Ice-making device and refrigerator

Abstract

Provided in the present application are an ice-making device and a refrigerator. The ice-making device comprises an ice-making component and a support frame for suspending the ice-making component, wherein the ice-making component comprises a first ice-making component and a second ice-making component; and the first ice-making component and / or the second ice-making component are detachably arranged on the support frame. In the ice-making device provided in the present application, the ice-making component is suspended on the support frame, such that the structure is simple. Compared with a traditional ice-making device in which an ice-making component is mounted in a mounting box and the mounting box is then assembled in a freezer compartment of a refrigerator, the internal space of the freezer compartment of the refrigerator occupied by the ice-making device of the present application is reduced.

Description

Ice makers and refrigerators CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese applications No. 202410077183.0, No. 202410077166.7, No. 202420130790.4 and No. 202420132717.0 filed on January 18, 2024, the entire text of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of ice making technology, and in particular to an ice making device and a refrigerator. Background Art

[0003] Refrigerators are an indispensable household appliance in people's daily lives. With the continuous improvement of people's living standards, some refrigerators with built-in ice-making devices have appeared on the market to meet users' demand for ice cubes. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides an ice-making device and a refrigerator. The ice-making device is not only simple in structure and can reduce the internal space occupied by the refrigerator freezer, but also convenient for cleaning, repairing or replacing ice-making components.

[0005] Specifically, the present application is implemented through the following technical solutions.

[0006] On the one hand, the present application provides an ice-making device, comprising: an ice-making component and a support frame for hanging the ice-making component; the ice-making component comprises a first ice-making component and a second ice-making component; the first ice-making component and / or the second ice-making component are detachably arranged on the support frame.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present application, the first ice-making component and / or the second ice-making component includes a sliding component, and the support frame includes a sliding matching component; the sliding matching component is wrapped around the outer side of the sliding component and slidably matches the sliding component.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present application, the first ice-making component and / or the second ice-making component include a shell and a sliding member arranged on the shell; the sliding members are respectively arranged on one side of the shell of the first ice-making component and the other side of the shell of the second ice-making component close to each other and away from each other; the projection of the area between the two sliding members on the same ice-making component on the horizontal plane is within the projection of their respective shells on the horizontal plane.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present application, the support frame includes a first bracket body and a second bracket body connected to the first bracket body; the sliding fitting parts are respectively arranged on one side of the first bracket body and the second bracket body close to each other and on the other side away from each other; the position of the sliding fitting parts corresponds to the position of the sliding part.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present application, the sliding member is formed by extending outward from a side wall of the shell; and the sliding fitting member is formed by extending outward from an edge of the first bracket body and / or the second bracket body.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present application, the shell of the first ice-making component is provided with a connected stop portion and a pressing portion; the first bracket body is provided with a stop fitting member cooperating with the stop portion; the stop portion can, in a first state, resist against the stop fitting member to limit the first ice-making component from retreating relative to the support frame; the pressing portion can, in a second state, be subjected to an external force to move in a direction away from the stop fitting member so that the stop portion is separated from the stop fitting member; and / or, the shell of the second ice-making component is provided with a connected stop portion and a pressing portion; the second bracket body is provided with a stop fitting member cooperating with the stop portion; the stop portion can, in a first state, resist against the stop fitting member to limit the second ice-making component from retreating relative to the support frame; the pressing portion can, in a second state, be subjected to an external force to move in a direction away from the stop fitting member so that the stop portion is separated from the stop fitting member.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present application, the stop portion includes a support surface and a stop rib arranged on the support surface; the pressing portion includes a connecting end and a pressing end, the connecting end is connected to the support surface, and the pressing end protrudes outward and is arranged on the shell.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present application, the sliding fitting comprises a first inclined section and a first horizontal section, and the first inclined section gradually inclines upward along the sliding direction of the sliding member until it is connected to the first horizontal section.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present application, the sliding fitting also includes a second inclined section and a second horizontal section; one end of the second inclined section is connected to the first horizontal section, and the other end gradually tilts upward along the sliding direction of the sliding member until it is connected to the second horizontal section.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present application, the sliding member includes a sliding rail and a support rail arranged at intervals; after the sliding member and the sliding fitting member slide into place, one side surface of the first horizontal section and / or the second horizontal section abuts against the sliding rail, and the other side surface of the first horizontal section abuts against the support rail.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present application, the contact length between the slide rail and the side surface of the first horizontal section is not less than one quarter of the overall length of the first horizontal section and not greater than the overall length of the first horizontal section; and / or, the contact length between the slide rail and the side surface of the second horizontal section is not less than one quarter of the overall length of the second horizontal section and not greater than the overall length of the second horizontal section.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present application, the starting end of the slide rail is provided with a chamfer, and the inclined surface of the chamfer and the end surface of the starting end are in smooth transition; and / or the thickness of the slide rail is greater than the thickness of the support rail.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present application, the support rail includes a first support plane and a second support plane, the height of the first support plane is smaller than the height of the second support plane; the first support plane and the second support plane are connected by a support slope.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present application, the first ice-making component and / or the second ice-making component includes a first electrical connector, and the support frame includes a second electrical connector; when the sliding member slides to the initial position of the first horizontal section or the second horizontal section, the plug position of one of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector corresponds to the jack position of the other.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present application, when the sliding member slides along the sliding direction to a preset position of the first horizontal section or the second horizontal section, the plug of one of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector is automatically plugged into place with the socket of the other.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present application, the first ice-making component and / or the second ice-making component include a shell and a first limiting structure arranged on the shell, and the first electrical connector is detachably connected to the first limiting structure; and / or the support frame includes a bracket body and a second limiting structure arranged on the bracket body, and the second electrical connector is detachably connected to the second limiting structure.

[0022] On the other hand, the present application further provides a refrigerator, comprising a freezing chamber, wherein the top wall of the freezing chamber is provided with an ice-making device as described above.

[0023] The technical solution provided in this application can achieve the following beneficial effects.

[0024] The present application provides an ice-making device and a refrigerator. The ice-making device has a simple structure by suspending an ice-making component on a support frame. Compared to conventional ice-making devices that install the ice-making component in a mounting box and then assemble it together with the refrigerator's freezer, the ice-making device of the present application can reduce the internal space occupied by the refrigerator's freezer. The ice-making device provided by the present application has multiple ice-making components, which can meet the ice-making needs of customers. By allowing the multiple ice-making components to be detachably mounted on the support frame, the ice-making components can be easily cleaned, repaired, or replaced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a refrigerator shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0026] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of an ice-making device assembled in a freezing chamber according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a top view of FIG. 2 .

[0028] FIG4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the structure along line AA in FIG3 .

[0029] FIG5 is a structural diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the present application showing an ice-making component installed on a support frame.

[0030] FIG6 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of FIG5 along line AA.

[0031] FIG7 is a partial structural perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present application showing an ice-making component and a support frame in proper engagement.

[0032] FIG8 is a structural diagram of an ice-making component in a semi-advanced state shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0033] FIG9 is a partial structural perspective view of an ice-making component in a semi-advanced state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0034] FIG10 is a cross-sectional view of the structure along line BB in FIG9 .

[0035] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of an ice-making component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0036] FIG12 is an enlarged view of the structure at point A in FIG11 .

[0037] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a support frame shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0038] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of an ice-making component and a support frame to be matched according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0039] FIG15 is a top view of the structure in which the ice-making component and the support frame are to be matched, shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0040] FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator shown in one embodiment.

[0041] FIG17 is a half-section view of the refrigerator shown in FIG16 taken along line CC.

[0042] FIG18 is a diagram showing the refrigeration principle of the refrigerator shown in FIG16 .

[0043] FIG19 is a schematic diagram of the refrigerator shown in FIG16 integrated with an ice-making device.

[0044] FIG20 is a schematic structural diagram of the top installation of the ice-making device and the freezing chamber of the present application.

[0045] FIG21 is a schematic structural diagram of the ice-making component of the present application.

[0046] FIG22 is a schematic structural diagram of the ice maker housing body and the support frame of the present application after assembly.

[0047] FIG23 is a structural diagram of the ice maker housing body and the support frame of the present application during the assembly process.

[0048] FIG24 is a schematic structural diagram of the support frame of the present application in which a first limiting portion is provided on the side facing the ice maker housing body.

[0049] FIG25 is a schematic structural diagram of the ice maker housing of the present application.

[0050] FIG26 is a schematic structural diagram of the ice maker housing and the support frame of the present application in a locked state.

[0051] FIG27 is a top view of the ice maker housing of the present application where a second limiting portion is provided.

[0052] FIG28 is a schematic structural diagram of the ice maker housing of the present application having a second limiting portion.

[0053] FIG29 is a front view of the ice maker housing of the present application.

[0054] FIG30 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator shown in one embodiment.

[0055] FIG31 is a half-section view of the refrigerator shown in FIG30 at DD.

[0056] FIG32 is a schematic structural diagram of the ice-making device shown in FIG31 .

[0057] FIG33 is a refrigeration principle diagram of the refrigeration system of the refrigerator shown in FIG32 .

[0058] FIG34 is a schematic structural diagram of the ice-making system and ice-making components shown in FIG33.

[0059] FIG35 is a schematic structural diagram of the first air duct shown in FIG33 .

[0060] FIG36 is a schematic diagram of the matching structure of the liquid injection tube and the supporting assembly described in FIG33.

[0061] FIG37 is a schematic diagram of the coordinated structure of the ice-making component and the ice-making system shown in FIG33 .

[0062] FIG38 is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the air guide baffle and the liquid guide member shown in FIG33 .

[0063] 1. Ice-making device; 10. Ice-making component; 101. First ice-making component; 102. Second ice-making component; 103. Housing; 11. Support frame; 111. First support body; 1111. Protrusion; 112. Second support body; 114. Flanged edge; 12. Sliding member; 121. Slide rail; 1210. End end; 1211. Starting end; 12111. Chamfer; 12112. End face; 1212. Sliding portion; 1213. Guide portion; 12131. Guide face; 12132. Guide rib; 1214. Protruding rib; 1215. Weight-reducing structure; 122. Support rail; 1221. First support plane; 1222. Second support plane; 1223. Support inclined plane; 13. Sliding fitting member; 131. First inclined section; 132. 1. First horizontal section; 133. Second inclined section; 134. Second horizontal section; 135. Matching track; 1351. Track portion; 13511. Track side wall; 1352. Limiting portion; 1353. Entrance end; 1354. Stop end; 14. Retraction stop portion; 141. Support surface; 142. Stop rib; 15. Pressing portion; 151. Pressing end; 16. First electrical connector; 17. Second electrical connector; 18. First limiting structure; 19. Second limiting structure; 191. First limiting member; 192. Second limiting member; 2. Refrigerator; 20. Refrigerating chamber; 201. Liquid storage container; 202. Water pump; 203. Liquid filling pipe; 21. Freezing chamber; 211. Top wall; 212. Recess; 22. Opening; a. Abutment length; b. Initial position; X-direction: sliding direction.

