Spherical ice maker

Abstract

The invention discloses a spherical ice maker which comprises a spherical mold, refrigeration equipment and a water supply device, the water supply device supplies water to a spherical space in the middle of the spherical mold, and the refrigeration equipment freezes water in the spherical mold into ice; the spherical mold comprises a first mold and a second mold which are of hemispherical structures, and the first mold and the second mold are buckled to form a spherical space; the refrigeration equipment comprises a compressor, a condenser, a drying filter, a capillary tube and an evaporator which are circularly connected through pipelines; a heat exchange net of the evaporator is embedded into the spherical surface of the first mold, and the two ends of the heat exchange net extend out of the outer spherical surface on the first mold to form an evaporator inlet and an evaporator outlet which are connected with a capillary tube and a compressor air return pipe respectively. According to the invention, the evaporator of the refrigeration equipment is implanted into the spherical mold body, so that the equipment is more compact while the heat transmission link is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a spherical ice making machine. Background Art

[0002] The spherical ice machine is an ice-making equipment designed for the cold drink industry. It can make ice cubes into spheres to slow down the melting speed of ice cubes and avoid the rapid dilution of beverages and reduce the taste of food. Spherical ice machines usually have the characteristics of simple and compact structure, high refrigeration efficiency and fast refrigeration speed.

[0003] Patent publication number CN 117628766 A discloses a spherical ice making machine, including a refrigeration assembly and a spherical mold, wherein the spherical mold includes an upper mold, a lower mold arranged below the upper mold, and an opening and closing mold assembly for driving the lower mold to rotate; the refrigeration assembly includes a Stirling refrigerator, wherein an inclined hole gradually inclined from top to bottom is arranged in the upper mold, and the cold end output of the Stirling refrigerator is connected to the top of the inclined hole of the upper mold through a gravity heat pipe gradually inclined from top to bottom. This spherical ice making machine has a simple and compact structure, high refrigeration efficiency, and fast refrigeration speed.

[0004] In this ice making machine, the Stirling refrigerator is arranged outside the chassis, and the gravity heat pipe and the inclined hole are arranged to be gradually inclined from top to bottom, which can ensure the normal operation of the gravity heat pipe; one or more gravity heat pipes can be arranged, and the number of inclined holes is equal to the number of gravity heat pipes, and they are connected respectively. The bottom end of the inclined hole can be closed, or when multiple gravity heat pipes and inclined holes are arranged, the bottom ends of the corresponding two inclined holes can be connected through a U-shaped pipe. When multiple gravity heat pipes and inclined holes are applied, the bottom ends of the inclined holes can be flexibly set to be closed or connected by a U-shaped pipe according to needs. It is equivalent to setting a cylindrical hat on the upper mold of the spherical mold, using the gravity heat pipe to take away the heat outside the spherical mold, reducing the temperature inside the spherical mold, and the water in the spherical mold freezes into spherical ice. However, this spherical ice making machine is difficult to install because it needs to use multiple gravity heat pipes and multiple inclined holes to cooperate with each other, and cannot meet the needs of users. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention aims at the above-mentioned shortcomings of the existing spherical ice making machine and provides a spherical ice making machine. The evaporator of the refrigeration equipment is embedded in the spherical mold and connected to the circulation system of the ice making machine by only two interface pipes.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to achieve its technical purpose is: a spherical ice making machine, including a spherical mold, a refrigeration device, and a water supply device, wherein the water supply device supplies water to the spherical space in the middle of the spherical mold, and the refrigeration device freezes the water in the spherical mold into ice;

[0007] The spherical mold comprises a first mold and a second mold of a hemispherical structure, and the first mold and the second mold are buckled to form a spherical space;

[0008] The refrigeration equipment includes a compressor, a condenser, a drying filter, a capillary tube and an evaporator connected in a pipeline cycle;

[0009] The heat exchange network of the evaporator is implanted in the spherical surface of the first mold, and the two ends of the heat exchange network extend out of the outer spherical surface of the first mold to form an evaporator inlet and an evaporator outlet, which are respectively connected to the capillary tube and the compressor return pipe.

