An evaporator and ice maker

Abstract

The embodiment of the application relates to the technical field of ice making, and discloses an evaporator and an ice maker, the evaporator comprising an evaporating cylinder, a pipeline assembly and a roller, the evaporating cylinder being provided with an evaporating cavity; the pipeline assembly comprising a supporting pipe, a feeding pipe and a discharging pipe, the supporting pipe being arranged in the evaporating cylinder, the discharging pipe being arranged in the supporting pipe, an exhaust port of the discharging pipe being communicated with the evaporating cavity, the discharging pipe and the supporting pipe jointly enclosing a feeding channel, a part of the supporting pipe accommodated in the evaporating cavity being provided with a material spraying hole, one end of the material spraying hole being communicated with the evaporating cavity, the other end of the material spraying hole being communicated with the feeding channel, and one end of the feeding pipe being communicated with the feeding channel; the roller being provided with a containing groove, the evaporating cylinder being accommodated in the containing groove, and the roller being rotationally connected with the supporting pipe. Through the above mode, the embodiment of the application can reduce the risk of leakage of refrigerant medium.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of ice-making technology, and in particular to an evaporator and an ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] Please refer to the relevant technologies. Figure 1 The evaporator 100' includes a drum 1', a feed pipe 2', and a discharge pipe 3'. The drum 1' and feed pipe 2' are rotatably connected, as are the drum 1' and discharge pipe 3'. The feed pipe 2' is used to introduce the refrigerant, which is sprayed onto the inner wall of the drum 1', causing it to evaporate into a gaseous state. The gaseous refrigerant is discharged to the outside through the discharge pipe 3'. During evaporation, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the drum. When the outer surface of the drum 1' comes into contact with the liquid, the liquid on the outer surface of the drum 1' condenses into ice. To reduce the risk of refrigerant leakage, dynamic sealing rings 4' are installed between the drum 1' and feed pipe 2', and between the drum 1' and discharge pipe 3'.

[0003] However, in related technologies, since the roller 1' needs to rotate continuously, the dynamic seal ring 4' is prone to wear, which leads to a deterioration in the sealing performance between the roller 1' and the feed pipe 2' or between the roller 1' and the discharge pipe 3', thereby increasing the risk of leakage of the cold medium. Utility Model Content

[0004] The main technical problem addressed by the embodiments of this application is to provide an evaporator and an ice maker that can reduce the risk of refrigerant leakage.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, one technical solution adopted in this application embodiment is: providing an evaporator, including an evaporating cylinder, a piping assembly, and a drum, wherein the evaporating cylinder is provided with an evaporation chamber; the piping assembly includes a support pipe, a feed pipe, and a discharge pipe, wherein the support pipe is disposed in the evaporating cylinder, the discharge pipe passes through the support pipe, the exhaust port of the discharge pipe is connected to the evaporating chamber, the discharge pipe and the support pipe together form a feed channel, the portion of the support pipe that is received in the evaporating chamber is provided with a spray hole, one end of the spray hole is connected to the evaporating chamber, the other end of the spray hole is connected to the feed channel, and one end of the feed pipe is connected to the feed channel; the drum is provided with a receiving groove, the evaporating cylinder is received in the receiving groove, and the drum is rotatably connected to the support pipe.

[0006] In some embodiments, the piping assembly includes an end cap disposed at one end of the support tube protruding from the evaporation chamber, for covering the end of the support tube away from the evaporation chamber, and both the feed pipe and the discharge pipe pass through the end cap.

[0007] In some embodiments, an expansion groove is provided at the end of the support tube away from the evaporation chamber. One end of the expansion groove is connected to the feed channel. An end cap covers the end of the expansion groove away from the feed channel. The diameter of the end of the expansion groove near the end cap is larger than the diameter of the end of the expansion groove near the feed channel. The feed tube is at least partially housed in the expansion groove.

[0008] In some embodiments, the roller includes a first end plate, a second end plate, and a first cylinder. The first end plate is disposed at one end of the first cylinder, and the second end plate is disposed at the other end of the first cylinder. The first end plate, the second end plate, and the first cylinder together enclose a receiving groove, and the first end plate is rotatably connected to the support tube.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first cylinder and the evaporator are spaced apart from each other along the radial direction of the drum, so that a thermally conductive gap is formed between the first cylinder and the evaporator, the thermally conductive gap being configured to contain a thermally conductive medium.

