EP3957934B1 - Eiszerkleinerungsvorrichtung und kühlschrank - Google Patents

Eiszerkleinerungsvorrichtung und kühlschrank Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3957934B1
EP3957934B1 EP19925086.1A EP19925086A EP3957934B1 EP 3957934 B1 EP3957934 B1 EP 3957934B1 EP 19925086 A EP19925086 A EP 19925086A EP 3957934 B1 EP3957934 B1 EP 3957934B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ice
stopper
stopping
crushing device
discharging
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
EP19925086.1A
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English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP3957934A4 (de
EP3957934A1 (de
Inventor
Zhenyu Zhao
Yanqing Zhang
Qihai DU
Fangyou ZHANG
Lihua ZUO
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd
Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd
Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
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Publication date
Application filed by Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd, Haier Smart Home Co Ltd filed Critical Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd
Publication of EP3957934A1 publication Critical patent/EP3957934A1/de
Publication of EP3957934A4 publication Critical patent/EP3957934A4/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP3957934B1 publication Critical patent/EP3957934B1/de
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
    • F25C5/00—Working or handling ice
    • F25C5/02—Apparatus for disintegrating, removing or harvesting ice
    • F25C5/04—Apparatus for disintegrating, removing or harvesting ice without the use of saws
    • F25C5/046—Ice-crusher machines
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
    • F25C5/00—Working or handling ice
    • F25C5/02—Apparatus for disintegrating, removing or harvesting ice
    • F25C5/04—Apparatus for disintegrating, removing or harvesting ice without the use of saws
    • F25C5/12—Ice-shaving machines
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D11/00—Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the technical field of household appliances, and specifically to an ice crushing device and a refrigerator.
  • an ice maker is added to the refrigerator.
  • the ice maker of the refrigerator comprises an ice making device and an ice crushing device.
  • the ice making device prepares ice cubes and then stores them in a barrel-shaped container for easy use by people.
  • technicians set ice-providing modes of the refrigerator as a crushed ice mode and an ice cube mode. In the crushed ice mode, what the user gets are crushed ice cubes, whereas in the ice cube mode, what the user gets is a whole ice cube.
  • the crushed ice mode and the ice cube mode are implemented by setting an ice crushing blade assembly in the barrel-shaped container.
  • the ice crushing blade assembly comprises a stationary ice cutter and a movable ice cutter.
  • a rotating shaft of the ice crushing blade assembly is movably inserted through one end of the stationary ice cutter and fixedly inserted through one end of the movable ice cutter so that the rotating shaft brings the movable ice cutter to rotate.
  • the rotating shaft rotates positively (i.e., rotates towards the stationary ice cutter) and the movable ice cutter crosses with the stationary ice cutter, the ice crushing blade assembly crushes the ice cube. This is the crushed ice mode.
  • the rotating shaft rotates reversely, the ice crushing blade assembly only functions to drive and stir the ice cubes nearby the ice cutter and causes the ice cubes to slide out of an outlet of the barrel-shaped container. This is the ice cube mode.
  • an ice outlet of the ice crushing device is open so that when the ice box is taken out of the refrigerator or the refrigerator shakes as the user opens or closes the door body of the refrigerator, the ice cubes are prone to fall out of the ice outlet.
  • a slope with a certain height is added at the ice outlet in the prior art. Such a manner of adding a slope at the ice outlet effectively reduces the probability of the fall of the ice cubes, but when the entire ice is taken out, the entire ice is prone to be pressed into pieces between the movable ice cutters and the slope, and the entire ice supply rate is reduced.
  • WO2019066489A1 discloses a refrigerator that comprises: an ice bucket for storing ice; a transfer member for transferring the ice stored in the ice bucket; and an ice crushing apparatus provided outside the ice bucket, for discharging without crushing, or crushing and discharging the cubed ice discharged from the ice bucket.
  • CN108413667B discloses a crushed ice structure for refrigerator.
  • EP2339277A2 discloses a refrigerator including a slim refrigerator door.
  • embodiments of the present application provide an ice crushing device capable of preventing the fall of ice cubes without affecting the rate of supplying entire ice, and a corresponding refrigerator.
