Tubular ice mold for ice maker

Abstract

The application discloses a tubular ice mould for an ice maker and relates to the technical field of ice making equipment. The ice mould comprises an ice maker shell, a water filling box and a water spraying box are fixedly arranged in the ice maker shell, a plurality of water spraying openings are formed in the water spraying box, a plurality of ice block forming pipes corresponding to the water spraying openings are fixedly arranged on the water spraying box, an evaporation pipe is arranged on the ice block forming pipe and is tightly connected with the ice block forming pipe through welding, an inclined cover plate is fixedly arranged on the water filling box, a scraper for scraping residual water on the surface of the cover plate is slidably arranged on the cover plate, and a driving mechanism for controlling the scraper to move along the surface of the cover plate in an inclined mode is arranged on the water filling box. The evaporation pipe and the ice block forming pipe are tightly fixed through welding or die casting, and the ice block forming pipe is made of high-thermal-conductivity material, so that the heat is efficiently transferred and the ice making efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of ice-making equipment technology, and in particular to a tubular ice mold for an ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] In the refrigeration field, ice makers, as devices capable of quickly and automatically producing ice, are widely used in various scenarios such as catering, medical care, scientific research, food processing, and households. One of the core components of an ice maker is the ice mold (ice forming tube), whose design directly determines ice-making efficiency, ice quality, energy consumption, and applicable range.

[0003] In existing technologies, the evaporator tube and the ice mold are often fixed by screws or clips. The gap at the contact surface increases the thermal resistance, which hinders the transfer of cooling capacity from the evaporator tube to the ice mold. As a result, the cooling capacity generated by the refrigeration system cannot be efficiently used for ice making. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the issue of a gap between the evaporator tube and the ice mold, this application provides a tubular ice mold for an ice maker.

[0005] The tubular ice mold for an ice maker provided in this application adopts the following technical solution: A tubular ice mold for an ice maker includes an ice maker housing. A water-filling box and a water-spraying box are fixedly installed inside the ice maker housing. The water-spraying box has several water spray nozzles. Several ice-forming tubes corresponding to the water spray nozzles are fixedly installed on the water-spraying box. An evaporation tube is installed on the ice-forming tube and is tightly connected to the ice-forming tube by welding. An inclined cover plate is fixedly installed on the water-filling box. A scraper for scraping off residual water on the surface of the cover plate is slidably installed on the cover plate. A drive mechanism for controlling the scraper to move inclinedly along the surface of the cover plate is provided on the water-filling box.

[0006] By adopting the above technical solution, the welding connection can eliminate the contact thermal resistance between the evaporation tube and the ice block forming tube, realizing heat conduction, thereby greatly improving ice-making efficiency and reducing energy consumption. The scraper and drive mechanism can actively and automatically remove residual water on the cover plate, preventing ice blocks from sticking together due to surface moisture, ensuring smooth ice dispensing and high-quality independent ice blocks. It is particularly suitable for commercial scenarios of automated ice dispensing. The ice maker shell serves as the structural foundation and installation platform of the entire module. The water box and water spray box serve as the water storage center and water distribution center, respectively. The water spray nozzle is used to precisely guide water to each ice block forming tube.

[0007] Preferably, a water pump is installed inside the water box, and a water delivery pipe connected to the inside of the water box is fixedly installed at the output end of the water pump. An inlet pipe is fixedly installed on the water box.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the specific composition of the water circulation system was clarified. Its advantages include achieving full automation of the ice-making process and recycling of water resources; the water pump provides a stable and controllable water flow, ensuring uniform water distribution and consistent ice quality; the water delivery pipe forms a closed circulation path, preventing water contamination during transport; and the inlet pipe enables automatic water replenishment.

