Refrigeration appliance comprising an ice-making assembly

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of refrigeration technology, specifically providing a refrigeration device including an ice-making component, aiming to solve the problem of reduced reliability caused by welding the refrigerant pipeline and refrigeration circulation pipeline at bends in existing ice-making components. To this end, the present invention provides a refrigeration device including an ice-making component, comprising a housing and the ice-making component. A refrigeration circulation pipeline is disposed within the housing, and the ice-making component is housed within the housing. The ice-making component includes an ice-making evaporator and a refrigerant pipeline communicating with the ice-making evaporator. The refrigerant pipeline has a bend and a straight section, with the straight section located on the side of the bend away from the ice-making evaporator. The straight section is welded to the refrigeration circulation pipeline. Utilizing the straight section for welding ensures that the welding position between the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigeration circulation pipeline is not located in the bend area, thus guaranteeing welding reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration technology, and specifically provides a refrigeration device including an ice-making component. 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] Currently, in the production of refrigeration equipment, an ice-making chamber is additionally arranged inside the casing. A refrigeration circulation pipe connector for connecting to the ice-making component is pre-installed inside the ice-making chamber. The ice-making component is then placed inside the ice-making chamber, and its refrigerant piping is welded to the refrigeration circulation pipe connector. However, the ice-making chamber is relatively small, and the refrigerant piping and refrigeration circulation pipe connector cannot be perfectly aligned. This necessitates bending the refrigerant piping to match the connector, resulting in the welded joint being located at a bend. This unreliable welding leads to seal failure, refrigerant leakage, and significantly reduces the operational reliability and lifespan of the ice-making component and the entire unit. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, namely, to solve the problem of reduced reliability of the refrigeration component caused by welding the refrigerant pipeline and the refrigeration circulation pipeline at the bend.

[0005] 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 is disposed in the housing. The ice-making component is disposed in the housing and includes an ice-making evaporator and a refrigerant pipeline communicating with the ice-making evaporator. The refrigerant pipeline has a bend and a straight section. The straight section is located on the side of the bend away from the ice-making evaporator and is welded to the refrigeration circulation pipeline.

[0006] Welding connections are made using straight sections to ensure that the welding position between the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigeration circulation pipe is not in a bending area, thus ensuring welding reliability.

[0007] In the preferred technical solution of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, a foam layer is provided inside the box, the straight section is located inside the foam layer, and the straight section extends in the plane where the width direction of the foam layer is located or in the plane where the length direction is located.

[0008] By extending the straight section into the foam layer, the welding position of the refrigerant pipeline and the refrigeration cycle pipeline is located within the foam layer. The straight section is fixed by the foam layer, and the straight section is extended within the foam layer, which increases the length of the straight section within the foam layer, thereby improving the fixing effect of the foam layer on the straight section.

[0009] In the preferred technical solution of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the refrigerant pipeline includes a refrigerant inlet pipe, which is used to supply refrigerant into the ice-making component. The refrigerant inlet pipe is bent to form the bent portion, so that the straight section of the refrigerant inlet pipe extends in the plane of the width direction or the plane of the length direction of the foaming layer.

[0010] This setup improves the securing effect on the refrigerant inlet pipe.

[0011] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the refrigeration equipment further includes a refrigeration circulation pipeline, 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.

[0012] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the refrigeration circulation pipeline includes a first pipe for communicating with the refrigerant inlet pipe, the first pipe having a straight section formed thereon, and the straight section of the first pipe being welded to the straight section of the refrigerant inlet pipe.

[0013] 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.

[0014] In the preferred technical solution of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the refrigerant pipeline includes a refrigerant discharge pipe, which is used to discharge the refrigerant in the ice-making component. The refrigerant discharge pipe is bent to form the bend, so that the straight section of the refrigerant discharge pipe extends in the plane of the width direction of the foam layer or in the plane of the length direction.

[0015] This setup improves the securing effect on the refrigerant discharge pipe.

