JPH0551831B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application This invention relates to an ice-making structure of an automatic ice-making machine that can fully automatically produce large quantities of, for example, spherical ice blocks or polyhedral ice blocks.

Prior Art In various industrial fields, automatic ice making machines that continuously produce large quantities of ice cubes in the shape of regular hexahedrons, ice sheets of a required thickness, and other ice blocks are suitably used depending on the application. There is. For example, as an ice maker for producing ice cubes, a large number of cube-shaped ice-making compartments are defined downward in the ice-making compartment, which can be opened and closed from below by a water tray, and ice-making water is poured into each compartment from the water tray. The so-called closed-cell method, in which ice cubes are gradually formed in the ice-making chamber by injection, or ice cubes are directly supplied to multiple ice-making chambers that open downward without going through a water tray. However, a so-called open cell system is known in which ice cubes are formed in the ice making compartment. In addition, ice machines that continuously produce plate-shaped or fine-grained crushed ice, and auger-type ice machines that continuously produce ice flakes are also in use.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention As mentioned above, ice manufactured by various conventional ice making machines are all cube-shaped ice cubes, sheet ice, other flaky ice, and crushed ice.
Of these ice cubes, only the ice cubes mentioned above have the required shape and can be floated on drinks or used as a cooling bed for various foodstuffs. Although it is manufactured with
(Usually cannot be used with the same dimensions.)

However, in recent years, coffee shops, restaurants, and other eating and drinking establishments have been making strenuous efforts to differentiate themselves from other companies in order to gain an advantage over similar businesses in various ways and attract customers. As part of this, for example, there is a trend to use spherical ice cubes instead of the more widely popular ice cubes, thereby offering customers immediate new changes.

This spherical ice is widely used for eating and drinking.
Ice cubes must be clear and transparent, with no cloudiness due to air inclusion, and must have high commercial value, and must be able to be manufactured in large quantities, but no automatic ice maker has hitherto existed that meets these requirements. Nakatsuta. Therefore, in developing an ice-making machine capable of producing large amounts of transparent and clear spherical ice, the inventor of the present application obtained a mechanism that fully satisfies the above-mentioned requirements, and therefore developed the basic concept in January 1988. On the 29th, he filed a patent application for his invention, an "automatic ice maker." (Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-
(See Publication No. 196477) The ice-making machine according to the earlier application defines a number of first ice-making chambers that open downward, and includes a first ice-making chamber equipped with an evaporator on the back and a second ice-making chamber that opens upward. Basically, it is equipped with a plurality of second ice-making compartments, and during ice-making operation, both ice-making compartments are closed correspondingly to define a spherical or other ice-forming space therein. In the ice making machine according to this basic structure, how is it possible to continuously supply ice making water stored in a tank into the ice forming space defined by the first and second ice making chambers, and how to supply unfrozen water to the ice forming space defined by the first and second ice making chambers? How to smoothly collect the waste has become a new problem to be solved.

Purpose of the Invention This invention has been proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems and to suitably solve them.
The ice-making machine is basically composed of a first ice-making compartment that has a number of first ice-making compartments that open downward, and a second ice-making compartment that has a number of second ice-making compartments that open upward. An object of the present invention is to provide an ice-making structure for an automatic ice-making machine having a novel configuration capable of continuously supplying ice into an ice-forming space defined by both ice-making chambers and smoothly recovering unfrozen water.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems and suitably achieve the initial objective, the present invention provides ice-making water to be injected into the ice-making chamber to form ice cubes in the ice-making chamber; In an automatic ice-making machine configured to recirculate ice-making water that has not yet frozen, a first ice-making compartment with an evaporator on the back, fixedly arranged approximately horizontally inside the machine, and opening downward in the desired shape is installed. A large number of first ice-making compartments are formed, and a large number of second ice-making compartments each having a desired shape and opening upward are formed, and are retractably disposed below the first ice-making compartment. A second ice-making compartment defines an ice-forming space between the small compartment and the second ice-making compartment, and the second ice-making compartment is tiltably disposed inside the machine, and during ice-making operation, the second ice-making compartment is closed from below, and each It is characterized by comprising a water tray that can inject and supply ice-making water to the second ice-making compartment and tilts diagonally downward during deicing operation to allow exit of the second ice-making compartment.

