JPH0413584Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an auger-type ice maker, and in particular, uses ice during ice making as part of the bearing member to reduce the load on the bearing member and prevent wear. It concerns novel improvements to achieve reductions.

[Conventional technology] Conventionally, the bearing mechanism of an auger ice maker is
Although there are various configurations, typical configurations are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

That is, in FIGS. 3A and 3B, an auger body 2 integrally having a peeling blade 2a is rotatably provided in a refrigeration casing 1 having a generally cylindrical shape as a whole, and an upper shaft of this auger body 2 The portion 3 is rotatably supported via a bearing member 5 in a shaft hole 4a of a pressing head 4 fixedly disposed on the upper part of the refrigeration casing 1. A cooling pipe 6 for guiding the refrigerant gas is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the refrigeration casing 1, and a plurality of axially extending pipes are provided in the press head 4 so as to open at the upper and lower surfaces and the outer circumferential surface. Ice compression passages 4b are arranged radially.

Furthermore, FIG. 4 shows another example of the conventional configuration, in which grooves 4d are formed in the shaft hole 4a and the lower surface 4c of the pressing head 4, and the auger body 2 is fed into each groove 4d. The frozen ice enters and forms a ring-shaped hard ice, which acts as a seal (bearing member).

[Problem to be solved by the invention] In the conventional configuration shown in FIGS. 3A and B,
Since the press head 4 has an ice compression passage 4b, no lubricant can be used in the bearing member 5, and the operation must be performed under water lubrication even though ice is used. As a result, wear of the bearing mechanism is accelerated by water scale caused by silica, calcium, etc. contained in water, and early wear of the bearing member 5 and the upper shaft portion 3 necessitates frequent replacement of parts. In addition, the labor and parts costs associated with the above-mentioned parts replacement become very expensive, and if the ice making mechanism is continued to operate in a worn state to avoid this, a serious accident may occur in the ice making mechanism.

Furthermore, in another conventional configuration shown in FIG. 4, ice pieces enter the shaft hole 4a of the pressing head 4 during ice making operation and ring-shaped ice is formed in the groove 4d.
Although the intrusion of water scale and the like can be prevented, wear of the bearing member 5 cannot be prevented, and the bearing member 5 needs to be replaced periodically.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an auger-type ice maker that can more reliably prevent wear of the bearing member and also more reliably prevent wear of the bearing mechanism due to water scale.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention uses an auger body rotatably supported within a freezing casing to scrape off ice that has formed on the inner wall surface of the freezing casing while moving the ice upward. In an auger-type ice maker that makes ice by compressing and dehydrating ice that has been transferred and shaved off using a press head, the auger is provided in the shaft hole of the press head, and the outer periphery of the upper shaft portion of the auger body and the inside of the shaft hole are connected to each other. A bearing member interposed between the bearing member and the wall surface, and a space formed below the bearing member in the shaft hole into which ice having a bearing action for the upper shaft portion is press-fitted during ice making operation; The upper end of the auger body is formed with a sloping part radially outward and slanting downward to define a passage for ice to be transported by the auger body. Ice is guided into the space via a passage defined by the ramp.

[Operation] When the auger body is rotated, ice generated on the inner wall surface of the frozen casing is scraped off and transferred upward. Ice mainly enters the ice compression passage of the pressing head and is compressed and dehydrated to become hard ice sticks, but some of the ice transferred by the auger body is compressed by the slope formed at the upper end of the auger body. Through the formed passage, the ice is actively guided into the space formed between the outer periphery of the upper shaft part and the inner wall of the shaft hole of the pressing head, where it is press-fitted and becomes cylindrical ice. This cylindrical ice prevents water scale from entering the bearing member and plays a part in the bearing mechanism.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the auger ice maker according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
Note that parts that are the same or equivalent to those of the conventional example will be described using the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 shows an auger-type ice maker according to the present invention, and reference numeral 1 indicates a freezing casing having a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole, and inside this freezing casing 1, a peeling blade 2a is integrally provided. An auger body 2 is rotatably provided.

The upper shaft part 3 of the auger body 2 is connected to the frozen casing 1
A pressing head 4 fixed by a bolt 1a in the upper part of the
The bearing member 5 is rotatably supported in a shaft hole 4a, and a cylindrical bearing member 5 is interposed in the upper part of the shaft hole 4a. Further, a cylindrical space 5a is formed below the bearing member 5 in the shaft hole 4a, and this space 5a is formed between the inner wall surface of the shaft hole 4a of the pressing head 4 and the bearing member 5. a lower end surface 5b of
It is defined by the outer peripheral surface of the upper shaft portion 3.

