JP6980472B2 - Water supply structure of automatic ice maker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a water supply structure of an automatic ice maker, and more specifically, the ice making water supplied from the water supply pipe to the water tray is collected in the ice making water tank through the return hole of the water tray and stored in the ice making water tank. In an automatic ice maker that jets and supplies the ice-making water from the ice tray to the ice-making chamber to obtain ice cubes, the ice-making water supplied from the water supply pipe to the ice tray does not stay on the upper surface of the ice tray and returns quickly. It is related to the improvement of the water supply structure so that it can be collected from the hole to the ice making water tank.

In kitchens such as restaurants and coffee shops, automatic ice makers that produce a large amount of ice blocks are widely used. Various ice-making structures have been put into practical use as this automatic ice-making machine. It relates to a water supply structure of a so-called closed cell type automatic ice maker that injects and supplies ice cubes to produce ice cubes. Therefore, the basic structure of the closed cell type automatic ice maker will be briefly described.

6 and 7 show an ice making mechanism of a closed-cell automatic ice maker, and reference numeral 10 indicates a mounting base horizontally fixed to the main body of the ice maker. Under the mounting base 10, ice making chambers 14 in which a large number of ice making chambers 12 that are open downward are vertically and horizontally imaged are mounted via a plurality of mounting members 16 at required intervals. An evaporation tube 18 derived from a refrigerating circuit (not shown) is serpentinely arranged on the upper surface of the ice making chamber 14, and the ice making chamber 14 is forcibly cooled to the freezing temperature of the ice making water by the refrigerant passing through the evaporation tube 18. It is designed to do.

The bracket 20 is fixed on the lower surface of the mounting base 10 and at a position laterally separated from the ice making chamber 14 by a required distance, and the water dish 24 described later provides the arm 25 and the pivot shaft 22 provided on the side. It is pivotally supported by the bracket 20 via the bracket 20. The water dish 24 is composed of a plate-shaped member having an area that can completely cover the lower opening surface of the ice making chamber 14 from below, and has a plurality of fountain holes 26 and a plurality of fountain holes 26 corresponding to the ice making small chambers 12 in the ice making chamber 14. A return hole 27 is opened. Further, an ice making water tank 28 is provided below the water plate 24, and the ice making water stored in the ice making water tank 28 is arranged on the back surface of the supply pump 30 and the water plate 24 when the ice making operation of FIG. 6 is started. It is jetted and supplied to each corresponding ice making chamber 12 through the water supply pipe 32 and the water fountain hole 26 communicating with the water supply pipe 32. Since the ice making chamber 12 is cooled below the freezing point by the evaporation pipe 18, the ice making water jetted and supplied freezes on the inner wall of the ice making chamber 12 and gradually grows to become ice cubes 35. Further, the ice-making water (non-freezing water) that did not freeze on the inner wall of the ice-making chamber 12 falls from the return hole 27 and is collected and stored in the ice-making water tank 28.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, a water supply pipe 29 for supplying ice-making water to the ice-making water tank 28 is horizontally provided above the water dish 24 and on the left side (rear side) of the ice-making chamber 14. The water supply hole is directed to the upper surface of the water pan 24. That is, the water supply pipe 29 is a pipe body horizontally arranged above the water dish 24 and behind the ice making chamber 14, as shown in the plan view of FIG. 8 and the vertical sectional view of FIG. , Ice-making water supplied from an external water supply source via a water supply valve (none of which is shown) is passed through a water supply hole (not shown) provided at a predetermined interval in the lower part of the water supply pipe 29. It can be supplied to the upper surface of 24.

