Water ice machine

Abstract

The utility model discloses an ice water machine belongs to cooling equipment technical field, it solved the problem of low refrigeration efficiency of current ice water machine. The ice water machine of this improved structure, including the casing and the cold water tank and refrigerating plant that set up in the casing, be provided with the baffle of along vertical setting in the cold water tank, the baffle divides the cold water tank into the first cooling chamber with the water inlet and the second cooling chamber with the water outlet, and the refrigerating plant includes the refrigeration pipe of setting in the cold water tank, the refrigeration pipe is around the at least two refrigeration module of connecting in proper order through spiral mode and forms, first cooling chamber and second cooling chamber all are provided with at least one refrigeration pipe module respectively, and the water gap is formed between the baffle and the one side inner wall of the cold water tank. The ice water machine of this improved structure divides the cold water tank of one volume into zero, and the refrigeration of partition synchronous is carried out, thereby improves the refrigeration efficiency of ice water machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of cooling equipment technology and relates to an ice water machine. Background Technology

[0002] Household water purifiers are mainly used to purify tap water in the home so that it can be drunk directly. Among them, under-sink water purifiers are increasingly used by families because they can be directly connected to the tap water pipe. However, existing under-sink water purifiers are mainly used to provide room temperature drinking water. When users want to drink ice water, they can only put the room temperature drinking water in the refrigerator to cool it down, which is inconvenient.

[0003] To address the aforementioned shortcomings, Chinese patent literature discloses an under-sink air purifier (application number: 201610854424.3), which includes a water purification component and an ice tank. The water purification component has an inlet, a room temperature water end, and a cold water end. The inlet of the water purification component is connected to a tap water pipe. The ice tank has an inlet, an outlet, and a one-way valve. The inlet is connected to the cold water end via the one-way valve, which is located at the inlet of the ice tank. The outlet is equipped with a water valve.

[0004] The above-mentioned under-sink air purifiers have the following shortcomings during use: In order to ensure sufficient cold water volume, the volume of the ice tank of the under-sink air purifier is usually made relatively large. In addition, the ice tank obtains cold water by heat conduction, that is, by the cooling end of the semiconductor being attached to the outer wall of the ice tank to cool the pure water inside the ice tank, which can easily lead to a slow cooling speed of the ice tank. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the aforementioned problems in existing technologies by proposing a chilled water machine. The technical problem this invention aims to solve is how to improve the cooling efficiency of the chilled water machine.

[0006] The objective of this utility model can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] A chilled water machine includes a housing, a chilled water tank, and a refrigeration device, both disposed within the housing. The chilled water tank is characterized by a vertically arranged partition dividing it into a first cooling chamber with an inlet and a second cooling chamber with an outlet. The refrigeration device includes refrigeration pipes disposed within the chilled water tank. These refrigeration pipes are spirally wound to form at least two sequentially connected refrigeration modules. Each of the first and second cooling chambers contains at least one of the refrigeration modules. A water-passing gap is formed between the partition and one inner wall of the chilled water tank.

[0008] The chilled water tank of this chiller is divided into a first cooling chamber and a second cooling chamber that are connected and arranged side by side on only one side of the partition. At the same time, a refrigeration module is installed in both the first cooling chamber and the second cooling chamber, which greatly increases the refrigeration area of ​​the refrigeration pipe. This realizes the division of a large chilled water tank into smaller parts and synchronous refrigeration in different areas, thereby improving the refrigeration efficiency of the chiller.

[0009] Furthermore, the inlet and outlet of the cold water tank are located in the first and second cooling chambers, respectively. This means that ambient temperature drinking water entering the cold water tank must undergo secondary refrigeration (i.e., cooling through the refrigeration pipes in both the first and second cooling chambers) before flowing out of the tank, resulting in excellent cooling performance. Simultaneously, the partition design restricts cold loss to a single chamber. The two chambers interfere with each other minimally, minimizing mutual influence and maximizing cooling efficiency.

