Ice making module and electrical device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide an ice making module and an electrical device. The ice making module comprises: an ice making assembly, which is used for manufacturing and outputting a plurality of pieces of ice having a first specification; an ice outlet channel, one end of the ice outlet channel being in communication with the ice making assembly, and said channel being used for receiving the pieces of ice having the first specification; a freezing area, which is provided in the ice outlet channel; and a cooling source, which is used for providing cooling capacity to the freezing area, so that the plurality of pieces of ice having the first specification passing through the freezing area are frozen to form pieces of ice having a second specification, the volume of the pieces of ice having the first specification being smaller than that of the pieces of ice having the second specification.

Description

Ice making module and electrical equipment

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is based on the Chinese patent application with application number 202311770380.2 and application date December 20, 2023, and claims the priority of the Chinese patent application. The entire content of the Chinese patent application is hereby introduced into this application as a reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of ice making technology, and in particular to an ice making module and electrical equipment. Background Art

[0004] To produce ice cubes of various shapes, there are currently two main methods for making ice. One method involves first making large ice cubes. If smaller ice cubes are needed, the large ice cubes are then mechanically crushed into smaller ones, resulting in both large and small ice cubes. The other method involves configuring separate ice-making modules for different ice shapes. However, the first method is prone to ice-crushing blade jamming, is noisy, and produces irregularly shaped ice cubes. The second method requires two or more ice-making modules, which is costly and space-consuming.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, embodiments of the present application hope to provide an ice-making module and an electrical device.

[0007] An embodiment of the present application provides an ice-making module, comprising:

[0008] An ice-making assembly, configured to produce and output a plurality of ices of a first specification;

[0009] an ice outlet channel, one end of which is in communication with the ice-making assembly and is configured to receive the plurality of ice cubes of the first specification; the ice outlet channel having a freezing area;

[0010] A cold source is used to provide cold energy to the freezing area so that the multiple ices of the first specification passing through the freezing area are frozen to form ice of the second specification; the volume of the ice of the first specification is smaller than the volume of the ice of the second specification.

[0011] In some embodiments, the ice-making component has a first ice-making state and a second ice-making state, and the cold source has a working state and a non-working state; when the cold source is in the non-working state, the ice-making component is in the first ice-making state, and when the cold source is in the working state, the ice-making component is in the second ice-making state, wherein the ice-making cooling capacity of the ice-making component in the first ice-making state is greater than the ice-making cooling capacity in the second ice-making state.

[0012] In some embodiments, the cold source surrounds the circumference of the freezing area.

[0013] In some embodiments, the ice-making module includes a control circuit, and the cold source includes a semiconductor refrigerator, which is connected to the control circuit. The semiconductor refrigerator has a cold end, and the cold end is used to provide coldness to the freezing area.

[0014] In some embodiments, the ice-making module includes a refrigerant circulation system, which includes a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device, and a first evaporator, wherein the first evaporator is the cold source.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first evaporator includes a first refrigerant pipeline, and the first refrigerant pipeline surrounds an outer circumference of the ice outlet channel.

[0016] In some embodiments, the refrigerant circulation system includes a second evaporator, and the second evaporator provides refrigeration for the ice-making assembly.

[0017] In some embodiments, the refrigeration cycle system includes a first branch, a second branch, and a valve device, and the valve device is used to open or close the first branch and the second branch.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first end of the first branch is connected to the first end of the second branch, the first evaporator is disposed on the first branch, and the second end of the second branch and the second end of the first branch are both connected to the inlet of the second evaporator;

[0019] The valve device is used to close the first branch and conduct the second branch, or conduct the first branch and close the second branch, so that the first evaporator and the second evaporator are arranged in series.

[0020] In some embodiments, the first branch and the second branch are arranged in parallel, the first evaporator is arranged on the first branch, and the second evaporator is arranged on the second branch; the valve device is used to open or close the first branch, and open or close the second branch.

[0021] In some embodiments, the ice-making module includes a first tubular structure, the ice-making assembly includes a forming mold, the forming mold is provided with a plurality of formed ice outlets, the forming mold is arranged inside the first tubular structure, the space inside the first tubular structure defines at least a portion of the ice outlet channel, and the plurality of formed ice outlets are used to output the plurality of first-specification ice.