Embodiments Next, the ice-making structure of the automatic ice-making machine according to the present invention will be described below using preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention,
An automatic ice making machine that continuously produces spherical ice 1 shown in FIG. 7a will be explained, but by simply changing the internal shape of the ice making chamber described later, it is possible to produce diamond-shaped polyhedral water 2 as shown in FIG. 7b. can also be easily accommodated.

FIG. 1 schematically shows the main ice-making structure of an automatic ice-making machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention in an ice-making state. In the figure, an ice-making compartment 10 that produces a large number of spherical ice cubes having a required diameter includes a first ice-making compartment 11 arranged horizontally, and a second ice-making compartment 12 that opens and exits the first ice-making compartment 11 from below. It basically consists of. That is, a rectangular first ice making chamber 11 made of a metal having good thermal conductivity is horizontally arranged and fixed inside and above a casing (not shown) of the ice making machine. A large number of first ice-making chambers 13 opening downward are provided in the lower surface of the ice-making chamber 11 in a predetermined alignment pattern. Each of the first ice-making chambers 13 is formed as a hemispherical recess, and is set to have a diameter of 3 cm and a recess depth of 1.5 cm, for example.

An evaporator 14 made of a tube that constitutes a part of the refrigeration system (described later) shown in FIG. 4 is tightly fixed to the upper surface of the first ice-making compartment 11, that is, the top of each first ice-making compartment 13. By operating the refrigeration system, heat exchange with the vaporized refrigerant is promoted in the evaporator 14, and the first ice making compartment 11 is cooled to below freezing point.

The second ice-making compartment 12 is constructed as a plate-shaped block made of a metal with good thermal conductivity, and is located directly below the first ice-making compartment 11 during ice-making operation. During ice operation, it is possible to exit to the side from directly below the first ice making chamber 11. Further, below the second ice making chamber 12, a water tray 38 having a distribution pipe 24 communicating with an ice making water tank 19, which will be described later, is provided in a freely tiltable manner.
The second ice making chamber 12 is closed from below. That is, on the upper surface of the second ice making compartment 12, the first ice making compartment 1
Corresponding to the first ice-making chambers 13 of 1, a large number of second ice-making chambers 15, also made of hemispherical recesses, are provided in a desired alignment pattern, and the diameter of the second ice-making chambers 15 is, for example, 3 cm, and The depth is set to 1.5cm. Therefore, the first ice making chamber 11
On the other hand, when the second ice making chamber 12 is closed, a spherical space with a diameter of 3 cm is defined inside each of the corresponding small ice making chambers 13 and 15.

The water tray 38 is rotatably supported around the pivot shaft 16 at a fixed part inside the machine located on the side of the first ice making compartment 11, and energizes an actuator motor AM, which will be described later, during deicing operation. As a result, it can be tilted away from the second ice making chamber 12.
This water tray 38 is integrally provided with a tank 19 located below it and storing a predetermined amount of ice-making water.
Further, water fountain holes 25 corresponding to the respective second ice-making chambers 15 are bored in the distribution pipe 24 arranged in a meandering manner on the back surface of the water tray 38 . In addition, a through hole 12a is bored at the bottom of each second ice making compartment 15 in the second ice making compartment 12, and when the second ice making compartment 12 is closed from below with the water tray 38, each water fountain hole 25 is opened. The through hole 12a
It is designed to match. In addition, water plate 3
A return hole 26 is provided adjacent to each fountain hole 25 of 8, and ice-making water that has not yet frozen during the ice-making operation (hereinafter referred to as "unfrozen water") is passed through the return hole 26. It is returned to the ice making water tank 19.

