Ice maker and refrigerator equipped with it

Abstract

This application provides an ice maker including a water storage box, an ice making box, a cooling device, and a liquid supply unit. An ice making chamber is formed inside the ice making box and is pivotable relative to the water storage box, allowing it to switch between an ice making position and a discharge position. The cooling device has a plurality of ice making columns, and at the ice making position, at least a portion of the ice making columns extends into the ice making chamber. The liquid supply unit includes a liquid supply pipe connecting the water storage box and the ice making box, and the liquid supply pipe has a plurality of nozzles exposed into the ice making chamber, the number of which is the same as the number of ice making columns, and at the ice making position, each nozzle corresponds to each ice making column, preventing air bubbles from being included in the ice blocks formed on the ice making columns.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application is filed based on a Chinese patent application with the application number 202310349811.1 and the filing date of April 4, 2023, and claims the priority of the Chinese patent application. The entire content of the above patent application is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This application relates to the field of cooling devices, particularly to ice makers and refrigerators equipped with the same.

Background Art

[0003] In a conventional refrigerator equipped with an ice maker, usually, the ice maker is installed in the freezer compartment, and ice is made in an air-cooled or direct-cooled manner. In this ice-making method, the ice freezes step by step from the outside to the inside, and the air remaining in the air cannot be discharged. Therefore, there are bubbles inside the generated ice cubes, the quality of the ice cubes is inferior, and they are not transparent. Thus, a method of circulating and flowing the water in the ice-making box has been proposed. This method installs a circulation pump in the ice-making box to keep the water in the ice-making box in a flowing state. However, the circulation pump can only make the water in the entire ice-making box flow, and it is impossible to ensure a stable water flow around each ice-making column. Therefore, there are still bubbles inside the ice cubes formed on some ice-making columns, and the ice-making effect of the ice maker is inferior.

[0004] None of the prior art mentioned in the specification is intended to confirm or suggest that the prior art constitutes a part of the common knowledge in any jurisdiction, or is understood by those skilled in the art, relevant, and / or reasonably expected to be combined with other prior art.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] The objective of this application is to provide an ice maker with excellent ice-making effect.

[0006] To achieve one of the above-mentioned invention objectives, one embodiment of this application is a water storage box, and An ice-making box that pivots relative to the water storage box and can be switched between an ice-making position and a discharge position, and has an ice-making chamber formed inside, A cooling device having multiple ice-making columns, wherein at least a portion of the ice-making columns extends into the ice-making chamber at the ice-making location, The system includes a liquid supply unit that includes a liquid supply pipe connecting the water storage box and the ice making box, The liquid supply pipe has a plurality of nozzles exposed in the ice-making chamber, the number of nozzles being the same as the number of ice-making columns, and the ice-making machine is provided such that each nozzle corresponds to each ice-making column at the ice-making position.

[0007] As a further improvement to one embodiment of this application, the centerlines of the plurality of nozzles are parallel to each other, and the centerline of each nozzle lies on the same line as the axis of each ice-making column.

[0008] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present application, the ice-making box has an ice-making opening that exposes the ice-making chamber, the liquid supply pipe has a nozzle that forms the nozzle, and the nozzle is positioned opposite the ice-making opening.

[0009] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the ice-making box has a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the periphery of the bottom wall and surrounding the ice-making opening, and the ejection part is fixed to the bottom wall.

[0010] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present application, the water storage box has a mounting chamber and a water storage chamber communicating with the mounting chamber, the liquid supply unit further includes a liquid supply pump connected to the liquid supply pipe, the ice making box is located above the water storage chamber, and the ice making opening is exposed into the mounting chamber.

[0011] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present application, the ice-making box further has a positioning groove provided in the bottom wall and conforming to the ejection part, and the ice-making machine further includes a fixing member connected to the ice-making box, wherein the ejection part is positioned in the positioning groove and in contact with the fixing member.

[0012] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present application, the ice maker further includes an ice storage box connected to the water storage box, the ice storage box having an ice storage opening exposed into the mounting chamber, the ice making box being pivotally connected to the water storage box, the discharge position having a draining state and a de-icing state based on the orientation of the ice making opening, and in the de-icing state, the ice making column is exposed into the mounting chamber and located directly above the ice storage opening.

[0013] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the ice maker further includes a water-blocking member cooperating with the ice-making box, the water-blocking member having a water-blocking plate and connecting plates connected to both sides of the water-blocking plate, the water-blocking member switching between a water-guiding state and a retracted state based on the rotation of the ice-making box, and in the water-guiding state, the water-blocking plate is located between the ice-making box and the ice-storage box and covers at least a portion of the ice-storage opening above.

[0014] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present application, the ice maker further includes a movable member connected to the ice-making box, and a first positioning member and a second positioning member connected to the water storage box and cooperating with the movable member, wherein in the ice-making position, the movable member abuts against the first positioning member, and in the de-ice-making state, the movable member abuts against the second positioning member.

[0015] As a further improvement to one embodiment of this application, at the ice-making position, the startup time of the cooling device is not earlier than the time of liquid output from the nozzle.

[0016] As a further improvement of one embodiment of this application, the cooling device is activated at the ice-making position when the ice-making chamber is filled with liquid.

[0017] To achieve the objective of the above invention, this application further provides a refrigerator including the ice maker described above.

