Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator is provided, including: a first ice storage box for storing ice cubes; an ice-making mechanism for making and outputting ice cubes, where the ice cubes outputted by the ice-making mechanism fall into the first ice storage box under an action of gravity; a second ice storage box for storing the ice cubes; and an ice transport mechanism for selectively transporting the ice cubes outputted by the ice-making mechanism to the second ice storage box.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Applications No. 202211707607.4, 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 configured to keep fruits and vegetables fresh at low temperatures.

[0004] In the related art, a refrigerator is also provided with an ice-making machine for making and supplying ice cubes to users. Specifically, the ice-making machine is provided with an ice-making mechanism for making ice cubes and an ice storage box for storing ice cubes. However, a structure of a single ice storage box limits an ice storage capacity of the ice-making machine.TECHNICAL PROBLEM An embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator, which can increase an ice storage capacity of the refrigerator.SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator, including:

[0006] A first ice storage box configured to store ice cubes.

[0007] An ice-making mechanism configured to make and output the ice cubes, where the ice cubes outputted by the ice-making mechanism fall into the first ice storage box under an action of gravity.

[0008] A second ice storage box configured to store the ice cubes.

[0009] An ice transport mechanism configured to selectively transport the ice cubes outputted by the ice-making mechanism to the second ice storage box.BENEFICIAL EFFECTS

[0010] In the embodiment of the present application, the ice cubes outputted by the ice-making mechanism can be directly dropped into the first ice storage box for storage, and can be transported to the second ice storage box for storage through the ice transport mechanism. Therefore, the ice cubes made and outputted by the ice-making mechanism can be reasonably stored in different ice storage boxes to improve an ability of the refrigerator to store ice cubes.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 along an A-A direction.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view of an X position of an ice-making machine shown in FIG. 2.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a second ice storage box of the ice-making machine shown in FIG. 2.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 along a B-B direction.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a structure of some parts of a dispenser of the ice-making machine shown in FIG. 3.

[0017] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of some parts of the dispenser shown in FIG. 6 along a C-C direction.

[0018] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a water supply device of the ice-making machine shown in FIG. 2.

[0019] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a water tank of the water supply device shown in FIG. 8.

[0020] FIG. 10 is an exploded view of an outer shell of the ice-making machine shown in FIG. 8.

[0021] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an ice transport mechanism of the ice-making machine shown in FIG. 10 moving to different positions on a shell body.

[0022] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a carrier of the ice-making machine shown in FIG. 11.

[0023] FIG. 13 is an exploded view of an ice transport mechanism and a portion of a shell body of the ice-making machine shown in FIG. 2.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Technical solutions in embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the described embodiments are merely some of, rather than all of, the embodiments of the present application. All the other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments specified in the present application without involving any creative effort shall fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0025] Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present application. An embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator. The refrigerator may be a double-door refrigerator, or a single-door refrigerator, or a three-door refrigerator, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. The refrigerator may include a box body 100 and a door 200. The box body 100 is provided with a refrigerating compartment 11 such as a freezing chamber 111, a refrigerating chamber 112, or a wide-width variable temperature chamber. The door 200 is rotatably mounted on the box body 100 to open or close the refrigerating compartment 11.

[0026] 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 can also include an ice-making machine 300 for making ice cubes. The ice-making machine 300 can be disposed in the refrigerating compartment 11. The ice-making machine 300 can also be disposed on the door 200. The ice-making machine 300 can also be partially disposed in the refrigerating compartment 11 and partially disposed on the door 200. The ice-making machine 300 can also be disposed on a surface of the box body 100, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0027] Next, some structures of the ice-making machine 300 in the embodiments of the present application are given as examples to further explain and illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0028] The ice-making machine 300 may include a first ice storage box 31, an ice-making mechanism 32, a second ice storage box 33, and an ice transport mechanism 34. The ice-making mechanism 32 is configured to make and output ice cubes. The first ice storage box 31 and the second ice storage box 33 are both configured to store ice cubes. The ice cubes output by the ice-making mechanism 32 can fall into the first ice storage box 31 under an action of gravity, and the ice transport mechanism 34 is configured to selectively transport the ice cubes output by the ice-making mechanism 32 to the second ice storage box 33. Furthermore, the ice cubes output by the ice-making mechanism 32 can, on the one hand, directly fall into the first ice storage box 31 for storage, and on the other hand, can be transported to the second ice storage box 33 for storage through the ice transport mechanism 34. Therefore, the ice cubes made and output by the ice-making mechanism 32 can be reasonably stored in different ice storage boxes to improve an ability of the refrigerator to store ice cubes.

[0029] The ice-making mechanism 32 may include an ice cube tray, which is configured to carry water and freeze it to form ice cubes. The ice-making mechanism 32 may also include a torsion motor that drives the ice cube tray to rotate, so that the ice cube tray can rotate to pour out the ice cubes formed in receiving grooves. Alternatively, the ice-making mechanism 32 may also include a fork that can rotate to pull out the ice cubes formed in the receiving grooves. 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.

[0030] The first ice storage box31 and the second ice storage box 33 may be arranged in various positions. For example, the first ice storage box 31 and the second ice storage box 33 may be both arranged on the door 200, or the first ice storage box 31 and the second ice storage box 33 may be both arranged in the same refrigerating compartment 11 of the box body 100, or the first ice storage box 31 and the second ice storage box 33 may be respectively arranged in different refrigerating compartments 11 of the box body 100, or the first ice storage box 31 may be arranged on the box body 100 and the second ice storage box 33 may be arranged on the door 200, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0031] For example, the ice-making mechanism 32 is disposed in the refrigerating chamber 112, and the first ice storage box 31 is disposed in the freezing chamber 111. The box body 100 further has a first passage 12 connecting the refrigerating chamber 112 and the freezing chamber 111. The first passage 12 is located between the ice-making mechanism 32 and the first ice storage box 31, so that the ice cubes output by the ice-making mechanism 32 can pass through the first passage 12 and fall into the first ice storage box 31. It can be understood that, since the temperature in the freezing chamber 111 is extremely low, by disposing the first ice storage box 31 in the freezing chamber 111, the low temperature of the freezing chamber 111 itself can be configured to freeze and preserve the ice cubes in the first ice storage box 31, so as to prevent the ice cubes in the first ice storage box 31 from sticking to each other after melting. At the same time, the ice-making mechanism 32 is disposed in the refrigerating chamber 112, so that a height of the first ice storage box 31 in the direction of gravity or in a vertical direction can be made larger, so as to increase the ice storage capacity of the first ice storage box 31.

