JP2024054945A - Ice maker - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] When the ice storage chamber is filled with ice, the ice making chamber that houses the ice making unit is cooled to an appropriate temperature to keep it clean during standby mode, during which ice making operation is not performed. [Solution] When the ice storage detector 43 detects that the ice storage chamber 16 is filled with ice, the ice making machine 10 is controlled to enter standby mode so as not to perform ice making operation, and is on standby without making ice to store in the ice storage chamber 16. An ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 is provided in the ice making chamber 14 at a height position between the ice making unit 21 and the ice discharge port 28a that discharges the ice made by the ice making unit 21 to the ice storage chamber 16, to detect the temperature around the ice making unit 21. During standby mode, the operation of the refrigeration device 30 is controlled based on the temperature detected by the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 to cool the ice making unit 21, thereby enabling a cold storage operation to be performed to cool the inside of the ice making chamber 14. [Selected drawing] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an ice-making machine that produces ice in an ice-making section installed in an ice-making chamber, and that is set to wait for ice production in the ice-making section when the ice storage chamber below the ice-making chamber is filled with ice.

Patent Document 1 discloses an invention for an ice-making machine that produces ice in an ice-making unit installed in an ice-making chamber. This ice-making machine includes an ice-making unit that produces ice by freezing ice-making water, a refrigeration device that cools the ice-making unit with a refrigerant circulated and supplied by a compressor, a water supply means that sends ice-making water to the ice-making unit, an ice-making chamber in which the ice-making unit is disposed, an ice storage chamber that is disposed below the ice-making chamber and stores the ice produced in the ice-making unit, and an ice storage detector that detects when the ice storage chamber is filled with ice.

In this ice maker, ice is produced to be stored in the ice storage compartment by alternately executing an ice-making operation in which ice-making water is sent out by a water supply means to an ice-making section cooled by a refrigeration unit and frozen to produce ice, and a de-icing operation in which hot gas is sent from the refrigeration unit to the ice-making section to remove ice from the ice-making section. When the ice storage detector does not detect that the ice storage compartment is full, the ice storage compartment is controlled to alternate between ice-making and de-icing operations in ice-making mode to produce ice to be stored in the ice storage compartment, and when the ice storage detector detects that the ice storage compartment is full, the ice storage compartment is controlled to not execute ice-making and de-icing operations in ice storage mode (standby mode) to stand by without producing ice to be stored in the ice storage compartment.

In this ice maker, when in ice storage mode, it is controlled to perform a cold storage operation to suppress a rise in temperature inside the ice storage chamber, and in cold storage operation, the refrigeration device cools the ice making section, thereby cooling the inside of the ice storage chamber through the ice making chamber. This ice maker is equipped with a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the ice storage chamber or ice making section, and in cold storage operation, it is controlled to operate the refrigeration device when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaches the upper limit temperature, and to stop operation of the refrigeration device when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaches the lower limit temperature.

JP 2012-032062 A

The ice maker in Patent Document 1 cools the ice storage compartment by cold storage operation during ice storage mode (standby mode), and is not intended to cool the inside of the ice making compartment. Although the ice making compartment can be cooled in the same way as cold storage operation in the ice storage compartment, the ice making compartment is located above the ice storage compartment, so the temperature is likely to be higher than that of the ice storage compartment even when cold storage operation is performed in the same way as the ice storage compartment. Ice-making water adheres to the walls of the ice making compartment and each component of the ice making section during the ice making process, and bacteria are more likely to grow on the walls of the ice making compartment and each component of the ice making section, which are warmer than the ice storage compartment.

In addition, the cold storage operation for cooling the inside of the ice storage compartment is performed based on the temperature detected by a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the ice storage compartment or the ice making unit. However, if the cold storage operation is performed based on the temperature detected by a temperature sensor placed in the ice storage compartment in the same way as the cold storage operation in the ice storage compartment, the cold storage operation in the ice making compartment will be performed based on the temperature in the ice storage compartment, which has a temperature difference, and it may not be possible to perform the cold storage operation in the ice making compartment at an appropriate temperature. Similarly, if the cold storage operation is performed based on the temperature detected by a temperature sensor placed in the ice making unit in the same way as the cold storage operation in the ice storage compartment, the cold storage operation in the ice making compartment will be performed based on the temperature of the ice making unit, which is directly cooled by the refrigeration device, and it may not be possible to perform the cold storage operation in the ice making compartment at an appropriate temperature. The present invention aims to cool the inside of the ice making compartment that houses the ice making unit to an appropriate temperature and keep it clean during a standby mode in which the ice making operation is not performed because it is detected that the ice storage compartment is full of ice.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an ice making unit that freezes ice making water to produce ice, a refrigeration device that cools the ice making unit with a refrigerant circulated and supplied by a compressor, a water supply means that supplies ice making water to the ice making unit, an ice making chamber in which the ice making unit is disposed, an ice storage chamber that is disposed below the ice making chamber and stores the ice made by the ice making unit, a partition that separates the ice making chamber from the ice storage chamber and has a discharge port for discharging the ice made by the ice making unit into the ice storage chamber, and an ice storage detector that detects when the ice storage chamber is full of ice, and when the ice storage detector does not detect that the ice storage chamber is full of ice, the ice making unit cooled by the refrigeration device is operated in ice making mode and water is supplied by the water supply means. This ice maker controls the ice making operation to freeze the ice making water discharged to produce ice, producing ice to be stored in the ice storage chamber, and when the ice storage detector detects that the ice storage chamber is full of ice, controls the ice making operation not to be performed in standby mode, and waits without producing ice to be stored in the ice storage chamber. The ice maker is characterized in that an ice making chamber temperature sensor is provided in the ice making chamber at a height position between the ice making section and the discharge port to detect the temperature around the ice making section, and during standby mode, the operation of the refrigeration device is controlled based on the temperature detected by the ice making chamber temperature sensor to cool the ice making section, thereby enabling a cold storage operation to be performed to cool the inside of the ice making chamber.

In the ice making machine configured as described above, an ice making chamber temperature sensor is provided at a height position between the ice making unit and the discharge port in the ice making chamber to detect the temperature around the ice making unit, and during standby mode, the operation of the refrigeration unit is controlled based on the temperature detected by the ice making chamber temperature sensor to cool the ice making unit, thereby enabling a cold storage operation to be performed to cool the inside of the ice making chamber. During the cold storage operation during standby mode, the operation of the refrigeration unit is controlled based on the ice making chamber temperature sensor which detects the temperature around the ice making unit at a height position between the ice making unit and the discharge port in the ice making chamber, so that the temperature inside the ice making chamber is stably controlled based on the temperature around the ice making unit, and the inside of the ice making chamber can be kept clean by suppressing the growth of bacteria.

In the ice making machine configured as described above, the ice storage detector is positioned across the outlet so as to extend from the ice making chamber to the ice storage chamber, and an ice making chamber temperature sensor may be attached to the ice storage detector inside the ice making chamber. By attaching the ice making chamber temperature sensor to the ice storage detector positioned across the ice outlet, the ice making chamber temperature sensor is positioned in the path in which cold air flows from the ice making chamber to the ice storage chamber, and the temperature inside the ice making chamber can be stably detected.

In an ice making machine configured as described above, the ice making chamber temperature sensor may be located in the area above the outlet in the ice making chamber. By locating the ice making chamber temperature sensor in the area above the ice outlet, it is placed in the path where cold air flows from the ice making chamber to the ice storage chamber, and the temperature inside the ice making chamber can be detected stably.

