Patent Description:
In related arts, ice-making devices are mainly used for preparation of ice cubes, de-icing and storage. De-icing is usually performed by using gear and rack transmission modes, which enables the gear and rack transmission modes to be very complicated. Also, for an ice-making device with a plurality of ice-making boxes, each ice-making box performs de-icing independently, which brings inconvenience to users. Moreover, in order to ensure the stability of the transmission and linkage structure of the ice-making boxes, some ice-making boxes are not detachable and some ice-making boxes need to be disassembled using professional tools. After the ice-making device is used for a period of time, in order to keep the ice-making boxes clean, the user needs to disassemble the ice-making device to clean the ice-making boxes, which causes certain inconvenience by the above two installation methods.

Prior art document <CIT> discloses a refrigerator, comprising a freezing chamber and an ice making device. The ice making device comprises a holder, multiple ice making boxes, a connection rod rotation shaft, and a swing member. Each of the multiple ice making boxes comprises a box body, and a drive shaft and a hinge shaft which are connected to the box body. The connection rod rotation shaft comprises a rotation shaft and a swing shaft provided at intervals in parallel, and a connection section connected to the rotation shaft and the swing shaft. The swing member comprises a body, and a hinge hole and a support portion disposed on the body. The rotation shaft drives the swing shaft to rotate so as to drive the swing member to swing, and drive the drive shaft to rotate around the corresponding hinge shaft so that the ice making box rotates.

The present application is intended to solve at least one of the problems in the related art. Therefore, the present application provides an ice-making device capable of improving the de-icing efficiency of ice-making boxes.

The present application further provides refrigeration machine.

The ice-making device according to the invention includes:.

In the ice-making device according to the embodiments of the present application, the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes are connected by using a connector, while a plurality of releasing holes and limiting holes communicating with each other are arranged on the connector, and the connector can be switched between the releasing position and the limiting position. When the connector is at the releasing position, the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes are connected to the releasing holes and can act axially relative to the releasing holes to release from the releasing holes, and thus the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes can be disassembled along the axial direction of the releasing holes. When the connector is at the limiting position, the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes are connected to the limiting holes, and thus the connector can be axially limited, and thus the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes can be mounted in a linkage manner. In this way, the user only needs to adjust the position of the connector to disassemble and assemble the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes, which improves the disassembly and assembly efficiency of the ice-making boxes and is convenient for the user to clean the plurality of ice-making boxes. In addition, by connecting the plurality of ice-making boxes to the operating member through the connector, the user can invert the plurality of ice-making boxes only by rotating the operating member, the steps of de-icing for each ice-making box separately in the related art are eliminated, and the de-icing efficiency of the plurality of ice-making boxes is improved.

In an embodiment of the present application, the bracket includes a panel and a frame connected to the panel, where the operating member is rotatably connected to the panel, and the plurality of ice-making boxes are rotatably connected to the frame.

In an embodiment of the present application, an aperture of each of the releasing holes is larger than an aperture of each of the limiting holes, and a transition section is provided between each of the releasing holes and each of the limiting holes, and an aperture at the transition section is smaller than an aperture of the limiting hole.

In an embodiment of the present application, each ice-making box is provided with a second connecting column which includes a second connecting section and a second limiting section. A diameter of the second connecting section is matched with an aperture of the releasing hole, and a diameter of the second limiting section is matched with an aperture of the limiting hole.

In an embodiment of the present application, the second limiting section is provided with a second transition surface for passing the second limiting section through the transition section.

In an embodiment of the present application, two opposite ends of the frame are provided with assembly holes configured to mount the plurality of ice-making boxes, and the plurality of ice-making boxes are provided with installation columns configured to be installed in the plurality of assembly holes.

In an embodiment of the present application, the frame is provided with a stopper bar, and the stopper bar abuts against ice trays of the plurality of ice-making boxes to limit a swivel angle of the plurality of ice-making boxes relative to the frame.

In an embodiment of the present application, each installation column is sleeved with a reset member configured to switch the plurality of ice-making boxes from a de-icing state to an ice-making state, and two ends of the reset member abut against the plurality of ice-making boxes and the frame, respectively.

In an embodiment of the present application, the operating member is provided with a first connecting column comprising a first connecting section and a first limiting section. A diameter of the first connecting section is matched with an aperture of the releasing hole, and a diameter of the first limiting section is matched with an aperture of the limiting hole.

In an embodiment of the present application, the first limiting section is provided with a first transition surface for passing the first limiting section through the transition section.

In an embodiment of the present application, the panel is provided with a through hole and a guide groove, where the operating member is provided with a connecting head in rotation-match with the through hole, and the first connecting column is adapted to pass through the guide groove to connect to the connector.

In an embodiment of the present application, the ice making device further includes an ice storage box arranged below the bracket and corresponding to the plurality of ice-making boxes.

