Automatic water supply water path system of ice maker and ice maker

Abstract

The present application discloses an automatic water supply water path system of an ice maker, comprising a water tank, a water supply channel, and an ice-making cylinder. The water tank is mounted on the top of the ice maker, the water supply channel is located below the water tank, and an opening of the water tank is inserted downward into the water supply channel. The bottom of the water supply channel is provided with a water outlet. The water outlet is connected to a water inlet of the ice-making cylinder by means of a pipe. The present utility model provides an automatic water supply water path system of an ice maker and an ice maker, which are capable of promptly adding water on the basis of the amount of water consumed for ice-making, thereby achieving an automatic water supply function.

Description

An automatic water supply system for an ice maker and the ice maker itself. Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electrical technology, and more specifically to an automatic water supply system for an ice maker and an ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] An ice maker is an electrical device used to produce ice. Currently, many ice makers on the market have a function to add water to the ice-making space. However, because the ice-making space is generally located near the top of the machine, and the water tank or trough is usually near the bottom, a water pump or similar tool is required to add water from the bottom tank or trough to the top ice-making space. Furthermore, a corresponding structure is needed to address issues such as when to add water, how much water to add, and how to clean it, resulting in a complex structure and high cost. For example, Chinese patent CN1109961A discloses a water supply device for an automatic ice-making apparatus. While this prior art can achieve high-precision quantitative water supply, it requires a control lever to supply water, and the water in the reservoir is only replenished after it has decreased to a certain level. This results in untimely water replenishment, and the complex structure makes it difficult to clean.

[0003] Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, this utility model provides an automatic water supply system for an ice maker and an ice maker, which can add water in a timely manner according to the amount of water consumed in ice making, and realize the automatic water supply function.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve its technical problem is: an automatic water supply system for an ice maker, including a water tank, a water supply trough and an ice maker; the water tank is installed on the top of the ice maker, the water supply trough is located below the water tank, and the opening of the water tank is inserted downward into the water supply trough; the bottom of the water supply trough is provided with a water outlet, and the water outlet is connected to the water inlet of the ice maker through a pipe.

[0006] This technical solution provides an automatic water supply system for an ice maker. The water tank can be inserted downward into the water supply trough. Then, by utilizing the communicating vessel structure formed by the water supply trough and the ice maker, the water tank can automatically add water to the ice maker in a timely manner without relying on tools such as water pumps. The amount of water added is the amount consumed in ice making. The water addition is more timely, and the structure is simple and easy to use.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the water tank is detachably mounted on top of the ice maker, allowing the water tank to be removed from the machine for easy cleaning.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the water tank opening is installed at a height above half the height of the ice-making cylinder. Since the liquid level inside the ice-making cylinder affects the ice-making effect, the installation height of the water tank opening can be designed as needed to control the liquid level inside the ice-making cylinder, thereby achieving the desired ice-making effect.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the water tank opening is provided with a leak-proof plug, and the water supply tank is provided with a vertically upward column. When the water tank is installed on the ice maker, the leak-proof plug is loosened by the column, so that the water in the water tank flows into the water supply tank.

[0010] In this technology, a leak-proof plug is installed on the opening of the water tank to prevent water leakage during installation. At the same time, the leak-proof plug is opened by the column in the water supply tank to allow water in the water tank to flow into the water supply tank. The water inlet structure is simple and requires no other operation steps to achieve automatic water inlet to the water supply tank.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the automatic water supply system of the ice maker further includes a solenoid valve and a drain tank. The drain outlet of the ice maker is connected to the drain tank, and a solenoid valve is installed on the drain outlet of the ice maker to control the opening and closing of the drain outlet. This technology, by controlling the opening and closing of the drain outlet of the ice maker using a solenoid valve, allows wastewater to be promptly discharged into the drain tank after ice making or cleaning, making it more convenient to use.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the water inlet is located above the lowest water level on one side of the ice maker's inner cavity, and the position of the water inlet is lower than that of the water outlet, so that the liquid flowing out of the water outlet of the water supply tank flows into the ice maker through the water inlet; the drain outlet is located at the lowest position on the other side of the ice maker's inner cavity, which can drain all the water in the ice maker during cleaning, so that no wastewater remains in the ice maker and it is easy to clean.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the inner cavity of the ice-making cylinder is equipped with an ice scraper for squeezing the prepared ice out of the ice-making cylinder, or for cleaning the water inside the ice-making cylinder by rotating and stirring it.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the automatic water supply system of the ice maker further includes an ice basket, the upper end of which is connected to the ice outlet at the upper end of the ice cylinder, for receiving and containing the made ice.

