Ice bin assembly and ice making apparatus

Abstract

The application provides an ice making bin assembly and an ice making device. The ice making bin assembly comprises an ice making bin, a siphon pipe and a driving device. The ice making bin is used for storing water for ice making. The bottom of the ice making bin is provided with a water outlet. The driving device is used for driving the ice making bin to rotate, so as to switch the ice making bin between an ice making position and a water draining position. The siphon pipe comprises a water outlet pipe, a water draining pipe and an elbow part connecting the water outlet pipe and the water draining pipe. A siphon starting point is formed in the elbow part. The water outlet pipe is connected to the water outlet. The downstream end of the water draining pipe forms a water draining outlet which is communicated with the outside of the ice making bin. When the ice making bin is in the ice making position, the elbow part is at the highest position of the siphon pipe, and the siphon starting point is higher than the highest water level line of the ice making bin. When the ice making bin is in the water draining position, the siphon starting point is below the water level line in the ice making bin, and the water draining outlet is lower than the water outlet, so that the water in the ice making bin enters the water draining pipe through the water outlet, the water outlet pipe and the elbow part, and is drained from the water draining outlet through the siphon effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of ice-making equipment technology, and in particular to an ice-making chamber component and ice-making equipment. Background Technology

[0002] After ice making, existing ice-making equipment requires draining the remaining unfrozen water from the ice-making chamber. Traditional drainage methods mainly include pump drainage and tilting drainage. While pump drainage effectively removes residual water, it requires an additional pump and its drive circuit, which not only increases the manufacturing cost of the ice-making equipment but also occupies internal space, hindering miniaturization and lightweight design. Tilting drainage involves tilting the ice-making chamber to pour the water out directly; however, during this process, water may flow through the ice blocks in the ice storage chamber, causing the ice blocks to melt easily, thus affecting the overall quality and storage time of the ice. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, it is necessary to propose an ice-making chamber component and ice-making equipment that requires no external power unit, has a simple structure, and thoroughly drains water.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an ice-making chamber assembly, comprising: an ice-making chamber for storing water for ice making, the bottom of the ice-making chamber having a water outlet; a driving device for driving the ice-making chamber to rotate, thereby switching the ice-making chamber between an ice-making position and a drainage position; and a siphon pipe, the siphon pipe including a water outlet pipe, a water outlet pipe, and a bend connecting the water outlet pipe and the water outlet pipe, a siphon initiation point being formed within the bend, the water outlet pipe being connected to the water outlet, and the downstream end of the water outlet pipe forming a drainage outlet communicating with the outside of the ice-making chamber; when the ice-making chamber is in the ice-making position, the bend is at the highest point of the siphon pipe, and the siphon initiation point is higher than the highest water level line of the ice-making chamber; when the ice-making chamber is in the drainage position, the siphon initiation point is below the water level line within the ice-making chamber, and the drainage outlet is lower than the water outlet, so that water in the ice-making chamber enters the drainage pipe via the water outlet, the water outlet pipe, and the bend, and is discharged from the drainage outlet through a siphon effect.

[0005] Optionally, the ice-making chamber includes a front sidewall and a rear sidewall disposed opposite to each other, a first endwall and a second endwall disposed opposite to each other, and a bottom wall; the driving device is connected to the first endwall and / or the second endwall and is used to drive the ice-making chamber to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the first endwall and / or the second endwall; when the ice-making chamber rotates from the ice-making position to the drainage position, the front sidewall is lowered relative to the rear sidewall.

[0006] Optionally, the siphon pipe is located outside the first end wall or the second end wall, closer to the front side wall than the rear side wall, and the drain pipe is closer to the front side wall than the water outlet pipe, so that when the ice-making chamber moves from the ice-making position to the drain position, the siphon activation point drops below the water level line in the ice-making chamber.

[0007] Optionally, an overflow outlet is provided on the rear side wall of the ice-making chamber, and the highest water level of the ice-making chamber is defined by the overflow outlet.

[0008] Optionally, the upper ends of the first end wall and the second end wall have inclined portions. When the ice-making chamber is in the ice-making position, the upper edge of the front side wall is higher than the upper edge of the rear side wall, and the upper edge of the inclined portion rises in the direction toward the front side wall. When the ice-making chamber is in the drainage position, the upper edge of the front side wall is at the same height as the upper edge of the inclined portion.

