Ice maker

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of ice machines, and particularly provides an ice machine. The ice maker comprises a shell which is cylindrical, and an ice making area is arranged in the shell. And the cooling assembly is used for reducing the temperature of the ice making area and is configured to increase the temperature of the ice making area along the first direction. The ice squeezing knife is coaxially arranged in the shell and comprises a rotating shaft and rotating blades spirally arranged around the rotating shaft, and the spiral direction of the rotating blades is configured to push ice in the first direction during rotation; the screw pitch of the rotating vane increases progressively in the first direction, and the radial gap between the cutting edge of the rotating vane and the inner wall of the shell increases progressively in the first direction. The problem that the ice squeezing knife is easy to block and block during rotation is solved. The freezing speed can be adapted without replacing the compressor or limiting the power of the compressor, the device is suitable for different water quality, water temperature and environment temperature conditions, and quick and stable ice discharging can be smoothly achieved. And the ice discharging efficiency and the finished product quality are better, and the reliability is better.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of ice making machines, in particular to an ice making machine. Background Art

[0002] Ice machines use a refrigeration system to lower the temperature of water and solidify it into ice. They are widely used in the fields of catering, medical and chemical industries. According to the different ways of discharging ice, ice machines can be divided into gravity ice discharging type, push ice discharging type and spiral extrusion type. Among them, the gravity ice discharging type mostly produces cubes or special-shaped ice cubes, which are collected by falling due to gravity. The spiral extrusion type ice making separates ice and water through the extrusion of the spiral structure.

[0003] Different water quality and water temperature conditions, as well as different positions in the ice machine have different freezing speeds. The existing spiral extrusion ice making machine has a narrow application range. Therefore, when freezing quickly, the spiral structure ice extruder is very easy to be frozen, or blocked by granular ice and stuck. In order to deal with the blockage, the existing technology limits the refrigeration power and ice output speed of the compressor, and the ice making effect is not ideal. Summary of the invention

[0004] The ice maker provided by the embodiments of the present invention at least solves the problem that the ice maker cannot adapt to the ice making speed under different conditions and the ice-squeezing knife is easily stuck when rotating.

[0005] The present invention provides an ice making machine, comprising: The shell is configured in a cylindrical shape and has an ice-making area inside; a cooling assembly, which is used to reduce the temperature of the ice-making area and is configured to increase the temperature of the ice-making area along a first direction; An ice-squeezing blade is coaxially arranged in the shell, comprising a rotating shaft and a rotating blade spirally arranged around the rotating shaft, wherein the spiral direction of the rotating blade is configured to push the ice toward the first direction when rotating; the pitch of the rotating blade increases along the first direction, and the radial clearance between the cutting edge of the rotating blade and the inner wall of the shell increases along the first direction.

[0006] In the ice-making machine provided by the embodiment of the invention, the rotating blade is arranged as a single-line spiral structure on the periphery of the rotating shaft, and the pitch of the rotating blade is arranged to increase gradually.

[0007] In the ice-making machine provided by the embodiment of the invention, the pitch of the rotating blade is set to increase in stages.

[0008] In the ice-making machine provided by the embodiment of the invention, the area on the rotating shaft where the rotating blades are arranged includes a first section, a second section, a third section and a fourth section arranged in sequence along the first direction.

[0009] In the ice making machine provided by the embodiment of the invention, in the first direction, the length of the first section accounts for 25% to 30% of the length of the region on the rotating shaft where the rotating blades are arranged; The length of the second section accounts for 15% to 20% of the length of the region on the shaft where the rotor blades are disposed; The length of the fourth section accounts for 20% to 25% of the length of the region on the shaft where the rotor blades are disposed; The area on the rotating shaft where the rotating blades are provided is configured as the third section except for the first section, the second section, and the fourth section.

[0010] In the ice-making machine provided by the embodiment of the invention, the pitch of the rotating blade in the first section is greater than or equal to 8 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm; The pitch of the rotor blade in the second section is greater than or equal to 12 mm and less than or equal to 14 mm; The pitch of the rotor blade in the third section is greater than or equal to 15 mm and less than or equal to 17 mm; The pitch of the rotating blades in the fourth section is greater than or equal to 18 mm and less than or equal to 20 mm.

[0011] In the ice-making machine provided by the embodiment of the invention, the envelope side surface of the cutting edge line of the rotating blade is set as a positive conical surface.

[0012] In the ice-making machine provided by the embodiment of the invention, the angle between the generatrix of the conical surface and the axis of the shell is greater than or equal to 0.3° and less than or equal to 0.4°.

[0013] In the ice-making machine provided by the embodiment of the present invention, the blade wedge angle of the rotating blade is greater than or equal to 50° and less than or equal to 70°.

[0014] In the ice-making machine provided by the embodiment of the invention, the cooling assembly is closely attached to the outer wall of the shell and is arranged corresponding to the ice-making area of ​​the shell, the ice-making area is opposite to the area on the rotating shaft where the rotating blades are arranged, and the length of the ice-making area along the first direction is less than the length of the area on the rotating shaft where the rotating blades are arranged along the first direction; The cooling component is provided with a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet, and the interior of the cooling component is filled with refrigerant between the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet.

