JPH0551833B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a water-flow ice maker, and more particularly to a cooler for freezing ice-making water.

(b) Conventional technology The conventional water-flow ice maker is, for example,
A bottom flow type ice maker as disclosed in Figure 2 of Publication No. 53247, a top flow type ice maker as disclosed in Figure 5, and a vertical flow type ice maker as disclosed in Publication No. 57-2866. This is exemplified by ice machines.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention Among the above-mentioned conventional technologies, the bottom and top flow type ice makers are equipped with cut heater equipment for cutting the sheet ice formed on the ice plate into a predetermined size. As a result, the entire device becomes larger and more complicated, leading to problems such as disconnection of the heater. In addition, vertical down-flow ice makers have limited applications because they provide sheet ice that is formed on the entire water-making plate as it is, and the problem is that the heat loss of the evaporator, which does not come into contact with the ice-making plate, is extremely large. Ta.

Therefore, the present invention provides a down-flow ice maker that can produce a large number of independent ice cubes without the need for ice cutting equipment, and efficiently utilizes the heat of the cooling pipe to improve the ice making volume and ice making capacity. It provides a cooler.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention provides a water flow type ice maker that includes a pair of water flow plates installed substantially vertically with a gap on both sides of a cooling pipe of a refrigeration system, and one end surface of the water flow plate. The cooling pipe has an arc-shaped groove that contacts and fits around approximately a semi-circumference of the cooling pipe, and has an ice-making surface exposed approximately flush with the surface of the water flow plate at the other end surface. A large number of heat conduction buttons are arranged in the axial direction of the cooling pipe, and the heat conduction buttons arranged on the one water plate side and the heat conduction buttons arranged on the other water flow plate side are arranged in the axial direction of the cooling pipe. It is characterized by being arranged alternately so that they do not overlap in the intersecting directions.

(E) Effect According to the above configuration, when ice-making water flows down a pair of flowing water plates, ice grows independently on the ice-making surface of the heat conduction button exposed on the surface of each flowing water plate, and as a result, the button You can obtain ice cubes corresponding to the number of ice cubes. In this case, the heat conduction button with a semi-circular groove fitted into the cooling pipe efficiently exchanges heat with the cooling pipe, and the heat conduction buttons arranged alternately on both sides of the cooling pipe exchange heat with the cooling pipe in a well-balanced manner. Moreover, heat loss in the cooling pipes is reduced.

(f) Example Fig. 1 is a system diagram of the down-flow ice maker of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the main parts of the down-flow ice maker, Figure 3
The figure shows a sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the cooling pipe and the button, and FIG. The cooler 1 consists of a pair of water plates 2A and 2B installed substantially vertically with an interval between them, a cooling pipe 3 for the refrigeration system, and heat conduction buttons 4A and 4B arranged on both sides of the cooling pipe 3. Mainly composed. The cooling pipe 3 is connected in an annular manner with an electric compressor 5, a condenser 7 which is forcedly air-cooled by an air blower 6, an expansion valve 8 as a pressure reducing device, and the like to form a refrigerant circuit. This cooling pipe 3 has a meandering shape, and heat conductive buttons 4A made of copper with high thermal conductivity, for example, tin-plated, are arranged in the axial direction on one side of the cooling pipe 3 running horizontally, and on the other side. Heat conduction buttons 4B similar to this are also arranged in the axial direction. These heat conduction buttons 4A and the heat conduction buttons 4B on the opposite side are arranged alternately so as not to overlap in the direction intersecting the axial direction of the cooling pile 3.
These buttons 4A and 4B have arc-shaped grooves 4A1 and 4B1 on one end surface that fit in contact with the approximately semicircumference of the cooling pipe 3, and a water flow plate 2 on the other end surface.
It has ice making surfaces 4A2 and 4B2 exposed substantially flush with the surfaces of ice cubes A and 2B. Thus, the openings at the peripheral ends of the water flow plates 2A and 2B made of stainless steel, for example, are closed by a cover 9 made of rubber or resin, which has extremely poor thermal conductivity. This cover 9
has an upper water guide section 9A and a lower water guide section 9B, each of which has a steeple shape at the top and bottom, of which the lower water guide section 9
A water supply passage 10 is formed in B.

