An evaporator includes a refrigerant conduit sandwiched between front and rear plates. The front plate has inner flat portions, each of which is spaced from a respective inner flat portion of the rear plate to define a respective spaced portion. The front and rear plates further include a set of fir
An evaporator includes a refrigerant conduit sandwiched between front and rear plates. The front plate has inner flat portions, each of which is spaced from a respective inner flat portion of the rear plate to define a respective spaced portion. The front and rear plates further include a set of first protrusions and a set of second protrusions. Each first protrusion on the front plate faces a respective first protrusion on the rear plate to define a respective active cavity. Each second protrusion on the front plate faces a respective second protrusion on the rear plate to define a respective passive cavity. The refrigerant conduit extends through each of the active cavities but does not extend through any of the passive cavities. The location of the active and passive cavities are interspersed and separated by respective inner flat portions so as to define a plurality of ice forming sites.
대표청구항▼
1. An evaporator comprising: a refrigerant conduit; andfront and rear plates sandwiching the refrigerant conduit, each of the front and rear plates having: inner flat portions, each inner flat portion of the front plate facing, but being spaced from, a respective inner flat portion of the rear plate
1. An evaporator comprising: a refrigerant conduit; andfront and rear plates sandwiching the refrigerant conduit, each of the front and rear plates having: inner flat portions, each inner flat portion of the front plate facing, but being spaced from, a respective inner flat portion of the rear plate to define a respective spaced portion;a plurality of fins dividing the respective plate into a plurality of ice forming columns;a set of first protrusions defined in the respective ice forming columns, each first protrusion on the front plate facing a respective first protrusion on the rear plate to define a respective active cavity, the refrigerant conduit extending through each of the active cavities; anda set of second protrusions defined in the respective ice forming columns, each second protrusion on the front plate facing a respective second protrusion on the rear plate to define a respective passive cavity, the refrigerant conduit not extending through any of the passive cavities;wherein the active and passive cavities are interspersed and separated by respective inner flat portions so as to define a plurality of ice forming sites in the ice forming columns of the respective plate. 2. The evaporator of claim 1, wherein the refrigerant conduit has a serpentine shape. 3. The evaporator of claim 2, wherein the refrigerant conduit is a pipe having grooves formed along its inner surface. 4. The evaporator of claim 3, wherein the grooves run helically along the inner surface of the pipe. 5. The evaporator of claim 1, wherein the spacing between each respective pairs of inner flat faces defining a respective spaced portion is between 1 and 2 mm as measured along a line running perpendicular to the inner flat faces. 6. The evaporator of claim 1, wherein, for each active cavity, the entire inner surface of the first protrusion that defines the active cavity is in thermal contact with the outer surface of the refrigerant conduit extending through the active cavity. 7. The evaporator of claim 6, wherein, for each active cavity, the entire inner surface of the first protrusion that defines the active cavity abuts the outer surface of the refrigerant conduit extending through the active cavity. 8. The evaporator of claim 6, wherein each of the first protrusions defining a respective active cavity has an outer surface including an outer flat portion surrounded by a pair of curved portions extending from the outer flat portion to the respective pair of inner flat portions. 9. The evaporator of claim 8, wherein the inner flat portions lie in a first plane and the outer flat portions lies in a second plane spaced from the first plane. 10. The evaporator of claim 1, wherein the front and rear plates are connected to one another by fasteners extending through elongated slots in the front and rear plates. 11. The evaporator of claim 10, wherein the elongated slots are formed in outermost fins of the front and rear plates. 12. The evaporator of claim 1, wherein the ice forming columns are parallel to one another. 13. The evaporator of claim 12, wherein the refrigerant conduit extends through at least some of the active cavities in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the ice forming columns. 14. The evaporator of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of fins has upper and lower ends which, when projected onto a plane running perpendicular to the inner flat portions, each define a notch. 15. A method for making an evaporator, the method comprising: forming front and rear plates of the evaporator from respective flat plates, each of the front and rear plates further comprising: inner flat portions, each inner flat portion of the front plate facing, but being spaced from, a respective inner flat portion of the rear plate to define a respective spaced portion;a plurality of fins dividing the respective plate into a plurality of ice forming columns;a set of first protrusions defined in the respective ice forming columns, each first protrusion on the front plate facing a respective first protrusion on the rear plate to define a respective active cavity; anda set of second protrusions defined in the respective ice forming columns, each second protrusion on the front plate facing a respective second protrusion on the rear plate to define a respective passive cavity;wherein the active and passive cavities are interspersed and separated by respective inner flat portions so as to define a plurality of ice forming sites in the ice forming columns of the respective plate;forming each of the plurality of fins by bending the flat plates into a triangular shape; andsandwiching a refrigerant conduit of the evaporator between the front and rear plates, the refrigerant conduit extending through each of the active cavities but not extending through any of the passive cavities. 16. An ice making system comprising: a refrigerant system for circulating cold refrigerant through an evaporator, the evaporating including: a refrigerant conduit; andfront and rear plates sandwiching the refrigerant conduit, the front and rear plates having: inner flat portions, each inner flat portion of the front plate facing, but being spaced from, a respective inner flat portion of the rear plate to define a respective spaced portion;a plurality of fins dividing the respective plate into a plurality of ice forming columns;a set of first protrusions defined in the respective ice forming columns, each first protrusion on the front plate facing a respective first protrusion on the rear plate to define a respective active cavity, the refrigerant conduit extending through each of the active cavities; anda set of second protrusions defined in the respective ice forming columns, each second protrusion on the front plate facing a respective second protrusion on the rear plate to define a respective passive cavity, the refrigerant conduit not extending through any of the passive cavities;wherein the location of the active and passive cavities is interspersed and separated by respective inner flat portions so as to define a plurality of ice forming sites in the ice forming columns of the respective plate; anda source of water applying liquid water to the front and rear plates whereby ice will be formed at the respective ice forming sites. 17. The evaporator of claim 1, wherein each of the front and rear plates defines a top edge and a bottom edge, each of the top edge and the bottom edge of each of the front and rear plates defining a plurality of notches, each notch of the plurality of notches defined in a one of the plurality of fins. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the respective flat plates defines a top edge and a bottom edge, the method further comprising forming a plurality of notches in each of the top edge and the bottom edge of the respective flat plates, each notch of the plurality of notches defined in a portion of the respective flat plate defining a one of the plurality of fins. 19. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the front and rear plates defines a top edge and a bottom edge, each of the top edge and the bottom edge of each of the front and rear plates defining a plurality of notches, each notch of the plurality of notches defined in a one of the plurality of fins.
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