JP2001004256A - Ice-making part structure of ice-making machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ice-making part structure of an ice-making machine wherein the capacity of a pump can be reduced by decreasing water consumption using a simple construction. SOLUTION: A cooler 100 has a cooling tube 101 through which a low temperature refrigerant flows when ice is made and a high temperature gas flows when ice is removed, and fins 102 each extending downward from the tube 101. A water sprinkler 120 has an upwardly opened trough and grooves 123 each extending toward the fin 102 from a side wall of the trough, so that ice making water overflowing from the trough flows over the surface of the fin 102. When ice is made, the refrigerant flows through the tube 101 and ice is formed on the surface of the fins 102, while, when ice is removed, a high temperature gas flows through the tube 101 so that a part of the ice is melted by the heat of the gas and the ice is removed from the fins 102.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ice making machine, and more particularly to a structure of an ice making section for forming a granular ice block.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a structure of an ice making section of a so-called open-cell type automatic ice making machine for producing a granular ice block. In FIG. 10, an ice tray 1 made of copper having a substantially dish shape is provided with a large number of ice making cups 2 which are concave portions for forming granular ice blocks. A water supply pipe 4 having a nozzle 3 is provided at a position facing the ice making cup 2 below the ice making tray 1, and the ice making cup 2 receives the ice making water 5 sprayed from the nozzle 3. On the other hand, a cooling pipe 6 is joined to the outer surface of the ice making cup 2. In the cooling pipe 6, a refrigerant vapor that has been made high-temperature and high-pressure by a compressor (not shown) is supplied to a condenser (not shown).
Liquefied refrigerant is supplied to the cooling pipe 6
When evaporating, the heat is removed from the ice making water 5 in the ice making cup 2, and ice 7 is produced in the ice making cup 2. However, since the whole ice tray 1 is made of copper having excellent heat conductivity,
A granular ice block is not produced for each ice-making cup 2, and one large piece of ice is produced over the entire ice-making tray 1 as shown by a two-dot chain line in the figure.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing the structure of an ice making section of another automatic ice maker of the open cell type. The ice making section of the automatic ice making machine having this structure has a generally large dish shape, and a large number of copper ice making cups are arranged at intervals on a resin dish made of a thermally defective conductor of resin to form one large piece of ice. That is to avoid that. In the figure, a resin dish 11 is provided with a large number of openings 11b around which a flange 11a is formed. In the opening 11b, an inverted cup-shaped cup made of copper and having a tin-plated surface is provided in the opening 11b.
2, the flange 12a at the opening end of the ice making cup 12 and the flange 11a of the resin dish 11 are in contact with each other. The ice making cup 12 is not shown in FIG.
Similarly, the ice making water 5 injected from the nozzle 3 is received. Further, the cooling pipe 6 is joined to the outer surface of the ice making cup 12, and when the refrigerant in the cooling pipe 6 evaporates, heat is taken from the ice making water 5 in the ice making cup 12, and ice is produced in the ice making cup 12. Is done. At this time, the ice that has begun to be made in the ice making cup 12 gradually grows. Even though the resin dish 11 is a heat-defective conductor, it is gradually cooled until an ice block of a desired shape is formed, so that the resin dish 11 is connected to ice in the ice making cup 12 as shown by a two-dot chain line in the figure. Ice 15 is produced. When the ice making is completed, high-temperature gas from the compressor is directly introduced into the cooling pipe 6 to melt the ice that has come into contact with the ice making cup 12, and even if the produced ice is to be detached from the ice making cup 12, the resin dish 11 is removed. Since the heat of the high-temperature gas is not easily transmitted, the ice attached to the resin dish 11 does not easily melt. For this reason, the ice making cup 1
Only the temperature of No. 2 rises, the ice 16 near the ice making cup 12 melts, and the resulting ice melts and becomes thinner and smaller. Therefore, in order to promote detachment of ice from the resin dish 11 and prevent excessive melting of ice in the ice making cup 12, a water passage portion 11c which is a concave portion of the resin dish 11 is provided through a water supply pipe 17 and a water supply valve 18. The deicing water 13 is supplied to the plate to promote the deicing of the ice adhered to the resin dish 11.

FIG. 12 shows a structure of an ice making section of an automatic ice making machine having another structure, and is a sectional view showing a structure of a so-called dual plate type ice making section. A cooling pipe 22 is provided between the two stainless steel plates 21, which are standing stainless steel plates, and is fixed to the ice plate 21. Further, the ice making water 5 is caused to flow down along the surface of the ice making plate 21, and a cooling medium for making ice is caused to flow inside the cooling pipe 22.
Ice begins to be produced around the neighborhood. When the ice grows and the ice 25 having a desired shape is completed, a high-temperature gas is supplied to the cooling pipe 22 to separate the ice from the ice making plate 21. However, the vicinity 23 of the cooling pipe 22 which is apt to receive the heat of the high-
Is melted, but the ice in the peripheral portion 24, which is remote from the cooling pipe 22 outside the near portion 23, does not melt.
The deicing water 13 is flown during 1 to promote the detachment of ice from the ice making plate 21.

