JP2005226887A - Ice maker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve corrosion resistance, and to improve ice-making capacity, by forming an electroless nickel-plated covering on an exposed surface and covering an ice-making part and an evaporator with a corrosion-resistant covering having an electric strike-plated covering on the substrate. <P>SOLUTION: An ice-making part 12 comprises an ice-making member 14 that receives ice-making ice and generates ice in a required shape, and a evaporation tube 22 that is arranged at the ice-making member 14 and cools the ice-making member 14. The outer surfaces of the ice-making member 14 and the evaporation tube 22 are plated with a tin layer 42, and a first nickel layer 44 by electric nickel strike plating is formed on the surface of the tin layer 42. Further, a second nickel layer 46 that becomes an exposure surface by electroless nickel plating is formed on the outer surface of the first nickel layer 44. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an ice making device disposed in an ice making machine or the like that continuously produces a large amount of ice blocks.

  An automatic ice maker that continuously manufactures ice (ice block) of a required shape is suitably used in facilities such as a coffee shop and a restaurant and other kitchens. These automatic ice making machines supply ice making water from below to a large number of ice making chambers that open downward, and the ice making equipment that continuously produces ice blocks and the flow down type that causes ice making water to flow down the ice making surface. There is something with.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, there is an ice making machine equipped with a so-called open cell type ice making device 10 as an injection type automatic ice making machine. The ice making unit 11 of the ice making device 10 has a partition plate 18 arranged vertically and horizontally on the lower surface of an ice making plate 16 horizontally arranged in a storage chamber (not shown), and a large number of ice making chambers 20 opening downward are drawn in a grid pattern. The formed ice making member 14 and an evaporation pipe (evaporator) 22 arranged in close contact with the upper surface of the ice making plate 16 in the ice making member 14 and communicating with a refrigeration system (not shown). During the ice making operation, the ice making chamber 20 is forcibly cooled by circulating a refrigerant through the evaporation pipe 22. Further, the ice making water stored in the ice making water tank 28 sucked by the pump motor 26 can be sprayed into the ice making chambers 20 from the fountain holes 24 provided below corresponding to the respective positions of the ice making chambers 20. It is configured. The ice making water sprayed into the ice making chamber 20 is cooled by the inner wall surface of the ice making chamber 20 and freezes in layers to obtain ice blocks.

The evaporating pipe 22 is made of copper having excellent thermal conductivity, and heat exchange between the refrigerant circulating in the evaporating pipe 22 and the ice making member 14 can be suitably performed. In addition, a copper material is used for members such as the ice making plate 16 and the partition plate 18 constituting the ice making member 14 so as not to disturb the cooling action of the evaporation pipe 22. And the antirust process is made by forming the coating 30 of tin plating etc. on the surface of each member which comprises the said ice making parts 11, such as the said ice making plate 16, the partition plate 18, and the evaporation pipe 22 (FIG. 4). As a method for forming the tin plating film 30 on the ice making portion 11, generally, molten tin plating is employed. In this hot-tin plating, first, the opening of the evaporation tube 22 is covered with a cap to close the cap, and after brazing the cap to the evaporation tube 22, the brazed portion and its periphery are covered with heat-resistant tape. Then, after fixing the evaporating tube 22 subjected to these treatments to the upper surface of the ice making plate 16, the ice making part 11 is held in a jig and immersed in a tin bath mainly composed of molten tin, and the tin plating film 30. Form. Thereafter, the ice making section 11 is cooled for a required time, and the plating process is completed by removing the heat-resistant tape, the wax and the cap from the evaporation tube 22 (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-103826

  However, as shown in FIG. 4, the tin plating film 30 formed on the outer surface of the ice making part 11 by the molten tin plating is a right-angled corner formed by the ice making plate 16 and the partition plate 18 constituting the ice making chamber 20. In the portion, the plating remains due to the surface tension, and the remaining excess plating may be peeled off due to the growth of the ice mass and the repeated removal of the ice mass. Further, the tin plating film 30 is relatively hard to rust. However, when an oxidizing substance or the like is included in the use atmosphere, a corrosion product such as rust is generated with time, and this excessive plating or corrosion is generated. It has been reported that the product peels off. Further, in the hot-dip tin plating, it is difficult to control the thickness of the tin plating film 30, and there is a drawback that the thickness of the tin plating film 30 cannot be made uniform. Therefore, in the ice making chamber 20, there is a problem that the heat conduction speed with respect to the ice blocks is different, it takes time for the deicing operation and the ice making capacity is lowered.

