Detachable and washable ice maker

Abstract

The present invention provides a detachable and washable ice maker, comprising a main body, a locking device, and an ice maker chamber. The ice maker chamber is connected to the locking device and can be detached from the main body through the locking structure. The locking device includes a rotating member, a first mounting seat, an elastic restoring member, and a push assembly. The elastic restoring member is positioned between the rotating member and the first mounting seat, and the pushing assembly is used to push the rotating member to compress and release the elastic restoring member. Specifically, when the pushing assembly is rotated to an open position in a manual operation state, the pushing assembly pushes the rotating member toward the first mounting seat and compresses the elastic restoring member. At this time, the user can detach the ice maker chamber from the main body to clean the ice maker chamber, thereby improving the convenience of cleaning the ice maker. After cleaning the ice maker chamber, the ice maker chamber is installed on the rotating member. At this time, when the pushing assembly is turned to a closed position by manual operation, the rotating member returns to its original position due to the action of the elastic restoring member, and the ice maker chamber is fixedly installed on the main body.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ice maker, and more specifically, to a detachable and washable ice maker. Background Technology

[0003] The ice chambers of conventional ice makers are generally fixedly installed, making disassembly inconvenient. Since these products require the use of specific tools to disassemble the chamber, they cause inconvenience for users in cleaning and maintaining the ice maker, and have a negative impact on product usage.

[0004] In this regard, Chinese Publication No. CN111964320A of 2020 disclosed an ice maker, a refrigerator, and a cleaning method for an ice maker, specifically disclosing an ice making tray, an ice making lever set linked to the ice making tray, and a rotation control device for the ice making lever. The ice maker also includes a cleaning device detachably disposed on the ice rod, and when the cleaning device is installed on the ice rod, it is driven by the rotation device to clean the ice making tray by the rotation of the ice rod. However, this prior art has the drawback that the structure is relatively complex and some locations inside the ice making tray are still incompletely cleaned.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to further improve this. The problem to be solved

[0007] Based on this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a detachable and washable ice maker to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art, and by making the ice maker chamber detachable by rotating it through a locking device, the cleaning of the ice maker and the convenience of maintenance can be improved. means of solving the problem

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the first aspect of the present invention comprises: a main body (1); an ice-making chamber (2) provided inside the main body; A separable and washable ice maker can be provided, comprising: a locking device for separating the main body and the ice maker chamber, wherein the locking device comprises a rotating member (4), a first mounting seat (5), an elastic restoring member (6), and a push assembly (7), wherein the elastic restoring member (6) is positioned between the rotating member (4) and the first mounting seat (5), and the push assembly (7) is used to push the rotating member (4) to compress and release the elastic restoring member (6), and when the push assembly (7) rotates to an open position (a), the push assembly (7) pushes the rotating member (6) toward the first mounting seat to compress the elastic restoring member (6), thereby separating the ice maker chamber (2) from the main body (1), and when the push assembly (7) rotates to a closed position (b), the rotating member (4) returns to its original position by the action of the elastic restoring member (6), thereby connecting the ice maker chamber (2) and the main body (2).

