CN118265884A

CN118265884A - Ice machine

Info

Publication number: CN118265884A
Application number: CN202280076532.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 冢原纮也; 片桐贤宏; 木部宏
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Aqua Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Aqua Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-12-14
Filing date: 2022-12-13
Publication date: 2024-06-28
Also published as: JP2023088077A; WO2023109797A1

Abstract

Provided is an ice maker capable of shortening the time required for making ice, wherein the ice maker (30) comprises an ice making device (31), a storage part (32), and a cold air introduction part (33). The ice making device (31) is formed with a plurality of ice making recesses (311) for storing ice making water. The ice making device (31) is accommodated in the accommodating section (32). The cool air introduction part (33) is arranged between an air inlet (34) for blowing cool air cooled by the evaporator (19) and the ice making device (31). Further, the cold air introduction part (33) has an upper flow guide part (331) and a lower flow guide part (332).

Description

Ice machine

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an ice maker, and more particularly, to an ice maker equipped in a freezing chamber of a refrigerator.

Background

Conventionally, an ice container for storing ice cubes is provided in a freezing chamber or the like.

For example, patent document 1 (japanese patent application laid-open No. 2021-96047) describes that a part of a storage compartment of a case is used as an ice making compartment, and an ice making device is placed in the ice making compartment and ice is made by the ice making device. Further, the ice maker is classified into an automatic ice maker that automatically supplies water to the ice making device and a manual ice maker that manually supplies water to the ice making device according to a water supply manner.

When the manual ice maker is used, a portion of the freezing chamber is divided into an ice making region, and an ice making device is placed inside the ice making region. The ice making device can be freely pulled out in the front-rear direction inside the ice making area. When ice making is performed, the user slides the ice making device with water stored therein to the ice making area and stores the same therein. After the water in the ice-making device is frozen, the user removes the ice-making device from the ice-making region of the freezer compartment and twists (or the like) the ice-making device to disengage the ice cubes.

After the ice making device is placed in the ice making area, the ice making grooves of the ice making device are arranged along the array shape, and the whole ice making device is in a flat cuboid shape. Thus, when the ice-making device is accommodated in the ice-making region of the freezing chamber, the cooling temperature of the side of the ice-making device close to the cold air intake port is different from the cooling temperature of the side facing away from the cold air intake port. This causes the ice-making device to be frozen unevenly, thus increasing the time required for making ice.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an ice maker capable of shortening a time required for making ice.

An ice maker is arranged in a freezing chamber and comprises an ice maker main body and an ice making device,

The ice maker main body comprises a containing part for containing the ice making device and a cold air introducing part arranged between an air inlet and the ice making device, and the air inlet is used for guiding out cold air cooled by the evaporator;

the ice making device has a plurality of ice making recesses for storing ice making water,

The cool air introduction unit includes:

An upper deflector for guiding a part of the cool air to an upper portion of the ice making device, and

And a lower guide part for guiding a part of the cool air to a lower part of the ice making device.

Further, the opening portion is formed by opening the receiving portion.

Further, the upper guide part has an inclined surface inclined upward in a direction toward the ice making device;

The lower guide part has an inclined surface inclined downward in a direction toward the ice making device.

Further, the two upper diversion portions are located at two opposite sides of the lower diversion portion.

Further, in the case where the direction in which the cool air is blown out from the air intake port is a first direction and a direction orthogonal to the first direction is a second direction;

the widths of the two upper diversion parts in the second direction are larger than those of the lower diversion parts in the second direction.

Further, the sum of the widths of the two upper flow guiding portions in the second direction is smaller than the width of the lower flow guiding portion in the second direction.

Further, the sum of the widths of the two upper flow guiding portions in the second direction is equal to the width of the lower flow guiding portion in the second direction.

Further, the front end of the upper guide part has a level greater than or equal to the level of the upper end of the ice making device.

Further, the front end of the lower guide part has a horizontal height less than or equal to that of the lower end of the ice making device.

Effects of the invention

Compared with the prior art, the time required for making ice can be shortened. Specifically, a cold air flow can be formed above and below the ice making device, and thus the ice making water stored in the ice making device can be effectively cooled from above and below. Thereby, the ice-making water stored in each ice-making groove of the ice-making device can be uniformly cooled and frozen.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of a refrigerator in which an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed.

