Water storage assembly, ice making equipment and ice making system

Abstract

The utility model relates to a water storage assembly, ice making equipment and an ice making system, the water storage assembly comprises a water storage piece and a partition piece, and the water storage piece is provided with an opening for water flow to enter; the partition part is arranged in the water storage part, the interior of the water storage part is divided into a first containing cavity and a second containing cavity which are independent from each other, the first containing cavity is used for collecting water flow flowing down from the first ice making surface, and the second containing cavity is used for collecting water flow flowing down from the second ice making surface. According to the water storage assembly provided by the invention, the water flows flowing down from the two ice making surfaces are respectively collected through the first accommodating cavity and the second accommodating cavity, so that the first icing amount on the first ice making surface can be judged and the water supply can be controlled according to the comparison result of the first water supply amount of the first ice making surface and the water flow collection amount of the first accommodating cavity; according to the comparison result of the second water supply amount of the second ice-making surface and the water flow collection amount of the second containing cavity, the second icing amount on the second ice-making surface can be judged, water supply control can be conducted, and preparation of two different kinds of ice can be achieved at the same time.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ice making, and in particular to a water storage assembly, an ice making device and an ice making system. BACKGROUND

[0002] In food preservation, medical first aid or people's daily life, various forms of ice are widely used. For example, in people's daily life, block ice, cylindrical ice, crescent ice and other block ice are often added to drinks to increase the flavor of the drinks, and crushed ice can be used to prepare desserts containing ice slush.

[0003] At present, the ice makers on the market only have a single ice making function. If multiple types of ice need to be produced, multiple types of ice makers need to be purchased, which increases the cost of the business, and multiple ice makers occupy a large space, which cannot well meet the market demand for ice making and ice use.

[0004] Although there are a small number of double-sided ice makers on the market at present, the ice blocks generated on the two ice making surfaces of the ice maker are square ice blocks. This is because the existing double-sided ice maker cannot realize independent control of the ice making effect on the two ice making surfaces, and can only make the two ice making surfaces prepare the same type of ice at the same time to ensure the ice making effect on the two ice making surfaces. Utility model content

[0005] The present application provides a water storage assembly, an ice making device and an ice making system to solve the technical problem that the ice making device in the prior art can only prepare a single type of ice.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a water storage assembly, comprising:

[0007] a water storage member, the water storage member having an opening for water flow to enter;

[0008] a partition member, the partition member being arranged inside the water storage member, and separating a first containing cavity and a second containing cavity inside the water storage member, the first containing cavity being used for collecting water flow flowing from a first ice making surface, and the second containing cavity being used for collecting water flow flowing from a second ice making surface.

[0009] Optionally, the partition member is arranged to extend along the length direction of the water storage member.

[0010] Optionally, an end of the partition member away from the water storage member is provided with a first drainage portion and a second drainage portion, the first drainage portion being used for connecting with the first ice making surface, and the second drainage portion being used for connecting with the second ice making surface.

[0011] Optionally, a water level detection member is arranged in the first containing cavity and / or the second containing cavity.

[0012] Optionally, the first containing cavity and the second containing cavity are each provided with an openable and closable drainage structure.

[0013] In the second aspect, the present application provides an ice-making device, including the water storage assembly provided in the first aspect of the present application; and also including a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having a first ice-making surface and a second ice-making surface, and a heat exchange pipeline is provided between the first ice-making surface and the second ice-making surface.

[0014] Optionally, an ice mold is provided on the first ice-making surface and / or the second ice-making surface, and the ice mold has a plurality of ice-making structures.

[0015] Optionally, the ice-making structure is provided with a circulation hole.

[0016] Optionally, the ice-making structure has a demoulding surface arranged obliquely downward.

[0017] Optionally, the heat exchanger is a cylindrical structure, the first ice-making surface is an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical structure, and the second ice-making surface is an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical structure;

[0018] The water storage component is a ring-shaped structure and is arranged below the heat exchanger.

[0019] Optionally, an ice mold is provided on the first ice-making surface for preparing block ice; an ice crushing mechanism is provided inside the cylindrical structure for cooperating with the second ice-making surface to prepare crushed ice.

[0020] Optionally, the ice crushing mechanism includes a spiral ice blade assembly, which is rotatably arranged inside the cylindrical structure, and there is a preset distance between the spiral ice blade assembly and the second ice-making surface.

[0021] Optionally, the ice-making device further includes a water distribution mechanism, which is disposed above the heat exchanger to allow water to flow to the first ice-making surface and the second ice-making surface respectively.

[0022] Optionally, the water distribution mechanism is connected to the water storage component via a circulating water circuit, and a pump component is provided on the circulating water circuit.

[0023] Optionally, the ice-making device further includes a first ice storage member and a second ice storage member, the first ice storage member is arranged corresponding to the first ice-making surface, and the second ice storage member is arranged corresponding to the second ice-making surface.

[0024] In a third aspect, the present application provides an ice-making system, comprising the ice-making device provided in the second aspect of the present application, and further comprising a compressor and a condenser, wherein the compressor, condenser and heat exchanger are connected to form a refrigerant circulation loop.