[0018] Compared with related technologies, in the embodiments of the present application, after the ice maker introduces the water in the water storage box into the nozzle, it continuously sprays towards a plurality of ice-making columns through the plurality of nozzles, keeping the water in the ice-making box in a flowing state during the ice-making process, and ensuring a stable water flow around each ice-making column, thereby preventing air bubbles from being contained in the ice cubes formed on the ice-making columns and improving the ice-making effect of the ice maker.

[0019] As used herein, the terms "comprise", "comprises", "comprised", "comprising", "including", "containing" and their variants do not exclude other features, components, elements or steps, unless otherwise required by the context.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ice maker in a preferred embodiment of the present application. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the ice maker shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1, where FIG. 5a shows the ice-making position, FIG. 5b shows the drainage state, and FIG. 5c shows the defrosting state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a structural view of the cooperating part between the ice-making box and the water-blocking member in FIG. 1, where the water storage box is omitted, and FIG. 6a shows the ice-making position, FIG. 6b shows the drainage state, and FIG. 6c shows the defrosting state. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of part C in FIG. 3.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] The present application will be described in detail based on the specific embodiments shown in the drawings. However, these embodiments do not limit the present application, and any structural, method, or functional changes made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are all included in the protection scope of the present application.

[0022] It should be understood that terms representing spatial relative positions such as "upper", "lower", "outer", "inner", etc. are used for the convenience of explanation to describe the relationship between one unit or feature shown in the drawings and other units or features. The terms representing spatial relative positions are intended to include different orientations during the use or operation of the device other than the orientation shown in the drawings.

[0023] In the description of the present application, terms such as "attachment", "interconnection", "connection", etc. should be interpreted broadly unless there are clear regulations and limitations otherwise. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, an integral connection, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in the present application according to the specific situation.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 7, the ice maker provided by the preferred embodiment of the present application is suitable for manufacturing transparent bullet-shaped ice.

[0025] Specifically, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 together, the ice maker includes a water storage box 10, an ice making box 20, a cooling device 30, and a liquid supply unit 40. In this embodiment, the water storage box 10 stores the water required for ice making and supplies it to the ice making box 20 through the liquid supply unit 40, and the cooling device 30 provides the cold heat required for ice making.

[0026] Specifically, referring to FIG. 3 together, an ice making chamber 21 is formed inside the ice making box 20. In this embodiment, the ice making chamber 21 accommodates the water for ice making.

[0027] Furthermore, the ice-making box 20 can pivot relative to the water storage box 10, allowing it to switch between the ice-making position and the discharge position. In this embodiment, relative rotation is possible between the ice-making box 20 and the water storage box 10. In Figure 3, the ice-making box 20 is in the ice-making position.

[0028] Specifically, the cooling device 30 has a plurality of ice-making columns 31, and at the ice-making position, at least a portion of the ice-making columns 31 extends into the ice-making chamber 21. In this embodiment, when the ice-making box 20 is in the ice-making position, each ice-making column 31 extends into the ice-making chamber 21 and comes into contact with the water in the ice-making chamber 21. At this time, the cold generated by the cooling device 30 is transmitted to each ice-making column 31, and then continuously transmitted to the water in the ice-making chamber 21 via each ice-making column 31, cooling the water in the ice-making box 20 into ice, and finally condensing on each ice-making column 31. Multiple ice-making columns 31 can form multiple ice blocks simultaneously, and since all of the multiple ice-making columns 31 have a columnar structure, the ice blocks formed on the multiple ice-making columns 31 are all bullet-shaped.

[0029] Specifically, the liquid supply unit 40 includes a liquid supply pipe 41 that connects the water storage box 10 and the ice making box 20. In this embodiment, the liquid supply unit 40 connects the water storage box 10 and the ice making box 20 using the liquid supply pipe 41, thereby supplying water from the water storage box 10 to the ice making box 20. Compared to a system that supplies water from an external water source, this allows for pre-cooling of the water injected into the ice making box 20.

[0030] Furthermore, the liquid supply pipe 41 has a plurality of nozzles 41b exposed inside the ice-making chamber 21. In this embodiment, the water in the liquid supply pipe 41 flows continuously into the ice-making chamber 21 through the nozzles 41b, and as the nozzles 41b continuously eject, the water inside the ice-making chamber 21 is agitated, forming a vortex in the water flow inside the ice-making chamber 21, accelerating the discharge of air bubbles in the water, and resulting in ice blocks formed on the ice-making column 31 that are free of air bubbles and more transparent.

[0031] Furthermore, by flowing into the ice-making chamber 21 through multiple nozzles 41b, the rate at which water is injected into the ice-making chamber 21 is accelerated, thereby accelerating the water flow velocity inside the ice-making chamber 21.

[0032] Furthermore, the multiple nozzles 41b are uniformly distributed throughout the ice-making chamber 21, ensuring that water flow is agitated in all parts of the ice-making chamber 21, and allowing air bubbles to be discharged from the water in all parts of the ice-making box 20. In addition, the multiple nozzles 41b are uniformly (equally spaced) on the discharge section 41a, resulting in the same water discharge velocity at each nozzle 41b. This ensures that the magnitude of the water flow vortex is the same in all parts of the ice-making chamber, reducing the mutual influence between the jets in different parts of the ice-making chamber 21.