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the push assembly (7) comprises a switch knob (701) and a push block (702) coupled to the switch knob (701), wherein when the switch knob (701) is turned to an open position (a), the switch knob (701) may rotate the push block (702) to push and move the rotating member (4) toward the first mounting seat (5), but is not limited thereto.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the ice-making chamber (2) may be provided with a first connecting shaft (201) on one side, and the rotating member (4) may be provided with a rotating shaft (401) on one side, wherein a first shaft hole (4011) coupled to the first connecting shaft (201) is formed at one end of the rotating shaft (401), and the cross-section of the first shaft hole (4011) may be formed in a D-shape, but is not limited thereto.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, a first mounting hole (4012) is formed at the other end of the rotation shaft (401), a reinforcing rib (4012a) is provided in the first mounting hole (4012), a second mounting hole (501) is provided in the inner wall of the first mounting sheet (5), and a part of the elastic restoring member (6) is installed in the first mounting hole (4012), one end of the elastic restoring member is connected to the reinforcing rib (4012a), and the other end of the elastic restoring member (6) is connected to the second mounting hole (501), but is not limited thereto.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the locking device may additionally include a second mounting seat (8) that is aligned with the rotational shaft (401), and may additionally include a sealing ring (9) between the second mounting seat (8) and the rotational shaft (401), but is not limited thereto.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the ice maker may additionally include a motor (10) that rotates the ice maker chamber (2), and the other side of the ice maker chamber (2) may be provided with a second connecting shaft (202) that is driven to the output shaft of the motor (10), and when the ice maker chamber (2) rotates, a rotating member (4) may rotate, but is not limited thereto.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the main body (1) additionally includes a first micro switch (11) and a second micro switch (12), and the rotating member (4) has a connecting rod (402) that operates the first micro switch (11) and the second micro switch (12), and the first micro switch (11) and the second micro switch (12) may both be electrically connected to a motor (10), but are not limited thereto.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod (402) may be rotatable together with the rotating member (4), and when the motor (10) drives the ice-making chamber (2) to rotate it to a position where ice is discharged, the connecting rod (402) may actuate the first micro switch (11), and when the motor (10) drives the ice-making chamber (2) to rotate it to an ice-making position, the connecting rod (402) may actuate the second micro switch (12), but is not limited thereto.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the ice maker further comprises an ice dispensing chamber (3), and the main body (1) may contain an installation groove (101) in which the ice dispensing chamber (3) is installed, and the ice dispensing chamber (3) may be installed in the installation groove (101), but is not limited thereto.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the ice dispensing chamber (3) may be detachable from the installation groove (101) through a screw or buckle, but is not limited thereto. Effects of the invention

[0020] According to the present invention, since the ice making chamber or ice dispensing chamber installed inside the ice maker can be separated and cleaned very simply and easily, it provides the user with the effect of enhancing convenience of use and convenience of hygiene management. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0022] The attached drawings, which constitute part of this invention, are used to aid in understanding this invention, and the schematic embodiments and descriptions thereof are used to interpret this invention and do not constitute an inappropriate limitation to this invention. In order to explain the technical methods of the embodiments of the present invention more clearly, the drawings necessary for describing the embodiments are briefly introduced below. The drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and it is clear that a person with average knowledge in this field can obtain other drawings based on the drawings of the present invention without exerting creative effort. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of an ice maker according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a push assembly rotated to a closed position according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a push assembly rotated to an open position according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the combined state of a motor and an ice-making chamber according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a state diagram showing contact between a connecting rod and a first micro switch according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a state diagram showing contact between a connecting rod and a second micro switch according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a closed position state according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an open position state according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0023] To make the above-mentioned purposes, features, and benefits of the present utility model clearer and easier to understand, specific embodiments of the present utility model are described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are described to provide a complete understanding of the invention. However, the utility model may be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and since those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the incorporation of the utility model, the utility model is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0025] As illustrated in FIGS. 2, 7, 3, and 8, the ice maker of the present invention is a detachable and washable ice maker comprising a main body (1), and an ice-making chamber (2) provided inside the main body (1). The ice maker of the present invention comprises a locking device, wherein the ice-making chamber (2) is connected to the locking device so that the ice-making chamber (2) can be detachably attached to the main body (1) through the locking device. The locking device comprises a rotating member (4), a first mounting seat (5), an elastic restoring member (6), and a push assembly (7). The elastic restoring member (6) is positioned between the rotating member (4) and the first mounting seat (5), and the push assembly (7) is used to push the rotating member (4) to compress and release the elastic restoring member. When the push assembly (7) is rotated to the open position (a), the push assembly (7) pushes the rotating member (4) toward the first mounting seat (5) to compress the elastic restoring member (6), and the ice-making chamber (2) can be separated from the main body (1). When the push assembly (7) is rotated to the closed position (b), the rotating member (4) returns to its initial position by the action of the elastic restoring member (6), and the ice-making chamber (2) is fixed to the main body (1).

[0027] To explain in more detail, when the push assembly (7) is manually turned to the open position (a), the push assembly (7) pushes the rotating member (4) toward the first mounting seat (5) while compressing the elastic restoring member (6), A first connecting shaft (201) formed on one side of the ice-making chamber is released from connection with the first shaft hole (4011) of the rotation shaft (401) of the rotation member. At this time, the user can separate the ice-making chamber (2) from the main body (1) to clean the ice-making chamber (2), thereby increasing the convenience of cleaning the ice maker. Then, when the pushing assembly (7) is rotated to the closed position (b), the rotating member (4) returns to the initial position by the elastic restoring member (6), As the first connecting shaft (201) and the first shaft hole (4011) are connected The ice-making chamber (2) is fixed to the main body (1).

