An ice making system and a refrigerator

Abstract

This invention discloses an ice-making system and a refrigerator. The ice-making system includes: an ice mold assembly comprising an ice mold, a refrigeration base plate mounted on the bottom of the ice mold, and a refrigeration coil mounted on the refrigeration base plate. The refrigeration coil contains a refrigerant for ice making and can operate in either a refrigeration or heating mode; an oscillating heating device having multiple vibrating tubes with built-in heating cores, the vibrating tubes being positioned towards the ice-making cavity of the ice mold; and a control device for controlling the operating mode of the refrigeration coil and the operating state of the oscillating heating device, and for controlling the movement of the oscillating heating device to insert or remove the vibrating tubes from the ice-making cavity of the ice mold. Compared with the prior art, this invention can suppress air bubbles from the source and achieve directional freezing from the periphery to the center through "outer cold, inner warm" temperature gradient control, preventing the ice shell from closing prematurely and allowing air to escape fully before freezing is complete.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration or refrigerator technology, and in particular to an ice-making system and a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] To improve the taste of beverages or for use in wine storage and cocktail making, the market share of small household ice makers has been increasing year by year. Traditional ice makers mostly use a bottom-up, overall cooling freezing method. Water freezes simultaneously from the bottom and side walls, quickly forming a closed "ice shell." Unfrozen water and air are trapped inside. As freezing progresses towards the center, dissolved air is forced out, but because the ice layer is closed, the air bubbles cannot escape and are ultimately sealed inside the ice, leading to the following problems:

[0003] 1. The ice cubes are cloudy and opaque, affecting both appearance and user experience;

[0004] 2. Bubbles reduce the density of ice, accelerate melting, and decrease cooling efficiency;

[0005] 3. Cracks are prone to occur where air bubbles accumulate, making demolding difficult or causing ice blocks to break.

[0006] 4. It is difficult to meet the needs of high-end scenarios, such as cocktails, medical cold compresses, and optical cooling.

[0007] Currently, improvements are mainly achieved through the following technologies:

[0008] 1. Slow cooling: Extends the freezing time, allowing bubbles to escape slowly, but this method is inefficient.

[0009] 2. Circulating water flow: Simulates the "flowing water ice making" of an ice factory, with a complex structure, not suitable for small ice makers;

[0010] 3. Post-freezing heating degassing: Heating to remove oxygen before freezing is energy-intensive and has limited effectiveness.

[0011] While the above methods can reduce bubble formation to some extent, the improvement effect is limited and cannot fundamentally solve the problem of "premature closure of the ice shell". Therefore, how to design an ice-making system that can start from the freezing path control to achieve gradual freezing "from the outside to the inside" and actively release bubbles is a technical problem that the industry urgently needs to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0012] In view of the fact that existing ice makers cannot fundamentally solve the problem of ice bubbles, this invention proposes an ice-making system and a refrigerator.

[0013] The technical solution of this invention is to propose an ice-making system, comprising:

[0014] Ice mold assembly 1 includes an ice mold 11, a cooling base plate 12 mounted on the bottom of the ice mold 11, and a cooling coil 13 mounted on the cooling base plate 12. The cooling coil 13 contains a refrigerant for making ice, and the cooling coil 13 can operate in a cooling mode or a heating mode.

[0015] The oscillating heating device 2 has multiple vibrating tubes 21 with built-in heating cores, and the vibrating tubes 21 are arranged toward the ice-making cavity 111 of the ice mold 11;

[0016] The control device 3 is used to control the working mode of the refrigeration coil 13 and the working state of the oscillating heating device 2, and to control the movement of the oscillating heating device 2 so that the vibrating tube 21 is inserted into or removed from the ice-making cavity 111 of the ice mold 11.

[0017] Based on this configuration, the present invention can ensure the temperature around the vibrating tube 21 at the center and above the ice block by inserting the vibrating tube 21 into the ice-making cavity 111 of the ice mold 11 and heating the ice block formed in the ice-making cavity 111. This achieves the ice-making logic of "cold outside and warm inside" and directional freezing from the periphery to the center, preventing the ice shell from closing too early and allowing air to escape fully before freezing is complete, thus fundamentally preventing the generation of air bubbles in the ice block.

[0018] Furthermore, the refrigeration coil 13 is connected to a refrigeration system, which has a condenser and an evaporator;

[0019] When the refrigeration coil 13 is working in refrigeration mode, the refrigerant in the refrigeration coil 13 exchanges heat with the evaporator in the refrigeration system to perform refrigeration;

[0020] When the cooling coil 13 is operating in heating mode, the refrigerant in the cooling coil 13 exchanges heat with the condenser in the refrigeration system to generate heat.

[0021] By connecting the cooling coil 13 to the refrigeration system, the present invention enables adjustable control of the ice-making stage through the refrigeration system, supports adaptive optimization, and improves ice-making energy efficiency and stability.

