JP2010032204A - Auger-type ice making machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve rotating efficiency of an auger by a driving means. <P>SOLUTION: The ice making mechanism 30 has a cylindrical refrigerating casing 64 provided with an ice making face 64a cooled by a refrigerating mechanism on its inner peripheral face, and an auger 50 provided with a separating blade 54 on an outer peripheral face 52a faced to the ice making face 64a, and disposed inside of a refrigerating casing 64 rotatably on a line vertically extending. The ice making mechanism 30 is constituted to separate and convey the ice produced on the ice making face 64a by the separating blade 54 of the auger 50 rotated and driven by a driving means 76. A driving means 76 is disposed at an upper part of the refrigerating casing 64, and an output shaft 77 of the driving means 76 is connected to a power transmitting section 58 from an upper side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an auger type ice making machine provided with an ice making mechanism having an refrigeration casing provided with an ice making surface to be cooled and an auger provided with a peeling blade facing the ice making surface.

  As an ice making machine, an auger type ice making machine capable of producing a large amount of ice such as chip ice or flake ice is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). As shown in FIG. 32, the ice making mechanism 10 of the auger type ice making machine is arranged on the base 11 side by side in the lateral direction of the driving means 12 such as a geared motor. The ice making mechanism 10 includes a cylindrical refrigeration casing 14 coaxially disposed on an upper portion of a cylindrical housing 13 and an auger 16 accommodated inside the refrigeration casing 14. The auger 16 has a lower shaft portion 16 a housed in the housing 13 and supported by a lower bearing 18 provided in the housing 13, and an upper shaft portion 16 b provided in the upper portion of the refrigeration casing 14. Supported by The lower shaft portion 16a of the auger 16 is arranged so as to protrude to the side of the driving means 12 in the base 11, and is against a metal output shaft that is rotated by the driving means 12 via a transmission means such as a gear. Are connected via a metal coupling (both not shown) and are driven to rotate by the drive means 12. In addition, the auger 16 includes a peeling blade 17 that is entirely made of a metal material such as stainless steel and is spirally provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body. The cutting edge of the peeling blade 17 is the inner circumference of the refrigeration casing 14. It faces the ice making surface 14a constituted by a surface in a non-contact state.

  The refrigeration casing 14 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, and a cooling pipe 20 that constitutes an evaporator of a refrigeration circuit (not shown) is spirally wound around the outer peripheral surface, and heat exchange with a refrigerant flowing through the cooling pipe 20 is performed. The refrigeration casing 14 is cooled. Further, a water supply pipe 22 communicating with the ice making water tank 21 is connected to the lower part of the freezing casing 14 so that the ice making water supplied from the ice making water tank 21 is filled inside the freezing casing 14. In the ice making mechanism 10, since the ice making water is filled in the refrigeration casing 14, a mechanical seal 23 that allows the auger 16 to rotate is provided at the connection portion between the refrigeration casing 14 and the housing 13, and the ice making water leaks to the output shaft side. Configured not to.

  The ice making mechanism 10 supplies ice making water in the ice making water tank 21 to the inside of the refrigeration casing 14 through the water supply pipe 22 and then cools the refrigeration casing 14 by the cooling pipe 20, so that the ice making surface 14 a has ice. Is generated. When the auger 16 is rotated by driving the driving means 12, the peeling blade 17 peels off the ice generated on the ice making surface 14 a of the refrigeration casing 14, and this ice is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the auger 16 and the ice making surface 14 a. It conveys upward with the peeling blade 17 through the clearance gap between. The ice conveyed upward is pushed by the downwardly conveyed ice and compressed by the fixed blade 24 provided on the upper part of the refrigeration casing 14, and then connected to the upper side of the ice making mechanism 10. It is pushed out by the discharge chute 26 and transferred to an ice storage chamber (not shown) through the ice discharge chute 26.

Japanese Utility Model Publication 8-3897

  The ice making mechanism 10 is configured to push up the ice peeled off by the rotation of the auger 16, and the amount of ice transport increases and the rotational load of the auger 16 increases as it goes upward of the refrigeration casing 14. That is, when the auger 16 is rotationally driven from the lower side of the refrigeration casing 14, a portion having a high rotational load cannot be appropriately driven, and the efficiency is poor.

  That is, the present invention has been proposed in order to suitably solve these problems inherent in the auger type ice making machine according to the prior art, and an auger type ice making machine capable of efficiently rotating the auger is provided. The purpose is to provide.

In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems and achieve the intended purpose, an auger type ice making machine according to claim 1 of the present application is
An ice making mechanism comprising: a cylindrical refrigeration casing having an ice making surface to be cooled provided on a peripheral surface; and an auger having an axis extending vertically to be rotatable with respect to the refrigeration casing. In an auger type ice making machine that supplies ice making water to generate ice on the ice making surface, peels off the ice with a peeling blade of an auger that is rotationally driven by a driving means, and conveys it,
The auger includes a cylindrical auger body that protrudes from a first peripheral surface facing the ice making surface of the refrigeration casing and is provided with the peeling blade, and a power transmission unit provided on an upper end surface of the auger body. ,
The driving means is arranged above the refrigeration casing, and an output shaft of the driving means is connected to the power transmission unit from above.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the driving means is provided above the auger, and the rotational driving force is transmitted via the power transmission unit connected to the upper side of the auger body having the highest rotational load. That is, the ice making mechanism can smoothly rotate the auger by applying the rotational force of the driving means from the side where the rotational load of the auger body is large.

In the invention which concerns on Claim 2, the ice discharge path which guides the ice conveyed by the said peeling blade to the upper part of the said freezing casing out of the said ice making mechanism is provided inside the said auger main body,
The power transmission unit includes a partition wall that protrudes upward around a shaft groove into which the output shaft is inserted.
According to the invention which concerns on Claim 2, the water etc. which flow down along an output shaft can be received by a partition wall, and the outflow to an ice discharge path can be prevented.

In the invention which concerns on Claim 3, the said drive means is supported by the mount installed in the upper side of the said freezing casing,
The gantry is formed in a cylindrical shape having a lower opening that aligns with the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing and a hole that allows insertion of the output shaft on the upper end surface on which the driving means is placed. The gist is to be fitted and fixed to the upper part of the refrigeration casing.
According to the invention which concerns on Claim 3, since a mount frame is positioned in the upper part of a freezing casing, the axial shift of an output shaft and an auger can be prevented.

  According to the auger type ice making machine according to the present invention, the auger can be efficiently rotated.

1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an ice making mechanism and a water supply mechanism of an auger type ice making machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the ice making mechanism of an Example. It is a perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the ice making mechanism of an Example. It is a perspective view which shows the freezing casing which accommodated the auger of the Example. It is a perspective view which cuts and shows the freezing casing which accommodated the auger of the Example. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the principal part of the ice making mechanism of an Example. It is a perspective view which shows the auger of an Example. It is a top view which shows the auger of an Example. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the auger of an Example. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which expands and shows the peeling blade of the auger of an Example. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the frozen casing of an Example. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the example of a change of an ice making mechanism. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the 1st modification of a bearing structure. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the 2nd modification of a bearing structure. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the 3rd modification of a bearing structure. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the 4th modification of a bearing structure. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the 1st modification of an auger. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the 2nd modification of an auger. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the example of a change of a water supply structure. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the example of a change of the support structure of a drive means. It is a top view which shows the example of a change of a guide member. It is a perspective view which shows the 1st modification of a power transmission part, (a) shows the state which decomposed | disassembled the spoke part and the connection boss | hub part, (b) is the state which assembled | attached the spoke part and the connection boss | hub part to the auger main body Indicates. It is a perspective view which shows the 2nd modification of a power transmission part, Comprising: (a) shows the state which decomposed | disassembled the connection boss | hub part, (b) shows the state which assembled | attached the connection boss | hub part to the spoke part. It is a perspective view which shows the 3rd modification of a power transmission part. It is a perspective view which shows the 4th example of a power transmission part, Comprising: (a) shows the state which decomposed | disassembled the adjustment part and the connection boss | hub part, (b) is the state which assembled | attached the adjustment part and the connection boss | hub part to the spoke part Indicates. It is a perspective view which shows the 5th example of a power transmission part, Comprising: (a) shows the state which decomposed | disassembled the connection boss | hub part, (b) shows the state which assembled | attached the connection boss | hub part to the spoke part. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the ice making mechanism which concerns on another example of a change. It is a perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the ice making mechanism which concerns on another example of a change. It is a perspective view which shows the ice making mechanism which concerns on another modified example in the state which removed the guide member, the mount frame, and the drive means. It is a perspective view which shows the mount frame of the ice making mechanism which concerns on another modification, Comprising: (a) is the state which closed the window part, (b) shows the state which opened the window part. It is a perspective view which shows the guide member of the ice making mechanism which concerns on another modification, Comprising: (a) is in the state which closed the cover, (b) shows the state which the cover opened. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the ice making mechanism of the conventional auger type ice making machine.

  Next, an auger type ice making machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of preferred embodiments.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the auger type ice making machine according to the embodiment includes an ice making mechanism 30 that generates ice, and a water supply mechanism 80 that supplies ice making water supplied from a water supply means W connected to an external water source to the ice making mechanism 30. And a refrigeration mechanism (not shown) that constitutes a refrigeration circuit that cools the refrigeration casing 64 of the ice making mechanism 30. The ice making mechanism 30 is disposed above an ice storage chamber (not shown) defined in the ice making machine body, and ice falling from the ice making mechanism 30 is stored in the ice storage chamber.

  The ice making mechanism 30 is disposed on a base 32 fixed inside the ice making machine main body (see FIG. 1 or FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 3, the ice making mechanism 30 includes a water supply part 34 that receives the ice making water supplied from the water supply mechanism 80, a bearing portion 44 that is placed and fixed on the water supply part 34, and an axis line on the bearing portion 44. The auger 50 is arranged so as to be rotatable with respect to the refrigeration casing 64, the cylindrical refrigeration casing 64 is disposed outside the auger 50, and a guide member that covers the upper portion of the refrigeration casing 64. 74 and the main body portion are basically configured. Here, in the ice making mechanism 30 of the embodiment, the auger 50 is rotatably accommodated in the accommodating space 65 defined in the cylindrical refrigeration casing 64, and the outer peripheral surface (first peripheral surface) 52a of the auger 50 is accommodated. Faces the ice making surface (inner peripheral surface of the freezing casing 64) 64a that defines the housing space 65 in the freezing casing 64 (see FIG. 5 or FIG. 6). Further, the ice making mechanism 30 includes driving means 76 such as a geared motor that rotationally drives the auger 50, and the auger 50 is rotated in the accommodation space 65 of the refrigeration casing 64 by the driving means 76.

  In the ice making mechanism 30, the ice making water supplied from the water supply mechanism 80 freezes on the ice making surface 64 a of the refrigeration casing 64 cooled by the refrigeration mechanism, and the ice making surface is formed by the peeling blade 54 of the auger 50 rotated by the driving means 76. Configured to peel 64a ice. Further, the ice making mechanism 30 pushes up the transported space 57 between the ice making surface 64 a and the outer peripheral surface 52 a of the auger 50 upward by the peeling blade 54 while the auger 50 rotates, and the freezing casing 64, the guide member 74, In the ice collecting section S provided between the two, the guide member 74 guides the ice to the rotation center side and discharges the ice into the ice storage chamber through the ice discharge path 35a provided to open to the rotation center of the auger 50. (See FIG. 6). In addition, the ice making mechanism 30 covers the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 64 with a heat insulating material (not shown) such as polyurethane foam, and suppresses heat in and out of the refrigeration casing 64.

