Refrigerating system and ice maker with adjustable ice hardness

Abstract

The utility model discloses a refrigerating system and an ice maker with adjustable ice hardness. The refrigerating system comprises a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device and an evaporator which are sequentially connected to form a refrigerant circulation loop, the evaporator comprises at least two heat exchange sections which are sequentially connected in series in the refrigerant flow direction, and the evaporator is further provided with a pipeline switching assembly used for adjusting the connecting state between the heat exchange sections, so that the heat exchange sections participating in refrigerant circulation are variable. The evaporator is divided into a plurality of heat exchange sections which are connected in series, the connection state between the heat exchange sections can be flexibly adjusted, when the heat exchange sections participating in refrigerant circulation change, the cold supply state of the evaporator changes accordingly, and then the hardness of ice blocks prepared by the evaporation ice tray is adjusted.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to refrigeration system technical field especially is related to refrigeration system and ice hardness adjustable ice maker. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the field of refrigeration technology, a conventional refrigeration system is usually composed of multiple components such as a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device, and an evaporator, which work cooperatively to achieve a refrigeration effect. For an ice maker equipped with a self-contained unit, its refrigeration system is often a pre-matched fixed system to ensure the stability and reliability of the unit during operation.

[0003] However, in actual use, this fixed configuration of the refrigeration system also brings some limitations. In particular, since the temperature of the evaporator remains consistent during the operation of the unit, the ice temperature of the prepared cube ice also presents consistency. If an attempt is made to forcibly lower the evaporating temperature of the system by adjusting the throttling device alone, although the ice temperature can be theoretically reduced, doing so will cause the superheat of the evaporator to increase, thereby significantly reducing the uniformity of ice making throughout the evaporator, and ultimately the prepared ice blocks are uneven in thickness, and the quality is difficult to guarantee.

[0004] In addition, there is a direct relationship between the ice density and the ice temperature of the ice block. When the ice temperature is maintained at around -15℃, the expansion coefficient of the ice block reaches a minimum value of 1.28 x 10^-4. In the case of a standard ice tray size of 22.2 x 22.2 x 22.2 mm, among ice blocks of the same volume, the smaller the expansion coefficient, the greater the density of the ice, and correspondingly, the higher the hardness of the ice block. Different ice densities will directly affect the dissolution rate of the ice block: the greater the ice density, the slower the dissolution rate of the ice block.

[0005] In practical applications, different use scenarios have different requirements for the dissolution rate and hardness of the ice block. For example, some occasions require ice blocks to dissolve quickly to provide immediate cooling effect, while some other occasions require ice blocks with higher hardness to maintain long-term cooling effect. However, the traditional ice maker cannot meet such diverse needs because the ice hardness is not adjustable and the prepared ice blocks are of a single type.

[0006] Therefore, how to design a refrigeration system and an ice maker that can flexibly adjust the cooling state of the evaporator is a technical problem that needs to be solved in the industry. SUMMARY

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned defects existing in the prior art, the utility model provides a refrigeration system and an ice hardness adjustable ice maker, which divides the evaporator into multiple heat exchange sections, adjusts the cooling state by changing the heat exchange sections participating in the refrigerant circulation, and makes the ice hardness of the ice maker adjustable.

[0008] The utility model discloses a technical scheme, design refrigeration system, include: the compressor, condenser, throttling device and evaporator that connect gradually form refrigerant circulation loop, evaporator contains at least two heat exchange sections that are connected in series along the refrigerant flow direction, and evaporator is equipped with the pipeline switching assembly for adjusting the connecting state between heat exchange sections, so that the heat exchange section of participating in refrigerant circulation is changeable.

[0009] Further, the pipeline switching assembly comprises: a heat exchange main line provided with a switch valve and a bypass branch provided with a bypass valve, and two adjacent heat exchange sections are divided into an upstream heat exchange section and a downstream heat exchange section, and the outlet side of the upstream heat exchange section is provided with the heat exchange main line and the bypass branch, and the upstream heat exchange section is connected to the downstream heat exchange section through the heat exchange main line or connected to the suction side pipeline of the compressor through the bypass branch.