[0033] Furthermore, the number of nozzles 41b is the same as the number of ice-making columns 31. In this embodiment, the number of nozzles 41b is equal to the number of ice-making columns 31, thereby ensuring that when multiple ice-making columns 31 are making ice simultaneously, all air bubbles in the water inside the ice-making box 20 are completely discharged. The axes of each ice-making column 31 are parallel to each other.

[0034] Furthermore, referring to Figure 4, at the ice-making position, each nozzle 41b corresponds to each ice-making column 31. In this embodiment, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the nozzles 41b and the ice-making columns 31, and the water flow discharged from each nozzle 41b is ejected towards each ice-making column 31, agitating the water around each ice-making column 31 and expelling air bubbles from the water around the ice-making column 31. As a result, the ice formed on the ice-making columns 31 is free of air bubbles and becomes more transparent.

[0035] The ice maker introduces water from the water storage box 10 into the nozzle 41b, and then continuously sprays it through multiple nozzles 41b toward multiple ice-making columns 31. This maintains a fluid state of water in the ice-making box 20 during the ice-making process and ensures a stable water flow around each ice-making column 31, thereby preventing air bubbles from being incorporated into the ice blocks formed on the ice-making columns 31 and improving the ice-making efficiency of the ice maker.

[0036] Furthermore, the centerlines of the multiple nozzles 41b are parallel to each other. In this embodiment, the water columns ejected by each nozzle 41b within the ice-making chamber 21 are parallel to each other, reducing the mutual influence between the water columns ejected by the multiple nozzles 41b.

[0037] Furthermore, the centerline of each nozzle 41b corresponds to the axis of each ice-making column 31. In this embodiment, each nozzle 41b is provided opposite each ice-making column 31, and the centerlines of the corresponding nozzle 41b and the corresponding ice-making column 31 are on the same line. Therefore, each nozzle 41b faces each ice-making column 31 directly. The water flow discharged from each nozzle 41b is ejected directly toward each ice-making column 31, and upon impact with each ice-making column 31, it agitates the water surrounding each ice-making column 31, accelerating the discharge of air bubbles in the water surrounding the ice-making column 31, resulting in ice blocks formed on the ice-making columns 31 that are free of air bubbles and more transparent.

[0038] In some embodiments, the centerlines of each nozzle 41b may be positioned at a certain angle with the centerline of the corresponding ice-making column 31, or they may be arranged parallel to each other and not on the same line.

[0039] Furthermore, the ice-making box 20 has an ice-making opening 22 that exposes the ice-making chamber 21. In this embodiment, the ice-making box 20 is open. In Figures 3 and 4, the ice-making box 20 is in the ice-making position, and at this time the ice-making opening 22 is located at the top of the ice-making box 20.

[0040] Furthermore, the liquid supply pipe 41 has a nozzle 41a that forms the nozzle 41b. In this embodiment, the nozzle 41a is located inside the ice-making chamber 21. The nozzle 41a is fixed to the ice-making box 20, so that the nozzle 41a is stationary relative to the ice-making box 20, and the nozzle 41a is able to rotate relative to the water storage box 10.

[0041] Furthermore, the ejection nozzle 41a is positioned opposite the ice-making port 22. In this embodiment, the ejection nozzle 41b forms a vortex of water flow around the ejection nozzle 41a, thereby agitating the water around the ejection nozzle 41a and accelerating the discharge of air bubbles in the water around the ejection nozzle 41a. Because the ejection nozzle 41a faces the ice-making port 22, the air bubbles discharged from the water around the ejection nozzle 41a are discharged directly from the ice-making port 22, thereby accelerating the discharge of air bubbles in the ice-making chamber 21, reducing the amount of air bubbles in the formed ice block, and making the ice block more transparent.

[0042] Specifically, the ice-making box 20 has a bottom wall 23 and a side wall 24 connected to the periphery of the bottom wall 23 and surrounding the ice-making opening 22, and the ejection part 41a is fixed to the bottom wall 23. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, when the ice-making box 20 is in the ice-making position, the bottom wall 23 is located at the bottom of the ice-making box 20, the ice-making opening 22 is located at the top of the ice-making box 20, and the ejection part 41a is fixed to the bottom wall 23, so at this time the ice-making opening 22 and the ejection part 41a are facing each other vertically. Therefore, when the ice-making box 20 is in the ice-making position, as the liquid supply pipe 41 injects water into the ice-making box 20 via the ejection port 41a, the water flow is injected from the bottom of the ice-making box 20, gradually filling the entire ice-making chamber 21. After that, the water flow overflows from the ice-making opening 22 at the top of the ice-making box 20, forming flowing water inside the ice-making box 20, which results in ice blocks that are more transparent and bubble-free.

[0043] Furthermore, when the ice-making box 20 is in the ice-making position, the ejection port 41a and the ice-making opening 22 are perpendicular to each other, so the water inlet and outlet of the ice-making box 20 are also perpendicular to each other. As a result, the flowing water inside the ice-making box 20 penetrates the entire ice-making chamber 21 in a vertical direction, the area of ​​flowing water covers the entire ice-making chamber 21, accelerating the discharge of air bubbles inside the ice-making box 20, and resulting in ice blocks that are bubble-free and more transparent.

