Ice maker

Abstract

The application provides an ice maker, comprising an ice making device, the ice making device comprising: an ice cube tray assembly, an evaporator assembly and a water inlet pipe, the ice cube tray assembly comprising a plurality of mutually separated ice cube cavities, each of the ice cube cavities having an open end facing a first direction; the evaporator assembly being used to reduce the temperature of the ice cube tray assembly; the water inlet pipe being arranged above the ice cube tray assembly, liquid from the water inlet pipe flowing along the end face where the open ends of the ice cube tray assembly are located under the action of gravity; a spacer being arranged between adjacent ice cube cavities, the spacer being located at least between the open ends of the two adjacent ice cube cavities; wherein the ice cube tray assembly is made of a first material, the spacer is made of a second material, and the specific heat capacity of the first material is less than that of the second material. The application realizes physical blocking by arranging the spacer, and simultaneously utilizes the difference in material specific heat capacity between the ice cube tray assembly and the spacer, thereby significantly reducing the ice block adhesion phenomenon of the ice maker and improving the ice making efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electrical equipment technology, and in particular to an ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the mainstream ice-making equipment on the market is mainly divided into two categories: cylindrical ice makers and cube ice makers. Among them, cube ice, with its regular geometric shape, can form a tight arrangement when stored and stacked, effectively reducing space waste. Moreover, because the ice cubes are relatively large and melt slowly, they occupy core application scenarios in areas such as food preservation in the catering industry, beverage chilling, and maintaining low temperatures in cold chain transportation, and the demand for their application continues to rise.

[0003] However, existing ice cube making equipment generally suffers from the technical problem of ice sticking together. Specifically, traditional ice cube makers typically use a one-piece ice grid structure design with small gaps between the grids. During the freezing process, ice crystals in adjacent grids grow as the temperature decreases, and their boundaries easily fuse together, causing the resulting ice cubes to form a single, solid block. This necessitates manual cutting by the user, increasing labor costs and severely impacting the convenience and efficiency of ice cube handling. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide an ice maker to solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, an ice maker is provided, including an ice-making device, the ice-making device comprising: An ice tray assembly, the ice tray assembly comprising a plurality of mutually separated ice tray chambers, each of the ice tray chambers having an open end facing a first direction; An evaporator assembly configured to reduce the temperature of the ice tray assembly; A water inlet pipe is disposed above the ice tray assembly, and the liquid from the water inlet pipe is configured to flow along the end face of the open end of the ice tray assembly under the action of gravity. A spacer is provided between adjacent ice grid chambers, the spacer being configured to be located at least between the open ends of two adjacent ice grid chambers; The ice tray assembly is constructed of a first material, and the spacer is constructed of a second material, wherein the specific heat capacity of the first material is less than that of the second material.

[0006] In one embodiment of this application, during the ice-making process, the ice tray assembly is configured to be at a sub-zero temperature, and the spacer is configured to be at a above-zero temperature.

[0007] In one embodiment of this application, the first material is metal, and / or the second material is plastic.

[0008] In one embodiment of this application, the ice tray assembly is provided with staggered horizontal and vertical slots. The horizontal slots are configured to divide the plurality of ice tray chambers into at least two rows, and the vertical slots are configured to divide the plurality of ice tray chambers into at least two columns. The width of the horizontal slots is configured to be greater than the width of the vertical slots.

[0009] In one embodiment of this application, the spacer includes a transverse spacer disposed inside or outside the transverse groove, and two adjacent open ends in the vertical direction are configured to be separated by the transverse spacer.

[0010] In one embodiment of this application, the spacer includes a vertical spacer portion disposed inside or outside the vertical groove, and two adjacent open ends in the horizontal direction are configured to be separated by the vertical spacer portion.

[0011] In one embodiment of this application, the vertical spacing portion is configured to extend into the vertical groove, and the horizontal spacing portion is configured to extend into the horizontal groove.

[0012] In one embodiment of this application, the vertical and horizontal spacing portions are arranged alternately and configured to form a plurality of openings for exposing the opening ends.

[0013] In one embodiment of this application, the ice-making device further includes a housing surrounding the ice grid assembly, the lateral spacing portion and the vertical spacing portion are disposed on the housing, and the housing is provided with a plurality of flow guide grooves above the opening, the flow guide grooves being configured to extend through to the end face where the opening is located.

[0014] In one embodiment of this application, the water inlet pipe is installed above the housing and is configured to extend laterally; the water inlet pipe has an outlet hole, and the liquid flowing out of the outlet hole is configured to flow into the guide channel.

[0015] In one embodiment of this application, a water collection tank is provided at the bottom of the housing; a circulating water path is provided in the ice maker, and a water pump is provided on the circulating water path; one end of the circulating water path is configured to communicate with the water collection tank, and the other end is configured to communicate with the water inlet pipe, and the liquid in the water collection tank is configured to flow back to the water inlet pipe through the circulating water path under the action of the water pump.

[0016] In one embodiment of this application, the ice-making device further includes a housing surrounding the ice tray assembly, and the spacer is disposed on the housing.

[0017] In one embodiment of this application, the spacer and the housing enclose a mounting cavity, and the ice grid assembly is configured to be inserted into the mounting cavity.

[0018] In one embodiment of this application, the housing is configured to be made of the second material.