[0010] Furthermore, the heat exchange network of the evaporator is the hollow space within the spherical surface of the first mold (110).

[0011] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned spherical ice making machine: the first air channel and the second air channel are two spiral structure air channels arranged in opposite directions within the spherical surface of the first mold, and the two spiral air channels are connected at the center to form a complete evaporator.

[0012] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned spherical ice making machine: at least one nozzle connected to a water supply device is provided on the hemispherical inner wall of the second mold.

[0013] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned spherical ice making machine: at least one drainage groove is provided on the hemispherical inner wall of the second mold, with both ends reaching the edge of the hemispherical inner wall of the second mold.

[0014] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned spherical ice making machine: a cover plate is provided at the drainage groove, and a gap for water to flow in is provided between the cover plate and the drainage groove.

[0015] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned spherical ice making machine: the nozzle is arranged in the drainage groove, and a small hole for spraying water mist is arranged in front of the nozzle on the cover plate.

[0016] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned spherical ice making machine: a detachable and replaceable LOG0 module capable of making convex and concave LOG0 shapes is also provided on the hemispherical inner wall of the second mold away from the drainage groove.

[0017] Furthermore, the spherical ice making machine further comprises a heating mechanism disposed outside the first mold and the second mold for quickly separating the spherical ice.

[0018] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned spherical ice making machine: the water supply device includes a water storage tray and a water pump.

[0019] In the present invention, the evaporator of the refrigeration equipment is implanted into the spherical mold body, which reduces the heat transfer links and makes the equipment more compact.

[0020] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 This is the first mold cross-sectional view (I) in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is the first mold cross-sectional view (II) in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a distribution diagram of air channels in the first mold in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 It is a front view of the second mold in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of an ice-making machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention (the first and second molds are in a state of covering each other);

[0026] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the ice making machine in Example 1 of the present invention (the second mold is flipped open from the first mold). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Embodiment 1, as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the spherical ice making machine of this embodiment is composed of three main parts, namely, a spherical mold 100, a refrigeration device 200, and a water supply device 300, wherein the water supply device 300 supplies water to the spherical space in the middle of the spherical mold 100, and the refrigeration device 200 freezes the water in the spherical mold 100 into ice to form spherical ice.

[0028] Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the refrigeration equipment 200 includes a compressor 210, a condenser 220, a drying filter 230, a capillary tube 240 and an evaporator connected by a pipeline circulation. These compressor 210, condenser 220, drying filter 230, capillary tube 240 and evaporator are interconnected through a refrigeration system pipeline 250. The refrigerant medium flows in these pipelines and the compressor 210, condenser 220, drying filter 230, capillary tube 240 and evaporator. Through compression and expansion processes, the phase change material serving as the refrigerant medium releases a large amount of heat energy in the condenser and changes from a gas phase to a liquid phase, and enters the evaporator through the refrigeration system pipeline 250. In the evaporator, the phase change material absorbs a large amount of heat and changes from a liquid phase to a gas phase, so that the temperature around the evaporator is greatly reduced for refrigeration.

[0029] The water supply device 300 mainly includes a water storage container, a water receiving tray 310 and a water pump 320. The water pump 320 is installed in the water receiving tray 310 to pump the clean water (that is, the water used for ice making, often purified water or mineral water, etc.) stored in the water receiving tray 310 into the spherical mold 100 using a water pipe 350.

[0030] In this embodiment, the spherical mold 100 includes a first mold 110 and a second mold 120 of a hemispherical structure. The first mold 110 and the second mold 120 are buckled together to form a spherical space. When in use, pure water or mineral water will be frozen into an ice ball in this spherical space, and the first mold 110 and the second mold 120 can be separated to take out the ice ball.

