CN114076500B

CN114076500B - Refrigerating device and water dispenser with same

Info

Publication number: CN114076500B
Application number: CN202010851604.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 韩聪; 谢剑周; 李兴凡
Original assignee: Midea Group Co Ltd; Foshan Shunde Midea Water Dispenser Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Midea Group Co Ltd; Foshan Shunde Midea Water Dispenser Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-08-21
Filing date: 2020-08-21
Publication date: 2023-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 2040-08-21
Also published as: CN114076500A

Abstract

The invention discloses a refrigerating device and a water dispenser with the same, wherein the refrigerating device comprises: the cold tank is provided with a water passing port, a cold water outlet and a hot water outlet; the three-way pipe is respectively communicated with the water passing port, the water supply pipe and the warm water outlet pipe, and the water supply pipe is communicated with a water source; the refrigerating system comprises an evaporator arranged on the cold tank, and the evaporator is used for refrigerating water in the cold tank. The refrigerating device provided by the embodiment of the invention has the advantages of avoiding the excessively low temperature of the warm water outlet, improving the use comfort of a user and the like.

Description

Refrigerating device and water dispenser with same

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of electric appliance manufacturing, in particular to a refrigerating device and a water dispenser with the same.

Background

In the related art, the water dispenser stores water through the cold tank 100, the upper portion of the cold tank 100 stores warm water from a water source, the lower portion of the cold tank 100 uses the evaporator to cool to prepare cold water, and although the water distribution tray is provided, the temperature of the water at the upper portion of the cold tank 100 is still easily affected by the temperature of the evaporator 200 and the temperature of the cold water at the lower portion, so that the temperature of the water at the upper portion of the cold tank 100 is lower than normal temperature, and further, the temperature of the warm water received by a user is lower, normal temperature water cannot be received, and the comfort of the user in use is affected.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. Therefore, the invention provides the refrigerating device which has the advantages of avoiding the excessively low temperature of the warm water outlet, improving the use comfort of users and the like.

The invention also provides a water dispenser with the refrigerating device.

To achieve the above object, an embodiment according to a first aspect of the present invention proposes a refrigeration apparatus including: the cold tank is provided with a water passing port, a cold water outlet and a hot water outlet; the three-way pipe is respectively communicated with the water passing port, the water supply pipe and the warm water outlet pipe, and the water supply pipe is communicated with a water source; the refrigerating system comprises an evaporator arranged on the cold tank, and the evaporator is used for refrigerating water in the cold tank.

The refrigerating device provided by the embodiment of the invention has the advantages of avoiding the excessively low temperature of the warm water outlet, improving the use comfort of a user and the like.

In addition, the refrigerating apparatus according to the above embodiment of the present invention may further have the following additional technical features:

according to one embodiment of the invention, the three-way pipe comprises a water supply joint, a warm water joint and a water passing joint, wherein the water supply joint is connected with the water supply pipe, the warm water joint is connected with the warm water outlet pipe, the water passing joint is connected with the water passing port, and the water supply joint is arranged opposite to the warm water joint.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the water supply joint coincides with the central axis of the warm water joint.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the warm water joint has an inner diameter larger than that of the water supply joint, and the water supply joint has an inner diameter larger than that of the water supply pipe.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner diameter of the warm water joint is 10-14 mm, the inner diameter of the water supply joint is 4-8 mm, and the inner diameter of the water supply pipe is 3-5 mm.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the refrigerating device further comprises a water level sensor and a water pump, wherein the water pump is connected to the water supply pipe, the water level sensor is used for detecting the water level in the cold tank and is communicated with the water pump, and the water pump is controlled to operate when the water level in the cold tank is detected by the water level sensor to be lower than a preset water level.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the water level sensor is a float level gauge and is provided on the top wall of the cold tank.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the refrigerating device further comprises a temperature sensor, the refrigerating system determines whether to start and stop an ice making procedure according to the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor, and the temperature sensor is arranged in the cold tank.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the temperature sensor is arranged at a distance from the evaporator, and the minimum distance between the temperature sensor and the evaporator is 5-25 mm.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the ice making cycle of the refrigerating system comprises an icing stage and an deicing stage, when the temperature sensor works normally and the accumulated duration D is actually smaller than the preset duration D, the refrigerating system enters the icing stage, the controller of the refrigerating system controls whether to start and stop an ice making program according to the temperature value acquired by the temperature sensor, and controls the temperature T around the evaporator to be between T1 and T2, wherein T1 is less than or equal to 0, and T2 is more than 0; when the accumulated duration D is actually longer than the preset duration D, the refrigerating system enters an ice melting stage, and when the temperature T around the evaporator is T3, an ice making program is started, the timer is cleared, and the time is re-timed, wherein T3 is longer than T2.

