Water storage assembly, ice making equipment, ice making system and ice making method

Abstract

The invention relates to a water storage assembly, ice making equipment, an ice making system and an ice making method.The water storage assembly comprises a water storage part and a partition part, and the water storage part is provided with an opening for water flow to enter; the partition part is arranged in the water storage part, the interior of the water storage part is divided into a first containing cavity and a second containing cavity which are independent from each other, the first containing cavity is used for collecting water flow flowing down from the first ice making surface, and the second containing cavity is used for collecting water flow flowing down from the second ice making surface. According to the water storage assembly provided by the invention, the water flows flowing down from the two ice making surfaces are respectively collected through the first accommodating cavity and the second accommodating cavity, so that the first icing amount on the first ice making surface can be judged and the water supply can be controlled according to the comparison result of the first water supply amount of the first ice making surface and the water flow collection amount of the first accommodating cavity; according to the comparison result of the second water supply amount of the second ice-making surface and the water flow collection amount of the second containing cavity, the second icing amount on the second ice-making surface can be judged, water supply control can be conducted, and preparation of two different kinds of ice can be achieved at the same time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ice making, and in particular to a water storage component, ice making equipment, ice making system and ice making method. Background Art

[0002] Various forms of ice have been widely used in food preservation, medical emergency or people's daily life. Taking people's daily life as an example, block ice such as cube ice, cylindrical ice and crescent ice are often added to drinks to increase the flavor of drinks, while crushed ice can be used to prepare desserts containing smoothies.

[0003] Since the ice machines currently on the market only have a single ice-making function, if you need to produce multiple types of ice, you need to purchase multiple types of ice machines, which increases the cost of the merchant. In addition, multiple ice machines occupy a larger space and cannot meet the market's demand for ice making and ice use.

[0004] Although there are a small number of double-sided ice makers on the market, the ice cubes generated on the two ice-making surfaces of the ice makers are all square ice cubes. This is because the existing double-sided ice makers cannot achieve separate control of the ice-making effects on the two ice-making surfaces. They can only make the two ice-making surfaces prepare the same type of ice in the same time to ensure the ice-making effects on the two ice-making surfaces. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a water storage component, an ice-making device, an ice-making system and an ice-making method to solve the technical problem that the ice-making device in the prior art can only prepare a single type of ice.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a water storage assembly, comprising:

[0007] a water storage member having an opening for water flow to enter;

[0008] The partition is arranged inside the water storage part, and separates the inside of the water storage part into a first accommodating chamber and a second accommodating chamber which are independent of each other. The first accommodating chamber is used to collect water flowing down from the first ice-making surface, and the second accommodating chamber is used to collect water flowing down from the second ice-making surface.

[0009] Optionally, the partition is extended along the length direction of the water storage member.

[0010] Optionally, a first drainage portion and a second drainage portion are provided at one end of the partition away from the water storage member, the first drainage portion is used to be connected to the first ice-making surface, and the second drainage portion is used to be connected to the second ice-making surface.

[0011] Optionally, a water level detection component is provided in the first accommodating chamber and / or the second accommodating chamber.

[0012] Optionally, both the first accommodating chamber and the second accommodating chamber are provided with an openable and closable drainage structure.

[0013] In a second aspect, the present application provides an ice-making device, comprising the water storage assembly provided in the first aspect of the present application; and also comprising a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having a first ice-making surface and a second ice-making surface, a heat exchange pipeline being arranged between the first ice-making surface and the second ice-making surface.

[0014] Optionally, an ice mold is provided on the first ice-making surface and / or the second ice-making surface, and the ice mold has a plurality of ice-making structures.

[0015] Optionally, the ice-making structure is provided with a circulation hole.

[0016] Optionally, the ice-making structure has a demoulding surface arranged obliquely downward.

[0017] Optionally, the heat exchanger is a cylindrical structure, the first ice-making surface is an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical structure, and the second ice-making surface is an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical structure;

[0018] The water storage member is a ring-shaped structure and is arranged below the heat exchanger.

[0019] Optionally, an ice mold is provided on the first ice-making surface for preparing block ice; an ice crushing mechanism is provided inside the cylindrical structure for cooperating with the second ice-making surface to prepare crushed ice.

[0020] Optionally, the ice crushing mechanism includes a spiral ice blade assembly, which is rotatably disposed inside the cylindrical structure, and there is a preset distance between the spiral ice blade assembly and the second ice-making surface.

[0021] Optionally, the ice-making device further comprises a water distribution mechanism, which is arranged above the heat exchanger so that water flows to the first ice-making surface and the second ice-making surface respectively.

[0022] Optionally, the water distribution mechanism is connected to the water storage component via a circulating water circuit, and a pump component is provided on the circulating water circuit.

[0023] Optionally, the ice-making device further comprises a first ice storage member and a second ice storage member, the first ice storage member is arranged corresponding to the first ice-making surface, and the second ice storage member is arranged corresponding to the second ice-making surface.

[0024] In a third aspect, the present application provides an ice-making system, comprising the ice-making device provided in the second aspect of the present application, and further comprising a compressor and a condenser, wherein the compressor, condenser and heat exchanger are connected to form a refrigerant circulation loop.

[0025] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides an ice-making method, which is applied to the ice-making device provided in the second aspect of the present application, and comprises the following steps:

[0026] Turning on the ice-making device to supply water to the first ice-making surface and the second ice-making surface respectively;

[0027] Detecting ice conditions on the first ice-making surface and the second ice-making surface;

[0028] Adjust water supply according to freezing conditions.