[0010] In the aforementioned chilled water machine, the refrigeration module is a double-layered cylindrical structure comprising an inner spiral tube and an outer spiral tube. This design maximizes the length of the refrigeration tube per unit volume and increases the refrigeration area of ​​the refrigeration tube itself, thereby increasing the contact area between the refrigeration tube and the water and thus improving refrigeration efficiency.

[0011] In the aforementioned chiller, the inner and outer spiral tubes of the refrigeration pipe are coaxial and arranged side-by-side. This facilitates the processing and manufacturing of the refrigeration pipes, while also making the refrigeration process more uniform and thus improving the refrigeration effect.

[0012] In the aforementioned chiller, the inner and outer spiral tubes of the refrigeration module have opposite spiral directions, and both ends of the refrigeration module are located on the same side of the chilled water tank. This arrangement facilitates the manufacturing of the refrigeration tubes and allows the refrigerant to flow within the tubes for a period of time under the influence of gravity, minimizing flow resistance. Furthermore, combined with the counter-spiral structure of the double spiral tubes, the refrigerant creates a vortex effect between the inner and outer layers, significantly improving heat exchange efficiency.

[0013] In the aforementioned chiller, the refrigeration module includes a vertical section and a spiral section connected together. The spiral section spirals upwards along the length of the vertical section and winds around its outer side. This arrangement increases the refrigeration area of ​​the refrigeration pipe, thereby improving refrigeration efficiency and effect.

[0014] In the aforementioned chilled water machine, the refrigeration module extends in a single spiral shape along the length of the chilled water tank. The single spiral refrigeration pipe basically meets the refrigeration requirements, and more importantly, it has lower manufacturing and maintenance costs.

[0015] In the aforementioned chilled water machine, the chilled water tank has a drain hole, and a plug for sealing or opening the drain hole is also provided on the chilled water tank. A water passage gap is formed between the baffle and the inner bottom wall of the chilled water tank. The drain hole is located on the inner bottom wall of the chilled water tank and directly below the baffle. By providing the plug, it is convenient to drain the liquid from the chilled water tank, facilitating cleaning; at the same time, after removing the plug, the liquid in both the first and second cooling chambers can flow out of the chilled water tank under gravity, making cleaning even more convenient.

[0016] In the aforementioned chilled water machine, the inlet and outlet are located on the top walls of the first and second cooling chambers, respectively. Two refrigeration modules are provided, each corresponding to one of the first and second cooling chambers. This ensures that room-temperature drinking water entering the chilled water tank undergoes secondary refrigeration (i.e., cooling through the refrigeration pipes in the first and second cooling chambers) before flowing out of the chilled water tank, resulting in excellent cooling performance.

[0017] In the above-mentioned chiller, the partition plate has an integrally formed vertical agitator and several horizontal agitator on the surface facing the first cooling chamber and the second cooling chamber. The vertical agitator and the horizontal agitator are both flat strips and are perpendicular to the partition plate. The vertical agitator and the horizontal agitator are staggered to form several agitator cavities.

[0018] Since the inlet and outlet are located in the first and second cooling chambers respectively, and the two chambers are connected by a water gap, the water flow will move between the two chambers rather than remain still during water intake. Furthermore, because the two chambers use the same refrigeration pipe, considering factors such as the direction of refrigerant flow, the cooling capacity will not be exactly the same. Therefore, the temperature in the two cooling chambers cannot be completely consistent, and even the upper and lower parts of the same chamber may not maintain a completely consistent temperature. This solution addresses this by incorporating horizontal and vertical agitator plates, which make it easier for the water to impact and generate turbulent motion during flow. The horizontal and vertical agitator plates, similar to flippers, react with the water flow, creating a stirring effect. This reaction force further propels the water flow into turbulent motion and generates heat exchange, resulting in a more uniform water temperature within the cooling chambers and a better cooling effect.

