Ice maker

Abstract

The utility model relates to an ice maker which comprises a shell, an inner container, a water containing box and a flexible cleaning piece, and the shell is provided with a mounting channel; the inner container is arranged in the shell, the inner container is provided with a containing space, and the containing space is communicated with the mounting channel; the water containing box is rotatably installed in the containing space and provided with a water containing groove, the water containing box and the inner container are arranged in a spaced mode and define a cleaning channel, the cleaning channel is located in the containing space and communicated with the installation channel, and a connecting part is arranged on the side, away from the water containing groove, of the water containing box; the flexible cleaning piece extends to the containing space through the mounting channel and is connected with the connecting part, and the flexible cleaning piece is movably arranged in the cleaning channel in a penetrating mode under the driving of the water containing box. In the embodiment, the flexible cleaning piece is matched with the rotatable water containing box to wipe and clean the channel, the ice maker does not need to be disassembled, and the step of cleaning the inner container is simplified.

Description

ice maker Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electrical equipment technology, and in particular to an ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] With the advancement of technology, there are more and more types of refrigeration equipment, such as refrigerators, freezers, and ice makers. These devices generally consist of an outer shell and an inner liner. The inner liner is located inside the outer shell and stores ice and water. Over time, bacteria or scale may grow in the inner liner, requiring regular cleaning.

[0003] Traditional ice makers require disassembling the outer shell and cleaning the inner tank, which is a rather complicated cleaning process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides an ice maker, which includes a shell, an inner liner, a water container, and a flexible cleaning component. The shell has an installation channel; the inner liner is disposed inside the shell and has a receiving space that communicates with the installation channel; the water container is rotatably installed in the receiving space and has a water trough; the water container and the inner liner are spaced apart and define a cleaning channel, which is located in the receiving space and communicates with the installation channel; a connecting part is provided on the side of the water container away from the water trough; the flexible cleaning component extends through the installation channel into the receiving space and connects to the connecting part; the flexible cleaning component is movably inserted through the cleaning channel under the action of the water container.

[0005] In some optional embodiments, the water container has a pouring position and a filling position on its rotation path; when the water container is in the pouring position, the opening of the water container faces downward and the connecting part is located at the end of the installation channel near the cleaning channel; when the water container is in the filling position, the opening of the water container faces upward and the connecting part is located at the end of the cleaning channel away from the installation channel.

[0006] In some optional embodiments, the inner wall of the inner liner includes a clamping surface, and the water box and the clamping surface define a cleaning channel; the shell includes a body and a first limiting part, the body is provided with an installation channel, the first limiting part is connected to the side of the body facing the inner liner, and the first limiting part is located on the side of the installation channel away from the clamping surface; when the water box is in the pouring position, the connecting part is located between the first limiting part and the clamping surface.

[0007] In some optional embodiments, the housing further includes a second limiting part, which is connected to the side of the body facing the inner liner and is located on the side of the mounting channel near the clamping surface; the second limiting part is located between the top side of the body and the clamping surface.

[0008] In some optional embodiments, the first limiting part has a first concave surface on the side facing the second limiting part, and the second limiting part has a second concave surface on the side facing the first limiting part.

[0009] In some optional embodiments, when the water container is in the pouring position, the flexible cleaning component passes through the installation channel and is located on the side of the water container away from the water tank; when the water container is in the filling position, the flexible cleaning component is moved by the water container to pass through the cleaning channel.

[0010] In some optional embodiments, the connecting part includes two spaced-apart through-parts, each through-part having a mounting hole, and at least one through-part having a mounting hole extending through both opposite sides of the through-part; the flexible cleaning component includes a fixing rod and a cleaning component, the cleaning component being connected to the fixing rod, and the two ends of the fixing rod being respectively embedded in the two mounting holes.

[0011] In some optional embodiments, the ice maker further includes a detection sensor for detecting whether a flexible cleaning element is installed in the installation channel; the detection sensor includes a transmitter and a receiver, which are located on opposite sides of the installation channel.

