Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator is provided, including: a refrigerator body having a refrigeration compartment; an ice-making device disposed in the refrigeration compartment; and a water supply device installed on the ice-making device. The water supply device is configured to connect to an external water source, and the water supply device is connected to the ice-making device to supply the ice-making device with water required for making ice cubes.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Applications No. 202211707601.7, filed on Dec. 29, 2022 and entitled “REFRIGERATOR”. The entire disclosures of the above application are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application belongs to the field of household appliances, and in particular to a refrigerator.BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY

[0003] A refrigerator is a common household appliance in daily life, mainly used for keeping fruits and vegetables fresh at low temperatures.

[0004] In the related art, the refrigerator is also provided with an ice-making device and a water supply device, and the water supply device supplies water to the ice-making device, so that the ice-making device can make water into ice cubes for users. However, an overall structure of the ice-making device and the water supply device is relatively complex, making the assembly of the refrigerator more difficult.

[0005] Therefore, the existing technology needs to be improved and enhanced.TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0006] An embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator, which can reduce the difficulty of assembling a refrigerator.SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0007] An embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator, including:

[0008] a refrigerator body, the refrigerator body having a refrigeration compartment.

[0009] an ice-making device, the ice-making device being disposed in the refrigeration compartment.

[0010] a water supply device, the water supply device being installed on the ice-making device, the water supply device being configured to connect to an external water source, and the water supply device being connected to the ice-making device to supply the ice-making device with water required for making ice cubes.Beneficial Effects

[0011] In the embodiment of the present application, the water supply device is directly installed on the ice-making device, which can greatly shorten a water pipe connecting the ice-making device and the water supply device, so as to make a pipeline arrangement inside the refrigerator body more concise and reduce the difficulty of assembling the refrigerator.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 along an A-A direction.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an ice-making device and a water supply device of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a water tank of the water supply device shown in FIG. 3.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an installation structure of a first water pipe shown in FIG. 2 on an outer surface of a refrigerator body.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a first fixing member for fixing the first water pipe shown in FIG. 5.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a first exploded view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3.

[0019] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3.

[0020] FIG. 9 is a second exploded view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3.

[0021] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an ice transport mechanism of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 8.

[0022] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a carrier of the ice transport mechanism shown in FIG. 10.

[0023] FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the ice transport mechanism shown in FIG. 10.

[0024] FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of an X position of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2.

[0025] FIG. 14 is a front view of a dispenser shown in FIG. 13.

[0026] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 14 along a C-C direction.

[0027] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 along a B-B direction.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0028] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Apparently, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0029] An embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator, which may be a double-door refrigerator, a single-door refrigerator, or a three-door refrigerator, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0030] Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present application. The refrigerator may include a refrigerator body 100 and a door 200. The refrigerator body 100 is provided with a refrigeration compartment 11 such as a freezing chamber 11b, a refrigerating chamber 11a, or a wide-range temperature-changing chamber. The door 200 is rotatably installed on the refrigerator body 100 to open or close the refrigeration compartment 11.

[0031] Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 along an A-A direction. In order to facilitate users to obtain ice cubes, the refrigerator may also include an ice-making device 300 and a water supply device 400. The ice-making device 300 is disposed in the refrigeration compartment 11. The water supply device 400 is installed on the ice-making device 300. The water supply device 400 is configured to connect to an external water source. Also, the water supply device 400 is connected to the ice-making device 300 to supply the ice-making device 300 with water required for making ice cubes.

[0032] It can be understood that, compared with a separate arrangement of the water supply device 400 and the ice-making device 300, on the one hand, an internal structure of the refrigerator body 100 of the embodiment of the present application is more compact, thereby saving storage space in the refrigeration compartment 11; on the other hand, since a distance between the water supply device 400 and the ice-making device 300 is closer, a water supply pipeline between the water supply device 400 and the ice-making device 300 can be shorter or even directly omitted, so that a water pipe arrangement in the refrigeration compartment 11 is simpler, thereby reducing the difficulty of installing the refrigerator. In addition, by installing the water supply device 400 in the refrigeration compartment 11 along with the ice-making device 300, the water in the water supply device 400 can be pre-cooled by the refrigeration compartment 11, thereby increasing an ice-making speed of the ice-making device 300.

[0033] In order to facilitate the user to take ice and / or water, the refrigerator may also include a dispenser 500. The dispenser 500 is installed on the door 200, and the dispenser 500 is connected to the water supply device 400, and can output the water supplied by the water supply device 400. Also, the dispenser 500 is movably connected to the ice-making device 300, and can output the ice cubes supplied by the ice-making device 300. Then, the user can directly take water alone, ice alone, or ice and water at the same time through the dispenser 500 on the door 200 without opening the refrigeration compartment 11. It can also be understood that, since the water on the dispenser 500 is supplied by the water supply device 400, and the water supply device 400 is set in the refrigeration compartment 11 for pre-refrigeration, the user can directly get ice water (i.e. liquid water with a lower temperature but not yet frozen) through the dispenser 500.

[0034] For example, please refer to FIG. 3, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of an ice-making device and a water supply device of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2. The water supply device 400 may include a water valve 41 and a water tank 42. The water valve 41 includes a first water inlet 411, a first water outlet 412, and a second water outlet 413. The first water inlet 411 is configured to connect to the external water source. The first water outlet 412 is connected to the ice-making device 300 to supply water to the ice-making device 300. The water tank 42 is connected to the second water outlet 413 to accommodate the water supplied by the water valve 41, and the water tank 42 is connected to the dispenser 500 to supply water to the dispenser 500.

[0035] Thus, tap water or other domestic water can be injected into the water supply device 400 through the first water inlet 411. Then, the water valve 41 distributes the domestic water to the ice-making device 300 or the water tank 42, so that the ice-making device 300 can make ice or the dispenser 500 can supply water.

[0036] It can also be understood that the water tank 42 can contain a certain amount of water, and the water is placed in the refrigeration compartment 11 for a sufficient time to form ice water, and ice-making water required by the ice-making device 300 does not need to be obtained from the water tank 42. In this way, it can be prevented that the ice-making device 300 takes away the ice water in the water tank 42 when making ice, thereby resulting in insufficient ice water in the water tank 42 for the user to obtain from the dispenser 500.

[0037] Alternatively, in some other embodiments where the water supply device 400 includes the water tank 42 and the water valve 41, the water tank 42 may be connected to an external water source, and an inlet of the water valve 41 may be connected to the water tank 42, and the water valve 41 is configured to supply water to the ice-making device 300 and the dispenser 500, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0038] A structure of the water valve 41 can be various. For example, the water valve 41 can be a ball valve, a stop valve, a check valve, a butterfly valve, a triangular valve, a gate valve, etc.

[0039] A number of inlet of the water valve 41 can be one. The number of inlets of the water valve 41 can also be multiple, such as two, three or four, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0040] When the number of water inlet of the water valve 41 is only one, the first water inlet 411 mentioned above is the only inlet of the water valve 41.

[0041] Taking the example that the number of inlets of the water valve 41 is multiple, there may be multiple first water inlets 411 as the inlets of the water valve 41, and the water valve 41 may be connected to multiple different water sources to obtain different types of water. Alternatively, the inlets of the water valve 41 may also include a first water inlet 411 and a second water inlet (not shown in the figure), the first water inlet 411 is connected to an external water source, and the second water inlet is connected to a water circulation system (not shown in the figure) inside the refrigerator, so that part of the water inside the refrigerator can be recycled, such as the water circulation system can be configured to collect part of the water that is not successfully frozen to form ice cubes during the ice-making process of the ice-making device 300.

[0042] A number of the first water outlet 412 may be one. The number of the first water outlets 412 may also be multiple, such as two, three or four, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0043] For example, the number of the first water outlet 412 is one, and the ice-making device 300 may be provided with an ice-making mechanism 31 for holding water and making ice cubes. In this case, one first water outlet 412 matches one ice-making mechanism 31. Alternatively, the ice-making device 300 may be provided with multiple ice-making mechanisms 31. In this case, one first water outlet 412 injects ice-making water into the ice-making device 300, and the water injected by the first water outlet 412 is guided and distributed to multiple ice-making mechanisms 31 by a guide structure in the ice-making device 300.

[0044] Taking the case where there are multiple first water outlets 412 as an example, an ice-making mechanism 31 for holding water and making ice cubes, such as an ice cube tray, may be provided in the ice-making device 300. Then, the multiple first water outlets 412 may inject water into different positions of the ice cube tray to increase an overall speed of the water supply device 400 injecting water into the ice-making device 300, thereby increasing the ice-making speed of the ice-making device 300. Alternatively, each first water outlet 412 may be matched with one ice-making mechanism 31, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0045] The water valve 41 can be connected to the ice-making device 300 in various ways. For example, the water valve 41 can be detachably installed on the ice-making device 300 by screw connection, clamp connection, etc.

[0046] The above are some examples of the water valve 41 of the embodiment of the present application. It is understandable that the embodiment of the present application does not limit this. The following further illustrates some structures of the water tank 42 of the embodiment of the present application.

[0047] The water tank 42 includes a third water inlet 421 and a third water outlet 422. The third water inlet 421 is connected to the second water outlet 413. The third water outlet 422 is connected to the dispenser 500, and the water in the water tank 42 can be output to the dispenser 500.

[0048] A number of the third water outlet 422 may be one. The number of the third water outlets 422 may also be multiple, such as two, three or four, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0049] When there are multiple third water outlets 422, the dispenser 500 may also be provided with multiple water inlets, each of which is connected to one third water outlet 422, so that each water inlet can be configured to take different types of water. For example, some of the water output from the third water outlet 422 can be heated, magnetized, mixed with the instant solution, etc., and then output to the corresponding water inlet on the dispenser 500, thereby meeting the diversified water needs of users.

[0050] In some embodiments, at least one of the third water inlet 421 and the third water outlet 422 is arranged upward along a direction of gravity. Therefore, when the water valve 41 injects water into the water tank 42, air in the water tank 42 is easily discharged. Otherwise, the air in the water tank 42 is easily retained in the water tank 42, and further causing the water and air to be discharged from the dispenser 500 at the same time when the user takes water through the dispenser 500, and finally causing the water at the water inlet of the dispenser 500 to splash irregularly, or causing the water inlet of the dispenser 500 to leak easily after the user takes water every time.

[0051] Specifically, only the third water inlet 421 may be arranged upward along the direction of gravity, or only the third water outlet 422 may be arranged upward along the direction of gravity, or both the third water inlet 421 and the third water outlet 422 may be arranged upward along the direction of gravity. The embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0052] Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a cross-sectional view of a water tank of the water supply device shown in FIG. 3. The water tank 42 may include a first side 423 and a second side 424 that are relatively arranged along the direction of gravity. The third water inlet 421 and the third water outlet 422 are both arranged on the first side 423. At this time, combined with the above-mentioned fact that at least one of the third water inlet 421 and the third water outlet 422 is arranged upward along the direction of gravity, it can be understood that the third water inlet 421 and the third water outlet 422 are both located on an upper side of the water tank 42. The water tank 42 may include a water flow channel 425. One end of the water flow channel 425 forms the third water inlet 421, and the other end of the water flow channel 425 forms the third water outlet 422. The water flow channel 425 is arranged in a circuitous manner between the first side 423 and the second side 424. Furthermore, the water that enters the water tank 42 first will be closer to an outlet of the water tank 42, that is, the water that is closer to the outlet of the water tank 42 stays in the refrigeration compartment 11 longer and has a lower temperature, making it easier for the user to take out the ice water with a lower temperature in the water tank 42 first through the dispenser 500.

[0053] The water flow channel 425 may form at least one bending section 425a close to the first side 423. In this case, the water tank 42 may further include an exhaust channel 426. The exhaust channel 426 is disposed on the first side 423, one end of the exhaust channel 426 is connected to the second water outlet 413, and the other end of the exhaust channel 426 is connected to the third water inlet 421. The exhaust channel 426 is also connected to the bending section 425a. Furthermore, air in a middle part of the water flow channel 425 may be discharged into the exhaust channel 426 through the bending section 425a, and finally discharged from the third water inlet 421 or the third water outlet 422 along the exhaust channel 426.

[0054] In some embodiments, the refrigerator further includes a first water pipe 61 connecting the water tank 42 and the dispenser 500. Thus, the water in the water tank 42 can be transported to the dispenser 500 through the first water pipe 61. In some embodiments, the first water pipe 61 can pass through the refrigerator body 100 and then extend from an outer surface of the refrigerator body 100 to the door 200, and be buried in the door 200 to extend to the dispenser 500.

[0055] Please refer to FIG. 5, which is a schematic diagram of an installation structure of a first water pipe shown in FIG. 2 on an outer surface of a refrigerator body. The outer surface of the refrigerator body 100 includes a rear wall surface 12 and a top wall surface 13 which are connected to each other. The rear wall surface 12 is located on a side of the refrigerator body 100 that faces away from an open end surface of the refrigeration compartment 11, and the top wall surface 13 connects the rear wall surface 12 and the open end surface of the refrigeration compartment 11. At this time, the first water pipe 61 passes through the rear wall surface 12 of the refrigerator body 100, and extends along the rear wall surface 12 and the top wall surface 13 to the door 200.

