JP2010276286A - Auger type ice making machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an auger type ice making machine strong against environmental fluctuation. <P>SOLUTION: A cooling device 38 of this auger type ice making machine includes a vapor compression type primary circuit 40, and a secondary circuit 50 constituted by connecting a secondary heat exchange part 52 cooled by a heat exchanger HE by the primary circuit 40, and an evaporator EP positioned at a lower part of the heat exchanger HE in a contact state with a refrigerating casing 22, by refrigerant pipes 54, 56. The cooling device 38 is constituted to naturally circulate the refrigerant by temperature gradient of the secondary heat exchange part 52 cooled by the heat exchanger HE and the evaporator EP, and to cool the refrigerating casing 22 by the evaporator EP. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an auger type ice making machine.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the ice making mechanism 100 of the auger type ice making machine in a broken state. The ice making mechanism 100 basically includes a refrigeration casing 102 disposed on an upper portion of a housing 101 and an auger 104 disposed inside the refrigeration casing 102. The refrigeration casing 102 is a cooling device (not shown). It is supposed to be cooled by. The refrigeration casing 102 is arranged in a posture in which a circular cylindrical body is erected, and an evaporation pipe 108 constituting the evaporator 106 of the cooling device is spirally wound around the outer peripheral surface, and the outer peripheral surface and the evaporator. 106 is covered with a heat insulating member 110. Such an auger type ice making machine is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.

  The cooling device connects a compressor that compresses the gas-phase primary refrigerant, a condenser that liquefies the compressed primary refrigerant, an expansion valve that reduces the pressure of the liquid-phase primary refrigerant, and the evaporator 106 by piping. A so-called vapor compression refrigeration circuit. The cooling device circulates the refrigerant in the circuit by driving the compressor, thereby cooling the refrigeration casing 102 to below the freezing point by the evaporation pipe 108 in contact with the refrigeration casing 102 in the evaporator 106. The evaporator 106 cools the refrigeration casing 102 by contact heat transfer between the evaporation pipe 108 made of a metal having good thermal conductivity such as copper and the refrigeration casing 102, so that the metal pipe having a circular cross section has an oval cross section. A flat crushing process is performed, and the flat portion of the evaporation pipe 108 is brought into close contact with the refrigeration casing 102 to ensure a mutual contact area.

Japanese Utility Model Publication 8-3897

  The cooling device comprising a vapor compression refrigeration circuit has a characteristic that the refrigeration capacity decreases when the outside air temperature or ice making water temperature is high, and the refrigeration capacity increases when the outside air temperature or ice making water temperature is low. Yes. That is, the auger type ice making machine is easily affected by the outside air temperature and the water temperature. For example, the ice production capacity tends to decrease in the summer, and the ice production capacity tends to improve in the winter. Here, the auger type ice making machine has the capacity of the cooling device set in accordance with the summer when the demand for ice increases, and in the winter season, ice grows too much in the refrigeration casing 102, overloading the auger 104, and the electric It is pointed out that the cost may increase, or the ice making mechanism 100 such as the refrigeration casing 102, the auger 104 or the driving means may be damaged.

  That is, the present invention has been proposed to solve these problems inherently in the auger type ice making machine according to the prior art, and provides an auger type ice making machine that is resistant to environmental fluctuations. Objective.

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
In an auger type ice making machine that produces ice in the form of flakes by scraping ice grown on a refrigeration casing cooled by an evaporator constituting a cooling device with an auger,
The cooling device includes a heat exchange section cooled by a heat exchanger and a circuit in which an evaporator disposed below the heat exchanger and in contact with the refrigeration casing is connected by a refrigerant pipe, and the heat exchange section The refrigerant is naturally circulated by a temperature gradient between the evaporator and the evaporator, and the refrigeration casing is cooled by the evaporator.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the refrigeration capacity of the circuit varies depending on the temperature variation of the ice making water etc. of the refrigeration casing in contact with the evaporator, for example, ice is not in the refrigeration casing even if the ice making water etc. Overgrowth can be suppressed and overloading of the ice making mechanism can be avoided.

In the invention according to claim 2, the circuit circulates carbon dioxide as a refrigerant,
The gist of the evaporator is that a metal-made evaporation tube having a circular cross section is wound around the refrigeration casing.
According to the invention which concerns on Claim 2, it can strengthen to external pressure by making the cross-sectional shape of an evaporation pipe circular.

The gist of the invention according to claim 3 is that the evaporation tube has a diameter set in a range of 1 mm to 6.35 mm.
According to the invention of claim 3, since the diameter of the evaporation pipe is reduced, the number of turns of the evaporation pipe can be increased and densely arranged around the refrigeration casing, and a heat transfer area can be secured. .

  According to the auger type ice making machine according to the present invention, since the refrigeration capacity of the circuit is naturally adjusted even if the environment changes, it is possible to avoid overloading of the ice making mechanism and insufficient ice making capacity, and is resistant to environmental changes.

