JP2755711B2 - Water supply method for ice machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ice making machine, and more particularly to a water supply method in a so-called inverted cell type ice making machine.

(B) Prior art In general, the water supply method in this type of ice maker includes water supply for washing off thin ice adhered to the surface of the water tray when the ice tray is tilted after ice making is completed, and water for ice making in the next cycle is supplied to a water tank. And water supply to supply. Conventionally, the former water supply for washing the water dish has been simple in that water is always sprayed on the water dish surface for a certain period of time regardless of the water temperature and the flow rate of the water spray.
As a method for solving this, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 60-73272, there is a method in which, when the watering temperature is low, watering is continued even after the completion of tilting of the water dish to wash away thin ice on the surface of the water dish.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-73272, which is described as the prior art, has a serious drawback. That is, if the amount of water sprinkled on the water dish surface is secured to a certain level or more, even with the above method, the thin ice can be sufficiently washed away, but the strainer provided in the middle of the water supply passage is clogged with dust, or the supply water pressure is reduced. If it is not possible to secure a low and sufficient water supply, even if the sprinkling temperature is high, the thin ice cannot be washed away.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, and efficiently supplies water for washing a water tray and water to a water tank for ice making in the next cycle. Sprinkle water appropriately according to the flow rate to ensure that the ice making on the water tray is washed away, and to prevent unnecessary watering. An object of the present invention is to provide a water supply method for an ice maker, which can secure clear water in a tank and produce clear ice by eliminating cloudy ice.

(D) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention relates to an inverted cell type ice making machine, which sprays water on the surface of the water tray during tilting of the water tray based on the completion of ice making, and when the water flow rate is higher than a predetermined flow rate, the water tray When the watering flow is less than the predetermined flow rate, the watering is temporarily stopped when the water tray starts resuming based on the completion of deicing, and when the watering flow rate is less than the predetermined This is an ice making machine water supply method in which water sprinkling is restarted at the same time as the next ice making step is started and water sprinkling is restarted, and water sprinkling is terminated when water is supplied to a predetermined water level in the water tank.

(E) Action When the water tray is tilted based on the completion of ice making, water is sprinkled on the top of the water tray,
Rinse the thin ice on the water dish. At this time, at the time of the last ice making, when water for ice making was supplied to the water tank through watering of the water tray,
Judgment as to whether or not the watering flow rate is higher or lower than a predetermined level is obtained based on the time required for storing a certain amount in the water tank. Therefore, if the watering flow rate is high, it is stopped at the end of tilting, but if the flow rate is low, thin ice cannot be washed out.Therefore, it is expected that watering will continue even after tilting. Stop when motion starts. As a result, sufficient washing water flows on the water dish, and the thin ice can be reliably washed off.

Then, when the water tray moves back and the next ice making process starts, watering is restarted, and the watering ends when a predetermined amount of water is supplied into the water tank.

