Refrigeration appliance comprising an ice-making assembly and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of refrigeration technology, and particularly provides a refrigeration device comprising an ice-making assembly and a manufacturing method thereof, aiming at solving the problem of reduced reliability of the refrigeration assembly caused by corrosion, aging and damage of the welding position of the existing ice-making assembly and refrigeration cycle pipeline. For this purpose, the refrigeration device comprising the ice-making assembly of the present application comprises a cabinet and the ice-making assembly, the cabinet is provided with a refrigeration cycle pipeline and a foaming layer inside, and the connection position of the refrigerant inlet pipe with the refrigeration cycle pipeline and / or the connection position of the refrigerant outlet pipe with the refrigeration cycle pipeline is located in the foaming layer. The closed protection effect of the foaming layer isolates the humid corrosion environment of the ice-making chamber, avoids direct contact of the connection position with water vapor, effectively solves the corrosion and damage problem of the connection position, and improves the reliability of the refrigeration device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration technology, specifically providing a refrigeration device including an ice-making component and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] As people's living standards improve, ice-making functions are being applied to more and more household refrigeration equipment. To enable ice-making functionality, existing refrigeration equipment will have an ice-making evaporator connected in series between the condenser and the refrigeration evaporator. The refrigerant discharged from the condenser passes through a throttling mechanism and then sequentially through the ice-making evaporator and the refrigeration evaporator, thus achieving the purpose of ice making and cooling the freezer and refrigerator compartments.

[0003] However, the ice-making evaporator is the core heat exchange component of the ice-making assembly. During operation, it needs to be in direct contact with ice and ice-water mixtures for extended periods. To meet food contact safety standards, adapt to low-temperature ice-making conditions, and avoid the problem of conventional metal corrosion contaminating water and ice, existing technologies generally use food-grade stainless steel to manufacture the ice-making evaporator. Meanwhile, to ensure excellent thermal conductivity, refrigerant flow stability, and pressure resistance, the refrigeration circulation piping typically uses copper piping, resulting in a connection between the refrigeration circulation piping and the ice-making evaporator using both stainless steel and copper tubing.

[0004] Currently, when manufacturing refrigeration equipment, an ice-making chamber is additionally arranged inside the casing. A refrigeration circulation pipe joint for connecting to the ice-making component is reserved inside the ice-making chamber. The ice-making component is then placed inside the ice-making chamber, and the stainless steel pipe of the ice-making component is welded to the refrigeration circulation pipe joint. This exposes the welded joint between the stainless steel pipe and the copper pipe inside the ice-making chamber. The ice-making chamber is in a high-humidity, low-temperature environment for a long time, and is constantly exposed to corrosive media such as ice water and condensate. The exposed welded joint is in direct contact with the humid media for a long time, which can easily lead to corrosion, aging, and damage. This can cause the pipe seals to fail and the refrigerant to leak, significantly reducing the operational reliability and service life of the ice-making component and the entire machine. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, namely, to solve the problem that corrosion, aging, and damage at the welding position of the existing ice-making components and refrigeration circulation pipelines cause a decrease in the reliability of the refrigeration components.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a refrigeration device including an ice-making component. The refrigeration device includes a housing and the ice-making component. A refrigeration circulation pipeline and a foaming layer are disposed inside the housing. The ice-making component is disposed inside the housing. The refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe of the ice-making component are both connected to the refrigeration circulation pipeline. The welding position of the refrigerant inlet pipe to the refrigeration circulation pipeline and / or the welding position of the refrigerant outlet pipe to the refrigeration circulation pipeline are located within the foaming layer.

[0007] The foamed layer provides a sealed protective barrier, isolating the ice-making room from the humid and corrosive environment and preventing direct contact between the connection points and moisture. This effectively solves the problem of corrosion and damage at the connection points and improves the reliability of the refrigeration equipment.

[0008] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the refrigeration circulation pipeline is made of copper pipe, the refrigerant inlet pipe and / or the refrigerant outlet pipe is made of stainless steel pipe, the copper pipe and the stainless steel pipe are connected by welding, and the welding position of the copper pipe and the stainless steel pipe is located inside the foaming layer.

[0009] This setup provides a specific implementation method.

[0010] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component described above, the housing includes an outer shell and an inner liner, the inner liner is disposed inside the outer shell, the ice-making component is disposed inside the inner liner, a foam layer is formed between the inner liner and the outer shell, the refrigeration circulation pipeline is at least partially disposed within the foam layer, and the refrigerant inlet pipe and / or the refrigerant outlet pipe penetrate the inner liner and extend into the foam layer to communicate with the refrigeration circulation pipeline.

[0011] By passing the refrigerant inlet pipe and refrigerant outlet pipe through the inner liner, when the ice-making components are located in the ice-making room, the refrigerant inlet pipe and refrigerant outlet pipe can be connected to the refrigeration circulation pipeline within the foam layer, thereby ensuring the protective effect of the foam layer on the connection points.