[0009] Preferably, the driving mechanism includes a fixed plate that is fixedly connected to both ends of the scraper, a limit post fixedly provided on the fixed plate, two limit grooves that are slidably connected to the limit post fixedly provided on the water box, a connecting plate fixedly provided on the water box, and a power structure for controlling the movement of the fixed plate provided in the connecting plate.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, the mechanical design of the drive mechanism has been refined. Its advantages include achieving smooth, precise, and reliable scraper movement. The limiting post and limiting groove, through the cooperation of the fixed plate, connecting plate, and power structure, ensure that the scraper remains parallel and in close contact with the inclined cover surface throughout its entire stroke, preventing the scraper from lifting or jamming, thus guaranteeing the scraping effect and the service life of the mechanism.

[0011] Preferably, the power structure includes a sliding column that slides through and slides through a fixed plate, a fixed column that is fixedly connected to a connecting plate that slides through and slides through the sliding column, a threaded rod that is threadedly connected to the sliding column that is rotatably disposed in the connecting plate, a servo motor that is fixedly disposed on the connecting plate, and the drive end of the servo motor that is fixedly connected to the threaded rod.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, the threaded rod and the sliding column form a screw nut, which has the advantages of achieving precise positioning and self-locking. When the servo motor stops, the scraper can be firmly stopped at any position and will not slip due to gravity. The fixed column acts as a guide rod inside the sliding column to prevent it from rotating.

[0013] Preferably, the limiting groove is arranged parallel to the cover plate.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the parallel arrangement of the limiting groove and the cover plate ensures that the bottom edge of the scraper can always adhere to the surface of the cover plate at a constant angle and pressure during the movement process.

[0015] Preferably, a drainage plate is fixedly provided on the cover plate.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the drainage plate is installed at the bottom of the cover plate in the inclined direction to catch the water scraped down by the scraper. The collected residual water is effectively guided back into the water box, realizing the recycling of water resources. At the same time, it prevents water droplets from falling into the ice storage box and keeps the ice storage environment dry and hygienic.

[0017] Preferably, an ice storage box is provided inside the ice maker housing, and a float ball is fixedly installed inside the water box.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the advantage of the ice storage box is that it provides a centralized and clean storage space for finished ice cubes, making it convenient for users to access. The advantage of the float ball is that it achieves fully automatic water level maintenance. It has a simple structure, low cost and high reliability, ensuring that there is always an appropriate amount of water in the water box for ice making, so that it will not run dry and damage the water pump, nor will it overflow.

[0019] Preferably, the ice-forming tube is made of high thermal conductivity copper.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, the ice forming tube uses high thermal conductivity copper material to improve the thermal conductivity of the ice forming tube, which allows the cold energy of the refrigerant to be transferred to the water with minimal loss, thereby making the freezing speed faster, the ice making efficiency higher, and the overall energy consumption lower.

[0021] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. The evaporator tube and the ice-forming tube are tightly fixed together by welding or die casting. This method eliminates the physical gap at the joint surface of the evaporator tube and the ice-forming tube, achieving metallurgical bonding or molecular-level contact between metals, minimizing contact thermal resistance. Combined with the use of high thermal conductivity materials (such as copper or aluminum tubes) for the ice-forming tube, ultra-efficient heat transfer is achieved, improving ice-making efficiency. The ice-forming tube can also be customized with different diameters and numbers of rows to meet diverse customer needs.

[0022] 2. With the help of a scraper, a drive mechanism, and a drainage plate, the scraper periodically scrapes along the inclined surface of the cover plate before the ice blocks detach and slide onto it. Combined with the inclined drainage plate design, this reduces residual moisture on the cover plate surface and prevents excessive moisture from adhering to the surface of the ice blocks when they fall onto the cover plate. When there is no excess moisture on the ice blocks as a binder, it effectively prevents the ice blocks from refreezing and sticking together into large ice blocks due to excessive moisture on the surface, thus avoiding the need for users to manually break them up. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the overall structure of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the location and structure of the ice forming tube in this application; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the middle; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the tubular ice mold structure of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the scraper position structure in this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the drive mechanism structure of this application.

[0024] Attached reference numerals: 1. Ice maker housing; 2. Water pump; 3. Water inlet pipe; 4. Water container; 5. Float ball; 6. Ice storage box; 7. Cover plate; 8. Evaporation pipe; 9. Ice forming pipe; 10. Spraying box; 11. Spraying nozzle; 12. Water delivery pipe; 13. Scraper; 14. Drive mechanism; 141. Fixing plate; 142. Limiting groove; 143. Limiting post; 144. Connecting plate; 145. Sliding column; 146. Fixing post; 147. Threaded rod; 148. Servo motor; 15. Drainage plate. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1-6 This application will be described in further detail.

