JP2003130513A - Ice making machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ice making machine for surely generating ice continuing in the vertical direction. SOLUTION: This ice making machine blocks up the opening side of cup- shaped respective ice making small chambers 6 by a cover part 11, and also allows a projection strip part 12 arranged in an ice making chamber 2 to abut to a top part 3a of a vertical partition part 3. An ice making space S extending in the vertical direction is made thereby, and ice is grown in the respective ice making small chambers 6. Such constitution can surely make the ice making space S extending in the vertical direction, and as a result, the ice continuing in the vertical direction can be surely generated. Such vertically continuing ice has an advantage of easily breaking up into pieces more than ice continuing in a matrix shape.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention particularly relates to an ice making machine for growing ice in each ice making compartment where the ice making compartment is partitioned into a matrix.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a technique in such a field, there is Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 58-83073. The ice making chamber of the ice making machine described in this publication is provided with an ice making small chamber which is partitioned in a matrix by horizontal fins (horizontal partitioning portions) and vertical fins (vertical partitioning portions). Then, by continuously flowing down the ice making water from the sprinkling pipe arranged at the upper part of the ice making chamber, the ice is grown in each ice making chamber to produce a desired ice. Further, each vertical fin is provided with a partitioning portion extending along the fin, which insulates the adjacent ice making chambers from each other to create ice that is continuous only in the vertical direction. There is.

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned conventional ice making machine has the following problems.
That is, as a result of integrally forming the partition part on each vertical fin, it is possible to insulate the adjacent ice making small chambers from each other, but since each ice making small chamber itself is opened in a cup shape, the ice is separated from each partitioning part. There is a risk that the ice will grow and the side ice will be connected. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to reliably generate ice that is lined up in the vertical direction.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an ice making machine capable of surely producing ice that is vertically aligned.

[0005]

The ice making machine according to the present invention comprises:
An ice making chamber having an opening in the lateral direction, a vertical partition section and a horizontal partition section for partitioning the ice making room in a matrix form, and an ice making chamber, a plurality of ice making chambers formed from the vertical partition section and the horizontal partition section, In an ice-making machine that supplies ice-making water to the ice-making small chamber to grow ice in the ice-making small chamber, a lid portion that is arranged to face the ice-making chamber and is close to and away from the ice-making chamber, and the ice-making chamber side of the lid portion A ridge portion that extends in the vertical direction on the surface and is brought into contact with the top of the vertical partition portion.

In this ice making machine, the opening side of each cup-shaped ice making small chamber is closed by a lid, and the ridge provided in the ice making chamber is brought into contact with the top of the vertical partition. As a result, an ice making space extending in the vertical direction is created, and ice is grown in each ice making chamber. With such a configuration, it is possible to reliably create an ice making space extending in the vertical direction, and as a result, it is possible to reliably generate ice that is continuous in the vertical direction. Such ice in a series of columns has the advantage that it is easier to break up into individual pieces of ice, compared to ice in a matrix.

Further, it is preferable that a hollow deicing water downflow hole extending in the vertical direction is provided in the ridge portion. When such a configuration is adopted, the deicing water can be made to flow in the deicing water downflow hole in the ridge with the ridge being in contact with the top of the vertical partition. Therefore, when a gap occurs between the ridge and the top of the vertical partition, even if the ice that grows in this gap causes side-by-side ice to continue through the ears, the deicing water As a result of flowing the deicing water in the downflow hole, the ears that connect the sides to each other are melted, and by this, the connections between the sides of the ice can be cut off, and it becomes possible to form ice more reliably and to form the ice more reliably. it can.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of an ice making machine according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ice making machine 1 is
It is a downflow type ice machine that grows ice while flowing down ice making water from above. This ice making machine 1 has an ice making chamber 2 made of a metal having a high thermal conductivity. This ice making room 2
An ice making small chamber 6 fixed to the frame 5 and extending in the vertical direction, partitioned by the vertical partition 3 and the horizontal partition 4 in a matrix, and arranged in a matrix is provided. Then, each ice making compartment 6 is formed in a rectangular cup shape having an opening in the lateral direction. A suction / heating pipe 7 (see FIG. 4) is fixed to the back surface of the ice making chamber 2 by brazing or the like.

