Ice making equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of ice making, in particular to ice making equipment which comprises an inner container, an ice making box, a refrigerating mechanism and a temperature sensor. The inner container is provided with an ice-making area and a water storage area which are communicated with each other, and the water storage area is sunken relative to the ice-making area. The ice-making box is arranged in the ice-making area, the ice-making box is provided with a first opening communicated with the ice-making area, and water in the ice-making box can flow into the ice-making area through the first opening. And a refrigerating head of the refrigerating mechanism is arranged in the ice-making box and used for making water in the ice-making box into ice. The temperature sensor is arranged in the ice-making area and is separated from the ice-making groove. By arranging the temperature sensor, the temperature in the ice-making box can be accurately obtained, so that the ice-making box and the ice-making area are prevented from being frozen, and the ice-making efficiency is ensured.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ice making, and particularly relates to an ice making device. BACKGROUND

[0002] As a device for quickly generating ice blocks, the ice making device can be applied to industrial sites, homes, small stores, offices and other places to bring convenience to users. The working principle of the ice making device is mainly as follows: water in a water storage tank is transported to an ice making area, the water is cooled and solidified into ice blocks in the ice making area through a built-in refrigeration system, and then the ice blocks are temporarily stored in an ice basket of the ice making device for convenient use by users. Generally, the ice making device needs to rely on a temperature sensor to strictly control the temperature during the ice making process. However, the existing ice making device usually controls the refrigeration temperature through the detection data of the temperature sensor in the water storage tank, and the instantaneity and accuracy are low, which leads to the freezing phenomenon of the water in the ice making area. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0003] Therefore, the embodiments of the present application provide an ice making device to solve the above technical problems.

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide an ice making device, which comprises an inner container, an ice making box, a refrigeration mechanism and a temperature sensor. The inner container is provided with an ice making area and a water storage area which are in communication with each other, and the water storage area is recessed relative to the ice making area. The ice making box is arranged in the ice making area, and the ice making box has a first opening which is in communication with the ice making area, and water in the ice making box can flow into the ice making area through the first opening. The refrigeration head of the refrigeration mechanism is arranged in the ice making box to make the water in the ice making box into ice. The temperature sensor is arranged in the ice making area, and the temperature sensor is spaced from the ice making box.

[0005] In some embodiments, the ice making device further comprises a blocking rib, the blocking rib is connected to the bottom wall of the inner container and separates the inner space of the inner container into the ice making area and the water storage area. The blocking rib is provided with a communication groove, the communication groove is in communication with the ice making area and the water storage area, and the temperature sensor is arranged in the communication groove.

[0006] In some embodiments, the blocking rib comprises a plurality of water blocking parts, the plurality of water blocking parts are arranged in sequence and are spaced, and a communication groove is formed between each adjacent two water blocking parts. In the working state of the ice making device, the position of the water storage area is lower than that of the ice making area, and the water in the ice making area can flow into the water storage area through the communication groove.

[0007] In some embodiments, the ice making area has a first end portion and a second end portion which are opposite to each other, the ice making box is located between the first end portion and the second end portion, and the blocking rib is arranged at the second end portion. In the working state of the ice making device, the height of the bottom wall of the first end portion is higher than that of the second end portion, and the temperature sensor is arranged on the bottom wall of the second end portion.

[0008] In some embodiments, the bottom wall of the water storage area comprises a water tank portion and a sliding portion, which are in communication with each other, and the sliding portion is located between the ice making area and the water tank portion, and the water tank portion is connected to the sliding portion and is recessed relative to the sliding portion. A partition is arranged between the ice making area and the sliding portion to separate the ice making area and the sliding portion. The sliding portion has a third end connected to the second end and a fourth end connected to the water tank portion, and the height of the bottom wall of the third end is higher than the height of the bottom wall of the fourth end in the working state of the ice making device.

[0009] In some embodiments, the ice making device further comprises a driving device, and the ice making box is rotatably arranged in the ice making area and has a rotating shaft and is drivingly connected to the driving device through the rotating shaft.

[0010] In some embodiments, the ice making device further comprises a trigger connected to the rotating shaft, and the driving device is configured to drive the rotating shaft to rotate and drive the trigger to rotate. The ice making device further comprises a controller, a first micro switch and a second micro switch, the first micro switch and the second micro switch are spaced apart from each other and are located on the rotating path of the trigger respectively, and the controller is electrically connected to the first micro switch and the second micro switch.

[0011] In some embodiments, the ice making device further comprises an ice shovel connected to the side of the ice making box facing the water storage area, and the driving device is configured to drive the ice making box to rotate to change the spatial position of the ice shovel. The water storage area is provided with a second opening, and the second opening, the ice making area and the first opening are in communication with each other. The ice making device further comprises an ice basket arranged in the water storage area and located at the second opening, and the ice basket is configured to collect ice blocks poured by the ice shovel.

[0012] In some embodiments, the ice making box has a first end and a second end facing away from each other, the ice making device is provided with a water inlet, the water inlet faces the first end to facilitate water inflow into the ice making box, the second end is provided with a water outlet in communication with the internal space of the ice making box, and the water outlet communicates the internal space of the ice making box with the ice making area.

