This application claims the priority and benefit of Chinese patent application serial no. 202311629434.3, filed on Nov. 30, 2023. The entirety of Chinese patent application serial no. 202311629434.3 is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
The disclosure relates to the field of ice-making technology, and in particular, to an ice machine.
An ice machine is a refrigeration machine that does work by compressing or expanding liquid refrigerant to produce high-temperature and high-pressure gas (steam), such that the liquid can quickly evaporate and be vaporized.
By existing domestic or commercial ice machines, the compression refrigerators are usually used. In existing technology, an ice machine mainly includes a casing, a refrigeration assembly, an ice conveying assembly and an ice storage bin. After the water condenses into ice through the refrigeration assembly, it is transported to the ice storage bin for storage through the ice conveying assembly. The ice conveying assembly includes a drive motor, an ice-making drum and an extruder. The extruder is a screw that is rotatably disposed in the ice-making drum and is coaxially connected to the drive motor. The water condenses into cylindrical ice cubes in the ice-making drum and are transported upward with the rotation of the screw. The top of the extruder is circumferentially configured with output through holes in communication with the ice-making drum, the ice cubes is output through the output through holes. The ice cubes are automatically broken when they come out of the output through holes and abut against the extruder, and then are transported to the ice storage bin along an ice guide channel.
When the ice cubes in the above-mentioned ice machine are output from the output through holes, they spread outward along the axis of the ice-making drum. However, only the side of the extruder facing the ice storage bin is directly connected to the ice storage bin, so that the ice cubes which are output from the side of the extruder far away from the ice storage bin are prone to blockage, which affects the transfer efficiency of the ice cubes.
In order to reduce the probability of block of ice cubes on the side of the output compartment away from the guide compartment, the disclosure provides an ice machine including a casing, a refrigeration assembly, an ice conveying assembly, an ice storage bin, and an ice guide channel are provided in the casing, the ice conveying assembly includes an ice-making drum in connection with the refrigeration assembly, an ice conveying screw rotatably provided in the ice-making drum, a motor configured to drive the ice conveying screw to rotate, and an extruder on the ice-making drum, the ice guide channel is configured with an output compartment configured for outputting ice cubes, the output compartment is arranged corresponding to the extruder, the output compartment is configured with a gap on a side of the extruder away from the ice storage bin, and the gap is configured for the ice cubes to climb over to a top of the extruder.
Optionally, the ice guide channel further includes a guide compartment configured for transporting the ice cubes, the guide compartment is in communication with the ice storage bin and the output compartment, a top wall of the output compartment is provided with a guide cambered surface configured to guide the ice cubes to the gap, and the gap extends toward the guide compartment to a position above the ice storage bin.
Optionally, the ice guide channel further includes a delivery plate fixedly mounted on the extruder and a cover plate configured for covering the delivery plate, the delivery plate is provided with a first positioning assembly configured for fixation, and the cover plate is provided with a second positioning assembly configured for fixation.
Optionally, the first positioning assembly includes a first positioning lug on an outer wall of the delivery plate, a positioning column configured to abut against the extruder and a positioning sleeve configured to be sleeved on the extruder, the casing is provided with a positioning plate configured to abut against the first positioning lug for positioning, and the positioning plate is configured with a positioning socket into which one end of the delivery plate is inserted.
Optionally, the second positioning assembly includes a plurality of second positioning lugs on an outer wall of the cover plate, a first part of the plurality of second positioning lugs are fixedly connected to the positioning plate, a second part of the plurality of second positioning lugs are fixedly connected to the delivery plate, and the delivery plate is provided with a positioning flange configured to abut against the second part of the plurality of second positioning lugs.
Optionally, a seal assembly configured for hermetic connecting with the motor is provided in the ice-making drum, the seal assembly includes a static ring fixed on a bottom of the ice-making drum, a dynamic ring sleeved on the ice conveying screw, and an elastic member configured for connecting the dynamic ring and the static ring.
Optionally, a water supply assembly configured to provide a water source for the refrigeration assembly is provided in the casing, the water supply assembly includes a water supply liner at a bottom of the ice storage bin, a water storage tank connected to the water supply liner and a water pump, and the water storage tank is in communication with the ice-making drum.
Optionally, a plurality of backflow holes in communication with the water supply liner are provided spaced apart at the bottom of the ice storage bin, and an overflow hole in communication with a top of the water storage tank is defined on a side wall of the ice guide channel.
Optionally, an external water tank assembly is provided outside the casing, the external water tank assembly includes an external connected seat configured to be connected to the casing, an external water tank plugged in the external connected seat and a communication valve configured to control a water discharge of the external water tank, and the external water tank assembly is in communication with the water supply liner.
