Ice storage assembly and ice maker

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of ice storage assembly and ice maker, it is related to ice making technical field, wherein, ice storage assembly includes ice storage tank, ice shovel and drive assembly. Ice storage tank is formed with notch. Ice shovel is set outside ice storage tank, and has compression state and extension state. Drive assembly is connected with ice shovel;Drive assembly is used to drive ice shovel to enter compression state to shovel ice;Drive assembly is also used to drive ice shovel to enter extension state, so that ice shovel extends to notch. The technical scheme provided by the utility model can improve the space utilization of ice storage tank.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] The ice blocks produced in the ice maker need to be stored. Therefore, the ice blocks produced in the ice-making area need to be transported to the ice storage tank. As the number of ice blocks in the storage tank increases, the ice blocks begin to accumulate. Since the ice blocks are often pushed into the storage tank from one side of the opening, they tend to accumulate on one side of the storage tank (i.e., the side where the ice blocks enter), resulting in at least part of the space on the other side of the storage tank being unusable, leading to low space utilization of the ice storage tank. Utility Model Content

[0003] The main purpose of this invention is to provide an ice storage component and an ice maker, which aims to improve the space utilization of the ice storage tank.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the ice storage component proposed in this utility model includes an ice storage trough, an ice shovel, and a driving component. The ice storage trough has an opening; the ice shovel is disposed outside the ice storage trough and has a compressed state and an extended state; the driving component is connected to the ice shovel; the driving component is used to drive the ice shovel into the compressed state to shovel ice; the driving component is also used to drive the ice shovel into the extended state so that the ice shovel extends into the opening.

[0005] In some embodiments, the ice shovel includes a telescopically connected first shovel portion and a second shovel portion; the drive assembly is driven connected to the first shovel portion, and the second shovel portion is disposed on the side of the first shovel portion away from the drive assembly; the first shovel portion and the second shovel portion are configured to retract into each other to bring the ice shovel into a compressed state; the first shovel portion and the second shovel portion are also configured to move away from each other to bring the ice shovel into an extended state.

[0006] In some embodiments, the ice shovel further includes an elastic element disposed between the first shovel portion and the second shovel portion; the elastic element is used to push against the second shovel portion to cause the ice shovel to move from a compressed state to an extended state.

[0007] In some embodiments, the drive assembly includes a power element and an ice-making tank, the power element being drivenly connected to the ice-making tank and used to drive the ice-making tank to rotate about a first axis; the first shovel is rotatably connected to the ice-making tank, and the axis of rotation is a second axis; the first axis and the second axis are parallel and spaced apart. The ice storage assembly also includes a partition grid protruding from the upper part of the slot; the power element is also used to drive the ice-making tank to rotate around the first axis, so that the second axis is close to the ice storage tank, and at the same time, the second shovel part presses against the partition grid, so that the ice shovel enters a compressed state; when the power element drives the ice-making tank to rotate to a preset position, the side of the second shovel part away from the first shovel part exceeds the height of the partition grid, and the elastic element pushes against the second shovel part, so that the ice shovel enters an extended state from the compressed state.

[0008] In some embodiments, the ice shovel further includes a guide rod; the elastic element includes a helical spring; both ends of the guide rod are fixedly connected to one of the first shovel portion and the second shovel portion, respectively, and cooperate with the shaft hole of the other; the helical spring is sleeved on the guide rod, and both ends abut against the first shovel portion and the second shovel portion, respectively; when the ice shovel is in a compressed state, the helical spring is in a compressed state.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first shovel portion forms a receiving groove, the depth direction of which is arranged along the movement direction of the second shovel portion relative to the first shovel portion; the second shovel portion includes a shovel head and a guide plate connected to each other, the guide plate being used to enter the receiving groove for sliding engagement with the receiving groove; the shovel head being used to abut against the outer side of the wall of the ice storage tank.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first shovel portion has a waist-shaped hole, the length direction of which is arranged along the movement direction of the second shovel portion relative to the first shovel portion; the guide plate is provided with a protruding post, which slides in cooperation with the waist-shaped hole; when the ice shovel is in the extended state, the protruding post abuts against the end wall of the waist-shaped hole near the shovel head; the waist-shaped hole is a through hole penetrating the second shovel portion.

