Evaporator of ice maker

Abstract

An ice maker evaporator comprises an outer barrel, an inner barrel, an ice knife, an ice squeezing head and an ice poking head, a cavity is formed between the outer barrel and the inner barrel, an air inlet pipe used for leading refrigerants into the cavity is arranged on the outer barrel, the air inlet pipe is communicated with the cavity, an inner cavity is formed in the inner barrel, a water inlet pipe used for leading water into the inner cavity is arranged on the inner barrel, and the water inlet pipe is communicated with the inner cavity. The ice knife is rotationally arranged in the inner cavity, the ice squeezing head is arranged at the top of the inner barrel, an ice outlet hole communicated with the inner cavity is formed in the ice squeezing head, the ice poking head is arranged at the top of the ice knife, ice residues are pushed to the ice outlet hole of the ice squeezing head when the ice knife rotates, and the ice poking head acts on ice blocks formed on the ice outlet hole. According to the ice maker evaporator, the cavity is formed between the outer barrel and the inner barrel, a refrigerant is introduced into the cavity through the air inlet pipe to be directly evaporated, and cold energy is directly conducted to water in the inner cavity through the stainless steel inner barrel, so that the cold conduction efficiency is higher, and the water in the inner cavity is iced faster and more uniformly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of ice maker technology, and in particular to an ice maker evaporator. Background Technology

[0002] Most chewing ice evaporators on the market use either copper-tube or liquid-filled designs. Copper-tube evaporators use copper tubes bonded to stainless steel for cooling, a method that can never achieve direct heat conduction, resulting in significantly lower cooling efficiency. Liquid-filled evaporators, with their large internal cavity and lack of refrigerant guidance, allow the refrigerant to enter from the bottom and exit directly from the top, leading to reduced efficiency in transferring cold energy to the inner drum. Some of the cold energy flows back to the compressor through the outlet pipe, further degrading performance. Furthermore, when the ice blade pushes the ice against the extrusion head, the ice is subjected to a significant downward axial force. This force acts directly on the gearbox, causing considerable stress and increasing the risk of gearbox damage.

[0003] Therefore, further improvements are necessary. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an ice maker evaporator that is simple in structure, has high cooling efficiency, uniform cooling, good positioning effect, and strong practicality, so as to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.

[0005] An ice maker evaporator designed for this purpose is characterized by comprising an outer barrel, an inner barrel, an ice blade, an ice extrusion head, and an ice-pushing head. A cavity is formed between the outer barrel and the inner barrel. An air inlet pipe for introducing refrigerant into the cavity is provided on the outer barrel, and the air inlet pipe connects to the cavity. An inner cavity is provided inside the inner barrel, and a water inlet pipe for introducing water into the inner cavity is provided on the inner barrel, and the water inlet pipe connects to the inner cavity. The ice blade is rotatably disposed within the inner cavity. The ice extrusion head is disposed at the top of the inner barrel and has an ice outlet hole connecting to the inner cavity. The ice-pushing head is disposed at the top of the ice blade. When the ice blade rotates, it pushes ice chips to the ice outlet hole of the ice extrusion head, and the ice-pushing head acts on the ice outlet hole to form ice blocks.

[0006] The cavity is provided with vertically distributed and annular flow channels, each with a first notch. Two adjacent flow channels are connected through the first notch. The air inlet pipe is located at the bottom of the outer barrel, and the top of the outer barrel is provided with an exhaust pipe for discharging refrigerant. The exhaust pipe is connected to the cavity, the air inlet pipe is connected to the flow channel at the bottom of the cavity, and the exhaust pipe is connected to the flow channel at the top of the cavity.

[0007] A bearing is fixedly installed on the inner cavity, and a limiting step is provided on the ice skate. The ice skate presses against the bearing by moving downward through the limiting step.

[0008] The ice skate is fitted with a sealing moving ring and a sealing fixed ring arranged sequentially, and a support plate is fixedly installed on the inner cavity. The ice skate is provided with a first limiting part, the sealing moving ring abuts against the first limiting part upwards, the bottom of the sealing fixed ring is supported on the support plate, and the sealing fixed ring is located between the support plate and the ice skate.