  The base 32 is formed in a trapezoidal shape with legs 32b and 32b hanging from both side edges of the installation part 32a where the ice making mechanism 30 is installed, and the legs 32b and 32b are fixed inside the ice making machine main body. It is arranged at the upper part of the ice storage room. In addition, a passage port 32c penetrating vertically is provided in the central portion of the installation portion 32a in the base 32, and ice discharged from the ice discharge path 35a of the ice making mechanism 30 falls into the ice storage chamber via the passage port 32c. It is like that. Note that the base 32 of the embodiment is formed by bending a metal plate material.

  The water supply part 34 is a molded product of synthetic resin and functions as an introduction part of ice making water from the water supply mechanism 80, and the auger 50 and the freezing casing 64 are placed via the bearing part 44 and the bearing part 44. It also functions as a basic part (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 3, the water supply part 34 includes a hollow cylindrical main body 35 whose upper and lower end surfaces are open, and a flange portion 36 that extends outward in the radial direction of the cylindrical main body 35 at the lower end of the cylindrical main body 35. Provided. The water supply part 34 is erected with the lower opening of the cylindrical main body 35 aligned with the passage port 32c of the base 32, and the flange portion 36 placed on the installation portion 32a of the base 32 is fixed to the installation portion 32a. The water supply part 34 has an ice discharge path 35a for guiding the ice peeled off by the auger 50 and pushed up above the refrigeration casing 64 from the ice collecting section S to the ice storage chamber by a hollow portion penetrating up and down of the cylindrical main body 35. Is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the flange portion 36 is formed with a dam portion 37 that is formed to rise over the entire outer periphery of the flange portion 36, and is formed to be spaced apart from the inside of the dam portion 37. A positioning protrusion 38 is provided. The weir portion 37 is formed higher than the positioning protrusion 38, and the bottom surface of the drain groove 36 a formed between the weir 37 and the positioning protrusion 38 has a bearing portion 44 provided in the inner region of the positioning protrusion 38. It is lower than the placement surface 36b to be placed. The positioning protrusion 38 is aligned with the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 64 placed on the bearing portion 44 placed on the placement surface 36b of the flange portion 36, and restricts the movement of the refrigeration casing 64 in the radial direction. It is configured as follows. Further, a sealing groove 36 c that accommodates a sealing material 39 such as an O-ring or a square ring is recessed on the mounting surface 36 b of the flange portion 36 so as to surround the cylindrical main body 35.

  In the flange portion 36, a water supply recess 36d that is recessed below the placement surface 36b is formed inside the seal groove 36c in contact with the entire lower end of the cylindrical body 35. And the water supply part 40 to which the water supply pipe | tube 83 connected to the ice making water tank 81 of the water supply mechanism 80 is connected is provided in the bottom part of the flange part 36, and the water supply opening 40a of this water supply part 40 opens to the water supply recessed part 36d. Arranged to do. In addition, a drainage portion 41 communicating with a drainage groove 36 a between the weir portion 37 and the positioning protrusion 38 is formed on the dam portion 37 of the flange portion 36 so as to protrude outward. A drain pipe (not shown) is connected. Here, in the water supply part 34 of the embodiment, the water supply part 40 and the drainage part 41 are arranged in a symmetrical positional relationship with the cylindrical main body 35 interposed therebetween (see FIG. 1). In addition, the installation part 32a of the base 32 is provided with notches 32d and 32d corresponding to the water supply part 40 and the drainage part 41 of the water supply part 34, and the connection of the water supply pipe 83 to the water supply part 40 and the drainage pipe to the drainage part 41. Is easy to connect.

  The bearing portion 44 is a rigid member that rotatably supports the auger 50, and is formed of a metal material such as stainless steel in the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the bearing portion 44 is provided at a hollow cylindrical shaft portion 45 whose upper and lower end faces are open, and a lower end of the shaft portion 45, and is lowered as it goes from the radially inner side to the outer side of the shaft portion 45. The taper part 46 which inclines, and the mounting part 47 extended and formed in the radial direction outer side at the inclination lower end of this taper part 46 are provided. In addition, a plurality of water supply holes 48 penetrating in the inner and outer directions of the shaft portion 45 are provided in the lower portion of the shaft portion 45 so as to be spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the shaft portion 45 (in the embodiment, four locations at intervals of 90 °). ing. The bearing portion 44 covers the shaft portion 45 so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body 35 of the water supply part 34, and the mounting portion 47 mounted on the mounting surface 36 b of the flange portion 36 is attached to the flange portion 36. By fixing to the water supply part 34, it is attached coaxially. Here, when the bearing portion 44 is attached to the water supply part 34, the water supply hole 48 and the water supply recess are provided between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 35 in the water supply part 34 and the inner peripheral surface of the shaft portion 45 in the bearing portion 44. A return space 42 communicating with 36d is defined (see FIG. 6). And the ice making water introduced from the water supply part 40 of the water supply part 34 is comprised so that it may distribute | circulate to the outer side of the bearing part 44 through the water supply recessed part 36d, the return space 42, and the water supply hole 48. FIG. The space between the mounting portion 47 of the bearing portion 44 and the mounting surface 36b of the flange portion 36 is sealed with a sealing material 39 accommodated in the seal groove 36c. Further, the bearing portion 44 is configured such that, when attached to the water supply part 34, the upper end of the shaft portion 45 is substantially the same height as the upper end of the cylindrical body 35 in the water supply part 34.

  As shown in FIG. 5 or 7, the auger 50 has a peeling blade 54 on an outer peripheral surface (first peripheral surface) 52 a facing the ice making surface 64 a of the refrigeration casing 64, and is rotatably held by the bearing portion 44. The auger body 52 is provided, and a power transmission unit 58 provided on the upper portion of the auger body 52 and serving as a connection portion with the driving means 76. Here, in the auger 50 according to the embodiment, an auger main body 52 and a power transmission portion 58 excluding a blade edge portion 56 described later of the peeling blade 54 are integrally formed from a synthetic resin.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the auger main body 52 has a shape based on a hollow cylindrical shape that opens up and down, and has an axial space 52c that penetrates in the axial direction of the cylindrical shape on the inside, and an outer peripheral surface. A peeling blade 54 is spirally provided on 52a. The shaft space 52 c of the auger body 52 is set to a size that matches the outer diameter of the shaft portion 45 of the bearing portion 44, and the auger 50 is coaxial with the bearing portion 44 by fitting the shaft space 52 c to the shaft portion 45. Attached. A mounting piece 52d extending radially outward is provided on the outer periphery of the lower end of the auger main body 52 over the entire periphery. When the auger 50 is attached to the bearing portion 44, the mounting piece 52d is mounted on the bearing portion. 44 is placed on the placement portion 47. Furthermore, an inclined portion 52e formed obliquely so as to incline downward from the inner side in the radial direction to the outer side is provided on the inner periphery of the lower end of the auger body 52 (lower opening edge of the axial space 52c). When attached to the portion 44, the inclined portion 52 e overlaps the upper side of the tapered portion 46 of the bearing portion 44. The auger 50 is configured to be mounted on the mounting portion 47 of the bearing portion 44, and the rotating shaft or the like does not protrude downward through the water supply part 34. Furthermore, a flange-like piece 52f extending radially inward is provided on the inner periphery of the upper end of the auger body 52 over the entire circumference, and when the auger 50 is attached to the bearing portion 44, the shaft of the bearing portion 44 is provided. The upper portion of the portion 45 is covered with a hook-shaped piece 52f. Here, the upper opening edge of the shaft space 52 c defined by the inner peripheral edge of the bowl-shaped piece 52 f is directly above the return space 42 provided between the shaft portion 45 of the bearing portion 44 and the cylindrical body 35 of the water supply part 34. (Refer to FIG. 6). Thereby, melted ice water or the like dripping from the inner peripheral edge of the bowl-shaped piece 52f is received in the return space 42, and dripping into the ice storage chamber can be prevented.

  Thus, the ice making mechanism 30 has a sliding bearing structure in which the auger 50 slides with respect to the bearing portion 44. That is, the auger 50 is subjected to a radial load applied radially inward from the peeling blade 54 that peels ice formed on the ice making surface of the refrigeration casing 64 to the auger body 52 during the ice making operation of the ice making mechanism 30. The auger body 52 is supported by the shaft portion 45 of the bearing portion 44 that is in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface (second peripheral surface) 52b that defines the shaft space 52c. Here, the shaft portion 45 of the bearing portion 44 is configured to extend over the inner peripheral surface 52b of the auger main body 52, and is loaded from the peeling blade 54 on the outer peripheral surface 52a side of the auger main body 52. However, it is appropriately received by the shaft portion 45 that extends on the inner peripheral surface 52b side across the auger body 52 so as to intersect the radial load input direction. That is, during the ice making operation, the ice on the ice making surface 64a can be suitably peeled off by the peeling blade 54 without the auger body 52 being deformed. Further, by adopting a configuration in which the radial load applied to the auger main body 52 is supported by the shaft portion 45, the rigidity required for the auger main body 52 itself can be reduced. Furthermore, since the auger body 52 and the bearing portion 44 are in sliding contact with each other and the mutual contact area can be increased, the surface pressure can be reduced and the mutual wear can be suppressed. Therefore, even if the auger main body 52 is formed of a synthetic resin, it can be fully used. Further, the auger 50 is peeled off via a conveyance space 57 defined between the outer peripheral surface 52a of the auger body 52 and the ice making surface 64a of the refrigeration casing 64 during the ice making operation of the ice making mechanism 30 and the auger 50 itself. A thrust load applied in the axial direction when the ice is pushed upward by the blade 54 is supported by the mounting portion 47 on which the mounting piece 52d is mounted.

  The auger 50 is configured such that the inclined portion 52e of the auger body 52 is supported by the tapered portion 46 that inclines toward the bottom from the top, so that the radial movement and the downward movement of the inclined portion 52e are as follows. Is regulated by the tapered portion 46 (see FIG. 5). That is, the auger 50 is configured such that both the thrust load and the radial load described above are supported by the tapered portion 46 of the bearing portion 44. In the auger 50, even if the sliding contact portion between the inner peripheral surface 52b of the auger main body 52 and the shaft portion 45 of the bearing portion 44 is worn and a gap is generated between them, the inclined portion 52e of the auger main body 52 is the tapered portion 46. Therefore, the rotation center of the auger main body 52 can be displaced so as to be the same as the axis center of the bearing portion 44. As described above, in the slide bearing structure of the embodiment, the axial shift of the auger 50 with respect to the bearing portion 44 hardly occurs, and problems such as interference between the ice making surface 64a of the refrigeration casing 64 and the peeling blade 54 due to the axial shift of the auger 50 are avoided. Can do. Further, the sliding bearing structure of the embodiment can easily align the shafts of the auger 50 and the bearing portion 44 by fitting the shaft space 52c to the shaft portion 45 of the bearing portion 44, and is excellent in assembling workability. .

  The portion of the auger body 52 that is in sliding contact with the bearing portion 44 is formed of a self-lubricating material. Accordingly, the auger 50 is configured such that the auger body 52 is directly supported by the bearing portion 44 and slides on the bearing portion 44 during the ice making operation, but the sliding load between the auger body 52 and the bearing portion 44 is reduced. Thus, heat generation and wear of both can be suppressed, and the driving load on the driving means 76 can be reduced. Here, the auger main body 52 of the embodiment is formed of a synthetic resin material having self-lubricating properties as a whole except for the cutting edge portion 56 of the peeling blade 54. Here, as synthetic resin materials, for example, POM (polyacetal), PA (polyamide), PC (polycarbonate), PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PEEK (polyether) Etherketone) or PE (polyethylene) is used, and the auger body 52 of the embodiment uses PPS.

