JP2024054946A - Ice maker - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] In an ice making machine with multiple ice making chambers arranged vertically, when a cold storage operation is performed to cool the ice making chambers during standby mode, a phenomenon called arching, in which multiple pieces of ice freeze in an ice storage chamber while adhering to each other, is prevented. [Solution] In an ice making machine 10, ice making mechanisms 20 and ice making chambers 14 are arranged vertically in multiple stages, and during standby mode, when an ice storage detector 43 detects that ice storage chamber 16 is full of ice and waits to perform ice making operation, the refrigeration device 30B of the ice making mechanism 20B in the second stage other than the top stage is not operated, and the refrigeration devices 30A and 30C of the ice making mechanisms 20A and 20C in the top and third stages cool the ice making sections 21A and 21C, thereby enabling a cold storage operation to be performed in which the top ice making chamber 14A and the third ice making chamber 14C are cooled while the ice making chambers 14B and ice storage chambers 16 below them are cooled. [Selected drawing] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an ice-making machine that produces ice by arranging ice-making units in multiple tiers in an ice-making chamber, one above the other, and that is set up so that each ice-making unit is on standby to produce ice when the ice storage chamber, which is located below the lowest 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-making mode is set to control the ice-making section to alternate between ice-making and de-icing operations 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 mode (standby mode) is set to control not to perform ice-making and de-icing operations, and the ice storage compartment is on standby 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

In the ice making machine of Patent Document 1, the cold storage operation cools the ice making section with the freezing device, thereby cooling the inside of the ice storage chamber through the ice making chamber, and the ice making chamber is also cooled by the cold storage operation and kept clean. The ice making machine of Patent Document 1 has ice making chambers with ice making sections arranged above the ice storage chambers arranged in one tier, but there are also ice making machines with ice making chambers arranged in multiple tiers above and below the ice storage chambers to increase ice making capacity. If an ice making machine with ice making chambers arranged in multiple tiers above and below with ice making sections arranged above the ice storage chambers performs cold storage operation in all ice making chambers as in Patent Document 1, the ice making sections in each ice making chamber are cooled by the freezing device and each ice making chamber is sufficiently cooled, but the cold air from all ice making chambers flows into the ice storage chamber, causing the ice storage chamber to be overcooled, and there is a risk of so-called arching occurring, in which multiple pieces of ice freeze in the ice storage chamber while adhering to each other. In addition, if the cold storage operation is performed in all ice-making compartments, each ice-making compartment will be cooled in a short time, and the compressor of the refrigeration device that cools each ice-making compartment will repeatedly start and stop (operate and stop) in a short time, which may cause problems due to the compressor starting and stopping in a short time. The present invention aims to prevent so-called arching, in which multiple pieces of ice freeze in a state where they stick together in the ice storage compartment, from occurring, and to prevent problems from occurring due to the compressor repeatedly starting and stopping (operate and stop) in a short time, when the ice-making compartments in which the ice-making units are arranged are arranged in multiple tiers vertically and the ice-making operation is not performed during standby mode in which the ice-making operation is not performed because the ice storage compartment is detected to be full of ice, and the cold storage operation is performed by the ice-making unit that is cooled by operating the refrigeration device during standby mode in which the ice-making operation is not performed.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a system that includes a plurality of ice-making mechanism units arranged in multiple vertical stages, each having an ice-making unit that freezes ice-making water to make ice, a plurality of ice-making chambers arranged in multiple vertical stages to accommodate at least each of the ice-making units of the plurality of ice-making mechanism units, an ice storage chamber arranged below the lowest ice-making chamber to store the ice made by each of the ice-making units, and an ice storage detector that detects when the ice storage chamber is full of ice. In addition to the ice-making unit, each ice-making mechanism unit has a refrigeration device that cools the ice-making unit with a refrigerant circulated and supplied by a compressor, and a water supply means that sends ice-making water to the ice-making unit. When the ice storage detector does not detect that the ice storage chamber is full of ice, the system operates in ice-making mode and is controlled by each refrigeration device. The ice making machine controls each ice making section to freeze the ice making water sent by each water sending means to produce ice, producing ice to be stored in the ice storage compartment, and when the ice storage detector detects that the ice storage compartment 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 compartment. In standby mode, the refrigeration devices of at least some of the ice making mechanism sections other than the topmost section are not operated, and the ice making sections are cooled by the refrigeration device of at least the topmost ice making mechanism section, allowing a cold storage operation to be performed in which the inside of the topmost ice making compartment is cooled while the ice making compartment and the ice storage compartment below it are cooled.