[0022] Furthermore, the ice mold 11 has multiple ice-making cavities 111, and the multiple ice-making cavities 111 are distributed in a matrix, with each ice-making cavity 111 configured as an inverted trapezoidal structure that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom.

[0023] In this invention, when the ice block is demolded, it is lifted from bottom to top through the vibrating tube 21. After setting the ice-making cavity 111 into an inverted trapezoidal structure that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, the movement of the ice block can be guided by the inner wall of the ice-making cavity 111 when the ice block is demolded, and the inner wall of the ice-making cavity 111 will no longer generate resistance to the ice block, which facilitates demolding.

[0024] Furthermore, the ice mold assembly 1 also includes a sensor module 14 distributed on the side wall of the ice mold 11, the sensor module 14 integrating at least an ultrasonic sensor and a temperature sensor;

[0025] In this invention, the sensor module 14 integrates an ultrasonic sensor and a temperature sensor, which can simultaneously collect temperature data inside the ice block and vibration data of the vibrating tube 21, and feed them back to the control device 3, providing accurate data support for the control of the four stages of the subsequent ice-making process.

[0026] Furthermore, the control device 3 is provided with a guide groove 31, one side of the oscillating heating device 2 is installed in the guide groove 31, and the oscillating heating device 2 can move along the guide groove 31 under the control of the control device 3.

[0027] By setting the guide groove 31, the present invention can accurately guide the movement of the oscillating heating device 2, realize precise control of the stopping position of the oscillating tube 21, ensure that the oscillating tube 21 can be fully inserted into the ice-making cavity 111, and ensure that the oscillating tube 21 can transfer the ice block to the top of the ice storage box, so that the ice block can fall accurately into the ice storage box.

[0028] Furthermore, the guide groove 31 is configured to allow the oscillating heating device 2 to move to a first position, a second position, and a third position;

[0029] When the oscillating heating device 2 moves to the first position, the vibrating tube 21 of the oscillating heating device 2 is inserted into the ice-making cavity 111;

[0030] When the oscillating heating device 2 moves to the second position, the vibrating tube 21 of the oscillating heating device 2 is dislodged from the ice-making chamber 111;

[0031] When the oscillating heating device 2 moves to the third position, the vibrating tube 21 of the oscillating heating device 2 moves above the ice storage box for collecting ice cubes, and the ice storage box is located outside the ice mold assembly 1.

[0032] By setting the first position, the present invention can ensure that the vibrating tube 21 can be fully inserted into the ice-making cavity 111, thereby realizing the ice-making logic of "cold outside and warm inside" and directional freezing from all sides to the center.

[0033] By setting the second position, it is ensured that the ice cube can be completely detached from the ice-making cavity 111, thus avoiding obstruction to the ice mold 11 when moving the ice cube;

[0034] By setting the third position, it can be ensured that the vibrating tube 21 can transfer the ice cubes to the top of the ice storage box, so that the ice cubes can fall accurately into the ice storage box.

[0035] Furthermore, the control device 3 also has a connecting rod 32 disposed at the guide groove 31 and connected to the oscillating heating device 2, and a motor 33 for controlling the movement of the connecting rod 32.

[0036] The present invention, through the arrangement of the connecting rod 32 and the motor 33, can provide power for the movement of the oscillating heating device 2, and control the movement of the oscillating heating device 2 through the control device 3, thereby achieving precise control of the movement of the oscillating heating device 2.

[0037] Furthermore, the control device 3 also has a vibration module, which is an electromagnetic vibrator or piezoelectric ceramic sheet distributed in each of the vibration tubes 21 and capable of outputting pulse vibration.

[0038] The present invention, through the setting of the vibration module, can work with the heating core set inside it to accelerate the process of the vibration tube 21 separating from the ice block and shorten the time for the vibration tube 21 to transfer the ice block from the ice making chamber 111 to the ice storage box.

[0039] The present invention also proposes a refrigerator having a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, and further comprising an ice-making system disposed in the freezer compartment, wherein the ice-making system adopts the ice-making system described above.

[0040] This invention places the ice-making system in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. This allows the refrigerator to function as an ice-making system, ensuring the ice-making process, and also makes the ice-making function a major feature of the refrigerator, meeting the increasingly higher demands of users for refrigerators.

[0041] Furthermore, the refrigerator serves as a refrigeration system connected to the refrigeration coil 13;

[0042] The refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser connected in sequence to the compressor, a first dryer filter, a second dryer filter, and a three-way valve, wherein the three-way valve is connected to a first branch and a second branch;

[0043] The first branch passes through the three-way valve, then sequentially through the first capillary tube and the evaporator, and finally connects to the compressor.

