JPH0551834B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application This invention provides an automatic ice making machine that can fully automatically produce large quantities of ice cubes in the form of, for example, spheres or polyhedrons. The present invention relates to a deicing control method for smoothly removing ice from the ice making room.

BACKGROUND ART In various industrial fields, automatic ice making machines that continuously produce large quantities of dice-shaped ice cubes, ice sheets of a required thickness, and ice flakes are suitably used depending on the application. For example, as an ice maker for producing the ice cubes described above, a large number of cube-shaped ice-making compartments are defined downward in the ice-making compartment, which can be opened and closed with a water tray, and ice-making water is poured into each compartment from the water tray. There is a so-called closed cell method in which water is injected into an ice making chamber to gradually form ice cubes in the ice making chamber, and ice making water is directly supplied to a number of cube-shaped ice making chambers that open downward to form ice cubes. A so-called open cell system is known in which ice is formed in the ice making compartment. In addition, ice makers that continuously produce sheet ice or fine-grained crushed ice, and auger-type ice makers that continuously produce ice flakes are also in use.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention As mentioned above, most of the ice produced by conventional ice making machines is cube-shaped ice cubes, ice cubes, ice cubes, other ice flakes, and crushed ice. Only the above-mentioned ice cubes have the required shape and can be floated on drinks or used as a cooling bed for various foodstuffs (board ice also has a shape, but (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 ball-shaped (spherical) ice cubes instead of the more widely popular ice cubes, thereby offering new changes to customers.

However, since this spherical ice is widely used for eating and drinking, its commercial value will decrease unless it is a clear, transparent block of ice that does not become cloudy due to aeration. It is also necessary to be able to produce large quantities of ice, but there has been no automatic ice-making machine for producing spherical ice that satisfies this type of requirement. Therefore, the inventor of the present application engaged in the development of an ice making machine capable of producing a large amount of transparent and clear spherical ice, and having obtained a mechanism that fully satisfies the above requirements, the inventor developed the basic concept in January 1988. On the 29th, he filed a patent application for his invention, an "automatic ice maker."

The ice-making machine according to the previous application has a first ice-making compartment that defines a number of first ice-making compartments that open downward, a first ice-making compartment equipped with an evaporator on the back, and a second ice-making compartment that defines a number of second ice-making compartments that open upward. The ice making chamber basically includes two ice making chambers, and during ice making operation, both ice making chambers are closed correspondingly to define a space therein for forming irregularly shaped ice such as spheres. Unlike conventionally known automatic ice makers, the ice maker with this basic structure is further equipped with a second ice maker. The new problem to be solved is how to remove it.

Purpose of the Invention The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems and to suitably solve them. The purpose of this invention is to provide a new deicing control method for an automatic ice maker.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems and suitably achieve the intended purpose, the present invention provides a first ice-making chamber that is provided with a large number of first ice-making chambers that open downward, and that has an evaporator on the back side. A second ice-making chamber is provided with a large number of second ice-making chambers that open upwardly, and is arranged so that the first ice-making chamber can be closed from below.
In an automatic ice making machine comprising an ice making compartment and a heating means for heating a second ice making compartment during deicing operation, the formation of ice blocks in the space defined by the first and second ice making compartments is detected, and the formation of ice blocks is detected. The second ice-making compartment is heated by the heating means while the refrigerant supply to the container is continued, and the second ice-making compartment is separated from the first ice-making compartment while the ice blocks are still attached to the first ice-making compartment. At the same time, the heating means is stopped, and then the valve of the refrigerant circulation system in the refrigeration system is switched, and hot gas is circulated and supplied to the evaporator to heat the first ice-making chamber, thereby melting and detaching the ice block from the first ice-making chamber. It is characterized by

Embodiments Next, a method for controlling de-icing for an automatic ice maker according to the present invention will be described below with reference to preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. According to the automatic ice making machine according to the present invention, in addition to the spherical ice 1 shown in FIG. 13a, it is also possible to produce diamond-cut polyhedral ice 2 as shown in FIG. 13b.

