Evaporation assembly and popsicle machine

Abstract

An evaporation assembly (10) and a popsicle machine (100). The evaporation assembly (10) comprises an evaporator (11) and a tube assembly (12); and the evaporator (11) comprises main body portions (111), each of which has an open end (1111), a closed end (1112) and an accommodating cavity (1113). Taking the direction from the closed end (1112) toward the open end (1111) as a first direction, a protrusion (1114) is formed in the main body portion (111) in such a way that the protrusion protrudes from the bottom of the accommodating cavity (1113) by a preset length in the first direction; the protrusion (1114) is provided with a recess (1115); and the accommodating cavity (1113) is configured to accommodate an item to be cooled. The tube assembly (12) comprises spiral tubes (121) and extension tubes (123), wherein each spiral tube (121) is in communication with the corresponding extension tube (123), each spiral tube (121) surrounds the corresponding main body portion (111), and each extension tube (123) is disposed within the corresponding recess (1115); and the tube assembly (12) is configured to transport a cooling medium. By means of the above structure, when the cooling medium is introduced into the tube assembly (12), since the extension tubes (123) are disposed within the corresponding recesses (1115), the cooling medium can absorb heat from items to be cooled that are around the protrusions (1114) by means of the extension tubes (123), thereby accelerating the internal heat exchange of said items, which is beneficial to the improvement of the cooling efficiency and is relatively convenient to use.

Description

An evaporation unit and an ice pop machine Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of evaporator technology, and in particular to an evaporation assembly and an ice pop machine. Background Technology

[0002] An evaporator is a common refrigeration device used in many fields, such as air conditioners and popsicle machines. Its principle is to utilize the fact that liquid low-temperature refrigerant is easy to evaporate under low pressure, turning into vapor and absorbing the heat of the medium being cooled, thereby achieving the purpose of refrigeration.

[0003] In refrigeration equipment (such as air conditioners and popsicle machines), the evaporator is usually used in conjunction with a pipe that transports the cooling medium. The pipe is set around the side of the evaporator. When working, the cooling medium transported along the pipe absorbs the heat conducted by the evaporator through the wall thickness of the pipe that contacts the evaporator, thereby reducing the temperature of the evaporator and achieving a cooling effect.

[0004] However, when evaporators are used to cool objects (such as aqueous solutions), it has been found that the outer surface of the object being cooled is in direct contact with the inner wall of the evaporator and initially condenses into ice, while the inner layer remains liquid and relies on the ice condensed on the outer layer for heat conduction, which affects the cooling efficiency and causes inconvenience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of the present invention provide an evaporation component and an ice pop machine that can improve refrigeration efficiency.

[0006] The technical solutions adopted by the embodiments of the present invention to solve their technical problems are as follows:

[0007] An evaporation assembly includes an evaporator and a tube assembly. The evaporator includes a main body having an open end, a closed end, and a receiving cavity. Taking the direction from the closed end to the open end as a first direction, the main body has a protrusion extending a predetermined length from the bottom of the receiving cavity along the first direction. The protrusion has a groove. The receiving cavity is used to receive a component to be cooled. The tube assembly includes a spiral tube and an extension tube. The spiral tube communicates with the extension tube. The spiral tube surrounds the main body, and the extension tube is disposed within the groove. The tube assembly is used to transport a cooling medium.

[0008] The technical solutions adopted by the embodiments of the present invention to solve their technical problems are as follows:

[0009] An ice pop machine includes the aforementioned evaporation component, refrigeration component, and housing. The refrigeration component is connected to the evaporation component, and both the evaporation component and the refrigeration component are housed within the housing. The refrigeration component is used to supply a cooling medium to the evaporation component.

[0010] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention are as follows: The evaporation assembly provided in this application includes an evaporator and a tube assembly. The evaporator includes a main body having an open end, a closed end, and a receiving cavity. Taking the direction from the closed end to the open end as a first direction, the main body has a protrusion formed by extending a predetermined length from the bottom of the receiving cavity along the first direction. The protrusion has a groove, and the receiving cavity is used to accommodate the component to be cooled. The tube assembly includes a spiral tube and an extension tube. The spiral tube communicates with the extension tube. The spiral tube surrounds the main body, and the extension tube is disposed in the groove. The tube assembly is used to transport the cooling medium. With the above structure, when the cooling medium is introduced into the tube assembly, since the extension tube is placed in the groove, the cooling medium can absorb the heat of the component to be cooled around the protrusion through the extension tube, thereby accelerating the heat exchange inside the component to be cooled, which is beneficial to improving the refrigeration efficiency and is more convenient to use. Attached Figure Description

