JPH034828B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (a) Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an auger-type ice maker, and in particular, the present invention relates to an auger-type ice maker, and in particular, the drain valve is opened to drain impurities such as calcium and magnesium deposited in the lower part of the cooling cylinder from the drain pipe while storing water. The present invention relates to a cleaning method for an auger ice maker in which the inside of the cooling cylinder is cleaned by replacing water in the tank.

(b) Prior art and its problems Generally, when this type of ice maker is operated for a long period of time, impurities such as calcium and magnesium contained in the water appropriately supplied to the cooling cylinder gradually move to the lower part of the cooling cylinder. It is known that it is precipitated in

Conventionally, the water inside the cooling cylinder was cleaned by opening the drain valve to drain the water inside the cooling cylinder and replacing it with fresh water in the water storage tank, or by washing the inside of the cooling cylinder with cleaning liquid poured into the water storage tank. I was getting used to it.

However, with such a cleaning method, the water or cleaning liquid in the water storage tank simply passes through the cooling cylinder and is drained from the drain pipe, making it impossible to effectively clean the inside of the cooling cylinder.

(c) Purpose of the invention The present invention is not limited to cleaning by simply passing water or cleaning liquid in a water storage tank through a cooling cylinder.
To provide the most effective method for cleaning impurities deposited in the lower part of a cooling cylinder.

(iv) Embodiments of the Invention Figure 1 is a system diagram showing an outline of an auger-type ice maker that implements the cleaning method of the present invention. It is a cooling cylinder with a refrigerant pipe 5 wound around its outer surface, which forms a refrigerant circuit together with a condenser 4 etc. Possibly supported. The auger 6 is connected to an auger motor 10 via a speed reducer 9, and after the ice generated on the inner surface of the cooling cylinder 1 is scraped off by the auger 6, a plurality of compression passages are formed on the outer periphery of the upper bearing 7. 1
The compressed ice pieces are sent to an ice storage 13 through a discharge pipe 12 connected to the upper part of the cooling cylinder 1. Reference numeral 14 denotes an ice storage amount detection device for detecting a predetermined amount of ice in the ice storage 13, which is of a temperature type. A water storage tank 15 determines the water supply level of the cooling cylinder 1, and the bottom of the tank 15 and the lower part of the cooling cylinder 1 are connected by a water supply pipe 16. 17 is an external water supply pipe that supplies water to the water storage tank 15, and is connected to a water supply valve 19 that is controlled by a water level detection device 18 that detects the water level of the water storage tank 15. The water level detection device 18 employs, for example, a float system in which a reed switch in the pipe is opened and closed by a float 18A with a built-in magnet that rises and falls as the water level changes, and the upper reed switch 18B controls the water supply valve 19, and the lower reed switch 1
8C is used for detecting water outage. Reference numeral 20 denotes a drain pipe for cleaning inside the cooling cylinder 1, which is connected to the lower part of the cooling cylinder 1 and drains the water inside the cooling cylinder 1 by opening the electromagnetic drain valve 21.

Next, the electric circuit of the present invention will be explained based on FIG. 22 is a power switch, and 23 is a first relay connected in series with the upper reed switch 18B, which has normally closed first relay contacts 23A and 23B. A second relay 24 is connected in series with the lower reed switch 18C, and has a normally open second relay contact 24A and a normally closed second relay contact 24B. 19 is the water supply valve connected in series with the normally closed first relay contact 23B, 25 is the manual first drain switch, and the drain valve 21 is connected in series with the normally open contact 25A. A second drain switch 26 is linked to the first drain switch 25 and is connected via the normally closed second relay contact 24B, and the ice storage amount detection device 14 is connected to the normally closed contact 26A of the second drain switch 26. A third relay 27 is connected in series through an ice storage switch 14A that opens a contact when a predetermined amount of ice in the ice storage 13 is detected, and the auger motor 10 is connected in series to a normally open contact 26B of the second drain switch 26. It is connected. The third relay 27 is in a parallel relationship with the second drain switch 26, and has a normally open third relay contact 27A connected in series with the auger motor 10, and the electric compressor 2.
and another normally open third relay contact 27B connected in series with the electric blower 3.

Next, the cleaning operation of the present invention including the ice making operation will be explained. When the power switch 22 is turned on, if the water storage tank 15 is empty, the upper read switch 18B is turned on.
is open and the first relay 23 is de-energized, so the water supply valve 19, which is energized via the normally closed first relay contact 23B, is opened to supply water to the water storage tank 15. At this time, since the lower reed switch 18C is closed, the second relay 24 is energized, the normally closed second relay contact 24B is opened, and the third relay 24 is energized.
7 is in the de-energized state, the third relay contact 27A is normally open.
and 27B are open, so the auger motor 10, electric compressor 2, and electric blower 3 do not operate.

