Ice making apparatus

Abstract

The application relates to the ice making technical field, in particular to an ice making equipment which comprises an inner container, an ice basket, a water storage tank, a water conveying pipeline and a first water pump. The inner container is provided with an inner water tank and an ice making tank, and the ice basket is arranged in the inner container; in a working state, the bottom wall of the ice making tank is higher than the bottom wall of the inner water tank, and the ice basket is located above the inner water tank. The water storage tank is arranged outside the inner container, and the water conveying pipeline is connected between the water storage tank and the inner water tank. The first water pump is arranged on the water conveying pipeline and is used for conveying water in the water storage tank to the inner water tank through the water conveying pipeline. In the working state, the position height of the first water pump is higher than the position height of the bottom wall of the inner water tank and the position height of the bottom wall of the water storage tank. The ice making equipment can prevent water in the inner water tank from flowing back to the water storage tank.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of ice-making technology, and particularly to an ice-making device. Background Technology

[0002] Ice-making equipment, as a device that quickly produces ice, can be used in industrial settings as well as in homes, small shops, offices, and other places to bring convenience to users. Ice-making equipment typically includes an ice-making tank and ice-making containers placed within the tank to hold liquid water. Liquid water is supplied to the ice-making containers via an external water supply system. An evaporator is located inside the ice-making containers to cool the liquid water and freeze it into ice. However, in technologies that directly supply liquid water to the ice-making containers via an external water supply system, the system relies on the external water source. When the external water supply system is unavailable (e.g., during a water outage), the ice maker cannot operate, resulting in a poor user experience. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide an ice-making device to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0004] This application provides an ice-making device, including an inner tank, an ice basket, a water storage tank, a water supply pipeline, and a first water pump. The inner tank has an inner water tank and an ice-making tank, with the ice basket disposed within the inner tank. In operation, the bottom wall of the ice-making tank is higher than the bottom wall of the inner water tank, and the ice basket is positioned above the inner water tank. The water storage tank is disposed outside the inner tank, and the water supply pipeline connects the water storage tank and the inner water tank. The first water pump is disposed on the water supply pipeline and is used to transport water from the water storage tank to the inner water tank through the water supply pipeline. In operation, the position of the first water pump is higher than the bottom wall of the inner water tank and higher than the bottom wall of the water storage tank.

[0005] In some optional embodiments, during operation, the bottom wall of the water storage tank is positioned higher than the bottom wall of the inner water tank.

[0006] In some optional embodiments, the inner liner is further provided with an ice-falling section, which is located between the ice-making tank and the inner water tank. The ice-making tank is connected to the inner water tank through the cavity of the ice-falling section. An ice basket is set in the ice-falling section, and the first water pump is located at the end of the ice-falling section near the ice-making tank.

[0007] In some optional embodiments, the inner water tank includes an inner bottom wall and an inner peripheral wall. The inner peripheral wall surrounds and connects to the periphery of the inner bottom wall to define a receiving cavity together with the inner bottom wall. The inner bottom wall is provided with a water inlet hole communicating with the receiving cavity. The water supply pipeline includes a first water inlet pipe and a second water inlet pipe. The first water inlet pipe is connected between the water outlet of the first water pump and the water inlet hole. The second water inlet pipe is connected between the water inlet of the first water pump and the water storage tank.

[0008] In some optional embodiments, the water storage tank includes an outer bottom wall and an outer peripheral wall. The outer peripheral wall is arranged around and connected to the periphery of the outer bottom wall to define the water storage cavity together with the outer bottom wall. The outer bottom wall is provided with a water outlet hole communicating with the water storage cavity. The second water inlet pipe communicates with the water storage cavity through the water outlet hole.

[0009] In some optional embodiments, the ice-making equipment also includes a shell, an inner liner, a first water pump and a water supply pipeline, all of which are disposed inside the shell, and a water storage tank is disposed outside the shell; the water supply pipeline also includes an outer water pipe and a connecting joint, the connecting joint being fixedly disposed on the bottom plate of the shell and connected in series between the outer water pipe and the second water inlet pipe, one end of the outer water pipe being connected to the water storage cavity through a water outlet, and the other end being connected to the connecting joint.

[0010] In some optional embodiments, the connecting joint includes a first pipe section, a second pipe section, and a third pipe section that are connected to each other. The external water pipe is detachably connected to the first pipe section, and the second water inlet pipe is connected to the second pipe section. The water supply pipeline also includes a drain pipe that is connected between the inner water tank and the third pipe section.

[0011] In some optional embodiments, the drain pipe is laid along the bottom plate; the inner bottom wall is also provided with a drain hole, through which the drain pipe connects to the receiving cavity; a drain plug is provided in the drain hole, which is used to seal the drain hole under the pressure of the water in the receiving cavity.

[0012] In some optional embodiments, the inner water tank also includes a drainage pipe located on the side of the inner bottom wall away from the receiving cavity, with one end of the drainage pipe connected to a drainage hole and the other end connected to a drainage pipe.