In the ice making machine configured as described above, during standby mode, the refrigeration devices of at least some of the ice making mechanisms other than the top one are not operated, and the ice making units are cooled by at least the refrigeration devices of the ice making mechanism of the top one, thereby making it possible to perform a cold storage operation in which the ice making chamber of the top one is cooled while the ice making chamber and the ice storage chamber below it are cooled. During the cold storage operation in which the ice making chamber and the ice storage chamber are cooled during standby mode, the ice making chamber of the top one, which is likely to become hot, is reliably cooled by the ice making unit cooled by the refrigeration device of the ice making mechanism of the top one, and the ice making chambers other than the top one are cooled by the cold air flowing down from the ice making chamber of the top one, even if the refrigeration devices of at least some of the ice making mechanisms other than the top one are not operating, so that all the ice making chambers are kept cool and clean. In addition, since the refrigeration devices of at least some of the ice making mechanisms other than the top one are not operated, the ice storage chamber is less likely to be cooled excessively, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of so-called arching, in which multiple pieces of ice freeze in a state where they are stuck together in the ice storage chamber. Furthermore, because the refrigeration devices of at least some of the ice-making mechanisms other than the top one are not in operation, each ice-making chamber is not cooled in a short time, which prevents problems caused by the compressors of each ice-making mechanism starting and stopping in a short time.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a system that includes a plurality of ice-making mechanism units arranged in multiple vertical stages, each having an ice-making unit that freezes ice-making water to make ice, a plurality of ice-making chambers arranged in multiple vertical stages to accommodate at least each of the ice-making units of the plurality of ice-making mechanism units, an ice storage chamber arranged below the lowest ice-making chamber to store ice made by each of the ice-making units, and an ice storage detector that detects when the ice storage chamber is full of ice, and in addition to the ice-making unit, each ice-making mechanism unit has a refrigeration device that cools the ice-making unit with a refrigerant circulated and supplied by a compressor, and a water supply means that supplies ice-making water to the ice-making unit, and when the ice storage detector does not detect that the ice storage chamber is full of ice, the system operates in ice-making mode and controls each ice-making unit cooled by each refrigeration device to supply water to each of the water supply means. This ice maker controls the ice making operation to freeze the ice making water sent out by the ice making water supply device to produce ice, producing ice to be stored in the ice storage compartment, and when the ice storage detector detects that the ice storage compartment 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 compartment. During standby mode, the ice making section is cooled by at least the refrigeration device of the topmost ice making mechanism section, thereby enabling a cold storage operation to be performed in which the inside of the topmost ice making compartment is cooled while the ice making compartment and the ice storage compartment below it are cooled, and the cold storage operation allows the cooling capacity to be adjusted by selecting the refrigeration device of the ice making mechanism section other than the topmost section to be operated.

In the ice making machine configured as described above, during standby mode, the ice making section is cooled by at least the freezing device of the ice making mechanism section of the topmost stage, thereby making it possible to perform a cold storage operation in which the ice making chamber of the topmost stage is cooled while the ice making chamber and the ice storage chamber below it are cooled. The cold storage operation makes it possible to adjust the cooling capacity by selecting the freezing device of the ice making mechanism section to be operated in a stage other than the topmost stage. In the cold storage operation in which the ice making chamber and the ice storage chamber are cooled during standby mode, the ice making chamber of the topmost stage, which is likely to become hot, is reliably cooled by the ice making section cooled by the freezing device of the ice making mechanism section of the topmost stage, and the ice making chambers other than the topmost stage are cooled with their cooling capacity adjusted by selecting the freezing device of the ice making mechanism section to be operated, so that all ice making chambers can be cooled to keep them clean. In addition, since the cooling capacity can be adjusted by selecting the freezing device of the ice making mechanism section to be operated in a stage other than the topmost stage, the ice storage chamber is less likely to be cooled excessively, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of so-called arching, in which multiple pieces of ice freeze in a state where they are stuck together in the ice storage chamber. Furthermore, the cooling capacity can be adjusted by selecting the freezing device of the ice-making mechanism to be operated on a level other than the top level, so each ice-making chamber is not cooled in a short time, preventing problems caused by the compressor of each ice-making mechanism starting and stopping in a short time.

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 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 transition from a standby mode to an ice making mode.

An embodiment of the ice maker of the present invention will be described below 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, in which the ice making chambers 14 (14A-14C) in which the ice making sections 21 (21A-21C) of the ice making mechanism 20 (20A-20C) are arranged are arranged in three tiers (multi-tiered) one above the other. The ice maker 10 comprises an upper housing 12 (12A-12C) constituting the upper part of the housing 11, a lower housing 13 constituting the lower part of the housing 11, ice making chambers 14 (14A-14C) and machine chambers 15 (15A-15C) in the upper housing 12, and an ice storage chamber 16 in 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 is equipped with ice making mechanisms 20 (20A-20C) that make ice in each of the ice making chambers 14A-14C. The ice making mechanisms 20 (20A-20C) are arranged in the ice making chambers 14A-14C and machine chambers 15A-15C at different heights, and the ice making mechanisms 20A-20C only differ in their arranged heights. The reference characters A-C in the specification and figures indicate the tiers on which the ice making chambers 14, machine chambers 15, and ice making mechanisms 20 are arranged (the first tier is A, the second tier is B, and the third tier is C). In the following explanation and in the figures, the reference characters A-C will be omitted except in special cases such as when specifying the tiers.