[0029] Optionally, the step of adjusting the water supply according to the freezing condition includes:

[0030] If the amount of water collected in the first accommodating chamber reaches a first preset threshold, stopping the water supply to the first ice-making surface;

[0031] And / or, if the amount of water collected in the second accommodating chamber reaches a second preset threshold, water supply to the second ice-making surface is stopped.

[0032] The above technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0033] The water storage assembly provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a water storage member and a partition, which is arranged inside the water storage member to separate a first accommodating chamber and a second accommodating chamber that are independent of each other inside the water storage member. The first accommodating chamber is used to collect water flowing down the first ice-making surface, and the second accommodating chamber is used to collect water flowing down the second ice-making surface. This can avoid the water flow collection amount of the first accommodating chamber and the water flow collection amount of the second accommodating chamber from being mixed up, so that the first ice amount on the first ice-making surface can be determined based on the comparison result of the first water supply amount of the first ice-making surface and the water flow collection amount of the first accommodating chamber, and the second ice amount on the second ice-making surface can be determined based on the comparison result of the second water supply amount of the second ice-making surface and the water flow collection amount of the second accommodating chamber. When the first ice-making surface and the second ice-making surface are used to prepare different types of ice, the amount of water required for the two ice-making surfaces during the freezing process is different due to the different shapes and specifications of the ice. The freezing conditions of the two types of ice can be judged separately by the water flow collection amount of the first accommodating chamber and the water flow collection amount of the second accommodating chamber which are independent of each other. When the freezing amount (the first freezing amount or the second freezing amount) reaches the freezing amount threshold of the preset freezing state of the type of ice, the water supply to the corresponding ice-making surface can be stopped, so that the water supply conditions and freezing times on the two ice-making surfaces can be different, thereby realizing the preparation of two different types of ice.

[0034] The ice-making equipment, ice-making system and ice-making method provided in the embodiments of the present application all include the above-mentioned water storage component, and the water storage component can be used to determine the freezing conditions of the first ice-making surface and the second ice-making surface respectively. Therefore, they naturally have the technical effects of the above-mentioned water storage component. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0036] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0037] One or more embodiments are exemplarily described by pictures in the corresponding drawings, and these exemplified descriptions do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings represent similar elements, and unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations.

[0038] Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view of an ice-making device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 2 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 1 A magnified view of the details of part A;

[0040] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of an ice-making device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 4 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 3 A magnified view of the details of part B;

[0042] Figure 5 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 1 Zoom in on the local details Figure 1 ;

[0043] Figure 6 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 5 A detailed enlarged view of part C in the middle;

[0044] Figure 7 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 5 A detailed enlarged view of part D in the middle;

[0045] Figure 8 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 1 Zoom in on the local details Figure 2 ;

[0046] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of an ice-making system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Fig.10 The process of the ice making method provided in the embodiment of the present application Figure 1 ;

[0048] Fig.11 The process of the ice making method provided in the embodiment of the present application Figure 2 .

[0049] Description of reference numerals:

[0050] 1. water storage assembly; 11. water storage member; 111. first accommodating chamber; 112. second accommodating chamber; 113. water storage body; 12. separator; 121. first drainage part; 122. second drainage part; 123. separator;

[0051] 2. heat exchanger; 21. first ice-making surface; 22. second ice-making surface; 23. heat exchange pipeline; 24. ice mold; 241. flow hole; 242. demoulding surface; 243. transverse partition; 244. longitudinal partition; 25. first pipeline; 26. second pipeline;

[0052] 3. Ice crushing mechanism; 31. Spiral ice blade assembly; 32. Transmission assembly; 33. Drive assembly; 34. Bearing assembly;

[0053] 4. water diversion mechanism; 41. first diversion chamber; 42. second diversion chamber; 43. drainage part; 44. slow flow part;

[0054] 5. First ice storage member; 51. Ice storage body; 52. Flow guide;

[0055] 6. Second ice storage unit;

[0056] 7. Compressor;

[0057] 8. Condenser;

[0058] 9. Rotating seat. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0060] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples to realize the different structures of the present application. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present application, the parts and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are only examples, and the purpose is not to limit the present application. In addition, the present application can repeat reference numbers and / or letters in different examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity, and does not itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed.

[0061] For ease of description, spatial relative terms may be used herein to describe the relative positional relationship or movement of one element or feature relative to another element or feature as shown in the figure, such as "inside", "outside", "inner side", "outer side", "below", "below", "above", "above", "front", "back", etc. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figure. For example, if the device in the figure undergoes a position flip or a posture change or a motion state change, then these directional indications also change accordingly, for example: an element described as "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" will subsequently be oriented as "above other elements or features" or "above other elements or features". Therefore, the example term "below..." may include both upper and lower orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or in other directions) and the spatial relative descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0062] In order to solve the technical problem that the ice-making equipment in the prior art can only prepare a single type of ice, the present application provides a water storage component 1, an ice-making device, an ice-making system and an ice-making method. Since different types of ice require different amounts of water to complete the freezing process, the water storage component 1 can collect water flow on two ice-making surfaces (i.e., the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22) respectively. The amount of water collected in the first accommodating chamber 111 can be compared with the water supply of the first ice-making surface 21, and the amount of water collected in the second accommodating chamber 112 can be compared with the water supply of the second ice-making surface 22, so as to respectively obtain the freezing conditions on the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, so that the water supply conditions on the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 can be independently controlled when different, so that different types of ice can be prepared by the same ice-making device.

