ICE MAKING APPARATUS AND REFRIGERATOR

Abstract

 The present invention provides an ice making apparatus and a refrigerator. The ice making apparatus includes an ice making assembly; an ice storage box for receiving ice cubes made by the ice making assembly; a first sensor disposed at the bottom of the ice storage box and used for detecting an ice storage weight in the ice storage box; an input module for inputting a pre-stored ice cube quantity in the ice storage box; a storage module for storing an amount of ice made in a single process and a single ice cube weight; and a control module for calculating an amount of ice to be made according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity, the single ice cube weight and the ice storage weight, and controlling the ice making assembly according to the amount of ice to be made and the amount of the ice made in the single process.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of household appliances, and in particular to an ice making apparatus and a refrigerator.

BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, in family life, refrigerators have become an indispensable household appliance. In order to meet the needs of users, current refrigerators are often provided with ice making apparatuses. The ice making apparatus generally includes an ice making machine installed in the refrigerator and an ice storage box located at a lower part of the ice making machine, and ice made by the ice making machine can be discharged into the ice storage box for storage. The current ice making apparatus is often provided with an ice probing rod or other sensors therein to detect whether the amount of ice in the ice storage box reaches an upper storage limit of the ice storage box. When the amount of ice in the ice storage box reaches the upper storage limit of the ice storage box, the ice making machine is controlled to stop making ice.

[0003] However, different users often have different needs. In most cases, the users only need a small amount of ice and want to take out fresh ice every time. Therefore, the users do not need to keep the amount of ice stored in the ice storage box at the upper limit all the time, but prefer to be capable of setting the amount of ice stored in the ice storage box according to their own needs.

SUMMARY

[0004] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides an ice making apparatus and a refrigerator which can accurately control the amount of ice made.

[0005] 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 for receiving ice cubes made by the ice making assembly; and

the ice making apparatus being characterized by further comprising: a first sensor disposed at a bottom of the ice storage box and used for detecting an ice storage weight in the ice storage box;

an input module for inputting a pre-stored ice cube quantity in the ice storage box;

a storage module for storing an amount of ice made in a single process and a single ice cube weight; and

a control module for calculating an amount of ice to be made according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity, the single ice cube weight and the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor, and controlling the start and stop of the ice making assembly according to the amount of ice to be made and the amount of the ice made in the single process

[0006] As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the control module is specifically used for:

updating the amount of ice to be made according to a change of the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor; and

controlling the ice making assembly to stop making ice when the amount of ice to be made is less than one half of the amount of the ice made in the single process.

[0007] As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the amount of the ice made in the single process is the weight of ice made in a single process, and the control module is specifically used for:
calculating a pre-stored ice storage weight according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity and the single ice cube weight, and calculating a weight of ice to be made according to the pre-stored ice storage weight and the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor.

[0008] As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the amount of the ice made in the single process is a quantity of ice made in a single process, and the control module is specifically used for:
calculating a quantity of ice cubes which have been stored in the ice storage box according to the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor and the single ice cube weight, and calculating a quantity of ice cubes to be made according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity and the quantity of stored ice cubes.

[0009] As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the control module is used for:
calculating times of ice making to be performed according to the amount of ice to be made and the amount of the ice made in the single process, and controlling the ice making assembly to stop making ice after completing ice making times matching the times of ice making to be performed.

[0010] As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the control module is further used for:
updating the times of ice making to be performed according to a change of the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor

[0011] As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the control module is further used for:
updating the times of ice making to be performed according to a received ice-taking signal.

[0012] As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, further comprising an ice amount display module for displaying a stored ice cube quantity of the ice storage box, the stored ice cube quantity being calculated according to the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor and the single ice cube weight.

[0013] In order to achieve one of the above-mentioned objects of the invention, an embodiment of the invention provides a refrigerator, comprising:

a cabinet;

a door for opening and closing the cabinet;

an ice making assembly installed on the cabinet or the door; and

an ice storage box for receiving ice made by the ice making assembly; and

the refrigerator being characterized by further comprising: a first sensor disposed at the bottom of the ice storage box and used for detecting an ice storage weight in the ice storage box;

an input module for inputting a pre-stored ice cube quantity in the ice storage box;

a storage module for storing an amount of ice made in a single process and a single ice cube weight; and

a control module for calculating an amount of ice to be made according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity, the single ice cube weight and the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor, and controlling the start and stop of the ice making assembly according to the amount of ice to be made and the amount of the ice made in the single process.

