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

Abstract

An ice-making evaporator according to one aspect of the present invention may include an evaporator body having a body space therein extending in a front-rear direction to allow a refrigerant to flow, a body-space separation 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, an ice-making member having a heat exchange space therein that is fluidly connected to the body space and an ice-making groove formed on an outer side, the heat exchange space separation wall disposed in the heat exchange space to divide the heat exchange space into a first heat exchange space fluidly connected to the first body space and a second heat exchange space fluidly connected to the second body space, a connecting member interposed between the body-space separation wall and the heat exchange space separation wall to connect the body-space separation wall and the heat exchange space separation wall, a refrigerant inflow passage connected to the first body space to allow the refrigerant to flow into the first body space, and an outflow passage connected to the second body space to allow the refrigerant flowing in the second body space to flow out to the outside.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ice-making evaporator and a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator, and more particularly to an ice-making evaporator capable of making ice in a hemispherical or polyhedral shape and a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, an ice maker is a device that cools water to a temperature below the freezing point of 0°C to produce ice and supply it to users. Such ice makers can be used in refrigerators, ice purifiers, and other devices 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 making machines include immersion type ice making machines in which ice making members are immersed in water to make ice in the ice making members, jet type ice making machines in which water is jetted onto the ice making members to make ice in the ice making frame, and flowing water type ice making machines in which water is made to flow around the outer periphery of the ice making members to make ice in the ice making members.

[0004] Korean Patent Publication No. 2013-0110874 by Coway Co., Ltd. discloses a conventional ice maker that produces ice by cooling an evaporator through which a refrigerant flows by contacting the upper side of a hemispherical ice-making frame.

[0005] However, this type of ice maker has a problem in that the refrigerant cannot efficiently absorb heat energy from the ice making frame and the water inside it because a refrigerant pipe is interposed between the refrigerant and the ice making frame and the refrigerant cannot immediately come into contact with the ice making frame.

[0006] Furthermore, since such ice makers do not have a means for introducing outside air into the upper part of the ice making frame, the effective atmospheric pressure acts inward of the ice making frame, which creates the problem of making it difficult to remove the ice produced.

[0007] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020-0020309 by COWAY Co., Ltd. discloses a conventional ice-making evaporator. This ice-making evaporator is configured so that a refrigerant flows through the internal space of the evaporator body and the immersion member to produce ice, and a heating member disposed in the internal space heats the refrigerant to remove the ice.

[0008] However, such ice-making evaporators are not designed so that the refrigerant circulates within the internal space of the immersion member, and therefore the contact time between the refrigerant and the immersion member is not long, making it difficult for the refrigerant to fully utilize its cooling capacity.Furthermore, since the refrigerant's cooling capacity cannot be distributed evenly among multiple immersion members, there is a problem that ice of different quality is produced at different speeds for each immersion member.

[0009] Furthermore, such an ice-making evaporator has many types of components, such as a separate heating element installed inside the evaporator body, and the shapes, layout, and connection structure of the components are complicated, which results in a complicated manufacturing process and high manufacturing costs.

[0010] Korean Patent Publication No. 2021-0003525 by COWAY Co., Ltd. discloses a conventional ice-making evaporator. This ice-making evaporator has an internal space of an evaporation tube and an immersion member partitioned by a partitioning member, a refrigerant circulating through the partitioned internal space to produce ice, and a separately provided heating element heats the refrigerant to remove the ice.

[0011] 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 separated by a partition member, are fluidically isolated from each other. Therefore, the refrigerant that flows into the inside of the evaporation tube can 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. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0110874 [Patent Document 2] US Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0034571 [Patent Document 3] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0003525 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] The present invention has been devised in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ice-making evaporator in which the internal space is divided into a plurality of spaces, and a refrigerant circulates through the divided spaces to make ice, thereby enabling the refrigerant to fully demonstrate its cooling capacity.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice-making evaporator in which the interior space of the ice-making evaporator is divided into a plurality of spaces, and a refrigerant passes through the divided interior spaces in sequence to make ice, thereby evenly distributing the cooling capacity of the refrigerant and making a plurality of ice cubes of uniform quality at the same speed.

[0015] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an ice-making evaporator that can check whether the partitioned internal spaces of the ice-making evaporator are fluidly isolated from each other, thereby preventing the production of defective products with poor ice-making performance.

[0016] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an ice-making evaporator in which components for partitioning the internal space of the ice-making evaporator can be prepared as separate members and then assembled, thereby increasing manufacturing convenience and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0017] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an ice-making evaporator in which components for partitioning the interior space of the ice-making evaporator can be installed in the interior space of the evaporator body by being inserted into an open opening of the evaporator body, thereby increasing ease of assembly and manufacturing and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0018] Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice-making evaporator that does not include a separate heating element, and therefore has simple component shapes and a simple connection structure between the components, thereby increasing ease of manufacture and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0019] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an ice-making evaporator capable of smoothly removing ice by allowing external air to flow into the ice-making groove where ice is made.

[0020] Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice-making evaporator in which the refrigerant is guided to flow into a partitioned internal space of the ice-making evaporator, thereby increasing the contact time and area of ​​the refrigerant and fully demonstrating the cooling capacity of the refrigerant.

[0021] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an ice-making evaporator in which the refrigerant is guided through the end of the partitioned internal space of the ice-making evaporator, thereby increasing the time and area of ​​contact of the refrigerant and thereby fully demonstrating the cooling capacity of the refrigerant.

[0022] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an ice-making evaporator in which the refrigerant is forced to flow in contact with the periphery of the ice-making section where ice is made, thereby increasing the time and area of ​​contact of the refrigerant and thereby fully demonstrating the cooling capacity of the refrigerant.

[0023] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an evaporator for making ice, which can quickly bring a cold refrigerant into contact with an ice making unit to make ice, fully utilize the cooling capacity of the refrigerant, and minimize the space occupied by the evaporator, thereby increasing space efficiency.

[0024] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator, which can check whether the partitioned internal spaces of the ice-making evaporator are fluidly isolated from each other, thereby preventing the production of defective products with poor ice-making performance.

[0025] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator in which the shapes of the components and the connection structure between the components are simple, and the manufacturing process is configured to assemble the components sequentially, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0026] The objects of the present invention are not limited to the objects 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]

[0027] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ice-making evaporator including: an evaporator body having a body space therein extending in the front-to-rear direction to allow a refrigerant to flow; a body space separation 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; an ice-making member having a heat exchange space therein through which the body space can be fluidly connected and an ice-making groove formed on an outer portion thereof; a heat exchange space separation wall disposed in the heat exchange space to divide the heat exchange space into a first heat exchange space fluidly connected to the first body space and a second heat exchange space fluidly connected to the second body space; a connecting member interposed between the body space separation wall and the heat exchange space separation wall to connect the body space separation wall and the heat exchange space separation wall; a refrigerant inlet passage connected to the first body space to allow a refrigerant to flow into the first body space; and an outlet passage connected to the second body space to allow a refrigerant flowing through the second body space to flow out to the outside.

[0028] In this case, the connecting member may include a main body side connecting portion connected to a side portion of the main body space separating wall in an extension direction, and an ice-making member side connecting portion connected to the heat exchange space separating wall.

[0029] In this case, a first coupling member groove may be formed on a side portion of the main body space separation wall in the extension direction, and a main body space separation wall coupling groove that corresponds to and couples with the first coupling member groove may be formed on the main body side coupling portion of the coupling member.

[0030] In this case, a second coupling member groove may be formed at a corner of the heat exchange space separating wall facing the evaporator body, and a heat exchange space separating wall coupling groove corresponding to the second coupling member groove may be formed at a coupling portion of the coupling member on the ice-making member side.

[0031] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an evaporator body having a body space therein extending in a front-rear direction so as to allow a refrigerant to flow; a body space separating wall extending in the same direction as the body space so as to separate the body space into a first body space and a second body space; an ice making member including a body part having an upper part connected to the evaporator body and a heat exchange space therein that is fluidically connected to the body space, and an ice making part provided below the body part and having an ice making groove at its lower part; and a heat exchange space separating wall separating the heat exchange space into a first heat exchange space that is fluidically connected to the first body space and a second heat exchange space that is fluidically connected to the second body space. an ice-making evaporator including: a heat exchange space separating wall disposed in the heat exchange space; a connecting member interposed between the body space separating wall and the heat exchange space separating wall for connecting the body space separating wall and the heat exchange space separating wall; a refrigerant inlet passage connected to the first body space for introducing refrigerant into the first body space; and an outlet passage connected to the second body space for discharging refrigerant flowing through the second body space to the outside, wherein the ice-making unit comprises a first portion located in the body space and a second portion formed around the first portion so as to cross the interior of the body.