[0015] The ice-making machine provided by the embodiment of the invention further includes a heat-insulating component, which is arranged outside the cooling assembly and at least covers the ice-making area.

[0016] The ice making machine provided by the embodiment of the invention also includes a power assembly; A top cover is provided at one end of the shell along the first direction, and the top cover is hollowed out for squeezing out ice; The power assembly is arranged at the other end of the shell along the first direction, the output shaft of the power assembly is connected to and drives the ice-squeezing blade to rotate, and a sealing member is also arranged at the connection between the ice-squeezing blade and the output shaft.

[0017] The ice making machine provided by the invention solves the problem that the ice-squeezing blade is easily blocked when rotating. It is not necessary to adapt the freezing speed by replacing the compressor or limiting the compressor power. It is suitable for different water quality, water temperature and ambient temperature conditions, and can smoothly achieve fast and stable ice production. The ice production efficiency and finished product quality are better, and the reliability is better. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings: Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an ice making machine in the related art.

[0019] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of an ice making machine in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Exploded view of ice machine shown.

[0021] Figure 4 It is a cutaway view of an ice making machine in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A magnified schematic diagram of center A.

[0023] Figure 6 It is a partial structural schematic diagram of an ice layer corresponding to an ice making area in a cross-sectional view of an ice maker in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7 It is a front view of the integrated rotating blade arrangement of the ice-squeezing blade in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Axonometric view of the ice squeezer shown.

[0026] Fig. 9 It is a front view of the split-type arrangement of the rotating blades of the ice-squeezing knife in the embodiment created by the present invention.

[0027] The above drawings include the following reference numerals: 1—shell; 11—ice-making area; 1101—ice layer; 12—top cover; 13—water inlet; 2—cooling component; 21—refrigerant inlet; 22—refrigerant outlet; 3—ice-squeezing knife; 31—rotating shaft; 32—rotating blade; 3201—starting end; 3202—end; 41—first section; 42—second section; 43—third section; 44—fourth section; 5—output shaft; 6—seal; 71—flip motor; 72—ice-making component; 73—water storage component. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0029] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0030] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​of the parts and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present application. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship. The technology, methods and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, the technology, methods and equipment should be considered as a part of the authorization specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific value should be interpreted as being merely exemplary, rather than as a limitation. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once a certain item is defined in an accompanying drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0031] With the continuous advancement of refrigeration technology, the application scenarios of extrusion ice making are becoming more and more extensive. Extrusion ice making cools water to form ice, and the ice is continuously squeezed out by rotating the spiral structure. Compared with traditional ice-forming and bullet-shaped ice making, extrusion ice making can make ice and de-ice at the same time, and the ice making cycle is shorter. However, due to the smaller contact area between extrusion ice making and air, the internal freezing speed is too fast. Under the conditions of different water quality and different water temperature in various regions, the freezing speed is even more difficult to grasp, resulting in the existing ice making machine being easily blocked and stuck during rotation and extrusion, affecting extrusion. If the freezing speed is controlled by limiting the compressor power, the ice-discharging efficiency of the ice-making machine will be reduced. To this end, an embodiment of the present invention provides an ice-making machine, including a housing 1, a cooling component 2, an ice-squeezing knife 3 and a power component. The embodiment of the present invention solves the problem of easy freezing during rotation by coordinating the ice-squeezing knife 3 with the housing 1, so that the ice-making machine can adapt to different water quality and water temperature conditions, while ensuring the ice-discharging effect, the refrigeration power of the cooling component 2 is increased, thereby improving the ice-discharging speed and ice-making efficiency.

[0032] Specifically, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the shell 1 is configured as a hollow cylindrical structure. The shell 11 is arranged through along a first direction, and the first direction is parallel to the axial direction of the cylindrical structure. The inner wall of the shell 1 is configured as a continuous smooth cylindrical surface with the first direction as the axis. The shell 1 is closed and filled with water when making ice. When the temperature of the shell 1 drops below the freezing point, the water in the shell 1 freezes on the inner wall of the shell 1, and the ice is pushed toward one end of the shell 1 along the first direction and collected by the shell 1 at one end of the first direction.

[0033] Specifically, refer to Figure 1 As shown, the cooling assembly 2 is used to control the temperature of the housing 1. When making ice, the cooling assembly 2 is used to reduce the temperature of the housing 1 so that the water in the housing 1 is cooled to below the freezing point. The cooling assembly 2 is arranged close to the outer wall of the housing 1 and is arranged corresponding to the ice making area 11 of the housing 1. The ice making area 11 of the housing 1 is at least a part of the area of ​​the housing 1 in the first direction. When making ice, the cooling assembly 2 is configured to increase the temperature of the ice making area 11 of the housing 1 along the first direction.

