Small refrigerator for laser device

Abstract

This utility model discloses a small chiller for laser equipment, comprising a chiller body consisting of an outer shell and an internal heat exchange assembly. The outer shell has a cuboid structure. The heat exchange assembly includes a water tank located at one end inside the outer shell, with one side of the water tank close to the short side of the outer shell. A fan is located on one side of the water tank, close to the long side of the outer shell. A condenser is located behind the fan. The fan, condenser, and water tank are arranged in an "L" shape. A control board is located on one side of the condenser, near the water tank. A heat exchanger and a compressor connected to it are sequentially arranged on one side of the control board extending towards the end of the condenser away from the water tank. The compressor is also connected to the condenser. A water pump connected to the water tank is installed on the inlet and outlet pipes of the heat exchanger. This utility model solves the problems of large size, heavy weight, and low precision of existing chillers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of refrigeration equipment, and in particular to a small refrigeration unit for laser equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of modern electronic technology, the integration and assembly density of electronic components are constantly increasing. While providing powerful functions, this has also led to a sharp increase in power consumption and heat generation. High temperatures can have detrimental effects on the stability, reliability, and lifespan of electronic components. For example, excessively high temperatures can cause power reduction (output power decreases by 5% to 10% for every 10°C increase in temperature), wavelength shift (affecting focusing accuracy and causing blurred markings), device aging (long-term high temperatures shorten the lifespan of laser diodes from 100,000 hours to 30,000 hours), and damage circuit connection interfaces, increasing conductor resistance and causing mechanical stress damage. Therefore, ensuring timely heat dissipation from heat-generating electronic components has become a crucial aspect of microelectronic product system assembly. High precision requires greater cooling capacity and higher temperature control accuracy. Currently, the following two types of cooling equipment are commonly used in semiconductor manufacturing, optical equipment, and new energy industries: Semiconductor coolers utilize a PN junction made of special semiconductor materials to form a thermocouple pair, transferring heat from the P-type semiconductor to the N-type semiconductor. This creates a temperature difference between the two ends, forming a hot and cold junction. The cold junction is used for heat exchange and dissipation from the laser. Semiconductor cooling equipment has the advantages of being lightweight and compact, but its cooling efficiency is relatively low. Its cooling performance varies non-linearly with ambient temperature, voltage, the thickness of the cooling block, the cold junction heat dissipation mode, mechanical pressure, and the material of the thermally conductive phase change material, resulting in low temperature control accuracy and a short lifespan.

[0003] Chillers: The compressor compresses, heats, and pressurizes the refrigerant inside, forming a gaseous state that enters the condenser. The heat is released through air cooling, creating a low-temperature, high-pressure liquid that passes through a capillary tube into the evaporator. There, it exchanges heat with a laser, absorbing heat and vaporizing before returning to the compressor for the next cycle. Compression chillers are characterized by high precision, high cooling efficiency, reliable performance, and long lifespan. However, their cooling mechanism requires a significant amount of space and increases their weight. They are generally classified into three types: air-cooled chillers, which use fans for heat dissipation, eliminating the need for a cooling tower, and have lower power consumption; water-cooled chillers, which rely on a cooling tower for heat dissipation, offering higher efficiency but higher power consumption, and are commonly used in data centers and chemical plants; and screw chillers, which feature variable frequency control, high energy efficiency, and are commonly used in central air conditioning systems and pharmaceutical production lines.

[0004] In view of this, this technical solution proposes a small refrigerator for laser equipment. By changing the arrangement of the components of the internal heat exchange assembly, the internal components are set up efficiently and compactly, reducing the volume, eliminating unnecessary space and components, reducing weight, and further increasing the accuracy by combining a heat exchanger structure with a smaller plate heat exchanger. Utility Model Content

[0005] The present invention aims to at least partially solve one of the technical problems in the related technologies. Therefore, the main objective of this invention is to provide a small-scale refrigerator for laser equipment, addressing the problems of large size, heavy weight, and low precision in existing refrigerators.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a small chiller for laser equipment, comprising a chiller body consisting of an outer casing and internal heat exchange components. The outer casing has a cuboid structure. The heat exchange assembly includes a water tank located at one end inside the outer casing, with one side of the water tank close to the short side of the outer casing. A fan is provided on one side of the water tank, close to the long side of the outer casing. A condenser is provided behind the fan. The fan, condenser, and water tank are arranged to form an "L" shape. A control panel is provided on one side of the condenser, close to the water tank. A heat exchanger and a compressor connected to it are arranged sequentially on one side of the control panel extending towards the end of the condenser away from the water tank. The compressor is also connected to the condenser. The heat exchanger has a water pump connected to the water tank on the inlet and outlet pipes.

