Ice cube container

Abstract

An ice cube container is disclosed, including an ice cube mold for making ice cubes and an insulation housing for insulating ice cubes in the ice cube mold, and a vacuum layer is provided in the insulation housing for thermal insulation. By utilizing property that vacuum does not generate convective heat transfer, the ice cube mold is placed into the insulation housing, which can significantly reduce heat loss of ice cubes in the ice cube mold, so that when the ice cubes are iced up, they will be iced up sequentially from top to bottom, and thus air in water will be slowly extruded downward, transparent ice cubes which are virtually free of the air bubbles can be obtained.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ice making technology, and in particular to an ice cube container.BACKGROUND

[0002] An insulation housing used in traditional ice cube containers is made of plastic and foam. However, on the one hand, the plastic and the foam are harmful to environment during production and use; and on the other hand, such combination of these materials has poor thermal insulation performance, and also has problems of a large number of air bubbles in ice cubes produced.SUMMARY

[0003] In view of this, the present disclosure aims to provide an ice cube container, which can reduce heat dissipation of an ice cube mold housed in an insulation housing by providing a vacuum layer in the insulation housing, thereby effectively enhancing thermal insulation effect on ice cubes; and meanwhile also can reduce formation of air bubbles in the ice cubes, thereby solving problems of a large number of air bubbles in ice cubes produced by an ice making device.

[0004] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an ice cube container is provided, including an ice cube mold for making ice cubes, and an insulation housing for insulating the ice cube mold. Herein the insulation housing has an opening at one end, and the ice cube mold is inserted into the insulation housing through the opening to connect with the insulation housing. A vacuum layer is provided in the insulation housing for thermal insulation.

[0005] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the insulation housing is made of stainless steel, the insulation housing comprises a wrapping layer and an outer layer connected to the wrapping layer, and the vacuum layer is arranged between the wrapping layer and the outer layer.

[0006] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, an inner wall of the wrapping layer is plated with a copper layer to reduce an efficiency of heat radiation and enhance an insulation performance of a vacuum insulated cup.

[0007] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the ice cube mold includes a first housing and a second housing, the first housing is detachably connected with the second housing. Moreover, the first housing and the second housing are provided with limited grooves, and the limited grooves are enclosed to from a limited cavity for making transparent ice cubes in response to the first housing and the second housing being snapped together.

[0008] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the first housing is provided with a plurality of fastening protrusions on one side facing the second housing, and the second housing is provided with a plurality of fastening holes on one side facing the first housing corresponding to the fastening protrusions. Herein the first housing and the second housing are secured by the fastening protrusions and the fastening holes.

[0009] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the first housing is provided with a plurality of fastening protrusions and a plurality of fastening holes on one side close to the second housing, and the second housing is provided with a plurality of the fastening protrusions and a plurality of the fastening holes on one side close to the first housing. Herein the fastening protrusions on the first housing are arranged correspondingly with the fastening holes on the second housing, and the fastening protrusions on the second housing are arranged correspondingly with the fastening holes on the first housing.

[0010] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the insulation housing has a cylinder structure, the wrapping layer includes a circumferential section and a bottom, the circumferential section and the bottom are enclosed to form a storage chamber of the insulation housing. The circumferential section includes a first inclined portion and a first straight portion connected to each other, and an outer wall of the ice cube mold includes a second inclined portion and a second straight portion. The first straight portion has a height greater than that of the second straight portion, the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion have the same inclination, the first straight portion is connect to the second straight portion in an interference fit, and the first inclined portion is connected with the second inclined portion for fit together.

[0011] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, an outer periphery of the ice cube mold is provided with a sealing ring extending outwardly and the sealing ring is covered on the opening of the insulation housing.

[0012] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the ice cube mold is provided with a water inlet hole for water intake on one side away from the opening of the insulation housing, and the ice cube mold is provided with a vent hole for exhaust on the other side close to the opening of the insulation housing.

[0013] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the ice cube mold is recessed inwardly to form an avoided recess on one side close to the opening of the insulation housing, a rib plate is provided in a middle of the avoided recess for connecting opposite side walls of the avoided recess, and the rib plate is configured to enhance a structural stability of the ice cube mold and for mold release.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, the ice cube container of the present disclosure has at least following beneficial effect and advantages. Specifically, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, by setting the vacuum layer in the insulation housing and then utilizing property that vacuum does not generate convective heat transfer, the ice cube mold is wrapped with the vacuum layer, which can significantly reduce heat loss of the ice cube mold, so that when the ice cubes are iced up, they will be iced up sequentially from top to bottom, and thus air in water will be slowly extruded downward until air bubbles are extruded out of the ice cube mold, so that transparent ice cubes which are virtually free of the air bubbles can be obtained.

[0015] And meanwhile, stainless steel is an environmentally friendly material that is recyclable and has a low impact on the environment. By using recyclable and durable stainless steel materials and vacuuming them to make the insulation housing, it replaces the use of traditional plastics and foams and can reduce negative impact on the environment, which is in line with the goal of sustainable development. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the stainless steel combined with vacuum insulation technology makes the ice cube container has excellent insulation performance and robustness, and thus can improve an overall insulation effect and service life of the ice cube container.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 shows an overall structure schematic diagram of an ice cube container in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the ice cube container in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 shows a structure schematic diagram of a first housing of an ice cube mold of the ice cube container in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 shows a structure schematic diagram of an insulation housing of the ice cube container in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 shows a sectional structure schematic diagram of the insulation housing of the ice cube container in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 shows an overall structure schematic diagram of the ice cube mold of the ice cube container in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] In the drawings, reference signs are as follows. 1. Ice cube mold, 11. First housing, 112. Limited groove, 12. Second housing, 121. Fastening hole, 122. Fastening protrusion, 123. Sealing ring, 13. Water inlet hole, 14. Vent hole, 15. Avoided recess, 151. Rib plate, 16. Second inclined portion, 17. Second straight portion, 2. Insulation housing, 21. Outer layer, 22. Vacuum layer, 23. Wrapping layer, 24. Storage chamber, 241. First inclined portion, 242. First straight portion.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. It is obvious that all described embodiments are a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without make creative labor, shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, herein FIG. 1 shows an overall structure schematic diagram of an ice cube container of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the ice cube container of the present disclosure, and FIG. 4 shows a structure schematic diagram of an insulation housing of the ice cube container of the present disclosure. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an ice cube container is provided, including an ice cube mold 1 for making ice cubes, and an insulation housing 2 for insulating the ice cube mold 1. Herein the insulation housing 2 has an opening at one end, and the ice cube mold 1 is inserted into the insulation housing 2 through the opening to connect with the insulation housing 2. A vacuum layer 22 is provided in the insulation housing 2 for thermal insulation.