[0026] This application discloses a tubular ice mold for an ice maker.

[0027] Reference Figures 1 to 4 A tubular ice mold for an ice maker includes an ice maker housing 1. The top of the inner wall of the ice maker housing 1 is fixed to the outer surface of a water spray box 10, and the side of the inner wall of the ice maker housing 1 is fixed to the outer surface of a water container 4. The top of the inner wall of the water spray box 10 has several water spray nozzles 11, which can be linearly arrayed. The lower surface of the water spray box 10 is fixed to the upper surface of several ice-forming tubes 9. The top of each water spray box 10 corresponds to one water spray nozzle 11. The outer wall of the ice-forming tubes 9 is tightly connected to an evaporation tube 8 by welding. The upper surface of the water container 4 is fixed to the lower surface of a cover plate 7, which is inclined and located on the ice-forming tubes 9. Below the bottom, the upper surface of the cover plate 7 is slidably disposed with the bottom end of the scraper 13. The scraper 13 is used to scrape off the residual water on the surface of the cover plate 7. The water box 4 is provided with a drive mechanism 14, which is used to control the scraper 13 to move tilted along the surface of the cover plate 7. The inner wall of the water box 4 is fixed to the mounting end of the water pump 2. The output end of the water pump 2 is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the water supply pipe 12. The top end of the water supply pipe 12 is fixedly connected to the inside of the water spray box 10. The inside of the water box 4 is fixedly connected to the water inlet pipe 3. An ice storage box 6 is provided inside the ice maker housing 1. The ice storage box 6 is located below the water box 4 and the cover plate 7. A float ball 5 is fixedly installed inside the water box 4. The float ball 5 is used to detect the water level.

[0028] Water enters the water tank 4 through the inlet pipe 3. After the float ball 5 is activated, the water intake stops, and the water pump 2 starts. The pump 2 draws water through the delivery pipe 12 into the spray box 10. The water in the spray box 10 flows through the spray nozzle 11 from inside the ice-forming tube 9 into the water tank 4 below. The water first falls onto the cover plate 7 and then enters the water tank 4 through the gaps in the cover plate 7. This cycle repeats continuously. During this process, the evaporator tube 8 remains in a cooling state. After a period of time, ice will form inside the ice-forming tube 9, with the portion closest to the evaporator tube 8 forming first. The ice gradually thickens from top to bottom until it takes shape. After the set ice-making time is reached, the ice is fully formed and begins to unfreeze. The evaporator tube 8 heats the ice-forming tube 9, and the ice slides from inside the ice-forming tube 9 onto the cover plate 7. The ice then falls into the ice storage box 6 below due to the tilt of the cover plate 7. The ice-forming tube 9 is made of a high thermal conductivity material, such as copper. The evaporator tube 8 and the ice-forming tube 9 are tightly fixed by welding or die casting. Combined with the use of a high thermal conductivity material for the ice-forming tube 9, ultra-efficient heat transfer is achieved, improving ice-making efficiency. Before the ice cubes detach and slide onto the cover plate 7, the scraper 13 periodically scrapes along the surface of the inclined cover plate 7 via the drive mechanism 14 to reduce residual moisture on the surface of the cover plate 7 and prevent excessive moisture from adhering to the surface when the ice cubes fall onto the cover plate 7. The ice cube forming tube 9 can also be customized with different tube diameters and number of rows according to customer needs to meet different customer requirements.