[0044] Furthermore, by fixing the ejection nozzle 41a to the bottom wall 23, it is possible to prevent the ejection nozzle 41a from interfering with the ice-making column 31 and the ice blocks on the ice-making column 31 during the rotation process of the ice-making box 20.

[0045] Specifically, the water storage box 10 has an installation chamber 11 and a water storage chamber 12 that communicates with the installation chamber 11. In this embodiment, the installation chamber 11 and the water storage chamber 12 are arranged vertically and penetrate each other.

[0046] Furthermore, the liquid supply unit 40 further includes a liquid supply pump 42 connected to the liquid supply pipe 41. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the liquid supply pump 42 pumps water from the water storage chamber 12 into the ice making chamber 21 and supplies the water necessary for ice making.

[0047] In some embodiments, the liquid supply pump 42 can further pump water from the ice-making chamber 21 to the water storage chamber 12, facilitating drainage of the ice-making chamber 21. Alternatively, the liquid supply pump 42 can achieve bidirectional communication, allowing it to pump water from the water storage chamber 12 into the ice-making chamber 21 or from the ice-making chamber 21 to the water storage chamber 12.

[0048] Specifically, the ice-making box 20 is located above the water storage chamber 12, and the ice-making opening 22 is exposed within the mounting chamber 11. In this embodiment, when the ice-making box 20 is in the ice-making position, the liquid supply pump 42 continuously pumps water from the water storage chamber 12 and pours it into the ice-making chamber 21, causing the liquid in the ice-making box 20 to overflow from the ice-making opening 22. Since the ice-making opening 22 is exposed within the mounting chamber 11, the liquid overflowing from the ice-making box 20 flows into the mounting chamber 11 and eventually falls into the water storage chamber 12 below the ice-making box 20, allowing the liquid supply pump 42 to continuously pump it up, thereby achieving water circulation between the ice-making chamber 21 and the water storage chamber 12.

[0049] Specifically, referring to Figure 4, the ice-making box 20 further has a positioning groove 25 provided in the bottom wall 23 and conforming to the ejection part 41a. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the cooling device 30 further includes a refrigerant pipe 32 connected to the ice-making column 31, and the refrigerant pipe 32 is connected to the evaporator, condenser and compressor to form a refrigerant circuit. The refrigerant pipe 32 communicates with the ice-making column 31, thereby allowing the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit to flow into the ice-making column 31 and cool the ice-making column 31. Since the ice-making columns 31 are uniformly distributed in an array, the refrigerant pipe 32 is preferably U-shaped. Also, since the ejection outlet 41b faces the ice-making column 31, the ejection part 41a is preferably U-shaped to conform to the refrigerant pipe 32, and the positioning groove 25 is U-shaped to conform to the ejection part 41a.

[0050] By adopting a "U" shaped structure for the ejection section 41a, the ejection section 41a spreads across the entire bottom of the ice-making chamber 21, and multiple nozzles 41b are provided on the ejection section 41a at uniform intervals along the water flow path within the ejection section 41a, so that the ejected water flow generated by the nozzles 41b is uniformly distributed to various parts of the ice-making chamber 21.

[0051] Furthermore, the ice maker further includes a fixing member 50 connected to the ice making box 20. In this embodiment, the fixing member 50 is fixed to the ice making box 20 and is located on the edge of the positioning groove 25.

[0052] Specifically, the ejection part 41a is positioned within the positioning groove 25 and in contact with the fixing member 50. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, taking the case where the ice-making box 20 is in the ice-making position as an example, at least a portion of the ejection part 41a extends within the positioning groove 25, and then the horizontal displacement of the ejection part 41a is restricted, and the upper part of the ejection part 41a is supported by the fixing member 50, thereby restricting the vertical displacement of the ejection part 41a, and thus making installation and removal easier.

[0053] Furthermore, the ice maker further includes an ice storage box 60 connected to the water storage box 10, and the ice storage box 60 has an ice storage opening 61 exposed within the mounting chamber 11. In this embodiment, referring to Figures 1 and 4, the ice storage box 60 is open at the top, and is slidably connected to the water storage box 10. It is movably positioned on the water storage box 10 by pushing and pulling, making it easy for the user to remove blocks of ice.

[0054] Specifically, the ice-making box 20 is pivotally connected to the water storage box 10. In this embodiment, the ice-making box 20 is pivotally connected to the water storage box 10 by axial projections at both ends, and the box portion of the ice-making box 20 can rotate within the mounting chamber 11. The liquid supply pipe 41 further includes a connecting portion that connects the liquid supply pump 42 to the ejection portion 41a, and the connecting portion is preferably a flexible pipe, which facilitates the rotation of the ejection portion 41a together with the ice-making box 20.

[0055] Specifically, referring to Figures 5 and 6, the discharge position has a drainage state and a de-ice state, depending on the orientation of the ice-making port 22. In this embodiment, the ice-making box 20 is in different positions during the process of rotating relative to the water storage box 10. Of these, in Figures 5a and 6a, the ice-making box 20 is in the ice-making position, and in Figures 5b, 5c, 6b, and 6c, the ice-making box 20 is in the discharge position. When the ice-making box 20 is in the discharge position, the ice-making box 20 is in different states depending on the orientation of the ice-making port 22. Of these, in Figures 5b and 6b, the ice-making box 20 is in the drainage state, and in Figures 5c and 6c, the ice-making box 20 is in the de-ice state.