[0010] In some embodiments, the evaporator further includes a first heat insulation member disposed between the first end plate and the evaporation cylinder along the axial direction of the support tube; and / or, the evaporator further includes a second heat insulation member disposed between the second end plate and the evaporation cylinder along the axial direction of the support tube.

[0011] In some embodiments, a mounting protrusion is provided on the surface of the first end plate opposite to the second end plate, and a support tube passes through the mounting protrusion; the evaporator includes a bearing, the outer ring of the bearing is provided on the mounting protrusion, and the inner ring of the bearing is sleeved on the support tube.

[0012] In some embodiments, the evaporator includes a sealing ring fitted onto a support tube, the outer surface of which abuts against a mounting protrusion.

[0013] In some embodiments, a rotating groove is provided at the end of the second end plate near the first end plate, and a rotating protrusion is provided at the end of the evaporator away from the first end plate, with the rotating protrusion rotatably disposed in the rotating groove.

[0014] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, another technical solution adopted in this application embodiment is: to provide an ice maker, including a compressor, a condenser, a throttle valve and the above-mentioned evaporator, wherein the outlet of the compressor is connected to the inlet of the condenser, the inlet of the throttle valve is connected to the outlet of the condenser, the feed pipe is connected to the outlet of the throttle valve, and the discharge pipe is connected to the inlet of the compressor.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this application embodiment are as follows: Unlike the prior art, in this application embodiment, the roller can rotate around the support tube, and there is no need for relative rotation between the support tube and the evaporator, which is beneficial to improve the sealing performance between the pipeline assembly and the evaporator and reduce the risk of leakage of the refrigerant in the evaporation chamber; in addition, inserting the discharge pipe from the support tube into the evaporation chamber can reduce the risk of interference between the discharge pipe and the roller. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments of this application or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. In all the drawings, similar elements or parts are generally identified by similar reference numerals. In the drawings, the elements or parts are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an evaporator in the prior art; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the evaporator provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the evaporator provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the evaporator provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 5 yes Figure 4 An enlarged view of the area shown in section A; Figure 6 yes Figure 4 An enlarged view of the area shown in section B; Figure 7 yes Figure 4 An enlarged view of the area shown in section C; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the ice maker provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the evaporator, compressor, condenser and throttle valve provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0018] Attached icon number 100. Evaporator; 200. Support frame; 300. Feed tray; 301. Liquid reservoir; 400. Ice scraper; 500. Drive assembly; 600. Compressor; 700. Condenser; 800. Expansion valve; 1. Piping assembly; 11. Support pipe; 111. Spray nozzle; 112. Expansion tank; 113. Limiting step; 12. Feed pipe; 13. Discharge pipe; 131. Exhaust port; 14. Feed channel; 15. End cap; 2. Roller; 21. First end plate; 211. Mounting protrusion; 212. Annular limiting groove; 213. Adapter groove; 22. Second end plate; 221. Rotation groove; 222. Drive shaft; 23. First cylinder; 231. Spiral protrusion; 24. Receiving groove; 3. Evaporator; 31. Second cylinder; 311. Groove; 32. Third end plate; 33. Fourth end plate; 331. Rotating boss; 34. Evaporation chamber; 4. Thermally conductive gap; 5. First thermal insulation component; 6. Second thermal insulation component; 7. Bearing; 8. Sealing ring; 9. Bushing; 10. Limiting ring; 20. Third thermal insulation component; X, the first direction. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more detailed description is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that when an element is described as "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. When an element is described as "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. The terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "vertical," "horizontal," etc., used in this specification indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0020] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0021] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of this application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0022] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 The evaporator 100 includes a drum 2, an evaporating cylinder 3, and a piping assembly 1. The drum 2 is provided with a receiving groove 24, and the evaporating cylinder 3 is housed within the receiving groove 24. The evaporating cylinder 3 is provided with an evaporating chamber 34. The piping assembly 1 is disposed in the evaporating cylinder 3 and communicates with the evaporating chamber 34. The piping assembly 1 is used to introduce a refrigerant into the evaporating chamber 34, so that the refrigerant evaporates in the evaporating chamber 34 and absorbs heat from the evaporating cylinder 3, causing the temperature of the evaporating cylinder 3 to drop. Subsequently, the evaporating cylinder 3 absorbs heat from the drum 2. When liquid adheres to the outer surface of the drum 2, the refrigerant can absorb heat from the liquid on the surface of the drum 2 through the evaporating cylinder 3 and the drum 2 in sequence, thereby causing the liquid to condense into ice. After the refrigerant evaporates in the evaporating chamber 34, it can be discharged from the piping assembly 1.

