Evaporator and ice maker

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of ice making devices, and discloses an evaporator and an ice maker. The evaporator comprises an evaporator body and a plurality of cold conducting columns. Each cold conducting column extends downward from the evaporator body and is in communication with the evaporator body, so that refrigerant can flow in the cold conducting column. The outer wall of each cold conducting column is provided with at least two fins. The fin is a plate-shaped structure. Each fin extends downward from the side of the cold conducting column to the bottom end of the cold conducting column. The at least two fins on each cold conducting column are connected at the bottom end of the cold conducting column, so that the outer wall of the cold conducting column is divided into at least two icing areas by the fins. In the above manner, the application can use the same evaporator to prepare ice blocks of different ice types.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] The evaporator is a key component of an ice maker. It has a cooling column that is immersed in water. The refrigerant flowing inside the evaporator absorbs heat from the water, causing the water to form ice on the surface of the cooling column.

[0003] Existing ice makers that use evaporators can only produce ice blocks of a single ice type, such as columnar or bullet-shaped, through a cooling column. One ice block is formed on one cooling column, and the shape of the ice block is adapted to the shape of the cooling column. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the above problems, this application provides an evaporator and an ice maker that can produce ice blocks of different ice types.

[0005] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, an evaporator is provided, comprising: an evaporator body and a plurality of cooling columns; each cooling column extends downward from the evaporator body and communicates with the evaporator body to allow refrigerant to circulate therein; the outer wall of each cooling column is provided with at least two fins, the fins being plate-like structures, each fin extending downward from the side of the cooling column to the bottom end of the cooling column, and at least two fins on each cooling column being connected at the bottom end of the cooling column, so that the outer surface of the cooling column is divided into at least two icing zones by the fins.

[0006] In some embodiments, the thickness of any point on the fin is equal to or greater than the thickness of each point below it, the thickness being the dimension of the fin along a direction perpendicular to its plane; and / or the width of any point on the fin is equal to or greater than the width of each point below it, the width being the dimension of the fin along the radial direction of the cooling column parallel to the plane of the fin.

[0007] In some embodiments, a stop is formed at the tip of the fin, and a partition is formed at the remaining position. The stop and the partition are made of the same or different materials. When making ice, the partition is immersed in water, and the stop is above the water level.

[0008] In some embodiments, the vertical distance between the outer edges of the sides and bottom of the fin and the outer wall of the cooling column is equal.

[0009] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the fin is made of a thermally conductive material, and / or at least a portion of the fin is made of a non-thermally conductive material.

[0010] In some embodiments, each cooling column is provided with at least two fins, the at least two fins are connected at the center of the bottom end of the cooling column, and the at least two fins are arranged circumferentially on the outer wall of the cooling column; or, each cooling column is provided with at least two sets of fins, wherein each set includes two fins connected at the bottom end of the cooling column, and multiple sets of fins are arranged in parallel and spaced apart on the outer wall of the cooling column.

[0011] In some embodiments, the cooling column is a cylinder, a polygonal prism, a frustum, a cylinder with a partially spherical bottom, a frustum with a partially spherical bottom, a cylinder with rounded edges, a frustum with rounded edges, or a polygonal prism with rounded edges.

[0012] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, an ice maker is provided, including an ice maker body and an evaporator as described above, wherein the evaporator is disposed within the ice maker body.

[0013] In some embodiments, the ice maker further includes a controller disposed within the ice maker body, the controller being electrically connected to the evaporator; the controller is used to control the evaporator to cool for a first preset time, so that multiple icing zones on the outer wall of the cooling column each form ice blocks of a first ice type, each ice block being separated from each other by fins; the controller is also used to control the evaporator to cool for a second preset time, so that a second ice type block is formed on the outer wall of the cooling column, wherein the second preset time is longer than the first preset time, the volume of the second ice type block is larger than that of the first ice type block, and the second ice type block has a portion connected at the outer edge of the fins.

[0014] In some embodiments, the ice maker body includes a housing and an ice-making chamber; an evaporator is disposed inside the housing; the ice-making chamber is disposed inside the housing and located below the evaporator, and the ice-making chamber is movably connected to the housing. When the ice maker is in ice-making mode, the ice-making chamber moves to a first position, the cooling column extends into the ice-making chamber, and the highest water level of the ice-making chamber is lower than the top of the fins.