In an embodiment of the present application, the ice making device further includes a housing, and the bracket and the ice storage box are movably mounted on the housing.

The refrigeration machine according to an embodiment of the present application, includes a cabinet body and the ice-making device mentioned above, and the ice-making device is arranged in the cabinet body.

According to the refrigeration machine provided by the embodiments of the present application, the de-icing efficiency of the ice-making box can be improved by arranging the ice-making device mentioned above in the cabinet body, and it is convenient for the user to assemble and disassemble the plurality of ice-making boxes to facilitate the user to clean the plurality of ice-making boxes.

One or more solutions according to the embodiments of the present application have at least one of the following beneficial effects.

In the ice-making device according to the embodiments of the present application, the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes are connected by using a connector, while a plurality of releasing holes and limiting holes communicating with each other are arranged on the connector, and the connector can be switched between the releasing position and the limiting position. When the connector is at the releasing position, the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes are connected to the releasing holes and can act axially relative to the releasing holes to loose from the releasing holes, and thus the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes can be disassembled along the axial direction of the releasing holes. When the connector is at the limiting position, the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes are connected to the limiting holes, and thus the connector can be axially limited, and thus the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes can be mounted in a linkage manner. In this way, the user only needs to adjust the position of the connector to disassemble and assemble the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes, which improves the disassembly and assembly efficiency of the ice-making boxes and is convenient for the user to clean the plurality of ice-making boxes. In addition, by connecting the plurality of ice-making boxes to the operating member through the connector, the user can invert the plurality of ice-making boxes only by rotating the operating member, the steps of de-icing for each ice-making box separately in the related art are eliminated, and the de-icing efficiency of the plurality of ice-making boxes is improved.

Further, according to the refrigeration machine provided by the embodiments of the present application, the de-icing efficiency of the ice-making box can be improved by arranging the ice-making device mentioned above in the cabinet body, and it is convenient for the user to assemble and disassemble the ice-making box to facilitate the user to clean the ice-making box.

Additional aspects and advantages of the present application are set forth, in part, from the following description, and the part will become clear from the following description, or is learned by practice of the present application.

In order to more clearly illustrate the solutions according to the present application or the related art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments of the present application or the related art will be briefly introduced below. It should be noted that the drawings in the following description are only part embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained according to these drawings without creative efforts.

<NUM>: bracket; <NUM>: ice-making box; <NUM>: operating member; <NUM>: connector; <NUM>: releasing hole; <NUM>: limiting hole; <NUM>: panel; <NUM>: frame; <NUM>: transition section; <NUM>: first connecting column; <NUM>: first connecting section; <NUM>: first limiting section; <NUM>: first transition surface; <NUM>: through hole; <NUM>: guide groove; <NUM>: connecting head; <NUM>: second connecting column; <NUM>: second connecting section; <NUM>: second limiting section; <NUM>: second transition surface; <NUM>: assembly hole; <NUM>: installation column; <NUM>: ice storage box; <NUM>: housing; <NUM>: torsion spring; <NUM>: stopper bar; <NUM>: supporting structure; <NUM>: limiting protrusion; <NUM>: limiting boss; <NUM>: handle structure.

The implementation of the present application is further described in detail below in combination with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The following embodiments are used to describe the present application, but cannot be used to limit the scope of the present application.

In the description of the present application, it is to be noted that, the orientation or positional relations specified by terms such as "central", "longitudinal", "transverse", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer" and the like, are based on the orientation or positional relations shown in the drawings, which is merely for convenience of description of the present application and to simplify description, but does not indicate or imply that the stated devices or components must have the particular orientation and be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus it is not to be construed as limiting the present application. Furthermore, the terms "first", "second", "third" and the like are only used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance.

In the description of the present application, it is to be noted that unless explicitly specified and defined otherwise, the terms "connected to" and "connected" shall be understood broadly, for example, it may be either fixedly connected or detachably connected, or can be integrated; it may be either mechanically connected, or electrically connected; it may be either directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. The specific meanings of the terms above in the present application can be understood by a person skilled in the art in accordance with specific conditions.

In the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise expressly specified and defined, a first feature is "on" or "under" a second feature can refer to that the first feature is directly contacted with the second feature, or the first feature is indirectly contacted with the second feature through an intermediate medium. And further, the first feature is "on", "above" and "over" the second feature can refer to that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply refer to that the level height of the first feature is higher than level height of the second feature. The first feature is "under", "below" and "beneath" the second feature can refer to that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply refer to that the level height of the first feature is lower than level height of the second feature.

In the description of this specification, description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "an example", "specific example", "some examples" and the like, refers to that specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in combination with an embodiment or an example are included in at least one embodiment or example according to the embodiments of the present application. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms are not necessarily directed to a same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of the different embodiments or examples, without conflicting each other.

