JP2014048013A - Ice making machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ice making machine including an ice storage sensor for detecting that an ice storage is in a full ice state, on the basis of a swinging posture of a detection plate, the ice making machine using the detection plate corresponding to ice quality of ice pieces made by an ice making mechanism.SOLUTION: An ice making machine 10 includes: a detection plate 50 of which an upper portion extended in a passage direction is swingably journaled in a vertical passage 30B of a guide passage 30, and of which a lower end side is swung toward the other peripheral wall 35c opposed to one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B by a load of the accumulated ice pieces, when the ice pieces passing between an inner face of the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B and the detection plate are not ejected but accumulated due to a full ice state of an ice storage 12; and an ice storage sensor 36 for detecting the full ice state of the ice storage on the basis of a swinging posture of the detection plate 50. The detection plate 50 is swingably journaled in a posture inclined to the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B as it goes to a lower end side, and a lower end portion of the detection plate 50 is inclined in the direction approaching the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B or the direction away therefrom, according to ice quality of the ice pieces.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ice making machine provided with an ice making mechanism on the upper side of an ice storage and having a guide passage for guiding ice pieces produced by the ice making mechanism to the ice storage.

  Patent Document 1 listed below discloses an ice making machine that guides ice pieces produced by an ice making mechanism to a lower ice storage by means of an ice guide tube. In this ice making machine, the ice guide tube includes a horizontal tube portion extending in the horizontal direction and a vertical tube portion extending in the vertical direction from the end of the horizontal tube portion. The ice pieces produced by the ice making mechanism are guided from the horizontal cylinder part to the vertical cylinder part, fall down the vertical cylinder part, and are stored in the ice storage.

  In this ice making machine, a detection plate having an L-shaped cross section that is rotatably attached to a position corresponding to the ceiling portion of the vertical tube portion of the ice guide tube via a support shaft, and a full ice for detecting the rotation of the detection plate A detection sensor is provided. In this ice making machine, since the support shaft that pivotally supports the detection plate is attached to the ceiling portion of the vertical cylinder portion, there is a distance between the portion where the ice piece of the detection plate hits and the portion that is pivotally supported by the support shaft. is there. For this reason, when the ice piece collides with the detection plate, a large rotational moment acts on the detection plate, and the detection plate may turn unnecessarily. When the detection plate rotates unnecessarily, the support shaft is worn, and the full ice detection sensor is turned on and off unnecessarily, which shortens the life of the support shaft and the full ice detection sensor.

  In order to cope with this problem, the present applicant has already developed the ice making machine 100 shown in FIG. This ice making machine includes an auger type ice making mechanism 101 provided on the upper side of the ice storage, and a guide passage 102 for guiding ice pieces produced by the ice making mechanism 101 to the ice storage. The guide passage 102 communicates the ice passage produced by the ice making mechanism 101 in the lateral direction, and the ice passage guided by the transverse passage 103 in the vertical direction to the ice storage. And a vertical passage 104 to be dropped. In the vertical passage 104 of the guide passage 102, an upper portion extending in the passage direction is pivotally supported so that ice pieces falling between the inner surfaces of one peripheral wall 105 of the vertical passage 104 are stored in an ice storage. When it is piled up without being released because it is full of ice, a detection plate 107 whose lower end swings toward the other peripheral wall 106 facing one peripheral wall of the vertical passage 104 by the load of the ice piece, and the detection plate 107 And an ice storage sensor 108 that detects the full ice state of the ice pieces in the ice storage based on the swinging posture of the ice storage.

  In this ice making machine 100, the support shaft 109 that pivotally supports the detection plate 107 is provided in the vicinity of a position where ice pieces falling from the lateral passage 103 toward the vertical passage 104 collide with the detection plate 107. Will not turn unnecessarily. Further, the detection plate 107 is pivotally supported so as to be inclined toward the inner surface of one peripheral wall 105 of the vertical passage 104 toward the lower end side, and the lower end portion of the detection plate 107 extends from the upper portion of the detection plate 107 to the intermediate portion. It is warped toward the opposite side of the side through which the ice piece passes. The ice pieces that fall from the lateral passage 103 to the vertical passage 104 and slide down the detection plate 107 fall away from the lower end portion of the detection plate 107, so that the detection plate 107 does not rotate unnecessarily.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-351718

The applicant of the present application has developed the ice making machine shown in FIG. 12 described above, but has the following problems.
(1) The auger type ice making mechanism 101 of the ice making machine 100 shown in FIG. 12 described above is a type that produces ice pieces made of chip-like hard ice cubes or ice pieces made of flake-like soft flake ice. is there. In the ice making machine 100 described above, in the type in which the ice making mechanism 101 manufactures ice pieces made of hard chip-shaped ice cubes, the ice pieces fall away from the lower end of the detection plate 107 when sliding down the detection plate 107. The detection plate 107 does not turn unnecessarily. In addition, ice pieces are piled up to the lower end of the vertical passage 104 in the ice storage, and ice pieces made of ice cubes falling on the vertical passage 104 are gradually formed between the inner surface of one peripheral wall 105 of the vertical passage 104 and the detection plate 107. The ice pieces made of ice cubes collapse so that the lower end side of the detection plate is swung to the other peripheral wall 106 side of the vertical passage 104, and the ice storage sensor 108 vertically moves based on the swing of the detection plate 107. It is detected that ice pieces have accumulated in the passage 104.

However, in this type of ice making machine 100, when the ice making mechanism 101 manufactures ice pieces made of flake-like soft flake-like ice, when the ice pieces are stacked up to the lower end of the vertical passage 104 in the ice storage, The flaky ice pieces falling in the vertical passage 104 are piled up between the inner surface of one peripheral wall 105 of the vertical passage 104 and the detection plate 107. However, since the flaky ice pieces have the property of not easily collapsing, they pile up without collapsing along the inner surface of one peripheral wall 105 of the vertical passage 104, and the lower end side of the detection plate 107 is the other peripheral wall 106 of the vertical passage 104. The ice storage sensor 108 may not be able to detect full ice.
(2) If the position of the detected portion of the detection plate 107 is not appropriate, the ice storage sensor may not be able to accurately detect full ice in the ice storage from the swinging posture of the detection plate 107.
(3) If ice pieces sent from the horizontal passage 103 to the vertical passage 104 and a chloro component contained in moisture attached thereto adhere to the support shaft 109, the detection plate 107 may not be smoothly swung.
(4) If dust contained in the air rising up the vertical passage from the ice storage adheres to the support shaft 109, the detection plate 107 may not be able to be smoothly swung.
(5) When ice pieces are stacked on the ice storage to the lower end of the vertical passage 104 and the ice pieces are piled up between one peripheral wall 105 of the vertical passage 104 and the detection plate 107, the ice pieces are one side of the vertical passage 104. It sometimes stuck to the surrounding wall. For this reason, even if the ice pieces are taken out from the ice storage and the ice pieces are less than the lower end of the vertical passage 104, the ice pieces accumulated in the vertical passage 104 do not fall into the ice storage, and the detection plate 107 returns to the original posture. There is a possibility that the ice storage sensor 108 cannot accurately detect full ice in the ice storage without returning.
(6) When the ice storage sensor cannot detect the full ice state in the ice storage, the ice pieces accumulated in the saturated state are discharged from the upper opening of the guide passage 102, so that the peripheral wall of the guide passage 102 is discharged. To prevent damage. However, the lid that covers the upper opening of the guide passage 102 must be closed with a relatively weak force in order to be easily removed by the overflowing ice pieces. However, it has been necessary to provide an appropriate seal so that dust contained in the air does not enter between the lid closed by a weak force and the upper opening of the guide passage.

