Ice-making mold assembly and ice maker

Abstract

This utility model discloses an ice-making module and an ice maker, belonging to the field of ice-making technology. It includes an evaporator housing with a cavity inside. An ice-making mold, inserted into the cavity, is fixed to the evaporator housing. The ice-making mold has an ice-making groove, separating the cavity from the ice-making groove. A refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet, communicating with the cavity, are also provided on the side wall of the evaporator housing. The ice-making mold can fully contact the refrigerant, resulting in high ice-making efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of ice-making technology, specifically relating to an ice-making module and an ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] like Figure 1 As shown, the existing evaporator includes an evaporator body and a condenser tube. The condenser tube cools the evaporator body so that ice can form inside the evaporator shell, thereby achieving ice making.

[0003] However, the evaporator body mainly relies on the condenser tube at its bottom for cooling, and the surrounding temperature is relatively high, resulting in poor ice-making efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an ice-making module and an ice maker that can increase ice-making efficiency.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: an ice-making module, including an evaporator housing, a cavity inside the evaporator housing, an ice-making mold fixed on the evaporator housing and inserted into the cavity, an ice-making groove on the ice-making mold, the ice-making mold separating the cavity and the ice-making groove, and a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet communicating with the cavity on the side wall of the evaporator housing.

[0006] Furthermore, the angle between the evaporator shell and the vertical plane is A, 20°≥A≥0°. The evaporator shell is provided with a water supply device and a diversion component. The water flowing out of the water supply device flows through each of the ice-making inner grooves through the diversion component.

[0007] Furthermore, the water supply device includes a first water supply pipe, which is fixed above the evaporator housing by a first bracket. The first water supply pipe is provided with a first water supply hole corresponding to the ice-making inner groove. The diversion component is a recess formed on the side of the evaporator housing facing the first water supply hole. Each recess corresponds to at least one first water supply hole. The recess allows water flowing out of the first water supply hole to enter the corresponding ice-making inner groove.

[0008] Furthermore, the refrigerant inlet is lower than the refrigerant outlet, and the refrigerant outlet is located near the upper end of the cavity.

[0009] Furthermore, the water flowing out of the ice-making groove opening passes through the outer surface of the evaporator shell, which is a difficult-to-de-ice area. The outer surface is located below the opening of the ice-making groove. The inner wall of the evaporator shell is provided with a heating cavity, which is located inside the outer surface. A heating tube is fixed inside the heating cavity. The heating tube includes an inlet and an outlet. Refrigerant is introduced into the inlet, and the temperature of the refrigerant is higher than 0 degrees Celsius.

[0010] Furthermore, the water supply device includes a second water supply pipe, which is fixed to the upper side of the evaporator housing by a second bracket. The evaporator housing is provided with an arc-shaped protrusion located above the opening of the ice-making inner groove. The second water supply pipe is provided with a plurality of second water supply holes with openings facing the arc-shaped protrusion near the ice-making inner groove.

[0011] Furthermore, a partition is fixed inside the cavity, which separates the cavity into an upper cavity and a lower cavity. A connecting groove is provided between the upper cavity and the lower cavity. The refrigerant inlet is connected to the upper cavity, and the refrigerant outlet is connected to the lower cavity. The connecting groove is higher than the bottom of the upper cavity.

[0012] Furthermore, the refrigerant outlet is located at the bottom of the lower cavity, and a discharge pipe is fixed on the refrigerant outlet. The discharge pipe is provided with a discharge inlet and a discharge outlet. The discharge inlet is located near the top of the upper cavity, and the discharge outlet is located on the outside of the evaporator shell.

[0013] Furthermore, the side wall of the outlet tube is provided with an outlet side hole, which communicates with the lower cavity and is located near the bottom of the lower cavity.

[0014] An ice maker was also disclosed, including the ice-making module described above, and a refrigerator body with a receiving slot on the refrigerator body, and the evaporator shell fixed in the receiving slot.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0016] (1) The ice-making mold can fully contact the refrigerant, resulting in high ice-making efficiency. The cavity on the evaporator shell is a single cavity, with a simple structure and easy processing.

[0017] (3) Ice blocks of corresponding shapes can be produced according to the shape of the ice-making groove;

[0018] (4) The discharged water enters the ice-making groove through the depression. The depression allows the water flowing out of the water supply hole to enter each ice-making groove. Some of the water freezes into a layer of ice in the ice-making groove. The ice in the ice-making groove thickens layer by layer and eventually forms a whole block of ice.