As the tilting opening/closing driving means for the water tray 38, an actuator motor AM with a reduction gear shown in FIG. ing. Then, the tip 1 of the cam lever 17
A coil spring 18 is elastically engaged between 7a and the front end of the water tray 38. A cam surface 17b formed at the base of the cam lever 17 is dimensioned so as to be able to cam engage with the upper surface of the side portion of the water tray 38 that closes the second ice making chamber 12. Also the first
A changeover switch _S2 shown in the circuit diagram of FIG. 5 is disposed at a fixed portion that supports the ice-making chamber 11, and the lever piece 37 is rotated by rotation of the motor AM during deicing operation.
When rotates, the changeover switch _S2 is connected to contacts a and b.
The switch can be biased from the side to the contact a-c side.

A water supply pipe 21 led out from the bottom side of the ice-making water tank 19 is communicated via a water supply pump 22 with a pressure chamber 23 provided on the side of the tank. The pressure chamber 23 communicates with the distribution pipe 24 disposed on the lower surface of the water tray 38. Therefore, the ice making water tank 19
The ice-making water that is pumped through the pump 22 from the
The ice can be injected into each of the second ice-making chambers 15 through the through hole 12a formed in the bottom of the ice-making chamber 15. By setting the diameter of the through hole 12a to be sufficiently large, the unfrozen water that has not yet frozen in the ice making chambers 13 and 15 during the ice making operation to be described later can be transferred to the through hole 12a and the water. The ice-making water can be returned to the ice-making water tank 19 through the return hole 26 formed in the tray 38.

Furthermore, a heater H for promoting ice removal is closely arranged around the bottom of the second ice making chamber 15, and as shown in the control circuit of FIG. 5, when the ice making operation is completed, a timer T is activated.
The heater H is energized for the required time set by . In addition, the water supply to the ice making tank 19 is as follows.
This is done by opening the water supply valve WV in the control circuit shown in FIG. 5 via the water supply pipe 27 connected to the external water system.

Necessary first ice making compartment 1 in the first ice making compartment 11
An ice-making detection thermo _Th1 serving as an ice-making completion detecting means is disposed on the top of the ice-making device 3. This ice-making detection thermometer _Th1 is installed in the control circuit shown in FIG. 5, and during the ice-making operation, it closes its contacts a-c and opens its contacts c-b, and when the ice-making operation ends, The contacts a-c are opened and the contacts c-b are opened.
It is set up so that it can be closed. Further, a deicing detection thermo Th ₂ as a deicing completion detection means is disposed at the top of another first ice making compartment 13, and this deicing detection thermo Th ₂ detects when the first ice making compartment 13 is in a cooling state. The contacts are opened only in certain cases, and the ice making compartment 13 is opened.
The contact is set to close when ice is released from the contact point and the temperature rises.

(Regarding the moving mechanism of the second ice-making compartment) The second ice-making compartment 12 used in the example is moved by the moving mechanism described below at the required timing,
It is configured to be completely retractable from directly below the first ice making chamber 11. That is, during the deicing operation, the second ice-making compartment 12 moves vertically down from the first ice-making compartment 11 by a required distance, and then moves horizontally to retreat from directly below the first ice-making compartment 11, which is a so-called L-shaped movement. An example of a moving mechanism that can perform a return movement in the opposite direction to that described above before restarting the ice-making operation, and that provides this L-shaped and inverted L-shaped movement is schematically shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b. show.