[0013] In some optional embodiments, the ice-making equipment further includes a drainage support and an inner shell. The inner shell is disposed within the outer shell, and the inner liner is disposed within the inner shell. The first water pump and the water supply pipeline are disposed outside the inner shell. The inner shell is provided with a support pipe coaxial with the drainage submersible pipe. The drainage support includes a support portion and a connecting pipe connected to each other. The support portion is fixedly connected to the inner shell, and the connecting pipe passes through the support pipe and is inserted into the drainage submersible pipe. The drainage pipe is sleeved outside the connecting pipe.

[0014] In some optional embodiments, the ice-making equipment further includes a refrigeration system, ice-making pipelines, and a second water pump. The bottom wall of the inner water tank has an ice-making water outlet. The ice-making pipelines connect the ice-making water outlet and the ice-making tank. The second water pump is located on the ice-making pipelines. The refrigeration system is used to cool the water in the ice-making tank.

[0015] Compared to existing technologies, the ice-making equipment provided in this application allows water in the inner water tank to be pumped into the ice-making tank. The water in the ice-making tank can then be cooled to form ice cubes. Instead of directly connecting the ice-making tank to an external water source, some liquid ice-making water is temporarily stored in a storage tank or inner water tank, which helps to withstand the instability of the external water source. For example, when the external water source is interrupted, the ice-making equipment can use the water in the storage tank to make ice, resulting in a better user experience. Such ice-making equipment can be applied in areas with unstable water sources, and its application range is quite wide.

[0016] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a first water pump and a water supply pipeline are used to supply water to the inner water tank, which can improve the water replenishment efficiency of the inner water tank. It is not necessary for the water level in the storage tank to be higher than the water level in the inner water tank to replenish water, so that the location of the storage tank is not restricted and the structural design is more flexible.

[0017] In operation, the position of the first water pump is higher than the bottom wall of the inner water tank and also higher than the bottom wall of the water storage tank. It can be considered that the water storage tank, the first water pump, the inner water tank, and the water supply pipeline constitute a communicating vessel, and the highest point in the middle of this communicating vessel is determined by the first water pump.

[0018] The ice basket is used to hold ice blocks. Prepared ice blocks can be fed into the ice basket by an ice-shoveling mechanism, for example, by letting the ice blocks fall into the ice basket under gravity. During the process of the ice blocks falling into the ice basket, some residual water inevitably flows into the inner water tank, creating pressure or impact on the water in the inner water tank. Under this impact, the water in the inner water tank will flow back towards the storage tank through the water supply pipe. At this time, because the first water pump is located at the highest point in the middle of the communicating vessel, its position is higher than the bottom wall of the inner water tank and also higher than the bottom wall of the storage tank. This can buffer some of the backflowing water. Based on the principle of communicating vessels, it can largely prevent the backflowing water under the impact from exceeding the height of the first water pump and flowing into the storage tank. Therefore, in this case, the first water pump does not need to have a water-stopping function to prevent water backflow in the inner water tank; a common water pump can be used to reduce costs. For example, the first water pump can be a diaphragm pump. In other examples, the first water pump can be a centrifugal pump or an axial flow pump, etc. Attached Figure Description

[0019] 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.

[0020] Figure 1This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an ice-making device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows an exploded view of the ice-making device, omitting part of the outer casing.

[0022] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The diagram shows the structure of the ice-making equipment, omitting the outer casing and water tank.

[0023] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the ice-making equipment from another perspective.

[0024] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A three-dimensional cross-sectional schematic diagram of the ice-making equipment shown.

[0025] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A partially enlarged schematic diagram of the connecting joint of the ice-making equipment shown.

[0026] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 An exploded 3D view of the connecting joint shown.

[0027] Figure 8 yes Figure 5 A partially enlarged schematic diagram of the drainage pipe of the ice-making equipment shown. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0029] It should be noted that when a component / part is said to be "fixed to" another component / part, it can be directly on the other component / part or there may be an intermediate component / part. When a component / part is considered to be "connected to" another component / part, it can be directly connected to the other component / part or there may be an intermediate component / part present; also, when a component / part is considered to be "connected to" another component / part, it can be integrally formed or assembled with the other component / part. When a component / part is considered to be "set on" another component / part, it can be directly set on the other component / part or there may be an intermediate component / part present.

[0030] 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 herein in the specification of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0031] Please see Figure 1 This application provides an ice-making device 100 for rapidly cooling liquid water to form ice cubes for user use. The ice-making device 100 can be used as industrial equipment in production operations, or as food processing equipment to produce food ice cubes. It can also be applied in medical, cold chain transportation, and other fields; this embodiment does not impose specific limitations in these areas. As an example, the ice-making device 100 can be used as a household appliance, installed in offices, kitchens, restaurants, and other similar locations to produce food ice cubes. When used for ice making, the ice-making device 100 can be installed inside refrigerators, freezers, or other similar equipment, or it can be used independently.