  The present invention aims to solve at least one of these problems.

  In order to solve the above problems, an ice making mechanism provided on the upper side of the ice storage, a lateral passage for guiding ice pieces produced by the ice making mechanism in a lateral direction, and the lateral passage and the ice storage are connected to each other in a horizontal direction. A guide passage composed of a vertical passage that vertically drops ice pieces guided from the passage into the ice storage, and an upper portion thereof extending in the passage direction within the vertical passage are pivotally supported, When ice pieces falling between the inner walls of one of the vertical passages are piled up without being released because the ice storage is full, the load on the lower end of the ice and the peripheral walls of the vertical passage In an ice making machine comprising a detection plate that swings toward the other opposing peripheral wall and an ice storage sensor that detects that the ice storage is full based on the swinging posture of the detection plate, the detection plate is at the lower end Figure leaning toward one peripheral wall of the vertical passage toward the side The ice making machine is characterized in that the lower end of the detection plate is tilted in a direction toward or away from one peripheral wall of the vertical passage according to the ice quality of the ice piece. is there.

  In the ice making machine configured as described above, the detection plate is pivotally supported so as to be inclined toward one peripheral wall of the vertical passage toward the lower end side, and the lower end portion of the detection plate is attached to the ice piece. Depending on the quality, it is tilted toward or away from one of the peripheral walls of the vertical passage, so by using a detection plate that swings appropriately according to the ice quality of the ice pieces, the ice storage sensor accurately uses the ice storage sensor. It became possible to accurately detect the full ice condition.

  Specifically, when the ice piece is an ice maker that produces ice cubes with hard ice quality, the lower end of the detection plate does not cross the vertical plane parallel to the center line of the swing, Tilt away from one of the walls. When doing in this way, the ice piece which slides down the detection plate falls away from the lower end portion of the detection plate, and the lower end side of the detection plate does not swing unnecessarily toward the other peripheral wall of the vertical passage. In addition, since ice pieces made of ice cubes tend to collapse due to their own weight even if they are stacked, the ice pieces in the ice storage pile up to the lower end of the vertical passage, and the ice pieces falling from the side passage are in contact with the inner surface of one peripheral wall of the vertical passage When accumulating, the ice pieces made of ice cubes pile up while collapsing so that the lower end of the detection plate swings toward the other peripheral wall of the vertical passage. The lower end side is swung toward the other peripheral wall of the vertical passage due to the weight. In this way, if the lower end of the detection plate is tilted in a direction away from one peripheral wall of the vertical passage without exceeding a vertical plane parallel to the center line of oscillation, an ice piece made of ice cubes sliding down the detection plate Thus, the detection plate can be prevented from unnecessarily rocking, and when the ice pieces made of ice cubes are piled up in the vertical passage, the detection plate is rocked to reliably detect full ice in the ice storage.

  In addition, when the ice piece is an ice maker that produces soft ice flakes, a state in which the lower end of the detection plate is spaced from the inner surface of one peripheral wall of the vertical passage with a larger gap than the size of the ice piece. Thus, the lower end of the detection plate was tilted in a direction approaching one peripheral wall of the vertical passage. In this case, since the gap between the lower end of the detection plate and one peripheral wall of the vertical passage facing the detection plate is larger than the size of the ice piece, the lower end of the detection plate is caused by the ice piece sliding down the detection plate. The side is not unnecessarily swung toward the other peripheral wall of the vertical passage. In addition, flaky ice pieces are less likely to collapse due to their own weight when stacked, but the ice pieces in the ice storage stack up to the lower end of the vertical passage, and the ice pieces falling from the lateral passage are between the inner surface of one peripheral wall of the vertical passage. When stacking, the flaky ice pieces are stacked on the upper side of the lower end inclined toward the one of the peripheral walls of the vertical passage of the detector plate, and the detector plate is the weight of the stacked flaky ice pieces. Thus, the lower end side is swung toward the other peripheral wall of the vertical passage. In this way, the lower end of the detection plate is tilted in a direction approaching one peripheral wall of the vertical passage with the gap between the lower end of the detection plate and the inner surface of one peripheral wall of the vertical passage being larger than the size of the ice piece. In this way, it is possible to prevent the detection plate from being unnecessarily swung by the flake-shaped ice pieces that slide down the detection plate, and when the flake-shaped ice pieces are stacked in the vertical passage, the detection plate is swung so as to store the ice. The full ice in the storage can be reliably detected.

  In the ice making machine configured as described above, the detection plate is made of the above-mentioned ice cube if the lower end portion is provided with a flap portion that can be adjusted in an angle-adjustable direction toward or away from one peripheral wall of the vertical passage. It can be used as a common part by tilting the angle of the flap portion to an angle suitable for the ice quality in the ice making machine of the type that manufactures ice pieces and the ice making machine of the type that manufactures flaky ice pieces. In addition, by changing the ice making mechanism of each ice making machine, even when the ice quality of the ice piece is changed, the flap part can be tilted at an appropriate angle without changing the parts of the detection plate having a different inclination at the lower end. Just do it.

  In the ice making machine configured as described above, the lower end portion of the detection plate is provided with an adjustment plate that adjusts the distance from one peripheral wall of the vertical passage or the angle toward or away from the one peripheral wall of the vertical passage. In this way, the lower end of the detection plate can be used even if a common detection plate is used in the ice making machine of the type that produces ice pieces made of ice cubes and the ice making machine of the type that produces flaky ice pieces. The adjustment plate can make the inclination corresponding to the ice quality of the ice pieces. In addition, by changing the ice making mechanism of each ice making machine, only the adjustment plate set at an appropriate angle is used when the ice quality of the ice piece is changed, so there is no need to replace the entire detection plate. It can be tilted to an appropriate angle by the adjusting plate.

  In the ice making machine configured as described above, a weight for changing the position of the center of gravity of the detection plate and adjusting the distance between the lower end of the detection plate and one peripheral wall of the vertical passage may be attached to the upper end of the detection plate. Good.