In the figure, a pair of L-shaped guide rails 39, 39 are arranged in parallel adjacent to both side edges of the first ice making chamber 11, which is horizontally fixed in a fixed position, and the right side of the guide rails 39, 39 are arranged in parallel. A pair of L-shaped guide rails 40, 40 having the same shape are arranged in alignment at a predetermined distance apart from each other (in FIG. 3a). As shown in the figure, each of the guide rails 39 and 40 has rack teeth 39a and 40a formed on its rail surface, and the second ice making chamber 1
Each pinion gear 41 is rotatably supported via a shaft on both side edges of the rack teeth 39a, 40a.
The second ice making chamber 12 is connected to the L-shaped guide rails 39, 39 and 40, 40.
It is supported horizontally so that it can be moved freely.

Note that the second ice making compartment 12 has a guide rail 3.
Another pinion gear 51 that meshes with the rack teeth formed on the back surfaces of the pinion gears 9 and 40 is connected to each pinion gear 41.
It is rotatably supported adjacent to. That is, the guide rails 39 and 40 are held between both pinion gears 41 and 51, and thereby the second ice making chamber 1
2 will not fall off the guide rails 39, 40.

In addition, the second ice making chamber 12 is provided with the pinion gear 4.
A drive shaft 52 is rotatably connected to the shaft on which the second ice making compartment 12 is disposed via a worm and a worm wheel.
It is gear-coupled to a deceleration motor located at the As a result, by driving the motor 42,
Each pinion gear 41 and the rack teeth 39a, 40
Under the meshing action with a, the second
L-shaped guide rails 3 form each pair of ice making compartments 12
9, 39 and 40, 40, and can be completely evacuated from directly below the first ice making chamber 11.

Furthermore, when the ice-making operation is completed, the first ice-making compartment 11
and the second ice-making compartment 12 are solidly frozen, and the melting heat from the heater H installed inside the second ice-making compartment 12 and the driving force from the deceleration motor 42 alone cannot
It seems difficult to separate both ice-making compartments 11 and 12. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 3a, the cam 4
3 is attached to the first ice-making compartment 11, and by pressing the edge of the second ice-making compartment 12 downward by the rotation of the cam 43, both ice-making compartments 1
It is recommended to install a mechanism to forcibly peel off parts 1 and 12.

(About the refrigeration system) Fig. 4 shows a schematic configuration of the refrigeration system in the ice maker.The vaporized refrigerant compressed by the compressor CM is condensed and liquefied in the condenser 28 through the discharge pipe 34, and then the dryer After being dehumidified in step 29, the pressure is reduced in the capillary reach tube 30, and it flows into the evaporator 14 where it expands and evaporates all at once, exchanging heat with the first ice making chamber 11, and forming the first ice making chamber 11. 13 is cooled to below freezing. The vaporized refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 14 and the unevaporated liquefied refrigerant flow into the accumulator 31 in a gas-liquid mixed phase state, where they are separated into gas and liquid. The gas phase refrigerant then returns to the compressor CM via the suction pipe 32, and the liquid phase refrigerant is stored in the accumulator 31.

Further, a hot gas pipe 33 is branched from the discharge pipe 34 of the compressor C, and this hot gas pipe 33 is communicated with the inlet side of the evaporator 14 via a hot gas valve HV. This hot gas valve HV is controlled to open only during deicing operation and close during ice making operation. In other words, during deicing operation, the hot gas valve
When the HV is opened, the high temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor CM is sent to the evaporator 1 via the hot gas pipe 33.
4 and heats each first ice-making chamber 13, the circumferential surface of the spherical ice produced inside the chamber is melted, and each ice block is caused to fall by its own weight. Further, the high temperature refrigerant flowing out from the evaporator 14 flows into the accumulator 31, heats and evaporates the liquid phase refrigerant staying in this accumulator 31, and returns it to the compressor CM from the suction pipe 32 as a gas phase refrigerant. let Note that the symbol FM in the figure indicates a fan motor for the condenser 28.

