Patent Description:
The ice discharged from the ice machine into the ice storage box tends to accumulate directly below the ice machine and does not fill the box evenly, resulting in wasted volume in the ice storage box. Relevant prior art is disclosed in <CIT>, in accordance to the preamble of claim <NUM>, and in <CIT>.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an ice making device and a refrigerator.

In order to achieve one of the above-mentioned objects of the invention, an embodiment of the invention provides an ice making apparatus, comprising:
an ice making assembly and an ice storage box under the ice making assembly, wherein the ice making apparatus is characterized in that:.

As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, further comprising: an ice amount detection module for detecting an amount of ice in the ice storage box; and
a control module for: when the inner box is in the ice receiving region and the ice amount detection module detects that an amount of ice in the inner box reaches an upper storage limit of the inner box, controlling the driving assembly to drive the inner box to move from the ice receiving region to the ice storage region.

As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the control module is further used for: when the ice amount detection module detects that an amount of ice in the outer box or the ice storage box reaches a preset ice storage amount, controlling the ice making assembly to stop making ice.

As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the ice amount detection module comprises a motor assembly and an ice probing rod, wherein the motor assembly is fixedly mounted on a side of an ice making tray; and the ice probing rod is rotatably mounted on a side of the ice making tray, may be driven by the motor assembly, and is used for probing an amount of ice in the ice receiving region.

As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the ice amount detection module comprises a weight sensor mounted at a bottom of the outer box body.

As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the ice amount detection module comprises a first weight sensor mounted at a bottom of the inner box and a second weight sensor mounted at a bottom of the outer box.

As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the driving assembly comprises a coil and a magnet, wherein the coil is mounted on a side, close to the ice receiving region, at an exterior of the ice storage box and faces the ice storage region; the magnet is mounted on the inner box body; and the coil is opposite the magnet when the inner box is in the ice receiving region.

In order to achieve one of the above-mentioned objects of the invention, an embodiment of the invention provides a refrigerator, comprising: a cabinet and a door, as well as an ice making apparatus mounted in the cabinet or on the door, wherein the ice making apparatus comprises an ice making assembly and an ice storage box under the ice making assembly;
the refrigerator is characterized in that: the ice storage box comprises an outer box and an inner box arranged in the outer box; the outer box has an ice receiving region under the ice making assembly and an ice storage region adjacent to the ice receiving region; and the ice making apparatus further comprises a driving assembly capable of driving the inner box to move from the ice receiving region to the ice storage region.

As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the refrigerator further comprises: an ice amount detection module for detecting an amount of ice in the ice storage box; and
a control module for: when the inner box is in the ice receiving region and the ice amount detection module detects that an amount of ice in the inner box reaches an upper storage limit of the inner box, controlling the driving assembly to drive the inner box to move from the ice receiving region to the ice storage region.

As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the ice amount detection module comprises a weight sensor mounted at a bottom of the outer box.

As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the cabinet comprises a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber; the ice making assembly is mounted on a side of an inner back wall of the freezing chamber; the ice storage box is drawably mounted in the freezing chamber; the ice receiving region is formed on a side, close to a back wall of the freezing chamber, of the outer box; the ice storage region is formed on a side, away from the back wall of the freezing chamber, of the outer box; the driving assembly comprises a coil and a magnet; the coil is mounted on the back wall; the magnet is mounted on the inner box ; and the coil is opposite the magnet when the inner box is in the ice receiving region.

According to an ice making apparatus and a refrigerator provided in the present invention, an ice storage box includes an outer box body and an inner box body arranged in the outer box body, and the inner box body can move from an ice receiving region to an ice storage region, so that both the ice receiving region and the ice storage region that are in the outer box body can store ice, thereby avoiding waste of an internal volume of the ice storage box because ice is accumulated only in the ice receiving region.

