Ice making device and ice maker
By introducing a buffer and separation grid structure into the ice-making device, the problems of fragile ice blocks and low ice filling rate in traditional ice-making devices are solved, achieving the effects of noise reduction, protection of the inner liner, and improvement of ice filling rate.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-03
AI Technical Summary
Traditional ice-making devices are prone to breakage during the ice demolding process, resulting in poor product integrity, low natural ice filling rate, and unfrozen water easily flowing into the ice basket, accelerating ice melting.
A buffer is introduced into the ice-making device and placed in the ice-falling area. The buffer is connected to the inner shell and has the functions of buffering, guiding and draining. The separation grid is detachably connected to the buffer to achieve ice block buffering and noise reduction, protection of the inner shell, improvement of full ice rate and ice-water separation.
It effectively reduces the noise and breakage probability of ice block impact, protects the inner shell, improves the natural ice filling rate of the ice basket, and achieves effective separation of ice and water, reducing water flow into the ice basket and accelerating melting.
Smart Images
Figure CN223965668U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of ice-making technology, and in particular to an ice-making device and an ice maker. Background Technology
[0002] An ice maker is a device that turns liquid (water) into solid ice through evaporation and heat absorption. It is widely used in the catering industry and outdoor activities. Traditional ice-making devices drop ice blocks directly into the ice storage basket through an ice drop channel after demolding. During this process, the ice blocks are easily broken due to impact, affecting the integrity of the finished product. Furthermore, the natural ice filling rate of the ice basket used to hold the ice blocks is less than 70%. In addition, unfrozen water flows into the ice basket due to inertia from the ice drop surface, accelerating the melting of the ice. Utility Model Content
[0003] This application provides an ice-making device and ice maker that can effectively solve the problems of high noise during the ice-falling process and low natural ice filling rate of the ice basket.
[0004] One technical solution adopted in this application embodiment is: providing an ice-making device, including an inner shell, an ice-making assembly, and a buffer. The inner shell has an ice-making area and an ice-falling area; the ice-making assembly is connected to the inner shell and disposed in the ice-making area; the buffer is connected to the inner shell and disposed in the ice-falling area.
[0005] In some embodiments, the inner shell has a separation grid between the ice-making area and the ice-falling area, the separation grid having a notch that connects the ice-making area and the ice-falling area; a buffer is detachably connected to the separation grid and partially covers the ice-falling area.
[0006] In some embodiments, the inner shell further includes a water storage area located below the ice-falling area. The ice-falling area includes an inclined surface that connects the ice-making area and the water storage area. The buffer includes a main body and a hook portion. The hook portion is connected to one end of the main body and is connected to the separation grid. The main body is recessed in the direction away from the inclined surface to form a drainage groove. The drainage groove extends along the direction from the ice-making area toward the water storage area. The upstream of the drainage groove is connected to the notch, and the downstream of the drainage groove is connected to the water storage area.
[0007] In some embodiments, the ice-falling area includes an arc-shaped surface that connects the inclined surface and the water storage area.
[0008] In some embodiments, a water-blocking portion is provided downstream of the drainage channel, the water-blocking portion is located on the side of the main body facing the inclined surface, and the position of the water-blocking portion corresponds to the position of the arc-shaped surface.
[0009] In some embodiments, the buffer also includes a guide portion disposed downstream of the main body portion, the guide portion being used to increase the distance between the landing point of the ice block and the curved surface.
[0010] In some embodiments, the separating grid has a receiving groove on the side facing the ice-making area, and at least a portion of the hook is disposed in the receiving groove.
[0011] In some embodiments, the ice-making assembly includes a water container, a driving component, an evaporator, and an ice-scraping component; the water container is rotatably disposed on the inner shell, the driving component is connected to the water container to drive the water container to rotate, the water container has a semi-cylindrical structure, the evaporator is disposed inside the water container, and the ice-scraping component is disposed on the side of the water container near the separation grid.
[0012] In some embodiments, the ice-making device further includes an ice basket disposed below the buffer member, the ice basket being at least partially spaced from the sidewall of the water storage area to form a drainage space, the drainage space being in communication with a drainage trough.
[0013] Another technical solution adopted in this application embodiment is: providing an ice maker, including an ice-making device.
