An on-board ice maker coupled to a vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit

Abstract

This invention discloses an on-board ice maker coupled to a vehicle's air conditioning refrigeration circuit. The on-board ice maker includes an insulated shell, within which an ice-making component and a refrigeration component are disposed. The refrigeration component includes a heat-conducting plate fixed to the inner cavity of the insulated shell. A semiconductor cooler is disposed on one side of the heat-conducting plate to provide cooling or heating to the ice-making component. A refrigerant evaporation core is disposed on the other side of the heat-conducting plate. The refrigerant evaporation core is connected to an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. One end of the inlet pipe extending out of the insulated shell is connected to an expansion valve via an inlet connecting block. The other end of the outlet pipe extending out of the insulated shell is connected to an outlet connecting block. This invention solves the problems of poor heat dissipation and low ice-making efficiency in existing technologies.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ice maker technology, and in particular to an on-board ice maker that couples with a vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit. Background Technology

[0002] A Chinese invention patent application with publication number CN121557648A, entitled "A Vehicle-Mounted Ice Maker," discloses a vehicle-mounted ice maker. The ice maker includes a housing, within which a storage device and a heat dissipation device are installed sequentially from top to bottom. The heat dissipation device includes a thermoelectric cooler mounted on the lower surface of the refrigerator and a heat dissipation grille installed inside the housing and in contact with the thermoelectric cooler. Side heat dissipation mesh openings are provided at both ends of the housing, and axial fans are installed at both ends. By installing axial fans at both ends of the housing, air convection is created, and combined with the heat dissipation grille, the heat dissipation effect of the ice maker can be effectively ensured, allowing heat to be promptly dissipated to the outside. However, when the thermoelectric cooler is air-cooled, due to the low specific heat capacity of air and the limited airflow output of the axial fans, the heat generated at the hot end of the thermoelectric cooler (typically 2-3 times the cooling capacity) cannot be dissipated in time, causing the hot end temperature to continuously rise. This leads to a sharp decrease in the cooling efficiency of the thermoelectric cooler, affecting the ice-making efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide an on-board ice maker that couples a vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit with good heat dissipation and high ice-making efficiency.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the on-board ice maker of the present invention, which couples the vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit, is as follows:

[0005] An on-board ice maker coupling a vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit includes an insulated shell, an ice-making component and a refrigeration component disposed inside the insulated shell, the refrigeration component including a heat-conducting plate fixed to the inner cavity of the insulated shell, a semiconductor cooler disposed on one side of the heat-conducting plate for providing cooling or heating to the ice-making component, a refrigerant evaporation core disposed on the other side of the heat-conducting plate, the refrigerant evaporation core being connected to an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, one end of the inlet pipe extending out of the insulated shell being connected to an expansion valve via an inlet connecting block, and one end of the outlet pipe extending out of the insulated shell being connected to an outlet connecting block.

[0006] Preferably, the side wall of the heat-conducting plate is provided with a cold storage shell, and the open end of the cold storage shell is sealed to the heat-conducting plate to form a cold storage box sleeved on the outside of the refrigerant evaporation core. The water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe pass through the cold storage box and extend out of the heat-insulating shell. The cold storage box is filled with cold storage liquid that submerges the refrigerant evaporation core.

[0007] Preferably, the refrigerant evaporator core includes a first serpentine tube and a second serpentine tube. One end of the first serpentine tube is connected to the upper part of the inlet pipe, and the other end is connected to the upper part of the outlet pipe. One end of the second serpentine tube is connected to the lower part of the inlet pipe, and the other two ends are connected to the lower part of the outlet pipe. The first and second serpentine tubes are interwoven to form multiple intervals. Heat dissipation assemblies for increasing the heat exchange area are installed in the intervals. One end of the heat dissipation assemblies extending out of the interval is fixed to the heat conduction plate.