(F) Example Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the ice making machine according to the present invention, in which a part of an ice making function part is cut away. The ice making machine has a plurality of ice making chambers 1A opened downward, and an evaporating pipe 2 is arranged on an upper wall. Cooler 1
A water tray 5 having a fountain port 3 and a return hole 4 corresponding to each ice making chamber 1A on its surface, and a water tank 6 fixed to the water tray 5; A water supply pipe 7 for sending water in a water tank 6, a circulation pump 9 for circulating the water from the fountain port 3 to each ice making chamber 1A via a distribution pipe 8, and a forward / reverse rotation deceleration for tilting and returning the water tray 5 motor
A driving device 11 including a water supply valve 12, a water sprayer 13 for watering the surface of the water tray 5 when the water supply valve 12 is opened, and supplying water to the water tank 6 through the return hole 4; and a float tank communicating with the bottom of the water tank 6.
It is a so-called inverted cell type ice making machine mainly composed of a water level detecting device 14 for operating a water level switch 14C by a float 14B in 14A and detecting a predetermined water level of the water tank 6, and the driving device 11 is attached to a support beam 15. An arm 17 is fixed to the rotation shaft of the deceleration motor 10 supported by the fixed mounting plate 16, and the arm 17
The other end of the coil spring 18 attached to one end 17A is connected to the side of the water tray 5, and the rear part of the water tray 5 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 19. 29 is switched by the other end 17B of the arm 17 which rotates counterclockwise by the forward rotation of the
0, the water tray 5 is stopped at the predetermined inclined open position, and the switch is switched by one end 17A of the arm 17 which rotates clockwise due to the reverse rotation of the deceleration motor 10, and the power to the motor 10 is cut off. Is a seesaw-type control switch that stops the motor at a predetermined horizontal closed position. Reference numeral 30 denotes a thermostat-type water temperature detecting device connected to the water supply pipe 31 to detect the watering temperature. Then, when the water tray 5 moves back and closes the lower surface of the cooling path 1 to start the ice making cycle, the water supply valve 12 is opened and water is sprayed on the water tray 5, and the water sprinkled is returned to the water tank through the return hole 4. 6 starts to accumulate, but in the present invention, there is provided a judging means capable of judging whether the water flow rate from the water sprayer 13 is higher or lower than a certain level. The sprinkling flow rate determining means may employ, for example, the following configuration.

That is, when water is supplied from the sprinkler 13 to the water tank 6, the time required for a constant amount of water to be accumulated in the water tank 6 is measured by a timer. Specifically, the open signal of the water supply valve 12, the time counting of the timer is started, the timer operation is stopped during the operation of the float switch 14C, compared by the comparison means therebetween count time T as the standard time T ₀ If T <T ₀ , it is determined that the watering flow rate is large M, and T> T ₀
Then, it is determined that the watering flow rate is small L. Therefore judgment M
Then, at the time of washing the water tray in the ice-removing process, watering is temporarily stopped when the water tray 5 has finished tilting, that is, a closing signal of the water supply valve 12 is output from a control unit (not shown). On the other hand, if the determination is L, even if the tilting is completed, the watering is continued, the deicing is completed, and the watering is temporarily stopped at the time when the water tray 5 starts returning, that is, the water supply valve 12 is closed. The signal is similarly output from the control unit.

Further, when the water temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature by the water temperature detection device 30, the water sprinkling is temporarily stopped at the end of the water dish tilt, while, when the water temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature, the water dish tilt is ended. The water supply valve 12 is also controlled to close the water supply valve so that watering is continued and watering is temporarily stopped when dewatering is completed and the water tray returns.

In the above configuration, a method for controlling water supply will be described next with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, ice making is started with the water tray 5 shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 closing the lower surface of the cooler 1 (41), and water is sprinkled from the water sprinkler 13 onto the surface of the water tray 5, and The water enters the water tank 6 through the return hole 4 provided, and the water supply is continued until the water level reaches a predetermined level at which the water level switch 14C operates. Of course, in this state,
The circulating pump 9 is operating and supplies fountain to the cooler 1 from the fountain hole 3 provided on the surface of the water tray 5 and cools the circulating water while supplying water to the water tank 6.

During the previous water supply, the water temperature detecting means 30 for detecting the water temperature W of the supplied ice making water is used to detect whether the temperature is higher or lower than a predetermined water temperature (42). Timer T (not shown)
Measured at (43), or not clogging the filter dust formed in the middle of the water supply passage, a long or short or decision 44 than the predetermined water supply time T ₀ and the flow rate was insufficient or low water supply pressure First. The longer this benefit time T, that is, if T> T ₀ is determined that the low water volume (45), keep the decision data suitable storage unit (not shown). If the water supply time T is short, then the water temperature W measured by the water temperature detecting means 30 first performs a determination of high or low of the water supply temperature than a predetermined temperature W ₀ (46), wherein the feed water temperature is higher For example, it is determined that the data is normal (47), and the data for determining that the data is normal is similarly stored and saved. If the supply water temperature W is low, it is determined that the water temperature is low (48), and the low water temperature determination data is similarly stored and stored. In this way, during the ice making process, a determination is made from the water supply time T based on the water supply amount, that is, whether the water supply amount from the water sprayer 13 is large or small, and whether the water supply water temperature W is high or low is determined. Get it.
When the ice making is completed (49), the water supply valve 12 is opened to start watering (50). Almost simultaneously with the start of watering (50), the water tray 5 starts to be tilted by the drive device 11. Sprinkling from the sprinkler 13 flows down the surface of the water tray 5 to wash away the attached ice chips on the water tray 5.
When the seesaw control switch 29 stops detecting that the water tray 5 is opened at a certain angle as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. Based on this, it is controlled whether or not watering is performed on the surface of the water tray 5.

