Efficient deicing structure for crescent ice

Abstract

The present application relates to crescent ice ice making device technical field, and disclose a kind of crescent ice high-efficiency ice shedding structure, including ice maker, ice grid, ice grid is equipped with water outlet, below is equipped with the box of ice block storage, the ice grid front is separated by longitudinal long groove, water flow of water outlet spray flows in long groove, longitudinal arrangement is separated in long groove The protrusions of ice block, the ice grid between the two protrusions of longitudinal up and down constitutes single ice making area, the back of the ice grid is arranged with the condensing pipe compatible with ice making area, the back of the ice grid is equipped with flowing air flow and the barrier of air flow is blocked, flowing air flow forms vortex through barrier, vortex rotates around the surface of condensing pipe and transfers heat to ice grid, the area of condensing pipe heat transfer is increased by the way of heat transfer through air flow, the speed of ice block icing and ice shedding on ice grid is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of crescent-shaped ice-making device technology, specifically to a high-efficiency de-icing structure for crescent-shaped ice. Background Technology

[0002] The crescent-shaped ice maker, with its unique ice cube shape and efficient ice-making capacity, occupies an important position in modern beverage preparation and catering services. The ice cubes produced by this machine are named "crescent ice" because they resemble a thin crescent moon in the night sky. Not only are they aesthetically pleasing, but their design also considers practicality and cost-effectiveness, making them a popular choice in both commercial and household applications. The core components of the crescent-shaped ice maker include a refrigeration system, a water supply system, an ice-dropping system, and a storage compartment. The refrigeration system is the heart of the machine, lowering the temperature through refrigerant circulation, causing the water source to freeze rapidly in the ice-making tray or mold to form ice cubes. The water supply system automatically controls the water flow, ensuring a sufficient supply of water for each ice-making cycle. After the ice cubes are formed, the ice-dropping system activates, causing the ice cubes to detach from the mold and fall into the storage compartment below, ready for use. The crescent-shaped ice cubes have smooth edges and a slightly concave center; this unique shape is not only aesthetically pleasing but also has practical application value. Its larger contact area allows drinks to cool faster, while the central groove prevents the ice cubes from tumbling in the drink, reducing the risk of clogging the straw. Furthermore, due to its shape, crescent-shaped ice melts more slowly than traditional cube ice, meaning it provides a longer-lasting cooling effect without over-diluting the drink. Crescent-shaped ice makers are widely used in the catering industry, especially in situations requiring large quantities of ice, such as bars, restaurants, cafes, and hotels. In home use, it is also popular with families due to its ease of operation and low maintenance costs. Besides meeting the basic need for cooling drinks, crescent-shaped ice is also used for decorative beverage preparation due to its unique and aesthetically pleasing shape, adding a special flavor and visual appeal to simple drinks. With technological advancements, modern crescent-shaped ice makers have made significant progress in design and functionality. Many models are not only more compact and efficient but also incorporate intelligent control technology. Users can remotely operate the ice maker via a smartphone app, monitor the ice-making status in real time, adjust the ice volume, and even receive fault diagnosis and warning notifications. This intelligence not only improves the user experience but also provides businesses and families with a more flexible and convenient ice-making solution. With its unique ice cube shape, efficient ice-making capacity, and wide applicability, the crescent-shaped ice maker has become an indispensable part of modern life. Whether in commercial restaurants or homes, it has won widespread recognition for its practicality and aesthetics. With continuous technological advancements and innovation, future crescent-shaped ice makers will bring even more convenience and novel user experiences, continuing to play an important role in people's cold beverage culture.

[0003] While the Crescent Ice Maker demonstrates superiority in many aspects, it has some potential drawbacks in ice removal (the process of releasing ice from the ice mold). Because the ice tray of the Crescent Ice Maker is a long, slotted plate, heat on the ice tray can only be transferred through the contact area between the ice tray and the condenser tubes during both ice making and removal. This contact area is relatively small. To achieve better cooling and heating efficiency, the size of the weld points needs to be increased, or the condenser tubes need to be bent and coiled multiple times to increase the contact area, significantly increasing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, due to the presence of weld points, the contact may not be completely solid, and there may be internal gaps, allowing water to escape. When vapor enters and condenses into ice, it expands in volume, causing damage to the welds and detachment of the condenser tubes, increasing maintenance costs. Furthermore, many parts of the condenser tube surface are in contact with the outside air, leading to heat loss. For ice makers, which require constant temperature changes during ice making and unfreezing, this results in significant resource waste and increased energy consumption. For example, when switching from ice making to unfreezing, the warmer refrigerant flowing inside the condenser tubes is in contact with the colder air that underwent heat transfer during refrigeration, causing substantial heat loss and reducing the condenser tube's heat transfer efficiency, thus slowing the demolding speed of the ice cubes from the ice tray. Summary of the Invention