  • embodiments of the present application provide an ice crushing device capable of preventing the fall of ice cubes without affecting the rate of supplying entire ice, and a corresponding refrigerator.
  • a stop assembly is added to the ice crushing device to prevent the crushed ice from falling off, and furthermore, the setting of the stop assembly does not affect the entire ice supply rate.
  • Embodiments of the present application have the following advantages.
  • the ice crushing device is newly-added the stop assembly to prevent the crushed ice from falling off, and the setting of the stop assembly does not affect the entire ice supply rate. Furthermore, the stop assembly further comprises an elastic member for providing a restoring force so that the stopper in the stop assembly can automatically return.
  • a first preferred embodiment according to the present invention discloses a refrigerator.
  • the refrigerator comprises a cabinet and a door body for opening or closing the cabinet.
  • the cabinet defines storage compartments.
  • the number and structure of the storage compartments may be configured according to different needs.
  • the storage compartments usually comprise a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment.
  • the refrigerator further comprises an ice crushing device 100 which is disposed on the cabinet or the door body.
  • the ice crushing device 100 comprises a housing assembly 10, a driving mechanism 30 and an ice crushing mechanism 50 mounted in the housing assembly 10.
  • the housing assembly 10 comprises a housing 11 and an ice bank 12 supported within the housing 11.
  • the driving mechanism 30 is used to drive the ice bank 12 to rotate, and at least a portion of the driving structure 30 is installed in the housing.
  • the ice crushing mechanism 50 is disposed in the ice bank 12 and is used to crush the ice cubes prepared by the ice maker.
  • the housing assembly 10 further comprises an ice-discharging substrate 13 provided at the bottom of the ice bank 12, and the ice-discharging substrate 13 is fixedly disposed relative to the housing 11.
  • the ice-discharge substrate 13 and the housing 11 may be disposed integrally, e.g., integrally formed by injection molding.
  • the ice-discharging substrate 13 is provided with an ice-discharging port 131 communicated with the ice bank 12.
  • the ice-discharging port 131 may be a substantially sector-shaped opening on the ice-discharging substrate 13. A central angle of the sector-shaped opening is substantially smaller than 180 degrees, preferable between 120 degrees and 170 degrees.
  • the ice cubes prepared by the ice maker are crushed by the ice crushing mechanism 50 in the ice bank 12 and then discharged through the ice-discharging port 131.
  • the driving mechanism 30 comprises a motor (not shown) and a cylindrical gear 31 driven by the motor.
  • An outer circumference of the ice bank 12 is provided with external teeth 121.
  • the cylindrical gear 31 meshes with the external teeth 121 to drive the ice bank 12 to rotate.
  • a gear assembly is provided between the motor and the cylindrical gear 31.
  • the gear assembly comprises a first bevel gear 32 connected to the motor and a second bevel gear 33 meshing with the first bevel gear 32.
  • the cylindrical gear 31 and the second bevel gear 33 are disposed coaxially and relatively fixedly, that is, the motor drives the first bevel gear 32 to rotate, and the cylindrical gear 31 and the second bevel gear 33 rotate synchronously, to thereby realize the transmission of a torque from the motor to the ice bank 12.
  • the overall size of the driving mechanism may be reasonably designed, so that the engagement between the motor and the gear assembly is more compact such that the overall volume of the ice crushing device becomes smaller.
  • the driving mechanism may also be other transmission structures, such as a belt transmission mechanism, a chain transmission mechanism, a worm wheel-worm mechanism etc.
  • the gear mechanism is not limited to bevel gears, but may also be spur gears, helical gears, herringbone gears, curved gears, and so on.
  • the housing 11 comprises a first portion 11a that houses the ice bank 12 and a second portion 11b in which the driving mechanism 30 is mounted.
  • the first portion 11a is configured to match the outer circumference of the ice bank 12, that is, the first portion 11a is also provided in a cylindrical shape.
  • the ice bank 12 rotates in the cylindrical first portion 11a.
  • an opening 111 is provided on the first portion 11a, and a meshing portion of the cylindrical gear 31 and the external teeth 121 is located at the opening 111, so that the opening 111 may be minimized so long as the stable meshing of the cylindrical gear 31 and the external teeth 121 can be satisfied.