[0019] In the aforementioned chilled water machine, the partition is a square plate made of plastic. A sealing gasket is provided between the top of the partition and the cold water tank. The cold water tank has limiting grooves extending along the axial direction of the cold water tank on both of its opposite inner walls. The two sides of the partition are respectively inserted into the corresponding limiting grooves and are in contact with the bottom surface of the limiting grooves. The partition also has a long, narrow shrinkage groove on the side that is in contact with the bottom surface of the limiting groove. The shrinkage groove extends along the axial direction of the cold water tank and the depth of the shrinkage groove gradually increases from the bottom to the top of the cold water tank. In this design, a sealing gasket is installed above the partition to achieve an isolation seal. For ease of installation, a trapezoidal groove or other conventional slot connection method is used on the side of the partition for convenient positioning, without an additional sealing gasket. Instead, a mechanical seal is achieved through the fit between the partition and the inner wall of the cold water pipe (a completely sealed seal is not required here). Since this product is used in an ice maker, it is prone to significant ambient temperature changes. Thermal expansion and contraction could lead to increased gaps and reduced partition insulation. This design fully utilizes the material properties of the partition by incorporating a shrinkage groove for elastic compensation. The groove depth gradually increases from bottom to top, resulting in larger gaps at the top. This enhances the deformation capacity of the partition on both sides of the shrinkage groove, allowing it to better adapt to temperature changes and preventing water leakage from the top (if leakage occurs from the top, the cooling path becomes shorter and less effective). This sequential cooling process improves the overall cooling efficiency.

[0020] In the aforementioned chilled water machine, an insulating shell is provided inside the housing to wrap around the outside of the cold water tank. The housing has a water inlet and a water outlet. The water inlet pipe on the water inlet and the water outlet pipe on the water outlet both pass through the insulating shell and are connected to the water inlet and water outlet on the cold water tank, respectively.

[0021] In the aforementioned chilled water machine, the refrigeration device further includes a compressor and a condenser with a fan, both housed within and connected to the casing. A baffle is vertically connected to the bottom of the casing. The condenser and compressor are located on one side of the baffle, and the chilled water tank is located on the other side of the baffle. A compressor controller is mounted on the baffle. A temperature control box is mounted on the casing. The temperature control box, compressor controller, and compressor are arranged sequentially, one above the other. The condenser is adjacent to the compressor controller, and the fan is located between the condenser and the compressor controller. The bottom of the casing has several raised blocks, and the bottom and side walls of the casing each have several heat dissipation holes. A temperature control probe is inserted into the chilled water tank and electrically connected to the temperature control box.

[0022] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this chiller are as follows: The chilled water tank of this chiller is configured with a partition to form a first cooling chamber and a second cooling chamber that are connected and arranged side by side at only one end of the partition. At the same time, both the first cooling chamber and the second cooling chamber are equipped with refrigeration pipes, which greatly increases the cooling area of ​​the refrigeration pipes. This realizes the division of a large chilled water tank into smaller parts and synchronous cooling in different areas, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the chiller.

[0023] In addition, the inlet and outlet of the cold water tank are located on the first cooling chamber and the second cooling chamber, respectively, so that the room temperature drinking water entering the cold water tank needs to be cooled by the cooling pipes in the first cooling chamber and the cooling pipes in the second cooling chamber in sequence (i.e., secondary cooling) before flowing out of the cold water tank, resulting in a good cooling effect. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the chilled water machine in Example 1.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the chiller after a portion of its casing has been removed in Example 1.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chiller after removing the insulation shell and part of the shell in Example 1.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the chilled water tank and refrigeration pipes of the chiller in Embodiment 1.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigeration pipe structure of the chiller in Example 1.

[0029] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the chilled water tank and refrigeration pipes of the chiller in Embodiment 2.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigeration pipe structure of the chiller in Example 3.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional sectional view of the chilled water tank of the chiller in Embodiment 4.

[0032] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the partition of the chiller in Embodiment 4.

[0033] Figure 10 This is a side sectional view of the chilled water tank of the chiller in Embodiment 4.