[0004] (I) Technical problem to be solved: In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the present invention provides a crescent ice high-efficiency de-icing structure, which has the advantages of larger heat transfer area of ​​condenser tube and less influence of external environment, and solves the problem of small contact area between ice grid and condenser tube and low ice making and de-icing efficiency.

[0005] (II) Technical Solution: To achieve the goal of a larger heat transfer area for the condenser tube and less susceptibility to external environmental influences, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A crescent-shaped ice high-efficiency de-icing structure, comprising an ice maker and an ice tray. The ice tray is provided with a water outlet and a box for storing ice blocks is provided below. The front of the ice tray is separated by a longitudinal groove. The water sprayed from the water outlet flows in the groove. The groove is longitudinally arranged with protrusions that separate the ice blocks. The ice tray between two of the longitudinal protrusions forms a single ice-making area. The back of the ice tray is provided with a condenser tube adapted to the ice-making area. The back of the ice tray is provided with a flowing airflow and an obstacle that blocks the airflow. The flowing airflow is blocked by the obstacle and forms a vortex that rotates around the condenser tube. The airflow moving in the vortex rotates around the surface of the condenser tube to form a channel for heat transfer, thereby realizing heat exchange between the ice tray and the condenser tube.

[0006] Preferably, the airflow is the airflow flowing downwards on the back of the ice grid, and the obstacle is a cylinder that is not in contact with the ice grid, with the airflow forming a vortex street as it flows through the cylinder.

[0007] Preferably, the obstacle is an arched extension wall provided on the upper and lower sides of the back of the ice-making area of ​​the ice tray. One end of the extension wall is provided with a vortex inlet, and the condenser tube is not in contact with the back of the ice tray. The vortex inlet can spray out airflow that flows in a vortex shape along the inner wall of the extension wall, and the airflow surrounds the outer ring of the condenser tube.

[0008] Preferably, the extended wall is provided with a heat insulation layer on the non-contact surface with the airflow. The heat insulation layer can effectively reduce the contact surface with the outside air, reduce heat loss, and allow its own heat or cold energy to be more effectively retained and transferred to the ice tray.

[0009] Preferably, the extended wall has streamlined fins on the airflow contact surface. The streamlined fins match the airflow path, reducing interference and obstruction to the airflow, allowing the airflow to flow smoothly over the fin surface, reducing turbulence and vortex generation. At the same time, the fins can also prevent the airflow from flowing too fast, reducing the heat transfer time. The fin arrangement can increase the contact area between the airflow and the ice grid and the extended wall. Furthermore, these structures can break the boundary layer of the airflow, improve the heat transfer coefficient, and thus enhance the heat transfer effect.

[0010] Preferably, the protrusion is a rounded rectangle with a conical notch in the middle. The notch allows most of the water flowing from the outlet to converge at the middle notch, increasing the water flow and impact force, thus more effectively breaking the force between the ice block and the ice grid and accelerating the melting of the ice block in contact with it.

[0011] Preferably, the ice-making area on the front of the ice tray has a striped texture. The striped texture design makes the surface of the ice tray no longer smooth, thereby reducing the contact area between the ice and the ice tray. This design reduces the adhesion between the ice and the ice tray, making it easier for the ice to fall off the ice tray during the de-icing process and reducing the difficulty of de-icing.