The ice-making mechanism 20 includes an ice-making section 21 that freezes ice-making water to produce ice, a refrigeration device 30 that cools and warms 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 within the ice-making chamber 14, and is a shallow box-shaped section with an open bottom, with a lattice-shaped partition member provided inside to form a number of ice-making chambers 21a that are open to the bottom. Ice-making water is sprayed from below into each ice-making chamber 21a, and the ice-making water freezes within 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 and a minimum stop time 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, and the drain pan 28 is designed to receive 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 unit 21, and has an outlet 28a that discharges ice made by the ice-making unit 21 into the ice storage chamber 16. The drain pan 28A of the top ice-making mechanism unit 20A separates the top ice-making chamber 14A from the second ice-making chamber 14B. The drain pan 28B of the second ice-making mechanism unit 20B separates the second ice-making chamber 14B from the third ice-making chamber 14C. Drain pan 28C of third-tier ice-making mechanism 20C separates third-tier ice-making chamber 14C from ice storage chamber 16. All outlets 28Aa-28Ca are arranged vertically. Ice made in top-tier ice-making section 21A is discharged into ice storage chamber 16 through outlets 28Aa-28Ca, ice made in second-tier ice-making section 21B is discharged into ice storage chamber 16 through outlets 28Ba-28Ca, and ice made in third-tier ice-making section 21C is discharged into ice storage chamber 16 through outlet 28Ca. Drain pans 28A-28C function as partitions between each of ice-making chambers 14A-14C and between ice-making chamber 14C and ice storage chamber 16.

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. The ice making section temperature sensor 41 (41A-41C) is provided in each ice making section 21 (21A-21C). The ice making chamber 14 is provided with an ice making chamber temperature sensor 42, which detects the temperature inside the ice making chamber 14. In this embodiment, the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 is disposed in the ice making chamber 14 on the path where ice is sent from the ice making section 21 to the outlet 28a. The ice making chamber temperature sensor 42 (42A-42C) is provided in each ice making chamber 14 (14A-14C). The ice storage chamber 16 is provided with an ice storage detector 43 that detects when ice is filled. The ice storage detector 43 extends from the lowest ice-making chamber 14C through the discharge port 28Ca to the ice storage chamber 16, and detects ice accumulated at the top of the ice storage chamber 16 below the discharge port 28Ca to detect when the ice storage chamber 16 is full of ice.

Each ice-making mechanism 20 of 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. 4. 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 to execute a cold storage operation that cools the ice making chamber 14 and the ice storage chamber 16.

In the cold storage operation, the ice making section 21 is cooled by the cooling operation (operation) of the refrigeration device 30, and the ice making chamber 14 and the ice storage chamber 16 are cooled by the cooled ice making section 21. The cold storage operation is intended to keep the ice making chamber 14 at a low temperature to suppress the growth of bacteria, and to store ice without melting in a state in which the multiple pieces of ice stored in the ice storage chamber 16 do not freeze and join together, which is called arching. 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 outlet 28a.

This cold storage operation is different from the case where the ice making section 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 when ice making operation is performed. Since the ice making section 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, the load of cooling the ice making section 21 by the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30 is smaller (lower) than when ice making operation is performed. For this reason, the control device 50 controls the operation of the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30 to stop after the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30 starts operating in the cold storage operation and the cold storage operation time set to be equal to or longer than the minimum operating time set in the compressor 31 (set to 3 minutes in this embodiment, 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) has elapsed. In addition, if 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 during the cold storage operation time, the operation of the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30 may be controlled to stop after the cold storage operation time has elapsed and when the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 indicates a temperature below the cold storage set temperature (for example, 11°C in this embodiment).

In the cold storage operation, the ice making section 21 is cooled by the cooling operation (operation) of the freezing device 30, and the ice making chamber 14 and the ice storage chamber 16 are cooled by the cooled ice making section 21. When all the freezing devices 30A-30C are operated in cooling operation to cool the ice making sections 21A-21C and all the ice making chambers 14A-14C are cooled by the cooled ice making sections 21A-21C, the cold air in the ice making chambers 14A-14C flows downward through the outlets 28Aa-28Ca, so not only are the ice making chambers 14B and 14C located below the ice making chamber 14A located at the top more likely to be cooled, but there is also a risk of the ice storage chamber 16 being overcooled. In particular, if the ice storage chamber 16 is overcooled, there is a risk of so-called arching occurring, in which multiple pieces of ice freeze in the ice storage chamber 16 while adhering to each other.

For this reason, in an ice-making machine 10 in which ice-making mechanisms 20 are arranged in multiple tiers, the ice-making chamber 14A in the top tier is cooled by cooling the ice-making unit 21A with the refrigeration device 30A of at least the top ice-making mechanism 20A, and the refrigeration device 30B of the second ice-making mechanism 20B, which is at least a part of the ice-making mechanism other than the top tier, is not operated. The top ice-making chamber 14A is cooled by the ice-making unit 21A cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30A of the top ice-making mechanism 20A, and the second ice-making chamber 14B is cooled by the cold air flowing down from the outlet 28Aa of the top ice-making chamber 14A. The third-tier ice-making chamber 14C, which is the lowest tier, is cooled by ice-making section 21C, which is cooled by the cooling operation of refrigeration device 30C of third-tier ice-making mechanism section 20C, and is also cooled by the cold air that flows down from the top tier through second-tier ice-making chamber 14B to third-tier ice-making chamber 14C, and the ice storage chamber 16 below third-tier ice-making chamber 14C is cooled by the cold air that flows down from outlet 28Ca of third-tier ice-making chamber 14C.

