An ice maker

Abstract

This utility model discloses an ice maker, including a body comprising an ice chamber and an ice storage box, and a flow guide seat located on top of the ice chamber. The ice storage box has an ice-taking position extending out of the flow guide seat opening and an ice-storing position retracting into the flow guide seat. The ice storage box can be slidably switched between the ice-taking and ice-storing positions. The flow guide seat is provided with a scraper that abuts against the bottom of the ice storage box and a drain hole. By setting a flow guide seat on the ice chamber and a scraper located at the open end of the flow guide seat, this utility model allows the scraper to scrape the bottom surface of the ice storage box when the user pulls out the ice storage box to take ice. This causes water droplets adhering to the bottom of the ice storage box to slide off the scraper and onto the flow guide seat, eventually flowing into the ice chamber through the drain hole. This prevents a large amount of water droplets adhering to the bottom surface of the ice storage box from being pulled out with the ice storage box and dripping onto the countertop outside the ice maker.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of ice-making equipment, specifically relating to an ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] As people's living standards improve, ice has gradually become an indispensable ingredient in cold drinks. Ice brings a chilled taste to fruit drinks and alcoholic beverages. To ensure the rapid production and supply of ice, ice makers have gradually appeared in people's daily lives. When in use, the ice maker completes the ice-making operation through the ice-making and ice-removing device, and then transfers the ice to the ice storage box for storage through the ice-scraping device for users to use.

[0003] Currently, the ice storage trays of ice makers on the market are usually directly slidably connected to a slot on the side of the ice maker. Because the ice storage trays contain ice cubes that are below room temperature, the temperature of the bottom surface of the ice storage tray is much lower than room temperature. Therefore, when water molecules in the air come into contact with the bottom surface of the ice storage tray, condensation occurs, forming water droplets that adhere to the ice storage tray. When the user pulls the ice storage tray to take out ice cubes, the water droplets attached to the bottom surface of the ice storage tray are pulled out of the ice maker along with the ice storage tray and drip onto the countertop where the ice maker is placed. If the countertop is made of wood, it is very easy to get waterlogged and damaged if it is not wiped dry in time, resulting in a poor user experience. Utility Model Content

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide an ice maker that solves the problem of water accumulation at the bottom of the ice storage box being pulled out along with the ice storage box when the user pulls it out, thus causing water accumulation on the table where the ice maker is placed.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model adopts the following technical solution: An ice maker, including a body, comprising an ice chamber and an ice storage box, and a guide seat with an opening on one side. The guide seat is located on the top of the ice chamber for placing the ice storage box. The ice storage box has an ice-taking position extending out of the guide seat opening and an ice-storing position retracting into the guide seat. The ice storage box can switch between the ice-taking position and the ice-storing position by sliding laterally. The guide seat is provided with a scraper that abuts against the bottom of the ice storage box and a drain hole communicating with the ice chamber. The scraper is located at the end of the guide seat with the opening. The two ends of the bottom of the ice storage box are a sealed end and a free end, respectively. When the ice storage box is in the ice-storing position, the scraper is press-fitted against the sealed end. When the ice storage box slides towards the ice-taking position, the scraper slides from the sealed end to the free end, and water droplets at the bottom of the ice storage box are scraped off by the scraper onto the guide seat and flow into the ice chamber through the drain hole. This technical solution has the following technical effects:

[0006] This invention features a flow guide seat on the ice chamber for holding the ice storage box, with a scraper at the open end of the flow guide seat. When the user pulls out the ice storage box to retrieve ice, the scraper, through interference fit with the bottom surface of the ice storage box, scrapes away water droplets adhering to the bottom. This prevents the water droplets from continuing to flow through the scraper and instead slides onto the flow guide seat, eventually draining into the ice chamber through the drainage hole on the flow guide seat. This ensures that the bottom surface of the ice storage box extending beyond the flow guide seat opening is free of water droplets, preventing a large amount of water adhering to the bottom surface of the ice storage box from being pulled out and dripping onto the countertop outside the ice maker, thus avoiding water damage to the countertop and improving the user experience.

