Refrigeration apparatus

Abstract

A refrigeration apparatus, comprising an enclosure, a door, a refrigeration assembly and an ice maker. The door is connected to the enclosure and used for opening or closing the enclosure. The refrigeration assembly is arranged in the enclosure, the refrigeration assembly comprising a compressor, a condenser, a first evaporator, a throttling device and a second evaporator which are connected by means of a refrigerant line. The ice maker is mounted on the door, the ice maker comprising an ice cube tray and a heat pipe component. The ice cube tray comprises at least one ice cube storage compartment. A first end of the heat pipe component exchanges heat with water in the ice cube storage compartment, and a second end of the heat pipe component is in contact fit with the second evaporator, thus exchanging heat with the refrigeration assembly.

Description

Refrigeration equipment

[0001] This application claims the priority of Chinese patent application No. 202410083418.7 filed on January 19, 2024; the priority of Chinese patent application No. 202420141015.9 filed on January 19, 2024; the priority of Chinese patent application No. 202420140995.0 filed on January 19, 2024; the priority of Chinese patent application No. 202420140996.0 filed on January 19, 2024; 67.9; the priority of the Chinese patent application with application number 202420140945.2 filed on January 19, 2024; the priority of the Chinese patent application with application number 202420141460.5 filed on January 19, 2024; and the priority of the Chinese patent application with application number 202420141379.7 filed on January 19, 2024, all of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of household appliances, and in particular to a refrigeration device. Background Art

[0003] Refrigeration equipment such as refrigerators and freezers are equipped with ice makers to achieve the ice-making function. Ice makers are mainly divided into direct cooling ice makers and air cooling ice makers according to the refrigeration method.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one aspect, a refrigeration device is provided, comprising a housing, a door, a refrigeration assembly, and an ice maker. The door is connected to the housing to open and close the housing. The refrigeration assembly is disposed within the housing and includes a compressor, a condenser, a first evaporator, a throttling device, and a second evaporator connected via refrigerant pipelines. The ice maker is mounted on the door and includes an ice tray and a heat pipe assembly. The ice tray includes at least one ice storage compartment. The first end of the heat pipe assembly exchanges heat with water within the ice storage compartment, while the second end of the heat pipe assembly contacts and engages with the second evaporator to exchange heat with the refrigeration assembly. When the door is open, the heat pipe assembly and the second evaporator are separated. When the door is closed, the heat pipe assembly and the second evaporator contact and exchange heat, causing the working fluid within the heat pipe assembly to flow and undergo a phase change, thereby cooling the water within the ice storage compartment.

[0006] On the other hand, a refrigeration device is provided, comprising a housing, a door, a refrigeration assembly, and an ice maker. The door is mounted on the housing and can rotate relative to the housing to open or close the housing. The refrigeration assembly is arranged in the housing and comprises at least a compressor, a condenser, a first evaporator, and a throttling device connected by a refrigerant pipeline. The ice maker is mounted on the door. The ice maker comprises an ice tray and a heat pipe component. The ice tray comprises an ice storage tray. The first end of the heat pipe component exchanges heat with the water in the ice storage tray, and the second end of the heat pipe component exchanges heat with the refrigeration assembly. When the door is open, the heat pipe component and the refrigeration assembly are separated; when the door is closed, the heat pipe component and the refrigeration assembly exchange heat, causing the working fluid within the heat pipe component to flow and undergo a phase change, thereby cooling the water in the ice tray. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG1A is a structural diagram of a refrigeration device according to some embodiments;

[0008] FIG1B is another structural diagram of a refrigeration device according to some embodiments;

[0009] FIG1C is a structural diagram of a heat pipe component according to some embodiments;

[0010] FIG2 is a structural diagram of a heat pipe condensation portion according to some embodiments;

[0011] FIG3 is a structural diagram of a heat pipe evaporation portion assembled on an ice tray according to some embodiments;

[0012] FIG4 is another structural diagram of a heat pipe assembly according to some embodiments;

[0013] FIG5 is another structural diagram of a heat pipe component according to some embodiments;

[0014] FIG6 is another structural diagram of a heat pipe component according to some embodiments;

[0015] FIG7 is another structural diagram of a heat pipe component according to some embodiments;

[0016] FIG8 is another structural diagram of a heat pipe condensation portion according to some embodiments;

[0017] FIG9 is a structural diagram of an evaporation portion of a heat pipe according to some embodiments;

[0018] FIG10 is a structural diagram of a first channel according to some embodiments;

[0019] FIG11 is a structural diagram of an ice making tray according to some embodiments;

[0020] FIG12 is a structural diagram of another ice making tray according to some embodiments;

[0021] FIG13 is another structural diagram of a refrigeration device according to some embodiments;

[0022] FIG14 is a partial enlarged view of the circle A in FIG13;

[0023] FIG15 is a partial view of the cooperation of a cantilever support and a heat pipe assembly according to some embodiments;

[0024] FIG16 is a partial view of a magnetically engaging assembly according to some embodiments;

[0025] FIG17 is another structural diagram of a refrigeration device according to some embodiments;

[0026] FIG18 is a partial enlarged view of the area circled B in FIG17 ;

[0027] FIG19 is another structural diagram of a refrigeration device according to some embodiments;

[0028] FIG20 is a schematic diagram of a refrigeration device according to some embodiments;

[0029] FIG21 is another schematic diagram of a refrigeration device according to some embodiments;

[0030] FIG. 22 is a structural diagram of a second evaporator according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings to clearly and completely describe some embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all embodiments. Based on the embodiments provided by the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0032] Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprise" and its other forms, such as the third person singular form "comprises" and the present participle form "comprising", are to be interpreted as open and inclusive, that is, "including, but not limited to". In the description of the specification, the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "exemplary embodiments", "example", "specific example" or "some examples" are intended to indicate that the particular features, structures, materials or characteristics associated with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. The schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. In addition, the particular features, structures, materials or characteristics may be included in any one or more embodiments or examples in any appropriate manner.

[0033] In the following, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0034] When describing some embodiments, the expressions "coupled" and "connected" and their derivatives may be used. The term "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. The term "coupled" indicates that two or more components are in direct physical or electrical contact. The term "coupled" or "communicatively coupled" may also refer to two or more components that are not in direct contact with each other, but still cooperate or interact with each other. The embodiments disclosed herein are not necessarily limited to the contents of this document.

[0035] “At least one of A, B and C” has the same meaning as “at least one of A, B or C” and both include the following combinations of A, B and C: A only, B only, C only, the combination of A and B, the combination of A and C, the combination of B and C, and the combination of A, B and C.

[0036] “A and / or B” includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0037] The use of "adapted to" or "configured to" herein is intended to be open and inclusive language that does not exclude devices adapted or configured to perform additional tasks or steps.

[0038] As used herein, "about," "substantially," or "approximately" includes the stated value and an average value that is within an acceptable range of deviation from the particular value as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art taking into account the measurements in question and the errors associated with the measurement of the particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system).

[0039] As used herein, "parallel", "perpendicular", and "equal" include the situations described and situations similar to the situations described, and the range of the similar situations is within an acceptable deviation range, wherein the acceptable deviation range is as determined by a person of ordinary skill in the art taking into account the measurement in question and the errors associated with the measurement of the specific quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "parallel" includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate parallelism can be, for example, a deviation within 5°; "perpendicular" includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate perpendicularity can also be, for example, a deviation within 5°. "Equal" includes absolute equality and approximate equality, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate equality can be, for example, that the difference between the two equals is less than or equal to 5% of either one.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B , the present disclosure provides a refrigeration device 1000 .

[0041] In some embodiments, the refrigeration equipment 1000 includes a refrigerator and a freezer.

[0042] The refrigeration device 1000 includes a housing 110. The housing 110 includes a housing shell, which constitutes the outer shell of the entire refrigeration device 1000. The housing 110 also includes an inner liner component 220 (as shown in FIG. 13 ), which is disposed within the housing shell and defines a storage chamber.

[0043] In some embodiments, a foaming cavity is formed between the box shell and the inner liner component 220, and the foaming cavity is filled with thermal insulation foam material, which can achieve the effects of noise reduction and thermal insulation.

[0044] In some embodiments, the housing 110 further includes an opening configured to facilitate a user's access to items from the refrigeration device 1000. In some embodiments, the refrigeration device 1000 further includes a door 210 assembled at the opening of the housing 110. The door 210 is connected to the housing 110 and can be rotated relative to the housing 110 to open or close the storage chamber. In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 20 and 21, a refrigeration assembly is disposed within the housing 110, configured to cool the storage chamber by controlling the circulation of a refrigerant.

[0045] In some embodiments, the refrigeration assembly includes a compressor 1 configured to compress a refrigerant.

[0046] In some embodiments, the refrigeration assembly further includes a condenser 4 , and the compressor 1 is connected to the condenser 4 .

[0047] In some embodiments, the refrigeration assembly further includes a throttling device (such as a pressure reducer), and the condenser 4 is in communication with the pressure reducer.

[0048] In some embodiments, the refrigeration assembly further includes a first evaporator 2. The first evaporator 2 can cool the items in the cabinet 110 by utilizing the heat dissipation of evaporation of the refrigerant.

[0049] In some embodiments, the refrigeration assembly further includes a refrigerant pipeline, and the compressor 1, the condenser 4, the pressure reducer and the first evaporator 2 are connected through the refrigerant pipeline.

[0050] The working process of the refrigeration component includes compression process, condensation process, throttling process and evaporation process.

[0051] For example, the compression process includes: the compressor 1 starts working, low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant enters the compressor 1, is compressed by the compressor 1 into a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas, and the compressed refrigerant gas is discharged.

[0052] The condensation process is as follows: the refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor 1 flows into the condenser 4, the condenser 4 condenses the compressed refrigerant into a liquid phase, and heat is released to the surrounding environment through the condensation process.

[0053] The throttling process is as follows: the condensed refrigerant saturated liquid passes through a drying filter to remove moisture and impurities and then flows into the pressure reducer. After throttling and pressure reduction by the pressure reducer, it becomes wet steam at room temperature and low pressure.

[0054] The evaporation process is as follows: the wet steam at room temperature and low pressure begins to absorb heat and vaporize in the first evaporator 2, which not only reduces the temperature of the first evaporator 2 and the gas around the first evaporator 2, but also turns the refrigerant into a low-temperature and low-pressure gas.

[0055] The refrigerant discharged from the first evaporator 2 passes through the gas-liquid separator and then returns to the compressor 1. This cycle can transfer the heat in the refrigeration device 1000 to the air outside the cabinet 110 to reduce the temperature in the storage room.

[0056] If the storage compartment temperature is within the preset range, the cooling unit stops. Over time, the storage compartment temperature rises. If the temperature rises outside the preset range, the cooling unit restarts, and the process repeats. This ensures that the storage compartment temperature fluctuates within the preset range.

[0057] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 , the refrigeration assembly further includes a second evaporator 300 (ice-making evaporator), and the compressor 1 , the condenser 4 , the first evaporator 2 , the throttling device and the second evaporator 300 are connected by a refrigerant pipeline.

[0058] In some embodiments, the refrigeration assembly further includes a solenoid valve 3. The solenoid valve 3 is configured to control the connection or disconnection of the refrigerant pipeline to enable or stop the flow of the refrigerant. In some embodiments, the refrigeration device 1000 further includes an ice maker.

[0059] In some embodiments, the ice maker is disposed on a side of the door 210 close to the box body 110 .