Optionally, the casing is configured with an opening, through which the ice storage bin is slidably mounted, a limiter is provided on a side wall of the ice storage bin in a sliding direction, a limit column corresponding to the limiter is provided on a side wall of the casing, and the limiter is provided with an anti-dropping part configured to be matched with the limit column for limiting position.
Optionally, a guide bevel is provided on a side of the ice storage bin facing the water supply liner, the guide bevel includes an upper guide surface and a lower guide surface, the upper guide surface is inclined downward in a direction away from the abutment plate, and the lower guide surface is inclined upward in the direction away from the abutment plate.
Optionally, a first end of the limiter is configured with an arc-shaped groove configured for accommodating the limit column, a second end of the limiter away from the arc-shaped groove is provided with an abutment surface slidably abutting against the limit column, and when the limit column is located in the arc-shaped groove, the ice storage bin is inclined downward in a direction away from the casing.
Optionally, an abutment plate configured for abutting against an outer wall of the casing is provided on a side of the ice storage bin away from the guide bevel, and a groove configured to be pulled by users is defined at a bottom of the abutment plate.
Optionally, a push mechanism configured for pushing crushed ice is further provided on the ice guide channel, and the push mechanism includes a guide plate assembly rotatably arranged on the cover plate and a push assembly arranged on the guide plate assembly in a lifting manner.
Optionally, the guide plate assembly includes a first side plate located in the guide compartment, a second side plate connected to the first side plate and a rotatable plate, the cover plate is provided with a driver configured for rotating the rotatable plate, the push assembly includes a push arm disposed on a side of the output compartment close to the guide compartment, a shifter configured to rotate the push arm, and a lifter configured to lift the push arm.
To sum up, at least the following beneficial technical effects are realized:
The disclosure will be further described in detail below in combination with
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The bottom of the connection plate 341 is configured with a mounting hole 3411 configured for rotationally mounting the end of the ice conveying screw 32. The connection plate 341 is mounted with an isolation ring 3412 on the inner wall of the mounting hole 3411. The isolation ring 3412 in this embodiment is made of POM material and is configured to separate the ice conveying screw 32 from the extruder 34, so as to reduce the noise caused by the rotation of the ice conveying screw 32.
With reference to
A delivery chamber 41 configured for connecting the extruder 34 and the ice storage bin 5 is defined in the ice guide channel 4. The delivery chamber 41 includes an output compartment 411 corresponding to the extruder 34 and a guide compartment 412 for guiding the ice cubes. After the ice cubes are output from the output through holes 3421 and abut against the conical abutment surface 3422, the ice cubes are broken and fall into the output compartment 411 due to the continuous output of the ice cubes, and the newly produced ice cubes can push the forgoing broken ice cubes toward the guide compartment 412. The guide compartment 412 is provided with a delivery slope 4121, which is inclined toward the ice storage bin 5.
The output compartment 411 is configured with a gap 4111 on the side of the extruder 34 away from the guide compartment 412 for the ice cubes to climb over the top of the extruder 34. The height of the gap 4111 in the height direction is greater than the inner diameter of the delivery through hole. The gap 4111 extends in the horizontal direction to an end of the guide compartment 412 away from the output compartment 411, that is, corresponds to the ice storage bin 5.
The inner top wall of the guide compartment 412 is provided with a guide cambered surface 4112 for ice cubes to climb over. The ice cubes is guided to the top of the extruder 34 through the guide cambered surface 4112. The ice cubes located on the top of the extruder 34 are directly pushed to the delivery slope 4121 by subsequent ice cubes.
The guide compartment 412 is mounted with an infrared sensor 7 on the side away from the extruder 34 for monitoring the falling of the ice cubes. When the ice cubes are transported from the guide compartment 412 to the ice storage bin 5, the ice cubes block the light emitted by the infrared sensor 7, such that the infrared sensor 7 detects the falling ice cubes. The sensor is used to monitor whether the ice making function is normal.
Referring to
The cover plate 43 is provided with a second positioning assembly for fixing. The second positioning assembly includes a plurality of second positioning lugs 431 integrally formed on the outer side wall of the cover plate 43. In this embodiment, the cover plate 43 is provided with four second positioning lugs 431. One of the second positioning lugs 431 is located on the side of the cover plate 43 away from the extruder 34. This second positioning lug 431 is fixed with the positioning plate 11 in the same manner as the first positioning lug 421. The other three of the second positioning lugs 431 are circumferentially arranged at one end of the cover plate 43 close to the extruder 34. The delivery plate 42 is provided with positioning flanges 425 for positioning and abutting against the above mentioned three second positioning lugs 431. The positioning column 422 is integrally formed at the bottom of the positioning flange 425.
Referring to
Referring to
The water storage tank 62 is integrally formed with a communicating pipe 621 on the top at the side facing the ice guide channel 4. The ice guide channel 4 is configured with an overflow hole 44 to be hermetically inserted into by the communicating pipe 621. The water in the water storage tank 62 can overflow into the ice guide channel 4 through the overflow hole 44, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the ice machine.