[0011] In some embodiments, the upper surfaces of the shovel head and the guide plate together form an ice-shoveling surface; when the ice shovel overlaps with the opening of the ice storage trough, the ice-shoveling surface gradually slopes downward in at least part of the direction from the first shovel portion to the second shovel portion.

[0012] In some embodiments, the ice-making tank is provided with a stalling boss, which is used to abut against the back of the ice shovel to prevent the ice shovel from rotating relative to the ice-making tank and to push the ice shovel to rise.

[0013] This utility model also proposes an ice maker, including the ice storage component described above.

[0014] In this invention, after the ice shovel removes the ice, the ice blocks slide down its surface into the ice storage tank. If the ice shovel only has one state and cannot be compressed or extended, it can only engage with the tank wall on the outside of the tank and cannot extend into the tank opening. As a result, the ice blocks continue to slide down the side wall of the tank after sliding off the shovel, causing them to accumulate on one side. However, when the drive assembly drives the ice shovel into the extended state, it can extend further into the tank opening, allowing the ice blocks to slide closer to the center of the opening. This prevents the ice blocks from accumulating on the side wall of the tank, improving the space utilization of the ice storage tank. Attached Figure Description

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

[0016] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of the ice storage component provided by this utility model; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A top-view structural diagram of the implementation method of the ice storage component; Figure 3 for Figure 1 The implementation method of the ice storage component is as follows: Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure in the middle BB direction; Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of section C; Figure 5 for Figure 1 Ice shovel edge of the ice storage component implementation method Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure in the middle BB direction; Figure 6 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the ice shovel and ice storage tank in the implementation of the ice storage component. Figure 7 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the ice shovel structure from a bottom-view perspective of the implementation method of the ice storage component; Figure 8 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the implementation method of the ice storage component; Figure 9 for Figure 8 Enlarged view of section D; Figure 10An exploded structural diagram of an embodiment of the ice maker provided by this utility model; Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating the accumulation of ice.

[0017] Explanation of icon numbers: Ice maker 100; ice trough 120; outer casing 130; top cover 140; Ice storage component 10; Ice storage tank 11; tank opening 111; Ice shovel 12; First shovel part 121; Receiving groove 1211; Waist-shaped hole 1212; Second shovel part 122; Shovel head 1221; Guide plate 1222; Protruding post 1223; Ice shovel surface 1224; Elastic element 123; Helical spring 1231; Guide rod 124; Drive assembly 13; power element 131; ice trough 132; stall boss 1321; Separator 14; First axis A1; Second axis A2.

[0018] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this utility model will be further explained in conjunction with the implementation methods and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0020] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this utility model involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0021] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this utility model involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution that simultaneously satisfies A and B. Furthermore, the technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.

[0022] This utility model proposes an ice storage component.

[0023] Please refer to Figure 1 The ice storage assembly 10 proposed in this utility model includes an ice storage tank 11, an ice shovel 12, and a drive assembly 13. The ice storage tank 11 has a groove 111; the ice shovel 12 is disposed outside the ice storage tank 11 and has a compressed state and an extended state; the drive assembly 13 is connected to the ice shovel 12; the drive assembly 13 is used to drive the ice shovel 12 into the compressed state to shovel ice; the drive assembly 13 is also used to drive the ice shovel 12 into the extended state so that the ice shovel 12 extends into the groove 111.

[0024] Ice storage tank 11 refers to a tank used to store ice blocks. Ice blocks scooped up by ice shovel 12 can fall into the cavity of ice storage tank 11 through its opening 111. To allow ice blocks located outside the cavity of ice storage tank 11 to be scooped into it, ice shovel 12 needs to be positioned outside the ice storage tank 11. However, this does not mean that in any working state, no part of ice shovel 12 will ever enter the cavity of ice storage tank 11.

[0025] In one example, please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 Because the ice scraper 12 has an ice-scraping surface 1224 on its surface, and the ice-scraping surface 1224 is inclined, the ice scraper 12 partially enters the cavity. If the drive assembly 13 pushes the ice scraper 12 a sufficient distance, it can even send the entire ice scraper 12 into the cavity of the ice storage tank 11. Therefore, since the ice scraper 12 is located outside the ice storage tank 11, it should be considered that the ice scraper 12 is at least partially located outside the ice storage tank 11 in at least a partially working state, thereby scooping up the ice blocks outside the ice storage tank 11.

