Ice maker and refrigerator

Abstract

The application discloses an ice maker and a refrigerator. The ice maker comprises a support assembly, an ice mold and an air guide assembly. The support assembly comprises a mounting frame and a connecting frame, the mounting frame is provided with a mounting cavity, and the mounting frame and the connecting frame cooperatively form an air inlet communicated with the mounting cavity. The ice mold is located in the mounting cavity and movably connected with the mounting frame. In the direction along the air inlet pointing to the mounting cavity, the ice mold is provided with a first ice making part and a second ice making part connected in sequence. The air guide assembly comprises an air guide rib, and the air guide rib is located between the first ice making part and the second ice making part. The side of the air guide rib facing the air inlet is provided with an air guide surface, and the air guide surface is used for guiding air to the first ice making part. In the direction along the air inlet pointing to the mounting cavity, the air guide rib is further provided with an air guide opening penetratingly arranged. The ice maker provided by the application can be applied to the refrigerator, and the ice maker can balance the distribution of cold energy in the ice maker, balance the ice forming rate, improve the ice making effect and the user satisfaction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of refrigeration equipment technology, and more particularly to an ice maker and a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] Ice is a common item in daily life, used for making cold drinks, preserving food, and in medical emergencies. To facilitate access to ice, ice makers were developed, and some refrigerators also have built-in ice-making functions. Typically, ice makers have multiple ice trays, capable of producing multiple ice cubes simultaneously. However, in related technologies, the placement of the air inlet in the ice maker results in uneven cooling between the ice trays near and away from the air inlet, leading to different freezing rates and affecting the freezing effect, resulting in poor user satisfaction. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, this application provides an ice maker and a refrigerator that can balance the distribution of cold energy inside the ice maker to balance the freezing rate, improve the ice-making effect and user satisfaction.

[0004] Specifically, this application is implemented through the following technical solution:

[0005] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, an ice maker is provided, including a support assembly, an ice mold, and an air guide assembly. The support assembly includes a mounting frame and a connecting frame connected to the mounting frame. The mounting frame has a mounting cavity, and the mounting frame and the connecting frame cooperate to form an air inlet communicating with the mounting cavity. The ice mold is located within the mounting cavity and is movably connected to the mounting frame. Along the direction from the air inlet to the mounting cavity, the ice mold has a first ice-making section and a second ice-making section connected in sequence. The air guide assembly includes an air guide rib connected to the connecting frame on the side facing the mounting cavity, and the air guide rib is located between the first ice-making section and the second ice-making section. The side of the air guide rib facing the air inlet has an air guide surface for guiding air to the first ice-making section. Along the direction from the air inlet to the mounting cavity, the air guide rib also has a through-hole.

[0006] In one embodiment, the air guide rib has a first connecting side connected to the connecting frame and a second connecting side facing the ice mold, the first connecting side and the second connecting side are spaced apart from each other, and the air guide includes at least one arc-shaped recess located on the second connecting side and recessed towards the first connecting side.

[0007] In one embodiment, the ice maker further includes a water inlet located on the connecting frame and communicating with the mounting cavity. The water inlet is used to supply the liquid required for ice making to the ice mold. An air guide rib is located between the air inlet and the water inlet, and / or, in the direction from the first connecting side to the second connecting side, the plane of the end of the water inlet communicating with the mounting cavity is positioned higher than the bottom wall of the arc-shaped recess.

[0008] In one embodiment, the air guide assembly further includes an air guide structure connected to the connecting frame or mounting frame, and the water inlet is located between the air guide rib and the air guide structure. The air guide structure is used to guide air to the second ice-making section.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first ice-making section occupies one-fifth to four-fifths of the ice mold in the direction from the air inlet to the mounting cavity.

[0010] In one embodiment, the air guide surface includes an inclined plane or an arcuate surface.

[0011] In one embodiment, the ice maker further includes a drive assembly located on the mounting frame. The drive assembly has a drive shaft that is driveably connected to the ice mold, allowing the ice mold to rotate relative to the mounting frame about the axis of the drive shaft. The drive assembly is located between the air inlet and the air guide rib, and the axis of the drive shaft is arranged in the direction from the air inlet toward the mounting cavity.