[0015] The evaporator provided in this application embodiment has a fin structure on the cooling column, which allows different ice types to be obtained by controlling the ice-making time: when the cooling time is short, chewing ice with a small volume and low hardness is obtained; when the cooling time is long, block ice with a large volume and high hardness is obtained, thereby meeting different ice needs of users.

[0016] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the evaporator provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a bottom view of the evaporator provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 and Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the evaporator from the perspective of adjacent sides provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an evaporator making ice, provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the evaporator used to produce chewing ice, as provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the evaporator used to produce large blocks of ice, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 A side view of the evaporator provided in the embodiments of this application, showing a cooling column with a thickness that gradually decreases from top to bottom; Figure 9 A side view of the evaporator provided in the embodiments of this application, showing a cooling column whose width gradually decreases from top to bottom; Figure 10 A bottom view of the evaporator with three fins provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 11 and Figure 12 These are schematic diagrams of a cross-shaped fin structure in an evaporator provided in the embodiments of this application, showing a bottom view and a side view. Figure 13a and Figure 13b A bottom view of another evaporator with cross-arranged fins provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 14a and Figure 14b A bottom view of the evaporator with spaced-out fins provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 15 and Figure 16 These are schematic diagrams of the structures of bullet-shaped chewing ice and large ice blocks produced by the evaporator provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 17 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an ice maker provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 18This is a schematic diagram of the ice maker provided in this application embodiment after the top cover has been removed; Figure 19 and Figure 20 These are schematic diagrams of the internal structure of the ice maker provided in the embodiments of this application from two different perspectives. Figures 21 to 23 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing several states of the ice maker provided in the embodiments of this application during the ice-making and de-icing process.

[0018] The reference numerals in the detailed embodiments are as follows: 100. Evaporator; 110. Evaporator body; 120. Cooling column; 130. Fin; 131. Separator; 132. Stop; 140. Icy area; 200. Ice maker; 210. Push plate; 300. Ice cubes; 310. Chewed ice; 320. Large blocks of ice.

[0019] 400. Ice maker body; 410. Shell; 420. Ice dropper; 421. Curved surface; 430. Ice storage compartment; 500, Controller; 600, Icefall Channel; 1000. Ice maker. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The embodiments of the technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application and are therefore merely examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0022] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0023] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0024] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A exists, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects before and after it have an "or" relationship.

[0025] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "multiple" refers to two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more (including two sets), and "multiple pieces" refers to two or more (including two pieces).

[0026] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0027] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0028] Traditional ice-making methods often require different molds to create different ice shapes. This application improves the structure of the evaporator's cooling column, enabling the production of different ice shapes using the same evaporator by setting different ice-making times. Specifically, fins are configured on the cooling column, dividing its outer wall into multiple icing zones. When the cooling time is short, the ice on the cooling column is relatively thin, and the ice formed in each icing zone is separated by the fins into multiple small ice cubes with low hardness, suitable for direct consumption, hence the name "chewable ice." When the cooling time is long, the ice formed on the cooling column becomes thicker, and the ice cubes from each icing zone connect at the outer edge of the fins to form a single large ice cube with higher hardness, suitable for preparing iced drinks.

[0029] Based on the above concept, according to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, an evaporator is provided, for details please refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 ,in Figure 1 The three-dimensional structure of the evaporator is shown. Figure 2 The diagram shows a bottom view of the evaporator. As shown, the evaporator 100 includes an evaporator body 110 and multiple cooling columns 120. The cooling columns 120 are located at the bottom of the evaporator body 110.

[0030] The evaporator body 110 can be a curved, extended U-shaped tubular structure as shown in the figure, or it can be a plate or coil structure, etc. The cooling column 120 extends downward from the evaporator body 110 and can be connected by welding or integrally formed with the evaporator body 110. The interior of the cooling column 120 is in communication with the inner cavity of the evaporator body 110, allowing the refrigerant to circulate inside and exchange heat with the water outside the cooling column 120, thereby forming ice on the outer wall of the cooling column 120.

[0031] The evaporator body 110 and the cooling column 120 can be made of metal materials with good heat transfer properties to ensure efficient internal and external heat exchange and accelerate ice making. The bottom of the evaporator body 110 is as follows: Figure 1 The diagram shows multiple cooling columns 120 spaced apart, allowing for the production of more ice blocks at once.

