JP5795930B2 - How to operate an automatic ice machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an operation method of an automatic ice making machine that performs a protection operation in which the start of a compressor is delayed for a predetermined time at the start of operation.

  Spray-type automatic ice makers that continuously produce ice blocks by spraying ice-making water from below into a large number of ice-making chambers that open downward are used favorably in facilities such as coffee shops and restaurants. . The basic structure of an automatic ice making machine is, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, an evaporator constituting a refrigeration circuit closely and meanderingly arranged on the upper surface of an ice making chamber that defines a large number of ice making chambers that open downward. Equipped with an ice making mechanism. Immediately below the ice making chamber, a water tray that is integrally provided with an ice making water tank for storing ice making water is pivotally supported in a cantilevered manner by a support shaft, and the water tray has an ice making chamber (ice making chamber). ) Is closed from below, and is tilted downward from the ice making chamber to an open position where the ice making chamber (ice making chamber) is opened.

  The refrigeration circuit is configured by connecting a compressor, a condenser, an expansion means, and an evaporator with refrigerant piping, and in ice making operation, the refrigerant is circulated and supplied to the evaporator by the operation of the compressor to force the ice making chamber. While cooling, the ice making water in the ice making water tank is jetted and supplied to the ice making chamber through the water tray, thereby forming ice blocks in the small chamber. When an ice block of a required size is formed in the ice making chamber, the ice making operation is shifted to the deicing operation, and the hot gas valve provided in the bypass pipe of the refrigeration circuit is opened. Then, hot gas (high temperature refrigerant) is supplied to the evaporator via the bypass pipe, and the ice block is separated by heating the ice making chamber with the hot gas.

  Here, when the automatic ice maker is abnormally stopped during the ice making operation due to a power failure or the like, the refrigerant in the refrigeration circuit is in a non-equilibrium state divided into a high pressure portion and a low pressure portion. If the automatic ice making machine is restarted (power is turned on) in this state and the compressor is immediately started, there is a problem that the smooth operation of the compressor is hindered due to the non-equilibrium state of the refrigerant pressure. In addition, when the compressor is started in a state where the refrigerant pressure is unbalanced, a load on the compressor increases, which may cause a malfunction or failure of the compressor. Therefore, the automatic ice making machine is provided with a protection timer that operates at the start of operation (when the power is turned on), and a protection operation that delays the start of the compressor in the refrigeration circuit until the set time of the protection timer elapses. In practice, the hot gas valve is opened during the protection operation to eliminate the refrigerant pressure imbalance in the refrigeration circuit.

JP 2009-180475 A

  In the automatic ice maker, by opening the hot gas valve during the protective operation, the refrigerant pressure in the refrigeration circuit becomes uniform, the refrigerant temperature in the evaporator rises, and the ice block of the ice block with the ice making chamber Is melted. However, since the compressor does not start during the protection operation, hot gas does not circulate actively in the refrigeration circuit, and the protection operation is completed with the ice block remaining in the ice making chamber and the operation is shifted to the ice making operation. There is. At this time, it is pointed out that it causes a problem of multiple ice making.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been proposed in order to suitably solve the above problems inherent in the operation method of a conventional automatic ice maker, and an operation method of an automatic ice maker capable of preventing the occurrence of multiple ice making. The purpose is to provide.

In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems and achieve the intended purpose, an operation method of the automatic ice making machine according to the invention of claim 1 is as follows:
An ice making chamber having an ice making chamber opened on one side, and a water tray moving between a closed position for closing the ice making chamber and an open position for opening the ice making chamber, and refrigerant is supplied from the compressor of the refrigeration circuit during ice making operation. Circulatingly supplied to the evaporator disposed in the ice making chamber and supplying ice making water from the water tray in the closed position to the ice making chamber to generate ice blocks, opening the water tray during deicing operation, and In an automatic ice maker configured to open a hot gas valve provided in a circuit and supply hot gas to the evaporator to deiculate,
At the start of the operation of the automatic ice making machine, a control operation for delaying start of the compressor, control for opening the water pan, and control for opening the hot gas valve is performed,
When the temperature detected by the temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the ice making chamber is equal to or higher than the deicing completion temperature during the protection operation, the hot gas valve is opened only for a required time and then closed to detect the opening position of the water tray. When the detection condition of the position detecting means to perform and the elapse condition of the delay time for delaying the start of the compressor are satisfied, the compressor is started and the water tray is moved to the closed position to shift to the ice making operation And
During the protection operation, when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit is lower than the deicing completion temperature, the detection condition of the position detecting unit and the elapsed condition of the delay time are satisfied while the open state of the hot gas valve is maintained. When this is done, the gist is that the compressor is started to shift to the deicing operation.