[0025] The above technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0026] The water storage assembly provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a water storage member and a partition. The partition is arranged inside the water storage member, and separates a first accommodating chamber and a second accommodating chamber that are independent of each other inside the water storage member. The first accommodating chamber is used to collect the water flowing down the first ice-making surface, and the second accommodating chamber is used to collect the water flowing down the second ice-making surface. This can avoid the water flow collection amount of the first accommodating chamber and the water flow collection amount of the second accommodating chamber from being mixed with each other, so that the first ice amount on the first ice-making surface can be judged based on the comparison result of the first water supply amount of the first ice-making surface and the water flow collection amount of the first accommodating chamber, and the second ice amount on the second ice-making surface can be judged based on the comparison result of the second water supply amount of the second ice-making surface and the water flow collection amount of the second accommodating chamber. When the first ice-making surface and the second ice-making surface are used to prepare different types of ice, the amount of water required for the two ice-making surfaces during the freezing process is different due to the different shapes and specifications of the ice. The freezing conditions of the two types of ice can be judged separately by the water flow collection amount of the first accommodating chamber and the water flow collection amount of the second accommodating chamber, which are independent of each other. When the freezing amount (the first freezing amount or the second freezing amount) reaches the freezing amount threshold of the preset freezing state of the ice, the water supply to the corresponding ice-making surface can be stopped, so that the water supply conditions and freezing time on the two ice-making surfaces can be different, thereby realizing the preparation of two different types of ice.

[0027] The ice-making equipment and ice-making system provided in the embodiments of the present application both include the above-mentioned water storage component, and the water storage component can be used to determine the freezing conditions of the first ice-making surface and the second ice-making surface respectively. Therefore, it naturally has the technical effects of the above-mentioned water storage component. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application 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, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0030] One or more embodiments are exemplarily illustrated by pictures in the corresponding drawings. These exemplifications do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are represented as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations.

[0031] Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view of an ice-making device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 2 Provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 1 A magnified view of the details of part A;

[0033] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of an ice-making device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 4 Provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 3 A magnified view of the details of part B;

[0035] Figure 5 Provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 1 Zoom in on the local details Figure 1 ;

[0036] Figure 6 Provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 5 A magnified view of the details of part C in the middle;

[0037] Figure 7 Provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 5 A magnified view of the details of part D in the middle;

[0038] Figure 8 Provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 1 Zoom in on the local details Figure 2 ;

[0039] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of an ice-making system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 10 The process of the ice making method provided in the embodiment of the present application Figure 1 ;

[0041] Figure 11 The process of the ice making method provided in the embodiment of the present application Figure 2 .

[0042] Description of reference numerals:

[0043] 1. Water storage assembly; 11. Water storage member; 111. First accommodating chamber; 112. Second accommodating chamber; 113. Water storage body; 12. Separator; 121. First drainage portion; 122. Second drainage portion; 123. Separator;

[0044] 2. Heat exchanger; 21. First ice-making surface; 22. Second ice-making surface; 23. Heat exchange pipeline; 24. Ice mold; 241. Flow hole; 242. Demolding surface; 243. Horizontal partition; 244. Vertical partition; 25. First pipeline; 26. Second pipeline;

[0045] 3. Ice crushing mechanism; 31. Spiral ice blade assembly; 32. Transmission assembly; 33. Drive assembly; 34. Bearing assembly;

[0046] 4, water distribution mechanism; 41, first water distribution chamber; 42, second water distribution chamber; 43, water discharge portion; 44, slow flow portion;

[0047] 5, first ice storage member; 51, ice storage main body; 52, flow guide portion;

[0048] 6, second ice storage member;

[0049] 7, compressor;

[0050] 8, condenser;

[0051] 9, rotating seat. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] In order to make the objects, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the following will be used to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some but not all of the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the scope of the present application.

[0053] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different structures of the present application. For the purpose of simplicity, the elements and settings of particular examples in the following description are shown in great detail. Of course, they are merely examples and are presented to provide an enabling description of the application. Also, the present application can repeat reference numerals and / or letters in different examples and / or throughout the specification. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed.

[0054] In order to facilitate the description, spatial relative terms can be used in the description to describe the relative position relationship or movement condition of one element or feature with respect to another element or feature as shown in the drawings, such as "inner", "outer", "inboard", "outboard", "under", "below", "on", "above", "front", "back", and the like. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. For example, if the device in the drawings is flipped over or the posture is changed or the movement state is changed, the directional indications will also change accordingly, for example: the element described as "under" or "below" another element or feature will be oriented as "above" or "over" another element or feature. Therefore, the example term "below" can include both up and down orientations. The device can be additionally oriented (rotated 90 degrees or in other directions) and the spatial relative relationship descriptors used in the description are interpreted accordingly.

[0055] In order to solve the technical problem that the ice-making equipment in the prior art can only prepare a single type of ice, the present application provides a water storage component 1, an ice-making device and an ice-making system. Since different types of ice require different amounts of water to complete the freezing process, the water storage component 1 can collect water flow on two ice-making surfaces (i.e., the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22) respectively. The amount of water collected in the first accommodating chamber 111 can be compared with the water supply of the first ice-making surface 21, and the amount of water collected in the second accommodating chamber 112 can be compared with the water supply of the second ice-making surface 22, so as to respectively obtain the freezing conditions on the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, so that the water supply conditions on the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 can be independently controlled when they are different, so that different types of ice can be prepared by the same ice-making equipment.