[0032] Please continue reading. Figure 1 and Figure 2 and further combine Figure 3 and Figure 4 Each cooling column 120 has at least two fins 130 on its outer wall. The fins 130 are plate-shaped structures. Each fin 130 extends downward from the side of the cooling column 120 to the bottom of the cooling column 120. The at least two fins 130 on each cooling column 120 are connected at the bottom of the cooling column 120, thereby separating at least two icing zones 140 on the outer wall of the cooling column 120.

[0033] In the specific embodiment shown in the figure, two fins 130 are integrally formed, with the short dashed line indicating the dividing line between the two fins 130. Of course, in other embodiments, the fins 130 can also be connected by welding or other methods. Furthermore, a greater number of fins 130 can be configured. Specific implementation methods for configuring multiple fins 130 are provided below; here, we will first focus on... Figure 2 The structure shown is used as an example for explanation.

[0034] At least a portion of the fin 130 can be made of a thermally conductive material, such as metal, or a non-thermally conductive material, such as non-metallic materials, including plastics. When made of metal, the fin 130 can be welded to the cooling pillar 120 or integrally formed with the cooling pillar 120. When made of plastic, it can be fixed to the cooling pillar 120 by means of heat fusion, bonding, snap-fit, etc.

[0035] Please see Figure 5 The image shows the scene of evaporator 100 making ice. Figure 5 In the ice-making chamber 200, the densely distributed dots represent water, and the long solid line extending horizontally above represents the water level. During ice making, both the cooling column 120 and the fins 130 are partially immersed in the water, and the immersed portions are... Figure 5 The middle section is indicated by a dashed line, while the other part is located above the water level.

[0036] After the evaporator 100 starts cooling, the heat in the surrounding water is absorbed by the cooling column 120, which gradually condenses on the cooling column 120 to form an ice layer. As the cooling time increases, the thickness of the ice layer gradually increases to form ice blocks.

[0037] like Figure 6 As shown, under relatively short ice-making time conditions, the thickness of the ice block is less than the outward protrusion of the fin 130 relative to the cooling column 120. That is, the outer surface of the ice block will not exceed the outer edge of the fin 130. The ice blocks in each freezing zone 140 are separated by the fin 130 to become multiple small pieces of chewable ice 310. The chewable ice 310 is small in volume and can be directly chewed and eaten by the user. Moreover, the cooling time required for chewable ice 310 is short, which makes it convenient for users to prepare quickly.

[0038] like Figure 7 As shown, under relatively long ice-making conditions, the thickness of the resulting ice block is greater than the outward protrusion of the fin 130 relative to the cooling column 120. That is, the outer surface of the ice block extends beyond the outer edge of the fin 130, causing the ice blocks formed in each freezing zone 140 to connect. In other words, the ice blocks formed during the intermediate process on the cooling column 120... Figure 6As the chewing ice 310 continues to cool, its thickness increases. When the thickness of multiple pieces of chewing ice 310 exceeds the outer edge of the fin 130, they will connect with each other at the outer edge of the fin 130, eventually forming... Figure 7 The single large block of ice shown is 320.

[0039] After the chewing ice 310 or large ice block 320 solidifies, heat can be conducted into the evaporator body 110 to melt the part of the chewing ice 310 or large ice block 320 that is connected to the surface of the cooling column 120, and then slide off the cooling column 120 under the action of gravity to achieve de-icing.

[0040] During ice making, the fins 130 are positioned at least partially above the water level to prevent the ice blocks on both sides of the fins 130 from connecting at the top. If this connection occurs, it will not only prevent the formation of independent chewing ice blocks 310, but also cause the ice to take too long to melt due to the restriction of the ice block connection at the top of the fins 130 (specifically, the time required to melt the ice block connection is longer) or even prevent normal ice melting (specifically, the ice block connection is too thick, and while the connection is completely melted, a large part of the ice block is also melted).

[0041] Based on the above principles, for the fin 130 which is at least partially made of non-metallic materials, the ice-making speed will be relatively slow due to its poor thermal conductivity and cold conductivity. Furthermore, during the ice-making process, the surface of the fin 130 will not condense into an ice layer. Therefore, the size of the fin 130 protruding from the cooling column 120 should be greater than the thickness of the chewing ice 310 that needs to be prepared on the cooling column 120, and less than the thickness of the large block of ice 320 that needs to be prepared on the cooling column 120.