To enable a person skilled in the art better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the following clearly and completely describes the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Apparently, the described embodiments are merely some rather than all of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Referring to <FIG>, an embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator <NUM>, including a cabinet <NUM> and a door used for opening and closing the cabinet <NUM>. The cabinet <NUM> may be provided with a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber therein. An ice making apparatus is mounted in the freezing chamber. Certainly, the ice making apparatus may be mounted on a freezing chamber door, a refrigerating chamber door, or in the refrigerating chamber.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the ice making apparatus includes an ice making assembly <NUM> and an ice storage box <NUM> under the ice making assembly <NUM>. The ice making assembly <NUM> may include an ice making rack <NUM>, an ice making tray <NUM>, and a water supply assembly. The ice making rack <NUM> is fixedly mounted in the cabinet <NUM> or the door of the refrigerator <NUM>. The ice making tray <NUM> is connected to the ice making rack <NUM>. The water supply assembly is used for supplying liquid water to the ice making tray <NUM>. The ice making apparatus may separate ice by twisting or by using an ice ejecting apparatus.

The ice storage box <NUM> includes an outer box <NUM> and an inner box <NUM> arranged in the outer box <NUM>. The outer box <NUM> has an ice receiving region <NUM> under the ice making assembly <NUM> and an ice storage region <NUM> adjacent to the ice receiving region <NUM>. The ice making apparatus further includes a driving assembly <NUM>. The driving assembly <NUM> can drive the inner box <NUM> to move from the ice receiving region <NUM> to the ice storage region <NUM>.

In this embodiment, the bottom area of the outer box <NUM> is greater than the area of the ice making tray <NUM>. A projection, towards a bottom surface of the outer box body <NUM>, of the ice making tray <NUM> is completely in the bottom surface of the outer box body <NUM>. The ice receiving region <NUM> may be disposed under the ice making tray <NUM>. Ice discharged from the ice making tray <NUM> directly falls into the ice receiving region <NUM>. The ice storage region <NUM> is adjacent to the ice receiving region <NUM>. When the inner box <NUM> is disposed in the ice receiving region <NUM>, the projection, towards the bottom surface of the outer box <NUM>, of the ice making tray <NUM> is completely in a bottom surface of the inner box <NUM>, and the bottom surface of the inner box <NUM> can completely cover the ice receiving region <NUM>. When ice making is started, the inner box <NUM> may be disposed in the ice receiving region <NUM>, and ice made by the ice making assembly <NUM> is directly discharged into the inner box <NUM>. When amount of ice in the inner box <NUM> reaches an upper storage limit of ice in the inner box body <NUM>, the driving assembly <NUM> drives the inner box <NUM> to move to the ice storage region <NUM>. At this time, ice made by the ice making assembly <NUM> directly falls to the ice receiving region <NUM> of the outer box <NUM>. Specifically, the area of the ice storage region <NUM> may be equal to the area of the ice receiving region <NUM>, and the bottom area of the inner box <NUM> may be the same as the area of the ice receiving region <NUM>.

An internal bottom surface of the outer box <NUM> is provided with a guide rail <NUM> extending from the ice receiving region <NUM> to the ice storage region <NUM>. Rollers <NUM> matching the guide rail <NUM> are mounted at a bottom of the inner box <NUM>. The inner box <NUM> can move from the ice receiving region <NUM> to the ice storage region <NUM> along the guide rail <NUM>.

In this way, as the inner box <NUM> capable of moving from the ice receiving region <NUM> to the ice storage region <NUM> is disposed in the outer box <NUM> of the ice storage box <NUM>, an internal volume of the ice storage box <NUM> can be fully utilized, thereby avoiding waste of the internal volume of the ice storage box <NUM> because ice is accumulated only in the ice receiving region <NUM> under the ice making tray <NUM>.

Further, in an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator <NUM> further includes an ice amount detection module and a control module. The ice amount detection module is used for detecting the amount of ice in the ice storage box <NUM>. When the inner box <NUM> is in the ice receiving region <NUM>, and the ice amount detection module detects that the amount of ice in the inner box <NUM> reaches the upper storage limit of the inner box <NUM>, the control module controls the driving assembly <NUM> to drive the inner box <NUM> to move from the ice receiving region <NUM> to the ice storage region <NUM>.