[0032] Please see Figures 1 to 2 In one embodiment provided in this application, the ice-making device 100 includes an inner tank 32, an ice basket 36, a water storage tank 50, a first water pump 74, and a water supply pipeline 72. The inner tank 32 is provided with an inner water tank 321 and an ice-making tank 323, and the ice basket 36 is disposed in the inner tank 32. The water storage tank 50 is disposed outside the inner tank 32, and the water supply pipeline 72 connects the water storage tank 50 and the inner water tank 321. The first water pump 74 is disposed on the water supply pipeline 72 and is used to transport water from the water storage tank 50 to the inner water tank 321 through the water supply pipeline 72.

[0033] In this embodiment, water in the inner water tank 321 can be pumped to the ice-making tank 323. The water in the ice-making tank 323 can be refrigerated to form ice cubes. For example, the ice-making tank 323 can be equipped with ice trays, or even the ice-making tank 323 itself can be an ice tray. After the water in the inner water tank 321 is pumped to the ice-making tank 323, it is refrigerated by the refrigeration system of the ice maker 100 to form ice cubes. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to directly connect the ice-making tank 323 to an external water source. Instead, some liquid ice-making water is temporarily stored in the water storage tank 50 and the inner water tank 321, which can resist the instability of the external water source. For example, when the external water source is interrupted, the ice-making device 100 can use the water in the water storage tank 50 to make ice, resulting in a better user experience. Such an ice-making device 100 can be applied in areas with unstable water sources, and its application range is relatively wide.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first water pump 74 and the water supply pipeline 72 are used to supply water to the inner water tank 321, which can improve the water replenishment efficiency of the inner water tank 321. It is not necessary for the water level in the water storage tank 50 to be higher than the water level in the inner water tank 321 to replenish water, so that the position of the water storage tank 50 is not restricted and the structural design is more flexible.

[0035] Ice basket 36 is used to hold ice blocks. In the working state, the bottom wall of the ice-making tank 323 is higher than the bottom wall of the inner water tank 321, and the ice basket 36 is located above the inner water tank 321. After the ice blocks in the ice-making tank 323 are prepared, they fall into the ice basket 36 and are temporarily stored in the ice basket 36. The ice basket 36 can also be used for draining water, so that the broken ice or residual water droplets in the ice basket 36 fall into the inner water tank 321. In this embodiment, the prepared ice blocks can be fed into the ice basket 36 by an ice-shoveling mechanism. As an example, the ice-shoveling mechanism can be a flip-up plate or other structure that can change its spatial position. The ice-shoveling mechanism picks up the ice blocks from the ice-making tank 323 and tilts them, so that the ice blocks fall into the ice basket 36 under the action of gravity.

[0036] In operation, the position of the first water pump 74 is higher than the bottom wall of the inner water tank 321 and also higher than the bottom wall of the water storage tank 50. Therefore, this part of the water supply channel of the water supply pipeline 72, which connects the water storage tank 50, the first water pump 74, and the inner water tank 321 in series, can roughly form a "U"-shaped structure, with the first water pump 74 located at the highest point of the "U"-shaped structure. It can be considered that the water storage tank 50, the first water pump 74, the inner water tank 321, and the water supply pipeline 72 constitute a communicating vessel, and the highest point in the middle of this communicating vessel is determined by the first water pump 74. As ice blocks fall into the ice basket 36, residual water inevitably flows into the inner water tank 321, creating pressure or impact on the water there. This impact causes the water in the inner water tank 321 to flow back towards the storage tank 50 via the water supply pipe 72. However, because the first water pump 74 is located at the highest point in the middle of the communicating vessel, its position is higher than both the bottom wall of the inner water tank 321 and the bottom wall of the storage tank 50. This buffers some of the backflow and, based on the principle of communicating vessels, largely prevents the backflowing water from exceeding the height of the first water pump 74 and flowing into the storage tank 50. Therefore, in this situation, the first water pump 74 does not need to have a water-stopping function to prevent backflow in the inner water tank 321; a common water pump can be used to reduce costs. For example, the first water pump 74 can be a diaphragm pump. In other examples, the first water pump 74 can be a centrifugal pump or an axial flow pump.

[0037] Furthermore, since the inner water tank 321 is used to store water supplied to the ice-making tank 323, and also temporarily stores residual water and ice fragments from the ice after ice making, the water temperature in the inner water tank 321 is relatively low. Consequently, the water temperature supplied to the ice-making tank 323 is also relatively low. This reduces the workload of the refrigeration system on the ice-making tank 323, shortening the ice-making time and improving ice-making efficiency to some extent. Based on this, the ice-making equipment 100 of this embodiment, with the aforementioned structure, prevents the low-temperature water in the inner water tank 321 from flowing back into the water storage tank 50 outside the inner tank 32, and also avoids water leakage, thereby achieving energy-saving effects.

[0038] The following sections will introduce each component of the ice-making equipment 100 and the specific structure of each component.

[0039] In this embodiment of the application, the ice-making device 100 includes a housing assembly 10, an inner liner assembly 30, and a refrigeration system 90. The housing assembly 10 is used to install the inner liner assembly 30 and the refrigeration system 90.