In the ice maker configured as described above, the ice making chamber temperature sensor may be located near the discharge port on the upper side of the partition. By locating the ice making chamber temperature sensor near the ice discharge port on the upper side of the partition, the sensor is located in the path where cold air flows from the ice making chamber to the ice storage chamber, and the temperature inside the ice making chamber can be detected stably.

In the ice-making machine configured as described above, the refrigeration device is capable of performing a cooling operation in which the refrigerant pumped from the compressor and condensed by the condenser is evaporated by an evaporator provided in the ice-making device to cool the ice-making device, and a heating operation in which hot gas is sent from the compressor to the evaporator to heat the ice-making device. In the ice-making mode, the refrigeration device is controlled to alternately perform an ice-making operation in which ice-making water is sent by the water supply means to the cooled ice-making device to freeze it and produce ice, and a de-icing operation in which ice is removed from the heated ice-making device by performing a heating operation on the refrigeration device after the ice-making operation. The refrigeration device is provided with a determination means for determining whether or not to perform a cold-storage operation at the start of the standby mode, and when the determination means determines that the cold-storage operation is not to be performed at the start of the standby mode, the refrigeration device is controlled to temporarily perform a cooling operation to temporarily cool the ice-making device. Even if the judgment means judges that the cold storage operation will not be performed at the start of the standby mode, the freezer is controlled to temporarily switch from heating operation to cooling operation to temporarily cool the ice-making section, so that the temperature inside the ice-making chamber does not rise due to the heat remaining in the ice-making section that has been heated by the heating operation of the freezer during de-icing operation.

In the ice making machine configured as described above, it is preferable to calculate the average temperature per unit time of the integrated temperature by dividing the integrated temperature, which is the temperature detected by the ice making chamber temperature sensor integrated over time after the start of the cold storage operation, by the elapsed time, and control the cold storage operation to be stopped, and then control the cold storage operation to be resumed when the average temperature becomes equal to or exceeds the cold storage set temperature set as the temperature for cooling the ice making chamber. When this is done, the ice making chamber can be stably cooled even if the temperature inside the ice making chamber fluctuates greatly due to external factors, etc.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ice making machine of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an ice making machine of the present invention. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the ice making section and the water tray. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the upper housing with the front panel removed. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device. 11 is a time chart showing a transition from a deicing operation in the ice-making mode to a standby mode, and a cold storage operation being performed at the start of the standby mode. 6 is a time chart when the cooling operation is not performed at the start of the standby mode in FIG. 5 . 11 is a time chart showing a case where a cooling operation of the refrigeration device is temporarily performed even if a cold storage operation is not performed at the start of a standby mode. 11 is a time chart showing a transition from a standby mode to an ice making mode. 5 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 4 of an embodiment in which an ice storage detector is provided with an ice making chamber temperature sensor. FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 4 of an embodiment in which an ice making chamber temperature sensor is disposed on the upper surface side of the drain pan. 5 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 4 of an embodiment in which an ice-making chamber temperature sensor is disposed on the opposite side to the opening side of the water tray. FIG. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along the left-right direction at the center in the front-to-rear direction of a reference embodiment in which an ice-making chamber temperature sensor is arranged above an evaporator in the upper part of the ice-making chamber. 5 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 4 of a reference embodiment in which an ice storage chamber temperature sensor is disposed on the underside of a drain pan inside the ice storage chamber. FIG. This is a schematic diagram of a fan installed above the evaporator in the upper part of the ice-making chamber, with the fan's air blowing direction facing diagonally upward on the opposite side to the outlet. This is a schematic diagram when a fan is installed above the evaporator at the top of the ice-making chamber and the air blowing direction of the fan is vertically downward. This is a schematic diagram of a fan installed on the opening side of the water tray on the right side of the ice making chamber, with the fan's air blowing direction facing the underside of the ice making section when the water tray is open. This is a schematic diagram when a fan is installed above a drain pan at the bottom of the ice making chamber and the air blowing direction of the fan is vertically downward. This is a schematic diagram when a fan is installed at the top of the ice making chamber and the air blowing direction of the fan is directed toward the ice making section temperature sensor.

Below, one embodiment of the ice maker of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the ice maker 10 of this embodiment is a so-called closed cell type ice maker, and includes an upper housing 12 forming the upper part of the housing 11, a lower housing 13 forming the lower part of the housing 11, an ice making chamber 14 and a machine chamber 15 within the upper housing 12, and an ice storage chamber 16 within the lower housing 13. In Fig. 1, the ice in the ice storage chamber 16 is shown by a dashed line.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ice maker 10 includes an ice making mechanism 20 that produces ice. The ice making mechanism 20 includes an ice making section 21 that produces ice by freezing ice making water, a refrigeration device 30 that cools and heats the ice making section 21, and a water supply means 22 that supplies ice making water to the ice making section 21. The ice making section 21 is disposed in the ice making chamber 14, and a number of ice making chambers 21a that are open to the bottom are formed inside a shallow box-shaped section that is open at the bottom by providing a lattice-shaped partition member. Ice making water is sprayed from below into each ice making chamber 21a, and the ice making water freezes in each ice making chamber 21a to form block-shaped ice.

An evaporator 34 constituting the refrigeration device 30 is disposed on the upper surface of the ice-making section 21. The refrigeration device 30 is capable of cooling or heating the ice-making section 21 by cooling operation and heating operation, and is disposed in the machine room 15 except for the evaporator 34 disposed above the ice-making section 21 in the ice-making chamber 14. The refrigeration device 30 is equipped with a compressor 31 that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser 32 that cools and liquefies the refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31, an expansion valve 33 that expands the liquefied refrigerant liquefied by the condenser 32 to produce a low-pressure liquefied refrigerant, and an evaporator 34 that vaporizes the liquefied refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve 33 to cool the ice-making section 21. The refrigeration device 30 is configured with a refrigeration circuit in which the compressor 31, the condenser 32, the expansion valve 33, and the evaporator 34 are connected in a ring shape by refrigerant pipes. When the refrigeration device 30 is in cooling operation, the refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31 is cooled in the condenser 32 to become a liquefied refrigerant, which then becomes a low-pressure liquefied refrigerant in the expansion valve 33. The low-pressure liquefied refrigerant cools the ice-making section 21 by the heat of vaporization when it evaporates in the evaporator 34.

The compressor 31 has a minimum operating time (3 minutes in this embodiment) and a minimum stop time (3 minutes in this embodiment) set to prevent repeated starting and stopping (operation and stop) in a short period of time. The condenser 32 is provided with a condenser fan 32a, and the refrigerant passing through the condenser 32 is cooled by the air blown by the condenser fan 32a. The condenser 32 is provided with a condenser temperature sensor 32b, which detects the temperature of the refrigerant passing through the condenser 32 and is also used to detect the temperature inside the machine room 15, which will be described later. The evaporator 34 uses a tubular member with high thermal conductivity and is arranged in a serpentine shape above the ice-making section 21.

The refrigeration device 30 also includes a hot gas pipe (hot gas path) 35 that supplies hot gas to the evaporator 34. The hot gas pipe 35 connects the downstream of the compressor 31 and the upstream of the evaporator 34, and guides the hot gas from the compressor 31 to the evaporator 34. A hot gas valve 36 is interposed in the hot gas pipe 35, and the hot gas valve 36 can open and close the hot gas pipe 35. When the refrigeration device 30 is in a heating operation, the hot gas sent from the compressor 31 is guided to the evaporator 34 by opening the hot gas valve 36, and the hot gas heats the ice-making section 21 as it passes through the evaporator 34. In this way, the ice-making section 21 is cooled by the refrigerant circulating in the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30 evaporating in the evaporator 34, and is heated by the hot gas sent from the compressor 31 to the evaporator 34 by the heating operation of the refrigeration device 30.

