JP2013190174A - Ice making machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ice making machine of which setting method for ice-making completion temperature is improved to ensure the shape of ice having an appropriate range even when room temperature or temperature of supplied water changes during making ice.SOLUTION: An ice making machine includes an operation control part 51 for controlling the operation condition of a refrigeration device 4 and ice-making structure, a temperature setting part 52 for sending control data to the operation control part 51 and a temperature detection part 53. The temperature setting part 52 sets a temporary value of ice-making completion temperature on the basis of a detection value of a room temperature detection part 63 for detecting indoor temperature, a detection value of a supplied water temperature detection part 64 for detecting the temperature of water in a water supply tube 32, and an ice shape setting value set by an ice shape setting part 65. The temporary value is still used as ice-making completion temperature for ice making in such a condition that the set temporary value is in a range between predetermined upper limit temperature and lower limit temperature. The upper limit temperature is used as ice-making completion temperature for ice making in such a condition where the temporary value is more than the upper limit temperature. The lower limit temperature is used as ice-making completion temperature for ice making in such a condition where the temporary value is less than the lower limit temperature.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ice making machine that generates cube-shaped or plate-shaped ice, and in particular, is an improvement of a control method for controlling the operating state of a refrigeration apparatus and an ice-making structure in the process of generating ice.

  In order to obtain ice having a desired shape regardless of the temperature (room temperature) in the room where the ice making machine is installed, it is known, for example, in Patent Document 1 to vary the ice making completion temperature in accordance with the room temperature. The ice making machine there is formed at the center of the lower surface of the ice, an ice making case (cooler) having a group of cells (ice making chambers) that open downward, a water supply unit that blows and supplies ice making water to each cell. Setting means for setting the diameter of the depression (hole) in four stages (15φ, 10φ, 5φ, 1φ). The ice making completion temperature is set based on the set value of the depression and the room temperature. Specifically, the ice making completion temperature is set to a higher value as the diameter value of the depression is larger and the room temperature is higher.

  In the present invention, the ice making completion temperature is changed according to the room temperature and the temperature of the ice making water (feed water temperature). In this regard, the ice making time (from the start to the completion of the ice making process) is changed according to the room temperature and the water supply temperature. It is known from Patent Document 2 that the time is varied. There, the ice making time is set based on the set value of the depression, the room temperature, and the water supply temperature. Specifically, the ice making time is set longer as the diameter value of the depression is smaller and the room temperature and the water supply temperature are higher.

JP 58-210470 A JP 58-210471 A

The ice making water used in the ice making machine is drawn into the ice making machine through the water pipe outside the building where the ice making machine is installed and the water pipe inside the building in order. If the ice making process is not performed for a long time because the ice in the ice making machine is full, the temperature of the water staying in the water pipe in the building rises or falls to near the temperature in the building. Thereby, a difference arises in the water temperature inside and outside the building. Particularly in summer and winter, the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the building tends to increase due to the use of air conditioning, and therefore the water temperature difference between the inside and outside tends to increase.

  In an ice maker that detects the water supply temperature and sets the ice making completion temperature based on this, if the ice making process is started with a large water temperature difference between the outside and inside of the building, the water initially retained in the building Therefore, the temperature of water in the building is detected as the water supply temperature, and the ice making completion temperature is set based on this. However, the water in the building is eventually used up, and thereafter, water that was outside the building at the start of the ice making process, that is, water having a temperature close to the temperature outside the building is drawn into the ice making machine. That is, water having a temperature different from the water supply temperature detected at the time of setting the ice making completion temperature is used as ice making water. As a result, the shape of ice formed in the ice making case (for example, the shape of a dent) In an ice making machine provided with setting means for setting the following, the following inconvenience may occur.

  When the temperature inside the building is higher than outside the building (such as in winter), the water inside the building is used up, and then water at a lower temperature is used as ice making water. That is, the feed water temperature decreases during the ice making process. As a result, the rate of decrease in the temperature of the ice making case (case temperature) increases, and as a result, the time until the case temperature reaches the ice making completion temperature, ie, the ice making time is shortened. Here, when the desired ice shape in the setting means is relatively large (the depression is small), the ice shape is slightly smaller than desired (the depression is large) even if the ice making time is slightly shortened. Although there is no problem, if the ice making time is shortened when the desired ice shape is minimum (the dent is maximum) or close to it, the resulting ice may be too small.

  When the temperature inside the building is lower than outside the building (summer season, etc.), the water inside the building is used up, and then water at a higher temperature is used as ice making water. That is, the feed water temperature rises during the ice making process. This slows down the case temperature and increases the ice making time. Here, when the desired ice shape in the setting means is relatively small (the depression is large), the ice shape is slightly larger than desired (the depression is small) even if the ice making time is a little longer. There is no problem, but if the desired ice shape is the maximum (the dent is minimum) or close to it, if the ice making time is long, the ice may grow too much.

