A spherical ice maker

Abstract

The utility model discloses a spherical ice maker, including the casing, is equipped with the water receiving box on the casing, the upper membrane seat is slidly connected on the casing, the upper membrane core is fixedly connected on the upper membrane seat, the casing is provided with the drive shaft, the lower membrane seat is fixedly sleeved on the drive shaft, the lower membrane core is provided with the lower membrane core on the lower membrane seat, the inside fixed connection of casing has lower jack, the lower membrane core is extruded and is taken off ice by lower jack after following drive shaft rotation, the utility model discloses a drive shaft is set, makes it when reversing, drive the upper membrane core and the lower membrane core gather and form the ice making mould cavity, when the first angle positive rotation, the lower membrane core rotates and leaves the gap with the upper membrane core, and the upper rod moves down and makes the spherical ice separate from the upper membrane core, finally when the second angle positive rotation, the lower membrane core rotates first and separates from the upper membrane core, and then is taken out by lower jack, and the case is through the mode of rotation, helps the spherical ice to fall off, makes the whole ice maker body and occupies the space less.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of ice maker technology, and in particular to a spherical ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] An ice maker is a device used to produce ice cubes, typically in home, commercial, or industrial environments. Its working principle is based on the freezing process of water, using a cooling system to lower the water temperature below zero degrees Celsius, thus forming ice. Most ice cubes on the market are block-shaped; spherical ice is not common. The technical challenge of existing spherical ice-making equipment lies in the demolding technology.

[0003] Demolding technology refers to the technique of separating the ice cubes from the mold after they have been formed. Existing demolding techniques often involve extending the heating time or increasing the heating temperature to form a water film on the outside of the ice cubes, which makes demolding very smooth. The drawback of this method is that not only will some water remain during demolding, but the shape of the ice cubes will also be disturbed, thus affecting the ice-making effect. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a spherical ice maker to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a spherical ice maker, comprising a housing, a water receiving box mounted on the housing, an upper membrane seat slidably connected to the housing, an upper membrane core fixedly connected to the upper membrane seat, a drive shaft provided on the housing, a lower membrane seat fixedly sleeved on the drive shaft, a lower membrane core provided on the lower membrane seat, and a lower push rod fixedly connected to the inner side of the housing, wherein the lower membrane core is squeezed and de-iced by the lower push rod after rotating with the drive shaft.

[0006] As a further description of the above technical solution: heating wires are provided on both the upper and lower membrane cores, and the de-icing temperature of the upper and lower membrane cores is -1 to 2 degrees Celsius.

[0007] As a further description of the above technical solution: a motor box is fixedly connected to the housing, a geared motor is provided inside the motor box, the output end of the geared motor is fixedly connected to the drive shaft, and the geared motor is electrically connected to a controller.

[0008] As a further description of the above technical solution: an upper pull rod is fixedly connected to the lower membrane seat, the upper pull rod has a movable groove, a guide rod is fixedly connected to the housing, a reciprocating rod is slidably connected to the guide rod, and multiple upper push rods are fixedly connected to the reciprocating rod.

[0009] As a further description of the above technical solution: the upper membrane core is made of a hard material, and a first top membrane opening corresponding to the upper top rod is opened on it.

[0010] As a further description of the above technical solution: the lower membrane core is made of an elastic soft material, and the lower membrane seat is provided with a second top membrane opening corresponding to the lower top rod.

[0011] As a further description of the above technical solution: the lower push rod has an arc-shaped structure to accommodate the rotation of the lower membrane core.

[0012] As a further description of the above technical solution: the torque of the drive shaft rotation is 8~12 N·m.

[0013] As a further description of the above technical solution: the inner cavities of the upper membrane core and the lower membrane core are both hemispherical, and when closed, they are spherical. The lower membrane core has a protruding sealing and protective part extending from its periphery, and the sealing and protective part wraps around the upper membrane core.

[0014] This invention provides a spherical ice maker. It offers the following advantages: By setting a drive shaft, when rotating in reverse, it drives the upper and lower film cores to close and form an ice-making cavity. When rotating clockwise at a first angle, the lower film core rotates, creating a gap with the upper film core. The upper push rod moves downward, causing the spherical ice to detach from the upper film core. Finally, when rotating clockwise at a second angle, the lower film core rotates, first separating from the upper film core, and then the lower push rod pushes the spherical ice out. This invention uses rotation to help the spherical ice detach, resulting in a smaller overall space occupied by the ice maker. The upper and lower push rods cooperate with each other, alternately detaching the ice, leading to high detachment efficiency.

[0015] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and illustrative only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0016] This application provides an overview of various implementations or examples of the technology described in this disclosure, and is not a full disclosure of the entire scope or all features of the disclosed technology. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a spherical ice maker proposed in this utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall bottom-view structure of the present invention without the lower membrane seat;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lower membrane seat structure in this utility model;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the de-icing process of the device in this utility model;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the buffer spring and guide bracket structure in this utility model.