[0012] (III) Beneficial Effects: Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a highly efficient de-icing structure for crescent-shaped ice, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0013] 1. This crescent-shaped ice-making high-efficiency de-icing structure utilizes vortex-shaped airflow as an intermediate medium to facilitate heat exchange between the condenser tube and the ice tray. Compared to ordinary ice makers where the condenser tube exchanges heat with the ice tray through the contact area, the heat transfer efficiency is limited by the size of the contact area. When the contact area is too small, the ice-making and de-icing efficiency of the ice tray will be very low. Although this direct contact can achieve some heat exchange, it may not be sufficient. When using vortex-shaped airflow as an intermediate medium, the airflow can cover the surface of the condenser tube and the ice tray more extensively, increasing the effective contact area. This large-area contact helps to transfer heat more quickly. The airflow forms a vortex street by flowing through the cylinders set on the back of the ice tray. These vortices are not only stable but also continuously generated and move along the back of the ice tray. Each vortex in the vortex street carries a certain amount of energy and momentum, and they interact with the surface of the ice tray, thereby achieving the effect of enhanced heat transfer and airflow disturbance, increasing the contact area and contact time between the air and the back of the ice tray. This enhanced convection effect helps to distribute the heat or cold transferred by the condenser tube more evenly inside the ice tray more quickly, improving the de-icing or ice formation of the crescent-shaped ice on the surface of the ice tray. The airflow disturbance in the vortex street also increases the flow speed and mixing degree of the air near the surface of the ice tray, further improving the efficiency of heat transfer. The airflow formed by the vortex street not only enhances heat transfer, but also removes water vapor. The rotation and movement of the vortex can blow away the water vapor near the solder joint, reducing the accumulation of water vapor at the solder joint, improving the dryness of the solder joint, and reducing the risk of water vapor condensation and corrosion. Furthermore, because the solder joint is not completely solid and may have pores, when water vapor enters the pores and condenses into ice, it will increase its own volume. Since the density of ice is less than that of water, the volume of water will expand when it condenses into ice, which will damage the solder joint and cause the condenser tube to fall off from the back of the ice tray, resulting in a significant slowdown in ice making and de-icing efficiency.

[0014] 2. This crescent-shaped ice-removing high-efficiency structure utilizes arched extension walls on the upper and lower sides of the ice-making area of ​​the ice tray. One end of each extension wall has a vortex inlet, and the condenser tube is not in contact with the back of the ice tray. The vortex inlet sprays an airflow that flows in a vortex pattern along the inner wall of the extension wall. Water from the storage tank is repeatedly sprayed onto the ice tray through the outlet. When a sufficiently large crescent-shaped ice crystal forms on the ice tray and needs to be removed, a reversing valve allows high-temperature refrigerant to flow through the condenser tube on the back of the ice tray, demolding the crescent-shaped ice crystal on the surface of the ice tray. A pipe is located at the center of the vortex inlet on one side of the condenser tube, and a vortex is formed around its outer ring. The vortex-shaped distribution of the pipes allows the airflow to be injected tangentially into the central pipe when it enters the vortex inlet. The airflow is blocked by the extended wall and surrounds the outer ring of the condenser tube, forming a vortex-like flow outside the condenser tube. The vortex-like airflow flows along the outer wall of the condenser tube and exchanges heat with the condenser tube. The vortex-like airflow forms a rotational motion in space. This rotational motion makes the airflow more active and faster in the local area, thereby enhancing heat transfer. Due to the strong instability and randomness of the vortex-like airflow, it can effectively break the limitations of heat transfer in static or laminar flow states and increase the heat diffusion rate.