According to one embodiment of the invention, T1 is between 1 and 2 ℃, T2 is between-4 and-2 ℃, T3 is between 3 and 6 ℃, and D is between 100 and 200 hours.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the ice making cycle of the refrigerating system comprises an icing stage and an deicing stage, when the temperature sensor works abnormally and the accumulated duration D is actually smaller than the preset duration D, the refrigerating system enters the icing stage, the refrigerating system operates for ice making time t1, and stops for ice making for time t2, wherein t2 is larger than t1; when the accumulated time length D is actually longer than the preset time length D, the refrigerating system enters an ice melting stage, the running ice making time of the refrigerating system is t3, the stop ice making time is t4, wherein t4 is longer than t3, the steps are operated for a plurality of times, and the timer is cleared and reckoned.

According to one embodiment of the invention, t1 is between 10 minutes and 50 minutes, t2 is between 1.5 hours and 2.5 hours, t3 is between 8 minutes and 15 minutes, and t4 is between 3.5 hours and 4 hours.

An embodiment according to a second aspect of the invention proposes a water dispenser comprising a refrigeration device according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention.

According to the water dispenser disclosed by the embodiment of the invention, the refrigerating device disclosed by the embodiment of the first aspect of the invention has the advantages of avoiding the excessively low temperature of warm water outlet, improving the use comfort of a user and the like.

Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

Drawings

The foregoing and/or additional aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and may be better understood from the following description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of a refrigerating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic structural view of a refrigerating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numerals: the refrigerating apparatus 1, the cold tank 100, the positioning pipe 110, the positioning groove 111, the plugging member 120, the water passing port 130, the cold water outlet 140, the hot water outlet 150, the evaporator 200, the temperature sensor 300, the tee 400, the water supply joint 410, the warm water joint 420, the water passing joint 430, the water supply pipe 500, the warm water outlet pipe 600, the warm water faucet 610, the water level sensor 700 and the water dividing disc 800.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like or similar reference numerals refer to like or similar elements or elements having like or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the drawings are illustrative only and are not to be construed as limiting the invention.

In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings are merely for convenience in describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element being referred to must have a specific orientation, be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, features defining "first", "second" may include one or more such features, either explicitly or implicitly. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise indicated, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more.

In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, and may be either fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected, for example; can be mechanically or electrically connected; can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be communication between two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention will be understood in specific cases by those of ordinary skill in the art.

A refrigerating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in fig. 1, a refrigeration apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cold tank 100, a tee 400, and a refrigeration system.

The cold tank 100 is provided with a water passing port 130, a cold water outlet 140 and a hot water outlet 150. The tee 400 is respectively connected with the water passing port 130, the water supply pipe 500 and the warm water outlet pipe 600, and the water supply pipe 500 is communicated with a water source. The refrigerating system includes an evaporator 200 provided on the cold tank 100, and the evaporator 200 is used to refrigerate water in the cold tank 100.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the end of the warm water outlet pipe 600 may be connected to a warm water tap 610 for receiving warm water by a user. The cold water outlet 140 and the hot water outlet 150 may be used for a user to take in cold water and hot water, respectively. "Cold water", "warm water" and "hot water" are relative terms and are not intended to be limiting as to the actual values of temperature.