[0009] Optionally, the water outlet is located on the bottom wall, and when the ice-making chamber is in the drainage position, the water outlet is located at the lowest point.

[0010] Optionally, the cross-section of the bent head is circular or elliptical.

[0011] Optionally, both the outlet pipe and the drain pipe are straight pipes; or, the outlet pipe is a straight pipe, and the drain pipe includes a first branch pipe and a second branch pipe connected in parallel.

[0012] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide an ice-making device, which includes a main body and the aforementioned ice-making chamber assembly. The ice-making chamber assembly is disposed within the main body, and the driving device is fixed to the main body.

[0013] Optionally, the ice-making equipment further includes: a cold water tank connected to the drain outlet for receiving water from the ice-making chamber; and a water pump connected between the cold water tank and the ice-making chamber for pumping water from the cold water tank into the ice-making chamber.

[0014] The aforementioned ice-making chamber assembly and ice-making equipment utilize the rotation of the ice-making chamber to change the position of the siphon initiation point within the siphon pipe, thereby triggering the siphon effect and achieving automatic drainage. This method has a simple structure, requires no additional power components, and effectively reduces the size and cost of the ice-making equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 A partial perspective view of the ice-making equipment provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a partial structural cross-sectional view of the ice-making equipment provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an ice-making chamber assembly provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Another angle view of the ice-making chamber assembly shown.

[0020] Figure 5 for Figure 3 This is another schematic diagram of the ice-making chamber assembly.

[0021] Figure 6a This is a schematic diagram of a siphon tube provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 6b for Figure 6a A schematic diagram of the siphon tube from another angle.

[0023] Figure 7a This is a schematic diagram of a siphon tube provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 7b for Figure 7a A schematic diagram of the siphon tube from another angle is shown.

[0025] Figure 8 for Figure 3 The diagram shows the ice-making chamber assembly in the ice-making position.

[0026] Figure 9 for Figure 3 The diagram shows the intermediate state of the ice-making chamber assembly as it moves from the ice-making position to the drainage position.

[0027] Figure 10 for Figure 3 The diagram shows the ice-making chamber assembly in the drainage position.

[0028] Figure 11 for Figure 3The diagram shows the ice-making chamber assembly in a tilted position.

[0029] Figure Labels

[0030] Ice maker assembly 100, bend head 21, 21'

[0031] Ice Container 10 Siphon Start Point 211

[0032] Front side wall 11 Water outlet pipes 22, 22'

[0033] Upper edge 111 Drain pipe 23, 23'

[0034] Rear side wall 12 Drain outlets 231, 231'

[0035] Upper edge 21 First branch pipe 232'

[0036] First end wall 13, second branch pipe 233'

[0037] First rotating shaft 131 Drive device 30

[0038] Convex part 132 Ice-making equipment 1000

[0039] Recess 133 Body 200

[0040] Second end wall 14 Cold water tank 201

[0041] First pivot 141 Icefall 202

[0042] Bottom wall 15, ice storage compartment 203

[0043] Outlet 151, axis O

[0044] Overflow outlet 16 First direction A

[0045] Straight section 17 Second direction B

[0046] Inclined section 18, water level C

[0047] siphon tube 20, 20'

[0048] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0049] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0050] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0051] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0052] To provide a clearer and more accurate understanding of the contents of this application, a detailed description will now be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings illustrate examples of embodiments of this application, wherein the same reference numerals denote the same elements. It is to be understood that the scale shown in the accompanying drawings is not the actual scale of this application, and is for illustrative purposes only, and is not a drawing based on the original dimensions.

[0053] The ice-making process of a common bullet ice maker is briefly described as follows: First, a water pump draws water from the tank to the ice-making chamber; the evaporator starts cooling, causing the water to condense on the surface of the evaporator's cooling columns to form ice. After ice making is complete, the remaining water in the ice-making chamber is pumped out; or the ice-making chamber is rotated to drain the remaining water. Subsequently, the evaporator uses hot gas to de-ice the ice.