[0029] Additionally, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3 and 8, the push assembly (7) includes a switch knob (701) and a push block (702) coupled to the switch knob (701), and when the switch knob (701) is turned to an open position (a), the switch knob (701) rotates the push block (702), and The rotating push block pushes the rotating member (4) Move it toward the first mounting member (5).

[0031] Specifically, the switch knob (701) can be fixedly connected to the push block (702) by means of a screw, clamping, adhesive, etc. The switch knob (701) is provided with a connecting column, and the push block (702) is provided with a mounting groove corresponding to the connecting column, so that the switch knob (701) is installed in the mounting groove through the connecting column, and the cross-section of the mounting groove can be formed in a D shape. By taking this shape, the stability of the switch knob (701) and the push block (702) is improved, so that the push block (702) can be effectively rotated when the switch knob (701) is turned.

[0033] Additionally, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, a first connecting shaft (201) is provided on one side of the ice-making chamber (2), and the rotating member (4) includes a rotating shaft (401), and a first shaft hole (4011) that is matched with the first connecting shaft (201) is formed at one end of the rotating shaft (401), and the cross-section of the first shaft hole (4011) may be D-shaped.

[0035] By adopting such a structure, the stability of the first connecting shaft (201) and the first shaft hole (4011) is improved, so that the rotation of the ice-making chamber (2) can be driven in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating member (4).

[0037] Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a first mounting hole (4012) is formed at the other end of the rotation shaft (401), a reinforcing rib (4012a) is formed in the first mounting hole (4012), and a second mounting hole (501) is provided in the inner wall of the first mounting sheet (5), and at least a part of the elastic restoring member (6) is installed in the first mounting hole (4012), one end engages with the reinforcing rib (4012a), and the other end of the elastic restoring member (6) is connected with the second mounting hole (501).

[0039] In detail, the first mounting hole (4012) is provided with a reinforcing rib (4012a) to increase the rigidity of the rotation axis (401) and reduce the amplitude of oscillation of the rotation member (4).

[0041] Here, the elastic restoring member (6) is a spring or elastic rubber material, and preferably, the elastic restoring member (6) can be made of a relatively common and inexpensive spring to lower the cost of the ice maker. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the locking device further includes a second mounting seat (8) coupled to a rotating shaft (401), and a sealing ring (9) is connected between the second mounting seat (8) and the rotating shaft (401).

[0043] By adopting the above configuration, the robustness of the connection between the second mounting seat (8) and the rotating shaft (401) can be ensured, and the reliability of the ice maker can be ensured so that water does not leak.

[0045] Here, the second mounting sheet (8) can be installed on the side of the main body (1) by means of screws, clamping, adhesive, etc.

[0047] In addition, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4, the ice maker also includes a motor (10) that rotates the ice maker chamber (2), and a second connecting shaft (202) on the other side of the ice maker chamber (2) is driven to the output shaft of the motor (10) so that when the ice maker chamber (2) rotates, the rotating member (4) is driven to rotate.

[0049] Here, the motor can be a stepping motor, a synchronous motor, etc., which has the advantage of being available in a small size, with sufficient driving force and low cost.

[0051] Additionally, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the ice maker also includes a first micro switch (11) and a second micro switch (12) disposed on the main body (1), and a connecting rod (402) for operating the first micro switch (11) and the second micro switch (12) is provided on the rotating member (4), and the first micro switch (11) and the second micro switch (12) are electrically connected to a motor (10).

[0053] In detail, the first micro switch (11) and the second micro switch (12) can be installed on the side of the main body (1) by means of screws, clamping, adhesive, etc.

[0055] Additionally, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the connecting rod (402) can rotate together with the rotating member (4), and when the motor (10) rotates the ice-making chamber (2) to a position where ice is discharged, the connecting rod (402) activates the first micro switch (11), and when the motor (10) rotates the ice-making chamber (2) to a rotational driving position where ice is made, the connecting rod (402) activates the second micro switch (12).