[0005]

However, the automatic ice maker having such a configuration requires a large amount of water as deicing water in order to promote the detachment of ice adhered to the resin dish or the ice maker, and water is required. There is a problem that the consumption increases. In the ice making machines shown in FIGS. 10 and 11,
In order to blow up the ice making water 5 from below into the ice making cup 12,
It is necessary to increase the capacity of the pump for supplying the ice making water 5. Further, in the ice making machines of FIGS. 11 and 12, a water supply valve and a water supply pipe for supplying deicing water are provided.
It is necessary to control the water supply valve so that deicing water is supplied at the time of deicing, which complicates the structure of the ice making machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ice making unit structure of an ice making machine which has a simple structure, reduces water consumption and requires a small pump capacity. I do.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided an ice making unit structure for an ice making machine, comprising: a cooling pipe having a cooling pipe through which a low-temperature refrigerant flows during ice making and a high-temperature gas during deicing, and fins extending downward from the cooling pipe. A sprinkler that allows ice-making water to flow down on the surface of the fins, ice is formed on the surface of the fins during ice-making, and part of the ice is melted by the heat of the high-temperature gas in the cooling pipe during deicing, and separated from the fins Is what you do. The fin is a plate-like body formed integrally with the cooling pipe, and a plurality of fins may be arranged on both sides of the cooling pipe and at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the cooling pipe. The fins are
It is a plate-like body bent along a part of the outer periphery of the cooling pipe at the center, and a plurality of them are arranged at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the cooling pipe, and can be fixed to the cooling pipe. The sprinkler can also include a gutter portion opened upward, and a groove portion extending from the side wall of the gutter portion to the outside of the gutter portion toward the fin. Further, the sprinkler may include a pipe having a nozzle hole through which the ice making water flows down to the fin. Further, the sprinkler can be arranged on the fin so that the ice making water hits the fin by its own weight. The fins are plate-like bodies extending vertically downward from the cooling pipes, and a plurality of the fins are arranged at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the cooling pipes. It can also be arranged on both sides.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the structure of an ice making section structure of an ice making machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.
In FIG. 2, the cooler 100 has a hollow cylindrical cooling tube 101 through which a refrigerant flows during ice making and a high-temperature gas flows during deicing, and a cross section “C” downward from the outer periphery of the cooling tube 101. And a plurality of flat fins 102 extending therefrom. The cooling pipe 101 and the fins 102 are both made of copper having excellent thermal conductivity and are integrally formed, and are arranged such that the longitudinal direction of the cooling pipe 101 is substantially horizontal.

At the upper part of the cooler 100, a sprinkler 120 for flowing the ice making water 5 down to the surface of the fin 102 is provided. The cross section of the sprinkler 120 that opens upward has a
The trough 121 is provided substantially parallel to the cooler 100, and the ice making water 5 is supplied to the trough 121. Flat groove support plates 122 extend downward from both sides of the outer periphery of the gutter portion 121, respectively. A groove 123 is formed on the upper surface of the groove support plate 122 to guide the ice making water 5 overflowing from the upper part of the gutter part 121 to flow down to the surface of the fin 102.

As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of fins 102 of the cooler 100 are provided symmetrically with respect to the cooling pipe 101 and at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the cooling pipe 101. A plurality of grooves 123 of the water sprinkler 120 are also provided symmetrically on the upper part of the fin 102 and at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the cooling pipe 101.

FIG. 3 shows a sprinkler 120 and a cooler 100.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the water sprinkler 120 with reference to FIG.
23 will be described. In the figure, a groove 123 formed on a groove support plate 122 is formed in a “U” shape surrounded by two groove walls 124 erected on the groove support plate 122. The groove 123 extends downward from the upper part of the side wall of the gutter part 121 to the outside of the gutter part 121 toward the fin 102. The upper part of the gutter part 121 is cut out so that the bottom of the groove 123 is connected to the gutter part 121 below the upper surface of the gutter part 121, an overflow part 125 is formed, and the ice making water 5 is supplied to the gutter part 121.
It is configured to overflow from the groove 123 via the overflow portion 125 before overflowing from the upper surface of the. Therefore, the ice making water 5 supplied to the gutter portion 121 from a circulating pump described later overflows from the overflow portion 125 of the gutter portion 121 into the groove 123, becomes a stream of flowing water from the groove 123, falls by its own weight, and falls due to its own weight. It corresponds to 102.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the cooler 100, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the cooler 100. A method of manufacturing the cooler 100 will be described with reference to these drawings. Two flat plate portions 10 as indicated by two-dot chain lines in the figure from the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical tube.
3 extrudes and shapes a copper pipe projecting at a predetermined angle to each other. Next, the flat plate portion 10 of this copper pipe
The cooler 100 is manufactured by cutting off unnecessary portions 104 such that the fins 102 are spaced from three.

