CN115371317A - Ice making machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides an ice maker, which comprises a machine body shell, a fan, a radiator, a semiconductor refrigerator, a refrigerating body, an ice box, an ice removing assembly and a control circuit board, wherein the radiator is positioned at the upper end of the semiconductor refrigerator and combined with the hot end surface of the semiconductor refrigerator, the refrigerating body is positioned at the lower end of the semiconductor refrigerator and combined with the cold end surface of the semiconductor refrigerator, and the control circuit board is electrically connected with the semiconductor refrigerator and the fan. During ice making, heat is conducted upwards through the radiator, and cold is conducted downwards to the ice making cavity, so that the natural conduction rule of cold and heat is met, and the ice making efficiency can be accelerated. After ice making is successful, entering an ice removing procedure and completing the separation of the ice blocks from the refrigerating body, so that the whole ice box is separated from the refrigerating body, the ice box filled with the ice blocks is separated to a specified position, and the purpose of automatic ice removing is realized.

Description

Ice making machine

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of ice making equipment, in particular to an ice making machine.

Background

An ice maker is a common type of ice making device. Because the ice making process needs low-temperature refrigeration, the required refrigerating capacity is large, and the refrigerating temperature is low, most of the existing ice making machines adopt a mechanical compression refrigeration mode, and the ice making machines have the advantages of high ice making speed, large ice making quantity and the like, but have the defects of large volume, high cost and the like.

Along with the continuous improvement of living standard of people, the personalized demand continuously emerges in the present society, and special requirements such as miniaturization, intellectualization, small volume, convenient and flexible use, low cost and the like are provided for the ice machine. Ice makers using semiconductor refrigeration have appeared in the prior art, which make ice using the peltier effect of semiconductor materials. After the ice maker is made into ice cubes, the ice cubes often need to be taken out of the refrigerating body in a manual operation mode, and how to achieve the purpose that after the ice cubes are made, the ice cubes automatically separate and fall to a designated position becomes a problem to be solved.

Thus, the prior art is deficient and is subject to improvement and development.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides an ice maker, which aims to solve the problem of insufficient automation of the ice-removing process of the ice maker in the prior art.

The technical scheme adopted by the invention for solving the technical problem is as follows:

an ice making machine comprising: the refrigerator comprises a machine body shell, a fan, a radiator, a semiconductor refrigerator, a refrigerating body, an ice box, an ice removing assembly and a control circuit board.

The deicing assembly comprises a tray and a driving piece, the driving piece is connected with the tray to drive the tray to move up and down, and the tray is located below the ice box and used for supporting the ice box.

Further, the refrigerator is characterized by comprising a substrate and a first protruding part.

Further, the refrigerator is characterized in that a groove is formed in the side wall surface of the first protruding portion, the ice box is located below the refrigerating body, and the groove is closed after the ice box is buckled with the refrigerating body to form a hollow space.

Further, the groove is internally provided with a second bulge.

Further, the ice box is characterized in that the ice box is provided with a protrusion.

Further, the ice box is clamped on the tray.

Further, the drive member comprises:

the sleeve is arranged below the tray, the top end of the sleeve is connected with the tray, and the inner wall of the sleeve is provided with internal threads;

the screw rod penetrates through the sleeve and is provided with an external thread matched with the internal thread;

and the output end of the motor is in driving connection with the bottom end of the screw rod so as to drive the screw rod to rotate.

Further, the tray is characterized in that the tray is provided with a drain hole;

further, the ice maker is characterized by further comprising: the waste water box is arranged below the tray and communicated with the drain hole.

Further, the ice maker is characterized by further comprising: and the temperature sensor is arranged on the refrigerating body and is electrically connected with the control circuit board.

According to the technical scheme, the invention has at least the following advantages and positive effects:

in the invention, the tray in the ice removing assembly of the ice maker is arranged below the ice box to support the ice box, and the tray moves up and down under the driving of the driving piece. After ice making is successful, entering an ice-removing procedure and completing separation of ice blocks from the refrigerating body, so that the whole ice box is separated from the refrigerating body, the ice box filled with the ice blocks is separated to a specified position, and the purpose of automatic ice removing is achieved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a part of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a state where a refrigerating body and an ice bank of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention are engaged with each other.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view illustrating a separated state of a refrigerating body and an ice bank of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerating body of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural view of an ice box of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Description of reference numerals:

