Ice maker with drawer-type external water filling ice basket

Abstract

This utility model relates to the technical field of ice-making devices and discloses a drawer-type external water-filling ice basket for an ice maker, installed inside the ice maker. A partition is provided in the middle of the ice basket, dividing it into an ice storage area and a water-filling area. A connection port is provided at the bottom of the water-filling area, and a water tank is located below the connection port. An ice-making structure is provided above the ice storage area, with its ice outlet located above the ice storage area. Slides are provided on both sides of the ice basket, and sliders are provided on both sides inside the ice maker. The ice basket is pulled out and installed inside the ice maker through the cooperation of the slides and sliders. This utility model has the advantages of connecting the water tank and the ice-making mold, allowing water to be added from the outside, thus solving the problems of inconvenient water addition and the need to interrupt the ice-making process when adding water in the prior art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of ice-making device technology, specifically to a drawer-type external water-filling ice basket for an ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] The ice basket, as the core container in an ice maker for storing finished ice, primarily performs four functions: First, ice storage, receiving ice cubes periodically shed from the ice-making mechanism for immediate use; second, insulation and preservation, employing a double-layer composite structure to effectively reduce heat conduction and extend ice storage time; third, drainage management, using precisely designed drainage channels or holes at the bottom to direct melted ice water to the evaporator or a dedicated wastewater box, preventing water accumulation from affecting ice quality; and fourth, inventory monitoring, with high-end models featuring a visual window or electronic sensors displaying the ice level in real time. These functions collectively ensure the efficient operation of the ice basket within the ice-making system and optimize the user experience.

[0003] Existing water tank designs face numerous limitations due to the specific requirements of water storage systems: First, as long-term water storage containers, water tanks must ensure absolute sealing, but drawer-type structures struggle to maintain a stable seal during repeated pulling and unpulling; second, traditional water tanks are typically fixed inside the equipment, requiring the opening of the top cover or removal of the panel for water replenishment, which is not only cumbersome but also increases structural complexity; furthermore, the built-in water tank design makes daily cleaning and maintenance extremely inconvenient, affecting the equipment's lifespan. These design flaws manifest as significant user experience pain points in practical use, requiring users to interrupt the ice-making process and perform complex operations to replenish water, severely restricting the equipment's ease of use and operational efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] (I) Technical problem to be solved: In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, this utility model provides a drawer-type external water filling ice basket for an ice maker, which has the advantage of connecting the water tank and the ice mold through and can add water from the outside, thus solving the problem of inconvenience in adding water and the need to interrupt the ice making process when adding water in the prior art.

[0005] (II) Technical Solution: To achieve the above-mentioned through-connection of the water tank and ice-making mold, allowing water to be added from the outside, this utility model provides the following technical solution: an external water-filling ice basket for the ice maker, installed inside the ice maker; a partition is provided in the middle of the ice basket, dividing the ice basket into an ice storage area and a water-filling area; a connection port is provided at the bottom of the water-filling area, and a water tank is provided below the connection port; an ice-making structure is provided above the ice storage area, and the ice outlet of the ice-making structure is located above the ice storage area; slides are provided on both sides of the ice basket, and sliders are provided on both sides inside the ice maker, allowing the ice basket to be pulled out and installed inside the ice maker through the cooperation of the slides and the sliders.

[0006] Preferably, the bottom inner surface of the water filling area is provided with an inclined structure, with the end of the inclined structure facing the outside of the ice maker being higher than the end facing the inside; the connection port is opened on one side of the lower end of the inclined structure.

[0007] Preferably, the partition and the inclined structure are integral structures formed by injection molding with the ice basket. The partition is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the ice basket and is distributed longitudinally inside the ice basket. The volume of the ice storage area is larger than the volume of the water filling area.

[0008] Preferably, the bottom of the ice storage area is provided with uniformly distributed raised strips, the length of which is the same as the length of the ice storage area.

[0009] Preferably, the end surface of the ice basket near the outer side of the ice maker is opened inward to form a pull-out handle.

[0010] Preferably, the slide is located at the upper end of the left and right sides of the ice basket, and the bottom of the slide is provided with a fitting groove, and the slider is embedded in the fitting groove.

[0011] Preferably, the ice basket is made of a transparent material.

[0012] (III) Beneficial Effects: Compared with the prior art, this utility model provides a drawer-type external water-filling ice basket for an ice maker, which has the following beneficial effects: 1. This ice maker features a drawer-style external water-filling ice basket. Through an innovative integrated partition design, it perfectly combines the traditional ice basket's ice storage function with convenient water filling. It not only retains the original ice basket's basic functions such as ice storage, insulation, and drainage, but also significantly improves the user experience through its unique structural design. Specifically, the design uses an internal partition to divide the ice basket into an ice storage area and a water filling area. Combined with the clever layout of the bottom water tank, users can easily add water by simply pulling out the ice basket. Water automatically flows into the lower water tank through the connection port, without needing to open the lid or disassemble any parts. This design effectively solves the pain point of cumbersome water filling operations in traditional ice makers, greatly improving ease of use. At the same time, the one-piece molded structure ensures the product's durability and sealing. The inclined design at the bottom of the water filling area further optimizes water flow guidance, while the raised strip structure in the ice storage area effectively prevents ice cubes from sticking together. These multiple detailed design features combine to create an innovative product that is practical, convenient, and reliable, making it particularly suitable for home and commercial use scenarios requiring frequent ice making.