[0012] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the ice-making component has an ice-making chamber, the ice-making component further includes an ice-making throttling mechanism and an ice-making evaporator, the ice-making inlet of the ice-making evaporator is connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe through the ice-making throttling mechanism, the ice-making outlet of the ice-making evaporator is connected to the refrigerant outlet pipe, and the ice-making evaporator is located in the ice-making chamber.

[0013] The ice-making room is equipped with a water tank, in which at least part of the ice-making evaporator is submerged to produce ice. The ice-making throttling mechanism can throttle and cool the refrigerant discharged from the condenser to ensure the cooling effect of the ice-making evaporator.

[0014] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the refrigeration equipment further includes a condenser, a refrigeration throttling mechanism, and a refrigeration evaporator connected in series. The pipeline between the condenser, the refrigeration throttling mechanism, and the refrigeration evaporator forms part of the refrigeration cycle pipeline. The refrigerant inlet pipe is connected to the pipeline between the condenser and the refrigeration throttling mechanism, and the refrigerant outlet pipe is connected to the pipeline between the refrigeration throttling mechanism and the refrigeration evaporator.

[0015] This means that the ice-making component is connected in parallel to both ends of the refrigeration throttling mechanism, and the refrigeration throttling mechanism is used to ensure the cooling effect of the refrigeration evaporator and avoid the impact of the ice-making component on the refrigeration evaporator.

[0016] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component described above, the refrigeration equipment further includes an ice-removing pipeline and a three-inlet valve. The three-inlet valve has a first state in which the valve inlet is connected to the first outlet and disconnected from the second and third outlets, a second state in which the valve inlet is connected to the second outlet and disconnected from the first and third outlets, and a third state in which the valve inlet is connected to the third outlet and disconnected from the first and second outlets. The valve inlet is connected to the outlet of the condenser. The first outlet is connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe through the ice-removing pipeline. The second outlet is connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe through the ice-making throttling mechanism. The third outlet is connected to the refrigeration evaporator through the refrigeration throttling mechanism.

[0017] The state of the refrigerant entering the ice-making evaporator is controlled by a one-in-three-out valve, thereby enabling the refrigeration equipment to perform the ice-making and de-icing processes.

[0018] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the refrigeration equipment further includes a refrigeration evaporator, one end of which is connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe, and the other end of which is connected to the pipeline between the refrigeration throttling mechanism and the refrigeration evaporator.

[0019] In other words, the refrigeration equipment can also use the refrigeration evaporator to cool the refrigeration compartment inside the unit, thus increasing the functionality of the refrigeration equipment.

[0020] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the refrigerant inlet pipe has a bend, and the refrigerant inlet pipe changes its extension direction through the bend, so that the refrigerant inlet pipe extends in the plane of the width direction of the foam layer or in the plane of the length direction.

[0021] This design ensures that the foam layer effectively seals and secures the connection points.

[0022] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the ice-making component includes an ice-making evaporator, and a straight section is formed on the refrigerant inlet pipe. The straight section is located on the side of the bend away from the ice-making evaporator, and the straight section is welded and connected to the refrigeration circulation pipeline.

[0023] Welding connections are made using straight sections to ensure that the welding position is not in a bending area, thus guaranteeing welding reliability.

[0024] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the refrigeration circulation pipeline includes a first pipe, one end of which is connected to the refrigeration evaporator, and the other end is bent to form a straight section. The straight section of the first pipe is welded to the straight section of the refrigerant inlet pipe.

[0025] By connecting the two straight sections by welding, it is further ensured that the welding position is not in the bending area, thus ensuring the reliability of the welding.

[0026] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the refrigerant discharge pipe has a bend, and the refrigerant discharge pipe changes its extension direction through the bend, so that the refrigerant discharge pipe extends in the plane of the width direction of the foam layer or in the plane of the length direction.

[0027] This design ensures that the foam layer effectively seals and secures the connection points.

[0028] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the ice-making component includes an ice-making evaporator, and a straight section is formed on the refrigerant discharge pipe. The straight section is located on the side of the bend away from the ice-making evaporator, and the straight section is welded and connected to the refrigeration circulation pipeline.

[0029] Welding connections are made using straight sections to ensure that the welding position is not in a bending area, thus guaranteeing welding reliability.

[0030] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the refrigeration circulation pipeline includes a second pipe, one end of which is connected to the refrigeration evaporator, and the other end is bent to form a straight section. The refrigerant discharge pipe is bent to form the bent portion, and the bent portion of the refrigerant discharge pipe forms a straight section. The straight section of the second pipe is welded to the straight section of the refrigerant discharge pipe.

