Ice making device and method
By using an ultrasonic transducer in an ice-making device to accelerate the release of gas from water and break up bubble nuclei, the formation of single-crystal ice is promoted, thus solving the problem of low ice transparency and improving the quality of ice.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511500817.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-10-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-23
AI Technical Summary
The ice produced by existing ice makers has low transparency, resulting in low-quality ice.
Introducing an ultrasonic transducer into an ice-making device accelerates the release of dissolved gases from water through vibration, destroys bubble nuclei, promotes the formation of single-crystal ice, and reduces the number of bubbles and the size of crystals in the ice.
It significantly improves the transparency of ice, thereby enhancing the quality of the ice.
Smart Images
Figure CN121383533A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of ice-making technology, and in particular to an ice-making apparatus and method. Background Technology
[0002] An ice maker is a device specifically designed for producing ice cubes and is widely used in commercial and residential environments, such as restaurants, bars, hotels, supermarkets, and home kitchens. The design and function of an ice maker can vary depending on the usage scenario.
[0003] In related technologies, ice makers generally include a metal ice tray, a water inlet pipe, an ice-removing rod, and a frame. The metal ice tray is usually installed inside the frame, and the outlet of the water inlet pipe is positioned opposite to the metal ice tray to fill it with water. The ice-removing rod is fixed to the frame, and after ice making is completed, the ice-removing rod is used to peel the prepared ice blocks out of the metal ice tray.
[0004] However, the ice produced by the above method has low transparency, resulting in low quality ice. Summary of the Invention
[0005] In view of the above problems, this application provides an ice-making apparatus and method that can improve the transparency of the ice blocks produced, thereby improving the quality of the ice blocks.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of this application provide the following technical solutions:
[0007] A first aspect of this application provides an ice-making apparatus, comprising at least:
[0008] An ice tray assembly; the ice tray assembly includes: an ice tray body and at least one ultrasonic transducer, the ice tray body having a receiving groove for containing a medium, and the ultrasonic transducer being disposed on a side of the ice tray body opposite to the receiving groove, the ultrasonic transducer being used to drive the medium in the receiving groove to vibrate when it vibrates.
[0009] In the ice-making apparatus provided in this application embodiment, at least one ultrasonic transducer is disposed on the side of the ice tray body opposite to the receiving tank used to contain the medium. During ice making, the ultrasonic transducer vibrates after being energized, causing the medium in the receiving tank to vibrate. Taking water as an example, since the ultrasonic transducer is disposed on the ice tray body, the periodic pressure waves generated by the ultrasonic transducer can accelerate the precipitation of dissolved gases (such as oxygen or nitrogen) in the water during the freezing process. Furthermore, the micro-jet generated when the cavitation bubbles generated by the ultrasonic transducer break can disperse the already formed bubble nuclei, reducing the number of bubbles in the frozen ice block. In addition to producing a cavitation effect, the high-frequency ultrasonic vibration can break the supercooled state of water and reduce the nucleation power. In addition, the energy generated by the ultrasonic transducer can promote the orderly arrangement of water molecules, making water tend to form single-crystal ice during the freezing process. Moreover, the energy generated by the ultrasonic transducer can destroy the growth of dendritic ice crystals, causing the crystal size to change from a larger size to a smaller size. The smaller crystal size reduces the refractive index of light, greatly improving the transparency of the frozen ice block. Therefore, the embodiments of this application can improve the transparency of the ice blocks produced, thereby improving the quality of the ice blocks.
[0010] In some embodiments, at least one partition plate is further provided in the receiving groove, the partition plate being used to divide the receiving groove into a plurality of sub-receiving grooves.
[0011] In some embodiments, the ice tray assembly further includes an ice tray evaporator; the ice tray evaporator is disposed on the side of the ice tray body facing away from the receiving tank, and the ice tray evaporator is used to cool the medium in the receiving tank.
[0012] In some embodiments, a first limiting groove is provided on the side of the ice tray body facing away from the receiving groove, and the ice tray evaporator is disposed in the first limiting groove.
[0013] In some embodiments, the ice tray assembly further includes an ice tray de-icing component; the ice tray de-icing component is disposed on the side of the ice tray body opposite to the receiving groove, and the ice tray de-icing component is used to demold the fixed medium in the receiving groove.
