A water circulation assembly for an ice maker and an ice maker

Abstract

The utility model discloses a water circulation subassembly and ice maker for ice maker, this water circulation subassembly includes the ice making box, circulating water supply subassembly and circulating water tank of setting in ice maker, the ice making box sets up in circulating water tank with circulating water tank swing joint, the ice making part of evaporimeter is inserted in the ice making box, the ice making box is used for receiving external water inlet, be equipped with circulating water tank in circulating water tank, circulating water tank is located below the ice making box, the both ends of circulating water supply subassembly are respectively with the water outlet end of ice making box one end and circulating water tank intercommunication, to supply the water in circulating water tank with ice making box in. Adopt the utility model can improve ice making efficiency and ice block's transparency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of ice maker technology, and in particular to a water circulation component for an ice maker and an ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] An ice maker is a device used to produce ice cubes, widely used in catering, medical, food processing, chemical, fishery, and household fields. In some traditional ice makers, the ice-forming end of the evaporator is inserted into an ice-making water tank. During ice making, water is poured into the tank, causing the ice-forming end of the evaporator to gradually form ice cubes, such as bullet-shaped ice cubes. However, because the water in the ice-making water tank is stagnant and contains some air, the resulting ice cubes are white and opaque, with low density, low transparency, and poor aesthetics.

[0003] To address this, some ice makers currently use circulating water pumps and pipelines to continuously draw water from the storage tank to the ice-making tank. Water overflowing from the ice-making tank then flows back into the storage tank, creating a circulation system that keeps the water in the ice-making tank flowing, thus reducing air bubbles and improving the transparency of the ice pellets. However, because of the temperature difference between the water in the storage tank and the ice-making tank, the water temperature in the ice-making tank rises, reducing ice-making efficiency.

[0004] Some ice makers have the circulation pipe fixed to the ice-making water tank. When unfreezing, the circulation pipe needs to rotate with the ice container, requiring space inside the product for the circulation pipe to rotate. Over time, the reliability of the circulation pipe connection deteriorates, making it prone to leakage due to damage, affecting the normal operation of the machine's components. Alternatively, some ice makers place the circulation pipe inside the machine body, with the water outlet of the circulation pipe located above the ice-making water tank. Although this method allows the circulation pipe to avoid rotating with the ice-making water tank, the impact force of the water flow entering the ice-making water tank from the air is insufficient, resulting in weak water circulation and preventing air from escaping more quickly, leading to poor transparency of the ice. Utility Model Content

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a water circulation component for an ice maker and an ice maker, which can improve ice-making efficiency and the transparency of ice cubes.

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this utility model provides a water circulation component for an ice maker, comprising an ice-making box, a circulating water supply component, and a circulating water tank disposed within the ice maker. The ice-making box is disposed within and movably connected to the circulating water tank. An ice-making section with an evaporator is inserted into the ice-making box, which is used to receive externally supplied water. The circulating water tank contains a circulating water trough located below the ice-making box. Both ends of the circulating water supply component are respectively connected to one end of the ice-making box and the outlet of the circulating water tank to supply water from the circulating water trough to the ice-making box.

[0007] As an improvement to the above solution, the two rotating ends of the ice maker are respectively installed on the two side walls of the circulating water tank. One rotating end of the ice maker has a through hole communicating with the inner cavity of the ice maker. One rotating end of the ice maker is movably connected to one end of the circulating water supply assembly, and the other rotating end of the ice maker is connected to the rotary motor device. The two ends of the circulating water supply assembly are respectively connected to one rotating end of the ice maker and the outlet of the circulating water tank.

[0008] As an improvement to the above solution, the circulating water supply assembly includes a water supply connector, a water supply pump, and a water supply pipe; the water supply pump is installed on the bottom outer wall of the circulating water tank, one end of the water supply pump is connected to the outlet pipe at the bottom of the circulating water tank, and the other end of the water supply pump is connected to one end of the water supply connector through the water supply pipe; the water supply connector is installed on the outer wall of the circulating water tank, and the other end of the water supply connector is movably connected to a rotating shaft end of the ice maker; the water supply connector has a water passage, which is connected to the through hole and the outlet pipe respectively.

[0009] As an improvement to the above solution, the ice maker is further provided with a water inlet assembly and a water storage tank. The two ends of the water inlet assembly are respectively connected to the water storage tank and the ice-making box, and are used to draw water from the water storage tank to the ice-making box. A circulating water tank is located above the water storage tank, and one end of the circulating water tank is provided with an overflow outlet, which is connected to the water storage tank.