[0014] The beneficial effects of this application embodiment are as follows: The ice-making device of this application embodiment includes an inner shell, an ice-making component, and a buffer. The inner shell has an ice-making area and an ice-falling area; the ice-making component is connected to the inner shell and is disposed in the ice-making area; the buffer is connected to the inner shell and is disposed in the ice-falling area. By setting a buffer on the ice-falling area, the ice-making device of this application embodiment can avoid solid ice blocks falling directly onto the ice-falling area, thus preventing excessive noise and effectively reducing the probability of ice blocks breaking after impact; the buffer can effectively protect the ice-falling area of the inner shell, preventing damage or increased surface friction after repeated impacts, thus avoiding ice jamming; the buffer can guide the falling ice blocks, thereby improving the natural ice filling rate of the ice basket. The buffer is detachably connected to the separation grid, facilitating replacement and cleaning, and ensuring reliable installation. The buffer is equipped with a drainage groove, which is beneficial for ice-water separation and prevents water from flowing from the ice-falling area into the ice basket due to inertia, thus accelerating ice melting. Attached Figure Description
[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments will be briefly introduced below. In all the drawings, similar elements or parts are generally identified by similar reference numerals. In the drawings, the elements or parts are not necessarily drawn to scale.
[0016] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the ice-making apparatus according to an embodiment of this application;
[0017] Figure 2 This is a partial schematic diagram of an ice-making apparatus according to an embodiment of this application;
[0018] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of some components of the ice-making apparatus according to an embodiment of this application;
[0019] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of an ice-making apparatus according to an embodiment of this application;
[0020] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A magnified view of part A in the middle;
[0021] Figure 6 This is another cross-sectional view of the ice-making apparatus according to an embodiment of this application.
[0022] The reference numerals in the detailed embodiments are as follows:
[0023] 100. Ice-making device; 10. Inner shell; 11. Ice-making area; 12. Ice-falling area; 121. Inclined surface; 122. Arc-shaped surface; 13. Water storage area; 14. Separation grid; 141. Notch; 20. Ice-making assembly; 21. Water container; 22. Drive component; 23. Evaporator; 24. Ice scraper; 30. Buffer component; 31. Main body; 311. Drainage channel; 312. Water-blocking part; 32. Hook part; 33. Guide part; 40. Ice basket; 41. Drainage space. Detailed Implementation
[0024] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more detailed description is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that when an element is described as "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. When an element is described as "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. The terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "vertical," "horizontal," etc., used in this specification indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and 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 specific 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," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0025] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
[0026] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of this application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.
[0027] Please see Figures 1 to 6 This application provides an ice-making device 100, which includes an inner shell 10, an ice-making assembly 20, a buffer 30, and an ice basket 40. The ice-making assembly 20 is connected to the inner shell 10 and is used to make solid ice from a liquid, such as water. The buffer 30 is disposed on the inner shell 10, and when the ice falls, it lands on the surface of the buffer 30 and then falls into the ice basket 40. As an example, the inner shell 10 has an ice-making area 11 and an ice-falling area 12, wherein the ice-falling area 12 is located below the ice-making area 11 so that the made ice can fall freely under gravity. The ice-making assembly 20 is movably connected to the inner shell 10 and is disposed in the ice-making area 11. The buffer 30 is connected to the inner shell 10, is disposed on the ice-falling area 12, and covers at least a portion of the ice-falling area 12. The ice-making device 100 of this application embodiment provides a buffer 30 on the ice-falling area 12. Firstly, it can prevent solid ice blocks from falling directly onto the ice-falling area 12 and generating significant noise, and effectively reduce the probability of ice blocks breaking after impact. Secondly, the buffer 30 can effectively protect the ice-falling area 12 of the inner shell 10, preventing the ice-falling area 12 from being damaged after repeated impacts or from increasing surface friction and causing ice jamming. Thirdly, the buffer 30 can guide the falling ice blocks, thereby improving the natural ice filling rate of the ice basket 40.
[0028] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The inner shell 10 has a separation grid 14 between the ice-making area 11 and the ice-falling area 12, the separation grid 14 protruding in a direction away from the surface of the ice-falling area 12. The separation grid 14 has a notch 141, which connects the ice-making area 11 and the ice-falling area 12. Figure 5 As shown in path M2, after the ice-making component 20 finishes making ice, the ice is poured onto the separation grid 14. At this time, there is some unfrozen liquid water, which can flow from the gap 141 to the ice-falling area and finally into the water storage area 13 mentioned below. Figure 5 As shown in path M1, the separation grid 14 blocks the solid ice blocks, preventing them from falling and thus separating the solid ice blocks from the liquid water. A buffer 30 is connected to and fixed to the separation grid 14, partially covering the ice-falling area 12. When ice blocks blocked by the separation grid 14 are lifted by the ice-making assembly 20, they can pass over the grid 14 and fall onto the buffer 30. After being buffered by the buffer 30, they fall into the ice basket 40, thus preventing the solid ice blocks from directly impacting the surface of the ice-falling area 12. In some embodiments, the buffer 30 is detachably connected to the separation grid 14 for easy replacement, cleaning, and disassembly / reassembly.