[0020] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, by setting the vacuum layer 22 in the insulation housing 2 and then utilizing property that vacuum does not generate convective heat transfer, the ice cube mold 1 is wrapped with the vacuum layer 22, which can significantly reduce heat loss of the ice cube mold 1, so that when the ice cubes are iced up, they will be iced up sequentially from top to bottom, and thus air in water will be slowly extruded downward until air bubbles are extruded out of the ice cube mold 1, so that transparent ice cubes which are virtually free of the air bubbles can be obtained.

[0021] Specifically, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 5, the insulation housing 2 includes a wrapping layer 23 and an outer layer 21 connected to the wrapping layer 23, and the vacuum layer 22 is arranged between the wrapping layer 23 and the outer layer 21. In the present disclosure, there is a gap between the wrapping layer 23 and the outer layer 21 of the insulation housing 2, and when the wrapping layer 23 are fixedly connected with the outer layer 21, it is necessary to carry out a vacuum treatment first, i.e., to extract the air between the wrapping layer 23 and the outer layer 21, so as to form the vacuum layer 22. The vacuum layer 22 is free of air, do not form air convection, has poor thermal conductivity, and therefore possesses excellent thermal insulation.

[0022] The insulation housing 2 has a cylinder structure, the wrapping layer 23 includes a circumferential section and a bottom, the circumferential section and the bottom of the wrapping layer 23 are enclosed to form a storage chamber 24. The ice cube mold 1 includes a main body for making ice cubes and an extension portion for sealing the opening of the insulation housing 2. The extension portion of the ice cube mold 1 is provided with a sealing ring 123. The main body of the ice cube mold 1 is inserted into the storage chamber 24 of the insulation housing 2 through the opening of the insulation housing 2, and the opening of the insulation housing 2 is capped by the extension portion of the ice cube mold 1 to complete sealing of the opening. At this time, the vacuum layer 22 is able to provide better thermal insulation for the main body of the ice cube mold 1 disposed in the storage chamber 23. It should be noted that the sealing ring 123 has a diameter greater than that of the opening of the insulation housing 2, so that in addition to being able to seal the opening of the insulation housing 1 and close the storage chamber 24, the sealing ring 123 also can play a role to serve as a handle. During demolding, a user can hold the sealing ring 123, and then the ice cube mold 1 can be easily withdrawn from the storage chamber 24.

[0023] It should be further noted that, optionally, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, an edge of the sealing ring 123 is provided with a sealing baffle extending downwardly in an axial direction, a sealing groove is formed by the sealing baffle and the sealing ring 123. The main body of the ice cube mold 1 is inserted from the opening of the insulation housing 2 into the storage chamber 24 of the insulation housing 2, so that the opening of the insulation housing 2 is against the sealing ring 123 to complete the sealing of the storage chamber 24.

[0024] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the insulation housing 2 has the cylinder structure. The opening of the insulation housing 2 is an opening of the storage chamber 24. The ice cube mold 1 is placed into the storage chamber 24 through the opening of the cylindrical insulation housing 2, the five directions, i.e., the front, back, left, right, and bottom, of the ice cube mold 1 are all located in the storage chamber 24, that is, corresponding to the position of the vacuum layer 22, thereby significantly reducing heat loss from these five directions. At the same time, the sealing ring 123 closes the opening, further reducing air circulation in the storage chamber 24. Therefore, when the ice cubes freeze, they will freeze sequentially from the top to the bottom, so that air in water is slowly squeezed out downwards until the air bubbles are squeezed out of the ice cube mold, so as to obtain transparent ice cubes almost free of the air bubbles. And the transparent ice cubes produced by such method have effect of melting more slowly and more beautifully. It is to be noted that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, shapes of the insulation housing 2 is not limited to the cylindrical structure, but can also be other structures, as long as the vacuum layer 22 is provided in the insulation housing 2 for thermal insulation, and the vacuum layer 22 is capable of realizing the thermal insulation of the ice cube mold 1, the present disclosure does not restrict this.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 4, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the insulation housing 2 is a stainless steel insulation housing 2, that is, the insulation housing 2 is made of stainless steel. The stainless steel is an environmentally friendly material that is recyclable and has a low impact on the environment. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, by using recyclable and durable stainless steel materials as the insulation housing 2, it replaces the use of traditional plastics and foams and can reduce negative impact on the environment, which is in line with the goal of sustainable development. Further, materials of the insulation housing used in conventional ice cube containers are usually plastic and foam, while the plastic and the foam have a large volume, thus the conventional ice cube containers are also have a large volume. Compared with the conventional ice cube containers, the insulation housing 2 of the present disclosure is made of stainless steel, which has a higher density and reduces the volume to one-third of the conventional ice cube containers. At the same time, the vacuum layer 22 is formed in the insulation housing 2 by vacuuming technology, so that the storage chamber 24 has a better thermal insulation effect than traditional plastic foam. In addition, since the insulation housing 2 is made of stainless steel, the insulation housing is more durable and has a longer service life than the insulation housing of the conventional ice cube containers. In summary, the ice cube container of the present disclosure can adapt to more compact storage needs and improve space utilization, thereby effectively saving refrigerator space and also improving the convenience of using the ice cube container.