[0019] In one embodiment of this application, the evaporator assembly includes a cold-conducting plate, which is attached to one side of the ice tray assembly in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction.

[0020] In one embodiment of this application, the inner diameter of the ice grid chamber gradually increases in the first direction.

[0021] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, an ice maker is provided, including an ice-making device, the ice-making device comprising: An ice tray assembly, the ice tray assembly comprising a plurality of mutually separated ice tray chambers, each of the ice tray chambers having an open end facing a first direction; An evaporator assembly configured to reduce the temperature of the ice tray assembly; A water inlet pipe is disposed above the ice tray assembly, and the liquid from the water inlet pipe is configured to flow along the end face of the open end of the ice tray assembly under the action of gravity. A spacer is provided between adjacent ice grid chambers, the spacer being configured to be located at least between the open ends of two adjacent ice grid chambers; During the ice-making process, the ice grid assembly is configured to be at a sub-zero temperature, and the spacer is configured to be at a above-zero temperature.

[0022] This application provides an ice maker that prevents ice cubes from sticking together. This application achieves physical isolation by setting spacers, and simultaneously utilizes the difference in specific heat capacity between the ice tray assembly and the spacers, thereby significantly reducing ice cube sticking, improving ice-making efficiency, eliminating the need for manual separation, and enhancing user convenience. Specifically, this application sets spacers between the open ends of adjacent ice tray chambers, thus forming a physical barrier between them and effectively preventing ice crystals formed in adjacent ice tray chambers from fusing at the open ends, providing a structural guarantee for solving the ice sticking problem. Furthermore, because the ice tray assembly is made of a first material with a low specific heat capacity, it can quickly respond to cooling when the evaporator assembly is working, ensuring that the interior of the ice tray chamber can quickly reach the temperature required for ice making and ensuring normal ice formation. The spacers, made of a second material with a high specific heat capacity, have a relatively slow cooling rate. During the ice-making process, the temperature of the spacers decreases slowly, and liquid cannot freeze when flowing through the spacers, thus further preventing ice cubes in adjacent ice tray chambers from sticking together through the spacer area. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of an ice-making apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of the location of the middle ice grid component; Figure 3 This is a front view of an ice-making apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the water flow path in the ice-making process provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a top view of an ice-making apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an ice-making device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figures 1 to 6 The one-to-one correspondence between the component names and the reference numerals in the figures is as follows: 1. Ice tray assembly; 10. Ice tray chamber; 101. Open end; 11. Horizontal groove; 12. Vertical groove; 2. Evaporator assembly; 21. Evaporator tube; 22. Cold guide plate; 3. Spacer; 30. Opening; 31. Horizontal spacer; 32. Vertical spacer; 4. Shell; 41. Flow guide groove; 42. Mounting groove; 43. Water collection tank; 5. Water inlet pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a full understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of this application; therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0026] The terminology used in one or more embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of one or more embodiments of this application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in one or more embodiments of this application and in the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” used in one or more embodiments of this application refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0027] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc., may be used to describe various information in one or more embodiments of this application, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, first may also be referred to as second without departing from the scope of one or more embodiments of this application, and similarly, second may also be referred to as first. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to a determination."

[0028] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this application.

[0029] Techniques, methods, and apparatus known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and apparatus should be considered part of the specification. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0030] In this article, terms such as "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate the relative positional relationship between related parts, rather than to define the absolute position of these related parts.

[0031] First, the nouns and terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained.

[0032] Ice maker: A refrigeration machine that produces ice by cooling water through an evaporator with refrigerant in a refrigeration system. Its ice-making principle is primarily based on a vapor compression refrigeration cycle, with the core principle being heat transfer through refrigerant phase change. The refrigeration system consists of a compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator connected in sequence to form a closed loop: the compressor compresses low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant vapor into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas, which is then sent to the condenser to dissipate heat and liquefy into a high-pressure liquid; after being throttled by the expansion valve, the refrigerant becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid mixture that enters the evaporator, absorbs surrounding heat, and evaporates into gas, rapidly lowering the evaporator surface temperature to below 0°C, thus completing the refrigeration cycle.

[0033] Specifically, the ice-making process of an ice maker is as follows: The water supply system delivers water to the ice tray integrated with the evaporator. The water flows through the opening of the ice tray, and simultaneously, the evaporator operates, causing the temperature of the inner wall of the ice tray to drop rapidly. A thin layer of ice quickly forms on the surface of the ice tray in contact with the water. As the water supply continues, the ice layer inside the ice tray gradually grows from the inner wall towards the center. Because the ice trays are usually designed as a single unit, and the metal walls between adjacent ice trays have high thermal conductivity, the water temperature at the edges of adjacent ice trays decreases synchronously. This causes the ice crystals inside the cavity to easily fuse together through the gaps between the ice trays during their growth, forming a solid mass. After ice making is complete, the ice maker switches to de-icing mode. The high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor directly enters the evaporator, causing the temperature of the ice tray to rise briefly, and the ice blocks separate from the inner wall of the ice tray, thus achieving de-icing. However, due to the initial fusion of ice crystals, the detached ice blocks are often stuck together and need to be manually separated.

[0034] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides an ice maker, which will be described below in conjunction with... Figures 1 to 6 This application provides a detailed description of the ice maker provided.

