WO2024140907A1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerator, comprising: a refrigerator body (100) provided with a refrigeration compartment (11); an ice-making device (300) arranged in the refrigeration compartment (11); and a water supply device (400) mounted on the ice-making device (300), the water supply device (400) being used for being connected to an external water source, and the water supply device (400) being communicated with the ice-making device (300) to supply the ice-making device (300) with water required for making ice cubes. The water supply device (400) is directly mounted on the ice-making device (300), so that a water pipe connecting the ice-making device (300) and the water supply device (400) can be shortened, reducing the assembly difficulty of the refrigerator.

Description

A refrigerator

This application claims the priority of the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 29, 2022, with application number 202211707601.7 and invention name “A Refrigerator”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application.

Technical Field

The present application belongs to the field of household appliances, and in particular, relates to a refrigerator.

Background technique

Refrigerators are commonly used household appliances in daily life, mainly used to keep fruits, vegetables and other foods fresh at low temperatures.

In the related art, the refrigerator is also provided with an ice-making device and a water supply device, and the water supply device supplies water to the ice-making device so that the ice-making device can make ice cubes from water for users to use. However, the overall structure of the ice-making device and the water supply device is relatively complex, making the refrigerator difficult to assemble.

Therefore, the prior art needs to be improved and enhanced.

technical problem

The embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator, which can reduce the difficulty of assembling the refrigerator.

Technical Solutions

The present application provides a refrigerator, comprising:

A box body, wherein the box body has a refrigeration compartment;

an ice-making device, the ice-making device being arranged in the refrigeration room; and

A water supply device is installed on the ice-making device, the water supply device is used to be connected to an external water source, and the water supply device is docked with the ice-making device to supply the ice-making device with water required for making ice cubes.

Beneficial Effects

In the embodiment of the present application, the water supply device is directly installed on the ice-making device, which can greatly shorten the water pipe connecting the ice-making device and the water supply device, so that the pipeline wiring inside the cabinet is simpler and the difficulty of assembling the refrigerator is reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 1 along the A-A direction.

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an ice-making device and a water supply device of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a water tank of the water supply device shown in FIG. 3 .

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the first water pipe shown in FIG. 2 on the outer surface of the box body.

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a first fixing member for fixing the first water pipe shown in FIG. 5 .

FIG. 7 is a first exploded view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3 .

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3 .

FIG. 9 is a second exploded view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3 .

FIG. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of the ice transport mechanism of the ice making device shown in FIG. 8 .

FIG. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a carrier of the ice transport mechanism shown in FIG. 10 .

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the ice transport mechanism shown in FIG. 10 .

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a point X of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2 .

FIG. 14 is a front view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 13 .

Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the distributor shown in Fig. 14 along the C-C direction.

Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 1 along the B-B direction.

Embodiments of the present invention

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

An embodiment of the present application provides a refrigerator, which may be a double-door refrigerator, a single-door refrigerator, or a three-door refrigerator, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present application. The refrigerator may include a housing 100 and a door 200. The housing 100 is provided with a refrigeration compartment 11 such as a freezer compartment 11b, a refrigerator compartment 11a, or a wide temperature-changing room. The door 200 is rotatably mounted on the housing 100 to open or close the refrigeration compartment 11.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 2, which is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 along the A-A direction. In order to facilitate the user to obtain ice cubes. The refrigerator may also include an ice-making device 300 and a water supply device 400. The ice-making device 300 is arranged in the refrigeration compartment 11. The water supply device 400 is installed on the ice-making device 300. The water supply device 400 is used to connect to an external water source. And the water supply device 400 is docked with the ice-making device 300 to supply the ice-making device 300 with water required for making ice cubes.

It can be understood that, compared with the separate arrangement of the water supply device 400 and the ice making device 300, on the one hand, the internal structure of the box body 100 in the embodiment of the present application is more compact, thereby saving storage space in the refrigeration chamber 11; on the other hand, since the distance between the water supply device 400 and the ice making device 300 is closer, the water supply pipe between the water supply device 400 and the ice making device 300 can be shorter or even directly eliminated, so that the water line wiring in the refrigeration chamber 11 is more concise, thereby reducing In addition, the water supply device 400 is installed in the refrigeration compartment 11 along with the ice making device 300, and the water in the water supply device 400 can be pre-cooled by the refrigeration compartment 11, thereby increasing the ice making speed of the ice making device 300.

In order to facilitate the user to take ice and/or water, the refrigerator may also include a dispenser 500. The dispenser 500 is installed on the door 200, and the dispenser 500 is connected to the water supply device 400, and can output the water supplied by the water supply device 400. And the dispenser 500 is movably connected to the ice making device 300, and can output the ice cubes supplied by the ice making device 300. Then the user can directly take water alone, ice alone, or ice and water at the same time through the dispenser 500 on the door 200 without opening the refrigeration compartment 11. It can also be understood that since the water on the dispenser 500 is supplied by the water supply device 400, and the water supply device 400 is arranged in the refrigeration compartment 11 for pre-refrigeration, the user can directly get ice water (i.e. liquid water with a low temperature but not yet frozen) through the dispenser 500.

Exemplarily, please continue to refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ice-making device and the water supply device of the refrigerator shown in Figure 2. The water supply device 400 may include a water valve 41 and a water tank 42. The water valve 41 includes a first water inlet 411, a first water outlet 412 and a second water outlet 413. The first water inlet 411 is used to connect to an external water source. The first water outlet 412 is connected to the ice-making device 300 for supplying water to the ice-making device 300. The water tank 42 is connected to the second water outlet 413 to accommodate the water supplied by the water valve 41, and the water tank 42 is connected to the dispenser 500 to supply water to the dispenser 500.

Then, domestic water such as tap water can be injected into the water supply device 400 through the first water inlet 411. Then, the water valve 41 distributes the domestic water to the ice-making device 300 or the water tank 42, so that the ice-making device 300 can make ice or the dispenser 500 can supply water.

It is also understandable that the water tank 42 can contain a certain amount of water and be placed in the refrigeration chamber 11 for a sufficient time to form ice water, and the ice-making water required by the ice-making device 300 does not need to be obtained from the water tank 42. In this way, it is possible to avoid the ice-making device 300 pumping out the ice water in the water tank 42 when making ice, thereby resulting in insufficient ice water in the water tank 42 for the user to obtain from the dispenser 500.

Alternatively, in some other embodiments where the water supply device 400 includes a water tank 42 and a water valve 41, the water tank 42 can also be connected to an external water source, and the inlet of the water valve 41 can be connected to the water tank 42. The water valve 41 is used to supply water to the ice-making device 300 and the dispenser 500. This embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

The structure of the water valve 41 can be various, for example, the water valve 41 can be a ball valve, a stop valve, a check valve, a butterfly valve, a triangular valve, a gate valve, etc.

The number of inlets of the water valve 41 may be one. The number of inlets of the water valve 41 may also be multiple, such as two, three or four, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

When the water valve 41 has only one water inlet, the first water inlet 411 is the only inlet of the water valve 41 .

