Method and system for making transparent ice

Abstract

The invention discloses a transparent ice making method and system, the method and system are applied to a transparent ice maker, the transparent ice maker comprises a water tank, a pump, an ice making area and an ice storage area, and the transparent ice making method comprises the steps that an evaporator is controlled to be heated to a preset initial temperature in response to an ice making signal; water is pumped into the ice water bag from the water tank through the pump, and circulation of the water is achieved; controlling the evaporator to refrigerate until the ice making is completed; and after ice making is completed, the evaporator is controlled to heat, so that ice blocks in the ice water pocket are separated from the evaporator and stored in the ice storage area. By adopting the embodiment of the invention, depending on a complex system and a huge structure of industrial-grade equipment is not needed, the ice block transparency can be remarkably improved while the ice making efficiency is ensured through a process control strategy, and the method and the device have both economical efficiency and practicability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ice-making technology, and in particular to a method and system for making transparent ice. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, bullet ice makers are widely used in both home and commercial settings due to their significant advantages of fast ice-making speed and low overall cost. However, they primarily focus on freezing speed during the ice-making process and do not consider improving the transparency of the ice. As people's living standards improve, existing ice makers are struggling to meet the needs of scenarios requiring higher purity and aesthetic appeal of the ice.

[0003] The core characteristics of transparent ice lie in its absence of air bubbles and impurities, as well as its uniform crystallization. Its production requires stringent technical processes. Currently, most ice-making equipment capable of this is industrial-grade. However, due to its large size, high manufacturing costs, complex operating procedures, and professional maintenance requirements, industrial-grade ice-making equipment is difficult to adapt to the small spaces of homes and the convenient use needs of ordinary commercial settings. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention aims to provide a method and system for making transparent ice, which does not rely on the complex system and large structure of industrial-grade equipment. Through a process-oriented control strategy, it can significantly improve the transparency of ice while ensuring ice-making efficiency, thus combining economy and practicality.

[0005] The present invention provides a method and system for making transparent ice in a transparent ice maker from two aspects. The transparent ice maker includes a water tank, a pump, an ice-making zone and an ice storage zone. The ice-making zone is equipped with an evaporator and an ice-water hopper.

[0006] Specifically, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for making transparent ice, comprising:

[0007] In response to an ice-making signal, the evaporator is controlled to heat to a preset initial temperature;

[0008] The pump draws water from the water tank into the ice water container, thus circulating the water.

[0009] Control the evaporator to perform refrigeration until ice making is complete;

[0010] After ice making is completed, the evaporator is heated to separate the ice blocks in the ice water bag from the evaporator and store them in the ice storage area.

[0011] As an improvement to the above solution, the step of controlling the evaporator to heat to a preset initial temperature in response to an ice-making signal includes:

[0012] In response to an ice-making signal, the refrigerant is controlled to flow through the evaporator to heat the evaporator, so that the evaporator reaches a preset initial temperature.

[0013] As an improvement to the above solution, the pump includes a first pump and a second pump. The first pump is connected to a water tank and an ice water hopper, and the second pump is connected to the ice water hopper. The step of pumping water from the water tank to the ice water hopper and circulating the water includes:

[0014] The first pump draws water from the water tank into the ice water container.

[0015] The second pump controls the circulation of the water inside the ice water tank.

[0016] As an improvement to the above solution, the pump includes a third pump connected to the water tank and the ice water hopper. The step of pumping water from the water tank to the ice water hopper and circulating the water includes:

[0017] The third pump draws water from the water tank into the ice water container.

[0018] When the water volume in the ice water bag reaches a preset water volume threshold, the third pump controls the water to circulate between the water tank and the ice water bag.

[0019] As an improvement to the above solution, controlling the evaporator to perform refrigeration until ice making is complete includes:

[0020] Acquire environmental data;

[0021] Historical data is obtained by acquiring historical ice-making signals, historical ice-making times, and user ice-taking behavior data.