It is the schematic which shows the outline of the ice making machine of this invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ice making mechanism and guide passage of FIG. It is a longitudinal direction sectional view of a spout. It is a top view of the spout of the state which assembled | attached the detection board. It is a perspective view of the spout of the state which covered the upper opening with the lid. It is sectional drawing of the AA line direction of FIG. It is the perspective view of the state which looked at the detection board from the front and back. It is a side view which shows the upper part of a detection board. (A) It is a side view which shows the lower end part of the detection plate of the state which attached the flap part for chip ice, (b) It is a side view which shows the lower end part of the detection plate of the state which attached the flap part for flake ice is there. (A) It is the side view which pivotally supported the detection board in the state which attached the flap part for chip ice, (b) The side view which pivotally supported the detection board in the state which attached the flap part for flake ice. It is a side view when an adjustment plate is provided at the lower end of the detection plate. It is sectional drawing of the vertical direction which shows the conventional ice making mechanism and a guide channel partially fractured | ruptured.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an ice making machine of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the ice making machine 10 guides the ice making mechanism 20 provided on the upper side of the ice storage 12 provided at the lower part of the housing 11 and the ice pieces produced by the ice making mechanism 20 to the lower ice storage 12. The guide passage 30 is provided. The guide passage 30 communicates the side passage 30A for guiding the ice pieces produced by the ice making mechanism 20 in the lateral direction, and the side passage 30A and the ice storage 12, and the ice pieces guided from the side passage 30A are stored in the ice storage. 12 and a vertical passage 30B that drops in a vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper portion of the guide passage 30 extending in the direction of the passage in the vertical passage 30B is pivotally supported so as to swing between the inner surface of one peripheral wall of the vertical passage 30B. When the ice pieces passing through are piled up without being released because the ice storage 12 is full, the lower end of the ice pieces is directed toward the other peripheral wall 35c facing the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B due to the load of the ice pieces that are piled up. And a reed switch (ice storage sensor) 36 for detecting that the ice storage is full based on the swinging posture of the detection plate 50.

  As shown in FIG. 9, in the ice making machine 10, the detection plate 50 is pivotally supported in a swingable manner in a posture inclined toward the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B toward the lower end side. Is inclined in a direction toward or away from one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B according to the ice quality of the ice pieces. Specifically, in the ice making machine 10, in the model in which the ice making mechanism 20 manufactures ice pieces made of hard ice cubes (hereinafter also referred to as chip ice), the lower end 52 of the detection plate 50 is shaken. It was tilted away from one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B without exceeding a vertical plane parallel to the center line of movement.

  On the other hand, in the model in which the ice making mechanism 20 manufactures ice pieces made of soft ice flakes (hereinafter also referred to as flake ice), the lower end of the detection plate 50 is one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B. The lower end 52 of the detection plate 50 was tilted in a direction approaching one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B with a gap larger than the size of the ice pieces provided between the inner surface of the vertical passage 30B. The ice making machine 10 will be described in detail below.

  The ice making machine 10 includes an ice storage 12 at a lower part of a housing 11 and an ice making mechanism 20 and a guide passage 30 above the ice storage 12 in a machine room above the housing 11.

  Since the ice making mechanism 20 is a well-known auger type ice making mechanism, the detailed illustration is omitted. The ice making mechanism 20 includes a cylindrical refrigeration casing, and an evaporation pipe of a refrigeration apparatus is wound around the outer periphery of the refrigeration casing. The refrigeration casing is cooled by the refrigerant that is pumped from the compressor and liquefied by the condenser evaporates in the evaporation pipe, and the ice-making water flowing down the inner peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing is gradually frozen to become ice. An auger having a spiral blade on its outer periphery is supported coaxially with the refrigeration casing in the refrigeration casing. The spiral blade on the outer periphery of the auger is arranged with a slight gap on the inner peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing. The lower part of the auger is rotatably supported by a bearing provided at the lower part of the inner peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing, and the upper part of the auger is supported by the bearing via a cylindrical pressing head fixed to the upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing. Has been. The lower end of the auger is connected to the drive motor 21 and is rotated in the refrigeration casing by the drive motor 21. The pressing head is provided with a plurality of fixed blades radially projecting on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body, and between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body and the inner peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing. A plurality of ice compression passages defined in the circumferential direction by the fixed blade portion are formed. A head portion 22 that rotates integrally with the auger is provided on the shaft portion on the upper side of the auger, and the head portion 22 is pushed upward from the ice compression passage by a blade portion that rotates on the upper side of the ice compression passage. Columnar ice is folded at predetermined dimensions.

  In the ice making mechanism 20, the ice making water flowing down the inner peripheral surface of the refrigeration casing is gradually frozen into ice, and the ice containing water scraped by the spiral blade of the rotating auger is transferred upward by the rotating auger. . The transferred ice is formed into compressed columnar ice that is squeezed when passing through the ice compression passage of the pressing head, and the columnar ice pushed upward from the ice compression passage is the blade portion of the head portion 22. Are folded into predetermined pieces to form ice pieces.

  In this ice making mechanism 20, when the number of fixed blade portions of the pressing head is increased (for example, 8) to narrow the ice compression passage and the number of blade portions of the cutter (for example, 2), the ice quality is hard. Ice pieces made of ice (chip ice) are manufactured, the number of fixed blades of the pressing head is reduced (for example, 4), the ice compression passage is widened, and the blades of the cutter are increased (for example, 8) Ice pieces made of flaky ice with soft ice quality (hereinafter also referred to as flake ice) are produced. As described above, the ice making machine 10 of the present application includes a plurality of models in which the partial configuration of the ice making mechanism 20 is changed. For example, ice pieces having different ice qualities such as chip ice or flake ice are produced.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the guide passage 30 for guiding the ice pieces produced by the ice making mechanism 20 to the ice storage 12 connects the spout 31 fixed to the upper part of the ice making mechanism 20, and the spout 31 and the ice storage 12. And a chute 35 to be configured.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the spout 31 is composed of a bottomed cylindrical member that extends in the lateral direction with the upper portion opened and the lower portion closed. The peripheral wall of the spout 31 includes a semicircular arc wall 31a surrounding the head portion 22 of the ice making mechanism 20, and a pair of side walls 31b extending from both open ends of the arc wall 31a to the chute 35 side (right side shown in FIG. 2). 31b and the connection wall 31c which connects the edge part of these pair of side walls 31b and 31b. Further, the bottom wall of the spout 31 extends from the upper side of the ice making mechanism 20 toward the chute 35 side, and extends from the chute 35 side toward the chute 35 side from the chute 35 side edge of the horizontal bottom wall 31d. And an inclined bottom wall 31e inclined downward. A through hole 31 f is formed in the horizontal bottom wall 31 d of the spout 31, and the head portion 22 of the ice making mechanism 20 inserted through the through hole 31 f is disposed in the spout 31. A vertical wall 31g that hangs downward is formed at the edge of the inclined bottom wall 31e of the spout 31 on the chute 35 side, and this vertical wall 31g is connected to the lower portion of the connecting wall 31c facing this and the side walls 31b and 31b connecting them. A cylindrical discharge portion 31h connected to the chute 35 is formed by the lower portion.