[0026] Furthermore, the ice storage tank 11 is not necessarily only used for storing ice cubes; for one example, please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 1 , Figure 1 The ice storage tank 11 is also used for water storage. At this time, an ice basket (not shown) can be set in the ice storage tank 11. The bottom of the ice basket is spaced apart from the bottom of the ice storage tank 11. Water can be stored between the bottom of the ice storage tank 11 and the bottom of the ice basket. The ice is stored in the ice basket, that is, above the water (in the direction of gravity). In this way, the ice and water will not interfere with each other.

[0027] The ice shovel 12 has different lengths in its compressed and extended states. This length refers to the dimensions of the ice shovel 12 when it changes between different working states; for an example, please refer to... Figure 2 Since the ice shovel 12 is retractable (see below for details), and the retraction direction is along the length direction in the figure, rather than along the width direction, the above length refers to the length of the ice shovel 12 in the length direction in the figure, not the length of the ice shovel 12 in the width direction.

[0028] In other examples, the ice shovel 12 can be formed into a variable length structure through a multi-link mechanism and / or a multi-stage rotation mechanism. In this case, the ice shovel 12 can be switched between different length forms, and the length change during the transformation can be measured. The shorter length state is the compressed state, and the longer length state is the extended state.

[0029] It should be noted that the ice shovel 12 does not necessarily switch between the compressed state and the extended state in an "either / or" manner during operation (of course, this implementation is not excluded). In some implementations, the length of the ice shovel 12 can be continuously varied (for example, in the implementation with the helical spring 1231 mentioned below). In this implementation, the compressed state can be considered as any state with a length less than the extended state, while the extended state is the longest state that the ice shovel 12 can reach.

[0030] The drive assembly 13 is a mechanism for driving the ice shovel 12, and may include a power source such as a motor and a cylinder, as well as a transmission element such as a linkage. Its basic function is to drive the ice shovel 12 to scoop up ice blocks and send them into the cavity of the ice storage tank 11.

[0031] In the embodiments of this application, the drive component 13 also has an additional function, namely, driving the ice shovel 12 into a compressed state and into an extended state. The driving method can be direct driving by the drive component 13. In one example, please refer to... Figure 5The ice shovel 12 includes a first shovel part 121 and a second shovel part 122 that are telescopically connected. A cylinder (not shown in the figure) can be provided on the first shovel part 121 and the second shovel part 122. More specifically, a cylinder can be provided on the first shovel part 121 and a piston rod that cooperates with the cylinder can be provided on the second shovel part 122. In this way, the cylinder drives the piston rod to extend and retract, which can drive the second shovel part 122 to move toward the first shovel part 121 to put the ice shovel 12 into a compressed state, or drive the second shovel part 122 away from the first shovel part 121 to put the ice shovel 12 into an extended state.

[0032] The drive component 13 can also passively drive the ice shovel 12 to switch between a compressed state and an extended state, as described below.

[0033] When the drive assembly 13 drives the ice shovel 12 to shovel ice, the ice shovel 12 is in a compressed state at least during part of the working phase. In particular, in the phase before the ice shovel 12 extends into the slot 111, the ice shovel 12 can always maintain a compressed state. In this way, when the ice shovel 12 extends into the slot 111, that is, when the ice block is sent into the slot cavity, it can give the ice block on the ice shovel 12 a force to push it into the slot 111, which helps to send the ice block into the slot cavity further away from the slot wall and prevent the ice block from accumulating on the slot wall.

[0034] The ice shovel 12 extends into the groove 111, which can be considered as the ice shovel 12 being distributed radially inward from the edge of the groove 111, so that at least part of the ice shovel 12 covers the groove 111. It is understood that if the ice shovel 12 covers part of the groove 111, then ice cannot pass through the groove 111 through the part covered by the ice shovel 12. This naturally allows ice to enter the ice storage tank 11 from a position further away from the tank wall, so as to avoid ice accumulation at the tank wall.

[0035] You might wonder why accumulating ice on the tank walls reduces the space utilization of ice storage tank 11. The explanation is as follows: Please refer to Figure 11 , Figure 11 It can be considered as Figure 3 Simplification of the ice storage tank 11; Figure 11 In the ice storage tank 11, there are two dashed lines. One is a straight diagonal line, and the other is a broken line with a bend. The two segments of the straight diagonal line and the broken line make the same angle with the horizontal direction (the width direction shown by W in the figure). It can be assumed that the angle is equal to the angle of repose when the ice is piled up. Therefore, these two dashed lines can be regarded as the surface of the ice under different pile conditions.