It is a vertical side view which shows the principal part of the ice making machine which concerns on the suitable Example of this invention. It is a cross-sectional top view which fractures | ruptures and shows the ice making machine of an Example in a machine room. It is the schematic which shows the cooling device of an Example. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the ice making mechanism of an Example. It is a side view which shows the heat exchanger of an Example partially broken. It is a top view which shows the heat exchanger of an Example. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the AA cross section of FIG. It is a side view which shows the evaporator of an Example. It is a top view which shows the evaporator of an Example. 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. In addition, it is suitable to apply the structure of an Example to the comparatively large-sized ice making machine used for business uses, such as a store.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 2 and 4, the auger type ice making machine 10 according to the embodiment is a so-called auger type that produces chip-shaped or flake-shaped ice. The auger type ice making machine 10 includes a stack 12 having a box 12 in which a machine room 14 is defined, and an ice storage 15 having a heat insulating structure provided below the box 12 and having an ice storage 16 defined therein. On-type. The box 12 is configured by attaching a metal panel to each surface of a framework in which metal frames are combined, and a top plate 12 a is provided to cover the upper side of the machine room 14.

  In the auger type ice making machine 10, an ice making mechanism 20 for producing ice and a cooling device 38 for cooling the ice making mechanism 20 are installed in the machine room 14, and the ice produced by the ice making mechanism 20 is discharged from the ice making mechanism 20 to the discharge unit 32. Is stored in the ice storage chamber 16 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The ice making mechanism 20 includes a cylindrical refrigeration casing (ice making part) 22, an auger 30 rotatably disposed inside the refrigeration casing 22, drive means (not shown) for rotating the auger 30, An ice making water tank (not shown) for supplying ice making water to the refrigeration casing 22 is basically configured (see FIG. 4). The refrigeration casing 22 is made of a metal having good thermal conductivity, and is arranged in a standing posture in the machine room 14. In the embodiment, the refrigeration casing 22 is arranged biased to one side (left side) of the front side in the machine room 14. In addition, a refrigerant pipe (which will be referred to as an evaporation pipe in particular) 58 that constitutes an evaporator EP (described later) of the cooling device 38 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 22, and the outer peripheral surface and the outer side of the refrigerant pipe. A heat insulating member 23 such as urethane foam is disposed.

  The auger 30 is disposed coaxially with the refrigeration casing 22 inside the refrigeration casing 22, and a cutting blade 30 a formed in a spiral shape on the outer peripheral surface of the auger 30 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 22 ( (Ice making surface) 22a is opened with a slight gap (see FIG. 4). The auger 30 has a lower portion rotatably supported by a lower bearing 31 provided at a lower portion of the refrigeration casing 22, and an upper portion rotatably supported by a pressing head 24 disposed inside the upper portion of the refrigeration casing 22. . The lower bearing 31 has a water sealing function such as a mechanical seal, and the ice making water supplied from the ice making water tank 28 is filled in the freezing casing 22 at a predetermined level. And the auger 30 is comprised so that the lower end extended below from the lower bearing 31 may be connected with a drive means, and it may rotate inside the freezing casing 22 with a drive means. The ice making mechanism 20 scrapes the ice grown on the ice making surface 22a of the refrigeration casing 22 cooled by the evaporator EP with the cutting blade 30a by rotating the auger 30 by a driving means, and removes the ice containing the scraped water into the auger. It is configured to move upward under 30 rotations.

  In the pressing head 24, a plurality of fixed blades are radially provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body, spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and between the outer wall surface of the cylindrical main body and the inner peripheral surface of the freezing casing 22, A plurality of compression passages are defined apart from each other in the circumferential direction. In addition, a head portion 26 that is detachably disposed on the upper shaft portion of the auger 30 and rotates integrally with the auger 30 faces the upper portion of the pressing head 24, and moisture is squeezed and compressed by the pressing head 24. The formed ice is configured to be folded at a predetermined dimension by the head portion 26.

  The auger type ice making machine 10 is provided with a discharge portion 32 for guiding ice discharged from the upper portion of the refrigeration casing 22 between the ice making mechanism 20 and the ice storage chamber 16. The discharge part 32 is attached to the upper part of the refrigeration casing 22, and is formed into a cylindrical spout 33 extending in the lateral direction at the upper part of the machine room 14 and a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. An upper opening is connected to the discharge end, and a lower opening is constituted by a chute 34 facing the ice storage chamber 16 (see FIG. 1). The spout 33 accommodates the upper part (the part corresponding to the pressing head 24 and the head part 26) of the refrigeration casing 22 in the opening part opened downward, is attached to the upper part of the refrigeration casing 22, and the upper part of the refrigeration casing 22 facing the inside. The ice released from can be received. And the discharge | release part 32 receives ice from the freezing casing 22 with the spout 33, and ice is pushed to the chute | shoot 34 via the spout 33 by the radial direction extrusion of the ice by the auger 30, and it extends up and down of the chute | shoot 34. The ice is guided to the ice storage chamber 16 through the passage. In the auger type ice making machine 10 according to the embodiment, the chute 34 is disposed at a substantially central portion of the machine room 14 (see FIG. 2).