According to the refrigerating apparatus 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, the water passing port 130, the water supply pipe 500 and the warm water outlet pipe 600 are communicated by using the tee 400. When a user receives warm water, water at the upper part of the cold tank 100 enters the three-way pipe 400 through the water passing port 130 and is mixed with water source water entering the three-way pipe 400 through the water supply pipe 500, so that water with lower temperature in the cold tank 100 is mixed with normal temperature water at the water source, the water outlet temperature of the warm water outlet pipe 600 is improved, the influence of the too low water outlet temperature on the user receiving warm water is avoided, and the comfort of the user in use is improved.

Therefore, the refrigerating device 1 according to the embodiment of the invention has the advantages of avoiding the excessively low temperature of the warm water outlet, improving the use comfort of users and the like.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in fig. 1, a refrigeration apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cold tank 100, a tee 400, a refrigeration system, and a temperature sensor 300.

The refrigeration system determines whether to start or stop the ice making process according to the sensed temperature of the temperature sensor 300, and the temperature sensor 300 is provided in the cold tank 100 between the upper and lower ends of the evaporator 200 in the up-down direction (the up-down direction is shown by the arrow in the figure and is for convenience only, not for limitation of the actual setting direction).

During operation of the refrigeration system, the evaporator 200 absorbs heat such that the water temperature around the evaporator 200 gradually decreases until it is below 0 c, thereby forming an ice layer near or on the evaporator 200, and the thickness of the ice layer gradually increases as the temperature further decreases. It is understood that the ice layer is formed on the inner wall surface of the cold tank 100 when the evaporator 200 is provided on the outer circumferential wall of the cold tank 100. When the evaporator 200 is built in the cold tank 100, an ice layer is formed on the surface of the evaporator 200.

Because the evaporator 200 is a refrigeration source of the cold tank 100, the temperature around the evaporator 200 is collected by the temperature sensor 300 and is used as a temperature point for starting an ice making procedure of the refrigeration system, which is more objective and accurate and is more beneficial to controlling the icing and deicing process of water in the cold tank 100.

According to the refrigerating device 1 of the embodiment of the invention, by arranging the temperature sensor 300 between the upper end and the lower end of the evaporator 200, compared with the water dispenser in the related art, the temperature sensor 300 can be prevented from being arranged above or below the evaporator 200, so that the temperature sensor 300 can not accurately measure the temperature around the evaporator 200, the temperature sensor 300 can more effectively sense the icing process in the cold tank 100, the ice making time can be stopped timely, the situation that ice blockage is caused by excessive ice making can be avoided, and the ice making quantity is more accurate and reliable.

Therefore, the refrigerating apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has advantages of stable and reliable ice making amount, and the like.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in fig. 1, a refrigeration apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cold tank 100, a refrigeration system, and a temperature sensor 300.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 1, a distance H1 between the temperature sensor 300 and the evaporator 200 at the center in the up-down direction is 40% or less of a dimension H of the evaporator in the up-down direction. Specifically, the distance H1 between the temperature sensor 300 and the evaporator 200 in the vertical direction at the center thereof is 30% or less of the dimension H of the evaporator in the vertical direction. In this way, the temperature sensor 300 is more adjacent to the center of the evaporator 200 in the up-down direction, which is further convenient for the temperature sensor 300 to sense the icing process at the evaporator 200, further improves the timeliness of the icing stop, and places excessive ice making.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 1, a temperature sensor 300 is provided in the cold tank 100 and extends in the vertical direction. This allows the temperature sensor 300 to be parallel to the axial direction of the evaporator 200, further facilitating the sensing of the icing process by the temperature sensor 300.

More specifically, as shown in fig. 1, the bottom wall of the cold tank 100 is provided with a positioning pipe 110 extending into the cold tank 100, the lower surface of the positioning pipe 110 is opened and communicates with the lower surface of the cold tank 100 to form a positioning groove 111 at the outer surface of the lower surface of the cold tank 100, and the temperature sensor 300 is fitted in the positioning groove 111. This can facilitate the installation and positioning of the temperature sensor 300, and facilitate the positioning of the temperature sensor 300 adjacent to the center of the evaporator 200 in the up-down direction.