In this embodiment, the ice amount detection module may be used for detecting an amount of ice in the inner box <NUM> or the outer box <NUM>, or a total amount of ice in the outer box <NUM> and the inner box <NUM>; and the ice amount detection module may be an ice probing rod <NUM> on a side of the ice making tray <NUM>, or may be a weight sensor or another sensor. There may be one ice amount detection module; or there may be a plurality of ice amount detection modules used for detecting amounts of ice in different regions. The plurality of ice amount detection modules may use the same ice amount detection mode or different ice amount detection modes.

The control module may be a control module in a refrigerator <NUM> system, or may be an independent module disposed on the ice making apparatus and independent of the refrigerator <NUM> system. The ice making apparatus may further include a position detection module used for detecting whether the inner box <NUM> is in the ice receiving region <NUM>. The position detection module may be an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, or an optical proximity sensor mounted in the ice receiving region <NUM>.

When the inner box <NUM> is in the ice receiving region <NUM>, ice discharged by the ice making assembly <NUM> is directly received by the inner box <NUM>. At this time, if the ice amount detection module detects that the amount of ice in the inner box <NUM> reaches the upper storage limit of the inner box <NUM>, the control module may control the driving assembly <NUM> to drive the inner box <NUM> to move from the ice receiving region <NUM> to the ice storage region <NUM>. After the inner box <NUM> moves from the ice receiving region <NUM> to the ice storage region <NUM>, the ice receiving region <NUM> is in an ice-free state again, and the ice made by the ice making assembly <NUM> may continue being discharged to the ice receiving region <NUM>.

In this way, an ice amount is detected by an ice amount sensor. When the amount of ice in the inner box <NUM> reaches the upper ice storage limit, the inner box <NUM> is automatically controlled to move from the ice receiving region <NUM> to the ice storage region <NUM>. Therefore, internal storage space of the ice storage box <NUM> is fully utilized, and more ice can be stored in the ice storage box <NUM>.

Further, in an embodiment of the present invention, the control module is further used for: when the ice amount detection module detects that an amount of ice in the outer box <NUM> or the ice storage box <NUM> reaches a preset ice storage amount, controlling the ice making assembly <NUM> to stop making ice.

In this embodiment, the preset ice storage amount may be an upper ice storage limit, or another value smaller than the upper ice storage limit. An ice amount input module may be disposed on the refrigerator <NUM>. A user may input, according to the user's demand by using the ice amount input module, the preset ice storage amount by which ice is desired to be stored in the ice storage box <NUM>. The control module controls running of the ice making assembly <NUM> according to the preset ice storage amount input by the user. If the user has not input the preset ice storage amount, it may be considered by default that the preset ice storage amount is the upper ice storage limit.

In this way, the start/stop of the ice making assembly <NUM> is automatically controlled according to an ice amount, which is convenient and fast.

Further, in an embodiment of the present invention, the ice amount detection module includes a motor assembly <NUM> and an ice probing rod <NUM>. The motor assembly <NUM> is fixedly mounted on a side of the ice making tray <NUM>. The ice probing rod <NUM> is rotatably mounted on a side of the ice making tray <NUM>, may be driven by the motor assembly <NUM>, and is used for probing an amount of ice in the ice receiving region <NUM>.

In this embodiment, after ice separating of the ice making assembly <NUM> is completed, the motor assembly <NUM> may be started to drive the ice probing rod <NUM> to rotate, thereby detecting the amount of ice in the ice receiving region <NUM>. When the inner box <NUM> is in the ice receiving region <NUM>, ice discharged by the ice making assembly <NUM> is directly discharged into the inner box <NUM>. At this time, when the ice probing rod <NUM> detects that the amount of ice in the ice receiving region <NUM> reaches the upper storage limit, that is, the amount of ice in the inner box <NUM> reaches the upper storage limit, the driving assembly <NUM> is controlled to drive the inner box <NUM> to move from the ice receiving region <NUM> to the ice storage region <NUM>. After the inner box <NUM> moves to the ice storage region <NUM>, the ice making assembly <NUM> continues to make ice. When the inner box <NUM> is in the ice storage region <NUM>, if the ice probing rod <NUM> detects that the amount of ice in the ice receiving region <NUM> reaches the upper ice storage limit, that is, an amount of ice in the outer box <NUM> or the ice storage box <NUM> reaches the upper storage limit, the control module controls the ice making assembly <NUM> to stop making ice.