[0022] In some embodiments, the ice-making assembly includes an ice-making chamber and an ice-scraping screw, wherein the ice-scraping screw is at least partially disposed in the ice-making chamber, and the ice-scraping screw is used to scrape ice on the inner wall of the ice-making chamber to obtain smoothie, and to transfer the scraped smoothie to the first tubular structure.

[0023] In some embodiments, the forming die includes a blade configured to cut the ice in the first tubular structure into a plurality of ice pieces of a first specification.

[0024] An embodiment of the present application further provides an electrical device comprising any of the above-mentioned ice-making modules. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG1 is a perspective view of an ice-making module according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] FIG2 is a front view of an ice-making module according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG3 is a cross-sectional view of section AA in FIG2 ;

[0028] FIG4 is a cross-sectional view of the portion BB in FIG2 ;

[0029] FIG5 is a cross-sectional view of the CC portion in FIG2;

[0030] FIG6 is an exploded view of an ice-making module according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG7 is a connection diagram of a refrigerant circulation system according to the first embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG8 is a connection diagram of a refrigerant circulation system according to a second embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG9 is a flow chart showing the steps of the ice making method according to the first embodiment of the invention;

[0034] FIG10 is a flow chart showing the steps of the ice making method according to the second embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0036] The various specific technical features described in the specific embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner, unless they are inconsistent. For example, different embodiments and technical solutions may be formed by combining different specific technical features. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the various possible combinations of the specific technical features in this application will not be described separately.

[0037] In the following description, the terms "first, second, ..." are used solely to distinguish different objects and do not imply any similarities or connections between the objects. It should be understood that the directions "above," "below," "outside," and "inside" refer to directions during normal use. The directions "left" and "right" refer to the left-right directions shown in the corresponding schematic diagrams, which may or may not be the left-right directions during normal use.

[0038] It should be noted that the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising that element. "A plurality" means greater than or equal to two.

[0039] The embodiment of the present application provides an ice-making module, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, which includes an ice-making component 1, an ice outlet channel 2, and a cold source 3. The ice-making component 1 is used to produce and output multiple ices of the first specification. It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the type of setting of the ice-making component 1. For example, multiple shaped ice outlets 11 are set in an ice-making component 1, each shaped ice outlet 11 outputs an ice of the first specification, and multiple shaped ice outlets 11 can output multiple ices of the first specification. Of course, it is also possible to set up multiple ice-making components 1, each ice-making component 1 is provided with a shaped ice outlet 11, multiple ice-making components 1 have multiple shaped ice outlets 11, and multiple ice-making components 1 can output multiple ices of the first specification. In other words, no matter what setting form the ice-making component 1 adopts, as long as it can produce and output multiple ices of the first specification, it is sufficient.

[0040] This embodiment of the present application uses an ice-making assembly 1 having multiple ice-forming outlets 11 as an example. Ice-forming outlets 11 are used to dispense ice of a first specification. This first specification refers to ice formed into a certain shape, such as ice bars or ice cubes. The first specification ice dispensed by multiple ice-forming outlets 11 can have the same or different shapes and sizes. This first specification ice can be understood as small, smaller ice.

[0041] It should be noted that, as shown in FIG4 , the embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of ice-forming outlets 11 provided in the ice-making assembly 1. The ice-forming outlets 11 may be provided in two, three, four, five, or the like. The number of ice-forming outlets 11 provided may be set according to the specific functional requirements of the product. By providing multiple ice-forming outlets in the ice-making assembly 1, the embodiment of the present application enables the ice-making assembly 1 to output multiple ice of the first specification at a time, thereby improving ice-dispensing efficiency.

[0042] As shown in Figure 3, one end of the ice discharging duct 2 is connected to the ice-making assembly 1. The ice discharging duct 2 is configured to receive multiple first-size ice cubes from the respective ice-forming outlets 11. The ice discharging duct 2 has a freezing area 21. A cold source 3 is disposed within the freezing area 21 of the ice discharging duct 2 to provide cooling capacity to the freezing area 21 during cooling, so that the multiple first-size ice cubes passing through the freezing area 21 freeze into a single, integrated ice structure. In other words, the ice-making assembly 1 simultaneously delivers multiple first-size ice cubes through the multiple ice-forming outlets 11 to the ice discharging duct 2. The multiple first-size ice cubes within the freezing area 21 are then frozen into a single, second-size, large ice cube under the influence of the cooling capacity. Large ice cubes are larger ice cubes whose volume is approximately equal to the sum of the volumes of the multiple small ice cubes. In other words, the second size is approximately equal to the sum of the multiple first-size ice cubes. The multiple first-size ice cubes within the freezing area 21 can be frozen into a single, second-size, large ice cube. Therefore, the ice discharging duct 2 is capable of delivering larger ice cubes.