  Here, in the auger type ice making machine 10, by providing the spout 33 of the discharge part 32 on the upper part of the refrigeration casing 22, a space corresponding to the vertical dimension of the spout 33 is provided above the part where the evaporator EP is provided in the refrigeration casing 22. Needed. That is, the spout 33 is located in the machine room 14 on the side of the ice making mechanism 20 above the portion where the evaporator EP is provided in the refrigeration casing 22 and below the top plate 12a covering the top of the refrigeration casing 22. A space corresponding to the vertical dimension is formed (see FIG. 2).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cooling device 38 includes two circuits, a primary circuit 40 of a mechanical compression type that forcibly circulates a refrigerant and a secondary circuit 50 that includes a thermosiphon in which the refrigerant naturally convects, as a heat exchanger HE. Is connected (cascade connection) so as to exchange heat. The heat exchanger HE includes a primary heat exchange part 42 that constitutes the primary circuit 40, and a secondary heat exchange part 52 that is formed in a separate system from the primary heat exchange part 42 and constitutes the secondary circuit 50, The primary heat exchange unit 42 and the secondary heat exchange unit 52 can exchange heat. That is, independent refrigerant circulation paths are formed in the primary circuit 40 and the secondary circuit 50, respectively, and the secondary refrigerant circulating in the secondary circuit 50 has safety that is not toxic, flammable, and corrosive. High carbon dioxide is adopted. On the other hand, as the primary refrigerant circulating in the primary circuit 40, an HC refrigerant such as butane or propane having excellent characteristics as a refrigerant such as heat of evaporation and saturation pressure, ammonia, or the like is adopted. In the embodiment, isobutane is used. Or propane is used. Since the secondary circuit 50 employs carbon dioxide, which has a lower viscosity than chlorofluorocarbon, as a secondary refrigerant and has a low pressure loss, the diameter of the secondary refrigerant pipe forming the refrigerant flow path is reduced. For example, a thin one having a diameter of 1.0 mm to 6.35 mm can be used.

  The primary circuit 40 includes a compressor CM for compressing the gas phase primary refrigerant, a condenser CD for liquefying the compressed primary refrigerant, an expansion valve EV as a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of the liquid phase primary refrigerant, and a liquid phase The primary heat exchange part 42 of the heat exchanger HE that vaporizes the primary refrigerant is connected by a primary refrigerant pipe 44 (see FIG. 3). In the primary circuit 40, the primary refrigerant is circulated in the order of the compressor CM, the condenser CD, the expansion valve EV, the primary heat exchange unit 42 of the heat exchanger HE, and the compressor CM by the compression of the primary refrigerant by the compressor CM. Necessary cooling is performed in the primary heat exchange section 42 under the action of each device.

  All the devices constituting the primary circuit 40 are installed in the machine room 14. Here, since the compressor CM is a device whose height is lower than that of the refrigeration casing 22, the heat exchanger HE may be disposed in a space above the compressor CM and lateral to the spout 33.

  The secondary circuit 50 includes a secondary heat exchange unit 52 of a heat exchanger HE that liquefies a gas phase secondary refrigerant (vaporized refrigerant) and an evaporator EP that vaporizes the liquid phase secondary refrigerant (liquefied refrigerant). The secondary heat exchange unit 52 and the evaporator EP correspond to each other in a one-to-one relationship (see FIG. 3). In the auger type ice making machine 10, the secondary heat exchange part 52 is provided in the heat exchanger HE, while the evaporator EP is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 22 in the ice making mechanism 20, and the secondary heat is disposed above the evaporator EP. An exchange unit 52 is installed. Further, the secondary circuit 50 connects the secondary heat exchange unit 52 and the evaporator EP to form a secondary refrigerant flow passage (secondary refrigerant pipe) 54 and gas pipe (secondary refrigerant pipe) 56. The liquid phase secondary refrigerant is supplied from the secondary heat exchange unit 52 to the evaporator EP through the liquid pipe 54 under the action of gravity, and the secondary heat exchange unit 52 is supplied from the evaporator EP through the gas pipe 56. The gas phase secondary refrigerant is refluxed. In addition, as a condensing pipe 53, a liquid pipe 54, a gas pipe 56, and an evaporation pipe 58, which will be described later, a metal pipe such as copper or stainless steel having a good thermal conductivity is used.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the secondary heat exchanging section 52 is provided with a plurality of (three in the embodiment) condensing pipes 53 having a condensing path (flow passage) 53a through which the secondary refrigerant flows. ing. The evaporator EP is provided with a plurality of (three in the embodiment) evaporation pipes 58 having an evaporation path (flow path) 58a through which the secondary refrigerant flows. In the embodiment, the evaporation path 58 a is configured by piping, but the evaporation path may be formed in the refrigeration casing 22. Here, in the secondary circuit 50, the plurality of condensation paths 53a, the plurality of evaporation paths 58a, the plurality of liquid pipes 54, and the plurality of gas pipes 56 are set to the same number. The liquid pipe 54 has an upper end (starting end) connected to the outflow end of the condensation pipe 53 (condensation path 53a) in the secondary heat exchange section 52, and a lower end (end) of the evaporation pipe 58 (evaporation path 58a) in the evaporator EP. Connected to the inflow end. The gas pipe 56 has a lower end (starting end) connected to the outflow end of the evaporation pipe 58 (evaporation path 58a) in the evaporator EP, and an upper end (terminal end) of the condensation pipe 53 (condensation path 53a) in the secondary heat exchange section 52. It is connected to the inflow end. In the embodiment, the inflow side of the secondary refrigerant in the evaporator EP is set at the lower part of the refrigeration casing 22, while the outflow side of the secondary refrigerant is set in the upper part of the refrigeration casing 22 so that the secondary refrigerant passes through the evaporator EP. It is configured to circulate upward from the top.