  According to the first aspect of the invention, when the temperature of the ice making chamber is lower than the deicing completion temperature during the protection operation, the ice removing operation is performed after the delay time elapses. It can be made to detach, and multiple ice making can be prevented. In addition, if the temperature of the ice making chamber is equal to or higher than the deicing completion temperature during the protection operation, the system is shifted to the ice making operation without performing the deicing operation after the delay time has elapsed, so the period during which the high-temperature refrigerant is compressed when the compressor starts Can be shortened, and the load on the compressor can be reduced.

  According to the operation method of the automatic ice maker according to the present invention, the occurrence of multiple ice making can be prevented.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the automatic ice making machine which concerns on an Example. It is a control block diagram of the automatic ice making machine according to the embodiment. It is a flowchart figure of the operating method of the automatic ice maker of an Example. It is a time chart figure in case the detection temperature of a temperature detection means is lower than deicing completion temperature at the time of the protection driving | operation in the operation method of the automatic ice making machine of an Example. It is a time chart figure in case the detection temperature of a temperature detection means is more than deicing completion temperature at the time of the protection driving | operation in the operation method of the automatic ice making machine of an Example. It is a flowchart figure of the operating method of the automatic ice making machine of another Example 1 .

  Next, the operation method of the automatic ice making machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings by giving a preferred embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an ice making mechanism 10 and a refrigeration circuit 12 of an automatic ice maker according to an embodiment. The ice making mechanism 10 is a so-called closed cell type, and is arranged horizontally inside the main body of the automatic ice making machine and includes an ice making chamber 14 having a large number of ice making chambers 14a opened downward, and the ice making chamber 14a. Is basically constituted by a water tray 18 integrally provided below an ice making water tank 16 for storing ice making water. On the upper surface of the ice making chamber 14, an evaporator 20 constituting the refrigeration circuit 12 is closely arranged in a meandering manner. During the ice making operation, a refrigerant is circulated through the evaporator 20 to forcibly cool the ice making chamber 14a and to remove the ice making chamber 14a. During the ice operation, hot gas (high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant) is supplied to the evaporator 20 to promote the removal of the ice block from the ice making chamber 14a. The water tray 18 is pivotally supported by a support shaft 18a, and the water tray 18 and the ice making water tank 16 are held in a closed position where the ice making chamber 14a is closed in a horizontal position during ice making operation. The In addition, the water tray 18 is tilted downward about the support shaft 18a by the operation of the water tray opening / closing mechanism 22 provided with the opening / closing motor AM at the start of the deicing operation so that the posture of the water tray 18 changes to the open position where the ice making chamber 14a is opened. Has been. The water tray 18 is supported by the operation of the water tray opening / closing mechanism 22 under the condition that the ice block is detached from the ice making chamber 14a in the deicing operation (detection of the deicing completion temperature T2 by the temperature detecting means TH described later). It is configured to tilt upward about 18a and return to the closed position where the ice making chamber 14a is closed. The ice making water tank 16 is provided with an ice making water pump PM, and ice making water in the ice making water tank 16 is supplied to the ice making chamber 14 (ice making chamber 14a) through the water tray 18 by the ice making water pump PM. .