[0014] In some embodiments, the ice-removing component of the ice tray is a heating component.
[0015] In some embodiments, a second limiting groove is provided on the side of the ice tray body facing away from the receiving groove, and the ice tray de-icing component is disposed in the second limiting groove.
[0016] In some embodiments, the system further includes a water inlet assembly, wherein the outlet of the water inlet assembly is disposed opposite to the opening of the receiving tank, and the water inlet assembly is used to fill the receiving tank with water.
[0017] In some embodiments, it further includes an ice-removing assembly for removing solid media from the receiving tank.
[0018] In some embodiments, the system further includes a frame, to which both the ice tray body and the ice-removing assembly are fixed.
[0019] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer includes: a housing and a plurality of conductive transducers located within the housing, the conductive transducers vibrating freely within the housing.
[0020] In some embodiments, it further includes: at least one temperature sensor; the temperature sensor is disposed on the side of the ice tray body opposite to the receiving groove.
[0021] A second aspect of this application provides an ice-making method, employing the ice-making apparatus described in any of the above claims, comprising:
[0022] The vibration parameters of the ultrasonic transducer are set;
[0023] The ice tray evaporator starts working and begins making ice;
[0024] When the ultrasonic transducer is energized, it vibrates, causing the medium inside the ice tray to vibrate.
[0025] Once ice making is complete, the ice tray evaporator stops working.
[0026] In some embodiments, before the ultrasonic transducer vibrates when energized, causing the medium within the ice tray to vibrate, the following steps are included:
[0027] The medium inside the ice plate enters the phase transition stage.
[0028] In some embodiments, the medium within the ice tray body enters a phase transition stage, including:
[0029] The temperature of the medium inside the ice tray is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature.
[0030] In some embodiments, setting the vibration parameters of the ultrasonic transducer includes:
[0031] The vibration frequency and vibration power of the ultrasonic transducer are set.
[0032] In some embodiments, before the ice tray evaporator is started and ice making begins, the following steps are included:
[0033] Turn on the water inlet assembly to fill the accommodating tank inside the ice tray with water.
[0034] In some embodiments, opening the water inlet assembly to fill the receiving tank inside the ice tray body with water includes:
[0035] The water inlet component begins filling with water at a preset time;
[0036] When the water inlet component has been in operation for a preset time and the water level in the accommodating tank has reached a preset level, the water injection is complete.
[0037] In some embodiments, before the ice-making process is completed and the ice tray evaporator stops operating, the following steps are included:
[0038] When the temperature of the medium inside the ice tray reaches the second preset temperature, the ultrasonic transducer is powered off and stops working.
[0039] In some embodiments, after ice making is completed, the ice tray evaporator stops working, including:
[0040] When the temperature of the medium inside the ice tray reaches the third preset temperature, ice making is complete, and the ice tray evaporator stops working.
[0041] In some embodiments, after ice making is completed and the ice tray evaporator stops operating, the following steps are included:
[0042] The ice tray de-icing component begins to work, and the ice tray de-icing component performs demolding treatment on the fixed medium in the receiving groove.
[0043] The ice-making method provided in this application has the same beneficial effects as the ice-making device provided in the above embodiments, and will not be described again here.
[0044] In addition to the technical problems solved by the embodiments of this application, the technical features constituting the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought about by the technical features of these technical solutions described above, other technical problems that the vehicle air conditioning intake housing and the vehicle provided by the embodiments of this application can solve, other technical features included in the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought about by these technical features will be further explained in detail in the specific implementation. Attached Figure Description
[0045] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ice-making device provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0047] Figure 2 This is another schematic diagram of the ice-making apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application;
[0048] Figure 3 This is another schematic diagram of the ice-making apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application;
[0049] Figure 4 This is another schematic diagram of the ice-making apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application;
[0050] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the ice-making steps of the ice-making device provided in the embodiments of this application.