[0056] The first water pipe 61 may include a first section 611, a second section 612, and a third section 613 connected in sequence through a rounded corner. The first section 611 is attached to the rear wall surface 12. Planes on which the first section 611 and the second section 612 are located are parallel to the rear wall surface 12, planes on which the second section 612 and the third section 613 are located are parallel to the top wall surface 13, and the third section 613 is attached to the top wall surface 13. Furthermore, a bending portion of the first water pipe 61 can be transitioned by a rounded corner, so that the water in the first water pipe 61 flows more smoothly. Furthermore, compared with the first water pipe 61 having a large-angle rounded corner at a junction of the top wall surface 13 and the rear wall surface 12, the first water pipe 61 of the embodiment of the present application can protrude less relative to the refrigerator body 100. At the same time, compared with burying the first water pipe 61 in a foaming layer of the refrigerator body 100, the embodiment of the present application can reduce manufacturing difficulty and cost of the refrigerator.

[0057] Please refer to FIG. 6, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of a first fixing member for fixing the first water pipe shown in FIG. 5. The refrigerator may further include a first fixing member 62. The first fixing member 62 is connected to the refrigerator body 100 to fix the first section 611, the second section 612, and the third section 613.

[0058] Specifically, the first fixing member 62 may include a cover body that covers at least the top wall surface 13 and the rear wall surface 12. A first wiring channel 621 that cooperates with the first section 611, the second section 612, and the third section 613 is formed in the cover body. The first section 611, the second section 612, and the third section 613 are embedded in the first wiring channel 621 for fixation. In some other embodiments, the first fixing member 62 may also be some buckles for clamping the first section 611, the second section 612, and the third section 613, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0059] The first fixing member 62 may be detachably connected to the refrigerator body 100, such as being snap-connected, screw-connected, or magnetically fixed to the refrigerator body 100, so as to facilitate disassembly and maintenance of the first fixing member 62 and the first water pipe 61.

[0060] In some embodiments, the water supply device 400 can be arranged on a side of the ice-making device 300 facing away from the opening of the refrigeration compartment 11. Thus, the water supply device 400 may be blocked by the refrigeration device, so that after the door 200 is opened, an interior of the refrigeration compartment 11 is more tidy and aesthetic.

[0061] Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 7, FIG. 7 is a first exploded view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3. The ice-making device 300 includes an outer shell 32 and an ice-making mechanism 31. An ice-making chamber 321 is disposed in the outer shell 32. The ice-making mechanism 31 for making ice cubes is disposed in the ice-making chamber 321. The outer shell 32 is also surrounded together with an inner surface of the refrigerator body 100 to form a closed installation chamber 322, and the installation chamber 322 and the ice-making chamber 321 are independent of each other. The water supply device 400 is accommodated in the installation chamber 322.

[0062] On the one hand, low-temperature air in the refrigeration compartment 11 can be heat-exchanged through the outer shell 32 and the installation chamber 322 to a certain extent to refrigerate the water supply device 400 in the installation chamber 322. At the same time, it can prevent cold air in the refrigeration compartment 11 from blowing directly to the water supply device 400, thereby causing the water in the water supply device 400 to freeze, affecting a normal operation of the ice-making device 300 and the dispenser 500. On the other hand, in order to allow the water in the ice-making mechanism 31 to freeze to form ice cubes, an air temperature in the ice-making chamber 321 is usually very low. At this time, by making the installation chamber 322 and the ice-making chamber 321 independent of each other, it is also possible to prevent the air in the ice-making chamber 321 from blowing directly toward the water supply device 400, thereby causing the water in the water supply device 400 to freeze.

[0063] Please refer to FIG. 8, which is a cross-sectional view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3. The outer shell 32 may include a main body 32a with a heat insulating layer 323 and a baffle 32b without the heat insulating layer 323. The main body 32a surrounds to form the ice-making chamber 321, and the baffle 32b is protruding from the main body 32a. A side of the main body 32a facing away from the refrigeration compartment 11, the baffle 32b, and an inner wall of the refrigeration compartment 11 surround to form the installation chamber 322. Furthermore, the heat insulating layer 323 of the main body 32a can reduce the heat exchange between the inside of the ice-making chamber 321 and the outside, so as to improve the ice-making efficiency of the ice-making mechanism 31. At the same time, the baffle 32b does not have the heat insulating layer 323, so that the cold air in the refrigeration compartment 11 can properly cool the water supply device 400 in the installation chamber 322.

[0064] The main body 32a may include a first shell 324 and a second shell 325, and the first shell 324 and the second shell 325 are connected to form the ice-making chamber 321. The first shell 324 and the second shell 325 can be detachably connected by screwing, snapping, or magnetic fixing. Accordingly, the heat insulating layer 323 includes a first heat insulating layer 323a disposed on the first shell 324 and a second heat insulating layer 323b disposed on the second shell 325.

[0065] For example, the first shell 324 may include a first outer shell 3241 and a first inner shell 3242. The first outer shell 3241 and the first inner shell 3242 surround to form a cavity, and the first heat insulating layer 323a is a heat-insulating foam layer formed in the cavity by foaming. In this case, the baffle 32b may be integrally formed on the first shell 324.

[0066] The first outer shell 3241 is located on an outer surface of the main body 32a, and the first inner shell 3242 is located on an inner surface of the main body 32a. At this time, the first inner shell 3242 may be provided with a first injection port, so that foaming material can be injected from the first injection port into the cavity formed by the first outer shell 3241 and the first inner shell 3242 for foaming. It can be understood that by providing the first injection port on the first inner shell 3242, an appearance of the first outer shell 3241 can be made more aesthetic.

[0067] The second shell 325 may include a second outer shell 3251 and a second inner shell 3252. The second outer shell 3251 and the second inner shell 3252 surround to form a cavity. The second heat insulating layer 323b is a heat-insulating foam layer formed in the cavity by foaming.

[0068] The second outer shell 3251 is located on the outer surface of the main body 32a, and the second inner shell 3252 is located on the inner surface of the main body 32a. At this time, the second inner shell 3252 and the second outer shell 3251 can both be provided with a second injection port, so that the foaming material can be injected from the second injection port into the cavity formed by the second outer shell 3251 and the second inner shell 3252 for foaming. In actual use, the second outer shell 3251 can be attached to the inner wall of the refrigeration compartment 11 to hide the second injection port.

[0069] A heat-insulating sealing strip may be provided at a joint of the second shell 325 and the first shell 324 for sealing. The heat-insulating sealing strip may be made of heat-insulating foam or other materials, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0070] In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerator may further include a second water pipe 63. The second inner shell 3252 may be formed with a second wiring channel 3252a through which the second water pipe 63 passes. One end of the second wiring channel 3252a is connected to the installation chamber 322. A bottom wall of the second wiring channel 3252a is provided with at least one through hole connected to the ice-making chamber 321, so that the second water pipe 63 can be extended along the second wiring channel 3252a to a preset position and then inserted into the ice-making chamber 321 through the through hole for water supply.

[0071] In order to make the installation of the second water pipe 63 more stable, a second fixing member 3243 may be provided on a side of the first outer shell 3241 facing away from an opening of the refrigeration compartment 11, and the second fixing member 3243 is configured to fix the second water pipe 63. The second fixing member 3243 may be integrally formed with the first outer shell 3241, or may be separately formed with the second outer shell 3251, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0072] The second water pipe 63 may be covered with a heat insulating sleeve 631 to prevent air with a lower temperature in the ice-making chamber 321 from exchanging heat with the second water pipe 63 through the second inner shell 3252 and eventually causing the water in the second water pipe 63 to freeze.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigeration compartment 11 includes a refrigerating chamber 11a and a freezing chamber 11b. The ice-making device 300 is disposed in the refrigerating chamber 11a. On the one hand, a first passage 14 is disposed in the refrigerator body 100 to connect the freezing chamber 11b and the ice-making chamber 321, so that the refrigerator can directly blow the freezing wind in the freezing chamber 11b into the ice-making chamber 321. As a result, the water carried by the ice-making mechanism 31 in the ice-making chamber 321 is frozen to form ice cubes. On the other hand, the first passage 14 is misaligned with the installation chamber 322, so that the freezing wind in the freezing chamber 11b can be prevented from blowing into the installation chamber 322, thereby preventing the water in the water supply device 400 in the installation chamber 322 from freezing.

[0074] The above are some examples of the water supply device 400 in the embodiment of the present application. It is understandable that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific structure of the water supply device 400. Next, a structure of the ice-making device 300 in the embodiment of the present application is further described by examples.

[0075] Exemplarily, the ice-making mechanism 31 may include an ice cube tray, which is provided with a receiving tank for holding water. An outlet of the second water pipe 63 is located above the receiving tank so that the water transported by the second water pipe 63 can directly flow into the receiving tank. Finally, the freezing wind of the freezing chamber 11b blows toward the ice cube tray so that the water carried by the ice cube tray freezes to form ice cubes.

[0076] The ice-making mechanism 31 may also include a torsion motor that drives the ice cube tray to rotate, so that the ice cube tray can be rotated to pour out the ice cubes formed in the receiving tank. Alternatively, the ice-making mechanism may also include a fork that can rotate to pull out the ice cubes formed in the receiving tank. It is understood that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the method of discharging the ice cubes in the ice cube tray.

[0077] The ice-making mechanism 31 may be installed on the first shell 324 so as to be removed from or installed into the refrigeration compartment 11 together with the first shell 324, thereby making the ice-making device 300 easy to disassemble and assemble.

[0078] In some embodiments, in order to allow the freezing wind in the freezing chamber 11b to be better blown toward the ice-making mechanism 31, the ice-making device 300 may further include an air duct 33. An air inlet of the air duct 33 faces the first passage 14, so that the freezing wind in the freezing chamber 11b can be blown in. An air outlet of the air duct 33 may face the ice-making mechanism 31, so that the freezing wind in the air duct 33 may be directly blown toward the ice-making mechanism 31. It is understandable that when there are multiple ice-making mechanisms 31 or when there are multiple ice cube trays, there may also be multiple air outlets of the air duct 33, and each air outlet of the air duct 33 faces one ice-making mechanism 31.

[0079] In some embodiments, the freezing chamber 11b is located on a lower side of the refrigerating chamber 11a along the direction of gravity. The refrigerator may further include a first ice storage box 700. The first ice storage box 700 is disposed in the freezing chamber 11b and is opened toward the first passage 14, so that the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 31 can fall directly into the first ice storage box 700 along the first passage 14 under the action of their own gravity. At the same time, since a temperature in the freezing chamber 11b is relatively low, the low temperature in the freezing chamber 11b can also ensure that the ice cubes in the first ice storage box 700 will not melt.

[0080] The first ice storage box 700 may include a drawer disposed in the freezing chamber 11b, and the user may draw the drawer out of the freezing chamber 11b to take ice during use. The first ice storage box 700 may also automatically discharge ice through components such as a screw, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0081] The first ice storage box 700 may further include a first sensor, and the first sensor is configured to detect ice cubes in the first ice storage box 700, so as to determine whether the ice cubes in the first ice storage box 700 are full. The first sensor may include at least one of an infrared sensor, a laser distance sensor, and a weight sensor, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0082] The ice-making device 300 may further include a second ice storage box 34 and an ice transport mechanism 35. The second ice storage box 34 may be located on an upper side of the ice-making mechanism 31 along the direction of gravity. The ice transport mechanism 35 is configured to transport at least part of the ice cubes discharged from the ice-making mechanism 31 to the second ice storage box 34.

[0083] Furthermore, at least part of the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 31 can be transported to a top of the ice-making device 300 through the ice transport mechanism 35, so that parts inside the ice-making device 300 can be arranged more flexibly, or the ice-making device 300 can be flexibly installed at different positions on the refrigerator.

[0084] The second ice storage box 34 may further include a second sensor, and the second sensor is configured to detect the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 34, so as to determine whether the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 34 are full. The second sensor may include at least one of an infrared sensor, a laser distance sensor, and a weight sensor, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0085] In addition, when the refrigerator further includes the first ice storage box 700, the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 31 can be transported to the second ice storage box 34 through the ice transport mechanism 35, or can directly fall into the first ice storage box 700 due to their own gravity. It can be understood that, on the one hand, structures of the two ice storage boxes can greatly improve an ice storage capacity of the refrigerator, and on the other hand, different ice storage boxes can be configured to perform different treatments on ice cubes, such as the first ice storage box 700 can be configured to store a large number of ice cubes for direct use, and the second ice storage box 34 can be configured to be actively connected to the dispenser 500 so that the ice cubes manufactured by the ice-making device 300 can be supplied to the dispenser 500 through the second ice storage box 34.

[0086] At the same time, through a cooperation of the first sensor and the second sensor, when the storage amount of ice cubes in the first ice storage box 700 reaches a preset value, the ice transport mechanism 35 transports the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 31 to the second ice storage box 34; when the storage amount of ice cubes in the second ice storage box 34 reaches a preset value, the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 31 directly fall into the first ice storage box 700.

[0087] For example, please refer to FIG. 9, which is a second exploded view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3. The ice-making device 300 may further include an ice-discharging screw 36, an ice-discharging motor 37, and an ice-discharging wheel 38. The ice-discharging motor 37 may be installed on the outer shell 32. An output shaft of the ice-discharging motor 37 is connected to one end of the ice-discharging screw 36, so that the ice-discharging screw 36 may be driven to rotate by the ice-discharging motor 37. The ice-discharging screw 36 is disposed in the second ice storage box 34, so that the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 34 may be driven to move during the rotation of the ice-discharging screw 36. The ice-discharging wheel 38 is connected to the other end of the ice-discharging screw 36, so that the ice-discharging screw 36 can push the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 34 to the ice-discharging wheel 38, and the ice-discharging screw 36 can rotate while driving the ice-discharging wheel 38 to rotate, and the ice-discharging wheel 38 can rotate to lift the ice cubes to a specific height and discharge them from an ice outlet of the outer shell 32. At this time, the dispenser 500 can rotate along with the door 200 to be connected to or separated from the ice outlet of the outer shell 32, so that the ice cubes made by the ice-making device 300 can be discharged into the dispenser 500 for the user to obtain.