[0040] The housing assembly 10 includes a housing 12, which is used to install and protect components. The housing 12 also supports the ice-making equipment 100 in its place of use, such as on the ground, a table, or other supporting platform. Specifically, the housing 12 is generally rectangular; in other embodiments, it can be any shape, such as a cube, cylinder, or even an irregular shape. The housing 12 has an inner cavity (not shown in the figure) for installing and placing components. These components may include the aforementioned inner liner 32, water supply pipe 72, first water pump 74, and refrigeration system 90, etc., which are not limited in this embodiment. Specifically, in this embodiment, the inner liner 32, water supply pipe 72, first water pump 74, and refrigeration system 90 are all located inside the housing 12 to facilitate the modular integration of the ice-making equipment 100. For example, when the ice-making equipment 100 is used in large freezers or beverage machines, the modular structure facilitates direct embedding into these large freezers or beverage machines, making assembly more convenient.

[0041] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an ice-making device 100 according to an embodiment of this application, omitting the outer casing 12. In this embodiment, the casing assembly 10 further includes an inner casing 14. The inner casing 14 is disposed inside the outer casing 12, and the inner casing 14 and the outer casing 12 may be at least partially structurally spaced apart to accommodate electrical components of the ice-making device 100, such as circuit boards, some components of the aforementioned refrigeration system 90, etc. The inner casing 14 is generally a semi-enclosed structure to prevent liquid water from leaking into the space between the outer casing 12 and the inner casing 14, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the electrical components.

[0042] The ice-making equipment 100 may also include an inner tank assembly 30 and a water supply assembly 70. The inner tank assembly 30 includes the aforementioned inner tank 32 and ice basket 36. The inner tank 32 is the place where the ice-making equipment 100 makes ice and collects ice blocks. The inner tank 32 is located inside the inner shell 14 and connected to the inner shell 14.

[0043] Specifically, in this embodiment, the internal space of the inner liner 32 may include an ice-making area 301, a water tank area 303, and an ice-falling area 305. The water tank area 303 forms the aforementioned inner water tank 321, the ice-making area 301 forms the aforementioned ice-making trough 323, and the ice-falling area 305 accommodates the ice basket 36. Further, the bottom of the inner liner 32 is generally stepped, with the ice-making area 301 located at the higher end of the bottom of the inner liner 32 so that the liquid water in the ice-making area 301 can collect in the water tank area 303 by gravity. The water tank area 303 is located at the lower end of the bottom of the inner liner 32. The ice-falling area 305 may be located between the ice-making area 301 and the water tank area 303. Specifically, in this embodiment, the ice-falling area 305 and the water tank area 303 are arranged side-by-side, for example, they are arranged side-by-side along the direction of gravity in the working state. Therefore, in the working state, the bottom wall of the ice tank 313 is higher than the bottom wall of the inner water tank 321, and the ice basket 36 is located above the inner water tank 321.

[0044] Please also refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 In this embodiment, the water supply assembly 70 includes the aforementioned water supply pipe 72 and first water pump 74. The water storage tank 50 is disposed outside the outer casing 12 and supplies liquid water to the inner water tank 321 via the water supply pipe 72 and the first water pump 74. The water storage tank 50 includes an outer bottom wall 52 and an outer peripheral wall 54. The outer bottom wall 52 is generally plate-shaped, and the outer peripheral wall 54 surrounds and connects to the periphery of the outer bottom wall 52, for example, the outer peripheral wall 54 is generally perpendicular to the outer bottom wall 52. The outer peripheral wall 54 and the outer bottom wall 52 together define a water storage cavity 56, which is used to store spare liquid water. The outer bottom wall 52 is provided with a water outlet 521 communicating with the water storage cavity, and the water outlet 521 is connected to the inner water tank 321 via the water supply pipe 72.