[0010] Further, the outlet side of the downstream heat exchange section is provided with a liquid outlet valve, the liquid outlet valve allows the refrigerant to flow out of the downstream heat exchange section when the liquid outlet valve is opened, and the liquid outlet valve blocks the refrigerant from flowing into the downstream heat exchange section in a reverse direction when the liquid outlet valve is closed.

[0011] Further, the outlet side pipeline of the throttling device is provided with an evaporation inlet temperature detector, the suction side pipeline of the compressor is provided with an evaporation outlet temperature detector, and the controller of the refrigeration system receives the detection data of the evaporation inlet temperature detector and the evaporation outlet temperature detector and adjusts the opening degree of the throttling device.

[0012] In some embodiments, the evaporator comprises a first heat exchange section, a second heat exchange section and a third heat exchange section connected in series along the refrigerant flow direction, the first heat exchange section is connected to the outlet side pipeline of the throttling device, and the third heat exchange section is connected to the suction side pipeline of the compressor.

[0013] Further, the outlet side of the first heat exchange section is provided with a first bypass branch, the outlet side of the second heat exchange section is provided with a second bypass branch, and the first bypass branch is connected to the suction side pipeline of the compressor through the second bypass branch.

[0014] Further, the evaporator has three gears;

[0015] The first heat exchange section participates in the refrigerant circulation when the evaporator is in the first gear;

[0016] The first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section participate in the refrigerant circulation when the evaporator is in the second gear;

[0017] The first heat exchange section, the second heat exchange section and the third heat exchange section participate in the refrigerant circulation when the evaporator is in the third gear.

[0018] The utility model discloses a technical scheme, design refrigeration system, include: the compressor, condenser, throttling device and evaporator that connect gradually form refrigerant circulation loop, evaporator contains at least two heat exchange sections that are connected in series along the refrigerant flow direction, and evaporator is equipped with the pipeline switching assembly for adjusting the connecting state between heat exchange sections, so that the heat exchange section of participating in refrigerant circulation is changeable.

[0019] Further, the ice maker further comprises:

[0020] a water receiving tray arranged below the evaporating ice tray;

[0021] a water inlet pipe for supplying water to the water receiving tray;

[0022] a water distribution mechanism for supplying water to the evaporating ice tray;

[0023] a circulating water pump for pumping water in the water receiving tray to the water distribution mechanism or a drain pipe.

[0024] Further, the gears of the evaporating ice tray correspond to the ice hardness gears one by one, and the controller of the refrigeration system is further connected with a man-machine interactive device capable of displaying the ice hardness gears.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the utility model has at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0026] 1. The evaporator is divided into multiple heat exchange sections connected in series, and the connection state between the heat exchange sections can be flexibly adjusted, so that when the heat exchange sections participating in the refrigerant circulation change, the cooling state of the evaporator changes, thereby realizing adjustment of the hardness of the ice blocks prepared by the evaporating ice tray.

[0027] 2. The refrigeration machine is provided with a man-machine interactive device capable of displaying the ice hardness gears, and the user can view and control the ice hardness gears through the man-machine interactive device, so that the ice density is visually adjusted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] The utility model will be described in detail below in combination with the embodiments and drawings, in which:

[0029] Figure 1 is the connection schematic diagram of the refrigeration system of the utility model;

[0030] Figure 2 is the structural schematic diagram of the evaporator of the utility model;

[0031] Figure 3 is the refrigerant flow direction schematic diagram of the evaporator of the utility model in the first gear;

[0032] Figure 4 is the refrigerant flow direction schematic diagram of the evaporator of the utility model in the second gear;

[0033] Figure 5 is the refrigerant flow direction schematic diagram of the evaporator of the utility model in the third gear;

[0034] Figure 6 is the structural schematic diagram of the water receiving tray of the utility model;

[0035] Figure 7 is the working process schematic diagram of the ice maker of the utility model;

[0036] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS: 1, compressor; 2, condenser; 3, condenser fan; 4, filter; 5, throttling device; 6, evaporator; 61, first heat exchange section; 62, second heat exchange section; 63, third heat exchange section; 7, switch valve; 71, first switch valve; 72, second switch valve; 8, bypass valve; 81, first bypass valve; 82, second bypass valve; 9, liquid outlet valve; 91, second liquid outlet valve; 92, third liquid outlet valve; 10, evaporator inlet temperature detector; 11, evaporator outlet temperature detector; 12, ice removal valve; 13, water pan; 14, water inlet pipe; 15, water distribution mechanism; 16, circulating water pump; 17, drain pipe; 18, suction temperature detector; 19, pressure sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific examples described herein are only used to explain the present application and do not limit the present application.