[0063] See also Figures 1 to 11 In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a water storage assembly 1, comprising a water storage member 11 and a partition 12, wherein the water storage member 11 has an opening for water flow to enter, so that uncondensed water on the ice-making surface can enter the water storage member 11, such as Figure 1 shown.

[0064] The partition 12 is arranged inside the water storage part 11, and separates the inside of the water storage part 11 into a first accommodating chamber 111 and a second accommodating chamber 112 which are independent of each other. The first accommodating chamber 111 is used to collect water flowing down from the first ice-making surface 21, and the second accommodating chamber 112 is used to collect water flowing down from the second ice-making surface 22. When the loss of water flow is not considered, the amount of ice formed = the amount of water used, and the amount of water used = the amount of water supplied - the amount of water collected. For the first ice-making surface 21, the first amount of ice formed = the first water supply - the amount of water collected in the first accommodating chamber 111; for the second ice-making surface 22, the second amount of ice formed = the second water supply - the amount of water collected in the second accommodating chamber 112. When a partition 12 is provided inside the water storage member 11, the amount of water collected in the first accommodating chamber 111 and the amount of water collected in the second accommodating chamber 112 can be avoided from being confused with each other, so that the first amount of ice formed on the first ice-making surface 21 can be determined based on the comparison result of the first water supply and the amount of water collected in the first accommodating chamber 111, and the second amount of ice formed on the second ice-making surface 22 can be determined based on the comparison result of the second water supply and the amount of water collected in the second accommodating chamber 112.

[0065] When the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 are used to prepare different types of ice, the amount of water required for the two ice-making surfaces during the freezing process is different due to the different shapes and specifications of the ice. The freezing conditions of the two types of ice can be judged separately by the water flow collection amount of the first accommodating chamber 111 and the water flow collection amount of the second accommodating chamber 112, which are independent of each other. When the freezing amount (the first freezing amount or the second freezing amount) reaches the freezing amount threshold of the preset freezing state of the type of ice, the water supply to the corresponding ice-making surface can be stopped, so that the water supply conditions and freezing times on the two ice-making surfaces can be different, and independent water supply control can be achieved, thereby realizing the preparation of two different types of ice.

[0066] It should be noted that the volume division of the first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112 can be set according to the type of ice, freezing time and the amount of water required for freezing. The water storage assembly 1 in the present application is not only applicable to multifunctional ice-making equipment (i.e., ice-making equipment that can prepare two types of ice at the same time), but can also be applied to double-sided ice-making machines in the prior art for preparing the same type of ice. In this application scenario, it is preferred that the volumes of the first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112 are the same.

[0067] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The partition 12 is extended along the length direction of the water storage member 11, so that the first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112 can both extend along the length direction of the water storage member 11, thereby achieving all-round reception of water flow in the length direction of the first ice-making surface 21 and the length direction of the second ice-making surface 22.

[0068] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 A first drainage portion 121 and a second drainage portion 122 are provided at one end of the partition 12 away from the water storage member 11. The first drainage portion 121 is used to connect with the first ice-making surface 21, so that the water flow on the first ice-making surface 21 can flow into the first accommodating chamber 111 along the first drainage portion 121. The second drainage portion 122 is used to connect with the second ice-making surface 22, so that the water flow on the second ice-making surface 22 can flow into the second accommodating chamber 112 along the second drainage portion 122. The bottom of the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 can be separated and drained to prevent the water flow of the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 from being mixed at the bottom of the heat exchanger 2 and then dripping into the first accommodating chamber 111 or the second accommodating chamber 112, thereby preventing the monitoring accuracy of the water volume in the first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112 from being affected.

[0069] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 2 The partition 12 also includes a partition 123, which is arranged in the water storage body 113 of the water storage member 11, and is used to form a first accommodating chamber 111 and a second accommodating chamber 112 inside the water storage body 113. The upper end of the partition 123 is respectively connected to the first drainage part 121 and the second drainage part 122, so that the water flow on the first drainage part 121 can enter the first accommodating chamber 111 along one side surface of the partition 123, and the water flow on the second drainage part 122 can enter the second accommodating chamber 112 along the other side surface of the partition 123.

[0070] It should be noted that the partition 123 and the water storage body 113 can be separated or integrated. When the partition 123 and the water storage body 113 are separated, the bottom end of the partition 123 and the bottom surface of the groove of the water storage body 113 are sealed. In order to reduce the assembly steps of the water storage assembly 1, it is preferred that the partition 123 and the water storage body 113 are integrated. Figure 2 shown.

[0071] In the above embodiments, the first drainage portion 121 , the second drainage portion 122 and the partition portion 123 may be arranged in a separate structure or in an integrated structure, and both structures can achieve the purpose of the present application.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present application, a water level detection component is provided in the first accommodating chamber 111 and / or the second accommodating chamber 112, which can be used to monitor the amount of water in the first accommodating chamber 111 and / or the second accommodating chamber 112, thereby determining the freezing condition of the first ice-making surface 21 and / or the second ice-making surface 22, which can reduce the difficulty of detecting the freezing state.