(Regarding the first and second ice-making compartments) Fig. 1 schematically shows an ice-making mechanism capable of implementing the de-icing control method according to the present invention in an ice-making state, and is capable of producing a large number of spherical ice cubes having a required diameter. Ice making room 10
The first ice-making compartment 11 is arranged horizontally, and the first ice-making compartment 11 is arranged horizontally.
A second ice making chamber 11 that can be freely opened and closed from below.
It basically consists of an ice making compartment 12. That is, a rectangular first ice-making chamber 11 made of a metal with good thermal conductivity is arranged and fixed horizontally in the upper part of the inside of an ice-making machine housing (not shown), and the first ice-making chamber 11 is arranged and fixed horizontally in a predetermined alignment pattern. A large number of small ice-making chambers 13 are recessed downward in the first ice-making chamber 11. Each 1st ice making compartment 1
3 is formed as a hemispherical recess, and is set to have a diameter of 3 cm and a depth of 1.5 cm, for example. An evaporator 14 derived from a refrigerant system (described later) shown in FIG. or promoted, the first ice making room 11
is cooled to below freezing.

Immediately below the first ice making chamber 11, a second ice making chamber 12 made of a metal with good heat conductivity such as copper is provided so as to be tiltable as described below. The first ice making chamber 11 can be closed from below, and the first ice making chamber 11 can be opened during deicing operation. That is, the second ice-making compartment 12 has a second ice-making compartment 13, which is also made of a hemispherical recess, corresponding to the first ice-making compartment 13 recessed in the first ice-making compartment 11.
A large number of ice-making chambers 15 are recessed upward in a required alignment pattern. The diameter of this second ice making chamber 15 is also 3 cm, as an example, and the depth of the recess is 1.5 cm.
is set to . Therefore, when the second ice-making compartment 12 is closed from below with respect to the first ice-making compartment 11, the ice-making compartments 13 and 15 correspond to each other, and a spherical space with a diameter of 3 cm is defined within each compartment.

As described above, the second ice making chamber 12 is constructed as a block body made of a heat conductive metal such as copper, and the water tray 38 for injecting and supplying ice making water to each of the second ice making chambers 15 is connected to the second ice making chamber 12. It is integrally fixed to the outer bottom of the ice making chamber 12 via bolts 60. This second
On the surface of the ice-making compartment 12 opposite to the surface on which the second ice-making compartment 15 is formed (the surface facing the water tray 38), a ninth ice-making compartment 12 is provided.
As shown in the figure, each of the second ice making compartments 1 adjacent to each other
A groove 71 is formed between the groove 5 and the groove 5. That is,
Each of the second ice making chambers 15 is surrounded by a groove 71 on the bottom surface, and the water supply valve is
Tap water supplied via the WV fills the groove passage 72 defined between the groove 71 and the water tray surface, and the second
The ice making chamber 15 is configured to accelerate heating.

A support 73 having the same depth as the groove 71 is protruded from a predetermined position of the groove 71 in the second ice making chamber 12, and the bolt 60 is inserted into a hole 73a formed in the support 73. . The second ice making chamber 12 is connected to the tip of the support 73 and through hole 12a, which will be described later.
The bolt is fixed to the water tray 38 with the perforated portion thereof in contact with the surface of the water tray 38.

The rear end of the water tray 38 rises at a right angle to form a rear part 64, and the open end of the rear part 64 is pivoted to a fixed portion of an ice maker housing (not shown) by a pivot 16 so as to be tiltable and pivotable. The second ice making chamber 12 is
It is also urged to rotate. That is, if it is rotated clockwise as shown in FIG. 6, the second ice-making chamber 12, which is integrally fixed to the water tray 38, opens the first ice-making chamber 13, and if it is rotated counterclockwise, the second ice-making chamber 12, which is integrally fixed to the water tray 38, opens the first ice-making chamber 13. As shown in the figure, the second ice making compartment 12 closes the first ice making compartment 13. On the back side of the water tray 38, each second ice making compartment 15 is provided.
Fountain holes 25 communicating with the water tray 38 are correspondingly bored, and a distribution pipe 24 for supplying ice-making water to these fountain holes 25 is also arranged in a meandering manner on the back surface of the water tray 38. Further, below the water tray 38, an ice-making water tank 19 for supplying ice-making water to the distribution pipe 24 is integrally provided.

As shown in the figure, each second ice maker in the second ice making compartment 12
A through hole 12a is bored in the bottom of the small ice making chamber 15, and when the water tray 38 and the second ice making chamber 12 are fixed,
Each fountain hole 25 is dimensioned to correspond to the through hole 12a. And this through hole 12a
During the ice making operation described later, both ice making compartments 13,
It functions to supply ice-making water to the ice-forming space defined by 15 and to appropriately discharge ice-making water that has not yet frozen in the space (hereinafter referred to as "unfrozen water"). In addition, each fountain hole 25 of the water tray 38
A return hole 26 is bored adjacent to the passage 12.
The unfrozen water discharged from a is returned to the ice-making water tank 19 through the return hole 26.