[0035] An ice maker includes an ice-making device, which can be housed inside the machine body. The ice-making device is the main structure in the ice maker that enables ice-making. The machine body may also contain water tanks, water pipes, and other water supply system components, as well as refrigeration system components such as compressors, condensers, and expansion valves. This document does not specifically limit other structures besides the ice-making device; those skilled in the art can select and configure them based on existing technology.

[0036] For ease of description later, please refer to Figure 1 Establish a spatial rectangular coordinate system: Let X1 be the direction in which the ice grid opening in the ice-making device faces, and X2 be the direction opposite to the first direction; the lateral direction of the ice-making device extends along the Y-axis, referencing... Figure 3 The view direction is denoted as Y1 for the left and Y2 for the right; the height direction of the ice-making device extends along the Z-axis, with the top denoted as Z1 and the bottom as Z2.

[0037] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The ice-making device includes an ice tray assembly 1, an evaporator assembly 2, and a water inlet pipe 5. The ice tray assembly 1 includes multiple mutually separated ice tray chambers 10, each ice tray chamber 10 having an open end 101 facing a first direction X1. The evaporator assembly 2 is configured to lower the temperature of the ice tray assembly 1; specifically, it is capable of lowering the wall surface of the ice tray chamber 10 to below zero degrees Celsius, thereby causing ice to condense in the ice tray chamber 10. The water inlet pipe 5 is disposed above the ice tray assembly 1, and the liquid from the water inlet pipe 5 is configured to flow under gravity along the end face of the open end 101 of the ice tray assembly 1, that is, along the end face of the ice tray assembly 1 in the first direction. Figure 4As shown, during the ice-making process, water flows down from above the ice grid assembly 1 along the Z2 direction (vertical direction), and the direction of the water flow is approximately perpendicular to the orientation of the opening end 101 (first direction X1). The water flow can flow along the wall of the surface of the ice-making device in the first direction X1 (i.e., where the opening end 101 is provided). Under the action of the wall, some liquid can flow into the ice grid chamber 10 and quickly form a thin ice layer on the inner wall of the ice grid chamber 10. As the water flow continues to replenish, the ice layer gradually grows from the inner wall of the ice grid chamber 10 towards the center, thereby forming a complete ice block that fills the ice grid chamber 10.

[0038] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 A spacer 3 is provided between adjacent ice tray chambers 10, and the spacer 3 is configured to be located at least between the opening ends 101 of two adjacent ice tray chambers 10. The ice tray assembly 1 is constructed of a first material, and the spacer 3 is constructed of a second material, wherein the specific heat capacity of the first material is less than that of the second material. In one specific embodiment of this application, the first material can be a metal, and the second material can be a plastic. It is understood that metal materials have excellent thermal conductivity and low specific heat capacity, which is suitable for the rapid cooling requirement of the ice tray assembly 1 and can ensure ice-making efficiency; plastics have high specific heat capacity and poor thermal conductivity, which is suitable for the slow cooling and non-icing characteristics of the spacer 3. Furthermore, using conventional metal and plastic materials to manufacture the ice tray assembly 1 and the spacer 3 can reduce manufacturing difficulty and cost, facilitating the industrial production of the ice-making device.

[0039] Furthermore, during the ice-making process, the ice tray assembly 1 is configured to be at a sub-zero temperature, while the spacer 3 is configured to be at a above-zero temperature. When ice is being made, the evaporator assembly 2 is activated. The metal ice tray assembly 1, due to its lower specific heat capacity, can quickly cool down to sub-zero temperatures, meeting the freezing conditions; the plastic spacer 3, due to its higher specific heat capacity, cools down slowly and remains at an above-zero temperature. As water flows through the ice tray chamber 10, it quickly condenses into ice on the metal inner wall, while the plastic spacer 3, being at an above-zero temperature, does not freeze on its surface, thus blocking the ice crystal fusion path between adjacent ice tray chambers 10.

[0040] This application achieves physical isolation by setting spacer 3, and at the same time utilizes the difference in specific heat capacity between the ice tray assembly 1 and the spacer 3, thereby significantly reducing the ice block sticking phenomenon in the ice maker, improving ice making efficiency, eliminating the manual splitting step, and enhancing user convenience. Specifically, this application sets spacer 3 between the opening ends 101 of adjacent ice tray chambers 10, thereby forming a physical barrier between adjacent ice tray chambers 10, effectively preventing ice crystals formed in adjacent ice tray chambers 10 from fusing together at the opening ends 101, providing a structural guarantee for solving the ice sticking problem. Furthermore, since the ice tray assembly 1 is made of a first material (such as metal) with a low specific heat capacity, when the evaporator assembly 2 is working, the ice tray assembly 1 can quickly respond to the cooling and ensure that the ice tray chamber 10 can quickly reach the temperature required for ice making, thus ensuring that ice is formed normally. On the other hand, the spacer 3 is made of a second material (such as plastic) with a high specific heat capacity, and its cooling rate is relatively slow. During the ice making process, the temperature of the spacer 3 decreases slowly, and the liquid cannot freeze when it flows through the spacer 3. This further prevents ice from sticking together in adjacent ice tray chambers 10 through the spacer area.