An external water tank assembly 64 is further detachably installed on the outside of the casing 1. The external water tank assembly 64 includes an external connected seat 641 fixedly plugged in the bottom of the casing 1, an external water tank 642 plugged in the external connecting seat 641, and a communication valve 643 for controlling water discharge from the external water tank 642. The external water tank 642 is hermetically inserted in the external connected seat 641 inversely. The internal pressure is less than the external atmospheric pressure. When the water in the water supply liner 61 is consumed, the water level descends. Air enters the external water tank 642, so that the water in the external water tank 642 flows into the water supply liner 61 for replenishment. Referring to
The ice storage bin 5 includes a bin body 51 and an abutment plate 52. The bin body 51 can be integrally formed with the abutment plate 52 or the both can be fixed with each other through clamping, welding or other manner. The top of the bin body 51 is in an open state. Backflow holes 511 in corresponding communication with the water supply liner 61 are defined at the bottom of the bin body 51 on the side away from the abutment plate 52. The abutment plate 52 is in the shape of a rectangular plate as a whole, and is dimensioned larger than the inner diameter of the opening 13, which can provide a positioning effect when the bin body 51 is slidingly installed. A groove 521 to be pulled by users is defined at the bottom of the abutment plate 52.
The bin body 51 is provided with limiters 512 on both side walls in the sliding direction. The limiters 512 are integrally injection molded with the bin body 51. The limiters 512 are located on the bottom walls on both sides of the bin body 51 and extend along the sliding direction of the bin body 51.
Referring to
In order to facilitate the sliding insertion of the ice storage bin 5, the bin body 51 is provided with guide bevels 513 on both upper and lower sides at the end away from the abutment plate 52. The guide bevel 513 includes an upper guide surface 5131 at the top of the bin body 51 and a lower guide surface 5132 at the bottom of the bin body 51. In particular, the upper guide surface 5131 is inclined downward in the direction away from the abutment plate 52, and the lower guide surface 5132 is inclined upward in the direction away from the abutment plate 52.
When installing the bin body 51, the bin body 51 is at first inserted into the opening 13 in a downward-inclined posture. The anti-dropping part 5121 and the limit column 14 are staggered, so that the anti-dropping part 5121 can be inserted in on the side of the limit column 14 away from the opening 13. After the staggered insertion of the anti-dropping parts 5121 is completed, the ice storage bin 5 is pushed horizontally into the accommodation space 12 to complete the installation of the ice storage bin 5.
The limiter 512 is also configured with an arc-shaped groove 5122 for the limit column 14 at one end close to the anti-dropping part 5121. The entire arc-shaped groove 5122 is recessed toward the bottom of the bin body 51. After users pull out the ice storage bin 5, through the abutment between the anti-dropping part 5121 and the limit column 14, the ice storage bin 5 can be limited from falling off. At this time, the abutment plate 52 is rotated downward or the grip of the ice storage bin 5 is released, so that the limit column 14 abuts against the arc-shaped groove 5122, namely, the ice storage bin 5 is in an inclined downward state tending to be away from the opening 13. In the inclined state, it is easier for the users to take out the ice cubes in the bin body 51.
The limiter 512 is provided with an abutment surface 5123 configured for abutting against the limit column 14 on the side away from the anti-dropping part 5121. The abutment surface 5123 extends along the sliding direction of the bin body 51. When the ice storage bin 5 is installed, the friction force due to the abutment between the abutment surface 5123 and the limit column 14 improves the stability of the bin body 51 in the accommodation space 12. In particular, the limiter 512 is also provided with a guide transition surface between the abutment surface 5123 and the arc-shaped groove 5122, so that the bin body 51 slides back and forth in the accommodation space 12 more smoothly, thereby saving labor for users.
The bin body 51 is provided with a plurality of reinforcing strips 514 spaced apart at the bottom of the limiter 512. The reinforcing strips 514 are in the shape of vertical rods. The plurality of reinforcing strips 514 are all integrally formed with the limiter 512. The other end of the reinforcing strips 514 is also provided with a connection strip 515. The connection strip 515 is arranged along the sliding direction.
The implementation principle of the ice storage bin 5 is as follows: when installing the ice storage bin 5, the ice storage bin 5 is inserted into the accommodation space 12 in a downward inclined posture. After the anti-dropping part 5121 reaches the side of the limit column 14 away from the opening 13, the ice storage bin 5 continues to slide into the accommodation space 12 in a horizontal posture. After the abutment plate 52 abuts against the outer wall of the ice-making body, the installation of the ice storage bin 5 is completed. At this time, the limit column 14 and the abutment surface 5123 are in the abutting state. The disassembly process of the ice storage bin 5 is opposite to the installation process, that is, after the anti-dropping part 5121 abuts against the limit column 14, the abutment plate 52 is lifted, so that the limit column 14 and the anti-dropping part 5121 are staggered. Then the ice storage bin 5 is completely taken out of the accommodation space 12.