[0031] By connecting the two straight sections by welding, it is further ensured that the welding position is not in the bending area, thus ensuring the reliability of the welding.

[0032] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the welding position between the straight section and the refrigeration circulation pipeline is located within the straight plane where the straight section is located.

[0033] Welding reliability is further ensured by performing welding in a flat plane.

[0034] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, at least one of the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe is provided with a bend to create a height difference between the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe.

[0035] By creating a height difference, the temperature interference between the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe can be reduced.

[0036] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, a bend is formed on the refrigerant discharge pipe, and the refrigerant discharge pipe changes its extension direction through the bend, so that the extension direction of the pipe formed at the connection position after the refrigerant discharge pipe is connected to the refrigeration circulation pipe is parallel to the width direction or the length direction of the foam layer.

[0037] This design ensures that the foam layer effectively seals and secures the connection points.

[0038] Secondly, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned refrigeration device including an ice-making component, comprising:

[0039] Step S1: Connect the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe to the refrigeration circulation pipeline and weld them in place;

[0040] Step S2: Arrange the welding positions of the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigeration cycle pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe and the refrigeration cycle pipe in the foaming area inside the box.

[0041] Step S3: Foam the foamed area to form a foamed layer.

[0042] By first connecting and welding the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe to the refrigeration circulation pipeline, and then performing foaming, the sealing protection of the welded connection position by the foam layer can be effectively guaranteed, thereby improving the reliability of the refrigeration equipment.

[0043] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention can use the foaming layer to seal the connection between the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigeration circulation pipe, as well as the connection between the refrigerant outlet pipe and the refrigeration circulation pipe, effectively isolating the humid and corrosive environment of the ice-making room, preventing the connection points from directly contacting water vapor, effectively solving the problem of corrosion and damage at the connection points, and improving the reliability of the refrigeration equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0044] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigeration device including an ice-making component provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of a refrigeration device including an ice-making component provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A partial schematic diagram of point A;

[0048] Figure 4 This is another structural schematic diagram of a refrigeration device including an ice-making component provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A partial schematic diagram of point B;

[0050] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ice-making evaporator, refrigerant inlet pipe, and refrigerant outlet pipe provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a refrigeration device including an ice-making component, as provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] The reference numerals in the figure are as follows:

[0053] 1. Cabinet; 2. Ice-making assembly; 3. Refrigeration circulation piping; 4. Foaming layer; 21. Refrigerant inlet pipe; 22. Refrigerant outlet pipe; 11. Outer shell; 12. Inner liner; 13. Ice-making compartment; 23. Ice-making throttling mechanism; 24. Ice-making evaporator; 31. First pipe; 32. Second pipe; 101. First bend; 102. Second bend; 103. Third bend; 104. Fourth bend; 105. Fifth bend; 106. Sixth bend; 5. Condenser; 6. Refrigeration throttling mechanism; 7. Refrigeration evaporator; 25. De-icing piping; 26. One-in-three-outlet valve; 261. Valve inlet; 262. First outlet; 263. Second outlet; 264. Third outlet; 9. Refrigeration evaporator; 10. Compressor; 14. Freezer compartment; 15. Refrigerator compartment. Detailed Implementation

[0054] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0055] It should be noted that the terms indicating directions or positional relationships in the description of this invention are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. This is merely for ease of description and does not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0056] Furthermore, to better illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, numerous specific details are provided in the following detailed embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention can still be implemented without certain specific details. In some examples, refrigeration principles and other aspects well-known to those skilled in the art are not described in detail, in order to highlight the main points of the present invention.

[0057] As the background technology shows, in the current production of refrigeration equipment, an ice-making chamber is additionally arranged inside the casing. A refrigeration circulation pipe joint for connecting to the ice-making component is reserved inside the ice-making chamber. The ice-making component is then placed inside the ice-making chamber, and the stainless steel pipe of the ice-making component is welded to the refrigeration circulation pipe joint. This exposes the welded joint between the stainless steel pipe and the copper pipe inside the ice-making chamber. The ice-making chamber is in a high-humidity, low-temperature environment for a long time, and there are corrosive media such as ice water and condensate. The exposed welded joint is in direct contact with the humid media for a long time, which can easily lead to corrosion, aging, and damage. This can cause the pipe seal to fail and the refrigerant to leak, significantly reducing the operational reliability and service life of the ice-making component and the whole machine.

[0058] Therefore, such as Figures 1 to 7 As shown, this invention provides a refrigeration device including an ice-making component. The refrigeration device includes a housing 1 and the ice-making component 2. The housing 1 contains a refrigeration circulation pipe 3 and a foaming layer 4. The ice-making component 2 is disposed within the housing 1. Both the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 of the ice-making component 2 are connected to the refrigeration circulation pipe 3. The welding positions of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigeration circulation pipe 3, and / or the welding positions of the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 and the refrigeration circulation pipe 3, are located within the foaming layer 4. The foaming layer 4 provides a sealed protective layer, isolating the ice-making chamber from the humid and corrosive environment, preventing direct contact of the connection points with moisture, effectively solving the problem of corrosion and damage at the connection points, and improving the reliability of the refrigeration device.