[0012] In one embodiment, the air inlet has a first air inlet end and a second air inlet end connected in sequence along the direction from the air inlet to the mounting cavity, and the second air inlet end is connected to the mounting cavity. The inner diameter of the first air inlet end is not less than the inner diameter of the second air inlet end, and / or, the inner wall of the first air inlet end is inclined towards the second air inlet end.

[0013] In one embodiment, the mounting bracket is provided with an air inlet slot communicating with the mounting cavity. The air inlet slot includes a slot bottom wall disposed opposite to the connecting bracket, and a first slot side wall and a second slot side wall disposed opposite to and connected to the slot bottom wall. The connecting bracket is also pressed against the first slot side wall and the second slot side wall respectively to form an air inlet.

[0014] In one embodiment, one of the connecting frame and the mounting frame is provided with a snap-fit ​​structure, and the other of the connecting frame and the mounting frame is provided with a fastening structure. The snap-fit ​​structure and the fastening structure are connected and fastened together, so that the connecting frame is pressed against the side wall of the first groove and the side wall of the second groove respectively.

[0015] In one embodiment, the connecting frame is provided with two guide ribs on the side facing the mounting cavity. The two guide ribs are arranged at intervals relative to each other along the direction from the side wall of the first groove to the side wall of the second groove, and the air guide rib is located between the two guide ribs.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, a refrigerator is provided, including a cabinet device and an ice maker as described in any of the above embodiments. The cabinet device is provided with a refrigeration compartment and an air duct communicating with the refrigeration compartment. The ice maker is located in the refrigeration compartment. At least one of the mounting bracket and the connecting bracket is connected to the cabinet device. The air inlet is connected to the air outlet of the air duct.

[0017] The ice maker provided in this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The ice maker provided in this application, by setting an air guide rib between the first ice-making section and the second ice-making section, can divide the cold air flowing into the mounting cavity from the air inlet into two parts. One part of the cold air can flow into the first ice-making section along the air guide surface, and the other part of the cold air can flow into the second ice-making section through the air guide. This allows both the part of the ice mold near the air inlet and the part far from the air inlet to come into contact with the cold air, so as to balance the ice-making efficiency in the ice mold, shorten the ice-making time difference in the ice mold, thereby improving the ice-making effect of the ice maker and increasing user satisfaction.

[0019] Understandably, the ice maker provided in this application can be used independently, and it can also be used with refrigerators; this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0020] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of this application. The illustrative embodiments of this application and their descriptions are used to explain this application and do not constitute an improper limitation of this application.

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of the ice maker provided in this application.

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The ice maker shown is a cross-sectional view along AA.

[0025] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the connecting frame provided in this application.

[0026] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the mounting bracket provided in this application.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the refrigerator provided in this application.

[0028] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The refrigerator shown is a cross-sectional view along BB.

[0029] Figure 7 for Figure 5 Enlarged view of point a in the middle.

[0030] Figure label:

[0031] 1-Refrigerator; 10-Ice maker; 11-Bracket assembly; 111-Mounting bracket; 112-Connecting bracket; 113-Mounting cavity; 114-Air inlet; 1141-First air inlet end; 1142-Second air inlet end; 115-Air inlet slot; 1151-Bottom wall of slot; 1152-Side wall of first slot; 1153-Side wall of second slot; 12-Ice mold; 121-First ice-making section; 122-Second ice-making section; 13-Air guide Components; 131-Air guide rib; 1311-Air guide surface; 1312-Air guide port; 1313-First connecting side; 1314-Second connecting side; 132-Air guide structure; 14-Water inlet; 15-Snap-on structure; 16-Snap-on structure; 17-Drive assembly; 18-Axis of drive shaft; 19-Air guide rib; 20-Box assembly; 21-Refrigeration compartment; 22-Air duct; 30-Ice storage box; 40-Water injection device. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions in the embodiments (or "implementations") of this application will be clearly and completely described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements.