[0064] 1601-Refrigerator; 1610-Box device; 1611-Box assembly; 1612-Door assembly; 1612a-First door; 1612b-Second door; 1613-Freezer; 13a-Top wall; 1614-Refrigerator; 1615-Air duct; 1620-Compressor; 30-Condenser; 40-Evaporator; 50-Expansion valve; 60-Ice making device; 100-Ice making component; 110-Ice tray; 120-Drive assembly; 130-Ice storage container; 140-Carrying assembly; 16141-Ice making machine housing; 16141a-First shell; 16141b-Second shell; 1411-Fixed portion; 1412-Second limiting portion; 1412a-Matching portion; 1412b-Connecting portion; 1412c-Operating portion; 141 3-first avoidance portion; 1414-first assembly portion; 1414a-first side portion; 1414b-second side portion; 1415-second assembly portion; 1416-second avoidance portion; 1417-first inclined surface; 1418-second inclined surface; 16141c-depth direction of the cavity; 16141d-length direction of the cavity; 16141e-width direction of the cavity; 16142-support frame; 1421-first limiting portion; 1421a-locking portion; 143-first connecting structure; 143a-slide rail; 143b-support rail; 144-second connecting structure; 144a-inclined section; 144b-horizontal section; 145-first electrical connector; 146-second electrical connector; 200-liquid injection component; 210-liquid storage container; 220-liquid injection tube.

[0065] 3001, refrigerator; 3010, cabinet assembly; 3011, cabinet assembly; 3012, cabinet door assembly; 3012a, first cabinet door; 3012b, second cabinet door; 3013, freezer compartment; 3014, refrigerator compartment; 3020, compressor; 3030, condenser; 3040, evaporator; 3050, expansion valve; 3060, ice-making device; 30100, ice-making component; 30110, ice tray; 30111, first ice tray; 30112, second ice tray; 30120, drive assembly; 30130, ice storage container; 30140, bearing assembly; 30141, first bearing assembly; 30142, second bearing assembly; 3014 3. Wind guide baffle; 30144. Liquid guide part; 150. Clamping assembly; 30151. First clamping assembly; 152. Second clamping assembly; 160. Connecting assembly; 30200. Liquid injection component; 30210. Liquid storage container; 30211. First liquid storage chamber; 30212. Second liquid storage chamber; 30220. Liquid injection pipe; 221. First liquid injection pipe; 222. Second liquid injection pipe; 223. First control valve; 224. Second control valve; 230. Liquid pump; 240. Control assembly; 250. Liquid measuring assembly; 300. Refrigeration system; 310. Refrigeration device; 400. Delivery air duct; 410. First air duct; 420. Second air duct. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative of the concepts of the present application and are not intended to represent all possible implementations of the concepts of the present application. Rather, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with certain aspects of the concepts of the present application.

[0067] The terms used in this application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application. Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used in this application should have the ordinary meaning understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this specification and claims do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but are simply used to distinguish different components. Similarly, terms such as "a" or "an" do not denote a quantitative limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. "Multiple" or "several" means two or more. Unless otherwise indicated, terms such as "front," "rear," "lower," and / or "upper," "top," and "bottom" are used for ease of description only and are not limited to a single position or spatial orientation. Terms such as "include" or "comprising" are intended to encompass the elements or objects listed after "include" or "comprising," as well as their equivalents, and are not intended to exclude other elements or objects. The words “connected” or “connected” and the like are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect.

[0068] The reference to any prior art in the specification is not and should not be taken as an admission or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in the application area or any other jurisdiction, or that the prior art could reasonably be understood and regarded as relevant by a person skilled in the art.

[0069] Existing ice-making devices are typically fixedly installed in the refrigerator's freezer compartment, making them difficult to disassemble. Furthermore, the ice-making components in existing ice-making devices typically need to be installed in a mounting box for the components before the mounting box and components are assembled into the refrigerator's freezer compartment. While this process allows the ice-making device to be installed smoothly in the freezer compartment, the mounting box for the components takes up excessive space within the freezer compartment, reducing the effective freezer volume.

[0070] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the present application provides a refrigerator 2, including a freezer compartment 21, wherein the top wall 211 of the freezer compartment 21 is provided with an ice-making device 1. Some existing ice-making devices 1 are usually installed on the left and right side walls of the freezer compartment 21. In order to ensure the stability of the installation, the position of the ice-making device 1 near the left side of the freezer compartment 21 is connected to the left side wall of the freezer compartment 21 by a connector, and the position of the ice-making device 1 near the right side of the freezer compartment 21 is connected to the right side wall of the freezer compartment 21 by a connector. In this way, although the installation stability problem of the ice-making device 1 can be solved, since the ice-making device 1 needs to be connected to the left and right side walls of the freezer compartment 21 at the same time, the volume of the ice-making device 1 needs to be expanded as much as possible along the left and right directions of the freezer compartment 21, which will occupy too much freezing space in the freezer compartment 21. However, the present application installs the ice-making device 1 on the top wall 211 of the freezer compartment 21 instead of on the left and right side walls of the ice-making device 1. The volume of the ice-making device 1 does not need to be infinitely expanded along the left and right directions of the freezer compartment 21. It can be appropriately expanded as long as the user's ice usage needs are met. This not only reduces the freezing space occupied inside the freezer compartment 21 of the refrigerator 2, but also makes it easy to adapt to different models of refrigerators 2, and is more versatile.

[0071] Please continue to refer to Figure 1. In one embodiment, the refrigerator 2 also includes a refrigeration compartment 20 and a water supply assembly for supplying water to the ice-making device 1. Exemplarily, the water supply assembly includes a liquid storage container 201, a water pump 202, a water valve (not shown in the figure) and a liquid injection pipe 203, which are arranged in the refrigeration compartment 20 and are connected in sequence. The liquid injection pipe 203 is also connected to the ice-making device 1 and is used to transport the water in the liquid storage container 201 to the ice-making device 1 for subsequent ice making. Of course, the specific structural composition of the water supply assembly is not limited to this. In one embodiment, the refrigeration compartment 20 is arranged above the freezer compartment 21, the water supply assembly is arranged on the side of the refrigeration compartment 20 close to the freezer compartment 21, and the ice-making device 1 is arranged on the side of the freezer compartment 21 close to the refrigeration compartment 20, thereby facilitating the reduction of the length of the liquid injection pipe 203.

[0072] Please continue to refer to Figure 2. In one embodiment, the ice-making device 1 includes an ice-making component 10 and a support frame 11 for suspending the ice-making component 10. The ice-making component 10 is provided with a first connecting structure, and the support frame 11 is provided with a second connecting structure; the first connecting structure and the second connecting structure are detachably connected. For example, one of the first connecting structure and the second connecting structure can be a snap-fit ​​member such as a tongue, and the other can be a snap-fit ​​member such as a slot. Of course, the specific forms of the first connecting structure and the second connecting structure are not limited to this. The present application simplifies the structure by suspending the ice-making component 10 on the support frame 11. Compared to the traditional ice-making device 1, which installs the ice-making component 10 in an installation box and then assembles them together in the freezer compartment 21 of the refrigerator 2, the support frame 11 of the present application does not need to be too large, as long as it can meet the suspension requirements of the ice-making device 1. It is relatively small in size and can reduce the internal space occupied by the freezer compartment 21 of the refrigerator 2. The mounting box of the conventional ice-making device 1 needs to be placed around the outer periphery of the ice-making component 10, which makes the overall volume of the ice-making device 1 too large. After being assembled with the freezer compartment 21, it will occupy more internal space of the freezer compartment 21. In addition, the present application facilitates cleaning, maintenance, or replacement of the ice-making component 10 by providing a detachable connection between the ice-making component 10 and the support frame 11.

[0073] It should be noted that the support frame 11 mentioned herein may be a plate-shaped structure, a frame structure, etc. with a certain thickness, and the specific form is not specifically limited.

[0074] Please continue to refer to Figure 2. In one embodiment, the ice-making component 10 includes a first ice-making component 101 and a second ice-making component 102. The first ice-making component 101 and / or the second ice-making component 102 are detachably arranged on the support frame 11. For example, any one of the first ice-making component 101 and the second ice-making component 102 can be independently and detachably connected to the support frame 11; of course, the first ice-making component 101 and the second ice-making component 102 can also be connected as a whole and removed from the support frame 11 together. The present application can meet different types of ice-making needs of customers by arranging multiple ice-making components 10 in the ice-making device 1.

[0075] Of course, the number of ice-making components 10 can also be one. Even if the freezing space of the freezing chamber 21 allows, the ice-making components 10 can include a third ice-making component 10, a fourth ice-making component 10, and multiple ice-making components 10. Each ice-making component 10 can be made into ice shapes of different sizes and / or shapes to meet the diverse needs of customers. Furthermore, to facilitate production and processing, each ice-making component 10 can be configured to have the same structure and size.

[0076] Referring to Figures 3 and 4 , in one embodiment, the front side of the freezer compartment 21 is provided with an opening 22 for mounting the door; and the top wall 211, near the opening 22, has a recess 212 recessed into the freezer compartment 21. When the refrigerator 2 is located above the freezer compartment 21, to facilitate installation of a crossbeam between the refrigerator 20 and the freezer compartment 21, a certain amount of space must be left on the top wall 211 of the freezer compartment 21 to accommodate the crossbeam. However, if this space is too large, the interior space of the freezer compartment 21 is reduced. Therefore, the recess 212 is typically provided on the side of the top wall 211 of the refrigerator 2 near the opening 22 to reserve space for the crossbeam. For example, the recess 212 can be formed by using a vacuum forming process to vacuum form at least a portion of the top wall 211 of the freezer compartment 21, which is located away from the opening 22, upwardly, thereby expanding the interior space of the freezer compartment 21.

[0077] Please refer to Figures 3, 5 and 8. In one embodiment, the support frame 11 includes a support body and a flange 114 arranged around the support body. The top wall 211 of the freezing chamber 21 is provided with an installation opening (not shown in the figure); the support body is passed through the installation opening. The flange 114 abuts against the edge of the top wall 211 located at the installation opening. Therefore, during the assembly of the support frame 11, it is only necessary to insert the support body into the installation opening and then abut the flange 114 against the edge of the top wall 211 of the freezing chamber 21 located near the installation opening, which greatly improves the installation efficiency of the support frame 11. Of course, in order to meet the service life requirements of the support frame 11, the width of the flange 114 needs to meet a certain width, such as 6mm. In addition, the material of the support frame 11 also needs to meet certain stiffness requirements, such as polypropylene material. The specific width of the flange 114 and the material selection of the support frame 11 can be adaptively selected according to actual production needs.

[0078] Please refer to Figures 5 to 8. In one embodiment, the first connecting structure is a sliding member 12, and the second connecting structure is a sliding fitting member 13. The sliding fitting member 13 includes a first inclined section 131 and a first horizontal section 132. The first inclined section 131 gradually tilts upward along the sliding direction of the sliding member 12 until it is connected to the first horizontal section 132. This facilitates better pushing and installing the ice-making component 10. In one embodiment, the height of the highest point of the first inclined section 131 is lower than the height of the lowest point of the recess 212. This avoids the formation of a jam with the recess 212 during the process of pushing the ice-making device 1 component, which would hinder the advancement of the ice-making component 10.

[0079] In one embodiment, the sliding fitting 13 further includes a second inclined section 133 and a second horizontal section 134. One end of the second inclined section 133 is connected to the first horizontal section 132, and the other end gradually tilts upward along the sliding direction of the sliding member 12 until it is connected to the second horizontal section 134. This further facilitates pushing the ice-making component 10 into the freezer compartment 21. The specific installation process of the ice-making component 10 is as follows: first, the initial end of the slide rail 121 is overlapped on the first inclined section 131, and then, as it is gradually pushed forward, the slide rail 121 will sequentially contact the first horizontal section 132, the second inclined section 133, and the second horizontal section 134 until it is installed in place.