[0013] In some embodiments, the ice making box has a surrounding edge surrounding the first opening, and the water outlet is a gap in the surrounding edge. The water outlet is adjacent to the side of the surrounding edge facing the water storage area, the water inlet is located on the side of the surrounding edge away from the water storage area, and the distance between the temperature sensor and the second end is less than the distance between the temperature sensor and the first end.

[0014] In some embodiments, the water storage area is provided with a water outlet, and the ice making device further comprises a water pump and a water delivery pipe, the water pump is connected to the water outlet, and the water delivery pipe is connected between the water pump and the water inlet.

[0015] In some embodiments, the refrigeration mechanism includes an evaporator, a compressor, and a condenser. The compressor is connected to the evaporator, and the condenser is connected to the compressor. The evaporator is disposed inside the ice-making box and has multiple cooling heads spaced apart to form multiple ice cubes. Compared to the prior art, this application provides an ice-making device including an inner liner, an ice-making box, a refrigeration mechanism, and a temperature sensor. The inner liner is divided into an ice-making area and a water storage area, which are interconnected. The water storage area is recessed relative to the ice-making area to ensure that water in the ice-making area can flow to the water storage area by gravity, reducing the residence time of liquid water in the ice-making area and thus reducing the freezing phenomenon in the ice-making area. In addition, the ice-making box has a first opening that connects to the ice-making area, allowing unfrozen liquid water to quickly flow out of the ice-making box during the ice-making process, through the ice-making area, and into the water storage area, further reducing the freezing phenomenon in the ice-making box. Furthermore, the temperature sensor is positioned in the ice-making area, spaced apart from the ice-making container, enabling accurate and rapid acquisition of the temperature of both areas. This improves the timeliness and accuracy of temperature detection and provides precise temperature control for the ice-making process. On one hand, this ensures the quality of the ice; on the other hand, it prevents the ice-making area and container from becoming too cold, thus avoiding freezing and improving ice-making efficiency. In addition, water from the ice-making container flows into the ice-making area through the first opening, meaning the temperature sensor can directly contact the liquid water flowing from the ice-making container for more accurate temperature acquisition, further preventing overfreezing. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ice-making device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional structural diagram of the ice-making equipment shown.

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the ice-making equipment shown from another perspective.

[0020] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of the inner liner in one embodiment of the ice-making device shown.

[0021] Figure 5 is Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of an ice making box in the ice making device shown in

[0022] Figure 6 is Figure 3 is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of an inner container in another embodiment of the ice making device shown in

[0023] Figure 7 is Figure 1 is a structural exploded schematic diagram of the ice making device shown in DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0025] It should be noted that when an element / component is referred to as being "fixed" to another element / component, it can be directly on the other element / component or there can be an intervening element / component. When an element / component is referred to as being "connected" to another element / component, it can be directly connected to the other element / component or there can be an intervening element / component. Also, when an element / component is referred to as being "connected" to another element / component, it can be integrally formed with or assembled with the other element / component. When an element / component is referred to as being "disposed" on another element / component, it can be directly on the other element / component or there can be an intervening element / component.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in the description of the application herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0027] Referring to Figure 1 The embodiment of the present application provides an ice making device 100 for quickly freezing liquid water into ice cubes for use by users. The ice making device 100 can be applied to production operations as an industrial device, can be applied to production of food ice cubes as a food device, and can be applied to medical treatment, cold chain transportation, etc., and the embodiment is not limited to the specific application. As an example, the ice making device 100 is configured as a household appliance in an office, a kitchen, a restaurant, etc. to produce food ice cubes.

[0028] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In an embodiment provided by the present application, the ice making device 100 comprises an inner container 10, an ice making box 20, a refrigeration mechanism 30 and a temperature sensor 40. The inner container 10 is provided with an ice making area 11 and a water storage area 12 which are in communication with each other, and the water storage area 12 is recessed relative to the ice making area 11. The ice making box 20 is arranged in the ice making area 11, and the ice making box 20 has a first opening 201 which is in communication with the ice making area 11, and water in the ice making box 20 can flow into the ice making area 11 through the first opening 201. The refrigeration head 301 of the refrigeration mechanism 30 is arranged in the ice making box 20 for making ice from water in the ice making box 20. The temperature sensor 40 is arranged in the ice making area 11, and the temperature sensor 40 is spaced apart from the ice making box 20.

[0029] In operation, the ice making device 100, the ice making box 20 contains liquid water, the refrigeration mechanism 30 cools the ice making box 20 to make the liquid water freeze into ice blocks quickly and adhere to the refrigeration head 301, the ice making box 20 is turned over to separate the ice blocks from the refrigeration head 301 and pour out of the ice making box 20, and the ice blocks are collected by using an ice shovel 21 or other devices. During the ice making process, part of the liquid water which has not been frozen in the ice making box 20 can flow out of the ice making box 20 to the ice making area 11 through the first opening 201, and then flow into the water storage area 12 through the ice making area 11 to collect the liquid water.