As shown in FIG. 2, a water supply means 22 for supplying ice-making water is provided below the ice-making section 21. The water supply means 22 includes a water tray 23 that can be opened and closed to close the bottom of the ice-making chamber 21a of the ice-making section 21, an ice-making water tank 24 that stores ice-making water below the water tray 23, and a water supply pump 25 that supplies the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 24 to the ice-making section 21. The water tray 23, the ice-making water tank 24, and the water supply pump 25 are disposed in the ice-making chamber 14, similar to the ice-making section 21. The water tray 23 is supported so as to be tiltable about a horizontal axis between a closed position (shown by a solid line in FIG. 2) that closes the bottom of the ice-making chamber 21a and an open position (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2) that opens the bottom of the ice-making chamber 21a. The water tray 23 is provided with an opening/closing mechanism 26, and the water tray 23 is tilted between a closed position and an open position by driving an actuator motor 26a of the opening/closing mechanism 26 to open and close the lower side of the ice making chamber 21a. As shown in FIG. 3, the water tray 23 is formed with an ice making water passage 23a for sending ice making water discharged from the ice making water tank 24 to each ice making chamber 21a, and the upper surface of the water tray 23 is formed with an injection hole 23b for injecting ice making water from the ice making water passage 23a to each ice making chamber 21a.

The ice-making water tank 24 is connected to a water supply pipe 27 that supplies water from a water supply source such as a tap as ice-making water, and a water supply valve 27a is interposed in the water supply pipe 27. By opening the water supply valve 27a, the water from the water supply source is supplied to the ice-making water tank 24 through the water supply pipe 27. The ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 24 is sent to the ice-making water passage 23a of the water tray 23 by the water supply pump 25, and the ice-making water sent to the ice-making water passage 23a is sprayed from the spray hole 23b into the ice-making chamber 21a. The sprayed ice-making water returns to the ice-making water tank 24 while being cooled in the ice-making chamber 21a, and the ice-making water freezes in the ice-making chamber 21a while being cooled by circulating between the ice-making water tank 24 and the ice-making chamber 21a, becoming ice.

A drain pan 28 is provided below the ice-making water tank 24. The drain pan 28 prevents dripping water from the ice-making mechanism 20 from falling into the ice-making water storage chamber, and receives the ice-making water remaining in the ice-making water tank 24 after ice-making operation. A drain pipe (not shown) is connected to the drain pan 28, and the ice-making water received in the drain pan 28 is discharged to the outside of the housing 11 through the drain pipe. The drain pan 28 also covers the underside of the ice-making section 21 and the water supply means 22, and functions as a partition between the ice-making chamber 14 and the ice-storage chamber 16 while having an outlet 28a that discharges ice made by the ice-making section 21 into the ice-storage chamber 16. The outlet 28a is an opening formed in the drain pan 28, and in this embodiment, it is formed at a position shifted to the right of the center of the ice-making chamber 14 in the left-right direction, and away from the front and rear of the ice-making chamber 14. The drain pan 28 is located throughout the entire bottom of the ice making chamber 14, including the areas before and after the outlet 28a, except for the outlet 28a.

2, the ice making section 21 is provided with an ice making section temperature sensor 41, which detects the temperature of the ice making section 21 to detect the completion of ice making during ice making operation and the completion of de-icing during de-icing operation, which will be described later. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the ice making section temperature sensor 42 is provided in the ice making chamber 14, which detects the temperature around the ice making section 21 in the ice making chamber 14. In this embodiment, the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 is located in the ice making chamber 14 at a height position between the ice making section 21 and the discharge port 28a, and is located in the upper area of the discharge port 28a at the position of the right side wall of the ice making chamber 14. The ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 is located in the ice making chamber 14 diagonally above the path through which ice is sent from the ice making section 21 to the discharge port 28a, and is located in a position where the air in the ice making chamber 14 can easily flow through the discharge port 28a to the ice storage chamber 16. The ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 is positioned so that it does not come into contact with the ice made in the ice-making section 21, but where the cold air from the ice-making section 21 can easily flow. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the ice storage chamber 16 is provided with an ice storage detector 43 that detects when the ice is full. The ice storage detector 43 is positioned across the discharge port 28a so as to extend from the ice-making chamber 14 to the ice storage chamber 16, and detects the ice accumulated in the upper part of the ice storage chamber 16 below the discharge port 28a to detect when the ice storage chamber 16 is full.

The ice-making machine 10 is equipped with a control device 50, which is connected to the water pump 25, the actuator motor 26a of the opening/closing mechanism 26, the water supply valve 27a, the compressor 31, the condenser fan 32a, the condenser temperature sensor 32b, the hot gas valve 36, the ice-making section temperature sensor 41, the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42, and the ice storage detector 43, as shown in FIG. 5. The control device 50 has a microcomputer (not shown), which has a CPU, RAM, ROM, and a timer (all not shown) connected via a bus. The control device 50 has an ice-making program that alternately and repeatedly executes an ice-making operation in which ice-making water is frozen in the ice-making section 21 to produce ice, and a de-icing operation in which ice frozen in the ice-making section 21 by the ice-making operation is removed to de-ice the ice.

When the ice storage detector 43 does not detect that the ice storage chamber 16 is full of ice, the control device 50 executes an ice making program in ice making mode that alternates between ice making and de-icing operations to produce ice to be stored in the ice storage chamber 16. When the ice storage detector 43 detects that the ice storage chamber 16 is full of ice, the control device 50 waits in standby mode without executing the ice making program that alternates between ice making and de-icing operations. During this standby mode, the control device 50 controls the operation of the refrigeration device 30 based on the temperature detected by the ice storage chamber temperature sensor 42 to execute a cold storage operation that cools the inside of the ice making chamber 14.

In the cold storage operation, the ice making section 21 is cooled by the cooling operation (operation) of the refrigeration device 30, and the cooled ice making section 21 mainly cools the ice making chamber 14. The cold storage operation is intended to keep the temperature inside the ice making chamber 14 low to suppress bacterial growth, and to store ice without melting while preventing the occurrence of so-called arching, in which multiple pieces of ice stored in the ice storage chamber 16 freeze and join together. By performing the cold storage operation, the ice making chamber 14 is cooled by the ice making section 21 cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30, and the ice storage chamber 16 is cooled by the cold air flowing down from the ice making chamber 14. The ice making chamber 14 is kept at a low temperature by the cooled ice making section 21, suppressing the growth of bacteria and the like, making it hygienic, and the ice in the ice storage chamber 16 is prevented from melting by the cold air flowing down from the ice making chamber 14 through the discharge port 28a.

This cold storage operation differs from the ice making operation in that the ice making unit 21 to which ice making water is sent by the water sending means 22 is cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30. The ice making unit 21 to which ice making water is not sent by the water sending means 22 is cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30, so the load of cooling the ice making unit 21 by the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30 is smaller (lower) than when the ice making operation is performed. When the cold storage operation is performed, if the operation of the refrigeration device 30 is controlled so that the cold storage set temperature, which is set as the temperature for cooling the inside of the ice making chamber 14 based on the detected temperature of the ice making unit temperature sensor 41, the compressor 31 constituting the refrigeration device 30 may stop operating in a short time, and the compressor 31 may not be able to operate for the set minimum operating time (3 minutes in this embodiment).