[0051] Figure label:
[0052] 100 - Ice-making device;
[0053] 110-Ice Plate Components;
[0054] 111-Ice tray body;
[0055] 1111 - Receiving slot;
[0056] 1112 - Partition board;
[0057] 1113-Sub-receptacle;
[0058] 1114 - First limiting groove;
[0059] 1115 - Second limiting groove;
[0060] 112 - Ultrasonic transducer;
[0061] 113 - Ice tray evaporator;
[0062] 114 - Ice tray de-icing parts;
[0063] 120-Ice-removing component;
[0064] 121-Driver;
[0065] 122 - Ice pick;
[0066] 130 - Temperature sensor. Detailed Implementation
[0067] Water contains dissolved gases at normal pressure. As the temperature decreases, ice crystals form, and the compact molecular structure of the ice creates a significant compression effect. In traditional air-cooled refrigerators, the ice maker freezes water from the outside in during the ice-making process, preventing the compressed gases from escaping and creating cavities and air bubbles inside the ice. Due to the high internal pressure, these bubbles tend to burst, increasing their number and thus their total surface area to distribute the pressure within the ice. This results in a large number of air bubbles in the frozen ice, making it appear whitish and hazy. The resulting ice has low transparency, lower quality, and negatively impacts the user experience.
[0068] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a novel ice-making apparatus and method. The ice-making apparatus includes at least an ice tray assembly. The ice tray assembly includes an ice tray body and at least one ultrasonic transducer. The ice tray body has a receiving groove for containing a medium, and the ultrasonic transducer is disposed on the side of the ice tray body facing away from the receiving groove. The ultrasonic transducer is used to cause the medium in the receiving groove to vibrate when it vibrates. This application combines the ultrasonic transducer with the ice tray body, which can improve the transparency of the ice produced, thereby improving the quality of the ice.
[0069] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of the embodiments of this application more apparent and understandable, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0070] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an ice-making device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is another schematic diagram of the ice-making apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application.
[0071] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this application embodiment provides an ice-making device 100, which may include at least an ice tray assembly 110. Specifically, in this application embodiment, the ice tray assembly 110 may include an ice tray body 111 and at least one ultrasonic transducer 112. The ice tray body 111 has a receiving groove 1111 for receiving a medium. The ultrasonic transducer 112 may be disposed on the side of the ice tray body 111 facing away from the receiving groove 1111. The ultrasonic transducer 112 is used to drive the medium in the receiving groove 1111 to vibrate when it vibrates.
[0072] Thus, during ice making, the ultrasonic transducer 112 vibrates after being energized, causing the medium within the container 1111 to vibrate. Taking water as an example, since the ultrasonic transducer 112 is mounted on the ice tray body 111, the periodic pressure waves generated by the ultrasonic transducer 112 can accelerate the precipitation of dissolved gases (such as oxygen or nitrogen) in the water during the freezing process. Furthermore, the microjets generated when the cavitation bubbles produced by the ultrasonic transducer 112 burst can disperse the already formed bubble nuclei, reducing the number of bubbles in the frozen ice. In addition to the cavitation effect, the high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations can break the supercooled state of the water, reducing the nucleation power.
[0073] Furthermore, the energy generated by the ultrasonic transducer 112 can promote the orderly arrangement of water molecules, giving water a tendency to form single-crystal ice during the freezing process. The energy also disrupts the growth of dendritic ice crystals, reducing the size of the crystals from large to small. Smaller crystals have a lower refractive index, significantly improving the transparency of the frozen ice. Therefore, the embodiments of this application can improve the transparency of the produced ice, thereby enhancing the quality of the ice.
[0074] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, the ultrasonic transducer 112 can be disposed at any position on the side of the ice plate body 111 facing away from the receiving groove 1111. The embodiments of this application do not limit this, nor are they limited to the examples in the figure.
[0075] In one possible implementation, the ultrasonic transducer 112 may be fixed to the side of the ice tray body 111 facing away from the receiving groove 1111, so that when the ultrasonic transducer 112 vibrates, it synchronously drives the medium in the receiving groove 1111 to vibrate. Exemplarily, the ultrasonic transducer 112 may be glued, snapped, threaded, or welded to the side of the ice tray body 111 facing away from the receiving groove 1111.