  In the secondary circuit 50, the liquid pipe 54 connected to the outflow end of the condensation path 53a is connected to an evaporation path 58a connected to the gas pipe 56 connected to the inflow end of the condensation path 53a. (See FIG. 3). In the secondary circuit 50, the gas pipe 56 connected to the outflow end of the evaporation path 58a is connected to a condensing path 53a different from the condensing path 53a connected to the liquid pipe 54 connected to the inflow end of the evaporation path 58a. Connected. As described above, the secondary circuit 50 includes a plurality of (three in the embodiment) paths that are pseudo-parallel by the plurality of condensing paths 53a, the plurality of evaporation paths 58a, the plurality of liquid pipes 54, and the plurality of gas pipes 56. However, these paths are serially connected to form one circuit as a whole. That is, the secondary circuit 50 is one circuit in which the secondary refrigerant circulates continuously through three paths for circulating the secondary refrigerant between the secondary heat exchange unit 52 and the evaporator EP. In FIG. 5, the condensing path 53a, the evaporation path 58a, the liquid pipe 54, and the gas pipe 56 have a corresponding relationship.

  The secondary circuit 50 has a part arranged so that the liquid pipes 54 constituting the path are in contact with each other, and a part arranged so that the gas pipes 56 constituting the path are in contact with each other. (See FIG. 3). In addition, the secondary circuit 50 is arranged so that the evaporation pipes 58 of the paths constituting the evaporator EP are arranged in parallel, and the evaporation pipes 58 of adjacent paths are in contact with each other. Further, the secondary circuit 50 is arranged so that the condensing pipes 53 of the paths constituting the secondary heat exchange section 52 are arranged in parallel, and the condensing pipes 53 of adjacent paths are in contact with each other. The secondary circuit 50 is configured to be able to exchange heat between the secondary refrigerants flowing through the pipe through the pipe having thermal conductivity at the pipe contact portion. By providing the pipe contact portion, the secondary circuit 50 can make the temperature of the secondary refrigerant flowing through the pipes 53, 54, 56, and 58 between the paths uniform by contact heat transfer between the pipes. That is, the secondary circuit 50 eliminates a deviation in the flow rate of the secondary refrigerant between the paths due to the temperature difference of the secondary refrigerant between the paths, a difference in evaporation temperature between the evaporation paths 58a in the evaporator EP, and the like. Thus, it is possible to grow ice evenly on the ice making surface 22a of the refrigeration casing 22. In the secondary circuit 50 of the embodiment, the condensation paths 53a of the secondary heat exchange unit 52, the evaporation paths 58a of the evaporator EP, the vicinity of the inflow site of the liquid pipe 54 to the evaporator EP, and the evaporator EP of the gas pipe 56 are used. Although the pipes are configured to contact each other in the vicinity of the outflow portion from the pipe, the pipes constituting the path may be contacted over the entire circuit.

  In the secondary circuit 50, a temperature gradient is formed between the secondary heat exchange part 52 cooled by heat exchange with the primary heat exchange part 42 to be forcedly cooled and the evaporator EP, so that the secondary refrigerant is secondarily cooled. A refrigerant circulation cycle is formed in which the secondary heat exchange section 52, the liquid pipe 54, the evaporator EP, and the gas pipe 56 are naturally convected and returned to the secondary heat exchange section 52 again. Reference numeral 62 denotes a refrigerant charge port provided to fill the secondary circuit 50 with the refrigerant. Since the secondary circuit 50 of the embodiment is configured by a single circuit, the refrigerant charge port 62 is provided. A single set of incidental facilities such as a safety valve (not shown) is sufficient.

  The evaporator EP is configured by spirally winding the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 22 in a state where the evaporation pipes 58 constituting each path are arranged in parallel, and three evaporation paths 58a are provided in a spiral shape in parallel. (See FIG. 8). In the evaporator EP, the inflow end of the evaporation pipe 58 of each path is provided at a different position around the circumference of the refrigeration casing 22, and the outflow end of the evaporation pipe 58 of each path is provided at a different position around the circumference of the refrigeration casing 22. (See FIG. 9). In the evaporator EP of the embodiment, the inflow ends of the three paths of the evaporation paths 58a are arranged at intervals of 120 ° from each other, and the outflow ends of the three paths of the evaporation paths 58a are spaced from each other by 120 °. Are arranged. That is, the evaporator EP is wound so that the evaporation pipe 58 connected to the liquid pipe 54 of each path is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 22 from a position separated by a predetermined angle, and is connected to the gas pipe 56 of each path. The evaporating pipe 58 is drawn away from the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 22 from a position separated by a predetermined angle.

  Since the evaporator EP is configured by arranging the evaporation paths 58a of a plurality of paths in parallel, when the inflow ends of the plurality of evaporation paths 58a are aligned in the refrigeration casing 22, for example, the evaporator EP is wound around the inflow ends of the refrigeration casing 22. On the opposite side of the direction, a non-contact region where the evaporation pipe 58 forming the evaporation path 58a is not arranged is generated with the parallel width of the evaporation path 58a at the maximum. Similarly, when the outflow ends of the plurality of evaporation paths 58a are aligned in the refrigeration casing 22, for example, a non-contact area where the evaporation pipe 58 forming the evaporation path 58a is not disposed on the opposite side to the outflow end of the refrigeration casing 22 in the pulling direction. It occurs with the parallel width of the evaporation path 58a at the maximum. In contrast, like the evaporator EP of the embodiment, the inflow end of the evaporation path 58a of each path is provided at a different position around the circumference of the refrigeration casing 22, and the outflow end of the evaporation path 58a of each path is provided in the refrigeration casing 22. By providing them at different positions around the circumference, it is possible to uniformly arrange the evaporation tubes 58 and reduce the non-contact area. Therefore, since the ice making mechanism 20 can cool the refrigeration casing 22 evenly by the evaporator EP, it is possible to suppress the uneven growth of ice on the ice making surface 22a, and avoid the load on the auger 30. Ice can be produced efficiently.

