Ice storage container and refrigerator having same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11480376-B2
Application number	US-201917253083-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2019
Priority date	Jun 19, 2018
Publication date	Oct 25, 2022
Grant date	Oct 25, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed are an ice storage container ( 100 ) and a refrigerator ( 1000 ) having same. The ice storage container ( 100 ) includes: an ice delivering part ( 10 ) and an ice crushing part ( 20 ). The ice delivering part ( 10 ) includes: a container body ( 11 ), an ice pushing component ( 12 ), and a driving member. The container body ( 11 ) defines a first accommodating cavity (a) for accommodating ice cubes. The first accommodating cavity (a) is provided with an ice outlet (b). The ice pushing component ( 10 ) is arranged in the first accommodating cavity (a). The ice pushing component ( 12 ) includes a plurality of blades ( 1212 ). The driving member is connected to the ice pushing component ( 12 ). The blades ( 1212 ) of the ice pushing component ( 12 ) are configured to crush the ice cubes selectively based on a preset condition that is forward rotation or reverse rotation. The plurality of blades ( 1212 ) push the ice towards the ice outlet (b).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ice storage container, comprising:
an ice delivering part comprising:
a container body defining a first accommodating cavity for accommodating ice cubes, and having an ice outlet;
an ice pushing component arranged in the first accommodating cavity, and comprising a plurality of blades wherein the plurality of blades of the ice pushing component are configured to push the ice cubes toward the ice outlet when the ice pushing component is driven to rotate in a forward direction or a reverse direction; and

an ice crushing part arranged outside the ice outlet and configured to selectively crush the ice cubes according to a preset condition that represents the ice pushing component being rotated in the forward direction or the reverse direction,
wherein the plurality of blades are distributed in a circumferential direction and spaced apart sequentially in an axial direction, each blade of the plurality of blades comprises a first ice pushing surface and a second ice pushing surface, the first ice pushing surface and the second ice pushing surface are side surfaces formed on both sides of each blade of the plurality of blades and are inclined in opposite directions with respect to a rotation center of the ice pushing component, and
wherein in a direction approaching the ice outlet along an axial direction thereof, the first ice pushing surface and the second ice pushing surface of a blade of the plurality of blades approach each other, and a width of a cross section of the blade of the plurality of blades increases from an inner end to an outer end of the blade of the plurality of blades.

2. The ice storage container according to claim 1 , wherein the first ice pushing surface and the second ice pushing surface are each formed as a flat surface or an arc surface.

3. The ice storage container according to claim 2 , wherein inclination angles of the first ice pushing surfaces of the plurality of blades are equal, and inclination angles of the second ice pushing surfaces of the plurality of blades are equal, and wherein a first ice pushing surface of each blade of the plurality of blades is arranged to face toward or face away from a first ice pushing surface of an adjacent blade of the plurality of blades.

4. The ice storage container according to claim 1 , wherein projections of adjacent blades of the plurality of blades along a direction of a rotating axis of the ice pushing component are staggered with a staggered angle of 120° or 90°.

5. The ice storage container according to claim 1 , wherein each blade of the plurality of blades is fixed with a corresponding wheel body of a plurality of wheel bodies, and wheel bodies of adjacent blades are detachably connected to each other.

6. The ice storage container according to claim 5 , wherein the ice pushing component further comprises a driving wheel and an ice guiding wheel, wherein the driving wheel is connected to a wheel body of the plurality of wheel bodies that is farthest from the ice outlet, and the ice guiding wheel is connected to a wheel body of the plurality of wheel bodies that is closest to the ice outlet, an end of the ice guiding wheel facing away from the plurality of wheel bodies is located inside the container body and corresponds to a first end of the container body, the ice guiding wheel has an ice guiding cavity in communication with the ice outlet, and an end of the driving wheel facing the plurality of wheel bodies is located outside the container body and corresponds to a second end of the container body, and the driving wheel is connected with the ice pushing component to transmit a torque.

7. The ice storage container according to claim 5 , wherein the blade is connected to a sidewall of the wheel body, wherein a first end of each wheel body has an insertion boss and a second end thereof has an insertion groove, and the insertion groove of each wheel body is fitted with the insertion boss of another adjacent wheel body.

8. The ice storage container according to claim 7 , wherein a cross section of the insertion groove and a cross section of the insertion boss are both fan-shaped, and a plurality of insertion bosses and a plurality of insertion grooves of each blade are evenly distributed along a circumferential direction.

9. The ice storage container according to claim 1 , wherein a top of the container body is open, and a bottom wall of the container body is inclined downward in a direction approaching the ice outlet along an axial direction.

10. The ice storage container according to claim 1 , wherein a bottom wall of the container body is arc-shaped, and an outer end of each blade has a blade outer end surface connecting the first and second ice pushing surfaces on both sides of the blade, and a shape of the blade outer end surface is consistent with the shape of the bottom wall of the container body.

11. The ice storage container according to claim 1 , wherein the ice crushing part comprises:
an ice blade component arranged corresponding to the ice outlet, and comprising a movable ice blade and a fixed ice blade, wherein the movable ice blade is connected to a connecting shaft to be driven to rotate in synchronization with the ice pushing component, and a blade edge of the movable ice blade is configured to selectively perform an ice crushing operation according to the preset condition; and
a cover configured to cover the ice crushing part, the cover connected to the outside of the container body and including an ice discharge outlet.

12. The ice storage container according to claim 11 , wherein the ice pushing component comprises:
a driving wheel;
an ice guiding wheel; and
a plurality of impellers connected between the driving wheel and the ice guiding wheel,
wherein the plurality of blades are formed on the plurality of impellers, the connecting shaft passes through the ice guiding wheel, and the plurality of impellers is sequentially connected to the driving wheel.

13. The ice storage container according to claim 11 , further comprising a housing that covers the ice crushing part and is connected to the container body of the ice delivering part.

14. A refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet;
a door; and
the ice storage container according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cabinet comprises a refrigerating chamber, and the ice storage container is located in the refrigerating chamber.

15. An ice storage container, comprising:
an ice delivering part comprising:
a container body, the container body defining a first accommodating cavity for accommodating ice cubes and comprising an ice outlet; and
an ice pushing component in the first accommodating cavity and configured to rotate in a forward direction or a reverse direction, the ice pushing component comprising a plurality of impellers configured to push the ice cubes outside of the container body through the ice outlet;

an ice crushing part arranged outside the container body and configured to selectively crush the ice cubes being pushed out of the ice outlet when a preset condition is met; and
a housing adapted to cover the ice crushing part,
wherein the plurality of impellers comprises a plurality of wheel bodies detachably connected to each other and a plurality of blades, each of the plurality of blades attached to a corresponding wheel body of the plurality of wheel bodies.

16. The ice storage container of claim 15 , wherein the preset condition corresponds to the ice pushing component being rotated in the forward direction or the reverse direction.

17. The ice storage container of claim 15 , wherein blades of the plu

Assignees

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

Inventors

• Liu Zanxi
• Shao Yang
• Si Zengqiang
• Wang Jincai

Classifications

• F25C5/182 Primary

  Ice bins therefor · CPC title

• F25C5/22 Primary

  particularly adapted for household refrigerators · CPC title

• F25C5/046 Primary

  Ice-crusher machines · CPC title

• F25C2400/04

  Ice guide, e.g. for guiding ice blocks to storage tank · CPC title

• F25C2400/08

  for different type of ice · CPC title