Ice making equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of ice making, in particular to ice making equipment which comprises a pre-cooling water tank, an ice making box and a refrigerating system, and the ice making box is communicated with the pre-cooling water tank through a water conveying pipeline. The refrigerating system comprises a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator, and the compressor, the condenser and the evaporator are sequentially connected in series through a first pipeline assembly to form a refrigerating loop. The evaporator is used for refrigerating the ice making box. The refrigerating system further comprises a switch valve and a refrigerating module, the switch valve is connected between the evaporator and the compressor in series, the refrigerating module is connected to the two ends of the switch valve in parallel through a second pipeline assembly, and the refrigerating module is used for refrigerating the pre-cooling water tank. The ice making efficiency of the ice making equipment is relatively high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of ice-making technology, and particularly to an ice-making device. Background Technology

[0002] Ice-making equipment, as a device that rapidly produces ice, can be used in industrial settings as well as in homes, small shops, offices, and other places to bring convenience to users. Ice-making equipment typically includes an ice-making container for holding liquid water, which is supplied to the container via a water supply system. An evaporator is located inside the ice-making container to cool the liquid water and cause it to condense into ice. However, in technologies that directly supply liquid water to the ice-making container via a water supply system, room temperature water is usually provided. This results in a relatively large cooling workload for the evaporator and a relatively low ice-making efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide an ice-making device to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0004] This application provides an ice-making device, which includes a pre-cooling water tank, an ice-making box, and a refrigeration system. The ice-making box is connected to the pre-cooling water tank via a water supply pipeline. The refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator. The compressor, condenser, and evaporator are connected in series via a first pipe assembly to form a refrigeration circuit. The evaporator is used to cool the ice-making box. The refrigeration system also includes a switching valve and a refrigeration module. The switching valve is connected in series between the evaporator and the compressor. The refrigeration module is connected in parallel across the switching valve via a second pipe assembly. The refrigeration module is used to cool the pre-cooling water tank.

[0005] In some optional embodiments, the refrigeration module includes a refrigeration pipe, which is connected in parallel to both ends of the switch valve via a second pipe assembly, and there is a heat conduction connection between the refrigeration pipe and the precooling water tank.

[0006] In some optional embodiments, the refrigeration module further includes a heat transfer plate assembly disposed in the precooling water tank; the heat transfer plate assembly contacts the refrigeration pipes to form a heat conduction connection between the refrigeration pipes and the precooling water tank.

[0007] In some optional embodiments, the precooling water tank includes a bottom wall and a peripheral wall, the peripheral wall being arranged around and connected to the periphery of the bottom wall to jointly define a receiving cavity; the bottom wall is provided with an installation groove that extends through the opposite sides of the bottom wall; the heat transfer plate assembly is disposed in the installation groove and is sealed to the bottom wall.

[0008] In some optional embodiments, the heat transfer plate assembly includes a heat spreader plate and a heat conduction plate. The mounting groove is provided with mounting steps, and the heat conduction plate is stacked on the mounting steps and flush with the bottom wall of the precooling water tank. The heat spreader plate is stacked on the side of the heat conduction plate away from the receiving cavity, and the refrigeration pipe is laid on the side of the heat spreader plate away from the heat conduction plate.

[0009] In some optional embodiments, the ice-making device further includes an inner liner and an inner shell, with the inner shell fitted around the outer periphery of the inner liner. An insulation cavity is formed between the outer surface of the inner liner and the inner surface of the inner shell. The inner liner includes a pre-cooling water tank, and the ice-making box is disposed in the inner liner. The refrigeration pipes and heat transfer plate assembly are at least partially disposed within the insulation cavity.

[0010] In some optional embodiments, the heat transfer plate assembly is embedded in the inner liner, and an insulation layer is provided in the insulation cavity; the insulation layer covers and / or wraps the refrigeration pipes.

[0011] In some optional embodiments, the first piping assembly includes a first sub-pipe, a second sub-pipe, and a third sub-pipe. The evaporator has a first inlet, an outlet, and a second inlet. The first inlet is connected to the condenser via the first sub-pipe, and the outlet is connected to the compressor via the second sub-pipe. A switching valve is disposed on the second sub-pipe, and the compressor is connected to the condenser via the third sub-pipe. The ice-making equipment also includes a bypass pipe and a bypass valve. The bypass pipe is connected between the second inlet and the third sub-pipe, and the bypass valve is disposed on the bypass pipe.

[0012] In some optional embodiments, the ice-making equipment further includes a temperature sensor and a controller. The temperature sensor is disposed in a precooling water tank and electrically connected to the controller, which is electrically connected to the refrigeration system.

[0013] In some optional embodiments, the ice-making equipment also includes a water storage tank and an outer shell, with the precooling water tank, ice-making box and refrigeration system all located inside the outer shell; the water storage tank is located outside the outer shell and is connected to the precooling water tank through a water inlet pipe.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of this application provide an ice-making device. The refrigeration module of the embodiments of this application can be used to cool the liquid water in the pre-cooling water tank, so that the liquid water has a relatively low temperature before being transported to the ice-making box, realizing the work of the pre-cooling stage, which can share the workload of the evaporator when cooling the ice-making box, and is conducive to improving the ice-making efficiency in the ice-making box.