Next, to explain the water system, reference numeral 11 is a deicing water sprinkler having water sprinkling ports 11A and 11B that spray water toward the upper back surfaces of the water flow plates 2A and 2B, and extends from the water sprinkler 1 to the outside of the cover 9. Existing water supply pipe 1
2 is connected to a water pipe via a water supply solenoid valve 13. 14 is a water spout 1 facing the upper water guide section 9A.
4A and 14B, and a water guide pipe 15 extending from the water sprinkler 14 is arranged in a water storage tank 17 that communicates with a gutter 16 that collects unfrozen water falling from the lower water guide part 9B. Circulation pump 1
Connected to 8. 19 is an overflow pipe of the water storage tank 17, and 20 is a temperature sensor that detects the completion of ice making and deicing.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be explained. First, the water supply solenoid valve 13 is opened to start supplying water to the water storage tank 17. In this case, water sprayed from the water sprinkling ports 11A and 11B of the deicing water sprinkler 11 via the water supply pipe 12 passes through the water supply passage 10 formed in the lower water guide portion 9B, falls into the gutter 16, and flows into the water storage tank 17. be guided. When water is supplied to the predetermined water level of the water storage tank 17,
The water supply solenoid valve 13 closes to end the water supply. Next, the electric compressor 5 operates to circulate the low-temperature refrigerant gas through the cooling pipe 3, and at the same time, the circulation pump 18 operates to force the water in the water storage tank 17 through the water conduit 15 to the ice-making water sprinkler 14. , water sprinkling ports 14A and 14
The ice-making water sprinkled from B is guided to the water flow plates 2A and 2B, respectively, by the upper water guide section 9A.

The ice-making water flowing down the water plates 2A and 2B flows through the arc-shaped grooves 4A1 and 4B in the cooling pipe 3.
1 gradually freezes on the ice making surface 4A2 of the heat conduction button 4A and the ice making surface 4B2 of the heat conduction button 4B, which are efficiently cooled due to their surface contact, and the unfrozen ice making water flows into the lower water guide section 9B. It falls into the gutter 16 and returns to the water storage tank 17, and then flows back into the water flow plate 2.
It is circulated to the top of A and 2B. In this way, the ice making surfaces 4A2 and 4B of all buttons 4A and 4B
2, as shown in FIG.
When the temperature sensor 20 detects the predetermined growth of ice cubes 2, the electric compressor 5 and the circulation pump 18 are stopped, and the ice making operation is ended.

When the ice making operation is finished, the water supply solenoid valve 13
is opened, and the de-icing water sprayed from the water sprinkling ports 11A and 11B of the de-icing water sprinkler 11 via the water supply pipe 12 flows down the back surfaces of the water plates 2A and 2B, and the heat sensitivity of the water at this time causes the water to flow. In order to raise the temperature of plates 2A and 2B and buttons 4A and 4B, button 4A
And the lens ice 22 frozen on the ice making surfaces 4A2 and 4B2 of 4B is removed from the ice making surfaces 4A2 and 4B2.

Then, when the temperature sensor 20 detects the detachment of the ice 22 and a fixed amount of water is supplied to the water storage tank 17,
After the de-icing operation is finished, the next cycle of ice-making operation is started.

(g) Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention arranges heat conduction buttons in which arc-shaped grooves are fitted in surface contact with the cooling pipe alternately on both sides of the cooling pipe, and makes the ice making surface of the heat conduction buttons The heat conduction button is exposed flush with the surface of the pair of water plates to configure the cooler, so the heat conduction button exchanges heat with the cooler in a well-balanced and extremely efficient manner.
Moreover, the heat loss of the cooling pipe is reduced, making it possible to increase the amount of ice made and improve the ice making capacity.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a system configuration diagram of the down-flow ice maker of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, and Fig. 3 is A of Fig. 2.
-A sectional view, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the relationship between the cooling pipe and the heat conduction button, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of the heat conduction button with respect to the cooling pipe. 1... Cooler, 2A, 2B... Water plate, 3...
Cooling pipe, 4A , 4B ...Heat conduction button, 4A
1, 4B1...Groove, 4A2, 4B2...Ice making surface.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 In a water flow type ice maker, a pair of water flow plates installed approximately vertically with a gap on both sides of a cooling pipe of the refrigeration system, and a pair of water flow plates installed approximately vertically on both sides of the cooling pipe, and a pair of water flow plates installed in contact with one end surface over approximately half the circumference of the cooling pipe. a large number of heat conductive buttons arranged in the axial direction of the cooling pipe, each having an arc-shaped groove that fits together, and having an ice-making surface exposed substantially flush with the surface of the water flow plate on the other end surface; The heat conduction buttons arranged on the one water flow plate side and the heat conduction buttons arranged on the other water flow plate side are arranged alternately so as not to overlap in a direction intersecting an axial direction of the cooling pipe. A cooler for a down-flow ice maker that is characterized by: