U.S. patent application number 13/001436 was filed with the patent office on 2011-10-06 for ice making apparatus and refrigerator comprising the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to Haier Industrial Complex No. l Haier Road. Invention is credited to Lei Chen, Jie Ma, Kui Zhang, Minghua Zhao.
Application Number | 20110239686 13/001436 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40106331 |
Filed Date | 2011-10-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110239686 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Zhang; Kui ; et al. |
October 6, 2011 |
Ice Making Apparatus and Refrigerator Comprising the Same
Abstract
An ice maker comprises a box body (1) which stores water for
making ice, a rotating mechanism (3) which drives the box body (1)
to rotate, a bracket (2) for supporting the box body (1) and the
rotating mechanism (3), and baffles (21, 22) located above the box
body (1). When water spills out due to shaking, it will be blocked
and prevented by the baffles (21, 22) from spilling into the ice
storage box. Moreover, the present invention further discloses a
refrigerator comprising the ice maker.
Inventors: |
Zhang; Kui; (Shandong,
CN) ; Zhao; Minghua; (Shandong, CN) ; Chen;
Lei; (Shandong, CN) ; Ma; Jie; (Shandong,
CN) |
Assignee: |
Haier Industrial Complex No. l
Haier Road
Laoshan Qingdao Shandong
CN
Quindao Haier Joint Stock Co. LTd
Laoshan Quingdao Shandong
CN
|
Family ID: |
40106331 |
Appl. No.: |
13/001436 |
Filed: |
June 26, 2009 |
PCT Filed: |
June 26, 2009 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/CN2009/072481 |
371 Date: |
March 22, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/340 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C 5/22 20180101; F25C
2500/06 20130101; F25C 1/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/340 |
International
Class: |
F25C 1/00 20060101
F25C001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 26, 2008 |
CN |
200810017143 |
Claims
1. An ice maker, comprising a box body which stores water for
making ice, a rotating mechanism which drives the box body to
rotate, and a bracket for supporting the box body and the rotating
mechanism, characterized by further comprising baffles located at
an upper port of the box body.
2. The ice maker according to claim 1, wherein the baffles are
connected with the bracket, and a lower portion of the baffle is
marched with an upper port edge of the box body.
3. The ice maker according to claim 2, wherein the upper port edge
of the box body is an edge parallel with the generator when the box
body is rotated.
4. The ice maker according to claim 3, wherein two baffles are
provided successively in a rotation direction of the box body.
5. The ice maker according to claim 4, wherein an arc-shaped baffle
and a flat-shaped baffle are provided successively in the rotation
direction of the box body; and lower portions of the arc-shaped
baffle and the flat-shaped baffle are matched with two upper port
edges of the box body respectively.
6. The ice maker according to any one of claims 2-5, wherein the
baffle has at least one end portion connected with the bracket and
an end portion which contacts the upper port edge of the box body
and is open; and an inner wall of the open end portion is matched
with the upper port edge of the box body.
7. The ice maker according to claim 6, wherein the baffle is in a
deformation state when the box body is in an ice-making
position.
8. A refrigerator, comprising an ice-making chamber provided with
an ice maker therein, the ice maker comprising a box body which
stores water for making ice, a rotating mechanism which drives the
box body to rotate, and a bracket for supporting the box body and
the rotating mechanism, characterized by further comprising baffles
located at an upper port of the box body.
9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the baffles are
connected with the bracket, and lower portion of the baffle is
marched with an upper port edge of the box body.
10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the upper port
edge of the box body is an edge parallel with the generator when
the box body is rotated; and an arc-shaped baffle and a flat-shaped
baffle are provided successively in the rotation direction of the
box body; lower portions of the arc-shaped baffle and the
flat-shaped baffle are marched with two upper port edges of the box
body respectively.
11. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 8, 9, 10,
wherein the baffle has at least one end portion connected with the
bracket and an end portion which contacts the upper port edge of
the box body and is open; and an inner wall of the open end portion
is marched with the upper port edge of the box body.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of refrigerating
equipment, and in particular to an ice maker and a refrigerator
comprising the ice maker.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Following people's demands, the functions of a refrigerator
get enriched gradually, among which the function of ice-making has
increasingly become a factor that people consider when buying a
refrigerator.
[0003] However, the existing refrigerators comprising the ice maker
have a lot of drawbacks, one of which is: for the ice maker
provided in a door body, when the door body is open or closed,
water in the ice maker will spill out due to shaking, and flow into
an ice storage box, so that the ice in the ice storage box will
cake. Moreover, wherever the ice maker is located (in the door body
or in the refrigerator), it still will cause the water having yet
not being iced to spill over, when the ice maker moves during the
process of making ice, which likewise will result in unfavorable
phenomena such as ice caking in the ice storage box.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention
lies in providing an ice maker which is capable of preventing water
from spilling out.
[0005] In order to address the above technical problem, the present
invention provides an ice maker, comprising a box body which stores
water for making ice, a rotating mechanism which drives the box
body to rotate, and a bracket for supporting the box body and the
rotating mechanism, and also comprising baffles located at an upper
port of the box body.
[0006] In the above, the baffle is connected with the bracket, and
a lower portion of the baffle is matched with an upper port edge of
the box body.
[0007] In the above, the upper port edge of the box body is an edge
parallel with the generator when the box body is rotated.
[0008] Preferably, two baffles are provided successively in a
rotation direction of the box body.
[0009] Preferably, an arc-shaped baffle and a flat-shaped baffle
are provided successively in the rotation direction of the box
body.
[0010] Lower portions of the arc-shaped baffle and the flat-shaped
baffle are matched with two upper port edges of the box body
respectively.
[0011] In the above, the baffle has at least one end portion
connected with the bracket and an end portion which contacts the
upper port edge of the box body and is open.
[0012] And, an inner wall of the open end portion is matched with
the upper port edge of the box body.
[0013] In the above, the baffle is in a deformed state when the box
body is in an ice-making position.
[0014] On the other hand, in order to address the above technical
problem, the present invention also provides a refrigerator,
comprising an ice-making chamber provided with an ice maker
therein, the ice maker comprising a box body which stores water for
making ice, a rotating mechanism which drives the box body to
rotate, and a bracket for supporting the box body and the rotating
mechanism, and further comprising a baffles located at an upper
port of the box body.
[0015] In the above, the baffle is connected with the bracket, and
the lower portion thereof is marched with an upper port edge of the
box body.
[0016] Preferably, the upper port edge of the box body is an edge
parallel with the generator when the box body is rotated.
[0017] And, an arc-shaped baffle and a flat-shaped baffle are
provided successively in a the rotation direction of the box
body.
[0018] Lower portions of the arc-shaped baffle and the flat-shaped
baffle are matched with two upper port edges of the box body
respectively.
[0019] Preferably, the baffle has at least one end portion
connected with the bracket and an end portion which contacts the
upper port edge of the box body and is open.
[0020] And, an inner wall of the open end portion is matched with
the upper port edge of the box body.
[0021] In the present invention, as a baffle is provided at the
upper port of the box body of the ice maker, when water spills out
due to shaking, it can be blocked and prevented by the baffle from
spilling into the ice storage box, etc. Moreover, as the contacting
surface of the end of the baffle contacting with the upper port
edge of the box body is the bottom surface of the contacting
region, and the bottom surface also contacts with the top surface
of the box body edge, the water spilling onto the baffle can be
guided back into the box body, thereby assuring the required
quantity of the ice-making water while preventing the water from
flowing into the other portions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is a top view of an ice maker according to one
embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 2 is an AA-direction sectional view of the embodiment
as shown in FIG. 1;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a BB-direction sectional view of the embodiment as
shown in FIG. 1; and
[0025] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the embodiment as shown in
FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0026] Hereinafter, the present invention will be illustrated in
detail with reference to the drawings.
