Evaporator assembly and refrigeration equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses an evaporator assembly and refrigeration equipment, and relates to the technical field of evaporators, the evaporator assembly comprises a mounting bracket, an evaporator and a heating assembly, the evaporator comprises a heat exchange pipeline and a plurality of heat exchange fins, the heat exchange pipeline is supported on the mounting bracket, the plurality of heat exchange fins are arranged on the heat exchange pipeline at intervals, and the heating assembly is arranged on the mounting bracket. Each heat exchange fin is in contact with the heat exchange pipeline and is provided with two ends distributed in the thickness direction of the evaporator main body, and one end of at least part of the heat exchange fins is provided with an extension part extending laterally; the heating assembly is arranged on the side, in the thickness direction, of the evaporator body and connected with the extending parts of the heat exchange fins, when the evaporator refrigerates to enable the surfaces of the heat exchange fins to be frosted, the heating assembly is controlled to work, at the moment, due to the fact that the heating assembly makes direct contact with the heat exchange fins, heat exchange is conducted in a heat conduction mode, and the heating and defrosting efficiency is improved; and the temperature fluctuation in the box is small. Meanwhile, the heating assembly and the evaporator are stacked in the thickness direction, and the installation structure of the heating assembly can be simplified.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of evaporators, in particular to an evaporator component and a refrigeration device. Background Art

[0002] During the cooling process, frost forms on the fin surfaces of the evaporator. Severe frost on the fins can cause frost blockage, leading to abnormal cooling of the evaporator. Therefore, a defrost process is usually set up to melt the frost on the fins. To shorten the defrost time, this process is usually compensated by an additional heater.

[0003] The heaters on existing evaporators are generally fixed on the side of the evaporator, which not only has a complex installation structure, but also uses natural convection and radiation to exchange heat, resulting in poor heat exchange effect. In combination with high voltage, there is a risk of leakage, overheating and fire. Utility Model Content

[0004] The main purpose of the utility model is to provide an evaporator assembly and a refrigeration device, wherein the heating assembly can be installed by attaching to the heat exchange fins, has a simple structure, and has high heat conduction efficiency through direct contact with the heat exchange fins.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an evaporator assembly, comprising:

[0006] Mounting bracket;

[0007] an evaporator body, comprising a heat exchange pipe and a plurality of heat exchange fins, the heat exchange pipe being supported by the mounting bracket, the plurality of heat exchange fins being arranged at intervals on the heat exchange pipe, each heat exchange fin being in contact with the heat exchange pipe and having two ends distributed in the thickness direction of the evaporator body, and at least one end of some of the heat exchange fins being provided with a laterally extending extension; and

[0008] The heating component is arranged on one side of the evaporator body along the thickness direction thereof and is connected to the extension portion of the heat exchange fin.

[0009] In one embodiment, at least one of the heat exchange fins comprises:

[0010] A first extension section is located on one side of the heat exchange pipeline along the thickness direction of the evaporator body; and

[0011] at least one second extension section extending along the thickness direction of the evaporator body and configured to contact the heat exchange pipeline, the second extension section being connected to the first extension section;

[0012] The extension portion includes the first extension segment, and end surfaces of a plurality of the first extension segments facing away from the second extension segment jointly form a bearing surface.

[0013] In one embodiment, two second extension segments are provided, which are fixedly connected to two opposite ends of the first extension segment respectively.

[0014] In one embodiment, through holes are provided on the sides of the two second extension sections of each heat exchange fin facing each other, so as to allow the heat exchange pipeline to pass through.

[0015] In one embodiment, the distance between each two adjacent heat exchange fins is a, where a≤10 mm.

[0016] In one embodiment, the heating component is bonded to the plurality of extensions.

[0017] In one embodiment, the mounting bracket includes two first brackets arranged opposite to each other along the length direction of the evaporator body;

[0018] The heat exchange pipeline is installed on the two first brackets;

[0019] The heating component is located between the two first brackets.