As a result, the topmost ice-making chamber 14A, which is prone to high temperatures, is reliably cooled by the ice-making unit 21A, which is cooled by the refrigeration device 30A of the topmost ice-making mechanism 20A, and the ice-making chambers 14B and 14C other than the topmost are cooled by the cold air flowing down from the topmost ice-making chamber 14A, even if the refrigeration device 30B of the second-stage ice-making mechanism 20B is not operating as at least a portion of the ice-making mechanism other than the topmost, so all ice-making chambers 14A to 14C are kept cool and clean. In addition, because the refrigeration device 30B of the second-stage ice-making mechanism 20B is not operating as at least a portion of the ice-making mechanism other than the topmost, the ice storage chamber 16 is less likely to be cooled excessively, and it is possible to prevent so-called arching, in which multiple pieces of ice freeze in the ice storage chamber 16 while adhering to each other.

The cooling capacity of the cold storage operation can be adjusted by selecting the refrigeration units 30B, 30C of the ice-making mechanisms 20B, 20C that are to be operated on the levels other than the top level. In this embodiment, the refrigeration unit 30C of the second level ice-making mechanism 20B is not operated, and the refrigeration unit 30C of the third level ice-making mechanism 20C is operated, adjusting the cooling capacity for cooling the ice-making chambers 14A-14C and the ice storage chamber 16.

Next, the ice-making program executed during ice-making mode will be described. When the control device 50 (50A-50C) executes the ice-making program during ice-making mode, it repeatedly executes ice-making and de-icing operations in the ice-making units 21 of the ice-making mechanism 20 in an alternating manner. In an ice-making machine 10 in which the ice-making mechanisms 20 are arranged in multiple tiers, ice-making and de-icing operations are repeatedly executed in the ice-making units 21 (21A-21C) of all of the ice-making mechanisms 20 (20A-20C) in the ice-making mode. Because the ice-making program is executed in all of the ice-making mechanisms 20 (20A-20C), the ice-making program will be described without including the reference characters A-C indicating the height positions at which the ice-making mechanisms 20 are arranged.

When the control device 50 performs ice-making operation and causes the refrigeration device 30 to perform cooling operation, the refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31 is liquefied by the condenser 32 to become a liquefied refrigerant, which expands by the expansion valve 33 to become a low-pressure liquefied refrigerant, which vaporizes in the evaporator 34 before returning to the compressor 31, and the ice-making unit 21 is cooled by the vaporization of the liquefied refrigerant 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/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 alternates between ice-making and de-icing operations is controlled to be executed, ice storage chamber 16 is filled with ice produced by ice-making unit 21. As shown in FIG. 5, when ice storage detector 43 detects that ice storage chamber 16 is full (when ice storage detector 43 turns ON (full) in FIG. 5), control device 50 ends ice-making mode and transitions to standby mode, controlling the device to wait without executing the ice-making program that alternates between ice-making and de-icing operations. During standby mode, control device 50 is capable of executing a cold storage operation that cools ice-making chamber 14 (14A-14C) and ice storage chamber 16.

As described above, in the cold storage operation of the ice making machine 10 of this embodiment, the ice making units 21A and 21C are cooled by the refrigeration units 30A and 30C of the top and third tier ice making mechanisms 20A and 20C, and the ice making unit 21B is not cooled by the refrigeration unit 30B of the second tier ice making mechanism 20B. The top tier ice making chamber 14A is cooled by the ice making unit 21A cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration unit 30A of the top tier ice making mechanism 20A, and the second tier ice making chamber 14B is cooled by the cold air flowing down from the outlet 28Aa of the top tier ice making chamber 14A. The third and lowest ice-making chamber 14C is cooled by ice-making section 21C, which is cooled by the cooling operation of refrigeration device 30C of third-level ice-making mechanism 20C, and is also cooled by the cold air that flows down from the top level to second-level ice-making chamber 14B, and the ice storage chamber 16 below the bottom-level ice-making chamber 14C is cooled by the cold air that flows down from outlet 28Ca of bottom-level ice-making chamber 14C.

When the cold storage operation is performed, the temperature and cooling condition of each ice-making chamber 14A-14C are different, so the operation of the refrigeration unit 30A of the top ice-making mechanism 20A is controlled based on the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42A, and the operation of the refrigeration unit 30C of the third ice-making mechanism 20C is controlled based on the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42C. In this way, the refrigeration units 30A, 30C of the ice-making mechanisms 20A, 20C are independently controlled by the respective control devices 50A, 50C based on the temperatures detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensors 42A, 42C of the ice-making chambers 14A, 14C of each stage. In this embodiment of the ice maker 10, the topmost ice making mechanism 20A and the third refrigeration units 30A and 30C are operated for cold storage operation to cool the topmost and third refrigeration chambers 14A and 14C, and the refrigeration unit 30B of the second refrigeration unit 20B is not operated. However, the refrigeration unit 30A of the topmost ice making mechanism 20A may be operated for cold storage operation, and the refrigeration unit 30C of the third refrigeration unit 20C may be operated as an auxiliary operation when the temperature is high, such as in summer, or when the temperature in the place where the ice maker 10 is installed is high.