[0013] 2. This ice maker features a drawer-type external water filling basket. By raising one end near the outside and lowering the other, along with a connecting port on the lower side, it achieves a highly efficient and intelligent water filling guidance function. When the user pulls out the basket to add water, the water flows naturally and quickly along the inclined surface to the connecting port. This design offers multiple advantages: First, the inclined structure significantly improves water filling efficiency, ensuring rapid water flow into the water tank and avoiding waiting time. Second, it effectively prevents the retention of room-temperature water, eliminating energy loss due to temperature differences and minimizing interference with the temperature stability of adjacent ice storage areas. Finally, this self-draining design keeps the water filling area dry and clean, reducing scale buildup and bacterial growth. This ingenious fluid guidance design ensures convenient water filling while perfectly balancing the ice maker's overall insulation performance and hygiene requirements. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the ice basket structure of this utility model; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure when the ice basket is installed inside the ice maker; Figure 3 This is a top view schematic diagram of the ice basket structure of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ice maker without an ice basket inside. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the ice basket of this utility model.

[0015] In the diagram: 1. Ice maker; 11. Slider; 12. Partition; 2. Ice basket; 21. Slide; 211. Fitting groove; 3. Ice storage area; 31. Raised strip; 4. Water filling area; 41. Connection port; 42. Inclined structure; 5. Water tank; 6. Ice making structure; 7. Pull-out handle. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0017] Please see Figures 1-3An external water-filling ice basket, a drawer-type design, is installed inside the ice maker 1. A partition 12 is located in the middle of the ice basket 2. In this embodiment, the partition 12 and the ice basket 2 are integrally molded. The partition 12 is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the ice basket 2 and extends longitudinally within the ice basket 2, dividing it into an ice storage area 3 and a water-filling area 4. Since the ice storage area 3 is used to store the finished ice blocks, and the water-filling area 4 is used to add water to the water tank 5, the volume of the ice storage area 3 is larger than the volume of the water-filling area 4. A connection port 41 is provided at the bottom of the water-filling area 4, and a water tank 5 is located below the connection port 41. In this embodiment, the bottom area of ​​the water tank 5 is the same as that of the ice basket 2, ensuring that water falling from the connection port 41 can enter the water tank 5. Simply add the ice to the water tank 5. An ice-making structure 6 is located above the ice storage area 3, with its outlet positioned above the storage area 3 to ensure that the finished ice blocks fall into the storage area 3. Slides 21 are provided on both sides of the ice basket 2, and sliders 11 are provided on both sides inside the ice maker 1. The ice basket 2 is pulled out of the ice maker 1 through the cooperation of the slides 21 and sliders 11. This invention not only retains the original basic functions of the ice basket 2, such as ice storage, insulation, and drainage, but also significantly improves the user experience through a unique structural design. Users can simply pull out the ice basket 2 to add water, which will automatically flow into the water tank 5 below through the connection port 41. The entire process requires no opening of the lid or disassembly of any parts. This design effectively solves the pain point of cumbersome water-adding operations in traditional ice makers 1, greatly improving ease of use. At the same time, the one-piece molded structure ensures the product's durability and sealing. The inclined design at the bottom of the water filling area 4 further optimizes the water flow guidance, while the convex strip 31 structure of the ice storage area 3 effectively prevents ice cubes from sticking together. Multiple detailed designs work together to create this innovative product that combines practicality, convenience and reliability, making it particularly suitable for home and commercial use scenarios that require frequent ice making.

[0018] In this invention, the water tank 5 and the ice-making structure 6 are connected by a water pump or other existing technology to achieve a liquid circuit connection, which can transport the water in the water tank 5 to the ice-making structure 6 above. This technology is a common existing technology in ice makers 1 and will not be described in detail here.

[0019] Please see Figure 5The bottom inner surface of the water filling area 4 is provided with an inclined structure 42, with the end of the inclined structure 42 facing outward of the ice maker 1 being higher than the end facing inward. The connection port 41 is located on the lower side of the inclined structure 42. The inclined structure 42 and the ice basket 2 are both integral structures formed by injection molding. This design achieves a highly efficient and intelligent water filling guidance function: when the user pulls out the ice basket 2 to add water, the water will flow naturally and quickly along the inclined surface to the connection port 41. This design has multiple advantages: First, the inclined structure 42 significantly improves the water filling efficiency, ensuring that the water flows quickly into the water tank 5, avoiding operation waiting; second, it effectively prevents the retention of room temperature water, eliminates energy loss caused by water temperature differences, and minimizes interference with the temperature stability of the adjacent ice storage area 3; finally, this self-draining design can also keep the water filling area 4 dry and clean, reducing scale deposition and bacterial growth. This ingenious fluid guidance design ensures convenient water filling while perfectly balancing the overall heat preservation performance and hygiene requirements of the ice maker 1.