[0008] Preferably, the refrigerant evaporation core includes a collector plate fixedly connected to the heat-conducting plate. The collector plate is provided with a groove, and the inner wall of the groove and the side wall of the heat-conducting plate form a refrigerant flow channel for dissipating heat from the hot end of the semiconductor cooler. The inlet pipe is provided at one end of the refrigerant flow channel, and the outlet pipe is provided at the other end of the refrigerant flow channel.

[0009] Preferably, the groove is serpentine.

[0010] Preferably, the ice-making assembly includes an ice-making tank fixedly connected to a heat-conducting plate, a spray pipe is provided on one side of the ice-making tank, both ends of the spray pipe are installed in the heat-insulating shell through brackets, a water injection tank is provided on the top of the heat-insulating shell, the bottom of the water injection tank is connected to the spray pipe through a water injection pipe, the spray pipe has spray holes facing the ice-making tank, and a water storage tank is provided at the bottom of the heat-insulating shell below the ice-making tank.

[0011] Preferably, a water pump is installed in the water storage tank, and the water pump is connected to the spray pipe through a water supply pipe.

[0012] Preferably, the heat-insulating shell is provided with an ice collection tank on one side of the water storage tank, and a flow guide plate is provided on the top of the water storage tank, which guides the ice blocks falling in the ice making tank into the ice collection tank.

[0013] Preferably, the ice-making tank includes a stainless steel plate fixed to the heat-conducting plate, a semiconductor cooler is disposed between the stainless steel plate and the heat-conducting plate, and a plurality of ice-making grids corresponding to the spray holes are provided on the side of the stainless steel plate facing the spray pipe.

[0014] Preferably, heat insulation cotton is provided between the stainless steel plate and the heat-conducting plate, surrounding the outside of the semiconductor cooler.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0016] 1. The refrigerant evaporator core is coupled to the vehicle's air conditioning refrigeration circuit through an expansion valve and an outlet connecting block, using the refrigerant as a heat dissipation source for the semiconductor refrigerator. Compared with air cooling, the heat dissipation effect is significantly improved, ensuring that the semiconductor refrigerator always operates in the high-efficiency range, thereby improving ice-making efficiency.

[0017] 2. A cold storage shell is installed on the side wall of the heat-conducting plate. The cold storage shell and the heat-conducting plate are sealed together to form a cold storage box that is fitted on the outside of the refrigerant evaporation core. The cold storage box is filled with cold storage liquid, so that it can store cold energy during driving. When the vehicle is turned off and there is no whole vehicle refrigerant circulation, it can rely on the energy stored in the cold storage liquid to achieve short-term parking ice making, thus expanding the application scenarios of the product.

[0018] 3. Low-temperature water in the storage tank is pumped into the spray pipe by a water pump, which can pre-cool the room-temperature water entering from the water injection pipe, thereby improving the ice-making efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the on-board ice maker that couples the vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit in Embodiment 1.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the ice-making component in Embodiment 1.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigeration component in Embodiment 1.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigerant evaporation core in Example 1.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the working principle of Example 1.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the on-board ice maker that couples the vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit in Embodiment 2.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigeration component in Embodiment 2.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the working principle of Example 2.