[0011] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an evaporation assembly according to one embodiment of this application;

[0013] Figure 2 is an exploded view of the structure in Figure 1;

[0014] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 1;

[0015] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the spiral tube;

[0016] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an evaporation assembly according to another embodiment of this application;

[0017] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of an evaporation assembly according to another embodiment;

[0018] Figure 7 shows an ice pop machine according to another embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 8 is an exploded view of the structure in Figure 7;

[0020] Figure 9 is a simplified structural diagram showing the connection between the refrigeration component and the evaporation component;

[0021] In the diagram: 10. Evaporation assembly; 11. Evaporator; 12. Tube assembly;

[0022] 111. Main part; 112. Supporting part; 113. Sidewall part;

[0023] 1111, Open end; 1112, Closed end; 1113, Receiving cavity; 1114, Protrusion; 1115, Groove;

[0024] 121. Spiral tube; 122. Series tube; 123. Extension tube; 124. First connecting tube; 125. Second connecting tube; 1211. Planar part;

[0025] 100. Popsicle machine; 20. Housing; 30. Refrigeration component; 40. Popsicle box; 50. Insulated cover; 60. Control board; 70. Power module;

[0026] 201. First opening; 202. Second opening; 21. Mounting base plate; 22. Shell body;

[0027] 31. Compressor; 32. Condenser; 33. Capillary tube; 34. First dryer filter; 35. Second dryer filter; 36. Air supply unit; 41. Profiling rod. Embodiments of the present invention

[0028] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more detailed description is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1-2, one embodiment of the present application provides an evaporation assembly 10, which includes an evaporator 11 and a tube assembly 12. The tube assembly 12 abuts against the evaporator 11 and is used to transport a cooling medium. The cooling medium can absorb the heat conducted by the evaporator 11 through the wall thickness of the tube assembly 12, thereby achieving the purpose of cooling.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, the evaporator 11 includes a main body 111, which has an open end 1111, a closed end 1112, and a receiving cavity 1113. The open end 1111 and the closed end 1112 are the two opposite ends of the main body 111, and the receiving cavity 1113 is used to receive the component to be cooled. It is understood that the number of main bodies 111 can be set as needed, and can be one, two, or more; no limitation is made here.

[0031] It should be noted that the open end 1111 of the main body 111 refers to the end of the main body 111 whose receiving cavity 1113 is connected to the outside, and the closed end 1112 of the main body 111 refers to the end of the main body 111 that is closed and not connected to the receiving cavity 1113.

[0032] The part to be cooled can be a liquid to be cooled, a mold used to hold the liquid to be cooled, or something else. In use, the part to be cooled is placed in the receiving cavity 1113, and the cooling medium delivered by the pipe body absorbs the heat of the part to be cooled through the main body 111, so as to achieve the purpose of cooling the part to be cooled.

[0033] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, the evaporator 11 further includes a support portion 112, which is connected to the main body portion 111. The support portion 112 is used to connect with the outside world to support the main body portion 111 and avoid the risk of the main body portion 111 tipping over or directly contacting the ground. In this embodiment, in direction Z as shown in FIG3, the outer peripheral dimension of the support portion 112 is larger than the peripheral dimension of the main body portion 111. This facilitates the connection of the support portion 112 beyond the outer peripheral dimension of the main body portion 111 with the outside world. It should be understood that the support portion 112 needs to be hollowed out at each connection point of the main body portion 111 to expose the receiving cavity 1113 of each main body portion 111. That is, the receiving cavity 1113 of each main body portion 111 is connected to the support portion 112 to facilitate the placement of the component to be cooled into each main body portion 111.

[0034] Understandably, if there are at least two main body parts 111, the connection positions between the at least two main body parts 111 and the support part 112 can be selected and set as needed. For example, when there are two main body parts 111, the two main body parts 111 are arranged at intervals along the length or width direction of the support part 112; when there are three main body parts 111, the three main body parts 111 are arranged at equal intervals along the length or width direction of the support part 112, or two of the three main body parts 111 are arranged side by side, and the remaining one is arranged in another row.

[0035] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2-3, the evaporator 11 further includes a retaining edge 113 connected to the support portion 112. The retaining edge 113 is configured to extend along a first direction (i.e., direction Z shown in Figure 3), the first direction being the direction from the closed end 1112 toward the open end 1111. Providing the retaining edge 113 helps reduce the risk of liquid to be cooled flowing out from the edge of the support portion 112 when the liquid to be cooled is placed into the receiving cavity 1113. In this embodiment, the retaining edge 113 is in the shape of a frame to facilitate surrounding the four perimeter of the support portion 112.