[0015] Furthermore, the switching valve of the refrigeration module in this embodiment is used to control the opening or closing of the pipeline between the evaporator and the compressor. When the switching valve is closed, the straight pipeline between the evaporator and the compressor is closed. Since the refrigeration module is connected in parallel to both ends of the switching valve through the second pipeline assembly, the refrigerant output from the evaporator needs to flow through the second pipeline assembly and the refrigeration module. This allows the refrigeration module to make full use of the residual cold energy in the refrigerant to cool the water in the pre-cooling water tank without the need to arrange an additional refrigeration system to cool the water in the pre-cooling water tank separately. This enables full utilization of the cold energy, is environmentally friendly and energy-saving, and reduces the overall energy consumption of the ice-making equipment.

[0016] When it is not necessary to cool the water in the precooling tank, for example, when the water temperature in the precooling tank has been maintained within the range of 2℃ to 8℃, the switch valve can be opened to open the direct pipe between the evaporator and the compressor. The refrigerant output from the evaporator flows directly back to the compressor without having to flow through the second pipe assembly and the refrigeration module. Therefore, the precooling requirement of the precooling tank can be controlled by the switch valve set in series between the evaporator and the compressor in two states: open and closed. Its control logic is relatively simple and easy to implement, and the stability of the entire system is relatively high. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the system framework of an ice-making device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a three-dimensional structure of the ice-making equipment.

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the ice-making equipment without its outer casing.

[0021] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the ice-making equipment from another perspective.

[0022] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A three-dimensional cross-sectional schematic diagram of the ice-making equipment shown.

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A partially enlarged schematic diagram of the ice-making equipment shown.

[0024] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A magnified view of a portion of area A of the ice-making equipment shown.

[0025] Figure 8 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the refrigeration module of the ice-making equipment shown.

[0026] Figure 9 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the refrigeration module of the ice-making equipment from another perspective.

[0027] Figure 10 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of another possible system framework for the ice-making equipment shown.

[0028] Figure 11 yes Figure 10 A schematic diagram showing one direction of refrigerant flow in an ice-making device. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0030] It should be noted that when a component / part is said to be "fixed to" another component / part, it can be directly on the other component / part or there may be an intermediate component / part. When a component / part is considered to be "connected to" another component / part, it can be directly connected to the other component / part or there may be an intermediate component / part present; also, when a component / part is considered to be "connected to" another component / part, it can be integrally formed or assembled with the other component / part. When a component / part is considered to be "set on" another component / part, it can be directly set on the other component / part or there may be an intermediate component / part present.

[0031] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein in the specification of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0032] Please see Figure 1This application provides an ice-making device 100 for rapidly cooling liquid water to form ice cubes for user use. The ice-making device 100 can be used as industrial equipment in production operations, or as food processing equipment to produce food ice cubes. It can also be applied in medical, cold chain transportation, and other fields; this embodiment does not impose specific limitations in these areas. As an example, the ice-making device 100 can be used as a household appliance, installed in offices, kitchens, restaurants, and other similar locations to produce food ice cubes. When used for ice making, the ice-making device 100 can be installed inside refrigerators, freezers, or other similar equipment, or it can be used independently.

[0033] Please see Figures 1 to 2 In one embodiment provided in this application, the ice-making device 100 includes a pre-cooling water tank 34, an ice-making box 32, and a refrigeration system 40. The pre-cooling water tank 34 is connected to the ice-making box 32 via a water supply pipe 80. The refrigeration system 40 includes a compressor 41, a condenser 42, and an evaporator 43. The compressor 41, condenser 42, and evaporator 43 are connected in series via a first pipe assembly 46 to form a refrigeration circuit. The evaporator 43 is used to cool the ice-making box 32. The refrigeration system 40 also includes a switching valve 45 and a refrigeration module 44. The switching valve 45 is connected in series between the evaporator 43 and the compressor 41. The refrigeration module 44 is connected in parallel across the two ends of the switching valve 45 via a second pipe assembly 47. The refrigeration module 44 is used to cool the pre-cooling water tank 34.

[0034] The compressor 41 is used to compress the refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure liquid. The high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant is cooled by the condenser 42 and then transported to the evaporator 43. The refrigerant in the evaporator 43 absorbs heat from the ice box 32 and changes from a liquid state to a gaseous state to cool the ice box 32. The gaseous refrigerant then passes through the compressor 42 and the condenser 43 to become a liquid refrigerant again. The liquid refrigerant returns to the evaporator 43 to continue absorbing heat and cooling. The above process is repeated continuously, which can cool the liquid water in the ice box 32 to freeze the liquid water into ice cubes.