[0030] Since the water storage area 12 is recessed relative to the ice making area 11, it is convenient to ensure that the water in the ice making area 11 can flow to the water storage area 12 by gravity, thereby reducing the residence time of the liquid water in the ice making area 11 and reducing the freezing phenomenon of the ice making area 11. At the same time, during the ice making process, the liquid water which has not been frozen can quickly flow out of the ice making box 20 through the first opening 201, and then flow to the water storage area 12 through the ice making area 11, which can reduce the freezing phenomenon of the ice making box 20. Further, the temperature sensor 40 is arranged in the ice making area 11 and spaced apart from the ice making box 20, which can more accurately obtain the temperature of the ice making area 11 and the ice making box 20, and provide accurate temperature control for the ice making process, on the one hand, which can ensure the quality of the ice blocks; on the other hand, which can avoid the ice making area 11 and the ice making box 20 from being too cold, thereby avoiding the freezing phenomenon of the ice making area 11 and the ice making box 20 to improve the ice making efficiency. In addition, the water in the ice making box 20 can flow into the ice making area 11 through the first opening 201, that is, the temperature sensor 40 can directly contact the liquid water flowing out of the ice making box 20 to more accurately obtain the temperature of the ice making box 20, and further prevent the ice making box 20 from being too cold and frozen.

[0031] Next, each component of the ice making device 100 and the specific structure of each component will be introduced one by one.

[0032] Referring to Figure 1and Figure 2 The box 101 is used for mounting and protecting the components, and is also used for supporting at a use site of the ice making device 100, such as a ground, a table top or other support platform. Specifically, the box 101 is generally cuboid-shaped, and in other embodiments, the box 101 can also be square-shaped, cylindrical or even irregularly shaped. The box 101 has a containing space 1011 for mounting and placing components, which can include the above-mentioned inner container 10, ice making bin 20, refrigeration mechanism 30 and temperature sensor 40, etc. The present embodiment does not limit this. The box 101 is also provided with an opening 102 and a cover 103 for covering the opening 102 to prevent foreign matter from entering the inner container 10.

[0033] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The inner container 10 is a place for ice making and collecting ice blocks of the ice making device 100, and is arranged inside and connected with the box 101. The inner container 10 is generally semi-closed to avoid liquid water from leaking into the box 101, thereby ensuring the normal use of electrical elements. The inner container 10 has a bottom wall 13 and a peripheral wall 14 arranged in a surrounding manner, and the bottom wall 13 and the peripheral wall 14 together define an inner space of the inner container 10. In the present embodiment, the inner space can be divided into an ice making area 11 and a water storage area 12 which are in communication with each other. Specifically, the bottom wall 13 can include a first bottom wall 131 and a second bottom wall 132 connected with each other, and the peripheral wall 14 can include a first peripheral wall 141 and a second peripheral wall 142 connected with each other, the first bottom wall 131 and the first peripheral wall 141 define the ice making area 11, and the second bottom wall 132 and the second peripheral wall 142 define the water storage area 12. When the ice making device 100 is correctly placed on the support platform, the first bottom wall 131 can be relatively far away from the bottom of the box 101, and the second bottom wall 132 can be adjacent to the bottom of the box 101. That is, the height of the position of the first bottom wall 131 relative to the bottom of the box 101 is higher than the height of the position of the second bottom wall 132 relative to the bottom of the box 101, so that the bottom wall 13 of the inner container 10 is generally stepped, so that the liquid water in the ice making area 11 can be collected in the water storage area 12 by gravity.

[0034] In the present embodiment, the ice making area 11 is used for installing the ice making box 20 and making ice by the refrigeration mechanism 30. Specifically, the ice making box 20 is used for containing liquid water and condensing the liquid water into ice blocks by the refrigeration mechanism 30, which is arranged in the ice making area 11 and rotatably arranged in the inner container 10 to facilitate pouring out the ice blocks and the unfrozen liquid water. The ice making box 20 is generally in the form of a box, which is provided with a first opening 201 and a surrounding edge 202 surrounding the first opening 201, the first opening 201 is communicated with the ice making area 11 to facilitate pouring out or overflowing the ice blocks and the unfrozen liquid water from the ice making box 20, and the evaporator 31 (refer to Figure 2 ) of the refrigeration mechanism 30 is at least partially arranged in the ice making box 20 to realize ice making. Specifically, the evaporator 31 can include a plurality of refrigeration head portions 301, which are arranged in the ice making box 20 and spaced apart from each other, and each refrigeration head portion 301 is in contact with the liquid water, so that when the refrigeration mechanism 30 is refrigerated, the evaporator 31 evaporates and absorbs ambient heat to condense the liquid water on the plurality of refrigeration head portions 301 and form a plurality of bullet-shaped ice blocks. The present embodiment does not specifically limit the number of refrigeration head portions 301, which can be set according to actual use requirements.