[0009] The top of the ice-scraping head is equipped with an elliptical agitator, and the bottom of the agitator is equipped with an inclined surface. When the ice blade rotates, it pushes the ice chips into the ice outlet of the ice-scraping head. The inclined surface acts on the ice block formed on the ice outlet to break the ice block. When the ice blade drives the ice-scraping head to rotate, the agitator acts on the broken ice block.

[0010] It also includes a motor, a gearbox assembly, a support frame, and a base. The motor drive is connected to the input end of the gearbox assembly, and the output end of the gearbox assembly is connected to the ice skates. The base is fixed to the bottom of the inner tube, and the bearing is installed on the base. The base and the gearbox assembly are respectively fixed on the support frame. Several positioning claws are arranged in a ring at the bottom of the base, and several positioning holes are arranged in a ring on the support frame. A positioning ring is provided on the gearbox assembly. After the positioning claws pass through the positioning holes, they abut against the outer circle of the positioning ring.

[0011] A second gap is provided between two adjacent ice outlets, and the two adjacent ice outlets are connected through the second gap.

[0012] The inner cavity has a threaded section on its side wall, and the ice skate has a spiral blade. When the ice skate rotates, the spiral blade and the threaded section work together to scrape off ice chips from the inner tube.

[0013] The ice skate has an exhaust port on one side of its upper part, a channel at the top of the ice skate, and an air vent on the ice-pushing head. The inner cavity, exhaust port, channel, and air vent are connected in sequence to form an exhaust channel. The exhaust port is located opposite to the ice-pushing exit point of the ice skate.

[0014] An oil seal is fitted on the ice skate, located at the bottom of the bearing. The ice skate passes through the inner hole of the base, and the oil seal is positioned between the ice skate and the base.

[0015] This invention relates to an ice maker evaporator that forms a cavity between an outer and inner barrel. Refrigerant is introduced into this cavity through an inlet pipe and evaporates directly. The cooling energy is then directly transferred to the water within the inner barrel via the stainless steel inner barrel, resulting in higher cooling efficiency and faster, more uniform freezing of the water. Simultaneously, the cavity features vertically distributed, annular flow channels that guide the refrigerant. During evaporation, the refrigerant evaporates from bottom to top on the inner barrel wall, maximizing the coldness of the inner barrel wall and significantly improving the efficiency of cooling transfer. Furthermore, a bearing is installed inside the inner barrel, and the ice blade rests against it via a limiting step, effectively securing the blade. The downward axial thrust exerted by the ice blade during extrusion acts on the bearing, rather than directly on the gearbox assembly, reducing the stress on the gearbox assembly, preventing damage, and ensuring ice-making quality. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerant flow direction in the evaporator of one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the gas flow direction of the evaporator in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the evaporator in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the evaporator from another position in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified structural diagram of point A in the middle.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the outer barrel in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the evaporator in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the evaporator from another position in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 9 This is an exploded structural diagram of the evaporator in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 10 This is an exploded structural diagram of the ice extrusion head, ice blade, bearing, and base in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 11 This is an exploded view of part of the structure of the evaporator in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the inner bucket in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the ice extrusion head in one embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0030] See Figures 1-13The evaporator of this ice maker includes an outer barrel 1, an inner barrel 2, an ice blade 3, an ice extrusion head 4, and an ice-dispensing head 5. The outer barrel 1 is fitted onto the upper part of the inner barrel 2, forming a cavity 6 between them. An inlet pipe 7 is provided on the outer barrel 1 for introducing refrigerant into the cavity 6, connecting to the cavity 6 and the capillary tube of the condenser. An inner cavity 8 is provided inside the inner barrel 2, and a water inlet pipe 9 is provided on the inner barrel 2 for introducing water into the inner cavity 8, connecting to the inner cavity 8. The ice blade 3 is rotatably mounted inside the inner cavity 8. The ice extrusion head 4 is located at the top of the inner barrel 2, and has several ice outlet holes 10 arranged in a ring around it, connecting to the inner cavity 8. The ice-dispensing head 5 is located at the top of the ice blade 3 and outside the inner barrel 2. When the ice blade 3 rotates, it pushes ice shavings to the ice outlet 10 of the ice extrusion head 4. The ice-scooping head 5 then acts on the ice shavings formed in the ice outlet 10. When the compressor starts, refrigerant enters the cavity 6 through the air inlet pipe 7 and evaporates within the cavity 6. Water continuously enters the inner cavity 8 of the inner tub 2 through the water inlet pipe 9. Under the action of the refrigerant, the water entering the inner cavity 8 instantly freezes into ice shavings. At this time, the ice blade 3 rotates and scrapes off the ice shavings on the inner cavity 8, and the ice blade 3 continues to push the ice shavings towards the ice extrusion head 4. The ice shavings are pushed to the ice outlet 10 for shaping, thus continuously extruding strip-shaped ice blocks of a certain shape. The ice blocks collide with the ice-scooping head 5, thus forming granular ice blocks. The ice-scooping head moves the granular ice blocks and pushes them into the ice basket. The evaporator is a chewing ice evaporator, used in refrigerators.