[0045] For details in this embodiment, please also refer to Figure 5The inner water tank 321 includes an inner bottom wall 3213 and an inner peripheral wall 3215. The inner bottom wall 3213 is generally plate-shaped, and the inner peripheral wall 3215 is arranged around and connected to the periphery of the inner bottom wall 3213, for example, the inner peripheral wall 3213 is generally perpendicular to the inner bottom wall 3213. The inner peripheral wall 3215 and the inner bottom wall 3213 together define a receiving cavity 3211, which is used to store liquid water from the water storage tank 50, and also to store residual water or crushed ice after ice making. Further, the inner bottom wall 3213 is provided with a water inlet (not shown in the figure) communicating with the receiving cavity 3211, and the water inlet is connected to the water storage tank 50 through a water supply pipe 72. In this embodiment, the bottom wall of the water storage tank 50 can be positioned higher than the bottom wall of the inner water tank 321. For example, in the working state, both the outer bottom wall 52 and the inner bottom wall 3213 can be placed approximately horizontally. The height of the outer bottom wall 52 can be understood as the height of its horizontal plane, and the height of the inner bottom wall 3213 can also be understood as the height of its horizontal plane. Setting the height of the outer bottom wall 52 higher than the height of the inner bottom wall 3213 helps maintain the water level in the inner water tank 321. Furthermore, the height of the first water pump 74 is higher than both the outer bottom wall 52 and the inner bottom wall 3213, which reduces the risk of water backflow in the inner water tank 321. The height of the first water pump 74 can be understood as the height of the horizontal plane where its geometric center is located.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inner liner 32 also includes an ice-falling section 325, which is located between the ice-making tank 323 and the inner water tank 321. The ice-falling section 325 is generally cylindrical with open ends, and the ice-making tank 323 is connected to the inner water tank 321 through a cavity within the ice-falling section 325. Specifically, one end of the ice-falling section 325 is connected to the inner peripheral wall 3215 of the inner water tank 321, and the other end of the ice-falling section 325 is connected to the ice-making tank 323. The height of the ice-making tank 323 can be substantially flush with or slightly higher than the top of the ice-falling section 325. For example, the bottom wall of the ice-making tank 323 is flush with and smoothly connected to the upper edge of the end of the ice-falling section 325 away from the inner water tank 321, so as to facilitate the smooth transfer of ice blocks under gravity without the need for additional power mechanisms. In operation, the ice drop section 325 is located above the inner water tank 321, and the ice basket 36 is located inside the ice drop section 325. When ice blocks in the ice making tank 323 fall into the ice basket 36, residual water and broken ice will fall into the inner water tank 321 through the ice drop section 325.

[0047] In this embodiment, the first water pump 74 is located at one end of the ice-falling section 325 near the ice-making tank 323. It can also be considered that the position of the first water pump 74 is basically flush with the bottom wall of the ice-making tank 323, so that the position of the first water pump 74 is as high as possible, and the height of the communicating vessel formed above at the middle high point is as high as possible. Even if the residual water volume is large during the ice-falling stage and a large amount of residual water impacts the inner water tank 321, it can fill most of the cavity of the ice-falling section 325 and will not overflow into the water storage tank 50, thus making the effect of the ice-making equipment 100 in preventing backflow of water into the inner water tank 321 more reliable.

[0048] In this embodiment, the water supply pipeline 72 includes a first inlet pipe 721 and a second inlet pipe 723. The first inlet pipe 721 is connected between the outlet port and the inlet hole of the first water pump 74; the second inlet pipe 723 is connected between the inlet port of the first water pump 74 and the outlet hole 521 of the water storage tank 50. Therefore, when the inner water tank 321 needs to be filled with water, liquid water is output from the water storage chamber 56 of the water storage tank 50 through the outlet hole 521 by the power provided by the first water pump 74, and then flows sequentially through the second inlet pipe 723, the first water pump 74, and the first inlet pipe 721, and enters the receiving cavity 3211 of the inner water tank 321 through the inlet hole. Since the first water pump 74 is located at a relatively high position, for example, higher than the inner water tank 321, when the inner water tank 321 is basically full of water, for example, when the water level continues to rise to the ice-falling part 325, the water in the inner tank 32 can fill the first water inlet pipe 721, but will not flow back into the second water inlet pipe 723 or the water storage tank 50.

[0049] Furthermore, the first water pump 74 is located at a relatively high position, while the outlet 521 and the inlet are both located at relatively low positions. This allows the second inlet pipe 723, which connects the outlet 521 and the first water pump 74, to extend approximately in a vertical plane. In other words, the length of the second inlet pipe 723 extends essentially along the vertical direction, with a vertical height difference between its two ends. Similarly, the first inlet pipe 721, which connects the inlet and the first water pump 74, extends approximately in a vertical plane. This length direction also extends essentially along the vertical direction, with a vertical height difference between its two ends, saving space within the housing 10.

[0050] In some embodiments, the water supply pipeline 72 may further include an external water pipe 725 and a connecting joint 727. The connecting joint 727 is fixedly disposed on the bottom plate of the outer casing 12 and connected in series between the external water pipe 725 and the second inlet water pipe 723. In this embodiment, by fixing the connecting joint 727 to the outer casing 12, the second inlet water pipe 723 is fixed, ensuring the structural stability of the water supply pipeline 72 and thus resisting some vibrations and / or impacts. The connecting joint 727 can be a common water pipe connector, such as a two-way connector or a three-way connector. The connecting joint 727 can be fixed to the bottom plate of the outer casing 12 by snap-fit ​​or by fasteners such as screws. The connecting joint 727 and the second inlet water pipe 723 can be connected by a sleeve, and a waterproof sealing ring can be provided between them to ensure the stability of the connection.

[0051] One end of the external water pipe 725 is connected to the water storage chamber 56 through the water outlet 521, and the other end is connected to the connecting connector 727. In this embodiment, the external water pipe 725 is located outside the outer shell 12 and is used to connect the water storage tank 50 to the inner liner 32. The connecting connector 727 is fixed inside the outer shell 12 and extends partially to the outside of the outer shell 12. The external water pipe 725 is detachably connected to the connecting connector 727 to facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the water supply pipeline 72.

