JP2003042621A - Ice making machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To change the size of produced ice in a multistage way, regarding an ice making machine equipped with a plurality of ice making plates of a vertical cell system. SOLUTION: A level sensor 43 is equipped with a two or more water storage quantity stipulating switches 47b and 47c stipulating a water storage quantity in a tank on the occasion of a water storing operation, and a stop switch 47a detecting the stop of an ice making operation consequent on the lowering of a water level in the tank. The switches 47b and 47c are selectable arbitrarily so that the water storage quantity in the tank on the occasion of the water storing operation can be changed in a multistage way. According to this constitution, the size of the ice produced in an ice making chamber can be changed in the multistage way.

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vertical cell type ice maker, and to a technique for changing the size of ice to be generated. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as one form of an ice making plate of an ice making machine, there has been provided a large number of ice making chambers each having an open front which are formed in vertical and horizontal directions, and water sprayed from above is formed on the upper side. There is widely known a vertical cell type in which an ice of a predetermined shape is generated by successively flowing down from an ice making room to an ice making room below. The structure of the ice making machine will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the present invention. Above the ice making plate 21, a water sprinkler 34 for spraying water for ice making onto the ice making plate 21 is provided. A tank 38 for collecting water flowing down from the ice making plate 21 is provided below the ice making plate 21, and the water in the tank 38 is returned to the sprinkler 34 by a pump 40. Reference numeral 40 denotes a pump for pumping water for ice making from a water supply port into the tank, and the ice maker stores a predetermined amount of water in the tank 38 by the pump 40 and then supplies the water to the sprinkler 34. Ice is generated in each ice making chamber 27 by sending and performing a watering operation. FIG. 5 shows a conventional structure of a water level sensor 43 installed in a tank 38. Such a water level sensor 4
3 is a vertical guide rod 44 and a tank 3
8, a float (not shown) that can move up and down along the guide rod 44 with the increase and decrease of the ice making water.
The guide rod 44 is provided with two proximity switches 47a and 47b at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction. The proximity switch 47b on the upper side detects the upper limit of the water level in the tank 38 and the proximity switch 47a on the lower side. Detects the lower limit of the water level. When the water for ice making in the tank 38 increases and the float reaches the position of the proximity switch 47b on the upper side, it is detected that the inside of the tank 38 is full, the water supply operation from the water supply port is stopped, and the sprinkler 34 Start watering operation,
When the ice making water in the tank 38 decreases and the lower proximity switch 47a is operated, the water sprayer 34 is stopped to stop the ice making operation. [0004] The problem is that water is sprayed from the water sprayer 34 by the amount of water stored in the tank 38 defined by the two proximity switches 47a and 47b. Since the watering operation is performed by the water sprayer 34 until the ice is frozen, the size of the generated ice is always constant, and it is impossible to change it at all. For this reason, in order to obtain small ice, work such as crushing the ice made by the ice maker is required, and there is a problem that the usability of the ice maker is poor at this point. An object of the present invention is to provide an ice machine which is capable of changing the size of ice produced according to a user's request and which is excellent in usability. According to the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an ice making plate 21 in which a plurality of ice making chambers 27 each having an open front surface are formed in a vertical and horizontal direction is provided. A water sprinkler 34 disposed above the ice making plate 21 and having a plurality of water sprinkling holes 35, a tank 38 for collecting water flowing down from the ice making plate 21, and a water sprinkler 3
An ice making machine including a pump 40 for returning to the pump 4, a water level sensor 43 for detecting the water level in the tank 38 and controlling the operation of the pump 40 on and off, and a water supply path 29 for supplying ice making water into the tank 38. Target. In this ice making machine, after performing a water storage operation of storing a predetermined amount of ice making water in a tank 38 via a water supply path 29, the ice making water in the tank 38 is pumped up by a pump 40 to a sprinkler 34,
By making the ice making water flow down from the upper ice making room 27 to the lower ice making room 27 in sequence, an ice making operation for gradually growing ice in each ice making room 27 is performed, and with the growth of ice in the ice making room 27. The water for ice making in the tank 38 gradually decreases,
The ice making operation is stopped when the amount of water stored in the tank 38 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount. As shown in FIG. 4, the water level sensor 43 is provided with two or more water storage amount specifying switches 47 b and 4 for specifying the water storage amount of the tank 38 during the water storage operation.
7c, and a stop switch 47a for detecting a stop of the ice making operation due to a decrease in the water level in the tank 38. The water storage amount setting switches 47b and 47c are arbitrarily selectable, so that the water storage amount in the tank 38 during the water storage operation can be changed in a plurality of stages. According to the ice making machine of the first aspect, for example, as shown in FIG.
If two 7c are provided and the amount of water stored in the tank 38 during the water storage operation can be changed in two stages, the total amount of water sprayed from the sprinkler 34 can be changed in two stages. The size of the ice generated in the ice making chamber 27 can be switched between large and small. Therefore, it is possible to produce ice of a size according to the usage form of the user, and in this respect, the ice making machine is excellent in usability. Note that the water storage amount setting switches 47b and 47c are 3
The number may be more than one. Further, the difference from the conventional product is that the number of switches 47 of the water level sensor 43 is merely increased, which is advantageous in that the above effects can be obtained at low cost. An ice making machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the entire configuration of the ice making machine 1. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 denotes a machine room in which a compressor 4 and the like are placed, and reference numeral 3 denotes an ice making room in which an ice making unit 20 and the like are placed. Reference numeral 5 denotes a fan 5a.