[0022] Based on the historical and environmental data, the ice-making time for the current ice-making cycle is obtained;

[0023] The evaporator is cooled according to the ice-making time until ice making is complete.

[0024] As an improvement to the above solution, the step of obtaining the ice-making time for the current ice-making cycle based on the historical data and environmental data includes:

[0025] Based on the historical data, the longest ice-making time in history and the average ice-making time in the past n rounds were obtained;

[0026] The preset base ice-making time is updated based on the longest historical ice-making time and the average ice-making time.

[0027] Based on the historical data and the preset behavior coefficient mapping relationship, the user behavior correction coefficient is obtained;

[0028] Based on the environmental data and the preset environmental coefficient mapping relationship, the environmental compensation coefficient is obtained;

[0029] The updated base ice-making time is corrected using the user behavior correction coefficient and the environmental compensation coefficient to finally determine the ice-making time for the current ice-making cycle.

[0030] As an improvement to the above solution, after ice making is completed, the evaporator is heated to detach the ice blocks from the ice water container from the evaporator and store them in the ice storage area, including:

[0031] After ice making is completed, the evaporator is heated to separate the ice from the evaporator in the ice water container;

[0032] Rotate the ice-water bag to pour the residual water in the ice-water bag into the water tank, and store the ice blocks that have separated from the evaporator in the ice storage area to achieve ice-water separation.

[0033] As an improvement to the above solution, after the ice-making process is completed, the evaporator is heated to separate the ice from the evaporator in the ice water container, including:

[0034] After ice making is completed, the time for the refrigerant to flow through the evaporator is controlled so that the evaporator meets the preset temperature stage, thereby separating the ice block in the ice water bag from the evaporator.

[0035] As an improvement to the above solution, the method for making transparent ice further includes:

[0036] The ambient temperature of the ice storage area is controlled within a preset temperature range threshold.

[0037] This invention also provides a system for making transparent ice, comprising:

[0038] A preheating control module is used to control the evaporator to heat to a preset initial temperature in response to an ice-making signal;

[0039] A water circulation control module is used to pump water from the water tank to the ice water bag via the pump, and to circulate the water.

[0040] The refrigeration control module is used to control the evaporator to refrigerate until ice making is complete;

[0041] The ice detachment module is used to control the heating of the evaporator after ice making is completed, so as to detach the ice blocks in the ice water bag from the evaporator and store them in the ice storage area.

[0042] Compared with existing technologies, this invention discloses a method and system for making transparent ice, which is applied in a transparent ice maker. The transparent ice maker includes a water tank, a pump, an ice-making zone, and an ice-storage zone. In response to an ice-making signal, this invention controls the evaporator to heat to a preset initial temperature; the pump draws water from the water tank into an ice-water container, achieving water circulation; the evaporator is controlled to refrigerate until ice making is complete; after ice making, the evaporator is heated to detach the ice from the ice-water container and store it in the ice-storage zone. Using this invention, there is no need to rely on complex systems and large structures of industrial-grade equipment. Through a streamlined control strategy, it can significantly improve ice transparency while ensuring ice-making efficiency, combining economy and practicality. Attached Figure Description

[0043] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of a method for making transparent ice according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a transparent ice-making system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0046] In the description and claims, it should be understood that the terms "first," "second," etc., used in the description and claims are only for the purpose of distinguishing the description of the same technical features, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated, nor necessarily the order of description or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable where appropriate. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature.

[0047] Traditional bullet ice makers have a simple control logic. The main ice-making steps are as follows: First, a pump draws the water needed for ice making from the water tank into the bullet ice water container. Next, the bullet ice evaporator cools and condenses the surrounding water to form opaque ice blocks. After ice making is complete, a synchronous motor drives the bullet ice water container to rotate, pouring the remaining water back into the water tank. Finally, the bullet-shaped ice blocks that have condensed on the tubular metal body of the bullet ice evaporator detach and enter the bullet ice storage chamber. This method focuses solely on ice formation while neglecting water pretreatment. As bullet ice is continuously produced, the cooling capacity of the bullet ice evaporator accumulates, the ice-making speed increases, and the possibility of dissolved gases escaping decreases. Consequently, the bullet ice becomes increasingly opaque over time.