[0007] As a further embodiment of this utility model, the heat exchanger includes a mounting base fixed to the condenser shell and a heat exchange plate with a sealing plate fixed to the mounting base. The heat exchange plate is externally fixed to the mounting base by a fixing clip.

[0008] As a further embodiment of this utility model, the heat exchange plate is a counter-type plate heat exchange structure.

[0009] As a further embodiment of this invention, a capillary tube is provided between the compressor and the condenser.

[0010] As a further improvement of this utility model, a return water pipeline is provided between the water tank and the heat exchanger.

[0011] As a further embodiment of this invention, a drying filter is provided between the condenser and the capillary tube.

[0012] As a further improvement of this utility model, the water tank is equipped with a light strip for easy observation of the liquid level.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: This technical solution involves placing the water tank close to the short side of the outer casing, with the fan positioned near the long side and combined with the rear condenser to form an L-shaped structure. Simultaneously, the control board, heat exchanger, and compressor are compactly arranged within the L-shaped inner space, allowing all heat exchange components to be efficiently integrated within the cuboid casing. This significantly reduces the equipment's size and weight. The counter-plate design of the heat exchanger further reduces space requirements. The L-shaped structure and plate heat exchanger achieve compactness, facilitating equipment movement and installation, improving temperature control accuracy and system reliability, and solving the problems of bulky and poor temperature control in traditional refrigeration units. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the technical solutions of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the chiller body in this utility model.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the chiller body from another perspective in this utility model.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the outer shell and the heat exchange component in this utility model.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the components of the heat exchange assembly in this utility model.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a top view diagram of the water tank, fan, and condenser in this utility model.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the heat exchanger in this utility model.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the heat exchanger in this utility model.

[0022] 1 chiller body 1140 capillary 10 outer casing 115 heat exchanger 11 heat exchange components 1150 heat exchange plate 110 water tank 1151 sealing plate 1100 LED strip 1152 Mounting base 111 fan 1153 Fixing clip 112 Condenser 116 Flow meter 113 control board 117 water pump 114 compressor Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] The term "one embodiment" or "implementation" as used herein refers to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation of this utility model. In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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 utility model. 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 indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. Moreover, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this utility model described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0025] Please see the appendix Figure 1-7 , This technical solution relates to a small chiller for laser equipment. The chiller body (1) consists of a rectangular outer shell (10) and an internal heat exchange assembly (11).

[0026] Specifically, the heat exchange assembly (11) starts from one end of the outer shell (10), with the water tank (110) placed close to the short side of the shell. One side of the water tank (110) is close to the fan (111), and the fan (111) is close to the long side of the shell. The condenser (112) is directly installed behind the fan (111). Thus, the fan (111), condenser (112), and water tank (110) are arranged to form an "L"-shaped structure. Inside this L-shaped structure, a control panel (113) is provided near the water tank (110) of the condenser (112). Extending from the control panel (113) toward the end of the condenser (112) away from the water tank (110), a heat exchanger (115) and a compressor (114) connected to it are arranged in sequence. The compressor (114) is also connected to the condenser (112). A water pump (117) is installed on the inlet pipe and outlet pipe of the heat exchanger (115). The water pump (117) is directly connected to the water tank (110) to form a circulation loop. This reasonable and compact arrangement makes full use of the space of the outer shell (10), the components are tightly connected without any extra gaps, and the overall assembly is efficient and convenient.

[0027] The L-shaped arrangement of the fan (111), condenser (112) and water tank (110), along with the control board (113), heat exchanger (115) and compressor (114) filling the gaps, eliminates unnecessary space and components, significantly reducing the size and weight of the entire chiller body (1), making it easier to move and install. The structure of the heat exchanger (115) (such as the plate countersunk design) combined with the compact layout improves heat exchange efficiency and temperature control accuracy, ensuring stable operation of the laser equipment and avoiding performance degradation or component damage caused by high temperature. The whole system is lighter, more precise and reliable.

[0028] Reference Appendix Figure 4 , 6 -7. A preferred embodiment of this utility model: The heat exchanger (115) of this solution is fixed to the condenser shell by the mounting base (1152), the heat exchange plate (1150) is pressed on the mounting base (1152) by the sealing plate (1151), and then reinforced by the fixing clip (1153) on the outside. The mounting base (1152) is directly supported by the condenser shell, saving the space and weight of the independent bracket.

