Evaporator for ice maker

Abstract

An evaporator for an ice maker, comprising an ice-making mold (1), an evaporation tube (2), and a pressure plate (3). A recess (11) is provided at the top surface of the ice-making mold (1), and the evaporation tube (2) is placed in the recess (11); the height of the evaporation tube (2) is greater than the depth of the recess (11), and the width of the recess (11) is greater than the width of the evaporation tube (2); the pressure plate (3) is detachably fixed on the top surface of the ice-making mold (1); and the evaporation tube (2) mates with the recess (11), and when the pressure plate (3) is provided on the top surface of the ice-making mold (1), the pressure plate (3) presses the part of the evaporation tube (2) exposed out of the recess (11), so that the evaporation tube (2) deforms and is fit with the side wall of the recess (11). Under the pressing of the pressure plate (3), the evaporation tube (2) deforms in a gap between the side wall of the recess (11) and the evaporation tube (2) and is fit with the side wall of the recess (11), thereby increasing the contact area between the evaporation tube (2) and the ice-making mold (1), and facilitating improvement of the refrigeration efficiency; and when the evaporation tube (2) needs to be replaced, it is only necessary to remove the pressure plate (3) and then take out the evaporation tube (2) from the recess (11), and it is simple and convenient to replace.

Description

An ice maker evaporator Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of ice-making equipment, and in particular to an ice-making evaporator. Background Technology

[0002] An ice maker is a refrigeration machine that uses a refrigerant in a refrigeration system to cool water through an evaporator to produce ice. The evaporator is a key component of the ice maker, consisting of evaporation tubes and ice molds. Refrigerant is passed through the evaporation tubes, and heat exchange occurs between the evaporation tubes and the ice molds, causing the ice molds to cool and freeze the water on them, thus quickly producing ice.

[0003] For example, Chinese patent CN219433552U discloses an evaporator for an ice maker, including an ice template. One side of the ice template has a serpentine evaporator tube that fits snugly against the ice template. The other side of the ice template has multiple squares arranged in a dot matrix pattern. A clamping assembly is provided between the ice template and the serpentine evaporator tube. Two fixing components are provided on both sides of the clamping assembly, positioned between the ice template and the serpentine evaporator tube. The serpentine evaporator tube is fixed to the ice template by the fixing and clamping assemblies, ensuring a tight fit. If the serpentine evaporator tube is damaged and leaks, the fixing and clamping assemblies can be removed to release the lock between the ice template and the serpentine evaporator tube, making replacement simple and convenient. While this structure makes replacing the evaporator tube simple and convenient, the small contact area between the evaporator tube and the ice template results in a relatively poor overall cooling effect.

[0004] Therefore, existing technologies still need to be improved and developed. Technical solutions

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings and deficiencies of existing technologies by providing an evaporator for an ice maker.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:

[0007] This utility model provides an evaporator for an ice maker, including an ice mold, an evaporation tube, and a pressure plate. A groove is provided on the top surface of the ice mold, and the evaporation tube is placed within the groove. The height of the evaporation tube is greater than the depth of the groove, and the width of the groove is greater than the width of the evaporation tube. The pressure plate is detachably fixed to the top surface of the ice mold. The evaporation tube matches the groove; when the pressure plate is placed on the top surface of the ice mold, the pressure plate presses down on the portion of the evaporation tube protruding from the groove, causing the evaporation tube to deform and fit against the side wall of the groove.

[0008] By setting the width of the groove to be greater than the width of the evaporator tube, a gap is left between the side wall of the groove and the evaporator tube, allowing the evaporator tube to deform within the gap under the pressure of the cover plate. The pressure of the cover plate makes the evaporator tube fit against the side wall of the groove, increasing the contact area between the evaporator tube and the ice-making mold, which helps to improve the refrigeration efficiency. Moreover, when it is necessary to replace the evaporator tube, simply remove the cover plate and then take the evaporator tube out of the groove, making the replacement operation simple and convenient.

[0009] It is understandable that a gap is left between the side wall of the groove and the evaporator tube to allow the evaporator tube room to deform.