  • the housing assembly 10 further comprises a bottom plate 14, the bottom of the second portion 11b is open, and the bottom plate 14 covers the bottom of the second portion 11b to seal the cylindrical gear 31 between the second portion 11b and the bottom plate 14.
  • the bottom of the ice-discharging substrate 13 is provided with a clamping slot 133.
  • the bottom plate 14 is provided with a bump 143 that is shaped to fit in the clamping slot 133.
  • the bump 143 is fitted in the clamping slot 133.
  • both the bump 143 and the clamping slot 133 are both set in a fish shape to enable a better overall sealing perform of the ice crushing device.
  • first portion 11a is provided with a first step portion 113 and a second step portion 114 apart in an axial direction of the ice bank 12.
  • a backing ring (not shown) is provided between the ice bank 12 and the first portion 11a.
  • the backing ring has a flanging at one end. The flanging abuts against the first step portion 113, and the other end of the backing ring abuts against the second step portion 114.
  • the housing assembly 10 further comprises a rear cover 15 connected to the housing 11, an outer side of the rear cover 15 is connected to the motor, and the first bevel gear 32 and the second bevel gear 33 are supported between the rear cover 15 and the housing 11.
  • a groove 136 extending along the circumferential direction of the ice bank 12 may be provided between the ice-discharging substrate 13 and the first portion 11a, the groove 136 is communicated with the ice-discharging port 131, and a lower edge of the ice bank 12 projects into the groove 136.
  • the crushed ice cannot cross the groove 136 and cannot enter the driving mechanism 30 on the other side.
  • the crushed ice will first accumulate in the groove 136.
  • the crushed ice will be taken away and fall out of the ice-discharging port 131, thereby effectively solving the problem of the piling of the crushed ice.
  • a protrusion 137 is formed on the bottom of the ice-discharging substrate 13 at a position corresponding to the groove 136, the bottom plate 14 is provided with a recess 147, the protrusion 137 is snap fitted into the recess 147 to facilitate mounting the bottom plate, and furthermore, the clamping slot 133 for connecting the bottom plate is adjacent to the protrusion 137, thereby forming a labyrinth seal structure, preventing lubricants or impurities, crushed ice, etc. between the gears from leaking out of the housing assembly 10.
  • the ice crushing mechanism 50 comprises an ice cutter shaft 51 fixed relative to the housing 11, and several movable ice cutters 52 and several stationary ice cutters 53 disposed on the ice cutter shaft 51 at an interval, wherein the ice cutter shaft 51 is fixed on the ice-discharging substrate 13.
  • the ice cutter shaft 51 comprises a shaft core 515, a shaft sleeve 511 and an end nut 513, wherein the shaft core 515 is located in an internal space of the shaft sleeve 511.
  • a bottom end of the shaft core 515 is provided with a thread which matches the end nut 513.
  • the movable ice cutter 52 is fixed relative to the ice bank 12, and the stationary ice cutter 53 is fixed relative to the ice cutter shaft 51.
  • the movable ice cutter 52 is driven by the ice bank 12 to rotate, and the stationary ice cutter 53 is fixed relative to the housing 11.
  • the ice cubes in the ice bank 12 are crushed by the rotation of the movable ice cutter 52 with respect to the stationary ice cutter 53.
  • an ice agitating rod 54 may be installed at one end of the ice cutter shaft 51 away from the ice-discharging port 131.
  • the ice agitating rod 54 may extend toward the other end of the ice cutter shaft 51 and be fixed to the movable ice cutter 52, and achieves agitation of the ice cubes as the movable ice cutter 52 rotates.
  • the rotation of the movable ice cutter 52 may be enabled in a way that the movable ice cutter 52 is directly fixed on an inner wall of the ice bank 12, or in a way that the movable ice cutter 52 and the ice agitating rod 54 are fixed relative to each and the ice agitating rod 54 is fixed on the inner wall of the ice bank 12.
  • the "fixed” here means fixed relative to the circumferential direction of the ice bank 12, the axial direction may be set to be fixed, or the axial distance may be adjusted relative to the ice bank 12.
