Evaporator and ice maker

Abstract

The invention discloses an evaporator and an ice maker, the evaporator at least comprises an evaporator structure, the evaporator structure comprises a shell, the shell is internally provided with a refrigeration cavity and an ice unloading cavity which are separated by a partition plate, the refrigeration cavity is provided with a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet, and a communication gap is arranged between the refrigeration cavity and the ice unloading cavity; the mold is provided with a cavity used for making ice and a back surface located on the side, back to the cavity, of the mold, the mold is fixedly connected with the shell, the bottom of the cavity of the mold is located in the refrigeration cavity, other parts of the cavity of the mold are located in the ice unloading cavity, and the cavity is isolated from the ice unloading cavity. A refrigerant enters the refrigeration cavity through the refrigerant inlet, the bottom of the cavity of the mold is located in the refrigeration cavity, ice blocks are formed from the bottom, the phenomenon that the bottom is not frozen due to the fact that the opening is frozen firstly is avoided, the integrity of the ice blocks is guaranteed, in addition, the refrigerant can surround the whole mold, and the ice making efficiency is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of ice-making technology, specifically relating to an evaporator and an ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] Existing evaporators consist of an evaporator body and condenser tubes. The condenser tubes cool the evaporator body so that ice can form inside the evaporator shell, thereby achieving ice making.

[0003] When water is sprayed onto the evaporator body to make ice, the opening of the refrigeration mold of the evaporator body will freeze first. The frozen part will prevent subsequent water from entering the bottom of the refrigeration mold, resulting in the bottom not freezing and thus the ice block being incomplete and missing. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an evaporator and an ice maker that avoids the phenomenon of ice forming at the mold opening first, resulting in no ice forming at the bottom.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an evaporator, comprising at least one evaporator structure, wherein the evaporator structure includes: The housing includes a refrigeration chamber and a de-icing chamber separated by a partition. The refrigeration chamber has a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet, and a communication gap is provided between the refrigeration chamber and the de-icing chamber. At least one mold having a cavity for making ice and a back surface located on the side opposite to the cavity, the mold being fixedly connected to the housing, the bottom of the cavity of the mold being located within the refrigeration chamber, and the other parts of the cavity of the mold being located within the de-icing chamber, the cavity being isolated from the de-icing chamber.

[0006] Furthermore, the partition plate is provided with a connecting groove for the mold to pass through, and the connecting gap is disposed between the back surface of the mold and the inner wall of the connecting groove.

[0007] Furthermore, the de-icing chamber is provided with a de-icing agent inlet and a de-icing agent outlet.

[0008] Furthermore, the partition is also provided with a connecting hole, which connects the refrigeration chamber and the de-icing chamber.

[0009] Furthermore, the evaporator structure is provided in several parts, with the evaporator structures located at both ends being the head evaporator structure and the tail evaporator structure. The refrigerant inlet is provided on the refrigeration cavity of the head evaporator structure, and the refrigerant outlet is provided on the refrigeration cavity of the tail evaporator structure. The refrigeration cavities of each evaporator structure are connected.

[0010] Furthermore, a refrigeration connecting pipe is provided between adjacent evaporator structures, and the two ends of the refrigeration connecting pipe are respectively connected to the refrigeration cavity of the adjacent evaporator.

[0011] Furthermore, the end of the refrigeration connecting pipe is located near the top of the refrigeration cavity.

[0012] Furthermore, the de-icing chamber of the head-end evaporator structure is provided with a de-icing agent inlet, and adjacent de-icing chambers are connected through the de-icing connecting pipe. The partition of the tail-end evaporator structure is provided with a connecting hole.

[0013] Furthermore, an ice-discharging plate is fixed to the outside of the housing, the ice-discharging plate is provided with an ice-discharging groove for the mold opening to be inserted, and a heating device is provided on the ice-discharging plate.