100. a semiconductor ice maker; 1. a semiconductor refrigerator; 11. a cold end; 12. a hot end; 2. a heat sink; 21. a heat sink fin; 3. a fan; 4. a refrigerating body; 41. a substrate; 42. a first boss portion; 43. a second boss portion; 44. a groove; 5. an ice box; 51. a protrusion; 6. a body housing; 61. perforating; 62. an ice-taking cabin door; 63. a mounting cavity; 64. a thermal insulation layer; 7. an ice-shedding assembly; 71. a tray; 711. a drain hole; 72. a drive member; 721. a sleeve; 722. a screw; 723. a motor; 8. a waste water box; 81. a waste water box door; 9. and a water discharge pipe.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar function throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are illustrative only for the purpose of explaining the present invention, and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

Referring to fig. 1 to 3, an ice maker 100 is provided, in which the ice maker 100 includes a semiconductor refrigerator 1, a heat sink 2, a fan 3, a refrigerator 4, a control circuit board (not shown) electrically connected to the fan 3 and the semiconductor refrigerator 1, and an ice releasing assembly 7. For convenience of description, the width direction herein is a direction of the X axis in fig. 2, and the vertical direction or the height direction is a direction of the Y axis.

Specifically, the semiconductor Cooler 1 (also called TEC, thermo Electric Cooler) is a heat pump made by using the peltier effect of semiconductor materials. Semiconductor refrigerator 1 includes hot side 12 and cold side 11, and cold side 11 is located above hot side 12, and when semiconductor refrigerator 1 is powered on, cold side 11 temperature will decrease and hot side 12 temperature will increase.

The heat sink 2 is used to dissipate heat to the hot side 12. The heat sink 2 is disposed on the hot side 12, i.e. the heat sink 2 is located above the semiconductor cooler 1, so that the heat of the hot side 12 is transferred upwards through the heat sink 2, and the heat is continuously transferred from the cold side 11 to the hot side 12 in the forward direction. Therefore, the heat sink 2 is arranged to dissipate heat from the hot end 12, so that the temperature of the cold end 11 can be further reduced, which is beneficial to quickening ice making of the ice maker 100.

The heat sink 2 is disposed on the hot side 12, including but not limited to the heat sink 2 directly contacting the hot side 12, the heat sink 2 and the hot side 12 being spaced apart from each other, and the heat sink 2 and the hot side 12 being indirectly contacting each other through heat dissipation silicone, heat dissipation silicone grease, etc.

Refrigerating body 4 is provided at cold end 11 of semiconductor refrigerator 1, i.e., refrigerating body 4 is located below semiconductor refrigerator 1, and therefore, the cooling energy generated at cold end 11 of semiconductor refrigerator 1 is transferred downward to refrigerating body 4, thereby lowering the temperature of refrigerating body 4.

The refrigeration body 4 is disposed at the cold end 11 including, but not limited to, the refrigeration body 4 being in direct contact with the cold end 11, the refrigeration body 4 and the cold end 11 being spaced apart.

Referring to fig. 4 to 7, the cooling body 4 includes a base plate 41 and a first protrusion 42.

Specifically, the side wall surface of the first protruding portion 42 forms a groove 44, the ice box 5 is arranged below the refrigerating body 4, and after the ice box is buckled with the refrigerating body 4, the groove 44 forms a closed hollow space for storing water, the temperature of the refrigerating body 4 is reduced under the action of the semiconductor refrigerator 1, and the water stored in the groove 44 becomes ice, so that ice making is realized.

Referring to fig. 6, the number of the grooves 44 is plural.

Specifically, the grooves 44 are arranged side by side at intervals in the direction of the cooling body 4 toward the ice bank 5, and therefore, it is possible to simultaneously make a plurality of ice cubes.

The shape of each groove 44 may be identical or the shape of each groove 44 may not be identical, i.e., there may be at least two grooves 44 that are not identical in shape.

The grooves 44 are shaped like ice cubes, the grooves 44 can be round, cylindrical, conical, square, trapezoidal or irregular, the number of the grooves 44 corresponds to the number of ice-making ice cubes, and the grooves 44 can be independent or connected with one another.

The complete ice making process is divided by cold conduction and can be subdivided into two processes, specifically, a first process: the cold is conducted by the refrigerating body 4 to the water in the recess 44 which is in contact with it (i.e. the water which is located outermost in the recess 44). A second process: the cold is conducted in the water in the groove 44. In order to make ice quickly, the semiconductor refrigerator 1 is required to generate enough cold on the refrigerating body 4, conduct the cold to the water in contact with the refrigerating body as soon as possible, conduct the cold to the three-dimensional water body by taking the water as a cold conducting medium, and reduce the temperature of the whole water body to be below the freezing point as soon as possible, so that quick freezing is completed. According to the above process, the water in the groove 44 gradually freezes from the sidewall of the first protrusion 42 facing inward.