  The water pan opening / closing mechanism 22 is provided with a water pan position detection sensor (position detection means) 24 such as a Hall IC capable of detecting a rotation direction and a rotation angle in an appropriate rotation portion. Thus, the open position and the closed position of the water dish 18 can be detected. Based on the detection state and detection signal of the water pan position detection sensor 24, the control means 32 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later, controls the open / close motor AM of the water pan open / close mechanism 22 to open / close the water pan 18. And is configured to stop positioning at the closed position and the open position (see FIGS. 4 and 5). That is, the water tray opening / closing mechanism 22 tilts the water tray 18 in the closed position downward by the forward drive of the opening / closing motor AM, and the water tray position detection sensor 24 detects the arrival of the water tray 18 at the open position. The opening / closing motor AM is controlled to stop. Further, the water tray opening / closing mechanism 22 tilts the water tray 18 in the open position upward by reverse rotation driving of the opening / closing motor AM, and opens and closes when the water tray position detection sensor 24 detects the arrival of the water tray 18 at the closed position. The motor AM is controlled to stop. The position detection means may be a mechanical type whose switch is switched by a movable part in the water tray opening / closing mechanism 22.

  A water supply pipe 26 communicating with an external water source (not shown) is provided above the water tray 18, and a water supply valve WV is inserted into the water supply pipe 26. The water supply valve WV is opened (ON) at the initial stage of the ice making operation and the initial deicing operation (after the protection operation described later), and normal temperature water is supplied from the water supply pipe 26 to the surface of the water tray 18. Is done. The water supplied from the water supply pipe 26 is stored in the ice making water tank 16 through a return hole (not shown) provided in the water tray 18 and used as ice making water. In another embodiment 1 described later, the water supply valve WV is also opened during the protection operation. An ice storage chamber 38 is provided below the ice making mechanism 10, and ice blocks separated from the ice making chamber 14 by the deicing operation are stored in the ice storage chamber 38. In addition, an ice storage switch 40 is disposed in the ice storage chamber 38, and the ice storage switch 40 detects that a predetermined amount of ice blocks has been stored in the ice storage chamber 38, whereby the production of ice blocks in the ice making mechanism 10 is interrupted. It is like that.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigeration circuit 12 is set so that the refrigerant circulates in the order of the compressor CM, the condenser CD, the expansion means EV, and the evaporator 20. . That is, the vaporized refrigerant compressed by the compressor CM is condensed and liquefied by the condenser CD via the refrigerant pipe 28, and then depressurized by the expansion means EV, and flows into the evaporator 20 at once. The ice making chamber 14 expands and evaporates, and exchanges heat with the ice making chamber 14 to forcibly cool the ice making chamber 14 to below the freezing point. The vaporized refrigerant evaporated and heat-exchanged by the evaporator 20 repeats a cycle of returning to the compressor CM via the refrigerant pipe 28. A cooling fan FM provided to face the condenser CD functions to cool the condenser CD.

  The refrigeration circuit 12 is provided with a bypass pipe 30 in which a hot gas valve HV is inserted. The bypass pipe 30 is connected at its start end to a refrigerant pipe 28 that communicates from the discharge side of the compressor CM to the suction side of the condenser CD, and the end is a refrigerant that communicates from the expansion means EV to the suction side of the evaporator 20. It is connected to the pipe 28. The hot gas valve HV is controlled to be opened and closed by a control means 32 described later, and controls the flow of hot gas in the bypass pipe 30. That is, the hot gas valve HV basically closes the pipeline of the bypass pipe 30 during ice making operation and regulates the flow of hot gas, and opens the pipeline of the bypass pipe 30 during deicing operation. Gas is allowed to flow. As the hot gas valve HV of the embodiment, an electromagnetic valve, an electric valve, or the like that is opened (ON) when energized and closed (OFF) when energization is stopped is preferably employed.

