Ice making machine and ice cube evaporator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic ice making machines face issues with corrosion between the refrigerant conduit and the plates, leading to holes in the protrusions, which can allow water to enter and cause deformation, reducing heat transfer and blocking refrigerant flow, especially during ice making and harvesting cycles.
Innovation Solution
The evaporator design features a serpentine refrigerant conduit sandwiched between front and rear plates with triangular fins, forming active and passive cavities, where the refrigerant conduit passes through active cavities and not passive ones, with grooves on the conduit's inner surface for enhanced heat transfer, and the plates are connected using elongated slots to prevent corrosion and ensure proper assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the refrigerant conduit is in direct contact with the plates to ensure heat transfer, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but corrosion occurs between the conduit and plates leading to holes and deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces grooves on the inner surface of the refrigerant conduit as an intermediary feature. These grooves increase the surface area of contact between the refrigerant conduit and the plates, enhancing heat transfer efficiency. Simultaneously, the grooved design prevents direct continuous contact, reducing corrosion by allowing drainage and reducing stagnant fluid accumulation that causes corrosion. This resolves the contradiction by mediating between the need for close contact (heat transfer) and the need to prevent damage (corrosion resistance).
2Ease of manufacture
If holes form in the protrusions due to corrosion, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but water enters causing deformation and blocking refrigerant flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by designing the grooves on the refrigerant conduit inner surface before corrosion can occur. These grooves proactively prevent water accumulation and corrosion by facilitating drainage and reducing stagnant fluid contact. This preliminary protective feature prevents the formation of holes in the protrusions, maintaining structural integrity while preserving manufacturing simplicity. The design anticipates and prevents the harmful effect before it manifests.
3Productivity
If the refrigerant conduit passes through all cavities to maximize cooling coverage, then ice production efficiency is improved, but corrosion risk increases in passive cavities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of active cavities and passive cavities. The refrigerant conduit passes through active cavities where direct cooling is needed for ice formation, but does not pass through passive cavities where corrosion risk would be higher. Instead, passive cavities are cooled indirectly or serve different functions. This localized differentiation optimizes ice production efficiency in active zones while minimizing corrosion risk in passive zones, resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances heat transfer efficiency, prevents corrosion, and ensures continuous operation by maintaining the integrity of the refrigerant conduit and ice forming surfaces, allowing for effective ice production and harvesting without blockages.
Implementation Method 1
the refrigerant conduit and the ice forming surfaces, allowing for effective ice production and harvesting without blockages
Implementation Method 2
grooves on the conduit's inner surface for enhanced heat transfer
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4A~5B
AI summary
An evaporator includes a refrigerant conduit (12) sandwiched between front and rear plates (14, 16). The front plate (14) has inner flat portions (30), each of which is spaced from a respective inner flat portion (30) of the rear plate (16) to define a respective spaced portion. The front and rear plates (14, 16) further include a set of first protrusions (36) and a set of second protrusions (38). Each first protrusion (36) on the front plate (14) faces a respective first protrusion (36) on the rear plate (16) to define a respective active cavity (24). Each second protrusion (38) on the front plate (14) faces a respective second protrusion (38) on the rear plate (16) to define a respective passive cavity (26). The refrigerant conduit (30) extends through each of the active cavities (24) but does not extend through any of the passive cavities (26). The location of the active (24) and passive cavities (26) are interspersed and separated by respective inner flat portions (30) so as to define a plurality of ice forming sites (28).