[0034] Specifically, the ice-squeezing blade 3 is accommodated in the housing 1 and is coaxially arranged with the housing 1. The section obtained by cutting along the axis of the housing 1 of the ice-making machine is referred to as Figure 4 As shown, the coaxial arrangement of the ice-squeezing blade 3 and the shell 1 can make the ice layer thickness on both sides of the ice-squeezing blade 3 in the cross-section tend to be consistent, that is, the ice layer thickness in the circumferential direction of the ice-squeezing blade 3 tends to be consistent. The coaxial arrangement can avoid eccentricity when the ice-squeezing blade 3 rotates around its own axis, and prevent the ice layer 1101 from being seriously accumulated on one side of the inner wall of the shell 1. The uneven distribution of materials affects the stability of transportation and aggravates the wear of the ice-squeezing blade 3 and the shell 1.

[0035] Further, refer to Figure 3 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the ice-squeezing blade 3 includes a rotating shaft 31 and a rotating blade 32 spirally arranged around the rotating shaft 31. The rotating shaft 31 extends along the axis of the shell 1, that is, extends in the first direction as the length direction. The end 3202 of the rotating blade 32 is close to one end of the shell 1 for squeezing out ice, and the starting end 3201 of the rotating blade 32 is close to the other end of the shell 1, that is, the opposite side of the end for squeezing out ice. The spiral direction of the rotating blade 32 is configured to push the ice in the first direction when rotating. For example, when the first direction is set to be upward in the vertical direction, the starting end 3201 of the rotating blade 32 is located at the bottom, and the end 3202 of the rotating blade 32 is located at the top. The rotating blade 32 can be set to be left-handed, and the ice-squeezing blade 3 is set to rotate counterclockwise in the shell 1 to push the ice upward in the vertical direction.

[0036] In some embodiments, the rotating blades 32 are arranged as a single-line spiral structure on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 31, which is easier to process than a multi-line spiral structure. The space formed between the spiral structures has a larger volume, which can accommodate more ice and is not easy to get stuck.

[0037] The number of turns of the rotor blade 32 can be set to an integer or a fraction. The distance between two adjacent turns of the rotor blade 32 is the pitch, and the pitch is specifically the axial distance between two corresponding points on the mid-diameter line of the two adjacent turns, that is, the distance along the first direction. In the embodiment of the present invention, the pitch of the rotor blade 32 increases along the first direction.

[0038] In some embodiments, the pitch of the rotor blade 32 is set to gradually increase. The pitch of any point on the rotor blade 32 from the starting end 3201 to the end 3202 is different, and the pitch increases gradually along the spiral path of the rotor blade 32. If the first point of the rotor blade 32 is closer to the starting end 3201 than the second point, and the second point is closer to the end 3202 than the first point, then the pitch at the first point is smaller than the pitch at the second point, and the first point and the second point can be located in the same circle or different circles of the rotor blade 32.

[0039] In some embodiments, the pitch of the rotor blade 32 is set to increase in sections. There is one section between two adjacent turns of the rotor blade 32, or the area on the shaft 31 where the rotor blade 32 is provided is divided into several sections along the first direction, and in this case, several turns can be provided in each section, or less than one turn can be provided. After the segmentation, the corresponding pitches at each point in each section are the same. In two adjacent sections, the pitch of the section close to the end 3202 of the rotor blade 32 is greater than the pitch of the section close to the starting end 3201 of the rotor blade 32.

[0040] Next, when the pitch is increased in stages, each section of the blade 32 can be set in an integrated manner or in a split manner. When the split manner is adopted, two adjacent sections of the blade 32 have overlapping parts, so that the crushed ice scraped and pushed by the previous section of the blade 32 can be continued to be pushed by the next section of the blade 32. The adjacent two sections of the blade 32 can be set to overlap in the first direction, or can be set to overlap in the direction of force applied when pushing the crushed ice. Fig. 9 As shown, each section of the rotating blade 32 is separately arranged, and two adjacent sections of the rotating blade 32 overlap in the direction of force applied when pushing the crushed ice. The overlapping area can store the crushed ice to prevent it from falling. During the rotation of the separately arranged rotating blade 32, the pushing and squeezing effect of the crushed ice can still be achieved.

[0041] In the present embodiment, the blades 32 are preferably set to three turns, and the pitch can form a suitable change gradient whether it is gradually increased or increased in stages. Since the extension length of the shell 1 is fixed, the extension length of the shaft 31 is also determined by the shell 1, and the length of the area on the shaft 31 where the blades 32 are provided in the first direction is also subject to corresponding restrictions. When the number of blade turns is too small within a limited length, the ice cannot be effectively pushed out, or the ice extrusion efficiency is too low. At the same time, it is difficult to form a pitch with a suitable gradient change if the number of blade turns is too small within a limited length. When the number of blade turns is too large within a limited length, the blades 32 with a small pitch are densely distributed, and the space reserved for ice formation is smaller, which is very easy to block and hinder the rotation of the ice-squeezing knife 3.

[0042] The production process of the ice squeeze blade 3 is set to casting. Compared with the gradually increasing pitch, the segmented increase in design difficulty and processing difficulty are smaller, and the corresponding production cost is lower. In the embodiment of the present invention, the rotating blade 32 is preferably set to increase the pitch segmentally and refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 The figure shows an integrated arrangement, which is convenient for controlling the processing accuracy and processing consistency. Whether it is gradually increased or increased in stages, when the rotor blades 32 have a pitch that increases along the first direction, they will present a sparse effect at one end and a dense effect at the other end. The rotor blades 32 near the starting end 3201 are densely distributed, and the rotor blades 32 near the end 3202 are sparsely distributed.