[0076] In this embodiment of the application, at least one partition plate 1112 may also be provided in the receiving groove 1111, wherein the partition plate 1112 is used to divide the receiving groove 1111 into a plurality of sub-receiving grooves 1113. This facilitates the production of a plurality of independent ice blocks in the plurality of sub-receiving grooves 1113.
[0077] In this embodiment, the ice tray assembly 110 may further include an ice tray evaporator 113, wherein the ice tray evaporator 113 may be disposed on the side of the ice tray body 111 facing away from the receiving tank 1111, and the ice tray evaporator 113 is used to cool the medium in the receiving tank 1111. Specifically, the ice tray evaporator 113 is used to provide cooling to cause the flowing water to undergo a phase change to form ice in the receiving tank 1111 of the ice-making body.
[0078] In some embodiments, a first limiting groove 1114 may be provided on the side of the ice tray body 111 facing away from the receiving groove 1111, and the ice tray evaporator 113 may be disposed in the first limiting groove 1114.
[0079] In this embodiment of the application, the ice tray assembly 110 may further include an ice tray de-icing component 114, wherein the ice tray de-icing component 114 may be disposed on the side of the ice tray body 111 facing away from the receiving groove 1111, and the ice tray de-icing component 114 is used to demold the fixed medium in the receiving groove 1111.
[0080] In one possible implementation, the ice-removing component 114 can be a heating element. The ice-removing component 114 is used to continuously heat the ice-making body, causing the part of the ice in contact with the receiving groove 1111 of the ice-making body to melt, thereby separating the ice from the receiving groove 1111 of the ice-making body, and allowing the ice to slide down into the receiving groove 1111 of the ice-making body, thus achieving de-icing.
[0081] It is understood that in some embodiments, a second limiting groove 1115 may be provided on the side of the ice tray body 111 facing away from the receiving groove 1111, and the ice tray de-icing component 114 may be disposed in the second limiting groove 1115.
[0082] In addition, in this embodiment of the application, the ice-making device may further include: a water inlet component, wherein the outlet of the water inlet component may be arranged opposite to the opening of the receiving tank 1111, and the water inlet component is used to inject water into the receiving tank 1111.
[0083] It is understood that, in some embodiments, the water inlet component may be, for example, a water pump. When water begins to be injected into the ice tray body 111, the water pump may start working at a preset time t1. When the water pump has been working for time t1, the water level in the ice tray body 111 reaches the preset water level, and the water injection is completed.
[0084] Figure 3 This is another structural schematic diagram of the ice-making apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 4 This is another structural schematic diagram of the ice-making apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application.
[0085] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in this embodiment, the ice-making device may further include an ice-removing assembly 120, which is used to peel the solid medium out of the receiving tank 1111. Specifically, the portion of the ice in contact with the receiving tank 1111 of the ice-making body melts, so that after the ice separates from the receiving tank 1111 of the ice-making body, the ice block can be peeled out of the receiving tank 1111 by the ice-removing assembly 120.
[0086] Specifically, see Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in the embodiment of this application, the ice-removing assembly 120 may include a driving member 121 and an ice-removing member 122, wherein the driving member 121 is fixedly connected to the ice-removing member 122, and the driving member 121 is used to drive the ice-removing member 122, and the ice-removing member 122 is used to peel the solid medium out of the receiving groove 1111.
[0087] In this embodiment of the application, the ice-making device may further include a frame, wherein the ice tray body 111 and the ice-removing component 120 can both be fixed to the frame.
[0088] Specifically, in the embodiments of this application, the ultrasonic transducer 112 may include: a housing and a plurality of conductive transducers (not shown in the figure), wherein the plurality of conductive transducers may be located inside the housing, and the conductive transducers may vibrate freely inside the housing so that the ultrasonic transducer 112 vibrates at a high frequency.
[0089] In some embodiments, the conductive vibrator can be, for example, a piezoelectric ceramic sheet. Applying a voltage to the piezoelectric ceramic sheet causes it to vibrate at high frequency inside the housing of the ultrasonic vibrator 112, thereby generating ultrasonic waves. Since the ultrasonic vibrator 112 is fixed to the back of the ice tray body 111, the ice tray body 111 also vibrates, causing the water inside the ice tray body 111 to vibrate.
