JPH07100503B2 - Blow molded product for tank, method of manufacturing tank from the blow molded product, and water supply tank for water storage type ice making device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a blow-molded article for a tank which is later processed into a tank or a container, a method for producing a tank from this blow-molded article, and the same tank production. And a water tank for a water storage type ice making device manufactured by using the method.
The present invention relates to a so-called water storage type ice maker that stores ice making water in a water supply tank built in or attached to an ice making machine in advance and sends the water to an ice making plate through the ice making water tank to make ice. However, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to such a field of use.

[Prior Art] Generally, plastic containers are usually manufactured by blow molding, that is, various shapes and structures of containers have been manufactured by this method.

However, within the range of prior art known to the inventor,
In order to manufacture a kind of container, one blow mold corresponding to the container was necessarily manufactured.

Further, the water storage type ice making device as described above is, for example,
Various types have been known, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication 63-66776. Also in the ice making machine disclosed in the publication, a water supply tank for storing water in ice making water in advance is provided separately from the ice making water tank. In this case, the water supply tank is arranged above the ice making water tank, and the water in the water supply tank is supplied to the ice making water tank via the valve provided at the bottom thereof as needed.

In addition, in the ice making device of the above publication, a valve is also provided at the bottom of the ice storage that receives the ice particles that have been made, and the melted ice water that has accumulated in the ice storage is below the ice making water tank when the valve is opened. It was sent to and used again for ice making. The ice storage is opened and closed when the ice cubes are taken out.Therefore, dust or the like may enter the ice storage when opening or removing the ice cubes, and thus melted ice water from the ice storage that may be contaminated. It is returned to the ice making water tank and is used repeatedly for ice making.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Therefore, since an expensive blow molding die has to be manufactured for each molded product, especially when the number of molded products manufactured from this mold is small. Has been a factor that significantly increased product costs.

Further, in the ice making machine of the above publication, a valve is provided at the bottom of the water supply tank, the valve opens when the water supply tank is set on the ice making water tank, and the valve closes when the water supply tank is lifted to prevent water from falling. As a result, the structure of the water supply tank became complicated and it was difficult to clean it.
Therefore, the scales of the water supply tank are likely to adhere, and moreover, the water accumulated in the ice storage was poured into the ice making water tank, and therefore improvement from the viewpoint of hygiene has been desired.

Further, in the ice making machine of the above publication, the water tank is not even provided with a water level sensor (the alarm device such as a lamp and a buzzer is activated by the water level detection signal), and the user actually determines the remaining amount of the water tank. It was not possible to easily know the remaining amount except by visually confirming.

Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a blow-molded article for a tank, which can be molded from one mold and can be processed later into at least two kinds of tanks.

Another object of the present invention is to supply water to the ice making water tank from the blow-molded product and to use return water from the ice making water tank, which can be used as a water supply tank, and a pool of ice storage. A method of manufacturing a tank that can be used as a drainage tank that can receive water.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a water storage tank for a water storage type ice making device which can be installed with a water level sensor and has a simple structure and can be easily cleaned.

[Means and Actions for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the blow-molded article for a tank according to the present invention comprises a bottom portion, a top portion, and four side portions extending between the bottom portion and the top portion. Having a defined main tank portion, the top portion is provided with a sealable opening and a closed sub-tank portion connected to the top portion through a kerf defining a small diameter passage. Has been.

In addition, a first grip is formed on the top between the opening and the entangled portion, and the posture of the blow-molded product is adjusted so that the opening is located above the sub tank portion among the four side portions. A second handle is formed on the side portion located above when changed.

The blow molded product itself can be used as a container,
In that case, the opening serves as a port for the liquid. Also,
According to the tank manufacturing method of the present invention,
When cut in a substantially horizontal direction, the opening formed by the cutting faces upward to form the first tank to be used, and the sub-tank portion is positioned in a substantially vertical direction at a position deviated from the small diameter passage. When cut, the opening formed by the cutting faces upward to form a second tank to be used, and at least two kinds of tanks are manufactured in this manner.