[0073] It should be noted that when the icing condition on one of the ice-making surfaces can be confirmed through an observation window or an ice layer thickness sensor detection method, a water level detection component is not required in the storage chamber corresponding to the ice-making surface. However, when the icing condition on the other ice-making surface is difficult to confirm directly through observation, ice layer thickness sensor detection, etc., a water level detection component is required to be set in the storage chamber corresponding to the other ice-making surface to realize indirect detection of the icing condition on the other ice-making surface.

[0074] In the above embodiments, the water level detection component can be a photoelectric liquid level sensor, a capacitive liquid level sensor or an ultrasonic liquid level sensor, etc. After obtaining the water level height of the containing cavity (the first containing cavity 111 or the second containing cavity 112) through the water level detection component, the water flow collection amount of the containing cavity can be obtained by multiplying the water level height with the cross-sectional area of ​​the containing cavity.

[0075] In some embodiments of the present application, the first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112 are both provided with an openable and closable drainage structure. After any ice-making surface completes an ice-making process, the water in the accommodating chamber corresponding to the ice-making surface can be discharged to facilitate the collection and detection of the water volume in the next ice-making process.

[0076] In some embodiments of the present application, a flow detection member is provided on the drainage pipeline connected to the drainage structure. When the water level detection member is not provided in the accommodation chamber, the drainage structure can be placed in a normally open state, and the water flow collection amount in the accommodation chamber can be obtained through the flow detection member, which can also achieve the purpose of the present application. In this case, the water storage capacity of the first accommodation chamber 111 and the second accommodation chamber 112 of the water storage member 11 can be set to be smaller, which is conducive to reducing the size of the water storage member 11 and can reduce the space occupancy rate of the water storage member 11 in the ice making device.

[0077] See also Figures 1 to 11 In a second aspect of the embodiment of the present application, an ice-making device is provided, comprising the water storage assembly 1 described in the above embodiment, and also comprising a heat exchanger 2, wherein the heat exchanger 2 has a first ice-making surface 21 and a second ice-making surface 22, and a heat exchange pipeline 23 is provided between the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, it can be used to input refrigerant, and the refrigerant absorbs the heat of the water flow on the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, so that the water flow gradually condenses into ice during the process of flowing along the first ice-making surface 21 or the second ice-making surface 22, thereby realizing double-sided ice making, and part of the water flow that has not condensed into ice enters the first accommodating cavity 111 and the second accommodating cavity 112 respectively through the first drainage portion 121 and the second drainage portion 122, so as to realize the collection of the uncondensed water flow, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 shown.

[0078] It should be noted that the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 are respectively arranged on both sides of the heat exchanger 2, which can fully utilize the cold capacity on both sides of the heat exchanger 2 and the refrigeration power of the heat exchanger 2 to avoid energy loss and waste.

[0079] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 An ice mold 24 is provided on the first ice-making surface 21 and / or the second ice-making surface 22. The ice mold 24 has multiple ice-making structures, which can be used to prepare multiple ice blocks matching the shapes of the ice-making structures at one time, thereby greatly improving the ice-making efficiency.

[0080] It should be noted that when both the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 are provided with ice molds 24, the ice-making structures in the two ice molds 24 may be different, so as to simultaneously achieve the preparation of two different shapes and / or different specifications of block ice. When the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 are provided with the same ice molds 24, the ice-making efficiency of this type of ice can be doubled.

[0081] The ice-making structure has a cavity that matches the shape of the ice block to be prepared, and the shape of the cavity can be a rectangular parallelepiped, a cylindrical shape, etc. For example, when it is necessary to prepare cubed ice (i.e., cubed ice), the ice-making structure has a cavity that is approximately in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped or a cube. After water flows into the cavity of the ice-making structure, it can gradually condense into cubed ice that matches the cavity, such as Figure 3 shown.

[0082] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The ice-making structure is provided with a flow hole 241, through which water can flow from one ice-making structure to another. When the water flows from top to bottom, it can flow evenly to each layer of the ice-making structure, so that each ice-making structure can have enough water to form ice cubes.

[0083] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The ice mold 24 is arranged on the first ice-making surface 21, and the flow hole 241 is opened on the side of the ice mold 24 close to the first ice-making surface 21. When the water flows down along the first ice-making surface 21, a part of the water can enter the interior of the ice-making structure through the flow hole 241, and the other part of the water can flow along the transverse partition 243 and the longitudinal partition 244 of the ice mold 24 under the action of the water flow tension, so that the water flows evenly to the interior of each ice-making structure, and the water condenses into ice layer by layer after cooling until the ice cubes fill the ice mold 24.

[0084] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The ice-making structure has a demoulding surface 242 that is tilted downward. After the ice cubes are completely formed, they can slide out tilted downward through the demoulding surface 242, which is convenient for automatic demoulding of the ice cubes under the action of gravity.

[0085] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 6 The diaphragm 243 of the ice mold 24 is tilted downward, so that the upper and lower surfaces of the diaphragm 243 are both demoulding surfaces 242 tilted downward, which facilitates demoulding of the upper and lower ends of the ice cube. The flow hole 241 is opened on the diaphragm 243. When the water flows along the diaphragm 243, a part of the water can enter the cavity of the ice making structure through the flow hole 241 on the diaphragm 243.