[0044] The second branch passes through the three-way valve, then sequentially through the second capillary tube, the reversing valve, the refrigeration coil 13, and the first check valve before connecting to the compressor.

[0045] A second dryer filter is connected between the condenser and the first dryer filter. The other end of the second dryer filter is connected to a second check valve. The other end of the second check valve is connected between the refrigeration coil 13 and the first check valve.

[0046] By setting the valves in the refrigeration system and selecting a suitable setting position for the refrigeration coil 13, the present invention can switch the refrigeration mode and heating mode of the refrigeration coil 13 through the control of the valves in the refrigeration system, thereby meeting the ice-making requirements of the ice-making system.

[0047] Furthermore, when the refrigeration coil 13 is operating in refrigeration mode, the first check valve is open, the second check valve is closed, and the reversing valve is forward-biased.

[0048] When the cooling coil 13 is operating in heating mode, the first check valve is closed, the second check valve is open, and the reversing valve is open in the reverse direction.

[0049] This invention, through the control of a first check valve, a second check valve, and a reversing valve, can regulate the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigeration system, thereby switching the refrigerant in the refrigeration coil 13 between evaporator cooling and condenser heat release, and realizing the switching between cooling mode and heating mode in the directional temperature control defoaming ice-making system.

[0050] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0051] 1. The present invention can achieve temperature gradient control of "outer cold and inner warm" by using a vibrating tube 12 with a built-in heating core, so as to achieve directional freezing from the periphery to the center, avoid the ice shell closing too early, and allow air to escape fully before freezing is completed, thus avoiding the generation of bubbles.

[0052] 2. The ice-making system provided by this invention, through its "cold outside and warm inside" temperature gradient control, can produce ice blocks with a central bubble rate of <3% and a light transmittance of ≥90%, which is far superior to ice blocks produced by traditional ice-making methods (bubble rate >30%, light transmittance <60%).

[0053] 3. This invention miniaturizes the heating core, integrates it into the vibrating tube, and inserts it into the ice mold. The structure is compact and highly adaptable, and it can be applied to the renovation of existing refrigerator ice makers and energy-saving refrigerators in the high-efficiency energy-saving industry in the strategic emerging industries classification.

[0054] 4. This invention divides the ice-making process into four logically adjustable stages, supports adaptive optimization, and can improve ice-making energy efficiency and stability.

[0055] 5. The present invention sets the ice-making cavity 111 as an inverted trapezoidal structure that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. Combined with the vibration disturbance of the vibration tube 21, it can reduce the adhesion between the ice and the inside of the ice-making cavity 111 and reduce the breakage of the ice. Attached Figure Description

[0056] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0057] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the oscillating heating device in the ice-making system of the present invention when it is in the first position;

[0058] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the oscillating heating device in the ice-making system of the present invention when it is in the second position;

[0059] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the oscillating heating device in the ice-making system of the present invention when it is in the third position;

[0060] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the ice mold assembly in the ice-making system of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the control device in the ice-making system of the present invention;

[0062] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigeration system of the refrigerator in this invention;

[0063] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the flow direction of refrigerant in the refrigerator's refrigeration system when the refrigeration coil in the ice-making system of the present invention is in refrigeration mode.

[0064] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the flow direction of refrigerant in the refrigerator's refrigeration system when the refrigeration coil in the ice-making system of this invention is in heating mode.

[0065] Among them, 1 is the ice mold assembly, 2 is the oscillation heating device, and 3 is the control device;

[0066] 11 is the ice mold, 12 is the cooling base plate, 13 is the cooling coil, and 14 is the sensor module;

[0067] 21 is a vibrating tube;

[0068] 31 is the guide groove, 32 is the connecting rod, and 33 is the motor;

[0069] 111 is the ice-making cavity. Detailed Implementation

[0070] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0071] In view of the fact that current ice makers produce air bubbles during ice making, and that existing improvement solutions cannot fundamentally solve the problem of air bubbles in ice, this invention proposes an ice making system.

[0072] Please see Figures 1 to 3 The ice-making system proposed in this invention includes an ice mold assembly 1, an oscillating heating device 2, and a control device 3;

[0073] The ice mold assembly 1 includes an ice mold 11, a cooling base plate 12, and a cooling coil 13. Here, the ice mold 11 has multiple ice-making chambers 111, which serve as containers for filling water and forming ice blocks within the ice-making chambers 111. The shape of the ice mold 111 can be adjusted according to actual needs to meet the user's production needs for ice blocks of different shapes.

[0074] The cooling base plate 12 is located at the bottom of the ice mold 11. When assembled with the ice mold 11, it can form a closed chamber. It is mainly used to provide cooling for the water in the ice-making chamber 111, thereby converting the water into ice. According to the ice-making process, a cooling coil 13 is assembled on the cooling base plate 12 in this invention. The cooling coil 13 is connected to the refrigeration system, that is, the refrigerator in this invention. The evaporator and condenser of the refrigeration system are used to realize the switching between the cooling mode and the heating mode.