[0059] The refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and refrigerant outlet pipe 22 are integrally formed with the ice-making evaporator in the ice-making assembly 2, or the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and refrigerant outlet pipe 22 are part of the stainless steel pipe inside the ice-making evaporator, that is, the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and refrigerant outlet pipe 22 are also made of stainless steel. The refrigerant inlet pipe 21 is used to guide the refrigerant in the refrigeration heat exchange pipeline to the ice-making evaporator. After heat exchange in the ice-making evaporator, the refrigerant is discharged to the refrigeration heat exchange pipeline through the refrigerant outlet pipe 22, thus completing the ice-making process of the ice-making evaporator.

[0060] Specifically, the refrigeration circulation pipeline 3 is made of copper pipe, the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and / or the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 is made of stainless steel pipe, the copper pipe and the stainless steel pipe are connected by welding, and the welding position of the copper pipe and the stainless steel pipe is located inside the foam layer 4.

[0061] The stainless steel refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and refrigerant outlet pipe 22 are designed to withstand the long-term direct contact between the ice evaporator and ice / water mixture during operation, meeting food contact safety standards. They are also suitable for low-temperature ice-making conditions, avoiding the problems of water and ice contamination caused by conventional metal corrosion. The copper refrigerant circulation piping 3 ensures excellent thermal conductivity, refrigerant flow stability, and pressure resistance. The foamed layer 4 provides a sealed protective barrier against the humid and corrosive environment of the ice-making chamber, preventing direct contact with moisture at welded joints, effectively solving the problem of corrosion and damage at connection points, and improving the reliability of the refrigeration equipment.

[0062] In one embodiment, the housing 1 includes an outer shell 11 and an inner liner 12. The inner liner 12 is disposed within the outer shell 11, and the ice-making component 2 is disposed within the inner liner 12. A foam layer 4 is formed between the inner liner 12 and the outer shell 11. The refrigeration circulation pipe 3 is at least partially disposed within the foam layer 4, and the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and / or the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 penetrate the inner liner 12 and extend into the foam layer 4 to communicate with the refrigeration circulation pipe 3. By having the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 penetrate the inner liner 12, when the ice-making component 2 is located in the ice-making chamber 13, the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 can communicate with the refrigeration circulation pipe 3 within the foam layer 4, thereby ensuring the protective effect of the foam layer 4 on the connection points.

[0063] Furthermore, the ice-making assembly 2 includes an ice-making chamber 13. The ice-making assembly 2 also includes an ice-making throttling mechanism 23 and an ice-making evaporator 24. The ice-making inlet of the ice-making evaporator 24 is connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 via the ice-making throttling mechanism 23, and the ice-making outlet of the ice-making evaporator 24 is connected to the refrigerant outlet pipe 22. The ice-making evaporator 24 is located within the ice-making chamber 13. A water-holding box is provided within the ice-making chamber 13, and at least a portion of the ice-making evaporator 24 is immersed in the water-holding box to produce ice. The ice-making throttling mechanism 23 can throttle and cool the refrigerant discharged from the condenser, ensuring the cooling effect of the ice-making evaporator 24.

[0064] The ice-making throttling mechanism 23 can be installed synchronously with the ice-making evaporator 24 in the ice-making chamber 13, or it can be installed on the refrigeration circulation pipeline 3 connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe 21. Both methods ensure that the refrigerant is delivered to the ice-making evaporator 24 after being throttled by the ice-making throttling mechanism 23, thereby ensuring the reliability of ice making by the ice-making evaporator 24. The specific configuration can be selected based on the material of the ice-making throttling mechanism 23.

[0065] If the ice-making throttling mechanism 23 is a capillary tube made of stainless steel, since the ice-making throttling mechanism 23 and the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 are made of the same material, the ice-making throttling mechanism 23 can be directly connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe 21, and there is no welding problem between different metals. In this case, the ice-making throttling mechanism 23 can be placed in the ice-making chamber 13.

[0066] For example, when the ice-making throttling mechanism 23 is a capillary tube made of copper, since the ice-making throttling mechanism 23 and the refrigeration circulation pipe 3 are made of the same material, the ice-making throttling mechanism 23 needs to be set on the refrigeration circulation pipe 3 to avoid welding problems between different metals between the ice-making throttling mechanism 23 and the refrigerant inlet pipe 21. In this case, the ice-making throttling mechanism 23 is placed together with the refrigeration circulation pipe 3 in the foaming layer 4.