[0043] On the one hand, the area where the blades 32 are densely distributed has more contact points with the inner wall of the shell 1 at the same length along the first direction, and the contact area is larger. Under the condition that the material and the friction coefficient are consistent, the friction force generated between the blades 32 and the inner wall of the shell 1 is greater. The blades 32 close to the starting end 3201 are more effective in scraping ice, and the cutting or removal effect on the ice layer 1101 is more significant.

[0044] Since the temperature of the ice-making area 11 of the shell 1 increases along the first direction, the temperature of the ice-making area 11 of the shell 1 near the starting end 3201 of the rotor 32 is lower, the freezing speed is faster, and the freezing time of the ice layer 1101 is shorter; the temperature of the ice-making area 11 of the shell 1 near the end 3202 of the rotor 32 is higher, and the freezing time of the ice layer 1101 is slightly longer than that of the other end. Therefore, the density difference of the distribution of the rotor 32 in the embodiment of the present invention matches the difference in ice-making speed. On the side close to the starting end 3201 of the rotor 32, that is, the area where the rotor 32 is densely distributed, the freezing speed is faster, and combined with the more significant ice scraping effect, the first solidified ice layer 1101 can be scraped off, so as to avoid rapid freezing during startup to freeze the ice-squeezing knife 3 and affect its rotation.

[0045] The water used for ice making varies depending on the ice making demand scenario. Industrial ice making usually uses tap water that has been disinfected and purified by a water plant or other surface water or groundwater that meets the standards. The water contains a certain amount of minerals and trace elements. A few industries that have high requirements for ice quality, such as the pharmaceutical industry and the precision electronics industry, use deionized water and distilled water when making ice. In addition, even if the tap water is the same, the content of minerals and trace elements will vary in different regions.

[0046] Different water qualities correspond to different specific heat capacities. Generally speaking, the higher the mineral content in the water, the smaller the specific heat capacity. Affected by the difference in specific heat capacity, the time required for water of different water qualities to freeze is also different. In addition to water quality, the ambient temperature is different in different regions or under different working conditions, and the freezing time of the ice maker when in use also varies accordingly. The temperature of the water filled into the housing 1 is different, which will also directly affect the time required for freezing.

[0047] In the related art, the pitch of the spiral structure is equal everywhere. Affected by conditions such as water quality, water temperature and ambient temperature, the spiral structure cannot quickly scrape off the ice when the freezing rate is too fast, resulting in freezing and being unable to rotate or being blocked and stuck, affecting rotation. To avoid the above situation and control the freezing speed, different ice makers can only be replaced according to the use area and working conditions, or different refrigeration components can be replaced. In order to reasonably control the freezing speed, the compressor power of the refrigeration component is sometimes limited. The scope of application of the ice maker in the related art is therefore greatly restricted, and its applicability is relatively low. When the compressor power is limited, it will also affect the speed of ice making and squeezing.

[0048] In an embodiment of the present invention, an ice-squeezing blade 3 with a variable pitch is provided to solve the problem of rotation jamming caused by excessively fast freezing speed in areas with lower temperatures of the shell 1. It can be adapted to different water qualities, water temperatures and ambient temperatures, and even if the freezing speed is fast, it can quickly scrape off the area that freezes first to prevent the ice-squeezing blade 3 from freezing. In scenarios where the freezing speed is slow, such as low mineral content, low specific heat capacity, high water temperature, high ambient temperature and other working conditions, the ice-making machine provided by the embodiment of the present invention can improve the working efficiency of the refrigeration component, accelerate the freezing speed and improve the quality of ice cubes by increasing the compressor power. The compressor power is no longer limited, and a higher-power compressor can be selected. There is no need to frequently adjust the compressor power, it is not easy to jam, the rotation stability of the ice-squeezing blade 3 is better, and the overall ice-making speed of the ice-making machine is greatly improved.

[0049] Next, since the extrusion type ice making is a continuous ice making method, and the extrusion rate may be limited by the structure of the extrusion position. Therefore, the time from filling water into the housing 1 to the first extrusion of ice will directly affect the overall working efficiency of the extrusion type ice making. The ice making machine provided by the embodiment of the present invention can quickly realize the first extrusion of ice without limiting the compressor. In some embodiments, the time for the first ice output is within five minutes.

[0050] On the other hand, the ice formed by cooling will float in the first direction due to the buoyancy. At the same time, the rotation of the ice-squeezing blade 3 will also push the ice in the first direction, and the position close to the end 3202 of the rotor blade 32 will accumulate more ice due to the continuous push and buoyancy. The density difference of the distribution of the rotor blades 32 in the embodiment of the present invention matches the accumulation of ice during ice making. The area where the rotor blades 32 are more densely distributed has less ice accumulation, and the area where the rotor blades 32 are more sparsely distributed has more ice accumulation. The ice accumulation will not be blocked due to exceeding the rotor blade interval, which will affect the rotation of the ice-squeezing blade 3.

