Refrigerator

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of refrigeration devices, and in particular to a refrigerator. The refrigerator comprises: a refrigerator body, which is provided with a refrigeration compartment; a door, which is rotatably connected to the refrigerator body and is configured to open or close the refrigeration compartment; a refrigeration system, which is arranged in the refrigerator body and is configured to reduce the air temperature of the refrigeration compartment; and an ice maker, which is mounted on the door or the refrigerator body and is configured to make ice cubes. The ice maker comprises: an ice-making tray, which is configured to form ice cells for ice cubes; an air guide shell member, which is arranged above and covers the ice-making tray and encloses an air guide cavity with the ice-making tray; and an air supply duct, which is located above the side surface of the ice-making tray, and is configured such that cold air blown from an evaporator of the refrigeration system is delivered into the air guide shell member; at least one side edge of the ice-making tray is provided with an air guide gap, so that cold air in the air guide cavity is discharged downwards into a chamber below the ice-making tray; the air guide cavity covers all ice cells of the ice-making tray; and the air pressure in the air guide cavity is higher than the air pressure in the chamber below the ice-making tray.

Description

refrigerator

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 2025200396820, filed on January 7, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Some embodiments of this application relate to the field of refrigeration equipment technology, and more particularly to a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0004] Some refrigerators are equipped with ice makers that quickly produce ice to meet users' ice needs. In these technologies, the ice maker is located on the door, requiring cold air to be drawn from the refrigerator body. One method involves using an air duct to guide cold air from the refrigerator body into the ice maker, lowering the internal temperature and freezing the water in the ice tray to form ice. However, these ice makers have low ice-making efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Some embodiments of this application provide a refrigerator, which includes:

[0006] The enclosure includes a refrigeration compartment;

[0007] The door, rotatably connected to the housing, is configured to open or close the refrigeration compartment;

[0008] A refrigeration system, located inside the enclosure, is configured to reduce the air temperature in the refrigerated compartment;

[0009] An ice maker, installed on the door or the housing, is configured to make ice cubes; the ice maker includes:

[0010] An ice tray is constructed as an ice grid for forming ice blocks;

[0011] An air guide shell is provided above the ice-making tray and forms an air guide cavity with the ice-making tray;

[0012] An air supply duct is located above the side of the ice-making tray, and the air supply duct is configured to send cold air blown from the evaporator of the refrigeration system into the air guide shell.

[0013] At least one side of the ice-making tray is provided with an air guide gap so that the cold air in the air guide cavity can be discharged downward to the chamber below the ice-making tray;

[0014] The air guide cavity covers all the ice trays of the ice-making tray;

[0015] The air pressure inside the air guide cavity is higher than the air pressure in the chamber below the ice-making tray. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the implementation methods in some embodiments or related technologies of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of some embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure on the door provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0019] Figure 3 is a front view of the door and ice maker provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0020] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of AA in Figure 3;

[0021] Figure 5 is an enlarged schematic diagram of region P in Figure 4;

[0022] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of BB in Figure 3;

[0023] Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of an ice maker provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0024] Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of an ice maker provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0025] Figure 9 is a partial structural schematic diagram of an ice maker provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0026] Figure 10 is an exploded view of a portion of the structure of an ice maker provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 11 is a structural schematic diagram of a windbreak component provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0028] Figure 12 is a structural schematic diagram of a windbreak component provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a door provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0030] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the air supply duct provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0031] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the air supply duct provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0032] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the air supply duct provided in some embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To make the implementation methods and advantages of this application clearer, the exemplary implementation methods of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the exemplary embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described exemplary embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0034] In related technologies, the ice maker mounted on the door requires cold air to be drawn from the cabinet to the ice maker. One method is to use an evaporator connected to the refrigeration system on the cabinet side, utilizing the heat absorbed by refrigerant evaporation to lower the temperature and freeze the water in the ice tray into ice. Another method is to use an air duct to guide cold air from the cabinet into the ice maker to lower the internal temperature and freeze the water in the ice tray, thus achieving the ice-making function. In this method, an air supply duct is installed on the ice maker to guide cold air above the ice tray, and a return air duct expels the cold air from the ice tray, circulating repeatedly to freeze the water in the ice tray into ice. However, in these related technologies, the uneven distribution of cold air blown above the ice tray by the air supply duct results in inconsistent freezing speeds across the different ice compartments, affecting ice-making efficiency.

[0035] Researchers discovered that the lack of a guiding structure between the cold air outlet and the return air duct results in a higher volume of cold air at the location opposite the outlet of the supply air duct and a lower volume of cold air on the side of the supply air duct. To address this, researchers designed an ice maker with a guide cavity above the ice-making tray, connected to the supply air duct. A guide gap is also formed on at least one side of the ice-making tray, allowing cold air from the guide cavity to enter the return air duct through this gap. This buffers and disperses the cold air entering from the supply air duct within the guide cavity, improving the uniformity of cold air distribution above the ice-making tray and thus increasing ice-making efficiency. Furthermore, since the supply air duct is located on the side above the ice-making tray, the cold air must flow across the surface of the ice-making tray from the supply air duct to the guide gap, further improving the uniformity of cold air distribution above the ice tray.

[0036] The technical solutions of some embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0037] Referring to Figure 1, some embodiments of this application provide a refrigerator, which includes a cabinet 100. The cabinet 100 can be configured to form a refrigeration compartment 101 for storing items. In some embodiments, multiple refrigeration compartments 101 can be provided to expand the storage space. Depending on the storage temperature of the refrigeration compartment 101, the refrigeration compartment 101 can include at least one refrigerator compartment and at least one freezer compartment. The internal temperature of the refrigerator compartment can be maintained between approximately 0°C and 5°C for storing items in refrigeration mode; the internal temperature of the freezer compartment can be maintained between approximately -30°C and 0°C for storing items in freezing mode. In some embodiments, at least one refrigeration compartment 101 can also be configured as a vacuum chamber or a variable temperature chamber, etc., which will not be described in detail in some embodiments of this application.

[0038] In some embodiments, two refrigeration compartments 101 may be provided, which may be stacked vertically or arranged side by side horizontally. One of them may be a refrigerator compartment, and the other may be a freezer compartment. In some embodiments, the cabinet 100 may include an inner liner and a outer shell. The inner liner may be configured with the refrigeration compartments 101. The outer shell may be connected to the outside of the inner liner to form the appearance of the refrigerator. The cabinet 100 may also include a heat insulation layer, which may be disposed between the inner liner and the outer shell. The heat insulation layer can insulate the refrigeration compartments 101 to minimize heat exchange between the refrigeration compartments 101 and the outside of the refrigerator, thereby ensuring the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator.