[0048] Based on the above considerations, this invention provides a method for producing transparent ice in a transparent ice maker. The transparent ice maker includes a water tank, a pump, an ice-making zone, and an ice storage zone. The ice-making zone is equipped with an evaporator and an ice-water hopper. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 In this embodiment, the method for making the transparent ice is specifically performed through steps S1 to S4:

[0049] S1. In response to the ice-making signal, control the evaporator to heat to a preset initial temperature;

[0050] S2. The pump draws water from the water tank into the ice water container, thus circulating the water.

[0051] S3. Control the evaporator to cool until ice making is complete;

[0052] S4. After ice making is completed, control the evaporator to heat up so that the ice blocks in the ice water bag are separated from the evaporator and stored in the ice storage area.

[0053] It should be noted that the ice blocks produced by the transparent ice maker can be in various shapes such as bullet ice, square ice, and spherical ice. Due to the different shapes of the ice blocks, the specific structure of its internal device will inevitably differ slightly. For example, if the ice block is bullet-shaped, the evaporator tube of the evaporator is movably fitted inside the ice water pocket; if the ice block is square-shaped, the evaporator is a plate evaporator. Therefore, it can be understood that simple adjustments to the specific structure of the transparent ice maker to achieve ice making do not affect the beneficial effects of this invention. Furthermore, this embodiment only lists the components of the transparent ice maker that are highly relevant to this solution. In practical applications, the transparent ice maker will inevitably have other components such as a compressor, housing, and control panel to fully realize the ice-making process. The configuration of these other components does not affect the beneficial effects of this invention.

[0054] In this embodiment of the invention, the evaporator undergoes three stages throughout the ice-making process: heating, cooling, and heating. The first heating stage eliminates the initial cold energy, the cooling stage provides cold energy for ice making, and the second heating stage separates the ice from the evaporator. In some preferred embodiments, during multiple rounds of ice making, the final heating target of the second heating stage in the previous round is the initial temperature anchored by the first heating stage in the next round, thus coupling the evaporator operation across multiple rounds of ice making.

[0055] As the number of consecutive ice-making cycles increases, the cold energy in the evaporator of a traditional ice maker continuously accumulates, gradually accelerating the ice-making speed. However, traditional ice makers only consider increasing the ice-making speed, neglecting the fact that the accumulation of cold energy makes it difficult for dissolved gases in the water to escape, thus gradually reducing the transparency of the ice.

[0056] In this embodiment of the invention, step S1, in response to the ice-making signal, controls the evaporator to heat to a preset initial temperature, which improves the transparency of the ice in the following aspects.

[0057] First, by restoring the evaporator to its initial temperature, maintaining a relatively constant initial temperature before ice making avoids uneven ice crystal structure caused by temperature fluctuations. Simultaneously, it prevents rapid accumulation of cold energy during the ice-making process, which could lead to a whitening effect in the frozen ice, effectively controlling the consistency of the bullet ice making process.

[0058] Secondly, the solubility of oxygen decreases as water temperature rises. By heating the evaporator, the temperature of the water around the evaporator can be locally increased in the early stages of ice making, thereby reducing the amount of dissolved oxygen and producing more transparent ice.

[0059] Furthermore, by coupling the first heating stage and the second heating stage, during continuous ice making, the ice blocks directly connected to the evaporator can be heated and melted by heating the evaporator, which is more conducive to the detachment of the ice blocks.

[0060] Traditional small and medium-sized ice makers' pumps simply draw water from the water tank to the ice water container. Since the water doesn't flow during the ice-making process, dissolved gases tend to accumulate statically. In step S2 of this invention, the pump draws water from the water tank to the ice water container and ensures water flow within the container, reducing bubble formation and improving ice transparency.