Therefore, the control device 50 controls the compressor 31 of the freezer 30 to stop operating after the compressor 31 of the freezer 30 starts operating in the cold storage operation and the cold storage operation time set in the compressor 31 has elapsed (in this embodiment, it is set to 3 minutes, the same as the minimum operation time of the compressor 31, and can be set to, for example, 3 to 5 minutes depending on the cooling state of the ice making chamber 14 and the ice storage chamber 16). Note that, when the inside of the ice making chamber 14 is large and there is a risk that the inside of the ice making chamber 14 cannot be sufficiently cooled in the cold storage operation time, the cold storage operation time may be longer than the above-mentioned 3 to 5 minutes, for example, 7 minutes. In addition, when there is a risk that the inside of the ice making chamber 14 cannot be sufficiently cooled, the compressor 31 of the freezer 30 may be controlled to stop operating after the cold storage operation time has elapsed and further when the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 indicates that the temperature is equal to or lower than the cold storage setting temperature (for example, 11°C in this embodiment).

When the interior of the ice making chamber 14 is widened and the cold storage operation time is set to 5 minutes or more, the ice making section 21 may be cooled excessively during the process of cooling the ice making chamber 14, and the ice making section temperature sensor 41 may erroneously detect a disconnection. In contrast, when the cold storage operation time is set long, even before the cold storage operation time has elapsed, when the minimum operation time of the compressor 31 has elapsed and the ice making section temperature sensor 41 detects a lower limit temperature (-45°C in this embodiment) that is set higher than the protection temperature (-60°C in this embodiment) that protects against a false detection of a disconnection of the ice making section temperature sensor 41, the operation of the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30 is controlled to be stopped, so that the ice making section 21 is not cooled excessively during the process of cooling the ice making chamber 14, and the ice making section temperature sensor 41 does not erroneously detect a disconnection.

Next, the ice making program executed during the ice making mode will be described. When the control device 50 executes the ice making program during the ice making mode, it alternately and repeatedly executes ice making operation and de-icing operation in the ice making unit 21. When the control device 50 executes the ice making operation, the refrigeration device 30 operates in cooling mode, and the refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31 is liquefied by the condenser 32 to become a liquefied refrigerant, and the liquefied refrigerant expands by the expansion valve 33 to become a low-pressure liquefied refrigerant, and the low-pressure liquefied refrigerant is vaporized by the evaporator 34 before returning to the compressor 31, and the ice making unit 21 is cooled by the liquefied refrigerant vaporizing in the evaporator 34. In addition, the control device 50 tilts the water tray 23 to the closed position by the actuator motor 26a of the opening and closing mechanism 26, and opens the water supply valve 27a for a predetermined time according to the capacity of the ice making water tank 24, so that the amount of ice making water required to form ice in the ice making unit 21 is stored in the ice making water tank 24.

When the control device 50 operates the water pump 25 while the refrigeration device 30 is in cooling operation, the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 24 is sprayed to each ice-making chamber 21a of the ice-making unit 21 by the operation of the water pump 25. The sprayed ice-making water is cooled in each ice-making chamber 21a and returned to the ice-making water tank 24. The ice-making water is cooled in the process of circulating between the ice-making water tank 24 and each ice-making chamber 21a and gradually freezes in each ice-making chamber 21a. The ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 24 decreases, the ice-making water freezes in each ice-making chamber 21a, and block-shaped ice is formed. When the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 falls below the ice-making completion temperature, the control device 50 ends the ice-making operation and starts the de-icing operation.

In de-icing operation after ice-making operation, the control device 50 operates the compressor 31 and opens the hot gas valve 36 to perform heating operation of the refrigeration device 30, while tilting the water tray 23 to the open position by the actuator motor 26a of the opening/closing mechanism 26. When the refrigeration device 30 is operated in heating operation, the hot gas discharged from the compressor 31 is guided to the evaporator 34 through the hot gas pipe 35 to heat each ice-making chamber 21a of the ice-making section 21. The temperature of the ice-making section 21 gradually rises due to the hot gas introduced into the evaporator 34, and the ice frozen in each ice-making chamber 21a breaks off and slides down the water tray 23, dropping into the ice storage chamber 16 from the discharge port 28a. The temperature of the ice making unit 21 gradually rises as the ice is removed, and when the temperature detected by the ice making unit temperature sensor 41 reaches or exceeds the de-icing completion temperature, which detects that de-icing is complete, the control unit 50 detects that there is no ice remaining in the ice making chamber 21a of the ice making unit 21, i.e., that de-icing is complete, and closes the hot gas valve 36 to end the de-icing operation. If the control unit 50 does not detect that the ice storage chamber 16 is filled with ice using the ice storage detector 43, it re-executes the ice making program that alternates between the ice making operation and the de-icing operation described above. In this way, the control unit 50 controls the execution of the ice making program that alternates between ice making operation and de-icing operation in the ice making mode until the ice storage detector 43 detects that the ice storage chamber 16 is filled with ice.

When the ice-making program that alternately repeats ice-making and de-icing operations is executed, the ice storage chamber 16 is filled with ice produced by the ice-making unit 21. As shown in FIG. 6, when the ice storage detector 43 detects that the ice storage chamber 16 is full of ice (when the ice storage detector 43 is ON (full) in FIG. 6), the control device 50 ends the ice-making mode and transitions to standby mode, controlling the device to wait without executing the ice-making program that alternately repeats ice-making and de-icing operations. During standby mode, the control device 50 is capable of executing a cold storage operation that cools the inside of the ice-making chamber 14, and the inside of the ice-making chamber 14 is cooled by the ice-making unit 21 that is cooled by the cooling operation (operation) of the refrigeration device 30 when the cold storage operation is executed.

6, the control device 50 controls the cold storage operation to be performed at the start of the standby mode when the temperature detected by the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 is equal to or higher than the cold storage set temperature (11°C in this embodiment) set as the temperature for cooling the ice making chamber 14 at the start of the standby mode when the ice making mode is switched to the standby mode from the ice making mode. In the cold storage operation at the start of the standby mode when the ice making mode is switched to the standby mode from the ice making mode, the compressor 31 is operated during the deicing operation in the ice making mode, and if the compressor 31 is stopped at the end of the deicing operation, the compressor 31 will repeatedly start and stop (operate and stop) in a short time. For this reason, when the cold storage operation is performed at the start of the standby mode when the ice making mode is switched to the standby mode from the ice making mode, the hot gas valve 36 is closed without stopping the compressor 31 at the end of the deicing operation in the ice making mode. The hot gas pumped from the compressor 31 is cooled in the condenser 32 to become a liquefied refrigerant and is supplied to the evaporator 34, and the ice making section 21 is cooled by the evaporation of the liquefied refrigerant in the evaporator 34. The ice making chamber 14 is cooled by the ice making section 21, which is cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30, and the ice storage chamber 16 is cooled by the cold air flowing down from the ice making chamber 14 through the outlet 28a.

In contrast, as shown in FIG. 7, when the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 is not equal to or higher than the cold storage set temperature at the start of standby mode, the controller 50 controls so that cold storage operation is not performed at the start of standby mode. When cold storage operation is not performed at the start of standby mode, the operation of the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30 is stopped and the hot gas valve 36 is closed. When the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 becomes equal to or higher than the cold storage set temperature after the minimum operation stop time (set to 10 minutes in this embodiment) set longer than the minimum stop time of the compressor 31 has elapsed since the operation of the compressor 31 was stopped at the start of standby mode (at the end of the de-icing operation in ice-making mode), the controller 50 controls so that cold storage operation is performed.