Fig. 2A is a schematic perspective view of an ice maker in an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2B is a cross-sectional view of a front view of an ice maker in an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3A is a perspective view of an ice making device of an ice maker in an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3B is a perspective view of an icemaker main body of the icemaker in the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an icemaker main body of the icemaker in an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a side sectional view of an ice maker taking cool air in an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

An ice maker 30 and a refrigerator 10 including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below based on the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the same components in principle, and repetitive description thereof will be omitted. Further, in the following description, the directions of up, down, front, rear, left and right are appropriately used, but the left and right are shown in the case of looking at the refrigerator 10 from the front.

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of a refrigerator 10. As shown in fig. 1, the refrigerator 10 includes a cabinet 11 forming a main body, a storage compartment formed inside the cabinet 11 and used for storing food and the like.

The cabinet 11 is a main body of the refrigerator 10. The case 11 is composed of: a steel plate housing 111 having an opening on the front surface; an inner container 112 disposed inside the outer case 111 and having a gap with the inner container, the inner container 112 being made of synthetic resin; and a heat insulating material 113 for foaming and filling a gap between the outer case 111 and the inner container 112, the heat insulating material 113 being made of foamed polyurethane.

A refrigerating chamber 12, a freezing chamber 13, and a vegetable chamber 14 are partitioned inside the storage compartment. The uppermost refrigerating compartment 12 and the freezing compartment 13 located therebelow are spaced apart by a compartment wall 20. The freezing chamber 13 and the vegetable chamber 14 located at the lower layer thereof are spaced apart by a compartment wall 21. The compartment walls 20 and 21 have the same heat insulating structure as the case 11.

An ice maker 30 is provided inside the freezing chamber 13 for making ice cubes. The icemaker 30 is located at the top of the freezing compartment 13 and is configured as a manual icemaker. Details regarding the ice maker 30 may be described with reference to fig. 2 and later. In ice making, a user first pulls the door 16 and then takes out an ice making device 31 (described later with reference) of the ice maker 30. Then, the user fills the ice making recess 311 of the ice making device 31 with water (hereinafter, described in relation thereto). Then, the user replaces the ice-making device 31 filled with water with the ice-making machine 30. Thereafter, the water-filled ice-making device 31 is frozen inside the freezing chamber 13, thereby forming ice cubes in the ice-making recess 311. Then, when the user needs ice cubes, the door 16 is opened, the ice making device 31 is removed from the ice maker 30, and the ice cubes are detached from the ice making device 31.

The front surface of the case 11 is provided with an opening, and door bodies 15, 16, 17, which are openable and closable, are provided corresponding to the openings of the refrigerator compartment 12, the freezer compartment 13, and the vegetable compartment 14, respectively, each having a heat insulation structure substantially equivalent to that of the case 11. The door 15 is rotatably supported by the housing 11 at upper and lower portions near the side edges thereof. The door 16 and the door 17 are supported by the case 11 so as to be capable of being pulled out forward of the refrigerator 10.

A cold air supply duct 22 for supplying cold air connected to the freezing chamber 13 is formed at a rear side of the freezing chamber 13. The cooling air duct 22 is formed between a partition plate made of synthetic resin, which is formed with an air inlet 34 through which cool air flows, and an inner wall of the freezing chamber 13.

An evaporation chamber 18 is formed at the rear of the cooling air duct 22 by a partition plate. An evaporator 19 for cooling cool air circulating in the storage compartment is disposed in the evaporation chamber 18.

The evaporator 19 is realized by, for example, a fin-tube evaporator. The evaporator 19 is connected to a compressor 25, a condenser (not shown), a capillary tube (not shown), and the like through refrigerant piping. Thus, a vapor compression type refrigeration cycle is formed. In addition, the compressor 25, a part of the condenser, a cooling fan (not shown) for blowing air to the condenser, and the like are disposed in a machine room formed at the rear of the lower portion of the refrigerator 10.

An opening, i.e., an air outlet, to which a blower 24 for circulating cool air is mounted is formed at an upper portion of the evaporation chamber 18, which is connected to the cool air supply duct 22. The blower 24 is configured as an axial flow fan, and is configured to flow the cool air cooled by the evaporator 19 from the evaporation chamber 18 to each storage compartment. In addition, an opening, i.e., a return air inlet, for the return of cool air from the freezing chamber 13 to the evaporation chamber 18 is formed at a lower portion of the evaporation chamber 18.