[0061] It should be noted that the pump of the transparent ice maker described in this embodiment of the invention is automatically start-stop. For example, the pump automatically starts during the entire ice-making process and automatically shuts off when the ice storage area is out of position or when a stop-ice-making signal is received.

[0062] In the above solution, the water in the ice water bag is circulated by a pump, and the initial coldness is eliminated before ice making, the ice is cooled during ice making, and the ice is heated after ice making to achieve ice block separation. This solution can significantly improve the transparency of ice blocks while ensuring ice making efficiency, and is both economical and practical.

[0063] In a preferred embodiment, step S1, responding to the ice-making signal, controls the evaporator to heat to a preset initial temperature, includes:

[0064] In response to an ice-making signal, the refrigerant is controlled to flow through the evaporator to heat the evaporator, so that the evaporator reaches a preset initial temperature.

[0065] It should be noted that, in the preferred embodiment, the refrigerant flow through the evaporator is controlled by a valve. More preferably, the refrigerant flow is controlled by an electromagnetically driven valve. During the initial ice-making stage, since the required ice-making temperature is below room temperature, the refrigerant temperature can be room temperature. During multiple rounds of continuous ice-making, the refrigerant can be high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor; for example, the refrigerant is hot fluorine.

[0066] It should also be noted that before each round of ice making, the evaporator is heated to a preset initial temperature to create a stable initial state for subsequent ice making. At this initial temperature, the water will not freeze, and the specific setting of the initial temperature does not affect the beneficial effects of this invention. For example, the initial temperature is within the range of (0, 5) (°C).

[0067] In the above scheme, during the heating stage of eliminating the initial cold energy in the evaporator, there is no need to introduce other complex control systems or components. Existing components can be used to achieve efficient heating, and the heating channel is shared with the heating stage after ice making is completed, thus better achieving the coupling of the two heating stages.

[0068] In some preferred embodiments, the pump includes a first pump and a second pump. The first pump is connected to a water tank and an ice water container, and the second pump is connected to the ice water container. Then, step S2, pumping water from the water tank to the ice water container and circulating the water, includes:

[0069] The first pump draws water from the water tank into the ice water container.

[0070] The second pump controls the circulation of the water inside the ice water tank.

[0071] In this embodiment of the invention, by setting up a dual-pump system, the pumping and water circulation control are separated, the water delivery process and the circulation process do not interfere with each other, and the speed of the second pump can be adjusted independently to precisely control the water flow speed and direction of the ice water bucket, so that dissolved gases and impurities in the water are efficiently discharged with the water flow, which is convenient for individual inspection or replacement.

[0072] In some other preferred embodiments, the pump includes a third pump connected to the water tank and the ice water container. Then step S2, pumping water from the water tank to the ice water container and circulating the water, includes:

[0073] The third pump draws water from the water tank into the ice water container.

[0074] When the water volume in the ice water bag reaches a preset water volume threshold, the third pump controls the water to circulate between the water tank and the ice water bag.

[0075] In this embodiment of the invention, the dual functions of water supply and circulation can be achieved solely through the installation of a third pump. Compared to the previous embodiment, this reduces the number of pumps, and consequently reduces the number of pipes, control modules, and other components, thereby lowering hardware costs and compressing the size of the ice maker. Furthermore, there is no need to coordinate the operating sequence of the two pumps, reducing the complexity of the control program, and unfrozen water can be directly returned to the water tank for reuse.

[0076] The two embodiments described above provide two ice-making methods corresponding to different pump settings. Those skilled in the art can choose either solution based on specific ice-making scenario requirements and cost control requirements.

[0077] In a preferred embodiment, step S3, controlling the evaporator to perform refrigeration until ice making is complete, includes:

[0078] Acquire environmental data;

[0079] Historical data is obtained by acquiring historical ice-making signals, historical ice-making times, and user ice-taking behavior data.