[0012] In some optional embodiments, the housing includes a body and a guide portion. The body has an installation port, and the guide portion is connected to the side of the body opposite to the inner liner. The guide portion is arranged around the outer periphery of the installation port and defines an installation channel.

[0013] In some optional embodiments, the inner liner includes a receiving portion and a partition portion. The receiving portion has a receiving space, and the partition portion is disposed in the receiving space and extends upward relative to the receiving portion. The receiving space includes a first space and a second space, which are located on opposite sides of the partition portion, and a water box is disposed in the second space. The partition portion has a flow channel, which is connected to the first space and the second space.

[0014] This application provides an ice maker, which includes a housing, an inner liner, a water container, and a flexible cleaning component. The inner liner is disposed inside the housing and has a receiving space for storing water and ice. The water container is rotatably mounted in the receiving space and has a water tank for storing water. After ice making is complete, the water container can be rotated to a near-inverted state to pour the remaining water back into the receiving space. In this embodiment, the water container and the inner liner are spaced apart to define a cleaning channel located in the receiving space. The inner wall of the cleaning channel includes the outer surface of the water container and a portion of the inner wall of the inner liner. The housing has an installation channel that communicates with the receiving space and the cleaning channel. The flexible cleaning component can extend into the housing and into the receiving space via the installation channel.

[0015] In this embodiment, a connecting part is provided on the side of the water container away from the water tank. The flexible cleaning component extends into the accommodating space and connects to the connecting part. During the rotation of the water container, the flexible cleaning component is movably inserted into the cleaning channel, allowing it to wipe the inner wall of the cleaning channel and clean part of the inner wall of the inner liner. In this embodiment, the flexible cleaning component cooperates with the rotatable water container to wipe the cleaning channel, enabling the cleaning of part of the inner wall of the inner liner or cleaning dead corners, improving the intelligence and automation of the ice maker, eliminating the need to disassemble the ice maker, simplifying the cleaning steps of the inner liner, and reducing the difficulty of cleaning the inner liner. 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 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ice maker provided in the embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the ice maker shown in Figure 1 with its water container filled with water.

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the ice maker shown in Figure 1 with the water container in the pouring state.

[0020] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the flexible cleaning component of the ice maker shown in Figure 1, which is inserted into the cleaning channel.

[0021] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of the connection part and installation channel of the water box shown in Figure 3.

[0022] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the casing of the ice maker shown in Figure 1.

[0023] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the through-hole section of the water container of the ice maker shown in Figure 1.

[0024] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the mounting holes on the through-hole shown in Figure 7.

[0025] Reference numerals: 100, Ice maker; 10, Housing; 11, Body; 111, Mounting port; 12, Guide part; 121, Mounting channel; 13, First limiting part; 131, First concave surface; 14, Second limiting part; 141, Second concave surface; 15, Access window; 20, Inner liner; 21, Receiving part; 211, Receiving space; 2111, First space; 2112, Second space; 22, Dividing part; 221, Flow channel; 23, Cleaning channel; 24, Clamping surface; 30, Water box; 31, Water tank; 32, Connecting part; 321, Through part; 3211, Mounting hole; 40, Flexible cleaning component; 41, Fixing rod; 42, Cleaning component; 51, Transmitter; 52, Receiver; 60, Ice scraper. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0027] Please refer to Figures 1 and 2. This embodiment of the application provides an ice maker 100. In this embodiment, the ice maker 100 is used to make ice cubes. The ice maker 100 includes a shell 10 and an inner liner 20. The shell 10 is the main structure of the ice maker 100 and defines the main exterior surface of the ice maker 100. The shell 10 has a hollow internal structure. The inner liner 20 is disposed inside the shell 10 and protected by the shell 10. The inner liner 20 is provided with a receiving space 211 for storing ice cubes and water for making ice cubes. In this embodiment, the ice maker 100 also includes a water container 30, which is disposed within the receiving space 211. The water container 30 is a container with an opening and a water tank 31 for storing water to be made into ice cubes. The water in the inner liner 20 can be automatically guided into the water container 30 by a suction pump or other equipment.