[0039] The refrigerator in some embodiments of this application may further include a refrigeration system configured to provide cooling capacity to the cooling compartment 101. In some embodiments, the refrigeration system may be disposed within the cabinet 100. The refrigeration system may include a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device, and an evaporator connected in a cycle. When the refrigeration system is running, the compressor compresses refrigerant vapor to generate high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant vapor and delivers the refrigerant vapor to the condenser. The condenser liquefies the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant vapor to generate high-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant liquid and delivers it to the throttling device. The throttling device reduces the pressure of the refrigerant liquid, transforming the high-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant liquid into a low-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant liquid, and delivers it to the evaporator. The evaporator receives the low-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant liquid and boils it under isobaric conditions, absorbing heat and vaporizing to form refrigerant vapor, thereby reducing the temperature inside the cooling compartment 101. In some embodiments of this application, an evaporation chamber is constructed within the cabinet 100 to house the evaporator. Under the action of the fan, the refrigeration chamber 101 is connected to the evaporation chamber, so that air flows between the refrigeration chamber 101 and the evaporation chamber to reduce the temperature of the refrigeration chamber 101.

[0040] Referring again to FIG1, the refrigerator in some embodiments of this application may further include a door 200, which is rotatably connected to the cabinet 100 to open or close the refrigeration compartment 101. Each refrigeration compartment 101 may have one door 200; or, each refrigeration compartment 101 may have two doors 200, which can rotate in opposite directions to open or close the refrigeration compartment 101. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1 and FIG2, the door 200 may include a door liner 210. When the door 200 is closed, the door liner 210 faces the refrigeration compartment. The door 200 may include a door outer shell 220; the door outer shell 220 may be connected to the outside of the door liner 210 to form the appearance of the door 200. The door outer shell 220 may be rotatably connected to the cabinet 100 to allow the door 200 to open or close the refrigeration compartment. The door body 200 may also include a door insulation component, which can be disposed within the gap between the inner door liner 210 and the outer door shell 220. The door insulation component insulates the storage compartment to minimize heat exchange between the storage compartment and the outside of the refrigerator, thus ensuring the refrigerator's cooling effect. The door insulation component can be a foam layer.

[0041] The refrigerator in some embodiments of this application may further include an ice maker 300 for making ice. The ice maker 300 may be installed on the cabinet 100 or the door 200. For example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the ice maker 300 may be installed on the door 200 to minimize the space occupied by the ice maker 300 in the refrigeration compartment 101 used for storing items, thereby increasing the refrigerator's storage capacity. As another example, the ice maker 300 may be installed on the cabinet 100, which shortens the entry and return path of cold air.

[0042] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, and in conjunction with Figure 5, in some embodiments of this application, the ice maker 300 may include an ice tray 310. The ice tray 310 is configured to form an ice grid for forming ice cubes. When water is placed in the ice grid and the refrigeration system provides cooling to the ice tray 310, the water in the ice grid is frozen to form ice cubes. In some embodiments, the ice maker 300 may further include an air duct 320 configured to direct cold air from the evaporator of the refrigeration system into an air guide shell 340. In some embodiments, the refrigerator may further include a first air duct component configured to form a first air duct that connects the air guide chamber 301 and the evaporation chamber. Under the action of a fan, cold air in the evaporation chamber enters the air inlet duct through the first air duct and then enters the air guide shell 340 to lower the temperature of the ice tray 310, causing the water in the ice grid to freeze to form ice cubes. In some embodiments, the air supply duct 320 is located above the side of the ice tray 310, which can prevent the air supply duct 320 from facing some ice grids and causing uneven distribution of cold air on the ice tray 310; moreover, the air supply duct 320 being located above the ice tray 310 allows the cold air to flow downwards and cover the ice tray 310.

[0043] Referring to Figures 4 and 5, in some embodiments of this application, the ice maker 300 may further include an air guide shell 340, which covers the ice-making tray 310 and encloses the ice-making tray 310 to form an air guide cavity 301. An air guide gap is provided on at least one side of the ice-making tray 310 to allow cold air in the air guide cavity 301 to be discharged downwards into the chamber below the ice-making tray 310. Thus, cold air in the air supply duct 320 can enter the air guide cavity 301 and contact the ice-making tray 310, freezing the water in the ice-making tray 310 to form ice. Then, through the air guide gap 302, the cold air in the air guide cavity 301 is discharged downwards into the chamber below the ice-making tray 310. The air guide gap 302 restricts and guides the outflow of cold air from the air guide cavity 301, promoting the uniform distribution of cold air across all ice trays. Furthermore, the entry of cold air from the larger-capacity air guide cavity 301 into the air guide gap 302 may induce turbulence, which helps to mix and homogenize the cold air. The air guide gap 302 can be formed at the edge of the ice-making tray 310, thus facilitating its installation and processing. The air guide gap 302 can be formed by the ice-making tray 310 and the air guide shell 340, thus avoiding the influence of the cavity wall of the air guide cavity 301 on the movement of the ice-making tray 310. In some embodiments, the air guide cavity 301 is relatively sealed, which means that cold air enters the air guide cavity 301 through the air supply duct 320 and flows out of the air guide cavity 301 through the air guide gap 302. Due to connections, structure, etc., there may be limited cold air leakage at other locations in the air guide cavity 301, which does not affect the entry of cold air into the air guide cavity 301 through the air supply duct 320 and the flow out of the air guide cavity 301 through the air guide gap 302. Furthermore, the air guide cavity 301 communicates with the chamber below the ice-making tray 310 through the air guide gap 302, and the air guide cavity 301 does not communicate with the chamber below the ice-making tray 310 through any other location. In some embodiments of this application, the chamber below the ice-making tray 310 may be formed by enclosing other housings of the ice maker 300. The cavity wall of the chamber below the ice-making tray 310 may be connected to a return air duct component 330, which is configured to blow the cold air from the chamber below the ice-making tray 310 back to the evaporator. The chamber below the ice-making tray 310 may be equipped with structures such as an ice-crushing mechanism and an ice storage tank. The ice-crushing mechanism is used to crush the ice in the ice-making tray 310 to form ice blocks; the ice storage tank is used to store the ice blocks.

[0044] In some embodiments of this application, it should be understood that the term "relatively sealed" does not mean absolute airtightness or vacuum sealing, but has a specific functional meaning. Specifically, "relatively sealed" refers to the enclosing structure of the air guide cavity being functionally sufficient to achieve one or more of the following technical effects: The main function of the enclosing structure is to establish an airflow path for the cold air entering from the air supply duct, flowing from the inlet end (air supply duct side) to the preset outlet end (first air guide gap and / or other air guide gap side). This sealing degree is sufficient to ensure that the vast majority of the cold air can follow this preset path to achieve effective and uniform coverage and cooling of the ice-making tray surface. This sealing degree is sufficient to establish and maintain an effective and stable air pressure difference between the inside of the air guide cavity and the chamber below the air guide cavity. This pressure difference is the driving force that propels the cold air to flow downward through the air guide gap and across the ice-making tray. "Relatively sealed" allows and covers minor cold air leakage caused by normal assembly tolerances between components, structural connections (e.g., snaps, screw hole perimeters), slight permeability of the material itself, or non-intentional micro-leakage that occurs after long-term use. In other words, as long as such minute, non-functional leakage does not fundamentally disrupt the main flow path or cause the effective pressure gradient to be unsustainable, the structure should be considered to fall within the definition of "relatively sealed" in some embodiments of this application.