[0023] For the piping assembly 1 mentioned above, please refer to... Figure 3 and Figure 4 The piping assembly 1 includes a support pipe 11, an inlet pipe 12, and a discharge pipe 13. The support pipe 11 is disposed on the evaporator cylinder 3 and is fixed to the evaporator cylinder 3. The roller 2 is rotatably connected to the support pipe 11. The discharge pipe 13 passes through the interior of the support pipe 11, and at least a portion of the discharge pipe 13 is housed in the evaporator chamber 34. The exhaust port 131 of the discharge pipe 13 communicates with the evaporator chamber 34, and the exhaust pipe is used to discharge the evaporated refrigerant. Please refer to... Figure 5 The support pipe 11 and the discharge pipe 13 together form a feeding channel 14, and the support pipe 11 is at least partially housed in the evaporation chamber 34. The portion of the support pipe 11 housed in the evaporation chamber 34 is provided with a spray hole 111, one end of which communicates with the evaporation chamber 34, and the other end of which communicates with the feeding channel 14. One end of the feeding pipe 12 communicates with the feeding channel 14, and the feeding pipe 12 is used to introduce the refrigerant, so that the refrigerant can be sprayed into the evaporation chamber 34 sequentially through the feeding channel 14 and the spray hole 111, thereby evaporating in the evaporation chamber 34 and being discharged from the exhaust port. In this embodiment, the roller 2 can rotate around the support pipe 11, while there is no need for relative rotation between the support pipe 11 and the evaporation cylinder 3. This is beneficial for improving the sealing performance between the pipeline assembly 1 and the evaporation cylinder 3, reducing the risk of refrigerant leakage in the evaporation chamber 34. Furthermore, inserting the discharge pipe 13 from the support pipe 11 into the evaporation chamber 34 can reduce the risk of interference between the discharge pipe 13 and the roller 2.

[0024] In some embodiments, the piping assembly 1 further includes an end cap 15, which is disposed at one end of the support tube 11 protruding from the evaporation chamber 34. The end cap 15 is used to cover the end of the feed channel 14 away from the evaporation chamber 34, thereby reducing the risk of refrigerant leakage in the feed channel 14. The feed pipe 12 passes through the end cap 15 and is at least partially housed in the feed channel 14, so that the refrigerant can flow from the feed pipe 12 into the feed channel 14. The discharge pipe 13 passes through the end cap 15 and the support tube 11 and communicates with the evaporation chamber 34, so that the refrigerant evaporated in the evaporation chamber 34 can be discharged from the discharge pipe 13 to the outside.

[0025] In some embodiments, the end cap 15 and the support tube 11 are welded to one end protruding from the evaporation chamber 34. The welding method provides high connection strength and good sealing performance.

[0026] In some embodiments, the end cap 15 is welded to the feed pipe 12. Welding provides high connection strength and good sealing performance.

[0027] In some embodiments, the end cap 15 is welded to the discharge pipe 13. Welding provides high connection strength and good sealing performance.

[0028] In some embodiments, the end of the support tube 11 away from the end cap 15 is welded and fixed to the end of the exhaust pipe away from the end cap 15. On the one hand, this can improve the connection strength between the discharge pipe 13 and the support tube 11. On the other hand, it can improve the sealing performance between the discharge pipe 13 and the support tube 11, and reduce the risk that the cold medium in the evaporation chamber 34 will directly enter the feed channel 14 between the support tube 11 and the discharge pipe 13.

[0029] In some embodiments, an expansion groove 112 is provided at the end of the support tube 11 away from the evaporation chamber 34. One end of the expansion groove 112 is connected to the feed channel 14. An end cap 15 covers the end of the expansion groove 112 away from the feed channel 14. The diameter of the end of the expansion groove 112 near the end cap 15 is larger than the diameter of the end of the expansion groove 112 near the feed channel 14. The feed tube 12 is at least partially housed in the expansion groove 112. Since the space in the feed channel 14 between the support tube 11 and the discharge tube 13 is limited, the expansion groove 112 facilitates the installation of the feed tube 12 and makes it easier for the feed tube 12 to communicate with the feed channel 14.

