An ice making tray

Abstract

The utility model discloses an ice making box relates to ice maker technical field, wherein, ice making box includes main part, at least one ice grid, the ice grid rotation setting in main part, knob, the knob one end integration of ice grid is formed, front panel, front panel set up one side of main part, wherein, front panel has been set up and is used for exposing the through slot of knob, the utility model provides technical scheme through the integral setting of knob and ice grid, cancelled the transmission assembly between both, thereby reduced the probability of user's jam when rotating knob, has guaranteed the smooth of ice grid rotation.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Ice makers are a common tool, generally used in home or individual commercial settings, to quickly obtain ice. The ice tray inside the ice maker is rotatable, and the ice is released by rotating the tray. Users can control the rotation of the ice tray with a knob, but the knob and the ice tray are independent parts and need to be connected by a transmission component. After long-term use, the knob is prone to jamming. Utility Model Content

[0003] The main purpose of this invention is to propose an ice maker that integrates the ice tray with the knob to avoid the knob getting stuck when rotating.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an ice maker comprising:

[0005] main body;

[0006] At least one set of ice trays, which are rotatably disposed within the main body;

[0007] A knob, which is integrally formed on one end of the ice tray;

[0008] A front panel, wherein the front panel is disposed on one side of the main body;

[0009] The front panel has a through slot for exposing the knob.

[0010] In one embodiment, the ice maker includes at least two sets of ice trays arranged side by side within the main body.

[0011] In one embodiment, the knob includes a body and an operating part, the operating part being disposed on the side of the body opposite to the ice tray.

[0012] In one embodiment, the groove wall of the through groove extends toward the ice tray to form a mating part, and a mating member is provided on the outer periphery of the main body, the mating member fitting the mating part.

[0013] In one embodiment, a limiting member is provided on the outer periphery of the mating component, and a limiting part is provided on the bottom of the front panel to cooperate with the limiting member. The limiting member and the limiting part together limit the rotatable angle of the ice tray.

[0014] In one embodiment, the mating component is trumpet-shaped.

[0015] In one embodiment, a connecting portion is provided on the surface of the body facing the ice tray, and the connecting portion is integrally formed between the body and the ice tray.

[0016] In one embodiment, the connecting portion includes at least one connecting post, the two ends of which are respectively formed on the body and the ice tray.

[0017] In one embodiment, the connecting column is provided with a plurality of weight-reducing grooves.

[0018] In one embodiment, at least two connecting posts are included, and the two connecting posts are arranged symmetrically about the center of the body.

[0019] The technical solution of this utility model integrates the knob and the ice tray, eliminating the transmission components between them, thereby reducing the probability of jamming when the user rotates the knob and ensuring smooth rotation of the ice tray. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the ice box provided by this utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 Exploded view of the ice tray, knobs, and front panel;

[0023] Figure 3 An exploded view of the ice tray, knobs, and front panel from another perspective;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a top view of the ice cube tray.

[0025] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0026] 1. Main body; 2. Ice tray; 3. Knob; 31. Body; 32. Operating part; 33. Fitting part; 34. Through groove; 35. Limiting part; 36. Connecting part; 361. Connecting column; 362. Weight reduction groove; 4. Front panel; 41. Through groove; 42. Fitting part; 43. Limiting part.

[0027] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this utility model will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0028] 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 scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0029] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this utility model involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0030] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this utility model involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.

[0031] An ice maker, commonly used in refrigerators or ice makers, is a small tool designed for home or individual commercial environments, primarily for quickly and conveniently making edible ice cubes.

[0032] Generally, an ice maker consists of a main body containing one or more ice trays. These trays can be automatically controlled, rotating to release ice as it forms. However, this automatic control inevitably increases the size of the main body. Therefore, smaller ice makers currently use manual control of the ice tray rotation. Specifically, the main body has a knob or handle for easy application of force by the user, and the ice tray is connected to the knob or handle via a transmission mechanism. When the user rotates the knob or handle, the transmission mechanism rotates the ice tray, causing the ice to fall.

[0033] Correspondingly, transmission components generally adopt simpler structures such as gear sets or transmission belts, and are generally made of plastic to avoid contaminating ice. However, precisely because of this, after long-term use, water may accumulate on the parts of the transmission components, forming scale, causing operational jamming. Furthermore, due to the use of plastic materials, the transmission components are difficult to self-recover after deformation, further aggravating the degree of operational jamming, thus affecting the user experience.