  A temperature detecting means TH such as a thermistor for detecting the temperature of the ice making chamber 14 is disposed at a required position of the ice making chamber 14 in the ice making mechanism 10. The automatic ice maker according to the embodiment is configured to determine completion of ice making and deicing based on the temperature of the ice making chamber 14. That is, when the ice making chamber 14 is lowered to a predetermined temperature, the formation of ice blocks in each ice making chamber 14a of the ice making chamber 14 is completed, and this temperature is set as the ice making completion temperature T1. Further, when the ice making chamber 14 rises to a predetermined temperature, the removal of ice blocks from the ice making chamber 14 (deicing) is completed, and this temperature is set as the deicing completion temperature T2. Note that the temperature detection means TH for detecting the temperature of the ice making chamber 14 is not limited to the thermistor, and an existing one that is practically used such as a platinum resistance thermometer or a thermocouple can be suitably implemented.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control means 32 includes a compressor CM, a cooling fan FM, an opening / closing motor AM, a hot gas valve HV, an ice making water pump PM, a water supply valve WV, and other devices, a temperature detection means TH, water It is electrically connected to detection parts (sensors and switches) such as the dish position detection sensor 24 and the ice storage switch 40, and plays a role of comprehensively controlling the ice making mechanism 10 and the refrigeration circuit 12. The control means 32 incorporates a protection timer 36 that operates when the automatic ice making machine starts operating (when the main power supply 34 is turned on) and counts a predetermined time. The control means 32 is connected to the main power supply 34 of the automatic ice making machine, and can detect that the main power supply 34 is turned on / off. Furthermore, the control means 32 has a built-in timer that measures various times.

  In the automatic ice maker, the ice making mechanism 10 and the refrigeration circuit 12 are configured by the control means 32 based on the inputs of the water pan position detection sensor 24 and the temperature detection means TH, and the time measured by the protection timer 36 and other built-in timers. The devices and the like are driven and controlled so that the ice making operation and the deicing operation are repeated alternately. In addition, when the automatic ice maker is turned on (the main power supply 34 is turned on) and the operation of the automatic ice maker is started, the start time of the compressor CM is delayed for the purpose of protecting the compressor CM. The protection operation is set to be performed (see FIGS. 3, 4 and 5). In this protection operation, control for moving the water pan 18 toward the open position and control for opening the hot gas valve HV are performed together. The opening / closing of the hot gas valve HV during the protection operation is set so as to be controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means TH, as will be described later. Further, the opening timing of the hot gas valve HV and the opening (lowering) timing of the water pan 18 during the protection operation are set so that the water pan 18 is always opened first. Further, in the embodiment, the hot gas valve HV is set to be opened before the water pan 18 reaches the open position. In the embodiment, when the condition that the protection time (for example, 3 minutes) set in the protection timer 36 has passed and the condition that the water pan position detection sensor 24 detects the open position of the water pan 18 are satisfied. The control means 32 is set to start the compressor CM. That is, the start condition of the compressor CM is an AND condition for the passage of the protection time and the detection of the open position of the water pan position detection sensor 24. In addition, turning on the power includes a case where the power is operated by operating an operation switch, and a case where the power is turned off due to a power failure or an abnormal state, and the automatic ice maker is turned off. It means that the energized state is changed to the energized state.

(Effects of Example)
Next, with respect to the operation of the operation method of the automatic ice maker according to the embodiment, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3 and the time chart of FIG. 4, the temperature detecting means in a state where ice blocks are formed in the ice making chamber 14 during the protection operation. A case where the detected temperature of TH is lower than the deicing completion temperature T2 will be described. The water pan 18 is assumed to be in the closed position when the power is turned on. The state in which the ice pan is formed in the ice making chamber 14 with the water tray 18 in the closed position as described above is assumed to be a state in which the operation of the automatic ice making machine is interrupted (not energized) due to a power failure or the like during the ice making operation. .

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the main power supply 34 is turned on to start the operation of the automatic ice making machine (step S1), the control means 32 first starts the protection operation. That is, the protection timer 36 starts operating (ON) simultaneously with the turning on of the main power supply 34, and the timer 36 starts counting (step S2). Further, after elapse of a time set in advance in the built-in timer of the control means 32, the control means 32 drives and controls the open / close motor AM so that the water pan 18 descends toward the open position, and thereby closes. The water tray 18 at the position descends toward the open position (step S3). Next, the control means 32 opens (ON) the hot gas valve HV (step S3), whereby the refrigerant pressure in the refrigeration circuit 12 is balanced. That is, by opening the hot gas valve HV, the low-temperature refrigerant existing downstream from the expansion means EV and the high-temperature refrigerant existing in the refrigerant pipe 28 connecting the compressor CM to the condenser CD pass through the bypass pipe 30. The refrigerant pressure in the refrigeration circuit 12 is in an equilibrium state.