[0032] In addition, the freezing wind in the freezing chamber 111 can be directly blown toward the ice-making mechanism 32 through the first passage 12, so that the water in the ice-making mechanism 32 is frozen to form ice cubes, and an overall structure of the refrigerator is simpler.

[0033] The first ice storage box 31 may further include a first sensor, and the first sensor is configured to detect ice cubes in the first ice storage box 31, so as to determine whether the ice cubes in the first ice storage box 31 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.

[0034] The first ice storage box 31 may include a drawer disposed in the freezing chamber 111, and the user may draw the drawer out of the freezing chamber 111 to take ice during use. The first ice storage box 31 may also automatically discharge ice through components such as a screw, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0035] The second ice storage box 33 can be arranged in the refrigerating chamber 112 and located on a side of the ice-making mechanism 32 facing away from the first ice storage box 31, or it can also be understood that the first ice storage box 31 is located below the ice-making mechanism 32 and the second ice storage box 33 is located above the ice-making mechanism 32. Furthermore, the ice cubes output by the ice-making mechanism 32 can directly fall into the first ice storage box 31 due to gravity, or be transported to the second ice storage box 33 through the ice transport mechanism 34.

[0036] The second ice storage box 33 may further include a second sensor, and the second sensor is configured to detect the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 33, so as to determine whether the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 33 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.

[0037] It is understandable that, through a cooperation of the second sensor and the first sensor: when a storage amount of ice cubes in the first ice storage box 31 reaches a preset value, the ice transport mechanism 34 transports the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 32 to the second ice storage box 33; when the storage amount of ice cubes in the second ice storage box 33 reaches a preset value, the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 32 directly fall into the first ice storage box 31. At this time, the ice cubes stored in different ice storage boxes can be obtained by the user from different directions.

[0038] For example, please refer to FIG. 3, which is a partial enlarged view of an X position of an ice-making machine shown in FIG. 2. The ice-making machine 300 may also include a dispenser 35. The dispenser 35 is mounted on the door 200 and can be rotated to connect with or separate from an outlet of the second ice storage box 33, so that the dispenser 35 can receive and output the ice cubes supplied by the second ice storage box 33. Furthermore, in addition to pulling the first ice storage box 31 out of the freezing chamber 111 to take ice, the user can also take ice directly through the dispenser35 without opening the door 200.

[0039] The dispenser 35 may include a first shell body 351, an ice crushing mechanism 352, and a second shell body 353. The first shell body 351 includes an ice crushing chamber 3511 and an ice inlet passage 3512 that are interconnected. An end of the ice inlet passage 3512 that is away from the ice crushing chamber 3511 can rotate with the door 200 to connect to the outlet of the second ice storage box 33, so that the ice cubes discharged from the second ice storage box 33 can be discharged into the ice crushing chamber 3511 through the ice inlet passage 3512. The ice crushing mechanism 352 is configured to discharge complete ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 3511 or discharge the ice cubes after crushing, and then the dispenser 35 can output complete ice or crushed ice to the user through the ice crushing mechanism 352 to meet the different ice-taking needs of the user. The second shell body 353 is provided with an ice outlet passage 3531 that is connected to the ice crushing chamber 3511 for the ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 3511 to be discharged.

[0040] In a direction close to the ice crushing chamber 3511, the ice inlet passage 3512 is tilted downward along the direction of gravity, and the ice outlet passage 3531 is tilted upward along the direction of gravity. Then, the ice cubes discharged from the second ice storage box 33 can slide directly into the ice crushing chamber 3511 along the ice inlet passage 3512 due to their own gravity. Also, the ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 3511 can slide directly out of the ice crushing chamber 3511 along the ice outlet passage 3531 due to their own gravity to be obtained by the user. Based on this, the ice cubes move more smoothly in the dispenser 35 and are not easy to cause the dispenser 35 to be blocked.

[0041] It should be noted that, in order to prevent an outlet of the dispenser 35 from being too low so that the user needs to bend over to get ice, a height of an entrance of the ice inlet passage 3512 can be increased. Based on this, combined with the above-mentioned second ice storage box 33 being located on the side of the ice-making mechanism 32 facing away from the first ice storage box 31, a height of the outlet of the second ice storage box 33 can be increased without increasing an overall volume of the second ice storage box 33 and the ice-making mechanism 32, so that the height of the entrance of the ice inlet passage 3512 is correspondingly increased.

[0042] Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of a second ice storage box of the ice-making machine shown in FIG. 2. In order to further increase the height of the entrance of the ice inlet passage 3512, the second ice storage box 33 may include an ice storage box body 331, an ice-discharging screw 332, and an ice-discharging wheel 333. The ice storage box body 331 has a receiving chamber 3311 for accommodating ice cubes and a third ice outlet 3312 connected to the receiving chamber 3311. The third ice outlet 3312 is located on a side of the ice storage box body 331 close to an opening of the refrigerating chamber 112 to form an outlet of the second ice storage box 33. The ice-discharging screw 332 is rotatably disposed in the receiving chamber 3311 to push the ice cubes in the receiving chamber 3311 to move toward the third ice outlet 3312. The ice-discharging wheel 333 is fixedly connected to the ice-discharging screw 332 to rotate with the ice-discharging screw 332. The ice-discharging wheel 333 is located between the ice-discharging screw 332 and the outlet of the receiving chamber 3311. The ice-discharging wheel 333 is configured to receive the ice cubes transmitted by the ice-discharging screw 332 and transport them upward along the direction of gravity to the third ice outlet 3312 for discharge.

[0043] One end of the ice-discharging screw 332 away from the ice-discharging wheel 333 may be connected to an ice-discharging motor, so that the ice-discharging motor can simultaneously drive the ice-discharging screw 332 and the ice-discharging wheel 333 to rotate synchronously.

[0044] Please refer to FIG. 5, which is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 along a B-B direction. In order to facilitate users to take ice, the door 200 includes a first end 21 rotatably connected to the box body 100, and a distance between an outlet end of the ice inlet passage 3512 and the first end 21 is greater than a distance between an inlet end of the ice inlet passage 3512 and the first end 21. Furthermore, when the ice-making mechanism 32 is closer to the first end 21 of the door 200, the ice crushing chamber 3511 can be offset toward a direction closer to a middle position of the door 200, so that users can take ice from the middle position of the door 200.