  The evaporation pipe 58 is a metal pipe made of copper or the like having a good thermal conductivity and has a circular cross section (see FIG. 5). That is, the evaporation pipe 58 does not need to be processed into a flat shape as in the conventional example, and can be used with a generally circular cross section. Further, as the evaporation pipe 58, one having a diameter (outer diameter) of 1.0 mm or more and 6.35 mm or less is used. The evaporation pipe 58 is wound around the refrigeration casing 22 so that adjacent ones in the vertical direction are in contact with each other.

  The heat exchanger HE of the embodiment will be specifically described. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the heat exchanger HE has a tubular secondary heat exchange portion 52 made of a metal material having excellent heat conductivity as an inner tube, and the outside of the secondary heat exchange portion 52 is primary. A double-pipe heat exchanger having an outer pipe serving as a primary heat exchanging section 42 that covers a refrigerant circulation space, and is configured to cover three condensing pipes 53 in parallel with the primary heat exchanging section 42. Is done. The primary heat exchanging unit 42 is a flat metal tube made of copper or the like, and the condensing tubes 53 are arranged in the spreading direction of the primary heat exchanging unit 42. The heat exchanger HE is a spiral tubular body configured to draw a ring on a plane (see FIG. 3), and a gas pipe 56 is connected to the upper end of each condensing path 53a in the secondary heat exchange section 52. The liquid pipes 54 are connected to the lower ends of the respective condensation paths 53a so that the secondary refrigerant flows through the respective condensation paths 53a from above while swirling along the spiral shape. That is, in the heat exchanger HE, the condensing pipes 53 of the secondary heat exchanging parts 52 arranged in parallel are arranged so as to extend in a spiral shape with the vertical direction as an axis, and the outer sides of the condensing pipes 53 are arranged. The primary heat exchange unit 42 is configured to extend in a spiral manner like the secondary heat exchange unit 52. The primary heat exchange section 42 has an inflow-side primary refrigerant pipe 44 connected to the expansion valve EV at the lower end, and an outflow-side primary refrigerant pipe 44 connected to the compressor CM at the upper end. The primary refrigerant circulates in the circulation space of the portion 42 from below while swirling along the spiral shape. That is, in the heat exchanger HE, the flow direction of the secondary refrigerant flowing through each condensation path 53a of the secondary heat exchange unit 52 and the flow direction of the primary refrigerant flowing through the primary heat exchange unit 42 are opposite to each other. Configured to be.

  The heat exchanger HE is disposed on the side of the spout 33 of the discharge part 32 (see FIG. 1 or FIG. 2). Here, since the heat exchanger HE is formed of a tubular body, the extending shape can be arbitrarily formed. For example, as in the embodiment, the tubular body is formed in a spiral shape and the passage of the refrigerant in the lateral direction. It is possible to take a long shape and reduce the size in the upper and lower overlapping directions to form a horizontally long shape as a whole. That is, since the heat exchanger HE is compact in the vertical direction, ice making is performed from a portion extending above the evaporator EP in the ice making mechanism 20 and above the evaporator EP provided in the refrigeration casing 22 of the ice making mechanism 20. It can be installed in a range up to the top plate 12a that closes the upper surface of the machine room (section) 14 in which the mechanism 20 is disposed.

(Effects of Example)
Next, the operation of the auger type ice making machine 10 according to the embodiment will be described. When the auger type ice making machine 10 starts the cooling operation of the cooling device 38, the circulation of the refrigerant is started in each of the primary circuit 40 and the secondary circuit 50. First, the primary circuit 40 will be described. The compressor CM and the condenser fan FM are driven, the gas-phase primary refrigerant is compressed by the compressor CM, and this primary refrigerant is supplied to the condenser CD through the primary refrigerant pipe 44. Then, the liquid phase is obtained by condensing and liquefying by forced cooling by the condenser fan FM. The liquid phase primary refrigerant is decompressed by the expansion valve EV, and in the primary heat exchanging portion 42 of the heat exchanger HE, heat is taken from the secondary refrigerant flowing through the secondary heat exchanging portion 52 (heat absorption) and is vaporized at once. Thus, the primary circuit 40 functions to forcibly cool the secondary heat exchange unit 52 by the primary heat exchange unit 42 in the heat exchanger HE. Then, the gas phase primary refrigerant vaporized in the primary heat exchange unit 42 repeats the forced circulation cycle that returns to the compressor CM through the primary refrigerant pipe 44.

  In the secondary circuit 50, the secondary heat exchange unit 52 is disposed on the side of the spout 33, while the evaporator EP is disposed in the refrigeration casing 22 below the spout 33, A head is provided with the evaporator EP. In the secondary circuit 50, the vapor phase secondary refrigerant dissipates heat and condenses in the secondary heat exchange unit 52 cooled by the primary heat exchange unit 42, and the specific gravity increases by changing the state from the gas phase to the liquid phase. Thus, the liquid phase secondary refrigerant can be naturally flowed to the evaporator EP through the liquid pipe 54 connected to the lower part of the secondary heat exchange section 52 under the action of gravity. In the process of flowing through the evaporation path 58a of the evaporator EP, the liquid phase secondary refrigerant takes heat from the refrigeration casing 22 in contact with the evaporator EP, vaporizes, and moves to the gas phase. The gas phase secondary refrigerant flows back from the evaporator EP to the secondary heat exchange unit 52 through the gas pipe 56, and the secondary circuit 50 has a simple configuration without using power from a pump, a motor, or the like. A cycle in which natural circulation occurs is repeated.