Further, as shown in fig. 1, a blocking member 120 is provided at the lower end of the positioning tube 110, the blocking member 120 is inserted into the positioning groove 111, and the temperature sensor 300 is supported on the blocking member 120. Further positioning of the temperature sensor 300 by the blocking member 120 is facilitated such that the temperature sensor 300 is adjacent to the center of the evaporator 200 in the up-down direction, thereby facilitating the sensing of the freezing process by the temperature sensor 300.

Advantageously, as shown in fig. 1, the upper end of the positioning tube 110 is higher than the center of the evaporator 200 in the up-down direction, and the distance H2 between the upper end of the positioning tube 110 and the center of the evaporator 200 in the up-down direction is 10% -15% of the dimension H of the evaporator 200 in the up-down direction. This may facilitate positioning tube 110 to define a maximum height of temperature sensor 300, avoiding excessive positioning of temperature sensor 300 that may affect the accuracy of detection of the icing process.

Fig. 1 shows a refrigeration device 1 according to a specific example of the invention. As shown in fig. 1, the temperature sensor 300 is provided spaced apart from the evaporator 200. Specifically, the temperature sensor 300 may be parallel to the axial direction of the evaporator 200, or parallel to the radial direction of the evaporator 200 (the axial direction and the radial direction of the evaporator 200 refer to the axial direction and the radial direction of the evaporator 200 as a whole, not the axial direction and the radial direction of the pipe members of the evaporator 200). The temperature sensor 300 may sense a change in the thickness of the ice layer as the ice layer grows in a horizontal direction (e.g., a radial direction of the cylindrical cold tank 100 in fig. 1) or in an up-down direction, and the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 300 is lower as the ice layer approaches the temperature sensor 300, whereas the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 300 is higher as the ice layer moves away from the temperature sensor 300. Of course, when the surface of the temperature sensor 300 is already covered with the ice layer, the temperature sensing temperature of the temperature sensor 300 continues to fall below zero degrees celsius, that is, the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 300 is related to the thickness of the ice layer, so that the refrigeration system can more precisely control the freezing and deicing process of the water in the cold tank 100.

For example, when the cooling system is started, the temperature sensing temperature of the temperature sensor 300 is highest, and as the surface of the evaporator 200 begins to freeze, the temperature sensing temperature of the temperature sensor 300 is slowly reduced, when the temperature sensing temperature of the temperature sensor 300 reaches the lowest preset value, the cooling can be stopped, and as the ice layer melts, the temperature sensing temperature of the temperature sensor 300 gradually rises, and when the temperature sensing temperature of the temperature sensor 300 reaches the highest preset value, the cooling can be started again, so that the ice layer in the cooling tank 100 is repeatedly performed between freezing and ice melting, on one hand, ice water can be obtained, and on the other hand, excessive ice cubes are avoided, and the occurrence of ice blockage phenomenon is prevented.

In short, according to the refrigerating apparatus 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, the temperature sensor 300 may sense the temperature variation around the evaporator 200 more precisely by the interval between the temperature sensor 300 and the surface of the evaporator 200, and the refrigerating system may determine whether to start or close the ice making process according to the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 300, thereby enabling the refrigerating system to control the freezing and deicing processes of the water in the cold tank 100 more precisely.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 1, the minimum distance d between the temperature sensor 300 and the evaporator 200 is 5-25 mm. This may facilitate the temperature sensor 300 to sense the icing process.

More specifically, as shown in fig. 1, an evaporator 200 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the cold tank 100. The evaporator 200 may be a tube evaporator or a plate evaporator, the tube evaporator may be one or more circles around the outer peripheral wall of the cooling tank 100, and the plate evaporator may be sleeved around the cooling tank 100, so that compared with a built-in evaporator, the space in the cooling tank 100 is saved, more ice or water can be stored, and the evaporator 200 is arranged outside the cooling tank 100, which is more convenient for later maintenance and replacement of the refrigeration system. In order to improve the temperature sensing effect of the temperature sensor 300, the temperature sensor 300 is disposed in the cold tank and extends in a vertical direction, so that during cooling, cold energy permeates from outside to inside, an ice layer can grow inwards along a transverse direction (such as a radial direction in fig. 1), and during deicing, the ice layer is gradually ablated from inside to outside.