[0032] In this case, the ice making unit may have a convex surface that protrudes convexly toward the evaporator body and a concave surface facing the convex surface, and the ice making groove may be formed on the concave surface.

[0033] In this case, a holding groove may be formed on a side portion of the main body space separating wall in the extension direction, with which at least a part of the first portion abuts.

[0034] In this case, the heat exchange space separating wall may include a front space separating wall and a rear space separating wall disposed in front of and behind the second portion, respectively, when viewed in an extension direction of the evaporator body.

[0035] In this case, the cooling fan may further include a guide wall connected to the main body space separation wall, and the guide wall may include a first main body space side guide portion arranged in the first main body space to guide the refrigerant flowing from one end to the other end of the first main body space so that it passes through the first heat exchange space.

[0036] In this case, the guide wall may include a second main body space side guide portion arranged in the second main body space to guide 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.

[0037] In this case, the guide wall may include a first heat exchange space side guide portion extending from the first main body space side guide portion to the first heat exchange space so as to divide the first heat exchange space into a first via space and a second via space.

[0038] In this case, a flow groove may be formed at a position adjacent to the ice-making groove on the extension direction end side of the first heat exchange space side guide portion, and the first via space and the second via space may be fluidically connected between the inner wall of the ice-making member that defines the heat exchange space and the flow groove.

[0039] The ice-making container may further include an air pipe connecting an ice-making member-side opening formed on an inner wall of the ice-making groove and a main body-side opening formed on an outer portion of the evaporator main body.

[0040] 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.

[0041] In this case, the evaporator body may be provided with a swirling space for allowing refrigerant to flow from the first body space to the second body space, and a partition member may be arranged between the body space and the swirling space, which partitions the body space and the swirling space and has a first hole that fluidically connects the first body space and the swirling space and a second hole that fluidically connects the second body space and the swirling space.

[0042] In this case, the ice-making groove may have a hemispherical or polyhedral shape.

[0043] 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.

[0044] In this case, the cross section of the evaporator body perpendicular to the extension direction may have a hemispherical or semi-elliptical shape.

[0045] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator, the method including the steps of: preparing an evaporator body having a body space therein that extends in the front-rear direction and has both open ends; assembling a body space separation wall to the evaporator body so that the body space is divided into a first body space and a second body space; preparing an ice-making member having a heat exchange space therein and an ice-making groove formed on an outer portion thereof; assembling a heat exchange space separation wall to one of the evaporator body and the body space separation wall, the heat exchange space being able to divide the heat exchange space into a first heat exchange space and a second heat exchange space; assembling the ice-making member to the evaporator body; and closing the open ends of the body space.

[0046] In this case, in the partitioning of the main body space, the main body space partition wall may be inserted into the inside of the evaporator main body through one of the open ends of the main body space.

[0047] In this case, a connecting hole may be formed at a side portion of the evaporator body in an extension direction, and the step of assembling the heat exchange space separation wall may include the steps of assembling a connecting member to the body space separation wall through the connecting hole of the evaporator body; and assembling the heat exchange space separation wall to the connecting member assembled to the body space separation wall through the connecting hole of the evaporator body.

[0048] In this case, the method may further include a step of checking whether a first inspection target space consisting of the first main body space and the first heat exchange space, which are fluidly communicable with each other, and a second inspection target space consisting of the second main body space and the second heat exchange space, which are fluidly communicable with each other, are fluidly isolated from each other.

[0049] In this case, the step of checking whether or not isolation exists may include the steps of: closing one of the open ends of the evaporator body; placing a partition member, having a first hole fluidically connected to the first test space and a second hole fluidically connected to the second test space, at the other of the ends of the body space; closing the first hole and the second hole; injecting a predetermined fluid into one of the first test space and the second test space; and checking whether the injected fluid leaks into the other of the first test space and the second test space. [Effects of the Invention]

[0050] In the ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, the main body space separating wall and the heat exchange space separating wall separate the internal space of the evaporator main body and the ice-making members into multiple spaces, and the refrigerant circulates through the multiple separated 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.

[0051] In addition, the ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured such that the main body space separating wall and the heat exchange space separating wall separate the internal space of the ice-making members into multiple spaces, and the refrigerant passes through the separated internal spaces of the ice-making members sequentially to cool the multiple ice-making members. This allows the cooling capacity of the refrigerant to be evenly distributed to the multiple ice-making members, and ice of uniform quality can be produced at the same speed for each of the multiple ice-making members.

[0052] In addition, in the ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, the second partition member can be used to check whether the internal spaces of the evaporator body and the ice-making member are fluidly isolated by the body space separating wall and the heat exchange space separating wall, thereby preventing the production of defective products with poor ice-making performance.

[0053] In addition, in the ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, the body space separating wall for separating the internal space of the evaporator body and the heat exchange space separating wall for separating the internal space of the ice-making member can be prepared as separate components and then assembled, thereby increasing manufacturing convenience and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0054] In addition, the ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention can be installed in the internal space of the evaporator body by inserting the body space separating wall into an open opening of the evaporator body, which increases the ease of assembly and manufacturing. Each component can be manufactured through a simple process, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0055] In addition, since the ice-making evaporator according to the embodiment of the present invention does not include a separate heating element, the shapes of the components and the connection structure between the components are simple, which increases the ease of manufacturing and reduces manufacturing costs.

[0056] In addition, the ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an air pipe through which external air can be introduced into the ice-making groove where ice is made, thereby enabling a smooth ice-removal process.

[0057] In addition, in the ice-making evaporator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the air pipes are arranged vertically, preventing the air pipes from being clogged with ice or water. Therefore, even if the refrigerant cools the ice-making frame from above, the ice removal process can be performed smoothly.

[0058] In addition, in the ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, the guide walls guide the refrigerant flowing in the main body space to the heat exchange space, and at the same time guide the refrigerant flowing in the heat exchange space to flow in an up-and-down direction, thereby increasing the time and area of ​​contact between the ice-making member and the refrigerant, thereby fully utilizing the cooling capacity of the refrigerant and efficiently producing ice.

[0059] In addition, in the ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, the flow groove that fluidly connects the first and second via spaces is located at the lower end of the heat exchange space, and when the refrigerant flows from the first via space to the second via space, it is forced to pass through the lower end of the heat exchange space, thereby increasing the time and area of ​​contact between the ice-making unit and the refrigerant, and thereby allowing the refrigerant's cooling capacity to be fully exerted.

[0060] In addition, in the ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, the flow groove that fluidically connects the first and second passing spaces is located adjacent to the ice-making unit of the ice-making member, and the refrigerant is forced to abut against and flow around the ice-making unit, thereby increasing the contact area and contact time between the refrigerant and the ice-making unit and fully demonstrating the cooling capacity of the refrigerant.

[0061] In addition, the ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured so that a part of the ice-making section of the ice-making member, i.e., the first section, is disposed within the main body space of the evaporator body, and the ice-making section can be in direct contact with the cold refrigerant flowing inside the evaporator, thereby fully utilizing the cooling capacity of the refrigerant and minimizing the space occupied by the ice-making member, thereby increasing space efficiency.

[0062] In addition, 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 the second partition member, thereby preventing the production of defective products with poor ice-making performance.

[0063] In addition, the method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention has simple shapes of components and a connection structure between the components, and is configured to assemble the components sequentially, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0064] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and effects not mentioned can 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]

[0065] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from above. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from above. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from below. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of an evaporator body of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a portion of the body section cut away so that the inside can be seen. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view of an ice-making member of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a portion cut away so that the inside can be seen. [Figure 6] 1 is an exploded perspective view of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] 1 is a 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 indicated by dotted lines, and the components seen through the dotted lines are indicated by solid lines. [Figure 8]1 is an exploded perspective view of a closing plug, a separating member, a partition member, a main body space separating wall, a guide wall, a connecting member, and a heat exchange space separating wall of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II' in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II′ in FIG. [Figure 11] 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the ice-making evaporator shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 12] 10 is a diagram illustrating a process of checking whether the partitioned spaces inside the evaporator body and the ice-making member are fluidically isolated using a second partitioning 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 an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 4 is a flowchart showing a detailed process of assembling a heat exchange space separating wall in a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing a step of inspecting whether the partitioned internal spaces of the evaporator body and the ice-making members are isolated in a method of manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0066] The words and terms used in this specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be construed as meanings and concepts that correspond to the technical idea of ​​the present invention, based on the principle that the inventor can define terms and concepts in order to best describe his or her invention.

[0067] 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 presence or possible addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0068] Unless there are special circumstances, when a component is "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below" another component, it does not only mean that the component is directly adjacent to the other component and is positioned "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below," but also includes cases where other components are positioned between them. Furthermore, when a component is "connected" to another component, it does not only mean that the components are directly connected to each other, but also includes cases where the components are indirectly connected to each other, unless there are special circumstances.