[0036] The dashed line shows the accumulation of ice blocks as they enter the ice storage tank 11 from the inside of the opening 111, while the straight dashed line shows the accumulation as they enter from the edge of the opening 111. It can be seen that both the straight and dashed lines reach the opening 111, indicating that the tank is full of ice blocks. According to the formula for calculating the area of ​​a triangle, the area of ​​the triangle formed by the straight dashed line, the opening 111, and the tank wall is W*H² / 2. The total area of ​​the triangle formed by the two segments of the zigzag dashed line, the opening 111, and the tank wall (the two triangles) is W*H¹ / 2. Since H² is greater than H¹, W*H² / 2 is greater than W*H¹ / 2.

[0037] It is understandable that the area of ​​the triangle mentioned above actually represents the size of the area that the ice blocks cannot cover in the ice storage tank 11 under the two ice block stacking conditions. Therefore, it is obvious that when the ice blocks fall into the ice storage tank 11 from the edge of the tank wall, the area that cannot be covered is larger, resulting in a reduction in space utilization.

[0038] Of course, the above is just an illustrative example, and the actual stacking situation may not be so ideal. However, the inventors of this application have also conducted actual tests, and the specific test methods are as follows: Attachment Figure 1-9 The ice storage component 10 shown is applied to an ice maker. To prevent ice from overflowing, the ice maker checks the ice accumulation in the ice storage tank 11. When the ice accumulates to the tank opening 111, ice making stops. Actual testing showed that the ice maker stopped making ice after 11 rounds of ice making; under the same conditions, using an edge-feeding method, the ice maker stopped making ice after 7 rounds.

[0039] It is evident that the implementation method of this application can significantly improve the space utilization of the ice tank 132.

[0040] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the ice shovel 12 includes a telescopically connected first shovel portion 121 and second shovel portion 122; a drive assembly 13 is drivenly connected to the first shovel portion 121, and the second shovel portion 122 is disposed on the side of the first shovel portion 121 away from the drive assembly 13; the first shovel portion 121 and the second shovel portion 122 are used to retract with each other so that the ice shovel 12 enters a compressed state; the first shovel portion 121 and the second shovel portion 122 are also used to move away from each other so that the ice shovel 12 enters an extended state.

[0041] Two shovels are connected to form an ice shovel 12, and it can be seen that the first shovel 121 and the second shovel 122 are different parts of the ice shovel 12. The first shovel 121 and the second shovel 122 can both be plate-shaped (the plate can have small or large perforations so that the shovel is also grid-shaped), then both can be used for shoveling ice; or only the second shovel 122 can be plate-shaped for shoveling ice, while the first shovel 121 is column-shaped or block-shaped, mainly to support the second shovel 122 and connect the second shovel 122 to the drive assembly 13.

[0042] The first shovel part 121 and the second shovel part 122 can form a telescopic structure. In one example, a guide rail can be provided on one of the first shovel part 121 and the second shovel part 122, and a slider that cooperates with the guide rail can be provided on the other. The length direction of the guide rail is along the direction of movement of the second shovel part 122 relative to the first shovel part 121 when the ice shovel 12 switches between the compressed state and the extended state. In this way, the first shovel part 121 and the second shovel part 122 slide against each other with the cooperation of the guide rail and the slider, so as to retract or move away from each other.

[0043] It is understandable that when the first shovel part 121 and the second shovel part 122 are contracted together, the total length decreases, allowing the ice shovel 12 to enter a compressed state; when the first shovel part 121 and the second shovel part 122 are moved away from each other, the total length increases, allowing the ice shovel 12 to enter an extended state.

[0044] The ice shovel 12 switches between a compressed state and an extended state by telescoping. In addition to allowing the ice shovel 12 to extend into the slot 111, the movement of the second shovel part 122 relative to the first shovel part 121 also provides a pushing force to the ice block. The direction of this pushing force is exactly radially inward along the slot 111, which helps to send the ice block to a position closer to the center of the slot 111, further preventing the ice block from accumulating on the slot wall.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 4 In some embodiments, the ice shovel 12 further includes an elastic element 123, which is disposed between the first shovel portion 121 and the second shovel portion 122; the elastic element 123 is used to push against the second shovel portion 122 so that the ice shovel 12 moves from a compressed state to an extended state.