[0015] An ice maker includes an automatic water supply system for the ice maker as described in any of the above technical solutions.

[0016] The ice maker provided by this technical solution adopts the automatic water supply system of the aforementioned ice maker, which can add water in a timely manner according to the amount of water consumed in ice making, and realize the automatic water supply function; furthermore, the water tank is detachable for easy cleaning.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the ice maker further includes a refrigeration component located below the ice cylinder for cooling the ice cylinder.

[0018] As can be seen from the above technical solution, compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: The automatic water supply system for an ice maker provided by this utility model allows the water tank opening to be inserted downwards into the water supply trough. Then, by utilizing the communicating vessel structure formed by the water supply trough and the ice maker cylinder, the water tank can automatically add water to the ice maker cylinder in a timely manner, with the added water amount being the consumption amount, until the water tank is empty. In addition, this automatic water supply system can also control the height of the liquid level in the ice maker cylinder by controlling the installation height of the water tank opening, so as to ensure a better ice-making effect. Furthermore, the water tank can be detached from the whole machine for easy cleaning.

[0019] An ice maker employs the aforementioned automatic water supply system, which can replenish water in a timely manner according to the amount of water consumed during ice making, thereby achieving an automatic water supply function.

[0020] In addition, other advantages of this invention will be set forth in the description which follows, in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this invention. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the automatic water supply system of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the automatic water supply system of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the ice maker of this utility model;

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1. Water tank; 2. Water supply tank; 3. Ice maker; 4. Solenoid valve; 5. Water drain; 6. Ice basket; 7. Refrigeration unit; 21. Water outlet; 22. Column; 31. Water inlet; 32. Water outlet; 33. Ice scraper. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0027] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this utility model. Furthermore, in the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0028] An automatic water supply system and an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention are described with reference to Figures 1-3.

[0029] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 1-2, an automatic water supply system for an ice maker includes a water tank 1, a water supply trough 2, and an ice maker cylinder 3. The water tank 1 is installed on top of the ice maker, and the water supply trough 2 is located below the water tank 1. The opening of the water tank 1 is inserted downward into the water supply trough 2. The bottom of the water supply trough 2 is provided with a water outlet 21, which is connected to the water inlet 31 of the ice maker cylinder 3 through a pipe.

[0030] The opening of water tank 1 is set vertically downwards, and it fits perfectly into water supply tank 2.

[0031] Furthermore, the water tank 1 is detachably mounted on top of the ice maker, allowing the water tank to be removed from the machine for easy cleaning.

[0032] Furthermore, the installation height of the opening of the water tank 1 is above 1 / 2 of the height of the ice-making cylinder 3.

[0033] The water tank 1 is inserted into the water supply tank 2. The installation height of the water tank 1 opening is the horizontal height of the bottom of the water tank 1 opening. This horizontal height can be any horizontal height above 1 / 2 of the height of the ice maker 3.

[0034] In practice, the installation height of the opening of water tank 1 determines the liquid level in water supply tank 2. Water supply tank 2 and ice maker 3 form a communicating vessel structure, so the liquid level in ice maker 3 is consistent with the liquid level in water supply tank 2. Since the liquid level in ice maker 3 affects the ice-making effect, and if the liquid level is too low, there is a risk that the water in ice maker 3 will freeze, the installation height of the opening of water tank 1 can be designed as needed to control the liquid level in ice maker 3, thereby obtaining the ideal ice-making effect.

[0035] As one embodiment of this invention, the installation height of the opening of the water tank 1 can be set at the same level as 2 / 3, 7 / 10, 3 / 4, or 4 / 5 of the height of the ice maker 3.

[0036] In this embodiment, a leak-proof plug is provided on the opening of the water tank 1, and a vertically upward column 22 is provided in the water supply tank 2. When the water tank 1 is installed on the ice maker, the leak-proof plug is loosened by the column 22 so that the water in the water tank 1 flows into the water supply tank 2.

[0037] Since water tank 1 is installed on top of the ice maker with its opening facing downwards, a leak-proof plug needs to be installed at the opening of water tank 1 to prevent water in water tank 1 from spilling out during installation. The leak-proof plug can be made of elastic material, such as silicone plug or plastic plug.

[0038] In practice, when the water tank 1 is installed on the ice maker, the column 22 corresponds to the opening position of the water tank 1, so that the anti-leak plug at the opening of the water tank 1 can be opened, allowing the water in the water tank 1 to flow downward into the water supply tank 2.