[0027] The components include: 1. Insulation shell; 2. Ice-making assembly; 21. Ice-making tank; 211. Stainless steel plate; 212. Ice grid; 22. Spray pipe; 23. Water injection tank; 24. Water injection pipe; 25. Water storage tank; 26. Water pump; 27. Water supply pipe; 28. Ice collection tank; 29. ​​Flow guide plate; 3. Refrigeration assembly; 31. Heat conduction plate; 32. Semiconductor cooler; 33. Insulation cotton; 34. Cold storage shell; 35. Refrigerant evaporation core; 351. First serpentine tube; 352. Second serpentine tube; 353. Inlet pipe; 354. Outlet pipe; 355. Spacing; 356. Heat dissipation strip assembly; 36. Inlet connecting block; 37. Connecting expansion valve; 38. Outlet connecting block; 39. Manifold; 391. Groove. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The present invention will be further illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. After reading this invention, any modifications of the invention in various equivalent forms by those skilled in the art will fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0029] Example 1, as Figure 1-5As shown, an on-board ice maker coupled to a vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit includes an insulated housing 1, an ice-making assembly 2 and a refrigeration assembly 3 installed inside the insulated housing 1. The refrigeration assembly 3 includes a heat-conducting plate 31 fixed to the inner cavity of the insulated housing 1. A thermoelectric cooler 32 is installed on the right side of the heat-conducting plate 31 to provide cooling or heating to the ice-making assembly 2. The ice-making assembly 2 includes an ice-making tank 21, which includes a stainless steel plate 211 fixed to the heat-conducting plate. The left end of the thermoelectric cooler 32 is bonded to the heat-conducting plate 31 with thermally conductive adhesive, and the right end of the thermoelectric cooler 32 is bonded to the stainless steel plate 211 with thermally conductive adhesive. A heat-insulating cotton 33 is installed between the stainless steel plate 211 and the heat-conducting plate 31, surrounding the outside of the thermoelectric cooler. The heat-insulating cotton 33 wraps around the thermoelectric cooler. The perimeter of the insulation layer 32 prevents the thermoelectric cooler 32 from contacting the outside air, avoiding condensation and oxidation, thus improving its service life. Simultaneously, the insulation cotton 33 blocks thermal bridge interference between the cold and hot ends of the thermoelectric cooler 32, preventing energy transfer between them and improving its cooling / heating efficiency. Several ice trays 212 are welded to the right side wall of the stainless steel plate 211. The bottom surface of the ice trays 212 is sloped to facilitate ice removal. A spray pipe 22 is installed on the right side of the ice tray 21. Both ends of the spray pipe 22 are installed in the inner cavity of the insulation shell 1 via brackets. A water injection tank 23 is provided at the top of the insulation shell 1. The bottom of the water injection tank 23 is connected to the spray pipe 22 via a water injection pipe 24. 2. Spray holes are made facing the ice tray 212. A water storage tank 25 is installed at the bottom of the insulation shell 1 below the ice tray 21. The water storage tank 25 collects the water that has not frozen after being sprayed onto the ice tray 21 by the spray pipe 22. A water pump 26 is installed in the water storage tank 25. The water pump 26 is connected to the spray pipe 22 through a water supply pipe 27. The water pump 26 pumps the low-temperature water in the water storage tank 25 into the spray pipe 22, which can pre-cool the room temperature water entering from the water supply pipe 24, thereby improving the ice-making efficiency. An ice collection tank 28 is installed at the bottom of the insulation shell 1 to the right of the water storage tank 25. A guide plate 29 is installed at the top of the water storage tank 25. The guide plate 29 guides the ice blocks falling into the ice tray 212 into the ice collection tank 28, while not affecting the dripping of the unfrozen water on the ice tray 21. Inside the water storage tank 25, a cold storage shell 34 is installed on the left side wall of the heat-conducting plate 31. The open end of the cold storage shell 34 is welded to the heat-conducting plate 31 to form a cold storage box. Cold storage liquid is injected into the cold storage box, and a refrigerant evaporation core 35 immersed in the cold storage liquid is installed inside the cold storage box. The refrigerant evaporation core 35 includes a first serpentine tube 351 and a second serpentine tube 352. An inlet pipe 353 is welded to the right end of the first serpentine tube, and an outlet pipe 354 is welded to the left end of the first serpentine tube 351. The right end of the second serpentine tube 352 is welded to the inlet pipe 353, and the left end of the second serpentine tube 352 is welded to the outlet pipe 354. The first and second serpentine tubes interweave with each other to form multiple intervals 355. Heat dissipation assemblies 356 for increasing the heat exchange area are installed in the intervals 355.The heat dissipation assembly 356 extends out of the spacer 355 and is welded to the heat-conducting plate 31, thereby fixing the first and second serpentine tubes to the left side of the heat-conducting plate 31. The top of the closed end of the inlet pipe 353 is connected to the first serpentine tube 351, and the bottom of the closed end of the inlet pipe 353 is connected to the second serpentine tube 352. The top of the closed end of the outlet pipe 354 is connected to the first serpentine tube 351, and the bottom of the closed end of the outlet pipe 354 is connected to the second serpentine tube 352. The open ends of the inlet and outlet pipes pass through the cold storage shell 34 and extend out of the insulation shell 1. The end of the inlet pipe 353 extending out of the insulation shell 1 is connected to the expansion valve 37 through the inlet connecting block 36, and the end of the outlet pipe 354 extending out of the insulation shell 1 is connected to the outlet connecting block 38.