The control when the cold storage operation is performed is described below. In the following description, the symbols of each component in the top row are mainly used for the explanation, and the symbols of each component in the third row are written in parentheses. As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 50A (50C) controls to perform the cold storage operation at the start of the standby mode when the detected temperature of the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42A (42C) is equal to or higher than the cold storage setting temperature (11°C in this embodiment) set as the temperature for cooling the ice making chamber 14A (14C) at the start of the standby mode. In the cold storage operation at the start of the standby mode when the ice making mode is switched to the standby mode, the compressor 31A (31C) is operated during the deicing operation in the ice making mode, and when the compressor 31A (31C) is stopped at the end of the deicing operation, the compressor 31 will repeatedly start and stop (operate and stop) in a short period of time. Therefore, when the cold storage operation is performed at the start of the standby mode transitioning from the ice making mode, the compressor 31A (31C) is not stopped at the end of the deicing operation in the ice making mode, and the hot gas valve 36A (36C) is closed. The hot gas pumped from the compressor 31A (31C) is cooled in the condenser 32 to become a liquefied refrigerant and is supplied to the evaporator 34A (34C), and the ice making section 21A (21C) is cooled by the evaporation of the liquefied refrigerant in the evaporator 34A (34C). The ice making chamber 14A (14C) is cooled by the ice making section 21A (21C) cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30A (30C), and the ice storage chamber 16 is cooled by the cold air flowing down the discharge port 28a from the ice making chamber 14.

In contrast, as shown in FIG. 6, when the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42A (42C) is not equal to or higher than the cold storage set temperature at the start of the standby mode, the controller 50A (50C) controls the controller 50A (50C) to execute the cold storage operation when the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42A (42C) is equal to or higher than the cold storage set temperature. When the cold storage operation is not executed at the start of the standby mode, the controller 50A (50C) controls the controller 50A (50C) to execute the cold storage operation after the minimum operation stop time (set to 10 minutes in this embodiment) set longer than the minimum operation stop time of the compressor 31 has elapsed since the operation of the compressor 31A (31C) was stopped at the start of the standby mode (at the end of the de-icing operation in the ice-making mode).

When the cold storage operation is performed, the temperature in the ice making chamber 14A (14C) drops, and after the cold storage operation time set by the compressor 31A (31C) has elapsed, the control device 50 controls the compressor 31A (31C) of the refrigeration unit 30A (30C) to stop operation. In addition, the control device 50 calculates the average temperature per unit time of the accumulated temperature by dividing the accumulated temperature, which is the temperature detected by the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42A (42C) accumulated over time, by the elapsed time after the cold storage operation is started. As described above, in order to prevent the compressor 31A (31C) from starting and stopping (starting and stopping) in a short period of time, a minimum stop time is set for the compressor 31A (31C) after stopping operation. 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 31A (31C) has stopped operating, and the calculated average temperature is equal to or higher than the cold storage set temperature of the ice making chamber 14A (14C), the stopped cold storage operation is controlled to be resumed. In this way, the ice making chamber 14A (14C) is cooled to the cold storage set temperature by performing the cold storage operation during standby mode, and the compressor 31A (31C) is controlled not to repeatedly start and stop in a short period of time when performing the cold storage operation. After the cold storage operation is resumed, the integrated temperature, which is the time-integrated temperature detected by the ice making chamber temperature sensor 42, is reset, and a new calculation of the integrated temperature is started.

In addition, due to the influence of the surrounding temperature, such as the low temperature of the installation location of the ice maker 10, the average temperature calculated after the start of the cold storage operation may not be equal to or higher than the cold storage set temperature. If the average temperature does not become equal to or higher than the cold storage set temperature and the cold storage operation stopped after the cold storage operation time has elapsed is not resumed, the control device 50A (50C) 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 set temperature even after a predetermined elapsed time, such as two hours, since the control device 50A (50C) started calculating the accumulated temperature or average temperature, or even after the number of calculations for calculating the accumulated temperature or average temperature has reached a predetermined number of times of 10,000 or more, the control device 50A (50C) controls the cold storage operation stopped after the cold storage operation time has elapsed to automatically resume. In addition, when the cold storage operation is automatically resumed without the average temperature reaching or exceeding the cold storage set temperature, the control device 50 does not resume the cold storage operation based on the calculated average temperature, but instead controls the cold storage operation to resume when the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42A (42C) reaches or exceeds the cold storage set temperature of 11°C. After controlling the cold storage operation to resume automatically, the average temperature may be calculated again, and when the newly calculated average temperature reaches or exceeds the cold storage set temperature, the cold storage operation may be resumed.

