Ice water tank and ice making system

Abstract

This invention discloses an ice-making water box and an ice-making system. The ice-making water box includes a box body with a cavity. A flow channel is formed on the side wall or bottom wall of the cavity. The inlet of the flow channel is configured to communicate with a water source, and the outlet of the flow channel is communicated with the cavity. This invention's technical solution facilitates the removal of gas from the ice-making water, thereby improving the quality of the ice.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ice-making technology, and in particular to an ice-making water box and ice-making system. Background Technology

[0002] Existing ice makers do not remove gas from the water, resulting in a large amount of gas in the water used for ice making. This causes the ice formed on the ice evaporator to be opaque, making the ice blocks easily damaged or even broken during de-icing and transportation, which seriously affects the quality of the ice blocks. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main objective of this invention is to provide an ice-making water box that removes gas from the ice-making water, thereby improving the quality of the ice.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an ice-making water box comprising:

[0005] The box body has a cavity, and a flow channel is provided on the side wall or bottom wall of the cavity. The inlet of the flow channel is configured to be connected to a water source, and the outlet of the flow channel is connected to the cavity.

[0006] Optionally, the flow channel includes a transition section, the cross-sectional area of ​​which gradually decreases from one end near the inlet to the other end near the outlet.

[0007] Optionally, the flow channel further includes a water inlet section, one end of which is connected to a water inlet and the other end of which is connected to the end of the transition section with a larger cross-sectional area; the water inlet section and the transition section are respectively located on two adjacent side walls of the box.

[0008] Optionally, the length of the inlet section is less than the length of the transition section.

[0009] Optionally, a circulation inlet is also provided on the side wall of the cavity, the circulation inlet is connected to the flow channel, and the circulation inlet, flow channel, outlet and cavity form a circulation flow path.

[0010] Optionally, the circulation inlet is located close to the water inlet.

[0011] Optionally, the ice-making water box further includes a vibration generator, which is fixedly connected to the box body.

[0012] The present invention further proposes an ice-making water box, comprising:

[0013] The box body has a cavity, and the water inlet of the box body is configured to be connected to a water source;

[0014] The cavity has a flow channel on its side wall or bottom wall, the inlet of the flow channel is configured to communicate with the cavity, and the outlet of the flow channel is also configured to communicate with the cavity.

[0015] The present invention further proposes an ice-making system, comprising:

[0016] An ice-making evaporator, configured for ice making;

[0017] An ice-making water box, wherein the ice-making evaporator is provided corresponding to the ice-making water box;

[0018] The ice-making water box includes:

[0019] The box body has a cavity, and a flow channel is provided on the side wall or bottom wall of the cavity. The inlet of the flow channel is configured to be connected to a water source, and the outlet of the flow channel is connected to the cavity.

[0020] Optionally, the ice-making system further includes:

[0021] An ice-water separation device is configured to separate ice blocks that have fallen off the homemade ice evaporator from cold water in the ice-making water box;

[0022] A cold water tank, which is connected to the ice-making and separating device, is used to contain cold water;

[0023] The return line connects the cold water tank and the ice-making water box.

[0024] Optionally, the ice-making water box can be installed in a flip-top position;

[0025] The ice-water separation device includes a separation plate, which is inclinedly disposed directly below the ice-making water box. The lower end of the separation plate extends to the ice storage box of the ice-making system, and the separation plate is provided with several drainage holes.

[0026] The cold water tank is located directly below the drain hole;

[0027] The ice-making system also includes a water pump located on the return line and configured to power the delivery of water from the cold water tank to the ice-making water box.

[0028] Optionally, the ice-making system further includes a room-temperature water tank, which is connected to the cold water tank via a room-temperature water pipeline; and / or,

[0029] The return pipe is connected to the bottom of the cold water tank.

[0030] Optionally, the ambient temperature water tank is located above the cold water tank, and the ambient temperature water pipeline is connected to the upper part of the cold water tank.