[0030] The specific working process and principle of Example 1: When a positive current is applied to the semiconductor cooler 32, the cold energy generated at the cold end of the semiconductor cooler 32 is transferred to the ice-making tank 21. The stainless steel plate 211 and the ice-making grid 212 are rapidly cooled. Clean water in the container inverted on the water injection tank 23 flows into the spray pipe 22 through the water injection pipe 24 and is sprayed onto the ice-making grid 212 through the spray holes, gradually forming ice cubes in the ice-making grid 212. The clean water that has not frozen drips into the water storage tank 25 through the guide plate 29. The water pump 26 pumps the low-temperature water in the water storage tank 25 through the water replenishment pipe. 27 is pumped into spray pipe 22 and neutralized with the room temperature water inside spray pipe 22, thus pre-cooling the room temperature water in spray pipe 22 to improve ice-making efficiency. At the same time, the refrigerant in the air conditioning circuit enters the first and second serpentine pipes through the expansion valve 37 via the inlet pipe 353 and flows out through the outlet pipe 354. The refrigerant evaporates and absorbs the heat generated by the hot end of the semiconductor refrigerator 32 when it is working, and stores some of the cold energy in the cold storage liquid. During short periods of parking, the phase change of the cold storage liquid can be used to dissipate heat from the hot end of the semiconductor refrigerator 32 when it is working, thus realizing ice making. After the ice in the ice grid 212 is completely formed, a reverse current is applied to the semiconductor refrigerator 32, the cold and hot ends of the semiconductor refrigerator 32 are interchanged, the ice grid 21 is heated, and after the thin layer on the surface of the ice melts, it falls off along the inclined surface at the bottom of the ice grid 212 under its own weight and is guided into the ice collection tank 28 by the guide grid plate 29 for later use.

[0031] Example 2, as Figure 6-8As shown, the difference from Embodiment 1 is that the cold storage shell 34 is omitted, and a simpler refrigerant evaporator core 35 is installed on the left side of the heat-conducting plate 31. This refrigerant evaporator core 35 includes a collector plate 39 fixedly connected to the heat-conducting plate 31. A groove 391, serpentine in shape, is provided on the collector plate and is formed by a blow-blowing process. The inner wall of the groove and the side wall of the heat-conducting plate constitute a refrigerant flow channel for dissipating heat from the hot end of the thermoelectric cooler. The inlet pipe 353 is located at the right end of the refrigerant flow channel, and the outlet pipe 354 is located at the left end. Because the refrigerant evaporator core of this embodiment has a simple and compact structure, it helps to reduce manufacturing costs and product space requirements. Furthermore, the refrigerant directly contacts the heat-conducting plate, resulting in low thermal resistance and higher heat exchange efficiency.

[0032] This invention, by coupling the vehicle's air conditioning cooling circuit and utilizing the vehicle's thermal management resources, replaces "air cooling," effectively improving the heat exchange efficiency of the hot end of the semiconductor cooler during operation. While achieving efficient ice making, it also perfectly avoids the problems of poor adaptability (greatly affected by ambient temperature), high noise, and heat dissipation affecting the interior temperature of the vehicle that are associated with "air cooling" solutions.