When users need to take ice cubes, the ice storage bin 5 is pulled out through the groove 521. When the anti-dropping part 5121 abuts against the limit column 14, such that the ice storage bin cannot be pulled, the abutment plate 52 is rotated downward, so that the entire ice storage bin 5 is inclined downward in a direction away from the ice-making body. The ice cubes in the ice storage bin 5 slide to the side close to the abutment plate 52 due to the gravity.
Compared with Embodiment 1, this embodiment has the same structure as the ice machine of Embodiment 1 except for an additional push mechanism 8.
Referring to
The guide plate assembly 81 includes two first side plates 811 in the guide compartment 412, second side plates 812 configured for connecting the first side plates 811, a rotatable plate 813 above the extrusion body 342, and a driver 814 for rotating the plate. The first side plates 811 are spaced apart from the output through hole 3421 and abut against the side wall of the output compartment 411, so that an accommodation compartment for accommodating ice cubes is formed between the two first side plates 811. The second side plates 812 are integrally formed with the first side plates 811. The two second side plates 812 are located on the top surface of the extrusion body 342, which can reduce the probability of ice cubes falling on both sides of the extrusion body 342 when climbing.
The rotatable plate 813 and the second side plates 812 are fixedly connected by welding or screwing and so on. The driver 814 is fixedly installed on the outer top surface of the cover plate 43. In this embodiment, the driver 814 is a cylinder, specifically a cylinder for rotation of 90 degree, the output shaft thereof passes vertically downward through the cover plate 43 and the rotatable plate 813 and is fixed. When there are too many ice cubes in the accommodation compartment, or there are ice cubes remaining in the accommodation compartment that have not climbed over the extrusion body 342 after the ice machine stops making ice. The first side plates 811 and the second side plates 812 are rotated by the driver 814, so that the accommodation compartment is in direct communication with the guide compartment 412. At the same time, when the first side plates 811 are rotated, the ice cubes in the output compartment 411 except the accommodation compartment can return to the guide compartment 412.
Referring to
The lifter 823 is fixedly installed on the cover plate 43. Its output shaft is inclined toward the direction of the extruder 34. The guide compartment 412 is provided with a base 824 for the shifter 822 and a sliding block 825 that is slidably mounted on the base. In particular, the top of the cover plate 43 is further provided with a horizontal slide rail 826 for the lifter 823 to slide horizontally.
The push arm 821 includes a telescopic rod 8211 connected with the sliding block 825 and a push plate 8212 to be inserted into the accommodation compartment to push the ice cubes. The telescopic rod 8211 includes a fixed rod fixed on both sides of the sliding block 825 and an extension rod configured to be sleeved by the fixed rod. The fixed rod and the extension rod are connected by a compression spring. The other end of the extension rod is fixedly connected to the push plate 8212.
Both the base 824 and the cover plate are configured with a strip-shaped hole 8241 for the output shaft of the lifter 823 to pass through. In particular, the cover plate is connected with sealing connection sleeves (not shown in Figure) at both ends of the strip-shaped hole 8241. The structure of the sealing connection sleeve is identical with that of the organ cover, and can expand and contract synchronously with the sliding of the lifter 823 to ensure the tightness of the ice guide channel 4.
The method for using the push assembly 82 is as follows: when making ice normally the sliding block 825 is located on the side away from the output compartment 411, and the lifter 823 is not activated. After the rotation of the guide plate assembly 81 is completed, the motor for shifting is activated to move the push arm 821 toward the accommodation compartment. At the same time, the lifter 823 also moves horizontally synchronously with the push arm 821. When the push arm 821 is located in the accommodation compartment, the lifter 823 is activated, so that the push plate 8212 is obliquely inserted into the accommodation compartment, and then the push arm 821 is moved in a direction away from the extruder 34 by the shifter, so that the push plate 8212 pushes the ice cubes to drop to the guide compartment 412.
The above are all preferred embodiments of the application, and do not limit the protection scope of the application. Therefore, any equivalent changes made based on the structure, shape, and principle of the application shall be covered by the protection scope of the application.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202311629434.3 | Nov 2023 | CN | national |
Number | Date | Country |
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105758104 | Jul 2016 | CN |
111879047 | Nov 2020 | CN |
217504063 | Sep 2022 | CN |
115388581 | Nov 2022 | CN |
2000081261 | Mar 2000 | JP |
2017161095 | Sep 2017 | JP |
Entry |
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CN 21704063 Translation. |
Office Action received in corresponding Chinese patent application No. 202311629434.3, dated Jul. 17, 2024, 22 pages. |