Further, a water sprinkling pipe 8 extending horizontally is arranged at the top of the ice making chamber 2, and the water sprinkling pipe 8 is made to flow down the ice making water from above between the adjacent vertical partition portions 3. Water spray holes (not shown) are formed to correspond to the columns. Therefore, at the time of ice making, the ice making water continuously discharged from the sprinkling holes continues to flow down from above while following the wall surface of the ice making small chamber 6, and the return water flowing down from the ice making chamber 2 is made to flow to the ice making water tank 9 while the ice making small chamber is being made. Grow as ice in 6.

Here, in the case of making ice by using the ice making chamber 2 having the matrix-like ice making chambers 6, it is common to arrange the ice making chambers in the form of a matrix to form a row of vertical and horizontal ice blocks. And, it is difficult to separate each of these ice blocks into individual pieces even if there is a shock when they fall into the ice making room, and it is common for the users themselves to separate them one by one using the equipment. However, it may impose a burden on the user.

Therefore, in order to make it easier to disassemble the ice pieces one by one, an ice block 10 (see FIG. 3) in which the ice pieces 10a are vertically arranged is formed. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, in this ice making machine 1, a resin-made flat plate-shaped lid portion 11 is arranged so as to face the ice making chamber 2, and a pipe-like shape is provided on the surface of the lid portion 11 on the ice making chamber side. A plurality of resin ridges 12 (for example, 7
Book) Each of the ridges 12 extends in the vertical direction, is aligned in parallel with the vertical partition 3 at equal intervals in a one-to-one relationship, and abuts on the top 3a of each vertical partition 3 with a predetermined force. Further, the lid portion 11 advances toward the ice making chamber 2 when making ice, and retracts from the ice making chamber 2 when releasing ice from the ice making chamber 2.

In order to achieve such advancing / retreating of the lid portion 11, the lid portion 11 is arranged to face the ice making chamber 2 as a first portion.
The first water tank 13, which is integrally fixed to the front part of the water tank 13, needs to perform a parallel movement to approach and separate from the ice making chamber 2.

Therefore, the first water tank 13 and the second water tank 16 are connected via the parallel link mechanism 14. The parallel link mechanism 14 has two left and right link portions 14a, and the left and right link portions 14a are arranged in parallel with each other. Then, one end of the link portion 14a is pivotally supported on the side surface of the first water tank 13, the other end of the link portion 14a is pivotally supported on the side surface of the second water tank 16, and the center of the link portion 14a is supported by the frame frame 5. It is pivotally supported by a fixed shaft portion 17. Therefore, each link portion 14 a can swing about the shaft portion 17. Thus, the first water tank 1
3 and the second water tank 16 are connected via the parallel link mechanism 14, the first water tank 13 and the second water tank 16
With the weight balance of 1, the lid 11 can be appropriately moved back and forth.

In order to achieve such a weight balance, as shown in FIG.
A water supply pipe 18 for supplying deicing water is attached, and a drain pipe 19 for adjusting the amount of water is attached to the lower part of the first water tank 13. In addition, the second water tank 16
At the top of the water supply pipe 2 connected to the ice making water tank 9.
One end of 0 is fixed, and a pump motor P is attached in the middle of the water supply pipe 20. A drain pipe 21 for adjusting the amount of water for pouring out the ice making water into the ice making water tank 9 is attached to the lower portion of the second water tank 16. Therefore, depending on the diameter of each drainage pipe 19 and 21,
The speed of the water accumulated in the first water tank 13 and the second water tank 16 can be adjusted, whereby the upper and lower timings of the first water tank 13 and the second water tank 16 are adjusted.