[0038] As shown in Figure 1 the present application proposes a refrigeration system which can be applied in a refrigeration device, including but not limited to an ice maker. Specifically, the refrigeration system comprises: a compressor 1, a condenser 2, a throttling device 5 and an evaporator 6 connected in sequence to form a refrigerant circulation loop. When the refrigeration system is running, the refrigerant discharged by the compressor 1 flows through the condenser 2, the throttling device 5 and the evaporator 6 in turn, and then returns to the suction side of the compressor 1.

[0039] The evaporator 6 comprises at least two heat exchange sections connected in series along the flow direction of the refrigerant. The evaporator 6 is also provided with a pipe switching assembly for adjusting the connection state between the heat exchange sections, so that the heat exchange sections participating in the refrigerant circulation are variable. When the heat exchange sections participating in the refrigerant circulation change, the cooling state of the evaporator 6 changes accordingly, thereby realizing the adjustment of the hardness of the ice blocks prepared by the ice-making tray.

[0040] There are many design ways for the pipe switching assembly. In some feasible embodiments of the present application, the pipe switching assembly comprises: a heat exchange main path and a bypass branch path, the heat exchange main path is provided with a switch valve 7 for switching its on-off state, and the bypass branch path is provided with a bypass valve 8 for switching its on-off state. The adjacent two heat exchange sections are divided into an upstream heat exchange section and a downstream heat exchange section. The outlet side of the upstream heat exchange section is provided with the heat exchange main path and the bypass branch path. The upstream heat exchange section is connected to the downstream heat exchange section through the heat exchange main path or connected to the suction side pipe of the compressor 1 through the bypass branch path.

[0041] When the main heat exchange path is connected and the bypass branch is closed, the upstream heat exchange section and the downstream heat exchange section are connected, and the refrigerant flowing out of the upstream heat exchange section enters the downstream heat exchange section; when the main heat exchange path is connected and the bypass branch is connected, the upstream heat exchange section and the downstream heat exchange section are disconnected, and the refrigerant flowing out of the upstream heat exchange section enters the bypass branch and enters the suction side pipeline of the compressor.

[0042] Generally speaking, only one of the main heat exchange path and the bypass branch is connected to ensure smooth refrigerant flow. In actual applications, the on-off state of the main heat exchange path and the bypass branch can also be controlled according to specific needs. It should be understood that the two adjacent heat exchange sections mentioned above refer to two adjacent heat exchange sections connected along the refrigerant flow direction. When the evaporator 6 includes more than three adjacent heat exchange sections, the middle heat exchange section is the downstream heat exchange section with respect to the adjacent heat exchange section connected upstream, and is the upstream heat exchanger with respect to the adjacent heat exchange section connected downstream.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment, a liquid outlet valve 9 is provided at the outlet of the downstream heat exchange section. When the liquid outlet valve 9 is open, the refrigerant is allowed to flow out of the downstream heat exchange section. When the liquid outlet valve 9 is closed, the refrigerant is prevented from flowing back into the downstream heat exchange section. The liquid outlet valve 9 may be an on-off valve or a one-way valve that only allows the refrigerant to flow out of the heat exchange section. This is not particularly limited in the present invention.

[0044] In the preferred embodiment, the outlet piping of throttling device 5 is equipped with an evaporation inlet temperature detector 10, which can be an electronic expansion valve. The suction piping of compressor 1 is equipped with an evaporation outlet temperature detector 11. The refrigeration system controller receives the detection data from evaporation inlet and outlet temperature detectors 10 and 11 and adjusts the opening of throttling device 5. This design, by monitoring the evaporation inlet and outlet temperatures in real time, enables the controller to more accurately understand the actual operating status of the refrigeration system and dynamically adjust the opening of throttling device 5 to optimize the refrigerant flow rate.