[0035] In some embodiments, the ice box 32 may be a flowing water ice box, a still water ice box, a bullet-shaped ice box, or other types of ice box structures. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0036] Please see Figure 3Taking the water container of the bullet-shaped ice maker as an example, the ice maker 32 and the pre-cooling water tank 34 are spaced apart. When the ice maker 100 is working, the pre-cooling water tank 34 supplies ice-making water (liquid water) to the ice maker 32 through the water supply pipe 80. Therefore, there will be ice-making water in the ice maker 32. The evaporator 43 of the ice maker 100 is used to cool the ice-making water to form ice cubes. For example, the evaporator 43 may have a cooling head 433 protruding into the ice maker 32. The refrigeration system 40 cools the ice maker 32 through the cooling head 433 of the evaporator 43 so that the liquid water quickly condenses into ice cubes and adheres to the cooling head 433. By flipping or rotating the ice maker 32, the ice cubes can be separated from the cooling head 433 and poured out of the ice maker 32.

[0037] In other examples, taking a still water cooling ice tray as an example, the ice tray 32 can be divided into multiple small compartments. When the ice making device 100 is working, the pre-cooling water tank 34 delivers ice-making water to the ice tray 32 through the water supply pipe 80. The ice-making water fills the multiple small compartments. The evaporator 43 can be laid on the outer periphery of the ice tray 32. The refrigeration system 40 refrigerates the ice tray 32 through the evaporator 43 so that the liquid water in the multiple small compartments quickly condenses into ice cubes.

[0038] The refrigeration module 44 in this embodiment can be used to cool the liquid water in the pre-cooling water tank 34, so that the liquid water has a relatively low temperature before being transported to the ice-making box 32, realizing the pre-cooling stage. This can reduce the workload of the evaporator 43 when cooling the ice-making box 32, which is beneficial to improving the ice-making efficiency in the ice-making box 32. For example, when the ice-making equipment 100 starts working, the refrigeration system 40 pre-cools the water in the pre-cooling water tank 34 for a period of time, so that the temperature of the water in the pre-cooling water tank 34 is reduced to the range of 2°C to 8°C to form pre-cooled water. The water in the pre-cooling water tank 34 is transported to the ice-making box 32 through the water supply pipe 80. When there is pre-cooled water in the ice-making box 32, the refrigeration system 40 cools the pre-cooled water in the ice-making box 32 through the evaporator 43, so that the pre-cooled water can be quickly reduced to below 0°C and condensed into ice.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the switching valve 45 of the refrigeration module 44 is used to control the opening or closing of the pipe between the evaporator 43 and the compressor 41. When the switching valve 45 is closed, the straight pipe between the evaporator 43 and the compressor 41 is closed. Since the refrigeration module 44 is connected in parallel to both ends of the switching valve 45 through the second pipe assembly 47, the refrigerant output from the evaporator 45 needs to flow through the second pipe assembly 47 and the refrigeration module 44. This allows the refrigeration module 44 to make full use of the residual cold energy in the refrigerant to cool the water in the pre-cooling water tank 34 without the need to arrange an additional refrigeration system to cool the water in the pre-cooling water tank 34 separately. This enables full utilization of the cold energy, is environmentally friendly and energy-saving, and reduces the overall energy consumption of the ice-making equipment 100.

[0040] When it is not necessary to cool the water in the precooling water tank 34, for example, when the water temperature in the precooling water tank 34 has been maintained within the range of 2℃~8℃ (inclusive), the switch valve 45 can be opened to open the straight pipe between the evaporator 43 and the compressor 41. The refrigerant output from the evaporator 45 flows directly back to the compressor 41 without having to flow through the second pipe assembly 47 and the refrigeration module 44. Therefore, the switch valve 45, which is connected in series between the evaporator 43 and the compressor 41, can control the precooling demand of the precooling water tank 34 by using two states: open and closed. Its control logic is relatively simple and easy to implement, and the stability of the entire system is relatively high.

[0041] The following sections will introduce each component of the ice-making equipment 100 and the specific structure of each component.

[0042] Please refer to it again. Figure 2 The ice-making device 100 provided in this embodiment may further include a housing 10. The housing 10 is used to install and protect components, and also to support the ice-making device 100 in its place of use, such as the ground, tabletop, or other support platform. Specifically, the housing 10 is generally rectangular, but in other embodiments, it may be any shape, such as a cube, cylinder, or even an irregular shape. The housing 10 has an inner cavity (not shown in the figure) for installing and placing components. These components may include the aforementioned pre-cooling water tank 34, ice-making box 32, and refrigeration system 40, etc., which are not limited in this embodiment. Specifically, in this embodiment, the pre-cooling water tank 34, ice-making box 32, and refrigeration system 40 are all disposed inside the housing 10 to facilitate the modular integration of the ice-making device 100. For example, when the ice-making device 100 is used in large freezers or beverage machines, the modular structure facilitates direct embedding into these large freezers or beverage machines, making assembly more convenient.

[0043] The ice-making equipment 100 may also include a water supply mechanism for conveying liquid water to the pre-cooling water tank 34. The water supply mechanism may include an internal water storage container disposed within the housing 10, or an external water storage container disposed outside the housing 10. The water supply mechanism may also be directly connected to an external water source, such as a drinking water pipe, a tap water pipe, etc.

