JP2740927B2 - Monitoring system for ice machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ice maker for automatically generating ice, and more particularly to an ice maker suitable for remotely monitoring the operation state and a remote control of the operation state of the ice maker. A monitoring system for a monitoring ice maker.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An operation state of an ice making device including a freezing means, a water supply means and the like is detected, and the operation of the ice making device is continuously controlled in accordance with the detected operation state to automatically generate ice one after another. Ike ice machines are well known in the art.

[0003]

A number of such conventional ice machines are sometimes arranged in a hotel, a large store, an office building, and the like. In such a case, it is determined whether or not each ice machine has an abnormality. In order to perform the inspection, it was necessary to inspect each ice maker individually, and these inspections took too much time and sometimes overlooked the abnormality. The present invention has been made in order to address the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to remotely and easily monitor the operation state of an ice making machine,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ice maker and a monitoring system for the ice maker, in which the abnormality is not overlooked.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

[0005] To achieve the above object, the above-mentioned claim 1 is provided.
The invention according to the first aspect of the invention is characterized in that an ice making device for generating ice and an operating condition setting means for setting an operating condition of the ice making device
If, comprising operating condition detecting means for detecting operating conditions of the ice-making device, and control means for electrically controlling the ice making apparatus according to the set operating conditions and the detected operating state, respectively, of ice The data representing the set operating conditions and the detected operating state is provided to a plurality of ice machines that are automatically generated in sequence , by the type of the ice machine model and type.
Output means for outputting the data to the outside together with the data indicating the kind , and each output means is connected to a receiving device, and the receiving device transmits the set operation from each output means of a plurality of ice making machines.
Turning conditions, the detected operating state and the model name of the ice making machine,
Enter each of the data representing the type such as the type, the same each day
In that in order to detect each of the ice making machine abnormality based on data.

A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the receiving device according to the first aspect of the present invention is configured by a microcomputer device and the microcomputer device is backed up by a battery. It is in.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a plurality of receiving apparatuses according to the first aspect of the present invention are provided, and each of the receiving apparatuses is connected to a management computer apparatus. Manages the receiving devices.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the receiving device according to the third aspect is configured by a microcomputer device, and a control program is stored in the microcomputer device from a management computer device. The point is that you can input.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a receiving apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the receiving apparatus is provided with transmitting / receiving means for enabling transmission / reception to / from an external device through a telephone line. The data input from the device can be transmitted to the outside through a telephone line by a transmission / reception means.

Further, the structural feature of the invention according to claim 6 is that the receiving device according to the invention according to claim 5 is constituted by a microcomputer device, and the transmitting and receiving means is provided inside the microcomputer device through a telephone line from outside. In that a control program can be input to the computer.

[0011]

In the upper Symbol configuration described invention according to claim 1 as [Operation and Effect of the Invention, the ice making apparatus, the operation condition setting means, sequentially automatically generating icemaker ice consisting operating condition detecting means and the control means The data indicating the operating condition of the ice making device set by the operating condition setting means, the operating state of the ice making device detected by the operating state detecting means, and the type of the ice making machine, such as the model name and type. Is input to the receiving device via the output means, and the receiving device detects an abnormality of each ice making machine based on the data.

[0012] In this case, the receiving apparatus operates as described above.
In addition to the driving conditions and the data representing the detected operating conditions.
In addition, data indicating the type of ice machine model, such as type
Based on the above, each ice machine abnormality is detected individually,
Accurate and automatic detection of abnormalities of several different types of ice machines
Will be issued. Therefore, according to the present invention, a wide variety of
In case of installing the ice machine also, if the check only abnormality detection by one of the monitored person receiving apparatus, all that the installation
Since the abnormality of the ice making machine can be easily found, it is possible to appropriately cope with the abnormality.

Further, in the invention according to claim 2 configured as described above, the receiving device according to claim 1 is configured by a microcomputer device, and the computer device is battery-backed up. Therefore, even if a power failure occurs at the installation location of the receiving device, the receiving device can detect an abnormality of each ice maker. As a result, according to the present invention, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1 , even during a power failure to a receiving device including a plurality of ice makers,
Even in the event of a power outage to only the receiving device, it is possible to take appropriate measures for an abnormality of the ice making machine.