  In the auger body 52, a supply recess 52g is provided over the entire circumference by denting the inner peripheral surface 52b at a position overlapping the water supply hole 48 of the bearing portion 44 in the lower portion of the inner peripheral surface 52b. (See FIG. 6). The auger body 52 is provided with a plurality of supply holes 53 penetrating in the inner and outer directions of the auger body 52 so as to open at positions corresponding to the supply recesses 52g and spaced in the circumferential direction. In the auger main body 52 of the embodiment, the supply holes 53 are arranged at six positions spaced apart by 60 ° in the circumferential direction of the auger main body 52, and each of the supply holes 53 is out of the extending position of the peeling blade 54. (See FIG. 7). The water supply hole 48 of the bearing portion 44 and the supply recess 52g communicate with each other, and the supply recess 52g and the supply hole 53 communicate with each other, so that the ice making water is formed on the outer peripheral surface 52a of the auger body 52 and the ice casing 64. Supplied between the surface 64a.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the auger body 52 is provided with a plurality of (two in the embodiment) peeling blades 54, 54 on the outer peripheral surface 52 a facing the ice making surface 64 a of the refrigeration casing 64. The auger body 52 has an outer diameter set to be smaller than the inner diameter of the storage space 65 in the refrigeration casing 64 in consideration of the ice transfer space 57, and the outer peripheral surface excluding the ice making surface 64a of the refrigeration casing 64 and the peeling blade 54 in the auger body 52. A conveyance space 57 is defined between the two and 52a (see FIG. 5). On the other hand, each peeling blade 54 is provided so as to protrude from the outer peripheral surface 52 a of the auger main body 52, and when the auger 50 is assembled to the bearing portion 44, the cutting edge 56 a and the refrigeration casing 64 that become the ice peeling position in the peeling blade 54. The ice making surface 64a is opposed to the ice making surface 64a with a slight clearance.

  Each of the peeling blades 54 is provided in a spiral shape with an appropriate lead angle α so as to wind from the front side to the rear side in the rotational direction of the auger 50 as it goes from top to bottom on the outer peripheral surface 52a of the auger body 52. (See FIG. 7). In addition, the peeling blade 54 of an Example is formed in the outer peripheral surface 52a of the auger main body 52 over substantially half circumference (about 180 degrees) (refer FIG. 8). In the auger body 52 of the embodiment, the two peeling blades 54, 54 are arranged so as to be 180 ° out of phase, and the upper end of each peeling blade 54 will be described later on the upper end surface of the auger body 52. It is located in the vicinity of the front side in the rotational direction of the part to which the spoke part 59 is connected. As described above, the ice making mechanism 30 peels the ice on the ice making surface 64a of the refrigeration casing 64 by the peeling blade 54 of the auger 50, and also causes the spiral peeling blade 54 to pass ice through the transport space 57 as the auger 50 rotates. Are transported upward. Accordingly, the amount of ice to be conveyed increases in the upper part of the auger body 52, and a load is applied to the peeling blade 54 as compared with the lower part of the auger body 52. Therefore, the upper end of each peeling blade 54 is arranged in the vicinity of the front side in the rotational direction of the portion to which the spoke portion 59 of the power transmission portion 58 of the auger body 52 is connected, and the power corresponding to the upper portion where the load on the peeling blade 54 is applied. By transmitting, the ice can be appropriately peeled and transported.

  The lead angle α is an angle formed by an extension line of the cutting edge 56a and a horizontal line in the peeling blade 54 spirally connected to the auger body 52, and is used for transporting ice peeled by the peeling blade 54. Related parameters (see FIG. 7). That is, when the lead angle α of the peeling blade 54 increases (the peeling blade 54 stands in the vertical direction), the thrust load applied to the peeling blade 54 decreases, but the rotation required to transport ice upward. Deterrence increases. On the other hand, when the lead angle α of the peeling blade 54 is small (the peeling blade 54 is tilted in the lateral direction), the thrust load applied to the peeling blade 54 increases, but it is necessary for conveying ice upward. Rotation deterrence force is reduced. The lead angle α of the peeling blade 54 is desirably set in a range of 23 ° to 68 °, and is set to 45 ° in the embodiment. Here, the rotation deterring force is a force that acts to prevent the ice from co-rotating in the circumferential direction with the rotation of the auger 50, and the ice is moved upward through the transport space 57 as the auger 50 rotates. Necessary for transportation. The rotation deterring force is applied to the ice by the irregularities described later provided on the ice making surface 64a of the refrigeration casing 64.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the peeling blade 54 is formed in a cross-sectional chevron shape that is tapered so as to protrude radially outward from the outer peripheral surface 52 a of the auger body 52, and sandwiches a ridge line that becomes the blade edge 56 a The skirts of the opposing support surfaces 55 a and 55 b are formed so as to be smoothly connected to the outer peripheral surface 52 a of the auger body 52. In other words, the peeling blade 54 is separated from each other as the support surfaces 55a and 55b facing vertically with the blade edge 56a facing the ice making surface 64a are spaced from the blade edge 56a toward the outer peripheral surface 52a of the auger body 52. 52a is configured to be continuous with the curve. And each support surface 55a is formed so that it may extend along the ice-making surface 64a side or the said line from the line which passes along the blade edge 56a with the blade edge angle (beta) which the blade edge surface of the peeling blade 54 and the ice-making surface 64a make.

  Here, in the peeling blade 54 of the embodiment, a blade edge 56 a is configured by a base portion 55 that is continuous with the auger body 52 and a separate blade edge portion 56. In the peeling blade 54 of the embodiment, an installation concave portion is provided over a ridge line on a part of the upper support surface 55a of the base portion 55, and the blade edge portion 56 is fitted into the installation concave portion so that screws, insert molding, adhesion, caulking, or these It is fixed by an appropriate means by combination. As shown in FIG. 10, the blade edge portion 56 is a plate-like body made of metal such as stainless steel, and the lower edge of the blade edge portion 56 is a ridge line formed by the upper support surface 55a and the lower support surface 55b. A corner portion facing the ice making surface 64a at the lower edge of the blade edge portion 56 is the blade edge 56a. That is, in the peeling blade 54, the portion including the cutting edge 56a for peeling the ice on the ice making surface 64a is made of a metal material having excellent wear resistance, while the base portion 55 and the auger body 52 are formed of a synthetic resin. The life of the peeling blade 54 can be improved, and the auger body 52 as a whole can be reduced in weight. In addition, since only the blade edge portion 56 can be replaced, the maintenance cost can be reduced, and the reliability of the blade edge 56a can be appropriately maintained.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the peeling blade 54 includes an ice making surface 64 a of the refrigeration casing 64 extending in the vertical direction, a cutting edge surface (the cutting edge 56 a, and the extreme oblique side close to the cutting edge 56 a on the upper oblique side of the base portion 55. The blade edge angle β formed by the surface connecting the points and the upper surface of the blade edge portion 56 in the embodiment is set at an appropriate angle so that the ice formed on the ice making surface 64a can be peeled stably. The cutting edge angle β is set to an acute angle, and is about 15 ° in the embodiment.

  The peeling blade 54 is configured such that the angle formed between the support surfaces 55a and 55b of the base portion 55 and the ice making surface 64a of the refrigeration casing 64 is the same as or smaller than the blade edge angle β (see FIG. 10). That is, each support surface 55a, 55b of the base portion 55 is formed to be the same as a line passing through the blade edge 56a at the blade edge angle β with respect to the ice making surface 64a or to be extended from the line toward the ice making surface 64a. In addition, the peeling blade 54 of an Example is formed so that the upper and lower support surfaces 55a and 55b may be extended in a symmetrical relationship across the blade edge 56a. By the way, when peeling ice from the ice making surface 64a, a load is applied to the peeling blade 54 in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the peeling blade 54. If the support surfaces 55a and 55b of the base portion 55 are set to be larger than the cutting edge angle β, there are portions where stress concentrates on the support surfaces 55a and 55b, and a load applied when the ice is peeled off from the ice making surface 64a. A supporting part is generated as a moment load. When a moment load is applied to the peeling blade 54, a stress higher than the compressive load is generated. On the other hand, as in the embodiment, the extending lines of the support surfaces 55a and 55b of the base portion 55 are formed so that there is no stress concentration portion corresponding to the blade edge angle β, so that the peeling blade 54 makes ice. When the ice on the surface 64a is peeled off, a moment load is not applied, and the base portion 55 extends to a position intersecting the direction of the stress applied to the peeling blade 54, and the stress is appropriately applied as a compressive load at the base portion 55. Can be supported. Further, each support surface 55a, 55b of the base portion 55 does not have a portion such as a corner shape or a concave shape where stress applied to the peeling blade 54 is concentrated when the ice on the ice making surface 64a is peeled off by the peeling blade 54. Therefore, the rigidity of the peeling blade 54 can be ensured even if the base portion 55 is formed of a synthetic resin.

The blade edge portion 56 of the embodiment is formed by pressing. As described above, the peeling blade 54 is formed so as to wind the outer peripheral surface 52a over about a half circumference from the upper end to the lower end of the auger body 52. Thus, the cutting edge portion 56 is press-molded by setting the winding angle γ, which is the angle at which the peeling blade 54 extends to the outer peripheral surface of the auger body 52 in a plan view of the auger body 52, to 180 ° or less. In doing so, the press die can be simplified (see FIG. 8). On the other hand, when the winding angle γ of the peeling blade 54 exceeds 180 °, when the blade edge portion 56 is press-molded, the press die is complicated to be divided, resulting in a costly problem. Here, the winding angle γ of the peeling blade 54 is related to the lead angle α of the peeling blade 54, the outer diameter d between the blade edges 56 a and 56 a of the peeling blade 54 in the auger body 52, and the vertical dimension h of the auger body 52. A condition for setting the angle γ to 180 ° or less can be expressed as the following Expression 1.
tan α> 2h / πd Equation 1
α: Lead angle h: Vertical dimension of the auger body 52 π: Circumference d: Outer diameter between the blade edges 56 a and 56 a of the peeling blade 54 in the auger body 52

  As shown in FIG. 4, the power transmission part 58 includes a spoke part 59 provided at the upper end of the auger body 52 and a connection boss provided on the spoke part 59 and serving as a connection part to the output shaft 77 of the drive means 76. Part 60. The spoke portions 59 are provided at the central connecting piece 59a extending in the radial direction of the auger body 52 through the axial center of the auger main body 52, and at both ends of the central connecting piece 59a. The auger 50 is formed in a bent shape including a pair of side connection pieces 59b and 59b that extend at different angles in the rotation direction and connect to the upper end surface of the auger body 52 (see FIG. 8). Here, the spoke portion 59 extends so that each side connecting piece 59b is biased toward the front side in the rotational direction of the auger 50 as it goes from the radially inner side to the outer side with respect to the extending direction of the central connecting piece 59a. The connecting pieces 59b and 59b are in a positional relationship in which the phases are shifted from each other by 180 °. The spoke portion 59 is provided with an inclined surface portion 59c in which the upper corner portion on the radially outer side of each side connecting piece 59b is cut obliquely. As described above, the both-side connecting pieces 59b and 59b of the spoke part 59 are configured to extend at an angle with respect to the radial line passing through the rotation center of the auger 50, so that the ice as the auger 50 rotates. Can be smoothly guided radially inward.