[0026] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an inner surface of the stainless steel insulation housing 2 is copper-plated. That is, the inner wall of the wrapping layer 23 of the insulation housing 2 is plated with a copper layer (not shown in figures). The copper layer is able to reduce the efficiency of thermal radiation and further strengthen the heat insulation effect. Specifically, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the vacuum layer 22 is formed in the stainless steel insulation housing 2, and by means of extremely low thermal conductivity of vacuum as the primary means of insulation, in conjunction with the copper layer to reduce the efficiency of thermal radiation and significantly reduce the transfer of heat, thereby reducing the formation of air bubbles in the ice cubes and improving the transparency of the ice cubes.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the ice cube mold 1 includes a first housing 11 and a second housing 12, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are both provided with limited grooves 112. The limited grooves 112 are enclosed to from a limited cavity for making transparent ice cubes when the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are snapped together.

[0028] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, to facilitate later demolding, the ice cube mold 1 may be made of flexible materials, such as rubber, silicone, and the like. Preferably, the ice cube mold is made of silicone, which is soft, safe and environmentally friendly, thereby enhancing the safety of the user in using the ice cube container.

[0029] Specifically, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the ice cube mold 1 is generally divided into the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are symmetrically set in a center. Meanwhile, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 each include a main body and an extension portion, and the main body is provided with a limited groove 112. After the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are fastened together, two limited grooves 112 correspondingly enclose to form the limited cavity, and the limited cavity is used for filling water to form transparent ice cubes. It should be noted that shapes of the limited cavity may be set according to the shape of desired transparent ice cubes, and is not limited herein. Preferably, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the limited groove 112 is a hemispherical groove, and the two limited grooves 112 enclose to form a spherical limited cavity. Each extension portion is provided with a sealing ring 123 that matches the opening of the insulation housing 2, and after the first housing and the second housing are fastened together, the extension portions on the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 together form a complete sealing ring 123 for sealing the storage chamber 24.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first housing 11 is provided with a plurality of fastening protrusions 122 on one side facing the second housing 12, and the second housing 12 is provided with a plurality of fastening holes 121 on one side facing the first housing 11 corresponding to the fastening protrusions 122. The first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are secured by the fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121. The fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121 are provided correspondingly, and a plurality of them may be provided. Specifically, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121 each provided with four, which are respectively distributed at four corners of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, setting of the fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121 not only facilitates the alignment connection of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, so that after the two are fastened, the two limited grooves can be enclosed into the limited cavity, but also facilitate the rapid separation of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 from the ice cubes when the ice cubes are taken out. Moreover, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are provided centrosymmetrically, it should be noted that centrosymmetry in the embodiments means that the main structures of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are centrosymmetric, and some minor structures may not be symmetric, such as the fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121 provided on the first housing 11 and the second housing 12.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 3, in some other embodiments of the present disclosure, to facilitate demolding and to facilitate the alignment connection of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, the first housing 11 is provided with a plurality of fastening protrusions 122 and a plurality of fastening holes 121 on one side facing the second housing 12, the second housing 12 is provided with a plurality of fastening protrusions 122 and a plurality of fastening holes 121 on one side facing the first housing 11. The fastening protrusions 122 on the first housing 11 are arranged correspondingly with the fastening holes 121 on the second housing 12, and the fastening protrusions 122 on the second housing 12 are arranged correspondingly with the fastening holes 121 on the first housing 11. The fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121 are provided correspondingly, a plurality of them may be provided, and the fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121 are spaced apart on each portion. Specifically, in the embodiments, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are both provided with two fastening protrusions 122 and two fastening holes 121, and the fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121 are spaced apart at the four corners of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 respectively. Further, in the embodiments, the fastening protrusions 122 are cylindrical structures with inverted arcs, the fastening holes 121 are circular through-holes having the same diameter as the cylinders. Each of the fastening protrusions 122 is capable of being snapped into corresponding fastening holes 121, thereby connecting the first housing 11 to the second housing 12.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 6, in some embodiments, one side of the ice cube mold 1 that close to the opening, i.e., the extension portion of the ice cube mold 1, is provided with an vent hole 14 for exhaust. The other side of the ice cube mold 1 that away from the opening is provided with a water inlet hole 13 for water intake. Specifically, the water inlet hole 13 is a circular hole provided at a central position on the other side of the ice cube mold 1 that away from the opening of the insulation housing 2. The vent hole 14 is provided at a central position on the side of the ice cube mold 1 near the opening of the insulation housing 2.

[0033] When making the ice cube by using the ice cube container of the present disclosure, it is necessary to fill some water into the storage chamber 24 first, and then insert the ice cube mold 1 into the storage chamber 24, at which time the water inside the storage chamber 24 will flow into the limited cavity from the water inlet hole 13, and the air in the limited cavity will be discharged out of the vent hole 14 under the action of the water flow extrusion. In addition, the user can observe whether the water in the limited cavity is filled or not through the vent hole 14, and if the water is not filled, the user can also fill water from the vent hole 14 towards the limited cavity. In order to facilitate the filling of water into the ice cube mold 1 through the vent hole 14, the vent hole 14 is provided as an enlarge hole type, i.e., the vent hole 14 has a small cross-sectional area near the end of the limited cavity and the vent hole 14 has a large cross-sectional area at the end of the vent hole 14 away from the limited cavity. Preferably, the vent hole 14 in the embodiments is a tapered through-hole.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 5, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the circumferential section of the storage chamber 24 includes a first inclined portion 241 and a first straight portion 242 connected to each other, and an outer wall of the ice cube mold 1 includes a second inclined portion 16 and a second straight portion 17. Herein the first straight portion 242 has a height greater than that of the second straight portion 17, the first inclined portion 241 and the second inclined portion 16 have the same inclination, the first straight portion 242 is connect to the second straight portion 17 in an interference fit, and the first inclined portion 241 is connected with the second inclined portion 16 for fit together.