[0045] In some embodiments of this application, the air guide shell 340 covers all the ice trays of the ice-making tray 310, so that the air guide cavity 301 covers all the ice trays of the ice-making tray 310. This allows the cold air in the air guide cavity 301 to cover all the ice trays, improving the uniformity of cooling to all the ice trays and thus improving ice-making efficiency. The air guide cavity 301 covering all the ice trays of the ice-making tray 310 can be understood as all the ice trays of the ice-making tray 310 being located within the air guide cavity 301. The air pressure in the air guide cavity 301 is higher than the air pressure in the lower chamber of the ice-making tray 310, thus creating a pressure difference between the air guide cavity 301 above the ice-making tray 310 and the lower chamber of the ice-making tray 310. This promotes the flow of cold air from the upper to the lower part of the ice-making tray 310, thereby facilitating the flow of cold air through the air outlet gaps across all the ice trays on the entire surface of the ice-making tray 310 and improving the uniformity of cold air distribution across all the ice trays on the ice-making tray 310. Furthermore, the pressure difference-driven airflow helps reduce the temperature gradient between the surface of the ice tray 310 and the area beneath it, allowing the entire surface of the ice tray 310 to reach the required low temperature more uniformly, thus improving ice quality and consistency. Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the dotted lines with arrows roughly indicate the direction of gas flow. With this configuration, since the air supply duct 320 is located above the ice tray 310, the cold air supplied by the air supply duct 320 into the air guide cavity 301 is blown towards the air guide cavity 301 above the ice tray 310. Under the influence of gravity and natural diffusion, the cold air flows downwards and covers all the ice grids of the ice tray 310. Combined with the guiding effect of the air guide gap 302, the cold air is guided to the edge of the ice tray 310 after reaching its surface, further balancing the distribution of cold air across all the ice grids.

[0046] With the above configuration, the ice maker 300 in some embodiments of this application forms ice trays for ice making by setting an ice making tray 310, and sends cold air blown from the evaporator into the air guide shell 340 by setting an air supply duct 320; the air guide shell 340 covers the ice making tray 310 and forms an air guide cavity 301 with the ice making tray 310. The air guide cavity 301 covers all the ice trays of the ice making tray 310. The air guide cavity 301 plays a role in buffering, mixing and diffusing the cold air sent in by the air supply duct 320, thereby improving the uniformity of cold air distribution on all ice trays, improving the consistency of freezing rate of all ice trays, and thus improving ice making efficiency. An air guide gap 302 is provided on at least one side of the ice tray 310, so that the cold air in the air guide cavity 301 is discharged downward to the chamber below the ice tray 310. In this way, a larger volume of cold air in the air guide cavity 301 enters the chamber below the ice tray 310 through the air guide gap 302. The air guide gap 302 guides and restricts the cold air, making the distribution of cold air on all ice grids of the ice tray 310 more uniform. Moreover, the air pressure in the air guide cavity 301 is higher than the air pressure in the chamber below the ice tray 310. A pressure difference is formed between the air guide cavity 301 above the ice tray 310 and the chamber below the ice tray 310, which can promote the flow of cold air from the top of the ice tray 310 to the bottom of the ice tray 310. This facilitates the flow of cold air through the air outlet gap across all ice grids on the entire surface of the ice tray 310, improving the uniformity of cold air distribution on all ice grids of the ice tray 310.

[0047] In some embodiments of this application, referring to FIG6, the air guide shell 340 includes a first plate portion 341 and a second plate portion 342, which are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart along a first direction. The first direction may correspond to the X-axis direction in FIG6, and may be parallel to the length direction of the ice-making tray 310; that is, the first direction is the length direction of the ice-making tray 310. The ice-making tray 310 is installed between the first plate portion 341 and the second plate portion 342. In some embodiments, the ice-making tray 310 is rotatably installed between the first plate portion 341 and the second plate portion 342 to facilitate the ice removal by flipping the ice-making tray 310. In some embodiments of this application, the first plate portion 341 is provided with a first opening to allow the air supply duct 320 to communicate with the air guide cavity 301. The air supply duct 320 is located on the side of the first plate portion 341 opposite to the second plate portion 342 and is fixedly connected to the first plate portion 341. In some embodiments, the air supply duct 320 can be snapped into the first plate portion 341, making the assembly of the air supply duct 320 and the first plate portion 341 simple. The port of the air supply duct 320 is opposite to the first opening, so that the air supply duct 320 communicates with the air guide cavity 301 through the first opening, thereby allowing the air supply duct 320 to deliver cold air into the air guide cavity 301.

[0048] In some embodiments, the end of the air supply duct 320 extends into the first opening and is flush with the inner side of the first plate portion 341 facing the second plate portion 342. This can improve the airtightness of the connection between the air supply duct 320 and the first plate portion 341, reduce the possibility of air leakage at the air supply duct 320 and the first opening, and also prevent the air supply duct 320 from extending into the air guide cavity 301 and affecting the uniformity of the distribution of cold air in the air guide cavity 301. Therefore, in some embodiments of this application, the air guide shell 340 is provided with a first plate portion 341 and a second plate portion 342, so that the ice tray 310 is installed between the first plate portion 341 and the second plate portion 342; a first opening is provided on the first plate portion 341, so that the air supply duct 320 communicates with the air guide cavity 301 through the first opening. The air supply duct 320 is located on the side of the first plate portion 341 away from the second plate portion 342, so that the air supply duct 320 is located on the outside of the air guide cavity 301, so that the cold air in the air supply duct 320 enters from the side of the air guide cavity 301, avoiding the air supply duct 320 extending into the air guide cavity 301 and affecting the uniformity of the cold air distribution in the air guide cavity 301.

[0049] In some embodiments of this application, a first air guide gap 3021 is formed between the ice tray 310 and the second plate portion 342. The air guide gap 302 includes the first air guide gap 3021. The first air guide gap 3021 can extend along a second direction, which can be perpendicular to the first direction. The second direction can correspond to the Y-axis direction in FIG6. In some embodiments, the two ends of the first air guide gap 3021 along the second direction protrude beyond the two ends of the ice tray 310 along the second direction, such that the length of the first air guide gap 3021 along the second direction exceeds the length of the ice tray 310 along the second direction. This not only increases the air outlet area to increase the flow rate of cold air, but also allows the cold air on the ice tray 310 to flow out dispersedly through the first air guide gap 3021, ensuring the flow of cold air on the ice grids at the edge of the ice tray 310, and ensuring that the cold air can flow over all the ice grid surfaces to improve the uniformity of cooling. In some embodiments of this application, a first air guide gap 3021 is formed between the ice-making tray 310 and the second plate portion 342, such that the first air guide gap 3021 is located on the side of the ice-making tray 310 away from the air supply duct 320. This helps to guide the cold air to flow through and cover all the ice grids of the ice-making tray 310, improving the uniformity of the cold air distribution on all the ice grids. By forming the first air guide gap 3021, the flow path of the cold air can be better controlled, allowing the cold air supplied by the air supply duct 320 to cross the ice-making tray 310 and enter the cavity below the ice-making tray 310 from the first air guide gap 3021. This helps to increase the flow path of the cold air in the air guide cavity 301, thereby improving the uniformity of the cold air distribution in the air guide cavity 301.