[0022] Legend:

[0023] 1. Housing; 2. Water receiving box; 3. Upper membrane holder; 4. Upper membrane core; 5. Drive shaft; 6. Lower membrane holder; 7. Lower membrane core; 8. Lower push rod; 9. Motor box; 10. Gear motor; 11. Upper pull rod; 12. Movable groove; 13. Guide rod; 14. Reciprocating rod; 15. Upper push rod; 16. First top membrane opening; 17. Second top membrane opening; 18. Heating wire; 19. Guide column; 20. Buffer spring; 21. Guide bracket. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments.

[0025] Reference Figure 1-5 A spherical ice maker includes a housing 1, a water receiving box 2 mounted on the housing 1, an upper membrane seat 3 slidably connected to the housing 1, an upper membrane core 4 fixedly connected to the upper membrane seat 3, a drive shaft 5 disposed on the housing 1, a lower membrane seat 6 fixedly sleeved on the drive shaft 5, a lower membrane core 7 disposed on the lower membrane seat 6, and a lower push rod 8 fixedly connected to the inner side of the housing 1. The lower membrane core 7 is squeezed and de-iced by the lower push rod 8 after rotating with the drive shaft 5.

[0026] The refrigerator in this embodiment has an ice-making chamber inside, with three upper film cores 4 and three lower film cores 7. The ice-making chamber is responsible for cooling and making ice according to the controller. The bottom of the water box 2 is connected to a guide pipe, which is connected to three water inlet pipes that extend into the upper film core.

[0027] As a preferred technical solution in this embodiment, the upper membrane core 4 is made of a rigid material and has a first top membrane opening 16 corresponding to the upper top rod 15, with the water inlet pipe extending into the first top membrane opening 16.

[0028] As a preferred technical solution in this embodiment, the lower membrane core 7 is made of an elastic soft material, and the lower membrane seat 6 is provided with a second top membrane opening 17 corresponding to the lower top rod 8.

[0029] The inner cavities of the upper membrane core 4 and the lower membrane core 7 are both hemispherical, forming a spherical shape when closed, which can be used to make spherical ice. The lower membrane core 77 has a protruding sealing and protective part extending from its periphery, which wraps around the upper membrane core 4, so that the inner cavities of the upper membrane core 4 and the lower membrane core 7 are in a sealed contact state (the lower membrane core 7 is a flexible material, and the sealing effect is good after compression). Moreover, once the water is filled, the water will not overflow, so that the spherical ice produced in this case is perfectly spherical and the size meets the user's needs.

[0030] When the drive shaft 5 reverses, it drives the upper mold core 4 and the lower mold core 7 to close together and form an ice-making cavity; when the drive shaft 5 rotates forward at the first angle (3-10 degrees), the lower mold core 7 rotates and leaves a gap with the upper mold core 4, and the upper push rod 15 moves down to make the ice ball separate from the upper mold core 4; when the drive shaft 5 rotates forward at the second angle (70-85 degrees), the lower mold core 7 rotates and first separates from the upper mold core 4, and then the ice ball is pushed out by the lower push rod 8.

[0031] During operation, a water pump is connected to the water receiving box 2. The water pump transports pure water to the water receiving box 2 through a pipeline. A flow meter is installed in the pipeline. Each time a set amount of water is dropped, the ice-making chamber enters the ice-making mode. Subsequently, the lower membrane core 7 is rotated by the drive shaft 5. The lower membrane core 7 contacts the lower push rod 8, and the ice balls fall to the inner bottom surface of the ice-making chamber. The ice balls are stored in the ice-making chamber.

[0032] As a preferred technical solution of this embodiment, a motor box 9 is fixedly connected to the housing 1, a geared motor 10 is provided inside the motor box 9, the output end of the geared motor 10 is fixedly connected to the drive shaft 5, and the geared motor 10 is electrically connected to a controller.

[0033] As a preferred technical solution of this embodiment, an upper pull rod 11 is fixedly connected to the lower membrane seat 6, and an movable groove 12 is provided on the upper pull rod 11. A guide rod 1913 is fixedly connected to the housing 1, and a reciprocating rod 14 is slidably connected to the guide rod 13. A plurality of upper push rods 15 are fixedly connected to the reciprocating rod 14.

[0034] As a preferred technical solution in this embodiment, the ice maker body is also provided with a buffer component, which includes a buffer spring 20, a guide post 19 and a guide bracket 21. The upper film seat 3 is fixedly connected to the guide post 19, and the buffer spring 20 is sleeved on the guide post 19. One end of the buffer spring 20 is fixedly connected to the upper film seat 3 and the other end is fixedly connected to the guide bracket 21. When the lower film seat 6 rotates and approaches the upper film seat 3, the upper film seat 3 undergoes adaptive movement to compensate for the movement at the junction.

