Ice-making evaporator and method of manufacturing ice-making evaporator

Abstract

An ice-making evaporator according to one aspect of the present invention includes an evaporator body having a body space extending in one direction to allow a refrigerant to flow, a body space separating wall extending in the same direction as the body space to divide the body space into a first body space and a second body space, ice-making members having a heat exchange space extending in a direction different from the extension direction of the body space and fluidically communicating with the body space, a heat exchange space separating wall extending in the same direction as the ice-making members but dividing the heat exchange space into a first heat exchange space fluidically communicating with the first body space and a second heat exchange space fluidically communicating with the second body space, and a heat exchange space separating wall extending in the same direction as the ice-making members but dividing the heat exchange space into a first heat exchange space fluidically communicating with the first body space and a second heat exchange space fluidically communicating with the second body space. The evaporator body may include a refrigerant inlet passage connected to the first body space for flowing the refrigerant into the body space, and an outlet passage connected to the second body space for discharging the refrigerant flowing in the second body space to the outside. The evaporator body may be provided with a swirling space for allowing the refrigerant to flow from the first body space to the second body space, and a partition member may be provided between the body space and the swirling space to separate the body space and the swirling space, the partition member having a first hole fluidically connecting the first body space and the swirling space and a second hole fluidically connecting the second body space and the swirling space.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ice-making evaporator and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly to an ice-making evaporator that makes ice while a refrigerant circulates inside, and a method for manufacturing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, an ice maker is a device that cools water below its freezing point (0°C) to make ice and supply it to users. Such ice makers can be used in refrigerators and ice purifiers that require ice. Generally, such ice makers include an evaporator that includes an evaporator pipe through which a refrigerant flows and an ice-making member that is cooled by the refrigerant.

[0003] Ice makers include immersion type ice makers, in which ice is made on ice-making members by immersing the members in water; jet type ice makers, in which water is jetted onto the ice-making members to make ice in the ice-making frame; and flow-through type ice makers, in which water flows around the outer periphery of the ice-making members to make ice on the ice-making members.

[0004] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0020309 by COWAY Co., Ltd. discloses a conventional ice-making machine. This ice-making evaporator produces ice as a refrigerant flows through the internal space of the evaporator body and the immersion member, and a heating member disposed in the internal space heats the refrigerant to remove the ice.

[0005] However, since such an ice-making evaporator does not have a structure in which the refrigerant circulates in the internal space of the immersion member, the contact time between the refrigerant and the immersion member is not long, which results in a problem in that the refrigerant's cooling capacity is not fully utilized.

[0006] In addition, when such an ice-making evaporator has a plurality of immersion members, the cooling capacity of the refrigerant is not evenly distributed among the immersion members, resulting in a problem that the size of the ice produced varies depending on the position of the ice-making member.

[0007] In addition, such ice-making evaporators have many types of components, such as a separate heating element installed inside the evaporator body, and the shapes of the components, the arrangement between the components, and the connection structure are complicated, which results in a problem of requiring a large amount of cost for manufacturing.

[0008] A conventional ice-making evaporator is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 2021-0003525 by COWAY Co., Ltd. This ice-making evaporator is configured such that the internal space of the evaporation tube and the immersion member is partitioned by a partitioning member, a refrigerant circulates through the partitioned internal space to produce ice, and a separately provided heating member heats the refrigerant to remove the ice.

[0009] However, such an ice-making evaporator does not have a structure that allows confirmation of whether the internal spaces of the evaporation tube and the immersion member, which are partitioned by a partition member, are fluidically isolated from each other. Therefore, the refrigerant that flows into the evaporation tube may immediately flow out of the evaporator without circulating through the immersion member, resulting in the problem that it is not possible to prevent the production of defective products with poor ice-making performance.

[0010] In addition, in such an ice-making evaporator, the evaporator tube is formed of multiple components, and the components that define the interior of the evaporator tube and the components that define the interior of the immersion member are provided as a single component. A separate heating element must be installed for ice removal, which results in complex component shapes and connections between the components, resulting in high manufacturing costs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0034571 [Patent Document 2] Korean Patent Publication No. 2021-0003525 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] The present invention has been devised in consideration of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ice-making evaporator in which the internal space of the evaporator body and the ice-making members is divided into a plurality of spaces, and the refrigerant can circulate through the divided spaces to cool the ice-making members, thereby lengthening the contact time between the refrigerant and the ice-making members and fully utilizing the cooling capacity of the refrigerant.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice-making evaporator in which the internal space of each of the ice-making elements is divided into a plurality of spaces, and the refrigerant passes through the divided internal spaces of the ice-making elements in sequence to cool the ice-making elements, thereby evenly distributing the cooling capacity of the refrigerant to the ice-making elements and forming ice cubes of uniform size for each of the ice-making elements.

[0014] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an ice-making evaporator that can prevent the production of defective ice-making products with poor ice-making performance by making it possible to check whether the internal spaces of the evaporator body and the ice-making members are fluidly isolated from each other by a separation wall.

[0015] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an ice-making evaporator in which a separating member for separating the inside of the evaporator body and the ice-making space is provided as a plurality of members, and the provided members are configured to be assembled and connected to each other in order, thereby improving ease of manufacture and assembly between the components.

[0016] Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice-making evaporator that does not include a separate heating element, but has a simple shape of components constituting the ice-making evaporator and a simple connection structure between the components, thereby increasing ease of manufacture and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0017] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator that is configured to be able to check whether the internal spaces of the ice-making evaporator are separated from each other, thereby preventing the production of defective products with poor ice-making performance.

[0018] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator that does not include a separate heating element, has simple component shapes and a simple connection structure between components, and can be assembled and connected sequentially, thereby improving manufacturing convenience and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0019] The objects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other objects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0020] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an evaporator body having a body space extending in one direction to allow a refrigerant to flow; a body space separating wall extending in the same direction as the body space to separate the body space into a first body space and a second body space; an ice making member having a heat exchange space extending in a direction different from the extending direction of the body space and capable of fluid communication with the body space; a heat exchange space separating wall extending in the same direction as the ice making member but separating the heat exchange space into a first heat exchange space capable of fluid communication with the first body space and a second heat exchange space capable of fluid communication with the second body space; The evaporator includes a refrigerant inlet passage connected to the first body space and an outlet passage connected to the second body space for discharging the refrigerant flowing through the second body space to the outside, and the evaporator body is provided with a swirl space for allowing the refrigerant to flow from the first body space to the second body space. A partition member is provided between the body space and the swirl space, partitioning the body space and the swirl space and having a first hole fluidically connecting the first body space and the swirl space and a second hole fluidically connecting the second body space and the swirl space.

[0021] In this case, the partition member partitions the main body space and the swirling space and may include a body portion in which the first hole and the second hole are formed, and an extension portion that is extended from around the body portion toward the swirling space and whose outer surface contacts the inner wall of the evaporator main body.

[0022] In this case, the evaporator body may have a connection hole formed therein, which is fluidly connected to the body space, and the ice-making member may be connected to the connection hole.

[0023] In this case, the ice making member may include a cylindrical ice making unit and a bottom portion provided at one end of the ice making unit and closing one end of the heat exchange space, and the bottom portion may be formed to bulge outward.

[0024] In this case, the ice making members may be formed to extend in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the main body space.

[0025] In this case, the main body space separating wall and the heat exchange space separating wall may be arranged side by side on the same plane.

[0026] In this case, the cooling fan may further include a guide wall coupled to the main body space separating wall, and the guide wall may include a first main body space side guide portion disposed in the first main body space and guiding the refrigerant flowing from one end to the other end of the first main body space to pass through the first heat exchange space.

[0027] In this case, the guide wall and the main body space separating wall may be disposed perpendicular to each other.

[0028] In this case, the guide wall may include a second main body space side guide portion that is arranged in the second main body space and guides the refrigerant flowing from one end to the other end of the second main body space so that it passes through the second heat exchange space.

[0029] In this case, the guide wall may include a first heat exchange space side guide portion that is disposed in the heat exchange space and divides the first heat exchange space into a first via space and a second via space.

[0030] In this case, the first heat exchange space side guide portion may be formed to extend along the heat exchange space so as to guide the refrigerant flowing through the first heat exchange space in an extending direction of the ice making member.

[0031] At this time, the first heat exchange space side guide portion may be defined with a flow hole that fluidly connects the first passing space and the second passing space.

[0032] At this time, the flow holes may be positioned so as to be biased toward the end of the ice-making member.

[0033] In this case, a guide wall coupling groove for coupling the guide wall may be formed on the side of the main body space separation wall in the extension direction, and a main body space separation wall coupling groove corresponding to and coupled to the guide wall coupling groove may be formed on the end of the guide wall on the main body space side.

[0034] In this case, the heat exchange space separating wall may be coupled to the guide wall.

[0035] In this case, a guide wall coupling groove for coupling the guide wall may be formed at the end of the heat exchange space separating wall on the main body space side, and a heat exchange space separating wall coupling groove corresponding to the guide wall coupling groove may be formed at the other end of the guide wall.

[0036] In this case, the first and second body spaces may extend parallel to each other, and the swivel space may be located at one end of the body spaces.

[0037] At this time, the heating element may further include a heat gas inlet passage connected to the first body space to allow heated gas to flow into the first body space.

[0038] In this case, a plurality of ice-making members may be provided, and the plurality of ice-making members may be arranged along an extension direction of the main body space.

[0039] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator, the method including the steps of: providing an evaporator assembly having first and second test spaces partitioned from each other and a swirl space, one side of which is fluidly connected to the first and second test spaces and the other side of which is open to the outside; inspecting whether the first test space and the second test space are fluidly isolated from each other; and closing the other open side of the swirl space based on a result of inspecting whether the first test space and the second test space are fluidly isolated from each other.

[0040] In this case, the step of providing the evaporator assembly may include the steps of providing an evaporator body having a body space; providing an ice-making member having a heat exchange space; arranging the evaporator body and the ice-making member adjacent to each other so that the body space and the heat exchange space are fluidly connected to each other, and partitioning the body space and the heat exchange space to form the first and second inspection spaces; and combining the evaporator body and the ice-making member to form the evaporator assembly.

[0041] In this case, the step of forming the first and second test spaces may include the steps of: disposing a body space separation wall in the body space that divides the body space into a first body space and a second body space; disposing a heat exchange space separation wall on one side of the body space separation wall that can divide the heat exchange space into a first heat exchange space and a second heat exchange space; disposing the ice-making member adjacent to the evaporator body so that the heat exchange space separation wall is disposed in the heat exchange space; and fluidically connecting the first body space and the first heat exchange space to form a first test space, and fluidically connecting the second body space and the second heat exchange space to form a second test space.

[0042] In this case, the step of forming the first and second test spaces may include the steps of providing a guide wall capable of guiding the fluid flowing through the main body space to the heat exchange space, assembling the guide wall to the main body space separating wall, and assembling the heat exchange space separating wall to the guide wall.

[0043] In this case, the step of checking whether the isolation is present may include the steps of: disposing a partition member between the first and second test spaces and the swirling space, the partition member having a first hole fluidically connecting the first test space and the swirling space and a second hole fluidically connecting the first test space and the swirling space; closing the first hole to fluidically isolate the first test space and the swirling space; checking characteristics of the first and second test spaces; and checking whether the first test space and the second test space are fluidically isolated from each other based on the checking results.

[0044] In this case, the step of checking the characteristics of the inspection target space may include the steps of injecting a predetermined fluid into the first inspection target space and checking the state of the injected fluid.

[0045] At this time, in the step of checking the state of the injected fluid, it can be checked whether the fluid injected into the first test target space has leaked into the second test target space. [Effects of the Invention]

[0046] In the ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, a separation wall divides the internal space of the evaporator body and the ice-making members into multiple spaces, and the refrigerant circulates through the multiple divided spaces to cool the ice-making members. This increases the contact time between the refrigerant and the ice-making members, allowing the refrigerant to fully utilize its cooling capacity.

[0047] In the ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, a separation wall divides the internal space of a plurality of ice-making elements into a plurality of spaces, and the refrigerant cools the plurality of ice-making elements by passing through the divided internal spaces of the ice-making elements sequentially. This allows the cooling capacity of the refrigerant to be evenly distributed to the plurality of ice-making elements, and allows ice cubes of uniform size to be formed for each of the plurality of ice-making elements.

[0048] The ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured so that the partition member can be used to check whether the internal spaces of the evaporator body and the ice-making member are fluidly isolated from each other by the separation wall, thereby preventing the production of evaporators with poor ice-making performance, i.e., defective products.

[0049] In the ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, the partition walls are provided separately into a main body space partition wall that can be inserted to partition the internal space of the evaporator main body, and a heat exchange space partition wall that partitions the internal space of the ice-making member, and then can be assembled, thereby improving manufacturing convenience and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0050] The ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body space separating wall, a heat exchange space separating wall, and a guide wall, which are separately provided as separating members for separating the inside of the evaporator main body and the ice-making space. The main body space separating wall, the heat exchange space separating wall, and the guide wall are provided with a plurality of coupling grooves that are coupled to each other so that they can be sequentially assembled and coupled to each other, thereby improving ease of manufacture and assembly between the components.

[0051] The ice-making evaporator according to the embodiment of the present invention does not include a separate heating element, and the shapes of the components and the connection structure between the components are simple, so that it is possible to improve manufacturing convenience and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0052] The method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to check whether the internal space of the ice-making evaporator is partitioned using a partition member, thereby preventing the production of evaporators with poor ice-making performance, i.e., defective products.

[0053] In the method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, the shapes of the components provided and the connection structure between the components are simple, and the components are connected through a sequential assembly process, thereby improving manufacturing convenience and assembling ease between the components.

[0054] The advantageous effects obtained by the present invention are not limited to the advantageous effects described above, and advantageous effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0055] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from above. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from above. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is an exploded perspective view of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the body of the evaporator body and the ice-making members are shown in dotted lines on one side so that the interior can be seen, and the components seen through the dotted lines are shown in solid lines. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, as seen from above, in which the body of the evaporator body and the ice-making members are shown by dotted lines, and the components seen through them are shown by solid lines. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the configuration shown in solid lines in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 1 is a transverse cross-sectional view of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a cross section of a portion where a separation plug is located and a cross section of a portion where a partition member is located are shown in a partially enlarged view. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view of a part of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, cut away so that a first main body space and a first heat exchange space can be seen. [Figure 9] 1 is a perspective view of a part of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, cut away so that a first main body space and a first heat exchange space can be seen. [Figure 10] 1 is a perspective view of a part of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, cut away so that a second main body space and a second heat exchange space can be seen. FIG. [Figure 11] 1 is a perspective view of a part of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, cut away so that a second main body space and a second heat exchange space can be seen. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is a diagram illustrating a process of checking whether the partitioned internal spaces of the evaporator body and the ice-making member are fluidically isolated using a partition member of the ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 3 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 3 is a flowchart showing a detailed step of providing an evaporator assembly in a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 1 is a flowchart showing a detailed process of forming an inspection target space in a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing a detailed process of inspecting whether a space to be inspected in an ice-making evaporator is isolated according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing a detailed process of checking characteristics of an inspection target space of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0056] The words and terms used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted in a limited manner to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a manner that is consistent with the technical idea of the present invention in accordance with the principle that the inventor can define terms and concepts in order to best describe the present invention.