[0051] Specifically, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 8 As shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, the pitch of the rotor blade 32 is preferably set to increase in sections, and the rotor blade 32 is set in an integrated manner. The area on the shaft 31 where the rotor blade 32 is set includes a first section 41, a second section 42, a third section 43 and a fourth section 44 arranged in sequence along the first direction. Among them, one side of the first section 41 is the starting end 3201 of the rotor blade 32, and one side of the fourth section 44 is the end 3202 of the rotor blade 32. The length of the area on the shaft 31 where the rotor blade 32 is set is set to H. In the first direction, the length of the first section 41 is H1, the length of the second section 42 is H2, the length of the third section 43 is H3, and the length of the fourth section 44 is H4. It can be obtained that H1+H2+H3+H4=H.

[0052] Furthermore, the ice forms faster in the area where the temperature of the shell 1 is lower, which may easily cause the ice-squeezing blade 3 to get stuck. Therefore, the first section 41, the second section 42 and the third section 43 need to have a stronger ice scraping effect than the fourth section 44 to avoid ice accumulation. The first section 41 is set as an ice-crushing blade area, which is used to scrape the corresponding ice layer 1101 and push it in the direction where the second section 42 is located. To avoid the ice-squeezing blade 3 from getting stuck, the length H1 of the first section 41 in the first direction accounts for 25% to 30% of the length H of the area where the rotor blades 32 are provided on the rotating shaft 31. The fourth section 44 is an ice squeezing area and at the same time, ice is crushed in the area corresponding to the fourth section 44. The length H4 of the fourth section 44 in the first direction accounts for 20% to 25% of the length H of the area where the rotor blades 32 are provided on the rotating shaft 31.

[0053] The second section 42 and the third section 43 are auxiliary ice crushing areas, and the length H2 of the second section 42 in the first direction accounts for 15% to 20% of the length H of the area on the shaft 31 where the rotor blades 32 are provided. The area on the shaft 31 where the rotor blades 32 are provided is the third section 43 except for the first section 41, the second section 42 and the fourth section 44.

[0054] In the embodiment of the present invention, the first section 41, the second section 42, the third section 43 and the fourth section 44 are set to facilitate setting the pitch in combination with the characteristics of ice formation and the area prone to jamming, and the pitch is set to increase in sections accordingly. If the proportion of the first section 41 is too small, the area where the blades 32 are densely distributed accounts for a small proportion, and the ice layer 1101 cannot be quickly scraped off. If the proportion of the first section 41 is too large, the area where the blades 32 are densely distributed accounts for a large proportion, which will affect the ice storage capacity and ice output speed of the shell 1.

[0055] Furthermore, when the pitch of the rotating blade 32 is set to increase in sections. The pitch of the rotating blade 32 in the first section 41 is greater than or equal to 8 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm; the pitch of the rotating blade 32 in the second section 42 is greater than or equal to 12 mm and less than or equal to 14 mm; the pitch of the rotating blade 32 in the third section 43 is greater than or equal to 15 mm and less than or equal to 17 mm; the pitch of the rotating blade 32 in the fourth section 44 is greater than or equal to 18 mm and less than or equal to 20 mm. If the pitch is set too small, the space between two adjacent circles of the rotating blade 32 is small, and the amount of ice that can be accommodated is small, which is very easy to be filled with ice and affect the rotation. When the pitch is set too large, the scraping effect on the ice layer 1101 is correspondingly weakened, and the solidified ice cannot be scraped off in time, which can easily cause jamming.

[0056] The embodiment of the present invention divides and redistributes the distribution of the rotor blades 32 when the total length H is determined, which can better solve the pain points in the ice making field compared with other spiral structures. Different pitches are set according to the differences in ice forming speeds and ice making functions at different positions, thereby improving ice making efficiency and ice output speed.

[0057] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the radial clearance between the blade edge of the rotor blade 32 and the inner wall of the housing 1 is set to increase in the first direction. That is, the radial dimension of the rotor blade 32 is smaller at one end and larger at the other end. The radial dimension is larger at the starting end 3201 of the rotor blade 32, and smaller at the end 3202 of the rotor blade 32.

[0058] Reference Figure 6 The ice thickness of the ice layer 1101 when the ice maker is in use is shown in the figure. In the area with lower temperature in the first direction, the ice forming speed is fast and the ice layer thickness is thicker. In the area with higher temperature in the first direction, the ice forming speed is slow and the ice layer thickness is thinner. Since the inner wall of the shell 1 is a continuous and smooth column, when the radial dimension of the starting end 3201 of the rotor blade 32 is large, the gap between this part of the area and the inner wall of the shell 1 is small. After the ice layer 1101 is frozen, it can abut against the blade edge of the rotor blade 32 in a short time and be scraped off. The ice layer 1101 is scraped off and pushed by the ice squeezer 3 before it accumulates to a certain thickness, which can effectively avoid the rotation from getting stuck.