  In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the opening of the hot gas valve HV is set to be performed after the water pan 18 starts to descend toward the open position (that is, at the same time as the main power supply 34 is turned on). The hot gas valve opening start time is set longer than the water pan opening starting time set in the built-in timer that starts counting). As a result, in a state where ice blocks are formed in the ice making chamber 14 during the protection operation, the refrigerant temperature in the evaporator 20 rises due to the equilibrium of the refrigerant in the refrigeration circuit 12 by opening the hot gas valve HV, and ice making. The water dish 18 can be peeled from the ice block before the icing state between the chamber 14 and the ice block is released. Accordingly, the water dish 18 descends to the open position while the ice mass is frozen on the surface of the water dish 18, so that the ice dish due to the subsequent rise of the water dish 18 to the closed position and the multiple ice making in the ice making operation. Can be prevented from occurring. The water dish opening start time and the valve opening start time are specifically set to 2 minutes and 20 seconds when the protection time is 3 minutes, and the valve opening start time is 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Is set. The time 30 seconds from when the hot gas valve HV is opened until the protection time elapses is the minimum time required for the refrigerant pressure to equilibrate with the hot gas valve HV opened. . The tilting time required for the water dish 18 to reach the open position from the closed position is approximately 30 to 40 seconds, although there are some differences depending on the size and model of the ice block formed in the ice making chamber 14. That is, in the embodiment, the opening time (30 seconds) of the hot gas valve HV that is the minimum required for the refrigerant pressure to be balanced, and the opening position after the water pan 18 starts moving from the closing position to the opening position. The time to reach (30 to 40 seconds) is set to match the end timing of 3 minutes of the protection time.

  In step S4, it is determined whether or not the protection time has elapsed. If step S4 is affirmative (YES), the protection timer 36 is reset (step S5). Further, the control means 32 determines whether or not the water pan position detection sensor 24 has detected the open position of the water tray 18 (step S6), and if the water pan position detection sensor 24 has not detected the open position. (NO in step S6), step S6 is repeated. When the water pan 18 reaches the open position and the water pan position detection sensor 24 detects the open position (YES in step S6), the process proceeds to step S7 to start the compressor CM. When starting up the compressor CM, the refrigerant pressure imbalance in the refrigeration circuit 12 is eliminated via the pre-opened hot gas valve HV, so the load on the compressor CM is reduced and stable operation is achieved. Can be secured.

  Further, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the ice making chamber 14 detected by the temperature detecting means TH is equal to or higher than the deicing completion temperature T2 (step S8). Since ice blocks are formed in the ice making chamber 14, and the temperature of the ice making chamber 14 is lower than the deicing completion temperature T2, step S8 is denied (NO), and the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means TH is removed. The current state is maintained until the ice completion temperature T2 or higher. That is, since the hot gas valve HV is in an open state, an initial deicing operation in which hot gas is circulated and supplied to the evaporator 20 is started by starting the compressor CM (step S9). As described above, when ice blocks are formed in the ice making chamber 14 during the protection operation, the hot ice gas is actively circulated and supplied to the evaporator 20 through the initial deicing operation, so that the remaining ice blocks can be quickly removed. The ice making chamber 14 can be detached. In the initial deicing operation, the control means 32 opens the water supply valve WV to clean the water dish 18 in the open position, and removes ice pieces on the surface of the water dish 18. The water supply valve WV is closed after a predetermined time (for example, 20 seconds) has elapsed.

  When the ice block is detached from the ice making chamber 14 by continuing the initial deicing operation, the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means TH becomes equal to or higher than the deicing completion temperature T2 (YES in step S8), and the control means 32 The gas valve HV is closed (OFF), and the open / close motor AM is driven and controlled to raise the water tray 18 toward the closed position (step S10). Then, when the water pan position detection sensor 24 detects that the water pan 18 has reached the closed position (YES in step S11), the ice making operation is started (step S12). That is, when the water tray position detection sensor 24 detects the closed position, the control means 32 opens the water supply valve WV to supply water to the upper surface of the water tray, and the water is stored in the ice making water tank 16. The ice making water pump PM is driven (see FIG. 4), and the ice making water stored in the ice making water tank 16 is jetted and supplied to each ice making chamber 14a of the ice making chamber 14 through the water tray 18. When the temperature of the water supplied from the external water source is lower than a preset reference temperature (for example, 13 ° C.), the water supply valve WV is opened for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) in the middle of ascending the water tray 18. Then, normal temperature water may be supplied to the upper surface of the water tray 18 to prevent melting ice and ice debris.