[0010] As an improvement to the above solution, the water inlet assembly includes a water inlet pump and a water inlet pipe. The water inlet pump is installed on the bottom outer wall of the water storage tank, and one end of the water inlet pump is connected to the water pump hole at the bottom of the water storage tank. One end of the water inlet pipe is connected to the other end of the water inlet pump, and the other end of the water inlet pipe passes through the side wall of the circulating water tank and is located above the ice maker.

[0011] As an improvement to the above solution, one end of the ice maker is provided with a flow channel and a water outlet, and the two ends of the flow channel are respectively connected to the through hole and the water outlet; the upper part of the ice maker is provided with overflow openings around its perimeter.

[0012] As an improvement to the above solution, the water outlet is located in the middle or bottom of the ice maker.

[0013] As an improvement to the above solution, the ice maker has a sealed mounting port and a through hole communicating with the sealed mounting port at one of its rotating shaft ends; the other end of the water supply connector is embedded in the sealed mounting port and a sealing ring is provided between the two.

[0014] This utility model also provides an ice maker, including a body, wherein the above-mentioned water circulation component is provided in the body.

[0015] The beneficial effects of implementing this utility model are as follows:

[0016] This invention features a circulating water tank that receives low-temperature water overflowing from the ice-making box and a circulating water supply device that pumps the low-temperature water back into the ice-making box to achieve circulating water supply. By using live water in the ice-making box and circulating water at a similar or identical temperature, the ice-making efficiency and the transparency of the ice cubes are improved.

[0017] In addition, by placing the circulating water supply component on the outer wall of the circulating water tank to save internal space, and by connecting the circulating water supply component to the ice maker, the circulating water supply function can be achieved without rotating with the ice maker to prevent leakage. At the same time, by placing the outlet of the circulating water supply in the ice maker, the impact force of the incoming water flow is increased, which facilitates the water circulation in the ice maker, thereby improving the water circulation effect, accelerating the escape of air in the water, and thus improving the transparency of the ice. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the water circulation component for an ice maker according to this utility model. Figure 1 ;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the water circulation component for an ice maker according to this utility model. Figure 2 ;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the circulating water tank and water storage tank of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the circulating water tank of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of this utility model clearer, the utility model will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown in the figure, a specific embodiment of this utility model provides a water circulation component for an ice maker, including an ice-making box 1, a circulating water supply component 2, a water inlet component 3, a circulating water tank 4, and a water storage tank 5 disposed within the ice maker. The ice-making box 1 is disposed in the circulating water tank 4 and is movably connected to the circulating water tank 4 so that the ice-making box 1 can rotate relative to the circulating water tank 4 during de-icing. An ice-making section 61 with an evaporator 6 is inserted into the ice-making box 1. The evaporator 6 is connected to a condenser and a compressor respectively. During ice-making, refrigerant liquid flows into the evaporator 6 to enable the ice-making section 61, which is immersed in water, to perform ice-making work, forming the desired ice blocks 9, such as bullet ice. When de-icing, high-temperature gas supplied by the compressor flows into the evaporator 6, thereby causing the ice blocks 9 to detach from the ice-making section 61, realizing the de-icing work.

[0024] The two ends of the water inlet component 3 are respectively connected to the water storage tank 5 and the ice maker 1, and are used to draw water from the water storage tank 5 to the ice maker 1 to provide the water required for ice making. In other embodiments, water can also be supplied to the ice maker directly through a water supply device outside the ice maker, which is not limited here.

[0025] The circulating water tank 4 is equipped with a circulating water trough 41, which is located below the ice maker 1. If the ice maker 1 overflows, the overflowing water will flow into the circulating water trough 41. The two ends of the circulating water supply component 2 are respectively connected to one end of the ice maker 1 and the outlet end of the circulating water tank 4 to supply water from the circulating water trough 41 to the ice maker 1.

[0026] When making ice, the water inlet assembly 3 draws water from the water storage tank 5 into the ice-making box 1. Once the ice-making box 1 is full, it overflows into the circulating water tank 41. When the circulating water tank 41 is full or nearly full, the water inlet assembly 3 stops drawing water, and the evaporator 6 begins ice-making. During the ice-making process of the evaporator 6, the circulating water supply assembly 2 circulates water into the ice-making box 1 to keep the water flowing, reducing air bubbles and improving the transparency of the ice cubes 9. The overflowing water from the ice-making box 1 returns to the circulating water tank 41, ensuring a continuous water supply. The temperature of the circulating water is the same or close to the temperature of the water in the ice-making box 1 to avoid raising the water temperature, thus improving ice-making efficiency and the transparency of the ice cubes 9. Once ice-making is complete, the circulating water supply assembly 2 stops operating until the next ice-making cycle begins.