[0033] If the embodiments of this application contain terms relating to directional indications or positional relationships (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, inside, outside, top, bottom, center, vertical, horizontal, longitudinal, transverse, length, height, counterclockwise, clockwise, axial, radial, circumferential, etc.), such terms are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movements between components in a specific posture (as shown in the attached figures). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications or positional relationships will also change accordingly.

[0034] Ice is a common item in daily life, used for making cold drinks, preserving food, and in medical emergencies. To facilitate access to ice, ice makers were developed, and some refrigerators also have built-in ice-making functions. Typically, ice makers have multiple ice trays, capable of producing multiple ice cubes simultaneously. However, in related technologies, the placement of the air inlet in the ice maker results in uneven cooling between the ice trays near and away from the air inlet, leading to different freezing rates and affecting the freezing effect, resulting in poor user satisfaction.

[0035] Based on this, this application proposes an ice maker and a refrigerator, which enables the ice maker to distribute cold energy evenly within the machine, thereby balancing the freezing rate and improving ice-making performance and user satisfaction. It is understood that the ice maker provided in this application can be used independently, and it can also be used with a refrigerator; this application makes no limitation on this.

[0036] The ice maker provided in this application will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0037] See Figures 1 to 3 This application provides an ice maker 10, including a support assembly 11, an ice mold 12, and an air guide assembly 13. The support assembly 11 includes a mounting frame 111 and a connecting frame 112 connected to the mounting frame 111. The mounting frame 111 has a mounting cavity 113, and the mounting frame 111 and the connecting frame 112 cooperate to form an air inlet 114 communicating with the mounting cavity 113. The ice mold 12 is located within the mounting cavity 113 and is movably connected to the mounting frame 111. Along the direction from the air inlet 114 to the mounting cavity 113, the ice mold 12 has a first ice-making section 121 and a second ice-making section 122 connected in sequence. The air guide assembly 13 includes an air guide rib 131 connected to the side of the connecting frame 112 facing the mounting cavity 113, and the air guide rib 131 is located between the first ice-making section 121 and the second ice-making section 122. The air guide rib 131 has an air guide surface 1311 on the side facing the air inlet 114, which is used to guide air to the first ice-making section 121. The air guide rib 131 also has a through air guide port 1312 in the direction from the air inlet 114 to the mounting cavity 113.

[0038] It should be noted that the bracket assembly 11 can be used to install and connect the ice maker 10 to external devices, such as at least one of the mounting bracket 111 and the connecting bracket 112, which can be connected and fixed to the cabinet assembly 20 of the refrigerator 1. The mounting bracket 111 is also provided with a mounting cavity 113 for accommodating the ice mold 12. The mounting bracket 111 and the connecting bracket 112 are also provided with an air inlet 114 communicating with the mounting cavity 113, facilitating the entry of cold air from the air inlet 114 into the mounting cavity 113 to provide the ice mold 12 with the cold air required for ice making. Understandably, when the ice maker 10 is installed in the refrigerator 1, the refrigeration system inside the refrigerator 1 can provide cold air to the ice maker 10. When the ice maker 10 is used alone, it can be equipped with its own refrigeration system, including a compressor, condenser, evaporator, and fan, to provide cold air; this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0039] Ice mold 12 is used to hold the liquid required for ice making and utilizes the cold air in mounting cavity 113 to freeze the liquid into ice cubes. The air inlet 114 and mounting cavity 113 can be arranged in a front-back direction as shown in the figure. For example, the air inlet 114 is located at the rear of the ice maker 10, and the direction from the air inlet 114 to the mounting cavity 113 can be schematically shown as a rear-to-front direction in the figure. The first ice-making part 121 of the ice mold 12 is positioned closer to the air inlet 114 than the second ice-making part 122, and the second ice-making part 122 is positioned further away from the air inlet 114 than the first ice-making part 121. Simultaneously, the ice mold 12 can be movably connected to the mounting frame 111; for example, the ice mold 12 can rotate or slide relative to the mounting frame 111 to allow the ice cubes inside the ice mold 12 to be ejected.