(Regarding the electrical control circuit) FIG. 5 shows an example of an electrical control circuit diagram of the automatic ice maker according to the embodiment. In the figure, a fuse F and an ice storage detection switch _S1 are installed in series between the power supply line R and the connection point D, and a compressor CM is connected between the connection point D and the power supply line T.
It is connected via the normally closed contact X ₁ -b of X ₁ .
The ice storage detection switch _S1 is configured to close when the ice in the ice storage (not shown) decreases below a predetermined level, and to open when the ice in the ice storage reaches a predetermined level. Further, during deicing operation, the terminal a of the changeover switch _S2 , which is energized by the tilting of the second ice making chamber 12, is connected to the connection point D.
Switching contact b of _S2 is contact c of ice-making detection thermometer _Th1 .
It is connected to the.

Between the contact a of the ice-making detection thermo Th ₁ and the line T, the drive motor PM and the fan motor FM of the pump 22 are connected in parallel, and between the contact b of the thermo Th ₁ and the line T, The relay X ₁ , the timer T, and the heater H connected in series with the normally closed contact T-b of the timer T are connected in parallel. Furthermore, the terminal k of the actuator motor AM is connected to the line T, and the tilting drive terminal m of the motor AM is connected to the contact b of the thermostat _Th1 via the normally open contact Ta of the timer T. ing. Furthermore, the changeover contact c of the changeover switch _S2 is connected to the return drive terminal n of the actuator motor AM, and the contact c of the de-icing detection thermometer _Th2.
-a, and the hot gas valve HV is connected between the switching contact c and the line T. The timer T opens the normally closed contact T-b and closes the normally open contact Ta after a predetermined set time has elapsed since the start of energization (start of deicing operation). Furthermore, the water supply valve WV is
It is interposed between the switching contact b of the switch _S2 and the line T in series with the water level switch FSW that monitors the water level of the ice making water tank 19.

Further, a limit switch LSW and a relay X ₂ are interposed in series between the contact point b of the deicing detection thermometer Th ₂ and the line T, and the second ice making chamber 1
A terminal k of a motor 42 that drives the ice making container 2 to advance and retreat with respect to the first ice making chamber 11 is connected to the line T.
The limit switch LSW detects the position of the second ice making chamber 12, and its contacts are opened when the second ice making chamber 12 comes into contact with the limit switch LSW. The second ice maker exit terminal m of the motor 42 is connected to the switching contact c of the switch _S4 via the normally open contact _X2 -a of the relay _X2 , and
Terminal n for entering the icemaker compartment is the normally closed contact of relay X ₂ .
It is connected to the return drive terminal n of the actuator motor AM via X ₂ -b. Further, as described above, the motor 44 as a means for forcibly separating both the ice making chambers 11 and 12 is connected to the motor 44.
is inserted in the circuit in parallel with.

(Operation of the embodiment) Next, the operation of the ice making structure according to the embodiment will be explained. During ice-making operation, the second ice-making compartment 12 is located below the first ice-making compartment 11, as shown in FIG. 1, and closes the first ice-making compartment 13 from the bottom side.
Further, the second ice making chamber 12 is also closed from the bottom side of the water tray 38. Therefore, the distribution pipe 2 of the water tray 38
Each fountain hole 25 drilled in the second ice making chamber 15
It corresponds to the through hole 12a bored in the bottom of the.

(About ice-making operation) In this state, power is turned on to the automatic ice-making machine, but at this time, since there are no ice cubes stored in the ice storage, ice storage detection switch S ₁ is closed, and changeover switch S ₂ is closed. The water supply valve WV is connected to the a-b side, and the water supply valve WV is opened by the water level switch FSW which is being closed, and water is supplied to the ice-making water tank 19. When the water level of the tank 19 reaches a predetermined value, the water level switch FSW opens and the water supply valve WV closes.
Stop water supply.