[0035] Please refer to Figures 3 to 5 In the present embodiment, the ice making box 20 has a rotation shaft 203, and the ice making device 100 further includes a driving device 50, and the ice making box 20 can be rotated around the rotation shaft 203 relative to the inner container 10 under the driving of the driving device 50 to realize ice making and ice removal. Specifically, the ice making box 20 has a first working position and a second working position, the first working position can be understood as an ice making position, and the second working position can be understood as an ice removal position, and the driving device 50 is connected to the rotation shaft 203 to drive the ice making box 20 to flip and switch between the first working position and the second working position. The driving device 50 can be a driving motor or a rotary rudder or other driving equipment, and the present embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0036] In the embodiment, when the ice-making box 20 is located at the first working position, the plane where the first opening 201 is located is substantially parallel to the bottom wall 13 of the box body 101, that is, the ice-making box 20 is in a horizontal state to hold liquid water and make ice. When the ice-making box 20 is located at the second working position, there is an included angle between the first opening 201 and the bottom wall 13 of the box body 101, that is, the ice-making box 20 is in an inclined position to facilitate the ice and the liquid water that has not been frozen to be poured out. In the embodiment, the ice-making device 100 can further include a controller (not shown in the figure), which is electrically connected to the driving device 50. When the ice-making box 20 completes ice making, the controller controls the driving device 50 to drive the ice-making box 20 to rotate clockwise by a certain angle from the first working position to the second working position. In the process of rotating, the ice falls off from the ice-making head 301, and the liquid water that has not been frozen is poured out from the ice-making box 20 through the first opening 201 to prevent the ice-making box 20 from freezing. When the ice-making box 20 is rotated to the second working position, the ice is completely separated from the ice-making box 20 and located in the ice-making area 11.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 5 In some embodiments, in order to improve the stability of the ice-making device 100 and improve the ice-making efficiency, the ice-making device 100 can further include a trigger 51, a first micro switch 52 and a second micro switch 53, and the first micro switch 52 and the second micro switch 53 are respectively electrically connected to the controller. The trigger 51 can be rotated to contact the first micro switch 52 or the second micro switch 53 to enable the controller to obtain the position information of the ice-making box 20. The position information can include the first working position and the second working position mentioned above. Specifically, the trigger 51 is connected to the rotating shaft 203 of the ice-making box 20 and can be driven to rotate when the driving device 50 drives the ice-making box 20 to rotate. The first micro switch 52 and the second micro switch 53 are spaced from each other and respectively located on the rotating path of the trigger 51. When the first micro switch 52 or the second micro switch 53 contacts the trigger 51, a trigger signal is generated, and the controller determines the position information of the ice-making box 20 by obtaining the trigger signal. More specifically, the first micro switch 52 and the second micro switch 53 can be respectively located on both sides of the trigger 51, so that the trigger 51 can connect the first micro switch 52 and the second micro switch 53 respectively when the trigger 51 follows the ice-making box 20 to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise. The embodiment does not make specific limitations on the structure of the trigger 51, the first micro switch 52 and the second micro switch 53. For example, they can be swing arms and mechanical contact micro switches, or they can also be magnetic pieces and Hall sensors, which are not limited in the embodiment.

[0038] As an example, the trigger 51 can be a swing arm, and the first micro switch 52 and the second micro switch 53 can be contact micro switches. The first micro switch 52 is configured as a horizontal micro switch, i.e., when the trigger 51 abuts against the first micro switch 52, it indicates that the ice-making box 20 is in a horizontal state, i.e., the ice-making box 20 is in the first working position. The second micro switch 53 is configured as an inclined micro switch, i.e., when the trigger 51 abuts against the second micro switch 53, it indicates that the ice-making box 20 is in an inclined state, i.e., the ice-making box 20 is in the second working position. By arranging the trigger 51, the first micro switch 52 and the second micro switch 53, the position information of the ice-making box 20 can be accurately obtained, which facilitates the controller to control ice making and ice removal according to the position information, and ensures the working stability of the ice-making device 100. In addition, the first micro switch 52 and the second micro switch 53 limit the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 203, so as to avoid damage to the wiring of the refrigeration mechanism 30 in the ice-making box 20 due to excessive rotation. The present embodiment does not limit the rotation angle of the ice-making box 20, i.e., the arrangement of the second micro switch 53 is not limited, which can be inclined or vertical, and can be arranged according to actual use requirements. As an example, the second micro switch 53 is vertically arranged, i.e., arranged along the direction of gravity, and the first micro switch 52 can be horizontally arranged, so that the rotation range of the ice-making box 20 is limited within 90°.

[0039] Please refer to Figure 5 In the present embodiment, the ice-making device 100 can further include an ice shovel 21 and an ice basket 22, which are used together to collect ice cubes. Meanwhile, the second working position is further configured as a ice shoveling position, and the ice shoveling process is performed by counterclockwise flipping of the second working position to the first working position. In the present embodiment, the ice shovel 21 is connected to one side of the ice-making box 20 facing the water storage area 12, which is used to shovel ice and enable the ice cubes to be collected into the ice basket 22, facilitating the user to use. In the present embodiment, the ice shovel 21 is connected to the ice-making box 20 and can rotate with the ice-making box 20. When the ice cubes are completely separated from the ice-making box 20 and located in the ice-making area 11, i.e., the ice-making box 20 is located in the second working position, i.e., the ice shovel 21 is also located in the second working position, the driving device 50 drives the ice-making box 20 and the ice shovel 21 to rotate counterclockwise from the second working position to the first working position, so that the ice cubes can be collected on the ice shovel 21 and moved from the ice-making area 11 to the water storage area 12 and then fall into the ice basket 22. The ice basket 22 is arranged in the water storage area 12, which is used to collect the ice cubes transported by the ice shovel 21. Specifically, the water storage area 12 is provided with a second opening 121, and the second opening 121, the ice-making area 11 and the first opening 201 are in communication with each other, and the ice basket 22 is arranged at the second opening 121, facilitating the collection of ice cubes. The ice basket 22 can be provided with a plurality of water falling holes, facilitating the liquid water attached to the surface of the ice cubes to fall to the area below the ice basket 22.

