JPH062073U - Ice maker of ice machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] The ice cubes generated in the ice making chamber are released reliably and in a short time. [Structure] A float tank 13 to which water is supplied via a water supply pipe 22 is arranged on the back surface side of an ice making chamber 12 arranged vertically. A float 14 that moves up and down according to the water level in the tank is provided inside the tank 13. An ice pushing rod 20 is connected to a rod 16 fixed to the float 14 via a connecting member 18. One end of the ice pushing rod 20 is slidably inserted into a hole 12b formed in the ice making small chamber 12a. The ice push-out rod 20 is provided when the water level of the float tank 13 rises and the float 14 and the rod 16 rise.
It moves so as to project to the inside of the ice making compartment 12a. As a result, the ice cubes 11 generated in the ice making small chamber 12a are discharged from the small chamber 12a by the ice pushing rod 20.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an ice making device of an ice making machine, and more specifically, an ice making chamber that defines a large number of ice making small chambers that open obliquely downward is arranged substantially vertically, and ice making water is sprayed and supplied to this ice making chamber. In a vertical ice machine configured to generate ice cubes in each ice making compartment, it is possible to shorten the deicing time by forcibly releasing the ice cubes produced in the ice making compartment from the ice making compartment. The present invention relates to an ice removing device for an ice making machine.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 As an automatic ice maker that continuously produces a large number of ice cubes, a large number of small ice making chambers defined in a horizontally arranged ice making chamber are opened and closed with a water tray from below, and the Closed-cell type ice machines that spray ice-making water into the ice-making chamber to gradually form ice cubes in the ice-making chamber are widely used. With this type of ice making machine, it is possible to produce high quality ice cubes with uniform and uniform dimensions, but it is necessary to tilt the water tray during deicing operation, so a separate means for driving this is required. However, there are drawbacks that the mechanism becomes complicated as a whole and the manufacturing cost increases.

Further, an evaporation pipe communicating with a refrigeration system is arranged on one side of an ice making machine that is inclined, and ice making water is sprayed and supplied to the ice making surface of this ice making plate to produce plate ice, and the obtained plate is obtained. A water circulation type ice making machine is also used in which ice is dropped on a grid-shaped heating wire arranged diagonally below the ice making machine to melt into a large number of ice cubes.

However, in this circulation type ice making machine, since it is necessary to horizontally arrange the grid-shaped heating wire on the plate ice falling locus diagonally below the ice making machine, the installation space becomes large, There is a drawback that the ice making mechanism part becomes large. It is also pointed out that the power consumption increases when the ice melts.

As an ice-making machine capable of solving the drawbacks of the ice-making machine according to the above-mentioned configuration, an ice-making room which defines a large number of small ice-making rooms that open obliquely downward is arranged vertically, and is arranged above this ice-making room. There is known an ice maker that is configured to generate ice cubes in each ice making chamber by spraying and supplying ice making water from a water sprinkler.

Since the present invention relates to an ice removing device of this vertical water circulation type ice making machine, first, a schematic structure of the water circulation type ice making machine will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, an ice making chamber 12 defining a large number of small ice making chambers 12a opened obliquely downward is vertically arranged above an inside of a casing (not shown) of the ice making machine. On the back side of the ice making chamber 12, an evaporation pipe 15 connected to a refrigerating system (not shown) is closely arranged in a meandering manner, and the refrigerant is circulated through the evaporation pipe 15 during the ice making operation, so that the ice making chamber 12 is cooled below the freezing point. To be done. Immediately below the ice making chamber 12, a water tank 19 for collecting and storing ice making water sprayed and supplied to the ice making chamber 12 at the time of ice making operation described later is arranged.

As shown in the figure, a constant amount of ice-making water is stored in the water tank 19 via a water storage tank 21 capable of storing a predetermined amount of ice-making water. An ice making water circulation pump 23 is provided in the water tank 19, and an ice making water supply pipe 25 connected to the discharge side of the pump 23 is provided so as to extend horizontally above the ice making chamber 12. It is connected to one end of the sprinkler 27. The water sprinkler 27 is provided with water spray holes 27a as shown in the figure at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction thereof. The ice making water pumped from the water tank 19 during the ice making operation is the water spray holes. Sprayed from 27a.