[0031] In this embodiment, the heat exchange network of the evaporator in the refrigeration device 200 is implanted into the first mold 110, that is, into the spherical surface of the first mold 110, so as to directly cool the spherical space. Figure 1 , 2 As shown in FIG. 3 , the first air channel 111 and the second air channel 112 are interconnected in the spherical surface. The first air channel 111 extends out of the outer spherical surface to form an evaporator inlet 113 connected to the capillary 240, and the second air channel 112 extends out of the outer spherical surface to form an evaporator outlet 114 connected to the return air pipe of the compressor 210. In practice, the first air channel 111 and the second air channel 112 are two spiral structure air channels arranged in opposite directions in the spherical surface of the first mold 110. The two spiral air channels are connected at the center to form a complete evaporator.

[0032] When the water supply device 300 supplies water to the spherical space in the middle of the spherical mold 100, at least one nozzle 121 connected to the water supply device 300 is provided on the hemispherical inner wall of the second mold 120. Figure 4 As shown. In addition, at least one drainage groove 122 is provided on the hemispherical inner wall of the second mold 120, with both ends reaching the edge of the hemispherical inner wall of the second mold 120. In practice, a cover plate is provided at the mouth of the drainage groove 122, and a gap for water to flow in is provided between the cover plate and the drainage groove 122. In addition, a group of drainage holes can also be used, and these drainage holes can drain the excess water in the spherical space. In this way, no ribs will be formed on the ice ball when the ice ball is formed, and the remaining water can also flow away. The nozzle 121 is provided in the drainage groove 122, and a small hole for spraying water mist is provided in front of the nozzle 121 on the cover plate.

[0033] A detachable and replaceable LOGO module 123 for making convex and concave LOGO shapes is also provided on the hemispherical inner wall of the second mold 120 away from the drainage groove 122. A heating mechanism is also provided outside the first mold 110 and the second mold 120 to quickly separate the spherical ice.

[0034] The spherical ice making machine of this embodiment is as follows Figure 5and Figure 6 As shown, it is mainly composed of the following parts:

[0035] The first mold 110 is a hollow hemispherical structure. Two spiral air channels are arranged in the hollow sphere in opposite directions. The two spiral air channels are connected at the center to form an air channel. Gas (liquid) can enter the air channel from one end of the sphere and flow out from the other end. The inlet of the air channel is connected to the capillary of the refrigeration system, and the outlet is connected to the return air pipe of the compressor of the refrigeration system. Then the first mold becomes the evaporator of the refrigeration system. Figure 1 As shown, the heat exchange network of the evaporator can also be directly the hollow space within the spherical surface of the first mold (110).

[0036] The second mold 120 is a hemispherical structure. One or more nozzles are arranged on the spherical surface. A drainage groove is arranged from the top to the bottom on the inner surface of the spherical surface. A detachable and replaceable LOGO module is also arranged on the inner surface of the spherical surface, and a convex and concave LOGO shape can be made on the LOGO module. A heating device is also arranged on the outer surface of the spherical surface.

[0037] The first mold 110 and the second mold 120 can be opened and closed; when the first mold 110 and the second mold 120 are closed, they surround and form a spherical hollow structure.

[0038] Refrigeration equipment 200: Refrigeration equipment 200 is composed of a compressor 210, a condenser 220, a drying filter 230, a capillary tube 240, an evaporator, a solenoid valve 260, etc., and is connected by a refrigeration system pipeline 250. The evaporator is the first module 110 above. Here, the solenoid valve 260 is controlled by the ice maker control system to control the refrigeration process. In some embodiments, there may be no solenoid valve 260 set on the circulation pipeline.

[0039] The water supply system 300 is also called a water system: a water pump 320 , a nozzle 121 , a drain trough 122 , a water tray 310 , etc. are connected by a water pipe 350 .

[0040] In addition, there is a system for recovering the ice ball, such as a mechanical device (opening and closing mechanism) for opening and closing the spherical mold 100, and a device for taking out the ice ball in the first and second molds after opening. When the ice ball falls, it can slide down through a slide plate 410 into an ice ball basket 400, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown.