[0010] According to the above scheme, the cross-section of the groove is arc-shaped, and the cross-section of the evaporator tube before being squeezed by the cover plate is circular; the ratio of the width of the groove to the diameter of the evaporator tube is 1.2 to 1.6, and the ratio of the depth of the groove to the diameter of the evaporator tube is 0.6 to 0.9.

[0011] By adjusting the ratio of the groove width to the evaporator tube diameter, and the ratio of the groove depth to the evaporator tube diameter, the area of ​​the evaporator tube that fits against the side wall of the groove when it is deformed by the pressure plate can be adjusted.

[0012] According to the above scheme, the surface of the groove is coated with a thermally conductive layer. The thermally conductive layer can be a thermally conductive silicone grease layer, etc., and this invention is not limited thereto. By coating with a thermally conductive layer, the thermal conductivity between the evaporator tube and the ice-making mold is further improved.

[0013] According to the above scheme, it also includes an insulation board, which is detachably fixed to the top surface of the ice-making mold, or the insulation board is fixed to the bottom surface of the pressure plate. The insulation board can be made of materials with good thermal insulation properties, such as foam, and this utility model does not impose any limitations.

[0014] The above structural design places the evaporator between the insulation plate and the ice mold, which helps to reduce the loss of cold energy from the evaporator.

[0015] According to the above scheme, it also includes an outer shell, the side of the ice-making mold is wrapped by the outer shell, and heat insulation material is filled between the side of the ice-making mold and the outer shell.

[0016] With the above structural design, the insulation material filling the ice mold can significantly increase the heat preservation effect, reduce the loss of cold energy during the transfer of cold energy from the ice mold to the ice cavity, and help improve the ice making effect.

[0017] According to the above scheme, a positioning shoulder is provided around the outer periphery of the bottom surface of the ice-making mold, and the positioning shoulder abuts against the lower opening of the outer shell; a top cover is detachably fixed to the outer shell, and the top cover presses against the ice-making mold. This structural design improves the ease of installing the ice-making mold inside the outer shell; the action of the top cover and the positioning shoulder prevents the ice-making mold from moving up and down inside the outer shell.

[0018] According to the above scheme, the evaporation tubes are symmetrically distributed on the top surface of the ice-making mold with the center line of the ice-making mold as the axis of symmetry, and multiple ice-making cavities are provided on the bottom surface of the ice-making mold. The evaporation tubes exchange heat with the ice-making mold, which cools the ice-making mold and causes the water in the ice-making cavities to freeze quickly.

[0019] According to the above scheme, the evaporation tube includes a liquid inlet straight pipe, a plurality of first straight pipes, a plurality of second straight pipes and a liquid outlet straight pipe connected in sequence, and the straight pipes are connected by arc-shaped pipes; the liquid inlet straight pipe, the first straight pipe, the second straight pipe and the liquid outlet straight pipe are arranged in parallel, and the liquid inlet straight pipe and the liquid outlet straight pipe are arranged adjacent to each other and symmetrically arranged with the center line of the ice-making mold as the axis of symmetry.

[0020] The refrigerant flows into the evaporator tube from the inlet of the liquid inlet straight pipe and finally flows out from the outlet of the liquid outlet straight pipe. The liquid inlet straight pipe is the lowest temperature point in the entire evaporator tube, and the liquid outlet straight pipe is the highest temperature point in the entire evaporator tube. The liquid inlet straight pipe and the liquid outlet straight pipe are arranged adjacent to each other and symmetrically with the center line of the ice-making mold as the axis of symmetry, which reduces the temperature difference between the liquid inlet straight pipe and the liquid outlet straight pipe. The refrigerant first flows through the middle position of the ice-making mold and then flows to the surrounding areas, and finally flows back to the middle position, which helps to improve the ice-making effect.

[0021] It is understood that if the evaporation tube is axially symmetrical, then the liquid inlet straight pipe and the liquid outlet straight pipe are axially symmetrical, and the multiple first straight pipes are axially symmetrical with the multiple second straight pipes respectively.