A guide 29 is provided between the water sprinkler 27 and the ice making chamber 12 to guide the ice making water sprayed and supplied from the water sprinkler 27 to the uppermost ice making small chamber 12 a defined in the ice making chamber 12. It is set up. The ice making water guided to the uppermost ice making small chamber 12a through this guide 29 is guided to the lower ice making small chamber 12a along the inner wall of the ice making small chamber 12a, and after flowing down all the ice making small chambers 12a, It falls into the tank 19 and is collected.

When the ice making machine configured as described above starts its ice making operation, the refrigerant is circulated and supplied to the evaporation pipe 15 attached to the back surface of the ice making chamber 12. Further, the ice-making water stored in the water tank 19 is sucked by the pump 23, and is sent under pressure into the water sprinkler 27 through the water supply pipe 25 shown in the figure. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the ice making water is sprayed on the guide 29 through the water spray holes 27a and is guided from the guide 29 to the inner wall of the uppermost ice making chamber 12a. At this time, the ice making water flows down from the top surface of the ice making chamber 12, but the ice making chamber 12 is laterally defined by a horizontal partition plate 12c inclined obliquely downward and this Reference numeral 12c constitutes a top plate and a bottom plate of each ice making compartment 12a. Therefore, the ice-making water that flows down forms a water film by the action of surface tension, and flows down from the top end to the top plate that is inclined downward, while flowing down the bottom plate while moisturizing the entire inner wall of the ice-making small chamber 12a. It flows into the ice-making small chamber 12 in the next stage, and thus flows down and flows through each ice-making small chamber 12 thoroughly.

Since the ice making small chamber 12a is cooled to below freezing point by the operation of the refrigerating system, part of the ice making water circulated and supplied into the small chamber begins to form a layered ice on the inner wall surface of the ice making small chamber 12a. . Further, the ice making water that has not been frozen is dropped from the lower end of the ice making chamber 12 and is collected in the water tank 19 to be recycled again. When the ice making operation progresses and a required ice cube is generated in the ice making small chamber 12a, a sensor (not shown) detects this and the hot gas is supplied to the evaporation pipe 15 by switching the valve. As a result, the icing surface between the ice cubes and the ice making small chamber 12a is melted, and the ice cubes are discharged from the ice making small chamber 12a by their own weight and stored in an ice storage (not shown).

[0011]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 In the vertical ice making machine according to the above-mentioned configuration, the ice layer growing in each ice making small chamber 12a opens the horizontal partition plate 12c in order to discharge and drop the ice cubes from the ice making chamber 12 in a short time during the deicing operation. The ice making operation is continued until the ice cubes are connected to each other across the edge. That is, when the ice-making surface between the ice making compartment 12a and the ice cubes is melted during the deicing operation, the weight of all the ice cubes interconnected acts in the direction of separating the ice cube group from the ice making chamber 12, and Deicing is promoted.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, in the type in which the horizontal partition plate 12c has the same thickness and the upper and lower surfaces thereof are inclined in the same direction, the ice cubes can be smoothly released from the ice making chamber 10. There was a difficulty that it could not be done. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the inclination angle of the upper surface and the lower surface of the horizontal partition plate 12c is changed so that the cross-sectional shape thereof is formed into a substantially trapezoidal shape, thereby smoothly discharging the ice cubes from the ice making chamber 10. Achieving the above is proposed. However, in this case, since the thickness dimension of the horizontal partition plate 12c becomes large, the volume of each ice making small chamber 12a becomes small, and as a result, the amount of ice making decreases. In any case, the release of the ice cubes from the ice making chamber 10 depends on the weight of the ice cubes. Therefore, if the ice cubes are caught on the horizontal partition plate 12c, the ice cubes are more than necessary. There was a problem that it was melted.