  • the inner wall of the ice bank 12 is provided with a first limiting groove 123 extending in the axial direction, one end of the ice agitating rod 54 is snap fitted in the first limiting groove 123, and the movable ice cutters 52 are circumferentially fixed to the ice agitating rod 54.
  • the movable ice cutters 52 comprise two blades which are arranged in line with each other, two movable ice cutters 52 are disposed, two stationary ice cutters 53 are also disposed, and the movable ice cutters 52 are disposed adjacent to the stationary ice cutters 53.
  • Two ice agitating rods 54 are also disposed corresponding to the number of blades of the movable ice cutters 52.
  • each ice agitating rod is provided with a second limiting groove 543 extending in the axial direction.
  • the corresponding two blades of the two movable ice cutters are respectively provided with a projection 523, and two projections 523 are both snap-fitted in the second limiting groove 543, thereby achieving circumferential fixation of the movable ice cutters 52 relative to the ice agitating rods 54.
  • the ice-discharging port 131 of the ice-discharging substrate 13 is of an open type.
  • the ice box is taken out of the refrigerator or the refrigerator shakes as the user opens or closes the door body of the refrigerator, the ice cubes are prone to fall out of the ice-discharge port 131.
  • the extension of the slope in the height direction causes the reduction of space from the movable ice cutters 52 to the ice-discharging port 131, which causes the entire ice to be prone to be pressed into pieces between the movable ice cutters 52 and the slope, so that the entire ice supply rate of the ice crushing device 100 is reduced.
  • a stop assembly is added to the ice crushing device 100 to achieve the effect of preventing the fall of the ice cubes without affecting the entire ice supply rate.
  • the stop assembly comprises a stopper 73 for stopping ice cubes, an elastic member 72 for providing a restoring force to return the stopper 73, and a fixing member 71 for fixing the stopper 73 and the elastic member 72.
  • the elastic member 72 since the elastic member 72 is mainly used to provide a restoring force to return the stopper 73, the elastic member 72 may also be called a restoring member.
  • the stopper 73 comprises a stopping portion 732 and a fixed portion 731.
  • the stopping portion 732 is a plate-like structure having a predetermined height in the vertical direction and a predetermined length in the horizontal direction, and forms a stopping surface with its own structure to thereby prevent the ice cubes from falling.
  • the fixed portion 731 is generally cylindrical and comprises a first through hole 731b and a stepped surface 731a.
  • the stepped surface 731a serves as a first fixed end face for fixing the elastic member 72.
  • the first through hole 731b is used to mate with the ice cutter shaft 51. In the present embodiment, the shaft core 515 of the ice cutter shaft 51 passes through the first through hole 731b.
  • the stopper 73 further comprises a reinforcing rib 735, which is located between the stopping portion 732 and the fixed portion 731 and configured to strengthen the connection between the stopping portion 732 and the fixed portion 731.
  • the stopping portion 732 is plate-shaped, and the fixed portion 731 is cylindrical. Therefore, an original connection end face between the stopping portion 732 and the fixed portion 731 is a line connection. When the momentum of the ice cubes is large, the stopping portion 732 of the line connection is prone to break or fall off, thereby causing the stop to fail.
  • the reinforcing rib 735 provides an additional connection between the stopping portion 732 and the fixed portion 731, thereby effectively improving the connection strength between the two, and improving the stopper 73's capability of resisting against impact from the ice cubes.
  • the reinforcing rib 735 is a triangular-like plate structure, which further improves the connection area and connection strength.
  • the elastic member 72 is specifically a torsion spring.
  • the shape of the fixed member 71 is generally cylindrical, and comprises a second fixed end face for fixing the elastic member 72, and a second through hole for mating with the ice cutter shaft.
  • the stop assembly is coaxially mounted on the ice cutter shaft 51 with the movable ice cutters 52 and the stationary ice cutters 53.
  • the stop assembly is located between adjacent movable ice cutter 52 and stationary ice cutter 53.
  • the elastic member 72 i.e., torsion spring
  • the ice breaking device 100 may comprise a plurality of stop assemblies, thereby providing multi-stopping. In the vertical direction, the stopping portions 732 of the stoppers 73 of the plurality of stop assemblies are on the same plane. According to the principle of action of a force, when the stopper 73 is installed, a side which is of the stopper 73 and provide with the reinforcing rib 735 needs to be located on a side of the ice-discharging port 131.