[0019] (5) The refrigerant inlet is lower than the refrigerant outlet, and the refrigerant outlet is located near the upper end of the cavity so that the refrigerant can fill the entire cavity when it flows, thereby improving the uniformity of ice making.

[0020] (6) The heating element can prevent water from freezing in areas where it is difficult to remove ice;

[0021] (7) The refrigerant enters the upper cavity through the refrigerant inlet, and then the refrigerant rises in the upper cavity. After rising to the height of the connecting groove, it enters the lower cavity through the connecting groove, so that the refrigerant can slowly sink to the bottom of the cavity, and the cooling in the vertical direction inside the cavity is more uniform.

[0022] (8) The side hole allows the liquefied refrigerant inside the lower cavity to be discharged. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the existing technology;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the ice-making module of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A sectional view;

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Exploded view;

[0027] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a water-flow ice-making module;

[0028] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Another structural diagram;

[0029] Figure 7 for Figure 5 A sectional view;

[0030] Figure 8 for Figure 5 Side view;

[0031] Figure 9 for Figure 5 Exploded view;

[0032] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of a water-flow ice-making module;

[0033] Figure 11 for Figure 10 Front view;

[0034] Figure 12 for Figure 11 Cross-sectional view at point AA;

[0035] Figure 13 for Figure 11 Cross-sectional view at point BB;

[0036] Figure 14 for Figure 11 Cross-sectional view at point C;

[0037] Figure 15 for Figure 14 A magnified view of a section at point I;

[0038] Figure 16 for Figure 10 Exploded view;

[0039] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of an ice maker.

[0040] In the diagram: 1. Ice-making mold; 2. Ice-making inner groove; 3. Contact outer surface; 4. Evaporator shell; 5. Cavity; 6. Refrigerant inlet; 7. Refrigerant outlet; 8. Groove sidewall; 9. Groove bottom; 10. First water supply pipe; 11. First support; 12. First water supply hole; 13. Recess; 14. First corner of water flow; 15. Second corner of water flow; 16. Third corner of water flow; 17. Fourth corner of water flow; 18. Guide channel; 19. Horizontal channel; 20. Vertical channel; 21. 22. Second water supply pipe; 23. Second bracket; 24. Outlet side hole; 25. Inlet end; 26. Outlet end; 27. Refrigerator body; 28. Receiving slot; 29. ​​Automatic ice dispensing device; 30. Difficult-to-remove ice area; 31. Heating cavity; 32. Heating pipe; 33. Pipe inlet; 34. Pipe outlet; 35. Arc-shaped protrusion; 36. Second water supply hole; 37. Partition plate; 38. Upper cavity; 39. Lower cavity; 40. Connecting slot; 41. Outlet outlet; 42. Outlet inlet; 43. Heat pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0042] Please see Figures 1-17 This utility model provides a technical solution for an ice-making module and an ice maker.

[0043] An ice-making module includes an evaporator housing 4, a cavity 5 inside the evaporator housing 4, an ice-making mold 1 fixed on the evaporator housing 4 and inserted into the cavity 5, an ice-making groove 2 on the ice-making mold 1, the ice-making mold 1 separating the cavity 5 and the ice-making groove 2, and a refrigerant inlet 6 and a refrigerant outlet 7 communicating with the cavity 5 on the side wall of the evaporator housing 4.

[0044] Refrigerant enters the cavity 5 through refrigerant inlet 6. At this time, the ice-making mold 1 is immersed in the refrigerant. After the refrigerant fully contacts the outer surface 3 of the ice-making mold 1, it is discharged from the refrigerant outlet 7. The refrigerant cools the ice-making mold 1, turning the water in the ice-making groove 2 into ice. When it is necessary to remove the ice, the temperature of the refrigerant is increased to raise the temperature of the ice-making mold 1, which allows the ice to separate from the ice-making mold 1. Because the outer surface 3 of the ice-making mold 1 can fully contact the refrigerant, the contact area between the ice-making mold 1 and the refrigerant is increased, resulting in high ice-making efficiency. Since the cavity 5 on the evaporator shell 4 is a single cavity, the structure is simple and easy to manufacture.

