from entering the ice crushing chamber 112 and flowing out directly from the ice outlet 1122 without being crushed.

[0054] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this application, the cover plate 1121 partially or completely covers the ice outlet 1122 in the orthographic projection of the bottom wall of the ice crushing chamber 112. In this way, the cover plate 1121 can prevent large ice blocks from entering the ice storage chamber 111 from flowing directly out of the ice outlet 1122 without being crushed.

[0055] Please refer again to some embodiments of this application. Figure 3 The ice storage cavity 111 is also provided with a second guide section 132 on the side near the ice crushing cavity 112. The second guide section 132 is located on the side of the cover plate 1121 away from the ice crushing assembly 12 along the second direction. It can be understood that the first guide section 131 and the second guide section 132 can be the bottom wall of the ice storage cavity 111.

[0056] In some embodiments of this application, the end of the second guide segment 132 near the cover plate 1121 is the third end 1321, and the end away from the ice crushing component 12 is the fourth end 1322.

[0057] In some embodiments of this application, the second guide segment 132 is inclined along the second direction. In other words, the extension direction of the second guide segment 132 intersects the second direction. Further, the height of the third end 1321 in the first direction is lower than that of the fourth end 1322. In other words, the second guide segment 132 is inclined downward along the direction close to the ice crushing assembly 12. When the ice block in the ice storage cavity 111 moves downward in the vertical direction into the ice crushing cavity 112, the inclined downward setting of the second guide segment 132 helps to guide the ice block and make it enter the ice crushing cavity 112 more smoothly.

[0058] In some embodiments of this application, the height of the third end 1321 in the first direction is flush with that of the cover plate 1121.

[0059] Please refer to the specific embodiments described in this application. Figure 6The ice-crushing assembly 12 includes a screw 121 extending along a first direction and ice-crushing blades 122 disposed around the screw 121. The ice-crushing blades 122 rotate around the screw 121 to crush ice blocks in the ice storage chamber 111. Furthermore, multiple sets of ice-crushing blades 122 may be provided around the screw 121 along the first direction to improve the ice-crushing efficiency.

[0060] Secondly, please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 This application embodiment also provides a refrigerator 100, which includes the ice storage structure 10 described above.

[0061] In some embodiments of this application, the refrigerator 100 includes a cabinet 20, and the cabinet 20 has an opening 21.

[0062] Furthermore, the refrigerator 100 also includes a door 30, which is hinged to the cabinet 20 to open or close the opening 21.

[0063] In some embodiments of this application, the ice storage structure 10 is located on the door 30. The door 30 is also provided with an ice-retrieving port 31, which is located on the side of the door 30 away from the cabinet 20. The ice-retrieving port 31 is connected to the ice outlet 1122 of the ice storage structure 10, allowing the user to retrieve ice from the side of the door 30 away from the cabinet 20 without opening the door, making operation convenient. Because this solution increases the ice storage space through the improved position of the first guide section 131, it can meet the user's need for a larger quantity of ice.

[0064] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the detailed disclosure above is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this application. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements, and corrections to this application. Such modifications, improvements, and corrections are suggested in this application, and therefore remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0065] For each patent, patent application, patent application publication, and other material such as articles, books, specifications, publications, and documents referenced in this application, the entire contents of that patent application are incorporated herein by reference, except for historical application documents that are inconsistent with or conflict with the content of this application, and documents that limit the broadest scope of the claims of this application (currently or subsequently appended to this application). It should be noted that if there are any inconsistencies or conflicts between the descriptions, definitions, and / or terminology used in the supplementary materials of this application and the content of this application, the descriptions, definitions, and / or terminology used in this application shall prevail.

Claims

1. An ice storage structure, characterized in that, include: The box body defines an ice storage chamber and an ice crushing chamber that are connected along a first direction. The ice crushing chamber is covered with a cover plate on the side near the ice storage chamber, and the ice storage chamber is provided with a first guide section on the side near the ice crushing chamber. as well as An ice-crushing assembly, located inside the ice-crushing chamber, is used to rotate and crush ice blocks in the ice storage chamber. The rotation axis of the ice-crushing assembly extends along the first direction. The cover plate and the first guide section are located on both sides of the ice-crushing assembly along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction. The first end of the first guide section near the end of the ice-crushing component is the first end, and the height of the first end in the first direction is lower than that of the cover plate.

2. The ice storage structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end of the first guide segment furthest from the ice-crushing component is the second end; wherein, The first guide segment is inclined along the second direction, and the height of the first end in the first direction is lower than that of the second end; and / or, the height of the second end in the first direction is lower than that of the cover plate.

3. The ice storage structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice-crushing assembly includes a screw extending along the first direction and ice-crushing blades disposed around the screw, the ice-crushing blades rotating around the screw to crush ice blocks in the ice storage chamber.

4. The ice storage structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice storage structure further includes a connecting section extending along the first direction, the connecting section connecting the first guide section and the bottom wall of the ice crushing chamber away from the ice storage chamber.

5. The ice storage structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, The two ends of the connecting section are respectively connected to the first end and the end of the bottom wall of the ice storage cavity near the first guide section.

6. The ice storage structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice crushing chamber has an ice outlet on its bottom wall away from the ice storage chamber. The ice outlet and the cover plate are located on the same side of the ice crushing assembly along the second direction. The cover plate partially or completely covers the ice outlet in the orthographic projection of the plane where the bottom wall of the ice crushing chamber is located.

7. The ice storage structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice storage chamber is further provided with a second guide section on the side near the ice crushing chamber. The second guide section is located on the side of the cover plate away from the ice crushing assembly along the second direction.

8. The ice storage structure according to claim 7, characterized in that, The end of the second guide section closest to the cover plate is the third end, and the end furthest from the ice-crushing component is the fourth end; wherein, The second guide segment is inclined along the second direction, and the height of the third end in the first direction is lower than that of the fourth end; and / or, the height of the third end in the first direction is flush with that of the cover plate.

9. A refrigerator, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes the ice storage structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes a cabinet with an opening; the refrigerator also includes a door that is hinged to the cabinet to open or close the opening; wherein the ice storage structure is located on the door.

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