[0067] In one embodiment, a bend is formed on the refrigerant inlet pipe 21. The refrigerant inlet pipe 21 changes its extension direction through the bend, so that the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 extends in the plane where the width direction of the foam layer is located or in the plane where the length direction is located, thereby increasing the wrapping size of the foam layer 4 on the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and ensuring the sealing and fixing effect of the foam layer 4 on the connection position.

[0068] Furthermore, a straight section is formed on the refrigerant inlet pipe 21. This straight section is located on the side of the bend away from the ice-making evaporator 24, and is welded to the refrigeration circulation pipe 3. Using a straight section for welding ensures that the welding position is not in the bend area, guaranteeing welding reliability. That is, all bends formed on the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 are located between the straight section and the ice-making evaporator 24. Even if the straight section extends spatially towards the ice-making evaporator 24, it should still be considered to be located on the side of the bend away from the ice-making evaporator 24.

[0069] Optionally, the refrigeration circulation pipeline 3 includes a first pipe 31, one end of which is connected to the refrigeration evaporator 9, and the other end is bent to form a straight section. The straight section of the first pipe 31 is welded to the straight section of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21. By welding the two straight sections together, it is further ensured that the welding position is not located at the bend of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21, nor in the bend area of ​​the first pipe 31, thus ensuring welding reliability.

[0070] Specifically, such as Figure 6 As shown, one end of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 is connected to the left end of the ice-making evaporator 24, and the other end passes through the inner liner and extends towards the rear. Figure 6 The refrigerant inlet pipe 21, which extends along the thickness of the foam layer, is bent upwards to form a first bend 101. This allows the extension direction of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 to be adjusted to extend along the width of the foam layer and form a straight section. The refrigeration circulation pipe 3 is provided with a first pipe 31 connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe 21. One end of the first pipe 31 is connected to the refrigeration evaporator 9. Since the refrigeration evaporator 9 is located above the ice-making evaporator and there is a height difference between them, the first pipe 31 needs to be bent downwards to form a second bend 102, so that the height of the first pipe 31 is flush with the height of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21. Then, the first pipe 31 is bent to form a third bend 103, so that the end of the first pipe 31 faces the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and forms a straight section. When welding the first pipe 31 to the refrigerant inlet pipe 21, welding is performed on the two straight sections between the first bend and the third bend to ensure the reliability of the welding. Furthermore, the welding end of the first pipe 31 and the welding end of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 are both parallel to the width direction of the foam layer, thereby ensuring the reliability of the welding and the sealing and fastening effect of the foam layer on the welding position.

[0071] Similarly, a bend is formed on the refrigerant discharge pipe 22. The refrigerant discharge pipe 22 changes its extension direction through the bend, so that the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 extends in the plane of the width direction of the foam layer or in the plane of the length direction, thereby increasing the wrapping size of the foam layer 4 on the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 and ensuring the sealing and fixing effect of the foam layer 4 on the connection position.

[0072] Specifically, a straight section is formed on the refrigerant discharge pipe 22. This straight section is located on the side of the bend away from the ice-making evaporator 23, and it is welded to the refrigeration circulation pipe 3. Using a straight section for welding ensures that the welding position is not in the bend area, guaranteeing welding reliability. That is, all bends formed on the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 are located between the straight section and the ice-making evaporator 24. Even if the straight section extends spatially towards the ice-making evaporator 24, it should still be considered to be located on the side of the bend away from the ice-making evaporator 24.

[0073] Optionally, the refrigeration cycle piping includes a second pipe 32, one end of which is connected to the refrigeration evaporator 7, and the other end is bent to form a straight section. The refrigerant discharge pipe 22 is bent to form the bend, and a portion of the bent refrigerant discharge pipe 22 forms a straight section. The straight section of the second pipe 32 is welded to the straight section of the refrigerant discharge pipe 22. This welded connection between the two straight sections further ensures that the welding position is neither within the bend area of ​​the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 nor within the bend area of ​​the second pipe 32, thus guaranteeing welding reliability.

[0074] like Figure 6 As shown, one end of the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 is connected to the left end of the ice-making evaporator 24, and the other end passes through the inner liner and extends towards the rear. Figure 6 The refrigerant discharge pipe 22 is bent downwards to form a fourth bend 104, thereby adjusting the extension direction of the refrigerant discharge pipe 22, which extends along the thickness direction of the foam layer, to extend along the length direction of the foam layer, creating a height difference between the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 and the refrigerant inlet pipe 21. Then, the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 is bent to form a fifth bend 105, so that the extension direction of the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 is parallel to the width direction of the foam layer, and then extended to form a straight section. A second pipe 32 connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 is provided in the refrigeration circulation pipe 3. One end of pipe 2 is connected to the refrigeration evaporator. Since the refrigeration evaporator is located below the ice-making evaporator and there is a height difference between them, the second pipe 32 needs to extend upwards from below. When the height of the second pipe 32 is level with the height of the refrigerant discharge pipe 22, the second pipe 32 bends towards the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 to form a sixth bend 106 and extends to form a straight section. When welding the second pipe 32 and the refrigerant discharge pipe 22, welding is performed on the two straight sections between the fifth bend and the sixth bend to ensure the reliability of the welding. Moreover, the orientation of the end of the second pipe 32 used for welding and the orientation of the end of the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 used for welding are both parallel to the width direction of the foam layer, thereby ensuring the reliability of the welding and the sealing and fastening effect of the foam layer on the welding position.