Here, the drilling pattern of the return hole 27 existing on the upper surface of the water dish 24 will be described with reference to FIG. The return hole 27 is formed in a pattern formed in the first region of the water dish 24 that is closed by the ice making chamber 14, and in a second region of the water dish 24 that is not closed by the ice making chamber 14. It is divided into patterns that are made. That is, the former first region refers to the region in FIGS. 8 and 9 that is blocked by the ice making chamber 14 when the water dish 24 closes the ice making chamber 14 from below. In the first region of the water dish 24, the ice-making water fountain hole 26 and the unfreezing water return hole 27 are adjacent to each other corresponding to each ice-making small chamber 12 in the ice-making chamber 14. As mentioned above. Further, the second region means a region which is the upper surface of the water dish 24 and is not blocked by the ice making chamber 14, and as can be seen from FIG. 8, a U-shape surrounding the ice making chamber 14 It has a narrow band of shape (or square C shape). Return holes 27a are also formed at required intervals on the upper surface of the water dish 24 and also in the U-shaped portion serving as the second region (distinguishing from the return holes 27 drilled in the first region). Therefore, it is displayed as "27a"). However, even in the second band, the number of return holes 27a drilled in the region directly below the water supply pipe 29 is the number of return holes 27a drilled in the band along both side surfaces of the ice making chamber 14. It is set less than the number. The return hole 27a may not be formed in the region of the water dish 24 directly below the water supply pipe 29.

In this state, when ice-making water is supplied from the water supply pipe 29 to the upper surface of the water dish 24, the ice-making water flows through the second region and falls from a large number of return holes 27a formed in the region to the ice-making water tank 28. Will be recovered. Further, since there is a slight gap between the lower surface of the ice making chamber 14 blocking the water plate 24 and the water plate 24, a part of the ice making water supplied to the water plate 24 passes through the gap. Then, it enters the first region (closed by the ice making chamber 14), and is dropped and collected in the ice making water tank 28 from the return hole 27 drilled in the first region. Further, in FIG. 8, the ice-making water supplied from the water supply pipe 29 to the second region of the water dish 24 falls from the return hole 27a formed in the second region, but falls from the return hole 27a. As shown in FIG. 9, the uncut ice-making water falls from the tip of the water pan 24 (the front side on the left side of FIG. 8), and is also collected and stored in the ice-making water tank 28.

The ice making mechanism is provided with an actuator (not shown) driven by a motor. Then, when the ice cubes 35 grow in the respective ice making chambers 12 in the ice making step of FIG. 6, the temperature sensor (not shown) detects the completion of ice making. As a result, the actuator is driven to forcibly tilt the water pan 24 diagonally downward with respect to the pivot shaft 22 as shown in the deicing step of FIG. 7, and the ice cubes grown in the ice making chamber 12 are forcibly tilted. Drop the swarm and store it in the lower ice storage chamber (not shown). Prior to the operation of the actuator, the hot gas valve (not shown) of the refrigeration circuit is switched to supply hot gas to the evaporation pipe 18 and heat the ice making chamber 12 to heat the inner wall of the ice making chamber 12. Thaw the freezing of the ice maker 35 against.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-58115

As described above, the ice-making water supplied from the water supply pipe 29 to the upper surface of the water dish 24 has (1) a return hole 27 in the first region closed by the ice-making chamber 14 and (2) the ice-making. It falls from the return hole 27a of the second region not blocked by the chamber 14 and (3) the tip of the water dish 24 connected to the second region, and is collected in the ice making water tank 28. However, the portion where the ice making chamber 14 blocks the water dish 24 (the boundary between the first region and the second region) is small even if there is a gap between the two. Therefore, the ice-making water covers the gap between the ice-making chamber 14 and the water dish 24 due to surface tension, and it becomes difficult for the ice-making water to fall from the return hole 27 of the first region blocked by the ice-making chamber 14. It stays in the second region.