  In the spout 31, an area defined by the arc wall 31a, the left side of the side walls 31b and 31b, the horizontal bottom wall 31d of the bottom wall, and the inclined bottom wall 31e is manufactured by the ice making mechanism 20. A lateral passage 30A of the guide passage 30 for guiding the ice pieces in the lateral direction is used. In addition, the vertical direction of the guide passage 30 that guides the ice pieces guided from the lateral passage 30A in the vertical direction in the region defined by the right side of the side walls 31b and 31b, the connecting wall 31c, and the vertical wall 31g. A portion 30B1 of the passage 30B is used.

  On the inner surfaces of both side walls 31b, 31b of the spout 31, there are provided support shafts 32, 32 that project inwardly between the connecting wall 31c and the vertical wall 31g to constitute a shaft support means. Reference numerals 32 and 32 support a detection plate 50, which will be described later, so as to be swingable. Arc-shaped guards 33, 33 projecting inwardly on the lower side of the support shafts 32, 32 are provided on the inner surfaces of both side walls 31b, 31b of the spout 31. These guards 33 and 33 are for preventing dust contained in the air that has moved up the chute 35 from the ice storage 12 described later from adhering to the support shafts 32 and 32. The upper surfaces of the guards 33 and 33 are inclined downward as they go inward, so that water drops, dust, and the like attached to the upper surfaces of the guards 33 and 33 are likely to fall.

  The inclined bottom wall 31e of the spout 31 is set so as to be inclined downward toward the axis of oscillation of the detection plate 50 pivotally supported by the support shafts 32, 32, and the ice pieces sliding down the inclined bottom wall 31e are It is set so as to collide with the vicinity of the swing axis of the detection plate 50. Further, on the upper surface of the inclined bottom wall 31e of the spout 31, guide protrusions 34, 34 projecting from the side walls 31b, 31b side toward the center in the direction orthogonal to the passage direction of the lateral passage 30A are provided. The guide protrusions 34 and 34 are inclined so as to approach each other as they proceed in the direction in which the ice pieces in the lateral passage 30A are guided. The ice pieces that slide down the inclined bottom wall 31e of the spout 31 slide down toward the discharge portion 31h while being collected at the center in the direction orthogonal to the passage direction of the lateral passage 30A by the guide protrusions 34 and 34.

  A chute 35 is connected to the discharge portion 31h on the right side of the spout 31 shown in FIG. The chute 35 has a rectangular cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction, and has an upper end portion connected to the discharge portion 31 h of the spout 31 and a lower end portion connected to the upper portion of the ice storage 12. As shown in FIG. 6, an uneven portion 35 b is formed in the lower portion of the inner surface of the left side wall 35 a shown in FIG. The uneven portion 35b is formed so that when an ice piece is piled up between a detection plate 50, which will be described later, and a left side wall (one peripheral wall of the vertical passage 30B) 35a shown in the drawing of the chute 35, This is to prevent sticking to the inner surface of the side wall 35a. The internal space 30B2 of the chute 35 constitutes the vertical passage 30B together with a part 30B1 of the vertical passage of the spout 31 described above. A left side wall 35a of the chute 35 shown in FIG. 2 is one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage B that forms a path for allowing ice pieces to pass between the chute 35 and the detection plate 50. Similarly, the connecting wall 31c of the spout 31 and the right side wall 35c of the chute 35 shown in FIG. 2 are the other peripheral walls 31c and 35c facing the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B.

  A reed switch (ice storage sensor) 36 is provided on the outer surface of the connection wall 31 c of the spout 31. The reed switch 36 detects that the inside of the ice storage 12 is full based on a swinging posture of a detection plate 50 described later. The reed switch 36 is turned on when an object that forms a magnetic field such as a magnet is in the close state, and is turned off when it is in a separated state.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, the upper opening 31 i of the spout 31 is provided with a lid 37 that covers the upper opening 31 i. When the full ice condition cannot be detected by the reed switch 36, the upper opening 31i of the spout 31 releases the ice pieces accumulated in the spout 31 so as to exceed the saturation condition, thereby preventing the peripheral wall of the spout 31 from being damaged. It has a function. 2 and 4, the right end portion (one end portion) shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 is pivotally supported by the spout 31 so as to be rotatable around the horizontal axis, and the left end portion (other end portion) shown in FIGS. It is biased downward. The lid 37 is urged by a leaf spring 38 having a weak force (about 20 N) so that the lid 37 is quickly opened in the event of an abnormality. The lid 37 is provided with a magnet 39 on the left side shown in FIG. 5, and a reed switch 40 is provided at a position facing the magnet 39 in the spout 31. The reed switch 40 is connected to a control means (not shown). When the lid 37 is closed, that is, when the magnet 39 is close to the reed switch 40, the reed switch 40 sends an on signal to the control means. Output. The control means operates the ice making mechanism 20 when the ON signal is input from the reed switch 40. On the other hand, when the lid 37 is opened because the ice piece is saturated, the magnet 39 is separated from the reed switch 40, and the reed switch 40 outputs an off signal to the control means. The control means determines that the ice piece overflows from the lid 37 by the input of the OFF signal from the reed switch 40 and stops the operation of the ice making mechanism 20.

  A packing 41 is provided on the upper surface of the flange portion 31j provided at the periphery of the upper opening 31i of the spout 31. The packing 41 has a function of sealing the inside of the spout 31 by sealing between the upper surface of the flange portion 31j at the periphery of the upper opening 31i of the spout 31 and the lower end of the vertical flange 37a extending below the periphery of the lid body 37. Have. The packing 41 is made of a polyethylene foam and has a hardness of 5 to 10 by a type A durometer. By using the packing 41 that is elastically deformed with a small force such as a polyethylene foam, the lid 37 is urged downward by a leaf spring 38 with a weak force (about 20 N) so that it can be opened quickly even in the event of an abnormality. Even so, the packing 41 is sufficiently elastically deformed to sufficiently seal the upper peripheral surface of the upper opening 31 i of the spout 31 and the lower end of the peripheral portion of the lid 37. When the packing 41 is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the vertical flange 37 a at the peripheral edge of the lid body 37 and the outer peripheral surface of the spout 31, the lid body 37 wraps the packing 41 every time the lid body 37 is opened and closed. There is a possibility that it cannot be sealed sufficiently. Since the packing 41 is sandwiched between the upper surface of the flange portion 31j at the periphery of the upper opening 31i of the spout 31 and the lower end of the vertical flange 37a extending below the periphery of the lid body 37, the packing 41 is prevented from being caught. In addition, even after the lid 37 is closed, it can be confirmed whether the packing 41 is normally sealed between the spout 31 and the lid 37.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the detection plate 50 is swingably supported in the vertical passage 30B. The detection plate 50 is for detecting by the reed switch 36 that the inside of the ice storage 12 is full due to its swinging posture. As shown in FIG. 7, the detection plate 50 includes a main body portion 51 excluding the lower end portion and a flap portion 52 constituting the lower end portion. The main body 51 of the detection plate 50 extends in the passage direction (vertical direction) of the vertical passage 30B with a direction perpendicular to the guiding direction of the ice pieces from the lateral passage 30A to the vertical passage 30B as the width direction. The main body 51 includes a receiving plate portion 51a that receives ice pieces that slide down the inclined bottom wall 31e of the lateral passage 30A, and side wall portions 51b and 51b that extend from both edges in the width direction of the receiving plate portion 51a toward the lateral passage 30A. And has a U-shape opened to the side of the lateral passage 30A. Bearing portions 53 and 53 constituting an inverted U-shaped shaft supporting means projecting from the lower side are projected on the outer surface upper portions of both side wall portions 51b and 51b of the main body portion 51. Are engaged with support shafts 32, 32 projecting from both side walls 31b, 31b of the spout 31 opposite to each other from above. The detection plate 50 that is pivotally supported by the support shafts 32 and 32 is inclined toward the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B toward the lower end side due to the position of the center of gravity.