[0090] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in the embodiments of this application, the ice-making device may further include at least one temperature sensor 130, which may be disposed on the side of the ice tray body 111 facing away from the receiving groove 1111. The temperature sensor 130 may be used to monitor the real-time temperature of the ice tray body 111.
[0091] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the ice-making steps of the ice-making device 100 provided in the embodiments of this application.
[0092] Reference Figure 5 As shown in the embodiments of this application, an ice-making method is also provided. This ice-making method can use the ice-making apparatus described above. Specifically, the ice-making method may include:
[0093] S101: Set the vibration parameters of the ultrasonic transducer 112.
[0094] Specifically, in this embodiment of the application, setting the vibration parameters of the ultrasonic transducer 112 may include:
[0095] S1011: Set the vibration frequency and vibration power of the ultrasonic transducer 112.
[0096] In some embodiments, the vibration frequency of the ultrasonic transducer 112 can be set to a preset vibration frequency m Hz, and the vibration power of the ultrasonic transducer 112 can be set to a preset power w. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer 112 is combined with the ice plate body 111, so that the ultrasonic transducer 112 operates at the preset vibration frequency m Hz and the preset power w, which can greatly improve the transparency of the frozen ice.
[0097] S103: Ice tray evaporator 113 starts working and begins ice making.
[0098] S105: The ultrasonic transducer 112 is energized and vibrates, causing the medium inside the ice plate body 111 to vibrate.
[0099] S107: Ice making is complete, ice tray evaporator 113 stops working.
[0100] In this embodiment of the application, before the ultrasonic transducer 112 is energized and vibrates, causing the medium inside the ice plate body 111 to vibrate, the following may also be included:
[0101] S104: The medium inside the ice plate body 111 enters the phase change stage.
[0102] Specifically, in this embodiment of the application, the medium within the ice plate body 111 entering the phase change stage may include:
[0103] S1041: The temperature of the medium inside the ice plate body 111 is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature.
[0104] In the ice-making process, taking water as the medium, when the ice-making program starts, the water in the ice tray body 111 enters the phase change stage, that is, when the water temperature reaches the first preset temperature T1, the ultrasonic transducer 112 starts to be powered on, causing the water in the ice tray body 111 to generate high-frequency vibration. At this time, ice crystals begin to appear and grow.
[0105] In this way, the periodic pressure waves generated by the ultrasonic transducer 112 can accelerate the precipitation of dissolved gases (such as oxygen or nitrogen) in the water during the freezing process. Furthermore, the microjets generated when cavitation bubbles burst from the ultrasonic transducer 112 can disperse already formed bubble nuclei, reducing the number of bubbles in the frozen ice. In addition to the cavitation effect, the high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations can break the supercooled state of the water, reducing the nucleation power (i.e., the energy required for water to transform into ice crystals).
[0106] The energy generated by ultrasound can promote the orderly arrangement of water molecules, making water tend to form single-crystal ice during the freezing process. Furthermore, the energy of ultrasound can disrupt the growth of dendritic ice crystals, reducing the size of the crystals from large to small. Smaller crystals have a lower refractive index, which greatly improves the transparency of the frozen ice.
[0107] Additionally, it should be noted that the embodiments of this application do not limit the power-on time (i.e., the time when the ultrasonic transducer 112 starts working) and the power-off time (i.e., the time when it stops working). For example, the power-on time of the ultrasonic transducer 112 may be earlier or later than the time when the water in the ice plate body 111 enters the phase change stage (i.e., the water temperature reaches the first preset temperature T1), that is, the ultrasonic transducer 112 may be powered on before the water temperature reaches the first preset temperature T1.
[0108] In this embodiment of the application, before the ice tray evaporator 113 starts working and begins ice making, it may include:
[0109] S102: Turn on the water inlet component to fill the receiving tank 1111 inside the ice tray body 111 with water.
[0110] In this embodiment of the application, opening the water inlet assembly to fill the receiving tank 1111 inside the ice tray body 111 with water may include:
[0111] S1021: The water inlet assembly starts filling with water at a preset time.