[0080] Referring to Figures 9 and 10, in one embodiment, the first ice-making component 101 and / or the second ice-making component 102 includes a sliding member 12, and the support frame 11 includes a sliding fitting 13. The sliding fitting 13 is disposed on the outside of the sliding member 12 and slidably engages with the sliding member 12. This facilitates smoother removal of the first ice-making component 101 and / or the second ice-making component 102. For example, the sliding fitting 13 may be disposed on the outside of the sliding member 12 to fully cover the entire circumference. Alternatively, the sliding fitting 13 may be disposed on the outside of the sliding member 12 to partially cover the entire circumference.

[0081] In one embodiment, the first ice-making component 101 and / or the second ice-making component 102 includes a housing 103 and a sliding member 12 disposed within the housing 103. The sliding members 12 are disposed on one side of the housing 103 of the first ice-making component 101 and the other side of the housing 103 of the second ice-making component 102, respectively. The horizontal projection of the area between the two sliding members 12 on the same ice-making component 10 is within the horizontal projection of the respective housings 103. As a result, the entire structure of the sliding member 12 can be located within the left and right edges of the housing 103, making the structure of the ice-making component 10 more compact and reducing the space occupied by the internal freezer compartment 21. In one embodiment, the support frame 11 includes a first bracket body 111 and a second bracket body 112 connected to the first bracket body 111. The sliding fitting member 13 is disposed on one side of the first bracket body 111 and the other side of the second bracket body 112, respectively. The position of the sliding fitting member 13 corresponds to the position of the sliding member 12. This facilitates the sliding fit between the sliding fittings 13 .

[0082] It should be noted that the first bracket body 111 and the second bracket body 112 mentioned herein are connected, and may be fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally formed. The sliding member 12 of the first ice-making component 101 mentioned above should be disposed on the housing 103 of the first ice-making component 101, and the sliding member 12 of the second ice-making component 102 should be disposed on the housing 103 of the second ice-making component 102.

[0083] In one embodiment, the sliding member 12 extends outward from the sidewall of the housing 103; the sliding fitting member 13 extends outward from the edge of the first bracket body 111 and / or the second bracket body 112. This avoids secondary processing of the sliding member 12 and the sliding fitting member 13 before they are integrally connected to the housing 103 and the bracket body, thereby improving production efficiency. It should be noted that the sidewalls of the housing 103 may include the top wall 211 of the housing 103 or sidewalls located on both sides of the top wall 211 and connected to the top wall 211.

[0084] Continuing with Figure 8, in one embodiment, the housing 103 of the first ice-making component 101 is provided with a stopper 14 and a pressing portion 15 connected thereto. The first bracket body 111 is provided with a stopper fitting that cooperates with the stopper 14. In a first state, the stopper 14 can abut against the stopper fitting to restrict the first ice-making component 101 from retreating relative to the support frame 11. In a second state, the pressing portion 15 can be moved away from the stopper fitting by an external force, thereby separating the stopper 14 from the stopper fitting. This improves the stability of the first ice-making component 101 after installation and facilitates removal of the first ice-making component 101. For example, the stopper 14 includes a support surface 141 and a stop rib 142 disposed on the support surface 141. The pressing portion 15 includes a connecting end connected to the support surface 141 and a pressing end 151 protruding outward from the housing 103. Thus, when the ice-making component 10 is advanced, the locking function is achieved when the retaining member contacts the support surface 141 and passes over the stop rib 142. When the ice-making component 10 needs to be withdrawn, the user manually presses the pressing end 151 to separate the retaining portion 14 from the retaining member. The retaining member can be a protruding column protruding from the first bracket body 111, but is not limited thereto.

[0085] In one embodiment, the housing 103 of the second ice-making component 102 is provided with a connecting stop portion 14 and a pressing portion 15. The second bracket body 112 is provided with a stop fitting that cooperates with the stop portion 14; the stop portion 14 can abut against the stop fitting in a first state to limit the second ice-making component 102 from retreating relative to the support frame 11. The pressing portion 15 can be moved in a direction away from the stop fitting by an external force in a second state to separate the stop portion 14 from the stop fitting. The advancement and withdrawal process of the second ice-making component 102 is the same as that of the first ice-making component 101 and will not be described in detail here.

[0086] It should be noted that the "first state" refers to the state in which the ice-making component 10 is installed, which will be mentioned below. The "second state" refers to the state in which the ice-making component 10 is withdrawn after the stopper 14 is pressed downward by an external force and separated from the stopper fitting.

[0087] Continuing with FIG. 7 , in one embodiment, the sliding member 12 includes a slide rail 121 and a support rail 122 spaced apart. After the sliding member 12 and the sliding mating member 13 are slidably engaged, one side surface of the first horizontal section 132 and / or the second horizontal section 134 abuts against the slide rail 121, while the other side surface of the first horizontal section 132 abuts against the support rail 122. This facilitates maintaining a relatively stable position between the sliding member 12 and the sliding mating member 13 after the ice-making component 10 is installed. In one embodiment, the contact length (length a extending along the sliding direction X) between the slide rail 121 and the side surface of the first horizontal section 132 is no less than one-quarter of the overall length of the first horizontal section 132 and no greater than the overall length of the first horizontal section 132. In another embodiment, the contact length between the slide rail 121 and the side surface of the second horizontal section 134 is no less than one-quarter of the overall length of the second horizontal section 134 and no greater than the overall length of the second horizontal section 134. Thereby, the stability of the sliding member 12 and the sliding matching member 13 is further improved.

[0088] It should be noted that the above-mentioned "contact length" can be greater than or equal to 8 mm, such as 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, etc. The specific length can be adjusted arbitrarily according to actual production requirements to ensure the stability of the sliding member 12 and the sliding mating member 13 when they are stationary.

[0089] Continuing with Figure 9, in one embodiment, the starting end 1211 of the slide rail 121 is provided with a chamfer 12111, wherein the inclined surface of the chamfer 12111 forms a smooth transition with the end surface 12112 of the starting end 1211. This not only facilitates the overlapping fit of the slide rail 121 and the first inclined section 131, but also reduces friction. In one embodiment, the thickness of the slide rail 121 is greater than that of the support rail 122. This improves the structural strength of the slide rail 121. In one embodiment, the support rail 122 includes a first support plane 1221 and a second support plane 1222, wherein the height of the first support plane 1221 is less than that of the second support plane 1222. The first support plane 1221 and the second support plane 1222 are connected by a support inclined plane 1223. This provides a stable support function. For example, the support inclined plane 1223 may be a vertical inclined plane, i.e., the angle between the vertical inclined plane and the first support plane 1221 and the second support plane 1222 is 90 degrees. Of course, the supporting inclined surface 1223 can also be a non-vertical inclined surface, that is, the angle between the inclined surface and the first supporting plane 1221 and the second supporting plane 1222 is an acute angle or an obtuse angle. In this way, during the disassembly process of the ice-making component 10, the initial end of the slide rail 121 can be prevented from hitting the vertical inclined surface and generating a dull force, which would make the ice-making device 1 not smooth during disassembly and affect the user experience.

[0090] Referring to Figure 6, in one embodiment, the first ice-making component 101 and / or the second ice-making component 102 includes a first electrical connector 16, and the support frame 11 includes a second electrical connector 17. When the slider 12 slides to the initial position b of the first horizontal section 132 or the second horizontal section 134, the plug position of one of the first and second electrical connectors 16 and 17 corresponds to the socket position of the other. This facilitates the effective connection of the first and second electrical connectors 16 and 17 as the slider 12 continues to slide forward in the sliding direction. In one embodiment, when the slider 12 slides in the sliding direction to the predetermined position of the first and second horizontal sections 132 and 134, the plug of one of the first and second electrical connectors 16 and 17 automatically plugs into the socket of the other. Thus, when the sliding member 12 slides into place, the first electrical connector 16 and the second electrical connector 17 can be plugged in synchronously, saving the second plugging process of the first electrical connector 16 and the second electrical connector 17, making the installation process of the ice making component 10 more efficient.

[0091] Among them, the initial position b refers to the position where the sliding member 12 has just moved to the first horizontal section 132 or the second horizontal section 134; the preset position is any position after the initial position along the sliding direction, and the preset position is on the same horizontal plane as the height of the initial position.

[0092] Please continue to refer to Figure 6. In one embodiment, the first ice-making component 101 and / or the second ice-making component 102 includes a shell 103 and a first limiting structure 18 provided on the shell 103, and the first electrical connector 16 is detachably connected to the first limiting structure 18. As a result, it is convenient to stably limit the first electrical connector 16 to the shell 103. In one embodiment, the support frame 11 includes a bracket body and a second limiting structure 19 provided on the bracket body, and the second electrical connector 17 is detachably connected to the second limiting structure 19. As a result, it is convenient to stably limit the second electrical connector 17 to the bracket body. For example, the first limiting structure 18 includes a limiting groove provided on the shell 103; the second limiting structure 19 includes a first limiting member 191 fixedly provided on the bracket body and a second limiting member 192 detachably connected to the first limiting member 191. After the second electrical connector is installed on the first limiting member 191 , the second limiting member 192 is connected to the first limiting member 191 to limit the second electrical connector 17 and install it on the bracket body.

[0093] Referring to Figures 8 and 9, in one embodiment, the ice-making device 1 further includes a head disposed within the housing 103. For example, the head can be detachably connected to the housing 103 using a snap-fit ​​structure. The snap-fit ​​structure includes, but is not limited to, a claw and slot mating structure. When the ice-making device 1 is a dual-ice-making device 1 with dual heads, a protrusion 1111 extending downward from the support frame 11 is provided on one side of the first ice-making component 101 and a protrusion 1111 extending downward from the support frame 11, respectively, and the protrusion 1111 is provided with the second connector. When the ice-making device 1 is a dual-ice-making device 1 with a single head or a single ice-making device 1 with a single head, it is only necessary to provide a protrusion 1111 extending downward from the support frame 11 on one side of the ice-making component 10 for mounting the second connector.

[0094] Referring to Figures 11 to 13, in one embodiment, the sliding member 12 includes a slide rail 121, which includes a sliding portion 1212 and a guide portion 1213. The sliding mating member 13 includes a mating track 135, which includes a track portion 1351 and a stop portion 1352. The sliding portion 1212 slidably engages with the track portion 1351, and the guide portion 1213 is configured to contact the stop portion 1352 when the sliding portion 1212 and the track portion 1351 slidably engage. Thus, if the slide rail 121 collides with the mating track 135 and becomes stuck or jammed during its sliding, the cooperation between the guide portion 1213 and the stop portion 1352 can facilitate guiding the slide rail 121 to the correct direction. For example, the sliding portion 1212 and the track portion 1351 may comprise a planar structure, i.e., the sliding portion 1212 serves as a sliding surface, and the track portion 1351 serves as a track surface. In another example, one of the sliding portion 1212 and the track portion 1351 may comprise a rib-like structure disposed on the planar structure, thereby reducing friction during sliding and making the sliding process smoother. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 , the track portion 1351 comprises a rib-like structure disposed on the planar structure.