For the first process, according to the cold conduction formula Q = hS Δ T, where Q, h, S, Δ T are the conduction cold, the surface heat exchange coefficient, the heat exchange area, and the temperature difference, respectively, in order to increase the conduction cold, the water in contact with the refrigeration body 4 is rapidly cooled and frozen (i.e., the temperature difference between the refrigeration body 4 and the water is reduced), and as can be known, increasing the contact area between the refrigeration body 4 and the water can rapidly reduce the temperature difference between the refrigeration body 4 and the water, thereby freezing the water in contact with the refrigeration body 4.

For the second process, the time of the second process can be reduced by reducing the conduction thermal resistance of cold in water. According to the calculation formula of conduction thermal resistance

L, S and kappa respectively have the cold conduction distance, the cold conduction cross-sectional area and the water-ice heat conduction coefficient ratio, so that the conduction thermal resistance of cold in water can be reduced by increasing the cold conduction cross-section S and reducing the cold conduction distance L, the time of the second process is shortened, and quick ice making is realized.

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, the groove 44 is provided with a second protrusion 43.

Specifically, the average size of the grooves 44 in a direction perpendicular to the direction (direction in which the X axis is located) of the refrigerant 4 toward the ice bank 5 is 10 mm to 25 mm, that is, the average size of the grooves 44 in the width direction is 10 mm to 25 mm. Since the larger the volume of ice cubes is, the longer the time required for making ice is, when the average size of the grooves 44 in the width direction is 10 mm to 25 mm, the ice cubes can be made to have a suitable volume and a relatively fast ice making speed can be obtained.

The second protrusion 43 is provided in the groove 44, so that the contact surface between the water in the groove 44 and the refrigerant 4 can be increased, the time required for the first process can be reduced, and the ice making speed can be increased. In addition, the second protruding portion 43 is arranged in the groove 44, and cold energy is transmitted to the three-dimensional water body from the side wall surface of the second protruding portion 43 and the side wall surface of the first protruding portion 42 at the same time, so that compared with the prior art that cold energy is transmitted to the center of the groove 44 from the side wall surface of the first protruding portion 42 of the refrigerating body 4, the cold conduction distance can be shortened, the conduction thermal resistance of the cold energy in water can be further reduced, the time required by the second process can be reduced, and the ice making speed can be further increased. Since the provision of the second protrusions 43 in the grooves 44 has a positive promoting effect on both the first process and the second process, the provision of the second protrusions 43 in the grooves 44 can significantly increase the ice making speed to improve the ice making efficiency, as compared to the reduction of only the time required for the first process or only the time required for the second process, and also has an advantage of simple structure.

The shape of the second convex portion 43 includes, but is not limited to, a cylindrical shape, a conical shape, a square shape, a trapezoidal shape, or an irregular shape.

The height of the second protruding portion 43 is less than that of the first protruding portion 42, and the height ratio of the second protruding portion 42 to the first protruding portion 42 is 0.3-0.95, i.e. the size ratio of the second protruding portion 43 to the first protruding portion 42 along the height direction is 0.3-0.95, so as to obtain a better ice making effect.

The ice blocks and the refrigerating body 4 are separated in the ice-removing process, the semiconductor refrigerator 1 can be directly powered off by the ice-removing process, heat of the hot end 12 is reversely transferred to the cold end 11 and then transferred to the refrigerating body 4, and the contact surface of the ice blocks and the refrigerating body 4 is melted, so that the ice blocks and the refrigerating body 4 are separated.

The direct current input of the semiconductor refrigerator 1 can be adopted for deicing, the positive polarity and the negative polarity are inverted, the semiconductor refrigerator 1 is changed from a refrigerating state to a heating state, heat is transferred from the semiconductor refrigerator 1 to the refrigerating body 4, the surface of ice blocks in contact with the refrigerating body 4 is melted, the ice blocks are separated from the refrigerating body 4, and the ice blocks separated from the refrigerating body 4 are supported by the ice box 5.

Referring to fig. 2, the ice releasing assembly 7 includes a tray 71 and a driving member 72, and the ice bin 5 can be released from the cooling body 4 by natural or forced releasing.