[0015] 3. This crescent-shaped ice machine features a highly efficient de-icing structure. It utilizes a vortex-like airflow as an intermediate medium to facilitate heat exchange between the condenser tube and the ice tray. In direct heat conduction, heat transfer through solid materials is limited by the material's thermal resistance. Thermal resistance, the resistance encountered during heat transfer, depends on factors such as the material's thermal conductivity and thickness. The vortex-like airflow, however, transfers heat through the air, bypassing the thermal resistance of the solid material. While air's thermal conductivity is lower than that of solid materials, the active flow of the vortex-like airflow compensates for this deficiency, achieving more efficient heat transfer. Furthermore, compared to ordinary ice makers where the condenser tube can only transfer heat through the weld points between it and the ice tray, the vortex-like airflow increases the contact area between the air, the condenser tube, and the ice tray, creating a larger heat exchange surface. This increases the surface area for heat transfer, allowing for faster heat transfer. Simultaneously, the extended wall, acting as an extension of the back of the ice tray, not only guides the vortex-like airflow but also... The vortex-shaped airflow effectively maintains the flow path and shape, increasing the area for heat exchange between the airflow and the ice tray. Furthermore, the continuous disturbance and mixing of the airflow enhances the uniformity and efficiency of heat transfer. The vortex-shaped airflow creates convection in space; convection heat transfer is a crucial mode of heat transfer, allowing heat to flow from high-temperature to low-temperature regions. The vortex-shaped airflow strengthens this convection process, enabling faster heat transfer. Throughout the process, the vortex-shaped airflow acts as a bridge, connecting the heat transfer path between the condenser tube and the ice tray. It allows heat to be transferred directly through airflow, rather than solely relying on the heat conduction of the solid material. Although the ice tray does not directly contact the condenser tube, the presence of the vortex-shaped airflow effectively reduces the thermal resistance between them. The airflow forms an effective thermal bridge between the condenser tube and the ice tray. This "thermal bridge" effect significantly improves heat transfer efficiency, accelerating the transfer of heat from the condenser tube to the ice tray. Simultaneously, compared to traditional crescent-shaped ice makers, there is no need to weld the condenser tube to the ice tray, simplifying processing and maintenance and reducing maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a front view of the structure of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the ice grid structure and surface details of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the vortex airflow on the back of the ice grid in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall airflow on the back of the ice tray in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the ice tray in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 7 This is a side view of the airflow in the ice grid condenser tube in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 8 This is a front view schematic diagram of the airflow in the ice grid condenser tube in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the details of the ice tray in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0025] In the diagram: 1. Ice maker; 2. Ice tray; 21. Condenser; 22. Extension wall; 23. Vortex inlet; 201. Striped texture; 202. Protrusion; 221. Insulation layer; 222. Fin. Detailed Implementation

[0026] 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.

[0027] Example 1: Please refer to Figures 1-2 and Figures 4-5 The crescent-shaped ice high-efficiency de-icing structure includes an ice maker 1 and an ice tray 2. The ice tray 2 has a water outlet and a box for storing ice blocks below. The front of the ice tray 2 is divided by a longitudinal groove. The water sprayed from the water outlet flows in the groove. The groove has longitudinally arranged protrusions 202 to separate the ice blocks. The ice tray 2 between two vertically arranged protrusions 202 forms a single ice-making area. Water from the storage tank is continuously sprayed onto the ice tray through the water outlet. When a crescent-shaped ice block of sufficient size condenses on the ice tray, a reversing valve allows high-temperature refrigerant to flow through the condenser pipe on the back of the ice tray to demold the crescent-shaped ice block on the surface of the ice tray. The back of the ice tray 2 is equipped with a condenser pipe 21 adapted to the ice-making area. The back of the ice tray 2 is equipped with a flowing airflow and obstacles that block the airflow. The flowing airflow forms a vortex through the obstacles. The vortex rotates around the surface of the condenser pipe 21 and transfers heat to the ice tray 2.

[0028] The airflow is the downward flow of air on the back of the ice grid 2. The obstacle is a cylinder that is not in contact with the ice grid 2. The airflow forms a vortex street as it flows through the cylinder. These vortices are not only stable, but can also be continuously generated and move along the back of the ice grid. Each vortex in the vortex street carries a certain amount of energy and momentum. They interact with the surface of the ice grid, thereby achieving the effect of enhanced heat transfer and airflow disturbance, increasing the contact area and contact time between the air and the back of the ice grid. This enhanced convection effect helps to distribute the heat or cold transferred by the condenser tube 21 more evenly inside the ice tray more quickly, improving the de-icing or ice formation of the crescent ice on the surface of the ice tray 2. The airflow disturbance in the vortex street also increases the flow speed and mixing degree of the air near the surface of the ice tray, further improving the efficiency of heat transfer. The airflow formed by the vortex street not only enhances heat transfer, but also has the function of removing water vapor. The rotation and movement of the vortex can blow away the water vapor near the solder joint, reduce the accumulation of water vapor at the solder joint, improve the dryness of the solder joint, and reduce the risk of water vapor condensation and corrosion. Furthermore, because the solder joint is not completely solid and may have pores, when water vapor enters the pores and condenses into ice, it will increase its own volume. Since the density of ice is less than that of water, the volume will expand when water condenses into ice, which will damage the solder joint and cause the condenser tube 21 to fall off from the back of the ice tray 2, resulting in a significant slowdown in ice making and de-icing efficiency.

[0029] See Figure 3 The protrusion 202 is generally rounded rectangular in shape, with a conical notch in the middle. Through the notch, most of the water flowing out of the outlet can be gathered at the middle notch, increasing the water flow in the middle, increasing the impact force, more effectively breaking the force between the ice block and the ice grid 2, and accelerating the melting of the ice block in contact. At the same time, the notch should not be too small to avoid the water flow being too fast when the ice blocks freeze, which would reduce the freezing efficiency of the ice blocks.