[0060] For example, the ice maker can be assembled on the door body 210. The ice maker can be provided on a side of the door body 210 close to the storage chamber. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3 , the ice maker includes an ice making grid 400, and the ice making grid 400 includes at least one ice storage grid.

[0061] It should be noted that the ice cube tray 400 is made of metal (such as stainless steel and aluminum alloy, etc.). The metal ice cube tray 400 not only has good corrosion resistance, but can also withstand environments with different temperatures, maintain the structure without deformation, and extend the service life.

[0062] In some embodiments, a partition member is provided inside the ice making tray 400 to divide the ice making tray 400 into a plurality of ice storage trays. The ice making tray 400 is configured to freeze water stored therein into ice cubes, and the ice storage trays can store ice cubes.

[0063] In order to realize ice making by the refrigeration device 1000, in the related art, one of a direct cooling type ice maker and an air cooling type ice maker is provided in the refrigeration device 1000.

[0064] When a direct-cooling ice maker is installed within refrigeration equipment 1000, an ice evaporator is located below the metal ice tray. When connected to the refrigeration equipment, the ice evaporator is connected to the refrigeration equipment's refrigerant pipeline. Typically, the ice evaporator is connected in parallel with the first evaporator 2 and in close contact with the ice tray 400 of the ice maker. This low heat exchange resistance results in high heat exchange efficiency and rapid ice production.

[0065] However, when installing, the ice-making evaporator pipe needs to extend into the foam layer of the refrigeration equipment 1000 and connect with the refrigeration component in the foam layer of the box body 110, so that the ice-making evaporator pipe can only be installed inside the box body 110 of the refrigeration equipment 1000; resulting in the direct cooling ice maker requiring precise assembly with the ice-making evaporator pipe. When the length of the ice-making evaporator pipe extending out of the box body 110 is outside the preset range or the ice-making evaporator pipe itself is deformed, the entire box body 110 will be scrapped, and the assembly is cumbersome. In addition, since the direct cooling ice maker is assembled inside the box body 110, the maintainability of the ice maker is affected.

[0066] To facilitate maintenance of the ice maker, the ice maker can be installed outside the housing 110. In this case, the refrigeration device 1000 will be equipped with an air-cooled ice maker. Air is supplied through air ducts or ducts, and the air is used as the working medium to transfer cooling capacity in a controlled air flow manner. The low-temperature air circulates to complete the cooling capacity supply of the ice maker. Therefore, air-cooled ice making is widely used in independent ice making rooms, freezer rooms, door bodies 210, and other locations. However, due to the large air flow resistance and large temperature rise of the supplied air, the ice making speed of air-cooled ice makers is generally lower than that of direct-cooled ice makers, resulting in low ice making efficiency and difficulty in meeting users' needs for fast ice making.

[0067] To solve the above problems, some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a refrigeration device 1000. In some embodiments, the ice maker further includes an ice blocking grid, which is arranged at the top of the ice tray 400 to block the ice cubes in the ice tray 400 and prevent them from falling.

[0068] In some embodiments, the ice maker further includes an ice scraping heating pipe, which is provided around the bottom of the ice tray 400. The ice scraping heating pipe is arranged circumferentially around the ice tray 400, thereby heating the ice cubes in the ice tray 400 to facilitate demolding.

[0069] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4 , to facilitate installation of the ice scraping heating pipe, a second mounting position 450 (heating pipe mounting groove) is provided around the ice tray 400, and the ice scraping heating pipe is mounted within the second mounting position 450. After ice cubes are formed in the ice tray 400, they can be heated by the ice scraping heating pipe for a predetermined time and then scraped out using an ice scraping rod, thereby facilitating de-icing of the ice tray 400.

[0070] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG19 , the ice making tray 400 further includes an ice storage bin 820 . The ice storage bin 820 is further disposed below the ice making tray 400 . The ice maker further includes a motor (ice dispensing motor) and an ice pusher. Ice cubes entering the ice storage bin 820 are pushed outward by the motor, making it easier for users to retrieve ice.

[0071] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 7, to freeze the water in the ice tray 400 into ice cubes, the ice maker includes a heat pipe component 500. For example, the first end of the heat pipe component 500 exchanges heat with the water in the ice tray, while the second end of the heat pipe component 500 (e.g., the condensing heat exchange portion 520) contacts the second evaporator 300 to exchange heat with the refrigeration assembly. It should be noted that contact contact refers to surface-to-surface contact, with heat exchange occurring via conduction.

[0072] For another example, the first end of the heat pipe component 500 is connected to the ice tray 400 and is arranged in close proximity to the ice tray 400 , and the second end is in contact with the refrigeration component to perform heat exchange with the refrigeration component.

[0073] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1C , the heat pipe component 500 further includes a heat pipe heat exchange component 522 , which cooperates with the refrigeration component and exchanges heat with the refrigeration component.

[0074] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1C and FIG16 , the heat pipe assembly 500 includes a heat pipe body 510 and a condensation heat exchange portion 520 . The condensation heat exchange portion 520 is arranged adjacent to the heat pipe assembly 522 and communicates with the heat pipe body 510 .

[0075] It should be noted that the condensing heat exchange part 520 and the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 are connected (such as a contact-type connection), and the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 and the refrigeration component are contact-type heat exchanged, which is beneficial to increase the heat exchange area and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the heat pipe component 500.

[0076] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the heat pipe component 500 further includes a heat pipe evaporator 530. The heat pipe evaporator 530 is disposed at the second end of the heat pipe body 510 and is in communication with the heat pipe body 510. The heat pipe evaporator 530 is connected (fixedly connected) to the ice tray 400 and is positioned in close proximity to the ice tray 400. This improves the heat exchange efficiency of the ice tray 400, thereby improving ice making efficiency. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 7, the heat pipe body 510 is the main heat pipe segment, the condensation heat exchange portion 520 is the condensation segment, and the evaporator segment is the corresponding evaporation segment. When connected, the condensation segment and the evaporator segment are connected at both ends of the heat pipe body 510 to form an integrated heat pipe structure.

[0077] It should be noted that, as shown in Figures 7 and 10, the material of the heat pipe structure can be a metal pipe wall, such as pure copper. A pressure reducing structure 5412 is correspondingly arranged on the inner wall of the heat pipe component 500, and a cavity 511 (working fluid flow cavity) is formed inside the heat pipe component 500 to circulate the working fluid and supply the working fluid for circulation.

[0078] For example, as shown in Figure 14, the working medium in the evaporation section 530 of the heat pipe absorbs heat and evaporates, and the working medium changes from liquid to gas, absorbing heat from the heat exchange surface (such as the ice making tray 400). After absorbing heat, the gaseous working medium, due to its own density reduction, flows upward in the cavity 511 under the action of buoyancy until it reaches the heat pipe condensation section at the upper end of the heat pipe. In the heat pipe condensation section, the gaseous working medium releases heat and changes from gas to liquid, transferring the latent heat of phase change to the position where the heat pipe condensation section contacts, such as the heat exchange surface in the ice making assembly. After releasing heat, the gaseous working medium condenses into liquid and flows to the lower end of the heat pipe under the action of the decompression structure 5412 and its own gravity until it reaches the heat pipe evaporation section 530 at the lower end, thereby completing the circulation of the working medium and the heat transfer in the heat pipe.

[0079] It should be noted that, in order to reduce the working medium pressure in the heat pipe component 500 and discharge the non-condensable gas, vacuuming is required before the circulating working medium is poured into the heat pipe component 500 .

[0080] Since the heat pipe component 500 has no moving parts as a whole and has the shape of a bendable closed metal copper tube, and can realize heat transfer, its heat exchange performance is higher than the heat transfer performance of a solid metal copper tube. Therefore, it can be used for direct cooling and ice making on the door body 210. Through the free separation and combination of the ice making tray 400 and the heat pipe evaporation part 530, and the optimization of the contact heat exchange between the condensation heat exchange part 520 and the heat pipe heat exchange component 522, the performance of the ice maker on the door body 210 can be improved, which is conducive to improving the ice making efficiency.

[0081] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2 and 14, the condensing heat exchange part 520 is fixed to the heat pipe heat exchange component 522. The heat exchange contact area between the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 and the condensing heat exchange part 520 can be increased by contacting and coordinating heat exchange with the heat pipe heat exchange component 522, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0082] In addition, the heat exchange contact area between the heat pipe component 500 and the refrigeration component can be increased, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0083] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG13 , when the door 210 is open, the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 is separated from the refrigeration assembly. Since the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 and the refrigeration assembly are in contact engagement, and the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 and the ice tray 400 are integrally assembled to the door 210, when the door 210 is open, the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 can be separated from the refrigeration assembly, and the ice tray 400 is not cooled or ice-making.

[0084] When the door body 210 is in a closed state, the heat pipe component 500 contacts the second evaporator 300 for heat exchange, and the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 contacts the refrigeration assembly for heat exchange, so that the working medium inside the heat pipe component 500 flows and undergoes a phase change, thereby cooling the water in the ice making tray 400.

[0085] Taking the door body 210 in the closed state as an example, the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 can be in contact with the refrigeration component. The heat pipe heat exchange component 522 receives the cold air and transfers it to the condensation heat exchange part 520 arranged thereunder. The working medium at the condensation heat exchange part 520 undergoes a phase change, so that it flows inside the heat pipe component 500 to the heat pipe evaporation part 530 for heat exchange, thereby exchanging heat with the water in the ice cube tray 400 to form ice cubes.

[0086] It should be noted that the ice maker operates as follows: The refrigeration assembly of refrigeration device 1000 cools the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 at the top of the ice maker. Heat pipe heat exchange component 522 transfers the cooling energy from the refrigeration assembly to the condensing heat exchange unit 520, causing the working fluid in the heat pipe component 500 to cool and condense into a liquid state. Under the influence of gravity and pressure relief structure 5412, the working fluid flows downward from the heat pipe component 500. After reaching the heat pipe evaporator 530 at the bottom of the ice tray 400, the low-temperature liquid working fluid absorbs heat from the ice tray 400, freezing the water in the ice tray 400 into ice. After that, the working fluid in the heat pipe evaporator 530 within the heat pipe component 500 absorbs heat and transforms into a gaseous state.

[0087] The gaseous working medium in the heat pipe component 500 flows toward the top of the heat pipe under the action of buoyancy due to its own reduced density, and condenses into liquid in the condensation heat exchange part 520, completing the circulation of the working medium.

[0088] The cooling capacity of the refrigeration assembly of the refrigeration equipment 1000 is transferred to the ice making tray 400 by the heat pipe component 500, freezing the water in the ice making tray 400 into ice. After the ice cubes are heated for a predetermined time by the ice scraping heating pipe at the bottom of the ice making tray 400, the ice cubes are scraped out by the ice scraping rod, and water is refilled into the ice making tray 400 to repeat the next ice making cycle.

[0089] In some embodiments, the ice maker mounted on the refrigeration equipment 1000 adopts a heat pipe component 500 structure, and a circulating working fluid is arranged inside the heat pipe component 500. The self-circulation of the working fluid and the conversion of the gas-liquid phase can be realized in the cavity 511. As long as the condensation heat exchange part 520 of the heat pipe component 500 and the refrigeration component are in contact with each other for heat exchange, the assembly of the entire ice maker can be transferred from the cold storage room to the door body 210, meeting the need to take ice through the door body 210, and can improve the efficiency of ice making and reduce the ice making time.

[0090] For example, when the door 210 is closed, the heat pipe component 500 and the refrigeration assembly can maintain heat exchange, and ice can be made on the water in the ice cube tray 400 through the phase change of the working medium inside the heat pipe component 500.