  The connection boss portion 60 is provided on the upper portion of the central connecting piece 59a in the spoke portion 59, and is disposed at the axial center of the auger body 52 (see FIG. 7). The connection boss part 60 is formed in a circular shape, and is provided with a shaft groove 60a that opens upward in the center, and a key groove 60b that is recessed radially outward from the inner peripheral surface of the shaft groove 60a. It is provided over the upper and lower sides. A partition wall 60c is erected over the entire outer periphery of the connection boss 60 to partition the fluid such as water flowing down through the output shaft 77 of the drive means 76 inserted into the shaft groove 60a. The fluid is prevented from falling into the ice storage chamber through the ice discharge passage 35a provided in the center of the auger body 52, received by the wall 60c (see FIG. 9).

  The power transmission portion 58 is inclined inward in the radial direction from the top to the bottom at the connecting boss portion 60 extending radially outward from the central coupling piece 59a and connected to the side surface of the central coupling piece 59a. A guide surface 61 is provided. The power transmission portion 58 is provided between the guide member 74 above the auger main body 52 via the conveyance space 57 with both side connecting portions 59b, 59b of the spoke portion 59 rotated by the driving means 76 during the ice making operation. The ice transported to the ice collecting section S is guided radially inward (rotation center side). Further, the central connecting piece 59a and the guide surface 61 of the spoke part 59 are rotated by the driving means 76, and the ice moved by the two side connecting parts 59b and 59b is converted into an ice making position by the peeling blade 54. It guides downward toward an ice discharge port (upper side opening of the cylindrical main body 35 in the water supply part 34) 35b of an ice discharge path 35a provided to be biased toward the rotation center side of the auger 50 with respect to the surface. . As described above, the power transmission unit 58 not only has a function of easily connecting to the drive unit 76 but also the ice guided through the conveying space 57 by the peeling blade 54 of the auger body 52 through the ice discharge port 35b. It also functions as an ice guide that guides you towards

  The power transmission unit 58 of the auger 50 moves the driving means 76 from the lock of the auger 50 when an excessive load is applied to the rotation of the auger main body 52 due to some reason such as the peeling blade 54 being caught on the ice making surface 64a. It is also configured to function as a protection means for protecting. For example, in the auger 50, when an overload is applied to the auger body 52, the spoke part 59, the connection part between the auger body 52 and the spoke part 59, or the connection part between the spoke part 59 and the connection boss part 60 are broken. Is set. In addition, the auger 50 may be configured such that a weak portion is provided in advance in the spoke portion 59 or the connecting portion described above by a notch or the like, and the auger 50 is broken when the auger 50 is locked. As described above, the power transmission unit 58 of the auger 50 is configured to function as protection means, so that overload of the driving means 76 is avoided, and the driving means 76 and the refrigeration casing 64 that are more expensive than the auger 50 are used. Can be prevented.

  Thus, since the auger 50 integrally forms the auger body 52 and the power transmission unit 58 from a synthetic resin having a lower thermal conductivity than metal, the output shaft 77 of the drive means 76 and the power transmission unit 58 are directly connected. Even if connected, heat conduction between the output shaft 77 and the power transmission unit 58 can be suppressed. That is, since the temperature rise of the auger 50 due to the heat of the driving means 76 can be avoided, the ice making efficiency in the ice making mechanism 30 can be improved without hindering the generation of ice on the ice making surface 64a of the refrigeration casing 64. Moreover, since the cooling of the drive means 76 by the auger 50 can be avoided, dew condensation on the drive means 76 can be suppressed, and failure of the drive means 76 can be avoided. Furthermore, the auger 50 is light, easy to process, and can reduce costs by integrally forming the auger body 52 and the power transmission unit 58 from synthetic resin. Furthermore, by forming the auger main body 52 from a synthetic resin, heat that enters the ice making surface 64a side of the refrigeration casing 64 from the ice discharge path 35a side can be suppressed.

  The refrigeration casing 64 is a cylindrical body having an accommodation space 65 that opens up and down. The auger 50 is accommodated in the accommodation space 65 and placed on the placement surface 36 b of the flange portion 36 in the water supply part 34. It mounts on the mounting part 47 of the bearing part 44 (refer FIG. 1). When the refrigeration casing 64 is placed on the placement portion 47 of the bearing portion 44, the restricting piece 66 b that protrudes from the outer peripheral edge of the lower end surface of the peripheral wall 66 of the refrigeration casing 64 is formed on the placement portion 47 of the bearing portion 44. The outer periphery is fitted so that the shaft is aligned with the bearing 44 and the auger 50 held by the bearing 44. That is, the clearance between the ice making surface 64 a of the refrigeration casing 64 and the cutting edge 56 a of the peeling blade 54 in the auger 50 is kept constant. And the ice making mechanism 30 of an Example screws the flange part 36 of the water supply part 34, the mounting part 47 of the bearing part 44, and the lower end of the freezing casing 64 from the lower side of the base 32 with a screw (not shown). Are fixed to each other. At this time, in the refrigeration casing 64, the positioning projection piece 38 of the water supply part 34 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface, the movement of the refrigeration casing 64 in the radial direction is restricted, and the restriction piece 66b is coaxial with the refrigeration casing 64. The shaft portion 45 of the bearing portion 44 and the cylindrical main body 35 of the water supply part 34 are aligned with each other. Thereby, the return space 42 between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body 35 in the water supply part 34 and the inner peripheral surface of the shaft portion 45 in the bearing portion 44 is provided with a certain clearance. Further, the refrigeration casing 64 is provided with a sealing material 63 such as an O-ring or a square ring in a seal recess 64b provided on the entire inner periphery of the lower end of the refrigeration casing 64, so that the refrigeration casing 64 and the mounting portion are disposed. 47 is sealed with water.

  Since the refrigeration casing 64 is configured to be placed on the water supply part 34 made of a synthetic resin having a lower thermal conductivity than that of metal, heat conduction between the refrigeration casing 64 and the base 32 can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to prevent the ice making efficiency from deteriorating due to the heat of the base 32 being transmitted to the refrigeration casing 64 and the dew condensation on the base 32 due to the base 32 being cooled. Furthermore, the dew condensation water or the like flowing down along the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 64 is collected by the drain groove 36 a of the water supply part 34 and discharged outside through a drain pipe connected to the drain part 41. In this way, in the ice making mechanism 30, the water supply part 34 functions as a drain pan that receives the dew condensation water flowing down the refrigeration casing 64 and also functions as a heat insulating member between the refrigeration casing 64 and the base 32.

  In the refrigeration casing 64, a refrigerant channel 67 is provided inside a peripheral wall 66 that defines an accommodation space 65, and an introduction part 68 and a lead-out part 69 communicating with the refrigerant channel 67 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 64. Protrusively provided. In the refrigeration casing 64 of the embodiment, an introduction part 68 is provided at the lower part of the peripheral wall 66, a lead-out part 69 is provided at the upper part of the peripheral wall 66, and the lead-in part 68 and the lead-out part 69 communicate with each other via the refrigerant channel 67. (See FIG. 1 or FIG. 5). In addition, the introducing | transducing part 68 and the derivation | leading-out part 69 are arrange | positioned by the symmetrical positional relationship on both sides of the freezing casing 64 (refer FIG. 4). In the refrigeration casing 64, a refrigerant pipe (not shown) connected to the refrigeration mechanism is connected to the introduction part 68 and the lead-out part 69, and a refrigerant circulation type constituted by decompression means such as a compressor, a condenser and an expansion valve of the refrigeration mechanism. It functions as an evaporator in the refrigeration circuit. That is, in the refrigeration casing 64, the ice making surface 64a is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant in the process in which the refrigerant supplied from the refrigeration mechanism flows through the refrigerant flow path 67, and ice is generated on the ice making surface 64a.

  The refrigeration casing 64 is made of a metal material having excellent thermal conductivity, and aluminum is adopted in the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the refrigeration casing 64 includes a main body block 70, a lower block 71 assembled to the lower portion of the main body block 70, and an upper block 72 assembled to the upper portion of the main body block 70. The main body block 70 constitutes a large part of the refrigeration casing 64 including the ice making surface 64 a, and an accommodation space 65 that penetrates linearly along the axial direction is provided inside the cylindrical shape, thereby defining the accommodation space 65. The ice making surface 64a is constituted only by the inner peripheral surface of the main body block 70. Further, the main body block 70 is formed such that the outer diameter of the upper part and the lower part is smaller than the intermediate part constituting the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 64, and is inserted into the upper outer peripheral edge and the lower outer peripheral edge in a stepped manner. Portions 70a and 70b are provided. Further, the main body block 70 is provided with a plurality of straight pipe portions 67a of the refrigerant flow passage 67 penetrating vertically in the middle portion between the upper and lower insertion portions 70a and 70b, spaced apart at a constant interval in the circumferential direction. Each straight pipe portion 67a is disposed on the outer side in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surfaces of the insertion portions 70a and 70b in the intermediate portion of the main body block 70. Each straight pipe portion 67a is provided so as to vertically penetrate an intermediate portion of the main body block 70, and opens in a step portion formed by the upper and lower insertion portions 70a and 70b in the main body block 70.

  The lower block 71 is a ring-shaped member, and the inner diameter is set to be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the lower insertion portion 70 a in the main body block 70, and the outer diameter is the outer diameter of the intermediate portion in the main body block 70. Are set to be approximately the same. The lower block 71 is assembled so as to cover the outside of the insertion portion 70a by inserting the lower insertion portion 70a in the main body block 70 inside, and the outer peripheral surface of the lower block 71 is the outer periphery of the intermediate portion in the main body block 70. It aligns with the surface and constitutes the lower outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 64. Further, the lower block 71 has a distribution recess 71a formed over the entire circumference of the upper inner periphery, and when assembled to the main body block 70, the main body block 70 is interposed between the distribution recess 71a and the lower insertion portion 70a. A distribution portion 67b communicating with the straight pipe portion 67a is defined. Here, the introduction part 68 is provided in the lower block 71 so as to communicate with the distribution recess 71a (distribution part 67b).

  The upper block 72 is a ring-shaped member, and the inner diameter is set to be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the upper insertion portion 70 b in the main body block 70, and the outer diameter is the same as the outer diameter of the intermediate portion in the main body block 70. It is set almost the same. The upper block 72 is assembled so as to cover the outer side of the insertion portion 70b by inserting the upper insertion portion 70b in the main body block 70 inside, and the outer peripheral surface of the upper block 72 is the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate portion in the main body block 70. The upper outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 64 is configured. Further, the upper block 72 has a recovery recess 72a formed over the entire inner periphery of the lower portion, and when the upper block 72 is assembled to the main body block 70, the main block 70 is located between the recovery recess 72a and the upper insertion portion 70b. A recovery part 67c communicating with the straight pipe part 67a is defined. Here, the derivation | leading-out part 69 is provided in the upper block 72 so that it may connect with the collection | recovery recessed part 72a (collection part 67c).

  As described above, the refrigeration casing 64 has the lower block 71 and the upper block 72 assembled to the main body block 70, so that the distribution portion 67b and the collection portion 67c communicate with the straight pipe portion 67a. A refrigerant passage 67 through which the refrigerant flows is formed in 69 (see FIG. 5). That is, by forming the refrigeration casing 64 into three blocks 70, 71, 72 according to the refrigerant flow path 67, the blocks 70, 71, 72 can be formed by extrusion molding. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the refrigeration casing 64 can be reduced.