[0086] In some preferred embodiments of the present application, the inclination angle between the diaphragm 243 and the horizontal plane is preferably between 10° and 20°. This is because when the inclination angle is less than 10°, the demoulding effect produced by the inclination is small, and when the inclination angle is greater than 20°, it will make it difficult for the water flow to remain on the inclined diaphragm 243, which will increase the time required for ice cube formation. As a specific embodiment of the present application, the inclination angle between the diaphragm 243 and the horizontal plane is 15°, which can not only ensure the smooth demoulding of ice cubes, but also ensure the water storage effect of the cavity of the ice-making structure when ice is frozen.

[0087] In some embodiments of the present application, the heat exchanger 2 is a flat plate structure, in which case the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 are both flat surfaces, and the water storage member 11 is a long water tank structure extending along the length direction of the heat exchanger 2. In this case, ice molds 24 can be provided on both the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 to achieve the preparation of different types of block ice. Alternatively, the ice mold 24 can be provided on only one of the ice-making surfaces, while the other ice-making surface is used to prepare plate-shaped ice with a certain thickness.

[0088] In some other embodiments of the present application, the heat exchanger 2 is a cylindrical structure, the first ice-making surface 21 is the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical structure, and the second ice-making surface 22 is the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical structure; when the ice mold 24 is not provided on the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, it can be used to realize the preparation of cylindrical hollow ice of two specifications; when the ice mold 24 is provided on one of the ice-making surfaces, it is preferred to set the ice mold 24 on the first ice-making surface 21, which is conducive to realizing ice demolding at the periphery of the heat exchanger 2, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 shown.

[0089] The water storage member 11 is an annular structure, which matches the cylindrical structure of the heat exchanger 2. The water storage member 11 is coaxially arranged below the heat exchanger 2 and can be used to receive the water flow in the circumferential direction of the heat exchanger 2 (i.e., in the length direction corresponding to the circumference) in all directions. Figure 1 shown.

[0090] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 5 An ice mold 24 is provided on the first ice-making surface 21 for preparing block ice; an ice crushing mechanism 3 is provided inside the cylindrical structure for cooperating with the second ice-making surface 22 to prepare crushed ice, so that the ice-making equipment of the present application can simultaneously prepare block ice and crushed ice, which can meet the multi-purpose needs of the market, while reducing the production costs of ice cubes and crushed ice of merchants and improving the ice-making energy efficiency of the ice-making equipment.

[0091] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 8 The ice crushing mechanism 3 includes a spiral ice blade assembly 31, which is rotatably arranged inside the cylindrical structure and can be used to cut the ice layer condensed on the second ice-making surface 22, thereby producing flake-shaped crushed ice. There is a preset distance L between the spiral ice blade assembly 31 and the second ice-making surface 22, so as to avoid interference between the spiral ice blade assembly 31 and the second ice-making surface 22 during rotation, and at the same time, there is a space for ice layer condensation between the second ice-making surface 22 and the spiral ice blade assembly 31.

[0092] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 8 The ice crushing mechanism 3 also includes a transmission assembly 32, a drive assembly 33 and a bearing assembly 34. One end of the spiral ice blade assembly 31 is connected to the transmission assembly 32, and the transmission assembly 32 is connected to the drive assembly 33. The drive assembly 33 can drive the spiral ice blade assembly 31 to rotate through the transmission assembly 32, thereby cutting the ice layer condensed on the second ice-making surface 22 and preparing flaky ice. The other end of the spiral ice blade assembly 31 is rotatably connected to the rotating seat 9 fixedly arranged in the ice-making device through the bearing assembly 34, so that the spiral ice blade assembly 31 can rotate around a stable rotation axis, which can prevent the spiral ice blade assembly 31 from being deflected inside the cylindrical heat exchanger 2, thereby causing damage to the second ice-making surface 22.

[0093] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 8 When the transmission assembly 32 is arranged at the lower end of the spiral ice blade assembly 31, a sealed waterproof shell is provided on the outside of the transmission assembly 32 to prevent water or ice falling from the heat exchanger 2 from entering the transmission assembly 32 and affecting the service life of the transmission assembly 32.

[0094] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 7 The ice-making device further includes a water distribution mechanism 4, which is disposed above the heat exchanger 2, and allows water to flow to the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, respectively, to provide the two ice-making surfaces with pure water required for ice making. The water supply to the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 can be independently controlled by the water distribution mechanism 4, so that the production of square ice cubes and flake crushed ice can be controlled separately.

[0095] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 7 The water distribution mechanism 4 includes a first diversion chamber 41 and a second diversion chamber 42 separated from each other. The first diversion chamber 41 is arranged corresponding to the first ice-making surface 21 for distributing water to the first ice-making surface 21; the second diversion chamber 42 is arranged corresponding to the second ice-making surface 22 for distributing water to the second ice-making surface 22. The bottoms of the first diversion chamber 41 and the second diversion chamber 42 are both provided with a through drainage portion 43, so that the water can fall from the diversion chamber to the corresponding ice-making surface.

[0096] In some embodiments of the present application, the drainage portion 43 includes a plurality of drainage holes arranged along the length direction of the water diversion mechanism 4, which can evenly discharge the liquid in the diversion cavity.

[0097] It should be noted that the first diversion chamber 41 is extended along the length direction of the first ice-making surface 21, and the second diversion chamber 42 is extended along the length direction of the second ice-making surface 22, so as to achieve uniform water distribution on the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22. When the heat exchanger 2 is a plate-shaped structure, the water diversion mechanism 4 is a long strip structure as a whole, and when the heat exchanger 2 is a cylindrical structure, the water diversion mechanism 4 is a ring structure.