[0091] For another example, when the door 210 is opened, the heat pipe component 500 and the refrigeration assembly can be separated without affecting normal use by the user.

[0092] It should be noted that the ice maker structure in some embodiments of the present disclosure adopts a heat pipe component 500 instead of the ice-making evaporator 340 (as shown in Figure 22). Through the contact cooperation between the heat pipe component 500 and the refrigeration component, the ice maker is assembled on the door body 210, which reduces the occupation of the internal space of the box body 110, increases the storage space inside the box body 110, and is conducive to the arrangement of the internal components of the box body 110.

[0093] In addition, when the ice maker is making ice, after the heat pipe component 500 contacts the refrigeration component, the working fluid inside the heat pipe component 500 undergoes a phase change and circulates to the heat pipe evaporator 530 to exchange heat with the ice making grid 400. The heat exchange between the heat pipe component 500 and the refrigeration component is a contact heat exchange, which improves the heat exchange effect, thereby improving the ice making speed and ice making effect of the ice making grid 400, and realizing the assembly of the ice maker on the door body while improving the ice making effect.

[0094] In some embodiments, the ice maker uses a heat pipe component 500 that is in contact with the refrigeration component, and automatically separates when the user opens or closes the door. This helps to reduce damage, fatigue, and fracture of the heat pipe component 500. Moreover, since the heat pipe component 500 is in contact with the refrigeration component, when the door body 210 rotates around the door hinge, it will not interfere with structures such as the ice-making evaporation pipe 340.

[0095] For example, the heat pipe component 500 and the ice making tray 400 are an integrated structure. Compared with the structure in which the ice making evaporator tube 340 needs to be assembled with the ice making tray 400 and connected to the refrigeration component to extend out of the foam layer of the box body 110 to a predetermined length, there is no need to extend the evaporator tube into the foam layer of the box body 110, nor is there any need to precisely assemble the ice making evaporator tube 340, thereby eliminating the complicated assembly steps of ordinary direct cooling ice making machines and improving assembly efficiency. In addition, the ice making machine is arranged on the door body 210, which can be easily maintained and has good maintainability, which is conducive to improving the quality stability of the product.

[0096] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2 and 4 , the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 is a heat pipe heat exchange plate. A first mating surface 5221 is formed on a side of the heat pipe heat exchange plate away from the heat pipe condenser portion 521. The first mating surface 5221 is adapted to contact the refrigeration component. For example, the first mating surface 5221 is a flat surface. This flat surface ensures a smooth surface on the first mating surface 5221, ensuring good contact with the refrigeration component of the refrigeration equipment and preventing poor contact or gaps that could affect heat exchange.

[0097] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6 , by providing a first mating surface 5221 on the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 , the contact area between the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 and the contact mating surface 544 of the refrigeration assembly can be increased, thereby improving the heat exchange effect.

[0098] In some embodiments, the heat pipe heat exchange plate is arranged in an inclined manner, and has a first angle with the horizontal plane.

[0099] It should be noted that if the first angle is less than 3 degrees, since the extension direction of the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 is roughly parallel to the horizontal direction, in order to achieve a contact connection between the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 and the condensing heat exchange unit 520, the extension direction of the condensing heat exchange unit 520 must be roughly parallel to the horizontal direction. When the gaseous working medium that has absorbed heat flows upward within the cavity 511 under the action of buoyancy, the extension direction of the condensing heat exchange unit 520 is roughly parallel to the horizontal direction. This makes it difficult for the gaseous working medium to flow upward, resulting in a reduced flow rate of the gaseous working medium and a poor heat exchange effect.

[0100] In some embodiments, if the first angle is greater than or equal to 3 degrees, for example, the first angle is 3 degrees, this is beneficial to increasing the upward flow velocity of the gaseous working medium, increasing the working medium circulation rate, and improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0101] In some embodiments, if the first angle is greater than 5 degrees, the angle between the condensing heat exchange portion 520 and the horizontal plane will increase, thereby increasing the internal space occupied by the condensing heat exchange portion 520 in the housing 110 .

[0102] In some embodiments, if the first angle is less than or equal to 5 degrees, for example, the first angle is 5 degrees, this is beneficial to increase the internal space of the box body 110.

[0103] In some embodiments, if the first angle is greater than or equal to 3 degrees and less than or equal to 5 degrees, for example, the first angle is 3 degrees, 4 degrees or 5 degrees, this not only facilitates the upward flow of the gaseous working medium, increases the working medium circulation rate, and improves the heat exchange efficiency, but also facilitates the layout of the internal components of the box 110.

[0104] Taking the inclined arrangement of the heat pipe heat exchange plate as an example, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, in order to ensure that the first mating surface 5221 is in close contact with the contact mating surface 544 of the refrigeration component, the contact mating surface 544 has an inclination angle approximately the same as that of the heat pipe heat exchange component 522, and the first mating surface 5221 has an inclination angle approximately the same as that of the heat pipe heat exchange component 522, thereby making the first mating surface 5221 and the contact mating surface 544 in close contact.

[0105] In some embodiments, the heat pipe evaporator portion 530 is arranged at an angle, with the first end of the heat pipe evaporator portion 530 close to the heat pipe body 510 and the second end of the heat pipe evaporator portion 530 away from the heat pipe body 510. In the height direction of the refrigeration equipment 1000, the height of the second end of the heat pipe evaporator portion 530 is lower than the height of the first end of the heat pipe evaporator portion 530. In this way, the entire heat pipe evaporator portion 530 can be tilted upward at an angle greater than or equal to 3 degrees and less than or equal to 5 degrees to facilitate the upward flow of the gaseous working medium, thereby increasing the working medium circulation rate and improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0106] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the ice tray 400 includes an ice tray body and a second component 430 (ice tray bottom component). The second component 430 is located on one side of the ice tray body close to the heat pipe evaporation portion 530. The second component 430 constitutes the bottom surface of the ice tray 400. For example, the second component 430 is the bottom plate of the ice tray 400.

[0107] It should be noted that the bottom surface of the second component 430 is an inclined surface arranged obliquely; it has a second angle with the horizontal plane.

[0108] In some embodiments, if the second angle is less than 3 degrees, since the extension direction of the second component 430 is roughly parallel to the horizontal direction, in order to achieve a contact connection between the second component 430 and the heat pipe evaporator 530, the extension direction of the heat pipe evaporator 530 is roughly parallel to the horizontal direction. The working medium releases heat and changes from a gaseous phase to a liquid phase. The liquid working medium flows to the heat pipe evaporator 530. Since the extension direction of the heat pipe evaporator 530 is roughly parallel to the horizontal direction, it is not convenient for the gaseous working medium to flow downward, resulting in a decrease in the flow rate of the liquid working medium, which is not conducive to the heat exchange effect.

[0109] In some embodiments, if the second angle is greater than or equal to 3 degrees, for example, the second angle is 3 degrees, this is beneficial to increasing the flow velocity of the liquid working medium in the heat pipe evaporation portion 530, increasing the working medium circulation rate, and improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0110] In some embodiments, if the second angle is greater than 5 degrees, the angle between the condensing heat exchange portion 520 and the horizontal plane will be large, increasing the occupation of the second component 430 and the heat pipe evaporation portion 530 on the internal space of the box 110, resulting in a smaller internal space of the box 110.

[0111] In some embodiments, if the second angle is less than or equal to 5 degrees, for example, the second angle is 5 degrees, this is beneficial to increase the internal space of the box body 110.

[0112] In some embodiments, if the second angle is greater than or equal to 3 degrees and less than or equal to 5 degrees, for example, the second angle is 3 degrees, 4 degrees or 5 degrees, this facilitates the flow of liquid working fluid in the heat pipe evaporator 530, increases the working fluid circulation rate, improves the heat exchange efficiency, and is also beneficial to the layout of the internal components of the box body 110.

[0113] The embodiment shown in FIG3 is different from the above-mentioned embodiment in that the working medium in the condensation heat exchange portion 520 is in gaseous state, and the working medium in the heat pipe evaporation portion 530 is in liquid state.

[0114] In some embodiments, the refrigeration equipment 1000 includes a heat pipe component 500, and the condensing heat exchange portion 520 of the heat pipe component 500 is bent along the length or width direction of the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 and is welded and fixed to the heat pipe heat exchange component 522. In this way, space can be saved and the heat exchange efficiency between the condensing heat exchange portion 520 and the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 can be improved.

[0115] The arrangement and effect of the heat pipe condensation portion 521 of the heat pipe component 500 are similar to those of the above-mentioned condensation heat exchange portion 520 and will not be repeated here.

[0116] In some embodiments, one heat pipe component 500 is respectively matched with the refrigeration assembly and the ice cube tray 400 , thus saving assembly space in the box body 110 .

[0117] For example, the ice making tray 400 can be in contact with the heat pipe component 500 to achieve heat exchange with the refrigeration component and make ice on the door body 210, thereby reducing the cost of the refrigeration equipment.

[0118] In some embodiments, the condensing heat exchange portion 520 is bent and arranged on the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 so that it is evenly laid on the surface of the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 in the form of multiple bent sections. In this way, the heat exchange area between the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 and the condensing heat exchange portion 520 can be increased.

[0119] In addition, welding and fixing the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 and the condensing heat exchange part 520 can reduce the contact thermal resistance of the heat exchange system and improve the heat exchange efficiency.

[0120] In some embodiments, to increase the contact area between the heat pipe component 500 and the ice cube tray 400 and the heat exchange surface of the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 , the heat pipe component 500 may be pressed into a flat shape such as an ellipse or a rectangle.

[0121] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1C and FIG. 3 , the ice tray 400 includes a third member 440 (ice tray side member) disposed around the bottom surface of the ice tray 400 , constituting a side surface of the ice tray 400 .

[0122] For example, the second member 430 is the bottom plate of the ice tray 400 and is disposed at the bottom of the ice tray 400; the third member 440 is the side plate of the ice tray 400 and is disposed on the side of the ice tray 400. The second member 430 and the third member 440 constitute the ice tray 400, and water injected into the ice tray 400 is stored inside the ice tray 400.

[0123] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6 , the heat pipe component 500 includes a heat pipe body 510 , and the heat pipe evaporation portion 530 is located in at least one of the second component 430 or the third component 440 , and the heat pipe evaporation portion 530 is bent along the length direction or width direction of the corresponding component, or is welded and fixed to the corresponding component.

[0124] For example, in order to cool the water in the ice tray 400, the heat pipe evaporation portion 530 of the heat pipe body 510 can be arranged in a close fit on the side of the ice tray 400, that is, arranged on the third component 440, to cool the water in the ice tray 400 from the side. In this way, the heat pipe evaporation portion 530 can be arranged around the third component 440 to cool the water in the ice tray 400.

[0125] For another example, the heat pipe evaporation portion 530 is disposed on the bottom surface of the ice tray 400 , is bent along the length direction or width direction of the bottom surface of the ice tray 400 , and is welded and fixed to the ice tray 400 .

[0126] For another example, the heat pipe evaporation portion 530 is attached to the second component 430 to cool the water in the ice tray 400 from the bottom, which is convenient for installation and helps improve the heat exchange effect.

[0127] For another example, the heat pipe evaporation portion 530 is partially arranged on the third component 440 and partially extends from the third component 440 to the second component 430, cooling the water in the ice making grid 400 at the side and bottom surfaces at the same time. In this way, the contact area between the heat pipe evaporation portion 530 and the ice making grid 400 is increased, which is beneficial to improving the efficiency of ice making and reducing the ice making time.