A cooling air duct 23 for supplying cool air to the refrigerating chamber 12 is formed after the rear of the refrigerating chamber 12 is divided by a partition made of synthetic resin. The cooling air duct 23 is connected to the cooling air duct 22 and is connected to the refrigerating chamber 12 via an air inlet.

The refrigerator 10 has a cooling air duct (not shown) connected to the refrigerating chamber 12 and the vegetable chamber 14 for supplying cool air to the vegetable chamber 14, a return air duct (not shown) connected to the refrigerating chamber 12 and the vegetable chamber 14 and the evaporation chamber 18 for returning cool air from the refrigerating chamber 12 and the vegetable chamber 14 to the evaporation chamber 18, and the like. In addition, the cooling air duct 22, the cooling air duct 23, etc. may be provided with a damper (not shown) or the like for controlling the flow rate of the cool air supplied to the storage compartment, thereby accurately maintaining the temperature inside the storage compartment.

With the refrigerator 10 having the above-described structure, the refrigerating chamber 12 and the vegetable chamber 14 are cooled to a designated refrigerating temperature region, and the freezing chamber 13 is cooled to a designated freezing temperature region.

Fig. 2A is a perspective view of the ice maker 30, and fig. 2B is a cross-sectional view of a front view of the ice maker 30.

Referring to fig. 2A, the ice maker 30 is constituted by an ice maker main body 38 and an ice making device 31. The icemaker main body 38 is made of a synthetic resin material by an integral molding, and has a receiving portion 32 and a cool air introduction portion 33. The ice making device 31 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 32 of the ice maker main body 38. The description of the structure of the icemaker main body 38 may refer to fig. 3B hereinafter.

The ice making device 31 is a container for storing water for making ice and making ice. The ice making device 31 is housed in the housing portion 32 and can be pulled out freely in the front-rear direction. The details of the ice making device 31 will be described with reference to fig. 3A.

Referring to fig. 2B, the housing portion 32 is configured in a plate-like structure for housing components of the ice making device 31. Specifically, the housing portion 32 has: a lower surface portion 321; a side surface portion 322 extending vertically upward from a left side end portion of the lower surface portion 321; and a side face portion 323 extending vertically upward from a right side end portion of the lower face portion 321.

Gaps are provided between the lower surface 321, side 322, and side 323 of the housing 32 and the ice making device 31. The side surface portion 322 is spaced apart from the side surface portion 323 by a distance greater than the width of the ice making device 31, so that a gap is formed between the side surface portion 322 and the side surface portion 323 and the ice making device 31. Further, by forming ribs extending in the front-rear direction on the lower surface of the ice making device 31, the lower surface portion 321 and the ice making device 31 are spaced apart by the ribs so that a gap is formed therebetween.

Specifically, a gap 261 is formed between the lower surface of the ice making device 31 and the lower surface portion 321 of the housing portion 32. A gap 262 is formed between the left end portion of the ice making device 31 and the side surface portion 322 of the housing portion 32. A gap 263 is formed between the right end portion of the ice making device 31 and the side surface portion 323 of the housing portion 32. Further, a gap 264 is formed above the ice making device 31.

The cool air blown out from the air intake 34 shown in fig. 1 flows through the gaps 261, 262, 263, and 264. Further description may refer to fig. 5 hereinafter.

Fig. 3A is a perspective view illustrating the ice making device 31 of the ice maker 30.

The ice making device 31 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and is formed with a plurality of ice making recesses 311 for storing ice making water. The ice making recesses 311 have a substantially square concave structure when viewed from above, and the plurality of ice making recesses 311 are arranged in an array. The front end portion of the ice making device 31 is inclined downward to form a pull-out portion 312. The user pulls out the ice making device 31 forward by pulling out the portion 312 from the lower part Fang Gouzhu with a finger. The ice making recesses 311 are made of a synthetic resin material and are changed in shape by male dies of different shapes.

Fig. 3B is a perspective view showing the icemaker main body 38. The storage portion 32 and the cool air introduction portion 33 of the icemaker main body 38 are arranged in the front-rear direction. The housing portion 32 houses the ice making device 31. The cool air introduction part 33 is for introducing the blown cool air to the ice making device 31.