[0029] Reference Figure 5 , Figure 6 The drive mechanism 14 includes fixed plates 141 that are fixedly connected to both ends of the scraper 13. The two fixed plates 141 are fixed to a limiting post 143 on the side that is close to each other. The inner wall and outer side of the water box 4 are fixed to a limiting groove 142 respectively. The two limiting grooves 142 are located on both sides of the cover plate 7. The inner wall of the limiting groove 142 has a convex cross section. The cross section of the limiting post 143 is also convex. The limiting post 143 slides inside the limiting groove 142. The side of the water box 4 away from the water inlet pipe 3 is fixed to the surface of the connecting plate 144. The side of the connecting plate 144 away from the water box 4 is fixed to the inner wall of the ice maker housing 1. A power structure is provided in the connecting plate 144. The power structure is used to control the movement of the fixed plates 141.

[0030] Initially, the scraper 13 is located at the top of the cover plate 7. When the fixing plate 141 slides inside the limiting groove 142, the tilt setting of the limiting groove 142 controls the tilting and sliding of the fixing plate 141. The fixing plate 141 drives the scraper 13 to slide on the surface of the cover plate 7, scraping off the water remaining on the surface of the cover plate 7.

[0031] Reference Figure 6The power structure includes a sliding column 145 that is slidably disposed through and through the fixed plate 141. The top end of the sliding column 145 passes through the bottom end of the fixed plate 141, and the bottom end of the sliding column 145 is slidably disposed through and through the fixed column 146. Both ends of the fixed column 146 are fixed to the inner walls of the connecting plate 144. The inner walls of the connecting plate 144 are rotatably connected to the threaded rod 147. The surface of the threaded rod 147 is threadedly connected to the extended end of the sliding column 145. There is no thread at the connection between the threaded rod 147 and the connecting plate 144. The side of the connecting plate 144 through which the threaded rod 147 passes is fixed to the mounting end of the servo motor 148. The driving end of the servo motor 148 is fixedly connected to the threaded rod 147. The limiting groove 142 is set parallel to the cover plate 7 and is used to control the scraper 13 to always be in contact with the upper surface of the cover plate 7. The inclined bottom end of the cover plate 7 is fixed to the surface of the drain plate 15. The end of the drain plate 15 away from the cover plate 7 is fixed to the inner wall of the water box 4. The bottom of the inner wall of the drain plate 15 is inclined to guide the water flow into the water box 4.

[0032] By activating the servo motor 148, the servo motor 148 drives the threaded rod 147 to rotate. The rotation of the threaded rod 147 restricts the movement of the sliding rod 145 through the fixed column 146, causing the sliding rod 145 to move horizontally on the fixed column 146. The sliding rod 145 drives the fixed plate 141 to move. When the fixed plate 141 slides in the limiting groove 142, the fixed plate 141 slides up and down on the surface of the sliding rod 145. The water scraped off by the scraper 13 flows into the interior of the drain plate 15. The inclination of the bottom of the inner wall of the drain plate 15 causes the water to flow into the interior of the water box 4. The inclined design of the drain plate 15, combined with the circulating water path of the water box 4, can directly guide the scraped water back into the interior of the water box 4, realizing the recycling of water resources.

[0033] The servo motor 148 is existing technology, and its structural principle will not be detailed here. The servo motor 148 is connected to the main control board of the equipment through a drive circuit, and its operation is completely controlled by the main control board through an automated program. Specifically, after the main control board detects that the ice-making cycle has entered the ice-freezing period and the water spraying has stopped, it sends a command to the drive circuit of the servo motor 148. The drive circuit then outputs a precise pulse signal to control the rotation of the servo motor 148, thereby causing the scraper 13 to reciprocate along the inclined cover plate 7 surface one or more times. After completing the task, the servo motor 148 resets and waits until it is triggered again by the main control board in the next ice-making cycle, thus realizing timed and automatic water scraping without manual intervention.