Furthermore, since the temperature of the first ice-making chamber 11 is maintained at about room temperature, the ice-making detection thermometer _Th1 is connected to the contact c-
Connected to side a. Therefore, when the power is turned on, the compressor CM, fan motor FM, and pump motor
Power to the PM is started and ice making operation begins. As a result, the refrigerant is circulated in the evaporator 14 provided in the first ice-making compartment 11, and the first ice-making compartment 11 is cooled, and the ice-making water 2 from the ice-making water tank 19 is circulated.
0 is pumped into the distribution pipe 24;
Each fountain hole 25 and the through hole 1 of the second ice making chamber 15
The ice is injected into the spherical space defined by both the ice-making chambers 13 and 15 through the ice-making chambers 2a.

The injected ice-making water contacts the inner surface of the first ice-making compartment 13 in the first ice-making compartment 11 and is cooled, moistens the second ice-making compartment 15 in the second ice-making compartment 12 located below, and then flows through the plurality of through holes. 12a and water tray 38
The ice-making water is returned to the ice-making water tank 19 through the return hole 26 drilled in the ice-making water tank 19, and is circulated again. As this ice-making water circulation is repeated, the temperature of the entire ice-making water stored in the tank 19 gradually decreases, and the temperature of the second ice-making chamber 15 also gradually decreases. First, a portion of the ice-making water freezes on the inner wall surface of the first ice-making chamber 13 to form an ice layer (see FIG. 6a).
As the unfrozen water repeats the cycle of returning to the tank 19 from the through hole 12a, the growth of the ice layer further progresses, and finally, as shown in FIGS. 6b and 6c, both ice-making compartments 13 , 15. Spherical ice 1 is generated in the spherical space formed in .

(Regarding deicing operation) When ice making is completed and the temperature of the first ice making chamber 11 falls to the required temperature range, the ice making detection thermo _Th1 detects this and switches from the contact C-a side to the contact c- Switch to side b. This allows the fan motor to
Power to FM and pump motor PM is stopped,
The circulating supply of ice making water is stopped. Also relay x ₁
is energized and cooperates with normally closed contact X ₁
-b is opened and the operation of compressor CM is also stopped.
Further, the timer T is energized and starts counting the required set time period. Then, until the timer T counts up, the heater H connected in series to the normally closed contact T-b is energized to heat the second ice-making compartment 12, and thus the second ice-making compartment 15 is heated.
Melt the ice cubes against the ice. Also, the second
Freezing in the ice making compartment 12 and the water tray 38 is also suitably thawed.

When the required established time period elapses and the timer T counts up, the normally closed contact T-b of the timer T is opened to stop energizing the heater H, and
The normally closed contact Ta connected to the tilt drive terminal m of the actuator motor AM is closed, and the motor AM is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 2a. As a result, the cam lever 17 rotates, and the cam surface 17b formed at the base of the cam lever 17 forcibly presses the upper side surface of the water tray 38 downward. As already mentioned, the second ice-making compartment 12 is heated by the heater H and the ice on the water tray 38 has been removed, so the water tray 38 (and the ice-making water tank 19) is forcibly separated from the second ice-making compartment 12. and begins to tilt diagonally downward. By tilting the water tray 38 and the ice-making water tank 19, the ice-making water with increased impurity concentration in the tank 19 is disposed of to the outside.

At the timing when the water tray 38 is tilted to the maximum, the lever piece 37 presses and urges the changeover switch _S2 , and switches the contacts a and b to the contacts a and c, thereby providing a signal to the timer device T. Power is cut off,
The normally closed contact T-b closes again, and the normally closed contact T-a returns to open. Moreover, the actuator motor AM stops its rotation and the tilting of the water tray 38 is stopped. Note that since the deicing detection thermometer _Th2 maintains the contact ca open state, a return command for the actuator motor AM is not issued yet.

Furthermore, the hot gas valve HV is opened by switching the switch _S2 , and the normally closed contact X1 _- b of the relay _X1 is opened.
The high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor CM, which has resumed operation with the closing of the compressor CM, is bypassed to the evaporator 14 via the hot gas pipe 33. As a result, the first ice-making chamber 11 is heated, and the frozen surface between the inner surface of the first ice-making chamber 13 and the spherical ice begins to melt.