[0042] Since the fin 130 is at least partially made of metal, its inherent thermal and thermal conductivity allows for relatively fast ice-making. During ice-making, ice layers will also condense on both sides of the fin 130. As for the outer edge of the fin 130, due to the significant distance between it and the cooling column 120, the cold energy from the cooling column 120 is difficult to transfer to the outer edge of the fin 130. Therefore, ice layers generally do not condense or are only very thin at this location, and thus do not affect the normal preparation and de-icing process of the chewing ice 310. Therefore, given that ice layers will condense simultaneously on the outer wall of the cooling column 120 and both sides of the fin 130, the protrusion of the fin 130 relative to the cooling column 120 needs to be set to be the same as or similar to the thickness of the chewing ice 310 condensed on the cooling column 120 to ensure the desired size of chewing ice 310 is produced.

[0043] In summary, the evaporator 100 provided in this application embodiment, by using fins 130 on the cooling column 120, enables the production of different ice types by controlling the ice-making time. When the cooling time is short, chewy ice 310 with a smaller volume and lower hardness is obtained; while when the cooling time is longer, large ice blocks 320 with a larger volume and higher hardness are obtained, thereby meeting different user needs for ice.

[0044] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the thickness at any point on the fin 130 is equal to or equal to the thickness at every point below it, and this thickness is the dimension of the fin 130 along a direction perpendicular to the plane containing the fin 130. It should be noted that although the fin 130 is a plate-like structure with a certain thickness, the thickness is generally thin. The "plane containing the fin 130" refers to the mid-height plane of the short side at the bottom of the fin 130, that is, the plane passing through... Figure 4 The dotted line in the text is perpendicular to the plane of the paper, and the same applies below, so I will not go into details.

[0045] The purpose of this design is to ensure that when heating and de-icing the large ice block 320, because the thickness of the upper and lower parts of the fin 130 is consistent, the part of the large ice block 320 that was originally condensed on the upper part of the fin 130 will not be blocked by the lower part of the fin 130 during the process of detaching from the fin 130 and sliding down, which is conducive to efficient de-icing.

[0046] Similarly, in some other embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, along the direction indicated by the double arrow X, the thickness of fin 130 can also be set to gradually decrease from top to bottom, that is, δ1>δ2 in the figure. This size setting can make the de-icing of large ice blocks 320 smoother.

[0047] In addition, the thickness of the fin 130 can be set to decrease in a stepped or irregular manner from top to bottom, and these solutions can ensure smooth de-icing.

[0048] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the width at any point on the fin 130 is equal to or greater than the width at every point below it, which is the radial dimension of the fin 130 along the cooling column 120 parallel to the plane containing the fin 130.

[0049] Specifically, such as Figure 3 As shown, the radial direction of the cooling column 120 parallel to the plane where the fin 130 is located is the direction indicated by the double arrow Y in the figure. Most of the upper part of the fin 130 has the same size, which is W1 in the figure. The lower part is rounded on both sides to make the width gradually decrease. The width of the bottom part is W2, and W1>W2.

[0050] In some other embodiments, such as Figure 9 As shown, the width of the fin 130 along the direction indicated by the double arrow Y can also gradually decrease from top to bottom. Of course, similar to the thickness setting method mentioned above, the width of the fin 130 can also be set to decrease in a stepped or irregular manner from top to bottom.

[0051] When removing large ice blocks 320, since the width of any point on the fin 130 is greater than or equal to the width of every point below it, the large ice blocks 320 will not be blocked or restricted by the fin 130 as they slide down the fin 130 to remove ice, ensuring efficient and smooth ice removal.

[0052] It should be noted that for some implementations where the thickness / width of the upper part of the fin 130 is smaller than that of the lower part, it is not impossible for the ice to be removed smoothly. Specifically, when a large piece of ice 320 slides down a certain distance and gets stuck on the lower part of the fin 130, the large piece of ice 320 can be further heated to melt the part stuck on the fin 130, and eventually slide off the fin 130 smoothly, thus removing the ice.