When water is supplied to a predetermined water level in the water storage tank 15, the upper reed switch 18B is closed, the first relay 23 is energized, and the normally closed first relay contact 23A is closed.
and 23B are opened. With this, water supply valve 1
9 closes to stop the water supply, while the second relay 2
4 is de-energized and the second relay contact 24 is normally closed.
B is closed and the third relay 27 is energized, so the normally open third relay contacts 27A and 27B are closed. As a result, the auger motor 10, compressor 2, and blower 3 operate to start ice-making operation. Note that the water supply level in the cooling cylinder 1 increases as the water level of the water storage tank 15 rises, and is ultimately controlled to be approximately the same level as the predetermined level of the water storage tank 15.

When the ice-making operation is started in this manner, ice is generated on the inner surface of the cooling cylinder 1, and this ice is scraped off by the rotation of the auger 6 and transferred to the compression passage 11.
Here, the compressed ice pieces are continuously delivered to the ice storage 13 via the outlet pipe 12.

By the way, when the above-described ice-making operation is continued for a long period of time, impurities such as calcium and magnesium contained in the ice-making water are gradually deposited in the lower part of the cooling cylinder 1.

Therefore, the user cleans the inside of the cooling cylinder 1 at an appropriate time. In this case, when the first drain switch 25 is operated, the second drain switch 26 is also switched from the normally closed contact 26A to the normally open contact 26B. As a result, the drain valve 2
1 opens, the excitation of the third relay 27 is released, and the normally open third relay contacts 27A and 27B open, so the compressor 2 and the blower 3 stop operating and stop the ice-making operation, but the auger motor 1
Since the auger 6 continues to operate via the normally open contact 26B of the second drain switch 26, the auger 6 continues to rotate within the cooling cylinder 1.

As a result, ice-making water with a high impurity concentration in the lower part of the cooling cylinder 1 is drained to the outside from the drain pipe 20, while new water is supplied from the water storage tank 15 into the cooling cylinder 1 through the water supply pipe 16. At the same time, the ice-making water present in the cooling cylinder 1 is drained while being agitated by the auger 6, so that the inside of the cooling cylinder 1 can be cleaned more effectively.

In this way, when the cleaning operation is started, the water level in the water storage tank 15 decreases and the upper reed switch 18
B is opened, the excitation of the first relay 23 is released, and the normally closed first relay contacts 23A and 23B are closed, so the water supply valve 19 is opened and water is replenished from the external water supply pipe 17 to the water storage tank 15, and the water is stored. An attempt is made to maintain the water level in the tank 15 at a predetermined upper level.

However, if the amount of water drained from the water supply pipe 20 is greater than the amount of water supplied to the water storage tank 15 at this time, or if there is a water outage during cleaning, the water level in the water storage tank 15 will continue to decrease, and eventually decline to a lower level. The water level detection device 18 detects this lower level and switches the lower reed switch 18C.
At this time, the normally closed first relay contact 23
Since A is closed, the second relay 24 is energized and the normally closed second relay contact 24B is opened. As a result, the power to the auger motor 10 is cut off, and the auger 6 stops rotating. Rotation of the auger 6 is necessary to effectively clean the inside of the cooling cylinder 1, but the reason why the auger 6 is stopped when the water level in the water storage tank 15 drops to the lower level is because the water storage tank 15 and the water level of the cooling cylinder 1 are approximately equal, as the water level of the water storage tank 15 decreases, the water level of the cooling cylinder 1 decreases.
The water level also decreases, and there is no need for the auger 6 to continue rotating in this state. That is, this is effective in preventing the auger 6 from running idle.

Then, when the first drain switch 25 is returned to normal and the second drain switch 26 linked thereto is switched to the normally closed contact 26A, the drain valve 21 is closed and the cleaning operation is completed, and the water storage tank 15 is drained. When the water level rises again to a predetermined upper level and the upper reed switch 18B is closed, the ice making operation is resumed.

In addition, in the present invention, at the time of cleaning, cleaning liquid may be put into the water storage tank 15 and the cleaning water may be supplied to the cooling cylinder 1.

(E) Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention is not limited to cleaning in which ice-making water with a high impurity concentration in a cooling cylinder is drained and replaced with water in a water storage tank or washing water, but also rotates an auger. Therefore, the inside of the cooling cylinder can be cleaned more effectively.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of an auger ice maker embodying the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an electric circuit diagram. 1... Cooling cylinder, 6... Auger, 10... Auger motor, 15... Water storage tank, 20...
Drain pipe, 21... drain valve, 25... first drain switch, 26... second drain switch.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cooling cylinder with a passage formed on its outer surface for the passage of refrigerant to be pumped by an electric compressor of the refrigeration system, and a water supply pipe and drainage for supplying water appropriately supplied to a water storage tank into the cylinder at the bottom of the cylinder. In the auger ice maker, the electric compressor is connected to a drain pipe with a valve in between, and an auger is rotatably disposed in a cooling cylinder to scrape off ice formed on the inner surface of the cylinder and transfer it upward. and during ice making when the auger is operating;
When the drain switch is operated to open the drain valve, stopping the operation of the compressor and continuously operating the drive motor of the auger,
A method for cleaning an auger-type ice maker, characterized in that the water in the cooling cylinder is agitated and drained by an auger and replaced with water in a water storage tank flowing from the water supply pipe.