[0075] More preferably, the welding position between the straight section and the refrigeration circulation pipe 3 is located within the straight plane of the straight section. Welding within the straight plane effectively improves the welding positioning accuracy and welding strength, reduces welding defects and stress concentration risks, and makes the connection between the straight section and the refrigeration circulation pipe 3 more robust and the seal more reliable. It also facilitates pipe layout and the wrapping of the foam layer 4, further improving the overall structural stability and service life of the refrigeration equipment. The straight plane can be a horizontal plane extending along the width direction of the foam layer 4 or a vertical plane extending along the height direction of the foam layer 4.

[0076] At least one of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 is provided with a bend to create a height difference between them. This height difference reduces temperature interference between the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22.

[0077] When both the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 are provided with bends, the bending directions of the bends on the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 are at an angle, and the angle is not 0° or 180°, ensuring the reliable formation of the height difference, thereby effectively reducing the temperature interference between the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22.

[0078] In one embodiment, the refrigeration equipment further includes a condenser 5, a refrigeration throttling mechanism 6, and a refrigeration evaporator 7 connected in series. The piping between the condenser 5, the refrigeration throttling mechanism 6, and the refrigeration evaporator 7 forms part of the refrigeration circulation piping 3. The refrigerant inlet pipe 21 is connected to the piping between the condenser 5 and the refrigeration throttling mechanism 6, and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 is connected to the piping between the refrigeration throttling mechanism 6 and the refrigeration evaporator 7. In other words, the ice-making assembly 2 is connected in parallel to both ends of the refrigeration throttling mechanism 6, utilizing the refrigeration throttling mechanism 6 to ensure the cooling effect of the refrigeration evaporator 7 and avoid the impact of the ice-making assembly 2 on the refrigeration evaporator 7.

[0079] The refrigeration equipment also includes a freezer compartment 14. The freezer evaporator 7 can refrigerate the freezer compartment 14. When the refrigeration equipment refrigerates the freezer compartment 14, the refrigerant discharged from the condenser 5 can enter the freezer evaporator 7 through the freezer throttling mechanism 6 for heat exchange. After the heat exchange is completed, it is sent to the compressor 10 to complete the refrigeration cycle of the freezer compartment 14.

[0080] During the ice-making process of the refrigeration equipment, the refrigerant discharged from the condenser 5 can be sent to the ice-making evaporator 24 for heat exchange through the ice-making throttling mechanism 23, and then sent to the freezing evaporator 7 for heat exchange again after the heat exchange is completed. This fully utilizes the cold energy of the refrigerant, achieving the purpose of making ice while ensuring the refrigeration reliability of the freezer compartment 14.

[0081] The refrigeration equipment further includes an ice removal pipe 25 and a three-inlet valve 26. The three-inlet valve 26 has a first state in which the valve inlet 261 is connected to the first outlet 262 and disconnected from the second outlet 263 and the third outlet 264; a second state in which the valve inlet 261 is connected to the second outlet 263 and disconnected from the first outlet 262 and the third outlet 264; and a third state in which the valve inlet 261 is connected to the third outlet 264 and disconnected from the first outlet 262 and the second outlet 263. The valve inlet 261 is connected to the outlet of the condenser 5. The first outlet 262 is connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 through the ice removal pipe 25. The second outlet 263 is connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 through the ice-making throttling mechanism 23. The third outlet 264 is connected to the refrigeration evaporator 7 through the refrigeration throttling mechanism 6.

[0082] The de-icing line 25 is used to supply refrigerant with heat to the ice-making evaporator 24. By controlling the de-icing line 25, the entry of the refrigerant with heat into the ice-making evaporator 24 can be controlled, thereby controlling whether the ice-making evaporator 24 performs de-icing. When de-icing of the ice-making evaporator 24 is not required, the de-icing line 25 is kept closed. At this time, the low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant formed after being throttled and depressurized by the ice-making throttling mechanism 23 enters the ice-making evaporator 24 for refrigeration, realizing the normal ice-making process of the refrigeration equipment. When de-icing of the ice-making evaporator 24 is required, the de-icing line 25 is opened, and the refrigerant with heat enters the ice-making evaporator 24, raising the temperature of the pipe wall of the ice-making evaporator 24, thereby melting the surface where the ice is attached to the ice-making evaporator 24, eliminating the adhesion of the ice, and realizing the detachment of the ice. At the same time, the low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant formed after the ice-making throttling mechanism 23 throttles and reduces pressure stops flowing into the ice-making evaporator 24. This avoids the problems of temperature disorder, mutual cancellation of heating and cooling, low ice removal efficiency, and incomplete ice removal caused by simultaneously sending heat-containing refrigerant and low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant into the ice-making evaporator 24. This ensures the reliability of the ice-making evaporator 24 in the ice-making and ice removal processes, and ensures the stable operation and reliable operation of the refrigeration equipment.