In this way, by detecting the amount of ice in the ice receiving region <NUM> by the ice probing rod <NUM>, the movement of the inner box body <NUM> and start/stop of an ice making assembly can be controlled, thereby ensuring that internal space of the ice storage box <NUM> is fully utilized, and the overall structure is simple and compact.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the ice amount detection module further includes a weight sensor mounted at a bottom of the outer box <NUM>. The weight sensor can detect an amount of ice stored in the ice storage box <NUM>, namely, a total amount of ice stored in the outer box <NUM> and the inner box <NUM>. An ice amount input module may be disposed on the refrigerator <NUM>. The user may input, by using the ice amount input module, a preset ice storage weight by which ice is desired to be stored in the ice storage box <NUM>. When the weight sensor detects that the amount of ice stored in the ice storage box <NUM> reaches the preset ice storage weight or an upper ice storage limit of the ice storage box <NUM>, the control module controls the ice making assembly <NUM> to stop making ice.

Specifically, in this embodiment, in addition, the amount of ice in the ice receiving region <NUM> may be detected by the ice probing rod <NUM>. After ice separating of the ice making assembly <NUM> is completed, the motor assembly <NUM> is started to drive the ice probing rod <NUM> to detect the amount of ice in the ice receiving region <NUM>. When the inner box <NUM> is in the ice receiving region <NUM>, and the ice probing rod <NUM> detects that the amount of ice in the ice receiving region <NUM> reaches the upper storage limit, that is, the amount of ice in the inner box <NUM> reaches the upper storage limit, the driving assembly <NUM> may be controlled to drive the inner box <NUM> to move from the ice receiving region <NUM> to the ice storage region <NUM>. If the weight sensor detects that the amount of ice in the ice storage box <NUM> reaches the preset ice storage amount, the ice making assembly <NUM> may be controlled to stop making ice. When the inner box <NUM> is in the ice storage region <NUM>, if the ice probing rod <NUM> detects that the amount of ice in the ice receiving region <NUM> reaches the upper storage limit, or if the weight sensor detects that an ice amount reaches the preset ice storage amount, the ice making assembly <NUM> is controlled to stop making ice.

In this way, an amount of ice stored in the ice storage box <NUM> can be accurately obtained by providing the weight sensor. The weight sensor may be used in combination with the ice probing rod <NUM>, thereby improving control accuracy and preventing ice from overflowing the ice storage box <NUM> because the ice amount is too large.

In still another embodiment of the present invention, the ice amount detection module includes a first weight sensor mounted at a bottom of the inner box <NUM> and a second weight sensor mounted at a bottom of the outer box <NUM>. The first weight sensor can detect the amount of ice stored in the inner box <NUM>. The second weight sensor can detect the amount of ice stored in the ice storage box <NUM>, that is, the second weight sensor can detect the total amount of ice stored in the inner box <NUM> and the outer box <NUM>.

In this embodiment, when the inner box <NUM> is in the ice receiving region <NUM>, if the first weight sensor detects that the amount of ice in the inner box <NUM> reaches the upper ice storage limit of the inner box <NUM>, the driving assembly <NUM> is controlled to drive the inner box <NUM> to move from the ice receiving region <NUM> to the ice storage region <NUM>. If the second weight sensor detects that the amount of ice in the ice storage box <NUM> reaches the preset ice storage amount, the ice making assembly <NUM> is controlled to stop making ice. The preset ice storage amount may be input by the user using the ice amount input module, or may be the upper ice storage limit of the ice storage box <NUM> set at the factory.

In this way, the two weight sensors are provided to respectively detect amounts of ice in the inner box <NUM> and the ice storage box <NUM>, thereby ensuring accuracy of ice amount detection.