  As described above, the change in the water supply temperature affects the shape of the ice, but the same problem may occur due to the change in the room temperature. That is, if the ice making process is started by setting the ice making completion temperature and the room temperature is lowered during the process, the heat radiation efficiency in the condenser is increased as compared to before the drop. Further, since the cooling capacity of the refrigeration apparatus increases as the heat radiation efficiency increases, the case temperature decreasing speed is increased, and therefore the ice making time is shortened. If the ice making time is shortened when the desired ice shape is set to a minimum or close to it, the resulting ice may be too small. Conversely, if the room temperature rises in the middle of the ice making process, the rate of case temperature decrease is slower than before the rise, so the ice making time becomes longer. If the ice making time is long when the desired ice shape is set to the maximum or close to it, the ice may grow too much.

  In Patent Document 1, even when the depression is set to the maximum (15φ) or minimum (1φ), the ice making completion temperature is raised as the room temperature rises, so that ice having a desired depression can be obtained regardless of the room temperature. I have to. However, this setting cannot be used when the room temperature fluctuates greatly during the ice making process. That is, when the setting of the depression is maximum (15φ), if the room temperature is lowered during the ice making process, the ice making time will be shortened for the above reason, so that the resulting ice becomes too small (the depression becomes larger than 15φ). Too much). In addition, when the depression is set to the minimum (1φ), if the room temperature rises during the ice making process and the ice making time becomes long, the ice may grow too much and protrude from the cell. Further, if the ice making process is continued even after the ice having the minimum (1φ) depression is formed, that is, after the ice has grown to fill the cell, power is wasted.

  The object of the present invention is to improve the ice making completion temperature setting method, so that even when the room temperature or the feed water temperature fluctuates during the ice making process, the obtained ice becomes too small, or conversely, the ice grows too much. An object of the present invention is to provide an ice making machine that can eliminate the problem and ensure that the shape of ice is within an appropriate range.

  The ice making machine according to the present invention includes a refrigeration apparatus 4 and an ice making structure, an operation control unit 51 that controls the operation state of both, a temperature setting unit 52 that passes control data to the operation control unit 51, and a case temperature detection unit 53. It has. The temperature setting unit 52 includes a detection value of a room temperature detection unit 63 that detects the temperature of the room in which the ice making machine is installed, a detection value of a water supply temperature detection unit 64 that detects the temperature of ice-making water in the water supply pipe 32, and ice. The provisional value of the ice making completion temperature is set based on the ice shape setting value set by the shape setting unit 65. Under the condition that the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature set by the temperature setting unit 52 is within the range between the preset upper limit temperature and lower limit temperature, ice making is performed with the provisional value as it is, and the provisional value is Ice making is performed with the upper limit temperature set as the ice making completion temperature under conditions exceeding the upper limit temperature, and ice making is performed with the lower limit temperature set as the ice making completion temperature under conditions where the provisional value is lower than the lower limit temperature.

  Reference values are set for the room temperature and the water supply temperature detected by the room temperature detection unit 63 and the water supply temperature detection unit 64, respectively. The ice making completion temperature set by the temperature setting unit 52 when the detection values of the room temperature detection unit 63 and the feed water temperature detection unit 64 are equal to the respective reference values and the ice shape setting unit 65 sets the ice shape to the minimum. The provisional value is set as the upper limit temperature of the ice making completion temperature. The ice making completion temperature set by the temperature setting unit 52 when the detection values of the room temperature detection unit 63 and the feed water temperature detection unit 64 are equal to the respective reference values and the ice shape setting unit 65 sets the ice shape to the maximum. The provisional value is set as the lower limit temperature of the ice making completion temperature.

  In the present invention, a provisional value of the ice making completion temperature is set based on the room temperature, the feed water temperature, and the ice shape setting value, and the provisional value is provisionally set within the range of the preset upper limit temperature and lower limit temperature. Ice making was carried out with the value as it was at the ice making completion temperature. In addition, under the condition where the provisional value exceeds the upper limit temperature, ice making was performed with the upper limit temperature as the ice making completion temperature, and under the condition where the provisional value was lower than the lower limit temperature, ice making was performed with the lower limit temperature as the ice making completion temperature. In the present invention, the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature is set similarly to the conventional ice making completion temperature. That is, the higher the room temperature and the water supply temperature, the slower the case temperature decrease rate, so the provisional value is set higher. Furthermore, the smaller the ice shape indicated by the ice shape setting value, the shorter the ice making time, so the provisional value is set higher.

  The upper limit temperature is set in order to avoid inconvenience caused by a decrease in the room temperature or the water supply temperature when the ice shape indicated by the ice shape set value is minimum or close thereto. That is, when the room temperature or the water supply temperature is lowered during the ice making process, the case temperature is reduced faster than before the ice temperature is lowered, so that the ice making time is shortened. If the ice making time is shortened when the ice shape is at a minimum or close to that, the resulting ice will be too small. This is a case where the room temperature and the water supply temperature at the start of the ice making process are relatively high. In such a case, the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature is set to the highest. That is, the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature is particularly high when there is a possibility that the obtained ice will be too small. Therefore, in the present invention, the upper limit temperature is set as the ice making completion temperature, and the ice making is performed with the upper limit temperature lower than the provisional value as the ice making completion temperature under the condition that the provisional value exceeds the upper limit temperature. According to this, it is possible to grow ice by lowering the ice making completion temperature lower than before, where the upper limit temperature has not been set, and extending the ice making time accordingly, so that the ice becomes too small. Can be resolved.