[0050] In some possible embodiments of this application, the ice maker 300 may further include a drive component 370 configured to drive the ice-making tray 310 to rotate. Thus, when water in the ice compartment of the ice-making tray 310 freezes, the drive component 370 drives the ice-making tray 310 to rotate and twist, causing ice cubes to fall out of the ice-making tray 310. Referring to FIG7, in some embodiments, the drive component 370 is fixed to the side of the first plate portion 341 facing the second plate portion 342, thereby positioning the drive component 370 within the air guide cavity 301. The drive component 370 and the first plate portion 341 can be relatively sealed to prevent cold air from flowing to the chamber below the cooling plate without passing through it. A second air guide gap 3022 is formed between the drive component 370 and the ice-making tray 310. In some embodiments of this application, placing the drive component 370 within the air guide cavity 301 results in a compact structure, regular appearance, and ease of assembly for the ice maker 300. Furthermore, the arrangement of the drive component 370 creates a gap between the port of the air supply duct 320 and the ice-making tray 310, which allows the cold air supplied by the air supply duct 320 to first diffuse and distribute through the air guide cavity 301 above the drive component 370, thereby improving the uniformity of the cold air distribution in the ice-making tray 310.

[0051] Referring to Figure 8, in some embodiments, the driving component 370 is fixed to the side of the first plate portion 341 opposite to the second plate portion 342. Thus, the driving component 370 is located outside the air guide cavity 301, and a second air guide gap 3022 is formed between the first plate portion 341 and the ice-making tray 310. A through hole is provided on the first plate portion 341 so that the driving component 370 can pass through the through hole and connect to the ice-making tray 310 to drive the ice-making tray 310 to rotate. In some embodiments of this application, placing the driving component outside the air guide cavity 301 makes the space inside the air guide cavity 301 regular, ensuring smooth flow of cold air and facilitating uniform distribution of cold air; it also reduces end turbulence that may be caused by placing the driving component inside the air guide cavity 301; and it avoids the influence of cold air on the driving component 370, thus extending the service life of the driving component 370.

[0052] In some embodiments of this application, the air guide gap 302 includes a second air guide gap 3022, the extension direction of which may be the same as the extension direction of the first air guide gap 3021. In some embodiments, the two ends of the second air guide gap 3022 protrude from the two ends of the ice tray 310 along the second direction, such that the length of the second air guide gap 3022 along the second direction exceeds the length of the ice tray 310 along the second direction. This not only increases the air outlet area to increase the flow rate of cold air, but also allows the cold air on the ice tray 310 to flow out dispersedly through the second air guide gap 3022, ensuring the flow of cold air on the ice grids at the edge of the ice tray 310, so as to ensure that the cold air can flow through all the ice grid surfaces and improve the uniformity of cooling. Thus, by forming a second air guide gap 3022 on the side of the ice-making tray 310 near the air supply duct 320, cold air is guided through the second air guide gap 3022 into the chamber below the ice-making tray 310, reducing the problem of uneven cold air distribution on the side of the ice-making tray 310 near the air supply duct 320 due to poor gas flow. Furthermore, in some embodiments of this application, the ice-making tray 310 is provided with a first air guide gap 3021 and a second air guide gap 3022 on both sides along the first direction, which increases the position and volume of cold air entering the chamber below the ice-making tray 310 from the air guide cavity 301, increasing the speed at which cold air blows across the surface of the ice-making tray 310, thereby increasing the ice-making rate. Moreover, cold air above the ice-making tray 310 can flow downwards from opposite sides of the ice-making tray 310 out of the air guide cavity 301, thereby guiding cold air to flow through the ice-making tray 310 from different directions, further improving the uniformity of cold air distribution across all ice grids on the ice-making tray 310.

[0053] In some embodiments of this application, the spacing dimension of the first air guide gap 3021 along the first direction is larger than the spacing dimension of the second air guide gap 3022 along the first direction. This results in a larger spacing dimension for the first air guide gap 3021 and a smaller spacing dimension for the second air guide gap 3022. When the lengths of the first air guide gap 3021 and the second air guide gap 3022 are the same, the air outlet area of ​​the first air guide gap 3021 is larger, and the air outlet area of ​​the second air guide gap 3022 is smaller. The larger spacing dimension of the first air guide gap 3021 means that it has lower airflow resistance, reducing the resistance of cold air passing through it. This allows more cold air in the air guide cavity 301 to flow towards the first air guide gap 3021, which helps to achieve a more uniform cooling effect across the entire ice-making tray 310 surface and prevents cold air from becoming too concentrated in the area near the air supply duct 320. In some embodiments of this application, the length of the first air guide gap 3021 is the same as the length of the second air guide gap 3022. By setting the width of the first air guide gap 3021 to be greater than the width of the second air guide gap 3022, the air outlet area of ​​the first air guide gap 3021 is greater than the air outlet area of ​​the second air guide gap 3022. Here, the length is the dimension of the air guide gap along the second direction, and the width is the dimension of the air guide gap along the first direction. Since the ice-making tray 310 is usually a regular rectangular tray, this arrangement simplifies the structure within the air guide cavity 301, facilitates the formation of the first air guide gap 3021 and the second air guide gap 3022, and also allows the air outlet areas of the first air guide gap 3021 and the second air guide gap 3022 to be different. Of course, in some embodiments, the first air guide gap 3021 and the second air guide gap can be set to have different lengths, or the first air guide gap 3021 and the second air guide gap 3022 can be set to have different lengths and widths, so that the air outlet areas of the first air guide gap 3021 and the second air guide gap 3022 are different.

[0054] Referring again to Figure 6, in some embodiments of this application, the air guide shell 340 may further include a third plate portion 343 and a fourth plate portion 344, which are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart along a second direction. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the plane defined by the second and first directions is perpendicular to the depth direction of the ice-making tray 310. The second direction may correspond to the Y-axis direction in Figure 6, that is, the width direction of the ice-making tray. The third plate portion 343 and the fourth plate portion 344 have two ends along the first direction. One end of the third plate portion 343 and the fourth plate portion 344 along the first direction is connected to the first plate portion 341, and the other end of the third plate portion 343 and the fourth plate portion 344 along the first direction is connected to the second plate portion 342. Thus, the first plate portion 341, the second plate portion 342, the third plate portion 343, and the fourth plate portion 344 enclose and form an annular structure, which is open at both ends along the depth direction of the ice-making tray 310. In conjunction with Figures 4 and 5, the depth direction of the ice tray 310 corresponds to the Z-axis direction in the figure, which is the height direction of the door 200.