[0069] 1 and 2 are perspective views of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, as seen from above, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, as seen from below.

[0070] In the following description of the drawings, the coordinate axes shown in Fig. 1 will be used as a reference. The positive direction of the X axis is defined as the rightward direction, the negative direction of the X axis is defined as the leftward direction, the positive direction of the Y axis is defined as the upward direction, the negative direction of the Y axis is defined as the downward direction, the positive direction of the Z axis is defined as the forward direction, and the negative direction of the Z axis is defined as the backward direction.

[0071] 1 to 3, an ice-making evaporator 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is an ice-making evaporator for making hemispherical ice, and may include an evaporator body 100 and a plurality of ice-making members 200.

[0072] The evaporator body 100 is configured to provide a space in which a cold refrigerant circulates, and may be formed to extend in one direction, for example, in the front-to-rear direction as shown in the figure.

[0073] A plurality of ice-making members 200 may be arranged in a line on the side of the evaporator body 100 in the extension direction. The ice-making members 200 provide a frame for forming ice having a predetermined shape. To this end, a hemispherical ice-making groove 221 is formed in the lower part of the ice-making member 200 according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0074] The refrigerant flowing through the evaporator body 100 can circulate inside the ice-making members 200 to cool the ice-making members 200. In this case, a spray device (not shown) for spraying water into the ice-making grooves 221 of the ice-making members 200 may be provided on one side of the ice-making evaporator 1.

[0075] As a result, the water sprayed from the spray device comes into contact with the inner wall of the ice-making groove 221 of the ice-making member 200, and the water is cooled inside the ice-making groove 221, thereby forming ice of a shape corresponding to the shape of the ice-making groove 221.

[0076] In the illustrated embodiment, the ice-making groove 221 has a hemispherical shape, so that the ice-making evaporator 1 can make hemispherical ice. However, the shape of the ice-making groove 221 can be modified in various ways depending on the shape of ice to be made.

[0077] For example, to produce polyhedral ice, the ice-making grooves 221 may have a corresponding polyhedral shape. Also, one of the ice-making grooves 221 may have a different shape from the others, so that ice of different shapes can be produced simultaneously.

[0078] Furthermore, in another embodiment, the ice-making evaporator 1 may further include a separate lower frame (not shown) having opposing hemispherical ice-making grooves formed therein corresponding to the ice-making grooves 221 of the ice-making member 200, so that the ice-making member 200 and the lower frame can be configured to produce spherical ice.

[0079] Hereinafter, a specific configuration of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0080] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an evaporator body of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a portion cut away to reveal the interior. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an ice-making member of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a portion cut away to reveal the interior. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above. In this view, the body of the evaporator body and the ice-making member are indicated by dotted lines, and components seen through them are indicated by solid lines. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a closure cap, a separating member, a partition member, a main body space separating wall, a guide wall, a connecting member, and a heat exchange space separating wall of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I' in FIG. 1. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II' in FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the ice-making evaporator shown in FIG. 1.

[0081] 3 and 4, the evaporator body 100 of the ice-making evaporator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a main body 110. The main body 110 is configured to provide a main body space A through which the refrigerant circulates, and also functions to distribute the circulating refrigerant to a plurality of ice-making members 200.

[0082] The main body 110 may be made of a material with low thermal conductivity so as to prevent external thermal energy from being transferred to the cold refrigerant flowing through the main body space A, thereby preventing the cooling capacity of the refrigerant from decreasing.

[0083] As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the main body 110 may be a hollow tube extending in the front-rear direction. However, the shape of the main body 110 can be modified as needed depending on the shape of the space in which the ice-making evaporator 1 is disposed, the arrangement of the ice-making members 200, etc. For example, the main body 110 may be formed so that at least a portion thereof is curved.

[0084] In this case, the cross section of the main body 110 perpendicular to the extension direction may have an upwardly convex hemispherical or semi-elliptical shape. As the refrigerant flows through the main body 110, water vapor in the air may condense and form dew on the outer surface of the main body 110. With the above-described configuration, the dew formed on the outer surface of the main body 110 can flow downward along the slope of the outer surface.

[0085] As shown in the figure, both ends of the main body 110 may be open to the outside. Referring to Figure 4, in the illustrated embodiment, a first opening 111 is formed on the front side of the main body 110, and a second opening 113 is formed on the rear side.

[0086] In this case, a plurality of connection holes 115 may be formed along the front and rear of the side of the extension direction of the main body 110, i.e., the bottom in the illustrated embodiment. The above-mentioned ice making members 200 may be connected to the connection holes 115, respectively.

[0087] In this embodiment, as described above, the ice-making member 200 and the main body 110 are prepared as separate members and are configured to be connected by the connecting hole 115, but in other embodiments, the ice-making member 200 and the main body 110 may be integrally formed and prepared as a single member.

[0088] According to this embodiment, a plurality of first air holes 117 may be formed on the other side of the extension direction of the main body 110, i.e., on the upper side in the illustrated embodiment, along the arrangement direction of the ice making members 200. One end of an air pipe 160 (FIG. 8), which will be described later, may be inserted into the first air holes 117. The first air holes 117 will be described together with the air pipe 160 (FIG. 8).

[0089] 3 to 5, the ice-making member 200 of the ice-making evaporator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a body 210, an ice-making section 220, and a bottom 230. As shown in FIG.

[0090] As described above, the ice making members 200 are configured to provide a frame for ice formation, and may be made of a material with high thermal conductivity to efficiently produce ice.

[0091] The body 210 may have a heat exchange space B therein through which the refrigerant flows. In the illustrated embodiment, the body 210 may be prepared as a cylindrical member formed in the vertical direction. The upper part of the body 210 may be coupled to the coupling hole 115 of the main body 110.

[0092] As a result, the heat exchange space B inside the body 210 and the main body space A inside the main body 110 are fluidically connected to each other. However, when the heat exchange space B through which the refrigerant flows is provided inside the body 210, the shape of the body 210 is not particularly limited.

[0093] An ice-making unit 220 may be provided on the other side of the body 210, for example, on the lower part of the body 210 as shown in Fig. 5. The ice-making unit 220 is configured to make ice by being cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the main body space A and the heat exchange space B. For this purpose, an ice-making groove 221 may be formed on the lower part of the ice-making unit 220.

[0094] In this case, the ice-making unit 220 may protrude upward from the body 210 so as to pass through the interior of the body 210. In this embodiment, the ice-making unit 220 has a hemispherical shape that is convex upward as shown in FIG. 5, and the top of the ice-making unit 220 may protrude upward from the body 210.

[0095] Hereinafter, the convex outer surface of ice-making unit 220 that protrudes upward will be referred to as convex surface 220a. The part of ice-making unit 220 that protrudes above body 210 will be referred to as first part 222. The other part of ice-making unit 220 that passes through the interior of body 210 will be referred to as second part 224. In this embodiment, second part 224 is provided around first part 222.

[0096] In this case, ice making unit 220 may be provided with concave surface 220b facing convex surface 220a. Ice making groove 221 described above is provided on concave surface 220b. Ice making groove 221 may be open downward from ice making unit 220.

[0097] According to this embodiment, the first portion 222 is cooled by direct contact with the refrigerant flowing through the main body space A, and the second portion 224 is cooled by the refrigerant that flows out of the main body space A and flows through the heat exchange space B.

[0098] Thus, according to this embodiment, at least a portion of the ice making unit 220 (i.e., the first portion 222) is positioned inside the main body space A and can be immediately cooled by coming into contact with the cold refrigerant, thereby maximizing the cooling capacity of the refrigerant and enabling ice to be produced efficiently.

[0099] In addition, according to this embodiment, at least a part of the ice-making unit 220, i.e., the first part 222, is inserted inside the main body space A, thereby minimizing the space occupied by the ice-making unit 220, thereby increasing the efficiency of the space in which the evaporator 1 is installed.

[0100] 5, ice making unit 220 may have a second air hole 223 to which the other end of air pipe 160 (FIG. 8) is connected. Second air hole 223 may be connected to first air hole 117 (FIG. 4) described above by air pipe 160 (FIG. 8).

[0101] The second air hole 223 may be located at the top of the ice-making unit 220 to facilitate the ice-removal process. The second air hole 223 may preferably be located at the upper end of the ice-making unit 220 to facilitate the ice-removal process. The specific function of the second air hole 223 will be described later together with the air pipe 160 (FIG. 8).

[0102] 5, in the illustrated embodiment, a bottom 230 is provided between the edge of ice making unit 220 and the lower edge of body 210. Bottom 230 may be configured to close the lower part of heat exchange space B provided inside body 210. This can isolate heat exchange space B from the outside, preventing the refrigerant flowing therethrough from leaking to the outside.