[0035] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the terms "straight" and "inclined" are relative to the bottom of the insulation housing 2. That is, when the ice cube mold 1 is placed in the storage chamber 24, the first straight portion 242 and the second straight portion 17 are perpendicular to the bottom of the insulation housing 2, which the first inclined portion 241 and the second inclined portion 16 are tilted with respect to the bottom of the insulation housing 2. Since the volume will increase after the water condenses into ice, thus such setting is made to facilitate the demolding of the ice cube mold 1 from the insulation housing 2. Specifically, during filling the water, when the ice cube mold 1 is inserted into the storage chamber 24, the storage chamber has water, under the effect of air pressure, the water is able to flow into the limited cavity from the bottom to the top, thereby completely discharging the air in the limited cavity from the vent hole. At the same time, since the first straight portion 242 is connected to the second straight portion 17 by the interference connection, after the insertion is completed, the second straight portion 17 can also play a role of sealing effect, so that the water in the storage chamber cannot flow out from the circumferential section of the storage chamber 24, and also can prevent displacement of the ice cube mold 1. While since the height of the first straight portion is greater than the height of the second straight portion, there will still be water between the storage chamber and the ice cube mold 1, and this water will also condense into ice. Since ice has a density less than that of water, the water between the storage chamber 24 and the ice cube mold 1 will expand when it condenses into ice, thereby slightly lifting the ice cube mold 1 up. At this time, the second inclined portion 16 is partially exposed to the outer of the storage chamber 24, and the user can easily remove the ice cube mold 1 from the storage chamber 24 for subsequent ice cube demolding.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the extension portion of the ice cube mold 1 is recessed inwardly to form an avoided recess 15 on one side close to the opening, a rib plate 151 is provided in the middle of the avoided recess 15 for connecting opposite side walls of the avoided recess 15, and the rib plate 151 is used to enhance the structural stability of the ice cube mold 1 and for demolding. It is to be understood that one side of the extension portion of the ice cube mold 1 that close to the opening is recessed inwardly to form the avoided recess 15 means that the avoided recess 15 is provided on the extension portions of both the first housing 11 and the second housing 12. Setting of the avoiding recess 15 can save the use of materials in the manufacture of the ice cube mold 1 and also can save production cost. Also the avoided can give the user a space to move their fingers. When demolding, the user can extend the finger into the avoided recess 15, which is more conducive to establishing the stress point of the ice cube mold 1, so that the user can easily pull the ice cube mold 1 out of the insulation housing 2 or separate the first housing 11 and the second housing 12. Further, the rib plate 151 is a reinforced structure that can ensure the structural stability of the ice cube mold 1. At the same time, the rib plate 151 can also be used as a demolding auxiliary tool. Since the rib plate is provided in the middle of the avoided recess, the avoided recess 15 is thereby divided into two sub recesses. The user can insert the finger into each of the two sub recesses, and then hold the rib plate 151 to pull out the ice cube mold 1 or separate the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, such operations are labor-saving and convenient. Further, in the embodiments, an outer shell of the ice cube mold is set in a cylinder structure, and the inside of the cylinder structure is set with a spherical restricted cavity, the rib plate 151 has two and is set vertically along a diameter direction of the cylinder structure.

[0037] In summary, the present disclosure adopts copper-plated stainless steel and combined with vacuum insulation technology to form the vacuum layer 22 in the stainless steel insulation housing 2, and utilizes the extremely low thermal conductivity of the vacuum as the primary main means of heat insulation, together with the copper-plated layer to lower the efficiency of heat radiation and significantly reduce the heat transfer, thereby reducing the formation of air bubbles in the ice cubes of the ice cube mold 1 and also improving the transparency of the ice cubes. The present disclosure is significantly better than traditional technology in four aspects, such as environmental protection, thermal insulation effect and convenience, and space utilization, and provides a more efficient and environmentally friendly solution for making transparent ice cubes.

[0038] It should be understood that the terms used in the specification of this application is used solely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention.

[0039] It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used in the specification and appended claims of the present disclosure refers to any combination and all possible combinations of one or more of items listed in association, and also includes these combinations.

[0040] The forgoing are only specific embodiments of the present disclosure, but the scope of protection of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present disclosure, which shall be covered by the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the protection of the present disclosure shall be subject to the scope of protection of the appended claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0018]The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. It is obvious that all described embodiments are a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without make creative labor, shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019]Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, herein FIG. 1 shows an overall structure schematic diagram of an ice cube container of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the ice cube container of the present disclosure, and FIG. 4 shows a structure schematic diagram of an insulation housing of the ice cube container of the present disclosure. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an ice cube container ...

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ice making technology, and in particular to an ice cube container.BACKGROUND

[0002] An insulation housing used in traditional ice cube containers is made of plastic and foam. However, on the one hand, the plastic and the foam are harmful to environment during production and use; and on the other hand, such combination of these materials has poor thermal insulation performance, and also has problems of a large number of air bubbles in ice cubes produced.SUMMARY

[0003] In view of this, the present disclosure aims to provide an ice cube container, which can reduce heat dissipation of an ice cube mold housed in an insulation housing by providing a vacuum layer in the insulation housing, thereby effectively enhancing thermal insulation effect on ice cubes; and meanwhile also can reduce formation of air bubbles in the ice cubes, thereby solving problems of a large number of air bubbles in ice cubes produced by an ice making device.

[0004] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an ice cube container is provided, including an ice cube mold for making ice cubes, and an insulation housing for insulating the ice cube mold. Herein the insulation housing has an opening at one end, and the ice cube mold is inserted into the insulation housing through the opening to connect with the insulation housing. A vacuum layer is provided in the insulation housing for thermal insulation.

[0005] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the insulation housing is made of stainless steel, the insulation housing comprises a wrapping layer and an outer layer connected to the wrapping layer, and the vacuum layer is arranged between the wrapping layer and the outer layer.

[0006] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, an inner wall of the wrapping layer is plated with a copper layer to reduce an efficiency of heat radiation and enhance an insulation performance of a vacuum insulated cup.

[0007] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the ice cube mold includes a first housing and a second housing, the first housing is detachably connected with the second housing. Moreover, the first housing and the second housing are provided with limited grooves, and the limited grooves are enclosed to from a limited cavity for making transparent ice cubes in response to the first housing and the second housing being snapped together.