[0040] Referring to Figure 2 and Figure 4 Since the ice making area 11 and the water storage area 12 are communicated, in order to improve the ice shoveling efficiency, the ice making device 100 can further comprise a blocking rib 15. The blocking rib 15 is connected to the bottom wall 13 of the inner container 10 and separates the inner space of the inner container 10 to form the ice making area 11 and the water storage area 12, i.e. separates the bottom wall 13 of the inner container 10 to form the first bottom wall 131 and the second bottom wall 132. In the embodiment, the blocking rib 15 protrudes relative to the bottom wall 13, so that the ice cubes are blocked by the blocking rib 15 during the ice shoveling process and are limited in the ice making area 11, which facilitates the improvement of the ice shoveling efficiency. In order to facilitate the normal flow of the liquid water that has not yet frozen into ice to the water storage area 12 to prevent the ice making area 11 from freezing, the blocking rib 15 is provided with a communication groove 151, which communicates the ice making area 11 and the water storage area 12. The specific form of the communication groove 151 and the distribution position and number thereof on the blocking rib 15 are not limited in the embodiment. As an example, the number of the communication groove 151 is one, which penetrates the blocking rib 15 along the radial direction of the blocking rib 15.

[0041] As another example, the blocking rib 15 can comprise a plurality of communication grooves 151 to facilitate the rapid flow of the liquid water to the water storage area 12, so as to further prevent the ice making area 11 from freezing. Specifically, the blocking rib 15 comprises a plurality of water blocking portions 152, which are arranged on the bottom wall 13 in sequence and at intervals. The communication groove 151 is formed between each two adjacent water blocking portions 152, and the liquid water in the ice making area 11 can flow into the water storage area 12 through the plurality of communication grooves 151 by gravity, so as to reduce the residence time of the liquid water in the ice making area 11 to avoid the reduction of the freezing of the ice making area 11.

[0042] Referring to Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 6In the embodiment, the bottom wall 13 (i.e. the first bottom wall 131) of the ice making area 11 is configured to have a certain slope, i.e. the first bottom wall 131 has a height difference between two ends. Specifically, the ice making area 11 has a first end portion 111 and a second end portion 112 opposite to each other, the ice making box 20 is arranged between the first end portion 111 and the second end portion 112, and the blocking rib 15 is arranged at the second end portion 112. In the working state of the ice making device 100, the position of the first end portion 111 is higher than that of the second end portion 112, i.e. in the direction of gravity, the bottom wall of the first end portion 111 is higher than that of the second end portion 112, so that the first bottom wall 131 is a slope generally descending towards the water storage area 12, facilitating the flow of liquid water. The height difference of the first bottom wall 131 (i.e. the height difference between the first end portion 111 and the second end portion 112 in the direction of gravity) is not limited in the embodiment and can be set according to actual use requirements.

[0043] To further prevent the ice making area 11 and the ice making box 20 from freezing, the temperature sensor 40 of the ice making device 100 detects the temperature of the ice making area 11 in real time, i.e. the temperature sensor 40 obtains the temperature in the ice making box 20 in real time and controls the operation of the ice making device 100 according to the temperature. Specifically, the temperature sensor 40 is arranged in the ice making area 11 and spaced apart from the ice making box 20. The specific position of the temperature sensor 40 is not limited in the embodiment and can be arranged on the bottom wall of the second end portion 112, for example. The temperature sensor 40 is used to obtain the temperature in the ice making box 20 in real time, and the controller controls the operation of the ice making device 100 by obtaining the temperature data of the temperature sensor 40. As an example, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 40 is greater than or equal to 3°C, the controller controls the refrigeration mechanism 30 to refrigerate; when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 40 is less than 3°C, the controller controls the refrigeration mechanism 30 to suspend operation. It can be understood that the working temperature of the refrigeration mechanism 30 is not limited to 3°C as mentioned above and can be set according to actual use requirements. The working temperature of the refrigeration mechanism 30 is not limited in the embodiment. By arranging the temperature sensor 40, the temperature of the ice making area 11 can be accurately obtained, providing accurate temperature control for the ice making process, which can not only ensure the quality of ice blocks but also avoid overcooling of the ice making area 11 and the ice making box 20, thereby avoiding freezing of the ice making area 11 and improving the ice making efficiency.

[0044] Further, in some embodiments, the temperature sensor 40 can be arranged in the communication groove 151, so that the liquid water in the ice-making box 20 that has not yet been frozen can be in direct contact with the temperature sensor 40 when flowing through the communication groove 151 to the water storage area 12, which can further improve the accuracy of the temperature obtained by the temperature sensor 40. The specific structure of the temperature sensor 40 is not limited in the present embodiment, and as an example, the temperature sensor can include a temperature sensing probe and a mounting bracket, the mounting bracket is arranged through the bottom wall 13 of the inner container 10 and fixed with the inner container 10, and the temperature sensing probe is arranged on the mounting bracket and exposed in the communication groove 151 to detect the temperature. The temperature sensing probe is electrically connected with the controller, so that the controller can control the operation of the ice-making device 100 according to the temperature data. It should be understood that the "temperature sensor arranged in the ice-making area" described in the present specification can be understood as that the temperature sensing probe is exposed in the ice-making area, and it does not mean that all components of the temperature sensor 40 need to be arranged in the ice-making area.