[0103] In this case, bottom 230 may not be provided if necessary. For example, if the edge of ice-making unit 220 can close the lower part of heat exchange space B by abutting the edge of ice-making unit 220 against the inner wall of body 210, bottom 230 may not be provided separately.

[0104] Body 210, ice making section 220, and bottom section 230 may be integrally formed and prepared as a single member, or may be prepared as separate members and then joined together. In the latter case, each component may be made of a different material.

[0105] For example, in order to prevent external thermal energy from being transferred to the refrigerant in heat exchange space B and reducing the cooling capacity of the refrigerant, body section 210 and bottom section 230 may be made of a material with low thermal conductivity, and in order to efficiently produce ice, ice making section 220 may be made of a material with high thermal conductivity.

[0106] 6 and 7, the body 110 of the evaporator body 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be coupled with closing plugs 120 and 140 to close both ends thereof that are open to the outside.

[0107] In the illustrated embodiment, a first closure valve 120 is connected to a first opening 111 provided in the front of the main body 110 to close it, and a second closure valve 140 is connected to a second opening 113 provided in the rear of the main body 110 to close it.

[0108] The closure plugs 120, 140 may be made of metal and joined to the end of the main body 110 by welding or the like, or may be made of flexible plastic or rubber material and fitted.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 6, the first closure plug 120 may be provided with a refrigerant inlet pipe 122, a heat gas inlet pipe 124, and an outlet pipe 126.

[0110] 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 high-temperature 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.

[0111] In this case, one end of the refrigerant inlet pipe 122 and one end of the heat gas inlet pipe 124 are located in a first main body space A1 (described later), and one end of the discharge pipe 126 is located in a second main body space A2 (described later), which will be described later together with the first and second main body spaces A1 and A2.

[0112] In other embodiments, the heat gas inlet pipe 124 may not be provided as needed. For example, in an embodiment in which a heater is separately provided to increase the temperature of the ice-making members 200, the heat gas inlet pipe 124 may not be provided separately.

[0113] 6 and 7, second closure 140 may be comprised of multiple pieces. For example, as shown, second closure 140 may be comprised of outer second closure 142 and inner second closure 144.

[0114] In this embodiment, the outer second closure 142 is connected to the second opening 113 of the main body 110 as described above, and the inner second closure 144 may be positioned a predetermined distance inside the main body 110 from the second opening 113.

[0115] In this case, the space between the outer second closure plug 142 and the inner second closure plug 144 is fluidly isolated from the main body space A. Therefore, by adjusting the separation distance between the outer second closure plug 142 and the inner second closure plug 144, the section of the internal space of the main body 110 through which the refrigerant flows can be limited.

[0116] First partitioning member 130 may be positioned slightly away from first closure plug 120 and inside main body 110, and second partitioning member 150 may be positioned slightly away from second closure plug 140 and inside main body 110. The specific shapes and functions of first partitioning member 130 and second partitioning member 150 will be described later, along with separation member 300.

[0117] 6, the ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a separating member 300. The separating member 300 is configured to divide the internal space of the evaporator body 100 and the internal space of the ice-making member 200 into a plurality of spaces or to guide the refrigerant.

[0118] The partitioned spaces within the evaporator body 100 and the ice-making member 200 may be fluidically isolated by the separating member 300. In this case, the phrase "the two spaces are fluidically isolated from each other" means that the two spaces are isolated so that they cannot be directly fluidically connected. Of course, two directly isolated spaces can be indirectly fluidically connected by being connected by another space.

[0119] As a result, the refrigerant flowing into the evaporator body 100 is forced to circulate sequentially through the multiple spaces partitioned by the separating member 300, and the refrigerant circulating through the partitioned spaces can sequentially cool the multiple ice-making members 200.

[0120] In this embodiment, the refrigerant is forced to circulate through multiple partitioned spaces to cool the ice-making elements, which increases the contact time between the refrigerant and the ice-making elements and allows the refrigerant's cooling capacity to be fully utilized.

[0121] In addition, according to this embodiment, the refrigerant circulates sequentially through multiple partitioned spaces to cool the ice-making elements, so the cooling capacity of the refrigerant can be evenly distributed to the multiple ice-making elements, and ice of uniform quality can be formed at the same speed for each of the multiple ice-making elements.

[0122] The specific configuration of the separating member 300 and the first and second partitioning members 130, 150 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0123] 7 to 9, in the illustrated embodiment, the separation member 300 may be composed of a main body space separation wall 310, a guide wall 320, a connecting member 330, and a heat exchange space separation wall 340.

[0124] The main body space separating wall 310 is provided to divide the main body space A provided inside the main body portion 110 of the evaporator main body 100 into a first main body space A1 and a second main body space A2.

[0125] In this embodiment, the first body space A1 and the second body space A2 may extend in the longitudinal direction of the body part 110. For this purpose, the body space separating wall 310 may be provided as a partition-shaped member disposed inside the body space A and extending in a direction parallel to the extension direction of the body part 110.

[0126] More specifically, in this embodiment, the main body space separating wall 310 is a partition wall that has a predetermined thickness in the left-right direction and extends in the front-rear direction, thereby dividing the main body space A into a first main body space A1 and a second main body space A2.

[0127] Hereinafter, of the first body space A1 and the second body space A2, the space located relatively to the right will be referred to as the first body space A1, and the space located relatively to the left will be referred to as the second body space A2.

[0128] 8 and 9, in this embodiment, a holding groove 311, a guide wall coupling groove 313, and a first coupling member groove 315 may be formed on the side of the main body space separating wall 310 in the extension direction.

[0129] In this case, first portion 222 of ice making member 200 may be held in contact with holding groove 311. Holding groove 311 may have an inwardly concave shape corresponding to the shape of first portion 222. A plurality of such holding grooves 311 may be provided to correspond to the plurality of ice making members 200, and may be spaced apart at predetermined intervals corresponding to the arrangement of ice making members 200.

[0130] Guide walls 320, which will be described later, may be coupled to guide wall coupling grooves 313. A plurality of guide wall coupling grooves 313 may be provided corresponding to a plurality of guide walls 320. The plurality of guide wall coupling grooves 313 may be spaced apart at predetermined intervals corresponding to the arrangement of ice-making members 200.

[0131] In this embodiment, the guide wall 320 is disposed between the ice-making members 200 and the main body space separating wall 310 , so that the guide wall coupling groove 313 is located at the center of the inner side of the holding groove 311 .

[0132] In this case, the guide wall coupling groove 313 may be open downwards to allow the guide wall 320 to penetrate the coupling hole of the main body 110 and be coupled to the main body space separating wall 310 .

[0133] One side of a connecting member 330 (described later) may be connected to the first connecting member groove 315. As will be described in detail later, the connecting member 330 is configured to assemble a heat exchange space separating wall 340 (described later) to the main body space separating wall 310.

[0134] In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the heat exchange space separating wall 340 comprises a front separating wall 342 that separates the heat exchange space in front of the ice making unit 220 and a rear separating wall 344 that separates the heat exchange space in rear of the ice making unit 220.

[0135] In this embodiment, connecting members 330 may be provided in pairs, one at the front and one at the rear, centered on ice-making unit 220. In this way, connecting members 330 can connect front separation wall 342 and rear separation wall 344 to main body space separation wall 310, respectively.

[0136] Accordingly, first coupling member grooves 315 may be formed in a pair along the front-rear direction. In other words, first coupling member grooves 315 may be provided in a pair along the front-rear direction around holding groove 311, which holds first portion 222 of ice making unit 220.

[0137] A plurality of pairs of first coupling member grooves 315 may be provided corresponding to the plurality of heat exchange space separating walls 340, and may be spaced apart at a predetermined distance depending on the arrangement method.

[0138] 8 to 10, a heat exchange space separating wall 340 may be provided on a side portion of the main body space separating wall 310 in the extension direction to separate the heat exchange space B into a first heat exchange space B1 and a second heat exchange space B2.

[0139] The heat exchange space separating wall 340 may be composed of a front separating wall 342 that separates the front portion of the heat exchange space B in front of the ice making unit 220 and a rear separating wall 344 that separates the rear portion of the heat exchange space B in the rear of the ice making unit 220.

[0140] In this embodiment, the front separation wall 342 and the rear separation wall 344 may be made of trapezoidal members having a predetermined thickness, as shown.

[0141] In this case, a front-side second coupling member groove 343 to which the coupling member 330 described below can be coupled may be formed at a corner of the front-side separation wall 342 on the evaporator body 100 side. Similarly, a rear-side second coupling member groove 345 to which the coupling member 330 can be coupled may be formed at a corner of the rear-side separation wall 344 on the evaporator body 100 side.