[0075] Here, the cooling mode converts water into ice, while the heating mode heats the ice to separate it from the inner wall of the ice-making cavity 111, thus facilitating demolding.

[0076] The oscillating heating device 2 is a core improvement of this invention. It has multiple oscillating tubes 21 with built-in heating cores, which can provide a certain amount of heat. When making ice, the oscillating tubes 21 are inserted into the water in advance, and then the water is converted into ice cubes through the cooling coil 13. Due to the heat generated by the oscillating tubes 21, the temperature of the middle part of the oscillating tubes 21 is relatively high, thereby realizing the ice-making logic of "cold outside and warm inside". When the outside freezes to form an ice shell, air can be discharged from the middle, thereby avoiding the generation of bubbles. This ice-making process inhibits the generation of bubbles from the source. Compared with existing ice makers, the bubble rate in the middle of the ice cubes is greatly reduced.

[0077] The control device 3, as the control component in this invention, is mainly used to control the working mode of the refrigeration coil 13, switching it between refrigeration and heating modes. It is also used to control the working state of the oscillating heating device 2, keeping it heated during the ice-making process to achieve the "cold outside, warm inside" ice-making logic. At the same time, when transferring ice blocks to the ice storage box, it controls the vibration tube 21 to vibrate and heat, accelerating the separation of the vibration tube 21 from the ice blocks. The control device 3 is also used to control the movement of the oscillating heating device 2, controlling the vibration tube 21 to be inserted into the water during the ice-making process to ensure the "cold outside, warm inside" ice-making logic. After the ice-making is completed, it controls the vibration tube 21 to move the ice blocks to the top of the ice storage box, and after the ice-making is completed, it moves the oscillating heating device 2 back to its initial position.

[0078] Based on the above-mentioned configuration, this invention can ensure the temperature around the vibrating tube 21 at the center and above the ice block by inserting the vibrating tube 21 into the ice-making cavity 111 of the ice mold 11 and heating the ice block formed in the ice-making cavity 111. This achieves the ice-making logic of "cold outside and warm inside" and directional freezing from the periphery to the center, avoids the ice shell from closing too early, and allows air to escape fully before freezing is complete, thus fundamentally avoiding the generation of air bubbles in the ice block.

[0079] Furthermore, in this invention, the refrigeration coil 13 is connected to a refrigeration system, and when the refrigeration coil 13 is working in refrigeration mode, the refrigerant in the refrigeration coil 13 is cooled by the evaporator of the refrigeration system.

[0080] When the refrigeration coil 13 is working in refrigeration mode, the refrigerant in the refrigeration coil 13 releases heat through the condenser of the refrigeration system.

[0081] like Figure 6 As shown, the refrigeration system of the present invention consists of a compressor, a condenser, a first dryer filter, a second dryer filter, a three-way valve, a first capillary tube, a second capillary tube, a reversing valve, a refrigeration coil, an evaporator, a first check valve, and a second check valve. The refrigeration coil 13 is connected to the refrigeration system and participates in its refrigeration cycle. By controlling the first check valve, the second check valve, and the reversing valve, the refrigerant flowing into the refrigeration coil 13 can be changed, so that it can utilize the cooling capacity of the evaporator and the heat of the condenser, thereby realizing the switching between the above-mentioned refrigeration mode and heating mode.

[0082] In this configuration, the present invention can switch between the above-mentioned cooling mode and heating mode by controlling the first check valve, the second check valve, and the reversing valve. At the same time, in conjunction with the control device 3, the control of the ice-making stage can be adjusted, supporting adaptive optimization and improving ice-making energy efficiency and stability.

[0083] Please see Figure 4 In this invention, the ice mold 11 in the ice mold assembly 1 has multiple ice-making cavities 111, and the multiple ice-making cavities 111 are distributed in a matrix. Each ice-making cavity 111 is set as an inverted trapezoidal structure that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom.

[0084] Here, in this invention, the ice-making cavity 111 is configured as an inverted trapezoidal structure that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. This is to facilitate the demolding of ice blocks. Normally, if the ice-making cavity 111 is configured as a cuboid or cube, the ice block is easily resisted by the inner wall of the ice-making cavity 111 when it is lifted from the bottom up, which affects its demolding. After configuring the ice-making cavity 111 as an inverted trapezoidal structure that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, the inner wall of the ice-making cavity 111 can play a certain guiding role when the ice block is lifted from the bottom up, thereby improving the demolding effect of the ice block.

[0085] Please see Figure 4The ice mold assembly 1 proposed in this invention also includes a sensor module 14 distributed on the side wall of the ice mold 11, which integrates at least an ultrasonic sensor and a temperature sensor.