[0007] In the aforementioned ice maker, the scraper is a flexible scraper, including a mounting part installed on a guide seat and a scraping part for contacting the ice storage box. The scraping part is in interference contact with the bottom of the ice storage box. By setting the scraper as a flexible scraper, the position where the scraper contacts the ice storage box can deform to make interference contact with the bottom of the ice storage box, making the ice storage box slide more smoothly. Even if the ice storage box is displaced vertically due to vibration or other reasons during sliding, the flexible scraper can maintain its contact with the bottom of the ice storage box through deformation, resulting in a better scraping effect on the bottom surface of the ice storage box.

[0008] In the aforementioned ice maker, the scraper section has a guide surface and a support surface that intersect at their tops. Both the guide surface and the support surface are arc-shaped surfaces that bulge towards the inside of the guide seat, allowing the guide surface to contact the bottom surface of the ice storage box. Both the guide surface and the support surface bulge towards the side furthest from the opening of the guide seat, making it easier for the top of the scraper to bend towards the support surface. When the user pulls the ice storage box to extend it from the opening, the guide surface contacts the bottom surface of the ice storage box. This surface contact increases the contact area between the scraper and the bottom surface of the ice storage box, resulting in better scraping of water droplets from the bottom of the ice storage box. The scraped water droplets can slide along the guide surface onto the guide seat. Simultaneously, when the ice storage box is pulled out, the guide surface guides the ice storage box to minimize resistance and make its sliding smoother.

[0009] In the aforementioned ice maker, the distance between the guide surface and the support surface gradually decreases from top to bottom, with a maximum distance of M satisfying M≤2mm. By setting the maximum distance between the guide surface and the support surface to no more than 2mm, that is, setting the thickest part of the scraper within a range of 2mm, the thickest part of the scraper is prevented from being too thick, which would make the scraper difficult to deform. This ensures that the scraper has a certain strength while also maintaining an interference fit with the bottom of the ice storage box through compression deformation.

[0010] In the aforementioned ice maker, the opening of the guide seat is provided with a strip-shaped locking hole perpendicular to the sliding direction. The middle part of the mounting part passes through the strip-shaped locking hole, and the upper and lower ends of the mounting part are located outside the strip-shaped locking hole and abut against the guide seat, so that the longitudinal section of the mounting part is I-shaped. The upper and lower ends of the mounting part clamp the guide seat together to limit the mounting part in the vertical direction, so that the middle part of the mounting part is stably inserted into the strip-shaped locking hole to limit the mounting part in the horizontal direction, thereby making the mounting part stably fixed on the guide seat. By making the extension direction of the strip-shaped locking hole perpendicular to the sliding direction, the scraper can scrape water from the bottom of the ice storage box to the maximum extent during the sliding of the ice storage box. The cooperation between the I-shaped mounting part and the strip-shaped locking hole facilitates the installation of the scraper and makes the scraper installed on the guide seat more stable, preventing the scraper from moving with the ice storage box and ensuring that the scraper can stably scrape water from the bottom of the ice storage box when it slides.

[0011] In the aforementioned ice maker, the flow guide includes an inclined base plate with a drain hole located at the lowest point of the base plate. Multiple support ribs for supporting the ice storage box are provided on the top surface of the base plate. These support ribs extend along the sliding direction of the ice storage box, and their top surfaces are inclined towards the opening of the flow guide. The inclined base plate guides the water flow, and the support ribs create a water-passing gap between the ice storage box and the base plate, providing space for water flow. This allows water droplets scraped off the bottom of the ice storage box by the scraper to flow through the water-passing gap to the lowest point of the base plate and converge at the drain hole, from which they are discharged into the ice chamber. This ensures that water droplets falling onto the flow guide are quickly discharged, preventing water accumulation on the flow guide. The inclined orientation of the support ribs towards the opening of the flow guide also makes it easier for the user to pull the ice storage box, improving the user experience.

[0012] In the aforementioned ice maker, the guide seat has multiple protrusions spaced apart along the sliding direction of the ice storage box. The bottom of the ice storage box has grooves that mate with the protrusions. When the ice storage box slides between the ice dispensing position and the ice storage position, the grooves pass over different protrusions, causing the ice storage box to vibrate up and down. When the ice storage box is in the ice storage position, the protrusions are engaged in the grooves to limit the ice storage box, preventing it from sliding freely towards the ice dispensing position when the user does not pull it. When the user pulls the ice storage box, it slides towards the ice dispensing position, and the grooves disengage from the engaging protrusions. When the bottom surface of the ice storage box abuts against the protrusions, the ice storage box moves upward; when other grooves align with the protrusions, the ice storage box moves downward. That is, the grooves can pass over different protrusions to cause the ice storage box to vibrate up and down, quickly agitating the water droplets on the side of the ice storage box to the bottom, allowing the water droplets to quickly collect at the bottom so that the scraper can scrape them onto the guide seat.