Reference numeral 6 denotes a thermal expansion valve. The compressor 4, the air-cooled condenser 5, the thermal expansion valve 6 and the like are connected to the ice making plate 20 of the ice making unit 20 by a refrigerant pipe. 7
And an ice making circuit that circulates the refrigerant as indicated by a solid arrow during ice making, that is, a refrigeration circuit is formed. A hot gas pipe 8 branches from a discharge pipe of the compressor 4.
Is connected upstream of the ice making plate 21. The hot gas pipe 8 is provided with an electromagnetic valve 10 for ice release which is opened at the time of ice removal, and an ice removal circuit for flowing hot gas to the ice making plate 21 as shown by a broken arrow at the time of ice removal. In addition,
In the refrigeration circuit, reference numeral 11 denotes a dryer filter,
Reference numeral 12 is an accumulator. As shown in FIG. 2, the ice making unit 20 has a cylindrical shape as a whole.
1 is formed by alternately stacking ice making plate bodies 22 and spacers 23. On the ice making plate body 22, a plurality of vertical partition walls 24 are juxtaposed at the width of the ice cube to be manufactured on the surface.
A vertical partition wall 25 is provided so as to correspond to the vertical partition wall 24 of the ice making plate main body 22, and a horizontal partition wall 26 is provided between the adjacent vertical partition walls 25. A large number of ice making chambers 27 are formed in the ice making plate 21 in the vertical and horizontal directions by the partition walls 24, 25 and 26 described above. The ice making plate body 22 is formed by cutting a drawing material made of a heat transfer material such as aluminum into a size corresponding to the vertical width of the ice cube to be manufactured. The spacer 23 is made of a heat insulating material such as a synthetic resin, and the inside of each of the vertical and horizontal partition walls 25 and 26 is formed as a hollow communicating with each other. At the tips of two predetermined vertical partition walls 25, there are provided tubular portions which open to the hollow inside of the horizontal partition walls 26, and these tubular portions have a U-shaped communication. A tube 28 is connected. A water supply pipe 30 is connected to the spacer 23 located at the top, and a water injection pipe 31 is connected to the spacer 23 located at the bottom. As shown in FIG.
Is connected to a water supply port via a water supply electromagnetic valve 32. The lower end of the water injection pipe 31 faces a tank 38 described later. Thus, a series of water supply passages 29 from the water supply port to the water supply pipe 31 to the tank 38 by sequentially passing through the inside of each spacer 23 and the communication pipe 28 via the water supply pipe 30 is formed. As shown in FIG. 2, cooling pipes 33 are provided on the back surface of the ice making plate main body 22, and both ends of the cooling pipes 33 are connected to the refrigerant pipes 7 of the refrigerant circulation system. In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 34 denotes a sprinkler provided above the ice making unit. The water sprinkler 34 includes a substantially annular bottom wall 36 having a number of water sprinkling holes 35, and side walls 37 erected along the inner and outer peripheries thereof. This is sprinkled on the ice making plate 21 from the sprinkling hole 35. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 38 indicates a tank disposed below the ice making unit. This tank 38
Stores ice making water supplied from the water injection pipe 31 and collects ice making water flowing down from the ice making plate 21 during ice making. A pump 40 is arranged in the tank 38, and the water in the tank 38 is supplied to the sprinkler 34 via the pumping pipe 41 during the ice making operation. Reference numeral 42 denotes an overflow pipe provided in the tank 38, and ice making water that has exceeded the upper end of the overflow pipe 42 is discharged from the drainage port to the outside of the refrigerator. In the tank 38, there is provided a water level sensor 43 for detecting the water level in the tank 38 and controlling ON / OFF of the operation of the pump 40. This water level sensor 43
As shown in FIG. 3, a guide rod 44 erected vertically from the bottom surface of the tank 38 and a float 45 movable up and down along the guide rod 44 as the ice making water in the tank 38 increases and decreases. And a restricting piece 46 provided horizontally at the upper end of the guide rod 44 for restricting the upward movement limit of the float 45. Guide rod 4 as shown in FIG.
4 is provided with three proximity switches (switches) 47 for detecting the height position of the float 45 in the vertical direction.
Specifically, these proximity switches 47 include a first switch (stop switch) 47a for detecting a lower limit water level of the ice making water in the tank 38 and a second switch (water storage amount) for detecting the upper limit water level in the tank 38. The switch includes a regulating switch 47b and a third switch (water storage regulating switch) 47c provided between the first and second switches 47a and 47b. In the ice making machine according to the present embodiment, the amount of water stored in the tank 38 can be regulated not only by the second switch 47b but also by the third switch 47c. The size of the ice generated in the ice making chamber 27 can be reduced by reducing the amount of water spray. That is, until the second switch 47b is operated, the tank 3
After the ice making water is stored in the tank 8, the ice making water is pumped into the sprinkler 34 to make ice, and the ice making water is stored in the tank 38 until the third sensor 47c is operated. To the sprinkler 34 to make ice,
There are two ice making modes, a second ice making mode that produces ice smaller than the first ice making mode, and the size of the ice produced in two stages can be changed.