[0112] S1022: The working time of the water inlet component reaches the preset time, the water level in the accommodating tank 1111 reaches the preset water level, and the water filling is completed.
[0113] In some embodiments, the water inlet component may be, for example, a water pump. When water is started to be added into the ice tray body 111, the water pump may start working at a preset time t1. When the water pump has been working for time t1, the water level in the ice tray body 111 reaches the preset water level, and water filling is completed. After water filling is completed, ice making begins.
[0114] In this embodiment of the application, before the ice-making process is completed and the ice tray evaporator 113 stops working, the following may be included:
[0115] S106: When the temperature of the medium inside the ice plate body 111 reaches the second preset temperature, the ultrasonic transducer 112 is de-energized and stops working.
[0116] At this time, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 130 reaches the second preset temperature T2, the ultrasonic transducer 112 stops working.
[0117] In this embodiment of the application, after ice making is completed and the ice tray evaporator 113 stops working, it may include:
[0118] S1071: When the temperature of the medium inside the ice tray body 111 reaches the third preset temperature, ice making is completed, and the ice tray evaporator 113 stops working.
[0119] At this point, after the ice has frozen, it continues to cool down to the third preset temperature T3, and the ice making is complete. The ice tray evaporator 113 then stops working.
[0120] In this embodiment of the application, after ice making is completed and the ice tray evaporator 113 stops working, the following may be included:
[0121] S108: The ice tray de-icing component 114 begins operation, performing demolding of the fixed medium within the receiving groove 1111. After the ice tray de-icing component 114 completes the de-icing process, a complete ice-making process is thus completed.
[0122] Furthermore, the ice-making method provided in the embodiments of this application is illustrated in detail here.
[0123] When the ice-making device 100 receives the signal to start ice making, water begins to be filled into the receiving tank 1111 of the ice tray body 111. Specifically, the water filling component can start working at a preset time t1. When the working time of the water filling component reaches time t1, the water level in the ice tray body 111 reaches the preset water level, and the water filling is completed. After the water filling is completed, ice making begins. At this time, the water in the receiving tank 1111 of the ice tray body 111 begins to release sensible heat and begins to cool down, and the water temperature begins to decrease. The temperature sensor 130 set on the back of the ice tray body 111 can continuously collect the real-time temperature of the ice tray body 111. When the water in the ice tray body 111 reaches the phase change temperature (i.e., the first preset temperature T1), the water begins to enter the phase change stage, at which time ice crystals begin to appear and grow.
[0124] At this time, the ultrasonic transducer 112 is powered on. In order to ensure the service life of the ultrasonic transducer 112 and reduce the impact of the heat effect generated by the ultrasonic transducer 112 during operation on the ice-making process, the ultrasonic transducer 112 is only powered on during the phase change stage of water and operates in a cycle of switching on and off according to the preset on-time h. It will not be continuously powered on. After the water phase change is completed and the ice is frozen, the operation of the ultrasonic transducer 112 will not have a positive impact on the transparency of the ice. Therefore, the ultrasonic transducer 112 only operates during the phase change stage of water.
[0125] It should be noted that the power-on rate h is the frequency of the cycle of powering on for a period of time, powering off for a period of time, and then powering on again for a period of time. Specifically, the power-on rate h is calculated as power-on time / (power-on time + power-off time).
[0126] Furthermore, to further extend the lifespan of the ultrasonic transducer 112 and control its heat generation from affecting the ice-making process, the ultrasonic transducer 112 can be intermittently turned on and off at a preset vibration frequency m Hz and a preset on-time h during operation, until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 130 reaches the second preset temperature T2 and stops operating. After the ice is frozen, it continues to cool down to the third preset temperature T3, completing the ice-making process. The ice tray de-icing component 114 then begins operation, completing the de-icing process, thus completing one full ice-making cycle.
[0127] The ice-making method provided in this application has the same beneficial effects as the ice-making device provided in the above embodiments, and will not be described again here.
[0128] The various embodiments or implementation methods described in this specification are presented in a progressive manner. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other.
[0129] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0130] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.
