JP2004176971A - Ice maker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ice maker for extremely easily attaching-detaching a chute. <P>SOLUTION: In this ice maker, ice making parts 16, 19, 21 and 26 are arranged above an ice storage chamber 2, and ice made by the ice making parts is discharged from an ice discharge port 27 of the ice making parts, and is inputted to the ice storage chamber from an ice inlet 4 of an ice storage chamber upper wall 3 via the chute 31. The chute has a vertical cylindrical body 51 extending in the vertical direction and having the lower end connected to the ice inlet and an oblique cylindrical body 52 for connecting an upper part of the vertical cylindrical body and the ice discharge port. The vertical cylindrical body is detachably installed at a lower end part on the ice storage chamber upper wall, and can be divided into an upper side member 51a and a lower side member 51b. The oblique cylindrical body is covered in an outer peripheral surface with a heat insulating material 71, and the oblique cylindrical body covered with this heat insulating material is sandwiched by the upper side member and the lower side member from the outside of the heat insulating material. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, an ice making unit is provided above an ice storage room, and ice produced in the ice making unit is discharged from an ice outlet at an upper part of the ice making unit, and is discharged to an upper wall of the ice storage room through a cylindrical shooter. The present invention relates to an ice making device to be introduced into an ice storage room from an opening ice inlet.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a conventional auger type ice making device, a machine room is provided in an upper part, and an ice storage room is provided in a lower part. An auger type ice making part is provided in the machine room. The ice pieces produced in the ice making section are discharged from the upper end of the ice making section to a lower ice storage chamber via a cylindrical shooter. This shooter is fixed to the upper surface of the upper wall of the ice storage room and the ice making section.
[0003]
As described above, in a conventional auger type ice making device, a shooter is fixed to an upper surface of an upper wall of an ice storage room or an ice making section, and a document describing an ice making device to which a shooter is detachable is filed at the time of filing. People are ignorant.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in recent years, improvement of hygiene of foods and the like has been desired, and it is required to make ice in as clean a state as possible. Therefore, it is desirable to keep the inside of the shooter clean. However, when the shooter is fixed, it is difficult to clean the inside of the shooter. Therefore, we considered making the shooter detachable. However, the outside of the shooter was covered with a heat insulating material or the like, and the shooter could not be easily removed.
[0005]
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ice making device capable of attaching and detaching a shooter as easily as possible.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The ice making device of the present application is provided with an ice making section (16, 19, 21, 26) above the ice storage chamber (2), and ice made in the ice making section is supplied from an ice discharge port (27) at the top of the ice making section. The ice is discharged, and is introduced into the ice storage chamber through an ice inlet (4) opened on the upper wall (3) of the ice storage chamber via a cylindrical shooter (31). The shooter extends vertically and has a lower end connected to the ice inlet of the upper wall of the ice storage compartment, and an oblique connection connecting the upper part of the vertical cylinder to the ice outlet. The vertical cylinder has a lower end detachably attached to the upper wall of the ice storage compartment, and can be divided into an upper member (51a) and a lower member (51b). The outer peripheral surface of the oblique cylinder is covered with a heat insulating material (71). The oblique cylinder covered with the heat insulator is sandwiched between the upper and lower members of the vertical cylinder from the outside of the heat insulator and connected to the vertical cylinder.
[0007]
Further, the upper end of the oblique cylinder may be detachably connected to an ice discharge port.
Further, the vertical cylinder may be detachably attached to an upper wall of the ice storage compartment by fitting a lower end portion of the vertical cylinder into an ice inlet.
[0008]
The edge of the ice discharge port has a cylindrical shape, and the upper end of the oblique cylinder may be detachably fitted to the cylindrical edge.
The ice making unit may be of an auger type.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Next, an embodiment of an ice making device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an ice making device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the ice making unit and the shooter. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of the upper portion of the shooter, wherein FIG. 3A is a side view, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the upper part of the shooter.
[0010]
First, the overall configuration of the ice making device will be described. The auger type ice making device is provided with a machine room 1 at an upper part and an ice storage room 2 at a lower part. The ice storage room 2 is constituted by a heat insulating box, and an ice inlet 4 is opened in an upper wall 3 thereof. The upper wall 3 of the ice storage room 2 serves as a partition between the machine room 1 and the ice storage room 2. A drain pipe 7 is provided on the bottom wall 6 of the ice storage chamber 2, and drain water in the ice storage chamber 2 is discharged to the outside through the drain pipe 7.