In another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 2, an evaporator 200 may also be provided within the cold tank 100. Specifically, the evaporator 50 is spirally wound in the cold tank 100. This allows the evaporator 200 to directly contact water, improving the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator 200.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 1, the tee 400 includes a water supply joint 410, a warm water joint 420, and a water passing joint 430, the water supply joint 410 is connected to the water supply pipe 500, the warm water joint 420 is connected to the warm water outlet pipe 600, the water passing joint 430 is connected to the water passing port 130, and the water supply joint 410 is disposed opposite to the warm water joint 420. Thus, water at the water supply pipe 500 can more easily enter the warm water outlet pipe 600, the proportion of the warm water in the water discharged from the warm water outlet pipe 600 is increased, the water outlet temperature is further increased, the water outlet temperature is prevented from being too low, and the water outlet flow is ensured.

Advantageously, as shown in fig. 1, the water supply joint 410 coincides with the central axis of the warm water joint 420. Thus, the water at the water supply pipe 500 can more easily enter the warm water outlet pipe 600, the proportion of the warm water in the water outlet of the warm water outlet pipe 600 is further improved, the water outlet temperature is further improved, and the water outlet flow is ensured.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the central axis of the water supply joint 410 and the warm water joint 420 may also be at a predetermined angle, as shown in fig. 2, alternatively, the predetermined angle may be 0-60 degrees, preferably 45 degrees. Thus, the influence on the service life caused by overlarge water outlet pressure can be avoided.

More advantageously, as shown in fig. 1, the inner diameter Φ3 of the warm water joint 420 is greater than the inner diameter Φ2 of the water supply joint 410, and the inner diameter Φ2 of the water supply joint 410 is greater than the inner diameter Φ1 of the water supply pipe 500. Thus, the influence of dynamic pressure on water outlet during water inlet can be reduced through gradual change of the inner diameter.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 1, the inner diameter phi 3 of the warm water joint 420 is 10-14 mm, the inner diameter phi 2 of the water supply joint 410 is 4-8 mm, and the inner diameter phi 1 of the water supply pipe 500 is 3-5 mm. Specifically, the inner diameter Φ3 of the warm water joint 420 is 12 mm, the inner diameter Φ2 of the water supply joint 410 is 6 mm, and the inner diameter Φ1 of the water supply pipe 500 is 4 mm. Thus, the influence of dynamic pressure on water outlet during water inlet can be further reduced.

Fig. 1 shows that the refrigerating apparatus 1 according to a specific example of the present invention further includes a water level sensor 700 and a water pump connected to the water supply pipe 500, the water level sensor 700 for detecting the water level in the cold tank 100 and communicating with the water pump, and the water pump is controlled to operate when the water level sensor 700 detects that the water level in the positioning pipe 110 is lower than a predetermined water level.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 1, the water level sensor 700 is a float level gauge and is provided on the top wall of the cold tank 100.

Specifically, when the cold water outlet 140 or the hot water outlet 150 discharges water, the float of the water level sensor 700 sinks, the water supply pump is started, and the water supply pipe 500 starts to supply water. Water enters the cold tank 100 along the water inlet 130, the water level in the cold tank 100 is pushed up, the water level sensor 700 senses that the water level reaches the set position, and water inflow is stopped. When the warm water is discharged, the float of the water level sensor 700 is sunk, the water supply pump is started, and the water supply pipe 500 starts to supply water. The water introduced from the water supply pipe 500 and the water discharged from the water discharge port 130 of the cold tank 100 are mixed in the tee 400 and discharged together from the warm water tap 610 at a mixed temperature of the water source and the water in the cold tank 100. Under the room temperature condition, the water outlet temperature is far higher than the water temperature in the cold tank 100, so that the requirement of a user on the water is met.