[0028] In this embodiment, the ice maker 100 also includes an ice-making module (not shown in the figure). The ice-making module is disposed inside the housing 10, and a portion of the ice-making module extends into the accommodating space 211 of the inner liner 20 to exchange heat with the water in the water tank 31. Specifically, in this embodiment, the ice-making module may include a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, and other structures (not shown in the figure). The compressor and condenser are disposed inside the housing 10, and a portion of the evaporator is disposed in the accommodating space 211 and located in the water tank 31 to contact the water in the water tank 31. In this embodiment, the compressor, evaporator, and condenser are sequentially connected and connected end to end to form a circulation path. A refrigerant (such as Freon) flows in the circulation path. The low-temperature refrigerant is pumped into the evaporator after being compressed by the compressor. The evaporator can exchange heat with the liquid water to cause the liquid water to condense and form ice. Then, the refrigerant flows to the condenser and exchanges heat with the external environment of the ice maker 100 to release the absorbed heat, and then flows back to the compressor for the next cycle.

[0029] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, in this embodiment, the evaporator includes a bullet-shaped evaporator, which is submerged in a water-holding box 30. Water in the water-holding box 30 condenses on the outer surface of the bullet-shaped evaporator. In this embodiment, the water-holding box 30 is rotatably mounted in the accommodating space 211. The water-holding box 30 has a water-filling position and a water-pouring position along its rotation path. When the water-holding box 30 is in the water-filling position, its opening faces upward to hold water, allowing the evaporator to contact the water for heat exchange. After the bullet-shaped evaporator has finished making ice, the water-holding box 30 rotates to the water-pouring position. In this position, the opening faces downward to pour the water that has not condensed into ice back into the inner liner 20. Subsequently, the ice on the bullet-shaped evaporator falls off and is stored in the accommodating space 211. Subsequently, the water container 30 is rotated to the water-filled position, and the water in the inner liner 20 is once again poured into the water container 30 to prepare ice cubes.

[0030] In this embodiment, the water container 30 and the inner liner 20 are spaced apart and define a cleaning channel 23, which is approximately the gap between the water container 31 and the inner liner 20. In this embodiment, the housing 10 is provided with an installation channel 121, which connects the interior and exterior of the housing 10. The installation channel 121 is connected to the accommodating space 211 of the inner liner 20. The cleaning channel 23 is a portion of the accommodating space 211, and therefore the cleaning channel 23 is also connected to the installation channel 121.

[0031] Referring to Figures 1, 3, and 4, in this embodiment, the ice maker 100 further includes a flexible cleaning component 40. The flexible cleaning component 40 extends into the interior of the housing 10 via the mounting channel 121, then into the receiving space 211 and into the cleaning channel 23 to wipe the inner wall of the cleaning channel 23. The inner wall of the cleaning channel 23 may include the inner wall of the receiving space 211 and the outer wall of the water container 30. In this embodiment, the flexible cleaning component 40 may include an elastic accessory with wiping cleaning capabilities, such as a sponge. When the flexible cleaning component 40 is inserted into the cleaning channel 23, it is compressed by the inner wall of the cleaning channel 23 to a contracted state, increasing the friction between the flexible cleaning component 40 and the inner wall of the cleaning channel 23, thereby improving the cleaning ability of the flexible cleaning component 40.