[0056] Specifically, referring to Figure 5, in the de-icing state, the ice-making column 31 is exposed within the mounting chamber 11 and is located directly above the ice storage opening 61. In this embodiment, when the ice-making box 20 is in the de-icing state, the ice-making column 31 is heated, causing the ice blocks formed on the ice-making column 31 to fall into the ice storage box 60 below, making them available for use by the user.

[0057] Specifically, the ice maker further includes a first heating member 140 positioned away from the refrigerant pipe 32 on the side opposite to the ice-making column 31, and a second heating member 150 positioned within the water storage chamber 12 and below the ice storage box 60. The cooling device 30 is fixed to the water storage box 10, and the ice-making column 31 is located in the mounting chamber 11. When the ice-making box 20 is in the ice-making position, the ice-making column 31 is exposed inside the ice-making chamber 21. After ice making is complete, the ice-making box 20 is rotated to the de-ice-making position, exposing the ice-making column 31 inside the mounting chamber 11. At this time, the ice-making column 31 is heated by the first heating member 140, causing the ice chunks on the ice-making column 31 to fall off and directly into the ice storage box 60. During the ice-making process of the ice maker, the water in the water storage chamber 12 is heated by the second heating member 150 to prevent the water in the water storage chamber 12 from freezing, ensuring normal water pumping and supply by the liquid supply pump 42.

[0058] In some embodiments, semiconductor cooling can be used to replace the refrigerant pipe 32 or the entire cooling device 30, thereby eliminating the need for the first heating element 140.

[0059] Furthermore, the ice maker also includes a water-blocking member 70 that cooperates with the ice-making box 20. In this embodiment, by arranging the water-blocking member 70, when the ice-making box 20 is in the ice-making position or drainage state, it is possible to block the liquid discharged from the ice-making port 22 and prevent the liquid from flowing into the ice storage box 60.

[0060] Specifically, the water-blocking member 70 has a water-blocking plate 71 and connecting plates 72 connected to both sides of the water-blocking plate 71. In this embodiment, when Figures 2 and 3 are combined, the water-blocking plate 71 has a flat plate structure, and the water-blocking member 70 is pivotally connected to axial projections at both ends of the ice-making box 20 by the connecting plates 72, thereby enabling relative rotation or joint rotation between the water-blocking plate 70 and the ice-making box 20.

[0061] Specifically, the water-blocking member 70 switches between a water-guiding state and a retracted state based on the rotation of the ice-making box 20. In this embodiment, when the water-blocking member 70 rotates during the rotation process of the ice-making box 20, the water-blocking member 70 can take on different states. In Figures 5a, 5b and 6a, 6b, the water-blocking member 70 is in the water-guiding state, while in Figures 5c and 6c, the water-blocking member 70 is in the retracted state.

[0062] Specifically, in the water intake state, the water-blocking plate 71 is positioned between the ice-making box 20 and the ice storage box 60, covering at least a portion of the ice storage opening 61 above. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5a and 5b, when the water-blocking member 70 is in the water intake state, the ice-making box 20 is in the ice-making position or drainage state, and after the water in the ice-making box 20 flows out from the ice-making opening 22, it falls onto the water-blocking plate 71, is guided by the water-blocking plate 71 and falls into the water storage chamber 12, preventing the liquid from falling directly into the ice storage box 60 and ensuring the normal storage of ice blocks in the ice storage box 60. As shown in Figure 5c, when the water-blocking member 70 is in the retracted state, the ice-making box 20 is in the de-ice-making state, the ice-making column 31 is directly exposed above the ice storage opening 61, and after heating, the ice blocks separate from the ice-making column 31 and fall into the ice storage box 60, and in this process the water-blocking member 70 does not interfere with the falling ice blocks.

[0063] Furthermore, the ice-making box 20 is provided with an overflow nozzle 26, and in the water-guiding state, the overflow nozzle 26 is positioned directly above the water-blocking plate 71. In this embodiment, by providing the overflow nozzle 26, when the ice-making box 20 is in the ice-making position, the water inside the ice-making box 20 is allowed to overflow from the overflow nozzle 26, making the water flow from the ice-making box 20 onto the water-blocking plate 71 stable and uniform, reducing water splashing on the water-blocking plate 71, and preventing the overflowing water from the ice-making box 20 from falling into the ice storage box 60.

[0064] Preferably, the ice-making box 20 is provided with one overflow nozzle 26, which is located in the middle of the ice-making box. The overflow nozzle 26 has a flat overflow plate, which is recessed into the edge of the ice-making opening 22. When the ice-making box 20 is in the ice-making position, the overflow plate 26 and the water-blocking plate 71 are tilted to the same side, allowing the overflow from the ice-making box 20 to be smoothly and quickly guided to the water storage chamber 12, thereby accelerating the water circulation speed between the ice-making chamber 21 and the water storage chamber 12.