The user can switch between the two ice making modes arbitrarily by operating a switch panel (not shown). The operation of the ice making machine having the above-described configuration will be described. First, when one of the above-mentioned ice making modes is selected by the user, the ice making machine 1 causes the cooling pipe 33 in the ice making plate 21 to transfer the refrigerant to the cooling pipe 33. To cool the vertical partition wall 24 that divides the ice making chamber, and opens the water supply electromagnetic valve 32 to start the water storage operation in the tank 38. Then, the float 45 of the water level sensor 43 rises, and the second or third switch 47b / 4 selected in the previous ice making mode.
7c, when the water level in the tank 38 is detected, it is determined that the water storage amount in the tank 38 has reached a predetermined amount, the water storage operation is terminated, and the pump 40 is driven to drive the water in the tank 38. The ice making water is sent to the sprinkler 34. That is, when the first ice making mode is selected, the water storage operation is performed until the second switch 47b is operated.
When the second ice making mode is selected, the water storage operation is performed until the third switch 47c is operated. It goes without saying that in the first ice making mode, the operation of the third switch 47c is ignored. The water sprayer 34 sprays water from a number of water spray holes 35 to the ice making chamber 27 at the top of the ice making plate 21. The ice making water flows down from the upper surface, the outer end surface, and the lower surface of the spacer 23 to the surface of the ice making plate body 22 while successively wetting each surface, so that ice cubes gradually grow in each ice making chamber 27, and accordingly, The amount of water in the tank 38 decreases. At this time, water that has flowed down from the ice making unit 20 to the tank 38 without becoming ice is returned to the sprinkler 34 by the pump 40. When the amount of water in the tank 38 reaches the lower limit water level, that is, when the float 45 is lowered and the first switch 47a is operated, the pump 40 is stopped to stop the ice making operation. Finally, by flowing hot gas through the cooling pipe 33 of the ice making plate 21 to heat the vertical partition wall 24 of the ice making plate main body 22, ice cubes are separated from the ice making chambers 27 and the lower ice storage room (not (Illustrated) and stored naturally. As described above, according to the ice making machine of the present embodiment, two proximity switches of the water level sensor 43 (second second switch) for regulating the amount of water stored in the tank 38 during the water storage operation are provided.
And as the third switches 47b and 47c), the amount of water stored in the tank 38 can be changed in two stages.
The size of the ice generated in the ice making chamber 27 can be changed in two stages. Also, the point that is different from the conventional product is
Since only the number of the proximity switches 47 of the water level sensor 43 is increased, it is advantageous in that the above effect can be obtained at low cost. In the above embodiment, the water level sensor 43
Was equipped with three proximity switches 47,
The number of proximity switches 47 may be greater than the number of switches. In other words, the number of proximity switches 47 may be two or more.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the entire structure of an ice making machine according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an ice making unit and a sprinkler. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a water level sensor. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a main part of a water level sensor. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a conventional water level sensor. [Description of Signs] 1 Ice making machine 21 Ice making plate 27 Ice making room 29 Water supply path 34 Sprinkler 38 Tank 40 Pump 43 Water level sensor 45 Float 47 Switch (proximity switch) 47a Stop switch (first switch) 47b Water storage amount regulating switch ( Second switch) 47c Switch for regulating water storage (third switch)

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (reference) F25C 1/04 302 F25C 1/04 302A

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A plurality of ice-making chambers 27 each having an open front surface and partitioned in the vertical and horizontal directions; and a plurality of ice-making chambers 27 disposed above the ice-making plates 21. A water sprinkler 34 having a water sprinkling hole 35, a tank 38 for collecting water flowing down from the ice making plate 21, and a water sprinkler 34
A water level sensor 43 for detecting the water level in the tank 38 and controlling the operation of the pump 40 on and off, and a water supply path 29 for supplying ice making water to the tank 38. After performing a water storage operation of storing a predetermined amount of ice-making water in the tank 38 via 29, the ice-making water in the tank 38 is pumped by the pump 40 into the water sprinkler 34, and the ice-making water is transferred from the upper ice making chamber 27 to the lower side. The ice making operation is performed in order to gradually grow the ice in each ice making chamber 27, and the ice making water in the tank 38 gradually decreases as the ice grows in the ice making chamber 27. An ice making machine that stops the ice making operation when the amount of water stored in the tank 38 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount, wherein the water level sensor 43 regulates the amount of water stored in the tank 38 during the water storing operation. Two or more of water a specified amount switch 47b that -
47c, and a stop switch 47a for detecting a stop of the ice making operation due to a decrease in the water level in the tank 38. The water storage amount regulating switches 47b and 47c can be arbitrarily selected, and the water storage amount switch 47b An ice making machine characterized in that the amount of water stored in a tank 38 can be changed in multiple stages.