[0142] As shown in the figure, the upper corners of the front separation wall 342 and the rear separation wall 344 are in contact with the lower corners of the main body space separation wall 310, the corners on the ice making unit 220 side are curved to abut against the ice making unit 220, and the remaining corners are formed to abut against the body unit 210 and the bottom unit 230, so that the first heat exchange space B1 and the second heat exchange space B2 can be fluidically isolated from each other.

[0143] In this embodiment, the first heat exchange space B1 is fluidly connected to the first main body space A1, and the second heat exchange space B2 is fluidly connected to the second main body space A2.

[0144] For this purpose, the heat exchange space separating wall 340 may be arranged side by side on the same plane as the main body space separating wall 310. Of course, the relative arrangement of the heat exchange space separating wall 340 and the main body space separating wall 310 is not limited to the above-described structure, and both configurations may have various arrangements that can connect the first and second main body spaces A1, A2 to the first and second heat exchange spaces B1, B2, respectively.

[0145] 6 to 9, a connecting member 330 may be provided between the heat exchange space separating wall 340 and the main body space separating wall 310. As shown in FIG.

[0146] When the heat exchange space separation wall 340 and the main body space separation wall 310 are arranged parallel to each other as in the illustrated embodiment, they are unlikely to be directly connected to each other. For this reason, a connecting member 330 is provided between the main body space separation wall 310 and the heat exchange space separation wall 340 to mediate the connection between them.

[0147] In this case, connecting members 330 may be provided in pairs to connect front and rear separation walls 342 and 344 to main body space separation wall 310. The pair of connecting members 330 may be located at the front and rear of ice making unit 220, respectively, corresponding to front and rear separation walls 342 and 344.

[0148] As shown, the connecting member 330 may include a main body side connecting portion 332 that connects to the side of the main body space separating wall 310 in the extension direction, and an ice-making member side connecting portion 334 that connects to the heat exchange space separating wall 340.

[0149] In this case, a body space separating wall groove 333 may be formed in the body side coupling portion 332. The body space separating wall groove 333 may be configured to correspond to and be coupled with the first coupling member groove 315 of the body space separating wall 310 described above, as shown in the drawing.

[0150] The ice-making member-side coupling portion 334 may be formed with a heat exchange space separating wall groove 335. The heat exchange space separating wall groove 335 may be configured to be coupled to either the front-side second coupling member groove 343 of the front-side separation wall 342 or the rear-side second coupling member groove 345 of the rear-side separation wall 344.

[0151] 6 to 8, in this embodiment, the connecting member 330 may be assembled (or coupled) to the main body space separation wall 310 disposed inside the main body 110 through the connecting hole 115. Then, the heat exchange space separation wall 340 may be assembled (or coupled) to the connecting member 330 assembled (or coupled) to the main body space separation wall 310 through the connecting hole 115.

[0152] In this manner, in this embodiment, the main body space separating wall 310, the connecting member 330, and the heat exchange space separating wall 340 can be assembled (or connected) sequentially through the connecting hole 115 of the main body 110. This improves manufacturing convenience and assembly between the components, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0153] In this embodiment, the connecting member 330 may be a rectangular member having a predetermined thickness as shown in the figure, but the shape of the connecting member 330 can be variously modified as long as it can connect the main body space separation wall 310 and the heat exchange space separation wall 340.

[0154] In this embodiment, the connecting member 330, the main body space separating wall 310, and the heat exchange space separating wall 340 are configured to be connected to each other by corresponding grooves inserted into each other, but the connecting member 330, the main body space separating wall 310, and the heat exchange space separating wall 340 can also be connected to each other by various known connecting structures, such as connecting to each other through a hook engagement structure, etc.

[0155] Furthermore, the connecting member 330 may be integrally formed with at least one of the main body space separation wall 310 and the heat exchange space separation wall 340 and configured to be connected to the other. For example, the connecting member 330 and the heat exchange space separation wall 340 may be prepared as a single integrally formed member and connected to the main body space separation wall 310 through the connecting hole 115 of the main body 110.

[0156] 7 to 10, the guide wall 320 may be coupled to the side of the main body space separating wall 310 in the extension direction, as described above. In this case, the guide wall 320 may be disposed perpendicular to the main body space separating wall 310.

[0157] 8 and 10, the guide wall 320 may be composed of a main body space-side guide portion 322 and a heat exchange space-side guide portion 324. The main body space-side guide portion 322 is configured to guide the refrigerant flowing through the main body spaces A1 and A2 to the heat exchange spaces B1 and B2. The main body space-side guide portion 322 may be composed of first and second main body space-side guide portions 322a and 322b.

[0158] The first body space guide portion 322a may be composed of a first body space guide portion 322a and a second body space guide portion 322b. The first body space guide portion 322a may be disposed in the first body space A1 and configured to guide the refrigerant flowing through the first body space A1 into the first heat exchange space B1. The second body space guide portion 332b may be disposed in the second body space A2 and configured to guide the refrigerant flowing through the second body space A2 to the second heat exchange space B2.

[0159] A main body space separating wall coupling groove 323 may be provided on the upper portion of the main body space side guide portion 322. The main body space separating wall coupling groove 323 can be coupled to the guide wall coupling groove 313 of the main body space separating wall 310 described above.

[0160] A heat exchange space-side guide portion 324 is provided on one side (in the illustrated embodiment, the lower part) of the main body space-side guide portion 322. The heat exchange space-side guide portion 324 is configured to guide the flow of refrigerant through the heat exchange spaces B1 and B2.

[0161] In this embodiment, the heat exchange space side guide portion 324 may be composed of first and second heat exchange space side guide portions 324a, 324b. Referring to Figures 8, 10 and 11, the first heat exchange space side guide portion 324a is arranged in the first heat exchange space B1 and can divide the first heat exchange space B1 into a first pass space B1a and a second pass space B1b.

[0162] The first heat exchange space side guide portion 324a extends from the first main body space side guide portion 322a to the first heat exchange space B1, and can guide the vertical flow of the refrigerant flowing through the first heat exchange space B1.

[0163] In other words, in the illustrated embodiment, the first heat exchange space side guide portion 324a may extend in the vertical direction along the first heat exchange space B1. In this case, one side of the first heat exchange space side guide portion 324a (the left side when viewed from FIG. 10) may be formed to correspond to the shape of the ice making unit 220 and may be positioned to abut against the ice making unit 220.

[0164] A first flow groove 325a may be formed at the end of the first heat exchange space-side guide portion 324a in the extension direction, i.e., at the lower end in the illustrated embodiment. This allows the first and second passage spaces B1a and B1b to be fluidically connected between the first flow groove 325a and the inner wall of the ice-making member 200.

[0165] In this case, the first flow groove 325a may be located adjacent to the ice making groove 221 (or the ice making unit 220). In this embodiment, the first flow groove 325a is located on the left side of the lower end of the first heat exchange space side guide unit 324a, as shown in FIG.

[0166] As a result, according to this embodiment, the refrigerant flowing through the first via space B1a can reach the lower end of the ice making member 200 and flow into the second via space B1b, so that the entire area of ​​the ice making section 220 can be cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the first via space B1a.

[0167] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, first flow groove 325a is located adjacent to ice-making groove 221 (or ice-making unit 220), so that the refrigerant flowing through first pass space B1a is forced to flow through contact with the periphery of ice-making unit 220 before flowing into second pass space B1b. This allows the refrigerant and ice-making unit 220 to come into contact over a wide area, thereby effectively cooling ice-making unit 220.

[0168] In this embodiment, the first flow groove 325a is located adjacent to the ice-making groove 211 (or the ice-making unit 220), but the first flow groove 325a may be formed in another portion of the first heat exchange space side guide part 324a if the refrigerant can sufficiently cool the ice-making unit 220. Furthermore, flow holes that replace the function of the first flow groove 325a may be formed in the first heat exchange space side guide part 324a.

[0169] 10, a second heat exchange space guide portion 324b may be provided on one side of the second main body space guide portion 322b. In this case, the second heat exchange space guide portion 324b may be formed symmetrically with the first heat exchange space guide portion 324a with respect to the ice making unit 220. Therefore, the detailed structure of the second heat exchange space guide portion 324b is the same as that of the first heat exchange space guide portion 324a.

[0170] 7 and 8, the above-described first and second partition members 130, 150 may be provided at both longitudinal ends of the main body space separating wall 310, as shown in the figures.

[0171] In this embodiment, a first partition member 130 is located at the end of the main body space separating wall 310 on the first closure plug 120 side, that is, at the front end in the illustrated embodiment.

[0172] The first partition member 130 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 rear end of the main body space separation wall 310 and flowing into the second main body space A2 (or the first main body space A1).