[0095] Referring to Figure 12, in one embodiment, the guide portion 1213 includes a guide surface 12131 formed at the initial end of the slide rail 121, and a guide rib 12132 that gradually extends from the guide surface 12131 along the length direction of the slide rail 121. Thus, when the slide rail 121 just slides into the mating track 135, the first level of guidance can be achieved by the cooperation between the guide surface 12131 and the limiting portion 1352. As the slide rail 121 gradually advances, the second level of guidance can be achieved by the cooperation between the guide rib 12132 and the limiting portion 1352, thereby improving the accuracy of the direction after guidance. In one embodiment, the slide rail 121 also includes a rib 1214 disposed below the sliding portion 1212. A track sidewall 13511 is formed on one side of the track portion 1351 for cooperating with the rib 1214 to assist the guide portion 1213 in achieving more precise guidance. Exemplarily, the track sidewall 13511 is clearance-fitted with the rib 1214 to reduce friction.

[0096] It should be noted that the number of ribs 1214 can be one or more, and the ribs 1214 are spaced apart in the sliding direction (X direction). To improve the stability of the ribs 1214 in cooperation with the track sidewall 13511, the ribs 1214 should have a certain thickness in the sliding direction (X direction), such as 1 mm, 1.2 mm, etc.

[0097] Referring to Figures 14 and 15, in one embodiment, the slide rail 121 includes a starting end 1211 and an ending end 1210 located on opposite sides along the length direction, and the width of the starting section is smaller than the width of the ending end 1210; the mating rail 135 includes an entrance end 1353 and a stop end 1354 located on opposite sides along the sliding direction, and the width of the entrance end 1353 is larger than the width of the stop end 1354, and is also larger than the width of the starting section of the slide rail 121 and the width of the ending end 1210. This can reduce the insertion accuracy of the slide rail 121 during the insertion into the mating rail 135, thereby improving the insertion efficiency. In one embodiment, the slide rail 121 also includes a weight-reducing structure 1215, such as a weight-reducing groove, to facilitate a lightweight design.

[0098] In one embodiment, the ice-making device 1 further includes an ice storage container located below the ice-making component 10 for storing ice cubes produced by the ice-making component 10. In another embodiment, the ice-making device 1 further includes an ice detection rod mounted on the ice-making component 10 for detecting whether the ice storage container is full of ice cubes. Since the ice-making process and principles of the ice-making device 1 are well-known, they will not be described in detail here.

[0099] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

[0100] With the advancement of technology, ice makers, a common refrigeration appliance, are becoming increasingly popular. The basic principle of an ice maker is to inject an appropriate amount of liquid water into the machine for a certain degree of pre-cooling. The refrigerant then solidifies the water into ice cubes, which are then defrosted and stored in an ice storage bin for easy access. However, most current ice makers are complex to assemble with refrigerators, making production difficult and costly. Furthermore, they are difficult to disassemble, repair, and clean.

[0101] The present application also provides an ice-making device and a refrigerator, which can be flexibly disassembled and assembled from the ice-making device.

[0102] As shown in Figures 16 and 17, the present application provides a refrigerator 1601, including a cabinet device 1610, a compressor 1620, a condenser 30, an evaporator 40, and an expansion valve 50. The cabinet device 1610 includes a cabinet assembly 1611, a freezer compartment 1613, a refrigerator compartment 1614, and a door assembly 1612. The freezer compartment 1613 and the refrigerator compartment 1614 are respectively arranged in the cabinet assembly 1611. The door assembly 1612 includes a first door 1612a and a second door 1612b. The first door 1612a is rotatably connected to the cabinet assembly 1611 to open or close the freezer compartment 1613. The second door 1612b is rotatably connected to the cabinet assembly 1611 to open or close the freezer compartment 1613. The compressor 1620 , the condenser 30 , the evaporator 40 and the expansion valve 50 are respectively disposed in the cabinet assembly 1611 , and at least a portion of the evaporator 40 is disposed in the freezing chamber 1613 .

[0103] As shown in Figure 18 , when refrigerator 1601 is in operation, compressor 1620 outputs high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant to condenser 30, where it is condensed into medium-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant. The medium-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant then undergoes expansion and throttling through expansion valve 50, further reducing its pressure and temperature. It then flows from expansion valve 50 as a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant to evaporator 40. The low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant evaporates into gaseous refrigerant within evaporator 40. At least a portion of evaporator 40 is located within freezer compartment 1613, allowing the refrigerant to absorb a significant amount of heat from freezer compartment 1613 during evaporation, thereby lowering the temperature within freezer compartment 1613 and facilitating the freezing of items within freezer compartment 1613, thereby achieving refrigeration in refrigerator 1601. The refrigerant exiting evaporator 40 is then fed back to compressor 1620, forming a refrigerant circuit. In this way, the refrigerant continuously circulates in the refrigerant circuit to maintain the freezing environment of the freezing chamber 1613 (for example, less than -1°C).

[0104] Referring back to FIG. 17 , an air duct 1615 is provided between the refrigerated compartment 1614 and the frozen compartment 1613 , so as to facilitate the transport of part of the cold air from the frozen compartment 1613 to the refrigerated compartment 1614 through the air duct 1615 , so as to reduce or maintain the low temperature environment of the refrigerated compartment 1614 (e.g., 2°C to 8°C).

[0105] As shown in FIG17 , in some embodiments, along the height direction (Z-axis direction) of refrigerator 1601, freezer compartment 1613 is disposed below refrigerator compartment 1614. Refrigerator 1601 further includes a first fan (not labeled) disposed within housing assembly 1611. The air inlet or outlet of the first fan is connected to air duct 1615 to transport a portion of the cold air from freezer compartment 1613 to refrigerator compartment 1614.

[0106] In some embodiments, the outer wall of the freezing chamber 1613 is covered with an insulation layer (not shown) to separate the evaporator 40 from the compressor 1620 and the condenser 30. The refrigerator 1601 also includes an air-cooling heat dissipation assembly (not shown) disposed in the cabinet assembly 1611, which can at least dissipate heat from the condenser 30.

[0107] In some embodiments, the box assembly 1611 also includes a fresh-keeping compartment arranged in the box assembly 1611. Along the height direction of the refrigerator 1601, the fresh-keeping compartment is arranged between the refrigeration compartment 1614 and the freezing compartment 1613.

[0108] Furthermore, to meet user needs for ice cubes, as shown in FIG19 , in some embodiments, refrigerator 1601 also includes an ice-making device 60 for making ice cubes. Ice-making device 60 includes an ice-making component 100 and a liquid injection component 200. Ice-making component 100 includes an ice tray 110 disposed in freezing chamber 1613. Liquid injection component 200 is used to inject liquid required for making ice cubes into ice tray 110.

[0109] As shown in FIG19 , in one example, the liquid injection component 200 includes a liquid storage container 210 and a liquid injection tube 220. The liquid storage container 210 is disposed within the refrigeration compartment 1614. One end of the liquid injection tube 220 is connected to the liquid storage container 210, and the other end of the liquid injection tube 220 is disposed above the ice tray 110 along the height direction of the refrigerator 1601.

[0110] Optionally, the liquid injection component 200 further includes an on-off valve (not shown), which is provided on at least one of the liquid storage container 210 and the liquid injection pipe 220, and is used to open the liquid injection component 200 to inject liquid into the ice tray 110, or to close the liquid injection component 200. In addition, in some embodiments, the liquid injection component 200 may further include a water receiving assembly for communicating with the external liquid injection pipe 220.

[0111] As shown in Figure 19, in some embodiments, the ice tray 110 is rotatably disposed within the freezer compartment 1613 and has a liquid-receiving state and an ice-discharging state. The ice-making unit 100 further includes a drive assembly 120 and an ice storage container 130. The drive assembly 120 is disposed within the freezer compartment 1613 and is configured to drive the ice tray 110 between the liquid-receiving state and the ice-discharging state. The ice storage container 130 is disposed below the ice tray 110 along the height of the refrigerator 1601. This allows the ice storage container 130 to receive ice cubes that fall from the ice tray 110.

[0112] It should be noted that the ice tray 110 and the driving assembly 120 can be directly or indirectly disposed in the freezing chamber 1613 .

[0113] In some embodiments, the first door 1612a of the refrigerator shown in FIG19 is open (not shown), while the second door 1612b is closed. The liquid storage container 210 is mounted on the second door 1612b. Thus, the liquid storage container 210 can be stored in the refrigerator compartment via the second door 1612b, making it convenient for the user to access the liquid storage container 210. In some embodiments, ice water can also be provided to the user.

[0114] Therefore, in addition to the functions of freezing, refrigerating and preserving food, refrigerator 1601 can also have functions such as making ice cubes and providing ice water to users to meet people's usage needs, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of refrigerator 1601 products.

[0115] However, existing ice makers are typically installed on the left and right sidewalls of the freezer compartment. This means that the left side of the ice maker, which is closest to the freezer compartment, needs to be connected to the left sidewall of the freezer compartment via a connector, and the right side of the ice maker, which is closest to the freezer compartment, needs to be connected to the right sidewall of the freezer compartment via a connector. Because the ice maker needs to be connected to both the left and right sidewalls of the freezer compartment, the size of the ice maker needs to be expanded as much as possible along the left and right sides of the freezer compartment 1613. This will occupy too much freezing space within the freezer compartment 1613, and the ice maker's size needs to be infinitely expanded along the left and right sides of the freezer compartment 1613, making it inconvenient to use.

[0116] 20 and 21 , in some embodiments, an ice-making component 100 is provided, comprising a supporting assembly 140 fixed to a freezer compartment 1613. The supporting assembly 140 comprises an ice-making housing 16141 and a support frame 16142 for suspending the ice-making housing 16141 and fixed to the freezer compartment 1613. An ice tray 110 is rotatably mounted on the ice-making housing 16141, and a drive assembly 120 is fixed to the ice-making housing 16141. Thus, by integrating the ice tray 110 and the drive assembly 120 through the supporting assembly 140, the ice-making component 100 can be modularly assembled within the freezer compartment 1613, thereby improving the assembly efficiency of the refrigerator 1601.

[0117] It should be noted that because the interior of refrigerator 1601's cabinet 1610 is largely uneven, a support frame 16142 is incorporated into refrigerator 1601, removably connected to ice maker housing 16141. This increases the connection area between the ice maker and cabinet 1610, improving connection stability. Furthermore, it allows ice maker housing 16141 to be positioned as horizontally as possible, preventing leakage after filling ice tray 110 with water.

[0118] In some embodiments, the ice-making unit 100 may include multiple ice-makers. For example, when the ice-making unit 100 includes two ice-makers, the two ice-makers may be arranged side by side. The ice-making housings 16141 of the two ice-making units are detachably mounted on a support frame 16142. Each of the two ice-making housings 16141 can be independently and detachably connected to the support frame 16142. Of course, the two ice-making housings 16141 can also be connected as a single unit and removed from the support frame 16142. Furthermore, depending on the customer's ice-making needs, the ice-making unit 100 may include a single ice-making housing 16141. Alternatively, if the freezer space in the freezer compartment 1613 allows, three or four ice-making units may be provided. Accordingly, three, four, or other ice-making housings 16141 may also be provided. Furthermore, each ice maker can produce ice cubes of varying sizes and / or shapes by adjusting the shape and / or size of the ice cube compartments in the ice tray 110, thereby satisfying the diverse needs of customers for ice cubes. Accordingly, to facilitate production and processing, the structure and size of each ice maker housing 16141 can be configured to be of the same specification, facilitating mass production and replacement and maintenance.