[0020] In one embodiment, the heat exchange pipeline is arranged in multiple sections and bent to have multiple pipe sections arranged at intervals along the width direction of the evaporator body. Multiple heat exchange fins are provided on each of the multiple pipe sections, and the opposite ends of the multiple pipe sections are respectively fixed on two first brackets.

[0021] In one embodiment, the evaporator assembly further comprises:

[0022] a temperature sensor, the temperature sensor being disposed on the heat exchange pipe or the mounting bracket and spaced apart from the heating assembly; and

[0023] The controller is electrically connected to the temperature sensor and the heating component, and is used to control the operation of the heating component according to the detection result of the temperature sensor.

[0024] In one embodiment, an accommodating space is formed between two adjacent heat exchange fins, or between the mounting bracket and an adjacent heat exchange fin;

[0025] The temperature sensor is arranged in the accommodating space.

[0026] The utility model also provides a refrigeration device, comprising the above-mentioned evaporator assembly.

[0027] In one embodiment, the refrigeration device further comprises a box having a mounting cavity;

[0028] The evaporator assembly is installed in the installation cavity, and the installation bracket of the evaporator assembly includes two first brackets arranged opposite to each other along the length direction of the evaporator body, and the two first brackets are fixed to the inner wall of the installation cavity to define a limiting groove together with the box body;

[0029] The heating assembly of the evaporator assembly is located in the limiting groove.

[0030] In the technical solution of this utility model, the structural design of the heat exchange fins enables the multiple extensions to collectively form a bearing surface for the heating assembly to connect to. When the evaporator body cools and frost forms on the heat exchange fin surface, the heating assembly is controlled to operate. At this time, due to the direct contact between the heating assembly and the heat exchange fins, heat is exchanged by heat conduction, improving heating and defrosting efficiency and minimizing temperature fluctuations within the chamber. The heating assembly has a lower heating temperature requirement, allowing it to operate at voltages below 220V, providing greater safety. Furthermore, the heating assembly is stacked with the evaporator body in its thickness direction, simplifying its installation structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of an evaporator assembly provided by the present utility model;

[0033] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the evaporator assembly along AA;

[0034] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a heat exchange fin;

[0035] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a second embodiment of a heat exchange fin;

[0036] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a third embodiment of a heat exchange fin;

[0037] Figure 6 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a fourth embodiment of a heat exchange fin.

[0038] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0039] 100. Evaporator assembly; 1. Mounting bracket; 11. First bracket; 2. Evaporator body; 21. Heat exchange pipeline; 211. Pipe section; 22. Heat exchange fin; 221. First extension section; 222. Second extension section; 2a. Accommodation space; 3. Heating assembly.

[0040] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] It should be noted that if directional indications are involved in the embodiments of the present invention, the directional indications are only used to explain the relative positional relationship, movement status, etc. between the components in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0043] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in this field can implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0044] The evaporator is the cooling output device in refrigeration equipment. Refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator, absorbing heat from the low-temperature heat source medium to achieve the cooling effect. When the evaporator temperature falls below the dew point of the ambient air, condensation forms on the fins. When the ambient air temperature falls below 0°C, this condensation forms a thin layer of frost. Severe frost on the fins can cause frost blockage, leading to abnormal cooling of the evaporator and affecting the heating effect of the machine. Therefore, a defrost process is usually configured to melt the frost on the fins. To shorten the defrost time, this process is generally performed by adding an additional heater to compensate for the heat.

[0045] Existing evaporator heaters are typically located at the bottom of the evaporator, stacked at the same height as the evaporator. They must be secured to the evaporator's mounting bracket, resulting in a complex installation structure. Because the heater needs to diffuse heat from the bottom of the evaporator to the fins, it typically uses natural convection and radiation, resulting in poor heat transfer. To improve heating efficiency, the heater is set to a higher temperature to achieve a rapid temperature increase over a period of time. Consequently, a high voltage of 220V is typically used, which poses risks of electrical leakage, overheating, and fire.