[0013] In the aforementioned ice maker, a microswitch is installed on the machine body. When the ice storage box slides to the ice storage position, it triggers the microswitch to recognize that the ice storage box is installed in place. With the ice storage box in the correct position, the ice maker can selectively activate the ice-making mode. The microswitch ensures that the ice maker can only make ice when the ice storage box is aligned with the ice-making module, preventing falling ice cubes from failing to enter the ice storage box.

[0014] In the aforementioned ice maker, the machine body also includes an upper housing mounted on the upper part of the flow guide seat. An ice-distributing component is located on the top of the upper housing. In ice-making mode, ice cubes fall through the ice-distributing component to different positions within the ice storage box. A microswitch is located on the side of the upper housing. When the ice maker is in ice-making mode, as the falling ice cubes pass through the ice-distributing component, the landing point of some ice cubes is altered, causing the ice cubes to fall to different positions within the ice storage box. The microswitch is located on the side of the upper housing. The upper housing with the ice-distributing component not only distributes the falling ice cubes evenly within the ice storage box but also provides a mounting position for the microswitch, thus saving internal space in the ice maker.

[0015] In the aforementioned ice maker, magnetic components and magnetic adsorption components are respectively provided on the side walls of the flow guide seat and the ice storage box. When the ice storage box slides to the ice storage position, the magnetic components and magnetic adsorption components magnetically engage to keep the ice storage box in the ice storage position, preventing the ice storage box from sliding freely to the ice dispensing position when the user does not pull it.

[0016] The features and advantages of this utility model will be disclosed in detail in the following specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an ice maker.

[0019] Figure 2 An exploded view of an ice maker;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of part A;

[0021] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the flow guide, ice storage box and upper shell during assembly;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a partial sectional view of an ice maker;

[0023] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Enlarged view of part B;

[0024] Figure 7A 3D view of the ice storage box;

[0025] Figure 8 This is a 3D view of the flow guide seat.

[0026] Figure label:

[0027] 100. Ice Gallbladder;

[0028] 200. Airflow guide seat;

[0029] 211. Opening; 212. Side plate; 213. Back plate; 220. Bottom plate; 221. Drain hole; 222. Support rib; 223. Water passage gap; 224. Boss; 230. Strip-shaped locking hole;

[0030] 300, Ice storage box; 310, Sealed end; 320, Free end; 330, Groove; 340, Through hole; 350, Cover plate; 351, Mounting post; 352, Drainage gap;

[0031] 400. Scraper; 410. Mounting part; 420. Scraping part; 421. Guide surface; 422. Support surface;

[0032] 500. Upper housing; 510. Ice-separating assembly; 520. Micro switch;

[0033] 610. Magnetic components; 620. Magnetic adsorption components;

[0034] 700. Ice-making components. Detailed Implementation

[0035] This utility model discloses an ice maker, including a body comprising an ice chamber and an ice storage box, and a guide seat with an opening on one side. The guide seat is located on the top of the ice chamber for placing the ice storage box. The ice storage box has an ice-taking position extending out of the guide seat opening and an ice-storing position retracting into the guide seat. The ice storage box can switch between the ice-taking position and the ice-storing position by sliding laterally. The guide seat is provided with a scraper that abuts against the bottom of the ice storage box and a drain hole communicating with the ice chamber. The scraper is located at the end of the guide seat with the opening. The two ends of the bottom of the ice storage box are a sealed end and a free end, respectively. When the ice storage box is in the ice-storing position, the scraper is in interference fit against the sealed end. When the ice storage box slides to the ice-taking position, the scraper slides from the sealed end to the free end. Water droplets at the bottom of the ice storage box are scraped off by the scraper onto the guide seat and flow into the ice chamber through the drain hole. This invention features a flow guide seat on the ice chamber for holding the ice storage box, with a scraper at the open end of the flow guide seat. When the user pulls out the ice storage box to retrieve ice, the scraper, through interference fit with the bottom surface of the ice storage box, scrapes away water droplets adhering to the bottom. This prevents the water droplets from continuing to flow through the scraper and instead slides onto the flow guide seat, eventually draining into the ice chamber through the drainage hole on the flow guide seat. This ensures that the bottom surface of the ice storage box extending beyond the flow guide seat opening is free of water droplets, preventing a large amount of water adhering to the bottom surface of the ice storage box from being pulled out and dripping onto the countertop outside the ice maker, thus avoiding water damage to the countertop and improving the user experience.