[0030] See Figure 3The ice tray 2 has striped texture 201 on the ice-making area on the front. The design of the striped texture 201 makes the surface of the ice tray no longer smooth, thereby reducing the contact area between the ice and the ice tray. This design reduces the adhesion between the ice and the ice tray, making it easier for the ice to fall off the ice tray during the de-icing process, reducing the difficulty of de-icing. The striped texture 201 can be regarded as a series of small lever points. During de-icing, these textures help the ice block move along the direction of the texture when subjected to external force or temperature changes, making it easier to detach from the ice tray. The striped texture 201 can increase the roughness of the ice tray surface, thereby enhancing the contact area with the cooling medium, improving heat transfer efficiency, and making the ice-making process faster and more efficient. At the same time, there is a layer of water molecules on the surface of the ice block that is more active than the water molecules inside the ice block, namely a quasi-liquid. This layer of water molecules also exerts an interaction force with the surface of the ice tray 2, causing it to adhere to the surface. By utilizing this striped texture 201, during the de-icing process, the interaction force between the quasi-liquid layer and the surface of the ice tray 2 is reduced, and the space for water molecules to move is increased, improving the fluidity of the quasi-liquid layer and accelerating the de-icing speed.

[0031] Example 2: Please refer to Figures 1-2 and Figures 6-8 The crescent-shaped ice high-efficiency de-icing structure includes an ice maker 1 and an ice tray 2. The ice tray 2 has a water outlet and a box for storing ice blocks below. The front of the ice tray 2 is divided by a longitudinal groove. The water sprayed from the water outlet flows in the groove. The groove has longitudinally arranged protrusions 202 to separate the ice blocks. The ice tray 2 between two vertically arranged protrusions 202 forms a single ice-making area. Water from the storage tank is continuously sprayed onto the ice tray through the water outlet. When a crescent-shaped ice block of sufficient size condenses on the ice tray, a reversing valve allows high-temperature refrigerant to flow through the condenser pipe on the back of the ice tray to demold the crescent-shaped ice block on the surface of the ice tray. The back of the ice tray 2 is equipped with a condenser pipe 21 adapted to the ice-making area. The back of the ice tray 2 is equipped with a flowing airflow and obstacles that block the airflow. The flowing airflow forms a vortex through the obstacles. The vortex rotates around the surface of the condenser pipe 21 and transfers heat to the ice tray 2.

[0032] The obstacle is an arched extension wall 22 located on the upper and lower sides of the back of the ice-making area of ​​the ice tray 2. One end of the extension wall 22 has a vortex inlet 23, and the condenser tube 21 is not in contact with the back of the ice tray 2. The vortex inlet 23 can spray airflow in a vortex-like flow along the inner wall of the extension wall 22, continuously spraying water from the water tank onto the ice tray through the outlet. When a crescent-shaped ice of sufficient size condenses on the ice tray and needs to be removed, a reversing valve in the device allows high-temperature refrigerant to flow through the condenser tube on the back of the ice tray, demolding the crescent-shaped ice on the surface of the ice tray. A pipe is located at the center of the vortex inlet 23 on one side of the condenser tube 21, and vortex-like pipes are distributed around the outer ring. This allows the airflow, when blown into the vortex inlet 23, to be sprayed tangentially to the central pipe. The airflow, blocked by the extension wall 22, surrounds the outer ring of the condenser tube 21, forming a vortex-like flow outside the condenser tube 21. The vortex-like airflow flows along the outer wall of the condenser tube 21, interacting with the condenser tube. During the de-icing process, the condenser tube 21 carries heat exchange. High-temperature refrigerant flows within the condenser tube 21, and these vortices continuously form and dissipate around its outer edge, enhancing the contact between the air and the surface of the condenser tube 21. The vortex-like airflow rotates in space, making the airflow more active and faster in localized areas, thus enhancing heat transfer. This allows the heat on the condenser tube 21 to be transferred more efficiently to the rotating vortex-like airflow on the outside. Furthermore, due to the rapid flow characteristics of the airflow, the condenser tube 21 continuously contacts a large amount of gas, resulting in higher heat transfer efficiency. Simultaneously, the airflow is obstructed and guided by the extension wall 22, causing it to continuously contact and collide with the extension wall 22. This allows the heat transferred by the condenser tube 21 to be transferred to the extension wall 22 and the back of the ice tray 2, heating the ice tray 2. This allows the ice tray 2 to be heated over a large area, causing the ice that has solidified on its surface to melt rapidly and extensively, facilitating rapid demolding.