[0086] The ultrasonic sensor has a frequency of 40kHz and a range of 0-30mm, while the temperature sensor uses an NTC thermistor.

[0087] In this invention, the sensor module 14 integrates an ultrasonic sensor and a temperature sensor, which can simultaneously collect temperature data inside the ice block and vibration data of the vibrating tube 21, and feed them back to the control device 3, providing accurate data support for the control of the four stages of the subsequent ice-making process.

[0088] Please see Figure 5 In this invention, a guide groove 31 is provided on the control device 3, one side of the oscillation heating device 2 is installed in the guide groove 31, and the oscillation heating device 2 can move along the guide groove 31 under the control of the control device 3.

[0089] As mentioned above, during the ice-making process, the vibrating tube 21 on the oscillating heating device 2 needs to be inserted into the water. During the ice block conversion process, the vibrating tube 21 needs to be moved to the top of the ice storage box. After the ice making is completed, the oscillating heating device 2 needs to be moved back to the initial position. The above position transfer needs to be controlled by the control device 3. Moreover, when the vibrating tube 21 is moved to the top of the ice storage box, it is necessary to ensure that the ice block is aligned with the ice storage box to prevent the ice block from falling out of the ice storage box. At the same time, when the vibrating tube 21 is inserted into the water in the ice-making chamber 111, it is generally necessary to ensure that the vibrating tube 21 is inserted to a distance of 5cm from the water surface. All of the above settings require precise control of the position of the oscillating heating device 2. Therefore, the present invention is provided with the above-mentioned guide groove 31. It is only necessary to determine the three stop positions of the guide groove in advance, and then control the oscillating heating device 2 to stop at the corresponding positions through the control device 3 to achieve the precise switching of the above positions.

[0090] That is, by setting the guide groove 31, the present invention can accurately guide the movement of the oscillating heating device 2, realize precise control of the stopping position of the oscillating tube 21, ensure that the oscillating tube 21 can be fully inserted into the ice-making cavity 111, and ensure that the oscillating tube 21 can transfer the ice block to the top of the ice storage box, so that the ice block can fall accurately into the ice storage box.

[0091] Specifically, in this invention, the guide groove 31 is configured to allow the oscillating heating device 2 to move to a first position, a second position, and a third position;

[0092] When the oscillating heating device 2 moves to the first position, the vibrating tube 21 of the oscillating heating device 2 is inserted into the ice-making cavity 111;

[0093] When the oscillating heating device 2 moves to the second position, the vibrating tube 21 of the oscillating heating device 2 is dislodged from the ice-making chamber 111;

[0094] When the oscillating heating device 2 moves to the third position, the vibrating tube 21 of the oscillating heating device 2 moves above the ice storage box used to collect ice.

[0095] like Figure 5 As shown, in this invention, the guide groove 31 is a structure consisting of an arc shape and a vertically downward rectangle. The lowest point of the rectangular part is the first position, the junction of the rectangular part and the arc shape is the second position, and the other end of the arc shape is the third position.

[0096] like Figure 1 As shown, when the oscillating heating device 2 moves to the first position, the oscillating heating device 2 is at its lowest point. At this time, the vibrating tube 21 is exactly 5mm deep into the water surface of the ice-making chamber 111. Here, the number of vibrating tubes 21 of the oscillating heating device 2 matches the number of ice-making chambers 111, and the positions are set accordingly to ensure that a vibrating tube 21 is inserted into each ice-making chamber 111.

[0097] like Figure 2 As shown, when the oscillating heating device 2 moves to the second position, the vibrating tube 21 is still above the ice-making chamber 111. It is necessary to ensure that the distance between the opening of the vibrating tube 21 and the upper opening of the ice-making chamber 111 is greater than the thickness of the ice, so as to ensure that the ice can be completely removed from the ice-making chamber 111 when it is transferred to the ice storage box.

[0098] like Figure 3 As shown, when the oscillating heating device 2 moves to the third position, the oscillating tube 21 is already far away from the ice mold assembly and is located above the ice storage box. At this time, it is necessary to ensure that the oscillating tube 21 is completely above the ice storage box so that when the ice blocks fall off the oscillating tube 21, they can accurately fall into the ice storage box.

[0099] Based on the above-mentioned guide groove 31 and the allocation of the first, second and third positions, the present invention can ensure that the vibrating tube 21 can be fully inserted into the ice-making cavity 111 to realize the ice-making logic of "cold outside and warm inside" and directional freezing from all sides to the center. Secondly, it can ensure that the ice block can be completely removed from the ice-making cavity 111 to avoid the obstruction caused by the ice mold 11 when moving the ice block. Thirdly, it can ensure that the vibrating tube 21 transfers the ice block to the top of the ice storage box so that the ice block can fall accurately into the ice storage box.