[0036] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be explained and described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the following embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present utility model and not all of them. Other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in the implementation methods without creative effort are all within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0037] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0038] 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 one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise expressly defined.

[0039] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0040] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0041] Example 1:

[0042] An ice maker, such as Figures 1 to 8As shown, the device includes a main body comprising an ice chamber 100, an ice storage box 300, and a flow guide seat 200. The flow guide seat 200 is located on top of the ice chamber 100, and the ice storage box 300 is placed on the flow guide seat 200. An opening 211 is provided on one side of the flow guide seat 200, allowing the ice storage box 300 to slide laterally on the flow guide seat 200, extending out of or retracting through the opening 211. The ice storage box 300 has an ice-retrieving position and an ice-storing position. When the ice storage box 300 is in the ice-retrieving position, one end of the ice storage box 300 extends out of the flow guide seat 200 through the opening 211, allowing the user to retrieve the ice from the ice storage box 300. When the ice storage box 300 is in the ice-storing position, the ice storage box 300 is fully retracted onto the flow guide seat 200 for safe storage. Users can slide the ice storage box 300 laterally by pushing and pulling it to switch between the ice dispensing position and the ice storage position. A scraper 400 and a drain hole 221 are provided on the flow guide seat 200. The scraper 400 is located at the end of the flow guide seat 200 with the opening 211 and abuts against the bottom of the ice storage box 300. The drain hole 221 communicates with the ice liner 100. The two ends of the bottom of the ice storage box 300 are a sealed end 310 and a free end 320, respectively. Figure 1 As shown, when the ice storage box 300 is in the ice storage position, the scraper 400 is in interference fit with the sealing end 310. When the user pulls the ice storage box 300, the ice storage box 300 slides from the ice storage position to the ice dispensing position. Because the scraper 400 is in interference fit with the bottom surface of the ice storage box 300, when the scraper 400 slides from the sealing end 310 to the free end 320, it can scrape the entire bottom surface of the ice storage box 300 to scrape the water droplets attached to the bottom of the ice storage box 300 onto the guide seat 200. The water droplets that fall onto the guide seat 200 gather and flow into the ice chamber 100 through the drain hole 221.

[0043] This invention features a flow guide seat 200 on the ice bladder 100 for holding the ice storage box 300, and a scraper 400 located at the end of the flow guide seat 200 with an opening 211. When a user pulls out the ice storage box 300 to retrieve ice, the scraper 400, through interference contact with the bottom surface of the ice storage box 300, scrapes away water droplets adhering to the bottom of the ice storage box 300 as it moves towards the scraper 400. The ice container 300 is blocked by the plate 400 and cannot continue to pass through. Instead, it slides onto the guide seat 200 and eventually flows into the ice chamber 100 through the drain hole 221 on the guide seat 200. This ensures that there are no water droplets on the bottom surface of the ice container 300 extending from the opening 211 of the guide seat 200. This prevents a large number of water droplets attached to the bottom surface of the ice container 300 from being pulled out along with the ice container 300 and dripping onto the countertop outside the ice maker. This also prevents the countertop where the ice container 300 is placed from being soaked and damaged, thus improving the user experience.

[0044] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the scraper 400 includes an integrally formed mounting portion 410 and a scraping portion 420. The mounting portion 410 is mounted on the flow guide seat 200 to fix the scraper 400 on the flow guide seat 200. The scraping portion 420 is located on the top of the mounting portion 410 to abut against the bottom of the ice storage box 300. The scraper 400 is made entirely of a flexible material to make it a flexible scraper 400. By making the scraper 400 a flexible scraper 400, the position where the scraper 400 contacts the ice storage box 300 can be deformed to make an interference fit with the bottom of the ice storage box 300, making the ice storage box 300 slide more smoothly. Even if the ice storage box 300 is displaced vertically due to vibration or other reasons during sliding, the flexible scraper 400 can still maintain its contact with the bottom of the ice storage box 300 through deformation, resulting in a better scraping effect on the bottom surface of the ice storage box 300.

