Rapid ice maker

Abstract

This invention relates to a rapid ice maker, comprising a mounting base, an upper silicone component, a water inlet pipe, a flip cover, a refrigeration plate, an extrusion plate, one or more push rods, and a drive assembly. The flip cover is rotatably mounted on the mounting base, and the upper silicone component is mounted on the flip cover. A first semi-groove is provided on the upper silicone component. A refrigerant pipe for refrigeration is provided on the refrigeration plate. The upper part of the refrigeration plate is mounted on the mounting base, and a second semi-groove is provided on the refrigeration plate. The first semi-groove and the corresponding second semi-groove cooperate to form a freezing cavity. Its advantages include achieving full-water immersion freezing, enabling direct heat exchange between the water and the refrigeration plate over a large area throughout the entire cavity, significantly accelerating ice-making speed, improving ice-making efficiency, and allowing for flexible and customizable ice shapes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a rapid ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, ice makers are refrigeration devices that cool water through a refrigeration system to make ice cubes. They are widely used in catering, beverage, food preservation, and household applications. In existing technologies, ice makers generally adopt a spray-type ice-making method. The working principle is as follows: a water pump delivers water to a spray pipe located above the ice mold in the evaporator. The water is sprayed from top to bottom onto the surface of each cavity of the ice mold through the spray pipe. The water is cooled by the refrigeration system on the surface of the ice mold and gradually freezes.

[0003] However, the above-mentioned spray-type ice-making method has obvious technical defects. First, the ice-making speed is slow. In spray-type ice-making, water is covered on the inner wall surface of the ice mold in the form of a thin layer of water flow. The heat exchange between the water and the cold source of the ice mold only occurs on the surface of the ice mold. The heat exchange area is small and the thermal resistance is large. The water in the ice mold cavity can only be cooled and frozen slowly layer by layer from the outside to the inside, resulting in a long ice-making cycle and low ice-making efficiency. Second, water resources are wasted. Water that is not frozen during the spraying process will flow back from the surface of the ice mold. An additional return water tank is required for collection and circulation, which not only increases the complexity of the equipment structure, but also causes cold loss and increased energy consumption during the circulation process. Third, the ice quality is uneven. The spray water flow does not cover the surface of each cavity of the ice mold evenly, which can easily lead to insufficient freezing in some cavities and inconsistent ice density. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a rapid ice maker. By directly introducing water into the closed freezing cavity formed by the first half-groove of the upper silicone part and the second half-groove of the cooling plate, full-water immersion freezing is achieved, so that direct heat exchange is formed between the water and the cooling plate over a large area of ​​the entire cavity, which significantly speeds up the ice making speed, improves the ice making efficiency, and allows for flexible and customizable ice shapes.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: it is a rapid ice maker, comprising: The device comprises a mounting base, an upper silicone component, a water inlet pipe, and a flip cover. The upper part of the flip cover is rotatably mounted on the mounting base. The upper silicone component is mounted on the flip cover. The upper silicone component has one or more first half-grooves. Each adjacent first half-groove is connected to a connecting flow path. The outlet of the water inlet pipe is connected to one or more of the first half-grooves. The inlet of the water inlet pipe is connected to an external water source. A refrigeration plate; a refrigerant pipe for refrigeration is provided on the refrigeration plate, the upper part of the refrigeration plate is mounted on the mounting base and located on the right side of the flip cover, the flip cover can be rotated downward to cover the refrigeration plate and can be rotated upward to move away from the refrigeration plate, and one or more second half-grooves are provided on the refrigeration plate; when the flip cover is on the refrigeration plate, the first half-grooves and the corresponding second half-grooves cooperate to form a freezing cavity; An extrusion plate and one or more push rods; the upper part of the extrusion plate is mounted on a mounting base and located on the left side of the flip cover, and each of the push rods is mounted on the extrusion plate; when the flip cover moves away from the refrigeration plate, the end of the push rod presses against the corresponding first half-groove, thereby causing the ice block to detach from the first half-groove; and A drive component; the drive component is connected to the flip cover to drive the flip cover to rotate.