[0034] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention proposes an ice maker that minimizes the probability of jamming during operation. Specifically, the ice maker includes a main body 1, at least one set of ice trays 2, a knob 3, and a front panel 4. The ice trays 2 are rotatably mounted within the main body 1, while the knob 3 is integrally formed with one end of the ice trays 2. The front panel 4 is located on one side of the main body 1 and has a through groove 41 for exposing the knob 3. By integrating the knob 3 and ice trays 2, the ice maker eliminates the need for transmission components. When the user rotates the knob 3, they directly rotate the ice trays 2, thus fundamentally solving the problem of jamming caused by long-term wear of transmission components, scale buildup, and changes in fit clearance in traditional structures. This ensures smooth rotation of the knob 3 and improves the user experience.

[0035] Correspondingly, from a production perspective, the integrated design of knob 3 and ice tray 2 reduces the number of parts in the ice maker, thereby lowering the manufacturing cost. Furthermore, the elimination of the need for additional 36 connecting parts between knob 3 and ice tray 2 reduces the complexity of the assembly process, shortens assembly time, and improves production efficiency. Moreover, since both knob 3 and ice tray 2 are made of plastic, only one mold needs to be designed for their production, eliminating the need for separate molds and reducing the overall tolerance requirements for the parts, further minimizing production costs.

[0036] From the user's perspective, the through-slot 41 design of the front panel 4 allows the knob 3 to be exposed, enabling the user to operate the knob 3 directly through the through-slot 41. This avoids the problem of the front panel 4 obstructing the knob 3 and preventing it from being operated, while also providing some protection for the internal structure through the front panel 4, preventing dust and impurities from entering the main body 1 and affecting the rotation of the ice tray 2. The integrated design of the knob 3 and the ice tray 2 ensures the smooth rotation of the knob 3 and eliminates the risk of connection detachment caused by the ice tray 2 and the knob 3 not being the same component. The failure risk of the integrated structure design becomes breakage, and the risk of material breakage is much lower than the risk of connection detachment. Therefore, it greatly reduces the risk of failure of moving parts and thus increases the overall service life of the ice maker.

[0037] Furthermore, the ice maker includes at least two sets of ice trays 2, which are arranged side by side inside the main body 1. With two or more sets of ice trays 2 working simultaneously, more ice can be produced in the same amount of time, meeting the large demand for ice in home or small commercial settings. Compared to a single set of ice trays 2, the ice production capacity is increased several times over. The side-by-side arrangement of the ice trays 2 fully utilizes the lateral space inside the main body 1, avoiding excessive height of the ice maker due to vertical stacking, thus adapting to more installation scenarios, such as freezer shelves in small refrigerators, improving the product's space compatibility. It should be noted that the number of ice trays 2 can be set according to the volume of the main body 1 and the volume of the ice trays 2 themselves, but each ice tray 2 corresponds to only one knob 3. This arrangement avoids the need for a large torque to rotate multiple ice trays 2 when controlled by only one knob 3, allowing users to easily rotate the knob 3 corresponding to the ice tray 2 to remove ice.

[0038] Accordingly, in this utility model, the knob 3 includes a body 31 and an operating part 32. The operating part 32 is located on the side of the body 31 away from the ice tray 2. The operating part 32, as a dedicated force application area, can be ergonomically designed with anti-slip textures, raised buttons, and other structures to facilitate user gripping or rotation, avoiding slippage during operation due to the smooth surface of the knob 3. Especially in scenarios where hands are wet (such as after making drinks), the operation stability is better. The body 31 serves as a transition structure connecting the operating part 32 and the ice tray 2, which can evenly transmit the force applied by the user to the operating part 32 to the ice tray 2, avoiding excessive local force that could damage the ice tray 2. At the same time, it ensures that the force is balanced when the ice tray 2 rotates, further reducing the risk of jamming.