[0014] An ice maker is also disclosed, including the aforementioned evaporator and a spraying device, wherein the opening of the mold faces downwards, and the spraying device is used to spray water into the cavity of the mold.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: (1) The refrigerant enters the refrigeration chamber through the refrigerant inlet. Since the bottom of the mold cavity is located in the refrigeration chamber, the ice blocks start to form from the bottom, avoiding the phenomenon of the bottom not freezing due to the opening freezing first, thus ensuring the integrity of the ice blocks. In addition, the refrigerant can surround the entire mold, resulting in higher ice-making efficiency. (2) The refrigerant in the refrigeration chamber will slowly flow into the de-icing chamber through the connecting gap, thereby assisting the ice at the opening of the refrigeration mold to freeze; (3) After ice making is completed, de-icing agent can be introduced into the de-icing cavity through the de-icing agent inlet. The de-icing agent can heat the part of the mold located in the de-icing cavity to remove ice. In addition, a small amount of de-icing agent will enter the refrigeration cavity through the connecting gap to assist the ice block at the bottom of the cavity 8 to remove ice, making the de-icing process smoother. (4) Multiple evaporator structures can be connected in series to meet the needs of different scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the evaporator structure of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 Top view; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Cross-sectional view at point AA; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified view of a section at point I; Figure 5 for Figure 3 for Figure 2 Cross-sectional view at point BB; Figure 6 for Figure 3 for Figure 2 Cross-sectional view at point C; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the cooling chamber; Figure 8 for Figure 1 Exploded view.

[0017] In the diagram: 1. Shell; 2. Refrigeration cavity; 3. De-icing cavity; 4. Refrigerant inlet; 5. Refrigerant outlet; 6. Connecting gap; 7. Mold; 8. Cavity; 9. Back surface; 10. Connecting slot; 11. De-icing agent inlet; 12. Partition; 13. Connecting hole; 14. Head evaporator structure; 15. Tail evaporator structure; 16. Refrigeration connecting pipe; 17. De-icing connecting pipe; 18. Ice outlet plate; 19. Ice outlet slot; 20. Heating device. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] Please see Figures 1-8 This invention provides a technical solution for an evaporator and an ice maker.

[0020] An evaporator, comprising at least one evaporator structure, the evaporator structure including: The housing 1 has a refrigeration chamber 2 and a de-icing chamber 3 separated by a partition 12. The refrigeration chamber 2 has a refrigerant inlet 4 and a refrigerant outlet 5. A communication gap 6 is provided between the refrigeration chamber 2 and the de-icing chamber 3. At least one mold 7 is provided with a cavity 8 for making ice and a back surface 9 located on the side opposite to the cavity 8. The mold 7 is fixedly connected to the housing 1. The bottom of the cavity 8 of the mold 7 is located in the refrigeration chamber 2, and the other parts of the cavity 8 of the mold 7 are located in the de-icing chamber 3. The cavity 8 is isolated from the de-icing chamber 3.

[0021] During ice making, the opening of cavity 8 in mold 7 faces downwards, and a spraying device sprays water into cavity 8. Refrigerant enters the refrigeration chamber 2 through refrigerant inlet 4. Since the bottom of cavity 8 in mold 7 is located inside the refrigeration chamber 2, ice forms from the bottom, avoiding the phenomenon of ice forming at the opening first and the bottom not freezing. Additionally, the refrigerant in the refrigeration chamber 2 slowly flows into the de-icing chamber 3 through the connecting gap 6, thus assisting in the freezing of ice at the opening of mold 7 and preventing slow freezing. The refrigerant can surround the entire mold 7, resulting in high ice-making efficiency.

[0022] The shape of mold 7 can be any one of square, polygonal or semi-circular, and is not limited to the above shapes, so as to make ice of different shapes.