[0057] In this specification, the terms "comprise" or "have" and the like are intended to describe the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0058] A component being "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below" another component does not only mean that it is disposed "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below" the other component immediately adjacent thereto, unless there are special circumstances, but also includes the case where another component is disposed between them. Furthermore, a component being "connected" to another component does not only mean that they are directly connected to each other, but also means that they are indirectly connected to each other, unless there are special circumstances.

[0059] 1 and 2 are perspective views of an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention, as seen from above, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention, as seen from below.

[0060] The drawings will be described below based on the coordinate axes shown in Fig. 1. More specifically, the positive direction of the z-axis will be defined as the rearward direction, the negative direction of the z-axis will be defined as the forward direction, the positive direction of the y-axis will be defined as the upward direction, and the negative direction of the y-axis will be defined as the downward direction.

[0061] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, an ice-making evaporator 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is an ice-making evaporator that can make ice by cooling external water with a cold refrigerant circulating inside, and includes an evaporator body 100 and a plurality of ice-making members 200.

[0062] The evaporator body 100 has an internal space through which a refrigerant flows, and a plurality of ice-making members 200 are provided on one side of the evaporator body 100. The plurality of ice-making members 200 are configured to form ice, and at least a portion of each of the ice-making members 200 can be immersed in water.

[0063] The internal space of the evaporator body 100 and the ice-making member 200 is divided into a plurality of spaces by a separating member 300 (see FIG. 4), which will be described later. The cold refrigerant that flows into the evaporator body 100 flows sequentially through the divided internal spaces and is then discharged to the outside of the evaporator body 100.

[0064] As the refrigerant flows through the divided internal spaces, the ice-making members 200 are cooled, and ice is formed in the areas where the ice-making members 200 are immersed.

[0065] Hereinafter, the configuration of an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to different drawings.

[0066] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention. Here, in the partially enlarged view, one side of the evaporator body and ice-making members is illustrated with dotted lines so that the interior can be seen, and the components seen through are illustrated with solid lines. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention seen from above. Here, the evaporator body and ice-making members are illustrated with dotted lines, and the components seen through are illustrated with solid lines. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the components illustrated with solid lines in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention. Here, the partially enlarged view shows cross sections of a portion where a separation plug is located and a portion where a partition member is located. FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views cut to show the first body space and first heat exchange space, which are parts of an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 10 and 11 are perspective views cut to show the second body space and second heat exchange space, which are parts of an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] 4 and 5, as described above, an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the evaporator body 100. The evaporator body 100 may include a body portion 110 extending in one direction.

[0068] In this embodiment, the main body 110 extends along the front and rear as shown in FIG. 4, but is not limited thereto, and may be formed so that at least a portion thereof is bent so as to fit into the interior space of the water purifier or ice maker in which the ice-making evaporator is placed.

[0069] A first opening 113 and a second opening 115 may be formed at both ends of the main body 110, and a main body space A may be formed inside the main body 110, connecting the first opening 113 and the second opening 115. In other words, in this embodiment, the main body 110 may have the shape of a hollow tube.

[0070] The main body space A is a space through which the refrigerant flows and may be formed along the extension direction of the main body part 110. In this case, the main body part 110 may be made of a material with low heat conductivity to minimize the transfer of external heat to the refrigerant flowing through the main body space A.

[0071] First and second closure plugs 120 and 130 can be coupled to both ends of the main body space A, in other words, the first and second openings 113 and 115, respectively. The first and second closure plugs 120 and 130 are configured to close the openings 113 and 115 of the main body portion 110, thereby fluidly isolating the main body space A from the outside.

[0072] In this disclosure, the term "two spaces are fluidically isolated from each other" means that the two spaces are separated so that they cannot be directly fluidly connected to each other, although the two spaces that are isolated from each other may be fluidly connected to each other through another space that connects them.

[0073] The closure plugs 120 and 130 may be made of a material having a predetermined flexibility, such as rubber, and fitted into the openings 113 and 115 of the main body 110, or may be made of a material such as metal and joined to the main body 110 by a welding process.

[0074] The first closing plug 120 may be provided with a refrigerant inlet pipe 122 , a heat gas inlet pipe 124 , and an outlet pipe 126 .

[0075] The refrigerant inlet pipe 122 is a member that forms a flow path through which the refrigerant flows into the main body space A of the main body 110. The heat gas inlet pipe 124 is a member that forms a flow path through which heated heat gas flows into the main body space A of the main body 110. The discharge pipe 126 is a member that forms a flow path through which the refrigerant or heat gas flowing in the main body space A flows out to the outside.

[0076] Meanwhile, the heat gas inlet pipe 124 does not have to be provided separately. For example, if a heater capable of raising the temperature of the ice-making members 200 is provided separately so that the produced ice can be smoothly removed from the ice-making members 200, the heat gas inlet pipe 124 does not have to be provided separately.

[0077] In this embodiment, one end of the refrigerant inlet pipe 122 and one end of the heat gas inlet pipe 124 are located in a first body space A1, which will be described later, and one end of the discharge pipe 126 is located in a second body space A2, which will be described later together with the first and second body spaces A1 and A2.

[0078] 5, in the illustrated embodiment, second closure 130 may be comprised of a plurality of second closures, for example, as in the illustrated embodiment, outer second closure 132 and inner second closure 134. As described above, outer second closure 132 may be coupled to second opening 115 of main body 110, and inner second closure 134 may be coupled to the inside of main body 110, spaced a predetermined distance from second opening 115.

[0079] The space between the outer second closure plug 132 and the inner second closure plug 134 is fluidly isolated from the main body space A. Therefore, by adjusting the distance between the outer second closure plug 132 and the inner second closure plug 134, it is possible to limit the section of the internal space of the main body 110 through which the refrigerant can flow.

[0080] In this embodiment, partitioning member 150 may be positioned slightly away from second closure plug 130 and inside main body 110, and separation plug 140 may be positioned slightly away from first closure plug 120 and inside main body 110. The specific shapes and functions of separation plug 140 and partitioning member 150 will be described later together with separation member 300.

[0081] 4, a connecting hole 111 communicating with the main body space A is formed on a side portion of the main body 110 in the extension direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the connecting hole 111 in this embodiment opens toward the bottom of the main body 110.

[0082] There may be at least one connection hole 111. Alternatively, there may be a plurality of connection holes 111 corresponding to a plurality of ice-making members 200 so that the ice-making members 200 (described later) can be connected to each other. In this embodiment, there are five connection holes 111 corresponding to the case where there are five ice-making members 200.

[0083] In this embodiment, the five connecting holes 111 are arranged in a row along the extending direction of the main body 110. At this time, the intervals between the connecting holes 111 may be appropriately adjusted depending on the shape of the space in which the ice-making evaporator is disposed.

[0084] 4 and 5, as described above, ice-making members 200 may be coupled to each of the plurality of coupling holes 111. Ice-making members 200 are members on which ice is formed in the ice-making evaporator, and may be made of a material that has high thermal conductivity and is harmless to the human body.

[0085] Ice making member 200 can be composed of cylindrical ice making section 210 extending in a direction different from the extension direction of main body 110, and bottom section 220 closing one end of ice making section 210. In this embodiment, ice making section 210 extends perpendicular to main body 110. Accordingly, a heat exchange space C may be formed inside ice making member 200, extending in a direction parallel to the extension direction of ice making section 210.

[0086] The heat exchange space C is a space through which the refrigerant flowing through the main body space A of the main body portion 110 passes, and one end of the heat exchange space C is fluidly isolated from the outside by the bottom portion 220, and the other end of the heat exchange space C is fluidly connected to the main body space A.

[0087] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the ice making members 200 are configured to include five ice making members 200, but the number of ice making members 200 is not particularly limited, and one or more ice making members may be provided.

[0088] Furthermore, the ice-making evaporator 1 according to this embodiment can be applied to an immersion type ice maker in which the ice-making member 200 is immersed in water to form ice, but is not limited thereto, and can be modified to be applied to ice makers that form ice in other ways within the scope that does not impair the concept of the present invention.

[0089] For example, in other embodiments, the shape of ice-making member 200 can be modified to fit a flow-through ice maker or a spray-type ice maker. More specifically, in other embodiments, ice-making member 200 can be configured to fit a jet-type ice maker, which produces ice by spraying water into the ice-making grooves formed on the outer surface of ice-making member 200 so as to form ice grooves corresponding to the shape of the ice.

[0090] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the ice-making members 200 and the evaporator body 100 are configured to be provided as separate members and then combined with each other. Accordingly, the main body 110 of the evaporator body 100 and the ice-making members 200 may be made of different materials. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the main body 110 and the ice-making members 200 may be provided as a single member by being manufactured through a forging process or a molding process.

[0091] Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 4 to 7, the ice-making evaporator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a separating member 300 provided inside the evaporator body 100 and the ice-making member 200.

[0092] The separating member 300 separates the main body space A and the heat exchange space C and forces the refrigerant to circulate through the separated main body space A and the heat exchange space C. In this case, the separating member 300 may be made of a material with low heat transfer coefficient so as to minimize heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing through the separated spaces.

[0093] The separation member 300 may include a main body space separation wall 310. Alternatively, the separation member 300 may include a heat exchange space separation wall 320. Alternatively, the separation member 300 may include a guide wall 330.

[0094] 5 and 7, the main body space separation wall 310 may be disposed in the main body space A and formed side by side along the extension direction of the main body portion 110. Accordingly, the main body space separation wall 310 divides the main body space A into a first main body space A1 and a second main body space A2 formed side by side in the extension direction of the main body portion 110.

[0095] In this case, the first body space A1 and the second body space A2 may be formed symmetrically with respect to each other with respect to the body space separating wall 310. In addition, the body space separating wall 310 may be disposed so as to cross the connecting hole 111 in the diameter direction.

[0096] As a result, the refrigerant flowing through the first main body space A1 may not immediately flow across the main body space separation wall 310 into the second main body space A2, but may be forced to flow along the extension direction of the first main body space A1.

[0097] Similarly, the refrigerant flowing through the second body space A2 may be forced to flow along the extension direction of the second body space A2 without crossing the body space separation wall 310 and flowing into the first body space A1.

[0098] A first guide wall coupling groove 311 to which a guide wall 330 (described later) can be coupled may be formed on a side portion of the main body space separating wall 310 in the extension direction. A plurality of first guide wall coupling grooves 311 may be provided corresponding to the number of ice making members 200, and the plurality of first guide wall coupling grooves 311 may be arranged side by side along the extension direction.

[0099] 5 to 7, a separator plug 140 may be provided at the end of the main body space separating wall 310 on the first closing plug 120 side, or at the rear end in the illustrated embodiment. The separator plug 140 is configured to prevent the refrigerant flowing through the first main body space A1 (or the second main body space A2) from swirling around the front end of the main body space separating wall 310 and flowing into the second main body space A2 (or the first main body space A1).

[0100] The separation plug 140 separates the main body space A from a predetermined space provided between the first closure plug 120 and the main body space separation wall 310, but closes the rear end side of the first main body space A1. Accordingly, the rear end side of the first main body space A1 and the rear end side of the second main body space A2 may be fluidically isolated from each other by the separation plug 140.

[0101] An inlet pipe through-hole 143 is formed in a portion of the separation plug 140 facing the first body space A1. The refrigerant inlet pipe 122 and the heat gas inlet pipe 124 are inserted and coupled through the inlet pipe through-hole 143. An outlet hole 141 communicating with the rear end of the second body space A2 is formed in a portion of the separation plug 140 facing the second body space A2.

[0102] In this embodiment, the ends of the refrigerant inlet pipe 122 and the heat gas inlet pipe 124 are located in front of the separator plug 140 , and the end of the discharge pipe 126 is located behind the separator plug 140 .

[0103] Accordingly, the refrigerant or heat gas exiting the refrigerant inlet pipe 122 or the heat gas inlet pipe 124 is blocked by the separation plug 140 and cannot flow backward, but is forced to flow forward along the first body space A1. Also, the refrigerant or heat gas entering the discharge hole 141 from the second body space A2 is blocked by the separation plug 140 and cannot flow into the first body space A1, but is forced to flow into the discharge pipe 126.

[0104] Meanwhile, referring to Figures 4 to 7, a swiveling space B is provided on one side of the main body space A inside the main body portion 110, that is, on the front end side of the main body space A in the illustrated embodiment, and a partition member 150 can be positioned between the main body space A and the swiveling space B.

[0105] The partitioning member 150 is a component for determining whether the internal spaces of the evaporator body 100 and the ice-making member 200 are partitioned so as to be fluidically isolated by the separating member 300. The partitioning member 150 may be joined to the inner wall of the main body 110 by a welding process or the like. The specific function of the partitioning member 150 will be described later with reference to FIG. 12.

[0106] The partition member 150 may include a body portion 152 that separates the main body space A and the swirl space B. The body portion 152 is formed with a first hole 153a that fluidically connects the first main body space A1 to the swirl space B and a second hole 153b that fluidically connects the second main body space A2 to the swirl space B.

[0107] Accordingly, the refrigerant flowing through the first main body space A1 may flow into the swirling space B through the first hole 153a, and then flow into the second main body space A2 through the second hole 153b.

[0108] An extension portion 154 may be provided around the body portion 152 of the partition member 150. The extension portion 154 extends from around the body portion 152 toward the swirl space B, and is formed so that its outer surface contacts the inner wall of the main body portion 110.

[0109] Accordingly, the extension portion 154 can be elastically deformed to some extent when pressed inward by the inner wall of the main body portion 110, so that the partition member 150 can be easily inserted inside the main body portion 110.

[0110] Furthermore, when the partition member 150 is joined to the main body portion 110 by a welding process or the like, the molten welding metal can easily seep into the space between the outer surface of the extension portion 154 and the inner wall of the main body portion 110 by capillary action, thereby enabling the partition member 150 and the main body portion 110 to be strongly joined to each other.

[0111] Meanwhile, the partitioning member 150 does not necessarily have to include the above-mentioned extension portion 154. For example, as long as the bonding strength between the body portion 152 and the main body portion 110 is sufficiently ensured, the partitioning member 150 may be composed of only the plate-shaped body portion 152.

[0112] A configuration similar to the extension 154 of the partition member 150 described above may also be configured on other components inserted inside the main body 110. For example, a configuration similar to the extension 154 of the partition member 150 may be provided around the separation plug 140 and the inner second closure plug 134 described above.

[0113] However, even in this case, as mentioned with respect to the extension 154 of the partition member 150, the separation plug 140 and the inner second closure plug 134 do not necessarily have to include a configuration corresponding to the extension 154 of the partition member 150.

[0114] 5 to 7, the heat exchange space separating wall 320 may be disposed in contact with the side portion in the extension direction of the main body space separating wall 310. The heat exchange space separating wall 320 may be disposed alongside the main body space separating wall 310 on the same plane as the main body space separating wall 310, which in the illustrated embodiment is a plane extending in the front-rear and up-down directions.

[0115] The heat exchange space separating wall 320 is a component for dividing the heat exchange space C of the ice making members 200, and a plurality of heat exchange space separating walls 320 may be provided corresponding to the number of ice making members 200. Although the heat exchange space separating wall 320 is disposed in the heat exchange space C, it may extend in the same direction as the extension direction of the ice making members 200.

[0116] Accordingly, the heat exchange space C may be divided into a first heat exchange space C1 and a second heat exchange space C2 that are fluidly isolated from each other, where the first heat exchange space C1 is fluidly connected to the first main body space A1, and the second heat exchange space C2 is fluidly connected to the second main body space A2.

[0117] A second guide wall coupling groove 321 to which a guide wall 330 (described later) is coupled may be formed at an end of the heat exchange space separating wall 320 on the main body space A side. In this case, the first guide wall coupling groove 311 and the second guide wall coupling groove 321 may be positioned opposite each other. Accordingly, the flexible guide wall 330 (described later) may be coupled to the first guide wall coupling groove 311 and the second guide wall coupling groove 321 simultaneously.

[0118] 6 to 10, a guide wall 330 may be coupled to the main body space separation wall 310 and the heat exchange space separation wall 320. In this case, the guide wall 330 may be disposed perpendicular to the main body space separation wall 310 and the heat exchange space separation wall 320.

[0119] The guide wall 330 may include main body space-side guide portions 332a and 332b. The main body space-side guide portions 332a and 332b are configured to guide the refrigerant flowing through the main body spaces A1 and A2 into the heat exchange spaces C1 and C2.

[0120] The body space guide portions 332a, 332b may include a first body space guide portion 332a and a second body space guide portion 332b. The first body space guide portion 332a may be arranged in the first body space A1 and configured to guide the refrigerant flowing through the first body space A1 through the first heat exchange space C1. The second body space guide portion 332b may be arranged in the second body space A2 and configured to guide the refrigerant flowing through the second body space A2 through the second heat exchange space C2.

[0121] Meanwhile, a first separation wall coupling groove 331a is formed in the upper portion of the main body space side guide portions 332a and 332b, which is coupled to the first guide wall coupling groove 311 of the main body space separation wall 310 described above.

[0122] Heat exchange space side guide portions 334a, 334b may be provided on one side of the main body space side guide portions 332a, 332b, that is, on the lower side in the illustrated embodiment. The heat exchange space side guide portions 334a, 334b are configured to guide the flow of refrigerant through the heat exchange space C.

[0123] Referring to Figures 6, 8 and 9, the heat exchange space side guide portions 334a, 334b may include a first heat exchange space side guide portion 334a that is arranged in the first heat exchange space C1 and divides the first heat exchange space C1 into a first pass space C1a and a second pass space C1b.

[0124] The first heat exchange space-side guide portion 334a may extend from the first main body space-side guide portion 332a along the extension direction of the ice making member 200, which in the illustrated embodiment is a downward direction. Accordingly, the first heat exchange space-side guide portion 334a can guide the refrigerant to flow in the vertical direction.

[0125] In this case, the first heat exchange space side guide portion 334a may be formed to be slightly shorter than the length of the first heat exchange space C1. In other words, the end of the first heat exchange space side guide portion 334a may be disposed slightly spaced upward from the bottom 220 of the ice making member 200. Accordingly, a first flow hole 335a may be formed between the end of the first heat exchange space side guide portion 334a and the bottom 220.

[0126] The first flow hole 335a fluidly connects the lower end of the first passing space C1a to the lower end of the second passing space C1b. Therefore, the refrigerant flowing through the first passing space C1a can flow into the second passing space C1b only after reaching the end of the ice-making members 200, so that the ice-making members 200 can be cooled overall in the vertical direction by the refrigerant flowing through the first passing space C1a.

[0127] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the first flow hole 335a is formed between the end of the first heat exchange space side guide portion 334a and the bottom 220 of the ice making member 200, but the first flow hole 335a can also be formed by penetrating the end of the first heat exchange space side guide portion 334a.

[0128] 6, 10, and 11, a second heat exchange space guide portion 334b may be provided on one side of the first heat exchange space guide portion 334a. In this case, the second heat exchange space guide portion 334b is formed symmetrically with the first heat exchange space guide portion 334a about the heat exchange space separating wall 320. Therefore, the detailed structure of the second heat exchange space guide portion 334b will be substituted for the description of the first heat exchange space guide portion 334a.

[0129] 6, the heat exchange space side guide portions 334a and 334b may have second partition wall coupling grooves 331b formed therein. The second partition wall coupling grooves 331b may be open downward. Accordingly, the second partition wall coupling grooves 331b may be coupled to the second guide wall coupling grooves 321 of the heat exchange space separation wall 320 described above.

[0130] Accordingly, the main body space separating wall 310, the guide wall 330 and the heat exchange space separating wall 320 can be sequentially coupled (or assembled) as follows.

[0131] The first guide wall coupling groove 311 of the main body space separating wall 310 and the first separation wall coupling groove 331a of the guide wall 330 may be coupled to each other, thereby coupling the main body space separating wall 310 and the guide wall 330 (hereinafter referred to as the first step). Then, the second separation wall coupling groove 331b of the guide wall 330 and the second guide wall coupling groove 321 of the heat exchange space separating wall 320 may be coupled to each other, thereby coupling (or assembling) the guide wall 330 and the heat exchange space separating wall 320 to each other (hereinafter referred to as the second step). In this case, the order of the first step and the second step is not particularly limited.

[0132] In this manner, in this embodiment, the main body space separation wall 310 and the heat exchange space separation wall 320 can be formed as separate members and then joined (or assembled), thereby simplifying the shapes of the components that make up the separation member 300 and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0133] In addition, according to this embodiment, the guide wall 330 and the heat exchange space separating wall 320 can be sequentially coupled to the main body space separating wall 310 disposed inside the main body 110 through the coupling holes 111 (see FIG. 4) of the main body 110, thereby improving the ease of manufacture and assembly of the ice-making evaporator 1.

[0134] The process of refrigerant flowing inside the ice-making evaporator according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0135] 5 and 7, in the ice-making evaporator 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, a cold refrigerant flows into the first main body space A1 through the refrigerant inlet pipe 122. The flowing refrigerant flows forward along the extension direction of the first main body space A1.

[0136] 8 and 9, the refrigerant flowing through the first main body space A1 flows into the first intermediate space C1a of the first heat exchange space C1 by the first main body space-side guide portion 332a.

[0137] The refrigerant that has flowed into the first pass space C1a is guided to the lower end of the first pass space C1a by the first heat exchange space side guide portion 334a, and cools the right rear portion of the ice making member 200 as a whole.

[0138] The refrigerant that reaches the lower end of the first passing space C1a passes through the first flow hole 335a and flows out to the lower end of the second passing space C1b. The refrigerant that flows into the lower end of the second passing space C1b is guided to the upper end of the second passing space C1b by the first heat exchange space side guide part 334a, and cools the entire front right part of the ice making member 200.

[0139] Through the above process, the refrigerant flows from the front end to the rear end of the first body space A1, passing through the first heat exchange spaces C1 in sequence, thereby cooling the entire right side of the ice making members 200 by the refrigerant.

[0140] 7, the refrigerant that reaches the rear end of the first body space A1 passes through the first hole 153a and flows out into the swirling space B. The refrigerant that flows into the swirling space B passes through the second hole 153b and flows out into the rear end of the second body space A2.

[0141] 10 and 11, the refrigerant that has flowed into the second main body space A2 flows out into the first intermediate space C2a of the second heat exchange space C2 by the second main body space-side guide portion 332b.

[0142] The refrigerant that has flowed into the first pass space C2a is guided to the lower end of the first pass space C2a by the second heat exchange space side guide portion 334b, and cools the left front portion of the ice making member 200 as a whole.

[0143] The refrigerant that reaches the lower end of the first passing space C2a passes through the second flow hole 335b and flows out to the lower end of the second passing space C2b. The refrigerant that flows into the lower end of the second passing space C2b is guided to the upper end of the second passing space C2b by the second heat exchange space side guide part 334b, and cools the entire left rear part of the ice making member 200.