[0041] In one embodiment of this application, reference is made to Figure 6 The evaporator assembly 2 includes a cold-conducting plate 22, which is attached to the ice tray assembly 1 on one side in the second direction X2. Specifically, the cold-conducting plate 22 can be made of copper plate and is attached to the back of the ice tray assembly 1. The evaporator assembly 2 also includes an evaporating tube 21, which can be made of copper tube and is formed into a serpentine or multi-segment U-shaped structure by continuous bending. It is tightly attached to the wall surface of the cold-conducting plate 22 away from the ice tray assembly 1 (i.e., the wall surface of the cold-conducting plate 22 in the second direction X2). The evaporating tube 21 and the cold-conducting plate 22 can achieve tight contact through welding or mechanical pressing to ensure efficient transfer of cold energy.

[0042] In the refrigeration cycle, the low-temperature refrigerant releases cold energy as it flows within the evaporator tube 21. Due to the high thermal conductivity of the copper tube and plate, the cold energy is rapidly conducted from the evaporator tube 21 to the entire cooling plate 22. Because the cooling plate 22 is in close contact with the back of the ice tray assembly 1, it further evenly distributes the cold energy to each ice tray chamber 10, ensuring that all ice tray chambers 10 cool down simultaneously. The bent design of the evaporator tube 21 increases its contact area with the cooling plate 22, thus evenly distributing the cold energy to each area of ​​the cooling plate 22. This ensures a consistent cooling rate for each ice tray chamber 10, avoiding uneven ice-making or time differences caused by insufficient localized cooling, and improving the consistency of single-cycle ice making. Furthermore, since the cold energy is mainly introduced from the side of the ice tray assembly 1 in the second direction through the cooling plate 22, the diffusion of cold energy to the spacer 3 located on the side of the ice tray assembly 1 in the first direction is reduced. This maintains the relatively high temperature (i.e., above-zero temperature) of the spacer 3, ensuring the stable operation of its anti-sticking function.

[0043] In one embodiment of this application, such as Figure 2 As shown, the ice tray assembly 1 is provided with staggered horizontal grooves 11 and vertical grooves 12. The horizontal grooves 11 are configured to divide the plurality of ice tray chambers 10 into at least two rows, and the vertical grooves 12 are configured to divide the plurality of ice tray chambers 10 into at least two columns. The ice tray assembly 1 of this application adopts an array structure design, in which the ice tray chambers 10 are arranged in a regular mesh pattern. Specifically, refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 3 In this embodiment, the ice grid assembly 1 includes eight independent ice grid chambers 10, which are arranged in a regular layout of two rows and four columns by the staggered separation of horizontal grooves 11 and vertical grooves 12. A horizontal groove 11 extending along the Y-axis divides the ice grid assembly 1 into two rows, with four ice grid chambers 10 in each row. Three vertical grooves 12 extending along the Z-axis divide the ice grid assembly 1 into four columns, with two ice grid chambers 10 in each column.

[0044] The grid lines formed by the horizontal grooves 11 and vertical grooves 12 are straight and uniform, arranging the eight ice compartments 10 in a matrix pattern, creating a visually neat and orderly appearance and enhancing the aesthetics of the ice-making device. Furthermore, the resulting ice cubes have a uniform shape, meeting the aesthetic requirements of catering settings. In addition, the two-row, four-column array layout allows the ice maker to produce eight ice cubes at a time, improving ice-making efficiency, and the multi-row, multi-column arrangement increases the space utilization of the ice-making device. It should be noted that this application does not specify the exact number or arrangement of the ice compartments 10.

[0045] The main body of the ice tray chamber 10 is approximately rectangular, with the opening end 101 being rectangular. In one embodiment of this application, the inner diameter of the ice tray chamber 10 gradually increases along the first direction X1, meaning the ice tray chamber 10 exhibits a slightly flared structure along the first direction X1. Specifically, the area of ​​the opening end 101 can be larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​other locations within the ice tray chamber 10, thereby forming a funnel-shaped flow guiding structure. This allows water flowing through the opening end 101 to enter the interior of the ice tray chamber 10 more smoothly. When the water flows into contact with the inner wall surface of the ice tray assembly 1, it is naturally guided into the interior of the ice tray chamber 10 along the flared, inclined wall surface, rather than freezing directly at the opening end 101. This results in complete and uniform ice blocks.

[0046] In one embodiment of this application, reference is made to Figure 1Corresponding to the arrangement of the horizontal grooves 11 and vertical grooves 12, the spacer 3 includes a transverse spacer portion 31 disposed inside or outside the horizontal groove 11. Two adjacent opening ends 101 in the vertical direction (i.e., the Z-axis direction) are configured to be separated by the transverse spacer portion 31. Specifically, the transverse spacer portion 31 is disposed corresponding to the horizontal groove 11. It can be partially embedded in the horizontal groove 11 or disposed outside the horizontal groove 11 and fitted to the outside of the opening end 101 of the ice grid chamber 10, thereby precisely separating the opening ends 101 of adjacent rows of ice grid chambers 10, thereby blocking the fusion path caused by the vertical growth of ice crystals or the vertical flow of water through the opening ends 101 in the same row under the action of gravity.