Taking the example that the number of inlets of the water valve 41 is multiple, there can be multiple first water inlets 411 as the inlets of the water valve 41, and then the water valve 41 can be connected to multiple different water sources to obtain different types of water. Alternatively, the inlet of the water valve 41 can also include a first water inlet 411 and a second water inlet (not shown in the figure), the first water inlet 411 is connected to an external water source, and the second water inlet is connected to a water circulation system (not shown in the figure) inside the refrigerator, so that part of the water inside the refrigerator can be recycled, such as the water circulation system can be used to collect part of the water that is not successfully frozen to form ice cubes during the ice making process of the ice making device 300.

The number of the first water outlet 412 may be one. The number of the first water outlet 412 may also be multiple, such as two, three or four, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

Taking the case where the number of the first water outlet 412 is one, the ice-making device 300 may be provided with an ice-making mechanism 31 for filling water and making ice cubes, and in this case, one first water outlet 412 matches one ice-making mechanism 31. Alternatively, the ice-making device 300 may be provided with multiple ice-making mechanisms 31, in which case one first water outlet 412 injects ice-making water into the ice-making device 300, and the water injected from the first water outlet 412 is diverted and distributed to multiple ice-making mechanisms 31 by the diversion structure in the ice-making device 300.

Taking the case where there are multiple first water outlets 412 as an example, an ice-making mechanism 31 such as an ice-making grid for holding water and making ice cubes can be provided in the ice-making device 300. Then, the multiple first water outlets 412 can respectively inject water into different positions of the ice-making grid to increase the overall speed of the water supply device 400 injecting water into the ice-making device 300, thereby increasing the ice-making speed of the ice-making device 300. Alternatively, each first water outlet 412 can be matched with an ice-making mechanism 31 alone, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

The water valve 41 and the ice-making device 300 may be connected in various ways. For example, the water valve 41 may be detachably mounted on the ice-making device 300 by screw connection, clamp connection, or the like.

The above are some examples of the water valve 41 of the embodiment of the present application. It is understandable that the embodiment of the present application does not limit this. The following is an example of some structures of the water tank 42 of the embodiment of the present application.

The water tank 42 includes a third water inlet 421 and a third water outlet 422. The third water inlet 421 is connected to the second water outlet 413. The third water outlet 422 is connected to the distributor 500, so that the water in the water tank 42 can be output to the distributor 500.

The number of the third water outlet 422 may be one. The number of the third water outlet 422 may also be multiple, such as two, three or four, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

When there are multiple third water outlets 422, multiple water intakes may be provided on the distributor 500, each of which is connected to a third water outlet 422, so that each water intake may be used to take different types of water. For example, water output from some third water outlets 422 may be heated, magnetized, mixed with an instant solution, etc., and then output to the corresponding water intake on the distributor 500, thereby meeting the diversified water intake needs of users.

In some embodiments, at least one of the third water inlet 421 and the third water outlet 422 is arranged upward along the gravity direction. Therefore, when the water valve 41 injects water into the water tank 42, the air in the water tank 42 is easily discharged. Otherwise, the air in the water tank 42 is easily retained in the water tank 42, and further causes the water and air to be discharged from the dispenser 500 at the same time when the user takes water through the dispenser 500, and finally causes the water at the water inlet of the dispenser 500 to splash irregularly, or causes the water inlet of the dispenser 500 to leak easily after the user takes water each time.

Specifically, only the third water inlet 421 may be arranged upward along the direction of gravity, or only the third water outlet 422 may be arranged upward along the direction of gravity, or both the third water inlet 421 and the third water outlet 422 may be arranged upward along the direction of gravity, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

Please continue to refer to Figure 4, which is a cross-sectional view of the water tank of the water supply device shown in Figure 3. The water tank 42 may include a first side 423 and a second side 424 that are arranged opposite to each other along the direction of gravity. The third water inlet 421 and the third water outlet 422 are both arranged on the first side 423. At this time, combined with the above-mentioned third water inlet 421 and the third water outlet 422 being arranged upward along the direction of gravity, it can be understood that the third water inlet 421 and the third water outlet 422 are both located on the upper side of the water tank 42. The water tank 42 may include a water flow channel 425. One end of the water flow channel 425 forms the third water inlet 421, and the other end of the water flow channel 425 forms the third water outlet 422. The water flow channel 425 is arranged tortuously between the first side 423 and the second side 424. Furthermore, the water that enters the water tank 42 first will be closer to the outlet of the water tank 42, that is, the water that is closer to the outlet of the water tank 42 stays in the refrigeration chamber 11 for a longer time and has a lower temperature, thereby making it easier for the user to take away the ice water with a lower temperature in the water tank 42 first through the dispenser 500.

The water flow channel 425 may form at least one bent section 425a close to the first side 423. At this time, the water tank 42 may further include an exhaust channel 426. The exhaust channel 426 is disposed on the first side 423, one end of the exhaust channel 426 is communicated with the second water outlet 413, and the other end of the exhaust channel 426 is communicated with the third water inlet 421. The exhaust channel 426 is also communicated with the bent section 425a. Furthermore, the air in the middle portion of the water flow channel 425 may be discharged into the exhaust channel 426 through the bent section 425a, and finally discharged from the third water inlet 421 or the third water outlet 422 along the exhaust channel 426.

In some embodiments, the refrigerator further includes a first water pipe 61 connecting the water tank 42 and the dispenser 500. Further, the water in the water tank 42 can be transported to the dispenser 500 through the first water pipe 61. In some embodiments, the first water pipe 61 can penetrate the cabinet 100 and then extend from the outer surface of the cabinet 100 to the cabinet door 200, and be buried in the cabinet door 200 to extend to the dispenser 500.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 5, which is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the first water pipe shown in FIG. 2 on the outer surface of the box body. The outer surface of the box body 100 includes a rear wall surface 12 and a top wall surface 13 connected to each other. The rear wall surface 12 is located on the side of the box body 100 that faces away from the open end surface of the refrigeration compartment 11, and the top wall surface 13 connects the rear wall surface 12 and the open end surface of the refrigeration compartment 11. At this time, the first water pipe 61 passes through the rear wall surface 12 of the box body 100, and extends along the rear wall surface 12 and the top wall surface 13 to the box door 200.

The first water pipe 61 may include a first section 611, a second section 612 and a third section 613 connected in sequence by fillets. The first section 611 is attached to the rear wall surface 12. The planes where the first section 611 and the second section 612 are located are parallel to the rear wall surface 12, the planes where the second section 612 and the third section 613 are located are parallel to the top wall surface 13, and the third section 613 is attached to the top wall surface 13. Furthermore, the bend of the first water pipe 61 may adopt a fillet transition so that the water in the first water pipe 61 flows more smoothly. Further, compared with the first water pipe 61 arching a large angle fillet at the junction of the top wall surface 13 and the rear wall surface 12, the first water pipe 61 of the embodiment of the present application may protrude less than the box body 100, and compared with burying the first water pipe 61 in the foaming layer of the box body 100, the embodiment of the present application may reduce the manufacturing difficulty and cost of the refrigerator.

Please continue to refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first fixing member for fixing the first water pipe shown in Figure 5. The refrigerator may further include a first fixing member 62. The first fixing member 62 is connected to the box body 100 to fix the first section 611, the second section 612 and the third section 613.