  A mounting plate portion 51c extending upward to the height position where the reed switch 36 is mounted is projected at the center of the upper end of the receiving plate portion 51a of the main body 51. A magnet (detected portion) 54 is attached to the mounting plate portion 51c. The magnet 54 approaches or separates from the reed switch 36 by the swing of the detecting plate 50, and turns the reed switch 36 on or off. The mounting plate portion 51 c is positioned above the bearing portions 53 and 53. As shown in FIG. 8, the mounting plate portion 51c is bent toward the path side through which 3.6 ° ice pieces pass as compared with the extension line extending in the longitudinal direction from the upper end of the receiving plate portion 51a. . When the detection plate 50 is in a free state in which no force is applied from the outside, the mounting plate portion 51c is in contact with the inner surface of the connection wall 31c of the spout 31 (the other peripheral wall 31c of the vertical passage 30B), and the magnet 54 is spouted. The position is closest to the 31 reed switches 36.

  Flange portions 51d and 51d extending outward are formed at the edges of the side wall portions 51b and 51b of the main body 51 on the side of the lateral passage 30A. The flange portions 51d and 51d support the bearing portions 53 and 53 of the detection plate 50 and the spout 31 that the ice pieces sliding down the inclined bottom wall 31e of the spout 31 constituting the lateral passage 30A and the water flowing therewith constitute the shaft support means. It has a function to prevent the shafts 32 and 32 from hitting.

  As shown in FIG. 9, engaging projections 51e and 51f arranged vertically are provided on the lower ends of the side wall portions 51b and 51b of the main body 51 so as to protrude outward. . The receiving plate portion 51a of the main body 51 is formed with a vertically long recess 51g for reducing the weight of the detecting plate 50 and improving the detection accuracy on the back surface of the receiving surface. Since the recess 51g is formed in a vertically long shape, it is difficult for dewdrops and dust to remain.

  The flap portion 52 is for tilting the lower end portion of the detection plate 50 toward or away from the side through which the ice piece passes according to the ice quality of the ice piece. The flap portion 52 has a receiving plate portion 52a extending substantially continuously with the receiving plate portion 51a of the main body portion 51 in the direction of the vertical passage 30B, and ice pieces from both edges in the width direction of the receiving plate portion 52a. Side wall portions 52b and 52b extending toward the passing side, and having a U-shape opened on the side through which the ice piece passes. The lower end of the receiving plate portion 52 a of the flap portion 52 extends to the lower end portion of the chute 35. The side wall portions 52b and 52b are formed so that the extending width decreases toward the lower side. The side wall portions 52b and 52b have upper and lower engaging hole portions 52c and engaging notch portions 52d that engage with upper and lower engaging protrusions 51e and 51f formed on both side wall portions 51b and 51b of the main body portion 51, respectively. Is formed. The engagement hole 52c has a shape in which two round holes arranged in the left-right direction shown in FIG. 8 are connected, and is detachably engaged with the engagement protrusion 51e on the upper side of the side wall 51b, 51b of the main body 51. It is what is done. The engagement notch 52d is engaged with the engagement protrusion 51f below the side walls 51b and 51b of the main body 51.

  When the ice piece manufactured by the ice making mechanism 20 is chip ice, the engagement protrusion 51e of the main body 51 is engaged with the right round hole 52c1 of the engagement hole 52c of the flap 52 shown in FIG. The lower engaging protrusion 51f of the main body 51 is engaged with the lower engaging notch 52d of the flap 52. The receiving plate portion 52a of the flap portion 52 is inclined with respect to the receiving plate portion 51a of the main body portion 51 in a direction away from one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B, that is, a direction in which ice pieces are separated by 3 ° from the passage path side. The distance between the lower end of the receiving plate portion 51a of the flap portion 52 and the side wall (the left peripheral wall shown in the figure) 35a on the side through which the ice pieces of the chute 35 pass is 34 mm. In addition, the flap part 52 is inclined in the direction away from the side through which the ice piece passes without exceeding a vertical plane parallel to the swing center line of the detection plate 50. In the following description, the flap portion 52 set for chip ice will be described as the flap portion 52A.

  When the ice piece manufactured by the ice making mechanism 20 is flake ice, the engaging protrusion 51e of the main body 51 is engaged with the left circular hole 52c2 shown in the drawing of the engaging hole 52c of the flap 52 and the main body. The lower engaging protrusion 51 f of the portion 51 is engaged with the lower engaging notch 52 d of the flap portion 52. The receiving plate portion 52a of the flap portion 52 is inclined by 5 ° with respect to the receiving plate portion 51a of the main body portion 51 in a direction approaching one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B, that is, a side through which ice pieces pass. The distance between the lower end of the receiving plate portion 51a and the side wall (the left peripheral wall shown in the figure) 35a on the side through which the ice pieces of the chute 35 pass is 15 mm. Since the size of the flake ice is about 12 mm, the ice from the lower end of the receiving plate portion 52a of the flap portion 52 without swinging the lower end side of the detection plate 50 toward the other peripheral wall 35c of the vertical passage 30B. A piece can be dropped. In the following description, the flap portion 52 set for flake ice will be described as the flap portion 52B.

  The operation of the ice making machine 10 configured as described above will be described. When ice pieces are manufactured by the ice making mechanism 20, the ice pieces fall from the lateral passage 30A of the guide passage 30 through the vertical passage 30B to the ice storage 12 and accumulate. Specifically, the ice pieces are pushed out from the horizontal bottom wall 31d of the spout 31 to the inclined bottom wall 31e and slide down. The ice pieces that have slipped down the inclined bottom wall 31e of the spout 31 hit the receiving plate portion 51a of the main body portion 51 of the detection plate 50 and fall in the chute 35 along the receiving surface of the receiving plate portion 51a. At this time, the ice pieces sliding down the receiving surface of the receiving plate portion 51a fall without wrapping around the opposite side of the receiving surface by the side wall portions 51b and 51b.