[0098] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 7 A slow flow portion 44 is provided on both sides of the water diversion mechanism 4. The slow flow portion 44 is located below the drainage portion 43 on the corresponding side, so that the water can flow down along the slow flow portion 44 and reduce the flow rate of the water entering the first ice-making surface 21 or the second ice-making surface 22.

[0099] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 7 The slow flow portion 44 includes a slope slow flow structure arranged obliquely downward. The water flows in the diversion cavity inside the water diversion mechanism 4 and flows out through the drainage hole to achieve the first flow velocity slowdown. When the water flows through the drainage hole and drips to the slope slow flow structure, the inclined surface of the slope slow flow structure can provide a horizontal oblique upward component force to change the direction of the water flow, thereby achieving the second flow velocity slowdown, so that the pure water flow slowly spreads on the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, thereby achieving a better condensation and freezing effect.

[0100] In some embodiments of the present application, the water diversion mechanism 4 is connected to the water storage component 11 through a circulating water circuit, and a pump is provided on the circulating water circuit, which can transport the uncondensed water collected in the water storage component 11 to the first diversion chamber 41 and the second diversion chamber 42 of the water diversion mechanism 4 for reuse, thereby fully utilizing the cooling power of the heat exchanger 2; and with multiple water circulations of the pure water flow, the temperature of the water flow can be reduced in successive water circulations, thereby accelerating the ice making rate.

[0101] In some embodiments of the present application, the pump member includes a first pump member and a second pump member, the first pump member is connected to the first diverter chamber 41 through a first circulating water circuit, the first circulating water circuit is provided with a first valve, which can be used to realize the water flow cut-off control in the first diverter chamber 41; the second pump member is connected to the second diverter chamber 42 through a second circulating water circuit, the second circulating water circuit is provided with a second valve, which can be used to realize the water flow cut-off control in the second diverter chamber 42, thereby realizing independent water supply regulation of the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22. The first circulating water circuit and the second circulating water circuit are both provided with water quantity detection members, which can respectively measure the water supply quantity (i.e., the first water supply quantity and the second water supply quantity) of the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 during the ice-making process.

[0102] The first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112 can be connected to the first pump member and the second pump member respectively; a transfer water tank can also be set in the ice-making equipment, and the water in the first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112 are discharged into the transfer water tank, and the first pump member and the second pump member then respectively draw water from the transfer water tank to the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, which can achieve the purpose of the present application.

[0103] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 8 The ice-making device also includes a first ice storage member 5 and a second ice storage member 6. The first ice storage member 5 is arranged corresponding to the first ice-making surface 21, and is used to store the ice prepared on the first ice-making surface 21. The second ice storage member 6 is arranged corresponding to the second ice-making surface 22, and is used to store the ice prepared on the second ice-making surface 22. When the types or sizes of ice prepared on the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 are different, the first ice storage member 5 and the second ice storage member 6 can be used to realize partitioned storage of the two types of ice, so that users can use them according to their needs.

[0104] In some embodiments of the present application, when the heat exchanger 2 is a cylindrical structure, the first ice storage component 5 is an annular structure arranged on the outer periphery of the second ice storage component 6, which can be used to receive ice cubes that fall from the outer periphery of the heat exchanger 2 (i.e., the first ice-making surface 21 and the ice mold 24); the second ice storage component 6 is a cylindrical box body arranged in the central area of ​​the first ice storage component 5, which can be used to receive flaky crushed ice that falls from the inner periphery of the heat exchanger 2 after being cut by the spiral ice knife assembly 31.

[0105] When preparing multiple ice blocks through the ice mold 24, the edges of adjacent ice blocks may be frozen and connected, and the ice blocks may be "detached from the plate" when demolding. If multiple frozen ice blocks fall directly into the ice storage body 51 of the first ice storage member 5, it will be difficult to take out the ice blocks because the edges of a large number of ice blocks are frozen together. The user needs to use an ice shovel or other tool to knock twice in the ice storage body 51 to separate the ice blocks, which will result in a poor user experience.

[0106] In order to avoid the above problems, in some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 8 , wherein the dotted arrow indicates the falling path of the flake crushed ice, and the solid arrow indicates the falling path of the ice cubes in the ice mold 24. In order to prevent the ice cubes from falling directly as a whole into the first ice storage member 5 after being "detached from the plate", a guide portion 52 is provided at the upper end of the ice storage body 51 of the first ice storage member 5. When a plurality of ice cubes that are connected and detached from each other as a whole fall on the guide portion 52, the connection between the edges of the plurality of ice cubes can be shattered by the impact with the guide portion 52, so that the plurality of block ices that are detached from the plate are separated into independent ice particles, and then enter the ice storage body 51 along the guide portion 52, so that the guide portion 52 can not only realize the impact separation of the plurality of ice cubes falling from above, but also play a role in collecting the ice cubes, so that the ice cubes slowly enter the ice storage body 51 along the guide portion 52.

[0107] See also Figures 1 to 11 In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an ice-making system, comprising the ice-making device described in the above embodiment, and further comprising a compressor 7 and a condenser 8, wherein the compressor 7, the condenser 8 and the heat exchanger 2 are connected to form a refrigerant circulation loop, such as Fig. 9 As shown, when the refrigerant evaporates in the heat exchanger 2, it can absorb the heat of the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, thereby reducing the temperature of the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, and then realizing double-sided ice making on both sides of the heat exchanger 2.