As shown in fig. 1, the cool air introduction part 33 is located between the air inlet 34 and the ice making device 31. The cool air introduction part 33 has a lower surface part 333, a side surface part 334, and a side surface part 335. The lower surface 333 is a surface substantially parallel to the horizontal plane. The side surface portion 334 extends vertically upward from the left end of the lower surface portion 333. The side surface portion 335 extends vertically upward from the right end of the lower surface portion 333. Further details of the cold air introduction portion 33 will be described with reference to fig. 4 hereinafter.

The housing portion 32 is perforated to form a perforated portion 37. Specifically, a plurality of opening portions 37 are provided near the front ends of the lower surface portion 321, the side surface portion 322, and the side surface portion 323. By providing the hole 37, after the cool air is blown to the housing 32, a part of the cool air can leak to the outside of the housing 32 through the hole 37, thereby accelerating the circulation of the cool air inside and outside the housing 32 and shortening the time required for ice making.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the icemaker main body 38. The upper and lower flow guide portions 331 and 332 are arranged on the cold air introduction portion 33 in the front-rear direction.

The upper flow guide portion 331 is formed at a front end portion of the lower surface portion 333, and the upper flow guide portion 331 gradually protrudes from the rear to the front in the lower surface portion 333. The upper flow guide portion 331 is formed at left and right end portions of the cold air introduction portion 33, respectively. A lower flow guide 332 is formed between the upper flow guide 331. By providing the upper and lower diversion portions 331 and 332, cool air blown forward can be guided above and below the ice making device 31.

The lower deflector 332 is formed at a front end portion of the lower surface portion 333, and the lower deflector 332 is gradually inclined downward in a direction from rear to front. The lower guide portion 332 is formed at a middle position in the left-right direction of the cold air introduction portion 33. By so doing, the cool air blown forward can be guided to the lower side of the ice making device 31.

The two upper diversion portions 331 are disposed opposite to the left and right sides of the lower diversion portion 332. With this structure, it is possible to blow cool air well and uniformly above and below the aforementioned ice making device 31, and it is also possible to make each ice making groove 311 of the ice making device 31 obtain uniform cooling amount to be frozen simultaneously.

The widths of the upper and lower flow guide portions 331 and 332 are described herein. The direction in which cool air is blown out from the air intake 34 is a first direction D1, and the direction orthogonal to the first direction D1 is a second direction D2. Here, the front-rear direction is a first direction D1, and the left-right direction is a second direction D2.

As one example, the width of the upper flow guide 331 in the second direction D2 may be longer than the width of the lower flow guide 332 in the second direction D2.

Specifically, the width of the upper flow guide 331 on the left side is A1, the width of the upper flow guide 331 on the right side is A2, and the width of the lower flow guide 332 is B. Then, the length of A1 and A2 added up may be longer than B. By doing so, it is possible to blow cool air preferentially to the upper side of the ice making device 31, so that the ice making water stored in each ice making recess 311 of the ice making device 31 can be frozen from above.

On the other hand, the length of A1 and A2 added up may be shorter than B. By doing so, it is possible to blow cool air preferentially to the lower side of the ice making device 31, so that the ice making water stored in each ice making recess 311 of the ice making device 31 can be frozen from below.

The length of the sum of A1 and A2 may be equal to B. By doing so, it is possible to blow cool air equally to the upper and lower sides of the ice making device 31 and to freeze ice making water stored in the ice making grooves 311 of the ice making device 31 from above and below at the same time.

Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a side sectional view of the ice maker 30 taking cool air.

The air cooled by the evaporator 19 is blown forward from the air intake 34.

Part of the cool air blown out from the air inlet 34 flows along the upper guide 331 to form the upper cooling air 35. The upper cooling wind 35 is formed above the ice making device 31. The upper cooling wind 35 cools the ice-making water stored in each ice-making recess 311 of the ice-making device 31 from above. Thereafter, the upper cooling air 35 flows from the front end opening of the housing portion 32 to the outside, that is, to the lower portion of the freezing chamber 13. Upper cooling wind 35 is formed at both left and right sides of the inside of the icemaker 30. In fig. 5, the upcooling wind 35 is shown in broken lines. Further, as shown in fig. 3B, a part of the upper cooling wind 35 flows from the opening portions 37 on the side surface portions 322 and 323 to the outside of the ice maker 30.