[0033] The foregoing description illustrates and describes preferred embodiments of the present invention. As previously stated, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the forms disclosed herein and should not be construed as excluding other embodiments. It can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments, and can be altered within the scope of the inventive concept described herein through the foregoing teachings or techniques or knowledge in related fields. Any modifications and variations made by those skilled in the art that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted ice maker coupled to a vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit, characterized in that: It includes an insulation shell, inside which are an ice-making component and a refrigeration component. The refrigeration component includes a heat-conducting plate fixed to the inner cavity of the insulation shell. A semiconductor cooler is provided on one side of the heat-conducting plate to provide cooling or heating to the ice-making component. A refrigerant evaporation core is provided on the other side of the heat-conducting plate. The refrigerant evaporation core is connected to an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. One end of the inlet pipe extending out of the insulation shell is connected to an expansion valve through an inlet connecting block. One end of the outlet pipe extending out of the insulation shell is connected to an outlet connecting block.

2. The on-board ice maker for coupling a vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat-conducting plate has a cold storage shell on its side wall. The open end of the cold storage shell is sealed to the heat-conducting plate to form a cold storage box that is fitted on the outside of the refrigerant evaporation core. The water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe pass through the cold storage box and extend out of the insulation shell. The cold storage box is filled with cold storage liquid that submerges the refrigerant evaporation core.

3. The on-board ice maker for coupling a vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The refrigerant evaporator core includes a first serpentine tube and a second serpentine tube. One end of the first serpentine tube is connected to the upper part of the inlet pipe, and the other end is connected to the upper part of the outlet pipe. One end of the second serpentine tube is connected to the lower part of the inlet pipe, and the other two ends are connected to the lower part of the outlet pipe. The first and second serpentine tubes are interwoven to form multiple intervals. Heat dissipation assemblies for increasing the heat exchange area are installed in the intervals. One end of the heat dissipation assemblies extending out of the interval is fixed to the heat conduction plate.

4. The on-board ice maker for coupling a vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The refrigerant evaporation core includes a collector plate fixed to a heat-conducting plate. The collector plate has a groove, and the inner wall of the groove and the side wall of the heat-conducting plate form a refrigerant flow channel for dissipating heat from the hot end of the semiconductor cooler. The inlet pipe is located at one end of the refrigerant flow channel, and the outlet pipe is located at the other end of the refrigerant flow channel.

5. The on-board ice maker for coupling the vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit according to claim 4, characterized in that: The groove is serpentine in shape.

6. The on-board ice maker for coupling a vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ice-making assembly includes an ice-making tank fixedly connected to a heat-conducting plate. A spray pipe is provided on one side of the ice-making tank. Both ends of the spray pipe are installed in the insulation shell through brackets. A water injection tank is provided on the top of the insulation shell. The bottom of the water injection tank is connected to the spray pipe through a water injection pipe. The spray pipe has spray holes facing the ice-making tank. A water storage tank is provided at the bottom of the insulation shell below the ice-making tank.

7. The on-board ice maker for coupling a vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit according to claim 6, characterized in that: A water pump is installed in the water storage tank, and the water pump is connected to the spray pipe through a water supply pipe.

8. The on-board ice maker for coupling a vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit according to claim 7, characterized in that: An ice collection trough is provided on one side of the water storage tank in the heat insulation shell, and a flow guide plate is provided on the top of the water storage tank. The flow guide plate guides the ice blocks falling in the ice making tank into the ice collection trough.

9. The on-board ice maker for coupling a vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit according to claim 8, characterized in that: The ice-making tank includes a stainless steel plate fixed to a heat-conducting plate, a semiconductor cooler is disposed between the stainless steel plate and the heat-conducting plate, and a number of ice grids corresponding to the spray holes are provided on the side of the stainless steel plate facing the spray pipe.

10. The on-board ice maker for coupling a vehicle air conditioning refrigeration circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: A heat-insulating cotton layer is provided between the stainless steel plate and the heat-conducting plate, surrounding the outside of the semiconductor cooler.

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