  Here, the refrigeration casing 64 is composed of three blocks 70, 71, 72, but the inner peripheral surface of the main body block 70 has a structure in which the upper and lower blocks 71, 72 are attached to the outside of the main body block 70 and assembled. Only the ice making surface 64a is formed. That is, in the refrigeration casing 64, the seam between the main body block 70 and the upper and lower blocks 71 and 72 appears on the upper and lower end surfaces and the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 64, but does not appear on the ice making surface 64a. The dimensional accuracy of the ice making surface 64 a in the refrigeration casing 64 is not affected by the assembling accuracy of the three blocks 70, 71, 72, and the space between the ice making surface 64 a and the cutting edge 56 a of the peeling blade 54 in the auger 50. Clearance can be set appropriately.

  The refrigeration casing 64 is provided with irregularities on the ice making surface 64a in order to impart a rotation suppressing force to the ice peeled off by the peeling blade 54 of the auger 50. The unevenness is set finer than ice obtained by peeling with the peeling blade 54. In the refrigeration casing 64 of the embodiment, a plurality of narrow grooves (not shown) extending in the axial direction of the main body block 70 and spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the main body block 70, The ice making surface 64 a formed by the inner peripheral surface of the main body block 70 is provided with irregularities. That is, a plurality of fine grooves can be formed simultaneously with the extrusion molding of the main body block 70, and the unevenness is not formed in a separate process after the main body block 70 is molded, so that the manufacturing process can be simplified. In this way, by providing irregularities on the ice making surface 64a, the hardness and the like of the ice can be adjusted, and the surface of the ice generated on the ice making surface 64a is made irregular so that the ice by the peeling blade 54 of the auger 50 can be obtained. Can be smoothly peeled off. Further, the unevenness of the ice making surface 64a or the unevenness of the ice generated on the ice making surface 64a becomes resistance to the ice moving in the rotation direction of the auger 50, and the movement of the ice in the circumferential direction of the auger body 52 is suppressed. The ice can be efficiently conveyed upward by being pushed up by the peeling blade 54 extending spirally on the outer peripheral surface of the auger body 52.

  The guide member 74 is a disk-shaped member that covers the upper portion of the refrigeration casing 64, and has an outer diameter dimension substantially the same as the outer diameter of the refrigeration casing 64 (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3). The guide member 74 has an outer peripheral portion attached to the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 66 of the refrigeration casing 64, and a portion covering the upper portion of the accommodation space 65 is provided with an insertion hole 74a through which the connection boss 60 of the power transmission unit 58 is inserted. It is formed in a truncated conical shape that bulges upward from an outer peripheral portion composed of a flat portion and an inclined portion connecting the flat portion and the outer peripheral portion. Further, when the guide member 74 is attached to the refrigeration casing 64 with screws or the like so as to cover the upper portion of the spoke portion 59, the planar portion extends in parallel to the upper end surface of the spoke portion 59, and the inclined portion has the spoke portion 59. It is comprised so that it may extend in parallel with respect to the slope part 59c. Note that the guide member 74 of the embodiment is configured such that its position in the radial direction is restricted by a holding piece 66a erected on the outer peripheral edge of the peripheral wall 66 of the refrigeration casing 64. When the guide member 74 is attached to the refrigeration casing 64, the connection boss portion 60 protrudes from the upper surface of the guide member 74 through the insertion hole 74a, and the lower surface of the guide member 74 is iced against the upper surface of the spoke portion 59. The spoke portions 59 are configured to move along the lower surface of the guide member 74 as the auger 50 rotates and face each other at a smaller interval.

  The ice making mechanism 30 is provided with an ice collecting portion S between the refrigeration casing 64 and the guide member 74, and the conveyance space 57 between the ice making surface 64 a of the refrigeration casing 64 and the outer peripheral surface 52 a of the auger body 52 is iced. It communicates with the outer peripheral part of the collecting unit S. In the ice making mechanism 30, the ice discharge port 35 b of the ice discharge path 35 a defined by the cylindrical body 35 of the water supply part 34 disposed in the center of the accommodation space 65 is opened at the center of the ice collecting unit S. It has become. Then, the ice that has been conveyed above the refrigeration casing 64 by the rotation of the auger 50 and arrived at the ice collecting section S is prevented from moving upward by the guide member 74, and is radially inward by the inclined portion of the guide member 74 ( Guided to turn to the center of rotation). The ice is also guided inward in the radial direction by the spokes 59 and falls into the ice storage chamber via an ice discharge path 35 a provided vertically through the rotation center of the auger 50.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the driving means 76 is attached via a gantry 78 fixed to the upper part of the refrigeration casing 64, and the load of the driving means 76 is supported by the refrigeration casing 64. The gantry 78 is formed in a trapezoid shape including a flat pedestal portion 78a on which the driving means 76 is placed and fixed, and support leg portions 78b and 78b hanging from both side edges of the pedestal portion 78a. Further, the gantry 78 is placed on the outer peripheral portion of the guide member 74 attached to the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 66 of the refrigeration casing 64 with the lower ends of the support legs 78b and 78b, and with respect to the peripheral wall 66 across the guide member 74. It is fixed with screws. In addition, a hole 78c through which the connection boss 60 protruding upward from the insertion hole 74a of the guide member 74 is provided at the center of the base 78a of the gantry 78. The hole 78c is set to have substantially the same size as the outer diameter of the connection boss 60, and is configured to align with the connection boss 60 inserted through the hole 78c without a gap. The drive means 76 is configured such that the output shaft 77 protrudes downward, and a key (not shown) protruding radially outward is provided at the lower end of the output shaft 77. The drive unit 76 connects the output shaft 77 and the power transmission unit 58 of the auger 50 by fitting the output shaft 77 into the shaft groove 60a from above with the key aligned with the key groove 60b of the connection boss 60. . Thus, the ice making mechanism 30 is configured to press the auger 50 from above by the output shaft 77 of the driving means 76.

  In the ice making mechanism 30 of the embodiment, the shaft groove 60a and the key groove 60b of the connection boss 60 are not formed with dimensions that completely match the outer shape of the output shaft 77 and the key, but the shaft groove 60a and the key groove 60b are output. It is formed in a similar shape slightly larger than the outer shape of the shaft 77 and the key. In other words, the connection structure between the output shaft 77 of the drive means 76 and the power transmission portion 58 of the auger 50 is configured to allow play and absorb the displacement of the output shaft 77. As described above, the ice making mechanism 30 has a configuration in which the auger body 52 is held by the bearing portion 44 and the rotation center of the auger 50 is aligned, so that the rotation drive of the drive means 76 can be transmitted. When connecting 77 to the power transmission part 58, it is not necessary to strictly align the rotation center of the auger 50 and the output shaft 77, and the dimensional accuracy can be set low. Further, in the ice making operation, the thrust load and the radial load applied to the auger 50 are supported by the bearing portion 44, so that the load from the auger 50 on the driving means 76 can be reduced. That is, since the frame 78 that supports the driving unit 76 and the connection structure between the output shaft 77 and the power transmission unit 58 require less strength, the cost can be reduced by adopting a simple structure.

  In the ice making operation, the load applied to the auger body 52 and the refrigeration casing 64 is gradually accumulated when the peeled ice is transported upward in the transport space 57, so that it becomes the largest at the upper end of the transport space 57, and the lower Becomes smaller. Here, the ice making mechanism 30 is provided with a driving means 76 above the auger 50 and transmits a rotational driving force via a power transmission unit 58 connected to the upper side of the auger body 52 having the highest rotational load. That is, the ice making mechanism 30 can smoothly rotate the auger 50 from the side where the rotational load of the auger body 52 is large by the driving means 76, and the load (particularly moment load) applied to the auger body 52 and the refrigeration casing 64 is large. Can be kept to a minimum at the top only. Accordingly, the rigidity required for a portion of the auger body 52 and the lower side of the refrigeration casing 64 that is not relatively loaded is reduced, and the auger body 52 can be formed of a synthetic resin having a lower allowable stress than that of metal. . In addition, for the refrigeration casing 64, aluminum having a lower allowable stress than stainless steel is adopted, and the thickness of the peripheral wall 66 can be reduced according to the applied load. Therefore, in the refrigeration casing 64, by setting the peripheral wall 66 thin, the thermal conductivity from the refrigerant to the ice making surface 64a can be improved, and the auger 50 can be lightened to reduce the load on the driving means 76. The auger 50 is smoothly rotated. As a result, the ice making mechanism 30 improves the ice making efficiency.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the water supply mechanism 80 includes an ice making water tank 81 for storing ice making water, and a water level detecting means 82 for detecting the water level of the ice making water stored in the ice making water tank 81. A water supply port of a water supply means W connected to an external water source such as a water supply faces the upper part of the ice making water tank 81, and by opening a water supply valve WV that can open and close a pipe line provided in the water supply means W, ice making Water is supplied to the ice making water tank 81. The ice making water tank 81 is disposed on the side of the ice making mechanism 30 and connects the water supply pipe 83 connected to the outlet 81 a provided at the bottom to the water supply 40 provided at the bottom of the ice making mechanism 30, thereby making the ice making mechanism 30. It is comprised so that it may communicate with the ice-making water storage space provided in the inside. The water level detection means 82 of the embodiment employs a float type in which the float moves up and down in accordance with the fluctuation of the water level of the ice making water stored in the ice making water tank 81, and the water supply valve of the water supply means W by the water level detection signal of the water level detection means 82. WV is controlled to open and close. In the water supply mechanism 80 of the embodiment, when the water level of the ice making water tank 81 decreases and the water level detecting means 82 detects the lower limit water level, the water supply valve WV is opened and ice making water is supplied from the water supplying means W to the ice making water tank 81. When the water level of the ice making water tank 81 rises and the water level detecting means 82 detects the upper limit water level, the water supply valve WV is closed and the supply of ice making water is stopped.

  In the ice making mechanism 30, an ice making water storage space is defined between the water supply part 34 and the refrigeration casing 64 placed on the flange portion 36 of the water supply part 34, and the ice making water stored in the ice making water storage space is defined. The auger body 52 of the auger 50 is disposed in a state of being immersed in the water. The ice making mechanism 30 is arranged beside the ice making water tank 81, and the bottom of the ice making water tank 81 and the bottom of the ice making water storage space are connected by a water supply pipe 83 so that the water level of the ice making water tank 81 and the ice making water are The water level in the storage space is the same.

  The ice making mechanism 30 is configured to immerse the auger body 52 of the auger 50 in an ice making water storage space between the refrigeration casing 64 and the water supply part 34, and a rotating shaft for rotating the auger 50 has ice making water. Since it does not penetrate the storage space, no mechanical seal is required. Moreover, there is little possibility of water leaking from the ice making water storage space. Since the upper part of the ice-making water storage space is open to the atmosphere, air is not caught, and ice-making water can be stably supplied from the water supply mechanism 80 to the ice-making water storage space. Further, since ice making water exists on the sliding surfaces of the auger body 52 and the bearing portion 44, the ice making water functions as a lubricant to suppress wear of the sliding surfaces, and to remove foreign matter between the sliding surfaces. Can be discharged. And since the ice making mechanism 30 is supplying ice making water to the ice making water storage space via the water supply part 40 provided in the water supply part 34 which functions also as a heat insulation member, freezing of ice making water other than the ice making surface 64a is carried out. It can prevent and supply stably.