As shown in <FIG>, an embodiment of the present application provides an ice-making device, including a bracket <NUM>, an operating member <NUM> and a connector <NUM>; where the bracket <NUM> is provided with a plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM>; the operating member <NUM> is mounted on the bracket <NUM>; and the connector <NUM> is connected between the operating member <NUM> and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> and thus the operating member <NUM> drives the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> to act; where the connector <NUM> is provided with a plurality of releasing holes <NUM> and limiting holes <NUM> being in one-to-one correspondence with the operating member <NUM> and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> and communicating with each other; the connector <NUM> is switched between a releasing position at which the operating member <NUM> and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> are respectively connected to the releasing holes <NUM> and are disassembled from the releasing holes <NUM>, and a limiting position at which the operating member <NUM> and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> are respectively connected to the limiting holes <NUM>.

In the ice-making device provided by the embodiments of the present application, the operating member <NUM> and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> are connected by using a connector <NUM>, while a plurality of releasing holes <NUM> and limiting holes <NUM> communicating with each other are arranged on the connector <NUM>, and the connector <NUM> can be switched between the releasing position and the limiting position. When the connector <NUM> is at the releasing position, the operating member <NUM> and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> are connected to the releasing holes <NUM> and can act axially relative to the releasing holes <NUM> to release from the releasing holes <NUM>, and thus the operating member <NUM> and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> can be disassembled along the axial direction of the releasing holes <NUM>. When the connector <NUM> is at the limiting position, the operating member <NUM> and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> are connected to the limiting holes <NUM>, and thus the connector <NUM> can be axially limited, and thus the operating member <NUM> and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> can be mounted in a linkage manner. In this way, the user only needs to adjust the position of the connector <NUM> to disassemble and assemble the operating member <NUM> and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM>, which improves the disassembly and assembly efficiency of the ice-making boxes <NUM> and is convenient for the user to clean the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM>. In addition, by connecting the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> to the operating member <NUM> through the connector <NUM>, the user can invert the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> only by rotating the operating member <NUM>, the steps of de-icing for each ice-making box <NUM> separately in the related art are eliminated, and the de-icing efficiency of the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> is improved.

In an embodiment of the present application, the operating member <NUM> and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> are mounted on the bracket <NUM> by using the connector <NUM>, while a plurality of releasing holes <NUM> and limiting holes <NUM> communicating with each other are arranged on the connector <NUM>, and the connector <NUM> can be switched between the releasing position and the limiting position. When the connector <NUM> is at the releasing position, the operating member <NUM> and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> are connected to the releasing holes <NUM> and can act axially relative to the releasing holes <NUM> to release from the releasing holes <NUM>, and thus the operating member <NUM> and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> can be disassembled along the axial direction of the releasing holes <NUM>. When the connector <NUM> is at the limiting position, the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making boxes <NUM> are connected to the limiting holes <NUM>, and thus the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making boxes <NUM> can be mounted in a linkage manner. In this way, the user only needs to adjust the position of the connector <NUM> to disassemble and assemble the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making boxes <NUM>, which improves the disassembly and assembly efficiency of the ice-making boxes <NUM> and is convenient for the user to clean the ice-making boxes <NUM>. In addition, the number of ice-making boxes <NUM> is plurality, and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> can be connected to the connector <NUM>. In this case, the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> can be inverted only by the connector <NUM>, and thus de-icing is performed efficiently.

The ice-making device according to the present application mainly includes a bracket <NUM>, an operating member <NUM> and a connector <NUM>. The bracket <NUM> is used to support the ice-making boxes <NUM> and mount the operating member <NUM>. The operating member <NUM> is used to facilitate the user to swivel and de-ice the ice-making boxes <NUM>. The connector <NUM> is used to connect the operating member <NUM> and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> and thus the operating member <NUM> can simultaneously drive the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> for de-icing.

In an embodiment of the present application, as shown in <FIG>, the bracket <NUM> includes a panel <NUM> and a frame <NUM> connected to the panel <NUM>, where the frame <NUM> is roughly a rectangular and mounted on a side of the panel <NUM>. The operating member <NUM> is rotatably connected to the panel <NUM>, the number of the ice-making boxes <NUM> is plurality, and the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> are rotatably connected to the frame <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the panel <NUM> is provided with a through hole <NUM>, and the operating member <NUM> is provided with a connecting head <NUM> in rotation-match with the through hole <NUM>. An end of the connecting head <NUM> on the operating member <NUM> is provided with one or more claws. When the connecting head <NUM> is inserted into the through hole <NUM>, the claws at the end of the connecting head <NUM> can be clamped to an outer end surface of the through hole <NUM> on the panel <NUM>, thereby realizing the rotation connection between the operating member <NUM> and the panel <NUM>.