[0100] Please see Figure 5 In this invention, the control device 3 also has a connecting rod 32 disposed at the guide groove 31 and connected to the oscillation heating device 2, and a motor 33 for controlling the movement of the connecting rod 32;

[0101] Here, the motor 33 mainly adopts a stepper motor, which has advantages over servo motors such as low cost, simple control, reliable open-loop positioning, and no cumulative error. It is particularly suitable for medium-low speed, high cost-effectiveness precision positioning scenarios. The motor 33 is controlled by the control device 3, which in turn controls the movement of the connecting rod 32 to realize the adjustment of the position of the oscillating heating device 2.

[0102] The present invention, through the arrangement of the connecting rod 32 and the motor 33, can provide power for the movement of the oscillating heating device 2, and control the movement of the oscillating heating device 2 through the control device 3, so as to ensure that it can accurately move to the first position, the second position and the third position.

[0103] Furthermore, in this invention, the oscillating heating device 2 is made of a metal material that conducts heat rapidly, and it is equipped with multiple oscillating tubes 21, the number of which corresponds one-to-one with the ice-making chambers 111, ensuring that each ice-making chamber 111 can be inserted with a oscillating tube 21.

[0104] Each vibrating tube 21 is equipped with a heating core, which is made of PTC self-limiting temperature material. When the temperature on the heating core reaches the preset temperature, the power can be automatically reduced.

[0105] Here, the preset temperature is 5℃. By using PTC self-limiting temperature material for the heating core, the present invention can reasonably set the preset temperature, which can maintain the temperature near the vibrating tube 21 in the center of the ice block at the preset temperature, avoiding the problem of the central area overheating and affecting the ice-making effect, or even melting the ice shell that has formed.

[0106] Furthermore, the control device 3 also has a vibration module, which is an electromagnetic vibrator or a piezoelectric ceramic sheet distributed in each of the vibration tubes 21 and capable of outputting pulse vibrations.

[0107] Here, the vibration module can output pulse vibrations with a frequency of 40 to 60 Hz. By setting the vibration module, it can work with the heating core inside to accelerate the process of the vibration tube 21 separating from the ice and shorten the time it takes for the vibration tube 21 to transfer the ice from the ice-making chamber 111 to the ice storage box.

[0108] The ice-making process in this invention is divided into four stages. An embedded microcontroller is also installed in the control device 3, which stores the control logic for the four stages. The specific control of the four stages of the ice-making process is as follows:

[0109] First stage (0-10 minutes after water is injected into ice-making chamber 111).

[0110] 1. The control device 3 provides a corresponding control signal to control the oscillating heating device 2 to move from the second position to the first position;

[0111] 2. When the refrigeration coil 13 operates in refrigeration mode, the refrigeration base plate 12 is activated to cool the water in the ice-making chamber 111.

[0112] 3. The oscillating heating device 2 outputs a low-power heating signal (0.3~0.8W) to maintain the water temperature in the central area at 0.5~1.5℃, while the side walls and bottom of the ice-making cavity 111 are rapidly cooled to below -5℃ due to contact with the cooling base plate 12, forming a temperature gradient of "cold outside and warm inside". Freezing starts from the periphery, while the central vibrating tube 21 remains liquid.

[0113] The second stage (10-25 minutes after water is injected into the ice-making cavity 111).

[0114] When the sensor module 14 detects that the ice layer thickness on the side wall of the ice-making chamber 111 reaches 1.0-2.0 mm, the control device 3 immediately cuts off the heating signal of the oscillating heating device 2. At this time, the temperature at the central vibrating tube 21 of the ice-making chamber 111 drops rapidly and begins to freeze. During this process, the ice layer begins to advance from the center to the surrounding area, and the air released inside escapes through the upper opening before the ice layer completely closes.

[0115] The third stage (25-45 minutes after water is injected into the ice-making chamber 111);

[0116] 1. The control device 3 controls the oscillating heating device 2 to output an oscillating signal, which outputs a pulse vibration with a frequency of 40-60Hz and a duration of 0.3-1.0 seconds, slightly disturbing the ice-water interface and causing residual microbubbles to float to the surface and escape. The oscillating signal output time is set to 60s.

[0117] 2. The cooling coil 13 continues to cool until the ice is completely frozen. The freezing situation is judged based on the temperature collected by the sensor module 14. When the sensor module 14 collects a temperature T≤-12℃, it is determined that solid ice has been formed.

[0118] The fourth stage (45-48 minutes after water is injected into the ice-making cavity 111).

[0119] 1. The control device 3 controls the refrigeration coil 13 to work in the heating mode. At this time, the refrigeration coil 13 obtains heat through the condenser of the refrigeration system. The heat is transferred to the ice mold 11 through the refrigeration base plate 13, which loosens the ice in the ice making cavity 111.