[0144] Through the above process, the refrigerant flows from the rear end to the front end of the second body space A2, passing through the second heat exchange spaces C2 in sequence, thereby cooling the left sides of the ice making members 200 as a whole.

[0145] As described above, in this embodiment, the refrigerant can cool the ice making members 200 while circulating through the partitioned spaces A1, A2, C1, and C2 inside the evaporator body 100 and the ice making members 200.

[0146] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the time during which the refrigerant and the ice-making members 200 are in contact with each other can be extended, the cooling capacity of the refrigerant can be maximized, and ice can be efficiently produced.

[0147] In addition, according to this embodiment, the cooling capacity of the refrigerant can be evenly distributed to the multiple ice making members 200, and the multiple ice making members 200 can be uniformly cooled, allowing ice of uniform size to be formed for each of the multiple ice making members 200.

[0148] The function of the partition member according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to different drawings.

[0149] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a process of checking whether the partitioned internal spaces of the evaporator body and the ice-making member are fluidically isolated using a partitioning member of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0150] 12, in ice-making evaporator 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, second closing plug 130 (see FIG. 4) is not installed in second opening 115 of main body 110, so one side of swirling space B is open to the outside. Hereinafter, this state is defined as an inspection preparation state.

[0151] In the test preparation state, the test member 2 may be inserted into the main body 110 through the opened second opening 115. The test member 2 is a member for testing whether the partitioned internal spaces of the ice-making evaporator 1 are fluidically isolated from each other, and may be provided separately from the ice-making evaporator 1.

[0152] The testing member 2 may include a first testing plug 2a that corresponds to the shape of the first hole 153a and a second testing plug 2b that corresponds to the shape of the second hole 153b. The first testing plug 2a may be inserted into the first hole 153a to close it, and the second testing plug 2b may be inserted into the second hole 153b to close it.

[0153] Hereinafter, a state in which the first and second holes 153a, 153b are closed by the testing member 2 is defined as a test preparation complete state. The space formed by connecting the first main body space A1 and the first heat exchange space C1 is defined as the first test target space A1, C1, and the space formed by connecting the second main body space A2 and the second heat exchange space C2 is defined as the second test target space A2, C2.

[0154] In the test preparation state, the test member 2 fluidly isolates the first main body space A1 from the swirling space B, and fluidly isolates the second main body space A2 from the swirling space B. Therefore, if there is no defect in the separating member 300, the first test target spaces A1, C1 and the second test target spaces A2, C2 are fluidly isolated from each other.

[0155] At this time, the characteristics of the test spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2 can be checked to determine whether the first test space A1, C1 and the second test space A2, C2 are completely fluidically isolated by the separation member 300.

[0156] In this embodiment, to check the characteristics of the test spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2, a predetermined fluid is injected into the first test space A1 or C1 through the refrigerant inlet pipe 122 or the heat gas inlet pipe 124, and the physical state of the injected fluid is checked. In this case, the predetermined fluid may be compressed air at high pressure.

[0157] In this embodiment, to check the physical state of the injected fluid, it is checked whether the injected fluid leaks from the first test target spaces A1 and C1 to the second test target spaces A2 and C2. At this time, the presence or absence of leakage can be confirmed by checking whether the fluid is discharged through the discharge pipe 126.

[0158] If no fluid flows out through the exhaust pipe 126, it can be determined that the first test space A1, C1 and the second test space A2, C2 are completely fluidically isolated by the separation member 300, and if fluid flows out through the exhaust pipe 126, it can be determined that there is a defect in the separation member 300.

[0159] In ice-making evaporator 1 with a defective separating member 300, the refrigerant that flows into the interior may immediately leak into the space connected to outlet pipe 126 and be discharged to the outside. Therefore, such ice-making evaporator 1 cannot fully utilize the cooling capacity of the refrigerant, and in severe cases, it may not be possible to make ice.

[0160] It is preferable that the ice-making evaporator 1 determined to have a defect in the separating member 300 is discarded or the defective part is repaired and then the separation is inspected again according to the above-mentioned process.

[0161] In this way, according to the ice-making evaporator 1 of this embodiment, by utilizing the partition member 150, it is possible to prevent the production of ice-making evaporators with poor ice-making performance, that is, defective products.

[0162] Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to different drawings.

[0163] Fig. 13 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 14 is a flowchart that subdivides the step of providing an evaporator assembly in the method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 15 is a flowchart that subdivides the step of forming an inspection target space in the method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 16 is a flowchart that subdivides the step of inspecting whether the inspection target space of an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention is isolated. Fig. 17 is a flowchart that subdivides the step of checking the characteristics of the inspection target space of an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0164] To facilitate understanding of the invention, this disclosure will describe a process for manufacturing the ice-making evaporator shown in Figures 1 to 12 by a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0165] Referring to FIG. 13 together with FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention, an evaporator assembly 100, 200, 300 is provided whose interior is divided into first inspection spaces A1, C1 and second inspection spaces A2, C2 (S100).

[0166] At this time, a swirling space B is provided on one side of the first and second test spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2. The swirling space B is a part of the internal space of the evaporator assembly 100, 200, and 300, and one side of the swirling space B is fluidly connected to the first and second test spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2, and the other side is open to the outside.

[0167] 14 and 4, in the step S100 of providing the evaporator assembly 100, 200, 300, the evaporator body 100 having the body space A therein is provided (S110), and the ice-making member 200 having the heat exchange space C therein is provided (S120). Here, the order of the step S110 of providing the evaporator body 100 and the step S120 of providing the ice-making member 200 may be interchanged.

[0168] In the step S110 of providing the evaporator body 100, the body 110 may be provided in the form of a pipe having open ends and communicating with the internal space A through the open ends. In this case, in the step S110 of providing the evaporator body 100, the side of the body 110 in the extension direction may be flattened using a forging process or the like, and a plurality of first coupling holes 111 may be formed in the flat side.

[0169] In the step of providing the evaporator assembly 100, 200, 300 (S100), the evaporator body 100 and the ice-making member 200 are provided (S110, S120), and then the test spaces A1, C1, A2, C2 are formed inside the evaporator body 100 and the ice-making member 200 (S130).

[0170] 15 and 4 to 6, in the step of forming the test spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2 (S130), a body space separating wall 310 may be disposed inside the body part 110 of the evaporator body 100 (S131). The body space separating wall 310 divides the body space A inside the body part 110 into a first body space A1 and a second body space A2.

[0171] In this embodiment, the main body space separation wall 310 and the heat exchange space separation wall 320 are provided as separate members, and the vertical width of the main body space separation wall 310 is smaller than or equal to the diameter of the openings 113 and 115 of the main body part 110, so the main body space separation wall 310 can be positioned inside the main body part 110 by inserting it through the openings 113 and 115.

[0172] As described above, according to this embodiment, the components constituting the ice-making evaporator 1 have simple shapes and the manufacturing process is simple, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0173] In the step of forming the test spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2 (S130), the main body space separating wall 310 is placed (S131), and then the guide wall 330 is assembled to the main body space separating wall 310 through the first connecting hole 111 (S132), and the heat exchange space separating wall 320 is assembled to the guide wall 330 (S133).

[0174] In the steps (S132, S133) of assembling the main body space separation wall 310, the guide wall 330, and the heat exchange space separation wall 320, as described above, the first step of assembling the guide wall 330 to the main body space separation wall 310 by correspondingly coupling the first separation wall coupling groove 331a to the first guide wall coupling groove 311, and the second step of assembling the heat exchange space separation wall 320 to the guide wall 330 by correspondingly coupling the second guide wall coupling groove 321 to the second separation wall coupling groove 331b can be performed sequentially.