[0044] In this embodiment, the water supply mechanism may further include a water storage tank 50 and an inlet pipe 90. The water storage tank 50 is disposed outside the outer casing 10, and the inlet pipe 90 is connected between the water storage tank 50 and the pre-cooling water tank 34. The water storage tank 50 supplies water to the pre-cooling water tank 34 through the inlet pipe 90. The inlet pipe 90 may include a separate inlet pipe with a valve, which can allow water in the water storage tank 50 to enter the pre-cooling water tank 34 by gravity (for example, by making the height of the water storage tank 50 higher than that of the pre-cooling water tank 34). The inlet pipe 90 may also include a water pump and an inlet pipe, through which the water pump transports water in the water storage tank 50 to the pre-cooling water tank 34 via the inlet pipe. In this embodiment, the water storage tank 50 is located outside the outer casing 10, storing the spare water for ice making. The pre-cooling water tank 34 serves as an internal water tank. The ice-making equipment 100 can continuously replenish the pre-cooling water tank 34 as needed through the external water storage tank 50, avoiding the drawback of frequently adding water to the pre-cooling water tank 34. Simultaneously, by using an external water storage tank 50, the volume of the pre-cooling water tank 34 can be appropriately reduced, and the amount of water in the pre-cooling water tank 34 is correspondingly reduced. This reduces the amount of water required for a single pre-cooling before ice making, shortening the pre-cooling time to some extent, thereby improving ice-making efficiency.

[0045] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an ice-making device 100 according to an embodiment of this application, omitting the outer casing 10. In this embodiment, the ice-making device 100 also includes an inner casing 20 and an inner liner 30. The inner casing 20 is disposed inside the outer casing 10, and the inner casing 20 and the outer casing 10 may be at least partially structurally spaced apart to accommodate electrical components of the ice-making device 100, such as circuit boards, the aforementioned compressor 41, condenser 42, etc. The inner casing 20 is generally a semi-enclosed structure to prevent liquid water from leaking into the space between the outer casing 10 and the inner casing 20, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the electrical components.

[0046] The inner liner 30 is the place where the ice-making device 100 makes ice and collects ice blocks. The inner liner 30 is located inside the inner shell 20 and is connected to the inner shell 20.

[0047] Please see Figure 4 Specifically, in this embodiment, the internal space of the inner liner 30 may include an ice-making area 301 and a water tank area 303. The ice box 32 is disposed in the inner liner 30, for example, in the ice-making area 301. The water tank area 303 is used to form the aforementioned pre-cooling water tank 34. Furthermore, the bottom of the inner liner 30 is generally stepped, and the ice-making area 301 is located at the higher end of the bottom of the inner liner 30 so that the liquid water in the ice-making area 301 can be collected in the water tank area 303 by gravity.

[0048] In this embodiment, the ice-making area 301 is used to install the ice-making box 32 and make ice through the refrigeration system 40. Specifically, the ice-making box 32 is used to contain ice-making water (liquid water) and condense the liquid water into ice blocks through the refrigeration system 40. It is rotatably set in the ice-making area 301 to facilitate ice making and ice removal. The ice-making water in the ice-making box 32 comes from the pre-cooling water tank 34. The water supply pipeline 80 may include a water pump and water pipes. The water pump transports the water in the pre-cooling water tank 34 to the ice-making box 32 through the water pipes.

[0049] Specifically, the ice maker 32 is roughly U-shaped with an opening that allows water to overflow during ice making and allows ice cubes to detach. Both ends of the ice maker 32 have pivots that pass through the inner liner 30. In operation, without external force, the opening of the ice maker 32 is roughly parallel to the horizontal plane, meaning the ice maker 32 is horizontal. When an external force is applied to the pivots (e.g., when a motor drives the pivots), the ice maker 32 rotates and tilts to pour out the ice cubes or liquid water inside.

[0050] In this embodiment, the evaporator 43 can be at least partially disposed within the ice-making box 32 and directly contact the liquid water to improve ice-making efficiency. Specifically, the evaporator 43 can be provided with multiple cooling heads 433, which extend toward the bottom of the ice-making box 32 and are spaced apart from each other. Each cooling head 433 is in contact with the liquid water, so that when the refrigeration system 40 is cooling, the evaporator 43 evaporates and absorbs the heat of the liquid water, causing the liquid water to condense on the multiple cooling heads 433 and form multiple bullet-shaped ice blocks. In this embodiment, there is no specific limitation on the number of cooling heads 433, which can be set according to actual usage requirements.