  The reason why the lower limit temperature is set is to avoid inconvenience caused by an increase in the room temperature or the water supply temperature when the ice shape indicated by the ice shape setting value is at or near the maximum. That is, if the room temperature or the water supply temperature rises during the ice making process, the case temperature decreases at a slower rate than before the rise, so the ice making time becomes longer. If the ice making time is long when the ice shape is at or near maximum, the ice grows too much. This is a case where the room temperature and the water supply temperature at the start of the ice making process are relatively low. In such a case, the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature is set to the lowest. In other words, the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature is particularly low when there is a possibility that the ice will grow too much. Therefore, in the present invention, the lower limit temperature is set as the ice making completion temperature, and the ice making is performed with the lower limit temperature higher than the provisional value as the ice making completion temperature under the condition that the provisional value is lower than the lower limit temperature. According to this, the ice making completion temperature can be made higher than the conventional case where the lower limit temperature has not been set, and the ice making time can be shortened accordingly, so that it is possible to eliminate excessive ice growth. . Also, by ending the ice making process before the ice grows too much, wasteful power consumption can be eliminated.

  As described above, if the upper limit temperature is set for the ice making completion temperature, even if the room temperature or water supply temperature falls during the ice making process, the obtained ice will not become too small, and the lower limit temperature is set for the ice making completion temperature. Then, even if the room temperature or the water supply temperature rises during the ice making process, the ice does not grow too much. As described above, according to the present invention, even when the room temperature or the water supply temperature fluctuates during the ice making process, the obtained ice becomes too small, or conversely, the ice does not grow too much. Can be reliably within the appropriate range.

  Temporary value of ice making completion temperature (maximum reference) set by temperature setting unit 52 when detected values of room temperature detection unit 63 and feed water temperature detection unit 64 are equal to the respective reference values and ice shape setting unit 65 is the minimum setting. (Provisional value) is set as the upper limit temperature of the ice making completion temperature. According to this, the ice making process can be continued until the case temperature reaches at least the maximum reference provisional value, and it is possible to more reliably prevent the ice that is smaller than the minimum setting and unsuitable for use. In other words, under the reference temperature condition in which the detected values of the room temperature and the feed water temperature are equal to the reference value, the ice having the minimum setting shape can be obtained by performing the ice making process until the case temperature reaches the maximum reference provisional value. Also, in the temperature condition lower than the reference temperature condition, the case temperature decreases at a faster rate than the reference temperature condition, but the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature is set lower than the maximum reference provisional value, and Since the provisional value becomes the ice making completion temperature as it is, the ice making process can be performed until the ice making completion temperature is reached, and the ice having the minimum setting shape can be obtained. In the temperature condition higher than the reference temperature condition, the case temperature decreases at a slower rate than the reference temperature condition, and the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature is set higher than the maximum reference provisional value. Since the lower maximum reference provisional value becomes the ice making completion temperature, the ice making process can be performed until the ice making completion temperature is reached, and ice that is equal to or larger than the minimum setting can be obtained. That is, according to the present invention in which the highest reference provisional value is the upper limit temperature of the ice making completion temperature, ice that is equal to or larger than the minimum setting can be reliably obtained regardless of the room temperature and the feed water temperature.

  Temporary value of ice making completion temperature (minimum standard) set by temperature setting unit 52 when detected values of room temperature detection unit 63 and feed water temperature detection unit 64 are equal to the respective reference values and ice shape setting unit 65 is at the maximum setting. (Provisional value) is set as the lower limit temperature of the ice making completion temperature. According to this, the ice making process can be completed when the case temperature reaches the minimum reference provisional value at the latest, and it is possible to more reliably prevent the ice from growing beyond the maximum setting. That is, under the previous reference temperature condition, the ice having the maximum setting shape can be obtained by performing the ice making process until the case temperature reaches the maximum reference provisional value. In addition, in the temperature condition higher than the reference temperature condition, the case temperature decreases at a slower rate than the reference temperature condition, but the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature is set higher than the minimum reference provisional value, and Since the provisional value becomes the ice making completion temperature as it is, the ice making process is finished when the ice making completion temperature is reached, and the ice having the maximum setting shape can be obtained. When the temperature condition is lower than the reference temperature condition, the case temperature decreases at a faster rate than the reference temperature condition, and the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature is set lower than the maximum reference provisional value. Since the higher minimum reference provisional value becomes the ice making completion temperature, the ice making process is finished when the ice making completion temperature is reached, and ice that is equal to or smaller than the maximum setting can be obtained. That is, according to the present invention in which the minimum reference provisional value is the lower limit temperature of the ice making completion temperature, it is possible to reliably obtain ice that is equal to or smaller than the maximum setting regardless of the room temperature and the water supply temperature.

It is a flowchart which shows the preparation procedure of the ice making completion temperature table. It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the ice making machine based on the Example of this invention. It is a vertical front view of the ice making structure of the ice making machine which concerns on an Example. It is a block diagram which shows the control system of the ice making machine which concerns on an Example. It is a figure which shows a part of ice making completion temperature table. It is a figure which shows the preparation procedure of the ice making completion temperature table.