Specifically, the first fixing member 62 may include a cover body that covers at least the top wall surface 13 and the rear wall surface 12, and a first wiring groove 621 that cooperates with the first section 611, the second section 612, and the third section 613 is formed in the cover body, and the first section 611, the second section 612, and the third section 613 are embedded in the first wiring groove 621 for fixing. Of course, in some other embodiments, the first fixing member 62 may also be some buckles for clamping the first section 611, the second section 612, and the third section 613, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

The first fixing member 62 may be detachably connected to the housing 100 , such as by snapping, screwing, or magnetically fixing the first fixing member 62 to the housing 100 , so as to facilitate disassembly and maintenance of the first fixing member 62 and the first water pipe 61 .

In some embodiments, the water supply device 400 can be arranged on the side of the ice making device 300 facing away from the opening of the refrigerating chamber 11, and the refrigerating device can block the water supply device 400, so that after the door 200 is opened, the interior of the refrigerating chamber 11 is neater and more beautiful.

Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 7 together. FIG. 7 is a first exploded view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3. The ice-making device 300 includes a housing 32 and an ice-making mechanism 31. An ice-making chamber 321 is provided in the housing 32. The ice-making mechanism 31 for making ice cubes is provided in the ice-making chamber 321. The housing 32 is also surrounded by the inner surface of the housing 100 to form a closed installation chamber 322, and the installation chamber 322 is independent of the ice-making chamber 321. The water supply device 400 is accommodated in the installation chamber 322.

On the one hand, the low-temperature air in the refrigeration chamber 11 can be heat-exchanged to a certain extent through the housing 32 and the installation cavity 322 to refrigerate the water supply device 400 in the installation cavity 322, and at the same time, it can prevent the cold air in the refrigeration chamber 11 from blowing directly to the water supply device 400, thereby causing the water in the water supply device 400 to freeze, thereby affecting the normal operation of the ice-making device 300 and the dispenser 500. On the other hand, in order to allow the water in the ice-making mechanism 31 to freeze and form ice cubes, the air temperature in the ice-making cavity 321 is usually very low. At this time, the installation cavity 322 and the ice-making cavity 321 are independent of each other, which can also prevent the air in the ice-making cavity 321 from blowing directly to the water supply device 400, thereby causing the water in the water supply device 400 to freeze.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 8, which is a cross-sectional view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3. The housing 32 may include a main body 32a having a heat insulating layer 323 and a baffle 32b without the heat insulating layer 323. The main body 32a is arranged to form an ice-making chamber 321, and the baffle 32b is convexly arranged on the main body 32a. The side of the main body 32a facing away from the refrigeration compartment 11, the baffle 32b and the inner wall of the refrigeration compartment 11 are arranged to form an installation chamber 322. Furthermore, the heat insulating layer 323 of the main body 32a can reduce the heat exchange between the ice-making chamber 321 and the outside world to improve the ice-making efficiency of the ice-making mechanism 31. At the same time, the baffle 32b does not have the heat insulating layer 323, so that the cold air in the refrigeration compartment 11 can properly cool the water supply device 400 in the installation chamber 322.

The main body 32a may include a first shell 324 and a second shell 325, and the first shell 324 and the second shell 325 are spliced to form an ice-making chamber 321. The first shell 324 and the second shell 325 can be detachably connected by screwing, snapping or magnetic fixation. Correspondingly, the heat insulation layer 323 includes a first heat insulation layer 323a provided on the first shell 324 and a second heat insulation layer 323b provided on the second shell 325.

Exemplarily, the first shell 324 may include a first outer shell 3241 and a first inner shell 3242, wherein the first outer shell 3241 and the first inner shell 3242 are arranged to form a cavity, and the first heat insulating layer 323a is a heat-insulating foam layer formed in the cavity by foaming. In this case, the baffle 32b may be integrally formed on the first shell 324.

The first outer shell 3241 is located on the outer surface of the main body 32a, and the first inner shell 3242 is located on the inner surface of the main body 32a. At this time, the first inner shell 3242 can be provided with a first injection port, so that the foaming material can be injected from the first injection port into the cavity formed by the first outer shell 3241 and the first inner shell 3242 for foaming. It can be understood that by setting the first injection port on the first inner shell 3242, the appearance of the first outer shell 3241 can be made more beautiful.

The second housing 325 may include a second outer shell 3251 and a second inner shell 3252. The second outer shell 3251 and the second inner shell 3252 are arranged to form a cavity, and the second heat insulating layer 323b is a heat-insulating foam layer formed in the cavity by foaming.

The second outer shell 3251 is located on the outer surface of the main body 32a, and the second inner shell 3252 is located on the inner surface of the main body 32a. At this time, the second inner shell 3252 and the second outer shell 3251 can be provided with a second injection port, so that the foaming material can be injected from the second injection port into the cavity formed by the second outer shell 3251 and the second inner shell 3252 for foaming. In actual use, the second outer shell 3251 can be attached to the inner wall of the refrigeration compartment 11 to hide the second injection port.

A heat-insulating sealing strip may be provided at the joint of the second shell 325 and the first shell 324 for sealing. The heat-insulating sealing strip may be made of heat-insulating foam or other materials, which is not limited in the present embodiment.

In addition, as shown in FIG3 , the refrigerator may further include a second water pipe 63. The second inner shell 3252 may be formed with a second wiring groove 3252a for the second water pipe 63 to pass through, one end of the second wiring groove 3252a is connected to the installation cavity 322, and the bottom wall of the second wiring groove 3252a is provided with at least one through hole connected to the ice-making cavity 321, so that the second water pipe 63 can extend along the second wiring groove 3252a to a preset position and then be inserted into the ice-making cavity 321 through the through hole for water supply.

In order to make the second water pipe 63 more stable, the side of the first shell 3241 facing away from the opening of the refrigeration compartment 11 can be A second fixing member 3243 is provided, and the second fixing member 3243 is used to fix the second water pipe 63. The second fixing member 3243 can be integrally formed with the first housing 3241, or can be separately formed with the second housing 3251, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

The second water pipe 63 may be covered with a heat insulating sleeve 631 to prevent the air with lower temperature in the ice-making chamber 321 from exchanging heat with the second water pipe 63 through the second inner shell 3252 and eventually causing the water in the second water pipe 63 to freeze.

As shown in FIG3 , the refrigeration chamber 11 includes a refrigerating chamber 11a and a freezing chamber 11b. The ice-making device 300 is arranged in the refrigerating chamber 11a. On the one hand, a first passage 14 is provided in the housing 100 to connect the freezing chamber 11b and the ice-making chamber 321, so that the refrigerator can directly blow the freezing wind in the freezing chamber 11b into the ice-making chamber 321, so that the water carried by the ice-making mechanism 31 in the ice-making chamber 321 freezes to form ice cubes. On the other hand, the first passage 14 is misaligned with the installation chamber 322, so that the freezing wind in the freezing chamber 11b can be prevented from blowing into the installation chamber 322, thereby preventing the water in the water supply device 400 in the installation chamber 322 from freezing.

The above are some examples of the water supply device 400 in the embodiment of the present application. It is understandable that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific structure of the water supply device 400. Next, the structure of the ice making device 300 in the embodiment of the present application is further described by examples.