[0011]
The machine room 1 includes a compressor 11, a condenser 12, a blower 13 for air-cooling the condenser 12, a capillary tube 14 as a decompression device, a cooler 16, and the like, which constitute a refrigeration cycle of a refrigerator of an ice making device. Are located. The cooler 16 is arranged so as to be wound around the outside of the cooling cylinder 19, and the outside of the cooler 16 and the cooling cylinder 19 is covered with a heat insulating material 20. As described later, water is supplied from a water pipe or the like, and an auger 21 is rotatably inserted into the cooling cylinder 19. The auger 21 is driven to rotate by an auger motor 22. Above the cooling cylinder 19, a discharge rotary blade 23 that rotates together with the auger 21 is provided. On the upper side of the cooling cylinder 19, an upper cover 26 is provided to cover the discharge rotary blades 23 and the upper opening of the cooling cylinder 19, and the resin upper cover 26 has an ice outlet 27 formed therein. I have. The edge of the ice outlet 27 has a cylindrical shape. The ice discharge port 27 is connected to the ice inlet 4 of the ice storage chamber 2 by a shooter 31, which will be described in detail later. The outer surface of the upper cover 26 is almost entirely covered with a heat insulating material 32 except for the edge of the ice discharge port 27. Further, a portion where the cooler 16, the cooling cylinder 19, the auger 21, the discharge rotary blade 23, the upper cover 26, and the like are provided constitutes an ice making section of the auger type ice making device.
[0012]
Water from tap water or the like flows into a water storage tank 37 via an electromagnetic water supply valve 36. The water storage tank 37 is provided with an overflow port 38 and an outflow port 39. When the water level of the water storage tank 37 exceeds the full water level, water is discharged from the overflow port 38 to the outside of the ice making device through the first drainage channel 40. Is done.
[0013]
The water from the outlet 39 of the water storage tank 37 flows into the lower part of the cooling cylinder 19 and is supplied to the inside of the cooling cylinder 19. A second drainage channel 41 having an electromagnetic valve type drainage valve 42 is connected to the lower part of the cooling cylinder 19, and the drainage valve 42 is opened and closed as appropriate, so that water in the cooling cylinder 19 is discharged to the second drainage channel. It is discharged out of the ice making device through the path 41.
[0014]
When the refrigerator operates, that is, when the compressor 11 and the blower 13 operate, the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 11, discharged to the condenser 12, cooled by the condenser 12, and decompressed by the capillary tube 14 and the like. After passing through the apparatus, it is evaporated to a low temperature in the cooler 16, cools the water in the cooling cylinder 19, and generates ice on the inner surface of the cooling cylinder 19. Next, the refrigerant that has passed through the cooler 16 returns to the compressor 11. The ice that has landed on the inner surface of the cooling cylinder 19 is scraped off by the auger 21 that is driven to rotate by the auger motor 22, transferred as ice pieces upward, and stored in the ice outlet 27 through the shooter 31. It is thrown into the room 2 and stored.
[0015]
Next, the shooter 31 will be described in detail. The shooter 31 extends vertically and has a lower end connected to the ice inlet 4 of the upper wall 3 of the ice storage compartment 2, and a vertical cylinder 51 made of resin, and an upper portion of the vertical cylinder 51 and an upper cover 26. An oblique cylindrical body 52 made of rubber and connected to the ice discharge port 27 is provided. The vertical cylindrical body 51 has a lower end fitted into the ice inlet 4 of the ice storage chamber 2 and is detachably attached thereto, and can be divided into an upper member 51a and a lower member 51b. The upper member 51a and the lower member 51b are cylindrical bodies having a circular or rectangular cross section, and the upper and lower ends of the lower member 51b are open. The upper member 51a is open at the lower end but closed at the upper end by the top plate. Two screw rods 56 protrude outward from the upper part of the lower member 51b, while a cutout 57 into which the screw rod 56 fits is formed below the upper member 51a. When joining the upper member 51a and the lower member 51b, the lower portion of the upper member 51a is overlapped with the upper portion of the lower member 51b such that the cutout portion 57 of the upper member 51a fits into the screw rod 56. Fit. The upper member 51a is fixed to the lower member 51b by screwing a wing nut 61 (see FIG. 4), which is a detachable fixing means, to the screw bar 56. In the state where the upper member 51a and the lower member 51b are joined in this manner, the side surface of the lower end portion of the upper member 51a and the lower member 51b are formed so that an opening into which the oblique cylinder 52 fits is formed on the side surface. The side surface of the upper end is cut out in an arc shape, and cutouts 66 and 67 are formed. The outer peripheral surface of the lower member 51b is covered with a hydrophobic heat insulating material 68, but no heat insulating material is attached to the outer surface of the upper member 51a, and the outer surface of the upper member 51a is exposed.