As mentioned above, in order to facilitate de-icing, the plurality of ice-making boxes <NUM> can swivel relative to the frame <NUM>. For example, the number of the ice-making boxes <NUM> is two and the two ice-making boxes <NUM> are arranged side by side on the frame <NUM> and can swivel relative to the frame <NUM>. In order to mount the ice-making boxes <NUM>, two opposite ends of the frame <NUM> are provided with assembly holes <NUM> used for mounting the ice-making boxes <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the assembly holes <NUM> can be provided at an end of the frame <NUM> proximal to the panel <NUM> and an end of the frame <NUM> away from the panel <NUM>. In addition, in order to conveniently mount the ice-making boxes <NUM> on the frame <NUM> or detach it from the frame <NUM>, the assembly hole <NUM> on the end of the frame <NUM> proximal to the panel <NUM> is an assembly hole <NUM> with an opening, and the assembly hole <NUM> on the end of the frame <NUM> away from the panel <NUM> is a fully closed assembly hole <NUM>. Correspondingly, two opposite ends of the ice-making boxes <NUM> are provided with installation columns <NUM> used for installing in the assembly hole <NUM>.

When it is needed to mount the ice-making boxes <NUM> on the frame <NUM>, the installation column <NUM> at an end of the ice-making boxes <NUM> can be inserted into the fully closed assembly hole <NUM>, and then the installation column <NUM> at another end of the ice-making boxes <NUM> can be inserted into the assembly hole <NUM> with an opening. In this way, the convenience of mounting the ice-making boxes <NUM> on the frame <NUM> can be improved, and the deformation of the ice-making boxes <NUM> can be reduced, and the fully closed assembly hole <NUM> can effectively prevent the installation column <NUM> from falling out.

When it is needed to detach the ice-making boxes <NUM> from the frame <NUM>, the installation column <NUM> located in the assembly hole <NUM> with an opening can be taken out first, and then the installation column <NUM> in the fully closed assembly hole <NUM> can be taken out.

In order to limit the position of the ice-making boxes <NUM> on the frame <NUM>, an end of the installation column <NUM> is provided with a limiting boss <NUM>. An axial action of the ice-making boxes <NUM> relative to the assembly hole <NUM> can be limited by abutting the limiting boss <NUM> against an end surface of the assembly hole <NUM> with an opening.

In other embodiments, all assembly holes <NUM> can be set as fully closed assembly holes <NUM>, or all assembly holes <NUM> can be set as assembly holes <NUM> with opening.

When the ice-making boxes <NUM> needs to be de-iced, in order to limit the swivel of the ice-making boxes <NUM>, an end of the frame <NUM> away from the panel <NUM> is provided with stopper bars <NUM>, and for example, the stopper bars <NUM> can be provided on an inner wall of the frame <NUM>. In this case, when the ice-making boxes <NUM> swivels, the outer wall of the ice trays on the ice-making boxes <NUM> can abut against the stopper bar <NUM> to limit the swivel angle of the ice-making boxes <NUM>. It should be noted that the number of the stopper bars <NUM> corresponds to the number of the ice-making boxes <NUM>. After the stopper bars <NUM> abut against the outer wall of the ice trays of the ice-making boxes <NUM>, the user continues to swivel the operating member <NUM>, and thus the ice-making boxes <NUM> continues to twist to make the ice in each ice tray of the ice-making boxes <NUM> fall off. Therefore, the ice-making boxes <NUM> can be made of materials with certain deformation, such as polypropylene, acrylonitrile, butadiene, styrene three monomers of terpolymer or engineering plastics, etc..

In addition, in order to automatically reset the ice-making boxes <NUM>, that is, to switch the ice-making boxes <NUM> from the de-icing state to the ice-making state, the installation column <NUM> of each ice-making box <NUM> is sleeved with a reset member. The reset member can be a torsion spring <NUM>, where an end of the torsion spring <NUM> abuts tightly against the ice-making box <NUM>, and another end of the torsion spring <NUM> abuts tightly against the frame <NUM>. For example, an end of the torsion spring <NUM> can abut tightly against the bottom of the ice-making box <NUM>, and the another end of the torsion spring <NUM> can abut tightly against the stopper bar <NUM>. It should be noted here that in order to abut tightly the another end of the torsion spring <NUM>, two stopper bars <NUM> can be arranged along the height direction of the frame <NUM>, and the another end of the torsion spring <NUM> can be bent to form a bending section capable of being inserted a gap between the two stopper bars <NUM>. In this case, when the user swivels the operating member <NUM>, the operating member <NUM> can drive the ice-making boxes <NUM> to be switched from the ice-making state to the de-icing state through the connector <NUM>. After the de-icing operation is completed, the ice-making boxes <NUM> can be switched from the de-icing state to the ice-making state under the elastic restoring force of the torsion spring <NUM>.

In other embodiments, the torsion spring <NUM> is not essential and the ice-making boxes <NUM> can be de-iced and reset only by the user swivels the operating member <NUM>.