[0056] See also Figures 1 to 11 In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a water storage assembly 1, comprising a water storage member 11 and a partition 12. The water storage member 11 has an opening for water flow to enter, so that the uncondensed water on the ice making surface can enter the water storage member 11. Figure 1 shown.

[0057] The partition 12 is arranged inside the water storage part 11, and separates the inside of the water storage part 11 into a first accommodating chamber 111 and a second accommodating chamber 112 which are independent of each other. The first accommodating chamber 111 is used to collect the water flowing down the first ice-making surface 21, and the second accommodating chamber 112 is used to collect the water flowing down the second ice-making surface 22. When the loss of water flow is not considered, the amount of ice formed = the amount of water used, and the amount of water used = the amount of water supplied - the amount of water collected. For the first ice-making surface 21, the first amount of ice formed = the first water supply - the amount of water collected in the first accommodating chamber 111; for the second ice-making surface 22, the second amount of ice formed = the second water supply - the amount of water collected in the second accommodating chamber 112. When a partition 12 is provided inside the water storage component 11, the amount of water collected in the first accommodating chamber 111 and the amount of water collected in the second accommodating chamber 112 can be prevented from being confused with each other. Thus, the first amount of ice formed on the first ice-making surface 21 can be determined based on the comparison result of the first water supply and the amount of water collected in the first accommodating chamber 111, and the second amount of ice formed on the second ice-making surface 22 can be determined based on the comparison result of the second water supply and the amount of water collected in the second accommodating chamber 112.

[0058] When the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 are used to prepare different kinds of ice, the water consumption required by the two ice-making surfaces in the ice-making process differs due to the different forms and specifications of the ice, and the ice-making conditions of the two kinds of ice can be determined separately through the water flow collection amount of the first containing cavity 111 and the water flow collection amount of the second containing cavity 112, and when the ice-making amount (the first ice-making amount or the second ice-making amount) reaches the ice-making amount threshold of the ice reaching the preset ice-making state, the water supply to the corresponding ice-making surface can be stopped, so that the water supply conditions and the ice-making time of the two ice-making surfaces can be different, and independent water supply control can be realized, thereby realizing the preparation of two different kinds of ice.

[0059] It should be noted that the volume division of the first containing cavity 111 and the second containing cavity 112 can be set according to the type of ice, the ice-making time, and the water consumption required for ice-making. The water storage assembly 1 in the present application is not only suitable for multifunctional ice-making equipment (i.e., ice-making equipment capable of preparing two kinds of ice at the same time), but also can be applied to the double-surface ice maker for preparing the same kind of ice in the prior art. In this application scenario, the volumes of the first containing cavity 111 and the second containing cavity 112 are preferably the same.

[0060] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The partition 12 is arranged to extend along the length direction of the water storage member 11, so that the first containing cavity 111 and the second containing cavity 112 both extend along the length direction of the water storage member 11, thereby realizing the full-range collection of the water flow in the length direction of the first ice-making surface 21 and the length direction of the second ice-making surface 22.

[0061] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The partition 12 is arranged to extend along the length direction of the water storage member 11, so that the first containing cavity 111 and the second containing cavity 112 both extend along the length direction of the water storage member 11, thereby realizing the full-range collection of the water flow in the length direction of the first ice-making surface 21 and the length direction of the second ice-making surface 22.

[0062] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 2The partition 12 also includes a partition 123, which is arranged in the water storage body 113 of the water storage member 11, and is used to form a first accommodating chamber 111 and a second accommodating chamber 112 inside the water storage body 113. The upper end of the partition 123 is connected to the first drainage part 121 and the second drainage part 122 respectively, so that the water flow on the first drainage part 121 can enter the first accommodating chamber 111 along one side surface of the partition 123, and the water flow on the second drainage part 122 can enter the second accommodating chamber 112 along the other side surface of the partition 123.

[0063] It should be noted that the partition 123 and the water storage body 113 can be separated or integrated. When the partition 123 and the water storage body 113 are separated, the bottom end of the partition 123 is sealed with the bottom surface of the groove of the water storage body 113. In order to reduce the assembly steps of the water storage assembly 1, it is preferred that the partition 123 and the water storage body 113 are integrated. Figure 2 shown.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the first drainage portion 121 , the second drainage portion 122 and the partition portion 123 may be arranged in a separate structure or in an integrated structure, both of which can achieve the purpose of the present application.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present application, a water level detection component is provided in the first accommodating chamber 111 and / or the second accommodating chamber 112, which can be used to monitor the amount of water in the first accommodating chamber 111 and / or the second accommodating chamber 112, thereby determining the freezing condition of the first ice-making surface 21 and / or the second ice-making surface 22, which can reduce the difficulty of detecting the freezing state.