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the evaporator 6 includes a first heat exchange section 61, a second heat exchange section 62, and a third heat exchange section 63 connected in series along the refrigerant flow direction. The first heat exchange section 61 is connected to the outlet side of the throttling device 5, and the third heat exchange section 63 is connected to the suction side of the compressor 1. The first heat exchange section 61 is the most upstream heat exchange section in the evaporator 6, and the third heat exchange section 63 is the most downstream heat exchange section in the evaporator 6. The first heat exchange section 61 and the second heat exchange section 62 are two adjacent heat exchange sections. In the combination of the two adjacent heat exchange sections, the first heat exchange section 61 is the upstream heat exchange section, and the second heat exchange section 62 is the downstream heat exchange section. The second heat exchange section 62 and the third heat exchange section 63 are also two adjacent heat exchange sections. In the combination of the two adjacent heat exchange sections, the second heat exchange section 62 is the upstream heat exchange section, and the third heat exchange section 63 is the downstream heat exchange section.

[0046] The outlet of the first heat exchange section 61 is equipped with a first main heat exchange path and a first bypass branch. The first main heat exchange path is equipped with a first on / off valve 71, and the first bypass branch is equipped with a first bypass valve 81. The outlet of the second heat exchange section 62 is equipped with a second main heat exchange path and a second bypass branch. The second main heat exchange path is equipped with a second on / off valve 72, and the second bypass branch is equipped with a second bypass valve 82. To prevent refrigerant backflow and improve the reliability of heat exchange section switching, a second liquid outlet valve 91 is installed at the outlet of the second heat exchange section 62, and a third liquid outlet valve 92 is installed at the outlet of the third heat exchange section 63. Since the first heat exchange section 61 is located at the upstream position and is always involved in the refrigerant circulation, there is no possibility of shutting down the first heat exchange section 61 or refrigerant backflow. Therefore, a liquid outlet valve is not required at the outlet of the first heat exchange section 61.

[0047] When the refrigeration system is running, the connection status of the first heat exchange section 61, the second heat exchange section 62 and the third heat exchange section 63 is changed by adjusting the switches of the first switch valve 71, the first bypass valve 81, the second switch valve 72, the second bypass valve 82, the second liquid outlet valve 91 and the third liquid outlet valve 92.

[0048] Based on the three heat exchange sections described above, a portion of the second bypass branch serves as a transfer tube, which connects to the suction side pipeline of compressor 1. A second bypass valve 82 is located on this transfer tube. The outlet of the first bypass branch is connected to this transfer tube, meaning that the first and second bypass branches share this section of the transfer tube. That is, the first bypass branch connects to the suction side pipeline of compressor 1 via the second bypass branch. When the refrigerant delivered from the first heat exchange section 61 needs to be delivered to the suction side of compressor 1 through the first bypass branch, both the first bypass valve 81 and the second bypass valve 82 remain open.

[0049] Because the first and second bypass branches share a common transfer pipe, additional piping is reduced, making the entire system more compact. This design helps save space, especially in space-constrained applications such as small refrigeration equipment.

[0050] Specifically, the evaporator 6 of the present invention can switch to at least three gears to provide cooling.

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, the first heat exchange section 61 participates in the refrigerant circulation when the evaporator 6 is in the first gear. At this time, the first switch valve 71, the second switch valve 72, the second liquid outlet valve 91, and the third liquid outlet valve 92 are all closed, and the first bypass valve 81 and the second bypass valve 82 are opened. The refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 passes through the condenser 2, the throttling device 5, and the first heat exchange section 61 in turn, and then returns to the suction side of the compressor 1.