[0065] Specifically, referring to Figures 2 and 6, the ice maker further includes a first stopper 80 and a second stopper 90 connected to the ice-making box 20 and cooperating with the water-blocking member 70. In this embodiment, the connecting plate 72 is located between the first stopper 80 and the second stopper 90, and as the ice-making box 20 rotates, the first stopper 80 and the second stopper 90 rotate, and when either the first stopper 80 or the second stopper 90 is in contact with the connecting plate 72, the water-blocking member 70 rotates together with the ice-making box 20. Taking Figure 6 as an example, when the ice-making box 20 rotates counterclockwise, the first stopper 80 comes into contact with the connecting plate 72, causing the water-blocking member 70 to rotate in the same direction as the ice-making box 20, i.e., counterclockwise. When the ice-making box 20 rotates clockwise, the second stopper 90 comes into contact with the connecting plate 72, causing the water-blocking member 70 to rotate in the same direction as the ice-making box 20, i.e., clockwise.

[0066] Specifically, at the ice-making position, the connecting plate 72 is in contact with the first stopper 80. In this embodiment, the ice-making box 20 is rotationally driven by a drive motor, so after the rotation of the ice-making box 20 stops, the ice-making box 20 can maintain a stationary state due to the self-locking function of the drive motor. Therefore, when the ice-making box 20 is in the ice-making position, the water-blocking member 70 is in a water-guiding state, and the ice-making box 20 contacts the side edge of the connecting plate 72 using the first stopper 80. As the ice-making box 20 maintains a stationary state, the water-blocking member 70 also maintains a stationary state, preventing the water-blocking member 70 from being deflected by the impact of the water flow.

[0067] Specifically, at the discharge position, the connecting plate 72 is in contact with the second stopper 90. In this embodiment, when the ice-making box 20 is in the discharge position, the ice-making box 20 contacts the connecting plate 72 using the second stopper 90, and rotates together with the water-blocking member 70, thereby switching the ice-making box 20 from a drainage state to a de-ice state, and smoothly de-ices the ice-making column 31.

[0068] Similarly, when the ice-making box 20 is in the de-icing state, the water-blocking member 70 is in a retracted state, and the ice-making box 20 abuts against the side edge of the connecting plate 72 using the second stopper 90. As the ice-making box 20 remains stationary, the water-blocking member 70 also remains stationary, preventing the water-blocking member 70 from interfering with the de-icing of the ice-making column 31.

[0069] Furthermore, referring to Figures 3 and 6, the ice maker further includes a support member 100 connected to the water storage box 10 and cooperating with the water-blocking member 70. In the water-conducting state, the support member 100 is in contact with the water-blocking member 70, and in the retracted state, the support member 100 is separated from contact with the water-blocking member 70. In this embodiment, the support member 100 is fixed to the water storage box 10, and when the water-blocking member 70 is in the water-conducting state, the support member 100 provides a constant positioning force to the water-blocking member 70, preventing deflection due to the impact of the water flow. In the process of the water-blocking member 70 switching from the water-conducting state to the retracted state, the ice maker box 20 can separate the water-blocking member 70 from contact with the support member 100, and in this process, the support member 100 does not hinder the rotation of the water-blocking member 70 relative to the ice maker box 20.

[0070] Specifically, referring to Figures 3 and 7, the support member 100 includes a support ball 101 and an elastic member 102 that contacts the support ball 101. When the water-blocking member 70 is in a water-conducting state, the elastic member 102 contacts the side of the support ball 101 away from the water-blocking member 70, thereby providing a certain elastic force to the support ball 101, causing the support ball 101 to be elastically supported by the water-blocking member 70, providing a positioning force to the water-blocking member 70, and at the same time not hindering the rotation of the water-blocking member 70 relative to the ice-making box 20.

[0071] Specifically, a mounting groove 13 is provided in the water storage box 10 to accommodate at least a portion of the elastic member 102 and the support ball 101, and the inner diameter of the opening end of the mounting groove 13 is made smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the support ball 101 to prevent the support ball 101 from detaching from the mounting groove 13. Here, the mounting groove 13 can be integrally molded with the water storage box 10, or a separate mounting member 170 can be provided to form the mounting groove 13. When the mounting groove 13 is formed using a separate mounting member 170, the mounting member 170 needs to be fixed to the water storage box 10, and this method makes it easy to attach and detach the support member 100.

[0072] Furthermore, referring to Figures 3 and 6, the ice maker further includes a support groove 160 provided in the water-blocking member 70 that fits the support ball 101. By using the support groove 160 to limit the range of movement of the support ball 101, the support member 100 provides a more stable positioning force to the water-blocking member 70, while simultaneously facilitating contact and separation between the water-blocking member 70 and the support member 100 due to rotation.

[0073] Furthermore, referring to Figures 2 and 6, the ice maker further includes a movable member 110 connected to the ice-making box 20, and a first positioning member 120 and a second positioning member 130 connected to the water storage box 10 and cooperating with the movable member 110. In this embodiment, an internal spline is provided on the movable member 110, and an external spline is provided on the axial projection at the end of the ice-making box, thereby realizing a power transmission connection between the movable member 110 and the ice-making box 20, that is, the movable member 110 can rotate together with the ice-making box 20.