[0088] Please refer to FIG. 10, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of an ice transport mechanism of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 8. The ice transport mechanism 35 includes a lifting assembly 351, a carrier 352, and an ice-removing assembly 353. The lifting assembly 351 is installed on the outer shell 32, and the carrier 352 is drivingly connected to the lifting assembly 351, so that the lifting assembly 351 can drive the carrier 352 to move between the first position and the second position in the direction of gravity. Openings of the ice-making mechanism 31 and the second ice storage box 34 are located between the first position and the second position, so that the carrier 352 can receive the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 31 when it moves to the first position. The ice-removing assembly 353 is arranged on the outer shell 32, the second ice storage box 34, or the carrier 352, and is configured to push the ice cubes carried by the carrier 352 to the second ice storage box 34 when the carrier 352 moves to the second position.

[0089] The lifting assembly 351 may be a screw transmission assembly, a pinion and rack 3511c transmission assembly, or a pneumatic cylinder, an oil cylinder electric push rod, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0090] For example, the lifting assembly 351 may include a guide rail 3511 and a driving unit 3512. The guide rail 3511 is installed on the outer shell 32, and the carrier 352 is slidably installed on the guide rail 3511. The driving unit 3512 is drivingly connected to the carrier 352 to enable the carrier 352 to move between the first position and the second position.

[0091] Specifically, a lower end of the guide rail 3511 is the first position, located on a lower side of the ice-making mechanism 31. An upper end of the guide rail 3511 is the second position, located on an upper side of the ice-making mechanism 31. Then, when the carrier 352 moves to the first position, or when the carrier 352 moves to a bottom of the ice-making mechanism 31, the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 31 can fall onto the carrier 352 due to their own gravity. Then, the carrier 352 can transport the ice cubes to the second position, so that the ice-removing assembly 353 can push the ice cubes on the carrier 352 into the second ice storage box 34.

[0092] The guide rail 3511 may have various structures, such as a straight guide rail 3511 whose length direction is parallel to the direction of gravity. The guide rail 3511 may also be an arc-shaped guide rail 3511 or a spiral guide rail 3511 spiraling downward, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0093] The guide rail 3511 can be installed in various ways. For example, the guide rail 3511 can be detachably connected to the outer shell 32 by means of snap connection, screw connection, magnetic fixation, etc.

[0094] For example, the guide rail 3511 is provided with a first pre-fixing structure and a first fastening structure 3511b. A second pre-fixing structure 3244 and a second fastening structure 3245 are provided on one side of the outer shell 32 that cooperates with the guide rail 3511. The first pre-fixing structure is connected to the second pre-fixing structure 3244 so that the guide rail 3511 and the outer shell 32 are pre-connected. The second fastening structure 3245 is configured such that when the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure 3244 are pre-fixed, the second fastening structure 3245 is adapted to a position of the first fastening structure 3511b so as to realize the fixed connection between the guide rail 3511 and the outer shell 32.

[0095] It can be understood that during the installation of the guide rail 3511, the cooperation between the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure 3244 can ensure that the guide rail 3511 is not easily offset from the outer shell 32 during a subsequent installation process, so that the guide rail 3511 can be accurately installed and fixed in the end.

[0096] The second pre-fixing structure 3244 may include a hook protruding from an inner surface of the outer shell 32, and the first pre-fixing structure includes a hanging portion such as a hanging hole or a hanging beam formed on the guide rail 3511, so that the guide rail 3511 can be hung on the hook through the hanging portion to achieve pre-fixation.

[0097] In some other implementations, the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure 3244 may be a pair of magnetic members connected by magnetic force, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0098] The second fastening structure 3245 and the first fastening structure 3511b may both be screw holes, so that the guide rail 3511 and the outer shell 32 may be screwed and fixed by fastening screws.

[0099] The driving unit 3512 may be disposed on the outer shell 32 of the ice-making device 300 and be drivingly connected to the carrier 352. The driving unit 3512 may also be disposed on the guide rail 3511 and be drivingly connected to the carrier 352. The driving unit 3512 may also be disposed on the carrier 352 and be drivingly connected to the guide rail 3511 or the outer shell 32 of the ice-making device 300. The embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0100] The driving unit 3512 may be composed of a first motor and a first pinion 3512b and a rack 3511c transmission assembly driven by the first motor, a first screw transmission assembly, or a first synchronous belt transmission assembly. The first motor may drive the carrier 352 to slide through the first pinion 3512b and the rack 3511c transmission assembly, the first screw transmission assembly, or the first synchronous belt transmission assembly. The driving unit 3512 may also be a first electric push rod, etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0101] For example, please refer to FIG. 11, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of a carrier of the ice transport mechanism shown in FIG. 10. The driving unit 3512 may include an ice transporting motor 3512a and a first pinion 3512b. The ice transporting motor 3512a may be installed and fixed to the carrier 352. An output shaft of the ice transporting motor 3512a is connected to the first pinion 3512b to drive the first pinion 3512b to rotate. The guide rail 3511 is formed with a rack 3511c, and the first pinion 3512b is engaged with the rack 3511c. Furthermore, when the ice transporting motor 3512a drives the first pinion 3512b to rotate, the carrier 352 may slide along the guide rail 3511.

[0102] In some implementations, in order to make a movement of the carrier 352 more stable and smooth, a number of the guide rails 3511 can be multiple, such as two, three, four, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0103] For example, the guide rail 3511 may include two guide rails 3511, and each end of the carrier 352 is slidably connected to one guide rail 3511. The driving unit 3512 may also include a transmission shaft 3512c and a second pinion 3512d. The first pinion 3512b and the second pinion 3512d are drivingly connected via the transmission shaft 3512c, so that the first pinion 3512b and the second pinion 3512d can rotate synchronously. The first pinion 3512b is engaged with the rack 3511c of one guide rail 3511, and the second pinion 3512d is engaged with the rack 3511c of the other guide rail 3511. Furthermore, through the first pinion 3512b and the second pinion 3512d, moving speeds of the two ends of the carrier 352 can be made consistent, and finally the movement of the carrier 352 is made smoother.

[0104] The carrier 352 may include an ice transporting board 3521 and a guardrail 3522. The ice transporting board 3521 is slidably connected to the guide rail 3511 and is configured to carry ice cubes. The guardrail 3522 is slidably connected to the ice transporting board 3521 so that the guardrail3522 can slide relative to the ice transporting board 3521 along the direction of gravity. Furthermore, when the carrier 352 is at a lower side of the second position, the guardrail 3522 can slide to at least partially on an upper side of the ice transporting board 3521 to prevent the ice cubes on the ice transporting board 3521 from accidentally falling off. When the carrier 352 moves to the second position, the guardrail 3522 can slide to a lower side of the ice transporting board 3521 to facilitate the ice-removing assembly 353 to push out the ice cubes on the ice transporting board 3521.

[0105] The carrier 352 may further include an elastic member 3523. The elastic member 3523 is disposed on the ice transporting board 3521 and connected to the guardrail 3522 to drive the guardrail 3522 to move upward along the direction of gravity relative to the ice transporting board 3521. The elastic member 3523 may be a tension spring, a torsion spring, or a compression spring, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0106] As shown in FIG. 8, a position-limiting structure 341 may be protruded from a side of an outer surface of the second ice storage box 34 close to the guide rail 3511, and the position-limiting structure 341 movably cooperates with the guardrail 3522 to limit an upward travel of the guardrail 3522. Furthermore, during the upward movement of the carrier 352, the guardrail 3522 may be first limited by the position-limiting structure 341, so that the guardrail 3522 cannot move to a top of the second ice storage box 34. At this time, the ice transporting board 3521 may continue to move to a top of the second ice storage box 34, so that the guardrail 3522 may slide relative to the ice transporting board 3521 to a bottom of the ice transporting board 3521. Finally, the ice-removing assembly 353 may push the ice cubes on the ice transporting board 3521 into the second ice storage box 34 from an entrance at the top of the second ice storage box 34.

[0107] Alternatively, the guardrail 3522 may also be driven electrically, pneumatically, or the like, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0108] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11, the ice transporting board 3521 may include a connection portion 3521a and a plurality of strip portions 3521b. The plurality of strip portions 3521b protrude from a side of the connection portion 3521a away from the second ice storage box 34, and the plurality of strip portions 3521b are arranged in a horizontal direction so that a slot 3521c is formed between two adjacent strip portions 3521b. Furthermore, a contact area between the ice transporting board 3521 and the ice cubes can be reduced through the slot 3521c, so that the ice-removing assembly 353 can push out the ice cubes on the ice transporting board 3521 in a more directional manner.

[0109] An upper surface of the strip portion 3521b may be an uneven curved surface to reduce the contact area between the ice transporting board 3521 and the ice cubes, so that the ice-removing assembly 353 can more conveniently push out the ice cubes on the ice transporting board 3521. The upper surface of the strip portion 3521b may also be a plane, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the upper surface of the strip portion 3521b may be an uneven curved surface, which can also prevent the upper surface of the strip portion 3521b from forming steps that would cause the ice cubes to be unable to be pushed out normally.

[0110] Please refer to FIG. 12, which is an exploded view of the ice transport mechanism shown in FIG. 10. The ice-removing assembly 353 may be located at an upper end of the guide rail 3511 along the direction of gravity. The ice-removing assembly 353 may include at least one ice-pushing portion 3531. Each ice-pushing portion 3531 is disposed opposite to one slot 3521c, so that the ice-pushing portion 3531 can be inserted into the corresponding slot 3521c during the upward movement of the carrier 352, and the ice-pushing portion 3531 can be separated from the corresponding slot 3521c during a downward movement of the carrier 352. In the downward direction of gravity, the ice-pushing portion 3531 is tilted in a direction away from the second ice storage box 34.

[0111] Then, during the upward movement of the ice transporting board 3521, the ice-pushing portion 3531 can be regarded as a guide component for guiding the ice cubes on the ice transporting board 3521. Furthermore, when the ice transporting board 3521 moves upward until the ice-pushing portion 3531 is inserted into the slot 3521c, if the ice transporting board 3521 continues to move upward, the ice-pushing portion 3531 will push the ice cubes on the ice transporting board 3521 toward the second ice storage box 34, so as to push the ice cubes from the ice transporting board 3521 into the second ice storage box 34.

[0112] The ice-pushing portion 3531 may be in a straight strip shape or in an arc shape, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0113] The ice-removing assembly 353 may further include a installing body 3532. The installing body 3532 is connected and fixed to the outer shell 32, and the ice-pushing portion 3531 is connected and fixed to the installing body 3532, so as to achieve the installation and fixation of the ice-pushing portion 3531. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the installing body 3532 may also be installed on the second ice storage box 34 or the guide rail 3511, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0114] The ice-pushing portion 3531 and the installing body 3532 may be integrally formed. For example, the ice-pushing portion 3531 and the installing body 3532 are made by injection molding, milling, die casting, stamping, etc. Alternatively, the ice-pushing portion 3531 may be detachably installed on the installing body 3532, such as the ice-pushing portion 3531 is installed on the installing body 3532 by means of snap connection, screw connection, etc. In some other embodiments, the ice-pushing portion 3531 may also be fixed to the installing body 3532 by means of welding, fusion, etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0115] The installing body 3532 and the outer shell 32 may be connected in various ways, such as snap connection, screw connection, etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0116] In some embodiments, the ice-making device 300 is detachably connected to the refrigerator body 100 through the outer shell 32. In other words, the ice-making mechanism 31, the ice transport mechanism 35, the second ice storage box 34, and the air duct 33 of the ice-making device 300 are preset in the outer shell 32, so that all parts of the ice-making device 300 can be disassembled and assembled with the refrigerator body 100 at one time by disassembling and assembling the outer shell 32, thereby improving the difficulty of disassembling and assembling and maintaining the refrigerator.

[0117] The above are some examples of the ice-making device 300 in the embodiment of the present application. It is understandable that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific structure of the ice-making device 300. Next, the structure of the dispenser 500 in the embodiment of the present application is further described by examples.

[0118] Please refer to FIG. 13, which is an enlarged view of an X position of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2. The dispenser 500 may include a third shell 51 and an ice crushing mechanism 52. The third shell 51 may include a first inner wall 512 surrounding and forming an ice crushing chamber 511. The first inner wall 512 includes a first annular wall 5121. A center line of the first annular wall 5121 is parallel to the direction of gravity, or in other words, the first annular wall 5121 is vertically arranged. A first ice outlet 5122 is provided on a side of the first inner wall 512 facing the door 200. The first ice outlet 5122 is at least partially arranged on the first annular wall 5121. The ice crushing mechanism 52 includes a rotating shaft 521 and an ice blade assembly 522 accommodated in the ice crushing chamber 511. The rotating shaft 521 is arranged along the direction of gravity. The rotating shaft 521 can drive the ice blade assembly 522 to push the ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 511 to rotate around an axial direction of the rotating shaft 521 and be discharged from the first ice outlet 5122. At this time, since the first ice outlet 5122 is at least partially disposed on the first annular wall 5121, it can prevent the ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 511 from being pushed by the ice blade assembly 522 to form a centrifugal force, and from rotating around the first annular wall 5121 under the action of the centrifugal force and being unable to be discharged.

[0119] Please refer to FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, FIG. 14 is a front view of a dispenser shown in FIG. 13, and FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 14 along a C-C direction. The dispenser 500 may also include a fourth shell 53. The fourth shell 53 is provided with an ice outlet channel 531 connected to the first ice outlet 5122. The door 200 includes a first end 21 rotatably connected to the refrigerator body 100 in a horizontal direction. A distance from an outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21 is greater than a distance from an inlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21, so that the user can take ice from a position closer to a middle of the door 200, thereby facilitating the user to take ice.

[0120] The above-mentioned distance from the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21 is greater than the distance from the inlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21, which can be understood as the distance from a center line of the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21 is greater than the distance from a center line of the inlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21. Furthermore, it can also be understood that along a direction from the inlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the outlet, the ice outlet channel 531 is tilted from the first end 21 of the door 200 toward the middle of the door 200, so that the user can take ice from a position closer to the middle of the door 200.

[0121] Specifically, in order to allow the user to operate the dispenser 500 from the door 200 to take ice, the door 200 is also provided with an ice chute 22 whose opening is located on the outer surface of the door 200. The outlet and control components of the dispenser 500 are arranged in the ice chute 22, and then the user can take ice in the ice chute 22 through the outlet and the control components of the dispenser 500. At this time, if the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 is too close to the first end 21 of the door 200, the outlet of the dispenser 500 will also be too close to the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531. Then, a distance between a side of an inner wall of the ice chute 22 close to the first end 21 and the outlet of the dispenser 500 will also become smaller accordingly, which will eventually make it inconvenient for the user's hand to reach into the ice chute 22, or make it inconvenient for larger containers such as glass bottles to be placed directly under the outlet of the dispenser 500. It can be seen that the embodiment of the present application can make it more convenient for the user to take ice through the dispenser 500 provided on the door 200 by tilting the ice outlet channel 531 toward the middle position in the horizontal direction of the door 200.

[0122] For example, the dispenser 500 may further include a distribution channel 54, an ice outlet valve 55, and a water supply component. The distribution channel 54 passes through the door 200 to form a side wall of the ice chute 22, so that an outlet of the distribution channel 54 is disposed in the ice chute 22, and the outlet of the distribution channel 54 forms the outlet of the dispenser 500. The outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 faces an inlet of the distribution channel 54, so that the ice cubes in the ice outlet channel 531 can slide into the distribution channel 54 and be discharged from the distribution channel 54. The ice outlet valve 55 is rotatably disposed at the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to open or close the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531. The outlet of the water supply component is disposed in the distribution channel 54, so that the water supply component can also supply water to the ice chute 22 through the distribution channel 54. Finally, the control component may be an electric control component that controls the operation of the ice outlet valve 55 and the water supply component through an electric signal, or may be a mechanical transmission structure that controls the operation of the ice outlet valve 55 and the water supply component through mechanical transmission, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0123] The water supply component may be formed by inserting the first water pipe 61 into an end portion of the dispenser 500.

[0124] The ice blade assembly 522 may include a moving ice blade and a fixed ice blade spaced apart along the direction of gravity. The moving ice blade is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 521. One end of the fixed ice blade is fixed to the first inner wall 512, and the other end of the fixed ice blade is sleeved on the rotating shaft 521.

[0125] At this time, taking an initial ice cube in the ice crushing chamber 511 as whole ice as an example, when the rotating shaft 521 rotates forward or in a first direction, the moving ice blade can discharge the whole ice directly from the first ice outlet 5122 of the first annular wall 5121, so that the ice blade assembly 522 can discharge the whole ice from the ice crushing chamber 511. When the rotating shaft 521 rotates backward or in a second direction, the moving ice blade can first push the whole ice to the fixed ice blade, so that the moving ice blade and the fixed ice blade cooperate to cut the whole ice into crushed ice, and then the moving ice blade continues to push the crushed ice, so that the crushed ice is discharged from the first ice outlet 5122 of the first annular wall 5121. Furthermore, through the cooperation of the moving ice blade and the fixed ice blade, functions of producing whole ice when the rotating shaft 521 rotates forward and producing crushed ice when the rotating shaft 521 rotates backward can be realized to meet the different ice-taking needs of users.

[0126] In order to make the ice cubes in the ice outlet channel 531 be discharged more smoothly, along the inlet of the ice outlet channel 531 toward the outlet, the ice outlet channel 531 is tilted downward along the direction of gravity. Then, when the whole ice or crushed ice in the ice crushing chamber 511 enters the ice outlet channel 531, it can slide out due to its own gravity, so as to avoid the ice cubes being accumulated in the ice outlet channel 531 and unable to be discharged, so that the user can finally take ice more conveniently.

[0127] The first ice outlet 5122 being at least partially disposed in the first annular wall 5121 may be that the first ice outlet 5122 is entirely disposed in the first annular wall 5121, or that the first ice outlet 5122 is partially disposed in the first annular wall 5121 and partially disposed in other areas, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0128] For example, the first inner wall 512 further includes a first bottom wall 5123 located at the lower side of the first annular wall 5121 along the direction of gravity. The first bottom wall 5123 is horizontally disposed, and the first ice outlet 5122 is partially disposed on the first bottom wall 5123. Further, ice cubes partially pushed by the ice blade assembly 522 and rotating on the first bottom wall 5123 can be discharged from the portion of the first ice outlet 5122 located at the first bottom wall 5123, so as to prevent some ice cubes from being unable to be discharged in the ice crushing chamber 511 or even causing blockage.

[0129] The ice crushing mechanism 52 further includes an ice crushing motor 523 for driving the rotating shaft 521 to rotate. The ice crushing motor 523 may be directly connected to the rotating shaft 521. The ice crushing motor 523 may also drive the rotating shaft 521 to rotate via a transmission mechanism, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0130] The third shell 51 is further formed with an ice inlet channel 513, and an outlet of the ice inlet channel 513 is disposed on the first annular wall 5121 to be connected to the ice crushing chamber 511. The ice inlet channel 513 is tilted downward in the direction of gravity along an inlet of the ice inlet channel 513 toward the outlet of the ice inlet channel 513. Thus, the ice cubes in the ice inlet channel 513 can slide smoothly into the ice crushing chamber 511 under the action of their own gravity, so as to reduce the ice cubes accumulated in the ice inlet channel 513, and finally facilitate the user to take ice through the dispenser 500.

[0131] A distance between the outlet of the ice inlet channel 513 and the first end 21 is greater than a distance between the inlet of the ice inlet channel 513 and the first end 21. Furthermore, when the ice-making device 300 is closer to the first end 21 of the door 200, the ice crushing chamber 511 can be offset toward the middle position of the door 200. Alternatively, it can be understood that when the ice-making device 300 is closer to the first end 21 of the door 200, the ice inlet channel 513 can make the ice cubes slide into the ice crushing chamber 511 from the first end 21 of the door 200 toward the middle of the door 200 to complete a first offset, and the ice outlet channel 531 can make the ice cubes be discharged from the ice crushing chamber 511 from the first end 21 of the door 200 toward the middle of the door 200 to complete a second offset, thereby making it more convenient for users to take ice from the middle position of the door 200.

[0132] It is understandable that the ice inlet channel 513 can be a curved tube shape as a whole, or a straight tube shape as a whole, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0133] It can also be understood that, depending on a radial cross-section of the ice inlet channel 513, the ice inlet channel 513 may be in a circular tube shape or a square tube shape, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0134] Please refer to FIG. 16, which is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 along a B-B direction. Taking the ice-making device 300 disposed in the refrigerator body 100 as an example, the ice-making device 300 is located on a side of the refrigeration compartment 11 close to the first end 21, and the ice-making device 300 has a second ice outlet 3246 for discharging ice cubes. When the door 200 rotates to close the refrigeration compartment 11, the inlet of the ice inlet channel 513 is connected to the second ice outlet 3246 to introduce the ice cubes manufactured by the ice-making device 300 into the ice crushing chamber 511.

[0135] It is understandable that if the ice-making device 300 is set in the middle of the refrigeration compartment 11, the ice-making device 300 will partition the refrigeration compartment 11 into two sub-compartments with smaller widths, and eventually each of the sub-compartments with smaller widths will not be convenient for placing larger items. It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, on the one hand, the ice-making device 300 is set at an edge of the refrigeration compartment 11, so that the refrigeration compartment 11 can conveniently store larger items; on the other hand, the user can conveniently take ice from the middle position of the door 200.

[0136] The dispenser 500 may further include a sealing ring 56. The sealing ring 56 is disposed on the dispenser 500. When the door 200 closes the refrigeration compartment 11, the sealing ring 56 is compressed between the dispenser 500 and the ice-making device 300 and is disposed around the inlet of the ice inlet channel 513 and the second ice outlet 3246, and the sealing ring 56 partially abuts against the inner wall adjacent to the refrigeration compartment 11 and the ice-making device 300.

[0137] Therefore, the sealing ring 56 can be squeezed by the dispenser 500, the ice-making device 300, and the inner wall of the refrigeration compartment 11 and deformed, so that a good seal can be formed between the dispenser 500 and the ice-making device 300, effectively preventing the cold air in the ice-making device 300 from leaking from a joint between the inlet of the ice inlet channel 513 and the second ice outlet 3246.

[0138] It should also be noted that in order to achieve a sealing effect in the related art, vertical beams need to be set in the ice-making device 300 and the inner wall of the refrigeration compartment 11 to supplement the sealing; however, the present application provides the sealing ring 56, and the sealing ring 56 is in contact with the ice-making device 300 and the inner wall of the refrigeration compartment 11 at the same time and deforms, which can effectively improve the sealing effect, thereby eliminating the need to provide vertical beams, and increasing a space of the refrigeration chamber to a certain extent, thereby increasing the ice-making space of the ice-making device 300.

[0139] The sealing ring 56 may be a rubber sealing ring 56 to achieve a better sealing effect. It is also understood that the provision of the sealing ring 56 can reduce the heat exchange between the ice inlet channel 513 and the outside, thereby preventing the ice cubes in the ice inlet channel 513 from melting and sticking to each other, which would cause the sticky ice cubes to block the ice inlet channel 513. In this way, the dispenser 500 can more conveniently discharge the ice cubes, and finally make it easier for the user to take ice.

[0140] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0141] The refrigerator provided in the embodiments of the present application is introduced in detail above. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only configured to help understand the method and core idea of the present application. At the same time, for technicians in this field, according to the idea of the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation method and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0028]The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Apparently, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0029]An embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator, which may be a double-door refrigerator, a single-door refrigerator, or a three-door refrigerator, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0030]Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present application. The refrigerator may include a refrigerator body 100 and a door 200....

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Applications No. 202211707601.7, filed on Dec. 29, 2022 and entitled “REFRIGERATOR”. The entire disclosures of the above application are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application belongs to the field of household appliances, and in particular to a refrigerator.BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY

[0003] A refrigerator is a common household appliance in daily life, mainly used for keeping fruits and vegetables fresh at low temperatures.

[0004] In the related art, the refrigerator is also provided with an ice-making device and a water supply device, and the water supply device supplies water to the ice-making device, so that the ice-making device can make water into ice cubes for users. However, an overall structure of the ice-making device and the water supply device is relatively complex, making the assembly of the refrigerator more difficult.

[0005] Therefore, the existing technology needs to be improved and enhanced.TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0006] An embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator, which can reduce the difficulty of assembling a refrigerator.SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0007] An embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator, including:

[0008] a refrigerator body, the refrigerator body having a refrigeration compartment.

[0009] an ice-making device, the ice-making device being disposed in the refrigeration compartment.

[0010] a water supply device, the water supply device being installed on the ice-making device, the water supply device being configured to connect to an external water source, and the water supply device being connected to the ice-making device to supply the ice-making device with water required for making ice cubes.Beneficial Effects

[0011] In the embodiment of the present application, the water supply device is directly installed on the ice-making device, which can greatly shorten a water pipe connecting the ice-making device and the water supply device, so as to make a pipeline arrangement inside the refrigerator body more concise and reduce the difficulty of assembling the refrigerator.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 along an A-A direction.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an ice-making device and a water supply device of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a water tank of the water supply device shown in FIG. 3.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an installation structure of a first water pipe shown in FIG. 2 on an outer surface of a refrigerator body.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a first fixing member for fixing the first water pipe shown in FIG. 5.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a first exploded view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3.

[0019] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3.

[0020] FIG. 9 is a second exploded view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3.

[0021] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an ice transport mechanism of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 8.

[0022] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a carrier of the ice transport mechanism shown in FIG. 10.

[0023] FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the ice transport mechanism shown in FIG. 10.

[0024] FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of an X position of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2.

[0025] FIG. 14 is a front view of a dispenser shown in FIG. 13.

[0026] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 14 along a C-C direction.

[0027] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 along a B-B direction.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0028] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Apparently, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0029] An embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator, which may be a double-door refrigerator, a single-door refrigerator, or a three-door refrigerator, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0030] Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present application. The refrigerator may include a refrigerator body 100 and a door 200. The refrigerator body 100 is provided with a refrigeration compartment 11 such as a freezing chamber 11b, a refrigerating chamber 11a, or a wide-range temperature-changing chamber. The door 200 is rotatably installed on the refrigerator body 100 to open or close the refrigeration compartment 11.

[0031] Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 along an A-A direction. In order to facilitate users to obtain ice cubes, the refrigerator may also include an ice-making device 300 and a water supply device 400. The ice-making device 300 is disposed in the refrigeration compartment 11. The water supply device 400 is installed on the ice-making device 300. The water supply device 400 is configured to connect to an external water source. Also, the water supply device 400 is connected to the ice-making device 300 to supply the ice-making device 300 with water required for making ice cubes.