When the ice making water stays on the upper surface of the water pan 24 in this way, even if the ice making operation is started and the ice making chamber 14 is cooled by the evaporation pipe 18, the cooling speed of the ice making chamber 14 is due to the accumulated water. There is a problem that the ice making ability is not fully exhibited due to the decrease. Further, when the water supply time from the water supply pipe 29 becomes long, the water supply is continued even if the ice making operation is started and the ice making water of the ice making water tank 28 starts to be jetted and supplied to each ice making small chamber 12. Therefore, the water collected at the boundary between the ice making chamber 14 cooled to below the freezing point and the water dish 24 freezes, causing the ice making room 14 and the water dish 24 to freeze. In this way, when freezing progresses at the boundary between the ice making chamber 14 and the water dish 24, even if the actuator switches to the ice removing operation and the actuator tries to tilt the water dish 24 from the ice making chamber 14, it does not easily open. In some cases, a large load is applied to the actuator to cause a failure, or peripheral devices such as the water pan 24 are damaged.

The invention according to claim 1 is for solving the above-mentioned problems and achieving the intended purpose.
An ice-making chamber that defines a large number of ice-making chambers that open downward, and a closed posture that is tiltably arranged directly under the ice-making chamber and closes the ice-making chamber from below or an open posture that separates from the ice-making chamber. It consists of a water tray to be taken and a water supply pipe that is arranged close to the water tray and supplies ice-making water to the upper surface of the water tray. An automatic ice maker configured to be collected in an ice making water tank provided at the bottom of the water pan through return holes drilled in the area blocked by the ice making chamber and the area not blocked by the ice making chamber, respectively. In
A water channel dug deeper than the upper surface of the water dish is formed in a region where the water dish is not blocked by the ice making chamber and where the ice making water supplied from the water supply pipe flows.
The return hole in the area not blocked by the ice making chamber is formed in the bottom surface of the water channel, and is also formed .
When the water pan is in the closed position, ice-making water is supplied from the water supply pipe to the water channel, and when the water pan is in the open position, the water channel is disconnected from the water supply position of the ice-making water by the water supply pipe. The gist is that the ice making water is supplied to the upper surface of the water pan.
According to the invention of claim 1, since a water channel dug lower than the upper surface level of the water dish is formed on the upper surface of the water dish and in a region not blocked by the ice making chamber, it is supplied from a water supply pipe. The ice-making water is easily dropped into the ice-making water tank from the return hole formed in the water channel or the tip of the water pan. Therefore, it is suppressed that the ice-making water stays between the lower edge of the ice-making chamber and the upper surface of the water dish, the ice-making capacity decreases, or the accumulated water freezes and an excessive load is applied around the actuator or the like during deicing. You will not be involved in the equipment.
When the water pan is in the closed position, the ice making water supplied to the water tray from the water supply pipe is prevented from coming into contact with the ice making chamber to lose heat, and it becomes easy to suppress a decrease in the ice making capacity. It is possible to suppress the freezing of the ice-making water supplied from the water supply pipe to the water dish. Further, when the water dish is in the open posture, the water dish can be washed by supplying water from the water supply pipe.

The gist of the invention according to claim 2 is that a slope inclined toward the bottom surface is formed on the inner wall surface of the water channel on the side close to the ice making chamber.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if unfrozen water that has been jetted and supplied to the ice making chamber during the ice making operation and has not been frozen, flows out from the gap between the lower end edge of the ice making chamber and the upper surface of the water dish. It is suppressed that the slope flows down to the water channel and stays at the boundary between the two members. Therefore, the water accumulated between the ice making chamber and the water dish freezes, and the peripheral equipment is not overloaded at the time of deicing.

According to the water supply structure of the automatic ice maker according to the present invention, when the ice making water is supplied to the water basin from the water supply pipe in a state where the ice making chamber closes the upper surface of the water basin, it is closed by the ice making chamber in the water basin. Since a water channel dug lower than the upper surface level of the water dish is formed in the uncleared area, the ice-making water flows along this water channel, and the return hole and the tip of the water dish drilled in the water dish are formed. It becomes easy to fall into the ice making water tank. That is, it is suppressed that ice-making water stays at the boundary between the lower end surface of the ice-making chamber and the upper surface of the water dish. Therefore, the decrease in the ice making capacity is suppressed, and the formation of freezing between the ice making chamber and the water dish is also suppressed.