(About the water pan tilting mechanism and water circulation system) Actuator motor that tilts the water pan 38
AM is equipped with a reducer, and a cam lever is attached to the rotating shaft.
7 and a lever piece 37 are fixed so as to extend in the radial direction, and a coil spring 1 is installed between the tip 17a of the cam lever 17 and the front end of the water tray 38.
8 is elastically attached. The cam lever 1
The cam surface 17b formed at the base of the water tray 38 is dimensioned so as to be able to engage with the upper surface of the side portion 61 of the water tray 38. Further, a changeover switch _S2 is disposed at a fixed portion that supports the first ice making chamber 11, and when the lever piece 37 is rotated by the rotation of the motor AM accompanying the deicing movement, the changeover switch _S2 is switched to the first ice making chamber 11. Switch from contacts a-b to contacts a-c as shown in the figure, and motor
The AM is stopped and the water tray 38 is stopped in a tilted state. It also functions to switch the refrigeration system valve and circulate hot gas to the evaporator 14.

A water supply pipe 21 led out from the bottom side of the ice making tank 19 communicates with a pressure chamber 23 provided on the side of the tank via a water supply pump 22, and further communicates from the pressure chamber 23 with the distribution pipe 24. Therefore, the ice-making water pumped from the ice-making water tank 19 via the pump 22 is fed to each of the water fountains 2 formed in the distribution pipe 24.
5 and the through hole 12 bored in the second ice making chamber 12
The ice is injected into each of the second ice-making chambers 15 through a. In addition, during the ice-making operation described later, unfrozen water that has not frozen in both ice-making chambers 13 and 15 can be returned to the ice-making water tank 19 through the return hole 26 formed in the through hole 12a and the water tray 38. It's becoming like that.

Further, in front of the water tray 38, a damming part 62 is provided which is set lower than the side part 61 by a predetermined dimension, and both ends of this damming part 62 are connected to the side parts 61,
It is closely attached to 61. In addition, the water tray 38 has a second
A drainage hole 63 of a required diameter is bored between the front end of the ice making chamber 12 and the dam 62. As a result, the inner surface of the water tray 38 has both side parts 61, 61,
A water reservoir portion 65 surrounded by the dam portion 62 and the rear portion 64 is formed. The water stored in the water reservoir 65 fills the groove passage 72 defined around the second ice-making chamber 12 and heats each of the second ice-making compartments 15. Furthermore, a part of the water stored in the water reservoir 65 is drained from the drainage hole 63 to the ice making water tank 1.
9, other water overflows from the upper end of the dam 62 and flows into the tank 19 from the front side of the water tray 38. Note that water is supplied to the ice-making water tank 19 by opening the water supply valve WV of the water supply pipe 27 connected to the external water supply system.

(About the temperature sensing mechanism) An ice-making detection thermometer is installed at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the first ice-making compartment 11, and functions as an ice-making completion detection means.
A Th ₁ temperature sensing part (probe) is installed. This ice-making detection thermo _Th1 closes the contact c-a shown in FIG. 11 and opens the contact c-b during the ice-making operation, and when the ice-making operation ends, the contact c-a
It is set so that it can open the contact point c-b and close the contact point c-b. In addition, a temperature sensing part of a deicing detection thermometer Th ₂ which functions as a deicing completion detection means is arranged at a different position on _the top surface of the first ice making chamber. The contacts are set to open only when the ice making compartment 13 is in a cooling state, and to close when ice is released from the ice making compartment 13 and the temperature rises.

Furthermore, a temperature-sensing part of a thermostat Th ₃ is disposed at a required side part of the second ice-making compartment 12 , and the main body of the thermostat Th ₃ that emits an electric signal is located at the rear part 64 of the water tray 38 .
installed on. This temperature sensing thermo Th ₃
functions to monitor the temperature of the second ice making compartment 12. In addition, in the temperature detection thermometer _Th3 , when the temperature of the second ice making compartment 12 exceeds a predetermined value, contacts a-c close and contacts a-b open, and when the temperature falls below a predetermined value, contacts a-c open. The setting is such that contacts a and b are closed.