[0006] In this technical solution, the driving component includes a motor, a drive gear, and a rotating seat; the upper part of the rotating seat is rotatably mounted on the mounting base and located on the right side of the refrigeration plate, the rotation axis of the rotating seat is coaxial with the rotation axis of the flip cover, the left end of the rotating seat is fixedly connected to the flip cover, the rotating seat is provided with external teeth, the drive gear is mounted on the output shaft of the motor, and the drive gear meshes with the external teeth of the rotating seat to drive the flip cover to rotate.

[0007] In this technical solution, the first half-groove and the second half-groove are arranged in an array to form an array-arranged freezing chamber.

[0008] This technical solution also includes a touch switch, which is installed on the extrusion plate. When the flip cover moves away from the refrigeration plate, the flip cover abuts against the contact point of the touch switch, thereby limiting the distance the flip cover can rotate upward.

[0009] This technical solution also includes a buffer component, which is installed at the bottom of the refrigeration plate. When the flip cover moves away from the refrigeration plate, the rotating seat abuts against the buffer component to prevent the rotating seat from colliding with the refrigeration plate.

[0010] This technical solution also includes a check valve assembly; the check valve assembly includes a valve body and a float; the valve body has a water passage chamber, which is connected to the inlet and outlet of the valve body respectively, and a pressure stabilizing port adapted to the size of the float is provided at the upper part of the water passage chamber, and the float is located in the water passage chamber; when the water passage chamber is full of water, the float floats up with the water and covers the pressure stabilizing port; when the water passage chamber has little water or no water, the float floats down with the water and does not block the pressure stabilizing port, the valve body is located above the first half-slot, the outlet of the valve body is connected to the inlet of the water inlet pipe, and the inlet of the valve body is connected to an external water source.

[0011] This technical solution also includes a submersible pump and a water tank; the valve body is located above the submersible pump and the water tank, and the valve body is connected to the water tank through the submersible pump.

[0012] The advantages of this invention compared with the prior art are: fast ice making speed, high ice making efficiency, simple structure, water and energy saving, good ice quality, strong consistency, convenient ice removal, and flexible and customizable ice shape. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A bottom view; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 AA section view; Figure 4 yes Figure 2 BB cross-sectional view; Figure 5 yes Figure 2 CC section view; Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of the rear view of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flip cover of the present invention after it is opened; Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of the flip cover, rotating base, and upper silicone part of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic block diagram of the waterway of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that these descriptions are for the purpose of aiding understanding the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0015] like Figures 1 to 9 The image shows a rapid ice maker, comprising: Mounting base 5, upper silicone part 10, water inlet pipe 11 and flip cover 12; the upper part of the flip cover 12 is rotatably mounted on the mounting base 5, the upper silicone part 10 is mounted on the flip cover 12, one or more first half-grooves 101 are provided on the upper silicone part 10, a connecting flow path 102 is provided between each adjacent first half-grooves 101, the outlet of the water inlet pipe 11 is connected to one or more of the first half-grooves 101, and the inlet of the water inlet pipe 11 is connected to an external water source; Refrigeration plate 4; a refrigerant pipe 41 for refrigeration is provided on the refrigeration plate 4, the upper part of the refrigeration plate 4 is mounted on the mounting base 5 and located on the right side of the flip cover 12, the flip cover 12 can rotate downward to cover the refrigeration plate 4 and the flip cover 12 can rotate upward to move away from the refrigeration plate 4, and one or more second half-grooves 42 are provided on the refrigeration plate 4; when the flip cover 12 covers the refrigeration plate 4, the first half-grooves 101 and the corresponding second half-grooves 42 cooperate to form a freezing cavity; An extrusion plate 7 and one or more push rods 9; the upper part of the extrusion plate 7 is mounted on the mounting base 5 and located on the left side of the flip cover 12, and each of the push rods 9 is mounted on the extrusion plate 7; when the flip cover 12 moves away from the refrigeration plate 4, the end of the push rod 9 presses against the corresponding first half-groove 101, thereby causing the ice block to detach from the first half-groove 101; and A drive component; the drive component is connected to the flip cover 12 to drive the flip cover 12 to rotate.