[0023] Furthermore, the following is one embodiment of the connecting gap 6: the partition plate 12 is provided with a connecting groove 10 for the mold 7 to pass through, and the connecting gap 6 is located between the back surface 9 of the mold 7 and the inner wall of the connecting groove 10. Specifically, the connecting gap 6 is an annular channel. With the above design, the refrigerant in the cooling chamber 2 slowly enters the de-icing chamber 3 from the connecting gap 6 along the outer wall of the mold 7, thereby enabling uniform cooling of the mold 7 and increasing the cooling effect.

[0024] To facilitate de-icing, the following de-icing method is described: the de-icing chamber 3 is equipped with a de-icing agent inlet 11 and a de-icing agent outlet. After ice making is completed, de-icing agent can be introduced into the de-icing chamber 3 through the de-icing agent inlet 11. The de-icing agent can heat the part of the mold 7 located in the de-icing chamber 3 to remove ice. In addition, a small amount of de-icing agent will enter the refrigeration chamber 2 through the connecting gap 6 to assist in the de-icing of the ice blocks at the bottom of the cavity 8, making the de-icing process smoother.

[0025] The partition 12 is also provided with a connecting hole 13, which connects the refrigeration chamber 2 and the de-icing chamber 3. By designing the connecting hole 13, after refrigerant is introduced into the refrigeration chamber 2, a small amount of refrigerant will enter the de-icing chamber 3 through the connecting hole 13 to assist in refrigeration. Similarly, after de-icing agent is introduced into the de-icing chamber 3, the de-icing agent will enter the refrigeration chamber 2 through the connecting hole 13 to assist in de-icing.

[0026] When multiple evaporators need to be connected in series to produce more ice, several evaporator structures are provided. The evaporator structures located at both ends are the head evaporator structure 14 and the tail evaporator structure 15. In this embodiment, the head evaporator structure 14 and the tail evaporator structure 15 are simply connected in series. Of course, more evaporator structures can be connected in series between the head evaporator structure 14 and the tail evaporator structure 15. The refrigerant inlet 4 is located on the refrigeration chamber 2 of the head evaporator structure 14, and the refrigerant outlet 5 is located on the refrigeration chamber 2 of the tail evaporator structure 15. The refrigeration chambers 2 of each evaporator structure are connected.

[0027] Specifically, the refrigerant enters the refrigeration chamber 2 of the first-end evaporator structure 14 through the refrigerant inlet 4, then enters the refrigeration chamber 2 of the next evaporator structure, and finally enters the refrigeration chamber 2 of the last-end evaporator, and is discharged from the refrigerant outlet 5 of the last-end evaporator. Multiple evaporator structures can be connected in series to meet the needs of different scenarios.

[0028] The following is one way of connecting the refrigeration chambers 2 of adjacent evaporator structures. A refrigeration connecting pipe 16 is provided between the adjacent evaporator structures, and the two ends of the refrigeration connecting pipe 16 are respectively connected to the refrigeration chambers 2 of the adjacent evaporators.

[0029] Furthermore, the end of the refrigeration connection pipe 16 is located near the top of the refrigeration chamber 2. Specifically, the refrigeration connection pipe 16 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the housing 1. In this way, when the refrigerant in the previous refrigeration chamber 2 is higher than the upper end of the refrigeration connection pipe 16, the refrigerant will enter the refrigeration connection pipe 16 from the upper end of the refrigeration connection pipe 16, and then enter the next refrigeration chamber 2 through the refrigeration connection pipe 16.

[0030] To enable the de-icing agent to circulate in each de-icing chamber 3, the de-icing chamber 3 of the head-end evaporator structure 14 is provided with a de-icing agent inlet 11, and adjacent de-icing chambers 3 are connected by a de-icing connecting pipe 17. The partition plate 12 of the tail-end evaporator structure 15 is provided with a connecting hole 13, which connects the refrigeration chamber 2 and the de-icing chamber 3 of the tail-end evaporator structure 15. At this time, the de-icing agent outlet and the refrigerant outlet 5 are the same opening, making the structure simpler.