Further, at the upper end of the main body where the peeling blade 2a of the auger body 2 is located, an inclined part 2b is formed which faces outward in the radial direction and is inclined downward. Ice making room 1
A passageway is defined that allows easy communication with b. Therefore, when the frozen casing 1 is cooled by the cooling pipe 6 provided on its outer periphery and the ice formed on the inner wall surface 1c is scraped off by the auger body 2,
This ice is easily forced into the space 5a through the passage defined by the slope 2b.

An ice discharge port 7 is attached to the upper end of the frozen casing 1, and a cutter body 8, which is integrally attached to the upper shaft portion 3, is disposed in a protruding manner within the ice discharge port 7.

The lower shaft portion 3a of the auger body 2 is rotatably supported by a lower bearing member 11 press-fitted into the housing 9, and the output shaft 12a of the drive device 12 is connected to the spline joint 13 on the lower shaft portion 3a. connected via.

Next, the operation of the auger ice maker according to the present invention will be explained. When the power is turned on, water supply starts, and ice-making water is supplied into the ice-making water tank (not shown) and the freezing casing 1 up to a certain water level. When the compressor and drive device 12 (not shown) are activated, refrigerant is supplied to the cooling pipe 6 and ice grows on the inner wall surface 1c of the refrigeration casing 1. This ice is scraped off by the peeling blade 2a of the auger body 2, sent to the ice compression passage (not shown) of the pressing head 4, compressed and dehydrated, and becomes hard ice sticks, which are cut into appropriate lengths by the cutter body 8. The ice is cut and discharged from the ice discharge port 7 into an ice storage (not shown).

In the above ice-making process, the ice pieces scraped off by the peeling blade 2a are sent in a shear bed state to the ice compression passage (not shown) of the pressing head 4 and compressed, while the ice in the ice-making chamber 1b is compressed by the slope part 2b. It also enters the space 5a through the defined passage and is compressed.
The ice pieces press-fitted into the space 5a in this way become hard cylindrical ice and bear a part of the upper shaft 3, and as a result, the upper shaft 3 forms the above-mentioned shape formed in the space 5a. It is pivotally supported by the cylindrical ice and the bearing member 5.

The cylindrical ice in the space 5a has a bearing action as described above and can prevent water scale and the like from entering, so that the load applied to the bearing member 5 during ice-making operation is significantly reduced.

Furthermore, FIG. 2 shows a modified embodiment of the pressing head, in which a spiral groove 4e is formed on the inner wall surface of the shaft hole 4a of this pressing head 4. The spiral groove 4e is the first
The compressed ice press-fitted into the space 5a shown in the figure is
Due to the helical movement of the upper shaft portion 3 when it rotates, it can be pushed upward (that is, toward the bearing member 5 side).

[Effects of the invention] As described above, the auger ice maker according to the invention forms a space below the bearing member, and
The sloped part at the upper end of the auger body is slanted radially outward and downward to ensure a path for ice to pass through, allowing the auger body to easily and positively guide ice into the space. Therefore, compared to simply introducing ice into the space, the upper shaft of the auger body can be supported more reliably, and the intrusion of water scale, etc. can be more reliably prevented, and the load applied to the bearing member during ice-making operation can be reduced. is significantly reduced. Furthermore, by preventing the intrusion of water scale, the life of the bearing member can be significantly extended, thereby significantly reducing maintenance and inspection costs for the bearing mechanism, and significantly improving the reliability of the ice maker.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the overall structure of the auger ice maker according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a modified embodiment of the pressing head of the auger ice maker of FIG. Figure A is a sectional view showing the main parts of a conventional auger-type ice maker, and Figure 3B is Figure 3A.
FIG. 4 is a reduced plan view showing the press head together with the freezing casing in the auger-type ice maker. 1...Frozen casing, 1c...Inner wall surface, 2...
... Auger body, 2b ... Inclined part, 3 ... Upper shaft part,
4...Press head, 4a...Shaft hole, 5...Bearing member,
5a...Space part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] An auger body 2 rotatably supported within the frozen casing 1 scrapes off ice that has formed on the inner wall surface 1c of the frozen casing 1 and transports it upward;
In an auger-type ice maker that makes ice by compressing and dehydrating shaved ice with a pressing head 4, the shaft hole 4a of the pressing head
A bearing member 5 provided inside the auger body 2 and interposed between the outer periphery of the upper shaft portion 3 of the auger body 2 and the inner wall surface of the shaft hole 4a, and a bearing member 5 provided below the bearing member 5 inside the shaft hole 4a. The upper end of the auger body 2 has a space 5a formed therein, into which ice is press-fitted and which acts as a bearing for the upper shaft part 3 during ice-making operation.
a sloped portion 2 defining an ice passage to the space 5a;
b is formed such that it faces radially outward and slopes downward, and the ice transported by the auger body 2 is
An auger-type ice maker configured to be guided into the space 5a through the passage defined by the inclined portion 2b.