It is a partially cutaway plan view of the water supply structure according to the embodiment of the present invention, and in the U-shaped band not blocked by the ice making chamber in the water dish, a water channel whose level is lower than the upper surface of the water dish is formed. It shows the formed state. FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the water supply structure shown in FIG. 1, wherein a water channel having a square groove shape is formed immediately below the water supply pipe. In the water supply structure according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a state in which the water dish is tilted with respect to the ice making chamber to open the ice making chamber is shown. FIG. 3 is a partial vertical sectional view showing inconveniences caused by the embodiment in the water supply structure according to the embodiment shown in FIG. It is a partial vertical sectional view of the water supply structure which solved the inconvenience shown in FIG. It is a vertical cross-sectional view of an ice making mechanism in a closed cell type ice making machine, and shows a state in which an ice making chamber is closed with a water dish and an ice making operation is in progress. FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ice making mechanism shown in FIG. 6, showing a state in which the water dish is tilted and the ice making chamber is opened during the deicing operation. In the partially cutaway plan view of the ice making mechanism shown in FIG. 6, there is a first region in which the ice making chamber blocks the upper surface of the water dish and a second region in which the ice making chamber does not block the upper surface of the water dish. It shows the state of being. FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

The water supply structure of the automatic ice maker according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings with reference to suitable examples. In the embodiment, the same members and structures as those already described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. Strictly speaking, the water supplied from the water supply pipe 29 to the upper surface of the water dish 24 is tap water from the external water supply system, and should be finally stored in the ice making water tank 28. Further, during the deicing operation, the water supplied from the water supply pipe 29 is used as "deicing water" for washing away the ice pieces remaining on the upper surface of the water dish 24. Therefore, strictly speaking, only the water that is stored in the ice making water tank 28 and then jetted and supplied to the ice making chamber 12 by the supply pump 30 may be referred to as "ice making water", but in the present specification, the water supply pipe 29 The water supplied from is widely referred to as "ice making water".

(Example)
FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view of the water supply structure according to the embodiment of the present invention, and the basic structure thereof is the same as the structure shown in FIG. However, in this embodiment, as can be seen from FIG. 2, the second region, which is the upper surface of the water dish 24 and is a U-shaped portion not blocked by the ice making chamber 14, is the same. A water channel 34 dug below the level of the upper surface of the water dish 24 is formed, and the return holes 27a are formed at required intervals on the bottom surface of the water channel 34. That is, the water channel 34 according to the embodiment is a square groove having a rectangular cross section shown in a vertical cross section in FIG. 2, and the water channel 34 is the rear side (the water supply pipe 29) of the ice making chamber 14 shown in FIG. It is recessed in the upper area) and the U-shaped second area surrounding the three sides of both sides.

The tap water from the water supply pipe 29 enters the deicing operation shown in FIG. 7, and when the water dish 24 tilts to open the ice making chamber 14, ice pieces remaining on the water dish 24 are removed. It is also used as de-icing water to wash away. At this time, when the water pan 24 is tilted due to the deicing operation, when water is supplied from the water supply pipe 29 to the water channel 34 located below the water supply pipe 29, the supplied water directly fills the water channel 34. It will flow and the above-mentioned water dish 24 cannot be washed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the water supply position of the ice-making water (ice-removing water) supplied by the water supply pipe 29 is preset to a position where the water dish 24 is displaced from the water channel 34 when the water pan 24 is tilted to open the ice-making chamber 14. Has been done. That is, at the upper end portion (indicated by a white arrow) of the portion dug down as the water channel 34 in FIG. 3, water supplied from the water supply pipe 29 falls into the water channel 34 during the ice making operation shown in FIG. At the time of deicing shown in FIG. 3, the water supply from the water supply pipe 29 is disconnected from the water channel 34 due to the tilt of the water dish 24, and the position is exclusively used for cleaning the water dish 24.

