Waterway system and ice maker

Abstract

The utility model relates to a waterway system and an ice maker, comprising a water supply unit which is connected through a pipeline and at least comprises a water purification tank used for supplying water to a waterway; the heating unit comprises a hot container with a heating pipe; the refrigerating unit comprises an ice container; the ice making unit comprises an ice making box; the water supply unit is at least provided with a first water outlet end and a second water outlet end, and the first water outlet end and the second water outlet end communicate with the refrigerating unit and the heating unit correspondingly. An exhaust end is further arranged on the hot container and communicated with the air inlet end of the water supply unit through a vent pipe. The water purification device has the beneficial effects that water vapor formed by heating in the hot container enters the vent pipe from the exhaust end and enters the water purification tank along the vent pipe, and due to the fact that the temperature in the water purification tank is low, the water vapor is liquefied in the water purification tank and converged into pure water in the water purification tank, the problem that the water purification tank cannot supply water to the hot container due to the fact that the pressure in the hot container is too large is avoided; therefore, the water outlet is unstable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of ice-making water dispenser technology, specifically to a water circuit system and an ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] An ice-making water dispenser is a smart small appliance that combines ice-making and water-dispensing functions. It uses an internal refrigeration system, including components such as a compressor, evaporator, and condenser, to transform liquid water into solid ice. Users can obtain not only ice water or hot water, but also make ice cubes as needed. During the ice-making process, the compressor provides high-pressure, high-temperature refrigerant, which absorbs heat in the evaporator, causing the water to freeze, and releases heat in the condenser, returning to a liquid state. This cycle repeats continuously, achieving the ice-making function. Simultaneously, the water dispenser provides hot and cold water to meet the user's drinking needs.

[0003] However, in the existing technology, when the heating element heats the source water, it produces water vapor. This water vapor cannot be discharged and can only liquefy inside the heating element after it cools down. During the heating process, the generation of water vapor increases the internal pressure of the heating element's heat tank, which obstructs the entry of source water into the heat tank, causing the hot water production to be intermittent and greatly reducing the user experience. Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, this utility model provides a water system and an ice maker.

[0005] The above-mentioned problems of this utility model are solved by the following technical solution:

[0006] A water system comprising pipes connected to,

[0007] The water supply unit includes at least a clean water tank for supplying water to the water supply circuit;

[0008] Heating unit, including a heating element with heating tubes;

[0009] The refrigeration unit includes an ice chamber;

[0010] An ice-making unit, including a refrigerator;

[0011] The water supply unit has at least a first water outlet and a second water outlet, and the first water outlet and the second water outlet are respectively connected to the cooling unit and the heating unit.

[0012] The heating element is also provided with an exhaust end, which is connected to the air inlet of the water supply unit through a vent pipe.

[0013] A further provision of the above technical solution is that the cold water end of the refrigeration unit is connected to the input end of the ice-making unit, the ice-making unit has a drain end, and the drain end is connected to the second water inlet end of the refrigeration unit.

[0014] A further provision of the above technical solution is that a diaphragm pump is provided at the cold water end, and the input end of the ice-making unit is connected to the outlet end of the diaphragm pump.

[0015] A further provision of the above technical solution is that the water supply unit further includes a filter assembly, the filter assembly including a first filter element and a second filter element connected in sequence to the external water inlet, and the second filter element is provided with a wastewater outlet.

[0016] A further provision of the above technical solution is that a booster pump is provided between the first filter element and the second filter element.

[0017] A further provision of the above technical solution is that a low-pressure switch is provided at the input end of the first filter element.

[0018] An ice maker includes a housing and the water system described above. The housing is provided with a water outlet and an ice outlet. The water outlet is connected to the water supply unit, the refrigeration unit, and the heating unit, and the ice outlet is connected to the ice making unit.

[0019] A further provision of the above technical solution is as follows: a first drain valve is provided between the water tank and the water outlet; a second drain valve is provided between the heating unit and the water outlet; and a third drain valve is provided between the cooling unit and the water outlet.

[0020] A further setting of the above technical solution is: one of the first drain valve, the second drain valve and the third drain valve can be opened.