[0033] During the ice-making process, a low-temperature refrigerant flows in the condenser tube 21. This refrigerant absorbs heat from the outside and undergoes a phase change (such as evaporation), thus achieving a cooling effect. During this process, the temperature of the outer wall of the condenser tube 21 decreases, forming a low-temperature surface. The vortex-like airflow contacts the outer wall of the condenser tube 21 during its flow, carrying away the cold air from the condenser tube and transferring it to the ice tray 2 through contact with the extension wall 22. This causes the liquid on the surface of the ice tray 2 to condense. Regardless of whether ice is being drawn or removed, the vortex-like airflow has strong instability and randomness. It can effectively break the limitations of heat transfer in static or laminar flow states, increasing the speed of heat diffusion. The vortex-like airflow forms convection in space, and convective heat transfer is one of the important modes of heat transfer. Through convection, heat can be transferred from high-temperature areas to low-temperature areas, and the vortex-like airflow enhances this convection process, allowing heat to be transferred more quickly. Throughout the process, the vortex-like airflow acts as a bridge, connecting the heat transfer path between the condenser tube 21 and the ice tray 2, allowing heat to be transferred directly through airflow, rather than solely relying on the thermal conduction of solid materials. The "thermal bridge" effect formed by this airflow can significantly improve heat transfer efficiency and accelerate the transfer of heat from the condenser tube 21 to the ice tray 2.

[0034] See Figure 9 The extension wall 22 is provided with a heat insulation layer 221 on the non-contact surface with the airflow. The heat insulation layer 221 can effectively reduce the contact surface with the outside air, reduce heat loss, and make its own heat or cold energy more effectively retained and transferred to the ice grid 2. At the same time, it reduces the heat exchange between other air and the extension wall 22, which affects its heat transfer efficiency.

[0035] See Figure 9 The extended wall 22 has streamlined fins 222 on the surface in contact with the airflow. The streamlined fins 222 are matched with the airflow path to reduce interference and obstruction to the airflow, allowing the airflow to flow smoothly over the fin surface and reducing the generation of turbulence and vortices. At the same time, the fins 222 can also prevent the airflow from flowing too fast, reducing the heat transfer time. The arrangement of the fins 222 can increase the contact area between the airflow and the ice grid 2 and the extended wall. Furthermore, these structures can break the boundary layer of the airflow, improve the heat transfer coefficient, and thus enhance the heat transfer effect.

[0036] See Figure 3 The protrusion 202 is generally rounded rectangular in shape, with a conical notch in the middle. Through the notch, most of the water flowing out of the outlet can be gathered at the middle notch, increasing the water flow in the middle, increasing the impact force, more effectively breaking the force between the ice block and the ice grid 2, and accelerating the melting of the ice block in contact. At the same time, the notch should not be too small to avoid the water flow being too fast when the ice blocks freeze, which would reduce the freezing efficiency of the ice blocks.

[0037] See Figure 3 The ice tray 2 has striped texture 201 on the ice-making area on the front. The design of the striped texture 201 makes the surface of the ice tray no longer smooth, thereby reducing the contact area between the ice and the ice tray. This design reduces the adhesion between the ice and the ice tray, making it easier for the ice to fall off the ice tray during the de-icing process, reducing the difficulty of de-icing. The striped texture 201 can be regarded as a series of small lever points. During de-icing, these textures help the ice block move along the direction of the texture when subjected to external force or temperature changes, making it easier to detach from the ice tray. The striped texture 201 can increase the roughness of the ice tray surface, thereby enhancing the contact area with the cooling medium, improving heat transfer efficiency, and making the ice-making process faster and more efficient. At the same time, there is a layer of water molecules on the surface of the ice block that is more active than the water molecules inside the ice block, namely a quasi-liquid. This layer of water molecules also exerts an interaction force with the surface of the ice tray 2, causing it to adhere to the surface. By utilizing this striped texture 201, during the de-icing process, the interaction force between the quasi-liquid layer and the surface of the ice tray 2 is reduced, and the space for water molecules to move is increased, improving the fluidity of the quasi-liquid layer and accelerating the de-icing speed.