  • the torsion spring In an initial state, the torsion spring is in a free state; when the stopper 73 is rotated by an external force, the torsion spring receives a torsion force, changes into a working state and stores a restoring force. When the rotational torsion force of the stopper 73 decreases or disappears, the restoring force of the torsion spring pushes the stopper 73 to rotate reversely and restore the initial state.
  • the movable ice cutters 52 When the entire ice is taken out, the movable ice cutters 52 will push the ice cubes to drive the stoppers 73 to rotate towards the ice-discharging port 131 on a horizontal plane. When the ice cubes reach the ice-discharging port 131, the entire ice will fall; after completion of the taking out of the entire ice, the stopper 73 returns to the initial position under the action of the restoring force of the elastic member 72. When the ice box is taken out, the stopper 73 does not move, is not affected by the movement of the movable ice cutters 52, and is located at the initial position. With the stopping function, the stopper 73 may effectively prevent crushed ice from falling out of the ice-discharging port 131.
  • the state of taking out the entire ice is defined as a second state, and a state other than the state of taking out of the entire ice is defined as a first state.
  • the first state comprises a state of taking the ice box out of the refrigerator or a state of generating shake of the refrigerator when the user opens or closes the refrigerator door.
  • the stop assembly When the ice crushing device 100 is in the first state, the stop assembly is in the initial state and a stopping surface is formed at the ice-discharging port 131 to stop the ice cubes from falling; when the ice crushing device 100 is in the second state, the stop assembly displaces under the action of an external force (namely, an external force applied by the movable ice cutters 52 pushing the ice cubes on the stopper 73) to release the stopping surface. After the external force disappears, the stop assembly returns to the initial state.
  • the stop assembly has a function of effectively preventing the fall of the crushed ice without affecting the entire ice supply rate, as well as automatically returning to the initial state.
  • FIG. 11 through FIG. 12 show another embodiment of the present application.
  • the stop assembly is mounted at a position of the ice-discharging substrate 3 adjacent to the ice-discharging port 131, and specifically mounted on a distal end face of the ice-discharging substrate 13.
  • the stop assembly comprises a stopper 73 for stopping ice cubes, and an elastic member 72 for providing a restoring force to return the stopper 73; the distal end face of the ice-discharge substrate 13 is provided with a snap-fitting portion 132 for fixing the stopper 73 and the elastic member 72.
  • the stopper 73 forms a stopping surface with a preset height at a boundary of the ice-discharging substrate 13 and the ice-discharging port 131, and the stopping face blocks the channel through which the ice cubes fall.
  • the elastic member 72 since the elastic member 72 is mainly used to provide a restoring force to return the stopper 73, the elastic member 72 may also be called a restoring member.
  • the stopper 73 comprises a stopping portion 732 and a fixed portion 731.
  • the stopping portion 732 is a plate-like structure having a predetermined height in the vertical direction and a predetermined length in the horizontal direction, and forms a stopping surface with its own structure to thereby prevent the ice cubes from falling.
  • a length of the stopping portion in the horizontal direction is about equal to or slightly smaller than a radius of the ice-discharging substrate 13.
  • the fixed portion 731 is cylindrical, and may also referred to as a pivot shaft.
  • the snap-fitting portion 132 is a snap-fitting structure (i.e., a shaft-hole structure) having a through hole that may receive the pivot shaft.
  • the distal end face of the ice-discharging substrate 13 is provided with a plurality of snap-fitting portions 132 which are spaced apart by a preset distance, which facilitate the rotation balance of the stopper 73.
  • the fixed portion 731 is connected with or integrally manufactured with the stopping portion 732.
  • the elastic member 72 is specifically a torsion spring. The torsion spring is sleeved on the fixed portion 731 and located at an end away from the housing 11, i.e., located at an end of the fixed portion 731 adjacent to the ice cutter shaft 51.
  • the torsion spring is abutted against by the ice cutter shaft 51, and the other end of the torsion spring is abutted against by the connection of the fixed portion 731 and the stopping portion 732.