[0045] In the present embodiment, the water storage area 12 is used to collect the liquid water in the ice-making box 20 and the ice-making area 11 that has not yet been frozen, so as to reduce the residence time of the liquid water in the ice-making area 11 and avoid the ice-making box 20 and the ice-making area 11 from freezing; and the water storage area 12 is also used to mount the ice basket 22 mentioned above. Specifically, the bottom wall 13 (i.e., the second bottom wall 132) located in the water storage area 12 includes a water tank portion 1322 and a sliding portion 1321 that are in communication with each other. The sliding portion 1321 is located between the ice-making area 11 and the water tank portion 1322, the water tank portion 1322 is connected to the sliding portion 1321 and recessed relative to the sliding portion 1321, and the blocking rib 15 is arranged between the sliding portion 1321 and the ice-making area 11 to separate the ice-making area 11 and the sliding portion 1321.

[0046] The sliding part 1321 is configured as a slope with a certain slope to facilitate the flow of the liquid water in the ice making area 11 and the ice blocks moved by the ice shovel 21 to the water tank part 1322 by gravity through the sliding part 1321. Specifically, the sliding part 1321 has a third end 1323 and a fourth end 1324 facing away from each other, the third end 1323 is connected to the second end 112, and the fourth end 1324 is connected to the peripheral wall 14 of the water tank part 1322. In the working state of the ice making device 100, that is, when the ice making device 100 is correctly placed on the installation plane, the bottom wall height of the third end 1323 is higher than that of the fourth end 1324. That is, in the direction of gravity, the height of the third end 1323 is higher than that of the fourth end 1324, so that the sliding part 1321 is generally a slope descending toward the water tank part 1322, facilitating the flow of liquid water and the sliding of ice blocks. The height difference of the sliding part 1321 (that is, the height difference of the third end 1323 and the fourth end 1324 in the direction of gravity) is not specifically limited in this embodiment and can be set according to actual use requirements. It should be noted that in the direction of gravity, the position of the first end 111 is the highest, and the position of the fourth end 1324 is the lowest, so as to facilitate the flow of liquid water and the sliding of ice blocks.

[0047] In this embodiment, the water tank part 1322 is used to collect ice blocks, and specifically, the second opening 121 forms an opening of the water tank part 1322, and the ice basket 22 is arranged at the opening of the water tank part 1322 to facilitate the ice blocks to slide into the ice basket 22 through the sliding part 1321. The water tank part 1322 is also used to collect the liquid water in the ice making area 11. After the liquid water in the ice making box 20 is poured or overflowed into the ice making area 11 through the first opening 201, it flows to the sliding part 1321 through the communication groove 151 in communication with the ice making area 11, and then slides to the water tank part 1322 through the sliding part 1321 to achieve collection, which can avoid the freezing phenomenon caused by the long stay of the liquid water in the ice making area 11, thereby improving the ice making efficiency.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 In some embodiments, the water tank part 1322 is also used to provide the liquid water required for ice making to the ice making box 20 to achieve the recycling of the liquid water. Specifically, the water storage area 12 is provided with a water suction port 122, and the ice making device 100 further comprises a water suction mechanism 16 arranged outside the inner container 10 and communicating with the water suction port 122 to suck the liquid water in the water storage area 12 and deliver it into the ice making box 20. The specific position of the water suction port 122 is not limited in this embodiment. For example, the water suction port 122 is arranged on the bottom wall 13 of the water tank part 1322 and is recessed relative to the bottom wall 13 to facilitate the suction of the liquid water. It can be understood that the user can also manually add the liquid water into the ice making box 20 through the first opening 201 for ice making.

[0049] In some embodiments, in order to intercept impurities in the water, the ice making device 100 can further comprise a dirt interception cover and a filter screen, the filter screen being arranged inside the dirt interception cover and jointly covering the water suction port 122 with the dirt interception cover, so as to keep the liquid water clean. The filter aperture of the filter screen in the present embodiment is not limited and can be set according to actual needs.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 7 , the water suction mechanism 16 can specifically comprise a water pump 161 and a water delivery pipe 162, the water pump 161 being connected to the water suction port 122, and the water delivery pipe 162 being connected between the water pump 161 and the ice making box 20. As an example, the end of the water delivery pipe 162 away from the water pump 161 is fixed to the inner container 10 or the box body 101 and arranged towards the ice making box 20. In the present embodiment, the water delivery pipe 162 can add water to the ice making box 20 through the water inlet 17. Specifically, the ice making device 100 is provided with the water inlet 17, the water inlet 17 being arranged towards the ice making box 20, and the water inlet 17 can be arranged on the inner container 10 or the box body 101, which is not limited in the present embodiment. In order to facilitate the liquid water in the ice making box 20 to flow out, the ice making box 20 can further be provided with a water outlet 23, the water outlet 23 being connected to the internal space of the ice making box 20. It should be noted that the liquid water in the ice making box 20 can overflow or pour out from the water outlet 23 and the first opening 201, but the position height of the water outlet 23 is lower than that of the first opening 201, that is, the liquid water first overflows from the water outlet 23, and the excessive liquid water then overflows from the first opening 201. The shape of the water outlet 23 is not limited in the present embodiment, for example, it can be a pipe or a gap, and as a specific example, the surrounding edge 202 defines the first opening 201, and the water outlet 23 is a gap on the surrounding edge 202.