The bottom of one end of the frame <NUM> away from the panel <NUM> is provided with a supporting structure <NUM>, where the bottom of the supporting structure <NUM> is flush with the bottom of the panel <NUM>. In this case, when the user removes the bracket <NUM> and pours water to the ice-making boxes <NUM>, the bracket <NUM> can be stably placed on a table through being supported by the bottom of the panel <NUM> and the bottom of the supporting structure <NUM> to prevent water overflow.

In other embodiments, when it is needed to pour water to the ice-making boxes <NUM>, water can be injected into the ice-making box <NUM> through the water injection hole at the top of the housing <NUM>, which saves the step of taking out the ice-making box <NUM> and improves the ice-making efficiency.

Referring to <FIG>, according to an embodiment of the present application, the ice-making device further includes ice storage box <NUM> arranged below the bracket <NUM> and corresponding to the ice-making boxes <NUM>.

The ice storage box <NUM> and the bracket <NUM> are independent to each other, and thus the user can take out the ice storage box <NUM> separately. When the ice-making box <NUM> is de-iced, the ice made in the ice-making box <NUM> can directly fall into the ice storage box <NUM> with the swivel of the ice-making box <NUM>. In addition, in order to facilitate the user's observation to the quantity of ice in the ice storage box <NUM>, the ice storage box <NUM> can be made of transparent materials. In addition, a pulling slot can be provided on the ice storage box <NUM> to facilitate the user to pull out the ice storage box <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, according to an embodiment of the present application, the ice-making device further includes a housing <NUM>, where the bracket <NUM> and the ice storage box <NUM> are movablely arranged in the housing <NUM>.

By providing the housing <NUM> and arranging the bracket <NUM> and the ice storage box <NUM> in the housing <NUM>, it is convenient for users to carry them. In order to pull out and push back the bracket <NUM> and the ice storage box <NUM> conveniently, a corresponding slide rail or chute can be provided inside the housing <NUM>. An edge of the bracket <NUM> and an edge of the ice storage box <NUM> can be directly arranged on the slide rail or inserted in the chute, which can reduce the resistance of the bracket <NUM> and the ice storage box <NUM> during the pull-out and push-back process and improve the user's convenience.

It should be noted here that in most situations, it is unnecessary to completely detach the bracket <NUM> from the housing <NUM>. Therefore, in order to avoid complete removal of the bracket <NUM> from the housing <NUM>, referring to <FIG>, the bottom of the frame <NUM> can be provided with a limiting protrusion <NUM>, which can ensure that the frame <NUM> is not easy to slip from the housing <NUM> when the ice-making device is tilted. Further, by arranging the limiting protrusion <NUM> at the bottom of the frame <NUM>, it is also possible to reduce the friction between the frame <NUM> and the slide rail or chute in the housing <NUM>, and facilitate the user to pull the frame <NUM>.

In an embodiment of the present application, the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making box <NUM> is connected by relying on the connector <NUM>. That is, the connector <NUM> is arranged between the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making box <NUM>, and the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making box <NUM> can be assembled and disassembled through the cooperation of the connector <NUM> and the bracket <NUM>.

A plurality of releasing holes <NUM> and limiting holes <NUM> communicating with each other are arranged on the connector <NUM>. It should be noted that both the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making boxes <NUM> are connected to the connector <NUM>. Therefore, the numbers of releasing holes <NUM> and the limiting holes <NUM> on the connector <NUM> correspond to the number of the operating members <NUM> and the ice-making boxes <NUM>. For example, the number of the ice-making boxes <NUM> is two, the number of the operating member <NUM> is one, and the number of the corresponding releasing holes <NUM> and the limiting holes <NUM> are three, respectively.

In an embodiment the present application, the connector <NUM> can be switched between the releasing position and the limiting position. When the connector <NUM> is at the releasing position, the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making boxes <NUM> are respectively installed in the corresponding releasing holes <NUM> on the connector <NUM>, and both the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making boxes <NUM> can be disassembled from the bracket <NUM>. When the connector <NUM> is at the limiting position, the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making boxes <NUM> are installed in the corresponding limiting holes <NUM> on the connector <NUM>, the axial movement of the connector <NUM> is limited, and the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making boxes <NUM> are mounted on the bracket <NUM>.

The function of the connector <NUM> is described below in combination with a specific structure of the connector <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, in an embodiment of the present application, the aperture of the releasing hole <NUM> on the connector <NUM> is larger than the aperture of the limiting hole <NUM> on the connector <NUM>, and a transition section <NUM> is formed between the releasing hole <NUM> and the limiting hole <NUM>. The aperture of the transition section <NUM> is smaller than the aperture of the limiting hole <NUM>.