In addition, the temperature in the ice making chamber 14A (14C) is easily affected by the temperature of the location where the ice making machine 10 is installed. If the temperature of the installation location is low, the temperature in the ice making chamber 14A (14C) is likely to drop when the cold storage operation is performed (the temperature drops quickly) and 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 14A (14C) is likely to drop when the cold storage operation is performed (the temperature drops slowly) and is likely to rise when the cold storage operation is stopped (the temperature rises quickly). If 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 when the temperatures of the installation locations of the ice making machine 10 are different, there is a risk that the ice making chamber 14 and the ice storage chamber 16 cannot be properly cooled by the cold storage operation. In particular, when the temperature of the location where the ice-making machine 10 is installed is low, there is a risk of arching, in which multiple pieces of ice in the ice storage chamber 16 freeze and join together during the cold storage operation. For this reason, in order to detect the temperature of the location where the ice-making machine 10 is installed, the condenser temperature sensor 32Ab (32Cb) provided in the condenser 32A (32C) in the machine chamber 15A (15C) is used as an outside temperature sensor that detects the temperature outside the ice-making chamber 14A (14C), and the determination of 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) 32Ab (32Cb).

When the temperature detected by the condenser temperature sensor (outside temperature sensor) 32Ab (32Cb) is, for example, 25°C or lower, the freezing device 30A of the top ice-making mechanism 20A may be operated as a cold storage operation to cool the inside of the top ice-making chamber 14A, and the freezing devices 30B, 30C of the ice-making mechanism 20B, 20C other than the top may not be operated. Also, when the temperature detected by the condenser temperature sensor (outside temperature sensor) 32Ab (32Cb) is, for example, 15°C or lower, the temperatures of the ice-making chamber 14A (14C) and the ice storage chamber 16 tend to be lower 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 14A (14C) and the ice storage chamber 16 by cold storage operation, and the control device 50 controls not to perform the cold storage operation, thereby preventing the ice in the ice storage chamber 16 from causing so-called arching. In addition, it is assumed that the ice maker 10 is installed in a place where the temperature is about 20°C. When the temperature detected by the condenser temperature sensor (outside temperature sensor) 32Ab (32Cb) is 30°C, which is 10°C higher than the reference temperature of 20°C, the cold storage setting temperature is corrected to 10°C by lowering it by 1°C from 11°C, and when the temperature detected by the condenser temperature sensor (outside temperature sensor) 32Ab (32Cb) is 10°C, which is 10°C lower than the reference temperature of 20°C, the cold storage setting temperature is corrected to 12°C by raising it by 1°C from 11°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) 32Ab (32Cb), so that the temperature variation and malfunction in the ice making chamber 14A (14C) when the cold storage operation is performed and stopped depending on the temperature of the installation location of the ice maker 10 can be suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 7, 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 (50A-50C) transitions from standby mode to ice making mode. When controlling to stop the cold storage operation during standby mode, the compressor 31A (31C) is stopped for a predetermined time of 3 minutes or more and then started, and the hot gas valve 36A (36C) is opened to send hot gas into the evaporator 34A (34C) to perform deicing operation so that no ice remains in the ice making section 21A (21C). Note that if cold storage operation is being performed, the compressor 31A (31C) continues to operate, and the hot gas valve 36A (36C) is opened to send hot gas into the evaporator 34A (34C) to perform deicing operation. After the de-icing operation, an ice-making program is executed in ice-making mode, in which all ice-making mechanisms 20A-20C alternate between ice-making and de-icing operations.

The ice maker 10 configured as described above comprises ice-making mechanism units 20A-20C arranged in three vertical tiers (multiple tiers) having ice-making units 21A-21C that freeze ice-making water to produce ice, ice-making chambers 14A-14C arranged in three vertical tiers (multiple tiers) to accommodate at least each of the ice-making units 21A-21C of the three tiers of ice-making mechanism units 20A-20C, an ice storage chamber 16 arranged below the lowest tier ice-making chamber 14C to store the ice made in each of the ice-making units 21A-21C, and an ice storage detector 43 that detects when the ice storage chamber 16 is full of ice. In addition to the ice-making units 21A-21C, each ice-making mechanism 20A-20C has a refrigeration device 30A-30C that cools the ice-making units 21A-21C with a refrigerant circulated by a compressor 31A-31C, and a water supply means 22A-22C that sends ice-making water to the ice-making units 21A-21C.

In this ice maker 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 execute ice making operation in which the ice making water sent by the water supply means 22A-22C in each ice making section 21A-21C cooled by each refrigeration device 30A-30C is frozen 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 execute ice making operation, and the ice storage chamber 16 is not produced and the machine is controlled to wait.