[0030] For roller 2 mentioned above, please refer to... Figure 3 and Figure 4 The roller 2 is generally cylindrical and includes a first cylindrical body 23, a first end plate 21, and a second end plate 22. The first end plate 21 is connected to one end of the first cylindrical body 23, and the second end plate 22 is connected to the other end of the first cylindrical body 23. The first cylindrical body 23, the first end plate 21, and the second end plate 22 together form a receiving groove 24. The evaporating cylinder 3 is housed in the receiving groove 24. The support tube 11 passes through the first end plate 21, and the support tube 11 at least partially protrudes outside the receiving groove 24. The first end plate 21 and the support tube 11 are rotatably connected so that the roller 2 can rotate around the support tube 11 relative to the evaporating cylinder 3.

[0031] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 6 Along the radial direction of the drum 2, the first cylinder 23 and the evaporating cylinder 3 are spaced apart, thus forming a thermally conductive gap 4 between them. This gap 4 accommodates a heat-conducting medium, allowing the evaporating cylinder 3 to absorb heat from the first cylinder 23 through the medium. The surface of the first cylinder 23 facing away from the evaporating cylinder 3 is in contact with the liquid, condensing it into ice. In this embodiment, the thermally conductive gap 4 between the first cylinder 23 and the evaporating cylinder 3, which accommodates the heat-conducting medium, improves the heat transfer efficiency between them, thereby increasing ice-making efficiency.

[0032] In some embodiments, the heat-conducting medium may be heat-conducting oil, which fills the heat-conducting gap 4.

[0033] In some embodiments, the heat-conducting medium may also be a plurality of heat-conducting rods (not shown), which are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the first cylinder 23. One end of each heat-conducting rod abuts against the evaporator cylinder 3, and the other end of each heat-conducting rod abuts against the first cylinder 23, so that the second cylinder 31 can absorb heat from the first cylinder 23 through the heat-conducting rods. In this embodiment, by providing a plurality of heat-conducting rods spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the first cylinder 23, the heat-conducting rods can not only transfer heat between the first cylinder 23 and the evaporator cylinder 3, but also, when the drum 2 rotates, the plurality of heat-conducting rods can keep the axis of the evaporator cylinder 3 approximately the same as the axis of the support tube 11, which is beneficial to improving the stability of the drum 2 relative to the evaporator cylinder 3 when rotating.

[0034] It is worth noting that the ice on the outer surface of the first cylinder 23 is usually scraped off by an ice scraper 400. Specifically, the ice scraper 400 is fixed at a predetermined distance from the first cylinder 23. As the roller 2 rotates, the ice scraper 400 can scrape off the ice on the first cylinder 23. In related technologies, since the cold medium absorbs heat from both the first end plate 21 and the second end plate 22 during the evaporation process in the evaporation chamber 34, when there is liquid or water vapor on the outer surface of the first end plate 21 or the second end plate 22, ice easily forms on the surface of the first end plate 21 or the second end plate 22, increasing the load on the roller 2 and thus increasing energy consumption.

[0035] To at least partially address the above problems, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The evaporator 100 also includes a first heat insulation element 5. Along the axial direction X of the support tube 11, the first heat insulation element 5 is disposed between the first end plate 21 and the evaporation cylinder 3. The first heat insulation element 5 is used to block the heat transfer between the evaporation cylinder 3 and the first end plate 21, thereby reducing the risk of ice formation on the outer surface of the first end plate 21, and further reducing the risk of increased load on the drum 2, which is beneficial to reducing the energy consumption of the evaporator 100.

[0036] For ease of description, the axial direction X of the support tube 11 will be referred to as the first direction X.

[0037] In some embodiments, the evaporator 100 further includes a second heat insulation member 6. Along the axial direction of the support tube 11, the second heat insulation member 6 is disposed between the second end plate 22 and the evaporation cylinder 3. The second heat insulation member 6 is used to block heat transfer between the evaporation cylinder 3 and the second end plate 22, thereby reducing the risk of ice formation on the surface of the second end plate 22 away from the evaporation cylinder 3, further reducing the risk of increased load on the roller 2, and helping to reduce the energy consumption of the evaporator 100.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first heat insulation element 5 is made of foam.

[0039] In some embodiments, the second insulation element 6 is made of foam.