[0040] The air guide assembly 13 is used to guide and distribute the cold air entering the mounting cavity 113 from the air inlet 114, so that the cold air can be evenly distributed to the first ice-making section 121 and the second ice-making section 122. The air guide assembly 13 includes air guide ribs 131 located in the first ice-making section 121 and the second ice-making section 122. When cold air enters the mounting cavity 113 from the air inlet 114, the cold air can contact the air guide surface 1311 of the air guide rib 131, thereby guiding a portion of the cold air to flow to the first ice-making section 121 to meet the ice-making needs of the first ice-making section 121. Simultaneously, the air guide rib 131 also has an air guide opening 1312 extending through the air inlet 114, allowing another portion of the cold air entering from the air inlet 114 to flow from the air guide opening 1312 to the second ice-making section 122, avoiding obstruction by the air guide surface 1311, thereby meeting the ice-making needs of the second ice-making section 122.

[0041] Thus, the ice maker 10 provided in this application, by setting the air guide rib 131 located between the first ice-making section 121 and the second ice-making section 122, can divide the cold energy flowing into the mounting cavity 113 from the air inlet 114 into two parts. One part of the cold energy can flow into the first ice-making section 121 along the air guide surface 1311, and the other part of the cold energy can flow into the second ice-making section 122 through the air guide 1312. This allows both the part of the ice mold 12 near the air inlet 114 and the part far from the air inlet 114 to come into contact with the cold energy, so as to balance the ice-making efficiency of the front and back in the ice mold 12, shorten the time difference of ice-making in the front and back in the ice mold 12, thereby improving the ice-making effect of the ice maker 10 and improving user satisfaction.

[0042] See Figure 2 and Figure 3In one embodiment, to facilitate the flow of cold energy from the air guide surface 1311 to the first ice-making section 121, the air guide surface 1311 includes an inclined plane or an arc-shaped surface. As an example, when the air guide surface 1311 is an inclined plane, the inclined plane can be inclined forward from top to bottom, allowing the cold energy blown into the air guide surface 1311 by the air inlet 114 to flow along the inclined plane to the first ice-making section 121. As an example, when the air guide surface 1311 is an arc-shaped surface, the arc-shaped surface can also be inclined forward from top to bottom, and the convex or concave surface of the arc-shaped surface can face the air inlet 114; this application does not impose any limitations.

[0043] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 In one embodiment, the air guide rib 131 is provided with a first connecting side 1313 connected to the connecting frame 112 and a second connecting side 1314 facing the ice mold 12. The first connecting side 1313 and the second connecting side 1314 are spaced apart from each other. The air guide 1312 includes at least one arc-shaped recess located on the second connecting side 1314 and recessed towards the first connecting side 1313.

[0044] This design, utilizing the arc-shaped concave portion, allows the air guide 1312 to form an arch shape. On one hand, the arched air guide 1312 has no sharp corners, allowing the cold airflow to flow smoothly to the second ice-making section 122, thereby reducing the resistance to cold air flow. On the other hand, the arched air guide 1312 has better load-bearing capacity, can resist the flow pressure of cold air, and improve the structural strength of the air guide rib 131.

[0045] As an example, the air vent 1312 may include an arc-shaped recess, which may be centrally located on the air guide rib 131 in the left-right direction to concentrate the cold air flowing towards the second ice-making section 122. Of course, the air vent 1312 may also include two, three or four arc-shaped recesses in the left-right direction of the air guide rib 131, and this application does not impose any limitations.

[0046] Understandably, the first connecting side 1313 and the second connecting side 1314 can be distributed at intervals along the vertical direction in the figure. The first connecting side 1313 is connected to the side of the connecting frame 112 facing the mounting cavity 113, and the second connecting side 1314 is located below the first connecting side 1313. This allows for the direct creation of an arc-shaped recess into the first connecting side 1313 on the second connecting side 1314, facilitating the formation of the air guide 1312.