[0074] The first positioning member 120 and the second positioning member 130 are fixed to the water storage box 10, and the movable member 110 is positioned between the first positioning member 120 and the second positioning member 130. As shown in Figure 6 as an example, as the ice-making box 20 rotates counterclockwise, the movable member 110 rotates counterclockwise together with the ice-making box 20, and when the movable member 110 is in contact with the first positioning member 120, the first positioning member 120 can control the stopping of the drive motor, and at this time the ice-making box 20 also stops rotating. Similarly, as the ice-making box 20 rotates clockwise, the movable member 110 rotates clockwise together with the ice-making box 20, and when the movable member 110 is in contact with the second positioning member 130, the second positioning member 130 can control the stopping of the drive motor, and at this time the ice-making box 20 also stops rotating.

[0075] Therefore, by arranging the movable member 110, the first positioning member 120, and the second positioning member 130, excessive rotation of the ice-making box 20 is prevented during the process in which the drive motor rotates the ice-making box 20, thereby preventing interference between the ice-making box 20 and the cooling device 30, and further preventing interference between the water-blocking member 70 and the water storage box 10.

[0076] Specifically, in the ice-making position, the movable member 110 abuts against the first positioning member 120, and in the de-ice-making state, the movable member 110 abuts against the second positioning member 130. In this embodiment, by arranging the first positioning member 120 and the second positioning member 130, the rotation range of the ice-making box 20 is limited, that is, the ice-making box can only rotate between the ice-making position and the de-ice-making state.

[0077] Furthermore, at the ice-making position, the startup time of the cooling device 30 is not earlier than the liquid output time from the nozzle 41b. In this embodiment, the startup time of the cooling device 30 is later than or equal to the liquid output time from the nozzle 41b. The startup time of the cooling device 30 refers to the startup time of the compressor, and the liquid output time from the nozzle 41b refers to the time it takes for the nozzle 41b to inject water into the ice-making chamber 21.

[0078] In an ice-making method where the startup time of the cooling device 30 is equal to the time of liquid output from the nozzle 41b, when the liquid in the liquid supply pipe 41 enters the ice-making chamber 21 through the nozzle 41b, or when the nozzle 41b sprays onto the ice-making column 31, the cooling device 30 is started in sync with this to begin cooling. The water flow formed by the nozzle 41b is continuously sprayed into the ice-making chamber 21 until the ice-making chamber 21 is filled with water and overflows to the outside, agitating the water around the ice-making column 31 and accelerating the discharge of air bubbles in the water, thereby making the ice formed on the ice-making column 31 bubble-free and more transparent. This ice-making method shortens the time required for ice making and saves the user waiting time to retrieve ice.

[0079] In an ice-making method where the startup time of the cooling device 30 is slower than the liquid output time from the nozzle 41b, after the liquid in the supply pipe 41 has been injected into the ice-making chamber 21 through the nozzle 41b for a certain period of time, the cooling device 30 is started to begin cooling. When the ice-making chamber 21 is filled with water and overflows to the outside, the water flow formed by the nozzle 41b is continuously ejected inside the ice-making chamber 21, agitating the water around the ice-making column 31 and accelerating the discharge of air bubbles in the water. As a result, the ice blocks formed on the ice-making column 31 are bubble-free and more transparent. This ice-making method ensures that the ice blocks formed on the ice-making column 31 are smoother and meet the requirements, guaranteeing the ice-making effect.

[0080] Specifically, at the ice-making position, the cooling device 30 is activated when the ice-making chamber 21 is filled with liquid. In this embodiment, in an ice-making method where the activation time of the cooling device 30 is later than the liquid output time from the nozzle 41b, it is preferable to activate the cooling device 30 and start cooling when the ice-making chamber 21 is filled with water and begins to overflow to the outside. That is, after the liquid in the liquid supply pipe 41 enters the ice-making chamber 21 through the nozzle 41b, when the ice-making chamber 21 is filled with water and overflows to the outside, the cooling device 30 is activated immediately at this point to start cooling.

[0081] Using Figures 5 and 6 as examples, when the ice maker starts making ice, the drive motor first controls the ice-making box 20 to the ice-making position, and the liquid supply pump 42 pumps water from the water storage chamber 12 through the liquid supply pipe 41 and continuously supplies it into the ice-making chamber 21. At this time, the ice-making column 31 is located inside the ice-making chamber 21, and after the ice-making column 31 comes into contact with the water inside the ice-making chamber 21, ice blocks are gradually formed on the ice-making column 31. After the ice-making chamber 21 is filled with water, the liquid supply pump 42 continues to supply water to the ice-making chamber 21, and the water inside the ice-making chamber 21 flows through the overflow nozzle 26 of the ice-making opening 22 to the water-blocking plate 71 below, and after being guided by the water-blocking plate 71, it falls into the water storage chamber 12 and is continuously sent into the ice-making chamber 21 by the liquid supply pump 42, forming a water circulation between the ice-making chamber 21 and the water storage chamber 12.

[0082] After the ice-making process is complete, the liquid supply pump 42 is stopped, and the drive motor is controlled to rotate the ice-making box 20 clockwise, switching the ice-making box 20 from the ice-making position to the drainage position. During this process, water in the ice-making chamber 21 flows continuously from the ice-making opening 22 or the overflow nozzle 26 to the water-blocking plate 71 below, and after being guided by the water-blocking plate 71, falls into the water storage chamber 12. During this process, the water-blocking member 70 is in contact with the support member 100, so the water-blocking member 70 does not deflect during the water guidance process.