[0083] The refrigerant supply to the ice-making evaporator 24 can be controlled by the state control of the three-way valve 26. When de-icing of the ice-making evaporator 24 is not required, the three-way valve 26 switches to the second state, in which case the refrigerant from the condenser 5 is sent into the ice-making evaporator 24 for cooling after passing through the ice-making throttling mechanism 23. When de-icing of the ice-making evaporator 24 is required, the three-way valve 26 switches to the first state, in which case the refrigerant from the condenser 5 can only be sent into the ice-making evaporator 24 through the de-icing pipe 25 for de-icing, thus realizing the ice-making and de-icing processes of the refrigeration equipment.

[0084] When the refrigeration equipment controls the operation of the evaporator, the inlet-outlet valve 26 switches to the third state. At this time, the refrigerant in the condenser 5 can only enter the evaporator 7 through the refrigeration throttling mechanism 6 for heat exchange, thereby realizing the refrigeration of the refrigeration compartment 14 of the refrigeration equipment.

[0085] In one embodiment, the refrigeration equipment further includes a refrigeration evaporator 9, one end of which is connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe 22, and the other end of which is connected to the pipeline between the refrigeration throttling mechanism 6 and the refrigeration evaporator 7.

[0086] The refrigeration evaporator 9 is used to cool the refrigerated compartment 15 inside the cabinet 1, increasing the functionality of the refrigeration equipment. At the same time, the refrigerant after heat exchange in the refrigeration evaporator 9 is sent to the freezing evaporator 7 for further heat exchange, improving the utilization rate of the refrigerant's cooling capacity and thus improving the energy efficiency of the refrigeration equipment.

[0087] Secondly, such as Figure 7 As shown, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned refrigeration device including an ice-making component, comprising:

[0088] Step S1: Connect and weld the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 to the refrigeration circulation pipeline 3. The refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 are integrally formed with the ice-making evaporator 24 in the ice-making assembly 2, or the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 are part of the stainless steel pipe inside the ice-making evaporator 24, meaning the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 are also made of stainless steel. The refrigeration circulation pipeline 3 is made of copper pipe, ensuring excellent thermal conductivity, refrigerant flow stability, and pressure resistance.

[0089] Step S2: Arrange the welding positions of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigeration circulation pipe 3, and the welding positions of the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 and the refrigeration circulation pipe 3 in the foaming area inside the housing 1.

[0090] Step S3: Foam the foamed area to form a foamed layer 4.

[0091] By first connecting and welding the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 to the refrigeration circulation pipe 3, and then performing foaming, the foam layer 4 can effectively ensure the sealing and protection of the welded connection position, thereby improving the reliability of the refrigeration equipment.

[0092] The technical solution of the present invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after such changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigeration device including an ice-making component, characterized in that: The refrigeration equipment includes a housing (1) and an ice-making component (2). The housing (1) is provided with a refrigeration circulation pipeline (3) and a foam layer (4). The ice-making component (2) is located inside the housing (1). The refrigerant inlet pipe (21) and the refrigerant outlet pipe (22) of the ice-making component (2) are both connected to the refrigeration circulation pipeline (3). The welding position of the refrigerant inlet pipe (21) to the refrigeration circulation pipeline (3) and / or the welding position of the refrigerant outlet pipe (22) to the refrigeration circulation pipeline (3) are located inside the foam layer (4).

2. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigeration circulation pipeline (3) is made of copper pipe, and the refrigerant inlet pipe (21) and / or the refrigerant outlet pipe (22) are made of stainless steel pipe. The copper pipe and the stainless steel pipe are connected by welding, and the welding position of the copper pipe and the stainless steel pipe is located inside the foam layer (4).

3. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing (1) includes an outer shell (11) and an inner liner (12). The inner liner (12) is disposed inside the outer shell (11). The ice-making component (2) is disposed inside the inner liner (12). The foam layer (4) is formed between the inner liner (12) and the outer shell (11). The refrigeration circulation pipeline (3) is at least partially disposed inside the foam layer (4). The refrigerant inlet pipe (21) and / or the refrigerant outlet pipe (22) penetrate the inner liner (12) and extend into the foam layer (4) to communicate with the refrigeration circulation pipeline (3).

4. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The ice-making assembly (2) has an ice-making chamber (13) formed inside. The ice-making assembly (2) also includes an ice-making throttling mechanism (23) and an ice-making evaporator (24). The ice-making inlet of the ice-making evaporator (24) is connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe (21) through the ice-making throttling mechanism (23). The ice-making outlet of the ice-making evaporator (24) is connected to the refrigerant outlet pipe (22). The ice-making evaporator (24) is located inside the ice-making chamber (13).

5. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The refrigeration equipment also includes a condenser (5), a refrigeration throttling mechanism (6), and a refrigeration evaporator (7) connected in series. The pipeline between the condenser (5), the refrigeration throttling mechanism (6), and the refrigeration evaporator (7) constitutes part of the refrigeration circulation pipeline (3). The refrigerant inlet pipe (21) is connected to the pipeline between the condenser (5) and the refrigeration throttling mechanism (6), and the refrigerant outlet pipe (22) is connected to the pipeline between the refrigeration throttling mechanism (6) and the refrigeration evaporator (7).

6. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: The refrigeration equipment further includes an ice removal pipeline (25) and a three-inlet valve (26). The three-inlet valve (26) has a first state in which the valve inlet (261) is connected to the first outlet (262) and disconnected from the second outlet (263) and the third outlet (264); a second state in which the valve inlet (261) is connected to the second outlet (263) and disconnected from the first outlet (262) and the third outlet (264); and a third state in which the valve inlet (261) is connected to the third outlet (264) and disconnected from the first outlet (262) and the third outlet (264). In the third state where the first outlet (262) and the second outlet (263) are disconnected, the valve inlet (261) is connected to the outlet of the condenser (5), the first outlet (262) is connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe (21) through the de-icing pipe (25), the second outlet (263) is connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe (21) through the ice-making throttling mechanism (23), and the third outlet (264) is connected to the refrigeration evaporator (7) through the refrigeration throttling mechanism (6).

7. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: The refrigeration equipment also includes a refrigeration evaporator (9), one end of which is connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe (22), and the other end is connected to the refrigeration throttling mechanism (6) and the refrigeration evaporator (7).

8. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: A bend is formed on the refrigerant inlet pipe (21), and the refrigerant inlet pipe (21) changes its extension direction through the bend so that the refrigerant inlet pipe (21) extends in the plane of the width direction of the foam layer or in the plane of the length direction.

9. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that: The ice-making assembly (2) includes an ice-making evaporator (24), and a straight section is formed on the refrigerant inlet pipe (21). The straight section is located on the side of the bend away from the ice-making evaporator (24), and the straight section is welded to the refrigeration circulation pipe (3).

10. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that: The refrigeration circulation pipeline (3) includes a first pipe (31), one end of which is connected to the refrigeration evaporator (9), and the other end is bent to form a straight section. The straight section of the first pipe (31) is welded to the straight section of the refrigerant inlet pipe (21).

11. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: A bend is formed on the refrigerant discharge pipe (22), and the refrigerant discharge pipe (22) changes its extension direction through the bend so that the refrigerant discharge pipe (22) extends in the plane of the width direction of the foam layer or in the plane of the length direction.

12. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 11, characterized in that: The ice-making assembly (2) includes an ice-making evaporator (24), and a straight section is formed on the refrigerant discharge pipe (22). The straight section is located on the side of the bend away from the ice-making evaporator (24), and the straight section is welded to the refrigeration circulation pipe (3).

13. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 12, characterized in that: The refrigeration circulation pipeline (3) includes a second pipe (32), one end of which is connected to the refrigeration evaporator (7), and the other end is bent to form a straight section. The refrigerant discharge pipe (22) is bent to form the bent part, and the bent part of the refrigerant discharge pipe (22) forms a straight section. The straight section of the second pipe (32) is welded to the straight section of the refrigerant discharge pipe (22).

14. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 9 or 12, characterized in that: The welding position between the straight section and the refrigeration circulation pipeline (3) is located in the straight plane where the straight section is located.

15. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one of the refrigerant inlet pipe (21) and the refrigerant outlet pipe (22) is provided with a bend to create a height difference between the refrigerant inlet pipe (21) and the refrigerant outlet pipe (22).

16. A method for manufacturing a refrigeration device including an ice-making component according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that: Step S1: Connect the refrigerant inlet pipe (21) and the refrigerant outlet pipe (22) to the refrigeration circulation pipe (3) and weld them in place; Step S2: Arrange the welding positions of the refrigerant inlet pipe (21) and the refrigeration circulation pipe (3) and the refrigerant outlet pipe (22) and the refrigeration circulation pipe (3) in the foaming area inside the box (1); Step S3: Foam the foamed area to form a foamed layer (4).

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