[0008] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the first housing is provided with a plurality of fastening protrusions on one side facing the second housing, and the second housing is provided with a plurality of fastening holes on one side facing the first housing corresponding to the fastening protrusions. Herein the first housing and the second housing are secured by the fastening protrusions and the fastening holes.

[0009] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the first housing is provided with a plurality of fastening protrusions and a plurality of fastening holes on one side close to the second housing, and the second housing is provided with a plurality of the fastening protrusions and a plurality of the fastening holes on one side close to the first housing. Herein the fastening protrusions on the first housing are arranged correspondingly with the fastening holes on the second housing, and the fastening protrusions on the second housing are arranged correspondingly with the fastening holes on the first housing.

[0010] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the insulation housing has a cylinder structure, the wrapping layer includes a circumferential section and a bottom, the circumferential section and the bottom are enclosed to form a storage chamber of the insulation housing. The circumferential section includes a first inclined portion and a first straight portion connected to each other, and an outer wall of the ice cube mold includes a second inclined portion and a second straight portion. The first straight portion has a height greater than that of the second straight portion, the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion have the same inclination, the first straight portion is connect to the second straight portion in an interference fit, and the first inclined portion is connected with the second inclined portion for fit together.

[0011] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, an outer periphery of the ice cube mold is provided with a sealing ring extending outwardly and the sealing ring is covered on the opening of the insulation housing.

[0012] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the ice cube mold is provided with a water inlet hole for water intake on one side away from the opening of the insulation housing, and the ice cube mold is provided with a vent hole for exhaust on the other side close to the opening of the insulation housing.

[0013] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the ice cube mold is recessed inwardly to form an avoided recess on one side close to the opening of the insulation housing, a rib plate is provided in a middle of the avoided recess for connecting opposite side walls of the avoided recess, and the rib plate is configured to enhance a structural stability of the ice cube mold and for mold release.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, the ice cube container of the present disclosure has at least following beneficial effect and advantages. Specifically, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, by setting the vacuum layer in the insulation housing and then utilizing property that vacuum does not generate convective heat transfer, the ice cube mold is wrapped with the vacuum layer, which can significantly reduce heat loss of the ice cube mold, so that when the ice cubes are iced up, they will be iced up sequentially from top to bottom, and thus air in water will be slowly extruded downward until air bubbles are extruded out of the ice cube mold, so that transparent ice cubes which are virtually free of the air bubbles can be obtained.

[0015] And meanwhile, stainless steel is an environmentally friendly material that is recyclable and has a low impact on the environment. By using recyclable and durable stainless steel materials and vacuuming them to make the insulation housing, it replaces the use of traditional plastics and foams and can reduce negative impact on the environment, which is in line with the goal of sustainable development. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the stainless steel combined with vacuum insulation technology makes the ice cube container has excellent insulation performance and robustness, and thus can improve an overall insulation effect and service life of the ice cube container.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 shows an overall structure schematic diagram of an ice cube container in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the ice cube container in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 shows a structure schematic diagram of a first housing of an ice cube mold of the ice cube container in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 shows a structure schematic diagram of an insulation housing of the ice cube container in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 shows a sectional structure schematic diagram of the insulation housing of the ice cube container in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 shows an overall structure schematic diagram of the ice cube mold of the ice cube container in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] In the drawings, reference signs are as follows. 1. Ice cube mold, 11. First housing, 112. Limited groove, 12. Second housing, 121. Fastening hole, 122. Fastening protrusion, 123. Sealing ring, 13. Water inlet hole, 14. Vent hole, 15. Avoided recess, 151. Rib plate, 16. Second inclined portion, 17. Second straight portion, 2. Insulation housing, 21. Outer layer, 22. Vacuum layer, 23. Wrapping layer, 24. Storage chamber, 241. First inclined portion, 242. First straight portion.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. It is obvious that all described embodiments are a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without make creative labor, shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, herein FIG. 1 shows an overall structure schematic diagram of an ice cube container of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the ice cube container of the present disclosure, and FIG. 4 shows a structure schematic diagram of an insulation housing of the ice cube container of the present disclosure. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an ice cube container is provided, including an ice cube mold 1 for making ice cubes, and an insulation housing 2 for insulating the ice cube mold 1. Herein the insulation housing 2 has an opening at one end, and the ice cube mold 1 is inserted into the insulation housing 2 through the opening to connect with the insulation housing 2. A vacuum layer 22 is provided in the insulation housing 2 for thermal insulation.

[0020] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, by setting the vacuum layer 22 in the insulation housing 2 and then utilizing property that vacuum does not generate convective heat transfer, the ice cube mold 1 is wrapped with the vacuum layer 22, which can significantly reduce heat loss of the ice cube mold 1, so that when the ice cubes are iced up, they will be iced up sequentially from top to bottom, and thus air in water will be slowly extruded downward until air bubbles are extruded out of the ice cube mold 1, so that transparent ice cubes which are virtually free of the air bubbles can be obtained.

[0021] Specifically, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 5, the insulation housing 2 includes a wrapping layer 23 and an outer layer 21 connected to the wrapping layer 23, and the vacuum layer 22 is arranged between the wrapping layer 23 and the outer layer 21. In the present disclosure, there is a gap between the wrapping layer 23 and the outer layer 21 of the insulation housing 2, and when the wrapping layer 23 are fixedly connected with the outer layer 21, it is necessary to carry out a vacuum treatment first, i.e., to extract the air between the wrapping layer 23 and the outer layer 21, so as to form the vacuum layer 22. The vacuum layer 22 is free of air, do not form air convection, has poor thermal conductivity, and therefore possesses excellent thermal insulation.