In addition, when the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 is not equal to or higher than the cold storage setting temperature at the start of the standby mode and the cold storage operation is not performed, the temperature inside the ice-making chamber 14 is likely to rise due to the ice-making unit 21 being heated during the deicing operation in the ice-making mode, and there is a risk that the temperature inside the ice-making chamber 14 will rise immediately and it will not be possible to keep it clean. As shown in FIG. 8, when the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 is not equal to or higher than the cold storage setting temperature at the start of the standby mode and control is performed to not perform the cold storage operation, the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30 is controlled to temporarily cool the ice-making unit 21, so that the inside of the ice-making chamber 14 will not be affected by the heat remaining in the ice-making unit 21 during the deicing operation in the ice-making mode. In this case, when the standby mode starts, the hot gas valve 36 that is open during the deicing operation in the ice-making mode is closed, and the compressor 31 that was operated during the deicing operation in the ice-making mode is operated continuously (for example, for a predetermined time of 30 seconds, or until the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 reaches a temperature that is a predetermined temperature drop of 2°C from the time of transition to the standby mode). The refrigerant sent from the compressor 31 and cooled by the condenser 32 flows into the evaporator 34, and the ice-making unit 21 is cooled by the vaporization of the liquefied refrigerant that has flowed into the evaporator 34. In this way, when the standby mode starts, the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30 is temporarily performed, and the ice-making unit 21 to which the ice-making water is not sent by the water supply means 22 is temporarily cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30, so that the heat remaining in the deicing operation of the ice-making unit 21 is removed in a short time, and the temperature of the ice-making chamber 14 does not rise due to the heat remaining in the ice-making unit 21 during the deicing operation.

When the cold storage operation is performed, the temperature in the ice making chamber 14 drops, the temperature detected by the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 falls below the cold storage setting temperature of 11°C, and after the cold storage operation time set by the compressor 31 has elapsed, which is equal to or greater than the minimum operation time set by the compressor 31, the control device 50 controls the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30 to stop operation. The control device 50 also calculates the average temperature per unit time of the accumulated temperature by dividing the accumulated temperature, which is the accumulated temperature detected by the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 over time, by the elapsed time from the start of the cold storage operation measured by the timer. As described above, in order to prevent the compressor 31 from starting and stopping (operating and stopping) in a short period of time, a minimum stop time is set for the compressor 31 after the operation is stopped. When the minimum operation stop time (set to 10 minutes in this embodiment) set longer than the minimum stop time has elapsed after the compressor 31 has stopped operating, and the calculated average temperature is equal to or greater than the cold storage setting temperature of the ice making chamber 14, the control device 50 controls the stopped cold storage operation to be resumed. In this way, the ice making chamber 14 is cooled to the cold storage set temperature by performing the cold storage operation during standby mode, and the compressor 31 is controlled so that it does not repeatedly start and stop in a short period of time when performing the cold storage operation. After the cold storage operation is resumed, the accumulated temperature and the elapsed time, which are the accumulated temperatures detected by the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 over time, are reset, and a new calculation of the accumulated temperature is started.

In addition, due to the influence of the surrounding temperature, such as the low temperature of the installation location where the ice maker 10 is installed, the average temperature calculated after the start of the cold storage operation may not be equal to or higher than the cold storage setting temperature. If the average temperature does not become equal to or higher than the cold storage setting temperature and the cold storage operation stopped after the cold storage operation time has elapsed is not resumed, the control device 50 may exceed the processing limit of the calculation process for calculating the accumulated temperature. When the average temperature does not become equal to or higher than the cold storage setting temperature even if the predetermined elapsed time from the start of the calculation of the accumulated temperature or average temperature is, for example, 2 hours or the number of calculations for calculating the accumulated temperature or average temperature is equal to or higher than 10,000 times, the control device 50 controls the cold storage operation stopped after the cold storage operation time has elapsed to be automatically resumed. In addition, when the cold storage operation is automatically resumed without the average temperature becoming equal to or higher than the cold storage setting temperature, the control device 50 controls the cold storage operation not to be resumed based on the calculated average temperature, but to be resumed when the temperature detected by the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 becomes equal to or higher than the cold storage setting temperature of 11°C. In addition, after controlling to automatically resume the cold storage operation, the average temperature may be calculated again, and when the newly calculated average temperature becomes equal to or higher than the cold storage setting temperature, the cold storage operation may be resumed.

In addition, the temperature in the ice making chamber 14 is easily affected by the temperature of the installation location of the ice making machine 10. If the temperature of the installation location is low, the temperature in the ice making chamber 14 is likely to drop when the cold storage operation is performed (the temperature drops quickly), and the temperature is unlikely to rise when the cold storage operation is stopped (the temperature rises slowly). Similarly, if the temperature of the installation location is high, the temperature in the ice making chamber 14 is likely to drop when the cold storage operation is performed (the temperature drops slowly), and the temperature is likely to rise when the cold storage operation is stopped (the temperature rises quickly). If the installation location of the ice making machine 10 has different temperatures and the cold storage setting temperature, which is the criterion for determining whether or not to perform the cold storage operation or the reference temperature for resuming the stopped cold storage operation, is set to the same temperature, the ice making chamber 14 and the ice storage chamber 16 may not be properly cooled by the cold storage operation. In particular, when the temperature of the installation location of the ice making machine 10 is low, arching may occur, in which multiple pieces of ice in the ice storage chamber 16 freeze and bond together when the cold storage operation is performed. Therefore, in order to detect the temperature of the location where the ice maker 10 is installed, the condenser temperature sensor 32b installed in the condenser 32 in the machine room 15 is used as an outside temperature sensor that detects the temperature outside the ice making chamber 14, and the determination as to whether or not to perform the cold storage operation and the cold storage set temperature are corrected based on the detected temperature of the condenser temperature sensor (outside temperature sensor) 32b.

When the temperature detected by the condenser temperature sensor (outside temperature sensor) 32b is low (for example, 15°C or lower), the temperature of the ice making chamber 14 is likely to be low due to the influence of the temperature of the installation location of the ice maker 10. Therefore, when the temperature of the installation location is low, there is no need to cool the inside of the ice making chamber 14 and the ice storage chamber 16 by the cold storage operation, and the control device 50 can prevent the ice in the ice storage chamber 16 from causing so-called arching by controlling not to perform the cold storage operation. In addition, when the temperature of the installation location is low and the cold storage operation is controlled not to be performed at the start of standby operation, the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30 is temporarily performed (for example, for a predetermined time of 30 seconds, or until the temperature detected by the ice making unit temperature sensor 41 becomes a temperature that is lowered by 2°C as a predetermined temperature from the time of transition to standby mode) to temporarily cool the ice making unit 21, so that the inside of the ice making chamber 14 is not affected by the heat remaining in the ice making unit 21 during deicing operation in ice making mode. In addition, it is assumed that the ice maker 10 will be installed in a location where the temperature is around 20°C. When the temperature detected by the condenser temperature sensor (outside temperature sensor) 32b reaches 30°C, which is 10°C higher than the reference temperature of 20°C, the cold storage setting temperature is corrected by lowering it by 1°C from 11°C to 10°C, and when the temperature detected by the condenser temperature sensor (outside temperature sensor) 32b reaches 10°C, which is 10°C lower than the reference temperature of 20°C, the cold storage setting temperature is corrected by raising it by 1°C from 11°C to 12°C. In this way, the determination of whether or not to perform the cold storage operation or the cold storage setting temperature is corrected based on the detected temperature of the condenser temperature sensor (outside temperature sensor) 32b, so that it is possible to suppress temperature variations and malfunctions in the ice making chamber 14 when the cold storage operation is performed and stopped depending on the temperature of the location where the ice maker 10 is installed.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the ice storage detector 43 no longer detects that the ice storage chamber 16 is full of ice during standby mode, the control device 50 transitions from standby mode to ice making mode. When controlling to stop the cold storage operation during standby mode, the compressor 31 is stopped for a minimum of three minutes and then started, and the hot gas valve 36 is opened to send hot gas into the evaporator 34, and a de-icing operation is performed to prevent ice from remaining in the ice making section 21. If the cold storage operation is being performed, the compressor 31 is kept operating, and the hot gas valve 36 is opened to send hot gas into the evaporator 34 to perform a de-icing operation. After the de-icing operation, an ice making program is executed in which ice making operation and de-icing operation are alternately repeated as the ice making mode.