[0047] The spacer 3 also includes a vertical spacer portion 32 disposed inside or outside the vertical groove 12. Two adjacent opening ends 101 in the horizontal direction (i.e., the Y-axis direction) are configured to be separated by the vertical spacer portion 32. Specifically, the vertical spacer portion 32 is disposed corresponding to the vertical groove 12. It can be partially embedded in the vertical groove 12 or disposed outside the vertical groove 12 and fitted to the outside of the opening end 101 of the ice grid chamber 10, thereby precisely separating the opening ends 101 of adjacent rows of ice grid chambers 10, thereby blocking the fusion path caused by the lateral growth of ice crystals and preventing adjacent rows of ice crystals from connecting during lateral growth.

[0048] This application utilizes the cooperation of the horizontal spacer 31 and the vertical spacer 32 to form a comprehensive barrier against the grid array layout of the ice grid assembly 1. Together, they cover both the vertical (Z-axis) and horizontal (Y-axis) dimensions, completely blocking areas where adhesion easily occurs between the individual ice grid chambers 10, ensuring that each ice grid chamber 10 forms ice independently. Simultaneously, the horizontal spacer 31 and the vertical spacer 32 can be installed inside or outside the tank according to the actual structure, size, and appearance requirements of the ice grid assembly 1. When arranged in an alternating manner, they do not obstruct the opening end 101 of the ice grid chamber 10, do not hinder the water flow along the Z2 direction and down the wall into the ice grid chamber 10, and do not affect the ice detachment along the X1 direction (i.e., towards the opening end 101), ensuring a smooth ice-making process. Furthermore, the coordinated arrangement of the horizontal spacer 31 and the vertical spacer 32 also forms an integral frame structure for the spacer 3, enhancing its resistance to displacement and preventing it from failing due to vibration during ice making, thus maintaining a stable anti-adhesion effect over the long term.

[0049] In the prior art, compared with the individual ice grid chambers 10 in the same row, the ice blocks made from the individual ice grid chambers 10 arranged in the same column are more likely to stick together. This is because the water flows naturally vertically along the wall under the action of gravity. The water will flow through the opening ends of the individual ice grid chambers 10 in the same column in sequence, thereby easily forming a continuous water film between the adjacent opening ends 101 in the same column. After the water film freezes, it directly becomes a bridge connecting the adjacent ice blocks in the same column, thus causing the ice blocks in the same column to stick together.

[0050] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, in one specific embodiment of this application, such as Figure 2 As shown, the width of the horizontal groove 11 is constructed to be greater than the width of the vertical groove 12. Specifically, the horizontal groove 11 corresponds to the separation between two adjacent rows of ice grid chambers 10. The wider horizontal groove 11 can correspond to the provision of a larger horizontal spacer 31, thereby increasing the physical barrier area between the opening ends 101 of two adjacent rows. This effectively blocks the fusion path caused by the vertical growth of ice crystals or the vertical flow of water through the opening ends 101 in the same row under the action of gravity, and strengthens the anti-sticking effect in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). Since water flows from top to bottom under the action of gravity, the liquid in the ice grid chamber 10 will extend downward along the water path to form an ice cone during the freezing process. The wider horizontal groove 11 can prevent the ice cone from extending too far into the next ice grid chamber 10. In addition, during the extension of the ice cone, it will pass through the spacer 3 provided in the corresponding horizontal groove 11. Since the spacer 3 is at a temperature above zero, the ice cone can gradually melt, thereby preventing it from extending into the next ice grid chamber 10 and causing sticking.

[0051] In one embodiment of this application, the vertical spacer 32 is configured to extend into the vertical groove 12, and the horizontal spacer 31 is configured to extend into the horizontal groove 11. Specifically, the horizontal spacer 31 and the vertical spacer 32 can be inserted into the horizontal groove 11 and the vertical groove 12 in the form of partitions, thereby precisely forming a physical barrier between the opening ends 101 of adjacent ice grid chambers 10, directly blocking the direct contact and fusion path of ice crystals in the upper and lower layers and the left and right rows, and structurally solving the problem of adjacent ice blocks easily sticking together. It should be noted that the thickness of the horizontal spacer 31 and the vertical spacer 32 does not need to strictly match the size of the horizontal groove 11 and the vertical groove 12. They do not need to fill the grooves, but only extend into them for barrier, thus reducing the processing accuracy requirements of the spacer 3 and reducing the manufacturing and assembly difficulties. In addition, after the horizontal spacer 31 and the vertical spacer 32 are inserted into the horizontal groove 11 and the vertical groove 12, they can maintain relative positioning with the ice grid assembly 1, avoiding displacement due to vibration during ice making and ensuring a continuous and reliable barrier effect.

[0052] In one embodiment of this application, reference is made to Figure 1The vertical spacers 32 and the horizontal spacers 31 are arranged alternately and configured to form multiple openings 30 for exposing the opening ends 101. During ice making, water flows down from above along the Z2 direction. The water can flow on the surface of the spacers 3. Since the spacers 3 are made of a second material with a high specific heat capacity (such as plastic), their cooling rate is much slower than that of the ice tray assembly 1, and they can maintain a temperature above zero during ice making. Therefore, the water flowing on the surface of the spacers 3 will not freeze, completely blocking the path of adhesion and icing between the opening ends 101 of adjacent ice tray chambers 10. In addition, the openings 30 can play a precise guiding role. The water flowing over the surface of the spacers 3 enters the ice tray chamber 10 through the openings 30 for ice making, thus solving the adhesion problem without affecting the ice making efficiency and the quality of the ice block.