[0032] In this embodiment, the ice maker 100 is mounted on a horizontal application platform. The housing 10 has a front, back, top, bottom, left, and right side. A retrieval window 15 is provided on the front, allowing the user to retrieve ice from the containing space 211 or clean the inner wall of the containing space 211 through the retrieval window 15. In this embodiment, a portion of the inner wall of the inner liner 20 faces the retrieval window 15, and at least a portion of the surface of this side of the inner wall is blocked by the water container 30, creating a cleaning dead zone. In this embodiment, the cleaning channel 23 is located on the side of the water container 30 away from the retrieval window 15, and the cleaning channel 23 is the space defined by the inner wall of the inner liner 20 on that side and the water container 30. In other embodiments, the cleaning channel 23 may be located between the left inner wall of the inner liner 20 and the water container 30, or the cleaning channel 23 may be located between the right inner wall of the inner liner 20 and the water container 30.

[0033] In this embodiment, the water container 30 has a connecting part 32 on the side opposite to the water tank 31. As the water container 30 rotates, the connecting part 32 also rotates, forming its own rotation path. In this embodiment, the flexible cleaning component 40 extends into the accommodating space 211 and connects to the connecting part 32. As the water container 30 rotates, the flexible cleaning component 40 is pulled by the water container 30 and movably passes through the cleaning channel 23 to repeatedly wipe the inner wall of the cleaning channel 23, thereby cleaning the hard-to-reach areas of the inner liner 20.

[0034] In summary, this embodiment provides an ice maker 100, which includes a housing 10, an inner liner 20, a water container 30, and a flexible cleaning component 40. The inner liner 20 is disposed inside the housing 10 and has a receiving space 211 for storing water and ice. The water container 30 is rotatably mounted in the receiving space 211 and has a water tank 31 for storing water. After ice making is completed, the water container 30 can be rotated to a near-inverted state to pour the remaining water back into the receiving space 211. In this embodiment, the water container 30 and the inner liner 20 are spaced apart to define a cleaning channel 23. The cleaning channel 23 is located in the receiving space 211, and the inner wall of the cleaning channel 23 includes the outer surface of the water container 30 and a portion of the inner wall of the inner liner 20. The housing 10 is provided with an installation channel 121, which is connected to the accommodating space 211 and the cleaning channel 23. The flexible cleaning component 40 can extend into the interior of the housing 10 and into the accommodating space 211 through the installation channel 121.

[0035] In this embodiment, the water container 30 has a connecting part 32 on the side opposite to the water tank 31. The flexible cleaning component 40 extends into the accommodating space 211 and connects to the connecting part 32. During rotation, the water container 30 drives the flexible cleaning component 40 to movably pass through the cleaning channel 23, so that the flexible cleaning component 40 wipes the inner wall of the cleaning channel 23 to clean part of the inner wall of the inner liner 20. In this embodiment, the flexible cleaning component 40 cooperates with the rotatable water container 30 to wipe the cleaning channel 23, which can clean part of the inner wall or cleaning dead corners of the inner liner 20, improve the intelligence and automation of the ice maker 100, eliminate the need to disassemble the ice maker 100, simplify the cleaning steps of the inner liner 20, and reduce the difficulty of cleaning the inner liner 20.

[0036] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, in this embodiment, with the water container 30 in the pouring position, the opening of the water container 30 faces downwards in an inverted state. The connecting part 32 is located at the end of the mounting channel 121 near the receiving space 211 (and the cleaning channel 23), and approximately at the end of the cleaning channel 23 near the mounting channel 121, that is, the connecting part 32 is located between the port of the mounting channel 121 and the port of the cleaning channel 23. In this embodiment, the distance between the connecting part 32 and the mounting channel 121 is small, and the user can observe the connecting part 32 through the mounting channel 121, which facilitates the connection of the flexible cleaning component 40 to the connecting part 32. Subsequently, the water container 30 rotates to the water-filling state. In the water-filling state, the opening of the water container 30 faces upwards, and the connecting part 32 is approximately located at the end of the cleaning channel 23 away from the mounting channel 121. As the water container 30 rotates, the connecting part 32 drives the flexible cleaning component 40 to extend from one end of the cleaning channel 23 to the other end of the cleaning channel 23, so as to use the flexible cleaning component 40 to clean the inner wall of the cleaning channel 23.