[0080] Based on the historical and environmental data, the ice-making time for the current ice-making cycle is obtained;

[0081] The evaporator is cooled according to the ice-making time until ice making is complete.

[0082] In this embodiment of the invention, an adaptive algorithm learns user ice-taking habits and environmental data to automatically adjust the ice-making cycle and optimize the ice-making rhythm. Environmental data directly affects the ice-making speed; for example, when the room temperature is high in summer, the ice-making time is relatively long. Historical data reflects user habits and equipment operating patterns. For instance, when users take ice frequently during specific periods, the ice-making time can be optimized to complete the ice-making process earlier, ensuring sufficient ice in the storage area. Through a data-driven dynamic control strategy, multiple optimizations are achieved in ice-making efficiency, energy consumption control, and user experience while ensuring the quality of transparent ice. Furthermore, the accurate calculation of ice-making time through adaptive learning avoids ineffective refrigeration operation, which helps reduce energy consumption and extend the equipment's lifespan.

[0083] Further, preferably, obtaining the ice-making time for the current ice-making cycle based on the historical data and environmental data includes:

[0084] Based on the historical data, the longest ice-making time in history and the average ice-making time in the past n rounds were obtained;

[0085] The preset base ice-making time is updated based on the longest historical ice-making time and the average ice-making time.

[0086] Based on the historical data and the preset behavior coefficient mapping relationship, the user behavior correction coefficient is obtained;

[0087] Based on the environmental data and the preset environmental coefficient mapping relationship, the environmental compensation coefficient is obtained;

[0088] The updated base ice-making time is corrected using the user behavior correction coefficient and the environmental compensation coefficient to finally determine the ice-making time for the current ice-making cycle.

[0089] In some preferred embodiments, the basic ice-making time T is first set. base The longest ice-making time in history T max The ice-making time T for the current round now The number of data collection rounds n and the time boundary protection parameter limit_T max and limit_T min .

[0090] The basic ice-making time is specifically set according to the size of the ice blocks and the power of the transparent ice maker; during the first round of ice making, it is achieved through T... max =T now =T base Initialize the longest historical ice-making time and the ice-making time of the current cycle; the time boundary protection parameter is related to the cooling capacity of the transparent ice maker.

[0091] Starting from the second ice-making cycle, record the durations t1, t2, ..., t of the most recent n ice-making cycles. n If the current ice-making cycle n now When the value is less than n, then n is considered to be n. now ,Record If t n >T max Then for T max Update T max =t n .

[0092] Through T average = (t1+t2+…+t) n ) / n calculates the average ice-making time for the most recent n times, and uses T base =c1×T average +c2×T max Update the base ice-making time. Here, c1 and c2 are preset weighting coefficients.

[0093] A preset behavior coefficient mapping relationship is used to correct for differences in ice-making time caused by variations in user ice-retrieving behavior. For example, user ice-retrieving behavior can be categorized into frequent ice-retrieving behavior, long-term ice-storage behavior, and other behaviors, with a different user behavior correction coefficient β assigned to each behavior. It should be noted that the above-described user ice-retrieving behavior is merely an example; in practical applications, user ice-retrieving behavior can be further subdivided based on factors such as ice-retrieving frequency and ice storage volume. The categorization of user ice-retrieving behavior and the selection of user behavior correction coefficients do not affect the beneficial effects of this invention.

[0094] The preset environmental coefficient mapping relationship is used to correct for differences in ice-making time caused by variations in ambient temperature. In some preferred embodiments, different environmental compensation coefficients α are set for different ambient temperature ranges. It should be noted that the selection of the environmental range and the setting of the environmental compensation coefficient value are related to the power and performance of the ice maker, and the specific mapping relationship does not affect the beneficial effects produced by the present invention.