In this ice maker 10, during standby mode, the refrigeration unit 30B of the second-tier ice-making mechanism unit 20B, which is at least part of the ice-making mechanism unit other than the topmost tier, is not operated, and ice-making units 21A, 21C are cooled by the refrigeration units 30A, 30C of the topmost and third-tier ice-making mechanism units 20A, 20C, which are at least the topmost tier, thereby enabling a cold storage operation to be performed in which the topmost and third-tier ice-making chambers 14A, 14C are cooled while the ice-making chambers 14B and ice storage chamber 16 below them are cooled. In the cold storage operation in which the ice making chambers 14A-14C and the ice storage chamber 16 are cooled during standby mode, the topmost ice making chamber 14A, which is likely to become hot, is reliably cooled by the ice making section 21A cooled by the refrigeration device 30A of the topmost ice making mechanism 20A, and the second ice making chamber 14B, which is other than the topmost chamber, is cooled by the cold air flowing down from the topmost ice making chamber 14A even if the refrigeration device 30B of the second ice making mechanism 20B, which is at least a part of the second ice making chamber other than the topmost chamber, is not operating. In this embodiment, the third ice making chamber 14C, which is far from the topmost chamber, is cooled by the ice making section 21C cooled by the refrigeration device 30C of the third ice making mechanism 20C. This allows all ice making chambers 14A-14C to be kept cool and clean. In addition, because the refrigeration device 30B of the second stage ice-making mechanism 20B is not operated as at least a part other than the top stage, the inside of the ice storage chamber 16 is less likely to be overcooled, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of so-called arching, in which multiple pieces of ice freeze in a state where they stick together in the ice storage chamber 16. Furthermore, because the refrigeration device 30B of the second stage ice-making mechanism 20B is not operated as at least a part other than the top stage, each ice-making chamber 14A-14C is not cooled in a short time, and it is possible to prevent malfunctions caused by the compressors 31A-31C of each ice-making mechanism 20A-20C starting and stopping in a short time.

In this ice-making machine 10, during standby mode, the refrigeration device 30A of at least the topmost ice-making mechanism 20A cools the ice-making section 21A, thereby enabling cold storage operation to be performed in which the topmost ice-making chamber 14 is cooled while the ice-making chambers 14B, 14C below it and the ice storage chamber 16 are cooled. Also, in this ice-making machine 10, the cooling capacity can be adjusted by selecting the refrigeration devices 30B, 30C of the ice-making mechanisms 20B, 20C to be operated in the stages other than the topmost one. In the cold storage operation in which the ice making chambers 14A-14C and the ice storage chamber 16 are cooled during standby mode, the top ice making chamber 14A, which is likely to become hot, is reliably cooled by the ice making unit 21A cooled by the refrigeration device 30A of the top ice making mechanism 20A, and the ice making chambers 14B and 14C other than the top one are cooled with the cooling capacity adjusted by selecting the refrigeration device 30C of the third ice making mechanism 20C as the ice making mechanism to be operated, so that all ice making chambers 14A-14C can be cooled to keep them clean. In addition, since the cooling capacity can be adjusted by selecting the refrigeration device 30C of the third ice making mechanism 20B as the ice making mechanism to be operated other than the top one, the ice storage chambers 14A-14C are less likely to be cooled excessively, and it is possible to prevent so-called arching, in which multiple pieces of ice freeze in the ice storage chamber 16 while adhering to each other. Furthermore, by selecting the refrigeration device 30C of the third-tier ice-making mechanism 20B as the ice-making mechanism to be operated on a level other than the top level, the cooling capacity can be adjusted, so that each ice-making chamber 14A-14C is not cooled in a short time, and problems caused by the compressors 31A-31C of each ice-making mechanism 20A-20C starting and stopping in a short time can be prevented.

In this embodiment, the topmost ice making chamber 14A is cooled by cooling the ice making unit 21A with the refrigeration device 30A of the topmost ice making mechanism 20A, but it is possible to select the refrigeration devices 30B, 30C of the ice making mechanisms 20B, 20C to be operated in the other stages than the topmost stage, and the third stage ice making chamber 14C is cooled by cooling the ice making unit 21C with the refrigeration device 30C of the third stage ice making mechanism 20C. The present invention is not limited to this, and if there is an external factor such as a high temperature in the installation location where the ice maker 10 is installed, the second and third stage ice making chambers 14B, 14C may be cooled by cooling the ice making units 21B, 21C with the refrigeration devices 30B, 30C of the second and third stage ice making mechanisms 20B, 20C. If there is an external factor, such as a low temperature in the location where the ice maker 10 is installed, the refrigeration devices 30B, 30C of the second and third stage ice making mechanisms 20B, 20C may not cool the ice making sections 21B, 21C, thereby preventing the second and third stage ice making chambers 14B, 14C from being cooled.

The ice-making machine 10 in this embodiment is equipped with three tiers of ice-making mechanisms 20A-20C and three tiers of ice-making chambers 14A-14C, but is not limited to this and the present invention is applicable to machines equipped with two or more tiers of ice-making mechanisms and ice-making chambers. In addition, in ice-making machines equipped with three or more tiers of ice-making mechanisms and three or more tiers of ice-making chambers, the refrigeration device of the ice-making mechanisms may be operated to perform a cold storage operation so that one tier is left empty in the vertical direction, such as an odd-numbered tier or an even-numbered tier.