[0120] 2. The control device 3 gives a control signal to make the oscillating heating device 2 move. At this time, the vibrating tube 21 lifts the ice block and moves from the first position to the third position.

[0121] 3. The vibration heating device 2 outputs a low-power heating signal (0.3-0.8W) and a pulse vibration signal with a frequency of 40-60Hz and a duration of 0.3-1.0 seconds. The ice cubes detach from the vibration heating device 2 and fall into the ice storage box.

[0122] 4. The control device 3 gives a control signal to move the vibration heating device 2 from the third position to the second position.

[0123] In the ice-making process described above, the control device 3 can dynamically adjust the duration of each stage according to the ambient temperature and water temperature, thereby achieving adaptive control.

[0124] The present invention also proposes a refrigerator having a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, and further comprising an ice-making system disposed in the freezer compartment, the ice-making system employing the aforementioned ice-making system.

[0125] Here, the present invention places the ice-making system in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. This allows the refrigerator to function as an ice-making system, ensuring the ice-making process, and also makes the ice-making function a major feature of the refrigerator, meeting the increasingly higher requirements of users for refrigerators.

[0126] As mentioned earlier, the refrigerator, acting as an ice-making system, ensures the ice-making process. To understand how to switch between cooling and heating modes during ice-making, please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 6 The refrigeration system in this invention includes a compressor, a condenser connected in sequence to the compressor, a first dryer filter, a second dryer filter, and a three-way valve, wherein the three-way valve is connected to a first branch and a second branch.

[0127] The first branch, after passing through the three-way valve, goes sequentially through the first capillary tube and the evaporator before connecting to the compressor.

[0128] The second branch passes through the three-way valve, then sequentially through the second capillary tube, the reversing valve, the refrigeration coil 13, and the first check valve before connecting to the compressor.

[0129] A second dryer filter is connected between the condenser and the first dryer filter. The other end of the second dryer filter is connected to a second check valve. The other end of the second check valve is connected between the refrigeration coil 13 and the first check valve.

[0130] By setting the valves in the refrigeration system and selecting a suitable setting position for the refrigeration coil 13, the present invention can switch the refrigeration mode and heating mode of the refrigeration coil 13 through the control of the valves in the refrigeration system, thereby meeting the ice-making requirements of the ice-making system.

[0131] Please see Figure 7 When the refrigeration coil 13 is working in refrigeration mode, the first check valve is open, the second check valve is closed, the reversing valve is forward-biased, and the three-way valve has one inlet and two outlets.

[0132] At this point, the refrigerant flow in the refrigeration system is divided into two paths. The first path is: compressor, condenser, first dryer filter, three-way valve, first capillary tube, evaporator, compressor;

[0133] The second route consists of: compressor, condenser, first dryer filter, three-way valve, second capillary tube, reversing valve, refrigeration coil 13, first check valve, and compressor;

[0134] At this time, the refrigeration coil 13 exchanges heat with the evaporator and uses the evaporator for cooling;

[0135] Please see Figure 8 When the refrigeration coil 13 is working in heating mode, the first check valve is closed, the second check valve is open, the reversing valve is open in the reverse direction, and the three-way valve has two inlets and one outlet.

[0136] At this point, the refrigerant flow in the refrigeration system is divided into two paths. The first path is: compressor, condenser, first dryer filter, three-way valve, first capillary tube, evaporator, compressor;

[0137] The second route consists of: compressor, condenser, second dryer filter, second check valve, refrigeration coil 13, second capillary tube, reversing valve, three-way valve, first capillary tube, evaporator, and compressor;

[0138] At this time, the cooling coil 13 exchanges heat with the condenser and uses the condenser to generate heat;

[0139] By controlling the first check valve, the second check valve, and the reversing valve, the present invention can regulate the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigeration system, thereby switching the refrigerant in the refrigeration coil 13 between evaporator cooling and condenser heat release, and realizing the switching between the cooling mode and the heating mode in the ice-making system.

[0140] Based on the design of this invention, compared with the prior art, this invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0141] 1. The present invention can achieve temperature gradient control of "outer cold and inner warm" by using a vibrating tube 12 with a built-in heating core, so as to achieve directional freezing from the periphery to the center, avoid the ice shell closing too early, and allow air to escape fully before freezing is completed, thus avoiding the generation of bubbles.

[0142] 2. The ice-making system provided by this invention, through its "cold outside and warm inside" temperature gradient control, can produce ice blocks with a central bubble rate of <3% and a light transmittance of ≥90%, which is far superior to ice blocks produced by traditional ice-making methods (bubble rate >30%, light transmittance <60%).

[0143] 3. This invention miniaturizes the heating core, integrates it into the vibrating tube, and inserts it into the ice mold. The structure is compact and highly adaptable, making it suitable for retrofitting existing refrigerator ice makers.