  That is, the present invention has been proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems inherent in the ice making apparatus according to the prior art, and has been proposed to suitably solve these problems. An electroless nickel plating film is formed on the exposed surface, and the underlying layer is formed. An object of the present invention is to provide an ice making device capable of improving the ice making ability as well as improving the corrosion resistance by covering the ice making part with a corrosion resistant coating having an electric strike plating film.

In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems and achieve the intended purpose, an ice making device according to the present invention includes:
In an ice making device including an ice making unit that generates ice of a required shape from supplied ice making water,
A tin layer plated on the outer surface of the ice making part, and a first nickel layer plated with an electric nickel strike on the outer surface of the tin layer;
The outer surface of the first nickel layer is subjected to electroless nickel plating to form a corrosion-resistant film composed of a second nickel layer serving as an exposed surface.

  According to the ice making device of the present invention, the tin layer plated on the outer surface of the ice making part, the first nickel layer plated with the electric nickel strike on the outer surface of the tin layer, and the electroless surface on the outer surface of the first nickel layer By forming a corrosion resistant coating consisting of the second nickel layer that is exposed by nickel plating, the plating coating failure is suppressed, the corrosion resistance is improved, and the formation of excess deposits and corrosion products is suppressed. Can do. In addition, by forming the first nickel layer by electric nickel strike plating as the base of the second nickel layer by electroless nickel plating, the adhesion of the second nickel layer is improved, and the coating by the electric nickel strike plating is Since the surface is activated, there is an advantage that the second nickel layer can be suitably formed. Furthermore, the cost can be reduced by forming the second nickel layer by electroless nickel plating through the base of the tin layer and the nickel plating film by electric nickel strike plating. And about the formation of the said tin layer, the characteristic which each plating method has can be enjoyed suitably by selecting any method of hot-tin plating, electrotin plating, and electroless tin plating. That is, by selecting electro tin plating or electroless tin plating that can make the thickness of the plating film uniform, in combination with electroless nickel plating that can also make the thickness of the plating film uniform, the heat conduction is equalized, Variations in time required for ice making and deicing can be suppressed and ice making ability can be improved. Furthermore, there is an advantage that the lifetime of the evaporator is extended by coating the outer surface of the ice making member and the evaporator with a corrosion-resistant coating.

  Next, a preferred embodiment of the ice making device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. For convenience of explanation, the same components as those of the ice making device shown in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In the embodiment, an open cell type ice making device will be described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the water tray is tilted with respect to the ice making device by a drive mechanism, and the ice making device is closed during ice making operation. It may be a closed cell type, or a flow-down type ice making device for flowing ice making water on the ice making surface.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ice making unit 12 according to the embodiment includes an ice making plate 16 that is horizontally arranged inside an ice making machine, and an ice making member that is formed on a lower surface of the ice making plate 16 vertically and horizontally. 14 and an evaporation tube (evaporator) 22 arranged in a meandering manner on the upper surface of the ice making plate 16. Below the ice making plate 16 in the ice making member 14, a large number of ice making chambers 20 opened downward by the partition plate 18 are defined in a grid pattern, and an evaporation pipe 22 disposed on the upper surface of the ice making plate 16 is provided. By removing heat from the ice making plate 16 and the partition plate 18 through heat exchange with the circulating refrigerant, the ice making water sprayed and supplied to the inner wall surface of the ice making chamber 20 is frozen. The evaporation pipe 22 is a pipe made of copper having excellent thermal conductivity so that heat exchange with the refrigerant circulating inside can be effectively performed. In addition, the members such as the ice making plate 16 and the partition plate 18 constituting the ice making unit 12 are also made of a copper material so as not to disturb the cooling action of the evaporation pipe 22 disposed on the upper surface, and the heat in the ice making chamber 20 is used. It is set so that the exchange can be suitably performed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the outer surfaces of the ice making member 14 and the evaporation tube 22 constituting the ice making unit 12 are covered with a corrosion-resistant coating 40 composed of a plurality of plating coatings. Here, the outer surface of the ice making part 12 on which the corrosion-resistant coating 40 is formed refers to each member 16 when multilayer plating is performed after the members 16, 18, and 22 constituting the ice making part 12 are assembled. , 18, 22 indicates the entire outer surface excluding the joined portion, and when performing multilayer plating on each member 16, 18, 22, it indicates the outer surface of each member 16, 18, 22. The corrosion-resistant coating 40 formed by performing multilayer plating on the outer surface of the ice making portion 12 is formed by a tin layer 42 located at the lowermost layer on the outer surface side (substrate side) and electric strike plating located in the middle. It is composed of a plurality of plating films composed of a first nickel layer 44 and a second nickel layer 46 formed by electroless nickel plating located on the surface facing outward, and each layer 42, 44, 46 is required according to the use environment and the like. Set to the thickness of