In an embodiment, the releasing hole <NUM> and the limiting hole <NUM> on the connector <NUM> can form a structure similar to a gourd hole. The aperture of the releasing hole <NUM> is larger than the aperture of the limiting hole <NUM>, and a transition section <NUM> is arranged between the releasing hole <NUM> and the limiting hole <NUM> to form the transition between the releasing hole <NUM> and the limiting hole <NUM>. Since the releasing hole <NUM> and the limiting hole <NUM> communicate with each other, the transition section <NUM> has a certain aperture, and the aperture of the transition section <NUM> is smaller than the aperture of the limiting hole <NUM>. Thus, when the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making box <NUM> are installed in the releasing hole <NUM>, both the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making box <NUM> are able to move in the axial direction of the releasing hole <NUM> relative to the connector <NUM> so that the user can detach the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making box <NUM> from the bracket <NUM>. When the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making box <NUM> are installed in the limiting hole <NUM>, the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making box <NUM> can be limited by the limiting hole <NUM>, and thus the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making box <NUM> are limited in the limiting hole <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, in order to achieve the above purpose, the operating member <NUM> is provided with a first connecting column <NUM>. The first connecting column <NUM> includes a first connecting section <NUM> and a first limiting section <NUM>. The diameter of the first connecting section <NUM> is matched with the aperture of the releasing hole <NUM>, and the diameter of the first limiting section <NUM> is matched with the aperture of the limiting hole <NUM>.

In an embodiment, the first connecting column <NUM> for connecting the connector <NUM> is arranged at the side of the operating member <NUM> with the connecting head <NUM>. The first connecting column <NUM> is not a complete cylindrical section structure. The root of the first connecting column <NUM> is a complete cylindrical section, which is part of the first connecting section <NUM>. The diameter of the first connection section <NUM> is equal to or slightly less than the aperture of the releasing hole <NUM>, but it is necessary to ensure that the diameter of the first connection section <NUM> is greater than the aperture of the limiting hole <NUM>. A cylindrical section with a slightly smaller diameter is arranged upward from the first connecting section <NUM>, which is the first limiting section <NUM>, and the diameter of the first limiting section <NUM> is equal to or slightly less than the aperture of the limiting hole <NUM>. A complete cylindrical section is arranged upward from the first limiting section <NUM>, which is another part of the first connecting section <NUM>.

In this case, when the connector <NUM> is at the releasing position, the first connecting column <NUM> on the operating member <NUM> is aligned with the releasing hole <NUM> on the connector <NUM>. Since the diameter of the first connecting section <NUM> on the first connecting column <NUM> is equal to or slightly smaller than the aperture of the releasing hole <NUM>, the operating member <NUM> can move along the axial direction of the releasing hole <NUM> and the user can detach the operating member <NUM> from the panel <NUM> only by taking out the operating member <NUM> along the axial direction of the releasing hole <NUM>. When the connector <NUM> is at the limiting position, since the operating member <NUM> is fixed by the panel <NUM> on the bracket <NUM>, the position of the first connecting column <NUM> is fixed. By pushing the connector <NUM>, the first connecting column <NUM> can slide into the limiting hole <NUM> from the releasing hole <NUM>. Since both ends of the first limiting section <NUM> are provided with the first connecting section <NUM> having a diameter greater than the aperture of the limiting hole <NUM>, the axial movement of the first connecting column <NUM> relative to the limiting hole <NUM> is limited, thereby limiting the axial movement of the connector <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, as mentioned above, since a transition section <NUM> is arranged between the releasing hole <NUM> and the limiting hole <NUM> and the aperture of the transition section <NUM> is smaller than the aperture of the limiting hole <NUM>, in order to ensure that the first connecting column <NUM> can smoothly slide from the releasing hole <NUM> into the limiting hole <NUM>, the first limiting section <NUM> is provided with a first transition surface <NUM> used for passing the first limiting section <NUM> through the transition section <NUM>.

The first transition surface <NUM> mentioned here can be any one of the plane and wavy surfaces. The maximum size between the first transition surface <NUM> and the outer side of the first limiting section <NUM> is larger than the aperture of the transition section <NUM>. In an embodiment, the first limiting section <NUM> is clipped into the limiting hole <NUM> after passing through the transition section <NUM> by means of interference fit, which can prevent the first limiting section <NUM> from sliding out of the limiting hole <NUM>.

It should be noted that in order to prevent the first connecting column <NUM> from disengaging from the limiting hole <NUM> during the de-icing process, the first transition surface <NUM> needs to be swiveled in a direction away from the transition section <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, for example, the first connecting column <NUM> swivels counterclockwise to de-ice, and correspondingly, the first transition surface <NUM> is arranged in the downward direction on the first limiting section <NUM>. If the first connecting column <NUM> swivels clockwise to de-ice, the first transition surface <NUM> should be arranged in the upward direction on the first limiting section <NUM>. In this case, when the first connecting column <NUM> swivels, the first transition surface <NUM> swivels away from the transition section <NUM>, so that the first connecting column <NUM> can be prevented from disengaging from the limiting hole <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, according to an embodiment of the present application, the panel <NUM> is provided with a guide groove <NUM>, and the first connecting column <NUM> is adapted to pass through the guide groove <NUM> to be connected to the connector <NUM>.