(Regarding the ice guide plate) A drain tray 69 is provided below the ice-making water tank 19 to catch residual ice-making water and discharge it to the outside of the machine. An ice guide board 67 is facing. This ice guide plate 67 is
During the ice-making operation, it is positioned by coming into contact with a positioning member 70 that extends and hangs down from the fixed part of the housing, and is stopped at a position close to the open end of the tank 19, as shown in FIG. In this state, when the ice-making water in the tank 19 overflows, this water flows down along the back surface of the ice guide plate 67 and then flows into the drain tray 69, as shown in FIG.
is ejected from the aircraft. Also, during deicing operation,
As shown in FIG. 6, when the shaft 68 to which the ice guide plate 67 is fixed is driven counterclockwise by a driving means (not shown), the ice guide plate 67 is in a tilted state (described later). It collapses onto the upper surface of the chamber 12 and blocks each of the second ice-making chambers 15. As shown in FIG. 7, the spherical ice falling from the first ice making compartment 11 is slid down on this ice guide plate 67 and smoothly guided to an ice storage (not shown).

Note that when the water tray 38 (second ice making chamber) returns to its original position, the ice guide plate 67 is pressed by the water tray 38 returning to the horizontal state and rotates clockwise, as shown in FIG. , comes into contact with the machine positioning member 70 and stops. This ice guide plate 67 is tilted by moving the center of gravity using the shaft 68 as a fulcrum.

(About the refrigeration system) Fig. 10 shows a schematic configuration of the refrigeration system in the ice maker. The vaporized refrigerant compressed by the compressor CM passes through the discharge pipe 34, is condensed and liquefied in the condenser 28, and is then transferred to 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, and exchanges heat with 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 3, and the liquid phase refrigerant is stored in the accumulator 31.

Furthermore, a hot gas pipe 33 is branched from the discharge pipe 34 of the compressor CM, 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 heat 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 accumulation meter 31, heats and evaporates the liquid phase refrigerant staying in this accumulation meter 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. 11 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 provided in series between the power supply line R and the connection point D.
A compressor CM is connected between the power supply line T and the power supply line T. In addition, during deicing operation, a changeover switch S ₂ is activated by the tilting of the second ice making chamber 12.
Terminal a is connected to connection point D, and fan motor FM is connected between changeover contact b of this changeover switch _S2 and line T. Furthermore, selector switch S ₂
The switching contact b is connected to the contact c of the ice-making detection thermometer _Th1 .

A drive motor PM of the pump 22 is connected between the contact a of the ice-making detection thermometer Th ₁ and the line T, and the contact b of the ice-making detection thermometer Th ₁ is connected to the temperature detection thermometer Th 1.
It is connected to the contact a of Th ₃ , and the thermo Th ₃
A relay X is connected between the switching contact b and the line T. Further, the other switching contact c of the temperature detection thermometer _Th3 is connected to the tilting drive terminal m of the motor AM. Furthermore, the terminal k of the motor AM is connected to the line T, and its return drive terminal n is connected to the changeover contact c of the changeover switch _S2 via the contact of the de-icing detection thermometer _Th2 . Also, between the contact c of the changeover switch _S2 and the line T,
Hot gas valve HV is connected.

A water supply valve WV is connected between the connection point D and the line T via the normally open contact X-a of the relay X. Further, the water supply valve WV is connected to the changeover contact c of the changeover switch _S2 via the normally closed contact X-b of the relay X.

Effects of the Embodiment Next, a deicing control method implemented by operating the above-mentioned automatic ice maker will be described. During ice-making operation, the second ice-making chamber 12 is opened as shown in Fig. 1.
In this case, the first ice making chamber 11 is closed from below, and each first ice making chamber 11 is closed from below.
The ice-making chamber 13 and each of the second ice-making chambers 15 are associated with each other to define an ice-forming space therein. In this state, turn on the power to the automatic ice maker. At this time,
Since no ice is stored in the ice storage, the ice storage detection switch _S2 is closed, and the changeover switch _S2 is closed at contact a.
- connected to the b side. 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 point ca side. Therefore, power is applied to the compressor CM, fan motor FM, and pump motor PM at the same time as the power is turned on.
Start ice making operation. As a result, the refrigerant is circulated and supplied to the evaporator 14 provided in the first ice-making compartment 11.
The ice making compartment 11 is cooled. The ice-making water from the ice-making water tank 19 is pumped to the distribution pipe 24, and is passed through the water fountains 25 of the distribution pipe 24 and the through hole 12a of the second ice-making compartment 12 to both the small ice-making compartments 13,
It is injected into a spherical space defined by 15.