  The ice making mechanism 30 is provided with an ice discharge passage 35 a penetrating vertically in the axial direction of the auger body 52 on the rotation center side of the auger 50, and the ice discharge passage 35 a is also used as the cylindrical body 35 of the water supply part 34. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced, and the ice making mechanism 30 can be downsized. Further, the ice making mechanism 30 is configured such that the output shaft 77 is inserted into the shaft groove 60a of the power transmission unit 58 from above, and the connection between the output shaft 77 and the power transmission unit 58 can be established simply by pulling the drive means 76 upward. It can be easily released. The ice making mechanism 30 can easily pull the auger 50 upward from the bearing portion 44 by removing the driving means 76, the gantry 78, and the guide member 74 from the refrigeration casing 64. Moreover, the ice making mechanism 30 can remove the auger 50 without draining the ice making water from the ice making water storage space. That is, the ice making mechanism 30 can easily perform maintenance work such as cleaning and replacement of the auger 50.

(Example of change)
The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment, and can be modified as follows. In the drawings referred to in the following modifications, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the ice making mechanism of the embodiment.

(1) The ice making mechanism 30 of the embodiment has a configuration in which the auger 50 is disposed inside the refrigeration casing 64. However, like the ice making mechanism 90 of the modified example shown in FIG. 12, the outside of the refrigeration casing 91 has a hollow cylindrical shape. The auger 92 may be disposed so as to be covered with the auger body 93, and the peeling blade 94 may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the auger 92 so as to face the ice making surface 91 a formed by the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 91. The ice making mechanism 90 of the modified example includes a hollow cylindrical bearing portion 95 provided with a mounting portion 95a protruding inward in the radial direction at the lower portion, and an auger 92 is disposed inside the bearing portion 95 to provide an outer periphery of the auger body 93. While supporting a surface, the lower end of the auger main body 93 is supported by the mounting part 95a. The refrigeration casing 91 is placed on the placement portion 95 a of the bearing portion 95. According to the ice making mechanism 90 of the modified example, the ice on the ice making surface 91a of the refrigeration casing 91 is peeled off by the peeling blade 94 of the auger 92 rotated by the driving means 76, and the ice making surface 91a and the inner peripheral surface of the auger body 93 are separated. Ice is transported upward between them. Then, the ice that has arrived at the ice collecting section S above the refrigeration casing 91 is guided radially inward (rotation center side), and an ice discharge path 35 a provided so as to penetrate vertically inside the refrigeration casing 91. To the ice storage room.

(2) In the bearing portion 44 of the embodiment, the tapered portion 46 is provided at the lower end of the shaft portion 45. However, like the bearing portion 96 of the first modified example shown in FIG. The structure which provides may be sufficient. If the auger body is arranged outside the shaft part in the bearing part, the taper part is formed obliquely so that the diameter decreases from the bottom to the top, whereas the auger body is formed inside the shaft part. If it is the structure which arrange | positions, it forms diagonally so that it may expand in diameter as it goes up from the bottom.
(3) Further, like the bearing portion 98 of the second modification shown in FIG. 14, the shaft portion 45 is formed so that the diameter becomes narrower from the bottom to the top, and the inner periphery of the auger body 52 corresponding to the shaft portion 45. By forming the surface 52b obliquely, the shaft portion 45 can have the function as the tapered portion 46 described in the embodiment.

(4) Although the bearing portion 44 of the embodiment is provided with a placement portion 47 that supports the thrust load of the auger 50 at the lower portion, like the bearing portion 100 of the third modified example shown in FIG. A mounting portion 47 may be provided in the unit, and the stepped portion 102 formed on the auger body 52 corresponding to the mounting portion 47 may be mounted on the mounting portion 47. As described above, by supporting the thrust load of the auger 50 with the mounting portion 47, the shaft protruding downward from the auger 50 can be omitted, and the shaft portion 16a is formed on the lower side like the auger 16 described in the conventional example. Will not protrude. Further, a space communicating between the ice making surface 64a of the refrigeration casing 64 and the first peripheral surface 52a of the auger 50 can be provided between the lower end surface of the auger 50 and the bearing portion 100. It becomes easier to perform water supply from the auger 50 side.
(5) Further, like the bearing portion 101 of the fourth modified example shown in FIG. 16, the mounting portion 47 is provided at the upper end of the shaft portion 45, and the hook-shaped portion 52 f provided at the upper end of the auger body 52 is replaced with the mounting portion. The structure mounted on 47 can also be adopted. As described above, by supporting the thrust load of the auger 50 with the mounting portion 47, the shaft protruding downward from the auger 50 can be omitted, and the shaft portion 16a is formed on the lower side like the auger 16 described in the conventional example. Will not protrude. Further, a space communicating between the ice making surface 64a of the refrigeration casing 64 and the first peripheral surface 52a of the auger 50 can be provided between the lower end surface of the auger 50 and the bearing portion 101. It becomes easier to perform water supply from the auger 50 side.

(6) Like the auger 104 of the first modification shown in FIG. 17, the auger body 105 is basically made of synthetic resin, and the outer peripheral surface of the auger body 105 is made of a thin metal material 107 constituting the cutting edge of the peeling blade 106. The structure which coat | covers integrally may be sufficient. Thereby, the rigidity and durability of the auger main body 105 can be improved.
(7) Like the auger 110 of the second modified example shown in FIG. 18, a metal reinforcing core material 112 and a cutting edge that protrudes from the core material 112 in the radial direction and constitutes the cutting edge of the peeling blade 115 The auger body 111 may be constituted by the portion 113 and the synthetic resin portion 114 that covers the core material 112 and fills the space between the core material 112 and the blade edge portion 113. Thereby, the rigidity and durability of the auger main body 111 can be improved.

(8) The ice making mechanism 30 of the embodiment is configured to supply ice making water from the water supply part 34 disposed inside the bearing portion 44 and store the ice making water between the inner peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 64 and the water supply part 34. However, the structure which abbreviate | omits water supply parts like the water supply structure shown in FIG. 19 may be sufficient. The ice making mechanism 120 having the water supply structure of the modified example is provided with a water supply unit 40 below the peripheral wall 66 of the refrigeration casing 64, and the water supply pipe 83 of the water supply mechanism 80 is connected to the water supply unit 40. In the water supply structure of the modified example, ice making water is supplied from the water supply pipe 83 between the refrigeration casing 64 and the outer peripheral surface 52a of the auger body 52, and the ice making water is provided between the ice making surface 64a of the refrigeration casing 64 and the bearing portion 44. Stored. That is, the bearing portion 44 is also used as a member that defines the ice-making water storage space. In the ice making mechanism 120 shown in FIG. 19, a flange member 121 having a shape obtained by removing the cylindrical main body 35 from the water supply part 34 of the embodiment is disposed between the refrigeration casing 64 and the base 32. It has the function as a heat insulating material and a drain pan like the flange part 36 of the water supply part 34 of an Example.

(9) In the embodiment, the driving means 76 is supported by the gantry 78 attached to the upper surface of the refrigeration casing 64. However, as shown in FIG. The support legs 124b and 124b provided on both edges may be placed on the installation portion 32a of the base 32 so that the load of the driving means 76 is not applied to the refrigeration casing 64. According to the gantry 124 of the modified example, since the load of the driving means 76 is supported by the base 32, the rigidity required for the refrigeration casing 64 is reduced, and the thickness of the refrigeration casing 64 can be further reduced.

(10) As in the modified example of the guide member 126 shown in FIG. 21, a rotation restricting portion 127 that assists the smooth movement of ice in the radial direction may be provided on the lower surface of the guide member 126. The guide member 126 of the modified example is provided with a plurality of rotation restricting portions 127 extending obliquely so as to intersect the radial direction on the lower surface of the flat surface portion and projecting downward, and in the modified example, the phase is shifted by 90 °. Four rotation restricting portions 127 are provided while being shifted. The rotation restricting portion 127 of the modified example is formed so as to extend from the front side in the rotational direction of the auger 50 to the rear side from the inner side in the radial direction toward the outer side. At this time, the spoke portion 59 of the power transmission portion 58 may have a linear shape instead of a shape that is bent halfway. The rotation restricting portion 127 and the spoke portion 59 of the power transmission portion 58 are configured not to interfere with each other.

(11) The unevenness formed on the ice making surface of the refrigeration casing may be provided by a processing method such as cutting or shot peening.
(12) The power transmission part of the auger is not limited to a structure formed entirely of synthetic resin, and may be appropriately reinforced with a metal material. That is, a configuration is adopted in which the outer surface of the connection boss portion is covered with a metal material, or a metal material is disposed as a core material on the connection boss portion and the spoke portion. Thereby, durability of a power transmission part can be improved. The synthetic resin portion and the metal material portion of the power transmission unit are joined by insert molding, screwing, adhesion, caulking, or the like, or a combination thereof.
(13) The refrigerant flow path provided in the refrigeration casing has a single path in which adjacent straight pipe portions in the main body block are alternately communicated by the concave portions of the lower block and the upper block, and are folded at the concave portions to meander in the circumferential direction. It may be a continuous configuration.
(14) A structure that supports the driving means is formed in a box shape that opens downward, and when the frame is attached to the upper part of the refrigeration casing, the upper side of the refrigeration casing is sealed by the frame so that foreign matter does not enter. Also good.

(15) If the power transmission unit is configured to connect the output shaft of the driving means and the auger body and to rotate the auger body by rotational driving of the output shaft, the power transmission of first to fifth modified examples to be described later It is good also as a structure which absorbs the position shift of the radial direction between an output shaft and the rotation center of an auger like a part. As described above, the auger is positioned by aligning the rotation center with the bearing portion, and therefore it is not necessary to strictly align the output shaft of the driving means with the rotation center of the auger. In other words, the power transmission unit is configured to absorb the positional deviation in the radial direction between the output shaft and the rotation center of the auger, so that the assembly of the output shaft and the power transmission unit is facilitated, and the drive means is assembled. The accuracy and the dimensional accuracy of the power transmission unit can be set low. In addition, the load on the driving means can be reduced. The configuration of the power transmission unit that absorbs the radial displacement between the output shaft and the rotation center of the auger will be described below with a specific example.

(16) The power transmission unit 130 of the first modification shown in FIG. 22 has side end portions in a pair of groove portions 129 and 129 provided with an axial space (opening) 52c opened at the upper end portion of the auger body 52. Each of the spoke portions 131 includes an insertion groove 132b that is aligned with the spoke portion 131, and a connection boss portion 132 that is placed on the spoke portion 131 so that the insertion groove 132b is aligned therewith. Each groove portion 129 is formed to open upward and to communicate inward and outward from the inner peripheral surface 52b side to the outer peripheral surface 52a side of the auger body 52. The spoke portion 131 can transmit the rotation of the output shaft 77 to the auger body 52 by restricting the movement in the circumferential direction by the groove portions 129 and 129 when both end portions are inserted into the groove portions 129 and 129, respectively. Radial movement is allowed. The connection boss 132 is provided with a shaft groove 132a that opens upward, and an output shaft 77 is fitted into the shaft groove 132a so that the rotation of the output shaft 77 is transmitted. Further, the insertion groove 132b of the connection boss 132 is formed to communicate in the horizontal direction and open downward. When the connection boss 132 is placed with the insertion groove 132 b aligned with the spoke 131, the movement of the connection boss 132 in the circumferential direction is restricted by the spoke 131, and the output shaft 77 rotates on the spoke 131. While the connection boss 132 is allowed to move in the radial direction along the spoke 131. In the power transmission unit 130 of the first modification, the spoke portion 131 moves in the radial direction with respect to the auger body 52, and the connection boss portion 132 moves in the radial direction with respect to the spoke portion 131. The position shift with respect to 52 is absorbed.