The ice maker 10 configured as described above includes an ice making section 21 that freezes ice making water to make ice, a refrigeration device 30 that cools the ice making section 21 with a refrigerant circulated by a compressor 31, a water supply means 22 that sends ice making water to the ice making section 21, an ice making chamber 14 in which the ice making section 21 is disposed, an ice storage chamber 16 that is disposed below the ice making chamber 14 and stores the ice made by the ice making section 21, a drain pan (partition) 28 that separates the ice making chamber 14 from the ice storage chamber 16 and has a discharge port 28a that discharges the ice made by the ice making section 21 into the ice storage chamber 16, and an ice storage detector 43 that detects when the ice storage chamber 16 is full of ice.

In this ice making machine 10, when the ice storage detector 43 does not detect that the ice storage chamber 16 is full, the ice making mode is controlled to perform ice making operation in which the ice making water sent by the water supply means 22 is frozen in the ice making section 21 cooled by the refrigeration device 30 to produce ice to be stored in the ice storage chamber 16, and when the ice storage detector 43 detects that the ice storage chamber 16 is full, the ice making mode is controlled not to perform ice making operation, and the machine is controlled to wait without producing ice to be stored in the ice storage chamber 16. In this ice making machine 10, an ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 is provided in the ice making chamber 14 at a height position between the ice making section 21 and the discharge port 28a to detect the temperature around the ice making section 21, and during the standby mode, the operation of the refrigeration device 30 is controlled based on the temperature detected by the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 to cool the ice making section 21, thereby enabling a cold storage operation to be performed to cool the inside of the ice making chamber 14.

If the operation of the refrigeration device 30 is controlled based on the temperature detected by the ice-making section temperature sensor 41, which detects the temperature of the ice-making section 21 during cold storage operation in standby mode, the temperature inside the ice-making chamber 14 is dissociated from the temperature of the ice-making section 21, so there is a risk that the area around the ice-making section 21 cannot be stably cooled inside the ice-making chamber 14. In addition, if an ice-storage chamber temperature sensor (not shown) is provided to detect the temperature inside the ice-storage chamber 16, and the operation of the refrigeration device 30 is controlled based on the temperature detected by the ice-storage chamber temperature sensor during cold storage operation in standby mode, the temperature inside the ice-making chamber 14 tends to be higher than the temperature of the ice-storage chamber 16, so there is a risk that the area around the ice-making section 21 cannot be stably cooled inside the ice-making chamber 14.

In this ice-making machine 10, the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 detects the temperature around the ice-making section 21 at a height position between the ice-making section 21 and the discharge port 28a in the ice-making chamber 14, and the cold-keeping operation during standby mode controls the operation of the refrigeration device 30 based on the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42. Specifically, at the start of standby mode, the cold-keeping operation is controlled to start when the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 is equal to or higher than the cold-keeping set temperature, and is controlled to stop the cold-keeping operation when the cold-keeping operation time has elapsed and the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 is equal to or lower than the cold-keeping set temperature. In addition, during standby mode, the average temperature per unit time of the accumulated temperature is calculated by dividing the accumulated temperature, which is the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 accumulated over time, by the elapsed time after the start of the cold-keeping operation, and when the calculated average temperature becomes equal to or higher than the cold-keeping set temperature of the ice-making chamber 14, the stopped cold-keeping operation is controlled to be resumed. In this way, during the cold storage operation in standby mode, the operation of the refrigeration device 30 is controlled based on the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42, so the temperature inside the ice-making chamber 14 is stably controlled based on the temperature around the ice-making section 21, and the inside of the ice-making chamber 14 can be kept clean by suppressing the growth of bacteria.

In this ice-making machine 10, the refrigeration device 30 is capable of performing a cooling operation in which the refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31 and condensed by the condenser 32 is evaporated by the evaporator 34 provided in the ice-making unit 21 to cool the ice-making unit 21, and a heating operation in which hot gas is sent from the compressor 31 to the evaporator 34 to heat the ice-making unit 21. In the ice-making mode, the refrigeration device 30 is controlled to perform alternately an ice-making operation in which ice-making water is sent by the water supply means 22 to the cooled ice-making unit 21 to freeze it, and a de-icing operation in which ice is removed from the heated ice-making unit 21 by performing a heating operation on the refrigeration device 30 after the ice-making operation. In this ice maker 10, the means for determining whether or not to perform cold storage operation at the start of standby mode is based on the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 to determine whether or not to perform cold storage operation. When the means for determining whether or not to perform cold storage operation at the start of standby mode is based on the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42, and the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 is not equal to or higher than the cold storage set temperature, the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30 is temporarily controlled to perform a cooling operation to temporarily cool the ice-making section 21.

During the deicing operation in the ice-making mode, hot gas is sent to the evaporator 34 of the ice-making unit 21, so the temperature of the ice-making unit 21 is high due to the effect of the deicing operation when the standby mode starts. Even if it is determined that the cold storage operation is not to be performed based on the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 as the determination means when the standby mode starts, the refrigeration device 30 is controlled to perform a temporary cooling operation at the start of the standby mode to temporarily cool the ice-making unit 21, so that the temperature inside the ice-making chamber 14 does not become high due to the ice-making unit 21 after the deicing operation in the ice-making mode. In particular, the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30, which is operated during the deicing operation in the ice-making mode, is continuously operated at the start of the standby mode without being stopped, so that the compressor 31 does not repeatedly start and stop in a short period of time.

In this ice-making machine 10, the average temperature per unit time of the accumulated temperature is calculated by dividing the accumulated temperature, which is the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42, by the elapsed time after the start of the cold storage operation, and after controlling to stop the cold storage operation, it controls to resume the cold storage operation when the average temperature reaches or exceeds the cold storage setting temperature set as the temperature to cool the ice-making chamber 14. This allows the inside of the ice-making chamber 14 to be stably cooled even if the temperature inside the ice-making chamber 14 fluctuates greatly due to external factors such as the temperature of the location where the ice-making machine 10 is installed.