[0016] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the refrigeration equipment further includes a refrigeration circulation pipeline, 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.

[0017] Welding connections are made using straight sections to ensure that the welding position between the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigeration circulation pipe is not in a bending area, thus ensuring welding reliability.

[0018] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the refrigeration circulation pipeline includes a second pipe for communicating with the refrigerant discharge pipe, the second pipe having a straight section formed thereon, and the straight section of the second pipe being welded to the straight section of the refrigerant discharge pipe.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] Welding reliability is further ensured by performing welding in a flat plane.

[0022] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the refrigerant pipeline includes a refrigerant inlet pipe and a refrigerant outlet pipe. At least one of the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe is bent to form a bend, so that a height difference is formed between the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe.

[0023] By creating a height difference, the temperature interference between the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe can be reduced.

[0024] In the preferred technical solution of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component, the housing is provided with a refrigeration circulation pipeline, the refrigeration circulation pipeline is made of copper pipe, the refrigerant pipeline 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component described above, 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 constitutes part of the refrigeration cycle pipeline. The refrigerant pipeline includes a refrigerant inlet pipe and a refrigerant outlet pipe. The ice-making component includes an ice-making throttling mechanism and an ice-making evaporator. The refrigerant inlet pipe, the ice-making throttling mechanism, the ice-making evaporator, and the refrigerant outlet pipe are connected in series. 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.

[0027] This means that the ice-making throttling mechanism and the ice-making evaporator are connected in parallel at both ends of the refrigeration throttling mechanism, so that even when the refrigeration equipment is not making ice, the refrigerant can still enter the refrigeration evaporator through the refrigeration throttling mechanism for refrigeration.

[0028] In the preferred embodiment of the refrigeration equipment including the ice-making component described above, the refrigeration equipment further includes a compressor, an ice-removing pipeline, and a one-in-two-out valve. The compressor outlet is connected to the condenser, the compressor inlet is connected to the refrigeration evaporator, the valve inlet of the one-in-two-out valve is connected to the condenser outlet, the first outlet of the one-in-two-out valve is connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe through an ice-making throttling mechanism, the second outlet of the one-in-two-out valve is connected to the refrigeration evaporator through the refrigeration throttling mechanism, and the first end of the ice-removing pipeline is connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe, and the second end is connected to the compressor outlet.

[0029] The high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor is directly sent into the ice-making evaporator for de-icing, ensuring the efficiency and reliability of de-icing.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] By employing the above technical solution, this invention utilizes straight sections for welding connections, ensuring that the welding position between the refrigerant pipeline and the refrigeration circulation pipeline is not located in a bending area, thus guaranteeing welding reliability. Furthermore, by extending the refrigerant pipeline into the foam layer and using the foam layer to fix the refrigerant pipeline, it avoids the unsupported, suspended design of the refrigerant pipeline in existing technologies, improving the fixing effect of the refrigerant pipeline and preventing welding failures and refrigerant leaks between the refrigerant pipeline and the refrigeration circulation pipeline, thereby improving the reliability of the refrigeration equipment. Extending the refrigerant pipeline within the foam layer increases its length within the foam layer, further enhancing the fixing effect of the foam layer on the refrigerant pipeline. Attached Figure Description

[0033] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0034] 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;

[0035] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial schematic diagram of point A;

[0036] Figure 3 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;

[0037] 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;

[0038] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A partial schematic diagram of point B;

[0039] Figure 6 This is another structural schematic diagram of a refrigeration device including an ice-making component provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 7 This is another structural schematic diagram of a refrigeration device including an ice-making component provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] The reference numerals in the figure are as follows:

[0042] 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-out valve; 261. Valve inlet; 262. First outlet; 263. Second outlet; 264. Third outlet; 9. Refrigeration evaporator; 10. Compressor; 14. Freezer compartment; 15. Refrigerator compartment; 27. One-in-two-out valve. Detailed Implementation