[0029] Understandably, the sealing plate (1151) and the fixing clamp (1153) form a detachable clamping structure to ensure the sealing between the heat exchange plate (1150) and the mounting base (1152), and also facilitate the quick disassembly of the heat exchange plate (1150) for cleaning or replacement during later maintenance, reducing assembly complexity.

[0030] Reference Appendix Figure 6 , 7In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchange plate (1150) adopts a counter-flow plate heat exchange structure, which is composed of multiple layers of thin plates. The hot and cold fluids flow in opposite directions in the narrow space between the plates, which greatly increases the heat exchange contact area and turbulence, and enhances the mixing efficiency of the hot and cold media. The plate structure further reduces the overall thickness of the heat exchanger (115) and fits the compact layout of the outer shell (10) better.

[0031] Reference Appendix Figure 4 A preferred embodiment of this invention is as follows: A capillary tube (1140) is provided between the compressor (114) and the condenser (112). This capillary tube (1140) acts as a throttling device, precisely controlling the flow rate and pressure of the liquid refrigerant from the condenser (112) to the heat exchanger (115). This allows the refrigerant to be sufficiently depressurized and cooled before entering the heat exchanger (115), improving the temperature control accuracy of the entire refrigeration cycle. It is easy to understand that the capillary tube (1140) in this solution is a miniaturized structure of a common capillary circuit. It has a simple structure, small size, and is seamlessly embedded in the connecting pipeline between the compressor (114) and the condenser (112).

[0032] Reference Appendix Figure 4 A preferred embodiment of this utility model is as follows: Preferably, a return water pipeline is provided between the water tank (110) and the heat exchanger (115).

[0033] Specifically, the pipeline can directly return the condensate droplets or small amount of leaked liquid formed on the surface of the heat exchanger (115) during the heat exchange process to the water tank (110), avoiding the accumulation of water inside the shell that could cause a short circuit, and eliminating the need for additional drainage structures, thus further simplifying the internal pipeline layout.

[0034] Reference Appendix Figure 4 In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the present solution also provides a drying filter between the condenser (112) and the capillary tube (1140). This component can effectively adsorb the residual moisture during the refrigerant circulation process and intercept impurity particles to prevent moisture from freezing and clogging the capillary tube (1140) or impurities from wearing down the compressor (114) components.

[0035] Reference Appendix Figure 4 In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the water tank (110) of this solution is provided with an LED light strip (1100), which can directly display the liquid level of the water tank (110) through intuitive lighting. The remaining amount of coolant can be monitored in real time without opening the cover or using external tools, and the operation is simple and easy to understand.

[0036] The following points need to be explained: (1) The accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this disclosure only involve the structures involved in the embodiments of this disclosure. Other structures can be referred to the general design.

[0037] (2) Where there is no conflict, features of the same embodiment and different embodiments of this disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0038] The above are merely specific embodiments of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A small refrigerator for laser equipment, characterized in that, include The chiller body consists of an outer casing and internal heat exchange components. The outer casing has a cuboid structure. The heat exchange assembly includes a water tank located at one end inside the outer casing, with one side of the water tank close to the short side of the outer casing. A fan is provided on one side of the water tank, close to the long side of the outer casing. A condenser is provided behind the fan. The fan, condenser, and water tank are arranged to form an "L" shape. A control panel is provided on one side of the condenser, close to the water tank. A heat exchanger and a compressor connected to it are arranged sequentially on one side of the control panel extending towards the end of the condenser away from the water tank. The compressor is also connected to the condenser. The heat exchanger has a water pump connected to the water tank on the inlet and outlet pipes.

2. The miniature refrigerator for laser equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat exchanger includes a mounting base fixed to the outer shell of the condenser, and a heat exchange plate with a sealing plate fixed to the mounting base. The heat exchange plate is externally fixed to the mounting base by a fixing clip.

3. The miniature refrigerator for laser equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The heat exchange plate is a counter-type plate heat exchange structure.

4. The miniature refrigerator for laser equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, A capillary tube is provided between the compressor and the condenser.

5. The miniature refrigerator for laser equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, A return water pipe is provided between the water tank and the heat exchanger.

6. The miniature refrigerator for laser equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, A drying filter is provided between the condenser and the capillary tube.

7. The miniature refrigerator for laser equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water tank is equipped with a light strip for easy observation of the liquid level.

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