[0031] The cavity 6 is provided with vertically distributed, annular flow channels 11. A first notch 12 is provided on the bottom side of each flow channel 11, and adjacent vertical flow channels 11 are connected through the first notch 12. The inlet pipe 7 is located at the bottom of the outer casing 1, and the top of the outer casing 1 is provided with an exhaust pipe 13 for discharging refrigerant. The exhaust pipe 13 is connected to the compressor's return pipe and connects to the cavity 6. The inlet pipe 7 connects to the flow channels 11 at the bottom of the cavity 6, and the exhaust pipe 13 connects to the flow channels 11 at the top of the cavity 6. When the evaporator is working, low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant enters the cavity 6 from the inlet pipe 9, then enters the flow channels 11, and flows upwards layer by layer along the flow channels 11 (e.g., ...). Figure 1 and Figure 7 (As indicated by the arrow) until it flows to the top channel 11, and then returns to the compressor through the exhaust pipe 13; the channel 11 guides the flow of the refrigerant, which is conducive to the evaporation of the refrigerant and the absorption of cold energy (i.e., the water in the inner cavity 8 absorbs the cold energy of the refrigerant), thereby making the cooling of the inner tank 2 more uniform.

[0032] The inner wall of the outer barrel 1 is provided with guide ribs 36 distributed vertically. The guide ribs 36 are in the shape of a ring. A flow channel 11 is formed between two adjacent guide ribs 36. The first notch 12 is provided on the guide ribs 36.

[0033] A bearing 14 is fixedly installed on the inner cavity 8, and a limiting step 15 is provided on the ice blade 3. The ice blade 3 presses against the bearing 14 downward through the limiting step 15. When extruding ice, the gap between the extrusion head 4 and the ice blade 3 is very important. If the gap is too small, it will result in excessive friction, which will place higher demands on the gearbox assembly 23 and the motor 22. If the gap is too large, it will result in an excessively thick ice layer, making it impossible to extrude ice. Therefore, a bearing 14 is added to the bottom of the ice blade 3. The downward axial thrust (i.e., reaction force) that the ice blade receives when extruding ice acts on the bearing 14, which can ensure that the gap between the extrusion head 4 and the ice blade 3 is neither too large nor too small, thereby ensuring the quality of the ice.

[0034] The top of the bearing 14 has a protruding second limiting part 37, and the limiting step 4 abuts against the second limiting part 37 to prevent the ice skate 3 from moving downwards when it is working.

[0035] The lower part of the ice skate 3 is provided with a connecting section 38, and the bearing 14 is provided with a rotating hole 39. The connecting section 38 and the rotating hole 39 are rotatably connected to achieve the front-back and left-right positioning of the ice skate 3.