[0046] The elastic element 123 can be an air spring, a bellows, or a rubber (silicone) tube, etc. In this way, as long as the ice shovel 12 is in the extended state and the elastic element 123 is in the compressed state or the natural state, the first shovel part 121 and the second shovel part 122 can naturally have a tendency to move away from each other. Even if the external interference is removed, the ice shovel 12 can naturally move from the compressed state to the extended state, thereby improving the reliability of the ice shovel 12.

[0047] In one example, referring to the implementation of the cylinder described above, if an elastic element 123 is also provided in this implementation, the ice shovel 12 can enter the extended state even if the cylinder stops working. In other examples, if the cylinder is replaced with a power source such as a linear motor, the elastic element 123 can also allow the ice shovel 12 to enter the extended state from the compressed state when these power sources fail.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the drive assembly 13 includes a power element 131 and an ice-making tank 132. The power element 131 is driven to the ice-making tank 132 and is used to drive the ice-making tank 132 to rotate around a first axis A1. The first shovel part 121 is rotatably connected to the ice-making tank 132 and the axis of rotation is a second axis A2. The first axis A1 and the second axis A2 are parallel and spaced apart. The ice storage assembly 10 also includes a partition grid 14 protruding from the upper part of the slot 111; the power element 131 is also used to drive the ice making tank 132 to rotate around the first axis A1 so that the second axis A2 is close to the ice storage tank 11, and at the same time, the second shovel part 122 presses against the partition grid 14 so that the ice shovel 12 enters the compressed state; when the power element 131 drives the ice making tank 132 to rotate to the preset position, the side of the second shovel part 122 away from the first shovel part 121 exceeds the height of the partition grid 14, and the elastic member 123 pushes against the second shovel part 122 so that the ice shovel 12 enters the extended state from the compressed state.

[0049] The power element 131 can be an electric motor or a cylinder, etc., used to provide power. The ice-making tank 132 is a tank used to make ice cubes. An evaporator can be installed in the ice-making tank 132 to make the water in the ice-making tank 132 freeze into ice cubes. The cavity of the ice-making tank 132 is small and cannot be used directly to store ice cubes, so the ice cubes need to be transferred to the ice storage tank 11 for storage.

[0050] The divider 14 is a wall-shaped element disposed on the ice storage tank 11. The divider 14 can be a flat wall surface, serving as a contact point for the second shovel portion 122; the divider 14 can also be a wall surface with perforations, as in some embodiments, please refer to... Figure 8 The partition 14 serves to separate the ice pouring tank 120 and the ice storage tank 11. In this embodiment, the ice storage tank 11 can also store water. Therefore, when ice blocks are poured from the ice making tank 132, if water flows out, the water can flow into the ice storage tank 11 through the perforations on the partition 14.

[0051] exist Figure 8 In the embodiment shown, the cutouts on the partition 14 are two slots extending along the height direction of the partition 14.

[0052] To empty the ice from the ice storage tank 11, the power element 131 can drive the ice-making tank 132 to rotate around the first axis A1; please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 Looking at the sequence from (3), (2) to (1), it shows the process of ice trough 132 gradually rotating around the first axis A1 to pour out ice (the first axis A1 and the second axis A2 in the figure are both perpendicular to the paper, so the position of the axis is indicated by the intersection of the cross-shaped dotted lines).

[0053] The first shovel part 121 is rotatably connected to the ice-making tank 132, and the axis of rotation between the first shovel part 121 and the ice-making tank 132 is the second axis A2. The first axis A1 and the second axis A2 are parallel and spaced apart. When the ice-making tank 132 rotates, the second axis A2 will rotate around the first axis A1, which allows the ice-making tank 132 to drag the ice shovel 12 to provide driving force for the ice shovel 12.

[0054] Please refer to Figure 6 Looking at the sequence from (1), (2) to (3), it shows that when the ice-making tank 132 rotates around the first axis A1, it gradually pushes the second axis A2 to a position close to the ice-making tank 132 (for the sake of simplification, only one side wall of the ice-making tank 132 is shown in the figure). It can be seen that since the second axis A2 is close to the ice-making tank 132 and the second shovel part 122 presses against the outside of the tank wall of the ice storage tank 11, the reaction force of the ice storage tank 11 on the second shovel part 122 can cause the first shovel part 121 and the second shovel part 122 to shrink into each other.