The case where the ice making unit structure of the ice making machine configured as described above is applied to an automatic ice making machine will be described with reference to FIG. The automatic ice making machine is surrounded by a heat insulating box 201 having heat insulation properties, and has an ice making section 210, an ice making water collecting section 220,
A stocker 230 for containing ice is provided. The ice making section 210 has the sprinkler 120 and the cooler 100 shown in FIG. An ice making water recovery unit 2 is provided below the ice making unit 210.
20, an ice guide 222 having an elongated ice making water recovery hole 221 into which ice making water flowing down to the fins 102 falls;
An ice making water tank 223 for collecting the ice making water 5 is provided below the lower part. The ice making water tank 223 is replenished with ice making water from outside through a water supply valve 225. A circulation pump 224 is provided in the ice making water tank 223, and supplies the collected ice making water 5 or freshly supplied ice making water 5 via the water supply valve 225 to the sprinkler 120. Ice making water tank 2
A stocker 230 that stores ice 140 that has been iced by the fins 102 and separated has been disposed below the lower part 23.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a refrigeration circuit in which a low-temperature refrigerant flows through the cooling pipe 101 during ice making and a high-temperature gas flows during deicing. With reference to this figure, a process from when the ice 140 is produced by the fins 102 until the ice is released from the fins 102 will be described. Condenser 1 for compressor 141
42, dryer 143, expansion valve 144, cooler 100
Are sequentially connected to form a closed circuit, and a refrigeration circuit through which the refrigerant 145 flows is formed. A branch is provided between the compressor 141 and the condenser 142, and is connected to a circuit between the expansion valve 144 and the cooling pipe 101 via a hot gas valve 146. Further, a fan motor 147 for cooling the condenser 142 by air is provided. At the time of ice making, the ice making water 5 in the ice making water tank 223 is pumped up by the circulation pump 224, and
It flows down from 20 to the fin 102. The cooling pipe 101 receives the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flowing through the expansion valve 144.
At 01, the surrounding heat is removed to evaporate. The cooling pipe 101 is gradually cooled, and the fins 102 are also cooled by heat conduction, so that ice grows on the surfaces of the fins 102. Ice is fin 1
Since the ice making water 5 gradually increases from the surface of the fin 102 and flows down to the back surface of the fin 102 and flows down, as shown in FIG.
2 to wrap around the end. When the ice becomes sufficiently large, the completion of ice making is detected by ice making completion detecting means (not shown) using a thermostat provided in the cooling pipe 101 or a float switch provided in the ice making water tank, and the refrigeration circuit is shown. A de-icing operation for releasing the ice 140 formed on the fins 102 from the fins 102 is started by a control circuit that does not perform the operation. De-icing is performed by opening the hot gas valve 146 and directly sending the high-temperature gas discharged from the compressor 141 to the cooling pipe 101 to warm the cooling pipe 101. Due to the heat conducted from the cooling pipe 101 to the fins 102, a part of the ice 140, that is, a part in contact with the surface of the fin 102 is melted, and the ice 140 is separated from the fin 102. The deiced ice 140 slides down from the fins 102 by its own weight and is stored in the stocker 230.

As described above, since deicing can be performed only with the high-temperature gas in the cooling pipe 101, deicing water for deicing is not required. In addition, since the ice making water 5 is not spouted from below into the ice making part and is naturally dropped from the water sprinkler 120 above to the fins 102, the pump capacity of the circulation pump 224 for circulating the ice making water 5 can be small. Further, since the structures of the water sprinkler 120 and the cooler 100 are simple, an inexpensive ice making unit structure of an ice machine can be obtained. The fins 102 where ice is made
Are arranged at intervals and are connected at the upper ends of the fins 102 via the cooling pipes 101. However, since the ice making water flows below the upper ends of the fins 102, the ice on the adjacent fins 102 grows. They do not become one with each other.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 7 shows a structure of a cooler 200 used in an ice making part structure of an ice making machine according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 (a) is a perspective view of the cooler 200, FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view thereof. The cooler 200 includes a cooling pipe 201 which is a cylindrical pipe, and a fin 202 which is a substantially mountain-shaped plate-like body bent at a center along a part of an outer periphery 203 of the cooling pipe 201 in a longitudinal direction of the cooling pipe 201. A plurality are arranged at predetermined intervals. The fins 202 are arranged on the outer periphery 203 of the cooling pipe 201, and are brazed and fixed to the cooling pipe 201 at a brazing portion 204. Thus, the cooler 20
In the production of No. 0, an easily available material is used without using an extrusion mold, so that the production is easy, and it can be applied to small-quantity production.