  The tin layer 42 is a tin plating film directly formed on the outer surfaces of the ice making member 14 and the evaporation tube 22 constituting the ice making part 12 by electroplating using a sulfuric acid bath, for example. The tin plating film is a material that is relatively soft and rich in spreadability, and acts as a sacrificial anode with respect to copper, which is a material of the base (ice making part 12), to improve the corrosion resistance of the ice making part 12. The sulfuric acid bath includes a glossy bath and a matte bath. Since the tin layer 42 is used as a base, a matte bath is employed in the embodiment. In addition, as a method of forming the tin plating film constituting the tin layer 42, an alkaline bath using potassium stannate or the like, an electroplating such as a neutral bath, and the like can be employed. It may be hot-dip tin plating.

  The first nickel layer 44 is a nickel plating film that is coated on the outer surface of the tin layer 42 and formed by electric nickel strike plating. Here, the second nickel layer 46 by electroless nickel plating described later cannot be directly formed on the outer surface of the tin layer 42 made of the tin plating film. That is, the formation of the second nickel layer 46 is allowed by forming the first nickel layer 44 by electric strike plating on the outer surface of the tin layer 42. For example, a nickel chloride bath is used for electric nickel strike plating, which is a means for forming the first nickel layer 44.

  The second nickel layer 46 becomes an exposed surface in the corrosion-resistant coating 40 formed on the ice making part 12, and is formed by electroless nickel plating using an electroless nickel plating bath such as Kanigen plating.

  Next, the multilayer plating process of the ice making unit 12 according to the embodiment will be briefly described. In the ice making unit 12 where the multilayer plating is formed, an aspect in which the multilayer plating process is performed in a state where the ice making member 14 and the evaporation pipe 22 including the ice making plate 16 and the partition plate 18 are assembled, and the members 16, 18, After the multilayer plating process is performed on each of the members 22, the members 16, 18, 22 are assembled to form the ice making unit 12, or only the ice making member 14 with the ice making plate 16 and the partition plate 18 assembled is multilayered. Although the aspect which implements a plating process, and the aspect which implements multilayer plating process independently with the ice-making member 14 and the evaporation pipe | tube 22 can be employ | adopted, in an Example, the state which assembled | attached each member 16,18,22 previously In this embodiment, a multilayer plating process is employed. The plating process of the ice making unit 12 includes a pretreatment process for performing a necessary process such as polishing on the copper base surface (the outer surface of the ice making member 14 and the evaporation tube 22) of the ice making unit 12, and each plating layer. It is roughly divided into a plating forming process and a post-processing process for finishing after plating. The plating process is affected by the smoothness of the surface of the material and the adhesion of dirt such as oil and fat. Degreasing treatment for removing dirt such as oil and fat, pickling treatment for removing an oxide film formed on the substrate surface, and the like are performed. In addition, each process of a pre-processing process is not an indispensable process, but is suitably implemented in view of the state of the substrate surface, etc.