Further, in an embodiment of the present invention, the driving assembly <NUM> is an electromagnetic driving assembly <NUM>. The driving assembly <NUM> includes a coil <NUM> and a magnet <NUM>. The coil <NUM> is mounted on a side, close to the ice receiving region <NUM>, at an exterior of the ice storage box <NUM> and faces the ice storage region <NUM>. The magnet <NUM> is mounted on the inner box <NUM>. The coil <NUM> is opposite the magnet <NUM> when the inner box <NUM> is in the ice receiving region <NUM>. Specifically, an accommodating space for accommodating the magnet <NUM> is provided in a back wall, adjacent to the coil <NUM>, of the inner box <NUM>.

The coil <NUM> may be mounted independent of the ice storage box <NUM>. The coil <NUM> may be mounted on the cabinet <NUM> or the door of the refrigerator <NUM>; or an independent bracket used for mounting of the coil <NUM> may be disposed on a side of the ice storage box <NUM>. The magnet <NUM> is fixed on the inner box <NUM> and can move together with the inner box <NUM>.

In this embodiment, when the inner box <NUM> is in the ice receiving region <NUM>, and the ice amount detection module detects that the amount of ice in the inner box <NUM> reaches the upper storage limit, the control module controls the coil <NUM> to be energized, thereby driving the magnet <NUM> to drive the inner box <NUM> to move towards the ice storage region <NUM>. When the ice amount detection module detects that an amount of ice in the outer box <NUM> or the ice storage box <NUM> reaches the upper storage limit, the ice making assembly <NUM> is controlled to stop making ice.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the ice making assembly <NUM> is mounted on a side of a back wall of the freezing chamber. A length direction of the ice making tray <NUM> may be parallel to a width direction of the back wall of the freezing chamber, that is, the ice making tray <NUM> is transversally disposed in the freezing chamber, thereby facilitating mounting of the ice making assembly <NUM>. The ice storage box <NUM> is drawably mounted in the freezing chamber. A back wall of the ice storage box <NUM> is adjacent to the back wall of the freezing chamber. Specifically, the back wall of the ice storage box <NUM> is adjacent to an air duct cover plate <NUM> on the back wall of the freezing chamber. The ice receiving region <NUM> is formed on a side, close to the back wall of the freezing chamber, of the ice storage box <NUM>; and the ice storage region <NUM> is formed on a side, away from the back wall of the freezing chamber, of the ice storage box <NUM>. The coil <NUM> is mounted on the back wall of the freezing chamber. Specifically, the coil <NUM> is mounted on the air duct cover plate <NUM> on the back wall of the freezing chamber.

The driving assembly <NUM> is an electromagnetic driving assembly <NUM>. The coil <NUM> and the magnet <NUM> are separated from each other. The user may directly take out the ice storage box <NUM> to get ice, or merely take out the inner box <NUM> in the outer box <NUM> to get ice. After getting the ice, the user only needs to put the inner box <NUM> back to the ice receiving region <NUM>, or put the ice storage box <NUM> back to an original position. Therefore, the operation is convenient.

In summary, according to the ice making apparatus and the refrigerator <NUM> provided in the present invention, the ice storage box <NUM> includes the outer box <NUM> and the inner box <NUM> arranged in the outer box <NUM>, and the inner box <NUM> can move in the outer box <NUM> from the ice receiving region <NUM> to the ice storage region <NUM>, thereby avoiding an influence on the utilization of the internal volume of the ice storage box <NUM> caused by accumulation of ice in the ice receiving region <NUM>.

It should be understood that although the present invention is described in terms of embodiments in the description, not every embodiment includes only one independent technical solution. The statement mode of the description is merely for clarity, and those skilled in the art should regard the description as a whole. The technical solutions in various embodiments may also be combined properly to develop other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claim 1:
An ice making apparatus, comprising:
an ice making assembly (<NUM>) and an ice storage box (<NUM>) under the ice making assembly, wherein the ice making apparatus is characterized in that:
the ice storage box comprises an outer box (<NUM>) and an inner box (<NUM>) arranged in the outer box; the outer box has an ice receiving region (<NUM>) under the ice making assembly and an ice storage region (<NUM>) adjacent to the ice receiving region; and
the ice making apparatus further comprises a driving assembly (<NUM>) capable of driving the inner box to move from the ice receiving region (<NUM>) to the ice storage region (<NUM>).