[0128] In some embodiments, at least one of the second member 430 or the third member 440 is welded to the heat pipe evaporator 530, so that the ice tray 400 and the heat pipe assembly 500 form an integrated structure. This helps reduce the heat exchange resistance between the ice tray 400 and the heat pipe assembly 500, thereby reducing the heat exchange temperature difference and improving ice making efficiency and speed. It should be noted that welding the ice tray 400 and the heat pipe assembly 500 into an integrated structure can also avoid secondary assembly in the refrigeration equipment workshop, thereby improving production efficiency and product quality.

[0129] In some embodiments, at least one of the second component 430 or the third component 440 is detachably connected to the heat pipe evaporator 530, thereby facilitating replacement and maintenance of the second component 430, the third component 440, or the heat pipe evaporator 530. In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 13 to 16, the refrigeration device 1000 includes multiple heat pipe components 500, which are arranged in parallel. Each heat pipe component 500 includes a heat pipe body 510. In order to increase the flexibility of the arrangement of the heat pipe components 500, by providing multiple heat pipe components 500 that respectively contact and cooperate with the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 and the ice tray 400, the heat exchange area between the heat pipe component 500, the heat pipe heat exchange component 522, and the ice tray 400 can be increased, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency.

[0130] For example, the condensing heat exchange sections 520 of multiple heat pipe assemblies 500 are arranged in parallel at the bottom of a heat pipe heat exchange section 522 and welded to the heat pipe heat exchange section 522. The spacing between adjacent condensing heat exchange sections 520 can be set according to actual needs and is not limited here. It should be noted that the condensing heat exchange sections 520 are welded side by side to the bottom surface of the heat pipe heat exchange section 522. This increases the heat exchange efficiency of the condensing heat exchange sections 520 and also strengthens the strength of the condensing heat exchange sections 520 and the heat pipe heat exchange section 522.

[0131] In some embodiments, multiple heat pipe evaporation sections 530 are arranged in at least one of the second component 430 or the third component 440. The multiple heat pipe evaporation sections 530 are evenly arranged along the length or width direction of the corresponding component, which can cool the water in the ice making grid 400. Since multiple heat pipe evaporation sections 530 are provided, the heat exchange area is increased, which is beneficial to improving the efficiency of ice making.

[0132] For another example, multiple heat pipe evaporation sections 530 can be provided on the second component 430 or the third component 440 to exchange heat with the ice cube tray 400. It should be noted that the heat pipe evaporation section 530 is a heat pipe evaporation section, the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 is a heat pipe heat exchange plate, and the heat pipe condensation section 521 is a heat pipe condensation section.

[0133] It is understandable that, during the setting, at least one of the plurality of heat pipe evaporation parts 530 may be set on the third component 440, so as to ensure sufficient heat exchange with the ice making tray 400 and improve the ice making efficiency.

[0134] For another example, the multi-section heat pipe evaporation portion 530 and the ice making tray 400 can be welded and fixed, thereby reducing heat exchange resistance and improving ice making efficiency.

[0135] In some embodiments, to securely secure the multiple heat pipe components 500, multiple second mounting locations 450 are provided at the bottom of the ice tray 400. The multiple second mounting locations 450 are arranged in parallel along the length of the ice tray 400; alternatively, the multiple second mounting locations 450 are arranged in parallel along the width of the ice tray 400. This allows the multiple heat pipe evaporation sections 530 to be respectively arranged within the multiple second mounting locations 450, and the heat pipe evaporation sections 530 can be welded to the corresponding second mounting locations 450.

[0136] It can be understood that the second mounting position 450 provided on the ice making tray 400 can facilitate welding of the heat pipe component 500 and the ice making tray 400 .

[0137] It should be noted that after the heat pipe component 500 is installed in the second installation position 450, it is fixed to the ice making tray 400 by welding, so that the heat pipe component 500 and the metal ice tray are an integrated structure, which is beneficial to reducing the heat exchange thermal resistance between the ice making tray 400 and the heat pipe component 500, thereby reducing the heat exchange temperature difference and improving the ice making efficiency and ice making speed.

[0138] In some embodiments, since the heat pipe evaporator portion 530 is arranged to be tilted upward, in order to achieve adaptation with the heat pipe evaporator portion 530, the second mounting position 450 is also tilted upward, and the tilt angle (such as the tilt angle of 3 degrees) is roughly the same as that of the heat pipe evaporator portion 530. This can increase the contact area between the heat pipe evaporator portion 530 and the second mounting position 450, thereby improving the ice-making efficiency.

[0139] If the outer diameter of the heat pipe body 510 is less than 6 mm, the amount of working fluid flowing from the heat pipe evaporation portion 530 to the condensation heat exchange portion 520 in the cavity 511 is small, which affects the heat exchange effect.

[0140] In some embodiments, if the outer diameter of the heat pipe body 510 is greater than or equal to 6 mm, for example, the outer diameter of the heat pipe body 510 is 6 mm, the amount of working fluid flowing from the heat pipe evaporation part 530 to the condensation heat exchange part 520 in the cavity 511 can be increased, thereby improving the heat exchange effect.

[0141] In some embodiments, if the outer diameter of the heat pipe body 510 is greater than 8 mm, due to the large outer diameter of the heat pipe body 510, more working fluid absorbs more heat when flowing from the heat pipe evaporation part 530 to the condensation heat exchange part 520 in the cavity 511, resulting in increased energy consumption of the refrigeration equipment 1000.

[0142] In some embodiments, if the outer diameter of the heat pipe body 510 is less than or equal to 8 mm, for example, the outer diameter of the heat pipe body 510 is 8 mm, when the working fluid flows from the heat pipe evaporation part 530 to the condensation heat exchange part 520 in the cavity 511, the working fluid absorbs less heat, which is beneficial to reducing the energy consumption of the refrigeration equipment 1000.

[0143] In some embodiments, if the outer diameter of the heat pipe body 510 is greater than or equal to 6 mm and less than or equal to 8 mm, for example, the outer diameter of the heat pipe body 510 is 6 mm, 7 mm or 8 mm, then when the working medium flows from the heat pipe evaporation part 530 to the condensation heat exchange part 520 in the cavity 511, it can not only ensure the heat exchange effect, but also help to reduce the energy consumption of the refrigeration equipment 1000.

[0144] In some embodiments, if the number of heat pipe bodies 510 is less than four, the amount of working fluid flowing from the heat pipe evaporation portion 530 to the condensation heat exchange portion 520 through the cavity 511 will be reduced, affecting the heat exchange effect.

[0145] In some embodiments, if the number of heat pipe bodies 510 is greater than or equal to 4, for example, the number of heat pipe bodies 510 is 4 or 5, the amount of working fluid flowing from the heat pipe evaporation part 530 to the condensation heat exchange part 520 in the cavity 511 can be increased, thereby improving the heat exchange effect.

[0146] In some embodiments, if the number of heat pipe bodies 510 is greater than 7, due to the large number of heat pipe bodies 510, the working fluid absorbs more heat when flowing from the heat pipe evaporation part 530 to the condensation heat exchange part 520 in the cavity 511, increasing the energy consumption of the refrigeration equipment 1000.

[0147] In some embodiments, if the number of heat pipe bodies 510 is less than or equal to 7, for example, the number of heat pipe bodies 510 is 6 or 7, when the working fluid flows from the heat pipe evaporation part 530 to the condensation heat exchange part 520 in the cavity 511, the working fluid absorbs less heat, which is beneficial to reducing the energy consumption of the refrigeration equipment 1000.

[0148] In some embodiments, if the number of heat pipe bodies 510 is greater than or equal to 4 and less than or equal to 7, for example, the number of heat pipe bodies 510 is 4, 5, 6 or 7, then when the working medium flows from the heat pipe evaporation part 530 to the condensation heat exchange part 520 in the cavity 511, not only can the heat exchange effect be guaranteed, but it is also beneficial to reduce the energy consumption of the refrigeration equipment 1000.

[0149] It should be noted that the number of heat pipes arranged side by side can be set according to the size of the ice maker.

[0150] For example, in the present disclosure, the outer diameter of the heat pipe body 510 is 6 mm, 7 mm or 8 mm, and the number of heat pipe bodies 510 is 5 or 6. Of course, the heat pipe component 500 and the number can also be heat pipes of other specifications and quantities. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 6, the heat pipe body 510 is a main body tube, and the heat pipe component 500 includes a main body tube. The heat pipe component 500 also includes a first manifold 540 (condensing manifold). The first end of the heat pipe body 510 is connected to the first manifold 540, and the first manifold 540 is in contact with the refrigeration component and can exchange heat with the refrigeration component to drive the working medium in the first manifold 540 to undergo a phase change.

[0151] As shown in FIG8 and FIG10 , a plurality of first channels 541 are formed inside the first manifold portion 540 . The plurality of first channels 541 are arranged side by side along the length or width direction of the first manifold portion 540 . The plurality of first channels 541 are communicated with the cavity 511 .

[0152] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5 and 8, the first collecting pipe portion 540 includes a condensation collecting pipe 543, and multiple first channels 541 are formed inside the condensation collecting pipe 543; or, multiple installation channels are provided inside the condensation collecting pipe 543, and condensation pipes (capillary condensation pipes) are arranged in the multiple installation channels, and first channels 541 are formed in the condensation pipes.

[0153] It should be noted that the condensation pipe is a hollow pipe, which is assembled in the installation channel. A pressure reducing structure 5412 is laid on the pipe wall of the condensation pipe to facilitate the backflow of the liquid working medium in the cavity 511.

[0154] As shown in FIG8 , the condensation collecting tube member 543 is a condensation collecting tube plate. The condensation collecting tube plate has a predetermined thickness. A first channel 541 is arranged in the condensation collecting tube plate along the thickness direction of the condensation collecting tube plate.

[0155] For example, the first channel 541 and the condensation collecting pipe 543 are integrally formed, which facilitates the production and manufacturing of the first channel 541 and the condensation collecting pipe 543; it can also be achieved by installing the first channel 541 in the condensation collecting pipe 543, which facilitates the replacement and maintenance of the condensation collecting pipe 543 and the first channel 541.

[0156] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5 and 7 , the heat pipe assembly 500 includes a second header 550 (evaporation header). The second end of the heat pipe body 510 is connected to the second header 550, which is positioned adjacent to the ice tray 400. The second header 550 can be positioned adjacent to the ice tray 400 to exchange heat with the water inside the ice tray 400, thereby cooling the water inside the ice tray 400 into ice.

[0157] As shown in FIG. 9 , a plurality of second channels 551 are formed inside the second manifold 550 . The plurality of second channels 551 are arranged along the length or width direction of the second manifold 550 , and the plurality of second channels 551 are communicated with the cavity 511 .

[0158] In some embodiments, the second manifold portion 550 includes an evaporation manifold member and a plurality of second channels 551 arranged inside the evaporation manifold member. The second channels 551 may be arranged along the length direction of the evaporation manifold member or along the width direction of the evaporation manifold member.

[0159] This embodiment differs from the above-described embodiments in that the heat pipe component 500 in this embodiment improves the structures of the condensing heat exchange section 520 and the heat pipe evaporation section 530. The condensing heat exchange section 520 is configured as a first header section 540, within which a plurality of first channels 541 are arranged, resulting in a condensing header structure having multiple first channels 541 for heat exchange. Similarly, the heat pipe evaporation section 530 is configured as a second header section 550, resulting in an evaporation header structure including multiple second channels 551.