[0045] Specifically, in order to allow the user to operate the dispenser 35 from the door 200 to take ice, the door 200 is also provided with an ice taking tank 22 whose opening is located on an outer surface of the door 200. The outlet and a control component of the dispenser 35 are arranged in the ice taking tank 22, and then the user can take ice in the ice taking tank 22 through the outlet and the control component of the dispenser 35. At this time, the ice crushing chamber 3511 is too close to the first end 21 of the door 200, which will cause the outlet of the dispenser 35 to be too close to the first end 21 of the door 200. Then, a distance between a side of an inner wall of the ice taking tank 22 close to the first end 21 and the outlet of the dispenser 35 will also become smaller accordingly, which will eventually make it difficult for the user's hand to reach into the ice taking tank 22, or make it difficult to place larger containers such as glass bottles directly under the outlet of the dispenser 35. It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, by tilting the ice inlet passage 3512 toward the middle position in a horizontal direction of the door 200, the user can more conveniently take ice through the dispenser 35 provided on the door 200.

[0046] For example, the dispenser 35 may further include a distribution passage 354, an ice outlet valve 355, and a water supply component. The distribution passage 354 passes through the door 200 to form a side wall of the ice taking tank 22, so that an outlet of the distribution passage 354 is disposed in the ice taking tank 22, and further, the outlet of the distribution passage 354 forms the outlet of the dispenser 35. The ice cubes in the ice outlet passage 3531 may be input into an inlet of the distribution passage 354, so that the ice cubes in the ice outlet passage 3531 may be discharged through the distribution passage 354. The ice outlet valve 355 is rotatably disposed between the inlets of the ice crushing chamber 3511 and the distribution passage 354, so as to rotate to connect the ice crushing chamber 3511 with the distribution passage 354, or to separate the ice crushing chamber 3511 from the distribution passage 354. An outlet of the water supply component is arranged in the distribution passage 354, so that the water supply component can also supply water to the ice taking tank 22 through the distribution passage 354. Finally, the control component can be an electric control component that controls the operation of the ice outlet valve 355 and the water supply component through electric signals, or can be a mechanical transmission structure that controls the operation of the ice outlet valve 355 and the water supply component through mechanical transmission, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. Furthermore, the user can realize taking ice alone, taking water alone, or taking ice and taking water at the same time through the control component.

[0047] For example, the box body 100 may include a third inner wall, which surrounds to form the refrigerating compartment 11 that accommodates the ice-making mechanism 32. The second ice storage box 33 may be attached to a side of the third inner wall close to the first end 21 of the door 200. It is understandable that if the second ice storage box 33 is disposed in a middle of the refrigerating compartment 11, the second ice storage box 33 will separate the refrigerating compartment 11 into two sub-compartments with smaller widths, and ultimately each of the sub-compartments with smaller widths will not be convenient for placing larger items. It can be seen that the second ice storage box 33 is set at an edge of the refrigerating compartment 11 so that the refrigerating compartment 11 can conveniently store larger items, while the user can conveniently take ice from the middle position of the door 200.

[0048] A distance from a center line of an outlet of the ice outlet passage 3531 to the first end 21 is greater than a distance from a center line of an inlet of the ice outlet passage 3531 to the first end 21, so that the user can take ice from a position closer to the middle of the door 200, thereby facilitating the user to take ice.

[0049] At this time, when the ice-making mechanism 32 is closer to the first end 21 of the door 200, the ice inlet passage 3512 can make the ice cubes slide into the ice crushing chamber 3511 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 passage 3531 can make the ice cubes be discharged from the ice crushing chamber 3511 from the first end 21 of the door 200 toward the middle of the door 200 to complete a second offset, thereby making it easier for the user to take ice from the middle position of the door 200.

[0050] Please refer to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a structure of some parts of a dispenser of the ice-making machine shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of some parts of the dispenser shown in FIG. 6 along a C-C direction. The ice crushing mechanism 352 may include a rotating shaft 3521, an ice crushing motor, and an ice blade assembly 3522. The rotating shaft 3521 passes through the first shell body 351. An end of the rotating shaft 3521 located outside the ice crushing chamber 3511 is connected to the ice crushing motor. An end of the rotating shaft 3521 located inside the ice crushing chamber 3511 is connected to the ice blade assembly 3522. The ice crushing motor can drive the ice blade assembly 3522 through the rotating shaft 3521, thereby cooperating with the ice blade assembly 3522 to discharge complete ice cubes or crushed ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 3511.

[0051] The ice blade assembly 3522 may include a movable ice blade and a fixed ice blade arranged at intervals on the rotating shaft 3521. The movable ice blade is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 3521. One end of the fixed ice blade is fixed to the first shell body 351, and the other end of the fixed ice blade is sleeved on the rotating shaft 3521.

[0052] At this time, taking the initial ice cubes entering the ice crushing chamber 3511 from the ice inlet passage 3512 as complete ice as an example, when the rotating shaft 3521 rotates forward or in a first direction, the movable ice blade can push the complete ice directly to the ice outlet passage 3531 for discharge, so as to output the complete ice. When the rotating shaft 3521 rotates reversely or in a second direction, the movable ice blade can first push the complete ice to the fixed ice blade, so that the movable ice blade and the fixed ice blade cooperate to cut the complete ice into crushed ice, and then the movable ice blade pushes the crushed ice to discharge the crushed ice from the ice outlet passage 3531.

[0053] In some embodiments, the first shell body 351 includes a first inner wall that surrounds to form the ice crushing chamber 3511. The first inner wall includes a first bottom wall 3513 located at a lower side of the ice crushing chamber 3511 in the direction of gravity, and the first bottom wall 3513 is arranged in a horizontal direction. The rotating shaft 3521 is vertically penetrated through the first bottom wall 3513, and the rotating shaft 3521 is transmission-connected with the ice blade assembly 3522 and can drive the ice blade assembly 3522, so that the ice blade assembly 3522 pushes the ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 3511 to rotate around the axis of the rotating shaft 3521 to be discharged from the ice crushing chamber 3511. At this time, compared with a side of the first bottom wall 3513 close to the ice inlet passage 3512 which is tilted downward along the direction of gravity, in the embodiment of the present application, since the first bottom wall 3513 is horizontally arranged, the ice cubes on the first bottom wall 3513 do not need to overcome their own gravity during the rotation process, so that the movement of the ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 3511 is smoother.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first inner wall may further include a first top wall and a first annular wall 3514. The first top wall and the first bottom wall 3513 are arranged opposite to each other along the direction of gravity. The first annular wall 3514 surrounds and is connected between the first top wall and the first bottom wall 3513. Furthermore, the first top wall, the first annular wall 3514, and the first bottom wall 3513 may be jointly arranged to form the ice crushing chamber 3511. At this time, the outlet end of the ice inlet passage 3512 may be connected to the first annular wall 3514. Furthermore, the ice cubes in the ice inlet passage 3512 may enter the ice crushing chamber 3511 from a side wall of the ice crushing chamber 3511. In some other embodiments, the outlet end of the ice inlet passage 3512 may also be connected to the first top wall, or the outlet end of the ice inlet passage 3512 may be partially connected to the first annular wall 3514 and partially connected to the first top wall, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0055] In order to allow the ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 3511 to be discharged, the first inner wall further has a first ice outlet 3515. The ice blade assembly 3522 can push the ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 3511 to rotate to the first ice outlet 3515 so as to be discharged from the ice crushing chamber 3511. At this time, the first ice outlet 3515 is at least partially disposed on the first annular wall 3514. Further, it is possible to prevent the ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 3511 from being pushed by the ice blade assembly 3522 to form a centrifugal force, and from rotating around the first annular wall 3514 under the action of the centrifugal force and being unable to be discharged.