[0032] It can be understood that, compared with a separate arrangement of the water supply device 400 and the ice-making device 300, on the one hand, an internal structure of the refrigerator body 100 of the embodiment of the present application is more compact, thereby saving storage space in the refrigeration compartment 11; on the other hand, since a distance between the water supply device 400 and the ice-making device 300 is closer, a water supply pipeline between the water supply device 400 and the ice-making device 300 can be shorter or even directly omitted, so that a water pipe arrangement in the refrigeration compartment 11 is simpler, thereby reducing the difficulty of installing the refrigerator. In addition, by installing the water supply device 400 in the refrigeration compartment 11 along with the ice-making device 300, the water in the water supply device 400 can be pre-cooled by the refrigeration compartment 11, thereby increasing an ice-making speed of the ice-making device 300.

[0033] In order to facilitate the user to take ice and / or water, the refrigerator may also include a dispenser 500. The dispenser 500 is installed on the door 200, and the dispenser 500 is connected to the water supply device 400, and can output the water supplied by the water supply device 400. Also, the dispenser 500 is movably connected to the ice-making device 300, and can output the ice cubes supplied by the ice-making device 300. Then, the user can directly take water alone, ice alone, or ice and water at the same time through the dispenser 500 on the door 200 without opening the refrigeration compartment 11. It can also be understood that, since the water on the dispenser 500 is supplied by the water supply device 400, and the water supply device 400 is set in the refrigeration compartment 11 for pre-refrigeration, the user can directly get ice water (i.e. liquid water with a lower temperature but not yet frozen) through the dispenser 500.

[0034] For example, please refer to FIG. 3, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of an ice-making device and a water supply device of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2. The water supply device 400 may include a water valve 41 and a water tank 42. The water valve 41 includes a first water inlet 411, a first water outlet 412, and a second water outlet 413. The first water inlet 411 is configured to connect to the external water source. The first water outlet 412 is connected to the ice-making device 300 to supply water to the ice-making device 300. The water tank 42 is connected to the second water outlet 413 to accommodate the water supplied by the water valve 41, and the water tank 42 is connected to the dispenser 500 to supply water to the dispenser 500.

[0035] Thus, tap water or other domestic water can be injected into the water supply device 400 through the first water inlet 411. Then, the water valve 41 distributes the domestic water to the ice-making device 300 or the water tank 42, so that the ice-making device 300 can make ice or the dispenser 500 can supply water.

[0036] It can also be understood that the water tank 42 can contain a certain amount of water, and the water is placed in the refrigeration compartment 11 for a sufficient time to form ice water, and ice-making water required by the ice-making device 300 does not need to be obtained from the water tank 42. In this way, it can be prevented that the ice-making device 300 takes away the ice water in the water tank 42 when making ice, thereby resulting in insufficient ice water in the water tank 42 for the user to obtain from the dispenser 500.

[0037] Alternatively, in some other embodiments where the water supply device 400 includes the water tank 42 and the water valve 41, the water tank 42 may be connected to an external water source, and an inlet of the water valve 41 may be connected to the water tank 42, and the water valve 41 is configured to supply water to the ice-making device 300 and the dispenser 500, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0038] A structure of the water valve 41 can be various. For example, the water valve 41 can be a ball valve, a stop valve, a check valve, a butterfly valve, a triangular valve, a gate valve, etc.

[0039] A number of inlet of the water valve 41 can be one. The number of inlets of the water valve 41 can also be multiple, such as two, three or four, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0040] When the number of water inlet of the water valve 41 is only one, the first water inlet 411 mentioned above is the only inlet of the water valve 41.

[0041] Taking the example that the number of inlets of the water valve 41 is multiple, there may be multiple first water inlets 411 as the inlets of the water valve 41, and the water valve 41 may be connected to multiple different water sources to obtain different types of water. Alternatively, the inlets of the water valve 41 may also include a first water inlet 411 and a second water inlet (not shown in the figure), the first water inlet 411 is connected to an external water source, and the second water inlet is connected to a water circulation system (not shown in the figure) inside the refrigerator, so that part of the water inside the refrigerator can be recycled, such as the water circulation system can be configured to collect part of the water that is not successfully frozen to form ice cubes during the ice-making process of the ice-making device 300.

[0042] A number of the first water outlet 412 may be one. The number of the first water outlets 412 may also be multiple, such as two, three or four, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0043] For example, the number of the first water outlet 412 is one, and the ice-making device 300 may be provided with an ice-making mechanism 31 for holding water and making ice cubes. In this case, one first water outlet 412 matches one ice-making mechanism 31. Alternatively, the ice-making device 300 may be provided with multiple ice-making mechanisms 31. In this case, one first water outlet 412 injects ice-making water into the ice-making device 300, and the water injected by the first water outlet 412 is guided and distributed to multiple ice-making mechanisms 31 by a guide structure in the ice-making device 300.

[0044] Taking the case where there are multiple first water outlets 412 as an example, an ice-making mechanism 31 for holding water and making ice cubes, such as an ice cube tray, may be provided in the ice-making device 300. Then, the multiple first water outlets 412 may inject water into different positions of the ice cube tray to increase an overall speed of the water supply device 400 injecting water into the ice-making device 300, thereby increasing the ice-making speed of the ice-making device 300. Alternatively, each first water outlet 412 may be matched with one ice-making mechanism 31, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0045] The water valve 41 can be connected to the ice-making device 300 in various ways. For example, the water valve 41 can be detachably installed on the ice-making device 300 by screw connection, clamp connection, etc.

[0046] The above are some examples of the water valve 41 of the embodiment of the present application. It is understandable that the embodiment of the present application does not limit this. The following further illustrates some structures of the water tank 42 of the embodiment of the present application.

[0047] The water tank 42 includes a third water inlet 421 and a third water outlet 422. The third water inlet 421 is connected to the second water outlet 413. The third water outlet 422 is connected to the dispenser 500, and the water in the water tank 42 can be output to the dispenser 500.

[0048] A number of the third water outlet 422 may be one. The number of the third water outlets 422 may also be multiple, such as two, three or four, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0049] When there are multiple third water outlets 422, the dispenser 500 may also be provided with multiple water inlets, each of which is connected to one third water outlet 422, so that each water inlet can be configured to take different types of water. For example, some of the water output from the third water outlet 422 can be heated, magnetized, mixed with the instant solution, etc., and then output to the corresponding water inlet on the dispenser 500, thereby meeting the diversified water needs of users.

[0050] In some embodiments, at least one of the third water inlet 421 and the third water outlet 422 is arranged upward along a direction of gravity. Therefore, when the water valve 41 injects water into the water tank 42, air in the water tank 42 is easily discharged. Otherwise, the air in the water tank 42 is easily retained in the water tank 42, and further causing the water and air to be discharged from the dispenser 500 at the same time when the user takes water through the dispenser 500, and finally causing the water at the water inlet of the dispenser 500 to splash irregularly, or causing the water inlet of the dispenser 500 to leak easily after the user takes water every time.

[0051] Specifically, only the third water inlet 421 may be arranged upward along the direction of gravity, or only the third water outlet 422 may be arranged upward along the direction of gravity, or both the third water inlet 421 and the third water outlet 422 may be arranged upward along the direction of gravity. The embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0052] Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a cross-sectional view of a water tank of the water supply device shown in FIG. 3. The water tank 42 may include a first side 423 and a second side 424 that are relatively arranged along the direction of gravity. The third water inlet 421 and the third water outlet 422 are both arranged on the first side 423. At this time, combined with the above-mentioned fact that at least one of the third water inlet 421 and the third water outlet 422 is arranged upward along the direction of gravity, it can be understood that the third water inlet 421 and the third water outlet 422 are both located on an upper side of the water tank 42. The water tank 42 may include a water flow channel 425. One end of the water flow channel 425 forms the third water inlet 421, and the other end of the water flow channel 425 forms the third water outlet 422. The water flow channel 425 is arranged in a circuitous manner between the first side 423 and the second side 424. Furthermore, the water that enters the water tank 42 first will be closer to an outlet of the water tank 42, that is, the water that is closer to the outlet of the water tank 42 stays in the refrigeration compartment 11 longer and has a lower temperature, making it easier for the user to take out the ice water with a lower temperature in the water tank 42 first through the dispenser 500.

[0053] The water flow channel 425 may form at least one bending section 425a close to the first side 423. In this case, the water tank 42 may further include an exhaust channel 426. The exhaust channel 426 is disposed on the first side 423, one end of the exhaust channel 426 is connected to the second water outlet 413, and the other end of the exhaust channel 426 is connected to the third water inlet 421. The exhaust channel 426 is also connected to the bending section 425a. Furthermore, air in a middle part of the water flow channel 425 may be discharged into the exhaust channel 426 through the bending section 425a, and finally discharged from the third water inlet 421 or the third water outlet 422 along the exhaust channel 426.

[0054] In some embodiments, the refrigerator further includes a first water pipe 61 connecting the water tank 42 and the dispenser 500. Thus, the water in the water tank 42 can be transported to the dispenser 500 through the first water pipe 61. In some embodiments, the first water pipe 61 can pass through the refrigerator body 100 and then extend from an outer surface of the refrigerator body 100 to the door 200, and be buried in the door 200 to extend to the dispenser 500.

[0055] Please refer to FIG. 5, which is a schematic diagram of an installation structure of a first water pipe shown in FIG. 2 on an outer surface of a refrigerator body. The outer surface of the refrigerator body 100 includes a rear wall surface 12 and a top wall surface 13 which are connected to each other. The rear wall surface 12 is located on a side of the refrigerator body 100 that faces away from an open end surface of the refrigeration compartment 11, and the top wall surface 13 connects the rear wall surface 12 and the open end surface of the refrigeration compartment 11. At this time, the first water pipe 61 passes through the rear wall surface 12 of the refrigerator body 100, and extends along the rear wall surface 12 and the top wall surface 13 to the door 200.

[0056] The first water pipe 61 may include a first section 611, a second section 612, and a third section 613 connected in sequence through a rounded corner. The first section 611 is attached to the rear wall surface 12. Planes on which the first section 611 and the second section 612 are located are parallel to the rear wall surface 12, planes on which the second section 612 and the third section 613 are located are parallel to the top wall surface 13, and the third section 613 is attached to the top wall surface 13. Furthermore, a bending portion of the first water pipe 61 can be transitioned by a rounded corner, so that the water in the first water pipe 61 flows more smoothly. Furthermore, compared with the first water pipe 61 having a large-angle rounded corner at a junction of the top wall surface 13 and the rear wall surface 12, the first water pipe 61 of the embodiment of the present application can protrude less relative to the refrigerator body 100. At the same time, compared with burying the first water pipe 61 in a foaming layer of the refrigerator body 100, the embodiment of the present application can reduce manufacturing difficulty and cost of the refrigerator.

[0057] Please refer to FIG. 6, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of a first fixing member for fixing the first water pipe shown in FIG. 5. The refrigerator may further include a first fixing member 62. The first fixing member 62 is connected to the refrigerator body 100 to fix the first section 611, the second section 612, and the third section 613.

[0058] Specifically, the first fixing member 62 may include a cover body that covers at least the top wall surface 13 and the rear wall surface 12. A first wiring channel 621 that cooperates with the first section 611, the second section 612, and the third section 613 is formed in the cover body. The first section 611, the second section 612, and the third section 613 are embedded in the first wiring channel 621 for fixation. In some other embodiments, the first fixing member 62 may also be some buckles for clamping the first section 611, the second section 612, and the third section 613, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0059] The first fixing member 62 may be detachably connected to the refrigerator body 100, such as being snap-connected, screw-connected, or magnetically fixed to the refrigerator body 100, so as to facilitate disassembly and maintenance of the first fixing member 62 and the first water pipe 61.

[0060] In some embodiments, the water supply device 400 can be arranged on a side of the ice-making device 300 facing away from the opening of the refrigeration compartment 11. Thus, the water supply device 400 may be blocked by the refrigeration device, so that after the door 200 is opened, an interior of the refrigeration compartment 11 is more tidy and aesthetic.

[0061] Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 7, FIG. 7 is a first exploded view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3. The ice-making device 300 includes an outer shell 32 and an ice-making mechanism 31. An ice-making chamber 321 is disposed in the outer shell 32. The ice-making mechanism 31 for making ice cubes is disposed in the ice-making chamber 321. The outer shell 32 is also surrounded together with an inner surface of the refrigerator body 100 to form a closed installation chamber 322, and the installation chamber 322 and the ice-making chamber 321 are independent of each other. The water supply device 400 is accommodated in the installation chamber 322.

[0062] On the one hand, low-temperature air in the refrigeration compartment 11 can be heat-exchanged through the outer shell 32 and the installation chamber 322 to a certain extent to refrigerate the water supply device 400 in the installation chamber 322. At the same time, it can prevent cold air in the refrigeration compartment 11 from blowing directly to the water supply device 400, thereby causing the water in the water supply device 400 to freeze, affecting a normal operation of the ice-making device 300 and the dispenser 500. On the other hand, in order to allow the water in the ice-making mechanism 31 to freeze to form ice cubes, an air temperature in the ice-making chamber 321 is usually very low. At this time, by making the installation chamber 322 and the ice-making chamber 321 independent of each other, it is also possible to prevent the air in the ice-making chamber 321 from blowing directly toward the water supply device 400, thereby causing the water in the water supply device 400 to freeze.