By switching the aforementioned changeover switch _S2 , the relay _X2 is energized, and the normally closed contact that cooperates with it is energized.
X ₂ -a is closed, and normally closed contact X ₂ -b is opened, so that the second ice making chamber exit terminal m of the motor 42 and the motor 44 are energized. As a result, the motor 44 is driven to rotate the cam 43 and press the edge of the second ice making chamber 12 downward.
It is forcibly removed from the first ice making compartment 11. Further, the motor 42 is synchronously driven in a desired direction, and as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2b, the second
L-shaped guide rails 3 form each pair of ice making compartments 12
9, 39 and 40, 40.
That is, the second ice-making compartment 12 separates from the first ice-making compartment 11 and descends vertically, and then moves to the right by itself to reach the first ice-making compartment 11.
Completely evacuate from immediately below the ice making compartment 11. At this time, the spherical ice 1 is still frozen downward in the first ice-making compartment 13 of the first ice-making compartment 11 . When the second ice maker 12 moves a predetermined distance to the right and hits the limit switch LSW, the switch
The LSW contact opens and cuts off the power to relay _X2 . This deenergizes the relay _X2 and the motors 42, 44 stop rotating.

However, as described above, since the hot gas has been circulating in the evaporator 14 since the hot gas valve HV was opened, the temperature of the first ice making chamber 11 is rising. Then, when the first ice-making chamber 13 is heated to a certain degree, the ice between the chamber wall and the spherical ice 1 is broken, and as shown in FIG. 2d, the spherical ice 1 falls due to its own weight. The water tray 38 is on standby for tilting.
It lands on the surface and is collected by sliding into the ice storage.

In this way, when all the spherical ice leaves the first ice making compartment 13, the temperature of the first ice making compartment 11 rises all at once due to the hot gas circulating in the evaporator 14. When the deicing detection thermometer _Th2 detects this temperature rise, the contact c-a of the thermometer _Tn2 closes to complete the deicing operation. By closing the contact c-a of the thermometer _Th2 , the second ice maker advancing terminal n of the motor 42 is energized, and the motor 42 is driven in the opposite direction. Therefore, the second ice making chamber 12 has a pinion gear 41 and a rack tooth 39a, 4.
Under the meshing action with 0a, it returns to its self-propelled position along the pairs of L-shaped guide rails 39, 39 and 40, 40, and returns to the lower part of the first ice-making chamber 11, as shown in FIG. 2e. , waits for the next ice-making operation. Similarly to the motor 42, the motor 44 returns to rotation and waits for the next forced peeling of both the ice making chambers 11 and 12.

Further, the return drive terminal n of the motor AM is energized, and the motor AM reversely rotates to drive the cam lever 17, and the coil spring 18 elastically engaged between the lever 17 and the water tray 38. As a result, the water tray 38 and the ice-making water tank 19 are rotated counterclockwise and returned to the horizontal state, thereby closing the second ice-making chamber 12 from below again. Note that by setting the rotational speed of the motor 42 to be sufficiently higher than the return speed of the water tray 38, interference between the water tray 38 and the second ice making chamber 12 during the return operation will not occur.

Then, due to the reverse rotation of the motor AM, the cam lever 17 also rotates in the reverse direction, pressing and energizing the changeover switch _S2 to switch from the contact ac side to the contact ab side. As a result, the hot gas valve HV is closed and the supply of hot gas is stopped. Also, since the water level switch FSW is closed, the water supply valve PWV
is opened and new ice-making water is supplied to the tank 19 whose water level has decreased, and when the required water level is reached, the water level switch FSW is activated and the supply of ice-making water to the tank 19 is stopped.