[0175] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the guide wall 330 and the heat exchange space separating wall 320 can be easily assembled to the main body space separating wall 310 disposed inside the main body 110 through the first connecting hole 111 of the main body 110, thereby improving the ease of manufacture and assembly of the ice-making evaporator 1.

[0176] Referring to both Figures 15 and 5, in the step of forming the test spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2 (S130), the main body space separating wall 310, the guide wall 330, and the heat exchange space separating wall 320 are assembled together (S132, S133), and then the ice making member 200 is placed on the side of the evaporator main body 100 so that the heat exchange space separating wall 320 is positioned in the heat exchange space C of the ice making member 200 (S134).

[0177] Then, in the step of forming the test spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2 (S130), the relative positions of the ice-making member 200 and the evaporator body 100 are adjusted so that the heat exchange space separating wall 320 divides the heat exchange space C into a first heat exchange space C1 and a second heat exchange space C2 (S135).

[0178] In addition, in the step of forming the test spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2 (S130), the first main body space A1 and the first heat exchange space C1 are fluidically connected to form the first test space A1 and C1, and the second main body space A2 and the second heat exchange space C2 are fluidically connected to form the second test space A2 and C2 (S136).

[0179] Through the above steps, the inspection target spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2 are formed (S130).

[0180] Referring again to Figures 4 and 5 together with Figure 14, in the step of providing the evaporator assembly 100, 200, 300 (S100), the test spaces A1, C1, A2, C2 are formed (S130), and then the evaporator body 100, the ice-making member 200, and the separating member 300 are combined (S140).

[0181] In this case, in the step (S140) of combining the evaporator main body 100, the ice-making member 200, and the separating member 300, the separating plug 140 is placed inside the main body part 110 through the first opening 113, and then the first closing plug 120 having the refrigerant inlet pipe 122, the heat gas inlet pipe 124, and the discharge pipe 126 can be installed at one end of the main body part 110.

[0182] In addition, in the step (S140) of combining the evaporator main body 100, the ice making member 200 and the separating member 300, the partition member 150 can be disposed between the main body spaces A1, A2 and the swirling space B through the second opening 115 of the main body part 110.

[0183] Thereafter, in the step of combining the evaporator body 100, the ice-making member 200, and the separating member 300 (S140), the evaporator body 100, the ice-making member 200, the separating member 300, the first closing plug 120, the separating plug 140, and the partitioning member 150 may be combined with each other.

[0184] At this time, the step of joining the evaporator body 100, the ice-making member 200, the separating member 300, the first closing plug 120, the separating plug 140, and the partition member 150 can be performed by any one of a laser welding process, a brazing welding process using welding powder or welding paste, and a high-frequency welding process.

[0185] In this embodiment, the evaporator assembly 100, 200, 300 is made up of various components, and the edges of the components that are joined together include straight and curved lines. Therefore, the step of joining the evaporator body 100, ice-making member 200, separating member 300, first closing plug 120, separating plug 140, and partition member 150 can be performed using a brazing and welding process, which can join components with slightly curved shapes at once.

[0186] In this case, the steps of placing the partition member 150 inside the main body 110 and joining the partition member 150 and the main body 110 to each other may not be performed in the step (S100) of providing the evaporator assembly 100, 200, 300 as described above, but may be performed separately in the step (S200) of inspecting whether or not the inspection target spaces A1, C1, A2, C2 are isolated, as described below.

[0187] Through the above-described steps, the evaporator assemblies 100, 200, and 300 can be provided (S100).

[0188] 13 again, in the method of manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, after providing an evaporator assembly (S100), whether or not the spaces to be inspected are separated is inspected (S200). Here, checking whether or not the two spaces are separated means inspecting whether or not the two spaces are fluidly separated from each other.

[0189] Referring to Figure 16 together with Figure 12, in the step (S200) of inspecting whether the inspection target spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2 are isolated, the first and second holes 153a and 153b of the partition member 150 arranged inside the main body portion 110 are closed by inserting the inspection member 2 through the second opening 115 of the opened main body portion 110 (S210, S220).

[0190] In this case, as described above, the step of arranging the partition member 150 (S210) can be performed prior to the step of combining the evaporator body 100, the ice-making member 200, and the separating member 300 (S140) (see FIG. 14).

[0191] Thereafter, in the step (S200) of inspecting whether the spaces to be inspected A1, C1, A2, and C2 are isolated, the characteristics of the spaces to be inspected A1, C1, A2, and C2 can be confirmed (S230). At this time, the spaces to be inspected A1, C1, A2, and C2 to be confirmed may be the first spaces to be inspected A1, C1 and the second spaces to be inspected A2, C2 formed in the above step (S130) (see FIG. 14).

[0192] Referring to Figure 17 together with Figure 12, according to this embodiment, in the step of confirming the characteristics of the test spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2 (S230), a predetermined fluid, for example, compressed air, is injected into one of the first test spaces A1, C1 and the second test spaces A2, C2 (S231), and the state of the injected fluid is confirmed (S232).

[0193] In this embodiment, in the step of checking the state of the injected fluid (S232), it can be checked whether the injected fluid has leaked into any one of the first inspection target spaces A1, C1 and the second inspection target spaces A2, C2.

[0194] 16 together with FIG. 12, in the step of checking whether or not there is isolation (S200), the characteristics of the spaces to be inspected A1, C1, A2, and C2 are confirmed (S230), and then it is determined whether or not the first spaces to be inspected A1, C1 and the second spaces to be inspected A2, C2 are isolated from each other based on the confirmed characteristics (S240). At this time, the step of determining whether or not there is isolation (S240) can be performed as described above with reference to FIG. 12, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0195] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the characteristics confirmed in the step (S230) of confirming the characteristics of the spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2 to be inspected are whether or not there is leakage of the fluid injected into the spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2 to be inspected, but this is merely an example, and the characteristics of the spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2 to be inspected that are confirmed are not limited to this.

[0196] For example, the characteristic confirmed in the step of confirming the characteristics of the test target spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2 (S230) may be a pressure change or a temperature change of a fluid injected into any one of the test target spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2.

[0197] Through the above steps, it is possible to check whether the spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2 to be inspected are isolated (S200).

[0198] Referring to Figure 13 together with Figures 5 and 12, in a manufacturing method of an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention, after inspecting whether the spaces A1, C1, A2, and C2 to be inspected are isolated (S200), the opened second opening 115 of the evaporator assembly 100, 200, and 300 is closed with the second closing plug 130 based on the results obtained in the isolation inspection step (S200).

[0199] At this time, in the step of closing the evaporator assembly 100, 200, 300 (S300), if the result obtained in the step of checking whether or not there is isolation (S200) includes information that the first inspection target space A1, C1 and the second inspection target space A2, C2 are not completely isolated from each other, it can be determined that there is a defect in the evaporator assembly 100, 200, 300, and an additional step can be performed to discard or repair the evaporator assembly.

[0200] Accordingly, according to the method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the production of ice-making evaporators with poor ice-making performance, i.e., defective products, due to the internal space not being completely partitioned.

[0201] Meanwhile, in the step (S300) of closing the evaporator assembly 100, 200, 300, if the result obtained in the step (S200) of checking whether or not there is isolation includes information that the first inspection target space A1, C1 and the second inspection target space A2, C2 are completely isolated from each other, an inner second closure plug 130 is placed inside the main body 110, an outer second closure plug 130 is installed at the end of the main body 110, and the inner and outer second closure plugs 130 are connected to the main body 110.

[0202] At this time, at least one of the steps of joining the inner second closure plug 130 and the main body 110 and the steps of joining the outer second closure plug 130 and the main body 110 can be performed by any one of a laser welding process, a brazing welding process using welding powder or welding paste, and a high-frequency welding process.