[0056] The first ice outlet 3515 may also be partially disposed on the first bottom wall 3513. Further, ice cubes partially pushed by the ice blade assembly 3522 and rotating on the first bottom wall 3513 may be discharged from the first ice outlet 3515 located on the first bottom wall 3513, so as to prevent some ice cubes from being unable to be discharged in the ice crushing chamber 3511 or even causing blockage.

[0057] The ice-making machine 300 further includes an outer shell 36 having an ice-making chamber 361. The ice-making mechanism 32, the second ice storage box 33, and the ice transport mechanism 34 are accommodated in the ice-making chamber 361. Furthermore, the outer shell 36 can provide certain protection for the ice-making mechanism 32, the second ice storage box 33, and the ice transport mechanism 34. At the same time, the outer shell 36 can also reduce the heat exchange between the inside and the outside of the ice-making chamber 361, so as to prevent the ice cubes of the ice-making mechanism 32, the second ice storage box 33, and the ice transport mechanism 34 from sticking together after melting.

[0058] A side of the dispenser 35 close to the opening of the refrigerating chamber 112 may be provided with an opening for exposing the third ice outlet 3312 of the second ice storage box 33 and connecting with the dispenser 35. At this time, the dispenser 35 may further include a sealing ring 356. When the door 200 closes the refrigerating compartment 11, the sealing ring 356 is compressed between the dispenser 35 and the outer shell 36 and is arranged around an entrance of the ice inlet passage 3512 and the third ice outlet 3312, and the sealing ring 356 partially abuts against the inner wall of the refrigerating compartment 11 adjacent to the outer shell 36. Therefore, the sealing ring 356 can be squeezed by the dispenser 35, the outer shell 36, and the third inner wall and deformed, so that a good seal can be formed between the dispenser 35 and the outer shell 36, effectively preventing the cold air in the outer shell 36 from leaking out from the joint between the entrance of the ice inlet passage 3512 and the third ice outlet 3312.

[0059] It should also be noted that in order to achieve a sealing effect in the related art, vertical beams need to be set at the third ice outlet 3312 and the third inner wall to supplement the sealing; while in the present application, the sealing ring 356 is set, and the sealing ring 356 is in contact with the third ice outlet 3312 and the third inner wall at the same time and deformed, which can effectively improve the sealing effect, thereby eliminating the need to set the vertical beams, and increasing a space of the ice-making chamber 361 to a certain extent, thereby increasing an ice-making space of the outer shell 36.

[0060] Please refer to FIG. 8, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of a water supply device of the ice-making machine shown in FIG. 2. The ice-making machine 300 may also include a water supply device 37. The outer shell 36 and the water supply device 37 are both arranged in the refrigerating compartment 11, and the water supply device 37 is installed on a side of the outer shell 36 facing away from the refrigerating chamber 112. The water supply device 37 is configured to connect to an external water source. The water supply device 37 is connected to the ice-making mechanism 32 to supply the ice-making mechanism 32 with water required for making ice cubes. Also, the water supply device 37 is connected to the dispenser 35 so that the dispenser 35 can output the water supplied by the water supply device 37.

[0061] It is understandable that, compared with a case where the water supply device 37 and the outer shell 36 are separately arranged, on the one hand, an internal structure of the box body 100 of the embodiment of the present application is more compact, thereby saving storage space in the refrigerating compartment 11; on the other hand, since a distance between the water supply device 37 and the outer shell 36 is closer, the water supply pipeline between the water supply device 37 and the ice-making mechanism 32 can be shorter or even directly eliminated, so that the water line wiring in the refrigerating compartment 11 is more concise, thereby reducing the difficulty of installing the refrigerator. In addition, by installing the water supply device 37 and the outer shell 36 in the refrigerating compartment 11, the water in the water supply device 37 can be pre-cooled by the refrigerating compartment 11, thereby increasing the ice-making speed of the ice-making mechanism 32.

[0062] Exemplarily, the water supply device 37 may include a water valve 371 and a water tank 372. The water valve 371 includes a first water inlet 3711, a first water outlet 3712, and a second water outlet 3713. The first water inlet 3711 is configured to connect to the external water source. The first water outlet 3712 is connected to the ice-making mechanism 32 to supply water to the ice-making mechanism 32. The water tank 372 is connected to the second water outlet 3713 to accommodate the water supplied by the water valve 371, and the water tank 372 is connected to the dispenser 35 to supply water to the dispenser 35.

[0063] Thus, domestic water such as tap water can be injected into the water supply device 37 through the first water inlet 3711. Then, the water valve 371 distributes the domestic water to the ice-making mechanism 32 or the water tank 372, so that the ice-making mechanism 32 can make ice or the dispenser 35 can supply water.

[0064] It can also be understood that the water tank 372 can contain a certain amount of water and be placed in the refrigerating compartment 11 for a sufficient time to form ice water, and the ice-making water required by the ice-making mechanism 32 does not need to be obtained from the water tank 372. Therefore, it can prevent the ice-making mechanism 32 from taking away the ice water in the water tank 372 when making ice, thereby causing insufficient ice water in the water tank 372 for the user to obtain from the dispenser 35.

[0065] Alternatively, in some other embodiments where the water supply device 37 includes the water tank 372 and the water valve 371, the water tank 372 can be connected to the external water source, and the inlet of the water valve 371 can be connected to the water tank 372, and the water valve 371 is configured to supply water to the ice-making mechanism 32 and the dispenser 35, which is not limited to the embodiments of the present application.

[0066] The number of inlets of the water valve 371 may be one, or may be multiple, such as two, three or four, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0067] When the water valve 371 has only one water inlet, the first water inlet 3711 is the only inlet of the water valve 371.

[0068] Taking an example that the number of inlets of the water valve 371 is multiple, there can be multiple first water inlets 3711 as the inlets of the water valve 371, and then the water valve 371 can be connected to multiple different water sources to obtain different types of water. Alternatively, the inlets of the water valve 371 can also include a first water inlet 3711 and a second water inlet (not shown in the figure), the first water inlet 3711 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 mechanism 32.