[0022] According to the above scheme, the distance between the inlet straight pipe and the outlet straight pipe is set as X, the distance between the inlet straight pipe and the adjacent first straight pipe is set as Y, and the distance between the two adjacent first straight pipes is set as Z; wherein, Y>X, Z>X, and the values ​​of X / Z and X / Y are 0.4 to 0.8 respectively.

[0023] The above structural design makes the distance between the inlet straight pipe and the outlet straight pipe smaller than the distance between other adjacent straight pipes, which helps to reduce the temperature difference between the inlet straight pipe and the outlet straight pipe.

[0024] It is understandable that, since the multiple first straight pipes are symmetrical about the multiple second straight pipes, the distance between the liquid outlet straight pipe and the adjacent second straight pipe is also Y, and the distance between two adjacent second straight pipes is also Z; the values ​​of Y and Z can be the same or different.

[0025] According to the above scheme, the ice-making mold is stepped, and its cross-section is T-shaped. By setting the cross-section of the ice-making mold to be T-shaped, the top surface area of ​​the ice-making mold is larger than the bottom surface area. This allows the evaporator tube to completely cover the top surface of the ice-making mold, which is beneficial to improving the ice-making effect. Beneficial effects

[0026] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0027] This invention features a groove on the top surface of an ice-making mold, within which the evaporator tube is placed. The width of the groove is greater than the width of the evaporator tube, creating a gap between the sidewall of the groove and the evaporator tube. This allows the evaporator tube to deform within the gap under the pressure of a pressure plate. The pressure plate is detachably fixed to the top surface of the ice-making mold and is used to press the portion of the evaporator tube protruding from the groove. This pressure causes the evaporator tube to fit snugly against the sidewall of the groove, increasing the contact area between the evaporator tube and the ice-making mold, thereby improving refrigeration efficiency. Furthermore, when the evaporator tube needs to be replaced, simply remove the pressure plate and take the evaporator tube out of the groove; the replacement operation is simple and convenient. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ice maker evaporator before the pressure plate is installed, as described in Example 1.

[0029] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of AA in Figure 1;

[0030] Figure 3 is an enlarged structural diagram of part B in Figure 2;

[0031] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ice maker evaporator described in Example 1 after the pressure plate is installed;

[0032] Figure 5 is an enlarged structural diagram of part C in Figure 4;

[0033] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the ice maker evaporator after assembly as described in Example 1;

[0034] Figure 7 is an enlarged structural diagram of part D in Figure 6;

[0035] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the evaporator tube described in Example 1;

[0036] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the ice maker evaporator after assembly as described in Example 2.

[0037] In the diagram: 1. Ice mold; 11. Groove; 111. Gap; 12. Ice-making cavity; 13. Positioning shoulder; 2. Evaporation tube; 21. Liquid inlet straight tube; 22. First straight tube; 23. Second straight tube; 24. Liquid outlet straight tube; 25. Arc-shaped tube; 3. Pressure plate; 31. Insulation plate; 4. Outer shell; 41. Top cover. The best embodiment of the present invention

[0038] The technical solution of this utility model will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Example

[0039] As shown in Figures 1-8, this utility model provides an evaporator for an ice maker, including an ice mold 1, an evaporation tube 2, and a pressure plate 3. A groove 11 is provided on the top surface of the ice mold 1, and the evaporation tube 2 is placed within the groove 11. The height of the evaporation tube 2 is greater than the depth of the groove 11, and the width of the groove 11 is greater than the width of the evaporation tube 2. The pressure plate 3 is detachably fixed to the top surface of the ice mold 1. The evaporation tube 2 matches the groove 11. When the pressure plate 3 is placed on the top surface of the ice mold 1, the pressure plate 3 presses down on the portion of the evaporation tube 2 that protrudes from the groove 11, causing the evaporation tube 2 to deform and fit against the side wall of the groove 11.