The first tank can be suitably used as a drain tank which communicates with an ice storage via a drain hose in a water storage type ice making device and receives the melted ice water accumulated therein, and the drainage is provided at an opening formed by cutting. A hose and water level sensor can be attached. Similarly, in the water storage type ice making device, the second tank communicates with the ice making water tank via the water supply hose and the return hose to supply water to the ice making water tank and receive overflow water from the ice making water tank. It can be suitably used as a water supply tank, and at the opening created by cutting,
The water supply hose, the return hose, and the water level sensor can be attached. The opening that can be sealed by the cap with the screw cut is normally sealed, and is opened when the cap is removed when replenishing the water in the water supply tank.

When used as a water supply tank, the second handle side is the top and the small diameter passage side is the bottom.

[Embodiment] Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding portions.

1, FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are an elevation view, a plan view and a partial sectional view taken along line 1B-1B of FIG. 1 of a blow molded product for tank 50 according to the present invention. As can be appreciated, the blow molded article 50 includes a bottom portion 51, a top portion 52, and the bottom portion 51.
And a main tank portion 28 defined by four sides 53-56 extending between the tops 52, the top 52 defining a sealable opening 32a and a small diameter passage 30. A closed sub-tank portion 29 connected to the top portion 52 via a twist portion 27 is provided.

In addition, the top portion 52 has a first gap between the opening 32 a and the twisted portion 27.
Of the four side portions, the side portion 55 positioned above when the blow molded product 50 is changed in posture so that the opening 32a is positioned above the sub tank portion, A second handle 34 is formed. Reference numerals 57 to 60 are concave and convex portions on which blow molded products 50 are formed to impart strength.

The blow-molded article 50 described above itself functions as a liquid container. That is, the opening 32a is normally closed by screwing a cap, which will be described later, in the state of FIG. 1 with the cap removed, liquid can be taken in and out through the opening 32a.

Also, in accordance with the present invention, lines 2A-2A and 2B-2B shown in FIG.
Cut off the sub tank part 29 along the
When a part of the tank is cut away, another type of tank as schematically shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B can be manufactured. That is, when the horizontal cutting is performed along the line 2A-2A in FIG. 1 at or near the lower limit of the twisted portion 27, as shown in FIG. 2A, an opening that opens in the same direction as the opening 32a described above. Part 39 to top 5
A tank (first tank) 36 included in 2 is formed. This tank 36 can be suitably used as a drainage tank of a water storage type ice making device as described later.

Further, when the sub-tank portion 29 is cut in the vertical direction along the line 2B-2B in FIG. 1 in a region outside the twisted portion 27, as shown in FIG. 2B, it is opened to the side of the second handle 34. The tank (second tank) 20 having the opening 35 in the sub tank portion 29 is formed. Second B
In the figure, the tank 20 is shown in a state of use rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise from the position shown in FIG. 1, and in this state, the opening 35 is above the entangled portion 27 by a predetermined height. It is in. This tank 20 can be suitably used as a water supply tank of a water storage type ice making device as described later.

Next, a water storage type ice making device using the tanks 20 and 36 formed as described above as a water supply tank and a drainage tank, respectively, will be described with reference to FIGS. In the ice making device, a cabinet 17 is provided separately from the ice making machine unit 1, and a water supply tank 20 and a drainage tank 36 are provided in the cabinet 17.
Is shown as a separate type.

In FIG. 3, a cabinet 17 having a water supply tank 20 and a drainage tank 36 on a dew tray 19 is provided with an opening / closing door 18, and the water supply tank 20 and the drainage tank 36 which are detachably arranged can be taken out. The water supply tank 20 includes a water supply hose 22 and a return hose 24.
21 is detachably attached, and the drain tank 36 is detachably attached with a float assembly 41 including a drain hose 44. The water supply hose 22, the return hose 24, and the drain hose 44 are connected to the ice making machine unit 1 as described later.

Next, the structure of the ice making machine section 1 itself will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 4. In the figure, 2 is a water supply port leading to the deicing water sprinkling section 7 of the water sprinkler 5, which is a water supply pump assembly 21. The water supply hose 22 is connected to the water supply port 2.