[0069] The number of the first water outlet 3712 may be one. The number of the first water outlet 3712 may also be multiple, such as two, three or four, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0070] For example, the number of the first water outlet 3712 is one, and the number of the ice-making mechanism 32 can be one, in which case one first water outlet 3712 matches one ice-making mechanism 32. Alternatively, the number of the ice-making mechanism 32 can also be multiple, in which case one first water outlet 3712 injects ice-making water into the ice-making chamber 361, and the water injected by the first water outlet 3712 is guided and distributed to multiple ice-making mechanisms 32 by a guide structure in the ice-making chamber 361.

[0071] The above are some examples of the water valve 371 of the embodiment of the present application. It is understandable that the embodiment of the present application does not limit this. Next, some examples of the structure of the water tank 372 of the embodiment of the present application are described.

[0072] The water tank 372 includes a third water inlet 3721 and a third water outlet 3722. The third water inlet 3721 is connected to the second water outlet 3713. The third water outlet 3722 is connected to the dispenser 35, and the water in the water tank 372 can be output to the dispenser 35.

[0073] The number of the third water outlet 3722 may be one. The number of the third water outlet 3722 may also be multiple, such as two, three or four, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0074] When there are multiple third water outlets 3722, the dispenser 35 may also be provided with multiple water inlets, each of which is connected to one third water outlet 3722, 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 3722 can be heated, magnetized, mixed with the granules, etc., and then output to the corresponding water inlet on the dispenser 35, thereby meeting the diversified water needs of users.

[0075] In some embodiments, at least one of the third water inlet 3721 and the third water outlet 3722 is arranged upward along the direction of gravity. Therefore, when the water valve 371 injects water into the water tank 372, the air in the water tank 372 is easily discharged. Otherwise, the air in the water tank 372 is easily retained in the water tank 372, eventually causing the water inlet of the dispenser 35 to leak easily after the user takes water each time.

[0076] Specifically, only the third water inlet 3721 may be arranged upward along the direction of gravity, or only the third water outlet 3722 may be arranged upward along the direction of gravity, or both the third water inlet 3721 and the third water outlet 3722 may be arranged upward along the direction of gravity. The embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0077] Please refer to FIG. 9, which is a cross-sectional view of a water tank of the water supply device shown in FIG. 8. The water tank 372 may include a first side 3723 and a second side 3724 that are arranged opposite to each other along the direction of gravity. The third water inlet 3721 and the third water outlet 3722 are both arranged on the first side 3723. At this time, combined with the above-mentioned fact that at least one of the third water inlet 3721 and the third water outlet 3722 is arranged upward along the direction of gravity, it can be understood that the third water inlet 3721 and the third water outlet 3722 are both located on the upper side of the water tank 372. The water tank 372 may include a water flow passage 3725. One end of the water flow passage 3725 forms the third water inlet 3721, and the other end of the water flow passage 3725 forms the third water outlet 3722. The water flow passage 3725 is arranged tortuously between the first side 3723 and the second side 3724. Furthermore, the water that enters water tank 372 first will be closer to the outlet of water tank 372, that is, the water that is closer to the outlet of water tank 372 stays in refrigerating 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 372 first through the dispenser 35.

[0078] The water flow passage 3725 may form at least one bent section 37251 close to the first side 3723. In this case, the water tank 372 may further include an exhaust passage 3726. The exhaust passage 3726 is disposed on the first side 3723, one end of the exhaust passage 3726 is connected to the second water outlet 3713, and the other end of the exhaust passage 3726 is connected to the third water inlet 3721. The exhaust passage 3726 is also connected to the bent section 37251. Furthermore, the air in a middle portion of the water flow passage 3725 may be discharged into the exhaust passage 3726 through the bent section 37251, and finally discharged from the third water inlet 3721 or the third water outlet 3722 along the exhaust passage 3726.

[0079] The outer shell 36 and an inner surface of the box body 100 surround to form a closed installation cavity 362, and the installation cavity 362 is independent of the ice-making chamber 361. The water supply device 37 is accommodated in the installation cavity 362.

[0080] On the one hand, the low-temperature air in the refrigerating compartment 11 can be heat-exchanged to a certain extent through the outer shell 36 and the installation cavity 362 to refrigerate the water supply device 37 in the installation cavity 362, and at the same time, it can prevent the cold air in the refrigerating compartment 11 from blowing directly to the water supply device 37, thereby causing the water in the water supply device 37 to freeze, and affecting the normal operation of the ice-making mechanism 32 and the dispenser 35. On the other hand, in order to allow the water in the ice-making mechanism 32 to freeze and form ice cubes, the air temperature in the ice-making chamber 361 is usually very low. At this time, the installation cavity 362 and the ice-making chamber 361 are independent of each other, which can also prevent the air in the ice-making chamber 361 from blowing directly to the water supply device 37, thereby causing the water in the water supply device 37 to freeze.

[0081] At this time, the installation cavity 362 can be offset from the first passage 12, thereby preventing the freezing wind in the freezing chamber 111 from blowing into the installation cavity 362, and finally preventing the water in the water supply device 37 in the installation cavity 362 from freezing.

[0082] The outer shell 36 may include a main body 36a having a heat insulating layer and a baffle 36b without heat insulating layer. The main body 36a surrounds to form the ice-making chamber 361, and the baffle 36b is protruded from the main body 36a. A side of the main body 36a facing away from the refrigerating compartment 11, the baffle 36b, and the inner wall of the refrigerating compartment 11 surround to form the installation cavity 362. Furthermore, the heat insulating layer of the main body 36a can reduce the heat exchange between the inside of the ice-making chamber 361 and the outside, so as to improve the ice-making efficiency of the ice-making mechanism 32. At the same time, the baffle 36b has no heat insulating layer, so that the cold air in the refrigerating compartment 11 can properly cool the water supply device 37 in the installation cavity 362.

[0083] Please refer to FIG. 10, which is an exploded view of an outer shell of the ice-making machine shown in FIG. 8. The main body 36a may include a third shell body 363 and a fourth shell body 364, and the third shell body 363 and the fourth shell body 364 are spliced to form the ice-making chamber 361. The third shell body 363 and the fourth shell body 364 may be detachably connected by screwing, snapping, or magnetic fixing. Accordingly, the heat insulating layer includes a first heat insulating layer disposed on the third shell body 363 and a second heat insulating layer disposed on the fourth shell body 364.