[0043] Among them, the cooling capacity described in the embodiment of the present application means that the thermal field change of the formed ice in the freezing area is achieved by using the cold source 3. The cold source 3 provides cooling capacity to the freezing area 21. The cold source 3 absorbs the heat in the freezing area 21, thereby taking away the heat of the smaller formed ice, so that the small ice pieces close to each other freeze to each other and stick to each other to form larger formed ice. The embodiment of the present application can use the change of the thermal field to provide formed ice of different sizes. Compared with the method of using a tool to cut large ice, the energy consumed by cutting is saved, and the consumables of the tool are avoided; compared with the method of using mechanical energy to squeeze small ice into large ice, the consumption of mechanical energy is saved and the tedious operation of switching the die head is avoided.

[0044] It should be noted that the sizes of large ice and small ice described in the embodiments of the present application are only used as relative illustrations for comparison in the same product. That is, the volume of large ice in the same electrical device is larger than that of small ice, but the absolute value of the volume of small ice or large ice is not specifically limited. That is, in different products, the absolute value of the volume of small ice in one product may be larger than the absolute value of the volume of large ice in another product.

[0045] An embodiment of the present application provides an ice-making module, which includes an ice-making component, an ice-discharging channel, and a cold source. The ice-making component is used to produce and output multiple ices of a first specification. One end of the ice-discharging channel is connected to the ice-making component. The ice-discharging channel is used to receive multiple ices of a first specification. The ice-discharging channel has a freezing area. The cold source is used to provide cooling capacity to the freezing area so that the multiple ices of the first specification passing through the freezing area are frozen to form ice of a second specification. The embodiment of the present application uses the ice-making component to output multiple smaller ice shapes to the ice-discharging channel at one time. The ice-discharging channel is provided with a freezing area. The cold source can provide cooling capacity to the freezing area so that the multiple smaller ice shapes are frozen into an integrated larger ice shape. The same ice-making module can output ice shapes of various specifications. The output of large and small ice shapes is achieved by adjusting the thermal field. The operation is highly stable, the ice cubes are formed regularly, equipment consumables are reduced, mechanical energy consumption is saved, reliability is high, noise is low, and user experience is improved.

[0046] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the working mode of the cold source, that is, the cold source is set in the freezing area of ​​the ice outlet channel, so that the cold source can have the function of providing cooling capacity for the freezing area, but does not mean that the cold source and the ice-making module have a synchronous and continuous operating state. Specifically, the ice-making component has a first ice-making state and a second ice-making state, and the cold source can have a working state and a non-working state. When the cold source is in the working state, the cold source can provide cooling capacity for the freezing area, so that the ice-making module can output larger ice molded ice, which is the second ice-making state of the ice-making component; when the cold source is in the non-working state, the cold source does not provide cooling capacity to the freezing area, then the ice-making module directly outputs multiple smaller ice molded ices output from the ice outlet, which is the first ice-making state of the ice-making component.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present application, the ice-making capacity of the ice-making assembly in the first ice-making state is greater than that in the second ice-making state. It should be noted that the ice-making capacity affects the water content of the ice produced by the ice-making assembly. The smaller the ice-making capacity, the greater the water content of the ice produced by the ice-making assembly, and the greater the ice-making capacity, the lower the water content of the ice produced by the ice-making assembly. In the embodiment of the present application, the ice-making capacity in the first ice-making state is greater than that in the second ice-making state, that is, the water content of the ice produced in the first ice-making state is less than that of the ice produced in the second ice-making state. The ice of the first specification produced in the first ice-making state can be directly output for user use. Therefore, the ice produced in the first ice-making state has a lower water content, which is beneficial to improving the user experience; the ice of the first specification produced in the second ice-making state is used to freeze into ice of the second specification in the freezing area. Therefore, the ice produced in the second ice-making state has a high water content, which is beneficial to the heat release of water and freezing into ice, thereby facilitating the freezing of the ice of the first specification into ice of the second specification, thereby improving the stability of the ice of the second specification.