[0051] Further, please refer to Figure 5 In this embodiment, the inner shell 20 is fitted around the outer periphery of the inner liner 30, and a heat-insulating cavity 36 is formed between the outer surface of the inner liner 30 and the inner surface of the inner shell 20. The inner liner 30 includes the aforementioned pre-cooling water tank 34, and the refrigeration module 44 is at least partially disposed within the heat-insulating cavity 36. In this embodiment, the inner liner 30 is used to hold ice-making water or ice blocks, and it can be made of a material with low thermal conductivity. The heat-insulating cavity 36 forms a gap between the inner liner 30 and the inner shell 20, which can effectively hinder the speed of heat or cold transmission, thus helping to maintain a low-temperature environment in the inner liner 30 and reducing energy consumption. The heat-insulating cavity 36 can utilize an air layer for insulation, meaning that the heat-insulating cavity 36 does not need to be filled with other heat-insulating media; the low thermal conductivity of air itself can also achieve a certain insulation effect. In this embodiment, the insulation cavity 36 is filled with an insulation layer (not shown in the figure). The insulation layer can be a foam layer, a sponge layer, a foam cotton layer, etc. By setting the insulation layer, the insulation layer covers or wraps at least part of the structure of the cooling module 44, which also helps to prevent the dissipation of cold energy, thereby reducing energy consumption.

[0052] Please also refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 In this embodiment, the refrigeration module 44 may include a refrigeration pipe 441. The refrigeration pipe 441 is connected in parallel to both ends of the switching valve 45 via a second pipe assembly 47 and has a thermal conduction connection with the precooling water tank 34, allowing the cooling capacity of the refrigeration module 44 to be transferred to the precooling water tank 34, thereby reducing the precooling temperature in the precooling water tank 34. In this embodiment, the "thermal conduction connection" between the two components can be achieved through direct contact between the two components or through a heat-conducting / heat-transferring structure between the two components. For example, the refrigeration pipe 441 may be in direct contact with the inner or outer wall of the precooling water tank 34, or there may be other heat-conducting components between the refrigeration pipe 441 and the precooling water tank 34, or the refrigeration pipe 441 may be directly placed inside the precooling water tank 34 to directly absorb the heat from the precooling water. In this embodiment, the two ends of the refrigeration pipe 441 are respectively connected to the second pipe assembly 47. The second pipe assembly 47 connects the refrigeration pipe 441 to the pipeline between the evaporator 43 and the compressor 41, so that the refrigerant can flow to the refrigeration pipe 441.

[0053] In this embodiment, the refrigeration module 44 may further include a heat transfer plate assembly 443, which is disposed in the precooling water tank 34 and contacts the refrigeration pipe 441 to form a heat conduction connection between the refrigeration pipe 441 and the precooling water tank 34. The heat transfer plate assembly 441 is generally plate-shaped and can be attached to the inner or outer wall of the precooling water tank 34, while the refrigeration pipe 441 is disposed on the side of the heat transfer plate assembly 441 away from the precooling water tank 34.

[0054] Please also refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7In this embodiment, for the installation of the heat transfer plate assembly 443, the precooling water tank 34 may be provided with a groove or hole, and the heat transfer plate assembly 443 is embedded in the groove or hole. Specifically, the precooling water tank 34 includes a bottom wall 341 and a peripheral wall 343. The peripheral wall 343 is arranged around and connected to the periphery of the bottom wall 341 to jointly define a receiving cavity 345, which is used to receive precooled water. The bottom wall 341 is provided with a mounting groove 3411, which extends through the opposite sides of the bottom wall 341, that is, the mounting groove 3411 connects the receiving cavity 341 and the insulation cavity 36. The heat transfer plate assembly 443 is disposed in the mounting groove 3411 and is sealed to the bottom wall 341. This configuration allows the heat transfer plate assembly 443 to directly face the interior of the receiving cavity 345. When there is pre-cooled water in the receiving cavity 345, the heat transfer plate assembly 443 is in direct contact with the pre-cooled water, ensuring relatively high heat transfer / cooling efficiency. At this time, the refrigeration pipe 441 is located on the side of the heat transfer plate assembly 443 away from the receiving cavity 345. At least part of the structure of the refrigeration pipe 441 and the heat transfer plate assembly 443 is located in the insulation cavity 36. The insulation medium / insulation layer in the insulation cavity 36 can cover and / or wrap the refrigeration pipe 441, preventing the loss of cold energy from the refrigeration pipe 441.

[0055] The heat transfer plate assembly 443 may include one or more heat transfer plates for rapidly transferring the cold energy in the refrigeration pipe 441 to the precooled water. In this embodiment, the heat transfer plate assembly 443 includes a temperature distribution plate 4431 and a heat conduction plate 4433, which are stacked on top of each other in the mounting groove 3411, with the heat conduction plate 4433 closer to the receiving cavity 345 than the temperature distribution plate 4431.

[0056] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the mounting groove 3411 is provided with mounting steps 3413 for supporting the heat transfer plate assembly 443. The mounting steps 3413 are formed on the sidewall of the mounting groove 3411, with the stepped surface of the mounting steps 3413 facing the receiving cavity 345, and are recessed relative to the bottom wall 341 due to a height difference. The heat-conducting plates 4433 are stacked on the mounting steps 3413 and cover the opening of the mounting groove 3411 communicating with the receiving cavity 345. In this embodiment, the heat-conducting plates 4433 can be made of materials with high thermal conductivity, such as metal, which can be stainless steel, copper, aluminum, etc., to achieve efficient heat conduction and prevent corrosion, thus complying with food safety regulations.