[0021] A further configuration of the above technical solution is that the refrigeration unit is located below the ice-making unit.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: the water vapor generated by heating inside the heating tank enters the vent pipe from the exhaust end and then enters the purified water tank along the vent pipe. Due to the low temperature inside the purified water tank, the water vapor liquefies inside the purified water tank and flows into the pure water inside the purified water tank, thus avoiding excessive pressure inside the heating tank, which would prevent the purified water tank from being unable to supply water and causing unstable water output. At the same time, the liquid water flowing into the purified water tank is formed by the liquefaction of water vapor, which is the purified water source, ensuring the purity of the water source inside the purified water tank. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the water circuit principle of this utility model.

[0024] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of Example 2.

[0025] The attached diagram is labeled: 100, clean water tank; 110, first water outlet; 120, second water outlet.

[0026] 200. Heat sink; 210. Exhaust end;

[0027] 300. Ice chamber; 310. First water inlet; 320. Second water inlet;

[0028] 400. Refrigerator manufacturing; 410. Drain end;

[0029] 500. Diaphragm pump;

[0030] 600. Filter assembly; 610. First filter element; 620. Second filter element;

[0031] 700. Housing; 710. Water outlet; 720. Ice outlet;

[0032] 1. Vent pipe; 2. Booster pump; 3. Low-pressure switch; 4. Wastewater discharge pipe; 5. First drain valve; 6. Second drain valve; 7. Third drain valve. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by this utility model in order to achieve the intended utility model purpose, the following detailed description of the specific implementation methods, structure, features and effects of this utility model is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0034] like Figure 1-2 As shown in the following embodiments, a water system and an ice maker are disclosed.

[0035] Example 1

[0036] A water system comprising, sequentially connected by pipes,

[0037] The water supply unit includes at least a clean water tank 100 for supplying water to the water supply circuit;

[0038] The heating unit includes a heating element 200 with a heating tube;

[0039] The refrigeration unit includes an ice chamber 300;

[0040] Ice-making unit, including a refrigerator 400;

[0041] The water supply unit has at least a first water outlet 110 and a second water outlet 120, and the first water outlet 110 and the second water outlet 120 are respectively connected to the cooling unit and the heating unit.

[0042] The heating element 200 is also provided with an exhaust end 210, which is connected to the air inlet of the water supply unit through a vent pipe 1.

[0043] The above is the basic scheme of this embodiment.

[0044] After the water tank 100 draws water from the outside, it supplies water to the water circuit. The room temperature water is input to the heating unit and the cooling unit through the first water outlet 110 and the second water outlet 120 to make hot water and cold water for consumers to drink. In addition, the water tank 100 can also supply water to the ice making unit to make ice cubes and output them to meet consumers' demand for iced drinks.

[0045] When room temperature water is heated by the heating tube in the heating tank 200, the water reaches the boiling point and produces water vapor. The high temperature water vapor rises and enters the vent pipe 1 from the exhaust end 210, and then enters the purified water tank 100 along the vent pipe 1. Because the temperature inside the purified water tank 100 is low, the water vapor liquefies inside the purified water tank 100 and flows into the pure water inside the purified water tank 100.

[0046] In particular, the incoming liquid water is formed by the liquefaction of water vapor, making it a purified water source.

[0047] In this embodiment, the cold water end of the refrigeration unit is connected to the input end of the ice-making unit, and the ice-making unit has a drain end 410, which is connected to the second water inlet end 320 of the refrigeration unit.

[0048] Specifically, the cold tank is provided with a first water inlet 310, which is used to connect with the second water outlet 120 of the clean water tank 100 for water inlet; after the ice-making unit makes ice, a small amount of ice will melt during the ice-out process, resulting in liquid water being generated in the refrigerator 400. This liquid water is output from the drain end 410 and enters the second water inlet 320 of the refrigeration unit, where it mixes with the cold water in the refrigeration unit.

[0049] In this embodiment, the cold water end is also provided with a diaphragm pump 500, and the input end of the ice-making unit is connected to the outlet end of the diaphragm pump 500.