[0040] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 The surface of the first cylinder 23 near the evaporator cylinder 3 is provided with a spiral protrusion 231. When viewed along a first direction, the spiral protrusion 231 surrounds the evaporator cylinder 3, wherein the first direction X is parallel to the axis of the support tube 11. In this embodiment, by providing the spiral protrusion 231, it is beneficial to increase the contact area between the first cylinder 23 and the heat-conducting medium in the heat-conducting gap 4, thereby improving the efficiency of heat transfer between the evaporator cylinder 3 and the first cylinder 23, which is beneficial to improving the ice-making efficiency.

[0041] In some embodiments, there are multiple spiral protrusions 231, all of which are disposed on the surface of the first cylinder 23 near the evaporator cylinder 3, and are spaced apart from each other along the first direction. In this embodiment, by providing multiple spiral protrusions 231, it is beneficial to increase the contact area between the first cylinder 23 and the heat-conducting medium, thereby improving the efficiency of heat transfer between the evaporator cylinder 3 and the first cylinder 23, and improving the ice-making efficiency.

[0042] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 4 The second end plate 22 has a rotating groove 221 on its surface near the evaporator cylinder 3, and the axis of the rotating groove 221 is approximately coaxial with the axis of the support tube 11. The evaporator cylinder 3 has a rotating boss 331 on its surface opposite to the first end plate 21, and the rotating boss 331 is rotatably mounted in the rotating groove 221. In this embodiment, by rotatably mounting the rotating boss 331 in the rotating groove 221, the stability of the roller 2's rotation relative to the evaporator cylinder 3 is improved.

[0043] In some embodiments, the evaporator 100 further includes a bushing 9, which is sleeved on the rotating boss 331 and is at least partially housed in the rotating groove 221. The roller 2 and the rotating boss 331 are rotatably connected through the bushing 9, which helps to improve the stability of the roller 2 during rotation.

[0044] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 7The first end plate 21 of the roller 2 is provided with a mounting protrusion 211. One end of the mounting protrusion 211 is connected to the end of the first end plate 21 facing away from the second end plate 22, and the other end of the mounting protrusion 211 extends in the direction facing away from the second end plate 22. The mounting protrusion 211 is provided with a transition groove 213, which penetrates the mounting protrusion 211 along a first direction. The support tube 11 passes through the transition groove 213 and protrudes beyond the second end plate 22 of the roller 2. The evaporator 100 also includes a bearing 7, which is housed in the transition groove 213. The inner ring 72 of the bearing 7 is sleeved on the support tube 11, and the outer ring 71 of the bearing 7 abuts against the inner wall of the transition groove 213, so that the mounting protrusion 211 can be rotatably connected to the support tube 11 through the bearing 7. In this embodiment, by providing the bearing 7, the mounting protrusion 211 and the support tube 11 are connected by the bearing 7, which helps to reduce the friction between the mounting protrusion 211 and the support tube 11 and improve the stability of the roller 2 during rotation.

[0045] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 7 The support tube 11 is provided with a limiting step 113, and the inner ring 72 of the bearing 7 abuts against the end of the limiting step 113 away from the evaporator cylinder 3. The mounting protrusion 211 is provided with an annular limiting groove 212, which is located on the side wall of the transition groove 213 and along the first direction, the annular limiting groove 212 is located on the side of the bearing 7 away from the limiting step 113. The evaporator 100 also includes a limiting ring 10, which is engaged with the annular limiting groove 212. Along the radial direction of the support tube 11, the limiting ring 10 at least partially protrudes from the annular limiting groove 212. The portion of the limiting ring 10 protruding from the annular limiting groove 212 abuts against the outer ring 71 of the bearing 7. The limiting ring 10 and the limiting step 113 together restrict the movement of the bearing 7 along the first direction, thereby reducing the risk of the bearing 7 moving along the first direction during the rotation of the drum 2, which is beneficial to improving the stability of the drum 2 rotation.

[0046] In some embodiments, the evaporator 100 further includes a sealing ring 8, which is sleeved on the support tube 11 and abuts against the inner wall of the transition groove 213, so that the sealing ring 8 can seal at least part of the gap between the support tube 11 and the mounting protrusion 211, thereby reducing the risk of leakage of the heat transfer medium in the heat transfer gap 4.