  Next, referring to the flowchart of FIG. 3 and the time chart of FIG. 5, the case where the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means TH is equal to or higher than the deicing completion temperature T2 in the state where the ice making chamber 14 is not forming ice during the protection operation. explain. The water pan 18 is assumed to be in the closed position when the power is turned on.

  Control in steps S1 to S7 in the flowchart of FIG. 3 is executed in the same manner as described above. In step S8, whether or not the temperature of the ice making chamber 14 detected by the temperature detection means TH is equal to or higher than the deicing completion temperature T2. Determine whether. Since ice blocks are not formed in the ice making chamber 14, the temperature of the ice making chamber 14 is equal to or higher than the deicing completion temperature T2, step S8 is affirmed (YES), and the control means 32 controls the hot gas valve HV. Is closed (OFF), and the open / close motor AM is driven and controlled to raise the water tray 18 toward the closed position (step S10). Then, when the water pan position detection sensor 24 detects that the water pan 18 has reached the closed position, the ice making operation is started (steps S11 and S12). Thus, if the ice making chamber 14 is already at or above the deicing completion temperature T2 at the start of the protection operation, the hot gas valve HV is closed under the condition that the water pan 18 reaches the open position and the protection time has elapsed. Since the configuration and the start-up of the compressor CM are performed substantially simultaneously (see FIG. 5), the time for which the compressor CM operates with the hot gas valve HV opened is extremely short, and the load on the compressor CM is reduced. Note that the open time of the hot gas valve HV when the ice making chamber 14 is at or above the deicing completion temperature T2 at the start of the protection operation may be the minimum necessary time for the refrigerant in the refrigeration circuit 12 to be in an equilibrium state. That's fine.

  Further, when the detection temperature of the temperature detection means TH is equal to or higher than the deicing completion temperature T2, the hot gas valve HV is immediately closed when the detection condition of the water pan position detection sensor 24 and the protection time elapse condition are satisfied. Therefore, in the case of adopting a type that is opened by energization as the hot gas valve HV, the energization time to the hot gas valve HV during the protection operation can be minimized, and the hot gas valve HV The service life can be extended by suppressing heat generation. That is, the opening start time of the hot gas valve HV is set to the latter half of the protection time as in the embodiment, and the protection time is 3 minutes when the minimum time 30 seconds necessary for the refrigerant pressure to equilibrate has elapsed. Therefore, the energization time to the hot gas valve HV can be minimized. Furthermore, since the hot gas valve HV is closed and the compressor CM is started when the water pan 18 is in the open position, the condenser CD is connected to the evaporator 20 while the water pan 18 rises toward the closed position. By supplying the low-temperature refrigerant that has passed, the evaporator 20 can be pre-cooled, and the time required for the ice making operation can be shortened. That is, when the ice making chamber 14 is at or above the deicing completion temperature T2 at the start of the protection operation, the water pan 18 is closed from the open position during the period of transition from the completion of the protection operation to the ice making operation (initial operation in FIG. 5). This is a period of movement to the position, and during this period, the refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator 20 to precool the ice making chamber 14, so that it can be regarded substantially as an ice making operation.