[0066] It should be noted that when the icing condition on one of the ice-making surfaces can be confirmed through an observation window or ice thickness sensor detection, a water level detection component may not be required in the accommodating cavity corresponding to the ice-making surface. However, when the icing condition on the other ice-making surface is difficult to confirm directly through observation, ice thickness sensor detection, etc., a water level detection component may be required in the accommodating cavity corresponding to the other ice-making surface to indirectly detect the icing condition on the other ice-making surface.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the water level detection component can be a photoelectric liquid level sensor, a capacitive liquid level sensor or an ultrasonic liquid level sensor, etc. After obtaining the water level height of the accommodating cavity (the first accommodating cavity 111 or the second accommodating cavity 112) through the water level detection component, the water flow collection amount of the accommodating cavity can be obtained by multiplying the water level height by the cross-sectional area of ​​the accommodating cavity.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present application, the first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112 are both provided with an openable and closable drainage structure. After any ice-making surface completes an ice-making process, the water in the accommodating chamber corresponding to the ice-making surface can be discharged to facilitate the collection and detection of the water volume in the next ice-making process.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present application, a flow sensor is provided on the drainage pipeline connected to the drainage structure. When no water level sensor is provided in the accommodating chamber, the drainage structure can be kept in a normally open state, and the flow sensor can be used to detect the amount of water collected in the accommodating chamber, thereby also achieving the objectives of the present application. In this case, the water storage capacity of the first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112 of the water storage member 11 can be set to be smaller, which helps to reduce the size of the water storage member 11 and the space occupied by the water storage member 11 in the ice making device.

[0070] See also Figures 1 to 11 In a second aspect of the embodiment of the present application, an ice-making device is provided, comprising the water storage assembly 1 described in the above embodiment, and further comprising a heat exchanger 2, the heat exchanger 2 having a first ice-making surface 21 and a second ice-making surface 22, a heat exchange pipe 23 being provided between the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, it can be used to input refrigerant, and the refrigerant absorbs the heat of the water flow on the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, so that the water flow gradually condenses into ice during the flow along the first ice-making surface 21 or the second ice-making surface 22, thereby realizing double-sided ice making. Part of the water flow that has not condensed into ice enters the first accommodating cavity 111 and the second accommodating cavity 112 through the first drainage portion 121 and the second drainage portion 122 respectively, realizing the collection of the uncondensed water flow, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 shown.

[0071] It should be noted that the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 are respectively arranged on both sides of the heat exchanger 2, which can fully utilize the cooling capacity on both sides of the heat exchanger 2 and the cooling power of the heat exchanger 2 to avoid energy loss and waste.

[0072] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 An ice mold 24 is provided on the first ice-making surface 21 and / or the second ice-making surface 22. The ice mold 24 has multiple ice-making structures, which can be used to prepare multiple ice blocks that match the shape of the ice-making structures at one time, which can greatly improve the ice-making efficiency.

[0073] It should be noted that when ice molds 24 are provided on both the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, the ice-making structures of the two ice molds 24 may be different, thereby simultaneously producing two types of ice blocks of different shapes and / or sizes. When the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 are provided with identical ice molds 24, the efficiency of producing ice blocks of that type can be multiplied.

[0074] The ice-making structure has a cavity that matches the shape of the ice blocks to be produced. The shape of the cavity can be a rectangular parallelepiped, a cylindrical shape, etc. For example, when cube ice (i.e., ice cubes) needs to be produced, the ice-making structure has a cavity that is approximately rectangular parallelepiped or cube-shaped. After water flows into the cavity of the ice-making structure, it can gradually condense into ice cubes that match the cavity, such as Figure 3 shown.

[0075] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 3 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5 and Figure 6 The ice-making structure is provided with a flow hole 241, through which water can flow from one ice-making structure to another. When the water flows from top to bottom, it can flow evenly to each layer of the ice-making structure, so that each ice-making structure can have enough water to form ice cubes.

[0076] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The ice mold 24 is set on the first ice-making surface 21, and the flow hole 241 is opened on the side of the ice mold 24 close to the first ice-making surface 21. When water flows down along the first ice-making surface 21, part of the water can enter the interior of the ice-making structure through the flow hole 241, and the other part of the water can flow along the transverse partition 243 and the longitudinal partition 244 of the ice mold 24 under the action of water flow tension, so that the water flows evenly to the interior of each ice-making structure. The water is cooled and condensed into ice layer by layer until the ice mold 24 is filled with ice cubes.

[0077] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The ice-making structure has a demoulding surface 242 that is tilted downward. After the ice cubes are fully formed, they can slide out tilted downward through the demoulding surface 242, which facilitates the automatic demoulding of the ice cubes under the action of gravity.

[0078] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 6The transverse partition plate 243 of the ice mold 24 is inclined downward, so that the upper and lower surfaces of the transverse partition plate 243 are both inclined downward and are demolding surfaces 242, facilitating the demolding of the ice blocks at the upper and lower ends. The flow-through holes 241 are arranged on the transverse partition plate 243, and when water flows along the transverse partition plate 243, a part of the water can flow into the cavity of the ice making structure through the flow-through holes 241 on the transverse partition plate 243.