[0014] As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the control module is specifically used for:

updating the amount of ice to be made according to a change of the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor; and

controlling the ice making assembly to stop making ice when the amount of ice to be made is less than one half of the amount of the ice made in the single process.

[0015] As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the amount of the ice made in the single process is the weight of ice made in a single process, and the control module is specifically used for:
calculating a pre-stored ice storage weight according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity and the single ice cube weight, and calculating a weight of ice to be made according to the pre-stored ice storage weight and the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor.

[0016] As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the amount of the ice made in the single process is a quantity of ice made in a single process, and the control module is specifically used for:
calculating a stored ice cube quantity in the ice storage box according to the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor and the single ice cube weight, and calculating a quantity of ice cubes to be made according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity and the stored ice cube quantity.

[0017] As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the control module is used for:
calculating times of ice making to be performed according to the amount of ice to be made and the amount of the ice made in the single process, and controlling the ice making assembly to stop making ice after completing ice making times matching the times of ice making to be performed.

[0018] As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the control module is used for:
updating the times of ice making to be performed according to a change of the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor.

[0019] As a further improvement to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the control module is further used for:
updating the times of ice making to be performed according to a received ice-taking signal.

[0020] The present invention has the beneficial effects that the users can input the pre-stored ice cube quantity to intuitively and simply control the amount of ice cubes needing to be stored in an ice storage box, indirectly and accurately monitor the stored ice cube quantity in the ice storage box according to a first sensor to obtain the amount of ice to be made, and control the start and stop of an ice making assembly according to the amount of ice to be made and the amount of ice made in a single process so as to avoid too much or too little ice in the ice storage box.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] 

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an ice making apparatus of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an exploded schematic view of the ice making apparatus shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a block diagram of a control system of the ice making apparatus in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the control system of the refrigerator with the ice making apparatus in Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in combination with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part, but not all of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary skilled in the art without creative labor should belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] Referring to Fig. 1, one embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator 100. The refrigerator 100 includes a cabinet 110 and a door for opening and closing the cabinet 110. The cabinet 110 may be provided with a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber therein. An ice making apparatus 200 may be installed in the cabinet 110 or on the door. The ice making apparatus 200 includes an ice making assembly 210 for making ice. The ice making assembly 210 may include an ice making tray 211 for receiving liquid water and a water supply assembly for supplying the liquid water into the ice making tray 211. The ice making tray 211 may be installed in the cabinet 110 or on the door of the refrigerator 100 through a frame. The ice making tray 211 may include a plurality of ice making cells. The ice making assembly 210 may also have different configurations.

[0024] The refrigerator 100 may also be provided with an ice storage box 220 therein for receiving ice made by the ice making assembly 210. The ice storage box 220 may be disposed directly under the ice making assembly 210. Specifically, both the ice making assembly 210 and the ice storage box 220 may be disposed in the freezing chamber, the ice storage box 220 may be directly placed on a shelf plate in the freezing chamber, and a user may directly take out the ice storage box 220 by opening the door of the refrigerator 100. Of course, the ice making assembly 210 and the ice storage box 220 may also be installed on the door of the refrigerator 100, the door may be provided with a dispenser communicated with the ice storage box 220, and through the dispenser, the user may directly take ice from the ice storage box 220. In other implementable solutions, the ice making assembly 210 and the ice storage box may be disposed in the refrigerating chamber, and the ice storage box is selectively communicated with the dispenser on the door; or the ice making assembly 210 is disposed in the refrigerating chamber, and the ice storage box is disposed on the door.