That is, if the water amount is low (52) (Y), watering is continued without closing the water supply valve 12, and the water tray 5 completes tilting and starts to return after a required time (for example, about 20 seconds). Sprinkle until water. Then, after detecting the start of the return of the water tray (53), the water supply valve 12 is closed to stop watering (56).

Also, when the water amount is not low (N), but the water temperature is 54 (Y), the water supply valve 12 is not closed, watering is continued, and watering is continued similarly until the water tray starts returning. After that, the water supply valve 12 is closed to stop watering (56).
On the other hand, if the water amount is not low (N) and the water temperature is not low (Y), the water supply is normal and the water supply valve 12 is closed when the water tray 5 completes tilting to stop watering (55).

Therefore, after performing the watering control according to each situation, the water tray 5 closes the lower surface of the cooler 1 again, the watering operation is performed again for a predetermined time, and the operation proceeds to the ice making process operation of the next cycle.

As described above, when either the watering flow rate or the watering temperature is lower than the predetermined value, or when both the watering flow rate and the watering temperature are both lower than the predetermined values, the water tray starts resuming based on the completion of deicing. Until the water supply valve is opened, control is performed.

FIG. 3 schematically shows the relationship between the above-mentioned operation of the water tray 5 and the control state of watering, that is, the opening / closing state of the water supply valve 12. In the figure, the time when watering is being performed, that is, the time when the water supply valve 13 is open is indicated by a black belt line.

(G) Effect of the invention As described above, after the ice making is completed, the water tray is tilted so as to be peeled off from the lower surface of the cooler, and the operation is shifted to the ice removing operation. This washing requires a certain amount of heat. In this case, even if the supply water temperature is high, this cannot be performed if the amount of water is small.

Therefore, according to the present invention, in order to compensate for this, not only the temperature of the water supply but also the amount of water supply is detected and the watering time is adjusted, so that it is effective to wash off the ice chips attached to the surface of the water tray. It becomes something. Therefore, the original purpose of the ice machine,
Transparent ice can be provided and quality can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view in which a part of an ice making section of an ice making machine is broken, and FIG.
The figure is a flow chart of watering control, and FIG. 3 is a time chart of water supply. 1 ... cooler, 3 ... fountain, 4 ... return hole, 5 ... water tray, 6 ...
Water tank, 11 drive mechanism, 12 water supply valve, 13 sprinkler, 14
... water level detector, 30 ... water temperature detector.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cooler having a plurality of partitioned ice-making chambers that open downward, a water tray that closes each ice-making chamber from below, a water tank fixed to the water tray, and tilting the water tray. A water tray based on the completion of ice making in an ice maker provided with a driving device to be urged, a water sprinkler for sprinkling water on the surface of the water tray and supplying the water to the water tank, and a circulation pump for circulating water in the water tank to the ice making chambers. Sprinkle water on the surface of the water tray during tilting.If the water flow rate is higher than the predetermined flow rate, stop watering when the water tray has finished tilting.If the water flow rate is lower than the predetermined flow rate, the When the water tray starts returning, watering is temporarily stopped.When the water tray finishes returning and watering is restarted simultaneously with the start of the next ice making process, watering is performed when water is supplied to a predetermined water level in the water tank. A water supply method for an ice maker.