Further, the upper end of the second water tank 16 and the water sprinkling pipe 8 for supplying the ice making water into each of the ice making small chambers 6 are connected via a pipe member 23 so that overflow water from the second water tank 16 is piped. It is guided through the member 23 into the watering pipe 8. Therefore, when the ice making water is continuously supplied into the second water tank 16, the second water tank 16 is lowered by the weight of the ice making water, and when the second water tank 16 is completely lowered, the ice making water is supplied from the pipe member 23. Water will flow out. Therefore, in the state where the first water tank 13 is completely lifted and the vertically long ice making space S (see FIG. 5) created by the cooperation between the ice making chamber 2 and the protrusion 12 of the lid 11 is completed, Ice making water can be made to flow down from the water sprinkling pipe 8. This ensures ice making.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, with the respective link portions 14a of the parallel link mechanism 14 being horizontal, the lid portion 11 is formed.
The ridge portion 12 provided on the above is brought into contact with the top portion 3a of the vertical partition portion 3. In this way, when ice is grown in each ice making chamber 6 while keeping each link portion 14a horizontal,
The growth of ice near the completion of the process causes a strong horizontal stress to the lid portion 11, but each link portion 14a
Can withstand the growth of ice. As a result, the ridge 1
It is possible to properly avoid the formation of an unnecessary gap between the vertical partition portion 3 and the vertical partition portion 3, and it is possible to eliminate the problem that ice grows in the gap. A horizontally extending stopper piece 15 is fixed to the frame 5 by welding or the like in order to make each link portion 14a horizontal.

A water chute 24 for guiding the return water from the ice making chamber 2 to the ice making water tank 9 is fixed to the lower link portion 14a. Both ends of this water chute 24
The left and right lower link portions 14a are welded and fixed to the lower link portion 14a at a predetermined inclination angle so as to bridge them. Therefore, the return water (remaining water) flowing down along the ice making chamber 2 can be guided to an appropriate place by the water chute 24, that is, in the ice making water tank 9 (see FIG. 8). Furthermore, since the water chute 24 rotates around the fixed point as the link part 14a rotates, the water chute 24 is moved to a predetermined position so as not to hinder the fall of the ice block 10 completed in the ice making chamber 2. It can be evacuated (see FIG. 7).

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 10, a water supply pipe 18 extending in the horizontal direction is provided above the first water tank 13.
Is fixed. A pipe-shaped resin ridge 12 that is orthogonal to the water supply pipe 18 is fixed to the water supply pipe 18,
A hollow deicing water downflow hole 12a (see FIG. 5) extending in the vertical direction is provided in each of the ridges 12. Therefore, the deicing water flowing in the water supply pipe 18 flows down in the deicing water flow-down hole 12a in the protrusion 12.

Therefore, when an unnecessary gap is generated between each ridge portion 12 and the top portion 3a of the vertical partition portion 3 during ice making, the ice grown in this gap may cause the side ice to be separated from each other. Even if they are connected via the parts, as a result of causing the deicing water to flow in the deicing water downflow hole 12a, the ears that connect the sides can be dissolved, thereby disconnecting the sides of the ice 10a from each other. It is possible to form the ice blocks 10 in a vertical line more reliably.