[0034] The implementation principle of the tubular ice mold for an ice maker according to this application embodiment is as follows: Water is introduced into the water box 4 through the water inlet pipe 3. After the float ball 5 is turned on, the water supply stops, and the water pump 2 starts. The water pump 2 pumps water into the water spray box 10 through the water delivery pipe 12. The water in the water spray box 10 flows into the water box 4 below through the water spray outlet 11 from the inside of the ice forming tube 9. The water first falls onto the cover plate 7 and enters the water box 4 through the gap of the cover plate 7. This cycle repeats. During the cycle, the evaporator tube 8 is always in a cooling state. After a period of time, ice will form inside the ice forming tube 9 and approach the evaporator tube 8. The evaporator tube 8 forms first, then gradually thickens upwards and downwards until it is fully formed. After the set ice-making time is reached, the ice is completely formed and begins to unfreeze. The evaporator tube 8 heats the ice-forming tube 9, and the ice slides from inside the ice-forming tube 9 onto the cover plate 7. Through the tilt of the cover plate 7, it finally falls into the ice storage box 6 below. The ice-forming tube 9 is made of a high thermal conductivity material, such as copper. The evaporator tube 8 and the ice-forming tube 9 are tightly fixed by welding or die casting. Combined with the use of a high thermal conductivity material for the ice-forming tube 9, ultra-efficient heat transfer is achieved, improving ice-making efficiency.

[0035] Before the ice cubes detach and slide onto the cover plate 7, the scraper 13 periodically scrapes along the inclined surface of the cover plate 7 via the drive mechanism 14. Combined with the inclined guide design of the drainage plate 15, this reduces residual moisture on the surface of the cover plate 7 and prevents excessive moisture from adhering to the surface when the ice cubes fall onto the cover plate 7. When there is no excess moisture on the ice cubes as an adhesive, it can effectively prevent the ice cubes from refreezing and sticking together into large ice blocks due to excessive moisture on the surface, thus avoiding the need for users to manually break them during use.

[0036] The above are merely optional embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A tubular ice mold for an ice maker, characterized by: The device includes an ice maker housing (1), inside which a water box (4) and a water spray box (10) are fixedly installed. The water spray box (10) has several water spray nozzles (11). The water spray box (10) has several ice forming tubes (9) corresponding to the water spray nozzles (11) fixedly installed. The ice forming tubes (9) are provided with evaporation tubes (8) that are tightly connected to the ice forming tubes (9) by welding. The water box (4) has an inclined cover plate (7) fixedly installed. The cover plate (7) has a scraper (13) for scraping off residual water on the surface of the cover plate (7) and the water box (4) has a drive mechanism (14) for controlling the scraper (13) to move inclined along the surface of the cover plate (7).

2. A tubular ice mold for an ice maker as defined in claim 1, wherein: A water pump (2) is installed inside the water box (4). The output end of the water pump (2) is fixedly provided with a water delivery pipe (12) that communicates with the inside of the water spray box (10). A water inlet pipe (3) is fixedly provided on the water box (4).

3. The tubular ice mold for an ice maker according to claim 1, wherein: The drive mechanism (14) includes a fixed plate (141) fixedly connected to both ends of the scraper (13). A limit post (143) is fixedly provided on the fixed plate (141). Two limit grooves (142) that are slidably connected to the limit post (143) are fixedly provided on the water box (4). A connecting plate (144) is fixedly provided on the water box (4). A power structure for controlling the movement of the fixed plate (141) is provided in the connecting plate (144).

4. A tubular ice mold for an ice maker according to claim 3, characterized in that: The power structure includes a sliding column (145) that is slidably disposed through a fixed plate (141), a fixed column (146) that is fixedly connected to a connecting plate (144) that is slidably disposed through the sliding column (145), a threaded rod (147) that is threadedly connected to the sliding column (145) that is rotatably disposed within the connecting plate (144), and a servo motor (148) that is fixedly disposed on the connecting plate (144), the drive end of the servo motor (148) being fixedly connected to the threaded rod (147).

5. The tubular ice mold for an ice maker according to claim 3, wherein: The limiting groove (142) is arranged parallel to the cover plate (7).

6. A tubular ice mold for an ice maker as defined in claim 1, wherein: A drainage plate (15) is fixedly installed on the cover plate (7).

7. A tubular ice mold for an ice maker as defined in claim 2, wherein: An ice storage box (6) is provided inside the ice maker housing (1), and a float ball (5) is fixedly installed inside the water box (4).

8. A tubular ice mold for an ice maker as defined in claim 1, wherein: The ice-forming tube (9) is made of copper.

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