[0052] Please see Figure 6 Specifically, in this embodiment, the connecting joint 727 includes a first tube portion 7271 and a second tube portion 7273 that are connected to each other. The second tube portion 7273 is fixedly disposed on the bottom plate of the housing 12. The first tube portion 7271 is generally coaxially disposed with the second tube portion 7273 and extends to the outside of the housing 12. Please also refer to... Figure 4 and Figure 6The outer casing 12 includes a base plate 121 and side plates (not shown in the figure). Multiple side plates can be connected end-to-end to define the inner cavity of the outer casing 12. The base plate 121 is disposed at one end of each of the side plates and is connected to them. The base plate 121 includes a plate body 1211 and supporting ribs 1213. The plate body 1211 is generally flat and is used to support the casing on a platform, such as a floor or tabletop. The supporting ribs 1213 are connected to the edge of the plate body 1211 and bend relative to it. The supporting ribs 1213 are generally perpendicular to the plate body 1211 and extend towards the interior of the outer casing 12. The connection between the supporting ribs 1213 and the outer casing 12 and the side plates enhances the structural stability of the entire outer casing 12. The support rib 1213 is provided with a mounting hole 1215. The first tube portion 7271 of the connecting connector 727 passes through the mounting hole 1215 and protrudes to the outside of the outer shell 12. The second tube portion 7273 is fixed to the plate 1211. The end of the second tube portion 7273 away from the first tube portion 7271 is connected to the second water inlet pipe 723. Specifically, the second water inlet pipe 723 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the second tube portion 7273, which is conducive to the installation and disassembly of the pipeline.

[0053] Please see Figure 7 The connecting joint 727 may further include a limiting portion 7275, which is connected to the connection between the first tube portion 7271 and the second tube portion 7273 and protrudes radially along either the first tube portion 7271 or the second tube portion 7273. The radial dimension of the limiting portion 7275 along the first tube portion 7271 or the second tube portion 7273 is larger than the dimension of the mounting hole 1215. Therefore, the limiting portion 7275 abuts against the inner surface of the support rib 1213, so that when the limiting portion 7275 is located inside the housing 12, it will not dislodge to the outside of the housing 12 through the mounting hole 1215. In this embodiment, the limiting portion 7275 can be fixed to the plate 1211 by fasteners such as screws. Therefore, the external water pipe 725 is detachably sleeved on the end of the first pipe section 7271. When the external water pipe 725 is removed by pulling with external force, the limiting part 7275 can abut against the support rib 1213, eliminating the possibility of the connecting joint 727 coming off.

[0054] In this embodiment, the water supply pipeline 72 further includes a drain pipe 729, which connects to the inner water tank 321 and discharges the water in the inner water tank 321 to the outside. Further, the connecting joint 727 may also include a third pipe section 7277, which connects to the first pipe section 7271 and the second pipe section 7273, making the connecting joint 727 a T-junction structure. The drain pipe 729 connects the inner water tank 321 and the third pipe section 7277. When using the drain pipe 729 for drainage, simply pull out the outer water pipe 725 from the connecting joint 727 to discharge the water in the inner water tank 321 to the outside along the drain pipe 729 and the connecting joint 727. This avoids the structural complexity caused by setting up a separate drainage pipe and also saves on piping and costs. In addition, when drainage is not required, the external water pipe 725, the connecting joint 727, the second water inlet pipe 723, and the drain pipe 729 are sealed together, which can prevent the internal water tank 321 from leaking when drainage is not required.

[0055] As a specific example, the drain pipe 729 is arranged along the extension direction of the base plate 121, that is, the drain pipe 729 is arranged roughly along a plane at the bottom of the outer casing 12. The drain pipe 729 is basically lower than the lowest point of the inner water tank 321, which facilitates the drainage of water from the inner water tank 321 by gravity and avoids hygiene problems caused by residual water. Further details can be found in the following section. Figure 8 The inner bottom wall 3213 of the inner water tank 321 is also provided with a drain hole 3203. One end of the drain pipe 729 is connected to the receiving cavity 3211 of the inner water tank 321 through the drain hole 3202, so that the water in the receiving cavity 3211 can flow out along the lowest point of the inner water tank 321.