[0036] The top of the ice blade 3 is provided with a limiting fitting part 40. The ice blade 3 is positioned on the ice extrusion head 5 through the limiting fitting part 40. When the ice blade 3 rotates, it scrapes off the ice shavings on the inner cavity 8 and pushes the ice shavings to squeeze the ice extrusion head 4, so that the ice block is squeezed out from the ice outlet hole 10 of the ice extrusion head 4.

[0037] Bearing 14 is a tapered thrust bearing, which can withstand heavy axial loads, thus effectively preventing the ice skate 3 from moving downwards during operation.

[0038] The ice skate 3 is fitted with a sealing moving ring 16 and a sealing fixed ring 17 arranged sequentially. A support plate 18 is fixedly installed on the inner cavity 8. A first limiting part 19 is provided on the ice skate 3. The sealing moving ring 16 abuts against the first limiting part 19. The bottom of the sealing fixed ring 17 is supported on the support plate 18. The bottom of the sealing moving ring 16 is supported on the sealing fixed ring 17. The sealing fixed ring 17 is located between the support plate 18 and the ice skate 3, which can prevent water in the inner cavity 8 from leaking out of the inner cavity 8 through the gap between the support plate 18 and the ice skate 3.

[0039] The top of the ice-scraping head 5 is provided with an elliptical agitator 20, and the bottom of the agitator 20 is provided with an inclined surface 21. When the ice blade 3 rotates, it pushes the ice chips to the ice outlet 10 of the ice-scraping head 4. The inclined surface 21 acts on the ice block formed on the ice outlet 10 to break the ice block. When the ice blade 3 drives the ice-scraping head 5 to rotate, the agitator 20 acts on the broken ice block. When the ice block is squeezed out from the ice outlet 10, the inclined surface 21 is used to break the ice, and at the same time, the agitator 20 moves the ice block to the ice-filled basket to prevent too much ice from remaining on the top of the inner bucket 2. By breaking the ice block with the inclined surface 21 of the ice-scraping head 5, the length of the ice block is made more uniform and better looking.

[0040] It also includes a motor 22, a gearbox assembly 23, a support frame 24, and a base 25. The motor 22 drives the input end of the gearbox assembly 23, and the output end of the gearbox assembly 23 is connected to the connecting section 38 of the ice skate 3. The base 25 is fixed to the bottom of the inner tube 2 with screws, and the bearing 14 is installed on the base 25. The base 25 and the gearbox assembly 23 are respectively fixed to the support frame 24 with screws. The bottom of the base 25 is provided with a number of positioning claws 26 in a ring, and the support frame 24 is provided with a number of positioning holes 27 in a ring. The gearbox assembly 23 is provided with a positioning ring 28. The positioning claws 26 pass through the positioning holes 27 and abut against the outer circle of the positioning ring 28. This ensures that when the gearbox assembly 23 is fixed to the inner tube 1, the coaxiality of the gearbox assembly 23 and the inner tube 1 is guaranteed, and eccentricity is prevented, which would cause uneven force on the motor 22 and deformation of the gearbox assembly 23.

[0041] The base 25 is provided with a positioning groove 41, and the bearing 14 is positioned and installed in the positioning groove 41, thereby positioning the bearing 14 in the inner barrel 2 in all directions.

[0042] The bottom of the positioning groove 41 is provided with a positioning surface 42. The bearing 14 is positioned vertically between the limiting step 15 and the positioning surface 42, thereby positioning the bearing 14 vertically inside the inner barrel 2.

[0043] The upper part of the ice skate 3 is provided with an extrusion section 43, the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the connecting section 38, so that a limiting step 15 is formed between the extrusion section 43 and the connecting section 38.

[0044] A second notch 29 is provided between two adjacent ice outlet holes 10, and the two adjacent ice outlet holes 10 are connected through the second notch 29. This structure allows ice blocks to be squeezed into the ice outlet holes 10, and the ice blocks in the ice outlet holes 10 with more ice blocks will partially move to the ice outlet holes 10 with fewer ice blocks through the second notch 29, making the ice discharge from each ice outlet hole 10 more uniform. As a result, the ice blocks pushed out from each ice outlet hole 10 are all shaped and have the same hardness.