[0047] See Figure 2 and Figure 4In one embodiment, the air guide assembly 13 further includes an air guide structure 132, which is connected to the connecting frame 112 or the mounting frame 111. In the direction from the air inlet 114 to the mounting cavity 113, air guide ribs 131 are disposed between the air inlet 114 and the air guide structure 132, and the air guide ribs 131 and the air guide structure 132 are spaced apart. The air guide structure 132 is used to further guide the cold air passing through the air guide port 1312 to the second ice-making section 122.

[0048] As an example, the air guide structure 132 is disposed on the mounting bracket 111. The side of the air guide structure 132 facing the air guide port 1312 has an inclined surface to guide the cold air flowing out of the air guide port 1312 downwards to the second ice-making section 122. This arrangement prevents the cold air from flowing upwards out of the mounting cavity 113 of the bracket assembly 11, thus preventing a reduction in the amount of cold air flowing to the second ice-making section 122.

[0049] See Figures 2 to 4 In one embodiment, the ice maker 10 also includes a water inlet 14 located on the connecting frame 112 and communicating with the mounting cavity 113. The water inlet 14 is used to supply the liquid required for ice making to the ice mold 12. An air guide rib 131 is located between the air inlet 114 and the water inlet 14. This arrangement prevents cold air from directly blowing onto the water inlet 14, thereby preventing ice formation at the end of the water inlet 14 near the mounting cavity 113 and avoiding blockage.

[0050] As an example, in the direction from the first connecting side 1313 to the second connecting side 1314, the plane of the end of the water inlet 14 that communicates with the mounting cavity 113 is positioned higher than the bottom wall of the arc-shaped recess. In this way, the portion of the air guide rib 131 located between the bottom wall of the arc-shaped recess and the first connecting side 1313 can block the water inlet 14, thereby preventing the cold air entering the air inlet 114 from directly blowing into the water inlet 14.

[0051] See Figures 2 to 4 In one embodiment, the water inlet 14 is located between the air guide rib 131 and the air guide structure 132. The air guide rib 131 is located behind the water inlet 14, and the air guide structure 132 is located in front of the water inlet 14. This arrangement facilitates the injection of liquid into the first ice-making section 121 and the second ice-making section 122 via the water inlet 14, thereby optimizing the water injection path into the ice mold 12.

[0052] See Figure 2In one embodiment, the ice maker 10 further includes a drive assembly 17 located on the mounting frame 111. The drive assembly 17 has a drive shaft that is driveably connected to the ice mold 12, allowing the ice mold 12 to rotate relative to the mounting frame 111 about the axis 18 of the drive shaft. The drive assembly 17 is located between the air inlet 114 and the air guide rib 131, and the axis 18 of the drive shaft is arranged in the direction from the air inlet 114 to the mounting cavity 113.

[0053] Understandably, the drive assembly 17 includes a drive motor, the drive shaft of which can be connected to the ice mold 12 to drive the ice mold 12 to rotate relative to the mounting bracket 111, thereby detaching the ice blocks inside the ice mold 12 by twisting the ice mold 12.

[0054] It should be noted that when the drive assembly 17 drives the ice mold 12 to rotate, the drive assembly 17 is usually positioned on the side of the mounting bracket 111 near the air inlet 114. Thus, due to the limited mounting position of the drive assembly 17, the air inlet 114 is usually positioned above the drive assembly 17. When cold air enters the ice-making chamber from the air inlet 114, it flows above the ice mold 12. As cold air continuously enters the mounting cavity 113, it can contact the air guide surface 1311 and be guided downwards to the first ice-making section 121 to meet its ice-making needs, thereby reducing the obstruction effect of the drive assembly 17 on the first ice-making section 121. Simultaneously, the cold air can also flow through the air guide 1312 to the air guide structure 132, which then guides it downwards again to the second ice-making section 122 to meet its ice-making needs.

[0055] See Figure 2 In one embodiment, to facilitate the division of the first ice-making part 121 and the second ice-making part 122 of the ice mold 12, the first ice-making part 121 may occupy one-fifth to four-fifths of the ice mold 12 in the direction from the air inlet 114 to the mounting cavity 113.