[0016]
The oblique cylindrical body 52 is a cylindrical body having a circular cross section, has upper and lower ends opened, and has an upper end fitted to the edge of the ice discharge port 27 from the outside to be detachably attached. The outer peripheral surface of the oblique cylinder 52 is covered with a hydrophobic heat insulating material 71. The oblique cylinder 52 covered with the heat insulating material 71 is sandwiched between the notch 66 of the upper member 51a and the notch 67 of the lower member 51b and pressurized. Are detachably connected.
[0017]
A description will be given of the work of attaching and detaching the shooter 31 of the ice making device thus configured. When removing the shooter 31 for cleaning from the state where the shooter 31 is attached to the ice making device, first, the work cover (not shown) provided on the top plate of the machine room 1 is opened. Then, the wing nut 61 is removed from the screw rod 56. Next, the upper member 51a of the vertical cylinder 51 is lifted upward and detached from the lower member 51b. Next, the oblique cylinder 52 is pulled out of the upper cover 26 together with the heat insulating material 71. Thereafter, the lower member 51b is pulled upward together with the heat insulating material 68 and removed from the upper wall 3 of the ice storage room 2.
[0018]
When a new shooter 31 or a washed shooter 31 is attached to the ice making device, the lower end of the lower member 51b having the heat insulating material 68 attached to the outside is placed from above into the ice inlet 4 of the upper wall 3 of the ice storage chamber 2. Fit it. Next, the upper end of the oblique cylinder 52 to which the heat insulating material 71 is attached on the outside is fitted to the edge of the ice outlet 27 of the upper cover 26 and attached. Thereafter, the lower part of the upper member 51a is fitted into the upper part of the lower member 51b, and the cutout 67 of the lower member 51b and the cutout 66 of the upper member 51a sandwich the oblique cylindrical body 52 to which the heat insulating material 71 is attached. Then, the notch 57 of the upper member 51a is fitted to the screw rod 56 of the lower member 51b. Then, the wing nut 61 is screwed into the screw rod 56.
[0019]
In this manner, in this embodiment, since the vertical cylinder 51 of the shooter 31 can be vertically divided into the upper member 51a and the lower member 51b, the shooter can be easily attached to the ice making device. Moreover, since the oblique cylinder 52 to which the heat insulating material 71 is attached is sandwiched between the upper member 51a and the lower member 51b, the heat insulating material is removed or attached when the shooter 31 is attached or detached. Work is not required.
[0020]
Further, since the oblique cylinder 52 is made of rubber, it can be easily attached to and detached from the edge of the ice discharge port 27 of the upper cover 26. Furthermore, since the lower end of the vertical cylinder 51 is fitted in the ice inlet 4, it can be easily attached and detached by pushing it downward or pulling it upward.
[0021]
As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention described in the appended claims. It is possible to do. Modification examples of the present invention are exemplified below.
(1) The ice making device is preferably of the auger type, but other types are also possible.
(2) Although the shooter 31 is a cylindrical body, its cross-sectional shape is not limited to a circle or a rectangle, and can be appropriately changed.
(3) The materials of the shooter 31 and the upper cover 26 can be appropriately changed. However, from the viewpoint of attachment / detachment work, it is preferable that the upper cover 26 and the vertical cylinder 51 are made of resin, and the oblique cylinder 52 is made of rubber.
(4) The connection structure for connecting and separating the upper member 51a and the lower member 51b of the vertical cylindrical body 51 can be appropriately changed. That is, the screw bar 56 and the wing nut 61 are not necessarily required.
[0022]
(5) The vertical cylinder 51 is detachably attached to the upper wall 3 of the ice storage chamber 2 by fitting the lower end of the vertical cylinder 51 into the ice inlet 4 of the upper wall 3. Can be changed as appropriate. For example, the mounting structure can be attached to the upper wall 3 with screws or the like. Moreover, it is also possible to attach to the upper wall 3 via another member. Further, it is also possible to move the vertical cylinder 51 in the horizontal direction at the time of attachment / detachment. However, when the lower end portion of the vertical cylindrical body 51 is fitted into the ice inlet 4 of the upper wall 3 as in the above-described embodiment, the vertical cylindrical body 51 can be easily attached and detached by being moved up and down. The moving space required for attaching and detaching the body 51 can be minimized.