[0048] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the cold source 3 is disposed circumferentially around the freezing area 21. The freezing area represents a space that accommodates ice of the first specification, and the cold source 3 surrounding it means that the cold source 3 is disposed around the outside of the freezing area 21. The surrounding arrangement of the cold source 3 is conducive to improving the uniformity of the cooling capacity provided within the freezing area, thereby facilitating the stability of the multiple ice of the first specification being frozen together within the freezing area.

[0049] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 1-3, the ice-making assembly 1 outputs ice cubes of a first specification from each ice-forming outlet 11. It should be noted that the first specification includes but is not limited to the cross-sectional shape, cross-sectional area size, etc. of the formed ice. The first specifications of the multiple ice-forming outlets 11 in the ice-making assembly 1 can be the same or different. The first specifications of ice output from different ice-forming outlets 11 can be set according to the product requirements of the electrical equipment.

[0050] In the embodiments of the present application, ice from multiple ice-forming outlets 11 is arranged in groups. In some embodiments, the adjacent surface shapes of the ice discharged from the multiple ice-forming outlets 11 can match each other, so that during cooling, the freezing area 21 freezes the multiple ice pieces in the same group into ice of a second specification, thereby improving the stability of the ice structure of the second specification. It should be noted that the "during cooling" in the above embodiments refers to the regulation of the operation of the cold source 3 in the freezing area. In other words, the cold source 3 only provides cooling capacity to the freezing area when needed. By controlling the operating state of the cold source 3, the production and discharge of ice of different specifications can be achieved. This control method is stable and convenient. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the required ice cubes discharged from the ice outlet channel do not require an ice-breaking structure.

[0051] For example, if there are four ice forming outlets 11 , four ice pieces can be frozen in groups each time, or eight ice pieces can be frozen in groups each time.

[0052] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG3 , the ice-making assembly 1 outputs ice of a first specification from each ice-forming outlet 11 . As shown in FIG5 , the freezing area 21 is used to freeze a plurality of ices into ice of a second specification during refrigeration. The second specification is larger than the first specification. The size can be understood as the cross-sectional area, shape or volume of the ice, etc.

[0053] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the ice-making module includes an ice-breaking structure 4. The ice-breaking structure 4 is arranged at the end of the ice-discharging channel 2, and the end of the ice-discharging channel 2 refers to the end of the ice-discharging channel 2 away from the shaped ice outlet 11. The ice-breaking structure 4 is used to break the ice bars discharged from the ice-discharging channel 2 to obtain ice cubes. In other words, ice bars can be understood as strips of shaped ice with a certain length, and after breaking the ice bars, shorter ice cubes can be obtained. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific ice-breaking method of the ice-breaking structure 4, as long as the ice-breaking structure 4 can break the long ice bars into multiple shorter ice cubes. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the length of the ice cubes broken by the ice-breaking structure 4.

[0054] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG3 , the ice outlet channel 2 extends in a straight line, and the ice breaking structure 4 bends from the end of the ice outlet channel 2 to the side of the ice outlet channel 2. That is, an ice breaking channel is provided inside the ice breaking structure 4, and the ice breaking channel (ice breaking structure) extends in an arc direction. One end of the ice breaking channel is connected to the ice outlet channel 2, and the other end of the ice breaking channel is used to guide out broken ice cubes. The arc direction indicates that the inner surface of the ice breaking structure 4 gradually changes according to a certain curvature, so that the inside of the ice breaking channel is curved. The ice bars in the ice outlet channel 2 move along the extension direction of the ice outlet channel to the ice breaking channel. When the end of the ice bar contacts the wall of the ice breaking channel, the driving force drives the ice bar to continue to move in the direction of the wall of the ice breaking structure. Since the ice bar is relatively rigid and easy to break, the ice bar breaks inside the ice breaking structure under the action of the extrusion force.