[0047] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 4 The second end plate 22 is provided with a drive shaft 222 on the surface opposite to the first end plate 21, and the axis of the drive shaft 222 is approximately coaxial with the axis of the support tube 11. The drive shaft 222 is used to connect with the drive assembly 500 so that the drive assembly 500 can drive the roller 2 to rotate through the drive shaft 222.

[0048] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4The portion of the support tube 11 housed within the evaporation chamber 34 is provided with multiple spray holes 111. These spray holes 111 are spaced apart along a first direction. One end of each spray hole 111 is connected to the evaporation chamber 34, and the other end is connected to the feed channel 14. By providing multiple spray holes 111, it is beneficial to spray the cold medium more evenly within the evaporation chamber 34, thereby reducing temperature differences in different areas of the roller 2.

[0049] For the evaporator 3 mentioned above, please refer to... Figure 3 and Figure 4 The evaporator 3 is generally cylindrical and includes a second cylinder 31, a third end plate 32, and a fourth end plate 33. The third end plate 32 is located at one end of the second cylinder 31, and the fourth end plate 33 is located at the other end of the second cylinder 31. The third end plate 32 and the fourth end plate 33 are opposite each other along a first direction, and together they enclose the evaporation chamber 34. A support tube 11 is located on the third end plate 32 of the evaporator 3, and after passing through the third end plate 32, the support tube 11 is at least partially housed in the evaporation chamber 34. The aforementioned rotating boss 331 is located on the surface of the fourth end plate 33 near the third end plate 32.

[0050] In some embodiments, the support tube 11 is welded to the third end plate 32. Welding provides high connection strength and strong sealing, which helps reduce the risk of refrigerant leakage in the evaporation chamber 34.

[0051] In some embodiments, the third end plate 32 is welded and fixed to the second cylinder 31, and the fourth end plate 33 is welded and fixed to the second cylinder 31. The welding method provides high connection strength and good sealing performance.

[0052] For the second cylinder 31 mentioned above, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 6 The surface of the second cylinder 31 near the evaporation chamber 34 is provided with grooves 311. The grooves 311 can increase the contact area between the second cylinder 31 and the cold medium, which is beneficial to improving the efficiency of the cold medium in absorbing the heat of the second cylinder 31, thereby improving the ice-making efficiency.

[0053] In some embodiments, the surface of the second cylinder 31 near the evaporation chamber 34 is provided with a plurality of grooves 311, which are spaced apart along the first direction. In this embodiment, by providing a plurality of grooves 311, it is beneficial to further increase the contact area between the second cylinder 31 and the cold medium, thereby improving the ice-making efficiency.

[0054] In some embodiments, the outer surface of the discharge pipe 13 is welded to the end of the support pipe 11 away from the third end plate 32, thereby fixing the discharge pipe 13 and the support pipe 11. In addition, by welding, a seal can be formed between the discharge pipe 13 and the support pipe 11, which helps to reduce the risk of leakage of the refrigerant in the evaporation chamber 34.

[0055] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 4 The evaporator 100 also includes a third heat insulation member 20, which is housed in a rotating groove 221. Along the first direction X, the third heat insulation member 20 is located between the rotating boss 331 and the drive shaft 222. The third heat insulation member 20 is used to prevent the cold energy of the cold medium in the evaporation chamber 34 from being transferred to the drive shaft 222, thereby reducing the risk of ice formation on the surface of the drive shaft 222.

[0056] This application also provides embodiments of an ice maker; please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 4 and Figure 8 The ice maker includes a support 200, a storage tray 300, an ice scraper 400, a drive assembly 500, and the aforementioned evaporator 100. The storage tray 300, ice scraper 400, drive assembly 500, and evaporator 100 are all mounted on the support 200. A support tube 11 is fixed to the support 200. The drive shaft 222 of the roller 2 is rotatably connected to the support 200, so that when the drive assembly 500 is working, the drive shaft 222 can drive the roller 2 to rotate relative to the support 200 and the evaporator 3. The storage tray 300 is provided with a liquid storage tank 301, which is used to store the liquid required for ice making. The first cylinder 23 of the roller 2 is at least partially housed within the liquid storage tank 301, allowing the first cylinder 23 to contact the liquid in the liquid storage tank 301, thereby condensing the liquid into ice, which then adheres to the outer surface of the first cylinder 23. The ice scraper 400 is located at a preset distance from the first cylinder 23, and when the roller 2 rotates, the ice scraper 400 can scrape off the ice on the outer surface of the first cylinder 23 without the need for manual ice scraping.