Exemplarily, the ice-making mechanism 31 may include an ice-making grid, which is provided with a receiving tank for holding water. The outlet of the second water pipe 63 is located above the receiving tank so that the water transported by the second water pipe 63 can directly flow into the receiving tank. Finally, the freezing wind from the freezer chamber 11b blows toward the ice-making grid so that the water carried by the ice-making grid freezes to form ice cubes.

The ice making mechanism 31 may also include a torsion motor that drives the ice making tray to rotate, so that the ice making tray can rotate to pour out the ice cubes formed in the receiving groove. Alternatively, the ice making mechanism may also include a fork that can rotate to pull out the ice cubes formed in the receiving groove. It is understood that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the method of discharging the ice cubes in the ice making tray.

The ice-making mechanism 31 may be mounted on the first housing 324 so as to be removed from or installed into the refrigeration compartment 11 synchronously with the first housing 324 , thereby making the ice-making device 300 easy to disassemble and assemble.

In some embodiments, in order to allow the freezing wind in the freezing chamber 11b to be better blown toward the ice-making mechanism 31, the ice-making device 300 may further include an air duct 33. The air inlet of the air duct 33 faces the first passage 14 so that the freezing wind in the freezing chamber 11b can be blown in. The air outlet of the air duct 33 may face the ice-making mechanism 31 so that the freezing wind in the air duct 33 can be directly blown toward the ice-making mechanism 31. It is understandable that when there are multiple ice-making mechanisms 31 or when there are multiple ice-making grids, there may also be multiple air outlets of the air duct 33, and each air outlet of the air duct 33 faces one ice-making mechanism 31.

In some embodiments, the freezing chamber 11b is located at the lower side of the refrigerating chamber 11a along the gravity direction. The refrigerator may further include a first ice storage box 700. The first ice storage box 700 is disposed in the freezing chamber 11b and opens toward the first passage 14, so that the ice cubes discharged by the ice making mechanism 31 can fall directly into the first ice storage box 700 along the first passage 14 under the action of their own gravity. At the same time, since the temperature in the freezing chamber 11b is relatively low, the low temperature in the freezing chamber 11b can also ensure that the ice cubes in the first ice storage box 700 will not melt.

The first ice storage box 700 may include a drawer disposed in the freezing chamber 11b, and the user may draw the drawer out of the freezing chamber 11b to take ice during use. Of course, the first ice storage box 700 may also automatically discharge ice through components such as a screw, which is not limited in the present embodiment.

The first ice storage box 700 may further include a first sensor, which is used to detect ice cubes in the first ice storage box 700, so as to determine whether the first ice storage box 700 is full of ice cubes. The first sensor may include at least one of an infrared sensor, a laser distance sensor, and a weight sensor, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

The ice making device 300 may further include a second ice storage box 34 and an ice transport mechanism 35. The second ice storage box 34 may be located above the ice making mechanism 31 in the gravity direction. The ice transport mechanism 35 is used to transport at least part of the ice cubes discharged by the ice making mechanism 31 to the second ice storage box 34.

Furthermore, at least part of the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism 31 can be transported to the top of the ice-making device 300 through the ice transport mechanism 35, so that the parts inside the ice-making device 300 can be arranged more flexibly, or the ice-making device 300 can be flexibly installed at different positions on the refrigerator.

The second ice storage box 34 may further include a second sensor, which is used to detect ice cubes in the second ice storage box 34, so as to determine whether the second ice storage box 34 is full of ice cubes. The second sensor may include at least one of an infrared sensor, a laser distance sensor, and a weight sensor, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

In addition, when the refrigerator further includes a first ice storage box 700, the ice cubes discharged by the ice making mechanism 31 can be transported to the second ice storage box 34 by the ice transport mechanism 35, or can be directly dropped into the first ice storage box 700 by its own gravity. It can be understood that the structure of the two ice storage boxes can greatly improve the ice storage capacity of the refrigerator on the one hand, and on the other hand, different ice storage boxes can be used to process ice cubes differently, such as the first ice storage box 700 can be used to store a large amount of ice cubes for direct use, and the second ice storage box 34 can be used to movably dock with the dispenser 500, so that the ice cubes made by the ice making device 300 can be supplied to the dispenser 500 through the second ice storage box 34.

At the same time, through the cooperation of the first sensor and the second sensor, when the ice storage amount in the first ice storage box 700 reaches a preset value, the ice transport mechanism 35 transports the ice cubes discharged by the ice making mechanism 31 to the second ice storage box 34; when the ice storage amount in the second ice storage box 34 reaches a preset value, the ice cubes discharged by the ice making mechanism 31 directly fall into the first ice storage box 700.

For example, please continue to refer to FIG. 9, which is a second exploded view of the ice-making device shown in FIG. 3. The ice-making device 300 may further include an ice-discharging screw 36, an ice-discharging motor 37, and an ice-discharging wheel 38. The ice-discharging motor 37 may be installed on the housing 32. The output shaft of the ice-discharging motor 37 is connected to one end of the ice-discharging screw 36, so that the ice-discharging screw 36 can be driven to rotate by the ice-discharging motor 37. The ice-discharging screw 36 is arranged in the second ice storage box 34, so that the ice-discharging screw 36 can be driven to rotate during the rotation of the ice-discharging screw 36. The ice cubes in the second ice storage box 34 are moved. The ice discharging wheel 38 is connected to the other end of the ice discharging screw 36, so that the ice discharging screw 36 can push the ice cubes in the second ice storage box 34 to the ice discharging wheel 38, and the ice discharging screw 36 can drive the ice discharging wheel 38 to rotate while rotating, and the ice discharging wheel 38 can rotate to lift the ice cubes to a specific height and discharge them from the ice discharging port of the housing 32. At this time, the dispenser 500 can rotate with the door 200 to dock or separate with the ice discharging port of the housing 32, so that the ice cubes made by the ice making device 300 can be discharged into the dispenser 500 for users to obtain.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 10, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ice transport mechanism of the ice making device shown in FIG. 8. The ice transport mechanism 35 includes a lifting assembly 351, a carrier 352 and an ice-removing assembly 353. The lifting assembly 351 is installed on the housing 32, and the carrier 352 is transmission-connected with the lifting assembly 351, so that the lifting assembly 351 can drive the carrier 352 to move between the first position and the second position in the direction of gravity. The opening of the ice making mechanism 31 and the second ice storage box 34 is located between the first position and the second position, so that the carrier 352 can receive the ice cubes discharged by the ice making mechanism 31 when it moves to the first position. The ice-removing assembly 353 is arranged on the housing 32, the second ice storage box 34 or the carrier 352, and is used to push the ice cubes carried by the carrier 352 to the second ice storage box 34 when the carrier 352 moves to the second position.

The lifting assembly 351 can be a screw transmission assembly, a gear rack 3511c transmission assembly, or a cylinder, an oil cylinder electric push rod, etc., which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

Exemplarily, the lifting assembly 351 may include a guide rail 3511 and a driving unit 3512. The guide rail 3511 is mounted on the housing 32, and the carrier 352 is slidably mounted on the guide rail 3511. The driving unit 3512 is transmission-connected with the carrier 352 to enable the carrier 352 to move between the first position and the second position.