  In the ice making mechanism 20, the refrigeration casing 22 is cooled by the evaporator EP, and the ice making water supplied from the ice making water tank 28 to the inside of the refrigeration casing 22 freezes to form layered thin ice on the ice making surface 22a. In the ice making mechanism 20, the auger 30 is rotated by the driving means, and the flake ice is transferred upward while the thin ice is scraped into flakes by the cutting blade 30 a of the auger 30. The flaky ice is pushed into the compression passage of the pressing head 24 and compressed, and the compressed ice is folded by the head portion 26 and sent out in the radial direction of the auger 30. Then, the ice is discharged to the ice storage chamber 16 through the discharge portion 32.

  In the secondary circuit 50, in addition to the difference in height between the secondary heat exchanging section 52 of the heat exchanger HE and the evaporator EP, an extrusion effect caused by the liquid phase secondary refrigerant evaporating and expanding inside the evaporator EP. As a result, the secondary refrigerant circulates and the refrigeration capacity is transmitted by the secondary refrigerant. That is, in the secondary circuit 50, the degree of expansion of the secondary refrigerant in the evaporator EP is one element that determines the circulation amount of the secondary refrigerant. For example, the secondary circuit 50 has a strong circulation of the secondary refrigerant when the liquid phase secondary refrigerant evaporates and expands in the evaporator EP with a high-temperature heat source (when the outside air temperature is high and the ice-making water temperature is high). Power is generated and refrigeration capacity is efficiently transmitted. Therefore, the auger type ice making machine 10 naturally becomes the operating condition in which the refrigeration capacity is efficiently transmitted by the secondary refrigerant when a lot of refrigeration capacity is required as in the summer, so the ice making capacity is set as set. Can be maintained. On the other hand, the secondary circuit 50, when the liquid phase secondary refrigerant evaporates and expands with a low-temperature heat source (when the outside air temperature is low and the ice water temperature is low) in the evaporator EP, the secondary refrigerant 50 The circulation power of the refrigerant becomes weak, and the transmission of the refrigerating capacity by the secondary refrigerant is suppressed. Therefore, the auger type ice making machine 10 can naturally suppress the ice making capacity because the natural condition is such that the transmission of the cooling capacity by the secondary refrigerant is suppressed when a lot of freezing capacity is not required as in winter. .

  As described above, the auger type ice making machine 10 can suppress the ice making capability without operation in an environment where a lot of ice can be generated in the refrigeration casing 22 as in winter, and avoids excessive ice growth in the refrigeration casing 22. can do. That is, the auger type ice making machine 10 can prevent overloading of the refrigeration casing 22, the auger 30 and the driving means due to excessive ice growth, and the refrigeration casing 22, the auger 30 and the driving means can be damaged and the electricity cost can be reduced. One cause of waste can be eliminated.

  In the auger type ice making machine 10, the position of the top 12a (the vertical dimension of the machine room 14) is set so that the upper end of the discharge part 32 of the ice making mechanism 20 that is the highest in the machine room 14 can be accommodated. By arranging the heat exchanger HE in a space corresponding to the vertical dimension of the spout 33 on the side of the spout 33, interference between the top board 12a and the heat exchanger HE can be avoided without shifting the position of the top board 12a upward. it can. As described above, the auger type ice making machine 10 according to the embodiment has the heat exchanger HE arranged by effectively using the space of the machine room 14, so that the machine room 14 can be made compact and can be downsized as a whole.

  Since the secondary circuit 50 is configured to flow the secondary refrigerant liquefied in the secondary heat exchange unit 52 as described above to the evaporator EP via the liquid pipe 54 under the action of gravity, the secondary circuit 50 of the heat exchanger HE It is necessary to ensure a drop between the secondary heat exchange unit 52 and the evaporator EP. Since the auger type ice making machine 10 arranges the heat exchanger HE on the side of the spout 33 so that the heat exchanger HE is positioned above the evaporator EP, the secondary heat exchanger 52 and the evaporator A drop with EP can be secured. As a result, in the secondary circuit 50, the potential energy, which is one of the driving forces that cause the secondary refrigerant to naturally flow down toward the evaporator EP, increases, and the secondary refrigerant is smoothly circulated in the secondary circuit 50 for cooling. Ability can be improved. In addition, the auger type ice making machine 10 has the heat exchanger HE arranged in the upper part of the machine room 14 so that the liquid pipe 54 and the gas pipe 56 can be easily connected to the heat exchanger HE. Maintenance can be improved.

  The secondary circuit 50 connects one condensation path 53a and one evaporation path 58a by alternately connecting a plurality of condensation paths 53a and the same number of evaporation pipes (evaporation paths 58a) 58 as the condensation paths 53a. One thermosyphon that alternately circulates the secondary refrigerant is formed. That is, according to the secondary circuit 50, a plurality of condensation paths 53a and a plurality of evaporation paths 58a are provided in one circuit without branching the liquid pipe 54, the gas pipe 56, the condensation path 53a, and the evaporation path 58a. be able to. Thus, since the secondary circuit 50 is comprised by the path | route of one refrigerant | coolant as a whole, it can suppress that a secondary refrigerant is unevenly distributed by each path | pass. In the auger type ice making machine 10, the secondary refrigerant circulating in the secondary circuit 50 may be unevenly distributed in any path due to external factors such as fluctuations in the outside air temperature. As described above, since the secondary circuit 50 is composed of one thermosiphon, the balance of the secondary refrigerant is naturally adjusted so that the amount of secondary refrigerant in each path matches. That is, the secondary circuit 50 does not need to be provided with adjusting means such as a valve in order to adjust the balance of the secondary refrigerant, and the configuration of the cooling device 38 can be simplified.