[0056] As an example, the first ice-making section 121 may occupy one-fifth of the ice mold 12. Along the direction from the air inlet 114 to the mounting cavity 113, the ice mold 12 may include five rows of ice-making grids arranged sequentially. The first row of ice-making grids closest to the air inlet 114 can be considered the first ice-making section 121, and the remaining four rows can be considered the second ice-making section 122. Air guide ribs 131 may be correspondingly arranged with the first row of ice-making grids to guide the cold air to the first ice-making section 121.

[0057] Of course, in other embodiments, the first ice-making section 121 may also occupy two-fifths of the ice mold 12. In this case, taking the ice mold 12 as an example comprising five rows of ice-making grids arranged sequentially, the two rows of ice grids closest to the air inlet 114 can be considered the first ice-making section 121, and the remaining three rows of ice grids can be considered the second ice-making section 122. The first ice-making section 121 may also occupy three-fifths or four-fifths of the ice mold 12, etc., which will not be elaborated upon in this application.

[0058] Of course, in other embodiments, the first ice-making section 121 may also occupy half of the ice mold 12. In this case, the ice mold 12 may include six rows of ice-making grids arranged in sequence, with the three rows of ice-making grids near the air inlet 114 serving as the first ice-making section 121, and the remaining three rows of ice-making grids serving as the second ice-making section 122.

[0059] Understandably, in the direction from the air inlet 114 to the mounting cavity 113, the first ice-making section 121 may occupy one-fifth to four-fifths of the ice mold 12. Alternatively, the first ice-making section 121 may occupy two-fifths to three-fifths of the ice mold 12. Alternatively, the first ice-making section 121 may occupy one-half of the ice mold 12.

[0060] See Figure 4 In one embodiment, to prevent cold air from escaping from the air inlet 114 into the ice maker 10, the air inlet 114 is provided with a first air inlet end 1141 and a second air inlet end 1142 connected in sequence along the direction from the air inlet 114 to the mounting cavity 113. The second air inlet end 1142 is connected to the mounting cavity 113. The inner diameter of the first air inlet end 1141 is not less than the inner diameter of the second air inlet end 1142, and / or, the inner wall of the first air inlet end 1141 is inclined toward the second air inlet end 1142.

[0061] It should be noted that the inner diameter of the first air inlet 1141 is not less than the inner diameter of the second air inlet 1142. When the ice maker 10 is installed in the refrigerator 1, the second air inlet 1142 of the air inlet 114 can wrap around the outside of the air outlet of the air duct 22 inside the refrigerator 1, so that the cold air blown out of the air outlet of the air duct 22 can completely enter the air inlet 114 of the ice maker 10, thereby reducing the escape of cold air and improving the ice making efficiency of the ice maker 10.

[0062] In addition, by tilting the inner wall of the first air inlet 1141 toward the second air inlet 1142, the cold energy of the first air inlet 1141 can be guided to the second air inlet 1142, thereby allowing the cold energy to smoothly enter the mounting cavity 113 to provide the ice mold 12 with the cold energy required for ice making.

[0063] See Figure 3 and Figure 4In one embodiment, to facilitate the formation of the enclosed air inlet 114 of the ice maker 10, the mounting frame 111 is provided with an air inlet groove 115 communicating with the mounting cavity 113. The air inlet groove 115 includes a groove bottom wall 1151 disposed opposite to the connecting frame 112, and a first groove side wall 1152 and a second groove side wall 1153 disposed opposite to and connected to the groove bottom wall 1151. The connecting frame 112 is also pressed and connected to the first groove side wall 1152 and the second groove side wall 1153 respectively to form the air inlet 114.

[0064] Understandably, placing the air inlet slot 115 on the mounting frame 111 serves two purposes. First, it enhances the structural strength of the mounting frame 111 by utilizing the three-sided support structure formed by the bottom wall 1151, the first side wall 1152, and the second side wall 1153, enabling the mounting frame 111 to support the ice mold 12 and / or the drive assembly 17. Second, it simplifies the structure of the connecting frame 112, facilitating its fabrication.