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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 connector for connecting to the ice-making component is pre-installed inside the ice-making chamber. The ice-making component is then placed inside the ice-making chamber, and its refrigerant piping is welded to the refrigeration circulation pipe connector. This assembly method results in the refrigerant piping being suspended and unsupported after welding. When the ice-making component is operating, the refrigerant piping needs to withstand the compressive force of the refrigerant flowing within it. Vibrations caused by ice cubes falling when the ice-making component detaches also cause displacement of the refrigerant piping. These compressive forces and vibrations can lead to unreliable welding between the refrigerant piping and the refrigeration circulation pipe, resulting in weld seal failure, refrigerant leakage, and significantly reducing the operational reliability and service life of the ice-making component and the entire unit.

[0047] Therefore, such as Figures 1 to 6 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. A refrigeration circulation pipeline 3 is disposed inside the housing 1. The ice-making component 2 is disposed inside the housing 1 and includes an ice-making evaporator 24 and a refrigerant pipeline communicating with the ice-making evaporator 24. The refrigerant pipeline has a bend and a straight section. The straight section is located on the side of the bend away from the ice-making evaporator 24 and is welded to the refrigeration circulation pipeline 3. Using the straight section for welding ensures that the welding position of the refrigerant pipeline and the refrigeration circulation pipeline is not in the bend area, ensuring welding reliability. Furthermore, by extending the refrigerant pipeline into the foam layer and using the foam layer to fix the refrigerant pipeline, the unsupported and suspended refrigerant pipeline of the prior art is avoided, improving the fixing effect of the refrigerant pipeline and preventing welding failure and refrigerant leakage between the refrigerant pipeline and the refrigeration circulation pipeline, thus improving the reliability of the refrigeration device. Furthermore, extending the refrigerant piping within the foam layer increases its length, thereby improving the foam layer's effectiveness in securing the refrigerant piping.

[0048] The refrigerant piping is integrally formed with the ice-making evaporator 24 in the ice-making assembly 2, or the refrigerant piping is part of the heat exchange piping of the ice-making evaporator 24. The refrigerant piping can lead the refrigerant into the ice-making evaporator 24 for heat exchange, and can also discharge the refrigerant after heat exchange in the ice-making evaporator 24, thus completing the working process of the ice-making evaporator 24.

[0049] The housing 1 is provided with a foam layer 4. The straight section is located inside the foam layer and extends in the plane where the width direction of the foam layer is located or in the plane where the length direction is located.

[0050] By extending the straight section into the foam layer, the welding position of the refrigerant pipeline and the refrigeration cycle pipeline is located within the foam layer. The straight section is fixed by the foam layer, and the straight section is extended within the foam layer, which increases the length of the straight section within the foam layer, thereby improving the fixing effect of the foam layer on the straight section.

[0051] In one embodiment, the refrigerant pipeline includes a refrigerant inlet pipe 21, which is used to supply refrigerant into the ice-making assembly 2. The refrigerant inlet pipe 21 is bent to form the bend, so that the straight section of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 extends in the plane of the width direction or the plane of the length direction of the foam layer 4. The refrigerant in the refrigeration equipment can flow into the ice-making assembly 2 through the refrigerant inlet pipe 21. When the ice-making assembly 2 is making ice, the low-temperature refrigerant can be sent into the ice-making evaporator 24 through the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 to carry out the ice-making process of the ice-making evaporator 24. When the ice-making assembly 2 is de-icing, the hot refrigerant can be sent into the ice-making evaporator 24 through the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 to heat the ice-making evaporator 24 so that the ice on the ice-making evaporator 24 is detached, completing the de-icing process. Therefore, not only will low-pressure refrigerant flow through the ice-making throttling mechanism 23, but also high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor outlet will flow inside the refrigerant inlet pipe 21. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant exerts greater pressure on the refrigerant inlet pipe 21. If the refrigerant pipeline is suspended in the existing technology, it is very easy to cause unreliable welding of the refrigerant pipeline. However, in this application, the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 is extended into the foam layer 4, and the foam layer 4 is used to wrap and fix the refrigerant inlet pipe 21, thereby improving the fixing effect of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21.