The injected ice-making water contacts the inner surface of the first ice-making chamber 13 and is cooled, moistens the second ice-making chamber 15 located below, and then is discharged from the spherical space through the through hole 12a. This unfrozen water is transferred to the ice-making water tank 1 through the return hole 26 formed in the water tray 38.
9 and subjected to circulation again. As the circulation of the ice-making water 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, the so-called ice-making water freezes on the inner wall surface of the first ice-making chamber 13 and an ice layer begins to form (see FIG. 2), and the unfrozen water flows through the through hole 12a and the return hole 26.
During the repeated operation of returning from the ice to the tank 19, the growth of the ice layer further progresses, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
As shown in the figure, spherical ice 1 is produced in the spherical space where both ice-making chambers 13 and 15 are finally formed. If the ice making operation is ended at the timing when the ice making state shown in FIG. 2 is reached, hollow spherical ice 1 as shown in FIG. 13c is obtained. The hollow ice obtained in this way can stimulate new demand for ice by filling the inner space with food such as cherry blossoms, beverages such as youth, and ornamental materials such as flower petals. Furthermore, by placing the perforated part of the hollow ice (the part corresponding to the fountain hole 25 and the return hole 26) against the lower lip and blowing, it can be used as a whistle (ice flute), giving a unique taste. .

As shown in FIG. 4, when the production of spherical ice is completed and the temperature of the first ice-making chamber 11 falls to the required temperature range, the ice-making detection thermo Th ₁ detecting this drops to the contact point c.
The contact is switched from the -a side to the contact c-b side, the power supply to the pump motor PM is stopped, and the circulating supply of ice-making water is stopped (see the timing chart in FIG. 12).
Note that since the compressor CM and the fan motor F continue to be energized, the supply of refrigerant to the evaporator 14 continues. Furthermore, since the temperature in the second ice making chamber 12 has dropped below the required temperature due to the formation of the spherical ice 1, the temperature detection thermometer _Th3 is connected to the contact point a-b side, and therefore the relay X is energized and energized. to close the normally open contact X-a and open the water supply valve WV. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, water starts to be supplied from the water supply pipe 27 connected to the external water supply system to the water reservoir 65 defined on the surface of the water tray 38.

Since the tap water supplied via the water supply valve WV is larger than the amount flowing down from the drain hole 63 to the tank 19, the water level in the water reservoir 65 gradually rises.
Eventually, the water overflows from the damming part 62 of the water tray 38. Water reservoir part 6 when overflowing
By setting the water surface level 5 near the upper end of the second ice-making compartment 12, tap water at room temperature can primarily heat the second ice-making compartment 12. Note that since the normally closed contact X-b of the relay X is open, the hot gas valve HV is closed.

Here, since the first ice-making compartment 11 is being continuously cooled, the first ice-making compartment 11 is maintained near the ice-making completion temperature, and the ice-making detection thermometer Th ₁ is connected to the contact c-
Connected to the b side. In addition, the ice cubes generated in the first ice making chamber 11 and the ice forming space are
The ice making compartment 12 is also cooled, but since the heat capacity of the water stored in the water reservoir 65 is greater than the cooling capacity of the ice blocks, the temperature of the second ice making compartment 12 gradually rises.

The overflow water from the dam 62 is
The water flows down from the tip of the water dish 38 into the tank 19. The water flowing from the tip of this water tray and the drain hole 63
The water level in the tank 19 gradually rises due to the water flowing down from the tank 19, and in a short time it overflows from the tip of the tank and is discharged from the drain tray 69 to the outside of the machine along the ice guide plate 67 in the standby position.