Since the swivel path of the first connecting column <NUM> is arc when the first connecting column <NUM> swivels, the guide groove <NUM> is an arc groove. By arranging the guide groove <NUM>, it can provide guidance for the swivel of the first connecting column <NUM>, which ensures the stability when the user turns the operating member <NUM>. Further, by arranging the guide groove <NUM>, when the user turns the operating member <NUM>, the operating member <NUM> can take the connection head <NUM> as the center of a circle and the distance between the first connecting column <NUM> and the connection head <NUM> as the radius, to make that through the guidance of the guide groove <NUM>, the user is more labor-saving for turning the operating member <NUM>, and then the inversion operation of the ice-making box <NUM> can be completed to rapidly and effortlessly de-ice.

It should be noted that during the user turns the operating member <NUM>, the operating member <NUM> only swivels with the connection head <NUM> as the center of the circle, while the first connecting column <NUM> swivels eccentrically with the swivel of the operating member <NUM> relative to the connection head <NUM>. Due to the guiding effect of the guide groove <NUM> on the first connecting column <NUM>, the motion path of the first connecting column <NUM> is limited, thereby achieving the labor-saving operation of de-icing.

Referring to <FIG>, in an embodiment of the present application, in order to facilitate the user to hold, the operating member <NUM> is provided with a handle structure <NUM>. In actual operation, the user can hold the handle structure <NUM> to apply greater torque to the ice-making box <NUM>, thereby making the de-icing smoother.

Referring to <FIG>, in order to disassemble and assemble the ice-making box <NUM> through the connector <NUM>, an end of the ice-making box <NUM> facing the panel <NUM> is provided with a second connecting column <NUM>. The second connecting column <NUM> includes a second connecting section <NUM> and a second limiting section <NUM>. The diameter of the second connecting section <NUM> is matched with the aperture of the releasing hole <NUM>, and the diameter of the second limiting section <NUM> is matched with the aperture of the limiting hole <NUM>.

lin an embodiment, the second connecting column <NUM> used for connecting the connector <NUM> is arranged at an end of the ice-making box <NUM> facing the panel <NUM> in the bracket <NUM>. Similarly, the second connecting column <NUM> is not a complete cylindrical section structure. The root of the second connecting column <NUM> is a complete cylindrical section, which is part of the second connecting section <NUM>. The diameter of the second connection section <NUM> is equal to or slightly less than the aperture of the releasing hole <NUM>, but it is necessary to ensure that the diameter of the second connection section <NUM> is greater than the aperture of the limiting hole <NUM>. A cylindrical section with a slightly smaller diameter is arranged upward from the second connecting section <NUM>, which is the second limiting section <NUM>. The diameter of the second limiting section <NUM> is equal to or slightly less than the aperture of the limiting hole <NUM>. A complete cylindrical section is arranged upward from the second limiting section <NUM>, which is another part of the second connecting section <NUM>. That is, the structure of the second connecting column <NUM> arranged on the ice-making box <NUM> is exactly the same as the structure of the first connecting column <NUM> arranged on the operating member <NUM>.

In this case, when the connector <NUM> is at the releasing position, the second connecting column <NUM> on the ice-making box <NUM> and the releasing hole <NUM> on the connector <NUM> are aligned with each other. Since the diameter of the second connecting section <NUM> on the second connecting column <NUM> is equal to or slightly smaller than the aperture of the releasing hole <NUM>, the connector <NUM> can move along the axial direction of the releasing hole <NUM>, and the user can detach the ice-making box <NUM> from the bracket <NUM> only by taking out the connector <NUM> along the axial direction of the releasing hole <NUM>. When the connector <NUM> is at the limiting position, since the ice-making box <NUM> is fixed by the frame <NUM> on the bracket <NUM>, the position of the second connecting column <NUM> is fixed. By pushing the connector <NUM>, the second connecting column <NUM> can slide from the releasing hole <NUM> into the limiting hole <NUM>. Since both ends of the second limiting section <NUM> are provided with the second connecting section <NUM> having a diameter greater than the aperture of the limiting hole <NUM>, the axial motion of the second connecting column <NUM> relative to the limiting hole <NUM> is limited, which further limits the axial motion of the connector <NUM>, and thus the connector <NUM>, the operating member <NUM> and the ice-making box <NUM> are stably mounted.