[0037] In this embodiment, the installation channel 121 is located at the top of the housing 10 and above the cleaning channel 23. In other embodiments, the position of the installation channel 121 on the housing 10 is set according to the position of the cleaning channel 23, and the position of the cleaning channel 23 in the accommodating space 211 can be specifically set according to the position of the cleaning dead corner of the inner liner 20.

[0038] In this embodiment, the user can connect the flexible cleaning component 40 to the connecting part 32 when the water container 30 is in the pouring position. When the water container 30 is in the pouring position, the connecting part 32 is located on the side of the water container 30 facing away from the water tank 31, and the flexible cleaning component 40 is also located on the side of the water container 30 facing away from the water tank 31, facilitating the connection between the flexible cleaning component 40 and the connecting part 32. When the water container 30 is in the filling position, the flexible cleaning component 40 is driven by the water container 30 and movably passes through the cleaning channel 23.

[0039] Please refer to Figures 1, 3, and 5. In this embodiment, the inner wall of the inner liner 20 includes a clamping surface 24. The clamping surface 24 and the water container 30 define a cleaning channel 23. The clamping surface 24 is the inner wall of the inner liner 20 that is spaced apart from the access window 15 as described above. The clamping surface 24 is blocked by the water container 30, thus becoming a relatively difficult-to-clean cleaning dead corner in the inner liner 20. In this embodiment, the housing 10 includes a body 11 and a first limiting part 13. The body 11 is provided with an installation channel 121. The inner liner 20 is disposed inside the body 11. The first limiting part 13 is disposed on the side of the body 11 facing the inner liner 20. The first limiting part 13 is located at one port of the installation channel 121 near the inner liner 20 (accommodating space 211) and on the side of the installation channel 121 away from the clamping surface 24. With the water container 30 in the pouring position, the connecting portion 32 is located at one end of the mounting channel 121 near the inner liner 20. The connecting portion 32 is located on the side of the first limiting portion 13 away from the main body 11, and is approximately located between the first limiting portion 13 and the clamping surface 24. When the flexible cleaning member 40 extends into the mounting channel 121, the first limiting portion 13 can guide the flexible cleaning member 40 to move in a direction close to the clamping surface 24, allowing the flexible cleaning member 40 to move close to the connecting portion 32 for connection. In this embodiment, the first limiting portion 13 can prevent the flexible cleaning member 40 from moving in a direction away from the clamping surface 24, preventing the flexible cleaning member 40 from being located inside the housing 10 without being connected to the connecting portion 32.

[0040] In this embodiment, the housing 10 further includes a second limiting part 14, which is connected to the side of the body 11 facing the inner liner 20. The second limiting part 14 is located on the side of the mounting channel 121 near the clamping surface 24. The first limiting part 13 and the second limiting part 14 are arranged at intervals and are located on opposite sides of the port of the mounting channel 121. In this embodiment, the second limiting part 14 is located between the top side of the body 11 and the clamping surface 24. When the water container 30 is rotated from the water-filling position to the water-pouring position, the water container 30 drives the flexible cleaning member 40 to gradually move out of the cleaning channel 23 through the connecting part 32, so that the flexible cleaning member 40 passes through the mounting channel 121 and at least partially extends out of the housing 10, so as to facilitate the removal of the flexible cleaning member 40. In this embodiment, the side of the second limiting part 14 away from the main body 11 is approximately located on the top side of the inner liner 20. The second limiting part 14 can guide the flexible cleaning member 40 to move toward the direction close to the installation channel 121. The second limiting part 14 can prevent the flexible cleaning member 40 from extending into the gap between the inner liner 20 and the main body 11, so as to prevent the flexible cleaning member 40 from remaining inside the main body 11 when the water box 30 is in the pouring position.