[0055] In some embodiments, the air guide housing 340 may further include a top plate portion 345, which is fixed to the top of the first plate portion 341, the second plate portion 342, the third plate portion 343, and the fourth plate portion 344. The top plate portion 345 can be fixed to the top of the first plate portion 341, the second plate portion 342, the third plate portion 343, and the fourth plate portion 344 by means of screws, snap-fitting, or other methods. In some embodiments, the top plate portion 345 may be integrally formed with at least one of the first plate portion 341, the second plate portion 342, the third plate portion 343, and the fourth plate portion 344. For example, the top plate portion 345 may be a single integrally formed part with the first plate portion 341 and the second plate portion 342. This improves the structural strength of the air guide housing 340 and reduces the connection gaps in the air guide housing 340, thereby improving the airtightness of the air guide cavity 301. The top plate 345 and the ice tray 310 are spaced apart along the depth direction of the ice tray 310. The top plate 345, the first plate 341, the second plate 342, the third plate 343, the fourth plate 344, and the ice tray 310 together form an air guide cavity 301. In some embodiments of this application, the air guide shell 340 is provided with the third plate 343, the fourth plate 344, and the top plate 345, which together with the first plate 341 and the second plate 342 form a downward-opening chamber. The top plate 345 and the ice tray 310 are opposite to each other along the depth direction of the ice tray 310 and are spaced apart. Thus, the air guide shell 340 and the ice tray 310 enclose the air guide cavity 301, which diffuses and distributes the cold air delivered by the air supply duct 320, improving the uniformity of the cold air distribution on all ice grids on the ice tray 310.

[0056] Referring again to Figure 6, in some embodiments of this application, third air guide gaps 3023 are formed between the ice tray 310 and the third plate portion 343, and between the ice tray 310 and the fourth plate portion 344. The air guide gap 302 includes the third air guide gap 3023. The third air guide gap 3023 can extend along a first direction. The two ends of the third air guide gap 3023 along the first direction protrude from the two ends of the ice tray 310 along the first direction, such that the length of the third air guide gap 3023 along the first direction exceeds the length of the ice tray 310 along the first direction. This not only increases the air outlet area to increase the flow rate of cold air, but also allows the cold air on the ice tray 310 to be dispersed through the third air guide gap 3023, ensuring the flow of cold air on the ice grid at the edge of the ice tray 310. The two ends of the third air guide gap 3023 extending along the first direction can be connected to the first air guide gap 3021 and the second air guide gap 3022 respectively. In this way, the two third air guide gaps 3023, the first air guide gap 3021 and the second air guide gap 3022 form an annular air outlet gap, which allows cold air to be drawn out from all four edges of the ice making tray 310, thus eliminating the edge effect and ensuring that the ice cubes at the edges of the ice making tray 310 are cooled in the same way as the ice cubes in the middle. Moreover, the annular air outlet gap allows the cold air in the air guide cavity 301 to flow out from all directions of the ice making tray 310, ensuring that all ice cubes on the ice making tray 310 have cold air flowing through them, thereby improving the uniformity of cold air distribution and thus improving ice making efficiency and consistency.

[0057] In some embodiments of this application, the spacing of the third air guide gap 3023 gradually increases along the second direction from the first plate portion 341 to the second plate portion 342. That is, the spacing of the third air guide gap 3023 gradually increases along the direction away from the air supply duct 320, resulting in a gradual decrease in the resistance of the third air guide gap 3023 and a gradual increase in the outflow of cold air. In other words, the further away from the air supply duct 320, the more cold air flows out of the third air guide gap 3023, which increases the flow path of the cold air within the air guide cavity 301, making the cold air more dispersed within the air guide cavity 301, thereby improving the uniformity of the cold air distribution across all ice grids on the ice maker tray 310. In some embodiments, the air guide housing 340 can be formed from the outer shell portion of the ice maker 300, thus making the air guide housing 340 compact and easy to install. In some embodiments, when the ice maker 300 is installed on the door 200, the air guide shell 340 may include at least a portion of the outer shell of the ice maker 300 and a portion of the inner door liner 210, thereby reducing the overall volume of the ice maker 300 and the installation space occupied by the ice maker 300. In some embodiments, the first plate portion 341, the second plate portion 342, the third plate portion 343, the fourth plate portion 344, and the top plate portion 345 of the air guide shell 340 may be formed separately from the outer shell portion of the ice maker 300, may be formed separately from the inner door liner 210, or may be formed together from the outer shell portion of the ice maker 300 and the inner door liner 210.

[0058] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, describes the specific structure of the air guide housing 340 in some embodiments. It should be understood that this is an exemplary description of the air guide housing 340 and not a limitation on the specific structure of the air guide housing 340.

[0059] Referring to Figure 2, in some embodiments, the inner liner 210 is recessed away from the refrigeration chamber 101 to form a recessed mounting portion 211. An ice maker 300 is mounted in the recessed mounting portion 211, allowing the ice maker 300 to be embedded in the door body 200, facilitating the retrieval of ice without opening the door body 200 through structural arrangement. Referring to Figures 2 and 13, the recessed mounting portion 211 may include a top sidewall 2111 and a bottom sidewall 2114 that are opposite to each other and spaced apart along the height direction of the door body 200. The mounting portion may also include a first sidewall 2112 and a second sidewall 2113 that are opposite to each other and spaced apart along the width direction of the door body 200. The first sidewall 2112 is located near the hinge side between the door body 200 and the housing 100. The top sidewall 2111, bottom sidewall 2114, first sidewall 2112, and second sidewall 2113 together enclose an annular chamber. The recessed mounting portion 211 may further include an outer side wall 2115, which faces the rear wall of the refrigeration chamber 101 when the door 200 closes the refrigeration chamber 101. The outer side wall 2115 is connected to the top side wall 2111, the bottom side wall 2114, the first side wall 2112, and the second side wall 2113, respectively. In some embodiments, the outer side wall 2115, the top side wall 2111, the bottom side wall 2114, the first side wall 2112, and the second side wall 2113 are integrally formed, which facilitates the integral forming of the door liner 210 and simplifies processing. A gap exists between the bottom of the ice tray 310 and the bottom side wall 2114, forming a chamber below the ice tray 310.