(6) The oblique cylinder 52 of the shooter 31 may be formed integrally with the upper cover 26. However, in order to facilitate the work of removing the lower member 51b of the shooter 31, it is preferable to separate the oblique cylinder 52 and the upper cover 26 as in the above-described embodiment. The means for detachably connecting the oblique cylinder 52 to the ice discharge port 27 can be appropriately selected. For example, it is also possible to attach the diagonal cylindrical body 52 to the ice making section with a screw or the like and connect it.
(7) The materials of the heat insulating materials 68 and 71 of the shooter 31 can be appropriately selected, but are preferably hydrophobic (waterproof) so that the heat insulating materials can be washed with the heat insulating material attached. preferable.
(8) Although the vertical cylinder 51 is divided into two, it can be divided into three or more. However, if the number is three or more, the number of parts increases, so two is preferable.
[0023]
【The invention's effect】
According to the ice making device of the present invention, the vertical cylinder can be divided into an upper member and a lower member, and the upper member and the lower member of the vertical cylinder have an oblique cylinder covered with a heat insulating material. The vertical cylinder and the oblique cylinder are connected by being sandwiched from the outside of the heat insulating material. Therefore, by separating the vertical cylinder into an upper member and a lower member, the vertical cylinder can be detached from the oblique cylinder, and can be easily removed or attached. In addition, since the oblique cylindrical body covered with the heat insulating material is sandwiched, the attaching / detaching operation can be performed without removing the heat insulating material.
[0024]
Also, since the upper end of the oblique cylinder is detachably connected to the ice discharge port, the lower member of the vertical cylinder can be attached and detached with the oblique cylinder removed. As a result, the attaching / detaching operation of the lower member can be easily performed without being hindered by the oblique cylinder.
[0025]
Furthermore, since the vertical cylinder is detachably attached to the upper wall of the ice storage compartment by the lower end portion being fitted into the ice inlet, the vertical cylinder, particularly the lower member, is pushed downward or upward. By pulling up, the vertical cylinder can be attached to the upper wall of the ice storage room. Therefore, the space for the attaching / detaching operation can be reduced as compared with the case where the vertical cylinder, particularly the lower member, is moved and detached in the horizontal direction. As a result, the ice making device can be made compact.
[0026]
The edge of the ice discharge port has a cylindrical shape, and the upper end of the oblique cylinder is detachably fitted to the cylindrical edge, so that the oblique cylinder is pulled obliquely downward. Can be easily removed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an ice making device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an ice making unit and a shooter.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are explanatory views of the upper part of the shooter, wherein FIG. 3A is a side view, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the upper part of the shooter.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Ice storage room 3 Ice storage room upper wall 4 Ice inlet 16 of ice storage room upper wall Cooler (ice making part)
19 Cooling cylinder (ice making part)
21 Auger (ice making part)
26 Top cover (ice making part)
27 Ice outlet 31 Shooter 51 Vertical cylinder 51a Upper member of vertical cylinder 51b Lower member 52 of vertical cylinder Diagonal cylinder 71 Thermal insulation

Claims (5)

An ice making unit is provided above the ice storage room, and the ice made in the ice making unit is discharged from an ice outlet at the upper part of the ice making unit, and is passed through a cylindrical shooter from an ice inlet opening to the upper wall of the ice storage room. In the ice making device that is put into the ice storage room,
The shooter includes a vertical cylinder extending vertically and having a lower end connected to an ice inlet of an upper wall of the ice storage chamber, and an oblique cylinder connecting an upper portion of the vertical cylinder and the ice discharge port. And
The vertical cylinder has a lower end portion detachably attached to the upper wall of the ice storage compartment, and can be divided into an upper member and a lower member,
The outer peripheral surface of the oblique cylinder is covered with a heat insulating material,
An ice making device characterized in that the oblique cylinder covered with the heat insulator is sandwiched between the upper and lower members of the vertical cylinder from outside the heat insulator and connected to the vertical cylinder. The ice making device according to claim 1, wherein an upper end portion of the oblique cylinder is detachably connected to an ice discharge port. The ice making device according to claim 2, wherein the vertical cylindrical body is detachably attached to an upper wall of the ice storage compartment by fitting a lower end portion of the vertical cylindrical body into an ice inlet. 4. The ice making device according to claim 2, wherein an edge of the ice discharge port has a cylindrical shape, and an upper end of the oblique cylinder is detachably fitted to the cylindrical edge. . The ice making device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ice making part is of an auger type.

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