(Example) The Example of the ice making machine based on this invention is described using FIGS. 1-6. As shown in FIG. 2, the ice making machine 1 includes an ice making chamber 2 having a heat insulating structure, and a machine room 3 arranged below the ice making chamber 2. An ice making structure such as an ice making case 5 cooled by the refrigeration apparatus 4 and a water supply unit 6 for supplying ice making water to the ice making case 5 is arranged at the upper part of the ice making chamber 2. It is an ice storage space for storing the ice produced in Case 5.

  The refrigeration apparatus 4 includes a compressor 8, a condenser 9, an expansion valve 10, and an evaporator 11 constituting a refrigeration cycle, a refrigerant pipe 12 that connects these to form a refrigerant circulation passage, and a hot gas circulation The hot gas pipe 13 is formed to form the passage. The compressor 8 and the condenser 9 are disposed in the machine room 3 together with the fan 14 for the condenser 9. The evaporator 11 is disposed in the ice making chamber 2 so as to be in close contact with the ice making case 5. The hot gas pipe 13 bypasses the condenser 9 and the expansion valve 10 and directly connects the compressor 8 and the evaporator 11. The hot gas pipe 13 is branched from between the compressor 8 and the condenser 9 in the refrigerant pipe 12 to expand the expansion valve. 10 and the evaporator 11 are joined together. The hot gas pipe 13 is provided with an electromagnetic valve 15 for opening and closing the pipe.

  During the ice making process, a refrigerant flow from the compressor 8 to the compressor 8 via the condenser 9, the expansion valve 10, and the evaporator 11 is formed, and the liquid refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator 11, The ice making case 5 in contact with the evaporator 11 is cooled. During the deicing process, the solenoid valve 15 of the hot gas pipe 13 is opened, and hot gas is discharged from the compressor 8 toward the evaporator 11 to warm the ice making case 5.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the ice making case 5 is formed in a square dish shape in which a group of cells 19 opening downward are divided into vertical and horizontal grids, and is fixed to a unit base 20 provided at the upper end of the ice making chamber 2. Has been. The evaporator 11 is configured by a meandering pipe and is fixed to the upper surface of the ice making case 5. The ice making case 5 and the evaporator 11 are made of a metal having excellent thermal conductivity, such as copper.

  The water supply unit 6 includes a water tray 23 disposed opposite to the lower surface side of the ice making case 5, a water tank 24 attached to the lower side of the water tray 23, and a water pump 25 attached to the water tank 24. The water tray 23 is formed in a square dish shape that opens downward, and is integrally provided with a water channel frame 26 therein. On the upper wall of the water dish 23, a large number of nozzles 27 that spray and supply ice-making water toward the cell 19 and a pair of return holes 28 that are disposed with the nozzles 27 interposed therebetween are formed. The nozzle 27 communicates with a water passage 29 defined by a water passage frame 26, and a water pump 25 is connected to the base end of the water passage 29. The return hole 28 is formed in a vertically penetrating manner in the outer portion of the water channel frame 26, and the water flowing down the return hole 28 is collected by the water tank 24.

  Ice making water is supplied to the water supply unit 6 through a water supply pipe 32. The upstream end of the water supply pipe 32 is drawn out of the ice making machine 1 from an outlet provided on the machine room 3 side, and is connected to a water supply port 33 (see FIG. 2) outside the ice making machine 1. The downstream end of the water supply pipe 32 faces the upper surface of the water tray 23, and there are a plurality of downward sprinkling ports 34 provided at regular intervals. An electromagnetic valve 35 for controlling the supply of water to the water tray 23 by opening and closing the water supply pipe 32 is disposed at one location of the water supply pipe 32.

  A tilt arm 38 is fixed to one outer surface of the water dish 23, and an upper end portion of the tilt arm 38 is pivotally supported on the unit base 20 via a horizontal shaft 39. The entire water supply unit 6 is configured to be swingable up and down with respect to the unit base 20 around a horizontal shaft 39, and the upper ice making posture in which the upper surface of the water dish 23 faces each cell 19 of the ice making case 5. The oscillating tip side of the water dish 23 is separated from the ice making case 5, and the posture can be switched to a lower icing attitude in which the upper surface of the water dish 23 is inclined downward toward the oscillating tip side. The driving means for switching the posture of the water supply unit 6 includes a motor 40 (see FIG. 4) and a spring (not shown) as a driving source. A gap 41 for flowing water that has not flowed into the return hole 28 into the water tank 24 is secured between the swinging tip wall of the water tank 24 and the water tray 23.

  A drainage channel 44 for draining water from the water tank 24 is formed on the swinging tip side of the water tank 24, and drainage from the drainage channel 44 is provided below the water supply unit 6 as shown in FIG. A drain pan 45 is provided for receiving the waste water. The water discharged to the drain pan 45 is discharged outside the ice making machine 1 through the drain pipe 46.

  In the ice making process, the ice making case 5 is cooled by the refrigeration apparatus 4 and the water supply unit 6 is in an ice making posture, and ice making water is sprinkled from each water spout 34 of the water supply pipe 32 toward the upper surface of the water tray 23. Then, it flows into the water tank 24 through the return hole 28 or the gap 41. The ice-making water in the water tank 24 is sent to the water passage 29 by the water pump 25 and is jetted and supplied from each nozzle 27 toward the cell 19. The ice-making water is solidified in the cell 19 to form cube-shaped ice in the cell 19. The ice-making water that has fallen to the upper surface of the water dish 23 without solidifying in the cell 19 returns to the water tank 24 through the return hole 28. When the ice making process is completed, the cooling of the ice making case 5 by the refrigeration apparatus 4, the water spray from the water supply pipe 32, and the supply of the ice making water to the cells 19 are stopped, and the ice removal is performed to separate the ice from each cell 19. Move to the process.