[0057] In this embodiment, the heat-conducting plate 4433 is sealed to the sidewalls of the mounting groove 3411 to prevent pre-cooled water from leaking into the receiving cavity 345. Furthermore, the surface of the heat-conducting plate 4433 facing the receiving cavity 345 is flush with the bottom wall 341 of the pre-cooled water tank 34 to avoid dead corners for cleaning. As one example, the heat-conducting plate 4433 can be interference-fitted to the sidewalls of the mounting groove 3411 to achieve a tight fit and prevent leakage; as another example, a waterproof sealant or sealing ring is provided between the heat-conducting plate 4433 and the sidewalls of the mounting groove 3411; as yet another example, a waterproof sealant or sealing ring is provided between the heat-conducting plate 4433 and the mounting step 3413. In this embodiment, the heat-conducting plate 4433 and the pre-cooled water tank 34 are integrally formed. For example, the heat-conducting plate 4433 can be used as an insert in the pre-cooled water tank 34 or the entire inner liner 30 through insert injection molding, thereby improving the waterproof effect and structural strength.

[0058] A heat spreader 4431 is stacked on the side of the heat conductor 4433 facing away from the receiving cavity 345, and a refrigeration pipe 441 is laid on the side of the heat spreader 4431 facing away from the heat conductor 4433. In this embodiment, the areas of the heat spreader 4431 and the heat conductor 4433 are approximately the same, and the overlapping area of ​​the two is greater than 90%. This allows the heat spreader 4431 and the heat conductor 4433 to maintain a large contact area. The heat spreader 4431 transfers the cooling capacity of the refrigeration pipe 441, which can improve the heat exchange efficiency and avoid localized low-temperature impacts of the refrigeration pipe 441 on the heat conductor 441 itself.

[0059] In this embodiment, the heat spreader 4431 should be understood as a heat spreader or vapor chamber, which is a high-efficiency heat transfer element based on the phase change heat transfer principle. The heat spreader 4431 may have a closed cavity inside, containing a working fluid such as pure water or refrigerant. The heat spreader 4431 transfers heat through the evaporation and condensation circulation of the working fluid. As an example, the heat spreader 4431 may include an upper cover plate and a lower cover plate arranged opposite each other, as well as a side panel connected to the upper and lower cover plates. The side panel, the upper cover plate, and the lower cover plate together form the closed cavity, which is a vacuum environment free of air. The working fluid is contained within the closed cavity. The closed cavity also contains a capillary structure, which can be in the form of copper powder sintering, metal mesh, or microgrooves, to provide capillary force for liquid reflux of the working fluid. The upper cover plate and the heat-conducting plate 4433 are attached together, and the lower cover plate and the refrigeration pipe 441 are attached together. The working process of the heat spreader 4431 can be simply explained as follows: the heat source, such as the heat-conducting plate 4433, heats the upper cover plate. The working fluid absorbs heat and evaporates into steam, which diffuses throughout the cavity. The steam releases latent heat on the lower cover plate, which has a lower temperature, and condenses into liquid. The liquid returns to the upper cover plate through the capillary structure, forming a cycle. Therefore, in this embodiment, the heat spreader 4431 is used to transfer the cooling capacity of the refrigeration pipe 441. It has higher heat transfer efficiency and can quickly diffuse a point heat source into a surface heat source, which is beneficial for the water in the pre-cooling water tank 34 to be cooled evenly.

[0060] The refrigeration pipe 441 can be a coil, which can be arranged around the side of the heat spreader 4431 away from the heat conduction plate 4433 to increase the contact area with the heat spreader 4431 and improve the heat exchange efficiency. The arrangement of the refrigeration pipe 441 is not limited, for example, it can be spiral, bow-shaped, etc.

[0061] Please refer again for further details. Figure 5 In some embodiments, the ice-making device 100 may also include a controller 60 and a temperature sensor 70.

[0062] The controller 60 can be located inside the housing 10, for example, between the inner housing 20 and the outer housing 10. The controller 60 serves as the control center of the ice-making equipment 100 and can be a control mainboard such as a circuit board. The controller 60 is electrically connected to the refrigeration system 40; for example, the controller 60 can be electrically connected to the compressor 41 and used to control the operating state of the compressor 41. The controller 60 can also be electrically connected to the switching valve 45 to control the opening and closing state of the switching valve 45, thereby controlling the pre-cooling operation of the refrigeration module 44 on the pre-cooling water tank 34.