[0053] In one embodiment of this application, reference is made to Figure 1 and Figure 3 The ice-making device also includes a housing 4 surrounding the ice tray assembly 1, with spacers 3 disposed on the housing 4. Specifically, a horizontal spacer 31 and a vertical spacer 32 are disposed on the housing 4. Specifically, the horizontal spacer 31, the vertical spacer 32, and the housing 4 can be integrally formed, and the ice tray assembly 1 can be installed on the housing 4. This integrally formed structure eliminates the gap between the spacers 3 and the housing 4, improves overall rigidity, prevents the spacers 3 from shifting or the housing 4 from deforming due to vibration during ice making, and reduces the risk of water seeping into component gaps and causing freezing blockage.

[0054] In one specific embodiment of this application, the housing 4 is constructed to be made of a second material, that is, the housing 4 and the spacer 3 can be made of the same material, for example, both can be made of plastic. Thus, during the ice-making process, the housing 4 can be kept at a temperature above zero, so that water will not freeze when it flows through the wall of the housing 4, further reducing the risk of ice sticking together.

[0055] In one embodiment of this application, the spacer 3 and the housing 4 enclose an installation cavity, and the ice tray assembly 1 is configured to be inserted into the installation cavity. During insertion and installation, the ice tray assembly 1 can be inserted entirely into the installation cavity. At the same time, the spacer 3 can be inserted into the slots between the individual ice tray chambers 10, that is, the horizontal spacer portion 31 is inserted into the horizontal slot 11, and the vertical spacer portion 32 is inserted into the vertical slot 12. This enables rapid installation of the ice tray assembly 1, eliminating the need to install the spacer 3 separately during assembly, thereby reducing the difficulty of production and installation processes and improving production and assembly efficiency.

[0056] refer to Figure 1 , Figures 3 to 5The shell 4 has multiple guide channels 41 located above the opening 30, and these channels 41 are configured to extend through to the end face of the opening 30. The guide channels 41 directionally guide the water flow, ensuring that the water flows precisely along the channels to the end face of the opening 30, preventing water from randomly spreading across the surface of the shell 4 and improving ice-making efficiency. Specifically, the number of guide channels 41 can match the number of rows of ice tray chambers 10, with one guide channel 41 positioned directly above each row of ice tray chambers 10. This ensures that the water flow is aligned with each row of ice tray chambers 10, preventing water from spreading across rows and forming a... Figure 4 The vertical water flow is shown in the diagram, which ensures that the water can flow through the opening 30, so that the water can enter the ice grid chamber 10 through the opening end 101 for ice making.

[0057] In one specific embodiment of this application, such as Figure 5 As shown, from a top-down view, the guide channel 41 has a triangular configuration, with a pointed angle on the side closest to the second direction X2. It gradually expands outward along the first direction X1 (i.e., the orientation of the opening end 101 of the ice grid chamber 10), eventually extending to the end face where the opening 30 is located, as shown. Figure 3 As shown, the maximum width of the expanded flow channel 41 does not exceed the width of the corresponding ice grid chamber 10. The advantage of the triangular configuration is that it adapts to the characteristics of water flowing along the end face of the opening 30. If the flow channel 41 adopts a conventional narrow and straight channel, the water flow is prone to converge into a thin water column. Due to the narrow coverage area, it is difficult to fully adapt to the opening end 101 of the ice grid chamber 10, which affects the ice-making efficiency. However, the triangular flared structure of the flow channel 41 of this application can widen the water flow coverage area along the water flow direction, so that when the water flows along the end face of the opening 30, it can form a water flow band with a width that is basically matched with the opening end 101, rather than a concentrated thin water column. This widened wall-adhering water flow can more comprehensively cover the area of ​​the opening 30, ensuring that more liquid will smoothly enter the ice grid chamber 10 through the opening end 101 per unit time. This not only improves the uniformity and efficiency of water intake, but also lays the foundation for uniform ice making and ensuring the regular shape of ice blocks, avoiding the problem of incomplete ice making caused by insufficient water intake in some areas.

[0058] In one embodiment of this application, reference is made to Figure 1 The water inlet pipe 5 is installed above the housing 4. The water inlet pipe 5 is configured to extend laterally and has an outlet hole. The liquid flowing out of the outlet hole is configured to flow through a guide channel 41. Specifically, the water inlet pipe 5 extends along the Y-axis direction. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Water can flow from the Y1 direction to the Y2 direction in the inlet pipe 5. A mounting groove 42 can be provided on each of the two transverse sides (i.e., both sides in the Y-axis direction) of the top of the housing 4, and the inlet pipe 5 can be mounted on the top of the housing 4 through the two mounting grooves 42.

[0059] The water outlet can be located at the bottom of the water inlet pipe 5, facing the top end face of the housing 4. Water in the water inlet pipe 5 can flow out through the water outlet during its flow, thus flowing to the guide channel 41 on the upper end face of the housing 4. Furthermore, multiple water outlets can be provided on the water inlet pipe 5. The number of water outlets can match the number of rows of the guide channels 41 and the ice grid chamber 10. Each guide channel 41 has a corresponding water outlet directly above it, ensuring that the water flowing out of the water outlet directly aligns with its corresponding guide channel 41, further preventing water from overflowing across rows. Under the guidance of the guide channel 41, the water can flow in the first direction X1 to the end face where the opening 30 is located, thus flowing downwards along the wall (Z2 direction) under gravity. At least a portion of the liquid, when flowing through the opening 30, can enter the ice grid chamber 10 through the opening end 101 and condense into ice.