[0045] In this embodiment, the wiper part 420 is approximately triangular prism in shape, having a guide surface 421, a support surface 422, and a mounting surface. These three surfaces intersect in pairs to form the wiper part 420. The mounting surface is fixed to the mounting part 410 and integrally formed with it. The tops of the guide surface 421 and the support surface 422 intersect to form an edge for abutting against the ice storage box 300. The guide surface 421 and the support surface 422 can be planar or curved. Preferably, as shown... Figure 3 As shown, both the guide surface 421 and the support surface 422 are arc-shaped surfaces, and both arc-shaped surfaces protrude towards the interior of the guide seat 200. That is, both the guide surface 421 and the support surface 422 protrude towards the side away from the opening 211 of the guide seat 200, making it easier for the top of the scraper 400 to bend towards the support surface 422. When the user pulls the ice storage box 300 to extend the ice storage box 300 out of the opening 211, the guide surface 421 and the ice storage box 300... The bottom surface of the scraper 400 is in contact with the ice storage box 300, which increases the contact area between the scraper 400 and the bottom surface of the ice storage box 300. This improves the scraping effect on the water droplets at the bottom of the ice storage box 300. The scraped water droplets can slide along the guide surface 421 onto the guide seat 200. At the same time, when the ice storage box 300 is pulled out, the guide surface 421 can guide the ice storage box 300 to minimize the resistance encountered by the ice storage box 300 and make the sliding of the ice storage box 300 smoother.

[0046] The distance between the guide surface 421 and the support surface 422 gradually decreases from top to bottom. The maximum distance between the guide surface 421 and the support surface 422 is specified as M, which satisfies M≤2mm. By setting the maximum distance between the guide surface 421 and the support surface 422 to no more than 2mm, that is, setting the thickest part of the wiper part 420 within the range of 2mm, it is avoided that the thickest part of the wiper part 420 is too thick, which would make it difficult for the scraper 400 to deform. This ensures that the wiper part 420 has a certain strength, while also maintaining an interference fit with the bottom of the ice storage box 300 through compression deformation.

[0047] like Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, the opening 211 of the flow guide seat 200 is provided with a strip-shaped locking hole 230. The extending direction of the strip-shaped locking hole 230 is perpendicular to the sliding direction of the ice storage box 300. The middle part of the mounting part 410 passes through the strip-shaped locking hole 230, the upper end of the mounting part 410 is located outside the strip-shaped locking hole 230 and abuts against the flow guide seat 200 on the side of the strip-shaped locking hole 230, and the lower end of the mounting part 410 is also located outside the strip-shaped locking hole 230. The guide seat 200 abuts against the side of the strip-shaped locking hole 230 so that the longitudinal section of the mounting part 410 is I-shaped. The upper and lower ends of the mounting part 410 clamp the guide seat 200 together to limit the mounting part 410 in the vertical direction, so that the middle part of the mounting part 410 is stably inserted into the strip-shaped locking hole 230 and to limit the mounting part 410 in the horizontal direction, thereby making the mounting part 410 stably fixed on the guide seat 200. By making the extension direction of the strip-shaped locking hole 230 perpendicular to the sliding direction, the scraper 400 can scrape water from the bottom of the ice storage box 300 to the maximum extent during the sliding process. The cooperation between the I-shaped mounting part 410 and the strip-shaped locking hole 230 facilitates the installation of the scraper 400 and makes the scraper 400 installed on the guide seat 200 more stable, so as to prevent the scraper 400 from moving with the ice storage box 300 and ensure that the scraper 400 can stably scrape water from the bottom of the ice storage box 300 when it slides.

[0048] In this embodiment, the guide seat 200 has a base plate 220, a back plate 213 connected to the base plate 220, and two opposing side plates 212. The back plate 213 is opposite to the opening 211. The base plate 220 is inclined above the ice bladder 100. The drain hole 221 is located at the lowest point of the base plate 220. The ice storage box 300 is placed on the base plate 220. Multiple support ribs 222 are provided on the top surface of the base plate 220. The multiple support ribs 222 extend along the sliding direction of the ice storage box 300 to support the ice storage box 300, so that when the ice storage box 300 slides, it slides on the top of the support ribs 222, thus supporting the bottom surface of the ice storage box 300. Separated from the top surface of the base plate 220, a water passage gap 223 is formed between the two. The inclined base plate 220 can guide the water flow. The support rib 222 can form a water passage gap 223 between the ice storage box 300 and the base plate 220 to provide space for the flow of water. This allows water droplets scraped off the bottom of the ice storage box 300 by the scraper 400 to flow through the water passage gap 223 to the lowest point of the base plate 220 and converge at the drain hole 221, so as to discharge the water droplets that drip onto the guide seat 200 quickly to the guide seat 200 and avoid water accumulation on the guide seat 200. Because the base plate 220 is tilted, in order to avoid the tilted base plate 220 affecting the user's pulling of the ice storage box 300, the top surface of the support rib 222 is tilted towards the opening 211 of the guide seat 200, so that the user can pull the ice storage box 300 with less effort and improve the user experience.