[0036] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2-3, the tube assembly 12 includes a spiral tube 121 that surrounds the main body 111. This allows for a larger contact area with the outer surface of the main body 111, which in turn allows the cooling medium inside the spiral tube 121 to absorb heat from the main body 111 from more locations, thereby improving the efficiency of heat exchange and enhancing the cooling effect.

[0037] Understandably, the spiral tube 121 is formed by bending a pipe in a spiral manner. The cross-sectional shape of the spiral tube 121 can be D-shaped, O-shaped, or square, and can be selected and set according to needs. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the spiral tube 121 is D-shaped.

[0038] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4, the spiral tube 121 includes a planar portion 1211, which abuts against the outer surface of the main body portion 111. That is, the planar portion 1211 and the main body portion 111 are in contact through surface contact. Compared with the spiral tube 121 adopting an O-shaped circular tube, it is beneficial to increase the contact area between the spiral tube 121 and the main body portion 111, which is beneficial to improve the efficiency of heat exchange and improve the cooling effect.

[0039] Understandably, the number of spiral tubes 121 varies with the number of main body parts 111. That is, if there are two main body parts 111, there are two spiral tubes 121; if there are three main body parts 111, there are three spiral tubes 121, and so on. Each pair of spiral tubes 121 can be independent and not connected, in which case cooling medium needs to be supplied to each spiral tube 121 independently; or they can be interconnected, in which case cooling medium only needs to be supplied to one of the spiral tubes 121.

[0040] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, the pipe assembly 12 further includes at least one series pipe 122 and at least two spiral pipes 121, with each end of the series pipe 122 connected to two adjacent spiral pipes 121. When a cooling medium is supplied to the first or last of the plurality of spiral pipes 121 interconnected by the series pipe 122, the cooling medium is transported along the transport channel formed by the components between the plurality of spiral pipes 121 and the plurality of series pipes 122, thereby realizing heat exchange of the cooling medium on the main body 111 surrounded by the plurality of spiral pipes 121 to achieve cooling of the plurality of main body 111.

[0041] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5-6, the tube assembly 12 further includes an extension tube 123, which communicates with the spiral tube 121. The main body 111 has a protrusion 1114 extending a predetermined length from the bottom of the receiving cavity 1113 along a first direction (i.e., direction Z shown in Figure 6). The protrusion 1114 has a groove 1115, and the extension tube 123 is disposed within the groove 1115. This facilitates simultaneous heat exchange between the outer and inner layers of the component to be cooled, thereby improving cooling efficiency. It is understood that when cooling medium is introduced into the tube assembly 12, because the extension tube 123 is placed within the groove 1115, the cooling medium can absorb heat from the component to be cooled around the protrusion 1114 through the extension tube 123, thereby accelerating heat exchange in the inner layer of the component to be cooled and improving cooling efficiency.

[0042] For ease of understanding, let's take the liquid to be cooled as an example. Since the protrusion 1114 is formed by protruding a predetermined length from the bottom of the cavity 1113, the liquid still surrounds the protrusion 1114. When the cooling medium is delivered into the tube assembly 12, the cooling medium can exchange heat with the outer periphery of the cavity 1113 through the spiral tube 121, and at the same time, it can exchange heat with the liquid around the protrusion 1114 through the extension tube 123. Compared with the method of only setting the spiral tube 121 for the liquid, the efficiency of heat exchange is improved.

[0043] It should be understood that when only the spiral tube 121 is used for heat exchange, the outer layer of liquid in the receiving cavity 1113, which is closer to the spiral tube 121, is frozen into ice first, while the inner layer of liquid remains liquid. In this case, the cooling medium continues to exchange heat through the solidified outer ice layer, resulting in low cooling efficiency. However, by simultaneously using the spiral tube 121 and the extension tube 123, heat exchange can be performed on both the outer and inner layers of liquid simultaneously, which improves the efficiency of heat exchange and enhances the cooling effect.

[0044] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5-6, the number of extension tubes 123 can be set as needed. For example, one, two, or more extension tubes 123 can be provided on a spiral tube 121, and the number of protrusions 1114 corresponding to the main body 111 surrounded by the spiral tube 121 should also be increased accordingly. Of course, when the number of spiral tubes 121 is at least two, extension tubes 123 can be selectively connected to each spiral tube 121 as needed.