[0022] The insulation housing 2 has a cylinder structure, the wrapping layer 23 includes a circumferential section and a bottom, the circumferential section and the bottom of the wrapping layer 23 are enclosed to form a storage chamber 24. The ice cube mold 1 includes a main body for making ice cubes and an extension portion for sealing the opening of the insulation housing 2. The extension portion of the ice cube mold 1 is provided with a sealing ring 123. The main body of the ice cube mold 1 is inserted into the storage chamber 24 of the insulation housing 2 through the opening of the insulation housing 2, and the opening of the insulation housing 2 is capped by the extension portion of the ice cube mold 1 to complete sealing of the opening. At this time, the vacuum layer 22 is able to provide better thermal insulation for the main body of the ice cube mold 1 disposed in the storage chamber 23. It should be noted that the sealing ring 123 has a diameter greater than that of the opening of the insulation housing 2, so that in addition to being able to seal the opening of the insulation housing 1 and close the storage chamber 24, the sealing ring 123 also can play a role to serve as a handle. During demolding, a user can hold the sealing ring 123, and then the ice cube mold 1 can be easily withdrawn from the storage chamber 24.

[0023] It should be further noted that, optionally, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, an edge of the sealing ring 123 is provided with a sealing baffle extending downwardly in an axial direction, a sealing groove is formed by the sealing baffle and the sealing ring 123. The main body of the ice cube mold 1 is inserted from the opening of the insulation housing 2 into the storage chamber 24 of the insulation housing 2, so that the opening of the insulation housing 2 is against the sealing ring 123 to complete the sealing of the storage chamber 24.

[0024] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the insulation housing 2 has the cylinder structure. The opening of the insulation housing 2 is an opening of the storage chamber 24. The ice cube mold 1 is placed into the storage chamber 24 through the opening of the cylindrical insulation housing 2, the five directions, i.e., the front, back, left, right, and bottom, of the ice cube mold 1 are all located in the storage chamber 24, that is, corresponding to the position of the vacuum layer 22, thereby significantly reducing heat loss from these five directions. At the same time, the sealing ring 123 closes the opening, further reducing air circulation in the storage chamber 24. Therefore, when the ice cubes freeze, they will freeze sequentially from the top to the bottom, so that air in water is slowly squeezed out downwards until the air bubbles are squeezed out of the ice cube mold, so as to obtain transparent ice cubes almost free of the air bubbles. And the transparent ice cubes produced by such method have effect of melting more slowly and more beautifully. It is to be noted that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, shapes of the insulation housing 2 is not limited to the cylindrical structure, but can also be other structures, as long as the vacuum layer 22 is provided in the insulation housing 2 for thermal insulation, and the vacuum layer 22 is capable of realizing the thermal insulation of the ice cube mold 1, the present disclosure does not restrict this.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 4, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the insulation housing 2 is a stainless steel insulation housing 2, that is, the insulation housing 2 is made of stainless steel. The stainless steel is an environmentally friendly material that is recyclable and has a low impact on the environment. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, by using recyclable and durable stainless steel materials as the insulation housing 2, it replaces the use of traditional plastics and foams and can reduce negative impact on the environment, which is in line with the goal of sustainable development. Further, materials of the insulation housing used in conventional ice cube containers are usually plastic and foam, while the plastic and the foam have a large volume, thus the conventional ice cube containers are also have a large volume. Compared with the conventional ice cube containers, the insulation housing 2 of the present disclosure is made of stainless steel, which has a higher density and reduces the volume to one-third of the conventional ice cube containers. At the same time, the vacuum layer 22 is formed in the insulation housing 2 by vacuuming technology, so that the storage chamber 24 has a better thermal insulation effect than traditional plastic foam. In addition, since the insulation housing 2 is made of stainless steel, the insulation housing is more durable and has a longer service life than the insulation housing of the conventional ice cube containers. In summary, the ice cube container of the present disclosure can adapt to more compact storage needs and improve space utilization, thereby effectively saving refrigerator space and also improving the convenience of using the ice cube container.

[0026] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an inner surface of the stainless steel insulation housing 2 is copper-plated. That is, the inner wall of the wrapping layer 23 of the insulation housing 2 is plated with a copper layer (not shown in figures). The copper layer is able to reduce the efficiency of thermal radiation and further strengthen the heat insulation effect. Specifically, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the vacuum layer 22 is formed in the stainless steel insulation housing 2, and by means of extremely low thermal conductivity of vacuum as the primary means of insulation, in conjunction with the copper layer to reduce the efficiency of thermal radiation and significantly reduce the transfer of heat, thereby reducing the formation of air bubbles in the ice cubes and improving the transparency of the ice cubes.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the ice cube mold 1 includes a first housing 11 and a second housing 12, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are both provided with limited grooves 112. The limited grooves 112 are enclosed to from a limited cavity for making transparent ice cubes when the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are snapped together.

[0028] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, to facilitate later demolding, the ice cube mold 1 may be made of flexible materials, such as rubber, silicone, and the like. Preferably, the ice cube mold is made of silicone, which is soft, safe and environmentally friendly, thereby enhancing the safety of the user in using the ice cube container.