[0119] Referring to Figures 22 and 23, in some embodiments, the ice maker housing 16141 is provided with a first connecting structure 143, and the support frame 16142 is provided with a second connecting structure 144. The first connecting structure 143 and the second connecting structure 144 are detachably connected. For example, one of the first connecting structure 143 and the second connecting structure 144 may be a snap-fit ​​member, such as a tongue, and the other may be a snap-fit ​​member, such as a slot. Of course, the specific forms of the first connecting structure 143 and the second connecting structure 144 are not limited thereto.

[0120] In other words, in the above embodiment, the ice maker housing 16141 is mounted on the top wall 13a of the freezer compartment 1613 via the support frame 16142, rather than being directly connected to the left and right side walls of the freezer compartment 1613. Therefore, the volume of the ice maker housing 16141 does not need to be infinitely expanded in the left and right directions of the freezer compartment 1613; it can be expanded appropriately to meet the user's ice usage needs. This not only reduces the amount of freezer space occupied by the ice maker housing 16141 within the freezer compartment 1613 of the refrigerator 1601, but also facilitates installation of the ice maker housing 16141 in different refrigerator models, making it more versatile. Furthermore, the detachable connection between the ice maker housing 16141 and the support frame 16142 makes it easy to disassemble the ice maker housing 16141, facilitating cleaning, repair, or replacement.

[0121] It should be noted that the support frame 16142 mentioned in this article can be a plate-shaped structure, a frame structure, etc. with a certain thickness, and the specific form is not specifically limited.

[0122] Continuing with Figures 22 and 23, in one embodiment, the first connecting structure 143 includes a sliding rail 143a and a support rail 143b spaced apart from each other. The second connecting structure 144 includes an inclined section 144a and a horizontal section 144b. Optionally, the inclined sections 144a and the horizontal sections 144b are alternately connected. The inclined sections 144a gradually tilt upward along the sliding direction of the first connecting structure 143 until they connect with the horizontal sections 144b.

[0123] The installation process for the ice maker housing 16141 and support frame 16142 is as follows: First, the initial end of the slide rail 143a overlaps the first inclined section 144a. Then, the ice maker housing 16141 is gradually pushed in the X direction. The slide rail 143a sequentially contacts the horizontal section 144b and the inclined section 144a until it is fully installed. After the first connecting structure 143 and the second connecting structure 144 slide into place, one side of the horizontal section 144b abuts against the slide rail 143a, and the other side of the horizontal section 144b abuts against the support rail 143b. This completes the push-in installation of the ice maker housing 16141 and support frame 16142.

[0124] Referring to Figures 22 and 23, in one embodiment, the ice maker housing 16141 includes a first electrical connector 145, and the support frame 16142 includes a second electrical connector 146. When the first connecting structure 143 and the second connecting structure 144 are slidably engaged, the plug position of one of the first and second electrical connectors 145 and 146 corresponds to the receptacle position of the other. This allows the first and second electrical connectors 145 and 146 to be connected simultaneously as the ice maker housing 16141 and the support frame 16142 slide in the X-direction, improving installation efficiency.

[0125] In the related art, to improve the installation stability between the support frame and the ice maker housing, a locking structure is usually provided between the two. Most existing locking structures are implemented using a knob. Specifically, a knob is provided on the ice maker housing, and a locking portion that cooperates with the knob is provided on the support frame. The support frame and the ice maker housing are disassembled and locked by turning the knob. However, the structure of the knob and the locking portion is complex, resulting in a high failure rate, a high risk of missing installation, and high cost. Furthermore, when the knob and the locking portion are locked, they occupy a large space, increasing the volume of the ice maker housing, requiring a large installation space within the refrigerator, and poor versatility.

[0126] 24 to 26 , in some embodiments, the support frame 16142 is provided with a first stopper 1421. The ice maker housing body 16141 includes a first shell 16141a and a second shell 16141b fixed to the first shell 16141a and forming a cavity therewith. The first shell 16141a includes a fixing portion 1411 connected to the second shell 16141b, and a second stopper 1412 connected to the fixing portion 1411 and engaged with the first stopper 1421. Pressing the second stopper 1412 causes it to move along the depth direction 16141c of the cavity, thereby separating the ice maker housing body 16141 from the support frame 16142.

[0127] It should be noted that support frame 16142 has a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion fixed to the first mounting portion. The first mounting portion is used to connect support frame 16142 to the inner container of refrigerator 1601, and the second mounting portion is used to detachably connect support frame 16142 to ice maker housing 16141. Optionally, the second mounting portion of the hook is oriented toward ice maker housing 16141, and the first stop 1421 on support frame 16142 is disposed on the second mounting portion.

[0128] First housing 16141a is used to mount second stopper 1412. The first stopper 1421 engages and disengages with the second stopper 1412 to achieve a removable connection between the ice maker housing 16141 and the support frame 16142. Second housing 16141b holds other components of ice maker housing 16141, such as the drive assembly 120 and ice tray 110. The cavity formed by ice maker housing 16141 is equipped with an air inlet and outlet, allowing refrigerator 1601 to cool liquid water held in ice tray 110 to form ice cubes. Furthermore, the cavity formed by ice maker housing 16141 prevents air or impurities from entering refrigerator 1601, thereby preventing the ice cubes from experiencing any odors or impurities.

[0129] To remove ice maker housing 16141 from support frame 16142, the user simply presses second stopper 1412 along cavity depth direction 16141c to separate second stopper 1412 from first stopper 1421, unlocking ice maker housing 16141 from support frame 16142. The user can then pull ice maker housing 16141 along cavity length direction 141d to remove ice maker housing 16141 from support frame 16142, thereby removing ice maker housing 16141 from refrigerator 1601. Optionally, first stopper 1421 and second stopper 1412 are mounted on the user-facing side of ice maker housing 16141 to facilitate pressing.

[0130] Referring to Figures 27 to 29, in some embodiments, to facilitate the processing of the first limiting portion 1421 and the second limiting portion 1412, the first limiting portion 1421 includes at least one latching portion 1421a, and the second limiting portion 1412 includes a pressing portion connected to the fixing portion 1411, and a second limiting portion 1412a fixed to the pressing portion and engaging with the latching portion 1421a. Force is applied to the pressing portion along the depth direction 16141c of the cavity to drive the second limiting portion 1412a to separate from the latching portion 1421a. Optionally, one of the latching portion 1421a and the second limiting portion 1412a is a groove, and the other is a protrusion embedded in the groove.

[0131] In some embodiments, to facilitate unlocking the second limiting portion 1412a and the locking portion 1421a, the pressing portion includes a connecting portion 1412b connected to the fixing portion 1411 and having elasticity, and an operating portion 1412c fixed to the connecting portion 1412b, and the operating portion 1412c at least partially protrudes from the first shell 16141a along the length direction 141d of the cavity, and the second limiting portion 1412a is fixed to the connecting portion 1412b.

[0132] That is, the operating portion 1412c is elastically connected to the fixed portion 1411, so that when a user presses the operating portion 1412c along the depth direction 16141c of the cavity, the connecting portion 1412b between the operating portion 1412c and the fixed portion 1411 elastically deforms, allowing the operating portion 1412c to drive the mating portion 1411 to move along the depth direction 16141c of the cavity relative to the fixed portion 1411, thereby disengaging the second limiting portion 1412a from the locking portion 1421a. Furthermore, when the user releases the pressure on the operating portion 1412c, the elastic deformation of the connecting portion 1412b between the operating portion 1412c and the fixed portion 1411 recovers, allowing the second limiting portion 1412a to move in the opposite direction of the depth direction 16141c of the cavity and then engage with the locking portion 1421a, thereby locking the second limiting portion 1412a with the locking portion 1421a.

[0133] Optionally, the connection portion 1412b may be made of a metal material or a non-metal material having good elasticity or ductility.

[0134] At the same time, if the installation space for the ice maker in the refrigerator 1601 allows, the operating portion 1412c can be arranged to protrude from the first shell 16141a along the length direction 141d of the cavity, so that the user can press the operating portion 1412c.

[0135] 28 , in some embodiments, in order to increase the area of ​​force applied by the user to the operating portion 1412 c and achieve a labor-saving effect, the operating portion 1412 c is configured as an arc-shaped structure, with the convex surface of the arc-shaped structure facing the wall of the first avoidance portion 1413 .

[0136] In some embodiments, to facilitate the user to install the ice maker housing body 16141 on the support frame 16142, the fitting surface between the locking portion 1421a and the second limiting portion 1412a includes a first inclined surface 1417, and the side of the first inclined surface 1417 close to the operating portion 1412c protrudes from the side of the first inclined surface 1417 away from the operating portion 1412c.

[0137] It should be noted that when the user installs the ice maker housing 16141, to save operating space, the user pushes the ice maker housing 16141 into the refrigerator 1601 along the length direction 141d of the cavity. At this time, the first inclined surface 1417 can guide the mating body, so that the mating body automatically engages with the locking portion 1421a when the user pushes the ice maker housing 16141.

[0138] In some embodiments, to facilitate reminding the user that the second limiting portion 1412a and the engaging portion are engaged, a third limiting portion is provided on the wall of the connecting portion 1412b fixed between the operating portion 1412c and the second limiting portion 1412a. The support frame 16142 is provided with a fourth limiting portion that cooperates with the third limiting portion, so that when the second limiting portion 1412a and the engaging portion 1421a are engaged, the third limiting portion and the fourth limiting portion abut against each other. Optionally, the third limiting portion protrudes outward from the cavity and includes a second inclined surface 1418, with the side of the second inclined surface 1418 connecting to the operating portion 1412c protruding beyond the side of the second inclined surface 1418 connecting to the second limiting portion 1412a. The fourth limiting portion can be a rib protruding toward the cavity. When the second limiting portion 1412a is engaged with the locking portion 1421a, the rib of the fourth limiting portion presses against the second inclined surface 1418 to prompt the user that the second limiting portion 1412a and the locking portion are in a locked state.

[0139] In some embodiments, when the second limiting portion 1412a is engaged with the locking portion 1421a, the fourth limiting portion and the third limiting portion may also cooperate to produce a prompt sound to remind the user that the second limiting portion 1412a and the locking portion are in the engaged state.

[0140] In some embodiments, to reduce the volume of the ice maker housing 16141, the second housing 16141b includes a first relief portion 1413 that accommodates the operating portion 1412c. A gap exists between the wall of the first relief portion 1413 and the wall of the operating portion 1412c, at least along the depth direction 16141c of the cavity. The first relief portion 1413 accommodates the operating portion 1412c, reducing the space occupied by the second stopper 1412 along the length direction 16141d of the cavity, thereby reducing the volume of the ice maker housing 16141. Furthermore, a gap is provided between the wall of the first relief portion 1413 and the wall of the operating portion 1412c to prevent movement interference. Furthermore, to prevent assembly errors, a gap may also be provided between the first relief portion 1413 and the operating portion 1412c along the width direction 16141e of the cavity. Optionally, the first relief portion 1413 is configured as a U-shaped groove.