Referring to <FIG>, as mentioned above, since a transition section <NUM> is arranged between the releasing hole <NUM> and the limiting hole <NUM> and the aperture of the transition section <NUM> is smaller than the aperture of the limiting hole <NUM>, in order to ensure that the second connecting column <NUM> can smoothly slide from the releasing hole <NUM> into the limiting hole <NUM>, the second limiting section <NUM> is provided with a second transition surface <NUM> used for passing the second limiting section <NUM> through the transition section <NUM>.

The second transition surface <NUM> mentioned here can be any one of the plane and wave surfaces. The maximum size between the second transition surface <NUM> and the outer side of the second limiting section <NUM> is larger than the aperture of the transition section <NUM>. In an embodiment, the second limiting section <NUM> is clipped into the limiting hole <NUM> after passing through the transition section <NUM> by interference fit, which can prevent the second limiting section <NUM> from sliding out of the limiting hole <NUM>.

It should be noted that in order to prevent the second connecting column <NUM> from disengaging from the limiting hole <NUM> during the de-icing process, the second transition surface <NUM> needs to be swiveled in a direction away from the transition section <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, for example, the second connecting column <NUM> swivels counterclockwise to de-ice, and correspondingly, the second transition surface <NUM> is arranged in the downward direction on the second limiting section <NUM>. If the second connecting column <NUM> swivels clockwise to de-ice, the second transition surface <NUM> should be arranged in upward direction on the second limiting section <NUM>. In this case, when the second connecting column <NUM> swivels, the second transition surface <NUM> swivels away from the transition section <NUM>, and thus the second connecting column <NUM> can be prevented from disengaging from the limiting hole <NUM>.

The method for mounting the ice-making device provided by the embodiments of the present application is briefly described below.

The operating member <NUM> is clipped into the through hole <NUM> on the panel <NUM> through the connecting head <NUM>, and the first connecting column <NUM> on the operating member <NUM> passes through the guide groove <NUM> on the panel <NUM> and is then inserted into the releasing hole <NUM> on the connector <NUM>. The second connecting column <NUM> on the ice-making box <NUM> at the back end (an end away from the connector <NUM>) is inserted into the closed assembly hole <NUM>, and then the second connecting column <NUM> on the ice-making box <NUM> at the front end (an end proximal to the connector <NUM>) is inserted into the open assembly hole <NUM>. In addition, the second connecting column <NUM> located at the front end of the ice-making box <NUM> is inserted into the releasing hole <NUM> on both sides of the connector <NUM>, and then sliding the connector <NUM> in a side direction so that the first limiting section <NUM> of the first connecting column <NUM> and the second limiting section <NUM> of the second connecting column <NUM> are respectively clipped into the limiting holes <NUM> corresponding to the connector <NUM> by interference fit to complete the assembly. Then by turning the operating member <NUM>, the two ice-making boxes <NUM> can be inverted through the leading of the connector <NUM> to complete the de-icing operation.

The disassembly and assembly method of the ice-making device according to the embodiments of the present application is briefly described below.

By sliding the connector <NUM> reversely, the first limiting section <NUM> of the first connecting column <NUM> and the second limiting section <NUM> of the second connecting column <NUM> slide into the corresponding releasing holes <NUM> on the connector <NUM>, respectively. At this time, the operating member <NUM> can be disassembled from the panel <NUM> along the axial direction of the connector <NUM>, and the ice-making box <NUM> can be disassembled along the axial direction of the second connecting column <NUM>, while the connector <NUM> can also be removed.

An embodiment of the present application provides a refrigeration machine, including a cabinet body and the ice-making device mentioned above, where the ice-making device is arranged in the cabinet body.

According to the refrigeration machine provided by the embodiments of the present application, the de-icing efficiency of the ice-making box <NUM> can be improved by arranging the ice-making device mentioned above in the cabinet body, and it is convenient for the user to assemble and disassemble the ice-making box <NUM> to facilitate the user to clean the ice-making box <NUM>.

Claim 1:
An ice-making device, comprising:
a bracket (<NUM>), provided with a plurality of ice-making boxes (<NUM>);
an operating member (<NUM>), mounted on the bracket (<NUM>); and
a connector (<NUM>), connected between the operating member (<NUM>) and the plurality of ice-making boxes (<NUM>) to enable the operating member (<NUM>) to drive the plurality of ice-making boxes (<NUM>) to act;
characterized in that,
the connector (<NUM>) is provided with a plurality of releasing holes (<NUM>) and limiting holes (<NUM>) being in one-to-one correspondence with the operating member (<NUM>) and the plurality of ice-making boxes (<NUM>) and communicating with each other; the connector (<NUM>) is switched between a releasing position at which the operating member (<NUM>) and the plurality of ice-making boxes (<NUM>) are respectively connected to the releasing holes (<NUM>) and are disassembled from the releasing holes (<NUM>), and a limiting position at which the operating member (<NUM>) and the plurality of ice-making boxes (<NUM>) are respectively connected to the limiting holes (<NUM>).