[0079] In some preferred embodiments of the present application, the inclination angle of the transverse partition plate 243 with respect to the horizontal plane is preferably between 10° and 20°. When the inclination angle is less than 10°, the demolding effect generated by the inclination is small, and when the inclination angle is greater than 20°, it is difficult for the water to stay on the inclined transverse partition plate 243, which increases the time required for ice block formation. As a specific embodiment of the present application, the inclination angle of the transverse partition plate 243 with respect to the horizontal plane is 15°, which can ensure smooth demolding of the ice blocks and also ensure the water storage effect of the cavity of the ice making structure during ice formation.

[0080] In some embodiments of the present application, the heat exchanger 2 is a flat plate structure, and the first ice making surface 21 and the second ice making surface 22 are both flat surfaces. At this time, the water storage member 11 is a long strip-shaped water tank structure extending along the length direction of the heat exchanger 2. At this time, the ice mold 24 can be arranged on both the first ice making surface 21 and the second ice making surface 22, for realizing the preparation of different types of block ice. Alternatively, the ice mold 24 can be arranged on only one of the ice making surfaces, and the other ice making surface can be used for preparing plate ice with a certain thickness.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present application, the heat exchanger 2 is a cylindrical structure, the first ice making surface 21 is the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical structure, and the second ice making surface 22 is the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical structure. When the ice mold 24 is not arranged on both the first ice making surface 21 and the second ice making surface 22, it can be used to realize the preparation of two specifications of cylindrical hollow ice. When the ice mold 24 is arranged on one of the ice making surfaces, it is preferred to arrange the ice mold 24 on the first ice making surface 21, which is conducive to the demolding of the ice blocks on the outer periphery of the heat exchanger 2, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 3 .

[0082] The water storage member 11 is a ring structure matched with the cylindrical structure of the heat exchanger 2, and is coaxially arranged below the heat exchanger 2, which can be used to realize the omnidirectional receiving of the water flow in the circumferential direction (i.e. the length direction corresponding to the circumference) of the heat exchanger 2, as shown in Figure 1 .

[0083] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 5An ice mold 24 is provided on the first ice-making surface 21 for preparing block ice; an ice crushing mechanism 3 is provided inside the cylindrical structure for cooperating with the second ice-making surface 22 to prepare crushed ice, so that the ice-making equipment of the present application can simultaneously prepare block ice and crushed ice, which can meet the market's multi-purpose needs, while reducing the merchants' ice and crushed ice production costs and improving the ice-making energy efficiency of the ice-making equipment.

[0084] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 3 、 Figure 5 and Figure 8 The ice-crushing mechanism 3 includes a spiral blade assembly 31, which is rotatably mounted within the cylindrical structure and is used to cut ice condensed on the second ice-making surface 22, thereby producing flake-shaped ice. A predetermined distance L is provided between the spiral blade assembly 31 and the second ice-making surface 22 to prevent interference between the spiral blade assembly 31 and the second ice-making surface 22 during rotation. This also allows space for ice condensation between the second ice-making surface 22 and the spiral blade assembly 31.

[0085] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 3 、 Figure 5 and Figure 8 The ice-crushing mechanism 3 also includes a transmission assembly 32, a drive assembly 33, and a bearing assembly 34. One end of the spiral blade assembly 31 is connected to the transmission assembly 32, which in turn is connected to the drive assembly 33. The drive assembly 33 drives the spiral blade assembly 31 to rotate via the transmission assembly 32, thereby cutting the ice layer condensed on the second ice-making surface 22 and producing flaky ice. The other end of the spiral blade assembly 31 is rotatably connected to a rotating seat 9 fixedly disposed in the ice-making device via the bearing assembly 34, allowing the spiral blade assembly 31 to rotate about a stable rotation axis. This prevents the spiral blade assembly 31 from deflecting within the cylindrical heat exchanger 2, thereby damaging the second ice-making surface 22.

[0086] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 8 When the transmission assembly 32 is arranged at the lower end of the spiral ice blade assembly 31, a sealed waterproof shell is provided on the outside of the transmission assembly 32 to prevent water or ice falling from the heat exchanger 2 from entering the transmission assembly 32 and affecting the service life of the transmission assembly 32.

[0087] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 5 and Figure 7The ice-making device also includes a water distribution mechanism 4, which is located above the heat exchanger 2. This mechanism distributes water to the first and second ice-making surfaces 21, 22, respectively, providing each with the purified water required for ice making. The water distribution mechanism 4 allows for independent control of the water supply to the first and second ice-making surfaces 21, 22, thereby enabling separate control over the production of square ice cubes and flake ice.

[0088] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 7 The water distribution mechanism 4 includes a first diversion chamber 41 and a second diversion chamber 42, which are separated from each other. The first diversion chamber 41 is provided in correspondence with the first ice-making surface 21 and is used to distribute water to the first ice-making surface 21. The second diversion chamber 42 is provided in correspondence with the second ice-making surface 22 and is used to distribute water to the second ice-making surface 22. The bottoms of the first and second diversion chambers 41, 42 are each provided with a through-hole drainage portion 43, allowing water to fall from the diversion chamber to the corresponding ice-making surface.

[0089] In some embodiments of the present application, the drainage portion 43 includes a plurality of drainage holes arranged along the length direction of the water diversion mechanism 4, which can evenly discharge the liquid in the diversion cavity.