[0055] The present invention tested the ice-breaking structure of the aforementioned embodiment. The test results show that ice bars break when bent approximately 11 degrees, demonstrating a high ice-breaking success rate. Furthermore, large ice blocks broken by the ice-breaking structure retain their shape and have a smooth fracture surface. Small ice blocks broken at the bend also retain their shape, exhibit no sticking, and have a smooth fracture surface.

[0056] The present application is an embodiment in which a bent ice-breaking structure is provided. The ice-breaking method is simple and quick, and the quality of the ice breaking is high. There is no need to add cutting tools, etc., thereby reducing the consumables and cost of the product.

[0057] The specific type of cold source 3 is not limited. For example, in some embodiments, cold source 3 can be the cold end of a semiconductor cooler. Specifically, the cooling module includes a control circuit, and the semiconductor cooler is connected to the control circuit. The control circuit can control the cold end of the semiconductor cooler to provide cooling to the area.

[0058] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the ice-making module includes a refrigerant circulation system 5, which includes a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device, and a first evaporator 51. The compressor, condenser, throttling device, and first evaporator 51 are arranged in sequence along the direction of refrigerant flow, wherein the first evaporator is a cold source 3. The direction of the solid arrows in Figures 7 and 8 represents the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation system, and the direction of the dotted arrows represents the movement direction of water or ice. In other words, the first evaporator 51 is used to provide cooling capacity for the freezing area to achieve freezing of small ice in the freezing area.

[0059] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG3 , the cold source 3 surrounds the outer circumference of the first tubular structure 6 . The refrigerant in the cold source 3 is used to exchange heat with the substance in the ice outlet channel 2 within the first tubular structure 6 . The relative position of the cold source 3 and the first tubular structure 6 can be adjusted as needed. For example, the cold source 3 can be positioned on the outer circumference of the first tubular structure 6 as shown in FIG3 , or the first tubular structure 6 can also be positioned on the outer circumference of the cold source 3 .

[0060] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the first evaporator 51 includes a first refrigerant pipeline, which surrounds the outer periphery of the ice outlet duct. In this embodiment of the present application, by surrounding the first refrigerant pipeline around the outer periphery of the ice outlet duct, the first refrigerant pipeline can directly exchange heat with the ice outlet duct, which is beneficial for improving ice making efficiency and also helps to improve the uniformity of the cooling capacity provided in the ice outlet duct, thereby improving the quality of ice formed in the ice outlet duct.

[0061] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the refrigerant circulation system 5 includes a second evaporator 52, which provides cooling capacity for the ice-making assembly 1. That is, the second evaporator provides cooling capacity for the ice-making assembly 1. The second evaporator is located in the ice-making assembly. When water enters the ice-making assembly, the second evaporator 52 exchanges heat with the ice-making assembly 1, lowering the temperature inside the ice-making assembly and causing the water to freeze into ice. In this embodiment, the same refrigerant circulation system 5 can provide cooling capacity for both the ice outlet channel 2 and the ice-making assembly 1, making the structure compact. Furthermore, when the cold source is not needed to provide cooling capacity, the refrigerant does not flow through the first evaporator. However, because the second evaporator needs to continuously provide cooling capacity to the ice-making assembly, the refrigerant can continue to circulate in the refrigerant circulation system, eliminating the need to frequently start or shut down the compressor.

[0062] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG7 , the present invention provides a first refrigerant cycle system.

[0063] The direction of the solid arrow in Figure 7 indicates the flow direction of the refrigerant, and the direction of the dotted arrow indicates the movement direction of water or ice. The refrigerant circulation system 5 includes a first branch 53 and a second branch 54, wherein the first end of the first branch 53 is connected to the first end of the second branch 54, the first evaporator 51 is disposed on the first branch 53, and the second end of the second branch 54 and the second end of the first branch 53 are both connected to the inlet of the second evaporator 52. The refrigerant circulation system 5 also includes a valve device 55, which is used to open or close the first branch 53. It can be understood that the ice-making assembly in the refrigerant circulation system in the embodiment of the present application has a first ice-making state and a second ice-making state, and the ice-making cooling capacity of the second evaporator in the first ice-making state is greater than the ice-making cooling capacity in the second ice-making state.