[0095] Finally, through T now =T base ×α×β ultimately determines the ice-making time T for the current ice-making cycle. now And, when T now limit_T max At that time, T now =limit_T max When T now <limit_T min At that time, T now =limit_T min .

[0096] Transparent ice makers can adjust the ice-making time T based on the current ice-making cycle.now Its cooling power is controlled to precisely control the ice-making time.

[0097] In a preferred embodiment, step S4, after ice making is completed, involves controlling the evaporator to heat up, thereby detaching the ice blocks from the ice water container from the evaporator and storing them in the ice storage area, including:

[0098] After ice making is completed, the evaporator is heated to separate the ice from the evaporator in the ice water container;

[0099] Rotate the ice-water bag to pour the residual water in the ice-water bag into the water tank, and store the ice blocks that have separated from the evaporator in the ice storage area to achieve ice-water separation.

[0100] It should be noted that in traditional ice makers, the process of controlling the ice cubes to detach from the evaporator and be stored involves first rotating the ice-water basket to pour out any remaining unfrozen water, and then introducing refrigerant to switch to hot refrigerant for ice detachment. In this embodiment of the invention, the evaporator is first heated to detach the ice cubes, and then the ice-water basket is rotated to pour out any remaining water. This effectively solves the problems of continuous and rapid cooling of the ice cubes after pouring out water, and the two thermal shocks caused by the subsequent switching of refrigerant to hot refrigerant in the traditional solution. This prevents the ice cubes from cracking and further improves the quality of the ice.

[0101] Further, preferably, after the ice-making process is completed, the evaporator is heated to separate the ice from the evaporator in the ice water container, including:

[0102] After ice making is completed, the time for the refrigerant to flow through the evaporator is controlled so that the evaporator meets the preset temperature stage, thereby separating the ice block in the ice water bag from the evaporator.

[0103] Traditional ice makers typically heat the ice during the ice detachment process continuously. In this invention, staged heating is employed to address the problem of excessively high refrigerant temperature or prolonged heating time during ice detachment, which leads to a large temperature difference and causes the ice surface to expand rapidly while the interior remains cold and contracts, resulting in cracks.

[0104] Gradient heating allows for phased temperature control, avoiding instantaneous thermal shock and resulting in higher transparency of the detached ice.

[0105] In some preferred embodiments, during the process of controlling the ice block to detach from the evaporator, the evaporator is first heated to 5°C and maintained for 2 seconds, and then heated to 8°C and maintained for 1 second.

[0106] In a preferred embodiment, the method for producing the transparent ice further includes:

[0107] The ambient temperature of the ice storage area is controlled within a preset temperature range threshold.

[0108] By controlling the ambient temperature of the ice storage area within a preset temperature range threshold, cracks caused by repeated freezing and thawing of the ice can be prevented. For example, the preset temperature range threshold is [-5, -2]℃.

[0109] The method for making transparent ice provided in this embodiment of the invention circulates water in an ice-water pouch using a pump, and uses an evaporator to eliminate initial coldness before ice making, refrigerate during ice making, and heat after ice making to separate the ice blocks. This method can significantly improve the transparency of ice blocks while ensuring ice-making efficiency, and is both economical and practical.

[0110] This invention provides a system for making transparent ice in a transparent ice maker. The transparent ice maker includes a water tank, a pump, an ice-making zone, and an ice storage zone. The ice-making zone is equipped with an evaporator and an ice-water hopper. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 2 The transparent ice production system includes a preheating control module 11, a water circulation control module 12, a cooling control module 13, and an ice block detachment module 14, wherein:

[0111] The preheating control module 11 is used to control the evaporator to heat to a preset initial temperature in response to the ice-making signal;

[0112] The water circulation control module 12 is used to pump water from the water tank to the ice water bag through the pump and realize the circulation of the water.

[0113] Refrigeration control module 13 is used to control the evaporator to refrigerate until ice making is complete;

[0114] The ice block detachment module 14 is used to control the heating of the evaporator after ice making is completed, so as to detach the ice blocks in the ice water bag from the evaporator and store them in the ice storage area.