[0053] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, a stop portion 132 is formed at the top of the fin 130, and a partition portion 131 is formed at the remaining positions. The stop portion 132 and the partition portion 131 can be made of the same or different materials. For example, the stop portion 132 can be made of a metal material and the partition portion 131 can be made of a non-metallic material, or the stop portion 132 can be made of a non-metallic material and the partition portion 131 can be made of a metal material, or both can be made of metal materials, or both can be made of non-metallic materials. They can be an integral structure or integrally molded, or they can be assembled and connected. During ice making, the partition portion 131 is immersed in water, and the stop portion 132 is located above the water level. Specifically, as shown... Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the dashed line on the fin 130 indicates the separation position between the partition 131 and the stop 132. The dashed line in the figure is only a functional division of the structure of the fin 130 and does not mean that there is necessarily a clear structural boundary between the partition 131 and the stop 132.

[0054] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the vertical distance between the outer edges of the sides and bottom of the fin 130 and the outer wall of the cooling column 120 is equal. Figure 3 From the perspective shown, the vertical distance between the left edge of the fin 130 and the outer wall of the cooling column 120 is D1, the vertical distance between the right edge and the outer wall of the cooling column 120 is D2, and the vertical distance between the bottom edge and the outer wall of the cooling column 120 is D3, where D1=D2=D3.

[0055] Considering that the rate of ice condensation is basically the same at different locations on the outer wall of the cooling column 120, that is, the rate of thickness change of the ice layer is basically the same at different locations, in this embodiment, by setting D1=D2=D3, it can be ensured that when preparing chewing ice 310, the chewing ice 310 on both sides will not connect with each other at part of the edge of the fin 130. At the same time, it can also be ensured that during the preparation of large ice block 320, the ice blocks on both sides connect at the edge of the fin 130 at basically the same time, so that the thickness of the prepared large ice block 320 is basically the same at the positions corresponding to different edges of the fin 130. During the process of falling and thawing, the large ice block 320 is less likely to break due to thinner areas.

[0056] In some embodiments, such as Figure 10 As shown in the bottom view, each cooling column 120 is provided with three fins 130. The three fins 130 are connected at the center of the bottom end of the cooling column 120 and are arranged circumferentially relative to the outer side of the cooling column 120, dividing the outer wall of the cooling column 120 into three icing zones 140. This structure allows for the production of three pieces of chewable ice 310 at a time for a single cooling column 120. The fins 130 can be evenly spaced to obtain ice blocks of uniform size, or they can be non-uniformly spaced as needed. In some other embodiments, the number of fins 130 on each cooling column 120 can be two (e.g., ...). Figure 1 and Figure 2 (as shown), or more than three.

[0057] For example, it can also be like Figure 11 Bottom view and Figure 12 The side view shows four fins 130 connected at the bottom of the cooling column 120, forming a cross. With this arrangement, when preparing chewable ice 310, the four fins 130 will separate the ice block on the cooling column 120 into four small pieces of chewable ice 310.

[0058] Of course, in some other embodiments, such as Figure 13a As shown, the four fins 130 can also be configured to cross in an X-shape when viewed from below. This structural form allows the fins 130 to divide the ice block formed during the initial condensation on the cooling column 120 into chewable ice 310 of different sizes, thus meeting the user's needs for different ice block sizes. In some other embodiments, such as... Figure 13b As shown, the four fins 130 can also be connected in a non-crossing manner.

[0059] like Figure 14aAs shown, in some embodiments, each cooling column 120 may be provided with at least four fins 130, with every two fins 130 forming a group connected at the bottom end of the cooling column 120. Multiple groups of fins 130 are arranged in parallel and spaced apart on the outer wall of the cooling column 120 to form block-shaped chewing ice 310 on both sides and a U-shaped plate-shaped chewing ice 310 in the middle region. In other embodiments, such as... Figure 14b As shown, the fins 130 can also be connected at the bottom of the cooling column 120 to make the chewing ice 310 formed in each icing zone 140 more similar in size.

[0060] In some embodiments, the cooling column 120 can be Figure 6 and Figure 7 The square prism shown has rounded edges to form Figure 6 The chewing ice 310 shown resembles a semi-cube shape, or forms... Figure 7 The image shows a large block of ice 320 that resembles a complete cube.