[0025] Referring to Figs. 2 to 5, a first sensor 230 for detecting an ice storage weight in the ice storage box 220 is installed at the bottom of the ice storage box 220, and the first sensor 230 may be a weight sensor. The ice making apparatus 200 further includes an input module 260, a storage module 270 and a control module 280. The input module 260 is used for inputting a pre-stored ice cube quantity in the ice storage box 220, and the storage module 270 is used for storing an amount of ice made in a single process and a single ice cube weight. When the pre-stored ice cube quantity is less than or equal to the maximum ice storage amount of the ice storage box 220, the control module 280 calculates an amount of ice to be made according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity, the single ice cube weight and the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor 230, and controls the start and stop of the ice making assembly 210 according to the amount of ice to be made and the amount of the ice made in the single process.

[0026] In the present embodiment, the input module 260, the storage module 270 and the control module 280 may be independent modules disposed on the ice making apparatus 200, or may be the input module 260, the storage module 270 and the control module 280 shared with a refrigerator 100 system. For example, the input module 260 may be a voice input module 260 disposed on the refrigerator 100 or a display screen on the door of the refrigerator 100. The amount of the ice made in the single process may be a quantity or weight of ice made in a single process. The quantity of ice made in the single process may be an ice-making cell quantity of the ice making tray 211, and the single ice cube weight may be the weight of an ice cube formed by a single ice making cell of the ice making tray 211.

[0027] The amount of the ice made in the single process and the single ice cube weight may be default values directly stored in the storage module 270 at the factory. If the user changes the ice making tray 211 of the ice making assembly 210, the user may also change the amount of ice made in a single process and the single ice cube weight which are stored in the storage module 270 according to the actually-used ice making tray 211.

[0028] The pre-stored ice cube quantity is a quantity of ice cubes which are desired to be stored in the ice storage box 200 by the user. The pre-stored ice cube quantity is less than or equal to the maximum ice storage amount of the ice storage box 220, the maximum ice storage amount of the ice storage box 220 may be the maximum ice storage quantity of the ice storage box 220 or the maximum ice storage weight of the ice storage box 220, and the maximum ice storage amount may be directly stored in the storage module 270. The user may input the desired pre-stored ice cube quantity in the ice storage box 220, and the control module 280 may calculate an amount of ice to be made according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity input by the user, the single ice cube weight and the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor 230. The amount of ice to be made may be a weight or a quantity of ice to be made.

[0029] When the pre-stored ice cube quantity input by the user is less than or equal to the maximum ice storage amount of the ice storage box 220, the amount of ice to be made is calculated according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity input by the user. When the pre-stored ice cube quantity input by the user is greater than the maximum ice storage amount of the ice storage box 220, the user may be directly prompted and requested to change. If the user does not change, the maximum ice storage quantity may be directly set by default to the pre-stored ice cube quantity input by the user, that is, the amount of ice to be made may be calculated according to the fact that the maximum ice storage quantity of the ice storage box 220 is the pre-stored ice cube quantity. Of course, the maximum ice storage quantity may be directly set by default to the pre-stored ice cube quantity input by the user without prompting the user, that is, the amount of ice to be made is directly calculated according to the maximum ice storage amount of the ice storage box 220. The control module 280 may control the start and stop of the ice making assembly 210 according to the amount of ice to be made and the amount of the ice made in the single process.

[0030] In this way, the user can directly set the pre-stored ice cube quantity according to their own needs, and the ice making apparatus 200 automatically controls the start and stop of the ice making assembly 210 according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity, so as to avoid the influence on user experience caused by too much or too little ice in the ice storage box 220.

[0031] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the control module 280 is specifically used for:

updating the amount of ice to be made according to a change of the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor 230; and

controlling, the ice making assembly 210 to stop making ice, when the amount of ice to be made is less than one half of the amount of the ice made in the single process.

[0032] In the present embodiment, the amount of ice to be made may be the weight or the quantity of ice to be made, and the amount of the ice made in the single process may be a weight or a quantity of ice made in a single process. Specifically, when the ice amount in the ice storage box changes, that is, when the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor 230 changes, the amount of ice to be made is recalculated and updated. For example, after ice unloading of the ice making assembly 210 is completed every time or an ice-taking signal of the user is received, the ice storage weight of the ice storage box 220 collected by the first sensor 230 is obtained and the amount of ice to be made is calculated. In this way, even if the ice storage amount in the ice storage box changes because the user takes ice or newly made ice cubes enter the ice storage box in an ice making process, the final ice cube quantity in the ice storage box can be guaranteed to be the quantity required by the user.