[0052] Since the ice-making component 2 is located inside the cabinet 1, and is placed on the front side of the cabinet 1 for easy access to ice, while the foam layer 4 is generally located on the rear side of the cabinet 1, the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 extends into the foam layer 4 from the location of the ice-making component. The direction of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 is along the thickness direction of the foam layer 4. However, the thickness of the foam layer 4 cannot be too large, otherwise it will affect the capacity of the refrigeration equipment. Therefore, the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 needs to be bent to form a bend, so that the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 is in the non-thickness direction of the foam layer 4 (i.e., in the plane where the width direction of the foam layer is located or in the plane where the length direction is located). This facilitates the arrangement of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21. At the same time, the bend can further improve the fixing effect of the foam layer 4 on the refrigerant inlet pipe 21, restrict the movement of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 along its insertion direction, and further improve the fixing effect of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21.

[0053] Furthermore, the refrigeration equipment also includes a refrigeration circulation pipeline 3, the ice-making assembly 2 includes an ice-making evaporator 24, and 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 pipeline 3. Using a straight section for welding ensures that the welding position is not in the bend area, guaranteeing welding reliability. Specifically, when the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 is bent multiple times to form multiple bends, all bends 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 that the straight section is located on the side of the bend away from the ice-making evaporator 24.

[0054] The refrigeration circulation pipeline 3 includes a first pipe 31 for communicating with the refrigerant inlet pipe 21. A straight section is formed on the first pipe 31, and the straight section of the first pipe 31 is welded to the straight section of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21. This welding connection between the two straight sections further ensures that the welding position is not located at the bend of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21, nor within the bend area of ​​the first pipe 31, thus guaranteeing welding reliability.

[0055] Specifically, such as Figure 3 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 3 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.

[0056] In one embodiment, the refrigerant pipeline includes a refrigerant discharge pipe 22, which is used to discharge the refrigerant from the ice-making assembly 2. The refrigerant discharge pipe 22 is bent to form a bend, so that the straight section of the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 extends in the plane of the width direction or the plane of the length direction of the foaming layer 4. The refrigerant that has completed heat exchange in the ice-making evaporator 24 can be discharged from the ice-making assembly 2 through the refrigerant discharge pipe 22. When the ice-making assembly 2 is making ice, the low-temperature refrigerant is discharged through the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 after completing the refrigeration and heat exchange in the ice-making evaporator 24, thereby completing the ice-making process of the ice-making evaporator 24. When the ice-making component 2 is de-icing, the hot refrigerant, after being heated in the ice-making evaporator 24, also needs to be discharged from the refrigerant discharge pipe 22. Since the ice-making evaporator 24 has limited heat utilization of the hot refrigerant, the temperature of the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 is still relatively high. Therefore, the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 not only contains the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant mixture formed after heat exchange in the ice-making evaporator 24, but also high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor outlet when de-icing is performed using compressor exhaust. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant exerts greater pressure on the refrigerant discharge pipe 22. If the refrigerant pipeline is suspended in the prior art, it is very easy to cause unreliable welding of the refrigerant pipeline. However, in this application, the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 is extended into the foam layer 4, and the foam layer 4 is used to wrap and fix the refrigerant discharge pipe 22, thereby improving the fixing effect of the refrigerant discharge pipe 22.

[0057] Since the ice-making component 2 is located inside the cabinet 1, and is placed on the front side of the cabinet 1 for easy access to ice, while the foam layer 4 is generally located on the rear side of the cabinet 1, the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 extends into the foam layer 4 from the location of the ice-making component. The direction of the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 is along the thickness direction of the foam layer 4. However, the thickness of the foam layer 4 cannot be too large, otherwise it will affect the capacity of the refrigeration equipment. Therefore, the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 needs to be bent to form a bend, so that the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 is in the non-thickness direction of the foam layer 4 (i.e., in the plane where the width direction of the foam layer is located or in the plane where the length direction is located). This facilitates the arrangement of the refrigerant discharge pipe 22. At the same time, the bend can further improve the fixing effect of the foam layer 4 on the refrigerant discharge pipe 22, restrict the movement of the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 along its insertion direction, and further improve the fixing effect of the refrigerant discharge pipe 22.