[0054] During the process of emptying and draining the ice hopper, the remaining water may pass through the ice blocks in the ice storage compartment, causing the ice blocks to melt or stick together, which is not conducive to ice storage. If a water pump is used to pump the water, additional power space and equipment are required. This application provides an ice hopper assembly for conveniently draining the remaining water from the ice hopper when ice making is complete.

[0055] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 and Figure 2This application provides an ice-making chamber component 100, applied to an ice-making device 1000. The ice-making device 1000 can be a device specifically designed for ice making, including household and commercial countertop ice makers, under-counter ice makers, and freestanding ice makers, or it can be a refrigerator, water dispenser, or other device with an ice-making module. The ice-making device 1000 includes a main body 200, and the ice-making chamber component 100 is installed on the main body 200. In the embodiment shown in the figure, the ice-making device 1000 may also include a cold water tank 201. The main body 200 also has an ice discharge port 202, and the ice-making device 1000 may also include an ice storage chamber 203 located below the ice discharge port 202.

[0056] The ice-making chamber assembly 100 includes an ice-making chamber 10, a siphon pipe 20, and a drive unit 30. The ice-making chamber 10 is used to store water for ice making, and an outlet 151 is provided at the bottom of the ice-making chamber 10. The drive unit 30 is used to drive the ice-making chamber 10 to rotate, so that the ice-making chamber 10 switches between an ice-making position and a drainage position. The siphon pipe 20 is connected to the ice-making chamber 10, and when the ice-making chamber 10 is in the drainage position, the siphon pipe 20 operates, causing the water for ice making in the ice-making chamber 10 to be discharged into the cold water tank 201.

[0057] The initial position of the ice-making chamber 10 is the ice-making position; the drive device 30 can drive the ice-making chamber 10 to rotate to the drainage position; additionally, the drive device 30 can also drive the ice-making chamber 10 to rotate to the tilting position. The ice-making position is the position where the ice-making device 1000 injects ice-making water into the ice-making chamber 10 and makes ice blocks; the drainage position is the position where the ice-making device 1000 discharges the remaining water from the ice-making chamber 10 and de-ices; the tilting position is the position where the ice-making device 1000 tilts the ice blocks.

[0058] Please refer to the above. Figures 9 to 11 In this embodiment, the tilting position and the drainage position are two opposite positions relative to the ice-making position, that is, the driving device 30 drives the ice-making chamber 10 along the first direction A ( Figure 9 and Figure 10 Rotate to the drain position (in the counterclockwise direction shown), while along the second direction B (as shown). Figure 11 The ice maker 10 rotates counterclockwise (as shown in the diagram) to the tilting position, with the second direction B being opposite to the first direction A, thereby isolating the discharged ice-making water from the ice storage chamber 203. Further, the drive device 30 preferably employs a stepper motor or a servo motor, and the drive device 30 is connected to the ice maker 10 via a transmission mechanism. The control system ensures that the ice maker 10 can accurately stop at the ice-making position, the drainage position, and the tilting position by controlling the rotation angle and timing of the motor. Those skilled in the art will understand that in other embodiments, the tilting position and the drainage position can also be the positions of the ice maker 10 when it rotates from the ice-making position along the same direction at different angles.

[0059] Please refer to the following: Figure 3, Figure 4 and Figure 5 The ice-making chamber 10 includes a front sidewall 11 and a rear sidewall 12, a first endwall 13 and a second endwall 14, and a bottom wall 15, all arranged opposite each other. The first endwall 13, the second endwall 14, the first sidewall 1133, the second sidewall 1134, and the bottom wall 15 together form a semi-cylindrical ice-making chamber 10 with an open top. In this embodiment, the semi-cylindrical structure is approximately a parabolic column, and the cross-section of the ice-making chamber 10 is approximately parabolic. Preferably, the semi-cylindrical structure is a semi-cylindrical or semi-prismatic column with an open top. The front sidewall 11 and the rear sidewall 12 are curved, and their bottom sides are connected together by the bottom wall 15. The first endwall 13 and the second endwall 14 are respectively connected to the two sides of the front sidewall 11, the rear sidewall 12, and the bottom wall 15. The bottom wall 15 has a water outlet 151, and when the ice-making chamber 10 is in the drainage position, the water outlet 151 is at its lowest point. The first sidewall 1133 and the second sidewall 1134 are smoothly connected through the bottom wall 15 to ensure that the remaining water in the ice chamber 10 can be completely collected to the outlet 150, thereby achieving that there is no residual water in the ice chamber 10.