[0144] 4. This invention divides the ice-making process into four logically adjustable stages, supports adaptive optimization, and can improve ice-making energy efficiency and stability.

[0145] 5. In this invention, the ice-making cavity 111 is configured as an inverted trapezoidal structure that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, and is simultaneously subjected to vibration disturbance from the vibrating tube 21.

[0146] It can reduce the adhesion between ice and the inside of the ice-making cavity 111, thus reducing ice breakage.

[0147] It should be noted that the terminology used above is for describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. When the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof. The order of execution of actions, steps, etc., in the apparatus and methods described in the specification and drawings can be implemented in any order unless a specific order is expressly specified, and as long as the output of the preceding process is not used in the subsequent process. Similar sequential terms used for ease of description do not imply that such an order must be followed.

[0148] Techniques, methods, and apparatus known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and apparatus should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as constraints. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0149] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ice-making system, characterized in that, include: Ice mold assembly (1) includes an ice mold (11), a cooling base plate (12) mounted on the bottom of the ice mold (11), and a cooling coil (13) mounted on the cooling base plate (12). The cooling coil (13) contains a refrigerant for making ice, and the cooling coil (13) can operate in a cooling mode or a heating mode. The oscillating heating device (2) has multiple vibrating tubes (21) with built-in heating cores, and the vibrating tubes (21) are arranged toward the ice-making cavity (111) of the ice mold (11); The control device (3) is used to control the working mode of the refrigeration coil (13) and the working state of the oscillating heating device (2), and to control the movement of the oscillating heating device (2) so that the vibrating tube (21) is inserted into or removed from the ice-making cavity (111) of the ice mold (11).

2. The ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigeration coil (13) is connected to a refrigeration system having a condenser and an evaporator; When the refrigeration coil (13) is in refrigeration mode, the refrigerant in the refrigeration coil (13) exchanges heat with the evaporator in the refrigeration system to perform refrigeration; When the refrigeration coil (13) is in heating mode, the refrigerant in the refrigeration coil (13) exchanges heat with the condenser in the refrigeration system to generate heat.

3. The ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice mold (11) has multiple ice-making cavities (111), and the multiple ice-making cavities (111) are arranged in a matrix. Each ice-making cavity (111) is configured as an inverted trapezoidal structure that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom.

4. The ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice mold assembly (1) also includes a sensor module (14) distributed on the side wall of the ice mold (11), the sensor module (14) integrating at least an ultrasonic sensor and a temperature sensor.

5. The ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control device (3) is provided with a guide groove (31), one side of the oscillating heating device (2) is installed in the guide groove (31), and the oscillating heating device (2) can move along the guide groove (31) under the control of the control device (3).

6. The ice-making system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The guide groove (31) is configured to allow the oscillating heating device (2) to move to a first position, a second position, and a third position; When the oscillating heating device (2) moves to the first position, the vibrating tube (21) of the oscillating heating device (2) is inserted into the ice-making cavity (111); When the oscillating heating device (2) moves to the second position, the vibrating tube (21) of the oscillating heating device (2) is dislodged from the ice-making chamber (111); When the oscillating heating device (2) moves to the third position, the vibrating tube (21) of the oscillating heating device (2) moves above the ice storage box for collecting ice cubes, and the ice storage box is located outside the ice mold assembly (1).

7. The ice-making system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The control device (3) also has a connecting rod (32) disposed at the guide groove (31) and connected to the oscillating heating device (2), and a motor (33) for controlling the movement of the connecting rod (32).

8. The ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control device (3) also has a vibration module, which is an electromagnetic vibrator or piezoelectric ceramic sheet distributed in each of the vibration tubes (21) and capable of outputting pulse vibration.

9. A refrigerator having a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, characterized in that, It also includes an ice-making system disposed in the freezer compartment, wherein the ice-making system is an ice-making system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, characterized in that, The refrigerator is used as a refrigeration system connected to the refrigeration coil (13); The refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser connected in sequence to the compressor, a first dryer filter, a second dryer filter, and a three-way valve, wherein the three-way valve is connected to a first branch and a second branch; The first branch passes through the three-way valve, then sequentially through the first capillary tube and the evaporator, and finally connects to the compressor. The second branch passes through the three-way valve, then sequentially through the second capillary tube, the reversing valve, the refrigeration coil (13), and the first check valve before connecting to the compressor. A second dryer filter is connected between the condenser and the first dryer filter. The other end of the second dryer filter is connected to a second check valve. The other end of the second check valve is connected between the refrigeration coil (13) and the first check valve.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, characterized in that, When the refrigeration coil (13) is in refrigeration mode, the first check valve is open, the second check valve is closed, and the reversing valve is forward-biased. When the cooling coil (13) is in heating mode, the first check valve is closed, the second check valve is open, and the reversing valve is reversed.

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