[0058] The refrigeration equipment also includes a refrigeration circulation pipeline 3, and the ice-making assembly 2 includes an ice-making evaporator 24. A straight section is formed on the refrigerant discharge pipe 22, located on the side of the bend away from the ice-making evaporator 24. The straight section is welded to the refrigeration circulation pipeline 3. Using the straight section for welding ensures that the welding position is not in the bend area, guaranteeing welding reliability. Specifically, when the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 is bent multiple times to form multiple bends, all bends 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 that the straight section is located on the side of the bend away from the ice-making evaporator 24.

[0059] The refrigeration circulation piping includes a second pipe 32 for communication with the refrigerant discharge pipe 22. A straight section is formed on the second pipe 32, and this straight section 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 not located in the bending area of ​​either the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 or the bending area of ​​the second pipe 32, thus guaranteeing welding reliability.

[0060] like Figure 3 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 3 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 extends to form a straight section. A second pipe 32 connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 is provided in the refrigeration circulation pipeline 3. One end of the second pipe 32 is connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe 22. The evaporator 7 is connected to the ice-making evaporator 24. Because the evaporator 7 is located below the ice-making evaporator 24 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 aligned 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 to the refrigerant discharge pipe 22, welding is performed on the two straight sections between the fifth bend 105 and the sixth bend 106 to ensure welding reliability. Furthermore, the welding ends of the second pipe 32 and the refrigerant discharge pipe 22 are both parallel to the width direction of the foam layer, thereby ensuring welding reliability and the sealing and tightening effect of the foam layer at the welding position.

[0061] 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.

[0062] The refrigerant piping includes a refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and a refrigerant outlet pipe 22. At least one of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 is bent to form a bend, thereby creating a height difference between the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22. By creating a height difference, temperature interference between the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 can be reduced.

[0063] 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.

[0064] In one implementation, both the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 are connected to the refrigeration circulation pipe 3, and the connection points of the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigeration circulation pipe 3 and / or the connection points of the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 and the refrigeration circulation pipe 3 are located within the foaming layer 4. The sealing and protective function of the foaming layer 4 isolates the humid and corrosive environment of the ice-making chamber, 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 equipment.

[0065] The refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 are integrally formed with the ice-making evaporator in the ice-making assembly 2. Alternatively, the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 22 are part of the stainless steel pipe inside the ice-making evaporator, meaning that the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 and the 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.

[0066] Specifically, the housing 1 is provided with a refrigeration circulation pipeline 3, which is made of copper pipe. 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] As one implementation method, such as Figure 4 As shown, 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] like Figure 6 As shown, the refrigeration equipment further includes a de-icing 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 de-icing 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 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.

[0080] As another implementation method, such as Figure 7 As shown, the refrigeration equipment also includes a compressor 10, a de-icing pipe 25, and a one-in-two-out valve 27. The outlet of the compressor 10 is connected to the condenser 5, and the inlet of the compressor 10 is connected to the refrigeration evaporator 7. The valve inlet of the one-in-two-out valve 27 is connected to the condenser outlet of the condenser 5. The first outlet of the one-in-two-out valve 27 is connected to the ice-making throttling mechanism 23 through a refrigerant inlet pipe 21. The second outlet of the one-in-two-out valve 27 is connected to the refrigeration throttling mechanism 6 through a refrigeration throttling mechanism 6. The first end of the de-icing pipe 25 is connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe 21, and the second end is connected to the outlet of the compressor 10.

[0081] 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.