[0050] The diaphragm pump 500, also known as a control pump, is a primary type of actuator that receives control signals from a modulation unit. It features excellent self-priming capabilities, allowing it to start even without liquid and requiring no external liquid supply. Furthermore, the flow rate of the diaphragm pump 500 can be adjusted as needed to meet the requirements of various applications. In addition, the diaphragm pump 500 exhibits good corrosion resistance, enabling it to transport various corrosive media and making it widely applicable.

[0051] Based on the above settings, the flow rate of ambient temperature water or low temperature water output from the cold tank can be controlled, thereby controlling the amount of water input into the refrigerator 400 to adjust the ice production capacity.

[0052] To ensure the purity of the water source in the water tank 100, in this embodiment, the water supply unit further includes a filter assembly 600. The filter assembly 600 includes a first filter element 610 and a second filter element 620 connected in sequence to the external water inlet. The second filter element 620 is provided with a wastewater outlet.

[0053] Preferably, in this embodiment, the filter material in the first filter element 610 is PP and granular carbon, and the second filter element 620 is provided with an RO membrane.

[0054] When the external water source supplies water to the water purification tank 100, the source water passes through the first filter element 610 and the second filter element 620 in sequence along the pipeline. When the liquid water passes through the first filter element 610, impurities are adsorbed by PP and granular carbon. When it passes through the second filter element 620, it is filtered by the reverse osmosis of the RO membrane, thereby preventing impurities such as inorganic salts, heavy metal ions, organic matter, colloids, bacteria, and viruses in the source water from passing through the RO membrane, thus strictly separating the pure water that can pass through from the concentrated water that cannot.

[0055] Therefore, the water entering the water purification tank 100 is pure liquid water.

[0056] Based on the above settings, when the water tank 100 supplies water to the heating unit, cooling unit, and ice-making unit, scale and other impurities will not form in the heating unit or cooling unit, thus extending the service life of the heating element 200 and the ice element 300.

[0057] In this embodiment, a booster pump 2 is provided between the first filter element 610 and the second filter element 620.

[0058] The working principle of booster pump 2 is as follows: First, fill booster pump 2 with liquid, then start the centrifugal pump. The impeller rotates rapidly, and the blades of the impeller drive the liquid to rotate. When the liquid rotates, it flows towards the outer edge of the impeller due to inertia. At the same time, the impeller draws in liquid from the suction chamber. During this process, the liquid in the impeller flows around the blades. In the flow motion, the liquid exerts a lift force on the blades. Conversely, the blades exert a force on the liquid with a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to this lift force. This force does work on the liquid, giving the liquid energy and causing it to flow out of the impeller. At this time, both the kinetic energy and pressure energy of the liquid increase.

[0059] In this embodiment, a booster pump 2 is provided between the first filter element 610 and the second filter element 620, so that the source water after sequential filtration passes through the RO membrane in the second filter element 620 at a greater speed and pressure, thereby improving the filtration speed and filtration effect.

[0060] Furthermore, a wastewater discharge pipe 4 is connected to the second filter element 620 for discharging wastewater.

[0061] In this embodiment, a low-pressure switch 3 is provided at the input end of the first filter element 610.

[0062] Preferably, the low-pressure switch 3 in this embodiment is a pressure-controlled low-pressure switch 3. The pressure-controlled low-pressure switch 3 is an electrical component that controls the entire circuit to disconnect when the water supply pressure of the entire system is too low or there is no water, thereby protecting the service life of the pump and preventing the system pump from running dry.

[0063] Example 2

[0064] An ice maker includes a housing 700 and a water system as described in Embodiment 1. The housing 700 is provided with a water outlet 710 and an ice outlet 720. The water outlet 710 is connected to the water supply unit, the cooling unit and the heating unit, and the ice outlet 720 is connected to the ice making unit.

[0065] The above is the basic scheme of this embodiment.

[0066] Specific reference Figure 2 As shown, the water tank 100 is located on the top of the housing 700, and the filter assembly 600 is located below the base, increasing the weight of the lower part of the housing 700.

[0067] The ice-making unit is a conventional refrigerator 400, which contains ice-making components and ice-dispensing components. Its ice-making and ice-dispensing methods are consistent with existing ice-making structures, and will not be described in detail here.