[0039] In this embodiment, the automatic water supply system of the ice maker also includes a solenoid valve 4 and a water tank 5;

[0040] The drain outlet 32 ​​of the ice maker 3 is connected to the drain tank 5, and the drain outlet of the ice maker 3 is equipped with a solenoid valve 4, which is used to control the opening and closing of the drain outlet.

[0041] In this embodiment, the water inlet 31 is located above the lowest water level on one side of the inner cavity of the ice-making cylinder 3, and the position of the water inlet 31 is lower than that of the water outlet 21; the drain outlet 32 ​​is located at the lowest position on the other side of the inner cavity of the ice-making cylinder 3.

[0042] In this embodiment, the inner cavity of the ice-making cylinder 3 is provided with an ice scraper 33.

[0043] In ice-making mode, the ice scraper 33 is used to squeeze the made ice out of the ice-making cylinder 3; in cleaning mode, the ice scraper 33 inside the ice-making cylinder 3 rotates and stirs the water inside the ice-making cylinder 3, which can achieve the effect of cleaning the ice-making cylinder 3.

[0044] In this embodiment, the automatic water supply system of the ice maker also includes an ice basket 6, the upper end of which is connected to the ice outlet at the upper end of the ice cylinder 3.

[0045] The ice basket 6 has an open top, and the ice outlet at the top of the ice-making cylinder 3 is slightly higher than this open top. An inclined plate is provided between the two, and the made ice slides down the inclined plate into the ice basket 6. In practice, the ice basket 6 is used to receive and hold the made ice, that is, after the ice cup scraper 33 squeezes out the ice, it falls into the ice basket 6.

[0046] In practice, the automatic water supply system of the aforementioned ice maker operates as follows:

[0047] When preparing to make ice, water tank 1 is filled with water. The opening of water tank 1 is aligned with the water supply tank 2 and installed on top of the ice maker. The leak-proof plug on the opening of water tank 1 is loosened by the column 22 inside the water supply tank 2, and the water in water tank 1 flows down into the water supply tank 2. The water flows into the ice-making cylinder 3 through the outlet 21 and the inlet 31. At this time, the solenoid valve 4 is closed, that is, the drain outlet 31 on the ice-making cylinder 3 is disconnected, and the water cannot flow through. At this time, as shown in Figure 1, the water supply tank 2 and the ice-making cylinder 3 form a communicating vessel structure. The liquid level in the water supply tank 2 and the ice-making cylinder 3 will be at the same height and rise simultaneously until the water level in the water supply tank 2 is above the opening of water tank 1.

[0048] After ice making begins, the water in the ice-making cylinder 3 continuously cools and freezes. Under the action of the ice scraper 33, the ice blocks are pushed upwards and slide into the ice basket 6. After the water in the ice-making cylinder 3 is consumed and turns into ice, the water level in its inner cavity drops. At this time, the ice-making cylinder 3 and the water supply tank 2 are still in a communicating vessel structure. The water level in the water supply tank 2 also drops, and the opening of the water tank 1 is exposed above the water surface. The water in the water tank 1 will continue to flow into the water supply tank 2, and the water level in the water supply tank 2 and the ice-making cylinder 3 will rise until the water level in the water supply tank 2 is above the opening of the water tank 1, and the water in the water tank 1 stops flowing into the water supply tank 2.

[0049] The ice-making process repeats itself, with water tank 1 automatically adding water to the ice-making cylinder 3 until water tank 1 is moved or the water in water tank 1 is completely depleted.

[0050] When the water level in the water supply tank 2 is above the opening of the water tank 1, the water in the water tank 1 and the water in the water supply tank 2 can be considered as a whole. The liquid pressure at the water supply tank 2 is atmospheric pressure, and the air in the water tank 1 is in a closed space with constant pressure. Since the pressure at both liquid levels remains constant, the liquid levels also remain constant. However, when the water in the ice maker 3 is consumed, the liquid levels in the ice maker 3 and the water supply tank 2 drop simultaneously. The opening of the water tank 1 is exposed above the liquid level, and air enters the water tank 1 from the opening. The volume of air in the water tank 1 increases, and the water in the water tank 1 flows into the water supply tank 2. The liquid level in the water supply tank 2 rises and covers the opening of the water tank 1. The liquid levels in the water tank 1 and the water supply tank 2 then remain constant.

[0051] Since the liquid level inside the ice cylinder 3 affects the ice-making effect, if the liquid level is too high, the ice will be too wet, and if the liquid level is too low, there is a risk that the ice inside the ice cylinder 3 will freeze. The liquid level inside the ice cylinder 3 can be controlled by setting the installation height of the water tank 1 opening, thereby obtaining the ideal ice-making effect.