[0045] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5-6, the pipe assembly 12 further includes a first connecting pipe 124 and a second connecting pipe 125. One end of the first connecting pipe 124 is connected to the first spiral pipe 121 among a plurality of interconnected spiral pipes 121, and the other end of the first connecting pipe 124 is used to connect to the output end of the device supplying the cooling medium. One end of the second connecting pipe 125 is connected to the last spiral pipe 121 among a plurality of interconnected spiral pipes 121, and the other end of the second connecting pipe 125 is used to connect to the input end of the device supplying the cooling medium. In this case, the end of the first connecting pipe 124 connected to the output end of the device supplying the cooling medium is the input end of the pipe assembly 12, and the end of the second connecting pipe 125 connected to the input end of the device supplying the cooling medium is the output end of the pipe assembly 12.

[0046] The evaporation assembly 10 in the above embodiment, since the spiral tube 121 surrounds the main body 111 of the evaporator 11, compared with the method of setting the conveying pipe for conveying the cooling medium on one side of the evaporator 11, is beneficial to increase the contact area between the tube assembly 12 and the evaporator 11, and is beneficial to accelerate the heat exchange inside the component to be cooled when the cooling medium is introduced into the tube assembly 12, thereby improving the refrigeration efficiency and making it more convenient to use.

[0047] As shown in Figures 7-8, another embodiment of the popsicle machine 100 provided in this application includes the evaporation component 10 in the above embodiment. The popsicle machine 100 also includes a housing 20 and a cooling component 30, which is connected to the evaporation component 10. Both the evaporation component 10 and the cooling component 30 are housed within the housing 20, and the cooling component 30 is used to supply a cooling medium to the evaporation component 10.

[0048] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 7-8, the housing 20 has a first opening 201 and a second opening 202. The first opening 201 is located above the evaporator 11, and the second opening 202 is located on one side of the refrigeration assembly 30. In this embodiment, the housing 20 includes a detachably connected mounting base plate 21 and a housing body 22. Both the refrigeration assembly 30 and the evaporation assembly 10 are mounted on the mounting base plate 21, and the housing body 22 has the first opening 201 and the second opening 202.

[0049] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 7-8, the refrigeration assembly 30 includes a compressor 31, a condenser 32, and a capillary tube 33. The output end of the compressor 31 is connected to the input end of the condenser 32, the output end of the condenser 32 is connected to one end of the capillary tube 33, the other end of the capillary tube 33 is connected to the input end of the tube assembly 12, and the output end of the tube assembly 12 is connected to the input end of the compressor 31.

[0050] As shown in Figure 9, which illustrates the connection between the refrigeration assembly 30 and the evaporation assembly 10, when the refrigeration switch is turned on, the compressor 31 starts working. The cooling medium passes through the condenser 32 and then through the capillary tube 33 before entering from the inlet of the tube assembly 12. The cooling medium flows through multiple spiral tubes 121 and extension tubes 123 before exiting from the outlet of the tube assembly 12 and returning to the compressor 31, thus completing one refrigeration cycle. As the cooling medium flowing through the tube assembly 12 exchanges heat with the main body 111 of the evaporator 11, the components to be cooled, housed in the receiving cavity 1113, will gradually be frozen.

[0051] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG9, the refrigeration assembly 30 further includes a first dryer filter 34 connected between the capillary tube 33 and the condenser 32. The first dryer filter 34 is used to filter out moisture mixed in with the cooling medium output from the condenser 32 to ensure that dry cooling medium is delivered to the capillary tube 33.

[0052] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG9, the refrigeration assembly 30 further includes a second dryer filter 35, which is connected between the input end of the compressor 31 and the output end of the pipe assembly 12. The second dryer filter 35 is used to dry the cooling medium output from the pipe assembly 12 so that the dried cooling medium can be delivered to the compressor 31.

[0053] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8, the cooling assembly 30 further includes an air supply component 36, which is disposed adjacent to the condenser 32 and located at the second opening 202. The air supply component 36 is used to dissipate heat from the condenser 32. In this embodiment, the air supply component 36 is a fan.

[0054] In some embodiments, the popsicle machine 100 further includes an insulation element (not shown), which covers the evaporation assembly 10. The insulation element reduces the impact of the external high-temperature environment on the cooling medium inside the evaporation assembly 10, thereby improving refrigeration efficiency. In this embodiment, the insulation element is formed by foaming with a foaming agent.