[0090] It should be noted that the first diversion chamber 41 extends along the length of the first ice-making surface 21, and the second diversion chamber 42 extends along the length of the second ice-making surface 22, thereby ensuring uniform water distribution between the first and second ice-making surfaces 21, 22. When the heat exchanger 2 has a plate-like structure, the water diversion mechanism 4 is an elongated strip-shaped structure. When the heat exchanger 2 has a cylindrical structure, the water diversion mechanism 4 is an annular structure.

[0091] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 7 A slow flow portion 44 is provided on both sides of the water diversion mechanism 4. The slow flow portion 44 is located below the drainage portion 43 on the corresponding side, so that the water can flow down along the slow flow portion 44, reducing the flow rate of the water entering the first ice-making surface 21 or the second ice-making surface 22.

[0092] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 7 The slow flow portion 44 includes a slope slow flow structure arranged obliquely downward. The water flows in the diversion cavity inside the water diversion mechanism 4 and flows out through the drainage hole to achieve the first flow velocity slowdown. When the water flows through the drainage hole and drips to the slope slow flow structure, the inclined surface of the slope slow flow structure can provide a horizontal oblique upward component force to change the direction of the water flow, thereby achieving the second flow velocity slowdown, so that the pure water flow slowly spreads on the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, thereby achieving a better condensation and freezing effect.

[0093] In some embodiments of the present application, the water diversion mechanism 4 is connected to the water storage component 11 through a circulating water circuit, and a pump is provided on the circulating water circuit, which can re-transport the uncondensed water flow collected in the water storage component 11 to the first diversion chamber 41 and the second diversion chamber 42 of the water diversion mechanism 4 for reuse, thereby fully utilizing the cooling power of the heat exchanger 2; and with multiple water circulations of the pure water flow, the temperature of the water flow can be reduced in successive water circulations, thereby accelerating the ice making rate.

[0094] In some embodiments of the present application, the pump assembly includes a first pump assembly and a second pump assembly. The first pump assembly is connected to the first diverter chamber 41 via a first circulating water circuit. The first circulating water circuit is provided with a first valve that can be used to control the flow of water in the first diverter chamber 41. The second pump assembly is connected to the second diverter chamber 42 via a second circulating water circuit. The second circulating water circuit is provided with a second valve that can be used to control the flow of water in the second diverter chamber 42, thereby achieving independent water supply regulation for the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22. Water level detectors are provided on both the first circulating water circuit and the second circulating water circuit to respectively measure the water supply to the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 during the ice-making process (i.e., the first water supply and the second water supply).

[0095] The first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112 can be connected to the first pump member and the second pump member respectively; a transfer water tank can also be set in the ice-making equipment, and the water in the first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112 are discharged into the transfer water tank, and the first pump member and the second pump member then respectively draw water from the transfer water tank to the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, which can achieve the purpose of the present application.

[0096] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 8 The ice-making device also includes a first ice storage member 5 and a second ice storage member 6. The first ice storage member 5 is arranged corresponding to the first ice-making surface 21, and is used to store the ice prepared on the first ice-making surface 21. The second ice storage member 6 is arranged corresponding to the second ice-making surface 22, and is used to store the ice prepared on the second ice-making surface 22. When the types or sizes of ice prepared on the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 are different, the first ice storage member 5 and the second ice storage member 6 can be used to realize partitioned storage of the two types of ice, so that users can take them according to their needs.

[0097] In some embodiments of the present application, when the heat exchanger 2 is a cylindrical structure, the first ice storage part 5 is an annular structure arranged on the outer periphery of the second ice storage part 6, which can be used to receive ice cubes that fall from the outer periphery of the heat exchanger 2 (i.e., the first ice-making surface 21 and the ice mold 24); the second ice storage part 6 is a cylindrical box arranged in the central area of ​​the first ice storage part 5, which can be used to receive flaky crushed ice that falls from the inner periphery of the heat exchanger 2 after being cut by the spiral ice blade assembly 31.

[0098] When preparing multiple ice cubes using the ice mold 24, adjacent ice cubes may freeze together at their edges, causing the ice cubes to "break apart" during demoulding. If multiple frozen ice cubes fall directly into the ice storage body 51 of the first ice storage member 5, the edges of many ice cubes will freeze together, making it difficult to remove the ice cubes. The user will need to use an ice shovel or other tool to knock the ice cubes a second time inside the ice storage body 51 to separate them, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0099] In order to avoid the above problems, in some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 8 The dashed arrows indicate the path of ice flakes falling, and the solid arrows indicate the path of ice cubes falling from the ice mold 24. To prevent ice cubes from falling directly into the first ice storage unit 5 as a whole after they have "detached from the plate," a guide portion 52 is provided at the upper end of the ice storage body 51 of the first ice storage unit 5. When multiple ice cubes that have been connected and detached from one another fall onto the guide portion 52, the impact with the guide portion 52 shatters the connections at the edges of the ice cubes, separating the detached ice cubes into independent ice particles. These particles then flow along the guide portion 52 into the ice storage body 51. This allows the guide portion 52 to both separate the ice cubes that fall from above and collect them, allowing them to flow slowly along the guide portion 52 into the ice storage body 51.