[0055] Please refer to Figure 6 In state (3), the ice trough 132 rotates to the preset position. At this time, the second shovel part 122 extends beyond the partition grid 14, that is, it is higher than the partition grid 14 in the direction of gravity, or it can be considered as being freed from the constraint of the wall of the ice trough 132. At this time, the elastic member 123 can push the second shovel part 122 away from the first shovel part 121, so that the ice shovel 12 enters the extended state from the compressed state.

[0056] As can be seen in this embodiment, a single power source, namely the power element 131, completes the tasks of pouring ice blocks out of the ice-making tank 132, compressing the ice shovel 12 into a compressed state, and extending the ice shovel 12 into an extended state. The driving method is simple, which makes the structure of the ice storage assembly 10 more compact, the working reliability higher, and the production cost lower.

[0057] In addition, since the second shovel part 122 is pushed away from the first shovel part 121 by the elastic element 123, a certain impact force is generated, which helps to push the ice block to a farther position and avoid the ice block from accumulating.

[0058] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 8In some embodiments, the ice shovel 12 further includes a guide rod 124; the elastic element 123 includes a helical spring 1231; both ends of the guide rod 124 are fixedly connected to one of the first shovel portion 121 and the second shovel portion 122, respectively, and are engaged with the shaft hole of the other; the helical spring 1231 is sleeved on the guide rod 124, and both ends abut against the first shovel portion 121 and the second shovel portion 122, respectively; when the ice shovel 12 is in a compressed state, the helical spring 1231 is in a compressed state.

[0059] exist Figure 4 and Figure 5 In one embodiment, the guide rod 124 is fixedly connected to the first shovel part 121 and engages with the shaft hole of the second shovel part 122; in other embodiments, the guide rod 124 may also be fixedly connected to the second shovel part 122 and engage with the shaft hole of the first shovel part 121.

[0060] A shaft-hole fit refers to a hole being made in the shovel section, into which the guide rod 124 can enter to achieve a shaft-hole fit. This hole can be a through hole. Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, it is a through hole; the hole can also be a blind hole, in which case the blind hole needs to be deep enough to accommodate the guide rod 124.

[0061] The guide rod 124 guides the movement between the first shovel part 121 and the second shovel part 122. Specifically, the second shovel part 122 can move relative to the first shovel part 121 along the length of the guide rod 124, limited by the fit with the shaft hole. Simultaneously, the helical spring 1231 is sleeved on the guide rod 124, ensuring that the pushing force of the helical spring 1231 is also along the length of the guide rod 124. This ensures that the driving force of the helical spring 1231 on the second shovel part 122 is as close as possible to the direction of movement of the second shovel part 122. This arrangement makes the movement between the second shovel part 122 and the first shovel part 121 more stable and less prone to jamming.

[0062] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the first shovel portion 121 forms a receiving groove 1211, the groove depth direction of which is arranged along the movement direction of the second shovel portion 122 relative to the first shovel portion 121; the second shovel portion 122 includes a shovel head 1221 and a guide plate 1222 connected to each other, the guide plate 1222 is used to enter the receiving groove 1211 to slide and engage with the receiving groove 1211; the shovel head 1221 is used to abut against the outer side of the wall of the ice storage tank 11.

[0063] The shovel head 1221 and the guide plate 1222 of the second shovel 122 are different parts of the second shovel 122. Therefore, when the guide plate 1222 enters the receiving groove 1211, it is equivalent to a part of the second shovel 122 directly entering the first shovel 121. In this way, the first shovel 121 can provide stronger support for the second shovel 122, ensuring that the second shovel 122 can bear a larger weight of ice.

[0064] It should be noted that since the second shovel part 122 is basically plate-shaped and the guide plate 1222 is plate-shaped, the guide plate 1222 can be the main body of the second shovel part 122; of course, if the shovel head 1221 is also basically plate-shaped, the guide plate 1222 can also be the tail of the second shovel part 122 facing the first shovel part 121.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 7 In some embodiments, the first shovel part 121 is provided with a waist-shaped hole 1212, and the length direction of the waist-shaped hole 1212 is arranged along the movement direction of the second shovel part 122 relative to the first shovel part 121; the guide plate 1222 is provided with a protrusion 1223, and the protrusion 1223 slides in cooperation with the waist-shaped hole 1212; when the ice shovel 12 is in the extended state, the protrusion 1223 abuts against the end wall of the waist-shaped hole 1212 near the shovel head 1221; the waist-shaped hole 1212 is a through hole that penetrates the second shovel part 122.