[0031] In the technical solution of this invention, during the flow of ice-making water in the flow channel, gas molecules in the water are more likely to collide, thereby forming bubbles that overflow. The gas in the water is expelled, thus significantly reducing the amount of gas in the ice-making water. That is, the air in the ice-making water is removed before it enters the cavity, so that after the ice-making water is made into ice, the number of bubbles inside is greatly reduced, or even eliminated. While greatly improving the transparency of the ice, the absence of bubbles also greatly improves the strength of the ice, making it less prone to breakage. This helps the ice maintain its intact shape during de-icing and transportation, thus improving the quality of the ice. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the ice-making water box of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the ice-making evaporator of the ice-making system of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of the ice-making process in an ice-making evaporator;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the ice-making system of the present invention.

[0037] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0038] label name label name 100 Ice water box 110 Gradual transition 111 First end 112 Second end 120 Inlet section 130 cavity 200 Vibration generator 300 Ice evaporator 310 Ice making finger 320 ice cubes 400 Cold water tank 410 Return pipe 411 water pump 450 ambient temperature water pipes 500 Ice-water separation device 600 Ice storage box 700 ambient temperature water tank

[0039] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0040] 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 a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0042] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this invention is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the term "and / or" throughout the text includes three solutions; taking A and / or B as an example, it includes technical solution A, technical solution B, and a technical solution that simultaneously satisfies A and B. Furthermore, the technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of a person skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0043] This invention mainly proposes an ice-making water box 100, which is mainly used in ice-making systems to remove gas from the ice-making water, thereby improving the transparency and strength of the ice blocks 320 produced by the ice-making evaporator 300, and thus improving the quality of the ice blocks 320.

[0044] The following will mainly describe the specific structure of the ice-making water box 100.

[0045] Reference Figures 1 to 4 In this embodiment of the invention, the ice-making water box 100 is used in an ice-making system. An ice-making water box includes:

[0046] The box body has a cavity 130, and a flow channel is provided on the side wall or bottom wall of the cavity 130. The inlet of the flow channel is configured to be connected to a water source, and the outlet of the flow channel is connected to the cavity 130.

[0047] Specifically, in this embodiment, an external water source is connected to the inlet of the flow channel through a pipeline. The ice-making water enters the flow channel through the inlet and flows along the flow channel. After passing through the flow channel, it enters the cavity 130 from the outlet of the flow channel to make ice.

[0048] During the flow of the ice-making water in the channel, gas molecules in the water are more likely to collide, forming bubbles that escape. The gas in the water is expelled, thus significantly reducing the amount of gas in the ice-making water. In other words, the air removal process begins before the ice-making water enters the cavity 130, resulting in a significant reduction or even elimination of bubbles inside the ice after it is made. This greatly improves the transparency of the ice cube 320, and the absence of bubbles also significantly increases the strength of the ice cube 320, making it less prone to breakage. This helps the ice cube 320 maintain its intact shape during de-icing and transportation, thus improving the quality of the ice cube 320.

[0049] In some embodiments, to further improve the venting effect of the ice-making water in the flow channel, the flow channel includes a gradient section 110, the cross-sectional area of ​​which gradually decreases from one end near the inlet to the other end near the outlet. In this embodiment, the gradient section 110 includes a first end 111 with a larger cross-sectional area and a second end 112 with a smaller cross-sectional area. As the ice-making water flows from the position with a larger cross-sectional area to the position with a smaller cross-sectional area in the gradient section 110, the water pressure and the flow velocity gradually increase, giving the water a certain acceleration during the flow process. This is beneficial to further improve the collision and friction between gas molecules in the water, thereby facilitating the expulsion of gas from the water. This further reduces the gas concentration in the water, which is beneficial to further improving the quality of the ice cubes 320 made from the ice-making water.

[0050] In some embodiments, in order to further improve the venting effect of the ice-making water in the flow channel, the flow channel further includes a water inlet section 120, one end of which is connected to a water inlet and the other end of which is connected to the first end of the gradient section 110 with a larger cross-sectional area; the water inlet section 120 and the gradient section 110 are respectively located on two adjacent side walls of the box body.

[0051] Specifically, in this embodiment, the inlet section 120 and the transition section 110 are located on two different side walls of the housing, ensuring that there is at least one corner between them. This means the flow direction of the ice-making water in the channel needs to change at least once. This allows the ice-making water to experience more jumping or vibration during its flow, further increasing the collisions between gas molecules in the water and facilitating the expulsion of gas. The flow velocity of the ice-making water in the channel is initially low and then gradually increases, making the vibration and flow of the ice-making water more intense. This further promotes collisions between gas molecules in the ice-making water, facilitating the formation of bubbles and their escape, thus aiding in the expulsion of gas. The length of the inlet section 120 is shorter than the length of the transition section 110.