  In the automatic ice making machine of the embodiment, based on the ice making chamber temperature during the protection operation, the initial deicing operation is performed while the hot gas valve HV is opened, or the hot gas valve HV is closed and the operation proceeds to the ice making operation. Therefore, when ice blocks are not formed in the ice making chamber 14, the ice making operation can be immediately started, and the load on the compressor CM can be reduced. Further, when ice blocks are formed in the ice making chamber 14, deicing can be performed to prevent generation of ice chips. Further, since the hot gas valve HV is set to open before the water pan 18 reaches the open position during the protection operation, the hot gas valve HV is opened after the water pan 18 reaches the open position. In comparison, the time required for the initial deicing operation after the protection operation can be shortened. That is, by opening the hot gas valve HV before starting the compressor CM, the hot gas flows due to the pressure difference of the refrigerant in the refrigeration circuit, the refrigerant temperature in the evaporator rises, and the ice making chamber 14a of the ice block This is because the frozen portion of the can be melted to some extent. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, the temperature of the ice making chamber 14 is confirmed after confirming that the start condition of the compressor CD is satisfied. However, when the protection operation starts (when the main power supply 34 is turned on), the ice making chamber is confirmed. 14 is confirmed, and each mechanism of the ice making mechanism 10 and the refrigeration circuit 12 is controlled as described above on the premise of the temperature (detected temperature of the temperature detecting means TH) to shift to the initial deicing operation and the initial operation. Of course, it may be. Further, when the detection temperature of the temperature detection means TH when the main power supply 34 is ON is equal to or higher than the deicing completion temperature T2, if the water pan position detection sensor 24 detects the open position when the main power supply 34 is ON, When the protection timer 36 measures the protection time, the operation is shifted to the initial operation, so that unnecessary operation of the water tray 18 can be omitted.

  Here, as in the automatic ice making machine of the embodiment, as the conditions for starting the compressor CM, the passage of the protection time and the fact that the water tray 18 has reached the open position are set as the AND conditions, so the operation shifts to the ice making operation. The abnormality of the water tray opening / closing mechanism 22 can be detected and dealt with before. That is, the water dish opening start time set in the built-in timer is set to a time when the protection time elapses after the water dish opening / closing mechanism 22 operates normally and the water dish 18 reaches the open position from the closed position. . When the protection timer 36 measures the protection time (when the protection time has elapsed), if the water pan position detection sensor 24 has not detected the open position of the water pan 18, the open / close motor AM is moved to the water tray 18. The operation of the opening / closing motor AM is continued until the retry time (for example, 60 seconds) from the start of the operation for moving the lens toward the open position (open / close motor AMON), and the water pan position detection sensor until the retry time elapses. When 24 does not detect the open position of the water pan 18, the operation of the open / close motor AM is stopped or reversed after the retry time has elapsed, and is retried.

  In the case of retrying, after the water pan position detection sensor 24 detects the closed position of the water pan 18, the operation control is performed so that the opening / closing motor AM is lowered toward the open position, and the water pan position is detected after a predetermined time. When the sensor 24 detects the open position of the water pan 18, the operation is shifted to normal operation (transferred to the initial deicing operation or ice making operation). On the other hand, if the water pan position detection sensor 24 does not detect the open position of the water pan 18 even after a predetermined time has elapsed, the operation of the opening / closing motor AM is stopped to notify the occurrence of an abnormality. Further, if the water pan position detection sensor 24 does not detect the closed position of the water pan 18 even after a preset abnormality return time has elapsed during the retry, the occurrence of an abnormality is notified.

[About Example 1 ]
6, there is shown a flow chart of a method of operating an automatic ice making machine according to another embodiment 1, whether the control to operate the cooling fan FM in the protective operation according to the level of the ambient temperature was added der thing was Ru.

As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 , when the main power supply 34 is turned on (step S20), the control means 32 starts the protection operation (step S21) and the ambient temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection means (not shown) Then, it is determined whether the temperature is equal to or higher than the set temperature (step S22). When the detection result of the ambient temperature by the outside air temperature detection means is lower than the set temperature (NO in step S22), the same control as in the above-described embodiment is performed to complete the protection operation. That is, the process proceeds to step S24, and it is determined whether or not the start condition of the compressor CM (detection of the elapse of the protection time and the opening position of the water pan position detection sensor 24) is satisfied, and if it is satisfied (step S24). YES), the process proceeds to step S25 to complete the protection operation. If the start condition for the compressor CM is not satisfied (NO in step S24), the protection operation is completed after the condition is satisfied.

  On the other hand, when the installation environment of the automatic ice making machine is in the high temperature range and is equal to or higher than the set temperature, step S22 is affirmed (YES), and the cooling fan FM is driven (step S23). Thereby, the refrigerant in the condenser CD is cooled. The cooling fan FM is disposed in the machine room of the automatic ice making machine, and the compressor CM is also cooled by the air flow generated by the cooling fan FM in addition to the function of cooling the condenser CD by air. Therefore, the refrigerant and the compressor itself can be cooled by the cooling fan FM between the completion of the protection operation and the start of the compressor CM, and the load at the start of the compressor CM can be reduced. The cooling fan FM driven during the protection operation is controlled to stop when the start condition for the compressor CM is satisfied.