[0046] In view of this, the utility model provides an evaporator assembly and a refrigeration device, wherein the heating assembly has high heat conduction efficiency by directly contacting the heat exchange fins, and can be installed by attaching to the heat exchange fins, with a simple structure.

[0047] Please refer to Figures 1 to 2 The evaporator assembly 100 includes a mounting bracket 1, an evaporator body 2 and a heating assembly 3. The evaporator body 2 includes a heat exchange pipeline 21 and a plurality of heat exchange fins 22. The heat exchange pipeline 21 is supported on the mounting bracket 1. The plurality of heat exchange fins 22 are arranged at intervals on the heat exchange pipeline 21. Each of the heat exchange fins 22 is in contact with the heat exchange pipeline 21 and has two ends distributed in the thickness direction of the evaporator body. At least one end of the heat exchange fins 22 is provided with a laterally extending extension portion; the heating assembly 3 is provided on one side of the evaporator body 2 along its thickness direction and is connected to the extension portion of the heat exchange fin 22.

[0048] In the technical solution of the present invention, due to the structural design of the heat exchange fins 22, the multiple extensions collectively form a bearing surface for the connection of the heating assembly 3. When the evaporator body 2 is cooled and frost forms on the surface of the heat exchange fins 22, the heating assembly 3 is controlled to operate. At this time, since the heating assembly 3 is in direct contact with the heat exchange fins 22, heat is exchanged by heat conduction, improving the heating and defrosting efficiency and minimizing temperature fluctuations within the chamber. The heating temperature requirement for the heating assembly 3 is relatively low, so the heating assembly 3 can operate at a voltage lower than 220V, which is safer. At the same time, the heating assembly 3 and the evaporator body 2 are stacked in the thickness direction, which can simplify the installation structure of the heating assembly 3.

[0049] For example, in some embodiments, the heating component 3 may use a voltage of 12-24V, and the heating temperature may be set at 30-50° C. Compared with existing defrost heaters that use air convection for diffusion heating, the voltage is lower and the defrost heating temperature is also lower.

[0050] It should be noted that some of the heat exchange fins 22 may have extensions, and the bearing surface formed by the multiple extensions may be discontinuous. Considering the efficiency of heat conduction, in this embodiment, the multiple heat exchange fins 22 on the heat exchange pipeline 21 are all formed with extensions. Because the spacing between two adjacent heat exchange fins 22 affects the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator body 2, the layout is reasonably matched according to actual design needs. Therefore, the multiple extensions of the multiple heat exchange fins 22 form a discontinuous bearing surface. However, the multiple extensions are evenly distributed.

[0051] It should be understood that the end surfaces of the plurality of extensions facing away from the evaporator body 2 should be flush to ensure the flatness of the bearing surface.

[0052] Specifically, the spacing between each pair of adjacent heat exchange fins 22 is a, where a is ≤ 10 mm. This is because if the spacing a between two heat exchange fins 22 is too large or too small, it will affect the heat dissipation effect. Therefore, setting it within a reasonable range helps to ensure heat exchange efficiency.

[0053] It should be noted that the present invention does not limit the specific structural form of the heating component 3, which may be a heating wire, a heating tube, an electromagnetic heater, etc.

[0054] The present invention does not limit the method of attachment of the heating assembly 3 to the extensions. Preferably, the heating assembly 3 is attached to the support surface using adhesive bonding. In some embodiments, the contact side of the heating assembly 3 with the evaporator body 2 is provided with high-temperature-resistant double-sided adhesive tape. The heating assembly 3 is adhesively bonded to the multiple extensions, providing a simple and convenient attachment method. In other embodiments, auxiliary connecting structures, such as snap grooves, may be added to secure the heating assembly 3 to the multiple extensions.