[0027] Specifically, the two rotating ends of the ice maker 1 are respectively installed on the two side walls of the circulating water tank 4. One rotating end 11 of the ice maker 1 has a through hole 12 communicating with the inner cavity of the ice maker 1. One rotating end 11 of the ice maker 1 is movably connected to one end of the circulating water supply assembly 2. The other rotating end 13 of the ice maker 1 is connected to the rotary motor device 7. The rotary motor device 7 can drive the ice maker 1 to rotate, thereby facilitating the ice removal process. The circulating water supply assembly 2 is set on the outer side wall of the circulating water tank 4 to save circulating water. The internal space of the box 4 has two ends of the circulating water supply component 2 connected to a rotating shaft end 11 of the ice box 1 and the water outlet end of the circulating water tank 4, respectively. It does not need to rotate with the ice box 1 to thaw, thus realizing the circulating water supply function and avoiding water leakage. Moreover, the circulating water supply component 2 draws water from the circulating water tank 4 into the ice box 1 through the through hole 12 at the rotating shaft end, thereby increasing the impact force of the incoming water flow and facilitating the water circulation of the ice box 1. This improves the water circulation effect, accelerates the escape of air in the water, and thus improves the transparency of the ice.

[0028] The circulating water supply assembly 2 includes a water supply connector 21, a water supply pump 22, and a water supply pipe 23. The water supply pump 22 is installed on the bottom outer wall of the circulating water tank 4. One end of the water supply pump 22 is connected to the outlet pipe 42 at the bottom of the circulating water tank 4, and the other end of the water supply pump 22 is connected to one end of the water supply connector 21 through the water supply pipe 23. The water supply connector 21 is installed on the outer wall of the circulating water tank 4, and the other end of the water supply connector 21 is movably connected to a rotating shaft end 11 of the ice maker 1, so that it does not need to rotate with the ice maker 1. The water supply connector 21 has a water passage 211 inside, which is connected to the through hole 12 and the outlet pipe 42 respectively. When the circulating water supply component 2 is working, the water supply pump 22 will draw water from the circulating water tank 41. The water flows through the water supply pipe 23, the water passage 211 and the through hole 12 in sequence and then into the ice box 1, realizing the circulating water supply of low temperature water and improving the ice making efficiency.

[0029] Furthermore, such as Figures 3 to 4 As shown, one end of the ice maker 1 is provided with a flow channel 14 and a water outlet 15. The two ends of the flow channel 14 are connected to the through hole 12 and the water outlet 15, respectively. By setting the flow channel 14, the incoming water flows orderly into the water outlet 15 through the flow direction. Since the diameter of the water outlet 15 is much smaller than the diameter of the flow channel 14, the impact force of the water flow from the water outlet 15 can be increased, thereby pushing the water in the ice maker 1 to become running water, and facilitating the overflow of the water in the ice maker 1 into the circulating water tank 41, realizing the circulation water supply. Among them, the upper part of the ice maker 1 is provided with overflow openings 16 on all four sides, so that when the ice maker 1 is full, the water can flow from the overflow openings 16 into the circulating water tank 41.

[0030] Preferably, the water outlet 15 is located at the bottom of the ice-making container 1, so that the water flow exits from the bottom of the ice-making container 1, increasing the impact force of the circulating water. This better propels the water in the ice-making container 1 from left to right and from bottom to top, and returns it to the circulating water tank 41, achieving circulating water supply and improving ice-making efficiency. In other embodiments, the water outlet 15 may also be located in the middle of the ice-making container 1.

[0031] Preferably, the ice box 1 has a sealed mounting port 17 and a through hole 12 communicating with the sealed mounting port 17 in one of its rotating shaft ends 11; the other end of the water supply connector 21 is embedded in the sealed mounting port 17 and a sealing ring 8 is provided between the two to improve the sealing connection between the two, thereby improving the waterproof performance of the product and avoiding water leakage.

[0032] To prevent overflowing water from the circulating water tank 41 when it is full from flowing into other parts of the machine and causing contamination, or even affecting the operation of other components. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the circulating water tank 41 is located above the water storage tank 5. One end of the circulating water tank 41 is provided with an overflow outlet 43, which is connected to the water storage tank 5. When the circulating water tank 41 overflows, the water flowing out can flow into the water storage tank 5 to improve the water recycling rate and avoid contamination of the machine body or even affect the operation of other components.