Below the water sprinkler 5, a pair of ice making plates 8 are arranged,
The ice-making water sprinkled from the ice-making water tank 9 through the ice-making water sprinkling unit 6 by driving the pump motor 12 during the ice-making cycle is cooled while flowing down the ice-making surface (surface) of the ice-making plate 8 as indicated by the arrow. The ice-making water that has not been frozen due to the ice grains 8a is received in the ice-making water tank 9. An overflow pipe 4 is connected to the ice making water tank 9, and excess water overflowing the ice making water tank 9 is returned to the water supply tank 20 via the overflow pipe 4 and the return hose 24. That is, the return hose 24 of the water supply pump assembly 21 is connected to the overflow pipe 4.

When the ice making cycle is completed and the ice making cycle is started, the pump motor 26 provided in the water supply tank 20 (see FIG. 5).
Is driven, and the water in the water supply tank 20 flows into the ice making water tank 9 through the water supply port 2, the slow ice water sprinkling section 7, and the back surface of the ice making plate 8, and when overflowing, returns to the water supply tank 20 as described above. The hot gas from the compressor 13 is sent to the evaporation pipe 11 mounted on the back surface of the ice making plate 8 to melt the adhering portion of the ice particles 8a adhering to the ice making surface of the ice making plate 8. 8a
Is separated from the ice making plate 8 and is accommodated in the ice storage 10 through the opening 9a of the ice making water tank 9.

The ice particles 8a in the ice storage 10 may be melted, and ice making water or slow ice water sprayed on the ice making plate 8 may be scattered and enter the ice storage 10. In order to drain the water accumulated at the bottom of the ice storage 10 in this way, the ice storage 10 is formed with a drainage port 3, and the drain assembly 3 is provided with a float assembly 41 provided in a drainage tank 36. The attached drain hose 44 is connected. Incidentally, reference numeral 14 is the above-mentioned evaporation pipe 11 and compressor.
A condenser forming a well-known refrigeration circuit together with 13 and the like, reference numeral 15 is an opening / closing door of the ice storage 10.

Next, the water supply tank 20 and the drainage tank 36 will be further described with reference to FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3 and 5 to 7. The water supply tank 20 has a box-shaped large volume. It has a main tank portion 28 and a small-volume auxiliary tank portion 29 having a box shape similarly, and there is a entanglement portion 27 between both tank portions 28, 29, and these tank portions 28, 29 are The small-diameter passages 30 defined by the entangled portion 27 communicate with each other. The main tank portion 28 has handles 34 and 33 formed on the top portion (side portion 55 in FIG. 1) in use and the side portion (top portion 52 in FIG. 1) on the sub tank portion 29 side, respectively. At the same time, an opening 32a is formed on the upper side of the handle 33, and the opening 32a is normally closed by a cap 32 in a hermetically closed state. On the other hand, the top portion of the sub tank portion 29 in the use state has a large rectangular opening 35, and the opening 35 has a pump motor 26 attached to the mounting plate 25, a return hose 24, and a float switch 23. A water supply pump assembly 21 including a water supply hose 22 and the like is fitted. The mounting plate 25 is a plate member having a U-shaped cross section having a pair of ears 25a, and by simply placing the ears 25a on the edge of the opening 35, the entire water supply pump assembly 21 is attached to the water supply pump. It has a geometry that allows it.

As described above, the water supply hose 22 is connected to the water supply port 2 of the ice maker 1, and the water in the water supply tank 20 is driven by the pump motor 26 as necessary to remove the water from the sprinkler 5. It is supplied to the ice making water tank 9 through the ice water sprinkling unit 7.
Further, the return hose 24 is connected to the overflow pipe 4 of the ice making machine section 1.