[0052] like Figure 4As shown in the figure, the first heat exchange section 61 and the second heat exchange section 62 participate in the refrigerant circulation when the evaporator 6 is in the second position, at this time, the first bypass valve 81, the second switch valve 72 and the third liquid outlet valve 92 are closed, the first switch valve 71, the second liquid outlet valve 91 and the second bypass valve 82 are opened, the refrigerant discharged by the compressor 1 passes through the condenser 2, the throttling device 5, the first heat exchange section 61 and the second heat exchange section 62 in turn, and then returns to the suction side of the compressor 1.

[0053] As shown in the figure, Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the first heat exchange section 61, the second heat exchange section 62 and the third heat exchange section 63 participate in the refrigerant circulation when the evaporator 6 is in the third position, at this time, the first bypass valve 81 and the second bypass valve 82 are closed, the first switch valve 71, the second liquid outlet valve 91, the second switch valve 72 and the third liquid outlet valve 92 are opened, the refrigerant discharged by the compressor 1 passes through the condenser 2, the throttling device 5, the first heat exchange section 61, the second heat exchange section 62 and the third heat exchange section 63 in turn, and then returns to the suction side of the compressor 1.

[0054] As shown in the figure, Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the ice hardness adjustable ice maker comprises the refrigeration system, the evaporator 6 of the refrigeration system is an evaporative ice tray, the evaporative ice tray comprises an ice tray and at least two heat exchange sections connected in series along the refrigerant flow direction, the heat exchange sections are fixedly installed on the back of the ice tray, and the refrigeration system provides cold energy by the heat exchange sections to make the water flowing through the front of the ice tray freeze when the refrigeration system is in operation.

[0055] In order to facilitate ice removal, the exhaust port of the compressor 1 is further provided with a heat supply branch connected to the evaporator 6, the heat supply branch is provided with an ice removal valve 12, when the ice removal valve 12 is opened, part of the high-temperature refrigerant discharged by the compressor 1 flows to the evaporator 6 through the heat supply branch, heats the evaporative ice tray, and melts the surface of the ice block to separate the ice block from the ice tray.

[0056] As shown in the figure, Figure 6 As shown in the figure, the ice maker further comprises a water collecting tray 13, a water inlet pipe 14, a water distribution mechanism 15 and a circulating water pump 16, etc., the water inlet pipe 14 is connected to a water source and is provided with a water inlet valve, the water collecting tray 13 can be filled with water by opening the water inlet valve, the circulating water pump 16 pumps the water in the water collecting tray 13 to the water distribution mechanism 15 on the top of the evaporative ice tray, the water distribution mechanism 15 uniformly distributes the water downward, the water slowly flows down along the evaporative ice tray, freezes on the evaporative ice tray in the process, the water collecting tray 13 is arranged below the evaporative ice tray, and the water dripping from the evaporative ice tray falls into the water collecting tray 13 again.

[0057] On the basis of designing the water collecting tray 13 and the circulating water pump 16, the water collecting tray 13 is further connected with a drain pipe 17, the drain pipe 17 is provided with a drain valve, and the water in the water collecting tray 13 can be drained by opening the drain valve and the circulating water pump 16. This design can timely drain the excess water in the water collecting tray 13, and ensure that the ice block is clean.

[0058] In order to improve the convenience of user operation, in some embodiments of the utility model, the gear of the evaporating ice tray is matched with the ice hardness gear L 冰硬度档位 One-to-one correspondence, the controller of the refrigeration system is also connected with the man-machine interaction device capable of displaying the ice hardness gear, the man-machine interaction device includes but is not limited to touch display screen, the user views and controls the ice hardness gear through the man-machine interaction device, realizes the visual adjustment of ice density, can be applied in the different use scene for the ice block melting demand.

[0059] As Figure 2 For the convenience of understanding, an application example of the application is taken as an example, the evaporator 6 includes the first heat exchange section 61, the second heat exchange section 62 and the third heat exchange section 63 in turn connected along the refrigerant flow direction, the first heat exchange section 61 is connected with the outlet side of the throttling device 5, the third heat exchange section 63 is connected with the suction side of the compressor 1, the three evaporating sections are distributed on the back of the ice tray from top to bottom, the first heat exchange section 61 is located at the lower part of the ice tray, the second heat exchange section 62 is located at the middle part of the ice tray, and the third heat exchange section 63 is located at the upper part of the ice tray.