[0059] The freezing speed is slightly slower in the area with higher temperature in the first direction, and when scraping ice in the first section 41, the thickness of the ice layer in the second section 42, the third section 43 and the fourth section 44 gradually decreases. When the gap between the rotor blade 32 and the inner wall of the housing 1 is set larger, it can avoid unnecessary wear of the equipment and extend the service life, and reserve a larger ice storage space for the auxiliary ice crushing area and the ice squeezing area.

[0060] Furthermore, the enveloping side surface of the blade edge line of the rotor blade 32 is set to a positive conical surface. The radial size of the rotor blade 32 changes evenly to avoid sudden increase or decrease causing equipment wear or dead zone in ice scraping. The evenly changing rotor blade size corresponds to the changing temperature and ice thickness of the ice making area 11, which can obtain the best ice scraping effect. Figure 4 As shown, the uniform change of the radial dimension of the rotor blade 32 is manifested in that, in the cross-sectional view of the ice maker along the axis, the line connecting the corresponding points on each circle of the rotor blade 32 is a straight line, not a broken line or a curve. When the shaft 31 rotates, the motion trajectory of the blade edge line of the rotor blade 32 in space has the geometric characteristics of a conical surface, and the line connecting the corresponding points of each circle of the rotor blade 32 in the cross-sectional view is one of the generatrixes of the conical surface, and the blade edge line forms an envelope side surface similar to a conical surface when rotating.

[0061] Further, refer to Figure 7 As shown, the angle between the generatrix of the conical surface and the axis line is greater than or equal to 0.3° and less than or equal to 0.4°. That is, the angle between the line connecting the corresponding points of each circle of the rotor blades 32 in the cutaway view and the axial direction of the shell 1 is greater than or equal to 0.3° and less than or equal to 0.4°; the angle between the line connecting the corresponding points of each circle of the rotor blades 32 in the cutaway view and the first direction, and the angle between the line connecting the corresponding points of each circle of the rotor blades 32 in the cutaway view and the length direction of the inner wall of the shell 1 are both α, α≥0.3° and α≤0.4°.

[0062] When the angle α is too large, it means that the radial dimension of the blade 32 varies widely, and the radial dimension of the area close to the end 3202 of the blade 32 is small, and the ice layer 1101 needs to be thicker to be scraped against the blade edge, and it is easy to accumulate more ice and freeze the ice-squeezing blade 3. When the angle is too small, it means that the radial dimension of the blade 32 varies widely, and the gap widths between each section and the inner wall of the housing 1 are close, and it is impossible to perform differentiated ice scraping treatments on different areas.

[0063] In addition, the gap between the rotor blade 32 and the inner wall of the housing 1 is also related to the critical value of the ice thickness of the ice layer 1101. Figure 4 As shown, ΔD is the radial width of the gap between the end 3202 of the rotor blade 32 and the inner wall of the shell 1, and ΔD is set to the critical value of the ice thickness. In an embodiment of the present invention, D is the minimum diameter of the rotor blade 32 in the radial direction. ΔD=D / 100±0.05mm is set to avoid wear caused by scraping when the ice layer 1101 is not fully formed, which affects the purity of the finished ice; at the same time, it is avoided that when the ice layer is thick, the ice-squeezing knife 3 is still unable to abut and scrape, causing the ice layer 1101 to stay on the inner wall of the shell 1 and affect the cooling efficiency of the cooling assembly 2. In some embodiments, 36mm≤D≤40mm. When D=40mm, 0.35mm≤ΔD≤0.45mm.

[0064] Specifically, the blade wedge angle of the rotating blade 32 is greater than or equal to 50° and less than or equal to 70°. In the embodiment of the present invention, it is preferably set to 60°. Among them, the blade wedge angle is the angle between the two cutting edge surfaces at the blade 32. The blade wedge angle affects the cutting ability and durability of the ice-squeezing blade 3. When the blade wedge angle is smaller, the blade is sharper and easier to cut into the ice layer 1101, but the blade strength is lower and it is very easy to wear or chip. When the blade wedge angle is larger, the strength is increased but the ice scraping strength is weakened, and it is not easy to cut into the ice layer 1101.

[0065] Specifically, refer to Figure 4 As shown, in the cross-sectional view, the ice-making area 11 is opposite to the area on the rotating shaft 31 where the rotating blades 32 are provided. That is, the ice-making area 11 of the housing 1 is opposite to the area on the rotating shaft 31 where the rotating blades 32 are provided in the radial direction. This is because the ice-making area 11 is the main ice-forming area on the inner wall of the housing 1, and the rotating blades 32 are arranged corresponding to the ice-making area 11 to crush ice.