Therefore, as a measure against the above-mentioned problem, there has been proposed an ice making machine provided with a mechanism for forcibly discharging the ice cubes formed in the ice making chamber from the ice making chamber. As shown in FIG. 6 (a), this ice making machine requires an ice making chamber 12 having a large number of rectangular ice making small chambers 12a so that its front side (the opening side of the ice making small chamber 12a) faces downward. An ice pushing device 34 is attached to a housing (not shown) at an angle of 0.degree., And at the center of the back surface side of the ice making chamber 12 via a mounting plate 32. As shown in the figure, in this ice pushing device 34, a movable member 36 forming a pushing surface 34a of the ice cube 11 faces the inside of the ice making small chamber 12a located at the center of the ice making chamber 12, and when ice cubes are released. As shown in FIG. 6 (b), the ice cube is configured to be pushed out of the ice making compartment 12a.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the movable member 36 of the ice pushing device 34 is extended, and the movable member 36 is always under the elastic action of the second coil spring 46. The ice making small chamber 12a is held so as to face it. Further, a movable shaft 38 is integrally formed inside the movable member 36 along the longitudinal direction thereof, and a first coil spring 40 made of a shape memory alloy is wound around the movable shaft 38. The coil spring 40 is adapted to be energized via a power supply line 42 connected to the movable shaft 38 during the deicing operation of the ice making machine. When the coil spring 40 heats up and rises to a predetermined temperature, the coil member 40 extends to a length stored in advance at the time of molding and resists the elasticity of the second coil spring 46 to move the movable member 36 to the ice making chamber. It is set to push outward from 12a.

In the ice pushing device 34, as the first coil spring 40 extends, as shown in FIG. 6 (b), the ice cubes 11 that are mutually connected via the movable member 36 are formed in the ice making chamber 12 a. Can be forcibly released from. Therefore, the deicing time can be significantly shortened as compared with the case where the ice cubes 11 are released by their own weight. However, since the structure of the extrusion device 34 is extremely complicated and a special material such as a shape memory alloy is required, there is a drawback that the manufacturing cost increases. Further, since the movable member 36 attached to the pushing device 34 faces the inside of the small ice making chamber 12a, the ice cubes 11 cannot be generated in the small ice making chamber 12a, and as a result, the ice making ability is reduced. Difficulties are also pointed out. Further, since the first coil spring 40 is operated, it is necessary to supply power to the spring 40 through the power supply line 42 for a predetermined time, which causes a problem that power consumption increases.

[0016]

[The purpose of the device]

 In view of the above-mentioned problems inherent in the above-mentioned conventional technology, the present invention has been proposed to suitably solve this problem, and it is easy and reliable to release the ice cubes generated in the ice making chamber in a short time. An object of the present invention is to provide an ice removing device having a simple structure.

[0017]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems and achieve the intended purpose, the present invention provides an ice making chamber which is arranged substantially vertically in a housing and defines a large number of ice making small chambers which are inclined and opened obliquely downward, and the ice making chamber. It consists of a water tank located below and supplied with water via a water supply pipe, and a sprinkler located above the ice making chamber and supplied with ice making water from a water tank via a circulation pump. In a water circulation type ice maker configured to supply a required amount of water to the water tank via the water supply pipe during ice operation, the water circulation type ice maker is arranged so as to face the back side of the ice making chamber and is supplied via the water supply pipe. A float tank capable of storing water, a float that faces the inside of the float tank and moves up and down according to the water level in the tank, and a hole that is provided in the float and has one end bored in the ice making compartment. Ice extruding part slidably inserted into In the deicing operation, when the water supplied from the water supply pipe is stored in the float tank and the float rises, the ice pushing member is configured to protrude into the ice making compartment. .