In this ice maker 10, the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 is located in the upper region of the outlet 28a in the ice making chamber 14. By arranging the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 in the upper region of the ice outlet 28a in the ice making chamber 14, the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 is arranged in the path where the cold air flows from the ice making chamber 14 to the ice storage chamber 16, and the temperature in the ice making chamber 14 can be stably detected. Note that the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 is not limited to being arranged in the upper region of the outlet 28a in the ice making chamber 14, and as shown in FIG. 10, the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 may be attached to the ice storage detector 43 in the ice making chamber 14. The ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 is located above the detection surface of the ice storage detector 42 that is pressed by the ice, so that the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 is less likely to be hit by the ice produced in the ice making section 21. In addition, since the ice storage detector 43 is positioned away from the path along which the ice made in the ice making unit 21 is discharged, the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 attached to the ice storage detector 43 is unlikely to come into contact with the ice made in the ice making unit 21 as it is being discharged. By attaching the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 to the ice storage detector 43 positioned across the ice discharge port 28a, the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 is positioned in the path along which cold air flows from the ice making chamber 14 to the ice storage chamber 16, and the temperature inside the ice making chamber 14 can be stably detected.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 11, the ice making chamber temperature sensor may be disposed near the discharge port 28a on the upper surface side of the drain pan (partition) 28. Since the upper surface side of the drain pan 28 is out of the path through which the ice made in the ice making unit 21 is discharged, the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 is unlikely to be hit by the ice made in the ice making unit 21 during the process of discharging. In addition, since the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 is disposed in front of the discharge port 28a on the upper surface side of the drain pan 28, the maintenance workability of the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 can be improved. In addition, when the water tray 23 is tilted to the open position to drain the water remaining in the ice making water tank 24, the drained water is unlikely to flow to the front of the discharge port 28a on the upper surface side of the drain pan 28, so the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 disposed in front of the discharge port 28a on the upper surface side of the drain pan 28 is unlikely to be hit by water when the water tray 23 is tilted to the open position to drain the water. Furthermore, when the cold air from the ice making unit 21 flows down the top side of the drain pan 28, it spreads horizontally all over before flowing down the outlet 28a, so that the cold air from the ice making unit 21 flows out of the outlet 28a through the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42, which is located in front of the outlet 28a on the top side of the drain pan 28. In this way, the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 is located in a position near the ice outlet 28a on the top side of the drain pan 28, so that it is located in the path where the cold air flows from the ice making chamber 14 to the ice storage chamber 16 without hitting the ice made in the ice making unit 21, and the temperature inside the ice making chamber 14 can be detected stably.

Also, the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 may be disposed in the ice-making chamber 14 at a position described below. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 is disposed on the opposite side of the opening of the water tray 23 (the pivot shaft side of the water tray 23) near the water supply pump 25. When the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 is attached on the opposite side of the opening of the water tray 23, it is out of the path through which the cold air from the ice making section 21 flows, but ice chips and ice-making water are less likely to adhere to the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 during de-icing operation, and a temperature sensor with low water resistance can be used for the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42.

In the reference embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 is located in the upper part of the ice-making chamber 14, close to the upper side of the evaporator 34 provided at the top of the ice-making section 21, in a position where cold air reaches the evaporator 34 when it is cooled. The upper side of the evaporator 34 at the upper part of the ice-making chamber 14 is close to the evaporator 34 when the cold storage operation is performed, so the temperature tends to drop quickly, but when the cold storage operation is stopped, the temperature rises first in the ice-making chamber 14. In this way, by locating the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 in the position where the temperature rises first in the ice-making chamber 14, it becomes possible to appropriately perform the cold storage operation at the timing when the temperature in the ice-making chamber 14 rises.

In the reference embodiment shown in FIG. 14, instead of the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42, an ice storage chamber temperature sensor 44 is placed on the underside of the drain pan 28 at the top of the ice storage chamber 16. In this reference embodiment, the underside of the drain pan 28 is the position where the cold air from the ice making unit 21 cooled by the cold storage operation flows least easily, and the operation of the refrigeration device 30 is controlled in the cold storage operation based on the detected temperature of the ice storage chamber temperature sensor 44 placed on the underside of the drain pan 28 where the cold air from the ice making unit 21 flows least easily in the ice storage chamber 16. If the temperature of the underside of the drain pan 28 where the cold air from the ice making unit 21 flows least easily in the ice storage chamber 16 is low, it is considered that the temperature around the ice making unit 21 in the ice making chamber 14 is also sufficiently low, and the ice making chamber 14 and the ice storage chamber 16 can be appropriately cooled in the cold storage operation. Furthermore, by controlling the operation of the refrigeration device 30 based on the ice storage chamber temperature sensor 44 that detects the temperature inside the ice storage chamber 16 during cold storage operation, the occurrence of arching, in which multiple pieces of ice freeze and join together inside the ice storage chamber 16, can be particularly suppressed.

In addition, in the above-mentioned ice maker 10, the inside of the ice making chamber 14 is cooled by natural convection of the cold air generated from the ice making section 21 cooled by the refrigeration device 30 during the cold storage operation, so the inside of the ice making chamber 14 is not cooled uniformly throughout. In each embodiment shown below, a fan 45 is provided in the ice making chamber 14 to forcibly convect the air inside the ice making chamber 14. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 15, the fan 45 is provided above the evaporator 34 at the top of the ice making chamber 14, and the air blowing direction of the fan 45 is directed diagonally upward on the opposite side to the outlet 28a. By directing the air blowing direction of the fan 45 diagonally upward on the opposite side to the outlet 28a, the upper part of the ice making chamber 14, which is prone to becoming hot, can be sufficiently cooled.