[0064] In the second ice-making state, the valve device 55 connects the first branch 53, allowing the refrigerant to flow to the first branch 53. The flow path of the refrigerant is: valve device 55-first branch 53-first evaporator 51-second evaporator 52. The small ice produced by the second evaporator in the second ice-making mode has a certain water content. When multiple small ices pass through the ice outlet channel, the first evaporator 51 absorbs the heat of the water on the small ice again, and the multiple small ices are frozen into an integrated large ice.

[0065] In the first ice-making state, the valve device 55 closes the first branch 53, so that the refrigerant cannot flow to the first branch 53, but flows to the second branch 54. The flow path of the refrigerant is: valve device 55-second branch 54-second evaporator 52. Since the cold source does not pass through the first evaporator 51, the multiple small ices passing through the ice outlet channel will not be frozen into large ice. Therefore, the shaped ice produced by the ice-making module is small ice.

[0066] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG7 , the valve device includes a first state and a second state. In the first state, the valve device closes the first branch 53 and connects the second branch 54. In the second state, the valve device opens the first branch 53 and closes the second branch 54, thereby connecting the first evaporator and the second evaporator in series. In the first state, the first switch 531 closes the first branch 53, and the second switch 541 connects the second branch 54. The refrigerant flows from the second branch 54 to the second evaporator 52, but not to the first evaporator 51. This enables the ice-making module to output small ice. In the second state, the first switch 531 connects the first branch 53, and the second switch 541 closes the second branch 54. The refrigerant flows first to the first evaporator 51 and then to the second evaporator 52, thereby achieving the production of large ice.

[0067] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG8 , the present invention provides a second refrigerant circulation system. The direction of the solid arrow in FIG8 indicates the flow direction of the refrigerant, and the direction of the dotted arrow indicates the movement direction of water or ice. The valve device includes a first state and a second state. The valve device may include a first switch 531 and a second switch 541. The first switch 531 is used to turn on and off the first branch 53, and the second switch 541 is used to turn on and off the second branch 54. That is to say, the embodiment of the present application can set two switches respectively to independently control the on and off states of the first branch and the second branch, so that the first evaporator and the second evaporator are connected in parallel. It should be noted that the first switch and the second switch in the embodiment of the present application can be set as electronic expansion valves, and this control method is stable.

[0068] In the first state, the first switch 531 is on and the second switch 541 is off, so the refrigerant flows only to the first evaporator 51, thereby achieving the extraction of small ice. In the second state, both the first switch 531 and the second switch 541 are on, so the refrigerant flows to the first evaporator 51 and the second evaporator 52, respectively, thereby achieving the extraction of large ice.

[0069] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4 , the ice-making module includes a first tubular structure 6, an ice-making assembly includes a forming mold 12, an ice-forming outlet 11 is disposed within the forming mold 12, and the forming mold 12 is disposed within the first tubular structure 6. The space within the first tubular structure 6 defines at least a portion of the ice-discharging channel 2. It should be noted that the forming mold in this embodiment of the present application is used to form a plurality of icelets of a first size, with each ice-forming outlet discharging a relatively small ice.

[0070] In one embodiment, the forming mold 12 includes a plurality of blades, one end of which is connected to each other and arranged radially. The ice outlet is formed between adjacent blades, and the other ends of the blades extend to the inner wall of the ice outlet channel. The first tubular structure 6 first forms the formed ice, which is then divided into a plurality of ice cubes of the first specification by the plurality of blades.

[0071] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG3 , the ice-making assembly 1 includes an ice-making chamber 13 and an ice-scraping screw 14 . The ice-scraping screw 14 is at least partially disposed within the ice-making chamber 13 and is used to scrape the ice in the ice-making chamber 13 to produce smooth ice, which is then conveyed to the ice-forming outlet. The ice-scraping screw 14 may be partially or entirely disposed within the ice-making chamber 13 . The ice-scraping screw 14 rotates to scrape the frozen ice in the ice-making chamber 13 into smooth ice, which is then conveyed to the first tubular structure 6 under the force of the ice-scraping screw 14 .

[0072] As shown in Figure 3, the rotation axis of the ice scraping screw 14 can extend horizontally, and the water inlet and the ice outlet are respectively located on opposite sides of the ice making chamber 13 in the horizontal direction. That is to say, water flows into the ice making chamber 13 from one side of the ice making chamber 13 in the horizontal direction, and the ice scraped by the ice scraping screw 14 is discharged from the other side of the ice making chamber 13 in the horizontal direction, which is equivalent to the second evaporator being arranged horizontally.