(17) The power transmission unit 134 of the second modified example shown in FIG. 23 includes a spoke part 135 that is installed in an axial space (opening) 52c that opens at the upper end of the auger body 52 and is fixed to the auger body 52. It has an insertion groove 136b that aligns with the spoke part 135, and a connection boss part 136 that is placed on the spoke part 135 with the insertion groove 136b. The connecting boss 136 is provided with a rectangular shaft groove 136a that is longer in the longitudinal direction than the rectangular output shaft 133 and opens upward, and the shaft of the output shaft 133 inserted into the shaft groove 136a. The groove 136a is configured to be allowed to move in the longitudinal direction. Note that the connection boss 136 is fitted to the output shaft 133 in the rotational direction of the output shaft 133 so that the rotation of the output shaft 133 is transmitted. The insertion groove 136b of the connection boss portion 136 is formed to communicate with the horizontal direction and open downward. When the connection boss 136 is placed with the insertion groove 136b aligned with the spoke 135, the movement of the connection boss 136 in the circumferential direction is restricted by the spoke 135 and the output 135 is rotated by the spoke 135. While the connection boss 136 is allowed to move in the radial direction along the spokes 135. As described above, in the power transmission unit 134 of the second modified example, the axial groove 136a is provided with play in the radial direction with respect to the output shaft 133, and the connection boss portion 136 moves in the radial direction with respect to the spoke portion 135. Thus, the positional deviation between the output shaft 133 and the auger body 52 is absorbed.

(18) The power transmission portion 138 of the third modification shown in FIG. 24 includes a spoke portion 135 that is installed in an axial space (opening) 52c that opens at the upper end portion of the auger body 52 and is fixed to the auger body 52. It has projecting pieces 140 b and 140 b that can come into contact with the side surface of the spoke part 135, and includes a connection boss part 140 placed on the spoke part 135. The connection boss 140 is provided with a shaft groove 140a that opens upward, and an output shaft 77 is fitted into the shaft groove 140a so that the rotation of the output shaft 77 is transmitted. In addition, the connection boss 140 is provided with a pair of projecting pieces 140b and 140b that come into contact with the side surface of the spoke part 135 with the spoke part 135 interposed therebetween. The pair of projecting pieces 140b and 140b are positioned symmetrically on the lower surface of the connecting boss 140 on the outer side in the radial direction from the center of rotation of the shaft groove 140a, and are disposed symmetrically with respect to the center of rotation so as to protrude downward. Is formed. When the connecting boss part 140 is placed on the spoke part 135, the pair of projecting pieces 140 b and 140 b abut against the spoke part 135 so that the movement of the connecting boss part 140 in the circumferential direction is restricted. While the rotation of the output shaft 77 can be transmitted, movement in the radial direction along the spoke part 135 in the connection boss part 140 is allowed. As described above, the power transmission unit 138 according to the second modified example absorbs the positional deviation between the output shaft 77 and the auger body 52 when the connection boss 140 moves in the radial direction with respect to the spoke 135. ing. In addition, the number of protrusions 140b is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more.

(19) The power transmission unit 142 of the fourth modified example shown in FIG. 25 includes a spoke portion 135 that is installed in an axial space (opening) 52c that opens to the upper end portion of the auger body 52 and is fixed to the auger body 52. And a connecting boss portion 132 placed on the spoke portion 135 with the insertion groove 132b. The connection boss 132 is provided with a shaft groove 132a that opens upward, and an output shaft 77 is fitted into the shaft groove 132a so that the rotation of the output shaft 77 is transmitted. Further, the insertion groove 132b of the connection boss 132 is formed to communicate in the horizontal direction and open downward. In the power transmission unit 142 of the fourth modified example, an adjustment unit 144 that allows displacement of the connection boss 132 with respect to the spoke 135 is provided between the insertion groove 132b of the connection boss 132 and the spoke 135. The adjustment portion 144 is a member having a U-shaped cross section that opens downward, and is attached to cover the upper surface and both side surfaces of the spoke portion 135, and is connected by fitting the insertion groove 132b so as to cover the adjustment portion 144. The boss part 132 is assembled to the spoke part 135. The adjusting portion 144 is formed of a material having elasticity such as rubber or foam, and the adjusting portion 144 is deformed in the radial direction so as to absorb the positional deviation between the output shaft 77 and the auger body 52. It has become.

(20) The power transmission unit 146 of the fifth modified example shown in FIG. 26 includes a spoke part 135 that is installed in an axial space (opening) 52c that opens at the upper end of the auger body 52 and is fixed to the auger body 52. And a connecting boss portion 148 mounted on the spoke portion 135 with the insertion groove 148b. The connecting boss 148 is provided with a shaft groove 148a that opens upward, and an output shaft 77 is fitted into the shaft groove 148a so that the rotation of the output shaft 77 is transmitted. Further, the insertion groove 148b of the connection boss 148 is formed so as to communicate with the horizontal direction and open downward. Further, the connecting boss portion 148 is provided with an adjusting portion 148c that allows displacement of the connecting boss portion 148 relative to the spoke portion 135 on the shaft groove 148a side between the shaft groove 148a and the insertion groove 148b. The adjusting portion 148c is configured to be displaceable in the radial direction by inserting a spring or having a bellows shape. The adjusting portion 148c is deformed in the radial direction, so that the output shaft 77, the auger body 52, and the like. It is designed to absorb misalignment.

(21) An auger in which an auger body and a power transmission unit are integrally molded from a synthetic resin has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the power transmission unit is molded from a synthetic resin. The structure attached to an auger main body may be sufficient. Further, a configuration in which the auger body is molded from a synthetic resin and a metal power transmission unit is attached to the auger body can be employed. In this way, by forming either one of the auger body or the power transmission unit from a synthetic resin having a lower thermal conductivity than metal, heat conduction between the drive means and the refrigeration casing can be suppressed. .

(22) The auger may be provided with a groove for discharging foreign matter from the sliding surface between the auger body and the bearing portion on the second peripheral surface and the lower end surface facing the bearing portion in the auger body. In addition, the bearing portion may be provided with a groove for discharging foreign matter from the sliding surface between the auger body and the bearing portion on the surface of the shaft portion and the mounting portion facing the auger body.

(23) An ice making mechanism 200 according to another modification will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following, the configuration that is different from the ice making mechanism 30 of the above-described embodiment will be mainly described, and the same configurations as those of the embodiment regarding the ice making mechanism 200 according to another modified example will be omitted using the same reference numerals. To do.

  In the embodiment, the base 32 that supports and fixes the ice making mechanism 30 with respect to the ice making machine main body and the water supply part 34 that is a base portion on which the refrigeration casing 64 and the auger 50 are placed are configured separately. The base 202 and the water supply part 204 may be integrally formed of resin or the like as in an ice making mechanism 200 according to another modification shown in FIG. In the ice making mechanism 200 of another modified example, a base portion 206 corresponding to the flange portion 36 in the water supply part 34 described in the first embodiment is provided inside a base 202 formed in a box shape that opens upward. A cylindrical body 208 having a cylindrical shape penetrating in the vertical direction is provided at the central portion of the shaped portion 206. Another example of the ice making mechanism 200 includes a bearing portion 210 having a mounting portion 210b extending radially outward at the lower end of a cylindrical shaft portion 210a. The shaft portion 210a surrounds the cylindrical body 208 and is mounted. It is attached so as to cover the upper side of the table-like portion 206 with the portion 210b. Thus, by integrating the base 202 and the water supply part 204, the number of parts can be reduced. Further, in the base 202, the space between the base portion 206 and the outer wall 202a functions as a dew tray.

  In the ice making mechanism 30 of the embodiment, ice making water is supplied from the inside of the auger 50. However, like the water supply structure of the ice making mechanism 200 according to another modification shown in FIG. You may supply ice-making water from lower side between outer peripheral surfaces. As shown in FIG. 28, the water supply part 204 is provided with double grooves 206a and 206b concentrically with the cylindrical body 208 surrounding the cylindrical body 208 in the base portion 206, and the water supply groove 206a located outside. Is disposed between the inner peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 64 and the outer peripheral surface of the auger 50. Further, the upper side of the water supply groove 206a is covered with the mounting portion 210b of the bearing portion 210 (see FIG. 27). Note that a plurality of water supply holes 210c are formed in the mounting portion 210b corresponding to the water supply grooves 206a. A water supply unit 207 connected to an ice making water tank (not shown) is connected to the water supply groove 206a, and ice making water is supplied from the ice making water tank through the water supply unit 207, and the ice making surface of the refrigeration casing 64 is supplied through the water supply hole 210c. The ice making water is filled between the 64a and the auger body 52.

  As shown in FIG. 27, the drainage groove 206b that is partitioned from the water supply groove 206a in the base portion 206 and is provided between the water supply groove 206a and the cylindrical body 208 is formed between the cylindrical body 208 and the shaft portion of the bearing portion 210. It is located below the gap between 210a and receives ice-making water, condensed water, etc. flowing down through the gap. The drainage groove 209 is connected to a drainage part 209 that passes through the lower side of the base portion 206, and the ice-making water received by the drainage groove 206 b is discharged from the drainage part 209. In the ice making mechanism 200 of another modified example, a bearing material 212 having lubricity is provided between the bearing portion 210 and the auger body 52 (see FIG. 28). The bearing member 212 has a cylindrical portion sandwiched between the shaft portion 210a of the bearing portion 210 and the inner peripheral surface of the auger body 52, and extends radially outward from the lower end of the cylindrical portion. And an extending portion sandwiched between the bearing portion 210 and the mounting portion 210b (see FIG. 27).

  In the embodiment, as a protection mechanism for preventing the overload of the driving means 76 when the auger 50 is locked, a connection portion between the connection boss portion 60 and the spoke portion 59 in the power transmission portion 58 and a weak portion provided in the spoke portion 59 are given. However, a portion connected to the output shaft 77 in the power transmission portion can be made weaker than other portions, or other configurations can be employed. In the ice making mechanism 200 of another modified example shown in FIG. 27, the power transmission unit 214 has a coupling body 220 coupled to the output shaft 77 separately from the connection boss portion (connection portion) 216 and the spoke portion 218. (See FIG. 29). The power transmission unit 214 is configured such that the coupling body 220 is fitted into a shaft groove (groove portion) 216 a provided in the connection boss portion 216. The coupling body 220 includes a cylindrical main body 220a having an outer peripheral dimension set in accordance with the shaft groove 216a, a flange 220b that extends outward from the upper end of the main body 220a, and a center of the main body 220a. The shaft insertion hole 220c is formed so as to penetrate in the vertical direction (see FIG. 27). Further, the connecting body 220 is provided with a key groove 220d that is recessed radially outward from the inner peripheral surface of the shaft insertion hole 220c over the top and bottom of the shaft insertion hole 220c, and has a radius on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 220a. A protruding portion 220e that protrudes outward in the direction is provided so as to extend in the vertical direction (see FIG. 29). Two protruding portions 220e and 220e are arranged in a symmetrical relationship on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 220a. A concave portion 216b that is recessed radially outward from the inner peripheral surface is formed in the shaft groove 216a of the connection boss portion 216 in accordance with the two protruding portions 220e and 220e of the coupling body 220.