[0045] It should be noted that ice mold 1 can be set in a row (e.g., Figure 2 As shown in the figure, it can also be configured with multiple rows, thus enabling the production of more ice cubes at once. The above figure only illustrates the structure when the opening of the ice-making inner groove 2 is square. The ice-making inner groove 2 can also be configured as other shapes such as square, polygonal, or semi-circular, thereby achieving ice making in more shapes. Of course, the ice-making mold 1 can also be detachably connected to the evaporator housing 4, allowing for the replacement of the ice-making mold 1.

[0046] The ice mold 1 and the evaporator housing 4 can be separate components, processed separately, and then fixed together; alternatively, the ice mold 1 and the evaporator housing 4 can be integrally formed. Alternatively, the ice mold 1 and the evaporator housing 4 can be detachably connected, allowing for the replacement of ice mold 1 with different shaped ice-making grooves 2.

[0047] like Figure 3 As shown, this is one structure of the ice-making inner groove 2. The ice-making inner groove 2 consists of a groove sidewall 8 and a groove bottom 9. The groove sidewall 8 is inclined, and the opening at the end of the groove sidewall 8 away from the groove bottom 9 is larger than the opening at the end closer to the groove bottom 9. Because the groove sidewall 8 is inclined, it is convenient to remove ice blocks from the ice-making inner groove 2.

[0048] The following scheme is one implementation method that uses a flowing water system to supply water to the ice-making inner groove 2, such as... Figures 5-9As shown, the angle between the evaporator shell 4 and the vertical plane is A, 20°≥A≥0°, which means that the opening of the ice-making groove 2 is horizontal or inclined downward, so that the ice can be easily discharged from the ice-making groove 2 after the ice is made. The evaporator shell 4 is equipped with a water supply device and a diversion component. The water flowing out of the water supply device flows through each ice-making groove 2 through the diversion component.

[0049] like Figure 7 As shown, the water supply device includes a first water supply pipe 10, which is fixed above the evaporator housing 4 by a first bracket 11. The first water supply pipe 10 is provided with a first water supply hole 12 corresponding to the ice-making inner groove 2. The diversion component is a recess 13 formed on the side of the evaporator housing 4 facing the first water supply hole 12. Each recess 13 corresponds to at least one first water supply hole 12. The recess 13 allows the water flowing out of the first water supply hole 12 to enter the corresponding ice-making inner groove 2.

[0050] Of course, each recess 13 can correspond to multiple first water supply holes 12. That is, assuming there are 30 small holes on the water outlet pipe, every 5 first water supply holes 12 correspond to one recess 13 and one ice-making inner groove 2, and the 5 first water supply holes 12 supply water to one recess 13 and one ice-making inner groove 2 at the same time.

[0051] Water is introduced into the water supply pipe, and then the water is discharged from the water supply hole. The discharged water enters the ice-making inner groove 2 through the recess 13. The recess 13 allows the water flowing out of the water supply hole to enter each ice-making inner groove 2, instead of flowing directly through the opening of the ice-making inner groove 2. Some of the water freezes into a layer of ice in the ice-making inner groove 2, and some water flows out from the ice-making inner groove 2. The ice in the ice-making inner groove 2 thickens layer by layer, eventually forming a whole block of ice.

[0052] like Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, the recess 13 includes an inlet end 24 and an outlet end 25. The inlet end 24 is located near the water supply hole, and the outlet end 25 is located near the ice-making inner groove 2. The opening of the inlet end 24 is smaller than the opening of the outlet end 25.

[0053] like Figure 6 As shown, the refrigerant inlet 6 is lower than the refrigerant outlet 7, and the refrigerant outlet 7 is located near the upper end of the cavity 5 so that the refrigerant can fill the entire cavity 5 when it flows, thereby improving the uniformity of ice making.

[0054] like Figure 5 and Figure 7As shown, the water flowing out of the opening of the ice-making groove 2 passes through the outer surface of the evaporator shell 4, which is the difficult-to-de-ice area 29. This outer surface is located below the opening of the ice-making groove 2. The inner wall of the evaporator shell 4 is provided with a heating chamber 30, which is located inside the outer surface. A heating tube 31 is fixed inside the heating chamber 30. The heating tube 31 includes an inlet 32 ​​and an outlet 33. A heating medium with a temperature higher than 0 degrees Celsius is introduced through the inlet 32. The heating tube 31 prevents water from freezing in the difficult-to-de-ice area 29. When the mold has multiple rows, it can prevent adjacent ice blocks from sticking together.