[0160] For example, the condensing heat exchange section 520 and the heat pipe evaporation section 530 are set as a condensing header structure and an evaporating header structure, which increases the number of heat exchange channels at the condensing heat exchange section 520 and the heat pipe evaporation section 530. Multi-channel heat exchange can increase the heat exchange area and improve the heat exchange efficiency.

[0161] For another example, the first header 540 and the second header 550 are integrated heat pipe structures, which can place more heat pipes in the same space, saving assembly space. In addition, the heat exchange area with the refrigeration component and the ice tray 400 can be increased.

[0162] For another example, the two ends of the heat pipe body 510 are respectively connected to the first manifold portion 540 and the second manifold portion 550. The heat pipe body 510 is connected to the first manifold portion 540 and the second manifold portion 550, so that the working medium can flow into the interior thereof through the first manifold portion 540, or the multiple bundles of heat pipes flowing into the interior thereof from the second manifold portion 550 can be brought together, thereby reducing material costs. In addition, since the heat pipe body 510, which serves as the working medium transport section, does not participate in heat exchange, it has basically no effect on the ice-making performance.

[0163] For another example, the multiple first channels 541 in the first manifold section 540 are integrated into the condensing heat exchange section 520; the multiple second channels 551 in the second manifold section 550 are integrated into the heat pipe evaporation section 530. While ensuring the heat exchange contact area, the overall structure of the heat pipe component 500 is simplified. Combined with the structural mode of the heat pipe component 500, the assembly is simpler and more convenient, and the overall material cost is lower.

[0164] It should be noted that the integrated heat pipe component 500 structure and the entire heat pipe assembly are a whole, and vacuuming and working fluid injection are more convenient than independent heat pipe assemblies, which further reduces the cost of the heat pipe assembly.

[0165] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first manifold section 540 further includes a first manifold 542 (a main condensation manifold). The first manifold 542 extends along the length or width of the first manifold section 540 and is respectively connected to the cavity 511 and the plurality of first channels 541. For example, a first end of the first manifold 542 is in communication with the cavity 511, and a second end of the first manifold 542 is in communication with the plurality of first channels 541. The first manifold 542 is configured to allow a working medium to flow between the cavity 511 and the plurality of first channels 541. For example, the first manifold 542 can transfer a working medium from the cavity 511 to the plurality of first channels 541, or transfer a working medium from the plurality of first channels 541 to the cavity 511. The first manifold 542 is primarily configured to distribute or collect the working medium in each of the first channels 541.

[0166] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7 , the second manifold 550 further includes a second manifold 552 (main evaporation manifold). The second manifold 552 extends along the length or width of the second manifold 550 and is respectively connected to the cavity 511 and the plurality of second channels 551. For example, a first end of the second manifold 552 is in communication with the cavity 511, and a second end of the second manifold 552 is in communication with the plurality of second channels 551. The second manifold 552 is configured to allow the working medium to flow between the cavity 511 and the plurality of second channels 551, or to allow the working medium to flow from the plurality of second channels 551 to the cavity 511. The second manifold 552 is primarily configured to distribute or collect the working medium in each of the second channels 551.

[0167] For example, a first header 542 is connected to the first end of the heat pipe body 510, and a second header 552 is connected to the second end of the heat pipe body 510. Multiple first channels 541 are connected to the first header 542, which is in turn connected to the heat pipe body 510; multiple second channels 551 are connected to the second header 552, which is in turn connected to the heat pipe body 510. After heat exchange, the working fluid in the multiple second channels 551 flows into the second header 552, and then flows into the heat pipe body 510, which serves as the working fluid transport section. There, the fluid is transported to the first header 542 at the top, and then distributed to each of the first channels 541 through the first header 542.

[0168] It should be noted that the first header 542 connects the first channels 541 and the second header 552 connects the second channels 551 to facilitate the balance of the working medium in the cavity 511 and avoid the situation where the working medium circulation speed in a certain heat pipe is too high while the working medium circulation speed in other tube bundles is too low.

[0169] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5 , a plurality of first channels 541 are integrated into a condensation collecting pipe 543 , which is a plate structure. This can increase the heat exchange area between the condensation collecting pipe 543 and the refrigeration assembly.

[0170] In some embodiments, multiple second channels 551 are integrated into a second manifold 550, which is a plate. In this way, the heat exchange area between the ice cube tray 400 and the second channel 551 can be increased, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency, thereby increasing the ice-making speed, reducing the ice-making energy consumption, and lowering the manufacturing cost.

[0171] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5 , the condensation collection pipe assembly 543 is in contact with the refrigeration assembly, allowing it to automatically separate from the refrigeration assembly when the door is opened and to engage in heat exchange with the refrigeration assembly when the door is closed. This allows the working fluid in the heat pipe assembly 500 to circulate and undergo phase change between the first channel 541, the heat pipe body 510, and the second channel 551, thereby cooling the water in the ice tray 400. This enables door-mounted assembly of the ice maker and reduces the space occupied by the interior of the cabinet 110. The heat pipe assembly 500 does not need to be connected to the refrigeration assembly during connection. Therefore, there is no evaporator tube extending beyond the foam layer of the cabinet 110, nor does it need to be assembled with the ice-making evaporator tube 340 of the refrigeration equipment. This eliminates the complex assembly steps of direct-cooling ice makers, resulting in high assembly efficiency, improved maintainability, and excellent product quality stability.

[0172] In some embodiments, the function and structure of the condensation collecting pipe 543 shown in Figure 5 are similar to the function and structure of the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 shown in Figure 1C. The tilting angle and function of the condensation collecting pipe 543 are similar to the tilting angle and function of the heat pipe heat exchange component 522, and will not be repeated here.

[0173] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG10 , the first channel 541 includes a channel body 5411 (capillary channel body tube) and a pressure relief structure 5412 disposed on the inner wall of the channel body 5411. By configuring the first channel 541 with a smaller diameter and arranging the pressure relief structure 5412 on the inner wall, the heat exchange efficiency between the working medium and the refrigeration component can be improved.

[0174] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, the first manifold 542 includes an interface portion 545, which is connected to the heat pipe body 510. Along the direction from the interface portion 545 to the multiple first channels 541, the inner diameters of the multiple first channels 541 tend to increase.

[0175] It should be noted that the first header 542 and the heat pipe body 510 are connected through the interface portion 545. The working fluid flowing out of the heat pipe body 510 first enters the first header 542. The closer the multiple first channels 541 connected to the first header 542 are to the interface portion 545, the shorter their flow paths are and the smaller their flow resistance is.

[0176] It will be appreciated that the second header 552 and the heat pipe body 510 are connected via the evaporation interface. Therefore, the closer the multiple second channels 551 are to the evaporation interface, the shorter their flow paths and the lower their flow resistance. To balance the flow resistance between the first channels 541, the first channels 541 can be configured with different inner diameters during installation.

[0177] For the first channel 541 and the second channel 551 with shorter flow paths, their inner diameters can be appropriately reduced to increase their flow resistance, thereby achieving similar flow resistance with other channels and reducing the temperature difference between the channels.

[0178] In some embodiments, the function and structure of the second manifold section 550 shown in FIG7 are similar to the function and structure of the heat pipe evaporator section 530 shown in FIG14 , and the tilted angle and function of the second manifold section 550 are similar to the tilted angle and function of the heat pipe evaporator section 530 , which will not be repeated here.

[0179] 5 , the second manifold 550 includes a first sub-manifold 553. The first sub-manifold 553 is located at an end of the second manifold 550 that is close to the heat pipe body 510. The second manifold 550 also includes a second sub-manifold 554 that is located at an end of the second manifold 550 that is away from the heat pipe body 510.

[0180] It should be noted that due to the inclined arrangement of the second header 550, the height of the second sub-manifold 554 is lower than that of the first sub-manifold 553 along the height direction of the refrigeration equipment 1000. The second header 550 is arranged upwardly and tilted near the end of the heat pipe body 510. This allows the multiple second channels 551 within the second header 550 to be arranged upwardly and tilted, facilitating the upward flow and circulation of the gaseous working medium.

[0181] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, the ice tray 400 includes a stopper 420 (end stopper). The ice tray 400 also includes a first member 410 (ice tray main body member). The stopper 420 is connected to both ends of the first member 410 to form an open-top ice tray 400 with the first member 410.

[0182] In some embodiments, the limiting member 420 is an end baffle, and the limiting member 420 and the first component 410 are fully welded together. This is beneficial to strengthening the limiting member 420 and the first component 410 and extending their service life.

[0183] In some embodiments, the heat pipe evaporation portion 530 is bent to form the first component 410. A plurality of heat pipe evaporation microchannels are formed in the heat pipe evaporation portion 530. The heat pipe evaporation portion 530 is an evaporation portion constituting plate. The plurality of heat pipe evaporation microchannels are formed in the evaporation portion constituting plate. When the plurality of heat pipe evaporation microchannels are connected, they can be connected through a header and the heat pipe body 510.

[0184] The difference between this embodiment and the above embodiments is that a capillary structure is provided in the heat pipe evaporation microchannel.

[0185] The difference from the above embodiment is that, as shown in FIG12 , the heat pipe evaporation section 530 is provided as the first component 410, and a circulating working medium is filled within the entire heat pipe component 500. When the condensing heat exchange section 520 and the second evaporator 300 come into contact, the two exchange heat. The working medium circulates and flows into the multiple heat pipe evaporation microchannels in the heat pipe evaporation section 530. The working medium exchanges heat with the water in the heat pipe evaporation section 530, absorbs heat, and cools the water, turning it into ice cubes. This allows the water to directly exchange heat with the working medium, reducing heat exchange resistance, increasing heat exchange efficiency, and improving ice making results.

[0186] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG12 , the first member 410 includes a first component 411 (bottom component) and a second component 412. The first component 411 and the second component 412 (side components) form an ice tray 400 with an open top.

[0187] In some embodiments, the first component 411 and the second component 412 are an integral piece, and the first component 411 is bent upward to form the second component 412, which facilitates production.

[0188] It should be noted that the heat pipe evaporation microchannel is arranged to extend along the second component part 412 on one side of the first component part 411. The heat pipe evaporation microchannel passes through the first component part 411 and then extends from the second component part 412 on the other side of the first component part 411. In this way, there is no need to exchange heat between the heat pipe evaporation part 530 and the ice making tray 400 and then exchange heat with the water in the ice making tray 400, which reduces the heat exchange thermal resistance, improves the heat exchange efficiency, and is conducive to improving the ice making efficiency.

[0189] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG18 , the ice maker includes a cantilever bracket 600, which is mounted on the door 210 and extends from the door 210 into the interior of the cabinet 110. In some embodiments, the cantilever bracket 600 is a plastic member that can deform under pressure, and the cantilever structure also ensures that there is a deformation space below the cantilever bracket 600 for the cantilever bracket 600 to deform and move when the cantilever bracket 600 is under pressure.

[0190] The difference between this embodiment and the above embodiment is that the condensation heat exchange unit 520 is assembled on the cantilever bracket 600 .

[0191] Taking the closing of the door body 210 as an example, the second evaporator 300 is pressed against the condensing heat exchange part 520, and the condensing heat exchange part 520 is configured to contact and cooperate with the second evaporator 300, for example, the adjacent surfaces of the condensing heat exchange part 520 and the second evaporator 300 remain tightly fitted.

[0192] For example, in the height direction of the refrigeration equipment 1000, the second evaporator 300 and the condensing heat exchange part 520 can be provided with a predetermined interference amount so that when the door body 210 is rotated and closed, the second evaporator 300 can squeeze the condensing heat exchange part 520 located therebelow.