  When the ice pieces in the ice storage 12 are not piled up to the lower end of the chute 35, the lower end side of the detection plate 50 is placed on one peripheral wall 35a of the chute 35 as shown by the solid lines in FIGS. The magnet 54, which is pivotally supported in an inclined posture and attached to the attachment plate 51c at the upper end, is close to the reed switch 36, and the reed switch 36 is in an on state. An ON signal of the reed switch 36 is output to a control means (not shown), and the operation of the ice making mechanism 20 is continued by the control means.

  When the ice pieces in the ice storage 12 are stacked up to the lower end of the chute 35 and the ice pieces can no longer be discharged from the chute 35 to the ice storage 12, the ice pieces sliding down the receiving plate portion 51a of the main body 51 of the detection plate 50 are removed. Are stacked with one peripheral wall 35a. When ice pieces are piled up between the detection plate 50 and one peripheral wall 35a of the chute 35, the detection plate 50 is formed into the piled-up ice pieces as shown by two-dot chain lines in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b). When pushed, the lower end side swings toward the other peripheral wall 35c of the vertical passage 30B and becomes a standing posture. The magnet 54 at the upper end of the detection plate 50 is separated from the reed switch 36, and the reed switch 36 is turned off. If the OFF signal of the reed switch 36 is continuously output for a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) or more to the control means (not shown), it is determined that the ice pieces in the ice storage 12 are filled, and the ice making mechanism 20 is determined by the control means. Is stopped.

  Further, when the ice pieces are taken out from the ice storage 12 and the ice pieces accumulated in the chute 35 fall into the ice storage 12, the detection plate 50 has a relationship between the pivotally supported position and the position of the center of gravity. The detection plate 50 returns to a posture in which the lower end side is inclined again toward the one peripheral wall 35a of the chute 35 by its own weight. Thereby, the magnet 54 attached to the attachment plate portion 51c at the upper end of the detection plate 50 returns to a position close to the reed switch 36, and the reed switch 36 is turned on again. An ON signal of the reed switch 36 is output to a control means (not shown), and the operation of the ice making mechanism 20 is resumed by the control means. In addition, when the spring material which urges the detection plate 50 toward one peripheral wall of the chute 35 is interposed between the lower end portion of the detection plate 50 and the other peripheral wall 35c of the chute 35, the detection plate 50 is surely secured. It can return to the original posture.

  In the ice making machine 10 configured as described above, the detection plate 50 pivots in a posture inclined toward one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B (one peripheral wall 35a of the chute 35) toward the lower end side. The lower end of the detection plate 50 is tilted in a direction toward or away from the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B according to the ice quality of the ice piece produced by the ice making mechanism 20.

  Specifically, in the case of an ice making machine that produces chip ice (square ice with hard ice pieces) by the ice making mechanism 20, as shown in FIGS. 9 (a) and 10 (a), the detection plate 50 is used. The flap portion 52A constituting the lower end portion of the main body 51 is inclined by 3 ° from the receiving plate portion 51a of the main body portion 51 in a direction away from one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B without exceeding a vertical plane parallel to the center line of the swing. I made it. When doing in this way, the chip ice sliding down the receiving plate portion 51a of the main body portion 51 of the detection plate 50 falls away from the flap portion 52A at the lower end portion of the detection plate 50, and the lower end side of the detection plate 50 is a vertical passage. It does not swing unnecessarily toward the other peripheral wall 35c of 30B. Further, since the chip ice is easy to collapse due to its own weight even if it is stacked, the chip ice is stacked in the ice storage 12 up to the lower end of the vertical passage 30B, and the chip ice falling from the lateral passage 30A is in contact with one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B. When stacking with the detection plate 50, the chip ice is stacked while collapsing so that the lower end side of the detection plate 50 is swung toward the other peripheral wall 35c of the vertical passage 30B. The detection plate 50 swings toward the other peripheral wall 35c of the vertical passage at the lower end side due to the weight of the stacked chip ice. Note that the flap 52A at the lower end of the detection plate 50 does not exceed a vertical plane parallel to the center line of swinging, so that it can receive ice pieces broken by the flap 52A. As described above, the detection plate 50 is tilted in the direction away from the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B without exceeding the flap 52A at the lower end of the detection plate 50 without passing through the vertical plane parallel to the center line of the swing. The detection plate 50 can be prevented from unnecessarily swinging due to the chip ice sliding down, and when the chip ice is stacked in the vertical passage 30B, the detection plate 50 is swung to reliably detect the full ice in the ice storage 12.

  In addition, when the ice making mechanism 20 is used to produce flake ice (flaky ice with soft ice pieces), as shown in FIGS. 9B and 10B, the detection plate 50 The lower end of the detection plate 50 in a state where a gap (15 mm in this embodiment) larger than the size of the flake ice is provided between the lower end of the flap 52B constituting the lower end and the inner surface of one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B. The flap portion 52B of the main body 51 is inclined 5 ° in a direction approaching the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B. In such a case, since the gap between the lower end of the detection plate 50 and the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B facing the detection plate 50 is larger than the size of the flake ice, the detection plate 50 is a receiving plate portion. The lower end side of the detection plate 50 does not swing unnecessarily toward the other peripheral wall 35c of the vertical passage 30B due to the flake ice sliding down 51a, 52a.

  In addition, flake ice is hard to collapse due to its own weight due to its high moisture content when stacked. When the flake ice is piled up in the ice storage 12 to the lower end of the vertical passage 30B and the flake ice is piled up between one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B and the detection plate 50, the flake ice is at the lower end of the detection plate 50. The detection plate 50 is stacked on the upper side of the flap portion 52A inclined in a direction approaching the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B, and the lower end side of the detection plate 50 is directed toward the other peripheral wall 35c of the vertical passage 30B due to the weight of the flake ice. Swing. Further, after the flake ice is taken out from the ice storage 12, there is a possibility that the flake ice may remain between the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B and the detection plate 50, but at the lower end of the peripheral wall 35a and the flap portion 52B. Some flake ice melts quickly, and the flake ice on the receiving surface of the detection plate 50 comes together and falls. As described above, the lower end of the detection plate 50 is provided with a gap larger than the size of the ice piece between the lower end of the flap portion 52B constituting the lower end portion of the detection plate 50 and the inner surface of one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B. By tilting the flap portion 52B in the direction toward the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B, the detection plate 50 can be prevented from being unnecessarily swung by the flake ice sliding down the detection plate 50, and the flake ice can be The detection plate 50 can be swung when stacked on 30B, and the full ice in the ice storage 12 can be reliably detected.