[0060] The evaporator 6 can switch three gears to supply cooling, which are the first gear, the second gear and the third gear.

[0061] As Figure 3 The first gear corresponds to hardness 1 gear, when the evaporator 6 is in the first gear, only the first heat exchange section 61 participates in the refrigerant circulation, at this time, the refrigerant only passes through the first heat exchange section 61, and the cold energy is concentratedly supplied to the region corresponding to the first heat exchange section 61, and the ice block hardness is the highest.

[0062] As Figure 4 The second gear corresponds to hardness 2 gear, when the evaporator 6 is in the second gear, the first heat exchange section 61 and the second heat exchange section 62 participate in the refrigerant circulation, at this time, the refrigerant passes through the first heat exchange section 61 and the second heat exchange section 62, and the cold energy is supplied to the region corresponding to the first heat exchange section 61 and the second heat exchange section 62, and the ice block hardness decreases.

[0063] As Figure 5 The third gear corresponds to hardness 3 gear, when the evaporator 6 is in the third gear, the first heat exchange section 61, the second heat exchange section 62 and the third heat exchange section 63 all participate in the refrigerant circulation, at this time, the refrigerant passes through the first heat exchange section 61, the second heat exchange section 62 and the third heat exchange section 63, and the cold energy is uniformly supplied to the whole ice tray, and the ice block hardness is the lowest.

[0064] In order to improve the optimization of ice making effect, each gear of the evaporator 6 has a corresponding target superheat, the target superheat of the first gear is T1+A, the target superheat of the second gear is T2+A, and the target superheat of the second gear is T3+A, and the opening degree of the throttling device 5 is adjusted according to the deviation between the actual superheat and the target superheat of the evaporator 6.

[0065] Specifically, ΔT 蒸 = T 蒸出 - T 蒸入 , eK = ΔT 蒸 - target superheat degree of corresponding gear, ΔT 蒸 is actual superheat degree of evaporator, T 蒸出 is detected temperature of evaporator outlet temperature detector, T 蒸入 is detected temperature of evaporator inlet temperature detector.

[0066] In the kth sampling period, the opening degree change amount of the throttling device is (unit: %):

[0067]

[0068] wherein, K p is a proportional coefficient, T i is an integral time constant, T d is a differential time constant, and T is a sampling period.

[0069] It should be noted that T1, T2 and T3 are preset temperature values, and A is a correction coefficient. In some preferred embodiments, the value of A is 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, and so on, and the correction coefficient A needs to be reset each time the ice making cycle starts. In order to avoid the problem of liquid entrainment caused by the change of the evaporator gear, the target superheat degree needs to be corrected by the correction system.

[0070] Specifically, an air suction temperature detector 18 and a pressure sensor 19 are installed on the air suction side of the compressor 1, and during the operation of the refrigeration system, the air suction superheat degree of the compressor 1 is monitored. When the air suction superheat degree < set value t ℃, the value of A is increased by one level, for example, the value of A is increased from 0.5 to 1. Wherein, the air suction superheat degree = T 吸气 - P 饱和温度 , T 吸气 is the detected temperature of the air suction temperature detector, and P 饱和温度 is the detected pressure of the pressure sensor corresponding to the saturation temperature.

[0071] As Figure 7 shown, in the preferred embodiment, the working process of the ice maker is as follows:

[0072] The user sets the ice hardness gear L 冰硬度档位 ;

[0073] Each gear corresponds to different ice hardness;

[0074] According to the ice hardness gear set by the user, the corresponding gear of the evaporator is called, different valve control logic is called, and whether the last ice making cycle is completed is judged;

[0075] When the last ice-making cycle is completed, the evaporator operates according to the valve control logic to adjust the heat exchange section participating in the refrigerant circulation;

[0076] The opening of the throttling device is PID adjusted according to the target superheat degree corresponding to the evaporator gear;

[0077] During operation, the suction superheat degree of the compressor is detected, and when the suction superheat degree is detected to be less than a set value t℃, the A value of the target superheat degree is adjusted;

[0078] After a single ice-making is completed, the ice maker defaults to the ice hardness gear L 冰硬度档位 is set by the user. 冰硬度档位

[0079] It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the term "comprising" and / or "including", when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof. The order of execution or performance of the actions of the methods disclosed herein, including the order of the steps of the methods described in the specification and / or claims, can be different unless specifically stated otherwise. The use of ordinal terms such as "first", "second" and the like cannot be construed to specify, describe or identify except in the context of the description of the embodiment. Ordinal terms are to be interpreted to embrace different orientations of the embodiments or the same orientation under different circumstances.