[0040] By setting the width of the groove 11 to be greater than the width of the evaporator tube 2, a gap 111 is left between the side wall of the groove 11 and the evaporator tube 2, so that the evaporator tube 2 can be deformed within the gap 111 under the pressure of the cover plate 3; the pressure of the cover plate 3 makes the evaporator tube 2 fit with the side wall of the groove 11, increasing the contact area between the evaporator tube 2 and the ice mold 1, which is beneficial to improving the refrigeration efficiency.

[0041] It is understandable that a gap 111 is left between the side wall of the groove 11 and the evaporator tube 2 so that the evaporator tube 2 has room to deform.

[0042] Furthermore, the cross-section of the groove 11 is arc-shaped, and the cross-section of the evaporator tube 2 before being squeezed by the pressure plate 3 is arc-shaped; the ratio of the width of the groove 11 to the diameter of the evaporator tube 2 is 1.2 to 1.6, and the ratio of the depth of the groove 11 to the diameter of the evaporator tube 2 is 0.6 to 0.9.

[0043] That is, the width of the groove 11 is greater than the diameter of the evaporator tube 2, while the depth of the groove 11 is less than the diameter of the evaporator tube 2. With this setting, the deformation of the evaporator tube 2 can achieve the technical purpose of fitting with the side wall of the groove 11 when squeezed by the pressure plate 3.

[0044] It is understandable that by adjusting the ratio of the width of the groove 11 to the diameter of the evaporator tube 2, and the ratio of the depth of the groove 11 to the diameter of the evaporator tube, the area of ​​the evaporator tube 2 that fits against the side wall of the groove 11 when it is squeezed and deformed by the pressure plate 3 can be different.

[0045] Furthermore, the surface of the groove 11 is coated with a thermally conductive layer (not shown in the figure). The thermally conductive layer can be a thermally conductive silicone grease layer, etc., and this utility model is not limited thereto. By coating with a thermally conductive layer, the thermal conductivity between the evaporator tube 2 and the ice-making mold 1 is further improved.

[0046] Furthermore, to further improve the cooling effect, an insulation board 31 is also included, which is detachably fixed to the top surface of the ice-making mold 1. The insulation board 31 can be made of materials with good thermal insulation properties, such as foam, and this utility model does not impose any limitations.

[0047] With the above structural design, when the evaporator tube 2 is squeezed by the cover plate 3, the cover plate 3 can be removed, and then the insulation plate 31 can be fixed on the top surface of the ice mold 1, so that the evaporator tube 2 is located between the insulation plate 31 and the ice mold 1, which helps to reduce the loss of cold energy from the evaporator tube 2.

[0048] Furthermore, it also includes a housing 4, the side of the ice mold 1 is wrapped by the housing 4, and the space between the side of the ice mold 1 and the housing 4 is filled with heat insulation material (not shown in the figure).

[0049] With the above structural design, the heat insulation material can significantly increase the heat preservation effect of the ice mold 1, reduce the loss of cold energy during the transfer of cold energy from the ice mold 1 to the ice cavity 12, and improve the ice-making effect.

[0050] Furthermore, the outer periphery of the bottom surface of the ice-making mold 1 is provided with a positioning shoulder 13, which abuts against the lower opening of the outer shell 4; a top cover 41 is detachably fixed to the outer shell 4, and the top cover 41 presses against the ice-making mold 1. This structural design improves the ease of installing the ice-making mold 1 inside the outer shell 4; the action of the top cover 41 and the positioning shoulder 13 prevents the ice-making mold 1 from moving up and down inside the outer shell 4.

[0051] Furthermore, the evaporation tubes 2 are symmetrically distributed on the top surface of the ice-making mold 1 with the center line of the ice-making mold 1 as the axis of symmetry, and multiple ice-making cavities 12 are provided on the bottom surface of the ice-making mold 1. The evaporation tubes 2 exchange heat with the ice-making mold 1, which cools the ice-making mold 1 and causes the water in the ice-making cavities 12 to freeze quickly.