[0027] The principle of the present invention will be firstly
illustrated in brief. In the present invention, through providing
the baffle at the upper port of the box body of the ice maker, the
water in the box body is blocked from spilling out, thus
functioning as preventing water from flowing over.
[0028] With reference to FIG. 1 along with FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, they
jointly show the structure of an embodiment of an ice maker of the
present invention. As shown in the figures, a box body 1, a bracket
2, a rotating mechanism 3 and baffles 21 and 22 are comprised.
[0029] In the above, the bracket 2 supports the box body 1 and the
rotating mechanism 3, both ends of the box body 1 and the bracket
are rotatably connected; and the box body 1 can rotate in the
bracket 2, when driven by the rotating mechanism bracket .
[0030] The baffle 21 and baffle 22 are provided on the bracket 2 to
prevent water from spilling out. Specifically, both ends of the
baffle 21 and baffle 22 are connected with the bracket 2.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, the counter clockwise direction of
rotation of the box body 1 (shown by mark G in the figure) can be
seen therefrom. The edges parallel with the generator in its
rotation direction are the two parallel long edges of the box body
1.
[0032] In the above, the baffle 21 is a flat-shaped baffle, with
the inner wall of its lower portion contacting the edge of the long
edge of the box body 1 while the upper portion extending towards
above the upper port plane of the box body 1. The contacting part
where the baffle 21 contacts the long edge is called as a
contacting region (as shown by mark K1 in FIG. 3). The bottom
surface of the contacting region contacts the top surface of the
long edge. The bottom surface of the contacting region contacts the
top surface of the long edge such that the water drops spilling
onto the inner surface of the baffle 21 flow back into the box body
1.
[0033] The baffle 22 is an arc-shaped baffle, and likewise the
inner wall of the lower portion thereof also contacts the other
long edge of the box body 1, while an upper portion extends towards
above the upper port plane of the box body 1.
[0034] It should be noted that the lower portion of the baffle 22
and the other long edge of the box body 1 are clamped with each
other (as shown by mark K2 in FIG. 3, wherein K2 is shown in the
mode of the intercrossing of the two in order to represent the
pressing action). That is, when the box body 1 is rotated to the
position as shown in the figure, a pressing effect is produced
between the box body 1 and the lower portion of the baffle 22 by
deformation of the baffle 22. Such pressing deformation results in
closer contact between the box body 1 and the baffle 22, so that
the water drops spilling onto the baffle 22 can flow back into the
box body 1 much better.
[0035] In order to produce the above deformation, the initial
position of the baffle 22 protrudes towards the box body 1 with
respect to the position of the box body 1. Thus, when the box body
1 is rotated to the position shown in the figure, a pressing
(deformation of the baffle 22) is produced between the box body 1
and the baffle 2 so as to realize better sealing.
[0036] It should be noted that both ends of the baffle 22 are
connected with both ends of the bracket 2 (with reference to FIG. 4
and FIG. 3), such that the lower portion (lower end portion) of the
baffle 22 is in a suspension and opening state which facilitates
deformation thereof, so as to enable the box body 1 to easily
overcome hindrance of the baffle 22 when it is rotated.
[0037] In addition, in another embodiment of the present invention,
the upper portion of the baffle 22 is connected with the bracket 2,
while the lower portion thereof is in a suspension and opening
state, such that the effect of facilitating the above deformation
also can be achieved so as to enable the box body 1 to easily
overcome hindrance of the baffle 22 when it is rotated.
[0038] Both ends of the baffle 21 are likewise connected with both
ends of the bracket 2 as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.
[0039] In a preferable embodiment of the present invention, soft
material is laid on the part where the inner wall of the lower
portion of the baffle 22 contacts the long edge of the box body 1,
so as to achieve a closer contact when the baffler 22 and the box
body 1 are pressed with each other and to better prevent overflow
of water.
