Ice making system capable of storing ice blocks for long time and ice making equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to an ice making system capable of storing ice cubes for a long time, the ice making system comprises an ice storage bin used for storing the ice cubes, and further comprises an air cooling device, a condensing device and a flow guide piece, the condensing device is suitable for cooling the airflow output by the air cooling device to a first temperature; the flow guide part is suitable for guiding the airflow at the first temperature into the ice storage bin, and the airflow at the first temperature is suitable for extruding out air at the second temperature in the ice storage bin and enabling the air at the second temperature to flow to an air outlet of the air cooling device for airflow circulation; the first temperature is lower than the second temperature. Therefore, through mutual cooperation of the air cooling device, the condensing device and the flow guide piece, air with the high temperature in the ice storage bin can be continuously replaced, the temperature of the air in the ice storage bin is kept at the low temperature all the time, then the melting speed of ice blocks in the ice storage bin is reduced, and the purpose of storing the ice blocks for a long time is achieved; and energy waste caused by repeated ice making is reduced.

Description

Ice-making systems and equipment for long-term ice storage Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of ice-making system technology, and in particular to an ice-making system for long-term ice storage. It also relates to an ice-making device. Background Technology

[0002] An ice maker is a refrigeration machine that cools water to produce ice. It uses an ice-making system that uses water as a carrier to produce ice when the water is powered on.

[0003] In current ice makers, water is condensed to form ice cubes. The ice cubes fall freely into the ice storage tank below due to gravity and are stored there for user needs. However, the ice cubes melt quickly in the ice storage tank, resulting in a short storage time. Therefore, an ice-making system that can store ice cubes for a long time is needed to solve the above problem. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an ice-making system that can store ice for a long time, addressing the problem of short storage time of ice blocks in the ice storage compartments of current ice-making systems.

[0005] This application provides an ice-making system for long-term ice storage, including an ice storage chamber for storing ice, and further comprising:

[0006] An air-cooling device, wherein the air-cooling device is adapted to output airflow;

[0007] A condensing device, the condensing device being adapted to cool the airflow output from the air-cooling device to a first temperature;

[0008] A flow guide is provided, which is adapted to guide an airflow at a first temperature into the ice storage chamber. The airflow at the first temperature is adapted to expel air at a second temperature from the ice storage chamber and direct the air at the second temperature to the air outlet of the air-cooling device for airflow circulation.

[0009] The first temperature is lower than the second temperature.

[0010] In one embodiment, the flow guide is adapted to rotate to a first position or a second position, and when the flow guide is rotated to the first position, it is adapted to carry ice-making water, and when the flow guide is rotated to the second position, it is adapted to guide airflow into the ice storage chamber.

[0011] In one embodiment, the air-cooling device, the condensing device, and the flow guide are all disposed above the ice storage chamber.

[0012] In one embodiment, the condensation device is an ice-making tray, the flow guide is an ice-making box, and when the ice-making box is in the first position, the ice-making tray is adapted to extend into the ice-making water carried by the ice-making box to condense the ice-making water in the ice-making box and form ice blocks.

[0013] In one embodiment, the air-cooling device is activated simultaneously after the ice-making box rotates to the second position, and the ice-making box is adapted to pour out the ice-making water that has not formed ice blocks when it rotates, and to make room for the ice blocks to fall into the ice storage chamber.

[0014] In one embodiment, the first position is when the guide element is rotated to the lower position of the condensing device, and the second position is when the guide element is rotated to the upper position of the condensing device.

[0015] In one embodiment, the guide surface of the flow guide is an arc surface, and when the flow guide is rotated to the second position, the guide surface covers the outlet direction of the airflow cooled by the condensation device, so as to guide the cooled airflow toward the ice storage chamber.

[0016] In one embodiment, the air-cooling device includes a drive unit and a fan, the fan being connected to the output shaft of the drive unit to drive the fan to rotate, and the drive unit and the fan being horizontally disposed on one side of the condensing device to horizontally output airflow to the condensing device.

[0017] In one embodiment, the drive operates intermittently to drive the fan to intermittently output airflow to the condenser.

[0018] Another aspect of this application provides an ice-making device that employs the ice-making system described above for long-term storage of ice blocks.