  In the deicing process, the water supply unit 6 is in the deicing posture, the lower surface of each cell 19 is opened, and hot gas is discharged from the compressor 8 toward the evaporator 11 to warm the ice making case 5. As a result, the ice melts on the surface in contact with the ice making case 5 and falls down toward the water tray 23. The fallen ice slides down along the upper surface of the water tray 23 and falls from the rocking tip of the water tray 23 toward the ice storage space below the ice making chamber 2. At this time, the deicing water is sprinkled from the water supply pipe 32 to the upper surface of the water tray 23, and the ice caught in the nozzle 27 and the return hole 28 is washed away. The deicing water flows into the water tank 24 through the return hole 28 or the gap 41 and is discharged from the drainage channel 44 to the drainage pan 45 together with the surplus ice-making water remaining in the water tank 24.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the control system of the ice making machine 1 according to this embodiment includes an operation control unit 51 that controls the ice making process and the ice removing process, and an ice storage amount detection unit 50 that detects the ice storage amount in the ice making chamber 2. And a case temperature detecting unit 53 that detects the temperature (case temperature) of the ice making case 5, a temperature setting unit 52 that sets the ice making completion temperature, and the like. The operation control unit 51 starts the ice making process when the ice storage amount detected by the ice storage amount detection unit 50 decreases below a certain level, and when the case temperature detected by the case temperature detection unit 53 decreases to the ice making completion temperature, the ice making step. And start the de-icing process. In the ice making process and the deicing process, the operation control unit 51 includes the compressor 8, the expansion valve 10, the fan 14, the electromagnetic valve 15 of the hot gas pipe 13, the water pump 25 of the water supply unit 6, and the refrigeration apparatus 4. The electromagnetic valve 35 of the water supply pipe 32, the motor 40 of the drive means which switches the attitude | position of the water supply part 6, etc. are controlled.

  When the ice making process is started by the operation control unit 51, the ice making completion temperature is set by the temperature setting unit 52. The temperature setting unit 52 is a value detected by the model detection unit 61, the frequency detection unit 62, the room temperature detection unit 63, and the feed water temperature detection unit 64, the ice shape setting value in the ice shape setting unit 65, and the storage in the temperature setting unit 52. The ice making completion temperature is set with reference to the ice making completion temperature table stored in the unit 66. The model detection unit 61 detects the model of the ice making machine 1, and the frequency detection unit 62 detects the power supply frequency of the ice making machine 1. The detection of the power supply frequency by the frequency detection unit 62 can be performed by a method described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-35939, for example.

The room temperature detection unit 63 detects the temperature in the room where the ice making machine 1 is installed, and is disposed, for example, on the machine room 3 side. The water supply temperature detection unit 64 detects the temperature of the ice making water in the water supply pipe 32 and is disposed about 10 cm upstream from the electromagnetic valve 35. The detected value Ta of the room temperature and the detected value Tw of the feed water temperature are compared with the lower threshold values T1 and T3 and the upper threshold values T2 and T4 provided for each of the following nine temperature conditions [A] to [I]. It is determined whether it belongs to one of them.
[A] Ta <T1, Tw <T3 (room temperature: low, water supply temperature: low)
[B] Ta <T1, T3 ≦ Tw <T4 (room temperature: low, feed water temperature: medium)
[C] Ta <T1, T4 ≦ Tw (room temperature: low, feed water temperature: high)
[D] T1 ≦ Ta <T2, Tw <T3 (room temperature: medium, water supply temperature: low)
[E] T1 ≦ Ta <T2, T3 ≦ Tw <T4 (room temperature: medium, feed water temperature: medium)
[F] T1 ≦ Ta <T2, T4 ≦ Tw (room temperature: medium, feed water temperature: high)
[G] T2 ≦ Ta, Tw <T3 (room temperature: high, water supply temperature: low)
[H] T2 ≦ Ta, T3 ≦ Tw <T4 (room temperature: high, feed water temperature: medium)
[I] T2 ≦ Ta, T4 ≦ Tw (room temperature: high, water supply temperature: high)
Ta: Detection value of room temperature T1: Lower threshold value of room temperature T2: Upper threshold value of room temperature Tw: Detection value of feed water temperature T3: Lower threshold value of feed water temperature T4: Upper threshold value of feed water temperature In this embodiment, T1 = 10 ° C., T2 = 30 ° C, T3 = 9 ° C, T4 = 16 ° C.

  In the ice shape setting unit 65, the user sets the size of the depression formed in the center of the bottom surface of the ice in the cell 19 of the ice making case 5 with the seven ice shape setting values from “1” to “7”. Can do. The larger the ice shape setting value, the larger the depression formed in the ice. In this embodiment, the depth of the depression when the ice shape set value is “1” is about 2 mm, when the ice shape set value is “4”, it is about 7 mm, and when the ice shape set value is “7”, it is about 15 mm. Is set. The vertical dimension of the cell 19 is approximately 30 mm, and the longitudinal dimension and the lateral dimension are approximately 29 mm.