[0016] The principle of this embodiment defines the basic structure of a rapid ice maker and its core principles of ice making and de-icing. Its core innovation lies in the use of full-water immersion freezing. A flip-top 12 is rotatably mounted on a mounting base 5. An upper silicone piece 10 is mounted on the flip-top 12 and has a first half-groove 101. A refrigeration plate 4 is fixed to the mounting base 5 and has a second half-groove 42. During ice making, the flip-top 12 rotates downwards to close onto the refrigeration plate 4. The first half-groove 101 and the corresponding second half-groove 42 align to form a closed freezing chamber. Water from an external water source is directly injected into one or more of the first half-grooves 101 through the outlet of the water inlet pipe 11. Water is then distributed to the entire freezing chamber through the connecting flow path 102 between adjacent first half-grooves 101, filling the freezing chamber with water. The refrigeration plate 4 serves as the cold source. The water filling the freezing chamber is directly cooled, causing the water to freeze into ice blocks quickly and completely within the chamber. Because the water is immersed in the entire freezing chamber for freezing, rather than forming a thin layer of water flow on the surface of the ice mold as in existing spray-type ice making, the heat exchange area between the water and the cold source is expanded from a single surface to the entire surface of the chamber, significantly reducing thermal resistance and thus significantly accelerating the ice-making speed. When unfreezing, the flip cover 12 rotates upward away from the refrigeration plate 4, and the push rod 9 installed on the extrusion plate 7 approaches and presses the corresponding first half-groove 101 on the upper silicone part 10 as the flip cover 12 flips. The upper silicone part 10 is made of silicone elastic material, and the first half-groove 101 undergoes elastic deformation under the pressure of the push rod 9, pushing out the ice block frozen in it, thus detaching the ice block from the first half-groove 101 and completing the unfreezing process. The technical advantages of this embodiment are fast ice-making speed and high ice-making efficiency, realizing full-water immersion freezing, direct heat exchange between water and cold source throughout the entire cavity and over a large area, low thermal resistance, fast cooling, and significantly shortening the ice-making cycle; simple structure and water and energy saving, eliminating the need for spray pipes and return water tanks, avoiding cold loss and water waste caused by unfrozen water backflow; ice making and ice removal are completed by the flipping action of the same flap, with smooth action and compact structure, which is convenient for miniaturization and automated control.

[0017] During production, manufacturers only need to replace or modify the refrigerant plate 4 and the upper silicone part 10, and design the cavity shape of the first half-groove 101 and the second half-groove 42 to the required shape. This allows them to produce ice blocks of various shapes such as square, round, spherical, and star without changing the overall structure of the machine. This enables rapid and low-cost switching of ice shapes and flexibly meets diverse ice usage needs.

[0018] In this embodiment, the driving assembly includes a motor 1, a drive gear 2, and a rotating seat 3. The upper part of the rotating seat 3 is rotatably mounted on the mounting base 5 and located to the right of the cooling plate 4. The rotation axis of the rotating seat 3 is coaxial with the rotation axis of the flip cover 12. The left end of the rotating seat 3 is fixedly connected to the flip cover 12. The rotating seat 3 is provided with external teeth. The drive gear 2 is mounted on the output shaft of the motor 1. The drive gear 2 meshes with the external teeth of the rotating seat 3 to drive the flip cover 12 to rotate. During operation, the motor 1 drives the drive gear 2 to rotate. The drive gear 2 drives the rotating seat 3 to rotate around its axis through gear meshing. The rotating seat 3 then drives the flip cover 12, which is fixedly connected to it, to complete the action of closing downwards or flipping upwards around the same axis. Since the rotation axis of the rotating seat 3 is coaxial with the rotation axis of the flip cover 12 and the gear meshing transmission is adopted, the power of the motor 1 can be directly transmitted to the flip cover 12 without idle travel. The technical effects of this embodiment are smooth transmission and precise control. There is no slippage in the gear meshing transmission. With the coaxial arrangement, the flip angle of the cover 12 is precisely controllable. The cover is tightly closed when making ice and flips in place when removing ice. The structure is compact and the driving torque is large. The gear transmission structure is simple and compact. It can effectively amplify the power of the motor 1 and stably transmit it to the cover 12, and the operation is reliable.