  The ice making part 12 that has undergone the necessary treatment in the pretreatment step is formed with the corrosion-resistant coating 40 comprising the plating layers of the tin layer 42, the first nickel layer 44, and the second nickel layer 46 in the plating formation step. . First, the tin layer 42 made of a tin plating film is formed on the outer surface of the ice making member 14 constituting the ice making unit 12 and the evaporation tube 22 disposed on the ice making member 14 by electroplating using a sulfuric acid bath. . That is, in a sulfuric acid bath prepared by adjusting stannous sulfate or sulfuric acid to have a required composition, the tin piece is used as an anode and the ice making unit 12 is connected and immersed so as to be a cathode. By applying a voltage, a tin plating film is formed on the outer surface of the ice making part 12. Next, a first nickel layer 44 made of a nickel plating film is formed on the outer surface of the tin layer 42 formed on the ice making unit 12 by electric strike plating using a nickel chloride bath. That is, in a nickel chloride bath prepared and adjusted to have a required composition of nickel chloride, hydrochloric acid or the like, with the nickel piece as an anode and the ice making part 12 connected and immersed so as to become a cathode By applying a voltage at a current density higher than the normal current density, a nickel plating film is formed on the outer surface of the tin layer 42 formed on the ice making part 12. When forming the tin layer 42 and the first nickel layer 44, the ice making part 12 has a complicated shape in which the ice making plate 16 and the partition plate 18 are assembled. A uniform plating film can be formed.

  Then, the outer surface of the first nickel layer 44 formed on the ice making part 12 is subjected to electroless nickel plating using an electroless nickel plating bath, and the second nickel serving as an exposed surface of the corrosion-resistant coating 40 in the ice making part 12. Layer 46 is formed. That is, the ice making part 12 itself is a catalyst by immersing the ice making part 12 to be plated in a plating bath in which sodium hypophosphite, nickel sulfate or the like is adjusted to have a required composition. Then, the reduction reaction proceeds and the nickel cation in the plating bath is reduced to form a second nickel layer 46 made of a nickel alloy on the outer surface of the first nickel layer 44. Finally, in the post-processing step, the corrosion-resistant coating 40 made of a multilayer plating coating formed on the outer surface of the ice making part 12 is finished. In the post-treatment step, the plating solution adhering to the ice making unit 12 is completely removed with water, a solvent, an activator, etc., and the water remaining in the ice making unit 12 by the washing treatment is removed by hot air or centrifugation. The drying process removed by a means is implemented. In addition, when each plating process in the plating forming process is completed, processes such as washing and drying are performed to prevent the plating solution from being brought into the next process.

(Effects of Example)
Next, the operation of the ice making device according to the embodiment will be described. The second nickel layer 46 formed by electroless nickel plating is much more difficult to peel off than the electronickel plating film formed by electroplating, and does not generate pyri. Further, since the second nickel layer 46 is an alloy, it is not affected at all by most organic solvents, exhibits good corrosion resistance against organic acids, salts, alkalis, and the like, and has an advantage that it is very resistant to rust. is there. By the way, if the first and second nickel layers 44 and 46 are directly formed on the ice making part 12 composed of the copper ice making plate 16, the partition plate 18 and the evaporation tube 22, the effective corrosion resistance is not exhibited depending on the use environment. There is. Therefore, as in the embodiment, a tin layer 42 made of a tin plating film is formed in advance on the outer surface of the ice making portion 12 as a base in advance, and nickel plating is applied to the outer surface to thereby form a first layer formed by nickel plating. The first and second nickel layers 44 and 46 exhibit suitable corrosion resistance and can effectively prevent pitting corrosion. Accordingly, in the ice making chamber 20, the generation of corrosion products such as rust over time can be suppressed, and pinholes due to the corrosion of the evaporation tube 22 can be prevented, so that claims due to refrigerant leakage can be reduced. .