[0056] Furthermore, the inner liner assembly 30 also includes a drain plug 38, which is disposed within the drain hole 3203 and is used to seal the drain hole 3203 under the pressure of the water in the receiving cavity 3211. As an example, the drain plug 38 is made of a material with elastic deformation capability; for example, the drain plug 38 can be a rubber plug, a wooden plug, a plastic plug, etc., or the drain plug 38 can be made of a rigid material combined with an elastic material, such as a metal plug with a rubber ring, etc. The drain plug 38 is embedded in the drain hole 3203, and the outer peripheral wall of the drain plug 38 is in close contact with the hole wall of the drain hole 3203 to achieve a sealing effect.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inner water tank 321 also includes a drainage pipe 3217, which is located on the side of the inner bottom wall 3213 opposite to the receiving cavity 3211. One end of the drainage pipe 3217 is connected to the drain hole 3203, and the other end is connected to the drain pipe 729. In the working state, the position of the drainage pipe 3217 is lower than that of the inner bottom wall 3213, which is conducive to draining the residual water in the receiving cavity 3211. Specifically, as an example, the drainage pipe 3217 and the inner bottom wall 3213 are integrally formed, and the axis of the drainage pipe 3217 is approximately parallel to the inner bottom wall 3213 and approximately perpendicular to the axis of the drain hole 3203. The drainage pipe 3217 extends toward the direction of the drain pipe 729.

[0058] To more securely install the drain pipe 729, the housing assembly 10 of the ice-making device 100 in this embodiment may further include a drain bracket 16. The drain bracket 16 is fixedly mounted on the inner shell 14, and the drain pipe 729 is connected to the drain submerged pipe 3217 through the drain bracket 16. As an example, the inner shell 14 includes an inner shell body 141 and a support pipe 143. The inner shell body 141 is used to install the inner liner assembly 30, and the support pipe 143 is disposed on the inner shell body 141 near the drain submerged pipe 3217. The two ends of the support pipe 143 protrude relative to the two surfaces of the inner shell body 141 to enhance the structural strength of the inner shell body 141 at this location. The support pipe 143 and the drain submerged pipe 3217 are substantially coaxial. The drain bracket 16 passes through the support pipe 143 and connects the drain submerged pipe 3217 and the drain pipe 725.

[0059] Specifically, in this embodiment, the drainage bracket 16 includes a bracket portion 161 and a connecting pipe 163 connected to each other. The bracket portion 161 is fixedly connected to the inner shell body 141 of the inner shell 14. The connecting pipe 163 passes through the support pipe 16 and is inserted into the end of the drainage submersible pipe 3217. A sealing ring can be provided between the connecting pipe 163 and the drainage submersible pipe 3217 to achieve a sealing effect. The other end of the connecting pipe 163 is inserted into the drainage pipe 729, so that the drainage pipe 729 presents a structure that is sleeved outside the connecting pipe 163, which facilitates the installation of the drainage pipe 729. A sealing ring can also be provided between the connecting pipe 163 and the drainage pipe 729.

[0060] Please refer again to the embodiments in this application. Figure 5 The water supply component 70 of the ice-making equipment 100 may also include an ice-making pipeline 76 and a second water pump 78. The inner bottom wall 3213 of the inner water tank 321 is provided with an ice-making water outlet (not shown in the figure). The ice-making pipeline 76 is connected between the ice-making water outlet and the ice-making tank 323. The second water pump 78 is installed on the ice-making pipeline 76 and is used to transport water in the inner water tank 321 to the ice-making tank 323.

[0061] The inner liner assembly 30 may further include an ice-making box 34, which can be disposed in the ice-making tank 323 for use as a place to prepare ice. The ice-making box 34 may be a flowing water ice-making tray, a still water ice-making tray, a bullet-shaped ice-making water container, or other types of ice-making box structures; this application embodiment does not limit this. When the ice-making pipeline 76 delivers liquid water, the liquid water will fill the ice-making box 34 as water for ice making.

[0062] The refrigeration system 90 may include a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator (none shown in the figure). The compressor, condenser, and evaporator are connected in series via refrigeration pipes 98 to form a refrigeration circuit. The evaporator is used to refrigerate the ice box 34. Specifically, the compressor compresses the refrigerant to form a high-temperature, high-pressure liquid. The high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant is cooled by the condenser and then transported to the evaporator. The refrigerant in the evaporator absorbs heat from the ice box 34 and changes from a liquid to a gaseous state to cool the ice box 34. The gaseous refrigerant then passes through the compressor 42 and condenser 43 to become liquid again. The liquid refrigerant returns to the evaporator to continue absorbing heat and cooling. This process is repeated continuously to cool the liquid water in the ice box 34, freezing it into ice cubes.

[0063] In some embodiments, taking the water container of a bullet-shaped ice maker as an example, when the ice maker 100 is working, the inner water tank 321 supplies ice-making water (liquid water) to the ice-making box 34 through the ice-making pipe 76, so there will be ice-making water in the ice-making box 34. The evaporator of the ice maker 100 is used to cool the ice-making water to form ice cubes. For example, the evaporator may have a cooling head (not shown in the figure) protruding into the ice-making box 34. The refrigeration system 90 cools the ice-making box 34 through the cooling head of the evaporator so that the liquid water quickly condenses into ice cubes and adheres to the cooling head. By flipping or rotating the ice-making box 34, the ice cubes can be separated from the cooling head and poured out of the ice-making box 34.