Specifically, the lower end of the guide rail 3511 is the first position, located at the lower side of the ice-making mechanism 31. The upper end of the guide rail 3511 is the second position, located at the upper side of the ice-making mechanism 31. Then, when the carrier 352 moves to the first position, or when the carrier 352 moves to the lower side of the ice-making mechanism 31, the ice cubes discharged from the ice-making mechanism 31 can fall onto the carrier 352 under the action of its own gravity. Then, the carrier 352 can transport the ice cubes to the second position, so that the ice-removing assembly 353 can push the ice cubes on the carrier 352 into the second ice storage box 34.

The structure of the guide rail 3511 can be various, such as the guide rail 3511 can be a linear guide rail 3511 whose length direction is parallel to the gravity direction. Of course, the guide rail 3511 can also be an arc-shaped guide rail 3511 or a spiral guide rail 3511 spiraling downward, which is not limited in the present embodiment.

The guide rail 3511 can be installed in various ways. For example, the guide rail 3511 can be detachably connected to the housing 32 by means of snap connection, screw connection, magnetic fixation, etc.

Exemplarily, the guide rail 3511 is provided with a first pre-fixing structure and a first fastening structure 3511b. The side of the housing 32 that cooperates with the guide rail 3511 is provided with a second pre-fixing structure 3244 and a second fastening structure 3245. The first pre-fixing structure is connected to the second pre-fixing structure 3244 so that the guide rail 3511 and the housing 32 are pre-connected. The second fastening structure 3245 is configured as follows: When the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure 3244 are pre-fixed, the second fastening structure 3245 is adapted to the position of the first fastening structure 3511 b to achieve a fixed connection between the guide rail 3511 and the housing 32 .

It can be understood that during the installation of the guide rail 3511, the cooperation between the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure 3244 can ensure that the guide rail 3511 is not easily offset from the shell 32 during the subsequent installation process, so that the guide rail 3511 can be accurately installed and fixed in the end.

The second pre-fixing structure 3244 may include a hook protruding from the inner surface of the outer shell 32, and the first pre-fixing structure includes a hanging portion formed on the guide rail 3511, such as a hanging hole or a hanging beam, so that the guide rail 3511 can be hung on the hook through the hanging portion to achieve pre-fixation.

Of course, in some other implementations, the first pre-fixing structure and the second pre-fixing structure 3244 may be a pair of magnetic parts connected by magnetic force, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

The second fastening structure 3245 and the first fastening structure 3511b can both be screw holes, so that the guide rail 3511 and the housing 32 can be screwed and fixed by fastening screws.

The driving unit 3512 may be disposed on the housing 32 of the ice-making device 300 and connected to the carrier 352 in transmission. The driving unit 3512 may also be disposed on the guide rail 3511 and connected to the carrier 352 in transmission. The driving unit 3512 may also be disposed on the carrier 352 and connected to the guide rail 3511 or the housing 32 of the ice-making device 300 in transmission. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

The driving unit 3512 may be composed of a first motor and a first gear 3512b rack 3511c transmission assembly driven by the first motor, a first screw transmission assembly or a first synchronous belt transmission assembly, and then the first motor may drive the carrier 352 to slide through the first gear 3512b rack 3511c transmission assembly, the first screw transmission assembly or the first synchronous belt transmission assembly. Of course, the driving unit 3512 may also be a first electric push rod, etc., which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

For example, please continue to refer to Figure 11, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the carrier of the ice transport mechanism shown in Figure 10. The driving unit 3512 may include an ice transport motor 3512a and a first gear 3512b. The ice transport motor 3512a can be mounted and fixed to the carrier 352. The output shaft of the ice transport motor 3512a is connected to the first gear 3512b to drive the first gear 3512b to rotate. The guide rail 3511 is formed with a rack 3511c, and the first gear 3512b is engaged with the rack 3511c. Furthermore, when the ice transport motor 3512a drives the first gear 3512b to rotate, the carrier 352 can slide along the guide rail 3511.

In some embodiments, in order to make the movement of the carrier 352 more stable and smooth, the number of the guide rails 3511 can be multiple, such as two, three, four, etc., which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Exemplarily, the guide rail 3511 may include two rails, and each end of the carrier 352 is slidably connected to one guide rail 3511. The driving unit 3512 may also include a transmission shaft 3512c and a second gear 3512d. The first gear 3512b and the second gear 3512d are transmission-connected via the transmission shaft 3512c, so that the first gear 3512b and the second gear 3512d can rotate synchronously. The first gear 3512b is meshed with the rack 3511c of one guide rail 3511, and the second gear 3512d is meshed with the rack 3511c of the other guide rail 3511. Furthermore, the first gear 3512b and the second gear 3512d can make the moving speeds of the two ends of the carrier 352 consistent, and finally make the movement of the carrier 352 smoother.

The carrier 352 may include an ice transporting plate 3521 and a guardrail 3522. The ice transporting plate 3521 is slidably connected to the guide rail 3511 and is used to carry ice cubes. The guardrail 3522 is slidably connected to the ice transporting plate 3521 so that the guardrail 3522 can slide relative to the ice transporting plate 3521 along the gravity direction. Furthermore, when the carrier 352 is at the lower side of the second position, the guardrail 3522 can slide to at least partially on the upper side of the ice transporting plate 3521 to limit the ice cubes on the ice transporting plate 3521 from accidentally falling. When the carrier 352 moves to the second position, the guardrail 3522 can slide to the lower side of the ice transporting plate 3521 so that the ice removal assembly 353 can push the ice cubes on the ice transporting plate 3521 out.

The carrier 352 may further include an elastic member 3523. The elastic member 3523 is disposed on the ice transporting plate 3521 and connected to the guardrail 3522 to drive the guardrail 3522 to move upward along the gravity direction relative to the ice transporting plate 3521. The elastic member 3523 may be a tension spring, a torsion spring, or a compression spring, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

As shown in FIG8 , a limiting structure 341 may be provided on one side of the outer surface of the second ice storage box 34 near the guide rail 3511, and the limiting structure 341 is movably matched with the guardrail 3522 to limit the upward travel of the guardrail 3522. Furthermore, during the upward movement of the carrier 352, the guardrail 3522 will first be limited by the limiting structure 341, so that the guardrail 3522 cannot move to the top of the second ice storage box 34, and the ice transport plate 3521 can continue to move upward to the top of the second ice storage box 34, so that the guardrail 3522 slides relative to the ice transport plate 3521 to the bottom of the ice transport plate 3521. Finally, the ice removal assembly 353 pushes the ice cubes on the ice transport plate 3521 into the second ice storage box 34 from the entrance at the top of the second ice storage box 34.

Alternatively, the guardrail 3522 may be driven electrically, pneumatically, or the like, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11 , the ice transport plate 3521 may include a connection portion 3521a and a plurality of strip portions 3521b. The plurality of strip portions 3521b are convexly disposed on a side of the connection portion 3521a away from the second ice storage box 34, and the plurality of strip portions 3521b are arranged in a horizontal direction so that a slot 3521c is formed between two adjacent strip portions 3521b. Furthermore, the contact area between the ice transport plate 3521 and the ice cubes can be reduced through the slot 3521c, so that the ice removal assembly 353 can push the ice cubes on the ice transport plate 3521 in a more directional manner.