[0052] After ice making is complete, the solenoid valve 4 opens, and the drain outlet 32 ​​at the bottom of the ice cylinder 3 becomes a passage, allowing water to flow smoothly. The water in the ice cylinder 3 flows from the drain outlet 32 ​​into the water tank 5 below the ice maker until all the water in the ice cylinder 3 and the water supply tank 2 is drained.

[0053] In cleaning mode, water from water tank 1 flows into water supply tank 2 and ice cylinder 3. Solenoid valve 4 is closed, preventing water from flowing through drain outlet 32. The liquid levels in ice cylinder 3 and water supply tank 2 rise simultaneously. At the same time, the ice scraper 33 inside ice cylinder 3 rotates and agitates the water, effectively cleaning the ice cylinder 3. After a period of cleaning, solenoid valve 4 opens, draining the wastewater through drain outlet 32 ​​into the lower water tank 5. Throughout the process, water from water tank 1 continuously adds water to water supply tank 2 and ice cylinder 3 for cleaning until all water is drained into the lower water tank 5. Then, the ice scraper 33 stops rotating, solenoid valve 4 closes, and the cleaning process is complete.

[0054] In another embodiment, as shown in Figures 1-3, the present invention provides an ice maker that includes an automatic water supply system as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0055] In this embodiment, the ice maker further includes a refrigeration component 7, which is located below the ice-making cylinder 3 and is used to refrigerate the ice-making cylinder 3. Specifically, an evaporation tube communicating with the refrigeration component 7 is wound around the outer wall of the ice-making cylinder 3 to achieve refrigeration of the ice-making cylinder 3; a motor for driving the ice scraper rod 33 to rotate is also provided at the bottom of the ice-making cylinder 3.

[0056] The automatic water supply system of the ice maker according to the embodiments of this utility model, as well as other components and operation of the ice maker, are known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0057] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0058] In the description of this specification, references to the terms "embodiment," "specific embodiment," "example," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example that is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention.

[0059] In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the terms used do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined with each other in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples without interference or contradiction.

Claims

1. An automatic water supply waterway system of an ice maker, characterized by: The water tank (1), the water supply groove (2) and the ice making cylinder (3) are included. The water tank (1) is installed on the top of the ice maker, the water supply groove (2) is located below the water tank (1), and the opening of the water tank (1) is inserted into the water supply groove (2) downward. The bottom of the water supply groove (2) is provided with a water outlet (21), and the water outlet (21) is connected with the water inlet (31) of the ice making cylinder (3) through a pipeline.

2. The automatic water supply waterway system of an ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water tank (1) is detachably installed on the top of the ice maker.

3. The automatic water supply line system of the ice maker according to claim 2, wherein: The installation height of the opening of the water tank (1) is above the position of 1 / 2 of the height of the ice making cylinder (3).

4. The automatic water supply line system of the ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The opening of the water tank (1) is provided with a leakage prevention plug, the water supply groove (2) is provided with an upright column (22) upward, when the water tank (1) is installed on the ice maker, the leakage prevention plug is loosened by the upright column (22), so that the water in the water tank (1) flows into the water supply groove (2).

5. The automatic water supply line system of the ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The electromagnetic valve (4) and the lower water groove (5) are further included. The drain port (32) of the ice making cylinder (3) is connected with the lower water groove (5), and the electromagnetic valve (4) is arranged on the drain port of the ice making cylinder (3), and the electromagnetic valve (4) is used for controlling the on-off of the drain port.

6. The automatic water supply line system of the ice maker according to claim 5, wherein: The water inlet (31) is arranged above the lowest water level on one side of the inner cavity of the ice making cylinder (3), and the position of the water inlet (31) is lower than that of the water outlet (21). The drain port (32) is arranged at the lowest position on the other side of the inner cavity of the ice making cylinder (3).

7. The automatic water supply line system of the ice maker according to claim 6, wherein: The inner cavity of the ice making cylinder (3) is provided with an ice scraping rod (33).

8. The automatic water supply line system of the ice maker according to claim 1, wherein: The ice basket (6) is further included, and the upper end of the ice basket (6) is communicated with the ice outlet of the upper end of the ice making cylinder (3).

9. An ice maker characterized by: The automatic water supply waterway system of the ice maker as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 is included.

10. The ice maker of claim 9, wherein: The refrigeration assembly (7) is further included, and the refrigeration assembly (7) is arranged below the ice making cylinder (3) and is used for refrigerating the ice making cylinder (3).

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