A part of the cool air blown out from the air intake 34 flows along the lower guide portion 332 to form the lower cooling air 36. The down cooling wind 36 is formed below the ice making device 31. The down cooling wind 36 cools the ice making water stored in each ice making recess 311 of the ice making device 31 from below. Thereafter, the down cooling air 36 flows from the front end opening of the housing portion 32 to the outside, that is, to the lower portion of the freezing chamber 13. In fig. 5, the down-cooling wind 36 is shown in dashed lines. Further, as shown in fig. 3B, a part of the down cooling wind 36 flows from the opening portion 37 on the lower surface portion 321 to the outside of the ice maker 30.

In addition, the front end of the upper flow guide 331 has a level greater than or equal to the level of the upper end of the ice making device 31. By doing so, the flow of the upper cooling wind 35 above the ice making device 31 can be made smooth. Further, the front end of the lower guide 332 has a level less than or equal to the level of the lower end of the ice making device 31. By doing so, the flow of the under cooling wind 36 under the ice making device 31 can be made smooth.

As described above, by allowing the cool air to circulate well inside the ice making device 31, the temperature difference between the front and rear of the ice making device 31 can be reduced. Further, the upper cooling wind 35 flows to the left and right sides on the upper surface side of the ice making device 31, and further, the lower cooling wind 36 flows to the center in the left and right direction on the lower surface side of the ice making device 31, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the left and right regions of the ice making device 31. Thus, freezing of the ice making water can be performed equally in all the ice making grooves 311 formed in the ice making device 31, and the time required for making ice can be shortened.

The present embodiment can achieve the following main effects.

Referring to fig. 5, since cold air flow to the upper and lower sides of the ice making device 31 can be formed, ice making water stored in the ice making device 31 can be effectively cooled from the upper and lower sides. Thereby, the ice-making water stored in each ice-making recess 311 of the ice-making device 31 can be uniformly cooled and frozen.

Referring to fig. 3B, since the introduced cold air leaks from the ice maker 30 to the outside from the opening portion 37 of the storage portion 32, it is possible to suppress cold air accumulation above and below the ice making device 31 and to more effectively freeze the ice making water stored in the ice making device 31.

Referring to fig. 4, cool air may be smoothly blown up and down the ice making device 31 along inclined surfaces constituting the upper and lower flow guiding parts 331 and 332.

As shown in fig. 5, the ice making device 31 may be equally cooled from above and below by the upper cooling wind 35 and the lower cooling wind 36.

Referring to fig. 4, more cool air may be blown along the upper diversion portion 331, and ice making water stored in the ice making recesses 311 may be effectively cooled and frozen.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the foregoing forms may be combined with each other.

Claims

An ice maker is arranged in a freezing chamber and comprises an ice maker main body and an ice making device, and is characterized in that,

The ice maker main body comprises a containing part for containing the ice making device and a cold air introducing part arranged between an air inlet and the ice making device, and the air inlet is used for guiding out cold air cooled by the evaporator;

the ice making device has a plurality of ice making recesses for storing ice making water,

The cool air introduction unit includes:

An upper deflector for guiding a part of the cool air to an upper portion of the ice making device, and

And a lower guide part for guiding a part of the cool air to a lower part of the ice making device.
The ice maker as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opening portion is formed by opening the receiving portion.
The ice-making machine of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein:

the upper guide part has an inclined surface inclined upward in a direction toward the ice making device;

The lower guide part has an inclined surface inclined downward in a direction toward the ice making device.
The ice-making machine of claim 3, wherein:

the two upper diversion parts are positioned on two opposite sides of the lower diversion part.
The ice-making machine of claim 3 or claim 4, wherein:

In the case where the direction in which the cool air is blown out from the air intake port is a first direction and a direction orthogonal to the first direction is a second direction;

the widths of the two upper diversion parts in the second direction are larger than those of the lower diversion parts in the second direction.
The ice-making machine of claim 5, wherein:

The sum of the widths of the two upper diversion parts in the second direction is larger than the width of the lower diversion part in the second direction.
The ice-making machine of claim 5, wherein:

The sum of the widths of the two upper diversion parts in the second direction is smaller than the width of the lower diversion part in the second direction.
The ice-making machine of claim 5, wherein:

the sum of the widths of the two upper flow guiding parts in the second direction is equal to the width of the lower flow guiding part in the second direction.
The ice-making machine of claim 3, wherein:

The front end of the upper diversion part is higher than or equal to the upper end of the ice making device.
The ice-making machine of claim 3, wherein:

The front end of the lower diversion part is smaller than or equal to the lower end of the ice making device.