[0033] The ice making assembly 210 is controlled to stop making ice when the amount of ice to be made is less than one half of the amount of the ice made in the single process. Specifically, the ice making assembly 210 may be controlled to stop making ice when the quantity of ice to be made is less than one half of the quantity of the ice made in the single process or when the weight of ice to be made is less than one half of the weight of the ice made in the single process. In this way, when an actual ice storage amount in the ice storage box 220 cannot be completely equal to the pre-stored ice cube quantity input by the user through the input module 260, the actual ice storage amount in the ice storage box 220 can fit the needs of the user by comparing the amount of ice to be made with the amount of the ice made in the single process to control whether the ice making assembly 210 continues to make ice or not.

[0034] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the amount of the ice made in the single process is the weight of the ice made in the single process, and the control module 280 is specifically used for:
calculating a pre-stored ice storage weight according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity and the single ice cube weight, and calculating a weight of ice to be made according to the pre-stored ice storage weight and the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor 230.

[0035] In the present embodiment, the weight of the ice made in the single process may be directly stored in the storage module 270 at the factory, or may be calculated from the amount of the ice made in the single process and the single ice cube weight stored in the storage module 270. The pre-stored ice storage weight may be obtained by calculating a product of the pre-stored ice cube quantity and the single ice cube weight. In addition, a stored ice cube weight in the ice storage box 220 may be detected by the first sensor 230 installed at the bottom of the ice storage box 220, and the weight of ice to be made is obtained by calculating a difference between the pre-stored ice storage weight and a stored ice storage weight.

[0036] Specifically, after the ice unloading of the ice making assembly 210 is completed every time, the weight of ice to be made may be calculated according to the pre-stored ice cube weight and the stored ice cube weight, and the weight of ice to be made is the difference between the pre-stored ice cube weight and the stored ice cube weight. If the weight of ice to be made is less than one half of the weight of the ice made in the single process, the ice making assembly 210 may be controlled to stop making ice.

[0037] In this way, the user may set the amount of ice desired to be stored in the ice storage box 220 by inputting a more intuitive ice cube quantity. The start and stop of the ice making assembly 210 may be controlled accurately by converting the pre-stored ice cube quantity input by the user to the pre-stored ice storage weight, and detecting the ice storage weight in the ice storage box 220 via the first sensor 230. In this way, the situation that the weight of an actually made ice cube is less than the weight of ice to be made, for example, the weight of each ice cube made every time is different from the pre-stored single ice cube weight since a certain ice cell in the ice making tray is not filled with water or the ice cube is left in the ice cell during ice unloading, can be prevented. Therefore, the pre-stored ice cube quantity is converted to the pre-stored ice storage weight and the ice making assembly 210 is controlled according to the weight of ice to be made so as to ensure that an appropriate number of ice cubes that meet the needs of the user can be stored in the ice storage box 220.

[0038] In another embodiment of the present invention, the amount of the ice made in the single process is the quantity of ice made in the single process, and the control module 280 is used for:
calculating a stored ice cube quantity in the ice storage box 220 according to the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor 230 and the single ice cube weight, and calculating the quantity of ice to be made according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity and the stored ice cube quantity.

[0039] In the present embodiment, after the ice unloading of the ice making assembly 210 is completed every time, the stored ice cube quantity in the ice storage box 220 may be calculated according to the weight of the ice cubes stored in the ice storage box 220 detected by the first sensor 230 at the bottom of the ice storage box 220, the quantity of ice to be made is calculated according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity and the stored ice cube quantity, and the quantity of ice to be made is the difference between the pre-stored ice cube quantity and the stored ice cube quantity. When the quantity of ice to be made is less than one half of the quantity of ice made in the single process, the ice making assembly 210 may be controlled to stop making ice.