Second ice making compartment 12, water reservoir 65 and groove passage 72
The ice cubes are heated by the tap water stored in the ice cubes and the temperature rises, and the freezing force between the wall surface of the second ice making chamber 15 and the ice cubes decreases. Furthermore, the adhesion force of the ice formed on the surface adjacent to the first ice making chamber 11 is also weakened. In this way, the second ice making compartment 1
When the temperature of No. 2 rises, the thermometer Th ₃ detects this and switches the contact a-b to the contact a-c side. This deenergizes the relay X, opening the normally open contact X-a and closing the normally closed contact X-b, thereby closing the water supply valve WV as shown in the timing chart of FIG. Also, by energizing through the tilting drive terminal m of the actuator motor AM and driving the motor AM,
The cam lever 17 begins to rotate counterclockwise in FIG.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the cam lever 1
A cam surface 17b formed at the base of the water tray 7 forcibly presses the upper surface of the side portion 61 of the water tray 38 downward. As already mentioned, the second ice making compartment 12 is heated by tap water and the adhesion force between the first ice making compartment 11 and the spherical ice 1 is reduced, so the water tray 38 and the second ice making compartment 12 are It is forcibly separated from the first ice making chamber 11 and begins to tilt diagonally downward. By tilting the water tray 38 and the tank 19, the ice-making water in the tank 19 and the water in the water reservoir are disposed of to the outside.

During the tilting of the water tray 38, by pushing a reversing lever (not shown) integrated with the shaft 68 with a part of the water tray assembly, the ice guide plate 67 is reversed, and the ice guide plate 67 is turned over. Tilt while leaning. At the timing when the water tray 38 is tilted to the maximum,
The lever piece 37 presses and urges the changeover switch _S2 to switch its contacts a-b to contacts a-c.
As a result, the motor AM stops its rotation and the tilting of the water tray 38 is stopped. As mentioned above, the ice guide plate 67 covers the upper surface of the second ice making chamber 12 and provides a smooth surface for ice cubes to slide down.

Furthermore, by switching the switch _S2 , the condenser fan motor FM is stopped, the hot gas valve HV is opened, hot gas is supplied to the evaporator 14, the first ice making compartment 11 is heated, and the first ice making chamber 11 is heated.
The frozen surface between the inner surface of the ice-making chamber 13 and the spherical ice 1 begins to melt. In addition, the water supply valve WV is opened to clean the water tray 38 and the second ice making compartment 12, which are not tilted.

As mentioned above, the first ice making chamber 11 has a water tray 38.
Cooling continues until the tip is opened, so
The freezing force (adhesion force) between the spherical ice 1 and the inner surface of the first ice-making chamber 13 is strong, and when the second ice-making chamber 12 is opened, the spherical ice 1 sticks to the first ice-making chamber 1 as shown in FIG.
It's stuck at 3. However, since hot gas has been circulating in the evaporator 14 since a while ago, the temperature in the first ice making chamber 11 is rising. When the first ice making chamber 13 is heated to a certain degree, as shown in FIG. 7, the spherical ice 1 is unfrozen from the chamber wall and falls under its own weight, causing the ice guide plate, which is waiting to be tilted, to It lands on the surface of ice cube 67 and is collected by sliding into an ice storage (not shown). Note that since the de-icing detection thermo Th ₂ maintains its open state, the actuator motor AM
A reinstatement order has not yet been issued.

In this way, all the spherical ice 1 is stored in the first ice making chamber 13.
When the first ice-making chamber 11 is separated from the ice-making chamber 11, the temperature of the first ice-making chamber 11 rises all at once due to the hot gas circulating in the evaporator 14, as shown in FIG. When the de-icing detection thermo Th ₂ detects this temperature rise, the thermo Th ₂ closes and the return drive terminal n of the actuator motor AM is energized, and the motor AM reversely rotates and the cam lever 17 to drive. Therefore, the coil spring 18 elastically engaged between the lever 17 and the water tray 38 urges the water tray 38 and the ice-making water tank 19 to rotate counterclockwise to return them to the horizontal state. Therefore, the first ice making chamber 11 is closed again from below. Note that the tap water supplied onto the water tray 38 and stored in the water reservoir 65 flows through the drain hole 6.
The ice-making water flows into the ice-making water tank 19 through the ice-making water tank 19, and is supplied as new ice-making water to the tank 19 whose water level has decreased.

Next, due to the reverse rotation of the motor AM, the cam lever 17 is also rotated in the reverse direction, pressing and energizing the changeover switch _S2 to switch its contacts ac to the ab side. This allows the water supply valve WV and hot gas valve to
The HV is closed and the supply of ice making water and hot gas is stopped. Then, the ice making operation is resumed by returning to the initial state, and the above-described operations are 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.

In the illustrated example, a case has been described in which external tap water stored in a water reservoir formed on the surface of the water tray is used as the heating means, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a heater may be embedded in the second ice-making compartment, and the heater may be heated with electricity during the deicing operation. Further, heating of the second ice making compartment may be accelerated by using tap water in combination with a heater or by immersing a high temperature part of a refrigeration system in the water reservoir to warm the tap water.