[0041] In this embodiment, the first limiting part 13 has a first concave surface 131 on the side facing the second limiting part 14, and the second limiting part 14 has a second concave surface 141 on the side facing the first limiting part 13. Both the first concave surface 131 and the second concave surface 141 are curved surfaces to smoothly guide the flexible cleaning component 40. In this embodiment, both the first limiting part 13 and the second limiting part 14 are arc-shaped plates. In other embodiments, the first limiting part 13 and the second limiting part 14 may include flat plates with a concave surface on one side. In some other embodiments, both the first limiting part 13 and the second limiting part 14 include flat plate structures, and neither the first limiting part 13 nor the second limiting part 14 has a curved surface. In some other embodiments, the first limiting part 13 and the second limiting part 14 may have more shapes to guide the movement of the flexible cleaning component 40; these are not enumerated in this embodiment.

[0042] Referring to Figure 6, in this embodiment, the ice maker 100 also includes a detection sensor. The detection sensor detects whether a flexible cleaning element 40 is inserted into the mounting channel 121. When the flexible cleaning element 40 is inserted into the mounting channel 121, the ice maker 100 can be set to a cleaning mode. In cleaning mode, the water container 30 rotates back and forth between the pouring position and the filling position to repeatedly wipe the inner wall of the inner liner 20. In this embodiment, the ice maker 100 may also include other types of sensors. As an example, the ice maker 100 may also include a microswitch. The microswitch is located at one end of the rotation path of the water container 30. When the water container 30 rotates to the pouring position, it touches the microswitch, and the signal generated by the microswitch can activate the detection sensor to enter a detection state. In this embodiment, the sensor is used to improve the intelligence level of the ice maker 100.

[0043] In this embodiment, the detection sensor may include a transmitter 51 and a receiver 52, which are located on opposite sides of the mounting channel 121. In this embodiment, the transmitter 51 transmits signals, and the receiver 52 receives signals. If the receiver 52 does not receive a signal, it indicates that a flexible cleaning element 40 is provided within the mounting channel 121, thereby controlling the ice maker 100 to enter a cleaning mode. In this embodiment, the transmitter 51 may include an infrared transmitter, etc. In an embodiment with a first limiting part 13 and a second limiting part 14, the detection sensor is located on the side of the body 11 facing the inner liner 20. Both the first limiting part 13 and the second limiting part 14 are located between the transmitter 51 and the receiver 52. The first limiting part 13 is located between the transmitter 51 and the second limiting part 14, and the second limiting part 14 is located between the first limiting part 13 and the receiver 52. In this embodiment, both the first limiting part 13 and the second limiting part 14 have through holes, allowing the signal emitted by the transmitter 51 to pass through the two through holes sequentially and be transmitted to the receiver 52. In some other embodiments, the first limiting portion 13 and the second limiting portion 14 may include structures capable of signal transmission, eliminating the need for through holes or the like in the first limiting portion 13 and the second limiting portion 14. In some other embodiments, the detection sensor may be disposed on the side of the body 11 opposite to the inner liner 20.

[0044] Referring to Figures 5 and 6, in this embodiment, the housing 10 further includes a body 11 and a guide portion 12. The body 11 has a mounting port 111, and the guide portion 12 is connected to the side of the body 11 opposite to the inner liner 20. The guide portion 12 is arranged around the outer periphery of the mounting port 111, defining a mounting channel 121. The mounting port 111 is one port of the mounting channel 121 near the inner liner 20. In the actual installation of the flexible cleaning component 40, the guide portion 12 can abut against the flexible cleaning component 40 to support it, which is beneficial for the user to install the relatively soft flexible cleaning component 40 into the interior of the housing 10.