[0057] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 9The ice maker includes a compressor 600, a condenser 700, a throttle valve 800, and the aforementioned evaporator 100. The outlet of the compressor 600 is connected to the inlet of the condenser 700, the inlet of the throttle valve 800 is connected to the outlet of the condenser 700, the feed pipe 12 is connected to the outlet of the throttle valve 800, and the discharge pipe 13 is connected to the inlet of the compressor 600. The refrigerant is compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas in the compressor 600. When it flows into the condenser 700, the condenser 700 condenses the high-temperature, high-pressure gas into a high-pressure, low-temperature liquid. This liquid then flows into the throttle valve 800 to form a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid, which then flows into the evaporation chamber 34 of the evaporator 100 and evaporates back into gas. The gas then flows back into the compressor 600 through the discharge pipe 13, forming a circulating flow of the refrigerant. During the evaporation of the refrigerant in the evaporator 100, it absorbs heat from the drum 2, causing the liquid on the surface of the first cylinder 23 of the drum 2 to condense into ice, thus achieving ice production.

[0058] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An evaporator, characterized in that, include: An evaporator, equipped with an evaporation chamber; The piping assembly includes a support pipe, a feed pipe, and a discharge pipe. The support pipe is disposed in the evaporation cylinder, and the discharge pipe passes through the support pipe. The exhaust port of the discharge pipe is connected to the evaporation chamber. The discharge pipe and the support pipe together form a feed channel. The portion of the support pipe that is housed in the evaporation chamber is provided with a spray hole. One end of the spray hole is connected to the evaporation chamber, and the other end of the spray hole is connected to the feed channel. One end of the feed pipe is connected to the feed channel. The roller is provided with a receiving groove, and the evaporator is housed in the receiving groove. The roller is rotatably connected to the support tube.

2. The evaporator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pipeline assembly includes an end cap, which is disposed at one end of the support tube that protrudes from the evaporation chamber and is used to cover the end of the support tube that is away from the evaporation chamber. The feed pipe and the discharge pipe both pass through the end cap.

3. The evaporator according to claim 2, characterized in that, An expansion groove is provided at one end of the support tube away from the evaporation chamber. One end of the expansion groove is connected to the feed channel. The end cap covers the end of the expansion groove away from the feed channel. The diameter of the end of the expansion groove near the end cap is larger than the diameter of the end of the expansion groove near the feed channel. The feed tube is at least partially housed in the expansion groove.

4. The evaporator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The roller includes a first end plate, a second end plate, and a first cylinder. The first end plate is disposed at one end of the first cylinder, and the second end plate is disposed at the other end of the first cylinder. The first end plate, the second end plate, and the first cylinder together form the receiving groove. The first end plate is rotatably connected to the support tube.

5. The evaporator according to claim 4, characterized in that, Along the radial direction of the roller, the first cylinder body and the evaporator cylinder are spaced apart from each other to form a thermally conductive gap between the first cylinder body and the evaporator cylinder, the thermally conductive gap being configured to contain a thermally conductive medium.

6. The evaporator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The evaporator further includes a first heat insulation element, which is disposed between the first end plate and the evaporation cylinder along the axial direction of the support tube; and / or The evaporator further includes a second heat insulation element, which is disposed between the second end plate and the evaporation cylinder along the axial direction of the support tube.

7. The evaporator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The surface of the first end plate opposite to the second end plate is provided with a mounting protrusion, and the support tube passes through the mounting protrusion; The evaporator includes a bearing, the outer ring of which is disposed on the mounting protrusion, and the inner ring of which is sleeved on the support tube.

8. The evaporator according to claim 7, characterized in that, The evaporator includes a sealing ring, which is fitted onto the support tube, and the outer surface of the sealing ring abuts against the mounting protrusion.

9. The evaporator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second end plate is provided with a rotating groove at one end near the first end plate, and the evaporator is provided with a rotating protrusion at one end away from the first end plate. The rotating protrusion is rotatably disposed in the rotating groove.

10. An ice maker, characterized in that, The device includes a compressor, a condenser, a throttle valve, and an evaporator as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the outlet of the compressor is connected to the inlet of the condenser, the inlet of the throttle valve is connected to the outlet of the condenser, the feed pipe is connected to the outlet of the throttle valve, and the discharge pipe is connected to the inlet of the compressor.

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