[0060] In some embodiments, the refrigerator may include an ice-making door, which is installed on the side of the recessed mounting portion 211 facing the refrigeration compartment 101 to cover the ice maker 300 and other structures inside the recessed mounting portion 211. In some embodiments of this application, an air supply duct 320 is installed on a first side wall 2112, and a first opening is provided on the inner side of the first side wall 2112 facing the second side wall 2113; a second opening is formed on the outer side of the first side wall 2112 away from the second side wall 2113, and the air supply duct 320 is installed between the first opening and the second opening. The second opening is used to communicate with the first air duct inside the cabinet 100, and a sealing ring may be provided at the edge of the second opening to improve the sealing performance of the connection between the first side wall 2112 and the first air duct component. In this way, cold air in the evaporation chamber enters the air supply duct 320 through the first air duct and the second opening, and then enters the air guide shell 340. The second opening is spaced from the top of the door 200, which ensures the structural strength and stability of the door 200 and facilitates the connection between the second opening and the first air duct on the side of the housing 100. In some embodiments, the return air duct component 330 is installed on the first side wall 2112, which facilitates shortening the return air path.

[0061] Referring to Figures 9 and 10, in some embodiments, the ice maker 300 may include an ice tray shell 350, wherein the ice tray shell 350 has openings on both sides along the depth direction of the ice tray 310, facilitating the installation and maintenance of the ice tray 310. The ice tray shell 350 is fixed to the recessed mounting portion 211, for example, by screws, ensuring stable and reliable installation of the ice maker 300. The ice tray 310 is rotatably mounted inside the ice tray shell 350, facilitating the rotation and ice removal of the ice tray 310. A gap exists between the top of the ice tray shell 350 and the top of the recessed mounting portion 211, allowing for the placement of electrical connection terminals, a water inlet mechanism for the ice tray 310, etc., above the ice tray shell 350; it also creates a diffusion space above the ice tray shell 350 with an area larger than that of the ice tray 310, facilitating the diffusion and distribution of cold air.

[0062] Referring again to Figures 4 and 9, in some embodiments, the first opening is located above the ice tray shell 350, so that the air duct 320 blows air towards the air guide cavity 301 above the ice tray shell 350. Under the influence of gravity and natural diffusion, the cold air flows towards the ice-making tray 310 inside the ice tray shell 350, facilitating the diffusion and distribution of the cold air and helping to improve the uniformity of cold air distribution across all ice compartments. In some embodiments, referring to Figures 9 and 10, the ice maker 300 may further include a baffle 360, located on the side of the ice-making tray 310 facing the refrigeration chamber 101, and fixedly connected to the ice tray shell 350 and the recessed mounting portion 211. The ice tray shell 350, the baffle 360, and the recessed mounting portion 211 together enclose the air guide cavity 301; the air guide shell 340 includes portions of the ice tray shell 350, the baffle 360, and the recessed mounting portion 211.

[0063] In some embodiments of this application, the air guide shell 340, by providing an ice tray shell 350, allows the ice tray 310 to be installed inside the ice tray shell 350, facilitating the overall assembly of the ice tray shell 350 and the ice tray 310 into the recessed mounting portion 211. The top ends of the ice tray shell 350 and the recessed mounting portion 211 are spaced apart, which allows for the provision of installation positions for the electrical connection terminals of the ice maker 300 and the water inlet mechanism of the ice tray 310. It also allows the cold air delivered by the air duct 320 to diffuse and distribute in the space above the ice tray shell 350 before flowing to the surface of the ice tray 310, helping to improve the uniformity of the cold air distribution across all ice grids on the ice tray 310. In some embodiments of this application, the air guide shell 340, by providing a baffle 360, seals the side of the air guide cavity 301 facing the refrigeration chamber 101, and also facilitates the disassembly of the baffle 360 ​​for maintenance of the ice tray 310, drive components 370, etc.

[0064] In the above structure, the shell plate of the ice tray shell 350 facing the air supply duct 320 along the first direction is connected to the first side wall 2112, and the two are relatively sealed. The shell plate of the ice tray shell 350 facing the air supply duct 320 along the first direction and the first side wall 2112 above it together form the first plate portion 341 of the air guide shell 340. A first air guide gap 3021 is formed between the shell plate of the ice tray shell 350 facing the air supply duct 320 along the first direction and the ice making tray 310. The shell plate of the ice tray shell 350 away from the air supply duct 320 along the first direction is connected to the second side wall 2113, and the two are relatively sealed. The shell plate of the ice tray shell 350 away from the air supply duct 320 along the first direction and the second side wall 2113 above it together form the second plate portion 342 of the air guide shell 340. Since the drive component 370 is located inside the ice tray shell 350, a second air guide gap 3022 is formed between the drive component 370 and the ice-making tray 310. The shell plate of the ice tray shell 350 facing away from the wind deflector 360 along the second direction is connected to the outer wall 2115, and the two are relatively sealed. The shell plate of the ice tray shell 350 facing away from the wind deflector 360 along the second direction and its upper outer wall 2115 together form the third plate portion 343 of the air guide shell 340. The shell plate of the ice tray shell 350 facing the wind deflector 360 along the second direction is connected to the wind deflector 360, and the connection is relatively sealed. The shell plate of the ice tray shell 350 facing the wind deflector 360 along the second direction and the wind deflector 360 together form the fourth plate portion 344 of the air guide shell 340. A third air guide gap 3023 is formed between the two shell plates of the ice tray shell 350 along the second direction and the ice-making tray 310. The top sidewall 2111 of the recessed mounting portion 211 forms the top plate portion 345 of the air guide shell 340.

[0065] With the above configuration, the ice-making tray 310 and the drive component 370 are installed inside the ice tray shell 350, forming an ice-making assembly that facilitates overall installation, disassembly, and maintenance. The air guide cavity 301 includes a first cavity and a second cavity that are connected. The first cavity is formed by the ice tray shell 350 and the ice-making tray 310, while the second cavity is located at the upper part of the ice tray shell 350 and is formed by a portion of the side wall of the recessed mounting portion 211. An air supply duct 320 is disposed on the first side wall 2112 of the second cavity. Thus, the cold air supplied by the air supply duct 320 first enters the second cavity, diffuses within the second cavity, and flows towards the first cavity inside the ice tray shell 350. This ensures that the air guide cavity 301 covers all ice grids of the ice-making tray 310, helping to improve the uniformity of cold air distribution across all ice grids. Furthermore, since the drive component 370 is installed inside the ice tray shell 350, the projected area of ​​the second cavity in the first plane is larger than the projected area of ​​the ice tray 310 in the first plane. This allows the second cavity to cover all the ice trays of the ice tray 310, ensuring that all ice trays are covered by cold air for freezing. Moreover, as the cold air from the second cavity flows towards the surface of the ice tray 310, it has the effect of converging the cold air towards the ice tray 310, further ensuring that all ice trays are covered by cold air. The first plane is the plane defined by the first direction and the second direction, which can correspond to the XY plane in Figure 9.