[0014] In the invention according to claim 3 configured as described above, a management computer device is provided in accordance with the claim.
Since a plurality of receiving apparatuses according to the first embodiment are managed, only one person watches over the management computer apparatus, and a large number of ice making machines are controlled.
It is possible to monitor abnormalities and the status of a plurality of receiving devices. As a result, according to the present invention, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1, comprising a number of ice making machine abnormalities to be effectively monitored.

Further, in the invention according to claim 4 configured as described above, the receiving apparatus according to claim 3 is configured by a microcomputer device, and is managed in the microcomputer device. Since the control program can be input from the computer device, even if the type of the ice maker connected to the receiving device changes, the operation of the receiving device is changed according to the type of the connected ice maker according to a command from the management computer device. It can be changed easily. As a result, according to the present invention, in addition to the effect of the invention according to the third aspect , the receiving device can be shared regardless of the type of the ice maker, and even if the type of the ice maker changes, each receiving device can be used. There is no need to replace or adjust components for each device.

In the invention according to claim 5 configured as described above, the transmitting / receiving means for enabling transmission to the outside through a telephone line is provided to the receiving apparatus of the invention according to claim 1. With this arrangement, the operating state and abnormality of each ice maker connected to the receiving device can be monitored based on data input through the telephone line at a location separated from the receiving device. As a result, according to the present invention, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1 , a large number of ice makers can be managed collectively, and efficient monitoring of the ice makers can be performed. It becomes possible.

Further, in the invention according to claim 6 configured as described above, the receiving device according to claim 5 is configured by a microcomputer device, and the transmitting and receiving means is connected to the outside via a telephone line. Since the control program can be input into the microcomputer device, even if the type of ice maker connected to the receiving device changes, an external command using a telephone line can be used to control the ice maker connected to the receiving device. The operation mode of the receiving device can be easily changed according to the type. As a result, according to the present invention, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 5 , the receiving device can be shared irrespective of the type of ice maker, and each receiving device can be used even if the type of ice maker changes. There is no need to replace or adjust components for each device.

[0018]

【Example】

a. First Embodiment Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an ice making machine monitoring system according to the embodiment. This monitoring system includes one receiver 10 and four icemakers 10-1 to 10-4 connected to the receiver 10. In this case, the ice maker 10-1
4 are arranged in each room of a hotel, each room of an office building, and a plurality of locations of a large store, and the receiving device 10 is arranged in a control room or the like thereof.

The ice-making machines 10-1 to 10-4 include an ice-making device 11 for generating ice, an operation state detection device 12 for detecting an operation state of the ice-making device 11, and an operation condition setting device for setting operation conditions of the ice-making device 11. 13, an ice maker controller 15 for controlling the operation of the ice maker 11 via a relay circuit group 14 in accordance with the operating state and the operating conditions, and an alarm device 16 for warning an abnormality of the ice maker 11. These ice makeres 10-1 to 10-4 are conventionally used as batch ice maker (vertical falling ice maker, cell type ice maker, plate type ice maker) or continuous ice maker (auger type ice maker). It is known from.

The ice making device 11, the operating condition detecting device 12, the operating condition setting device 13, the relay circuit group 14, and the ice making controller 15 will be described in some detail by taking the vertical flow down type ice making machine as an example. In this case, the ice making device 11 is, as shown in FIGS.
An ice making plate 102 provided vertically on the top is provided.
Sprinklers 103 and 104 are provided on the upper part of 2.
The water pumped from the ice making water tank 101 by the circulation pump 105 is supplied to the water sprinkler 103 and the water sprinkler 1
04 is supplied with tap water via a water valve 106. A cooler (evaporator) 107 is fixed to the back surface of the ice making plate 102.
07 constitutes a cooling circuit together with the electric compressor 108, the condenser 111 and the expansion valve 112, and the cooling circuit cools the ice making plate 102 from the back in the ice making process. The output side of the electric compressor 108 is connected to the hot gas valve 11.
3 and is connected upstream of the cooler 107 to warm the ice making plate 102 from the back surface in the deicing process.