[0020] Please see Figure 3 The bottom of the ice storage area 3 is provided with evenly distributed protrusions 31. The length of the protrusions 31 is the same as the length of the ice storage area 3. The protrusions 31 can act as reinforcing ribs while separating the ice from the bottom of the basket, reducing the contact area and the probability of adhesion. In actual use, the finished ice will melt to a certain extent and form water. The structure of the protrusions 31 can separate the water from the ice and prevent the ice from melting too quickly.

[0021] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 5 The ice basket 2 is made of transparent material, specifically food-grade acrylic. The end surface of the ice basket 2 near the outer side of the ice maker 1 is opened inward to form a pull handle 7. In this embodiment, the pull handle 7 is also integrated with the ice basket 2. Therefore, when manufacturing the ice basket 2, only an injection mold is needed to achieve large-scale mass production, which greatly increases production efficiency and reduces production costs. In addition, in this utility model, the ice storage area 3 also has the same structure as the prior art, such as a water outlet and a heat insulation layer, which enables normal ice storage function.

[0022] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 5 The slide 21 is located at the upper end of the left and right sides of the ice basket 2. The bottom of the slide 21 is provided with a fitting groove 211. The slider 11 is embedded in the fitting groove 211. The drawer-style sliding installation can be achieved by simple cooperation, and jamming is avoided.

[0023] In summary, this ice maker features a drawer-type external water-filling ice basket. Users simply pull out the ice basket 2 to add water, which automatically flows into the lower water tank 5 through the connection port 41. The entire process requires no opening of the lid or disassembly of any parts. This design effectively solves the pain point of cumbersome water-filling operations in traditional ice makers 1, greatly improving ease of use. Meanwhile, the one-piece molded structure ensures the product's durability and sealing. The inclined design at the bottom of the water filling area 4 further optimizes water flow guidance, while the raised strip 31 structure of the ice storage area 3 effectively prevents ice from sticking together. These multiple detailed designs combine to create an innovative product that is practical, convenient, and reliable, making it particularly suitable for home and commercial applications requiring frequent ice making. When the user pulls out the ice basket 2 to add water, the water flows naturally and quickly along the inclined surface to the connection port 41. This design offers several advantages: First, the inclined structure 42 significantly improves water filling efficiency, ensuring rapid water flow into the water tank 5 and avoiding waiting time. Second, it effectively prevents the retention of room temperature water, eliminating energy loss due to temperature differences and minimizing interference with the temperature stability of the adjacent ice storage area 3. Finally, this self-draining design keeps the water filling area 4 dry and clean, reducing scale buildup and bacterial growth. This ingenious fluid guidance design ensures convenient water filling while perfectly balancing the overall insulation performance and hygiene requirements of the ice maker 1.

[0024] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0025] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A drawer-type external water-filling ice basket for an ice maker, installed inside the ice maker (1); the ice basket (2) has a partition (12) in the middle, characterized in that: The partition (12) divides the ice basket (2) into an ice storage area (3) and a water filling area (4); the bottom of the water filling area (4) is provided with a connection port (41), and a water tank (5) is provided below the connection port (41); an ice-making structure (6) is provided above the ice storage area (3), and the ice outlet of the ice-making structure (6) is located above the ice storage area (3); slides (21) are provided on both sides of the ice basket (2), and sliders (11) are provided on both sides inside the ice maker (1). The ice basket (2) is installed in a pull-out manner inside the ice maker (1) through the cooperation of the slides (21) and the sliders (11).

2. The drawer-type external water-filled ice basket of the ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom inner surface of the water filling area (4) is provided with an inclined structure (42), and the end of the inclined structure (42) facing the outside of the ice maker (1) is higher than the end facing the inside; the connection port (41) is opened on one side of the lower end of the inclined structure (42).

3. The drawer-type external water-filling ice basket of the ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The partition (12) and the inclined structure (42) are integral structures formed by injection molding with the ice basket (2). The partition (12) is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the ice basket (2) and is distributed longitudinally inside the ice basket (2). The volume of the ice storage area (3) is larger than the volume of the water filling area (4).

4. The drawer-type external water-filling ice basket of the ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the ice storage area (3) is provided with evenly distributed protrusions (31), the length of which is the same as the length of the ice storage area (3).

5. The drawer-type external water-filling ice basket of the ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ice basket (2) has an inwardly opening on the end surface near the outside of the ice maker (1) to form a pull handle (7).

6. The drawer-type external water-filled ice basket of the ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slide (21) is located at the upper end of the left and right sides of the ice basket (2). The bottom of the slide (21) is provided with a fitting groove (211), and the slider (11) is embedded in the fitting groove (211).

7. The drawer-type external water-filling ice basket of the ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ice basket (2) is made of transparent material.

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