[0173] First partitioning member 130 separates main body space A from a predetermined space provided between first closure plug 120 and main body space separating wall 310, and closes the front end side of first main body space A1. As a result, first partitioning member 130 may fluidly isolate the front end side of first main body space A1 from the front end side of second main body space A2.

[0174] A plurality of inlet pipe through holes 131 are formed in a portion of the first partition member 130 facing the first main body space A1. In the illustrated embodiment, two inlet pipe through holes 131 are provided.

[0175] The refrigerant inlet pipe 122 and the heat gas inlet pipe 124 are respectively connected to and pass through the plurality of inlet pipe through holes 131. A communication hole 133 is formed in the portion of the first partition member 130 facing the second main body space A2, and communicates with the front end side of the second main body space A2.

[0176] In this embodiment, the ends of the refrigerant inlet pipe 122 and the heat gas inlet pipe are located behind the first partition member , and the end of the discharge pipe 126 is located in front of the first partition member .

[0177] As a result, the refrigerant or heat gas coming out of the refrigerant inlet pipe 122 or the heat gas inlet pipe 124 is blocked by the first partition member 130 and cannot flow forward, but is forced to flow rearward along the first main body space A1.

[0178] In addition, the refrigerant or heat gas that flows into the communication hole 133 from the second main body space A2 is clogged by the first partition member 130 and cannot flow into the first main body space A1, and is forced to flow into the discharge pipe 126.

[0179] 7 and 8, a swirling space C may be provided on one side of the main body space A inside the main body part 110, in the illustrated embodiment, at the rear end of the main body space A. In this case, a second partition member 150 is positioned between the main body space A and the swirling space C to separate the main body space A from the swirling space C.

[0180] The second partitioning member 150 is configured to check whether the internal spaces of the evaporator body 100 and the ice-making member 200 are partitioned so as to be fluidly isolated by the separating member 300. The specific function of the second partitioning member 150 in this regard will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0181] The second partitioning member 150 may be made of a material such as metal and may be attached to the inner wall of the main body 110 by a welding process or the like. In this case, the second partitioning member 150 may have first and second holes 151 and 153 formed therein.

[0182] In this embodiment, the first hole 151 can fluidically connect the first main body space A1 and the swirling space C, and the second hole 153 can fluidically connect the second main body space A2 and the swirling space C.

[0183] This allows the refrigerant flowing through the first main body space A1 to flow into the swirling space C through the first hole 153a, and then flow into the second main body space A2 through the second hole 153b.

[0184] 5 to 7, an air pipe 160 may be provided inside the main body 110. The air pipe 160 is provided to facilitate the process of removing ice formed on the ice-making members 200.

[0185] Both ends of air pipe 160 may be connected to first air hole 117 (FIG. 4) of main body 110 and second air hole 223 (FIG. 5) of ice-making unit 220, respectively. For this purpose, air pipe 160 may extend vertically across main body space A. Of course, air pipe 160 may be arranged with a slight incline in the front-to-back or left-to-right direction.

[0186] The air pipe 160 allows the upper portion of the ice-making groove 221 of the ice-making unit 220 to communicate with the outside. As a result, when ice falls from the ice-making groove 221, outside air can flow into the ice-making groove 221 through the air pipe 160, allowing for a smooth ice removal process.

[0187] In addition, in this embodiment, the air pipe 160 extends in the vertical direction, preventing the air pipe 160 from being clogged with ice or water. Therefore, even if the refrigerant is configured to cool the ice-making members 200 from above the ice-making members 200, the ice removal process can be performed smoothly.

[0188] The process of refrigerant flowing through the ice-making evaporator according to the present embodiment will be described below.

[0189] 11, in one embodiment of the present invention, a cold refrigerant can flow into the first body space A1 through the refrigerant inlet pipe 122. The flowing refrigerant flows rearward along the extension direction of the first body space A1.

[0190] The refrigerant flowing through the first main body space A1 flows from the first main body space A1 to the first intermediate space B1a of the first heat exchange space B1 by the first main body space-side guide portion 322a.

[0191] Referring to Figures 11 and 10, the refrigerant that flows into the first transit space B1a is guided to the lower end of the first transit space B1a by the first heat exchange space side guide portion 324a, and the guided refrigerant cools the front right portion of the ice making unit 220.

[0192] The refrigerant that has reached the lower end of the first pass space B1a passes through the first flow groove 325a and flows out from the lower end of the first pass space B1a to the lower end of the second pass space B1b.

[0193] The refrigerant that has flowed into the lower end of the second pass-through space B1b is guided to the upper part of the second pass-through space B1b by the first heat exchange space side guide portion 324a, and cools the right rear part of the ice making unit 220.

[0194] The refrigerant repeats the above process along the extension direction of the first main body space A1, passing through the multiple first heat exchange spaces B1 in sequence, and the right side of the multiple ice making units 220 arranged in a row can be entirely cooled by the refrigerant.

[0195] 11, the refrigerant that reaches the front end of the first main body space A1 passes through the second partition member 150 and flows into the swirling space C. The refrigerant that flows into the swirling space C further passes through the second partition member and flows out of the swirling space C to the front end of the second main body space A2.

[0196] 10 and 11, the refrigerant that has flowed into the second main body space A2 flows out from the second main body space A2 to the first intermediate space B2a of the second heat exchange space B2 by the second main body space-side guide portion 322b.

[0197] The refrigerant that has flowed into the first pass space B2a is guided to the lower end of the first pass space B2a by the second heat exchange space side guide portion 324b, and the guided refrigerant cools the left rear portion of the ice making unit 220.

[0198] The refrigerant that has reached the lower end of the first pass space B2a passes through the second flow groove 325b and flows from the lower end of the first pass space B2a to the lower end of the second pass space B2b.

[0199] The refrigerant that flows into the lower end of the second pass-through space B2b is guided to the upper end of the second pass-through space B2b by the second heat exchange space side guide portion 324b, and the guided refrigerant cools the left front portion of the ice making unit 220.

[0200] The refrigerant repeats the above process along the extension direction of the second main body space A2, passing through the plurality of second heat exchange spaces B2 in sequence, and the left side of the plurality of ice making units 220 arranged in a row can be entirely cooled by the refrigerant.

[0201] In this manner, in this embodiment, the refrigerant circulates through the partitioned spaces A1, A2, B1, and B2 inside the evaporator body 100 and the ice making members 200, so that the ice making members 200 can be cooled sequentially.

[0202] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the time during which the refrigerant and the ice making members 200 are in contact with each other is extended, which maximizes the cooling capacity of the refrigerant and allows ice to be produced efficiently.

[0203] In addition, according to this embodiment, the cooling capacity of the refrigerant is evenly distributed to the multiple ice making members 200, allowing the multiple ice making members 200 to be cooled uniformly, so that ice of uniform quality can be formed simultaneously for each of the multiple ice making members 200.

[0204] During the ice removal process, the heat gas discharged from the heat gas inlet pipe 124 (FIG. 7) circulates through the main body space A, the heat exchange space B, and the swirling space C, thereby increasing the temperature of the ice making members 200.

[0205] The function of the second partition member according to one embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below.

[0206] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a process for checking whether the partitioned spaces inside the evaporator body and the ice-making member are fluidically isolated using a second partitioning member of an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0207] 12, in the ice-making evaporator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, one side of the main body space A may be open to the outside because the second closing plug 140 (see FIG. 4) is not installed in the second opening 113 of the main body 110. Hereinafter, this state will be referred to as an inspection preparation state.

[0208] In the inspection preparation state, inspection member 2 can be inserted into main body 110 through open second opening 113. Inspection member 2 is a member for inspecting whether the partitioned internal spaces of ice-making evaporator 1 are fluidically isolated from each other, and may be prepared as a member separate from ice-making evaporator 1.

[0209] As described above, the second partition member 150 is disposed inside the second opening 113. In other words, the second partition member 150 is located on the rear end side of the main body space separating wall 310. The testing member 2 may be composed of a first testing plug 2a corresponding to the first hole 151 and a second testing plug 2b corresponding to the second hole 153.

[0210] To check for the presence or absence of isolation, the first inspection plug 2a can be inserted into the first hole 151 to close the first hole 151, and the second inspection plug 2b can be inserted into the second hole 153 to close the second hole 153.

[0211] Hereinafter, a state in which the first and second holes 151, 153 are closed by the inspection member 2 will be referred to as an inspection preparation complete state. The space formed by connecting the first main body space A1 and the first heat exchange space B1 will be referred to as the first inspection target space A1, B1, and the space formed by connecting the second main body space A2 and the second heat exchange space B2 will be referred to as the second inspection target space A2, B2.

[0212] When the separating member 300 performs its intended function, the first test target spaces A1, B1 and the second test target spaces A2, B2 are fluidically isolated from each other in the test ready state.