[0061] like Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, in some other embodiments, the cooling column 120 may also be a cylinder with a partially spherical bottom end, in order to form Figure 15 The shown is a chewing ice 310 that resembles a half-bullet shape, or forms Figure 16 The image shows a large, bullet-shaped block of ice, 320.

[0062] In addition to these shapes, the cooling column 120 can also be a cylinder, a polygonal prism, a frustum, a cylinder with a partially spherical bottom, a frustum with a partially spherical bottom, a cylinder with rounded edges, a frustum with rounded edges, a polygonal prism with rounded edges, etc., to form corresponding ice types such as chewing ice 310 or large ice blocks 320.

[0063] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, an ice maker is provided, please refer to [the specific details]. Figure 17 and Figure 18 ,in Figure 17 The three-dimensional structure of the ice maker is shown. Figure 18 The internal structure of the ice maker without its top cover is shown. As shown in the figure, the ice maker 1000 includes an ice maker body 400 and an evaporator 100 provided in any of the above embodiments, with the evaporator 100 disposed inside the ice maker body 400. The ice maker 1000, employing this evaporator 100, can rapidly produce ice and, through the evaporator 100, refrigerate for different durations to obtain ice cubes of different shapes, sizes, and hardnesses, meeting users' diverse needs for ice, such as the need for small ice cubes for chewing and large ice cubes for preparing cold drinks.

[0064] Please see Figure 19 and Figure 20The figure shows the internal structure of the ice maker 1000 from two different perspectives. In some embodiments, the ice maker 1000 also includes a controller 500 disposed in the ice maker body 400, and the controller 500 is electrically connected to the evaporator 100.

[0065] The controller 500 is used to control the evaporator 100 to cool for a first preset time so that at least two icing zones 140 on the outer wall of the cooling column 120 each form ice blocks of a first ice type (such as the chewing ice 310 mentioned above), and each ice block is independent of the others due to being separated by fins 130.

[0066] The controller 500 is also used to control the evaporator 100 to cool for a second preset time, so that a second type of ice block (i.e., the large ice block 320 mentioned above) is formed on the outer wall of the cooling column. The second preset time is longer than the first preset time, the volume of the second type of ice block is larger than that of the first type of ice block, and the second type of ice block has a portion connected to the outer edge of the fin 130.

[0067] In actual use, users can select to prepare the first or second type of ice cubes by operating the touch screen or buttons on the ice maker 1000 according to their own needs. The controller 500 responds to the user's operation command and controls the evaporator 100 to cool according to the corresponding system preset time (the first preset time or the second preset time mentioned above) to prepare the ice cubes required by the user.

[0068] Please see Figure 21 The figure shows the cross-sectional structure of the ice maker 1000 in the ice-making and ice-removing states. As shown in the figure, in some embodiments, the ice maker body 400 includes a housing 410 and an ice-making chamber 200.

[0069] The evaporator 100 is disposed within the housing 410, and the ice-making chamber 200 is disposed within the housing 410 and located below the evaporator 100. The ice-making chamber 200 is movably connected to the housing 410, specifically, it can be rotatably connected to the housing 410, slidably connected to the housing 410, or connected to the housing 410 in a manner that allows both rotation and sliding. When the ice maker 1000 is in ice-making mode, the ice-making chamber 200 moves to the first position (specifically... Figure 21 The ice-making chamber 200 shown is positioned horizontally below the evaporator 100. The cooling column 120 extends into the ice-making chamber 200, and the highest water level of the ice-making chamber 200 is lower than the top of the fin 130 (see details). Figure 5 (The state shown).

[0070] Please refer to further information. Figure 22 and Figure 23 In some embodiments, the ice maker body 400 may further include an ice drop trough 420 and an ice storage compartment 430.

[0071] An ice drop trough 420 is located inside the housing 410 below the ice-making chamber 200. An ice storage chamber 430 is located inside the housing 410 and is situated to one side of the ice drop trough 420.

[0072] The ice maker 200 is rotatably connected to the shell along a horizontal axis. During ice making, the ice maker 200 rotates to... Figure 21 In the state shown, water is added to the ice chamber 200, immersing the cooling column 120 and at least part of the fins 130 in water. Then, the evaporator 100 is controlled to cool, and the water around the cooling column 120 begins to condense into ice on the outer wall of the cooling column 120.