[0063] Temperature sensor 70 is installed in precooling water tank 34 and electrically connected to controller 60. Controller 60 can control the opening and closing state of switch valve 45 based on the temperature detected by temperature sensor 70. As an example, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 70 is higher than the preset pre-cooling temperature (e.g., 6°C), the controller 60 controls the switch valve 45 to close and the second pipe assembly 47 to shut off. At this time, the refrigerant output from the evaporator 43 flows back to the compressor 41 via the refrigeration module 44, thus enabling the refrigeration module 44 to enter the working state and complete the pre-cooling work of the pre-cooled water. Correspondingly, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 70 is less than or equal to the preset pre-cooling temperature (e.g., 6°C), the controller 60 controls the switch valve 45 to open and the second pipe assembly 47 to conduct. Since the pipe pressure at the refrigeration module 44 is relatively greater than the pipe pressure at the second pipe assembly 47, the refrigerant output from the evaporator 43 flows back to the compressor 41 via the second pipe assembly 47 without passing through the refrigeration module 44. Therefore, the refrigeration module 44 can exit the working state, thereby stopping the pre-cooling work of the pre-cooled water. Therefore, by employing closed-loop control of the controller 60, temperature sensor 70, and refrigeration module 44, the temperature of the pre-cooled water can be regulated, preventing the water in the pre-cooled water tank 34 from over-freezing or overheating. In this embodiment, the temperature sensor 70 is disposed on the bottom wall 341 of the pre-cooled water tank 34 so that the temperature of the pre-cooled water can be detected even when the water level is low. The temperature sensor 70 can be an NTC thermistor (negative temperature coefficient thermistor), an infrared temperature sensor, etc., and this embodiment does not limit the application to this type of sensor.

[0064] In this embodiment, the evaporator 43 is disposed in the inner liner 30, the refrigeration module 44 is disposed in the inner shell 20, and the compressor 41 and the condenser 42 are disposed outside the inner shell 20. Therefore, the first pipe assembly 46 connecting the evaporator 43 and the compressor 41 passes through the inner liner 30 at least, and the second pipe assembly 47 connecting the refrigeration module 44 and the compressor 41 passes through the inner shell 20.

[0065] As an example, please refer to Figures 8 to 10The first piping assembly 46 includes a first sub-pipe 461, a second sub-pipe 463, and a third sub-pipe 465. The evaporator 43 has a first inlet 4311, an outlet 4313, and a second inlet 4315. The first inlet 4311 is connected to the condenser 42 through the first sub-pipe 461, and the outlet 4313 is connected to the compressor 41 through the second sub-pipe 463. A switching valve 45 is disposed on the second sub-pipe 463, and the compressor 41 is connected to the condenser 42 through the third sub-pipe 465. Further, a throttling device, such as a capillary tube, an expansion valve, or a throttling valve, may be disposed on the first sub-pipe 461 to reduce the flow rate and temperature of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant output from the condenser 43, so that the refrigerant becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid and is input into the evaporator 43.

[0066] The second piping assembly 47 includes a fourth sub-pipe 471 and a fifth sub-pipe 473. The fourth sub-pipe 471 is connected between the first end of the second sub-pipe 463 (the end near the outlet 4313) and the refrigeration pipe 441. The fifth sub-pipe 4731 is connected between the second end of the second sub-pipe 463 (the end near the compressor 41) and the refrigeration pipe 441, thereby connecting the refrigeration pipe 441 in parallel across the two ends of the switch valve 45.

[0067] In some embodiments, the ice-making device 100 further includes a bypass pipe 62 and a bypass valve 64. The bypass pipe 62 is connected between the second inlet 4315 and the third sub-pipe 465. The bypass valve 64 is disposed on the bypass pipe 62 and is used to control the opening and closing of the bypass pipe 62. When the bypass valve 64 controls the bypass pipe 62 to close, the refrigeration operation of the refrigeration system 40 is normal, and the refrigerant cycles according to the path of compressor 41 → condenser 42 → throttle valve → evaporator 43 → compressor 41, as follows. Figure 11As shown; when the bypass valve 64 controls the bypass pipe 62 to open, due to the presence of the throttle of the condenser 42, this is a high-pressure node. The high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant output from the compressor 41 will not flow to the condenser 42, but will flow to the evaporator 43 through the bypass pipe 62 and the second inlet 4315. The refrigerant circulates along the path of compressor 41 → bypass pipe 62 → evaporator 43 → compressor 41. At this time, it is not a refrigeration path. After the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant enters the evaporator 43 from the compressor 41 through the bypass pipe 62, it heats the ice in the ice box 32, which is conducive to rapid de-icing. For example, when the refrigeration system 40 is working normally and one ice-making cycle is completed, when ice is attached to the cooling head 433 on the evaporator 43, the bypass valve 64 is opened. Based on the above reasons, the cooling head 433 of the evaporator 43 generates heat, causing the ice attached to it to absorb heat and melt part of it, so that the ice falls off the cooling head 433, which can achieve rapid de-icing and shorten the non-refrigeration time. Therefore, by setting up the bypass pipe 62 and bypass valve 64, the de-icing work can be completed using the inherent structure of the refrigeration system 40, without the need for additional de-icing heating devices for the ice-making equipment 100. This simplifies the structure of the ice-making equipment 100 and reduces costs to some extent. Furthermore, since the bypass pipe 62 provides an outlet path for the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant of the compressor 41, it can reduce the risk of damage to the compressor 41 due to abnormal high pressure to some extent. Moreover, when the compressor 41 stops, throttling devices such as expansion valves and throttle valves can be closed, and the bypass valve 64 can be used to assist in discharging residual liquid refrigerant from the pipes or compressor, thus enhancing the safety of the refrigeration system 40.