[0049] The guide seat 200 is also provided with multiple protrusions 224, which are spaced apart along the sliding direction of the ice storage box 300. The bottom of the ice storage box 300 is provided with grooves 330 that mate with the protrusions 224. When the ice storage box 300 is in the ice storage position, the protrusions 224 are engaged in the grooves 330 to limit the ice storage box 300, preventing it from sliding freely towards the ice dispensing position when the user does not pull it; when the user pulls the ice storage box 300, it slides towards the ice dispensing position, preventing the protrusions 224 from sliding freely towards the ice dispensing position. The groove 330 disengages from the mating boss 224. When the bottom surface of the ice storage box 300 abuts against the boss 224, the ice storage box 300 moves upward. When other grooves 330 align with the boss 224, the ice storage box 300 moves downward. That is, the grooves 330 can pass over different bosses 224 to cause the ice storage box 300 to vibrate up and down, quickly agitating the water droplets on the side of the ice storage box 300 to the bottom of the ice storage box 300, so that the water droplets quickly collect at the bottom of the ice storage box 300, so that the scraper 400 can scrape the water droplets onto the guide seat 200. In this embodiment, the boss 224 is semi-cylindrical, and the arc surface of the boss 224 protrudes from the top surface of the bottom plate 220 of the guide seat 200, so that when the ice storage box 300 passes over the boss 224, it can quickly pass over the boss 224 along the arc surface, making it easier for the user to push and pull the ice storage box 300. In another embodiment, the boss may also be hemispherical, with the arc surface of the hemispherical boss protruding from the top surface of the bottom plate of the guide seat.

[0050] In this embodiment, a microswitch 520 is provided on the machine body. When the ice storage box 300 slides to the ice storage position, the ice storage box 300 abuts against the microswitch 520 to trigger the microswitch 520, allowing the ice maker to recognize that the ice storage box 300 is installed in place. Only when the ice storage box 300 is in the installed state can the ice maker select to start the ice-making mode. If the microswitch 520 is not triggered, it indicates that the ice storage box 300 is not installed in the ice storage position, and the ice maker cannot start the ice-making mode. That is, the setting of the microswitch 520 ensures that the ice maker can only make ice when the ice storage box 300 is in the ice storage position aligned with the ice-making module, to prevent falling ice cubes from failing to fall into the ice storage box 300. Preferably, as Figure 2 As shown, the machine body also includes an upper housing 500, which is mounted on the upper part of the flow guide seat 200. The ice-making assembly 700 is located above the upper housing 500. An ice-distributing assembly 510 is provided on the top of the upper housing 500. When the ice maker is in ice-making mode, when the falling ice cubes pass through the ice-distributing assembly 510, the landing point of some of the ice cubes is changed by the ice-distributing assembly 510, so that the ice cubes fall to different positions in the ice storage box 300. A micro switch 520 is located on the side of the upper housing 500. The upper housing 500 with the ice-distributing assembly 510 can not only distribute the falling ice cubes so that the ice cubes are evenly spread in the ice storage box 300, but also provide a mounting position for the micro switch 520, thereby saving internal space of the ice maker.

[0051] To keep the ice storage box 300 in the ice storage position and prevent it from sliding freely towards the ice dispensing position when the user does not pull it, this embodiment provides a magnetic component 610 and a magnetic adsorption component 620 on the back plate 213 of the flow guide seat 200 and the side wall of the ice storage box 300 opposite to the back plate 213, respectively. When the ice storage box 300 slides to the ice storage position, the magnetic component 610 and the magnetic adsorption component 620 magnetically engage. It is understood that the magnetic adsorption component 620 can be a magnet or a metal such as iron, cobalt, or nickel that magnetically engages with a magnet.

