Refrigerator and ice maker comprising the same ice tray having a water spillage trough

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9470446-B2
Application number	US-201114007937-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2011
Priority date	May 5, 2011
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

An ice making tray for an ice maker, an ice maker and a refrigerator comprising the same are provided. The ice maker is disposed on a door of a refrigerator. The ice making tray includes: a tray body provided with a plurality of ice forming chambers being downwardly concave, in which an opening for water flowing is formed between adjacent ice forming chambers; a water storage trough disposed on a front side of the tray body, and being higher than the plurality of ice forming chambers, in which the water storage trough is communicated with the plurality of ice forming chambers via at least one water returning mouth; and an enclosure wall, disposed around an upper end of the tray body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ice making tray for an ice maker, wherein the ice maker is disposed on a door of a refrigerator, and the ice making tray comprises:
a tray body provided with a plurality of ice forming chambers being concave in a downward direction parallel to a Z-axis, wherein the Z-axis extends in a direction parallel with gravity, in which an opening for water flowing is formed between adjacent ice forming chambers;
a water storage trough disposed on a front side of the tray body in a frontward direction parallel to an X-axis, wherein the X-axis perpendicular to the Z-axis and extends parallel with a longest distance of the ice forming chambers, and being higher than the plurality of ice forming chambers in an upward direction parallel to the Z-axis, in which the water storage trough is communicated with the plurality of ice forming chambers via at least one water returning mouth; and
an enclosure wall, disposed around a top end of the tray body and the water storage trough, and extending above the tray body and the water storage trough in the upward direction, including a front portion, a left portion orthogonal to the front portion, a right portion opposite the left portion, and a rear portion opposite the front portion,
wherein the front side of the tray body is extended in the frontward direction to form a front wall, wherein the front wall is a bottom of the water storage trough, a convex surface protruding in the upward direction is formed on an upper surface of the front wall, and the convex surface extends in a lengthwise direction parallel to a Y-axis, wherein the Y-axis is perpendicular to the Z-axis and the X-axis, and is lower than any one of the front portion, the left portion, the right portion and the rear portion of the enclosure wall in the downward direction, such that the water storage trough is defined by the convex surface of the tray body, the front wall, the left portion of the enclosure wall, the right portion of the enclosure wall, and the front portion of the enclosure wall.

2. The ice making tray according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one water returning mouth is configured to be a gap formed in the convex surface.

3. The ice making tray according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one water returning mouth comprises two water returning mouths.

4. The ice making tray according to claim 2 , wherein a bottom surface of at least one of the at least one water returning mouths is level with the upper surface of the front wall.

5. The ice making tray according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one water returning mouth is formed at a left end or a right end of the convex surface.

6. The ice making tray according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one water returning mouth is formed in a center of the convex surface.

7. An ice maker, comprising an ice making tray, wherein the ice maker is disposed on a door of a refrigerator, and the ice making tray comprises:
a tray body provided with a plurality of ice forming chambers being concave in a downward direction parallel to a Z-axis, wherein the Z-axis extends in a direction parallel with gravity, in which an opening for water flowing is formed between adjacent ice forming chambers;
a water storage trough disposed on a front side of the tray body in a frontward direction parallel to an X-axis, wherein the X-axis perpendicular to the Z-axis and extends parallel with a longest distance of the ice forming chambers, and being higher than the plurality of ice forming chambers in an upward direction parallel to the Z-axis, in which the water storage trough is communicated with the plurality of ice forming chambers via at least one water returning mouth; and
an enclosure wall, disposed around a top end of the tray body and the water storage trough, and extending above the tray body and the water storage trough in the upward direction, including a front portion, a left portion orthogonal to the front portion, a right portion opposite the left portion, and a rear portion opposite the front portion,
wherein the front side of the tray body is extended in the frontward direction to form a front wall, wherein the front wall is a bottom of the water storage trough, a convex surface protruding in the upward direction is formed on an upper surface of the front wall, and the convex surface extends in a lengthwise direction parallel to a Y-axis, wherein the Y-axis is perpendicular to the Z-axis and the X-axis, and is lower than any one of the front portion, the left portion, the right portion and the rear portion of the enclosure wall in the downward direction, such that the water storage trough is defined by the convex surface of the tray body, the front wall, the left portion of the enclosure wall, the right portion of the enclosure wall, and the front portion of the enclosure wall.

8. The ice maker according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one water returning mouth is configured to be a gap formed in the convex surface.

9. The ice maker according to claim 8 , wherein one water returning mouth is formed; and the one water returning mouth is formed at a left end or a right end of the convex surface, or formed in a center of the convex surface.

10. The ice maker according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one water returning mouth comprises two water returning mouths.

11. The ice maker according to claim 8 , wherein a bottom surface of at least one of the water returning mouths is level with the upper surface of the front wall.

12. A refrigerator, comprising:
a main body with an open front side;
a door, rotatably disposed on the front side of the main body for opening or closing the main body; and
an ice maker disposed on the door,
wherein the ice maker comprises an ice making tray, and the ice making tray comprises:
a tray body provided with a plurality of ice forming chambers being downwardly concave in a downward direction parallel to a Z-axis, wherein the Z-axis extends in a direction parallel with gravity, in which an opening for water flowing is formed between adjacent ice forming chambers;
a water storage trough disposed on a front side of the tray body in a frontward direction parallel to an X-axis, wherein the X-axis perpendicular to the Z-axis and extends parallel with a longest distance of the ice forming chambers, and being higher than the plurality of ice forming chambers in an upward direction parallel to the Z-axis, in which the water storage trough is communicated with the plurality of ice forming chambers via at least one water returning mouth; and
an enclosure wall, disposed around a top end of the tray body and the water storage trough, and extending above the tray body and the water storage trough in the upward direction, including a front portion, a left portion orthogonal to the front portion, a right portion opposite the left portion, and a rear portion opposite the front portion,
wherein the front side of the tray body is extended in the frontward direction to form a front wall, wherein the front wall is a bottom of the water storage trough, a convex surface protruding upwards in the upward direction is formed on an upper surface of the front wall, and the convex surface extends in a lengthwise direction parallel to a Y-axis, wherein the Y-axis is perpendicular to the Z-axis and the X-axis, and is lower than any one of the front portion, the left portion, the right portion and the rear portion of the enclosure wall in the downward direction, such that the water storage trough is defined by the convex surface of the tray body, the front wall, the left portion of the enclosure wall, the right portion of the enclosure wall, and the front portion of the enclosure wall.

13

Assignees

• Yao Jun
• Li Lingyun
• Liu Dongxian
• Hefei Midea Refrigerator Co
• Hefei Hualing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yao Jun
• Li Lingyun
• Liu Dongxian

Classifications

• F25C5/005

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F25C1/04 Primary

  by using stationary moulds · CPC title

• F25C2700/04

  Level of water · CPC title

• F25C2500/00

  Problems to be solved · CPC title

• F25C2500/06

  Spillage or flooding of water · CPC title