[0193] It should be noted that since the condensation heat exchange part 520 is assembled on the cantilever bracket 600, the cantilever bracket 600 is elastic and deformable and has a deformation space underneath. When the second evaporator 300 applies a pressing force to the condensation heat exchange part 520, the condensation heat exchange part 520 can cause the cantilever bracket 600 to deform. In this way, the second evaporator 300 and the condensation heat exchange part 520 are pressed, and the adjacent surfaces of the two can maintain a tight fit, which is beneficial to heat exchange and improves ice making efficiency.

[0194] Taking the opening of the door body 210 as an example, as shown in Figure 16, the condensing heat exchange part 520 slides relative to the second evaporator 300 driven by the door body 210, so that the condensing heat exchange part 520 is separated from the second evaporator 300, which does not affect the function of the original refrigeration equipment. The entire ice-making system on the door has no moving parts, is stable and reliable, and can withstand more than 300,000 door opening and closing tests.

[0195] It can be understood that the second evaporator 300 and the condensing heat exchange part 520 have an interference amount in the height direction of the refrigeration equipment 1000, so that when the door body 210 is closed, the second evaporator 300 can be pressed against the condensing heat exchange part 520 and maintain a tight fit with the condensing heat exchange part 520. The second evaporator 300 includes a sub-evaporator 330 (refrigeration evaporator). Through the close fit between the adjacent surfaces of the condensing heat exchange part 520 and the sub-evaporator 330, the contact thermal resistance can be reduced and the heat exchange efficiency can be improved, which is beneficial to the efficient transfer of the cooling capacity of the refrigeration component of the refrigeration equipment to the ice maker, thereby improving the ice making efficiency.

[0196] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the condensing heat exchange portion 520 includes a heat pipe condensing portion 521, the first end of the heat pipe body 510 is connected to the heat pipe condensing portion 521, and the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 is connected to the heat pipe condensing portion 521. It should be noted that in some embodiments of the present application, the heat pipe component 500 includes the heat pipe body 510, the heat pipe evaporation portion 530 is a heat pipe evaporation section, the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 is a heat pipe heat exchange plate, and the heat pipe condensing portion 521 is a heat pipe condensation section, and the heat pipe evaporation section and the heat pipe condensation section are respectively connected to the heat pipe body 510.

[0197] 16 , the second evaporator 300 is tilted, and its tilt direction and tilt angle match the heat pipe heat exchange component 522. When mated, the second evaporator 300 is pressed against the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 to match the heat pipe heat exchange component 522.

[0198] It should be noted that since the condensing heat exchange part 520 and the second evaporator 300 have an interference amount when they are set, the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 and the second evaporator 300 are both arranged at an angle so that the mating surfaces of the two are in an inclined state. In this way, it can play a guiding role when the second evaporator 300 is moved onto the heat pipe heat exchange component 522, so that the second evaporator 300 can be pressed onto the heat pipe heat exchange component 522.

[0199] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 13 and 14 , the inner container component 220 includes an inner container body. The inner container component 220 also includes a notch 221 provided in the inner container body. The second evaporator 300 is mounted at the notch 221. When the door 210 is closed, the second evaporator 300 is closer to the condensing heat exchange unit 520 than the inner container body.

[0200] For example, the inner container body portion is an inner container body plate, and the notch portion 221 is a mounting notch formed on the inner container body plate.

[0201] In some embodiments, the notch 221 is formed at the top of the liner body. The second evaporator 300 is installed at the notch 221 and is closer to the condensing heat exchange unit 520 than the liner body. That is, the inner side of the second evaporator 300 is higher than the inner side of the liner body plate.

[0202] In some embodiments, if the height difference between the inner side surface of the second evaporator 300 and the inner side surface of the liner body plate is less than 2 mm, it will affect the fitting effect between the second evaporator 300 and the condensing heat exchange part 520, thereby affecting the heat exchange effect.

[0203] In some embodiments, if the height difference between the inner side surface of the second evaporator 300 and the inner side surface height of the inner tank body plate is greater than or equal to 2 mm, for example, the difference between the two is 2 mm or 2.5 mm, etc., the second evaporator 300 and the condensing heat exchange part 520 are tightly fitted, which is beneficial to improving the heat exchange effect.

[0204] In some embodiments, if the height difference between the inner side surface of the second evaporator 300 and the inner side surface of the liner body plate is greater than 3 mm, the heat exchange energy consumption increases due to the larger leakage area of ​​the second evaporator 300.

[0205] In some embodiments, if the height difference between the inner side surface of the second evaporator 300 and the inner side surface of the inner tank body plate is less than or equal to 3 mm, for example, the difference between the two is 2.5 mm or 3 mm, etc., the condensing heat exchange part 520 is in contact with the second evaporator 300, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0206] In some embodiments, if the height difference between the inner side surface of the second evaporator 300 and the inner side surface of the inner tank body plate is greater than or equal to 2 mm and less than or equal to 3 mm, for example, the difference is 2 mm, 2.5 mm or 3 mm, etc., this can ensure that when the door body 210 is closed, the condensation heat exchange part 520 first contacts and cooperates with the second evaporator 300, rather than fitting with the inner tank body, ensuring that the second evaporator 300 and the condensation heat exchange part 520 can be fitted together for heat exchange, which can improve the heat exchange efficiency and shorten the ice making time.

[0207] In some embodiments, the second evaporator 300 is sealed at the notch 221 and is positioned flush against the inner side of the liner body. That is, the outer contour of the second evaporator 300 is larger than the notch 221. During assembly, the second evaporator 300 is secured to the inner side of the liner body within the storage space and seals the notch 221. The notch 221 can be configured to allow for passage of refrigerant piping, etc.

[0208] Alternatively, the second evaporator 300 is inserted into the notch 221 , and its side located in the interior space of the box body 110 is closer to the side of the inner tank body in the interior space of the box body 110 , and the side is close to the condensation heat exchange part 520 .

[0209] It should be noted that the second evaporator 300 can also be set to have a preset thickness and an external contour that is adapted to the notch portion 221. It is inserted into the notch portion 221, and at least part of the second evaporator 300 is located on the outside of the inner liner component 220, and at least part of the second evaporator 300 is located inside the inner liner component 220.

[0210] As shown in FIG13 , in some embodiments, door body 210 includes a first door panel member 211 (door panel outer member). First door panel member 211 forms the outer surface of door body 210. Door body 210 also includes a second door panel member 212 (door panel inner member). Second door panel member 212 is connected to first door panel member 211, forming an inner partition of door body 210 and located inside cabinet 110. Ice cube tray 400 and cantilever bracket 600 are mounted on second door panel member 212.

[0211] In some embodiments, the ice tray 400 is provided with screw locking holes, and the ice tray 400 can be fixed to the second door panel member 212 by screw locking.

[0212] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the cantilever bracket 600 includes a bracket body 610. The cantilever bracket 600 also includes a locking portion 620. The bracket body 610 and the internal components of the door body 210 are locked and fixed via the locking portion 620. The bracket body 610 is a bracket body plate arranged horizontally. The locking portion 620 is a screw locking hole provided on the bracket body. The bracket body 610 is locked and fixed to the internal components of the door body 210 by screws passing through the screw locking holes.

[0213] It is understandable that the ice tray 400 is locked with the door body 210, and the cantilever bracket 600 assembled with the heat pipe component 500 is locked with the door body 210, so that the entire ice maker can be firmly installed and fixed to the door body 210.

[0214] 14 and 15 , the cantilever bracket 600 further includes a cantilever portion 630, which extends along the bracket body 610 toward the interior of the box 110. The cantilever portion 630 is tilted.

[0215] For example, in the height direction of the refrigeration device 1000 , the height of the end of the cantilever portion 630 close to the door body 210 is higher than the height of the end of the cantilever portion 630 close to the inner space of the cabinet 110 .

[0216] For another example, the cantilever portion 630 is a cantilever plate, which is integrally formed with the bracket body plate, thus facilitating production and manufacturing.

[0217] For another example, the cantilever portion 630 and the bracket body portion 610 are detachably connected, which facilitates the maintenance and replacement of the cantilever portion 630 and the bracket body portion 610 .

[0218] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG15 , the cantilever bracket 600 further includes a mounting portion 640 , which is a mounting groove formed on the cantilever portion 630 . The mounting portion 640 is configured to assemble the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 , and its contour shape is adapted to the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 .

[0219] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 14 , the cantilever bracket 600 further includes a limiting portion 650 , which is located around the mounting portion 640 and configured to limit the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 assembled inside the mounting portion 640 .

[0220] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 15, the limiting portion 650 is a limiting protrusion formed around the mounting portion 640, and the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 is installed in the mounting portion 640 (mounting groove) and is limited and fixed by the limiting protrusions on all sides; the heat pipe condensation portion 521 is arranged at the bottom of the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 and is welded and fixed to the heat pipe heat exchange component 522, and the cantilever bracket 600 includes a clamping portion 660 (clamping portion), which is located on the bottom surface of the mounting portion 640, and the clamping portion 660 is configured to clamp and fix the heat pipe condensation portion 521, and the clamping portion 660 is adapted to the shape of the clamping groove and the heat pipe condensation portion 521.

[0221] In some embodiments, the ice maker includes multiple heat pipe components 500, and the multiple heat pipe components 500 are arranged in parallel; multiple clamping parts 660 are formed on the bottom surface of the corresponding mounting part 640, and the multiple clamping parts 660 are arranged side by side along the length or width direction of the heat pipe heat exchange component 522, and the heat pipe condensation parts 521 of the multiple heat pipe components 500 are respectively clamped in the multiple clamping parts 660 and limited.

[0222] It should be noted that the cantilever bracket 600 includes a plurality of clamping portions 660 to position the plurality of heat pipe components 500 , thereby increasing heat exchange efficiency through the plurality of heat pipe components 500 .

[0223] For example, the ice maker includes a heat pipe component 500, and the heat pipe condensation portion 521 corresponding to the heat pipe component 500 is bent along the length direction or width direction of the heat pipe heat exchange component 522. The shape of the clamping portion 660 is adapted to the shape of the heat pipe condensation portion 521, so that the heat pipe condensation portion 521 is assembled on the cantilever bracket 600, and heat exchange is carried out through contact between the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 and the sub-evaporator 330. In this way, costs can be reduced and heat exchange efficiency can be guaranteed.

[0224] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG14 , the second evaporator 300 includes an ice-making evaporation surface 320, which contacts and mates with the heat pipe heat exchange plate. The ice-making evaporation surface 320 is a flat surface. The heat pipe heat exchange component 522 and the first mating surface 5221 of the second evaporator 300 are all flat surfaces, ensuring seamless contact and good heat transfer and conduction.

[0225] In some embodiments, the refrigeration device 1000 further includes a magnetic attraction component disposed between the second evaporator 300 and the condensing heat exchange portion 520 .

[0226] Taking the closing of the door body 210 as an example, the second evaporator 300 and the condensing heat exchange part 520 are attracted by the magnetic attraction component, so that the adjacent surfaces of the second evaporator 300 and the condensing heat exchange part 520 are attached to each other for heat exchange; when the door body 210 is opened, the condensing heat exchange part 520 is separated from the second evaporator 300 under the drive of the door body 210.