[0045] The inner cavity 8 has a threaded part 30 on its side wall and a spiral blade 31 on its extrusion section 43. When the ice blade 3 rotates, the spiral blade 31 and the threaded part 30 cooperate to scrape off the ice slag in the inner barrel 2. Then the spiral blade 31 pushes the ice slag to squeeze the ice extrusion head 4, so that the ice block is squeezed out from the ice outlet hole 10 of the ice extrusion head 4.

[0046] The threaded part 30 is located on the side wall of the inner cavity 8 at the height position corresponding to the spiral blade 31; the threaded part 30 is a spiral groove; the threaded part 30 can increase the friction of the side wall of the inner cavity 8, prevent the ice in the inner barrel 2 from slipping, so that the ice blade 3 can scrape off the ice smoothly, thereby making the ice discharge from the evaporator smoother.

[0047] An air vent 32 is provided on the upper side of the ice blade 3, a channel 33 is provided on the top of the ice blade 3, and an air outlet 34 is provided on the ice scraper head 5. The inner cavity 8, the air vent 32, the channel 33, and the air outlet 34 are connected in sequence to form an air venting channel. During the ice-making process of the evaporator, because there is air in the water in the inner cavity 8, the ice shavings will squeeze the air in the water, thereby squeezing out the air and forming a certain amount of gas. If this gas accumulates, it will cause a relatively large air bubble in the inner cavity 8 of the inner barrel 2, which will affect the water intake of the water inlet pipe 9, affect the ice-making of the entire inner barrel 2, and thus form a frozen cylinder. Figure 2 As shown by the arrow, by setting up an exhaust channel, the gas in the inner cavity 8 enters the channel 33 through the exhaust hole 32, then is discharged upward through the channel 33, and finally is discharged out of the inner cavity 8 through the exhaust hole 34; as long as air is formed inside the inner cavity 8, it will be discharged to avoid abnormal ice making.

[0048] The vent 32 is positioned opposite to the ice-pushing outlet of the ice blade 3 to prevent the vent 32 from becoming blocked when the ice is removed.

[0049] An oil seal 35 is fitted on the ice skate 3. The oil seal 35 is located at the bottom of the bearing 14. The ice skate 3 passes through the inner hole 36 of the base 25. The oil seal 35 is positioned between the ice skate 3 and the base 25. The base 25 is provided with an installation groove 44. The oil seal 35 is positioned and installed in the installation groove 44. When the bearing 14 is working, lubricating oil needs to be added. The oil seal 35 can prevent lubricating oil from leaking out of the inner cavity 8 from the gap between the ice skate 3 and the base 25. This can effectively prevent oil leakage and thus increase the life of the bearing 14.

[0050] The above describes the preferred embodiments of this utility model, illustrating and describing its basic principles, main features, and advantages. Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of this utility model. Various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claims. The scope of protection of this utility model is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An ice maker evaporator, characterized by: The ice includes an outer barrel (1), an inner barrel (2), an ice blade (3), an ice extrusion head (4), and an ice scraper head (5). A cavity (6) is formed between the outer barrel (1) and the inner barrel (2). An air inlet pipe (7) for introducing refrigerant into the cavity (6) is provided on the outer barrel (1). The air inlet pipe (7) is connected to the cavity (6). An inner cavity (8) is provided inside the inner barrel (2). A water inlet pipe (9) for introducing water into the inner cavity (8) is provided on the inner barrel (2). The tube (9) connects to the inner cavity (8), the ice blade (3) is rotated and set inside the inner cavity (8), the ice squeezing head (4) is set on the top of the inner barrel (2), the ice squeezing head (4) is provided with an ice outlet hole (10) that connects to the inner cavity (8), the ice scooping head (5) is set on the top of the ice blade (3), when the ice blade (3) rotates, it pushes the ice shavings to the ice outlet hole (10) of the ice squeezing head (4), and the ice scooping head (5) acts on the ice outlet hole (10) to form ice blocks.