Further, the lower end of the deicing water flow-down hole 12a and the inside of the first water tank 13 are communicated with each other through the communication hole 26. Thereby, the deicing water can be continuously accumulated from below in the first water tank 13 while allowing the deicing water to flow down in each of the ridges 12. Then, the inside of the first water tank 13 is partitioned by a partition piece 27 extending in the vertical direction, and inside the first water tank 13, the upper side of each partition piece 27 is open. As a result, the water that overflows in the first water tank 13 is discharged into the ice-making water tank 9 through the overflow pipe 28.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the ice making water that does not flow down when the ice is completed flows laterally through the uppermost surface 2a of the ice making chamber 2, and such a flow is generated. It means the completion of ice. So, in the frame 5,
A float switch 30 for detecting the completion of ice is fixed. A float portion 32 and a switch portion 33 that contacts the float portion 32 are accommodated in a casing 31 of the float switch 30. Furthermore, casing 3
1, one end of a gutter 34 is fixed to guide water into the casing 31, and the other end of the gutter 34 is fixed to the side surface of the ice making chamber 2 in the vicinity of the water spray pipe 8. As a result, the ice making water that overflows when the ice is completed is
The float portion 32 flows along the trough portion 34 into the casing 31, and the floated float portion 32 comes into contact with the switch portion 33 to turn on the switch. As a result, the completion of ice is detected, the pump motor P is stopped, and the supply of ice making water is cut off. In addition,
Reference numeral 36 shown in FIG. 1 is a proximity switch for detecting the approach and separation between the ice making chamber 2 and the lid portion 11 during ice making.

Next, the operation of the ice making machine 1 will be described. In the non-water supply state, the first water tank 13 is heavier than the second water tank 16, and the first water tank 13 is lowered by its own weight.

First, when the start switch is turned on, the deicing cycle is started. That is, at the start of ice making, deicing water is supplied into the water supply pipe 18 for a certain amount of time,
Thereby, a certain amount of ice making water is stored in the ice making water tank 9 through the discharge pipe 19 of the first water tank 13. At the same time, hot gas is supplied into the suction / heating pipe 7 to completely remove the ice from the ice making chamber 2. Then, the timer stops the supply of hot gas and prepares for ice making.

Thereafter, the cooling gas is supplied into the suction / heating pipe 7, the pump motor P is started as shown in FIG. 7, and the ice making water in the ice making water tank 9 is supplied to the second water via the water supply pipe 20. Gradually accumulate in the tank 16. At this time,
The weight balance between the first water tank 13 and the second water tank 16 is reversed, and as shown in FIG. 8, the first water tank 13 is parallel to the ice making chamber 2 while the second water tank 16 is lowered. The ridge portion 12 abuts on the top portion 3a of each vertical partition portion 3 and moves forward. Thereby, the ice making chamber 2 and the lid portion 11 cooperate with each other to form a plurality of vertically extending ice making spaces S (for example, 6
Produced). At this time, the second water tank 16 is still
The inside is not full.

After that, when the water supply to the second water tank 16 is continued, the second water tank 16 becomes full, and the overflow water is guided to the sprinkling pipe 8 through the pipe member 23 in the second water tank 16. It Then, the ice-making water continuously discharged from the water-spraying holes 8a (see FIG. 11) of the water-sprinkling pipe 8 flows down along the wall surface of the ice-making small chamber 6, and while the ice grows on each wall surface, the return water is made into ice-making water. It is poured into the water tank 9 through the water chute 24. While circulating the ice making water by the pump motor P, as shown in FIG.
Complete the ice within. And the float switch 30
The completion of ice is detected (see FIG. 11), and the pump motor P is stopped based on this detection. Further, by stopping the pump motor P, the water supply in the second water tank 16 is cut off, and the discharge pipe 21 continues to reduce the amount of water in the second water tank 16.

Further, when the float switch 30 detects the hot gas, the hot gas is supplied into the suction / heating pipe 7, and the deicing water is supplied into the first water tank 13 through the water supply pipe 18 for a predetermined time by the timer control. As a result, the deicing water flows down in each ridge 12. Therefore, when a gap occurs between each of the ridges 12 and the top portion 3a of the vertical partition portion 3 during ice making, the ice grown in this gap causes side ice to continue through the ears. Even if this happens, as a result of flowing the deicing water in the deicing water downflow hole 12a, the ears that connect the sides to each other can be appropriately melted, and by this, the connection between the sides of the ice 10a can be cut off. The snow ice mass 10 (see FIG. 3) is generated more reliably.