[0029] Specifically, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the ice cube mold 1 is generally divided into the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are symmetrically set in a center. Meanwhile, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 each include a main body and an extension portion, and the main body is provided with a limited groove 112. After the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are fastened together, two limited grooves 112 correspondingly enclose to form the limited cavity, and the limited cavity is used for filling water to form transparent ice cubes. It should be noted that shapes of the limited cavity may be set according to the shape of desired transparent ice cubes, and is not limited herein. Preferably, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the limited groove 112 is a hemispherical groove, and the two limited grooves 112 enclose to form a spherical limited cavity. Each extension portion is provided with a sealing ring 123 that matches the opening of the insulation housing 2, and after the first housing and the second housing are fastened together, the extension portions on the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 together form a complete sealing ring 123 for sealing the storage chamber 24.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first housing 11 is provided with a plurality of fastening protrusions 122 on one side facing the second housing 12, and the second housing 12 is provided with a plurality of fastening holes 121 on one side facing the first housing 11 corresponding to the fastening protrusions 122. The first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are secured by the fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121. The fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121 are provided correspondingly, and a plurality of them may be provided. Specifically, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121 each provided with four, which are respectively distributed at four corners of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, setting of the fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121 not only facilitates the alignment connection of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, so that after the two are fastened, the two limited grooves can be enclosed into the limited cavity, but also facilitate the rapid separation of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 from the ice cubes when the ice cubes are taken out. Moreover, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are provided centrosymmetrically, it should be noted that centrosymmetry in the embodiments means that the main structures of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are centrosymmetric, and some minor structures may not be symmetric, such as the fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121 provided on the first housing 11 and the second housing 12.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 3, in some other embodiments of the present disclosure, to facilitate demolding and to facilitate the alignment connection of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, the first housing 11 is provided with a plurality of fastening protrusions 122 and a plurality of fastening holes 121 on one side facing the second housing 12, the second housing 12 is provided with a plurality of fastening protrusions 122 and a plurality of fastening holes 121 on one side facing the first housing 11. The fastening protrusions 122 on the first housing 11 are arranged correspondingly with the fastening holes 121 on the second housing 12, and the fastening protrusions 122 on the second housing 12 are arranged correspondingly with the fastening holes 121 on the first housing 11. The fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121 are provided correspondingly, a plurality of them may be provided, and the fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121 are spaced apart on each portion. Specifically, in the embodiments, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are both provided with two fastening protrusions 122 and two fastening holes 121, and the fastening protrusions 122 and the fastening holes 121 are spaced apart at the four corners of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 respectively. Further, in the embodiments, the fastening protrusions 122 are cylindrical structures with inverted arcs, the fastening holes 121 are circular through-holes having the same diameter as the cylinders. Each of the fastening protrusions 122 is capable of being snapped into corresponding fastening holes 121, thereby connecting the first housing 11 to the second housing 12.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 6, in some embodiments, one side of the ice cube mold 1 that close to the opening, i.e., the extension portion of the ice cube mold 1, is provided with an vent hole 14 for exhaust. The other side of the ice cube mold 1 that away from the opening is provided with a water inlet hole 13 for water intake. Specifically, the water inlet hole 13 is a circular hole provided at a central position on the other side of the ice cube mold 1 that away from the opening of the insulation housing 2. The vent hole 14 is provided at a central position on the side of the ice cube mold 1 near the opening of the insulation housing 2.

[0033] When making the ice cube by using the ice cube container of the present disclosure, it is necessary to fill some water into the storage chamber 24 first, and then insert the ice cube mold 1 into the storage chamber 24, at which time the water inside the storage chamber 24 will flow into the limited cavity from the water inlet hole 13, and the air in the limited cavity will be discharged out of the vent hole 14 under the action of the water flow extrusion. In addition, the user can observe whether the water in the limited cavity is filled or not through the vent hole 14, and if the water is not filled, the user can also fill water from the vent hole 14 towards the limited cavity. In order to facilitate the filling of water into the ice cube mold 1 through the vent hole 14, the vent hole 14 is provided as an enlarge hole type, i.e., the vent hole 14 has a small cross-sectional area near the end of the limited cavity and the vent hole 14 has a large cross-sectional area at the end of the vent hole 14 away from the limited cavity. Preferably, the vent hole 14 in the embodiments is a tapered through-hole.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 5, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the circumferential section of the storage chamber 24 includes a first inclined portion 241 and a first straight portion 242 connected to each other, and an outer wall of the ice cube mold 1 includes a second inclined portion 16 and a second straight portion 17. Herein the first straight portion 242 has a height greater than that of the second straight portion 17, the first inclined portion 241 and the second inclined portion 16 have the same inclination, the first straight portion 242 is connect to the second straight portion 17 in an interference fit, and the first inclined portion 241 is connected with the second inclined portion 16 for fit together.

[0035] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the terms "straight" and "inclined" are relative to the bottom of the insulation housing 2. That is, when the ice cube mold 1 is placed in the storage chamber 24, the first straight portion 242 and the second straight portion 17 are perpendicular to the bottom of the insulation housing 2, which the first inclined portion 241 and the second inclined portion 16 are tilted with respect to the bottom of the insulation housing 2. Since the volume will increase after the water condenses into ice, thus such setting is made to facilitate the demolding of the ice cube mold 1 from the insulation housing 2. Specifically, during filling the water, when the ice cube mold 1 is inserted into the storage chamber 24, the storage chamber has water, under the effect of air pressure, the water is able to flow into the limited cavity from the bottom to the top, thereby completely discharging the air in the limited cavity from the vent hole. At the same time, since the first straight portion 242 is connected to the second straight portion 17 by the interference connection, after the insertion is completed, the second straight portion 17 can also play a role of sealing effect, so that the water in the storage chamber cannot flow out from the circumferential section of the storage chamber 24, and also can prevent displacement of the ice cube mold 1. While since the height of the first straight portion is greater than the height of the second straight portion, there will still be water between the storage chamber and the ice cube mold 1, and this water will also condense into ice. Since ice has a density less than that of water, the water between the storage chamber 24 and the ice cube mold 1 will expand when it condenses into ice, thereby slightly lifting the ice cube mold 1 up. At this time, the second inclined portion 16 is partially exposed to the outer of the storage chamber 24, and the user can easily remove the ice cube mold 1 from the storage chamber 24 for subsequent ice cube demolding.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the extension portion of the ice cube mold 1 is recessed inwardly to form an avoided recess 15 on one side close to the opening, a rib plate 151 is provided in the middle of the avoided recess 15 for connecting opposite side walls of the avoided recess 15, and the rib plate 151 is used to enhance the structural stability of the ice cube mold 1 and for demolding. It is to be understood that one side of the extension portion of the ice cube mold 1 that close to the opening is recessed inwardly to form the avoided recess 15 means that the avoided recess 15 is provided on the extension portions of both the first housing 11 and the second housing 12. Setting of the avoiding recess 15 can save the use of materials in the manufacture of the ice cube mold 1 and also can save production cost. Also the avoided can give the user a space to move their fingers. When demolding, the user can extend the finger into the avoided recess 15, which is more conducive to establishing the stress point of the ice cube mold 1, so that the user can easily pull the ice cube mold 1 out of the insulation housing 2 or separate the first housing 11 and the second housing 12. Further, the rib plate 151 is a reinforced structure that can ensure the structural stability of the ice cube mold 1. At the same time, the rib plate 151 can also be used as a demolding auxiliary tool. Since the rib plate is provided in the middle of the avoided recess, the avoided recess 15 is thereby divided into two sub recesses. The user can insert the finger into each of the two sub recesses, and then hold the rib plate 151 to pull out the ice cube mold 1 or separate the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, such operations are labor-saving and convenient. Further, in the embodiments, an outer shell of the ice cube mold is set in a cylinder structure, and the inside of the cylinder structure is set with a spherical restricted cavity, the rib plate 151 has two and is set vertically along a diameter direction of the cylinder structure.