[0073] Please refer to FIG3 , the ice-making module is provided with a driving assembly, which is used to drive the ice scraping screw to rotate.

[0074] The ice shavings scraped by the ice scraping screw 14 are compacted and formed in the ice making chamber 13 to form ice bars.

[0075] It should be noted that ice bars are not ice cubes. They become ice cubes only after they break.

[0076] As shown in FIG4 , the molding die 12 has at least two molding channels with different cross-sections. This means that the molding die 12 may have two molding channels with different cross-sections, or may have more than two molding channels with different cross-sections. The different cross-sections refer to at least one of the cross-sectional shape and size of the molding channels being different. For example, one molding channel may have a rectangular cross-sectional shape, while the other may have a circular cross-sectional shape. Alternatively, both molding channels may have rectangular cross-sectional shapes, but the cross-sectional size of one molding channel may be larger than the cross-sectional size of the other molding channels.

[0077] The shape of the ice bar corresponds to the cross section of the forming channel, that is, forming channels with different cross sections can produce ice bars of different shapes.

[0078] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG6 , the first tubular structure 6 and the ice-making chamber 13 are coaxially arranged. This coaxial arrangement facilitates smooth transfer of the ice shaped ice produced by the first tubular structure 6 to the ice-making chamber 13, thereby improving the stability of the movement of the ice shaped ice and further enhancing the stability of subsequent ice shaped ice connections within the ice-making chamber 13.

[0079] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the first tubular structure 6 and the ice-making chamber 13 are butted together along their length. The length direction in Figure 3 represents the left-right direction on the page. As shown in Figure 3, the first tubular structure 6 and the ice-making chamber 13 are butted together along their length, ensuring that the movement direction of the formed ice within the first tubular structure 6 is consistent with that within the ice-making chamber 13, thereby improving the stability of the frozen ice.

[0080] The present application also provides an electrical appliance comprising the ice-making module described in any of the above embodiments. Such appliances include, but are not limited to, refrigerators, ice makers, and juice blenders. The application scenarios of such appliances do not limit the structure of the ice-making module described in the present application.

[0081] The present application also provides an ice making method, as shown in FIG9 , which includes:

[0082] S101, controlling the ice-making component to make ice to obtain a plurality of small ice bars;

[0083] S102, transferring the plurality of small ice bars to an ice outlet channel, wherein the ice outlet channel has a freezing area provided with a cold source;

[0084] S103, controlling the cold source to be in a cooling state or a non-cooling state based on the ice making instruction; when the cold source is in the cooling state, the freezing area is used to freeze multiple small ice bars passing through the freezing area into an integrated large ice bar;

[0085] S104: breaking the ice bars discharged from the ice outlet channel to obtain ice cubes.

[0086] The embodiment of the present application controls the cold source to be in a cooling state or a non-cooling state based on an ice-making instruction; when the cold source is in a cooling state, the freezing area is used to freeze multiple small ice bars passing through the freezing area into an integrated large ice bar. That is to say, by controlling whether the freezing area is in a cooling state, it is possible to directly control whether to make large ice bars. This control method is simple and convenient, and utilizes the adjustment of the thermal field to achieve the output of large ice and small ice. This operation method has high stability, regular ice formation, reduced equipment consumables, saved mechanical energy consumption, high reliability, low noise, and improved user experience.

[0087] The present application also provides an ice making method, as shown in FIG10 , which includes:

[0088] S201, controlling the ice-making assembly to make ice to obtain multiple groups of small ice cubes, wherein each group of small ice cubes includes multiple small ice cubes, and two adjacent groups of small ice cubes are spaced apart along a conveying direction;

[0089] S202, transferring the grouped small ice cubes to an ice outlet channel, wherein the ice outlet channel has a freezing area provided with a cold source;

[0090] S203, based on the ice making instruction, the cold source is controlled to be in a cooling state or a non-cooling state; when the cold source is in the cooling state, the freezing area is used to freeze the same group of small ice cubes passing through the freezing area into an integrated large ice cube.