Here, in another embodiment 1 , before starting the compressor CM upon completion of the protection operation, the cooling fan FM is stopped and the hot gas valve HV is closed (non-energized state). You may make it reduce the power load at the time of starting of CM. That is, the voltage drop can be suppressed by setting the power source load at the time of starting the compressor CM only to the compressor CM, and normal starting of the compressor CM is achieved. Note that in another embodiment 1, instead of detecting the ambient temperature, to detect the temperature of the condenser CD, be performed to determine whether or not to operate the cooling fan FM based on condenser temperature Good.

(Change example)
The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment, and can be modified as follows, for example.
(1) The operation method of another embodiment 1 can be combined with the operation method of the embodiment or can be combined alone.
(2) In the operation method in which the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means is equal to or higher than the deicing completion temperature, the control of repeatedly opening and closing the hot gas valve may be performed. Can be reduced.
(3) Upon operation from a state the water tray when the main power is located at the closed position, when the non-energized by a power failure or abnormal, do not know the water tray is stopped at any position . Therefore, except when the water pan position detection sensor detects the closed position when the main power is turned on, the open / close motor is controlled to move the water tray to the closed position when the main power is turned on. What is necessary is just to make it perform the driving | running method of another Example 1 from the time of a position detection sensor detecting a closed position. However, if the ice making chamber temperature when the main power is turned on is equal to or higher than the deicing completion temperature, it is not necessary to perform the initial deicing operation, so the water pan position detection sensor does not detect the closed position or the open position. Even in the state, the open / close motor may be controlled to move the water tray toward the open position.
(4) In the embodiment, the water tray is configured to contact and separate from below with respect to the ice making chamber provided with the ice making chamber opened downward. However, in the case of a closed cell type ice making mechanism, the ice making opened in the lateral direction. It may be a vertical type in which a water tray comes in contact with or separates from an ice making chamber provided with a small chamber from the lateral direction.
The configuration described in the embodiment is not limited to the above-described modification example, and various other configurations can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

12 refrigeration circuit, 14 Freezer, 14a freezing cells, 18 water tray 20 evaporator, 24 water tray position detecting sensor (position detecting means), CM compressor HV hot gas valve, TH temperature sensing hand stage

Claims (1)

An ice making chamber (14) having an ice making chamber (14a) opened on one side, and a water tray (18) moving between a closed position for closing the ice making chamber (14a) and an open position for opening the ice making chamber (14a). During the ice making operation, the refrigerant is circulated and supplied from the compressor (CM) of the refrigeration circuit (12) to the evaporator (20) disposed in the ice making chamber (14) and from the water tray (18) in the closed position. Ice making water is supplied to the chamber (14a) to generate ice blocks, and during the deicing operation, the water pan (18) is opened, and the hot gas valve (HV) provided in the refrigeration circuit (12) is opened. In an automatic ice making machine configured to supply hot gas to the evaporator (20) for deicing,
At the start of operation of the automatic ice maker, a protective operation is performed in which the start of the compressor (CM) is delayed, the water pan (18) is opened, and the hot gas valve (HV) is opened. And
During the protection operation, when the detection temperature of the temperature detection means (TH) for detecting the temperature of the ice making chamber (14) is equal to or higher than the deicing completion temperature (T2), the hot gas valve (HV) is opened for a required time. And when the detection condition of the position detection means (24) for detecting the open position of the water tray (18) and the elapsed condition of the delay time for delaying the start of the compressor (CM) are satisfied, Start the compressor (CM) and move the water tray (18) to the closed position to move to the ice making operation,
During the protection operation, when the temperature detected by the temperature detection means (TH) is lower than the deicing completion temperature (T2), the position detection means (24) while maintaining the open state of the hot gas valve (HV). The automatic ice maker operating method is characterized in that the compressor (CM) is started to shift to the deicing operation when the detection condition of the delay time and the elapsed condition of the delay time are satisfied.

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