[0141] As shown in Figures 28 and 29, in some embodiments, to enhance user convenience in disassembling the ice maker housing 16141, the second housing 16141b includes a first mounting portion 1414 fixed to the first housing 16141a, and a second mounting portion 1415 fixed to the first mounting portion 1414 and forming a cavity with the first mounting portion 1414. The first mounting portion 1414 includes a first side portion 1414a and a second side portion 1414b spaced apart from the first side portion 1414a along the width direction 16141e of the cavity. A first relief portion 1413 is provided on the first mounting portion 1414, and the distance from the first relief portion 1413 to the first side portion 1414a is greater than the distance from the first relief portion 1413 to the second side portion 1414b. A second relief portion 1416 is provided on the wall connecting the second mounting portion 1415 and the second side portion 1414b.

[0142] Optionally, since the space for installing the ice maker housing body 16141 in the refrigerator 1601 is limited, in order to save space, the second avoidance portion 1416 is set as a notch, and the second avoidance portion 1416 extends along the length direction 16141d of the cavity.

[0143] It should be noted that the second avoidance portion 1416 is arranged on the side of the second shell 16141b close to the second side portion 1414b to shorten the distance between the first avoidance portion 1413 and the second avoidance portion 1416, so that the user can perform one-handed operation when disassembling the ice maker housing body 16141, and the distance between the first avoidance portion 1413 and the second avoidance portion 1416 conforms to ergonomic design.

[0144] To remove the ice maker housing 16141 with one hand, the user inserts four fingers of the user's hand into the second relief portion 1416 and uses the thumb to press the operating portion 1412c to unlock the ice maker housing 16141 and the support frame 16142. At the same time, the user bends the four fingers of the user's hand to grip the second relief portion 1416 and apply force along the length direction 16141d of the cavity, thereby removing the ice maker housing 16141 from the support frame 16142 with one hand.

[0145] Optionally, to enhance the user's gripping comfort, the wall of the notch has a curvature.

[0146] It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the exact structures described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present application is limited only by the appended claims.

[0147] In addition, the technical solutions of the various embodiments of this application may be combined with each other, but this must be based on the fact that they can be implemented by a person of ordinary skill in the art. If the combination of technical solutions is mutually inconsistent or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this application. 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.

[0148] In order to enrich the functions of refrigerators, manufacturers use the freezing layer of air conditioners to form an ice-making module, which can provide users with ice-making functions and broaden the application scenarios of refrigerators.

[0149] To save space, common refrigerators often feature a single ice-making module. This module produces ice of a relatively fixed size and capacity, making it difficult to fit into narrow-mouthed cups, hindering the user experience. Furthermore, only one type of ice can be produced at a time, limiting the quantity that can be produced, which is not conducive to meeting user needs. Refrigerators with ice-making modules typically produce only a single size of ice, making them unsuitable for a variety of applications and hindering the user experience.

[0150] The present application provides an ice-making device and refrigerator. The ice-making device facilitates the production of ice cubes of varying sizes, enhancing the user experience. Furthermore, by controlling the air volume, the production time of large ice cubes is increased, thereby speeding up the production of large ice cubes. Meanwhile, the production time of small ice cubes is reduced, allowing them to fully cool and improving the quality of the small ice cubes.

[0151] As shown in Figures 30 to 33, the present application provides a refrigerator 3001, including a cabinet assembly 3010, a compressor 3020, a condenser 3030, an evaporator 3040, and an expansion valve 3050. The cabinet assembly 3010 includes a cabinet assembly 3011, a freezer compartment 3013, a refrigerator compartment 3014, and a door assembly 3012. The freezer compartment 3013 and the refrigerator compartment 3014 are respectively disposed within the cabinet assembly 3011. The door assembly 3012 includes a first door 3012a and a second door 3012b. The first door 3012a is rotatably connected to the cabinet assembly 3011 to open or close the freezer compartment 3013. The second door 3012b is rotatably connected to the cabinet assembly 3011 to open or close the freezer compartment 3013. The compressor 3020 , the condenser 3030 , the evaporator 3040 and the expansion valve 3050 are respectively disposed in the box assembly 3011 , and at least a portion of the evaporator 3040 is disposed in the freezing chamber 3013 .

[0152] As shown in FIG32 , the refrigerator 3001 further includes an ice-making device 3060 , which is installed in the box assembly 3011 . The ice-making device 3060 includes an ice-making component 30100 , a liquid injection component 30200 , a refrigeration system 300 , and a conveying air duct 400 .

[0153] Referring back to Figures 31 and 32, a conveying air duct 400 is provided between the refrigerating compartment 3014 and the freezing compartment 3013, so as to facilitate conveying part of the cold air from the freezing compartment 3013 to the refrigerating compartment 3014 through the conveying air duct 400, so as to reduce or maintain the low temperature environment of the refrigerating compartment 3014 (for example, 2°C to 8°C).

[0154] The refrigeration system 300 is used to generate cold air. The air delivery duct 400 is connected to the refrigeration system 300 so that the air delivery duct 400 can deliver cold air. As shown in Figure 34, the air delivery duct 400 includes at least a first air delivery duct 410 and a second air delivery duct 420. The ice-making component 30100 includes a first ice tray 30111 and a second ice tray 30112. The first ice tray 30111 is connected to the first air delivery duct 410 (see the dotted line in Figure 32 for the flow direction of the cold air). The second ice tray 30112 is connected to the second air delivery duct 420. The liquid injection component 30200 is connected to the ice-making component 30100 to deliver the liquid to be frozen to the first ice tray 30111 and the second ice tray 30112. The cold air volume of the first air delivery duct 410 is greater than that of the second air delivery duct 420. The capacity of the first ice tray 30111 is greater than that of the second ice tray 30112.

[0155] As can be understood, referring back to FIG32 , the compressor 3020, condenser 3030, evaporator 3040, and expansion valve 3050 together form a refrigeration system 300. When the refrigerator 3001 is in operation, the compressor 3020 outputs a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, which is transported to the condenser 3030. The condenser 3030 condenses the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant into a medium-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant. The medium-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant undergoes expansion and throttling by the expansion valve 3050, further reducing its pressure and temperature. The refrigerant then flows out of the expansion valve 3050 as a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant to the evaporator 3040. The low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant evaporates into a gaseous refrigerant within the evaporator 3040. At least a portion of the evaporator 3040 is located within the freezer compartment 3013. This allows the refrigerant to absorb a significant amount of heat from the freezer compartment 3013 during evaporation, thereby lowering the temperature within the freezer compartment 3013 and facilitating the use of the freezer compartment 3013 to freeze items and achieve refrigeration in the refrigerator 3001. The refrigerant exiting the evaporator 3040 is fed back into the compressor 3020 to form a refrigerant circuit. In this manner, the refrigerant continuously circulates within the refrigerant circuit to maintain a refrigerated environment in the freezer compartment 3013 (e.g., less than -1°C).

[0156] Referring back to FIG. 34 , after the refrigeration system 300 generates cold air, the cold air is delivered to the first ice tray 30111 and the second ice tray 30112 via the first air duct 410 and the second air duct 420, respectively. The cold air volume of the first air duct 410 is greater than the cold air volume of the second air duct 420, and the capacity of the first ice tray 30111 is greater than the capacity of the second ice tray 30112. This results in the ice volume produced by the first ice tray 30111 being greater than the capacity of the second ice tray 30112. To achieve the same freezing effect per unit time, the cold air required by the first ice tray 30111 must be greater than the cold air required by the second ice tray 30112. Thus, the differential cold air volume between the first air duct 410 and the second air duct 420 facilitates rapid cooling of the first ice tray 30111, improving the cooling effect. Furthermore, the differentiated distribution of cold energy can slow down the ice-making speed of the second ice tray 30112, which facilitates the full freezing and ice formation of the second ice tray 30112, thereby improving the ice-making effect.

[0157] As shown in FIG31 , in some embodiments, the freezer compartment 3013 is disposed below the refrigerator compartment 3014 along the height direction of the refrigerator 3001. The refrigerator 3001 further includes a first fan (not labeled) disposed within the cabinet assembly 3011. The air inlet or air outlet of the first fan is connected to an air duct for transferring some of the cold air from the freezer compartment 3013 to the refrigerator compartment 3014.

[0158] It should be noted that the first ice tray 30111 and the second ice tray 30112 can be formed by a single ice tray or multiple ice trays, without further limitation. Furthermore, the fact that the ice capacity of the first ice tray 30111 is greater than that of the second ice tray 30112 can be reflected in the difference in the total number of single ice cubes of the same size (i.e., the first ice tray 30111 produces more ice cubes than the second ice tray 30112), or the fact that the first ice tray 30111 produces more ice cubes than the second ice tray 30112, or the fact that the first ice tray 30111 produces more ice cubes than the second ice tray 30112, etc.

[0159] In some embodiments, referring back to FIG. 32 , the first ice tray 30111 and the second ice tray 30112 include a plurality of small ice cubes spaced apart from each other, wherein the size of the small ice cubes of the first ice tray 30111 is larger than the size of the small ice cubes of the second ice tray 30112, thereby forming large ice cubes in the first ice tray 30111 and small ice cubes in the second ice tray 30112.

[0160] It should be noted that the cold air volume of the first air duct 410 and the second air duct 420 can be adjusted by controlling the flow rate of the duct through a control valve, or by achieving air volume control through structural improvement.

[0161] Specifically, in one embodiment, referring back to FIG. 34 and referring to FIG. 35 , a refrigeration system 300 includes a refrigeration device 310, and first and second air outlets disposed on the refrigeration device 310. The first air outlet communicates with a first air duct 410, allowing the cooling air to flow through the first air outlet to the first ice tray 30111. The second air outlet communicates with a second air duct 420, allowing the cooling air to flow through the second air outlet to the second ice tray 30112. The cross-sectional area of ​​the first air outlet is larger than that of the second air outlet. This allows the amount of cooling air flowing through the first and second air ducts 410 and 420 to be reduced by varying the cross-sectional areas of the first and second air outlets. This simple structure facilitates easy setup and improves processing efficiency. Furthermore, compared to control via a control valve, this simple structural difference in area improves control stability and reduces energy consumption, thus facilitating energy conservation.

[0162] In another specific embodiment, refrigeration system 300 includes two refrigeration units 310: a first refrigeration unit connected to a first air duct 410 and a second refrigeration unit connected to a second air duct. The cooling differential between the first and second refrigeration units controls the cooling air volume of first and second air ducts 410, 420. This helps ensure stable wind speed output, improves heat exchange efficiency, and enhances ice production quality.

[0163] In conjunction with any of the aforementioned embodiments of the ice-making component 30100, to improve ice making quality, as shown in FIG36 , the ice-making component 30100 further includes at least one set of supporting assemblies 30140. The first ice tray 30111 includes a first ice tray 30111 body and at least one first opening disposed in the first ice tray 30111 body. The second ice tray 30112 includes a second ice tray 30112 body and at least one second opening disposed in the second ice tray 30112 body. The at least one set of supporting assemblies 30140 includes a first supporting assembly 30141 covering the first opening and a second supporting assembly 30142 covering the second opening. The provision of the supporting assemblies 30140 reduces contamination of ice cubes within the first and second ice trays 30111 and 30112 by the first and second air ducts 410 and 420, thereby improving the cleanliness of ice making.