[0100] See also Figures 1 to 11 In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an ice-making system, comprising the ice-making device described in the above embodiment, and further comprising a compressor 7 and a condenser 8, wherein the compressor 7, the condenser 8 and the heat exchanger 2 are connected to form a refrigerant circulation loop. Figure 9 As shown, when the refrigerant evaporates in the heat exchanger 2, it can absorb the heat of the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, thereby reducing the temperature of the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, and then realizing double-sided ice making on both sides of the heat exchanger 2.

[0101] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 9Heat exchanger 2 is connected to the air intake of compressor 7 via a first pipe 25, and to the refrigerant outlet of condenser 8 via a second pipe 26. Inside compressor 7, the gaseous refrigerant is further compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, which is then fed into condenser 8 through the exhaust port of compressor 7. In condenser 8, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the external environment (such as air or cooling water), releasing a large amount of heat and gradually condensing into a high-pressure liquid. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant is then fed into heat exchange pipe 23 of heat exchanger 2 via a second pipe 26. Under the low-pressure, low-temperature environment inside heat exchanger 2, it rapidly evaporates into a gaseous state and absorbs heat from the surrounding environment, cooling the first and second ice-making surfaces 21, 22. The gaseous refrigerant is then fed back into compressor 7 via the first pipe 25, completing the refrigerant circulation cycle.

[0102] In some embodiments of the present application, the compressor 7 has a return line connected to the ice mold 24. This can be used to heat the ice mold 24 with hot air to melt the ice, thereby separating the ice from the surface of the ice mold 24 and quickly removing the ice from the mold. The configuration of the return line can be described in detail in the prior art and will not be further described here.

[0103] See also Figures 1 to 11 In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an ice-making method, which is applied to the ice-making device described in the above embodiment, and can realize double-sided ice making and relatively independently control the ice-making states of the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, comprising the following steps:

[0104] Step 1: Turn on the ice-making device and supply water to the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22 through the water distribution mechanism 4;

[0105] When making ice on the first ice-making surface 21 , the first valve and the first pump member in the water diversion mechanism 4 are opened, so that water flows into the first diversion chamber 41 and is evenly distributed to the first ice-making surface 21 through the drainage portion 43 .

[0106] When making ice on the second ice-making surface 22 , the second valve and the second pump member in the water diversion mechanism 4 are opened, so that water flows into the second diversion chamber 42 and is evenly distributed to the second ice-making surface 22 through the drainage portion 43 .

[0107] Step 2: Detecting ice conditions on the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22;

[0108] It should be noted that the icing situation can be determined by observation, by measuring the thickness of the ice layer on the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22, or by measuring the water level or flow rate corresponding to the first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112. All of these can achieve the purpose of the present application.

[0109] In some embodiments of the present application, when the first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112 are both provided with water level detection components or flow detection components, the controller can compare the amount of water collected in the first accommodating chamber 111 with the first water supply to determine the freezing condition of the first ice-making surface 21; the controller can compare the amount of water collected in the second accommodating chamber 112 with the second water supply to determine the freezing condition of the second ice-making surface 22.

[0110] In some embodiments of the present application, when the first ice-making surface 21 is provided with an ice mold 24 for preparing ice cubes, and the second ice-making surface 22 is used to cooperate with the ice crushing mechanism 3 to prepare flake ice, only the first accommodating chamber 111 is provided with a water level detection component, and an ice layer thickness sensor can be provided on the second ice-making surface 22 to detect the thickness S1 of the ice layer condensed on the second ice-making surface 22.

[0111] Step 3: Adjust the water supply according to the freezing situation. If the first ice-making surface 21 is completely frozen, the first valve and the first pump in the water-dividing mechanism 4 are closed, and the water supply to the first ice-making surface 21 is stopped. If the second ice-making surface 22 is completely frozen, the second valve and the second pump in the water-dividing mechanism 4 are closed, and the water supply to the second ice-making surface 22 is stopped. These two adjustment processes are independent of each other and do not interfere with each other, and can respectively realize the ice-making control of the first ice-making surface 21 and the second ice-making surface 22.

[0112] In some embodiments of the present application, when the first accommodating chamber 111 and the second accommodating chamber 112 are both provided with a water level detection element or a flow detection element, if the amount of water H1 collected in the first accommodating chamber 111 reaches a first preset threshold value Y1, the water supply to the first ice-making surface 21 is stopped; if the amount of water H2 collected in the second accommodating chamber 112 reaches a second preset threshold value Y2, the water supply to the second ice-making surface 22 is stopped. Figure 10 shown.

[0113] In some embodiments of the present application, when the water level detection member is arranged in the first accommodating cavity 111 to detect the ice formation of the square ice, and the ice layer thickness sensor is arranged on the second ice making surface 22 to detect the ice formation on the second ice making surface 22. The ice formation standard of the square ice is denoted as Sp, when Sp = 0, it means that the ice formation is not up to the standard, the first valve and the first pump of the water distribution mechanism 4 are opened, when Sp = 1, it means that the ice formation is up to the standard, the first valve and the first pump of the water distribution mechanism 4 are closed. If the water amount H1 collected in the first accommodating cavity 111 reaches the first preset threshold Y1, the Sp is assigned as 1 by the controller, and the water supply to the first ice making surface 21 is stopped. The ice layer thickness threshold of the second ice making surface is denoted as S2, and S2 is greater than the preset distance L between the spiral ice cutter assembly 31 and the second ice making surface 22, so that the ice cutter of the spiral ice cutter assembly 31 can contact the ice layer condensed on the second ice making surface 22, and facilitate subsequent ice crushing cutting. When the ice layer thickness S1 condensed on the second ice making surface 22 is greater than or equal to S2, the second valve and the second pump of the water distribution mechanism 4 are closed by the controller, and the water supply to the second ice making surface 22 is stopped, as shown in FIG. 8. Figure 11

[0114] Step four: respectively realize the ice removal of the first ice making surface 21 and the second ice making surface 22.