[0031] The de-icing agent enters the de-icing chamber 3 of the head evaporator structure 14 from the de-icing inlet, and then enters the de-icing chamber 3 of the tail evaporator structure 15 through the de-icing chamber 3 and the de-icing connecting pipe 17. When the de-icing agent in the de-icing chamber 3 of the tail evaporator structure 15 is full, it will enter the refrigeration chamber 2 of the tail evaporator structure 15 through the connecting hole 13, and finally exit from the refrigerant outlet 5 of the tail evaporator structure 15.

[0032] An ice-discharging plate 18 is fixed to the outside of the housing 1. The ice-discharging plate 18 is provided with an ice-discharging groove 19 for the mold 7 to be inserted into the opening. A heating device 20 is provided on the ice-discharging plate 18. The heating device 20 heats the ice-discharging plate 18, thereby removing ice from the opening of the mold 7.

[0033] Specifically, the heating device 20 is configured as a heat pipe, with a heating medium flowing through its inlet. The temperature of the heating medium is above 0 degrees Celsius, and the heating medium heats the heating plate. If the heating medium is a refrigerant, the temperature of the refrigerant is above 0 degrees Celsius.

[0034] An ice maker was also disclosed, including the aforementioned evaporator and a spraying device. The opening of the mold 7 faces downwards, and the spraying device is used to spray water into the cavity 8 of the mold 7. The ice maker may also include an automatic ice dispensing device and an ice crushing device, with functions such as automatic ice dispensing and ice crushing. The spraying device, automatic ice dispensing, and ice crushing are existing technologies and will not be described in detail.

[0035] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An evaporator, characterized in that, It includes at least one evaporator structure, said evaporator structure comprising: The housing includes a refrigeration chamber and a de-icing chamber separated by a partition. The refrigeration chamber has a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet, and a communication gap is provided between the refrigeration chamber and the de-icing chamber. At least one mold having a cavity for making ice and a back surface located on the side opposite to the cavity, the mold being fixedly connected to the housing, the bottom of the cavity of the mold being located within the refrigeration chamber, and the other parts of the cavity of the mold being located within the de-icing chamber, the cavity being isolated from the de-icing chamber.

2. An evaporator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The partition plate is provided with a connecting groove for the mold to pass through, and the connecting gap is located between the back surface of the mold and the inner wall of the connecting groove.

3. An evaporator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The de-icing chamber is equipped with a de-icing agent inlet and a de-icing agent outlet.

4. An evaporator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The partition is also provided with a connecting hole, which connects the refrigeration chamber and the de-icing chamber.

5. An evaporator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The evaporator structure is provided in several parts, with the evaporator structures located at both ends being the head evaporator structure and the tail evaporator structure. The refrigerant inlet is located on the refrigeration cavity of the head evaporator structure, and the refrigerant outlet is located on the refrigeration cavity of the tail evaporator structure. The refrigeration cavities of each evaporator structure are connected.

6. An evaporator according to claim 5, characterized in that, A refrigeration connection pipe is provided between adjacent evaporator structures, and the two ends of the refrigeration connection pipe are respectively connected to the refrigeration cavity of the adjacent evaporator.

7. An evaporator according to claim 6, characterized in that, The end of the refrigeration connection pipe is located near the top of the refrigeration cavity.

8. An evaporator according to claim 5, characterized in that, The de-icing chamber of the head-end evaporator structure is provided with a de-icing agent inlet, and adjacent de-icing chambers are connected through the de-icing connecting pipe. The partition of the tail-end evaporator structure is provided with a connecting hole.

9. An evaporator according to claim 1, characterized in that, An ice-discharging plate is fixed to the outside of the housing. The ice-discharging plate is provided with an ice-discharging groove for the mold opening to be inserted. A heating device is provided on the ice-discharging plate.

10. An ice maker, characterized in that, The evaporator includes any one of claims 1-9, and further includes a spraying device, wherein the opening of the mold faces downward, and the spraying device is used to spray water into the cavity of the mold.

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