[0034] In the diagram, 1. Shell; 1a. Water inlet; 1a1. Water inlet pipe; 1b. Water outlet; 1b1. Water outlet pipe; 1c. Elevating block; 1d. Heat dissipation hole; 2. Cold water tank; 2a. Baffle plate; 2a1. Shrinkage groove; 2b. First cooling chamber; 2c. Second cooling chamber; 2d. Water inlet; 2e. Water outlet; 2f. Drain hole; 2g. Water passage gap; 2h. Vertical agitator plate; 2i. Horizontal agitator plate; 2 j. Agitator cavity; 2k. Sealing gasket; 2l. Limiting groove; 3. Refrigeration device; 3a. Refrigeration pipe; 3a0. Refrigeration module; 3a1. Inner spiral tube; 3a2. Outer spiral tube; 3a3. Vertical section; 3a4. Spiral section; 3b. Compressor; 3c. Condenser; 3c1. Fan; 3d. Compressor controller; 3e. Temperature control probe; 3f. Temperature control box; 4. Plug; 5. Insulation shell; 6. Baffle. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention, which are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] chilled water machine, see reference Figure 1-3 It includes a housing 1 and a cold water tank 2 and a refrigeration device 3 respectively disposed within the housing 1, such as Figure 4 As shown, the cold water tank 2 has a vertically arranged partition 2a, which divides the cold water tank 2 into a first cooling chamber 2b with an inlet 2d and a second cooling chamber 2c with an outlet 2e. The refrigeration device 3 includes a refrigeration pipe 3a disposed in the cold water tank 2. The refrigeration pipe 3a is wound in a spiral manner to form two connected refrigeration modules 3a0 respectively disposed in the first cooling chamber 2b and the second cooling chamber 2c. A water passage gap 2g is formed between one side of the partition 2a and one side of the inner wall of the cold water tank 2. The other three sides of the partition 2a are connected to the inner wall of the cold water tank 2.

[0038] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3Specifically, the refrigeration device 3 also includes a compressor 3b and a condenser 3c with a fan 3c1, both installed and connected inside the housing 1. A baffle 6 is vertically connected to the bottom of the housing 1. The condenser 3c and compressor 3b are located on one side of the baffle 6, and the cold water tank 2 is located on the other side of the baffle 6. A compressor controller 3d is installed on the baffle 6, and a temperature control box 3f is installed on the housing 1. The temperature control box 3f, compressor controller 3d, and compressor 3b are arranged vertically in sequence. The condenser 3c is arranged adjacent to the compressor controller 3d, and the fan 3c1 is located between the condenser 3c and the compressor controller 3d. The bottom of the housing 1 has several raised blocks 1c. The bottom wall and side wall of the housing 1 have several heat dissipation holes 1d. A temperature control probe 3e is inserted into the cold water tank 2 and extends into the interior of the cold water tank 2. The temperature control probe 3e is electrically connected to the temperature control box 3f.

[0039] In this embodiment, the inlet 2d and the outlet 2e are preferably located on the top walls of the first cooling chamber 2b and the second cooling chamber 2c, respectively.

[0040] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 Specifically, the refrigeration tube 3a is wound in a spiral manner to form a double-layered spiral tube structure. The inner spiral tube 3a1 and the outer spiral tube 3a2 of the refrigeration module 3a0 are coaxial and arranged side by side; the spiral directions of the inner spiral tube 3a1 and the outer spiral tube 3a2 of the refrigeration module 3a0 are opposite, and the two ends of the refrigeration module 3a0 are located on the same side of the cold water tank 2.

[0041] Reference Figure 4 Furthermore, the cold water tank 2 is provided with a drain hole 2f, and a plug 4 is also provided on the cold water tank 2 for sealing or opening the drain hole 2f. The plug 4 can be threaded onto the cold water tank 2 or snapped onto the cold water tank 2. At the same time, a sealing ring can be added to enhance the sealing performance at the connection between the plug 4 and the cold water tank 2. Specifically, the aforementioned water passage gap 2g is formed between the partition 2a and the inner bottom wall of the cold water tank 2, and the drain hole 2f is opened on the bottom wall of the cold water tank 2 and located directly below the partition 2a.