In the cold storage operation of the ice making machine 10 in this actual form, the refrigeration units 30A, 30C of the top and third tier ice making mechanism units 20A, 20C are controlled to operate, but the refrigeration unit 30A of the top tier ice making mechanism unit 20A and the refrigeration unit 30C of the third tier ice making mechanism unit 20C may be operated alternately (cooling operation). In this way, it is possible to further prevent malfunctions caused by the compressors 31A, 31C of the refrigeration units 30A, 30C starting and stopping in a short period of time. In addition, in the cold storage operation, the refrigeration unit 30B of the second tier ice making mechanism unit 20B and the refrigeration unit 30C of the third tier ice making mechanism unit 20C may be operated alternately (cooling operation) while the refrigeration unit 30A of the top tier ice making mechanism unit 20A cools the ice making chamber 14A. Furthermore, the refrigeration units 30A-30C of the ice-making mechanisms 20A-20C on the top to third levels may be operated (cooling operation) in sequence. This can further prevent malfunctions caused by the compressors 31A-31C of the refrigeration units 30A-30C starting and stopping in a short period of time.

In this embodiment of the ice maker 10, each outlet 28Aa-28Ca may be provided with a chute section that slopes inward as it moves downward, and multiple ventilation slits may be formed in the chute section. In this way, it is possible to easily transfer the cold air from each ice making chamber 14A-14C to the lower ice making chambers 14B, 14C and ice storage chamber 16.

In this embodiment, the cold storage operation controls the operation (cooling operation) of the refrigeration units 30A-30C based on the temperature detected by the ice making chamber temperature sensors 42A-42C, but is not limited to this. The operation (cooling operation) of the refrigeration units 30A-30C may be controlled based on the temperature detected by the ice making section temperature sensors 41A-41C, or the operation (cooling operation) of the refrigeration units 30A-30C may be controlled based on the temperature detected by an ice storage chamber temperature sensor installed in the ice storage chamber.

The ice making machine 10 of this embodiment is a so-called closed cell type ice making machine, but is not limited to this, and is controlled to perform ice making operation in ice making mode when the ice storage detector 43 does not detect that the ice storage chamber 16 is full of ice, and is controlled to perform ice making operation in standby mode when the ice storage detector 43 detects that the ice storage chamber 16 is full of ice, so this can also be applied to other ice making machines such as so-called open cell type ice making machines. Also, in this embodiment, the ice making chamber 14 and the ice storage chamber 16 are separated by a drain pan (partition) 28 except for the discharge port 28a, but this is not limited to this, and the ice making chamber 14 and the ice storage chamber 16 may be integrated without being separated by a partition.

10...Ice maker, 14 (14A-14C)...Ice making chamber, 16...Ice storage chamber, 20 (20A-20C)...Ice making mechanism, 21 (21A-21C)...Ice making section, 30 (30A-30C)...Refrigeration device, 31 (31A-31C)...Compressor, 43...Ice storage detector.

Claims (2)

A plurality of ice making mechanism units each having an ice making unit for freezing ice making water to produce ice, the ice making mechanism units being arranged in multiple stages vertically;
A plurality of ice making chambers arranged in multiple stages vertically to accommodate at least each ice making unit of the plurality of ice making mechanisms;
An ice storage chamber arranged below the lowest ice making chamber for storing ice produced by each ice making unit;
and an ice storage detector for detecting when the ice storage chamber is filled with ice;
Each ice-making mechanism unit has, in addition to the ice-making unit, a refrigeration device that cools the ice-making unit with a refrigerant circulated and supplied by a compressor, and a water supply means that supplies ice-making water to the ice-making unit;
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 ice making water cooled by each refrigeration device and delivered by each water delivery means is frozen in each ice making section to produce 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,
During the standby mode, the refrigeration devices of at least some of the ice-making mechanisms other than the top one are not operated, and the ice-making sections are cooled by the refrigeration devices of at least the top one of the ice-making mechanisms, thereby enabling a cold storage operation to be performed in which the inside of the top ice-making chamber is cooled while the ice-making chamber and the ice storage chamber below it are cooled. A plurality of ice making mechanism units each having an ice making unit for freezing ice making water to produce ice, the ice making mechanism units being arranged in multiple stages vertically;
A plurality of ice making chambers arranged in multiple stages vertically to accommodate at least each ice making unit of the plurality of ice making mechanisms;
An ice storage chamber arranged below the lowest ice making chamber for storing ice produced by each ice making unit;
and an ice storage detector for detecting when the ice storage chamber is filled with ice;
Each ice-making mechanism unit has, in addition to the ice-making unit, a refrigeration device that cools the ice-making unit with a refrigerant circulated and supplied by a compressor, and a water supply means that supplies ice-making water to the ice-making unit;
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 ice making water cooled by each refrigeration device and delivered by each water delivery means is frozen in each ice making section to produce 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,
During the standby mode, the ice making section is cooled by at least the refrigeration device of the topmost ice making mechanism section, thereby enabling a cold storage operation to be performed in which the inside of the topmost ice making chamber is cooled while the insides of the ice making chamber and the ice storage chamber below the topmost ice making chamber are cooled,
The ice making machine is characterized in that the cooling capacity of the cold storage operation can be adjusted by selecting a refrigeration device of the ice making mechanism section to be operated on a shelf other than the top shelf.

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