[0115] In a preferred embodiment, the preheating control module 11 is specifically used for:

[0116] In response to an ice-making signal, the refrigerant is controlled to flow through the evaporator to heat the evaporator, so that the evaporator reaches a preset initial temperature.

[0117] In a preferred embodiment, the pump includes a first pump and a second pump, the first pump being connected to a water tank and an ice water hopper, and the second pump being connected to the ice water hopper. The water circulation control module 12 is then used for:

[0118] The first pump draws water from the water tank into the ice water container.

[0119] The second pump controls the circulation of the water inside the ice water tank.

[0120] In another preferred embodiment, the pump includes a third pump connected to the water tank and the ice water hopper. The water circulation control module 12 is then used for:

[0121] The third pump draws water from the water tank into the ice water container.

[0122] When the water volume in the ice water bag reaches a preset water volume threshold, the third pump controls the water to circulate between the water tank and the ice water bag.

[0123] In a preferred embodiment, the refrigeration control module 13 includes:

[0124] Environmental data acquisition unit, used to acquire environmental data;

[0125] The historical data acquisition unit is used to acquire historical ice-making signals, historical ice-making times, and user ice-taking behavior data to obtain historical data.

[0126] An ice-making time calculation unit is used to obtain the ice-making time of the current ice-making cycle based on the historical data and environmental data.

[0127] A refrigeration control unit is used to refrigerate the evaporator according to the ice-making time until ice making is complete.

[0128] Further, preferably, the ice-making time calculation unit is specifically used for:

[0129] Based on the historical data, the longest ice-making time in history and the average ice-making time in the past n rounds were obtained;

[0130] The preset base ice-making time is updated based on the longest historical ice-making time and the average ice-making time.

[0131] Based on the historical data and the preset behavior coefficient mapping relationship, the user behavior correction coefficient is obtained;

[0132] Based on the environmental data and the preset environmental coefficient mapping relationship, the environmental compensation coefficient is obtained;

[0133] The updated base ice-making time is corrected using the user behavior correction coefficient and the environmental compensation coefficient to finally determine the ice-making time for the current ice-making cycle.

[0134] In a preferred embodiment, the ice removal module 14 includes:

[0135] The heating control unit is used to control the heating of the evaporator after ice making is completed, so that the ice blocks in the ice water bag are separated from the evaporator;

[0136] The ice-water hopper control unit is used to rotate the ice-water hopper, pour the residual water in the ice-water hopper into the water tank, and store the ice blocks that have separated from the evaporator in the ice storage area, thereby achieving ice-water separation.

[0137] Further, preferably, the heating control unit is specifically used for:

[0138] After ice making is completed, the time for the refrigerant to flow through the evaporator is controlled so that the evaporator meets the preset temperature stage, thereby separating the ice block in the ice water bag from the evaporator.

[0139] In a preferred embodiment, the transparent ice production system further includes an ice storage temperature control module for controlling the ambient temperature of the ice storage area within a preset temperature range threshold.

[0140] The transparent ice-making system provided in this embodiment of the invention circulates water in an ice-water pouch using a pump, and uses an evaporator to eliminate initial coldness before ice making, cool during ice making, and heat after ice making to achieve ice block separation. This system can significantly improve the transparency of ice blocks while ensuring ice-making efficiency, and is both economical and practical.

[0141] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above methods. The storage medium can be a magnetic disk, optical disk, read-only memory (ROM), or random access memory (RAM), etc.

[0142] The above description represents the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for making transparent ice, characterized in that, This invention relates to a transparent ice maker, which includes a water tank, a pump, an ice-making zone, and an ice storage zone. The ice-making zone is equipped with an evaporator and an ice-water hopper. The method for making the transparent ice includes: In response to an ice-making signal, the evaporator is controlled to heat to a preset initial temperature; The pump draws water from the water tank into the ice water container, thus circulating the water. Control the evaporator to perform refrigeration until ice making is complete; After ice making is completed, the evaporator is heated to separate the ice blocks in the ice water bag from the evaporator and store them in the ice storage area.