[0042] Reference Figure 2 Furthermore, the housing 1 is provided with an insulation shell 5 that wraps around the outside of the cold water tank 2. The housing 1 has a water inlet 1a and a water outlet 1b. The water inlet pipe 1a1 on the water inlet 1a and the water outlet pipe 1b1 on the water outlet 1b both pass through the insulation shell 5 and are connected to the water inlet 2d and the water outlet 2e on the cold water tank 2, respectively.

[0043] The working principle of this chilled water machine is explained below:

[0044] When in use, install this chill water machine in the cabinet under the kitchen sink. Connect the water inlet 1a on the casing 1 of this chill water machine to the household water purifier, which is also located in the cabinet under the kitchen sink. Connect the water outlet 1b on the casing 1 to the cold water drinking faucet. The room temperature drinking water provided by the household water purifier is stored in the cold water tank 2. The refrigeration device 3 cools the room temperature drinking water in the cold water tank 2 to obtain cold water at a suitable temperature and continues to store it in the cold water tank 2. The insulation shell 5 keeps the cold water in the cold water tank 2 warm.

[0045] When a user needs to drink cold water, the user only needs to turn on the cold water tap, and the cold water in the cold water tank 2 will flow into the user's drinking cup through the cold water tap;

[0046] When the user stops drawing cold water, some of the cold water in the cold water tank 2 is consumed. The household water purifier will continue to supply room temperature drinking water to the cold water tank 2. At this time, the temperature control probe 3e detects that the water temperature in the cold water tank 2 has risen. Then, the compressor controller 3d controls the compressor 3b to work, the condenser 3c and the fan 3c1 start. Finally, the refrigeration pipe 3a cools the newly added room temperature drinking water in the cold water tank 2 to obtain cold water at a suitable temperature and continues to store it in the cold water tank 2. When the temperature control probe 3e detects that the water temperature in the cold water tank 2 has reached the preset temperature, the compressor 3b, condenser 3c and fan 3c1 stop working. The insulation shell 5 keeps the cold water in the cold water tank 2 warm for the user's next use. This cycle continues, which not only stores and provides a sufficient amount of cold water for the user's drinking at one time, but also provides sufficient time for the refrigeration device 3 to cool the newly added room temperature drinking water in the cold water tank 2. This ensures that the chilled water machine always has a sufficient amount of cold water with the temperature maintained within the preset range, thus providing a chilled water machine with high refrigeration efficiency.

[0047] Example 2

[0048] This embodiment is basically the same as embodiment one in structure and principle, except that: (Refer to...) Figure 6 The cooling module 3a0 includes a vertical section 3a3 and a spiral section 3a4 connected in sequence, and the spiral section 3a4 spirals upward along the length of the vertical section 3a3 and coils around the adjacent side of the vertical section 3a3.

[0049] Example 3

[0050] The structure and principle are basically the same as those in Embodiment 1, except that: (Refer to...) Figure 7 The refrigeration module 3a0 extends in a single spiral shape along the length of the cold water tank 2.

[0051] Example 4

[0052] The structure and principle are basically the same as those in Embodiment 1, except that: Figure 8 , Figure 9 As shown, the partition 2a has integrally formed a vertical agitator 2h and several horizontal agitator 2i on the surfaces facing the first cooling chamber 2b and the second cooling chamber 2c. Both the vertical agitator 2h and the horizontal agitator 2i are flat strips and are perpendicular to the partition 2a. The vertical agitator 2h and the horizontal agitator 2i are staggered to form several agitation cavities 2j. Furthermore, the partition 2a is a square plate made of plastic. A sealing gasket 2k is provided between the top of the partition 2a and the cold water tank. The cold water tank 2 has limiting grooves 2l extending axially along its two inner walls. The two sides of the partition 2a are respectively inserted into the corresponding limiting grooves 2l and are in contact with the bottom surface of the limiting grooves 2l. The partition 2a also has a long, narrow contraction groove 2a1 on the side in contact with the bottom surface of the limiting groove 2l. Figure 10 As shown, the shrinkage groove 2a1 extends along the axial direction of the cold water tank 2, and the depth of the shrinkage groove 2a1 gradually increases from the bottom of the cold water tank 2 to the top of the cold water tank 2.