[0063] Please refer to FIG. 8, which is a cross-sectional view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3. The outer shell 32 may include a main body 32a with a heat insulating layer 323 and a baffle 32b without the heat insulating layer 323. The main body 32a surrounds to form the ice-making chamber 321, and the baffle 32b is protruding from the main body 32a. A side of the main body 32a facing away from the refrigeration compartment 11, the baffle 32b, and an inner wall of the refrigeration compartment 11 surround to form the installation chamber 322. Furthermore, the heat insulating layer 323 of the main body 32a can reduce the heat exchange between the inside of the ice-making chamber 321 and the outside, so as to improve the ice-making efficiency of the ice-making mechanism 31. At the same time, the baffle 32b does not have the heat insulating layer 323, so that the cold air in the refrigeration compartment 11 can properly cool the water supply device 400 in the installation chamber 322.

[0064] The main body 32a may include a first shell 324 and a second shell 325, and the first shell 324 and the second shell 325 are connected to form the ice-making chamber 321. The first shell 324 and the second shell 325 can be detachably connected by screwing, snapping, or magnetic fixing. Accordingly, the heat insulating layer 323 includes a first heat insulating layer 323a disposed on the first shell 324 and a second heat insulating layer 323b disposed on the second shell 325.

[0065] For example, the first shell 324 may include a first outer shell 3241 and a first inner shell 3242. The first outer shell 3241 and the first inner shell 3242 surround to form a cavity, and the first heat insulating layer 323a is a heat-insulating foam layer formed in the cavity by foaming. In this case, the baffle 32b may be integrally formed on the first shell 324.

[0066] The first outer shell 3241 is located on an outer surface of the main body 32a, and the first inner shell 3242 is located on an inner surface of the main body 32a. At this time, the first inner shell 3242 may be provided with a first injection port, so that foaming material can be injected from the first injection port into the cavity formed by the first outer shell 3241 and the first inner shell 3242 for foaming. It can be understood that by providing the first injection port on the first inner shell 3242, an appearance of the first outer shell 3241 can be made more aesthetic.

[0067] The second shell 325 may include a second outer shell 3251 and a second inner shell 3252. The second outer shell 3251 and the second inner shell 3252 surround to form a cavity. The second heat insulating layer 323b is a heat-insulating foam layer formed in the cavity by foaming.

[0068] The second outer shell 3251 is located on the outer surface of the main body 32a, and the second inner shell 3252 is located on the inner surface of the main body 32a. At this time, the second inner shell 3252 and the second outer shell 3251 can both be provided with a second injection port, so that the foaming material can be injected from the second injection port into the cavity formed by the second outer shell 3251 and the second inner shell 3252 for foaming. In actual use, the second outer shell 3251 can be attached to the inner wall of the refrigeration compartment 11 to hide the second injection port.

[0069] A heat-insulating sealing strip may be provided at a joint of the second shell 325 and the first shell 324 for sealing. The heat-insulating sealing strip may be made of heat-insulating foam or other materials, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0070] In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerator may further include a second water pipe 63. The second inner shell 3252 may be formed with a second wiring channel 3252a through which the second water pipe 63 passes. One end of the second wiring channel 3252a is connected to the installation chamber 322. A bottom wall of the second wiring channel 3252a is provided with at least one through hole connected to the ice-making chamber 321, so that the second water pipe 63 can be extended along the second wiring channel 3252a to a preset position and then inserted into the ice-making chamber 321 through the through hole for water supply.

[0071] In order to make the installation of the second water pipe 63 more stable, a second fixing member 3243 may be provided on a side of the first outer shell 3241 facing away from an opening of the refrigeration compartment 11, and the second fixing member 3243 is configured to fix the second water pipe 63. The second fixing member 3243 may be integrally formed with the first outer shell 3241, or may be separately formed with the second outer shell 3251, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0072] The second water pipe 63 may be covered with a heat insulating sleeve 631 to prevent air with a lower temperature in the ice-making chamber 321 from exchanging heat with the second water pipe 63 through the second inner shell 3252 and eventually causing the water in the second water pipe 63 to freeze.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigeration compartment 11 includes a refrigerating chamber 11a and a freezing chamber 11b. The ice-making device 300 is disposed in the refrigerating chamber 11a. On the one hand, a first passage 14 is disposed in the refrigerator body 100 to connect the freezing chamber 11b and the ice-making chamber 321, so that the refrigerator can directly blow the freezing wind in the freezing chamber 11b into the ice-making chamber 321. As a result, the water carried by the ice-making mechanism 31 in the ice-making chamber 321 is frozen to form ice cubes. On the other hand, the first passage 14 is misaligned with the installation chamber 322, so that the freezing wind in the freezing chamber 11b can be prevented from blowing into the installation chamber 322, thereby preventing the water in the water supply device 400 in the installation chamber 322 from freezing.

[0074] The above are some examples of the water supply device 400 in the embodiment of the present application. It is understandable that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific structure of the water supply device 400. Next, a structure of the ice-making device 300 in the embodiment of the present application is further described by examples.

[0075] Exemplarily, the ice-making mechanism 31 may include an ice cube tray, which is provided with a receiving tank for holding water. An outlet of the second water pipe 63 is located above the receiving tank so that the water transported by the second water pipe 63 can directly flow into the receiving tank. Finally, the freezing wind of the freezing chamber 11b blows toward the ice cube tray so that the water carried by the ice cube tray freezes to form ice cubes.

[0076] The ice-making mechanism 31 may also include a torsion motor that drives the ice cube tray to rotate, so that the ice cube tray can be rotated to pour out the ice cubes formed in the receiving tank. Alternatively, the ice-making mechanism may also include a fork that can rotate to pull out the ice cubes formed in the receiving tank. It is understood that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the method of discharging the ice cubes in the ice cube tray.

[0077] The ice-making mechanism 31 may be installed on the first shell 324 so as to be removed from or installed into the refrigeration compartment 11 together with the first shell 324, thereby making the ice-making device 300 easy to disassemble and assemble.

[0078] In some embodiments, in order to allow the freezing wind in the freezing chamber 11b to be better blown toward the ice-making mechanism 31, the ice-making device 300 may further include an air duct 33. An air inlet of the air duct 33 faces the first passage 14, so that the freezing wind in the freezing chamber 11b can be blown in. An air outlet of the air duct 33 may face the ice-making mechanism 31, so that the freezing wind in the air duct 33 may be directly blown toward the ice-making mechanism 31. It is understandable that when there are multiple ice-making mechanisms 31 or when there are multiple ice cube trays, there may also be multiple air outlets of the air duct 33, and each air outlet of the air duct 33 faces one ice-making mechanism 31.

[0079] In some embodiments, the freezing chamber 11b is located on a lower side of the refrigerating chamber 11a along the direction of gravity. The refrigerator may further include a first ice storage box 700. The first ice storage box 700 is disposed in the freezing chamber 11b and is opened toward the first passage 14, so that the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 31 can fall directly into the first ice storage box 700 along the first passage 14 under the action of their own gravity. At the same time, since a temperature in the freezing chamber 11b is relatively low, the low temperature in the freezing chamber 11b can also ensure that the ice cubes in the first ice storage box 700 will not melt.

[0080] The first ice storage box 700 may include a drawer disposed in the freezing chamber 11b, and the user may draw the drawer out of the freezing chamber 11b to take ice during use. The first ice storage box 700 may also automatically discharge ice through components such as a screw, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0081] The first ice storage box 700 may further include a first sensor, and the first sensor is configured to detect ice cubes in the first ice storage box 700, so as to determine whether the ice cubes in the first ice storage box 700 are full. The first sensor may include at least one of an infrared sensor, a laser distance sensor, and a weight sensor, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0082] The ice-making device 300 may further include a second ice storage box 34 and an ice transport mechanism 35. The second ice storage box 34 may be located on an upper side of the ice-making mechanism 31 along the direction of gravity. The ice transport mechanism 35 is configured to transport at least part of the ice cubes discharged from the ice-making mechanism 31 to the second ice storage box 34.

[0083] Furthermore, at least part of the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 31 can be transported to a top of the ice-making device 300 through the ice transport mechanism 35, so that parts inside the ice-making device 300 can be arranged more flexibly, or the ice-making device 300 can be flexibly installed at different positions on the refrigerator.

[0084] The second ice storage box 34 may further include a second sensor, and the second sensor is configured to detect the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 34, so as to determine whether the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 34 are full. The second sensor may include at least one of an infrared sensor, a laser distance sensor, and a weight sensor, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0085] In addition, when the refrigerator further includes the first ice storage box 700, the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 31 can be transported to the second ice storage box 34 through the ice transport mechanism 35, or can directly fall into the first ice storage box 700 due to their own gravity. It can be understood that, on the one hand, structures of the two ice storage boxes can greatly improve an ice storage capacity of the refrigerator, and on the other hand, different ice storage boxes can be configured to perform different treatments on ice cubes, such as the first ice storage box 700 can be configured to store a large number of ice cubes for direct use, and the second ice storage box 34 can be configured to be actively connected to the dispenser 500 so that the ice cubes manufactured by the ice-making device 300 can be supplied to the dispenser 500 through the second ice storage box 34.

[0086] At the same time, through a cooperation of the first sensor and the second sensor, when the storage amount of ice cubes in the first ice storage box 700 reaches a preset value, the ice transport mechanism 35 transports the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 31 to the second ice storage box 34; when the storage amount of ice cubes in the second ice storage box 34 reaches a preset value, the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 31 directly fall into the first ice storage box 700.

[0087] For example, please refer to FIG. 9, which is a second exploded view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3. The ice-making device 300 may further include an ice-discharging screw 36, an ice-discharging motor 37, and an ice-discharging wheel 38. The ice-discharging motor 37 may be installed on the outer shell 32. An output shaft of the ice-discharging motor 37 is connected to one end of the ice-discharging screw 36, so that the ice-discharging screw 36 may be driven to rotate by the ice-discharging motor 37. The ice-discharging screw 36 is disposed in the second ice storage box 34, so that the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 34 may be driven to move during the rotation of the ice-discharging screw 36. The ice-discharging wheel 38 is connected to the other end of the ice-discharging screw 36, so that the ice-discharging screw 36 can push the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 34 to the ice-discharging wheel 38, and the ice-discharging screw 36 can rotate while driving the ice-discharging wheel 38 to rotate, and the ice-discharging wheel 38 can rotate to lift the ice cubes to a specific height and discharge them from an ice outlet of the outer shell 32. At this time, the dispenser 500 can rotate along with the door 200 to be connected to or separated from the ice outlet of the outer shell 32, so that the ice cubes made by the ice-making device 300 can be discharged into the dispenser 500 for the user to obtain.

[0088] Please refer to FIG. 10, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of an ice transport mechanism of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 8. The ice transport mechanism 35 includes a lifting assembly 351, a carrier 352, and an ice-removing assembly 353. The lifting assembly 351 is installed on the outer shell 32, and the carrier 352 is drivingly connected to the lifting assembly 351, so that the lifting assembly 351 can drive the carrier 352 to move between the first position and the second position in the direction of gravity. Openings of the ice-making mechanism 31 and the second ice storage box 34 are located between the first position and the second position, so that the carrier 352 can receive the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 31 when it moves to the first position. The ice-removing assembly 353 is arranged on the outer shell 32, the second ice storage box 34, or the carrier 352, and is configured to push the ice cubes carried by the carrier 352 to the second ice storage box 34 when the carrier 352 moves to the second position.

[0089] The lifting assembly 351 may be a screw transmission assembly, a pinion and rack 3511c transmission assembly, or a pneumatic cylinder, an oil cylinder electric push rod, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0090] For example, the lifting assembly 351 may include a guide rail 3511 and a driving unit 3512. The guide rail 3511 is installed on the outer shell 32, and the carrier 352 is slidably installed on the guide rail 3511. The driving unit 3512 is drivingly connected to the carrier 352 to enable the carrier 352 to move between the first position and the second position.

[0091] Specifically, a lower end of the guide rail 3511 is the first position, located on a lower side of the ice-making mechanism 31. An upper end of the guide rail 3511 is the second position, located on an upper side of the ice-making mechanism 31. Then, when the carrier 352 moves to the first position, or when the carrier 352 moves to a bottom of the ice-making mechanism 31, the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 31 can fall onto the carrier 352 due to their own gravity. Then, the carrier 352 can transport the ice cubes to the second position, so that the ice-removing assembly 353 can push the ice cubes on the carrier 352 into the second ice storage box 34.

[0092] The guide rail 3511 may have various structures, such as a straight guide rail 3511 whose length direction is parallel to the direction of gravity. The guide rail 3511 may also be an arc-shaped guide rail 3511 or a spiral guide rail 3511 spiraling downward, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0093] The guide rail 3511 can be installed in various ways. For example, the guide rail 3511 can be detachably connected to the outer shell 32 by means of snap connection, screw connection, magnetic fixation, etc.

[0094] For example, the guide rail 3511 is provided with a first pre-fixing structure and a first fastening structure 3511b. A second pre-fixing structure 3244 and a second fastening structure 3245 are provided on one side of the outer shell 32 that cooperates with the guide rail 3511. The first pre-fixing structure is connected to the second pre-fixing structure 3244 so that the guide rail 3511 and the outer shell 32 are pre-connected. The second fastening structure 3245 is configured such that when the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure 3244 are pre-fixed, the second fastening structure 3245 is adapted to a position of the first fastening structure 3511b so as to realize the fixed connection between the guide rail 3511 and the outer shell 32.

[0095] It can be understood that during the installation of the guide rail 3511, the cooperation between the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure 3244 can ensure that the guide rail 3511 is not easily offset from the outer shell 32 during a subsequent installation process, so that the guide rail 3511 can be accurately installed and fixed in the end.