[0066] Referring again to Figures 11, 12, and 13, the wind deflector 360 may include a wind deflector plate 361. The wind deflector plate 361 and the outer side wall 2115 of the recessed mounting portion 211 are opposite to each other in a second direction and are spaced apart. The wind deflector plate 361 closes the side of the air guide cavity 301 opposite to the outer side wall 2115. The wind deflector 360 may include a top flange 362, which is connected to the top end of the wind deflector plate 361 and located on the side of the wind deflector plate 361 opposite to the air guide cavity 301. The top flange 362 abuts against the top side wall 2111 of the recessed mounting portion 211, so that the top of the wind deflector 360 and the top side wall 2111 form a surface contact, which helps to improve the airtightness of the air guide cavity 301. In some embodiments, the top flange 362 and the top side wall 2111 are fixedly connected by screws, which helps to improve the reliability and stability of the installation of the wind deflector 360. In some embodiments, the wind deflector 360 may further include a side flange 363, which is connected to the side of the wind deflector portion 361 opposite to the air supply duct 320 and located on the side of the wind deflector portion 361 opposite to the air guide cavity 301. The side flange 363 is opposite to the second sidewall 2113 of the recessed mounting portion 211, and the side flange 363 abuts against the second sidewall 2113, so that the side of the wind deflector 360 along the first direction forms a surface contact with the second sidewall 2113, which helps to improve the airtightness of the air guide cavity 301. In some embodiments, the side flange 363 and the second sidewall 2113 are fixedly connected by screws, which helps to further improve the reliability and stability of the installation of the wind deflector 360.

[0067] Referring again to Figure 13, in some embodiments, a protruding fixing portion 2116 is formed on the side of the first sidewall 2112 facing the air guide cavity 301. The fixing portion 2116 is used to fix the wind deflector 360. The end of the wind deflector portion 361 of the wind deflector 360 away from the side flange 363 along the first direction contacts the fixing portion 2116, further improving the airtightness of the air guide cavity 301. The end of the wind deflector portion 361 away from the side flange 363 along the first direction is fixedly connected to the fixing portion 2116, for example, by screw connection, so that the top side of the wind deflector portion 361 and both sides along the first direction are fixedly connected to the door liner 210, which not only improves the reliability and stability of the installation of the wind deflector 360, but also helps to balance the uniformity of the force on the wind deflector 360, reducing the deformation caused by uneven force on the wind deflector 360, which in turn affects the airtightness of the air guide cavity 301.

[0068] Referring again to Figure 11, in some embodiments, the windbreak 360 may further include reinforcing ribs 364, which are connected to the top flange 362 and the windbreak portion 361 respectively, thereby improving the structural strength of the windbreak 360. Of course, multiple reinforcing ribs 364 may be provided, and these multiple reinforcing ribs 364 may be arranged at intervals along the first direction to further improve the structural strength of the windbreak 360.

[0069] Referring to Figures 9, 10, and 12, in some embodiments, a buckle 365 is provided on the wind deflector portion 361. The buckle 365 is located on the side of the wind deflector portion 361 facing the air guide cavity 301, and at the bottom end of the wind deflector portion 361. The buckle 365 engages with the ice tray shell 350, initially fixing the wind deflector 360 and the ice tray shell 350, providing initial positioning for the fixed connection between the wind deflector 360 and the door inner liner 210, and improving the ease of assembly of the wind deflector 360. Moreover, the engagement between the wind deflector 360 and the ice tray shell 350 ensures a stable connection between them, guaranteeing the airtightness between them. Furthermore, the wind deflector 360 is fixed on both sides along the first direction and on both sides along the height direction of the door body 200, further improving the stability of the wind deflector 360 installation. In some embodiments, the snap fastener 365 may include a connecting arm and a snap-fit ​​connector. The connecting arm connects the snap-fit ​​connector and the wind deflector portion 361. The snap-fit ​​connector is located below the connecting arm and snaps into the ice tray shell 350. In some embodiments, multiple snap fasteners 365 may be provided, and the multiple snap fasteners 365 may be spaced apart along a first direction. A mating plate 366 is provided between two adjacent snap fasteners 365. The mating plate 366 may be flush with the connecting arm of the snap fastener 365, so that the mating plate 366 contacts the top surface of the ice tray shell 350, which helps to improve the airtightness of the connection between the wind deflector 360 and the ice tray shell 350.

[0070] Referring to Figure 6, in some embodiments of this application, the air supply duct 320 has a first air inlet 321 facing the air guide cavity 301, and the first air inlet 321 is located on one side of the air guide cavity 301 along a first direction. The air supply duct 320 also has a second air inlet 322, which is configured to communicate with the chamber where the evaporator of the refrigeration system is located. The air supply duct 320 is configured to form a channel for cold air, allowing cold air to enter from the second air inlet 322 and exit from the first air inlet 321. The ice-making tray 310 has a centerline along the first direction, allowing the ice-making tray 310 to be symmetrical with respect to the centerline. The first air inlet 321 is symmetrically arranged about the centerline, thus ensuring that the cold air blown out of the first air inlet 321 along the second direction is symmetrical along the centerline, improving the uniformity of the cold air distribution along the second direction on the ice tray. In some embodiments of this application, the first air inlet 321 has a first dimension along the second direction. The ice-making tray 310 has a second dimension along a second direction. The ratio of the first dimension to the second dimension is greater than 4 / 5, such that the dimension of the first air inlet 321 along the second direction is greater than 80% of the dimension of the ice-making tray 310 along the second direction. This allows the first air inlet 321 to cover most of the ice-making tray 310 along the second direction, which not only improves the uniformity of cold air distribution within the air guide cavity 301 but also increases the air volume. This, in turn, facilitates the formation of a higher air pressure within the air guide cavity 301 compared to the cavity below the ice-making tray 310, thereby increasing the cold air flow rate and improving ice-making efficiency. In some embodiments of this application, the first dimension is smaller than the dimension of the air guide cavity 301 along the second direction, meaning that the first air inlet 321 is located within the air guide cavity 301, preventing the first air inlet 321 from extending beyond the outside of the air guide cavity 301. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the plane defined by the second and first directions is perpendicular to the depth direction of the ice-making tray 310.

[0071] Referring to Figure 14, in some embodiments of this application, a portion of the second air inlet 322 and a portion of the first air inlet 321 are opposite to each other along a first direction and are spaced apart. This allows the second air inlet 322 to match the second opening provided on the first side wall 2112 of the inner liner 210, and also allows the second air inlet 322 to be located above the ice tray 310, facilitating the downward flow of cold air to cover the ice tray 310. The fact that a portion of the second air inlet 322 and a portion of the first air inlet 321 are opposite to each other along the first direction and are spaced apart allows the cold air from the second air inlet 322 to directly enter the first air inlet 321 through the air supply duct 320, reducing the flow resistance of the air supply duct 320 to the cold air and improving the smoothness of the cold air entering the air guide cavity 301.