[0041] The refrigeration process of the spherical ice making machine of this embodiment includes two stages: ice ball making and ice ball removal:

[0042] When making ice balls, when the compressor of the refrigeration equipment is running, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant (phase change material medium) enters the condenser, dissipates heat outward, and then passes through the drying filter and the capillary tube. The refrigerant enters the airway of the first mold (evaporator) to reduce pressure and expand to absorb heat, and the first mold (evaporator) is cooled down. At the same time, when the first mold (evaporator) and the second mold are closed, the water pump runs, and the nozzle sprays water mist to splash onto the inner spherical surface of the first mold (evaporator) and the second mold. The water film on the inner spherical surface of the first mold (evaporator) freezes layer by layer because the temperature drops below 0°C. The unfrozen water flows to the water receiving tray through the drainage groove on the inner spherical surface of the second mold and circulates through the water pump. After a period of time, a complete ice ball is formed in the spherical space.

[0043] When removing the ice ball: After the ice ball is made, the heating device is powered on, the temperature of the second mold rises, and it is separated from the ice ball. Then the opening and closing mechanism is powered on, driving the second mold to separate from the first mold (evaporator). Then the solenoid valve is opened, and the high-temperature gas at the high-pressure end of the refrigeration system enters the airway of the first mold (evaporator). The temperature of the first mold (evaporator) rises and separates from the ice ball. The ice ball can roll into the ice ball basket, and the opening and closing mechanism drives the second mold to close the first mold (evaporator) again. At this point, a batch of ice balls is made.

Claims

1. A spherical ice making machine, comprising a spherical mold (100), a refrigeration device (200), and a water supply device (300), wherein the water supply device (300) supplies water to a spherical space in the middle of the spherical mold (100), and the refrigeration device (200) freezes the water in the spherical mold (100) into ice; The spherical mold (100) comprises a first mold (110) and a second mold (120) of a hemispherical structure, wherein the first mold (110) and the second mold (120) are buckled together to form a spherical space; The refrigeration equipment (200) comprises a compressor (210), a condenser (220), a drying filter (230), a capillary tube (240) and an evaporator connected in a pipeline cycle; and is characterized in that: The heat exchange network of the evaporator is implanted in the spherical surface of the first mold (110), and two ends of the heat exchange network extend out of the outer spherical surface of the first mold (110) to form an evaporator inlet (113) and an evaporator outlet (114), which are respectively connected to the capillary tube (240) and the compressor (210) return pipe.

2. The spherical ice making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchange network of the evaporator is the hollow space within the spherical surface of the first mold (110).

3. The spherical ice making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchange network comprises a first air channel (111) and a second air channel (112); the first air channel (111) and the second air channel (112) are two spiral structure air channels arranged in opposite directions within the spherical surface of the first mold (110), and the two spiral air channels are connected at the center to form a complete evaporator.

4. The spherical ice making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one nozzle (121) connected to the water supply device (300) is arranged on the hemispherical inner wall of the second mold (120).

5. The spherical ice making machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: At least one drainage groove (122) is also provided on the hemispherical inner wall of the second mold (120), with both ends reaching the edge of the hemispherical inner wall of the second mold (120).

6. The spherical ice making machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: Drain holes are also arranged on the hemispherical inner wall of the second mold (120).

7. The spherical ice making machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: A cover plate is arranged at the mouth of the drainage groove (122), a gap for water to flow in is arranged between the cover plate and the drainage groove (122), the nozzle (121) is arranged in the drainage groove (122), and a small hole for spraying water mist is arranged in front of the nozzle (121) on the cover plate.

8. The spherical ice making machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: A detachable and replaceable LOGO module (123) capable of making convex and concave LOGO shapes is also provided on the hemispherical inner wall of the second mold (120) away from the drainage groove (122).

9. The spherical ice making machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The invention also comprises a heating mechanism which is arranged outside the first mold (110) and the second mold (120) and enables the spherical ice to be quickly separated.

10. The spherical ice making machine according to claim 9, characterized in that: The water supply device (300) comprises a water storage tray (310) and a water pump (320).

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