  A part of the ice making completion temperature table stored in the storage unit 66 is shown in FIG. For example, the model of the ice making machine 1 detected by the model detector 61 is “F-101”, the power frequency detected by the frequency detector 62 is “50 Hz”, and the room temperature detected by the room temperature detector 63 is “15 ° C.”. When the feed water temperature detected by the feed water temperature detection unit 64 is “12 ° C.” and the set value in the ice shape setting unit 65 is “5”, the temperature setting unit 52 refers to the ice making completion temperature table to The temperature in the column corresponding to the detected value / set value of 61 to 65, that is, “−14 ° C.” is set as the ice making completion temperature.

  Next, the creation procedure of the ice making completion temperature table will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. 1 and the ice making completion temperature table of FIG. 6 by taking as an example the case where the model is F-101 and the power supply frequency is 50 Hz. It is assumed that thresholds T1 to T4 relating to the room temperature and the water supply temperature are set in advance.

(Procedure 1) A reference room temperature that is a reference value of room temperature and a reference feed water temperature that is a reference value of feed water temperature are determined, and a temperature condition including the reference room temperature and the reference feed water temperature is determined as a reference temperature condition (S1). . The reference room temperature and the reference water supply temperature can be, for example, annual average values. In this example, the reference room temperature was 20 ° C., the reference feed water temperature was 15 ° C., and the temperature condition [E] including these was set as the reference temperature condition.

(Procedure 2) One ice shape set value is selected, and the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature under the set temperature and the reference temperature condition selected in Procedure 1 is set (S2). The ice shape set value here can be arbitrarily selected from “1” to “7”, but “4” which is an intermediate value is selected in this embodiment. The provisional value of the ice making completion temperature can be set as desired. For example, the ice making process is actually performed under the reference temperature condition, and the size corresponding to the ice shape set value “4” (the vertical depth is about 7 mm). ) Can be set as a provisional value for the ice making completion temperature. In this example, the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature in the temperature condition [E] and the ice shape set value “4” was set to −15 ° C. (FIG. 6A).

(Procedure 3) Other ice shape setting values not selected in Procedure 2 and provisional values of the ice making completion temperature under the reference temperature condition are set (S3). This setting is performed based on the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature set in the procedure 2. In the present embodiment, with reference to the provisional value −15 ° C. of the ice making completion temperature corresponding to the ice shape setting value “4”, the ice shape setting value decreases by 1 ° C. as the ice shape setting value decreases by 1 from “4”. The provisional value was set so as to increase by 1 ° C. as it increased (FIG. 6B). If the temperature conditions are the same, the higher the ice making completion temperature, the shorter the time until the case temperature reaches the ice making completion temperature, that is, the ice making time. The shorter the ice making time, the larger the ice depression. Therefore, the ice making completion temperature is set higher as the ice shape set value (desired ice depression) becomes larger.

  By performing procedure 2 and procedure 3, all provisional values in the reference temperature condition [E] can be set (FIG. 6B). Each provisional value in the reference temperature condition [E] is hereinafter referred to as a reference provisional value. For example, the reference provisional value for the ice shape setting value “2” is −17 ° C. Instead of performing the above procedure 3, all the reference provisional values may be set by a method by actual measurement similar to the procedure 2.

(Procedure 4) Based on the reference provisional value set in the procedure 2 and the procedure 3, the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature in other temperature conditions is set (S4). Specifically, the provisional value is set higher than the reference provisional value in a temperature condition in which the room temperature or the water supply temperature is higher than the reference temperature condition and the case temperature decreases at a slower rate. On the contrary, the provisional value is set lower than the reference provisional value in the temperature condition where the room temperature or the water supply temperature is lower than the reference temperature condition and the case temperature decreases at a high rate. In this example, provisional values for each temperature condition were set as follows (FIG. 6C).
In the temperature conditions [B] [C] [D], there is not much difference in the rate of decrease in the case temperature compared to the reference temperature condition [E]. Therefore, a provisional value (reference provisional value ± 0) is set for each ice shape setting value. ° C).
In the temperature condition [A], the case temperature decreases at a faster rate than the reference temperature condition [E], so the provisional value was set to (reference provisional value −1 ° C.) for each ice shape setting value.
In the temperature condition [F] [G], the case temperature decrease rate is slower than in the reference temperature condition [E]. Therefore, the provisional value is set to (reference provisional value + 1 ° C.) for each ice shape setting value.
In the temperature condition [H], since the rate of decrease in the case temperature is further slower than in the temperature condition [F] [G], the provisional value was set to (reference provisional value + 2 ° C.) for each ice shape setting value.
In the temperature condition [I], the case temperature decrease rate is further slower than in the temperature condition [H], so the provisional value was set to (reference provisional value + 3 ° C.) for each ice shape setting value.

(Procedure 5) The upper limit temperature and lower limit temperature of the ice making completion temperature are set (S5). Both temperatures can be set by an arbitrary method. In this embodiment, the reference provisional value (maximum reference provisional value) corresponding to the ice shape set value “7” (maximum depression), that is, −12 ° C. is set as the upper limit temperature, and the ice shape is set. A reference provisional value (minimum reference provisional value) corresponding to the set value “1” (minimum depression), that is, −18 ° C. was set as the lower limit temperature.