In particular, the method comprises the following steps of,

and (3) a natural falling mode: the tray 71 is substantially in the shape of a disk, and the tray 71 is provided below the ice bank 5 to support the ice bank 5. The size of the tray 71 is larger than that of the ice bank 5 in a direction perpendicular to the refrigerant body 4 toward the ice bank 5. The driving member 72 is used for providing power for the tray 71, and the driving member 72 is in driving connection with the tray 71 to drive the tray 71 to move up and down. When ice is made, the tray 71 is driven by the driving member 72 to move into contact with the ice bin 5 to provide support for the ice bin 5 and to allow the ice bin 5 to be completely fastened to the refrigerating body 4, thereby preventing liquid from flowing out. After ice making is successful, the tray 71 moves downwards under the driving of the driving piece 72 to be separated from the ice box 5, the distance of the downward movement is larger than or equal to the height of the ice box 5, when ice blocks are separated from the contact surface of the refrigerating body 4, and the ice box 5 loses the supporting force for supporting the ice box 5 due to the removal of the tray 71, the ice blocks and the ice box 5 fall into the tray 71 together due to the self weight and the falling space of the free falling body of the ice box 5, so that the ice box 5 filled with the ice blocks falls off the tray 71, and a user can directly take ice from the tray 71.

A forced falling mode: the tray 71 is connected with the ice box 5 in a clamping mode, the driving piece 72 is connected with the tray 71 in a driving mode, the tray 71 moves up and down under the driving of the driving piece 72, and due to the fact that the tray 71 is connected with the ice box 5 in a clamping mode, the tray 71 can drive the ice box 5 to move up and down in the downward movement process. After ice making is successful, entering an ice removing procedure, completing the separation of the ice blocks from the refrigerating body 4, and forcibly pulling the ice box 5 downwards by the driving piece 72 to separate the whole ice box 5 from the refrigerating body 4, thereby realizing ice removing.

Referring to fig. 6 and 7, the ice bin 5 is provided with a protrusion 51.

Specifically, in order to accelerate the ice cubes to fall off from the refrigerating body 4, the ice box 5 can be further provided with the protrusions 51, the protrusions 51 correspond to the grooves 44 one by one, that is, one ice cube corresponds to one protrusion 51, and the optimal scheme is that the protrusions 51 are arranged in the center of the ice cubes, the ice cubes are better integrated with the ice box 5 due to the arrangement of the protrusions 51, and after the ice making is completed, the ice box 5 can more easily separate the ice cubes from the refrigerating body 4.

The ice box 5 is made of rubber or plastic materials, and the materials are easier to deform, so that ice blocks can be quickly separated from the ice box 5.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, the fan 3 is disposed at one end of the heat sink fin 21 of the heat sink 2.

Specifically, the wind direction of the fan 3 coincides with the direction of the semiconductor cooler 1 toward the heat sink 2 to add heat dissipation from the heat sink 2.

The semiconductor ice maker 100 further comprises a temperature sensor (not shown) disposed on the cooling body 4, wherein the temperature sensor is used for sensing the temperature of the cooling body 4, or the ice cubes, or the ice box 5, and when the temperature sensor detects that the temperature of the cooling body 4, or the ice cubes, or the ice box 5 reaches a set temperature threshold, the end of ice making can be prompted. The temperature sensor is electrically connected with the control circuit board, and the made ice block can be selectively separated from the refrigerating body 4 or enter a cold insulation state through program control to keep the ice block in a frozen state.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, the ice maker 100 further includes a body housing 6.

Specifically, the body housing 6 encloses to form an installation cavity 63, and the semiconductor refrigerator 1, the radiator 2, the fan 3 and the refrigerator 4 are all disposed in the installation cavity 43. The top of the machine body shell 6 is provided with a perforation 61 corresponding to the fan 3, so that the hot air output by the fan 3 can be discharged out of the machine body shell 6 through the perforation 61.

The body case 6 includes an ice-taking compartment door 62, and after ice making is finished and ice-shedding is successful, the ice-taking compartment door 42 is unscrewed to take out the made ice blocks.

Referring to fig. 1, the semiconductor ice maker 100 further includes a heat insulation layer 64 filled in the body housing 6.

Specifically, the body casing 6 is hollow in the middle, and the heat insulation layer 64 is filled in the body casing 6, so as to improve the heat insulation performance of the semiconductor ice maker 100. The material of the thermal insulation layer 64 includes, but is not limited to, foamed glue, glass fiber, asbestos, rock wool, silicate, and the like. Correspondingly, the ice extraction door 62 may also be filled with insulation 64.

Referring to fig. 2, the driving member 72 includes a sleeve 721, a screw 722, and a motor 723.

Specifically, the sleeve 721 is substantially cylindrical, the sleeve 721 is disposed below the tray 71, the top end of the sleeve 721 is connected to the tray 71, and an inner wall of the sleeve 721 is provided with an internal thread. The screw 722 is inserted into the sleeve 721, the screw 722 is provided with an external thread matched with the internal thread, the screw 722 rotates to enable the sleeve 721 to move up and down along the screw 722, and the rising and falling of the sleeve 721 are controlled by the rotating direction of the screw 722.