Embodiment 3 FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a structure of a cooler 300 used for an ice making unit structure of an ice making machine according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a cooler 300 is formed integrally with a cooling pipe 301 which is a cylindrical pipe and a plurality of plate-like fins 302 extending vertically downward therefrom are arranged at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the cooling pipe 301. Have been. FIG. 9 shows an ice making section structure using the cooler 300. In the figure, on both sides of a fin 302 of a cooler 300, a water sprinkler 320 which is a cylindrical tube is provided in parallel with the cooling pipe 301. A nozzle hole 321 that allows the ice making water 5 to flow down to the fins 302 is provided in the water sprayer 320 so as to face the fins 302. Sprinkler 320
The ice making water 5 coming out of the nozzle hole 321 is arranged so as to be symmetrical on both surfaces of the fin 302. As described above, since the water sprinklers 320 are arranged on both sides of the fins 302 such that the ice making water 5 is symmetrical on both sides of the fins 302, the ice 340 in a uniform shape can be manufactured. In addition, since the readily available material of the sprinkler 320 is used, manufacture is easy.

[0018]

According to the present invention, a cooler having a cooling pipe through which a refrigerant flows during ice making and a high-temperature gas at the time of deicing, and a fin extending downward from the cooling pipe, and water spray for flowing ice making water down the surface of the fin. Ice is formed on the surface of the fins during ice making, and part of the ice is melted by the heat of the hot gas in the cooling pipe during deicing and detaches from the fins, so that deicing water is not required, and The pump capacity is small and an inexpensive ice making unit structure of an ice making machine can be obtained. In addition, if water sprinklers are arranged on both sides of the fins so that the ice making water is symmetrical on both sides of the fins, ice of a uniform shape can be produced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a structure of an ice making section structure of an ice making machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ice making unit structure according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows a cooler used in the first embodiment,
(A) is a perspective view, (b) is a sectional view.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a configuration diagram of an entire ice making machine using the ice making unit structure according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a refrigeration circuit according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 shows a structure of a cooler used in an ice making part structure of the ice making machine according to the second embodiment, where (a) is a perspective view and (b)
Is a sectional view.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a structure of a cooler used in an ice making part structure of an ice making machine according to Embodiment 3.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an ice making unit structure of an ice making machine according to Embodiment 3.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of an ice making section of a conventional open-cell type automatic ice making machine.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of an ice making section of another conventional open-cell type automatic ice making machine.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a dual plate type ice making unit of another conventional automatic ice making machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

5 ... ice making water, 100, 200, 300 ... cooler, 10
1,201,301 ... cooling pipe, 102,202,302
... Fin, 120,320 ... Sprinkler, 121 ... Gutter, 1
23: groove, 140, 340: ice, 321: nozzle hole, 1
45 ... Refrigerant.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A cooler having a cooling pipe through which a low-temperature refrigerant flows during ice making and a high-temperature gas flowing during deicing, and a fin extending downward from the cooling pipe; and a water sprinkler for flowing ice making water down the surface of the fin. Ice is formed on the surface of the fin at the time of ice making, a part of the ice is melted by heat of the high temperature gas in the cooling pipe at the time of deicing, and the ice is separated from the fin. Ice making structure. 2. The fin is a plate-like body formed integrally with the cooling pipe, and a plurality of the fins are arranged on both sides of the cooling pipe at predetermined intervals in a longitudinal direction of the cooling pipe. The ice making unit structure of an ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The fin is a plate-like body bent at a center along a part of an outer periphery of the cooling pipe, and a plurality of the fins are arranged at predetermined intervals in a longitudinal direction of the cooling pipe. The ice making unit structure of an ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the ice making unit is fixed to a cooling pipe. 4. The sprinkler according to claim 1, further comprising a gutter portion opened upward, and a groove extending from a side wall of the gutter portion to the outside of the gutter portion toward the fin. 3. The ice making part structure of the ice making machine according to any one of 3. 5. The ice making section of an ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein said water sprinkler includes a tube having a nozzle hole through which said ice making water flows down to said fin. 6. The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the water sprinkler is arranged on an upper portion of the fin such that the ice making water hits the fin by its own weight. Part structure. 7. The fin is a plate-like body extending vertically downward from the cooling pipe, and a plurality of the fins are arranged at predetermined intervals in a longitudinal direction of the cooling pipe. 6. The ice making unit structure of an ice making machine according to claim 5, wherein the fins are arranged on both sides of the fin so as to be symmetrical on both sides of the fin.