  • the fixed portion 731 is snap-fitted into the snap-fitting portion 132, and the spring is sleeved on the end of the fixed portion 731 adjacent to the ice cutter shaft 51.
  • the torsion spring In an initial state, the torsion spring is in a free state; when the stopper 73 is reversed, the torsion spring receives a torsion force, changes into a working state and stores a restoring force. When the reversing torsion force of the stopper 73 decreases or disappears, the restoring force of the torsion spring pushes the stopper 73 to reverse reversely and restore the initial state.
  • the movable ice cutters 52 When the entire ice is taken out, the movable ice cutters 52 will push the ice cubes to drive the stoppers 73 to rotate towards downward the ice-discharging port 131 on a vertical plane. When the ice cubes reach the ice-discharging port 131, the entire ice will fall; after completion of the taking out of the entire ice, the stopper 73 returns to the initial position under the action of the restoring force of the elastic member 72. When the ice box is taken out, the stopper 73 does not move, is not affected by the movement of the movable ice cutters 52, and is located at the initial position. With the stopping function, the stopper 73 may effectively prevent crushed ice from falling out of the ice-discharging port 131.
  • the state of taking out the entire ice is defined as a second state, and a state other than the state of taking out of the entire ice is defined as a first state.
  • the first state comprises a state of taking the ice box out of the refrigerator or a state of generating shake of the refrigerator when the user opens or closes the refrigerator door.
  • the stop assembly When the ice crushing device 100 is in the first state, the stop assembly is in the initial state and a stopping surface is formed at the ice-discharging port 131 to stop the ice cubes from falling; when the ice crushing device 100 is in the second state, the stop assembly displaces under the action of an external force (namely, an external force applied by the movable ice cutters 52 pushing the ice cubes on the stopper 73) to release the stopping surface. After the external force disappears, the stop assembly returns to the initial state.
  • the stop assembly has a function of effectively preventing the fall of the crushed ice without affecting the entire ice supply rate, as well as automatically returning to the initial state.
  • the object driven by the driving mechanism 30 may also be replaced with the ice cutter shaft 51, that is, the driving mechanism 30 drives the ice cutter shaft 51 to rotate, whereas the ice bank 12 is fixed relative to the housing 11. Since the ice crushing manner in which the driving mechanism 30 drives the ice cutter shaft 51 to rotate whereas the ice bank 12 is fixed relative to the housing 11 is of the prior art ( CN105509391A ), it will not be described in detail any more here.
  • FIG. 13 through FIG. 14 show a further preferred embodiment of the present application.
  • the stop assembly only comprises the stopper 73, and at least part of the stopper 73 has elastic properties.
  • the stopper 73 is mounted at a position of the ice-discharging substrate 13 adjacent to the ice-discharging port 131, and specifically mounted on the distal end face of the ice-discharging substrate 13.
  • the stopper 73 comprises a stopping portion 732 and a fixed portion 731.
  • the stopping portion 732 has elastic properties. When the stopping portion 732 is subjected to an external force, it can bend elastically; after the external force disappears, the stopping portion 732 can restore the initial state due to its elastic properties.
  • the material of the stopping portion 732 is specifically silicone rubber. In other embodiments, the material of the stopping portion 732 may be other types of materials with elastic properties.
  • the stopping portion 732 is a curved surface structure having a predetermined height in the vertical direction and a predetermined length in the horizontal direction, and a recessed surface of the curved surface structure faces the ice storage area.
  • the stopping portion 732 forms a stopping curved surface with its own structure, thereby preventing the ice cubes from falling.
  • the stopping portion 732 comprises a distal end 732a away from the ice-discharging substrate 13 and an interfacing end 732b interfacing with a substrate surface 135 of the ice-discharging substrate 13.
  • the thickness of a cross section of the stopping portion 732 gradually decreases along the direction from the interfacing end 732b to the distal end 732a, thereby effectively balancing the blocking force for blocking the crushed ice and the elastic force for taking out the entire ice.
  • the height of the stopping portion 732 is lower than the vertical height of the lowermost movable ice cutter 52.
  • the fixed portion 731 abuts against a side wall portion 134 of the ice-discharging substrate 13 to fix the stopper 73 on the distal end face of the ice-discharging substrate 13.