[0060] A first rotating shaft 131 perpendicular to the plane of the first end wall 13 is provided on the outer side of the first end wall 13, and a second rotating shaft 141 perpendicular to the plane of the second end wall 14 is provided on the outer side of the second end wall 14. The first rotating shaft 131 is rotatably connected to the interior of the ice maker body, and the second rotating shaft 141 is connected to the drive device 30, so that the ice maker chamber 10 rotates around an axis O that is collinear with the first rotating shaft 131 and the second rotating shaft 141 under the drive of the drive device 30. Those skilled in the art will understand that in other embodiments, the first rotating shaft 131 and the second rotating shaft 141 may not be collinear, or may not be collinear with the axis O of rotation of the ice maker chamber 10.

[0061] In this embodiment, the first end wall 13 is formed by two stepped planes connected in sequence, and the second end wall 14 is planar, so that the ice-making chamber 10 forms a connected protrusion 132 and a recess 133 at the position of the first end wall 13. The protrusion 132 and the recess 133 are respectively close to the front side wall 11 and the rear side wall 12. The siphon tube 20 is disposed in the recess 133 on the outside of the first end wall 13, thereby making the overall shape of the ice-making chamber assembly more compact. The drive device 30 is disposed on the outside of the second end wall 14.

[0062] Please refer to the following: Figure 3 and Figure 4An overflow outlet 16 is provided on the rear side wall 12 of the ice-making chamber 10, and the highest water level of the ice-making chamber 10 is defined by the overflow outlet 16. In this embodiment, the overflow outlet 16 is a notch opened at the upper edge 21 of the rear side wall 12 near the first end wall 13. In other embodiments, the overflow outlet 16 can also be a through hole opened on the rear side wall 12. The overflow outlet 16 can effectively limit the highest water level in the ice-making chamber 10. When the water level reaches the preset height, the excess water will be discharged in time through the overflow outlet 16, thereby accurately controlling the water level in the ice-making chamber 10, effectively preventing the siphon phenomenon caused by excessive water level, and providing a stable working environment for the ice-making process. By optimizing the size and position parameters of the overflow outlet 16, the efficient use of water resources and the precise control of the ice-making process are achieved while ensuring sufficient water for ice making.

[0063] The upper ends of the first end wall 13 and the second end wall 14 have a straight portion 17 parallel to the bottom wall 15 and an inclined portion 18 extending upward from one end of the straight portion 17, with one end of the straight portion 17 and the inclined portion 18 connected at an obtuse angle. The straight portion 17 remains horizontal when the ice-making chamber 10 is in the ice-making position, working in conjunction with the overflow outlet 16 to limit the maximum water level inside the ice-making chamber 10. When the ice-making chamber 10 rotates from the ice-making position to the drainage position, the inclined portion 18 effectively prevents residual water inside the ice-making chamber 10 from overflowing from the front side wall 11, ensuring that the water flow is guided to the siphon pipe 20 for discharge. This structural design ensures that during the drainage process, the residual water inside the chamber can be completely and orderly discharged through the siphon pipe, avoiding accidental leakage of residual water from the front side wall 11 of the ice-making chamber 10, thereby significantly improving the reliability and efficiency of the drainage process.

[0064] In this embodiment, the front sidewall 11 and rear sidewall 12 are connected to both sides of the bottom wall 15, giving the ice-making chamber 10 a tapered structure that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, which facilitates the natural collection of water to the bottom wall 15. That is, the outlet 151 is located at the lowest point of the bottom wall 15, corresponding to the lowest point of the ice-making chamber 10 in the drainage position, ensuring that all residual water in the chamber can be completely collected at this point. To further improve water collection efficiency, the outlet 151 can adopt a funnel-shaped design, so that the opening contour of the outlet 151 fits the bottom wall 15, thereby effectively collecting all the remaining water flowing to the bottom wall 15, providing a reliable guarantee for completely emptying the remaining water in the ice-making chamber 10.