[0040] Likewise, the soft material is also laid on the part of the
baffle 21 contacting corresponding long edge of the box body 1, for
achieving better sealing function to prevent overflow of water.
[0041] In another embodiment of the present invention, the
contacting structural relation between the baffle 22 and the box
body 1 can also be applied to the contacting structural relation
between the baffle 21 and the box body 1.
[0042] With reference to FIG. 4, it shows an exploded view of the
embodiment as shown in FIG. 1. As shown in the FIG. 4, it can be
seen clearly that three portions are comprised: the box body 1, the
bracket 2 and the rotating mechanism 3.
[0043] In the above, the bracket 2 supports both ends of the box
body 1 to enable the box body 1 to be rotated when driven by a
motor in the rotating mechanism 3.
[0044] Specifically, one end of the box body 1 is provided with a
protruding rotating shaft 11 which is matched with a supporting
groove/hole (not shown in the figure) in one end within the bracket
2 to rotate, which also can be confirmed by FIG. 2. From the right
side of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a structure of the rotating
shaft 11 being inserted into the supporting groove/hole can be
seen.
[0045] The other end of the box body 1 is provided with a driving
hole 12 which is connected with the motor in the rotating mechanism
3 and rotates the box body 1 around the supporting groove/hole when
driven by the motor.
[0046] Both baffle 21 and baffle 22 are provided in the bracket 2
into which the box body 1 is installed when in use.
[0047] In a preferable embodiment of the present invention, an arc
surface of the arc-shaped baffle 22 is marched with the rotating
arc surface of the box body 1. That is, the two are parallel to
each other or the radian of the arc-shaped baffle 22 is larger than
the rotating radian of the box body 1.
[0048] In another embodiment of the ice maker of the present
invention, the baffle over the plane of the upper port of the box
body 1 bridges two long edges of the box body 1, i.e. forming an
arc-shaped baffle. The part where the arc-shaped baffle contacts
the two long edges of the box body 1 is called as a contacting
region, and likewise, the bottom surface of the contacting region
contacts the top surfaces of the two long edges such that the water
drops spilling onto the inner surface of the baffle flow back into
the box body 1.
[0049] In still another embodiment of the ice maker of the present
invention, regarding the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the baffle
21 is replaced with a structure symmetrical with the baffle 22.
That is, in the present embodiment, two arc-shaped baffles
symmetrical with each other are formed over the plane of the upper
port of the box body 1. Or it is also possible to replace the
baffle 22 with a flat-shaped baffle likewise, wherein the lower
portion of the flat-shaped baffle is inclined towards the box body
so that the box body can also press the flat-shaped baffle when the
box body is in the ice-making position. The pressing is produced by
the deformation of the flat-shaped baffle.
[0050] It should be indicated that further illustrations will not
be given herein as both the bracket and the rotating mechanism are
common technologies in the art.
[0051] In an embodiment of a refrigerator of the present invention,
it comprises a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber,
wherein an inner side of a door body of the refrigerating chamber
is provided with an ice-making chamber, and an ice maker is
provided within the ice-making chamber. The above description can
be referred to for learning embodiments of the structure of the ice
maker.
[0052] In another embodiment of a refrigerator of the present
invention, it comprises a freezing chamber and a refrigerating
chamber, wherein the freezing chamber or refrigerating chamber is
provided with an ice-making chamber, while the ice-making chamber
is provided with an ice maker therein. For learning the structure
of the ice maker, the description to respective embodiments above
can be referred to.
[0053] The presence of baffles of the present invention prevents
water spilling out during shaking of the ice maker from flowing
into the ice storage box and causing ice caking, and at the same
time induces the water spilling out to flow back into the ice
maker, such that the ice-making quantity reaches the designed
requirement to a certain extent.
[0054] Above disclosure is only a preferable embodiment of the
present invention but, of course, not to limit the scope of claims
of the present invention. Therefore, equivalent alterations
according to the claims of the present invention are still covered
by the scope of the present invention.
* * * * *