[0033] In order to enable water to enter ice container 1, such as Figure 1 , 2 As shown in Figure 4, the water inlet assembly 3 includes a water inlet pump 31 and a water inlet pipe 32. The water inlet pump 31 is installed on the bottom outer wall of the water storage tank 5, and one end of the water inlet pump 31 is connected to the water inlet hole at the bottom of the water storage tank 5. One end of the water inlet pipe 32 is connected to the other end of the water inlet pump 31, and the other end of the water inlet pipe 32 passes through the side wall of the circulating water tank 4 and is located above the ice maker 1, so that the water flows accurately into the ice maker 1. When water is introduced, the water inlet pump 31 can draw water from the water storage tank 5, and the water flows through the water inlet pipe 32 into the ice maker 1 below, providing the required water volume for the circulating ice making operation.

[0034] This utility model also provides an ice maker, including a body, wherein the body is provided with the aforementioned water circulation component. Since the aforementioned water circulation component has the aforementioned technical effects, the ice maker including this water circulation component should also have the aforementioned technical effects, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0035] In summary, this utility model can receive the low-temperature water overflowing from the ice-making box through the set circulating water tank, and pump the low-temperature water back into the ice-making box through the circulating water supply device to realize the circulating water supply. By using the live water in the ice-making box and the circulating water at a similar or the same temperature, the ice-making efficiency and the transparency of the ice cubes are improved.

[0036] In addition, by placing the circulating water supply component on the outer wall of the circulating water tank to save internal space, and by connecting the circulating water supply component to the ice maker, the circulating water supply function can be achieved without rotating with the ice maker to prevent leakage. At the same time, by placing the outlet of the circulating water supply in the ice maker, the impact force of the incoming water flow is increased, which facilitates the water circulation in the ice maker, thereby improving the water circulation effect, accelerating the escape of air in the water, and thus improving the transparency of the ice.

[0037] The above description is the preferred embodiment of this utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of this utility model, and these improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A water circulation component for an ice maker, characterized in that, The ice maker includes an ice-making box, a circulating water supply assembly, and a circulating water tank. The ice-making box is located in the circulating water tank and is movably connected to the circulating water tank. An ice-making section with an evaporator is inserted into the ice-making box. The ice-making box is used to receive external water. The circulating water tank is equipped with a circulating water trough, which is located below the ice maker. The two ends of the circulating water supply component are respectively connected to one end of the ice maker and the outlet of the circulating water tank to supply water from the circulating water tank to the ice maker.

2. The water circulation component as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The two rotating ends of the ice maker are respectively installed on the two side walls of the circulating water tank. One rotating end of the ice maker has a through hole communicating with the inner cavity of the ice maker. One rotating end of the ice maker is movably connected to one end of the circulating water supply assembly. The other rotating end of the ice maker is connected to the rotary motor device. The two ends of the circulating water supply component are respectively connected to one rotating end of the ice maker and the water outlet of the circulating water tank.

3. The water circulation component as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The circulating water supply assembly includes a water supply connector, a water supply pump, and a water supply pipe; the water supply pump is installed on the bottom outer wall of the circulating water tank, one end of the water supply pump is connected to the outlet pipe at the bottom of the circulating water tank, and the other end of the water supply pump is connected to one end of the water supply connector through the water supply pipe. The water supply connector is installed on the outer wall of the circulating water tank, and the other end of the water supply connector is movably connected to one of the rotating shafts of the ice maker. The water supply connector is provided with a water passage, which is connected to the through hole and the water outlet pipe respectively.

4. The water circulation component as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The ice maker is also equipped with a water inlet assembly and a water storage tank. The two ends of the water inlet assembly are respectively connected to the water storage tank and the ice maker, and are used to draw water from the water storage tank into the ice maker. The circulating water tank is located above the water storage tank, and an overflow outlet is provided at one end of the circulating water tank, which is connected to the water storage tank.

5. The water circulation component as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The water inlet assembly includes a water inlet pump and a water inlet pipe. The water inlet pump is installed on the bottom outer wall of the water storage tank, and one end of the water inlet pump is connected to the water pumping hole at the bottom of the water storage tank. One end of the water inlet pipe is connected to the other end of the water inlet pump, and the other end of the water inlet pipe passes through the side wall of the circulating water tank and is located above the ice maker.

6. The water circulation component as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The ice maker has a flow channel and a water outlet at one end, and the two ends of the flow channel are respectively connected to the through hole and the water outlet. The ice maker has overflow openings around its upper perimeter.

7. The water circulation component as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The water outlet is located in the middle or bottom of the ice maker.

8. The water circulation component as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The ice maker has a sealed mounting port and a through hole communicating with the sealed mounting port inside one of its rotating shaft ends; The other end of the water supply connector is embedded in the sealing installation port, and a sealing ring is provided between the two.

9. An ice maker, characterized in that, It includes a body, wherein the body is provided with a water circulation component as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images