[0164] Furthermore, in one specific embodiment, referring back to Figures 36 and 37 , the first air duct 410 is connected to the first ice tray 30111 via the first support assembly 30141. The second air duct 420 is connected to the second ice tray 30112 via the second support assembly 30142. It should be noted that the first support assembly 30141 and the first air duct 410 can be connected by, but not limited to, plug-in connection. Alternatively, they can be connected by socket connection or welding, etc., which will not be further described here. In this way, the air duct formed by the support assembly 30140 and the first ice tray 30111 or the second ice tray 30112 is simple in design and easy to manufacture.

[0165] Furthermore, referring back to FIG. 34 , the ice-making component 30100 further includes at least one set of snap-fit ​​assemblies 150. The at least one set of snap-fit ​​assemblies 150 includes a first snap-fit ​​assembly 30151 fixedly connected to the first ice tray 30111 and a second snap-fit ​​assembly 152 fixedly connected to the second ice tray 30112. The first ice tray 30111 is snap-fitted to the first support assembly 30141 via the first snap-fit ​​assemblies 30151. The second ice tray 30112 is snap-fitted to the second support assembly 30142 via the second snap-fit ​​assemblies 152. The first ice tray 30111 is snap-fitted to the first support assembly 30141 via the first snap-fit ​​assemblies 30151. The second ice tray 30112 is snap-fitted to the second support assembly 30142 via the second snap-fit ​​assemblies 152. Thus, the snap-fit ​​assemblies 150 securely connect the first and second ice trays 30111, 30112, to the support assembly 30140, improving the secure connection while facilitating disassembly.

[0166] In one example, the locking assembly 150 includes a locking arm, and the supporting assembly 30140 is provided with a slot, and one end of the locking arm is engaged with the slot to achieve fixation. In this way, the design of the locking arm is simple and takes up little space, which is conducive to improving space utilization.

[0167] To improve ice holding efficiency, in some embodiments, as shown in Figures 36 and 37 , the ice-making component 30100 further includes at least one set of ice storage containers 30130 and at least one set of connecting assemblies 160. The at least one set of ice storage containers 30130 includes a first ice storage container 30130 and a second ice storage container 30130. The at least one set of connecting assemblies 160 includes a first connecting assembly 160 and a second connecting assembly 160. The first ice storage container 30130 is detachably connected to the first ice tray 30111 via the first connecting assembly 160. The second ice storage container 30130 is detachably connected to the second ice tray 30112 via the second connecting assembly 160. The first connecting assembly 160 is fixedly connected to the first engaging assembly 30151. The second connecting assembly 160 is fixedly connected to the second engaging assembly 152. It is understood that the ice storage container 30130 can store ice cubes that fall from the ice tray, and the arrangement of the first ice storage container 30130 and the second ice storage container 30130 can classify the ice cubes for easier user selection. Furthermore, by disposing the connecting assembly 160 between the ice storage container 30130 and the engaging assembly 150, the ice storage container 30130 can be fixed to the first ice tray 30111, the second ice tray 30112, and the supporting assembly 30140, and the connection can be detachable, making it easier to extract ice cubes.

[0168] It should be noted that the connection method between the connection component 160 and the first ice tray 30111 and the second ice tray 30112 can be plug-in, snap-on, magnetic, etc., and no excessive restrictions are imposed here.

[0169] To enhance the heat exchange and ice-making efficiency, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG38 , at least one of the first support assembly 30141 and the second support assembly 30142 is provided with an air guide baffle 30143, allowing at least a portion of the cold air to flow through the air guide baffle 30143 to the first ice tray 30111 and / or the second ice tray 30112. Specifically, the air guide baffle 30143 can be flexibly connected to the first support assembly 30141 or the second support assembly 30142. This allows the cold air to be directed to the surface of the first ice tray 30111 and / or the second ice tray 30112 via the air guide baffle 30143, accelerating the freezing of the liquid to be frozen in the first ice tray 30111 and / or the second ice tray 30112 and improving ice-making efficiency.

[0170] Furthermore, in another specific embodiment, referring back to FIG. 38 , at least one of the first carrier assembly 30141 and the second carrier assembly 30142 may further include a liquid guide 30144. The liquid guide 30144 is fixedly connected to the air guide baffle 30143, so that liquid droplets on the first carrier assembly 30141 and / or the second carrier assembly 30142 flow along the liquid guide 30144 into the first ice tray 30111 and / or the second ice tray 30112. It is understood that when cold air encounters a temperature difference, it tends to liquefy and condense in the air duct, disrupting the cold air flow. The provision of the liquid guide 30144 allows the liquefied liquid droplets to flow to the first ice tray 30111 or the second ice tray 30112.

[0171] It should be noted that the liquid guide member 30144 and the wind guide baffle 30143 can be manufactured separately and fixedly connected by welding, bonding, etc., or they can be manufactured as one piece, and no further restrictions are imposed here.

[0172] In some embodiments, referring back to FIG. 34 , the liquid injection component 30200 includes a liquid injection pipe 30220 and a liquid pump 230. The liquid pump 230 is used to supply the liquid to be frozen to the liquid injection pipe 30220. The liquid injection component 30200 also includes a first liquid injection pipe 30220, a second liquid injection pipe 30220, a first control valve 223, and a second control valve 224. The first liquid injection pipe 30220 is disposed in communication between the liquid pump 230 and the first liquid storage chamber 30211. The second liquid injection pipe 30220 is disposed in communication between the liquid pump 230 and the second liquid storage chamber 30212. The first control valve 223 is disposed on the first liquid injection pipe 30220 to regulate the flow of the liquid to be frozen from the first liquid injection pipe 30220 to the first liquid storage chamber 30211. The second control valve 224 is provided on the second liquid injection pipe 30220 to regulate the flow of the to-be-frozen liquid from the second liquid injection pipe 30220 to the second liquid storage chamber 30212. This provides a more stable control method than simply turning the liquid pump 230 on and off, thus avoiding the shortening of the operating life of the liquid pump 230 due to repeated on-off switching.

[0173] It should be noted that the liquid guiding member 30144 can be, but is not limited to, a liquid guiding baffle, and can also be a protrusion or other structure, and no excessive restrictions are imposed here.

[0174] To further enhance the automation level of the ice-making device 3060, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 34 , the ice-making device 3060 further includes a control assembly 240 and a liquid measurement assembly 250 in communication with the first control valve 223 and the second control valve 224. The liquid measurement assembly 250 is configured to measure the volume of the to-be-frozen liquid in the first liquid storage chamber 30211 and the second liquid storage chamber 30212. The control assembly 240 adjusts the first control valve 223 and the second control valve 224 based on the volume of the to-be-frozen liquid to control the volume of the solution in the first liquid storage chamber 30211 and the second liquid storage chamber 30212. It will be appreciated that the volume of the to-be-frozen liquid in the first liquid storage chamber 30211 and the second liquid storage chamber 30212 is measured by the liquid measurement assembly 250, and the control assembly 240 receives the volume of the to-be-frozen liquid and compares it with a preset range. When the volume of the liquid to be frozen is less than a preset range, the opening of the first control valve 223 or the second control valve 224 is increased to increase the volume of the liquid to be frozen in the first liquid storage chamber 30211 and the second liquid storage chamber 30212. When the volume of the liquid to be frozen is greater than the preset range, the first control valve 223 or the second control valve 224 is closed.

[0175] Specifically, in one example, referring back to FIG. 34 , liquid measurement assembly 250 includes at least two liquid level gauges, one located on first ice tray 30111 and the other located on second ice tray 30112, to detect liquid levels in first ice tray 30111 and second ice tray 30112. Control assembly 240 determines the volume of the liquid to be frozen based on the liquid level data.

[0176] In another example, the liquid measuring component 250 includes an optical sensor, which is used to measure the solution depth of the first liquid storage chamber 30211 and the second liquid storage chamber 30212 to obtain the volume of the liquid to be frozen.

[0177] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0178] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0179] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two elements or interaction between two elements, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0180] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, when a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, when a first feature is "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. When a first feature is "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0181] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being “fixed to,” “disposed on,” “fixed on,” or “mounted on” another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is considered to be “connected to” another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element.

[0182] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0183] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. The technical content disclosed above can be used to make slight changes or modifications to equivalent implementation methods with equivalent changes. However, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above implementation methods based on the technical essence of the present application that do not deviate from the content of the technical solution of the present application are still within the scope of the technical solution of the present application.

Claims

1. An ice making device, characterized in that, Comprising: An ice-making component and a support frame for mounting the ice-making component; the ice-making component includes a first ice-making component and a second ice-making component; The first ice-making component and / or the second ice-making component is detachably arranged on the support frame.

2. The ice-making device according to claim 1, wherein: The first ice-making component and / or the second ice-making component includes a sliding member, and the support frame includes a sliding mating member; the sliding mating member is wrapped around the outside of the sliding member and is in sliding fit with the sliding member.

3. The ice-making device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first ice-making component and / or the second ice-making component includes a housing and a sliding member arranged on the housing; the sliding members are respectively arranged on one side of the housing of the first ice-making component and the housing of the second ice-making component close to each other and on the other side far from each other; the projection of the area between the two sliding members on the same ice-making component on the horizontal plane is located within the projection of their respective housings on the horizontal plane.

4. The ice making device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The support frame includes a first support frame body and a second support frame body connected to the first support frame body; the sliding mating members are respectively arranged on one side of the first support frame body and the second support frame body close to each other and on the other side far from each other; the positions of the sliding mating members correspond to the positions of the sliding members.

5. The ice-making device according to claim 4, wherein: The sliding member extends outward from the side wall of the housing; the sliding mating member extends outward from the edge of the first support frame body and / or the second support frame body.

6. The ice making device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The housing of the first ice-making component is provided with a retaining portion and a pressing portion connected thereto; the first support frame body is provided with a retaining mating member that cooperates with the retaining portion; the retaining portion can abut against the retaining mating member in the first state to limit the backward movement of the first ice-making component relative to the support frame; the pressing portion can be moved away from the retaining mating member by an external force in the second state to separate the retaining portion from the retaining mating member; And / or, the housing of the second ice-making component is provided with a retaining portion and a pressing portion connected thereto; the second support frame body is provided with a retaining mating member that cooperates with the retaining portion; the retaining portion can abut against the retaining mating member in the first state to limit the backward movement of the second ice-making component relative to the support frame; the pressing portion can be moved away from the retaining mating member by an external force in the second state to separate the retaining portion from the retaining mating member.

7. The ice making device according to claim 6, wherein: The retaining portion includes a support surface and a retaining rib arranged on the support surface; the pressing portion includes a connecting end and a pressing end, the connecting end is connected to the support surface, and the pressing end protrudes outward from the housing.

8. The ice making device according to claim 2, wherein: The sliding mating member includes a first inclined section and a first horizontal section, and the first inclined section gradually inclines upward along the sliding-in direction of the sliding member until it is connected to the first horizontal section.

9. The ice making device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The sliding mating member further includes a second inclined section and a second horizontal section; one end of the second inclined section is connected to the first horizontal section, and the other end gradually inclines upward along the sliding-in direction of the sliding member until it is connected to the second horizontal section.

10. The ice-making device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The sliding member includes a slide rail and a support rail which are arranged at intervals; after the sliding member and the sliding fit member are in sliding fit, one side surface of the first horizontal section and / or the second horizontal section abuts against the slide rail, and the other side surface of the first horizontal section abuts against the support rail.