[0091] The embodiment of the present application controls the cold source to be in a cooling state or a non-cooling state based on an ice-making instruction; when the cold source is in a cooling state, the freezing area is used to freeze multiple small ice cubes passing through the freezing area into an integrated large ice cube. That is to say, by controlling whether the freezing area is in a cooling state, it is possible to directly control whether large ice cubes are made. This control method is simple and convenient, and utilizes the adjustment of the thermal field to achieve the output of large ice and small ice. This operation method has high stability, regular ice cube formation, reduces equipment consumables, saves mechanical energy consumption, has high reliability, low noise, and improves user experience.

[0092] In the description of this application, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the embodiments of the present application. In this application, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine different embodiments or examples described in this application and features of different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0093] The foregoing description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Persons skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. An ice-making module, comprising: An ice-making component, used for producing and outputting a plurality of ice of a first specification; an ice outlet passage, one end of which is in communication with the ice-making assembly and is used for receiving the plurality of ices of the first specification; The ice outlet channel has a freezing area; A cold source, used for providing cold energy to the freezing area, so that the plurality of ice of the first specification passing through the freezing area is frozen to form ice of the second specification; The volume of the ice of the first specification is smaller than the volume of the ice of the second specification.

2. The ice-making module according to claim 1, wherein the ice-making component has a first ice-making state and a second ice-making state, and the cold source has a working state and a non-working state; when the cold source is in the non-working state, the ice-making component is in the first ice-making state, and when the cold source is in the working state, the ice-making component is in the second ice-making state, wherein: The ice-making cooling capacity of the ice-making assembly in the first ice-making state is greater than the ice-making cooling capacity in the second ice-making state. The ice-making module according to claim 1 , wherein the cold source surrounds the freezing area.

4. The ice-making module according to claim 1, wherein the ice-making module comprises a control circuit, the cold source comprises a semiconductor refrigerator, and the semiconductor refrigerator is connected to the control circuit, wherein: The semiconductor refrigerator has a cold end, and the cold end is used to provide coldness to the freezing area.

5. The ice-making module according to claim 1, comprising a refrigerant circulation system, wherein the refrigerant circulation system comprises a compressor, a condenser, a throttling element and a first evaporator, wherein: The first evaporator is the cold source. 6 . The ice-making module according to claim 5 , wherein the first evaporator comprises a first refrigerant pipeline, and the first refrigerant pipeline surrounds an outer peripheral side of the ice outlet channel. 7 . The ice-making module according to claim 5 , wherein the refrigerant circulation system comprises a second evaporator, and the second evaporator provides refrigeration capacity for the ice-making assembly.

8. The ice-making module according to claim 7, wherein the refrigeration cycle system comprises a first branch, a second branch and a valve device, and the valve device is used to open or close the first branch and the second branch.

9. The ice-making module according to claim 8, wherein the first end of the first branch is connected to the first end of the second branch, the first evaporator is disposed on the first branch, and the second end of the second branch and the second end of the first branch are both connected to the inlet of the second evaporator; The valve device is used to close the first branch and conduct the second branch, or conduct the first branch and close the second branch, so that the first evaporator and the second evaporator are arranged in series.

10. The ice-making module according to claim 8, wherein the first branch and the second branch are arranged in parallel, the first evaporator is arranged on the first branch, and the second evaporator is arranged on the second branch; the valve device is used to open or close the first branch, and open or close the second branch.

11. The ice-making module according to claim 1 comprises a first tubular structure, the ice-making assembly comprises a forming mold, the forming mold is provided with a plurality of forming ice outlets, the forming mold is arranged inside the first tubular structure, the space inside the first tubular structure defines at least a portion of the ice outlet channel, and the plurality of forming ice outlets are used to output the plurality of ice of the first specification.

12. The ice-making module according to claim 11, wherein the ice-making assembly comprises an ice-making chamber and an ice-scraping screw, wherein the ice-scraping screw is at least partially disposed in the ice-making chamber, and the ice-scraping screw is used to scrape ice on the inner wall of the ice-making chamber to obtain smoothies, and to transfer the scraped smoothies to the first tubular structure. 13 . The ice-making module according to claim 11 , wherein the forming mold comprises a blade, and the blade cuts the ice in the first tubular structure into a plurality of ice pieces of a first specification.

14. An electrical device comprising the ice-making module according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

Images