Fig. 1 shows a refrigeration device 1 according to a specific example of the invention. As shown in fig. 1, the refrigeration apparatus 1 further includes a water distribution tray 800, the water distribution tray 800 is disposed in the cold tank 100, the lower surface of the outer edge of the water distribution tray 800 is higher than the evaporator 200, and the distance between the lower surface of the outer edge of the water distribution tray 800 and the upper end of the evaporator 200 is greater than or equal to 8 mm.

In the related art, a water distribution disc is arranged in a cold tank of the water dispenser to reduce the temperature influence of lower cold water on upper warm water, but as the lower cold water is frozen, a gap between the water distribution disc and the cold tank is easily blocked by an ice layer, so that the lower part of the cold tank cannot normally feed water.

By making the distance between the lower surface of the outer edge of the water distribution tray 800 and the upper end of the evaporator 200 8 mm or more. The outer edge of the water distribution plate 800 can be provided with a sufficient distance from the upper end of the evaporator 200, so that the water distribution plate 800 can still keep a sufficient distance from the ice layer when the evaporator 200 is frozen, and the normal water inlet at the lower part of the cold tank 100 is ensured.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 1, the lower surface of the outer edge of the water distribution tray 800 is spaced from the upper end of the evaporator 200 by 10 mm or more. This further ensures that the distance between the water distribution tray 800 and the evaporator 200 is kept, and ice blockage is avoided.

The inventor finds in practice that the thicker the icing thickness is, the longer the refrigerating system is used for refrigerating, and the longer the shutdown and ice melting time is, whereas the thinner the icing thickness is, the shorter the refrigerating system is used for refrigerating, and the shorter the shutdown and ice melting time is. In consideration of the overall consideration, the ice amount in the cold tank 100 is required and the ice blockage problem is avoided, and the temperature sensor 300 is spaced from the evaporator 200 by a predetermined distance d, wherein the inner diameter or width of the cold tank 100 is larger than d, so that the cold tank 100 can be kept to have enough ice amount, at least one water flow channel can be formed, the external supply of cold water is facilitated, and the blocking of the water drainage channel by the ice layer is avoided. That is, no matter how the predetermined distance is set, the normal flow of the water flow must not be affected, alternatively, the projection of the ice layer in the horizontal direction and the projection of the drainage channel in the horizontal direction are staggered, so that even if the thickness of the ice layer reaches the maximum value (i.e., the predetermined distance d), enough space can be reserved for the water supply to flow.

Alternatively, the value of d is preferably in the range of 5 mm to 25 mm. For example, d may be 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, and 25 mm.

The following describes a control method of a refrigeration system of the refrigeration apparatus 1 according to some embodiments of the present invention:

the ice making cycle of the refrigerating system comprises an icing stage and an deicing stage, when the temperature sensor works normally and the accumulated time length D is smaller than the preset time length D, the refrigerating system enters the icing stage, the controller of the refrigerating system controls whether to start and stop an ice making program according to the temperature value acquired by the temperature sensor, and controls the temperature T around the evaporator to be between T1 and T2, wherein T1 is smaller than or equal to 0, and T2 is larger than 0.

Specifically, when the sensed temperature of the temperature sensor is higher than the preset temperature T2, the refrigeration system starts the ice making process. When the temperature sensing temperature of the temperature sensor is lower than a preset minimum temperature threshold T1, the refrigerating system stops ice making, and when the temperature sensing temperature of the temperature sensor is between T2 and T1, the refrigerating system keeps the current working state, and the steps are circularly operated for a plurality of times. In the icing stage, the ice making action is intermittently performed, and after a period of ice making, the refrigerating system needs to stop ice making, so that the temperature in the cold tank is prevented from being lower than the lowest temperature threshold value, and the ice blockage problem is avoided if the ice is always stored in the cold tank.