[0084] For example, the third shell body 363 may include a first outer shell and a first inner shell, the first outer shell and the first inner shell surround to form a cavity, and the first heat insulating layer is a heat-insulating foam layer formed in the cavity by foaming. In this case, the baffle 36b may be integrally formed on the third shell body 363.

[0085] The first outer shell is located on an outer surface of the main body 36a, and the first inner shell is located on an inner surface of the main body 36a. At this time, the first inner shell can be provided with a first injection port, so that the foaming material can be injected from the first injection port into the cavity formed by the first outer shell and the first inner shell for foaming. It can be understood that by providing the first injection port on the first inner shell, an appearance of the first outer shell can be made more aesthetic.

[0086] The fourth shell body 364 may include a second outer shell and a second inner shell. The second outer shell and the second inner shell surround to form a cavity, and the second heat insulating layer is a heat-insulating foam layer formed in the cavity by foaming.

[0087] The second outer shell is located on the outer surface of the main body 36a, and the second inner shell is located on the inner surface of the main body 36a. At this time, the second inner shell and the second outer shell can 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 and the second inner shell for foaming. In actual use, the second outer shell can be attached to the inner wall of the refrigerating compartment 11 to hide the second injection port.

[0088] A heat-insulating sealing strip may be provided at the joint of the fourth shell body 364 and the third shell body 363 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.

[0089] In addition, as shown in the figure, the refrigerator may further include a second water pipe 38. The second inner shell may be formed with a second wiring groove for the second water pipe 38 to pass through, one end of the second wiring groove is connected to the installation cavity 362, and a bottom wall of the second wiring groove is provided with at least one through hole connected to the ice-making chamber 361, so that the second water pipe 38 can extend along the second wiring groove to a preset position and then be inserted into the ice-making chamber 361 through the through hole for water supply.

[0090] In order to make an installation of the second water pipe 38 more stable, a second fixing member may be provided on a side of the first outer shell facing away from the opening of the refrigerating compartment 11, and the second fixing member is configured to fix the second water pipe 38. The second fixing member may be integrally formed with the first outer shell, or may be separately formed with the second outer shell, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0091] The second water pipe 38 may be covered with a heat insulating sleeve to prevent the air with a lower temperature in the ice-making chamber 361 from exchanging heat with the second water pipe 38 through the second inner shell and eventually causing the water in the second water pipe 38 to freeze.

[0092] Please refer to FIG. 11, which is a schematic diagram of an ice transport mechanism of the ice-making machine shown in FIG. 10 moving to different positions on a shell body. The ice transport mechanism 34 may include a first driving assembly 341, a carrier 342, and an ice-removing member 343. The carrier 342 can be driven by the first driving assembly 341 to move between the ice-making mechanism 32 and the second ice storage box 33 to carry the ice cubes output by the ice-making mechanism 32 and transport them to the first ice storage box 31. The ice-removing member 343 is located on a side of the first driving assembly 341 close to the second ice storage box 33. The ice-removing member 343 is configured to push the ice cubes of the carrier 342 located at the second ice storage box 33 into the second ice storage box 33.

[0093] For example, the first driving assembly 341 may include a guide rail 3411 and a second driving assembly 3412. The guide rail 3411 is mounted on the outer shell 36, and the carrier 342 is slidably mounted on the guide rail 3411. The second driving assembly 3412 is drivingly connected to the carrier 342 so that the carrier 342 moves between a first position and a second position, and the ice-making mechanism 32 and the second ice storage box 33 are located between the first position and the second position.

[0094] Specifically, a lower end of the guide rail 3411 is the first position, which is located at a lower side of the ice-making mechanism 32. An upper end of the guide rail 3411 is the second position, which is located at an upper side of the ice-making mechanism 32. Then, when the carrier 342 moves to the first position, or when the carrier 342 moves to the bottom of the ice-making mechanism 32, the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 32 can fall onto the carrier 342 due to their own gravity. Then, the carrier 342 can transport the ice cubes to the second position, so that the ice-removing member 343 can push the ice cubes on the carrier 342 into the second ice storage box 33.

[0095] The guide rail 3411 can be installed in various ways. For example, the guide rail 3411 can be detachably connected to the outer shell 36 by snap connection, screw connection, magnetic fixation, etc.

[0096] Please refer to FIG. 12, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of a carrier of the ice-making machine shown in FIG. 11. The second driving assembly 3412 may include an ice transporting motor 34121 and a first pinion 34122. The ice transporting motor 34121 may be mounted and fixed to the carrier 342. An output shaft of the ice transporting motor 34121 is connected to the first pinion 34122 to drive the first pinion 34122 to rotate. The guide rail 3411 is formed with a rack, and the first pinion 34122 is engaged with the rack. Furthermore, when the ice transporting motor 34121 drives the first pinion 34122 to rotate, the carrier 342 may slide along the guide rail 3411.

[0097] In some implementations, in order to make a movement of the carrier 342 more stable and smooth, the number of the guide rails 3411 can be multiple, such as two, three, four, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0098] For example, the guide rail 3411 may include two guide rails 3411, and each end of the carrier 342 is slidably connected to one guide rail 3411. The second driving assembly 3412 may further include a transmission shaft 34123 and a second pinion 34124. The first pinion 34122 and the second pinion 34124 are transmission-connected via the transmission shaft 34123, so that the first pinion 34122 and the second pinion 34124 can rotate synchronously. The first pinion 34122 is engaged with the rack of one guide rail 3411, and the second pinion 34124 is engaged with the rack of the other guide rail 3411. Furthermore, through the first pinion 34122 and the second pinion 34124, moving speeds of the two ends of the carrier 342 can be made consistent, and finally the movement of the carrier 342 is made smoother.

[0099] The carrier 342 may have a second ice outlet 3421 for discharging the carried ice cubes. At this time, the ice transport mechanism 34 also includes an ice blocking member 344, which is movably connected to the carrier 342 to open or close the second ice outlet 3421. Then, during a process of the carrier 342 transporting the ice cubes, the second ice outlet 3421 may be closed by the ice blocking member 344 to prevent the ice cubes carried on the carrier 342 from accidentally falling, and when the carrier 342 needs to output the ice cubes to the second ice storage box 33, the ice blocking member 344 opens the second ice outlet 3421, so that an ice cube transportation operation of the ice transport mechanism 34 is more stable and reliable.

[0100] For example, the ice blocking member 344 may be configured as follows: when the carrier 342 is located at the second ice storage box 33, the ice blocking member 344 moves to open the second ice outlet 3421. When the carrier 342 is located away from the second ice storage box 33, the ice blocking member 344 moves to close the second ice outlet 3421. Then, on the one hand, during the movement of the carrier 342 toward the second ice storage box 33, the ice blocking member 344 may close the second ice outlet 3421 to prevent the ice cubes carried by the carrier 342 from accidentally falling off, on the other hand, when the carrier 342 moves to the second ice storage box 33, the ice blocking member 344 may open the second ice outlet 3421 so that the ice cubes in the carrier 342 can be output to the second ice storage box 33.