[0055] The inlet 32 ​​is connected to the refrigerant outlet 7. It should be noted that the refrigerant flowing into the cavity 5 of the ice-making module is at a low temperature. When the refrigerant flows through the ice-making mold 1, it absorbs heat and becomes a higher temperature. At this point, the refrigerant can act as a condenser, flowing into the inlet 32 ​​of the heating pipe 31, and then returning to the compressor from the outlet 33. Through this arrangement, the heating pipe 31 can directly utilize the refrigeration components (evaporator and compressor, etc.) in the ice-making module, thus eliminating the need for a separate additional structure and reducing the overall structure and cost.

[0056] Furthermore, such as Figure 6 As shown, the evaporator housing 4 has a first corner 14, a second corner 15, a third corner 16, and a fourth corner 17 for water flow on the side facing away from the ice-making groove 2. The first corner 14 is lower than the fourth corner 17, and the second corner 15 is lower than the third corner 16. The refrigerant inlet 6 is located at the first corner 14, and the refrigerant outlet 7 is located at the third corner 16.

[0057] like Figure 5 As shown, the diversion assembly also includes a flow guide channel 18, which corresponds one-to-one with the ice-making inner groove 2. The flow guide channel 18 includes a transverse channel 19 and a longitudinal channel 20. The recess 13 is located in the corresponding transverse channel 19, and the ice-making inner groove 2 is located in the corresponding longitudinal channel 20.

[0058] The flow channel 18 allows water to flow through the corresponding ice-making groove 2, rather than into adjacent ice-making grooves 2, thus ensuring that the ice blocks in each ice-making groove 2 are of uniform size during ice making. In addition, the flow channel 18 also prevents adjacent ice blocks from sticking together.

[0059] The following is another implementation of the water supply device, such as... Figures 10-16As shown, the water supply device includes a second water supply pipe 21, which is fixed to the upper side of the evaporator housing 4 by a second bracket 22. The evaporator housing 4 has an arc-shaped protrusion 34 located above the opening of the ice-making inner groove 2. The second water supply pipe 21 has several second water supply holes 35 with openings facing the arc-shaped protrusion 34 near the ice-making inner groove 2. The several second water supply holes 35 are arranged sequentially along the length of the second water supply pipe 21. Each ice-making inner groove 2 can correspond to at least one second water supply hole 35, and water can be supplied to the corresponding ice-making inner groove 2 through one or more second water supply holes 35.

[0060] By introducing water into the second water supply pipe 21, the water rushes towards the arc-shaped protrusion 34 and enters the ice-making inner groove 2 along the arc-shaped protrusion 34. After flowing through the interior of the ice-making inner groove 2, it is discharged. The ice in the ice-making inner groove 2 thickens layer by layer and eventually forms a whole block of ice.

[0061] like Figures 10-16 As shown, a partition 36 is fixed inside the cavity 5, which separates the cavity 5 into an upper cavity 37 and a lower cavity 38. A connecting groove 39 is provided between the upper cavity 37 and the lower cavity 38. The connecting groove 39 is higher than the bottom of the upper cavity 37. The refrigerant inlet 6 is connected to the upper cavity 37, and the refrigerant outlet 7 is connected to the lower cavity 38.

[0062] The refrigerant enters the upper cavity 37 through the refrigerant inlet 6, and then rises in the upper cavity 37. After rising to the height of the connecting groove 39, the refrigerant enters the lower cavity 38 through the connecting groove 39, so that the refrigerant can slowly sink to the bottom of the cavity 5, and the cooling in the vertical direction inside the cavity 5 is more uniform.

[0063] like Figure 15 As shown, the refrigerant outlet 7 is located at the bottom of the lower cavity 38, and a discharge pipe 41 is fixed on the refrigerant outlet 7. The discharge pipe 41 is provided with a discharge inlet 42 and a discharge outlet 40. The discharge inlet 42 is located near the top of the upper cavity 37, and the discharge outlet 40 is located on the outside of the evaporator shell 4.

[0064] The refrigerant enters the upper cavity 37 through the refrigerant inlet 6, and then rises in the cavity 5. After rising to the height of the connecting groove 39, the refrigerant enters the lower cavity 38. When the lower cavity 38 is full of refrigerant, the refrigerant in the upper cavity 37 enters the outlet pipe 41 through the outlet inlet 42, and then is discharged from the outlet 40.