[0066] This gives the oblong hole 1212 two functions. The first function is water leakage, because some water in the ice-making tank 132 may not freeze and may be poured out along with the ice. The oblong hole 1212 penetrates the first shovel part 121, so this part of the water can be drained out through the oblong hole 1212, which helps to leave dry ice. The second function is limiting, that is, in the extended state, by letting the hole wall drag the protrusion 1223 on the guide plate 1222, it prevents the second shovel part 122 from moving too far away from the first shovel part 121 and separating from the first shovel part 121.

[0067] Please refer to Figure 7 ,exist Figure 7 In the state shown, the ice shovel 12 is in a compressed state (not fully compressed) to facilitate the display of the protrusion 1223. It can be seen that if the first shovel part 121 and the second shovel part 122 are far apart, the protrusion 1223 will abut against one end of the waist-shaped hole 1212 (the end near the shovel head 1221) and be limited.

[0068] It can be seen that the mating structure of the waist-shaped hole 1212 and the protruding post 1223 achieves two functions, so that there is no need to set up a separate mating structure to achieve the two functions, making the structure of the ice shovel 12 more compact.

[0069] Please refer to Figure 4In some embodiments, the upper surfaces of the shovel head 1221 and the guide plate 1222 together form an ice-shoveling surface 1224; when the ice shovel 12 overlaps with the slot 111 of the ice storage tank 11, the ice-shoveling surface 1224 gradually tilts downward in at least part of the direction from the first shovel portion 121 to the second shovel portion 122.

[0070] The ice-shoveling surface 1224 is the surface of the ice shovel 12 that comes into contact with the ice during the ice-shoveling process. The ice shovel 12 is located at the position where it overlaps with the opening 111 of the ice storage tank 11, that is, the position where the ice is fed into the ice storage tank 11. In the embodiment mentioned above, when the ice-making tank 132 is rotated to the preset position, the ice shovel 12 is also located at that position.

[0071] The ice-shovel surface 1224 gradually slopes downwards, meaning that in the direction from the first shovel part 121 to the second shovel part 122, the ice-shovel surface 1224 extends in the direction of gravity. This allows the ice block to slide down under the influence of gravity, preventing it from getting stuck. More importantly, since the pressure between objects is always perpendicular to the surface, the downward slope of the ice-shovel surface 1224 makes the surface normal of the ice-shovel surface 1224 form an angle with the direction of gravity. Therefore, the force exerted by the ice-shovel surface 1224 on the ice block has a horizontal component. Thus, when the elastic element 123 applies an impact force to the second shovel part 122, moving it away from the first shovel part 121, this impact force can be better transferred to the ice block, giving it horizontal momentum. This helps the ice block move to a position further away from the ice shovel 12 within the ice storage tank 11, preventing the ice block from accumulating on one side of the ice storage tank 11.

[0072] Please refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 In some embodiments, the ice-making tank 132 is provided with a locking boss 1321, which is used to abut against the back of the ice shovel 12 to prevent the ice shovel 12 from rotating relative to the ice-making tank 132 and to push the ice shovel 12 to rise.

[0073] The back side of the ice shovel 12 refers to the side of the ice shovel 12 that faces away from the ice block when transporting the ice block. In order to shovel the ice block into the ice storage tank 11, the ice shovel 12 needs to be raised to a position higher than the opening 111 of the ice storage tank 11, so that the ice block can slide or enter the ice storage tank 11 under the action of the force mentioned above.

[0074] Since the ice shovel 12 needs to abut against the side wall of the ice storage tank 11, the ice-making tank 132, in addition to pushing the ice shovel 12 and lifting the ice, also needs to overcome the friction between the ice shovel 12 and the ice storage tank 11. Therefore, a more reliable force transmission structure is required between the ice-making tank 132 and the ice shovel 12. The stall boss 1321 can provide an additional force transmission path, ensuring reliable force transmission between the ice-making tank 132 and the ice shovel 12.