[0040] In this way, the stored ice cube quantity in the ice storage box 220 can be obtained by the first sensor 230, then the quantity of ice to be made is obtained, and whether the ice making assembly 210 continues making ice can be accurately controlled according to the quantity of ice made in the single process.

[0041] In the above embodiment, it can be ensured that the quantity of ice cubes finally stored in the ice storage box 220 is the pre-stored ice cube quantity input by the user. However, in some cases, even if taking out the ice, the user still hopes that the total ice storage amount including an amount of ice taken out is identical to the originally input pre-stored ice cube quantity. Therefore, whether the amount of ice taken out is included can be selected when the user inputs the pre-stored ice cube quantity. If the amount of ice taken out is not included, the operation is carried out according to the above embodiment. If the amount of ice taken out needs to be included, the operation may be carried out in the following way.

[0042] Specifically, upon receiving the ice-taking signal, the control module 280 calculates a change amount of the ice storage weight in the ice storage box before and after ice taking. When the amount of ice to be made is updated, the amount of ice to be made includes this change amount, that is, this change amount may not be subtracted when the amount of ice to be made is calculated. In this way, the sum of the final ice storage amount in the ice storage box and the amount of ice taken out matches the pre-stored ice cube quantity input by the user, that is, the sum of the ice storage weight in the ice storage box and the weight of the ice taken out is roughly equal to the weight converted from the pre-stored ice cube quantity input by the user, or the sum of the ice storage quantity in the ice storage box and the quantity of ice taken out is roughly equal to the pre-stored ice cube quantity input by the user.

[0043] In this way, no matter if the user expects the total ice making amount or the final ice storage amount, the operation can be carried out according to the above embodiment, so as to meet various needs of the user and improve the user experience.

[0044] Further, the present invention provides yet another embodiment, and in the present embodiment, the control module 280 is used for:
calculating times of ice making to be performed according to the amount of ice to be made and the amount of the ice made in the single process, and stopping the ice making assembly 210 after controlling the ice making assembly 210 to complete ice making times matching the times of ice making to be performed.

[0045] In the present embodiment, the times of ice making to be performed may be a ratio of the amount of ice to be made to the amount of the ice made in the single process, and specifically, may be a ratio of the quantity of ice to be made to the quantity of the ice made in the single process and may also be a ratio of the weight of ice to be made to the weight of the ice made in the single process. The ice making times to be completed by the ice making assembly 210 match the times of ice making to be performed, that is, if the calculated ratio is a decimal number, the ice making times are obtained by rounding the decimal number.

[0046] Specifically, if the directly calculated ice making times are not an integer, the times of ice making to be performed may be obtained by rounding the decimal part. For example, if the directly calculated ice making times are 4.2, the ice making assembly 210 is controlled to stop making ice after making ice for four times; and if the directly calculated ice making times are 4.7 times, the ice making assembly 210 is controlled to stop making ice after making ice for five times.

[0047] The times of ice making to be performed may be calculated only once, or the control module 280 may update the times of ice making to be performed according to the change of the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor 230. The updating may be every time based on the ratio of the quantity of ice to be made to the quantity of the ice made in the single process, or the ratio of the weight of ice to be made to the weight of the ice made in the single process, or the two ratios alternatively, so that the ice making amount is more accurate.

[0048] Specifically, the control module 280 may update the times of ice making to be performed after the ice unloading is completed every time or after the ice-taking signal of the user is received. After the ice unloading is completed every time, 1 may be subtracted from the times of ice making to be performed until the times of ice making to be performed are zero, and the ice making assembly 210 is controlled to stop making ice. After the ice-taking signal of the user is received, if it is detected that the user operates the dispenser to take out ice or the ice storage box is taken out or the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor decreases, the amount of ice to be made and the times of ice making to be performed may be recalculated.

[0049] Of course, the control module 280 may also update the times of ice making to be performed according to the received ice-taking signal. That is, the times of ice making to be performed may be updated only when the ice-taking signal of the user is received, and the ice making times may be accumulated after the ice unloading is completed every time. When the ice making times are equal to the times of ice making to be performed, the ice making assembly 210 is controlled to stop making ice.