[0060] In one embodiment of this application, such as Figure 1 As shown, a water collection tank 43 is provided at the bottom of the housing 4. The ice maker is equipped with a circulating water system (not shown in the figure), and a water pump is installed on the circulating water system. One end of the circulating water system is configured to connect to the water collection tank 43, and the other end is configured to connect to the inlet pipe 5. The liquid in the water collection tank 43 is configured to flow back to the inlet pipe 5 through the circulating water system under the action of the water pump. It should be noted that the circulating water system in this application is a higher-level concept and can flexibly integrate structures such as water tanks and pipes. For example, the circulating water system may include a water tank located below the water collection tank 43. When excess water collected in the water collection tank 43 (such as overflow water that does not enter the ice tray chamber 10 during ice making, and residual water flowing along the wall) reaches a certain level, it can naturally overflow to the lower water tank, and then flow back to the inlet pipe 5 through the cooperation of the pipes and the water pump. This application can efficiently recover water resources during the ice-making process, avoid waste caused by direct liquid discharge, reduce the frequency of external water replenishment, reduce ice-making costs, and simultaneously meet the needs of energy conservation and environmental protection. This application also provides an ice maker, including an ice-making device comprising: an ice tray assembly 1, an evaporator assembly 2, and a water inlet pipe 5. The ice tray assembly 1 includes a plurality of mutually separated ice tray chambers 10, each ice tray chamber 10 having an open end 101 facing a first direction X1; the evaporator assembly 2 is configured to lower the temperature of the ice tray assembly 1. The water inlet pipe 5 is disposed above the ice tray assembly 1, and liquid from the water inlet pipe 5 is configured to flow along the end face of the open end 101 of the ice tray assembly 1 under the action of gravity. Spacers 3 are provided between adjacent ice tray chambers 10, and the spacers 3 are configured to be located between at least two adjacent open ends 101 of the ice tray chambers 10; wherein, during the ice-making process, the ice tray assembly 1 is configured to be at a sub-zero temperature, and the spacers 3 are configured to be at a above-zero temperature. This application achieves physical separation by setting the spacer 3, and at the same time utilizes the temperature difference between the ice tray assembly 1 and the spacer 3 during ice making, thereby significantly reducing the phenomenon of ice cube sticking in the ice maker, improving ice making efficiency, eliminating the manual separation step, and enhancing user convenience.

[0061] Application scenarios The ice-making device of the ice maker includes an ice tray assembly 1 and an evaporator assembly 2. The ice tray assembly 1 contains eight independent ice tray chambers 10, with four ice tray chambers 10 arranged in each row and two ice tray chambers 10 arranged in each column. The ice tray assembly 1 is made of metal. The evaporator assembly 2 is used to lower the temperature of the ice tray assembly 1. It can rapidly lower the walls of the ice tray chambers 10 to below zero degrees Celsius, thereby causing the liquid to freeze into ice in the ice tray chambers 10.

[0062] A spacer 3 is provided between adjacent ice grid chambers 10. The spacer 3 is located between the opening ends 101 of two adjacent ice grid chambers 10. Specifically, the spacer 3 includes a horizontal spacer portion 31 and a vertical spacer portion 32. Two adjacent opening ends 101 in the vertical direction are separated by the horizontal spacer portion 31, and two adjacent opening ends 101 in the horizontal direction are separated by the vertical spacer portion 32. The spacer 3 can be made of plastic. Plastic has a large specific heat capacity and poor thermal conductivity, which meets the characteristics of the spacer 3, which cools down slowly and is not easy to freeze. During the ice-making process, the plastic spacer 3 cools down slowly and always maintains a temperature above zero due to its large specific heat capacity. When water flows over the surface of the spacer 3, the surface of the spacer 3 will not freeze, thereby blocking the ice crystal fusion path between adjacent ice grid chambers 10.

[0063] The water in the inlet pipe 5 flows through the outlet hole to the guide channel 41, and under the guidance of the guide channel 41, it flows to the end face where the opening 30 is located. Under the action of gravity, the water can flow downward along the wall. Under the action of the wall, some liquid can flow into the ice grid chamber 10 and quickly form a thin ice layer on the inner wall of the ice grid chamber 10. As the water continues to be replenished, the ice layer gradually grows from the inner wall of the ice grid chamber 10 towards the center, thus forming a complete ice block that fills the ice grid chamber 10.

[0064] This application achieves physical isolation by setting spacer 3, and at the same time utilizes the difference in specific heat capacity between the ice tray assembly 1 and the spacer 3, thereby significantly reducing the ice block sticking phenomenon in the ice maker, improving ice making efficiency, eliminating the manual splitting step, and enhancing user convenience. Specifically, this application sets spacer 3 between the opening ends 101 of adjacent ice tray chambers 10, thereby forming a physical barrier between adjacent ice tray chambers 10, effectively preventing ice crystals formed in adjacent ice tray chambers 10 from fusing together at the opening ends 101, providing a structural guarantee for solving the ice sticking problem. Furthermore, since the ice tray assembly 1 is made of metal, when the evaporator assembly 2 is working, the ice tray assembly 1 can quickly respond to the temperature drop, ensuring that the ice tray chamber 10 can quickly reach the temperature required for ice making and ensuring that ice is formed normally. On the other hand, the spacer 3 is made of plastic, and its cooling rate is relatively slow. During the ice making process, the temperature of the spacer 3 drops slowly, and the liquid cannot freeze when it flows through the spacer 3. This further prevents ice from sticking together in adjacent ice tray chambers 10 through the spacer area.