[0045] Referring to Figures 7 and 8, in this embodiment, the flexible cleaning component 40 is detachably connected to the connecting portion 32. After cleaning the inner liner 20, the flexible cleaning component 40 with attached dirt can be removed. Specifically, the connecting portion 32 includes two through portions 321, each through portion 321 having a mounting hole 3211. At least one mounting hole 3211 of the through portion 321 extends through opposite sides of the through portion 321. In this embodiment, the axes of the two mounting holes 3211 coincide. In this embodiment, the flexible cleaning component 40 includes a fixing rod 41 and a cleaning component 42. The cleaning component 42 is connected to the fixing rod 41, and both ends of the fixing rod 41 pass through the two mounting holes 3211 respectively, so that the flexible cleaning component 40 is detachably connected to the connecting portion 32. In this embodiment, the cleaning component 42 includes a structure such as a sponge. In other embodiments, the connecting portion 32 may also include multiple clamps, which can clamp the flexible cleaning component 40 for detachable connection.

[0046] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, in this embodiment, the inner liner 20 includes a receiving portion 21 and a dividing portion 22. The receiving portion 21 has a receiving space 211, and the dividing portion 22 is disposed in the receiving space 211. The dividing portion 22 extends upward relative to the receiving portion 21 and is a raised structure protruding from the inner wall of the inner liner 20. In this embodiment, the receiving space 211 includes a first space 2111 and a second space 2112, which are located on opposite sides of the dividing portion 22. The dividing portion 22 separates the first space 2111 and the second space 2112 to a certain extent, forming a boundary between the two spaces. In this embodiment, the first space 2111 is used to store water and ice, and the water container 30 is disposed in the second space 2112. In this embodiment, the dividing portion 22 has a flow channel 221, which communicates with both the first space 2111 and the second space 2112. After ice making is completed, the water container 30 is rotated from the water holding position to the water pouring position, and the opening of the water container 30 is oriented to pour the uncondensed water into the second space 2112. The water flows to the first space 2111 through the flow channel 221.

[0047] In this embodiment, the ice maker 100 also includes an ice scraper 60, which is rotatably connected to one side of the water container 30. When the water container 30 is in the water-filling position, the ice scraper 60 is located between the water container 30 and the partition 22. After ice making is completed, the water container 30 rotates from the water-filling position to the water-pouring position, with the opening of the water container 30 facing downwards. The ice scraper 60 is approximately located on the bottom side of the water container 30. The water in the water container 30 is poured into the second space 2112 and flows through the flow channel 221 to the first space 2111. The ice blocks on the bullet-shaped evaporator fall into the second space 2112. Subsequently, the water container 30 rotates from the water-filling position to the water-pouring position, and the ice scraper 60 moves along the direction close to the partition 22 and rotates relative to the water container 30. During the movement of the ice scraper 60, the ice scraper 60 pushes the ice blocks in the second space 2112 upwards, so that the ice blocks cross the partition 22 and enter the first space 2111.

[0048] This embodiment provides an ice maker 100, which includes a housing 10, an inner liner 20, a water container 30, and a flexible cleaning component 40. The inner liner 20 is disposed inside the housing 10 and has a receiving space 211 for storing water and ice. The water container 30 is rotatably mounted in the receiving space 211 and has a water trough 31 for storing water. After ice making is completed, the water container 30 can be rotated to a near-inverted state to pour the remaining water back into the receiving space 211. In this embodiment, the water container 30 and the inner liner 20 are spaced apart to define a cleaning channel 23. The cleaning channel 23 is located in the receiving space 211, and the inner wall of the cleaning channel 23 includes the outer surface of the water container 30 and a portion of the inner wall of the inner liner 20. The housing 10 is provided with an installation channel 121, which is connected to the accommodating space 211 and the cleaning channel 23. The flexible cleaning component 40 can extend into the interior of the housing 10 and into the accommodating space 211 through the installation channel 121.

[0049] In this embodiment, the water container 30 has a connecting part 32 on the side opposite to the water tank 31. The flexible cleaning component 40 extends into the accommodating space 211 and connects to the connecting part 32. During rotation, the water container 30 drives the flexible cleaning component 40 to movably pass through the cleaning channel 23, so that the flexible cleaning component 40 wipes the inner wall of the cleaning channel 23 to clean part of the inner wall of the inner liner 20. In this embodiment, the flexible cleaning component 40 cooperates with the rotatable water container 30 to wipe the cleaning channel 23, which can clean part of the inner wall or cleaning dead corners of the inner liner 20, improve the intelligence and automation of the ice maker 100, eliminate the need to disassemble the ice maker 100, simplify the cleaning steps of the inner liner 20, and reduce the difficulty of cleaning the inner liner 20.