The inventors have further found that although some ice is melted when the refrigeration system stops making ice during the icing phase, when the integrated usage time of the refrigeration system exceeds a preset period, the ice melting speed in the cold tank is less than the icing speed, thereby possibly causing ice blockage in the cold tank. When the accumulated duration D is actually longer than the preset duration D, the refrigerating system enters an ice melting stage, and when the temperature T around the evaporator is T3, an ice making program is started, the timer is cleared, and the time is re-timed, wherein T3 is longer than T2.

Compared with the icing stage, the highest temperature threshold for starting refrigeration in the icing stage is higher, in other words, the time for deicing is prolonged, the ice is prevented from being excessively accumulated, the ice in the cold tank is thoroughly melted, and therefore the problem of ice blockage in the use process of the cold tank is prevented.

In some alternative embodiments, T1 is between 1℃and 2℃and T2 is between-4℃and-2℃and T3 is between 3℃and 6℃and D is between 100℃and 200 ℃. For example, T1 is 2 ℃, T2 is-2 ℃, T3 is 5 ℃, D is 168 hours, thus, the accumulated working time D is actually smaller than the expected working time for 168 hours in the icing stage of the refrigeration system, the temperature in the cold tank is controlled between-2 ℃ and 2 ℃, namely, the lowest temperature threshold for stopping ice making is-2 ℃, and the highest temperature threshold for starting refrigeration is 2 ℃. The accumulated working time length D is actually longer than the expected working time length for 168 hours, the ice melting stage of the refrigerating system is started, the temperature in the cold tank is controlled between minus 2 ℃ and 5 ℃, namely the lowest temperature threshold for stopping ice making is minus 2 ℃, and the highest temperature threshold for starting refrigeration is 5 ℃. The temperature difference between the highest temperature threshold value in the icing stage and the highest temperature threshold value in the deicing stage is 3 ℃, so that the deicing time can be prolonged, the temperature of ice quantity transition accumulation is avoided, and the problem of ice blockage in the use process of the cold tank is prevented.

In the working process of the refrigerating device, the problems that the temperature sensor is insensitive in induction, the temperature sensor falls off due to vertical placement, ice blockage and the like, so that the temperature sensor cannot work normally, the whole refrigerating device is in an abnormal working state, redundant energy consumption and even dangerous situations can be caused, and the following special program of the refrigerating system is set for ensuring the normal operation of the ice water-cooling machine.

When the temperature sensor 300 works abnormally, the ice making cycle of the refrigerating system comprises an icing stage and an deicing stage, and when the temperature sensor works abnormally and the accumulated duration D is actually smaller than the preset duration D, the refrigerating system enters the icing stage, and the refrigerating system operates for ice making time t1 and stops ice making for time t2, wherein t2 is larger than t1; when the accumulated time length D is actually longer than the preset time length D, the refrigerating system enters an ice melting stage, the running ice making time of the refrigerating system is t3, the stop ice making time is t4, wherein t4 is longer than t3, the steps are operated for a plurality of times, and the timer is cleared and reckoned.

In some alternative embodiments, t1 is between 10 minutes and 50 minutes, t2 is between 1.5 hours and 2.5 hours, t3 is between 8 minutes and 15 minutes, and t4 is between 3.5 hours and 4 hours. For example, t1 is 30 minutes, t2 is 2 hours, t3 is 10 minutes, and t4 is 3 hours.

Therefore, the refrigerating device provided by the invention realizes that more accurate temperature information is obtained by the temperature sensor and is used for controlling the refrigerating system to perform ice making action or not, the inside of the cold tank can be kept in a low-temperature state for a long time, the amount of ice stored in the cold tank can be in a proper range, the ice amount can not be too much or too little, and abnormal conditions which are easily encountered by the refrigerating device such as ice blockage can be avoided to a certain extent.

A water dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention is described below. The water dispenser according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the refrigerating apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention.

The water dispenser according to the embodiment of the present invention has advantages of stable and reliable ice making amount by using the refrigerating apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention.