[0068] It should be understood that, in the embodiments of this application, the aforementioned switching valve 45 or bypass valve 64 can be a solenoid valve, a pneumatic valve, a hydraulic valve, etc.

[0069] In summary, in the ice-making equipment 100 provided in this application embodiment, the refrigeration module 44 can be used to cool the liquid water in the pre-cooling water tank 34, so that the liquid water has a relatively low temperature before being transported to the ice-making box 32, realizing the work of the pre-cooling stage, which can share the workload of the evaporator 43 when cooling the ice-making box 32, and is conducive to improving the ice-making efficiency in the ice-making box 32.

[0070] Furthermore, the switching valve 45 of the refrigeration module 44 is used to control the opening or closing of the pipe between the evaporator 43 and the compressor 41. When the switching valve 45 is closed, the straight pipe between the evaporator 43 and the compressor 41 is closed. Since the refrigeration module 44 is connected in parallel to both ends of the switching valve 45 through the second pipe assembly 47, the refrigerant output from the evaporator 45 needs to flow through the second pipe assembly 47 and the refrigeration module 44. This allows the refrigeration module 44 to make full use of the residual cold energy in the refrigerant to cool the water in the pre-cooling water tank 34 without the need to arrange an additional refrigeration system to cool the water in the pre-cooling water tank 34 separately. This enables full utilization of the cold energy, is environmentally friendly and energy-saving, and reduces the overall energy consumption of the ice-making equipment 100.

[0071] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0072] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0073] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. An ice-making device, characterized in that, It includes a precooling water tank, an ice maker, and a refrigeration system, wherein the ice maker is connected to the precooling water tank via a water supply pipeline; The refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator, which are connected in series via a first pipe assembly to form a refrigeration circuit; the evaporator is used to refrigerate the ice maker. The refrigeration system also includes a switching valve and a refrigeration module. The switching valve is connected in series between the evaporator and the compressor, and the refrigeration module is connected in parallel to both ends of the switching valve through a second pipe assembly. The refrigeration module is used to refrigerate the precooling water tank.

2. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigeration module includes a refrigeration pipe, which is connected in parallel to both ends of the switch valve through the second pipe assembly, and there is a heat conduction connection between the refrigeration pipe and the precooling water tank.

3. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The refrigeration module also includes a heat transfer plate assembly, which is disposed in the precooling water tank; the heat transfer plate assembly is in contact with the refrigeration pipe to form a heat conduction connection between the refrigeration pipe and the precooling water tank.

4. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The precooling water tank includes a bottom wall and a peripheral wall. The peripheral wall is arranged around and connected to the periphery of the bottom wall to define a receiving cavity together with the bottom wall. The bottom wall is provided with an installation groove that extends through the opposite sides of the bottom wall. The heat transfer plate assembly is disposed in the installation groove and is sealed to the bottom wall.

5. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The heat transfer plate assembly includes a temperature equalization plate and a heat conduction plate. The mounting groove is provided with mounting steps. The heat conduction plate is stacked on the mounting steps and is flush with the bottom wall of the precooling water tank. The temperature equalization plate is stacked on the side of the heat conduction plate away from the receiving cavity. The refrigeration pipe is laid on the side of the temperature equalization plate away from the heat conduction plate.

6. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The ice-making equipment also includes an inner liner and an inner shell. The inner shell is fitted around the outer periphery of the inner liner. A heat-insulating cavity is formed between the outer surface of the inner liner and the inner surface of the inner shell. The inner liner includes the pre-cooling water tank. The ice-making box is disposed in the inner liner. The refrigeration pipe and the heat transfer plate assembly are at least partially disposed in the heat-insulating cavity.

7. The ice-making equipment as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The heat transfer plate assembly is embedded in the inner liner, and the insulation cavity is provided with an insulation layer; the insulation layer covers and / or wraps the refrigeration pipes.

8. The ice-making apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first piping assembly includes a first sub-pipe, a second sub-pipe, and a third sub-pipe. The evaporator has a first inlet, an outlet, and a second inlet. The first inlet is connected to the condenser via the first sub-pipe, and the outlet is connected to the compressor via the second sub-pipe. The switching valve is located on the second sub-pipe, and the compressor is connected to the condenser via the third sub-pipe. The ice-making equipment also includes a bypass pipe and a bypass valve. The bypass pipe is connected between the second inlet and the third sub-pipe, and the bypass valve is located on the bypass pipe.

9. The ice-making apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The ice-making equipment also includes a temperature sensor and a controller. The temperature sensor is located in the precooling water tank and is electrically connected to the controller. The controller is electrically connected to the refrigeration system.

10. The ice-making apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The ice-making equipment also includes a water storage tank and an outer shell. The precooling water tank, the ice-making box, and the refrigeration system are all located inside the outer shell. The water storage tank is located outside the outer shell and is connected to the precooling water tank through a water inlet pipe.

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