[0019] In the aforementioned ice-making system for long-term ice storage, the air-cooling device outputs airflow, and the condensing device cools the airflow output by the air-cooling device so that the temperature of the cooled airflow is lower than the air temperature inside the ice storage chamber. The guide component guides the airflow passing through the condensing device into the ice storage chamber to squeeze out the warmer air inside the ice storage chamber. The squeezed-out warmer air is then fed back into the condensing device through the air-cooling device for further cooling, thus forming an airflow circulation. By continuously replacing the warmer air inside the ice storage chamber, the air inside the ice storage chamber is kept at a lower temperature, thereby reducing the melting rate of the ice in the ice storage chamber and achieving the purpose of long-term ice storage. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of an ice-making device according to one embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 is an exploded view of an ice-making device according to one embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 3 is a structural diagram of the guide component in the first position of an ice-making system for long-term storage of ice in one embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of airflow circulation in an ice-making system for long-term ice storage according to an embodiment of this application when the guide element is in the second position.

[0024] Figure 5 is an exploded view of the air-cooling device, condensing device, and flow guide in one embodiment of this application.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0026] 1. Air-cooled unit; 11. Drive unit; 12. Fan;

[0027] 2. Condensation device;

[0028] 3. Guide component; 31. Guide surface;

[0029] 4. Ice storage compartment;

[0030] 5. Main structure;

[0031] 6. Ice-making system. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0033] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0034] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are 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 with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0035] This application provides an ice-making system for long-term ice storage. The ice-making system 6 is used in ice-making equipment. Through the ice-making system 6, the melting rate of the ice produced can be slowed down, thereby enabling the ice to be stored for a longer period of time and reducing the energy waste caused by reverse ice production.

[0036] Referring to Figures 3 to 5, the ice-making system 6 for long-term ice storage includes an ice storage chamber 4, which stores the produced ice. To slow down the melting rate of the ice stored in the ice storage chamber 4, the ice-making system 6 also includes an air-cooling device 1, a condensing device 2, and a guide device 3. The air-cooling device 1 outputs airflow, the condensing device 2 cools the airflow output by the air-cooling device 1, and the guide device 3 guides the airflow cooled by the condensing device 2 into the ice storage chamber 4. The low-temperature airflow guided into the ice storage chamber 4 by the guide device 3 compresses out the original higher-temperature air in the ice storage chamber 4, thereby reducing the temperature of the air in the ice storage chamber 4. The temperature of the compressed, warmer air is pushed to the outlet of the air-cooling device 1, and then the air-cooling device 1 sends the warmer air to the condensing device 2 for cooling. This process is repeated to achieve cold air circulation until the original warmer air in the ice storage chamber 4 has been basically replaced. Then the air-cooling device 1 stops working. At this time, the original warmer air in the ice storage chamber 4 has been replaced by low-temperature airflow. Therefore, the ambient temperature of the ice in the ice storage chamber 4 is lower than that before the air replacement, which can effectively slow down the rate at which the ice absorbs heat from the external environment, thereby slowing down the melting rate of the ice.

[0037] Specifically, the condenser 2 is positioned in the air outlet path of the air-cooling device 1, thus better receiving the airflow output by the air-cooling device 1. When the air-cooling device 1 outputs airflow, the output airflow passes through the condenser 2. Because the condenser 2 has a lower condensation temperature, when the airflow from the air-cooling device 1 passes through the condenser 2, the condenser 2 can quickly cool the flowing air to a first temperature. Then, through the guide 3, the airflow at the first temperature is transported to the ice storage chamber 4 to replace the airflow at the second temperature, thereby lowering the ambient temperature of the ice blocks in the ice storage chamber 4. Furthermore, since the first temperature is lower than the second temperature, after the air at the second temperature in the ice storage chamber 4 is squeezed out from the bottom of the ice storage chamber 4, the air at the second temperature can be drawn into the air-cooling device 1 and transported to the condenser 2 from the air outlet. And since the temperature difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is not too large, the condenser 2 can quickly cool the air at the second temperature to the first temperature. For example, if the first temperature is 5°C and the second temperature is 8°C, the condenser 2's condensation temperature is less than or equal to 0°C.

[0038] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the guide member 3 is disposed within the ice-making system 6 and is capable of rotating within the ice-making system 6. The guide member 3 can rotate to a first position or a second position and can switch between the first position and the second position. The first position is when the guide member 3 rotates to the bottom of the condensing device 2, and the second position is when the guide member 3 rotates to the top of the condensing device 2.

[0039] Specifically, when the guide member 3 is rotated to the first position, it can carry ice-making water, and when the guide member 3 is rotated to the second position, it can guide the airflow into the ice storage chamber 4.