The motor 723 is provided below the screw 722. The output end of the motor 723 is in driving connection with the bottom end of the screw 722 to drive the screw 722 to rotate. The motor 723 controls the rotation direction of the screw 722 by forward or reverse rotation, and thus controls the ascent or descent of the sleeve 721.

In other embodiments, the driving member 72 may also be a linear motor, an output end of the linear motor is connected to the tray 71, and the tray 71 moves up and down by controlling the start and stop of the linear motor.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, the tray 71 is provided with a drain hole 711, and a waste water box 8 is provided below the tray 71.

Specifically, the waste water box 8 is communicated with the drain hole 711, the drain pipe 9 is arranged at the lower end of the drain hole 711, the input end of the drain pipe 9 is communicated with the drain hole 711, the output end of the drain pipe 9 is communicated with the waste water box 8, and ice cake melted water in the tray 71 can flow into the waste water box 8 through the drain pipe 9 along the drain hole 711. A waste water box door 81 is arranged on the machine body shell 6 so that a user can take out the waste water box 8 and pour out waste water.

In summary, in the present invention, the tray 71 of the ice-shedding assembly 7 moves up and down by the driving member 72, and the tray 71 is disposed under the ice bin 5 to provide support for the ice bin 5. After ice making is successful, the ice removing procedure is started, ice blocks are separated from the refrigerating body 4, the ice box 5 is separated from the refrigerating body 4 integrally through the up-and-down movement of the driving piece 72, and the ice box 5 filled with the separated ice blocks is separated to a designated position, so that the purpose of automatic ice removing is achieved.

In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms "central," "longitudinal," "transverse," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," "circumferential," and the like are used in the orientations and positional relationships indicated in the drawings for convenience in describing the invention and to simplify the description, but are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element so referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and are not to be construed as limiting the invention.

Furthermore, the terms "first", "second" and "first" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or to implicitly indicate the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means at least two, e.g., two, three, etc., unless specifically limited otherwise.

In the present invention, unless otherwise explicitly stated or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "fixed," and the like are to be construed broadly, e.g., as being permanently connected, detachably connected, or integral; can be mechanically or electrically connected; they may be directly connected or indirectly connected through intervening media, or they may be interconnected within two elements or in a relationship where two elements interact with each other unless otherwise specifically limited. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.

In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly stated or limited, the first feature "on" or "under" the second feature may be directly contacting the first and second features or indirectly contacting the first and second features through an intermediate. Also, a first feature "on," "above," and "over" a second feature may be directly on or obliquely above the second feature, or simply mean that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. A first feature being "under," "below," and "beneath" a second feature may be directly under or obliquely under the first feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is at a lesser elevation than the second feature.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "secured to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. When an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and the like as used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not denote a unique embodiment.

Naturally, the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention are described in detail, but it should not be understood that the scope of the present invention is limited thereby, and other various embodiments of the present invention can be obtained by those skilled in the art without any inventive work based on the present embodiments, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. An ice making machine comprising: the refrigerator comprises a machine body shell, a fan, a radiator, a semiconductor refrigerator, a refrigerating body, an ice box, an ice removing assembly and a control circuit board.

The deicing assembly comprises a tray and a driving piece, the driving piece is connected with the tray to drive the tray to move up and down, and the tray is located below the ice box and used for supporting the ice box.

2. The ice-making machine of claim 1, wherein said refrigeration body is comprised of a base plate and a first protrusion.

3. The ice maker as claimed in claim 2, wherein a groove is formed on a side wall surface of the first protrusion, the ice box is located below the refrigerating body, and the groove is closed to form a hollow space after being fastened with the refrigerating body.

4. The ice-making machine of claim 3, wherein said recess has a second protrusion disposed therein.

5. The ice-making machine of claim 1, wherein said ice bin is provided with a protrusion.

6. The ice-making machine of claim 5, wherein said ice bin snaps onto said tray.

7. The ice-making machine of claim 1, wherein said drive comprises:

the sleeve is arranged below the tray, the top end of the sleeve is connected with the tray, and inner threads are arranged on the inner wall of the sleeve;

the screw rod penetrates through the sleeve and is provided with an external thread matched with the internal thread;

and the output end of the motor is in driving connection with the bottom end of the screw rod so as to drive the screw rod to rotate.

8. The ice-making machine of claim 1, wherein said tray is provided with drainage holes.

9. The ice-making machine of claim 8, further comprising: the waste water box is arranged below the tray and communicated with the drain hole.

10. The ice-making machine of claim 1, further comprising: and the temperature sensor is arranged on the refrigerating body and is electrically connected with the control circuit board.

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