[0052] In some embodiments, to further improve the fluidity of the ice-making water and reduce the amount of dissolved gas in the water, a circulation inlet is provided on the side wall of the cavity 130. The circulation inlet communicates with the flow channel, and the circulation inlet, flow channel, outlet, and cavity 130 form a circulation path. When the ice-making water enters the cavity 130 through the flow channel, it can re-enter the flow channel from the circulation inlet, and then flow back into the cavity 130 after passing through the flow channel. In this way, a circulation path for the ice-making water is formed within the container, allowing the gas in the ice-making water to be discharged as much as possible. It is worth noting that in some embodiments, to improve the circulation efficiency of the ice-making water within the container, a water circulation drive, such as a water pump, can be provided.

[0053] The location of the circulation inlet can be varied; it can be located on the inlet section 120 or on the transition section 110. Taking the inlet section 120 as an example, the circulation inlet is positioned close to the inlet. By positioning the circulation inlet close to the inlet, the circulation path utilizes the entire flow channel as much as possible, ensuring the venting effect of the flow channel on the ice-making water.

[0054] In some embodiments, in order to further expel gas from the ice-making water, the ice-making water box 100 further includes a vibration generator 200, which is fixedly connected to the box body.

[0055] Specifically, in this embodiment, the vibration generator 200 can take many forms, such as directly outputting vibrations that vibrate the water flow, or outputting vibrations that vibrate the housing. The vibration generator 200 that directly drives the water flow can be a sound wave generator, a water pump, etc., while the vibration generator 200 that drives the housing can be a self-vibrating device. The vibration generator 200 can be located outside or inside the housing. Simultaneously, the placement of the vibration generator 200 causes the ice-making water in the housing to vibrate, making the movement of gas molecules in the water more intense, increasing the collision and fusion between gas molecules, and increasing the probability of gas molecules being expelled from the ice-making water. This helps to further reduce the solubility of gas in the water and improves the quality of the ice cubes 320.

[0056] It is worth noting that the present invention further proposes an ice-making water box 100, comprising:

[0057] The box body has a cavity 130, and the water inlet of the box body is configured to be connected to a water source;

[0058] The cavity 130 has a flow channel on its side wall or bottom wall. The inlet of the flow channel is configured to communicate with the cavity 130, and the outlet of the flow channel is also configured to communicate with the cavity 130.

[0059] Specifically, in this embodiment, an external water source is connected to the inlet of the housing via a pipe, meaning the water source first enters the housing directly. The inlet of the flow channel is connected to the cavity 130. The ice-making water enters the flow channel through the inlet and flows along the flow channel. After passing through the flow channel, it flows back into the cavity 130 from the outlet of the flow channel. In this way, the flow channel and the cavity 130 form a circulation loop for the ice-making water, allowing the ice-making water to circulate back within the housing.

[0060] During the flow of the ice-making water in the channel, the gas in the water is expelled, significantly reducing the gas content. This results in a substantial reduction, or even elimination, of air bubbles within the ice after it has been made. This significantly improves the transparency of the ice cubes 320. Furthermore, the absence of air bubbles also greatly enhances the strength of the ice cubes 320, making them less prone to breakage. This helps maintain the integrity of the ice cubes 320 during de-icing and transport, thus improving their quality. It should be noted that the ice-making water can circulate back within the container, further expelling gas and significantly improving the quality of the ice cubes 320.

[0061] This invention also proposes an ice-making system, which includes an ice-making evaporator 300 and an ice-making water tank 100. The specific structure of the ice-making water tank 100 is as described in the above embodiments. Since this ice-making system adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, and will not be described in detail here. The ice-making evaporator 300 is configured for ice making; the ice-making evaporator 300 is provided corresponding to the ice-making water tank 100.

[0062] In some embodiments, to further improve the quality of ice cube 320, the ice-making system further includes:

[0063] Ice-water separation device 500 is configured to separate ice blocks 320 that have fallen off from the homemade ice evaporator 300 from cold water in the ice-making water box 100.