[0052] Furthermore, the evaporation tube 2 includes a liquid inlet straight tube 21, a plurality of first straight tubes 22, a plurality of second straight tubes 23 and a liquid outlet straight tube 24 connected in sequence, and the straight tubes are connected by an arc-shaped tube 25; the liquid inlet straight tube 21, the first straight tube 22, the second straight tubes 23 and the liquid outlet straight tube 24 are arranged in parallel, and the liquid inlet straight tube 21 and the liquid outlet straight tube 24 are arranged adjacent to each other and symmetrically arranged with the center line of the ice-making mold 1 as the axis of symmetry.

[0053] The refrigerant flows into the evaporator tube 2 from the inlet of the liquid inlet straight pipe 21 and finally flows out from the outlet of the liquid outlet straight pipe 24. The liquid inlet straight pipe 21 is the lowest temperature point in the entire evaporator tube 2, and the liquid outlet straight pipe 24 is the highest temperature point in the entire evaporator tube 2. The liquid inlet straight pipe 21 and the liquid outlet straight pipe 24 are arranged adjacent to each other and symmetrically with the center line of the ice-making mold 1 as the axis of symmetry, which reduces the temperature difference between the liquid inlet straight pipe 21 and the liquid outlet straight pipe 24. The refrigerant first flows through the middle position of the ice-making mold 1 and then flows to the surrounding areas, and finally flows back to the middle position, which helps to improve the ice-making effect.

[0054] It is understood that if the evaporation tube 2 is axially symmetrical, then the liquid inlet straight tube 21 and the liquid outlet straight tube 24 are axially symmetrical, and the multiple first straight tubes 22 are axially symmetrical with the multiple second straight tubes 23 respectively.

[0055] Furthermore, the distance between the inlet straight pipe 21 and the outlet straight pipe 24 is set as X, the distance between the inlet straight pipe 21 and the adjacent first straight pipe 22 is set as Y, and the distance between the two adjacent first straight pipes 22 is set as Z; wherein, Y>X, Z>X, and the values ​​of X / Z and X / Y are 0.4 to 0.8 respectively.

[0056] The above structural design makes the distance between the inlet straight pipe 21 and the outlet straight pipe 24 smaller than the distance between other adjacent straight pipes, which helps to reduce the temperature difference between the inlet straight pipe 21 and the outlet straight pipe 24.

[0057] It is understandable that, since the multiple first straight pipes 22 are symmetrical about the multiple second straight pipes 23, the distance between the liquid outlet straight pipe 24 and the adjacent second straight pipe 23 is also Y, and the distance between two adjacent second straight pipes 23 is also Z; the values ​​of Y and Z can be the same or different.

[0058] Furthermore, the ice-making mold 1 is stepped, with a T-shaped cross-section. By setting the cross-section of the ice-making mold 1 to be T-shaped, the top surface area of ​​the ice-making mold 1 is larger than the bottom surface area. This allows the evaporator tube 2 to completely cover the ice-making mold 1 after it is installed on the top surface, which helps to improve the ice-making effect.

[0059] When assembling the evaporator of the ice maker described in this utility model, as shown in Figures 1-3, first, the ice mold 1 is placed inside the outer shell 4, and heat insulation material is filled between the side of the ice mold 1 and the outer shell 4. The evaporator tube 2 with a circular cross-section is then placed into the groove 11 with an arc-shaped cross-section. As shown in Figures 4-5, the pressure plate 3 is then attached to the top surface of the ice mold 1 and fixed thereon. At this time, the pressure plate 3 will squeeze the top of the evaporator tube 2 protruding from the groove 11, causing the evaporator tube 2 to deform and fit against the side wall of the groove 11. Then, the pressure plate 3 is removed from the top surface of the ice mold 1, as shown in Figures 6-7. The heat insulation plate 31 is fixed to the top surface of the ice mold 1, and the upper cover 41 is fixed to the outer shell 4. The evaporator tube 2 is then connected to the external refrigeration system, allowing refrigerant to flow through the evaporator tube 2, thus completing the assembly. When the ice maker evaporator is in use, the refrigerant flows in the evaporation tube 2, and the evaporation tube 2 exchanges heat with the ice mold 1, which cools down the ice mold 1 and causes the water in the ice-making cavity 12 to freeze quickly. Example

[0060] As shown in Figure 9, this utility model provides an ice maker evaporator, whose structure is basically the same as that of Embodiment 1, except that the heat preservation plate 31 is fixed on the bottom surface of the pressure plate 3.