[0065] Please refer to the following: Figure 3 , Figure 6a and Figure 6bThe diagram shows the structure of the siphon pipe 20 provided in the first embodiment of this application. The siphon pipe 20 includes an outlet pipe 22, a drain pipe 23, and a bend 21 connecting the outlet pipe 22 and the drain pipe 23. A siphon start point 211 is formed in the bend 21. The outlet pipe 22 is connected to the outlet 151. The downstream end of the drain pipe 23 forms a drain outlet 231 that communicates with the outside of the ice-making chamber 10.

[0066] The siphon activation point 211 is located at the lowest point of the cross-sectional profile of the internal channel of the bend 21, and is a key point that determines whether the siphon effect can be triggered. Once the water level of the water entering the siphon pipe 20 from the outlet 151 exceeds the siphon activation point 211, the siphon effect can be activated.

[0067] When the ice maker 10 is in the ice-making position, the elbow 21 is at the highest point of the siphon pipe 20, and the siphon activation point 211 is higher than the highest water level line in the ice maker 10, so the water in the ice maker 10 will not flow out of the siphon pipe 20. When the ice maker 10 is rotated to the drainage position, the position of the siphon activation point 211 drops and is below the water level line in the ice maker 10, and the drain outlet 231 is lower than the water outlet 151, so the water in the ice maker 10 enters the water outlet pipe 22, elbow 21 and drain pipe 23 from the water outlet 151. The water level in the siphon pipe 20 exceeds the siphon activation point 211 and is discharged from the drain outlet 231 through the siphon effect.

[0068] In the embodiment shown in the figure, the siphon pipe 20 is located outside the first end wall 13 or the second end wall 14, closer to the front side wall 11 than the rear side wall 12, and the drain pipe 23 is closer to the front side wall 11 than the outlet pipe 22. As the driving device 30 drives the ice-making chamber 10 to rotate from the ice-making position to the drainage position, the siphon activation point 211 also descends until it is below the water level in the ice-making chamber 10, thus generating a siphon effect. The drain pipe 23 also experiences a more significant downward displacement relative to the outlet pipe 22, providing more favorable potential energy conditions for siphon activation. Simultaneously, this arrangement ensures that when the ice-making chamber 10 rotates to the drainage position, the drain pipe 23 is always at the lowest point in the piping system. This not only helps to quickly establish the siphon effect but also ensures that the water accumulated in the pipe is completely drained during the drainage process.

[0069] Those skilled in the art will understand that in other embodiments, the siphon pipe 20 or a portion thereof may also be located in other positions. The goal is simply to ensure that the siphon activation point 211 descends below the water level in the ice-making chamber 10 when the ice-making chamber 10 is rotated from the ice-making position to the drainage position. For example, the entire siphon pipe 20 may be located on the outside of the front sidewall 11, or a portion of the siphon pipe 20 (e.g., the drain pipe 23) may be located on the outside of the first end wall 13, the second end wall 14, and the front sidewall 11.

[0070] In this embodiment, the siphon pipe 20 adopts an external design, with the entire siphon pipe 20 disposed on the outer side of the first end wall 13 of the ice-making chamber 10. This external layout ensures the reliable realization of the siphon drainage function and facilitates installation and maintenance. Specifically, the outlet pipe 22 of the siphon pipe 20 is sealed to the outlet 151, and the drain outlet 231 formed at the downstream end of the drain pipe 23 is connected to the cold water tank 201 outside the ice-making chamber 10. It should be noted that although this embodiment adopts an external design, in other possible implementations, the siphon pipe 20 can also be disposed entirely or partially inside the ice-making chamber 10, as long as the drain pipe 23 of the siphon pipe 20 remains connected to the outside of the ice-making chamber 10 to achieve the same siphon drainage function. For example, the advantage of the current external design is that the structural layout is more intuitive, facilitating manufacturing, installation, and maintenance.

[0071] The siphon activation point 211 is not only the reference level for water flow, but also a key location for controlling the triggering of the siphon effect. In the ice-making position, the siphon activation point 211 is located above the overflow outlet 16, thus its height is higher than that of the overflow outlet 16. In this way, in the ice-making position, the water level in the ice-making chamber 10 is always kept below the siphon activation point 211, making the water injection process more controllable. This satisfies the water demand for ice making while effectively preventing the triggering of the siphon due to excessively high water levels, thereby ensuring the stability and reliability of the ice-making process.