[0040] More specifically, the rotation of the guide component 3 needs to be coordinated with the air-cooling device 1 to replace the air in the ice storage compartment 4 with the airflow output from the air-cooling device 1. The guide component 3 can be configured as an ice-making box, and the condensing device 2 can be configured as an ice-making tray. The ice-making box is rotatably mounted, while the ice-making tray remains stationary. When the ice-making box is in the first position, it contains water for making ice. At this time, the condensing section of the ice-making tray is adapted to extend into the water for making ice, and ice blocks are formed in the condensing section of the ice-making tray. After the ice-making tray has cooled the ice, some of the water used for ice making in the ice-making box is consumed, but some water is still not cooled. At this time, the ice-making box rotates to the second position. During the rotation, the remaining water used for ice making in the ice-making box is poured out. When the ice-making box is fully rotated to the second position, the space between the ice-making tray and the ice storage chamber 4 is emptied. The ice made by the ice-making tray falls into the ice storage chamber 4 under the action of gravity. Then the air-cooling device 1 is restarted and outputs airflow towards the ice-making tray. The output airflow is cooled by the condensing device 2 and falls into the guide member 3, and flows towards the ice storage chamber 4 under the guidance of the guide member 3.

[0041] It should be noted that the air-cooling device 1 operates in an intermittent mode. Specifically, the air-cooling device 1 only starts after the ice maker box rotates to the second position. Once the air-cooling device 1 starts, it stops working as the air at the second temperature in the ice storage compartment 4 is continuously replaced with air at the first temperature. Alternatively, the air-cooling device 1 stops working after a set time. At this point, the ice maker box can rotate back to the first position and cooperate with the ice-making tray again to perform the regular ice-making operation.

[0042] The guide surface 31 of the guide member 3 is arc-shaped, and when the guide member 3 rotates to the second position, its guide surface 31 covers the outlet direction of the airflow cooled by the condenser 2. That is, the airflow output by the air-cooling device 1 is completely received by the guide member 3 after passing through the condenser 2. Since the guide surface 31 of the guide member 3 is arc-shaped, when the airflow falls into the guide surface 31, it can flow along the guide surface 31. Since the side wall of the guide member away from the air-cooling device 1 faces the ice storage chamber 4, preferably, the side wall of the guide member away from the air-cooling device 1 is set directly opposite the ice storage chamber 4. Through this arrangement, the cooled airflow at the first temperature can be guided into the ice storage chamber 4 through the shortest flow path, thereby slowing down the temperature rise caused by the airflow at the first temperature during the flow process, ensuring that the temperature of the airflow entering the ice storage chamber 4 is always lower than the original air temperature in the ice storage chamber 4, so as to achieve the purpose of reducing the ambient temperature in the ice storage chamber 4. Therefore, the ice-making system 6 for long-term ice storage employs an air-cooling device 1 that outputs airflow, a condensing device 2 that cools the airflow output by the air-cooling device 1 so that the temperature of the cooled airflow is lower than the air temperature inside the ice storage chamber 4, and a guide 3 that guides the airflow passing through the condensing device 2 into the ice storage chamber 4 to squeeze out the higher-temperature air inside the ice storage chamber 4. The squeezed-out higher-temperature air is then fed back into the condensing device 2 through the air-cooling device 1 for cooling, thus forming an airflow circulation. By continuously replacing the higher-temperature air inside the ice storage chamber 4, the air inside the ice storage chamber 4 is kept at a lower temperature, thereby reducing the melting rate of the ice in the ice storage chamber 4, achieving the purpose of long-term ice storage, and reducing energy waste caused by reverse ice-making.

[0043] Referring to Figure 3 or Figure 4, the air-cooling device 1, the condensing device 2, and the air guide 3 are all positioned above the ice storage chamber 4. The air-cooling device 1 includes a drive unit 11 and a fan 12. The fan 12 is connected to the output shaft of the drive unit 11, allowing the drive unit 11 to drive the fan 12 to rotate. Preferably, the drive unit 11 is horizontally positioned to one side of the condensing device 2. This ensures that when the drive unit 11 drives the fan 12 to rotate, the airflow output by the fan 12 is largely received by the condensing device 2, enabling the condensing device 2 to comprehensively cool the airflow output by the fan 12 and thus guaranteeing the stability of the airflow temperature ultimately entering the ice storage chamber 4.

[0044] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the drive unit 11 can be a motor or other power output device that can provide power to drive the fan 12 to rotate. Similarly, the fan 12 can also be replaced with other devices that can cause airflow.