In this way, the water channel 34 is recessed on the upper surface of the water dish 24 and in the second region that is not blocked by the ice making chamber 14, and the return hole 27a is formed in the water channel 34. The ice-making water supplied from the water supply pipe 29 to the water dish 24 is less likely to come into contact with the lower end edges of the three sides of the ice-making chamber 14. Therefore, even if the ice making operation is started and the ice making chamber 14 is cooled by the evaporation pipe 18, heat is suppressed from being taken away by the ice making water in contact with the ice making chamber 14, and it becomes easy to suppress a decrease in the ice making capacity. Further, since the ice making water supplied to the water dish 24 by the water supply pipe 29 does not come into contact with the lower end edges of the three sides of the ice making chamber 14, freezing is suppressed, and as a result, the water dish 24 is peeled off from the ice making chamber 14 at the time of deicing. It does not require a large force to do so, and overloading the actuator and peripheral devices is suppressed.

(Variation example)
As described above, by denting the water channel 34 in the second region on the upper surface of the water dish 24, the decrease in ice making capacity is suppressed, and the peripheral equipment such as the actuator is overloaded during the deicing operation. Giving is suppressed. However, the water channel 34 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 has a square groove in cross section as described above. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the so-called unfrozen water that was sprayed into the ice making chamber 12 during ice making and did not freeze basically falls from the return hole 27, but the residual water that has not completely fallen is ice making. It flows into the water channel 34 from the gap between the lower end edge of the chamber 14 and the upper surface of the water dish 24, and falls from the return hole 27a. However, the unfrozen water may stay between the ice making chamber 14 and the water dish 24 due to surface tension due to surface tension, and may be difficult to flow into the water channel 34. In this state, if the stagnant water is cooled on the side surface of the ice making chamber 14 and freezes, the actuator may be overloaded or the peripheral device may be damaged during deicing. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the difficulty is solved by making the portion of the inner wall surface of the water channel 34 on the side close to the side surface of the ice making chamber 14 a slope 34a inclined toward the bottom surface of the water channel 34. It is suppressed.

12 ice making chamber, 14 ice making chamber, 24 water pan, 27 return hole, 28 ice making water tank,
29 water supply pipe, 34 waterway, 34a slope

Claims (2)

An ice making chamber (14) that defines a large number of ice making chambers (12) that open downward, and an ice making chamber (12) that is tiltably arranged directly under the ice making chamber (14) and closes the ice making chamber (12) from below. A water tray (24) that takes an open posture away from the ice tray (12) and an ice tray (24) that is placed close to the ice tray (24) to supply ice water to the upper surface of the ice tray (24). The ice making water is composed of a water supply pipe (29), and the ice making water supplied from the water supply pipe (29) is an area on the upper surface of the water dish (24) and blocked by the ice making chamber (14) and the ice making chamber (14). In an automatic ice maker configured to be collected in an ice making water tank (28) provided at the bottom of the water pan (24) via return holes (27) drilled in the areas not blocked by the ice tray (24).
From the upper surface of the water dish (24) to the area where the water dish (24) is not blocked by the ice making chamber (14) and where the ice making water supplied from the water supply pipe (29) flows. A waterway (34) dug down is formed,
The return hole (27) in the area not blocked by the ice making chamber (14) is formed in the bottom surface of the water channel (34) and is also formed .
When the water pan (24) is in the closed posture, ice-making water is supplied from the water supply pipe (29) to the water channel (34), and when the water pan (24) is in the open posture, the water supply is performed. An automatic ice maker characterized in that the water channel (34) is separated from the water supply position of the ice making water by the pipe (29) and the ice making water is supplied to the upper surface of the water pan (24). Water supply structure. The water supply structure of the automatic ice maker according to claim 1, wherein a slope (34a) inclined toward the bottom surface is formed on an inner wall surface of the water channel (34) on a side close to the ice making chamber (14).

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