[0055] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8, the popsicle machine 100 further includes a popsicle box 40, which is disposed on the evaporator 11 through a first opening 201. The popsicle box 40 is provided with at least two shaped rods 41, one of which is disposed in a receiving cavity 1113 of a main body 111. The shaped rod 41 is used to contain the liquid to be cooled. In this embodiment, the shape of the shaped rod 41 is similar to that of a popsicle, so that when the liquid to be cooled is contained in the shaped rod 41 and frozen into a popsicle under the action of the evaporation assembly 10, it is convenient to use. The popsicle box 40 is provided on the evaporator 11, which facilitates the direct making of popsicles in the popsicle box 40. After the popsicles are made, the popsicle box 40 can be removed for cleaning.

[0056] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8, the popsicle machine 100 further includes a heat preservation cover 50, which covers the heat preservation box so as to reduce the interference of the external temperature when the evaporation component 10 cools the popsicle box 40, thereby improving the cooling efficiency.

[0057] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8, the popsicle machine 100 further includes a control board 60, which is connected to the refrigeration component 30 and is used to control the refrigeration component 30 to supply cooling medium to the evaporation component 10.

[0058] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8, the popsicle machine 100 further includes a power module 70, which is disposed inside the housing 20 and connected to the control board 60.

[0059] When in use, first place the popsicle box 40 inside the evaporator 11, and pour the liquid to be frozen into the popsicle box 40. After the liquid rises to the preset height, insert the popsicle sticks, cover with the heat preservation cover 50, and turn on the refrigeration. The control board 60 will control the refrigeration component 30 to work and supply the cooling medium to the evaporation component 10. The evaporation component 10 will cool the liquid to be cooled until the liquid to be cooled in the popsicle box 40 is frozen into popsicles.

[0060] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the content of the present invention specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An evaporation assembly, characterized in that, include: An evaporator includes a main body having an open end, a closed end, and a receiving cavity. With the direction from the closed end toward the open end as a first direction, the main body has a protrusion extending a predetermined length from the bottom of the receiving cavity along the first direction. The protrusion has a groove. The receiving cavity is used to receive a component to be cooled. A pipe assembly includes a spiral tube and an extension tube, the spiral tube being in communication with the extension tube, the spiral tube being wrapped around the main body, and the extension tube being disposed within the groove, the pipe assembly being used to transport a cooling medium.

2. The evaporation assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The evaporator also includes a support portion connected to the main body portion. When viewed along the first direction, the outer peripheral dimension of the support portion is larger than the peripheral dimension of the main body portion.

3. The evaporation assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, There are multiple main bodies and multiple spiral tubes, with multiple main bodies arranged at intervals and one spiral tube surrounding one main body.

4. The evaporation assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The tube assembly further includes at least one series tube, with each end of the series tube connected to two adjacent spiral tubes respectively.

5. The evaporation assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The evaporator further includes a flange portion connected to the support portion, the flange portion being configured to extend along the first direction.

6. The evaporation assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spiral tube includes a planar portion that abuts against the outer surface of the main body portion, and the cross-sectional shape of the spiral tube includes a D-shape or a square shape.

7. An ice pop machine, characterized in that, It includes an evaporation assembly, a refrigeration assembly, and a housing as described in any one of claims 1-6, wherein the refrigeration assembly is connected to the evaporation assembly, both the evaporation assembly and the refrigeration assembly are housed within the housing, and the refrigeration assembly is used to supply a cooling medium to the evaporation assembly.

8. The popsicle machine according to claim 7, characterized in that, The refrigeration assembly includes a compressor, a condenser, and a capillary tube. The output end of the compressor is connected to the input end of the condenser, the output end of the condenser is connected to one end of the capillary tube, the other end of the capillary tube is connected to the input end of the tube assembly, and the output end of the tube assembly is connected to the input end of the compressor.

9. The popsicle machine according to claim 8, characterized in that, The refrigeration assembly also includes an air supply component, which is disposed adjacent to the condenser.

10. The popsicle machine according to claim 9, characterized in that, The housing has a first opening and a second opening, the first opening being located above the evaporator and the second opening being located on one side of the air supply component.

11. The popsicle machine according to claim 10, characterized in that, The popsicle machine also includes a popsicle box, which is disposed in the evaporator through the first opening. The popsicle box is provided with at least two contour rods, one of which is disposed in a receiving cavity of the main body. The contour rod is used to contain the liquid to be cooled.

12. The popsicle machine according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes an insulation cover that fits onto the evaporator.

13. The popsicle machine according to any one of claims 7-12, characterized in that, It also includes a control board, which is connected to the refrigeration assembly and is used to control the refrigeration assembly to supply cooling medium to the evaporation assembly.

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