[0075] Please refer to Figure 10This utility model also proposes an ice maker 100, which includes an ice storage component 10. The specific structure of the ice storage component 10 is as described in the above embodiments. Since this ice maker 100 adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0076] The ice maker 100 may include a top cover 140 and a housing 130, which together enclose a receiving space within which the ice storage assembly 10 can be located. The ice storage tank of the ice storage assembly may be part of the inner liner of the ice maker 100. Please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 8 , Figure 8 In the embodiment shown, the ice storage tank 11, the ice pouring tank 120 and the partition grid 14 are integrally formed and together form the inner liner of the ice maker 100.

[0077] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the scope of protection of the present utility model. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the technical concept of the present utility model and the contents of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An ice storage component, characterized in that, include: Ice storage tanks, forming grooves; An ice shovel is positioned outside the ice storage tank and has both a compressed and an extended state. A drive assembly is connected to the ice shovel; the drive assembly is used to drive the ice shovel into a compressed state to shovel ice; the drive assembly is also used to drive the ice shovel into an extended state so that the ice shovel extends into the groove.

2. The ice storage component as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The ice shovel includes a telescopically connected first shovel part and a second shovel part; the drive assembly is drivenly connected to the first shovel part, and the second shovel part is disposed on the side of the first shovel part away from the drive assembly; the first shovel part and the second shovel part are used to retract with each other to put the ice shovel into a compressed state; the first shovel part and the second shovel part are also used to move away from each other to put the ice shovel into an extended state.

3. The ice storage component as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The ice shovel also includes an elastic element disposed between the first shovel portion and the second shovel portion; the elastic element is used to push against the second shovel portion so that the ice shovel moves from a compressed state to an extended state.

4. The ice storage component as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a power element and an ice-making tank. The power element is driven to the ice-making tank and is used to drive the ice-making tank to rotate around a first axis. The first shovel is rotatably connected to the ice-making tank, and the axis of rotation is a second axis. The first axis and the second axis are parallel and spaced apart. The ice storage assembly also includes a partition grid protruding from the upper part of the slot; the power element is also used to drive the ice making tank to rotate around the first axis, so that the second axis approaches the ice storage tank, and at the same time, the second shovel part presses against the partition grid, so that the ice shovel enters a compressed state. When the power element drives the ice-making tank to rotate to a preset position, the side of the second shovel portion away from the first shovel portion exceeds the height of the partition grid, and the elastic element pushes against the second shovel portion, causing the ice shovel to move from a compressed state to an extended state.

5. The ice storage component as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The ice shovel also includes a guide rod; the elastic element includes a helical spring; both ends of the guide rod are fixedly connected to one of the first shovel part and the second shovel part, respectively, and cooperate with the shaft hole of the other; the helical spring is sleeved on the guide rod, and both ends abut against the first shovel part and the second shovel part, respectively; when the ice shovel is in a compressed state, the helical spring is in a compressed state.

6. The ice storage component as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The first shovel portion has a receiving groove, the depth direction of which is arranged along the movement direction of the second shovel portion relative to the first shovel portion; the second shovel portion includes a shovel head and a guide plate connected to each other, the guide plate being used to enter the receiving groove for sliding engagement with the receiving groove; the shovel head being used to abut against the outer side of the wall of the ice storage tank.

7. The ice storage component as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The first shovel part has a waist-shaped hole, and the length direction of the waist-shaped hole is set along the movement direction of the second shovel part relative to the first shovel part; the guide plate is provided with a protruding post, and the protruding post slides in cooperation with the waist-shaped hole; when the ice shovel is in the extended state, the protruding post abuts against the end wall of the waist-shaped hole near the shovel head; the waist-shaped hole is a through hole that penetrates the second shovel part.

8. The ice storage component as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The upper surfaces of the shovel head and the guide plate together form an ice-shoveling surface; when the ice shovel overlaps with the opening of the ice storage tank, the ice-shoveling surface gradually slopes downwards at least partially in the direction from the first shovel part to the second shovel part.

9. The ice storage component as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The ice-making tank is provided with a locking protrusion, which is used to abut against the back of the ice shovel to prevent the ice shovel from rotating relative to the ice-making tank and to push the ice shovel to rise.

10. An ice maker, characterized in that, Includes the ice storage component as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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