  In the secondary circuit 50, a plurality of condensation paths 53a and evaporation paths 58a are arranged in each of the heat exchanger HE and the evaporator EP. That is, the heat exchange area required for each condensation path 53a and evaporation path 58a is reduced, and the piping length of each condensation path 53a and evaporation path 58a can be shortened. The pressure loss of the secondary refrigerant flowing through 58a can be reduced. In addition, the secondary circuit 50 is configured by a single refrigerant path as a whole without branching the liquid pipe 54, the gas pipe 56, the condensation path 53a, and the evaporation path 58a. No pressure loss occurs. That is, in the secondary circuit 50, the head difference of the secondary refrigerant required for natural convection between the condensation path 53a and the evaporation path 58a can be reduced, so that the secondary circuit 50 is connected between the secondary heat exchange unit 52 and the evaporator EP. The head required by the is reduced. Therefore, the auger type ice making machine 10 can reduce the vertical arrangement interval between the secondary heat exchange unit 46 and the evaporator EP, and can be made compact. Further, since the machine oil of the compressor CM does not circulate in the secondary circuit 50 unlike the vapor compression circuit, the circulation of the secondary refrigerant is not hindered by the machine oil.

  Since the secondary circuit 50 has a small pressure loss of the secondary refrigerant, the condenser circuit 53, the liquid pipe 54, the gas pipe 56, and the evaporation pipe 58 constituting the secondary circuit 50 are compared with a vapor compression refrigeration circuit. Even if a thin pipe diameter is selected, a secondary refrigerant having the same refrigeration capacity can be circulated in the circuit. Here, as the secondary refrigerant, carbon dioxide having a lower viscosity than that of chlorofluorocarbon or the like is adopted, thereby further reducing the pressure loss and reducing the diameter of the secondary refrigerant pipes 53, 54, 56, and 58. Can do. That is, in the vapor compression refrigeration circuit, it is practically impossible to use a pipe having a diameter of 6.35 mm or less due to pressure loss or the like, but according to the secondary circuit 50 of the embodiment, the diameter is 6.35 mm. The following secondary refrigerant piping can be employed.

  Thus, since the secondary circuit 50 can reduce the length and the cross-sectional area of each condensation path 53a and each evaporation path 58a, the secondary heat exchange part 52 and the evaporator EP can be made compact. In addition, by condensing the condensing pipe 53, the liquid pipe 54, the gas pipe 56, and the evaporation pipe 58 to have a reduced diameter or a circular cross section, the secondary refrigerant pipes 53, 54, 56, 58 are provided with a pressure resistance performance. It is possible to reduce the required wall thickness. That is, not only the secondary refrigerant pipes 53, 54, 56, and 58 are reduced in diameter but also the pipe weight is further reduced by synergy with the reduction in the thickness of the pipes 53, 54, 56, and 58. The cost can be further reduced.

  In the evaporator EP, the diameter of the evaporation pipe 58 is reduced, so that the evaporation pipe 58 can be arranged closely on the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 22. In other words, the evaporator EP has a circular cross-section of the evaporator tube 58 so that the peripheral surface of the evaporator tube 58 is in line contact with the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing 22, but the evaporator tubes 58 are closely arranged. Therefore, the heat transfer area for the refrigeration casing 22 can be ensured. Therefore, the evaporator EP does not need to process the evaporation pipe 58 into a flat shape in order to obtain a heat transfer area with respect to the refrigeration casing 22, and can reduce the labor and cost. In addition, since the evaporation pipe 58 having a circular cross section is more resistant to external pressure than the flat evaporation pipe, deformation of the evaporation pipe 58 caused by freezing of water that has entered between the refrigeration casing 22 and the evaporation pipe 58 is prevented. Can be suppressed. Further, in the ice making mechanism 20, the gap between the refrigeration casing 22 and the evaporation pipe 58 may be filled with a metallic wax or the like, but the processing becomes easy because the pipe diameter of the evaporation pipe 58 is reduced. .

Here, cost reduction by reducing the diameter of the secondary refrigerant pipes 53, 54, 56, and 58 will be specifically described.
For example, the wall thickness t of the pipe having the pressure resistance performance P is obtained by the following equation. Here, σ is the allowable stress of the material, and D is the outer diameter of the pipe.
t = PD / 2 (σ + P) (B)
The pipe weight M of the length L is calculated | required with the following formula | equation. Incidentally, C is the specific gravity of the material, D _i is the internal diameter of the pipe.
M = πLC (D ² −D _i ² ) / 4 (b)
Further, since it can be expressed as D _i = D−2t, substituting this into the expression (b) yields the following expression.
M = πLC (Dt−t ² ) (C)
Then, by substituting (A) into (C), the following equation is derived.
M = (1-P / 2 (σ + P)) × πLCPD 2/2 (σ + P) ... ( d)
The expression (d) indicates the weight of the pipe having the pressure resistance performance P. In the expression (D), if conditions other than D are unchanged, the conditions of π, L, C, P, and σ can be treated as constants. Therefore, the weight of the pipe having the pressure resistance performance P (the outer diameter D of the pipe) can be expressed by the following expression.
M = {(1−P / 2 (σ + P)) × πLCP / 2 (σ + P)} × D ² (e)
Since the value in {} in the expression (e) is a constant as described above, it can be expressed as M = AD ² .
Then, the pipe weight MD ₁ of the pipe outside diameter _{D 1} having a pressure resistance P is _AD ^{1 2,} pipe weight MD ₂ of the outer diameter _{D 2} pipe having a pressure resistance P is _AD ^{2 2.}
Furthermore, the ratio of the pipe weight MD ₁ and the pipe weight MD ₂ is expressed as follows.
MD ₂ / MD ₁ = D ₂ ² / D ₁ ² (f)