  As described above, in the ice making machine 10, the lower end portion of the detection plate 50 is tilted toward or away from the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B according to the ice quality of the ice pieces produced by the ice making mechanism 20. Therefore, the full ice in the ice storage 12 can be reliably detected by using the detection plate 50 corresponding to the ice making machine of a model having different ice quality of the ice pieces.

  In this embodiment, the detection plate 50 is configured by detachably fixing a main body 51 and a flap portion 52 that is tilted so that the angle can be adjusted. In this case, the detection plate 50 can be used as a common part for both the ice making machine for chip ice and the ice making machine for flake ice. In addition, by changing the components of the ice making mechanism 20 of each ice making machine 10, even when the chip ice and the flake ice are changed to each other, the components of the detection plate can be simply adjusted by adjusting the inclination of the flap portion 52 of the detection plate 50. No replacement is required. However, the detection plate 50 may be formed by integrally forming the main body 51 and the flap 52. That is, the detection plate 50 in which the configuration of the main body 51 and the flap portion 52A is integrally formed is used in a chip ice making machine, and the detection plate 50 in which the configuration of the main body 51 and the flap portion 52B is integrally formed. May be used in a flake ice making machine.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, an adjustment plate 55 may be provided at the lower end of the detection plate 50 to adjust the interval and angle with the one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B. Even in this case, ice storage corresponding to various ice qualities can be detected. Furthermore, a weight intended to change the weight and the position of the center of gravity may be attached to the upper end portion of the detection plate 50. In such a case, for example, the distance between one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B and the lower end of the detection plate 50 can be adjusted, and the moment acting on the detection plate 50 can be increased or decreased.

  In the ice making machine 10 configured as described above, the detection plate 50 receives and drops the ice pieces guided by the vertical passage 30B, and the upper end of the receiving plate portion 51a is connected to the connecting wall of the spout 31 (the vertical passage 30B). The lead switch 36 is attached from the upper end of the receiving plate portion 51a, and is pivotally supported in a posture inclined toward one peripheral wall 35a of the vertical passage 30B toward the lower end side at a position in contact with the other peripheral wall 31c. A magnet 54 is attached to a mounting plate portion 51c provided so as to protrude upward to a height position, and the mounting plate portion 51c is bent to a path side through which ice pieces pass from an extension line extending upward from the upper end of the receiving plate portion 51a. It contact | abutted along the inner surface of the other surrounding wall 31c of the channel | path 30B. As a result, when the sensing plate 50 is in an inclined posture where no external force is applied, the magnet 54 of the mounting plate portion 51c comes closer to the reed switch 36, and the detection accuracy by the reed switch 36 can be increased. Further, since the magnet 54 for detecting ice storage is disposed above the path through which the ice piece passes, the ice piece that passes after the detection plate 50 swings in a direction in which the magnet 54 moves away from the reed switch 36. Does not press the detection plate 50 in the direction approaching the reed switch 36 again.

  The detection plate 50 is pivotally supported when the receiving plate portion 51a is erected vertically and the tip side is inclined 6.16 ° toward the path side through which ice passes, that is, the one peripheral wall 30c side of the vertical passage 30B. The position of the center of gravity is below the vertical position. The mounting plate portion 51c of the detection plate 50 is bent 3.6 ° to the path side through which ice pieces pass from an extension line extending upward from the upper end of the receiving plate portion 51a, and the receiving plate portion 51a is connected to the vertical passage 30B. In the state where it abuts against the other peripheral wall 31c, the receiving plate portion 51a of the detection plate 50 is supported by being inclined by 3.6 ° from the vertically standing state. When the ice making machine 10 is grounded so that the right side shown in the drawing is the lower side, the detection plate 51 is positioned at the center of gravity even if the detection plate 51 is tilted by 3.6 ° and further tilted from the supported angle to 2.56 °. The magnet 54 of the mounting plate portion 51c is not separated from the position adjacent to the reed switch 36 from the position where the shaft is pivotally supported. Therefore, in this ice making machine 10, the magnet 54 does not move away from the reed switch 36 even if the detection plate 50 is further tilted by 2.56 ° as described above. Even when the projector is installed at an angle of 0.78 ° so that the right side is the lower side, full ice can be detected sufficiently.

  Further, in the ice making machine 10 configured as described above, flange portions 51d and 51d extending outward are provided at the edges of the side walls 51b and 51b of the main body 51 of the detection plate 50 on the side of the lateral passage 30A. Therefore, the ice pieces guided from the lateral passage 30A to the vertical passage 30B and the moisture adhering thereto are supported by the support shafts 32 and 32 of the spout 31 and the bearing portion 53 of the detection plate 50 which constitute the shaft support means by the flange portions 51d and 51d. , 53 can be prevented. As a result, ice pieces and scale components contained in the moisture adhering to the shaft support means 32, 32, 53, 53 are prevented from adhering, and the smooth oscillation of the detection plate 50 is not hindered. Further, it is possible to prevent damage caused by the collision of ice pieces with the shaft support means 32, 32, 53, 53.

  Further, in the ice making machine 10 configured as described above, the lower right portion (the peripheral wall 31b of the vertical passage 30B) of the side walls 31b, 31b of the spout 31 facing the outer surfaces of the side walls 51b, 51b of the detection plate 50 shown in FIG. , 31b) are provided with guards 33, 33 protruding below the shaft support means 32, 32, 53, 53 to prevent dust from adhering thereto. Thereby, it is possible to prevent dust contained in the air rising from the ice storage 12 in the vertical passage 30 </ b> B from adhering to the shaft support means 32, 32, 53, 53 by the guards 33, 33. Oscillation is not hindered. The guards 33, 33 have an arc shape surrounding the shaft support means 32, 32, 53, 53 from below, and the upper surface of the arc shape is inclined downward. Thereby, even if the condensed water in the vertical passage 30 </ b> B falls on the upper surfaces of the guards 33, 33, the condensed water can be dropped without staying on the upper surfaces of the guards 33, 33. The guards 33, 33 are provided at the lower right side of the side walls 31b, 31b of the spout 31 as shown in FIG. 3, but the bearings 53, 53 are formed on the outer surfaces of the side walls 51b, 51b of the main body 51 of the detection plate 50. You may project below 53. Further, as the shaft support means, the bearing portions 53, 53 of the detection plate 50 are engaged with the support shafts 32, 32 of the spout 31, but the support shaft is placed at the position where the bearing portions 53, 53 of the detection plate 50 are provided. A bearing portion (in this case, for example, U-shaped) may be provided at a position where the support shafts 32, 32 of the spout 31 are provided, and the support shaft of the detection plate 50 may be engaged with the bearing of the spout 31. .