[0108] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Fig. 9, the heat exchanger 2 is connected to the air intake port of the compressor 7 through the first pipeline 25, and the heat exchanger 2 is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the condenser 8 through the second pipeline 26. Inside the compressor 7, the gaseous refrigerant is further compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, and then input into the condenser 8 through the exhaust port of the compressor 7. In the condenser 8, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the external environment (such as air or cooling water), releases a large amount of heat, and gradually condenses into a high-pressure liquid. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant is input into the heat exchange pipeline 23 of the heat exchanger 2 through the second pipeline 26, and quickly evaporates into a gaseous state under the low-pressure and low-temperature environment inside the heat exchanger 2, and absorbs the heat of the surrounding environment, realizing the cooling of the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22. Then the gaseous refrigerant is output to the compressor 7 through the first pipeline 25, completing the flow cycle of the refrigerant.

[0109] In some embodiments of the present application, the compressor 7 has a return line connected to the ice mold 24, and the ice mold 24 can be heated and melted by hot air through hot air defrosting, so that the ice cubes are separated from the surface of the ice mold 24, and the ice cubes can be quickly demolded. The setting of the return line can be set with reference to the prior art, and will not be repeated here.

[0110] See also Figures 1 to 11 In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an ice-making method, which is applied to the ice-making device described in the above embodiment, can realize double-sided ice-making, and relatively independently control the ice-making states of the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, including the following steps:

[0111] Step 1: Turn on the ice-making device and supply water to the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 through the water distribution mechanism 4;

[0112] When the first ice-making surface 21 makes ice, the first valve and the first pump member in the water distribution mechanism 4 are opened, so that water flows into the first diversion chamber 41 and is evenly distributed to the first ice-making surface 21 through the drainage portion 43 .

[0113] When the second ice-making surface 22 makes ice, the second valve and the second pump member in the water diversion mechanism 4 are opened, so that water flows into the second diversion chamber 42 and is evenly distributed on the second ice-making surface 22 through the drainage portion 43 .

[0114] Step 2: Detecting the ice conditions on the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22;

[0115] It should be noted that the icing condition can be obtained by observation, or by detecting the ice thickness of the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, or by detecting the water level or flow rate corresponding to the first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112. All of these can achieve the purpose of the present application.

[0116] In some embodiments of the present application, when the first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112 are respectively provided with water level detection components or flow detection components, the freezing condition of the first ice-making surface 21 can be determined by comparing the amount of water collected in the first accommodating chamber 111 with the first water supply through the controller; the freezing condition of the second ice-making surface 22 can be determined by comparing the amount of water collected in the second accommodating chamber 112 with the second water supply through the controller.

[0117] In some embodiments of the present application, when the first ice-making surface 21 is provided with an ice mold 24 for preparing ice cubes, and the second ice-making surface 22 is used to cooperate with the ice crushing mechanism 3 to prepare flake crushed ice, only the first accommodating chamber 111 is provided with a water level detection component, and an ice layer thickness sensor can be provided on the second ice-making surface 22 to detect the thickness S1 of the ice layer condensed on the second ice-making surface 22.

[0118] Step three: adjust the water supply according to the freezing situation. If the first ice-making surface 21 is completely frozen, the first valve and the first pump member in the water-dividing mechanism 4 are closed, and the water supply to the first ice-making surface 21 is stopped; if the second ice-making surface 22 is completely frozen, the second valve and the second pump member in the water-dividing mechanism 4 are closed, and the water supply to the second ice-making surface 22 is stopped. These two adjustment processes are independent of each other and do not interfere with each other, and can respectively realize the ice-making control of the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22.

[0119] In some embodiments of the present application, when the first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112 are both provided with a water level detection member or a flow detection member, if the amount of water H1 collected in the first accommodating chamber 111 reaches a first preset threshold value Y1, the water supply to the first ice-making surface 21 is stopped; if the amount of water H2 collected in the second accommodating chamber 112 reaches a second preset threshold value Y2, the water supply to the second ice-making surface 22 is stopped. Fig.10 shown.

[0120] In some embodiments of the present application, when a water level detection member is provided in the first accommodating chamber 111 for detecting the freezing condition of the ice cube, and an ice layer thickness sensor is provided on the second ice-making surface 22 to detect the freezing condition on the second ice-making surface 22. The variable for the freezing condition of the ice cube is recorded as Sp, when Sp=0, it means that the freezing condition does not meet the standard, and the first valve and the first pump member in the water-dividing mechanism 4 are opened, and when Sp=1, it means that the freezing condition has met the standard, and the first valve and the first pump member in the water-dividing mechanism 4 are closed. If the amount of water H1 collected in the first accommodating chamber 111 reaches the first preset threshold value Y1, the controller assigns Sp a value of 1, and stops supplying water to the first ice-making surface 21. The ice layer thickness threshold of the second ice-making surface is recorded as S2, and S2 is greater than the preset distance L between the spiral ice blade assembly 31 and the second ice-making surface 22, so that the ice blade of the spiral ice blade assembly 31 can contact the ice layer condensed on the second ice-making surface 22, which is convenient for subsequent ice crushing and cutting. When the thickness of the ice layer condensed on the second ice-making surface 22 is S1≥S2, the second valve and the second pump member in the water-dividing mechanism 4 are closed by the controller to stop supplying water to the second ice-making surface 22. Fig.11 shown.

[0121] Step 4: De-icing the first ice-making surface 21 and de-icing the second ice-making surface 22 respectively.