[0037] In summary, the present disclosure adopts copper-plated stainless steel and combined with vacuum insulation technology to form the vacuum layer 22 in the stainless steel insulation housing 2, and utilizes the extremely low thermal conductivity of the vacuum as the primary main means of heat insulation, together with the copper-plated layer to lower the efficiency of heat radiation and significantly reduce the heat transfer, thereby reducing the formation of air bubbles in the ice cubes of the ice cube mold 1 and also improving the transparency of the ice cubes. The present disclosure is significantly better than traditional technology in four aspects, such as environmental protection, thermal insulation effect and convenience, and space utilization, and provides a more efficient and environmentally friendly solution for making transparent ice cubes.

[0038] It should be understood that the terms used in the specification of this application is used solely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention.

[0039] It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used in the specification and appended claims of the present disclosure refers to any combination and all possible combinations of one or more of items listed in association, and also includes these combinations.

[0040] The forgoing are only specific embodiments of the present disclosure, but the scope of protection of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present disclosure, which shall be covered by the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the protection of the present disclosure shall be subject to the scope of protection of the appended claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0018]The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. It is obvious that all described embodiments are a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without make creative labor, shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019]Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, herein FIG. 1 shows an overall structure schematic diagram of an ice cube container of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the ice cube container of the present disclosure, and FIG. 4 shows a structure schematic diagram of an insulation housing of the ice cube container of the present disclosure. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an ice cube container ...

Claims

1. An ice cube container, comprising an ice cube mold (1) for making ice cubes, and an insulation housing (2) for insulating the ice cube mold (1); wherein a vacuum layer (22) is provided in the insulation housing (2) for thermal insulation, the insulation housing (2) has an opening at one end, and the ice cube mold (1) is inserted into the insulation housing (2) through the opening to connect with the insulation housing (2).

2. The ice cube container according to claim 1, wherein the insulation housing (2) is made of stainless steel, the insulation housing (2) comprises a wrapping layer (23) and an outer layer (21) connected to the wrapping layer (23), and the vacuum layer (22) is arranged between the wrapping layer (23) and the outer layer (21).

3. The ice cube container according to claim 2, wherein an inner wall of the wrapping layer (23) is plated with a copper layer.

4. The ice cube container according to claim 2, wherein the ice cube mold (1) comprises a first housing (11) and a second housing (12), the first housing (11) is detachably connected with the second housing (12), the first housing (11) and the second housing (12) are provided with limited grooves (112), and the limited grooves (112) are enclosed to from a limited cavity for making transparent ice cubes in response to the first housing (11) and the second housing (12) being snapped together.

5. The ice cube container according to claim 4, wherein the first housing (11) is provided with a plurality of fastening protrusions (122) on one side facing the second housing (12), and the second housing (12) is provided with a plurality of fastening holes (121) on one side facing the first housing (11) corresponding to the fastening protrusions (122); and wherein the first housing (11) and the second housing (12) are secured by the fastening protrusions (122) and the fastening holes (121).

6. The ice cube container according to claim 4, wherein the first housing (11) is provided with a plurality of fastening protrusions (122) and a plurality of fastening holes (121) on one side facing the second housing (12), and the second housing (12) is provided with a plurality of the fastening protrusions (122) and a plurality of the fastening holes (121) on one side facing the first housing (11); and wherein the fastening protrusions (122) on the first housing (11) are arranged correspondingly with the fastening holes (121) on the second housing (12), and the fastening protrusions (122) on the second housing (12) are arranged correspondingly with the fastening holes (121) on the first housing (11).

7. The ice cube container according to claim 4, wherein the insulation housing (2) has a cylinder structure, the wrapping layer (23) comprises a circumferential section and a bottom, the circumferential section and the bottom are enclosed to form a storage chamber (24) of the insulation housing (2); wherein the circumferential section comprises a first inclined portion (241) and a first straight portion (242) connected to each other, and an outer wall of the ice cube mold (1) comprises a second inclined portion (16) and a second straight portion (17); and wherein the first straight portion (242) has a height greater than that of the second straight portion (17), the first inclined portion (241) and the second inclined portion (16) have the same inclination, the first straight portion (242) is connect to the second straight portion (17) in an interference fit, and the first inclined portion (241) is connected with the second inclined portion (16) for fit together.

8. The ice cube container according to claim 4, wherein the ice cube mold (1) is provided with a water inlet hole (13) for water intake on one side away from the opening of the insulation housing (2), and the ice cube mold (1) is provided with a vent hole (14) for exhaust on the other side close to the opening of the insulation housing (2).

9. The ice cube container according to claim 8, where the vent hole (14) has a small cross-sectional area near the end of the limited cavity and a large cross-sectional area at the end of the vent hole (14) away from the limited cavity.

10. The ice cube container according to claim 1, wherein an outer periphery of the ice cube mold (1) is provided with a sealing ring (123) extending outwardly and the sealing ring (123) is covered on the opening of the insulation housing (2).

11. The ice cube container according to claim 10, wherein the sealing ring (123) has a diameter greater than that of the opening of the insulation housing (2).

12. The ice cube container according to claim 10, wherein an edge of the sealing ring (123) is provided with a sealing baffle extending downwardly in an axial direction, a sealing groove is formed by the sealing baffle and the sealing ring (123).

13. The ice cube container according to claim 10, wherein the ice cube mold (1) is recessed inwardly to form an avoided recess (15) on one side close to the opening of the insulation housing (2), a rib plate (151) is provided in a middle of the avoided recess (15) for connecting opposite side walls of the avoided recess (15).

Images