In addition, since the blowing direction of the fan 45 is directed diagonally upward on the opposite side to the outlet 28a, the air sent to the top of the ice making chamber 14 flows down along the left wall of the ice making chamber 14 opposite the outlet 28a, and the flowing down air flows toward the outlet 28a on the upper surface side of the drain pan 28. Since the blowing direction of the fan 45 is not directed toward the outlet 28a, the air flow by the fan 45 circulates within the ice making chamber 14 and is less likely to flow out from the outlet 28a to the ice storage chamber 16. In addition, an inclined portion that slopes upward is formed on the periphery of the outlet 28a to prevent the water received in the drain pan 28 from flowing out to the ice storage chamber 16, and the air flowing on the upper surface side of the drain pan 28 is changed to a wind flow away from the outlet 28a by the inclined portion formed on the periphery of the outlet 28a of the drain pan 28, and an air curtain-like flow is formed on the upper side of the outlet 28a, making it less likely for cold air to flow down from the outlet 28a to the ice storage chamber 16. In FIG. 15, the air flow caused by the fan 45 is shown by a dashed line, and in FIG. 16 to FIG. 19 described below, the air flow caused by the fan 45 is also shown by a dashed line.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 16, a fan 45 is provided above the evaporator 34 at the top of the ice making chamber 14, and the fan 45 blows air vertically downward. By blowing air vertically downward, the fan 45 sucks in air from the upper end of the ice making chamber 14, where the temperature is likely to be high, and blows it onto the evaporator 34, and the air blown onto the evaporator 34 spreads horizontally in a cooled state. A short cycle occurs in which most of the air that spreads horizontally rises back up to the upper end of the ice making chamber 14, so that the upper space of the ice making chamber 14 is particularly cooled, and part of the air that spreads horizontally flows to the bottom of the ice making chamber 14, so that the lower space of the ice making chamber 14 is also cooled.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, a fan 45 is provided on the right side of the opening of the water tray 23 in the ice making chamber 14, and the direction of airflow from the fan 45 is directed toward the underside of the ice making section 21 when the water tray 23 is open. By directing the airflow from the fan 45 toward the underside of the ice making section 21 when the water tray 23 is open, air that has passed under the ice making section 21 and been cooled can be sent to the upper part of the ice making chamber 14, thereby cooling the upper part of the ice making chamber 14, which is prone to becoming hot. In addition, because the airflow from the fan 45 is directed toward the underside of the ice making section 21, it is possible to make it difficult for the airflow from the fan 45 to flow into the ice storage chamber 16 from the outlet 28a.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 18, a fan 45 is provided above the drain pan 28 at the bottom of the ice making chamber 14, and the fan 45 blows air vertically downward. By blowing air vertically downward, the air blown by the fan 45 is blown onto the upper surface of the drain pan 28 and spreads horizontally. The air flowing along the upper side of the drain pan 28 is prevented from flowing down from the outlet 28a to the ice storage chamber 16 by the sloped portion formed on the edge of the outlet 28a of the drain pan 28 that is inclined upward, and an air curtain is formed above the outlet 28a. In addition, the air that spreads horizontally on the upper side of the drain pan 28 rises along the horizontal peripheral wall of the ice making chamber 14, thereby cooling the upper space of the ice making chamber 14, and part of the air that spreads horizontally flows to the lower part of the ice making chamber 14, thereby cooling the lower space of the ice making chamber 14.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 19, a fan 45 is provided in the upper part of the ice making chamber 14 below the ice making section temperature sensor 41, and the fan 45 blows air diagonally upward toward the ice making section temperature sensor 41. By directing the fan 45 to blow air diagonally upward toward the ice making section temperature sensor 41, the fan 45 blows air to the upper part of the ice making chamber 14, and the air sent to the upper part of the ice making chamber 14 flows down along the left side wall of the ice making chamber 14, and the air that flows down flows toward the outlet 28a on the upper side of the drain pan 28. At this time, the air flowing on the upper side of the drain pan 28 rises along the right side wall of the ice making chamber 14 due to the suction of the fan 45, and is less likely to flow down from the outlet 28a to the ice storage chamber 16.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 15 to 19, if the fan 45 is operated while the cold storage operation is stopped, the air in the ice making chamber 14, which is gradually increasing in temperature, may flow into the ice storage chamber 16 from the outlet 28a. For this reason, when the fan 45 is provided in the ice making chamber 14 to forcibly circulate the air in the ice making chamber 14, the fan 45 is controlled to start operating at the same timing as the compressor 31 in the cold storage operation and to stop operating at a certain time after the compressor 31 is stopped (the fan 45 is controlled to stop operating after a predetermined time, such as one hour, has elapsed after the compressor 31 is stopped, or when the temperature exceeds a preset temperature). The fan 45 may be operated continuously or intermittently. This allows the inside of the ice making chamber 14 to be uniformly cooled by the cold air generated from the ice making section 21 during and for a certain period of time after the cold keeping operation, and prevents the air in the ice making chamber 14, which gradually increases in temperature after a certain period of time after the cold keeping operation, from flowing out of the outlet 28a into the ice storage chamber 16.

The ice making machine 10 of this embodiment is a so-called closed cell type ice making machine, but is not limited thereto. When the ice storage detector 43 does not detect that the ice storage chamber 16 is full of ice, the ice making mode is controlled to execute ice making operation, and when the ice storage detector 43 detects that the ice storage chamber 16 is full of ice, the ice making mode is controlled to execute ice making operation, and when the ice storage detector 43 detects that the ice storage chamber 16 is full of ice, the ice making machine is also applicable to other ice making machines such as so-called open cell type ice making machines and vertical type ice making machines that allow ice making water to flow down into an ice making chamber that opens horizontally. In particular, the ice making machine to which the present invention is applied is one in which the ice making chamber and the ice storage chamber are separated by a partition such as a drain pan of this embodiment, while having an ice discharge port that discharges ice produced in the ice making section into the ice storage chamber. In addition, the temperature and other descriptions in this embodiment are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these descriptions of temperatures, times, and the like.

10...Ice maker, 14...Ice chamber, 16...Ice storage chamber, 21...Ice making section, 22...Water supply means, 28...Partition section (drain pan), 28a...Discharge port, 30...Refrigeration device, 31...Compressor, 32...Condenser, 34...Evaporator, 42...Ice chamber temperature sensor, 43...Ice storage detector.

Claims (6)

an ice making unit that freezes ice making water to produce ice;
a refrigeration device that cools the ice making unit with a refrigerant circulated and supplied by a compressor;
A water supply means for supplying ice making water to the ice making section;
an ice making chamber in which the ice making unit is disposed;
An ice storage chamber arranged below the ice making chamber to store ice produced by the ice making unit;
a partition section that separates the ice making chamber from the ice storage chamber and has an outlet for discharging ice made by the ice making section into the ice storage chamber;
and an ice storage detector for detecting when the ice storage chamber is filled with ice;
When the ice storage detector does not detect that the ice storage chamber is filled with ice, an ice making mode is set to execute an ice making operation in which the ice making unit cooled by the refrigeration device freezes the ice making water sent out by the water sending means to produce ice, thereby producing ice to be stored in the ice storage chamber,
When the ice storage detector detects that the ice storage chamber is filled with ice, the ice making machine is controlled to enter a standby mode so as not to perform the ice making operation, and is in standby without making ice to be stored in the ice storage chamber,
an ice-making chamber temperature sensor is provided in the ice-making chamber at a height position between the ice-making unit and the outlet port to detect a temperature around the ice-making unit;
This ice-making machine is characterized in that during the standby mode, the operation of the refrigeration device is controlled based on the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor, thereby enabling a cold storage operation to be performed in which the inside of the ice-making chamber is cooled by cooling the ice-making section. 2. The ice making machine according to claim 1,
The ice storage detector is disposed across the outlet so as to extend from the ice making chamber to the ice storage chamber,
The ice making machine is characterized in that the ice making chamber temperature sensor is attached to the ice storage detector inside the ice making chamber. 2. The ice making machine according to claim 1,
The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the ice making chamber temperature sensor is disposed in the ice making chamber in an upper region of the outlet. 2. The ice making machine according to claim 1,
an ice-making machine, characterized in that the ice-making chamber temperature sensor is disposed on an upper surface side of the partition in the vicinity of the discharge port; 2. The ice making machine according to claim 1,
The refrigeration device is capable of performing a cooling operation in which the refrigerant, which is pumped from the compressor and condensed by a condenser, is evaporated by an evaporator provided in the ice making unit to cool the ice making unit, and a heating operation in which hot gas is sent from the compressor to the evaporator to heat the ice making unit,
In the ice-making mode, an ice-making operation in which ice-making water is sent by the water-sending means to the ice-making section cooled by performing a cooling operation of the refrigeration device, and frozen to produce ice, and an ice-defrosting operation in which ice is removed from the ice-making section heated by performing the heating operation of the refrigeration device after the ice-making operation are alternately performed.
a determination means for determining whether or not to execute the cold storage operation at the start of the standby mode,
When the determination means determines that the cooling operation is not to be performed at the start of the standby mode,
An ice-making machine, characterized in that the refrigeration device is controlled to temporarily execute a cooling operation, thereby temporarily cooling the ice-making section. 2. The ice making machine according to claim 1,
an average temperature per unit time of the integrated temperature, which is obtained by accumulating the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor over time after the start of the cold storage operation, by dividing the integrated temperature by the elapsed time; and after controlling to stop the cold storage operation, when the average temperature becomes equal to or higher than a cold storage setting temperature set as a temperature for cooling the ice-making chamber, the ice-making machine is controlled to resume the cold storage operation.

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