[0029] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 The inner shell 10 also includes a water storage area 13, which is located below the ice-falling area 12. The ice-falling area 12 includes an inclined surface 121, which connects the ice-making area 11 and the water storage area 13. The inclined surface 121 is inclined so that the buffer 30 installed in the ice-falling area 12 can have a certain tilt angle to facilitate ice falling.
[0030] Combination Figure 3 and Figure 5 The buffer 30 includes a main body 31 and a hook 32. The hook 32 is connected to one end of the main body 31 and is also connected to the separation grid 14. This structure allows the buffer 30 to be fixed to the separation grid 14. The main body 31 is recessed in the direction away from the inclined surface 121 to form a drainage channel 311. The drainage channel 311 extends along the ice-making area 11 towards the water storage area 13. The upstream of the drainage channel 311 communicates with the notch 141, and the downstream of the drainage channel 311 communicates with the water storage area 13. When unfrozen liquid water flows out from the notch 141, it can flow through the drainage channel 311 to the water storage area 13 below, thus preventing liquid water from flowing into the ice basket 40 and accelerating the melting of solid ice. Furthermore, when liquid water flows within the drainage channel 311, the inner wall of the drainage channel 311 and the inclined surface 121 reduce the kinetic energy of the water flow through friction, lowering the water flow velocity and further preventing water from entering the ice basket 40. It is understandable that there can be multiple notches 141 on the separation grid 14, and the number of drainage grooves 311 on the buffer 30 corresponds to the number of notches 141, with one notch 141 corresponding to one drainage groove 311.
[0031] It is understandable that, such as Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, to avoid interference between the hook portion 32 and the movement of the ice scraper 24 (mentioned below) and the movement of the ice block, it is necessary to control the length of the hook portion 32 protruding from the separation grid 14. In some embodiments, the separation grid 14 has a receiving groove (not shown) on the side facing the ice-making area 11, and at least a portion of the hook portion 32 is disposed in the receiving groove. This reduces the protruding length of the hook portion 32, thereby avoiding affecting the ice scraping movement of the ice scraper 24 and the overturning movement of the ice block.
[0032] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 5The ice-falling area 12 also includes an arc-shaped surface 122, which connects the inclined surface 121 and the water storage area 13. This structure allows for a smooth transition between the surfaces of the inclined surface 121 and the water storage area 13, enabling the water flowing from the drainage trough 311 to conform as closely as possible to the surfaces of the arc-shaped surface 122 and the water storage area 13, further reducing water splashing into the ice basket 40.
[0033] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 5 Downstream of the drainage channel 311, a water-blocking part 312 is provided. The water-blocking part 312 is located on the side of the main body 31 facing the inclined surface 121, and its position corresponds to the position of the arc-shaped surface 122. With the above structure, the water-blocking part 312 blocks splashed liquid at the outlet of the drainage channel 311, further reducing the amount of liquid water entering the ice basket 40.
[0034] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The buffer 30 also includes a guide 33, which is located downstream of the main body 31, as shown in paths M1 and M3. The guide 33 increases the distance between the landing point of the ice block and the arc surface 122. When the ice block lands on the buffer 30, under the guidance of the guide 33, the ice block can fall towards the center area of the ice basket 40, which allows more space in the ice basket 40 to be filled with ice, further increasing the natural ice filling rate of the ice basket 40.
[0035] In some embodiments, the buffer 30 is a one-piece molded structure, reducing manufacturing difficulty. As an example, the buffer 30 is a one-piece rubber or silicone component, or a component made of other flexible materials, which can reduce noise when ice blocks hit.
[0036] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The ice-making assembly 20 includes a water container 21, a drive component 22, an evaporator 23, and an ice-scraping component 24. The water container 21 is rotatably mounted on the inner shell 10, and the drive component 22 is connected to the water container 21 to drive it to rotate. The water container 21 has a semi-cylindrical structure, the evaporator 23 is disposed inside the water container 21, and the ice-scraping component 24 is disposed on the side of the water container 21 near the separation grid 14.
[0037] As an example, the water container 21 has an ice-making state and an ice-pouring state relative to the inner shell 10. When in the ice-making state, such as Figure 4 As shown, the opening of the water container 21 faces upwards, and the ice-removing component 24 is suspended in the air. An appropriate amount of liquid water is added to the water container 21, and the evaporator 23 is activated to absorb heat from the liquid water and turn it into solid ice cubes, or an ice-water mixture. Figure 6As shown, the drive unit 22 is activated to drive the water container 21 to rotate to the ice-pouring state. The opening of the water container 21 is tilted, and the ice-shoveling component 24 moves towards the surface of the ice-making area 11 until the ice or ice-water mixture is poured out. Under the blocking action of the separation grid 14 and the water flow action of the notch 141, the solid ice and liquid water are separated. The drive unit 22 drives the water container 21 to rotate in the opposite direction. The water container 21 drives the ice-shoveling component 24 to move synchronously. The ice-shoveling component 24 picks up the solid ice and flips it over the separation grid 14. The solid ice falls on the buffer component 30 and then into the ice basket 40. At the same time, under the guiding action of the drainage groove 311 of the buffer component 30, the liquid water flows into the water storage area 13 without splashing into the ice basket 40, thus reducing the melting speed of the ice.