11. The ice-making device according to claim 10, wherein: The abutting length at the place where the slide rail abuts against one side surface of the first horizontal section is not less than one-fourth of the overall length of the first horizontal section and not greater than the overall length of the first horizontal section; and / or, the abutting length at the place where the slide rail abuts against one side surface of the second horizontal section is not less than one-fourth of the overall length of the second horizontal section and not greater than the overall length of the second horizontal section.

12. The ice-making device according to claim 10, wherein: A chamfer is provided at the starting end of the slide rail, and the inclined surface of the chamfer is in smooth transition with the end surface of the starting end; and / or, the thickness of the slide rail is greater than the thickness of the support rail.

13. The ice making device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The support rail includes a first support plane and a second support plane, and the height of the first support plane is less than the height of the second support plane; the first support plane and the second support plane are connected by a support inclined surface.

14. The ice making device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first ice-making component and / or the second ice-making component includes a first electrical connector, and the support frame includes a second electrical connector; when the sliding member slides to the initial position of the first horizontal section or the second horizontal section, the plug position of one of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector corresponds to the jack position of the other.

15. The ice-making device according to claim 14, wherein: When the sliding member slides along the sliding-in direction to the preset position of the first horizontal section or the second horizontal section, the plug of one of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector is automatically inserted into the jack of the other in place.

16. The ice making device according to claim 14, characterized in that: The first ice-making component and / or the second ice-making component includes a housing and a first limiting structure arranged on the housing, and the first electrical connector is detachably connected to the first limiting structure; and / or, the support frame includes a support frame main body and a second limiting structure arranged on the support frame main body, and the second electrical connector is detachably connected to the second limiting structure.

17. The ice-making device according to claim 1, wherein: The ice-making component is suspended on the support frame.

18. The ice making device according to claim 2, wherein: The sliding member includes a slide rail, and the slide rail includes a sliding part and a guiding part; the sliding fit member includes a fitting track, and the fitting track includes a track part and a limiting part; the sliding part is in sliding fit with the track part, and the guiding part is configured to contact the limiting part when the sliding part is in sliding fit with the track part.

19. The ice-making device according to claim 18, characterized in that: The guiding part includes a guiding surface formed at the initial end of the slide rail and a guiding rib gradually extending along the length direction of the slide rail from the guiding surface.

20. The ice making device according to claim 18, characterized in that: The slide rail further includes a rib provided below the sliding part, and a track side wall for cooperating with the rib is formed on one side of the track part.

21. The ice making device according to claim 1, wherein, The support frame includes a first limiting part; and The ice-making component includes at least one ice-making machine housing body, which includes a first housing and a second housing fixedly arranged on the first housing and forming a cavity with the first housing. The first housing includes a fixing part connected to the second housing and a second limiting part connected to the fixing part and buckling with the first limiting part. Pressing the second limiting part drives the second limiting part to move along the depth direction of the cavity to separate the ice-making machine housing body from the support frame.

22. The ice-making device according to claim 21, wherein, The first limiting part includes at least one clamping part, and the second limiting part includes a pressing part connected to the fixing part and a matching part fixedly arranged on the pressing part and buckling with the clamping part; One of the clamping part and the matching part is a groove, and the other is a convex block embedded in the groove. Press the pressing part along the depth direction of the cavity to drive the matching part to separate from the clamping part.

23. The ice-making device according to claim 22, wherein, The pressing part includes an elastic connecting part connected to the fixing part and an operating part fixedly arranged on the connecting part. At least part of the operating part protrudes from the first housing along the length direction of the cavity, and the matching part is fixedly arranged on the connecting part.

24. The ice-making device according to claim 23, wherein, The fitting surface of the clamping part and the matching part includes a first inclined surface, and the side of the first inclined surface close to the operating part protrudes from the side of the first inclined surface far from the operating part.

25. The ice-making device according to claim 24, wherein, A third limiting part is arranged on the wall surface of the connecting part between the operating part and the matching part, and the support frame is provided with a fourth limiting part matching with the third limiting part, so that when the matching part is buckled with the clamping part, the third limiting part and the fourth limiting part are pressed against each other.

26. The ice-making device according to claim 25, characterized in that, The third limiting part includes a second inclined surface, and the side of the second inclined surface connected to the operating part protrudes from the side of the second inclined surface connected to the matching part.

27. The ice-making device according to claim 26, wherein, The second housing includes a first avoiding part for accommodating the operating part, and there is at least a gap along the depth direction of the cavity between the wall surface of the first avoiding part and the wall surface of the operating part.

28. The ice-making device according to claim 27, wherein, The operating part is arranged in an arc structure, and the convex surface of the arc structure faces the wall surface of the first avoiding part.

29. The ice making device according to claim 27, wherein, The second housing includes a first assembling part fixedly arranged on the first housing and a second assembling part fixedly arranged on the first assembling part and forming the cavity with the first assembling part; The first assembling part includes a first side part and a second side part arranged at an interval with the first side part along the width direction of the cavity. The first avoiding part is arranged on the first assembling part, and the distance from the first avoiding part to the first side part is greater than the distance from the first avoiding part to the second side part; A second avoiding part is arranged on the wall surface of the second assembling part connected to the second side part.

30. The ice-making device according to any one of claims 21 to 29, characterized in that, The first housing further includes a first connection structure, and the support frame includes a second connection structure detachably connected to the first connection structure.

31. According to the ice-making device described in claim 1, the ice-making device further includes: A refrigeration system for producing cold; And A conveying air duct communicated with the refrigeration system to enable the conveying air duct to convey the cold; the conveying air duct at least includes a first air conveying pipeline and a second air conveying pipeline; Among them, the ice-making component includes a first ice tray and a second ice tray; the first ice tray is communicated with the first air delivery pipeline; the second ice tray is communicated with the second air delivery pipeline; The ice-making device further includes: a liquid injection component, communicated with the ice-making component to convey the liquid to be frozen to the first ice tray and the second ice tray; Among them, the cold air volume of the first air delivery pipeline is greater than that of the second air delivery pipeline; the capacity of the first ice tray is greater than that of the second ice tray.

32. The ice making device according to claim 31, characterized in that, The refrigeration system includes a refrigeration device and a first air outlet and a second air outlet provided on the refrigeration device; the first air outlet is communicated with the first air delivery pipeline so that the cold quantity is communicated with the first ice tray through the first air outlet; the second air outlet is communicated with the second air delivery pipeline so that the cold quantity is communicated with the second ice tray through the second air outlet; among them, the cross-sectional area of the first air outlet is greater than that of the second air outlet.

33. The ice making device according to claim 32, characterized in that, The ice-making component further includes at least one set of engaging components and at least one set of bearing components; the first ice tray includes a first ice tray body and at least one first opening provided on the first ice tray body; the second ice tray includes a second ice tray body and at least one second opening provided on the second ice tray body; At least one set of the engaging components includes a first engaging component fixedly connected to the first ice tray and a second engaging component fixedly connected to the second ice tray; at least one set of the bearing components includes a first bearing component covering the first opening and a second bearing component covering the second opening; The first air delivery pipeline is communicated with the first ice tray through the first bearing component; the second air delivery pipeline is communicated with the second ice tray through the second bearing component; the first ice tray is snap-connected to the first bearing component through the first engaging component; the second ice tray is snap-connected to the second bearing component through the second engaging component.

34. The ice-making device according to claim 33, wherein, The ice-making component further includes at least one set of ice storage containers and at least one set of connecting components; at least one set of the ice storage containers includes a first ice storage container and a second ice storage container; at least one set of the connecting components includes a first connecting component and a second connecting component; the first ice storage container is detachably connected to the first ice tray through the first connecting component; the second ice storage container is detachably connected to the second ice tray through the second connecting component; among them, the first connecting component is fixedly connected to the first engaging component; the second connecting component is fixedly connected to the second engaging component.

35. The ice-making device according to claim 33, wherein, At least one of the first bearing component and the second bearing component is provided with a wind guiding baffle so that at least part of the cold quantity flows to the first ice tray and / or the second ice tray through the wind guiding baffle.

36. The ice making device according to claim 35, characterized in that, At least one of the first bearing component and the second bearing component is provided with a liquid guiding member, and the liquid guiding member is fixedly connected to the wind guiding baffle so that the liquid drops on the first bearing component and / or the second bearing component follow the liquid guiding member into the first ice tray and / or the second ice tray.

37. The ice-making device according to claim 31, wherein, The liquid injection component includes a liquid pump, a liquid injection pipe, a first liquid storage chamber, and a second liquid storage chamber; the liquid pump is used to provide the liquid to be frozen for the liquid injection pipe; the liquid injection pipe further includes a first liquid injection pipe, a second liquid injection pipe, a first control valve, and a second control valve; the first liquid injection pipe is communicatively connected between the liquid pump and the first liquid storage chamber; the second liquid injection pipe is communicatively connected between the liquid pump and the second liquid storage chamber; the first control valve is disposed on the first liquid injection pipe to adjust the flow rate of the liquid to be frozen flowing through the first liquid injection pipe into the first liquid storage chamber; The second control valve is disposed on the second liquid injection pipe to adjust the flow rate of the liquid to be frozen flowing through the second liquid injection pipe into the second liquid storage chamber.

38. The ice making device according to claim 37, characterized in that, The ice making device further includes a control component and a liquid measurement component communicatively connected to the first control valve and the second control valve; the liquid measurement component is used to measure the capacity of the liquid to be frozen in the first liquid storage chamber and the second liquid storage chamber, and the control component adjusts the first control valve and the second control valve according to the capacity of the liquid to be frozen to control the solution capacity of the first liquid storage chamber and the second liquid storage chamber.

39. The ice making device according to claim 38, wherein, The liquid measurement component includes at least two liquid level gauges, a first liquid storage chamber for supplying liquid to the first liquid injection pipe, and a second liquid storage chamber for supplying liquid to the second liquid injection pipe; The liquid pump is used to supply liquid to the first liquid storage chamber and the second liquid storage chamber; at least two of the liquid level gauges are respectively used to detect the liquid level data of the first liquid storage chamber and the second liquid storage chamber; the control component obtains the capacity of the liquid to be frozen according to the liquid level data.

40. A refrigerator, comprising a freezing compartment, characterized in that: The top wall of the freezing chamber is provided with the ice making device according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

41. The refrigerator according to claim 40, wherein The support frame includes a support frame body and a flange disposed around the support frame body; the top wall of the freezing chamber is provided with a mounting opening; the support frame body passes through the mounting opening, and the flange abuts against the edge position of the top wall at the mounting opening.

42. The refrigerator according to claim 40, wherein, The front side of the freezing chamber is provided with an opening for installing a door body; one end of the top wall close to the opening is provided with a recess recessed into the freezing chamber.

43. The refrigerator according to claim 42, characterized in that, The sliding fit member includes a first inclined section and a first horizontal section, and the first inclined section gradually slopes upward along the sliding direction of the sliding member until it is connected to the first horizontal section; the height of the highest point of the first inclined section is lower than the height of the lowest point of the recess.

44. A refrigerator, characterized in that, It includes a box body device and the ice making device according to any one of claims 21 to 30. The box body device has a freezing chamber, the support frame is fixedly arranged on the inner wall of the freezing chamber, and the ice making machine shell body is detachably connected to the support frame.

45. A refrigerator, characterized in that, It includes a box body component and the ice making device according to any one of claims 31 to 39 above, and the ice making device is installed in the box body component.

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