The upper surface of the strip portion 3521b may be an uneven curved surface to reduce the contact area between the ice transport plate 3521 and the ice cubes, so that the ice removal assembly 353 can more conveniently push the ice cubes on the ice transport plate 3521. Of course, the upper surface of the strip portion 3521b may also be a plane, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. In addition, the upper surface of the strip portion 3521b may be an uneven curved surface to avoid the formation of steps on the upper surface of the strip portion 3521b, which may prevent the ice cubes from being pushed out normally.

Please continue to refer to Figure 12, which is an exploded view of the ice transport mechanism shown in Figure 10. The ice-removing assembly 353 can be located at the upper end of the guide rail 3511 along the direction of gravity. The ice-removing assembly 353 may include at least one ice-pushing portion 3531. Each ice-pushing portion 3531 is arranged opposite to a slot 3521c, so that the ice-pushing portion 3531 can be inserted into the corresponding slot 3521c during the upward movement of the carrier 352, and the ice-pushing portion 3531 can be detached from the corresponding slot 3521c during the downward movement of the carrier 352. Along the downward direction of gravity, the ice-pushing portion 3531 is tilted in a direction away from the second ice storage box 34.

Then, during the upward movement of the ice transporting plate 3521, the ice pushing portion 3531 can be regarded as a guide member for guiding the ice cubes on the ice transporting plate 3521. Furthermore, when the ice transporting plate 3521 moves upward until the ice pushing portion 3531 is inserted into the slot 3521c, if the ice transporting plate 3521 continues to move upward, the ice pushing portion 3531 will push the ice cubes on the ice transporting plate 3521 toward the second ice storage box 34, so as to push the ice cubes from the ice transporting plate 3521 into the second ice storage box 34.

The ice-pushing portion 3531 may be in a straight strip shape or in an arc shape, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

The ice removal assembly 353 may further include a mounting body 3532. The mounting body 3532 is connected and fixed to the housing 32, and the ice pushing portion 3531 is connected and fixed to the mounting body 3532, so as to achieve the installation and fixation of the ice pushing portion 3531. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the mounting body 3532 may also be installed on the second ice storage box 34 or the guide rail 3511, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

The ice pusher 3531 and the mounting body 3532 may be integrally formed, such as being made by injection molding, milling, die casting, stamping, etc. Alternatively, the ice pusher 3531 may be detachably mounted on the mounting body 3532, such as being mounted on the mounting body 3532 by snap-fitting, screwing, etc. Of course, in some other embodiments, the ice pusher 3531 may also be fixed to the mounting body 3532 by welding, fusion, etc., which is not limited in the present embodiment of the application.

The connection method between the mounting body 3532 and the housing 32 can be various, such as snap connection, screw connection, etc., which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

In some embodiments, the ice-making device 300 is detachably connected to the housing 100 through the housing 32. In other words, the ice-making mechanism 31, the ice-transporting mechanism 35, the second ice storage box 34 and the air duct 33 of the ice-making device 300 are preset in the housing 32, so that all parts of the ice-making device 300 can be disassembled and assembled with the housing 100 at one time by disassembling and assembling the housing 32, thereby increasing the difficulty of disassembling and assembling and maintaining the refrigerator.

The above are some examples of the ice-making device 300 in the embodiment of the present application. It is understandable that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific structure of the ice-making device 300. Next, the structure of the dispenser 500 in the embodiment of the present application is further described by examples.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 13, which is an enlarged view of the refrigerator at X shown in FIG. 2. The dispenser 500 may include a third housing 51 and an ice crushing mechanism 52. The third housing 51 may include a first inner wall 512 surrounding and forming an ice crushing chamber 511. The first inner wall 512 may be provided with a first inner wall 513. The wall 512 includes a first annular wall 5121, the center line of which is parallel to the direction of gravity, or the first annular wall 5121 is vertically arranged. A first ice outlet 5122 is arranged on the side of the first inner wall 512 facing the door 200, and the first ice outlet 5122 is at least partially arranged on the first annular wall 5121. The ice crushing mechanism 52 includes a rotating shaft 521 and an ice blade assembly 522 accommodated in the ice crushing chamber 511, the rotating shaft 521 is arranged along the direction of gravity, and the rotating shaft 521 can drive the ice blade assembly 522 to push the ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 511 to rotate around the axial direction of the rotating shaft 521 to the first ice outlet 5122 for discharge. At this time, since the first ice outlet 5122 is at least partially arranged on the first annular wall 5121, it can prevent the ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 511 from being pushed by the ice blade assembly 522 to form a centrifugal force, and the ice cubes rotate around the first annular wall 5121 under the action of the centrifugal force and cannot be discharged.

Please continue to refer to Figures 14 and 15. Figure 14 is a front view of the dispenser shown in Figure 13, and Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser shown in Figure 14 along the C-C direction. The dispenser 500 may also include a fourth shell 53. The fourth shell 53 is provided with an ice outlet channel 531 connected to the first ice outlet 5122. The door 200 includes a first end 21 rotatably connected to the box body 100 in the horizontal direction. The distance from the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21 is greater than the distance from the entrance of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21, so that the user can take ice from a position closer to the middle of the door 200, thereby facilitating the user to take ice.

The distance from the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21 is greater than the distance from the inlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21, which can be understood as the distance from the center line of the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21 is greater than the distance from the center line of the inlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the first end 21. Furthermore, it can also be understood that along the direction from the inlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to the outlet, the ice outlet channel 531 is inclined from the first end 21 of the door 200 to the middle direction of the door 200, so that the user can take ice from a position closer to the middle of the door 200.

Specifically, in order to allow the user to operate the dispenser 500 from the door 200 to take ice, the door 200 is further provided with an ice taking groove 22 whose opening is located on the outer surface of the door 200, and the outlet and the control assembly of the dispenser 500 are arranged in the ice taking groove 22, so that the user can take ice in the ice taking groove 22 through the outlet and the control assembly of the dispenser 500. At this time, if the outlet of the ice outlet passage 531 is too close to the first end 21 of the door 200, the outlet of the dispenser 500 will also be too close to the outlet of the ice outlet passage 531. Then, the distance between the side of the inner wall of the ice taking groove 22 close to the first end 21 and the outlet of the dispenser 500 will also be correspondingly reduced, which will eventually make it inconvenient for the user's hand to reach into the ice taking groove 22, or make it inconvenient for a large container such as a glass bottle to be placed directly below the outlet of the dispenser 500. It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, the ice outlet channel 531 is tilted toward the middle position of the door 200 in the horizontal direction, so that the user can more conveniently take ice through the dispenser 500 provided on the door 200.