[0039] To prevent foreign objects from entering the ice maker and to prevent water from flowing out of the ice maker, the wall of the channel 41 extends towards the ice tray 2 to form a mating part 42. A mating part 33 is provided on the outer periphery of the main body 31, and the mating part 33 fits onto the mating part 42. First, the fitting structure of the mating part 33 and the mating part 42 provides radial limit for the rotation of the knob 3, preventing the knob 3 from shifting left or right or wobbling during rotation, ensuring that the ice tray 2 always rotates around a fixed axis, and preventing the ice tray 2 from colliding or wearing with other internal parts of the main body 1 due to offset. Second, the tight fitting of the mating part 33 and the mating part 42 can form a certain sealing effect between them, reducing the entry of external dust and moisture into the main body 1 through the channel 41, preventing dust from adhering to the ice tray 2 or rotating parts and affecting the smoothness of rotation, and preventing water inside the ice maker from flowing out of the ice maker through the channel 41, thus ensuring the overall waterproofness of the ice maker. Furthermore, based on the above, the mating part 33 is trumpet-shaped. The trumpet-shaped mating part 33 has the structural feature of one end having a large diameter and the other end having a small diameter. During assembly, the end with the larger diameter can be aligned with the mating part 42 first, and then easily fitted into place along the inclined surface of the trumpet opening. During disassembly and maintenance, the inclined surface of the trumpet opening can also reduce the frictional resistance between the mating part 33 and the mating part 42, making separation easier and reducing maintenance difficulty. Moreover, the inclined surface of the trumpet-shaped structure can disperse the contact stress between the mating part 33 and the mating part 42, avoiding local stress concentration that could lead to component wear. At the same time, the end with the larger diameter can form a larger area of ​​shielding for the through groove 41, further reducing the entry of dust and moisture into the interior of the main body 1 and improving the protective effect.

[0040] However, it should be noted that in this utility model, the mating part 33 is provided with a through groove 34, the axis of which is parallel to the axis of the operating part 32. The through groove 34 allows the mating part 33 to have a certain elastic expansion and contraction space in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the operating part 32. During assembly, it is not necessary to precisely align the inner rings of the mating part 42 and the mating part 33. Only a slight squeeze of the mating part 33 is needed, and the deformation allowance provided by the through groove 34 can easily fit the mating part 33 onto the mating part 42. During disassembly and maintenance, applying reverse force can allow the mating part 33 to quickly separate from the mating part 42 through deformation, avoiding disassembly difficulties caused by the mating part 33 becoming too tight after long-term use, and reducing the complexity of production and maintenance processes. In addition, the through groove 34 can also compensate for dimensional tolerances to ensure smooth rotation of the knob 3, reduce material usage to achieve weight reduction, and reduce the rotational inertia of the knob 3 to make operation easier.

[0041] Furthermore, to prevent damage to the ice tray 2 due to excessive rotation, a limiting member 35 is provided on the outer periphery of the mating part 33, and a limiting part that cooperates with the limiting member 35 is provided at the bottom of the front panel 4. Together, they limit the rotation angle of the ice tray 2. Through the cooperation of the limiting member 35 and the limiting part, the rotation range of the ice tray 2 is strictly limited, preventing the ice tray 2 from over-rotating due to excessive force or misoperation by the user. This prevents the ice tray 2 from rigidly colliding with the internal structure of the main body 1, or causing deformation, breakage, or other damage to the ice tray 2 itself. Moreover, the optimal ice removal angle of the ice tray 2 is fixed. The cooperation of the limiting member 35 and the limiting part ensures that the ice tray 2 can accurately stop at the optimal ice removal angle each time it rotates, avoiding insufficient rotation angle that prevents the ice from falling off, or excessive rotation angle that causes unnecessary energy consumption, thus improving the stability and reliability of ice removal. It should be noted that in this utility model, two limiting members 35 can be symmetrically arranged on the mating part 42 along the axis of the through groove 34 to prevent the user from unknowingly rotating the ice tray 2 in the opposite direction, causing excessive rotation.

[0042] In this invention, a connecting part 36 is provided on the surface of the body 31 facing the ice tray 2. The connecting part 36 is integrally formed between the body 31 and the ice tray 2. As a transitional connection structure between the body 31 and the ice tray 2, the connecting part 36 can further improve the connection stability between the two by increasing the connection area or optimizing the structure compared to direct integral forming. This avoids problems such as cracking or breakage of the connecting part 36 between the body 31 and the ice tray 2 due to frequent force on the knob 3 during long-term use. In addition, the connecting part 36 can more evenly transmit the rotational force borne by the body 31 to various areas of the ice tray 2, avoiding deformation caused by uneven local force on the ice tray 2, while ensuring that all parts of the ice tray 2 rotate synchronously when rotating, thus improving the consistency of ice removal.