[0101] The ice blocking member 344 and the carrier 342 may be slidably connected in various ways, such as being slidably connected to the ice blocking member 344 and the carrier 342, or being rotatably connected to the ice blocking member 344 and the carrier 342, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0102] Taking a sliding connection between the ice blocking member 344 and the carrier 342 as an example, the ice blocking member 344 can be slidably installed on the carrier 342 along a first direction, and the first direction is parallel to a direction of the ice-making mechanism 32 toward the second ice storage box 33. Taking the first direction as a vertical direction as an example, the ice-making mechanism 32 and the second ice storage box 33 make the ice-making machine 300 occupy a larger space in the vertical direction. At this time, the ice blocking member 344 is slidably installed on the carrier 342 along the vertical direction, and a space occupied by the ice-making machine 300 in the vertical direction can be reasonably configured to make the ice-making machine 300 narrower in the horizontal direction. Alternatively, when the ice-making machine 300 has a certain width in the horizontal direction, the ice blocking member 344 is slidably installed on the carrier 342 along the vertical direction, and a width of the second ice storage box 33 can be made larger to increase its own volume. The first direction can also be a horizontal direction, or the first direction can be inclined to the vertical direction, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0103] In some embodiments, the ice blocking member 344 may be provided with a hollow structure, thereby reducing a contact area between the ice blocking member 344 and the ice cubes carried by the carrier 342, reducing a probability of ice cubes adhering to the ice blocking member 344, and also reducing a weight of the ice blocking member 344.

[0104] The ice transport mechanism 34 may further include an elastic member 345. The elastic member 345 is installed on the carrier 342, and the elastic member 345 is configured to drive the ice blocking member 344 to move in a direction of closing the second ice outlet 3421. Furthermore, the elastic member 345 can realize that the ice blocking member 344 automatically closes the second ice outlet 3421. Specifically, the elastic member 345 may be a tension spring, a compression spring, a torsion spring, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0105] Accordingly, a blocking member 334 may be protruding from a surface of the second ice storage box 33, and when the carrier 342 moves to the second ice storage box 33, the blocking member 334 may abut against the ice blocking member 344 to drive the ice blocking member 344 to open the second ice outlet 3421. It can be understood that, compared with additionally setting up other power sources to drive the ice blocking member 344 to move, a structure of the ice-making machine 300 of the embodiment of the present application can be simpler, an overall volume can be smaller, and the manufacturing cost can be lower.

[0106] Alternatively, the ice blocking member 344 is driven to move by an electric motor, a motor, an electric push rod, a cylinder, etc.

[0107] Alternatively, the ice blocking member 344 is driven by gravity to move in the direction of closing the second ice outlet 3421. For example, an upper end of the ice blocking member 344 in the direction of gravity can be rotatably connected to the carrier 342. When the ice blocking member 344 is not acted upon by an external force, the ice blocking member 344 is flipped downward by its own gravity to close the second ice outlet 3421. When the ice cubes on the carrier 342 are discharged from the second ice outlet 3421, the ice cubes push the ice blocking member 344 to flip upward to open the second ice outlet 3421.

[0108] The carrier 342 may form the second ice outlet 3421 in various ways. For example, the carrier 342 may include an ice transport plate 3422 and wing plates 3423. The ice transport plate 3422 has a carrying surface for carrying ice. One wing plate 3423 is protruded from each end of the carrying surface, and one end of the wing plate 3423 away from the first side wall 3723 and the carrying surface surround to form the second ice outlet 3421.

[0109] Furthermore, when the ice blocking member 344 closes the second ice outlet 3421, the ice blocking member 344, the wing plate 3423, the ice transport plate 3422, and the first side wall 3723 can surround and be arranged to form an ice storage cavity with an upward opening, and the ice cubes output by the ice-making mechanism 32 can directly fall into the ice storage cavity.

[0110] The ice transport plate 3422 may include a connection portion 34221 and a plurality of strip portions 34222. The plurality of strip portions 34222 are protruding from a side of the connection portion 34221 away from the second ice storage box 33, and the plurality of strip portions 34222 are arranged in a horizontal direction so that one slot 34223 is formed between two adjacent strip portions 34222. Furthermore, a contact area between the ice transport plate 3422 and the ice cubes can be reduced through the slot 34223, so that the ice-removing member 343 can push the ice cubes on the ice transport plate 3422 more directional.

[0111] An upper surface of the strip portion 34222 may be an uneven curved surface to reduce the contact area between the ice transport plate 3422 and the ice cubes, so that the ice-removing member 343 can more conveniently push out the ice cubes on the ice transport plate 3422. The upper surface of the strip portion 34222 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 34222 may be an uneven curved surface to avoid a formation of steps on the upper surface of the strip portion 34222, which may result in the inability to push out the ice cubes normally.

[0112] Please refer to FIG. 13, which is an exploded view of an ice transport mechanism and a portion of a shell body of the ice-making machine shown in FIG. 2. The ice-removing member 343 may include at least one ice-pushing portion 3431. Each ice-pushing portion 3431 is arranged opposite to one slot 34223, so that the ice-pushing portion 3431 can be inserted into the corresponding slot 34223 during an upward movement of the carrier 342, and the ice-pushing portion 3431 can be detached from the corresponding slot 34223 during a downward movement of the carrier 342. Along the downward direction of gravity, the ice-pushing portion 3431 is inclined in a direction away from the second ice storage box 33.

[0113] Then, during the upward movement of the ice transport plate 3422, the ice-pushing portion 3431 can be regarded as a guide member for guiding the ice cubes on the ice transport plate 3422. Furthermore, after the ice transport plate 3422 moves upward to the ice-pushing portion 3431 and is inserted into the slot 34223, if the ice transport plate 3422 continues to move upward, the ice-pushing portion 3431 will push the ice cubes on the ice transport plate 3422 toward the second ice storage box 33, so as to push the ice cubes from the ice transport plate 3422 into the second ice storage box 33.