[0066] Further, refer to Figure 4As shown, the length of the ice-making area 11 along the first direction is less than the length of the area on the rotating shaft 31 where the blades 32 are provided. Although the ice-making area 11 is the main ice-forming area on the inner wall of the housing 1, the ice-making area 11 on both sides in the first direction will also freeze due to the temperature drop due to the influence of the cooling assembly 2. In order to enable the ice-squeezing knife 3 to crush and squeeze out most of the ice-forming areas, the length of the ice-making area 11 along the first direction is set to L, and the length of the area on the rotating shaft 31 where the blades 32 are provided is set to H, L<H, and H=L+ΔL1+ΔL2. Among them, the ice-making area 11 has an area with a length of ΔL2 on one side close to the end 3202 of the blades 32, which can be crushed and squeezed out by the fourth section 44 of the ice-squeezing knife 3, and the ice-making area 11 has an area with a length of ΔL1 on one side close to the starting end 3201 of the blades 32, which can be crushed and pushed by the first section 41 of the ice-squeezing knife 3.

[0067] In some embodiments, 1.4D≤H≤1.5D is set, and the radial dimension of the ice-squeezing knife 3 and the length of the area where the rotor blade 32 is located are matched. When D=40mm, 56mm≤H≤60mm. L:ΔL1:ΔL2=7:1.8:1.2 is set, and when D=40mm and H=60mm, L=42mm, ΔL1=10.8mm, and ΔL2=7.2mm. Since the temperature on the side of the ice-making area 11 close to the starting end 3201 of the rotor blade 32 is lower, the corresponding area on this side outside the ice-making area 11 that may freeze will also be larger than the other side. Setting ΔL1>ΔL2 can make the ice-squeezing knife 3 match the actual ice formation situation, and realize ice crushing and pushing out of the ice layer 1101 solidified in the entire shell 1.

[0068] Specifically, in the embodiments of the present invention, referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the cooling assembly 2 is provided with a refrigerant inlet 21 and a refrigerant outlet 22. When making ice, the interior of the cooling assembly 2 is filled with refrigerant between the refrigerant inlet 21 and the refrigerant outlet 22. In the first direction, the refrigerant inlet 21 is arranged near the starting end 3201 of the rotor 32, and the refrigerant outlet 22 is arranged near the end 3202 of the rotor 32. When the refrigerant flows in the cooling assembly 2, heat is exchanged with the ice-making area 11 of the housing 1. As the refrigerant flows, the temperature of the refrigerant continues to rise, so that the temperature of the ice-making area 11 changes along the first direction.

[0069] In the embodiment of the present invention, due to the structural setting of the ice-squeezing blade 3, there is no need to replace or frequently adjust the compressor power of the cooling assembly 2. The refrigeration power of the refrigerant can be increased by 20% to 25% under the condition that the ice-making machine runs smoothly, and the better refrigeration effect can also bring finished ice cubes with uniform density, stable temperature, good structural strength and high hardness.

[0070] In other embodiments, the cooling component 2 may also be configured as other cooling forms, and the type of refrigerant may also be determined according to actual cooling requirements.

[0071] Reference Figure 1 The figure shows an ice maker in the related art. When working, water is filled into the water storage part 73 to the preset water level line, and then the refrigerant flows into the ice making part 72. The ice making part 72 is quickly cooled to below zero, and the water in contact with it will freeze on its surface. After running for a certain period of time, bullet-shaped ice cubes are formed on the ice making part 72. Thereafter, high-temperature gas is passed into the ice making part 72 to de-ice the ice cubes so that they fall into the water storage part 73, and are turned over and collected by the turning motor 71. This type of ice maker takes about 10 minutes to produce ice. Since the ice making part 72 needs to be in direct contact with water, it is impossible to add a thermal insulation layer, resulting in a large contact surface with the air and a low refrigeration efficiency.

[0072] In the embodiment of the present invention, the ice maker further comprises a heat preservation member, which is arranged outside the cooling assembly 2 and at least covers the ice making area 11. The contact area between the cooling assembly 2 and the air is Figure 1 The ice machine is smaller, less energy is lost, and the cooling efficiency is higher.

[0073] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the ice maker further includes a power assembly. A top cover 12 is provided at one end of the housing 1 along the first direction, the top cover 12 is located on one side of the housing 1 close to the end 3202 of the rotating blade 32, and the top cover 12 is hollowed out for squeezing ice. A power assembly is provided at the other end of the housing 1 along the first direction, and an output shaft 5 of the power assembly is connected to and drives the ice squeezing blade 3 to rotate.

[0074] The housing 1 is also provided with a water inlet 13 for filling water. A sealing member 6 is also provided at the connection between the ice-squeezing blade 3 and the output shaft 5. The sealing member 6 can be provided as a sealing gasket, a sealing ring and / or other sealing structures.

[0075] The working principle of the ice maker provided in the embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Water is filled into the housing 1 through the water inlet 13. Refrigerant is introduced through the refrigerant inlet 21 to reduce the temperature of the ice-making area 11, and the temperature of the ice-making area 11 is controlled so that the filled water freezes on the inner wall of the housing 1.

[0076] The power assembly is connected to the ice-squeezing blade 3 and drives the ice-squeezing blade 3 to rotate at a constant speed. The rotation of the ice-squeezing blade 3 can be synchronized with the water injection inside the housing 1.