Claims
1. An ice making device, characterized by, At least comprising: An ice tray assembly; The ice tray assembly comprises an ice tray body and at least one ultrasonic vibrator, the ice tray body has a containing groove for containing medium, and the ultrasonic vibrator is arranged on the side of the ice tray body away from the containing groove, and the ultrasonic vibrator is used to drive the medium in the containing groove to vibrate when it vibrates.
2. The ice making device according to claim 1, wherein, At least one partition plate is further arranged in the containing groove, and the partition plate is used to separate the containing groove into multiple sub-containing grooves.
3. The ice making device of claim 1, wherein, The ice tray assembly further comprises an ice tray evaporator; the ice tray evaporator is arranged on the side of the ice tray body away from the containing groove, and the ice tray evaporator is used to cool the medium in the containing groove.
4. The ice making device according to claim 3, wherein A first limiting groove is opened on the side of the ice tray body away from the containing groove, and the ice tray evaporator is arranged in the first limiting groove.
5. The ice making device of claim 1, wherein, The ice tray assembly further comprises an ice tray ice removing part; the ice tray ice removing part is arranged on the side of the ice tray body away from the containing groove, and the ice tray ice removing part is used to demold the fixed medium in the containing groove.
6. The ice making device according to claim 5, wherein The ice tray ice removing part is a heating part.
7. The ice making device of claim 5, wherein, A second limiting groove is opened on the side of the ice tray body away from the containing groove, and the ice tray ice removing part is arranged in the second limiting groove.
8. The ice-making device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that Further comprising: A water inlet assembly, the water outlet of the water inlet assembly is arranged opposite to the groove opening of the containing groove, and the water inlet assembly is used to water the containing groove.
9. The ice making device according to claim 8, wherein Further comprising: An ice pushing assembly, the ice pushing assembly is used to separate the solid medium from the containing groove.
10. The ice making device according to claim 9, wherein Further comprising: A frame, the ice tray body and the ice pushing assembly are fixed on the frame.
11. The ice making device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein The ultrasonic vibrator comprises a shell and multiple conductive vibrators in the shell, and the conductive vibrators vibrate freely in the shell.
12. The ice making device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein Further comprising: At least one temperature sensor, the temperature sensor is arranged on the side of the ice tray body away from the containing groove.
13. A method of making ice using the ice making apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, Comprising: Setting the vibration parameters of the ultrasonic vibrator; Starting the ice tray evaporator to start ice making; The ultrasonic vibrator is powered on to vibrate, driving the medium in the ice tray body to vibrate; The ice making is completed, and the ice tray evaporator stops working.
14. The ice making method according to claim 13, wherein, Before the ultrasonic vibrator is powered on to vibrate, driving the medium in the ice tray body to vibrate, comprising: The medium in the ice tray body enters the phase change stage.
15. The ice making method according to claim 14, wherein, The medium in the ice tray body enters the phase change stage, comprising: The temperature of the medium in the ice tray body is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature.
16. The ice making method according to claim 13, wherein, The setting of the vibration parameters of the ultrasonic vibrator, comprising: Setting the vibration frequency and vibration power of the ultrasonic vibrator.
17. The ice making method according to claim 13, wherein, Before the ice tray evaporator starts to work to start ice making, comprising: Turning on the water inlet assembly to water the containing groove in the ice tray body.
18. The ice making method according to claim 17, wherein, Turning on the water inlet assembly to water the containing groove in the ice tray body, comprising: The water inlet assembly starts to water at a preset time; When the working time of the water inlet assembly reaches the preset time, the water level in the containing groove reaches the preset water level, and the water filling is completed.
19. The ice making method according to claim 13, wherein, Before the ice making is completed and the ice tray evaporator stops working, comprising: The temperature of the medium in the ice tray body reaches a second preset temperature, the ultrasonic vibrator is powered off and stops working.
20. The ice making method according to claim 13, wherein, The ice making is completed, and the ice tray evaporator stops working, comprising: The temperature of the medium in the ice tray body reaches a third preset temperature, the ice making is completed, and the ice tray evaporator stops working.
21. The ice making method according to claim 13, wherein, The ice making is completed, and the ice tray evaporator stops working, comprising: The ice tray demolding member starts working, and the ice tray demolding member performs demolding treatment on the fixed medium in the accommodation groove.