[0043] Correspondingly, the connecting part 36 includes at least one connecting post 361, with both ends of the connecting post 361 formed on the body 31 and the ice tray 2, respectively. While ensuring the connection strength between the body 31 and the ice tray 2, the connecting post 361 structure saves more material compared to a solid connecting block, effectively reducing the overall weight of the knob 3 and the ice tray 2, reducing the inertial resistance when the ice tray 2 rotates, making it easier for users to turn the knob 3, and reducing the overall production cost of the ice box. In other words, the columnar structure of the connecting post 361 is simple, making it easier to fill the mold cavity during the injection molding process of the ice tray 2 and the knob 3, reducing processing defects such as air bubbles and shrinkage cavities, and improving the product qualification rate. At the same time, the columnar structure is easier to demold, which can improve production efficiency.

[0044] Based on the above, the connecting part 36 includes at least two connecting posts 361, which are symmetrically arranged about the center of the main body 31. The symmetrically arranged connecting posts 361 can evenly transmit the rotational force of the main body 31 to the symmetrical position of the ice tray 2, avoiding the ice tray 2 from rotating eccentrically due to unbalanced force, preventing the ice tray 2 from colliding with the internal components of the main body 1, and ensuring that the ice tray 2 remains stable when rotating, further improving the consistency of the de-icing effect. Even if one of the connecting posts 361 is accidentally damaged (such as broken), the other connecting post 361 can still temporarily maintain the connection between the main body 31 and the ice tray 2, preventing the knob 3 from falling off directly and causing the ice box to become unusable, giving users time for repair or replacement, and improving the reliability and durability of the product.

[0045] In this invention, the connecting post 361 is also provided with several weight-reducing grooves 362. The weight-reducing grooves 362 directly reduce the material usage of the connecting post 361, further reducing the overall weight of the knob 3 and the ice tray 2. This not only reduces the cost of raw materials but also further reduces the inertia of the ice tray 2 during rotation, making it easier for users to operate, especially suitable for the elderly, children, and other people with less strength. From a production perspective, during injection molding, the weight-reducing grooves 362 can increase the heat dissipation area of ​​the connecting post 361, avoiding uneven cooling due to excessively high local temperatures and reducing defects such as warping and deformation of the connecting post 361. At the same time, the weight-reducing grooves 362 can also make it easier for gas in the mold to escape, reducing air bubbles inside the connecting post 361 and improving the structural strength of the connecting post 361.

[0046] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the patent scope of the present utility model. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the technical concept of the present utility model and the contents of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An ice maker, characterized in that, include main body; At least one set of ice trays, which are rotatably disposed within the main body; A knob, which is integrally formed on one end of the ice tray; A front panel, wherein the front panel is disposed on one side of the main body; The front panel has a through slot for exposing the knob.

2. The ice maker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The ice maker includes at least two sets of ice trays, which are arranged side by side within the main body.

3. The ice-making container as described in any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that, The knob includes a body and an operating part, the operating part being located on the side of the body opposite to the ice tray.

4. The ice maker as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The groove wall extends toward the ice grid to form a mating part, and a mating component is provided on the outer periphery of the main body, the mating component fitting the mating part.

5. The ice maker as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The outer periphery of the fitting component is provided with a limiting component, and the bottom of the front panel is provided with a limiting part that cooperates with the limiting component. The limiting component and the limiting part together limit the rotatable angle of the ice tray.

6. The ice maker as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The mating component is trumpet-shaped.

7. The ice maker as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The surface of the main body facing the ice cube tray has a connecting part, which is integrally formed between the main body and the ice cube tray.

8. The ice maker as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The connecting part includes at least one connecting post, with both ends of the connecting post formed on the body and the ice tray, respectively.

9. The ice maker as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The connecting column has several weight-reducing grooves.

10. The ice maker as described in claim 8, characterized in that, It includes at least two connecting posts, which are symmetrically arranged about the center of the body.

Images