  • the fixed portion 731 may be integrally formed with the stopping portion 732.
  • the stopper 73 and the housing 11 are two-shot blow molded.
  • the movable ice cutter 52 When the entire ice is taken out, the movable ice cutter 52 will push the ice cubes to drive the stopper 73 to elastically deform. When the ice cubes reach the ice-discharging port 131, the entire ice will fall; after completion of the taking out of the entire ice, the stopper 73 returns to the initial position under the action of its own elastic restoring force. When the ice box is taken out, the stopper 73 is not subjected to an external force and does not deform. With the stopping function, the stopper 73 may effectively prevent crushed ice from falling out of the ice-discharging port 131.
  • the state of taking out the entire ice is defined as a second state, and a state other than the state of taking out of the entire ice is defined as a first state.
  • the first state comprises a state of taking the ice box out of the refrigerator or a state of generating shake of the refrigerator when the user opens or closes the refrigerator door.
  • the stopper 73 When the ice crushing device 100 is in the first state, the stopper 73 is in the initial state and a stopping surface is formed at the ice-discharging port 131 to stop the ice cubes from falling; when the ice crushing device 100 is in the second state, the stopper 73 changes its shape under the action of an external force (namely, an external force applied by the movable ice cutters 52 pushing the ice cubes on the stopper 73) to release the stopping surface. After the external force disappears, the stopper returns to the initial state under action of its own elasticity.
  • the stopper 73 has a function of effectively preventing the fall of the crushed ice without affecting the entire ice supply rate, as well as automatically returning to the initial state due to its own elastic properties.
  • the object driven by the driving mechanism 30 may also be replaced with the ice cutter shaft 51, that is, the driving mechanism 30 drives the ice cutter shaft 51 to rotate, whereas the ice bank 12 is fixed relative to the housing 11. Since the ice crushing manner in which the driving mechanism 30 drives the ice cutter shaft 51 to rotate whereas the ice bank 12 is fixed relative to the housing 11 is of the prior art, it will not be described in detail any more here.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
  • Food-Manufacturing Devices (AREA)
  • Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)
  • Crushing And Pulverization Processes (AREA)
  • Disintegrating Or Milling (AREA)

Claims (8)

  1. Eiszerkleinerungsvorrichtung (100), wobei die Vorrichtung Folgendes umfasst:
    eine Gehäuseanordnung (10), die Gehäuseanordnung umfassend ein Gehäuse (11) und eine Eisbank (12), die in dem Gehäuse (11) getragen wird;
    einen Eiszerkleinerungsmechanismus (50), der in der Eisbank (12) angeordnet ist und eine Eisschneidewelle (51), mehrere bewegliche Eisschneider (52) und mehrere stationäre Eisschneider (53) umfasst, die in einem Abstand auf der Eisschneidewelle (51) angeordnet sind;
    einen Antriebsmechanismus (30), um die Eisbank (12) in Drehung zu versetzen, wobei zumindest ein Abschnitt des Antriebsmechanismus (30) in dem Gehäuse (11) montiert ist;
    wobei die Gehäuseanordnung (10) ferner ein Eisabgabesubstrat (13) umfasst, das an dem Boden der Eisbank (12) bereitgestellt ist, und das Eisabgabesubstrat (13) in Bezug auf das Gehäuse (11) fest angeordnet ist, die Eisschneidewelle (51) an dem Eisabgabesubstrat (13) befestigt ist, das Eisabgabesubstrat (13) mit einer Eisabgabeöffnung (131) versehen ist, die mit der Eisbank (12) in Verbindung ist, und die von einer Eismaschine hergestellten Eiswürfel durch den Eiszerkleinerungsmechanismus (50) in der Eisbank (12) zerkleinert und dann durch die Eisabgabeöffnung (131) abgegeben werden;
    eine Anschlaganordnung, die in der Eisbank (12) angeordnet ist;