[0019] In this embodiment, the first half-slot 101 and the second half-slot 42 are arranged in an array to form an array of freezing chambers. During operation, multiple first half-slots 101 and multiple second half-slots 42 are arranged in a regular row and column pattern, so that after the flip cover 12 is closed, multiple freezing chambers are formed in a regular arrangement, and each freezing chamber corresponds to an ice-making unit; with the connecting flow path 102 between adjacent first half-slots 101, the water flow can be evenly distributed among the chambers in the array during water injection. The technical effects of this embodiment are high space utilization and large single ice-making capacity. The array layout arranges as many ice-making chambers as possible on a limited refrigeration plate area, significantly increasing the ice production per unit area; the ice consistency is good, and the array arrangement combined with the even distribution of the connecting flow path ensures that the water injection volume of each chamber is consistent, resulting in ice with uniform shape and density.

[0020] In this embodiment, a touch switch 8 is also included. The touch switch 8 is mounted on the extrusion plate 7. When the flip cover 12 moves away from the refrigeration plate 4, the flip cover 12 abuts against the contact point of the touch switch 8, thereby limiting the upward rotation distance of the flip cover 12. In use, when the flip cover 12 flips upward away from the refrigeration plate 4, the flip cover 12 will abut against the contact point of the touch switch 8 after flipping to a preset position, thereby limiting the upward rotation stroke of the flip cover 12 and preventing the flip cover 12 from continuing to rotate upward. The touch switch 8 can also output a positioning signal when the flip cover 12 abuts, so that the control system can stop the motor 1 accordingly. The technical effect of this embodiment is to limit the protection and prevent over-flipping, avoiding the flip cover 12 from flipping up too much and causing a hard collision with the extrusion plate 7 or other components, thus protecting the components; it realizes automatic control. Through the positioning feedback signal of the touch switch 8, the control system can automatically stop the drive, making the de-icing action accurate and in place, with a high degree of automation and safer and more reliable operation.

[0021] In this embodiment, a buffer 14 is also included. The buffer 14 is installed at the lower part of the refrigeration plate 4. When the flip cover 12 moves away from the refrigeration plate 4, the rotating seat 3 abuts against the buffer 14 to prevent the rotating seat 3 from colliding with the refrigeration plate 4. During operation, when the flip cover 12 flips upward away from the refrigeration plate 4 to its extreme position, the rotating seat 3 abuts against the buffer 14. The buffer 14 bears and absorbs the impact force of the rotating seat 3, preventing a rigid collision between the rotating seat 3 and the refrigeration plate 4. The buffer 14 is usually made of elastic materials such as rubber or silicone and has a buffering and shock-absorbing function. The technical effect of this embodiment is to reduce vibration and noise, protect components, absorb the impact energy when the rotating seat 3 flips to its position, avoid a rigid collision between the rotating seat 3 and the refrigeration plate 4, reduce operating noise, prevent component damage, extend service life, reduce impact wear of parts, improve the reliability of the whole machine, and extend the service life of the equipment.

[0022] In this embodiment, a check valve assembly is also included; the check valve assembly includes a valve body 6 and a float 13; the valve body 6 has a water passage chamber 61, which is connected to the inlet and outlet of the valve body 6 respectively; a pressure stabilizing port 611 adapted to the size of the float 13 is provided on the upper part of the water passage chamber 61; the float 13 is located in the water passage chamber 61; when the water passage chamber 61 is full of water, the float 13 floats up with the water and covers the pressure stabilizing port 611; when the water passage chamber 61 has little water or no water, the float 13 floats down with the water and does not block the pressure stabilizing port 611; the valve body 6 is located above the first half-groove 101; the outlet of the valve body 6 is connected to the inlet of the water inlet pipe 11; and the inlet of the valve body 6 is connected to an external water source. During use, the float ball 13 and the pressure stabilizing port 611 work together to maintain a stable water level and pressure in the water inlet pipe 11, ensuring that each freezing chamber is filled with water evenly and sufficiently. When the water supply stops, the pressure stabilizing port 611 of the check valve assembly opens. Since the valve body 6 is located above the freezing chamber, it can prevent water in the freezing chamber from flowing back along the water inlet pipe, thus avoiding contamination of the water source and affecting the ice-making quality.

[0023] In this embodiment, a submersible pump 15 and a water tank 16 are also included. The valve body 6 is located above the submersible pump 15 and the water tank 16, and the valve body 6 is connected to the water tank 16 through the submersible pump 15. During operation, the water supply is stable and reliable, with the submersible pump 15 actively supplying water. The water supply pressure and flow rate are stable and unaffected by fluctuations in external water source pressure, ensuring continuous and stable ice making. The submersible pump 15 is inexpensive. When the submersible pump 15 is not working, because the valve body 6 is located above the submersible pump 15 and the water tank 16, the pressure regulating port 611 is opened, and the water flows back to the submersible pump 15 and the water tank 16.