[0055] In order to achieve the formation of an extension portion on the heat exchange fin 22, in some embodiments, the thickness of the heat exchange fin 22 can be set to be gradual. Specifically, the thickness of the heat exchange fin 22 is set to be gradually reduced from the end close to the heating component 3 to the other end. By increasing the thickness of the end of the heat exchange fin 22 close to the heating component 3, an extension portion can be formed for the heating component 3 to bear.

[0056] In other embodiments, the load-bearing function of the heat exchange fins 22 can be achieved by designing their structure. Specifically, the heat exchange fins 22 include a first extension section 221 and at least one second extension section 222. The first extension section 221 is located on one side of the heat exchange pipe 21 along the thickness direction of the evaporator body. The second extension section 222 extends along the thickness direction of the evaporator body to cooperate with the heat exchange pipe 21, and the second extension section 222 is connected to the first extension section 221. The extension portion includes the first extension section 221, and the end surfaces of multiple first extension sections 221 facing away from the second extension section 222 jointly form a load-bearing surface. The extension portion is formed by adjusting the structural shape of the heat exchange fins 22, changing the existing sheet-like structure to the bent structure described in this application.

[0057] Please refer to Figure 3 In the first embodiment, the heat exchange fin 22 includes a first extension section 221 and two second extension sections 222. The second extension sections 222 are fixedly connected to opposite ends of the first extension section 221, forming a U-shape. The two second extension sections 222 have holes on their sides facing each other for the heat exchange pipes 21 to pass through. The U-shaped structure provides a relatively stable support, ensuring that the first extension section 221 has a high load-bearing strength.

[0058] Please refer to Figure 4 In the second embodiment, the heat exchange fin 22 includes two first extension sections 221 and two second extension sections 222, which are overlapped with each other to form a mouth-shaped structure. At this time, the two second extension sections 222 are provided with through holes on the sides facing each other for the heat exchange pipeline 21 to pass through. One of the first extension sections 221 forms the extension portion, and the other first extension section 221 serves as a supporting structure, which can prevent the second extension section 222 from being deformed due to long-term temperature influence.

[0059] Please refer to Figure 5 In the third embodiment, the heat exchange fin 22 includes a first extension section 221 and a second extension section 222. The second extension section 222 is fixedly connected to the middle portion of the first extension section 221 to form a T-shaped structure. The structure is simple and can maintain a supporting effect. At this time, a through hole is provided on the side of the second extension section 222 for the heat exchange pipe 21 to pass through.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 6 In the fourth embodiment, the heat exchange fin 22 is in an L-shaped structure. Compared with the third embodiment, the second extension section 222 and the first extension section 221 are fixed at different positions, which makes processing easier.

[0061] It should be noted that in the above-mentioned embodiment of the heat exchange fin 22, the length of the first extension section 221 and the spacing between the two second extension sections 222 opposite to each other of two adjacent heat exchange fins 22 can be designed to have a correlation or no correlation during the size design, and both need to be reasonably matched according to the heat exchange requirements under different working conditions.

[0062] It should be understood that the first extension section 221 and the second extension section 222 can be integrally formed or assembled into one piece, which does not affect the realization of the functions.

[0063] Furthermore, the present invention does not limit the structural form of the mounting bracket 1. Considering the simplicity and lightness, please refer to Figure 2 The mounting bracket 1 includes two first brackets 11 arranged opposite each other along the length of the evaporator body. The heat exchange pipe 21 is mounted on the two first brackets 11, and the heating assembly 3 is located between the two first brackets 11. In other words, the heat exchange pipe 21 is supported and shaped by the two independent first brackets 11, and the heating assembly 3 is installed away from the two first brackets 11.

[0064] When the evaporator assembly 100 is applied to a corresponding refrigeration device, holes are punched on the two first brackets 11 for screw connection, and no connection or matching is required on the heating assembly 3 .