[0213] At this time, the characteristics of the test spaces A1, B1, A2, B2 can be checked to determine whether the first test space A1, B1 and the second test space A2, B2 are completely fluidically isolated by the separation member 300.

[0214] In this embodiment, to check the characteristics of the test spaces A1, B1, A2, and B2, a predetermined fluid is injected into the first test space A1 or B1 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.

[0215] 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 B1 to the second test target spaces A2 and B2. In this case, the presence or absence of leakage can be checked by checking whether the injected fluid is discharged through the discharge pipe 126.

[0216] If no fluid flows out through the discharge pipe 126, it can be determined that the first test space A1, B1 and the second test space A2, B2 are completely fluidically isolated by the separation member 300, and if there is fluid flowing out through the discharge pipe 126, it can be determined that there is a defect in the separation member 300.

[0217] In ice-making evaporator 1 with a defect in separating member 300, the refrigerant that flows into the interior may leak out into the space connected to outlet pipe 126 and be discharged to the outside. In ice-making evaporator 1 with such a defect, the refrigerant cannot fully cool, and in severe cases, ice cannot be produced.

[0218] Therefore, 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 presence or absence of separation is further inspected according to the above-described process.

[0219] In this way, according to the ice-making evaporator 1 of this embodiment, the use of the second partitioning member 150 can prevent the production of ice-making evaporators with poor ice-making performance, that is, defective products.

[0220] 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.

[0221] Figure 13 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 14 is a flowchart of a step of assembling a heat exchange space separating wall in a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 15 is a flowchart of a step of inspecting whether the partitioned internal spaces of the evaporator body and the ice-making members are isolated in a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0222] To facilitate understanding of the invention, this disclosure will describe a process for manufacturing the ice-making evaporator shown in FIGS. 1 to 12 by a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0223] 13 together with FIGS. 3 and 4, in a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, an evaporator body 100 is prepared (S100). At this time, the evaporator body 100 may be composed of a main body part 110.

[0224] As described above, the main body 110 may be a hollow tubular member with both ends open. One side of the cross section of the main body 110 perpendicular to the length direction may be formed to have a semicircular or semi-elliptical shape.

[0225] The other side of the main body 110 may be formed to have a flat surface. A plurality of connection holes 115 may be formed along the length of the flat portion of the main body 110. To this end, the main body 110 may be manufactured by processing a circular pipe through a forging process, a punching process, or the like.

[0226] As described above, according to this embodiment, the evaporator body 100 can be manufactured through a simple process using a circular pipe, which is a relatively inexpensive raw material, thereby simplifying the manufacturing cost and process.

[0227] Further, referring to Figure 13 together with Figures 4 and 7, in a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention, after preparing the evaporator body 100 (S100), the body space separation wall 310 is assembled to the evaporator body 100 (S200).

[0228] The body space A inside the evaporator body 100 is divided by the body space separation wall 310 into a first body space A1 and a second body space A2.

[0229] In this case, in the step of assembling the main body space separation wall 310 (S200), the main body space separation wall 310 may be inserted into the inside through one of the first and second openings 111 and 113 of the main body part 110. In this way, the main body space separation wall 310 can be assembled to the evaporator main body 100.

[0230] Thus, according to this embodiment, there is no need to deform or process the shape of the main body portion 110 in an additional process in order to assemble the main body space separation wall 310 inside the evaporator main body 100, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and simplifying the manufacturing process.

[0231] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the components of the ice-making evaporator have simple shapes and simple connection relationships, which reduces manufacturing costs and simplifies the manufacturing process.

[0232] Further, referring to Figure 13 together with Figures 6 to 10, in a manufacturing method of an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention, after assembling the main body space separation wall (S200), a heat exchange space separation wall 340 that can divide the heat exchange space B of the ice-making member 200 into a first heat exchange space B1 and a second heat exchange space B2 is assembled to either one of the evaporator main body 100 and the main body space separation wall 310 (S300).

[0233] More specifically, in this embodiment, the heat exchange space separation wall 340 is coupled to the longitudinal side of the main body space separation wall 310 .

[0234] Referring to FIG. 14, in the step of assembling the heat exchange space separating wall 340 (S300), the body space separating wall groove 333 of the joining member 330 is mated with the first joining member groove 315 of the body space separating wall 310 through the joining hole 115 of the body part 110, thereby assembling the joining member 330 and the body space separating wall 310 (S310).

[0235] In the step of assembling the heat exchange space separating wall 340 (S300), after assembling the connecting member 330 (S310), the main body space separating wall 310 and the guide wall 320 can be assembled by correspondingly connecting the guide wall connecting groove 313 of the main body space separating wall 310 to the main body space separating wall connecting groove 323 of the guide wall 320 through the connecting hole 115 of the main body part 110 (S320).

[0236] In this case, the order of the step S310 of assembling the connecting member 330 and the main body space separating wall 310 and the step S320 of assembling the guide wall 320 and the main body space separating wall 310 can be interchanged.

[0237] Referring further to FIG. 14, in the step of assembling the heat exchange space separating wall 340 (S300), after assembling (or connecting) the guide wall 320 (S320), the connecting member 330 and the heat exchange space separating wall 340 can be assembled by correspondingly connecting the second connecting member grooves 343, 345 of the heat exchange space separating wall 340 to the heat exchange space separating wall groove 335 of the connecting member 330, which has been assembled to the main body space separating wall 310 through the connecting hole 115 of the main body 110 (S330).

[0238] In this case, the order of the step S320 of assembling the guide wall 320 and the main body space separating wall 310 and the step S330 of assembling the heat exchange space separating wall 340 and the connecting member 330 can be interchanged.

[0239] As described above, according to this embodiment, the main body space separating wall 310, the guide wall 320, the connecting member 330, and the heat exchange space separating wall 340 can be assembled sequentially through the connecting hole 115 of the main body 110, which improves manufacturing convenience and assembly between the components, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and simplifying the manufacturing process.

[0240] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the components of the ice-making evaporator have simple shapes and simple connection relationships, which reduces manufacturing costs and simplifies the manufacturing process.

[0241] In the step of assembling the heat exchange space separating wall 340 (S300), the evaporator body 100, the body space separating wall 310, the guide wall 320, the connecting member 330 and the heat exchange space separating wall 340 may be connected to one another.

[0242] The step of joining the evaporator body 100, the body space separation wall 310, the guide wall 320, the connecting member 330, and the heat exchange space separation wall 340 together may 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.

[0243] Further, referring to FIG. 13 together with FIGS. 5 to 10, in a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention, after assembling the evaporator body 100 and the heat exchange space separating wall 340 (S300), the ice-making member 200 is assembled to the evaporator body 100 (S400).

[0244] In the step S400 of assembling the ice-making members 200, the upper part of the body part 210 of the ice-making members 200 can be inserted into the inside of the connection hole 115 of the main body part 110. As a result, the heat exchange space B inside the ice-making members 200 is divided into a first heat exchange space B1 and a second heat exchange space B2 by the heat exchange space separating wall 340.

[0245] The first heat exchange space B1 is fluidly connected to the first body space A1, and the second heat exchange space B2 is fluidly connected to the second body space A2.

[0246] At this time, in the step of assembling the ice-making members 200 to the evaporator body 100 (S400), the ice-making members 200 and the evaporator body 100 may be joined together. The step of joining the ice-making members 200 and the evaporator body 100 may 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.

[0247] Further, referring to FIG. 13 together with FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, in a method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention, after assembling the evaporator body 100 and the ice-making members 200 (S400), it is checked whether the partitioned spaces inside the evaporator body 100 and the ice-making members 200 are isolated from each other (S500).

[0248] 15, in the step of checking for isolation (S500), one of the open ends of the evaporator body 100 can first be closed (S510). In this embodiment, the first partition member 130 is disposed at one end of the body space separating wall 310 through the first opening 111 (FIG. 4) at the front of the body part 110, and the first opening 111 (FIG. 4) is closed with the first closing plug 120.

[0249] To this end, the first closure 120 may be coupled to one end of the body 110. The process of coupling the first closure 120 to the body 110 may 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.

[0250] In the step S500 of checking whether or not there is separation, one end of the evaporator body 100 is closed (S510), and then the second partitioning member 150 is disposed inside the evaporator body 100 through the other open end of the evaporator body 100 (S520). At this time, the order of the step S510 of closing one end of the evaporator body 100 and the step S520 of disposing the second partitioning member 150 may be interchanged.

[0251] In the step of disposing the second partition member 150 (S520), the second partition member 150 can be disposed at the other end of the main body space separating wall 310 through the opened second opening 113 (FIG. 4) of the main body part 110.

[0252] Referring to FIG. 15, in the step of checking for isolation (S500), the second partitioning member 150 is placed inside the evaporator body 100 (S520), and then the first and second holes 151 and 153 of the second partitioning member 150 are closed with the first and second inspection plugs 2a and 2b, respectively (S530).