[0038] Working principle: Water from the storage tank is repeatedly poured onto the ice tray through the outlet. When a crescent-shaped ice of sufficient size condenses on the ice tray, a reversing valve allows high-temperature refrigerant to flow through the condenser tube on the back of the ice tray, demolding the crescent-shaped ice on the surface of the ice tray. A pipe is located at the center of the vortex inlet 23 on one side of the condenser tube 21, and the outer ring has vortex-shaped distributed pipes. This allows the airflow blowing into the vortex inlet 23 to be sprayed tangentially to the central pipe, forming a vortex-shaped airflow outside the condenser tube 21. The vortex-like airflow flows along the outer wall of the condenser tube 21, exchanging heat with the condenser tube. These vortices continuously form and dissipate around the outer ring of the condenser tube, enhancing the contact between the air and the condenser tube surface. First, due to the presence of the vortices, the contact area between the airflow and the condenser tube surface is greatly increased, meaning that more heat can be transferred from the condenser tube to the air in the same amount of time. Second, the vortices also promote airflow between the condenser tube and the ice tray. This flow not only removes heat from the condenser tube, but also helps to remove heat during the demolding process of the ice tray 2. It also helps distribute the heat generated on the condenser tube 21 to all parts of the ice tray, thus achieving more uniform heat transfer and enabling a larger area of ​​the ice tray 2 to be heated. Compared with the traditional method of heat transfer through the contact point between the condenser tube 21 and the ice tray 2, the heat exchange area is larger, which allows a larger area of ​​crescent ice to melt quickly and fall off the ice tray 2 faster. At the same time, in the process of making and removing ice, in direct contact heat conduction, heat needs to be transferred from the condenser tube to the ice tray through the solid material. This process is limited by the thermal resistance of the material itself. However, the vortex airflow forms a "thermal bridge", which allows heat to be transferred directly through the air, bypassing the thermal resistance of the solid material. Therefore, even if the ice tray is not in direct contact with the condenser tube, it can effectively receive cold or hot air through the vortex airflow. The vortex airflow flowing on the outer ring of the condenser tube 21 of the ice maker effectively transfers cold or hot air to the ice tray by increasing the contact area, promoting air flow and reducing thermal resistance, and achieves a higher heat transfer efficiency than direct contact heat conduction.

[0039] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0040] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A crescent-shaped ice high-efficiency de-icing structure, comprising an ice maker (1) and an ice tray (2), wherein the ice tray (2) is provided with a water outlet and a box for storing ice blocks is provided below, the front of the ice tray (2) is separated by a longitudinal groove, the water sprayed from the water outlet flows in the groove, and the groove is longitudinally arranged with protrusions (202) for separating the ice blocks, the ice tray (2) between two longitudinally arranged protrusions (202) constitutes a single ice-making area, characterized in that: The back of the ice tray (2) is provided with a condenser tube (21) adapted to the ice-making area. The back of the ice tray (2) is provided with a flowing airflow and an obstacle that blocks the airflow. The flowing airflow is blocked by the obstacle and forms a vortex that rotates around the condenser tube (21). The airflow moving in the vortex forms a heat transfer channel by rotating around the surface of the condenser tube (21), realizing the heat exchange between the ice tray (2) and the condenser tube (21). The obstacle is an arched extension wall (22) set on the upper and lower sides of the back of the ice-making area of ​​the ice tray (2). One end of the extension wall (22) is provided with a vortex inlet (23), and the condenser tube (21) is not in contact with the back of the ice tray (2). The vortex inlet (23) can spray out the airflow that flows in a vortex shape along the inner wall of the extension wall (22). The airflow surrounds the outer ring of the condenser tube (21).

2. The crescent-shaped ice high-efficiency de-icing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The extension wall (22) is provided with a heat insulation layer (221) on the non-contact surface with the airflow.

3. The crescent-shaped ice high-efficiency de-icing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The extended wall (22) has streamlined fins (222) on the airflow contact surface.

4. The crescent-shaped ice high-efficiency de-icing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protrusion (202) is generally rounded rectangular and has a conical notch in the middle.

5. A high-efficiency de-icing structure for crescent-shaped ice according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: The ice tray (2) has striped textures (201) on the ice-making area on the front.

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