JP5262748B2 - Ice machine control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ice making machine control device.

  Conventionally, in an auger type ice making machine that manufactures ice blocks of a predetermined shape, an ice making machine control device that performs ice making by simultaneously starting an ice making motor and a compressor at the start of ice making operation is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing an example of such an auger type ice making machine. As shown in FIG. 3, the auger type ice making machine 1 includes an ice making cylinder 3 incorporating an auger 2 made of a screw-like rotary cutting blade, an ice storage chamber 4 connected to the upper part of the ice making cylinder 3, and the auger 2. It consists of an assembly with an ice machine motor 5 to be driven, and the ice that has been thinly deposited on the surface of the evaporator 7 on the inner wall of the ice making cylinder 3 connected to the compressor 6 is sent upward while scraping with the auger 2 and cut with the fixed blade 8. Ice pieces are stored in the ice storage chamber 4.

  The ice storage chamber 4 is a cylindrical heat insulating container, and includes a discharge door for discharging ice pieces (not shown) opened in a lower peripheral surface thereof. The ice storage chamber 4 is provided with a vertical rotation shaft 9 connected to the upper end of the auger 2, and a plurality of agitators 9 a projecting radially from the rotation shaft 9. During the ice making operation, the agitator 9a that rotates in conjunction with the auger 2 stirs the ice pieces in the ice storage chamber 4 so that the ice pieces in the ice storage chamber 4 are not welded to form a large ice block. .

  Further, a detection plate 4a is arranged in the upper part of the ice storage chamber 4 so as to be movable up and down, and the amount of ice storage is detected by a detection switch (not shown). In a conventional auger type ice machine control device, when the ice pieces in the ice storage chamber 4 reach a predetermined amount, the detection switch is turned off via the detection plate 4a, and the compressor 6 and the auger 2 (ice machine motor 5) are turned off. The rotation drive is stopped and the ice making operation is interrupted. On the other hand, when the ice pieces in the ice storage chamber 4 are reduced to a predetermined amount or less, the detection switch is turned on, the rotation driving of the compressor 6 and the auger 2 (ice making motor 5) is started, and the ice making operation is resumed. In this way, the ice making operation and the stop are repeated.

JP 2001-141344 A

  However, in the conventional ice making control device that starts the compressor 6 and the ice making motor 5 at the same time, depending on the type of refrigerant used and the outside air temperature, the ice making operation may start for a while (for example, about 5 minutes). Soft ice will be generated. For this reason, the soft ice enters the gaps between the ice pieces while repeating the ON-OFF of the activation for a long time, and acts as an adhesive, and finally the ice pieces in the ice storage chamber 4 are annularly formed. There was a problem of linking and hardening (hereinafter, this phenomenon is called “doughnut ice phenomenon”). When this donut ice phenomenon occurs, it causes a problem that ice pieces are not discharged from the ice storage chamber 4.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a control device for an ice making machine that can reduce the generation of soft ice at the start of ice making operation.

To achieve the above object, a control device for an ice making machine according to claim 1 of the present invention rotates an expansion valve and a compressor connected to an evaporator that cools the inside of the ice making unit, and an auger built in the ice making unit. In an auger type ice machine control device that controls to start the ice machine motor after starting the compressor at the start of ice making operation, by controlling the opening of the expansion valve, The evaporator temperature between the start of the compressor and the start of the ice maker motor is maintained at 1 to 3 ° C., and the temperature of the evaporator immediately after the start of the ice maker motor can be made. Rapid cooling control is performed to a temperature, and then the temperature of the evaporator is maintained and controlled to a temperature capable of making ice.

  According to the present invention, in the control device for an auger type ice making machine comprising a compressor connected to an evaporator for cooling the inside of the ice making unit and an ice making motor for rotating the auger built in the ice making unit, the ice making operation is started. Since the ice making motor is controlled after starting the compressor, the ice making unit is cooled in advance prior to the rotation of the auger, so that the timing of freezing to the ice making unit can be advanced, and the ice making operation Soft ice formation at the start can be reduced.

  Exemplary embodiments of a control device for an ice making machine according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a control device for an ice making machine according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an ice making machine control device 100 according to the present invention controls an auger type ice making machine 10. The auger type ice making machine 10 includes an ice making cylinder 14 serving as an ice making unit incorporating an auger 12, an ice storage chamber 16 connected to an upper portion of the ice making cylinder 14, an ice making motor 18 that rotationally drives the auger 12, and an inner wall of the ice making cylinder 14. And an evaporator 20 wound around the evaporator 20 and a refrigerant circuit 22 connected to the evaporator 20. The refrigerant circuit 22 includes a compressor 24, a condenser 26, a condenser fan 28, a dryer 30, and an electronic expansion valve 32. In this configuration, the compressor 24 and the ice maker motor 18 are driven, and the ice that has been icing thinly on the evaporator 20 surface of the inner wall of the ice making cylinder 14 is sent upward while scraping with the auger 12, and the ice pieces cut with the fixed blade 40 The ice is stored in the ice storage chamber 16.