The description will be made by applying specific numbers to the formula (f). In a general vapor compression cooling device, the outer diameter of the evaporation pipe is often set to 9.52 mm. On the other hand, in the cooling device 38 of the embodiment, the evaporation pipe 58 having an outer diameter of 6.35 mm can be used for the secondary circuit 50. When these conditions are applied to the above equation (f), the following is obtained.
MD _φ6.35 / MD _φ9.52 = (6.35) ² /(9.52) ² = 0.44
Further, in the cooling device of the example, when an evaporation tube having an outer diameter of 4.76 mm is used, it is as follows.
MD _φ4.76 / MD _φ9.52 = (4.76) ² /(9.52) ² = 0.25
That is, the weight ratio of the pipe can be said to be a ratio of the material price of the pipe. Therefore, according to the cooling device 38 of the embodiment, the pipe is reduced in diameter as compared with the conventional cooling device, thereby greatly reducing the cost. It is clear that can be achieved.

(Example of change)
(1) The heat exchanger is not limited to the example in which the tubular bodies are stacked in an oval shape as in the embodiment, but in a meandering shape, a circular shape, a rectangular shape, an elliptical shape, a spiral shape, or other extending shape. There may be.
(2) In the embodiment, the heat exchanger is arranged on the side of the discharge part, but the tubular heat exchanger may be arranged so as to surround the refrigeration casing between the evaporator and the discharge part. The heat exchanger may be integrally covered with a heat insulating member that covers the refrigeration casing.
(3) In the auger type ice making machine of the embodiment, the heat exchanger is arranged on the side of the refrigeration casing so as to be positioned between the discharge section and the evaporator, and this heat exchanger is heated by a heat insulating member covering the refrigeration casing. The exchanger may be integrally covered.
(4) The heat exchanger has been described as having a double-pipe structure in which a secondary heat exchange unit is disposed as an inner tube, but the primary heat exchange unit may be an inner tube. In the double tube structure, the inner tube and the outer tube may have a one-to-one relationship or a one-to-one relationship. Furthermore, arrangement | positioning of an inner tube is not limited to parallel, trapezoid shape, a triangle, etc. can be arrange | positioned suitably. You may divide the inside of a pipe | tube with a wall and use it for a primary heat exchange part and a secondary heat exchange part. Furthermore, three or more multi-tube structures may be used.
(5) The heat exchanger is not limited to the double tube heat exchanger as in the embodiment, but is a spiral heat exchanger, a plate heat exchanger, a multi-tube cylindrical heat exchanger, a multi-tube heat exchanger. A heat exchanger, a spiral tube heat exchanger, a spiral plate heat exchanger, a tank coil heat exchanger, a tank jacket heat exchanger, a microchannel heat exchanger, and the like can be employed. If a microchannel heat exchanger is employed as the heat exchanger, it is easy to reduce the diameter of the evaporation tube to 1.0 mm.
(6) In the embodiment, the expansion valve is used as the pressure reducing means of the primary circuit, but a capillary tube or other means can be adopted.
(7) In the embodiment, the example in which the auger is disposed inside the refrigeration casing has been described. However, the auger is provided so as to surround the outer periphery of the refrigeration casing, and the ice grown on the outer peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing The structure which scrapes off with the cutting blade provided in may be sufficient.
(8) The secondary circuit is cooled in contact with the primary circuit or a part of the secondary circuit whose temperature is lower than that of the gas-phase secondary refrigerant flowing through the gas pipe (for example, the outer shell of the primary heat exchange unit). A preliminary heat exchange unit may be provided in the gas pipe.

22 refrigeration casing, 30 auger, 38 cooling device, 50 secondary circuit (circuit),
52 secondary heat exchange part (heat exchange part), 54 liquid pipe (refrigerant pipe),
56 Gas piping (refrigerant piping), 58 Evaporating pipe, EP evaporator, HE Heat exchanger

Claims (3)

In an auger type ice making machine that produces flake ice by scraping the ice grown on the refrigeration casing (22) cooled by the evaporator (EP) constituting the cooling device (38) with an auger (30),
The cooling device (38) is provided so as to be in contact with the refrigeration casing (22) positioned below the heat exchanger (52) cooled by the heat exchanger (HE) and the heat exchanger (HE). Equipped with a circuit (50) in which the evaporator (EP) is connected by refrigerant piping (54, 56), and the refrigerant is naturally circulated by the temperature gradient between the heat exchange section (HE) and the evaporator (EP), and the evaporator (EP The auger type ice making machine, wherein the refrigeration casing (22) is cooled by the above. The circuit (50) circulates carbon dioxide as a refrigerant,
The auger type ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the evaporator (EP) is configured by winding an evaporation pipe (58) made of metal and having a circular cross section around the refrigeration casing (22).   The auger type ice making machine according to claim 2, wherein the evaporation pipe (58) has a diameter set in a range of 1 mm to 6.35 mm.

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