Effects of the Invention As explained above, according to the deicing control method according to the present invention, a first ice-making chamber including a first ice-making chamber that opens downward and a second ice-making chamber that opens upward are defined. In connection with an ice maker that basically includes a second ice maker and generates ice blocks in an ice forming space defined internally by closing both ice maker compartments, the second ice maker is heated during deicing operation. , while the ice cubes remain in the first ice-making compartment, the second ice-making compartment is replaced with the first ice-making compartment.
Forcibly remove it from the ice maker.

In other words, the first and second ice-making compartments are not heated simultaneously during deicing operation, but the second ice-making compartment is heated by the heating means, so the second ice-making compartment is forced from the first ice-making compartment for deicing. Even if they are removed, the ice cubes still remain in the first ice making chamber in a frozen state. Therefore, even if the second ice-making compartment is tilted, falling ice cubes may get caught and remain in the second ice-making compartment that opens upward to the second ice-making compartment, and ice cubes may not be deposited into the ice storage. A smooth fall is not hindered,
Can be removed smoothly.

Although the explanation has been given regarding the production of spherical ice, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that it can also be implemented to produce polyhedral ice having other shapes.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 8 are vertical cross-sectional views showing the schematic configuration of the ice making mechanism of an automatic ice maker that can suitably implement the deicing control method according to the present invention, and FIG. On the other hand, Fig. 2 shows the initial state when the second ice-making compartment is closed and ice-making operation has started, and Fig. 2 shows the state where hollow spherical ice is formed in both ice-making compartments as ice making progresses. The figure shows a state where almost solid spherical ice is formed in both ice-making chambers and the water level of the ice-making water in the tank is decreasing as the ice-making process approaches completion.Figure 4 shows that ice-making is almost complete. Figure 5 shows the state in which solid spherical ice is formed in both ice-making chambers. Figure 5 shows that ice-making is completed, the water supply valve is opened, and the water overflows from the dam due to the water level rising in the water reservoir. , the ice flows down along the back surface of the ice guide plate and is discharged from the drain tray to the outside of the machine. In Fig. 6, the actuator motor is energized to tilt and open the second ice-making compartment clockwise. A state in which the ice guide plate is collapsed onto the upper surface of the second ice-making compartment to block each of the second ice-making compartments,
Figure 7 shows the state in which spherical ice falls from the first ice-making compartment and slides down the ice guide plate located slanted directly below it, and Figure 8 shows the state in which ice is removed and the second ice-making compartment is moved counterclockwise. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the second ice making chamber shown in FIG. 1 observed from the back side in a longitudinally sectional state; Fig. 10 is a circuit diagram of a general refrigeration system in an automatic ice maker, Fig. 11 is a circuit diagram showing an example of an ice making control circuit for controlling the operation of the ice maker according to the embodiment, and Fig. 12 is an ice making system according to the embodiment. A timing chart when the device is controlled by the ice-making control circuit shown in FIG. 11, FIG. 13a is an explanatory diagram showing spherical ice, FIG. 13b is an explanatory diagram showing multifaceted ice, and FIG. 13c is an explanatory diagram showing hollow spherical ice. 11...First ice making room, 12...Second ice making room, 1
3...First ice making compartment, 14...Evaporator, 15...
Second ice making room.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first ice-making chamber 11 equipped with a large number of first ice-making chambers 13 that open downward and an evaporator 14 on the back side.
and a second ice-making compartment 12 which is provided with a large number of second ice-making compartments 15 that open upwardly and which is arranged so that the first ice-making compartment 11 can be closed from below;
In an automatic ice making machine comprising heating means for heating an ice making compartment 12, the first and second ice making compartments 1
After detecting the formation of ice cubes in the space defined by ice cubes 3 and 15, the second ice making chamber 15 is heated by the heating means, and the second ice making chamber 15 is heated with the ice cubes attached to the first ice making chamber 13. removing the second ice-making compartment 12 from the ice-making compartment 11 and stopping the heating means;
Next, the valve of the refrigerant circulation system in the refrigeration system is switched, and hot gas is circulated and supplied to the evaporator 14 to heat the first ice-making chamber 11, thereby melting and detaching the ice block from the first ice-making chamber 13. Deicing control method for automatic ice maker.