2. The ice maker evaporator of claim 1, wherein: The cavity (6) is provided with vertically distributed and annular flow channels (11), and the flow channels (11) are provided with a first notch (12). The two adjacent flow channels (11) are connected through the first notch (12). The air inlet pipe (7) is located at the bottom of the outer barrel (1). The top of the outer barrel (1) is provided with an exhaust pipe (13) for discharging refrigerant. The exhaust pipe (13) is connected to the cavity (6). The air inlet pipe (7) is connected to the flow channel (11) at the bottom of the cavity (6). The exhaust pipe (13) is connected to the flow channel (11) at the top of the cavity (6).

3. The ice maker evaporator of claim 1, wherein: A bearing (14) is fixedly installed on the inner cavity (8), and a limiting step (15) is provided on the ice skate (3). The ice skate (3) presses down against the bearing (14) through the limiting step (15).

4. The ice maker evaporator of claim 1, wherein: The ice skate (3) is fitted with a sealing moving ring (16) and a sealing fixed ring (17) arranged sequentially. A support plate (18) is fixedly installed on the inner cavity (8). A first limiting part (19) is provided on the ice skate (3). The sealing moving ring (16) abuts against the first limiting part (19) upwards. The bottom of the sealing fixed ring (17) is supported on the support plate (18). The sealing fixed ring (17) is located between the support plate (18) and the ice skate (3).

5. The ice maker evaporator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the ice-scraping head (5) is provided with an elliptical agitator (20), and the bottom of the agitator (20) is provided with a slope (21). When the ice blade (3) rotates, it pushes the ice shards to the ice outlet (10) of the ice-squeezing head (4). The slope (21) acts on the ice block formed on the ice outlet (10) to break the ice block. When the ice blade (3) drives the ice-scraping head (5) to rotate, the agitator (20) acts on the broken ice block.

6. The ice maker evaporator of claim 3, wherein: It also includes a motor (22), a gearbox assembly (23), a support frame (24) and a base (25). The motor (22) drives the input end of the gearbox assembly (23), and the output end of the gearbox assembly (23) is connected to the ice skate (3). The base (25) is fixed to the bottom of the inner barrel (2), and the bearing (14) is installed on the base (25). The base (25) and the gearbox assembly (23) are respectively fixed on the support frame (24). The bottom of the base (25) is provided with several positioning claws (26) in a ring. The support frame (24) is provided with several positioning holes (27) in a ring. The gearbox assembly (23) is provided with a positioning ring (28). The positioning claws (26) pass through the positioning holes (27) and then press against the outer circle of the positioning ring (28).

7. The ice maker evaporator of claim 1, wherein: A second gap (29) is provided between two adjacent ice outlet holes (10), and the two adjacent ice outlet holes (10) are connected through the second gap (29).

8. The ice maker evaporator of claim 1, wherein: The inner cavity (8) has a threaded part (30) on its side wall and a spiral blade (31) on its blade (3). When the blade (3) rotates, the spiral blade (31) and the threaded part (30) work together to scrape off the ice shavings in the inner barrel (2).

9. The ice maker evaporator of claim 1, wherein: An exhaust hole (32) is provided on one side of the upper part of the ice blade (3), a channel (33) is provided on the top of the ice blade (3), and an air outlet (34) is provided on the ice-pushing head (5). The inner cavity (8), exhaust hole (32), channel (33) and air outlet (34) are connected in sequence to form an exhaust channel. The exhaust hole (32) is located opposite to the ice-pushing outlet point of the ice blade (3).

10. The ice maker evaporator of claim 6, wherein: An oil seal (35) is fitted on the ice skate (3). The oil seal (35) is located at the bottom of the bearing (14). The ice skate (3) passes through the inner hole (36) of the base (25). The oil seal (35) is located between the ice skate (3) and the base (25).

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