[0227] Taking the door body 210 as an example, when it is open, the condensing heat exchange part 520 can be separated from the second evaporator 300 on the inner tank component 220, and the ice maker stops making ice at this time; when the door body 210 is closed, the condensing heat exchange part 520 and the adjacent surface of the second evaporator 300 are attached together to exchange heat, so that the heat pipe evaporation section of the heat pipe evaporation part 530 can cool the water in the ice making grid 400.

[0228] In some embodiments, the door body 210 of the refrigeration equipment may fall due to poor assembly or after long-term use. A magnetic attraction component is provided between the second evaporator 300 and the condensing heat exchange part 520. In this way, the adjacent surfaces of the second evaporator 300 and the condensing heat exchange part 520 cannot fit together, resulting in a gap, thereby preventing the problem of poor contact.

[0229] It should be noted that the ice maker of the refrigeration equipment 1000 uses a heat pipe method for heat exchange, which has a high heat exchange efficiency. As for the heat exchange efficiency of the ice maker, the main heat exchange resistance comes from the contact area between the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 and the sub-evaporator 330 of the ice maker. The contact area and contact tightness are related to the ice making efficiency of the entire system. By adding magnetic attraction components to the adjacent surfaces corresponding to the two components, it can be ensured that the adjacent heat exchange surfaces are in stable contact when the refrigeration equipment is closed, and are not affected by factors such as the falling of the door body 210.

[0230] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 16 , the magnetic attraction assembly includes a first magnetic component 710 , and the first magnetic component 710 is disposed at the second evaporator 300 .

[0231] For example, a first mounting position is set on the second evaporator 300, and the first magnetic component 710 is embedded in the first mounting position. The top surface of the first magnetic component 710 and the top surface of the second evaporator 300 remain flush, so that the second evaporator 300 can fit with the heat pipe heat exchange component 522.

[0232] As shown in FIG. 16 , the magnetic attraction assembly further includes a second magnetic component 720 . The second magnetic component 720 is disposed at the condensing heat exchange portion 520 . The second magnetic component 720 is configured to be attracted and fixed to the first magnetic component 710 .

[0233] For example, a recessed groove is provided on the heat pipe heat exchange component 522, and the second magnetic component 720 is embedded in the recessed groove, with the top surface of the second magnetic component 720 kept flush with the top surface of the heat pipe heat exchange component 522, so that the second evaporator 300 can be attached to the heat pipe heat exchange component 522. In some embodiments, the first magnetic component 710 is a magnet or an iron part, and the second magnetic component 720 is an electromagnet. When the electromagnet is energized, it generates a magnetic force that can attract the magnet or iron part.

[0234] In some embodiments, the refrigeration device 1000 further includes a controller. When the second magnetic component 720 is an electromagnet, the electromagnet can be controlled by the controller to start after the door body 210 is closed.

[0235] For example, after the door body 210 is closed for a predetermined time (such as 2 seconds), the controller starts the electromagnet and energizes it to ensure that the door body 210 is closed. In this way, the door will not be difficult to close due to the magnetic attraction, and the second evaporator 300 and the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 will not be damaged due to friction between each other after opening the door multiple times.

[0236] For example, a reed switch is provided in the end cover of the door body 210. When the user opens the door, the distance between the electromagnet on the door body 210 and the reed switch in the end cover of the door body 210 increases, and the attraction of the electromagnet weakens. When it is opened to a certain angle, the internal contacts of the reed switch are disconnected, and the controller collects the door opening signal. The controller controls the electromagnet to cut off the power, so that the second evaporator 300 is disconnected from the heat pipe heat exchange component 522, thereby avoiding the pulling force on both when the door is opened.

[0237] For example, when the door 210 is closed for ice making, the electromagnet on the door 210 engages the reed switch in the door end cap, which the controller recognizes as a door closing signal. The controller activates after a predetermined time (e.g., 2 seconds) after the electromagnet and reed switch engage, minimizing the magnetic attraction and preventing increased friction between the heat exchange surface of the second evaporator 300 and the heat pipe heat exchange component 522.

[0238] It should be noted that the controller judges the switch status of the door body 210 through the cooperation of the reed switch and the electromagnet in the door end cover; when the electromagnet and the reed switch are attracted, the door body 210 is judged to be closed, and the electromagnet is turned on after a preset time; when the electromagnet and the reed switch are separated, the door body 210 is judged to be open, and at this time, the electromagnet is controlled to be powered off.

[0239] The controller includes a processor. The processor may include a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor (microprocessor), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and may be configured to perform corresponding operations described in the controller when the processor executes a program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the controller.

[0240] In some embodiments, the first magnetic component 710 is a first magnet, which may be a permanent magnet. The second magnetic component 720 is a second magnet or an iron part with opposite magnetic properties, which may be an iron sheet or an iron block.

[0241] In some embodiments, the sub-evaporator 330 is an evaporation plate that can be inserted into the notch 221 of the liner body to achieve connection with the liner component 220. The ice-making evaporation surface 320 can fit closely with the heat pipe heat exchange component 522 of the condensation heat exchange unit 520.

[0242] For example, as shown in Figure 22, the ice-making evaporation tube 340 and the sub-evaporator 330 are fitted together, and the ice-making evaporation tube 340 is connected to the refrigerant pipeline of the refrigeration component. In this way, the refrigerant can transfer the cold energy to the sub-evaporator 330 through the ice-making evaporation tube 340.

[0243] In some embodiments, the ice-making evaporation tube 340 is bent along the length or width direction of the second evaporator 300 and is welded and fixed to the ice-making evaporation tube 340 .

[0244] The ice-making evaporation tube 340 can be constructed from at least one copper or aluminum tube with an outer diameter greater than or equal to 6 mm and less than or equal to 8 mm, aligned with the back of the sub-evaporator 330. It should be noted that the structure, outer diameter, and corresponding effects of the ice-making evaporation tube 340 are similar to those of the heat pipe body 510 and will not be further described here. To increase the heat dissipation area of ​​the ice-making evaporation tube 340, the ice-making evaporation tube 340 is configured with multiple curved sections along the length or width of the sub-evaporator 330.

[0245] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG20 , the refrigeration assembly includes a first connecting line 910 , the compressor 1 and the solenoid valve 3 are connected via the first connecting line 910 , and a first throttling component 911 and a first evaporator 2 are sequentially arranged on the first connecting line 910 .

[0246] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 20 , the refrigeration assembly further includes a second connecting line 920 , which is connected in parallel to the first connecting line 910 , and a second throttling component 921 and a second evaporator 300 are sequentially provided on the second connecting line 920 .

[0247] It is understood that the second evaporator 300 and the first evaporator 2 are connected in parallel via the first connecting line 910 and the second connecting line 920. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG20 , after the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 4 passes through the solenoid valve 3, a portion of the refrigerant enters the first connecting line 910, passes through the first throttling component 911, and enters the first evaporator 2. Another portion of the refrigerant enters the second connecting line 920, and then enters the second throttling component 921 and the second evaporator 300. After heat exchange, the refrigerant flowing out of the first connecting line 910 and the second connecting line 920 is finally combined and flows into the compressor 1.

[0248] It should be noted that when the second evaporator 300 and the first evaporator 2 are completely connected in parallel, the ice making of the ice maker and the freezing of the refrigeration equipment 1000 are completely separated. When the ice maker is making ice, the refrigeration equipment 1000 is freezing but not refrigerating. When the refrigeration equipment 1000 is freezing and refrigerating, the ice maker is not making ice, thus avoiding the cooling redundancy caused by series and parallel connection. In this way, it is more energy-efficient, but requires that the cooling speed of each circuit is fast and must not occupy the cooling time of another circuit.

[0249] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG21 , the refrigeration assembly includes a third connecting line 930, through which the solenoid valve 3 and the first evaporator 2 are connected. The refrigeration assembly also includes a third throttling component 931. The third throttling component 931 is disposed on the third connecting line 930. The refrigeration assembly also includes a fourth connecting line 940, through which the solenoid valve 3 and the first evaporator 2 are connected. The refrigeration assembly also includes a fourth throttling component 941. The fourth throttling component 941 and the second evaporator 300 are sequentially disposed on the fourth connecting line 940, and the first evaporator 2 is connected to the compressor 1 via a refrigerant line.

[0250] For example, the second evaporator 300 and the first evaporator 2 are disposed on the third connecting line 930 , and the fourth connecting line 940 is connected in parallel with the third connecting line 903 , and the first evaporator 2 is disposed on the fourth connecting line 940 .

[0251] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 21, the refrigerant flowing out of the solenoid valve 3, the first part of the refrigerant enters the third connecting pipeline 930, passes through the third throttling component 931 and exchanges heat with the second evaporator 300; the second part of the refrigerant enters the fourth connecting pipeline 940, passes through the fourth throttling component 941, and the second part of the refrigerant flowing out of the fourth throttling component 941 and the first part of the refrigerant flowing out of the second evaporator 300 are collected into the first evaporator 2, and then flow back to the compressor 1 from the first evaporator 2, realizing the series-parallel connection between the second evaporator 300 and the first evaporator 2.

[0252] It should be noted that, for the refrigeration device 1000 with an ice maker, connecting the second evaporator 300 and the first evaporator 2 in series and parallel can ensure that when the ice maker is making ice, the refrigeration device 1000 can also perform refrigeration normally, and there will be no interference between the two.

[0253] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 17 and 18 , a plurality of first fins 310 (first meshing fins) are formed on the second evaporator 300. Assembly channels 311 (fin insertion channels) are formed between adjacent first fins 310. Multiple assembly channels 311 are formed between the plurality of first fins 310. A plurality of second fins 523 are formed above the condensing heat exchange portion 520. When the door 210 is closed, the plurality of second fins 523 (second meshing fins) engage with the plurality of first fins 310 for heat exchange. When the door 210 is open, the plurality of second fins 523 slide away from the plurality of first fins 310.

[0254] Taking the closing of the door body 210 as an example, as shown in Figures 16 and 18, the condensing heat exchange part 520 will rotate synchronously with the rotation and closing of the door body 210, and the rotation of the door body 210 will also drive the multiple second fins 523 above it to rotate. When it rotates, the multiple second fins 523 are inserted into the multiple assembly channels 311. In this way, the multiple second fins 523 are completely slid and inserted into the multiple assembly channels 311, so that the two sides of each second fin 523 are in contact with the first fins 310 at both sides of it, and the tops of the multiple second fins 523 are in contact with the second evaporator 300. In this way, compared with the method in the related art where only the second evaporator 300 and the condensing heat exchange part 520 are in surface contact, the contact surface becomes the two side surfaces of the second fin 523 contacting the side surfaces of the first fin 310, and the top surfaces of multiple second fins 523 contact the second evaporator 300. The second fins are wrapped by the cooperation of the first fin 310 and the second evaporator 300, thereby increasing the contact area between the two and improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0255] Taking the door body 210 being opened as an example, the plurality of second fins 523 slide outward along the assembly channel 311 , so that the plurality of second fins 523 are separated from the plurality of first fins 310 .

[0256] It should be noted that a plurality of first fins 310 are provided on the second evaporator 300, and a plurality of second fins 523 are provided on the condensing heat exchange part 520. The first fins 310 and the second fins 523 can be adapted to cooperate with each other. Through the cooperation of the first fins 310 and the second fins 523, they can also play a guiding role when the door body 210 is closed and the door body 210 is opened, which is beneficial to improve the stability of opening and closing of the door body 210.

[0257] In some embodiments, the width of the assembly channel 311 decreases along the sliding insertion direction of the second fin 523. It will be appreciated that the sliding insertion direction is from the cabinet toward the door, which facilitates the assembly of the first fin 310 and the second fin 523. It should be noted that the inner diameter of the assembly channel 311 decreases along the sliding insertion direction. This ensures that the width is relatively wide during initial insertion, facilitating alignment and insertion of the second fin 523 into the assembly channel 311.