[0065] like Figure 15As shown, a discharge side hole 23 is provided on the side wall of the discharge pipe 41. The discharge side hole 23 communicates with the lower cavity 38 and is located near the bottom of the lower cavity 38. The discharge side hole 23 allows the liquefied refrigerant inside the lower cavity 38 to flow back into the compressor, preventing it from accumulating in the refrigeration chamber and affecting refrigeration. The discharge side hole 23 has a small diameter, which reduces the amount of refrigerant entering the discharge pipe 41 through the discharge side hole 23 during normal refrigeration.

[0066] like Figure 13 As shown, a heat pipe 43 is also fixed on the evaporator shell 4. The heat pipe 43 is connected to the lower part of the cavity 5. When de-icing is required, hot gas can be introduced into the cavity 5 through the heat pipe 43 to achieve de-icing. During the refrigeration process, the heat pipe 43 is closed. The heat pipe 43 is connected to the compressor, and the hot gas is generated by the compressor.

[0067] like Figure 17 As shown, an ice maker is also disclosed, including the aforementioned ice-making module and a refrigerator body 26. The refrigerator body 26 is provided with a receiving groove 27, and the evaporator housing 4 is fixed in the receiving groove 27. The ice maker may also include an automatic ice dispensing device 28 and an ice crushing device, with functions such as automatic ice dispensing and ice crushing. Automatic ice dispensing and ice crushing are existing technologies and will not be described in detail.

[0068] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An ice cube molding module, characterized by comprising: The device includes an evaporator housing with a cavity inside. An ice-making mold is fixed to the evaporator housing and inserted into the cavity. The ice-making mold has an ice-making groove and separates the cavity from the ice-making groove. The side wall of the evaporator housing also has a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet that communicate with the cavity.

2. The ice-making mold set according to claim 1, wherein The angle between the evaporator shell and the vertical plane is A, 20°≥A≥0°. The evaporator shell is provided with a water supply device and a diversion component. The water flowing out of the water supply device flows through each of the ice-making inner grooves through the diversion component.

3. The ice-making mold set according to claim 2, wherein The water supply device includes a first water supply pipe, which is fixed above the evaporator housing by a first bracket. The first water supply pipe is provided with a first water supply hole corresponding to the ice-making inner groove. The diversion component is a recess formed on the side of the evaporator housing facing the first water supply hole. Each recess corresponds to at least one first water supply hole. The recess allows water flowing out of the first water supply hole to enter the corresponding ice-making inner groove.

4. The ice-making module of claim 2, wherein, The refrigerant inlet is lower than the refrigerant outlet, and the refrigerant outlet is located near the upper end of the cavity.

5. The ice-making module of claim 2, wherein the ice-making module is configured to be mounted in a refrigerator. The water flowing out of the ice-making groove opening passes through the outer surface of the evaporator shell, which is a difficult-to-de-ice area. The outer surface is located below the opening of the ice-making groove. The inner wall of the evaporator shell is provided with a heating cavity, which is located inside the outer surface. A heating tube is fixed in the heating cavity. The heating tube includes an inlet and an outlet. Refrigerant is introduced into the inlet, and the temperature of the refrigerant is higher than 0 degrees Celsius.

6. The ice-making module of claim 2, wherein, The water supply device includes a second water supply pipe, which is fixed to the upper side of the evaporator housing by a second bracket. The evaporator housing is provided with an arc-shaped protrusion located above the opening of the ice-making inner groove. The second water supply pipe is provided with a plurality of second water supply holes with openings facing the arc-shaped protrusion and close to the ice-making inner groove.

7. An ice-making module according to claim 6, characterized in that, A partition is fixed inside the cavity, which divides the cavity into an upper cavity and a lower cavity. A connecting groove is provided between the upper cavity and the lower cavity. The refrigerant inlet is connected to the upper cavity, and the refrigerant outlet is connected to the lower cavity. The connecting groove is higher than the bottom of the upper cavity.

8. The ice-making module of claim 7, wherein, The refrigerant outlet is located at the bottom of the lower cavity, and a discharge pipe is fixed on the refrigerant outlet. The discharge pipe has a discharge inlet and a discharge outlet. The discharge inlet is located near the top of the upper cavity, and the discharge outlet is located on the outside of the evaporator shell.

9. The ice-making module of claim 8, wherein, The side wall of the outlet tube is provided with an outlet side hole, which communicates with the lower cavity and is located near the bottom of the lower cavity.

10. An ice maker characterized by, The ice-making module includes any one of claims 1-9, and further includes a refrigerator body, which has a receiving groove, and the evaporator shell is fixed in the receiving groove.

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