[0057] In detail, when a heating system such as a compressor starts heating, the ice gradually melts and falls into the ice making chamber (2), and when the motor (10) drives the ice making chamber (2) to rotate to the ice unloading position, the connecting rod (402) activates the first micro switch (11) to stop the motor (10) and stop the rotation, and the ice cubes in the ice making chamber (2) pour into the ice discharge chamber (3). When the motor (10) drives the ice making chamber (2) to the ice making position, the connecting rod (402) activates the second micro switch (12) to stop the rotation of the motor (10), and a refrigeration system such as a compressor starts freezing and makes ice cubes.

[0059] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 1, the ice maker also includes an ice discharge chamber (3), and the main body (1) is provided with an installation groove (101) for installing the ice discharge chamber (3), and the ice discharge chamber (3) is installed in the installation groove (101).

[0061] And the ice discharge chamber (3) can be attached to the mounting groove (101) by means of a screw or buckle.

[0063] The ice dispensing chamber (3) can be installed in the installation groove (101) by means of a screw. Specifically, an installation hole is formed at the edge of the ice dispensing chamber (3), and a screw hole corresponding to the installation hole is formed in the installation groove (101). Then, the ice dispensing chamber (3) can be fixed to the installation groove (101) by tightening a screw through the installation hole into the screw hole of the installation groove (101). When disassembling the ice dispensing chamber (3), the user can use a general tool to unscrew the screw and disassemble the ice dispensing chamber (3) from the installation groove (101) so that the user can clean the ice dispensing chamber (3). The ice dispensing chamber (3) can be installed in the installation groove (101) via a buckle. Specifically, a first buckle is provided at the edge of the ice dispensing chamber (3), and a first card slot that fits the first buckle is provided in the installation groove (101), so that the first buckle of the ice dispensing chamber (3) can be fixed by connecting it to the first card slot of the installation groove. When disassembling the ice dispensing chamber (3) from the installation groove (101), the user can use a tool or manual labor to separate the first buckle from the first card slot, thereby separating the ice dispensing chamber (3) from the installation groove (101) so that the user can clean the ice dispensing chamber (3).

[0065] However, since the ice making room (2) is located above the ice dispensing room (3), when the user disassembles the ice dispensing room (3), the ice making room (2) must be disassembled first, and then the ice dispensing room (3) must be disassembled.

[0067] In describing the present invention, the terms “center,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “length,” “width,” “thickness,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inside,” “outside,” “clockwise,” “counterclockwise,” “axial,” “radial,” “circular,” and other indicated directional or positional relationships are based on the directional or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are intended only to describe or simplify the description of the present invention and do not imply or represent any device or element, and should not be interpreted as limiting the present invention by implying that it has a specific direction and operates and functions in a specific direction.

[0069] Furthermore, the terms "First" and "Second" are used solely for descriptive purposes and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance, or as implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Accordingly, the features defined as "First" and "Second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of these features. In the description herein, the term "plural" means at least two, such as two or three, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0071] In this document, the terms “installation,” “connection,” “linkage,” “fixing,” and other terms are understood in a broad sense unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited. For example, they may be fixed connections, detachable connections, integral connections, mechanical connections, electrical connections, direct connections, or indirect connections through an intermediary, and are internal communication between two components or interaction relationships between two elements unless otherwise explicitly defined. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this document according to the specific circumstances.

[0073] Unless otherwise specified or limited herein, the first feature being 'above' or 'below' the second feature may mean direct contact or the first feature and the second feature may be indirectly contacted through an intermediate medium. Additionally, the first feature being 'above,' 'upward,' and 'upper surface' of the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or that the level of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature being 'below,' 'downward,' and 'lower surface' of the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply that the level of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

[0074] When an element is referred to as being "fixed" or "placed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element. As used herein, "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "left," "right," and similar expressions are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to represent the only embodiments.

[0076] Furthermore, it should be understood that when describing the connections or positional relationships of components, connections and positional relationships are interpreted to include a margin of error, even if not explicitly stated. The margin of error must be within an acceptable range of deviation from a specific value determined by a person skilled in the art; for example, "approximately," "roughly," or "substantially" may mean within one or more standard deviations without limitation. The technical features of the aforementioned embodiments may be combined arbitrarily, and for the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the aforementioned embodiments have been described. They are deemed to be within the scope described herein. The technical features of the aforementioned embodiments may be combined arbitrarily, and for the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the aforementioned embodiments have been described and are deemed to be within the scope described herein. Explanation of the symbols

[0078] 1 : Main body, 101 : Installation slot, 2 : Ice-making room, 201 : 1st connecting shaft, 3 : Ice dispensing chamber, 4 : Rotating member, 401: Rotation axis, 4011: First shaft hole, 4012: 1st mounting hole, 4012a: Reinforcement rib, 402: Connecting rod, 5: First mounting seat, 501: Second mounting hole, 6: Elastic reset member, 7 : Push assembly, 701 : Switch knob, 702 : Push block, 8 : 2nd mounting seat, 9: Sealing ring, 10: Motor, 11: 1st micro switch, 12: 2nd micro switch.