[0080] Techniques, methods, and apparatus known to the relevant technical field can not be discussed in detail, but should be considered part of the description where appropriate. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limiting. Thus, other examples of the exemplary embodiments can have different values. It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters refer to like items in the following drawings, and thus, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be discussed further in subsequent drawings.

[0081] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.​

Claims

1. Refrigeration system, including: A compressor, a condenser, a throttling device and an evaporator are connected in sequence to form a refrigerant circulation loop; it is characterized in that the evaporator includes at least two heat exchange sections connected in series along the flow direction of the refrigerant, and the evaporator is also provided with a pipeline switching component for adjusting the connection status between the heat exchange sections, so that the heat exchange sections participating in the refrigerant circulation are variable.

2. The refrigeration system according to claim 1, characterized in that The pipeline switching assembly includes: a heat exchange main circuit equipped with a switch valve and a bypass branch circuit equipped with a bypass valve; The two adjacent heat exchange sections are divided into an upstream heat exchange section and a downstream heat exchange section. The outlet side of the upstream heat exchange section is provided with the main heat exchange path and the bypass branch. The upstream heat exchange section is connected to the downstream heat exchange section through the main heat exchange path or is connected to the suction side pipeline of the compressor through the bypass branch.

3. The refrigeration system according to claim 2, characterized in that A liquid outlet valve is provided on the outlet side of the downstream heat exchange section. When the liquid outlet valve is opened, the refrigerant is allowed to flow out of the downstream heat exchange section. When the liquid outlet valve is closed, the refrigerant is prevented from flowing back into the downstream heat exchange section.

4. The refrigeration system according to claim 1, wherein: The outlet side pipeline of the throttling device is provided with an evaporation inlet temperature detector, and the suction side pipeline of the compressor is provided with an evaporation outlet temperature detector. The controller of the refrigeration system receives the detection data of the evaporation inlet temperature detector and the evaporation outlet temperature detector and adjusts the opening of the throttling device.

5. The refrigeration system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The evaporator includes a first heat exchange section, a second heat exchange section and a third heat exchange section connected in series along the flow direction of the refrigerant, the first heat exchange section is connected to the outlet side pipeline of the throttling device, and the third heat exchange section is connected to the suction side pipeline of the compressor.

6. The refrigeration system according to claim 5, characterized in that A first bypass branch is provided on the outlet side of the first heat exchange section, and a second bypass branch is provided on the outlet side of the second heat exchange section. The first bypass branch is connected to the suction side pipeline of the compressor through the second bypass branch.

7. The refrigeration system according to claim 5, characterized in that The evaporator has three gears; The first heat exchange section participates in the refrigerant circulation when the evaporator is in the first gear; The first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section participate in the refrigerant circulation when the evaporator is in the second gear; The first heat exchange section, the second heat exchange section, and the third heat exchange section participate in the refrigerant circulation when the evaporator is in the third gear.

8. Ice hardness adjustable ice maker, characterized in that, The ice maker comprises: the refrigeration system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the evaporator of the refrigeration system is an evaporating ice tray.

9. The ice making machine according to claim 8, characterized in that The ice making machine further comprises: a water receiving tray, which is arranged below the evaporating ice tray; a water inlet pipe, used for adding water to the water receiving tray; a water distribution mechanism for supplying water to the evaporative ice tray; A circulating water pump is used to pump water in the water receiving tray to the water distribution mechanism.

10. The ice making machine according to claim 8, wherein The gears of the evaporating ice tray correspond to the ice hardness gears one by one, and the controller of the refrigeration system is further connected to a human-computer interaction device capable of displaying the ice hardness gears.

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