[0052] In this embodiment, as Figure 7 As shown, the bottom of the ice storage box 300, near the end of the back plate 213 of the flow guide seat 200, also has a through hole 340, such as... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the ice storage box 300 is provided with a cover plate 350, which is located above the through hole 340. The ice storage box 300 is provided with a plurality of mounting posts 351 arranged around the through hole 340. The cover plate 350 is detachably connected to the mounting posts 351 to form a drainage gap 352 around the through hole 340 between the periphery of the cover plate 350 and the inner bottom surface of the ice storage box 300. This allows water accumulated in the ice storage box 300 to be discharged through the through hole 340 to the guide seat 200, while preventing ice from sliding from the through hole 340 to the guide seat 200.

[0053] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model. The protection scope of this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions falling within the scope of this utility model's concept are protected. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, any improvements and modifications made without departing from the principle of this utility model should also be considered within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. An ice maker, comprising a body, the body including an ice chamber and an ice storage box, characterized in that: It also includes a flow guide seat with an opening on one side, which is located on the top of the ice bladder for placing an ice storage box. The ice storage box has an ice-taking position extending out of the flow guide seat opening and an ice-storing position retracting into the flow guide seat. The ice storage box can switch between the ice-taking position and the ice-storing position by sliding laterally. The flow guide seat has a scraper that abuts against the bottom of the ice storage box and a drain hole communicating with the ice bladder. The scraper is located at the end of the flow guide seat with the opening. The two ends of the bottom of the ice storage box are a sealed end and a free end, respectively. When the ice storage box is in the ice-storing position, the scraper is pressed against the sealed end. When the ice storage box slides to the ice-taking position, the scraper slides from the sealed end to the free end. Water droplets at the bottom of the ice storage box are scraped off by the scraper onto the flow guide seat and flow into the ice bladder through the drain hole.

2. An ice maker as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The scraper is a flexible scraper, including a mounting part installed on the flow guide seat and a scraping part for abutting against the ice storage box, the scraping part being interference-fitted against the bottom of the ice storage box.

3. An ice maker according to claim 2, characterized in that: The squeegee has a guide surface and a support surface that intersect at the top. Both the guide surface and the support surface are arc-shaped surfaces that bulge towards the inside of the guide seat, so that the guide surface contacts the bottom surface of the ice storage box.

4. An ice maker according to claim 3, characterized in that: The distance between the guide surface and the support surface gradually decreases from top to bottom, and the maximum distance between them is M, which satisfies M≤2mm.

5. An ice maker according to claim 2, characterized in that: The opening of the flow guide seat is provided with a strip-shaped locking hole perpendicular to the sliding direction. The middle part of the mounting part passes through the strip-shaped locking hole, and the upper and lower ends of the mounting part are located outside the strip-shaped locking hole and abut against the flow guide seat, so that the longitudinal section of the mounting part is I-shaped.

6. An ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow guide seat includes an inclined base plate, the drain hole is located at the lowest point of the base plate, and the top surface of the base plate is provided with a plurality of support ribs for supporting the ice storage box. The support ribs extend along the sliding direction of the ice storage box, and the top surface of the support ribs is inclined toward the opening of the flow guide seat.

7. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein: The guide seat is provided with multiple protrusions, which are spaced apart along the sliding direction of the ice storage box. The bottom of the ice storage box is provided with grooves that cooperate with the protrusions. When the ice storage box slides between the ice taking position and the ice storage position, the grooves pass over different protrusions to drive the ice storage box to vibrate up and down.

8. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein: The machine body is equipped with a micro switch. When the ice storage box slides to the ice storage position, the ice storage box triggers the micro switch to identify that the ice storage box is installed in place. When the ice storage box is installed in place, the ice maker can select to start the ice making mode.

9. An ice maker according to claim 8, characterized in that: The body also includes an upper housing mounted on the upper part of the flow guide seat. The top of the upper housing is provided with an ice-distributing component. In ice-making mode, ice blocks fall to different positions in the ice storage box through the ice-distributing component. The micro switch is located on the side of the upper housing.

10. An ice maker according to claim 8, characterized in that: The flow guide seat and the side wall of the ice storage box are respectively provided with a magnetic component and a magnetic adsorption component. When the ice storage box slides to the ice storage position, the magnetic component and the magnetic adsorption component magnetically attract each other.

Images