Ice maker with three-branch pipe assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11015853-B2
Application number	US-201916357087-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2019
Priority date	Sep 27, 2016
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

An ice maker (100) includes an ice-making water tank (10), a water storage tank (20), a pipe assembly, a reversing member (40), and a driving member (50). The pipe assembly comprises a first branch pipe (310), a second branch pipe (320), and a third branch pipe (330). The first branch pipe (310) is connected to the water storage tank (20). The second branch pipe (320) and the third branch pipe (330) are separately connected to the ice-making water tank (10). The reversing member (40) is separately connected to the three branch pipes to control two of the branch pipes to be communicated and the rest one of the branch pipes to disconnected. The driving member (50) is connected to the third branch pipe in series. During ice making, the reversing member (40) controls the second branch pipe (320) and the third branch pipe (330) to be communicated and controls the first branch pipe (310) to be disconnected. The driving member (50) operates to drive the water to circulate among the ice-making water tank (10), the second branch pipe (320) and the third branch pipe (330).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ice maker, comprising:
an ice-making water tank,
a water storage tank,
a pipe assembly,
a valve, and
a pump,
wherein the pipe assembly further comprises three branch pipes, a first branch pipe of the three branch pipes is connected to the water storage tank, and a second branch pipe and a third branch pipe of the three branch pipes are connected to the ice-making water tank separately; the valve is connected to each of the three branch pipes to control communication between two of the branch pipes and disconnection of the rest one of the branch pipes; the pump is connected to the third branch pipe in series;
wherein when the ice maker makes ice, the valve controls the second branch pipe to be communicated with the third branch pipe and controls the first branch pipe to be disconnected, and the pump operates to drive water to circulate among the ice-making water tank, the second branch pipe, and the third branch pipe; and
wherein the ice-making water tank is provided with a water input port, a water return port, and a drain port in a tank wall of the ice-making water tank, the second branch pipe is connected to the water return port, the third branch pipe is connected to the water input port, and at least one of the second branch pipe and the third branch pipe is connected to the drain port.

2. The ice maker according to claim 1 , wherein, after the ice maker finishes making ice, the valve controls the third branch pipe to be communicated with the first branch pipe and controls the second branch pipe to be disconnected, and the pump stops operation to allow water in the ice-making water tank to flow towards the water storage tank through the third branch pipe and the first branch pipe.

3. The ice maker according to claim 1 , wherein the water input port and the water return port are provided in opposite side walls of the ice-making water tank and at the same height.

4. The ice maker according to claim 1 , wherein the water input port and the water return port are arranged adjacent to an ice-making grid in the ice-making water tank.

5. The ice maker according to claim 1 , wherein the third branch pipe is connected to the drain port, and the drain port is arranged in a bottom wall of the ice-making water tank and/or a bottom of a side wall of the ice-making water tank.

6. The ice maker according to claim 1 , wherein the ice-making water tank is located above the water storage tank.

7. The ice maker according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a water output pipe connected to the water storage tank, and
a water output pump connected to the water output pipe in series.

8. The ice maker according to claim 1 , wherein the valve is a three-way valve configured to control the third branch pipe to be communicated with the first branch pipe or the second branch pipe.

9. The ice maker according to claim 1 , wherein the pump is configured as a water pump.

Assignees

• Hefei Hualing Co Ltd
• Hefei Midea Refrigerator Co
• Midea Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shao Yang
• Lv Zhengguang
• Yang Guangqing
• Si Zengqiang

Classifications

• F25C1/25 Primary

  Filling devices for moulds · CPC title

• F25C1/20

  by agitation · CPC title

• F25C2400/14

  Water supply · CPC title

• F25C1/18 Primary

  of a particular transparency or translucency, e.g. by injecting air · CPC title

• F25C1/08

  by immersing freezing chambers {, cylindrical bodies} or plates into water · CPC title