[0073] After ice making is complete, the ice maker 200 rotates to... Figure 22 The ice is positioned as shown to create an ice drop channel 600 below the evaporator 100. Heat is then conducted to the evaporator 100 so that ice blocks 300 fall from the cooling column 120 through the ice drop channel 600 onto the ice drop trough 420 below.

[0074] The upper surface of the ice drop trough 420 is curved, and a pusher plate 210 is rotatably mounted on the outer side of the ice-making chamber 200, extending from the ice-making chamber 200 toward the curved surface 421. The ice-making chamber 200... Figure 21 and Figure 22 When rotating between the states shown, the pusher plate 210 will move along the arc surface 421, and the pusher plate 210 will also rotate relative to the ice-making chamber 200 at the point of contact with the arc surface 421. The ice storage chamber 430 and the ice drop trough 420 are located at the end of the arc surface 421 ( Figure 22 The positions marked with N in the middle are interconnected.

[0075] After ice block 300 falls into ice drop trough 420, as follows Figure 23 As shown, the ice maker 200 rotates to reset, so that the pusher plate 210 pushes the ice block 300 into the ice storage bin 430 for the user to collect and use.

[0076] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any way.

Claims

1. An evaporator, characterized in that, include: Evaporator body and multiple cooling columns; Each of the cooling columns extends downward from the evaporator body and communicates with the evaporator body to allow refrigerant to circulate within it; Each of the cooling columns has at least two fins on its outer wall. The fins are plate-shaped structures. Each fin extends downward from the side of the cooling column to the bottom of the cooling column, and at least two fins on each cooling column are connected at the bottom of the cooling column, so that the outer wall of the cooling column is divided into at least two icing zones by the fins.

2. The evaporator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness at any point on the fin is equal to or greater than the thickness at every point below it, where the thickness is the dimension of the fin along a direction perpendicular to its plane; and / or, The width at any point on the fin is equal to or greater than the width at every point below it, and the width is the radial dimension of the fin along the cooling column parallel to the plane of the fin.

3. The evaporator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fin's tip forms a stop portion, and the remaining positions form partition portions. The stop portion and the partition portions are made of the same or different materials. During ice making, the partition is immersed in water, and the stop is located above the water level.

4. The evaporator according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The vertical distance between the outer edges of the sides and bottom of the fin and the outer wall of the cooling column is equal.

5. The evaporator according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, At least a portion of the fin is made of a thermally conductive material, and / or at least a portion of the fin is made of a non-thermally conductive material.

6. The evaporator according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned cooling columns is provided with at least two fins, the at least two fins being connected at the center of the bottom end of the cooling column, and the at least two fins being arranged circumferentially at intervals on the outer wall of the cooling column; or... Each of the cooling columns is provided with at least two sets of fins, each set including two fins connected at the bottom end of the cooling column, and multiple sets of fins are arranged in parallel and spaced apart on the outer wall of the cooling column.

7. The evaporator according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The cooling column can be a cylinder, a polygonal prism, a frustum, a cylinder with a partially spherical bottom, a frustum with a partially spherical bottom, a cylinder with rounded edges, a frustum with rounded edges, or a polygonal prism with rounded edges.

8. An ice maker, characterized in that, It includes an ice maker body and an evaporator according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the evaporator is disposed within the ice maker body.

9. The ice maker according to claim 8, characterized in that, The ice maker also includes a controller disposed within the main body of the ice maker, the controller being electrically connected to the evaporator; The controller is used to control the evaporator to cool for a first preset time, so that the at least two icing zones on the outer wall of the cooling column each form ice blocks of a first ice type, and each ice block is separated from the others by the fins. The controller is also used to control the evaporator to cool for a second preset time so that a second type of ice block is formed on the outer wall of the cooling column, wherein the second preset time is longer than the first preset time, the volume of the second type of ice block is larger than that of the first type of ice block, and the second type of ice block has a portion connected to the outer edge of the fin.

10. The ice maker according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The ice maker body includes a shell and an ice-making chamber; The evaporator is disposed within the housing; The ice-making chamber is disposed inside the housing and located below the evaporator. The ice-making chamber is movably connected to the housing. When the ice maker is in ice-making mode, the ice-making chamber moves to the first position, the cooling column extends into the ice-making chamber, and the highest water level of the ice-making chamber is lower than the top of the fin.

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