[0253] This allows the first body space A1 and the first heat exchange space B1 communicating with the first body space A1 to be fluidly isolated from the second body space A2 and the second heat exchange space B2 communicating with the second body space A2.

[0254] Hereinafter, the first main body space A1 and the first heat exchange space B1 will be referred to as first spaces to be inspected A1, B1, and the second main body space A2 and the second heat exchange space B2 will be referred to as second spaces to be inspected A2, B2.

[0255] Referring to FIG. 15, in the step of checking for isolation (S500), the first and second holes 151, 153 of the second partition member 150 are closed (S530), and then a predetermined fluid is injected into either the first test space A1, B1 or the second test space A2, B2 (S540), and it is checked whether the injected fluid leaks into the other of the first test space A1, B1 or the second test space A2, B2 (S550).

[0256] In this embodiment, it is confirmed whether the injected fluid leaks out, and whether the first test target spaces A1 and B1 and the second test target spaces A2 and B2 are fluidically isolated from each other.

[0257] At this time, the detailed process of the step of checking whether or not the isolation has occurred (S500) can be performed as previously described with reference to FIG. 12, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0258] 7 and 13, in the method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, after checking for the presence or absence of isolation (S500), the open end of the evaporator body 100, i.e., the second opening 113 (FIG. 4), is closed (S600). At this time, in the step of closing the end of the evaporator body 100 (S600), the second opening 113 (FIG. 4) of the main body 110 can be closed using the second closing plug 140.

[0259] Here, in the step of closing the end of the evaporator body 100 (S600), if the result obtained in the step of checking whether or not there is isolation (S500) includes that the first inspection target spaces A1, B1 and the second inspection target spaces A2, B2 are not completely isolated from each other, it can be determined that the ice-making evaporator is defective, and a step of discarding or repairing can be further performed.

[0260] Therefore, according to the method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention, since the internal space is not completely partitioned, it is possible to prevent the production of ice-making evaporators with poor ice-making performance, i.e., defective products.

[0261] In addition, in the step of closing the end of the evaporator body 100 (S600), if the result obtained in the step of checking whether or not there is isolation (S500) includes information that the first test space A1, B1 and the second test space A2, B2 are completely isolated from each other, the inner second closure plug 144 can be placed inside the main body 110 through the opened second opening 113 (Figure 4), and the outer second closure plug 142 can be installed at the end of the main body 110, and the inner and outer second closure plugs 142, 144 can be connected to the main body 110.

[0262] In this case, at least one of the steps of joining the inner and outer second closures 142, 144 to the main body 110 may 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.

[0263] 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, in addition to the ice-making evaporator shown in Figures 1 to 12, the method for manufacturing an ice-making evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention can also be applied to manufacturing other ice-making evaporators configured so that a cold refrigerant circulates through a plurality of partitioned spaces to make ice having a predetermined shape.

[0264] 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]

[0265] 1 Ice maker evaporator 2. Testing materials 100 Evaporator body 110 Main body 120, 140 Closure valve 130, 150 Compartment members 160 Air Pipe 200 Ice making components 210 Torso 220 Ice making section 230 Bottom 300 Separation member 310 Main body space separation wall 320 Guide Wall 330 Connecting members 340 Heat exchange space separation wall

Claims

1. an evaporator body having a body space extending in the front-rear direction therein 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 having a heat exchange space formed inside the ice making member, the heat exchange space being fluidly connected to the main body space, and an ice making groove formed on an outer side of the ice making member; a heat exchange space separation wall disposed in the heat exchange space so as to divide 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 connecting member interposed between the main body space separating wall and the heat exchange space separating wall for connecting the main body space separating wall and the heat exchange space separating wall; a refrigerant inlet passage connected to the first main body space for allowing a refrigerant to flow into the first main 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.

2. 2. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member includes a main body-side connecting portion connected to a side portion of the main body space separating wall in an extension direction, and an ice-making member-side connecting portion connected to the heat exchange space separating wall.

3. A first coupling member groove is formed on a side portion of the main body space separating wall in the extension direction, 3. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 2, wherein the body-side coupling portion of the coupling member is formed with a coupling groove for coupling with the first coupling member groove.

4. A second coupling member groove is formed at a corner of the heat exchange space separating wall facing the evaporator body, 3. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 2, wherein the ice-making member-side coupling portion of the coupling member is formed with a heat exchange space separating wall coupling groove corresponding to the second coupling member groove.

5. an evaporator body having a body space extending in the front-rear direction therein 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 body part having an upper part coupled to the evaporator body and a heat exchange space formed therein so that the body space can be fluidly connected thereto; and an ice making part provided below the body part and having an ice making groove formed in a lower part thereof; a heat exchange space separation wall disposed in the heat exchange space so as to divide 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 connecting member interposed between the main body space separating wall and the heat exchange space separating wall for connecting the main body space separating wall and the heat exchange space separating wall; a refrigerant inlet passage connected to the first main body space for allowing a refrigerant to flow into the first main body space; an outlet passage connected to the second main body space to allow the refrigerant flowing through the second main body space to flow out to the outside, The ice-making evaporator includes a first portion located in the main body space and a second portion formed around the first portion so as to traverse the interior of the body portion.

6. the ice making unit has a convex surface that protrudes convexly toward the evaporator body and a concave surface that faces the convex surface, The ice-making evaporator according to claim 5 , wherein the ice-making grooves are formed on the concave surface.

7. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 5 , wherein a holding groove is formed on a side portion of the main body space separating wall in the extension direction, and the first portion abuts against at least a part of the first portion.

8. 6. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 5, wherein the heat exchange space separating wall includes a front space separating wall and a rear space separating wall disposed in front of and behind the second portion, respectively, when viewed from the extension direction of the evaporator body.

9. a guide wall coupled to the main body space separation wall; 6. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 1, wherein the guide wall includes a first-body-space-side guide portion arranged in the first body space to guide the refrigerant flowing from one end of the first body space to the other end thereof so that the refrigerant passes through the first heat exchange space.

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

11. 10. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 9, wherein the guide wall includes a first heat exchange space side guide portion extending from the first main body space side guide portion to the first heat exchange space so as to divide the first heat exchange space into a first via space and a second via space.

12. A flow groove is formed at a position adjacent to the ice making groove on the extension direction end side of the first heat exchange space side guide portion, 12. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 11, wherein the first and second passage spaces are fluidically connected between the inner wall of the ice-making member defining the heat exchange space and the flow groove.

13. 6. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 1, further comprising an air pipe connecting an ice-making member-side opening formed on an inner wall of the ice-making groove and a main body-side opening formed on an outer portion of the evaporator main body.

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

15. 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, 6. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 1, wherein a partition member is disposed between 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.

16. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 1 , wherein the ice-making groove has a hemispherical or polyhedral shape.

17. 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 extension direction of the main body space.

18. The ice-making evaporator according to claim 1 , wherein a cross section of the evaporator body perpendicular to an extension direction thereof has a hemispherical or semi-elliptical shape.

19. preparing an evaporator body having a body space therein extending in a front-rear direction and having both ends open; assembling a body space separation wall to the evaporator body so that the body space is divided into a first body space and a second body space; preparing an ice-making member having a heat exchange space formed inside and an ice-making groove formed on an outer portion; assembling a heat exchange space separating wall capable of dividing the heat exchange space into a first heat exchange space and a second heat exchange space to one of the evaporator body and the body space separating wall; assembling the ice-making member to the evaporator body; and closing the open end of the main body space.

20. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein, in the partitioning of the main body space, the main body space partition wall is inserted into the inside of the evaporator body through one of the open ends of the main body space.

21. A connecting hole is provided on the side of the evaporator body in the extension direction, The step of assembling the heat exchange space separation wall includes: assembling a coupling member to the body space separating wall through a coupling hole of the evaporator body; and assembling the heat exchange space separating wall to a connecting member assembled to the body space separating wall through a connecting hole of the evaporator body.

22. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising inspecting whether a first inspection target space consisting of the first body space and the first heat exchange space, which are fluidly communicable with each other, and a second inspection target space consisting of the second body space and the second heat exchange space, which are fluidly communicable with each other, are fluidly isolated from each other.

23. The step of inspecting for the presence or absence of isolation comprises: closing one of the open ends of the evaporator body; disposing a partition member, the partition member having a first hole fluidically connected to the first test target space and a second hole fluidically connected to the second test target space, at one of both ends of the main body space; closing the first hole and the second hole; injecting a predetermined fluid into one of the first test target space and the second test target space; The method of claim 22, further comprising checking whether the injected fluid leaks into the other of the first test target space and the second test target space.

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