    wobei, wenn die Eiszerkleinerungsvorrichtung (100) in einem ersten Zustand ist, die Anschlaganordnung in einem Anfangszustand ist und eine Anschlagfläche an der Eisabgabeöffnung (131) gebildet wird, um ein Herabfallen der Eiswürfel zu verhindern; wobei, wenn die Eiszerkleinerungsvorrichtung (100) in einem zweiten Zustand ist, die Anschlaganordnung verschoben wird oder ihre Form unter der Wirkung einer äußeren Kraft ändert, um die Anschlagfläche freizugeben; nachdem die äußere Kraft aufgehoben ist, die Anschlaganordnung in den Anfangszustand zurückkehrt und erneut die Anschlagfläche bildet;
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Anschlaganordnung an einer distalen Endfläche des Eisabgabesubstrats (13) montiert ist, die Anschlaganordnung einen Anschlag (73) und ein Rückstellelement (72) umfasst, der Anschlag (73) verwendet wird, um eine Anschlagfläche zu bilden, die ein Herunterfallen von Eiswürfeln verhindert, das Rückstellelement dazu dient, eine Rückstellkraft zum Zurückstellen des Anschlags (73) bereitzustellen, die distale Endfläche des Eisabgabesubstrats (13) mit einem Schnappverschlussabschnitt (132) zum Befestigen des Anschlags (73) und des Rückstellelements (72) versehen ist;
    wobei der Anschlag an einer Position auf dem Eisabgabesubstrat (13) angrenzend an die Eisabgabeöffnung (131) angeordnet ist, der Anschlag (73) eine Anschlagfläche mit einer voreingestellten Höhe an einer Grenze des Eisabgabesubstrats (13) und der Eisabgabeöffnung (131) bildet, und die Anschlagfläche den Kanal blockiert, durch den die Eiswürfel fallen.
  2. Eiszerkleinerungsvorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, wobei der zweite Zustand ein Zustand ist, in dem das gesamte Eis entnommen wird, und der erste Zustand ein anderer Zustand als der Zustand ist, in dem das gesamte Eis entnommen wird.
  3. Eiszerkleinerungsvorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, wobei der Anschlag einen Anschlagabschnitt (732) und einen festen Abschnitt (731) umfasst, eine distale Endfläche des Eisabgabesubstrats (13) mit einem Rastverbindungsabschnitt (132) versehen ist und der feste Abschnitt (731) passend mit dem Rastverbindungsabschnitt befestigt ist.
  4. Eiszerkleinerungsvorrichtung nach Anspruch 3, wobei das Rückstellelement (72) eine Torsionsfeder ist, die an dem festen Teil (731) angeordnet ist und sich an einem von dem Gehäuse (11) entfernten Ende befindet.
  5. Eiszerkleinerungsvorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, wobei der Anschlag einen Anschlagabschnitt (732) aus einem elastischen Material umfasst und der Anschlagabschnitt (732) dazu dient, eine Anschlagfläche zu bilden, die ein Herunterfallen von Eiswürfeln verhindert.
  6. Eiszerkleinerungsvorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, wobei der Anschlag ferner einen festen Abschnitt umfasst, der mit dem Anschlagabschnitt verbunden ist, und der feste Abschnitt an einer Seitenwand des Eisabgabesubstrats befestigt ist.
  7. Eiszerkleinerungsvorrichtung nach Anspruch 5, wobei der Anschlagabschnitt ein von dem Eisabgabesubstrat entferntes distales Ende und ein mit einer Substratoberfläche des Eisabgabesubstrats in Berührung befindliches Grenzflächenende aufweist und die Stärke eines Querschnitts des Anschlagabschnitts entlang einer Richtung von dem Grenzflächenende zu dem distalen Ende allmählich abnimmt.
  8. Kühlschrank, wobei der Kühlschrank ein Gehäuse, eine Tür zum Öffnen oder Schließen des Gehäuses und die Eiszerkleinerungsvorrichtung nach Anspruch 1-7 umfasst, wobei die Eiszerkleinerungsvorrichtung (100) an dem Gehäuse oder der Tür angeordnet ist.
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EP1491833A1 (de) * 2003-06-25 2004-12-29 Lg Electronics Inc. Eisspeicher für einen Eiserzeuger eines Kühlschrankes
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KR100820816B1 (ko) * 2006-10-24 2008-04-11 엘지전자 주식회사 얼음취출장치 및 이를 구비하는 냉장고
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