2. The method for making transparent ice as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The step of controlling the evaporator to heat to a preset initial temperature in response to an ice-making signal includes: In response to an ice-making signal, the refrigerant is controlled to flow through the evaporator to heat the evaporator, so that the evaporator reaches a preset initial temperature.

3. The method for making transparent ice as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The pump includes a first pump and a second pump. The first pump is connected to a water tank and an ice water hopper, and the second pump is connected to the ice water hopper. The process of pumping water from the water tank to the ice water hopper and circulating the water includes: The first pump draws water from the water tank into the ice water container. The second pump controls the circulation of the water inside the ice water tank.

4. The method for making transparent ice as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The pump includes a third pump connected to a water tank and an ice water container. The process of pumping water from the water tank to the ice water container and circulating the water includes: The third pump draws water from the water tank into the ice water container. When the water volume in the ice water bag reaches a preset water volume threshold, the third pump controls the water to circulate between the water tank and the ice water bag.

5. The method for producing transparent ice as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The process of controlling the evaporator to perform refrigeration until ice making is complete includes: Acquire environmental data; Historical data is obtained by acquiring historical ice-making signals, historical ice-making times, and user ice-taking behavior data. Based on the historical and environmental data, the ice-making time for the current ice-making cycle is obtained; The evaporator is cooled according to the ice-making time until ice making is complete.

6. The method for producing transparent ice as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The step of obtaining the ice-making time for the current ice-making cycle based on the historical data and environmental data includes: Based on the historical data, the longest ice-making time in history and the average ice-making time in the past n rounds were obtained; The preset base ice-making time is updated based on the longest historical ice-making time and the average ice-making time. Based on the historical data and the preset behavior coefficient mapping relationship, the user behavior correction coefficient is obtained; Based on the environmental data and the preset environmental coefficient mapping relationship, the environmental compensation coefficient is obtained; The updated base ice-making time is corrected using the user behavior correction coefficient and the environmental compensation coefficient to finally determine the ice-making time for the current ice-making cycle.

7. The method for producing transparent ice as described in claim 1, characterized in that, After the ice-making process is completed, the evaporator is heated to detach the ice from the ice water container and store it in the ice storage area, including: After ice making is completed, the evaporator is heated to separate the ice blocks in the ice water bag from the evaporator; Rotate the ice-water bag to pour the residual water in the ice-water bag into the water tank, and store the ice blocks that have separated from the evaporator in the ice storage area to achieve ice-water separation.

8. The method for producing transparent ice as described in claim 7, characterized in that, After the ice-making process is completed, the evaporator is heated to detach the ice from the evaporator in the ice water container, including: After ice making is completed, the time for the refrigerant to flow through the evaporator is controlled so that the evaporator meets the preset temperature stage, thereby separating the ice block in the ice water bag from the evaporator.

9. The method for producing transparent ice as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The method for making the transparent ice also includes: The ambient temperature of the ice storage area is controlled within a preset temperature range threshold.

10. A system for making transparent ice, characterized in that, This is applied to a transparent ice maker, which includes a water tank, a pump, an ice-making zone, and an ice storage zone. The ice-making zone is equipped with an evaporator and an ice-water hopper. The transparent ice-making system includes: A preheating control module is used to control the evaporator to heat to a preset initial temperature in response to an ice-making signal; A water circulation control module is used to pump water from the water tank to the ice water bag via the pump, and to realize the circulation of the water. The refrigeration control module is used to control the evaporator to refrigerate until ice making is complete; The ice block detachment module is used to control the heating of the evaporator after ice making is completed, so as to detach the ice blocks in the ice water bag from the evaporator and store them in the ice storage area.

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