[0024] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. For those skilled in the art, various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations of these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rapid ice maker, characterized in that, include: Mounting base (5), upper silicone part (10), water inlet pipe (11) and flip cover (12); the upper part of the flip cover (12) is rotatably mounted on the mounting base (5), the upper silicone part (10) is mounted on the flip cover (12), one or more first half-grooves (101) are provided on the upper silicone part (10), a connecting flow path (102) is provided between each adjacent first half-grooves (101), the outlet of the water inlet pipe (11) is connected to one or more of the first half-grooves (101), and the inlet of the water inlet pipe (11) is connected to an external water source; Refrigeration plate (4); a refrigerant pipe (41) for refrigeration is provided on the refrigeration plate (4). The upper part of the refrigeration plate (4) is mounted on the mounting base (5) and located on the right side of the flip cover (12). The flip cover (12) can rotate downward to cover the refrigeration plate (4) and can rotate upward to move away from the refrigeration plate (4). There is one or more second half-grooves (42) on the refrigeration plate (4). When the flip cover (12) covers the refrigeration plate (4), the first half-grooves (101) and the corresponding second half-grooves (42) cooperate to form a freezing cavity. An extrusion plate (7) and one or more push rods (9); the upper part of the extrusion plate (7) is mounted on the mounting base (5) and located on the left side of the flip cover (12), and each of the push rods (9) is mounted on the extrusion plate (7); when the flip cover (12) moves away from the refrigeration plate (4), the end of the push rod (9) presses against the corresponding first half-groove (101) to dislodge the ice block from the first half-groove (101); and Drive component; the drive component is connected to the flip cover (12) to drive the flip cover (12) to rotate.

2. The rapid ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a motor (1), a drive gear (2), and a rotating seat (3). The upper part of the rotating seat (3) is rotatably mounted on the mounting base (5) and located on the right side of the cooling plate (4). The rotation axis of the rotating seat (3) is coaxial with the rotation axis of the flip cover (12). The left end of the rotating seat (3) is fixedly connected to the flip cover (12). The rotating seat (3) is provided with external teeth. The drive gear (2) is mounted on the output shaft of the motor (1). The drive gear (2) meshes with the external teeth of the rotating seat (3) to drive the flip cover (12) to rotate.

3. The rapid ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that... The first half-groove (101) and the second half-groove (42) are arranged in an array to form an array-arranged freezing chamber.

4. The rapid ice maker according to claim 2, characterized in that... It also includes a touch switch (8), which is mounted on the extrusion plate (7). When the flip cover (12) moves away from the cooling plate (4), the flip cover (12) abuts against the touch point of the touch switch (8), thereby limiting the distance the flip cover (12) can rotate upward.

5. The rapid ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that... It also includes a buffer (14), which is installed on the lower part of the refrigeration plate (4). When the flip cover (12) moves away from the refrigeration plate (4), the rotating seat (3) abuts against the buffer (14) to prevent the rotating seat (3) from colliding with the refrigeration plate (4).

6. The rapid ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that... It also includes a check valve assembly; the check valve assembly includes a valve body (6) and a float (13); the valve body (6) is provided with a water passage chamber (61), the water passage chamber (61) is connected to the water inlet and water outlet of the valve body (6) respectively, and a pressure stabilizing port (611) adapted to the size of the float (13) is provided at the upper part of the water passage chamber (61), the float (13) is located in the water passage chamber (61); when the water passage chamber (61) is full of water, the float (13) floats up with the water and covers the pressure stabilizing port (611); when the water passage chamber (61) has little water or no water, the float (13) floats down with the water and does not cover the pressure stabilizing port (611), the valve body (6) is located above the first half-groove (101), the water outlet of the valve body (6) is connected to the water inlet of the water inlet pipe (11), and the water inlet of the valve body (6) is connected to the external water source.

7. The rapid ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that... It also includes a submersible pump (15) and a water tank (16); the valve body (6) is located above the submersible pump (15) and the water tank (16), and the valve body (6) is connected to the water tank (16) through the submersible pump (15).

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