  The connecting body 220 is configured such that a key (not shown) that protrudes radially outward from the lower end of the output shaft 77 is aligned with the key groove 220d, and the output shaft 77 is fitted into the shaft insertion hole 220c. It comes to follow the rotation of. In addition, the connecting body 220 has the two projecting portions 220e and 220e fitted in the shaft groove 216a in alignment with the recess 216b of the connection boss portion 216, whereby the power transmission portion 214 is connected to the output shaft 77, and the output shaft The auger body 52 is rotated as 77 rotates. The coupling body 220 is formed to have a lower rigidity than the connection boss portion 216 and the spoke portion 218, and is configured to be a fragile portion that is damaged when an overload is applied to the rotation of the auger body 52 in the power transmission portion 214. Is done. That is, when the output shaft 77 rotates despite the auger body 52 being locked, the connecting body 220 is broken and the connection state between the output shaft 77 and the connecting boss portion 216 is released. Is done. In this way, the power transmission unit 214 does not transmit the rotation of the output shaft 77 when the auger body 52 is locked, so that the driving unit 76 is prevented from being overloaded, and the driving unit is more expensive than the auger 50. Failure, damage, etc. of 76, refrigeration casing 64, etc. can be prevented. Further, since the power transmission unit 214 is configured such that the coupling body 220 is accommodated in the shaft groove 216 a of the connection boss portion 216, the coupling body 220 remains below the connection boss portion 216 even if the coupling body 220 is damaged. It does not fall through the ice discharge path 35a located in the area, and foreign matter can be prevented from entering the manufactured ice (see FIG. 27).

  As shown in FIG. 28 or FIG. 30, in the ice making mechanism 200 of another modified example, the pedestal 222 that supports the driving means 76 is formed in a cylindrical shape that opens downward, and the lower opening 222 a of the refrigeration casing 64. The size is set to match the upper outer periphery. The gantry 222 is fixed by fitting the upper part of the refrigeration casing 64 inside the lower opening 222a. Since the upper portion of the refrigeration casing 64 is inserted inside, the gantry 222 is restricted from moving in the radial direction (lateral direction) with respect to the refrigeration casing 64. That is, since the gantry 222 can be accurately positioned with respect to the refrigeration casing 64, misalignment between the output shaft 77 of the driving means 76 supported by the gantry 222 and the auger 50 can be suppressed. Further, a hole 222b through which the output shaft 77 of the driving means 76 placed on the upper end surface can be inserted is provided in the upper end surface of the gantry 222, and is inserted into the gantry 222 through the hole 222b. The output shaft 77 is connected to the power transmission unit 214 of the auger 50. Further, a window 222c is provided on the circumferential surface of the gantry 222 (see FIG. 27 or FIG. 30), and the rotation state of the output shaft 77 and the auger 50 are confirmed via the window 222c, and the gantry 222 Wirings for sensors and the like disposed in the inside and a guide member 224 described later are disposed. The window 222c is provided with a detachable lid 223 (see FIG. 30).

  As shown in FIG. 27 or FIG. 31, the ice making mechanism 200 according to another modified example includes a rotation restricting portion 226 that assists smooth movement of the ice radially inward in the ice collecting portion S on the inner peripheral surface. A guide member 224 is employed. The guide member 224 is based on a cylindrical tube main body portion (main body portion) 224a that opens up and down, and a connection boss portion 216 of the power transmission portion 214 is inserted into a lid 228 that closes the upper end surface of the cylinder main body portion 224a. The insertion port 228a is established. A lower end portion of the cylinder main body portion 224a of the guide member 224 is formed so as to align with the inside of the refrigeration casing 64, and the guide member 224 is fixed by fitting the lower end portion of the cylinder main body portion 224a into the accommodation space 65 of the refrigeration casing 64. (See FIG. 27). As a result, the ice making mechanism 200 receives the ice scraped along the ice making surface 64a of the refrigeration casing 64 by the auger 50 on the upper side of the refrigeration casing 64, and the cylindrical body 208 in the water supply part 204 on the center side of the refrigeration casing 64. An ice collecting portion S that guides to the ice discharge path 35a defined in (5) is formed by the guide member 224 (see FIG. 27). A plurality of rotation restricting portions 226 project from the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder main body 224a so as to be spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction. Each rotation restricting portion 226 extends in the upper and lower directions of the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder main body portion 224a, and is formed in a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape in which the surfaces are combined so as to narrow as the distance from the inner peripheral surface increases. The rotation restricting part 226 is the ice pushed by the spoke part 218 of the power transmission part 214 along the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder body part 224a in the ice collecting part S defined by the guide member 224 on the upper side of the refrigeration casing 64. Is guided toward the ice discharge port 35b of the ice discharge path 35a located inside by the surface protruding from the inner peripheral surface. In addition, the spoke part 218 of the power transmission part 214 is arrange | positioned spaced apart from the internal peripheral surface of the cylinder main-body part 224a, and is comprised so that it may not interfere with the rotation control part 226.

  As shown in FIG. 31, the guide member 224 may be provided with a dew receptacle 230 that extends radially outward on the outer peripheral surface of the tube main body 224a. The dew receptacle 230 is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape with an upper opening having a wall standing upward at the outer peripheral edge, and is provided over the entire outer peripheral surface of the cylinder main body 224a. In addition, the dew receptacle 230 includes two discharge portions 230a that protrude outward in the radial direction with a symmetrical positional relationship across the cylinder main body portion 224a. The guide member 224 is accommodated inside the pedestal 222 attached to the upper end of the refrigeration casing 64, receives dew condensation water adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 224 by the dew receiver 230, and is opened on the peripheral surface of the pedestal 222. Condensed water is discharged from a discharge portion 230a protruding outward through the drain opening 222d. When the lower portion of the guide member 224 is fitted to the upper inner side of the refrigeration casing 64, the dew receptacle 230 is placed on the upper end surface of the refrigeration casing 64, thereby positioning the guide member 224 in the vertical direction (see FIG. 27). Condensed water is collected by connecting a hose, piping, or the like to the discharge end of the discharge portion 230a or by disposing the discharge end directly above the drain portion of the base 202. Thus, by providing the dew receptacle 230 on the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 224, the dew condensation water does not flow into the inside of the refrigeration casing 64.

  As shown in FIG. 31, the guide member 224 is configured to close the upper opening of the cylinder main body 224a with a lid 228 that can be opened and closed. The guide member 224 is provided on the opposite side of the lid 228 with the hinge 232 and the cylinder body 224a sandwiched between the lid 228 connected to the upper end of the cylinder body 224a by a hinge 232 and the hinge 232. And a locking means 234 that holds the handle in a detachable manner. The lid 228 is held so as to close the upper opening of the cylinder main body 224a by the locking means 234 in the normal use state (see FIG. 31A). The locking means 234 includes magnetic attachment (see FIG. 31) between the magnet 229 provided on the lid 228 side and a metal material made of a ferromagnetic material such as iron on the cylinder body 224a side, and the uneven relationship between the claw and the groove. A hooking structure or the like is adopted. The locking means 234 releases the locked state of the lid 228 when a force greater than a predetermined pressing force is applied to the lid 228 from the lower side in a state where the lid 228 is held by the cylinder main body 224a. Configured to do. That is, in the case where the magnet 229 is used as the locking means 234, when the pressing force greater than the magnetic force of the magnet 229 is applied to the lid 228, the opening of the lid 228 is allowed against the magnetic force. In the case where a hook structure is used as the locking means, when a pressing force equal to or greater than the elastic force of the claw is applied to the lid 228, the claw is pulled out of the groove and the lid 228 is allowed to open. When the ice discharge path 35a is clogged, the guide member 224 is locked by the ice pressing force that pushes up the lid 228 when ice is not released from the ice collecting portion S between the refrigeration casing 64 and the guide member 224. When the locking force of the means 234 is exceeded, the locking means 234 is released and the lid 228 is opened. In this way, the guide member 224 can release ice from the upper opening of the cylinder main body 224a by opening the lid body 228, and the guide member 224 can access the driving means 76, the auger 50, and the like caused by the clogging of ice. Overload can be prevented. Note that the guide member may be configured to close the lid body by its own weight without providing any restriction means for regulating the opening of the lid body.

  The guide member 224 is provided with a lid opening sensor 236 for detecting the opening of the lid body 228, and the ice making mechanism 200 performs driving of the driving means 76 and cooling of the refrigeration casing 64 in response to the detection of the opening of the lid body 228. The ice making operation is stopped. In the ice making mechanism 200 according to another modified example, a proximity sensor that detects the magnetic field of the magnet 229 provided on the lid 228 is employed as the lid opening sensor 236. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the lid 228 Detection means such as a mechanical switch or a photo sensor that detects the opening of the lid 228 by the contact and separation of each other can also be employed. Since the ice making mechanism 200 stops the ice making operation by the detection of the lid opening sensor 236 when the lid body 228 is opened, it is possible to prevent overloading to the driving means 76, the auger 50, etc., and the ice making mechanism when an abnormality occurs. It is possible to avoid breakage of the members constituting 200.

  As shown in FIG. 27, an ice storage detection sensor 238 may be provided in the ice discharge path 35a. The ice making mechanism 200 is provided with an infrared sensor as an ice storage detection sensor 238 at the lower part of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 208 of the water supply part 204 that defines the ice discharge path 35a, and from the ice making mechanism 200 via the ice discharge path 35a. The upper end of storage of ice discharged into an ice storage chamber (not shown) provided below the mechanism 200 is detected. When the ice storage detection sensor 238 detects the presence of ice, the ice making mechanism 200 stops the ice making operation until the driving means 76 and the refrigeration mechanism are stopped and the ice in the ice storage chamber is consumed. As the ice storage detection sensor 238, a detection means such as a mechanical switch, a proximity sensor, a photo sensor, or the like that detects the presence of ice by contact with or separation from ice can be employed.

30, 90, 120 ice making mechanism, 35a ice discharge path, 50 auger,
52 auger body, 52a outer peripheral surface (first peripheral surface), 54 peeling blade,
58 power transmission part, 60c partition wall, 64 refrigeration casing,
64a ice making surface, 76 driving means, 77 output shaft, 222 frame,
222a lower opening, 222b hole

Claims (3)

A cylindrical refrigeration casing (64) having an ice-making surface (64a) to be cooled provided on its peripheral surface, and an auger (50) that is rotatably arranged with respect to the refrigeration casing (64) with its axis extending vertically. ) And an ice making mechanism (30, 90, 120), supplying ice making water to the ice making mechanism (30, 90, 120) to generate ice on the ice making surface (64a), and being rotated by a driving means (76) In an auger type ice making machine that peels and conveys ice with the peeling blade (54) of the auger (50),
The auger (50) is a cylindrical auger body (52) provided with the peeling blade (54) protruding from the first peripheral surface (52a) facing the ice making surface (64a) of the refrigeration casing (64). And a power transmission portion (58) provided on the upper end surface of the auger body (52),
The drive means (76) is disposed above the refrigeration casing (64), and the output shaft (77) of the drive means (76) is connected to the power transmission unit (58) from above. An auger type ice maker characterized by An ice discharge path (35a) for guiding the ice conveyed to the upper part of the refrigeration casing (64) by the peeling blade (54) to the outside of the ice making mechanism (30, 120) is provided inside the auger body (52). ,
The auger type ice making device according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission section (58) includes a partition wall (60c) projecting upwardly surrounding a shaft groove (60a) into which the output shaft (77) is inserted. Machine. The drive means (76) is supported by a pedestal (222) installed on the upper side of the refrigeration casing (64),
The pedestal (222) has a hole that allows the output shaft (77) to be inserted into the lower opening (222a) aligned with the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing (64) and the upper end surface on which the driving means (76) is placed. The auger type ice making machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the auger type ice making machine is formed in a cylindrical shape having a portion (222b) and is fixed by fitting the lower opening (222a) to the upper portion of the refrigeration casing (64).

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