[0203] In this embodiment, the step of attaching the second inner closure plug 130 can be performed by a high-frequency welding process, taking into consideration that damage to the welded joint attached in the previous brazing welding process must be prevented and that the second inner closure plug 130 is positioned inside the main body portion 110.

[0204] In addition, in this embodiment, the step of joining the outer second closure plug 130 can be performed by laser welding, taking into consideration that the portions where the main body 110 and the outer second closure plug 130 are joined to each other are exposed to the outside.

[0205] The openings 115 of the evaporator assemblies 100, 200, 300 can be closed (S300) by the steps described above.

[0206] As described above, the method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention can manufacture the ice-making evaporator shown in Figures 1 to 12. However, the method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention can be applied to manufacturing other ice-making evaporators configured to circulate a refrigerant through a plurality of partitioned spaces, in addition to the ice-making evaporator shown in Figures 1 to 12.

[0207] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the concept of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment presented in this specification, and a person skilled in the art who understands the concept of the present invention can easily propose other embodiments by adding, changing, deleting, or adding components within the scope of the same concept, which can also be said to fall within the scope of the concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0208] 1: Ice making evaporator 2: Inspection materials 100: Evaporator body 110: Main body 120, 130: Closure valve 140: Separation stopper 150: Compartment member 200: Ice making components 300: Separation member 310: Main body space separation wall 320: Heat exchange space separation wall 330: Guide wall

Claims

1. an evaporator body having a body space extending in one direction so that a refrigerant can flow; a main body space separation wall extending in the same direction as the main body space so as to divide the main body space into a first main body space and a second main body space; an ice-making member including a heat exchange space extending in a direction different from the extending direction of the main body space and capable of fluid communication with the main body space; a heat exchange space separating wall extending in the same direction as the ice making members but separating the heat exchange space into a first heat exchange space capable of fluid communication with the first main body space and a second heat exchange space capable of fluid communication with the second main body space; a refrigerant inlet passage connected to the first body space for allowing the refrigerant to flow into the first body space; an outlet passage connected to the second body space for allowing the refrigerant flowing through the second body space to flow out to the outside; The evaporator body is provided with a swirl space for allowing refrigerant to flow from the first body space to the second body space, a partition member is provided between the main body space and the swirl space, the partition member separating the main body space and the swirl space, the partition member having a first hole fluidically connecting the first main body space and the swirl space and a second hole fluidically connecting the second main body space and the swirl space.

2. The partition member is a body portion that separates the main body space from the swivel space and that has the first hole and the second hole; The ice-making evaporator according to claim 1 , further comprising an extension formed around the body portion and extending toward the swirl space, the outer surface of which contacts the inner wall of the evaporator body.

3. The evaporator body has a connection hole that can be fluidly connected to the body space, The ice-making evaporator according to claim 1 , wherein the ice-making member is coupled to the coupling hole.

4. the ice-making member includes a cylindrical ice-making portion and a bottom portion provided at one end of the ice-making portion and closing one end of the heat exchange space; The ice-making evaporator according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion is formed to bulge outward.

5. 2. The ice-making evaporator of claim 1, wherein the ice-making members extend in a direction perpendicular to an extension direction of the main body space.

6. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 1 , wherein the body space separating wall and the heat exchange space separating wall are arranged side by side on the same plane.

7. a guide wall coupled to the main body space separating wall, 2. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 1, wherein the guide wall is disposed in the first main body space and includes a first main body space side guide portion that guides the refrigerant flowing from one end of the first main body space to the other end thereof so that the refrigerant passes through the first heat exchange space.

8. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 7 , wherein the guide wall and the main body space separating wall are arranged perpendicular to each other.

9. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 7, wherein the guide wall is disposed in the second main body space and includes a second main body space side guide portion that guides the refrigerant flowing from one end to the other end of the second main body space so that it passes through the second heat exchange space.

10. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 7 , wherein the guide wall is disposed in the heat exchange space and includes a first heat exchange space side guide portion that divides the first heat exchange space into a first via space and a second via space.

11. 11. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 10, wherein the first heat exchange space side guide portion is formed to extend along the heat exchange space so as to guide the refrigerant flowing through the first heat exchange space in an extending direction of the ice-making member.

12. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 10, wherein a flow hole is defined in the first heat exchange space side guide portion, the flow hole fluidically connecting the first via space and the second via space.

13. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 12, wherein the flow holes are positioned so as to be biased toward the end of the ice-making member.

14. a guide wall coupling groove for coupling the guide wall is formed on a side portion of the main body space separating wall in the extending direction; The ice-making evaporator according to claim 7, wherein a connecting groove for a main body space separating wall is formed at an end of the guide wall on the main body space side, the connecting groove for the guide wall being connected to the main body space separating wall.

15. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 7 , wherein the heat exchange space separating wall is connected to the guide wall.

16. a guide wall coupling groove for coupling the guide wall to the heat exchange space separating wall is formed at an end of the heat exchange space separating wall on the main body space side; The ice-making evaporator according to claim 15, wherein the other end of the guide wall is formed with a heat exchange space separating wall coupling groove corresponding to the guide wall coupling groove.

17. The first and second body spaces extend side by side, The ice-making evaporator according to claim 1 , wherein the swirl space is located at one end of the main body space.

18. The ice-making evaporator of claim 1 , further comprising a heat gas inlet passage connected to the first body space for introducing heated gas into the first body space.

19. The ice making members are provided in plural, The ice-making evaporator according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ice-making members are arranged along an extending direction of the main body space.

20. providing an evaporator assembly including first and second test target spaces partitioned from each other and a swirling space, one side of which is fluidly connected to the first and second test target spaces and the other side of which is open to the outside; Inspecting whether the first test target space and the second test target space are fluidically isolated from each other; and closing the other open side of the swirling space based on the result of checking whether the separation is present or not.

21. providing the evaporator assembly providing an evaporator body having a body cavity; providing an ice-making element having a heat exchange space; disposing the evaporator body and the ice-making member adjacent to each other so that the body space and the heat exchange space are fluidly connected to each other, and partitioning the body space and the heat exchange space to form the first and second test spaces; 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of combining the evaporator body and the ice-making member to form an evaporator assembly.

22. The step of forming the first and second test target spaces comprises: disposing a body space separation wall in the body space to divide the body space into a first body space and a second body space; disposing a heat exchange space separation wall on one side of the main body space separation wall, the heat exchange space being capable of dividing the heat exchange space into a first heat exchange space and a second heat exchange space; disposing the ice-making member adjacent to the evaporator body so that the heat exchange space separating wall is disposed in the heat exchange space; 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: fluidly connecting the first body space and the first heat exchange space to form a first test space; and fluidly connecting the second body space and the second heat exchange space to form a second test space.

23. The step of forming the first and second test target spaces includes: providing a guide wall capable of guiding the fluid flowing through the main body space to the heat exchange space; assembling the guide wall to the main body space separating wall; 23. The method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to claim 22, further comprising the step of assembling the heat exchange space separating wall to the guide wall.

24. The step of inspecting for the presence or absence of isolation comprises: disposing a partition member between the first and second test spaces and the swirling space, the partition member having a first hole for fluidically connecting the first test space and the swirling space and a second hole for fluidically connecting the first test space and the swirling space; closing the first hole to fluidically isolate the first inspection target space from the swirling space; identifying characteristics of the first and second inspection target spaces; The method of claim 20, further comprising: determining whether the first and second test target spaces are fluidically isolated from each other based on the determination result.

25. The step of identifying the characteristics of the inspection target space includes: injecting a predetermined fluid into the first test space; 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of checking the condition of the injected fluid.

26. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein in the step of checking the state of the injected fluid, it is checked whether the fluid injected into the first test space is leaking into the second test space.

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