On the other hand, the operating state detecting device 12 includes a float switch 114 for detecting the amount of water in the ice making water tank 101,
An ice storage sensor 116 provided in the ice storage 115 for detecting the amount of ice accumulated in the ice storage 115;
And a temperature sensor 117 provided near the outlet of the sensor for detecting the temperature in the vicinity of the outlet. In addition, the operating condition setting device 1
Reference numeral 3 denotes a rotary volume, a numeric key (numerical key) switch, and the like, and sets respective times of the ice making and deicing processes. The ice making controller 15 is configured by a microcomputer device, and controls the ice making and deicing operations in the ice making device 11 based on each state and condition input from the operating state detecting device 12 and the operating condition setting device 13. In this control, the ice making controller 1
5 outputs a control signal to the relay circuit group 14 and
The on / off of each of the relays constituting the control unit 4 is controlled, and the on / off operation of each of the relays controls the operation of the circulation pump 105, the water valve 106, the electric compressor 108, and the hot valve 113. Thus, the ice making and de-icing steps are repeatedly performed, and ice is automatically and sequentially generated. In addition to the control of the ice making device 11 as described above, the ice making controller 15 detects an abnormality in the operation of the ice making device 11 based on each signal input to the controller 15. The warning device 16 includes a warning lamp, a buzzer, and the like, and notifies a user of the detection result of the abnormality.

The method for producing ice by repeating such ice making and deicing steps is described in the other batch ice making machine described above.
For example, the cell type ice maker, the plate type ice maker and the like are similar, and the operating conditions are almost similar. In the case of a continuous ice maker (auger type ice maker), ice is continuously generated using an auger, although detailed description is omitted. In this case, as the operating state detecting device 12, an operating time detecting device that integrates the operating time of the ice making device is used together with the ice storage sensor 116. In this auger-type ice making machine, the auger itself gradually wears out over a long period of use, and thus the accumulated operating time is used to warn of an auger replacement time. In this auger type ice making machine, the operating condition setting device 13 is used for setting a water supply time interval and the like, and the ice making controller 15 responds to the signals from the operating state detecting device 12 and the operating condition setting device 13 in accordance with the signals. Relay circuit group 1
An electric compressor, a water valve, and the like in the ice making device 11 are controlled via 4.

The ice making machines 10-1 to 10-4 have a data forming circuit 21, a parallel-serial converting circuit 2
2 and an output interface 23 are provided. The data forming circuit 21 is connected to the operating condition detecting device 12, the operating condition setting device 13, and the ice making controller 15, and represents a signal indicating the operating condition from the operating condition detecting device 12, and the setting condition from the operating condition setting device 13. A signal and a control signal from the ice making controller 15 are temporarily stored, and a set of data obtained by adding a start code SC, identification data ID, and end code EC, which will be described later, to data corresponding to these input signals is stored. It is formed and output to the parallel-serial conversion circuit 22. The parallel-serial conversion circuit 22 converts the set of data into parallel-serial data, and the output circuit 23 outputs the set of data to the receiving device 10 in a serial format.

In this case, the format of the set of data converted into the serial format is as shown in FIG. The start code SC indicates the start position of the set of data. The identification data ID indicates an identification number for identifying the ice maker, such as the model name and type of the ice maker 10-1 to 10-4.
The operating condition data indicates the operating conditions set by the operating condition setting device 13. The operation state data indicates the operation state detected by the operation state detection device 12. The control signal data is data corresponding to the control signal output from the ice making controller 15. The end code EC indicates the end position of the set of data.

The receiving device 10 is constituted by a microcomputer device, and includes an input circuit 31, a receiving controller 32, and an alarm device 33. The receiving device 10 is backed up by a battery 34 connected to the receiving controller 32, and operates even at the time of a power failure. The input circuit 31 is controlled by the reception controller 32 to input four sets of serial data from the ice makers 10-1 to 10-4, respectively, convert the serial data into parallel data, and supply the parallel data to the reception controller 32. It is. Receiving controller 32
Constitutes a microcomputer body having a built-in program memory 32a, etc., and executes each of the ice making machines 10-1 to 10-1 by executing a program stored in the memory 32a.
4 to detect an abnormality of each ice maker 10-1 to 10-4. The alarm device 33 includes a display for each of the ice machines 10-1 to 10-4 and a buzzer common to the ice machines 10-1 to 10-4, and is controlled by the reception controller 32 to control each of the ice machines 10-1 to 10-4.
This is to visually and audibly alert the user of the abnormality.