[0082] When the ice evaporator 24 needs to be de-iced, the exhaust gas from the compressor 10 can enter the refrigerant inlet pipe 21 through the de-icing pipe 25, heat the ice evaporator 24, and then be discharged through the refrigerant outlet pipe 22, thus completing the de-icing of the ice evaporator 24.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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). A refrigeration circulation pipeline (3) is provided inside the housing (1). The ice-making component (2) is located inside the housing (1). The ice-making component (2) includes an ice-making evaporator (24) and a refrigerant pipeline connected to the ice-making evaporator (24). The refrigerant pipeline has a bend and a straight section. The straight section is located on the side of the bend away from the ice-making evaporator (24). The straight section is welded to the refrigeration circulation pipeline (3).

2. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: A foaming layer is provided inside the box (1), and the straight section is located inside the foaming layer (4), and the straight section extends in the plane where the width direction of the foaming layer (4) is located or in the plane where the length direction is located.

3. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The refrigerant pipeline includes a refrigerant inlet pipe (21), which is used to feed refrigerant into the ice-making assembly. The refrigerant inlet pipe (21) is bent to form the bent portion, so that the straight section of the refrigerant inlet pipe (21) extends in the plane of the width direction or the plane of the length direction of the foam layer (4).

4. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The refrigeration circulation pipeline (3) includes a first pipe (31) for communicating with the refrigerant inlet pipe (21), a straight section is formed on the first pipe (31), and the straight section of the first pipe (31) is welded to the straight section of the refrigerant inlet pipe (21).

5. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The refrigerant pipeline includes a refrigerant discharge pipe (22), which is used to discharge the refrigerant in the ice-making assembly. The refrigerant discharge pipe (22) is bent to form a bend, so that the straight section of the refrigerant discharge pipe (22) extends in the plane of the width direction or the plane of the length direction of the foam layer (4).

6. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: The refrigeration circulation pipeline (3) includes a second pipe (32) for communicating with the refrigerant discharge pipe (22), a straight section is formed on the second pipe (32), and the straight section of the second pipe (32) is welded to the straight section of the refrigerant discharge pipe (22).

7. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 1, 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.

8. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigerant pipeline includes a refrigerant inlet pipe (21) and a refrigerant outlet pipe (22). At least one of the refrigerant inlet pipe (21) and the refrigerant outlet pipe (22) is bent to form a bend, so that a height difference is formed between the refrigerant inlet pipe (21) and the refrigerant outlet pipe (22).

9. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing (1) is provided with a refrigeration circulation pipeline (3), which is made of copper pipe and the refrigerant pipeline 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 in the foam layer (4).

10. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 1, 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 pipeline includes a refrigerant inlet pipe (21) and a refrigerant outlet pipe (22). The ice-making assembly (2) includes an ice-making throttling mechanism (23) and an ice-making evaporator (24). The refrigerant inlet pipe (21), the ice-making throttling mechanism (23), the ice-making evaporator (24), and the refrigerant outlet pipe (22) are connected in series. The refrigerant inlet pipe (21) is connected to the pipeline between the condenser (5) and the refrigeration throttling mechanism (6). The refrigerant outlet pipe (22) is connected to the pipeline between the refrigeration throttling mechanism (6) and the refrigeration evaporator (7).

11. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 10, characterized in that: The refrigeration equipment also includes a compressor (10), an ice removal pipeline (25), and a one-in-two-out valve (27). The outlet of the compressor (10) is connected to the condenser (5), the inlet of the compressor (10) is connected to the refrigeration evaporator (7), the valve inlet of the one-in-two-out valve (27) is connected to the condenser outlet of the condenser (5), the first outlet of the one-in-two-out valve is connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe (21) through an ice-making throttling mechanism (23), the second outlet of the one-in-two-out valve (27) is connected to the refrigeration evaporator (7) through a refrigeration throttling mechanism (6), the first end of the ice removal pipeline is connected to the refrigerant inlet pipe (21), and the second end is connected to the compressor outlet.

12. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 10, 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).

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