[0072] Furthermore, the internal channel cross-sectional shape of the elbow 21 is circular or elliptical. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the elbow 21 is designed to be elliptical, which effectively reduces the water level required for siphon activation while ensuring that the flow cross-sectional area remains unchanged. Therefore, the ice-making chamber 10 only needs to rotate a small angle to trigger the siphon, which not only reduces energy consumption and the overall moving space of the ice-making chamber assembly, but also improves the reliability of siphon activation under low water level conditions.

[0073] Both the outlet pipe 22 and the drain pipe 23 are straight pipes. This design not only simplifies the manufacturing process but also effectively reduces water flow resistance, thereby significantly improving drainage efficiency. In this embodiment, the length of the outlet pipe 22 is shorter than the length of the drain pipe 23. The end of the outlet pipe 22 is bent and connected to the bottom wall 15 of the ice-making chamber 10, while the end of the drain pipe 23 is located below the bottom wall 15, ensuring that the height of the drain outlet 231 is always lower than the height of the outlet 151. This design ensures that the siphon pipe 20 maintains the necessary negative pressure conditions under any operating condition, ensuring the continuity and thoroughness of the drainage process. Furthermore, a flow sensor can be installed at the drain outlet 231 of the siphon pipe 20 to monitor whether the drainage process is proceeding normally. When an abnormal drainage is detected, the system can issue an alarm or activate a protection program.

[0074] Please refer to the following: Figure 7a and Figure 7b The figure illustrates the structure of a siphon 20' provided in some embodiments of this application. In this embodiment, the drain pipe 23' of the siphon 20' includes a first branch pipe 232' and a second branch pipe 233' connected in parallel. When water flows through the bend 21' and the parallel branch pipe structure, it is divided into two streams. The divided water streams re-merge as they flow toward the drain outlet 231', forming turbulence. Turbulence can effectively entrain, disperse, and carry away air within the siphon 20', quickly establishing and maintaining the negative pressure conditions required for siphoning, thereby greatly promoting the initiation and continuation of siphoning. This is suitable for situations where there is initially a large amount of air in the pipe, ensuring the stability and thoroughness of drainage. In the embodiment shown in the figure, the two parallel branch pipes are symmetrically arranged to form a rhombus structure. It can be understood that, in addition to the rhombus structure, other multi-branch structures with similar diversion and convergence functions, such as parallel pipes with different geometric structures like V-shapes, U-shapes, or X-shapes, can also achieve the technical effect of promoting turbulence and accelerating exhaust.

[0075] Please refer to the following: Figures 8-11 It shows schematic diagrams of the ice-making chamber assembly 100 in the ice-making position, drainage position, and tilting position.

[0076] The drive unit 30 is connected to the second rotating shaft 141 of the ice-making chamber 10. The drive unit 30 includes a first direction A and a second direction B for driving the ice-making chamber 10 to rotate around axis O. When the drive unit 30 drives the ice-making chamber 10 to rotate along the first direction A, the front side wall 11 will lower accordingly, and the rear side wall 12 will rise accordingly, until the ice-making chamber 10 reaches the drainage position. After drainage is completed, the drive unit 30 drives the ice-making chamber 10 to rotate along the second direction B, which is opposite to the first direction A. The front side wall 11 will rise again, and the rear side wall 12 will lower accordingly. The correspondence between the rotation direction of the ice-making chamber 10 and the position of the wall ensures reliable switching of the ice-making chamber between different working states, which not only ensures the stability of the ice-making process but also optimizes drainage efficiency.

[0077] like Figure 8 The ice-making chamber assembly 100 shown is in the ice-making position. The straight portion 17 of the end wall of the ice-making chamber 10 remains horizontal, the upper edge 111 of the front side wall 11 is higher than the upper edge 121 of the rear side wall 12, and the upper edge of the inclined portion 18 rises along the direction of the front side wall 11. A water injection device (not shown) injects water (ice-making water) into the ice-making chamber 10. In this state, the elbow 21 is at the highest point of the siphon pipe 20, and the siphon activation point 211 is higher than the highest water level line C of the ice-making chamber 10, ensuring that the siphon effect is not triggered. The presence of the overflow port 16 ensures that the water level in the ice-making chamber 10 will not exceed the highest water level line, and siphon will not be triggered in the ice-making position. Subsequently, the refrigeration system starts, and the water in the ice-making chamber 10 gradually condenses into ice on the evaporator cooling column.