Claims

Claim 1 Main body (1); ice making chamber (2) provided inside the main body; and, a locking device for detaching the main body and the ice-making chamber: wherein the locking device comprises a rotating member (4), a first mounting seat (5), an elastic restoring member (6), and a push assembly (7); wherein the elastic restoring member (6) is positioned between the rotating member (4) and the first mounting seat (5), and the push assembly (7) is used to push the rotating member (4) to compress and release the elastic restoring member (6); wherein when the push assembly (7) rotates to an open position (a), the push assembly (7) pushes the rotating member (4) toward the first mounting seat to compress the elastic restoring member (6), thereby separating the ice-making chamber (2) from the main body (1); and when the push assembly (7) rotates to a closed position (b), the rotating member (4) returns to its original position by the action of the elastic restoring member (6), thereby connecting the ice-making chamber (2) and the main body (1), wherein the ice-making chamber (2) is on one side An ice maker capable of separation and cleaning, comprising:

1. a connecting shaft (201); 2. a rotating member (4) including a rotating shaft (401) on one side, wherein a first shaft hole (4011) coupled to the first connecting shaft (201) is formed at one end of the rotating shaft (401), and the cross-section of the first shaft hole (4011) is formed in a D shape; and 3. a locking device additionally includes a second mounting seat (8) that aligns with the rotating shaft (401), and additionally includes a sealing ring (9) between the second mounting seat (8) and the rotating shaft (401). Claim 2 An ice maker that is detachable and washable, wherein, in claim 1, the push assembly (7) comprises a switch knob (701) and a push block (702) coupled to the switch knob (701), and when the switch knob (701) is turned to an open position (a), the switch knob (701) rotates the push block (702) to push and move the rotating member (4) toward the first mounting seat (5). Claim 3 delete Claim 4 An ice maker capable of separation and cleaning, wherein, in claim 1, a first mounting hole (4012) is formed at the other end of the rotating shaft (401), a reinforcing rib (4012a) is provided in the first mounting hole (4012), a second mounting hole (501) is provided in the inner wall of the first mounting sheet (5), a part of the elastic restoring member (6) is installed in the first mounting hole (4012), one end of the elastic restoring member is connected to the reinforcing rib (4012a), and the other end of the elastic restoring member (6) is connected to the second mounting hole (501). Claim 5 delete Claim 6 In claim 1, the ice maker further comprises a motor (10) that rotates the ice maker chamber (2), and the other side of the ice maker chamber (2) is provided with a second connecting shaft (202) that is driven to the output shaft of the motor (10), and when the ice maker chamber (2) rotates, the rotating member (4) rotates, thereby making the ice maker separable and washable. Claim 7 A detachable and washable ice maker, wherein, in claim 6, the main body (1) additionally includes a first micro switch (11) and a second micro switch (12), and the rotating member (4) is equipped with a connecting rod (402) that operates the first micro switch (11) and the second micro switch (12), and both the first micro switch (11) and the second micro switch (12) are electrically connected to a motor (10). Claim 8 A detachable and washable ice maker, wherein, in claim 7, the connecting rod (402) is rotatable together with the rotating member (4), and when the motor (10) drives the ice making chamber (2) to rotate it to a position where ice is discharged, the connecting rod (402) acts as the first micro switch (11), and when the motor (10) drives the ice making chamber (2) to rotate it to an ice making position, the connecting rod (402) acts as the second micro switch (12). Claim 9 In claim 1, the ice maker further comprises an ice discharge chamber (3), the main body (1) comprises an installation groove (101) in which the ice discharge chamber (3) is installed, and the ice discharge chamber (3) is installed in the installation groove (101), a separable and washable ice maker. Claim 10 In claim 9, the ice dispensing chamber (3) is detachable from the installation groove (101) via a screw or buckle, making it a detachable and washable ice maker.

Images