[0065] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 In one embodiment, to facilitate the assembly of the connecting frame 112 and the mounting frame 111 to form a wrap-around air inlet 114, one of the connecting frame 112 and the mounting frame 111 is provided with a snap-fit ​​structure 15, and the other of the connecting frame 112 and the mounting frame 111 is provided with a fastening structure 16. The snap-fit ​​structure 15 and the fastening structure 16 are connected and fastened together, so that the connecting frame 112 is pressed and connected to the first groove sidewall 1152 and the second groove sidewall 1153 respectively.

[0066] With this configuration, when the connecting bracket 112 and the mounting bracket 111 are fastened together by the snap-fit ​​structure 15 and the fastening structure 16, the connecting bracket 112 can cover the top of the mounting bracket 111, thereby pressing against the first groove side wall 1152 and the second groove side wall 1153 of the mounting bracket 111. This allows the air inlet groove 115 of the mounting bracket 111 and the connecting bracket 112 to form a four-sided enclosed air inlet 114, so that the air inlet 114 can completely enclose the air outlet of the refrigerator 1 air duct 22 to avoid loss of cold air.

[0067] See Figure 3 In one embodiment, to facilitate the flow of cold air at the air inlet 114 to the air guide rib 131, the connecting frame 112 is also provided with two guide ribs 19 on the side facing the mounting cavity 113. The two guide ribs 19 are arranged at intervals relative to each other along the direction from the first groove sidewall 1152 to the second groove sidewall 1153, and the air guide rib 131 is located between the two guide ribs 19.

[0068] This configuration allows the cold air entering through the air inlet 114 to flow along the two guide ribs 19 to the guide rib 131, then sequentially through the guide surface 1311 to the first ice-making section 121, and through the air inlet 1312 and the guide structure 132 to the second ice-making section 122. This ensures that the cold air is evenly distributed between the first and second ice-making sections 121 and 122, thereby shortening the ice-making time difference. In this way, the two guide ribs 19 ensure that the cold air entering through the air inlet 114 is fully utilized, improving the utilization rate of the cold air.

[0069] In addition, the two guide ribs 19 are fixed on both sides of the air guide rib 131, which can also support and limit the air guide rib 131. On the one hand, it can improve the wind resistance of the air guide rib 131, and on the other hand, it can facilitate the determination of the installation position of the air guide rib 131.

[0070] See Figures 5 to 7 A refrigerator 1 is provided, including a cabinet device 20 and an ice maker 10 as described in any of the above embodiments. The cabinet device 20 is provided with a refrigeration compartment 21 and an air duct 22 communicating with the refrigeration compartment 21. The ice maker 10 is located in the refrigeration compartment 21. At least one of the mounting bracket 111 and the connecting bracket 112 is connected to the cabinet device 20. The air inlet 114 is connected to the air outlet of the air duct 22.

[0071] It should be noted that the air duct 22 of the refrigerator 1 can be used to provide cooling capacity to the ice maker 10 to meet the ice-making needs of the ice maker 10. The refrigeration compartment 21 of the refrigerator 1 includes a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment, and the ice maker 10 can be located in the freezer compartment. The connecting bracket 112 of the ice maker 10 can be fixed to the inner liner of the freezer compartment, and the mounting bracket 111 can be connected to the connecting bracket 112 to install the ice maker 10 into the freezer compartment of the refrigerator 1.

[0072] In addition, the refrigerator 1 also includes an ice storage box 30, which is located below the mounting bracket 111 and is used to store ice blocks that have been removed from the ice mold 12. For example, the drive assembly 17 can drive the ice mold 12 to rotate relative to the mounting bracket 111, so that the ice mold 12 can twist to remove ice, and the removed ice blocks can fall into the ice storage box 30.

[0073] In addition, the refrigerator 1 also includes a water injection device 40, which can be located in the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator 1. The water injection device 40 can be connected to the water inlet 14 of the ice maker 10 to provide the liquid required for ice making to the ice mold 12.

[0074] Furthermore, other devices of refrigerator 1 will not be described in detail in this application.