In the receiving apparatus 10 configured as described above, the receiving controller 32 controls the program by program control.
A set of data sandwiched between the start code SC and the end code EC is input from each of the ice makers 10-1 to 10-4 via the input circuit 31. And based on these data,
For example, according to the following conditions, each ice maker 1
The abnormality of 0-1 to 0-4 is detected, and the alarm device 33 notifies the monitoring person of the ice maker 10-1 to 10-4 in which the abnormality has occurred.
The operation condition data and the operation state data are identification data IDs.
When each value represents an impossible value in the ice maker represented by, the ice maker is determined to be abnormal.
When the control signal data generates a control signal corresponding to a state that cannot occur in the ice maker indicated by the identification data ID, the ice maker is determined to be abnormal. The operating condition data, the operating state data, and the control signal data are compared with each other, and when the comparison result indicates a state that is impossible in the ice maker indicated by the identification data ID, the ice maker is determined to be abnormal. I do.

As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the reception controller 32 constantly monitors the operation state of each of the ice makers 10-1 to 10-4. Is generated, the alarm device 33 notifies the ice maker 10-1 to 10-4 in which the abnormality has occurred, so that only one observer observes the state of the alarm device 33, and the plurality of ice maker Each operation state of 10-1 to 10-4 can be monitored. Therefore, even when an abnormality occurs in any of the ice machines 10-1 to 10-4, it is possible to appropriately cope with the abnormality. Also, the receiving device 10 that operates as described above
Is backed up by the battery 34,
Even if a power failure occurs at the installation location of the receiving device 10,
Can monitor the operating state of each of the ice machines 10-1 to 10-4.

B. Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a monitoring system for an ice making machine according to the second embodiment. This monitoring system is a large-scale version of the first embodiment, and includes a plurality of receiving devices 10 constituted by microcomputer devices.
A, 10B,... 10N. Receiving device 10A,
Ice machines 10A-1 to 4 and 10B-1 to 4 are connected to 10B. In this case, each of the ice machines 10A-1 to 4, 4, 1
As shown in FIG. 5, 0B-1 to 0B-4 are configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In addition to the ice making machine 10N-1, a refrigerator 10N-2, a vending machine 10N-3, and a tea machine 10N-4 are also connected to the receiving device 10N. 4 to monitor the operation state of each unit 10N-1 to 10N-1.

Each of the receiving devices 10A, 10B,...
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an input circuit 41, a reception controller 42, an alarm device 43, and a battery 44, which are configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, are provided. It also has a data recombination circuit 45, a parallel-serial conversion circuit 46, and an output circuit 47 controlled by the reception controller 42, and outputs data input from each ice maker and the like to the outside. The data recombining circuit 45 recombines four sets of data (see FIG. 3) from the ice maker converted into parallel data by the input circuit 41 into one set of data (start code SC and end code of each set). The data other than the EC are arranged in a line, and the codes SC and EC are added to the beginning and end of the data. The parallel-serial conversion circuit 46 converts the input data into serial data and outputs the serial data to the output circuit 47. The parallel-serial converted data is as shown in FIG.

The output circuit 47 of each of the receivers 10A, 10B,... 10N is connected to the management computer 1 via a signal line L1.
00 and the parallel / serial conversion circuit 46
Is supplied to the management computer device 100 via the signal line L1. The management computer device 100 has substantially the same configuration and operates in the same manner as the receiving devices 10A, 10B,... 10N, but the computer device 100 is larger than the receiving devices 10A, 10B,. The management computer device 100 is connected to each reception controller 42 of the receiving devices 10A, 10B,... 10N via a signal line L2, and a control signal from the management computer device 100 is transmitted via the signal line L2. The data is supplied to the reception controller 42. As a result, the management computer device 100 connects the receiving device 10A, 1
0B,... 10N, the output circuit 47 is operated by the operation of the reception controller 42 in the specified receiving apparatus.
, A signal from an ice maker or the like is input to the management computer 100, so that the computer 100 can monitor many ice maker or the like. In this case, if an abnormality occurs in each ice maker or the like, the receiving device 10A of the first embodiment,
In the same manner as 10B,... 10N, the management computer 100 displays an abnormality of each ice maker on a display device or the like. Therefore, in this case, many ice makers can be monitored at one place.

In the second embodiment, the receiving controllers 42 of the receiving devices 10A, 10B,.
Is composed of a RAM,
From the management computer device 100 to the program memory 42
The control program can be stored in a. In this case, the management computer device 100
0A, 10B,... 10N to the computer device 100
, 10N, etc., are recognized by the identification data ID in the data supplied to the receivers 10A, 10B,..., 10N, and a control program suitable for the ice maker is recognized. It is stored in the program memory 42a via the signal line L2. Therefore, each receiving device 10
.. 10N, the function of the reception controller 42 in each of the receiving devices 10A, 10B,. Can easily be changed according to the model name and type of the
.. 10N can be commonly used without replacing parts for A, 10B,... 10N.