[0122] In some embodiments of the present application, when the ice layer thickness S1 on the second ice-making surface 22 reaches a preset ice layer thickness threshold S2, the ice crushing mechanism 3 is started, and the ice layer on the second ice-making surface 22 is cut by the spiral ice blade assembly 31 to complete the production of crushed ice, which is then collected by the second ice storage component 6.

[0123] In some embodiments of the present application, when the ice mold 24 on the first ice-making surface 21 is full of ice cubes, the heat flow is transmitted to the ice mold 24 through the compressor 7, and the ice cubes fall off the ice mold 24, completing the production of cube ice and are collected by the first ice storage part 5.

[0124] It should be understood that the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one", "an" and "said" as used herein may also be meant to include plural forms. The terms "include", "comprise", "contain", and "have" are inclusive, and therefore specify the existence of stated features, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not interpreted as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order described or illustrated, unless the execution order is clearly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0125] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used in the text to describe multiple elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms can only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Unless the context clearly indicates, terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply order or sequence when used in the text. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teaching of the example embodiments.

[0126] The above description is only a specific implementation of the present application, so that those skilled in the art can understand or implement the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but will conform to the widest range consistent with the principles and novel features applied for herein.

Claims

1. A water storage assembly (1), characterized in that: include: A water storage member (11), wherein the water storage member (11) has an opening for water flow to enter; A separator (12), the separator (12) being arranged inside the water storage member (11), and separating a first accommodating chamber (111) and a second accommodating chamber (112) which are independent of each other inside the water storage member (11), the first accommodating chamber (111) being used to collect water flowing down from the first ice-making surface (21), and the second accommodating chamber (112) being used to collect water flowing down from the second ice-making surface (22).

2. The water storage assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The partition (12) is arranged to extend along the length direction of the water storage member (11).

3. The water storage assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first drainage portion (121) and a second drainage portion (122) are provided at one end of the partition (12) away from the water storage member (11); the first drainage portion (121) is used to connect to the first ice-making surface (21); and the second drainage portion (122) is used to connect to the second ice-making surface (22).

4. The water storage assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: A water level detection component is provided in the first accommodating chamber (111) and / or the second accommodating chamber (112).

5. The water storage assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first accommodating chamber (111) and the second accommodating chamber (112) are both provided with an openable and closable drainage structure.

6. An ice-making device, characterized in that: It comprises a water storage assembly (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, and also comprises a heat exchanger (2), wherein the heat exchanger (2) has a first ice-making surface (21) and a second ice-making surface (22), and a heat exchange pipeline (23) is provided between the first ice-making surface (21) and the second ice-making surface (22).

7. The ice-making device according to claim 6, characterized in that: An ice mold (24) is provided on the first ice-making surface (21) and / or the second ice-making surface (22), and the ice mold (24) has a plurality of ice-making structures.

8. The ice-making device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The ice-making structure is provided with a circulation hole (241).

9. The ice-making device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The ice-making structure is provided with a demoulding surface (242) arranged obliquely downward.

10. The ice-making device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that: The heat exchanger (2) is a cylindrical structure, the first ice-making surface (21) is the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical structure, and the second ice-making surface (22) is the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical structure; The water storage member (11) is a ring-shaped structure and is arranged below the heat exchanger (2).

11. The ice-making device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The first ice-making surface (21) is provided with an ice mold (24) for preparing block ice; the interior of the cylindrical structure is provided with an ice crushing mechanism (3) for cooperating with the second ice-making surface (22) to prepare crushed ice.

12. The ice-making device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The ice crushing mechanism (3) comprises a spiral ice blade assembly (31), wherein the spiral ice blade assembly (31) is rotatably arranged inside the cylindrical structure, and a preset distance is provided between the spiral ice blade assembly (31) and the second ice making surface (22).

13. The ice-making device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that: It also comprises a water distribution mechanism (4), which is arranged above the heat exchanger (2) and allows water to flow to the first ice-making surface (21) and the second ice-making surface (22) respectively.

14. The ice-making device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The water distribution mechanism (4) is connected to the water storage member (11) via a circulating water circuit, and a pump member is provided on the circulating water circuit.

15. The ice-making device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that: It also comprises a first ice storage member (5) and a second ice storage member (6), wherein the first ice storage member (5) is arranged corresponding to the first ice-making surface (21), and the second ice storage member (6) is arranged corresponding to the second ice-making surface (22).

16. An ice making system, characterized in that: The ice-making device comprises the ice-making device as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 15, and further comprises a compressor (7) and a condenser (8), wherein the compressor (7), the condenser (8) and the heat exchanger (2) are connected to form a refrigerant circulation loop.

17. An ice making method, characterized in that: The ice-making device according to any one of claims 6 to 15 comprises the following steps: Turning on the ice-making device to supply water to the first ice-making surface (21) and the second ice-making surface (22) respectively; Detecting ice formation conditions on the first ice-making surface (21) and the second ice-making surface (22); Adjust water supply according to freezing conditions.

18. The ice making method according to claim 17, characterized in that: The step of adjusting the water supply according to the freezing condition comprises: If the amount of water collected in the first accommodating chamber (111) reaches a first preset threshold, stopping the supply of water to the first ice-making surface (21); And / or, if the amount of water collected in the second accommodating chamber (112) reaches a second preset threshold, the water supply to the second ice-making surface (22) is stopped.

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