(Procedure 6) Each provisional value set up to Procedure 4 is compared with the upper limit temperature and the lower limit temperature set in Procedure 5 to determine the ice making completion temperature (S6). Specifically, when the provisional value is lower than the upper limit temperature and higher than the lower limit temperature (Yes in S61 and S62), the provisional value is set as the ice making completion temperature as it is (S63), and when the provisional value exceeds the upper limit temperature (No in S61). ) Sets the upper limit temperature to the ice making completion temperature (S64), and if the provisional value falls below the lower limit temperature (No in S62), sets the lower limit temperature to the ice making completion temperature (S65). In the shaded portion in the table of FIG. 6D, the provisional value exceeds the upper limit temperature or falls below the lower limit temperature, so the upper limit temperature or the lower limit temperature is set as the ice making completion temperature. In other parts, the provisional value is equal to or lower than the upper limit temperature and equal to or higher than the lower limit temperature.

  The upper limit temperature (−12 ° C.) is set because the ice formed in the cell 19 becomes too small when the room temperature or the feed water temperature decreases during the ice making process and the case temperature decreases at a high rate. This is to prevent this. As a specific example, when the temperature in the building where the ice making machine 1 is installed is 25 ° C. using heating in winter (outside temperature 5 ° C.), the ice shape set value is set to “7”. The situation where the ice making process is started will be described.

  The ice making water used in the ice making machine 1 is supplied into the water supply pipe 32 of the ice making machine 1 through the outside and the water pipe in the building in order. When ice making is not performed for a long time because the ice in the ice making chamber 2 is full, the temperature of the water staying in the water pipe in the building rises to near the air temperature (25 ° C.) in the building. . On the other hand, since the temperature of the water outside the building is close to 5 ° C., which is the same as the outside air temperature, there is a difference between the water temperature outside and inside the building. When the ice making process is started in this state, the water at 25 ° C that was initially retained in the building is used as ice making water, but the water in the building will eventually be used up, and after that, when the ice making process starts, Water at 5 ° C. was used as ice making water.

  As described above, when the water supply temperature decreases during the ice making process, the case temperature decreases at a faster rate than before the decrease, so the time until the case temperature reaches the ice making completion temperature, that is, the ice making time is shortened. Here, if the ice shape setting value (desired ice depression) is set relatively small, even if the ice making time is slightly shortened, there is no problem as long as the depression is slightly larger than desired. If the ice shape setting value is set to “7” as in the example and the ice making time is shortened, the ice is too small to be suitable for use.

  In order to eliminate the above situation, an upper limit temperature (−12 ° C.) is set as the ice making completion temperature. In the above example, since the water supply temperature at the start of the ice making process is 25 ° C. and the room temperature is also 25 ° C., the temperature condition corresponds to [F], and the ice shape set value is “7”. In this case, the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature in step 4 is −11 ° C. (FIG. 6C), but the ice making completion temperature is corrected downward to −12 ° C. in step 6 (FIG. 6D). . In this way, if the ice making completion temperature is corrected downward, ice can be grown by extending the ice making time accordingly. Therefore, even if the water supply temperature decreases during the ice making process, the resulting ice may be too small, that is, ice that is extremely smaller than the size corresponding to the ice shape set value “7” is generated. It can be solved to reliably obtain ice having a size suitable for use.

  The lower limit temperature (−18 ° C.) is set when the room temperature or the feed water temperature rises in the middle of the ice making completion temperature, and the ice temperature grows too much and protrudes from the cell 19 when the case temperature decreases. Is to prevent. As a specific example, an explanation will be given of a situation in which the room temperature has greatly increased due to the use of heating after the ice making process is started with the ice shape setting value set to “1” under the condition that the room temperature and the water supply temperature are both 5 ° C. To do.

  If the room temperature rises in the middle of the ice making process, the heat dissipation efficiency in the condenser 9 will be lower than before the rise, the cooling capacity of the refrigeration device 4 will be lowered, and the case temperature will be reduced at a slower rate. become longer. Here, if the ice shape set value (desired ice depression) is set to be relatively large, even if the ice making time is a little longer, there is no problem as long as the depression is slightly smaller than desired. When the ice shape setting value is set to “1” as described above, if the ice making time becomes long, the ice grows too much and protrudes from the cell 19 and sticks to the water tray 23 of the water supply unit 6. May occur. Further, if the ice making process is continued even after ice having a size corresponding to the ice shape set value “1” is formed, that is, after the ice has grown to the full cell 19, power is wasted.

  In order to eliminate the above situation, a lower limit temperature (−18 ° C.) is set as the ice making completion temperature. In the above example, since the room temperature and the feed water temperature at the start of the ice making process are both 5 ° C., the temperature condition corresponds to [A], and the ice shape set value is “1”. In this case, the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature in step 4 is −19 ° C. (FIG. 6C), but the ice making completion temperature is corrected upward to −18 ° C. in step 6 (FIG. 6D). . Thus, if the ice making completion temperature is corrected upward, the ice making time can be shortened accordingly. Therefore, even if the room temperature rises in the middle of the ice making process, it is possible to eliminate the risk that the ice grows too much and protrudes from the cell 19, and it is possible to reliably prevent inconvenience such as the ice sticking to the water dish 23. . Also, by ending the ice making process before the ice grows too much, wasteful power consumption can be eliminated.