[0075] The technical solutions or features described in the above embodiments can be combined or complemented by each other without conflict. The scope of protection of this application is not limited to the precise structures described in the above embodiments and shown in the accompanying drawings. All modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An ice maker, characterized in that, include: A bracket assembly includes a mounting frame and a connecting frame connected to the mounting frame. The mounting frame has a mounting cavity, and the mounting frame and the connecting frame cooperate to form an air inlet communicating with the mounting cavity. An ice mold, located within the mounting cavity and movably connected to the mounting bracket, has a first ice-making section and a second ice-making section sequentially connected along the direction from the air inlet towards the mounting cavity; and The air guide assembly includes an air guide rib connected to the side of the connecting frame facing the mounting cavity, and the air guide rib is located between the first ice-making part and the second ice-making part; the side of the air guide rib facing the air inlet is provided with an air guide surface, which is used to guide air to the first ice-making part; the air guide rib is also provided with a through air guide port in the direction from the air inlet to the mounting cavity.

2. The ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air guide rib has a first connecting side connected to the connecting frame and a second connecting side facing the ice mold. The first connecting side and the second connecting side are spaced apart from each other. The air guide port includes at least one arc-shaped recess located on the second connecting side and recessed towards the first connecting side.

3. The ice maker according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ice maker is also provided with a water inlet located on the connecting frame and communicating with the mounting cavity, the water inlet being used to provide the liquid required for ice making to the ice mold; The air guide rib is located between the air inlet and the water inlet, and / or, in the direction from the first connecting side to the second connecting side, the plane of the end of the water inlet that communicates with the mounting cavity is positioned higher than the bottom wall of the arc-shaped recess.

4. The ice maker according to claim 3, characterized in that, The air guide assembly further includes an air guide structure, which is connected to the connecting frame or the mounting frame, and the water inlet is located between the air guide rib and the air guide structure. The air guide structure is used to guide air to the second ice-making section.

5. The ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the direction from the air inlet to the mounting cavity, the first ice-making part occupies one-fifth to four-fifths of the ice mold; and / or, the air guide surface includes an inclined plane or an arc-shaped surface.

6. The ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice maker also includes a drive assembly located on the mounting frame. The drive assembly has a drive shaft that is connected to the ice mold, so that the ice mold can rotate relative to the mounting frame around the axis of the drive shaft. The drive assembly is located between the air inlet and the air guide rib, and the axis of the drive shaft is arranged in the direction from the air inlet to the mounting cavity.

7. The ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, In the direction from the air inlet to the mounting cavity, the air inlet is provided with a first air inlet end and a second air inlet end connected in sequence, the second air inlet end being connected to the mounting cavity; the inner diameter of the first air inlet end is not less than the inner diameter of the second air inlet end, and / or, the inner wall of the first air inlet end is inclined toward the second air inlet end.

8. The ice maker according to claim 7, characterized in that, The mounting bracket is provided with an air inlet slot communicating with the mounting cavity. The air inlet slot includes a slot bottom wall disposed opposite to the connecting bracket, and a first slot side wall and a second slot side wall disposed opposite to and connected to the slot bottom wall. The connecting bracket is also pressed against the first slot side wall and the second slot side wall respectively to form the air inlet.

9. The ice maker according to claim 8, characterized in that, One of the connecting frame and the mounting frame is provided with a snap-fit ​​structure, and the other of the connecting frame and the mounting frame is provided with a fastening structure. The snap-fit ​​structure and the fastening structure are connected and fastened together, so that the connecting frame is pressed against the side wall of the first groove and the side wall of the second groove respectively. And / or, the connecting frame is further provided with two guide ribs on the side facing the mounting cavity, the two guide ribs are arranged at intervals relative to each other along the direction from the side wall of the first groove to the side wall of the second groove, and the air guide rib is located between the two guide ribs.

10. A refrigerator, characterized in that, The device includes a housing assembly and an ice maker as described in any one of claims 1 to 9. The housing assembly is provided with a refrigeration chamber and an air duct communicating with the refrigeration chamber. The ice maker is located in the refrigeration chamber. At least one of the mounting bracket and the connecting bracket is connected to the housing assembly. The air inlet is communicating with the air outlet of the air duct.

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