[0028] Then, the ice blocks 10 arranged in a vertical line like this.
Since the amount of water in the second water tank 16 continues to decrease due to the stop of the pump motor P when the ice is released from the ice making chamber 2, the weight balance between the first water tank 13 and the second water tank 16 is reversed. As the second water tank 16 rises, the first water tank 13 retreats in the direction away from the ice making chamber 2, and the ridge 12 separates from the top 3a of each vertical partition 3 (see FIG. 12). Along with this, the proximity switch 3
6 detects the separation between the first water tank and the second water tank 16, stops the supply of hot gas by this, and the ice blocks 10 in a row are cooled by their own weights and the ice drop port 9a of the ice making water tank 9 is And falls into the ice making compartment (see FIG. 7). This completes one cycle of the water supply process, the ice making process and the deicing process.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, as a so-called cell type ice making machine, there is JP-A-10-197115, and the like, and an ice making chamber used in this type of ice making machine is provided with a plurality of ice making small chambers that are vertically and horizontally partitioned in a matrix. Has been. Then, when ice-making water is sprayed toward each ice-making small chamber from the through hole formed at the bottom of each ice-making small chamber, while the ice grows on the wall surface of each ice-making small chamber, ice having a shape matching the shape of the ice-making small chamber is generated. Will be generated. In particular, in this ice making machine, it is necessary to close or open the opening of the cup-shaped ice making chamber with a cooling plate. Therefore, the ridge portion 12 may be provided on such a cooling plate.

Further, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-243733, there is a so-called water tray, which has a pressure water passage inside and has a plate-like shape for closing the opening of the ice making compartment. It is also possible to have the lid portion and the protruding portion 12 is provided on this lid portion.

[0031]

Since the ice making machine according to the present invention is constructed as described above, the following effects can be obtained. That is,
An ice making chamber having an opening in the lateral direction, a vertical partition section and a horizontal partition section for partitioning the ice making room in a matrix form, and an ice making chamber, a plurality of ice making chambers formed from the vertical partition section and the horizontal partition section, In an ice-making machine that supplies ice-making water to the ice-making small chamber to grow ice in the ice-making small chamber, a lid portion that is arranged to face the ice-making chamber and is close to and away from the ice-making chamber, and the ice-making chamber side of the lid portion Since the surface is provided with the protruding portion that extends in the vertical direction and is brought into contact with the top of the vertical partition portion, it is possible to reliably generate ice that is continuous in the vertical direction.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an ice making machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ice maker shown in FIG. 1 seen from another angle.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a row of ice blocks.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where an ice making space is created by the ice making chamber and the first water tank.

5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main parts of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which a first water tank and a second water tank are connected via a link mechanism.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where ice making water is being supplied into the second water tank.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the ice making water overflows from the second water tank and the water is flowing down in the ice making chamber.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where ice is formed in the ice making chamber.

10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a flow switch.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the first water tank is separated from the ice making chamber.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Ice making machine, 2 ... Ice making chamber, 3 ... Vertical partition part, 3a ... Top of vertical partition part, 4 ... Horizontal partition part, 6 ... Ice making chamber, 8 ... Sprinkling pipe, 9 ... Ice making water tank, 11 ... Lid part , 12 ... ridges, 12a ... deicing water flow holes, 13 ... first water tank, 14
... parallel link mechanism (link mechanism), 14a ... link part,
16 ... 2nd water tank, 18, 20 ... Water supply pipe, 19,
21 ... Drain pipe, 24 ... Water chute, S ... Ice making space.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An ice making chamber having an opening in the lateral direction, a vertical partition section and a horizontal partition section for partitioning the ice making room in a matrix form, and a plurality of ice making chambers, the vertical partition section and the horizontal partition section. And an ice making small chamber that supplies ice making water to the ice making small chamber to grow ice in the ice making small chamber. An ice making machine, comprising: a lid portion to be made to extend; and a ridge portion that extends in a longitudinal direction on a surface of the lid portion on the ice making chamber side and abuts on a top portion of the vertical partition portion. 2. The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein a hollow deicing water downflow hole extending in the vertical direction is provided in the protrusion.