  In the electroless nickel plating, when the ice making part 12 in which a required base plating film (the tin layer 42 and the first nickel layer 44) is formed in a plating bath is immersed, the plating reaction continuously occurs only on the surface immersed in the plating solution. Therefore, the electroless nickel plating is uniformly applied to the surface in contact with the plating solution regardless of the shape. Therefore, at the right-angled corner portion formed by the ice making plate 16 and the partition plate 18, the surplus of plating is not peeled off due to surface tension, but the remaining surplus is peeled off by repeated growth of the ice lump or separation of the ice lump. There is no end. Further, since the thickness of the second nickel layer 46 is formed uniformly, uniform heat conduction is performed in all parts of the ice making chamber 20, and there is no variation in ice making and deicing operations. Therefore, it can drive | operate efficiently and can improve ice making capacity.

  Prior to forming the second nickel layer 46, the first nickel layer 44 is formed by electric nickel strike plating, so that the formation of the second nickel layer 46 by the electroless nickel plating having a slow film formation speed is performed. It can complement and improve the manufacturing speed. That is, the plating time can be shortened by reducing the thickness of the second nickel layer 46. In addition, the lifetime of the relatively expensive electroless nickel plating solution can be improved, the precipitation of impurities can be prevented, and the cost can be reduced. Further, by forming the second nickel layer 46 by electroless nickel plating on the base of the first nickel layer 44 by electric nickel strike plating, the adhesion of the second nickel layer 46 is improved and the electric nickel strike plating is performed. Since the coating by activates the surface, there is an advantage that the second nickel layer 46 can be suitably formed.

  In the embodiment, the corrosion resistant coating 40 is not formed only on the outer surface of the ice making member 14 which is the ice making surface of the ice block, but the outer surface of the evaporation tube 22 is also covered with the corrosion resistant coating 40, There is an advantage that the corrosion resistance is improved and the lifetime of the evaporation tube 22 is extended.

  In the embodiment, the tin layer 42 is formed by electrotin plating. However, the present invention is not limited to this method, and electroless tin plating or hot tin plating may be used. Electroless tin plating is a method in which tin ions in a plating solution are deposited on the surface of the ice making part 12 by the action of a reducing agent to form a tin plating film on the surface of the ice making part 12. Electrotin plating and electroless tin plating have the advantage that a plating film can be uniformly formed on the ice making part 12. Particularly, electroless tin plating has a reaction that occurs continuously on the surface immersed in the plating solution. An electroless tin plating film can be uniformly formed on the surface in contact with the liquid regardless of the shape. In addition, as described in the conventional example, the hot tin plating is performed by immersing the ice making part 12 in a tin bath mainly composed of molten tin, so that tin is solidified on the surface of the ice making part 12. Thus, a tin plating film is formed. In general, the thickness of the tin layer 42 is thicker than that of electroplating, but is excellent in anticorrosion properties, and therefore effective when heavy anticorrosion is required. As described above, by selecting any one of hot tin plating, electrotin plating and electroless tin plating for the formation of the tin layer 42, the characteristics of the respective plating methods can be suitably enjoyed. That is, by selecting electro tin plating or electroless tin plating that can make the thickness of the plating film uniform, in combination with electroless nickel plating that can also make the thickness of the plating film uniform, the heat conduction is equalized, Variations in time required for ice making and deicing can be suppressed and ice making ability can be improved.

It is sectional drawing which shows the ice making part which concerns on the suitable Example of this invention. It is the X section enlarged view of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the ice making apparatus provided with the ice making part which concerns on a prior art. It is an enlarged view which shows the Y section of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 Ice making part, 14 Ice making member, 22 Evaporator (evaporation pipe), 42 Tin layer 44 1st nickel layer, 46 2nd nickel layer

Claims (3)

In an ice making device including an ice making unit (12) that generates ice of a required shape from supplied ice making water,
A tin layer (42) plated on the outer surface of the ice making part (12), and a first nickel layer (44) plated with electric nickel strike on the outer surface of the tin layer (42);
An ice making device characterized in that an electroless nickel plating is applied to the outer surface of the first nickel layer (44) to form an anticorrosion film (40) comprising a second nickel layer (46) as an exposed surface.   The ice making device according to claim 1, wherein the tin layer (42) is formed by any one of hot tin plating, electro tin plating and electroless tin plating. The ice making section (12) comprises an ice making member (14) for generating ice, and an evaporator (22) disposed on the ice making member (14) for cooling the ice making member (14). Item 3. An ice making apparatus according to item 1 or 2.

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