The relay X ₂ is also deenergized, opening the normally closed contact X ₂ -a associated therewith again. Then, the initial state shown in the circuit diagram of FIG. 5 is restored, the ice-making operation is restarted, and the above-described operation is repeated. When the ice making operation and the ice removal operation are repeated and a predetermined amount of spherical ice is stored in the ice storage, the ice storage detection switch _S1 is opened and the operation of the ice maker is stopped.

Effects of the Invention As explained above, according to the ice-making structure of the automatic ice-making machine according to the present invention, the first ice-making compartment has a plurality of first ice-making compartments that open downward, and the second ice-making compartment that opens upward. In an ice-making machine that basically has a second ice-making compartment divided into multiple compartments, the second ice-making compartment and the water tray that supplies ice-making water are arranged separately, so that the ice-making water stored in the tank can be transferred to both small ice-making compartments. It is possible to suitably continuously supply unfrozen water into the ice forming space defined by the ice formation space, and to smoothly recover unfrozen water. In the illustrated example, explanation has been given on the case of manufacturing spherical ice, but by changing the inner surface shapes of the first ice-making chamber and the second ice-making chamber, it is possible to mass-produce multifaceted ice as shown in FIG. 7b. are also preferably used.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an ice making structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS.
An explanatory diagram illustrating over time the state in which the second ice maker separates from the first ice maker and releases spherical ice toward the ice storage, and FIG. 3 shows the second ice maker being opened to the first ice maker. Fig. 3a is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the first ice-making compartment is closed from below with the second ice-making compartment, and Fig. 3b is a schematic perspective view showing the second ice-making compartment closed from below. A schematic perspective view showing a state in which the room is completely evacuated from directly below, FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of a general refrigeration system in an automatic ice maker, and FIG. 5 is a diagram of an ice making control circuit that controls the operation of the device according to the embodiment. A circuit diagram showing an example, FIGS. 6 a to 6 c are explanatory diagrams showing the state in which spherical ice is formed in the first ice making compartment and the second ice making compartment over time, and FIG. 7 a is an explanatory diagram showing spherical ice. Figure, 7th
Figure b is an explanatory diagram showing multifaceted ice. 11...First ice making room, 12...Second ice making room, 1
3...First ice making compartment, 14...Evaporator, 15...
Second ice making compartment, 19... Ice making water tank, 38...
water dish.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An automatic ice-making machine configured to inject ice-making water into an ice-making compartment to form ice cubes in the ice-making compartment, and to recirculate ice-making water that has not frozen in the ice-making compartment. , a first ice-making compartment 11 is provided with an evaporator 14 on the back and is fixedly arranged substantially horizontally inside the machine, and has a number of first ice-making compartments 13 of a desired shape that open downward, and a first ice-making compartment 11 of a desired shape that opens upward. A large number of second ice-making compartments 15 are formed, and are disposed below the first ice-making compartment 11 so as to be freely retractable.
A second ice-making compartment 12 defining an ice-forming space between the ice-making compartment 13 and the second ice-making compartment 15; and a second ice-making compartment 12 that is tiltably disposed inside the machine and closes the second ice-making compartment 12 from below during ice-making operation. and a water tray 38 that can spray and supply ice-making water to each of the second ice-making compartments 15 and that tilts diagonally downward during deicing operation to allow exit of the second ice-making compartment 12. An ice-making structure of an automatic ice-making machine featuring: 2 The water tray 38 has an ice making water tank 1 below it.
9. The ice making structure of an automatic ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the ice making structure is integrally arranged. 3. The water tray 38 is equipped with a distribution pipe 24 that communicates with the ice-making water tank 19 via a pipe line, and the distribution pipe 24 is provided with a fountain hole 25 that opens upward and corresponds to each of the second ice-making chambers 15. Ice-making water is injected and supplied to each second ice-making chamber 15 by making the water fountain holes 25 correspond to the through holes 12a formed at the bottom of the second ice-making chamber 15, respectively. Ice making structure of the automatic ice making machine described in 2.