[0064] A cold water tank 400 is connected to the ice-making and separating device to hold cold water;

[0065] Return pipe 410 connects the cold water tank 400 and the ice-making water box 100.

[0066] Specifically, in this embodiment, the ice-making evaporator 300 has ice-making fingers, on which ice blocks 320 condense. Once the ice blocks 320 are formed, they are detached from the ice-making fingers 310 and fall into the ice-making water tank 100. At this time, the ice-making water tank 100 contains both ice blocks 320 and low-temperature ice-making water. The ice-water mixture in the ice-making water tank 100 is fed into the ice-water separation device 500 to separate the ice blocks 320 and the ice-making water. The ice blocks 320 are transported to the ice storage tank 600, and the ice-making water is transported to the cold water tank 400. This completes one ice-making and ice-storage cycle. Before entering the next ice-making cycle, the low-temperature ice-making water in the cold water tank 400 is transported back to the ice-making water tank 100 through the return pipe 410 for another ice-making process.

[0067] Thus, through the arrangement of the ice-making water box 100, the ice-water separation device 500, the cold water tank 400, and the return pipe 410, ice-making water can flow from the cold water tank 400 to the ice-making water box 100 through the return pipe 410 to make ice. The portion that does not freeze into ice cubes 320 can then flow from the ice-making water box 100 back to the cold water tank 400 after passing through the ice-water separation device 500, forming a circulation loop for the ice-making water. During the circulation process of the ice-making water, the gas in the water constantly collides, and water molecules are constantly expelled, resulting in less and less gas in the ice-making water. At the same time, through the continuous circulation of water, impurities in the water are constantly precipitated in the cold water tank 400, reducing the amount of impurities in the ice-making water box 100. This helps to improve the transparency and strength of the ice cubes 320, and thus improves the quality of the ice cubes 320.

[0068] Of course, in some embodiments, in order to improve the return efficiency of the return pipe 410, a water flow drive device, such as a water pump, can be installed on the return pipe 410.

[0069] In some embodiments, to improve the compactness of the structure,

[0070] The ice-making water box 100 can be installed in a flip-top configuration;

[0071] The ice-water separation device 500 includes a separation plate, which is inclinedly disposed directly below the ice-making water box 100. The lower end of the separation plate extends to the ice storage box 600 of the ice-making system, and a plurality of water leakage holes are provided on the separation plate.

[0072] The cold water tank 400 is located directly below the drain hole;

[0073] The ice-making system also includes a water pump located on the return line 410 and configured to power the delivery of water from the cold water tank 400 to the ice-making water box 100.

[0074] Specifically, in this embodiment, the ice-making water box 100 is a long, narrow box with a rotating shaft on each end plate. The rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the chassis or support of the ice maker, allowing the ice-making water box 100 to rotate by using the rotating shaft as the pivot. During ice making, the ice-making evaporator 300 is at least partially immersed in the ice-making water box 100. Of course, in some embodiments, ice-making water can also be continuously sprayed onto the ice-making evaporator 300, causing the ice-making water to condense into ice cubes 320 on the ice-making evaporator 300.

[0075] There are many forms of ice-water separation devices 500, as long as they can separate ice cubes 320 and ice-making water. The following example illustrates this in detail. The separation plate is a flat or curved plate with several drainage holes in its center. When the ice-water mixture flows through the separation plate, the ice cubes 320 continue to slide along the plate, while the ice-making water leaks out through the drainage holes and flows into the cold water tank 400. One end of the separation plate is located directly below the ice-making water box 100, and the other end extends above the ice storage box 600, allowing the ice cubes 320 to fall directly into the ice storage box 600. This achieves the separation of ice cubes 320 and ice-making water, and also enables the storage of both ice cubes 320 and cold water. Furthermore, this arrangement of the ice-making water box 100, the ice-water separator, the cold water tank 400, and the ice storage box 600 improves structural compactness and space utilization.

[0076] In some embodiments, the ice-making system further includes a room temperature water tank 700, which is connected to a cold water tank 400 via a room temperature water pipe; and / or, the return pipe 410 is connected to the bottom of the cold water tank 400.

[0077] Specifically, as the ice-making process progresses, the amount of ice-making water in the cold water tank 400 decreases. At this point, it is necessary to replenish purified water into the cold water tank 400 or the ice-making water container 100. In this embodiment, the ice-making system also includes a room temperature water tank 700. By setting up the room temperature water tank 700 and connecting it to the cold water tank 400 via a room temperature water pipe, the cold water tank 400 can be replenished with purified water through the room temperature water tank 700. The room temperature water tank 700 can be positioned in various locations. Taking the room temperature water tank 700 located above the cold water tank 400 as an example, by placing the room temperature water tank 700 above the cold water tank 400, the water in the room temperature water tank 700 can flow into the cold water tank 400 under the influence of gravity.

[0078] It is worth noting that room temperature water first enters the cold water tank 400 to lower its temperature before entering the ice-making water box 100. This ensures that the water entering the ice-making water box 100 is at a relatively low temperature, allowing for efficient and rapid ice making. Furthermore, to further ensure ice-making efficiency and reduce the impact of room temperature water on ice making, the return pipe 410 is connected to the bottom of the cold water tank 400, and the room temperature water pipe is connected to the top of the cold water tank 400. That is, the higher-temperature room temperature water flows from the room temperature water tank 700 to the top of the cold water tank 400, while cold water is transported from the bottom of the cold water tank 400 to the ice-making water box 100. Thus, the lower-temperature water, with its higher density, is located at the bottom of the cold water tank 400 and is continuously transported to the ice-making water box for ice making, while the higher-temperature water stratifies at the top of the cold water tank 400 and is mixed with the lower-temperature ice-making water returning from the ice-making water box 100, thus lowering its temperature.

[0079] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ice-making water box, characterized in that, include: The box body has a cavity, and a flow channel is provided on the side wall or bottom wall of the cavity. The inlet of the flow channel is configured to be connected to a water source, and the outlet of the flow channel is connected to the cavity. The flow channel includes a transition section, the cross-sectional area of ​​which gradually decreases from the end near the inlet to the end near the outlet.

2. The ice-making water box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The flow channel also includes a water inlet section, one end of which is connected to the water inlet and the other end of which is connected to the end of the gradient section with a larger cross-sectional area; the water inlet section and the gradient section are located on two adjacent side walls of the box body respectively.

3. The ice-making water box as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The length of the inlet section is less than the length of the transition section.

4. The ice-making water box as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, A circulation inlet is also provided on the side wall of the cavity. The circulation inlet is connected to the flow channel, and the circulation inlet, flow channel, outlet and cavity form a circulation flow path.

5. The ice-making water box as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The circulation inlet is located near the water inlet.

6. The ice-making water box as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The ice-making water box also includes a vibration generator, which is fixedly connected to the box body.

7. An ice-making water box, characterized in that, include: The box body has a cavity, and the water inlet of the box body is configured to be connected to a water source; The cavity has a flow channel on its side wall or bottom wall, the inlet of the flow channel is configured to communicate with the cavity, and the outlet of the flow channel is also configured to communicate with the cavity. The flow channel includes a transition section, the cross-sectional area of ​​which gradually decreases from the end near the inlet to the end near the outlet.

8. An ice-making system, characterized in that, include: An ice-making evaporator, configured for ice making; The ice-making water box as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the ice-making evaporator is provided corresponding to the ice-making water box.

9. The ice-making system as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The ice-making system also includes: An ice-water separation device is configured to separate ice blocks that have fallen off the homemade ice evaporator from cold water in the ice-making water box; A cold water tank, which is connected to the ice-making and separating device, is used to contain cold water; The return line connects the cold water tank and the ice-making water box.

10. The ice-making system as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The ice-making water box can be installed in a flip-top position; The ice-water separation device includes a separation plate, which is inclinedly disposed directly below the ice-making water box. The lower end of the separation plate extends to the ice storage box of the ice-making system, and the separation plate is provided with several drainage holes. The cold water tank is located directly below the drain hole; The ice-making system also includes a water pump located on the return line and configured to power the delivery of water from the cold water tank to the ice-making water box.

11. The ice-making system as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The ice-making system further includes a room-temperature water tank, which is connected to a cold water tank via a room-temperature water pipeline; and / or, The return pipe is connected to the bottom of the cold water tank.

12. The ice-making system as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The ambient temperature water tank is located above the cold water tank, and the ambient temperature water pipeline is connected to the upper part of the cold water tank.

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