[0038] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 An ice basket 40 is disposed below the buffer member 30. The ice basket 40 is at least partially spaced from the side wall of the water storage area 13 to form a drainage space 41, which communicates with the drainage trough 311. With this structure, liquid water flowing from the drainage trough 311 can flow from the drainage space 41 to the water storage area 13. In some embodiments, the liquid water in the water container 21 can originate from the water stored in the water storage area 13, achieving water recycling and reducing losses.
[0039] This application also provides an ice maker, which includes at least the ice-making device 100 described above. The specific structure and beneficial effects of the ice-making device 100 can be found in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.
[0040] The ice-making device 100 of this application embodiment includes an inner shell 10, an ice-making component 20, and a buffer 30. The inner shell 10 is provided with an ice-making area 11 and an ice-falling area 12; the ice-making component 20 is connected to the inner shell 10 and is disposed in the ice-making area 11; the buffer 30 is connected to the inner shell 10 and is disposed in the ice-falling area 12. By providing the buffer 30 on the ice-falling area 12, the ice-making device 100 of this application embodiment can avoid solid ice blocks falling directly onto the ice-falling area 12, thus preventing excessive noise and effectively reducing the probability of ice blocks breaking after impact; the buffer 30 can effectively protect the ice-falling area 12 of the inner shell 10, preventing the ice-falling area 12 from being damaged after repeated impacts or from increasing surface friction, thus preventing ice jamming; the buffer 30 can guide the falling ice blocks, thereby improving the natural ice filling rate of the ice basket 40. The buffer 30 is detachably connected to the separation grid 14, which is convenient for replacement and cleaning and ensures reliable installation. The buffer 30 is equipped with a drainage channel 311, which is conducive to the separation of ice and water and prevents water from flowing from the ice-falling area 12 into the ice basket 40 due to inertia, thus accelerating the melting of ice.
[0041] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.
Claims
1. An ice-making device, characterized in that, include: The inner shell is provided with an ice-making area and an ice-falling area; An ice-making component is connected to the inner shell and is disposed in the ice-making area; A buffer element is connected to the inner shell and is located in the ice-falling area.
2. The ice-making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner shell has a separation grid between the ice-making area and the ice-falling area, and the separation grid has a notch that connects the ice-making area and the ice-falling area; The buffer is detachably connected to the separation grid and partially covers the ice-falling area.
3. The ice-making apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner shell also includes a water storage area, which is located below the ice-falling area. The ice-falling area includes an inclined surface that connects the ice-making area and the water storage area. The buffer includes a main body and a hook. The hook is connected to one end of the main body and is connected to the separation grid. The main body is recessed in a direction away from the inclined surface to form a drainage groove. The drainage groove extends along the ice-making area toward the water storage area. The upstream of the drainage groove is connected to the notch, and the downstream of the drainage groove is connected to the water storage area.
4. The ice-making apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The ice-falling area includes an arc-shaped surface, which connects the inclined surface and the water storage area.
5. The ice-making apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, A water-blocking part is provided downstream of the drainage channel. The water-blocking part is located on the side of the main body facing the inclined surface, and the position of the water-blocking part corresponds to the position of the arc-shaped surface.
6. The ice-making apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The buffer also includes a guide portion located downstream of the main body, which is used to increase the distance between the landing point of the ice block and the arc-shaped surface.
7. The ice-making apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The separation grid has a receiving groove on the side facing the ice-making area, and at least a portion of the hook is disposed in the receiving groove.
8. The ice-making apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ice-making assembly includes a water container, a drive unit, an evaporator, and an ice-scraping component; The water container is rotatably mounted on the inner shell, the driving component is connected to the water container to drive the water container to rotate, the water container has a semi-cylindrical structure, the evaporator is disposed inside the water container, and the ice scraper is disposed on the side of the water container near the separation grid.
9. The ice-making apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The ice-making device also includes an ice basket disposed below the buffer member. The ice basket is at least partially spaced from the side wall of the water storage area to form a drainage space, which is connected to the drainage trough.
10. An ice maker, characterized in that, Includes the ice-making apparatus as described in any one of claims 1-9.