[0258] In some embodiments, along the sliding insertion direction of the second fin 523, the thickness of at least one of the two adjacent first fins 310 tends to increase; when setting, the thickness of one of the two adjacent first fins 310 can be set to tend to thicken, that is, the closer to the entrance of the assembly channel 311, the smaller the thickness becomes. The other first fin 310 of the two adjacent first fins 310 is set to the same thickness, so that the width of the assembly channel 311 formed by the two adjacent first fins 310 can also tend to decrease.

[0259] For example, the first fin 310 is configured to be narrow in front and wide in the back, which facilitates the initial engagement of the fins and can also reduce the resistance between the first fin 310 and the second fin 523 during engagement, avoid mutual interference, and facilitate assembly positioning.

[0260] Of course, during the setting, the thickness of the two adjacent first fins 310 can also be set to a gradual thickness, and the thickness corresponding to the sliding insertion direction of the second fin 523 tends to become smaller.

[0261] In some embodiments, to achieve the adaptation between the second fin 523 and the first fin 310 , the thickness of at least one of the two adjacent second fins 523 tends to decrease along the sliding insertion direction of the second fin 523 .

[0262] It should be noted that a second insertion channel is also formed between two adjacent second fins 523 to facilitate the insertion of the first fin 310. During insertion, the first fin 310 is inserted into the second insertion channel, and the second fin 523 is correspondingly inserted into the assembly channel 311, so that the first fin 310 and the second fin 523 are inserted into and contacted with each other, which is beneficial to increase the heat exchange area and improve the ice making efficiency.

[0263] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG18 , the door 210 is rotatably connected to the housing 110. The refrigeration device 1000 further includes a door hinge assembly 120, a first end of which is fixedly connected to the housing 110. The refrigeration device 1000 further includes a rotating shaft 130. The second end of the door hinge assembly 120 is rotatably connected to the door 210 via the rotating shaft 130. When the door 210 is rotated to open or close, it rotates about the rotating shaft 130, thereby allowing the door 210 to rotate relative to the housing 110.

[0264] In some embodiments, in order to ensure that the first fins 310 and the second fins 523 on the second evaporator 300 and the condensing heat exchange part 520 can be normally engaged and separated, the second fins 523 are set as arc-shaped fins during setting, and multiple second fins 523 are arranged in parallel in sequence along the width direction of the refrigeration equipment 1000, and the centers of the multiple second fins 523 coincide with the axis center of the rotating shaft 130.

[0265] In some embodiments, when the door body 210 is rotated and closed, since the second fin 523 is arc-shaped and the center of the second fin 523 coincides with the axis of the rotating shaft 130, the door body 210 also drives the second fin 523 on the condensing heat exchange part 520 to rotate along the rotating shaft 130 to ensure normal insertion and cooperation with the first fin 310.

[0266] It should be noted that the first fin 310 is an arc-shaped fin that matches the shape of the second fin 523 .

[0267] In some embodiments, a first fin 310 may be formed on the ice-making evaporation surface 320 , and a second fin 523 may be formed on the heat pipe heat exchange component. The first fin 310 and the second fin 523 may be plugged in, so that ice making can also be achieved on the door body 210 .

[0268] It should be noted that any one of the technical solutions disclosed in the present disclosure can solve one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems and achieve certain invention purposes to a certain extent; multiple technical disclosures can also be combined into an overall solution to solve one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems and achieve certain invention purposes; some of the technical disclosures can also be selected to combine into an overall solution, while adopting related technologies and deteriorated solutions, but the deterioration trend can be compensated by the means disclosed in this technology, and the above-mentioned one or more technical problems can be solved to a certain extent as a whole and certain invention purposes can be achieved; each technical disclosure combined into a complete technical solution constitutes an organic and inseparable overall solution, which solves technical problems as a whole and achieves certain invention purposes.

[0269] Any technical disclosure in this disclosure, as well as the recombination of multiple technical disclosures, can form a complete technical solution and can solve one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems and achieve the purpose of the invention. They all belong to the content of this disclosure and are the content that is directly and unambiguously determined based on the content of this disclosure.

[0270] Those skilled in the art will understand that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above specific embodiments, and that certain elements of the embodiments may be modified and replaced without departing from the spirit of the present application. The scope of the present application is limited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A refrigeration device, comprising: A box body; A door body, connected to the box body to open or close the box body; A refrigeration component, arranged in the box body, the refrigeration component includes a compressor, a condenser, a first evaporator, a throttling device and a second evaporator connected by a refrigerant pipeline; And An ice maker, assembled on the door body, and the ice maker includes: An ice making grid, including at least one ice storage grid; A heat pipe component, the first end of the heat pipe component exchanges heat with the water in the ice storage grid, and the second end of the heat pipe component is in contact and cooperation with the second evaporator to exchange heat with the refrigeration component; Wherein, when the door body is in an open state, the heat pipe component and the second evaporator are separated; When the door body is in a closed state, the heat pipe component and the second evaporator are in contact for heat exchange, so that the working medium located inside the heat pipe component flows and undergoes a phase change to refrigerate the water located in the ice storage grid.

2. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, further comprising a heat pipe heat exchange component, and the heat pipe component includes: A heat pipe body; A heat pipe condensation part, connected to the first end of the heat pipe body, and the heat pipe heat exchange component is connected to the heat pipe condensation part to be in contact and cooperation with the second evaporator; and A heat pipe evaporation part, arranged at the second end of the heat pipe body and connected to the ice making grid.

3. The refrigeration device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The refrigeration device includes a heat pipe component, and the heat pipe condensation part of the heat pipe component is bent and arranged along the length or width direction of the heat pipe heat exchange component and is fixedly welded to the heat pipe heat exchange component; The heat pipe evaporation part is arranged on the bottom surface of the ice making grid, is bent and arranged along one of the length direction and the width direction of the bottom surface of the ice making grid, and is fixedly welded to the ice making grid.

4. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein, The heat pipe component includes: A heat pipe body, including a cavity; A first header part, connected to the first end of the heat pipe body and in contact and cooperation with the second evaporator; and A second header part, connected to the second end of the heat pipe body and arranged in contact with the ice making grid; Wherein, the first header part includes a plurality of first channels, the plurality of first channels are arranged along one of the length direction and the width direction of the first header part, and the plurality of first channels communicate with the cavity; The second header part includes a plurality of second channels, the plurality of second channels are arranged along one of the length direction and the width direction of the second header part, and the plurality of second channels communicate with the cavity.

5. The refrigeration device according to claim 4, wherein, The first header part further includes: a first header, extending along one of the length direction and the width direction of the first header part, the refrigerant main header is respectively communicated with the cavity and the plurality of first channels, and is configured to transfer the working medium between the plurality of first channels and the cavity; The second header part further includes: a second header extending along one of the length direction and the width direction of the first header part, the second header being respectively connected to the cavity and the plurality of second channels and configured to transfer the working medium between the plurality of second channels and the cavity.

6. The refrigeration device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The heat pipe component includes: A condensation heat exchange part in contact and cooperation with the second evaporator for heat exchange with the refrigeration component; And a heat pipe evaporation part, the heat pipe evaporation part being bent to form a first component of the ice maker, the heat pipe evaporation part including a plurality of heat pipe evaporation microchannels; and A limiting member connected to both ends of the first component to form the ice cube tray with a top opening together with the first component.

7. The refrigeration device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 further includes: A cantilever bracket fixed to the door body and extending from the door body into the inner space of the cabinet; The heat pipe component includes: A heat pipe evaporation part fixed to and arranged in close fit with the ice cube tray; and A condensation heat exchange part assembled on the cantilever bracket and configured to be in contact and cooperation with the second evaporator; Wherein, when the door body is closed, the second evaporator presses against the condensation heat exchange part so that the adjacent surfaces of the condensation heat exchange part and the second evaporator remain in close fit; when the door body is opened, the condensation heat exchange part is separated from the second evaporator under the drive of the door body.

8. The refrigeration device according to claim 6 or 7 further includes: A magnetic attraction assembly arranged between the second evaporator and the condensation heat exchange part and including: A first magnetic component arranged at the second evaporator; and A second magnetic component arranged at the condensation heat exchange part and configured to be attracted and fixed to the first magnetic component.

9. The refrigeration device according to claim 8, wherein, The second evaporator includes a first installation position, the first magnetic component is embedded in the first installation position, the top surface of the first magnetic component is flush with the top surface of the second evaporator, and the second evaporator and the heat pipe heat exchange component are in mutual close fit.

10. The refrigeration device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The ice maker includes: A plurality of first fins arranged on the second evaporator; and A plurality of second fins arranged above the condensation heat exchange part; Wherein, When the door body is closed, the plurality of second fins are inserted into and in contact with the plurality of first fins for heat exchange; When the door body is opened, the plurality of second fins slide and separate from the plurality of first fins.

11. The refrigeration device according to claim 10, wherein, The plurality of second fins are arranged as arc-shaped fins, the plurality of second fins are arranged in parallel in sequence along the width direction of the refrigeration device, and the centers of the plurality of second fins coincide with the axis of the door body.

12. The refrigeration device according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, An assembly channel is formed between two adjacent ones of the plurality of first fins; When the door body rotates and closes, the multiple second fins are inserted into the corresponding assembly channels for heat exchange.

13. The refrigeration device according to claim 12, wherein, The width of the assembly channels decreases along the sliding insertion direction of the multiple second fins.

14. The refrigeration device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein, The refrigeration assembly further includes: A first connection pipeline, on which a first evaporator is arranged; and A second connection pipeline, which is in parallel with the first connection pipeline, and a second evaporator is arranged on the second connection pipeline.

15. The refrigeration device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein, The refrigeration assembly further includes: A third connection pipeline, on which the second evaporator and the first evaporator are arranged; and A fourth connection pipeline, which is in parallel with the third connection pipeline, and a first evaporator is arranged on the fourth connection pipeline.

16. The refrigeration device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein, The ice maker further includes: A second installation position; and A scraping ice heating pipe, the second installation position is located on the outer periphery of the ice making grid, and the scraping ice heating pipe is assembled in the second installation position.

17. The refrigeration device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein, The ice maker is arranged on one side of the door body close to the box body.

18. The refrigeration device according to any one of claims 1 to 17 further includes a heat pipe heat exchange component, the heat pipe heat exchange component is arranged obliquely and contacts the refrigeration assembly.

19. The refrigeration device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein The heat pipe evaporation part is arranged obliquely, and the heat pipe evaporation part is connected to the ice making grid.

20. A refrigeration device includes: A box body; A door body, assembled on the box body and capable of rotating relative to the box body to open or close the box body; A refrigeration assembly, arranged in the box body, at least formed by connecting a compressor, a condenser, a first evaporator, and a throttling device through a refrigerant pipeline; An ice maker, assembled on the door body, the ice maker includes: An ice making grid, including an ice storage grid; And A heat pipe component, the first end of the heat pipe component exchanges heat with the water in the ice storage grid, and the second end of the heat pipe component exchanges heat with the refrigeration assembly; When the door body is in an open state, the heat pipe component is separated from the refrigeration assembly; When the door body is in a closed state, the heat pipe component exchanges heat with the refrigeration assembly, so that the working medium located inside the heat pipe component flows and undergoes a phase change to refrigerate the water located in the ice making grid.

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