[0096] The second pre-fixing structure 3244 may include a hook protruding from an inner surface of the outer shell 32, and the first pre-fixing structure includes a hanging portion such as a hanging hole or a hanging beam formed on the guide rail 3511, so that the guide rail 3511 can be hung on the hook through the hanging portion to achieve pre-fixation.

[0097] In some other implementations, the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure 3244 may be a pair of magnetic members connected by magnetic force, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0098] The second fastening structure 3245 and the first fastening structure 3511b may both be screw holes, so that the guide rail 3511 and the outer shell 32 may be screwed and fixed by fastening screws.

[0099] The driving unit 3512 may be disposed on the outer shell 32 of the ice-making device 300 and be drivingly connected to the carrier 352. The driving unit 3512 may also be disposed on the guide rail 3511 and be drivingly connected to the carrier 352. The driving unit 3512 may also be disposed on the carrier 352 and be drivingly connected to the guide rail 3511 or the outer shell 32 of the ice-making device 300. The embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0100] The driving unit 3512 may be composed of a first motor and a first pinion 3512b and a rack 3511c transmission assembly driven by the first motor, a first screw transmission assembly, or a first synchronous belt transmission assembly. The first motor may drive the carrier 352 to slide through the first pinion 3512b and the rack 3511c transmission assembly, the first screw transmission assembly, or the first synchronous belt transmission assembly. The driving unit 3512 may also be a first electric push rod, etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0101] For example, please refer to FIG. 11, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of a carrier of the ice transport mechanism shown in FIG. 10. The driving unit 3512 may include an ice transporting motor 3512a and a first pinion 3512b. The ice transporting motor 3512a may be installed and fixed to the carrier 352. An output shaft of the ice transporting motor 3512a is connected to the first pinion 3512b to drive the first pinion 3512b to rotate. The guide rail 3511 is formed with a rack 3511c, and the first pinion 3512b is engaged with the rack 3511c. Furthermore, when the ice transporting motor 3512a drives the first pinion 3512b to rotate, the carrier 352 may slide along the guide rail 3511.

[0102] In some implementations, in order to make a movement of the carrier 352 more stable and smooth, a number of the guide rails 3511 can be multiple, such as two, three, four, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0103] For example, the guide rail 3511 may include two guide rails 3511, and each end of the carrier 352 is slidably connected to one guide rail 3511. The driving unit 3512 may also include a transmission shaft 3512c and a second pinion 3512d. The first pinion 3512b and the second pinion 3512d are drivingly connected via the transmission shaft 3512c, so that the first pinion 3512b and the second pinion 3512d can rotate synchronously. The first pinion 3512b is engaged with the rack 3511c of one guide rail 3511, and the second pinion 3512d is engaged with the rack 3511c of the other guide rail 3511. Furthermore, through the first pinion 3512b and the second pinion 3512d, moving speeds of the two ends of the carrier 352 can be made consistent, and finally the movement of the carrier 352 is made smoother.

[0104] The carrier 352 may include an ice transporting board 3521 and a guardrail 3522. The ice transporting board 3521 is slidably connected to the guide rail 3511 and is configured to carry ice cubes. The guardrail 3522 is slidably connected to the ice transporting board 3521 so that the guardrail3522 can slide relative to the ice transporting board 3521 along the direction of gravity. Furthermore, when the carrier 352 is at a lower side of the second position, the guardrail 3522 can slide to at least partially on an upper side of the ice transporting board 3521 to prevent the ice cubes on the ice transporting board 3521 from accidentally falling off. When the carrier 352 moves to the second position, the guardrail 3522 can slide to a lower side of the ice transporting board 3521 to facilitate the ice-removing assembly 353 to push out the ice cubes on the ice transporting board 3521.

[0105] The carrier 352 may further include an elastic member 3523. The elastic member 3523 is disposed on the ice transporting board 3521 and connected to the guardrail 3522 to drive the guardrail 3522 to move upward along the direction of gravity relative to the ice transporting board 3521. The elastic member 3523 may be a tension spring, a torsion spring, or a compression spring, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0106] As shown in FIG. 8, a position-limiting structure 341 may be protruded from a side of an outer surface of the second ice storage box 34 close to the guide rail 3511, and the position-limiting structure 341 movably cooperates with the guardrail 3522 to limit an upward travel of the guardrail 3522. Furthermore, during the upward movement of the carrier 352, the guardrail 3522 may be first limited by the position-limiting structure 341, so that the guardrail 3522 cannot move to a top of the second ice storage box 34. At this time, the ice transporting board 3521 may continue to move to a top of the second ice storage box 34, so that the guardrail 3522 may slide relative to the ice transporting board 3521 to a bottom of the ice transporting board 3521. Finally, the ice-removing assembly 353 may push the ice cubes on the ice transporting board 3521 into the second ice storage box 34 from an entrance at the top of the second ice storage box 34.

[0107] Alternatively, the guardrail 3522 may also be driven electrically, pneumatically, or the like, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0108] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11, the ice transporting board 3521 may include a connection portion 3521a and a plurality of strip portions 3521b. The plurality of strip portions 3521b protrude from a side of the connection portion 3521a away from the second ice storage box 34, and the plurality of strip portions 3521b are arranged in a horizontal direction so that a slot 3521c is formed between two adjacent strip portions 3521b. Furthermore, a contact area between the ice transporting board 3521 and the ice cubes can be reduced through the slot 3521c, so that the ice-removing assembly 353 can push out the ice cubes on the ice transporting board 3521 in a more directional manner.

[0109] An upper surface of the strip portion 3521b may be an uneven curved surface to reduce the contact area between the ice transporting board 3521 and the ice cubes, so that the ice-removing assembly 353 can more conveniently push out the ice cubes on the ice transporting board 3521. The upper surface of the strip portion 3521b may also be a plane, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the upper surface of the strip portion 3521b may be an uneven curved surface, which can also prevent the upper surface of the strip portion 3521b from forming steps that would cause the ice cubes to be unable to be pushed out normally.

[0110] Please refer to FIG. 12, which is an exploded view of the ice transport mechanism shown in FIG. 10. The ice-removing assembly 353 may be located at an upper end of the guide rail 3511 along the direction of gravity. The ice-removing assembly 353 may include at least one ice-pushing portion 3531. Each ice-pushing portion 3531 is disposed opposite to one slot 3521c, so that the ice-pushing portion 3531 can be inserted into the corresponding slot 3521c during the upward movement of the carrier 352, and the ice-pushing portion 3531 can be separated from the corresponding slot 3521c during a downward movement of the carrier 352. In the downward direction of gravity, the ice-pushing portion 3531 is tilted in a direction away from the second ice storage box 34.

[0111] Then, during the upward movement of the ice transporting board 3521, the ice-pushing portion 3531 can be regarded as a guide component for guiding the ice cubes on the ice transporting board 3521. Furthermore, when the ice transporting board 3521 moves upward until the ice-pushing portion 3531 is inserted into the slot 3521c, if the ice transporting board 3521 continues to move upward, the ice-pushing portion 3531 will push the ice cubes on the ice transporting board 3521 toward the second ice storage box 34, so as to push the ice cubes from the ice transporting board 3521 into the second ice storage box 34.

[0112] The ice-pushing portion 3531 may be in a straight strip shape or in an arc shape, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0113] The ice-removing assembly 353 may further include a installing body 3532. The installing body 3532 is connected and fixed to the outer shell 32, and the ice-pushing portion 3531 is connected and fixed to the installing body 3532, so as to achieve the installation and fixation of the ice-pushing portion 3531. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the installing body 3532 may also be installed on the second ice storage box 34 or the guide rail 3511, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0114] The ice-pushing portion 3531 and the installing body 3532 may be integrally formed. For example, the ice-pushing portion 3531 and the installing body 3532 are made by injection molding, milling, die casting, stamping, etc. Alternatively, the ice-pushing portion 3531 may be detachably installed on the installing body 3532, such as the ice-pushing portion 3531 is installed on the installing body 3532 by means of snap connection, screw connection, etc. In some other embodiments, the ice-pushing portion 3531 may also be fixed to the installing body 3532 by means of welding, fusion, etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0115] The installing body 3532 and the outer shell 32 may be connected in various ways, such as snap connection, screw connection, etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0116] In some embodiments, the ice-making device 300 is detachably connected to the refrigerator body 100 through the outer shell 32. In other words, the ice-making mechanism 31, the ice transport mechanism 35, the second ice storage box 34, and the air duct 33 of the ice-making device 300 are preset in the outer shell 32, so that all parts of the ice-making device 300 can be disassembled and assembled with the refrigerator body 100 at one time by disassembling and assembling the outer shell 32, thereby improving the difficulty of disassembling and assembling and maintaining the refrigerator.

[0117] The above are some examples of the ice-making device 300 in the embodiment of the present application. It is understandable that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific structure of the ice-making device 300. Next, the structure of the dispenser 500 in the embodiment of the present application is further described by examples.

[0118] Please refer to FIG. 13, which is an enlarged view of an X position of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2. The dispenser 500 may include a third shell 51 and an ice crushing mechanism 52. The third shell 51 may include a first inner wall 512 surrounding and forming an ice crushing chamber 511. The first inner wall 512 includes a first annular wall 5121. A center line of the first annular wall 5121 is parallel to the direction of gravity, or in other words, the first annular wall 5121 is vertically arranged. A first ice outlet 5122 is provided on a side of the first inner wall 512 facing the door 200. The first ice outlet 5122 is at least partially arranged on the first annular wall 5121. The ice crushing mechanism 52 includes a rotating shaft 521 and an ice blade assembly 522 accommodated in the ice crushing chamber 511. The rotating shaft 521 is arranged along the direction of gravity. The rotating shaft 521 can drive the ice blade assembly 522 to push the ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 511 to rotate around an axial direction of the rotating shaft 521 and be discharged from the first ice outlet 5122. At this time, since the first ice outlet 5122 is at least partially disposed on the first annular wall 5121, it can prevent the ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 511 from being pushed by the ice blade assembly 522 to form a centrifugal force, and from rotating around the first annular wall 5121 under the action of the centrifugal force and being unable to be discharged.

[0119] Please refer to FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, FIG. 14 is a front view of a dispenser shown in FIG. 13, and FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 14 along a C-C direction. The dispenser 500 may also include a fourth shell 53. The fourth shell 53 is provided with an ice outlet channel 531 connected to the first ice outlet 5122. The door 200 includes a first end 21 rotatably connected to the refrigerator body 100 in a horizontal direction. A distance from an outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21 is greater than a distance from an inlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21, so that the user can take ice from a position closer to a middle of the door 200, thereby facilitating the user to take ice.

[0120] The above-mentioned distance from the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21 is greater than the distance from the inlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21, which can be understood as the distance from a center line of the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21 is greater than the distance from a center line of the inlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21. Furthermore, it can also be understood that along a direction from the inlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the outlet, the ice outlet channel 531 is tilted from the first end 21 of the door 200 toward the middle of the door 200, so that the user can take ice from a position closer to the middle of the door 200.

[0121] Specifically, in order to allow the user to operate the dispenser 500 from the door 200 to take ice, the door 200 is also provided with an ice chute 22 whose opening is located on the outer surface of the door 200. The outlet and control components of the dispenser 500 are arranged in the ice chute 22, and then the user can take ice in the ice chute 22 through the outlet and the control components of the dispenser 500. At this time, if the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 is too close to the first end 21 of the door 200, the outlet of the dispenser 500 will also be too close to the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531. Then, a distance between a side of an inner wall of the ice chute 22 close to the first end 21 and the outlet of the dispenser 500 will also become smaller accordingly, which will eventually make it inconvenient for the user's hand to reach into the ice chute 22, or make it inconvenient for larger containers such as glass bottles to be placed directly under the outlet of the dispenser 500. It can be seen that the embodiment of the present application can make it more convenient for the user to take ice through the dispenser 500 provided on the door 200 by tilting the ice outlet channel 531 toward the middle position in the horizontal direction of the door 200.

[0122] For example, the dispenser 500 may further include a distribution channel 54, an ice outlet valve 55, and a water supply component. The distribution channel 54 passes through the door 200 to form a side wall of the ice chute 22, so that an outlet of the distribution channel 54 is disposed in the ice chute 22, and the outlet of the distribution channel 54 forms the outlet of the dispenser 500. The outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 faces an inlet of the distribution channel 54, so that the ice cubes in the ice outlet channel 531 can slide into the distribution channel 54 and be discharged from the distribution channel 54. The ice outlet valve 55 is rotatably disposed at the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to open or close the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531. The outlet of the water supply component is disposed in the distribution channel 54, so that the water supply component can also supply water to the ice chute 22 through the distribution channel 54. Finally, the control component may be an electric control component that controls the operation of the ice outlet valve 55 and the water supply component through an electric signal, or may be a mechanical transmission structure that controls the operation of the ice outlet valve 55 and the water supply component through mechanical transmission, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0123] The water supply component may be formed by inserting the first water pipe 61 into an end portion of the dispenser 500.

[0124] The ice blade assembly 522 may include a moving ice blade and a fixed ice blade spaced apart along the direction of gravity. The moving ice blade is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 521. One end of the fixed ice blade is fixed to the first inner wall 512, and the other end of the fixed ice blade is sleeved on the rotating shaft 521.