[0114] The ice-pushing portion 3431 may be straight or curved, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0115] The ice-removing member 343 may also include a mounting body 3432. The mounting body 3432 is connected and fixed to the outer shell 36, and the ice-pushing portion 3431 is connected and fixed to the mounting body 3432 to achieve the installation and fixation of the ice-pushing portion 3431. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the mounting body 3432 may also be installed on the second ice storage box 33 or the guide rail 3411, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0116] The ice-pushing portion 3431 and the mounting body 3432 may be integrally formed. For example, the ice-pushing portion 3431 and the mounting body 3432 may be made by injection molding, milling, die casting, stamping, or the like. Alternatively, the ice-pushing portion 3431 may be detachably mounted on the mounting body 3432, such as the ice-pushing portion 3431 being mounted on the mounting body 3432 by snap connection, screw connection, or the like. In some other embodiments, the ice-pushing portion 3431 may also be fixed to the mounting body 3432 by welding, fusion, or the like, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0117] The connection method between the mounting body 3432 and the outer shell 36 can be various, such as snap connection, screw connection, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0118] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For the part that is not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant description of other embodiments.

[0119] The refrigerator provided by the embodiments of the present application is described 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 technical personnel in this field, according to the idea of the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising:a first ice storage box configured to store ice cubes;an ice-making mechanism configured to make and output the ice cubes, wherein the ice cubes outputted by the ice-making mechanism fall into the first ice storage box under an action of gravity;a second ice storage box configured to store the ice cubes; andan ice transport mechanism configured to selectively transport the ice cubes outputted by the ice-making mechanism to the second ice storage box.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator further comprises a box body, the box body comprises a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber, the ice-making mechanism is disposed in the refrigerating chamber, the first ice storage box is disposed in the freezing chamber, the box body further comprises a first passage connecting the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber, the first passage is located between the ice-making mechanism and the first ice storage box, so that the ice cubes output by the ice-making mechanism pass through the first passage and fall into the first ice storage box.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the second ice storage box is disposed in the refrigerating chamber and is located on a side of the ice-making mechanism facing away from the first ice storage box.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the refrigerator further comprises:a door rotatably connected to the box body to open or close the refrigerating chamber; anda dispenser mounted on the door and rotatably connected to or separated from an outlet of the second ice storage box, so that the dispenser receives and outputs the ice cubes supplied by the second ice storage box.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the dispenser comprises:a first shell body comprising an ice crushing chamber and an ice inlet passage connected to each other, wherein an end of the ice inlet passage away from the ice crushing chamber rotates with the door to connect or separate from the outlet of the second ice storage box;an ice crushing mechanism configured to discharge complete ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber or discharge the ice cubes after crushing; anda second shell body comprising an ice outlet passage connected to the ice crushing chamber for discharging the ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber;wherein along a direction close to the ice crushing chamber, the ice inlet passage is arranged to be tilted downward along a direction of gravity, and the ice outlet passage is arranged to be tilted upward along the direction of gravity.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the second ice storage box comprises:an ice storage box body comprising a receiving chamber for accommodating the ice cubes and a third ice outlet connected to the receiving chamber to form the outlet of the second ice storage box;an ice-discharging screw rotatably disposed in the receiving chamber and configured to push the ice cubes in the receiving chamber to move toward the third ice outlet; andan ice-discharging wheel fixedly connected to the ice-discharging screw to rotate with the ice-discharging screw, wherein the ice-discharging wheel is disposed between the ice-discharging screw and an outlet of the receiving chamber, the ice-discharging wheel is configured to receive the ice cubes transferred by the ice-discharging screw and transport them upward along the direction of gravity to the third ice outlet for discharge.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the refrigerator further comprises:an outer shell installed on a side of the refrigerating chamber close to the first passage, wherein the outer shell forms an ice-making chamber connected to the first passage, and the second ice storage box, the ice transport mechanism, and the ice-making mechanism all are disposed in the ice-making chamber; anda water supply device installed on a side of the outer shell away from an opening of the refrigerating chamber, wherein the water supply device is configured to connect to an external water source, the water supply device is connected to the ice-making mechanism to supply water to the ice-making mechanism, and the water supply device is connected to the dispenser so that the dispenser outputs the water supplied by the water supply device.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the water supply device comprises:a water valve is configured to connect to the external water source, wherein at least one outlet of the water valve is connected to the ice-making mechanism to supply water to the ice-making mechanism; anda water tank connected to another outlet of the water valve to accommodate water supplied by the water valve, wherein the water tank is connected to the dispenser to supply water to the dispenser.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the ice transport mechanism comprises:a first driving assembly;a carrier driven by the first driving assembly to move, so as to carry the ice cubes output by the ice-making mechanism and transport them to the first ice storage box; andan ice-removing member disposed on a side of the first driving assembly close to the second ice storage box, wherein the ice-removing member is configured to push the ice cubes on the carrier located at the second ice storage box into the second ice storage box.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the carrier is provided with a second ice outlet for discharging the carried ice cubes; the ice transport mechanism further comprises an ice blocking member, and the ice blocking member is movably connected to the carrier to open or close the second ice outlet.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the ice blocking member is configured such that:when the carrier is located at the second ice storage box, the ice blocking member moves to open the second ice outlet; andwhen the carrier is located away from the second ice storage box, the ice blocking member moves to close the second ice outlet.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the ice blocking member is slidably mounted on the carrier along a first direction, and the first direction is parallel to a direction of the ice-making mechanism toward the second ice storage box.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the ice transport mechanism further comprises an elastic member, the elastic member is installed on the carrier, and the elastic member is configured to drive the ice blocking member to move in a direction of closing the second ice outlet.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein a blocking member is protruding from a surface of the second ice storage box, and when the carrier moves to the second ice storage box, the blocking member abuts against the ice blocking member to drive the ice blocking member to open the second ice outlet.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the ice blocking member is provided with a hollow structure.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the refrigerator further comprises an outer shell having an ice-making chamber, and the ice-making mechanism, the second ice storage box, and the ice transport mechanism are accommodated in the ice-making chamber.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the first driving assembly comprises:a guide rail mounted on the outer shell, wherein the carrier is slidably mounted on the guide rail; anda second driving assembly drivingly connected to the carrier so as to move the carrier between a first position and a second position, wherein the ice-making mechanism and the second ice storage box are located between the first position and the second position.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 17, wherein the second driving assembly comprises an ice transporting motor and a first pinion, the ice transporting motor is mounted 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.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the refrigerator further comprises a water supply device, the outer shell and the water supply device are both arranged in a refrigerating compartment, the water supply device is installed on a side of the outer shell facing away from a refrigerating chamber, the water supply device is configured to connect to an external water source, and the water supply device is connected to the ice-making mechanism to supply the ice-making mechanism with water required for making the ice cubes.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 19, wherein the refrigerator further comprises a dispenser, the dispenser receives and outputs the ice cubes supplied by the second ice storage box; and the water supply device is also connected to the dispenser so that the dispenser outputs water supplied by the water supply device.

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