[0045] This embodiment also provides a refrigeration device, which uses the ice-making system that can store ice for a long time. The refrigeration device includes a main structure 5, and the ice-making system 6 is disposed in the main structure 5. The main structure 5 includes a compressor, a heat dissipation system, a support, etc. Since the relevant structures in the main structure 5 are common technologies in the industry, the structure and function of the main structure 5 will not be described in detail here.

[0046] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the ice-making system 6, located within the main structure 5, also includes an air-cooling device 1, a condensing device 2, an ice storage chamber 4, and a guide component 3. The air-cooling device 1 outputs airflow towards the condensing device 2. The condensing device 2 cools the airflow output by the air-cooling device 1 to a first temperature, ensuring that the cooled airflow temperature is lower than the air temperature inside the ice storage chamber 4. The guide component 3 directs the airflow passing through the condensing device 2 into the ice storage chamber 4, compressing the air at a second temperature. This compressed air is lifted to the outlet of the air-cooling device 1, and then the second temperature is again controlled by the air-cooling device 1 and input to the condensing device 2 for cooling. The airflow is then guided back into the ice storage chamber 4 by the guide component 3 to form an airflow circulation. Thus, by continuously replacing the higher-temperature air inside the ice storage chamber 4, the air temperature inside the ice storage chamber 4 is kept at a lower temperature, thereby reducing the melting rate of the ice in the ice storage chamber 4, achieving the purpose of long-term ice storage, and reducing energy waste caused by reverse ice-making.

[0047] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0048] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0049] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0050] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0051] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An ice-making system for long-term storage of ice blocks, comprising an ice storage chamber (4) for storing ice blocks, characterized in that, include: Air-cooling device (1), the air-cooling device (1) is adapted to output airflow; condensing device (2), the condensing device (2) is adapted to cool the airflow output by the air-cooling device (1) to a first temperature; guide member (3), the guide member (3) is adapted to guide the airflow at the first temperature to the ice storage chamber (4), the airflow at the first temperature is adapted to squeeze out the air at the second temperature in the ice storage chamber (4), and make the air at the second temperature to the air outlet of the air-cooling device (1) for airflow circulation; wherein, the first temperature is lower than the second temperature.

2. The ice-making system for long-term ice storage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide (3) is adapted to rotate to a first position or a second position, and when the guide (3) rotates to the first position, it is adapted to carry ice-making water, and when the guide (3) rotates to the second position, it is adapted to guide airflow into the ice storage chamber (4).

3. The ice-making system for long-term ice storage according to claim 2, characterized in that, The air-cooling device (1), the condensing device (2), and the flow guide (3) are all located above the ice storage chamber (4).

4. The ice-making system for long-term ice storage according to claim 3, characterized in that, The condensing device (2) is an ice-making tray, and the guide (3) is an ice-making box. When the ice-making box is in the first position, the ice-making tray is adapted to extend into the ice-making water carried by the ice-making box to condense the ice-making water in the ice-making box and form ice blocks.

5. The ice-making system for long-term ice storage according to claim 4, characterized in that, The air-cooling device (1) is activated simultaneously after the ice-making box rotates to the second position. When the ice-making box rotates, it is suitable for pouring out the ice-making water that has not formed ice blocks and emptying the space for the ice blocks to fall, so that the ice blocks made by the ice-making tray can fall into the ice storage chamber (4).

6. The ice-making system for long-term ice storage according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first position is when the guide (3) rotates to the lower position of the condenser (2), and the second position is when the guide (3) rotates to the upper position of the condenser (2).

7. The ice-making system for long-term ice storage according to claim 2, characterized in that, The guide surface (31) of the guide member (3) is an arc surface, and when the guide member (3) is rotated to the second position, the guide surface (31) covers the air outlet direction of the airflow cooled by the condenser (2) so as to guide the cooled airflow toward the ice storage chamber (4).

8. An ice-making system for long-term storage of ice blocks according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The air-cooling device (1) includes a drive unit (11) and a fan (12). The fan (12) is connected to the output shaft of the drive unit (11) to drive the fan (12) to rotate. The drive unit (11) and the fan (12) are horizontally arranged on one side of the condensing device (2) to output airflow horizontally to the condensing device (2).

9. The ice-making system for long-term ice storage according to claim 8, characterized in that, The drive unit (11) operates intermittently to drive the fan (12) to intermittently output airflow to the condenser (2).

10. An ice-making device, characterized in that, An ice-making system for long-term ice storage, as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, is used.

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