[0064] When ice cubes are poured out of the ice container 34, residual water and ice fragments are also poured out and fall into the ice basket 36. During this process, residual water and ice fragments inevitably flow into the inner water tank 321, creating pressure or impact on the water in the inner water tank 321. Under this impact, the water in the inner water tank 321 will flow back towards the water storage tank 50 through the water supply pipe 72. At this time, since the first water pump 74 is located at the highest point in the middle of the communicating vessel, its position is higher than the bottom wall of the inner water tank 321 and the bottom wall of the water storage tank 50. This can buffer some of the backflowing water. Based on the principle of communicating vessels, it can largely prevent the backflowing water under the impact from exceeding the height of the first water pump 74 and flowing into the water storage tank 50. Therefore, in this case, the first water pump 74 does not need to have a water-stopping function to prevent the water in the inner water tank 321 from flowing back. It can use an ordinary water pump to reduce costs.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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 making apparatus, characterized by, include: The inner liner is equipped with an inner water tank and an ice-making tank; An ice basket is disposed in the inner liner; in the working state, the bottom wall of the ice-making tank is higher than the bottom wall of the inner water tank, and the ice basket is located above the inner water tank; A water storage tank is located outside the inner liner; A water supply pipeline is connected between the water storage tank and the inner water tank; as well as A first water pump is installed on the water supply pipeline and is used to transport water from the water storage tank to the inner water tank through the water supply pipeline. In operation, the position of the first water pump is higher than the position of the bottom wall of the inner water tank and higher than the position of the bottom wall of the water storage tank.

2. The ice making apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, In operation, the bottom wall of the water storage tank is positioned higher than the bottom wall of the inner water tank.

3. The ice making apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The inner liner is also provided with an ice-falling section, which is located between the ice-making tank and the inner water tank. The ice-making tank is connected to the inner water tank through the cavity of the ice-falling section. The ice basket is disposed in the ice-falling section, and the first water pump is located at one end of the ice-falling section near the ice-making tank.

4. The ice making apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The inner water tank includes an inner bottom wall and an inner peripheral wall. The inner peripheral wall surrounds and connects to the periphery of the inner bottom wall to define a receiving cavity together with the inner bottom wall. The inner bottom wall is provided with a water inlet hole communicating with the receiving cavity. The water supply pipeline includes a first water inlet pipe and a second water inlet pipe. The first water inlet pipe is connected between the water outlet of the first water pump and the water inlet hole. The second water inlet pipe is connected between the water inlet of the first water pump and the water storage tank.

5. The ice making apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein, The water storage tank includes an outer bottom wall and an outer peripheral wall. The outer peripheral wall is arranged around and connected to the periphery of the outer bottom wall to define a water storage cavity together with the outer bottom wall. The outer bottom wall is provided with a water outlet hole that communicates with the water storage cavity. The second water inlet pipe communicates with the water storage cavity through the water outlet hole.

6. The ice making apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein, The ice-making equipment also includes a shell, the inner liner, the first water pump and the water supply pipeline are all disposed inside the shell, and the water storage tank is disposed outside the shell; the water supply pipeline also includes an outer water pipe and a connecting joint, the connecting joint is fixedly disposed on the bottom plate of the shell and connected in series between the outer water pipe and the second water inlet pipe, one end of the outer water pipe is connected to the water storage cavity through the water outlet, and the other end is connected to the connecting joint.

7. The ice making apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein, The connecting joint includes a first pipe section, a second pipe section, and a third pipe section that are connected to each other. The external water pipe is detachably connected to the first pipe section, and the second water inlet pipe is connected to the second pipe section. The water supply pipeline also includes a drain pipe, which is connected between the inner water tank and the third pipe section.

8. The ice making apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein, The drain pipe is laid along the bottom plate; the inner bottom wall is also provided with a drain hole, and the drain pipe is connected to the receiving cavity through the drain hole; a drain plug is provided in the drain hole, and the drain plug is used to seal the drain hole under the pressure of the water in the receiving cavity.

9. The ice making apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein, The inner water tank also includes a drainage pipe, which is located on the side of the inner bottom wall away from the receiving cavity. One end of the drainage pipe is connected to the drainage hole and the other end is connected to the drainage pipe.

10. The ice making apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein, The ice-making equipment also includes a drainage bracket and an inner shell. The inner shell is disposed inside the outer shell, and the inner liner is disposed in the inner shell. The first water pump and the water supply pipeline are both disposed outside the inner shell. The inner shell is provided with a support pipe coaxial with the drainage submerged pipe. The drainage bracket includes a support part and a connecting pipe connected to each other. The support part is fixedly connected to the inner shell. The connecting pipe passes through the support pipe and is inserted into the drainage submerged pipe. The drainage pipe is sleeved outside the connecting pipe.

11. The ice-making apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein The ice-making equipment also includes a refrigeration system, an ice-making pipeline, and a second water pump. The bottom wall of the inner water tank is provided with an ice-making water outlet. The ice-making pipeline is connected between the ice-making water outlet and the ice-making tank. The second water pump is installed on the ice-making pipeline. The refrigeration system is used to cool the water in the ice-making tank.

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