[0065] For further information, please refer to Figure 1 The heat exchange pipeline 21 is arranged in multiple sections and bent, so as to have a plurality of pipe sections 211 arranged at intervals along the width direction of the evaporator body, that is, the heat exchange pipeline 21 is arranged in a serpentine shape, and each of the plurality of pipe sections 211 is provided with a plurality of the heat exchange fins 22. The opposite ends of the plurality of pipe sections 211 are connected by arc-shaped bends, and the arc-shaped bends are respectively fixed on the two first brackets 11.

[0066] Taking into account the detection of the defrosting process, in some embodiments, the evaporator assembly 100 further includes a temperature sensor and a controller. The temperature sensor is arranged on the heat exchange pipe 21 or the mounting bracket 1 and is spaced apart from the heating assembly 3. The controller is electrically connected to the temperature sensor and the heating assembly 3 to control the operation of the heating assembly 3 according to the detection result of the temperature sensor. It should be noted that the temperature sensor should not be in contact with the heating assembly 3, so that the temperature sensor can detect the temperature state of the evaporator body 2. It should be noted that different cooling temperatures are set by different installation positions of the temperature sensor. The cooling temperature refers to the set temperature at which the heating assembly 3 needs to be controlled to stop heating after the defrosting requirements are met. Specifically, when the temperature sensor directly detects the refrigerant pipe or detects the heat exchange fins 22, the corresponding cooling temperature setting is different.

[0067] The present invention does not limit the installation position of the temperature sensor. In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 , wherein an accommodation space 2a is formed between two adjacent heat exchange fins 22, and the temperature sensor is disposed within the accommodation space 2a. It should be noted that when arranging multiple heat exchange fins 22, space for the temperature sensor is provided by partially leaving it empty. In this case, the temperature sensor is disposed on the heat exchange pipe 21, and the accommodation space 2a can be located on any of the pipe sections 211. The location can be selected based on the installation environment of the evaporator assembly 100, taking into account ease of arrangement and reasonable avoidance.

[0068] In another embodiment, an accommodating space 2a is formed between the mounting bracket 1 and an adjacent heat exchange fin 22, and the temperature sensor is disposed in the accommodating space 2a. In this case, the temperature sensor can be disposed on the heat exchange pipe 21 or on the mounting bracket 1.

[0069] In this embodiment, each heat exchange fin 22 is U-shaped. Each second extension 222 is provided with a through-hole for the heat exchange pipe 21 to pass through. The multiple heat exchange fins 22 are spaced apart and evenly secured to the heat exchange pipe 21 through tension expansion. The heat exchange pipe 21 is serpentine-shaped, secured at two opposing bends along its length by two first brackets 11. The multiple heat exchange fins 22 form a discontinuous surface. Double-sided tape is applied to the contact side of the heating assembly 3 and adhered to the discontinuous surface formed by the multiple heat exchange fins 22 to form the evaporator assembly 100. Three fixing holes are provided in each first bracket 11 for mounting the entire evaporator assembly 100. This U-shaped configuration of the heat exchange fins 22 increases the heat exchange area and improves heat exchange efficiency. The discontinuous surface formed by the multiple heat exchange fins 22 facilitates attachment of the heating assembly 3. The heating assembly 3 and the heat exchange fins 22 are in direct contact, exchanging heat via conduction, improving heating and defrosting efficiency.

[0070] The present invention further provides a refrigeration device including an evaporator assembly 100. The specific structure of the evaporator assembly 100 is similar to that of the aforementioned embodiments. Since the present refrigeration device utilizes all of the technical solutions of all of the aforementioned embodiments, it at least possesses all of the beneficial effects provided by the technical solutions of the aforementioned embodiments, which will not be described in detail here. The refrigeration device may be a household appliance such as a refrigerator or air conditioner, or an industrial refrigerator, although this invention does not limit these aspects.