[0035] When the lower membrane seat 6 rotates and approaches the upper membrane seat 3, the upper membrane seat 3 rises under force and squeezes the buffer spring 20. The angle between the lower membrane seat 6 and the upper membrane seat 3 gradually decreases until the lower membrane seat 6 and the upper membrane seat 3 are completely closed. At this time, the upper membrane core 4 and the lower membrane core 7 fit together perfectly.

[0036] In this embodiment, heating wires 18 are provided inside the upper membrane core 4 and between the lower membrane core 7 and the lower membrane seat 6. Temperature sensors are also provided on the outside of the upper membrane core 4 and the lower membrane core 7. The temperature sensors measure the temperature of the upper membrane core 4 and the lower membrane core 7. The heating wires 18 are responsible for heating the upper membrane core 4 and the lower membrane core 7 after ice making is completed. The heating temperature is -0.5 to 2 degrees, preferably 0 degrees. Heating is stopped after reaching this temperature. A 0.1 mm water film can be formed on the outside of the ice ball, reducing the viscosity of the ice ball.

[0037] The de-icing temperature of the upper membrane core 4 and the lower membrane core 7 is -1 to 2 degrees Celsius.

[0038] The torque of the drive shaft 5 is 8~12 N·m, preferably 10 N·m.

[0039] In practice, we can first heat it to a lower temperature, and the outer edge of the ice ball will begin to melt to the critical point of the ice. At this time, rotating the drive shaft 5 can start to remove the ice. The pulling force of the reduction motor 10 is used to remove the ice. If the ice still cannot be removed at this time, it can be heated a second time to remove the ice a second time, thereby reducing the water output to a negligible amount.

[0040] Specifically, the lower membrane core 7 is made of soft, food-grade silicone.

[0041] As a preferred technical solution in this embodiment, the lower push rod 8 has an arc-shaped structure, and the end face of the lower push rod 8 is perpendicular to the tangent of the outermost end of the lower membrane core 7, which is used to accommodate the rotation of the lower membrane core 7.

[0042] The controller turns on the geared motor 10. After reaching the set temperature, the geared motor 10 rotates at a first angle of 3-10 degrees. The drive shaft 5 rotates the lower membrane core 7 to create a gap with the upper membrane core 4. At the same time, the upper pull rod 11 presses the reciprocating rod 14 down, causing the reciprocating rod 14 to move down with the three upper push rods 15 to the first top membrane opening 16, pushing the ice ball away from the upper membrane core 4. Then the drive shaft 5 rotates at a second angle, causing the lower membrane core 7 to contact the lower push rod 8 with the ice ball. The lower membrane core 7 is squeezed 1-3 centimeters by the lower push rod 8, and the ice ball automatically falls off under the action of gravity.

[0043] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," "specific example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, 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.

[0044] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, but the protection scope of the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or changes made by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present utility model, based on the technical solution and the inventive concept of the present utility model, should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A spherical ice maker, comprising a housing (1), wherein a water receiving box (2) is mounted on the housing (1), characterized in that: An upper membrane seat (3) is slidably connected to the housing (1), and an upper membrane core (4) is fixedly connected to the upper membrane seat (3). A drive shaft (5) is provided on the housing (1), and a lower membrane seat (6) is fixedly sleeved on the drive shaft (5). A lower membrane core (7) is provided on the lower membrane seat (6). A lower push rod (8) is fixedly connected to the inner side of the housing (1). After the lower membrane core (7) rotates with the drive shaft (5), it is squeezed and de-iced by the lower push rod (8).

2. A spherical ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, Heating wires (18) are provided on both the upper membrane core (4) and the lower membrane core (7), and the de-icing temperature of the upper membrane core (4) and the lower membrane core (7) is -1 to 2 degrees.

3. A spherical ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, A motor box (9) is fixedly connected to the housing (1), and a geared motor (10) is provided inside the motor box (9). The output end of the geared motor (10) is fixedly connected to the drive shaft (5), and the geared motor (10) is electrically connected to a controller.

4. A spherical ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, An upper pull rod (11) is fixedly connected to the lower membrane seat (6). An movable groove (12) is provided on the upper pull rod (11). A guide rod (19) (13) is fixedly connected to the housing (1). A reciprocating rod (14) is slidably connected to the guide rod (19) (13). A plurality of upper push rods (15) are fixedly connected to the reciprocating rod (14).

5. A spherical ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper membrane core (4) is made of hard material and has a first top membrane opening (16) corresponding to the upper top rod (15).

6. A spherical ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower membrane core (7) is made of elastic soft material, and the lower membrane seat (6) is provided with a second top membrane opening (17) corresponding to the lower top rod (8).

7. A spherical ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower push rod (8) has an arc-shaped structure to accommodate the rotation of the lower membrane core (7).

8. A spherical ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The torque of the drive shaft (5) is 8~12 N·m.

9. A spherical ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner cavities of the upper membrane core (4) and the lower membrane core (7) are both hemispherical and spherical when closed. The lower membrane core (7) has a protruding sealing and protective part extending from its periphery, which wraps around the upper membrane core (4).

Images