[0051] In some embodiments, the water inlet 17 and the water outlet 23 can be located at two ends of the ice making box 20 respectively, so that the liquid water can pass through most of the refrigeration head portions 301. Specifically, the ice making box 20 has a first end 204 and a second end 205 facing away from each other, the water inlet 17 can be located towards the first end 204 of the ice making box 20 to facilitate water feeding into the ice making box 20, and the water outlet 23 can be provided at the second end 205, and a plurality of refrigeration head portions 301 of the evaporator 31 are arranged in sequence between the first end 204 and the second end 205. By arranging the water inlet 17 and the water outlet 23 facing away from each other, on the one hand, the contact area with the refrigeration head portions 301 can be increased, and the ice making efficiency can be improved; on the other hand, the refrigeration temperature of the ice cubes can be more uniform, and the phenomenon of local freezing due to overcooling of local dead water can be avoided. Further, in some embodiments, the water inlet 17 and the water outlet 23 can be diagonally arranged, for example, the water inlet 17 can be arranged at a side of the surrounding edge 202 away from the water storage area 12, and the water outlet 23 can be arranged at a side of the surrounding edge 202 close to the water storage area 12, so as to further improve the flow efficiency of the liquid water and the contact area with the refrigeration head portions 301, thereby further improving the ice making efficiency.

[0052] Referring to Figure 2 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, since the liquid water is first overflowed from the water outlet 23 at a lower position, in order to further improve the timeliness and accuracy of the temperature sensor 40 in acquiring the temperature, the temperature sensor 40 can be arranged adjacent to the water outlet 23, that is, the distance between the temperature sensor 40 and the second end 205 is less than the distance between the temperature sensor 40 and the first end 204, so that the temperature sensor 40 can more accurately and timely acquire the temperature in the ice making box 20. In the present embodiment, the ice making device 100 can further include a heat preservation shell 60 ( Figure 4 ), which is sleeved outside the inner container 10 and spaced from the inner container 10, and the contour of the heat preservation shell 60 is substantially the same as that of the inner container 10, so as to achieve good heat preservation for the inner container 10. In some embodiments, the ice making device 100 can further include a foamed heat preservation layer (not shown in the figure), which is filled between the heat preservation shell 60 and the inner container 10 to further improve the heat preservation effect. The present embodiment does not limit the specific structure of the foamed heat preservation layer, which can be at least any one of a polyurethane foamed heat preservation layer, a rubber plastic heat preservation layer, a foam layer, a rock wool layer, etc.

[0053] Referring again to Figure 2 and 3In the embodiment, the refrigerating mechanism 30 further comprises a compressor 32 and a condenser 33, the compressor 32 and the condenser 33 are arranged in the cabinet 101, the compressor 32 is connected with the evaporator 31, and the condenser 33 is connected with the compressor 32. The heat exchange medium in the evaporator 31 absorbs the heat of the ice making area 11 and the ice making box 20, and is changed from liquid state to gaseous state to cool and refrigerate the ice making box 20, then the gaseous heat exchange medium is cooled and refrigerated by the compressor 32 and the condenser 33 to change back to liquid heat exchange medium, and the liquid heat exchange medium returns to the evaporator 31 to continue to absorb heat and refrigerate, the above process is repeated continuously, and the liquid water in the ice making box 20 can be refrigerated to freeze the liquid water into ice blocks.

[0054] Please refer to Figure 7 In some embodiments, the ice making device 100 further comprises a heat dissipation fan 35, the heat dissipation fan 35 is arranged in the cabinet 101, the cabinet 101 is provided with a plurality of heat dissipation holes communicating with the internal space of the cabinet 101, the suction end of the heat dissipation fan 35 faces the condenser 33, and the blowing end of the heat dissipation fan 35 faces the heat dissipation holes. Due to the arrangement of the heat dissipation fan 35, the heat generated around the condenser 33 during the operation of the condenser 33 can be sucked away by the heat dissipation fan 35 and discharged out of the cabinet 101 through the heat dissipation holes, so as to avoid the accumulation of a large amount of heat around the condenser 33, thereby ensuring the safe and normal operation of the condenser 33.