[0071] Specifically, the refrigeration device further includes a housing having a mounting cavity; the evaporator assembly 100 is mounted in the mounting cavity, and the mounting bracket 1 of the evaporator assembly 100 includes two first brackets 11 arranged opposite each other along the length of the evaporator body. The two first brackets 11 are fixed to the inner wall of the mounting cavity to define a limiting groove together with the housing; the heating assembly 3 of the evaporator assembly 100 is located within the limiting groove. That is, the evaporator assembly 100 is packaged as a whole and is locked to the corresponding wall surface of the housing via the two first brackets 11. The heating assembly 3 has no direct connection with the housing or the two first brackets 11, but is instead defined in its mounting position by the limiting groove, thereby providing support for the heating assembly 3.

[0072] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the utility model concept, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An evaporator assembly, characterized in that: include: Mounting bracket; an evaporator body, comprising a heat exchange pipe and a plurality of heat exchange fins, the heat exchange pipe being supported by the mounting bracket, the plurality of heat exchange fins being arranged at intervals on the heat exchange pipe, each heat exchange fin being in contact with the heat exchange pipe and having two ends distributed in the thickness direction of the evaporator body, and at least one end of some of the heat exchange fins being provided with a laterally extending extension; and The heating component is arranged on one side of the evaporator body along the thickness direction thereof and is connected to the extension portion of the heat exchange fin.

2. The evaporator assembly according to claim 1, wherein At least one of the heat exchange fins comprises: A first extension section is located on one side of the heat exchange pipeline along the thickness direction of the evaporator body; and at least one second extension section extending along the thickness direction of the evaporator body and configured to contact the heat exchange pipeline, the second extension section being connected to the first extension section; The extension portion includes the first extension segment.

3. The evaporator assembly according to claim 2, wherein Two second extension sections are provided, which are fixedly connected to two opposite ends of the first extension section respectively.

4. The evaporator assembly according to claim 3, wherein The two second extension sections of each heat exchange fin are provided with through holes on their sides facing each other for the heat exchange pipeline to pass through.

5. The evaporator assembly according to claim 1, wherein The distance between each two adjacent heat exchange fins is a, wherein a≤10 mm.

6. The evaporator assembly according to claim 1, wherein The heating component is bonded and matched with the plurality of extension portions.

7. The evaporator assembly according to claim 1, wherein The mounting bracket includes two first brackets arranged opposite to each other along the length direction of the evaporator body; The heat exchange pipeline is installed on the two first brackets; The heating component is located between the two first brackets.

8. The evaporator assembly according to claim 7, wherein The heat exchange pipeline is arranged in multiple sections and bent to have multiple pipe sections arranged at intervals along the width direction of the evaporator body. Multiple heat exchange fins are provided on each of the multiple pipe sections, and the opposite ends of the multiple pipe sections are respectively fixed on the two first brackets.

9. The evaporator assembly according to claim 1, wherein The evaporator assembly further comprises: a temperature sensor, the temperature sensor being disposed on the heat exchange pipe or the mounting bracket and spaced apart from the heating assembly; and The controller is electrically connected to the temperature sensor and the heating component, and is used to control the operation of the heating component according to the detection result of the temperature sensor.

10. The evaporator assembly according to claim 9, wherein An accommodating space is formed between two adjacent heat exchange fins, or between the mounting bracket and an adjacent heat exchange fin; The temperature sensor is arranged in the accommodating space.

11. A refrigeration device, characterized in that: Comprising the evaporator assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. The refrigeration device according to claim 11, wherein: The refrigeration device further includes a box body having a mounting cavity; The evaporator assembly is installed in the installation cavity, and the installation bracket of the evaporator assembly includes two first brackets arranged opposite to each other along the length direction of the evaporator body, and the two first brackets are fixed to the inner wall of the installation cavity to define a limiting groove together with the box body; The heating assembly of the evaporator assembly is located in the limiting groove.

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