[0065] It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the foregoing method embodiments are all described as a series of actions. However, those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the described order of actions, as some steps may be performed in other orders or simultaneously according to this application. Furthermore, those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily essential to this application.

[0066] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0067] The preferred embodiments disclosed above are merely illustrative of this application. The optional embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit this application to the specific implementations described. Clearly, many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this application. These embodiments are selected and specifically described in this application to better explain the principles and practical applications of this application, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize this application. This application is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. An ice maker, comprising an ice-making device, characterized in that, The ice-making device includes: An ice tray assembly, the ice tray assembly comprising a plurality of mutually separated ice tray chambers, each of the ice tray chambers having an open end facing a first direction; An evaporator assembly configured to reduce the temperature of the ice tray assembly; A water inlet pipe is disposed above the ice tray assembly, and the liquid from the water inlet pipe is configured to flow along the end face of the open end of the ice tray assembly under the action of gravity. A spacer is provided between adjacent ice grid chambers, the spacer being configured to be located at least between the open ends of two adjacent ice grid chambers; The ice tray assembly is constructed of a first material, and the spacer is constructed of a second material, wherein the specific heat capacity of the first material is less than that of the second material.

2. The ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the ice-making process, the ice grid assembly is configured to be at a sub-zero temperature, and the spacer is configured to be at a above-zero temperature.

3. The ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first material is metal, and / or the second material is plastic.

4. The ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice tray assembly is provided with staggered horizontal and vertical slots. The horizontal slots are configured to divide the plurality of ice tray chambers into at least two rows, and the vertical slots are configured to divide the plurality of ice tray chambers into at least two columns. The width of the horizontal slots is configured to be greater than the width of the vertical slots.

5. The ice maker according to claim 4, characterized in that, The spacer includes a transverse spacer portion disposed inside or outside the transverse groove, and two adjacent open ends in the vertical direction are configured to be separated by the transverse spacer portion.

6. The ice maker according to claim 5, characterized in that, The spacer includes a vertical spacer portion disposed inside or outside the vertical groove, wherein two adjacent open ends in the horizontal direction are configured to be separated by the vertical spacer portion.

7. The ice maker according to claim 6, characterized in that, The vertical spacing portion is configured to extend into the vertical groove, and the horizontal spacing portion is configured to extend into the horizontal groove.

8. The ice maker according to claim 6, characterized in that, The vertical and horizontal spacing portions are arranged alternately and configured to form a plurality of openings for exposing the opening ends.

9. The ice maker according to claim 7, characterized in that, The ice-making device also includes a housing surrounding the ice grid assembly, the horizontal and vertical spacing portions are disposed on the housing, and the housing is provided with a plurality of flow channels above the opening, the flow channels being configured to extend through to the end face where the opening is located.

10. The ice maker according to claim 9, characterized in that, The water inlet pipe is installed above the housing and is configured to extend laterally; the water inlet pipe has an outlet hole, and the liquid flowing out of the outlet hole is configured to flow into the guide channel.

11. The ice maker according to claim 10, characterized in that, A water collection tank is provided at the bottom of the housing; a circulating water circuit is provided in the ice maker, and a water pump is provided on the circulating water circuit; one end of the circulating water circuit is configured to be connected to the water collection tank, and the other end is configured to be connected to the water inlet pipe; the liquid in the water collection tank is configured to flow back to the water inlet pipe through the circulating water circuit under the action of the water pump.

12. The ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice-making device also includes a housing surrounding the ice grid assembly, and the spacer is disposed on the housing.

13. The ice maker according to claim 12, characterized in that, The spacer and the housing enclose a mounting cavity, and the ice grid assembly is configured to be inserted into the mounting cavity.

14. The ice maker according to claim 13, characterized in that, The shell is constructed to be made of the second material.

15. The ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The evaporator assembly includes a cold-conducting plate, which is attached to one side of the ice tray assembly in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction.

16. The ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the first direction, the inner diameter of the ice grid chamber gradually increases.

17. An ice maker, comprising an ice-making device, characterized in that, The ice-making device includes: An ice tray assembly, the ice tray assembly comprising a plurality of mutually separated ice tray chambers, each of the ice tray chambers having an open end facing a first direction; An evaporator assembly configured to reduce the temperature of the ice tray assembly; A water inlet pipe is disposed above the ice tray assembly, and the liquid from the water inlet pipe is configured to flow along the end face of the open end of the ice tray assembly under the action of gravity. A spacer is provided between adjacent ice grid chambers, the spacer being configured to be located at least between the open ends of two adjacent ice grid chambers; During the ice-making process, the ice grid assembly is configured to be at a sub-zero temperature, and the spacer is configured to be at a above-zero temperature.

Images