[0018]

【Example】

 Next, the ice removing device of the ice making machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, with reference to preferred embodiments. Since the basic structure of the ice making machine in which the present invention is implemented is the same as the conventional water circulation type ice making machine described with reference to FIG. 4, its detailed description is omitted. The same members as those described above are designated by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a part of an ice making machine equipped with an ice removing device 10 according to an embodiment, and a predetermined space is provided from the back surface of the ice making chamber 12 provided with a large number of ice making small chambers 12a. A float tank 13 is disposed at a position where the water tank 19 is separated from the water tank 19 so as to face the water tank 19. A water supply pipe 22 connected to an external water supply system (not shown) is opened above the float tank 13, and water is supplied to the float tank 13 by opening a water supply valve 24 provided in the water supply pipe 22. It is like this. A drain hole 13a is formed at the bottom of the float tank 13, and the water supplied to the tank 13 drops into the water tank 19 through the drain hole 13a and is stored in the tank.

The water supply valve 24 is opened when the ice making operation is switched to the deicing operation, and a predetermined amount of water (the amount of ice making water necessary for the next ice making operation) is supplied to the float tank 13. When it does, it is controlled to close. Further, the amount of water that drops into the water tank 19 through the drain hole 13a is set to be smaller than the amount of water supplied through the water supply pipe 22, and the water supplied through the water supply pipe 22 gradually enters the tank. It is set to be stored.

A float 14 having a desired shape is disposed inside the float tank 13, and the float 14 is configured to move up and down according to a change in water level in the float tank 13. Further, above the float tank 13, two supporting members 17, 17 are arranged in a casing (not shown) in the upper and lower directions with a predetermined distance therebetween, and the rod 16 can be moved up and down on both supporting members 17, 17. It is supported. The lower end of the rod 16 is arranged and fixed to the float 14, and the rod 16 is configured to move up and down while being guided by the support members 17 and 17 as the float 14 moves up and down.

A support member 45 is disposed in a housing facing between the ice making chamber 12 and the float tank 13, and the ice pushing rod 20 is horizontally slidably supported by the support member 45, and its front end is It is slidably inserted into a hole 12b formed in the small ice making chamber 12a. One end of a connecting member 18 is rotatably supported at the rear end of the ice pushing rod 20, and the other end of the connecting member 18 is between the supporting members 17, 17 of the rod 16. It is rotatably supported at the facing part. Then, when the rod 16 moves up, as shown in FIG. 2, it is set so as to horizontally move the ice pushing rod 20 through the connecting member 18 in a direction projecting from the hole 12b to the inside of the ice making compartment 12a. As a result, the ice cubes 11 generated in the ice making chamber 12a are pressed in the direction of being released from the ice chamber 12a by the buoyancy of the float 14 applied via the ice pushing rod 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the ice pushing rod 20, the connecting member 18 and the rod 16 are arranged such that the front end face of the ice pushing rod 20 is aligned with the vertical surface inside the ice making chamber 12a when the float tank 13 is empty. It is connected by the positional relationship.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 26 indicates a thermistor that detects a temperature rise in the ice making chamber 12, and when the thermistor 26 detects a set temperature, it is set to switch from deicing operation to ice making operation.

[0024]

[Operation of the embodiment]

 Next, the operation of the ice removing device thus configured will be described. When the ice making operation of the ice making machine is started in a state where a predetermined amount of ice making water is stored in the water tank 19, the refrigerant is circulated and supplied to the evaporation pipe 15 attached to the back surface of the ice making chamber 12 and water The ice making water stored in the link 19 is sucked by the circulation pump 23 and is sent under pressure to the sprinkler 27 via the water supply pipe 25. This ice making water is sprayed to the guide 29 through the water spray holes 27a, and is guided from the guide 29 to the inner wall of the uppermost ice making small chamber 12a. Then, it flows down while moistening the entire inner wall of each ice making chamber 12a.

Since each of the small ice making chambers 12a is cooled to below freezing point by the operation of the refrigeration system, a part of the ice making water circulated and supplied into the small chambers is frozen in layers on the inner wall surface of the small ice making chambers 12a. start. Further, the ice-making water which has not been frozen is dropped from the lower end of the ice-making chamber 12 and collected in the water tank 19 to be recycled again. When the ice making operation progresses and ice cubes 11 are generated in the ice making small chamber 12a, a sensor (not shown) detects this, and hot gas is supplied to the evaporation pipe 15 by switching the valve. As a result, the icing surface between the ice cube 11 and the ice making chamber 12a is melted. Since the front end surface of the ice pushing rod 20 is set to coincide with the vertical surface of the ice making small chamber 12a, normal ice cubes 11 are generated in the ice making small chamber 12a, and the ice making amount is not lowered. Absent.