  The ice storage chamber 16 is a cylindrical heat insulating container, and includes a discharge door for discharging ice pieces (not shown) opened in a lower peripheral surface thereof. In the ice storage chamber 16, a vertical rotation shaft 34 connected to the upper end of the auger 12 and a plurality of agitators 36 protruding radially from the rotation shaft 34 are provided. During the ice making operation, the agitator 36 that rotates in conjunction with the auger 12 stirs the ice pieces in the ice storage chamber 16 to prevent the ice pieces in the ice storage chamber 16 from welding together to form a large ice block. .

  A detection plate 38 is disposed in the upper part of the ice storage chamber 16 so as to be movable up and down, and an ice storage amount is detected by a detection switch (not shown). When the ice pieces in the ice storage chamber 16 reach a predetermined amount, the detection switch is turned off via the detection plate 38, the rotation drive of the compressor 24 and the auger 12 (ice machine motor 18) is stopped, and the ice making operation is interrupted. On the other hand, when the ice pieces in the ice storage chamber 16 are reduced to a predetermined amount or less, the detection switch is turned ON, the rotational drive of the compressor 24 and the auger 12 (ice making motor 18) is started, and the ice making operation is resumed. In this way, the ice making operation and the stop are repeated.

  Here, the ice making machine control device 100 according to the present invention performs control with a time difference between the start timing of the compressor 24 and the start timing of the ice making motor 18 at the start of the ice making operation. More specifically, the compressor 24 is started first, and then the ice making machine motor 18 is started. This control may be performed according to the outside air temperature. For example, a sensor for detecting the outside air temperature is provided, and the compressor 24 and the ice maker motor 18 are controlled to start based on the detection signal of this sensor. Also good.

  FIG. 2 is a time chart of the ice making machine control device 100 according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 100 is configured so that the temperature of the evaporator 20 is −5 to 5 ° C., preferably 1 to 3 ° C. until water is not frozen, immediately before the ice making motor 18 is started. Pre-cooling control is performed by controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 32 (section A in FIG. 2). Immediately after the start of the ice making machine motor 18, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 32 is controlled to rapidly control the temperature of the evaporator 20 to a temperature capable of making ice (section B in FIG. 2). Strictly speaking, soft ice may be generated in this section B, so it is preferable to make it as short as possible. Then, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 32 is controlled so that the temperature of the evaporator 20 is cooled to a temperature capable of making ice (section C in FIG. 2). Due to this section C, hard ice is stably generated.

  By such control, the timing of icing on the inner wall of the ice making cylinder 14 can be advanced, and as a result, the generation of soft ice is reduced, so that the occurrence of the donut ice phenomenon in the ice storage chamber 16 can be suppressed. Become. Further, since the generation amount of soft ice is reduced, hard and stable quality granular ice can be stored in the ice storage chamber 16.

  Further, by controlling the temperature of the evaporator 20 immediately before starting the ice making motor 18 to 1 to 3 ° C. to prevent overcooling (1 to 3 ° C. or less), the ice making motor 18 is prevented from being locked at the time of starting. can do.

  As described above, according to the present invention, in the control device for an auger type ice maker comprising a compressor connected to an evaporator that cools the inside of the ice making unit, and an ice maker motor that rotationally drives the auger built in the ice making unit. At the start of ice making operation, the ice making machine motor is controlled after starting the compressor, so the ice making part is cooled in advance prior to the rotation of the auger, and the timing of freezing to the ice making part can be accelerated. The generation of soft ice at the start of ice making operation can be reduced.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows an example of the control apparatus of the ice making machine which concerns on this invention. It is a time chart figure by the control apparatus of the ice making machine which concerns on this invention. It is a sectional side view of the conventional auger type ice making machine.

10 auger type ice making machine 12 auger 14 ice making cylinder (ice making part)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 16 Ice storage room 18 Ice machine motor 20 Evaporator 22 Refrigerant circuit 24 Compressor 26 Condenser 28 Condenser fan 30 Dryer 32 Electronic expansion valve 34 Rotating shaft 36 Agitator 38 Detection plate 40 Fixed blade 100 Control apparatus of ice machine

Claims (1)

An expansion valve and a compressor connected to an evaporator that cools the inside of the ice making unit; and an ice making motor that rotationally drives an auger built in the ice making unit. In the control device of the auger type ice making machine that controls to start the machine motor,
By controlling the opening of the expansion valve, the temperature of the evaporator between the start of the compressor and the start of the ice maker motor is maintained and controlled at 1 to 3 ° C., and immediately after the start of the ice maker motor A control device for an ice making machine, characterized in that the temperature of the evaporator is controlled to be rapidly cooled to a temperature capable of making ice, and then the temperature of the evaporator is maintained and controlled to a temperature capable of making ice.

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