  Further, in the ice making machine configured as described above, an uneven portion 35b that prevents sticking of ice pieces is provided on the inner surface of the side wall 35a (one peripheral wall of the vertical passage 30B) of the chute 35. When the ice pieces of the ice storage 12 are stacked up to the lower end of the vertical passage 30B, the ice pieces are uneven when the ice pieces falling from the lateral passage 30A are piled up between the inner surface 35a of the chute 35 and the detection plate 50. Since the contact area is reduced by the portion 35b, it is difficult to stick to the inner surface of the side wall 35a of the chute 35. As a result, when the ice pieces in the ice storage 12 are taken out and the amount thereof is reduced, the ice pieces accumulated in the chute 35 are stuck to the inner surface of the peripheral wall 35a of the chute 35 and fall into the ice storage 12 without remaining. The lower end side of the detection plate 50 returns from the other side wall 35c of the chute 35 toward the one peripheral wall 35a, and the reed switch 36 returns to the original posture by the swinging posture of the detection plate 50, so It can accurately detect the ice condition.

  Moreover, since the uneven | corrugated | grooved part 35b formed the concave groove extended in an up-down direction continuously in the width direction, the ice piece piled up in the chute | shoot 35 becomes easy to fall along a concave groove. In addition, the moisture adhering to the ice pieces is less likely to flow down along the concave grooves and the scale components contained in the moisture are less likely to precipitate. Since the concavo-convex portion 35b is formed only at the lower part of the inner surface of one peripheral wall 35a of the chute 35, it is possible to prevent sticking of the ice pieces below the one peripheral wall 35a of the chute 35 on which the ice pieces are stacked. Thus, it is possible to prevent the scale component contained in a large amount contained in the moisture that flows down along with the ice pieces from the ice making mechanism 20 from being deposited on and fixed to the upper part of the inner surface of one peripheral wall 35a of the chute 35.

  Further, in the ice making machine 10 configured as described above, the ice pieces are discharged when the ice pieces are accumulated in the upper part of the spout 31 constituting a part of the guide passage 30 so as to exceed the saturation state. An upper opening 31i that prevents the spout 31 from being damaged and a lid 37 that covers the upper opening 31i. The lid 37 is closed by a leaf spring 38 with a weak force (about 20 N) so that the lid 37 is opened by ice pushed out from the upper opening 31 i of the spout 31. Further, it is necessary to sufficiently seal so that dust or the like does not enter the spout 31 from the upper opening 31i. For this purpose, a packing 41 having a hardness of 5 to 10 by a type A durometer is interposed between the periphery of the upper opening 31i of the spout 31 and the lid 37. As a result, the packing 41 was sufficiently elastically deformed even when pressed by the lid 37 closed by the weak spring 38, and the gap between the upper opening 31i of the spout 31 and the lid 37 could be sealed. Polyethylene foam is most suitable as a packing having a hardness of 5 to 10 by a type A durometer.

  The packing 41 is preferably sandwiched from above and below by the upper surface of the upper opening 31i of the spout 31 and the lid 37. When the packing 41 is interposed between the outer peripheral surface of the upper opening 31 i of the spout 31 and the inner peripheral surface of the vertical flange 37 a provided on the lid body 37, the lid body 37 is sealed when the lid body 37 is opened and closed. There is a possibility that the entire circumference of 41 cannot be sufficiently sealed. On the other hand, when the packing 41 is sandwiched from above and below by the upper surface of the flange portion 31j at the peripheral edge of the upper opening 31i of the spout 31 and the lower end of the vertical flange 37a of the lid body 37, the lid body 37 may involve the packing 41. The lid 37 can be closed after confirming that the entire periphery between the periphery of the upper opening 31 i and the lid 37 is sealed by the packing 41.

  Further, the lid 37 is formed with a concave portion 37 b on the upper side of the inclined bottom wall 31 e of the spout 31. The concave portion 37b has an ice piece above the vertical passage 30B so that the magnet 54 at the upper end of the detection plate 50 is not pressed to a position close to the reed switch 36 even if the ice piece in the spout 31 is saturated. The purpose is to prevent the buildup.

  In the above embodiment, the reed switch that is turned on or off by the proximity or separation of the magnet is used as the ice storage sensor, but it is an optical sensor tempered limit switch that detects the swinging posture of the detection plate. May be.

  In the above embodiment, the guide passage is formed by the spout and the chute, but the spout and the chute may be integrally formed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Ice maker, 12 ... Ice storage, 20 ... Ice making mechanism, 30 ... Guide passage, 30A ... Lateral passage, 30B ... Vertical passage, 31i ... Upper opening, 32 ... Shaft support means, 35b ... Uneven part, 36 ... Ice storage sensor (Reed switch), 37 ... lid, 41 ... packing, 50 ... detection plate, 51a ... receiving plate portion, 51b ... side wall portion, 51c ... mounting plate portion, 51d ... flange portion, 52 ... lower end portion, flap portion, 53 ... Axle support means, 55 ... Adjustment plate.

Claims (6)

An ice making mechanism provided above the ice storage;
A lateral passage that guides ice pieces produced by the ice making mechanism laterally, and the lateral passage and the ice storage are connected to each other, and the ice pieces guided from the lateral passage are dropped vertically into the ice storage. A guide passage composed of a vertical passage,
Because the upper part of the vertical passage extending in the direction of the passage is pivotally supported and the ice pieces falling between the inner surfaces of one peripheral wall of the vertical passage are full of ice. A detection plate that swings toward the other peripheral wall facing the one peripheral wall of the vertical passage by the load of the ice pieces that are stacked on the lower end side,
In an ice making machine comprising an ice storage sensor for detecting that the inside of the ice storage is full based on the swinging posture of the detection plate,
The detection plate is pivotally supported so as to be swingable in a posture inclined toward one peripheral wall of the vertical passage toward the lower end side, and the lower end portion of the detection plate is arranged in accordance with the ice quality of the ice piece. An ice making machine that is tilted toward or away from one peripheral wall.   When the ice quality of the ice piece is hard ice cube, the lower end of the detection plate is tilted away from one peripheral wall of the vertical passage without exceeding a vertical plane parallel to the center line of the swing. The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein   When the ice piece has soft ice flakes, the lower end of the detection plate is spaced from the inner surface of one peripheral wall of the vertical passage with a gap larger than the size of the ice piece. The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the lower end portion is inclined in a direction approaching one peripheral wall of the vertical passage.   The ice making device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the detection plate includes a flap portion at a lower end portion thereof that is inclined so as to be capable of adjusting an angle in a direction approaching or moving away from one peripheral wall of the vertical passage. Machine.   The lower end portion of the detection plate is provided with an adjustment plate that adjusts an interval between the vertical passage and one of the peripheral walls of the vertical passage, or an angle in a direction approaching or moving away from the one peripheral wall of the vertical passage. The ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   The weight which adjusts the space | interval of the lower end of the said detection plate, and one surrounding wall of the said vertical path is attached to the upper end of the said detection plate by changing the gravity center position of the said detection plate. The ice making machine described in 1.

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