[0053] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative examples illustrating the spirit of this utility model. Those skilled in the art to which this utility model pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to substitute them, without departing from the spirit of this utility model or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A chilled water machine, comprising a housing (1) and a chilled water tank (2) and a refrigeration device (3) both disposed within the housing (1), characterized in that, The cold water tank (2) is provided with a vertically arranged partition (2a), which divides the cold water tank (2) into a first cooling chamber (2b) with an inlet (2d) and a second cooling chamber (2c) with an outlet (2e). The refrigeration device (3) includes a refrigeration pipe (3a) arranged in the cold water tank (2). The refrigeration pipe (3a) is wound in a spiral manner to form at least two refrigeration modules (3a0) connected in sequence. The first cooling chamber (2b) and the second cooling chamber (2c) are each provided with at least one of the refrigeration modules (3a0). A water passage gap (2g) is formed between the partition (2a) and one side inner wall of the cold water tank (2).

2. The chilled water machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigeration module (3a0) is a cylindrical structure with inner and outer spiral tubes (3a1 and 3a2).

3. The chilled water machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner spiral tube (3a1) and the outer spiral tube (3a2) of the refrigeration tube (3a) are coaxial and arranged side by side.

4. The chilled water machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The inner spiral tube (3a1) and the outer spiral tube (3a2) of the refrigeration module (3a0) have opposite spiral directions, and the two ends of the refrigeration module (3a0) are located on the same side of the cold water tank (2).

5. The chilled water machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigeration module (3a0) includes a vertical section (3a3) and a spiral section (3a4) connected to each other. The spiral section (3a4) is cylindrical and spirals upward along the length of the vertical section (3a3) and coils around the outside of the vertical section (3a3).

6. The chilled water machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigeration module (3a0) extends in a single spiral shape along the length of the cold water tank (2).

7. The chilled water machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The cold water tank (2) is provided with a drain hole (2f) and a plug (4) for sealing or opening the drain hole (2f) is also provided on the cold water tank (2). The partition (2a) and the inner bottom wall of the cold water tank (2) form the above-mentioned water passage gap (2g). The drain hole (2f) is opened on the inner bottom wall of the cold water tank (2) and located directly below the partition (2a).

8. The chilled water machine according to claim 7, characterized in that, The inlet (2d) and outlet (2e) are located on the top walls of the first cooling chamber (2b) and the second cooling chamber (2c), respectively. The refrigeration module (3a0) has two units, which are respectively arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the first cooling chamber (2b) and the second cooling chamber (2c).

9. The chilled water machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The partition (2a) has an integrally formed vertical agitator (2h) and several horizontal agitator (2i) on the surface facing the first cooling chamber (2b) and the second cooling chamber (2c). The vertical agitator (2h) and the horizontal agitator (2i) are both flat strips and are perpendicular to the partition (2a). The vertical agitator (2h) and the horizontal agitator (2i) are staggered to form several agitator cavities (2j).

10. The chilled water machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The partition (2a) is a square plate made of plastic. A sealing gasket (2k) is provided between the top of the partition (2a) and the cold water tank. The cold water tank (2) has a limiting groove (2l) extending along the axial direction of the cold water tank (2) on both of its inner walls. The two sides of the partition (2a) are respectively inserted into the corresponding limiting groove (2l) and are in contact with the bottom surface of the limiting groove (2l). The partition (2a) also has a long strip-shaped shrinkage groove (2a1) on the side that is in contact with the bottom surface of the limiting groove (2l). The shrinkage groove (2a1) extends along the axial direction of the cold water tank (2) and the depth of the shrinkage groove (2a1) gradually increases from the bottom of the cold water tank (2) to the top of the cold water tank (2).

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