The box-shaped drainage tank 36 has, at its top 52, a square opening 39 that is wide open, and a round opening 32a that is closed in a sealed state by a cap 32, between the openings 32a and 39. Handle 33
Are formed. A handle 34 is also formed on the side portion 55 of the drainage tank 36. The square opening 39 has a mounting plate 42
A float assembly 41 including a float switch 43, a drain hose 44, and the like attached to the is fitted. As described above, the drain hose 44 is connected to the drain port 3 of the ice making machine section 1.

The operation of the ice making device having the above configuration will be described. When supplying water to the water supply tank 20, a water supply pump assembly
After removing 21, tap water is supplied with the water tank 20 taken out from the housing 17 in such a posture that the opening 32a faces upward as shown in FIG. Then the opening 32
When the cap 32 is screwed into a and sealed, the cap 32 is brought into a normal use position in which the cap 32 faces sideways as shown in FIG.
Even when carried inside, the space in the main tank portion 28 becomes a negative pressure in the vicinity of the opening 32a, so that water does not come out from the opening 35. Of course, you may carry the handle 33. Thereafter, the ear portion 25a of the mounting plate 25 is placed on the edge portion of the opening 35, and the water supply pump assembly 21 is set in the water supply tank 20.

When the power is turned on, the ice making machine section 1 starts operation from the deicing cycle, the hot gas valve (not shown) is opened, deicing with hot gas is performed, the pump motor 26 is also driven, and the water in the water supply tank 20 is driven. Flows through the water supply hose 22, the water supply port 2, the deicing water sprinkler 7, and the back surface of the ice making plate 8 to the ice making water tank 9 while deicing, and collects in the ice making water tank 9 as water necessary for ice making. The water level on the side of the sub tank portion 29 of the water supply tank 20 decreases until the water necessary for one ice making is accumulated in the ice making water tank 9, that is, until it overflows. When the water level becomes lower than the entangled portion 27 between the main tank portion 28 and the sub tank portion 29, air flows from the sub tank 29 side to the main tank portion 28 side,
Water on the main tank portion 28 side moves to the sub tank portion 29 side. By repeating such an operation, the water required for one ice making is supplied to the ice making water tank 9.

When the water necessary for one ice making is accumulated in the ice making water tank 9,
The water supplied thereafter returns to the water supply tank 20 as excess water via the overflow pipe 4 and the return hose 24.

When the deicing completion is detected by the known deicing completion detecting device in this way, the ice making device enters the ice making cycle, the pump motor 26 is stopped, and the hot gas valve is closed. Then, the pump motor 12 is driven, and the ice making water in the ice making water tank 9 is supplied to the ice making surface of the ice making plate 8 through the ice making water sprinkler 7 of the water sprinkler 5. When a predetermined amount of ice particles grows on the ice making plate 8, the state is detected by, for example, a known float type water level detection device (not shown) provided in the ice making water tank 9, and the ice making cycle shifts to the deicing cycle. The ice grains 8a of the ice making plate 8 are deiced from there and stored in the ice storage 10.

The above cycle is repeated and ice particles are stored in the ice storage 10.
When a predetermined amount of 8a is accumulated, a known ice storage detection switch is activated and turned off to stop the operation of the ice making device.

The float switch 23 attached to the water tank 20
It is arranged so as to be separated from the pump motor 26 so that water can be supplied as effectively as possible, and a predetermined level above the lower end of the pump motor 26 is detected as the lower limit water level. In the drainage tank 36, even if all the ice particles 8a stored in the ice storage 10 in a full state are melted and flowed into the drainage tank 36,
Has at least a capacity capable of sufficiently accommodating, as shown in FIG. 8, the upper limit water level L _up float 43a is to be detected in the float switch 43 of the float assembly 41 when accommodating the meltwater as described above It is set below the maximum water level L _{max of} .