[0115] In some embodiments of the present application, when the ice layer thickness S1 on the second ice making surface 22 reaches the preset ice layer thickness threshold S2, the ice crushing mechanism 3 is started, the ice layer on the second ice making surface 22 is cut by the spiral ice cutter assembly 31, the ice crushing is completed, and the crushed ice is collected by the second ice storage 6.

[0116] In some embodiments of the present application, when the ice mold 24 on the first ice making surface 21 is full of ice blocks, the heat flow is transmitted to the ice mold 24 by the compressor 7, the ice blocks are separated from the ice mold 24, the square ice is completed, and the square ice is collected by the first ice storage 5.

[0117] It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises", "comprising", "includes", "including" and "has" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order in which they are described unless specifically identified as an order dependent step. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps can be employed.

[0118] ​Although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms can be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example implementations.

[0119] The foregoing is considered as illustrative of the principles of the application. Numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the application. Accordingly, the scope of the application is to be interpreted only as is fairly required in view of the patent principles and novel features shown herein.

Claims

1. A water storage assembly (1), characterized in that: include: a water storage member (11), wherein the water storage member (11) has an opening for water flow to enter; A separator (12) is provided inside the water storage member (11), and separates a first accommodating chamber (111) and a second accommodating chamber (112) that are independent of each other inside the water storage member (11), wherein the first accommodating chamber (111) is used to collect water flowing down from the first ice-making surface (21), and the second accommodating chamber (112) is used to collect water flowing down from the second ice-making surface (22).

2. The water storage assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The partition (12) is extended along the length direction of the water storage member (11).

3. The water storage assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The separator (12) is provided with a first drainage portion (121) and a second drainage portion (122) at one end away from the water storage member (11); the first drainage portion (121) is used to connect to the first ice-making surface (21); and the second drainage portion (122) is used to connect to the second ice-making surface (22).

4. The water storage assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: A water level detection component is provided in the first accommodating cavity (111) and / or the second accommodating cavity (112).

5. The water storage assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first accommodating chamber (111) and the second accommodating chamber (112) are both provided with an openable and closable drainage structure.

6. An ice making device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a water storage assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and further comprises a heat exchanger (2), wherein the heat exchanger (2) has a first ice-making surface (21) and a second ice-making surface (22), and a heat exchange pipeline (23) is provided between the first ice-making surface (21) and the second ice-making surface (22).

7. The ice making device according to claim 6, characterized in that An ice mold (24) is provided on the first ice-making surface (21) and / or the second ice-making surface (22), and the ice mold (24) has a plurality of ice-making structures.

8. The ice making device according to claim 7, characterized in that The ice-making structure is provided with a circulation hole (241).

9. The ice making device according to claim 7, characterized in that The ice-making structure is provided with a demoulding surface (242) arranged obliquely downward.

10. The ice making device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that: The heat exchanger (2) is a cylindrical structure, the first ice-making surface (21) is the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical structure, and the second ice-making surface (22) is the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical structure; The water storage member (11) is an annular structure and is arranged below the heat exchanger (2).

11. The ice making device according to claim 10, characterized in that An ice mold (24) is provided on the first ice-making surface (21) for preparing block ice; an ice crushing mechanism (3) is provided inside the cylindrical structure for cooperating with the second ice-making surface (22) to prepare crushed ice.

12. The ice making device according to claim 11, wherein: The ice crushing mechanism (3) comprises a spiral ice blade assembly (31), the spiral ice blade assembly (31) is rotatably arranged inside the cylindrical structure, and a preset distance is provided between the spiral ice blade assembly (31) and the second ice-making surface (22).

13. The ice making device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that: It also includes a water distribution mechanism (4), which is arranged above the heat exchanger (2) and allows water to flow to the first ice-making surface (21) and the second ice-making surface (22).

14. The ice making device according to claim 13, wherein: The water distribution mechanism (4) is connected to the water storage member (11) via a circulating water circuit, and a pump member is provided on the circulating water circuit.

15. The ice making device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that: It also includes a first ice storage member (5) and a second ice storage member (6), wherein the first ice storage member (5) is arranged corresponding to the first ice-making surface (21), and the second ice storage member (6) is arranged corresponding to the second ice-making surface (22).

16. An ice making system, characterized in that: The ice-making device comprises the ice-making device according to any one of claims 6 to 15, and further comprises a compressor (7) and a condenser (8), wherein the compressor (7), the condenser (8) and the heat exchanger (2) are connected to form a refrigerant circulation loop.

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