  In steps 1 to 6 described above, the case where the power supply frequency is 50 Hz has been described. However, even when the power supply frequency is 60 Hz, the ice making completion temperature table can be created by the same procedure. Alternatively, an ice making completion temperature table of 60 Hz can be obtained by reducing each ice making completion temperature of the ice making completion temperature table of 50 Hz by about 1 to 2 ° C. In the present example, the ice making completion temperature table of 50 Hz was obtained by lowering each ice making completion temperature by 2 ° C. in the 50 Hz ice making completion temperature table (see FIG. 5).

  When the power supply frequency is 60 Hz, the rotation speed of the motor that is the drive source of the compressor 8 is faster and the cooling capacity of the refrigeration apparatus 4 is higher than when the power supply frequency is 50 Hz. Increases speed. Therefore, if the ice making completion temperatures are set equal at 50 Hz and 60 Hz, the ice making time is shorter in the case of 60 Hz, and the obtained ice becomes smaller. Therefore, in this example, the ice making completion temperature at 60 Hz was set 2 ° C. lower than that at 50 Hz. Thereby, the shape (size of a hollow) of the obtained ice can be made substantially the same at both frequencies. In this embodiment, the difference in the ice making completion temperature at both frequencies is 2 ° C., but this temperature difference can be arbitrarily determined in consideration of the cooling capacity of the refrigeration apparatus 4 and the size of the cell 19. it can.

  In the above procedure 5, the reference provisional value corresponding to the ice shape setting value “7” that maximizes the depression, that is, the maximum reference provisional value (−12 ° C.) is set as the upper limit temperature, and the ice shape setting value “ Although the reference provisional value corresponding to “1”, that is, the lowest reference provisional value (−18 ° C.) is set as the lower limit temperature, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a reference provisional value (−15 ° C.) corresponding to the intermediate ice shape setting value “4” is set as a reference, a temperature higher by several degrees C. is set as the upper limit temperature, and a temperature lower by several degrees C. is set as the lower limit temperature. it can.

  In the above embodiment, the detected values of the room temperature and the water supply temperature are classified into nine temperature conditions, and the ice making completion temperature is set for each temperature condition. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a provisional value of the ice making completion temperature can be calculated according to a characteristic equation having variables of room temperature, water supply temperature, and ice shape setting value. Thereafter, similarly to the previous procedure 5 and procedure 6, the upper limit temperature and the lower limit temperature are set, and the provisional value is compared with these to determine the ice making completion temperature.

  In the above embodiment, the cell type ice making machine 1 has been described. However, the ice making machine 1 according to the present invention is not limited to the cell type. For example, the ice making machine 1 has a substantially flat ice making case, and water is frozen on the ice making case. The present invention can be applied to an ice making machine that forms ice. In addition, the ice shape setting value in the ice shape setting unit 65 is not limited to the one that sets the size of the depression, but may be one that sets the thickness of the ice in an ice making machine that forms plate-like ice, for example.

4 Refrigeration apparatus 5 Ice making case 6 Water supply part 32 Water supply pipe 51 Operation control part 52 Temperature setting part 53 Case temperature detection part 63 Room temperature detection part 64 Water supply temperature detection part 65 Ice shape setting part

Claims (2)

The refrigeration apparatus (4) and the ice making structure, an operation control unit (51) for controlling the operation state of both, a temperature setting unit (52) for passing control data to the operation control unit (51), and a case temperature detection unit (53 ) And
The temperature setting unit (52) includes a detection value of a room temperature detection unit (63) that detects the temperature of the room in which the ice making machine is installed, and a water supply temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of ice-making water in the water supply pipe (32) ( 64) and a provisional value of the ice making completion temperature based on the detected value of the ice shape and the ice shape setting value set by the ice shape setting unit (65).
Under the condition that the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature set by the temperature setting unit (52) is in the range between the preset upper limit temperature and lower limit temperature, ice making is performed with the provisional value as the ice making completion temperature as it is,
Under the condition that the provisional value exceeds the upper limit temperature, ice making is performed with the upper limit temperature being the ice making completion temperature,
An ice making machine characterized in that ice making is performed with the lower limit temperature as the ice making completion temperature under the condition that the provisional value is lower than the lower limit temperature. Reference values are set for the room temperature and the feed water temperature detected by the room temperature detector (63) and the feed water temperature detector (64),
The temperature setting unit (52) when the detected values of the room temperature detection unit (63) and the feed water temperature detection unit (64) are equal to the respective reference values and the ice shape setting unit (65) is set to the minimum. The provisional value of the ice making completion temperature set in is set as the upper limit temperature of the ice making completion temperature,
When the detected values of the room temperature detector (63) and the feed water temperature detector (64) are equal to the respective reference values and the ice shape is set to the maximum in the ice shape setting unit (65), the temperature setting unit (52) The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the provisional value of the ice making completion temperature set in is set as a lower limit temperature of the ice making completion temperature.

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