[0050] In the present embodiment, if the user selects the inclusion of the amount of ice taken out when inputting the pre-stored ice cube quantity, whether the ice is taken or not, ice making will be performed according to the calculated ice making times. If the amount of ice taken out is not included, the amount of ice to be made is updated according to the change of the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor, and then the times of ice making to be performed are calculated.

[0051] In this way, by controlling the start and stop of the ice making assembly 210 according to the times of ice making to be performed, the internal calculation can be reduced, and the control efficiency and accuracy can be improved.

[0052] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the ice making apparatus 200 further includes an ice amount display module 290 for displaying the stored ice cube quantity in the ice storage box, and the stored ice cube quantity may be calculated according to the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor 230 and the single ice cube weight.

[0053] In the present embodiment, the stored ice cube quantity is a ratio of the stored ice cube weight detected by the first sensor to the single ice cube weight. The ice amount display module 290 may be an independent module disposed on the ice making apparatus 200 and used for displaying the ice amount in the ice storage box 220, or may be a display module 290 integrated on the refrigerator 100, for example, the ice amount in the ice storage box 220 may be displayed through the display screen on the refrigerator 100. For the refrigerator 100 with the ice dispenser, when the user takes ice from the ice storage box 220, the quantity of ice taken out may be directly input through the input module 260 such as the display screen, and the control module 280 may also accurately obtain the weight of ice taken out through the first sensor 230 at the bottom of the ice storage box 220 to control the start and stop of the dispenser.

[0054] In this way, the display module 290 of the refrigerator 100 displays the ice amount in the ice making machine, so that the user can intuitively obtain the stored ice cube quantity in the ice storage box.

[0055] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the ice making apparatus 200 further includes an ice -poking rod 250 installed in the ice storage box 220. When the ice storage box 220 is installed in the cabinet 110 of the refrigerator 100, an ice poking motor 260 may be disposed on the wall surface of the cabinet 110. Of course, if the ice storage box 220 is installed on the door of the refrigerator 100, the ice-poking motor 260 may also be installed on the door of the refrigerator 100, a bracket special for installation of the ice-poking motor 260 may also be disposed in the cabinet 110 or the door of the refrigerator 100, or the ice-poking motor 260 may be directly connected onto a bracket of the ice making apparatus 200.

[0056] The ice making apparatus 200 also includes an ice level detection module for detecting an ice level below the ice making tray 211, and the control module 280 is also used for:
controlling the ice-poking motor 260 to start, when the ice level detection module detects a full ice state and detects that the ice making assembly 210 is in an ice making state.

[0057] In the present embodiment, the ice level detection module may be an ice probing rod 240 installed at one side of the ice making tray 211, and the ice probing rod 240 may be started to detect the ice level below the ice making tray 211 after the ice unloading of the ice making tray 211 is completed every time. Of course, the ice level detection module may also be a non-contact sensor installed in the ice storage box 220. For example, the ice level detection module may include an infrared sensor installed in the area below the ice making tray 211, and the ice level in the ice storage box 220 in the area below the ice making tray 211 may be detected by the infrared sensor. If the ice level below the ice making tray 211 indicates the full ice state, and the ice making assembly 210 needs to continue making ice, the ice-poking rod 250 is controlled to rotate to poke the ice cubes below the ice making tray 211 to the other side of the ice storage box 220, so as to prevent the ice from being accumulated under the ice making tray 211, which will negatively affect ice making.

[0058] A connecting groove 251 is formed in the ice-poking rod 250, and a connecting bump 261 matching the connecting groove 251 is disposed on the ice-poking motor 260. By rotating the connecting groove 251 to a horizontal position, the user may directly pull the ice storage box 220 to separate the ice-poking rod 250 from the ice-poking motor 260 and take out the ice storage box 220.

[0059] In this way, the ice-poking rod 250 is disposed to poke the ice cubes in the ice storage box 220 to be in a uniform state, so that the utilization rate of an internal volume of the ice storage box 220 can be increased, and the influence on ice making caused by the fact that ice is accumulated only in the area below the ice making tray 211 is prevented.