Exemplarily, the dispenser 500 may further include a dispensing channel 54, an ice dispensing valve 55, and a water supply component. The dispensing channel 54 is provided through the side wall of the door 200 to form the ice taking groove 22, so that the outlet of the dispensing channel 54 is provided in the ice taking groove 22, and then the outlet of the dispensing channel 54 forms the outlet of the above-mentioned dispenser 500. The outlet of the ice dispensing channel 531 faces the inlet of the dispensing channel 54, so that the ice cubes in the ice dispensing channel 531 can slide into the dispensing channel 54 and be discharged from the dispensing channel 54. The ice outlet valve 55 is rotatably arranged at the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531 to open or close the outlet of the ice outlet channel 531. The outlet of the water supply component is arranged in the distribution channel 54, so that the water supply component can also supply water to the ice taking groove 22 through the distribution channel 54. Finally, the control component can be an electric control component that controls the operation of the ice outlet valve 55 and the water supply component through an electric signal, or a mechanical transmission structure that controls the operation of the ice outlet valve 55 and the water supply component through mechanical transmission, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

The water supply component may be formed by inserting the first water pipe 61 into the end of the distributor 500 .

The ice blade assembly 522 may include a movable ice blade and a fixed ice blade spaced apart along the gravity direction. The movable ice blade is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 521 , one end of the fixed ice blade is fixed to the first inner wall 512 , and the other end of the fixed ice blade is sleeved on the rotating shaft 521 .

At this time, taking the initial ice cubes in the ice crushing chamber 511 as whole ice as an example, when the rotating shaft 521 rotates forward or in the first direction, the movable ice blade can discharge the whole ice directly from the first ice outlet 5122 of the first ring wall 5121, so that the ice blade assembly 522 can discharge the whole ice from the ice crushing chamber 511. When the rotating shaft 521 rotates reversely or in the second direction, the movable ice blade can first push the whole ice to the fixed ice blade, so that the movable ice blade and the fixed ice blade cooperate to cut the whole ice into crushed ice, and then the movable ice blade continues to push the crushed ice, so that the crushed ice is discharged from the first ice outlet 5122 of the first ring wall 5121. Furthermore, through the cooperation of the movable ice blade and the fixed ice blade, the function of rotating shaft 521 rotating forward to discharge whole ice and rotating shaft 521 rotating reversely to discharge crushed ice can be realized to meet the different ice taking needs of users.

In order to make the ice cubes in the ice outlet passage 531 be discharged more smoothly, the ice outlet passage 531 is tilted downward along the gravity direction from the entrance to the exit of the ice outlet passage 531. When the whole ice or crushed ice in the ice crushing chamber 511 enters the ice outlet passage 531, it can slide out due to its own gravity, so as to avoid the ice cubes being accumulated in the ice outlet passage 531 and unable to be discharged, so that the user can take ice more conveniently.

The first ice outlet 5122 is at least partially disposed on the first annular wall 5121. The first ice outlet 5122 may be completely disposed on the first annular wall 5121, or the first ice outlet 5122 may be partially disposed on the first annular wall 5121 and partially disposed in other areas. This embodiment of the application is not limited to this.

Exemplarily, the first inner wall 512 further includes a first bottom wall 5123 located at the lower side of the first annular wall 5121 along the gravity direction. The first bottom wall 5123 is arranged horizontally, and the first ice outlet 5122 is partially arranged at the first bottom wall 5123. Further, ice cubes partially pushed by the ice blade assembly 522 and rotating on the first bottom wall 5123 can be discharged from the first ice outlet 5122 located at the first bottom wall 5123, so as to avoid that some ice cubes cannot be discharged in the ice crushing chamber 511 or even cause blockage.

The ice crushing mechanism 52 further includes an ice crushing motor 523 for driving the rotating shaft 521 to rotate. The ice crushing motor 523 may be directly connected to the rotating shaft 521. The ice crushing motor 523 may also drive the rotating shaft 521 to rotate through a transmission mechanism, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

The third housing 51 is further formed with an ice inlet passage 513, the outlet of which is arranged at the first annular wall 5121 to communicate with the ice crushing chamber 511. The force direction is tilted downward. Then, the ice cubes in the ice inlet channel 513 can slide smoothly into the ice crushing chamber 511 under the action of their own gravity, so as to reduce the ice cubes accumulated in the ice inlet channel 513, and finally facilitate the user to take ice through the dispenser 500.

The distance between the outlet of the ice inlet passage 513 and the first end 21 is greater than the distance between the inlet of the ice inlet passage 513 and the first end 21. Furthermore, when the ice-making device 300 is closer to the first end 21 of the door 200, the ice crushing chamber 511 can be offset toward the middle of the door 200. Alternatively, it can be understood that when the ice-making device 300 is closer to the first end 21 of the door 200, the ice inlet passage 513 can make the ice cubes slide into the ice crushing chamber 511 from the first end 21 of the door 200 toward the middle of the door 200 for the first time, and the ice outlet passage 531 can make the ice cubes be discharged from the ice crushing chamber 511 from the first end 21 of the door 200 toward the middle of the door 200 for the second time, thereby making it more convenient for users to take ice from the middle of the door 200.

It is understandable that the ice inlet channel 513 may be in a curved tube shape or a straight tube shape as a whole, and this embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

It can also be understood that, depending on the radial cross-section of the ice inlet channel 513 , the ice inlet channel 513 may be in a circular tube shape or a square tube shape, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 16, which is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 along the B-B direction. Taking the ice-making device 300 disposed in the cabinet 100 as an example, the ice-making device 300 is located on a side of the refrigeration compartment 11 close to the first end 21, and the ice-making device 300 has a second ice outlet 3246 for discharging ice cubes. When the cabinet door 200 rotates to close the refrigeration compartment 11, the entrance of the ice inlet channel 513 docks with the second ice outlet 3246 to guide the ice cubes made by the ice-making device 300 into the ice crushing chamber 511.

It is understandable that if the ice-making device 300 is arranged in the middle of the refrigerating chamber 11, the ice-making device 300 will partition the refrigerating chamber 11 into two sub-chambers with smaller widths, and eventually each of the sub-chambers with smaller widths will not be convenient for placing larger items. It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, on the one hand, the ice-making device 300 is arranged at the edge of the refrigerating chamber 11, so that the refrigerating chamber 11 can conveniently store larger items; on the other hand, the user can conveniently take ice from the middle position of the door 200.

The dispenser 500 may further include a sealing ring 56. The sealing ring 56 is disposed on the dispenser 500. When the door 200 closes the refrigerating chamber 11, the sealing ring 56 is compressed between the dispenser 500 and the ice-making device 300 and is disposed around the entrance of the ice inlet channel 513 and the second ice outlet 3246, and the sealing ring 56 partially abuts against the inner wall of the refrigerating chamber 11 adjacent to the ice-making device 300.

Therefore, the sealing ring 56 can be deformed by being squeezed by the dispenser 500, the ice-making device 300 and the inner wall of the refrigeration chamber 11, so that a good seal can be formed between the dispenser 500 and the ice-making device 300, effectively preventing the cold air in the ice-making device 300 from leaking out from the entrance of the ice inlet channel 513 and the joint between the second ice outlet 3246.

It should also be noted that in order to achieve a sealing effect in the related art, it is necessary to seal the ice making device 300 and the refrigeration compartment. 11 is provided with a vertical beam on the inner wall to supplement the sealing; and the present application provides a sealing ring 56, and the sealing ring 56 is in contact with the ice-making device 300 and the inner wall of the refrigeration chamber 11 at the same time and deforms, so that the sealing effect can be effectively improved, so that there is no need to provide a vertical beam, and the space of the refrigeration chamber is increased to a certain extent, so that the ice-making space of the ice-making device 300 can be enlarged.