[0083] After the ice-making box 20 has finished draining, the drive motor continues to rotate the ice-making box 20. At this time, the second stopper 90 of the ice-making box 20 rotates the water-blocking member 70 clockwise, disengaging the water-blocking member 70 from contact with the support member 100. During this process, the drive motor switches the ice-making box 20 from a draining state to a de-ice state, and the ice-making box 20 switches the water-blocking member 70 from a water-conducting state to a retracted state. When the ice-making box 20 is in the de-ice state, the water-blocking member 70 is in the retracted state. At this time, the movable member 110 contacts the second positioning member 130, and the second positioning member 130 controls the stopping of the drive motor's rotation. At this time, the first heating member 140 starts operating, causing the ice blocks on the ice-making column 31 to fall into the ice storage box 60.

[0084] After the ice maker has finished de-icing, the drive motor is controlled to rotate the ice-making box 20 counterclockwise, switching the ice-making box 20 from the de-icing state to the ice-making state. During this process, the first stopper 80 comes into contact with the water-blocking member 70, and then the first stopper 80 rotates the water-blocking member 70 counterclockwise, causing the water-blocking member 70 to come into contact with the support member 100. As the drive motor rotates the ice-making box 20, the first positioning member 120 controls the rotation of the drive motor until the movable member 110 comes into contact with the first positioning member 120. At this point, the ice-making box 20 returns to the ice-making position, the support member 100 also comes into contact with the water-blocking member 70, and the next round of ice making begins, and this process is repeated.

[0085] According to another aspect of the present application, a refrigerator is further provided, wherein an ice maker according to the present application is installed in the refrigerator, and the ice maker is preferably installed in the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator.

[0086] While this specification is described according to embodiments, it should be understood that each embodiment does not consist solely of independent technical solutions. This style of description is for clarity only, and those skilled in the art can consider the specification as a whole and appropriately combine the technical solutions in each embodiment to form other embodiments understandable to them.

[0087] The series of detailed descriptions listed above are merely specific descriptions of feasible embodiments of this application and do not limit the scope of protection of this application. Any equivalent embodiments or modifications that do not depart from the technical idea of ​​this application shall be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. It is an ice maker, Water storage box and An ice-making box that pivots relative to the water storage box and can be switched between an ice-making position and a discharge position, and has an ice-making chamber formed inside, A cooling device having multiple ice-making columns, wherein at least a portion of the ice-making columns extends into the ice-making chamber at the ice-making location, The system includes a liquid supply unit that includes a liquid supply pipe connecting the water storage box and the ice making box, The ice maker is characterized in that the liquid supply pipe has a plurality of nozzles exposed in the ice-making chamber, the number of nozzles is the same as the number of ice-making columns, and at the ice-making position, each nozzle corresponds to each ice-making column.

2. The ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that the centerlines of the plurality of nozzles are parallel to each other, and the centerline of each nozzle lies on the same line as the axis of each ice-making column.

3. The ice-making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the ice-making box has an ice-making opening that exposes the ice-making chamber, the liquid supply pipe has a nozzle that forms the nozzle, and the nozzle is provided opposite the ice-making opening.

4. The ice-making box has a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the periphery of the bottom wall and surrounding the ice-making opening, and the ejection part is fixed to the bottom wall, as described in claim 3.

5. The ice maker according to claim 3, characterized in that the water storage box has an installation chamber and a water storage chamber communicating with the installation chamber, the liquid supply unit further includes a liquid supply pump connected to the liquid supply pipe, the ice making box is located above the water storage chamber, and the ice making opening is exposed into the installation chamber.

6. The ice-making box further has a positioning groove provided in the bottom wall and conforming to the ejection part, and the ice-making machine further includes a fixing member connected to the ice-making box, wherein the ejection part is positioned in the positioning groove and in contact with the fixing member, as described in claim 4.

7. The ice maker further includes an ice storage box connected to the water storage box, the ice storage box having an ice storage opening exposed into the mounting chamber, the ice making box being pivotally connected to the water storage box, the discharge position having a drainage state and a de-ice state based on the orientation of the ice making opening, and in the de-ice state, the ice making column being exposed into the mounting chamber and located directly above the ice storage opening, as described in claim 5.

8. The ice maker further includes a water-blocking member that cooperates with the ice-making box, the water-blocking member having a water-blocking plate and connecting plates connected to both sides of the water-blocking plate, the water-blocking member switches between a water-guiding state and a retracted state based on the rotation of the ice-making box, and in the water-guiding state, the water-blocking plate is located between the ice-making box and the ice-storage box and covers at least a portion of the ice-storage opening above the ice-storage opening, as described in claim 7.

9. The ice maker further includes a movable member connected to the ice making box, and a first positioning member and a second positioning member connected to the water storage box and cooperating with the movable member, wherein in the ice making position, the movable member abuts against the first positioning member, and in the de-ice state, the movable member abuts against the second positioning member, as described in claim 7.

10. The ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, at the ice-making position, the startup time of the cooling device is not earlier than the time of liquid output from the nozzle.

11. The ice maker according to claim 2, 3, or 10, characterized in that the cooling device is activated when the ice-making chamber is filled with liquid at the ice-making position.

12. It is a refrigerator, A refrigerator characterized by including an ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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