Further, each of the receiving devices 10A, 10B,.
0N has a modem 48. This modem 48 makes it possible to connect each of the receiving devices 10A, 10B,... 10N to an external device, for example, a management computer device in the management center 200 via the telephone line L3. This management computer device is the same as the management computer device 1 described above.
It has a function equivalent to 00, but on a larger scale. In this case, the modem 48 is connected to the parallel-to-serial conversion circuit 46 and the reception controller 42, and the management computer device in the management center 200, like the management computer device 100,
The data (see FIG. 6) representing a signal from an ice maker or the like connected to 0A, 10B,... 10N is input, and the operation state of the ice maker or the like is monitored based on the input data. Further, the management computer device in the management center 200 includes:
Each of the receiving devices 10A, 10B,.
0N, the program memory 42 of the reception controller 42
It is also possible to store a control program in a. Therefore, the management center 200 replaces the management computer device 100 with each of the receiving devices 10A, 10B,.
N can be managed, and each receiving device 1 can be controlled from a remote location.
OA, 10B,... 10N can be monitored and managed.

Further, in the second embodiment, the management computer 100 is also connected to the management computer in the management center 200 via the telephone line L4 via the above-described modem. The management computer device 100 can also be monitored and managed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a monitoring system for an ice maker according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an example of the ice making device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a format diagram of data transmitted from the ice maker of FIG. 1 to a receiving device.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a monitoring system for an ice maker according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a detailed block diagram of the receiving device and the ice maker of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a format diagram of data transmitted from the receiving device of FIGS. 4 and 5 to the management computer device.

[Explanation of symbols]

10, 10A to 10N receiving device, 10-1 to 4, 10
A-1 to 4, 10B-1 to 4, 10N-1 ... ice machine, 1
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Ice making apparatus, 12 ... Operating state detection apparatus, 13 ... Operating condition setting apparatus, 15 ... Ice making controller, 21 ... Data formation circuit, 22 ... Parallel-serial conversion circuit, 23 ... Output circuit, 31, 41 ... Input circuit, 32 , 42 ... Reception controller, 32a, 42a ... Program memory, 33, 4
3. Alarm device, 34, 44 battery, 45 data recombination circuit, 46 parallel-serial conversion circuit, 47 output circuit, 48 modem, L1, L2 signal line, L3, L4 telephone line, 100 Management computer device, 200: Management center.

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] An ice making device for producing ice, and the ice making device
And operating condition setting means for setting the operating conditions, operating condition detecting means for detecting operating conditions of the ice-making device, the setting
A plurality of ice making machine wherein each comprise a control means for electrically controlling the ice making unit, sequentially automatically generate ice according to have been operating condition and the detected operating state, the setting
De representing the constant has been operating condition and the detected operating state
Data representing the type of ice machine, such as model name and type.
Output means for outputting to the outside together with the data, and each of the output means is connected to a receiving device, which receives the set operating conditions from each output means of the plurality of ice makers.
Condition, the detected operating condition, the model name of the ice maker,
A monitoring system for an ice maker, wherein each data representing the type of the ice maker and the like is inputted, and an abnormality of each ice maker is detected based on the data . 2. A monitoring system for an ice making machine, wherein the receiving device according to claim 1 is constituted by a microcomputer device, and the microcomputer device is backed up by a battery. 3. The receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of receiving devices are provided, and each of the receiving devices is connected to a management computer device, and the management computer device manages each of the receiving devices. Monitoring system for ice machines. 4. A monitoring system for an ice maker, wherein the receiving device according to claim 3 is constituted by a microcomputer device, and a control program can be input from the management computer device into the microcomputer device. 5. The receiving device according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting / receiving means for enabling transmission / reception to / from an external device through a telephone line, wherein each data input from said plurality of ice making machines is transmitted to said external device through said telephone line by said transmitting / receiving device. A monitoring system for an ice machine, wherein the monitoring system can transmit the information to an ice maker. 6. The receiving device according to claim 5 , wherein the receiving device is constituted by a microcomputer device, and a control program can be input from the outside into the microcomputer device through a telephone line by the transmitting / receiving means. Monitoring system for ice machines.