[0068] The refrigeration unit is located below the ice-making unit, and the second water inlet 320 of the ice chamber 300 is located at the top, on the same vertical line as the drain end 410 of the refrigerator 400, so that the de-icing water flowing out of the drain end 410 directly enters the ice chamber 300 through the second water inlet 320.

[0069] In addition, in this embodiment, the water outlet 710 can dispense room temperature water, hot water or ice water. Specifically, a first drain valve 5 is provided between the water purification tank 100 and the water outlet 710; a second drain valve 6 is provided between the heating unit and the water outlet 710; and a third drain valve 7 is provided between the cooling unit and the water outlet 710.

[0070] Specific reference Figure 1 As shown, the first drain valve 5 controls the water outlet of the ambient temperature water pipe, the second drain valve 6 controls the water outlet of the hot water pipe, and the third drain valve 7 controls the water outlet of the chilled water pipe.

[0071] To avoid confusion when water flows out of the three pipes, in this embodiment, one of the first drain valve 5, the second drain valve 6, and the third drain valve 7 is opened.

[0072] When the first drain valve 5 is opened, the other two drain valves are closed. At this time, only pure water at room temperature is output from the pure water pipe through the outlet 710. When the second drain valve 6 is opened, the other two drain valves are closed. At this time, only ice water is output from the outlet 710. When the third drain valve 7 is opened, the other two drain valves are closed. At this time, only hot water is output from the outlet 710.

[0073] Based on the above settings, it is convenient to control the water temperature and flow rate output by the water outlet 710, avoiding the inability to control the water temperature and flow rate due to multiple pipes outputting water at the same time.

[0074] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model in any way. Although the present utility model has been disclosed above with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present utility model. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present utility model without departing from the scope of the present utility model shall still fall within the scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A waterway system characterized by: It comprises a waterway system connected by pipelines, The water supply unit comprises at least a water purifying tank (100) for supplying water to the waterway; The heating unit comprises a heating tank (200) with a heating pipe; The refrigeration unit comprises an ice tank (300); The ice making unit comprises an ice making tank (400); The water supply unit has at least a first water outlet (110) and a second water outlet (120), and the first water outlet (110) and the second water outlet (120) are respectively connected to the refrigeration unit and the heating unit; The heating tank (200) is further provided with an exhaust end (210) connected to the air inlet end of the water supply unit through an air permeable pipe (1).

2. The waterway system of claim 1, wherein: The cold water end of the refrigeration unit is connected to the input end of the ice making unit, and the ice making unit has a drip end (410) connected to the second water inlet end (320) of the refrigeration unit.

3. The waterway system of claim 2, wherein: The cold water end is further provided with a diaphragm pump (500), and the input end of the ice making unit is connected to the water outlet end of the diaphragm pump (500).

4. The water routing system of claim 1, wherein: The water supply unit further comprises a filter assembly (600), and the filter assembly (600) comprises a first filter core (610) and a second filter core (620) connected in sequence to an external water inlet end, and the second filter core (620) is provided with a waste water outlet end.

5. The waterway system of claim 4, wherein: A booster pump (2) is arranged between the first filter core (610) and the second filter core (620).

6. The water routing system of claim 4, wherein: A low-voltage switch (3) is arranged at the input end of the first filter core (610).

7. An ice maker characterized by: It comprises a shell (700) and the waterway system of claim 4, and the shell (700) is provided with a water outlet nozzle (710) and an ice outlet nozzle (720), the water outlet nozzle (710) is connected to the water supply unit, the refrigeration unit and the heating unit, and the ice outlet nozzle (720) is connected to the ice making unit.

8. The ice maker of claim 7, wherein: A first drain valve (5) is arranged between the water purifying tank (100) and the water outlet nozzle (710); a second drain valve (6) is arranged between the heating unit and the water outlet nozzle (710); and a third drain valve (7) is arranged between the refrigeration unit and the water outlet nozzle (710).

9. The ice maker of claim 8, wherein: The first drain valve (5), the second drain valve (6) and the third drain valve (7) are selectively opened.

10. The ice maker of claim 7, wherein: The refrigeration unit is located below the ice making unit.

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