[0050] In this application specification, certain terms are used to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art will understand that hardware manufacturers may use different names to refer to the same component. The specification and claims do not distinguish components based on differences in name, but rather on differences in function. The term "comprising" throughout the specification and claims is an open-ended term and should be interpreted as "including but not limited to"; "generally" means that those skilled in the art can solve the technical problem within a certain margin of error and basically achieve the technical effect.

[0051] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "inside", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the purpose of simplifying the description of this application 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0052] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or merely surface contact. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0053] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0054] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0055] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. An ice maker, characterized in that, include: The system comprises: a housing having an installation channel; an inner liner disposed within the housing, the inner liner having an accommodating space communicating with the installation channel; a water container rotatably mounted in the accommodating space, the water container having a water trough, the water container and the inner liner being spaced apart and defining a cleaning channel, the cleaning channel being located in the accommodating space and communicating with the installation channel, the side of the water container facing away from the water trough having a connecting portion; and a flexible cleaning component extending through the installation channel to the accommodating space and connected to the connecting portion, the flexible cleaning component being movably inserted through the cleaning channel under the action of the water container.

2. The ice maker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The water container has a pouring position and a filling position on its rotation path; when the water container is in the pouring position, the opening of the water container faces downwards, and the connecting part is located at the end of the installation channel near the cleaning channel; With the water container in the water-filled position, the opening of the water container faces upward, and the connecting part is located at the end of the cleaning channel away from the installation channel.

3. The ice maker as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The inner wall of the inner liner includes a clamping surface, and the water container and the clamping surface define the cleaning channel; the housing includes a body and a first limiting part, the body is provided with the installation channel, the first limiting part is connected to the side of the body facing the inner liner, and the first limiting part is located on the side of the installation channel away from the clamping surface; when the water container is in the pouring position, the connecting part is located between the first limiting part and the clamping surface.

4. The ice maker as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The housing further includes a second limiting part, which is connected to the side of the body facing the inner liner and is located on the side of the mounting channel near the clamping surface; the second limiting part is located between the top side of the body and the clamping surface.

5. The ice maker as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The first limiting part has a first concave surface on the side facing the second limiting part, and the second limiting part has a second concave surface on the side facing the first limiting part.

6. The ice maker as described in claim 2, characterized in that, When the water container is in the pouring position, the flexible cleaning component passes through the installation channel and is located on the side of the water container away from the water tank; when the water container is in the water-filling position, the flexible cleaning component is moved by the water container to pass through the cleaning channel.

7. The ice maker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting part includes two spaced-apart through-parts, each through-part having a mounting hole, and at least one mounting hole of the through-part extending through both opposite sides of the through-part; the flexible cleaning component includes a fixing rod and a cleaning component, the cleaning component being connected to the fixing rod, and both ends of the fixing rod being respectively embedded in the two mounting holes.

8. The ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The ice maker also includes a detection sensor for detecting whether a flexible cleaning element is installed in the installation channel; the detection sensor includes a transmitter and a receiver, which are located on opposite sides of the installation channel.

9. The ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The housing includes a body and a guide portion. The body has an installation opening, and the guide portion is connected to the side of the body opposite to the inner liner. The guide portion is arranged around the outer periphery of the installation opening, and the guide portion defines the installation channel.

10. The ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The inner liner includes a receiving portion and a partition portion. The receiving portion has the receiving space, and the partition portion is disposed in the receiving space and extends upward relative to the receiving portion. The receiving space includes a first space and a second space, which are located on opposite sides of the partition portion. The water container is disposed in the second space. The partition portion has a flow channel, which communicates with the first space and the second space.

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