[0072] Referring to Figures 15 and 16, in some embodiments of this application, both the first air inlet 321 and the second air inlet 322 can be rectangular openings, facilitating processing and installation. The length direction of the first air inlet 321 can be parallel to the second direction, allowing it to cover a significant distance along the second direction from the air guide cavity 301, thus facilitating airflow into the air guide cavity 301. The length direction of the second air inlet 322 can be parallel to the height direction of the door body 200, allowing it to have a larger area without requiring a large width; and matching the structure of the first sidewall 2112 of the door inner liner 210, which has a larger dimension along the height direction of the door body 200 and a smaller dimension along the thickness direction of the door body 200. In some embodiments, the inner surface of the air supply duct 320 is curved, or the inner surface of the air supply duct 320 includes both curved and flat surfaces, making the inner surface of the air supply duct 320 smoother, which helps reduce the resistance to cold air flow in the air supply duct 320 and reduces the loss of cold air flowing through the air supply duct. Referring again to Figures 15 and 16, in some embodiments, the air supply duct 320 may include a first wall portion 323 and a second wall portion 324, which are generally opposite to each other and spaced apart along the height direction of the door body 200. The air supply duct 320 may also include a third wall portion 325 and a fourth wall portion 326, which are opposite to each other and spaced apart. The top sides of both the third and fourth wall portions 325 and 326 are connected to the first wall portion 323, and the bottom sides of both are connected to the second wall portion 324. The first wall portion 323, the second wall portion 324, the third wall portion 325, and the fourth wall portion 326 are all curved walls, which helps to reduce the air resistance of the air supply duct 320.

[0073] For ease of explanation, the above description has been provided in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, the above exemplary discussion is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the specific forms disclosed above. Various modifications and variations can be obtained based on the above teachings. The selection and description of the above embodiments are for the purpose of better explaining the principles and practical applications, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better utilize the described embodiments and various different variations of embodiments suitable for specific use considerations.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising: The enclosure includes a refrigeration compartment; The door, rotatably connected to the housing, is configured to open or close the refrigeration compartment; A refrigeration system, located inside the enclosure, is configured to reduce the air temperature in the refrigerated compartment; An ice maker, installed on the door or the housing, is configured to make ice cubes; the ice maker includes: An ice tray is constructed as an ice grid for forming ice blocks; An air guide shell is provided above the ice-making tray and forms an air guide cavity with the ice-making tray; An air supply duct is located above the side of the ice-making tray, and the air supply duct is configured to send cold air blown from the evaporator of the refrigeration system into the air guide shell. At least one side of the ice-making tray is provided with an air guide gap so that the cold air in the air guide cavity can be discharged downward to the chamber below the ice-making tray; The air guide cavity covers all the ice trays of the ice-making tray; The air pressure inside the air guide cavity is higher than the air pressure in the chamber below the ice-making tray.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, The air guide gap includes a first air guide gap, which is located between the ice-making tray and the side of the air guide shell away from the air supply duct.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein, The air guide shell includes a first plate portion and a second plate portion that are opposite to and spaced apart along a first direction; the first plate portion is provided with a first opening; the first direction is the length direction of the ice-making tray. The ice-making tray is installed between the first plate and the second plate; The air supply duct is located on the side of the first plate portion away from the second plate portion and is fixedly connected to the first plate portion; the air supply duct is connected to the air guide cavity through the first opening.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein, The first air guide gap is formed between the ice-making tray and the second plate.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, The air guide gap includes a second air guide gap, and the ice maker also includes a drive component, which is configured to drive the ice maker plate to rotate. The driving component is located inside the air guide cavity and fixed to one end of the air guide shell on the same side as the air supply duct; there is a gap between the driving component and the ice-making tray to serve as the second air guide gap; or, the driving component is located outside the air guide cavity and fixed to one end of the air guide shell on the same side as the air supply duct; there is a gap between the air guide shell and the ice-making tray at that end to serve as the second air guide gap.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein, The air guide gap includes a second air guide gap, and the ice maker also includes a drive component, which is configured to drive the ice maker plate to rotate. The driving component is fixed to the side of the first plate facing the second plate; there is a gap between the driving component and the ice-making tray to serve as the second air guide gap; or, the driving component is fixed to the side of the first plate away from the second plate, and there is a gap between the first plate and the ice-making tray to serve as the second air guide gap.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein, The spacing dimension of the first air guide gap along the first direction is greater than the spacing dimension of the second air guide gap along the first direction.

8. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 3-4 and 6-7, wherein, The air guide housing also includes: The third plate and the fourth plate are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart along a second direction. The two ends of the third plate and the fourth plate are respectively connected to the first plate and the second plate along the first direction; the second direction is the width direction of the ice-making tray. The top plate is fixed to the top of the first plate, the second plate, the third plate, and the fourth plate; the top plate and the ice-making tray are spaced apart along the depth direction of the ice-making tray, and the top plate, the first plate, the second plate, the third plate, the fourth plate, and the ice-making tray together form the air guide cavity; Wherein, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the plane determined by the second direction and the first direction is perpendicular to the depth direction of the ice-making tray.

9. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The air guide gap includes a third air guide gap, wherein there is a gap between the ice making tray and at least one side of the air guide shell that is perpendicular to the airflow direction of the air supply duct, which serves as the third air guide gap.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein, The air guide gap includes a third air guide gap, a gap between the ice-making tray and the third plate portion, and a gap between the ice-making tray and the fourth plate portion, which respectively serve as the third air guide gap.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein, Along the first direction, and from the first plate portion to the second plate portion, the interval of the third air guide gap gradually increases along the second direction.

12. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The air supply duct is provided with a first air inlet, which faces the air guide cavity and is located on one side of the air guide cavity along a first direction. The ice-making tray has a centerline along the first direction; The first air inlet is arranged symmetrically about the center line.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein, The first air inlet has a first dimension along the second direction; The ice-making tray has a second dimension along the second direction; The ratio of the first dimension to the second dimension is greater than 4 / 5, and the first dimension is smaller than the dimension of the air guide cavity along the second direction; Wherein, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the plane determined by the second direction and the first direction is perpendicular to the depth direction of the ice-making tray.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein, The air supply duct is also provided with a second air inlet, which is configured to communicate with the chamber where the evaporator of the refrigeration system is located. A portion of the second air inlet and a portion of the first air inlet are opposite to each other along the first direction and are spaced apart.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, The inner liner of the door body is recessed away from the refrigeration compartment to form a recessed mounting part; The ice maker is mounted on the recessed mounting portion; the ice maker includes: The ice tray shell has openings on both sides along the depth direction of the ice tray; the ice tray shell is fixed to the recessed mounting portion and is spaced from the top of the recessed mounting portion; The ice-making tray is rotatably mounted inside the ice tray shell; A wind deflector is located on the side of the ice-making tray facing the refrigeration chamber, and the wind deflector is fixedly connected to the ice tray shell and the recessed mounting portion respectively. The ice tray shell, the wind deflector, and the recessed mounting portion together enclose the air guide cavity. The air guide housing includes the ice tray housing, the windproof component, and a portion of the recessed mounting portion.

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