[0078] like Figure 9 The ice-making chamber assembly 100 shown is in an intermediate state between the ice-making position and the drainage position. After ice making is completed, the drive device 30 drives the ice-making chamber 10 to rotate around the axis in the first direction to the drainage position. During the rotation of the ice-making chamber 10 along the first direction to the drainage position, the height of the siphon start point 211 decreases.

[0079] like Figure 10 The ice-making chamber assembly 100 shown is in the drainage position, at which point the upper edge 111 of the front sidewall 11 is at the same height as the upper edge of the inclined section 18. As the ice-making chamber 10 rotates, the siphon pipe 20 fixed to the outside of the ice-making chamber 10 rotates synchronously, causing the height of the originally high siphon activation point 211 to decrease accordingly. Because the design height of the inclined section 18 is higher than that of the bend head 21, the water level C in the ice-making chamber 10 can exceed the siphon activation point 211, thereby triggering the siphon effect. Under the siphon effect, the remaining water in the ice-making chamber 10 is drawn in from the outlet 151 of the ice-making chamber 10, which is connected to the siphon pipe 20, and then discharged from the drain outlet 231 of the siphon pipe 20. Once the siphon effect is activated, the ice-making equipment 1000 can control the ice to thaw.

[0080] like Figure 11 The ice-making chamber assembly 100 shown is in the tilted position. After the remaining water has been drained, the drive device 30 drives the ice-making chamber 10 to rotate around its axis in the second direction to the tilted position. At this time, the ice blocks inside the ice-making chamber 10 are poured out along the rear side wall 12 under the action of gravity and enter the ice storage chamber 203 through the ice drop outlet 202. Since the remaining water in the ice-making chamber 10 has been completely drained by siphon, the ice blocks are poured out in a dry state, effectively avoiding the melting of the ice blocks due to water contact, and ensuring the integrity and storage quality of the ice blocks.

[0081] In other embodiments, the tilting position and the draining position of the ice-making chamber 10 are achieved by rotating the ice-making position by different angles in the same direction. For example, rotating by an angle α relative to the ice-making position in a first or second direction reaches the draining position; continuing to rotate by an angle β reaches the tilting position.

[0082] In the above embodiments, this application achieves complete drainage of residual water in the ice-making chamber by setting a siphon pipe 20 on the outside of the ice-making chamber 10 and using the rotational movement of the ice-making chamber 10 to control the start and stop of the siphon effect. This design not only effectively avoids the problem of ice melting due to re-contact with water in traditional drainage methods, but also avoids the need for complex mechanisms such as water pumps for drainage, significantly simplifying the overall structure and greatly reducing manufacturing costs.

[0083] Please refer to it again. Figure 1 and Figure 2The diagram shows a schematic of an ice-making device 1000. The ice-making device 1000 includes a main body 200 and an ice-making chamber assembly 100 rotatably mounted on the main body 200. The main body 200 and the ice-making chamber assembly 100 have been described above and will not be repeated here.

[0084] In this embodiment, a cold water tank 201 is provided below the drain outlet 231 of the siphon pipe 20 to collect and store the remaining water discharged from the ice-making chamber 10 through the siphon effect. In this embodiment, the cold water tank 201 is located below the drain outlet 231 of the siphon pipe 20 and is securely installed inside the main body 200 using a fixing bracket. The ice-making device 1000 also includes a water pump (not shown) installed inside the main body 200. The cold water tank 201 is connected to the drain outlet 231 of the siphon pipe 20 to receive water discharged from the ice-making chamber 10; the water pump is connected between the cold water tank 201 and the ice-making chamber 10 to deliver water from the cold water tank 201 into the ice-making chamber 10.

[0085] Since the remaining water in the ice-making chamber 10 after each round of ice making is low-temperature water cooled by the evaporator, this low-temperature water is collected by the cold water tank 201. During the next round of ice making, the low-temperature water in the cold water tank 201 is preferentially pumped into the ice-making chamber 10 by a water pump. This can effectively shorten the time required for the next round of ice making and significantly reduce the energy consumption of the refrigeration system.