When the float switch 23 or 43 detects the water level set as described above and closes, the operation of the ice making device is stopped. At the same time, the lamp is turned off to inform that water needs to be supplied to the water tank 20 or drained from the drain tank 36. To return the ice making device, the water supply / drainage process of the water supply / drainage tank may be performed and the power switch may be turned on.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, since the blow-molded product has the sub-tank portion that communicates with the main tank via the tuck portion, the blow-molded product itself can be used as a container. However, by cutting the sub-tank portion in two ways according to the present invention, at least two types of tanks can be manufactured from one mold, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In addition, since each tank manufactured as described above has two openings, water supply and drainage and cleaning are facilitated, and one tank is equipped with a water level sensor and a drain hose at one opening. From the hygienic point of view, it can be used as a drainage tank of a water storage type ice making device, and a water level sensor, a water supply hose, and a return hose can be attached to one opening of the other tank. Gives advantageous results.

Moreover, when used as a water tank, not only can the water level sensor be installed in the water tank as described above,
Due to the cooperation of the opening formed at a special position of the sub tank and the sealable opening, the water inside can be retained without providing a valve, so the manufacturing is simple and the cleaning is simple. A water tank for a water storage type ice making device is provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing an embodiment of a blow molded product for a tank according to the present invention, FIG. 1A is a plan view of the blow molded product of FIG. 1, and FIG. 1B is a 1B- of FIG. Partial cross section along line 1B,
FIG. 2A is a simplified elevational view showing a partial cross-section of a first tank manufactured from the blow molded product of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a second elevation manufactured from the blow molded product of FIG. FIG. 3 is a simplified elevational view showing a partial cross section of the tank, and FIG.
5 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of a water storage type ice making device using the tanks of FIG. 5 as a drainage tank and a water supply tank, respectively. FIG. FIG. 7 is a partially exploded perspective view of a water supply tank used in the ice making device of FIG. 3, FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining water supply replenishment to the water supply tank shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a partially exploded perspective view of a drainage tank used in the ice making device of FIG. 3, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the water level in the drainage tank of FIG. 7. 20 …… Second tank (water storage tank for water storage type ice making device) 27 …… Converging section, 28 …… Main tank section 29 …… Sub tank section, 30 …… Small diameter passage 32a …… Sealable opening section 33 …… First handle, 34 …… Second handle 35 …… Opening created by vertical cutting 36 …… First tank (drainage tank) 39 …… Opening created by horizontal cutting 50 …… Blow-molded product for tanks 51 …… Bottom of blow-molded product 52 …… Top of blow-molded product 53 to 56 …… Four sides of blow-molded product

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A main tank portion defined by a bottom, a top and four sides extending between the bottom and the top, the top having a sealable opening. A blow-molded article for a tank, which is provided with a closed sub-tank section connected to the apex via a kinked section defining a small diameter passage. 2. A first handle is formed on the top portion between the opening and the tuck portion, and the first handle is formed on the four side portions.
The tank according to claim 1, wherein a second handle is formed on a side portion located above when the blow-molded product is changed in posture such that the opening is located above the sub tank portion. Blow molded products. 3. A bottom, a top, and four sides extending between the bottom and the top to define a main tank portion, the top having a sealable opening. There is provided a closed sub tank portion connected to the top portion through a knot portion defining a small diameter passage, and a first handle interposed between the opening portion and the sub tank portion. Of the two side parts, at least two kinds of blow molded products for tanks having a second handle are formed on the side part that is located above the sub tank part when the opening is located above the sub tank part. The method for manufacturing the tank of claim 1, wherein when the sub-tank portion is cut in a substantially horizontal direction, the opening formed by the cutting is directed upward to form a first tank to be used, The sub-tank part is substantially vertical in a position outside the small diameter passage. When cut forms a second tank opening caused by the cutting is used becomes upward, tank production process from blow molded article. 4. A main tank portion defined by a bottom portion, a top portion, and four side portions extending between the bottom portion and the top portion,
In the top portion, a sealable opening, and a sub-tank portion connected to the top portion via a kink portion that defines a small diameter passage,
A first handle interposed between the opening and the sub-tank portion is provided, and the first handle is provided above the four side portions when the opening is positioned above the sub-tank portion. A second handle is formed on the side portion where it is located,
The water tank for a water storage type ice making device, wherein an opening is formed in the sub-tank portion so as to open toward the second handle at a position closer to the second handle than the twisted portion.