When the ice making operation is switched to the deicing operation, the water supply valve 24 is opened and water is supplied to the float tank 13 via the water supply pipe 22. A part of this water falls into the water tank 13 through the drain hole 13a formed in the tank 13, but the amount of water supplied from the water supply pipe 22 is set to be larger than that of the falling water. Therefore, water is gradually stored in the float tank 13. Then, as the water level in the tank 13 rises, the float 14 and the rod 16 move vertically upward.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ice push-out rod 20 connected to the rod 16 through the connecting member 18 moves horizontally toward the ice making small chamber 12a as the rod 16 moves upward, and the small chamber 12a is moved. The ice cubes 11 generated in the above are pressed in the direction of releasing them. By the deicing operation, melting of the ice cubes between the ice cubes 11 and the ice making compartments 12a progresses, and the ice forming force between the ice cubes and the ice making compartments 12 is applied to the ice cubes via the ice pushing rod 20. When the buoyancy becomes smaller than 14, the ice push-out rod 20 projects into the inside of the ice making compartment 12a, and the ice cubes are forcibly released. That is, the ice cubes can be released from the ice making chamber 12 in a short time, the deicing time can be shortened, and the ice cubes 11 can be effectively prevented from being melted and thinned. it can.

When the thermistor 26 detects a temperature rise in the ice making chamber 12 due to the release of the ice cubes, the hot gas supply to the evaporation pipe 15 is stopped and the refrigerant is supplied to the ice making operation. Transition. The water supply valve 24 is closed when a predetermined amount of water is supplied to the float tank 13, and the water stored in the tank 13 falls into the water tank 19 through the drain hole 13a. This water will be used as ice making water in the next ice making operation. Further, the float 14 descends as the water level in the float tank 13 decreases, whereby the ice pushing rod 20 retreats from the ice making chamber 12a to the back side and stops at a position where its front end face coincides with the vertical face. (See Figure 1).

[0029]

[About another embodiment]

 FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the ice removing device, which basically has the same configuration as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, but in this embodiment, the water supply by the water supply pipe is stopped. Even after that, the water level in the float tank is kept constant.

That is, since the water supply valve 24 is controlled so as to be closed and stop the water supply when a predetermined amount of water is supplied to the float tank 13, the water in the float tank 13 will be discharged from the drain hole 13a thereafter. The water level is lowered by falling through the water tank 19, and the float 14 is lowered. In this case, when the freezing force between the ice making chamber 12 and the ice cubes is greater than the buoyancy of the float 14 when the water supply from the water supply pipe 22 is stopped, the floating force of the float 14 is lowered thereafter. Since the buoyancy gradually becomes smaller, there is a possibility that the ice pushing rod 20 cannot release the ice cubes 11.

Therefore, in another embodiment, a switching valve 28 is provided in the middle of a water supply pipe 25 connected to the circulation pump 23 and the water sprinkler 27, and the switching valve 28 and the water supply pipe 22 are connected to each other. A bypass pipe 30 is connected to. The switching valve 28 operates when the water supply valve 24 is closed, and supplies the ice-making water whose pressure is supplied to the water supply pipe 25 via the pump 23 to the float tank 13 via the bypass pipe 30. The thermistor 26 operates when it detects the completion of deicing, and is configured to supply the water sprayer 27 with ice making water that is pressure-fed through the water feed pipe 25 via the pump 23. The circulation pump 23 is set to operate when the water supply valve 24 is closed. Further, the amount of water supplied to the float tank 13 via the bypass pipe 30 and the amount of water falling from the drain hole 13a formed in the tank 13 are set to be substantially equal to each other. The water level can be kept constant. The ice-making water from the water supply pipe 25 may be directly supplied to the float tank 13 by the pipe body branched to the water supply pipe 25 without passing through the water supply pipe 22.