[0086] In other embodiments, the cold water tank 201 can also be connected to the water supply device of the ice-making equipment 1000 via pipelines to achieve water recycling. This design not only effectively solves the problem of water waste in traditional drainage methods, but also significantly improves the system's integration and environmental performance by optimizing the drainage path.

[0087] Because the ice-making equipment 1000 has an ice-making chamber component 100, it can effectively avoid the re-contact between ice and water in traditional drainage methods, preventing the ice from melting. It can also achieve energy conservation through water resource recycling. Furthermore, this application eliminates the need for complex drainage mechanisms such as water pumps, significantly simplifying the overall structure and greatly reducing manufacturing costs.

[0088] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

[0089] The above-listed embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. Therefore, any equivalent variations made in accordance with the claims of this application shall still fall within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. An ice-making chamber assembly for use in ice-making equipment, characterized in that, The ice-making chamber assembly includes: An ice-making chamber is used to store water for ice making, and the bottom of the ice-making chamber is provided with a water outlet. A drive device is used to drive the ice-making chamber to rotate, so that the ice-making chamber switches between an ice-making position and a drainage position; The siphon includes an outlet pipe, a drain pipe, and an elbow connecting the outlet pipe and the drain pipe. A siphon start point is formed inside the elbow. The outlet pipe is connected to the outlet. The downstream end of the drain pipe forms a drain outlet that communicates with the outside of the ice-making chamber. When the ice-making chamber is in the ice-making position, the elbow is at the highest point of the siphon pipe, and the siphon start point is higher than the highest water level line of the ice-making chamber; When the ice-making chamber is in the drainage position, the siphon activation point is below the water level line in the ice-making chamber, and the drain outlet is lower than the water outlet, so that the water in the ice-making chamber enters the drain pipe through the water outlet, the water outlet pipe, and the elbow, and is discharged from the drain outlet through the siphon effect.

2. The ice-making chamber assembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The ice-making chamber includes: The front and rear side walls, the first and second end walls, and the bottom wall are arranged opposite to each other. The drive device is connected to the first end wall and / or the second end wall and is used to drive the ice-making chamber to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the first end wall and / or the second end wall. When the ice-making chamber rotates from the ice-making position to the drainage position, the front sidewall is lowered relative to the rear sidewall.

3. The ice-making chamber assembly as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The siphon pipe is located on the outside of the first end wall or the second end wall, closer to the front side wall than the rear side wall, and the drain pipe is closer to the front side wall than the water outlet pipe, so that when the ice-making chamber moves from the ice-making position to the drain position, the siphon activation point drops below the water level line in the ice-making chamber.

4. The ice-making chamber assembly as described in claim 2, characterized in that, An overflow outlet is provided on the rear side wall of the ice-making chamber, and the highest water level of the ice-making chamber is defined by the overflow outlet.

5. The ice-making chamber assembly as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The upper ends of the first end wall and the second end wall have inclined portions. When the ice-making chamber is in the ice-making position, the upper edge of the front sidewall is higher than the upper edge of the rear sidewall, and the upper edge of the inclined portion rises in the direction toward the front sidewall; When the ice-making chamber is in the drainage position, the upper edge of the front sidewall is at the same height as the upper edge of the inclined portion.

6. The ice-making chamber assembly as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The water outlet is located on the bottom wall, and when the ice-making chamber is in the drainage position, the water outlet is at its lowest point.

7. The ice-making chamber assembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-section of the bent head is circular or elliptical.

8. The ice-making chamber assembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Both the outlet pipe and the drain pipe are straight pipes; or, the outlet pipe is a straight pipe, and the drain pipe includes a first branch pipe and a second branch pipe connected in parallel.

9. An ice-making device, characterized in that, The ice-making device includes a body and an ice-making chamber assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, the ice-making chamber assembly being disposed within the body, and the drive device being fixed to the body.

10. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The ice-making equipment also includes: A cold water tank, connected to the drain outlet, is used to receive water from the ice-making chamber; A water pump is connected between the cold water tank and the ice-making chamber to deliver water from the cold water tank into the ice-making chamber.

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