[0061] With the above structural arrangement, the evaporator tube 2 is located between the insulation plate 31 and the ice mold 1, which helps to reduce the loss of cold energy from the evaporator tube 2; after the pressure plate 3 has finished squeezing the evaporator tube 2, it is not necessary to remove the pressure plate 3, which helps to improve the cooling effect.

[0062] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model. Therefore, all equivalent changes or modifications made to the structure, features and principles described in the claims of the present utility model patent application are included in the scope of the present utility model patent application.

Claims

1. An ice maker evaporator, comprising: The ice-making mold, the evaporation pipe and the pressing plate are included. The top surface of the ice-making mold is provided with a groove, and the evaporation pipe is placed in the groove. The height of the evaporation pipe is greater than the depth of the groove, and the width of the groove is greater than the width of the evaporation pipe. The pressing plate is detachably fixed on the top surface of the ice-making mold. The evaporation pipe matches the groove, and when the pressing plate is arranged on the top surface of the ice-making mold, the pressing plate extrudes the part of the evaporation pipe exposed outside the groove, so that the evaporation pipe is deformed and adheres to the side wall of the groove.

2. The ice maker evaporator of claim 1, wherein, The cross section of the groove is circular arc, and the cross section of the evaporation pipe before being extruded by the pressing plate is circular. The ratio of the width of the groove to the diameter of the evaporation pipe is 1.2-1.6, and the ratio of the depth of the groove to the diameter of the evaporation pipe is 0.6-0.

9.

3. The ice maker evaporator of claim 1, wherein, The surface of the groove is coated with a heat-conducting layer.

4. The ice maker evaporator of claim 1, wherein, A heat-insulating plate is further included, which is detachably fixed on the top surface of the ice-making mold or fixed on the bottom surface of the pressing plate.

5. The ice maker evaporator of claim 1 or 4, wherein, An outer shell is further included, the side surface of the ice-making mold is wrapped by the outer shell, and the side surface of the ice-making mold and the outer shell are filled with heat-insulating material.

6. The ice maker evaporator of claim 5, wherein, The outer periphery of the bottom surface of the ice-making mold is provided with a positioning shoulder, which abuts against the lower opening of the outer shell. An upper cover is detachably fixed on the outer shell, and the upper cover presses the ice-making mold.

7. The ice maker evaporator of claim 1, wherein, The evaporation pipes are symmetrically distributed on the top surface of the ice-making mold with the center line of the ice-making mold as the symmetric axis, and a plurality of ice-making cavities are arranged on the bottom surface of the ice-making mold.

8. The ice maker evaporator of claim 7, wherein, The evaporation pipe includes a liquid inlet straight pipe, a plurality of first straight pipes, a plurality of second straight pipes and a liquid outlet straight pipe connected in sequence, and the straight pipes are connected by arc-shaped pipes. The liquid inlet straight pipe, the first straight pipe, the second straight pipe and the liquid outlet straight pipe are arranged in parallel, and the liquid inlet straight pipe and the liquid outlet straight pipe are arranged adjacent to each other and symmetrically with the center line of the ice-making mold as the symmetric axis.

9. The ice maker evaporator of claim 8, wherein, The distance between the liquid inlet straight pipe and the liquid outlet straight pipe is X, the distance between the liquid inlet straight pipe and the adjacent first straight pipe is Y, and the distance between the adjacent two first straight pipes is Z. Wherein, Y>X, Z>X, and the values of X / Z and X / Y are 0.4-0.

8.

10. The ice maker evaporator of claim 1, wherein, The ice-making mold is in a stepped shape, and the cross section is T-shaped.

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