[0077] The thickness of the ice layer 1101 on the inner wall of the housing 1 increases with the ice making time, and the ice layer 1101 abuts against the edge of the ice-squeezing knife 3. The rotating blade 32 of the ice-squeezing knife 3 scrapes the crushed ice from the surface of the ice layer 1101 on the inner wall of the housing 1, and the crushed ice floats upward due to the buoyancy and is pushed by the ice-squeezing knife 3 in the first direction until it is squeezed out of the housing 1 to complete ice making.

[0078] When the ice maker is in use, the compressor power is between 120w and 150w and preferably 130w, the corresponding working power of the ice-squeezing blade 3 is about 30w, and the rotation speed of the ice-squeezing blade 3 is about 6r / min. The large proportion of the compressor power can make ice quickly. The embodiment of the present invention can continuously separate ice and water and continuously produce ice while making ice by extrusion, and can adapt to different water quality, water temperature and ambient temperature conditions, and has a wider range of applications. There are fewer restrictions on the compressor, and it has better refrigeration efficiency and higher hardness of the finished ice cubes. On this basis, the rotating ice-squeezing blade 3 is not easy to be blocked, rotates smoothly, has high stability, and the ice maker has good reliability.

[0079] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used here to describe the spatial positional relationship between a device or feature and other devices or features as shown in the figure. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figure. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below other devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". The device can also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used here are interpreted accordingly.

[0080] In addition, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to limit components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this application.

[0081] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An ice making machine, characterized in that: include; The shell (1) is configured in a cylindrical shape and has an ice-making area (11) therein; A cooling assembly (2) used for lowering the temperature of the ice-making area (11) and configured to increase the temperature of the ice-making area (11) along a first direction; An ice-squeezing blade (3) is coaxially arranged in the housing (1), comprising a rotating shaft (31) and a rotating blade (32) spirally arranged around the rotating shaft (31), wherein the spiral direction of the rotating blade (32) is configured to push the ice in the first direction when rotating; the pitch of the rotating blade (32) increases along the first direction, and the radial clearance between the blade edge of the rotating blade (32) and the inner wall of the housing (1) increases along the first direction.

2. The ice making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating blades (32) are arranged as a single-line spiral structure on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft (31), and the pitch of the rotating blades (32) is arranged to gradually increase.

3. The ice making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pitch of the rotating blade (32) is set to increase in sections.

4. The ice making machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The area on the rotating shaft (31) where the rotating blades (32) are arranged comprises a first section (41), a second section (42), a third section (43) and a fourth section (44) which are sequentially arranged along the first direction.

5. The ice making machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the first direction, the length of the first section (41) accounts for 25% to 30% of the length of the region on the rotating shaft (31) where the rotating blades (32) are arranged; The length of the second section (42) accounts for 15% to 20% of the length of the region on the rotating shaft (31) where the rotating blades (32) are arranged; The length of the fourth section (44) accounts for 20% to 25% of the length of the region on the rotating shaft (31) where the rotating blades (32) are arranged; The area on the rotating shaft (31) where the rotating blades (32) are arranged is configured as the third section (43) outside the first section (41), the second section (42) and the fourth section (44).

6. The ice making machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pitch of the rotating blade (32) in the first section (41) is greater than or equal to 8 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm; The pitch of the rotating blade (32) in the second section (42) is greater than or equal to 12 mm and less than or equal to 14 mm; The pitch of the rotating blade (32) in the third section (43) is greater than or equal to 15 mm and less than or equal to 17 mm; The pitch of the rotating blade (32) in the fourth section (44) is greater than or equal to 18 mm and less than or equal to 20 mm.

7. The ice making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The enveloping side surface of the cutting edge line of the rotating blade (32) is arranged as a right-positioned conical surface.

8. The ice making machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The included angle between the generatrix of the conical surface and the axis of the housing (1) is greater than or equal to 0.3° and less than or equal to 0.4°.

9. The ice making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The blade edge wedge angle of the rotating blade (32) is greater than or equal to 50 degrees and less than or equal to 70 degrees.

10. The ice making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The cooling assembly (2) is closely attached to the outer wall of the shell (1) and is arranged corresponding to the ice-making area (11) of the shell (1); the ice-making area (11) is opposite to the area on the rotating shaft (31) where the rotating blades (32) are arranged; the length of the ice-making area (11) along the first direction is shorter than the length of the area on the rotating shaft (31) where the rotating blades (32) are arranged along the first direction; The cooling component (2) is provided with a refrigerant inlet (21) and a refrigerant outlet (22), and the interior of the cooling component (2) is filled with refrigerant between the refrigerant inlet (21) and the refrigerant outlet (22).

11. The ice making machine according to claim 10, characterized in that It also comprises a heat-insulating component, which is arranged outside the cooling assembly (2) and at least covers the ice-making area (11).

12. The ice making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes power components; A top cover (12) is provided at one end of the shell (1) along the first direction, and the top cover (12) is hollowed out and used for squeezing out ice; The power assembly is arranged at the other end of the housing (1) along the first direction, and the output shaft (5) of the power assembly is connected to and drives the ice-squeezing blade (3) to rotate. A sealing member (6) is also arranged at the connection between the ice-squeezing blade (3) and the output shaft (5).

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