[0125] At this time, taking an initial ice cube in the ice crushing chamber 511 as whole ice as an example, when the rotating shaft 521 rotates forward or in a first direction, the moving ice blade can discharge the whole ice directly from the first ice outlet 5122 of the first annular wall 5121, so that the ice blade assembly 522 can discharge the whole ice from the ice crushing chamber 511. When the rotating shaft 521 rotates backward or in a second direction, the moving ice blade can first push the whole ice to the fixed ice blade, so that the moving ice blade and the fixed ice blade cooperate to cut the whole ice into crushed ice, and then the moving ice blade continues to push the crushed ice, so that the crushed ice is discharged from the first ice outlet 5122 of the first annular wall 5121. Furthermore, through the cooperation of the moving ice blade and the fixed ice blade, functions of producing whole ice when the rotating shaft 521 rotates forward and producing crushed ice when the rotating shaft 521 rotates backward can be realized to meet the different ice-taking needs of users.

[0126] In order to make the ice cubes in the ice outlet channel 531 be discharged more smoothly, along the inlet of the ice outlet channel 531 toward the outlet, the ice outlet channel 531 is tilted downward along the direction of gravity. Then, when the whole ice or crushed ice in the ice crushing chamber 511 enters the ice outlet channel 531, it can slide out due to its own gravity, so as to avoid the ice cubes being accumulated in the ice outlet channel 531 and unable to be discharged, so that the user can finally take ice more conveniently.

[0127] The first ice outlet 5122 being at least partially disposed in the first annular wall 5121 may be that the first ice outlet 5122 is entirely disposed in the first annular wall 5121, or that the first ice outlet 5122 is partially disposed in the first annular wall 5121 and partially disposed in other areas, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0128] For example, the first inner wall 512 further includes a first bottom wall 5123 located at the lower side of the first annular wall 5121 along the direction of gravity. The first bottom wall 5123 is horizontally disposed, and the first ice outlet 5122 is partially disposed on the first bottom wall 5123. Further, ice cubes partially pushed by the ice blade assembly 522 and rotating on the first bottom wall 5123 can be discharged from the portion of the first ice outlet 5122 located at the first bottom wall 5123, so as to prevent some ice cubes from being unable to be discharged in the ice crushing chamber 511 or even causing blockage.

[0129] The ice crushing mechanism 52 further includes an ice crushing motor 523 for driving the rotating shaft 521 to rotate. The ice crushing motor 523 may be directly connected to the rotating shaft 521. The ice crushing motor 523 may also drive the rotating shaft 521 to rotate via a transmission mechanism, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0130] The third shell 51 is further formed with an ice inlet channel 513, and an outlet of the ice inlet channel 513 is disposed on the first annular wall 5121 to be connected to the ice crushing chamber 511. The ice inlet channel 513 is tilted downward in the direction of gravity along an inlet of the ice inlet channel 513 toward the outlet of the ice inlet channel 513. Thus, the ice cubes in the ice inlet channel 513 can slide smoothly into the ice crushing chamber 511 under the action of their own gravity, so as to reduce the ice cubes accumulated in the ice inlet channel 513, and finally facilitate the user to take ice through the dispenser 500.

[0131] A distance between the outlet of the ice inlet channel 513 and the first end 21 is greater than a distance between the inlet of the ice inlet channel 513 and the first end 21. Furthermore, when the ice-making device 300 is closer to the first end 21 of the door 200, the ice crushing chamber 511 can be offset toward the middle position of the door 200. Alternatively, it can be understood that when the ice-making device 300 is closer to the first end 21 of the door 200, the ice inlet channel 513 can make the ice cubes slide into the ice crushing chamber 511 from the first end 21 of the door 200 toward the middle of the door 200 to complete a first offset, and the ice outlet channel 531 can make the ice cubes be discharged from the ice crushing chamber 511 from the first end 21 of the door 200 toward the middle of the door 200 to complete a second offset, thereby making it more convenient for users to take ice from the middle position of the door 200.

[0132] It is understandable that the ice inlet channel 513 can be a curved tube shape as a whole, or a straight tube shape as a whole, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0133] It can also be understood that, depending on a radial cross-section of the ice inlet channel 513, the ice inlet channel 513 may be in a circular tube shape or a square tube shape, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0134] Please refer to FIG. 16, which is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 along a B-B direction. Taking the ice-making device 300 disposed in the refrigerator body 100 as an example, the ice-making device 300 is located on a side of the refrigeration compartment 11 close to the first end 21, and the ice-making device 300 has a second ice outlet 3246 for discharging ice cubes. When the door 200 rotates to close the refrigeration compartment 11, the inlet of the ice inlet channel 513 is connected to the second ice outlet 3246 to introduce the ice cubes manufactured by the ice-making device 300 into the ice crushing chamber 511.

[0135] It is understandable that if the ice-making device 300 is set in the middle of the refrigeration compartment 11, the ice-making device 300 will partition the refrigeration compartment 11 into two sub-compartments with smaller widths, and eventually each of the sub-compartments with smaller widths will not be convenient for placing larger items. It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, on the one hand, the ice-making device 300 is set at an edge of the refrigeration compartment 11, so that the refrigeration compartment 11 can conveniently store larger items; on the other hand, the user can conveniently take ice from the middle position of the door 200.

[0136] The dispenser 500 may further include a sealing ring 56. The sealing ring 56 is disposed on the dispenser 500. When the door 200 closes the refrigeration compartment 11, the sealing ring 56 is compressed between the dispenser 500 and the ice-making device 300 and is disposed around the inlet of the ice inlet channel 513 and the second ice outlet 3246, and the sealing ring 56 partially abuts against the inner wall adjacent to the refrigeration compartment 11 and the ice-making device 300.

[0137] Therefore, the sealing ring 56 can be squeezed by the dispenser 500, the ice-making device 300, and the inner wall of the refrigeration compartment 11 and deformed, so that a good seal can be formed between the dispenser 500 and the ice-making device 300, effectively preventing the cold air in the ice-making device 300 from leaking from a joint between the inlet of the ice inlet channel 513 and the second ice outlet 3246.

[0138] It should also be noted that in order to achieve a sealing effect in the related art, vertical beams need to be set in the ice-making device 300 and the inner wall of the refrigeration compartment 11 to supplement the sealing; however, the present application provides the sealing ring 56, and the sealing ring 56 is in contact with the ice-making device 300 and the inner wall of the refrigeration compartment 11 at the same time and deforms, which can effectively improve the sealing effect, thereby eliminating the need to provide vertical beams, and increasing a space of the refrigeration chamber to a certain extent, thereby increasing the ice-making space of the ice-making device 300.

[0139] The sealing ring 56 may be a rubber sealing ring 56 to achieve a better sealing effect. It is also understood that the provision of the sealing ring 56 can reduce the heat exchange between the ice inlet channel 513 and the outside, thereby preventing the ice cubes in the ice inlet channel 513 from melting and sticking to each other, which would cause the sticky ice cubes to block the ice inlet channel 513. In this way, the dispenser 500 can more conveniently discharge the ice cubes, and finally make it easier for the user to take ice.

[0140] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0141] The refrigerator provided in the embodiments of the present application is introduced in detail above. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only configured to help understand the method and core idea of the present application. At the same time, for technicians in this field, according to the idea of the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation method and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0028]The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Apparently, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0029]An embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator, which may be a double-door refrigerator, a single-door refrigerator, or a three-door refrigerator, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0030]Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present application. The refrigerator may include a refrigerator body 100 and a door 200....

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising:a refrigerator body having a refrigeration compartment;an ice-making device disposed in the refrigeration compartment; anda water supply device installed on the ice-making device, wherein the water supply device is configured to connect to an external water source, and the water supply device is connected to the ice-making device to supply the ice-making device with water required for making ice cubes.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator further comprises:a door rotatably connected to the refrigerator body to open or close the refrigeration compartment; anda dispenser installed on the door, wherein the dispenser is connected to the water supply device to output water supplied by the water supply device, and the dispenser is movably connected to the ice-making device to output the ice cubes supplied by the ice-making device.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the water supply device comprises:a water valve comprising a first water inlet, a first water outlet, and a second water outlet, wherein the first water inlet is configured to connect to the external water source, the first water outlet is connected to the ice-making device to supply water to the ice-making device; anda water tank connected to the second water outlet to accommodate water supplied by the water valve, wherein the water tank is connected to the dispenser to supply water to the dispenser.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the water tank comprises a third water inlet and a third water outlet, the third water inlet is connected to the second water outlet, the third water outlet is connected to the dispenser, and at least one of the third water inlet and the third water outlet is arranged upward along a direction of gravity.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the water tank comprises a first side and a second side arranged relative to each other along the direction of gravity, the third water inlet and the third water outlet are both arranged on the first side, and the water tank further comprises:a water flow channel, wherein one end of the water flow channel forms the third water inlet, and another end of the water flow channel forms the third water outlet, the water flow channel is arranged in a circuitous manner between the first side and the second side so that the water flow channel forms at least one bending section located on the first side; andan exhaust channel arranged on the first side, wherein one end of the exhaust channel is connected to the second water outlet, another end of the exhaust channel is connected to the third water inlet, and the exhaust channel is also connected to the bending section.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein an outer surface of the refrigerator body comprises a rear wall surface and a top wall surface which are connected to each other, the rear wall surface is located on a side of the refrigerator body facing away from an open end surface of the refrigeration compartment, and the top wall surface connects the rear wall surface and the open end surface of the refrigeration compartment;the refrigerator also comprises a first water pipe connecting the water tank and the dispenser, the first water pipe comprises a first section, a second section, and a third section connected in sequence through a rounded corner, the first section is attached to the rear wall surface, a plane where the first section and the second section are located is parallel to the rear wall surface, a plane where the second section and the third section are located is parallel to the top wall surface, and the third section is attached to the top wall surface.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, further comprising a first fixing member connected to the refrigerator body to fix the first section, the second section, and the third section.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the ice-making device comprises an outer shell and an ice-making mechanism, an ice-making chamber is arranged in the outer shell, the ice-making mechanism is configured to make the ice cubes and is arranged in the ice-making chamber, the outer shell is also surrounded together with an inner wall of the refrigeration compartment to form a closed installation chamber, the installation chamber and the ice-making chamber are independent of each other, and the water supply device is accommodated in the installation chamber.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the outer shell comprises a main body with a heat insulating layer and a baffle without a heat insulating layer, the main body surrounds to form the ice-making chamber, the baffle is protruded from the main body, and a side of the main body facing away from the refrigeration compartment, the baffle, and an inner wall of the refrigeration compartment surround to form the installation chamber.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the refrigeration compartment comprises a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber, the ice-making device is disposed in the refrigerating chamber, the refrigerator body is provided with a first passage connecting the freezing chamber and the ice-making chamber, and the first passage is misaligned with the installation chamber.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the ice-making device further comprises an air duct, an air inlet of the air duct faces the first passage, and an air outlet of the air duct faces the ice-making mechanism.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the ice-making device further comprises a second ice storage box and an ice transport mechanism, the second ice storage box can be located on an upper side of the ice-making mechanism along a direction of gravity, and the ice transport mechanism is configured to transport at least part of the ice cubes discharged from the ice-making mechanism to the second ice storage box.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the ice transport mechanism comprises a lifting assembly, a carrier and, an ice-removing assembly;the lifting assembly is installed on the outer shell, and the carrier is drivingly connected to the lifting assembly so that the lifting assembly can drive the carrier to move between a first position and a second position in the direction of gravity;openings of the ice-making mechanism and the second ice storage box are located between the first position and the second position so that the carrier can receive the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism when it moves to the first position;the ice-removing assembly is arranged on the outer shell, the second ice storage box, or the carrier, and is configured to push the ice cubes carried by the carrier to the second ice storage box when the carrier moves to the second position.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the lifting assembly comprises a guide rail and a driving unit, the guide rail is installed on the outer shell, the carrier is slidably installed on the guide rail, and the driving unit is drivingly connected to the carrier so that the carrier moves between the first position and the second position.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the driving unit comprises an ice transporting motor and a first pinion, the ice transporting motor is installed and fixed to the carrier, an output shaft of the ice transporting motor is connected to the first pinion to drive the first pinion to rotate, the guide rail is formed with a rack, and the first pinion is engaged with the rack.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the carrier comprises an ice transporting board and a guardrail, the ice transporting board is slidably connected to the guide rail and is configured to carry the ice cubes, and the guardrail is slidably connected to the ice transporting board so that the guardrail can slide relative to the ice transporting board along the direction of gravity.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the guardrail is configured as follows:when the carrier is at a lower side of the second position, the guardrail can slide to at least partially on an upper side of the ice transporting board to prevent the ice cubes on the ice transporting board from accidentally falling off;when the carrier moves to the second position, the guardrail can slide to a lower side of the ice transporting board to facilitate the ice-removing assembly to push out the ice cubes on the ice transporting board.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the carrier further comprises an elastic member, the elastic member is disposed on the ice transporting board and connected to the guardrail to drive the guardrail to move upward relative to the ice transporting board.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein a position-limiting structure is protruded from a side of an outer surface of the second ice storage box close to the guide rail, and the position-limiting structure movably cooperates with the guardrail to limit an upward travel of the guardrail.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the ice transporting board comprises a connection portion and a plurality of strip portions, the plurality of strip portions protrude from a side of the connection portion away from the second ice storage box, and the plurality of strip portions are arranged in a horizontal direction so that a slot is formed between two adjacent strip portions;the ice-removing assembly is located at an upper end of the guide rail along the direction of gravity, the ice-removing assembly comprises at least one ice-pushing portion, each ice-pushing portion is arranged opposite to one slot, so that the ice-pushing portion can be inserted into the corresponding slot during a movement of the carrier, and the ice-pushing portion can be separated from the corresponding slot during a downward movement of the carrier; wherein, along a downward direction of gravity, the ice-pushing portion is tilted in a direction away from the second ice storage box.

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