[0055] In summary, the embodiment of the present application provides an ice making device 100, which comprises an inner container 10, an ice making box 20, a refrigeration mechanism 30 and a temperature sensor 40. The inner container 10 is divided into an ice making area 11 and a water storage area 12, which are communicated with each other and the water storage area 12 is recessed relative to the ice making area 11, so as to ensure that the water in the ice making area 11 can flow to the water storage area 12 by gravity, reduce the residence time of the liquid water in the ice making area 11 and reduce the freezing phenomenon of the ice making area 11. In addition, the ice making box 20 has a first opening 201, which is communicated with the ice making area 11, so as to facilitate the liquid water that has not become ice during the ice making process to flow out of the ice making box 20 quickly, flow through the ice making area 11 and flow to the water storage area 12, and reduce the freezing phenomenon of the ice making box 20. Further, the temperature sensor 40 is arranged in the ice making area 11 and spaced from the ice making box 20, so as to obtain the temperature of the ice making area 11 and the ice making box 20 more accurately and quickly, improve the timeliness and accuracy of temperature detection, provide accurate temperature control for the ice making process, on the one hand, ensure the quality of ice cubes, and on the other hand, avoid the ice making area 11 and the ice making box 20 from being too cold, so as to avoid the freezing phenomenon of the ice making area 11 and the ice making box 20 and improve the ice making efficiency. In addition, the water in the ice making box 20 can flow into the ice making area 11 through the first opening 201, that is, the temperature sensor 40 can directly contact the liquid water flowing out of the ice making box 20 to obtain the temperature of the ice making box 20 more accurately, and further prevent the ice making box 20 from being frozen due to being too cold.

[0056] In the description of the present specification, the description of the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "an example", "a specific example", or "some examples" and the like means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In the present specification, the illustrative description of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, the person skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in the present specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0057] Furthermore, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used only for descriptive purposes and do not connote or imply relative importance or a quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first", "second", etc. can include at least one of the features implicitly or explicitly. In the description of the application, the meaning of "a plurality" is at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined. Finally, it should be noted that the above examples are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and not to limit the same; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing examples, those skilled in the art will understand that the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing examples can still be modified, or some technical features can be replaced by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not drive the essence of the corresponding technical solutions out of the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. An ice-making device, characterized in that, include: The inner liner has an ice-making area and a water storage area that are connected to each other, and the water storage area is recessed relative to the ice-making area; An ice maker is disposed within the ice-making area, the ice maker having a first opening through which water within the ice maker can flow into the ice-making area. A refrigeration mechanism, wherein the refrigeration head of the refrigeration mechanism is disposed inside the ice-making box for making ice from water in the ice-making box; as well as A temperature sensor is disposed in the ice-making area, and the temperature sensor is spaced apart from the ice-making box.

2. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The ice-making device also includes a baffle, which is connected to the bottom wall of the inner liner and divides the internal space of the inner liner into the ice-making area and the water storage area. The baffle is provided with a connecting groove that connects the ice-making area and the water storage area, and the temperature sensor is disposed in the connecting groove.

3. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The baffle includes multiple water-blocking parts, which are arranged sequentially at intervals, and a connecting groove is formed between each pair of adjacent water-blocking parts; when the ice-making equipment is in operation, the position of the water storage area is lower than the position of the ice-making area, and water in the ice-making area can flow into the water storage area through the connecting groove.

4. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The ice-making area has a first end and a second end that are opposite to each other. The ice-making box is located between the first end and the second end, and the baffle is disposed at the second end. When the ice-making device is in operation, the bottom wall height of the first end is higher than the bottom wall height of the second end, and the temperature sensor is disposed at the bottom wall of the second end.

5. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The ice-making equipment also includes a drive device, and the ice-making box is rotatably disposed in the ice-making area; the ice-making box has a rotating shaft and is connected to the drive device through the rotating shaft.

6. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The ice-making device further includes a trigger element connected to the rotating shaft. The driving device is used to drive the rotating shaft to rotate and drive the trigger element to rotate. The ice-making device also includes a controller, a first micro switch, and a second micro switch. The first micro switch and the second micro switch are spaced apart from each other and are respectively located on the rotation path of the trigger element. The controller is electrically connected to the first micro switch and the second micro switch.

7. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The ice-making device also includes an ice shovel, which is connected to the side of the ice-making box facing the water storage area; the driving device is used to drive the ice-making box to rotate so as to change the spatial position of the ice shovel. The water storage area is provided with a second opening, and the second opening, the ice-making area, and the first opening are connected to each other. The ice-making equipment also includes an ice basket, which is set in the water storage area and located at the second opening. The ice basket is used to collect ice blocks poured out by the ice shovel.

8. The ice-making apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The ice-making box has a first end and a second end that are opposite to each other. The ice-making device is provided with a water inlet, which faces the first end to facilitate water intake into the ice-making box. The second end is provided with a water outlet, which connects the internal space of the ice-making box with the ice-making area.

9. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The ice maker has a rim surrounding the first opening, the water outlet is a notch on the rim, the water outlet is located on the side of the rim facing the water storage area, the water inlet is adjacent to the side of the rim away from the water storage area, and the distance between the temperature sensor and the second end is less than the distance between the temperature sensor and the first end.

10. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The water storage area is provided with a water inlet, and the ice-making equipment also includes a water pump and a water supply pipe. The water pump is connected to the water inlet, and the water supply pipe is connected between the water pump and the water inlet.

11. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigeration mechanism includes an evaporator, a compressor, and a condenser. The compressor is connected to the evaporator, and the condenser is connected to the compressor. The evaporator is disposed inside the ice-making box and has multiple refrigeration heads that are spaced apart from each other to form multiple ice cubes.

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