The sealing ring 56 may be a rubber sealing ring 56 to achieve a better sealing effect. It is also understood that the provision of the sealing ring 56 can reduce the heat exchange between the ice inlet channel 513 and the outside, thereby making it difficult for the ice cubes in the ice inlet channel 513 to melt and stick to each other, and causing the sticky ice cubes to block the ice inlet channel 513, so that the dispenser 500 can more conveniently discharge the ice cubes, and finally make it easier for the user to take ice.

In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

The refrigerator provided in the embodiment of the present application is introduced in detail above. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present application and its core idea. At the same time, for technical personnel in this field, according to the idea of the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation method and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Claims (20)

A refrigerator, comprising: A box body, wherein the box body has a refrigeration compartment; an ice-making device, the ice-making device being arranged in the refrigeration room; and A water supply device is installed on the ice-making device, the water supply device is used to be connected to an external water source, and the water supply device is docked with the ice-making device to supply the ice-making device with water required for making ice cubes. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator further comprises: A door rotatably connected to the housing to open or close the refrigeration compartment; and A dispenser is installed on the cabinet door, the dispenser is connected to the water supply device and can output water supplied by the water supply device, and the dispenser is movably connected to the ice making device and can output ice cubes supplied by the ice making device. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the water supply device comprises: a water valve, the water valve comprising a first water inlet, a first water outlet, and a second water outlet, the first water inlet being used to be connected to an external water source, the first water outlet being connected to the ice-making device to supply water to the ice-making device; and A water tank is connected to the second water outlet to contain water supplied by the water valve, and the water tank is connected to the dispenser to supply water to the dispenser. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the water tank comprises a third water inlet and a third water outlet, the third water inlet is connected to the second water outlet, the third water outlet is connected to the dispenser, and at least one of the third water inlet and the third water outlet is arranged upward along the direction of gravity. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the water tank comprises a first side and a second side arranged opposite to each other along the gravity direction, the third water inlet and the third water outlet are both arranged on the first side, and the water tank further comprises: a water flow channel, one end of which forms the third water inlet, and the other end of which forms the third water outlet, the water flow channel being arranged in a zigzag manner between the first side and the second side so that the water flow channel forms at least one bending section located on the first side; and An exhaust channel is arranged on the first side, one end of the exhaust channel is connected to the second water outlet, the other end of the exhaust channel is connected to the third water inlet, and the exhaust channel is also connected to the bending section. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the outer surface of the box body comprises a connected rear wall surface and a top wall surface, the rear wall surface is located on the side of the box body facing away from the open end surface of the refrigerating compartment, and the top wall surface connects the rear wall surface and the open end surface of the refrigerating compartment; The refrigerator further comprises a first water pipe connecting the water tank and the dispenser, wherein the first water pipe comprises a first water pipe having a rounded corner. The first section, the second section and the third section are connected in sequence, the first section is attached to the rear wall surface, the planes where the first section and the second section are located are parallel to the rear wall surface, the planes where the second section and the third section are located are parallel to the top wall surface, and the third section is attached to the top wall surface. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the refrigerator further comprises a first fixing member connected to the box body for fixing the first section, the second section and the third section. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the ice-making device comprises a shell and an ice-making mechanism, an ice-making cavity is arranged in the shell, the ice-making mechanism is used to make ice cubes and is arranged in the ice-making cavity, the shell is also surrounded by the inner wall of the refrigeration chamber to form a closed installation cavity, the installation cavity is independent of the ice-making cavity, and the water supply device is accommodated in the installation cavity. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the shell includes a main body with an insulation layer and a baffle without an insulation layer, the main body is arranged to form the ice-making cavity, the baffle is convexly arranged on the main body, and a side of the main body facing away from the refrigeration compartment, the baffle and the inner wall of the refrigeration compartment are arranged to form the installation cavity. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the refrigeration compartment includes a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber, the ice-making device is arranged in the refrigerating chamber, the box body is provided with a first passage connecting the freezing chamber and the ice-making chamber, and the first passage is offset from the installation chamber. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the ice-making device further comprises an air duct, an air inlet of the air duct faces the first channel, and an air outlet of the air duct faces the ice-making mechanism. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the ice-making device further comprises a second ice storage box and an ice transport mechanism, wherein the second ice storage box may be located on the upper side of the ice-making mechanism along the gravity direction, and the ice transport mechanism is used to transport at least part of the ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism to the second ice storage box. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the ice transport mechanism comprises a lifting assembly, a carrier, and an ice-removing assembly; The lifting assembly is mounted on the housing, and the carrier is in transmission connection with the lifting assembly, so that the lifting assembly can drive the carrier to move between a first position and a second position in the direction of gravity; The opening of the ice-making mechanism and the second ice storage box is located between the first position and the second position, so that the carrier can receive ice cubes discharged by the ice-making mechanism when it moves to the first position; The ice-removing assembly is disposed on the housing, the second ice storage box or the carrier, and is used to push the ice cubes carried by the carrier into the second ice storage box when the carrier moves to the second position. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the lifting assembly comprises a guide rail and a driving unit, the guide rail is mounted on the housing, the carrier is slidably mounted on the guide rail, and the driving unit is transmission-connected to the carrier. so as to move the carrier between the first position and the second position. The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the driving unit comprises an ice transport motor and a first gear, the ice transport motor is mounted and fixed to the carrier, the output shaft of the ice transport motor is connected to the first gear to drive the first gear to rotate, the guide rail is formed with a rack, and the first gear is meshed with the rack. The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the carrier comprises an ice transport board and a guardrail, the ice transport board is slidably connected to the guide rail and is used to carry ice cubes, and the guardrail is slidably connected to the ice transport board so that the guardrail can slide relative to the ice transport board in the direction of gravity. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the guardrail is configured as: When the carrier is at the lower side of the second position, the guardrail can slide to at least partially be located on the upper side of the ice transporting plate to prevent ice cubes on the ice transporting plate from accidentally falling off; When the carrier moves to the second position, the guardrail can slide to the lower side of the ice transporting plate, so that the ice removing assembly can push the ice cubes off the ice transporting plate. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the carrier 352 further comprises an elastic member, wherein the elastic member is disposed on the ice transporting plate and connected to the guardrail to drive the guardrail to move upward relative to the ice transporting plate. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein a limiting structure is convexly provided on one side of the outer surface of the second ice storage box close to the guide rail, and the limiting structure is movably cooperated with the guardrail to limit the upward travel of the guardrail. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the ice transport plate comprises a connecting portion and a plurality of strip portions, the plurality of strip portions are protrudingly arranged on a side of the connecting portion away from the second ice storage box, and the plurality of strip portions are arranged in a horizontal direction so that a slot is formed between two adjacent strip portions; The ice-removing assembly is located at the upper end of the guide rail along the direction of gravity, and the ice-removing assembly includes at least one ice-pushing part, and each of the ice-pushing parts is arranged opposite to one of the slots, so that the ice-pushing part can be inserted into the corresponding slot when the vehicle is moving, and can be detached from the corresponding slot when the vehicle is moving downward; wherein, along the downward direction of gravity, the ice-pushing part is inclined in a direction away from the second ice storage box.