[0060] It should be understood that although the present invention is described in terms of the embodiments, not every embodiment only contains one independent technical solution. Such a statement mode of the description is only for the sake of clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the description as a whole, and the technical solutions in respective embodiments may also be appropriately combined to develop other embodiments understandable by those skilled in the art.

[0061] A series of detailed descriptions listed above are only specific illustrations of feasible embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent embodiments or alterations made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ice making apparatus, comprising:

an ice making assembly; and

an ice storage box for receiving ice cubes made by the ice making assembly; and

the ice making apparatus being characterized by further comprising: a first sensor disposed at a bottom of the ice storage box and used for detecting an ice storage weight in the ice storage box;

an input module for inputting a pre-stored ice cube quantity in the ice storage box;

a storage module for storing an amount of ice made in a single process and a single ice cube weight; and

a control module for calculating an amount of ice to be made according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity, the single ice cube weight and the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor, and controlling the start and stop of the ice making assembly according to the amount of ice to be made and the amount of the ice made in the single process.

2. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control module is specifically used for:

updating the amount of ice to be made according to a change of the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor; and

controlling the ice making assembly to stop making ice when the amount of ice to be made is less than one half of the amount of the ice made in the single process.

3. The ice making apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the amount of the ice made in the single process is the weight of ice made in a single process, and the control module is specifically used for:
calculating a pre-stored ice storage weight according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity and the single ice cube weight, and calculating a weight of ice to be made according to the pre-stored ice storage weight and the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor.

4. The ice making apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the amount of the ice made in the single process is a quantity of ice made in a single process, and the control module is specifically used for:
calculating a quantity of ice cubes which have been stored in the ice storage box according to the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor and the single ice cube weight, and calculating a quantity of ice cubes to be made according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity and the quantity of stored ice cubes.

5. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control module is used for:
calculating times of ice making to be performed according to the amount of ice to be made and the amount of the ice made in the single process, and controlling the ice making assembly to stop making ice after completing ice making times matching the times of ice making to be performed.

6. The ice making apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control module is further used for:
updating the times of ice making to be performed according to a change of the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor.

7. The ice making apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control module is further used for:
updating the times of ice making to be performed according to a received ice-taking signal.

8. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an ice amount display module for displaying a stored ice cube quantity of the ice storage box, the stored ice cube quantity being calculated according to the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor and the single ice cube weight.

9. A refrigerator, comprising:

a cabinet;

a door for opening and closing the cabinet;

an ice making assembly installed on the cabinet or the door; and

an ice storage box for receiving ice made by the ice making assembly; and

the refrigerator being characterized by further comprising: a first sensor disposed at the bottom of the ice storage box and used for detecting an ice storage weight in the ice storage box;

an input module for inputting a pre-stored ice cube quantity in the ice storage box;

a storage module for storing an amount of ice made in a single process and a single ice cube weight; and

a control module for calculating an amount of ice to be made according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity, the single ice cube weight and the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor, and controlling the start and stop of the ice making assembly according to the amount of ice to be made and the amount of the ice made in the single process.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the control module is specifically used for:

updating the amount of ice to be made according to a change of the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor; and

controlling the ice making assembly to stop making ice when the amount of ice to be made is less than one half of the amount of the ice made in the single process.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the amount of the ice made in the single process is the weight of ice made in a single process, and the control module is specifically used for:
calculating a pre-stored ice storage weight according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity and the single ice cube weight, and calculating a weight of ice to be made according to the pre-stored ice storage weight and the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the amount of the ice made in the single process is a quantity of ice made in a single process, and the control module is specifically used for:
calculating a stored ice cube quantity in the ice storage box according to the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor and the single ice cube weight, and calculating a quantity of ice cubes to be made according to the pre-stored ice cube quantity and the stored ice cube quantity.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the control module is used for:
calculating times of ice making to be performed according to the amount of ice to be made and the amount of the ice made in the single process, and controlling the ice making assembly to stop making ice after completing ice making times matching the times of ice making to be performed.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the control module is used for:
updating the times of ice making to be performed according to a change of the ice storage weight detected by the first sensor.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the control module is further used for:
updating the times of ice making to be performed according to a received ice-taking signal.

Drawing