As a result, even after the water supply valve 24 is closed and the water supply via the water supply pipe 22 is stopped, the ice-making water pumped by the pump 23 is supplied to the float tank 13, so Is kept constant, and the pressing force (buoyancy of the float 14) applied to the ice pushing rod 20 is kept constant. Therefore, when the deicing operation progresses and the icing force between the ice making chamber 12 and the ice cubes becomes smaller than the buoyancy of the float 14, the ice cubes 11 are surely released through the ice pushing rod 20. Be done. When the thermistor 26 detects a temperature rise in the ice making chamber 12, the switching valve 28 is switched, and the ice making water pressure-fed through the water supply pipe 25 is supplied to the water sprinkler 27.

In the embodiment, the case where one ice removing device is provided adjacent to the ice making chamber has been described, but the present application is not limited to this, and the ice removing device may be provided according to the size of the ice making chamber. A plurality of devices may be provided. Further, the mechanism for moving the ice pushing rod by the buoyancy of the float is not limited to the combination of the rod and the connecting member described above, and other mechanisms can be appropriately adopted.

[0034]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, the ice removing device of the ice making machine according to the present invention is configured to forcibly release the ice cubes from the ice making chamber by using the buoyancy of the float arranged in the float tank. The ice time can be shortened and the ice making capacity can be improved. Moreover, the manufacturing cost and running cost can be kept low because the structure is extremely simple and highly reliable and no electric power is required.

Furthermore, the ice-making water stored in the water tank can be supplied to the float tank via the circulation pump, so that the water level in the float tank is maintained even after the water supply from the water supply pipe is stopped. It can be held constant. As a result, the force applied to the ice pushing member via the float can be kept constant until the ice cubes are released from the ice making chamber, and reliable release of the ice cubes can be achieved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state where ice cubes are generated in an ice making compartment in an ice making device of an ice making machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the ice removing mechanism operates to release ice cubes from the ice making chamber in the ice removing device of the ice making machine according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the ice removing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a conventional water circulation type ice making machine.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of an essential part showing another example of a horizontal partition plate constituting an ice making chamber according to a conventional technique.

FIG. 6 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing another ice making machine provided with the ice cube separating device according to the prior art.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of an essential part showing the internal structure of the ice separator shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 12 Ice-making chamber 12a Ice-making small chamber 12b Hole 13 Float tank 14 Float 19 Water tank 20 Ice push-out rod 22 Water supply pipe 23 Circulation pump 25 Water supply pipe 27 Sprinkler 28 Switching valve 30 Bypass pipe

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An ice making chamber (1) which is arranged substantially vertically in a housing and defines a large number of ice making small chambers (12a) which are obliquely opened downward.
2), a water tank (19) arranged below the ice making chamber (12) and supplied with water through a water supply pipe (22), and the ice making chamber (12)
And a sprinkler (27) which is provided above the water tank (19) and is supplied with ice-making water from a circulation pump (23) through the water supply pipe (22) during deicing operation. In a water circulation type ice maker configured to supply a required amount of water to the tank (19), the water is arranged so as to face the back side of the ice making chamber (12) and is supplied through the water supply pipe (22). A float tank (13) capable of storing the water, a float (14) facing the inside of the float tank (13) and moving up and down according to the water level in the tank, and disposed on the float (14), one end of which The ice making chamber
It consists of an ice pushing member (20) slidably inserted in a hole (12b) formed in (12a), and the water supplied from the water supply pipe (22) during deicing operation is stored in the float tank (13). When the float (14) is lifted, the ice pushing member (20) is configured to project into the inside of the ice making compartment (12). 2. A pipe (30) is branched and connected to a water pipe (25) connecting the water sprinkler (27) and the circulation pump (23), and the water pipe (25) is connected.
The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the ice making water pressure-fed from the circulation pump (23) is supplied to the float tank (13) through a pipe body (30) by switching a switching valve (28) arranged in the. De-icing device.