Other constructions and operations of the water dispenser according to the embodiments of the present invention are known to those of ordinary skill in the art, and will not be described in detail herein.

In the description of the present specification, reference to the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples," etc., means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that: many changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A refrigeration device, comprising:

the cold tank is provided with a water passing port, a cold water outlet and a hot water outlet;

the three-way pipe is respectively communicated with the water passing port, the water supply pipe and the warm water outlet pipe, and the water supply pipe is communicated with a water source;

the refrigerating system comprises an evaporator arranged on the cold tank, and the evaporator is used for refrigerating water in the cold tank;

the refrigerating system determines whether to start and stop an ice making program according to the temperature sensing temperature of the temperature sensor, and the temperature sensor is arranged in the cold tank;

the ice making cycle of the refrigerating system comprises an icing stage and an deicing stage, when the temperature sensor works normally and the accumulated duration D is actually smaller than the preset duration D, the refrigerating system enters the icing stage, a controller of the refrigerating system controls whether to start and stop an ice making program according to a temperature value acquired by the temperature sensor, and controls the temperature T around the evaporator to be between T1 and T2, wherein T1 is less than or equal to 0, and T2 is more than 0; when the accumulated duration D is actually longer than the preset duration D, the refrigerating system enters an ice melting stage, and when the temperature T around the evaporator is T3, an ice making program is started, the timer is cleared, and the time is re-timed, wherein T3 is longer than T2.

2. The refrigeration unit as recited in claim 1 wherein said tee includes a water supply fitting, a warm water fitting and a water passing fitting, said water supply fitting being connected to said water supply pipe, said warm water fitting being connected to said warm water outlet pipe, said water passing fitting being connected to said water passing port, said water supply fitting being disposed opposite said warm water fitting.

3. A refrigeration unit as recited in claim 2 wherein said water supply connection coincides with a central axis of said warm water connection.

4. The refrigeration unit as recited in claim 2 wherein said warm water fitting has an inner diameter greater than an inner diameter of said water supply fitting, said water supply fitting having an inner diameter greater than an inner diameter of said water supply pipe.

5. The refrigerating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an inner diameter of the warm water joint is 10-14 mm, an inner diameter of the water supply joint is 4-8 mm, and an inner diameter of the water supply pipe is 3-5 mm.

6. The refrigeration unit of claim 1 further comprising a water level sensor and a water pump, said water pump being connected to said water supply pipe, said water level sensor being adapted to detect a water level in said cold tank and in communication with said water pump, said water level sensor controlling operation of said water pump when said water level in said cold tank is detected to be below a predetermined water level.

7. The refrigeration unit as recited in claim 6 wherein said water level sensor is a float level gauge and is provided on a top wall of said cold tank.

8. The refrigeration unit of claim 1 wherein said temperature sensor is spaced from said evaporator and a minimum distance between said temperature sensor and said evaporator is between 5 and 25 millimeters.

9. A refrigeration unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein T1 is between 1 ℃ and 2 ℃, T2 is between-4 ℃ and-2 ℃, T3 is between 3 ℃ and 6 ℃, and D is between 100 hours and 200 hours.

10. The refrigeration unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ice making cycle of the refrigeration system includes an icing stage and an deicing stage, and when the temperature sensor is not operating normally and the accumulated duration D is actually smaller than the preset duration D, the refrigeration system enters the icing stage, the refrigeration system operates for an ice making time of t1 and stops for an ice making time of t2, wherein t2 is greater than t1; when the accumulated time length D is actually longer than the preset time length D, the refrigerating system enters an ice melting stage, the running ice making time of the refrigerating system is t3, the stop ice making time is t4, wherein t4 is longer than t3, the steps are operated for a plurality of times, and the timer is cleared and reckoned.

11. A refrigeration unit as recited in claim 10 wherein t1 is between 10 minutes and 50 minutes, t2 is between 1.5 hours and 2.5 hours, t3 is between 8 minutes and 15 minutes, and t4 is between 3.5 hours and 4 hours.

12. A water dispenser comprising a refrigeration device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.